Featured Title of the Day: April Fools Anthology

April Fools Anthology featuring authors: K.J. Dahlen, AnnChristine and  Solstice Stevens

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An April Fool's Anthology

AnnChristine, K. J. Dahlen, Solstice Stevens

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 3

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

Sharks by AnnChristine

April 1st 2006

"Sharks!"

"Shark attack!"

Lifeguards dove, swimming with strong clean-lined strokes and circled the water-treading students.

The students' eyes bugged out. They knew what would happen soon. Everything they had learned would be tested--all physical prowess challenged--every bit of knowledge put to use.

Lilly slanted her BFF, Jacob, a smile saying I can hardly wait for this. Remember when we were challenged this way? She hoped he could still read her mind. He usually could.

She swam water polo style, circling the students, picking out her prey, and trying to find the absolute best way to attack. She needed to weed out the weakest of the large group. It was time to kick butt.

Lilly and Jacob moved as one, each toward the student of choice. Lilly backed off, waiting, intending to watch Jacob and prolong the suspense for the others. The students needed nerves of steel to survive this shark attack. The fluttering in her stomach began--nerve wracking for the instructors as well.

Jacob's arms wrapped around one of the weakest swimmers in the group. He hung on as the young man struggled to break the hold, doing everything wrong. Lilly sensed the panic in the boy whose arms began to flail and thrash the water. He chocked and coughed as his head bobbed below the water level then back up.

"C'mon Jacob, let him go. He can't do this--not today." Lilly waited for what seemed an eternity as Jacob released the young man and pulled him to the side of the pool.  "My turn."

She circled the swimmers, her gaze moving from one student to the next. There…

The girl was not one of the strongest swimmers, but she had a lot of potential--thinking ability--logical. Lilly grabbed the student from behind. When the girl was unable to break the hold in the usual manner, she resorted to another useful technique. Unlike Jacob's prey, this girl immediately did a foot first dive to the bottom of the pool. Yes…

Lilly hung on for a few seconds but knew she would have to surface. Two hands at Lilly's waist, the girl pushed her away and swam out of reach. The pair surfaced and Lilly smiled broadly. "Good job."

"Thanks, I just did what you guys have preached. The last place a drowning victim wants to be is at the bottom of the pool. They want air. When I recalled the info, everything else was easy. Do I pass?"

"This test. But you know there will be more."

The House on Berkley Street by K. J. Dahlen

When Serenity St. Claire arrived in White Oak, Texas she pulled into the first service station. She got out of her car and walked inside. The heat from the outside was cut dramatically as she entered the convenience store. Serenity paused for a moment, thankful for the change in temperature. She'd grown up in Oklahoma but she didn't remember it being this hot. At the counter she asked the clerk for a city map. After buying the map and an ice-cold soda, she put her sunglasses back on and pushed the door open again.

Sitting behind the wheel in her car Serenity started the engine and turned up the AC. She opened the map and began looking for a certain address. When she found it she stared at the street for a moment or two. She was half afraid to go there but knew she would have to face her demons sooner or later.

A few minutes later she pulled her car up in front of the last house on the end of Berkley Street and got her first look at the house her mother spent her first two years in. A shiver snaked down her spine. She could still see some of the scorch marks caused by a fire that happened forty years ago but could also see that someone in the past had tried to repair the damage done by the fire.

It looked like someone was maintaining the yard as the grass was freshly cut and there were flowers planted along the path leading to the front door. But the house itself had a neglected look to it. A couple of the windows had been broken and most of the shutters were missing. Serenity could see gaping holes in the roof and scorch marks marred the outer walls of the house. She couldn't tell if that was fire damage or the fact that the house had stood empty all this time. The front door was hanging kind of cockeyed in the doorframe and there were sections of the railing around the front porch that were missing. 

As she stepped out of her car and stared at the house, her heart raced. This place had a tragic history that would give even the bravest cause to think twice about entering. It was rumored that forty years ago on April 1 Jedidiah Monroe snapped and murdered his wife Emily and five of their six children. Then after killing his family he started the fire to hide his crimes. Only two year old Hannah escaped certain death and that was only because she wasn't home at the time of the tragedy. Serenity rubbed her arms to ward off the all-encompassing chill sweeping through her.

No one knew for certain exactly what made Jedidiah snap. Some say it was a result of the heat wave Texas had back then. Sixty plus consecutive days of over a hundred degree heat seared most of Texas and Oklahoma that year, but Serenity didn't believe that story. She grew up hearing how much love Jedidiah had for his family and how he would never have hurt them for any reason. Hannah had been too young to remember her family and after the tragedy, she had lived with her grandparents but her grandmother Karin remembered and it was Karin who Serenity had heard the stories from. Before she died a couple of months ago, Karin asked Serenity to go back to White Oak, Texas and find out what really happened that day. She had made her promise to someday come here and find out the truth so Serenity was here to discover what she could about a forty year old tragedy.

The Placebo Effect  by Solstice Stevens

WOMAN NARROWLY SURVIVES SUICIDE ATTEMPT

February 26, 2005--Pandemonium erupted on 67th street at 11:00 AM on Thursday, February 19, when Manhattan resident Jessamyn Hamill, 22, staged an elaborate suicide attempt from her fourth-story balcony. Hamill, eyewitnesses say, fashioned a noose with a long rope, affixed it to the railing of the balcony, slipped the loop over her head, and proceeded to superglue the palms of her hands to the sides of her head. When asked what she was doing, she motioned towards the basketball hoop across the street and shouted into the crowd below, "I'm gonna slam-dunk my head!"

The city fire department was able to forcibly remove Ms. Hamill from the balcony before she could jump. Hamill was discharged from the New York General Hospital on February 23. The family living across the street has been asked to remove their basketball hoop in case of a repeat suicide attempt.

