By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Heather Long

Everything begins.

Everything ends.

Sometimes, it has to end before it begins.

In the course of a year, I have had my heart broken, reforged, only to be shattered again. The tears won’t come. Not anymore. No more looking back. No more asking what if.

Coop wants me to let myself feel it. Jake wants to distract me. Archie wants to put the world at my feet. Ian wants me to not make choices until I’m ready. I’ve got family ready to catch me, but I refuse to fall.

No more waiting.

No more holding my breath.

The future is now.

We have a chance to forge the path we want and I’m all in.

So why does it feel like I’m running away?

NOTE:
*Please note this is a reverse harem and the author suggests you always read the forward in her books. Contains some bullying elements, mature situations, and is recommended for 17+. This is the tenth in a series and the story will continue through future books.

First, if you haven’t read the rest of this series, STOP, go back and read them, you won’t be disappointed.

At the end of the last book, I think I can safely say all of us were both shocked and relieved at the demise of Frankie’s mother Maddie. That Edward, who truly loved her, chose Archie and Frankie over her, was huge. Now we deal with the aftermath, the funeral lowkey and dignified and luncheon following held a few interesting confrontations. One with Frankie’s grandparents and another with Dominic Walsh.

Once back at school, Frankie hasn’t been able to attend classes, her attention span just isn’t where it needs to be. She has options she just hasn’t taken the steps to take advantage of them. However, she does realize it’s her best option at this time.

Rachel becomes more prominent in their lives throughout this book. Her presence is something Frankie needs and truly she is the best friend ever!

The guys of course are the most patient, they know they can’t help with the grieving process, and it’s killing them to watch. They are all back in classes and going about their normal routines. Frankie sometimes joins them as well for a run.

This is just one of many favorite scenes.

We walked to warm up and let Frankie set the pace. It was only a couple of blocks over to the park. When she yawned for the third time, I took pity on her and dashed forward to lift her up. She squealed as I tossed her over my shoulder and jogged about fifty feet before Bubba intercepted and he lifted her and did the same.

Laughter wheezed out of her when Coop made a grab for her, but Archie beat him and carried her through one of the entrances to the park before he set her on her feet. “Y’all suck,” she said, her face flushed pink, probably from a combination of entertainment and being upside down.

“I can,” Archie teased her and moved in like he was gonna kiss her, but she gave him a playful shove and Coop managed to get in there and he picked her up and kissed her. A chuckle escaped me as Coop walked her backwards toward the brick wall and away from the path.

Bubba pressed two fingers to his lips and whistled.

“You’re right,” Coop grumbled as he lifted his head. “They suck.”

“We’re here to run,” Bubba reminded him. “Not get in trouble for public indecency.”

“Who’s being indecent?” Coop demanded but Frankie answered for all of us, and his grunt when she squeezed him had me cackling all over again. “Okay. Fine, I’ll take Frankie home and we’ll be privately indecent.”

“Nope,” Archie said. “Frankie wants to run, so she gets to run. You need to think of something to make that thing go away. No one here needs to see it.”

That pulled another giggle from Frankie, and I studied my baby girl. The laughter was there, but it didn’t stay. The sparkle in her eyes, it had been absent for a while. Grief was an insidious thing. I swore it was like that bitch of a mother haunted her more now that she was gone than she’d ever managed in life.

And I had no idea how to fix this. Coop kept telling us we couldn’t. We just had to be there for her. I wasn’t the only one losing my mind a little. Thank fuck for Rachel— another sentence I didn’t think I’d ever be committing to, internally or externally— but seriously, she had been a goddamn lifesaver with Frankie.

She had gradually begun to spend more time back at her dorm, but she was at the brownstone at least one night out of every three. None of us were arguing, because she and Frankie talked for hours, and other times they just watched every single chick flick known to man.

I swore my man card was in jeopardy with the sheer number of theatrical sob-fests we’d watched with them.

“Dude,” Archie said, and I shook off the maudlin thoughts. Frankie was stretching, with Bubba supervising. “You okay?” He’d dropped his voice so it didn’t carry and I rolled my head around. The cracks released some tension, but not enough.

Just… “I’m worried about her.”

“Same,” Archie answered, and he glanced over his shoulder at her even as he grabbed his foot to do some quad stretches. “But we’re doing everything we can.”

“Are we?” I wasn’t so sure about that.

“What are you thinking?” Rather than argue, Archie looked interested. “I’m down with anything if it helps her.”

“I don’t know yet. We need to wrap up the academic year and talk about June.” Our month.

Archie nodded once. “But I think we should— fuck, I don’t know. Take her somewhere she doesn’t have to think about this anymore?” I was asking more than telling.

Releasing a sigh of his own, Archie gave a little shrug. “I’ve been thinking about that. A lot. Maybe taking her to Iceland or somewhere north where she can see the Northern Lights. Do something utterly unexpected and just keep her distracted with sex and play. At the same time…”

“Yeah,” I agreed with the unspoken thought. “I don’t know if that’s what she needs right now either.” It was hard to just— wait and see. Being there for her was what we could do. But until then, we what? Waited?

I’d never hated waiting more.

“Come on slackers,” Coop called and I shook off the worried expression. Arch did much the same. We were all doing it. Tucking the feelings away and keeping our attitudes and expressions as upbeat as possible.
Heather Long. Songs and Sweethearts ARC: Untouchable Book 10 (Kindle Locations 781-815).

Now along with finishing up the semester, there’s also the contract negotiation for Frankie and Ian. Ian is thinking of delaying things even more. Frankie, however, finds out from Dominic and insists they continue as planned.

We get to see KC and the rest of Torched, as Frankie and Ian start their musical journey. I think I may have detected the hint of a possible series hidden in those interactions.

I find myself trying to come up with adequate words to describe this book, it’s beyond anything in the series so far and I became more addicted with every page. The relationships are more than a little complex and the way every single character has grown is obvious at every turn. Every emotion is represented in this book, and I felt every single one.

To say I can’t wait for the next book is an understatement.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas in the summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories–her characters drive the books.

When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Heather Long
&
Blake Blessing

Open Case File
Memo
Honor my father.
There are four types of serial killers.
Hedonistic.
Power/control.
Mission-oriented.
Visionary.
Not all serial killers are caught.
At any given point,
there could be as many as fifty serial killers
active at a time.
Fifty.
I’m looking for one.

He’s male, likely in his forties or fifties now. He’s been killing successfully for more than three decades. I suspect even longer, though our timeline is based only on the earliest victim we’ve identified with his signature mark.

Seventy-nine kills that we are certain of.

A year ago, the unsub’s methods changed. It was a subtle shift. Instead of one or two bodies a year, five have been dropped. Forensic evidence remains inconclusive, but in my gut, I know something’s changed.

Either the unsub has a partner or he’s about to become a spree killer.

It’s only a matter of time before someone puts the coin into the right slot and the kill song begins.

Finding the unsub is my obsession. It was my father’s. He died without solving the mystery.

I won’t.

NOTE:
KILL SONG is a full length dark adult romance and psychological thriller with suspenseful themes. Any trigger warnings will be included in the foreword. Some situations may be uncomfortable for readers. This is a reverse harem novel, meaning the main character has more than one love interest. This is book one in the series.

In the prologue of this book we meet Vienna as a child. She believes her father kills the monsters of the world.

As we begin the story we first meet Merrick, he’s being released from inpatient treatment. As he approaches the only open bar in the area he glances in the alley to see a woman in a compromising position with the man’s hand around her throat. His protective instincts kick in and he goes to her rescue. The ensuing battle leaves the man dead, but the woman isn’t upset at all and takes control of the situation. Not by calling the police though.

Vienna isn’t quite sure what to do about Merrick, he refuses to let her walk alone to her car even though she takes a very round-about way to get there. Realizing he really has no where to go she ends up taking him home with her.

This is a favorite scene.

The sweatpants were comfy and when I emerged from my room, Merrick stood at the end of the hall near the top of the stairs. He was still wearing the clothes he’d changed into in the alley, though his hair looked slicked back and his face clean.

I deliberately made a noise so he would hear my approach and he turned to give me an even wider smile. “You look great,” he murmured, with an almost insulting amount of awe in his voice. Either he caught it or my raised eyebrows warned him of the possible verbal misstep. “Not that you didn’t look fabulous before, but this looks just more— you.”

Daddy, he followed me home. I may have to keep him.

“Nice save,” I told him, then bopped his nose with a single finger before heading down the stairs. “I’ll give you a full tour tomorrow. I expect you’re tired, but if you write down your sizes, I’ll make sure to get you resupplied.”

If all he had left was that duffel bag, then he was going to need more.

And I was already planning everything he’d need, right down to the IDs. If he passed every test like he had these few…

Dammit, I was keeping him. Sorry, Daddy.

“Sure, a tour tomorrow is great. And it is getting late. I’d much rather keep you company in the kitchen anyway.” He opened an arm, inviting me to lead the way downstairs.

Such a gentleman, I almost smiled as I passed him.

“So, what do you do for work?” His voice echoed around the narrow staircase, and if I hadn’t been used to tamping down my responses, I might have stiffened. It was definitely a novelty, having someone asking such personal questions in my own space. Enough so that it set every instinct in my body off kilter.

“I do some odd jobs here and there. Enough to get by. I’m going to make some eggs and toast. You sure you don’t want anything?” I entered the kitchen and quietly started pulling the few ingredients from the fridge.

He leaned a hip against the counter, crossing his arms and seemingly content to just watch me beat the eggs.

“That’s great, so you won’t have to leave early in the morning or anything. I can help, you know. I’m a jack of all trades, master of none, kind of guy. No matter what kind of work you have lined up, I can help out.”

I paused my movements. That’s why he asked about my work, not to pry into my business but to make sure I wouldn’t leave him. He did say he formed attachments much too easy. I should really be concerned I wouldn’t be able to get rid of him if I needed to, but there seemed little doubt this man would find himself in trouble without me.

