Friday, August 30, 2019

Blood King Blitz


Blood King
Amber K. Bryant
(Spirit Seeker, #1)
Published by: City Owl Press
Publication date: August 27th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
While the Blood King lives, no one is safe.
Sybille Esmond never wanted to inherit her family’s weird business: summoning spirits of the undead and guiding them to the afterlife. While it pays the bills, dealing with supernatural monsters comes with colossal risks, including becoming undead herself.
When tall, dark, and undead Elis Tanner, a reformed member of the soulless ever-after, invades Sybille’s life, bringing with him a possessive, disembodied ex-wife, those risks get complicated, and those complications become dangerous.
Sybille must aid Elis in confronting his jealous ex while also investigating the Blood King, a beast who refuses to die—by stake or by poison.
After a harrowing possession leaves her burned and bruised, Sybille finds herself drawing closer to the tempting Elis, who may be the only one capable of helping her kill the unkillable. With the Blood King and his legions of undead closing in, she discovers her own life is far from the only thing in jeopardy.
EXCERPT:
Unlike most of the people in attendance, Sybille Esmond hadn’t come to the county fair to watch a rodeo show or stroke the glossy fur of ribbon-winning show rabbits.
She came to be hypnotized.
Sybille stood among the selected volunteers as the would-be hypnotist, Elis Tanner, circled them, his scrutiny of his subjects aided by a flourish of his hands to the waiting crowd. Their environment presented a jarring mix, up-tempo techno music blaring like a nineties rave set against rainbow-themed carnival tents and food stands hawking deep-fried butter.
Elis raised his uplifted arms higher, mimicking a conductor about to direct an orchestra. As he closed his hands into fists, the music cut out. The crowd stopped their chatter, blueberry snow cones lowered, gazes raised as the man on the stage commanded their attention. A chill ran up Sybille’s spine.
They were ready to be entertained and mesmerized, and though Elis Tanner had yet to do either, people were already leaning forward, hushing young children, silencing their phones.
The music came on again, another driving beat. Its vibrations tickled Sybille’s toes.
She couldn’t blame the crowd for wanting to be tricked in exchange for a bit of harmless fun. Only in this case, they weren’t being tricked, not the way they imagined.
And Elis Tanner was far from harmless.
“How many of you have been hypnotized before?” He spoke with a vaguely British inflection, like someone who had lived stateside long enough that only scraps of their original accent remained. It reminded her of black and white movie actors. Cary Grant but a bit less Bristol.
A few people raised their hands, garnering a knowing smile from him. Sybille kept hers down. “The truth is, you’ve all been hypnotized multiple times. Every one of you.”
The audience shifted. Sybille remained still. Elis was right: hypnotism was no magic. Not under normal circumstances. Today’s show would present a different story, however. If he was nothing else, Elis Tanner offered the most abnormal of circumstances Sybille had ever come across.
“Hypnotism is simply another state of consciousness, no different than the ones we pass through on the way to and from sleep,” he explained to them.
He searched the audience with clear grey eyes and then turned his gaze to the volunteers, stopping at her. It was a slight hesitation most would have missed, but Sybille was determined to miss nothing. In the briefest of pauses, perhaps there lay a hint of recognition.
Or perhaps not. Either way, Sybille must tread carefully. The enraptured audience had made themselves totally vulnerable. She glanced at her fellow stage-mates. They’d been naive enough to volunteer in handing their will over to him to play with for an hour. Sybille volunteered as well, but unlike the others, she did so with full knowledge of what she was getting herself into.
The music continued to blast. Intolerably loud, it forced its way into her, her head throbbing within a wall of sound.
Elis asked the volunteers to take seats in the metal folding chairs set out on the stage. “Are you ready?” He looked at her when he said this. Eleven volunteers nodded. Sybille smiled. She was ready. It was Elis who had no idea what was coming.


Author Bio:
Amber K. Bryant is an award-winning speculative fiction and romance writer living deep within Sasquatch territory in Washington State. Her stories have gained over ten million reads on Wattpad, where she has built a world-wide fan base. She collaborated on a short story with R. L. Stine and won several contests judged by Margaret Atwood. When she isn't writing, she works as a librarian and spends time with her husband and son enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She has yet to spot Bigfoot but has faith it will happen one day. Blood King is her debut novel.

