Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 3

Interview with Aileen Erin, INVOCATION

Invocation
Aileen Erin
(Days of Iron and Clay, #1)
Publication date: March 19th 2024
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult

From USA Today Bestselling Author Aileen Erin comes an all-new action-packed, romance-filled paranormal series.

There are three things I know without question.

One: demons are real.

Two: humans make awful mistakes that get them in demonic trouble more often than you’d think.

And three: I’m the only one who can help them.

I straddle the line between the mortal and spiritual realms every day. People might think they’re two different places, but they’re not. They lay on top of each other. It’s messy, and that’s why so many people need my help. Since I was little, I’ve been called all kinds of names—unusual, abnormal, even insane. Which is fitting, since they keep throwing me in to mental facilities. I’ve been in and out of them my entire life.

But no matter what people say, no matter what I’m risking, I will always help those in need.

Because there’s an endless war carrying on all around us, every minute of every day. One that can’t be seen by mortal eyes. But I can see it, the spiritual battle for mortal souls, and I’m working hard to make sure my father is on the losing side. He — Astaroth, Satan’s general— is why I can do this. He’s why I’m not normal. I can’t have friends, a life, or a boyfriend. I won’t be selfish enough to drag someone into this fight. But I’m not lonely. Not exactly. I have my mom. She’s my rock, my best friend, my partner. She helps me do what needs to be done, and she’s never afraid when it feels like I’m always afraid.

Because I hear my father whispering my name each night, his taunts echoing through the spiritual realm. He’s hunting me, and I know the day will come when I must face him again.

Every portal I open could be the one that finally pulls me back to Hell, and I wonder if I will brave enough, strong enough, good enough to fight him.

My name is Samantha Catherine Lopez, and I am Nephilim. This is my story.

**Fans of the Alpha Girls series will love this new series set in the same world, with a few familiar faces, but you DO NOT have to have read a single word of the Alpha Girls series to enjoy Samantha’s story.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

 Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

INVOCATION is the first in a spin-off of my USA Today bestselling Alpha Girls series. Samantha Lopez—first seen in Being Alpha, and then again in Alpha Erased—is the focus of the series. She’s a girl who can see and interact with the spiritual realm. She’s known to be the resident demonologist for the local wolf pack, her found family from Alpha Girls. INVOCATION is spooky and action-packed, with a slow-burn romance.  You can also catch an early Samantha story in the short story anthology, Two More Days, put together by Colleen Hoover.

Do you have a favorite character?

Usually, my favorite character is the one that I’m writing. I really do love Samantha. But I think my favorite character that I’ve written is Amihanna from the Aunare Chronicles. 

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

No. I had too many friends burned by the process. So, after graduating with my MFA, I decided to go the indie route!

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?

I decided to go indie when I graduated with my MFA. I saw a huge opportunity for growth in 2012-2013, and I liked the idea of having more control over my career. I liked being able to decide when I wanted to publish something and what I wanted to publish. I also loved the idea of picking my own covers and handling everything myself. I’d had too many traditionally published friends with horror stories. Traditional was a bit of a last resort for me. 

I decided to form my own small publishing company with another author. Together, we made a business plan + a marketing plan. With that, we were able to land a distribution deal, and that has made all the difference in my indie career.  

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I like to listen to music, but nothing with too many lyrics. Mostly, electronic, ambient, or modern classical. I like a quiet, comfy spot, noise-cancelling headphones, and Scrivener. I usually write for 4-5 hours/day. I would write more, but I’m a mom who also has to go pick up a kiddo from school!

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

YES!!! I have a developmental editor, who helps me as I’m writing. Think big picture: plot points, description, character arcs, etc. And I have a copyeditor. Think small picture: typos, grammar, etc.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Since I’m with a big distributor, I’m able to have my books at ALL retailers! You can get it online pretty much anywhere books are sold. I also sell directly through my website at www.aileenerin.com.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?

It’s always a careful balance! I find marketing pulls from the same well as writing, so I have to schedule it out on a certain day. Or set aside a little bit of time for it every day, depending on where I am in my launch schedule. Otherwise, it’ll take everything from my writing.

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?

Reading! I read about 3-4 books/wk. I used to have a bigger habit, but with the kiddo, time just flies by. 

What’s next for you?

I’m writing the currently unnamed second book in the Days of Iron and Clay series which will hopefully come out this winter. I’m also writing the first book in an all new Romantasy series, set for some time in 2025. 

Author Bio:

Aileen Erin is half-Irish, half-Mexican, and 100% nerd–from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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<div style="text-align: center; margin: 0 auto 15px;"><p><a href="http://xpressobooktours.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.xpressobooktours.com/wp-c..." alt="" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;"></a></p></div><img src="https://www.xpressobooktours.com/wp-c..." alt="" style="float: left; margin: 0 15px 15px 0; display: inline-block;"><p><strong>Invocation</strong><br><strong>Aileen Erin</strong><br>(Days of Iron and Clay, #1)<br>Publication date: March 19th 2024<br>Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult</p><blockquote><p><strong>From <em>USA Today</em> Bestselling Author Aileen Erin comes an all-new action-packed, romance-filled paranormal series.</strong></p><p>There are three things I know without question.</p><p>One: demons are real.</p><p>Two: humans make awful mistakes that get them in demonic trouble more often than you’d think.</p><p>And three: <strong>I’m the only one who can help them.</strong></p><p>I straddle the line between the mortal and spiritual realms every day. People might think they’re two different places, but they’re not. They lay on top of each other. It’s messy, and that’s why so many people need my help. Since I was little, I’ve been called all kinds of names—<em>unusual, abnormal, even insane</em>. Which is fitting, since they keep throwing me in to mental facilities. I’ve been in and out of them my entire life.</p><p><strong>But no matter what people say, no matter what I’m risking, I will always help those in need.</strong></p><p>Because there’s an endless war carrying on all around us, every minute of every day. One that can’t be seen by mortal eyes. But I can see it, the spiritual battle for mortal souls, and I’m working hard to make sure my father is on the losing side. He — <em>Astaroth, Satan’s general</em>— is why I can do this. He’s why I’m not normal. I can’t have friends, a life, or a boyfriend. I won’t be selfish enough to drag someone into this fight. But I’m not lonely. Not exactly. I have my mom. She’s my rock, my best friend, my partner. She helps me do what needs to be done, and she’s never afraid when it feels like I’m always afraid.</p><p><strong>Because I hear my father whispering my name each night, his taunts echoing through the spiritual realm. He’s hunting me, and I know the day will come when I must face him again.</strong></p><p>Every portal I open could be the one that finally pulls me back to Hell, and I wonder if I will <em>brave enough, strong enough, good enough</em> to fight him.</p><p><strong>My name is Samantha Catherine Lopez, and I am Nephilim. This is my story.</strong></p><p><em>**Fans of the Alpha Girls series will love this new series set in the same world, with a few familiar faces, but you DO NOT have to have read a single word of the Alpha Girls series to enjoy Samantha’s story. </em></p></blockquote><p style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1..." target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://amzn.to/3T9UUSh" target="_blank">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/invo..." target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/invoc..." target="_blank">iBooks</a></p><p><br class="blank" /></p><img src="https://www.xpressobooktours.com/wp-c..." alt="" style="float: left; margin: 0 15px 15px 0; display: inline-block;"><blockquote style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px;"><p>Author Bio:</p><p>Aileen Erin is half-Irish, half-Mexican, and 100% nerd–from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://inkmonster.net/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..." target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/inkmonster.net" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/aileen_erin" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p></blockquote><p><br class="blank" /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>GIVEAWAY!</strong><br /><a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp..." rel="nofollow" data-raflid="d04251235700" data-theme="classic" data-template="5655a8e7a10e8a6c420b26cc" id="rcwidget_j0ba0wdp">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br /><script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com... style="text-align: center;">—<br /><a href="https://xpressobooktours.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img style="max-width: 65%; height: auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" src="https://www.xpressobooktours.com/wp-c..." /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">

Interview with Robert A. Walker, SIX MOONS, SEVEN GODS

 

 

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

Six Moons, Seven Gods is the first book in “The Legends of Baelon” series. It’s a medieval fantasy adventure with shades of romance and grimdark. 

 

The skilled thieves of the Takers Guild plot to overthrow the kingdoms of Baelon, but when their plans are thwarted by a prescient woman and her brooding daughter, they must turn to the League of Assassins for assistance. Meanwhile, retired royal guard Rolft Aerns returns to the palace of King Axil with an old score to settle. When they all cross paths–and swords–in the dark shadows of Fostead’s south end, nothing is as it seems and the murder count rises quickly.

 

“One must be careful practicing deception. The easiest to deceive will always be one’s self.” Welcome to the world of Baelon, where loyalty and treachery live under the same roof; where friendships are tested, true love is made to wait, and dangerous secrets are held close to allegiant hearts!

 

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

I did, but I was clueless at the time. I thought that someone would just read my manuscript and consider it for publication. I had no idea that most publishers only work through agents, nor did I realize how difficult it would be to get an agent to take an interest in me. When I first started querying, I had no website, no social media presence, no polished outline of my novel. I received a ton of rejections based solely on my lack of preparation, so I eventually decided to self-publish my first book. 

 

Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?

I’ll be self-publishing the sequel to “Six Moons, Seven Gods”, but following that I hope to be in a much better position to seek representation from agents. Depending on how successful the first two novels have been, I may try the traditional publishing route again. 

 

If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover? 

I was quite involved. I had a pretty good sense of what I wanted the cover to look like, so I provided the designer with a crude sketch and description. He took a first cut at it, which was very good, and we went back and forth a few times from there.

Do you regularly send out a newsletter? How are you recruiting new subscribers? Do you have a reader magnet?

I don’t have a newsletter yet (just another example of my steep learning curve). It’s something I’m actually working on now. I’ve just created an account with MailerLite, and I’m looking forward to adding an email subscription popup to my author website.

 

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I write best when I’m alone, and there are no distractions, and I tend to be more productive at night. The words flow more freely then, especially if I’m listening to music; I have a favorite playlist that I’ll write to, and it’s mostly sad ballads. I also know that if I’m working on a storyline, or trying to figure out some tricky plot twist, I’m most successful when lying on my back in the dark. Not sure why that is!

 

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

I’ve worked both ways. I don’t want to be too restricted by a formal outline, but I have found it helps to have a general sense of where things are going. My first draft of “Six Moons, Seven Gods” was strictly “write as you go”, and that got me into trouble on several occasions, as I would write my characters into predicaments even I could not help them out of!

 

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book? Do you try to write everyday or carve out certain times during the week?

It’s super challenging for me. There’s never enough time to write, and the marketing effort is quite time-consuming and addictive in its own way. I try to carve out time for both each week, if not each day. But there are definitely days when one is neglected due to my being absorbed by the other.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?

