Tricky Wild Wednesday October 20, 2021
The trickiest part is which book to choose first.
Wild Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Each week we bring you a list of books from not only LMBPN authors, but also friends of ours, that are on sale! Here’s a fantastic opportunity to discover some new authors or some exciting books you may not have seen yet.
Most of these books are FREE in Kindle Unlimited, but all are on sale today.
Please remember to double-check the price before you one-click.
Damian’s Chronicles Complete Series Boxed Set:
After a long time with mercenaries, his church has called their demon-possessed priesthom
Included in this set: Crucifix, Renegade, Apostle, Upgrad
It was going to be quiet, calm, and… Oh wait, it’s actually thedemon apocalypse.
With incursions, hauntings, and poltergeists to take care of, Damian is one of the only priests his church can call on.
Snag This Deal
Her Paranormal Majesty’s Secret Service Complete Series Omnibus:
In 1901, Queen Victoria passed away, and took over the responsibilities of the Paranormal Court. When Victoria ascends to the Paranormal Throne, she acquires the help of a human agent, code-named Rogue. For well over a hundred years, this human has helped settle problems between the normal and the paranormal worlds. Usually with massive displays of attitude and disrespect. And a really, really bodacious set of…guns. Now, Rogue has been sent to the Colonies to help stop a paranormal revolution.
Included in this boxed set: Rogue, Renegade, Rebel,Rebellion, Battle, Truce, Agents, Agreements, Aggravations
Echo Breakers:
The world must change. Unless a person can create a new world and disappear into it, an echo world, reverberating with the sounds of one’s own dreams. But like a dream, they aren’t real. Who can see the unreal, the real, the fantastic, and the mundane?Those who were born in the dreamland and brought to the real world. A part of them is forever elsewhere. It makes them special.
Who has the emotional range, from atmospheric highs to the depths of despair and all points in between to best deal with the unreal? The young, that’s who. Twelve-year-old Ravlen has to grow up too soon, to save those who can’t save themselves. She’s not ready, but she goes anyway. Into the echo, where she has to find herself as much as the lost souls within.
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The Slab:
A skull in a fire pit. A man who can’t remember his murders. A woman snatched off the street, then set free only to be hunted down like an animal—until she becomes the hunter.
When these threads wind together, the result is unstoppable suspense and unforgettable horror. In the grim days following 9/11, three veterans of different wars are drawn together in one of the most remote, forbidding areas of the California desert. As serial killers ply their deadly trade and an ancient evil grows beneath desert sands, these three must discover the terrifying bond they share and learn to harness its power—before the darkness spreads and the world they know is gone forever.
Call To Arms:
Capernica is invaded. Locals are conscripted into the militia. How can a conscientious objector carry a rifle and still uphold his convictions? Capernica has welcomed the Taymon family, refugees who follow the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. First and foremost is that Assisians will not take another life.
When the planet is invaded, Harris Taymon is conscripted into the planetary militia against his will. He knows he owes a deep sense of loyalty to the planet, but can he bear arms against the enemy with intent to kill?
Snag This Deal
Afterthoughts and Daydreams:
What do you get when you combine boredom, creativity and teenage years with a healthy dose of winning contests with poetry?
A collection of poems nicely wrapped into a book.
A collection of 30 poems falling into the categories of Life and Love, Everything in Between, and Death and Destruction, four essays from writing exercises and a short story fill the pages of this book.
If you’re looking for inspiration, motivation or perhaps something to help you cope with the loss of a loved one, this book is for you.
The Changing Wind:
He was called White Buffalo, and he would be the greatest medicine man the People had ever known. The spirit of the ancient gods beat in him like a savage drum – a mystical power as old as the land, as primeval as primitive man himself. But even as he fought to lead his people out of the darkness of the Stone Age, his world trembled on the brink of a great and terrible transformation.
It would be a century swept by the inevitable winds of change; a time when ignorant, evil men like the warrior Gray Wolf of the Head-Splitters would seek bloody vengeance, and when one man would fight against all odds to save his tribe and his heritage from brutal destruction.
Snag This Deal
Detective Fey Croaker:
Her personal life is in shambles, but no cop does it better than Fey Croaker – as she fights for respect in the L.A.P.D. . . . and for justice in a city on the edge.
With her integrity, freedom, and life on the line, Fey Croaker is about to unleash all the anger inside her—and nobody better get in her way…
The Complete Detective Fey Croaker Series delivers a knock-out punch from an author who combines the hard-earned authority of the professional police officer with the narrative gift of the born storyteller.
Hand-Picked Promotions Just for You
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New Beginnings Snippet for The Barbarian Princess Book 1
Holy Terror: Barbarian Princess Book 1
Cassandra is on her own now after fighting alongside Skharr DeathEater. Missing some of the benefits of that arrangement she is now left without supplies or a Horse. Can she begin a new life on her own?
1 – “I blame you for this.”
Strider tossed his mane but showed no other response to her words.
“There must surely have been dozens of work opportunities to be found farther south,” Cassandra muttered and settled a little deeper into the saddle as she studied their surroundings again.
She wasn’t sure why she did that, except perhaps as a matter of instinct and habit. Hundreds of checks over the last few days had revealed nothing but trees and the odd squirrel. Aside from the road, of course, that had been so long neglected that it did not appear to have been repaired even once. After only a few more years, calling it a road would be an insult to all other proper roads.
“But no,” she continued, even though she was sure Strider had no intention to speak to her. “I let Skharr go to Verenvan while I found myself a different calling. It seems my choice has me wandering the reaches of the north of the empire, looking for business that in no way befits a barbarian princess.”
The damn horse still had nothing to say and she had begun to feel she was going mad from the lack of anything in the region. It had been ravaged by war and she had anticipated from the reports that it would be crawling with deserters and those criminals who generally plagued populated areas that had recently seen the effects of a sustained campaign.
By the time she reached one of the closest villages in the area, she realized that she was almost a year too late to help the folk in the region. Whether it was by soldiers—imperial or otherwise—or bandits of any kind, the village had been burned to the ground. All that remained was cold ashes and the signs of the living folk had made in the area.
The scene had repeated itself a few more times until she realized that she needed to travel farther north and away from the effects of the war. Or at least far enough away that it hadn’t completely destroyed any chance at life.
“Fine, you don’t need to say anything,” Cassandra said and patted Strider on the neck. “I am happy for the company regardless of how engaging it might happen to be. I do wish we could have the rapport the other barbarian had with his horse but he never did say how he communicated with horses, only that he did. And I am still not sure whether he was lying or not.”
Her instincts preferred to believe he hadn’t lied. Perhaps it was merely the fact that he had been a barbarian for longer than she had. There were numerous reasons why a real barbarian would feel a little more in tune with animals than paladins.
