Title: Frost: A Rendezvous Collection
Author: Elise Faber, K.D. Wood, C.C. Ravanera & Kelly Martin
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Blue Tulip Publishing
Dive into this fun, sexy, paranormal romance anthology. A magical hotel and characters that crossover make these four standalone stories that take place in New Orleans around the holidays a don’t miss!
Fire and Ice by Elise Faber
Ten years ago, one mistake decimated Steph’s life. In the decade since, she has worked her ass off to scrape together some semblance of a happy life.
Now, the man responsible for the devastation has suddenly returned to Steph’s life and is demanding that she return home.
Dom may be tall, dark, and ridiculously sexy, but he’s also annoying and pushy, and Steph isn’t thrilled to be taking any of his orders, even when a group of Dalshie –- read: really bad guys who do all sorts of evil magic – show up to try to kidnap her.
Still, Steph doesn’t let anyone else fight her battles, not even when it’s easier to, and not even when the man who makes her heart pound and her soul spark to life is the one who wants to fight them for her.
She and Dom have to find a way to put aside the past and work together, but will the fiery attraction between them burn out before they have can have a shot a future?
Rendezvous in Room 311 by K.D. Wood
When Chief Warrant Officer, Brock Stephens, promised his fiancée, Captain Keely Green, until death us do part, he never expected death to collect on that promise so soon.
Every year they get only one night together in the haunted Hotel Toujours, deep in the French Quarter, where they spent their wedding night.
Despite an especially hard year while on deployment in Iraq, Keely wouldn’t miss this year’s anniversary date for anything. If everything goes as planned, she’ll have one chance to redo their forever. This time around, Keely’s not taking any crap from death.
No matter how high the price.
Wishes by CC Ravanera
One lucky visitor…You
One unfortunate djinn…Me
You get three wishes…
One unfortunate djinn…Me
You get three wishes…
The rules:
1. You can’t wish for more wishes.
2. You can’t ask me to kill someone or cause bodily harm to anybody.
3. You can’t ask for world peace or anything like that.
4. You can’t ask me to make other people love or hate you.
5. You can’t ask me to break all these rules.
1. You can’t wish for more wishes.
2. You can’t ask me to kill someone or cause bodily harm to anybody.
3. You can’t ask for world peace or anything like that.
4. You can’t ask me to make other people love or hate you.
5. You can’t ask me to break all these rules.
But nobody told me what would happen if I broke these rules.
I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you. You weren’t supposed to matter…yet now, I can’t think of a world without you in it.
Who can blame me for what I’m about to do?
The Things We Leave Behind by Kelly Martin
Five years ago, Will Jenkins’ wife was killed in a car accident on the way to the Hotel Toujours.
Three weeks ago, a hunter by the name of Jodi Granger shows up on Will’s doorstep talking about vengeful spirits and ‘moving on’.
Will’s wife is haunting room 614 at the infamous hotel… not just haunting… she’s become a vengeful, violent spirit.
Jodi needs Will’s help to guide the spirit into the afterlife because if it stays, it will become more and more violent and can destroy them all.
When it comes to death, it’s the things we leave behind, the things we need to say, that keep us here. Can Will help his wife find peace and at the same time, find his own?
FIRE AND ICE EXCERPT
“I’m a man, baby,” Morgan said. “I’m not going to complain when a beautiful woman wants to undress in front of me.”
It was Dom’s turn to smirk. Gingerly, he lay back against the pillows and crossed his arms behind his head, ready to watch the fireworks.
Steph didn’t disappoint.
She dropped her hand from her shirt and crossed over to where Morgan sat.
“I’m not your baby.” She punctuated the word with a poke to his chest. “And maybe leather is functional, but I would bet my last penny that you think it makes—” Her eyes dropped toward his groin. “—your teeny tiny pencil dick look bigger. But I’ll tell you a secret.” Her voice dropped to a mock-whisper. “It doesn’t work. Maybe you should stick a rolled-up gym sock in there. That should do it.”
Dominic tried really hard not to laugh. Okay he didn’t. Because watching this side of Steph come out, the fiery girl he remembered from all those years ago, lightened his heart.
Maybe she would really be okay.
Morgan rose from the bed, his hazel eyes dark and stony.
Yeah, no. That wouldn’t do.
Dom rolled painfully to his side and sat up, but then Morgan dropped to one knee and mimed opening a jewelry box in front of him.
“Marry me,” he said, his eyes now sparkling, his lips twitching. “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
“And you’re still an idiot.”