Three pieces of advice: first, writing’s a journey. Don’t look too far ahead. Focus on your passion and the here and now. Write, write, write, and enjoy the traveling, one step at a time. Had I known early on what it would take to be published, and all the work involved in getting one’s book into the hands of readers, I might never have finished my first novel, let alone started it. I was so naïve to think that--you know--if you write something worthwhile, someone’s going to want to publish it, and people will then read it. Simple, right? The truth, of course, is so much more complex and challenging, regardless of whether you are trying to secure the representation of a traditional publishing firm, or you have decided to self-publish. Unless your intended audience is limited to friends and family, finishing your novel (quite the accomplishment in and of itself) is only half the battle. So my advice is to take it slowly and enjoy the journey—don’t peek too soon or too closely behind the publishing world’s thick curtain lest that cause you to turn back. Tackled one issue at a time, none of it as overwhelming or intimidating as the big picture first appears; there’s lots of support out there, and if you persevere, all those little challenges just make reaching your destination that much more rewarding. Carry on!

 

My second counsel is to listen to your heart while you are writing. Mine will generally tell me when I’m on the right track, and when I’ve gotten lost. The characters and scenes that I have been most engaged with during the creative process typically turn out to be those that readers also find most entertaining. So now, when I find myself slogging through some piece that I don’t find particularly exciting or enjoyable to write, I ask myself: why is that? Am I asking the reader to suffer with me? Is there not something I can do to the storyline or character to make writing (and reading) this more entertaining?

 

Lastly, I strongly suggest that you read your work aloud and slowly, either to yourself or to an interested listener. You’ll be surprised at the number of errors and opportunities that expose themselves. This advice was given me by my father, a professional editor by trade, and I have benefited from it ever since.

 

Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?

Dogs over cats. My best friend growing up was a beagle, and there’s almost always been a dog or two in my house (currently a Labradoodle and an Australian Cobberdog). Chocolate over vanilla for sure—one of my “go to” snacks during writing is a handful of cashews with one or two chocolate raisins in the mix! And there’s nothing better than a hot fudge sundae, right? I’ll pass on coffee and tea, despite my British heritage. Talk instead of text, as the latter tends to increase the opportunity for misinterpretation; and despite my penchant for writing at night, I’m more of a morning person overall.

Amazon buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/MOONS-SEVEN-GODS-Legends-Baelon-ebook/dp/B0CJ5ZG487

Barnes and Noble buy link:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/six-moons-seven-gods-walker/1144209306
Target: https://www.target.com/p/six-moons-seven-gods-by-walker-paperback/-/A-91007114
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551750255281

 

Author Bio:

Robert A. Walker grew up in Northwestern Massachusetts. After graduating college, he packed his scant belongings in a car with rusted-out floorboards and headed west. He’s lived in California ever since, and now resides along the Pacific Ocean with his wife and dogs. When not fabricating stories, he can be found roaming local tennis courts or working on a never-ending list of DIY house projects. Information regarding Robert’s current writing projects can be found at rawalkerwriting.com.

 

 

#Excerpt: STOLEN BY THE BILLIONAIRE by Blair Babylon

Stolen by the Billionaire
Blair Babylon
(Twisted Billionaires, #5)
Publication date: March 5th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

From USA Today bestselling author Blair Babylon comes a new edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense thriller between an Iowa farm girl and the ex-Navy SEAL billionaire who kidnaps her.

I am an American Navy SEAL, and I will not be blackmailed by a goddamn Russian mafia boss.

Years ago, I parlayed a loan into a billion-dollar crypto fortune. The head of the White Russian Syndicate is demanding I pay it back in illegal military-grade weapons, but I won’t. I will not be responsible for adding to the misery of innocents.

It’s time to hit back at the head of the White Russian Syndicate.

So I kidnap the mafia boss’s niece.

Who I did not realize is my best friend’s estranged little sister.

Who he’s never mentioned.

Not even once.

Sarah is a sweet little hayseed right off her Iowa farm, but when the mafia boss decides she’s a liability to eliminate, she becomes my responsibility to protect.

We’re on the run. But with each passing day, with each attack I defend her from, every hotel room with only one bed, I’m starting to fall for her.

The Russian mafia wants Sarah dead, and her brother is going to murder me when he finds out I’ve gone too far with his sister.

If you like:

✓ Enemies to Lovers

✓✓ Only one bed!

✓✓✓ On the run thrill rides!

✓✓✓✓ Hot, ripped billionaires

✓✓✓✓✓ Spicy stuff with ropes

You’ll love Blair Babylon’s Thrillers that Bang!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blair Babylon writes bestselling romance books that will free your mind. These five star billionaire boss, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, and romantic novels quickly turn into suspense thriller books that will make your pulse pound and soothe your heart. Whether the couple are trapped in a pretend marriage or there’s only one bed, Blair’s books are like romancing your own duke, mister, or billionaire. Some are an ugly cry, some are an affair to remember with a king or a prince, and some are a few shades darker, but all are unputdownable. Fans of E.L. James, Rina Kent, Nicole Snow, Sadie Kincaid, Catharina Maura, and Shantel Tessier will love Blair’s romantic books and romance audiobooks. Set your heart free with this fantastic, complete series!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Blaze

Blaze Robinson crossed his ankle over his knee as he sat in front of his lawyer’s desk, trying to get comfortable but not fidget in the chair that was scaled for someone much smaller than he was. The squat seat made his knees stick up like a grasshopper, and his shoulders were broader than the chair’s back. He growled, “I am an American Navy SEAL, and I will not be blackmailed by a goddamn Russian mafia boss.”

The lawyer behind the desk, Bình Huong, broke eye contact and looked down at the letter and documents he was holding. The corner of the paper in his hands wavered, and his fingers tightened. His hair on the top of his head stuck up where it had been cut too short. “This Mary Varvara Bell, whom you say is involved in organized crime, never specifically threatens you with physical harm in the letter. If she had, I would’ve recommended that you take it directly to the FBI.”