When I glanced up at him, I paused for an entirely different reason. Under the bright lights of the kitchen, with him barely a few feet away, I got a look of just how gorgeous Merrick really was. With sooty lashes framing ice blue eyes, and a few days stubble across his jaw, he was every inch the bad boy.

Which was hilarious, because he had more decency in his thumb than most of the human population… Even if he was a little strange.

Forcing my attention back to my severely whipped eggs, I set them down to put butter in the skillet. The buttery aroma quickly filled the air, while I came up with a response. It was quick, and it wasn’t smoothly evasive.

Note to self, make sure Merrick stays at least five feet away at all times, preferably in the shadows. I had never had an issue reacting to men, and I didn’t want to start now. The solution to that was knowing my boundaries, and Merrick just might be a hard line in the sand.

Damn it.

“Yeah. Okay…” I poured the eggs in the skillet and popped the bread in the toaster. It was slightly unnerving having someone so openly observing me. “I’m sure we can figure something out for you.”

“What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” Another perky question to incite an unhealthy amount of teeth grinding.

What was on the agenda? Now that my target was taken care of, I needed to get started surveilling the next man on the list. Among other things…

“Probably some phone calls and administrative things. We can just take tomorrow easy.” Within minutes, I had the eggs dished up with the toast buttered lightly. I usually ate at the island or in my office, but with Merrick here, it seemed more polite to take him to the dining room.

No, I’d take him to the living room. At least there I could turn on the TV to distract him from the questions I wasn’t ready to answer.

I poured two glasses of water, handing one to him, before grabbing my plate and moving to the living room. His quick footsteps, falling softly to the same beat as mine, made me realize my mistake. I should have given him the tour, that way he wouldn’t feel inclined to follow me everywhere.

Snorting, I dropped into the oversized leather chair and clicked on the lamp. He would have stuck to my side regardless.

“Here, pick something for us to watch,” I said as I tossed him the remote. Daddy had always hated the internet, threatening to get rid of it from time to time, but how else were we supposed to do our work and keep a pulse on the news?

At least a few years ago, I was able to call in a favor with the network to set us up with a VPN, among other things to hide our presence.

“Oh man, this is a lot of pressure. I promise, no porn or true crime. I think we’ve had enough of both for the evening.” There went that damn smile again. At least I couldn’t see the startling hue of his eyes under the dim lamp light.

I was quickly beginning to think I was a sucker for blue eyes.
Heather Long; Blake Blessing. Kill Song: Cardinal Sins Book 1 (Kindle Locations 544-588).

That’s just the beginning. As the investigation begins we meet the FBI’s Cash Morgan, he’s also following in his father’s footsteps, in continuing the search for this serial killer. He’s determined not to fail. The two detectives on scene aren’t happy him being there, but he does get a clue they didn’t have before.

In order for Vienna to ‘keep’ Merrick he’d need a new identity. This leads to discovering a couple of things, first her computer guy is a leak and second a new computer guy, Fletcher. She’s probably going to keep him too.

We get to listen in on a phone conversation with her Uncle David who is also part of the Network she is now trying to get around. That’s an interesting relationship as well.

This book has the bodies piling up and left me with more questions than answers, but that’s okay I know I’ll get them eventually.

I truly hope we don’t have to wait long for the next book, I really need to see where this goes.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather and Blake!

Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas in the summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories–her characters drive the books.

When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

Blake Blessing is no longer new on the Indie scene, but she’s still ecstatic about this chapter in life. She is a mom, wife, art enthusiast, and author.

She attended ten different schools growing up, so books became her constant friend. Escaping into books of all different genres made life fun and exciting. Blake was also raised on music and still blasts it through the house and car at every opportunity.

She has a weird sense of humor and a penchant for chocolate milk. It only makes sense she would one day go on to write her own stories.

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Heather Long

At the heart of it all was a secret and a lie.

A secret we didn’t tell her.

A lie we told ourselves.

Emersyn Sharpe is more than just the girl we watched over. She’s very much the woman who fits us.

The last thing we should have done was take her and the worst thing we did was keep her, but she needs us. I think, more than one of us—myself included—needs her.

The secret wasn’t ours to share and the lie?

I bought into the lie that keeping her was saving her. The lie that persuading her to trust us was needed. The lie that falling in love with her was as natural as breathing.

It didn’t matter if I wasn’t alone in falling into this trap. It mattered that when the trap closed, it put her on one side and us on the other.

Damn and we were so close too…

My name is Vaughn Westbrook and I’ll be damned if I give up now.

NOTE:
RUTHLESS TRAITOR is a full length mature college/new adult romance with enemies-to-lovers/love-hate themes. This is a reverse harem novel, meaning the main character has more than one love interest. This is book three in the series.

The first thing I have to say here is if you haven’t read the first two books STOP and go read them first!

This books does start where Vicious Rebel ended, but not right away. You see we need to know about Milo (Raptor) and Ivy (Emersyn), the guys and how they came to be such a unit, and Emersyn’s past as well.

All these things are interspersed perfectly with the present and make this book full of so much emotion. Emersyn is not only dealing with the possibility of a brother but Milo separates her from the others by sending her to Liam’s.

I love Miss Stephanie, she was instrumental in these boys staying together as they went through the system. That she’s also Doc’s sister was an interesting twist.

We meet Emersyn’s best friend Elaine ‘Lainey’ Benedict in flashbacks and in current texts. She’s pretty much the only one Emersyn trusts without reservation.

Two other people we meet are Lainey’s step-brother Adam Reed and his friend/sidekick Ezra Graham. These two are very important in that they are part of the reason Liam is not ‘with’ the Vandals.

There’s just so much going on with the guys and Liam that Emersyn gets isolated again, something she hates. Getting to see them really becomes something to fight for.

My favorite scene doesn’t have Emersyn in it but it is about her.

Squaring his shoulders, Freddie put his hands on his hips. While he was probably the leanest of all of us and a good two inches shorter than Milo, he lifted his chin and stared at him.

“Let’s start with how you’re treating Boo-Boo.”

Oh. Fuck.

Instead of blowing up, like he’d done just about any other time Emersyn had been mentioned, Milo just stared at him as he sipped his coffee and waited.

“She belongs here, not at Liam’s. She belongs with people who care about her— not saying Liam doesn’t—” Right on cue, Jasper let out an exasperated growl and Vaughn ground his teeth. Rome snorted again and when he caught me looking at him, he just gave a shrug. “The point is,” Freddie pressed on, ignoring the responses he’d gotten so far. “Boo-Boo is one of us. You may not like it, but that doesn’t change facts. You didn’t want me to be one of us either, but look how delightful I make life.”

Milo held up a single finger and Freddie paused. “I’ve never said you weren’t one of us. The only thing I ever wanted for you was for you to be safe and to make safe choices.”

The silence grew taut for a moment, then Freddie relaxed a fraction and spread his hands.

“Fine, I’ll accept that. But there were plenty of times when it felt like you didn’t want me.” That was news to me and apparently to Milo, but not Jasper, who just pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The flame illuminated his bruised face. Fuck that made me hurt for him. He and Raptor had fought every single fucking day, until the last two.

If nothing else, having someone to torture seemed to be bonding them again. Maybe we should pick up a spare, in case we needed it after this one expired.

“Boo-Boo has been alone for way too long and fuck knows Liam is not the most entertaining guy. No offense, Rome,” he said over his shoulder and Rome just shrugged.

“None taken.”

I couldn’t help it a chuckle escaped me. “See,” Freddie said, pointing at me. “I’m entertaining. Vaughn is entertaining. Even Jasper, when he’s not being a grumpy puss, is entertaining. Liam’s just a dick. No offense, Rome.”

The twin in question just flipped him off, but there was a hint of a smile around his mouth. A door creaked open on the far side of the warehouse and Doc stepped in out of the sunshine.

“The point is, here, Boo-Boo is with more of us. She’s not stuck locked up all by herself, which for your information she hates. She hated it here. She’s going to hate it there. For a second thing, we were getting her up to speed on movies. Do you have any idea of how many movies she hasn’t seen? Dude, she didn’t even know what Lord of the Rings was until we watched it. She doesn’t like horror movies, but she will watch them if we warn her about the bloody parts.” Freddie made a face then grinned. “Though, I don’t think it bothers her as much as she says it does.”

“No,” Vaughn said, agreeing with Freddie. “She always peeks between her fingers or hides behind one of us and watches over our shoulder.”

Jasper huffed a laugh. “Or uses one of our hands to hide her eyes and then peeks around it.”

“Exactly,” Freddie said. “And when she’s here, there’s real food and she’s trying to learn to cook. She’s absolutely horrible at it.”

Hey… “She is not,” I argued. “She’s never had anyone show her how before. She grew up with servants. What the hell do we expect?”

“A really prissy bitch who couldn’t be bothered to do dishes,” Freddie countered and he faced me instead of Milo when he said that, and it was a good thing. Cause at the words ‘prissy bitch’ Milo’s face turned to the thunder. “But she’s not. She likes trying to figure things out.”

“Yeah,” I admitted with a sigh. “She does. She almost had scrambled eggs down.” Which had been kind of cool. I liked that she listened when I showed her how to do things. She didn’t argue that there had to be another way. “It was the same when she came to the shop. She’s never seen the inside of engine before.”

Her excitement had been a delight.

“She likes painting,” Rome admitted and that pulled everyone’s attention. “Not doing it. She liked watching me do it. She doesn’t ask a lot of questions, even when she wants to. She adjusts to the people around her. Like she doesn’t need me to tell her I prefer it quiet when I work, she’s just peaceful.”

Milo frowned.

“She is curious when she has questions though,” I said. “If she thinks we’ll answer, she’ll ask.”

“And she’s fun,” Freddie pointed out. “Boo-Boo works hard even here, she trained in the studio every day after her bruises and broken bones healed. She watches what she eats. A little too much, but she’s not fussy if we don’t have what she wants. I mean, we’d get her anything, but she doesn’t ask.”