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The Living Canvas Reveal


The Living Canvas
Pepper Winters
(Master of Trickery Duet #2)
Publication date: November 15th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Description TBA
The second and final book in the Master of Trickery Duet.
Sequel to:


Author Bio:
Pepper Winters is a multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestseller.
After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She's an multiple #1 iBooks bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotica Thriller. She's also honoured to wear the IndieReader Badge for being a Top 10 Indie Bestseller.
Pepper is a Hybrid Author of both Traditional and Self-published work. Her Pure Corruption Series was released by Grand Central, Hachette.
Her books have garnered foreign interest and are currently being translated into numerous languages, including already released titles in Italian, French, German, Hebrew, and Turkish.

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Breathe by Hollis Wynn - Cover Reveal

Breathe (A Love's Complicated Novel #2) by Hollis Wynn
Release Date:  2nd October
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Goodreads -> http://bit.ly/breathe-GR
Pre-Order Today! Amazon US:  https://amzn.to/2Plpz1r Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2Znthfr
#Breathe #HollisWynn #CoverReveal  #ComingSoon #RomanceRead #BareNakedWords
Blurb The clock strikes midnight and the fireworks across the lake are nothing compared to the fire I feel standing next to this man. 
Something unmistakable is happening between us, and my freshly wounded heart can’t help but worry about the fall.
I’ve been down this road before. The Prince isn’t always charming in my story, but Matt seems different. 
He makes me laugh. He makes me smile. He makes my heart beat fast.
Here’s to new beginnings... just breathe.
**Stand-alone Read**
Bent (A Love's Complicated #1) 
Bent Links -> 
Goodreads Link —> http://bit.ly/GR-Bent
Meet the Author
Hollis Wynn is a thirty-something gypsy who lives for adventure and calls home anywhere that she lays her head. 
On her wandering she can't live without three things... music, books and her Yorkiepoo Boston! Hollis has been writing stories for years and after successfully running the White Hot Reads blog, she finally gave in to her passion and took the publishing leap! When she's penning stories where life and love collide, you'll find her desk covered in empty wine glasses, gluten free cupcake crumbs and multiple drafts of her latest WIP covered in ink (pink of course)!
Stalker Links ->
BookBub —> http://bit.ly/2VAajNs
Newsletter Signup —> http://eepurl.com/dj_Sb9

Thursday, August 29, 2019

When Light Shatters Blitz

When Light Shatters
Laney Wylde
Published by: CTP Pulse- Crimson Tree
Publication date: August 26th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance

Harlow’s parents are dead. So is her brother. So is Tenley.

Probably.

Hopefully.

She’s like… ninety-five percent sure about that last one.

Seventeen and orphaned, Harlow is eager to leave her past behind when she moves in with her guardians. But in her new environment, she’s drawn to Brighton, a senior in her art class who is haunted by ghosts similar to her own. It’s not long before Harlow realizes their friendship has turned into something deeper—something that Brighton would have to sacrifice everything to pursue.

And Brighton does.

Their secret romance is perfect…until the precarious life Harlow has built crumbles beneath her. In the collapse, they both come face to face with Tenley.

Who, it turns out, is far from dead.

Perfect for fans of The Kiss Thief and The Book of Essie, Laney Wylde’s coming-of-age, bisexual romance When Light Shatters is a heady and gripping read. With a touch of irreverence and suspense, Wylde’s most vulnerable work yet will keep you guessing from the first page to the last.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

EXCERPT:

His door is cracked, so I push it open. “Jackson, your mom wants you to––” I don’t remember what I was going to say because when I see Jackson, his cheeks are red. It’s hard to see them under his Oakland A’s cap, but his eyes look red too. Sitting on his bed, he wipes some tears off his face and sniffs.

“Did you get hurt?” I ask.

He shakes his head.

“Did something make you sad?”

He nods.

I climb up onto his bed and sit next to him. “Are you sad about Tyler getting hurt?”

Jackson looks at me. “Tyler died,” he whispers. “We’re not going to see him again.”

I shake my head. “That’s what I thought, but then I heard my dad say…” that Tyler should never have been riding my bike. If my dad wanted me riding the bad bike, he wanted me to die. He wanted to never see me again. And that can’t be true because Daddy loves me, and he tells me so whenever I’m with Tyler. But if Tyler’s gone, maybe Daddy won’t tell me anymore. Daddy hasn’t said anything to me at all since Tyler’s crash.

