Title:Mrs. Poe
Author: Lynn Cullen
Genre: Historical Fiction/Woman’s Fiction
Publish Date: April 1, 2013 (Paperback Release)
Publisher: Gallery Books
Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

~ Book Synopsis ~

In the nationally bestselling MRS. POE (Gallery Books; April 1, 2014; Trade Paperback; $16.00), award-nominated author Lynn Cullen uses meticulously researched historical details to deliver a pitch-perfect rendering of Edgar Allen Poe, his mistress’s tantalizing confession, and his wife’s frightening obsession, all inspired by literature’s most haunting love triangle.

1845: New York City is a sprawling warren of gaslit streets and crowded avenues, bustling with new immigrants and old money, optimism and opportunity, poverty and crime. Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” is all the rage—the success of which a struggling poet like Frances Osgood can only dream.As a mother trying to support two young children after her husband’s cruel betrayal, Frances jumps at the chance to meet the illustrious Mr. Poe at a small literary gathering, if only to help her fledging career.

Although not a great fan of Poe’s writing, she is nonetheless overwhelmed by his magnetic presence—and the surprising revelation that he admires her work. What follows is a flirtation, then a seduction, then an illicit affair…and with each clandestine encounter, Frances finds herself falling slowly and inexorably under the spell of her mysterious, complicated lover.

But when Edgar’s frail wife Virginia insists on befriending Frances as well, the relationship becomes as dark and twisted as one of Poe’s tales.And like those gothic heroines whose fates are forever sealed, Frances begins to fear that deceiving Mrs. Poe may be as impossible as cheating death its elf.

Much like T he Paris Wife, MRS. POE combines literary fiction with reimagined historical drama; much like Poe himself, Lynn Cullen captures his mysterious and macabre tone. While providing a voyeuristic peek into the heart and mind one of the history’s most fascinating literary figures, Cullen explores the themes of artistic expression, social standing in the 1800s, and the self-ownership of women.

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Excerpt

Two weeks later, I was tucked beneath a thick buffalo robe, riding downtown in Miss Fuller’s carriage. I had been too nervous to enjoy the trip or to appreciate Miss Fuller’s carriage, pulled by a clopping bay. That Miss Fuller was the only woman in New York to support herself by writing, let alone to have enough leftover to buy her own buggy, mattered little to me at that moment. Why had I agreed to meet Poe? And why would he want to meet me? He had already made and broken an appointment the previous week. I had been relieved by the cancellation, only to become agitated once more when he set up a different date. As suddenly and inexplicably as he had championed my poetry at the New York Society Library, he could withdraw his support if I said something wrong. Who knew what triggered the man’s tomahawk?

Miss Fuller jerked on the reins. “Here we are.” She looked at me expectantly, as if I should climb out of her trim little gig without her.

“Shouldn’t we wait for the doormen to take your reins?” I asked.

“Take my reins? Oh—did you think I was coming with you? No, no, dear, I’m off to investigate a slum on Hester Street. You really thought I was coming with you? I only meant that I would take you here. I thought your husband would appreciate my escorting you since he is, as you say, out of town.”

“Would you rather I came with you to the slum?” I asked.

“And have you jilt Mr. Poe? I wouldn’t dare.” Miss Fuller steadied her horse, then waved me toward the hotel. “Go on. It will be good for your books.”

Reluctantly, I climbed out from under the heavy robe. I held my breath as the carriage rattled away.

I found myself on the sidewalk before the hotel, contemplating an immediate about-face up Broadway when I felt someone’s presence behind me. Before I could move, a man said, “Lord help the poor bears and beavers.”

I turned to find Mr. Poe, his black-lashed eyes trained upon the building before us. Without a hello he said, “Davy Crockett’s words, upon first seeing this pile.”

I hesitated. “Because of Mr. Astor’s fur trade?”

He continued as if I had not spoken. “But Crockett was mistaken. It wasn’t the bears and the beavers that made Astor’s fortune. It was the opium he bought from the Chinese.”

I looked at him in surprise. “Mr. Astor deals in opium?”

He kept his gaze upon the hotel. “Whenever you see this much wealth, assume that someone dirtied his hands. Fortunes don’t come to saints.”

“I’ve never thought of that.”

He gave me a sharp glance. “Really?”

I drew back, chastened.

“Mr. Astor prefers to be known for the slaughter of animals rather than for his association with opiates. I wonder why that is.” He lowered his sights to me. “Shall we enter, Mrs. Osgood?”

So he did recognize me. I preceded him inside, into the hot maw of the lobby. As we walked past impressive people dressed in beautiful clothes, I felt low and insignificant, a ne’er-do-well’s abandoned wife, although my gown was as fine as anyone’s. What a sham I was.

