Book Tour Stop: Mychael Black's Spiritori @ChangelingPress

   

Title: Spiritori

Author: Mychael Black

Cover Art: Bryan Keller

Genres: Action Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Mystery /Suspense /Intrigue, New Releases, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Themes: Dark Romance, LGBTQ+ Gay, LGBTQ+ Sex & Gender Shifters, MPreg, Vampires

Series: Splintered Bloodlines (#4)

Book Length: Novella

Page Count: 71

Description

A death mage turns out to be the perfect mate for a human omega.

Lucas Krauss is getting used to being out of a nightmare and acclimating to life with Saridan Tower. His mate is a death mage, one of the deadliest kinds of vamps, and now they are sorting out their lives as a family.

Raphael Santos isn’t fazed by the looks and whispers he gets from passers-by. His status is unmistakable due to his pale skin and the aura that surrounds him. He never thought he’d find his mate, yet a sweet human omega is more than happy to touch him, unafraid of Raphael’s true nature.

But not all is well. House Lorthaen makes it clear that they are not going to leave House Saridan alone, and Raphael vows to protect his family, no matter what.

WARNING: Mpreg, Alpha/omega, Fated Mates, Hurt/Comfort.

Excerpt

Spiritori (Splintered Bloodlines 4)
Mychael Black
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2026 Mychael Black

Lucas

Everything hurt. Not as bad as when I’d… well… when a human cop had swooped in, ready to obliterate Gino Boone. Gino had the jump on him, though, and ate a bullet like a fucking coward. I was happy to be out of that nightmare, but I wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about being here now. The head of House Saridan, Deacon, and another vamp had visited me in the hospital and brought me here to Saridan’s Tower. Outside this apartment, I still didn’t feel entirely comfortable, but when Raphael was around, that all changed.

He was my mate. I didn’t need any sort of test to tell me that either. My gut instinct had made it crystal clear the second the man had walked into my hospital room with Deacon.

When we’d arrived here at the tower, I’d noticed others gave Raphael a wide berth. I couldn’t fathom why, though. He’d told me what he was: a death mage. His magic was the kind that manipulated a being’s life force. There seemed to be a faint aura of… something around him everywhere he went. It didn’t scare me, though. He might’ve terrified others, even other vamps, but not me. In private, he was attentive, almost to the point of being a mother hen. He was soft-spoken and gentle, far more than I ever expected someone like him could be.

The wounds from the beating Gino had given me were healing, though I was still sore. The worst part, though, was not knowing how the rest would play out. Gino had whored me out to random bastards, and, at some point, I got pregnant. Raphael knew, but unlike most alphas, he didn’t seem upset about it.

As I sat on the bed, I put a hand on my still-flat belly. I had no clue whose kid I was now carrying, but I’d always wanted a family. I prayed Raphael didn’t want to get rid of it. We hadn’t had much time to talk since, apparently, there was a rival vamp House determined to bring House Saridan down.

The apartment door opened, and I knew who it was without needing to hear or see him. Of course, no one else would come in here, but Raphael didn’t even need to announce himself.

“Are you all right?” he asked as he stepped to the bedroom doorway.

He hurried over to the bed and crouched in front of me, his height putting us at eye-level. He ran his fingers through my hair, and I couldn’t help but close my eyes and smile. His touch was so gentle and loving.

“I’m okay.”

I caught his hand and brought it to my mouth to kiss the tips of his fingers. We’d only hugged, not even a single kiss in the couple of weeks I’d been here, but I wasn’t sure how much longer I could wait for him to make a move. Aches or not, I couldn’t deny how attracted I was to him.

Raphael smiled. “Did you rest well?”

I nodded. “Slept like a baby, actually.”

His gaze shifted downward the slightest bit, and my breath caught. His smile was wistful. “We need to talk, you and I.” He looked back up at me. “Are you hungry?”

“I could definitely eat.”

Before he could move away and stand, I gripped his hand tighter. Raphael met my gaze, those almost white eyes mesmerizing. I didn’t need to say another word. He cupped the back of my neck with his other hand and pulled me closer.

I couldn’t recall the last time I’d kissed anyone. I certainly never let any of Boone’s guys do it. It was an act so intimate, so personal, that I’d fought to save it for someone special.

Someone like Raphael.

