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Unlock the mysteries of time with Can't Remember Dick! Blast through thrilling adventures, fight immortal knights, and confront vampires and werewolves. Make your way across the past and future. Risk it all and challenge fate—are you brave enough? The future. The past. It's all relevant. At least, when you can remember it. Elemental Mythicals book 1 I, unfortunately, can't remember anything about my life before three years ago. Especially not these big men, like this guy Richard, who seems to know me very well. (And ho-boy does he make my motor run). I might have stayed away and avoided him. At least, until me and my sister needed help. Now the past I can't remember may be the only way I have to save her. Because if what they're saying is true, then I'm a time traveler, and I may have to figure it out if I'm going to save my sister. While a standalone, it does take place in the Mythical Knights/Vampire Mythicals world. Excerpt Being summoned into a world of white puffy clouds, one would think you were meeting up with The Divine. One would be wrong. Unless the Divine was much less formal than expected. He dressed in simple clothing—a white shirt and pants, dark hair combed away from his face, his warm complexion a contrast to the white world around us both. Did I die? I shifted back and forth on painful, aching legs. “So do I bow?” I asked. “Am I dead?” Even my voice sounded hoarse. To be expected after all that fighting, I suppose. That happens when you have to knit the world back together on your own. I rubbed my shoulder where the lance had pierced me, back in the fifteenth century. I will get him back for that. “You do as you wish. You’re not dead. Not yet.” He made a gesture. Two chairs appeared. Large, plush, soft ones, that looked oh-so-comfortable. But I didn’t want to sit. I was still sweaty and dirty and covered in blood. I coughed, wanting to say something smart, but I couldn’t muster the energy for it. My body was sore, every fiber of my being ached. But the chair looked so comfortable. “Sit,” he said. “Aria, you will not harm my chair.” He waved his hand again. This time, a cup appeared. “Drink this. You’ll feel better.” “No thanks.” A strange drink from a strange man who conjures things out of the air? Can I say it’s the weirdest thing I’ve seen? No. But it does make him highly suspect. He shrugged. “You never have trusted well, child. No one could ever offer you anything without you trying to determine a motive.” “Never had much of a reason to. I’ve been through hell.” He shrugged. “Not literally. But you have been through a lot.” “I’d hate to see your definition of it.” “You are alive.” It was the second time he’d said that. Sure didn’t feel very alive to me. He took a seat in his white world. So much white, I felt like I was a stain in the scenery. He looked me up and down. “For now,” I muttered. I waved my arm. “Can we get on with this, please? I have to find—” He cut me off. “We shall grant you a gift, Aria Rosemond de Kayne. For services rendered, you may have time off,” he said, relaxing in his chair in this world of perfection. “We?” He tipped his head to the side. “I am not the single, one Divine, you were taught about.” “No kidding,” I replied. “So what are you?” I reached for my sai. They weren’t there. Shit. Not that I was ready for another match against a living god, but hey, I wasn’t going down without a fight. A quick scan of the area showed me, well, nothing. Just white everywhere. “The balance to your existence, I suppose.” I raised my eyebrow. “What the hell does that mean?” I took a couple more steps away from him, shaking my head. “This is not where I’m supposed to be.” I was supposed to be going home. Back to the Templars. Where I belonged. This wasn’t it. Bone tired, weary from battle and a heart ripped to shreds, I couldn’t be sure I trusted my head with anything at this point. Nothing made sense. This stop certainly wasn’t on my itinerary. I really needed to get a grip on these powers. He smirked. “Of course not. This is my doing. We needed to chat, you and I.” He stared off into the nothingness around us. More white. But he seemed to see something. “Answer my question.” If I knew who he was, I’d know if I could kill him. “Or rather. What are you?” He smiled at me, like he was pacifying a child. “No one to be frightened of, my dear.” “I’ll be the judge of that,” I replied. He shifted, and his gaze met mine, the playful, softness in his eyes seemed familiar. But I knew I’d never met him before. Didn’t mean I trusted him, though. Trust was something I had very little of. Trust or faith, at this point. I’d trained all my life to be a warrior. Warriors don’t trust. They fight. He drank from a tea cup that he’d materialized, the