Saturday, December 5, 2015

Book Tour: Lovers, Players and the Seducer by J.A. Jackson #PNR #Contemporary @jerreece




Nicholas La Cour loves money. In the game of betrayer and betrayed he thinks his sister Lacey is the prefect target for his manipulative schemes to keep his financial ruin a secret.
Gorgeous Lacey La Cour lost her hopeful and playful spirit after being dumped by her childhood sweetheart. Now an adult, she is strong and independent.
Determined to find the answer to his money problems, Nicholas discovers his best friend Kienan Egan is strangely attracted to his sister Lacey.
Does his sister’s love life hold the answers to all of his problems?
Does Nicholas have the prefect plan?
A vengeful seduction is swept into play as tragic forces are unleashed in a dangerous game of deception and greed unlocking doors to the past.
Will Lacey discover her brother’s deception before it’s too late?
When it’s all said and done it’s all about the well-heed things in life, family, friendships, affairs, revenge, and romance.

What Reviewers are saying –

Bestselling author J.A. Jackson has done it again!
J. A. Jackson brings an emotional roller coaster ride every time and “Lovers,  Players &The Seducer”   is her best steamy, sizzling, sexy roller coaster ride yet
A truly fabulous story from beginning to the end with excitement, romance, suspense starting on the first page until the very end. And the ending is…Well I didn’t see that coming.  
As usually, author J. A. Jackson story telling flows smoothly and the dialogues are crisp! In the game of betrayer and betrayed Nicholas La Cour think his sister Lacey is the prefect target to keep his financial ruin a secret. You’ve got to read it to find out why and was you do. There was no way that I could put the story down.
Looking for a good read? Do you love romance, suspense and intrigue?
Then bestselling author J. A. Jackson’s “Lovers,  Players &The Seducer” is for you! This gripping novel will propel you into a glamorous world of seduction, temptation and danger. Thoroughly entertaining, this is one of Jackson’s finest achievements yet!
J. A. Jackson does a fine job of keeping the story moving and the reader guessing in Lovers, Players, and The Seducer it is more than just a love story- it’s a tale of forgiveness and redemption that will touch your heart 


What possessed her to go through with this was beyond her.  Lacey had no intentions of ever going to Let’s Get Acquainted, until Maëlle called her a heartless shrew who took her friendship for granted and treated her even worse.  Then she had to go and start crying. Okay I’m a lot of things, yes, I am a little mean sometimes but Maëlle is my best friend. I love her like a sister, she thought. 
Let’s Get Acquainted, Lacey thought, what a name for a matchmaking service.
Lacey looked out for the centuries old grove of olive trees that Maëlle told her to look for. It signaled she was approaching the turn that would lead her straight up the hill to the Stately Mansion.
She parked her car in front of a huge old rose arbor. The rustic old world charm of it was beautiful. She looked beyond the arch way and saw that magnolia trees stood on each side of it. Her gaze looked past them and there stood a magnificent garden.
For several minutes she just sat in her car and stared mesmerized. She wondered how beautiful everything would look at full bloom in the summer.
A few minutes later she got out of her car and took the walkway heading to the house.  She had every intention of ringing the doorbell.  She looked for it but couldn’t find one.  A strange doorknocker seemed to appear out of nowhere. A shiver ran down her spine.

****

Mystified, Lacey just stood there and looked at it and refused to touch it. 
The door slowly crept open.
“Hello, and welcome to Let’s Get Acquainted,” I’m your host for the night Mrs. CJ Oshun. But most people just drop the CJ.”
  A very petite lady waived her in and turned and started walking down the hallway. “Welcome to the Magnolia Heights Mansion.”
“The lady must have been standing watch at the window,” Lacey thought.
As Lacey walked behind the small frail delicate little old lady, she studied her. She was wearing a spectacular green dress that had a bold magical green effect to it.  Her deep green dress was framed by an exquisitely beautiful burgundy and gold scarf that resembled the beautiful folds of a sari.
When Mrs. Oshun spoke, her voice sounded like melodious singing.
Lacey followed closely behind her, silently.