His touch was featherlight, and his lips were surprisingly soft. I opened for him without hesitation. He took his time, tongue stroking over mine, never trying to take control or push the kiss into harder territory. I could’ve kissed him for the rest of my life and never tired of it. He tasted like the peppermint candies I’d discovered he had an affinity for, and a slightly minty scent swirled in my head.

“If we don’t stop now,” he murmured on my lips, “we’ll never get out of here.”

I chuckled. “In all honesty, I’d started to wonder if maybe this attraction was one-sided.”

Raphael pulled back a little and caressed the side of my face. “Never. I want you. I’ve wanted you since the first day I saw you in the hospital. You needed to heal, though.” He raised one eyebrow at me. “You still do.”

“I’ll admit I’m a little achy, but… please? I promise I’ll tell you if I need to stop.”

“Tell you what. Let’s go eat. We can talk about us, including the baby.”

I swallowed and stared into his eyes, searching for a hint of what he was thinking. “I… I want to keep it. I’m sorry.”

“Never apologize for something you didn’t do,” Raphael said. “And certainly don’t do it with regards to our child.”

Our child.

I somehow managed to blink away the threat of tears. He wanted to keep the baby, too?

Raphael stood and helped me up as well. “Come on, mate. Food and talking.”

After I got dressed, I followed him out of the apartment, my hand held gently in his. I’d worried how he would react to my statement, and I kind of felt like I was in a daze as he led us to the elevator and down to the tower’s main dining room. According to Deacon, there were fifteen floors, with his place as the penthouse at the top. Then there were several floors for residents and the main dining hall. Raphael’s apartment was a single-bedroom and much larger than one would expect.

Until now, we’d had food brought up to us, but I’d told him yesterday I wanted to try to go out and be around others. I’d spent so long being terrified, but now that I was safe, I wanted my life back.

Purchase at Changeling Press

Meet the Author

Mychael Black has been writing professionally since 2005. He writes gay romance and erotica, but also het romance as Carys Seraphine and queer fantasy as Katherine Cook. He's an avid PC gamer with a love for RPGs, a horror fanatic, and a fantasy nut. He also has a weakness for anything relating to skulls, dogs, and Spongebob Squarepants. Mychael lives on the Eastern Shore of the US with his family. He loves to hear from readers, be it via email or Facebook.

Website | Facebook

   

New Release Alert: A Wolf-Changing Incident by Karenna Colcroft

 

I am so thrilled to showcase Karenna's newest book, A Wolf-Changing Incident, with you today. 

Paranormal/Fantasy MM Shifter Romance

Release Date: March 12th, 2026

Available on Kindle Unlimited as well.

Buy at Amazon

When werewolf Yves Diamond happens on a multi-vehicle crash on a Manitoba highway, he ignores the danger and rescues Will Mandel from a burning car. The moment he sets eyes and hands on Will, Yves knows the man belongs in his life. If Will survives his injuries.

Waking days later in a hospital, Will is confused by the presence of a man the nurses believe is his relative. But something in him recognizes that Yves is meant to be in his life. As Will’s recovery continues and Yves visits him frequently, the connection between the two grows into something neither can ignore–and neither dares to admit.

Werewolf law prohibits telling humans that werewolves exist–and once Yves’s Alpha learns about the visits with Will, he forbids Yves any further contact with the human. Having Will has changed Yves’s life for the better, but their bond might be severed before it can fully form.

This story includes description of a vehicle accident scene; fears of losing mobility that border on ableism; and references to PTSD. The story is set in the Real Werewolves Don't Eat Meat universe but is not part of that series.

Story snippet:

My heart sank, and a tear trickled out of my eye as a deep black grief covered every thought like ash. I might never be ready. I’d wanted to be a doctor my entire life, since before I could clearly speak the word. I’d done everything I needed to do, studied my ass off from primary on up, gotten through university and medical school. This position at the health center in Norway House was to have been the start of my life as Dr. Will Mandel. And the fucking accident had taken everything away from me.

I tried to scream, but all that came out was a hoarse croak that sent more spikes through my throat. The pain infuriated me, setting the grief-ash ablaze with heated rage, and I pounded the mattress with my fists.

“Will!” Eyes wide, Mom got up and tried to hold my hands down. “Stop. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Will.” Yves’s calm, even voice cut through the screeching rant in my mind. “You’re angry. Of course you are. But your mother’s right. Breathe. Be angry, but breathe.”

“Fuck you,” I muttered, not caring about my throat. Or about whether I would piss him off.

To my astonishment, he laughed. “Watch your language in front of your mother.”