“Except when there are too many carbs,” Vaughn grumbled and Jasper snorted, then even he nodded.

“I swear to fuck— if it has too many carbs, and she adds an hour to her workout or more. It makes me fucking tired watching her.”

“Liar,” Freddie said, calling Jasper out. “You’re a greedy fuck about watching her dance. You don’t want to let the rest of us, but you went in there all the time.”

That was true.

“Do you blame me?” Jasper retorted.

“Nope,” Freddie said. “Just like I loved the fact she read to me.”

I hid a smile, because not everyone knew about that.

“While I was detoxing and in hell, she sat outside that door on that cold floor and read me books through the door. Crazy series, chick ends up with all these guys, who form their own gang.”

Milo made a sound and Freddie spun to face him.

“I didn’t buy her the book, I don’t even know where she got it. But it’s a cool story. We’re not done with it yet, Aaron’s missing and we haven’t gotten him back.”

“Who the fuck is Aaron?” Doc asked.

“Guy in a book,” Jasper said, before Freddie could go off on a tear.

“Exactly.” As if that summed it all up, Freddie faced Milo. “We know Boo-Boo. We care about her. She belongs here, with us. So why won’t you bring her back?”

“Because she doesn’t belong here, Freddie,” Milo answered him in a soft voice. “She belongs to a better world.”

“Well, the one she was in wasn’t better,” Doc said before any of us could interject. “If it had been, they wouldn’t have brought her to me all busted up and broken.”

I held my breath, and I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one.

“You can tell yourself all you like that world is better for her, Milo. But she didn’t want to go back to it. She had the chance. She asked me to help her and I said I would, but she got out of here on her own.”

That was news to a few people, Jasper’s entire demeanor changed and he glared at Doc, but didn’t move.

“I found her walking, in the cold, just away, and I picked her up. Took her all the way back to her hotel… and at the last minute, she walked away from there, too. So, I brought her back to my clinic so she could think.”

Doc had everyone’s attention. I got it. I knew she’d left, she’d admitted as much. She’d also told me she chose to come back and if we were where she wanted to be, then I wouldn’t fight her on it. Even if I wanted her somewhere safer. Her choice.

“She chose to come back here. To these fuckers.” He gestured to all of us, and Rome wasn’t the only one who flipped Doc off at that statement. Not that he gave a damn. “If she wants to be here, Kid. You gotta stop pushing her away and punishing her.”
Heather Long. Ruthless Traitor ARC: 82nd Street Vandals (Kindle Locations 2493-2555).

We learn a lot more about Liam, who up until now has only been on the periphery of the story. Now he’s becoming an integral part.

Pretty much anything I could say about this book is a spoiler, so let me say there are some close calls, action, mistakes, OMG sizzle and holy moly, that ending!

I really need the next book, sooner rather than later…

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas in the summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories–her characters drive the books.

When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Heather Long

Curses. Vampires. Skunks.
The life of a Witch Singer shouldn’t be this complicated.

After years spent paying off an old debt by working for the vampires, Bridget the Witch Singer receives the opportunity of the lifetime. Solve one vampire’s oops—he turned the wrong person—and she’s a free witch. Desperate to win her freedom, she heads to Assjacket to find the solution to the vampire’s problem and everything goes wrong along the way, including a flat tire, getting sprayed by a skunk and the road trip from hell.

Unfortunately, Martin is no ordinary skunk and his spray is a nervous tick. She does her best to save the beast when her scream accidentally wounds him and springs him from his curse. Good news for Martin, not so good for Bridget who can’t get rid of him. Once in Assjacket, she’s tasked by the BabaYoMama to unite at least two couples and sing at their weddings in order to gain the cure she needs for her freedom.

How much mischief can a witch with
misfiring magical mojo get into?
Plenty…

Life in Assjacket seems to have achieved an odd normal—if living with a former skunk turned into her professor lover and raising a hot-tempered teenager with out of control magic can be called normal. Bridget wants to embrace her new life except…déjà vu is driving her crazy.

Not to mention she still has to satisfy a deal with the vampires, please the Baba Yaga, get Rika’s wild magic under control, oh and—just in case there wasn’t enough on her plate, she has to learn to compromise with Martin, lest he skunk out on her again.

Impulse control has never been Bridget’s best quality. After Rika summons a highlander from the pages of her novel and declares her intentions to keep him, Bridget is pushed to the end of her tether. Then there’s that déjà vu. Maybe it’s just the repetitive nature of small town life.

Of course, when a witch shows up to take her highlander back, it will take Bridget’s odd little family working together to save Angus.

Once upon a time in Assjacket…

My story began when a vampire I dubbed Mr. Nasty-Face sent me on a crazy, impossible task to fix his mis-Turnment of a certain succubus. Easy, right? Yeah, then I ran into the skunk who would change my life (and spray me, but let’s forget that memory). Once I got to Assjacket, well, let’s just say I ended up with the teenager who wasn’t—a kind of happily-while-you’re-here scenario. Now my teen is a grown woman with a Highlander for a lover, and I’m left to deal with Gigi. She wants me to find her a happily-for-real-ever-after and I’ve still got to solve my problems.

So to be clear, all I have to do is undo the unbreakable, pair the unpairable, and keep my man happy. One out of three isn’t bad. I’m a witch singer, not a dang miracle worker.

Just sing at a couple of weddings, the Baba Yaga said, it’ll be fun, she said, it’ll solve all your problems…except no weddings are possible with the witched away brides.

What happens when you are a captive witch and are made an offer you can’t refuse? You get a delightful tale of magic and mayhem.

Bridget has been a captive of the Vampires for many years paying off a debt she incurred by not controlling her magic. She can earn her freedom by finding a way to reverse a turning that should never have happened to begin with. Failure is not an option, so she begins her journey to find the one witch who could help her Baba Yaga whom she “affectionately” calls BabaYoMama.

Let me say this was so much fun to read. Bridget must sing her curses and some of them are hysterical. Talk about switching lyrics. Of course no journey is without it’s trials and tribulations. For Bridget it is a skunk…well a human cursed into a skunk named Martin. He needs to get to Assjacket too so he begs a ride.

One of the bumps in the road is a flat tire, this is a favorite scene.

Panic-fueled adrenaline surged through me as we came to an abrupt halt. Shaking, I glanced at my passenger who had flattened himself against the seat, tail straight up and eyes wide as he looked over his shoulder at me.

“Don’t you dare.” But it was too late. He sprayed me.

And my mouth was open, dammit.

Choking, gagging, and spitting out the foul taste, I managed to get the car into park. Then I did the utterly mature thing— I beat my hands against the steering wheel.

“I’m sorry,” Martin sounded genuinely contrite. “It’s a nervous habit.”

Hardly mollified by his words or his intentions, I kept pounding my hands on the steering wheel. Tears seemed to gush from my eyes and turned the world into a wavering mess. I couldn’t breathe without smelling the acrid odor. It was everywhere. On me. On my clothes. On my car!

“Witchy-poo?” The skunk in question crept toward me. His soft, doe-eyes swam in my gaze. I could barely make out his white capped and striped black body. The tail, at least, was down, or I think it was. It didn’t really matter.

I’d spent years stuck in service to vamps because I said one wrong damn word. Then of course, there was the bill I ran up trying to escape that racket. Then the bill I ran up when I realized they weren’t going to let me go. That was neither here nor there. I had a chance. A chance to fix Nasty-Face’s stupid mistake— not that I thought one single solution actually existed in the universe, but I’d take what I could get.

All I had to do was get to fucking Assjacket. I slammed my palm on the steering wheel once for every word in that sentence. Martin touched me with a paw, and it served as a tipping point for every damn thing that had gone wrong in my life since open bar karaoke.

I screamed.
Long, Heather. The Witch Singer: Magic and Mayhem Universe (The Witch Singer Book 1) (Kindle Locations 371-385). Kindle Edition.

There are lots of surprises along the way and even more once they reach their destination. So much fun and laughter, I loved every second of this book!

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

If you’ve read the Witch Singer you know that Bridget is not happy with Baba Yaga’s edict that she must help sixteen year old Rika control her magic. Well Rika isn’t exactly pleased either, all she does is go to school and do chores. She doesn’t feel Bridget’s teaching her enough so she’s rebelling in full force teen mode.

Now don’t get huffy things get explained quickly, and a hunky Scot named Angus is just a small issue, really it is.

This is a favorite scene.

“Bridget!” Rika shrieked. “I summoned him. Let me go.”

Yeah, that’s what I thought she’d said earlier. Still not on board with whatever mad plan she’d concocted. The Scotsman—oh Angus, for beef and damn if he wasn’t beefcake…

“Witchypoo,” Martin’s voice took on a distinct note of disapproval. “You’re drooling.”

“Dude, he’s hot but I love you and you’re way hotter.” To prove my point, I twisted, caught Martin’s face in my hands and planted a sinful kiss on his lips.
Heather Long. Bridgets-Witchs-Diary: Magic and Mayhem Universe (The Witch Singer Book 2) (Kindle Locations 334-338). Kindle Edition.

Funny with sizzling heat and surprises popping up when you least expect them.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

We continue with Bridget’s story in Assjacket as brides are disappearing on their wedding days. How can Bridget sing at weddings if none are occurring? With a bunch of crazy and upset bridegrooms Baba Yaga dispatches Kirk a warlock with a gambling problem to find the witch bridenapper. He lands unceremoniously in Assjacket meeting a trash panda named Firefox. This in itself is funny but it turns out he is our Bridget’s familiar.

This is a favorite scene when they meet.

The way the purple haired witch narrowed her eyes at him gave Kirk pause. He’d charged over to the witch singer’s house because the insanity at the wedding grotto had given him an altogether unpleasant headache all the yelling, growling, and weeping had bestowed upon him. His feet hurt after tromping through the wilds. He’d run into another cluster of bushes, and now had an unbearable itch crawling along his arms.So, he probably could have been more polite to the two occupants all snuggled up with their bottle of wine, but he just wanted to bag the bridenapper, get his debts paid off, and leave before he caught something permanent. Yet, the moment he snapped at her, she went from a look of cool fury to utter speculation.

