Monday, January 21, 2019

Pre-Order Blitz (Give Me Books): Kings of Mayhem by Penny Dee







Title: Kings of Mayhem

Series: Kings of Mayhem MC #1
Author: Penny Dee
Genre: MC Romance/Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 28, 2019




Blurb


When
a King loves
He
loves hard

CADE
I’ve loved her since we were five years old.
We grew up side by side.
Two kids tied together by the Kings of Mayhem
Motorcycle Club.
But I broke us.
I broke her.
So, she fled.
Now she’s back after twelve long years.
And I’m going to show her all the reasons why
we should be together and make her forget all the reasons why we shouldn’t.



INDY
I’m back in town but only because I have to
be.
I’m here to help my mom bury my father.
And the sooner we get it done, the better.
Because I want to see Cade as much as I want a
hole in the head.
He broke me once—no, he broke my everything—
and I’ll be damned if I’ll let him do it again.
Get in and get out. That is the plan.
But you know what they say about best-laid
plans.










Pre-order Links



AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS











Excerpt


CADE
I heard her
as soon as I entered the building.
“It’s a
classic, sonny boy, and you don’t fuck with the classics.  Do you hear me? Or has that combover blocked
your ears?”
I couldn’t
help but grin. The voice belonged to Sybil Calley, my formidable, charismatic
grandmother. Seventy-something-years old, she was a force to be reckoned with
and very rarely backed down in an argument. Any poor soul who took her on was
in for a fierce fight, and by the sounds of it, Tito was about to feel the full
force of hurricane Sybil.
“It’s
blasphemy! That’s what it is. Blasphemy! Why, I bet Deborah Kerr is rolling in
her grave, God rest her beautiful soul. How dare you stain such a beautiful
story with your weirdness, you rude little boy!”
As I
rounded the corner, Sybil and Tito came into view. Tito was standing with his
back to the wall with his arms in the air, while my formidable grandmother
yelled at him. He looked terrified.
“Grandma
Calley,” I interrupted, trying to contain my grin. Seeing me walk in, Tito
looked relieved and relaxed his arms.
Sybil
wasted no time in getting straight to the point. She held up a DVD so I could
see the cover. “Did you know about this?”
I took it
from her and couldn’t help but grin at the cover. Pure spank bank bullshit that sells. But definitely not what you
wanted your grandmother looking at in front of you.
“How on
Earth did you even know about it?” I asked.
“I might be
edging close to buying the farm, Cade, but I’m not quite dead yet. You know I
like to keep my finger on the pulse. It’s Tuesday, and I know you drop into
this pit of despair on Tuesdays, so I came down to speak with you.” She gave Tito
a withering look. “Ran into this little twerp and found this . . .”
She ripped
the DVD out of my hands and held it up. The cover was a rip-off of An Affair To Remember, except it was
titled, An Anus to Remember. Gay
porn. It was a bestseller.
“It’s a
disgrace, Cade. An absolute disgrace.” She pushed the DVD into Tito’s chest.
“You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“Ain’t
nothing wrong with a bit of man-on-man love, Grandma,” I said, trying to
diffuse the situation. Sybil could be unpredictable at times.
“I know
that! Man on man. Woman on woman. I don’t give a goddamn! What I do care about
is taking a classic and turning it into smut. Now that is not right, Cade. Not
right. You don’t fuck with the classics.”
“Cade, this
can’t keep happening,” Tito moaned.
Sybil
turned back to Tito. “I’m seventy-three years old but I ain’t dead yet, sonny.
I’m the original biker queen and I’m still packing as much attitude as I did
back when my old man started the Kings of Mayhem more than fifty years ago. If
you ever mess with one of the classics again and put your perverted stamp all
over it, I will knock you on your ass, do you hear me?”
Again, I
