Leilani’s plan was simple: Return for her father’s wedding, housesit for the happy couple while they went on their honeymoon, then get the hell outta dodge. She’d thought the worst thing would be returning to the town she grew up in (and despised). She was wrong.

A flashflood hits the small town, stranding Firefighter, Ryan, and a few strangers at the local bar. Worst of all, Leilani, his old high school rival – and last night’s scorching one-night-stand – is one of the people stuck in the bar. With waters rising, they need to stick together and wait for rescue.

The power grid’s knocked out, and cell phones aren’t working. When the others panic and leave, Leilani and Ryan are left alone in the dark. Fortunately, words aren’t necessary to keep the former rivals warm. But when they’re forced to leave their refuge, they must cooperate to navigate the flood ravaged town and reach safety.

Rising waters bring them closer together. Rising tempers might tear them apart.

A “heavenly flower” watched him from across the room. Ryan felt the weight of her gaze on him before checking her out more subtly in the mirror behind the small hotel bar. Was it really Leilani, though? By the time he turned to check for sure, she was gone. He shook his head and took another sip of his beer. He tugged at his collar and sent a little hatred at weddings in general. This one wasn’t terrible, less showy than most, though he still had to wear stiff, formal clothes.

Not that his turnouts were comfortable, but at least there was a point to his work gear; it protected him from fires. Nothing protected him from the small talk of the people around him. Yes, it was a nice wedding. Yes, it was amazing how they’d managed to make the room “their own” with only some crepe paper and balloons. No, he wasn’t seeing anyone. Yes, the cucumber sandwiches were delicious. Yes, Mildred’s hat was lovely. No, he wasn’t in a firefighter’s calendar. Yeah, he got the joke about his “pole.” Yes, he was single. No, he wasn’t interested in being set up on a blind date.

He didn’t begrudge good people good things, but it was like life was rubbing his face in the fact he hadn’t found anyone since Melanie had left him just over a year ago. He’d found a lot

of someone’s since her, but a relationship wasn’t something for him. Hell, even Melanie had gotten married.

To the bastard she cheated on him with.

He took another swig of beer, wishing he was somewhere quieter.

He’d met Kyle “Spence” Spencer, four years ago at the twelve-week training program to be a firefighter, and they’d been buddies ever since. They’d saved each other’s lives a couple times, and he was the reason Ryan was sitting in dress pants, dress shirt, and a tie that felt like it was choking him. Ironically, Spence had left his dad’s wedding early to go back to the station, refusing Ryan’s offer to go for him, knowing Ryan had just come off working two twenty-four hour shifts with only ten hours in between. The flu going around was kicking their station in the teeth, and they couldn’t wait until they were only working fifty-six hours a week again.

So here he was at the Spencer wedding. And—duh—that “flower” he’d thought he’d seen. Yeah, it had to be Leilani. Spence’s little sister wouldn’t have missed her father’s nuptials. They just looked so different.

Kyle’s sister. His buddy Kyle’s little sister. His co-worker and buddy Kyle’s off-limits little sister. He hadn’t seen her since he graduated high school—two classes ahead of her—but oh, how she’d grown up.

Still, Spence’s sister was off-limits, even though he’d known her since she was a varsity cheerleader, and he’d been the star quarterback, adored by everyone. He’d played football because he was good at it and it was an easy ride—not because he really loved the game. He’d gotten a full scholarship to college, but had no interest in going pro. He’d wanted to do something with his life. Not like it had done him any good in the present. He was still going home to an empty house—

unless he took someone warm and wild home with him. If Leilani wasn’t his best friend’s sister, they’d be in his truck now.

Instead, he sat watching happy couples do the chicken dance. It was definitely time to go. He hadn’t expected to have a family at this point, but he’d thought at twenty-six he’d have found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It certainly hadn’t been Melanie, no matter how badly he’d wanted it to be.

He slid from his stool. Hard work and hot sex were all he wanted. Screw marriage and commitment. They just complicated things. He was good at no strings. He was good at setting a woman’s senses on fire with pleasure and fine with the one-and-done kind of mindless sex.

And maybe that was all he was good for.

Tamara Mataya is currently a librarian; she lurked there for so long recommending books to patrons and shushing people, that she suspects they only hired her so it would be less creepy. Now she’s armed with a name tag, and a thin veneer of credibility. She’s also a musician with synaesthesia – which isn’t an issue until someone plays a wrong note, which makes her want to squirm inside out. It makes for a good live show.