warm aroma making my tummy rumble. “Your tea is still available,” he said. The damn tea cup appeared again. “No thanks.” He shrugged. “You have done your task exceptionally well. And it is time for you to have a reprieve. A break from all the killing and fighting and sport.” That would not be easy to hide for long. I couldn’t just forget to be that person. Could I? “Because I can just turn it off,” I muttered. “How long?” “As long as necessary,” he replied. I glanced at my aching legs. The bloody gash on my shin knitted itself back together, like something out of a dream. “I am immortal. I can live forever.” “I doubt you would be able to stay away from who you are for very long, Aria. It is not in your nature.” “And you know this because?” That smile again. I gritted my teeth. “And what would I do?” I doubted there was a lot of work for someone with my unique qualifications. If I’d really done what I set out to do, then the world wouldn’t need someone like me. It would be peaceful, happy, and harmonious and all that. He shifted in his chair, crossing his legs. “You would make your way through life like all the other humans.” “But I’m not human, am I?” “You’re enough like them. You will be fine.” “So, you’re going to dump me in the world? Leave me to my devices?” “You will adapt to the new urban lifestyle.” I groaned. “Urban. Ugh.” Not my favorite landscape. The last one had not been pleasant. “What about a forest or something?” “There will be enough nearby to satisfy you, I believe. But there is one rule.” “There always is.” “And in your case, this is imperative.” He raised his eyebrow. “You cannot go back through time and make any more changes. The paths have been set. Now, the world has been put into motion. That cannot be changed.” “So I did fix it.” It wasn’t a question. He merely smiled. “When you are ready, you will find your way back to the life you know now.” “It could take years,” I countered. “What are a few years to someone who will live forever? You do not fully understand your immortality, or realize how long immortality really is. You have only lived eighteen years.” “I’ve seen centuries go—” “But you have not lived through them. There is a difference.” One of the scrapes on my arm itched, and I rubbed it, trying to distract myself from the irritation of the skin knitting back together. A benefit of immortality, as I was learning. My body healed fast. Annoyingly fast, some days. “Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea.” He let out a sigh. “Let go of yourself, Aria. Learn how you have changed the world. When you are ready, you will return to where you are supposed to be.” “And how am I going to get there?” He smiled. “Now that is where my divine gifts come in handy.” He raised his arm. “Wait. You didn’t tell me who you are.” He smiled. “Your uncle.” He waved his hand again. “Wait, what?” Everything went black. While a standalone, it does take place in the Mythical Knights/Vampire Mythicals world. Other Retail Options

Elemental Mythicals: Can't Remember Dick

Unlock the secrets to the epic clash between the Terran Empire and the Rhimodian cyborgs in The Temptress's Cyborg. Follow the five ambassadors as they attempt to negotiate peace with the dangerous cyborgs and uncover the secrets in this first book in the Galactic Storm series. With betrayals, assassinations, and lies in play, you won't want to miss a moment. Veta, AKA The Temptress, a feared spy for the Terran Empire, now protects the Emperor's two daughters, the only family he acknowledges in the galaxy. The Imperial Princesses are ready to end this war. Like their mother before them, they want to broker peace between the Terran Empire and the Rhimodians. Peace would save both species. They arrive with a Rhimodian cyborg escort. Get attacked. Now Veta, unsure of where the rest of the ambassadors escaped to, has to find the princesses and find out who attacked the envoy. With her enormous cyborg escort whose body suit shows exactly what kind of physical assets he has, Veta has to use all her skills to get this cyborg to trust her. Some of them, she'll enjoy. She's sure of it. Series List The Temptress's Cyborg The Lady's Cyborg The Mistress's Cyborg The Virgin's Cyborg The Princess's Cyborg Excerpt “You know the importance of this mission.” Emperor Bron’s elevated throne appeared higher than usual. Darkness engulfed the ordinarily bright and glowing throne room, and even the emperor was dressed in dark colors, instead of his traditional gold and red. His words echoed down to Veta, as they did when he gave a direct command. Such theatrics didn’t threaten her. Still, the way the emperor looked at her, she knew he was serious. Like he was trying to intimidate her today. It didn’t work. “Yes, Imperial Majesty.” “And if anything goes