Julie Elizabeth Powell's Blog, page 68
May 23, 2016
This is a Release Tour for Provoked by Angela Ford
PROVOKED
by
Angela Ford
Official genre of book: Romantic Thriller
Her husband's actions provoked her but his death haunts her. Did Basia get away with murder?
Basia offers help to three abused women. Adam Crawford owns the Brownstone where these women live. Adam is fed up with the domestic disputes and drug deals in his building. One death at a time puts an end to both.
Six weeks after being shot, Detective Riley has one night of incredible passion and an agreement to first-names-only. He has no idea who Basia really is until he returns to work.
The case of a missing woman takes Riley to Adam's Brownstone and a manuscript titled The Perfect Poison. Could the man be doing more than collecting rent?
Secrets, lies, and hidden agendas bring Riley closer to the truth. The case opens doors Riley wished he'd left closed. Riley has fallen in love. But that scares him more than the horrifying truth he uncovers with the case.
His day usually entailed murder and drugs, not some missing person.
This is the last place I want to be.
As soon as he finished that thought, he saw them; those long legs coming toward him.
How could he forget? They’d been wrapped around his neck the night before.
He swallowed hard. His eyes traveled to meet those Mediterranean blues.
Riley could tell by the astonished look in her eyes, she was just as shocked as he. An introduction wasn’t necessary but she remained professional and awaited one.
“Detective Riley Briggs, welcome to the thirty-seventh precinct.”
Lieutenant Mark Fields introduced himself with a hand-shake then turned to the beautiful woman beside him. “This is Lieutenant Basia Lis from Forensics. She’s consulting on a case.”
If he’d still been in homicide, their paths would have crossed. But being undercover with the drug task force he no longer stayed on a scene long enough for the CSI to arrive. Then again, if their paths had crossed; he wouldn’t have had the pleasure of her in his bed. Riley didn’t mix business with pleasure. For the reason he didn’t like to see any woman twice.
Basia stepped forward and extended her hand.
“Detective”
She smiled differently than she had earlier that morning.
Then again she wasn’t wearing any clothes. Riley shook her hand.
“Lieutenant”
Angela Ford originates from Nova Scotia…Canada’s Ocean Playground!
Her love of the ocean and sunsets are always in her heart and give her inspiration. Her love for words keeps her turning the page. She is never without a book, whether she’s reading or writing. Now residing in Ontario, Angela works in Finance – numbers by day – words by night. Her dedication to volunteer and involvement with cyber safety seminars gave her an Award of Distinction and sparked the idea for her first book Closure – suspense with a dash of romance that hit the best- selling Action/Adventure and Women’s Fiction. Angela continued this FBI suspense with Forbidden and will deliver the final of the series in 2015. She also writes contemporary romance, sometimes sweet…sometimes spicy and sometimes with a dash of suspense. Unforgettable Kiss delivers a spicy romance with a dash of suspense. Blind Tasting of The Love List series and The Christmas Wreath of the Forever Christmas series are sweet reads. 2015 kicked off with a new Romantic Suspense Surrender.Between two jobs, being a mom with a home always filled with young adults and rather interesting stories; she is lucky to have one very patient and understanding man. But it is the furry family members who rule the house – a Puggle (Pug/Beagle), a new Chug puppy (Pug/Chihuahua) and two loveable cats. Every possible quiet moment she finds, she treasures and just writes about the moments to come. Angela is an avid reader of romance, a member of the RWA, KOD (Kiss of Death – Suspense Chapter) and Mississauga Writers Group. You can follow her at BTGN www.bookstogonow.com or visit her website/blog Romantic Escapes at http://www.angelafordauthor.com to connect with her on her social network sites. She loves to hear from her readers – they keep her smiling!
AMAZON ✯ WEBSITE ✯ FACEBOOK ✯ GOODREADS ✯ TWITTER ✯ PINTEREST ✯ LINKEDIN ✯ BOOKS TO GO NOW ✯ TANYA WATT'S LUV ME A BOOK
May 18, 2016
This is a author spotlight for Rachel Jones
CELEBRATING THE SUCCESS OF
RACHEL JONES
Motto:
Despite the struggles, love survives.
While she continued to work her full-time RN job, it was thoughts of what she would do after retirement from her career in healthcare that spurred Rachel to begin writing her first manuscript in March of 2012. Needing guidance and support with her new endeavor, she joined local and national writing groups.
Release day for Rachel’s debut novel, To Dance One More Day, occurred in June 2014. Her second book, Taking A Chance On Love, released in October 2015. She is working on her third manuscript and is planning her first series. Rachel’s books reflect her love of the performing arts. Working as a registered nurse for twenty-five years has influenced the threads of medical drama woven into her storylines.
A music enthusiast for decades, Rachel resides in Kennesaw, Georgia with her husband of thirty-eight years and their spoiled Labrador retriever. She is a member of Georgia Writers Association, Georgia Romance Writers and is a PRO member of Romance Writers of America.
Rachel writes contemporary romance novels and draws her inspiration from the performing arts.
Rachel's debut novel, To Dance One More Day, is centered around the world of ballet.
Desertion and death of her family leaves Jillian Russell alone in the world. A medical diagnosis takes away her performance career. Starting over in Charlotte, North Carolina, she opens a ballet company which takes all her resources and leaves no time to build new relationships.
Trauma surgeon, Alan Armstrong, is determined to fix Jillian’s life before he moves on to set up a rural community clinic that had been the top priority in his life, until he met Jillian.
Will their undeniable connection cause them to change their ambitions so they can be together? Or will they walk away from each other to continue on the paths they had chosen before they met?
Her second book, Taking a Chance on Love, is focused on a concert pianist.
From childhood, Virginia Manning has planned for a career as a concert clarinetist. Blindsided by family circumstances, her plans are interrupted, taking her down a path she would never have chosen. As a music teacher, Virginia’s relationship with the football coach goes from problematic to romantic. After Blake’s brush with death, a scared Virginia runs away looking for the contentment music has always brought to her life.
Because Blake Oliver has experienced disappointment and pain, he opts for a fresh start in a small New England town. Accepting the position of football coach, he isn’t looking for love when it finds him. But when Virginia leaves to pursue a performance career, Blake realizes it’s not where you live but having someone to love that matters. His only problem is making her understand that as well.
We know you’re an author, but do you work another job when you are not writing?
Yes, I do. I’ve been a night shift labor and delivery RN for twenty-five years. I’m three years away from retirement from healthcare. I’m three years away from becoming a full-time writer.
Other than writing, what do you have a passion for?
Music – I have a bachelor’s degree in music education and have played the clarinet for fifty-three years. I also play the flute and piano. I love classical music.
Is there some place special you like to be when you write?
My home office (just painted from gray to peach – yay!) is where I do the majority of my writing. I don’t think I’m the coffee house kind of writer, but I’ve never tried writing in public. Maybe I should give it a go.
Do you have any upcoming projects in the works or other books that have been published – Tell us about them?
The title of my WIP is Final Acceptance.
She wanted to come home, but could she stay? He met someone that made him feel alive again, but could he chance it?
A story of loss, grieving and tearing down barriers. Ella wants to revive her life that was once amazing and fulfilling. Jackson is looking to put down roots, but family responsibilities pull him away from the west coast and the woman that will make his life complete.
May 20 ✯ 6 Feet Under Books
May 24 ✯ Authors from Everywhere
May 24 ✯ Laura's Interests
May 25 ✯ deal sharing aunt
May 27 ✯ Imaginative Dreams
This is a Release Blitz for THE LAST DROP by Andrea Perno
THE LAST DROP
by
Andrea Perno
GENRE: Science Fiction
They fought to death for the last drop of water. The virus erased the rest. Avery must protect his little brother, Jace, the only family he has left, his last reason for living. But when soldiers are needed, no one cares about the details. He gets Tasered before he can save Jace and himself from being forcefully conscripted.
Two years of cryo-sleep later, the brothers are aboard an aircraft taking the last humans from Earth to a new home, Panacea. Life is good. Food and water are plentiful. Jace is a happy kid who will never see a day of war.
So why does Avery feel like he’s making a big mistake trusting the new commander?
And who or what is Lupète? Why is Commander Smith so intent on making the natives on the new planet sound like bloodthirsty killers?
With his life in danger and Jace lost, Avery must find a way to protect Jace and the natives, too, before human greed and desperation destroy yet another civilization.
“I nearly got killed out there. If I die, if you die…people are being killed, Avery. No one has a good solution to this mess. No one wants to give up the rights to their water. They don’t even want to share. Shit is hitting the fan over all this. Look, Jace is too young for recruitment. Caileen would be the only other person who could sign up so that the family could live on base. Can you picture her in basic? Boy, I bet she’d be the perfect person to go out and shoot people. You aren’t even fit to do that.”
My teeth grind in opposition, but I know he’s right about Caileen. Basic training would eat her alive. She wouldn’t have the guts to shoot someone. It has to be me that stays behind.
“Look, I know you’re against the space program, but it’s our best bet. You think it’s bad in Asik? You think the outsiders living just beyond our walls have it bad? I already talked to Bruce, so I know you’ve been out there…”
“Bruce? You’ve talked to Bruce? How long have you been back?”
“A few days.”
“God, Jeremy. A few days! What the hell! Does Mom know? When were you going to tell us?”
“It doesn’t matter. Probably won’t be staying here for long anyway with the way things are going. Look, what matters is you get back on the space settlement list.”
“Why’s that so important to you? What aren’t you telling me?” I yell at him.
Jeremy glances at the receptionist, who’s beginning to eye us suspiciously. “Stop shouting,” Jeremy whispers and walks me farther away from the lobby desk. “If you’re chosen, the rest of the family gets to go. Don’t you get that? Look, if you knew half the shit that’s going down right now you’d be begging to leave.”
“If it’s so damn important to you, why aren’t you trying to get on the list?”
“You think I haven’t?” Jeremy gives me a pained look. He’s easily smart enough and he’s in great physical condition. It makes no sense. Zimmerman should be standing on his head to have a person like Jeremy. Then it hits me.
“Dad didn’t approve it?”
“I’m his right-hand man,” Jeremy scoffs. “If he only knew, right?” Jeremy’s lips curl in a devious grin and I can’t help but smile back. He’s opposed pretty much everything Dad’s put in place. Jeremy doesn’t support recruiting hundreds of men to use for missions, and he helps sneak food to the outsiders. By how smoothly things went with this morning’s supply drop, Jeremy’s got a whole crew of people on base working covertly against our father.
“So, if you’re his right-hand man, you must know what’s going to happen next.”
Jeremy runs a palm across the top of his shaved head. “Let’s just say our trade didn’t exactly go as planned.” He sucks in a breath and gives me a serious look that makes my stomach drop again. “This is why you need to get your act together. Today! The shit storm is coming and it won’t be long until it hits home.”
With nowhere else to go and separated from their friends, Avery and Clesandra head into the dark mist with Commander Smith hot on their trail. Endless are the rumors about the mist, what lies within it, and its shrouded secrets. Avery cannot worry about those rumors. Other problems plague his mind. Where is Jace? Is he safe? Where are the others? How will they find them without getting lost themselves? Will he and Clesandra live long enough to see their child born? Hints and whispers about Daniel’s past and his whereabouts have now surfaced and are troubling Avery. They remind him of his lost brother, Jeremy, whom Avery strives to become but is afraid he is spiraling down the same path that consumed his father. Avery and Clesandra will discover new truths and lies as they continue their periled journey, including a dark secret that threatens not only the colonists and natives of Panacea but also the entire Universe.
In an effort to write a biography that won’t bore people stiff, I’ve kept this one pretty simple. I, Andrea Perno (and yes it is very strange referring to myself in the third person) write futuristic science fiction. I am a writer, an illustrator, an artist, an outdoor enthusiast and oh yeah, how could I forget the most important one? I’m a middle school inspirational life coach, disciplinarian, stand-in parent, “stop throwing clay at him and for the love of God put your jacket on it’s cold outside”…teacher.
I grew up in Florida and Pennsylvania where my childhood consisted of riding horses, catching lizards, shooting, hiking, building things, and camping literally all over the U.S.A. My parents are keen on experiencing all that life has to offer. That mentality has really shaped who I have become as an adult. I also grew up watching huge doses of science fiction (thanks, Mom) and home improvement shows (thanks, Dad) Star Trek, Star Wars, Batman, Superman, Bob Vila, Home Improvement, MacGyver...I could go on or I could just say that’s where a ton of my writing inspiration comes from. I love creating worlds for people to escape.
I’m a workaholic with very little free time who’s fueled by chocolate and French Vanilla tea…yes tea, not coffee. I’m allergic to coffee. I will die. Though it may seem like I run all day and have zero time left for anything else, I am savagely loyal and passionate and will drop anything in a heartbeat for friends or family who need me. I, we…are nothing if not for the people around us.
This is a Release Tour for CRAVE by Victoria Danann
CRAVE
Exiled #2
by
Victoria Danann
Official genre of book Paranormal Romance
Content warning 18+
What price freedom? Seasons came and went as Crave was held in isolation, chained in darkness, kept in filth, starved, tortured, taunted, taken to the point of a welcome death only to be revived so that his tormentors could begin the process again. The woman who held his heart waited for him and never gave up hope that he was alive. After his rescue, memory and sanity gone, she will plumb the depths of love. Because only one person can bring him back from hell.
He would sit with his back against a corner and participate to the extent that every breath in and out drove a low level growl across his vocal cords. To someone unfamiliar with Exiled, it might have sounded like an extremely loud and rumbling purr. But Dandelion heard it for what it was. A resentment so deep and wide that it was a promise of malice, should he ever be freed.
She ignored it and continued reading, certain that the ritual would eventually reach into his heart and ignite a response. One day when she returned to the holding facility with fresh bedding and clean clothes, she brought a dandelion that she had picked near the door. She placed it on the floor just inside Crave’s cell and backed away knowing that he was irritated by having people approach his space.
Seeing that there was something new and different, Crave got to his feet and walked toward the flower never taking his eyes away from it. Crouching he fell into a squat and studied the little yellow bloom while Dandelion quietly watched well out of reach.
He lifted it to his face and studied it, cocking his head to the side. The novelty held his interest until Dandelion moved slightly. The movement caught his attention and, when his eyes shifted from the flower to her, he was again possessed by the angry demons that plagued him. He bellowed his outrage and tore the flower into little bits. Seeing that some of the pieces fell within his cell, he proceeded to pick up each and every tiny bit, whether petal, leaf, or stem, and throw them through the bars one by one.
When he was finished, she quipped, “So you’re not fond of dandelions anymore.”
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.