She had thought about asking Skharr but in the end, it was likely that he would have simply fed her a handful of thoughts on the matter and left it to her to decide, given that he probably wasn’t entirely sure himself.
It wasn’t like Skharr to lie. Not as far as she knew him, anyway, and it made little difference. The only reason she considered it was because her mind was dulled and drained to the point of agony thanks to the unyielding boredom that prevailed over the landscape.
The only good thing to be attributed to the area was that the weather and temperatures were somewhat agreeable. The season was on the edge between summer and fall, which allowed her to camp comfortably without needing to build a shelter, and it hadn’t rained for most of the journey aside from a little drizzle here and there. When it did, she surmised there would be real difficulty as the road she now traveled on would turn into a river of mud that would stick incessantly to her boots and Strider’s hooves.
Cassandra knew her luck wouldn’t last. Hell, she wasn’t sure if she could call what was happening around them luck. Thankfully, water sources were plentiful in the area. They looked like they had once been drained dry by the armies that had marched through but had since recovered.
In fact, through the lack of any human presence, the whole region had begun to revert to wilderness. It would make the Northeastern Pass almost unreachable if something wasn’t done. Perhaps the Emperor could turn his attention to the necessary repairs to the roads across his empire.
They approached another bridge across a small river and she slid off the saddle.
“I suppose you’ll understand if I tell you to stay still and not run off anywhere?” she asked and patted Strider’s neck again. “If you were to run and take all my supplies with you, that would truly be the end of the world. For me, at least.”
Not that she had many supplies for the beast to run off with. She’d managed to stave off using them by gathering roots and berries and added the odd creature she managed to trap or fish for. She was the veteran of many a campaign and had collected skills that allowed her to survive in the wilderness without needing to rely on rations.
The bridge—possibly erected by a passing army—looked relatively intact and it appeared to be strong enough to take the weight of Strider and herself, but there was no point in putting that assumption to the test without making sure of it.
She advanced on the planks and watched the river below carefully. It didn’t move too quickly, nor did it appear too deep to ford, but this close to the mountains, she could assume the water was ice-cold.
It looked clear enough for her to see the rocks below. This was certainly a good place for her to refill her water skins and maybe try a little fishing before she moved on.
Once she was on the other side.
“All right, I think it’ll hold our weight,” she muttered once she’d tested the strength of the beams a few times by jumping on them before she returned to where Strider waited for her and browsed a few scant patches of grass. “And if it doesn’t, we’ll have ourselves a nice refreshing bath. From the smell of you, I would say you need it.”
Cassandra might have been losing her mind but it almost felt like the beast had rolled his eyes at her.
The thought made her smile even if it was a little far-fetched. She took him by the reins and began to lead him across the bridge. The timber below them groaned a few times when the horse put his weight on the structure but gave no sign that it would splinter and collapse as they continued.
“I’ve wondered if it might be time to call on Theros for a little help,” she muttered to distract her mind from the noises the wood was making. “Probably not. He isn’t the kind of god to appear when I need something to do and if he were, he would give me the kind of work that we would most certainly regret. This isn’t what I planned but by Janus’ puckered hairy ass, I’ll take anything at this point. Even a glorious death.”
Strider snorted although she wasn’t sure if it was simply a noise he made or if he had laughed derisively at her comment.
She chose to believe it was the latter as they reached the other side of the bridge.
Before she could unhook the saddlebags and start setting up a small camp, she was interrupted by the sounds of fighting from over the next hill. She hadn’t heard it over the rushing water but once she had moved past the river, she immediately recognized the noise made by those locked in some kind of conflict. Not much else in the world would produce the sounds of clashing steel and wood, along with cries from what she could only assume were humans at this point.
Not many elves or dwarves were left in the region, but she always ran into one or the other during her travels so she didn’t discount them.
“I didn’t pray but maybe the old bastard heard me anyway.” Cassandra chuckled as she mounted quickly. Strider could feel her excitement and perhaps the gelding shared it at the prospect of something—anything—to break the boredom that had plagued them for too long.
Either way, he was more than willing to surge into a gallop at the slightest encouragement and raced over the hill to where the sounds were coming from.
This wasn’t what she had thought the problem in the region would be. Ideas of scouts and armies had stuck in her mind but all she saw was a group of folk on foot under attack by brigands. None of the beleaguered travelers were warriors save one, a massive man with a thick, bushy black beard. His only weapon appeared to be a quarterstaff but he used it effectively to prevent the half-dozen or so mounted raiders from attacking the rest of their group.
He wouldn’t last long, however. She could already see his arms dripping red from the many wounds they had inflicted on him. The raiders didn’t appear to take the challenge very seriously and laughed when he pushed them back. One swiped a cut across his shoulder that made him stumble.
“Son of a whore,” Cassandra whispered and shook off the miles of travel that had brought her to this road, She heeled Strider into motion and drew her sword from its scabbard on her saddle. They would hear the sound of it as well as the galloping horse. Even though it sacrificed any surprise she might take advantage of, it was worthwhile as long as it kept the raiders from hurting anyone else.
They turned their horses when they heard a new arrival but did not appear to be overly concerned. It was only one rider and not one who was heavily armed or armored for that matter, and they simply chuckled and trotted their horses forward.
Cassandra made a point to not meet them with overconfidence. Skharr could walk around like nothing in the world could hurt him, but the moment her focus waned was the moment when something stabbed her in the back.
She shifted in the saddle and a lance sailed past her chest, and her blade flicked outward. The speed and power from her and Strider allowed the sword to cut cleanly through the attacker’s neck and his head thumped on the road. His horse advanced a few more steps and neighed nervously when its headless rider dropped lifelessly from the saddle.
Another lance was thrust toward her chest and Cassandra moved again, this time to parry it and push it upward. She twisted her wrist and the raider fell back with a scream, his hand suddenly no longer connected to his arm. Without so much as a second thought, the former paladin leaned in and sliced the blade of her sword across the raider’s unprotected neck. A warm spray of blood caught her on her arms and shoulders and the man dropped from his saddle, clutching a wound that was too deep to stem the bleeding.
The other brigands immediately realized that they had made a mistake. A rough-sounding order was issued and they reined their mounts in, unsure of what to make of the woman who had appeared from nowhere and killed two of their men.
Taking advantage of their hesitation was necessary, but probably not in the way they anticipated. Cassandra brought Strider around, clicked her tongue, and let him trot to where the folk were watching, unsure of what to make of her as well.
She slid her sword into its scabbard and slipped smoothly from the saddle. The beast came to a halt on his own as she approached the man who now leaned on his quarterstaff.
“You’re rather handy with that, aren’t you?” she asked, her steps slow and cautious.
“Not as handy as you are with that sword,” he answered in a deep, rumbling voice. “Who sent you?”