Rendezvous in Room 311 EXCERPT
Keely almost stumbled watching him walk past her into the apartment. She’d never seen a man move with that much cat-like grace before. Each step became a fluid roll of thigh under the dark denim. The ripple of muscles flexing moved up to each glute and pulled the jeans taut in just the right places as he turned. Veins under the tan skin of each arm popped to life as he twisted his wrists. Biceps tightened and strained the available circumference of the sleeves of his shirt. His body transformed into living art right before her eyes, and a hunger she hadn’t felt in a very long time gnawed on her control. She wanted to push him down and roll on top of him like a naughty kitten. Mark him. Make him hers. He smiled and tucked his hands into his pockets, and the space between her ears filled with white noise.
WISHES EXCERPT
“I’m the one who should be sorry for leading you on. I never meant to. Nobody had paid me this much attention before, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I should have told you straight from the beginning that I’m not very experienced with things like this. You’re just so divine, and honestly, no man has ever looked at me the way you do and you – what? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Her head scarf had fallen off completely and lay unnoticed on her shoulder while she had been sitting on her knees with her eyes pleading for me to understand. Now, those eyes looked uncertain and slightly embarrassed for her outburst when she noticed her lack of head gear, and she hurriedly grabbed her scarf to cover her head with it.
Catching the piece of cloth before she could, I moved it out of her reach, staring at her shaven head. She looked away from me, uncomfortable.
“How can you say that? You’re so…” Pausing, I tried looking for the right word, but she must have interpreted it as hesitation on my part when she pointed at me.
“See? You can’t even say it. I know you’re just being nice. I’m not really someone men find beautiful. Your attention is very flattering–“
“Lovely.” I said cutting her off. “You are so very lovely to me.”
That seemed to have rendered her speechless, so I bravely plowed on. “No, you are not of traditional beauty. But how could being coldly beautiful compete with the warmth of one of your smiles? Having the perfect features could not hold a candle to the openness and kindness reflected on your face. And please don’t get me started on your eyes. I’ve been drowning in them since the moment I saw you.”
The Things We Leave Behind EXCERPT
THE LIGHTS DON'T just flicker this time. They full-on explode. The lamps behind us on either side of the bed blow, sending shards of light bulb all over the bed. Jodi and I scream and flinch. I fall to the floor. Jodi grabs for her gun.
"A gun? For a ghost?"
"Thought you didn't believe in them." Of all the times…
"Can we drop that for now? Yes, yes I do believe— I believe — so don't be so sarcastic and tell me. Why. A. Gun?"
"Salt," she says simply, moving her gun around the room as if she's ready to shoot anything that says boo.
"The gun has salt in it?"
"The bullets do."
"That's… insane. Who would have been the first person to think of salt? Did a ghost appear to someone in a kitchen, and that was the first thing handy, so Grandma McGee threw it at the ghost, and it sent it away?"
"Not the time," Jodi admonishes. "Bigger fish. Smaller pan."
I stand to see what she's talking about. I can't say I'm very happy to be out of my hiding/crouching position. I feel exposed like this. Out in the open. The TV could clock me from behind, and then where would I be? Probably dead. Or knocked out. Or worse.
If there is a worse.
"I didn't think it was time."
She shakes her head. "It's not. This is just the warm up."
"Oh God. You mean the crescendo is worse?" I can't believe that. I guess I can, but I don't want to. This is bad enough.
Jodi takes the time to glare at me. I can see it through the light given off from the TV, sort of like ghost-hunting inception. Only weirder.
A second later, the lights come back on. The lamps light up like Christmas trees. Like nothing has gone wrong or been bad or happened. Jodi goes to check out the one on her side. I do the same. I'm careful not to step on the broken bulb-glass lying on the floor. I'm barefooted, and I'm pretty sure that would hurt like hell.
Yeah, there are bulb pieces around everywhere. The glass really did break.
And the lamps… the lamps are still working.
Still shining brightly.
I look down inside the shade and see nothing. Nothing to cause any sort of light because the bulb is gone. The light hurts my eyes. "That's… strange."
"Strange is a good word for it." Jodi pulls the string on her lamp. It doesn't even flicker.
"Have you ever had anything like this happen to you before in all your other ghost-hunting adventures?" I hope the answer is yes. I really hope it's yes.
"Uh… would it make you feel better if I say yes?" She gives me a look.
Oh no.
"Not really. I mean if it is the truth, yeah."
Jodi shakes her head. "Can't say I've ever seen a phantom lamp."
