by Imogen Howson Genre: Fantasy Release Date: April 30th 2016 Dragonwell Publishing Summary from Goodreads: On Fernâs 18th birthday, she discovers sheâs a fire-starter. To learn to control it, Fern travels to a place where other young people have gathered to learn how to manage their gifts. And thatâs where she meets Nik, the enigmatic magician who seems to understand her and her gift better than she does herself. But can Nik be trusted? Or is he hiding dangerous secrets of his own? From the award-winning author of âLinkedâ and âUnravelâ comes this enchanting collection of stories and novellas, spanning centuries and cultures, from the underworld of the ancient Greece to the dystopian future.
About the Author
As a child, I loved reading so much that I not only read in bed, at the table and in the bath, but in the shower and â not so successfully â on my bicycle.
I enjoyed books in a slightly unorthodox way, too â many of my childhood books have ragged edges where I tore paper from the margins in order to eat it.
I wrote my first book at eight. It was entitled The Dragon in the Teapot and would probably have been a huge hit if I hadnât lost the only copy on a family day out.
Some years later, armed with several different types of backups, Iâm busy writing romantic science fiction and fantasy for young adults and adults.
I live with my partner, our two teenage daughters, three cats, two hamsters, and one tiny dog, near Sherwood Forest in England. Iâm a Christian, a feminist, and a lover of cheese, chocolate, stationery shops and eighties pop music. I still read in most places, but I no longer eat paper.
Iâm a member of The Romantic Novelistsâ Association, the group blog The Lucky 13s, and the online writersâ community Romance Divas. Iâm represented by Mandy Hubbard ofEmerald City Literary Agency.
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Once Written, Twice Shy
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes / Kobo EXCERPT: When I married, I had intended it to be for life. Well, I guess life had a plan of its own, huh? With each passing day, I picked up the broken pieces of me. I hadn’t realized that I had stifled so much of myself over the years to try and please a woman that seemed to never be sated with anything I said or did. Fueled by my feelings of loss and neglect, I made a decision, which led me to rediscover an old love. The proverbial flame was rekindled, and I began to write again. For what felt like an eternity, I wrote. When I was done, I read my piece over so many times that my words no longer made sense, forcing me to put it down and go back to it later. I stared at my finished manuscript displayed on my screen. What am I going to do with this? I had discovered a site, a few months before. It had been recommended by a colleague. The venue allowed people from around the world to peruse and read various works written by amateurs. Some of the work on there I found horrid, while others, despite their various grammatical and punctual flaws, you wished you could set your hands on an edited and printed copy, they were so great. What the hell. I decided to chance it. With a bit of copy and paste, and a little restructuring, I hit the publish button and there it was. My first written piece was out for the world to see. It wasn’t until a few months after I had posted my work that I stumbled upon a comment that I couldn’t dismiss. I ached for constructive feedback, but the lack of it was getting to me due to the site being overrun by teenagers. I debated getting rid of my profile altogether up until that fateful day. That short message was where things began to change for me. With simple words of appreciation, intellectual and heartfelt thoughts, followed by a click of her mouse, Alissa had made me smile. I sought her profile out and found that she was a fellow amateur writer just like me. She’s gorgeous, had been my first impression. Despite her evident beauty, something else could be seen in her profile photo; something that beckoned me further, begged my curiosity to look beyond the surface. It was in her eyes. Loneliness. Or was I reading into things too much, since I was such a novice at these social media-like sites? For a few weeks, I sat on Alissa’s words alone as I read through some of her work. She was good. Better than good. I thought that I’d end up with one of those written numbers that didn’t make much sense or that glittered in the night featuring vampires and werewolves. Boy was I wrong! The woman sure knew how to paint a vivid picture. She pulled off the hot and sexy but kept it real all at once by adding emotion, drama, even a bit of action and suspense to her mix. Her work was altogether something reminiscent of everyday life: the good, the bad, the ugly, the… Well, you get the picture. A few days after reading her last novel, a dream influenced by her work prompted me to finally write out an acknowledgment to her comment. From there, we began to chat through private messages on a near daily basis. We never stopped…
GIVEAWAY!
