Call me old-fashioned if you like, but I must confess I love a fairy-tale romance, especially if it includes a reckless and gallant knight, willing to risk all for the one who has captured his heart. Throw a little magic and a touch of fantasy into the mix and I am lost.

While I might be a hopeless romantic, I have no time for the helpless damsel in distress. I like a heroine who can stand up for herself, fight for those she loves and embrace life with her arms thrown open wide.

For a long time, I had the seed of a story slowly growing in my mind until it reached a point where it pushed restlessly against my consciousness and demanded to be released. As the characters slowly took form on the pages, they changed and reformed themselves in new and surprising ways and the story unfolded around them.

The first version of the book included some detailed and intimate scenes, but I soon realized that the story was better suited to simmering romance, fueled by longing, and forced separation. Finally, many revisions later, I had a story I was excited to share with the world.

Demonic haunting, mystery, and dark romance intertwine with everyday magic in the final version of this tale of cursed love, where the growing attraction between a young witch and an “almost werewolf” puts both their lives in peril.

Bewitched in the Inbetween

Demonic haunting, mystery and dark romance intertwine with everyday magic in this bewitching tale of cursed love.

Ayla grew secluded and protected by her grandmother and their enchanted cottage, free to explore and nurture her magical gifts. This blissful existence is shattered when her grandmother dies, leaving Ayla vulnerable to the darkness that seeks to steal not only her gifts, but her very life and the life of those she loves.

And then she meets the one she cannot live without.

The wolf that lurks somewhere beneath Ash’s skin draws him deep into the darkest forest, where the last thing he expects to find is the terrified young witch, running for her life.

Drawn together by fate, their growing attraction puts both their lives in peril.

Get your copy here!

About the author

I live and work with my family and menagerie of pets in Sydney, Australia. Aside from writing, I work as a teacher, graphic designer, and artist. I love to believe in the possibility that magic might exist in our everyday lives, hidden just below the surface of our day-to-day existence. I enjoy using words and art to create landscapes where magic and fantasy collide and overlap with ordinary, everyday experiences, bringing a new dimension of colour and light to the world.

Connect with me through:
https://www.instagram.com/smilingmoon_books/
https://linktr.ee/smilingmoonbooks

I hope your day is special! My dear daughter woke me because she couldn’t stand waiting for me to get up so she could give me her gift—gifts, actually. She spoils me! I had to squee at 6:45 because she added a fortune-telling teacup to my collection (I don’t know how many I have because I’m afraid to count them!)—one I’d never seen before! I’m so over the moon! There were other things I’ll actually use or hang on my wall, but the cup! Yeah, I’m a hoarder, and she enables me! What are daughters for?

But long story short, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

UPDATE: The winner is…Beckie!
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Solve the puzzle then tell me what flowers you love in a bouquet for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! Enjoy!

Open Contests

1. Saturday Puzzle Contests — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Word Search: Silver Soldiers in One Word (Contest) — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. IN ONE PICTURE: DELILAH DEVLIN’S “RIPPLES” (CONTEST) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Story Cubes: Tell me a story (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. IN ONE PICTURE: RHONDA LEE CARVER’S “BROKEN TRUST” (CONTEST) — Win an Amazon gift card!

Growing up there were 3 things I was obsessed with: watching soap operas with my mom, reading young adult books, and listening to music—particularly playing my favorite pop stars all day long. So, it’s no wonder I would write Cecily in the City, a YA book that has a teen girl who is dating her favorite pop singer/songwriter and gets a job on the soap opera her great-grandmother used to watch with her.

I liked creating storylines for my Barbie dolls when I was growing up, and my mom used to let me watch soap operas with her. One of my favorite things to do was finish off cliffhangers on those shows with my dolls. If I didn’t like the way the writers handled the storyline, I’d change it and play it out how I wanted it to end. That’s why two of my characters in the Landry’s True Colors Series, Landry and Ashanti, are obsessed with soap operas, too. They decorate their bedroom doors with pics of soap actors, and I might have done that as well. I even named the magazine they read, Soap Opera Hotties.

In my YA series called the Star Series, I also have my characters Hadley, Charlotte, and their grandfathers watching a soap opera in the books. The soap they watch is called Charmed Lives and I decided to do a crossover with that series and the Cecily Taylor Series, and I have Cecily auditioning for and getting a role on the very show the characters in the Star Series are obsessed with! It’s a fun little Easter Egg for fans of the Star Series as I bring characters and actors they know from that book into Cecily in the City as Cecily is now working with them. And yes, Cecily had a crush on the very actor Charlotte was in love with, too!

If you’re a fan of books that have the heroine getting to live out her dreams (and see the realistic side of what it’s like to date a pop star and also have people comment on your personal life on social media), then check out my Cecily Taylor Series. It’s free on Kindle Unlimited.

Here’s an excerpt from the book, Cecily in the City:

In this scene, Cecily’s best friend, Lila, asks her what it was like to film a scene in a music video with pop star Andrew Holiday. Andrew was Cecily’s music crush and favorite singer who she met on the set of the video and is now dating.

“Weird question, but did doing that scene with Andrew in the music video where you exchange that long romantic glance—did it feel uber romantic or was it just like, a job?”

I smiled as I thought back on the day that I got to be in his music video. I was just an extra and we had only met briefly when I went to the audition, but we had connected when we started talking in his trailer during the shoot. Initially, I had been afraid to meet him and find out he wasn’t like I had imagined him all this time. But I had nothing to worry about because once we started talking it was like an instant connection as we bonded over music, books, and our overall views on life. He was exactly the same guy who wrote the lyrics that spoke to my heart. It was wild to think that the same person whose music got me through the toughest times in my life was now the person I turned to for comfort.

I started to fill Lila in on how it went on the set. “At first, I got all starry eyed because he’s been my favorite singer for a long time. I don’t know how it’d be for an actress who just booked the job and wasn’t familiar with his music. Although, I think it’d be hard to separate fact from fantasy when you’re doing some dreamy scene.”

She nodded. “How do actors gaze into each other’s eyes all day and say all those romantic things and then go about their business when the director yells, ‘cut?’ I mean, a guy held the door open for me at church three weeks ago and I’m still thinking about it.”

We giggled. “Maybe that guy is somewhere right now planning what to say if he sees you at church again.”

She shook her head saying he hadn’t been back to the ten a.m. service and she had given up on him. I bit my lip.

“Well, now you have me thinking about the next time Andrew does a video with another girl and she gets all swoony. I don’t want to be the jealous type, but how do people turn off feelings during stuff like that?”

She nodded. “I wouldn’t be able to handle watching my boyfriend do those scenes either, but we better change the subject before you start overthinking things and get all weird the next time he messages you.”

Too late.

Find my books here in Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/Cecily-City-Taylor-Book-ebook/dp/B0B35LSJRK

About the Author

Krysten Lindsay Hager is a bestselling author of young adult, middle grade, and contemporary romance. Krysten writes because she loves bringing people swoony moments & hope-filled happily ever afters. Her books are known for making you laugh, cry, & swoon.

Along with relationships, her novels deal with self-doubt, finding where you belong, true friendship, & soulmates.

Website: https://www.krystenlindsay.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor

UPDATE: The winner is…Tracy Roelle!
*~*~*

I bought this little brainstorming tool years ago at some writers’ conference. “Story Cubes” is a brainstorming game. You roll the dice and whatever pictures appear, face-up, are the ones you use to riff off a story.

To make this fun, I’ll offer a prize—a $5 Amazon gift card—good for purchasing one or two stories…

Have fun with this! Don’t overthink! Here’s the roll…

One of the things I love about writing romance—besides the happily ever after—is how many subgenres there are to explore. I primarily write paranormal romance, but I have written contemporary, fantasy, and science fiction romance. The Marks Mercenaries is one of those science fiction romance series.

Who are the Marks Mercenaries? Meet Kal, Amos, Garth, and Flynn Marks—brothers, space mercenaries, and traders who have spent the past ten years searching the far corners of space for their kidnapped younger sister. Along the way, they make enemies and find kick-ass women who will change their lives forever.

Rescuing Rory—Kidnapped or rescued? Betrayed and sold into slavery after her father’s death, mechanic Rory Banks is desperate for a way out. Kal Marks and his brothers want information they hope she can provide. What will happen to her if she can’t tell them what they want to know?

Unexpected Angel—On the run from a powerful uncle who wants to marry her off as part of a business deal, Angelina Astoferus stows away on Amos Marks’s ship. She complicates his life and his mission, but he can’t turn his back on her.

Liberating Lacey—The search for his sister has led Garth Marks and his brothers to Eden, a planet that is home to a cult-like group. Lacey Freshlan is desperate to escape the planet. Garth might be her ticket off.

