Category: giveaway

Stay With Me Stay With Me Trilogy Book 1 by Nicole Fiorina Genre: New Adult Romance

In a desperate final attempt to save nineteen-year-old Mia from herself, she gets transferred to Dolor University, a reformatory college in the UK that housed deranged and dangerous young adults who viewed the private institution as their own personal playground. Mia didn’t care. She needed feelings to care. She’d keep her head down, ignore everyone, and make it through the next two years effortlessly. Though Mia never anticipated Ollie Masters. With green eyes, tattoos, and the voice of a poet, she is quickly drawn to him. But because of her sociopath tendencies, she knows it could only end in one of two ways. Either he will be the one to free her from her past, or she will be the one to destroy him. **WARNING: Mature content, adult language, graphic sexual content, and disturbing matters may trigger an emotional response. Read at your own risk.** Goodreads * Amazon

Even When I’m Gone Stay With Me Series Book 2

The second book in a heart-consuming series.Ollie. Forget everything you thought you knew. Hell, I don’t even know myself anymore. For seven months I’ve been gone only to come back to be tested in every way possible. They say keep your enemies close, and my demons welcomed me back with open arms. My downfall is a necessary evil. But Mia is my endgame. Mia. Seven months ago, Ollie surrendered to the darkness, abandoning me in the process. He stripped me of my walls only to leave me defenseless. Now he’s back, along with fresh new faces and obstacles standing in our way. He says trust no one. Not even him. How am I supposed to be strong for us both when I’m losing my grip? “Just stay with me, Mia.” “Even when you’re gone?” “Especially when I’m gone.” Goodreads * Amazon

Now Open Your Eyes Stay With Me Series Book 3

MIA. It was so close, I’d tasted it–the freedom. But the only thing I could taste now was the end. Over the last two years, I’d let all outside forces dictate my life, my feelings, my head. I’d allowed everyone to control what my punishment should be for all my wrong-doings. I’d been tested and learned my lesson. I’d paid my dues and suffered long enough. Because in the end, even the once-upon-a-damned deserved to be happy too. OLLIE. How far are you willing to go? I’d asked myself this very question countless times. But never in my wildest dreams thought I’d go back in time, chasing ghosts from my past for a chance to save our future. So, there was no limit. No boundaries. I’d cross time, the world, my morals. Yes, I’d even double-cross myself. So, how far would I go? The answer had always been simple. I’d go an eternity plus a day past crestfallen. Goodreads * Amazon

Nicole Fiorina is an independent author, debuting with the Stay With Me series. She lives in Florida with her loving husband, Michael, two children, Christian and Grace, and Great Dane, Winston. Her writing style is unapologetic and emotional, striving to push buttons, hearts, and limits. Nicole’s books fall under New Adult Romance, with a suspenseful, poetic, and gothic twist. A lover of music, especially classic rock, she can rap most Eminem songs, dance, dabbles on the piano, and likes to use power tools and a paintbrush. She’s addicted to coconut berry Red bull, coffee, and root beer, and makes sure to force down water to appease her mother. When she’s not writing, she’s probably chauffeuring her kids around, at family gatherings, or sleeping. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

$25 Amazon gift card Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Lupie Warrior by Kristen Collins Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Kristen is your simple introverted girl, except for the fact that she suffers from Lupus. She has a simple life with a simple routine and that’s how she likes it. Or so she thought… Derek is a workaholic businessman and is extremely focused on the family business, but his family harbors a secret. At the bidding of his family to joyride on the way back from a business trip in Texas, he stumbles across the geeky and adorable Kristen wrapped up in southern grace. At a bar in a small town, something draws him towards her direction. Is love at first sight real or will her own secret turn him away? **Only 99 cents!**Goodreads * Amazon

