Julie Elizabeth Powell's Blog, page 65
June 29, 2016
This is a Promo Tour for HOTSHOT ALPHAS: Too Hot To Handle Boxed Set
HOTSHOT ALPHAS: Too Hot To Handle
Action, Suspense, Hot Romance Boxed Set (Hotshot Romance Collection Book 3)
Because you just can't get enough! Hotshot Alphas are men who know what they want and get what they want. Will it be you? 6 full-length heroes, oops, I mean, romances with brash and exciting lovers from NY Times, USA Today, and International bestselling authors. Get your cowboys, chefs, special operatives, and sexy bad boys today. LIMITED TIME OFFER.
Clocking in at over 528000 words, this super boxed set is packed with action, romance, suspense, love, danger, and fun. Look for other Hotshot Romance Collections: Hotshot Heroes: Strong Enough to Love and Hotshot Danger: Packing the Heat for more full-length stories from your favorite romance authors.
IN HIS CONTROL by Nina Bruhns
Enemies by Day... Detective Jean-Marc Lacroix is obsessed with catching a clever art thief who has outwitted him at every turn. Lovers by Night... Little does he know the thief is really the beautiful woman he just seduced. Or does he...?
HOT ON HER TRAIL by Sable Hunter
Sexy cowboy, Jacob McCoy, longs for a family. His wish is fulfilled when beautiful Jessie walks into his life. Pregnant. With his child. The only problem? They've never met before.
CLAIMING CARLOS by Rachelle Ayala
Choco Sanchez has been friends forever with chef Carlos Lopez until flashy food consultant Johnny Dee steps in to makeover both her and the restaurant. Carlos isn't about to lose his best friend. He sets out to claim Choco's heart by cooking hot, spicy, and steamy.
LOVE & REDEMPTION by Chantel Rhondeau
Former special agent Shelley Daniels is struggling to tame her bad-girl tendencies. Jewel thief Gavin Hart wants fast money and a fresh start--until he witnesses a murder. Gavin drags Shelley back to the world she was desperate to escape with rogue agents, assassin plots, and a frantic race to stop a terrorist group.
SHADOWS OF THE SOUL by Angelique Armae
When Hell's sexiest bad boy--Nicolai Valentine--defied Lucifer, he lost everything. Now Heaven's fearless human warrior--Isabel Heart--has come to Nicolai's aid. When the two meet... A haunting past is reborn...
THE DEAN'S LIST by Kelly Collins
Twenty-five-year-old honors student, River Roberts, knew her life had to change. With only forty dollars to her name, she was hungry, tired, and out of options. Sexy, charming and motivated, she met the requirements for The Dean's List, a university society that offered alumni anything they desired. It was the perfect job for her or was it?
New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author Nina Bruhns pens adventurous romantic thrillers that contain a unique blend of interesting characters and settings, twisty suspense, and sizzling romance. To date, she has published over 35 award-winning novels, including several under the pen name Nikita Black.
Aside from hitting #16 on the New York Times Best Seller List, Nina’s had three RITA nominations, and her books have won a bunch of awards, including three Daphne du Maurier Awards for the Year's Best Overall Mystery-Suspense Book, two RT Awards, and the National Reader’s Choice Award.
Sable Hunter is a New York Times, USA Today bestselling author of nearly 50 books in 7 series. She writes sexy contemporary stories full of emotion and suspense. Her focus is mainly cowboy and novels set in Louisiana with a hint of the supernatural. Sable writes what she likes to read and enjoys putting her fantasies on paper. Her books are emotional tales where the heroine is faced with challenges. Her aim is to write a story that will make you laugh, cry and swoon. If she can wring those emotions from a reader, she has done her job. Sable resides in Austin, Texas with her two dogs. Passionate about all animals, she has been known to charm creatures from a one ton bull to a family of raccoons. For fun, Sable haunts cemeteries and battlefields armed with night-vision cameras and digital recorders hunting proof that love survives beyond the grave. Welcome to her world of magic, alpha heroes, sexy cowboys and hot, steamy to-die-for sex. Step into the shoes of her heroines and escape to places where right prevails, love conquers all and holding out for a hero is not an impossible dream.
Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She writes from sweet to steamy and believes that everyone should find love as often as possible, even if it's within the pages of a book. Rachelle is working on a sweet series of romances with pets and firemen, Have a Hart Romances, and one full of bad boys, Bad Boys for Hire. She also writes sports romances in both football and baseball, as well as many holiday romances, both sweet and spicy.
Bestselling Author Chantel Rhondeau became hooked on romance after picking up a romantic suspense novel she thought was a mystery genre. After reading that first romance, she never looked back. Chantel is author of several romantic suspense novels, Christmas novellas, and the McCallister’s Paradise contemporary romance/family saga series. She lives in the western United States and when she's not writing, she loves playing cards with her family, bowling, and binging on Netflix while snuggling with her lazy kitties.
Angelique Armae / J. C. Makk is a native New Yorker who loves all things royal, can trace her Irish roots back to the Scottish Highlands, is half Italian, and is owned by a long-haired Tuxedo feline. She spends most days writing, unless her cat deems otherwise.
