Book Tour ~ Breakaway ~ by ~ Kindle Alexander

Title: Breakaway

Author: Kindle Alexander

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: February 9, 2021

Cover Design: Reese Dante Designs

Greer Lockhart set out to save the world from itself when he organized his first beach cleanup at the age of twelve. Now, as a uber-successful venture capitalist for eco-friendly startups, he doesn’t let anything get in his way—whether personal or professional. When a new fitness app schedules a site-wide cycle race, Greer’s competitive side won’t let him back down. Not even when his undivided attention turns to the one racer he can’t beat: Biker101.

Dallas Reigns learned a long time ago to keep his head low and his focus forward. He gives his all to a business he started with his brothers, BikeBro. But he worries his all might not be enough if they can’t gain traction before their financial ship sinks. A chance meeting with a hard-hitting venture capitalist is just what they need. Until his resistance is tested when the striking blond man shows interest in more than just his company, challenging all Dallas’s etched-in-stone boundaries.

When the illusion of Dallas’s life threatens to crumble under the weight of his own desire, can he find a way to fortify his iron will, or will Greer help him breakaway from the restraints of his past?

“They weaved words of heartbreak, love, and triumph. They pulled on the heartstrings making me feel all the feels. My heart was full when I turned that last page.” ~ Jill Miller, Embrace The Romance Blog

“Breakaway is everything I want in a romance book. It is sweet and swoon-worthy, and so so romantic. The character depth is extraordinary and from the moment we meet Dallas and Greer, they owned my heart.” ~ E.Muddle, Goodreads Reviewer.

Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer, and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It’s always a surprise to see what’s coming next!

I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it’s true, the only thing bigger than an over active imagination, may be women’s hair!

Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life – I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations – regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal… I don’t want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I’m going to tell you about Kindle

I tragically lost my sixteen year old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I’ll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died – weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn’t have to be alone.

That time in my life was terrible. It’s everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.

Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness – it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle ereader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.

Through the course of that crippling event I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fan fiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn’t a time she wasn’t there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love and harmony. It’s its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn’t be here today without her.

Find out more by visiting http://www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com

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Book Tour ~ Guarded ~ by ~ Jade Webb

Title: Guarded

Series: Hazak Private Security Book 1

Author: Jade Webb

Genre: Contemporary Steamy Romance

Release Date: February 12, 2021

GABBY

Accompany my pop star sister on her tour to prevent another meltdown splashed across the tabloids…

Easier said than done.

Though, it’s not like I was given a choice.

And after meeting Liam, her gorgeous bodyguard, I’m starting to think being stuck on this tour might not be the worst thing.

Especially when his lips are on mine and my legs quiver from the way he touches me.

But secrets never stay buried for long.

When the truth flips my world upside down, who can I trust?

The man whose arms I long for?

Or is he hiding even more that will leave us in ruins…or worse?

LIAM

The number rule for every bodyguard: never mix business with pleasure.

I’ve never had a problem keeping my boundaries clear until I meet Gabby Monroe.

The whip-smart, sarcastic, and sexy brunette is just too tempting for me to resist.

So why bother trying?

Giving in to my feelings for her offers me something I’ve never had before—a chance at true happiness.

At least…for now.

The secret I hold could destroy everything, or worse — put Gabby in danger.

And I’ll do anything to protect her.

Even if it means that she will hate me forever.

Guarded was previously published as Guarding Her Heart, though past readers will enjoy this completely revised edition.

Goodreads Review – “I really enjoyed this book and found the authors approach to character development refreshing.”

Goodreads Review – “You start with a lol and it just keeps going all the way until the end.”

Goodreads Review – “Liam and Gabby keep their story hot….”

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Jade Webb is a lover of romance novels that feature strong heroines who know that the loves that may come into their lives are always the icing, and never the cake.