I’m a Native Texan, born and raised close to the heart of the great Lone Star state. I am 31 years old, and I was born in January of 89′ and got to grow up during a great time. I honestly don’t consider myself a Millennial, and really hate that title. Also I’m a part-time working secretary and a full-time mother/housewife, as well as a Lupus Warrior. Having Lupus, means a life of inside living, and the sun is known as my arch-nemesis, my personal kryptonite. I wanted to leave a legacy behind, something my kids could one day look back on and say, yeah my mom did that. Thanks to the encouragement of friends and family, I found a passion in writing paranormal romance books. Anything fantasy usually suits my novels and I tend to be able to reach anyone in multiple genres. Most of my story ideas come to me in the most unexpected time and places, such as my dreams. They will plague me non-stop until I get my rear up and write it out. I like to explore new types of characters such as Sandmen and Boogeymen for example. I really wanted to give them their own world, such as A Sandman’s Forbidden Love. God has granted me success that I never imagined was possible., which led me to my obsession with the paranormal. Now, I know shifters aren’t real but Angels are another story. So Angels are also a part of my obsession, I will sit on the computer doing extensive research on both Sandmen and Angels trying to get my facts straight. Then, on the side, I create Art Journals that can be cross generational from thirteen to sixty years younger. My goal with these types of books is to reach people who need that extra feel good in their lives. Website * Facebook * Twitter * AllAuthor * AllAuthor * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Our eyes locked with one another and the rest of the room disappeared. I stalked towards
him, placing a hand on his tight chest; he was muscular, and those thoughts made chills crawl
up my back. I stepped backwards, feeling like prey caught in the predator’s eyesight.
It was a strange yet enticing feeling, a powerful feeling that bloomed from within me. In
my life, every day, I was a powerless victim to my disease and it bullied and victimized me every
second, taking the most precious things I could afford. Robbing me like a mugger in an alleyway
on the streets of New York. In these fleeting moments of life, I don’t often get to feel this
addicting power that women held, a power that comes from the soul of every fighter.
He grabbed my hand and brushed his lips softly across my knuckles as we bowed to each
other, as was the manner to start the famous tango dance. We circled one another in the
ritualistic way as we came together full circle and Derek wrapped his arm around my waist. I
placed my hand on his shoulder as our free hands locked together.
The tango has been called the “Dance of Sorrow” as it represented frustrated love and
human fatality, although originally the dance was not so deep and serious.
Our feet slid across the floor as our heads looked away from one another. A small voice in
my conscience whispered, hurry and walk away; you could never be enough for someone like
him. He’ll leave you once he finds out what’s wrong with you. You’re weak and pathetic. I
avoided eye contact as I let the inner voice win, it was right, but I didn’t want to leave. The
struggle inside grew

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My Blood Runs Blue My Blood Runs Blue Book 1 by Stacy Eaton Genre: Paranormal Romance

“I’m still a cop, and my blood runs blue.” Officer Kristin Greene has always felt that something was missing from her life. Although her job with the Fawn Hollow Township Police Department keeps her busy, she still feels like there is something else out there for her. She soon finds herself investigating a homicide where a young woman has had her throat ripped out. As she begins to dig for the answers, she finds herself thrown into a world she didn’t know ever existed. When the two strong and silent men walk into her life, she finds herself being pulled into a love triangle that has been going on longer than she has been alive. Who are they and why do they keep calling her Calista? Join Kristin as she fights to learn the truth about the recent murder, the two seductive men who have entered into her life and the real truth about herself. Add to GoodreadsAmazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo

The Pulse of Blue Blood My Blood Runs Blue Book 2

The Pulse of Blue Blood is a short story that should be read AFTER My Blood Runs Blue. This story of 17K words is the back story to Kristin & Calista. Reading this story before reading My Blood Runs Blue will spoil many plot points. In My Blood Runs Blue, you were introduced to Kristin, Julian, and Alexander, and you also learned a little about Calista. Now take a trip back in time to learn more about the decisions that Calista made in her choice between Julian and Alexander. Learn about her relationship with Julian, and why you choose Alexander at the end of My Blood Runs Blue. You’ll also learn the way she caused her untimely death. Add to GoodreadsAmazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo

Blue Blood For Life My Blood Runs Blue Book 3

“You belong to me… for life…” After a month off, Kristin comes back to work happier than she’s been in a long time. Her new status in life has her solving crimes faster and better than she ever could before. When Alex goes missing, Kristin finds she finally has to reveal the secrets of her life to her friends. Will they be able to stand beside her after they learn all that she has hidden from them? Julian and Gabe stand beside her faithfully as they try to locate Alex. They are surprised to find Trent already in Fawn Hollow, but know that Trent may be the only one to do what Alex has asked them to do. As one more choice is taken away from Kristin, she attempts to make the best of it, but finds herself drawn to Trent in a way Julian and Alexander could never compare to. Trent goes to work with Kristin to keep her safe, but will he be able to handle all that her police world entails? Can he handle the side of her that she reveals, the one that Alex and Julian know nothing about? When Kristin and Trent uncover the connection between her job and the kidnapping, they are finally able to put the pieces together, but can they get to Alex fast enough? Will Kristin be able to handle rescuing Alex and all that she learns in the process? Join Kristin, Julian, Trent and Alexander as they dive into a new mystery that will have you turning the pages quickly to find out who is responsible and how Kristin’s life is forever changed once again. Add to GoodreadsAmazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo

Mixing the Blue Blood My Blood Runs Blue Book 4

Officer Kristin Greene returns along with the rest of the characters you have grown to love. Only this time, it’s not just her life on the line. Now the entire breed’s existence is in danger. Olivia Newman has been Kristin’s best friend for years and loves the new life that Kristin is living. Her relationship with Gabriel is bittersweet, and she knows that because she is human, a future between them can never really last. Gabriel Montgomery takes his position in the Vampire Military Force seriously and never expected to have such intense feelings for a human woman. When Olivia is kidnapped, Gabe, Kristin, and the gang realize they have stumbled upon a human trafficking ring. Only this ring isn’t for sex. The leaders of this ring are hell-bent on destroying the breed. Can they rescue Olivia and save their future before old enemies return and destroy the breed? Find out in Mixing the Blue Blood. Add to GoodreadsAmazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo

Blue Bloods Final Destiny My Blood Runs Blue Book 5

Julian Hutchinson walked away from it all: his job, his friends, and her. As Julian drives out west, he randomly stops at a roadside tavern and runs into some people from his past. Lyssa Lakin helps her father around the tavern as she raises her fifteen- year-old daughter, Lorna. When Julian walks into the bar, Lyssa’s past crush on him hits full force, but even she can tell that he is far from ready to be involved with anyone. As Julian and Lyssa grow their friendship, their past romance is rekindled. When Julian’s past comes back to haunt him, and an old enemy shows up in town, Julian knows a showdown is imminent. Will Julian be able to deal with his past and his enemy without destroying the new life he has created? The gang is back for one final book where lines are drawn and quickly crossed, and Julian and Kristin will have to work together one last time to save people that they care about. Add to GoodreadsAmazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo

BOX SET – All 5 My Blood Runs Blue Books $6.99 Add to GoodreadsAmazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo

COMING THIS SUMMER! Kristin: Blue Blood Returns The Blue Blood Returns Series Book 1 Releases June 9th

It’s been forty years since the gang was together in Blue Bloods Final Destiny, and many things have changed. Lives have been lost, mates are different, and the breed is on the verge of war. This war isn’t just between the two factions within the vampire race, but now includes the humans who have learned of their existence. With the Mistress, Kristin, at the helm, the tension is growing, and the elders are pushing for a change. The U.S. government wants information on the breed, and Joseph Portage, Kristin’s newest enemy, is lurking in the shadows. Hugh McMurphy heads a task force that is determined to get the vampire race under control and learn what they can do. When Kristin and Hugh find themselves pulled toward one another, the only option is to make Hugh her human consort. It’s not until she tastes his blood that she realizes Hugh is more than originally thought, and with Portage’s men wreaking havoc on the town, she realizes that something drastic needs to happen. Can Kristin and the new gang figure things out before a major transition occurs, or will Kristin and her sister get blindsided by the taste of blood? Kristin, book 1 of The Blue Blood Returns is an adult paranormal romance with sexual situations, violence, language, and does contain a cliffhanger that leads right into the second book, Hugh. While this is a new series, it does spin off of the My Blood Runs Blue Series. Add to GoodreadsAmazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo

Stacy Eaton is a USA Today Bestselling author and began her writing career in October of 2010. Stacy took an early retirement from law enforcement after over fifteen years of service in 2016, with her last three years in investigations and crime scene investigation to write full time. Stacy resides in southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, who works in law enforcement, and her teen daughter. She also has a son who is currently serving in the United States Navy, and two grandchildren. When Stacy is not writing, she enjoys photography and relaxing on the beach. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest * LinkedIn * AllAuthor * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * Newsletter * Audio Only Newsletter

$10 Amazon – 1 winner (WW), Signed Paperback – 2 winners (US only) Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!a Rafflecopter giveaway

No Other Way Harry Hunter Mystery Series Book 3 by Willow Rose Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Shocking evidence hits close to home for Miami PD’s Detective Harry Hunter as Willow Rose’s bestselling series continues. Three women went on a road trip to Key West. Only two returned. When asked what happened, their stories don’t completely match. Who is telling the truth? What are they hiding? Detective Harry Hunter of the Miami PD is in church on a peaceful Sunday morning when a young teenager pulls out a gun and shoots his own father. Once the shock is gone, Harry starts to ask himself the question no one else seems to care about: What makes a young boy want to kill his own father? When more blood is shed, Harry suspects there’s a secret buried in this town that no one wants unearthed. What are the people around him not telling him? NO OTHER WAY is the third book in the bestselling Harry Hunter Mystery Series.Goodreads * AmazonSeries Trailer #1https://youtu.be/bqfECoJ4H5Y

Series Trailer #2 https://youtu.be/FgbgqSiGIbw

Run Girl Run Harry Hunter Mystery Series Book 2

Willow Rose’s beloved detective, Harry Hunter is back in this thrilling second installment of the bestselling series. When a mother and her child are pulled out of the harbor in their car, the case seems pretty straightforward for Miami PD and Detective Harry Hunter. Everything points to a murder-suicide. They were homeless, living in their car, and the mother decided to end it all for them both by driving into the water. But the case is not what it looks like, Detective Harry Hunter soon realizes. Harry’s daughter is carrying devastating knowledge about their deaths, and soon she becomes the killer’s next target. As Harry races to protect her, he is betrayed by someone he thought he knew, leaving him terrified of trusting anyone in a town filled with liars. RUN GIRL RUN is the second book in the Harry Hunter Mystery Series. Goodreads * Amazon

All the Good Girls Harry Hunter Mystery Series Book 1

This novel is the first book in Willow Rose’s electrifying new Harry Hunter series. Detective Harry Hunter of Miami PD’s homicide squad throws himself into a case no one asked him to solve. Four teenagers from one of Miami’s affluent neighborhoods are murdered on a boat. Another is found in a dumpster. All five of them go to the same school and are on a list of witnesses to another crime. Because he’s in bad standing with his boss, Harry is given the task of protecting a possible future victim, but Harry isn’t always known to follow his boss’s orders. Soon, he’ll risk everything while racing to stop a killer who has left everyone else in the homicide squad shaking in terror. ALL THE GOOD GIRLS is the first book in the Harry Hunter Mystery Series and can be read as a standalone.**Only 99 cents!** Goodreads * Amazon

The Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 60 novels. She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy. Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won’t see coming. Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 10 of ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three million books. Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Abby Normal The Abby Normal Series Book 1 by Samuel Thomas Fraser Genre: Urban Fantasy, Horror

