Out now – Earthbound
by Melora Johnson
(@MeloraJohnson)
#paranormalromance
Do you love action, romance, and fantasy all rolled into one?
Love strong heroines? Then check out Earthbound!
Earthbound is a paranormal romance filled with angels and demons
struggling to find their way here on Earth.
Blurb:
Her healing touch could start a fire.
Ally Reynolds is a
veterinarian specializing in raptor rehabilitation in New Hampshire. Other than
one horrific incident in her childhood and a little extra “spark” for healing
in her hands, both of which she has kept secret from even her best friend, her
life has been singularly boring. It has also been extremely lonely. Ally longs
for someone to share her life with, but how can she trust anyone with her
secret?
Matthew Blake, an
ornithologist at Cornell University, calls Ally, asking for her help with an
injured raptor. Matthew grew up in New Zealand and has lived around the world.
He has read about Ally’s high success rates in raptor rehabilitation and
suspects there is more to it than is generally known.
Matthew has some secrets
of his own; he is a demon hunter. He suspects Ally’s healing powers could
benefit him. He wants her to join him and thinks they’d make a great team.
Can Ally trust him or is
he just using her? Matthew definitely has more secrets, and some of them are
about Ally.
Buy
now on any ebook platform:
Add to your Goodreads shelves:
Excerpt:
“Doctor
Reynolds,” a male voice called out from across the room, pulling me back to the
present. It sounded somewhat familiar.
I looked
up, shielding my eyes from the afternoon sun shining in the front window as a
male figure strode toward me, blond hair haloed by the light. He stopped in front
of me.
Startled,
I rose to my feet and looked into a chiseled face, his eyes the indeterminate
blue green of sea glass like I’d collected along the shoreline once as a
teenager. His dark golden blond hair was short and spiky, his lopsided grin
pure perfection. He was gorgeous.
In my
experience, gorgeous men were not to be trusted. Well, no men really were. Oh,
all right, no one was, period.
“Doctor Allyson Reynolds? I’m Doctor Matthew Scott Blake. I’m honored to have you join us. I’ve read your articles in the Raptor Rehab Newsletter.”
“Doctor Allyson Reynolds? I’m Doctor Matthew Scott Blake. I’m honored to have you join us. I’ve read your articles in the Raptor Rehab Newsletter.”
He held
out a hand, but when I put out mine to shake it, he simply captured mine in his
and placed his other hand over it. His eyes flashed green with golden flecks in
the sunlight.
“I’m
glad to be here,” I said, not at all sure I was anymore, as my pulse sped up.
“Please, call me Ally.”
“All
right, Ally it is.”
I want
to climb him like a tree. I swallowed, aghast at my own thoughts. I’d only
known him a few minutes.
His
hands were so warm. My mother’s voice played in my head, Gorgeous men are
dangerous, arrogant, and being involved with them will lead to no good. I
frowned.
“It’s so
good to see you…” he said. At my expression, he faltered and cleared his
throat. The wattage of his smile dimmed significantly. “I mean, to meet you.
I’ve been following your work since I arrived in the States, in the
newsletter.”
He
turned, drawing my hand through his arm. “Please, let me show you around the
facilities here.”
“Uh,
thank you,” I murmured, wondering how to tactfully withdraw my arm. My
attraction to him was overwhelming. At the same time, his overly familiar
attitude seemed a little odd.
A tall
woman, her long, brown hair in a ponytail, appeared at the doorway through
which Matt had arrived. She positively glowered at my arm through Matthew’s.
She wore work boots, khaki shorts, and a sand colored polo shirt with the
university logo, so I assumed she worked there as well. She approached us and
stopped several feet away, then turned a bright smile on Matthew. “Hi, Matt.
What brings you down from the Ornithology Lab?”
“This is
Doctor Allyson Reynolds, the veterinarian and raptor rehabilitation specialist
I suggested to Rick we bring in to help with the injured eagle from Sapsucker
Woods.”
Shelly
took one more look at my arm entwined with Matthew’s then smiled again at him.
“Would you like me to show her around?”
He
paused a moment before replying. “That’s okay, Shelly. I can handle it, I know
my way. No need to take time out of your busy schedule. I’ll just show Doctor
Reynolds around, then bring her to meet Rick. He’s the one overseeing the care
of the eagle. Oh…” He turned to me. “This is Doctor Shelly Madison, she’s a
clinical associate professor in zoo medicine.”
I saw my
chance and pulled my arm out of his, ostensibly to shake Shelly’s hand. I
murmured hello. She responded stiffly. Her behavior made more sense to me than
his. Why treat me like an honored guest? I was just a vet who specialized in
raptor rehab. I had been so anxious to get out of town I’d jumped at the
chance, but now there was one question paramount in my mind—why had he called
me? They were the experts here.
“Now,
let’s show you around the animal hospital here.” His hands clenched, his bicep
bulging under his short sleeve as he tugged the inner door to the offices open
for me.
I fought
the urge to retreat a step. Here stood a warrior from medieval legend. It would
have been more appropriate for him to be dressed in leather armor than a
button-down, short-sleeved khaki shirt, but he grabbed my hand and drew me
around Shelly. “We’ll start in the library.”
As we
walked, I had a stern conversation with my subconscious. Go to Ithaca, you
said. You’ll get away from anyone Jen wants to set you up with, you said.
Matthew
squeezed my hand. I looked up to see him beaming at me. My stomach lurched. I
was out of the nest and free falling.
Author Bio:
Melora Johnson is a poet and novelist living in
Upstate New York with her husband, daughter, a
black cat, and quite a few chickens. Her most recent published work includes A
Sanctuary Built of Words: Poems of Peace, Grief, and Passion, and
publication in The Sexuality Poems from Foothills Publishing. She also
runs a large and thriving writer's group for adults. Of course, into every life
a little rain must fall as well as the occasional tornado, but you'll find that
amply covered in her writing. Find out more about Melora and her writing on her
website www.melorajohnson.com and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MeloraJohnson.Writer or
follow her on Instagram or Twitter @MeloraJohnson
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