Hamill's attempt on her own life followed an emotional breakdown brought on by the accidental death of stuntman Sebastian Sanchez, her boyfriend of several years, who perished (continued on page 5.)

"You tried to slam-dunk your head?" Dr. Christian Williams stopped pacing the floor of his office and dropped the newspaper in Jessamyn's lap. She backed away from her picture on the front page, sinking into the cushion of the overstuffed armchair. The Jessamyn in the portrait next to the article was all bounce, with life in her eyes and a smile stretched across her painted red lips, winking mischievously at the reader. She had a streak of red, dyed in the front of her curly brown hair. She was the young, vivacious type of woman who partied every Saturday night, singing and dancing on tables.

Not the type who tried to end her life by slam-dunking her head.

God, could the photo really have been that recent? She didn't remember ever being that happy.

"Yes, Doctor," she told the psychiatrist, "I think every reporter in the state has made a point to mention I tried to slam-dunk my head."

"Jesus, what were you thinking?"

Jessamyn deadpanned. "'Jesus, what were you thinking?' Is that any way to speak to a mental patient? Are you sure you're a real psychiatrist?"

Dr. Williams took a step back at Jessamyn's hostility. "Sorry." She exhaled. "It's just…well, I only agreed to see you so my friend would stop bugging me to see a shrink. I don't think there's anything you can do for me."

"If you're insinuating, like so many others, that there's nothing wrong with you, I have news for you: you tried to slam-dunk your head," the doctor reiterated, gesturing towards the newspaper in her lap.

She swallowed and said in a small voice, "I didn't say there's nothing wrong with me."

Dr. Williams clapped his hands together once. "There we go! That's step one, done and over with!"

Jessamyn tried to remain serious, but gave a cynical snicker in spite of herself. "Great. I feel so accomplished. Can I have my Prozac now?"

"Prozac? Why would I prescribe you Prozac?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm depressed! Look how depressed I am!" She held up the newspaper at arm's length for him to see, as if he hadn't already.

"Yes, I can see that," said the doctor, returning to his pacing and stirring the cup of coffee he held in his hands, "but you're in mourning. Of course you're going to be depressed. Now, I don't think doing…what you did…is normal, but nothing you've said in here nor anything from the lab tests they ran at the hospital suggests there's anything wrong with the chemistry of your brain itself."

"Then what do you expect me to do? Sit here and talk out my problems with you?" She writhed in her seat, hating the sound of the medical mumbo-jumbo issuing from the doctor's mouth. She couldn't think of anything about him she didn't hate, from his unkempt blond hair and beard stubble to his casual Friday attire to the way he kept trying to engage her, leaning into the conversation like they were old chums. "It's not going to work, Doc."

"And medication will?"

"I would think so. But hey, what do I know? You're the doctor, Doctor."

Dr. Williams sighed in exasperation. "Know what? Fine. The customer's always right, right?" He set down his coffee, pulled a form out of his desk drawer, filled it out, and signed it. "Here," he said, handing her the completed prescription. He pulled something else from a compartment of his desk--a sample baggie of medication--and tossed it to her. She caught it clumsily. "There. Happy?"

"Very."

"Good." The session over, Dr. Williams stowed his pen in an inside pocket of his wrinkled corduroy jacket then pulled out a lighter and a joint.

Featured Title of the Day: Soul Mate by McKinzie S. Heart

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Soul Mate

McKinzie S. Heart

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 5

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To anyone else, the graveyard amounted to nothing more than a compilation of various intricately carved headstones that offered a glimpse into other’s past lives. But to Katlyn, it all appeared dark and ominous. She instantly yearned to leave. As the two moved from headstone to headstone searching for Houston’s grave, chills raced across her skin. She purposefully neglected to inform James of her “clan’s” sensitive nature. She and Margaret were the most sensitive of them all. She didn’t know why, but it had been generations since any like them had been born…at least that is what her father had told her. But such things could not be discussed with outsiders…ever. It was a part of the old way woven into her being from the beginning. It truly was the only part of the old way that she couldn’t release herself from. The feelings that raced through her ranged from hatred to long lost love. She knew for a fact these were the feelings carried by each and every soul around her. The weight of the night pressed in on her as though she had been placed in a small, shrinking room. If she didn’t leave soon, it would quickly overwhelm her. 

“Ok, James, let’s part ways so we can find it quicker,” she suggested rubbing her arms. 

“And leave such a delectable treat all on her own? I don’t know about that.” 

“Come on…it will be quicker.” 

“You’re right…good idea. The quicker we find him the quicker we can get back to the parlor.” 

“No, I don’t think so. The quicker I can get back to my parlor. I’m afraid we must say goodbye for the night when finished, my friend.” 

James understood this as a dismissal but it didn’t faze him. So what if he couldn’t make her his tonight? There was time…he would woo her…seduce her…until she gave in and he claimed her for his own. With all previous guilt now eliminated, he fully embraced the growing desire to have her…heart, body, and soul. He smiled with secret anticipation but instead replied, “Pity…well shoulda brought a lamp instead of relying on the moon. Sorry. Are you cold? That gown is somewhat revealing in the um…neckline area.” 

“Mind your own business, cowboy,” she snapped with growing discomfort as she kicked dirt onto his boots. 

James laughed heartily, shook each foot then moved away. 

Katlyn really had no intention of searching for his brother’s grave. She would head right back to where she had come from as soon as James left her sight…and now he was gone. Carefully, she worked her way back. The feelings pressed harder in on her almost suffocating. Where is the entrance? It hadn’t taken this long to come in. 