“Would you believe me if I told you I was merely traveling the road?”
“No one travels this road,” the man answered.
Cassandra looked to where the raiders had gathered closer together and tried to decide what to do. If they attacked as one, there would be no way for her to counter them.
“Have a care,” she said and placed her hands on his shoulder over the wound. “This might sting a little.”
“What might—ah!”
The man growled as the magic slipped from her fingers and into his body and immediately began to heal the wounds he had suffered. He knew how to keep the horsemen at bay, which was something she would need in this fight.
“Are…are you a mage?” he asked and attempted to look at where his shoulders were healing.
“Of a kind. I used to be a paladin.”
“To what god?”
She opened her mouth to reply but moved back quickly and drew her sword. “Now might not be the time for introductions.”
He turned and scowled at the raiders, who had decided not to wait any longer and now began to push their horses forward again. Cassandra wished she’d thought to take one of the lances or had mounted Strider again.
Her eyes narrowed, she watched the brigands as they advanced on the travelers but instead of rushing to where Cassandra and the warrior stood, they rode to where the others were unguarded. It appeared they were no longer in the mood to fight and instead, approached the defenseless travelers, who quickly backed away with terrified screams.
“No,” she whispered and raced forward. “No, no, no!”
They ignored her, grasped Strider’s reins, and pulled him with them. The beast did not put up much of a fight and merely snorted and tossed his mane before he acquiesced and joined them as they rode away.
“Those shit-stains!” Cassandra shouted, hurled her sword ahead, and grimaced as it spun and sank into the ground well short of where she had aimed it. If there was ever a time to have a massive barbarian with a damned bow that could pick the shits off from a distance, it was now.
She could only glower at their backs as they rode away with all her food, supplies, and her portion of the dragon’s treasure. The worst part was that they didn’t yet know how lucky they were to find such extraordinary spoils.
“They are gone,” the warrior said and joined her as she trudged frustratedly to retrieve her sword, almost the only possession she still had in the world. She had the armor of a barbarian princess under her leathers, of course, plus her clothes and the weapons she had strapped onto her person.
All else was gone.
There was a time when material possessions didn’t mean much to her. Now, however, she was traveling and stuck in the middle of nowhere and had no idea whether she would be able to survive with a sword and her wits.
“Well, we have our lives,” the warrior said with a firm nod. “For a moment before you arrived, we feared we would not have those.”
Unfortunately, the raiders had taken the horses of their dead comrades as well, although they had left the bodies. She moved to where they lay and searched them quickly. There was little in the way of coin or food but their weapons were of good quality at least. They were probably deserters or perhaps they’d managed to steal weapons and armor from soldiers.
The warrior followed her and helped to hold the bodies. “You still haven’t told us your name.”
Cassandra looked up and realized that the other travelers had moved closer as well. They appeared a little unsure of her and whispered amongst themselves as they shook their heads.
“You’ve not told me yours,” she answered and took a dagger from a brigand’s belt as well as his lance, along with a small purse that had a few coppers in it.
“I am Caephas. These folk have been without a home and I offered to show them means and opportunity in these lands that have been mostly abandoned.”
“A soldier?”
“Aye. A lifetime ago, I fought under the emperor’s banner. I fulfilled my oath but abandoned all I had to help those in need as penance for my misdeeds.”
She glanced at the man and his silver eyes locked onto her for a moment. “Not many soldiers feel guilt over what they do for lord and land.”
“Not many soldiers did what I did.”
“Fair enough.” She offered him her hand and he took it at the wrist in a warrior’s grip. “I am Cassandra.”
“Cassandra. The Paladin of Theros?”
“No longer.” She hefted one of the lances. “I strongly recommend you teach the folk to use these. You’d be surprised how effective a spear is against mounted warriors, even with little training.”
Caephas took the weapon she offered. “And yet you are here, protecting the people who worship him.”
“By chance, I assure you,” she insisted but she could tell that her assurances fell on deaf ears. The men, women, and children were already whispering about how a servant of Theros had been sent to assist them.
They were half-right, at least. Technically, she was a barbarian to the god but she doubted that these people would understand the significance of that.
“You’ll have to allow us to thank you for your help at least,” Caephas stated once she had finished searching the bodies. “We don’t have much but what supplies we can spare are yours. And a warm meal besides, I think.”
As much as Cassandra wanted to pursue the assholes who took Strider, she knew running after them wouldn’t bring anything worthwhile and she would likely simply find herself tired and dying of hunger and thirst after a few days.
“I won’t decline a warm meal,” she answered with a smile. “Although it should be said that I didn’t ask for Theros’ help, whatever the reason. And who the fuck helps by having a horse laden with treasure stolen?”
The people began to head to the river to set up camp for the night.
“He might have a plan that rewards you with more than you lost,” Caephas suggested with a shrug.
“I won’t wager my life on that,” Cassandra answered and looked around suddenly. Either the madness had touched her again or maybe soft laughter drifted on the wind for some other reason.
The voice was difficult to ignore, however, and she was sure it said, “You’re welcome.”
“Maybe Janus isn’t the only ass in the family,” she muttered and resisted the urge to shudder as she moved to join the rest of her newfound companions.
No! Not Strider! Take the things but leave the horse. Cassandra can obviously handle herself in battle but is left at a serious disadvantage. What adventure is about to unfold? She has to go after the brigands right?! Find out when Holy Terror: Barbarian Princess Book 1 is released October 21, 2021. In the meantime go and pre-order it today.
Innovative Week in Review October 10 – 16, 2021
New series, creative twists and turns, these books have it all.
Week in Review October 10 – 16, 2021
Discover New Books Here: Week in Review
Cry Havoc:
If no good deed goes unpunished, what will a lifetime of doing Uncle Sam’s dirty work cost a person? Pain and Agony have hardly cemented their new partnership as “investigative problem solvers” when SISTER comes poking around and raising all kinds of hell. Accusations flying left and right, the dysfunctional duo are back at it.
But can they solve a murder, a kidnapping, and a matter of national security, all in the space of one week? Murder, mayhem, and a societal meltdown are all in a day’s work for our pair, but to top it off, they get hit in the room and board department. Hey, when it rains, it pours. For high speed, ultra-violent, madcap one-lining, plot-twisting action, you can’t do better than grabbing a can of your favorite drink, your favorite reading chair, and a little Pain and Agony.
Read Now
The Return of Raven:
Raven has grown up and graduated from Fowler Academy. The young witch and the fierce red dragon, Leander are heading out into the wide open world. Raven is taking on the responsibilities of a WarMage – just like her mother – and has joined the corps. Time to get ready for whatever the world throws at her and the kingdom of Lomberdoon.