Miss Armae's books and novellas have garnered numerous awards and nominations, including the Sapphire Award, P.E.A.R.L. Award, and Word Weaving Award. Her books have also been featured on Midwest Book Review's Book Watch TV. Angelique's first novel, COME THE NIGHT, made Fictionwise's Best of the Best list, rounding out the top five bestselling Dark Fantasy books of the year. Her Urban Fantasy/Paranormal romance, SHADOWS OF THE SOUL, as well as COME THE NIGHT, were Kindle bestsellers. Under her J.C. Makk pen name, Miss Armae writes Contemporary romance. Her Royals of Countavia story—HIS ROYAL REDEMPTION—was featured in the International Bestselling anthology ROYALS AND ROGUES.
Aside from writing, Angelique/J.C. also dabbles in digital art. She is the recipient and two-time nominee of the Dream Realm Award for best cover art.
When not working, Miss Makk enjoys traveling, learning about the ancient Celts, exploring history, and learning new languages. J.C. studied history and French literature at Skidmore College.
Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive. Always a romantic, she is inspired by real-time events mixed with a dose of fiction. She encourages her readers to reach the happily ever after but bask in the afterglow of the perfectly imperfect love.
Kelly lives in Colorado at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her husband of twenty-five years, their two dogs, and a bird that hates her.
In her spare time, she enjoys walking the trails and visiting the mining towns like Cripple Creek. Could be there is gambling there, but she likes to think it's the ambiance that brings her there and not the amazing slot machine in the back of the casino.
In the winter, you'll find her tucked into her seat at The World Arena cheering her beloved Colorado College Tigers Hockey Team. After several losing seasons she knows there's a win coming soon. Kelly is no fair weather fan.
She has three amazing children, and she wonders how they all turned out to be engineers when only the creative side of her brain seems to work. She just chalks it up to the engineering genes her husband contributed to the mix.
Creative minds need an outlet and writing books is where she focuses her excess energy.
June 27, 2016
This is a tour for THE SLEEPLESS by Nuzo Onoh
THE SLEEPLESS
by
Nuzo Onoh
GENRE: African Horror
Content Warning: 18+. Graphic Depiction of Death.
An innocent boy is lured to his death by the one person that should have protected him. Someone knows the truth about his disappearance; his little sister, Obele, a child that hears a secret voice which tells her terrible things no child should know about. Obele knows too much and must be killed. Her salvation lies in the hands of her new friends, a group of giggling little girls she meets at an abandoned "cursed house." Except their friendship comes with a terrible price. And suddenly, Obele starts to ask herself who exactly...or rather, what exactly are her new friends. Worse, how can she free the tormented ghost of her dead brother, trapped by a witchdoctor's curse? Set amidst the Biafran War, "The Sleepless" follows one child's struggles against both the natural and supernatural forces that threaten to end her life before the deadly enemy bombs can do so. And perhaps, death from the skies is a better option than the terrifying alternative. "The Sleepless" - Another chilling tale about the restless and vengeful dead by the Queen of African Horror, Nuzo Onoh."
Papa yanked Obelé close and placed a large hand over her mouth, shutting off the song. ‘You will shut up right now or I will kill you myself, I swear,’ his voice was like thunder, blackened with rage. ‘If I hear another word….’ Papa broke off, his words suspended in the air. He stared towards the witchdoctor, beyond the witchdoctor, his eyes goggled. His hand on Obelé’s mouth dropped and the hand holding her arm went slack. Obelé stumbled away, following the direction of Papa’s eyes, his pointing finger. The Dibia turned to look. Two great black Mambas were slithering towards them from the tree next to the caged cats. Their movement were fast, their intention clear. Death glinted in their twin mercurial slits. Obelé froze, struck with terror. Of all God’s creatures in the world, nothing petrified her as much as snakes, not even cats. She would chose a hundred strokes of Papa’s utali any day over the sight of the tiniest snake. The two snakes slithering with incredible speed towards the Dibia, were huge, gigantic. The Dibia screamed and turned to run. He made it to the entrance of his hut and stopped, horror coating his face. Obelé saw what the witchdoctor saw, what Papa and Abundance saw; The Ghost Girls, beautiful in their scaly nakedness, their shiny skin as grey as ash, green eyes glowing in the night, sharp teeth white as death.
This time they came in multitudes, in their tens. They lit up the night with their spectral glow, illuminating everything with terrifying clarity. They blocked the entrance to the hut, giggling, laughing. Water dripped from their skin, forming a steady stream that flowed into the hut. In seconds, the compound was transformed into a swamp. The buried cats howled as water covered their heads. The Ghost Girls giggled louder at the plight of the cats. The Dibia stumbled back, slipping on muddy water, dropping the cat and his machete. The cat scuttled away with a loud yowl. The giggling wraiths advanced towards the Dibia, their movement fluid, ghastly. The phosphorous glow followed them like a bright shadow, a hovering cloak of brilliance. Some of them crawled, their arms like crabs, even spiders. Others flew, floating around the Dibia, hovering over his head like birds of prey. Soon, they formed a ring around him and began to dance. Obelé knew what would follow; the circle of torment. She had witnessed that ghastly ritual multiple times inside the drenched bedroom of Ike Okoye’s cursed house.
Except the victims then were ghosts. This time, it was a living victim. She steeled herself for what she knew was coming. The Ghost Girls began singing the familiar tune, The Sleepless song. Their voices echoed in the forest, disincarnate, chilling. They pulled the Dibia’s hair and bit into his skin, staining their teeth red. They carved deep marks on his skin, their claw-like fingers wet with his blood. Nails, stones, sticks and broken glasses drew patterns of agony across the medicine-man’s body. The little spectre, Promise, she of the Nwa mulu-amu fame, reached out and snapped the carved cat charm from the old man’s neck. The witchdoctor shrieked, arms flaying, trying to ward them off, slicing through empty air. He fell to the ground, next to the three buried cats, babbling, incoherent with terror. The girls giggled, their laughter gleeful, chilling.
Abundance screamed and ran towards Papa. She didn’t make it. The Mambas struck, felling her to the ground. Their fangs sank into Abundance’s legs. Twin assassins, they plunged a rapid succession of bites, their movements aggressive, swift and deadly. Abundance screamed, scrabbling on hands and knees towards Papa, who was rooted to his spot like a stone statue.
The Mambas raised their heads and struck again, this time on Abundance’s naked thighs and arms. Over and over, their heads dived, piercing her skin, dumping lethal venom into her bloodstream. Abundance’s movements grew sluggish, heavy, tortured. Terror and pain glazed her pupils. She opened her mouth and Obelé gasped, staggering back. A black protrusion that was once a tongue, crawled from Abundance’s mouth, the size of an orange, swollen beyond reality. She struggled to speak but all that came out was a low grunt. Abundance began frothing, her mouth covered in thick white foam. Her arms and knees collapsed underneath her as she lay twitching, convulsing like the epileptic boy in Obelé’s classroom, the one they called Ike Nwanyi, because he trembled like a fat woman’s buttocks when the sickness hit him.
The Mambas raised their great heads and stared at Papa. They looked at him with deadly intelligence, the way a human would look at another, enemy to enemy. Then they turned and slithered back into the forest, leaving the dying body of Abundance by Papa’s feet.
ABOUT AFRICAN HORROR
1. African Horror is not a reference to AIDS, famine or Ebola, just as Indian Horror is not a reference to rapes or honour killings. African Horror is a literary genre in its own right, a sub-genre of horror that has existed for centuries, albeit without a formal title till my book, The Reluctant Dead, began spearheading the term, African Horror.
2. African Horror encompasses several horror sub-genres like supernatural horror, psychological horror, demonic/occultic horror, sci-fi horror (popularised by Nnedi Okoroafor) slasher/gore/splatter horror and paranormal romance to mention a few. My books are focused on African supernatural horror, specifically, ghosts and hauntings.
3. Just like the old Japanese Kaidan tradition, African Horror stories are geographically targeted, depicting the core traditions, beliefs and superstitions of a particular village/tribe within a horror context. Thus, my books, The Reluctant Dead and Unhallowed Graves will resonate with anyone familiar with The Ring or The Grudge.
4. African Horror is usually steeped in the moral values of individual tribes, with most stories reinforcing these values and the dire consequences of ignoring or abandoning them. Thus, in Unhallowed Graves, we witness the terrible events that befall a grieving mother who goes against the village traditions and attempts to resurrect her son buried in Ajo-ofia, the unhallowed burial ground of people deemed to have died an unclean or bad death.
5. African Horror has a strong cinema presence in Nollywood films, a Nigerian film industry that produces popular drama, depicting terrifying supernatural events within an Igbo/African setting.
6. Amos Tutuola, the famous author of The Palm-wine Drinkard and My Life in the bush of Ghosts, is the father of African Horror. His books are considered modern classics today and have been translated into several languages.
7. Africans respect, fear, revere or abhor their Medicine men. Some cultures refer to them as Juju-men, Root-healers, Voodoo-men or witchdoctors. By whatever name they go, they all boil down to one thing - powerful men (and at times, very rarely, women) whose actions, good or bad, always impact on the daily lives of their people. No African Horror story is ever complete without reference to these powerful and controversial Medicine-men.
8. The Gullah culture of the American South has very strong ties to African culture and their horror stories are very similar to African horror. Today, Eden Royce, author of the book, Spook Lights and one of the few people that still speak the Gullah language, is spear-heading the Southern Gothic Horror, steeped in Gullah beliefs and culture. People that love Southern Gothic Horror will enjoy African Horror too.
9. African Horror stories are not Folktales, contrary to popular conception. These days, modern African Horror is written in prose and style similar to mainstream horror, which readers from all over the globe can relate to. My last book, The Reluctant Dead, enjoyed wide readership from fans worldwide, proving that true horror does indeed cross all boundaries. My latest book, Unhallowed Graves, follows in the same style, while retaining its distinct African voice.
10. Finally, African Horror books and films are out there for anyone interested in discovering the terrifying tales from our mysterious continent. Unfortunately, due to the unsatisfactory classification of literary works, one is likely to find African horror books under "Multicultural" rather than under "Horror". Hopefully, in the near future, an overhaul of the classification system will see more horror works by Africans writers and non-African writers writing African Horror, classified under their rightful category - Horror.
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BBC interview with Nuzo about The Sleepless
Nuzo Onoh is a British writer of African descent. Born in Enugu, the Eastern part of Nigeria, formerly known as The Republic of Biafra, Nuzo lived through the civil war between Nigeria and Biafra, an experience that left a strong impact on her and has influenced some of her writing.
She attended Queen’s School Enugu before proceeding to the Quaker boarding school, The Mount School, York, England and St Andrew’s Tutorial College, Cambridge, from where she obtained her A’ levels. Nuzo holds both a Law degree and a Masters degree in Writing from The University of Warwick, England. She has two daughters, Candice and Jija and her cat, Tinkerbell. Nuzo lives in Coventry, from where she runs her own publishing company, Canaan-Star Publishing, a self-publishing company that publishes authors from around the globe.