struggled to contain my grin.
Tito,
however, looked unraveled. And he had every cause to be because I had no doubt
Sybil meant what she said. She was a classy lady who never left the house
without taming her bright red hair and putting on a thick coat of red lipstick.
But she was a biker queen first. Tough. Fierce. With a mean right hook.
You didn’t
fuck with Sybil Calley.
Taking pity
on Tito, I slunk an arm around Grandma’s shoulders and guided her toward the
front door.
“Now,
Grandma, you can’t come in here and get up in Tito’s grill about things. Head
Quarters is off limits to MC women, remember?”
That rule
had come about after Sybil had swept through Head Quarters like a hurricane and
upset an entire cast of actresses on the set of a movie we were making called Some Like It Hard. Sybil was a die-hard
Marilyn fan and managed to put the fear in all the actresses who were on set,
leading to a mass walk-out and halting production for three days.
Not that
Sybil paid any attention to rules. She was the original rule breaker. She did
what she wanted, when she wanted. And if it suited her, she’d blame her forgetfulness on her age to get away
with it, despite being sharp as a tack.
She waved
off the mention of the rules.
“If that
little pervert can’t handle a seventy-year-old woman, then he needs to take a
cup of cement and harden the fuck up.” She glanced over her shoulder and narrowed
her eyes at Tito as we were walking away, and muttered, “little pussy.”
I tried not
to laugh because that would only encourage her, so I asked, “Grandma, why are
you here?”
She relaxed
and smiled. “Now, Cade, you know you’re my favorite grandson—”
“You say
that to all your grandsons . . .”
“. . . and
I love you. So I wanted to see how you were feeling about Indy coming home.”
“This isn’t
her home anymore, Grandma. She lives in Seattle now.”
“Thank you,
Captain Obvious. But you know what I mean.” Her face softened as she took my
hand. “I know the affect that girl has on you. I just wanted to make sure…”
“What?”
She smacked
me hard on the arm. “That you’re not going to be an ass about it.”
I couldn’t
help but grin. Good on Grandma Sybil.
“A lot of
water has passed under the bridge, Grandma. I’m not an eighteen-year-old
psychopath anymore.”
Sybil
didn’t look convinced. “You’re a Calley and we’re passionate sonsofbitches.
When we love, we love big, and if that love dies, then we die a big death along
side it. I should know. When your Pappy died, my heart went with him.”
I couldn’t
help but smile at my feisty grandmother.
“I’m sure
Jury wouldn’t like to hear you say that,” I said.
Jury was my
grandma’s sixty-year-old boyfriend.
“Jury isn’t
the love of my life. Your grandpappy was. Jury knows I’m just after his body.”
I raised an
eyebrow at her. “Grandma, there are certain things a grandson should never hear
his grandmother say, and that’s right up there with them.”
She waved
me off. “The body may be old and the reflection in the mirror might be slightly
different, but the mind is still twenty years old. I might not be able to do it
the way I used to but—”
I stuck my
fingers in my ears. “Lalalalalalalalala . . .”
She rolled
her eyes. “Fine. I’ll let you think that I don’t do the things I still did when
I was twenty.”
“Seriously,
Grandma . . .” I begged, pained by the mental images.
Sighing
dramatically, she changed the subject. “Your mom is making dinner for Lady and
Indy. Somehow I was extended an invitation. I assume you’ll be there.”
To say
Sybil and my mom didn’t exactly get along would be an understatement. The civil
unrest had ended years ago, but in its wake was a frosty cold war of mammoth
proportions. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law didn’t exactly see eye to eye.
I nodded.
“I’m heading over there now.”
“Fine. I’ll
follow you. Lord knows I’ve had my fair share of pussy and cock today.”
I opened
the front door for her and shook my head. “Jesus Christ, Sybil. My ears are
bleeding.”











