Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 148
February 8, 2023
Blog Tour: ANY FIN FOR LOVE by Petie McCarty
ANY FIN FOR LOVE
by Petie McCarty
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GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BLURB:
She could almost hear the fish laughing at her . . .
Cody Ryan’s father never missed fishing the annual Loon Lake tournament until his unexpected passing. So this year, Cody packs up her how-to fishing videos and her dad’s old johnboat and gives him one final entry.
Gage Connor needs some R&R away from his coast guard deployment catching drug smugglers along the Louisiana coast, so he borrows a bass boat from his buddy and heads to Loon, Alabama to do some fishing.
When Gage and Cody meet at Loon Lake, their attraction is immediate and intense—until the two discover there is only one boat slip left on the lake and they both need it, and there’s only one vacant hotel room left in Loon and they both want it. Thus, their competition begins. Both vow to keep their distance from the other to fight the temptation, but fate has other plans. The tournament pairing party picks the two-man teams and chooses Gage as Cody’s partner.
For two days.
Alone on a boat.
Working as a team.
Good things come to those who bait . . .
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Excerpt One:
Feeling the hotel room being yanked out from underneath her, Cody lost her grip on her temper. “I don’t care. I arrived here first.” She wheeled on Velma. “Tell him.”
Velma had a hard time meeting the man’s glittering green eyes, and Cody feared the worst. “Velma, you have to go with the first person who arrived here, and that was me.”
Velma visibly wavered, and her gaze bounced between Cody, Mr. Never-Had-Any-Patience, and her twin, who looked ready to burst into tears.
“It’s not your fault, Sister.” She patted Delma’s hand. “You didn’t know we were upstairs. I’ll handle this.”
Velma faced her two potential guests and announced, “We’ll flip for it.”
Delma immediately beamed.
“What?” Cody cried.
“Fine by me,” the stranger snapped and crossed his arms on his oversized and quite muscular pecs. Not that Cody was staring.
Velma reached into her apron pocket and drew out a silver dollar. She smiled at Cody. “Since you were here first, you can call it, and you can have heads if you want. I always liked heads in a coin toss, and I always got lucky calling heads.” Her eyes twinkled at Cody.
“Fine. Heads it is,” Cody said.
The coin flipped high in the air. Velma deftly caught it with her right hand and smacked the coin on top of her left. “Heads it is,” she proclaimed.
Cody blew out a sigh of relief.
“Hey, wait a minute,” the stranger complained.
“See for yourself.” Velma angled her hand for him to snatch a glimpse and then chucked the coin back into her pocket.
Cody stared him right in the eye. “I win.”
He eased closer—almost nose to nose—and she reconsidered her idea to gloat. His emerald eyes darkened, turned almost black, and locked onto hers. She could hear and feel each breath he took, because she held hers. Waiting.
“Share it with me.”
His gaze never wavered. She could feel it, almost like a caress.
“I promise I won’t touch you . . . if you don’t want me to.” The latter implied he wanted exactly the opposite.
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Review: “I hope the gentlemen don’t mind a woman competing this year.” That’s what was running through Cody’s mind as she stood in the middle of a fishing tournament.
The character asked herself: how bad could this be? Well, it sure sounded like she really wasn’t that into fishing. So why was she doing it then? To please her dad.
The narrative was nice and easy, but it was rather long and only mildly amusing. Story wasn’t really that easy to get into. First, the character’s motive for getting into this tournament wasn’t that believable to me. Second, we run into this tangled yarn of mystery and confusion as you read on. For me, it was just too much to unravel. Like I said, the read was pretty decent. The best thing about Cody was her “girl power” attitude and her unrelenting desire to not give up. This book pretty much has a little bit of everything: drama, mystery, and romance.
A fairly nice read altogether, but, of course, it could be better.
Rating: 3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—"The Most Magical Place on Earth"—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.
Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in No Angels for Christmas.