I rolled my eyes, but his voice and his laughter helped cool my anger. I was still furious. My life’s dream was going down the drain, and I didn’t know if I would ever get it back. My entire body hurt in ways I’d never imagined. I couldn’t speak or make a sound without my throat aching, though at least that was better than the day before.

But I was alive. Thanks to Yves Diamond, whoever he was and whatever had possessed him to pull me out of my car, I was alive. Even if I never managed to work as a doctor, I would have a life, and I couldn’t be too angry about that.

For the rest of their visit, I drifted in and out of an uneasy sleep. After the third time I woke up, a nurse came in and not so politely invited Mom and Yves to leave. Before they did, Yves bent over the bed. “I’ll come back. Every day, if you’d like. Yes?”

“Yes.” The word was barely a breath.

He heard, though. “Good. See you tomorrow.” With a slight smile, he walked away.

About the Author:

Karenna Colcroft is a mother, wife, and former teacher who began writing romance in 2006 and took a hiatus beginning in 2016. In 2022, Karenna returned from beyond the figurative grave with updates of her previous books and new books set in her paranormal romance universe. In Karenna's world, love is love regardless of who or how many, and happy endings tend to prevail.

Karenna lives in eastern Massachusetts with her husband and two and a half cats. (Half in terms of the amount of time the cat spends with her, not the cat itself.) She is a mother of two plus three "bonus" kids and grandmother of four.

Amazon Author Page

Website

Guest Author Day: Kelli A. Wilkins' Dangerous Indenture

 

Like Feisty Irish Heroines? Don’t Miss Dangerous Indenture

A Historical/Mystery-Romance

By Kelli A. Wilkins

www.KelliWilkins.com

Hi everyone,

 

Imagine this scenario: a young woman moves to a new town to work for a family. She is on her own and has to adjust to her employer’s rules while adapting to life in a new environment. After she arrives, she discovers the job isn’t exactly what she thought it would be and realizes she has gotten herself into a troubling situation. All seems lost until she meets a handsome young man…

This premise could be the basis of any number of romances: a Victorian-era story about a governess moving to a remote estate, a contemporary tale about a physical therapist or teacher relocating across the country, or, in the case of my historical romance, Dangerous Indenture, an Irish indentured servant leaving everything behind to start a new life.

Dangerous Indenture is set in Pennsylvania Colony and blends a sensual romance with mystery and suspense. Right from the start, readers (and the heroine, Shauna) are warned about Stewart House: “It’s got more haunts than the Tower of London.”

Here’s the book summary and links:

DANGEROUS INDENTURE

Indentured for five years… how long can Shauna resist her master’s son?

Desperate to escape her past in Ireland, Shauna Farrow signs on to become an indentured servant to Joshua Stewart, a wealthy man in Pennsylvania Colony. But a life of servitude quickly turns to drudgery, and Shauna’s hopes for starting over and creating a better life for herself are waning—until she meets her master’s roguish son, Ashton.

Ashton needs to redeem himself in his father’s eyes and earn the respect he has always longed for. Meeting Shauna turns his life around, and he sets out to win her heart. Torn between propriety and passion, Shauna struggles against her growing attraction to Ashton as long as she can.

But amidst their flirting, something dark stirs. Shauna soon discovers why no other servants wanted to work for the strange Stewart family.

Stewart House has an unsavory reputation: a previous servant died there under mysterious circumstances. When another servant goes missing in the middle of the night, Shauna is convinced that a member of the family is responsible.

Shauna’s investigation leads her close to the truth, and yet, she’s not sure who she can trust. Events take a deadly turn when she confronts the murderer and discovers the mystery of the Stewart family. 

 

Will Shauna be rescued before time runs out, or will she meet with the same fate as the other servants? 

Order your copy here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PJVQ7XJ

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/3JyROP

Read 5-star reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/dangerous-indenture

***

When I wrote the book, I wanted to evoke a sense of danger and mystery around every corner. This wasn’t going to be a typical romance with the hero and heroine from different classes falling in love and having a forbidden affair. Nope.

The romance is almost a sub-plot of the book, and when the story begins, finding love is the last thing on Shauna’s mind. She’s more concerned about doing a good job than getting involved with Ashton (even if he is handsome).