wrong, you do what you must in order to protect the Terran Empire.” She nodded. “Of course. My loyalty will always be to the Empire.” He nodded. “Those atrocities tried to destroy us once, but their efforts brought the Terran Empire closer together than ever before. Their terror can only make us stronger.” “Yes, Imperial Majesty.” Veta kept her face dead of emotion, though she could not help wondering why the Emperor was sending a mission at all. The Rhimodian had maintained this war for decades now. They wouldn’t stop, and they wouldn’t give in. It didn’t matter what the Terrans did, the cyborgs never surrendered, and they never gave up. They would rather die than be captive. Made very few prisoners of war, which was handy, but still. Emperor Bron stared at her. “You think I am foolish to send a mission of peace to their homeworld.” Veta didn’t respond. He made a gesture with his hand. “It is merely you and I, Veta. Speak.” “If you do not believe peace is possible, then I question the necessity of sending a mission at all. It seems a pointless gesture.” He sighed, and looked away from her, into the darkness. “Peace is merely a ceasefire to regroup. You and I both know that.” She couldn’t disagree. Growing up always knowing war, it was natural for Veta to turn to military service. And at a young age, she quickly learned how to get what she needed, when she needed it, using any skills necessary to accomplish her goal. The military took notice of her talents. Now, a decade later, she was one of the Imperial House’s most loyal officers and performed missions that occasionally required a kind of touch that many male soldiers would not be able to accomplish. Including becoming close with the imperial princesses. Two young women with far different ideas about reality. However, it wasn't Veta's job to teach them the truths of reality. That was for their governess, Bianca. Veta kept them safe. At whatever the cost. The Emperor looked back at her, his cold eyes piercing. “But my daughter believes like her mother.” He ran his hand over his robe, his finger tracing the intricate embroidery on the lapel. “And that belief cost my wife her life. I cannot let the Rhimodian take my daughter, as well.” Veta nodded. “Either of them,” he said, gesturing with his hand, like it was an after-thought that he had more than one daughter. “Protect my daughters on this fool’s errand.” “What if peace can be reached?” Veta asked. “With them?” He laughed. “Those machines will never quit fighting. My daughters will then return home, realizing the error of their ways.” Veta nodded. He gestured for her to drop to her knees. “I have a gift for you.” “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Veta said, and took a knee, as was customary when being blessed with a gift from the Emperor. Though her hands trembled at the thought of what the Emperor’s gift would be. She had heard from others that gifts could range from a physical gift to demands of sexual favors. Immediately, she steeled herself. She did whatever was necessary in the name of the Empire. She always had—for doing whatever was demanded in the name of the Empire had kept her alive for years. What was one more moment? The Emperor parted his robe. She closed her eyes. And heard a snap. She opened her eyes, expecting to see— A blade. A shiny, new blade, as long as her forearm, with a wicked, serrated edge on one side, the tip curved. The weapon of a warrior. One that would quickly take out any attacker, Rhimodian, or otherwise. She accepted the blade, feeling the weight of it in her hands—not too heavy, not too light. “Do you like it?” he asked. “I am honored with such a gift, Your Majesty. I thank you.” Her stomach knotted over the price of such a weapon. What would this gift cost her? What part of herself would be expected for the Empire now? There was little left. He nodded. “Good.” A strange smile spread over his features. One that made Veta question his motivations, making the knots worse. She bowed her head. And sighed in relief when the Emperor walked a few steps away, his robes swishing softly in the otherwise silent room. “Now go. Protect my daughters. Make sure they return to me.” He paused and glanced back at her. “And keep me informed, Veta. Anything you learn that might help end this war would be appreciated.” “As you command, Your Majesty.” Other Retail Options

The Temptress's Cyborg