*****

Mrs. Oshun spoke as she walked.  “Your face looks like I need to tell you the absolute truth, she sung out. “My true name is Madame CJ Fortier.  I have given myself the name of Mrs. CJ Oshun after my late husband. He was my second husband. He was originally from Santería Cuba. You know. In his country the name Oshun means he who reigns over love. In some cultures it refers to a spiritual goddess.” She nodded. “Anyway, that said. You may call me Mrs. Oshun,” she said, as she abruptly stopped walking.
Mrs. Oshun turned and studied Lacey’s face.
All at once Mrs. Oshun reached out her hands and cupped Lacey’s face. “And believe it or not, I know who you are Lacey Kadira Catherine La Cour”! She exclaimed. “Oh, my……I would know your face anywhere. You look just like your mother Pearl.”
Mrs. Oshun’s green eyes sparkled like emeralds. “Sorry but there is no time to explain how I know you. Come, come. We must get started. She urged Lacey to follow her down the all.



What Reviewers are saying:
Bestselling author J.A. Jackson has done it again!
J. A. Jackson brings an emotional roller coaster ride every time and “Lovers,  Players &The Seducer”   is her best steamy, sizzling, sexy roller coaster ride yet.
A truly fabulous story from beginning to the end with excitement, romance, suspense starting on the first page until the very end. And the ending is…Well I didn’t see that coming.
As usually, author J. A. Jackson story telling flows smoothly and the dialogues are crisp! In the game of betrayer and betrayed Nicholas La Cour think his sister Lacey is the prefect target to keep his financial ruin a secret. You’ve got to read it to find out why and was you do. There was no way that I could put the story down.
Looking for a good read? Do you love romance, suspense and intrigue?
Then bestselling author J. A. Jackson’s “Lovers,  Players &The Seducer” is for you!
This gripping novel will propel you into a glamorous world of seduction, temptation and danger. Thoroughly entertaining, this is one of Jackson’s finest achievements yet!
 J. A. Jackson does a fine job of keeping the story moving and the reader guessing in Lovers, Players, and The Seducer it is more than just a love story- it’s a tale of forgiveness and redemption that will touch your heart


J.A. Jackson is the pseudonym for an author, who loves to write deliciously sultry adult romantic, suspenseful, entertaining novels with a unique twist. She lives in an enchanted little house she calls home in the Northern California foothills.
She spent over ten years working in the non-profit sector where she wrote grants, press releases and contributed many stories to their newsletter. She was their Newsletter editor for over ten years. She loves growing roses, a good pot of hot tea, chocolate, magical stories, suspense stories, ghost stories, and reading Jane Austen again and again in her past time.
                          

Don't forget to stop at the other hosts for this tour so you don't miss a single peek into this book or what this author has to offer!  


12/2
Sensuous Promos 



12/2
Nicki Day  

12/3
Nics Book Nook  



12/3
Darkest Cravings  
12/3
The Book Pub  

12/4
Nicole Morgan 



12/4
All Book Finds 

12/5
Nikki Noffsinger  

12/6
Sage Marlowe  


12/6
Fantasy Pages  

12/8
Taylor Brooks  

12/8
Kelsie Belle   




Thursday, December 3, 2015

Book Tour: King Stud (O'Connor Family Novel Book 1) by @LivRancourt #Contemporary #Romance @EvernightPub






Danielle’s got three months to make her Grandmother’s rundown Craftsman house livable. Her game plan is to get in, get grubby, and get back home to L.A. She needs a carpenter, and her best friend’s younger brother is a good one. It’s hard to ignore the buffed body under Ryan’s paint-splattered sweatshirts, but her friend declares he’s off-limits so Danielle reluctantly agrees.

Ryan doesn’t have the cleanest record, anyway. His recently ex-ed girlfriend wants him back, and he has a reputation for brawling. He’s also had a crush on Danielle since he was a kid. Despite their nine-year age difference, he knows she’s worth pursuing.

Soon the paint under Danielle’s fingernails starts feeling more natural than the L.A. sunshine. She’ll have to navigate plumbing disasters, money problems, and one seriously cranky best friend to find something she hasn’t had before: a real home, and a man who loves her.

