Kidnapped from Earth by alien slavers, Lacey had to fight her way to freedom in an inter-galactic gladiator match against the Hive, a fearsome race of psychopaths bent on destroying everything in their path. After defeating the Hive in battle, all she wants to do is return to Earth and her young daughter. But the Universe has other plans.

When Kadothian Warrior Gwarnon was young, he was told by his sadistic, manipulative mother that his Matriarch had died. His blood brother, Chel, had always insisted that she was alive, but Gwarnon had long ago given up hope. When he finds out through a twist of fate that his Matriarch is indeed alive, he is elated. At least at first. Lacey wants nothing to do with them, but Gwarnon and Chel are determined to show her that staying in the Bel’Tan Galaxy and being loved by them is her destiny.

Lacey will have to find a way to bring her worlds together, while protecting both her men and her family from an unseen enemy that is determined to destroy everything she holds dear.

Author’s Note:
It is HIGHLY suggested you read Roxy’s Warriors and Tara’s Warriors first, as there is a slight time overlap with all three books.

If you haven’t read Roxy’s Warriors and Tara’s Warriors, I suggest you do. Even though it’s not necessary it will make this book more enjoyable to see things as they occurred from those earlier books.

No one was more surprised than Gwarnon when he arrives to help with the earth women’s implants and finds his mate. Well his and Chel’s.

Unfortunately, Lacey is more concerned with getting back to Earth somehow, than in transitioning. Gwarnon and Chel are training her for the upcoming battle in the Baladium’s arena. During one of the epic verbal exchanges between Lacey and Gwarnon, Chel calls a halt, taking Lacey to another room. He felt all the hurt coming from Gwarnon and he needs Lacey to stop.

This is a favorite scene.

“I’m sorry, okay! I know fighting with Gwarnon is stupid, I know it. I know it’s screwing with my training, and that I can’t afford the distraction, but I just can’t help it!” She threw her hands up with a growl before dropping them again. “It’s just…it’s just that I can’t stand it when he gets all cold and closed off. I hate it when he does it, and I just want him to snap out of it.”

Understanding gave him another small clue to her soul as he took a seat in one of the chairs, avoiding the couch.

It would be too tempting to pull her into his lap, and that wasn’t what she needed from him.

And her needs would always come first.

“In order for you to understand Gwarnon, you must first understand his mother.” He gestured to the other chair. “You might want to have a seat for this.”

Frowning, she did as he asked, grabbing a deep purple pillow from the couch and holding it to her chest. “This is bad, isn’t it? I can feel…I mean your face is very expressive, I can see this story makes you sad.”

“It makes me incredibly sad, Lacey, and you can say what you really mean. You feel my sorrow, and that is normal and natural for bondmates.” She looked down and muttered something about not being his bondmate, but he ignored it. “Gwarnon’s mother is a sadist and what I believe you humans call a sociopath.”

Chel told Lacey about some of the mental torture Gwarnon had been subjected to at the hands of his mother, how Lady Melissi could bend people’s emotions to her will, that she was the ultimate manipulator. He briefly described all the years he’d hidden the fact that Gwarnon was his bondmate and told her about Lady Melissi convincing Gwarnon that his blood brother Jerit and Matriarch were dead. If Gwarnon believed he had no future, no Matriarch, Lady Melissi had hoped to finally crush Gwarnon’s will and make him her puppet—something she had been unable to do, even at her worst.

He told her about Gwarnon’s break from his mother’s hold, how their mate had joined the Kadothian Military, despite being one of the few Kadothian males who wasn’t expected to serve. As Lady Melissi’s only child, he could have lived a much easier life, one of leisure where he would have been treated like a prized possession and would never have to face true battle. Instead, he’d worked his way up through the ranks, going on endless combat missions, until he was recruited for a secret branch of the Kadothian military. Then, Chel told a noticeably quiet Lacey about all the good Gwarnon had done, all the personal risks he’d taken to protect people from his mother’s insanity. How they’d secured a small, isolated Territory and made it a secret safe haven for the innocents running from Lady Melissi’s wrath.

“Jesus Christmas.” Lacey looked faintly ill as she said, “Lady Melissi sounds like a monster.”

“Absolutely. To protect his mind and soul from that monster while growing up, Gwarnon learned the less reaction he gave his mother, the less she would torment him. He learned to wall himself off from everything, to feel nothing in order to survive Lady Melissi’s court. Nothing can penetrate the wall he built around himself if he doesn’t allow it. And there are very, very few that get to see the true Gwarnon. With most people, he is as cold and unfeeling as the robot you call him. There are very, very few that have seen him smile—like you have. That have heard him laugh—like you have. Those are the most precious gifts Gwarnon could give you, and those are your gifts to properly cherish…or lose.” He gave her a moment to think about what he’d said before he lowered his voice to a softer tone. “I know you don’t mean to truly hurt Gwarnon when you trash talk him, but you wound him nonetheless. It brings back memories of his mother’s court that he would rather not ever remember.”

Lacey sagged back into her chair, holding the pillow so tight, her knuckles turned white. “Fucking shit, I feel horrible. I didn’t mean to hurt him like that. I was just joking with him. I didn’t know he’d been abused.”

“Just joking?” Chel arched a brow as he laced his fingers together and stared at her. “You were not using him as an outlet for your frustration?”

She gave a dry chuckle and shifted uncomfortably. “You know, my drill instructor used to look at me like that when I did something particularly stupid. Yeah, I won’t bother lying, ‘cause I have a feeling you could tell. I might have taken a little bit of my frustration out on y’all, but I didn’t know Gwarnon would take it personally. I…” Tears shimmered in her gaze for a moment before she blinked them away. “I didn’t know. God, I’m such a bitch. Seriously, I am the last person that would want to bully someone else, hurt them like that, ever.”

“I believe you.” He wanted to reach out and hug away her miserable expression, but he held himself back. “Gwarnon is an exceptional man, alyah, and I swear to you he will be an amazing husband. I know our culture is hard for you to understand without the full knowledge of a crystal implant, but trust me when I say Gwarnon is one of the best men you will ever meet. Despite having been raised in such a corrupt court, he managed to come out with his honor and sense of compassion intact. He sacrifices everything to keep the people his mother rules safe, pretending in public to be under her sway, so he can buy them protection.”

Lacey drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair, her lips thinning out into a frown. “If she’s such an evil person, why don’t they arrest her or whatever?”

“It is extremely complicated, but suffice to say Lady Melissi is powerful, and she uses that power to protect herself. Plus, one of her husbands has precognition. He gets glimpses of the future that further allow her to avoid detection and punishment. Not to mention all the people she has blackmailed, bribed, and bought over the centuries.”

“She sounds like the evil Queen in a fairytale.”

“I am not sure what a fairytale is, but Lady Melissi would indeed make a good evil queen in one of our epic sagas.”