Most Wanted Alien Brides Series Intergalactic Dating Agency Book 1 When the Intergalactic Dating Agency mistakes a prison ship for their new clients looking for mates, cyborg Kolvin jumps at the opportunity. A new life, with the bonus of a ready-made wife? How can this go badly? But when Kolvin meets his mate, she winds up not being what he expects. She drives him crazy. She's not even from his dimension. His Craving, however, wants what it wants, and he finds himself at the mercy of it. Tina Craige is pretty sure she's dead. After all, one does not walk through an arch in a cave and wind up in another dimension. Especially not in one where a giant cyborg humanoid wants her as a mate. When she discovers that he's traumatised from being held prisoner of war, she can't bring herself to abandon him. Not yet. She has thirty days to accept this giant cyborg as her mate, PTSD and all, or return to her dimension and Earth, as if she'd never left. And never see, or remember, him again. Will she be able to give up everything for her cyborg mate? Series Order Most Wanted Alien Brides: Volume 1 Slammer Hard Time Solitary Volume 2 Core Shaft Claim Excerpt "Move, Rhimodian," snarled the Terran guard. Kolvin twisted around and started to climb out of the bunk from his cell. His body ached, as it did every day. If his internal sensors were working and not being jammed, he would have detected that he was hungry as well. Unfortunately, all he had was the rumbles of his stomach. Stuck in a Terran Empire prison, his cybernetics signals were blocked from any kind of transmissions and connection to the Rhimodian community. Left to deal with his primal side, the natural Rhimodian in him had begun becoming more dominant as well as the other cyborgs who had been taken captive. They had survived the last five years in this dark and dingy metal prison. The only places with light were the medical bays where the experiments were done--and not even those were very bright. Just illuminated enough to show how unkempt the ship was. Prisoners were not given luxury accommodations. Kolvin, like his fellow mates, had to draw on older, more primitive pieces of themselves to survive. Kolvin stood, and the Terran guard may have only come to his shoulder, but the stun stick in his hand made up for the difference in size. And the guards here were liberal with delivering punishment for anyone who dared to defy them. "What now?" Kolvin asked. "Are you deaf, robot? Do you need your ears reprogrammed?" "This is not routine," Kolvin said. The guards would not be greeting them for another three standard hours. This should be their recuperation cycle. They didn't get a great deal of rest time, but it seemed to remain regular. He concluded that if they woke him early, there must be something going on. "Well, we like to shake things up," the guard said and shoved him forward. His feet slapped on the rough and cold metal floor. He saw that he was not the only Rhimodian awoken and shoved out of his cell. Others who had been captured along with him were being herded out of their cells as well. "What do you want now?" Marcin, another Rhimodian in his unit, demanded from a few cells away. "Get in line," the guard said and slammed him in the shoulder. Kolvin gritted his teeth as Marcin was hit again. "Move!" the guard behind Kolvin said. It was his turn to be struck. Fourteen thousand eight hundred and seven. The number of times he'd been hit since being brought to this prison five standard years ago. "Get going. We haven't got all day." Another strike. Fourteen thousand eight hundred and eight. He shouldn't care how many times, but he kept counting it. Kept it logged in his memories. Along with everything else that had been done. Every poke, every slice, every attack on his person. The number of times they tried to remove his lysteel gauntlets. The scars on his arms were evident of all the attempts by the Terran Empire to remove the tech to learn how it worked. They were never able to remove them. But not after many hours of trying. It wasn't the only procedure that was performed on him and his fellow Rhimodians. Genetic code extraction and testing. Some had not survived, but the Terrans determined quickly that the Rhimodian tech died with the cyborg, so they quit killing them. Then they just performed their experiments on live cyborgs. He could not begin to imagine all the things that were done. More than once, he'd offer to leave them with the nanites. So, they would let them all go. But it wasn't what the Terran wanted. He wasn't sure they knew what they wanted. It seemed to change all the time. They blocked the connection to the Rhimodian collective consciousness, Master System, through Terran's cloaking technology. Being cut off from the ever-present voice felt like being stripped to the bone. All that they had to confirm who they were and what their protocols were, gone in an instant. "Move it, Solkan," another guard said, and this one did make Kolvin look over. Solkan was left in solitary for a reason. A growl emerged from inside the cell. If the Terrans learned anything about Solkan, it was that the Rhimodian fought everything. Today was