This is a Review/Promo tour for LAND OF MYSTICA series by Michelle Murray
LAND OF MYSTICA series
by
Michelle Murray
Official Genre: middle grade fantasy (ages 8-12) but loved by all ages.
The Dream Walker
Volume 1
Miranda is having vivid dreams of a world she's never been to. A world full of castles, Forests, Ice Caves, and Dragons. She goes to a bookstore to see about these dreams, and discovers she is a Dream Walker. She has been called to save this mystical, magical world. On Mystica, the evil wizard Midnight has been released. Midnight is gathering an army, and preparing for war. Miranda needs to find and release the white wizard Lightning from his stone prison to save Mystica. Follow Miranda as she travels through Mystica. Can she find and release Lightning and save Mystica?
Once there were six wizards who lived upon Mystica. Three of these wizards wore white robes and worshipped the Goddess of the Sun. Lightning was the oldest and strongest white wizard. Wrinkles lined his face. His bones showed through his skin, making him look frail. Silver lightning streaks decorated his robe. White hair laid atop of his head. Blue eyes peered through his wrinkled face. He often carried lightning streaks in his hands, ready to strike at any minute. He traveled through Mystica in cloud or smoke form, keeping the dark wizards in check and the magic of Mystica in balance. When he wasn’t wondering the land, he slept in the clouds. If there were no clouds, he made them with his magic. Lightning was followed by Silver. Silver was the middle white wizard. His skin sparkled like his namesake. Silver trim highlighted the hem and cuffs of his robe. Silver streaks ran through his white hair. He made his home in the dwarf mines when not battling the dark wizards. If the dwarf mines were not available, he would find a location that had minerals or stones embedded in the rocks. The youngest of the white wizards was Polaris. His skin was etched with the stars on it, almost like tattoos. The shape of the bear constellation with his namesake in it was stitched in gold and silver on his robe. It shone at night, twinkling in and out just like the stars. He slept in the open, preferring to see the star he was named after and daydream. Building things out of the land occupied his time when he wasn’t battling the dark wizards. Though, the dark wizards often destroyed his creations for fun.
The dark wizards wore black robes and worshipped the God of the Night. They liked to cause trouble and havoc, which the white wizards often had to fix. They would cause fights among the people of Mystica by playing tricks on them. Farm crops would be stolen. Horses and cows would be released from their pens. Fires would be started in villages and towns. They would do this tricks in the dark of night, and the people would blame each other. If the white wizards caught them, they would fix the tricks before anyone woke up and no one was the wiser. Fires were put out. Horses and cattle were returned. Farm crops would be replaced. It was often a game of cat and mouse. The wizards chasing each other across Mystica.
The oldest and strongest of the dark wizards was Midnight. He often caused the most trouble. He especially liked seeing and hearing the screams and terrors of the villagers. Midnight’s skin was dark like his name and sky at midnight. His eyes were an icy grey. Pictures of galaxies and clouds embellish his black robe, like you were looking at the night sky. Lightning and Midnight often had grand duels of magic being the two strongest wizards which often ended in a duel.
After Lightning and Midnight, Shadow, the middle dark wizard, had a special unique magic. Shadow could create and control shadows. He had a special robe that was embodied with grey shadows that danced around it, and moved with it. Tufts of shadow were entwined in his black hair. He used this magic to frighten people and animals. It took all light and hope away, and replaced it with fear, hate, and anger. It made for fun games to play on the people of Mytica. When not playing games with his shadows, Shadow had an inquisitive nature and liked to find out the “why” of things. The other wizards made fun of him for this, so he often hid his quests of finding out answers from them.
The last of the dark wizards was Spyder. Spyder was the youngest dark wizard. He was tall and skinny with long arms and legs, like a spider. His hair looked more like a spider web than hair. His skin resembled the coloring of a black widow, black with red streaks. Spiders crawled all over his robe, and in his hair and beard. They were his constant companions. His eyes were white with spiders on the irises. As the youngest, he was often ignored. This made him yearn for attention, and he would do anything to get it.
One of the wizards of the black robes grew weary of the constant battles with the white wizards. Midnight wanted more power. He wanted to defeat the wizards of the white robes once and for all, and claim Mystica for himself. He grew especially weary of his magic battles with Lightning, the only white wizard that could defeat him in a wizard duel.
He was deterred from outright killing the other wizards for, if the wizards died, so did the land of Mystica. Mystic and the magic of the wizards were connected in an odd way Midnight could not figure out. It was no use ruling a dying land. He had to find another way to defeat the other meddling wizards.
The Dream Walker Returns
Volume 2
The Darkness has waited a long time to return to Mystica. Now, with the help of the wizard Shadow it has found a way back into the land. It will stop at nothing and no one to darken all of Mystica. Miranda is called to Mystica to help fight the Darkness. Her friend Brian follows. Does he mean to help or hinder her? Can Miranda stop the Darkness and save Mystica, and if so at what cost?
Kate had watched Miranda on her first journey to Mystica, and knew just how powerful she was. Yet, Miranda did not know or seem to understand the power she held. Kate had been a watcher her whole life, watching for people with magic powers. Watching them change, and shape the world. She was tired of watching, she wanted to be doing. Yet, she had no magical powers of her own, so she had to find people to do her bidding.
Finding someone to trust her, and say a spell for her was the tricky part. Then, she remembered a boy she met last summer named Brian. He had magic powers he didn’t even know he had, and a streak for the dark side. She started supplying him with candles, potions, and spells. He tried each and every one, and reported back to her on his success or failure.
Now, with a Dream Walker in her midst, it was time to work with him even more closely. Together, they would bring her over to the Dark One. Kate had a spell as backup in case Brian could not seduce her. She had no doubt with his good looks and charm, he would succeed, but it never hurt to have a backup plan.
Kate and Brian met at the park by the local college. It was night, and the full moon was shining. The yellow light reflected off the leaves of the trees. The dirt path they were standing on twisted and weaved between the foliage. Kate had looked and searched in her archives for a spell to stop Miranda. She found this one:
Darkness Hides
Darkness Thrives
Come out and Play
Come out from your hiding place
Magic Beckons
Magic Calls
The wizard will be your means
Use him and stay away from the one who dreams
Brian though it was just another practice spell. He didn’t realize he had released the Darkness upon Mystica, and he probably wouldn’t have cared if he did.
He wanted to use his powers. He wanted to do big things. He wanted to leave a difference, good or bad in the world. Now, he would have his chance.
Dream Walkers Destiny
Volume 3
The last dark wizard Spyder has been freed from his stone prison. His one quest is to find the last white wizard's stone. Spyder recruits the pirates from Dead Man's Island to help him. With the magic out of balance of Mystica, the land starts to rumble and shake. Tremors are felt throughout the land. Miranda is called back to set things right. Miranda and her companions travel to the Lost Islands to find the same stone. The Pirates are not far behind. It is a race to see who will find Polaris first. Miranda needs to bring both wizards safely back to Mystica before the Red Mountain spews its lava. Danger awaits her at every turn. The fate of Mystica rests in Miranda and her dreams.
Spyder’s stone traveled a long way from Mystica. A single dark black stone crashed, tumbling over the waves of the Ocean of Mystica. It went with the crests of water following the currents of the ocean. It bobbed along the white foam, carried further and further away. The tides took it with them to the Ice Island, named because it was all ice and snow. The moment the waves hit the shores of Ice Island, they turned to solid ice. Fissures opened where the warm waves of the ocean hit the cold shores of Ice Island. The stone rolled onto these fissures. It was like a marble in a wooden maze, rolling along where the cracks created a patch in the ice.