A pair of headlights streaked across the front window, interrupting her bid war. A minute later, heavy footsteps crossed the porch. Then someone knocked hard on the door.
She jerked out of the chair, her confusion exacerbated by the heavy pounding of her heart. No one should be here. The door rattled like someone was messing with the lock. She made a sound halfway between a bleat and a scream when the door opened.
Ryan came in. "Hey, you're here," he said, dimples flaring.
"What are you doing? You scared the shit out of me.” She braced herself on the table, pulling in a deep lungful of air.
He just stood grinning at her, hands in his pockets, curls gelled into something close to order. The laptop streamed soft music that all of a sudden sounded romantic, and she panicked, hoping he wouldn’t get the wrong idea.
“Glad you think this is funny,” she said.
 “I thought you’d be out with Maeve.” He held up his hands, calming her, placating her. She really wanted those hands touching her.
Down girl.
“I just had to finish up a couple things.” She straightened up and rested her knuckles on her hips. Instead of his usual worn jeans and tee shirt, he was dressed in black pants and a light blue button-down shirt that looked like silk and made his eyes crazy bright. His tie was navy and he'd changed out his usual UW hoodie for a black leather jacket. "You look … um…"
"Company Christmas party." He spoke too quickly, like there was something going on under the surface.
"You should be out hanging with your crew." And not here torturing me.
"I need to take the clamps off those cabinets I glued up."
The expression on his face had nothing to do with carpentry. He took a couple steps toward the dining room, then veered over to where she stood, moving fast. She fell back, carried by his wave of energy, and in seconds he had her up against the wall, his hands bracketing her head, his hips pressed tight to hers.
"Ryan, no. What are you…"
He covered her mouth with his fingers. "Sh. Just let me be close to you for a minute."
She tipped her chin up and his fingers slid down her neck, stopping when his thumb hit the hollow at the base of her throat and his strong hand cradled her shoulder. He rocked forward, resting his mouth against her forehead.
She stood still, caught up in the heat of his breath on her skin and the soft woodsy smell of his aftershave.
"I know I'm not supposed to do this, Dani."
The scratch of lips against skin made her mouth water. "It's … okay. Just … we shouldn't."
His head turned and lowered. He meant to kiss her. If he succeeded, there was no way she'd stop. She wanted him so, so bad. He cupped her face with both hands, pinning her.
Crap.
His mouth closed over hers like the final piece of a puzzle dropping into place. She stilled, time stopped, the universe paused. She didn’t push him away.
Sometimes not choosing becomes its own choice.
Instead, she reached up and grabbed the collar of his silk shirt and hauled him closer. This was what she wanted. To hell with all the arguments against it.
He shoved a thigh between her legs, and his hands grew rougher, grabbing her hair to change the angle of her head. He tasted of mint and gum and beer. The heat rose between them, and oh my God she wanted it. Wanted him. He pulled back, flicked her lips with his tongue. The sound she made was nearly a sob. She drove her hands under his leather coat and pulled his shirt free. When her fingertips reached the warm, velvety skin of his lower back she almost sobbed again.
His kiss got harder, rugged, more demanding, and his hands dragged her ass closer still. Her body lit up, her core turning to liquid flame. He got under her sweatshirt, kneading her breasts. Her head rocked back against the wall and her laughter swirled out under the exquisite torture of his hands on her nipples. His lips and tongue mauled her ear and down her neck, and she keened a victory sound, tiny and high-pitched, her hips rocking slowly against the growing bulge in his groin.
She went to work on the buttons down the front of his shirt, ready to indulge in exploring his muscular chest, but he wrapped her hands in his and shifted his weight away from her.
When he spoke, his voice was rough, heavy. "I'm sorry." He turned slowly, moving like a man three times his age. "Jesus, I know you don’t want … I'm sorry, Dani."
She let the wall support most of her weight, breathing hard, all that warm liquidy goodness turning to ice. Her sweatshirt rode up around her ribs and her bra was off kilter. She tugged everything back into place, embarrassment verging on mortification washing over her. Why the hell did he stop? He'd acted on an impulse she felt just as surely as he did. Then he tipped forward a little, unsteady, almost losing his balance, and she put the pieces together. "How much did you have to drink tonight?"
He scrubbed his face with his hands. "A bit."
"A bit too much." She punched his shoulder. He reached out like he would gather her in for a hug, but she sidestepped him. "None of that, now. Let me get my stuff together then I'm going to drive you home."
"Nah, I'm fine."
"Um, right. Give me your keys."
After a brief staring match, he flipped his car keys in her direction. She'd seen pain in his eyes, hiding behind a whole boatload of frustration.

