Win a $10 GC: Toil & Trouble

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The brew is hot and bubbling over with romance and terror in this twistedly beautiful anthology that welcomes the darkness of horror and the temptation of love's veiled promises. Six remarkable tales from six incredible authors fill this book of dark shadows and ancient whispers.

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble - by Jennifer Patricia O'Keeffe: Enchanted pastries and spell-brewed coffee make Esmerelda's sugar-dusted counter the city's most coveted haunt—until a dangerously charming newcomer slips into her shop, immune to her magic and unraveling her carefully guarded world. As his witch-hunter heritage threatens to burn her legacy to ash, Esmerelda finds herself torn between the threat of revenge from the witch hunter's ancestors and the intoxicating truth of the connection that they share.

Silverwood - by Lynn Hubbard: A lonely rancher's daughter finds her isolated Wyoming homestead upended when an amber-eyed stranger ignites a mud-splattered passion that defies reason—until his supernatural secret and the vengeful ranch hands hunting her force her to choose between the man who saves her and the monster who might destroy her. Torn between fierce protectors and forbidden desire, she must trust the very darkness that could shatter her world to survive the wild frontier's deadliest threats.

Ivy, Lichens and Wallflowers - by James Ryan: Marketing executive Hilda finds solace from her stifling corporate life and overbearing past in the quiet companionship of Miriam, a mysterious 19th-century marble statue in a city micro-park, only to discover their connection transcends stone when Miriam begins answering her handwritten notes through cryptic poetry left in return. As their forbidden connection deepens into an intoxicating dream-bound romance, Hilda uncovers Miriam's supernatural secret: she's a cursed thaumaturge sustained by stolen life force, forcing Hilda to confront whether love can survive the devastating cost of keeping her alive.

A Mirror to Die For - by Cindy Lewis Smith: A desperate woman finds solace in an antique mirror that whisks her nightly to 1880s Arizona, where a charming outlaw named Johnny Ringo fulfills every fantasy—until her jealous fiancé shatters the glass and vanishes, leaving her trapped in an asylum screaming that he is the real monster, a man who shouldn't exist: Dr. John Henry Holliday, the gambler who killed Ringo a century ago. Now, with "MPR" carved into her cell walls and time itself unraveling, she'll stop at nothing to prove her sanity by proving time travel is real—even if it means unleashing the very darkness that destroyed her.

Flight 1031: Cosmic Turbulence - by Julian Christian: Diplomatic courier Sarah Martinez boards Flight 1031 expecting routine turbulence, not a Halloween dimensional rift that strands her at Germania International Airport—where the Greater German Reich has ruled since 1943 and perfected technology to harvest souls from parallel realities through consciousness-scanning machinery that pulses with seventeen-beat rhythms. Now trapped in a terminal that breathes like a living organism, Sarah must navigate a world where every passenger hides a secret and her resistance could either save her timeline or doom infinite versions of humanity to eternal enslavement in a Reich that spans all dimensions.

Dream a Little Dream - by Jae El Foster: After a near-death car crash rewires her brain, Sarah's nightmares bleed into reality: sugar on the counter forms glyphs, bats appear out of nowhere in broad daylight, and her own hands betray her—while the velvet-eyed stranger from her dreams appears in her waking hours, his urgency growing as Halloween's veil thins. Now, with her reality twisting into something surreal and an ancient language hijacking her voice, she must confront a dark truth: her soul isn't hers to keep, and the man who saved her in death is the very entity hunting her in life.

Read an Excerpt From ‘Silverwood’ by Lynn Hubbard

Cindy looked up from where she was brushing Pepper as she heard laughter coming from outside. Pretending to be surprised, she looked up in time to see Matt and her brothers leading in their mounts. She laughed as she caught sight of them. “You two look like you belong in a pen!” She laughed gaily at their expense. Brad and Wade glanced at each other and started to descend upon her with their muddy hands reaching out. She squealed, realizing their intent, and was grateful when Matt jumped in front of her protectively.