I stopped to face him. “Congratulations on the success of ‘The Raven.’ ”

He frowned as if insulted.

“People love it. I hear talk of it everywhere I go.”

“‘People’ have no taste. Don’t tell me that you think it’s a work of genius.”

Was this a trick? I scanned his dark-rimmed eyes for clues.

When I did not answer he said, “Thank you, Mrs. Osgood. You’re the first honest woman I have met in New York.” He shook his head.

“It is my luck that I will become famous for that piece.”

Still not sure that I shouldn’t be gushing, I switched to safer ground. “May I ask what you are working on now?”

“A book on the material and spiritual universe.”

I laughed.

He watched me coolly.

“I’m sorry. I thought you were joking.”

“I never joke.”

“Of course not. Excuse me.”

“Although I wish I were. It will never sell.”

“Your work always sells,” I said lightly.

“Not any of my works with a true idea in them. People want to be titillated or frightened. They don’t want to think.”

I smiled hesitantly. What did he want with me?

“This is why I singled out your poems in my lecture,” he said. “They have real feeling in them, if one reads between the lines.”

I could not help but be disarmed. “Thank you. I find that the thoughts spoken between the lines are the most important parts of a poem or story.”

“As in life.”

I reluctantly met his intense gaze. “Yes.”

“I am particularly taken with your poem, ‘Lenore’:

So when Love poured through thy pure heart his lightning,

On thy pale cheek the soft rose-hues awoke—

So when wild Passion, that timid heart frightening,

Poisoned the treasure, it trembled and broke!

I swallowed my surprise. “You memorized it.”

An elegant couple drifted by, he in succulent wool and she in layers of costly lace. Mr. Poe frowned. “It spoke to me somehow, and not just because I had written a poem with the same title and had used the name in ‘The Raven.’ ”

“A coincidence.”

He stared at me.

I looked away. Why had Mr. Poe called this meeting? Surely he had better things to do than to raise the hopes of an unknown writer.

“You are probably wondering why I wished to meet you.”

I drew in a breath.

“Actually, it is on behalf of my wife.”

“Mrs. Poe?”

He frowned slightly at my unnecessary question. “She is a great reader. I have taught her all of the classics. I like to encourage her when she shows interest in good work, and your poems, Mrs. Osgood,

delight her.”

I pictured the pretty woman-child I had seen at Miss Lynch’s conversazione. I wondered if it was my poems for adults or for children that she admired.

“Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Poe. I wish she were here so that I could thank her, too.”

His expression hardened. “She has had bronchitis. Her recovery has been long and difficult. There was no question of her going out today.”

“I am sorry to hear that.”

“The few times she has ventured beyond our home have only served to set her back.”

“I am truly very sorry.”

He glanced away, then glared as if I’d offended him. “You will not hear her complain. She’s a brave, good girl. If I could only take her to Jamaica or Bermuda or some such hot clime, I’m certain she would become well.”

Why did they not go, then? With his success, surely he had the money.

“I hope she gets well soon.”

His expression settled back into cool civility. “It is bold of me to ask—we are perfect strangers, and you have obligations to your husband and family—but might you come visit her someday? I know

from looking into your eyes that you are a good person, and kind, and that your gentle association might help her.”

That was why he wished to meet with me? Ashamed of my disappointment, I exclaimed, “I should like very much to meet her! Might I have the pleasure of visiting her at your home?”

“Mrs. Osgood, you are too kind. Yes. Yes, we’d like that very much.”

“When would you like me to come?”

“At your convenience.”

“Would next week suit you?”

“Name your day. Any day. I will arrange my schedule around you.”

“Monday? In the afternoon?” I saved my morning hours for writing . . . writing, that is, what I hoped would be my imitation of his work.

He bowed, as stiffly formal as if in a royal court. “We would be so grateful.”

He gave me directions to his home on 154 Greenwich Street, then bowing again, left me in Astor’s parlor with all the frippery that bears and beavers and opium could buy.

More Information

National Bestseller

Great Reads of 2013 –NPR

Books That Make Time Stand Still

–Oprah.com Editor’s Pick

—The Historical Novels Review Best Books of 2013

—Atlanta Magazine
Indie Next List Pick

“Is it true that Edgar Allen Poe cheated on his tubercular, insipid young wife with a lady poet he’d met at a literary salon? Cullen makes you hope so.” –New York Times

“This fictional reenactment of the mistress of Edgar Allan Poe escorts you into the glittering world of New York in the 1840s…A bewitching, vivid trip into the heyday of American literary society.” –Oprah.com, Book of the Week

“Vivid…Atmospheric…Don’t miss it.” –People

“Nevermore shall you wonder what it might have been like to fall deeply in love with Edgar Allen Poe… Mrs. Poe nails the period.” –NPR

“A page-turning tale…Readers who loved Paula McLain’s The Paris Wife will relish another novel based on historical scandal and romance.” –Library Journal, starred review

“Immensely engaging…Set upon the backdrop of a fascinating era…this is not only a captivating story of forbidden lovers but an elaborately spun tale of NYC society.” –The Historical Novels Review

“A must-read for those intrigued by Poe, poetry and the latter half of nineteenth-century America.” –RT Book Reviews (4 stars)

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Amazon UK

 About the Author

Lynn Cullen is the author of T he Creation of Eve, named one of the best fiction books of the year by The Atlanta Journal- Constitution; and Reign of Madness, nominated for the Townsend Prize for fiction. She is also the author of numerous award-winning children’s books, including I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter. An avid traveler and historian, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Giveaway

5 paperback books for giveaway (US residents only). Send directly to the winners from publisher

First of all I loved the book! The blogging world sometimes makes me laugh that so many people attempt to become an author. They dont have any background and they just claim to have a dream of writing. I will say a lot of them fail. Far too many think they can conquer the Indie published author world. This author does! She totally nailed it! The writing, language and characters are awesome. There were many examples of little details that were spoken and then repeated in the story. For example Drew labels himself the “Grilled Cheese Master” and later on in the book he mentions his self proclaimed title. Sometimes the little things mean a lot to me.

For the characters of Bree and her twin Liam, I was over the moon in love. Their Dad Pat, the owner of the gym was equally important.He gave life experience, a sense of family, and love. So his long time friend Mick calls him going on about this kid he wants to send to Florida to train at his gym. The way that Drew is sort of found by Mick is classic. He is someone who believe in giving back, so finding Drew broken down on the highway and taking him home is totally in his character. When they begin talking Mick tells him that he saw smoke from the car and was following him knowing he would stop. How sweet! Drew quickly learns a lot about Mick and begins to feel loyalty, family values and love. Drew had a bad childhood and an abusive father so it is hard to trust. I wont give away anything about his past as it is tied up throughout the story.

Now the book goes alternating POV between Bree and Drew. It is short so I appreciated the fact that I didnt lose myself going between the two. There are a lot of interesting characters such as Sue, Bree’s best friend. She is a riot so when the story turns serious she definitely lightens things up. One of Sue’s mentions becomes a fave for me…here goes:

“Who said anything about a boyfriend? I’d just like to get naked and sweaty with him. I heard he’s hung like a mountain yak, too.” So I ask can you read that and NOT laugh until you pee? Her dialogue is one to be treasured so please read it slow and absorb her!

Without going on and on it is a must read! If you love romance, deep stories, meaningful characters with values, then grab it!

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I am a mother to a beautiful five year old daughter and a wife to my best friend. Being a labor and delivery nurse three nights a week pays the bills but I have recently decided to take my hobby of writing to the next level.  Living in Florida where I was born and raised allows me to hear the waves and stick my toes in the sand whenever I want, which is vital to my emotional well-being. Completely and absolutely obsessed with good music, the lifeline to my creativity, I cannot and will not write without it. Some things that I appreciate are honesty but not cruelty, an unapologetic sense of humor, being able to make any situation fun, often dancing like no one is watching, and a good cup of coffee with enough creamer to make it blonde.

Being an astute people watcher with a judgmental mind gives me constant inspiration for my stories. My characters, like many authors, are conceived from a hodgepodge of actual people in my life, unique personality traits, real world encounters, and conversations that I have directly taken part in. Totaled is my debut novel with many more to come.

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Goodreads

Standalone Dark Contemporary Romance

Release date: July 15, 2014 Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20761170-beauty-in-the-ashes

Cover Design: Regina Wamba (Mae I Design)

Book Description:

Some stories are a fairytale…but this isn’t one.

Caelan Gregory’s life fell apart the night he went home and opened the door to find his whole family murdered. Since then, his life has held no meaning. He’s angry. He’s bitter. He’s barely human anymore. There’s nothing left to remind him of the straight A student, and football quarterback he once was…but he wasn’t a good person then, and he’s certainly not a good person now. He’s retreated into a world where all that exists is numbness and his passion for painting.

When Sutton Hale moves into the apartment across the hall from Caelan she’s not prepared for her reaction to him. Something in his broken blue eyes calls to her—after all she’s always had an irrational need to fix everything.

