Showing posts with label Promotion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Promotion. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Fresh Beginnings Blog Tour and Giveaway!

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  Title: Fresh Beginnings
Series: Beginnings #3
By: Iris Blobel
Publication Date: October 12, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
#freshbeginningsrelease
Jared Fraser, a landscape business owner in Hobart, Australia, sets out for a holiday to the USA to travel along the Route 66 in a motorhome. Looking forward to his first holiday overseas, he’s excited as he prepares himself for the journey. But little could’ve prepared him for crossing paths with a beautiful hitchhiker. Will he be able to put his past aside and grab onto happiness? Ivy Bennett thought leaving her boyfriend would be the hard part. It doesn’t take long to figure out how wrong she was. As she struggles with making a new start in her life, the last person she expects to lead her to happiness is a laid-back Australian on vacation. But she will have to say goodbye again? And not only to Jared.
GET THE COMPLETE SET
 New Beginnings
Beginnings #1
More Beginnings
Beginnings #2
Iris Blobel was born and raised in Germany and only immigrated to Australia in the late 1990s. Having had the travel bug most of her life, Iris spent quite some time living in Scotland, London as well as Canada where she met her husband. Her love for putting her stories onto paper has only emerged recently, but now her laptop is a constant companion. Iris resides west of Melbourne with her husband and her two beautiful daughters. Next to her job at a private school, she also presents a German Program at the local Community Radio. Sign up for Iris' Mailing List and receive a FREE copy of New Beginnings!
Social Media Links
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IrisBlobel Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4067254.Iris_Blobel Twitter - @_iris_b Website - www.irisblobel.com Blog - http://www.irisblobel.com/blog Instagram - https:/www.instagram.com/iris_blobel/ Newsletter - http://eepurl.com/bQ68rL Amazon Author Page - http://www.amazon.com/Iris-Blobel/e/B00FNFP3LI
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Wednesday, June 28, 2017

My Birthday Month Event is Almost Here!

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July is almost here...and it's my birthday month! Besides cake (chocolate, naturally), my favorite part of a birthday is presents! I find it more fun to give than to receive, however, so during my birthday month I like to offer special gifts to readers.

If you're not subscribed to my mailings, you'll want to sign up now! Because throughout the month of July, I'll be sending out special announcements for free books, an exclusive birthday story, and a chance to win a Kindle!

...and for those who DO want to give me a present, I'll be sending out a request to complete my annual reader survey. Knowing your thoughts helps me plan future books. :)

Sign up below to get in on the fun! (18 or older, please. If you're already a subscriber, there's no need to sign up again. You're already opted in!)






Friday, June 9, 2017

More Beginnings -Guest Author Iris Blobel

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On occasion, I spotlight other authors and books on my blog. 

Today I'm pleased to welcome Iris Blobel, a fellow Weekend Writing Warrior (Snippet Sunday participant) who has a blog tour going for her book More Beginnings. Welcome, Iris!

MORE BEGINNINGS

Zach Taylor, an escort in Sydney, living in Hobart, enlists the help of Natasha Peterson when his teenage friend, Mia, runs away. He soon finds out that the ‘dragon’ is really more of a kitten. And although Natasha, Mia’s teacher, is attracted to him as well, she has her own problems to deal with, not to mention her initial reaction to Zach’s occupation.

Will Zach’s job keep him from a chance to be with Natasha?

Life is good for teenager Mia Levesque. But when Darren Schuster shows up in Hobart, she knows something is up once Sophie and Mark cut their weekend away short and rush home in the middle of the night. When Sophie won’t answer Mia’s questions, emotions run high, and Zach confirms Darren’s identity to Mia. Disappointed, angry, and feeling alone, Mia runs away.

Will life settle back into a routine for Mia once she finds out about the stranger in her life?


New Beginnings have given the Levesque girls a new start in life, will More Beginnings be another chance for them?