Visit Petie's web site online at http://www.petiemccarty.comor her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty
BIO Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty
https://twitter.com/authorpetie
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094579.Petie_McCarty
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/petie-mccarty
http://www.amazon.com/author/petiemccarty
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GIVEAWAY
Petie McCarty will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Blast: AVOIDING SWINDLERS by Al Rosen
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Al Rosen will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
The book deals with actual situations that resulted in investors losing multi-millions of dollars to financial tricksters. Emphasis is placed upon learning how to detect early warning signs. Financial exposure can be minimized prior to situations deteriorating into bankruptcies. However, individual investors have to take specific actions after doing some homework. Otherwise, the alternative is to lose money by listening to "hot tips," often involving publicly traded securities.
Some types of commonly seen but inappropriate financial reporting are permitted in certain countries (including parts of North America), even though they deeply aid the financial tricksters. Governments are seriously neglecting investors by not prohibiting certain reporting trickery. Overall, in some regions, investor protection is simply archaic (including allowing false advertising). Currently, investors face serious risks.
The book attempts to minimize technical language. Stress is placed upon encouraging investors to look for specific warning signs before opening their purses and wallets to the growing group of tricksters.
"Avoiding Swindlers" will change the way you look at Canadian investments.
This book was featured on Publisher Newswire's 2022, "10 Books to Bookmark" list.
The book also received a glowing review from ReaderViews.
Read an Excerpt
Following 2011-2012, most Canadian public corporations (including many of those listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, or TSX) introduced an entirely new income/profit concept for their investor financial reporting. In essence, hoped-for profits of future years were being recorded as income for today. What had really changed was the nastiness of financial reporting to investors had ballooned. Many companies began utilizing IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) in 2011-2012, which is hardly “international.” The IFRS regulations are generally far looser and judgmental in measuring “net income” than would be permitted to exist for U.S.-based corporations. Cause for investor concern should be especially high in Canada because governments have not prohibited nasty reporting that IFRS permits. For example, many real estate and infrastructure assets are being financially reported for Canadian companies based on barely-regulated management estimates of ill-defined “value.” Credibility should be a major investor concern. Bloated “income” causes serious consequences. Avoiding Swindlers 3 What becomes particularly scary for investors is that year-over-year estimated changes in these “values” are permitted under IFRS in certain industries to be reported as part of current year “income” before tax. The reported “value” increases do not arise from the pre-2011 rules that you have to actually have to have sold assets to third parties before declaring that income had been earned. Instead of requiring an actual asset sale to help prove the alleged increased dollar “value,” corporate managements (who could be receiving a bonus based on annual income before income tax figures) have been granted full “value” choice authority.
About the Author L.S. (Al) Rosen has combined being a university professor (holding a PhD) with several qualifications in the fields of investigative accounting and reporting (such as acting as a fraud examiner) for over 35 years. He has authored many reports for court cases, and has testified in courts in various countries in many large-dollar cases. Often the allegations are that investors have been deceived by materially misleading financial reports. He has co-authored two previous books, and articles, with his son Mark. They address how and why multi-million dollars of investor money essentially, and often quickly, vanished. Real situations are the subject of these writings. Money was stolen and hardships resulted.
https://www.amazon.com/Avoiding-Swindlers-Al-Rosen/dp/022888117X
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/avoiding-swindlers-al-rosen/1141888418
a Rafflecopter giveaway
February 7, 2023
Blog Tour: LOVE IS IN THE AIR by Karen M. Bobos
Book Details:Book Title: Love is In the Air (Adventures in Harmony series) by Karen M. Bobos
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 44 pages
Genre: Valentine's Day Fairy Tale
Publisher: Bobos Babes, Ltd.
Release date: Jan 2023
Content Rating: G for children ages 3 to 10 Book Description:
It's Valentine's Day, and the magical sisters and their favorite babysitter accidentally put a love spell on the kingdom. They must stop the enchantment before it's too late!
It's Valentine's Day in the enchanted land of Harmony and the kingdom and all its magical creatures are abuzz celebrating. When the King and Queen leave their three daughters-Angel Scarlet, Princess Daphne, and Fairy Cora-with Ali the Alligator, so they can spend a romantic dinner together, the sisters are excited for a fun night with their favorite babysitter.
Ali and the girls decide to make a love perfume in the castle's garden. But when Angel Scarlett wants to use her wand to help stir the ingredients, an enchantment of love mistakenly wafts over the kingdom and all its inhabitants. Can the girls stop the enchantment before it's too late? Or maybe it is just what the creatures needed, after all.Buy the Book:
Amazon
Review: With bright and colorful illustrations, story is dedicated to the spirit of Valentine’s Day with princesses and fairies. Naturally, the king and queen were looking forward to a romantic evening together. But who would look after the princess sisters? Here comes Ali, the alligator.
“Ali, the alligator is so much fun. She’s number one. Ali is here!”
What fun thing would they do today? How about we make a smelly perfume? Talk about a girly thing.
But what happens when the perfume gets out of hand? Evidently, this creates a love potion effect. It was certainly an interesting dilemma that coincided with the commercial holiday of romance.
“Love was definitely in the air.”
The pictures were nice, but some of the characters were a bit stiff and reminded me of cardboard cut-outs. In fact, the whole landscape felt plain and stagnant. There was no dynamic motion to create appeal. The text was almost poetic in nature and was reminiscent of the Renaissance days, but it felt a little too long and jumbled. There was no natural flow to the read. There was an obvious effort to make rhymes, but, to me, they sort of fell flat…like the characters. The words just sounded a bit too frilly and flowery for my taste.
Overall, this was a decent read. Not the best. As a matter of fact, this could be better. But it was decent.
Rating: 3 stars
Meet the Author:
Karen M. Bobos is the multi-award-winning author of the Adventures in Harmony series, which was created in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. While living in a city of unrest, her family left Chicago to stay with her mother in Northwest Indiana for several months. She and her husband were determined to keep life filled with wonder and magic for their three daughters, Scarlett (6), Daphne (5), and Cora (3). The Adventures in Harmony series was created to entertain her daughters during their stay at Gigi’s home and is filled with characters from the sisters’ world. Everyone deserves to escape to a land filled with love and adventure where creatures co-exist and happiness awaits.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreadsEnter the Giveaway:Love is In the Air (Adventures in Harmony series) by Karen Bobos Book Tour Giveaway
Blog Tour: CHILDREN OF ALPHEIOS by Diana Fedorak
Children of Alpheios
by Diana Fedorak
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GENRE: Sci-fi/fantasy
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BLURB:
A genetically engineered colony on a new world. A baby born different than everyone else. A mother who will do anything to save him.
On planet Eamine, twenty-one-year-old Alina must protect her baby when Mandin is born with a remarkable DNA anomaly. The colony’s central corporation wants Mandin for an experimental treatment program. Trained by the Expeditionary Academy, Alina knows how to survive Eamine’s harsh environment and flees to keep Mandin safe.
While Alina tries to uncover the truth, she finds herself relying on Kiean, a gruff pilot who protects her from threats in the midst of her new surroundings. As an upcoming rebellion brews, Alina must discover who she can trust, facing choices about family, life, and love. Despite the risk, Alina is determined to safeguard Mandin from the colony‘s most powerful institutions.
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Excerpt One:
Aurore handed her a tall glass. Alina drank the citrus liquid, inhaling bubbles. The crackers and fish in front of the robot beckoned. As she savored the
alternating salty-sweet flavors, an audible ping lit up Aurore’s expeditionary link.
“From SG.” Aurore then read the message aloud. “AI scan correlates to a very high intelligence, but the sequence indicates a possible neurological condition. Have a pediatric neurologist look into this. Ask for Dr. Olek at Genodyne. He was one of my students at the med institute.”
Alina tried to swallow the cracker stuck in her throat. It couldn’t be. She was born of Phase One herself. Genodyne edited hereditary diseases out of
everyone’s genome as standard procedure. Sucking on the straw of her drink helped wash down the cracker.
“He said it might be a really high intelligence,” Aurore said.
“Yes, but a neurological condition? The doctor said they didn’t detect a radiation leak, but what if there was one? What if it’s neurodivergence or—”
“Mandin could be a genius for all we know,” Aurore said.
Alina took another swig of her drink. She had broken her rule of stating her fears aloud.
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Topic: What makes your book different from other Sci-Fi/Fantasy books?