The stone landed in a ceremonial circle of the Valerie. The Valerie were inhabitants of the land. The Valerie had blue skin and white eyes. White furred robes adorned their bodies. Icicles formed their hair; even their eyebrows were a frozen ice of white.
The Valerie did not notice the black stone as they were in the middle of chanting and praying to the Ice Volcano, which they worshipped. Around and around the ceremonial circle they went, dancing, chanting, and beating the ice drums. To them, it was a sacred ceremony to keep the Ice Volcano from spewing its frozen ice all over their village and prey. They took it very seriously and let nothing, no animals, lightning, or a strange stone disturb the ceremony and make the Ice Volcano angry.
The Valerie lived a simple life, hunting and gathering. They learned to make many things out of their ice surroundings, including homes, drums, arrows, spears, and even bowls. The chosen Valerie who had demonstrated strength and wisdom by killing prey and protecting the women and children participated in this ceremony.
The chanting of the Valerie grew more intense, and the drums beat louder and faster. It reached a crescendo of music and energy. The energy reached the black stone, and it cracked open in a puff of black smoke. When the smoke dissipated, the wizard Spyder was in the midst of the Valerie ceremony!
Spyder was the last dark wizard of Mystica. He had long skinny arms and legs, like a spider. He was tall and skinny with spiders in his hair and beard. He wore a black robe with spider webs and spiders crawling all over it. He had white eyes with pictures of spiders on the inside of the irises. His skin was black like a black widow, and his hair was white where the spiders were not nesting. It looked like a spider web instead of hair upon his head.
Both the Valerie and Spyder were in shock at this turn of events. Spyder had no idea where he was, or how he had gotten so far away from his homeland of Mystica. The Valerie thought he was a god come to save them.
The drums and chanting ended as all of the Valerie kneeled down to Spyder. Trying to get his bearings, Spyder saw in the distance the Ice Volcano. Spyder wanted to find out where he was, and how to get back to Mystica. Seeing the volcano gave him an idea. Perhaps he could mind speak to his brothers or his father through the volcano.
Spyder’s father was the God of Night, and he lived under the Red Mountain, which held a dormant volcano in Mystica. The God of Night was a tricky one, who thrived on deceits, lies, and trickery. The God of Night wanted to find his last son. As out of his two sons, one was dead, and one was now human. His hopes lay with Spyder, the last dark wizard. Yet, the God of Night’s magic was limited outside of Mystica. Without the magic of the wizards, it was growing scarce on Mystica. If it had not been for Shadow and Silver giving up theirs, Mystica would have no magic at all.
Michelle is a married working mother of two fine young men (her children). She lives in Wisconsin. When not writing, she enjoys reading especially science fiction/fantasy and classics.
Her favorite authors include Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Margaret Weiss, and Colleen Houck.
She also enjoys doing painting and crafts, and spending time with her family. She enjoys going for walks, and swimming. She has been known to jump in Lake Michigan with no life jacket!
She has been writing since high school. Michelle took a break from writing to concentrate on raising her children.
She has an app on her IPad that gives her a word of the day and poem of the day.
This is a release blitz for THE TIN OF HONEY by Holly Barbo
THE TIN OF HONEY
by
Holly Barbo
GENRE: Dystopian
Life is tough for Zoe in the new world. As a small child, her voice can never be heard and she may as well be invisible. Except as a slave.
“Come. What is your name?”
The child opened her mouth to answer. Nothing happened. She tried again but not even a squeak emerged. Looking around, Zoe picked up a stick from the pile near the tent and wrote in the dirt: ZOE.
“You can’t talk?”
The little girl shook her head.
“Well, no matter. Let’s get some food in your belly and perhaps we can get you cleaned up afterwards.”
Zoe was given a bowl with a ladle of stew. She was so hungry she forgot the manners her parents had instilled and brought the bowl to her lips, slurping the first food she’d had in days.
The woman called to her husband in the tent. “Better come eat. I found a starving waif and she could probably eat your portion, too.”
The man who came out of the tent was big and had a bandana on his head. Zoe immediately jumped to her feet and, dropping the empty bowl, began to back out of the firelight.
“Sit and eat, Cane. You are scaring the child.”
The man gave the ragged girl a dismissive look and filled his bowl.
Turning to Zoe, the kind woman motioned the youngster back to the fire and, picking up Zoe’s bowl, ladled more stew into it before she prepared a bowl for herself.
Zoe couldn’t be sure, but the man looked like one of the soldiers who’d killed her parents. Her eyes large with fear, she couldn’t keep from staring at him as she chewed the last of the offered stew.
The woman picked up the bowls and grabbed a bundle from the tent. She put her hand on the little girl’s shoulder but turned to her husband. “Go on to your meeting with the other officers. Zoe and I will be at the stream.”
“I may be late, Maude.” And with those words Zoe knew beyond any doubt he had been with the group who’d killed her parents, and had certainly slit her mother’s throat.
Maude led Zoe downstream from the camp, and in a secluded little cove she handed the girl a sliver of soap. “Go wash up. I brought an old camisole of mine and some twine. It will do until your clothes are dry tomorrow. My husband has just received a promotion because two officers in his group were killed in a rebel skirmish. We’ll be leaving for the front in the morning.”
She chattered on as Zoe took advantage of the soap and scrubbed off the grime and blood. Maude worked on cleaning the stains from the child’s clothing. She suspected some of the soiled areas were blood stains but a glance at Zoe’s body only showed superficial bruises and scrapes. She wasn’t going to question the frightened child. It wasn’t important.
As the child emerged from the water, Maude handed her a towel. “Where are your parents, child?”
Zoe looked down, not wanting to meet the kind woman’s eyes as fresh tears rolled down her face. How could she tell this woman that her husband had murdered her parents but had never seen the little girl hiding in the root cellar? Or that the elevation in his rank was due to her father killing two men. The woman was nice but it wasn’t safe for Zoe to be near her husband. The little girl was leaving as soon as she could.
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.
AMAZON ✯ WEBSITE ✯ FACEBOOK ✯ GOODREADS ✯ PINTEREST ✯ TWITTER ✯ PGP AUTHOR PAGE ✯ PGP PINTEREST ✯ NEWSLETTER
This is a Review/Promo Tour for PRAISE HER, PRAISE DIANA by Anne Rothman-Hicks & Ken Hicks
Content warning: Mention of rape, castration, and non-graphic F/F sex scenes
PRAISE HER, PRAISE DIANA
by
Anne Rothman-Hicks & Ken Hicks
GENRE: Thriller
Content warning: Mention of rape, castration, and non-graphic F/F sex scenes.
A woman going by the name of “Diana” has started to kill and castrate men in New York City. Her modus operandi is sweet seduction and then a knife to the heart at his moment of climax. These tactics imitate the recent novel by Maggie Edwards, a famous author of women's fiction who was raped a few years before but had never disclosed that traumatic experience. Diana becomes a heroine to women who have suffered sexual violence or the threat of such violence and these women fight back in imitation of Diana while the police try desperately to find out Diana’s identity. Jane Larson, a high-powered New York attorney, represents Maggie and a feminist group called Women Protecting Women. Jane makes the mistake of falling in love with her client and soon finds herself at the center of the action.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Diana. You may have heard of me. The Huntress. Goddess of the moon. Beloved of virgins. Never been kissed.