STORY EXCERPT
Zach Taylor’s young neighbour, Mia, let out a long sigh as she joined him on his front porch and sat next to him on the swing. Enjoying a cool lemonade, he invited her to grab a soft drink from the fridge as well. It was a warm summer day, and the air showed no sign of cooling down. A lot of people in Hobart were weary of the unusual hot spell for the very southern Australian city.
With another hefty sigh, Mia raked through her long, blond hair and stared into the distance. “Honestly, Zach, she’s a dragon. I’m sure she does it on purpose. She doesn’t like me. She thinks I’m spoilt.”
The dragon in question was Miss Peterson, Mia’s high school English teacher. There was no doubt that Mia liked school, and she enjoyed her classes. And even though English wasn’t her worst subject, it certainly was the toughest one, with Miss Peterson piling on homework one after the other.
Zach took a sip of his drink before he replied, “Hey, pumpkin, settle down. What’s that supposed to mean you’re ‘spoilt’?”
She lifted her shoulder in a slight shrug. “You know!”
Raising his brows, he replied, “Actually I don’t know! Isn’t she Sophie’s good friend?”
Another shrug. “Kind of, I suppose. They used to do the boxing stuff together, and since Soph’s carrying a baby, they go and enjoy coffee and cake instead every once in a while.”
Ignoring his chuckle, she went inside and helped herself to cold lemonade. She opened the can with a simple click as she returned outside and took a long sip.

About the Author
Iris Blobel was born and raised in Germany and only immigrated to Australia in the late 1990s. Having had the travel bug most of her life, Iris spent quite some time living in Scotland, London as well as Canada where she met her husband. Her love for putting her stories onto paper has only emerged recently, but now her laptop is a constant companion.
Iris resides west of Melbourne with her husband and her two beautiful daughters.
Next to her job at a private school, she also presents a German Program at the local Community Radio.

Social Media Links:




Monday, November 21, 2016

Fall into Lust with these Free Steamy Reads!

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Just in time to warm up those longer, approaching winter nights...

I know I normally mention free stuff on Freebie Fridays at the end of the month. But I was so excited when I saw someone posting a list of some free romance titles that I couldn't wait! I wanted to share the link with you all right away. 
Grab dozens of free sweet, spicy, or downright naughty romance tales today! Visit the site below and click on book covers to download as many as you want. Enjoy—and be sure to tell a friend!  


Just one of the free titles!

Monday, October 17, 2016

Now Available: Archipellus: God of Samhain

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ARCHIPELLUS: GOD OF SAMHAIN
Book 8 of the Sons of Herne series
October 16, 2016

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How can he ever hope to embrace love...when his very touch brings death?


Archipellus is the god of Samhain, the holiest--and most dangerous--of all the pagan sabbats. On the night of All Souls, the veil between worlds stretches to its thinnest, and Archipellus must use his incubus powers to draw sexual energy and reinforce the barrier, keeping the realms from chaos. The draining is perilous to humans, so the women he chooses as lovers are already near their crossing into the underworld. With their consent, he will aid their journey in a final moment of blissful release. Considering this, he is certainly immune to the wave force of passion unleashed by the meddlesome Fates, whose love spell has consumed each of his sabbat brothers whole. 

Melissa Jacobs walks in to her terminally ill sister's hospital room and is shocked to discover a gorgeous, yet frightening incubus preparing to drain her. She forbids the joining and offers to take the girl's place--on the condition that Archipellus uses some of the power drained in an attempt to heal her sister. The result is a tear in the veil, allowing passage of a truly terrifying creature who steals her only sibling and vanishes into another realm. 


To seal the veil and find Melissa's lost sister, Archipellus must join with his half-angel brother, a warrior friend, and the fiery human lover who refuses to be left behind. When he gives into his desire for Melissa and drains her too far, he must save her at all costs. He will stand at the crossroads between the living and dead to confront the truth about his powers--and the price for using them.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Now Available: Anduron: God of Mabon

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ANDURON: GOD OF MABON
Book 7 of the Sons of Herne series
September, 2016

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He frees those who are unjustly imprisoned...but can he free his captive heart?