Abby Henderson has lived her whole life under a dark cloud. When she was born, a demon called the Deacon claimed her family as his property. When she turned 13, she was traumatized by an ominous psychic vision. When she turned 14, her dad had a psychotic breakdown and tried to kill her. She’s just turned 25, and now people are dying all around her. This is all according to the Deacon’s plan. He believes that Abby is the key to a ritual that will unleash an ancient evil on the world, and he will stop at nothing to make sure that ritual succeeds. Now, Abby is in the fight of her life against an enemy that defies all reason. Together with her pious girlfriend, her magic-slinging ex-teacher, and a hotheaded Amazon with a machete, Abby will have to use every trick in the book to outlast the Deacon. Because if she can’t, her next birthday is going to be Hell. Goodreads * Amazon

Samuel Thomas Fraser is a writer and actor from the rainy mountains of Vancouver, BC, Canada. A lover of medieval literature and truly weird fiction, Sam holds a BA in English and a Certificate in Creative Writing from Simon Fraser University. His short fiction and poetry has appeared in outlets including The Macabre Museum and Unleashed: Monsters Vs. Zombies Vol. 1. As a performer, he has inhabited such memorable stage roles as Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest and Charlie Cowell in The Music Man. Abby Normal is his first novel. Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

CHAPTER 1
RENDER UNTO CAESAR…
Another match failed, and Don’s cigarette remained stubbornly unlit.
He cursed, insinuating that the match had had improper carnal knowledge of a family member. He threw a
hard look at the matchbook, trying to intimidate it into cooperating with him. He promised the matchbook that
this really was his last cigarette, honestly, and wasn’t a man’s last cigarette more than enough reason to give
him a light?
And it was going to be his last one, too. For real this time. He had sworn to Karen he would quit when the
baby arrived, and he’d already cut down to only two or three smokes a week.
But. But, but, but. He had said “when the baby arrives” and not a split second before. And Karen had been in
labour nearly eleven hours now.
Jesus. Eleven hours in the worst storm to come up the coast of BC in 15 years. Don had heard of natural births
before, but this was fucking ridiculous.
They’d all told him it had to be this way, Karen included. Something about ley lines and chaotic energies and
ancient traditions. Something about imbalance in the mystic equilibrium, which would alter the electric
potential in the atmosphere and wreak havoc on the complex mechanical systems in a hospital.
In Don’s opinion, the whole thing had a pretty pungent odour of bullshit.
He finally got his cigarette lit and took a walk around the beach. The island was a half-mile of rock and trees,
with one log cabin stuck in the middle of a clearing on the nearby hill. It was what Don’s father-in-law would
have called ‘a real strip-of-piss’. As lightning struck the next island over, Don told himself there wasn’t
anything to worry about. Really, there wasn’t. That 200 pounds of rugby muscle wasn’t just for looks: he
knew how to handle himself in a fight. So did Karen, if it came to it.
Not to mention the retinue of freaks, said a voice in his head. Then, Holy shit, there’s a Word of the Day for
you.
“Lovely night for it, eh?”
Don turned and saw a man approaching him from the cabin. Enter Freak Number One, said the voice.
The man shouted at Don over the howl of the wind, and his long Inverness coat billowed behind him. “I said,
‘lovely night for it, eh?’”
Don didn’t answer as the man in the Inverness coat drew close to him. He was shorter than Don’s six-three,
and much thinner, with goofy oversized ears and a square chin, but there was something about him—some
presence in his bright green eyes—that was naturally, effortlessly commanding.
One of the green eyes winked, and the man in the Inverness coat whispered, “Oh, to be in Canada now that
autumn’s here.” He spoke with a soft English accent and a cheeky, joking note in his voice.
Don wasn’t in much of a joking mood, and he looked straight past the Englishman to the log cabin. “How is
everything in there? I mean… is she here yet?”
The Englishman shook his head. “Not quite yet, but I’d say she’s very near, going by the state of things.” He
glanced at the sky as he said this, as if the ‘things’ in question would suddenly blow down from one of the
dark clouds above.
Don turned back toward the water, and the Englishman closed his eyes like he was meditating. It was several
minutes before the Englishman gripped Don’s shoulder and whispered, “She’s here.” As the wind died away,
Don heard an infant crying in the distance. He threw his cigarette into the waves and charged toward the cabin,
excited and terrified in equal measures. He could hear the calm, measured footsteps of the Englishman jogging
after him.
Inside the cabin, Karen Henderson was lying on a creaky twin bed in one corner, trying to soothe what looked
like a very noisy pile of old dishrags. She was a small, round-faced woman, like a child’s doll come to life.
Not at all, then, like the two women flanking the bed, who could both have passed for angry villagers in a
Universal monster movie.
The woman on the right was a tall, muscular Haitian with a lot of dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail.