All emotions she could relate to. 










I write romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire … or sometimes demon … I lean more towards funny than angst. When I’m not writing I take care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. My husband is a soul of patience, my dog’s cuteness is legendary, and we share the homestead with three ferrets. Who steal things. Because they’re brats.

I can be found on-line at all hours of the day and night at my website & blog (www.liv-rancourt.blogspot.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/liv.rancourt), or on Twitter (www.twitter.com/LivRancourt). For sneak peeks and previews and other assorted freebies, go HERE to sign up for my mailing list.
Come find me. We’ll have fun!
Please visit all the stops on this tour so you don't miss a single peek into this book or what the author has to say! 


11/30 
Sensuous Promos 

11/30
Nicki Day 

12/1
All Book Finds 

12/1
Andrew Jericho 

12/2
Get Cozy  

12/2
The Book Pub 

12/3
Nikki Noffsinger  

12/3
Fantasy Pages 

12/4
Nicole Morgan 

12/4
Nics Book Nook 

12/5
Kelsie Belle 

12/5
Taylor Brooks 

12/6
Darkest Cravings 

12/6
Michelle Roth  

Monday, November 23, 2015

Silver Belles and Stetsons Western #Romance Christmas Anthology #99cents #Cowboys


Welcome to Sensuous Promos Book Tour for Silver Belles and Stetsons. This holiday boxed set features ten novellas by Amazon best selling and Award-Winning Authors and will be available for only a limited time.


Bestselling and Award-winning authors bring you ten western romance novellas featuring alpha-cowboys from the past. This boxed set will take you back in time when men were rugged and handsome and the women who loved them courageous and daring. 


The Greatest Gift: A Montana Cowboy Christmas by Kathleen Ball. Amazon Bestselling and Award- Wining Author. Looking for the man who ran out on her, Ginger finds a cowboy worthy of love but he doesn't want or need love. 

Stone Mountain Christmas by Caroline Clemmons, Amazon Bestselling and Award-Winning Author. Can Celia restore the town's Christmas spirit? "A beautifully written story about love and hope and all the emotions Christmas brings out in people." Karren Lucas 

Catherine’s Cowboy by Cait Braxton, Amazon Bestselling and Award-Winning Author. During a supernatural dust storm, Fate steps in when rugged army tracker Elam helps Catherine deliver her child. 

Angel and the Texan from County Cork by Carra Copelin. Amazon Bestselling and Award-Winning Author. Does Angel trust marriage to the man she suspects of killing her husband or the stranger who promises to pay off her debt and set her free if she decides their marriage of convenience won’t work? 

The Drifter’s Proposal by Kristin Holt, Amazon Bestselling Author. The baker's man is home for Christmas... "Compelling. Heartwarming. Tender." ~Diane Darcy, USA Today Bestselling Author 

The Perfect Gift by Lyn Horner, Award-winning author. Friendship has blossomed into young love, but it seems destined to die on the vine...until an unexpected Christmas gift promises happiness. 

Marshal Mistletoe by Susan Horsnell. She married the wrong man. Will fate intervene? 

Christmas Redemption by Paty Jager, Amazon Bestselling and Award-Winning Author. Can two battered hearts find solace or will the past continue to haunt their lives? "A story of forgiveness that has a wonderful hero who has worked hard to redeem himself." 

A Hard Candy Christmas by Hebby Roman, Amazon Bestselling Author. Two damaged souls. Can their budding love and the healing power of Christmas bring them together? 

Christmas Cowboy by Margaret Tanner. Will a miracle Christmas baby unite two tortured souls, or will it forever keep them apart?

If purchased separately you’d pay at least 75% more than the steal of a deal you’re getting at the 99cent price point that this set is offered at. So get your copy from Amazon before it’s too late!