So anyway, I met this guy in a bar near his apartment in New York City. He thought it was by chance—two people locking gazes across a crowded room. I knew better.
It was a dark, dirty place filled with the smell of all the stale beer that had been spilled onto the wooden floor over the course of a half-century or so. When I arrived, his eyes were already bright from several drafts, although he probably would have fought you if you told him he was drunk. He liked to fight. He played rugby just for the fun of hitting people and being hit, and wore his cuts and bruises like trophies.
All the same, he had a surprisingly engaging smile, marred slightly by a cap on one of his front teeth that didn’t quite match the rest. Too bad. His hair was brown and medium length. Slightly tousled, it fell in a cascade over his forehead. His skin was very white, nearly blemish-free, except for a swath of freckles across his nose and cheeks that added to his boyish appearance. You would have liked him at first. I’m sure of that.
He patted the seat next to him at the far end of the bar and bought me a drink. I was wearing a short skirt, high leather boots, and no stockings. A long down jacket was draped over my shoulders like a cape, reaching to the floor. He looked me up and down without apology, weaving this way and that, just a little unsteady on the barstool. He liked what he saw, apparently. With all the beer that had passed his lips that night, he didn’t notice I was wearing a blond wig. I was also wearing my blue contacts. He didn’t notice that either.
He told me a joke about dumb blonds and his hand slapped me on the naked part of my thigh as I pretended to laugh. A minute later, his hand returned to the same spot, tweaking me a little higher up the inside of my leg, like a mischievous child who is sure his antics will be forgiven. I pushed his hand away and he started describing his job and his boss, and I remember thinking, ‘I don’t care about your life, tooth-boy.’ And then there was that hand again, creeping upward along my thigh, and he was chattering away and grinning roguishly at me as though that five-fingered appendage was operating independently of the rest of him, finding its own way in the world.
“What’s with the coat,” he asked me.
I moved my shoulders as if I were shivering.
“I’m cold,” I said, hunching over the bar and pulling my arms together. This had the effect of pressing my breasts upward against the unbuttoned top of my shirt. His eyes were glued to that triangle of soft, inviting flesh. There was no subtlety in him.
“I could warm you up,” tooth-boy said, obviously proud of his wit.
“I’ll bet you could,” I said, and stood up.
The air was cool and the pale clouds of our breath were caught by a light wind and dispersed as we walked down a deserted side street, westward into a neighborhood of small buildings, passing a row of worn brownstone stoops that extended onto the pavement. I had put on my down coat with its neutral unmemorable color, and I now had a similarly nondescript knitted cap pulled low over my ears. I liked the anonymity of it—the sense that a person passing would see just a slightly drunk guy leading a girl to his apartment and that, if anyone were asked, no essential part of me would stand out to be described.
His arm was around my waist, and he leaned against me to steady himself as we walked. At one point he stopped and pulled me to him, kissing me with his open mouth and wet lips and thick rancid beer breath. His left hand pawed at the front of me but couldn’t get past the armor of my coat. “Not here, you animal,” I said to him and he laughed because he thought I was joking.
We lumbered along, trying to match our steps. There was no one on the street but an occasional rat skittering among the garbage cans. Soon we turned up the front stairs to his building and through the dingy foyer with its soiled carpeting and then up one flight where he struggled to get his key in the lock. Here I thought that if I wanted to leave I should do it now. Once I got inside, I knew I would not be able to stop myself. I was already thinking about a certain sunny meadow off a winding backcountry road on a beautiful spring day—the first really warm day of the year—and what was taken from me.
✯✯✯✯✯Praise Her, Praise Diana is a thought-provoking, gripping ...
By Pat D.Verified Purchase
Praise Her, Praise Diana is a thought-provoking, gripping, suspenseful book. The characters are well-rounded and the turn of events keeps the reader on the edge of their chair until the last word on the last page. Set in NYC during present-day, Praise Her, Praise Diana explores the issues of rape, justice, and revenge in a touching, thought-provoking fashion. There aren't very many novels out there which cause the reader to think deeply about such important, relevant issues. This is an extremely interesting book which should be read and discussed by many. If I could give it 6 stars I would!
✯✯✯✯Gripping!
By JB Johnstonon
Praise Her, Praise Diana is one of those books that shocks, mesmerizes and makes you go 'ohhhhhhhh' all at the same time! Its definitely not a book for the faint-hearted with some pretty graphic scenes. The book covers such topics as rape, abuse, feminism, sexuality and of course love. Diana is killing men in revenge for being raped. She isn't just killing them though. She is hunting them. Stalking them. Murdering them without mercy or remorse. And, she appears to be copying the murders in a book that author Maggie Edwards is writing. Diana is obsessed with ridding the world of abusive men and her call to fellow feminists seems to spark interest in an extreme feminist group who appear to take her at her word and become her 'followers'. The book plays host to many strong female characters.
The book is interesting in that it explores Feminism to the extreme and makes us question what justice actually means. How far should one person go to get that justice? Is the punishment justifiable? Does it fit the crime? This is a gritty book that sees female vigilantes taking a stand against men who have committed sexual crimes against women. Are they doing the wrong thing for the right reason? That is the moral dilemma the reader will face. An intriguing read and one I really enjoyed. Definitely a book that will make you sit up and take notice and will have you thinking about it long after you have finished it. This book is food for your brain and I love books that make me think about my own views and question what I would do if faced with a similar circumstance. My only gripe is that there are a host of characters in the book to get your head around but that was more to do with me than the book. Highly recommended but only for readers of 18+.
✯✯✯✯A daring new thriller!
By Amanda O'Hara
...I really enjoyed Praise Her, Praise Diana, as you may have already guessed. It has such a unique and twisted plot, and the development of the characters was really well considered. As a young woman who considers herself a feminist and, like most women, all too aware of the rape culture we live in, I can’t say that I didn’t absolutely love the idea of certain role reversals taking place between men and women in this book and having men be inflicted with constant fear. It wasn’t women who were scared of walking down the streets alone at night or encountering strangers now – it was men! And I think the play on that can really open up a lot of important discussions we as a society should definitely be having. With that said, and keeping in mind how extreme some of what I just described might sound, I honestly felt like the subject matter of this book was dealt with both respectfully and boldly all at the same time. Again, it’s definitely the sort of book I can totally picture both women and men having some really animated and frank discussions about...
Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks first started writing books together while Anne was a student at Bryn Mawr College and Ken was a student at Haverford College— a long time ago, when, as their children like to say, dinosaurs roamed the earth.
In 1973, they came to New York City while Ken attended law school at Columbia University and Anne worked as an editor in publishing. They have lived here ever since and do not intend to leave voluntarily.
They wrote their first novel together in 1976, hoping that it would be a success and Ken would not have to even start working as a lawyer. Alas, that book is still in on the upper shelf of their closet, but they kept at the writing business. In 1984, they published Theft of the Shroud, a novel, through Banbury books, distributed by Putnam. That same year they also published a series of 10 books based on the most popular names for boys and girls, as well as a book about the stars for children. Following these successes, Ken quit law for two years as he and Anne devoted themselves fulltime to writing and their children. However, children need to eat and be clothed and go to school, and these things all cost money, so Ken resumed the practice of law. Still, they continued to write, and rewrite, and rewrite some more.