The Fates have been bringing all the sabbat gods to their knees over carnal desires, including Anduron's own twin brother. He will not be so easily swayed, however. The god of Mabon needs only one thing from the Fates: the power to free one who is unjustly imprisoned, an act bestowed upon him once per year in honor of his sabbat. Then he encounters an old woman in need of rescuing, an act that, outside of the ritual of Mabon, is technically forbidden.


Jenna is worried sick when her overdue grandmother shows up with a handsome stranger on her arm and tales of how sexy Anduron saved her from a mugging. Jenna is grateful, quite possibly to the point of swooning, until he disappears right in front of her eyes. He returns to say he is the god of the pagan thanksgiving--and that he wants her for a ritual where she will sleep with him out of gratitude for her grandmother's rescue. The sheer nerve leaves her burning, but those eyes and that hard body leaves her curious. She proposes an alternative: he will attempt to woo her like a mortal man, and if he succeeds, she will grant her consent for the Mabon ritual.



Anduron has little experience with courting a woman, let alone one as infuriating as Jenna. She rejects all his overtures until she finally confesses what she wants most: a freedom raid on an animal testing facility that will cost him more than he bargained for. He will have to risk capture to keep her out of danger. With no guarantee she will agree to his terms, just how many immortal laws will he break in order to win her consent to be his?

Friday, July 29, 2016

Now Available: Feillor: God of Lammas

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Feillor: God of Lammas

Book 6 of the Sons of Herne series


Trapped in the last place he wanted to be...he will find the only thing he ever wanted.


Feillor, god of Lammas, is bringing in the first harvest for his sabbat ritual, a task that has grown more deplorable now that humans no longer demonstrate respect for the old ways. He raises his scythe and nearly “harvests” a beautiful woman who appears out of nowhere. Sensing the Fates’ meddling hand in the mortals sudden arrival, he demands that they return Salina to earth. The Fates agree on one condition: he must go with her and stay in the mortal realm for three days.

Salina has no intention of letting a local developer destroy the precious woods where she conducts her most sacred pagan rituals. Her prayer for guidance is interrupted when she is taken to the immortal world—almost straight into the blade of a horned god’s scythe. She thought her prayers to Herne were being answered, but she learns that Feillor is actually Herne’s son, and that he has little interest in the matters of humans. When he is zapped to Earth with her for three days, she decides to convince him that her cause is worth fighting for—and that not all humans deserve his scorn.


Feillor discovers much in his time with Salina, whose fiery beauty and passion for her cause—as well as for challenging his ideals—stirs something in him that he hadn’t felt for far too long. Admitting the truth about his view on humans could open his heart to the witch who is quickly enchanting him. But between the danger she finds herself in and the Fates returning him to his realm at the exact wrong moment, his epiphany alone won’t be enough to see her in his arms at last. He will have to use his power to act in the best interests of the race he had given up on.






Excerpt:

“Either silence your tongue or rise up so I may hear it properly,” he said. “Your words are muffled within the stalks of sacred wheat you are crushing.”
She shoved herself up on her knees, her long hair thankfully falling over the breasts she belatedly realized were exposed. She folded her hands over the thatch of hair between her legs as she sat on her heels.
“I didn’t mean to damage your wheat. I…I don’t even know where I am.”
“You are in the sacred fields of Avinar. Where no pure mortal has ever tread.” His voice was rich and deep, every bit as commanding and smoldering as she would have expected from a god.
“How did I get here?”
“How indeed.”
She risked a glance upward to find him staring down at her with the scythe hoisted casually over his shoulder. Blessed be, he was so…male. Every enticing inch was sculpted and bronzed, much like the statues of gods immortalized in classic Roman-Greco fashion. He wasn’t much more clothed than she was, wearing some kind of suede cloth around his hips and ankle boots to match. Cuffs of hammered gold clung to his forearms. All his muscles were on display, each one a taut, bulging testament to his gender. He was the sort of male that sparked inside women the need to surrender to his touch, a desire to bear his very children.
His long, reddish-brown hair was pulled back, save for a few wayward strands that blew across his carved features. His eyes penetrated her with an intensity that stopped the breath in her lungs, very masculine, but far from human. As was the rack of horns on his head that had given away his identity the moment she saw him.
“Didn’t you bring me here because you heard my prayer?” she asked.
A touch of derision fired his gaze. “I did not.” He paused. “Whom do you believe you were praying to?”
“To you. You’re Herne the hunter, god of the forest.”
He arched his already raised brow. “You are mistaken, but only by generation. I am Feillor, god of the harvest. Herne is my father.”
“Your father?” She blinked. “Then I really have no idea what I’m doing here.”
“I think I do. And I am not amused by it,” he added, raising his head and calling out overhead. “Not in the least.”
She glanced upward, seeing nothing but an impossibly colored gold and blue sky. “Who are you talking to?” she whispered. If there was something bigger and more intimidating out there than he was, she wasn’t sure she wanted it to answer him.
He sighed and lowered the blade so it touched the ground. “The ones who will have to send you back.”
“Can’t you do that? You said you’re a god.”
His eyes narrowed. “Sending someone through the veil between worlds is not within my power. At least, not a human who has just weathered a crossing.” He lifted his chin. “Rise, she who prays to the old ones.”
With a shiver, she got to her feet, feeling his scrutiny slide over every molecule. If only her hair had been a few inches longer, she could completely cover the key parts he lingered on. His stare felt like a palpable force, a possession of her flesh. The nipples her pale waves were barely concealing stiffened.
“Do you always pray while naked?” he asked, and there was a faint whiff of humor in the tone. “Or did your clothing somehow stay on the other side?”
She spread her hands a bit to better cover herself. “I often go skyclad for rituals. And my friends call me Salina, by the way. It rolls off the tongue easier than ‘she who prays naked.’”


About the Sons of Herne series:

The god Herne has appointed eight of his most virile, headstrong sons as keepers of the pagan holidays. To honor their sabbat, each must join with a mortal female in a ritual to maintain the balance between worlds.

The Fates have secretly conspired to grant the gods one thing they lack--a true union of male and female that will last beyond the passion of a sabbat joining.

Herne’s sons will wrestle with the conflict between sacred duty and their own yearnings, a struggle that will not only challenge their beliefs, but may threaten the success of rituals that must be observed lest the mortal and immortal worlds collide in chaos.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Chillin in Summer Blog Tour!

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I'm kicking off my Chillin' in Summer blog tour today! Visit http://tiny.cc.ChillinTour for a list of the stops I'll be making and to enter my daily giveaways! I'll be giving away an ebook prize and a fun fridge magnet every day*, and at the end of the tour all entrants will have a chance to win a $25 gift card.

Today I kick things off over at Smokin' Hot Reads, who gave Dominus: God of Yule 4 1/2 stars!


Experience the wintry god of Yule during the searing heat of summer...
Follow the tour!

*For full details and official giveaway rules, visit the tour page.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Gotta Squeal for my Cover(s) Reveal!

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I hear and obey!

During my recent ARC blitz for Sons of Herne book 1, I got some feedback that I loved! It was suggested that the hot, godly goodliness of the "Sons" should be emphasized in the titles and covers. Yeah! I totally hear that, as the brothers *may or may not* be my current book boyfriends. Ahem.


After a flurry of activity, the books currently in release were retitled and treated to a, er, “face” lift to put the emphasis where it belongs—on the gods who think they’re immune to love. *snicker*

 So drum roll please…

Previously Season of Light


By the way, free ARCs are still available for Dominus: God of Yule! Sign up for yours here.