“Never mind,” I say. “I think you’re right.”

“I’m just sad,” Jackson says.

“Okay.” He looks down and I look around his room at all the baseball posters on the walls. “My mom holds my hand when I’m sad.”

“Does it help?”

“Sometimes.” I open my hand to him. “We could try it.” He reaches for it and holds it tight in his.

After a while, I say, “I’m sorry you’re sad.”

He nods.

“Your mom said you need to set the table.”

“Okay.” He sniffs and wipes under his nose with the back of his hand. Not the hand holding mine. The other one.

We hop down from his bed, and he lets go of my hand. I walk toward his door, but he catches up to me and gives me a hug. I hug him back, resting my head on his shoulder when he rests his head on mine. I don’t know if holding his hand made him less sad, but I hope this does. It makes me feel a little better. Because if Jackson is hugging me, maybe he didn’t want me to get hit by the truck. Maybe he just wished nobody got hit.

Author Bio:

Laney Wylde is enamored with all things southern California--the traffic, smog, surprise earthquakes, and nonindigenous palm trees. Consequently, it's the landscape her strong and sometimes lovable female leads paint their stories on. Her New Adult novels Never Touched and the After Twelve series are bright with provocative themes, steamy romance, and inappropriately timed humor.
When Laney isn't writing, she's singing Taylor Swift with her little boy or asking her husband not to tell her about his work as a surgical resident while she's eating. She daydreams about using her math degree to get into law school, then realizes that would be too much work and that she should just play pretend court on paper instead. While she loves a good book, nothing beats 30 Rock with a bag of popcorn and M&Ms.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Star Knight Errant: Thrust Blitz


Star Knight Errant: Thrust
A.K. Shelley
Publication date: August 26th 2019
Genres: Erotica, Romance, Science Fiction
When Martian Air Science Engineer Cass Hedley takes a dare to use her new Artificial Intelligence system for a night of erotic release, there’s only one man she can imagine spending time with—the legendary comic book hero Star Knight Errant. She imagines strong hands, hard abs, and bubble baths, but her black market AI has another idea—an illegal fight club that will only end in her sexy companion’s death…or hers.
When Evander Mór transports to an unknown desert planet, his mission changes. Instead of brokering a peace deal, he’ll figure out what backwater he’s landed on and enjoy a well-earned weekend off with a gorgeous scientist. But when things get hotter than a supernova between them, he discovers he only has eighteen hours to stop an AI bent on murder, convince Cass he’s more than fiction, and find a way to cross the gulf between galaxies to bring her home.
EXCERPT:
Cass squinted at the wall screen. The call with Sylvia dropped mid-sentence—typical solar flare interference. Cass and the other Terran engineers worked miracles with rock, water, and bio-matter, but there was no getting around Mars’s feeble electromagnetic field. She glanced at the AI manual on her opaque crystal tablet while waiting for her friend to reappear.
Sylvia’s image blinked back on, mid eye-roll. Ever the confident space port commander, Cass’s best friend hated repeating herself. Unfortunately, calls dropped with regularity between Cass’s new station near the equator and the established colonies. They wouldn’t have proper communications until shielded lines ran from Elysium to Hellas, which would take years.
“As I was saying, your new place is barren. You need to paint. Throw art on the wall, pillows on the floor. Get plush rugs fabricated. Something, anything.”
Sylvia was right. The concrete monolith, aside from its gorgeous views of Elysium Planitia’s frosted desert, was dark, sterile. It even smelled like a new building—concrete sulfur, stone, and the chem salts meant to mask the Martian building materials. Not home. “It’s only been two weeks. I’ll get to it.”
“What are you reading?”
“House AI instructions.” Cass frowned.
“Thank the Gods. How’d you get one so quickly?”
Cass leaned against the kitchen island. Beyond the great room’s picture windows stretched the rocky, misted plains outside the new Elysium Colony. In the distance, the trio of Albor Tholus, Elysium Mons, and Hecates Tholus dominated the dusty caramel horizon. Remote as this new station was, it was a damn great view. “The lab’s network guy found me a black market model.”
Sylvia hissed. “You made sure he wiped it, I hope. People do crazy shit with black market machines—brothels, grand theft, fight clubs…”
“I made sure. Besides, it’s a Luxe model, only one season old and in mint condition. I could only get a basic model paying retail. The hours I’m putting in at the lab, I need a nanny for the kids.”