Dread coiled in his stomach. Witch singers weren’t bad witches right? Not that he could recall.

“Hey,” the trash panda announced from his feet. “You should start by introducing yourself, bub.”

“Oooh,” the witch singer let out a soft exhale of wonder, and went to her knees. “Hello there, you beautiful thing.”

The red furred little bugger puffed up and all but strutted over to her. “Hello, pretty lady. Forgive my brutish companion, he fell into a mulberry bush then crashed through a poison sumac patch. He’s in a very bad mood.”

“Is he?” The witch singer didn’t even look in Kirk’s direction. Instead she opened her arms and the trash panda hurtled into them and snuggled her. The man who’d been standing next to her watched the whole exchange with a bemused smile. The red furred head rubbed against the witch singer’s chin, a distinctive cuddle, and then she rose pressing a tiny kiss to the creature’s head.

Sure. The rodent got a friendly greeting. The longer he stood there, the more Kirk had a chance to admire the stunning red dress the singer wore, and the way it made her skin glow and emphasized her… zap! Pain shocked him back a step and he jerked his gaze to the mild-mannered man still standing near her whose gaze now focused on him.

The faint tilt to the corner of his mouth told Kirk all he needed to know. Nodding once to the other warlock— because he definitely had the power to be a warlock— Kirk folded his arms. The urge to scratch was driving him crazy. They shared a long moment of masculine understanding. The witch singer belonged to the man with the white stripe in his hair, and he’d defend what was his.

“Look, Martin. Isn’t Firefox adorable?” The singer was still cooing at the trash panda and it was all besotted with her, too. Sparkles filled the air, and he could almost hear the ringing of the bells. The little rodent was her familiar. Well, it could have said something when he fell on it.

“He’s perfect for you, lover.” The man settled a possessive hand on her hip and drew her and her newly accessorized trash panda to him. The critter wrapped around her shoulders like a fur stole and it matched her dress. Even her purple hair began to change colors until it fell in an ombre wave that ended red as the raccoon’s fur.

“Congratulations,” Kirk announced, determined to play the cards he’d been dealt. He summoned a bottle of champagne and held it out. “Allow me to present you with this token upon discovering your true familiar. A day worth remembering.”

“Uh huh,” Martin grunted as he accepted the bottle. “Now, introduce yourself and maybe summon a shirt since you’re half naked and not even an appealing naked at that.”

The witch singer giggled, and it held all those wonderful notes of a perfect concerto. For a moment, Kirk completely forgot why he was there. Even the air around her seemed to shimmer.

“Bridget, darling,” Martin murmured. “Why don’t you take Firefox in and get him comfortable while I take care of our guest?”

The witch spun and gave Martin a kiss that had Kirk’s ears turning red before she whispered something against the other man’s lips and vanished. The moment she disappeared, Kirk remembered how to breathe then took a step back.

Raking a hand through his hair, he stared at the other warlock. “Holy hell.”

“And all mine,” Martin reminded him, even as a little fireball began to dance on his fingertips.
Long, Heather. The Witched Away Bride: Magic and Mayhem Universe (The Witch Singer Book 3). (Kindle Locations 311-347). Kindle Edition.

This tale takes a delightful turn as Kirk and Gigi meet for the first time, although he doesn’t know it at the time she is responsible for the disappearing brides. A fun romp through various shops for a wedding dress and so much more as she and Kirk find romance.

Full of snark, laughs, love and lessons for everyone. This is a thoroughly delightful quick read.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas in the summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories–her characters drive the books.

When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Heather Long

So, what’s my story, you ask? It’s nothing special. Or at least it wasn’t.

You know it’s going to be a bad day when you wake up in the wrong man’s bed, your favorite leather outfit is completely shredded, your best Manolo Blahniks are broken, and your eighty-dollar manicure is ruined.

But would you believe me if I said that’s just the tip of the sh*t storm?

My name is Fiona MacRieve, and I’m a succubus…or I was. I seduced a vampire and we had a fantastic time, until he drained me almost to death. Which wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t forced his blood down my throat thinking it would heal me.

Yeah, it didn’t.

Cause that’s not how I heal.

So not only did I wake up to losing my best outfit, I woke up dead.

Now I’m a vampire and I’m in prison. Some shit you just can’t make up.

But wait, it gets better.

Four guys older than dirt think I’m their fated mate. Yep. Me. The idea that I, vampire succubus or not, am anyone’s mate, much less these four dudes so old I should be accused of grave robbing is so laughable I didn’t think that could be real either.

So, that’s where the story begins, for the rest of it? Well, you’ll just have to read the whole trilogy and for those of you who already know the story, there’s a little extra bonus at the end.

Fiona is a succubus who had the bad judgement to engage with a hungry vampire. When he thinks he’s killed her he tries to save her and creates the impossible. A Hybrid, An Abomination.

The Vampire Prince sends her to Nightmare Penitentiary, with the intent of her never getting out.

Fiona isn’t drinking the blood they try to feed her, she only feeds when the Warden visits her and she feeds both her succubus nature and the vampire although the later under protest.

Fiona hasn’t asked to be rescued, she has more or less resigned herself to the fact she isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Then a ‘guard’ shows up and expects her to just go with him.

This is a favorite scene.

Frustration filled his eyes. “Why are you being difficult?”

Was he for real?

“Um… look around,” I pointed out. “What do you see?”

“You descending to the darkest parts of the penitentiary, where even the most dangerous hunters would be loathe to go.”

“Cool, you run along then.” Dammit, I knew I should have gone up.

He let out aggrieved sigh. “Not without you.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m here to rescue you.”

Rescue. Me.

“Why the fuck didn’t you say that upstairs instead of getting all monosyllabic and snarly?”

“Because you smell like another man, he’s been all over you.” He tilted my head to the side and then stroked his thumb over my throat. Told you Dorran liked to mark me. “He’s done it recently, too. Are you sure you won’t tell me who?”

“Nope,” I said. “I don’t fuck and tell. Rules of the game.”

Not really, but I didn’t know this guy, and rescue or not, I was not in the mood for this crap.

His lips compressed into a thin line, and he dropped his hand from my throat. When he backed up a single step and gave me room to breathe, I narrowed my eyes. That was an unexpected twist. Reaching behind him, he pulled out a pair of shackles, and I glared at him.

“No.” I was not going in chains.

“You have to,” he said. “I’m a guard. I can get you out if I escort you. But prisoners are not allowed to roam freely.”

“No.” I folded my arms. I was not going to put those on willing.

“I will take them off, Fiona. I promise.” The growl underscoring each syllable didn’t inspire confidence.

Besides…

“I don’t even know you, why would your promise mean shit to me?”

“My name is Maddox.” He intoned it so formally, like I would recognize him by the moniker alone. Was it like Madonna or Cher? If so, ‘fraid it was lost on me. “I’m here to see you to safety.”

“Define safety,” I challenged. “And why I should believe you just because of your name, which for the record, doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Surprise crystalized in his expression edged by real frustration.

Yeah, I had a gift.

“Woman, I don’t care if you believe me. I’ll carry you out of here kicking and screaming. I can knock you out if I have to.” He dragged my arm out and slammed one of the shackles on. It burned as it snapped around my wrist. “I’m rescuing you whether you want to go or not.”

Why the fuck would I not want to go?

I just wanted to know whether I was going somewhere better or not.

He wrestled me into the second shackle, and I let out a frustrated scream as it closed on my free wrist. They were spelled. The magic in them burned where they rested against my flesh. Dick face— Maddox— stared down as my skin began to blister and smoke.

“That should not be happening.”

Oh.

That was it.

This guy?

I was killing him first.

Shackled wrists and all, I clenched my fists together and struck both at his bloody nose.

If I didn’t break it the first time, I was damn well going to break it now. Unfortunately, he caught the slender chain locking my wrists together and hauled my arms up to slam them against the wall before he boxed me against it again.

“Stop fighting me,” he ordered. “The shackles have a spell.”

“No shit.”

“The spell is to help us get you out.”

Us.

Wait.

Gritting my teeth against the blistering sensation crawling over my skin and scalding it, I asked, “Who’s us?”

A flash of teeth. “You’ll find out. When you come with me.”

I hated this man.

Alarms began to sound and doors above opened with a clang. His expression turned furious. When he turned that glare on me, I gave him a little shrug. Or at least, as much as I could manage pinned to the wall in his murder bracelets.

“Oops?”
Heather Long. Succubus Chained (Kindle Locations 293-328). Kindle Edition.

Things obviously weren’t going as planned and between her bleeding wrists and no answers, Fiona’s temper was rising.

Maddox wasn’t the most diplomatic and with some help from Fin they calm her. It isn’t until the next night that they actually get her away with Rogue’s help. Well Rogue takes off with her so that counts, right?

I love this book, these guys don’t have a clue other than knowing they have to help her transition properly. Fiona has to accept both sides of her nature to survive. It’s the forth in this group, Alfred, who is the turning point in more ways than one.

Plenty of twist and turns, ups and downs, some giggles and plenty of Kindle Melting Sizzle, as we meet and get to know these guys who believe Fiona is theirs.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Fiona has been turned, and now purged of the shadow demon by Alfred. While she finds herself having feelings for all the men who have claimed her one way or another, she has only one thought leave. 

A party hosted by Alfred gives her the opening she needs, and help comes from someone who definitely loves her enough to give her that freedom.

This is a favorite scene.

When I straddled the back of the snowmobile behind Rogue, I half-expected him to turn us around and bring me back. To trick me in some way. Loyalty, it seemed, existed only between the four of them, with all three deferring to Alfred. To my surprise, though, Rogue had taken me down the mountain and then across the wildly unfamiliar terrain to the edge of a small village before pointing me toward the train depot.