Blaze bent one elbow, squeezing his bicep. His suit jacket tightened around his arm, and he rubbed his chin. “We will not be involving the authorities.”

Dealings with foreign agents like Russian oligarchs could get his Top Secret security clearance revoked, even unwilling dealings.

“I’m shocked that she rejected your settlement offers,” the lawyer said. “They were overly generous, assuming she doesn’t want to go to court.”

“She knows I won’t.”

The lawyer glanced up at Blaze again before he hurriedly shuffled the papers on his desk. “I can’t believe a competent attorney allowed you to sign this loan.”

Blaze shrugged. “I didn’t have a lawyer. I was twenty years old and fresh out of BUD/S.” The elation and trauma of surviving the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training course, also called “A” school, had colored his perception with a blue sheen of invincibility for months. “I owned nothing except a few uniforms and my boots. It seemed low risk at the time.”

“But then the original signatory, Stanley Bell, died, and Mary Varvara Bell inherited the company.”

“Confiscated his assets in a hostile takeover is more like it,” Blaze muttered. She’d taken over the White Russian Syndicate in a maneuver like a military coup.

“And now she’s threatening you with fulfilling the conditions of this contract.” The attorney flipped his gaze up to meet Blaze’s eyes again. “You haven’t disclosed your financials to me, so I’m unsure what to recommend. Most career military people wouldn’t be able to come up with the money to purchase what she’s demanding unless they had invested the initial loan in something with a thousand-percent return,” he chuckled.

Blaze didn’t answer. He had accountants for financial advice.

The attorney rifled through the pages, referring from one text block to another. “The list of her demands in lieu of your assets will run to millions of dollars if not many millions. It’s twenty times more than what the initial zero-interest loan was for.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“I’m not even sure that some of these weapons she wants are legal,” Huong muttered.

Blaze knew a lot about weapons. “Some are not legal to buy or possess here in Illinois, but it’s relatively easy to purchase the equipment in other states or, for a few, other countries.”

Huong looked over the top of the pages at Blaze, his eyebrows raised in exasperation. “Is she trying to set herself up like Blackwater, or Academi, or whatever they’re calling themselves these days? This list looks like she wants to equip a private mercenary force. I mean, private warfare is a lucrative field, but this can’t be legal.”

“I could not discern her motives from the letter.”

This time, the lawyer stared straight at Blaze. “But you know why she wants military-grade weapons like this.”

Blaze didn’t know, but he had theories. The lawyer didn’t have a need to know his thoughts on the matter, so he just shrugged again.

All the possible reasons for Bell demanding that particular shopping list were detrimental for the world and the US, which meant Blaze’s US Navy SEAL brothers-in-arms would be in harm’s way if she got those weapons.

And that was unacceptable.

Damn, he wished he’d refused that stupid loan all those years ago. Nothing was free in this world. Nothing was even cheap.

Huong went back to scanning the documents. “All right, let’s go through the three basic parts of a contract, just in case we can break it. There is an offer and an acceptance on your and Stanley Bell’s parts, so it’s a quid pro quo agreement. That’s two of the requirements.”

Blaze waited. He could outwait anything. He’d spent fifteen hours curled around a sniper rifle one time, waiting for a terrorist to come out of a building, and he’d made the shot.

The lawyer continued, “As for consideration, the third component of a legal and binding contract, both the loan and repayment were something of value, so that just leaves your competence. You signed the contract when you were of legal age to do so and weren’t inebriated or otherwise compromised, right?”

Blaze nodded. He’d been stone-cold sober. Stanley Bell, the Malefactor, had been drunk. Mary Varvara Bell would waive that stipulation if he tried to take her to court over it, so it didn’t count.

“You received the money from Mr. Stanley Bell, Mary Varvara Bell’s predecessor in the company White Holdings LLC, so that fulfills their end of the contract and makes you liable for the later repayment clause. The contract is with the company, not with Mr. Bell, so you were not released from the debt when Stanley Bell died.”

That was where Blaze had made his mistake. When the Malefactor had died, he’d breathed a sigh of relief.

All four of them had erred in their supposed liberation. Tristan “Twist” King, Micah Shine, Logan Bell, and he had partied on Twist’s yacht in Monaco and toasted Stanley Bell’s probable descent into Hell.

But they’d breathed easy too soon.

The Devil always comes to collect a debt.

The lawyer shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Robinson, but you need to liquidate all your assets and possessions and turn everything you own over to White Holdings. Otherwise, you’d have to figure out how to purchase this dictator’s wish list of weapons, ammunition, and sundry military items, including military-grade body armor and devices, and we both know that’s impossible.”

Not impossible. Just morally reprehensible.

And irresponsible on a global scale.

An irritated twinge snapped the corner of Blaze’s eye, and he rubbed the lid to dispel it.

Acquiring the military supplies and dumping them on Bell’s doorstep to discharge the debt wasn’t an option for Blaze. The guilt and shame would’ve been like his father was in the room and commenting on his homework or Little League game.

Huong tapped the documents on the desk, straightening the edges, and held the sheaf of paper out to him over the desk. “As your lawyer, I would advise you to discuss it with your financial advisors and determine which amount is less. If purchasing an army’s worth of weapons is less than your total net worth, then I would advise you to fulfill the contract. If your net worth is less, liquidate everything, hand it to her, and walk away. You’re young, not even twenty-seven. You have time to recover from this financial setback. Unfortunately, a lawyer can do little after a contract has been signed, particularly a contract as airtight as this one. Those are the rules.”

Blaze’s hands rested gently on the arms of the chair, not clutching, not cramping. His body was at ease, as were his mind and heart. “Rules? What rules are those?”