Featured Title of the Day: Shattered Tomorrow by C.L. Kraemer

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Eight

The door slammed, the sound echoing against the bare walls. A slumped figure shuffled in the room and plunked down a green garbage bag, aluminum cans clinking noisily. Each lock slid satisfactorily into the matching bolt receptacle. He trundled to the kitchen area and threw the bag in a corner populated by similar green holders.

Leaning over the sink taking great care not to touch the counter, he used his index fingertip and thumb to turn on the hot water faucet. He proceeded to stick his hands under the scalding liquid holding them in position until he saw the dark spots before his eyes that usually signaled he was about to pass out. With a forefinger, he stopped the flow of the steaming liquid and stood letting the liquid drip off his hands into the sink.

“Must be more careful next time. Can’t… touch… anything. Flower…”

He shuddered.

“…DDT. Door has millions of germs.”

His eyes darted wildly about the room as his feet began moving.

The extensions at the end of his arms were swollen an angry red. Skin had begun to blister and peel, and he knew if he bumped them they would bleed. But he needed to go—really bad.

Bleeding was acceptable. It would flush away the poison. Wetting himself was not. It would result in punishment. He flinched at the memories of childhood so vivid he could feel the sting of the belt leather and unconsciously gritted his teeth against the sharp pain of the buckle hitting his raw, wet skin.

He walked stiff legged to the small bathroom. After relieving himself, he examined his throbbing hands. They hadn’t bled. He must be toughening up.

Richard would have to be tough if he was to protect Lucy from the danger.

He growled through a grimace.

“Why don’t they learn? If she surrounds herself with evil, I’ll be forced to protect her from those forces.

“They only seek the pure ones.”

He gingerly pulled the shirt over his head tossing it in the trashcan when he’d freed himself from the material. His jeans followed.

“Poisoned, deadly, bad.”

Turning every light in the small studio apartment on, he curled up on his plastic wrap covered couch. He drew his knees to his chest shivering in the cold room.

“Need to turn on the heat.”

“NO! Germs, poison.”

He lay shivering until his eyes closed and he floated to the land free of worry.

A new face invaded his sleep time. That bartender from Lucky’s, Gregg. This was one he needed to keep an eye on.

Richard could sense the danger. In his dream world, he warned the Lady Lucy and she came to his side after he ran his blade through the evil Gregg. 

He needed to be cautious and watch the man. His Lady Love was in danger.

Featured Title of the Day: Shadow Warrior by Courtney Renee

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Shadow Warrior

Courtney Rene

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 1

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"Mom, we have been through this. It's only ten days." My mom and I were at it again. The same fight we had been having for the past month. Spring break had finally arrived and would officially begin the next day, and that was the day that Leif and I had decided to make my first trip to Acadia. It was the perfect time to go. I was thinking of it as a much needed vacation. It was a chance to pop into Acadia, have a look around, and come home. Do the whole meet and greet thing. The how we were getting there was still a mystery, but I would figure it out soon enough, or as soon as Leif told me.

My mom, well she was not real keen on the whole idea. In fact, you could say that my mom and dad weren't too happy with the whole shadow walking thing at all, which means, they were pretending there was no such thing. I could try and bring it up, try to get them to understand, but they just changed the subject every time and stayed in their nice, safe reality. I understood, really I did. It was just a bit annoying.

"You are not going, and that's final."

"Mom," I said, sighing the word. "How do you plan on stopping me? You know this is something I have to do. We've been through this."

"I'm telling you, you're not allowed, that should be enough." She stood there, wringing her hands which made me feel a twinge of guilt. Her brown eyes were upset, and her lips quivered. "Please don't go, Sunny. You won't come back."

I told Leif my parents would be a problem. He never listened. "Of course, I will. I'll come back. This is my home."

"No, you won't. You'll leave to go to that...place, and I'll never see you again."

I walked over and stood directly in front of her and took her cold hands into mine. She was several inches taller than my five feet four inches, so I had to look up to see her face. "I promise I will come back, in ten days. Easter Sunday, I'll be back. I expect turkey and homemade noodles to be waiting," I added with a smile.

I didn't want to fight with her. She didn't really want to fight with me either. We both knew I was going, and we both knew there was nothing she or dad could do about it.

Everything had changed since August when I'd discovered that a race of humans existed that could walk in the shadows, and that I was one of them. I was not the easy going, boss me around girl that I had once been. Learning that I was a Shadow Walker was hard enough to take, but learning that I may also be royalty, was even harder. My Thanksgiving night battle with the Shadow Guard from Acadia had taken away the innocence that other girls my age still had.

I was afraid all the time now. I was afraid of the dark. Not really the dark, but what I couldn't see in the dark. I was afraid of being alone. Bad things happen when you're alone. Leif was taking my phobias rather well, thankfully, hardly ever leaving my side. He seemed to understand, which was a surprise, as I didn't. Then you had what no one knew but me, that I was afraid of my gift of energy control.

What a crock, I couldn't control it. Sometimes it seemed to be trying to control me. I would get startled, or when I was afraid, I would instinctively pull the energy to me and inside. I wouldn't even know I was doing it until I'd feel it zipping around in me.

I didn't want anyone to know, so I would slowly push the energy back out of me through my feet, into the ground. It burned and tore at me every time now. I hated that gift. Why did I have the gift of energy control when I was afraid to use it? What was the point? I was afraid of hurting someone, and I was afraid of the slicing pain that came with it every time.

Leif said time and again how cool my energy gift was. If he only knew what a real burden the gift was, I don't think he would have felt that way. Why didn't I tell him? I didn't want him to think of me as weak.

Featured Title of the Day: Shadow Dancer by Courtney Renee

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Shadow Dancer

Corutney Rene

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Book Heat Level: 1

Buy at   www.roguephoenixpress.com

“My Lady? I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what else...I think we need to call for help.”

“Where is she? I can’t see her.”

“She’s fine, my Lady. She’s sleeping, right over there. Can you see her?”