“That’s enough. Why don’t you two get cleaned up? I’ll rub down your horses,” Matt said, smiling.

Wade and Brad looked at each other, astounded. Nobody had ever offered to do their chores before. They quickly headed to the house before Matt came to his senses.

Garrett chuckled. “I’ve never seen them move fast unless it was supper time!” He quickly rubbed down his horse and headed off to check on his wife after Matt assured him he could handle the rest. He finished rubbing down Tremor and slowly walked over to Pepper, not taking his eyes off Cindy.

“Is she okay?” he asked, kneeling down next to her leg and unwrapping it.

Cindy, her knees weak, sank down next to him carefully so she wouldn’t get her dress dirty. He hasn’t even noticed, she thought as she watched him tend to Pepper. Their knees touched, and she glanced up at him just as he was looking at her.

“She seems to be alright; she’s putting her weight on it now,” Cindy answered.

Matt nodded, rubbing his large hands up and down the horse’s leg. Cindy wondered what that would feel like, and she almost sighed. As if reading her thoughts, Matt turned toward her suddenly, roughly bumping her knee. Since she was balancing on her feet while kneeling, she automatically reached out for balance. Unfortunately, it turned out to be Matt’s thigh. His eyes deepened with desire at the contact. He smiled as Cindy’s eyes widened, realizing her mistake. She quickly stood to regain her composure. “Um… I’m sorry,” she mumbled, looking down at her shoes.

Matt stood up beside her. “Anytime,” he said, smiling at her. “But I think you’re right—I think she’ll be fine.”

Cindy looked at him quickly. Her brothers never took her opinions seriously. It was nice to meet someone who did—especially someone as attractive and intelligent as Matt. He gently touched her cheek and smiled before reluctantly returning to Wade’s horse. Cindy grabbed Brad’s, and they were done a short time later.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Matt said after they finished.

Cindy smiled. “Yes, I did. You’re the one that rescued me, remember?”

“It must be lonely for you living all by yourself.”

He shrugged. “You get used to it. Though sometimes I wonder what it’d be like to have a family.” He looked at her purposefully, and Cindy had to look away.

The supper bell clanged, and he was grateful for the reprieve. They walked the rest of the way, both lost in their own thoughts.

Dinner passed quickly. Garrett and her brothers occupied most of Matt’s attention, and he kept sending apologetic looks to Cindy. Beth watched Cindy like a hawk, giving Matt dirty looks. Matt carefully avoided her gaze while trying to catch Cindy’s and keep track of Garrett’s questions. As the sun sank into the horizon, he hastily excused himself and headed off into the night.

Cindy watched him go, perplexed.

She waited until everyone was asleep, then dressed quickly in riding pants and a wool coat, braiding her hair back tight. Storm whined once as she reached for her saddle but made no move to stop her.

“Stay,” she ordered reluctantly. The dog obeyed with a whimper.

The forest was quiet tonight—more than usual. The wind whispered through branches, and somewhere in the distance, a howl rose that made her bones vibrate.

She pulled her horse to a stop as a chill went down her spine. I know these woods and every creature that lives in them—none would make that call. Afraid for Matt’s safety, she increased her speed. She rode fast, the moon chasing her through the black canopy of limbs above. The trail to the Miller ranch glowed like a silver scar. She could feel something rising, thick in the air like a storm about to break. And then she was there. The house was dark; only the bunkhouse held light.

Hesitating, she dismounted and tied Pepper to a fence post. Could he be asleep already? She wondered as a twig snapped behind her. She spun around, shocked to face Lester with a crooked grin.

“He ain’t here, but I’ll be glad to keep you company,” Lester said, spitting out his wad of tobacco, his brown teeth grinning.

“M-M-M-Matt!” she cried in panic as she backed away. Another man stepped from the shadows and grabbed her from behind, a dirty hand covering her mouth.

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Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FS7DXSXX
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