And here are the covers for Books 2-5:





So, what do you think? Are these gods among men or what?

Friday, June 3, 2016

Ball Gowns, Bite Marks, and a Big Giveaway!

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From time to time, I showcase the books of fellow writers. Today, I'm pleased to feature a hot vampire boxed set from 10 authors, including Erzabet Bishop. Read on for the steamy details about Sanguine Shadows, A Curse Workers novella only available in the box set--and for a chance to win a Kindle Fire or $100!


For a limited time only! Dip into Vampire Romance with 10 of today's Best Selling Paranormal Romance authors in this boxed set about forbidden love, romance, undisclosed desires, and secrets.


Enjoy steamy, exciting, and passionate tales of romance. This collection is sure to satisfy vampire lovers of all types. A scorching thrill ride until the very last page! 

Excerpt:

Her eyes widened and her lips parted and he caught a glimpse of fang. “I…didn’t know you cared.”
“If I didn’t, why would I have convinced Roark to turn you?” He tugged her closer, the push of her breasts against his chest making it hard to concentrate on mere words. He’d known she was meant for him from the first second he’d seen her but he had to let Roark take her or risk her dying.
“You don’t know me. I was just a girl on the street. A human not worth your consideration.”
Fenris didn’t miss the hurt in her eyes. Perhaps he had been wrong leaving her alone. He’d been convinced he was right letting her assimilate unhindered into her new life. He also couldn’t fault her reasoning. She was right. They had no claim on one another, only an attraction that blazed to life in the most untenable of situations.
But she was wrong on one account. He had noticed her before-just not in a way he might have acted upon. Human and supernatural interaction was forbidden but he was unable to let her die. Not like that.
 He wasn’t able to stop thinking about her and hadn’t since that night.
“I did notice you, witchling. How could I not?” He lifted a finger and traced the side of her face, his cock hardening at the moan that slipped unbidden from her lips. “You burn inside of me. Only I couldn’t act. Not until then. But I had to save you. To do anything else…” He let his voice trail off and watched her reaction.
Mari blinked and reached forward, pressing her lips to his. “It’s like a fire, isn’t it? A fire in the blood.”
“Oh Gods, yes.”

Buy Now:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Erzabet Bishop is an award winning and bestselling author who loves to write naughty stories. She is the author of Lipstick, Crave, Snow, Malediction (upcoming), Sanguine Shadows (upcoming), The Science of Lust, Wicked for You, Heart’s Protector, Red Hot (upcoming), Hedging Her Bets (Alpha Fever Box Set), Cat’s Got Her Tongue (Alpha Heat Box Set), Arcane Imaginarium: Spirit Board, Holidays in Hell, Mallory’s Mark (upcoming),The Devil’s Due (upcoming), Charity Benshaw’s Enchanted Paddle Emporium (upcoming), Sigil Fire, Glitter Lust (upcoming), Written on Skin, Club Beam, Pomegranate, A Red Dress for Christmas, The Black Magic Café, Fantasies in Red, Sweet Seductions, Holiday Cruise, Fetish Fair, Temptation Resorts: Jess, Temptation Resorts: Marnie, Taming the Beast, The Erotic Pagans Series: Beltane Fires, Samhain Shadows and Yuletide Temptation along with being a contributor to many anthologies. She lives in Texas with her husband, furry children and can often be found lurking in local bookstores. She loves to bake, make naughty crochet projects and watch monster movies.

Connect with Erzabet:
Twitter: @erzabetbishop

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~*~*~*~
For more gab, please join me on Twitter or Facebook. I love talking to people!

J. Rose Allister is the author of more than twenty-five books, primarily romance and erotic romance. A former editor and submissions director, she now works as a mild-mannered hospital secretary by day, naughty writer by night.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Free Read: Chapter 1 of Lone Wolves Book 1!