Lacey chewed on her pink lower lip for a moment, distracting him with the desire to kiss her. “And, if I bonded you guys, she’d be like—my mother-in-law? Yikes.”
Mayburn, Ann. Lacey’s Warriors (Bondmates Book 6) (pp. 69-73). Honey Mountain Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Lacey’s apology also begins her transition, which is a good thing since she will need every advantage once she and Roxy are in the arena.

She doesn’t know that her mother and daughter are both on Kadothia, and they only know she is a prisoner of the NevShoo and scheduled to fight an unknown opponent.

Their opponent is the Hive and they win spectacularly. Then things get complicated as more than one group would see Lacey dead, and of course there’s Gwanon’s evil mother.

However there is a spectacular reunion, a trial and so much more in this romantic, exotic and sensual book. Once again I am surprised my kindle didn’t melt from the heat coming off the pages.

I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

5 Contented Purrs for Ann!

Ann Mayburn

With over forty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.

From a young age Ann has had a love affair with books would read everything she could get her hands on. As Ann grew older, and her hormones kicked in, she discovered bodice ripping Fabio-esque romance novels. They were great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back.

Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.

Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she’s weird, and that sarcasm doesn’t translate well via text.

There are only two things in this world Tara trusts, her red lipstick and her family. Neither have ever let her down in a world full of betrayals and loss. But now her soldier daughter Lacey is missing, having vanished during a humanitarian mission with the Army overseas, and Tara is doing everything she can to find her. She just never expected the answers to her daughter’s disappearance could only be found in another galaxy.

Kadothian Warriors Karwin and Phiniar have been waiting their entire lives to find their bondmate, the one woman in the entire Universe they are destined to love. The lush and profitable Territory they hold on Kadothia for their future bride is under threat, coveted by a greedy Kadothian Matriarch who will stop at nothing to possess it. But when they finally locate their promised bride they quickly realize winning Tara’s heart will be no easy task. They have to break through a lifetime of mistrust and hurt, to convince Tara to take a chance on a love she never imagined existed, and secretly believes she doesn’t deserve.

Tara and her granddaughter Jillian are at the campground of the annual Renaissance Faire when the wave of EMF hits. It was a frightening turn of events as some panic ensues, but there are police and EMTs on the scene so it settled down quickly as they waited for more information. Eventually they were back at home and Tara was busy at the truck stop diner she owned with her aunt and uncle.

If you follow this series you know that the men are aliens from the Bel taine galaxy and before they can search for their mate there are qualifying conditions. First is a blood brother and in the beginning of this book we see how Karwin and Phin meet and bond. They also decide on the territory they will have for their matriarch to rule once they find her and she accepts the bonding with them.

The first time seeing Tara, Karwin royally messes up with her. He looks so very young that when he asks her on a date, he is rejected because of the seeming age difference. It’s Jaz who intervenes and makes it possible for them to try again.

This is a favorite scene.

For three long beats of her heart, she stared at them, unable to cope with their overwhelming presence.

“Pardon me, are you Tara?” the man with the long salt and pepper braid asked. He spoke in a deep, thrilling voice, heavy with a thick, but somehow familiar, accent she couldn’t identify.

Her own voice came out in an undignified squeak as she stood from her barstool. “Yes? I mean, yes, I’m Tara. How can I help you?”

She was tall—five-eleven—but these guys had to be at least a foot taller. It left her feeling positively dainty in their presence.

The man with the braid lowered his voice as he gave her a practiced bow. “My name is Karwin, and I am here to apologize on behalf of my son. He told me about his actions yesterday, and he deeply regrets causing you any embarrassment or unease.”

“Your son?” Her mind didn’t want to focus on anything besides how hot these two guys were, but she managed to make the connection as he looked up at her with those bluer than a tropical ocean eyes. “Oh, your son! No wonder you look familiar. It’s okay, no big deal. I get asked out on dates all the time.”

She startled as she swore both men growled so deep and low, she felt it more than heard it.

“Still, he should not have put you in such a position, and he is sorry.”

“Really—” She gave them her practiced smile. “It’s no big deal. He wasn’t rude or anything.”

“You are very generous,” Karwin said. As he smiled down at her, the lines around his eyes deepened. “And incredibly beautiful. I can see why my son attempted to woo you.”

“Woo me?” She couldn’t help but giggle.

“Court you?” The rugged man gave her a small bow. “Forgive us, we are not familiar with your countries customs and our grasp of your language is not the best. My name is Phiniar, but my friends call me Phin.”

“No worries.” She allowed herself to steal quick sneak peeks of their truly rock solid bodies. “Where you from?”

“Poland,” Phin said quickly. “We are part of an exchange program with the United States, working in the United States Army.”

She smiled at them both. “So you’re soldiers?”

“Warriors,” Karwin responded. As his shoulders went back, his aura of intimidation strengthened, and turned her on.

Something about a man in uniform, even if he wasn’t wearing it, always did it for her.

“We are in the Polish Army,” Phin said quickly. “I am a senior doctor, and Karwin is a Captain in the Infantry.”

“My daughter Lacey is a specialist in the Army,” she said with a proud smile.

Before she knew it, she found herself sharing a cup of coffee with the men as the diner slowly began to fill up around them. While she knew her Aunt was fine watching Jillian, and the little girl loved staying at the farm and playing with the animals, she felt guilty for staying past her shift to talk with Karwin and Phin. Still, she couldn’t seem to make herself leave. Seated between the two of them on the sturdy stools lining the counter, she felt a sense of flirty energy and happiness she hadn’t experienced in a long, long time. They were both single, and when she’d discreetly checked, neither had a tanned line on their finger from where a wedding ring would usually sit.

Not only were they both astonishingly good looking, but they were also fascinating and seemed to be genuinely interested in her and her life. Plus, she had to admit their attention and flirting made her feel good. She was hit on all the time by the various truckers that stopped for a night in their town, staying at the motel across the street from the truck stop and diner and looking for a bit of local tail to take home for the night. Those guys did not interest her and she never responded to their attention.

But when Karwin and Phin flirted with her, she flirted back. The sexual tension building between the three of them was both crazy and highly addictive. They never inappropriately touched her, or said anything blatantly sexual, but the way they watched her…the heat in their eyes nearly burned the air going into her lungs. It didn’t help that they both wore some kind of delicious masculine colognes that invited her to lean closer. Their scents smelled different, but somehow also blended together into a luscious combination that only heightened her arousal and desire.

Toying with her second empty cup of coffee, she ignored the way Sugar Bear stole glances out of the kitchen window—giving her knowing winks and smirks that Tara pretended not to see.

“What is the Magnolia Festival?” Karwin asked as he sipped his third cup of coffee. His teal eyes glowed with warmth. “When we arrived, banners announcing it hung all over.”

“Oh, it’s an annual festival we have in Tupelo Creek to celebrate the blooming of the magnolias.”

“Magnolias,” Phin said in his thick accent, his teeth so white against his black beard as he smiled. “Yes, the lovely white flowers with a beautiful perfume. They remind me of you.”

Ducking her head, she hid a smile as she said, “Thanks.”

“Tell me more about this festival,” Karwin asked as he turned slightly in his chair, his attention focused only on her. “What is it like?”

