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Book Spotlight: Blood Instincts by Marie Lavender

Writer: K. A. Meng
K. A. Meng
Jul 23, 2018
5 min read

Blood at First Sight Series Book 2:

Blood Instincts

What if you found out that you weren’t exactly…human?

Enter the Other World at your own risk…

What if you found out that you weren’t exactly…human?

Myah Sullivan is suddenly living that nightmare. There are Others in the world, dangerous, supernatural creatures that make her mind spin and cause her to question the reality she’s always known.

Oliver King is her savior, a vampire who tries to show her the way. Through her journey she learns far more than she ever thought she would about herself, and about the past. Soon, she discovers that there is so much more to meeting Oliver than mere happenstance.

Can Myah accept her new reality, or will she retreat into that normal, safe world she once thought was her own?

Purchase Links:

Amazon Universal ebook link: https://bookgoodies.com/a/B07DFL8DRR

Amazon Universal print link: http://mybook.to/BloodInstpaperback

Universal reader link: http://books2read.com/u/bppKAk

Excerpt

Oliver looked down at the beautiful, still, figure upon the ground. Myah’s long, dark lashes lay like fans on her face, and her perfect, exotic skin was almost luminescent beneath the lamplights of the park. He shook his head. He’d hated to erase her memories. He knew she could have blocked him if she wanted to, sensing the strength of her mind. And if what she’d done to that rapist was any indication, she had some unique abilities. But if the poor girl didn’t even know what she was, she wouldn’t know how to prevent what he’d done yet.

An odd emotion swept through him, and it was beyond him to avoid the pull. Sinking to his knees, he gathered her up in his arms, cradled to his chest. So close like this, he could smell the unusual yet arousing combination of blood and her perfect feminine scent. He ignored the need pounding beneath his zipper. To mar her skin or her mind was a crime, he thought. He vowed to leave her alone soon. Perhaps it was better if she didn’t know she was an Other.

Yet, how will she protect herself, a part of him wondered. He measured the tiny bite wound that vampire had left on her. It was healing up now, a faint bruise. He cursed. This was what they called a rock and a hard place. As a former Hunter, he had a special history in dealing with those of his kind. Which meant he knew just about every form an Other could take.

But, this one? His brain cramped trying to figure out what she was.

He glanced down and noticed the knuckles of one hand had split from when he’d fought her attacker. One drop of blood trickled onto Myah’s cheek. Before he could wipe the offensive mark from her perfect features, her nose twitched, nostrils flaring as she inhaled. Hard. Her tongue automatically licked out at her lips.

Any other time, her pink tongue would have aroused him. Distracted him. But he’d caught the white flash of something familiar. Curious, he peeled back her upper lip and got the shock of his life at the arrival of a fang. It wasn’t too long now, but indeed more lengthened than a human’s canine tooth. Interesting, he mused. She’d responded to blood. How might she react to more of it? Carefully, he wiped the blood away from her skin with his sleeve, then witnessed the tooth retract.

Though a few other species craved blood, he knew this one all too well.

Vampire, the thought formed in his mind, as he drew away from her mouth. Oliver frowned. But he hadn’t smelled that particular scent on her at first. Still, she had to be, right? It was no wonder he’d felt an unusual likeness to her. And yet, he detected the humanity on her. There was no denying she was mortal, had never crossed over death’s threshold. Still, what did it mean? He hadn’t known this kind of creature was possible.

He resolved to discover the truth and acquaint her with it, no matter what it took. This wasn’t personal, he told himself. It was just the right thing to do. Though his heart squeezed inside his chest at the thought of releasing her from his embrace, he slowly lowered her to the earth beneath them. He gently patted her cheeks and spoke her name. Burrowing inside her mind, he attempted to rouse her. Then he sat back on his heels and waited. He wasn’t sure how long it would take for her to awaken. He’d put her in quite a deep trance. Though she’d managed to break the other vampire’s mental hold on her, he didn’t know if she’d do the same with his.

And how long will you wait, a foreign voice within asked.

Forever.

That was the only answer. For how often did a male come across a woman like her?

About Marie Lavender

Multi-genre author of Victorian romance, UPON YOUR RETURN, and 23 other books. UPON YOUR LOVE and THE MISSING PIECE placed in the TOP 10 on the 2017 P&E Readers' Poll. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART was nominated for the 2017 Reader's Choice Awards. The I Love Romance Blog became a finalist in StartDating DK's Romance Blog Awards of 2017. ILRB landed on Feedspot’s 2017 TOP 100 Novel Blogs and TOP 100 Romance Blogs. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART placed in the TOP 10 Books of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog. TOP 20 Authors of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog. Mystery Blogger Award for 2017. A to Z Blog Challenge Survivor in 2016. March 2016 Empress of the Universe title - winner of the "Broken Heart" themed contest and the "I Love You" themed contest on Poetry Universe. SECOND CHANCE HEART and A LITTLE MAGICK placed in the TOP 10 on the 2015 P&E Readers' Poll. Nominated in the TRR Readers' Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015 PnPAuthors Contest. The Versatile Blogger Award for 2015. Honorable Mention in the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014 MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013, 2014 and 2016. 2013 and 2014 Amazon Bestseller Ranking for UPON YOUR RETURN. Top 10 Authors on AuthorsDB.com. Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.

Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 24 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. She has also contributed to several anthologies. Her current published series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Eternal Hearts Series, The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar Series and The Blood at First Sight Series.

Social Media Links:

Official Website: http://marielavender.com/

Amazon author page: http://Author.to/MarieLavender

Sign up for Marie’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1g3wO13

One last teaser! -K.A.

 
 
 

#TwitterTales June 2018

Writer: K. A. Meng
K. A. Meng
Jul 2, 2018
2 min read

Welcome to another month of #TwitterTales or short story tales on twitter. These posts are every Thursday and Friday for a whole month.

Here is mine for June 2018:

“I’m not sure about this,” Izzy said scared. She glanced up at the tall wheel of death.

“Come on, you never want to do anything fun. I’ll be with you,” her twin, Bella, said. She pouted her lips.

“Fine. If I die you can tell mom.”

The line for the Ferris wheel moved fast.

“Next,” the operator called. A lanky arm rested on the lever.

“Go,” Bella said, pushing her sister.

Izzy climbed inside the cage, and her heart pounded. The door closed, locking in place.

“Don’t lock me in here alone,” Izzy yelled. Terror filled her eyes.

“One per cage,” the operator said, already switching to the next.

“Bella!”

“Calm down, I’m right here. I’ll be behind you," Bella said.

The Ferris wheel rotated.

Izzy kept her gaze on the cage in front of her. Once her door opened again, she’d bolt. A full rotation and then the Ferris wheel came to a stop. The door on her right opened, and a guy climbed inside before the exit was closed again.

Izzy opened her mouth to say something, but she was to late. The Ferris wheel moved. She grunted and sat back in her seat.

“Are you okay? You don’t look so well,” the guy said.

“I…I hate these things.”

"Me too."

"Why are you here?"

“My so-called friend thought it would be fun to ride. My name’s Chase,” he said.

“Izzy. I’d shake your hand, but I’m too scared to move,” she said, chewing on her bottom lip.

“Don't worry. I won’t rock us. Why are you riding alone?”

“The Ferris wheel moved before my sister could join me. I hate these things.”

“Me too.”

“I didn’t even know the other side opened,” Izzy said.

Chase’s brows furrowed, and he pointed to the side she had entered. There wasn’t a door.

“That’s impossible,” Izzy said.

“We’ll be okay. My door is here. You can come with me,” Chase said.

“What if I can’t return home?”

"You can call your parents.” The Ferris Wheel started to slow down. "Everything will be okay."

Izzy left through her door after it reappeared, but Chase didn't come.

“That totally sucked,” Bella said, joining her sister.

“What were you expecting?” Izzy asked.

“This is the Wheel of Love. You’re supposed to meet your soul mate.”

Ops. I had a repeat on that one. I didn't have time to work on it all at once. I am on the next ones.

To find my posts, search for #TwitterTales @kamengauthor. You'll also see a bunch more from other authors with my publisher.

Here is a sneak peek of next months:

Something blocked the sun. Legend expected to see a cloud or a plane, but something dark and big was there instead. An alert sounded on his cell along with everyone else's in the park.

Red Alert: Danger in the sky. Get inside.

 
 
 

Book Spotlight Heuer Lost and Found by A.B. Funkhauser

Writer: K. A. Meng
K. A. Meng
Jun 27, 2018
5 min read

Hello, I had the pleasure of having A.B. Funkhauser ​stop by to talk about her book Heuer Lost and Found. You all know me by now. I just like to jump write in.

Unrepentant cooze hound lawyer Jürgen Heuer dies suddenly and unexpectedly in his litter-strewn home. Undiscovered, he rages against God, Nazis, deep fryers and analogous women who disappoint him.

At last found, he is delivered to Weibigand Brothers Funeral Home, a ramshackle establishment peopled with above average eccentrics, including boozy Enid, a former girlfriend with serious denial issues. With her help and the help of a wisecracking spirit guide, Heuer will try to move on to the next plane. But before he can do this, he must endure an inept embalming, feral whispers, and Enid’s flawed recollections of their murky past.

Winner Best Horror, Preditors & Editors 2015

Medalist Winner “Horror,” New Apple EBook Awards 2016

5 Star Reader's Favorite 2018

Toronto born author A.B. Funkhauser is a funeral director, classic car nut and wildlife enthusiast living in Ontario, Canada. Like most funeral directors, she is governed by a strong sense of altruism fueled by the belief that life chooses us, not we it.