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Book 7 of the Lone Wolves of Shay Falls releases next week! And in case you haven't started this howling good MMF series, D. Renee Bagby is hosting a free look at Chapter 1 of Book 1, DISOWNED COWBOYS.

Check out the DRB1stChp blog to read Chapter 1 now!

DISOWNED COWBOYS By J. Rose Allister
Book 1 of Lone Wolves of Shay Falls
Erotic | BDSM | M/M,M/F,M/M/F|
http://bookstrand.com/disowned-cowboys

About the LONE WOLVES series:


They were cowboys torn from their livelihood after a fateful bite changed their destinies forever. When their pack is disbanded by a new alpha, the lone wolves are forced to roam the woods of Shay Falls with no way to return to the ranch life they once knew. Each must find a male pack mate of their own—and a female mate to hold that bond together.

Werewolves love fierce and forever—and their very control over the full moon can be influenced by indulging hot, raw passion. But between their secrets, hardships and a huntress with a mind for revenge, finding their way to romance and redemption may prove a rougher ride than wild nights spent taming full moon urges.


About DISOWNED COWBOYS:

When Aimee gets lost during a hike, she finds more than refuge in a dark cave—she finds a chained and naked cowboy who claims to know who she is. Dillon and his partner, Kyle, are werewolves determined to become her mates. Just one problem—she shows up for her appointment with fate while wearing another man’s engagement ring.

The wolves will shamelessly pursue her, using every seductive trick in a cowboy’s book to rope their mate. But even the combined desire of two insatiably virile werewolves may not be enough when Aimee’s boss-slash-fiancé and Kyle’s pack mates show up to challenge Dillon and Kyle’s right to claim the woman they have dreamed of—and to each other.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Sign Up For a Reviewer Copy of Dominus: God of Yule!

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Ooh, I'm so excited about this! Are you interested in getting a book free in exchange for a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads? Dominus: God of Yule (previously titled Season of Light) will be released wide to online booksellers on July 1. To get things rolling, I'm offering ARCs-Advance Reviewer Copies-to anyone who likes reading and talking about smoldering erotic romance stories! 


Check out the blurb below, then click the link at the bottom of the page to go to my ARC signup form!

About DOMINUS: GOD OF YULE:
the first in a series of erotic romantic fantasy novellas

Loving Lorayna could cost him his sacred power...
It is the time of Yule, and Dominus, god of the sabbat, should never have had to spend half the year nurturing the latest light bearer himself. Now, months of visiting Lorayna, present only as a whisper, has sparked a yearning inside of him that he cannot shake.

Lorayna has felt herself drawn to the pagan path by a presence she has been unable to resist. When she discovers her “holiday spirit” is in fact a mouthwateringly sexy god, she’s ready for whatever sabbat ritual he chooses. To her disappointment, his intentions are strictly hands-off.

Giving up her light is not as easy as surrendering to his will, however. Dominus is forced to break the rules and give into his urges before the Yule power consumes her from within. The ripples of their passion will alter many sabbat unions to come—and Dominus must defy his father, Herne, to follow his desires and prove to Lorayna that she was not merely another light bearer.


Friday, May 27, 2016

Surprise Release! Devinmar: God of Litha

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DEVINMAR: GOD OF LITHA
Book 5 of the Sons of Herne series
May 28, 2016

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She was saved from drowning by an act of god…a seductive, smoking hot god.

It is the time of Litha, and Devinmar, god of the sabbat, will rise from the sea to mate with a human female and unleash the powers of the deep. His visit to shore comes a day early, however, when he saves a stunning beauty from drowning under suspicious circumstances.

Hallie wakes up on a beach after being rescued by the most exotically gorgeous man she has ever seen. Believing Devinmar is an exceptional hunk of male is no stretch, but falling for his stories about selkie legends and pagan gods is something else. Still, she can’t help but give into the temptation of a sea god whose long hair, exquisite beauty, and intense stare beckons.