She was proud her voice came out steady as she answered. “They shut down the main street through town, and there are all kinds of vendors and entertainment, some fair rides, and fireworks.”

“The festival sounds interesting,” Karwin murmured as his gaze landed on her lips like a kiss. “Perhaps you could show us?”

“If it is not a nuisance,” Phin said quickly, as he shot Karwin an undecipherable look over her shoulder. “We do not wish to impose on you, but what you described sounds very interesting.”

Her heart gave a little happy pitter patter as she smiled. “I would love to.”
Mayburn, Ann. Tara’s Warriors (Bondmates Book 5). Honey Mountain Publishing. Kindle Locations (1153-1211). Kindle Edition.

I really loved all the interactions at the Magnolia Festival and the beginnings it leads to. Fortunately Tara will be able to have her daughter and granddaughter join her as part of their family.

Twists and turns, joy and despair, and a very different romance with kindle melting heat, as this tale cumulates into the lead in of the next book.

I can’t wait for Lacey’s Warriors to be released!

5 Contented Purrs for Ann!

Ann Mayburn

With over forty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.

From a young Ann has had a love affair with books would read everything she could get her hands on. As Ann grew older, and her hormones kicked in, she discovered bodice ripping Fabio-esque romance novels. They were great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back.

Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.

Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she’s weird, and that sarcasm doesn’t translate well via text.

My name is Synthia Rowley,
and I still suck at saving the world.

I’m in a race against time, searching for my missing mates, my Enforcer and my Omega. Without them I won’t be able to form my Court and become a true Hyena Queen, giving me the power and protection I so desperately need to keep my friends and family safe.

Terrorism, wars, and brutal atrocities are on the rise across the globe. The world is becoming darker by the day as the veil between our reality and the chaos dimension fails, allowing abominations to cross over. Abominations filled with an endless hunger for human flesh and spirit. Now children have started to go missing in my hometown and the Goddess has tasked me with finding them.

If I’m their best hope,
we’re all in serious trouble.

While Synthia and two of her mates, Navoj her Alpha and Aiden her Beta have been at what will be their new den, things have started to go a bit crazy in her old neighborhood. Children are disappearing and veil between worlds appears to be sporadically tearing all concentrated in this one area around DC.

Things are hot and heavy between Syn and her beta as her Alpha leaves on a business trip. There is a lot at stake for him and his queen in these meetings. He is trying to make amends for the horrific and devastating things his mother did during her reign.

We see a lot of her Aunt Patty in this book and we meet some interesting characters as well. Plus we get information on her Enforcer and Omega, the two mates that will make Syn a full fledged Queen.

So many revelations, surprises and kindle melting heat on almost every page.

You won’t want to miss this book and I really can’t wait for the next one!

5 Contented Purrs for Ann!

Keep reading for the Giveaway and the excerpt which happens to be a favorite scene.

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:
Open to US shipping addresses only.
One winner will receive
a paperback copy of Hyena’s Queen
by Ann Mayburn.
This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR
on behalf of Ann Mayburn.
Giveaway ends 4/30/2020 @ 11:59pm EST.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Ann Mayburn

With over forty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.

From a young Ann has had a love affair with books would read everything she could get her hands on. As Ann grew older, and her hormones kicked in, she discovered bodice ripping Fabio-esque romance novels. They were great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back.

Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.

Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she’s weird, and that sarcasm doesn’t translate well via text.

Lucia Roa needs a miracle to keep her fledgling event planning business from going under. When she gets word about the opportunity of a lifetime to do a Valentine’s Day party for an elite club in Washington D.C. she jumps at the chance, only finding out that the party isn’t for just any club, it is for the premier private BDSM club, Wicked. Desperate for a chance to make the social and professional connections that this job would offer, she agrees to a most unconventional business arrangement with the handsomest man she’s ever met.

CEO Isaac O’Keefe swore off relationships years ago after having his heart broken and his bank account emptied by his gold digging first wife. He thought he’d managed to keep his heart under lock and key, but when Lucia walks into his office he is instantly drawn to the fiery beauty in a way he’s never felt before. He convinces Lucia to take the position as event planner for Wicked’s Valentine’s Day Party, but in order to make the event a success, something he needs to happen to secure his place on the board at Wicked, he must give her a crash course at all the dark pleasures BDSM has to offer. What starts out as a business partnership quickly turns into something more as Lucia breaks down every wall around his heart without even trying. Isaac must then make a choice, push Lucia away and continue to live a safe, but lonely life, or open himself up again to the greatest pain and pleasure in the world. Love.

When Lucia first met Isaac she was interviewing to plan a party for an exclusive club. She was recommended for the job by her mentor Mrs. Sara Florentine, however when she finds out what kind of club it is she’s not so sure she wants the job.

Isaac has to call Sara and the discussion he has with her is interesting to say the least. Of course he sticks his foot in it and Lucia stalks off considering not taking the job no matter how much money and connections she could make.

It takes quite a bit of convincing but Lucia decides to keep an open mind, and visit the club with Isaac. It’s not the first visit that got my attention so much as the one where Laurel, another submissive and costume designer dresses her for the night.

This is a favorite scene when he sees her.

He moved to the table and leaned against it, trying to appear like he hadn’t been eagerly waiting for her. He caught a glimpse of gold jewelry and sparkles adorning her leg before the rest of her appeared and he forgot to breathe. Intense emotions and lust flooded him, and he tried to control his expression, to not let her know how much her beauty affected him.

In his experience once a woman knew he’d fallen for her, she’d then use her beauty and his desire against him. His ex-wife certainly had, and although Lucia was nothing like her, he still couldn’t help trying to hide the strength of his attraction from her. A small, vulnerable part of his soul was afraid of what she would do if she knew how much power she had over him. If Lucia asked for the sun, he’d burn himself up trying to get it for her. And now, standing before him like every erotic fantasy come to life was a woman who personified beauty. He’d move mountains and drain seas for the honor of her company. His mind spun, torn between his body’s craving for the beautiful woman before him and his need to protect his heart. Then she smiled at him, and there was such shy pleasure in her eyes that he couldn’t help but give her his honest reaction. He let the heat, the ball-tightening need burning him from the inside out show in his eyes, and her breath came out in a soft gasp as her gaze went dark and liquid.

She wore what could only be described as an intricate piece of gold and diamond body jewelry that covered her from head to toe but left most of her flesh deliciously bare. A bikini top covered her breasts, and a tiny scrap of fabric shielded her pussy from his ravenous view. On her arms and legs she had glittering chains wound about in an appealing way. Her feet were bare, and the chains going down her legs attached to gold rings on her toes.

He tore his gaze from her body and watched her face as she took the last few steps. Her hair lung loose down her back like a cloak. A bright blush lit her cheeks, and she clasped her hands together over her midriff, her fluttering fingers trying to hide the round curve of her belly that he found so fucking hot. How Lucia couldn’t recognize her own beauty surprised him. If she’d been one of the socialites he’d grown up with, she would have been winding him around her little finger right now with coquettish looks and suggestive comments. Lucia’s honest and unsure response enchanted him. The Dom part of him wanted to hold her, to let her know that he was pleased with her, that her efforts to look beautiful for him were the greatest gift she could give him. The old wounds that his ex had left on his heart ached, and he tried to pull back emotionally.