In addition to Praise Her, Praise Diana, Anne and Ken wrote a mystery with lawyer Jane Larson as the main character called Weave A Murderous Web, Melange Books LLC, 2016. They also wrote Kate and the Kid, (Adult mainstream) Wings ePress 2013; and Things Are Not What They Seem (‘Tween fantasy) MuseItUp Publishing 2014. Anne and Ken have also published two small-format photography books, which are available on the Apple iBookstore – Hearts (no flowers) Signs of Love in the Gritty City and Picture Stones.
PRAISE HER, PRAISE DIANA
by
Anne Rothman-Hicks & Ken Hicks
GENRE: Thriller
Content warning: Mention of rape, castration, and non-graphic F/F sex scenes.
A woman going by the name of “Diana” has started to kill and castrate men in New York City. Her modus operandi is sweet seduction and then a knife to the heart at his moment of climax. These tactics imitate the recent novel by Maggie Edwards, a famous author of women's fiction who was raped a few years before but had never disclosed that traumatic experience. Diana becomes a heroine to women who have suffered sexual violence or the threat of such violence and these women fight back in imitation of Diana while the police try desperately to find out Diana’s identity. Jane Larson, a high-powered New York attorney, represents Maggie and a feminist group called Women Protecting Women. Jane makes the mistake of falling in love with her client and soon finds herself at the center of the action.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Diana. You may have heard of me. The Huntress. Goddess of the moon. Beloved of virgins. Never been kissed.
So anyway, I met this guy in a bar near his apartment in New York City. He thought it was by chance—two people locking gazes across a crowded room. I knew better.
It was a dark, dirty place filled with the smell of all the stale beer that had been spilled onto the wooden floor over the course of a half-century or so. When I arrived, his eyes were already bright from several drafts, although he probably would have fought you if you told him he was drunk. He liked to fight. He played rugby just for the fun of hitting people and being hit, and wore his cuts and bruises like trophies.
All the same, he had a surprisingly engaging smile, marred slightly by a cap on one of his front teeth that didn’t quite match the rest. Too bad. His hair was brown and medium length. Slightly tousled, it fell in a cascade over his forehead. His skin was very white, nearly blemish-free, except for a swath of freckles across his nose and cheeks that added to his boyish appearance. You would have liked him at first. I’m sure of that.
He patted the seat next to him at the far end of the bar and bought me a drink. I was wearing a short skirt, high leather boots, and no stockings. A long down jacket was draped over my shoulders like a cape, reaching to the floor. He looked me up and down without apology, weaving this way and that, just a little unsteady on the barstool. He liked what he saw, apparently. With all the beer that had passed his lips that night, he didn’t notice I was wearing a blond wig. I was also wearing my blue contacts. He didn’t notice that either.
He told me a joke about dumb blonds and his hand slapped me on the naked part of my thigh as I pretended to laugh. A minute later, his hand returned to the same spot, tweaking me a little higher up the inside of my leg, like a mischievous child who is sure his antics will be forgiven. I pushed his hand away and he started describing his job and his boss, and I remember thinking, ‘I don’t care about your life, tooth-boy.’ And then there was that hand again, creeping upward along my thigh, and he was chattering away and grinning roguishly at me as though that five-fingered appendage was operating independently of the rest of him, finding its own way in the world.
“What’s with the coat,” he asked me.
I moved my shoulders as if I were shivering.
“I’m cold,” I said, hunching over the bar and pulling my arms together. This had the effect of pressing my breasts upward against the unbuttoned top of my shirt. His eyes were glued to that triangle of soft, inviting flesh. There was no subtlety in him.
“I could warm you up,” tooth-boy said, obviously proud of his wit.
“I’ll bet you could,” I said, and stood up.
The air was cool and the pale clouds of our breath were caught by a light wind and dispersed as we walked down a deserted side street, westward into a neighborhood of small buildings, passing a row of worn brownstone stoops that extended onto the pavement. I had put on my down coat with its neutral unmemorable color, and I now had a similarly nondescript knitted cap pulled low over my ears. I liked the anonymity of it—the sense that a person passing would see just a slightly drunk guy leading a girl to his apartment and that, if anyone were asked, no essential part of me would stand out to be described.
His arm was around my waist, and he leaned against me to steady himself as we walked. At one point he stopped and pulled me to him, kissing me with his open mouth and wet lips and thick rancid beer breath. His left hand pawed at the front of me but couldn’t get past the armor of my coat. “Not here, you animal,” I said to him and he laughed because he thought I was joking.
We lumbered along, trying to match our steps. There was no one on the street but an occasional rat skittering among the garbage cans. Soon we turned up the front stairs to his building and through the dingy foyer with its soiled carpeting and then up one flight where he struggled to get his key in the lock. Here I thought that if I wanted to leave I should do it now. Once I got inside, I knew I would not be able to stop myself. I was already thinking about a certain sunny meadow off a winding backcountry road on a beautiful spring day—the first really warm day of the year—and what was taken from me.
✯✯✯✯✯Praise Her, Praise Diana is a thought-provoking, gripping ...
By Pat D.Verified Purchase
Praise Her, Praise Diana is a thought-provoking, gripping, suspenseful book. The characters are well-rounded and the turn of events keeps the reader on the edge of their chair until the last word on the last page. Set in NYC during present-day, Praise Her, Praise Diana explores the issues of rape, justice, and revenge in a touching, thought-provoking fashion. There aren't very many novels out there which cause the reader to think deeply about such important, relevant issues. This is an extremely interesting book which should be read and discussed by many. If I could give it 6 stars I would!
✯✯✯✯Gripping!
By JB Johnstonon
Praise Her, Praise Diana is one of those books that shocks, mesmerizes and makes you go 'ohhhhhhhh' all at the same time! Its definitely not a book for the faint-hearted with some pretty graphic scenes. The book covers such topics as rape, abuse, feminism, sexuality and of course love. Diana is killing men in revenge for being raped. She isn't just killing them though. She is hunting them. Stalking them. Murdering them without mercy or remorse. And, she appears to be copying the murders in a book that author Maggie Edwards is writing. Diana is obsessed with ridding the world of abusive men and her call to fellow feminists seems to spark interest in an extreme feminist group who appear to take her at her word and become her 'followers'. The book plays host to many strong female characters.
The book is interesting in that it explores Feminism to the extreme and makes us question what justice actually means. How far should one person go to get that justice? Is the punishment justifiable? Does it fit the crime? This is a gritty book that sees female vigilantes taking a stand against men who have committed sexual crimes against women. Are they doing the wrong thing for the right reason? That is the moral dilemma the reader will face. An intriguing read and one I really enjoyed. Definitely a book that will make you sit up and take notice and will have you thinking about it long after you have finished it. This book is food for your brain and I love books that make me think about my own views and question what I would do if faced with a similar circumstance. My only gripe is that there are a host of characters in the book to get your head around but that was more to do with me than the book. Highly recommended but only for readers of 18+.
✯✯✯✯A daring new thriller!
By Amanda O'Hara
...I really enjoyed Praise Her, Praise Diana, as you may have already guessed. It has such a unique and twisted plot, and the development of the characters was really well considered. As a young woman who considers herself a feminist and, like most women, all too aware of the rape culture we live in, I can’t say that I didn’t absolutely love the idea of certain role reversals taking place between men and women in this book and having men be inflicted with constant fear. It wasn’t women who were scared of walking down the streets alone at night or encountering strangers now – it was men! And I think the play on that can really open up a lot of important discussions we as a society should definitely be having. With that said, and keeping in mind how extreme some of what I just described might sound, I honestly felt like the subject matter of this book was dealt with both respectfully and boldly all at the same time. Again, it’s definitely the sort of book I can totally picture both women and men having some really animated and frank discussions about...
Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks first started writing books together while Anne was a student at Bryn Mawr College and Ken was a student at Haverford College— a long time ago, when, as their children like to say, dinosaurs roamed the earth.
In 1973, they came to New York City while Ken attended law school at Columbia University and Anne worked as an editor in publishing. They have lived here ever since and do not intend to leave voluntarily.
They wrote their first novel together in 1976, hoping that it would be a success and Ken would not have to even start working as a lawyer. Alas, that book is still in on the upper shelf of their closet, but they kept at the writing business. In 1984, they published Theft of the Shroud, a novel, through Banbury books, distributed by Putnam. That same year they also published a series of 10 books based on the most popular names for boys and girls, as well as a book about the stars for children. Following these successes, Ken quit law for two years as he and Anne devoted themselves fulltime to writing and their children. However, children need to eat and be clothed and go to school, and these things all cost money, so Ken resumed the practice of law. Still, they continued to write, and rewrite, and rewrite some more.
In addition to Praise Her, Praise Diana, Anne and Ken wrote a mystery with lawyer Jane Larson as the main character called Weave A Murderous Web, Melange Books LLC, 2016. They also wrote Kate and the Kid, (Adult mainstream) Wings ePress 2013; and Things Are Not What They Seem (‘Tween fantasy) MuseItUp Publishing 2014. Anne and Ken have also published two small-format photography books, which are available on the Apple iBookstore – Hearts (no flowers) Signs of Love in the Gritty City and Picture Stones.
This is a Release Tour for TOUCHED BY LOVE by Melissa Foster
TOUCHED BY LOVE
Love in Bloom: The Remintons
by
New York Times & USA Today bestseller Melissa Foster
The Remingtons are a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom big family romance collection - Voted BEST BOOK SERIES by Supportive Business Moms, UK
In TOUCHED BY LOVE...
Fiercely independent Janie Jansen has always believed there were worse things in life than being blind, and she's spent her life proving it. She's moved away from her overprotective parents, built a life in New York City, and is one of the top technical editors in her company. That is, until an unfortunate accident turns her life upside down and she's forced to give up the very independence she's worked so hard to achieve.
Firefighter Boyd Hudson pushed past his tragic past and is weeks away from accomplishing his ultimate dream―being accepted into medical school. His intense focus on his goal while working three jobs has taken its toll. With a trail of failed relationships behind him, Boyd is painstakingly aware of his limitations and avoids girlfriends completely―a difficult task given his attraction to one of his co-workers.
When Boyd comes to Janie's rescue, she's forced to accept his help, and Janie discovers there's more to the sexy-sounding office flirt than one-liners. Their connection deepens as Janie heals, but it turns out that Janie isn't the only one who needs healing. Boyd's painful past comes back to haunt him, threatening their relationship and forcing Boyd to reevaluate everything he knows about himself.
BLAINE’S MOUTH BLAZED a path up her inner thigh. His hot breath teased over her wet flesh. Kenya fisted her hands in the sheets, dug her heels into the mattress, and rocked her hips, aching for his talented tongue in the place she needed him most. Blaine lifted smoldering dark eyes, a hint of wickedness shining through, as his tongue slicked over his lips. He was a master at seduction, but Kenya didn’t give a shit about seduction. She wanted to be fucked hard. Now. She needed his—
A large hand landed on Janie Jansen’s desk beside her braille device. She nearly jumped out of her skin and nervously yanked out her earbuds. Holy shit. She was supposed to be finishing a technical editing assignment, not listening to the latest hot romance audiobook.
“Nice article in the newsletter this week, Jansen. ‘The Oxford Comma Revolution.’ Catchy.” Her boss, Clay Bishop, was slightly less arid than a desert, but Janie didn’t mind. He’d hired her to work at Tech Ed Co., or TEC, on a trial basis, and four years later her respect for him had only grown. He was a fair and equitable boss and was currently considering her for a promotion.
It was difficult to spice up a weekly column geared toward grammar and editing, but Janie tried. It was just one more step toward the promotion of technical writer she’d been vying for, a nice step up from editor.
“You’re here late. Trouble with the ARKENS handbook?”
“I’m just catching up on a few things. The handbook is almost done.” Well, technically not almost done, but she’d meet the deadline. She had yet to miss one. She loved editing, but she hadn’t set out to be an editor after college. She’d wanted to be a journalist, but that door had closed and she’d tabled her dream and settled for editing. Usually the intensity of her job didn’t get to her, but after weeks of grueling revisions on this particular medical equipment handbook, she’d needed a short mental break. But Clay would never think to take a break. He was all business all the time, even hours after their workday officially ended.
“Perfect. Don’t forget, Monday afternoon we have the peer review of your writing sample. If that goes well, your promotion will be in the hands of the management team. I’m not worried—you’re always on top of your game.”
“Yeah, she is.” Boyd Hudson’s amused voice brought a smile to Janie’s lips.
Boyd consulted at TEC only a few days a month, and though Janie didn’t know him well, he was quippy and flirtatious, bringing a spark of amusement into her otherwise quiet days.
“Hudson,” Clay said dryly. “Okay, well, it’s late, so…”
“See you Monday, Clay.” Janie listened to his retreating footsteps and let out a relieved sigh.
“He almost caught you again, didn’t he?”
She heard the smirk in Boyd’s voice. “He didn’t catch me last time. I was on my lunch break last week. And besides, I was just studying the nuances of the romance genre.”
“If by ‘study’ you mean ‘getting swept away in the sexy fantasy life of some fictional, ridiculously unattainable hero,’ then yeah, I’d buy that.”
“Why do you trash the genre when you know it’s my favorite escape?” She began gathering her things to leave for the day.
“Because it’s fun. You’re too smart to be a cliché, Janie. You know that, right? Girl who’s blind whiles away hours of her youth reading romances because her parents are too controlling. Grows up wanting a fictional life that can never exist. Break free from it.” His voice rose with excitement. “Let it go. Romance isn’t real. It’s crap writing about fake people.”
She never should have revealed that tidbit about her parents in the break room last month. They’d been talking about their childhoods, and while others had fun stories of hanging out at the mall, or going on spur-of-the-moment outings with groups of friends, Janie had very few spur-of-the-moment anything to share. Her parents worried about every step she made, questioning her safety and whether this or that location would be difficult for her to navigate without them to hold her hand. They’d been a noose around her neck, and it had often been easier to escape into fictional worlds than to battle for the chance to go out.
“And your sci-fi adventures are more real than romance? Ha!” She hefted her bag over her shoulder. “I bet you’ve never even read a romance.”
“Don’t need to. It’s crap.”
“It’s not crap. I bet I could write a romance that you’d not only read, but love.” Janie turned off her computer and braille device.
“Not unless it’s got a heroine who likes sci-fi, is smarter than me, and is into kinky sex.”
“God, you’re a pig. Fine, sci-fi and kinky sex. It shouldn’t be hard to make her smarter than you.” She lifted her brows with the tease. “But if I write it, you not only have to read every single page of it, but you also have to go to the Romance Writers Festival with me in October and stay all day. Plus,” she added, getting excited about the bet, “you have to buy me every romance book I want for a month.”
He placed Janie’s cane in her hand. “A little greedy, aren’t you?”