When Devinmar returns to make Hallie his sabbat consort, he discovers she has been taken by those responsible for her near drowning. Getting her back could mean failing in his duty to the sabbat, but he goes after her nevertheless. He’ll use the powers of the deep to make her safe again—even knowing that once their midsummer’s night has ended, he will be forced to leave her behind and return to the sea.

Excerpt:

A weight slammed into the surface of the water, square onto Devinmar’s back. He spun out of the boat’s path with the dolphin equivalent of a surprised cry, and the large bulk that had collided with him fell away into the darkness. Stunned as he was, Devinmar floated for a short time, getting his bearings.
What the devil was that? He poked his head above water, blowing out his air hole and watching the white boat disappear in a tumult of churning sea foam. They had lost something important, judging by the size, but the boat gave no indication of turning back. The item perhaps had no value.
Or maybe they had dumped it on purpose.
Curious and a bit outraged at the thought, he dove back underwater, shooting straight down after the abandoned item. His dolphin eyes were not acute enough to see that far, but sounding ahead with sonar turned up a startling fact, one that sped his heart. He tried sonar again, confirming his theory.
The bundle was human.
Devinmar dove faster, his powerful muscles straining to catch up with the sinking human. It was a female, unconscious, and bound with some sort of wide, flat rope. No. Tape. He tried twice to get hold of her with his broad mouth, both cursing his current form and feeling grateful for it. God or not, he would never get her to the surface as a man, but hands would have been helpful. He caught hold of her with a firm grip and rose, pulling her against the forces of nature, higher until he could see the light rippling at the ocean surface. They broke through, him with a fierce blast from his blow hole. The woman made no gasping sounds. He had little time, if in fact it wasn’t too late already. Alternating between using his snout and teeth to keep her head above the whitecaps as much as possible, he pressed for the shore. His jaw ached from dragging her to the surface over and over, but he hurried on, intent on saving her.
Waves soon pointed the way to land, and he followed until the first of the breakers pushed their bodies to shore. He gripped her in his teeth and rode the wave. The ocean floor beneath them rose up sharply, threatening to beach the dolphin if he had no other means to save himself. But he did.
He didn’t let go of the female until sand scratched his underside, and he closed his eyes, released her to the momentary trust of the tide, and concentrated on the change. He had to become the seal first, the form his mother’s kind preferred close to the shore, a creature adapted to both sea and land. Shiny, gray skin shifted to brown fur, fins to large flippers. His snout shortened and sprouted whiskers while his body grew slower, yet more buoyant.
Insistent waves pushed him to shore, and the female washed up beside him. The sudden cessation of the ocean’s constant movement brought him awake, as though jarred from a dream back to reality. She lay limp beside him, so fragile and helpless that it sent pangs of frustration through him.
Now he focused on his true self, the man whose form he took but once a year, a human figure born under the sea with arms and legs and long, black hair. His seal skin split with a pop along his back, which was not a painful experience, but rather, a freeing one that ran oddly counter to his personal opinion. He was released from the marine creature, climbing free from the skin he clutched in his human hand. He must keep the skin with him in order to return to the sea.
He tossed the skin higher up the beach, away from the waves that might try to reclaim it. Then he dragged the bound woman higher up the beach.
He tried to get on his feet, but wobbly sea legs buckled beneath him. He crawled along as he got her out of the waves, then pushed wet hair from her pale face and put his cheek down to her mouth. She wasn’t breathing.
Devinmar’s throat tightened. He slapped her face, not really expecting a response, then covered her mouth with his. He breathed, willing life back into her. Nothing.
The tape around her chest might be constricting her, so he tugged and ripped at it until it tore free. He put the heel of his hand on her sternum and pushed, hoping to expel water, then breathed into her again.
“Come on,” he said, water dripping from his hair onto her face. “You must live.”

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