Guiding Fate by Tamra Lassiter Role of Fate #4 Publication Date: May 11, 2016 Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iBooks Melanie Woodside, ER nurse and single mom, has endured suffering of her own. Her ne’er-do-well husband bailed after learning she was pregnant with their first child. Now he’s back and threatening her new life. When a hot Marine moves in next door, Melanie has more than enough on her plate, without trying to heal her new neighbor as well. But a handsome man battling the wounds of war is hard to resist, especially when he and her son take an instant liking to each other. And having him close makes her feel safer. Will Everton is a hero of the Iraqi conflict, according to the Marine Corps, his friends, and his family. The problem is, he feels more like a mess. Plagued by headaches and nightmares, Will just wants solitude to glue his wounded psyche back together. That means keeping his distance from his pretty new neighbor. But when her son refuses to recognize the boundaries between Will’s house and his own, neither Will nor Melanie can resist a little boy’s pleas for togetherness. If Will’s presence deters Melanie’s ex, all the better. Can Will trust himself to be the strong, steady man they need? And can Melanie trust herself not to repeat the mistakes of her past? Fate brought them together … will it be enough to keep them here?Read Deciding Fate for FREE: Amazon | Nook | Kobo | iBooks About Tamra LassiterI live outside Washington, D.C. with my wonderfully supportive husband and two daughters, one of which is approaching her teenage years. Help us all! If that isn’t enough, we have a Great Dane and an English Bulldog to keep us on our toes. It’s crazy around here, and I love every minute of it! Writing is my third career. I didn’t set out to be a writer, it was just meant to be. My Mechanical Engineering degree from Virginia Tech prepared me well for my first career as an Engineer/Program Manager. My second career was in Human Resources. Long story, but I figured it out. I believe the best start for a writing career is to be a reader first, and I’ve been an avid reader my whole life. I’ve loved to read ever since I picked up my first Nancy Drew mystery in the fourth grade. Now, I love reading just about everything, but I don’t read sad books. I don’t watch sad movies either for that matter, no matter how many awards they’ve won. Life’s too short, and who needs all that strife to bring us down? Many of my words have been penned late into the evening, which explains why I’ve never viewed whatever television show you recommend to me. I would, however, love to hear your recommendations for a great read!Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Newsletter | Team Tamra
WARNING SIGNS by Alexandra Moore
Broken Promises Series #2
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Release Date: May 10, 2016
— SYNOPSIS --
After spending two years on the run following an assault that nearly took her life, Bea Morrison returns home…
But home isn’t how she left it. Her mother is ailing with dementia and now lives with her brother, Ben. Even Ben isn’t the same. An incredibly famous rock star, he is bitter and angry over Bea’s self-inflicted exile. But Bea can’t explain why she left—it’s impossible to describe what living with PTSD means, and how her life has turned into hell.
But that’s not the only issue that’s kept Bea away for so long…
A deep depression has taken possession of her, to the point that getting out of bed becomes a chore. The relentless paparazzi chasing Ben’s fame only heighten her anxiety. And family secrets are far from dead and buried. It takes just one meeting with an old friend, Splinter Nightingale, to make her path clear—move to Connecticut, attend college, and start an ordinary life.
Her plan for a semi-normal life is going fine—until she meets Professor David Long…
It isn’t long until David shows an interest in Bea, and soon after, interest turns to obsession. Fearing for her safety, Bea sees everything falling to pieces. And right when she finds a way out, she vanishes a second time…and not by choice.
Bea must find something worth fighting for, or she will face death yet again. This time she may not make it back alive…
— PURCHASE --
— BROKEN PROMISES SERIES --
— ABOUT THE AUTHOR --
My name is Alexandra Moore. I’ve been creating stories since I could talk. I’ve been putting them onto paper since I could write. Writing books is my dream and my passion, alongside with rescuing African Pygmy Hedgehogs, retired race Greyhounds, French Bulldogs, and other various animals I’m probably allergic too.
I’m convinced I’m the blood of the dragon, and the Mother of Dragons.
When I’m not watching GoT, I’m watching Grey’s Anatomy (again) on Netflix, and crying over all the MerDer feels. I also spend time with my Boston Terrier Tank and my boyfriend. Both are my cuddle buddies, and I’m afraid the dog is around more often. I don’t bite (unless provoked) so feel free to tweet at me, or leave a comment on one of my InstaPics. I can’t wait until my book is in print, and to share my thoughts with the rest of the world.