She has had a lifelong affair with romance novels, beginning when she would sneak them into her Bible at her all-girls Catholic school after she was chastised for asking too many questions (a lingering side effect from a childhood spent grilling her Rabbi at Hebrew School each week)

And thanks to her own marriage, Jade has learned that the challenges of life can only help to make love stronger and she is eternally grateful to her partner for embodying all the magic that love can offer.

When she is not writing or dreaming up new stories, she can be found using her very expensive Masters of Social Work degree as a coaster while designing book covers and websites for romance authors at Meet Cute Creative while also wrangling sharp objects away from her toddler.

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Blog Tour & Review ~ My Sweet Enemy ~ by ~ Jenny Hartwell

MY SWEET ENEMY

by Jenny Hartwell
Publication Date: February 8, 2021
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Opposites Attract
Genres: Entangled: Embrace, New Adult, Contemporary, Romantic Comedy

Amazon: https://amzn.to/39R4C6C
iTunes: http://apple.co/3pSkI5J
B&N: http://bit.ly/3jk8pwq
Kobo: http://bit.ly/3avdVbu
Paperback: https://amzn.to/2LtmGus
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3p0Ej2x
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/36OfUH8
Amazon AUS: https://amzn.to/39Rr53B

SYNOPSIS

The only thing tempering their insta-hate is delicious attraction.

Sunny chocolatier Charlotte Beecher is unemployed, in student debt, and on the verge of hawking her beloved copper pots just to make ends meet. So when a gourmet chocolate factory chooses her as one of five candidates to help re-launch the company in their Charlie and the Chocolate Factory inspired competition, Charlotte begins to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Fellow contestant Luke Wells complicates her plans to win by a landslide with his flow charts and marketing projections. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Haughty is all about the bottom line and is as bitter as she is sweet. And when he snubs Charlotte in the first challenge, misunderstanding or not, she transforms from cream puff to jawbreaker. Bring. It. On.

But when these two rivals find themselves distracted by delicious attraction, will they let their passion get in the way of winning the competition?

This was the story I needed!! Work has been so cuckoo bananas busy that reading Charlotte and Luke’s misadventures definitely helped brighten the week. Charlotte, who I’m guessing is named after Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is a chocolatier who is down on her luck. She needs a job like yesterday and cannot get a job in a chocolate factory, for reasons. Not telling, you’ve got to read it.

Enter Charlotte’s chances of becoming Chief of Chocolates through a TV reality show competition. And of course, you can see that Luke will be one of her competitors for the coveted title. Both Charlotte and Luke have their reasons why they want to win the competition and so they are immediately oil and water. At least moreso than Charlotte is with any of the other contestants. But the opposite of hate is love right and so the sparks that Luke and Charlotte ignite off each other turn into a flame.

This book was funny, sweet (in more ways than one!) and a genuine good read. I was swept up in the story of who would win and how and if both Luke and Charlotte will realize their dreams.

5 stars!

ABOUT JENNY HARTWELL

Jenny Hartwell has a confession—she loves People magazine as much as Pride and Prejudice. Her pop culture humor shines in her contemporary rom-com novels set in a gourmet chocolate factory. Her writing has won or finaled in numerous contests including the Golden Heart, The Emily, Four Seasons, Fool for Love, and The Catherine. Jenny lives with her family in the verdant Pacific Northwest. She loves movies, travel, and staying up way too late with a good book. And, of course, chocolate. Jenny is represented by Lesley Sabga of The Seymour Agency.

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Book Tour ~ Textbook Approach ~ by ~ Giulia Lagomarsino

Title: Textbook Approach

Series: The Cortell Brothers #4

Author: Giulia Lagomarsino

Genre: Small Town Romance

Release Date: February 8, 2021

Will

From the moment I saw her, I knew she was different. She wasn’t like all the other women I was used to.

But then I asked her out and my mind was blown.

She was different from every other woman, I just wasn’t sure that was a good thing.

Relationships? Off the table.

Marriage? Not a chance in hell.