Be sure to visit the other stops in this tour, by using the schedule below: 

Sensuous Promos 11/16 

Nicole Morgan 11/16 

Andrew Jericho 11/17

Get Cozy 11/17 

Darkest Cravings 11/18 

Fantasy Pages 11/18

The Book Pub 11/19

All my Book Finds 11/19 

Nic’s Book Nook 11/20

Michelle Roth 11/20 

Nicki Day 11/21

Bound by Passion 11/22

Taylor Brooks 11/23

Kelsie Belle 11/23

Saturday, November 14, 2015

#SciFi Book Tour for The Argon Factor by Heather Harlow @HeatherMHarlow #Kindle

















Welcome to the Book Tour for Heather Harlow's The Argon Factor. This is an exciting, edge of your seat and action packed story about what could happen in our future if technology gets ahead of us. Already climbing the Sci-Fi and Fantasy charts it has reached both the #1 slots for Universe and Solar System. Oh and did we mention that there is an attraction in this story lurking just beneath the surface? Mark our words readers this is going to be a good one. So strap yourselves in, because this is your third stop on The Argon Factor book tour. 



In a futuristic world, where Earth’s cities are still recovering from being ravaged by gang wars, cyber crime is at it’s peak and threatens the world’s digitized monetary supply. 

Susan Caldwell is a newly hired security development manager at GTS, the company that controls the world’s monetary supply and data. The sophisticated systems have been hacked and now people on Susan’s team are being killed while they try to fix the breach. 

Susan, who trusts no man, must rely upon the GTS CEO, Christoph Baldric, to keep her safe. Little does she know that he’s the Argon alien commander on Earth. She’s not interested in him, doesn’t want a hookup with him, but is extremely attracted to him. Susan has her own plans and will be having a baby through the fertility clinic. She’s excited about her pending future, that is, if she is still alive. 

Christoph Baldric’s mission is to protect the Earth’s humans and nurture them so that eventually his people can merge with the humans. Christoph’s planet, Argon, was blown up when their major sun exploded into a black hole. The people of Argon have been studying and nurturing Earth for many millennia as a new, potential home. Now is the time to make Earth their home and begin merging with Earth’s humans, making both races stronger. 

But first, the Argonians must save Earth from the Grogan’s, the Argon nemesis from their home universe, Baldracon, who want to eliminate all life on Earth and take the planet for their own.

PG Excerpt

“You are in shock, and you need to get some rest,” he was saying, as she turned to look at him.

When she turned to face him to tell him she needed to stay at work, she looked into his eyes and forgot what she was going to say. He was so close to her, and he was still slowly rubbing her back with his hand. It felt so good, she didn’t want it to stop. And he was so close. Her heart sped up a bit as she wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. His lips looked so soft and inviting. Her sleep deprivation had lowered her basic defenses.

She was leaning into him – or was he leaning into her? She didn’t really care who was doing what when his lips met hers. She was lost in the feel of his kiss – and in the magnetic force that seemed to be fogging her mind and overwhelming Christoph.

… he couldn’t resist her and he couldn’t resist just tweaking their energy movements just a little bit. Unlike human men, who did this manipulation unconsciously and based purely on instinct, he was purposefully manipulating her. It wasn’t hard when her lips felt so good. He easily decided to probe deeper. He opened his mouth slightly, and her lips followed suit. He gently pushed his tongue into her mouth – again, she responded in kind.

When Christoph touched her tongue with his, she thought that her head was going to explode. The chemistry between them was amazing, and she wanted more. She wanted to feel him pressed against her. She unknowingly moved closer so that her body was touching his. At the same time, she encouraged him to pick up the pace of the kiss. He responded, and kissed her back with an urgency that she couldn’t help but reciprocate. She was intoxicated by him, and she pushed a little closer as she put her hands on his shoulders.



Heather Harlow has wanted to be an author since adolescence.  The Argon Factor is her first book in a series about aliens from the planet Argon.
She’s always been a fan of superheroes:  Batman and Robin, Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Six Million Dollar Man, and the Bionic Woman. She likes sci-fi movies and series, like Star Trek and Battle Star Galactica. More recently, she’s been enjoying the Avenger movies. In addition to her sci-fi interests, she’s a romantic.   Therefore, it was natural for her to write about science fiction and combine it with a human interest story that has sex and romance in it.

