CURSED (a gargoyle shifter story): A prequel in the Underground Encounters series
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• Book 8: INFLAME (a gargoyle shifter / witch romance)
Is the curse finally broken?
That must mean the witch is dead.
And he wouldn't have the satisfaction of destroying her himself...
But, what Lucan discovers next is the biggest shock of his life.
• Book 9: TORCH (a gargoyle shifter / werewolf romance)
A gargoyle in need of a mission...
A werewolf in search of a cure.
Will they be able to break through the darkness together?
Or are they doomed to carry the weight of their curses alone?
Tip: Read the first three books at a discounted price in MELT, a boxed set featuring:
· SMOLDER
· FIRE
· IGNITE
Read MELT now!
An Excerpt from HEAT
Tracy walked over to the crouched gargoyle at the end of the bar and placed her hand on the smooth area between its two horns. “Damn, that was a busy night,” she said. “But, I took in some great tips. One of the downsides of college is those damn tuition bills”
She ran her down the back of its head and over its hunched back where its two wings connected. She took a deep breath to decompress and rested her hand on the gargoyle’s shoulder. Tomorrow morning, she’d sleep in, and not talk to a soul until well after noon. She’d spend much of the day studying.
“Trace.”
Was it one of the guys out back?
No, they knew better than to call her Trace.
“It’s Tracy,” she said, turning to face the intruder.
And stared into the face of her ex. His black hair was mussed up and looked like it could use a wash. Actually, so could the rest of him. His jeans were stained.
“You look hot. I love you in this dress.” He reached for her with one of his tattooed arms.
She recoiled. No way would she let him touch her. “What are you doing here, Brian?” The muscles in her body tensed as she gauged the distance between her and the pepper spray behind the bar.
She felt a tiny movement under her hand.
No, she had to be losing her mind. As if stone could move.
She kept her hand on the stone like a security blanket, almost gripping it now that Brian had appeared.
“I came to see what you were doing tonight. Thought maybe we could hang out?” The way he slurred the words indicated he’d already had one too many, a bad sign.
“Definitely not. The restraining order should have made that clear.”
“Babe, I was in a rough place and I took it out on you. Let’s put the past behind us and try again.”
The cold stone felt warmer beneath her hand. How strange. Was she so heated from the tension that her palm could warm cool stone?
“No, Brian. I’ve given you too many chances and each time it ended worse than the time before.”
“Babe.” He approached her. “I would never hurt you again.”
“Don’t come any closer.” She moved away from the gargoyle to get to her purse behind the bar.
“Trace, you’re so dramatic.” He moved behind the bar.
Tracy was distracted by the gargoyle statue behind him. It was changing color, from gray stone to what appeared to be—flesh.
“Come on, we were good together. Don’t you miss the sex?”
The stone wings of the gargoyle statue unfurled into enormous sleek, gray ones. The gargoyle reshaped itself, rising from a crouched position to stand on two legs to a full height well over six feet.
And the horns receded into the head, as golden hair sprouted to take their place, growing well below impressively broad shoulders. Within a few seconds, the once grotesque stone creature she’d found lovable, had transformed into a breathtaking male with flawless bronze skin, long, blond hair and the magnificent physique of a Viking warrior—one who stood there stark naked.
“Oh my God!” she exclaimed, eyes widening.
“I know, babe,” Brian said. “The sex was awesome.”
Ignoring Brian, she fumbled for her purse to search for the damn spray. Who the hell should she even direct it at now, with two threats facing her?
Read HEAT now!
Acknowledgments
I am so grateful for the amazing people I’ve met since I started writing many years ago. As always, thank you to my fantastic editors, beta readers, proofreaders, ARC readers, street team, and all of you read who read my books.
And as always, thank you to my awesome husband for his support. With love, always!
Lisa
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Lisa Carlisle loves stories with dark, brooding heroes and independent heroines. For much of her professional career, she’s written non-fiction — but she’s discovered writing romance is the most fun. Her romances have been named Top Picks at Night Owl Reviews and the Romance Reviews.
When she was younger, she worked in a variety of jobs, moving to various countries. She served in the Marines in Okinawa, Japan, backpacked alone through Europe, and lived in Paris before returning to the U.S. She owned a bookstore for a few years as she loves to read. She’s now married to a fantastic man, and they have two kids, two cats, and too many fish.
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