Geez, I wasn’t even allowed to stay the night. You would think I was with the woman every man dreamed of, but all I wanted was the woman to want me in the same way I wanted her.

It was going to be an uphill battle the whole way, but I was a history teacher. I knew all about warfare.

Charlie

God was seriously mistaken when he said that man and woman should live together for the rest of their lives.

Why would any woman want to live with a man?

They’re disgusting and they don’t listen. They need everything explained to them.

I’ve been there, done that, and I’m not interested in repeating it.

I live my life for me now, and even the sexy Will Cortell won’t change my mind. He can try, but he will fail.

I have to admit, I do like having him around more than I thought.

But I will not give in, no matter how much he pushes. Because the thing about strong women is, the harder you push, the harder you push the woman away. And I have no problem walking away from him.

I think.

Goodreads Review – “So far all the books in this series have been amazing, and I was eagerly anticipating this book. And boy oh boy did it deliver.”

The Book Lover – “Charlie you’re my spirit animal! I couldn’t put this book down!”

Goodreads Review – “I love The Cortell Brothers! And this book is definitely my favorite!”

I’m a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, “No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book.” I didn’t think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn’t already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven’t been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.

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Book Tour ~ Harmony ~ by ~ Kyra Fox

Harmony, A Dare to Desire Novel, by Kyra Fox is LIVE!!!

One-Click available on all platforms: http://www.books2read.com/harmony-novel. Add it to your wish list on BookBub: http://bit.ly/HarmonyBookBub.

Check out the HARMONY New Release Giveaway for your chance to win a $15 e-gift card!! https://www.bit.ly/HarmonyKingsumo

The last thing I was expecting to find when I crawl naked into bed at 1 AM is a scantily dressed woman already sleeping in it.

Michael Once upon a time, I believed in happily ever after, but it was brutally ripped away from me, and I closed myself to the option of ever finding love again. I don’t deserve a second chance at happiness, a notion I firmly held onto for eight years. Until I met Lauren.

Lauren From a young age, I was taught to always avoid risks. It’s what led me to waste ten years on a man who never really loved me and eventually took everything I worked hard to achieve. But playing it safe is a notion I just can’t seem to let go of. Until I met Michael.

One-Click: http://www.books2read.com/harmony-novel BookBub: http://bit.ly/HarmonyBookBub

MEET THE AUTHOR

Kyra Fox is the pen name of a big city girl with a severe case of wanderlust whose hobby is planning non-touristy food-oriented world travels, married to her own perfectly imperfect man, and a Montessori mom to one sparkle loving ninja toddler.

A night owl to the core, I am extremely bad a sleeping and equally awful at waking up.

Bitter black coffee fuels my brain, Islay scotch fuels my soul, and all my stories start from the sex scenes.

Be sure to check out Kyra’s social media: https://smart.bio/kyrafoxauthor

Book Tour ~ Allegiance ~ by ~ Chiah Wilder

Title: Allegiance

Series: Nomad Biker Romance

Author: Chiah Wilder

Genre: MC Romance

Release Date: February 1, 2021

Amazon Review -“A real rollercoaster ride to healing and love”

Amazon Review – “MS Wilder does an amazing job at drawing you in from the first sentence all the way to the end of her books.”

Amazon Review – “Once again, Chiah Wilder doesn’t disappoint!”

He found himself by getting lost in her.

Nomad biker: a solitary life, riding from place to place. He may or may not be a member of a motorcycle club.

Tank’s Jagged Outlaw MC bottom rocker once read Southern California but now it reads Nomad.

The Jagged Outlaws MC runs through Tank’s blood even though he wears the club’s Nomad patch. His loyalties are still to the club and to Raptor—the president.

When life gets to be too much, Tank hits the open road, relishing in the freedom of solitary living for a while.

Women come and go in his life, and he prefers it that way. He’d tried settling down when he married his high school sweetheart, but when she walked out on him for another man, she took his trust in women with her.