A keen musician, Nuzo plays both the Piano and the box guitar and enjoys recording demos of her songs. Nuzo also runs African story-telling workshops for primary school children. Nuzo is a strong believer in The Law of Attraction and the philosophy of mind over matter.
Now recognized as the front-runner of African Horror, Nuzo is the author of The Reluctant Dead (published 28th June, 2014) a collection of African ghost stories and Unhallowed Graves (published 28th June, 2015) a novella collection of three ghost stories. Her latest book, The Sleepless, a novel of hauntings and vengeance from beyond the grave, will be published on 28th June, 2016. Nuzo has made 28th June as her annual publishing date so her fans know when to look out for another African Horror chiller from her writing desk.
Otherwise, she publishes her other books as and when ready. These are the books written under her pseudonym of Alex Stranger-Onoh.
June 25, 2016
This is a Release Tour for Summer Lovin’ by Jacquie Biggar
SUMMER LOVIN'
Book 5 of the Wounded Hearts series
by
Jacquie Biggar
Official genre of book: Contemporary Romance
Mitch Taylor and Rebecca Sorenson share a secret.
Rebecca’s job as secretary of Cascade Elementary, the same school she attended as a child, is rewarding. She has a great group of friends, many of whom are married now. And if sometimes she wished it were her up there in that sparkling white dress…
Except, wait—she did get to wear bridal white. Granted, it was a slinky party dress and the justice of the peace was Elvis in a gold lame jacket, but still, the deed was done.
She’d tied the knot.
Mitch Taylor doesn’t do regrets. It would be a waste of energy bemoaning the mistakes he’d made in his life. The end of his promising football career taught him nothing in life was a guarantee.
Like love.
What were the chances two people from the same po-dunk town in Washington would end up together in a nightclub in Las Vegas? A few too many drinks later, a hasty ceremony performed by the king of rock ‘n’ roll, and they’d been hitched. The night that followed lived on in his dreams, but when he’d woken the next morning she was gone.
Can these two mismatched lovers find a way past their mistakes, or will they keep their lonely hearts forever guarded?
Mitch’s gaze zeroed in on her lips and darkened. “You and me—later. I’m tired of waiting. It’s time we settled our past so we can move forward with our lives.” He leaned in and gave her a quick, hard kiss, their breath co-mingling and tasting of the coffee he’d stopped and bought for her.
Rebecca sighed and gave herself up to the moment, though in the back of her mind his words nipped and stung, warning her that it was going to hurt when he left. How did this happen? When did Mitch Taylor become necessary to her happiness?
God. She was in love with him.
Her mouth slackened. Mitch sat back and looked at her quizzically for a moment, then he turned away to help young Jasper, and she tried to pay attention, she really did. But, all the time he was asking Tommy what happened, and running gentle fingers over the injury, and she was smiling and murmuring reassurance, her heart was breaking into a million tiny pieces.
I live in paradise along the west coast of Canada with my family and love reading, writing, and flower gardening. Oh, and I can't function without coffee! Preferably at the beach with my sweetheart. :)
I write Romantic Suspense with tough, alpha males who know what they want until they're gob-smacked by heroines who are strong, contemporary women willing to show them what they really need is love.
I've been blessed with a long, happy marriage and enjoy writing romance novels that end with happy-ever-afters.
This is a release blitz for THE DRAGIL: BROKEN MAGIC by Holly Barbo
THE DRAGIL: BROKEN MAGIC
Quick Reads Book 3
by
Holly Barbo
GENRE: YA Fantasy
A YA fantasy adventure. Original Dragilio art by Ian Styer.
When Willum, an apprentice book maker, has a nasty fall, he loses all of his memories…including the strictures concerning protective magic for the exquisite miniature dragons called Dragilios. Not knowing he is breaking the magic law, and sending the little Dragil, Malle, into deadly peril, he draws the friendly, little dragil.
The moment the picture is finished the protective spell shatters. Her anguished cry as she disappears restores his memory.
Devastated at what he has done and wanting to right the wrong or die trying, Willum undertakes a dangerous quest into the malignant world of the giant leather-winged dragons. Can he find her in time before she is ripped apart and eaten? If he stays too long in that lethal land, he becomes stone.
The hourglass sands are slipping away toward the doom of the boy and the fragile little dragil. Can he save them both?
The bright sunshine was muted behind the curtains when he woke to the sound of a door opening. A girl of about seven years nudged it wider and brought in a tray. There was a small dragon-like creature fluttering in behind her. It landed on the window sill and closed pale blue wings edged in gold scallops. Though the wings folded against the creature’s back, they weren’t solid in color, but instead resembled those of a butterfly in their delicate patterning. It cocked its head and studied him.
The child set the tray down on the table and poured water in a glass. She glanced at the little blue-winged dragon. “Raik told me you were awake. You’ve got to be thirsty. You’ve been out for days. Both Mother and the healer thought you were going to die.” She brought the drink to him. “Slow, now, or you will either choke or throw it back up. Sip it.”
The moisture felt so good on the parched tissues of his mouth and throat that he struggled to resist gulping the welcoming fluid. Sighing with pleasure, he looked at the child. “Thank you. What’s your name? Where am I? What happened to me?”
The little girl blinked and her jaw dropped in dismay. “You know me! I’m Isolde, daughter of Guarin, master papermaker and owner of this bookbindery. Remember?”