Children of Alpheios’spremise and viewpoint character is somewhat unusual in that it centers on a mother as the central character within the story. Not rogue soldiers, a daring captain, plucky spaceship crew, or cyborg. Those are all very likable and I greatly enjoy reading them, however I chose something else for my protagonist, Alina. Rather, it’s about a young mother who is trying to protect her baby from institutions that want to exploit his DNA anomaly. In science fiction & fantasy, it’s not out of the ordinary for a protagonist to want to save a family member, or the world. My story involves a baby though, so it’s very much from how that character is transformed by motherhood to unleash her inner lioness. Additionally, while Alina does have some physiography training to explore their planet, she’s given up on that dream to become a mother, another unusual choice in science fiction or fantasy. I wanted to show a strong female character who’s also vulnerable and has self-doubts.
Also, my protagonist is on the young end of becoming a mother at age twenty-one because of the reproductive norms of her colony. Biology can be cruel to woman in this regard, particularly on planet Eamine where it’s difficult for humans to reproduce due to environmental factors. The women in the story tend to have children at their peak fertility periods which is in their early twenties. I had to get creative in how to make it an adventure story even with a baby in tow.
Children of Alpheios is also science fantasy which blends aspects of both genres. It’s set within a genetically engineered colony, so think of it as Gattaca on another planet, with a young mother cast as its lead actress. It tends more to the science fiction side in world-building. I created a planet in solar system with twin stars in a stable orbit around one another, inspired by some NASA articles I researched. The fantasy elements include paranormal powers. You’ll also see a strong romantic sub-plot in Children of Alpheios, which is more apparent in fantasy novels.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Diana Fedorak is a speculative fiction writer from Las Vegas, Nevada. Born in Saigon, South Vietnam, she grew up in a Pan Am Airways family who frequently traveled overseas. Her prior career was serving as an officer in the United States Air Force.
Diana’s debut sci-fi novel, Children of Alpheios, was acquired by The Wild Rose Press in 2022. Set on planet Eamine, the story is about a young mother who finds herself pitted against the colony’s corporation when she discovers they desire her baby’s DNA anomaly for their genetic engineering program.
Children of Alpheios is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQGMN1H8?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_KVNA6BPQ2KB3Y6J0KZQ0
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/children-of-alpheios-diana-fedorak/1142852307?ean=9781509247769
More information about Diana can be found at these sites:
https://www.facebook.com/dianafedorakauthor
https://twitter.com/diana_fedorak
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GIVEAWAY :
Diana Fedorak will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBlog Tour: DAWGS by Diane Trull
Book Details:
Book Title: DAWGS: A True Story of Lost Animals and the Kids Who Rescued Them by Diane Trull with Meredith Wargo
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 256 pages
Genre: Narrative Non-Fiction
Publisher: Citadel Press - Kensington Publishing Corp.
Release date: March 2020
Content Rating: This non-fiction book is rated PG. There is one scene in which the shelter was broken into and several puppies were killed. The author does not go into any gory details, but this information may trigger some sensitive readers.
2021 Hearten Grand Prize Winner, Chanticleer International Book Awards - Uplifting & Inspiring Non-Fiction
Award Winner in the Animals/Pets: Narrative Nonfiction category of the 2021 Best Book Awards sponsored by American Book Fest
Book Description:
We can all make a difference.
Elementary-school teacher Diane Trull’s life-defining moment happened when her fourth-grade reading class saw a photo of a cardboard box overflowing with homeless puppies. Her young students were determined to save these lost pups and others like them. In that moment, the Dalhart Animal Wellness Group and Sanctuary—known as DAWGS—was born.
How Trull and her fourth graders started their own animal shelter is a story of dedication, commitment, and perseverance. Trull shares inspiring stories about animals and animal lovers of all ages in this moving story of hope and compassion. DAWGS is a testament to how love and a strong measure of determination can offer second chances—one animal, one child, and one day at a time.
Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ Audible
BAM ~ B&N
Bookbub
Add to Goodreads
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes! Like many authors, my love for reading and writing began at an early age. When I wasn’t running around the neighborhood riding my bike or playing ball with the neighborhood kids, you could find me curled up somewhere with my nose buried in a book. Anne of Green Gables, A Wrinkle in Time and The Nancy Drew Mystery Series helped contribute to my love of reading early on in life. These books were also major influencers in igniting my dream of wanting to be a published author one day.
