#Rapture free days!

If you're interested, Rapture will be free this Wed (4/15) and Thur (4/16)!

Download to your heart's content!

Unfamiliar? Check out an excerpt below! Happy Free Book Buying!

EXCERPT:

March 2, 1995

Annie and I are taking turns sleeping in the children's room with them. Sleep is difficult. Derrick and Jaco still haven't returned. No sign of Mr. Pritchard either.

My worry has turned into near panic. I want to go out and look for them, but Bobby screams if I leave his sight. Annie seems scared as well, but she puts on a brave face. I don't want to leave her alone with both children. They still talk about Ralphie whispering to them, but he can't get past the barrier now. We try to occupy their minds with games and word puzzles. But our fear must be showing.

At least they do still sleep.

After I put them to bed, Annie and I talked by the fireplace at the corridor entrance. "You've been quiet the past few days," she remarked. I told her I was worried. All three of them had been gone too long. "Can I tell you something, Sister?" She pulled a sheet of notebook paper out of her pocket. "I was going through Derrick's office. Mostly cleaning—and somewhat snooping I guess. Anyway, I found this." She held out the paper for me. It was a penciled sketch of a half-naked woman, very detailed, especially the face. Derrick was talented, I'd have to admit that. Perhaps too talented. "Anything you want to talk about?"

Out of control, I started to cry. Where was my resolve to serve and obey God now? "You know, I'm not one to judge, Sister. You're young, pretty, strong . . .  Priest or not, the man's not blind to it."

I sobbed, unable to keep the fear and guilt at bay any longer. “I stopped him before it went too far. I did. I stopped him.” Where were my precious vows now? Admitting my sins to Annie, instead of praying for ALL of their safe returns. “I stopped him, but I didn’t want him to . . .”

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Mark your calendars! Rapture and Genesis are regularly priced at 99 cents (with the exception of this week's sale). Purgatory will be released on May 20th! 

And in May, join me as I close out the trilogy! XOXO

THE HEART OF STONEM MANOR: learn its secrets...and fall in love.

The Heart of Stonem Manor is a mystery romance with heavy paranormal undertones.

It's the story of the brooding and charming John Stonem, who lives alone in his mansion after the love of his life dies.

Fate appears to play a hand when he suddenly encounters a woman who looks exactly like his late wife.

One nearly botched kidnapping later, and single mother Hazel Loveless finds herself thrown into John's lonely world. Accompanied by her little daughter, Hazel is forced to revisit John's past in order to help him out of his grief...but the further into his world she travels, the harder it is to keep her growing attraction at bay.

To make matters worse, Hazel's daughter forms an eerie bond with a very creepy doll...a doll who seems to know a lot about what happened inside the mansion walls before Hazel arrived.

With a household full of secrets, will Hazel be the key to unleashing the truth of the past at last?

THE HEART OF STONEM MANOR

Learn its secrets...and fall in love.

AN EXCERPT:

Love for the Loveless 

"You, not extraordinary?" His words were roughened with passion.

"I'm just Hazel, John. There is no larger-than-life anything about me. I'm a mother. I wanted to be a writer, but all I do is scribble on notepad. I worked a bunch of lousy diner jobs. And now, I schlep coffee for the St. Jerome paper. At least, I did..."

"That's far from the truth, which you continue to shield from everyone. Tell me what you write about."

"No."

He brushed his lips against her neck before meeting her gaze. "I want you, Hazel. But I can see the hesitation in your eyes." He leaned closer to her, never breaking her gaze. "Let go of your reservations. Let me make love to you. Let me give you something you've never had."

"I've had sex before, John."

"But you've never made love with a man who would go to so much trouble just to have you."

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BUFFY AND ANGEL: FINAL RITE

(Disclaimer: My paranormal story resume is about to include vampires--but the vampires I love are mostly from the 90s. This is an homage to my fave super-couple--and how I wish the show had ended...Please also note, I like to pretend Angel never had his own show...)

