Now or Never: Wizards of Nevermore
Read Now or Never: Wizards of Nevermore Online
Authors: Michele Bardsley
Praise for Michele Bardsley’s
Wizards of Nevermore Series
Never Again
“Excellent world building, original concepts, and a compellingly dark atmosphere.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“The consistently excellent Bardsley introduces a new world with the launch of her Wizards of Nevermore series.…The opening salvo in this edgy and sexy series provides more evidence of Bardsley’s supreme storytelling chops! Great stuff!”
—
Romantic Times
(top pick)
“Don’t miss out on this dark, vibrant, and sexy new world.”
—Fresh Fiction
“The world of the Wizards of Nevermore is refreshingly new and fully developed yet interwoven inside the fast-paced story line.”
—Alternative Worlds
“Combines all the suspense and excitement of a magical tale with the sensual allure of a sweet and passionate love story. I hope there’s a sequel in the works because I can’t wait to visit the good folks of Nevermore again.”
—Jeanne C. Stein, national bestselling author of the Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles
“High-octane urban fantasy at its sexiest. Michele Bardsley is the master!”
—Mario Acevedo, author of
Werewolf Smackdown
“Darkly superb, sinfully sexy—
Never Again
should be read over and over again!”
—Dakota Cassidy, national bestselling author of the Accidental series
“Bardsley pulls no punches, opening this new series with a book that’s gritty, sexy, and absolutely captivating. I never wanted
Never Again
to end.”
—Nicole Peeler, author of
Tempest’s Legacy
“Grim and whimsical, sexy and sinister,
Never Again
is a wicked paranormal triumph and a clever twisty homage to Poe with a splash of Lovecraft. I loved it!”
—Mark Henry, author of
Road Trip of the Living Dead
“Wow!
Never Again
is a gripping addition to the paranormal genre. I loved this tale of lost characters finding each other in a world of intriguing magical realities and eerie small-town secrets.”
—Carolyn Crane, author of
Double Cross
“
Never Again
sizzles when it should but doesn’t skimp on the murder, magic, or intrigue. This one deserves a spot on any romance lover’s bookshelf.”
—J. F. Lewis, author of
Crossed
Praise for Michele Bardsley’s
Broken Heart Series
Come Hell or High Water
“The sex scenes are molten, the main characters engaging yet deliciously flawed, and the story line keeps you hooked from first page to last.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Bardsley has brought us another amazing story.…Phoebe and Conner’s struggle between their feelings for each other and what they must do is captured by Bardsley’s endless wit and humor.”
—Night Owl Romance
“Bardsley is a true gift to the literary world.…It takes little more than a page or two to suck the reader back in and remind them why Broken Heart is one of their favorite places to visit.”
—Bitten by Books
Over My Dead Body
“The latest chapter in Bardsley’s delightfully humorous series launches the action quickly and adds more danger to the mix.”
—
Romantic Times
(4½ stars)
“A great paranormal romance that I would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a fast-paced story that will leave them guessing until the end.”
—Fresh Fiction
“[Bardsley’s] writing inspires emotions that will have you sobbing and then laughing hysterically with just the turn of a few pages.”
—Bitten by Books
Wait till Your Vampire Gets Home
“Has action aplenty and a free-spirited, wittily sarcastic heroine who will delight fans.”
—
Booklist
“Bardsley has one of the most entertaining series on the market. The humor and wackiness keep hitting the sweet spot. Add Bardsley to your auto-buy list!”
—
Romantic Times
(top pick, 4½ stars)
Because Your Vampire Said So
“Lively, sexy, out of this world—as well as in it—fun! Michele Bardsley’s vampire stories rock!”
—Carly Phillips
“Five ribbons! I laughed nonstop from beginning to end.…Michele Bardsley always creates these characters that leave readers feeling like they are our next-door neighbors.”
—
Romance Junkies
Don’t Talk Back to Your Vampire
“Cutting-edge humor and a raw, seductive hero make
Don’t Talk Back to Your Vampire
a yummylicious treat!”
—Dakota Cassidy
“A fabulous combination of vampire lore, parental angst, romance, and mystery. I loved this book!”
—Jackie Kessler
“A winning follow-up to
I’m the Vampire, That’s Why
filled with humor, supernatural romance, and truly evil villains.”
—
Booklist
I’m the Vampire, That’s Why
“From the first sentence, Michele grabbed me and didn’t let me go! A vampire mom? PTA meetings? A sulky teenager? Throw in a gorgeous, ridiculously hot hero and you’ve got the paranormal romance of the year. Get this one NOW.”
—MaryJanice Davidson
“Hot, hilarious, one helluva ride.…Michele Bardsley weaves a sexily delicious tale spun from the heart.”
—L. A. Banks
“A fun, fun read!”
—Rosemary Laurey
“Michele Bardsley has penned the funniest, quirkiest, coolest vampire tale you’ll ever read. It’s hot and funny and sad and wonderful, the kind of story you can’t put down and won’t forget. Definitely one for the keeper shelf.”
—Kate Douglas
A
LSO BY
M
ICHELE
B
ARDSLEY
T
HE
W
IZARDS OF
N
EVERMORE
S
ERIES
Never Again
T
HE
B
ROKEN
H
EART
S
ERIES
Must Love Lycans
Cross Your Heart
Come Hell or High Water
Over My Dead Body
Because Your Vampire Said So
Wait till Your Vampire Gets Home
Don’t Talk Back to Your Vampire
I’m the Vampire, That’s Why
Wizards of Nevermore
A SIGNET ECLIPSE BOOK
SIGNET ECLIPSE
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, March 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright © Michele Bardsley, 2012
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-1-101-57702-8
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
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For Steve…
Du fyller mitt hjerte med glede.
I adore my agent, Stephanie Kip Rostan, her assistant, Monika Verma, and all the wonderful folks at the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. I luvs you all!
Chocolate-covered, gold-embossed gratitude goes to my wonderful editor, Kerry Donovan, to the very groovy Jesse Feldman, who rules the world and all who live in it, and, of course, to Extreme Team NAL.
Heartfelt thanks to my awesome Viking, Steve Freeman, for helping me brainstorm several key elements in this novel (including the cursed gun and the absinthe bar). He’s also the reason I know about Lagavulin scotch. You are my real-life romance hero. I love you!
Big smoochy-woochy lurve to my babies, Kati, Reid, and Emma, and to my grandson, Keegan. You all make my world a happier place.
I have
mucho
adoration for Renee George and Dakota Cassidy, who are brilliant, kind, loving, ass-kicking, hilarious women. Mwah!
Qwill, aka Second Supreme Overlord, could probably take over a small country if she weren’t so busy running my little corner of the Internetz. You’re awesome, Q!
Special thanks to Kaz, who is a spectacular friend, great listener, tequila connoisseur, and freaking genius.
Big awesome hugs, thanks, and luuuuurve to the
Book Addicts: Cid, Suzan, Linda, and I-live-in-Japan Alice. Y’all rock!
Smooches to Wendy Bocock and Amanda Fenley, who held my hand (and by “held my hand” I mean “badgered me relentlessly”) about finishing this book.
I also want to acknowledge my adoration for the Jennifers (Wendy, Amanda, Mindy, and Stephanie), who were named as such because I could never remember who the hell they were. But I do now! Really!
To my Minions and to all my fans everywhere—you rock! Your continued support and enthusiasm for my books mean the world. Thank you!
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore
Nameless here for evermore.
—From “The Raven,” Edgar Allan Poe