But Caelan doesn’t do relationships or feelings. He does drugs and alcohol. However, he can’t ignore his desire to get to know the raven-haired woman across the hall.

Two broken souls trying to mend one another.

But not everything can be fixed.

In the end, Caelan and Sutton will have to learn that there is beauty in the ashes.

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Author Bio:

Micalea Smeltzer is an author from Virginia. Her name is pronounced Muh-call-e-uh. She is permanently glued to her computer, where she constantly writes. She has to listen to music when she writes and has a playlist for every book she’s ever started. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading a book or playing with her three dogs.

You can email Micalea at: msmeltzer9793@gmail.com

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Website 

Standalone Dark Contemporary Romance

Release date: July 15, 2014 Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20761170-beauty-in-the-ashes

Cover Design: Regina Wamba (Mae I Design)

Book Description:

Some stories are a fairytale…but this isn’t one.

Caelan Gregory’s life fell apart the night he went home and opened the door to find his whole family murdered. Since then, his life has held no meaning. He’s angry. He’s bitter. He’s barely human anymore. There’s nothing left to remind him of the straight A student, and football quarterback he once was…but he wasn’t a good person then, and he’s certainly not a good person now. He’s retreated into a world where all that exists is numbness and his passion for painting.

When Sutton Hale moves into the apartment across the hall from Caelan she’s not prepared for her reaction to him. Something in his broken blue eyes calls to her—after all she’s always had an irrational need to fix everything.

But Caelan doesn’t do relationships or feelings. He does drugs and alcohol. However, he can’t ignore his desire to get to know the raven-haired woman across the hall.

Two broken souls trying to mend one another.

But not everything can be fixed.

In the end, Caelan and Sutton will have to learn that there is beauty in the ashes.

Excerpt:

UNEDITED AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Pologue

Caelan

Life is like a flame.

It burns bright for a while, then it flickers and fades, until finally one small breath extinguishes it and we’re left with the ashes.

The house was quiet, but I still waited ten more minutes, making sure I heard the sounds of my dad snoring.

I’d been grounded for a month the last time I got caught sneaking out.

I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.

I crept over to my bedroom window, sliding it up as quietly as I could. It squeaked and I halted my movements, holding my breath to make sure no one in the house stirred.

I all but jumped out of my skin when the door to the bathroom that connected my room to my sister’s opened.

“Cael, what are you doing?” She asked, standing there in pajama shorts and a tank top. Her eyes were wide, reminding me of a doll.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I whispered, nodding at my half open window.

“Mom and dad are going to kill you if you get caught,” she hissed, padding into my room like she owned the place. Nosy little sisters were good for nothing. I missed the days when I could bribe her to keep quiet with candy.

“I can’t miss this party, Cayla,” I groaned. “I’m the quarterback. I have to be there,” I reasoned.

“I want to go,” she squared her shoulders defiantly.

“No,” I hissed through my teeth. No fucking way was I bringing my sixteen-year-old sister to a senior party. It wasn’t because of her age that I wanted her to stay behind, but the way I saw my friends looking at her. Cayla was too sweet and innocent to get wrapped up in one of those fuckers. I’d kill them if they touched my sister.

“Fine, then I’m going to wake up mom,” she turned on her heel to stalk out of my room.

I reached out and grabbed her arm, my fingers digging into her skin. “No,” I said sternly. “Don’t be a little tattle tale bitch.”

Her eyes widened at my harsh words. Yeah, Cayla and I bickered like most siblings, but we also got along better than most too. She wasn’t used to me being so rude.

“Let go of me,” she yanked her arm from my grasp. “You can be such a dick, Caelan.” She headed back towards the bathroom and stopped in the doorway. “I won’t say anything to mom and dad about this, but you owe me.”

“Deal,” I smiled.

She started to leave, but something in me made me say her name. “Cayla?”

“Yeah?” She stopped, her blonde hair swishing around her shoulders.

I swallowed thickly. “I love you, you know that, right?”

She rolled her clear blue eyes at me. Cayla and I looked a lot alike—so much alike that many people believed we were twins.

“I see what you’re doing here, you still owe me dickwad.”

I chuckled. “Believe me, I know.”

I was surprised she hadn’t put up much fight. I think she knew the real reason I didn’t want her to go and probably wanted to avoid me getting in a fight—which would result in our parent’s finding out that we had both snuck out.

“Have fun,” she smiled, closing the bathroom door.

“Night, Cayla-belle,” I said softly, so low that she couldn’t hear me.

I eased the window the rest of the way up and crouched outside. I waited a minute to make sure Cayla wasn’t going to reappear—or one of my parents—then closed it.

