The world as we know it ended 209 years ago. From a desert wasteland springs a single kingdom, ruled by a tyrannical King and trapped in an endless war against the shadowy desert warriors. As a desperate bid to save what remains of humanity, society has been split into two distinct classes, nicknamed the Court and the Commons. For an oppressed population on the brink of revolution, a common thief could be the last hope. Up until now, Kay has survived by her wits alone. Reckless and impulsive, wanted by the King's guard, Kay has become known as the Runner. Using the city's rooftops as her personal domain, she manages to keep one step ahead of the King with one hand buried in the purses of the courtiers. Driven by the plight of the commoners and the unjust death of her family, Kay seizes the chance to graduate from small-time thievery to full-scale rebellion. Her opportunity comes in the form of Will, a wealthy ex-soldier with a dark past. Plucked from the streets and thrown into the shimmering palace court, Kay must use her every strength to blend into a world where she doesn't belong, closer to the enemy than she ever thought she would be.

Imogen Jones is sick and tired of her mother setting her up on dates with - well let's face it weirdoes and as luck would have it on the day she finally stands up for herself, she runs into a gorgeous guy who kisses like a god. She thinks her luck is finally paying off, until he reveals his name. Charlie Ramsey had been one of many who had made her school life a living hell, she thought she'd escaped him once and for all but here he was with that amazing pair of lips asking her to be his fake girlfriend. Together they hatch a plan to fool their parents, siblings and friends into believing they are a couple in love, but have they gone so far they've fooled themselves. Or has their decoy date become something a lot more real and a lot like true love. Join Charlie and Imogen as they make their way through London learning how people can change over time and how love can change everything.

Olivia Murray, a 29 year old successful attorney has had enough with her families intrusion on her personal love life. Mother, father and siblings included have all gone above and beyond the call of duty to try and get her hitched to a man. Just how far is Olivia willing to go to stop the incessant meddling? Will the strong independent woman that Olivia has come to be accept help when she needs it the most, when her own life is threatened and more importantly what will she do when something so much more fragile is put at risk, something like her heart?

In this spin off sequal to the Last Dance, Talia, a Lady in every sense of the word, begins training at the Queen's Shield Academy for Lady Knights upon the insistance of her mother, a woman determined to seat her daughter upon the throne. But after a disasterous first impression will Talia be caught in her dance of deception, or win her Prince? But more importantly, does she want to?

Let me tell you what it was to be made vampire. It wasn't birth. Birth implies pushing, tearing forth into the light, screaming. Becoming immortal was to be pulled, to be tugged irrevocably into darkness, and it was silent. I should have fought, any person should fight, but my mind had been filled with a hazy calm which forbade any battle. Struggling had been the last thing on my mind, even when my bus arrived and my assailant waved it on, dismissing my last hope of escape. Yet my lack of rebellion was far from the most unsettling part of the stranger's control over me. The truth was that the man could've asked anything of me and I would've complied, but he didn't need to vocalise his request. I knew instinctively what he wanted. I sighed and surrendered myself as he held me against his front in a lover's embrace, tipping my head and willingly giving him access to my throat. "One day you'll understand," he whispered, his tone subdued. I've often wondered since if he was really talking to me. Perhaps he'd been talking to himself, persuading himself that one day I'd know and accept his reasons for what he'd planned for me. I wouldn't. I couldn't. Because when my fangs came in, my world altered irrevocably. It became somewhere dark, somewhere filled with murder and blood, where magic was sinister and where even my closest ally seemed more like an enemy... Even if he did make my heart skip a beat. VAMPIRE/PARANORMAL/URBAN FANTASY

Sequel to Dragon's Treasure. This is only a longer excerpt. Due to copyright issues, the fully edited and final version is only available on Amazon, Nook (B&N), Kobo, iBooks and GooglePlay. It is highly recommended you read Dragon's Treasure first. © by Maya_2011/Maya Starling

Leof was gone. I wanted to scream again at the thought. My Leof was dead, laid out in the shrine where I'd left him just before dawn. It hadn't taken an army to kill him, all it had taken was one wolf, one man whom he'd shown mercy to. Fenrir had done his job just as predicted, and I'd lost the only thing that mattered to me, the only thing that had kept me sane after the truth of my past was revealed. Conn was my strength, my heart, the very best parts of me and I'd never see him again. Once his body was given to the sun and his echo vanished I'd never hear him say the three words that were my reason to exist. I love you. I love you. I love you... But I'm not ready to let be alone. I'm not ready for goodbye. Condemning my Leof to Valhalla is something I can't do, but what if there's no way to bring him back? Can I just fade away? Slip into the coma and forget everything? Would it be fair to when the cohort needs me to protect them from Osier, from the Bloodied Hand, and from our ever increasing number of enemies?

TBC

The sequel for A night with Dracula! go read A night with Dracula first before you read this then come back :) not feeling convinced? "I fell in love once"