Something is affecting the dragons, wild and tame. A few have turned up crazed, spitting fire and ice, right before they die. Did the creepy crawly monsters of her childhood leave one last poisonous gift behind? Can Dr. Welby find out what’s causing it and create a cure before it’s too late? And Raven’s grandfather, Connor, is still missing. Can the frenemy, Bella and her private company track him down for Raven – in exchange for a favor, of course.
Discovering Morgana:
The future has amazing technology. Our alien allies have magic. Together, we are building a training system to teach the best of humanity to go to the stars. But the training is monumentally expensive. Stephanie Morgana is a genius, she just doesn’t know it.
The Artificial Intelligence which runs the Virtual World is charged with testing Stephanie, a task it has never performed before. The Earth and their allies, may never be the same again. Will Stephanie pass the test and be moved to the advanced preparatory schools, or will the system miss her? Will the AI be able to judge a human’s potential in an area where it has no existing test data to compare?
Read Now
Alien Scourge:
Charley and Angelina have a lot to deal with. Do they help their friend or turn him in for being an alien? In some situations, you don’t know how you will react until someone tries to kill you… And your alien friend keeps you safe. Angelina’s boyfriend believes she will come back with the right amount of coercion if he gets rid of her “friend.” Charley is willing to come along for the ride and the chance to do what he does best.
Terry must realize that humans have free will and do not react well when you make decisions for them. He can’t protect those who want to protect him, so what does Terry do?Nothing intelligent until he deals with Angelina’s feelings. It might just be better to face the alien without his pistol. When you make friends on an alien planet, sometimes your emotions come along for a ride you didn’t expect.
Clawing for Battle:
How many times can the evilest dragon who ever lived come back? At least one more, it seems, and it’s all hands on deck as the Steel Guard musters to fight him. As if that wasn’t enough, a new variation of Pixie Dust, a dragon drug that makes dragons act like they’re felines on catnip, can make humans explode—after they turn into dragons.
Is the evilest dragon involved in that too? Even if he isn’t, they can’t ignore that humans-turned-dragons are wreaking havoc in one city after another. They need to put a stop to it.
Will the wits and battle prowess of the Steel Guard be sufficient to stop all this?
Read Now
Call The Shots:
Dragonriders need to come together. The problem is, they’ve been separated for too long. And one evil man has used this to his advantage.
While the Dragon Elite have been in hiding, training at the Gullington, Thad Reinhart has been plotting their demise. Now it’s time for his plans to come to fruition. Unless Sophia Beaufont and the Dragon Elite can learn what he’s up to and stop him.
Or will Thad Reinhart’s magitech do the one thing every dragonrider fears most? Continue the adventure and find out if Sophia and the Elite can save the dragon population.
Innovative New Books Here: Week in Review
Trick-or-Treat Yo’ Self to a $50 Amazon Gift Card
Witches’ Brew Fan’s Pricing Saturday October 16, 2021
Check out the amazing deals that are brewing this weekend!
Fans’ Pricing Saturday, October 16, 2021
Note: We requested the price changes from Amazon on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, they don’t change all of the prices at one time. Please double-check the price before clicking “Buy”.
All of these new releases are 99c for one day only!
And they are also available for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Grab them today before the prices go up!
A Cold War
Discovering Morgana
Alien Scourge
Dogma of War
The Witches of Pressler Street Complete Boxed Set
Cry Havoc
The Return of Raven
Trick-or-Treat Yo’ Self to a $50 Amazon Gift Card
If you see this message after October 16th and want to be notified of future price promotions, please sign up for our email list at www.lmbpn.com/about/email.
Wicked Wild Wednesday October 13, 2021
Wicked Awesome Deals!
Wild Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Each week we bring you a list of books from not only LMBPN authors, but also friends of ours, that are on sale! Here’s a fantastic opportunity to discover some new authors or some exciting books you may not have seen yet.
Most of these books are FREE in Kindle Unlimited, but all are on sale today.
Please remember to double-check the price before you one-click.
The Witches of Pressler Street:
Witches are being murdered in Austin. But how do you put the monster back in the vault? The three witches of Pressler Street are the city’s only hope but they are running out of time. A deadly creature has been locked away for millennia in plain sight. But big sister, Laura accidentally set the creature free and no one remembers how to put it back. Find the witch-killer and stop its path of destruction on Austin. But what spell to use? Can the sisters figure it out?
Better hurry! He’s gunning for the Hadstrom sisters first. Time to come together and finally learn how to blend their unique powers into something new. Can the sisters come together to save their fellow witches and save themselves?
Enjoy This Deal
Living Dead Girl:
Serafina Raider did not volunteer for the job of ghost hunter. Instead she was murdered and magically returned to her body to take up the role of defending the world against evil spirits.
But in BLACK SNOW she does accept the task of hunting down a serial killer even if ghost hunters are specifically forbidden from interfering in mortal affairs. In BAD WOLF, Serafina must take on the escaped ghost she has tracked and trapped before. Only this time the danger is worse. In CAGED GLASS Sera knows she must finally defeat the ghost of her mother. Sera would rather be running a restaurant instead of ghost hunting with her partners, Devan and Tony. But defeating the ghost with traditional methods proves impossible.
Battleship Leviathan:
A derelict warship, ancient but still alive. A small team of humans fighting for all humanity. Built for a time when the races were just finding their way to the stars, finding that they could dominate others. The galactic conquests created the arms race and the ancients, the Progenitors had to protect their own. They built a ship to drive the others away. It worked. And it didn’t. The Progenitors abandoned the galaxy to the newcomers, leaving relics behind as monuments to their failure.
Humanity spread to the stars and ran headlong into the established races. A new war begins, and no one conducts war better than humanity except for the Blaze Collective. The two go head-to-head while humanity frantically searches for something to give them an advantage. Ancient technology. The derelicts scattered across the galaxy. Gutted and useless.
Enjoy This Deal
Just John:
In return for his freedom, a slave is tasked with the job of delivering a valuable stallion to a horse farm in Tennessee. The Civil War is dying down and the roads are dangerous but with some help the horse is delivered and the slave sees freedom.
Wishing to be freed from any remembrance of the slave farm, John has a last name that he refuses to use. John’s skill with horses opens doors for him which eventually take him to Fort Worth, Texas. More open doors, over a period of years, find him on a cattle drive to Montana, followed by a second drive into Alberta, Canada. From there, he chooses the name Ware. John Ware stays in Alberta, where he becomes a much loved and respected Alberta rancher.
Devoir:
It seems like a simple assignment for two experienced Special Space Agents. On Affix, one of the two moons of Viridis, the most distant planet in the human-explored and inhabited part of the universe, Monterrey and Xiaobo, two agents of the Federal Bureau of Space Investigation, are hunting a fugitive. The FBSI agents expect to get the job done quickly. Until it turns out that several more parties are involved in the manhunt. And not all of these parties are human … When an ancient secret is also uncovered, a dangerous cat and mouse game is created. A game of life and death. To survive, criminals and men of the law have only one choice. They must work together to defeat the unknown enemy. Collaborate with someone they don’t trust.