Born into wealth and privilege, free-spirited Liv Prescott left it all behind when she realized there was more to life than living off of trust funds and barely skating by. Since then, she’s worked and fought for everything she’s earned and never looked back at the world or the family she left behind.

Jackson Reid is starting over with a new job in a brand new city. A single father to his son Noah, he hopes the change will help strengthen the bond that has seemed to suffer since puberty reared its ugly head. What he hadn’t planned on was Liv—his exotic next-door neighbor who drives him insane with her wild, new age lifestyle, but still manages to leave him aching for more.

As challenges arise and feelings intensify, will these neighbors be able to look past their differences and find a middle ground? When love comes knocking, will they be ready, or not?

When I finally stepped out of my car, a gasp escaped my lungs as my eyes lowered to the flower beds separating our two houses.

“Who would do such a thing?” I whispered, looking down at the decapitated and ravaged flowers.

The once beautiful display of multicolored perennials was now a churned-up disaster of footprints and soil.

My heated gaze settled on the lights glowing within the house. A shadow passed by an open window upstairs in what used to be Mrs. Reid’s master bedroom.

I took one step forward, ready to march over, meet my new neighbors, and give them a piece of my mind.

A strong gust of wind sent the curtain into a tailspin and suddenly the shadow solidified, and I saw the finest bare back I’d seen in years. It was tanned, broad, and so muscular that the defined muscles could be seen from two floors down. Hard, lean arms reached out toward a box and grabbed a T-shirt as I begged him to turn around—until my eyes found his ass.

Dear Lord.

My new neighbor was hot—or at least the back of him was.

Turn around, turn around, I silently begged.

The weather took that moment to remind me of its mighty power and sent a strong gust of wind whipping through the two houses.  The curtain settled back in place, and I was once again left with shadows.

As the first raindrop fell, signaling the impending storm, I looked down at the once perfect garden that I had painstakingly kept alive as a tribute to my longtime friend and neighbor. It had been trampled on and was now ruined, and I felt the rage boiling back up to the surface.

Hot or not, my new neighbor was a plant-trampling jerk, and when I got home from work tomorrow, I’d make sure he knew it.

I’d also take a moment to see if that face of his matched his perfect back and ass.

Shut up, Liv.

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she’s not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

We’re celebrating the release of HAVOC by Autumn Grey!

Check out the excerpt and giveaway below!

Selene Michaels is determined to never let anyone make her feel inferior again. After a painful divorce, she finds herself in Paris on a working holiday, hopeful that this will be the opportunity she has been waiting for. She intends to have fun and maybe find someone to flirt with; someone who will show her a good time, treat her right, and awaken her to all she has been missing. What she does not expect to find is Remington St. Germain and his adorable son, Adrien. Remington is intense, devastatingly hot and a Prince Charming on the outside, but a dirty talking, insatiable devil behind closed doors—the opposite of the man she has been hoping for—and not the type to give up on something that he wants. Selene soon realizes that life with Remington is not only interesting, but adventurous. It’s dangerous, and she’s about to find out how dangerous. . . if she is brave enough to take a chance.

***Havoc is the first installment of a three-part serial, each approximately 36000 words. (110 pages)***

“Cotton candy is the answer to every single problem.” I took it from the man’s hand, and once I paid for my purchase, I pinched a small piece, and shoved it in my mouth. Remington’s eyes followed my fingers, as the candy disappeared into my mouth.

He dragged his gaze away from my lips, and laughed. “For world problems, too?”

“Especially world problems. If anyone ever took time to listen to me, the world would be a better place.” I grinned, pinching a wad of candy and holding it out for him. “Want some?”

Before I could move my hand, his mouth, warm and wet, closed around my fingers. He twirled his tongue around them, his eyes dark and playful.

Oh. My. God. “Good?” I asked hoarsely when he finally freed my fingers from their delicious prison.

“Perfect.” He licked his lips while staring at mine, his face much closer than before. I could see every single golden speckle in his eyes.

My head angled automatically as his did. Were we about to kiss? Wasn’t it too soon for this? Oh my God. Why was I questioning everything? Right now, a hot guy looked like he wanted to devour me alive and I was thinking?

He pulled back slightly, studying me, and I kicked myself mentally. My eyes shifted to his jaw, trying to scoop up my thoughts, now splattered at his feet. I’d been so absorbed by him I hardly noticed what was hidden behind that sexy scruff.