Heather graduated from University of Memphis (BBA) and Tennessee Technological University (MBA).  Her day job is in IT at a major telecommunications company.  She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her dogs, Mickey (13), a Golden Retriever, Jack (5mos), a black Lab/shepherd mix, and two cats, Smokey and Cali. She loves wine, good music, great food, the beach, swimming, exercising, football (college and NFL), World Cup Soccer, and NHL Playoffs.



Twitter: @heatherMharlow


Friday, November 13, 2015

Hayley's Reviews Proudly Presents: The Hunter, the Bear, and the Seventh Sister~World of the Arcas

Their lands are legendary. Overflowing wealth, prosperity, and youth are what the Arcas possess. However, their entire world is facing extinction and their whole way of life is quickly digressing into apathy and pain.

     The Hunter, the Bear, and the Seventh Sister by B.I. Woolet kicks off this science fiction/fantasy epic story of the world of the Arcas and their fight to hold on to their lands and their way of life. This book ranks up there with Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Mortal Instruments  series. It is truly that good of a read. They take the reader on a journey that transports them into the story. B.I.Woolet has created a world and characters that are going to be favorites. The World of the Arcas are going to stir the adventurer and thrill seeker within the reader.


 





Book Blurb

The last kingdoms of Arcas possess enduring youth, beauty, and wealth but have slowly crumbled under the weight of endless apathy and a painful past.
The rising evil of Gurges Ater now threatens to reopen the ancient kingdom pillars created long ago as passageways between Earth and Arcas. With access to both worlds, Gurges Ater will quickly conquer the weak kingdoms and establish his own throne.
Can Jackson, along with a paranoid bear, a lone hunter, and the surviving seventh sister work together to protect both Earth and Arcas?
Or will the unlikely heroes allow their own fears, pain, and past to paralyze them as Gurges Ater opens the pillars and claims the throne?





Then DARKNESS. Cold darkness surrounded him everywhere. Jackson panicked. What did I do? Where did the light go? Finally, through his shivering worries of a frosty death, he remembered Cygnus’s instructions. The portal only stays open while all four fingers continue to grasp the corners of the transport gem. Upon holding the gem of Earth, he had released his precision points on the transport stone and shut the portal. Jackson blindly explored the jewel in his hand, pressing each finger on a point until light shot through the room again. He drew another door and ran back into the warm desert cave. Procyon was gone and Jackson’s fears grew wild again. After one last glimpse of the remarkable grotto-like pillar room, he ran back down the stairs to the cave entrance. The Hunter and Eltanin now fought face-to-face on the dry ground between Vega and the left mountain: flame meeting sword, snap chasing swipe. Procyon was already panting and paddling through the water to join his battling companions just as Sirius was violently thrown near the left mountain by the blunt swing and force of the dragon’s head against his body. Jackson dove back into the oasis to meet The Hunter for their final escape. But as Jackson swam, the dragon lunged at The Hunter, spewed a quick flame, and then whipped his tail around, knocking The Hunter flat on his 81 back. Before The Hunter could regain his footing, the dragon was on top of him. One large, clawed foot held down The Hunter’s legs while only the sword’s blade separated the dragon’s teeth from The Hunter’s face. Hot drops of spit flew down, sizzling the clothes on his chest as Eltanin snarled, roared, and snapped. “AHHH!” The Hunter bellowed in pain as the dragon put all his weight on The Hunter’s legs and reared up, flinging the sword into the water by swiping forcefully with one front claw. Eltanin then shot thick flames at Procyon who was nearing the battle. Awaking from his stupor, Sirius darted to join the fight while Procyon ran from the raging, fiery breath. “NOOOO!” Jackson screamed in anguish as he crawled onto the bank and watched the mighty Eltanin arch his neck for the final attack. 