I tiptoed down the eave of the roof, spotting the taillights of Kyle’s car waiting down the street for me.

I lowered to my stomach, sliding over the edge and grabbing on. I dropped down to the ground, careful to tuck my body so I didn’t injure myself.

Getting down was the easy part of sneaking out. Getting back up…now that was a different story.

I jogged down the street to Kyle’s white car.

“Dude, what the fuck took so long?” He asked when I finally slid into the passenger seat.

“My sister caught me,” I muttered.

Kyle grinned and I didn’t like his smile one bit. “Why didn’t you bring her? She’s hot, I’m sure someone could’ve had some fun with her.”

I glared at him, my fists clenched. “Don’t talk about my sister like that.”

Kyle raised his hands in mock surrender, a smirk playing on his thin lips. “It’s the truth. A lot of the guys would love to have a piece of—”

I punched the side of his face.

I didn’t care if he was my friend or not.

No one talked about my baby sister like that. Hopefully he’d take this as a lesson and so would the other guys.

“Fuck, Caelan, did you really need to punch me?”

“Yeah, I really did. Maybe that will teach you that running your mouth about my sister is a bad idea,” I retorted. “Would you want me making comments about your sister?”

“My sister is fourteen,” he countered.

“Mine’s only sixteen,” I continued to pin him with a glare.

“Fine, whatever dude. She isn’t worth getting punch over for no-fucking-reason,” he hissed.

He finally pulled away from the curb.

“Where’s this party at?” I asked.

After we’d won the football game, I’d had to head home for dinner—my parents were really big on family time. Sometimes ‘family time’ could be a major pain in the ass since it kept me from doing stuff with friends, but when I heard some of them talk about how messed up their families were I was silently thankful for my overbearing parents.

“The Cove,” he answered, winding around a turn too fast. I knew better than to complain. He’d only speed up.

The Cove wasn’t really a cove at all. It was a rock formation near the lake that provided great shelter from the surrounding neighborhoods. As long as we kept the noise level reasonable, most people didn’t know we were out there.

“Leah is going to be there,” Kyle said casually, watching me out of the corner of his eye for a reaction.

I’d been going after Leah for a few weeks now. She always tried to blow me off, but I could tell I was breaking down her walls. It wouldn’t be long until I had her right where I wanted her. She was enjoying playing hard to get, and I was enjoying the chase, but it ended tonight. I’d have her.

Kyle parked a block over from The Cove and we walked from that point. People would get suspicious if a bunch of cars were parked too close.

“Cael?”

I turned at the sound of my name, my lips curling up as I spotted Leah.

Her shiny red hair was curling down her back and her lips were coated in some kind of shiny gloss that I was desperate to taste.

“I’ll see you later…I guess,” Kyle winked, heading on without us.

“You know,” I told Leah, “you shouldn’t be standing out here all by yourself where anyone could get you.”

“Oh,” she purred, striding forward, “is the big bad wolf going to eat me?” She asked, purposely letting her breasts brush against my shoulder.

“Maybe,” I smirked, staring down at her.

“And maybe,” she stared brazenly up at me, “I want him too.”

Aw, hell.

I’d been waiting weeks for this moment, and I wasn’t going to let it pass me by.

I reached out for her, my hands finding the curve of her butt, and pressed my lips to hers.

She let out a soft little moan that stirred something inside me. I pressed more firmly against her as her fingers pulled at my hair. I knew she was a feisty little thing. I nipped at her bottom lip and then plunged my tongue inside her mouth. I wanted her and I wanted her bad, but we were standing on the street, and I did value my life, because if I got caught my dad would be pissed enough to string me up by my balls and leave me to die, so I broke away.

“That’s hardly over,” I warned her.

She giggled, reaching for my hand. “I hope not…and it certainly doesn’t feel like it’s over,” she bit her lip, running her fingers over the hard-on pressing against my jeans.

My breath hissed through my teeth as she felt me up. If I’d driven I would’ve told her to forget about the stupid party and we would have went back to my car to finish this.

I led her through the tall grass and around the large rocks where the party was roaring. A small fire provided warmth—but wasn’t large enough to attract unwanted attention. Someone played music from their iPod dock and bodies swayed.

“Dance with me,” Leah pleaded, pulling me towards everyone else.

I wasn’t a dancer, but I agreed just for the pleasure of watching her sexy little body move.

She grinded against me and I closed my eyes, tilting my head back.

“If you keep doing that,” I warned her, grabbing her stomach and rubbing my thumb against the underside of her breast, “I’m going to haul you out of here and make you scream my name.”