“Is that… a dimple?” My finger was suddenly all over the dimple. I found myself doing things without a second thought when I was around Remington. Before I could pull my hand back, he snatched it, bringing it to his mouth.
Again.

“If one little dimple drives you insane, wait until you see the second one.” He turned his head.
God, I think I just came.

He swirled his tongue around my finger, nipping the tip gently. I groaned, struggling to pull my hand away before I embarrassed myself in front of the people littering the shop.

My heart was racing, and I was out of breath. All he did was show me his dimples and suck my finger.

Oh, shit, I am so in trouble.

“You’re a dangerous man, Remington St. Germain.”

He laughed, and everything seemed right in the world again. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No,” I said, thinking how wonderful it’d be to live dangerously for once. Not care what anyone would think. “It’s a very good thing.”

The Series continues!

Title: Obliterate (Havoc #2)

Release date: January 5th, 2015

Title: Mend (Havoc #3)

Release date: February 9th, 2015

Autumn Grey is the author of the soon to be released contemporary romance, Havoc, Obliterate, Mend (Havoc series). And just like her characters, she is quirky, sometimes funny and definitely flawed. She writes sexy contemporary romances full of drama, steamy kisses and happy ever afters.

Tattoo artist Keelie Jessup can handle that someone else has claimed the man of her dreams. She’s just not pleased with her remaining options…

Keelie doesn’t believe in the “perfect man.” But the men who are worth the trouble are usually taken—like her business partner Zach Barnes. After a string of bad luck and the lost chance with Zach, Keelie decides that maybe flying solo—and living with suppressed desires—is the key to happiness.

As a photographer, Zane Barnes has an eye for the human form, and his eyes can’t get enough of Keelie’s curves. Unfortunately, Keelie is like most women—always fawning over his little brother, Zach. Zane is about ready to give up, but then a few stolen moments at his brother’s wedding have him thinking maybe there’s a chance there after all. Now he just has to prove that the perfect man does exist…for her.

“So, this place. You want me to meet you there. For coffee.”

“Yeah.” She angled her chin up.

It made him want to bite her, kiss her, hug her, cuddle her. That cocky, almost brash exterior . . . what did it hide, he wondered? Sweeping his thumb across her mouth, he murmured, “And just why are we meeting for coffee? You just like caffeine?”

“If you’re going to be an asshole,” she started.

He cut the rest of her words off with his mouth.

She’d answered his question. He’d just wanted a chance. Now, taking advantage of her already parted lips, he slanted his head and licked the inside of her mouth, sliding one hand up to cup her cheek, angling her head back.

With his other hand, he cupped her hip. Only her hip, because it would be so very easy to try for more.

Everything inside him pushed for that.

But he wasn’t going to rush this.

Not this, of all things.

He slid his tongue along hers, growled when she caught him and sucked him just a little. Dark, dirty little thoughts raced through him as he imagined her doing that to his cock. His fingers tightened on her hip and she swayed, leaning closer.

The sound of her moan pierced the fog and he forced himself to end the kiss, bit by bit. His heart was racing when it was done and his muscles were tight with the urge to grab, take . . . keep.

Wrecked (Barnes Brothers #1)

Busted (Barnes Brothers #3)

Shiloh Walker is an award-winning writer…yes, really! She’s also a mom, a wife, a reader and she pretends to be an amateur photographer. She published her first book in 2003. Her newest series, Secrets and Shadows, launched in April 2014. Look for the newest book Deeper than Need, to be followed by Sweeter than Sin and Darker than Desire.

She writes romantic suspense, contemporary and paranormal romance, and urban fantasy under the name J.C. Daniels.

Kane’s a country singer who’s tangled with too many deceitful women. He’s learned his lesson: girls are for flirting and fun; emotions are for his music. But after spending a night with an earnest woman unlike any he’s known, he can’t force her out of his mind. So he goes in search of the woman he knows only as “Elle.”

On her last night in Nashville, the staunchly pragmatic Sabella found herself in a situation more suited to a romance novel than reality. Swept away, she ignored her rigidly self-imposed rules, succumbing to the fantasy just this once. But she knows real-world relationships have nothing in common with their fictionalized portrayals. When Kane unexpectedly shows up at her Portland apartment, she must choose between the practical truths she has learned and the desire for a passionate love she has struggled to suppress.

Despite the distance, Kane’s tour schedule, and their meddling friends, both are drawn to the chance for a romance neither quite believes is possible.