I liked creating the incredibly dysfunctional members of the Stewart family. They all have secrets and practically have dual personalities. Joshua (the patriarch) is a big bear of a man who comes across as gruff and insensitive, yet at times can be caring. Colin (Joshua’s son) appears to be a respectable married businessman, but underneath his proper exterior lurks a dark and dangerous manipulator (among other things).

Colin’s beleaguered wife,Minerva, is mentally unstable and trapped ina terrible marriage. Readers and the other characters in the story aren’t sure if she’s truly mad or not. And she might be a murderess…

Our hero, Ashton Bailey, is flawed and has a lot of problems to overcome. For starters, he’s the black sheep of the family and has been sent home in disgrace. He drinks too much, womanizes too much, and has nearly given up on life. He’s a failure in his father’s eyes and wants to redeem himself, but isn’t sure how. Ashton knows that Stewart House is a terrible place and vows to protect Shauna while she’s working there.

This cast of characters and their interactions (fighting, name-calling, secrets, and lies)carry the plot. Everyone has an agenda, and readers learn that not everyone is telling the truth… or is exactly what they seem. Ashton wants to become respectable, Colin wants him disowned, Minerva wants Shauna gone, Shauna wants to stay out of trouble, and Joshua just wants some peace.

Writing the twists and turns of the mystery was a lot of fun. When the new servant, Lila, goes missing in the middle of the night, Shauna is convinced someone in the house killed her. But who?Shauna is a clever amateur sleuth, and when she starts to solve the mystery, she realizes that she’s in danger.

The book has a“Dark Shadows” feel to it. A mysterious house, a strange family, everyone has secrets… In fact, several of the character names in the book (Colin, Joshua, and Minerva) appeared inthe original “Dark Shadows”series.

I hope you enjoyed this look at the making of Dangerous Indenture.I welcome comments and questions from readers. Be sure to follow my blog for the latest updates and visit me on social media.

Happy Reading,                                                   

Kelli A. Wilkins

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 9 mystery/thriller/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror, mystery, and thriller fiction.

Her latest book, The Route 9 Stalker, was published in January 2026. This mystery/thriller is set in Central NJ and follows Detective Jim Rourke on a disturbing new case. Meet him for the first time in The Route 9 Killer.

Kelli’s 24th romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in 2025.

​

In 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list, social media links, and more.

 

Series Spotlight/Giveaway: The Occult Series by Lauren Louise Hazel

 

A shuddering, thrilling urban fantasy series

The Reign of the Occult

The Occult Series Book 1

by Lauren Louise Hazel

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

The Reign of the Occult is a shuddering, thrilling, urban fantasy for Young Adults. Filled with hair raising chases through shadowy streets, frightening fights and mind-blowing magic, it's sure to keep many a different genre loving reader happy.

The battle between the Underworld, full of darkness, and the Overworld, full of light, has been evenly balanced for millennia. Caught between them is the mortal world, where humans have become so afraid of a magic they cannot understand or control that they allow the Occult to rule them. After the Occult joins forces with the Underworld, the balance shifts and the Overworld is decimated.

But still, in the mortal world, the magic won’t die. It appears when a supernatural being and a human have a child, like Prue.

This is the first volume in an epic new fantasy series that spans the three richly detailed worlds as Prue, her non-magical half-brother Everett, and all Magic Users, fight to survive. They are being hunted by the Occult, who turn the Magic Users they capture into tools to eliminate their own kind and, eventually, to destroy all traces of magic.

 

Universal Link * Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

 

Chapter 1 – Run

“Prue!” Everett gasped, unable to disguise the desperation in his voice. His legs were aching, his lungs burning, and his heart was pounding erratically in his chest – a reminder that, despite everything, he was still alive.

Maybe not for much longer.

He wheezed, attempting to inhale more air, but from the weakness in his legs, he knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

“Prue! Which way?” he cried, casting a panicked glance at his sister. He imagined he could hear them, the cocking of their guns, drawing near. Every flicker of movement in the streetlight, every sound, felt magnified, as though even the shadows were poised and ready to pounce.

“Both ways are blocked,” Prue replied at last, her feet pounding the pavement beside Everett, faltering only as they approached the junction. She frowned, eyelashes fluttering, and clenched her fists, her nails leaving angry red indentations in the palms of her hands. She was very pale.

“What are you talking about?” Everett gasped, slowing to a canter.

“Nothing is certain.”

Everett, while used to his sister’s cryptic remarks, was not in the mood for games. “That’s not helping!” he cried, skidding to a halt as they reached the turning. He cast a glance over his shoulder. “Are we going left, or right?”