Author Bio:
Prior to "following her weird" into passionate affairs off-world, A.K. Shelley wrote fantasy under the pseudonym Angela Shelley. She's worked as a technical writer, publications manager, graphic designer, biologist, and Buddhist nun. Born and raised under the starry skies of Canada, these days she lives with her husband and kids in Southern California. A.K.'s first book, Star Knight Errant: Thrust, is expected August 26, 2019 through The Wild Rose Press. http://akshelley.com

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Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Wonderland Academy Blitz


Wonderland Academy: Book One
Melanie Karsak
Publication date: August 27th 2019
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Retelling, Young Adult
Welcome to Wonderland Academy. Don’t lose your head.
Getting into Wonderland Academy is easy:
You must be a little mad.
You must follow the white rabbit.
You must find the key to enter Wonderland.
You must not be named Alice or risk being beheaded by order of the Queen of Hearts.
We might have an issue with that last one.
My name may be Alice, but Wonderland Academy is everything my real life isn’t. Who wouldn’t want to learn how to ride a jabberwocky, train with a vorpal sword, cast spells using a teacup, or shapeshift into a fairy? As long as no one figures out my real name, I should be fine.
The only problem? Aden, the Queen of Hearts’ son, is quickly becoming my best friend. And then there’s Corbin. Brooding, surly, tattooed, and definitely not my type, I can’t stop thinking about him. But Corbin has secrets of his own, and Wonderland and secrets don’t mix.
How I’m going to pass my classes and protect my secret like my life depends on it is beyond me. But I better find a way. Because in Wonderland, no Alice is safe.
Wonderland Academy re-imagines the fantastical world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland for a fresh, new adventure. Combining whimsy, magic, and a splash of steampunk, New York Times best-selling author Melanie Karsak invites you into this beautifully re-envisioned fairy tale adventure.
* * *
Wonderland Academy is a college-level academy novel. It contains a slow-burn (not rh) romance. The novel is clean aside from mild language. This is Book 1 in a planned trilogy. Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger (Frodo didn’t reach Mount Doom in a day, after all).
Trigger Warning: This novel also includes references to a school shooting.
EXCERPT:
Setting my bag in a chair by the window, I pulled on my coat. It was pouring. Drops rolled down the windowpane, distorting the view of the sidewalk below. As I pulled my jacket on, however, I noticed someone on the sidewalk below. He was looking up at the window. I couldn’t make him out clearly, but from what I could see, he was wearing some kind of period costume and a top hat. He had long, pale blond hair that almost looked white.
“You all think I’m a lunatic? There’s some guy standing outside in the rain in a Victorian get-up and top hat.”
“What?” Mom asked. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know. Just some rando guy standing in the rain,” I said then turned, zipped up my coat, and grabbed the bag.
Nurse Gilman stepped to the window and looked outside. “It’s really coming down,” she said, eyeing the sky. She then strained her neck to the left and right. “Your mystery man must have gone back inside.”
“He was right there,” I said.
A sick feeling rocked my stomach. No, no, no. He was there. Dammit, he really was there. I edged toward the window and looked outside. I was right. The man was standing right there, looking up at the window.
He waved at me.
“Where?” Nurse Gilman asked, looking up and down the sidewalk.
“There,” I said, motioning hesitantly.
“I must have missed him,” Nurse Gilman said with a shrug.
I stared at the man.
He waved again.
Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.
“Yeah,” I said. “Maybe they’re doing a show in the children’s wing or something,” I muttered then turned from the window.
I didn’t want Nurse Gilman to see my face.
Mom, however, caught my eye. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she gave me a hard look.
I dropped her gaze.
I absolutely, positively, did not want to have that conversation on the way home.
“I’m ready,” I told Mom.
“Good. Let’s get you the hell out of here.”
“Be well,” Nurse Gilman said. She motioned to the nurses’ station. The door to the waiting room unlocked with a click. Nurse Gilman motioned to us that we were free to go.
Mom and I headed down the dim hallway of the fifth-floor psych ward. The narrow hall felt like it was a million miles long. It wasn’t until we were safely inside the elevator that I finally exhaled.
“Your phone,” Mom said, handing it to me.
I had a few missing calls, messages from old friends, but there wasn’t anyone I wanted to talk to anyway. I stared at the screensaver, which had a picture of Nicholas and me. The photo had been taken just before homecoming, before everything went to shit. We’d gone for a hike that day. The autumn leaves in the background were bright orange and burnt red. We were both bundled up, our cheeks red, faces pressed together. We’d spent the entire hike planning a future that would never come to pass.
I turned off my phone and stuck it in my pocket.
Mom punched the elevator button for the ground floor.
I kept my eyes on the lights above the door, praying Mom wouldn’t ask anything.
It wasn’t until we’d passed the second floor that Mom whispered, “Lacey, are you seeing—”
“I’m fine. Really. I’m fine.”
She didn’t answer, which told me she knew well-enough I was not fine.
They’d been popping up in my periphery more frequently for the last two weeks. People who were there then not there. Flickers of light. Shadows that whispered. Otherworldy shapes. Their presence wasn’t anything new to me. While I was more prone to see them during times of stress, they’d been there all my life. I knew that if I really looked, I’d see them. It was better to ignore them.
A mermaid had taught me that.
Mom and I headed to the front of the hospital. I couldn’t wait to get away from the terrible hospital smell. A weird mix of the scents of bleach, chrysanthemums, green beans, and Band-Aids perfumed the place. It was enough to make a person gag.
Raining or not, I was relieved when the hospital doors opened. I inhaled the sweet scent of the rain-soaked air. Mom’s rusted-out Mustang sat waiting just outside.
“Okay. Let‘s run for it,” Mom called, and we sprinted to the car.
Holding my plastic bag above my head, I ran, flinging open the door of the vehicle. But just before I climbed inside, I cast a glance down the sidewalk.
The man was still standing there. He pulled something from his pocket and tapped on it. He waved to me, a broad smile on his face.
“Lacey, you’re letting the rain in,” Mom yelled.
I slipped into the car, slamming the door behind me.
Mom revved the engine then drove off, her nineties rock springing to life. I leaned forward and clicked off the music. The last thing I needed was the dulcet tones of Nirvana shouting at me post suicide watch.
Sighing, I leaned back into the seat and closed my eyes.
Why was I seeing them again?
The white-haired man had been pointing at a pocket watch. A pocket watch.
What in the hell did that mean?
I hadn’t meant to kill myself.
Not this time.
It figured. On the morning I’d been discharged from the psych ward, I was beginning to lose my mind.


Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Karsak is the author of The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, The Celtic Blood Series, Steampunk Red Riding Hood, and Steampunk Fairy Tales. The author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Southern New Hampshire University.

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Two Thousand Lines Reveal


Two Thousand Lines
Michelle Jester
Publication date: November 21st 2019
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Young Adult
From the author of The Funeral Flower and Love, Cutter comes a harrowing journey of self-discovery and perseverance.
Olivia’s life is held together by a dark secret she holds from her past; unraveling it may just be what it takes for her to truly survive.






Author Bio:
Michelle Jester lives in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana with her husband, high school sweetheart and retired Master Sergeant. Together they have a son and daughter. She is a hopeless romantic and has been writing poems and stories for as long as she can remember.
One of her prize possessions is a bracelet with only a yellow, Rubber Duckie charm on it; which she wears every day to remind her to enjoy the fun and happy things of life!

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Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Phoenix Rising Blitz


Phoenix Rising
Giulia Lagomarsino
(Reed Security Series, #16)
Publication date: August 26th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Phoenix Rising is book 16 in the Reed Security Series and it is suggested they be read in order.
The men and women of Reed Security are back, but after all the turmoil of the past year, how do they adapt and move forward? For some, it’s easy, but others, the past year is only the beginning of what they will have to deal with. Some of them were shot and almost died. Morgan and Chance were taken and tortured in their own respects and now must deal with the after effects. Payton was torn from her mother and spent a year and a half without her. The wives lost their jobs, and many had to run from their families and friends to keep them safe. But one thing remained the same through all of this, they are each others’ family and will do anything to help each other through. They are Reed Security, and they will rise from the ashes.
BOOK TRAILER:
EXCERPT:
“Alexa, play Sam Tinnesz.”
I waited as it was searching and cringed when Mmm Bop by Hanson came on.
“What the f*@k? Alexa, play Legends Are Made by Sam Tinnesz.”
Alexa searched again, this time playing John Legend.
“You’ve got to be f*@king kidding me. I just want something good to listen to. Alexa, play Hold On For Your Life by Sam Tinnesz,” I said slowly, accentuating every word.
“Searching….”
And then the opening strands of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On started to play.
“F*@k it.” I sloshed back down in the water, trying to ignore the girly song that was playing while I was trying to relax. I actually found that it was working. The soothing melody had me sinking into such a relaxed state that I didn’t even notice the door opening.
“What the hell are you listening to?” My eyes flew open in surprise. Chris was standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face. “Want me to get you a cocktail?”
“Actually, I’d love one,” I retorted. “I tried to get the f*@king thing to play something else, but like any woman, she just did whatever the f*@k she wanted.”
“Alright, let’s see what we got here.” He walked over to a mini fridge in the corner. I had expected to find water, but instead saw some kind of girly cooler.
“Toss me one.”
Chris popped the top and handed one to me and then got one for himself. After draining half of it, he got undressed and got in with me. “Is this weird?” he asked as he settled in.
“Sitting in the hot tub together?”
“Yeah. You know, it’s kind of like bathing together. You’re sweaty. I’m sweaty….”
I nodded. “I gotcha.” I reached over to the ledge and grabbed a bottle of body wash, pouring in a generous amount. Bubbles filled the tub and I grinned, pleased with myself.
“Yeah, that’s not at all weird,” Chris muttered. “Now we’re taking a bubble bath together.”
“But we’ll be clean,” I pointed out. “What’s worse? Sitting around in each other’s filth or sitting in soap together?”
“Soap is only clean as long as it’s in the bottle. Once it’s in the water, it’s just dirty soap.”
“It’s self-cleaning.”
“Oh, God.” Chris and I turned to see Jules standing in the doorway with Alec and Rocco. “Are you two taking a bubble bath?”
“It’s a hot tub,” I corrected. “The bubbles are just to get us clean.”
“That’s what a shower is for,” Jules pointed out.
“Hot tubs are very good for the muscles,” Rocco said as he yanked off his shirt. “I’m in.”
“Grab me another cooler before you get in,” I said.
Rocco stripped down to his shorts and climbed in with a cooler for each of us. “Ah, this is great. My body is killing me today.” He closed his eyes and then opened them, narrowing in on me. “Are you f*@king listening to Celine Dion?”
I shrugged. “You get the b*%ch to play something else.”


Author Bio:
I'm a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, "No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book." I didn't think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn't already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven't been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.