Early Reviews


“This book
drew me in from the first page and I couldn't put it down.” — Goodreads Review

“Penny Dee
writes some of the hottest sex scenes I’ve ever read.”— Bookarella Blog

“Cade and
Indy’s journey was all kinds of angsty/swoony goodness.”— Goodreads Review

“This story
is gonna grab you hard and not let go until it's ready. This story is full of
angst and redemption! It's going to make you feel ALL THE FEELS!— Goodreads Review

“This book right here.... OMG kept me on my toes. I finished it in one
sitting. The author had me captivated the whole time.”— NetGalley Review






Coming Soon





Releasing February 26, 2019


AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU






Author Bio


Penny Dee
writes contemporary romance about rockstars, bikers, hockey players and
everyone in-between. She believes true love never runs smoothly, and her
characters realize this too, with a boatload of drama and a whole lot of steam.

She found
her happily ever after in Australia where she lives with her husband, daughter
and a dog named Bindi.



Author Links




Release Boost : Hosed by Pippa Grant & Lili Valente








Title: Hosed
Authors: Pippa Grant & Lili Valente
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy

 Release Date: January 15, 2019





Blurb


The world's sexiest firefighter is about to get a
second chance with the virgin next door…

He's bossy, arrogant, and so ridiculously hot he should come
with a warning label and a pair of flame retardant coveralls.

He's also the boy who broke my heart when we were in high
school.

I want to move in next door to Ryan O'Dell the way I want to
be the virgin gamer geek suddenly in charge of running my sister's sex toy
factory. Too bad both are written in my stars.

Yeah, I'm the world's oldest virgin code-writing nerd. 

And he's the world's hottest firefighter. 

And even though he intimidates the heck out of me, I can't
seem to control my libido when he's around.

Where is my dignity? My self-respect? My panties?

Seriously…. Have you seen them? Anyone?

Maybe they're hiding in his bedroom. With my heart.

Yeah, I know. I'm hosed.  

So hosed.

Hosed is a steamy, fun romantic comedy between a
firefighter and the virgin nerd next door, complete with a pet raccoon,
scandalous gossip, and dildo football. (No, really.) This romance has no
cheating or cliffhangers, and ends with a banging hot happily ever after.



ADD TO GOODREADS










Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU


Coming soon to Kindle Unlimited




Audio










Pippa Grant

Pippa Grant is a stay-at-home mom and housewife who loves to
escape into sexy, funny stories way more than she likes perpetually cleaning
toothpaste out of sinks and off toilet handles. When she’s not reading,
writing, sleeping, or trying to prepare her adorable demon spawn to be
productive members of society, she’s fantasizing about chocolate chip cookies.





Lili Valente

Lili Valente has slept under the stars in Greece, eaten
dinner at midnight with French men who couldn’t be trusted to keep their mouths
on their food, and walked alone through Munich’s red light district after dark
and lived to tell the tale. 

These days you can find her writing in a tent beside the sea, drinking coconut
water and thinking delightfully dirty thoughts.





Cover Revel#Givea/away : The Thing About Us by Jennifer Domenico








Title: The Thing About Us
Author: Jennifer Domenico
Genre: Contemporary MMF Menage Romance

Cover Design: Wicked by Design
Release Date: February 4, 2019




Blurb


It was all fun and
games until it wasn’t. Lies, deceit, and jealousy threaten to tear the three of
us apart. We can have it all, but that’s not as easy as it sounds.



Ben: I never thought I’d show my best friend this side of me, but I had to
take my one shot or regret it forever.



Luc: It was only supposed to be one night of something I didn’t understand and
never wanted, but it became so much more.



Georgie: They want me to choose, but I want them both. They just have to
admit they want it too.



The thing about us? We can make it work...even if we have to fight to keep it together.