“Hey, if I’m writing a whole novel, it’s got to be worth it.”
“Fine, but I’m not buying you romance books for a month.”
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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.
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This is a Pre-Order Blast for QUEEN OF MY HEART by Nikki Lynn Barrett
QUEEN OF MY HEART
Life Won't Wait, Book #1
by
USA Today Bestselling Author Nikki Lynn Barrett
Name of cover designer: Robert Barrett
Official genre of book: Contemporary romantic
When the next King of country music offers to take you under his wing, what's a girl to do?
Pinch herself, of course. Repeatedly. Then take the offer!
Quinn Winters is tired of being the actress known for most killed off characters. After discovering her love of music when her last role portrayed a country singer on a daytime soap opera, she's making a much needed change in life. Quinn is unprepared for the demands and expectations needed to succeed in Music City. One pleading call from her sister puts her in an all too familiar, but unwanted position.
Five years ago, Tucker McGinnis auditioned for a reality singing show, never expecting to win. His sudden fame and popularity comes as a major surprise. After a multi platinum debut, his second album is suffering the dreaded sophomore jinx. His musical muse becomes elusive when guilt plagues him over an accident which affects his family. He is blown away by Quinn when he overhears her audition at his record label, singing his most personal song.
An attraction builds, and a connection through music is formed. But when life gets in the way, Tucker makes another offer - A temporary marriage which will benefit both of them, until things become too real.
Two souls destined for the stage, two hearts blending together to create beautiful music as individuals, but even better as country music's next power couple- if they can shed the images of who they used to be.
“No. I can't let that happen. She's my niece. I want to take her. Tell me what I have to do to become her guardian,” Quinn pleaded. “Winnie said she'd sign over custody if need be, so what do I do?”
“Quinn, how can you do that? Aren't you in Nashville trying to get a record deal? That's not the life Piper needs. She needs stability.” The woman's tone was sympathetic. Her gaze landed on Tucker. Something flickered in her eyes. Probably recognition.
“I'll sell the property Grams left me. It'll give me the money to take care of Piper and hopefully get something going for Winnie when she gets clean.” Desperation laced her voice. Tucker could tell by the stricken tone that she didn't want to go that route.
He had no idea what made him do it, especially since Quinn never agreed, but Tucker spoke without thinking on it too much. “She has stability. She's kinda living with me already. She's also started a job with me for the past few months, and we've become close. I- I know it's a short time, but I've been thinking about asking her to marry me. Is that stable enough?”
When Quinn gasped, Tucker stepped closer and closed his fingers over her cold, clammy ones. Forgive me, darlin'. I couldn't help myself. Again he'd made a ballsy, unlike him move. “I'm sorry to ruin the surprise, but you know I'll do whatever I can for you, and especially Piper.” His voice wavered. No taking the words back now. “I don't want to you give up that property. We've talked about this, darlin'” Did he pull off the act?
What. The. Fuck. Possessed him to do that?
“I knew you looked familiar. Tucker McGinnis.” The woman's jaw dropped.
“Yes, ma'am. I heard Quinn's voice one day, and I couldn't stay away. We kept our relationship quiet for personal reasons, of course. Whatever we need to do in order to get Piper in Quinn's custody, please let us know. We'll make it all official right away if we have to. Quinn and Piper will be well cared for. The two of them won't have a thing to worry about.”
Dig a hole, why don'tcha?
The case worker attempted to keep her composure. Tucker noted the relief in her eyes. “I'll go get Piper so you can see her. We'll need to get official documentation and permission from your sister. If she'll sign over guardianship to you, we'll have this taken care of within a few days. If she refuses...” She started to walk away. “Oh, and Quinn? Congratulations. I'm so happy you're happy. Good for you.”
“You and me. Outside. Now,” Quinn muttered through clenched teeth. He followed her to the front porch. “What the hell were you thinking? Do you know how much worse you made this? Seriously, Tucker!”
I'm an avid lover of books. I've been writing as far back as I can r
emember, completing my first "book" by fifth grade in one of those one subject spiral notebooks. I have a passion for music, photography, jewelry and all things creative. I live in Arizona with my husband and son, but dream of being somewhere much colder and stormier. For now, I'll have to live that life through my characters and stick it out with the summer heat.
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This is a Promo Blast for HOLDING FAST by Jeanine Binder
HOLDING FAST
Love and Order
by
Jeanine Binder
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
EDITOR: Juli's Elite Editing
COVER DESIGNER: Phycel Designs
Model: Delonn Donovan
Cover Photographer: Manda Moore @ Hello Panda Photography
......Been there, done that – there wasn’t much that Eli Walker hadn’t experienced as a cop. Even working in one of the better precincts in New York City didn’t help dispel the depravity he saw on a daily basis. It was all part and parcel of his mantra of living life in the now, not worrying about the future.
And especially with women. No strings, no attachments, and he made that perfectly clear before he ever bedded them. Relationships were not on his agenda – not now, not anytime in the near future. Women flocked to him and he could take his pick; himself exiting the encounter with what he’d wanted and leaving them aching for more, left dreaming of his curly locks and bronze body.
A chance encounter pulling a mugger off of a woman changed his whole world. She was blonde and beautiful – Eli didn’t care about any of the interracial politics that would surround any serious relationship. He just knew he had to have Ainsley, like an alcoholic needs his next drink. This was all new territory for Eli and could he stay to the path, all the way to its end? Or would she be like all the others in his life ?…...
I felt her press into me for warmth. I wrap my legs around hers, pulling her body firmly against mine. I knew I gave off a lot of heat – previous women in my bed had likened me to an oversized space heater. Am sure my size had a lot to do with it and it made being outside in the cold New York winters much more palatable. I was perfectly content to lay there and watch this gorgeous woman sleep. She’d slipped my shirt on after we finished and there was nothing sexier than seeing the tails fall just to the top of her thighs. My imagination did double time thinking how I would like it to be my hand there instead of my shirt, but I didn’t want to wake her up. Well, at least not for a few minutes anyway. I was already up and ready so that wasn’t an issue – no Viagra or Cialis in my future – but I was treasuring this first for me. The first of waking up to a beautiful woman in my arms because, in my previous encounters, no one ever woke up in my bed with me. And I never stayed all night in theirs.
Relationships were something I ignored. I couldn’t remember what started me down that path –it probably had something to do with some weekend liberty when I was in the Army, as we would all go down to the local bar, get shit-faced drunk, and pick up women. Now I was having all sorts of thoughts. Before, getting married and having kids, like my partner, was far from my mind. That was, until I pulled some asshole off Ainsley and she came to the station to thank me. So … what did I want with her? Did I want something forever and go down the white picket fence lined road? I wasn’t sure, but what I did know was I didn’t want to ever see her with anyone else. I’d kill anyone who touched what was mine. And maybe it was a temporary thing and wouldn’t last. But I was certainly going to put forth some effort into exploring these feelings were which were causing my mouth to go dry and my heart to race whenever I saw her look at me with those crystal blue eyes. I wanted to keep her wrapped in my arms so I could protect her from everything evil. I never had those kinds of feelings before I met her.
Jeanine Binder grew up in a small town in California on the outskirts of Palm Springs, where the Hollywood celebrities liked to vacation. After thirty years, she packed up, moved to Arkansas where she still lives today. Her hobbies include her writing, reading good books, and seeing exotic places (loves to go on cruises).
Writing has always been a passion and hoping the next twenty years will bring many enjoyable books for others to read.