Natalie Arnaud wore a bulky, dirty trench coat over an equally dirty tank top, khaki pants, and heavy steel-
toed boots. The whole ensemble suggested that she’d been working nights in either a munitions factory or a

slaughterhouse.
The woman on the left looked like an older version of Karen. Stout of frame and straight of back, ‘Grandma’
Meg McAllister had a glass of single malt scotch in her hand. It was not her first one of the night.

Don stood with his back to the door for a moment, staring at the squirming, noisy bundle in Karen’s hands,
until the Englishman gave him a nudge. “I think some introductions are in order, Donald.”
Karen looked up and nodded, beckoning Don over to her. As he approached the bed, she glanced at the
Englishman and said, “You too, Simon.” The two men huddled around the bedside as Karen gave the child a
gentle pat on the back and said, “Don… say hi to your daughter.”
Grandma Meg put down her Scotch and gently placed the child in Don’s arms. His whole body froze as the
baby’s weight settled against him, and he imagined that the slightest tremor would offend her. Only his mouth
moved as he whispered, “She’s gorgeous…”
This was, of course, a clever lie. She was a newborn baby, and all newborn babies look like flesh-shaped
balloons filled with prune juice and raspberry jam, but as far as Don was willing to admit, the child was
perfect.
“So, what do we call her?” Simon asked. “Only I feel like ‘Small Human-in-Progress’ is a tad wordy.”
Karen smiled and shook her head. “We call her ‘Abigail’.”
Grandma Meg nodded and took a sip of her scotch. “Aye,” she said, in a broad Yorkshire accent, “Abigail
Margaret ‘enderson.” Then she smirked and added, “My suggestion, of course.”
Don nodded and rocked the child in his arms. “Abigail. Abby, for short.” He leaned in close to his daughter
and whispered, “Do you like that? Do you like ‘Abby’?”
Abby made a gurgling noise of assent and reached for Don’s nose with a fat, sausagey arm. As her eyes
opened and she took a first look at the room around her, the party went quiet and just watched her, forgetting
that there was a world beyond their log cabin.
So it came as a huge shock when somebody knocked on the door.
Knock-knock-knock. For a second, nobody moved. Then Natalie pushed aside her trench coat, letting her hand
rest over the hilt of the long machete she had strapped to her leg.
Knock-knock-knock. Grandma Meg reached for the Webley revolver she’d holstered at her hip and thumbed
the hammer nervously.
Knock-knock-knock. Simon closed his eyes and nodded once. “It’s him.”
The door crashed against the wall as a rush of freezing wind howled through the cabin. Don held Abby close
to his chest and turned his back to the chill, while Natalie and Grandma Meg trained their weapons on the
figure in the doorway.
The newcomer was not quite a man, nor was it quite a monster. It was human in shape, but it was cloaked in a
set of white floor-length robes, with gold at the sleeves and collar, and a purple hood that hid its eyes.
The thing in the robes glided into the cabin, hands folded in front of it, heedless of the venomous looks it
received. Behind it, the door slammed shut and locked itself. The thing whispered, “The weather is…
pleasant, is it not?” Its voice was like the crunch of dead leaves underfoot, and the way the corners of its
mouth twitched upward suggested that it was attempting irony.
Natalie stepped forward and touched the point of her blade to the creature’s throat. “What the hell do you
want, you son of a bitch?”
The robed figure raised its hands submissively. “Such language,” it wheezed, “and in the presence of a
child…”
Natalie leaned in and pressed the blade harder. The robed figure winced as the tip of the blade bit into its neck,
and a thin track of blood seeped into the collar of its robes. “I’m warning you, Deacon,” she hissed.
The Deacon flicked one of his raised hands and the machete sank to the floor like a lead weight, taking Natalie
with it. He moved his hand again, and the weapon leaped out of Natalie’s grip and flew toward Grandma Meg.
The Deacon made a fist and the machete screeched to a halt, its tip inches from Grandma Meg’s heart.
“Do not test me, woman,” the Deacon hissed at Natalie. “I do not come here to quarrel with any of you. But, if
I am met in the spirit of war, I will take steps to… defend myself!” He opened his fist, and the machete jumped
forward another inch. Grandma Meg retreated back against the wall.
Simon raised his hands. “All right! Everyone just take a deep breath. This is not a fight we wish to have.”
Then, pointedly, to Natalie, “Any of us.”
With a curt nod to Simon, Natalie backed away from the Deacon and raised her hands. Behind her, Grandma
Meg dropped the Webley and kicked it across the floor. The Deacon flicked his hand again, and the machete
veered right, sinking into the far wall.
“Cooler heads prevail…” the Deacon whispered, glancing at Simon. “And the wisdom of the ages shines
bright.” He turned and glided toward Don, extending a hand. Abby whined and kicked as the Deacon’s
slender fingers brushed against her swaddling clothes. “Please. I wish to consider my… investment.”
Don shook his head. He didn’t realize it, but every muscle in his body was vibrating with fear and fury. “She’s
a baby…” he whispered. “She’s just a baby…”