As an 8th grade girl, I remember rushing home to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And as a woman in her 30s now, I'm saying, without a doubt, that no other program has replaced the superior wit, the intricate plots, and the wickedly perfect love stories that this show spun.

Most notably, of course, was the epic love story of Buffy and Angel. When Sarah Michelle Gellar's blonde and edgy Buffy locked lips with the sexy and mysterious David Boreanaz, who had been aiding her nocturnal vamp hunts, not a single lady in the 14-30 year age bracket could take a breath--and when Angel pulled back from that kiss and revealed those hungry fangs, not a single lady 14-30 could move.

Buffy had a lot of solid plot points, but the love story between the title character and fallen vampire Angel was a game-changer. It was Romeo and Juliet in the Hellmouth. It was a perfect retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula, with a female empowered 90s edge. Maybe that's what set Buffy apart. The hero was always Buffy. The Buffy allies and Buffy villains changed throughout the course of the series. But every little girl who grew up watching Buffy was instilled with a sense of confidence, strength, and edge that had previously been reserved for the guys (Superman, Batman, insert male lead detective here). Wonder Woman was a great show, but it was campy and the outfit was a little too sexualized.

Buffy was just a high school girl born into a destiny she didn't want. She wanted to be a normal girl, nothing more. Instead, the fate of the world was thrust upon her shoulders--and her audience of teen girls wanted to hold her hand as she endured not just wicked battles with the undead, but real-life obstacles: disappointing her family...failing her driver's test...losing her virginity (which, if you haven't seen that episode, it and its aftermath will haunt and devastate you).

Buffy broke ground, too, by incorporating a full-fledged lesbian romance on the show: enter Willow, Buffy's best friend, and Tara--the girl who stole Willow's heart. I loved sweet Tara and I loved that the show propelled a more adult romance without all the cheesiness that had often been associated with gay and lesbian couples on TV.

But...I would have ended the series after the 4th season.

Buffy and Angel's relationship was beautiful and heartbreaking--and it's possibly why I'm still single (ha!--no, but really...maybe...). If you strip both of their superpowers away--her slaying abilities and his vampness--then it's a love story about two people just trying to survive in a complicated world.

And they lost. At least, that's what it felt like at the end of Season 4 (Graduation).

If I could rewrite that ending, I would. The mayor would be destroyed. The world would be saved. But instead of Angel leaving, he'd be waiting for Buffy outside the blown up high school...and they'd leave together. The finale of two people who sacrificed everything for everyone they loved should have been their happy ending.

And in my ending, Cordelia realizes her disdain for high school boys extends to boys in general. And her short romance with Xander was her subconscious way to get closer to Willow. Oh yes--that's my fantasy lesbian couple: Cordelia and Willow. The prom queen and the geek.

Xander finds love with a brainy lady librarian, who takes over the library in the rebuilt high school after Giles and Joyce elope and move to England. Spike and Dru spend their eternity in each other's misery--after Dru's soul is restored.

It's a happy ending for all--and while I did love Anya and Tara, I like my ending better for the sake of Buffy and Angel.

Still and all, Buffy the Vampire Slayer will forever be in my heart like the Twilight saga is for coming-of-age girls today. The difference I hope people will see is how much more powerful Buffy's story is.

She never needed saving. She did the saving. And her final reward should have been a long life with the vampire who owned her heart. <3

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Do you love paranormal love stories? Check out the tale of a forbidden romance between a sexy incubus and the girl next door. Awake.

*Photos courtesy of Google*

Purgatory: A SNEAK PEEK

If you've read E.M. Bryant's Rapture, and its prequel Genesis, then you're probably more than ready for the release of Purgatory, the final installment in this chilling series!

Purgatory picks up nearly 20 years after Rapture ends... And while we're in for a treat with a new character--the brooding but sexy Gregory Bowers--we also FINALLY get to find out what happened to the makeshift family that made it out of that horrible school--namely, the young nun, the mysterious Derrick Locke, and the 3 little children they rescued.

And, of course, there's the question of Jess Jaco's fate.