Salvaging Abby— Space salvager Abby Marks has lived through the deaths of her brothers and an abduction. Her life takes a turn when she decides to salvage what appears to be an abandoned Gravasian ship—only to come face-to-face with Vaden el Gravaso, an intimidating, yet downright sexy warrior, who seems intent on keeping her. Things get even more complicated when she discovers her older brothers are very much alive.

Flynn’s Assassin—His family is safe and settled, but enemies from the past are intent of taking out Flynn Marks. Cerena Phelps has been tasked with killing Flynn if she ever wants to see her teenage son again. She’s no killer or seductress, but she’ll do whatever it takes to get her son back.

Want to find out more about this amazing family? Check out these links:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/38952
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WC8PJ4H/

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit her at:
Website: https://www.njwalters.com
Blog: https://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: https://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

And I can’t be more excited! This has been a labor of love from start to finish. Silver Soldiers is the 7th BBB anthology, featuring authors you know well and authors you’re going to love meeting for the first time. What’s more exciting? This 81,000–word book is only $0.99! We want as many people as possible to read it, so we’re making it accessible and affordable to all. If you haven’t already picked up your copy, all the links to your favorite online shops are below.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who contributed stories to this collection, as well as to the authors who submitted but didn’t make it into this book. Thank you for the privilege of letting me read your stories! Well done, all!

Take a peek below to see why I’m so excited! There is truly something to suit everyone’s tastes. Heat levels vary but all stories are explicit. The genres are varied—historical, science fiction, contemporary, and paranormal. And every one of the tales has a happily ever after or at least a happy for now/hint of happy in the future.

If you read the collection, please tell someone else what you enjoyed. Write a review. That’s the best reward a reader can give an author (or group of authors) for their hard work.

Happy reading! ~DD

SILVER SOLDIERS: A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY will satisfy the reader who craves stories with older alpha male heroes—those salt-and-pepper hotties with crow’s feet earned through rugged training and years of combat. Former soldiers finding their footing after their first careers, or current soldiers nearing the end of their military careers. They’re ready to find the right partner to put down roots, ones who aren’t afraid of scars and rough edges.

Fight Like Cats and Wolves by A.J. Harris – After their helicopter is forced down by a rogue war machine, an Army veteran must use wits and fangs to survive with his mysterious pilot

Handfasted to the Highlander Warrior by Aurora Russell – A hardened warrior reluctantly prepares to release his vivacious bride from their handfasted union…until a sweet, sexy surprise changes everything.

SNAFU—Situation Normal, All F***ed Up by Ava Cuvay – A sidelined Army cyborg’s only joy is the dimpled smile of a curvy Pentagon admin until she offers him a proposition he should refuse

Operation Purple Sparkle Diamond by Brenda Margriet – A resolute Afghan veteran deploys on his most desperate mission yet—wooing the hesitant heart of his daughter’s kindergarten teacher

Ripples by Delilah Devlin – A former Special Forces soldier, looking forward to the peace and quiet of his new houseboat, finds his solitude shattered by the arrival of his neighbor and her kid.

SEAL in Distress by Denise De Marco – While dealing with an unwanted inheritance, a former SEAL confronts his toughest battle yet against an unexpected woman

Storm on the Bayou by Elle James – A retired Navy SEAL and a pretty parish deputy hole up in a bayou fishing shack, weathering a violent meteorological and unexpectedly passionate storm

Star Diplomacy by Kimberly Dean – With the threat of an interplanetary war looming, a hardened military negotiator must find a way to connect with the enemy’s beautiful ambassador

Take Me to the Water by Michal Scott – An unexpected dare holds the key to a second chance with the disgraced Buffalo soldier she’s never stopped loving

This Time Forever by N.J. Walters – A retired Delta Force operator thwarts a holdup, saving the life of the woman he left behind twenty-seven years ago

Weathering the Storm by Natasha Moore – During a violent storm, a stranger walks into a woman’s bar who reminds her of the lover she lost who died behind enemy lines years ago

Sarge in Charge by Reina Torres – When lowlifes threaten the curvy bar owner in his Arizona town, the president of the Broken Arrow MC proves he’s the sarge in charge

Broken Trust by Rhonda Lee Carver – A retired SEAL must protect an old flame who’s feisty and more dangerous than any criminal—and dead if he can’t earn her trust

Clear to Engage by Sukie Chapin – One struggling bookshop owner, one hot-as-hell former SEAL-turned-carpenter, one line drawn in the sand—until the job is done, they’re not clear to engage