All too soon, the bar had nearly emptied. Kane, the paragon of Southern charm, offered to escort her back to her hotel, and Sabella found herself accepting. By then, the city that had been throbbing with music mere hours ago had fallen mostly silent.

The DoubleTree hotel where she was staying was less than a couple blocks from the Fiddle and Steel Guitar, but Kane led her on something of a detour. Sabella stifled the rational voice that insisted wandering around an unfamiliar city at night with a virtual stranger was a horrible idea. What better way to see a new city than with a local?

Kane took her first past Nashville’s City Hall. She hadn’t found it particularly interesting when she had explored the city during the day, but at night, with both the building and the fountains in front of it alight, not to mention Kane’s company and a few drinks in her, she changed her mind.

From there, he led her by the edge of the Cumberland River, doubling back past the bar, until they reached the iconic Shelby Street Bridge. As she looked out over the city, Kane stood protectively behind her, hands braced around her on the railing, sheltering her from the wind.

They hadn’t talked much since leaving the bar, but the silence felt comfortable in the night’s darkness.

“Beautiful,” she whispered, looking out over the lights of Nashville’s skyline.

“Absolutely.” His voice was low, coming from right beside her ear. He placed his hand on her arm, gently. His touch was warm through the bell sleeves of her top, and she turned to face him. All the lights of Nashville twinkled at her back, but they weren’t nearly as mesmerizing as Kane’s eyes.

She would always remember the swell of his biceps under her hands, the heat of his palms when they came to rest slightly below her waist. She looked from his eyes to his mouth a heartbeat before he kissed her.

The kiss was soft, starting with a brush of their lips and growing into a slow taste of each other. In writing it, she would have claimed time stilled, but in reality, wind whipped her hair around them, and she shivered under its onslaught.

Kane broke their kiss and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Occasionally commenting on their surroundings, he led them off the bridge, meandering through downtown, past the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Convention Center, until they reached the abstractly decorated, and intensely red, DoubleTree lobby. He kept his arm draped over her shoulders until they came to the bank of elevators.

Sabella knew they should part ways, but she didn’t want this fantasy night to end quite yet. An elderly couple joined them in the elevator, and they all remained silent. When the doors opened, she walked ahead of him to her room, remaining acutely aware of him behind her. At her door, she turned to face him, and to say goodbye.

The fingers of his right hand grazed hers as his left came up to cup her jaw.

“We should say good night,” she whispered.

“All right,” Kane breathed against her mouth before kissing her again. This time the kiss was harder, lips crushing together and tongues intertwining as if that touch would be enough to keep the two of them together. He pressed her against the door, stepping closer so virtually no space remained between them. Her hands came up, brushing through his silky hair before drifting to his shoulders. When the kiss broke, the rapid expansion of her lungs mirrored the rise and fall of his shoulders against her palms.

“Don’t leave tomorrow,” she barely heard him whisper. “Stay with me.”

“I wish I could …” she murmured sincerely. But fairy tales too often turned into nightmares in the morning.

Kane nodded, exhaled, and said, “G’night.”

“Bye,” she breathed in return. She watched him walk down the hallway, admiring his naturally fluid movement. He glanced back, and she nearly called out. Instead, she reminded herself to be sensible, certain later she’d be grateful for her strict guidelines, even though right then, she despised them.

When he turned the corner, Sabella let her head fall back against the door and shut her eyes. This was one risk she knew better than to take.

Aria Glazki’s writing story started when her seventh-grade English teacher encouraged her to submit a class assignment for publication. That piece was printed, and let’s just say, she was hooked!

Since then, Aria has run a literary magazine, earned her degree in Creative Writing (as well as in French and Russian literatures), and been published in a few collections. Though her first kiss technically came from a bear cub, and no fairytale transformation followed, Aria still believes magic can happen when the right people come together – if they don’t get in their own way, that is.

Other than all things literary, Aria loves spending time with her family, including her two unbearably adorable nieces. She also dabbles in painting, dancing, playing violin, and, given the opportunity, Epicureanism.

Sometimes A + B = O. Yes. Oh, yes. Just like that.

Gabriella Evans’s life exists in terms of logic and definitions. She’s holed up in Portland, Maine, for the summer to work on her PhD thesis, but something is screwing up her concentration: the rumble of a motorcycle every time the embodiment of her rough-and-tumble fantasies rides down her street.