no exception. One of the guards flew out of the cell and hit the metal ground hard. Marcin smirked. He was hit again for his obstinance. Kolvin watched as they brought out Solkan, restrained on both sides by shock braces. Solkan shifted, a jerk of strength, and it startled the Terran guards, but it wasn't enough to break the hold. When they were lined up, the guards started to lead them out of the cell area and reached the door where they went for testing. Today, though, they did not go to that door. Instead, they were led the other way. The round exit door. The one that led to the vacuum of space. Kolvin's shoulders sunk. The thing he knew would happen had finally come. The Terrans were disposing of them. Jettisoning them out into space. More than once, they'd opened the air lock to suck the air out of the cell bay, just to torture them. Now it seemed to truly be the end. They had finally finished with them, that this was over. Other Retail Options

IDA - Slammer

Unlock a thrilling world of supernatural romance with "Brightest Shadow"! This werewolf novel is the first in a series, perfect for risk-takers looking for a captivating read. Step into the shadows and journey with our brave heroes towards true love and danger! Werewolf Alpha. She's not interested. Book 1 in the Mythical Knights Series Still, that’s exactly where David Drigan finds himself--lost and rudderless after the death of his father. Nonetheless, the final transformation to turn David into the leader has yet to happen, leaving his family wondering if he will ever be strong enough to lead his pack. Trying to step into his place in society, David meets Kelsey. Blonde. Curvy. Attitude. There’s just something about her that makes David’s beastly desires surface unlike ever before. The need to take her and protect her, if only from herself, overwhelms him. Not that Kelsey would let him. She doesn’t need anyone to take care of her. Her premonitions and low-key psychic skills do that for her. She trusts her gut, like, for everything. But this David guy? He's not her usual bad boy. He’s, like, a suit. Crazy. Then things get crazier. One night at her favorite decrepit amusement park, she learns there’s a lot more to David—and the world—than she ever expected. Can Kelsey step into this darker world and truly stand by her alpha? Or will she cut and run? Get away from this crazy, before it makes her crazier? Series Order Mythical Knights Reading Order: Brightest Shadow Dark Within Not a Gentleman's Christmas (optional) Bravest Flame Darker Cravings Darkest Judgment Excerpt Kelsey Blaine straightened her dress while balancing her phone to her ear. “No, I snuck upstairs to the executive floor so I wouldn’t have to listen to Forrester’s panic attacks,” she said as she pulled and tucked the front of the black dress, frowning at how the dress clung to her curves. “That man’s going to have a heart attack. He can’t find the guest of honor, I guess, and he’s freaking out about it.” “I can tell you care,” her best friend Marissa said. “I don’t. I’d be out of here in a minute if I could get away.” Marissa laughed. “Well, there are worse things. Fancy dinner, cocktails. Shrimp.” She smacked her lips. “I love shrimp.” “I’ll sneak some out in my purse.” “Oh God, don’t. That would be so nasty. I’ve seen the inside of your purse.” “Hey, what are you saying?” Kelsey asked, but she laughed when she did because she knew what her friend meant--her purse was disorganized chaos on a good day. “What are you wearing?” “My little black dress.” However, she thought it looked like shit. She’d probably gained ten pounds since Christmas. The winter weather hadn’t let her go running like she’d been used to, and it was starting to show. “Hope you’ve got some bling for it.” Kelsey studied the simple, knee-length dress in the mirror and then eyed the bar she could see in the reflection behind her. Maybe she’d sneak a drink before going back downstairs… “Well, it’s not like I had time to run out and buy a dress. Forrester’s been on my ass about everything lately, and I didn’t realize attendance was mandatory for this dinner.” “Of course, it is. You need to meet the people you’re setting this up for.” “And that’s the kicker, right there,” Kelsey said. “I’ll be doing all the work. Forrester will be taking all the credit again. I’d much rather be over at your place watching a movie than hob-knobbing with a bunch of the city’s self-important.” When she started working at Jackstone Foundation, she thought she’d enjoy meeting some of Liverly’s wealthy and influential. That appeal wore off very, very quickly. Now it was just dull. Conservative men and women in power suits were so not her thing. She’d much rather have a guy on a motorcycle with a big, gnarly tattoo than these stuffy people. Marissa