She looked up at me, her brown eyes sparkling in the moonlight. My throat tightened as her tongue flicked out to moisten her pouty lips. “I wouldn’t complain.”

“Fuck,” I growled, my hands tightening against her.

I wanted her and I wanted her bad.

“Come on,” I pulled her away from everyone else and into the tall grasses. I kept dragging her until we were far enough away that we wouldn’t be found easily.

I sunk down on the ground, pulling her with me onto my lap.

“You’ve been teasing me for weeks,” I lifted her shirt off her head. “This ends tonight.”

“Just make it good,” she challenged.

“Oh, trust me, baby, you don’t need to worry.”

⌘⌘⌘

When we returned—clothes and hair mused, but completely satisfied—the party had grown even larger. It seemed like everyone in our senior class was in attendance.

People wanted to talk and congratulate me on the game. I smiled and nodded—but honestly, I didn’t really care. Football was fun, but it wasn’t my whole life.

I sat down on the ground, beer in hand, with Leah between my legs. Her head rested against my chest.

When the sun started to peek above the edge of the lake, we all knew it was time to leave.

I said goodbye to Leah, giving her a long lingering kiss. Tonight had been good and I wasn’t ready to let her walk away just yet.

“Come on, Lover Boy,” Kyle pried me away from her lips.

I laughed, calling to Leah, “See you later?”

She nodded, her cheeks flushed with happiness.

Kyle dropped me off at the same spot he’d been waiting for me earlier.

I walked slowly towards my house, my head bowed.

When I finally looked up, ready to cut across the side yard to the back, so I could get back to my room, I noticed that the front door was slightly ajar.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

Oh, shit.

My parents had woken up and found me gone. I was in so much trouble it wasn’t even funny.

I swallowed thickly, my heart pumping in my chest as I made my way up the front steps into the house. There would be no point trying to sneak in. I had been caught and I needed to face this.

When I pushed open the front door the rest of the way, I was surprised to find the house in disarray. Drawers were open, lights smashed, and our belongings strewn about everywhere.

“What. The. Hell,” I gasped.

My heart raced even faster.

Something bad had happened. It looked like someone had broken in and tried to rob us.

I walked to the back of the house, to the kitchen, expecting to find my mom and dad there calling for the police, but it was empty.

“Mom!” I called. “Dad!”

Silence greeted me.

Maybe they had run to the neighbors house? Or were at the police station? Or—?

Something told me that neither of those things had happened.

Dread settled over me, sliding through my body like toxic sludge.

I swallowed thickly, heading for the main staircase.

I took the steps slowly and when I came to a standstill.

Blood.

Blood everywhere.

My shoes were growing damp with it.

“Dad!” I dropped to my knees, not caring that his blood was now soaking my jeans. “Dad!” I screamed again and again—willing him to answer. I rolled him over, choking on a sob as his lifeless eyes met me. There was so much blood. God, it was fucking everywhere, seeping out of a series of knife wounds on his chest.

I released him, running for my parent’s room.

“No!” I yelled, when my eyes took in the sight of my mom lying on a blood soaked mattress, her eyes focused on the ceiling. There were cuts and slashes all over her. I couldn’t mistake the sound of her blood dripping from the bed onto the hardwood floors.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

I ran to Cayla’s room next, praying that she had hidden and was okay—or better yet, hoping I’d wake up and find this to all be a nightmare.

“Cayla!” I shouted, clutching my stomach as it heaved violently.

Like my mom, she was lying in her bed. Her eyes stared straight at me—the color so light it was almost white. Her normally rosy complexion was now a grayish blue color. Her throat had been slit open, the blood coating her, the bed, and the floor. Her mouth was open in a never-ending silent scream.

I fell to the ground, sobbing hysterically.

“Cayla,” I cried, crawling on my hands and knees over to her bed. “Cayla, please! You can’t die! Cayla!” I smacked her cheeks, shook her, yelled at her, and none of it did any good.

She was gone.

They were all gone.

I pulled my phone out, fumbling to press the right buttons.

“911 what’s your emergency?”

“Help! You have to help me! They’re dead! They’re all dead!”

“Who’s dead, sir?” The calm voice asked me.

“My family! They’re dead! God, they’re all dead!”

“Sir, what’s your address?”

I couldn’t answer the woman. I had lost all capability of speaking. A strange noise was escaping me—half crying, half screaming.

I shook Cayla some more, hoping in vain that what I was seeing would disappear and she’d wake up and tell me I was crazy.

I’d rather be losing my mind than face this reality.

When I knew that Cayla wasn’t going to wake up I sat on the floor beside her.

I rocked back and forth, sobbing, my blood-covered hands running through my hair. I kept muttering under my breath, “This isn’t real, this isn’t real, this isn’t real.”