The lawyer shook his head like he was as exasperated by his uselessness as Blaze was. “Fighting this contract in court would be a waste of your money in lawyers’ fees. The outcome will be the same. Sorry, Mr. Robinson. I don’t make the rules.”

Rules. Fuck rules.

Blaze stood and straightened the slacks of the Armani suit he’d worn into the lawyer’s office. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Huong.”

The lawyer rose and extended his hand for a concluding handshake. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. If you need someone to draw up an NDA or negotiate with White Holdings on your behalf for a payment plan or time for you to liquidate, I can do that. I’m sorry I don’t have better options for you, but the only rational option is conceding.”

Blaze wrapped his much larger hand around the attorney’s and looked down at his lawyer. “A Navy SEAL always has options.”

“Contractually, you don’t. I’m sorry, but there’s no way you can win this fight in court.”

Like hell.

Out of sheer force of habit, Blaze recited, “No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how far I fall, I am never out of the fight.”

Huong jerked his hand out of Blaze’s grip and shuffled back from his desk, presumably out of Blaze’s reach.

Blaze didn’t realize he had growled the common inspirational SEAL quote until he noticed microdroplets of sweat welling from the pores on Huong’s nose and cheekbones and felt the dampness of the lawyer’s hand in his own palm.

Dammit, Blaze hadn’t meant to scare the guy. The lawyer was just doing his job.

Huong stared at his hands splayed on the wood of his desk. “Always a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Robinson.”

Blaze nodded. “Likewise.”

He turned and left the office, walking through the rotating door of the lobby and into the Midwestern summer morning.

Sunlight reflected off the mirrored buildings crowding downtown Chicago, and a cool breeze skidded over Lake Erie and threaded through the grid of streets. A park down by the waterfront was lush with dark green grass and June flowers.

Signing that deal with the Devil seven years ago had been one of the greatest mistakes of Blaze’s life, but he would be damned if he’d go down without a fight.

Rules.

In warfare, the larger force dictated the rules of engagement.

US Navy SEALs were always the smaller fighting force, so a Navy SEAL was taught that they must break the rules to win.

Blaze knew how to break the rules. All the rules. Every time.

Mary Varvara Bell had threatened him, so he’d threaten something of hers.

Author Bio:

"I'm passionate about books and literature. Books delve into what it means to be human and connect us to each other. I write intense, deeply imagined romance novels for serious readers because the world needs more love." ~~Blair Babylon

Blair Babylon is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author who used to publish literary fiction. Because professional reviews of her other fiction usually included the caveat that there was too much deviant sex and too much interesting plot, she decided to abandon all literary pretensions, let her freak flag fly, and write hot, sexy, suspenseful romance.

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#Excerpt: THE FORGER AND THE DUKE by Misty Urban

The Forger and the Duke
Misty Urban
(Ladies Least Likely, #2)
Publication date: March 5th 2024
Genres: Adult, Historical, Romance

In 1776 London, orphaned vicar’s daughter Amaranthe Illingworth supports her small household with her skills as a copyist, but her quiet routine is shattered the day three children show up at her door seeking aid from her brother, their tutor. Behind them storms in Malden Grey, would-be barrister and their erstwhile guardian, who accuses Amaranthe of kidnapping the young Duke of Hunsdon and his siblings.

The former duke’s illegitimate son, Malden Grey has learned to live by his wits, and he’s told he’ll advance to the bar if he takes a proper wife. As she helps him restore order at Hunsdon House, Amaranthe seems a likely candidate—if only Mal can unearth the truth behind the rumors that she’s been forging, and selling, priceless medieval manuscripts. Amaranthe, in the meantime, needs to stay on her guard lest the charming Malden Grey steal her heart at the same time she’s hoping to borrow from his library a priceless book that could make her fortune.

But when Mal’s foray into Amaranthe’s past yields a discovery that will change both of their destinies, they’ll have to fight together to clear their names and stake out a future together—if either has a future at all.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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EXCERPT:

She set the portrait gently in its place. Mal battled the impulse to take those cool, capable fingers and press them against his aching head.

“And where is your mother now?” Her steady, fathomless gaze rested on him.

“She died when I was young.” Dear Lord, he was becoming sentimental. He pushed the weakness aside. “You are coming to know a great deal about us, Miss Illingworth, and I know very little about you.”

Her eyes crinkled as she smiled widely, and Mal cast about for breath. “We have not even been properly introduced.”

“Malden Grey of Bristol, aspiring to the bar.” He held out his hand.

“Malden,” she said, and a silken quality in her voice made him shudder, as did the slide of her fingers as she placed them in his.

“You haven’t told me your name.” His voice roughed his chest.

“Miss Amaranthe Illingworth of St. Cleer, Cornwall. My father was very fond of classical antiquity, so he chose a Greek name for me.” She held the volume of housekeeper’s accounts close to her chest, like a shield.

He sat back. She appeared completely unconcerned to learn he was a bastard, the status he wore like a brand on his forehead, marking him as less than, as lacking.

She rose, and he scrambled to his feet. Very neatly she placed her glass on the shelf beneath the decanter. Her eyes traced the figurines above, all of them representing mythological half-women with breasts prominently displayed.

“They’re not mine,” Mal said.

That small, maddening smile quirked her lips again. “No, they are young Hunsdon’s now, I imagine. I’ve seen this and worse among some of the medieval marginalia I’ve copied, Mr. Grey. You wouldn’t believe some of the grotesques those monks could dream up. I suppose it comes from being locked away day after day with no company but other men.”

That was his problem as well, Mal decided. Too much time in the company of other men. That was why she riled his senses so potently.