Enjoy This Deal
The Traveler:
In childhood his name was Woodpecker. Now, he is the Storyteller, weaving long-ago tales and trading as he traverses the lands of the People. Married to the beautiful Plum Leaf, the Storyteller sets out on the great adventure that will be his own life. He witnesses the changes the white men have brought – the taking of scalps, the preying of brother upon brother, the knives made of shiny, smooth metal.
He journeys far and wide, to the land of the buffalo and to the heart of an enchanting young captive named Pale Star, who will be his shining light and destiny in the dark days ahead. He is known by many names to those he meets in the wilderness: Storyteller, trader, Traveler – and one day he will become a legend as the half-man, half-spirit called the Watcher.
Hand-Picked Promotions Just for You
This month we’re headed into the fantastic. Click the super-secret link below to see a hidden portal’s load of Fantasy books.If science fiction is about the possibilities, then fantasy is about impossibilities. Dragons wheeling overhead as wizards exchange fiery salvos. Swords bequeathed to unexpecting ordinary folk to set them on their road to greatness. Fantastic creatures, familiars and more.An escape from the real world into something glittering and larger than life.From Robert E. Howard to JRR Tolkien, the fantasy masters took divergent paths to deliver us where we are today.Sword and sorcery didn’t resonate in the 1930s when Conan wore the crown of Aquilonia on a troubled brow. By the 1960s, hobbits, elves, orcs, the undead, wizards, and a dragon fought an epic war beyond the understanding of common folk.Epic is the right word as small decisions led to brave actions that changed the course of fantastic histories.What do we have today? Smaller scale, grander visions, still epic and all free. Sink your teeth into this collection and find your next favorite fantasy author, right here.
There’s Fantasy in there! Come on board today and see what there is to see, find new worlds to explore and new people to befriend. October is Fantasy month, at least for the IASFA.Find your new favorite author with this massively huge selection of Fantasy books (all sub-genres) that you can try at no risk as they are all free, but only for a limited time. October 12-16. Join our newsletter and you, too, will see what there is to see.Available only from the IASFA (International Association of Science-Fiction & Fantasy Authors). You can’t get there with one click because we’re fighting the scum of the wasteland. Here is what it takes to get you to your free books.
1) click this link https://iasfa.org/get-free-books/
2) Become an Insider by filling out your name (or online persona) and email address
3) Answer the math problem because we know ravagers suck at math
4) Check your email – you should have received a confirmation email thanking you for subscribing, but you have to click on this to confirm your confirmation because we know that is the kiss of death for scum-sucking bottom feeders
5) Your subscription is confirmed! Go back to your email for the final confirmation which, during the free promotion period, will include the super-secret link that takes you into the back-end of the site where you can find incredible titles from some of the top names in the genre as well as established newcomers. If you join before the promotion timeframe, then you’ll get an email on the first day of the promotion with the super-secret link.
Trick-or-Treat Yo’ Self to a $50 Amazon Gift Card
If you see this message after October 13th and want to be notified of future price promotions, please sign up for our newsletter at www.lmbpn.com/email.
Sweet and Simple Week in Review October 3 – 9, 2021
Quality over quantity for the books released this week
Week in Review October 3 – 9, 2021
Simply Amazing New Books Here: Week in Review
Triple Cross:
Cat burglar Cassie Parker minds her own business. But when she screws up and plays Good Samaritan she finds herself on the run with Remy, her new best friend and worst enemy. In a world where the most ruthless clandestine organizations run the conspiracy theory web sites for psych experiments, Remy holds the key to global domination.
But as Cassie and Remy seek answers across the planet, eluding pursuers again and again, recruiting their deadliest enemies in a doomed alliance, Cassie sees a pattern emerge. Soon their fates will be decided, in the bowels of a fortress unbreached for over two hundred years– The Kremlin. If Remy really has a plan, couldn’t she take a couple minutes to explain it to her new partner? And assuming Remy’s plan is real, then… Who is now the hunter? And who is the prey?
Read Now
Dogma of War:
Is there anything worth dying for? Is there anything worth killing for?
I’m fighting for the people. For freedom. For humanity. My cause is just. But there’s nothing right about it. What is war but a series of tragedies that one hopes will end in victory?
Finding peace through violence is a little like trying to find chastity through promiscuity. Will the world ever find peace again? Do I want it to?
I’m addicted to the thrill of battle, and that might just kill me.
A Cold War:
Angelica Morgan went all over the world with Meiran, intervening in conflicts and learning how to wield her powers. Now she has all three parts of the Morrigan. Gran, Caroline, and Meiran are gone. Or are they? Can three old and powerful ladies who are alive only in her mind really drive her crazy? Gran wants her favorite Gin, Caroline wants pastries, and Meiran likes Glenfiddich Whisky. Will Ang die of cirrhosis or diabetes first? Oh, wait…she’s the Morrigan, so they don’t affect her.
Also, her ancient relatives pop in and give her advice when she least expects it and doesn’t want it. And another thing. Will Ang ever have an uninterrupted date with Simon? She’s trying to tell him the big secret, but everything seems to be conspiring against her. What are the chances that Simon will survive being her boyfriend?
Read Now
Score Some Sweet New Books Here: Week in Review
Trick-or-Treat Yo’ Self to a $50 Amazon Gift Card
Psychedelic Fan’s Pricing Saturday October 9, 2021
A colorful lineup of great deals!
Fans’ Pricing Saturday, October 9, 2021
Note: We requested the price changes from Amazon on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, they don’t change all of the prices at one time. Please double-check the price before clicking “Buy”.
All of these new releases are 99c for one day only!
And they are also available for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Grab them today before the prices go up!
Day Sworn
Triple Cross
Negotiate or Perish
The Holistic Creator
Birth of Magic Complete Boxed Set
Trick-or-Treat Yo’ Self to a $50 Amazon Gift Card
If you see this message after October 9th and want to be notified of future price promotions, please sign up for our email list at www.lmbpn.com/about/email.
Spooktacular Wild Wednesday October 6, 2021
It’s Scary How Good These Deals Are
Wild Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Each week we bring you a list of books from not only LMBPN authors, but also friends of ours, that are on sale! Here’s a fantastic opportunity to discover some new authors or some exciting books you may not have seen yet.
Most of these books are FREE in Kindle Unlimited, but all are on sale today.
Please remember to double-check the price before you one-click.
Birth of Magic Complete Boxed Set:
In the brief pause between apocalypses, one woman standing for honor, courage, and commitment will bring the UnknownWorld back from the brink. Civilization has fallen after the World’s Worst Day Ever. Sarah Jennifer Walton is Earth’s last hope to save humanity. Join her and the rest of Earth’s inhabitants on the journey to the Age of Magic.