He began to shake his head but changed his mind when the movement activated a headache. “No.”
The child turned and with “I’ll be right back!” ran from the room. During the few minutes she was gone, he carefully turned his head to look for the small butterfly-winged dragon that had eased his pain with her croons. Finally, he spotted her asleep in a shadowed shelf near a braid of garlic and assorted pots. His pleasure at seeing her seemed to be felt by the creature, as in the next few heartbeats she yawned and stretched.
Holly's world is shaped by her love of family, the beauty of the natural world and an irrepressible creative drive. She has always been curious and sees life through questions. These four characteristics color her writing voice and her stories frequently evolve from her asking "What if....?" Her tales tend to have non-urban settings with nature contributing to the plot, building discordant themes inside a seemingly peaceful refrain.
My motto: Weaving Alternative Worlds with Threads From Today.
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This is a Release Tour for Willem by Victoria Danann
WILLEM
The Witches of Wimberley Book 1
by
Victoria Danann
Official genre of book Contemporary Romance
Content warning 18+
He squinted his eyes and gave me a little smile like he questioned my sanity.
“You do know we’re talking about witches, right?”
“I know there are a lot of people who call themselves witches, but what it means is they like burning candles, dancing naked sometimes, I guess. Are you saying you think there are women here who really are touched by the supernatural?”
He laughed. “Man. I don’t know how you’re sitting on that stool next to me. How did you manage to get this far without knowing anything about what you’re doing here?” He shook his head. “Yes. I do mean there are women here who really are touched by the supernatural.”
I had to admit that I felt a thrill start in my nipples and run all the way through my body producing goosebumps, a cock twitch, and a half hard. What if it was true? I’d spent my whole life secretly hoping that I’d be lucky enough to have an actual encounter with the other side of reality, while not really believing that such a thing might be possible.
That’s when I realized that I’d been on the wrong path. For the first time I recognized and confronted the fact that I didn’t really want to be an actor. I hadn’t wanted to be a college student taking a foreign language I’d never use or studying geology, which I would never use. But I hadn’t really wanted to be an actor either. It was just Plan B more or less suggested by other people. My heart wasn’t in it at all.
Acting as my heart’s desire? Don’t make me laugh. Actually there’s not much laughable about wasting ten years pursuing something I didn’t even want.
That revelation made me feel like the dumbest guy sitting on a counter stool anywhere. Why hadn’t I clued in before? And what if I couldn’t get jobs acting because I wasn’t supposed to be acting.
That follow up revelation almost blew me right off the stool.
“If that’s true, it would be beyond incredible.”
“You scared?”
It hadn’t occurred to me to be scared before and maybe that just meant I was revealing an expanded capacity for stupidity.
“Should I be?” He shrugged. “Do you believe there’s a ghost at the hotel, too?”
Roger laughed again. He had a nice laugh. I wondered if that’s what they were looking for. All of a sudden I cared what they were looking for.
I wasn’t interested in contemplating a lifetime contract of marriage, but I could do a year with anybody if it meant doing actual hands-on research. Maybe I should change that to on site research.
He lifted a well-toned shoulder. “Who knows? I can’t say I’ve seen anything like that, but ley lines do intersect at the crossroads.”
I jerked my gaze back to his. “Ley lines? You know about ley lines?”
“I know enough.”
Deciding to let that go, I said, “So we’re going to meet the witches at the barbeque tonight?”
He shook his head while still taking a pull on his IBC. When he swallowed he said, “I think it’s just contestants and former winners. Our chance to talk to them about life in Wimberley or whatever. They’ll be at the big event tomorrow night though. The Witches’ Ball.”
USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Victoria Danann, is making her debut into Contemporary Romance with releases in May and June 2015, after taking the world of PNR by storm.
Her Knights of Black Swan series won BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES TWO YEARS IN A ROW (2013, 2014). Reviewers Choice Awards, The Paranormal Romance Guild.
Victoria's paranormal romances come with uniquely fresh perspectives on "imaginary" creatures, characters, and themes. She adds a dash of scifi, a flourish of fantasy, enough humor to make you laugh out loud, and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. Her heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, past life therapists, or financial analysts from Dallas. Her heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners - usually - whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.
The first book of the Knights of Black Swan Paranormal Romance Series, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by both Reviewers' Choice and Readers' Choice Awards. All of her books have opened on the Amazon Best Sellers list and earned Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK awards. Many have appeared on Listopia BOOK OF THE MONTH as #1 across all genres.
For books published in 2013, Black Swan won three awards. 1. Best Paranormal Romance Series 2. Best Paranormal Romance Novel - A SUMMONER'S TALE 3. Best Vampire~Shifter Novel - MOONLIGHT. In 2014, Solomon's Sieve won Best Vampire Novel.
If you're interested in Victoria personally, she is also a classically trained musician who defected to Classic Rock music. Until 2013 she was the utility player for Houston's Roadhouse band, which means she played rhythm guitar, keyboards, sang back ups and female leads. Her band covered everything (note for note) from Styx to Led Zepellin to Rush.
She lives in The Woodlands, Texas with her husband and a very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.
June 22, 2016
This is a Promo Tour for Ameerah by Rebekkah Ford
AMEERAH
by
Rebekkah Ford
GENRE: Paranormal Thriller
Sometimes even the dead seek salvation.