- Social Media Links -
Beautiful Liar by Natasha Knight Publication Date: May 4, 2016 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Purchase: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | iBooks | Barnes and Noble | Kobo Slater Everything I believed was a lie. Everything except for her, the one person I blamed for it all. MacKayla Simone was beautiful. She was sexy as hell. She was also the setup. One night. Sex that rocked my world. Rocked it to its very foundations because the next thing I knew, she and I made the headlines of every paper, every news channel across the country, and it cost me everything. But that wasn’t the worst of it. That came when I learned who was behind the setup. That was when I understood what it meant to be destroyed absolutely. I don’t know why I went after MacKayla. She’d been a pawn just like me. But it was all I could do, all I had left. Hell, it was the one thing keeping me from tumbling into the abyss and never coming back into the light. Find her. Find the girl who’d f*cked me. Find her, and make her pay. MacKayla I didn’t know who Slater Vaughn was, but if I had, it wouldn’t have mattered. Not when my sister was in trouble. I would have done what I did anyway. You can judge me. You can call me a whore. But I would have done it anyway. One night, they’d said. Make him want you, let him have you. Easiest money in the world for just one night of my life. Only it wasn’t one night because that night obliterated Slater Vaughn, and he came after me. He told me I owed him, and truthfully, I did. Hell, maybe those years in hiding, I’d been waiting for him to find me. To punish me. To make me pay. Maybe I sought his forgiveness all along. But now that he had me, how far would he take this game? Slater Vaughn was a broken man. He had nothing left to lose. What was to keep him from taking me with him into his darkness?About Natasha KnightUSA Today Bestselling author Natasha Knight writes dark romance as well as spanking romance in a variety of genres including contemporary, paranormal, post-apocalyptic, science-fiction and fantasy. She is a #1 Amazon Bestseller in multiple categories forever searching in every story for that single most important element of love. All of her stories contain at least one kinky Alpha male, lots of dirty talk and a well deserved happily ever after.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest | Newsletter We're happy to be hosting Kaelia Stevens and her JULES: THE 2ND ADVENTURE BOOK BLAST!
About the Book:
Title: Jules
Author: Kaelia Stevens Publisher: Independent Pages: 94 Genre: Magical Realism
War. It doesn’t start with armies or bombs. It doesn’t start with declarations or protests. It doesn’t start with speeches. It starts with one thing. Intent.
Jules understands this concept. She intends to kill a cult leader. She intends to undo magic from the past. She intends to get her family home. She intends to start a war. For More Information
When I entered the blue-lighted nightclub, Sting was at the piano again. He was thundering out jazz compositions with the energy of a hyper pygmy goat.
There was a twin-headed Doppobocca at the microphone, scatting like a pro. These squatty, yellow aliens landed somewhere in Italy, and apparently enjoyed the culture so much they decided to stop by Earth on a regular basis. Doppobocca was not their species name, just what the fairies from Italy decided to call them. It was an Earthling nickname, as far as they were concerned, and the Doppobocca didn't seem to mind in the least.
The alien’s two heads were currently scatting something I had never heard before and probably would never hear outside of Sting's nightclub. The heads scatted back and forth, while the single, thick body moved and danced to the beat.
I made my way to the bar, ordered some Pixie wine, and watched the crowd. I was watching to see if my Hyena contact would show up. She liked to frequent My Fair Lady as much as I did, if not more because she had more time. Tonight should have been one of her nights, if I remembered correctly.
"Quite a turnout tonight, isn't it?" someone said behind me, loudly.
I glanced over my shoulder and took in intense brown eyes broken up by a jovial smile on a narrow face. Some of his blond hair was matted in the front, bobbing with every habitual flick of his head in an attempt to get it out of his eyes.
I shrugged slowly with a single shoulder. Gave him a teasing smile as I turned back to the crowd. "Aren't you in the wrong place, Keeper?"
His expression fell as he looked down at his outfit; it was a simple, brown vest held open over a grey shirt with sloppy-looking carpenter jeans. I pointed at the back of his hand, which bore a tattoo in the shape of the Keepers’ insignia: lady justice. Scales in one hand, sword in the other, blindfolded.
It was a human insignia that the Keepers adopted for themselves, in an attempt to maintain the idea that justice is blind. In their case, justice was not only blind, but mute, deaf, and dumb as well.
He lifted his hand to stare at it and frowned, as if he had forgotten it was there. After a moment, he shrugged it off and smiled. "I'm not on the clock," he responded jovially. "I can be anywhere I want. And talk to whoever I want."
"Got it," I said. "So get back to your lonely drink."
He held up a long glass filled with tree sap, alcohol, a tap of blood and a hint of cherry. It was called a Maiden’s Bluff. I hated the taste of it, but it was a popular favorite.