Aiding Gregory Bowers with his investigation is the spirited Vivian Sparrow. Vivian is a single mother and workaholic, and her perception into the occult brings a new level of fear and urgency to the case. But as perceptive as Vivian is about the increasing sense of unease and burgeoning evil, Bowers remains skeptical...until he begins to have haunting dreams that threaten the thread between reality and paranoia, leaving him convinced that finding the nun is the key to everything.

Is Jess Jaco haunting the investigators as they struggle to uncover the truth?

As Bowers becomes more and more obsessed with the young nun and finding out who she really is, Vivian worries that Jaco is back and waiting to close in for another round of terror. And when a crazed drifter is apprehended by the police, it is up to Bowers and Sparrow to uncover his true identity. The police believe they have Jaco; but the drifter refuses to cooperate and only requests the company of his wife...leaving both investigators suspicious of exactly who the Merrick Hills police have in custody.

Is it really Jaco? ...Or someone else from the past?

Get ready for the grand finale.

And if you haven't read Rapture or Genesis yet, check out the link's below for free excerpts from both stories.

PRIZE: January 30, we'll be giving away an autographed paperback of Rapture. To enter the drawing, just like our FACEBOOK page! Winner will be announced on the page on 1/30.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE NEWS ABOUT PURGATORY!

RAPTURE
Exploring a forgotten town, a group of students stumble upon a diary inside an abandoned boarding school. The contents of the diary reveal the horrific final months of the remaining residents—all being haunted and tormented by a series of frightening occurrences. 
The author of the diary, a young nun, recounts the last days of the school. A young student is missing, and a much-loved priest is suddenly viewed with suspicion. After the school’s funds are cut drastically, the last of the faculty are plagued with fear and paranoia. As the nun struggles to keep the children safe, her faith and vows are put to the ultimate test. And her shocking testimony builds to a devastating truth that will stun until the very last entry.
CLICK HERE FOR EXCERPT
VIEW RAPTURE TRAILER HERE

GENESIS 
Follow Jess Jaco's descent into madness in the second installment of E.M. Bryant's diary trilogy... 

“I should have ran so many months ago. Now I know that is not possible. Whatever this place is, it will not allow me to go.” 

Fr. Jaco arrives at the dwindling school known as St. Martin's and quickly becomes targeted by a malicious force...or is it merely his tragic and sinful past catching up with him? Revealing secrets its predecessor left out, Jaco's journal brings both new horrors and new struggles for the remaining residents of the school...with the chilling last entry ushering in a new beginning for the final installment.
CLICK HERE FOR EXCERPT

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For more about E.M. Bryant, visit her Amazon page and blog!

BECAUSE IT'S CHRISTMAS, AND I'M NOT A SIZE 2, AND I DON'T CARE

My social network feeds are becoming more and more clogged with "helpful" articles for the over-30s club. Everything from "It's Okay to Have No Children" to "The Duggars Got it Right!"--and from "Too Fat is Too Cute" and "You're a French-fry Away from a Heart Attack, Fatty!" Then there's the always-present "Looking for Love over 30" articles. Oh, yes. Those articles explaining everything I should be looking for in a mate because, if left to my own devices, I would inevitably bring someone to Christmas dinner who fell off the back of a van.

I'm in my 30s now, so the reaction I'm supposed to have is mass panic apparently, as well as a complete feeling of inadequacy. I have no children. PANIC. I'm not a size 2 (or even an 8). PANIC! I have no husband or life partner. PANIC!!! I've reached an age that seems to be looming over the cliff of "it's now or never!"

...Except that I don't feel any of the panic, and I've spent a lot of time over-analyzing that fact because that must mean there's something wrong with me, right?

I have two full time jobs--the day job and the writing job. While my day job does not define me, I think writing always has. And maybe that's why I'm comfortable in my own skin (at least for the moment).

I like to daydream about intricate plots involving lost souls, unrequited love, and wine. And again, maybe that's why I'm comfortable. I can write about a dozen different lives and live pieces of all of them while doing it.

Is the danger then that I'm not truly living any kind of life but one in fantasy? It's a puzzle, and I'm not sure that's a direct yes or no question anyway. But if you're a full-time writer, part of living your life is skating along the razor's edge of reality and fantasy.