Excerpt

The three of us pile into the back of the car and before we
barely start moving, Georgie is kissing Ben and pulling my shirt to bring me
closer. I move closer, stroking her hair as she and Ben make out, trying to
analyze my feelings. The whole night has been tinged with sexual tension. Now,
knowing Ben is willing to go as far with this as possible, I have to get on
board or get out. I just can’t understand why watching them is turning me on so
much. 
I let my hand move down her body over her hip, then around
the front where I inch my way up to her tits. Ben starts kissing her neck,
freeing her mouth for me to move in. I kiss her as his hands move into her
hair. When Ben starts kissing her cleavage, she moans softly, driving me a
little closer to the edge. Feeling a bit freer, I let my hand grope her through
her dress, and she responds by gripping my dick through my trousers. We’re
interrupted when the car stops and the driver announces we’re back at Georgie’s
place. Ben opens the door and exits the car, but I grab Georgie’s wrist
stopping her.
“Are you sure you want us to come in? Both of us.”
“I’m sure, Luc. Let’s go.”
I tell the driver we’re done for the night and walk up to
the door where Ben is kissing a giggling Georgie on the neck whilst she unlocks
the door. To say I’m in all new territory is an understatement. I’m well versed
in multiple women scenarios thanks to my uni days, but another man? Never. My
best mate? Definitely never. The truth is, I want Georgie enough to give it a
go.






Author Bio



Jennifer Domenico writes contemporary and erotic romances.
She loves alpha males with a soft spot, flawed characters, and strong, sassy
women. Her characters usually have a side of kink and aren't afraid to demand
what they want. The author doesn't apologize for that. She's a sucker for a
happy ending as long as it comes with a lot of heat.



She lives in Phoenix, Arizona but is a Bostonian at heart. The way to her heart
can be reached with a foreign accent, a shot of Fireball, and an unlimited
supply of cupcakes.



She is also known under her alter ego, Jaelyn LaStoria, author of time travel
romances, because why not.




Author Links

Cover Reveal : Scoring the Keeper's Sister by Delancey Stewart








Title: Scoring the Keeper's Sister

Series: Mr. Match #1
Author: Delancey Stewart
Genre: Sexy Sport Romantic Comedy

Cover Design: Jaycee DeLorenzo, Sweet 'n Spicy Designs
Release Date: February 14, 2019





Blurb


ERICA:  

Signing up for a matchmaking
service was not my idea. But when Andrew the hand model dumped me, my brother
suggested I try Mr. Match. And I figured it couldn’t hurt–as it was, I’d never
get away from meathead moron soccer players (since my brother plays keeper for
the South Bay Sharks and I manage PR for the team.) 

But Mr. Match is a
moron too because he matched me with a guy I see at work every day. A guy who
has a different girl on his arm at every turn. And a soccer player. Fernando
Fuerte, the “Fuerte Fire,” is one guy I can assure you is NOT my match. 

FERNANDO:

Getting girls is
not a problem. Getting girls who care about something besides my status as the
South Bay Sharks star striker, my salary, and my social status? Yeah. That’s
the problem. So when my buddy Max tells me he’s actually Mr. Match–the secret
proprietor of San Diego’s hottest matchmaking app, I let him convince me to try
it. 

And Erica Johnson
is not actually a bad match–only she doesn’t seem to agree. And then there’s
the small matter of her being in the middle of trying to save the team (and me)
when the owner’s ex brings to light some, ahem, unsavory accusations about me…
and then there’s her enormous and disapproving twin brother…and there’s
something about cheese, too. 

But if I have my
way? Erica will definitely be my match. 









Author Bio


Delancey Stewart is an award-winning author who writes romantic fiction
with humor and heart.



Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She's been a
pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a wineseller.



A wife and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate
captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler and story reader. She tackles all these
efforts at her current home outside Washington D.C.



Author Links




Saturday, January 12, 2019

Book Blitz : A Trail of Honesty by J.A. Angelo




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Children's Book, Children's Social Issues
Published: October 2018

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Summertime is vacation time for the Angelino family, and the two Angelino boys are excited about their upcoming camping trip. They’re going to the local state park, where they can swim, go fishing, and look for wildlife!

Being on vacation doesn’t mean the boys have to be careful. An encounter with a sneezing deer provides their father with an opportunity to teach the boys about respecting wildlife and staying alert for danger. Knowing more about the park’s wildlife helps the boys have more fun while staying safe. They discover staying quiet and moving slowly makes it easier to see the animals and birds that call the park home.