He moved around the desk toward her as she stepped away. “I can drive you tomorrow. When you make inquiries about hiring servants. What time shall I bring the carriage round?”

She hesitated, and her face went studiously blank. A slither across the back of his neck told him this was the expression she assumed when she was withholding something. He was beginning to recognize it.

“Eyde made up a room for me here,” she said. “Do you mind?”

“Of course not. There are dozens of rooms.” Or so he thought. Hunsdon House was not his, as nothing about the Hunsdon estate was to be his—not even the family name—and so he’d never let much of it occupy his attention.

Mal wondered which room Miss Illingworth would select for her own. Did she see her silk-smooth skin as best set off by the draperies in the Blue Room? Would she choose the Oriental patterns of the Jade Room? Or would she, like an empress of old, demand the royal purple? He imagined her nearby in the house going about her nightly routine, taking down her hair, drawing off her prim robe, perhaps splashing water onto her face that would run down that softly stern neck to the collarbones hidden beneath her gown and—

He’d best stop imagining Miss Illingworth at her ablutions. He was about to embarrass himself.

“Till tomorrow then, Miss Illingworth.” Had she said he could call her Amaranthe? He wanted to roll the name over his tongue. It was exotic, yet robust. A name with command and presence, much like the woman.

Good Lord! That brandy had turned his wits. He was behaving like a moonstruck calf. No, worse.

“Till tomorrow,” she said softly, and her gaze held his. The flickering candlelight brought out violet shadows in her eyes, and all the air left Mal’s body. He wanted to be found worthy of that calm, assessing gaze.

There was no way she would ever find him worthy.

The door shut behind her, and Mal smacked a hand to his head to clear it. He’d best bring himself in order. They had business to conduct. Problems to solve.

She had secrets he wanted very much to discover.

He had gotten his first good look at Miss Amaranthe Illingworth. He wanted a second. And a third.

Author Bio:

Misty Urban is a medieval scholar, freelance editor, and college professor who likes to write stories about misbehaving women who find adventure and romance. She holds an MFA and Ph.D. from Cornell University and lives in the Midwest in a little town on a big river.

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#Excerpt: THE EDGE by Jim McGhee

The Edge
Jim McGhee
(DI Barney Mains, #5)
Publication date: February 28th 2024
Genres: Adult, Thriller

DI Barney Mains blames himself for the grotesque murder of a top banker in France.

He’s obsessed with the belief that he allowed a near-mythical assassin to escape certain death to kill again.

And when a duplicate murder is reported 1000 miles away in Barney’s home town in Scotland, the guilt drives him ever closer to the edge.

How many more must pay the ultimate price for his failure?

But then death comes closer to home. He is left with no choice but to face his demons, before a shocking confrontation which will change everything…

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Barney controlled his breathing as he stepped into the room. Wary of sending shadows across that blind, he shone his phone torch onto the floor and started to step carefully around the perimeter of a worn carpet.

There was a small kitchen area on the wall to his right and a fold-down bed on the facing wall. He stopped and dared raise his torch a tad. The bed was empty and neatly made.

He moved around, past an open toilet door, and relaxed a little in the knowledge that this looked like a studio flat, which meant there were no other rooms to check, no need to risk staying too long.

He continued to step into the pool of light until he reached the third wall. He stopped dead. Why the hell would anyone take up this much space in a small flat by installing a bloody great chest freezer? And how could someone who’d been reduced to living in such mean accommodation afford to fill the bugger anyway?

Barney thought these were very interesting questions. But there was another. Why had he fitted a padlock to it?

Well, of course there was a logical explanation. Maybe the man who lived here made his living buying and selling meat. There were so many food shops and restaurants in the area that the logic was inescapable and Barney wanted to like it.

Breaking into a flat was one thing but breaking into a freezer full of meat would be just plain silly. And he badly needed to be gone.

He flicked the patch of light along the floor to the fourth wall, the one with the window. There seemed to be a desk and chair here. He looked closer. Yes, a desk, or rather a make-up table, with a trio of fixed mirrors. He felt that chill run down his back, the one which knew things before he did. It was the kind of table he’d seen Jack use when transforming himself into a movie legend. The Ghost too was said to be a master of disguise.

Had Barney, by going to an AA meeting then following its worthy Leader to this place, discovered the dragon’s lair? But why here and why had he been a regular at such meetings? Unless he was quite simply hiding in plain sight, where no-one would think to look for him. He could return here as Alec and leave as whoever he chose for his next commission. But if so, why would he let the Leader come and go so freely?

Barney knew he was staying too long. He needed to get out before someone returned. And yet, the mystery of the freezer intrigued him.

In such a room, in such a place, a locked freezer?

He took a big breath and realised how tense he was. But he’d come this far and rightly or wrongly he sensed that the freezer was significant.

The thought made him so cold that he might have been inside that big white box. Was he really going to add this next crime to drink driving and housebreaking?

‘Ach, what the hell,’ he said out loud for courage, then pulled out his lock picks again. Now, all he had to do was lift the lid and confirm the contents as lamb chops and steaks before making his escape and laughing at himself as the complete fool that he was.

He paused. He felt both disoriented and exhilarated; shitting himself and screaming inside with some crazed sense of liberation. He was in the forbidden land, beyond the laws he’d spent his adult life enforcing.

The scariest thing, he realised as he pulled open the lid and rested it against the wall, was that he liked it.

At first glance, it looked like the opaque plastic sheet could very well cover nothing more than the stock products of a meat trader.

He reached across to his left to grab the far corner then carefully drew it towards him so that he could put it back in more or less the same position.