“The minute they realize, they will look at the airlines. You need to make your way to Germany from here.” He handed me a card. “Speak to this man, and only if he is alone. Hand him this card, then tell him the name you wish to be known by. He will prepare the human identification you need.” Then he pressed a second card into my hand. “The pin code is three-four-four-six-two. Repeat it to me.”

I had, but confusion flooded me when I locked gazes with him. With care, he tucked one of my red curls beneath the cap, then brushed his knuckles down my cheek.

“They will look for you.”

“But you won’t?” I didn’t know why I blurted out the question, but I didn’t understand.

“No,” he promised me in a solemn tone. “You have to decide what you want and where you want to be. They think they understand. They don’t.” Cupping my face, he held my gaze. “You need to feed on me before you go.”

I wasn’t hungry.

“Little sváss, you will have to learn to hunt and to have care, to feed both of your natures, and without us there, it will be more challenging for you.”

I grimaced.

“I have every faith in you.” He stroked my cheek, roving his gaze over me. “Now… feed.” With that, he slipped his hand to my nape and tilted his head back. We were in the deep shadows of the building. Stepping in to him, I pressed my hands to his chest and then rose up on my tip toes to nuzzle his jaw. The barest of smiles flickered against his lips as I kissed a path down to his pulse point. “Why are you helping me?” I had to ask.

“Because once upon a time, little sváss, I was you. Alfred… you will have to figure that part out on your own. I did as well.” Then he dipped his face, and his lips just barely brushed mine as he continued, “You are always welcome, and if you need me, call.”

“Are you in the phone book?” I couldn’t help the tease. I hadn’t seen my own cell phone in almost two months. Who knew what I had to go back to in Dallas. I doubted my landlord kept my apartment. Fin had indicated it had been cleaned out. Whether it’d been the landlord or Isaac was anyone’s guess.

“Ah,” Rogue answered with almost a wry chuckle, and the sound captivated me. He was always so standoffish and aloof unless he was intent on turning me inside out. Then… I shook off the thought. We didn’t have time for that here or now. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a phone. “I purchased this last week along with a second one. I programmed my number into it— that would be the second phone.”

“Did you program my number into yours?”

“No.”

That was…

“I told you, little sváss, this is about you deciding. If you need me, call. I will come for you anywhere. On that, you have my word.”

Moisture burned in my eyes, and he went hazy for a moment as I had to blink back the tears.

“Thank you, Rogue.”

“You are welcome,” he said, then gave my nape a gentle squeeze. “But you will feed before you leave me. You will give me this one last obedience so I know I sent you off full and with all that I could.”

Pressing a swift kiss to his lips, I dug my fingers into his shirt. He tipped his head up and back, then I struck. No hesitation. I didn’t want to hurt him, and they’d told me time and again, the swift pierce stung the least. His cock hardened against my belly as the taste of him flooded my mouth. I almost groaned.

I wasn’t hungry, but at the same time, I craved this. The heat. The taste. The essence of him filling me. He massaged my neck as I swallowed again and again. Finally, I pulled back, nuzzling the bite with a few careful licks until the blood no longer trickled.

Tilting my head back, I stared up at him. His pale eyes seemed to shimmer in the darkness. Then, he was just… gone.

They all moved so fast, but this was like one moment there, and the next, he blinked out of existence. I knew he’d run. The snowmobile had been left behind. Hopefully, they wouldn’t hurt him for helping me. I carefully stowed away the phone he’d given me and the cards.
Heather Long. Succubus Unchained: Shackled Souls 2 (Kindle Locations 862-898).

Now back in Texas, Fiona is staying with her friend Elias, a werewolf. He decides she should get out more and takes her to his Alpha’s club. It’s here things get really interesting.

The appearance of Finn, a confrontation between Vampires and Werewolves, and Rogue once again spirits her off.

We get to know a lot more about Finn, Maddox, Rogue and Alfred in this book. Fiona has to come to terms not only with what she is now, but also her feelings for all these men.

A page-turning read with action, suspense, sizzling heat and an ending that will have you begging for more.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Fiona has accepted that she is theirs and they are hers but…Don’t lock her up. She wasn’t going to let that prison have her Mage, Fin or her Dragon, Maddox. They didn’t leave her there, she won’t leave them. We jump right into plenty of action, then some sizzle. As they are leaving the prison they are confronted by Cyrus. As Maddox with Fin’s help hides her, they are joined by Alfred and Rogue. I found myself giggling at Fiona’s antics while Alfred and Cyrus converse, but then let a battle begin.

When Fin transports them all back to the Keep, all Fiona wants is a bath and sleep. That’s not all but I do try to keep it clean here.

They obviously have something to discuss with her and they are probably correct in assuming she’s not going to like it.

This is a favorite scene.

“Finish bathing, Hellion, then we’ll take this somewhere more comfortable.” Alfred’s tone suggested there would be a real fight if Maddox or Fin argued with him. Rogue had no such objections. The bathing room was good for her, but between the hot pools and the fire, it was uncomfortable for him after a time.

More surprising than Maddox and Fin accepting Alfred’s unspoken threat was the fact that Fiona didn’t argue. She shifted to move for the soap and the shampoo, and he was forced to leave her hair alone. Instead, he examined his brothers as Fin rose from the water. The marks left on his arms and back had faded significantly, but even the pale pink of them suggested how bad they’d been.

For his part, Maddox looked tired, but he also bristled like his dragon was dangerously close to the surface. To be fair, he and his dragon were more often one in the same, the dragon in the human’s skin and the human in the dragon’s scales. But this was different.

Mating had changed him.

Changed all of them.

There was a peace to Alfred, a resoluteness that had never been there before. His reaction to her disappearance had been profoundly and dangerously quiet. They’d gone after her, and when they hadn’t tracked her immediately, Alfred had simply cleared coven after coven of vampires— all those loyal to the ones allying against them.

Rogue had no objections. They’d gotten out of hand in recent centuries. It was more than time to cull back the worst of the worst. This hadn’t been about culling. It had been about eliminating threats. The other members of the Seven had added a fresh bounty to Fiona’s head. While vampires older than her might still find her a tough target, enough of them could overwhelm and that was not an option.

When she finished washing up and all traces of blood and soot were gone from her skin, Rogue swept a gaze over her as she rose from the water. He wasn’t the only one looking for signs of injury. There was a hint of bruising along one arm and on her hip. No scrapes or broken skin. More, there was no hint of shadow taint on her to mar the shimmer. Even in the warm-lit gloom of the bathing room, she shimmered faintly.

Glowing.

Yes, he’d seen her outside the prison— the pure light she’d radiated and the shadow wings stretching out from her back. Even her deep red hair had taken on a more vibrant sheen, and when she’d looked away for the briefest of moments, her eyes had been purely luminescent, jewels given life.

Not that she hadn’t always been beautiful, because she had. Beautiful. Stubborn. Irritating. She dug in deep, refusing to be dislodged with her hotheaded impetuousness. Now?

Now she was exquisite in a way Rogue couldn’t even begin to define. Fin and Maddox both dressed in the clothes that had been left for them. It was Maddox who held out a robe and wrapped her in it before he scooped her up. She’d rolled her eyes and slapped his chest because she was fine, but he’d only nipped her ear and murmured something that had her laughing before he carried her up with the rest following.

They’d gone to the library, where fires awaited them, along with hot tea and more food. Fiona had only rolled her eyes as Maddox settled in a chair with her in his lap, and the rest dragged seats over to join them. Rogue plucked her away from Maddox when he was distracted and he scowled, but Fiona only wrapped her arms around Rogue and he curled her closer.

When he’d helped her escape, to spread her then metaphorical wings, he’d known where she was. Yes, he’d told her he wouldn’t be able to track her, but he’d known exactly where she would go, just as Fin had. He’d been able to keep his distance and check on her— discreetly— even as Alfred and Maddox had raged at him.

This time?

No, this time, he’d had a taste of the cool gray overwhelming his world once again in her absence. He would not willingly return to that half-state. One he hadn’t even realized he’d been living in for so long.

“So,” Fiona said once Fin pressed a mug of tea into her hands and she snuggled back against Rogue. “What did you want to discuss?”

Maddox opened his mouth, but it was Fin who spoke. “The prophecy.”

“Blegh,” she said, her whole face screwing up. “I hate prophecies. I hate anything magic related.”

“You don’t hate me,” Fin teased.

“For the moment,” she snapped back, but the playfulness in her voice pulled a smile from all of them, even Alfred.

Smoothing a hand over Fiona’s abdomen, he drew a light circle against the fabric of her robe. “Little sváss, we need you to listen for a few moments and to hear us on this. While I agree, prophecies can be muddled and, as often as not, vague and open to interpretation, this one very much impacts you.”

She twisted and met his gaze, searching his face for something. The little frown pulled her brows together. “How much does it affect the rest of you?”

“Anything that affects you will have to go through us,” he told her simply, directly, and she let out that little sigh of impatience before making a face.

“Fine. I will listen and do my best to not interrupt. But I refuse to not roll my eyes if I think it’s stupid.”

“Why don’t you like magic?” They’d never asked, and if they wanted her to believe in this prophecy even in as much as to help them with it, then they should know.

Slumping back against him, she made a pained sound, then laughed. “I don’t like magic because witches are the most interfering creatures you’ve ever met. They have a spell for literally everything. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have some very good witch friends. But magic and I? We haven’t always gotten along. You know how they say a hybrid can’t exist?”

She paused and glanced around at all of them, but it was Alfred who merely nodded and said, “They also say I don’t exist, Hellion.”

“Yeah, but they are kind of half-right about you,” she pointed out. “You don’t involve yourself in the world. You stay here, hidden away. You let them come to you so if they don’t, then by that logic, you aren’t a part of their world and thus you don’t exist.”

His mouth opened and then closed as he appeared to consider her words. A laugh worked its way through Rogue, and he wrapped a hand around her nape and turned her again. She met his kiss easily and lightly. Eyes lighting up, literally, Fiona leaned into him and then the tingle of her kiss spread through his whole body, and he wrapped her up tighter.