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Monday, August 26, 2019

Just a Fling Blitz


Just a Fling
Eden Rayna
(Driven by Fire 0.5)
Publication date: April 30th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
One-night stands have rules for a reason.
Danielle: All I wanted was one night with the cowboy. One night of fun to get me through until my next day off when I would come back into the city and find another distraction. Now I’m eating breakfast with him and he’s offering to drive me home. This goes against all the rules of a one-night stand.
Kirk: I knew from the second I saw her on the dance floor that she’d be a wild one. Even with that intuition, I wasn’t prepared for just how hard she would be to tame. She was ready to run out on me before we even caught our breath but I had more to give her before the sun came up. I wasn’t putting up with any of her rules.
It’s been a few months since that night and I’m back in town to tell her it’s time to throw the rules away for good.
Just a Fling is a standalone novella in the Driven by Fire series. This book contains sexual content and coarse language and is intended for mature readers.
EXCERPT:
We are packed in this club like sardines because, apparently, my girlfriends and I are the only ones who have never heard of FriqueShow. And that surprises me a little, considering how much of my life is spent chasing random links on the internet in my endless downtime at work.
I take another step forward, sidestepping someone who grumbles at me for cutting in and wedge myself unapologetically against the bar. I reach up on my toes trying to get the bartender’s attention. As my arm comes up to rest on the sticky surface, it brushes against another person. Against an abdomen to be sure. The solid surface I feel could be nothing else unless a warm, fabric-covered wall was somehow erected beside me in the last three seconds.
I look over my shoulder to prove myself correct if nothing else. The hairs on my neck stand on end. It’s him. The tall guy from the landing found me even with my stealth tactics. He stares down at me with scorn in his eyes, berating me for trying to outrun him. I turn my head back to neutral before smiling and praise his long legs and his ability to move through a sea of people with such ease.
It’s not normal for strangers to press up against each other while waiting for libations but he does. The smell of his cologne wafts down from his height and drapes over my shoulders. Spicy. The good kind of spicy; not the acrid I-just-came-from-an-all-you-can-eat-buffet scent. It lingers in my nostrils and I now enjoy my time in line while breathing him in.
His hands find their way to my hips just as space opens up in front of me. Fingers apply firm pressure leading me forward like I can’t do it on my own. Although, I’m beginning to wonder that myself as my legs tingle from his touch. I shiver even as sweat dampens the back of my neck again and I know I’m done for. The silent communication has me licking my lips and holding my breath in anticipation of his next move. Where will he take me from here?
My friend traces his hand along my lower back as he steps to my side where we can finally get a good look at each other. My eyes start at the hand that lingers on my waist then travel up his forearm to his bicep that sits snuggly in the sleeve of his white tee. His neck leads into a strong, square jaw, and – Oh, hello! my nether regions call out to the man that has me gasping for air at the feeling of being swallowed up by the ocean for a second time. My companion smiles, revealing a dimple in his left cheek. He runs his hand through his shortish, dark brown hair, pulling it away from his similarly-coloured eyes. Eyes that sparkle with the flashing lights in the bar.
He says something to me but it’s too many words strung together for me to lip read. I shake my head and raise my palms to the ceiling indicating that I didn’t catch what he said. He places a hand on my right shoulder then leans in across my body to speak into my left ear. His fingers gently stroke my hair, tucking it behind my ear and I shiver again under his touch.