What inspired you to start writing?
When I was little, I used to take sheets of colored construction paper and staple the pages down the side to make books. I would then write my own stories and draw pictures to illustrate them. I guess writing was part of my DNA! But when I started college I chose music as my degree because I had taken piano lessons for ten years. After one semester of practicing in a tiny cubbyhole in the basement of the school’s musical hall for hours every day while my roommates were out living life as normal college freshmen, I changed my major to Journalism, realizing I’m happiest when writing. (And although one of my resolutions every year is to play the piano more, the only time I really play is at Christmas.)
What was the inspiration for your book?
From the moment I first learned about Diane Trull and her fourth-grade students starting an animal sanctuary in the Texas Panhandle, I knew I wanted to write a book about their amazing journey. Too often, kids are criticized as being lazy or indifferent. I was so impressed with these students’ resilience and dedication that I wanted to shine a light on their efforts. But my day job and life in general often got in the way of my putting pen to paper. It took me 12 years to finish the manuscript and a few more years to find a publisher. It was a true lesson in perseverance and patience!
What is the key message in the book?
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Growing up I was a tomboy, which has spilled over into my adult life. I love being outdoors and experiencing all that Mother Nature has to offer. Hiking, cross-country skiing and playing tennis are some of my favorite activities. I am a native Texan but currently live in southern Utah, which is the perfect place for my love of nature. Since moving here, my husband and I have challenged ourselves to try new things. We’ve taken rappelling lessons, which is both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time!
Meet the Authors:
Diane Trull’s lifelong passion for rescuing animals served as the catalyst for cofounding the Dalhart Animal Wellness Group and Sanctuary (DAWGS) with her husband, Mark Trull, and a group of fourth-grade students. Diane continues to teach those involved in animal rescue about the importance that compassion and community service play in making a difference in the lives of homeless animals.
Meredith Wargo is an award-winning author and advocate for animals. The recipient of four Maxwell Medallions from the Dog Writers Association of America, she has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Although a native Texan, Meredith currently lives in southern Utah with her husband and a menagerie of rescued pets.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads ~ goodreads ~ bookbub ~ bookbub
DAWGS Book Tour Giveaway
February 6, 2023
Blog Tour: SLAVES OF AN ALIEN GAME series by Nina Schluntz
Slaves of an Alien Game
by Nina Schluntz
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GENRE: Science Fiction Romance
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Series BLURB:
Game Wardens rule most of the galaxy by a fierce empire built on enslavement and brokered deals. The only means to earn one’s freedom is by playing in the Alien Games. Two slaves go in the arena, the survivor, if there is one, is given their freedom and crowned a king, earning them a small country to rule and slaves of their own.
To make the battle more fun for spectators, genetically enhanced monsters, sahalias, are given to the combatants, but they must found in a scavenger hunt. Five orbs, each hatching into a lizard that will bond with their keeper, are hidden on a random planet. If the competitor finds all five, they have a great imbalance of power over the other, who will have none. The sahalias are created with one purpose, to battle to the death and destroy the other competitor.
Blurb: Slaves of an Alien Game - Book 1
Caden works at an all night diner in a small town near the interstate. When a man comes in late at night, asking for access to the roof, Caden knows the man is a bit off. But his ruffian nature and a small bribe makes Caden decide to let him go up.
“It’s a scavenger hunt,” the man says. Caden thinks he’s being helpful when he finds the item, a black orb, but when he touches it, he unknowingly becomes a competitor in an intergalactic competition that ends in a battle to the death. Manipulated and lied to, drugged by the alien Incubus, Raghib, whom he is now allied with, he must train his lizard battle creatures to fight for him on an unknown planet with rules he barely understands.
He has little chance to survive and although he wants to trust, Raghib, who will earn his freedom if Caden wins the battle, he worries he is simply being used. A bit of truth is revealed when one of the Game Wardens takes a liking to Caden, but his alien species is known to eat humans, so Caden isn’t sure if the desire is that of hunger or true romance.