“Bring her to me. I want to hold her.”

“My Lady, you have lost too much blood. We need to get you to a hospital or something. Please.”

“Star, it’s already too late. You know it. We can’t call for help. We have to keep her safe. She’s all that’s left. She is worth that and so much more. God, I am so tired. Please bring her to me.”

“My Lady...“

“Even now Star, after all these years, can’t you just be my friend?”

“I will always be your friend, my Lady, but you will always be my Queen. Even now, even later, that will never change. Here she is. Do you have her?”

“I’ve got her. Please don’t hover over me, Star. I’m alright. Look how beautiful she is. Can you believe Malcolm and I made something so beautiful?”

“Yes, I can. She looks like you. She has your hair, all golden and soft. She has your mouth too. Don’t you think?”

“Yes. Oh God, I want to hold on to her forever. I never want to let her go. Star, you have to promise me that you will keep her safe. Whatever you have to do, you have to keep her safe. Promise me.”

“No, my Lady, we will keep her safe. You and I together.”

“No, Star, this burden will fall to you. You already see the truth of it, right here in front of your eyes. I’m just so tired. Here, you’d better take her. Bye, my baby girl. I love you so.

Star, promise me. You’ve done all you can here. All that is left is her. Malcolm is gone, and I…”

“Stop it! You can’t just give up! Don’t laugh! Can’t you see that it’s tearing me apart? I can’t do this without you.”

“Star, I’m not laughing. I promise you. There just isn’t anything I can do to stop it. You can do this. I believe in you. Star?”

“Yes. My Lady?”

“Promise.”

“All right. I promise I will do everything I can to keep her safe.”

“Do you think you will ever return?”

“I don’t know. Everything is changed now. Our whole world has changed.”

“Star?”

“Yes?”

“Stay safe. You have always been my very best friend. I don’t know what I would have done without you. Thank you, so much, for everything.”

“My Lady...“

“Keep her safe...“

Review 

Shadow Dancer is a fun, light read with some action, some romance and some kick-butt abilities. 
LunaMoth for Far from Reality Reviews

Featured Title of the Day: Secrets and Lies by K.J.Dahlen

Please Welcome K.J. Dahlen

Secrets and Lies

K. J. Dahlen

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 1

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Jack Bracken sat in the dark, waiting. He had been expecting trouble all day, and he was scared to death. The more time passed the more frightened he felt. The shotgun in his sweaty hand slipped and fell to the floor. The thud it made when it hit the floor startled Anne Marie Bracken as she waited with her husband. She sat on the floor in front of the couch and peered toward the stairway as if checking whether the sound had awakened any of the children.

Anne Marie peeked at Jack. Crawling to where he sat on the floor opposite the front door of their home, she whispered, "Maybe they’re not coming. Maybe they didn’t see you and Adam."

Jack’s stomach had been tied up in knots since this morning and his mind filled with dread at what was about to happen. "No…they saw us and I told you earlier, they know it was us."

"How do you know?" She whispered.

"I just know." He closed his eyes for a brief moment and leaned his head on the barrel of the shotgun. With a soul filled with dread he turned toward Anne Marie, "I’m sorry I went hunting with Adam today. If we hadn’t trespassed onto the logging road, we wouldn’t have seen what we did."

Anne Marie stared hard at Jack. "You still haven’t told me what you saw," she reminded him. She had seen his pale face when they returned this morning and asked about it, but Jack stared at his children and covered his eyes with his hands. She’d tried to get him to talk about what happened all day, but he wouldn’t tell her.

A couple of times during the day the phone rang and when Jack answered it the first time, his face paled and he slammed it down. He asked her not to answer the phone the rest of the day. A few minutes later it rang again and Jack let it ring.

As soon as they had topped the hill this morning and Jack gazed down the other side he knew a moment of sheer panic. When he looked down and saw the two men with automatic rifles, he understood he was in big trouble.

He and Adam hadn’t seen the ‘NO TRESPASSING’ signs but Jack had forgotten the unspoken rule about the hills behind the Hawken Mill.

They had been searching for wild turkey signs this morning. He and Adam had been out squirrel hunting when they ran into Milo Wilks. He had told them about seeing wild turkey tracks on the hill east of town. It was too early in the season to be hunting turkeys, as it was late September, but Adam had begged his father to see if they could find the trails and Jack hadn’t been able to resist the enthusiasm in his young son’s eyes.

They had been told the tracks began about half way up the eastern slope of the hill and when they came across them, Adam had been elated. They continued up the hill and while Adam was busy searching for the elusive wild birds, Jack had happened to gaze down the hill to the clearing below.

When he saw one of the men below lift his scoped rifle to his shoulder, he knew in a moment the man behind the gun recognized him.

He hustled his son off the hill, but the damage had already been done. He had been expecting a visit from them all day. He hadn’t told anyone, not even Anne Marie what he’d seen, hoping if he were the only witness, they wouldn’t hurt his family. After the children had gone to bed, Anne Marie had asked him again who or what he was waiting for. As much as he wanted to keep the information to himself, he told her what might be coming.

The grandfather clock read four-fifteen. The sun would be up soon. If they were coming, he wished they’d get here and get this over with. He crawled to the window and checked outside. The full moon lit up the front yard, and he could see the driveway from where he sat. The shadows of the outbuildings didn’t reveal anything, and he hadn’t heard any vehicles on the road for awhile now. He rejoined Anne Marie when he saw the silver truck slowing moving along the highway. The truck pulled into the driveway and cut its lights.

"Here they come," he told her.

"Who?" Anne Marie wanted to know. Jack’s panic seemed to transfer to her with those three little words. "Who do you think is out there?"