That’s how the police found me.

Even five years later, I still felt like I was stuck in that room, rocking back and forth beside Cayla.

Only now, I said, “This is real.”

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20761170-beauty-in-the-ashes

Author Bio:

Micalea Smeltzer is an author from Virginia. Her name is pronounced Muh-call-e-uh. She is permanently glued to her computer, where she constantly writes. She has to listen to music when she writes and has a playlist for every book she’s ever started. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading a book or playing with her three dogs.

You can email Micalea at: msmeltzer9793@gmail.com

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Website 

Title: The Children and the Blood

Author: Megan Joel Peterson

Series: The Children and the Blood #1

Genre: Young Adult, urban fantasy

A forgotten life.

A secret war.

Eight years ago, an exploding gas main killed Ashley’s family and left her with a childhood she can’t remember. Eight years later, the forgotten past is behind her and life on her isolated farm is all she knows.

Until that past comes looking for her.

Until men with superhuman powers hunt her down in the night, determined to take everything she loves away from her again.

Title: Taliesin Ascendant

Series: The Children and the Blood #2

The war isn’t over. And new enemies await.

Life on the
run hasn’t been easy, but so far, Ashe has survived. But now Carter has ordered
her away from the Hunters to find her family’s people – an order she can’t
refuse, no matter how much she wants to stay.

Following his command will bring her into an unknown world, however – a
world filled with new enemies and old prejudices that will demand more of her
than she can imagine, at a cost higher than she’ll ever be willing to pay.

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Title: Merlin’s Children

Series: The Children and the Blood #3

The stakes of the war have never
been higher. But what will be the cost to win? 

Ashe knows loss, knows sacrifice and pain. Her allies are scattered and
too many lie dead. The Blood are stronger than ever and more connected than she
could have imagined.
But the worst is yet to come. The war has taken so many people she loves.

Now it just might take everyone who’s left.

 

 

“This final book in the trilogy was every bit as
thrilling as the first two. I was so tense – flying through the pages to learn
who would survive, who would betray whom, which characters would finally put
their trust in the right people. It was nail-biting suspense.” – Brandee
‘Bookworm Brandee’

PURCHASE:

Amazon  |  Amazon UK  |  Barnes
and Noble 

 

iBooks
| Kobo |
Smashwords

 

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About Megan

 

Megan Joel Peterson lives somewhere
between the cornfields of Illinois and fantasy worlds filled with magic. She
has a degree in English Literature from the University of Illinois, and has
worked a little bit of everywhere over the years. Now she spends her days and
nights creating new stories, and thinks writing is the best job for which she
ever could have asked.

Website  |  Goodreads  |  Twitter  |   Facebook  |  Google Plus  |  Tumblr  |  Pinterest

 

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Determined to move on with her life, Olivia Germaine has vowed to forget David Dylan. Struggling to keep her head above water, she focuses on her new promotion and refuses to drown in the memory of their night together.

But when Olivia realizes what life without David means, she must decide if she is willing to risk everything for him . . . and if she is ready to reopen the wounds of her past.

Can Olivia move forward with her marriage despite her feelings for David?

And can David stay away like he promised?

“Jessica Hawkins has proven herself to be a contender in the race for the most captivating and sexy contemporary romance series…” — Autumn After Dark

“I haven’t been so engrossed with a series and felt it deep in my core since Fifty Shades of Grey!” — Seductive Romance Reviews

Jessica Hawkins grew up between the purple mountains and under the endless sun of Palm Springs, California. She studied international business at Arizona State University and has also lived in Costa Rica and New York City. Some of her favorite things include traveling, her dog Kimo, Scrabble, driving aimlessly and creating Top Five lists. She is the helpless victim of an overactive imagination that finds inspiration in music and tranquility in writing. Currently she resides wherever her head lands, which lately is the unexpected (but warm) keyboard of her trusty MacBook.

Web

Goodreads

Twitter @Jess_hawk

BUY it on Amazon

Author on Amazon 

Hearing Love – Book Tour

By Katie Lee

Contemporary Romance

Date Published: April 16, 2014

In the spirit of the love in the book I will say to Katie Lee I love her! What a great book. I laughed at Ella our main character, I got mad at Ella, I cried about Ella and I loved the book. The plot was great because it applies to relevant issues of our current society. The cupcake war started to make cupcakes as a business popular. Well I dont know if popular is the correct word but as Ella shows cupcakes are a trend. She is such a well rounded character. She is hearing impaired, like myself, and she doesnt let it get her down. I have never read a book about a character that was hearing impaired so I applaud the author for her uniqueness. That part of the story was like a refreshing breeze on a hot day.