I like my body’s reaction to him.
He presses softly against the tragus of my ear closing it off to sound and leans in so close I feel his breath on my ear and neck as he speaks in a low voice. “Vodka tonic with a lime?” I am surprised at how he uses a normal volume to speak. Instead of being screamed at, I am graced with the deep, warm tones of his voice. I’m also surprised that he knows what I’ve been drinking. He apparently found me long before I found him.
Even in my high heels, I have to reach up on my toes to get close to his ear. I put my hand on his waist and mimic his noise-canceling trick of closing off his ear, saying that I am just here for water. I am mindful not to speak too quietly, although I wouldn’t mind having to keep my hand on him to repeat myself. His torso is firm and feels solid beneath my fingers. My dirty mind is already wondering what he looks like shirtless.


Author Bio:
Eden Rayna was born in Calgary, Alberta. After several attempts to leave through travels and school in far off places, she realized there was no place better to call home than the sprawling city at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. A lover of her family, Chinook winds and romance novels, Eden is excited to announce that the third book in the Driven by Fire series, Out of Bounds, will be available Fall 2019!

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The Bar Next Door Blitz


The Bar Next Door
Katia Rose
(Barflies, #1)
Publication date: August 22nd 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Sometimes you take the shot, and sometimes the shot takes you.
As the manager of Montreal’s most infamous dive bar, Monroe—and it’s just Monroe, thank you very much—is used to serving up her signature pearls of wisdom alongside an array of shots, pints, and pitchers. In fact, she thrives on it. Taverne Toulouse is a mighty ship, and she its fearless captain, trusted by patrons and bar staff alike to steer them through choppy waters.
If only she’d been given a little warning before a full-on tsunami swept in next door.
Julien Valois’ wining and dining empire is making waves. The next item on his agenda is opening a trendy lounge right next to Monroe’s beloved Taverne Toulouse—one that’s meant to run the dive bar out of business so he can buy up that property too.
His plans did not include falling for a five-foot-nothing brunette with an impressive vocabulary and an even more impressive ability to manhandle drunk frat boys twice her size.
They’re rivals in every sense of the word, but when Monroe and Julien are in a room together, the battle lines fade away. Their defences lower, their hearts get louder than their heads, and the burn between them goes down like just the right shot—intense, intoxicating, and able to sweep their priorities away with a single taste.
Until reality decides to slap up a big ‘For Sale’ sign and force them remember those priorities all too clearly.
The Bar Next Door is part of the Barflies trilogy, a series of standalone romantic comedies that follow the ups and downs of the staff at a Montreal dive bar.
EXCERPT:
My relationships have all been duds, just packs of seeds I hopefully sprinkle onto freshly tilled soil and nurture for weeks on end, only to watch some runty little weed poke its head up and then wither a few days later. My mother says I have a habit of taking on boyfriends as ‘projects’ and that I like to ‘seek fulfillment by helping others reach their potential instead of working toward my own.’
That’s what you get having a former psychologist for a mother.
The man in front of me doesn’t look like he needs any help on the road to Potential Town; everything about him announces he’s already there.
“I think I know that guy.”
Roxanne’s declaration startles me back into the present. I realize we’ve both moved so close to the door we’ve almost got our noses against the glass. I step back and rip my gaze away from beardie to give her an incredulous look.
“You know that guy?”
She might as well have just told me she’s real tight with Zeus and that they hang out all the time on Mount Olympus.