"It's never lonely when you're drinking next to a be-a-utiful woman," he said, toasting me before taking a long drink.
As he threw his head back, his hair shifted just enough for me to see an angle to his ears. He wasn't human.
About the Author
Writing from a young age, K. Stevens published her first book in June of 2015 in honor of her father, Rod Bayron. A lifetime nerd, animal care-giver, current student of the arts and aspiring ceramist, Stevens has an artistic nature that is akin to a bloodmoon: It shows up once in a while, it's strange and mysterious, and it has a tendency to freak people out.
Her latest book is the magical realism novel, Jules.
For More Information
Everafter
-- EXCERPT: Dying hurt as much as I’d thought it would. My burning lungs begged for relief as air hissed into my nose through a plastic tube. The shallow breaths wheezing out of my mouth somehow tasted like medicine and sweat. They tasted like my life. Instead of violins and the somber music that played on movies in moments like this, I was dying to the soundtrack of beeping monitors and the soft shuffling of my parents’ feet. They moved around our suite quietly, like ghosts, as they waited for me to become one and finally lose to leukemia. We couldn’t afford to stay in this snowy paradise, but my parents didn’t want me to die in a sterile hospital. We’d moved to Lake Placid five months ago to chase another faint glimmer of hope, but the clinical trial had ended like all of the others—with me getting sicker. This time, we weren’t doing anything about it. After five years of giving cancer all we had, my parents had decided that we’d fought too much, cried too much, and hoped too much to do it again. And that was okay. It had to be. My final days were passing in a blur of tearful calls from my grandparents, long stares from my mom and dad, and smiles from my strangely exuberant hospice nurse. Sarah, with her endless energy and joy, was easily my favorite person on the planet. She supplied medicine that stopped me from feeling and long stories that kept me thinking, which made me feel alive. Tonight, she was so busy gabbing about her ballerina days that she’d forgotten a dose of painkillers. I didn’t mention it. As she adjusted my oxygen tube, I stared at her beautiful, pixie-like face and the bright red hair framing it. Her tiny features and permanent smile made her a living fairy to me. My personal Tinkerbelle. “It’s going to happen tonight, isn’t it?” She didn’t answer me. She draped another blanket over my legs without making eye contact. “They gave me a week to live … a week ago.” “Sydney, I don’t want you to be concerned about death. Ever. Only focus on life and the living. Remember that, sweet girl.” What a weird thing to say to an almost-corpse. I didn’t need to remember anything anymore. I laughed at her, and that disturbed my failing lungs. One cough turned into two, and soon Sarah had to hold me as my chest heaved relentlessly. The awful sound summoned my parents to my room. They crept in with red eyes and rivers flowing down their cheeks, wearing yesterday’s clothes. Nothing said that I was dying more than my dad being home. No matter where we moved, he worked, thanks to his special talent of finding a job within a day. He’d emigrated from China with his parents as a kid, and his entire family worked like one day off would mean certain death. So that was what he did—he spent his days toiling at dead-end jobs to barely keep us afloat. Except for today. He squeezed my mom’s hand as they approached my bed. Her long dreads were down and wild tonight, and she looked beautiful despite her swollen face and runny nose. My mom had four piercings in each ear, an effortlessly cool hippy style, and a thick Trinidadian accent. Once, I’d wanted to be just like her, but now, I didn’t know what being like her meant other than crying a lot and receiving bad news. “Mr. and Mrs. Long,” Sarah said, “I was just about to give Sydney her medicine. She’ll be asleep soon, and you don’t look like you’ve gotten much rest. I can watch her tonight.” “Sarah,” I whispered, as my chest finally calmed. “Go home. Your shift is over.” She pressed her warm hand to my cheek. I could’ve sworn, for a moment, I felt completely okay.