     

Hayley's Reviews Proudly Presents: Arrows of Darkness~The World of Arcas Blog Tour

Arrows of Darkness is an epic Sci-Fi/Fantasy adventure thrill ride that is engaging every step of the way. B.I. Woolet is pulling the reader into this world that has strange beasts, magic, and the stuff that legends are born from. For all the fans of Tolkein, the King Arthur tales, and the famed Star Wars-Arrows of Darkness will be your next favorite. So, gear up and get ready to journey into the lands of the Arcas with B.I. Woolet's Arrows of Darkness.







Orlund Johannes looked out at the tumultuous waters swirling twenty feet below the falls. Taking one last breath, he pushed against the rocks to his right with the blade of his paddle. Plunging down, down, down through the liquid vector splashing violently around him, he held his paddle straight alongside the cockpit and tucked his body as close to the deck as he could bend. The riotous waves were deafening, but his mind remained clear and focused. He dove straight down, beneath the rapids. Battle raged against the orange hull of his kayak, flipping him instantly. His paddle’s blade crashed into a hidden rock pile underneath the plunge pool. It broke, sending the half in his left hand flying violently backward into his lip and nose. He was still holding his breath but now tasting blood. Watery vortexes continued pushing Orlund under. Like the gates of Hell, merciless rapids above barred him from reentering the world of the living while the waters below beckoned him like an open portal to enter a new realm. Terror and adrenaline flooded him, but Orlund was used to these sensations. Each time he developed a new method of cellular manipulation within his field of biomedical nanotechnology, he felt the same. One wrong digit could cost him his hold on a groundbreaking experiment; one wrong twist below the rapids could cost him his hold on the breath of life. Orlund felt both powerful and powerless releasing the useless, broken paddle from his right hand. Then, instinct took over. As his chest constricted from the lack of oxygen, he tightened his abdominal muscles and rolled. Orlund’s head and body fought up through the current in the plunge pool. His mouth gasped open, pulling in the taste of moist air and blood as he balanced himself above the water. The rapids pushed him downstream as his friend Zach paddled out to him. “That was a monster!” Orlund yelled out as his friend approached. “Yeah, you look like you got in a fight with a monster.” Zach shook his head, pointing at the blood and bruising. “Dude, I told you to chuck and duck!” Jeff lightly smirked as he threw a rope from the bank, grateful his friend was safe. Orlund grabbed the rope through his gray gloves as Jeff pulled him to the bank. The three buddies set up a quick camp to rest and eat before they continued down the river. The weather this fall was unseasonably warm out west, allowing them to kayak much later than usual. Occasional clusters of trees in this rocky, desert terrain still held the majority of their yellow, red, and orange leaves. Colorful leaves along with tan-and-red-striped rock, and the bright yellow sunlight surrounding them, created a deep sensation of visual and physical warmth. This quick, early-November weekend trip to the wilds of Utah was Orlund’s “last hoorah” before winter’s cold took over. Orlund, a man of action and an innovative genius, typically surrounded himself with sterile environments, precise equipment, top technology, and statistics. The wild outdoors was his mind’s retreat, and adrenaline was his preferred drug. Kayaking every free moment supplied Orlund with a frequent dose. Orlund pulled the rubber wetsuit off his arms and shoulders near the chosen campsite. After sitting to remove his shoes and tugging the suit’s legs off, he rested for a moment and admired the amazing bluffs. Out of nowhere, a silvery, white image appeared in the distance, blazing with a striking contrast to the red-rock landscape. “Guys, look at that!” Orlund anxiously pointed toward a natural rock arch in the distance where the brilliant image was standing. “What’s it this time?” Zach asked, uninterested. Orlund’s antics and jokes wore thin after a while. He wouldn’t fall for his friend’s convincing emotional hype this time. “Dude, quit playing around and help get the fire started,” Jeff added. “No, I’m dead serious. I couldn’t make this up! There is a man with huge white wings up that hill by the arch. He just appeared dragging a kid along with him.” “Your paddle hit you good, huh?” Zach wasn’t buying it and wasn’t looking up. “A man wearing wings. Poor guy just missed trick-or-treating in the desert.” “Ha! Funny, Zach. Let’s see, the storyteller has threatened us with tales of bears and water snakes and cave dragons before, but a drag queen in the desert might be his scariest tale