"I don’t know who they are but someone is coming, and I don’t think it’s a social call." Jack watched the front door. Adrenalin pumped through his veins, and he tightened his grip on the shotgun. He pulled back the breach and checked the shells. He was as ready as he could be.

Featured Title of the Day: Safari Moon by Christine Young writing as AnnChristine

Please welcome Christine Young AKA AnnChristine

Safari Moon

Christine Young writing as Ann Christine

Excerpt Heat Level: 2

Book Heat Level: 2

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Wanted: A professional wildlife photographer to take pictures in the Alaskan wilderness. Experience first hand a real safari moon. Call(555)381-1252 or send resumes to 2286 Main, Suite 2D Bend, Oregon.

Solo St. John was in the middle of an erotic dream about his buddy, Nyssa Harrington, when the click of his front door shutting brought him to instant alert mode. 

Solo looked up, caught a flashing glimpse of a good deal of naked flesh; long legs, perfectly rounded derriere, and a waist he could span with his hands. The intruder's long blond hair curled around her shoulders an inch above the ties of her bikini top.

Then he saw the skunk. He blinked twice.

This woman and the skunk were not the subject of his brief and very strange dream, a fantasy that made his mind speed along at sixty in a residential zone. This was someone he had never seen before and he resented the intrusion.

"Hello," she cooed seductively from his living room. "Will you come out and play?"

The skunk stuck a black and white head around the open door to his bedroom. A second later the animal turned and lifted his tail before disappearing into the living room.

Solo was out of bed and pulling on his jeans before the count of five. Yet in that short time, the lady in question, along with the skunk that was now exploring his fireplace hearth, had taken over his living room.

The lithe, supple blond sported an expensive camera, and all the while the lady in question babbled nonsense words.

"I'm willing, able, and eager." She posed for him, a pose meant to entice.

"You're insane?" He hesitated then said to the lady, "Get that animal out of here!"

"I read the ad in the newspaper for a wildlife photographer, and I wanted to be the first one here." She smiled and tugged on a leash which was connected to the skunk. "Juniper is my pet. She's deperfumed or whatever."

Pet?

He had never, to his recollection, set eyes on this woman. Frozen stock-still in his bare feet between the bedroom and the living room of his rustic forest retreat in the hills outside Sisters, Oregon, Solo St. John was completely, utterly baffled.

After all, he had placed the ad in a few of the most widely distributed papers in Oregon. That was two days ago. Yesterday, having second thoughts and knowing he didn't want to train an assistant, he pulled it. Although none of this made sense, instinctively, he knew she told the truth. The ad was the cause of this phenomenon in his cabin.

"Come here and play." Posing seductively once again, she beckoned him with one slim index finger.

Why didn't he want to play? Wouldn't any normal, warm-blooded American male dream of waking up to an almost naked blond bombshell in his living room? Wouldn't that male want to play?

Why didn't he feel turned on and excited. Why didn't he fantasize about what would happen if he obeyed? All those lush curvaceous parts on display didn't interest him in the least.

He closed his eyes for a brief count of three. No, this wasn't a dream and the slap on the face he gave himself didn't cause the vision to disappear. He still had a good view of long, shapely legs and a bust line that threatened to pop the seams of her minuscule top.

"Lord." Only now, he realized he must have left his front door unlocked. He pulled his gaze from the fiasco on his hearth and reminded himself that a gentleman didn't stare.

"Smile." She brought the camera up and clicked a sideways snapshot of him before she stepped back and captured a print of the skunk. "You did want someone who could photograph wildlife. Didn't you?"

Solo raked a hand through short, ragged blond hair he knew had begun to stand on end. He didn't need this, and he was always hard pressed to put two and two together this late at night. He was a morning person, up before dawn. Even if he'd had all his wits about him, he wouldn't know how to politely rid himself of this strange intruder and her pet skunk.

He didn't want to admit, even to himself, but it looked like she was disrobing. Stripping was a better term. All she needed were a pair of tassels and music.

As he stepped forward in an attempt to stop her, she slipped off her top and twirling it around her index finger tossed it at him. The bikini bra flew past him and missed his nose by less than an inch. The bottoms landed squarely against his chest and slid down his body to land on his bare feet. Before he could reach her, she stood in front of him, all kinds of pale pink flesh revealed and waiting for him.

Featured Title of the Day: Revealed by Julia Fellner

Please welcome Fellner author of Revealed a Young Adult novel.

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Revealed

Julia Fellner

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Book Heat Level: 1

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"Miss Watson, either you are going to be famous or you are about to die."

I blinked at the secretary of the chief editor of the Tea Party News.

"I didn't mean you were literary going to die, just your career," she amended in a perky morning person voice.

She was wrong though. My career as a journalist was my life. I didn't care for an elaboration on how my career, and thus my life, would end so I interrupted her mercilessly. "Miss Higgins, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know." She leaned forward as she said this in a stage whisper. She was old enough to be my mother and dressed as if she was the same age as me, namely eighteen, which didn't help to improve her credibility.

"No, I don't," I deadpanned.

"Of course, you know what I'm talking about." She winked at me conspiratorially.

"No, I honestly don't."

To my surprise Miss Higgins started to laugh. "You are such a good actress, Anne. I told Theodore you were perfect for the job."

I sighed. "Look, I really have no idea…"

My doomed objection was interrupted as the door next to Miss Higgins's desk was opened by our boss who strolled in.

"Anne, how good to see you. I've been dying to tell you some news. We are after all working for a newspaper." He laughed at his joke, while I smiled uncertainly back at him.

"So, you really don't know?" Miss Higgins looked at me in shock, before her expression changed back to the one of a meddlesome conspirator. "Soon you will know."

"Thank you, Miss Higgins." I said with a tight smile, before I followed my boss into his office.

He beckoned me to take a seat across from him, as I waited patiently for the big solution of this morning's mystery.