“And she’s glowing again,” Fin murmured in a low voice. Alfred leaned forward, and even Maddox studied her intently. As aware of them as he was though, Rogue let himself feel her. Something about her wildness had always called to him, from the moment he’d taken her from the prison and brought her to the keep.

The very primal part of her nature summoned his own to the surface— a part of him he’d long believed cut off. It was why he shifted again, something he hadn’t indulged in over countless centuries. She’d done more than just push him, she’d brought him back to life.

Energy hummed off of her, but it was beyond soothing and he found himself wanting to cradle her, shield her light from any breeze that would extinguish it.

“I never expected this,” Alfred said, running a hand over his mouth as he studied her.

That pulled her attention away from Rogue, and he exhaled a long breath. He could have cheerfully forgotten the rest and drowned in the brilliance of her.

“Spill it, boys. You’re starting to freak me out.”

They weren’t. Not yet. But she tried to tease it out of them. Still, when she slid her hand over Rogue’s, he threaded their fingers together.

“There’s a prophecy,” Fin said. “Borne from a vision I had of you… a long time ago. Now, while I agree with you— prophecies tend to be vague and open to interpretation— this didn’t come from just any seer. It came from me.”

That pulled her full interest, and Rogue could practically feel her leaning forward, even if she didn’t shift a muscle. “Dun. Dun. Dun. Dun!”

Her intonation of the musical notes shattered the tension, and Alfred chuckled. The soft laughter carried through the whole library, and Rogue grinned. Maddox and Fin stared at them both like they’d sprouted second heads before they began chuckling, too.

“This isn’t supposed to be funny, Beautiful.” Fin’s argument didn’t hold much weight.

She shrugged. “You’re an incorrigible flirt and you tease me constantly, and then you tell me in this super serious dark and sober voice that this ‘prophecy’ is something uber special because you saw it?”

With a sniff, he nodded. “Exactly.” Then he grinned and another bubble of laughter escaped Rogue. When was the last fucking time he’d been happy?

He didn’t have to see her face to almost feel the way she rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll give this all the seriousness it deserves. What’s the prophecy?”

Fin exhaled, then glanced at each of them before he focused on her. “When the female hybrid is born, the world will change.”

She waited a beat. “It will change?”

He nodded.

“That’s it? The world will change?”

“Hellion,” Alfred began, even as Maddox said, “Kitten—”

But a sound tugged Rogue’s attention. A sound and a ping on the wards.

It was the only warning he had before the first volley slammed into the building, but Rogue had already tumbled her out of the chair and over, shielding her as the explosion of light and sound rocked them.
Heather Long. Succubus Blessed: Shackled Souls 3 (Kindle Locations 923-999).

An attack on the Keep has Rogue fleeing with her through tunnels she didn’t know existed. This leads to an encounter with yet another of the Seven, much to the chagrin of the others. They really do need to get themselves together and stop hiding things from her. Fiona isn’t one to sit back and do nothing. She’s also not going to be caged up ever again.

The Keep, a Castle, and the Island are all sites of altercations. Maddox takes off with Fiona, wanting to protect her from all that’s happening. Of course neither Fiona or the guys are going to let him get away with that.

This book reveals many new things Fiona can do, and there’s a few surprises as well. Plenty of snark, action, some giggles, and sizzle heat kept me turning the pages.

While I’m sorry to say good-bye to these characters this book was truly the perfect ending to this trilogy.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

This is a bonus for buying the complete series so I’m not going to say much here.

It’s coming up on their third anniversary and the guys want some time with Fiona away from the twins. To accomplish that they need a babysitter and Wyman is it.

I’m just going to give you this quote from the beginning of the book, it cracked me up.

Whoever said having children was a sign of bliss, never had kids. – Fiona
Heather Long. Shackled Souls: Books 1-3 with Bonus Novella (Kindle Location 9002).

Their getaway leads to some very unexpected things happening, and you will love every second of this Kindle melting read.

I laughed, sniffled a bit and well I had to hydrate from the heat as well!

At the end of this one, Heather asks if we want more in this world, and my answer is a resounding YES!!!

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas in the summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories–her characters drive the books.

When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Heather Long

Autumn in New York promises a turn in the seasons as we kick off the next stage of our lives. Colorful leaves falling, dropping temperatures, and the first days of classes loom even as the lingering summer heat and humidity make the city stifling.

Summer was a time to get away, to just be us, and what a magical time it was, but we can only run away from our lives for so long. We have family, careers, friends—new and old—as well as commitments waiting for us. With a new place to call our own in a new city I’m already half-in-love with, we’re not afraid of the challenges ahead.

Of course, not everyone is rooting for us, not everyone wants us to succeed, and some choices may come back to haunt us. But don’t come for those I love and expect me to do nothing. They might want to surround me in a layer of protection, but they’re mine and I’m more than willing to fight to keep them.

Feel free to test me, I’ve never failed one yet.

NOTE:
This is a reverse harem and the author suggests you always read the forward in her books. Contains some bullying elements, mature situations, and is recommended for 17+. This is the ninth in a series and the story will continue through future books.

As I started reading this book my mind went in so many directions with every word, my heart was pounding, my brain saying oh no, she wouldn’t would she? Evil author, very evil author. I’m not saying anything more about that you’ll have to read it yourself.

Now as the book continues Frankie has to assert herself with the guys to get them to back off. That always works, but she finds herself getting lonely. Then there’s a tension she doesn’t notice at first but Coop and Ian are both trying to help with that before she does.

Rachel provides a haven and an ear, as Frankie steps in to find answers to the accident. With the help of Whittaker she now has a New York firm to represent her Dominic Walsh is young but capable and Rachel likes to verbally spar with him. She also gives both the lawyer and the police a direction they definitely didn’t expect.

Jeremy is a favorite of mine always, he’s got the best advice without seeming to give it.

Frankie finally realizes she has to tell all of them what she’s been doing and her fears after an ice cream stop with Jake.

This is a favorite scene.

“Hey,” Ian said, having circled the sofa to where I was seated. He held out a hand and I took it then he settled back into my spot and pulled me into his lap. Arms tight around me, he kissed my temple. “It’s going to be all right, Angel. Five heads are better than one. Let’s start with the most basic questions, have you spoken to your grandparents?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m terrified of what their answer will be and before you ask, no I haven’t told Hank about the accident. I don’t want her to decide to take this out on him. He’s got a family and little kids…”

“Your family,” Coop interrupted.

“And he’s your father,” Jake tacked on. “A job he really seemed enthusiastic about.”

“Babe, we can’t protect you when we don’t know that there is a threat. He needs to know.” Archie groaned as he perched on the coffee table not far from me and Ian. Jake shifted to sitting on the other side of Ian, the four of them boxing me in neatly. “Babe— I love you for wanting to protect me, but not when it risks you. Nothing is worth risking you.”

“Nothing is worth risking any of you,” I argued. Ian’s arms tightened around me, and I leaned into him. I needed the strength more than he realized or maybe he did realize it and that was why he moved. “I get to protect you, too.”

Jake let out an aggravated sigh, Coop swept in. “Yes, you do. But I think the not sharing of potential problems should end now.”

Archie and Jake both glared at Coop who met their expressions with a bland one of his own.

“Secrets have a habit of coming back to bite us all in the ass. If Maddy really has had a break with reality enough to actively try and hurt both of you, then we don’t need issues chewing on us behind the scenes and breaking down the trust we’ve built.” He was still staring at Jake and Archie.

“Coop’s right.” Ian rubbed his chin against my shoulder. “As aggravating as it is that Frankie took this on herself, she had the forethought to involve Rachel and the attorneys. Then she came and told us. It might not be the kind of news any of us wanted to hear, but Frankie faced all of us. You two just have to face her.”

I shifted in his lap then focused on Archie and Jake. Neither looked happy. With Coop and Ian or with each other.

“Fine, fuck it. I’ll go first,” Jake said and he locked his gaze on me. “I told you I changed my schedule because it would be better for my focus. I let you think it was because I’d shifted my discipline, but the truth was I needed a break from Archie.”

My stomach bottomed out.

“Right, wrong, or indifferent,” Jake continued. “He should never have left you alone at your grandparents’ to drive back. I’m not saying I wanted him hurt in the accident, but you shouldn’t have been alone. His car. He should have been there.”

“I was trying to settle this between us,” Archie said after a long pause. “But even boxing didn’t help.”

All those bruises. I frowned.

“He’s not wrong, Babe, I should have been there, that said, he doesn’t get to decide who stays or who goes.”

“And you could learn to give a guy some space,” Jake bit out each word as though he were literally holding back his anger. To be honest, the two of them were closer right now than they’d been in the last few weeks. “But no, you have to be right there all the fucking time.”

“Did it occur to you that we’re always all here?” Archie retaliated, only his tone iced. “You got a problem, you deal with it. But we’re not punishing Frankie with some metaphorical tug of war.”

“Metaphorical my ass, you just have to do everything your way and the consequences be damned.”

So much of what Jeremy had gracefully danced around became clear. I’d gotten that there was tension. But this was more than that.

“Enough.” I pushed out of Ian’s lap as Archie and Jake both hit their feet. I was right between them and I’d be damned if they were going to keep this up. “Seriously, that’s enough.”

I glanced from one to the other. Pivoting, I faced Archie and I swore he damn near smirked and my blood heated. Not the time, Archie. Not the time. “You should know better than to keep shoving at Jake when he’s already dug his heels in. It just makes him angrier and more bull-headed. You can’t force people to like you and forgive you just because you wear them down and talk them into it.”

“Babe…”

“Don’t you babe me.”

“You tell him, Baby Girl.” 

At that, I whirled and poked a finger into Jake’s chest. “Don’t you start. You are not without fault here. Archie didn’t cause the accident. And I’m all right. You need someone to blame because it scared you. It scared all of you. Blaming Archie isn’t helping anyone right now. Add to all of that you changed your entire schedule so now we barely see each other and you thought that was the way to handle it?”