She must have noticed his efforts to distance himself, because her gaze dropped to the floor. Her voice came out soft and hesitant as she asked, “Do you like it?”

Dammit, he’d made her feel unsure about herself all because of his fucked-up head. While he couldn’t be everything she deserved, he could at least be her Master. That part of him wasn’t conflicted. His dominant side knew exactly what she needed and strove to fulfill her every desire. She’d trusted him to be her Master, however temporarily, and he wasn’t going to fuck that up. Unable to stop himself, he took her hands in his, then pulled them away from her body, putting the feelings he couldn’t speak into his tone. “You are the most exquisite thing I’ve ever seen.”

She flushed and looked down at herself. “I feel like Jabba the Hutt’s slave girl from a porn version of Star Wars.”

His laughter burst from him, and he grabbed her in a hug, pressing all that softness up against himself. It was torture to not ravish her right here. “My slave girl.”

Laurel came down the stairs with a swath of gold fabric. “Hey, get your hands off her. I want her to look good when you arrive at the club. So that means no messy, sweaty encounters in the limo.”

He pulled himself together and released Lucia. The affection that he couldn’t show her as a boyfriend he could show her as a Dom. It was expected, a part of the intricate dance of dominance and submission that Laurel knew so well. Hopefully she wouldn’t notice that this time, he actually did feel a proprietary hold over his submissive that went way beyond a casual BDSM physical relationship. “Actually, I drove tonight, so while I’d love to do terrible things to the lovely Lucia, I’m afraid I must attend to her safety first and get her there in one piece.”
Mayburn, Ann. My Wicked Valentine (Club Wicked) (pp. 71-74). Honey Mountain Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Planning the party is the least of Lucia’s worries as pictures arrive in her email of her wearing that gorgeous outfit and others obviously altered to show her in compromising positions and a demand for her to step back from planning the Valentine’s party at Wicked.

Isaac jumps in to support her and in spite of himself he finds a growing attraction to Lucia that he can’t seem to block. As he runs hot and cold with her she loses her cool more than once and surprises him with her skills both martial art and others.

Laughter, Suspense, Tears and Kindle Melting Heat will keep you turning the pages.

5 Contented Purrs for Ann!

Ann Mayburn

With over forty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.

From a young Ann has had a love affair with books would read everything she could get her hands on. As Ann grew older, and her hormones kicked in, she discovered bodice ripping Fabio-esque romance novels. They were great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back.

Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.

Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she’s weird, and that sarcasm doesn’t translate well via text.

My name is Synthia Rowley,
and so far I really suck at saving the world.

I’m a latent shifter, a human that randomly became a hyena Queen. Crazy, right? You have no idea. When I turned twenty-five some magical chastity belt that had been completely blocking my sex drive snapped. One minute I was the ultimate shy science dork, the next I had curves that kill and a libido that won’t quit.

Good thing,
‘cause I’m supposed to have four husbands.

Yep, four. I’m destined to marry them all and they were all born to love me and only me. My own little harem. Here comes the really insane part. My husbands? The four men that I’ll be mated to for the rest of my life? They were born female and my pheromones will turn them into men. You heard me right, my hyena Queen pheromones will literally change my mates from women, into hulked out sexy studs. But if I don’t find and transform my mates, and soon, my world and everyone in it will be slaughtered by demons from a different dimension.

Good times.

Author’s Note:
This book is for readers with an open heart and mind, and is the first in an ongoing series. No cliffy, but a HFN ending.

I have to say when Ann starts up something new, she always seems to do it a bit differently than anyone else. In this book her concept of shifters is very different than anything I’ve read.

In this book we meet Synthia, she works at the Smithsonian Museum and is a geologist. Now being low in the hierarchy she sometimes has to give tours to dignitaries or attend functions, but it was not the norm.

When her friend and co-worker Diana approaches her with a Star Wars fandom plea to save her and her event from crashing around her, Synthia agrees under protest.

It’s this event that is going to change a lot of things for a lot of people including Synthia.

A confrontation with a lion shifter couple who are refusing to leave as the museum is closing is the catalyst.

This is a favorite scene.

Giving me a weird smile, the woman stared into my eyes and said, “No one is here. Everything is fine, human. Go away.”

The situation was so bizarre that I lost control of the filter between my mouth and my brain. “Did you just try to ‘there are no droids here’ me?”

Her jaw dropped down slightly and her companion looked at me like I’d suddenly pulled a bouquet of roses out of my ass.

“Leave, now,” she said with a clear snarl in her words.

I had this weird, fuzzy sensation like I’d smoked a joint, and it gave me a no doubt false sense of courage. “Look, the museum is closing and I can’t leave until all the guests are gone. You can either leave now, or wait for security to escort you out.”

Before they could reply, a short strawberry blonde woman shoved her way between them. She had wide, startlingly pale blue eyes that were filled with fear.

Dressed in a conservative, but lovely high-necked pink gown, she quickly made her way to my side. Up close, I realized she was young, maybe nineteen or twenty. The fact that she was scared, and clearly being threatened by these two assholes brought to life my protective instincts.

“Come with me,” I pushed the girl further behind me.

The female lion shifter hissed, “You are making a grave mistake, human. This is none of your business.”

“Yeah, well, I disagree.”

The girl moved to my side, her voice surprisingly firm as she said, “Leave her alone, Riley. You know the laws.”

The male laughed, and it was not a nice sound. “Stupid Valaria, nobody gives a fuck about those ancient rules you hold so dear.”

“They will if you kill an innocent in the Smithsonian. That’s bad PR for the Pride and you know what the price would be for your mistake.” The girl lifted her chin, projecting an aura of calm determination, but I could feel her fear skittering over my skin like spiders.

“That won’t be a problem if you’re both dead. Who’s going to tell them? Your ghosts?”

Moving so I stood between the strawberry blonde woman and the clearly furious lions, I clicked my com link and said in a shaky voice, “Diana, I need security at the mask exhibit. Now.”

“Are you okay?” she replied right away.

Before I could answer, the male lion shifter moved unbelievably quick and ripped my com link out of my ear so violently it felt like I lost a chunk of hair with it. His nails had extended to claws, and they dripped with my blood. A searing burn raced across my senses, and pain like I’d never felt filled my mind. Tossing the multiple strands of hair aside, he raised his upper lip as he snarled at me, revealing elongated double canines.

The female lion shifter trapped my scream as she clamped one hand around my mouth and held me tight. I tried to wiggle out of her grasp, but she was much stronger than she looked and she pinned me effortlessly. Pain crushed through my lungs as she tightened her hold, and I feared I was going to die. Spots danced around my vision as I fought to free myself in vain, but I was growing weaker and more disoriented by the moment.