Prue froze and her eyes did too, as they often were when she saw things nobody else could. “I told you,” she said, in a detached tone. “Both ways are blocked.”

Everett cocked the gun he’d held loosely in his palm, trying to ignore the way it slipped slightly in his grasp, dampened by his sweat-slick skin. “Does that mean we’re dead either way?” he asked, with a carelessness he didn’t quite feel. He checked his ammunition, if only to busy his shaking hands, knowing it would probably make little difference in the end. Maths had never been his strong point, but he knew one gun against hundreds were never favourable odds.

“They’re coming,” Prue informed her brother, although she did not meet his eyes. She was staring into the blackness at the other end of the street; Everett followed her gaze, but as always, saw nothing.

“Where—?” he began, before freezing. He couldn’t see, only hear, the rapid pounding of footsteps along a cobbled street. Low at first, the sound was growing louder, clear in the otherwise silent night. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up in warning. “Ok, you’re right,” he conceded, in a generous tone, “They’re coming! No foresight needed for that. Which way do we go?”

Prue shook her head, dark hair clinging to her bowed face, her eyes crunched in concentration. She was covered in sweat.

“Wait— wait—” Everett muttered, in a panicked breath, realising his sister was going to be of no help. He could see them now, shadows moving in the darkness, emerging at the end of the street. The Officers of the Occult. He shot three times in quick succession – one, two, three – and something must have found its mark, from the strangled cry of pain that followed. They were still alive, then. Good.

Everett had only a moment to feel relief before the others swarmed. They were closing in on them. Although in range, they had yet to fire a single shot; as he expected, their aim was to capture, not to kill.

“Something is changing,” Prue said from beside Everett. She clutched her head, fisting her fingers into her hair, as though physically trying to remove something from her mind. “Another factor is clouding things. His choices are unclear. He’s conflicted already.”

“Prue!” Everett cried, trying to pick something of use from her incoherent ramblings. He pushed her sideways, behind the wall of a garden and out of sight – at least for the moment. They were running out of time – the Officers would be upon them in less than a minute, and then there would be no escape. “Pick a way! Which way has more chance of survival?”

Prue gazed up at the sky, but she was seeing nothing. “Left,” she replied at last, “Maybe he will spare us.”

Without taking a second to contemplate what his sister might mean, Everett grabbed her slippery hand and pulled, turning a sharp left, the Officers of the Occult temporarily vanishing from view. 

Guest Post with Lauren Louise Hazel: My Author Story

As a kid, my dad would always take my sister and I to Waterstones. He always said that the only thing he would always buy us, would be books. While my sister was more interested in numbers, I was more interested in creative subjects. My mum bought me a first edition of Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, which would be worth a fortune if my cousin hadn’t torn out the front page. I’m still mad about it… 

During school, my friends and I were obsessed with fantasy shows and novels, which has never faded. We used to have sleepovers, watch Buffy and Angel all night long. We also saw every Harry Potter in the cinema – at least a dozen times when they first came out and theorised about the ending of the books. I read the books so fast that I always knew the endings before everyone else, and everyone was mad when my sister told them that Dumbledore is murdered by Snape before anyone else got to it. 

I started writing more seriously in 2010. During my first year at university, I had health issues and had to have an operation. In the following months of recovery, I was reading a lot and decided to write something. I was stuck indoors and so I wanted to do something more productive. I chose to start a fantasy novel, because that is what I loved. I had read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and I wanted to capture a modern world, but with a magical twist. 

The Reign of the Occult was born. The first in The Occult Series, it’s a fast-paced urban fantasy. In the Mortal Realm, magic is outlawed and hunted by a mysterious and sinister organisation called The Occult. The protagonist is Prue, a girl who is cursed to see the future but never to change it. At the time, a female lead in a fantasy adventure was reasonably rare. The Hunger Games had just come out, which I loved, and the genre boomed following its release. Like me, a lot of writers followed suit and it’s much more mainstream now. 

I took inspiration from Dante’s Inferno to create the 3 different worlds. I was studying history at university, so I’m really interested in myths and legends, and I included myths from all over the world to create the Demons in The Underworld and The Fae in The Overworld. The Occult in the Mortal Realm is grounded much more in reality – based on dictatorships I had studied, including The Third Reich. A big part of the story is the teenagers overcoming incredible odds to defeat evil. I absolutely love this theme in The Lord of the Rings, that you don’t need great power to overcome great evil. 

