Paranormal Women’s Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Action Adventure
Date Published: July 7, 2023
Michael Blessing thought he had everything he ever wanted when he met his
wife. Then he found out the truth, and his world was shattered by a car
accident. Coming home to Eerie was supposed to be his time to heal his
broken heart.
The siren had other ideas.
Lia Darling never forgot the shy, handsome young man she’d known when they
were children. Seeing Michael again awakens a need within her she can’t
explain or deny, but she’s been hurt before. She doesn’t want another dead
end, and when she looks into his eyes, she sees forever.
Maybe this second chance is just what they need to heal, move forward and
find love… together.
EXCERPT
Copyright ©2023 Megan Slayer
“Home,” Michael Blessing murmured as he drove past the city limit line into
Eerie. He hadn’t been back in so long. Seemed like the day he left was the
last day he thought about his hometown. Silly, really. Eerie wasn’t a bad
place. It was quaint. Like a storybook town. The buildings were whimsical,
full of gingerbread and swirls, plus glitter and bright paint. The streets
were clean and the sidewalks wide. The flowers blossomed brighter, and the
people seemed to welcome everyone back.
There wasn’t a stranger in Eerie — except humans. They were all strangers,
but he wasn’t a human. His Fae father had married a woman who knew
witchcraft. They’d been a good pairing, and Michael had the best childhood.
Everyone thought his mother was human, but he hadn’t cared. He was
loved.
His parents were still alive and still cared about him. He was their son,
and they’d always love him, but they had no idea the depths of loneliness he
felt. They didn’t understand the grief he dealt with on a daily basis.
The woman he loved was dead. The moment he’d seen Chloe, he knew he wanted
her for the rest of his life. She’d be the best partner and eventually would
make him a father.
Then she had, but she died.
He hadn’t been able to manage the grief, not even a year and a half later.
He needed somewhere to hide. Eerie wasn’t the place to hide. Most everyone
in town stood out. Witches, Elves, Faeries, gargoyles, shifters and every
other kind of paranormal creature was there.
But he had a cabin in the woods on the other side of town, with a pier on
the lake and plenty of space to be quiet, to hide and regroup. No one would
bother him. He could write and be alone with no one bugging him, making him
come out of himself or pleading with him to be social.
He didn’t have any social in him.
Not today. Not this week. Maybe not ever.
His magic had dried up, too.
Did he care? A little, but not as much as he should. He drove through town,
then onto the side road leading to the woods. The beauty of Eerie was that
everyone had a space. The lake, the village, the little cottages, the woods…
If a paranormal creature wanted a space, there was one. If he wanted to hide
at his cabin and write, then practice his magic, then he could.
No one would annoy him.
He pulled into the dirt path that led to his cabin. The second he wound
through the trees to his little house, he felt better. Like he
belonged.
But that was always the way he felt when he came here. His heart was in the
woods, among the trees and peace. Maybe he was always meant to be alone.
Chloe had seen the most in him — more than anyone — but she was gone, and
he had to pick up the pieces.
He pulled into the dirt patch next to the cabin and parked. As the engine
cooled, he debated what to do. He needed to put up the carport to protect
the Jeep — not from the falling branches, but the leaves, rain and debris.
He supposed he could use his magic to protect the vehicle, too. Probably
should do that. It’d be a reason to practice his magic and prevent too much
damage to his Jeep.
Despite needing to put the carport together, he left his vehicle and headed
into the cabin. The place would need a lot of cleaning up, but he could use
those tasks to procrastinate instead of writing.
He carried his bag into the cabin, then set about to put the tarp, PVC and
canvas carport up. If nothing else, the carport would hide his vehicle, and
maybe if anyone saw the lights on, they’d leave him alone.
He hated being so despondent and crabby, but he’d been hurt and had no idea
how to get over his loss.
An hour later, he managed to secure the Jeep in the carport and even
cleaned up the living room enough for living. He added a bit of magic to the
carport, adding extra strength to the canvas to protect his vehicle. He’d
murmured the words and checked to ensure the spell had gone correctly. Sure
enough, it had, and he grinned.
At least one thing had gone his way.
He headed back into the house, and his stomach grumbled. He should eat, but
there wasn’t anything in the fridge. Hell, the fridge hadn’t even been
turned on. He needed to make a run to the store, but also should set up the
Internet, too.
He cleaned the dust from the living room, then set about getting the
kitchen in order. He removed the sheets around the house to reveal the
furniture and, as he worked, he swore he heard music.
A familiar song. Sweet, too.
He paused, and his thoughts turned to a song he remembered from his
childhood. A girl he’d known had sung the song, but probably never where she
thought anyone could hear her.
He chuckled to himself. He hadn’t thought about that girl or the song in
ages. What was her name? She’d been a sweet young woman, with flame-red hair
and fiery eyes. She rarely spoke, but she’d filled out quickly and wore
revealing clothes. She grabbed attention wherever she went, but no one
really got to know her.
He knew her name. He’d lusted after her the entire time they were in
school.
Lia.
About the Author
Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author
of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since
2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and
paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her
works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her
characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been
nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best
BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on
various e-tailer sites.
When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well
as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football
is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the
Keystone-LaGrange Public library.
Author Contact Links
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Publisher on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @changelingpress
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