Back to the characters, Ella was great.  The concept of Coopers Treats was the backdrop but it plays a major role. When this merger comes up Ella meets Alex Shepard and I think she was smitten. He was totally smitten with her so begins the love story. Well they have ups and downs. Not giving away the plot but Ella is the one who is tied to her ex Chase Kramer. So for me this is another refreshing aspect of the book, the main character a woman is not sure about the man. He (Alex) seems ready to commit and Ella is holding onto the past.

There is a healthy dose of Alex and his background, another bravo! Parts where Alex almost loses his mentor were heart breaking but really good. As the merger deadline approaches, Ella is covering for Chase and his poor work ethic. I know Steven Covey means people like Alex when he talks of Highly Successful People and surely he means Chase when he refers to slackers! This part hurt me and made me cry! I was a babbling idiot so kudos to Katie Lee again for the proper amount of angst.

I was admittedly emotional over Ella’s turmoil. Her reaction to her best friend Nicole was where I lost it. Nicole totally dishes the tough love piece of pie and runs with it. That was great! I know the author has another book so I am thrilled I bought it and I cant wait to read it. For this one it was the perfect length for me with the great characters, plot and romance!

Buy It NOW Amazon

About the Author:

Katie Lee has had a lifelong love affair with books. She fell in love with her first book in the second grade and hasn’t looked back since. She first took up writing as a hobby, wanting to craft her own magical adventures, and through the love and encouragement of family and friends, decided to get serious about writing and share her stories with the world.

She currently resides in Maryland in the United States. She works for the government during the day, and her spare time is devoted to writing. She gains inspiration from all sorts of things, but mostly from the fun and adventurous trips she takes when she can.

Her debut novel, “What Endures” was published in August of 2013 and is available on Amazon.
Author Links
Facebook | Twitter

I will say I am a sucker for the forbidden love story. This series is a lot like one I really loved but a much more adult version. What I loved was how the author painted Bill. He was a lawyer and I get when you work so hard and are thinking “partner” in your sleep, going to work, walking, and in every second of the day! Aside from that he was so regimented, cheap and well I just f**king  hated him from page 3. I guess that shows how good the author is. If you start to read it PLEASE pay attention to his dialogue so you hate the *****beep as much as I did.

Now some of Olivia…I am trying to continue but I feel I am having a love hate relationship with her. What I wanted was for her to open up. There was nobody who got through to her. Bill, her BFF Lucy didn’t know her. She only knew what Olivia wanted to share, which was really very little. Olivia had issues with her Mother and truth be told I wanted ore of the story and I know book 2 will give it to me.

Olivia is a very deep character that doesn’t grow too much in this book. The author uses subtle hints to create her personality. In a way the angst was trying to get to the real Olivia. She is so complex that you have to really look for her wording and pay attention to it. I will say her marriage is like being with someone who gets you 45% there and leaves you hanging. I dont know why she has no self worth or why she punished herself with  that part of her life. I would work 80 hour work weeks too if I had that to look forward too. I liked how Olivia volunteered at a dog shelter. I am a huge dog lover so I know they gave her the love that she was missing. Again #BillHATER I mean it!

The book explores a girl who gets married and loves her husband but……There is a big BUT and I wanted to say it was just because he asked her. I hope to get some feedback here about my feelings. I read a lot of the passages super slow to get to my conclusion. I felt the author painted a picture with a small grayish cloud over their love. I really wanted to root for Bill, but seriously I couldn’t.

If you like drama, angst and a great love story then this is for you. I really need you to get the series. Book one doesn’t exactly have a cliffhanger but if you ave book 2 uploaded then it eases the angst a little. I wont be responsible for broken kindles, books thrown into a fire or the occasional shredder accident.

“Jessica Hawkins has proven herself to be a contender in the race for the most captivating and sexy contemporary romance series…” — Autumn After Dark

“I haven’t been so engrossed with a series and felt it deep in my core since Fifty Shades of Grey!” — Seductive Romance Reviews

Jessica Hawkins grew up between the purple mountains and under the endless sun of Palm Springs, California. She studied international business at Arizona State University and has also lived in Costa Rica and New York City. Some of her favorite things include traveling, her dog Kimo, Scrabble, driving aimlessly and creating Top Five lists. She is the helpless victim of an overactive imagination that finds inspiration in music and tranquility in writing. Currently she resides wherever her head lands, which lately is the unexpected (but warm) keyboard of her trusty MacBook.

Web

Goodreads

Twitter @Jess_hawk

BUY it on Amazon

Author on Amazon