The theme of teenagers fighting to reclaim their freedom and discover their own power, is present in all my stories. It’s something that comes from my own experiences, overcoming health issues and pushing through against the odds. 

Following the original release of The Reign of the Occult, I was in a significant road accident, and I had ongoing injuries. I had to pause my plans to release the second book in the series, The Queen of the Underworld.

 Since then, I’ve worked hard on my recovery. One, not to lose my day job. And two, to get The Queen of the Underworld completed. The editing was very difficult with my injuries, but I did not give up. I completed the edits and released the second book in 2024. 

Now, I’m fighting fit and ready for my next series, The Tarot Series. The first novel is called The Book of Wands and it’s due for release in 2026. The protagonist, a girl named Olivia, inherits a Tarot Book following the death of her grandmother, which she claimed could predict Past, Present and Future… I picked a female protagonist, which I could relate most to, and had the Tarot Deck be passed down through the female line. I think it’s important for young women to understand and claim their own power. 

Pieces I have removed from the main piece, placed here – keep these so that you can use in your newsletters and content marketing: 

Her brother Everett is her protector – although he doesn’t possess any powers, he is street smart and savvy. The story is their journey through the 3 worlds – The Mortal Realm, The Underworld and The Overworld – fleeing from The Occult. My sister claims that Everett is based on my baby brother, Ben, but I did not realise that while I was writing it. 

It took me about 8 years in total to finish The Reign of the Occult. I started working for a small company in HR, and eventually asked me to move over and build their security function from scratch. While personally I’m much more creative – interested in Art, History and English – my job is much more technical. I’m a Cyber Security Manager now in a role that is mostly dominated by men. It has been a successful career, and I’ve done the writing on the side. It was only during Covid, when I didn’t have to travel to work, that I had more time to work on the manuscript. 

I finally decided I was going to finish a book if it killed me! Once I finished the first manuscript, and realised that I could finish one, the manuscripts that followed were much, much faster. In my mind, the writing has changed from a hobby to a job and now I treat it seriously. If it’s in my calendar, then I’ll do it.

 

The Queen of the Underworld

The Occult Series Book 2

The Queen of the Underworld is the second novel in the award-winning The Occult Series by Lauren Louise Hazel.

Following the fall of The Occult and its Head, Prue receives visions of The Queen of the Underworld—a powerful Demon who was once overthrown by her allies and exiled from her homeland—rising in its place.

Prue sees that the Queen is connected to Prue’s best friend, Lily. This leads Prue and her half-brother, Everett, on their mission across worlds to destroy the Queen and save their friend. But nothing is what it seems.

The Queen is ready and waiting for them—and she will stop at nothing to secure her future and wipe out anyone who opposes her.

 

Universal Link * Amazon * Bookbub * Goodread

Lauren Louise Hazel is a Cyber Security Manager by day and writes YA fantasy by night. She has one annoying brother and younger sister. As she was growing up, the only item her dad would buy her without demanding her pocket money was books. He’s hoping the writing is successful so he can get a Ferrari!

Some of Lauren’s favourite books and influences include the classics – like Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games – and anything by Haruki Murakami and GRR Martin.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter The Occult Series Giveaway Here!

Now Available from Carrie Ann Ryan: One Quick Obsession #CageFamilySeries

 

Hudson and Scarlett are officially out in the world! Book 4 in the Cage Family series is ready for you to dive in!

If you love:

Small Town

Enemies to Lovers

Grumpy x Sunshine

Read Now: https://carrieannryan.com/books/one-quick-obsession/#order

About the book:

“Who Hurt You?”

When Hudson Cage asked those words, I shut him out just as I did the rest of those who cared for me. It’s been a year since I made one of the worst choices of my life but now I am stronger and following the path I’ve carved myself.

As manager of the Cage Resort, I want to bring the company into a new era and show the larger than life family that I am worth so much more than what my father and ex said I was.

Only to do that, I have to deal with Hudson. The man I can’t get off my mind.

And my neighbor in this small town of ours.

We fight more than we speak to one another, and his over protectiveness is starting to become far too attractive. He holds secrets within those stormy eyes and the part of me that knows it’s a mistake wants to dive deep and know more.

When one lack of control turns to another, there’s no turning back from what we could have. Yet the darkness on each of our paths are closing in.

I don’t want to love Hudson Cage, but if we don’t give in and learn to trust, we both could risk losing it all before we even have a chance.

