Leah St. James – Barbara Edwards Comments

Please welcome my guest Alicia Dean as she tells us about her new anthology. A Halloween Anthology – Six Stories by Six Authors
MYSTERIES OF THE MACABRE
Authors Alicia Dean, Leah St. James, Alexa Day, Renci Dunham, Rohn Federbush, and Elvy Howard share Halloween mayhem in 6 short stories:
A masked stranger ~ Teen angst ~ Ghostly appearances
Hot Halloween sex ~ A tropical nightmare ~ Visions from the past
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I LOVE Halloween. When my kids were little, we made the most of it with costumes, trick or treating, decorating, haunted houses, and scary movies. The three of them still love Halloween, haunted houses, and scary movies. (Well, so do I ☺)
I was thrilled at the opportunity to be a part of this anthology. I love that there is such a mix of genres and styles. Hope you enjoy!
I am giving away a free ebook copy of MYSTERIES OF THE MACABRE ~ To enter, tell me in the comments whether you do or do not like Halloween and why. Winner will be drawn on Wednesday.
http://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Macabre-Halloween-Alexa-Day-ebook/dp/B014LZ6T6I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442322320&sr=1-1&keywords=mysteries+of+the+macabre
My story is Scarred:
Gothic romance
Blurb:
 Sometimes, the most painful scars are the ones beneath the skin.
 When Natalie Jayne moved away from her home town ten years earlier, she left behind painful memories, along with Simon, the man she loved. Now, she’s back on Halloween night to attend a memorial marking the one-year anniversary of the tragic passing of her childhood friend, Jessica. Rumors that Simon was responsible for Jessica’s death unnerve her. Even more disturbing is her unsettling attraction to a masked stranger she meets at the event. Her gift may be the key to unlocking the truth, but will it also lead to heartbreak?

Excerpt:
Simon stalked toward the balcony, badly in need of fresh air. He had been a recluse this past year and being around so many people stole his ability to breathe. He eagerly swept open the balcony doors and stepped out—and saw her. Her profile faced him. The full moon wrapped her in its glow, her features clearly defined. Smooth, pale skin and full, red lips.
He must have made a sound, because she turned an alarmed gaze on him.
Her gloved hand flew to her chest, and she gave a self-conscious laugh. “Oh my, you startled me.”
She was stunning in a Marie Antoinette costume and had fortunately foregone a wig. Her ebony hair was swept back from her face with a few stray tendrils caressing her cheeks. Her beauty stole his breath as effectively as the crowd had, and it took a few moments before he could speak. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“You didn’t frighten me. I just thought I was alone.” She gestured to the opaque glass door that separated them from the partygoers. “I was feeling claustrophobic, so I came out here.”
He smiled. “So you chose frostbite over claustrophobia?”
She laughed again—a dazzling sound that had his knees threatening to buckle. Her blue eyes sparkled, and her features lit with delight. She was a sight to behold. For one brief, insane moment, he wished he could spend the rest of his life making her laugh, putting that glow on her face.
She’d matured nicely from the awkward but lovely teen he’d known. Without the cloak, every perfect curve was revealed. She wrapped her arms around herself, her teeth chattering in the frigid air.
Simon took off his coat and stepped toward her. The scent of vanilla and spice rose to his nostrils, sending heat rushing through his blood. He pushed back an urge to step closer, to sweep her up in his arms, taste those delectable lips. Instead, he draped the coat over her shoulders. “Here. Take this so you don’t freeze to death.”
“Thank you.” She accepted the coat, then glanced to the doors. “I suppose I should go back inside.”
He bit his tongue to keep from begging her to stay.

BIO
Award-winning, multi-published author Alicia Dean began writing stories as a child. At age 11, she wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley, and who happened to share the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia is from Moore, Oklahoma and now lives in Edmond. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals. She is a freelance editor in addition to being an editor for The Wild Rose Press.

Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she usually works in a mention of one or all three into her stories) and watching her favorite televisions shows like Vampire Diaries, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Haven, New Girl, The Mindy Project, and Dexter (even though it has sadly ended, she will forever be a fan). Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Sharon Sala, Jordan Dane, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.

Find Alicia here: