Title: Kiss Me Deadly
Author: Tamela Miles
Genre: Horror/Paranormal Romance Anthology
Book Blurb:
You never see the claws until you feel them.
The Swinging Tree:
Audrina and Matt are all set to enjoy a vacation in a charming little town in Northern California. But the town holds deadly secrets that no citizen is willing to speak about. Silence may be golden, but it puts Matt and Audrina on a collision course with a dark force that is hell bent on vengeance.
Hands Clean:
Lili’s life is forever changed after a beach house getaway with her friends. She is given a once in a lifetime chance to exact punishment on the one who betrayed her trust and she grabs it because she doesn’t believe in transcendence.
Be Home by Sunrise:
Chase has been taking care of headstrong Tiffany since he turned her into a vamp. When she does the unforgiveable, he whisks her away into hiding. She hopes their bond will go from maker and child to lovers, but there’s a looming presence that won’t let them ride off into the moonlight together. Or let them go unpunished.
Witch Bitch:
An afternoon spent with friends and new girlfriend Luna, has Mason feeling hopeful about the future, after his struggle with depression. When the situation goes from friendly to life or death, he is forced to confront the demons he has spent so many years running from. For some, forgive and forget isn’t an option.
Paper Dolls:
Zach makes the great escape from his old life to Las Vegas, with his new partner in crime, Paris. She challenges him to reflect on his ways and embrace the dangerous path they’re both on. Too bad, for a city full of women, his soul searching takes him to an even darker place. Two is company, three is murder.
Excerpt:
Later that evening, they sat across from each other at a small table in the dining area of the Bellewood. Audrina was relieved to see that most of the families also staying there were friendly and quick to smile or engage in small talk. The only thing that had her slightly on edge was the weird looks she and Matt were getting from the staff, both African American and White.
Matt gestured at her plate. “Honey, you’ve hardly eaten anything. That’s not good for you and the baby. Are you feeling alright?”
Audrina lifted her fork, speared a bite of asparagus, and chewed on it slowly. She didn’t want to worry him but she couldn’t hide her discomfort a minute longer. “I feel fine except for the dining room staff. They keep looking at us like we’re freakish or something. Felicity, the desk clerk, had the exact same expression on her face when we checked in. It’s like…they’re all in on something we know nothing about.”
Matt shrugged, sipping his beer from the bottle. “I’ll bet they don’t see too many mixed couples around here, judging by the other one, Marlena. Let them gawk and don’t let it bother you.”
Recognizing the truth in his words, Audrina resolved to forget the stares and enjoy their time in Caddo. After dinner, they took a leisurely walk around the hotel, discovering the many amenities. They wound up on the top floor, where the giant skylight was housed. Audrina gasped at the beauty of the starry night sky, clear and sharp since they were away from the larger cities filled with light pollution surrounding the town.
Soon, they were comfortable in their small but elegantly charming suite, decorated in earth tones with rich, dark brown carpet. Matt rubbed her feet as they rested on the sofa and she sighed in contentment.
Her eyelids began to droop. “I’m feeling the effects of the long car ride. I think I’ll turn in early.”
He nodded. “You go on ahead and get your rest. I’ll be in soon.”
Audrina quickly dressed herself for bed and was asleep within minutes of resting her head in the plush pillow.
Matt was deep in thought about their baby’s significant impact on their finances and what needed to be handled when they returned home. He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. They were prepared in every way possible but there was still the lingering fear that the rug could be snatched out from under them, wrecking their life plans. What if I lost my job one day… He had promised to care for Audrina the day he had slipped the gold band on her finger but there was now another little life to consider.
He had left the curtains open and watched as the mist slowly rolled in. He was relaxed and close to dropping off, his head leaned back, when the first whisper reached his ears.
Matthew…
He fought his way back from sleep, thinking it must be Audrina calling him. He left the sofa and went to close the curtains. His gaze settled on the large, open field outside, with a single tree in the distance. Though he wasn’t close, he could make out what looked to be a woman with brown skin in a white dress, beckoning to him with a waving hand. He squinted, trying the latch on the balcony door so he could get a closer look. Before he could slide the door open, the incoming mist swallowed up the whole scene and he couldn’t see a thing beyond the balcony.
Matthew, come to me…
He hastily closed the curtains and hit the lamp switch. He moved in the dark to the bedroom, expecting to find Audrina awake. When he tiptoed in, she was curled up in deep sleep. He stripped down to his briefs and stepped into a pair of pajama pants. As he lay beside his wife, he tried to make sense of the apparent sleep induced experience he had just had. I’m just hearing things, he reasoned.
The whispers didn’t come again, and he drifted off.
Matt slowly made his way across the field, completely unaware of the rugged ground beneath his bare feet. He had one objective on his mind as moved along. He had to get to the source of the whispers. The mist was heavy and dampened his bare chest and pajama pants. Still, he trudged on until he reached the tree. He stopped abruptly and looked around.
The woman in the flowing white dress emerged with a lilting laugh. She danced around him, her lips parted provocatively. She whispered his name over and over. The beauty of her brown skin and short wavy hair captivated him and he shuffled toward her. He could hear her in his head.
Not tonight, lover. But soon, you’ll come to be with little ol’ Jewel to stay.
She disappeared into the mist and Matt’s eyes snapped open. Confusion set in as he realized that he was in the field behind the Bellewood and not still sleeping beside Audrina. He looked around, completely dazed.
“What the hell…”
He ran the whole distance back to the hotel and, as he entered the lobby, one of the employees gave him a once over. He met the older African American man’s eyes and was surprised at his direct gaze. “A bit early in the morning for a long walk. Watch out for that mist, Mr. Marsh. It can change your whole life.”
Matt gave him a terse nod. “Thank you.” He swiftly headed for the elevator and once inside, looked down at his feet blackened with dirt. He desperately needed a shower, and he hoped Audrina was still sleeping so he wouldn’t have to explain something that he himself couldn’t understand. As far as he knew, he had never sleepwalked.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Amazon:Kiss Me Deadly - Kindle edition by Miles, Tamela. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Apple Books: Only Available via the Apple Books app
What makes your featured book a must-read?
This book is an absolute must-read if you like your horror with a pinch of sensual paranormal romance; either way, the thrills keep coming.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win. Runs February 3 – February 13, 2023. Winner will be drawn on February 14, 2023.
Author Biography:
Tamela Miles is a school psychologist with an Ed.S degree and is a graduate of California State University San Bernardino and California State University Dominguez Hills. She is also a former flight attendant. She grew up in Altadena, California in that tumultuous time known as the 1980s. She now resides with her family in the Inland Empire, CA. She's a horror/paranormal romance writer mainly because it feels so good having her characters do bad things and, later, pondering what makes them so bad and why they can never seem to change their wicked ways.
She enjoys emails from people who like her work. In fact, she loves emails. She can be contacted at tamelamiles@yahoo.com or her Facebook page, Tamela Miles Books. She also welcomes reader reviews and enjoys the feedback from people who love to read as much as she does.
Social Media Links:
Twitter: @jackiebrown20
Facebook Author Page: Tamela Miles Books | Moreno Valley CA | Facebook
Instagram Author Page: @tamelamilesbooks
BookBub: Tamela Miles Books - BookBub
My toasty warm book is Driven series by K. Bromberg!
Thank you, Tamela, for sharing your book in our Toasty Reads Bookish Event!