Now his focus is on the MC, his mother’s health, and his business. He doesn’t want anyone complicating his life or crimping his style. He’s doing just fine on his own.

Until he meets Lena.

The sultry, sassy brunette is unlike any woman he’s ever met. The more she keeps him at arm’s length, the more he wants her. She is turning his life upside down and driving him crazy with desire. But he can’t have any of that. He’s a solitary man, right?

Besides, the MC is going through a power struggle with the VP trying to oust the President. And getting involved with the dark-haired vixen right now would be nothing short of stupidity.

Lena is alone in the world. The grief of losing her parents unexpectedly still consumes her, and throwing herself 100% into her restaurant is the only way she can deal with it. She can’t afford anyone or anything to upset the delicate balance she has in her tightly wound life.

Then Tank comes into her life.

The guy’s trouble.

He exudes raw sex.

And her body wants him in the worst way.

The last thing Lena wants is a man in her life. Life has taught her that the only person she can count on is herself, and she can’t let a man with a chiseled body and a strong jaw blow her off course.

But Tank is persistent and she is weakening.

And just when she lets him into her life, she sees who he is and her world comes crashing down on her.

Tank finds himself in a situation where his allegiance to his club and to Lena are at odds. For the first time in his life, his loyalty to the brotherhood is tested.

Can Tank break through a crossroad in his life without losing both Lena and his club?

The Nomad Biker books are standalone romance novels. This is Tank’s story.

A striking woman with dark brown hair interjected with , “I’m sorry, but dinner will be served after the toasts.” Her voice was smooth, like a fine glass of whiskey.

Taken aback , he stared at the olive-skinned beauty before letting his gaze trail down her body, to her gunmetal beaded ballet shoes , and then back up, lingering on her luscious cleavage in her V-neck blouse, until settling on her gold stud nose piercing.

Her lips parted, and a pink blush crept across her cheeks. Fuck. His gaze lowered to her cleavage again. When she drew in a sharp breath, her tits rose. Lust gripped his spine, shooting a jolt straight to his balls.

She cleared her throat, bringing his attention to her eyes. “The toasts shouldn’t take too long.” He pointed to the cheese platter. “I can’t even take one of them fancy crackers? C’mon, I’m starving here.” He gave her his most beguiling smile, boyish and charming. The one that had landed him into countless beds.

Her chestnut eyes fixed on his, as if she were studying him. Finally , she crossed her arms and shook her head. “That isn’t going to work here. I’m on a strict schedule from the bride’s family , and if I so much as budge from that timetable, my staff will be overrun with a flood of guests, eliminating my chance of getting a much-needed referral.” Resting her hands on the table, she leaned toward him. “Do yourself a favor and catch one of the appetizer trays I’ve been shuffling out.”

The scent of her perfume wrapped around his libido, causing him to stand there, staring at her like a moron. Pushing his desire aside, he cocked his head to the side.

“Is that how you treat all your client’s guests?” Straightening, she held her head high. Sassy, defiant, and feisty. I like that. “Only the ones who think I’ll bend over backward for them just because they’re good-looking and think they’re charming.” Licking her sexy lips, she held his gaze. “Do you need anything else, sir?”

“Well, you told me.” Tank chuckled as he snatched another glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

Her sharp tongue and quick dismissal floored him. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had come up against him like that. Usually, he was beating them off, so he had to admit, her cheekiness was a refreshing change. His eyes lowered, pausing at her throat where her pulse jumped like a frenzied rabbit, making him feel smug. Yeah, she’s fuckin’ attracted to me, and the feeling is sure as hell mutual.

Chiah Wilder is the author of the successful Insurgents MC series. Chiah’s love of bad boys has inspired her Insurgents series. She loves an alpha male whose softer side is brought out by a passionate, spirited woman. Steamy, biker romances with rough, sexy bad boys are her guilty pleasure along with brownies, cheddar cheese, and movie marathons. She is busy writing her next book in the series. Chiah would love to hear from you. You can contact her at: chiahwilder@gmail.com Visit her on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChiahWilder/ Join the Chiah Wilder Newsletter to get the scoop on new releases, previews, free short stories, and a whole lot of other exciting goodies: http://eepurl.com/bACCL1 Happy Reading!

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Book Tour ~ Angel In Between ~ by ~ SJ Cavaletti

Title: Angel in Between

Series: The Path Less Taken Trilogy #3

Author: SJ Cavaletti

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release Date: February 1, 2021

Wendy’s Book Blog – “…filled with emotions, and is a raw, gritty, and all-consuming read.”

The Power of Three Readers – “… one hell of a roller coaster ride throughout. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!”

I was right. Being a stripper did mess up my chances with love. That. And Angel.

It was hard to be a server instead. Worse than not having big pay days anymore, and feeling like the help around Brick Road, I have to see Angel almost every day.

I was sure if I ever met a man again, she’d somehow get in the way.

And I was right.

Because it’s her twin brother.

Gorgeous doctor, humanitarian, samba dancing sex God Zac is My. Enemy’s. Brother.

Time to solve the paradox. It’s the only chance for my happily ever after.

A self-professed chameleon, I have lived in many skins. Three countries have given me home, and I’ve circled the globe leaving out only Antarctica. I speak two languages fluently and can order food and say “I love you” in many more. Travel fulfills my fascination and desire to discover the various fibres that bring together the fabric of humanity. In my time around the world, meeting people from all walks of life and various cultural identities, I have concluded so far that love is the golden thread. This is why, of all the books and material I write, romance is my biggest obsession.

I have a passion for writing books that break through the wall of mystery between ‘them’ and ‘us’, and I hope to give readers a glimpse into lifestyles and lives that would otherwise remain unknown. Using the backdrop of romance, I want to draw us all together through love, something we can all understand. Romance on the path less taken.

When I’m not reading or writing, I’m probably singing very loudly, brushing my pony, walking dogs, cycling or swimming in the sea. Like every respectable woman, I also like drinking champagne and eating half of every chocolate in a truffles box. My spirit animal is a butterfly.

You can connect with me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sjcavalettibooks or write me a note! My email is sj@sjcavaletti.com .

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Book Tour ~ The Lost Horseman ~ by ~ Freida Kilmari

Title: The Lost Horseman

Series: The Horseman’s Harem Saga

Author: Freida Kilmari

Genre: LGBT Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance

Release Date: January 31, 2021

Four lovers. Four species. One world to save?

The only thing better than having someone who loves you? Having four.

My memories returned and the horror of my mortal past confirmed, I can’t hide anymore. Not from the world, not from my feelings, and certainly not from the people I’m coming to call family.

But the world is growing more unstable by the day—the magical communities are picking sides and the humans are growing restless at the early signs of war—so it looks like it’s time for the Horsemen of the Apocalypse to come out of hiding.

Damn it all to hell.

Look out world, Horseman of Magic is here!

(HERE TODAY)

Nine steps forward and looks to the audience. I’ll need a volunteer.

By the shocked looks on everyone’s faces, he sent that to everyone in the room. Vampires included.

Mr. Nice Vampire steps up, cautious after Arrie’s display of brute strength. “I’ll help.”

“This won’t be pleasant,” Nine says. “But it won’t hurt.”

Mr. Nice Vampire balls his hands into fists in an attempt to control his nervous shaking.

Cute.

Nine focuses on the man stood in front of him, hand raised in concentration. “Jump.”

He jumps, eyes going wide.

“Stick your tongue out.”

He sticks his tongue out, much to the hilarity of everyone around us.

But we stay silent, knowing how much Nine hates using his powers like this. He defends himself and the team, but without permission, he wouldn’t enter someone’s mind like this—not even ours.

“Pinch yourself.”

He pinches himself lightly on the arm.

Nine releases his mental command. “I can use it to make someone do anything, even kill themselves.”

