Alexandra's Riddle (Northwest Magic Book 1)

by Elisa Keyston

  “Hey, sleepyhead,” Matthew said cheerfully as she sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

  “What time is it?” she murmured.

  “It’s only about ten. You dozed off after dinner.”

  She remembered now. She’d just meant to lie down for a moment, but she was exhausted. She and Matthew had spent the day painting downstairs, and they’d only gotten two rooms done.

  She snuggled against his chest and he wrapped his left arm around her. His hand brushed the small of her back where her shirt had slid up slightly, his wedding band cool against her skin. They’d married less than a month before at a small ceremony in Foreston, at the Paine Estate. Matthew’s sister Laney had been eager to plan the event, and Taryn got them a great discount on the caterer through her hotel contacts. Though they’d only known each other a short while, Cass found she quite liked her new sisters-in-law. They were more like Matthew than he was willing to admit.

  There’d been no time for a honeymoon, what with school about to start, so after a brief stay in Washington they’d come back to Riddle, to their cheerful purple Victorian in the woods. It still needed a lot of work to be their dream home, but with the brownies and household elves helping out—when they felt like it—they’d made plenty of headway.

  They still needed that air conditioner, though. Hopefully by next summer.

  It was hard to believe how much had changed in a year’s time, but the biggest change seemed to be Cass herself. She’d found settling into the role of caretaker to be far less strenuous than she’d feared. Maybe that was because she was finally willing to open up and let others in. With Matthew, Lily, and Darcy here, Emma just a phone call away, and even Green with his mischievous good will to support her, Cass was slowly learning to trust and to let go of the fears that had built up in her heart over a lifetime.

  Still need to work on that whole antisocial thing, though, she thought wryly.

  The one person who wasn’t around was Tom Kowalski. After he returned from the hospital, Cass had gone to speak with him as planned. He was less than enthused about letting her out of their verbal agreement, but after some persuasion from Green, he’d come around. In fact, he suddenly felt the urge to spend more time working at his Portland-area investment company. After the meeting he’d been inclined to sell his Riddle home altogether, but the school counselor had urged the family not to uproot, insisting that Lily needed stability after her “runaway” incident. So Lily and her mother remained behind, and Mrs. Kowalski pledged to become a more attentive parent. Lily may have chafed over her mother’s sudden switch from indifference to helicopter parenting, but Cass knew deep down that in a few years’ time, she’d appreciate a stronger relationship with at least one of her parents.

  And she always had the woods to escape to—more often than not with her new best friend Amelia Reynolds in tow. Though Cass was still hesitant, Lily had gone through with sharing her secret with Amelia; and Amelia, like Emma before her, had been more than understanding. The girls loved playing in the woods together, Lily relaying the hijinks of the fae to her friend. They promised to stay away from the warren, though. Even with the fae’s alliance with the humans renewed by Cass’s pledge to be the new Chatelaine, it was still better safe than sorry.

  “Taryn called while you were asleep,” Matthew said, setting his book aside.

  “Yeah?” Cass said, shifting to look up at him.

  “She wants to know if we can head out to Kings Valley next weekend. Said there’s something that she needs your help with.”

  Cass furrowed her brows. “My help?”

  He nodded. “She didn’t get into it too much on the phone. She said she’d tell us more in person. But if it’s your help she needs, I’m sure you know what that means.”

  Matthew’s youngest sister had worked in the hospitality business for a few years, dreaming of saving up to open her own bed-and-breakfast. But by a stroke of good luck, over the summer she’d entered one of those contests Cass had seen in the news, to win a bed-and-breakfast through a writing contest, and right around the time of Cass and Matthew’s wedding she learned that she’d won: a country inn in Kings Valley, a tiny community outside Corvallis. It was a fixer-upper, but Taryn had been eager for the challenge.

  But if now she needed Cass’s help… there must be fae nearby.

  There’s no such thing as coincidences.

  “How far is it from here?” Cass asked.

  “About two and a half hours,” said Matthew.

  “Not too bad. Maybe she just wants to surprise us with a mini-honeymoon at her new inn before she opens it up to other guests,” Cass suggested.

  Matthew laughed. “We can always hope.”

  Cass wrapped her arm around his neck, drawing him against her. “In the meantime,” she whispered, “there’s no time like the present for a little honeymoon at home.”

  “I couldn’t have put it better myself,” Matthew said, pressing his lips against hers.

  Thank you for reading Alexandra’s Riddle! I hope you enjoyed Cass’s story. If you have a free minute, please consider leaving a review on a retailer, or on Goodreads or Bookbub! Every review helps authors succeed.