To my shock, the young girl let out a violent snarl and launched herself at the woman. Before she could reach us, the man caught the girl midair, then threw her against a display case. Glass shattered, and shouts came from the distance, but the woman’s grip on me increased. I swore my ribs were going to crack and pierce my heart, but before that happened the pressure was released as someone roared behind me. The woman slung me across the room and I hit another display with a painful crack, my spine flaring with white hot agony before going blissfully numb.
Mayburn, Ann. Hyena Queen: Unconventional Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance (The Legend of Synthia Rowley Book 1). Honey Mountain Publishing. Kindle Locations (1012-1048). Kindle Edition.

When Synthia awakes from the attack, she is changed in many ways, one of the biggest is that she is now a Hyena shifter, a lady destined to be a queen once she finds her mates. There are four of them and she has unknowingly unlocked the change in one of them.

A page turning read as Synthia learns about shifters in a way she couldn’t have before. That combined with tears in the veil between the dimensions cause some interesting and dangerous characters to enter.

I love this whole concept, it’s different, amusing, fun and sexy.

I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

5 Contented Purrs for Ann!

Ann Mayburn

Ann is Queen of the Castle to her husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.

From a young Ann has had a love affair with books would read everything she could get her hands on. As Ann grew older, and her hormones kicked in, she discovered bodice ripping Fabio-esque romance novels. They were great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back.

Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.

Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she’s weird, and that sarcasm doesn’t translate well via text.

Sunny

My friends all say holding onto my virginity is an old fashioned and outdated misogynistic concept, but when your mother is a drug-addicted prostitute you tend to view sex a little differently. Not that they know that. I’m an expert at pretending to be normal, living my life like someone who doesn’t have a care in the world. But it’s all a lie. Everything is crumbling around me, but I’ve always relied only on myself and I don’t know how to ask for help. Not even from my best friend, the man I’m secretly in love with and have been saving myself for.

Hawk

I’ve waited patiently for Sunny to admit her feelings for me for years. Waited for her to finish college, waited for her to trust me, waited for her to love me as much as I love her. I understood her issues, and had some angry personal demons of my own to slay, but I’m done waiting. Though she denies it, I know something is going on with my girl, something that has her terrified. I’m going to claim my sunshine and nothing on heaven or earth is going to stop me. Not even death itself.

I’ve always loved the interactions between Hawk and Sunny. This book is their story, and what a story it is!

Hawk and Sunny met under very different circumstances than the others in this series. The book starts in the past so we can understand everything these two have gone through.
Hawk is a local sponsor for Narcotics Anonymous Family Support and had spoken to Sunny over their help line a few times. This time she would meet him in person. To say she was a bit stunned to realize he was the Hawk DelRay, star of many action films.

They connected there and that connection grew into a friendship, a position at Club Wicked for Sunny and the want of so much more in relationship terms for both of them.

Hawk is being very patient, Sunny needs to finish her degree and he is willing to wait until she graduates before making a move. Although he has let her know in no uncertain terms she is his.

Although Club gossip about Hawk and Goddess, devastates Sunny and causes a break between her and Hawk. One that shouldn’t have happened and the jealousy results in a fight and a confrontation.

This is a favorite scene, it occurs at the Club and there is bondage and spanking involved.

Goddess let out a scream then launched herself across the bar at Sunny, catching her by surprise.

They quickly fell down in a kicking, screaming, biting, and scratching ball of shrieks and curses. Sunny fought back against the other woman, determined to finally give that bitch what she deserved. Only she didn’t get much of a chance, because one minute she was trying to choke Goddess while the other woman pulled her hair, the next she was scooped up in a pair of strong arms, still flailing and screaming, blind with rage.

She tried to twist out of Hawk’s arms, but it was impossible. He had a hold on her like a python which only made her angrier. Her mind was almost incoherent with rage, and she fought him with everything she had.

They reached some room, and she suddenly found herself being restrained and gagged.

Screaming at the cloth shoved between her teeth, she tried to kick Hawk and Liam, who’d joined them. The big black Scotsman held her legs still while Hawk quickly bound her feet together with a pair of leather restraints. She almost managed to sock Liam in the jaw before they tied her hands as well. During all of it, she was having a full-on meltdown, screaming insults at them from behind her gag.

The world spun and suddenly she found herself sprawled over Hawk’s lap.

Sharp, stinging, the first crack of his hand spanking her ass only seemed to fuel her fury. He’d always warned her that if she got in a physical fight with Goddess he’d tie her up and spank her. She’d thought he was kidding. Evidently not. She struggled and cursed behind her gag, her tears flowing freely. Then, the strangest thing happened. As he spanked her, she began to slowly calm, a sudden exhaustion turning her limbs to lead as she went limp on his lap.

Hawk’s voice cut through her weakening protests as he gave her sore bottom a hard slap. “I’ll forgive you for just about anything, beloved, but harming another out of misplaced jealousy is beyond my limit.” He lowered his voice as he rested his hand on her burning bottom. “Susanna, you’re better than this. I’m disappointed in you.”

Her anger switched to grief and shame, her emotions rocketing all over the place. His words, and the gentle reprimand in them, cut her to the quick. Him being disappointed in her hurt like nothing else.

Moving her off his lap, Hawk set her on a thick burgundy rug, and she tried to curl into herself as best she could with her hands and feet bound. Goddess lay next to her, also crying her heart out with a bright red ass from being spanked. The men moved to stand around them, each with their arms crossed. Their stern expressions made Sunny feel about two inches tall.

“What is wrong with you?” Hawk finally asked, his frustration and hurt clear in his deep voice. “You can’t keep doing this, beloved.”

Master Rory said something to Goddess, but she was too busy trying to apologize through her ball gag to listen.

Sunny swallowed hard after her gag was removed and looked up with tears stinging her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Hawk.”

His gaze was stern as he said, “It’s not me you need to apologize to. I heard what you said, and you couldn’t be more wrong. You know you’re the only woman I love.”

“Then why did you go to her?” Sunny sobbed. “Why did you fuck her when you said you loved me?”

Hawk’s expression turned pained as he glanced over at Goddess, then back to Sunny. “You know I can’t discuss what happened between myself and Goddess. I promised what happened in that room would stay in that room, and I never break a promise, not even for you.”

Master Liam crouched next to Goddess and removed her ball gag before helping her onto the couch. “Lass, it’s up to you to tell her what happened. This animosity between you can’t continue, and it’s hurting Master Hawk.”

Hawk placed Sunny on the other side of the couch next to Goddess but didn’t untie her hands. “You need to listen, really listen, to what she has to say.”

She turned to Goddess and gave her a little nod. As the other woman told her story, Sunny began to feel sick with guilt. She’d been so, so wrong about Goddess.
Mayburn, Ann. My Wicked Virgin (Club Wicked Book 6). Honey Mountain Publishing. Kindle Locations (1176-1218). Kindle Edition.

Now one would think that would be enough to put this couple through, but Ann definitely had something more in mind.