When her best friend talks her into a blind date, she finds herself out with the opposite of her fantasy. He’s polite and well-mannered, yet something behind his crisply tailored shirt doesn’t add up—a rebellious gleam in his eye that piques her curiosity.

Orphaned at fifteen, Connor Starks has finally put the years of failing grades, breaking laws and breaking hearts behind him. The only holdover? His penchant for getting down and dirty in public places. But Gabriella makes him want to prove he’s become a better man.

Nothing intrigues Gabriella more than a problem she can’t solve. But the more Connor tries to bury his past, the more determined she is to uncover it. And what she finds makes all her trusty logic begin to fail her…

Warning: This book contains a summer romance, dirty talk, dockside kissing, motorcycles and tattoos. Features a rebellious nerdy girl with an appetite for outdoor sex and light spanking, and a bad boy who’s turned good…or at least he’s trying

Ashley’s book review: 3.5 stars

The Duality Principle: A principle that says if a theorem is true, it remains true if each object and operation is replaced by its dual.

Gabrielle Evans ‘whole life she’s struggled with the idea of whom she was and who she should be. “She certainly felt like two fractured parts, two pieces of the same whole scattered in opposite directions.” Gabriella has this inner “slut” that is begging to come out. She wants to find a guy that can “take the reins” and push her into submission. “She wanted a man who would let her lose control—no, who would make her lose control.”

Connor Starks walks around in life as this cocky, self-confident guy who has a history with going through girls like there’s no tomorrow. He has a fixation on doing the deed in public. “He didn’t just like doing it in public—it wasn’t just the thrill of getting caught. He got off on being totally filthy with a girl, in watching her completely give in to lust regardless of where they were.” But that part of him was his past. He needs to change his ways, otherwise he worries he might end up just like his dad. He needs to be a different version of the Connor that everyone in town knows as the “bad boy”.

Is Connor exactly who Gabby is looking for to “take control”?

Rebecca’s top 10 ten favorite movies of all time

There are really so many that I love, but these are the ones that I can watch all the way through and still want watch it over again.

1. French Kiss

Meg Ryan and a french-speaking Kevin Kline, le sigh. I actually have practically this entire movie memorized.

2. Enchanted

I’m an ex-cast member, so I generally love anything Disney, but this is my favorite. There are so many moments from classic Disney films woven in to it, so seamlessly you almost don’t even notice it. And a singing McDreamy? How can you go wrong?

3. Frequency

You just have to see it. “I’m still here, chief!” *sobs*

4. Wall-E

5. All three Lord of the Rings movies

6. Stardust

7. Coyote Ugly

8. The Breakfast Club

9. Real Genius

10. The Emperor Strikes Back

Rebecca’s top 10 ten favorite books of all time:

1. The Distance from the Heart of Things by Ashley Warlick

I picked this book it up on a bargain book table the summer before I left for college, and ended up having to buy another copy because it was dog-eared after having been read so many times. Mavis is the protagonist, and it’s not so much her story of coming home after college and how her years away are like a secret she keeps quiet inside her, but the way Ms. Warlick wrote it. She wove sensation into words, spinning the senses and using sights to describe feelings, aromas to describe sounds. I wanted to take her words and chew on them, savor them like a dessert. It’s a lovely book and will always be my favorite.

2. A Separate Peace by John Knowles

There aren’t many books that I can tell you where I was when I read them, but there was a passage in this book that was written so beautifully that it’s been seared in my mind. It was in my tenth grade English class, in my seat in the first row all the way in the back against the windows. I particularly loved that seat, because it meant I got to watch my crush play handball in the courts on the quad, but when I read this I forgot he was out there. It’s the scene where Gene is remembering Phineas balanced on the prow of a boat, and it’s one of the most beautiful run-on sentences I’ve ever read.

3. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

There is so much to be said about this book. I love everything about it, from Nastya’s strength to Josh’s pain. There is so much I personally connected with in this book, and I think Ms. Millay wrote it so beautiful. But mostly, I love the last two words. (*No spoilers. You’ve gotta read it.)

4. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

5. All Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling

6. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

8. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

9. The Babysitter’s Club, Super Special # 1 by Ann M. Martin

10. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer (not because they’re well written, but because without them I never would be where I am now.)