jarred her out of her thoughts. “And tonight, we’re going with a classic stupid one--Clueless, from 1995.” Kelsey sighed. “You pick the most awesome movies.” “Felt like some Paul Rudd before he became Ant-Man.” “Nice. I met him once at a convention,” Kelsey said. “You meet everyone at a convention.” “What can I say? It’s my only vice.” “Aside from sex and movies,” Marissa answered. “Not at the same time.” Both women laughed--funny because it was true. “Okay, not always at the same time.” She adjusted her hold on the phone. “Look, I have to go. I can’t touch up my makeup or get this zipper all the way up on the phone. I’ll call you later, okay?” “We still on for pedicures this weekend?” Marissa asked. “Sure, as far as I know.” Kelsey didn’t plan to cancel, but work sometimes got the better of her, and her social life got put on hold. “I desperately need a pedicure, so I should be there.” “Good, I’ll save the Chris Pine movie for you.” “Which one?” “You pick.” Kelsey grinned as she hung up the phone. Her mind ran through different movies with Chris Pine and decided what would be good to watch with her girlfriends. They didn’t go out and get pedicures and manicures but did their own--none of them could afford to go to a salon to get them done regularly. The joys of being young and single and living outside your means… Besides, it was good girl time. And girl time was necessary. She and her friends were single, and there was only so much time that could be spent in a bar. And sometimes, after they were pretty, they did go out to the bar. Probably won’t this time--it was too cold to wear open-toe shoes. After finishing her touchup, she started fighting with the dress’s zipper again. “I swear, I’m never eating chocolate-covered anything again,” she muttered as she tried to reach behind herself and pull the zipper up the last few inches in the back. The darn dress didn’t quite fit as well as it used to. “May I help you?” She screamed and jumped. When she spun around, her back against the edge of the mirror, she was faced with a gorgeous man in a navy-blue suit. Complete with the blue and gray striped tie. Uber conservative. So not her type. His short, dark hair was combed back, emphasizing the sharp widow’s peak on his brow, only adding to the conservative look--like he’d walked out of the nineteen fifties. But damn, it worked. In all the ways. “What are you doing up here?” she asked, staying against the mirror. “Avoiding the party. What are you doing up here?” She shrugged and forced a smile. While she was still a bit on edge at being surprised, she didn’t feel threatened. Probably because he remained across the room from her, and her purse was closer--where a can of pepper spray remained. If she could find it, that was another story, but hey, it was there. “Getting ready to go down to the party like a good little employee.” He raised an eyebrow. “You work here?” She nodded. “Five years. You’re here for the benefit?” He nodded. “Not a huge fan of crowds.” “I feel you. I’d much rather be home watching a movie. Or out for a run.” His eyes lit up for a moment. “Where do you like to run?” “Outside. Whenever the weather cooperates, anyway.” She gestured outside to the snow-covered building tops visible out the overly large windows and tried not to think of how her black dress was tighter than usual. “I hate running on a treadmill. It makes me feel like a hamster in a cage.” “Me too. Gotta feel the earth under my feet,” he said as he crossed the room to the long windows. “It sure is a beautiful view up here.” The Jackstone building was one of the tallest in the downtown area. Outside, the city was lit up with dots of light illuminating buildings and the cars on the ground. A bit of snow swirled around, making the downtown area look like a newly shaken snow globe. She didn’t get any closer to him--she could see the view just fine. And maybe it had something to do with her dress not being completely zipped up in the back. “It’s beautiful,” she replied. He glanced at her. “Come see.” “I’ll be fine here.” “I won’t bite,” he said with a smirk. “Maybe I like bites,” she said and wanted to smack herself upside the head. What was she thinking, flirting like that? He wasn’t even her type. She pulled at the pendant on her necklace--a stone with Black Widow’s logo from the Avengers on it. It was subtle, like a code--those who knew what it was, recognized her as a fellow comic book fan. Those who didn’t? It was just a necklace. His gaze darted to the necklace. At least, she hoped it was the necklace and not her rack-o-boobs that were trying to pop out of the dress. “A gentleman doesn’t bite on the first meeting.” She let go of the necklace and took a couple of steps toward him. “Are you a gentleman?” “Most of the time.” Other Retail Options