  Not ready to say goodbye to the fae just yet? I have good news for you: There’s more Northwest Magic to come! Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to be the first to know when the next book is coming out. Subscribers will also receive an exclusive free book—a Northwest Magic novella, Old Flames, which tells the story of Matthew’s middle sister Laney, and features the Foreston faery warren that Matthew told Cass about! (Old Flames will be available in late 2019, and all newsletter subscribers will receive the free download link as soon as it’s ready.) The next full novel in the series, Fool’s Gold, stars Matthew’s youngest sister Taryn, and will be available soon. And Emma and Darcy need to find their happily-ever-afters, too… so be sure to watch out for the rest of the Northwest Magic series!

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  Arriving from Arkansas

  The Pioneer Brides of Rattlesnake Ridge

  Will this couple’s secrets cause them to miss their chance at a happily-ever-after?

  Josephine Lane arrived in Rattlesnake Ridge under false pretenses. As far as the townspeople know, she’s simply the new cook for the local boarding house. Nobody has to know the secret her late uncle shared with her before his death or how that same secret could make her the wealthiest person in the state of Nevada.

  Jim Griffin works hard as a foreman at the local lumber mill. He also works hard to keep his real identity as an undercover lawman hidden as he closes in on his brother’s murderer. When the killer gets close, the last thing Jim needs is a distraction–especially the pretty blonde cook at the boarding house.

  Jim and Josie’s separate secrets just might bring them closer than either could have predicted. But will they be able to resist falling in love when so much is already at stake for the both of them?

  If you like historical romance with a touch of intrigue, then you’ll love Arriving from Arkansas. Get your copy and start reading today!

  Available now!

  Second Chance So Sweet: A Mount Honey Grove Romance

  by Juliet Bardsley

  Valentine's festivities, a charming small town, and a second chance at love ...

  Ella Hart hasn't visited Mount Honey Grove in over a decade, but when an unexpected career move has her returning to her home town, Ella runs into the last person she wants to see—the man who broke her heart years ago. Max Valentine.

  There's one thing Max Valentine has regretted—breaking Ella Hart's heart fourteen years ago. But when Ella moves back to Mount Honey Grove to help her aunt prepare for the annual Valentine's celebration, Max wonders if he can get the second chance he's always wished for.

  When Ella and Max are thrown together to prepare for the town's Valent
ine's Day celebration, sparks fly as an old flame is reignited. But is Ella willing to forget the past, forgive Max, and try love with him again?

  Available now!

  Becoming Grim

  by Ashley Tomlinson

  The big city isn't working out for Piper. After finding out her boyfriend is cheating on her, she decides she's had enough of New York and hops on a plane back to Texas. The only problem is, she never makes it there.

  When the plane goes down in a blaze, it looks like Piper's reached her end. But Death has other plans for her. It turns out that she's been chosen by the Grim Reaper himself to become a part of his team, led by the handsome soul collector Zeke—a man whose bright green eyes she remembers from just before the plane crashed.

  But everything isn't as it seems. After Piper's arrival, the Reapers begin changing, feeling things that they shouldn't be feeling—things reserved for the living. And not everyone is happy about the changes Piper has brought. If she doesn't watch her step, she could find herself dying a second time...

  Available now!

  The first person I want to thank is someone I never met in person, a woman named Betty who owned a beautiful property that bordered my home. She fought to protect it, but unfortunately the fight was lost after she passed away. Though I only got to enjoy them for a few years, Betty’s woods were every bit as magical as the woods in Alexandra’s Riddle, and that magic changed my life. I wish I could have saved them. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss them. I hope that they will at least live on in this book.

  I also want to thank everyone who helped make this book a reality. Thank you to my cover designer, Najla Qamber; to my editor, Rose Anne Roper; and to Tracy Korn and everyone at Caleo Press, for giving the Northwest Magic series a home. Thank you to my assistant, Esther Hadassah, for keeping my business running while I’m offline so that I can write; to Melissa Storm, for all your advice and support, and for being the best mentor an author could ask for; and to Karen Teal, for helping me appease the faeries.

  Thank you to my family for all your support and for everything you do for me.

  And, of course, TBTG.

  Elisa Keyston is an author of sweet romance with hints of magic, mystery, intrigue, and suspense. She’s the series lead on The Pioneer Brides of Rattlesnake Ridge, a shared-world historical romance series from Sweet Promise Press, and she’s also the author of the Northwest Magic series from Caleo Press, a sweet contemporary romance series with hints of magic and mystery set in her home state of Oregon. When she’s not writing, Elisa spends most of her time gardening, collecting gnomes and fairies for her backyard, and fawning over her furbabies. Visit Elisa online and sign up for her newsletter at elisakeyston.com.