I wince. Really?

Yes.

Freida Kilmari, an author, writer, and editor from south-west England, has a passion for unique fantasy, one that started with the likes of Philip Pullman, Derek Landy, and JK Rowling. With their fantastical words, she spent her childhood and young adult life vying to create her own world of words one day. Eventually, after finishing her degree and settling into being a business owner, she started writing fantasy romance with LGBT+ twists, and from there, she’s kept twisting tropes, retelling fairy tales and legends, and seeing just how far you can push the boundaries of sexuality and gender.

Living in south-west England, she owns and runs Penmanship Editing, a fiction editing business that strives to make the most out of each author’s unique story, words, and heart. “Every writer is different, and it’s those differences that make our work a part of who we are.” She’s worked on over 100 books in the last two years and has received praise from authors and other editors alike for her encouraging and togetherness approach in a field that is lacking uniqueness and empathy.

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Book Tour ~ The Fury of Angels ~ by ~ Julian M. Coleman

Title: The Fury of Angels

Series: The Damned Reflections Trilogy #1

Author: Julian M. Coleman

Genre: Historical Romance/Women’s Fiction

Release Date: January 25, 2021

‘Julian M. Coleman manages to captivate the reader with a story that is beyond the scope of any usual supernatural fantasy. This is a dark tale, at times leaning towards gothic, other right into light horror, it’s in fact the stuff of nightmares, and yet, flows nicely page after page into a complex thread that forces the reader to keep on reading until the very last page and then ask for more.’ ~ Goodreads Review (Katheyer)

‘The author knocked it out of the ballpark with this installment. This book was a complete page turner…” ~ Goodreads Review (Bridgett)

Sammy is a prep school kid struggling with teen love and bullying. Sara is a shaman’s daughter, an outcast and a sociopath. The princess and the warrior are identical best friends surviving in different centuries. They are also ruthless killers doomed to immortality.

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PROLOGUE
ILLINOIS TERRITORY – 1854
RUTHIE

Thin slivers of sunlight pierced the stark gray clouds blanketing the horizon. A cold wind whistled through the crack of the poorly constructed sash of the bedroom window. Ruthie didn’t hear the howling sound or feel the frigid temperature.

Familiar wretchedness lapped over her heart as she knelt by the makeshift crib, a thing of rough timber tied together with scraps of rope.

She wanted to disbelieve the truth. But her eyes, leaking perpetual tears, saw how the woolen blankets no longer held her curly-haired toddler. He was gone.

No! She had tucked him into bed the previous night with a heartfelt kiss on his cheek. Her soul ached as she absorbed the painful truth. Massa had taken her son as he had stolen the others. This time she hadn’t been allowed to see him grow much older than his need for a wet-nurse. She had always known Massa would sell him. The urgency this time was the family’s desperate need for money.

Ruthie held her breast as her heart pounded against her ribcage. A low, persistent moan snared in her throat failed to swell into a soul-searing scream.

“Ruthie, you is disturbing me with all that sniveling. Git your ass in the kitchen and start making breakfast. I know you ain’t expecting me to fix it!” The annoyed, nasal tone emitted from the Missus’ sunny private reading room.

The rebuke forced Ruthie’s silence, but the pain gnawed her heart. She rose to her feet on legs barely able to support her statuesque frame. And as hard as she tried, she couldn’t stop looking at the empty crib, the rumpled blankets, and a discarded toy, a pitiful thing she’d made out of rags…which he had adored.

“Ruthie! Come here, girl!” The irritation in Missus’ tone meant further sufferings. This time, the infuriating voice streamed from the kitchen.

Ruthie straightened her back, stiffened her shoulders, and lifted her head. Today is going to be different, she promised herself.

Then she chastised herself. After all, she was to blame for wanting to keep him. For falling in love with his liquid brown eyes and curly black hair. For allowing the maternal stirrings to manifest each time she had nursed him.