GIVEAWAY! Title: Her Daring Seal (Midnight Delta Book 5) Author: Caitlyn O'Leary Genre: Military Romance Release Date: May 10, 2016 Synopsis A WOMAN WILLING TO RISK EVERYTHING Rylie Jones is on a desperate quest to single-handedly take down a human trafficking ring. At last, she knows she’s close to accomplishing her goal when her younger siblings discover her secret double life, and all hell breaks loose. DETERMINED DEFENDER Darius “Dare” Stanton has been trying to find Rylie since he had first met her six months ago. Worried she’s already claimed a piece of his heart, he’s now worried she’s in over her head. When he finally finds her, he’s going to make sure that Rylie is protected. UNDERCOVER LOVERS After one of Rylie’s younger brothers figures out a way to contact Dare’s Navy SEAL Team there’s only one option…Rylie and Dare will have to go undercover as lovers. Surrounded by spies and ruthless killers, they have to protect the captive women they find and manage to survive as their passion blazes out of control.Purchase your copy today! Excerpt “Char, you need to get out of the house more,” Sawyer admonished. “Go out with Ashley. She’s been calling you, and you keep turning her down. What’s the deal?” “They’re all into boys.” Charlotte touched the napkin to her lips. “I’m fine if they want to date boys, but they’re sleeping with them. We’re only fifteen, for goodness sake.” Rylie shuddered. Really, she never thought to have ‘the talk’ with either Sawyer or Charlotte. She had so fucked up. “Do you two know about birth control?” Rylie asked tentatively. “Do you?” Sawyer shot back. “Sure she does. Don’t you remember her with Roger? She dated him for almost a year, and she didn’t get pregnant,” Charlotte said. Rylie stared at her aghast. “That doesn’t mean anything,” Sawyer countered. “You know they slept together, she tried to hide it, but she spent the night over at his house, so I’m sure they were having sex,” Char explained to Sawyer patiently. “Therefore, she was using birth control effectively.” Rylie pushed her plate aside and hit her head against the table. “You didn’t see the pregnancy test she threw away in the bathroom trash,” Sawyer disagreed. “Obviously, Rylie had some issues with her birth control.” Rylie hit her head against the table again and moaned. “I’m sure she would do better now,” Char said soothingly as she patted Rylie’s back. “Maybe.” Sawyer tapped Rylie on her head. “So are you on the pill?” “You mean you haven’t checked the bathroom shelves?” Rylie asked. “I don’t think there’s been anyone since Roger,” Charlotte said. “Which is good, he was way too old and a little creepy.” “She was looking for a father figure,” Sawyer said as he went back to shoveling food into his mouth. “Enough!” Rylie stood up. “Condoms. You need to use condoms. We don’t need any babies. The house is too small. Yes, Roger was way too old.” She stalked down the hallway to Georgie’s room. “Rylie, look, Ferris wheels,” he said pointing to his iPad. She sat down on the bed beside the little boy, who meant the world to her, and looked at the Ferris wheel on the screen. She waited to see if he was in the mood to be touched again, or if he wasn’t. Georgie might be only seven years old, but it was important to respect his boundaries, and even though she so wanted to hold him in her lap, she needed to see if it was what he wanted. He snuggled up to her side, still enthralled with the video. Score one for Team Rylie. She picked him up and settled him in her arms. It took another twenty minutes before the video she had created came to an end. “Do you want to watch it again, Georgie, or do you want to play Jenga?” She loved it when she could get him to interact. He shook his head. “Words, Georgie.” He shook his head again. She didn’t say anything. He knew the rules. She waited. Finally, he said, “Jenga.” “That sounds like fun.” She set him on the floor, and got down with him. She pulled the game out from under his bed. Rylie let him open the box and watched as he put everything together just to his liking. “Who starts?” “Me,” he said barely looking into her eyes, but he did look up. She grinned. “Did you miss me, Georgie?” “You should stay. I want you to stay with me forever. Like the stars stay in the sky, except for the falling ones.” He pulled out the first piece. “I don’t like things that fall. I don’t want you to fall. You do scary things, Rylie.” It always amazed her when he spoke in full sentences. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, it was often profound. Like now. She looked at him. Georgie once again saw things he shouldn’t be able to, it was like he was on a different plane with his autism that made him a little more sensitive, more in-tune with other things. “I’m safe, Georgie, you don’t have to worry about me.” This time, he did look at her directly. “Don’t lie. Lying is bad.” Fuck. Were all of the kids going to call her on her shit today? Was it ‘Pick on Rylie Day’ and she just hadn’t been told? Her stomach grumbled, and she felt the effect of the cheese on the eggs. Yep, it was definitely ‘Pick on Rylie Day.’About The Author Caitlyn O'Leary is an avid reader, and considers herself a fan first and an author second. She reads a wide variety of genres, but finds herself going back to happily-ever-afters. Getting a chance to write, after years in corporate America is a dream come true. She hopes that her stories provide the kind of entertainment and escape that she has found from some of her favorite authors. 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