In 1925, eighteen-year-old Ameerah Arrowood is murdered in an insane asylum. She finds herself transported to a dreary realm that turns out to be a recruiting station for the dark spirits. With animosity in her heart toward humanity, she decides to join them.
For the next ninety years, Ameerah possesses soulless humans, living a hedonistic, mischievous and sometimes vengeful existence, but now she's seeking salvation so she can crossover and save her lost love who is stuck in the lower world.
Ameerah enlists the help of her dark spirit friend Derek, who is straddling the line between Heaven and Hell. She tells him how it all began, weaving between historical timelines to now, hoping to gain understanding about why her parents betrayed her and wanting to get rid of the guilt weighing on her heart. In the end, the unexpected unfolds, which changes her forever.
We entered an uncarpeted, vacant hallway that branched out on both ends. Several metal doors with bolts lined the walls. The blue paper booties I wore crinkled against the bottoms of my feet sliding across the shiny white floor.
“What did they give me?” I asked when we stepped into the restroom straight across from the room I was in.
Ann led me to a stall with no door, only an off-white partition that separated it from the other johns. “It was a barbiturate used to sedate patients. Sleep therapy is what some doctors dubbed it.” She continued to talk while I emptied my bladder, keeping her word to give me as much privacy as she could.
Once I finished, I went to the sink and cringed at my reflection in the mirror. The right side of my face had a purple, yellowish bruise across my cheek, and the luster in my hazel eyes was gone. My complexion had a grayish cast. Whatever was injected into my body created a carbon copy of myself.
Ann handed me a washrag, and I realized there was no hot water when I went to dampened it. After I cleaned off my eyes and face, we headed down the north side of the hall. I listened to Ann tell me that most of the residents were in the common room, which explained the eerie silence.
“There you are,” a manly nurse with thick forearms and a broad forehead said when we rounded the corner from another corridor. She was heading our way and seemed quite annoyed.
Ann stiffened but held her head high. “Ameerah caught my attention. She needed to use the lavatory, and now I’m taking her to the dining room for lunch.”
“I realize you’re new here, Ann,” the other nurse said, “but we do not call patients by their first name in their presence. Each one has a number.” She pointed at me. “This one is number sixty-four.”
A laugh of disbelief escaped my lips. I couldn’t help it. What type of place was this, sedating people, tying them to a bed, and calling them by numbers instead of their names? I found being called Sixty-four another check in the box under the dehumanization category. “Excuse me,” I said when they looked at me, “I don’t know what type of facility I’m in, but regardless, I have a name. It’s Ameerah. To refer to me by a number is demonizing my identity, so I’d appreciate it if you would stick with my name instead.”
The coarse nurse scowled. “We will do no such thing.”
I made a face. “Why? What’s the purpose in such a demoralizing act? And what the hell is this place?”
Still scowling the nurse snapped, “Watch your mouth.”
“You’re in an insane asylum,” Ann said.
Rebekkah Ford grew up in a family that dealt with the paranormal world. Her parents Charlie and Geri Wilhelm were the directors of the UFO Investigator's League in Fairfield, Ohio. They also investigated ghost hauntings and Bigfoot sightings in addition to extraterrestrial cases. Growing up in this type of environment and having the passion for writing stories is what drove Rebekkah at an early age to write tales dealing with the paranormal world. Her fascination with the unknown is what led her to write the Beyond the Eyes trilogy, its companion Tangled Roots, and Ameerah.
Rebekkah resides in rural North Dakota, in a farming community of about 1,800 people and loves where she lives. She has an irreverent sense of humor, loves coffee, and yummy food makes her happy. She also loves books, history, antiques, animals, connecting with her fans and other authors, as well as watching her favorite TV shows.
June 20, 2016
This is a Promo Boost for LOVERS & SINNERS by Hunter S. Jones
LOVERS & SINNERS
by
Hunter S. Jones
GENRE: Fairytale
ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: June 6, 2016
Will that which you most desire destroy you?
James van Lee is a lonely gypsy boy. His isolation leads him to become the greatest rock star in the world, yet he dreams of a girl he knew long ago.
Dr. Maggie Pickett of Emory University has never loved anyone but Rhett Turnquest, but he is under the spell of Natasha, who has secrets no one will ever know.
Lovers & Sinners introduces a world of stardom and those who seek it, as well those who wish only to be loved. The story intrigues with its open sexuality, international locales, and a mysterious link to Russia’s cursed royal family with secret ties to the love affair of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII.
Based loosely on fairy tales and legends, the journey begins in The Dreams, Story 1.
Down the hallway, James heard voices and the ping of an elevator. The soft hush of rain enveloped the early evening when he glanced outside through the blinds. He saw the limo that waited for him and he couldn’t wait to escape the clutches of his tormentor for the final time.
“I am a wealthy man, and I am Russian, so I know everything. I know about your men. That too is my fault. I should’ve loved you more and you wouldn’t look for tokens from others.”
James took his left hand and closed the blinds, leaving the room in virtual darkness except for the glow of the machines that kept his father alive. He noticed the shallow breaths from across the room.
“But you are my son, and I promise you that one day you will meet a girl and she will make you believe in magic.” His wizened eyes peered at James in the darkness, and he said, “I want you to be very careful.” He paused before continuing, “The thing you desire and love most is what will kill you.” He took four deep gulps of air, holding the oxygen tube to his nostrils. “I believe I have taught you that lesson. You have watched me chase money. Now I die alone. Hated by my own blood.”