Today had started out normally enough. I got up, had breakfast and left for work.

But once I entered the editorial department of the Tea Party News, I knew something was up.

People were giving me strange glances; people, to whom I usually was invisible, started noticing me.

As if this weren't enough of a shock, after I had turned on my computer I realised I had received a mail from Miss Higgins informing me about my boss wanting to see me. It was the last proof I needed to know something was afoot.

I looked expectantly across the desk at my boss, a rather chubby and balding but caring, man who looked around fifty but was probably younger.

"Anne, the decision you make today will decide whether you are going to be one of the big, famous ones and will be admitted into the Olympus of journalists or," I wanted to roll my eyes, as he made a dramatic pause, "whether you are not meant to be a journalist."

I wanted to groan. Why was everyone making such a big deal about this…this…well, whatever it is this mystery thing was?

But since my boss was the one to sign my paychecks, I kept a big, fat and friendly smile pasted on my face.

"Today, Anne, I'm going to offer you a job of life-changing potential."

Hold on, was I going to be promoted and get a raise?

With much more enthusiasm I started to fire questions in true reporter fashion at him. "Are you serious? What kind of job? Will me being still on probation be a problem? When can I start? W-"

My boss chuckled. "Give me a second to answer, will you?"

I smiled sheepishly at him and kept my mouth shut firmly, waiting for him to explain.

"I have an amazing and yet risky job offer for you." I could see he was working himself up into another dramatic tirade. In an attempt to avoid being subjected to such a fate, I interjected with a polite smile. "Why don't you tell me what this job offer is about, sir?"

"Of course." His good mood seemed to falter for a moment before it changed back to excitement. "I need a kind of foreign correspondent." When my boss noticed I was about to interrupt him again, he forgot about his need for dramatic pauses and quickly continued. "I need someone to report from a boarding school in Ireland."

"Where's the catch?" I asked suspiciously, remembering the weird looks I had been getting all day.

"The whole reporting thing has to happen undercover. Nobody can know about you being a journalist, if you accept the job which I am sure you will."

"But how do you expect me to investigate then?" This morning was so confusing, and I hadn't even had my daily dose of coffee yet.

"It's very simple. You will go there as a student, a senior to be exact." My boss's glinted mischievously.

"You want me to go back to school?" Now, I was truly horrified.

"Yeah, is there something wrong with it?" It seemed ironic, since it was his time to be confused now. "You graduated at the top of your class. If you were valedictorian, why wouldn't you want to go back to school?"

Why? Did he just ask why I did not want to go back to a place, which was to me nothing more than a disguise for hell?

"I thought I was finally out of school." I answered diplomatically. It wasn't a lie. My last day of school was the happiest one in my entire high school career.

I didn't like school per se. I enjoyed the learning part enough. Actually, I loved it. The problem, however, were my fellow students. Being ignored and bullied were the main reasons why I loathed my high school time. Although there were also other things I loathed, like not being taken seriously because I was still a student.

All in all, I was glad it was over.

So the thought of graduating again, after I had barely survived the first time, made me want to throw up.

Nevertheless I didn't say no just yet. "How long would this take? You know I was planning on going part-time to college this fall?"

My boss shuffled through his papers, deliberately not meeting my eyes. "Well, I don't know how many days exactly…"

"Sir?"

"An entire academic year." He looked up from his files, looking guilty. "Look, it's one of the hardest assignments I have ever given out. You will have to leave everything behind you for a whole school year. But if you make it, this could be your breakthrough."

"Why did you choose me for this job?"

"You see, since such young journalists like you don't really make much money, we can spare you for a year." He said nonchalantly before he started grinning. "I am kidding. I chose you because I have faith in you. You are the perfect journalist for this job."

"You think?" I queried unconvinced.

"I know." He beamed at me. "Listen, I am going to finance you for a year in one of Ireland's finest boarding schools. This is an opportunity some people would kill for."

But I wasn't some people. I was me.

Okay, maybe at some point when I still had been in the hellhole called high school, I would have jumped at the opportunity and would have packed my suitcases without any questions asked. But now I had finally survived high school and was reluctant to go back.

"All right, let's go so far as to say I would accept this job offer. What would I be writing about?"

My boss looked happy, as if I had already accepted his offer for real. "This private boarding school I am talking about is called Panthera Academy. I have received hints from anonymous sources something big is going on there."

Oh, no. He had gone back to being mysterious and beating around the bush. "And what is this big thing?"

"It is exactly what I want you to find out." He winked at me cheerily.

"But… how am I supposed to know what I am looking for?"

He shrugged. "This is all I know. There is a secret society in the school which is sponsored by the alumni."

I frowned. "A school club which is financed by alumni doesn't sound suspicious to me."

"It is not an ordinary school club; it is a secret society." My boss's voice dropped to a stage whisper. "And the really important thing is what this secret society is doing."

"What is it this secret society is doing then?" It was unfathomable to me why I automatically lowered my voice as well.

My boss suddenly smirked as he leaned back in his chair. "My point exactly, I want you to find out the answer to this question."

This still sounded all rather mysterious so I tried gathering information from another angle. "What has a boarding school in Ireland to do with our newspaper here in Boston?"

"It is a great chance for our Tea Party News to improve our reputation and sell more issues. I am certainly the only one with this information thus making us the only newspaper, which will be able to publish anything about it. Uncovering scandals always brings in a lot of money. We will even be able to sell copies in Ireland."

If you asked me, we had reached the point where my boss had finally lost his mind. The newspaper was doing fine, although I didn't trust him to always make the best business decisions for the paper.

So, I asked. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am sure about this." He nodded encouragingly. "This is going to be your breakthrough, trust me."

I guessed he wouldn't give me any other details, no matter how long I continued asking. "Can I at least sleep on it?"