Get the complete 3-book boxed set to discover how the new world unfolds after apocalypses.
Get it Today
Never a Dragon:
Dragons used to rule the world; those days are over. But humans, mages, and dragons have just begun learning to co-exist without conflict. Kylara Diamantine has never met another dragon. Raised by her mother apart from the rest of their society without any idea why, she’s always been curious about the rest of their species. She wants to get out there, to meet other dragons, to explore! To stretch her wings. Literally.
After a devastating magical attack on their home leaves Ky’s mother missing, she’s placed at a special school for her protection. A school for dragons – but this year, for the first time, mages will be attending alongside their scaley fellow students to learn more about magic and draconic powers. The attacker who stole away Kylara’s mother isn’t finished yet and turns up the heat on the school.
Tastes Like Chicken:
It’s a veritble cluster cluck! Dan Shamble, zombie P.I. faces his most fowl case yet, when a flock of murderous feral chickens terrorizes the Unnatural Quarter.
Also in the caseload, Dan deals with the sinister spokesman for Monster Chow Industries, a spreading contamination that drives vampires berserk, a serial-killer demon from the Fifth Pit of Hell, a black-market blood gang led by the nefarious Ma Hemoglobin, a ghost fighting a hostile takeover of his blood bars…and a cute little vampire girl who may, or may not, be his daughter.With his ghost girlfriend Sheyenne, his bleeding-heart lawyer partner Robin, and his Best Human Friend Officer Toby McGoohan, Dan Shamble is back from the dead and back on the case.
Get it Today
Wyrmrider Books 1-4:
Four books and more than 1400 pages of mermaids, sea dragons, vampires, and voodoo fill this urban fantasy adventure box set. You mess with this southern belle… and she’ll ring yours all the way to dinner. Joni Campbell was raised on faith, family, and chicken fried steak.
But when she falls under a dragon’s curse she has only one option. She must seek her ancestors in the merkingdom of Fomoria.
But is she the one who needs saving, or do they need her, curse and all, if they hope to save their world?
Not Alone:
We were watching the sky. They were already here.
In one harrowingly destructive instant, a mysterious seismic pulse in the Scottish Highlands rips away all semblance of global security. When peace is shattered, fear takes over.
As the pulse’s chaos spreads across the world, it becomes painfully clear that Piper McCarthy — a child born like no other — might hold humanity’s only hope of averting total disaster. But this threat isn’t coming from the stars. This time, it’s been here all along. And worst of all, the pulses are just the beginning…
Get it Today
The Quintessence:
On the world of Crucible, where humanity’s spiritual artists train to fight in a war of universal proportions, Aryc Tal Venn has the potential to be one of the gods. But when he accidentally unleashes heretical powers during his Challenge, he is forced to flee his home or face the wrath of the Inquisition. With his sister by his side, Aryc begins a quest to uncover the truth of his own existence.
Only to discover a terrible secret. A secret with the power to destroy humanity. Will Aryc master his unnatural powers in time to save the people of Crucible or will he be the harbinger of humanity’s destruction?
Curly Jack:
AN EPIC STORY OF THE JOURNEY TO JUSTICE IN THE EARLY AMERICAN WEST.
Curly Jack and his sidekick, the retired U.S. marshal Brodie Dent, just want to live peacefully and take care of their families and ranches. But bad guys keep getting in the way.
Whenever someone is in trouble, Curly and Brodie ride to the rescue and do whatever it takes to right wrongs and keep the peace.
Get it Today
Rattler’s Law:
Wild Bill Hickok may be gone, but Abilene is still a wild and woolly cow town in need of a strong marshal to bring law and order to its streets. That man is Lucas Flint . . . a legendary lawman sometimes known as the Rattler because of his swift and deadly speed with a Colt .45. Together with his deputy, dashing young gunfighter Cully Markham, Lucas Flint will take on any challenge that threatens the safety of the town and its people that he’s sworn to protect.
In this first collection of Rattler’s Law novels, Flint and Cody battle a ruthless criminal overlord who has taken over the town. A traveling circus visits Abilene, bringing with it unexpected danger. Cully finds himself at the head of a posse tracking down a gang of train robbers. Settlers want only a new place to make their homes, but a violent band of masked marauders has another idea. A half-Kiowa army scout visits Abilene, unaware that a renegade war party is on his trail.
Hand-Picked Deals Just for you!
Trick-or-Treat Yo’ Self to a $50 Amazon Gift Card
If you see this message after October 6th and want to be notified of future price promotions, please sign up for our newsletter at www.lmbpn.com/email.
Diversified Week in Review September 26 – October 2, 2021
A wide selection of new books to choose from this week. A little something for everyone!
Week in Review September 26 – October 2, 2021
Get Your New Books Here: Week in Review
Undying Queen of Ur:
Arkhalla’s name is whispered in fear across the ancient lands of Sumer. In an era consumed by the flames of countless wars, could any mortal challenge the Undying Queen who ruled from her city of Ur and live?
Young Shamath is captured when his people are slaughtered. In the midst of untold horrors committed by the city’s immortal, blood-feeding rulers, can he hold fast to his humanity as he looks death in the eye? When the cruel and beautiful Queen Arkhalla spares his life, he is wracked by inner turmoil. Is his guilt over being the last of his people left alive and the humiliation of being her body slave enough to crush the love for her that slowly takes root in his heart?
Read Now
Kdackan Vengeance:
Gage is in trouble, deep trouble. He finds himself exactly where Meehix was when John saved her. He needs his friend, desperately, or his daily dose of probing is going to become a reality. Is this the way that Gonzo Gage goes down? Or will his friend find him in time?
The general is happy to have finally caught the pain in the backside who has been causing him all sorts of trouble. Now, he just needs to figure out which hole to drop him into so he’ll never be found again. On the other side of the galaxy, a Blavarian captain doesn’t fear…anyone.
Can John, Meehix, Chuckie N., and the rest of the crew figure out a way to take him out without dying themselves? Can they figure out how to get Shippewa a good enough AI to even fight?
The Drow Lives On:
The end to the fight is nigh. Cheyenne has accepted who she is and she’s done playing nice Drow.
Time to find Corian and stop the spell L’zar is casting before he creates portals between two worlds that could be wide open forever. Can you believe he’s really doing this? Or is he being controlled by someone with darker intentions? The FRoE and Cheyenne’s army of magical civilians better be ready for anything. Who knows what will happen while they try to save both worlds?
Will Cheyenne be able to stop the ultimate destruction without killing L’zar? Or will she lose her father – again – in the process?