How long is he going to go on like this? “Is this all you need to say? I must go.” James’s voice shook as he said this and his rage surprised him. He kept his hands in his jeans in order to stop himself from hurting the old man.
A frail hand reached for him in the darkness. “Please forgive me. I was never taught to love. I love you.” He wheezed the rattle of death and said, “You are a rich man at a young age. You have made me proud.” With that, his hand dropped to the bed and one of the machines began to flash rapidly. Zoe and another nurse bolted into the room.
“He’s coded,” Zoe said, looking up at James.
He looked at the ceiling as if searching for a clue, ran his hand through his hair, and said, “Do what you have to do.” With that, he walked away without looking back.
On the way down the corridor and into the elevator, his brain raced as quickly as the monitor had a few moments ago. Why did he wait until now to tell me these secrets?
✯✯✯✯✯ By Yoong
An adult fairytale with many interesting twists. Romance that waves through layers of intrigue, It is hard for the reader to put the book down. Lovers and Sinners by Hunter S. Jones is definitely a bewitchingly provocative and captivating book with unlikely characters woven together to form a whole.
✯✯✯✯✯ By JLC13
Verified Purchase
All of us can relate to wonderful dreams as well as nightmares. In Lovers and Sinners this author weaves both together in such a dynamic, breathtaking way that it’s almost unbelievable. The characters in this story are multifaceted and well-developed. The plot is rich with history, romance and sensuality. If I had to describe this book in just two words, I would say it’s devilishly delicious! I look forward to reading the next installment in The Dreams series.
✯✯✯✯✯ By Mandus
Verified Purchase
This one caught my attention and after the first few chapters, I was pretty much hooked. A beautiful story, with seemingly alive characters and a well thought out plot. I'm happy to give this one my highest rating. Well done, Jones.
Deb Hunter writes fiction as Hunter S. Jones. She is a member of the prestigious Society of Authors founded by Lord Tennyson, Rivendell Writers Colony, Historical Writers’ Association, Historical Novel Society and the Atlanta Writer’s Club. Her Tudor History blog, Fear and Loathing in Tudor England, is a reader’s favorite. Originally from a Chattanooga, Tennessee, she currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her Scottish born husband. Her best seller, PHOENIX RISING, a fictional story of the last hour of Anne Boleyn is available on Amazon.com and at a bookstore near you.
This is a Release Tour for TANGLED SIN by Georgia Lyn Hunter
TANGLED SIN
A Dark Realm Novel
by
Georgia Lyn Hunter
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
In a world of encroaching darkness and carnal hunger, a deadly sin awakens…
Bound to a legacy he cannot escape, Riley is a demon unlike any other. With each passing century, his soul grows darker until the seductive trouble-magnet, Saia Sen-Grayson, stumbles into his path and throws his entire world off kilter. But danger has a way of finding him and destroying anything worthwhile in his life.
The biggest challenge in Saia’s life is evading her matchmaking socialite mother. Then she crashes into the sexiest man in her aunt’s building. One look into his striking green eyes and her fleeing days skid to a halt, except she gets more than she bargains in the sexy, tattooed bartender.
And neither can deny the burning attraction between them.
When his tainted past closes in on him, Riley’s forced to make the toughest decision ever to keep her safe. Then Saia’s hauled by a deadly adversary into his dark and treacherous world of Stygia—a place of old betrayals. Now Riley must face his past and accept his future in order to save the woman who belongs to him.
But danger comes in many forms and the one least expected might be the sin that seals their fates once and for all…
Shivering a little, Saia gratefully slipped into the warmth of the softly lit bar. The low, sultry sounds of blues drifted from a jukebox on the far end near the red brick wall. Two pools tables were adjacent to it. Dark wood made up the bar that ran almost the length of the back wall. Leather seats and wooden tables filled the rest of the space around a small, makeshift dance floor where several couples swayed.
Women crowded the bar at one end—probably because of the eye-candy that Niki mentioned. Snorting, Saia shrugged off her coat and handed it to Niki. Spying an empty table at the back, she nodded at it. “Grab that spot, I’ll go get our drinks.”
She turned for the bar and froze. All thoughts of having fun and forgetting about the horrible weekend ahead slid right out of her mind, her attention caught by the guy behind the counter.
He worked here?
As if there was a direct link between them, Riley looked up and stilled, then his green eyes narrowed. Her stomach whirled like leaves in the wind.
“Sai, where are the drinks?”
The sound of Niki’s voice yanked Saia back to where she was. She wasn’t even aware that she’d backed away and had dropped down beside her friend.
“So, you like the eye-candy, huh?” Niki teased when she saw where Saia was looking. “He’s the best one here. You want some fun, he’s perfect for that.”
Perfect? He’d already shown her exactly what he could do with his mouth, both verbally and physically. Heat flooded Saia’s face.
“Ahh, so that’s how it is. Make a move then, Sai”—Niki nudged her shoulder—“or one of those bar-tarts will wind up with him in her bed tonight.”
Darn, she couldn’t keep anything hidden from her sharp-eyed friend.
For some reason, the thought of him with another woman made her tummy hollow out. Unable to get her chaotic thoughts in order, she pushed to her feet. “I'm going to the restroom.”
Niki sprang up and grabbed her by the elbow, effectively blocking her escape. “Oh, no you don’t. Come on, Sai. Live a little. Soon enough, you’ll be shackled to a man of your mother's dream.”