Jake’s expression fell and I threw up my hands before retreating from all of them and folding my arms.

“You’re all right, I should have told you about the Maddy thing right up front. But I get a say in protecting you as much as you get a say in protecting me. You hover, you make decisions, and you surround me like I’m fragile and I’ll break. But the one thing all of you forget is that I lived with Maddy my whole life. I know her better than all of you and I’m not wearing my willful blinders anymore.”

Ian frowned. “Then what do you think she’s doing?”

“Blaming Archie for losing me or maybe for losing Edward. Maybe both. She’s going to lash out. Archie is an easy target.”

“Excuse you.” Archie almost sounded offended, but Coop swatted him on the shoulder.

“She means you’re an easy target for Maddy’s rage.”

“I know what she meant,” Archie threw back at Coop. “But I’ll be fine. Frankie’s the one she’s always hurt.”

“But I’m also the one she wants.” Me and Edward apparently. Not something I’d ever think I’d have in common with Archie’s father.

“If she really is the narcissistic personality she seems to be, with psychopathic tendencies— then yeah. She won’t stand for being supplanted in your life. Archie’s the one who has been standing up to her the most.” Coop slid his hands into his pockets, and I swore my stomach dropped again.
Heather Long. Defiance and Dedication: Untouchable Book Nine (Kindle Locations 2108-2160).

The guys and Frankie do a lot of growing in this book. It’s a totally different world from high school and the stress is almost overwhelming.

There’s more than a little suspense with the whole Maddy thing, and then there’s a lot of fun too, with birthdays with not only the guys but also with Hank’s family.

So much to love, so much to want resolved, surprises that brought tears to my eyes and so much more that I couldn’t put this book down.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas in the summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories–her characters drive the books.

When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Heather Long

Life should be getting back to normal…

Chance survived a serial killer returning from the grave and said yes to a date with her ex-lover Jack. But survivor’s guilt eats away at her and her world turns upside down when earthquakes begin to rattle the landscape and devastate the region she calls home.

Madness becomes her…

Terrified that she is the source of earthquakes devastating the land, she tries to shut down her connection to the Earth. But when enemies aware of how to shatter her bond to the earth kidnap her, Chance faces her most desperate hour,

When the earth shakes, the witch bleeds…

Staring into the face of madness, she must learn to trust her allies or risk losing everything—and everyone she loves.

When an earthquake hits Chance is taken off guard. She manages to help dissipate the pressure but not as quickly or as efficiently as she normally can. It was far worse that what is usual for the area and she felt there was something off but couldn’t pinpoint it. Betty was fine and as they checked for any damage Jack calls to be sure she’s okay. Their relationship is progressing as he now has a better idea of what she is and does. Although he’s still cloudy on some things he’s open to learning. Being in California a country away from her doesn’t help either.

When she realizes what the issue was with the earthquakes she goes to the attic to get her grandmother’s journals. She needs to know when the last quake of this magnitude was and if the symptoms were the same. It’s while she was reminiscing that Jamie calls with a favor. Three crop circles, one a prank the other two something else. It’s during her evaluation that she has a seizure and during that were aftershocks. Jamie also drops a bombshell on her saying the whole thing with Oakes made her a murderer.

Upset she flees to the Cary family garden, needing the connection to the earth there. Only to find Victor Callanport waiting for her. She didn’t want to see anyone or talk to anyone especially not Victor, she needed the quiet and respite of the garden. The questions Victor asks her only reflect her own worries. Overtired after staying to long connected to the earth in the garden she gets a ticket on the way home the result of something disturbing.

She calls Jack as she settles in, this is a favorite scene.

“Yes, Obi Wan. I am going upstairs.”

“Excellent. Now, what did Runs with Beer need help with?”

“You shouldn’t call him that. It’s rude.” I pushed open the door to my apartment and Romeo rushed over to give me his backside when I came in. I was too tired and sore to be suitably chastised by feline disdain.

“I know.”

I chuckled. The doorframe supported me while I untied my boots and toed them off one at a time. I shuffled across the room, my aching feet hardly registering against the rest of the aches in my body. The bed had never looked so inviting. “Jaime needed a consult on some crop circles.” I tucked the phone between between my shoulder and cheek, unbuttoning my jeans and wiggling out of them. The damp denim clung to my legs.

Goosebumps raced across my flesh as the cool air met clammy skin.

“Crop circles? Really?”

“Yeah, I know how it sounds.”

“I dunno, you do weird better than I do. Are you naked yet?”

“Ha! You’re so funny.” I pretended dry amusement, but I smiled as I juggled the phone and twisted my t-shirt off. “To be fair, he’s right. Two of the circles were very unusual. The third—well, the third was a hoax.”

“What made the first two unusual? …and you didn’t answer my question.”

“I was answering your first one—about what Jaime wanted.” I shed my bra and underwear, gathered all of them up and dropped them in the clothes hamper. In the bathroom, I juggled the phone to brush my teeth. I listened to the murmur of room service bringing Jack a tray.

I considered running a comb through my hair, but the dampness created a hedge effect.

Yes, the Hedge Witch with the hedge of hair, next on David Letterman.

“You were saying?” Soft, his voice soothed and hypnotized. The bedsprings squeaked on his side of the phone. I smoothed some salve over the purpling bruise decorating my hip, twisting to make sure it hadn’t spread further onto my buttock.

“I saw the boys who made the first one, typical teenagers carrying some boards and pranking the plantation owner. More or less what you would expect when someone says crop circles. They probably saw some special on the History channel and decided to go and make history happen.” I turned off the lights in the bathroom, jaws creaking with an ear-popping yawn. “Sorry,” I yawn-mumbled.

“S’okay, I know you’re tired.” A yawn distorted his words, and I laughed at the whistling high note he made at the end. “That sounded painful.”

“Eh, just tired. You stare at fifteen hundred files of financial shenanigans and tired takes on a whole new meaning.”

“Fifteen hundred?” I grimaced, flipping the coverlet back and sliding into the jersey cotton sheets. The fabric whispered over my skin and I groaned. The act of lying down was practically orgasmic. The nineteen hours since I’d been unceremoniously tossed out of the bed stretched out the day like eternity.

“Give or take.” He moved the phone away from his mouth while he chewed.

“Steak?”

“Nothing gets past you.”

“Baked or mashed potatoes?”

“Ha, French fries.”

I laughed.

“So, two boys, pranking the farm owner…”

“Yeah.” I snuggled into the pillows, the bed cradling tired muscles and bones. “Two teenagers pranking. They made one of the crop circles.” Another yawn. “But not the other two.”

“What made the other two?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

A rumor of sound rippled across a curtained memory. A shadow of familiarity brushed against my cheek. The fraction of recognition, elusive and dancing away out of reach…a woman’s head snapped up, milky gaze locking on mine. Her mouth moves, but the sound doesn’t carry, spitting blackness like venom, draining away the color…

“No. That’s the weird part. I connected and…I saw something. A woman, maybe? Maybe I saw myself. I don’t know. Then aftershock hit and disrupted everything.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I don’t either.” I scratched at my abdomen, fingers tracing the white scars slashed across the skin. “I don’t think I braced for it when the aftershocks came and they caught me off guard. Jaime…Jaime said I had a seizure.”

“A seizure?” I imagined Jack sitting up, stiffening from his relaxed posture, fork paused mid-stab into a piece of the steak he ate. “What kind of seizure?”

“The kind that makes you flop around like a fish. I don’t know. Jaime shielded me, brought me back to myself and helped me calm down.”

“Bully for him. Particularly since he’s the reason you had it in the first place.”

“Jack, don’t be like that. It wasn’t his fault.”

“Are you sure? You just told me you didn’t know what happened. Have you ever had a seizure before?”

I traced an imaginary pattern on the ceiling. Romeo bounced onto the bed and padded through the darkness to flop ignominiously on the pillow next to me. His tongue rasped over his fur.

“No.” I left the scars alone. I didn’t need to think about Randall Oakes anymore tonight or the phantom itching from his knife.

“You’ve connected with the Earth hundreds of times before. In all kinds of situations, like the one with the gremlins in Doc Martin’s field…”

“Grafters.”

“Grafters. Gremlins. Same thing.” He snorted, dismissing my distinctions. “Well, no, a gremlin…”

“Chance?” Patience hung off the end of the single syllable of my name.

“Yeah?”

“Do I really need a lesson on the difference?” Light sarcasm, whipped to a froth, dripped off the words.

“No.” I didn’t snicker, but the smile tugging on my mouth eased the bruising on my soul.

“Thank you. Now, you’ve done this kind of thing a lot—connect with an area and read it.”

“Yes.”

“And this never happened to you before?”

“No.” My smile evaporated.

“So the difference between this time and any other?” He pushed, probed, interrogated. Jack made his living digging under the surface of pleasantries and civil discourse hiding bad business decisions. It really shouldn’t surprise me, once he decided to dig into my world, he didn’t just stop at the first sign of weeds.

“It was a crop circle.”

“And?”

I sighed. He wanted me to make me say it. “And Jaime helped. He shielded me from distractions, protecting me.”

“Well, he didn’t do a good job of it.”

I softened at the growly, over-protective, bear voice. The soft, chink-swish of a plate and silverware being shoved aside said he finished eating.

“That’s not Jaime’s fault.”

“But you don’t know. That means it could be. You should keep your distance until I get back.”

“I really don’t think I’m going to be reading another crop circle anytime soon, right after an earthquake, while short on sleep. Those are some pretty particular circumstances.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But promise you won’t—at least until I am there to help you.”

“Jack, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to watch your back.”

His words kicked at my heart, making it jump. The butterflies in my stomach became full-blown dragons, bouncing around. Hot and cold washed over my skin.