yet!” Rather than laugh or reply with a sly remark, Orlund continued to stare at the arch. Faint voices echoed off the canyon lands until Jeff and Zach casually looked up to see where the noises were coming from. “What the!” Jeff exclaimed. “I told you. That man has wings.” Orlund scrambled to his feet and grabbed his dry pack concealing his pistol and phone. “I’m going up there. I think the kid is injured.” The arch faded out of sight as they climbed the steep bank. When the huge, curved landmark came back into view, no one was there. “Where are they?” Zach scanned the uneven terrain. “Maybe it was just a large bird?” Jeff reasoned. “No. That man definitely had hands and legs. Feathers, yes, but no beak.” Orlund continued, unraveling his black .44 Magnum and phone from the waterproof layers. “Dude, seriously?” Jeff looked at his armed friend, preparing to fight the vanished villain. “It could have been a Native American ritual costume! Maybe the boy was starting a coming-of-age ceremony. There’s a reservation up north.” Zach would often bring up Native American culture. He claimed to be some sort of expert because his great-great grandfather was supposedly a full-blooded Cherokee. “No way, that bird man was even whiter than you are,” Orlund teased. “Hey, I’m not totally white,” Zach protested. “Believe what you want, man, but one-sixteenth Native American wasn’t enough to get you a scholarship, and it really isn’t enough to claim you’re a minority,” Jeff jumped in. “Whatever. You’d both claim me as a Native American in a second if it got us another research grant.” “That’s right, Tonto,” Orlund agreed with a smile. The three reached the base of the huge arch towering before them. The canyons lay quiet. A few birds flew high in the distance and several rodents scurried in the valleys below, but no humans moved within sight. “There’s nothing here. We’re just hungry.” Jeff turned to walk back to the river. “Let’s go eat.” “Wait! We walked all this way. Let’s at least get a picture under the arch.” “I’ll take one of you guys first.” Orlund replaced his pistol in the dry pack and grabbed his phone. “Step back a little so you’re right under it.” The young scientist took several rapid shots with the tap of his finger. Suddenly, Jeff and Zach disappeared from the frame on his phone. When he looked up, the arch appeared empty, though strange, colorful heat waves seemed to be dancing within it. “Did you guys find something?” Orlund walked under the arch expecting to see his friends on the other side of the natural rock columns, but he saw much more. Orlund joined his paralyzed companions as they witnessed a black horse and rider gallop, then dive off a cliff to their left into the ocean below. A bear, woman, and man ran from the scene and climbed up and over the white fortress walls. “Someone is hurt!” Jeff alerted. As a former battlefield surgeon, he instinctively ran forward followed by the other two. Nothing could prepare them to see the dead body in front of them. Blood pooled around and on top of the corpse with a severed stump at the end of his arm and a large hole through his chest. A second lifeless body was lying nearby. “What is this place?” Orlund grabbed his .44. White-winged flags waved in the sunlight on top of the fortress while the sound of horns and shouting echoed beyond the walls. Suddenly, soldiers, wearing red tunics with white wings and three suns, streamed into the large courtyard in front of the seaside peninsula. “There! At The Bridge!” Soldiers shouted. “Those Earthians killed Sulafat! Find White Wings!” Threats, commands, and accusations exploded through the air as otherworldly troops stampeded toward the confused travelers. Orlund dropped his gun in alarm, terrified they would arrest him for murder. Dead bodies, angry allegations, and sword-wielding soldiers devoured the three friends with panic. They bolted frantically back through The Bridge. In moments, they were in the familiar canyons just past the arch. They raced over rocky mounds and down steep valleys. Stopping to breathe or look behind weren’t luxuries they couldn’t afford. Frenzied upon reaching the campsite, they threw together only essential gear, grabbed their kayaks, and slid back into the safety of the white rapids. The vivid visions of the dead, the strange creatures, and the great white fortress haunted their well-educated minds while riding away on the river. For their safety and sanity, the friends swore each other to secrecy. Once safely back in the company’s private jet, they headed to the Pacific Coast. A quick medical-tech innovations seminar and then a day of calm ocean kayaking would clear their troubled thoughts. But the extraordinary world they had wandered into was going to collide again with them soon, for the ocean tides were slowly pushing a creature to shore, a creature that didn’t belong to Earth.