We all need an escape, but we all also need something that makes us feel secure. For some, it's money or a powerful career. For others, it's family. And for the rest of us, it's something that drives us forward, no matter what life throws in our path.

As for me, I've got stories to tell, people to meet, and more books to hit the shelves soon.

Happy Holidays, and no matter where you are in your life, I hope you find joy. And if that joy doesn't include what every know-it-all article seems to think you should have in the current stage of your life, maybe that makes it extra special.  XOXO

HAPPY READING!

_________________________________________________

New book coming: THE HEART OF STONEM MANOR (more details soon!)

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CHRISTMAS READ ALERT!!!

Dear friends,

I hope your holiday season is off to a great start! I'm still stuffed from Thanksgiving, courtesy of my sister (a younger and non-felon Martha Stewart). 

If you're like me, shopping is exhausting, the weather is cold, and all I want to do is curl up to a nice book. And what better way to get into the holiday spirit then to check out these great holiday reads!

And if you aren't already following Adele Downs' blog, you should. She's fabulous!

As for myself, I'm revising To Hold and to Keep, and also working on another paranormal love story! Stay tuned! XOXO

And, oh yes, Grim Lucy the unhappy ornament is back in action!

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Have you read Awake? The best feedback an author can ask for is a review! THANK YOU!

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Goodreads

There's Always a Story to Tell

Awake was great fun to write, but now I'm finishing up the touches on my first full-length novel!

It's a dark story with a twist (of course!)--and I'm hoping it gets the same rave reviews Awake has been blessed with!

The Premise for (working title) To Hold and to Keep:

Hazel Loveless is a struggling single mother. A new job opportunity takes her to the troubled town of St. Jerome--where the most infamous resident is a millionaire widower who seldom leaves the mansion he shared with his beloved wife. But Hazel's own fate is suddenly in jeopardy when she realizes that an invitation to the home of John Stonem is actually her kidnapping.

John Stonem is a man who's been madly grieving for his dead wife for decades. He spends his days tormented by the promise his wife made to him right before she died--that if anything ever happened to her, she would find her way back to him. Fate spins its web when John sees Hazel--a woman whose face is unmistakably the same as his wife's.

John will do anything to undo the pain of the past. Even if that means holding Hazel hostage forever.

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As I put the finishing touches on this work, I'm continually humbled by the positive feedback for Awake! Thank you to all who have loved this story! I hope you come along for another wild ride!

Awake:
Set in the Midwest, tornado survivor Eve Cleary is racked with guilt after her family dies. When all hope of moving on seems lost, an equally tormented incubus comes to her rescue.

The sirens stopped soon after the last roar of thunder ended, but he made no move to release her. The clouds were lifting, and there was more light in the basement now, courtesy of the open door upstairs. Eve could see that his skin was not exactly flesh-colored. It bore a silver haze. And his eyes, in that moment, looked violet instead of red.

She looked up into his face. He stared back at her, just as intently. He had rescued her. He was the reason her nightmares hadn’t returned. And whatever he was, she was inexplicably drawn to him. Without thought or reason, she leaned up and lightly touched her lips to his.

It wasn’t meant as an act of passion, but of gratitude. And relief. His lips were so warm and soft that she kissed him again. This time, his lips seemed to mold against hers, and the way his arms held her changed. Cupping her head with one hand, he gently placed her on the floor; his free hand began gliding up her body. He groaned at her wet clothes, but delighted her by teasing her taut nipples through the wet material.

Then it was too much—the storm, the stranger, the flashes of past horror. Eve was suddenly overwhelmed in a different way. She broke the kiss and sat up to face him. He backed away from her, stepping out of the light.

“Who are you?” What are you?

“My name is Victor,” he growled.

And a word filled her mind, as if her other, unspoken, question had been answered. But it was a frightening word that only existed in fairytales. And nightmares.

Or did it?+++
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MN13CSQ/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?qid=1410364939&ref_=la_B00MNU9RK4_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1