"Good to know." I close my eyes and bite my lip to try to stay calm. I knew this night would be hard. Didn't know how hard, but hard. I know it'll get worse before it gets better so, actually, I should just be enjoying the easiness of now. I bet when blood starts smearing on the walls, I'll miss this little lamp fiasco.
"Better clean up the mess." I have to stay practical. I have to stay calm.
Which would be much easier if she didn't answer with "What mess?"
"What… The mess." I open my eyes. It's my turn to look at her as if she's an idiot. "The glass. The bulb, whatever. I sure don't want to step on it and get some kind of infection that'll eat my foot off in a day."
"Look." She points down at the bed.
So I look.
Nothing.
No glass.
No lightbulb.
Nothing on the floor.
In fact.
Nothing anywhere.
I look back inside the lamp. There is the bulb, all nice and neat like nothing ever happened.
“I’m a man, baby,” Morgan said. “I’m not going to complain when a beautiful woman wants to undress in front of me.”
It was Dom’s turn to smirk. Gingerly, he lay back against the pillows and crossed his arms behind his head, ready to watch the fireworks.
Steph didn’t disappoint.
She dropped her hand from her shirt and crossed over to where Morgan sat.
“I’m not your baby.” She punctuated the word with a poke to his chest. “And maybe leather is functional, but I would bet my last penny that you think it makes—” Her eyes dropped toward his groin. “—your teeny tiny pencil dick look bigger. But I’ll tell you a secret.” Her voice dropped to a mock-whisper. “It doesn’t work. Maybe you should stick a rolled-up gym sock in there. That should do it.”
Dominic tried really hard not to laugh. Okay he didn’t. Because watching this side of Steph come out, the fiery girl he remembered from all those years ago, lightened his heart.
Maybe she would really be okay.
Morgan rose from the bed, his hazel eyes dark and stony.
Yeah, no. That wouldn’t do.
Dom rolled painfully to his side and sat up, but then Morgan dropped to one knee and mimed opening a jewelry box in front of him.
“Marry me,” he said, his eyes now sparkling, his lips twitching. “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
“And you’re still an idiot.”
Rendezvous in Room 311 EXCERPT
Keely almost stumbled watching him walk past her into the apartment. She’d never seen a man move with that much cat-like grace before. Each step became a fluid roll of thigh under the dark denim. The ripple of muscles flexing moved up to each glute and pulled the jeans taut in just the right places as he turned. Veins under the tan skin of each arm popped to life as he twisted his wrists. Biceps tightened and strained the available circumference of the sleeves of his shirt. His body transformed into living art right before her eyes, and a hunger she hadn’t felt in a very long time gnawed on her control. She wanted to push him down and roll on top of him like a naughty kitten. Mark him. Make him hers. He smiled and tucked his hands into his pockets, and the space between her ears filled with white noise.
WISHES EXCERPT
“I’m the one who should be sorry for leading you on. I never meant to. Nobody had paid me this much attention before, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I should have told you straight from the beginning that I’m not very experienced with things like this. You’re just so divine, and honestly, no man has ever looked at me the way you do and you – what? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Her head scarf had fallen off completely and lay unnoticed on her shoulder while she had been sitting on her knees with her eyes pleading for me to understand. Now, those eyes looked uncertain and slightly embarrassed for her outburst when she noticed her lack of head gear, and she hurriedly grabbed her scarf to cover her head with it.
Catching the piece of cloth before she could, I moved it out of her reach, staring at her shaven head. She looked away from me, uncomfortable.
“How can you say that? You’re so…” Pausing, I tried looking for the right word, but she must have interpreted it as hesitation on my part when she pointed at me.
“See? You can’t even say it. I know you’re just being nice. I’m not really someone men find beautiful. Your attention is very flattering–“
“Lovely.” I said cutting her off. “You are so very lovely to me.”
That seemed to have rendered her speechless, so I bravely plowed on. “No, you are not of traditional beauty. But how could being coldly beautiful compete with the warmth of one of your smiles? Having the perfect features could not hold a candle to the openness and kindness reflected on your face. And please don’t get me started on your eyes. I’ve been drowning in them since the moment I saw you.”
The Things We Leave Behind EXCERPT
THE LIGHTS DON'T just flicker this time. They full-on explode. The lamps behind us on either side of the bed blow, sending shards of light bulb all over the bed. Jodi and I scream and flinch. I fall to the floor. Jodi grabs for her gun.
"A gun? For a ghost?"
"Thought you didn't believe in them." Of all the times…
"Can we drop that for now? Yes, yes I do believe— I believe — so don't be so sarcastic and tell me. Why. A. Gun?"