He shone his torch. Shit! His gut clenched. A human face stared blankly back at him from within a clear plastic bag.

Barney pulled the cover all the way to his right.

The man, maybe aged around forty, had no obvious injuries and was dressed like half the world, in faded jeans, denim jacket and trainers. He had clear plastic bags over his hands.

But it was that stony, bloodless face like porcelain which drew him. For this could, after all, be the face in the sketch, the face which haunted him.

Author Bio:

Jim McGhee's a former award-winning environmental journalist.

Formerly based in East Lothian, near Edinburgh, Scotland, he is now mainly to be found in Nice in the South of France, the main setting for his DI Barney Mains series.

After a full-on career as a campaigning newspaper reporter, he and wife Jean launched their own recruitment company in central Edinburgh and for twelve fun-packed years worked closely together alongside their brilliant team - without spilling a single drop of blood.

The Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments, on the other hand, have provided a host of dramatic locations just perfect as inspiration for the odd spot of fictional gore.

Locals, blessed with scenery ranging from unspoilt mountain villages to the classic palms-and-marinas coast, claim that they can be swimming one moment and ski-ing a little over an hour later. It's a claim not yet put to the test!

Besides, when not writing or travelling, Jim's more likely to be off on a hike in the hills with his ever-ready buddy, Jack the Irish Terrier.

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#Excerpt: AWAKENING by Elexis Bell

Awakening
Elexis Bell
(The Regonia Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: February 20th 2024
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

Tortured by memories implanted by his captors, Krona knows only one thing. He must find Tenna, his partner, his Queen. She can’t be dead. But when Ricardo, one of his human guards, tells him she’s alive on another space station, the truth might be just as painful as their lies.

With her memories missing and her planet supposedly destroyed, Tenna struggles to acclimate to life among humans. Olivia, a spaceship pilot and hacker, does her best to help. When a guard shows up with an alien Tenna knows she’s seen before, it’s obvious things aren’t what they seem.

When they learn that family ties bind enemy and ally, Krona and Tenna can only hope the honor they see in their human friends is strong enough to overcome blood. Can they work together to save themselves, their minds, and their tribe? Or will they lose everything?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

Ricardo
I sit on the bench in Francis’ quarters, peering out the window at the black expanse of space. I pull my leg up underneath me as she plops onto her bed. My eyes focus on her reflection for an instant, drawn to the flash of her red hair, but I return my gaze to the stars.
After working some magic on her Link to loop camera and recorder feeds from her room, she says, “Okay. We’re good. Now, what’s wrong?”
I turn to face her, stomach in knots.
“Something isn’t right,” I say.
And everything pours out.
The details that just don’t line up. All my questions about the prisoner, Krona. The oddity of his behavior.
“He doesn’t act like a Drennar. Hell, he said they’re his ancestors, that they’re dead.” Sighing, I run a weary hand over my face. “I don’t know if it’s a trick, if he’s toying with us, or what, but he doesn’t act like them. He’s… emotional. When he sings, I feel it. We all do, that’s why Garcia cracked. It was too much for him.”
Francis stares at me, uncertain, but she says, “He’s probably just trying to trick us.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. If it was just the story about them dying off, maybe, but it isn’t. He’s different. He’s not one of them.”
Realizing the words that just crossed my lips, I rush to add, “Or… he might not be. I don’t know.”
“I think you might be reading into it a little too much,” Francis says, but her tone does little to back her words.
She’s perceptive. She must have questions.
“Then, explain the emotion? Explain the woman he’s clearly mourning, or the doubt in his words. The translator can’t be adding too much to that. Hell, it doesn’t have to add anything to it. Even in his language, I feel it. He’s mad and upset, and I don’t know why. But Drennar don’t feel. If they do, they don’t express it. You’ve seen the footage of them just as well as I have.”
Francis’ brows reach for each other, carving lines in her face, and a deep breath puffs out her chest for an instant. She purses her lips as my words sink in.
So, I forge ahead.
“All the times the Drennar came for us, did they ever sing? Even once?” I shake my head, answering my question for her. “If he’s one of them, why the weird renovations to his cell? Why a stone cell? He’s strong enough to get out. He showed Garcia that pretty clearly today.”
Recalling his words earlier and Garcia’s multiple dislocations, I ask, “What’s really keeping him in there? Because it sure as hell isn’t us.”
Giving in just a bit, Francis leans forward, propping her arms on her thighs. “Suppose you’re right, and he is something else. What are we supposed to do about it? What does that change? He’s a prisoner. We’re Guards. It’s simple. And why would they lie to us? If he’s not a Drennar, why would they say he is?”
“I don’t know,” I say. My stomach turns, and I look out the window again. “I don’t know what to do.”
But I do.
Defeated, I take a deep breath. “I need some answers. Something doesn’t add up.”
Shaking her head, Francis says, “I don’t like the sound of that.”
And if I’m being honest with myself, I don’t either. My gut tells me something’s wrong here, and it’s never steered me wrong.
But it has steered me straight into trouble, many times.

Author Bio:

I'm a nerd with a lot of hobbies and enough sarcasm and swear words to make a sailor blush, though, you'll never hear a word of it if I'm not comfortable around you. I've been an introvert since birth. When I'm writing, though, words come easily.

At the end of the day, I just want to write stories that make people feel something.

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#Review: IN WANT OF A VISCOUNT by Lorraine Heath

 

5 of 5 stars

I always enjoy Ms. Heath's books and this one is no exception. The chemistry between Rook and Nora is off the charts. I loved the tension between them as Nora tries to find investors to save her late father's factory. She was so strong and independent--a woman who knew what she wanted, and yet, she was soft and vulnerable as well. I really loved Rook. He was such a tower of strength and respectability until he lost his heart to Nora. These two were willing to do whatever they could to help each other, even walking away, but in the end, Rook and Nora got their happily ever after.