"Sure." He looked disappointed for a moment since I wasn't as happy to throw my life away for a year as he was. "But if you do not take the offer soon, I will have to give it to someone else. There is not much time until term starts."

"I understand." I agreed and stood up.

"Miss Higgins is going to give you information on the assignment." My boss rose and patted me on my shoulder. "I know you are going to make the right decision, Anne."

"Thank you, sir." I smiled at him.

When I opened the door, I almost ran into Miss Higgins, who had obviously been eavesdropping. She brushed back her long, blonde hair nervously, knowing I had caught her.

"Miss Higgins, can you give Anne the file on the top secret assignment? Thank you." And my boss had already closed the door behind him, leaving me alone with Miss Crazy Secretary.

"Certainly," she piped up. "Let's talk about it over a cup of coffee, okay?"

"Actually, if you would give me the file, it would be fine." I smiled at her uncertainly, scared she would attack any moment.

And attack she did. "Oh, nonsense. We are going to have so much fun together, looking at this file."

"But if it's secret, we can't talk about it, while we are out to get coffee and -" But all my protests were futile and doomed to fail. Once she started, there was nothing capable of stopping Miss Higgins, short of the news of her favourite movie star getting a divorce.

"Well, then we'll stay here and talk about it all alone in my office!" she announced good-naturedly, as she went off to get two cups of coffee.

I stayed right where I was, rooted to the spot, still in shock. This assignment better be good if I was going to spend an undefined amount of time with Miss Higgins in a confined room. Alone.

"I am back!" She announced cheerfully, as she shut the door to the office, cutting me off from my only means of escape apart from the window, which was out of the question, since we were on the third floor--I might have been desperate to get out of there, but not suicidal, before she set two cups of coffee on her desk and beckoned me to take a seat across from her.

"Miss Higgins, if I could just take a quick look, really only a peek, at those files, I-"

It was hopeless, a lost cause. So, I contented myself with drinking my cup of coffee, while I let her blabber.

"This is going to be so great. You can enjoy school without having to worry about your grades because you already have graduated." I almost felt guilty she was so happy for me. Keyword being almost. "Now, this private boarding school is called Panthera Academy--a great name for a school, if you ask me. A great name, for a place in general. Makes it sound so mysterious and romantic and -"

"Miss Higgins?"

"What is it, dear? Oh, right, the school. So, it is located near Galway. It's supposed to be a really beautiful city. At least considering what I have heard. I have never been there, although I would love to go to Europe. Have you ever gone to Europe? I have--"

"Miss Higgins?" I interrupted her again. "I think your phone is ringing."

And I wasn't lying. Miss Higgins pulled out her cell phone, a rather new model, which was coloured neon pink, and blushed once she had looked at the caller ID.

"Um, I will be right back," she declared before she jumped up and vanished out the door.

The only thing I could hear was something along the lines of "Hello, Sweetkins. I missed you my Sugar Pie."

Ew… way too much information. But at least I was rid of her, and it sounded as if she was going to chat for a while with Sweetkins.

Without thinking about it for more than a second, I snatched the file from where she had left it and began leafing through it.

There were pictures of this Panthera Academy, and I had to admit it did look amazing. The school building was actually an old castle like Hogwarts in Harry Potter.

The campus of the school consisted not only of the castle and its respective gardens, but also of stables and a few hectares of forest where one could go riding.

Next there was a sheet with a short description of Panthera Academy. It looked as if it had been cut out of a brochure.

Panthera Academy--every student and parents` dream

Panthera Academy is a private boarding school near Galway. It has its origins in the beginning of the 17^th century.

The 120 students are sorted into four houses (Vanora, Vala, Wren and Arwain), which are named after the two couples who founded Panthera Academy after their lengthy travel to Italy.

In their free time the students have the opportunity to enjoy the vast grounds surrounding the historic castle, which acts as school building and dorm for students and teachers.

The next section was obviously meant for the parents, since it was about the good reputation the school had and how much good manners mattered.

I skipped down the page. My eyes almost bugged out as I read how much a term would cost at this fancy school, let alone a whole year.

Oh boy, this story really had to be big if the newspaper was willing to spend so much money on a reporter who would spend their year doing no work except investigate this mysterious, secret society.

I leafed through the documents until I came across a list with subjects. Of course there were the normal ones like science and art. Having to relive trig class was only one reason speaking against going back to high school.

But there were also interesting subjects like Ancient History, Computer Design, Politics and Theatre Studies. What caught my eyes however, were the many languages being offered. I had always had a thing for literature and exotic cultures. The chance to learn Greek, German, Latin, French or Spanish was tempting.

On the next page there was a calendar of the school. The first day of school was on the third of September, not even a whole week away.

After a Christmas vacation, Easter holidays and a few other minor breaks, the academic year would end in June.

The rest of the file appeared uninteresting. I quickly sorted the documents and put them back into the folder, which I put onto the exact spot where I had found it. My secret manoeuvre was finished just in time. When Miss Higgins returned again, she put away her cell phone, before she took the file from her desk and opened it. "Where was I? Oh, right, the super-secret assignment. This is all so exciting, don't you think? I think so. Now, what have we got in this file? Ah, there it--"

"Miss Higgins, thank you for your time, but I think I have heard enough about it." She looked as if I had just kicked her puppy. "I need to think about this now. Alone."

She seemed disappointed but nodded and I left the office.

Back at my desk I decided to look up Panthera Academy on the Internet. But to my surprise I didn't find anything, no homepage or newspaper articles. Nothing. This only seemed to add to the mysterious reputation of this school.

The rest of the day I threw myself into my work. Only, when I was home, I started thinking about this extraordinary offer I had received.

Why in the world should I do this?

I didn't know anything about the school or this mysterious secret society and what it was about.