Mythical Knights: Brightest Shadow

Discover your perfect mate! Our Intergalactic Dating Agency pairs you with hulking, rugged asteroid miners, the Most Wanted Alien Brides, so you can take your pick and launch into the love adventure of a lifetime! These miners are ready for their women. But are these Earthlings ready for them? Most Wanted Alien Brides Book 4 Xianan Phares comes from a long line of bastards, and he doesn’t want to continue that heritage. But an accident in the mines sends Phares to medical where he learns that his injuries jump-started his Fever, and there is no way to control it. Though not many want to mate with the monstrous Xian and he has no interest in finding love, Phares agrees to work with the Intergalactic Dating Agency to find a partner so he can quench his Fever and get back to work. After discovering her boyfriend’s horrible lies, Jana just wants to walk off her heartbreak in the park. The last thing she expects is to fall through an intergalactic portal and be thrown across the stars. Now she’s supposed to mate with this giant purple alien with bones sticking out of the top of his shoulders and piercing eyes that seem to stare into her soul. She’s never had the best luck with men, but seriously? A giant purple alien who treats her better than her boyfriend? She’ll be surprised if this ends well… Series Order Most Wanted Alien Brides: Volume 1 Slammer Hard Time Solitary Volume 2 Core Shaft Claim Other Retail options Excerpt Phares’s head throbbed, and he headed down the corridor, past other food and entertainment locations. If he remembered the layout of Disguised Serenity, transports docked close. Maybe a level up or down, not far from the outermost wall, so the commercial transports were nearby. It was also why there was so much traffic in the corridor. People both disembarking and boarding the transports. Here, the hallway resembled an old luxury cruiser’s passageway between cabins, the stores in what had been quarters before. Plenty of other humanoids jostled past each other in their determination to get wherever they were going. Well, except him. No one got too close to a Xianan. At least here, he was just another Xianan, and their species' reputation preceded him, so most people left him alone. As long as they didn’t know his parental and thereby had heard about what a failure he was, then they would not mess with him. He glanced around when he reached a fork. To the right led to the dating agency’s offices. So he went to the left. This was stupid. What was he doing here? It was ridiculous, and he wasn’t doing it. He needed to get back to the Guild and find out what happened. What had his paternal done? No matter what was reported, Shoval probably knew more about what happened than he’d claimed in the video. Everything was stable when Phares left. He’d made sure of it. There shouldn’t be— “Move it, Barney,” snapped a female voice, and she pushed past him. “I have to get out of here.” “Barney? What’s a Barney?” The female, who came to his shoulder, didn’t seem to care that she’d just touched a Xianan. She yelled over her shoulder. “You, you giant purple alien thing.” There was an audible gasp. The crowd around them parted as she stormed past, not quite running, but more than walking. He merely lengthened his stride to catch her. Every fiber in him demanded that he follow her. Mostly to find out what a Barney was. That was his excuse, anyway. “Wait,” he said. “No.” And she didn’t look back. “I don’t care how nice everyone is. I’m leaving!” “Everyone is not nice,” he said. His words stopped her, and she paused just long enough to turn back and gulp as her gaze wandered over him. For a moment, everything stopped, and nothing mattered but her. “I—I have get…” Her words trailed as she spun around and took off again. He didn’t let her get far. “Stop,” he called out and caught up with her very quickly. She spun around and glared at him. “What?” “What is your failure?” he said, glaring at this female—Terran, by the look of her. Though he’d never quite seen a Terran with such light skin and hair like that. It was dark on her head and light on the ends. Very strange. Probably some rare genome. She put her hands on her hips. “I don’t have a failure! I want off this, this whatever it is, and I want to go home.” He raised an eyebrow. “Whatever it is?” “I don’t care what it is. I just want to go home! I was taken against—” He’d heard enough. “Come on. I’ll find you a transport.” The only reason he was doing it was because he already was looking for his own. That was it. That was the only reason. Didn’t have anything to do with his Fever, demanding he protect this female. Many would take advantage of a distressed female. Try to manipulate her. And that would not happen on his watch.