I really disliked Nora's mother. I think the author went a little overboard on how awful she was, and her brother wasn't better as far as I'm concerned. I think with Sam, though, it was that he hadn't found his own true passion yet--the factory was never that for him so at least he redeemed himself a little at the end.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

#Excerpt: MASTER OF MIDNIGHT by William Michael Davidson

The Master of Midnight
William Michael Davidson
Publication date: May 10th 2024
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Finding bodies is part of the job for Detective Otto Haines, but when a victim’s limbs are found in two public parks miles apart from each other, he is utterly confused. Most speculate that it must be some sadistic killer, bent on mutilating his victims and leaving his “calling cards” behind in the ghostly hours of the night.

And there are problems along the way. As Detective Haines tries to hunt down this killer, he must also deal with his rookie partner, Serena Grimm, while trying to keep a secret from his past out of the spotlight. As the trail to the killer becomes a labyrinthine search with shifting suspects and no end in sight, the impossibly horrific nature of these crimes forces Otto to reconsider everything he has known about good and evil.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Otto Haines climbed out of his black Dodge Charger and noted the time. It was nearly one o’clock in the morning. The crime scene tape had already been set up and blocked off a section of Marina Vista Park. Crime scene technicians worked beneath the ocher-colored glow of streetlights and the briny ocean mist that rolled in from Marine Stadium, only a stone’s throw away.

Officer Dave Hemelrick of the LBPD greeted Otto as he strode toward the perimeter.

“Finally made it, huh?” Dave asked. “And no partner tonight? Already scared off the rookie?”

“She’s on another call,” Otto said without telling him the full story: two incidents had been called in, nearly back-to-back. The other was a few miles away, in front of Wilson High School. It was unusual, for sure. Two homicides called in minutes apart from each other was an aberration. Otto couldn’t remember another instance of it.

“Any witnesses here?” he asked, and Hemelrick’s expression darkened as he cleared his throat.

“We got two. One homeless, probably on drugs. We have a young woman too. She’s the one who called it in. Finishing up questioning now.”

“Good. I’d like to speak with both—especially the woman. Have them wait.”

“Will do.”

“Any ID on the victim?”

A similar, grave expression passed over Hemelrick’s face. The flashing lights of the emergency vehicles reflected in his large, dark eyes.

“No, no ID. Not much of a body either.”

Otto understood what Officer Hemelrick meant only a few moments after showing his badge to several officers along the perimeter and ducking below the crime scene tape. Where Otto normally would have found a body—shot, stabbed, or strangled—there was only an arm on the sidewalk, mere inches from the grass. Nothing more. For a moment, it didn’t look real. While a technician snapped photographs of the scene, Otto bent down to examine the grotesque sight.

There was a very small splatter of blood on the sidewalk near where the arm had been severed, which was just below the elbow. It appeared to be a grisly, jagged dismemberment; if this were a horror movie and not a crime scene, Otto might have guessed the arm to have been bitten off and spat onto the grass by some foul creature.

He was able to determine a few things. This appeared to be a male. Thick arm. Dark hair. Caucasian. It took him a moment to note by position of the thumb that this was the left arm. The fingers were ringless.

“Where’s the rest of him?” Otto asked without turning around. When Hemelrick didn’t respond, Otto turned to him.

“That’s what I’m saying. That’s all we’ve got.”

Author Bio:

William Michael Davidson lives in Long Beach, California. A believer that "good living produces good writing," Davidson writes early in the morning so he can get outside, exercise, spend time with people, and experience as much as possible. He is a writer of suspense and speculative fiction. If he's not writing, he's probably at the beach.

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#NEW Regency Romance: WINNING THE WALLFLOWER by Debra Elizabeth

You can read the book (and all 3 previous books in the series) for FREE with Kindle Unlimited.

Blurb:

Two lost souls. An unimaginable tragedy. To forge a future together, they’ll have to defy both family and Society.

Lord George Spenser, third son of the Marquis of Hutchinson, served his King and country during the Napoleonic wars. He returned home, hoping to enjoy the Season without any pressure to marry. However, when he meets Miss Lydia Weston, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, he's enthralled with the brainy beauty.

Miss Lydia Weston, the daughter of a textile merchant, had no hopes for a successful Season until her friend introduced her to Lord Spenser. From the moment they met, there was an inexplicable spark that ignited between them.

When passion and tragedy collide, George and Lydia must find a way to overcome Society’s rules and family’s objections or be torn apart forever. 

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CST6HM4S

#Review: WRITE FOR ME, MARQUESS by Kate Archer

 

3 of 5 stars

Rupert Doncaster, Marquess of Hamill, has decided it's time he married and he intends to court Lady Juliet Bennington, although he could hardly understand her when she was spouting off her poetry. Her beauty more than made up for her quirkiness, he thought, but her heart seemed set on marrying a fellow poet, which he decidedly was not.

Lady Juliet Bennington knew in her heart that she was destined to marry a fellow poet. When she meets a fellow poet, Mr. Roundbat, she wants to fall in love with him, but she keeps being drawn to Rupert, and it confuses her. Could she marry someone who didn't share her love of poetry?

This was a kind of bland story. I didn't feel much chemistry between Rupert and Juliet, but I did love Tattleton, Miss Mayton, and, of course, the rooster Marvin. The secondary characters made the story in my opinion. While I did enjoy the previous stories in the series, this one kind of fell flat for me especially since it took me more than a week to get through it.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy, and all opinions are my own.