At the camp, the boys have responsibilities like the rest of the family. When they neglect one of these responsibilities and lie about it, they wind up in trouble—and learn an important lesson.

Beautifully illustrated, A Trail of Honestyteaches children about honesty while explaining actions have consequences. J. A. Angelo’s delightful story is an ideal way for parents to use consequences to teach children how to be better people—not simply to punish them.


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About the Author

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United States Army veteran J.A. Angelo believes strong family values build strong families. J.A. and his wife enjoy volunteering in their local school district and are leaders in various non-profit organizations catering towards children. They also donate to various national and local charities to include the Apraxia Kids, Wounded Warrior Project, and the Coalition to Support America’s Heroes. A portion of the book proceeds will go to these great organizations to help children and support veterans and their families.

J.A. Angelo is originally from Zanesville, Ohio and currently resides in northern Virginia. He is a dad to three wonderful children – two daughters (16) and (10), and a son (7). He is also a devoted husband to his loving wife of 17 years. He is also the oldest of eight children – three brothers and four sisters. 

Some of our hobbies include spending time with our family, writing, donating time and materials to charities, and going to the beach.


Contact Links


Purchase Links


RABT Book Tours & PR

Friday, January 11, 2019

Book Blitz : From Frights to Flaws by Sunayna Prasad




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Middle Grade Fantasy
Alyssa McCarthy's Magical Missions, Book 1
Publisher: S.A. Prasad Publishing
Published: October 2018

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An Adventure of Modern Magic


Twelve-year-old Alyssa McCarthy longs for a better life. She lost her parents at age seven and her aunt at nine. Her uncle also enforces unfair rules. But Alyssa discovers something she has never thought existed before… magic. A wicked sorcerer hunts her down. He kidnaps her from her ordinary New Jersey town to Yanowic, an enchanted island in Fiji.

Alyssa is trapped in the country due to a giant shield covering it. She must defeat dangerous creatures and the evil wizard in order to leave. But with sorcerers and enchanted technology getting in her way, can Alyssa succeed?



Originally published in 2013, the book has been updated to its full potential with edits, while keeping the storyline the same.





Excerpt

 1


Rain banged against the window. Alyssa looked up from washing her lunch dishes and stared at it. At least she could daydream while no one else noticed. After all, how else would she spend life without family fun—or even love? Her uncle enforced strict and unfair rules. Alyssa longed for the kind of life she’d lived before her parents had died in a car crash five years ago. She’d only been seven at that time, and now she couldn’t experience things like many children her age. Unless . . . she could find her godfather’s phone number and secretly call him. She hadn’t talked to him ever since she’d also lost her aunt three years ago. But she recalled his kind attitude. Her parents had even designated him as a legal guardian. But something seemed off with the raindrops. They turned grayish blue and darkened into black, looking as if ink fell from the sky. Alyssa leaned closer, squinting to determine the shapes it formed on the window. The rain formed—letters. No. That couldn’t happen. But a message formed as the rain plopped on other parts of the window. Nature couldn’t change its laws, right? Yet, the message finished putting itself together. Alyssa gasped at what it said.



 Your life will never be the same again, Alyssa McCarthy, as magic will interfere.



 What? Alyssa had never believed in magic. She’d been told at a young age that it hadn’t existed. Everyone on Orion Street was ordinary—at least, Alyssa had thought that ever since she’d moved here, right after her parents’ deaths.   Turning around, she saw her babysitter, Mrs. Hutchinson, examine the kitchen floor. Alyssa’s eleven-year-old cousin, Hailey, watched the progress. Hailey had mopped the floor. Would she earn a break now? Ever since her uncle, Bruce, had hired Mrs. Hutchinson, Mrs. Hutchinson had admired the way Hailey had done her chores more than Alyssa.  “Hailey, you can take a break until your next chore,” said Mrs. Hutchinson. “Alyssa, get back to work. You’ve been staring at the rain for too long.”  “Okay.” Alyssa turned back—only to see the message gone and the rain back to its normal transparency.   “What did I say?” asked Mrs. Hutchinson.  Alyssa sighed. “Fine, I’ll finish washing the dishes.”  She scrubbed her dish and glass with soap under warm running water. Her eyes focused on just those. No way would she want Mrs. Hutchinson to catch her looking out the window again. Mrs. Hutchinson was only in her sixties, but she’d sometimes seem to forget that was 2010 and not 1960 with her guidelines. Yet, it had taken Alyssa a while to realize that she wouldn’t even tolerate the mildest kind of nonsense, such as getting distracted by a windowpane when having to perform chores.  Now that she finished washing her dishes, Alyssa put them to the side and grabbed some paper towels to dry them.  “What do you think you’re doing?” Mrs. Hutchinson asked.  Alyssa stopped. “I’m just—”  “The last few times I was here, you left little bits of food on your dishes.”   “But they were stuck.”