The Deacon’s thin lips stretched into a grin. His teeth were like piano keys: shining white and perfectly
straight. “Soon,” he vowed, “she will be much, MUCH more.”
Before Don could respond, the Deacon tore Abby from her father’s arms and rearranged her swaddling
clothes, smiling the whole time. Don looked back at Karen, who was struggling to rise from the bed. But the
labour had left her exhausted, and she sank back into the pillows.
The Deacon bowed his head over Abby and opened his mouth. Don and Karen both gagged as the Deacon
pressed his tongue to Abby’s pink flesh, right over her heart, then tracked it up her chest, her throat, all the
way to the top of her head. Abby began to sob and Don’s hand curled into a tight fist. But he dared not move.
Not against the being that had saved his life.
When the Deacon was finished, he licked his lips and hissed, “I can taste it on her already. I can feel the
energy crackling and burning within her. She will have great power before long…” The Deacon passed Abby
back to her father, and he tried to calm her down. “You see? I have no ill intentions toward you, Hendersons.”
He bowed low in an exaggerated gesture of mock-respect. “I will, of course, honour our arrangement, so long
as you do me the same courtesy.” He straightened up again and pointed a thin, bony finger toward the wall
behind Karen. “Use your time wisely, for it is short.”
Scritch-scratch-scritch. Wood chips sprinkled onto the bedspread as an invisible knife carved a number into
the wall, right above Karen’s head. “Render unto Caesar,” the Deacon rasped, “that which is Caesar’s… and
render unto God…” He pointed at Abby and loosed a short, devious laugh. “The things that are… God’s…”
Nobody heard him. They were too fixated on the number above Karen’s head, which glowed bright red like a

fireplace ember. In the howling storm outside, a bolt of lightning struck the shore opposite the tiny strip-of-
piss island.

The following thunderclap made Abby cry again and snapped everyone back to reality. Don looked back and
saw the Deacon had vanished. The door of the cabin was still locked tight, and the only sign that he had ever
been there was the mark carved into the wall.

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