Rebecca’s top 10 ten favorite places to go on vacation:

1. Ogunquit, Maine

This has been my summer home for my entire life. It’s a quiet seashore community, extremely peaceful and relaxing. Since it’s a tourist town, it comes alive in summer, and I’ve gotten many a plot bunny romping through my head from watching the waitstaff, lifeguards, valet parkers, and ice cream scoopers, wondering what kind of fun party life they had behind the scenes. It’s also very close to Portland, where The Duality Principle takes place.

2. The Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii

This has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s aptly named, nearly the size of a village itself, and is right on the ocean. The lobby is all open air and there are live birds everywhere. I have been there twice, and never wanted to leave.

3. Auckland, New Zealand

My best friend is a Kiwi, and I had an amazing time when I went out to visit her. Seeing the stars I’d never seen before and getting connected with a culture I never knew of were very powerful experiences. To this day, I still wear the Maori bone carving I got there – it’s called a Koru, and it stands for rebirth and new beginnings.

4. Boston, Massachusetts

5. New York City, NY

6. Las Vegas, Nevada

7. Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida

8. Seattle*

9. Italy*

10. London*

*I’ve never been to the last three, but they are on my bucket list!

Fiona Lavender is the new girl at school. She has a chip on her shoulder and a pension for poetry. Dario Martinez is the star quarterback, and the most unattainable guy on campus. Their stars cross when they are paired to study Romeo and Juliet for a senior English project. Their connection is fragile and undeniable. But, Dario is afraid of what love will do; and Fiona is waiting for love to claim her.

Will they uncross the stars and find the love they both need to heal their pasts?

Chapter 1

At midnight, Fiona and her mother finally pulled into the driveway of their new rental. Her mom cut the engine, but not the parking lights.

“Looks like we made it, Fee.”

“Barely. I thought you were going to kill us a few times weaving all over the road like you were,” Fiona said.

“It’s not easy driving and towing a U-haul trailer. It’s heavy,” her mom replied and began rummaging through her purse.

Fiona ignored her mother and squinted through the dust and bug splats on the windshield at the dark house. She noticed the crooked light fixture on the left side of the garage, and the rain gutter hanging askew.

“Looks like we’re the haunted house on the block,” Fiona said.

Her mom hit the high beams spotlighting the garage door like a stage.

“Not so helpful, Mom.” Fiona got out of the car and stretched her neck and back. She inhaled the cool fall air. Peering through the darkness, she noticed the bushes lining the dead grass yard needed trimming, the thinly branched tree in the front stood naked of leaves, and mounds of dried up flowers filled the flower bed under the front window. Shadows darkened the walkway to the front door. A pair of windows stared out at the street like rectangular evil eyes.

“Looks sturdy and dirty. And creepy. I can hardly wait to go inside, Mom.”

Fiona peered inside the car. Under the dim dome light, her mom had dumped the entire contents of her purse on the passenger side seat.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“I think I left the key back in Watsonville.”

“Great,” Fiona said. She glanced back at the windows. They remained staring blankly into the night. Fiona looked down the street in both directions. Every single house had a lit porch, except theirs.

“Ahhh-ha! I found it. It was in the ash tray. I forgot I put it in there for safe keeping.”

“Hurry up, Mom. It’s dark outside.”

“Fine. I’m coming. Have some patience, Fee,” her mom said, as she got out of the car.

They walked the dark pathway to the front door. A powdery dust covered everything. Fiona’s mom tried to fit the key in the lock and open the door. She jiggled and twisted the knob, syncing the internal mechanisms with difficulty, until the door finally creaked open into a darkness blacker than night.

“Where’s the light switch?” her mom asked, as she ran her hand over the wall next to the door frame. “Ah!”

Fiona heard the light switch click. She heard her mom toggle it up and down several times in rapid succession, but nothing happened.

“Ummm,” her mom mumbled.

“There aren’t any lights on outside either. Don’t tell me we don’t have any electricity,” Fiona said.

“Well, either that or we need several dozen light bulbs,” her mother answered.

“Figures.” Fiona heard her mother rummaging through her purse again. “What are you doing?”

“Wait. I think I’ve got it.”

Fiona heard jangling keys, a soft snap and a beam of blue light appeared from her mother’s hand. “There we go.” Her mom walked into the house waving the thin light in front of her. When she found the kitchen, she searched through random drawers. “There we go,” she said again.

“There we go what?” Fiona asked completely annoyed.

“Candles. Now, all I need is some fire.”

Fiona flipped a pack of paper matches at her mom.

“Where’d you get these? You aren’t smoking again, are you?”