Weight loss, mood swings and migraines torture Sunny as the end of classes nears. Hawk is beside her with medication when she needs it but she refuses anything more.

I loved this book so very much, it was great to see all the other couples and the owners of Club Wicked as they all have roles to fulfill.

Very emotional, with laughter, tears, plenty of sizzle and so much more.

5 Contented Purrs for Ann!

Ann Mayburn

With over forty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.

From a young Ann has had a love affair with books would read everything she could get her hands on. As Ann grew older, and her hormones kicked in, she discovered bodice ripping Fabio-esque romance novels. They were great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back.

Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.

Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she’s weird, and that sarcasm doesn’t translate well via text.

Layla

From the moment of my birth I’ve been rejected by those who should have loved me, labeled as a freak because of my birthmark, bullied and tormented because I look different. When you’re told every day that you’re ugly and worthless you start to believe it. I managed to escape my malicious family and build a life for myself, but they’d broken something inside of me. I’m afraid to go outside, afraid to be around large groups of people, afraid of any type of confrontation and my panic attacks have left me pretty much house bound. If it wasn’t for my online friends I probably would have given up on life long ago. But there is one special friend, a man by the name of Mark, who keeps me going. He’s brave, smart, strong, and kind…and has no idea that I’m secretly in love with him.

Mark

Once I was a good man with a perfect life. I had a job I loved training dogs for the police with my wife, had a great family who filled our lives with laughter, and I woke up every day with a smile on my face. I was completely content in my blissful ignorance. I had no idea about the criminal world that thrived all around me, no idea that I’d made some powerful enemies who do anything to destroy me. Including killing my wife. I swore my revenge, and got it, but in the process I lost my soul. It was during these dark times, after my vengeance was fulfilled and I was drifting in anguish, that a beautiful soul rescued me from my own personal hell. I tried to keep my distance, tried to shield her from the villains of the world, myself included, but the evil that surrounds me wouldn’t be denied. Despite my best attempts to keep her safe, someone is out to destroy Layla, and I’m the only one who can protect her.

But who’s going to save her from me?

Author’s Note:  Each book in the Cordova Empire series can be read as a stand alone, but for the most enjoyment I’d suggest reading them in order.

If you’ve been reading this series, like me you’ve been waiting for Mark’s story. Now it’s here and it was worth waiting for.

Just a reminder this is a look at things from the Cartel world, whose views are just not the same as other folks.

Mark is the right-hand man to Leo, the torturer of the Cordova Cartel. In the previous books saw Leo and the way he found his HEA with Hannah and also his brother Ramon find Joy. These are not the easiest stories to read but they do have that HEA.

I really liked the beginning of this book, it shows the more vulnerable side of these men, especially Mark.

Getting stuck in the elevator in the Cordova building he meets Layla. An unusual woman from the start with her dog Vali.

This is a favorite scene.

My wife loved the outdoors. Gracie connected to nature in a way few people could understand, and that link gave her an incredible gift with animals. When we trained police dogs for the Detroit police department together, I always marveled at her ability to communicate with our pack. Hell, with any animal. They instinctively understood that she had a good, pure heart.

After she’d been murdered…

My gut clenched and my heart gave a hard thump. The agony of that thought still caused me physical pain three years later.

The elevator vibrated again, strong enough to pull me from my thoughts.

The lights flickered overhead then went out, and my heart gave a hard lurch right before the small space plunged into darkness.

Pure panic washed through me, robbing me of my breath as I stumbled back. My hand hit a wall, and my imagination insisted I was trapped inside a coffin. Alone and surrounded by the stinking corpses of those I’d once loved. Blackness closed in, slowly choking me as I clawed at the roof of my casket like a crazed animal.

“Hey!” A woman’s voice, husky and beautiful, pulled me out of my waking nightmare. “Sir? Are you okay? Sir? ¿Hablas español?”

I tried to answer her, but the unrelenting black and the walls behind me furthered the illusion—trapped in a coffin, swaddled in wet cotton, drowning with weights strapped to my body. The air was thick—so fucking thick—and I couldn’t catch my breath. I swear, my heart felt like it was going to pound its way out of my chest, and I thought for sure I was about to die.

Then a miracle happened. A wet, cool nose nudged my hand. A dog’s nose. An unexpected sensation, it made my panicking mind slow down and process my environment. The blessed, solid weight of a good-sized dog leaned against my leg, and I let out a shuddering breath. A wet tongue licked my wrist, further pulling me out of my fucked-up head.

“Vali,” the woman in the elevator with me hissed, “Get back over here. Sir, please don’t be afraid. I know he looks scary—”

My voice sounded like I’d been gargling glass, but I managed a shaky laugh. “I have no idea what he looks like. I’m not a bat. I can’t see in the dark.”

“Oh, I thought you saw us when we got on. We…kinda stand out.” Her voice broke at the end before she quickly added, “Because of his size and his bright red service vest. Plus, he’s half lab, half pit bull, so some people tend to be a little intimidated when they see him. He’s all black except for a big white blaze on his chest. And he’s big, but I promise he’s a marshmallow. He’s the kind of dog that just loves everyone. I mean, I guess he intimidates people because he has an overbite and his teeth stick out sometimes. Wonder if I should get him dog braces? Do they make dog braces?” She gave a short, forced laugh, then said in a higher pitched voice, “Uh, I think I’m babbling, which I normally don’t do, so I’ll shut up now, but I promise he won’t hurt you. Please, don’t be afraid of him. It breaks his heart when people are scared. He’s got a gentle soul.”

The dog at my feet lightly butted my hand with his head, and I scratched behind his ears with trembling fingers. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was extremely grateful I wasn’t alone. If this mystery woman and her dog hadn’t been with me, I might have had a panic induced stroke. I had to get ahold of this shit. Take some damn pills and pass out for a few days to give my brain a fucking break.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine,” I growled as suspicion crept into my exhausted mind. “Why do you care?”

She sucked in a quick breath, one that somehow conveyed a sense of hurt. “I’m sorry… I just wanted to help.”

Guess her dog wasn’t the only gentle soul. Shit, I was acting like a complete asshole to some random lady trapped in an elevator with me. If Gracie was here right now, she’d cuff me on the back of the head for scaring the woman. It wasn’t the mystery woman’s fault fate stuck her with me in a broken elevator.

“Hey,” she asked in a tense voice, “Do you have a phone?”

Once again, the paranoia that came from feeling vulnerable reared its head.

“Why?”

She gave a soft, nervous laugh. “I wanted to see if the cell towers were down, or if we could get a message out to someone that we’re stuck in here. The battery on my phone is dead, otherwise I would have used the flashlight during your panic attack.”

“I wasn’t having a panic attack.”

She cleared her throat. “Of course.”

Anger, and a big dose of denial, made me growl. “I wasn’t.”

“Look, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Her lush voice took on a soothing tone that made my bones want to melt. “I used to have them all the time. That’s how I recognized the sound.”

“The sound?”