Author Bio:
Katia Rose is not much of a Pina Colada person, but she does like getting caught in the rain. She prefers her romance served steamy with a side of smart, and is a sucker for quirky characters. A habit of jetting off to distant countries means she’s rarely in one place for very long, but she calls the frigid northland that is Canada home.

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Sunday, August 25, 2019

Dangerous Paradise Blitz


Dangerous Paradise
Barbara Nolan
(Paradise Series, #2)
Publication date: August 21st 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Eddie Morgan, the Harley-riding owner of Manhattan mega-club Beyond Paradise, has a secret: Illegal, underground cage fighting in dingy basements. It keeps the dark days of addiction at bay and quiets the static in his brain.
Paige Drake, New York heiress to the Drake Hotel dynasty, has one last chance to prove her worth in the family business: Upgrade the outdated hotel bars.
When a dinner party from hell throws these total opposites together their tantalizing teasing and sparring words awaken deep feelings neither one knew existed.
Even though the Long Island socialite is way out of Eddie’s league, he can’t resist the challenge, and soon Paige finds herself zooming out of her buttoned-up life on the back of Eddie’s Harley. He agrees to help Paige with her business venture but soon realizes that her club promoter is a member of a vicious Russian drug cartel using Paige’s bars as a front for their drug operation.
Is Eddie willing to throw himself back into a life that nearly destroyed him to save Paige? And is Paige willing to face the seedier side of Eddie’s world and accept his gritty methods of dealing with the cartel?
Eddie and Paige’s story twists and turns as two divergent people struggle to find common ground in a world where rules do not apply.
Sequel to:
GUEST POST
by BARBARA NOLAN
My Journey to Publication
My journey to publication evolved over time, but it wasn’t until almost ten years ago that I became serious. I already had the equivalent of about 200,000 words on my computer, and after achieving a degree in Creative Writing from New York University, I was able to convert all those words into something worth reading.
The professors at NYU gave me the tools I needed to make my dream come true, and believe me, I had a lot to learn. Punctuation, Pesky run-on sentences and the Power of show don’t tell. I still have problems with commas as my editor with gladly tell you, but overall, my writing improved greatly. (I know, I really didn’t need that adverb.)
Armed with all the tools I needed, I converted those words into three books, which became my Paradise Series. I read that entering contests was an excellent way to get noticed, so I entered at least three a month and was pleasantly surprised when I became a finalist in many of them.
I would highly recommend entering contests as most have agents and editors as judges and even if they don’t request your work, you will get critiques. Some of my most valuable critiques have come from contest judges. Entering contests is what brought me to Soul Mate Publishing. Cheryl Yeko was a judge, liked my work, and offered me a contract for my Paradise Series with the first, Beyond Paradise, published December 12, 2018.
I have always considered reading a luxury and writing a necessity.

Author Bio:
Barbara Nolan enjoyed writing most of her life and recently acquired her Certificate in Creative Writing from NYU. She also benefited from the help and influence of many talented professors and editors along the way. She is a member of RWA and the New Jersey chapter of Romance Writers. Her passion for reading and words make this a journey of love.
She writes gritty, realistic stories filled with strong men and the women who tame them.
She considers reading a luxury and writing a necessity.

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