“From the counter, Mom! Jeez. I smoke one time three years ago and you act like I’m going to die of lung cancer or some crap. Light the dumb candle already.” As her mom lit the candles, it occurred to Fiona, “Did you call ahead to get the power turned on?”

“What?” Her mom asked.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Maybe I can get my old job back.” Fiona’s mom rerouted the conversation.

“What job?” Fiona asked, rolling her eyes.

“The one at Red Lobster. Ah. There we go. Light.” Fiona’s mom smiled triumphantly, holding up a lit candle.

Fiona stared at her mother through the candlelight. “Are you serious? That was ten years ago.”

“I was good at that job. The manager, oh, what was her name? Mandy?”

“Who cares what her name was. It was ten years ago. No one’s going to remember you.”

Undeterred by Fiona’s negativity, her mother continued, “I think it was Valerie. Yes, I’m pretty sure it was Valerie. Maybe she’s still there.”

“Ten years ago, Mom. And nice try.” Fiona said.

“Nice try what?” Her mom paused. “I noticed you didn’t use the F-word. I’m proud of you sticking to your promise.”

“Nice try not answering my question. The power company. You didn’t call ahead, did you?”

“I was so busy getting the U-haul loaded—”

“I’ll take that as a no,” Fiona said flatly.

“I’m sorry, Fee. I’ll get on it first thing in the morning.”

“Can we just unload some things, so I can go to bed, preferably not on the floor?”

***

After an hour of wrestling the flimsy mattresses to their rooms, moving boxes, and ignoring her mom the whole time, Fiona finally had the solitude she craved. She found the box she’d packed Mr. Lion-Bear in for the trip from Watsonville to Sierra Crest. She opened it and pulled him out and hugged him to her chest, like she did when she was a little girl.

Ten years ago, when her mother decided in her typical impulsive fashion to get married to Dominic, some guy she barely knew, two important things happened. Her mom had a huge yard sale and lion-bear became her best friend. Fiona hated the yard sale because she watched bits and pieces of her life walk away, like her little Star Wars figurines, her too small ballet shoes, and her favorite Beauty and the Beast comforter. She had cried so hard that her mom bought her a new stuffed animal. The instant she saw him she’d loved him because he promised with his fuzzy black nose to her neck that he’d never leave her. She named him lion-bear because he was a lion, but soft like a teddy bear. She had whispered all her secrets into his fuzzy ears.

Within days of the dreaded yard sale and the purchase of her beloved companion, they had packed up the remaining pieces of wreckage from their life in Sierra Crest, crammed them into the car, and drove two hundred miles northwest to Watsonville never to look back.

At the time, Fiona’s mother reassured her that Dominic epitomized fun and happy, and most important of all he had a job and promised to take care of them. They’d been struggling for months, going without electricity or water more than once, because her mom couldn’t keep a steady job. Her mom always made a game out of the darkness and the droughts. She said it was good to find the silver lining in the rain clouds. Usually, that meant her mom reading to her by candle light.

“Here we are again, Mr. Lion-Bear. Back where we started,” Fiona said to the worn stuffed animal in her lap. “This time better be different. If my mom meets another guy, I swear I’ll never talk to her again. I’m so absolutely sick of moving. Sick of changing schools.”

Moving to Watsonville was supposed to have been a fresh start for Fiona and her mother, but once they got there the beautiful dream quickly eroded into a familiar disaster. Dominic turned out to be as flaky as all the rest of the men her mom dated. Fiona couldn’t believe anyone could be worse at holding down a regular job than her mother, but Dominic proved otherwise. Dominic also turned out to be some kind of moody jerkwad. Weeks before Fiona’s mom had decided to leave for good, he had been diagnosed as bi-polar—which answered a lot of questions, but the damage had been done. Her mom packed them up to move again. She promised Fiona life would be different this time if they went back to Sierra Crest and recovered the life they dumped years ago.

“I hope Mom’s being honest with herself. I want to finish my senior year at the same school. I don’t think I can take moving one more time.” She plopped Mr. Lion-Bear on her bed. “We need some blankets, little friend.” She opened another box marked FIONA’S ROOM and pulled out a well-worn quilt. “This’ll do.” Fiona smoothed it on the top mattress, blew out the candle and lay down exhausted. “God, I hope she’s being honest with herself.”

Janell has been writing since she was in grade school. In high school, her 9th grade English teacher suggested she consider a career in writing. After a decade in college and a Master’s degree in history, she settled into teaching.