**One Quick Obsession is an enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, small town romance featuring Hudson and Scarlett. Each book can be read as a complete standalone. An HEA is guaranteed!**

Teaser Excerpt:

I moved down the hall towards the back offices. After I slid my key card to get through security, I tried to think about all the things I needed to get done tonight. I wanted to work on my art piece, but it was turning out to be far more difficult than I thought. Maybe I would head down to Harper’s later and work on another mural. That would clear my head. And I liked my brother’s girlfriend. She might seem sweet and innocent, but she could kick anybody’s ass if they ever decided to come and hurt her family. And the Cages were now her family.

I liked her.

I could be doing art. I could be working on my house. I could be doing anything else. Instead I was at this damn resort trying to fix a doorknob that kept getting stuck.

Again, not my job, but if I kept my hands busy, I wouldn’t have nightmares. And that sounded a lot better to me.

When I got to the manager’s office though, I frowned. The door was open, not locked in place like it usually was. Scarlett was damn good with security. She was damn good at most things, which was why we always butted heads. Because I didn’t like her knowing that I thought she did a damn good job. She got all uppity and looked down at me. And I wasn’t in the mood to deal with that.

But she never left the door open.

I slid my hand in my pocket, gripping my knife, as I slowly opened the door fully. She stood there, alone, as I scanned the room, but it took me a moment to let go of the knife.

Because while she was alone, she wasn’t sitting at her desk working.

Instead the image in front of me made my jaw tense, and anger surged to the surface.

Scarlett, in all her beauty, with her light blonde hair flowing down her back, and that icy way she could put down anybody who tried to hurt her, stood in front of her mirror, her main shirt off and over the chair, in only her pants and tank top.

And there were bruises all over her. She pulled up part of her shirt since I knew she hadn’t seen me yet, and the dark bruises turning blue and green there put a metallic taste in my mouth.

“Who. Hurt. You?”

She met my gaze in the mirror, her eyes widening. Her face went deathly pale, before her jaw tensed, and that familiar snarl covered her face. She whirled, sliding down her top.

“Get out!” she yelled as she scrambled for her shirt.

I moved forward, hands at my sides. I was a good foot taller than her, and could scare the shit out of her, but it wasn’t like I could look any smaller than I was. I’d be damned if she didn’t tell me what the hell happened.

“I repeat. Who hurt you?”

 

She quickly buttoned up her blouse, her hands shaking.

“I’m fine,” she lied. Because it was a damn lie. “I went skiing and hurt myself. I was just checking the bruises.”

I leaned forward and reached out to grip her chin. My breath caught as the bruise on the side of her jaw had only just now revealed itself to me when she turned.

And she flinched. Fucking flinched.

I let my hand drop, and I told myself to breathe. “Don’t fucking lie to me.”

“And maybe you should just get over yourself. I don’t owe you any answers. Get out. You may own this place, but you don’t own me. Get out, get out, get out, get out.”

She repeated the words over and over again, before her knees went weak, and tears slid down her face.

I had never once seen Scarlett Blair crack. Not in all the times that we’d yelled at each other, fought, or poked at each other just because we knew we could handle it.

And that scared me more than anything.

I reached out and caught her before she hit the ground and held her to my chest.

Because I knew exactly who had done this.

About the Cage Family Series:

Seven brothers find out their father had a secret family. Now there are a whole new set of Cage siblings no one is prepared for.
Forced to have dinner once a month to keep the company in tact and not let the small town of Cage Lake go under, the Cages are in for some trouble.

If they fail, thousands lose their jobs and others could lose their lives.
If they succeed…their world will change forever.

Family Secrets. A Family-Owned Small Town. Grumpy Heroes. Unstoppable Heroines.
This is the Cage Family.

When a dark secret derails the family’s plans for the future, the Cage brothers are faced with a new problem:
They aren’t the only Cages in town.
Now there’s double the trouble. Triple the angst. And the Cage family better step up.
Or they might just lose everything.
Including the HEAs they didn’t know they were missing.

You first meet the Cages in Best Friend Temptation. These are Ford’s brothers.
Each book is a complete stand alone with an HEA.
The series is ongoing

About the Author:

Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Talon Pack, Promise Me, and Elements of Five series, which have sold millions of books worldwide. She's the winner of a RT Book of the Year and a Prism Award in her genres. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over one hundred novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.

Website: https://carrieannryan.com/

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