IDA - Core

He was just supposed to check on her. Not fall for her. Book 1 in the Celestial Springs Salon Series The last thing military widow Summer Bettes wants in her life is a new man. Correction, a new military man, though they’re all over Barrum, Kansas. She’s convinced herself she works hard enough between taking care of her daughter, trying to maintain control of her asthma, and styling hair in the salon her mother owns, she doesn’t need a man in the mix as well. Then, Matthew Hennessey walks into her life–or rather, back into her life, she starts to question everything. Her husband’s rival on the wrestling mat in high school, Hennessey knows who Summer is. Always has. And she always held a special place in his heart. So after serving with her husband overseas, it was only right that he pay his respects to the widow when he came back state-side. He only wants to do right by her. Unfortunately his desires are eclipsing his logic, and doing right by Summer is harder than he thought. Series Info Celestial Springs Salon Reading Order: Summer Burns Autumn Falls Winter Chills Excerpt I glanced at my watch. Every hairdresser in the world lived by their watch--knowing the time was part of the job description. “Miss Evelyn will be here for her shampoo and set in fifteen minutes, and then I have the Norbert twins for their haircuts and colors,” I said to myself as I tossed the remainder of my lunch in the trash. The break room was empty at the moment. My fellow stylists were out on the salon floor with their clients. I patted my pocket where my rescue inhaler sat in my black smock. Always got to make sure I have that. Hadn’t needed it for a while, but you never know. I grabbed my purse and darted from the break room to the waxing room, which had the best light to touch up my face. I powdered and puffed, wiped things off, and even fluffed my dirty blonde hair. It had some extra volume for a second, but that fell in a flash. Damn hair. I tipped my head to the side. “Maybe that’s what I should do,” I said, looking at my mousy hair. “Get some highlights. It’ll brighten me up. Maybe I won’t be so wallowy.” The thought cheered me. After all, I worked in a salon. Surely we could find the time to brighten my hair. The door to the waxing room opened, and Winter stuck her head in. “Summer? There’s a guy here to see you.” I blinked. “Who is he?” “He wouldn’t say, only that he wanted to speak to you,” Winter said. “Do you know him?” She raised an eyebrow. “I would have said if I did. He’s cute, though.” As the salon manager, my sister Winter knew every client that walked in the door. “Maybe he’s here to take you on a date.” I rolled my eyes. Yeah, because that won’t happen. I wondered who he was--maybe a client’s husband, wanting to treat his wife? It happened every so often. But it usually happened in December, not in July. Maybe one of my clients was having a birthday? I walked through the salon floor, where stylist Audra finished up with the client in her chair. The client, Shelby, otherwise known as my nemesis, gave me the stink eye. Everyone in town knew of me and Shelby’s sordid past. I fell in love with a boy. She stole him from me. I beat her up under the bleachers at the football game. She got me suspended from school… Yeah. It was a whole thing. Why the woman had to come to my beauty shop--okay, my mom’s beauty shop--to get her hair done, I didn’t know. I turned and smiled at Shelby, that business smile I’d mastered over the years, and continued through the salon. The other stylists and nail techs were working, and the buzz that never entirely goes away filled the salon--a culmination of voices, blow dryers, sprays, and nail files running had become a backwash noise that, in a strange way, felt like home. I’d been a hairdresser for over a decade--even when Jake and I moved from base to base, I could always find work, and it was the same sounds, no matter what salon I worked in. All the traveling made the familiar environment more home than anything I had for a long time. Stepping around the corner, my hand bumped the little patriotic flag table topper on the edge of the reception desk. Mom put it there when I married Jake--it was the only patriotic decoration that remained up year-round. It had other accompanying red, white, and blue pieces that filled the reception area, even though the Fourth of July was last weekend. The receptionist, Mikelanne, rubbed her ready-to-pop, pregnant tummy and gestured to the man who stared at the retail shelves near the door with a grin on her face. I paused. The guy was in fatigues. He turned around and had his hat in his hand. Immediately my eyes darted to his shoulder and recognized the stripes for Sergeant, First Class. My heart pounded. A man in fatigues hadn’t come to see me since, well… that day... I had to force myself to cross the reception area. This wasn’t a repeat. It couldn’t be… I met the Sergeant’s eyes. He took a step. “Mrs. Bettes?” I nodded. “Sergeant.” Somewhere my insides jumped into gear. I held out my hand, and he shook it. “I, uh,” he paused, closed his eyes, and then opened them. “I came to pay my respects.” I blinked, then my brain kicked in. “Of course, thank you.” Why else would a man in fatigues be visiting me? He squeezed the hat in his hand. “May I speak with you privately?” “Sure.” I led him to the small consultation room we had tucked into a corner. However, most of the time, the room was a catch-all, where advertising was sorted, and the extra stock got shoved that didn’t fit on the retail shelves. Today was an explosion of rainbow-colored flyers for a charity event next week. A contrast to the room’s pi Other Retail Options

Candice Gilmer, Author

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