Read Now
Back From Hell:
Among ghosts and breathers, there is a saying… “There is always something going down in New Orleans.” Ghosts aren’t a phenomenon anymore. They are as real as any living person. And many are just as scummy. Fortunately, there are unique bounty hunters like Johnny Despereaux to hunt them down.
Johnny’s mentor and partner, Vic Kane, a literal ghost detective, joined forces after a strange occurrence in his youth. Are they joined at the hip? Will both die if one passes? Johnny and Vic are on a new case that takes them to one of the most ghost-inhabited places in the world. Why? To try to hook up with a potentially big case and equally big payday. If they live to cash it in.
Day Sworn:
Hunted yet again.
Still reeling from being a captive in an underground lair, Aella has more problems than solutions and they just keep getting worse. With the elven homeworld just a portal jump away and a powerful cult intent on opening one, can Aella face her fears once more and stand in their way?
Will they finally get the better of her? Or is her limited training enough to hold them at bay?
New discoveries are only going to make the problem worse, pushing the boundaries of everything she believed possible. Can Aella keep fighting with no rest in sight? Or will she finally break?
Read Now
Negotiate or Perish:
Dragons are almost extinct. Eggs are rare. The dragons alive are in danger. All because of one man.
Thad Reinhart doesn’t just want dragonriders gone because their role as adjudicators threatens his businesses. His grudge is personal. But there’s one thing he didn’t anticipate. Sophia Beaufont isn’t like any dragonrider before. She is modern. She thinks differently. And she definitely doesn’t look like a dragonrider. And when it comes to tackling challenges, Sophia uses new world thinking for old world problems.
Will it be enough to beat an evil bent on destroying the planet?
The Holistic Creator:
Most fairies are obsessed with love. But not all…
There are evil fairies out in the world who don’t care about peace, love and romance. They are obsessed with their greed, creating trouble for others and destroying all that is good in the world. Paris Beaufont won’t stand for that.
However, facing fairies with dark magic will put her to the ultimate test. It’s difficult to fight villains who don’t play fair and will stop at nothing to get what they want. Can Paris stop the evil tooth fairies before they destroy Happily Ever After College?
Read Now
Diverse New Books Here: Week in Review
Can You Feel That? It’s The Winds of Change and they are here to bring you a $50 Amazon gift card.
Enigmatic Second Snippet for The Dread Nought Book 1
Triple Cross: The Dread Nought Book 1
Cassie thought she was being a good samaritan, stopping a kidnapping. It seems Remy not only did not need saving but had this whole thing planned out.
2 – A Conundrum
Cassie was stupefied. “How the hell do you know my name? What kind of a setup is this?” She looked around in concern. “Let me out.”
“At least let me ditch the van first.” Remy pointed out the window at a passing video camera. “You probably don’t want to get recorded hopping out of a stolen van.”
Cassie clenched her fists. “They already recorded me hopping into a stolen van! While it was being stolen!”
Remy conceded. “Ok, valid point, but that video will be scrubbed clean. AID is not going to let anyone see a recording of them trying to kidnap me.”
“Which brings us back to the question, just who is AID anyway?”
While slowing down for another red light, Remy looked at her thoughtfully. “You still want to know? As you wish.” The light changed, and they accelerated again. “AID is a covert black ops division of the NSA.”
Cassie shook her head. “Hold on. I don’t know much about the government, but I know the NSA doesn’t do ops. They’re just computer nerds, collecting data from all around the world.” She squinted into the distance, trying to remember more. “They aren’t even allowed to collect surveillance here in the United States.”
Remy shook her head at her naïve partner. “You really believe they don’t spy here in America? When the surveillance satellites spin over our heads, do you think they shut the cameras off? When a possible terrorist on an airplane or a boat crosses into American airspace, do they stop watching?”
Cassie frowned. “OK. But they still don’t do ops. The CIA is the one that tries to assassinate enemy leaders and stuff.”
Remy’s voice turned triumphant. “See what a great cover story that is? Who’s going to believe there’s an NSA assassination squad?”
That shut Cassie up. She knew there was something screwy with the logic, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on the problem.
As they turned into a parking garage, Cassie realized Remy had done a great job of deflecting her from the real question. How the hell did Remy know who she was?
Up and up, around and around the circular drive Remy wheeled. Almost at the top, she parked the vehicle into a corner slot.
Cassie climbed out of the van and watched as her new friend—or new enemy?—went through several antics.
First, Remy slid the rubber ball back up over the end of her baton, snapping the rubber tip into place. Then she slammed the baton tip-first into the concrete pavement with an outsized bang. The baton collapsed to its original size, one-third the length of a regulation baton.
She then pulled off her jersey.
Cassie blinked. A smug thought passed through her mind that, based on what she could see filling the bra, her own pair was at least as nice as Remy’s. She objected, “Hey! Keep ‘em holstered!”
Remy paid no attention but continued turning the jersey inside out. Once she had wriggled it back into position, she presented a different persona to the world. The inverted sweater showed a full-face portrait of Christina Aguilera.
A pair of dark sunglasses virtually identical to Cassie’s followed, and her long blonde hair was wound up in a bun hidden beneath a black cap. She frowned at Cassie. “You are not adequately protected,” she muttered. “Let me see what we’ve got.” She shuffled stuff in her purse until she found a face mask imprinted with the visage of Bette Midler. “This’ll do.”
Cassie, more bemused than irritated, pulled on the mask along with her glasses and her cap. “What’s the point of this?”
Remy stared at her. “Faces on clothes play havoc with the facial recognition systems used by the public video camera networks. With a shirt like mine or a mask like yours, we can’t be tracked by automation. They have to go with a full-up manual manhunt.”
She clucked her tongue. “Really, I’d expect you to know things like this, given your line of work.”
That led Cassie back to wondering how the hell Remy knew so much about her. But she needed to defend herself. “I always figured a simple mask, glasses, and a hat would do the trick.”
Remy sighed. “Sure, sort of; that works most of the time. But just covering your face marks you with a suspicious non-identity, whereas giving them an alternate face gives them an incorrect identity. Much better.” She started walking down the circular drive at a pace that made Cassie trot to catch up. “Let’s go.”
Remy took the stairs, not the elevator, and two levels below, she guided Cassie to a bland unmarked white van with very dark tinted windows.
Cassie stopped a few feet away. She stood uncertainly. “Well, you seem to be safe now. I guess I’ll be going.”
Remy laughed. “Nonsense. Let me at least fix you lunch.” Her voice turned sober. “Besides, they’re looking for you too. You’ll be much better off with me for a while.” She beeped the doors to unlock, circled the van, and slid into the driver’s seat.
When Cassie continued to stand there, Remy rolled down the passenger-side window. “Hop in.” She laughed once more, the sound somehow coaxing despite the sarcasm the words that followed could have conveyed if spoken by almost anyone else. “Really, where else do you have to go?”