 “Let me inspect them. Also, if something is rubbery, you have to wash it again.”  “Why?”  “Because clean dishes aren’t supposed to be rubbery. And boy, did you do such a sloppy job. Look at that stain on your sweater.”  Alyssa looked down.  “That looks like chocolate.”   Alyssa blushed and arched her eyebrows.  “Hey—it’s just water.” She covered the stain at the bottom of her sweater’s V-neck.  But Mrs. Hutchinson waved her index finger. “Don’t you ‘hey’ me, Alyssa. That’s rude. In my days, kids respected their elders. We never would dare talk to them that way unless we didn’t mind them smacking our bottoms.”  “Things change.”   “Not when I’m here, they don’t. Now let me do my inspection.”  Great—an inspection! How long would Mrs. Hutchinson take? She might spend a couple minutes or maybe twenty. Alyssa crossed her arms and tapped her foot. She wanted her break now. She wished to read, rest, do a small craft, like lanyards—anything but wait for Mrs. Hutchinson to finish her task.  “Mrs. Hutchinson?” Alyssa asked.  “Whatever you need to say, wait till I’m done,” she said.   Alyssa sighed. She continued to watch Mrs. Hutchinson run her finger down the middle of the front of the dish. She then rubbed it back and forth. When she put it down and nodded, Alyssa figured out that the dish had nothing on it.  Mrs. Hutchinson spent a few minutes of running her finger down the glass. She put it down and turned to Alyssa. “You’re good. Now what did you want to tell me?”  “Um . . . if I tell you, can you not give me a hard time?”   “Okay.”  “There was writing on the window.”  Mrs. Hutchinson pursed her lips and tilted her head. “Really?”  “Yeah.”  “Nonsense.”   “No, really, it was there.”   “There was nothing there when I came, and there’s nothing there right now. So don’t tell me stories.”  “But it’s not a story.”  “I don’t want to hear any more. Now it’s time for your next chore.”  “Aw, but I wanted my break.”  “Too bad. You have to go vacuum the living room.”  Alyssa dragged her feet toward the living room and took the vacuum from the corner. She cleaned and thought about that writing as well as how Mrs. Hutchinson wouldn’t believe her. Would a nicer babysitter have believed her? Mrs. Hutchinson had watched her and Hailey for three years, and not once had she smiled or assisted with anything.   After vacuuming the carpet for about five minutes, Alyssa decided that she had tidied the floor enough. So she stopped and put the vacuum away.  “Hailey, you and Alyssa need to go get the mail now!” Mrs. Hutchinson called, facing the staircase.   “Coming!” cried Hailey.