“Thank you.”
Long, Heather. Plan Witch from Out of Town (Chance Monroe Book 2). Kindle Locations (791-848). Heather Long. Kindle Edition.

A nightmare and another far more serious earthquake has Chance and Betty injured. Betty more than Chance but Doc is concerned even as Chance readies herself to sign out. There are people she needs to check on and journals she needs to read.

A lot happens in this one, the connection between Jamie and Chance is strong and her relationship with Jack grows stronger as he finally understands how serious her connection to her parcel of earth is. Sidney plays a big part in this one, as does Victor.

There’s laughter, tears and some sizzle along with the suspense. I couldn’t put this book down and I can’t wait to see what Chance gets up to in the next book.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas in the summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories–her characters drive the books.

When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Heather Long

He’s supposed to be dead…

Nearly a decade ago, hedge witch Chance Monroe’s life irrevocably changed. She survived the attack of a serial killer. His death should have set her free.

But he’s killing again…

When her ex-lover shows up on her porch, Chance isn’t ready to hear Randall Oakes is still alive and less prepared for the sea of emotion swamping her. One man wants her dead and the other just wants her. When the FBI offers protective custody, Chance refuses. Connected to the earth, Chance must rely on her supernatural senses and her wits to survive this game of cat and mouse.

This time, she plans to teach her hunter a lesson…

In the farm rich countryside of her native Northern Virginia, Chance must confront her troubled past, a supernatural adversary and a sizzling passion that’s lain dormant for years to survive….

Earth witches aren’t easy targets…

Chance Monroe is a Hedge Witch, not just any Hedge Witch but one who is bound to the land in the area of her ancestors. As such she is one with the earth there and she protects it as it protects her. She helps at planting and harvest and in between performs other duties getting rid of creatures who do harm or are just plain annoying.

Life isn’t easy for any of us, but for Chance her past taints her present. While in college she narrowly escaped death when a serial killer was on the loose. Randolf Oakes is dead or so everyone thought, now he’s back with a vengeance.

It’s Jack Harker, her best friend, ex-lover and FBI agent, who breaks that devastating news to her. He really doesn’t understand her witchy side especially the part where she can’t leave the area she protects. All he wants is for her to be safe, and she won’t agree to protective custody.

Then there’s that other department within the FBI, the specialty squad, now called Project Aegis. Headed by Colleen Masters, she’s the one who tried to recruit her in college. Granted Chance was leaning toward forensic psychology, but she really didn’t want anything to do with Colleen or her methods. That all became a moot point after her attack. Now she’s being confronted not only by Colleen by also her side kick and assistant Callanport. I really liked that Chance mentally calls him Mr. Devoid.

More interviews like her first one years ago, memories she would rather leave buried, has Chance determined not to become a victim, not ever again.

Lots of suspense, a quirky landlady, Jack and his not quite believing, and the attraction that grows exponentially between him and Chance all combine into a page-turning read.

I’m off to read the next book in this series.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas in the summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories–her characters drive the books.

When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Heather Long

Recently divorced author MacKenzie Dillon has lost her writing mojo. When she inherits her great aunt’s haunted house in Virginia, she is determined to make a new start. The creepy old house provides inspiration but at what cost?

Successful architect and paranormal skeptic Justin Kent returns to Penny Hollow to fulfill his father’s dying wish of revitalizing their small town. To do that, he needs the allegedly haunted estate at Summerfield. Mac, the new owner, may be gorgeous and spunky, but she refuses to sell.

These two have a dangerous history that spans the ages, but will they discover the truth in time to save their lives?

One of my favorite things to do while waiting for book to release is to hit an author’s backlist for things I haven’t yet read. I found a few books on Heather Long’s list I haven’t yet read so here’s one of them.

Justin Kent is a successful architect and he wants nothing more than to go back to his life. He has to fulfill his father’s wishes according to the will before he can do that or he and his siblings will forfeit their inheritance to the town. Penny Hollow, Virginia needs to be revitalized and they came up with the idea of most haunted town. The Summerfield mansion would be a main focal point as it is well known to be both haunted and cursed. Justin had befriended Katherine Summerfield and from that he had her assurance that the deed would be sold to him upon her death. Something that didn’t happen.

Author MacKensie Dillon has just been through a nasty divorce, one that left her almost penniless. Inheriting this mansion is a godsend to her. A place to live and write in undisturbed quiet. There are strange things happening in the house some can be explained others can’t. Justin hasn’t really given up on buying the place but is recognizing defeat as MacKensie doesn’t want to sell. Instead he decides to extend friendship and help with some of the work that needs to be done. To top it off her ex won’t leave her alone, he wants to reconcile something that isn’t happening.

MacKensie knows about the Summerfield ghost and the ‘curse’ and accepts some of the strangeness to that. It was nice with Justin coming to lend a hand and she was writing like a fiend. Then the nightmares start.

This is a favorite scene.

Mac waited on the porch until Justin showed up, a burly, spotlight-sized flashlight in his hand. Fortunately, she’d found a pair of shorts on the washer, or she’d have been standing out there in her tank top and panties.

“Hey,” he said, sweeping his gaze over her.

Laughter gleamed in his eyes, but she couldn’t fault him for making fun of her. She hopped from foot to foot. “Thanks for coming.”

“Sure thing.” He turned the beam from the flashlight toward the darkened house. Lightning flashed in the distance, illuminating his amused face. “Ghost chase you out?”

“The power went out and the door is stuck.” She crossed her arms, mallet in one hand and phone in the other. She wasn’t letting go of either. Her heart continued to race, and she tried hard to keep the sob catching in the back of her throat from making an appearance.

Justin paused and turned the flashlight back on her. “Hey,” he said, taking a step toward her. His humor sobered to concern. “It’s an old house. We’ve got a storm coming. Chances are it’s just a blown fuse. I’ll fix it, okay?”

Not trusting herself to speak, she simply nodded.

“Mac.” Justin gave her arm a squeeze. “Really. Happens all the time. You want to come with? Or go wait in my truck?”

At least he’d managed the offer without making fun of her. Stop being a chicken… But she couldn’t resist staring up at the dark house. It seemed so much more ominous in the occasional flash of lightning. “I’ll go with.”

“Okay.” He held out his hand, and she passed him the mallet.

To his credit, he simply nodded and took the lead. She followed him and fought the urge to grab his shirt and hang on. He went to the fuse box first, but a few minutes of fiddling didn’t earn them any results. When he would have left the mallet behind to head out to his truck, she picked it up.

Justin glanced at the mallet but didn’t say a word. He put a hand on her arm, and the contact soothed the nerves doing jumping jacks in her belly. Supplies in hand, he went back to the kitchen, but the lights still wouldn’t come on. “All right, chances are it’s something at the power station’s end. I’ll make a couple of calls. Let’s check the door next.” Halfway down the hall, he motioned for her to stop. “Watch your feet.”

She glanced down at the shards of lightbulb glittering under the powerful beam of his flashlight.

“Stay right there,” he told her. Glass crunched as he made it to her door. It opened the moment he twisted the knob.

Mac wanted to cry. “I swear it wouldn’t open.”

“I believe you,” he said swiftly—almost too swiftly. “It’s late, you’re exhausted, and I think you could use a break from what goes bump in the night—especially with the storm rolling in.” Despite his tone, Justin wasn’t laughing at her. He could have—particularly after their conversation about ghosts. “C’mon, why don’t you come back to my place? You can have a guest room. We’ll come back and fix this in the morning.”

She really should say no, but lightning filled the sky at regular intervals, followed by powerful thuds of thunder. And she so did not want to be by herself. “Fine,” she acquiesced.

Thankfully, the rain held off, letting them drive to his place and make the dash from his truck to the door of his house without either of them getting soaked. Justin ushered her inside, and Mac could barely keep from gaping. This place was beautifully lit, stately, and well-decorated. Expansive. Expensive. So different than Summerfield.

She stood barefoot and bedraggled, staring at the wide entrance hall with its gleaming dark oak floors and heavy, hand-thatched rugs that perfectly coordinated with the dark, wood-paneled walls. Everything gleamed, and a hint of lemon and wood oil clung to the air.

The foyer itself was wide enough to host a huge party. They’d come in through the back door, but the wide hall extended the length of the house to the double doors at the front. Beyond the entry hall, like a bright, cheerful and brilliant counterpoint to the dark wood, his dining room glowed pastel green opposite a sitting room done in the same minty color. But it was the paintings above the crenellations along the ceiling that took her breath away; paintings of cherubs like one might find in a chapel.

“And this is a caretaker’s cottage?” she whispered. No wonder Justin winced whenever he saw the half-stripped and peeling wallpaper in her overcrowded kitchen, which was still littered with unpacked boxes shoved into the corners.

“More or less. Took some time to get everything restored to how it would have been after its original construction.” Justin motioned to the stairs. She’d failed to notice them, considering they blended beautifully with the wooden walls.

“And you get a second floor.” Why did he have a second floor when her home was supposed to be the main house?

Justin patted the railing and chuckled. “Come on. Let’s get you to a room so you can sleep. We’ll check out your place in the morning and see what’s up with the wiring.”

The wiring, the walls, the doors that open and shut themselves—could all that activity be due to her ghost? But she’d thought the ghost was supposed to be friendly, a charming addition to her home. Something to help push her writing along. Why the sudden change?

How does one have a meeting of the minds with a ghost?
Long, Heather. Haunt Me (Entangled Covet). Entangled Publishing, LLC. Kindle Locations (1082-1131)Kindle Edition.

All of this is just the beginning as MacKensie continues writing books that are historical rather than contemporary but the characters just seem to have minds of their own.

Justin continues on the work around outside finding an ornate gazebo, that he knows he has to renew to it’s former glory.

Plenty of twists and turns as the ‘ghost’ or perhaps the curse plays havoc with Justin and MacKensie. At the same time the attraction between them grows into so much more.

Truly a fun, mysterious and spooky read with just a bit of sizzle.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas in the summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories–her characters drive the books.

When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.