Cassie continued to stand there, growing angrier by the moment. How would Remy know where she did or did not have to go? Really, this bitch rated as the most annoying person she’d met in the city.
Of course, upon reflection, Cassie hadn’t exchanged more than ten words with anyone since getting here, so how would she know if anyone else was more annoying?
Eventually, Cassie acknowledged to herself the much deeper reason for her incandescent irritation. The worst thing about Remy at this moment was that she was right. Cassie had nowhere else to go. She’d rented an apartment for thirty days—not bad, but far from a penthouse paradise. “Aargh.”
She accepted Remy’s invitation and slid into the passenger seat.
* * *
They ditched the new van in another parking lot and walked two blocks to an apartment building. The building looked superficially like the one housing Cassie’s own studio apartment, but the antique gold leaf edging the windows and ornamentation set off her opulence radar. “Snazzy place,” she muttered.
Remy smiled brightly. “Think so? Wait ‘til you see the apartment.” She walked up to the man at the reception desk. “Hey, Dennis. Any packages or anything?”
The man, who had looked like a normal surly New Yorker moments earlier, responded to the cheerleader’s charm with a smile. “Not today, Remy.” He pointed at the image of Christina Aguilera on her sweater. “She’s one of my favorites.”
Remy smiled even wider. “Really? If I can get you an autograph, would you like one?”
The man laughed. “That would be great, Remy.”
As they entered the elevator, Cassie whispered, “Do you really know Christina Aguilera?”
Remy turned sad. “Everybody should have a little unexpected hope in their days.”
Cassie shook her head. “Do you scam everybody?”
Remy frowned. “Not hardly. I’ll see about getting Dennis an autograph. And I’m not really scamming you. Not exactly, anyway.” She smiled again. “I’ll make it up to you when we get to the Abernathys.”
“Abernathys?”
The elevator door opened and Remy shot down the hall. By the time Cassie caught up, Remy had slid inside.
Cassie stepped hesitantly into a roomy foyer. A pair of elegant women’s wool coats hung on a rack on one side, and a couple of umbrellas stood furled on the other. Beyond the foyer, a vast expanse of living room beckoned, a bright space in off-white with pale blue accents. Cassie found herself afraid to touch anything lest she leave a mark. She looked around, then shouted, “Where’d you go?”
An answer echoed back, “In the kitchen. Black tea or green?”
Cassie followed the voice down a hall lined with kitschy knickknacks and pastel paintings to a kitchen merged with an informal dining area. “Black tea.”
“Most excellent. I have a Russian black tea from the Caspian Sea. I’ll give you a touch of honey.”
While Remy worked, Cassie wandered around the dining area. “What do you do for a living, anyway? How do you afford this?” A cynical thought crossed her mind. “Or did you get this with Daddy’s money?”
Remy disregarded the barb. “Oh, it’s not mine. It belongs to the Abernathys. A very sweet little elderly couple. They’re vacationing with their grandson in Tampa for a few months. I’m house-sitting and taking care of the cat.”
“The cat?” Cassie looked around a little wildly. “I’m allergic to cats.”
Remy laughed. “Well, the cat is allergic to people too, so don’t worry.” She rifled the cabinets, collecting cookies and plates. “Anyway, I’m glad you like the place. I think you should stay here for a few days, ‘til AID cools down.”
Cassie shuddered. “No, thanks. I can take care of myself.” She spoke the words with confidence but wondered if she really believed them in the face of a top-secret government agency hunting her.
Remy bounced across the room to gently touch her shoulder. “Stay here with me for a little while. Please.”
Cassie sighed. “I’ll think about it.” She said it distractedly since her attention had acquired a new focus. Her wanderings had taken her to a mantle on the far side of the kitchen, backed by a mirror and covered with trophies from a collector’s long life of endless acquisition. She stifled a gasp as she looked more closely at a cat statue. Real emeralds blazed as eyes, and a diamond clung to the collar. She glanced at the mirror to see that Remy had returned to the stove, intent on the tea.
Cassie turned casually, blocking the view of the cat with her body while her hand slowly twisted up behind her to grab it.
Remy pulled the teacups down and began pouring, still facing away from her. “Cassie, you really shouldn’t steal from the Abernathys. As I already said, they are very nice people.”
Cassie slumped and stepped away from the mantle.
Remy brought the tea tray with a plateful of lemon cookies to the table, a work of art crafted in ebony. Cassie couldn’t even guess how much it had cost. Impossible to fence, though, even if she could figure out how to physically move it.
Remy smiled benevolently upon her. “Much better.” She slid a teacup and saucer over to her. “Besides, you should focus on what you’ve earned today.”
Cassie took a sip. “What I earned?”
“Of course. For helping me.”
Cassie smiled suspiciously. “Cool.”
Remy reached into her purse and pulled out three money orders, each for a thousand dollars, and made them out to Cassie Parker. She slid them over. “Here you go. And thank you.”
Cassie started to reach for the checks, looked thoughtfully at Remy, then scooped them up at lightspeed and vanished them into her purse. “That’s great. Thank—”
Remy held up a finger. “There is a condition, however.”
Cassie froze. She knew it couldn’t be this easy. Her voice turned sour. “What?”
“You have to deposit them at a specific ATM machine in Bushwick.”
Cassie stared at her. “Bushwick?”
“It’s in Brooklyn. I’ll give you the address, though we should probably go together. And you have to deposit them at a specific time too.” Remy touched Cassie’s arm. “The time and place are really important. Otherwise, the checks will bounce.” She gave Cassie the time and the address.
Cassie pursed her lips as she tried to figure out if Remy’s demands were bogus. How could the checks be invalid except at this location at this time? Still…best not to underestimate the woman who’d outsmarted AID. Who’d outsmarted Cassie herself, for that matter. “Whatever.”
Remy’s cheerleader smile returned. “Most excellent.” She swallowed the rest of her tea. “Come, let me show you your bedroom. Then I think I’m going to take a shower.”
Minutes later, Cassie found herself standing in the doorway of an opulent master bedroom, straining to hear the sound of the shower running in Remy’s own master. Cassie looked mournfully at her surroundings. It would be a great place to crash.
But she really had already journeyed far from her comfort zone to help. Vague though deep unease warned her this entire enterprise had been a mistake, even if it had turned out well, and she now had three thousand bucks in her purse.
Time to depart. She’d wander around town a bit, find Bushwick, deposit her check at the appointed time, and go home. This plan offered a simplicity she liked. What could go wrong?
Well, this definitely left us with more questions than answers. Remy is way more than she seems and Cassie is pretty much exactly as she seems. Don’t worry though all our questions will be answered on October 4th, when Triple Cross: The Dread Nought Book 1 is released. Also available for pre-order now.