Another rule Uncle Bruce had placed on Alyssa and Hailey was they could only go outside together. He worried about people taking them or something, even though Alyssa would turn thirteen next month. But that rule had been placed because a few months ago, Uncle Bruce had heard about a seventeen-year-old boy who had been shot while skateboarding in his neighborhood. Violence could even happen here in Bursnell, New Jersey.  Hailey and Alyssa headed to the closet and put their raincoats on until Mrs. Hutchinson said, “It stopped raining outside.”  “Already?” asked Alyssa.  “Yes.” Mrs. Hutchinson went to the bathroom.   The girls walked outside toward the mailbox. Alyssa pulled the mail and headed back toward the door. But mud bubbled from the ground near the house. It piled up, looking like horse manure, and grew as more soil emerged. Alyssa dropped her jaw and stared at it.  “Alyssa, what’s going on?” Hailey asked.   “No idea,” said Alyssa.  The dirt stopped piling up, but it continued to bubble, and the effects spread throughout the whole pile. The bubbles stopped popping up and down. Alyssa and Hailey gasped as they expanded. They kept their mouths open as the bubbles merged together, each one attached to another, forming a single bigger shape. Alyssa and Hailey stepped back as the now giant bubble swelled. And it . . . popped! Particles of exploding mud landed on the girls. They shrieked.  The front door opened to reveal a glowering Mrs. Hutchinson. “What the heck have you two been doing?”   “T-the mud . . . it e-exploded,” said Hailey.   “Nonsense!” growled Mrs. Hutchinson. “Get inside!”  The girls returned inside, pulling and wiping the mud out of their hair. Alyssa could spot the mud in her straight pale-blonde tresses, unlike Hailey, who likely needed more patience to search for globs in her elbow-length red locks. But Alyssa’s hair fell a few inches past her hips, so cleaning out the mud would take longer, even with the shorter layers in the front.  “How could dirt explode?” Mrs. Hutchinson stomped.   “I-I think it was magic!” exclaimed Alyssa.  “There’s no such thing as magic!” screamed Mrs. Hutchinson. “Alyssa, you’re twelve years old. You’re too old to say things like that!”  “But nothing else can make mud explode!” Alyssa said.  “Mrs. Hutchinson, we swear it did!” whined Hailey.   “Enough!” snapped Mrs. Hutchinson. “You and Hailey—go upstairs and take showers!”  Alyssa followed Hailey up the stairs and heaved a sigh. How else would the mud have splattered all over them? Mrs. Hutchinson couldn’t have thought they’d play in the mud like small children.  “Alyssa, can I shower first?” asked Hailey.   “Sure,” said Alyssa.  As Hailey strode into the bathroom, Alyssa walked into her room. She scratched more mud off her skinny jeans (the only jeans she’d worn ever since they’d come into style) and the back of her hand. She stood by her bed since she wanted to keep it clean.  She considered the writing on the window and the exploding mud. Someone wanted magic to interfere with her life, but who, and how come?

 Also, why hadn’t she ever seen wizardry before? Why would her parents and others tell her that it hadn’t existed? Did sorcery just start on earth? Had it hidden somewhere? There had to be some reason why no one had ever believed in it.  Alyssa thought about the possibility that maybe magic might only interfere if she stayed here in her uncle’s house. Maybe if her godfather could arrange with his lawyer to let her move in with him, sorcery would hopefully leave her alone. However, unlike science, anything could occur with magic, which meant that it could follow her wherever she went.   The sound produced by the bathroom’s running water ended, which let Alyssa know that Hailey had finished. Now she could have a turn.  After about five minutes showering, Alyssa stepped out and headed back to her room. She put on leggings and a long shirt. But she gasped at something appearing out of nowhere on her bed. Now that had to have come from . . . magic.  Approaching it, she saw that it was a folded piece of paper. She opened it and read it. Hello Alyssa McCarthy, You must be wondering about the writing on your window, the exploding mud, and the note that appeared here. Who was responsible for them? You’ll find out at some point. Anonymous