Her debut novel Heuer Lost And Found, released in April 2015, examines the day to day workings of a funeral home and the people who staff it. Winner of the Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll for Best Horror 2015, and the New Apple EBook Award 2016 for Horror, Heuer Lost And Found is the first installment in Funkhauser’s Unapologetic Lives series. Her sophomore effort, Scooter Nation, released March 11, 2016 through Solstice Publishing. Winner of the New Apple Ebook Award 2016 for Humor, and Winner Best Humor Summer Indie Book Awards 2016, Scooter picks up where Heuer left off, this time with the lens on the funeral home as it falls into the hands of a woeful sybarite.

A devotee of the gonzo style pioneered by the late Hunter S. Thompson, Funkhauser attempts to shine a light on difficult subjects by aid of humorous storytelling. “In gonzo, characters operate without filters which means they say and do the kinds of things we cannot in an ordered society. Results are often comic but, hopefully, instructive.”

SHELL GAME, tapped as a psycho-social cat dramedy with death and laughs, is the third book in the series, and takes aim at a pastoral community with a lot to hide. “With so much of the world currently up for debate, I thought it would be useful to question—again—the motives and machinations championed by the morally flexible, and then let the arbiter be a cat.”

Funkhauser is currently working on THE HEUER EFFECT, the prequel to HEUER LOST AND FOUND.

K.A. Meng (KAM): Are you a horror writer?

A.B. Funkhauser (A.B.): Sort of. It happened by accident.

KAM: Lol. You’re going to have to expand on that.

A.B.: Well, my first novel, Heuer Lost And Found, follows the day-to-day missteps of boozy funeral director Enid Krause as she comes to terms with the death of her Ex whom she hates. You’d think she wouldn’t have a problem embalming him despite his horrible condition (7 days post mortem in a hot house in summer), and, at first, she doesn’t. But then his irksome, blithe spirit spooks around behind her whispering and critiquing her thoughts and movements such that, very quickly, he gets to her and she loses it. She might still love him and that horrifies her.

KAM: That sounds romantic. *ick*

A.B.: I know, right? I went into the story believing that I was creating a heart-felt paranormal romance with a happy ending, but it didn’t turn out that way.

The novel won two horror prizes and was described by some as “visceral,” “haunted,” “crawly” and “chilling.”

There you go.

KAM: So you’re not actually a horror fan?

A.B.: Ha! I wouldn’t say that. I’m devoted to King, Hill, Gaiman and I also like Nick Cutter. Thing is, as a funeral director, I was trained to perform specific tasks in clinical situations. Anything inside of that is “normal,” anything outside it is not. So, any gruesome horror like the Chainsaws or Saws don’t appeal to me. The psych component, those “things unseen,” are what I love to root around in. In that I might be more of a spec fiction fan.

KAM: Maybe this explains how your books fell into the horror realm?

A.B.: No doubt about it. Reader feedback really focused on what went on in the preproom at the funeral home. I took great care not to be gratuitous; to only show the things the reader needed to see to understand Enid and Heuer’s mindset. (He’s appalled by her treatment of his body unaware that she is following procedure scrupulously.) I could see after the fact how those not exposed to this world would find some aspects of the book disturbing.

KAM: Did you re-release Heuer Lost And Found with a new cover?

A.B.: Back in February 2018 with a couple of tweaks. Spelling errors are gone and some really fatuous sentences got the chop, but it remains unchanged in terms of the text. It is what it is. The big deal for me is that the reader gets to see Heuer right away on the cover. He’s trapped between two worlds skulking around in the dark. In a twisted way, I was channeling Enid when I chose the image. She resents his coming back to her after 20 years and would be much happier if he just went away.

KAM: Some reviewers, I’ve noticed, found the book funny. Please explain.

A.B.: That’s true. Many cited humorous moments. One reviewer said she laughed so hard she woke her partner up. The banter between Heuer and Enid, but also between Heuer and his spirit guide—a foul-mouthed antique floor lamp housing the spirit residue of the funeral home’s founding matriarch—drew the biggest laughs. Heuer can be a petulant man-child at times. The women tell him like it is.

KAM: You’re working on the prequel now?

A.B.: Yes! The Heuer Effect is full steam ahead and I’m so excited. It’s 1979 and Enid and Heuer are alive and well and doing a lot of damage. Like all the other books in the series, it’s a stand alone, but those who have read Heuer Lost And Found get the benefit of being inside the joke. What really happened all those years ago gets examined. All of sudden, Enid’s behavior in Lost And Found makes sense.

For more information on A.B. Funkhauser:

Thank you for stopping by. - K.A.

 
 
 
17182021

Contact:

Email me at kamengauthor@gmail.com

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