I couldn't just pack my things at a moment's notice and leave the country for a year.

This was madness, nothing but utter madness, even if the challenge and mystery were calling to me.

So, the next day I decided to phone my boss and refuse the job offer.

"Office of the chief editor of the Tea Party News, Miss Higgins speaking, how may I be of assistance on this exceptionally lovely day?"

"Hi, this is Anne Watson. Is the boss in?"

"Hello, Anne," she lilted. "Have you decided yet? If I were you, I would of course take this incredible chance at starting my career. This is all theoretically speaking of course. I am quite happy being a secretary, but if I--"

I took the first pause she made to breathe as an opportunity to interject. "I am kind of in a hurry."

"Oh, sure." Her disappointed voice almost made me allow her to continue her tirade, but I really was in a hurry. "I understand. I'll put you through."

"Yes?" a bored voice answered.

"This is Anne Watson, sir. I am calling about the assignment."

"Ah, Anne." His mood instantly improved. "I knew you would be brave enough to take this challenge."

"Well, actually--" Actually all I wanted to say was. I don't want the assignment, but he wouldn't let me.

"It is a hard assignment, but I know you are going to do a great job. This is going to be your breakthrough, trust me. Before you know it, you will be editor yourself."

"Sir, I..."

"You are not going to regret this. Panthera Academy is a fine school. You will get to take courses you couldn't take before. You will be able to enjoy all the fun things about school without ever having to worry about your grades. It's every young person's dream. Heck, I would do this assignment myself if I was young enough."

"Sir?" I tried again.

"I am sorry, Anne, you wanted to tell me something?"

"Yeah, I did." I was about to open my mouth and tell him I didn't want to have anything to do with Panthera Academy when all of a sudden my mind shut itself off. Was it really so bad not to at least give it a try?

Sure, I had hated high school, but wasn't this the perfect possibility to have a wonderful high school experience for a change?

I was young. What was there to lose? I could always give up and start college next semester if Panthera Academy turned out to be as bad as my old high school.

"Anne?" My boss asked. "What did you mean to tell me?"

"I…" I took a deep breath and decided to go for my spur of the moment decision. "I wanted to tell you I am going to take the assignment."

"Of course you are!" My boss chuckled. "You would have to be stupid not to."

I had been about to be so stupid. Whether my current decision was the smart one, I would only know if I went through with it.

"I am glad you agreed to do this assignment." I could hear the smile in his voice. "However, I have to warn you. You shouldn't underestimate this. It could turn out to be rather dangerous, especially, when you don't know what to expect. Are you still willing to do it?"

I thought for a short moment. "Yes. Tell me everything you have heard about this secret society."

"Certainly, you will need all the information you can get, although I am afraid it isn't much." It sounded as if he was shoving around stacks of paper on his desk, rummaging around in them until he found the desired sheet. "Supposedly this secret society is almost as old as the school itself. It is big on cloak and dagger operations and meetings in the middle of the night to do god knows what."

This didn't sound as interesting as I had expected. "So what? A bunch of kids partying secretly doesn't seem like such a big deal."

"Where it gets interesting is the number of unexplained deaths and people who died in mysterious accidents has been uncommonly high ever since the school opened."

A shiver ran down my spine. "Are you saying there is someone at the school killing students?"

"In a way--yes." He hesitated for a moment. "It doesn't happen often and obvious enough to raise suspicion. There is always an explanation for the deaths. Whether said explanation is true is another question."

"These deaths are what you want me to investigate?"

I heard him shuffling around. "They are to be the main focus of your research."

He wouldn't have had to use a word like mission to make it sound dramatic. It was scary and exhilarating on its own.

This feeling of an adrenaline rush was why I had become a journalist in the first place. Sure, I could have also become an extreme athlete, but I also loved uncovering the truth.

This did indeed sound like the perfect breakthrough, a memorable start for a great career.

"Anne, are you still there?" My boss interrupted my thoughts.

"I'll do it." I repeated with more self-confidence than I thought I had.

"Glad to hear you are so enthusiastic." He chuckled again before he sobered a little. "I have faith in you, just be careful."

"Of course." I nodded eagerly even though he couldn't see me.

"Since you will still be a minor officially you will need a guardian," he began to explain.

"My parents..."

"Don't worry about them." He cut in quickly. "A good friend of mine lives not too far away from Panthera Academy. His name is Colonel George O'Callaghan. He is going to act as your guardian."

"He is going to act as my father?"

For some reason the idea made my boss laugh. "Not at all. He is rather old, so he is going to play the role of your grandfather."

"Okay," I said, unsure of what to say.

"Don't worry. George is really nice. You will get along brilliantly."

"If you say so." It was strange how the possibility of a murderer at this school didn't scare me as much as having to pretend someone whom I had never met before was my grandfather.

"Go to Miss Higgins. She will give your visa information, plane tickets and everything else you will need."

This is how the phone call to my boss, in which I meant to tell him I wasn't going to take the assignment, ended with me going to Miss Higgins's office to retrieve the ticket and all other documents.

The idea of me having gone mad only occurred to me when I was already at the airport a few days later and had passed all the security checks.

When I was actually boarding the plane to Dublin, I started thinking about whether I had made the right decision.

Because of my doubts I was beginning to feel so nervous I wanted to jump up and leave. But I couldn't. It was too late. We were already soaring over the Atlantic.

By the time mainland was in sight again, I had calmed down and convinced myself. I had made up my mind and there was no turning back.

This decision was final.

As I stepped off the plane, I thought to myself, Panthera Academy, here I come.

And so the biggest adventure of my life began.

 Review

Courtney for Rogue's Angles says:  "I enjoyed this book very much. An undercover mission with a secret to discover, first love, and murder on top, yes it was worth the read." 

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