"Salt," she says simply, moving her gun around the room as if she's ready to shoot anything that says boo.
"The gun has salt in it?"
"The bullets do."
"That's… insane. Who would have been the first person to think of salt? Did a ghost appear to someone in a kitchen, and that was the first thing handy, so Grandma McGee threw it at the ghost, and it sent it away?"
"Not the time," Jodi admonishes. "Bigger fish. Smaller pan."
I stand to see what she's talking about. I can't say I'm very happy to be out of my hiding/crouching position. I feel exposed like this. Out in the open. The TV could clock me from behind, and then where would I be? Probably dead. Or knocked out. Or worse.
If there is a worse.
"I didn't think it was time."
She shakes her head. "It's not. This is just the warm up."
"Oh God. You mean the crescendo is worse?" I can't believe that. I guess I can, but I don't want to. This is bad enough.
Jodi takes the time to glare at me. I can see it through the light given off from the TV, sort of like ghost-hunting inception. Only weirder.
A second later, the lights come back on. The lamps light up like Christmas trees. Like nothing has gone wrong or been bad or happened. Jodi goes to check out the one on her side. I do the same. I'm careful not to step on the broken bulb-glass lying on the floor. I'm barefooted, and I'm pretty sure that would hurt like hell.
Yeah, there are bulb pieces around everywhere. The glass really did break.
And the lamps… the lamps are still working.
Still shining brightly.
I look down inside the shade and see nothing. Nothing to cause any sort of light because the bulb is gone. The light hurts my eyes. "That's… strange."
"Strange is a good word for it." Jodi pulls the string on her lamp. It doesn't even flicker.
"Have you ever had anything like this happen to you before in all your other ghost-hunting adventures?" I hope the answer is yes. I really hope it's yes.
"Uh… would it make you feel better if I say yes?" She gives me a look.
Oh no.
"Not really. I mean if it is the truth, yeah."
Jodi shakes her head. "Can't say I've ever seen a phantom lamp."
"Good to know." I close my eyes and bite my lip to try to stay calm. I knew this night would be hard. Didn't know how hard, but hard. I know it'll get worse before it gets better so, actually, I should just be enjoying the easiness of now. I bet when blood starts smearing on the walls, I'll miss this little lamp fiasco.
"Better clean up the mess." I have to stay practical. I have to stay calm.
Which would be much easier if she didn't answer with "What mess?"
"What… The mess." I open my eyes. It's my turn to look at her as if she's an idiot. "The glass. The bulb, whatever. I sure don't want to step on it and get some kind of infection that'll eat my foot off in a day."
"Look." She points down at the bed.
So I look.
Nothing.
No glass.
No lightbulb.
Nothing on the floor.
In fact.
Nothing anywhere.
I look back inside the lamp. There is the bulb, all nice and neat like nothing ever happened.
Elise Faber
When she’s not writing best-selling dark and sexy paranormal romances, Elise is often found on the ice rink where she and her husband hold regular hockey date nights. She is the mom to two exuberant boys and addicted to Dancing With the Stars. The beaches, mountains and redwood forests of Northern California serve as inspiration for her books.
K.D. Wood
K.D. Wood lives in north Mississippi with her family and a very spoiled White Waug. She creates love stories and smokin’ southern erotica, but not your mama’s happy ever after. She’s a consumer of chocolate but not spiders and is completely composed of liquid awesome. When not in her office pounding the keys she can be found under a snuggly blanket, cup of Donut Shop close by, with her nose in a book.
C.C. Ravanera
C.C. hailed from the Philippines but now lives in England with her husband and two young boys. She works as a full-time nurse and absolutely enjoys it. When she’s not working she spends the rest of her time running around the house with the boys and spending quality time with her husband. In her spare time (whew!) she writes her books and dreams of becoming a ‘proper author’.
She’s addicted to coffee and chocolates. She loves reading books and waking up to the sound of birds early in the morning.
Kelly Martin
Kelly Martin is a bestselling author of contemporary, historical, and YA romance. She has been married for over ten years and has three rowdy, angelic daughters. When she’s not writing, she loves watching horror gamers on YouTube– even though she’s a huge wimp– and drinking white chocolate mochas– decaf which totally defeats the point. She’s a total fangirl, loves the 80s and 90s, and has a sad addiction to a certain British boy band (shhhh). Her favorite characters are the ‘bad guys’– especially those who, in their mind, are the heroes of the story.
If you ever have a question or comment, feel free to email her at kellymartin215 @ yahoo.com♥ You can follow her writing adventure at http://www.kellymartinbooks.blogspot.com
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