“Yeah, the sound of your breathing. There’s…how to describe it? There’s a certain pitch to your gasps, a feeling of desperation like you just can’t get enough air in your lungs. Like you’re drowning. It’s a terrible feeling. I hate it.” The sound of a dog’s tag jingling along with a dog’s panting filled the small space. “Vali here has been specially trained to help me through my panic attacks. Honestly, if you’re claustrophobic, or afraid of the dark, or whatever, you couldn’t have asked for a better pair to be trapped with.”

She was right, but I hated how her words exposed my weakness. “Yeah, well, I’m fine.”

“Okay.” Her doubt came through loud and clear by her tone.

“I am.”

“I’m not saying you aren’t.”

I stewed in silence for a moment, but the longer I sat in the all too quiet dark, the more I swore I could smell the mineral scent of dirt surrounding me.

“So, do you have a phone?”

I felt my pocket and wanted to thump my head against the wall. “No. I must have left it up in my office.”

“Oh, you work here?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you do?”

“My job is boring. I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Okayyyy,” she said slowly, obviously confused by my abrupt answer.

Things went still again, and my skin began to prickle as the sound of my heartbeat seemed to pound louder and louder.

When she spoke, I eagerly grasped onto the sound of her voice as tangible proof that I wasn’t alone in the eternal dark. “Do you think it’s another haboob blackout?”

“What?”

“Haboob,” she said slowly as if speaking to a child. “You know, those big dust storms we’ve been having? I live up north of Carefree, so they haven’t hit us, but I saw it on the news last week. A big one wiped out the power grid in Phoenix for over six hours. Man, it would suck to be stuck in here for that long.”

I slowly slid down the wall until I sat. Vaguely, I remembered the city being coated in a cloud of dust, but I’d been barely aware of anything outside of helping the Cordova family with their grief. From the moment we found Fernando’s son’s abused body, nothing else really mattered. I frowned as I realized how disconnected I’d been. Just going through the motions while wrapped up in my own head. I’m lucky as fuck none of my enemies used the opportunity to come after me, ‘cause I would have been a pathetically easy hit.

“You still there?”

I cleared my throat as some of the cobwebs seemed to lift from my brain. “Yeah, I’m here. Could be another haboob, you might be right.”

She sighed. “Then we might be here awhile. Glad I went to the bathroom before I got on the elevator.”

The corner of my mouth quirked up in a smile. “I wish I had. Hopefully we won’t be here long enough for it to become an issue.”

“Don’t worry, I have extra diapers for Vali. You can borrow one.”

“You have diapers for your dog?”

She was silent for a moment, then sighed. “I do. I also have emergency food for both myself and Vali, two bottles of water, a bowl, and three doses of my meds, just in case I get stuck somewhere. Oh, and a multipurpose tool, a compass, and some pepper spray.”

“Please don’t use the pepper spray in here. That would suck.”

Her soft, purring laugh stroked over me, and I froze at the surprisingly pleasant sensation. “See, my mind likes to think of worst-case scenarios for whenever I’m out in public.”

Eager to keep her talking, to experience more of her lovely voice, I said, “Worst case scenarios?”

“Yeah, like…what if the zombie apocalypse happens while I’m in town? What if a meteor strikes? What if a nuclear bomb goes off?”

“You really think about that stuff?”

“I have iodine tablets in my purse.”

“Wow. Really?”

She laughed softly, and it wasn’t a happy sound. “No on the iodine tablets. Yes on everything else. I’m a freak.”

The self-deprecating tone of her lovely voice caught my attention. “Yeah, well, you’re a freak who won’t pee their pants, even if you have to borrow a dog diaper to do it. That makes you a winner in my book.”
Ann Mayburn. Secret Obsession (Kindle Locations 72-144). Honey Mountain Publishing. Kindle Edition.

I absolutely loved the interactions between Layla, Vali and Mark, although he does his best to keep his distance, for her protection of course.

From her sculpting to gaming this book was delightful and full of surprises. It does get a bit dark but nothing worse than some of the military novels out there.

It’s not an easy road for Layla and Mark, but every page brought something to bind them. I loved seeing Leo, Hannah, Ramon, Joy and their children and we also got a glimpse of Raimon and Fernando.

I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

5 Contented Purrs for Ann!

Ann Mayburn

With over forty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.

From a young Ann has had a love affair with books would read everything she could get her hands on. As Ann grew older, and her hormones kicked in, she discovered bodice ripping Fabio-esque romance novels. They were great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back.

Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.

Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she’s weird, and that sarcasm doesn’t translate well via text.

Warning: This book features a galaxy where love in any and all forms is embraced including M/M, M/M/F, M/F, M/F+M/M/M, etc in scenes hot enough to melt your Kindle.

Lorn Adar has searched more than a lifetime to find his bondmate–the one woman he was born to love and the only woman who can save him from the approaching madness that threatens all unbonded males of his race. When a wormhole opens from his galaxy to Earth and the women who could hold their future, Lorn will do all in his power to not only find his mate, but show her a Universe she never knew existed. Casey Westfall’s normal life changed forever when she finds the sexy leather clad man on her doorstep. One innocent kiss leads to an adventure that will span worlds and Casey will have to choose between the man who is the other half of her soul and never seeing her family or her world again.

To complicate matters Kadothians live in polyamerous family units and Lorn will have to convince his Earth bride to accept not only his love, but the love of his best friend and brothers in arms or risk the chance of losing them to either the madness or the Hive–the race of sociopathic women bent on destroying and enslaving everything in their path, but Casey can’t see loving more than one man as being anything other than a sin. Lorn will have to teach his bride that she was created for both of them just as they were created only for her.

In a Universe where all is possible, the battle to protect not only his people, but his heart rests on the soul of a human woman who must face the unknown and take a leap of faith that could save or destroy them all.

With Roxy’s Warriors releasing on Tuesday I decided to go back and read this series again. Casey’s Warriors is the first book and she is Roxy’s younger sister.

I love the world created in this book. It all starts with what looks like an apocalyptic event on earth. Casey gets a call from her sister Roxy who is in the military, telling her to get home with her friends now and stop for gas and additional water once she hits town.

From the Bel’Tan Galaxy this same event could be life saving for the men of Kadothia, they need to find their bondmates. The women meant to be with them forever. If they don’t they will be consumed by the madness that is a constant threat to unbonded males. The wormhole created isn’t completely stable and won’t last long so these men need to get their brides to fall for them as quickly as possible. However the first kiss in which the male will exchange a bit of blood, must be initiated by the woman.

Casey first meets Lorn at the grocery where she works the late shift. The attraction is immediate and Lorn has the advantage of knowing she is his bondmate.

This is a favorite scene after she gets off shift.

Five hours later at a little past one in the morning, stinking like the spoiled shrimp she’d spent the last two hours clearing out of a broken down freezer in the back of the grocery store, Casey dug through the plastic bag where she’d put her purse looking for her keys. Her clothes were stained with rotten shrimp guts and she had a bunch of empty plastic grocery bags to put over the seat of her car so she didn’t ruin the upholstery.