“Stop saying that.”
“Then prove me mistaken. Hell, Sai, I love your family, but this is just so wrong, your mother choosing your husband.”
At Niki’s comments, Saia’s stomach churned. God, she hated how wussy she appeared. But she had to tell her friend the truth about Riley.
I’ve been creating stories from the moment I could string two words together. No matter the tale, it always has romance woven through them. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic.
When I’m not writing or plotting new books, I like to read, travel, painting, or troll flea markets where I usually buy things I might never actually use because they're so pretty.
After working in a few jobs all art related, a chosen career as a fashion designer, then an art teacher, I finally found my passion four years ago: writing. There really is no other job I’d rather do.
Oh, and I live in the beautiful country of South Africa.
This is a Release Tour for BAD BOYS AFTER DARK: Mick by Melissa Foster
BAD BOYS AFTER DARK: MICK
by
New York Times & USA Today bestseller Melissa Foster
The Bad Boys are a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom series.
Indulge your inner vixen...
You asked for naughtier lovers, with the same fierce loyalty as The Bradens - Meet the Bad Boys... Four sinfully sexy, uber alpha brothers, about to fall head over heels for their leading ladies.
Everything's naughtier after dark...
Amanda Jenner is done being a boring-man magnet and has finally taken control of her love life. As any smart paralegal would, she's researched the hell out of how to seduce a man. She's waxed, primped, and ready to put her newfound skills into action--and a masquerade bar crawl is the perfect venue for her solo coming-out party.
Entertainment attorney Mick Bad lives by two hard and fast rules. He never mixes business with pleasure, and he doesn't do relationships, which makes the anonymity of a masquerade bar crawl the perfect place for a onetime hookup.
Amanda thinks she's hit the jackpot when she bags a tall, dark, and sinfully delicious masked man--until she discovers the man she's made out with is her off-limits boss. Mick's already crossed a line he can never uncross, and one taste of sweet and sexy Amanda has only whet his appetite. When Mick offers to give Amanda a lesson in seduction--no strings, no regrets, and for goodness' sake, come Monday, no quitting--the tables turn, and Mick's totally unprepared for the lessons this sweet temptress provides.
LURED BY THE pulse of sex and anonymity, Amanda Jenner moved through the dusky bar, brushing against silk, satin, cotton, and flesh, each graze feeding the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Blue lights misted over sweaty strangers lost in the seductive bump and grind of foreplay and hoping for a night of erotic pleasure. If Amanda tried hard enough, she could smell tomorrow’s scent du jour—regret. Tonight she had no room for the confidence-crushing worry of what tomorrow would bring. She scanned the crowd, as she had in the previous three bars, immediately dismissing anyone who wasn’t in costume. Her world was full of boring men who excelled at wining, dining, and boring her to sleep. Ten years of romance novels and movies had led her astray, looking for the elusive needle in a haystack. She’d led herself astray, always the careful thinker, careful dresser. Or as her younger sister, Ally, would say, Careful kisser, careful lover. Ally, however, had taken charge of her sex life—and she’d found the perfect man.
Now it’s my turn.
KINDLE US ✯ KINDLE INT'L
KOBO ✯ NOOK ✯ GPLAY ✯ iBOOKS ✯ SMASHWORDS
PAPERBACK US ✯ PAPERBACK INT'L
COMING DECEMBER 2016
Bad Boys After Dark: Dylan
The AFTER DARK series are part of the LOVE IN BLOOM big family romance collection. Each book may be read as a stand-alone novel, or as part of the series.
AVAILABLE NOW
Logan ✯ Heath ✯ Jackson ✯ Cooper
Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.
Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.
Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.
June 18, 2016
To Be Free Or Not To Be Free?
I've debated for ages what to do in the forever trailing after sales. So, as I can't sell my work, then I might as well give it away.
Not that I haven't done that in the past - I've given away over 20,000 copies of various books, and I know it's been pirated, but rarely have I seen any feedback.
Is free a bad thing?
There is much debate to this question. One argument is that folks don't appreciate what is free, on the other hand, is this the only way to create interest in your books?
I've also learned that making the first book in a series free makes good marketing sense.
I haven't a clue!
All I know is that I can't sell my work; maybe a few copies here and there...
I'd heard about permafree via Amazon and seen books for free under this method. Anyway, after thinking...thinking and taking into account the lack of sales, I decided to make the first in the Avalon Trilogy free.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
To do this, I published through Draft2Digital that allows you to price at 'free' who then distributed it to several outlets.
The Star Realm is therefore free at:
Barnes & Noble (Nook) http://goo.gl/niJur4
Inktera http://goo.gl/8jb3Kg
iTunes https://goo.gl/a2nugK
and a few other places.
Of course I'm in the process of asking Amazon Kindle to allow the book to be permafree - and now it is!!!
Here are the links if you'd like to download:
UK - http://goo.gl/RsU915
USA - http://goo.gl/zc96Vd
Thanks!
And thanks to those who have read my work and written reviews. I truly appreciate your support.
What am I hoping to achieve?
That folks will love the first part of the story and want to buy the others; although these are not expensive.
And, I may even receive reviews, hopefully positive.
I've no idea what will happen, but I'm not losing anything if I can't sell copies anyway.
Am I right?
***
I'm also trying this with #1 of the Weird series - A Henry Ian Darling Oddity: Missive One
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
We'll see?