 Anonymous? How dare someone create incidents and not say his or her name! Alyssa needed to know his or her identity in order to report him or her. She didn’t want strange, magical occurrences to keep happening.  Regardless of that, now she had proof to Mrs. Hutchinson that the writing and exploding mud had occurred. Mrs. Hutchinson had seen her write before, and this looked nothing like hers. She handwrote in a half-print and half-script style. This, however, was pure print. Alyssa jogged down the stairs and carried the note. “Mrs. Hutchinson, I have something to show you.”   “Not right now, Alyssa.” Mrs. Hutchinson left the kitchen. “You and Hailey have to go wash my car.”  “But it’s quick.”  “You can show me after you’re done with my car.” Mrs. Hutchinson turned to Hailey, who emptied the dishwasher and put dishes away. “Are you almost done?”  “I think so,” said Hailey.  “How many dishes do you have left?” asked Mrs. Hutchinson.  “Uh . . .” Hailey looked at the top rack. “Four.”  “Okay, hurry up.” Mrs. Hutchinson turned to Alyssa. “Why don’t you go put that piece of paper away?”  “But this is what I need to show you.”   “Do I have to repeat what I said before?”   “But—”  “Alyssa, do as you’re told.” Mrs. Hutchinson pointed to the staircase.  Alyssa sighed. This note contained so much crucial information. Only that paper itself had evidence to show that those incidents had occurred.

 After putting the note back in her room, Alyssa headed down the stairs and walked with Hailey toward the garage. The two grabbed sponges, buckets, and soap for washing cars. They filled the buckets with water and scrubbed Mrs. Hutchinson’s car.  “I wish we had another babysitter,” muttered Alyssa.   “What was on the piece of paper?” asked Hailey.  Alyssa told her.   “Who wrote it?”  “There was no name on it. Just ‘anonymous.’”  A girl whistling turned Alyssa’s attention away from the car. She leaned her head toward the sidewalk and saw her friend from grade school, Madison Jennings, riding her scooter.  “Hi, Alyssa,” said Madison. The wind blew her long dark-brown waves across her face. She stopped at Alyssa’s driveway, and her hair went limp. Hailey and Alyssa ran up to greet her and ask how she’d been.  “I just moved onto Draco Drive a few days ago,” Madison referred to a road off Orion Street.  “So how do you like the middle school?” asked Alyssa.   “Oh, I go to Catholic school now,” said Madison. “What about you?”  “Hailey and I are homeschooled now,” said Alyssa. “I never got to tell you.”  “That’s okay,” said Madison. “So you guys want to come over to my house on Saturday?”  “What time?” asked Alyssa.  “I’ll ask my mom and let you know,” said Madison. “Okay, bye, guys. Nice seeing you again.” She rode back in the direction she’d come from as Hailey and Alyssa waved goodbye to her.  After washing the car for another ten minutes, Alyssa and Hailey cleaned up and walked back inside. A snore suggested to Alyssa that Mrs. Hutchinson slept. Huh? She never napped while babysitting.  Alyssa strode toward the living room and saw Mrs. Hutchinson asleep on one of the couches. Hailey followed her. “Why is Mrs. Hutchinson sleeping?”   “I don’t know,” said Alyssa.  “Can you show me the note?”  Alyssa nodded and led her up the stairs. She opened her door but gasped at what she saw. The note that she’d left on her bed was gone.  “Where’s the note?” asked Hailey.  “It was right there,” Alyssa pointed to the bed.  But another piece of paper appeared onto the mattress. Alyssa picked it up and read it.



Hello again, Alyssa,



I have put your babysitter to sleep to reveal magic to you. You’ll find out why she is sleeping later. Anonymous



 “Not again,” mumbled Alyssa. “Why won’t they say their name?” She showed the note to Hailey.  “Let’s go call my dad before anything happens,” said Hailey.

 How much worse could this get? Alyssa thought as she followed Hailey down the stairs.

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About the Author

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Sunayna Prasad has published a few books between her late teens and her mid-twenties. She has won a Pacific Book Review Award for her novel, Wizardry Goes Wild, which will return as a new edition, like From Frights to Flaws. Sunayna also has a blog on different creative and entertaining topics, including writing and fiction. It is called “Sunayna Prasad’s Blog”.

Aside from writing, Sunayna also likes to cook, do art, and watch videos online. She has graduated from college in May 2017 and is looking to continue more writing as well as hold a graphic design job soon. Sunayna lives on Long Island, NY.


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