Her back ached, her stomach kept threatening to empty itself, and she was pretty sure Jerry was going to make every moment of her life at the store as shitty as possible before she returned to school in the fall.

The lights near the back of the lot flickered weakly as she neared her elderly sedan that had seen better days but still chugged along. Despite the late hour she was keyed up over her earlier encounter with Lorn and the memory of his—well, shit—everything. Kimber had come back a couple times to show her pictures she’d snapped of Lorn and Casey talking, much to her dismay. Seeing an image of them together, with Casey staring up at him like some love struck idiot, only pointed out how very far out of her league he was.

He was perfect. Absolutely perfect. From the top of his white-blond head to the bottoms of his ass-kicking black motorcycle boots, the man was a walking advertisement for everything hot and virile. Well other than his overly long canine teeth, but it was better than him missing teeth, as some of the people of her small town did. And his breath…she wondered if he tasted as good as he smelled.

While enjoying a rather vivid daydream of licking her way along Lorn’s body and finding out if his carpet matched his drapes, her gaze wandered to the anomaly in the night sky. Deep in the far reaches of space a brilliant point of light flared in blues, greens, purples and touches of magenta. It had appeared in the sky after the aurora from The Event faded, and for a brief time, everyone had thought the world was coming to an end. For two weeks things had been a little hairy but order had soon been restored. Everyone kept waking up with the world still spinning around as it had for the last four billion years with the same bills, the same politics, the same bullshit, and humanity had pretty much gotten over it.

Oh, there were theories aplenty about what the light was, everything from God getting ready to bring the end of times, to the ancient Atlanteans returning to earth. Casey, being a sci-fi fan, liked to imagine it was some kind of communications beacon from an alien race. Her idea wasn’t any more farfetched than the most, but for right now the only thing everyone could agree upon was that it was very pretty.

The lights in the parking lot began to go dim and flicker, plunging her section into semi-darkness. She could still see enough by the streetlights to make out her car near the tree line, but apprehension skittered up her spine. Trying to tell herself these shitty ass lights were always going out, that this wasn’t like a scene out of a horror movie where the dumb co-ed got chopped to bits by the serial killer clown, she walked faster. She swore she heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind her, but when she looked over her shoulder she couldn’t see anyone among the few vehicles still in the lot.

Putting some pep in her step, she hurried to her car and gripped the small canister of pepper spray on her keychain. She’d laughed at her dad when he got it for her, but as she flipped the safety off, she was grateful for the protection it offered. Another glance over her shoulder revealed a dark, vaguely man-like shape, around six parking spots away, heading toward her and she debated if she should scream for help or just make a run for her car. Then the shape began to quickly advance and she decided to say fuck it and do both.

With a loud, blood curdling scream she dashed for her car, hitting the locks so she’d be able to jerk the door open and slide inside. Just as she was about to reach the handle an impossibly large hand gripped her arm and she spun, spraying her attacker full in the face with her pepper spray. His startled yell cut off her scream when the figure’s long, pale hair flew back as he bellowed and rubbed at his face. She stood dumfounded when Lorn said something in a foreign language that didn’t sound very complimentary.

The sight of tears running down his face snapped her out of her daze. “Oh shit! Lorn, I’m so sorry! Wait, stop rubbing your face!”

“Woman, what vile weapon did you assault me with? I cannot see!”

He went to rub his face again and she gripped his arm, trying to pull his hand back before he touched himself. “No, wait, I’m so sorry I maced you. I thought you were attacking me. Don’t touch your face with your hands, use your shirt but blot, don’t rub. Oh shit, I’m so sorry. I thought you were a clown, I mean, not a clown, a psycho, but you’re not and I’m so sorry!”

Crouching down on the pavement he ripped off his trench coat, then his shirt. She shamelessly ogled his half naked body and creamed her jeans at the sight of his perfect six, no eight pack. The man had an honest-to-god eight-pack that was as smooth as a baby’s butt. His broad chest was equally built, and the way his massive arms flexed as he tried to remove the pepper spray from his skin, made her want to rub herself against him in the worst way even as guilt pierced her over hurting him.

He made a pained noise and she shook her head, scolding herself for standing back and getting an eyeful when she should be helping him.

“Hold on, I have emergency water in my trunk. Let me get it and we’ll try to rinse some of it off.”

She took his grunt as approval and quickly opened her trunk, pulling out the two gallons of water her father insisted she carry everywhere with her. “Move your hands, I need to pour this over your face.”

She handed him the water and stepped back as he lifted his face and poured it over his skin. When she caught sight of his reddened cheeks and swollen eyes guilt panged through her and she started babbling again. “What were you doing? Why didn’t you say something? I thought you were some kind of psycho that wanted to hurt me.”

“Number,” he growled out as he shook his head, water flying through the air and splattering her. “Can you please pour the water on me?”

She did as he asked, trying to get as much of the pepper spray off his eyelids as possibl
“Number?”

“I wanted to attain your number. Without it we would not have dinner.”

“Oh…” she was so shocked that she kept pouring the jug over his face, half drowning him before it emptied. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

He shook his head again and she tried to resist the urge to run her fingers along his slick chest, to trace each perfectly cut muscle beneath his tanned skin. “It is my fault. I should have realized you would not see me in this light.”

“Are you okay?”

He gave her a bleary blink. “I am fine.”

Dropping the jug she went to touch his face but he grasped her hand. “Do not. You will injure yourself.”

Her guilt tripled and she had to blink back tears. “I’m so, so sorry, Lorn.”

“It is all right, Casey. I have suffered worse.”

Poor guy, his eyes were practically swollen shut and he was trying to comfort her.
Mayburn, Ann. Casey’s Warriors (Bondmates) (pp. 51-54). Honey Mountain Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Casey gets really sick with the transformation that adapts her body to not only be with Lorn but also to live on Kadothia. Her friends come over to see how she’s doing and also ogle the guys at the farm next door to her.

An earth woman Casey has a lot of preconceived notions about relationships and there are plenty of adjustments she has to make. One of the hardest is that Lorn’s blood brother, Nast is also expecting to bond with her. The other is she needs to partially bond with others in order to keep them from falling to the madness.

As Casey is adjusting we meet a Matriarch Jaz (Book 2), who is also from earth and is helping with the transitioning. We also get to see a blossoming relationship between Casey’s friend Paige and Commander Trenzent  (Book 3).

While the relationship advances rapidly and hotly, there are more than a few bumps in this road. Some family drama on both ends, and a traitor that nearly destroys the trust Casey has for her men. I totally want a zendor

Melt your kindle heat, with some tear producing backstories and if there is anything in this warning you don’t like then don’t pick it up. This is a galaxy where love in any and all forms is embraced including M/M, M/M/F, M/F, M/F+M/M/M.

5 Contented Purrs for Ann!

Ann Mayburn

With over forty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened.

From a young Ann has had a love affair with books would read everything she could get her hands on. As Ann grew older, and her hormones kicked in, she discovered bodice ripping Fabio-esque romance novels. They were great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back.

Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD.

Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she’s weird, and that sarcasm doesn’t translate well via text.