“Ruthie! I ain’t going to call you again! We’re hungry. Git your ass out here! Or do you want me to come in there and beat you?”

“Comin’ Missus!” she tried to wrench the emotion out of her voice. By the time she emerged from her tiny room near the food cellar, she had pasted on a smile.

Missus, a plain, broad woman in a gingham dress, wore her dark hair in a bun. She sat alone at the kitchen table, sipping from a cup. Her small blue eyes gleamed as she lowered her drink and twisted her lips into a self-satisfied sneer.

Missus relished her pain. Now there wouldn’t be a brown baby to remind her of Massa’s peculiar and non-Christian tastes for his slave.

“Good mornin’, Missus,” Ruthie chimed in false cheerfulness.

Although she could silence her whimpers, she couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. She escaped the hostile scrutiny by wrapping herself in a shawl, grabbing the basket, and departing for the chicken coop. The hired hands, ne’er-do-well white men more likely to drink hooch than put in a day’s work, were repairing the fence. The sinister way they eyed her comings and goings made her nervous.

In the distance, she heard the girls, nine-year-old Glorie and her younger sister, Mabel, laughing, although she didn’t see them. She guessed they were somewhere close, playing a game like, Hide and Seek, as usual. As she filled her basket with fresh eggs, the ever-present agony bored a wider hole in the remnants of her heart.

It wasn’t right. Massa and Missus kept both their children when she couldn’t keep even one of hers.

Alone in the chicken coop, she sank to her knees and wept. With no one nearby to hear, she loudly cried as the pain ripped apart her soul.

“Ruthie!”

She coughed out the wad of emotion lodged in her throat. “Coming, Missus!” She rose from her knees. A part of her hoped for the familiar numbness to take hold, but this time there wasn’t a blanketing detachment to coat over the debilitating injury. The loss continued to grate her heart into shreds.

She assumed her tasks as if watching herself perform them from a distance. She fried eggs, salt ham and biscuits, and later she watched as Missus and her golden-haired girls gobbled their meal. They chatted, laughed and ate as their lives continued. Slyly, she watched them as a nugget of pure hatred welled in the empty pit of her heart.

Next, she took out a tray to the field hands. The riffraff didn’t bother washing up. Instead, they dived into the food with the ferocious gluttony of wild pigs.

As she cleared and cleaned the morning dishes, she heard Massa’s lazy steed clip-clop to the stables. Ruthie caught her breath. She held onto a minuscule iota of optimism he hadn’t sold their son. Massa’s lone entrance into the house dashed all hope. Her missing son was not in the company of his father.

The gangly man with pocked skin unloaded sacks of flour, seeds and tobacco. Under his arm, he carried a bolt of cloth and two new dolls. He placed the items on the table, and then he looked around before swatting Ruthie on her derriere.

Tears formed, but she refused to cry.

She hated him. She always had. Briefly, she remembered how he’d made her a woman before she’d had her first bleeding. She’d been a child, wrenched from her mother’s care, sold and bedded in less than one day.

Massa wasn’t indeed a prosperous businessman. He’d sold his home and failing business in Philadelphia and all his slaves except Ruthie, to stake his claim in Illinois. His skill with farming and raising sheep was as dubious as his haberdashery talents had been.

“Henry!” Missus squealed at the store-bought items. She unrolled the cloth. “A new Sunday dress for church!” she gushed. “It’s lovely!”

He planted a tepid kiss on Missus’ faintly mustachioed lips. “Nothing but the best for my angels.” The girls each took a doll and began squabbling over which one was prettier.

Julian M. Coleman is a wife, mother and grandmother who enjoys reading, gardening and running as well as writing horror novels from her home in Richmond, Virginia. She is a diehard Stephen King/Anne Rice fan and wasn’t surprised when her first trilogy won a Best Paranormal/Horror award.

HOSTED BY:

MY SWEET ENEMY

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SYNOPSIS

ABOUT JENNY HARTWELL

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