Either way, Caden is nothing but a slave to their alien games.
Blurb: Slaves of an Alien Game - Book 2
Caden is free. He won his battle and got what he wanted. Sent back to Earth with his won kingdom given to the slave, Raghib. However, life on Earth, back at the diner isn’t the same after living on an alien planet. He still suffers from withdrawals from the Incubus influence and drugs Raghib forced on him, and nightmares from the horrible battle to the death.
When a woman arrives, the latest competitor in the alien games, she offers him a chance to visit Raghib. All he has to do is be her slave during the games and help her find the orbs. He agrees and finds she is a higher level competitor than Raghib was, the hunt is on a deadlier planet, one covered in darkness and monsters.
Caden is eventually reunited with Raghib and gets to see the kingdom he won. Raghib is more broken from the battle and haunted by the brutality of it than Caden. He has a new lover and is driving his country to poverty so he can buy drugs to forget the pain. Caden turns to the Game Wardens for help, offering to go back in the arena again, with the woman he helped in the scavenger hunt. He is a fan favorite and knows their ratings will improve if he goes in again.
He arranged to go in as her pretend slave, in a role that will have safety features turned on so he will be in no real danger. He thinks its his idea to go back in. Confident he’s messing with the structures in place and trying to leverage the Game Wardens to change the deadly games into a nonlethal form.
However, it was their plan for him to go back in from the start. Caden is still nothing but a slave to their alien games.
Blurb: Slaves of an Alien Game - Book 3
Caden’s long-term girlfriend on Earth is pregnant, and Caden is missing. Jenny worries he has been kidnapped and drugged again. A strange woman arrives, saying she knows Caden and where he is. She offers to take Jenny to him, if she helps her… they just need to find some orbs in a scavenger hunt. Jenny agrees, but is careful to not touch the objects. She doesn’t trust this woman.
They find four orbs and encounter the other competitor. The fifth orb is there, and Jenny is forced to pick it up. The other competitor forfeits and Jenny finds herself now in the games, the woman she’d been helping now announced as her deadly competitor.
She is taken to an alien planet and united with a distraught Caden. He confesses that he has a relationship with a man, an alien man, an Incubus named Raghib, and the woman Jenny must fight is Raghib’s daughter.
Caden is in an impossible situation, either his lover’s daughter dies or his childhood sweetheart dies, but there is a rule in the games, a protection for slaves and their offspring, who are viewed as profitable future slaves. A pregnant woman may not enter the arena, instead the sire must.
Caden is again forced to play in the games, but this time he has no sahalias to battle on his behalf, and safety features are not allowed. If Caden is to survive, he must find a way to not be a slave in their alien games.
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Excerpt One – Book 1:
I reached what looked like the bar and surveyed the drinks. I needed alcohol.
“You do not disappoint.” The voice was male and silky. I pried my eyes from the beverages I couldn’t identify and aimed my angry glare at the speaker.
He was tall and lanky, sporting a sharp graying goatee and a braided ponytail that trailed down past his waist. Both matched his gray suit and sparkling blue eyes. He was handsome but in an unnatural way, as though it was a quality designed to lure in prey. Instinctively, I knew who this man was.
“You’re one of the Game Wardens,” I said. He smiled like a tiger soothing a mouse.
“And you are the man making me rich. The fans love you. And that rant back there…” His eyes fluttered, and he groaned softly as if what I’d just done turned him on, or maybe the thought of how his TV ratings would spike was the reason. “You can’t buy that kind of drama.”
“You’re welcome,” I said because what the hell else was I supposed to say?
“I can’t decide if I want you to die or win in the battle.” He stepped closer, and I felt fear for no reason other than an instinctive fear you get when you know you are around something more powerful than you. He had this hungry look in his eyes, and I couldn’t help the words that came out.
“Is that because you can’t decide if you want to eat me or fuck me?”
His eyes widened. Perhaps no one had ever spoken to him like that before.
“You think I eat the people who die in the arena?”
“Why not? You’re already a sicko for making money off watching people battle to the death.”
“And you also think I have sex with the victors? Or are you implying it’s what you want, should you survive?” His eyes went down my body, appraising me.
“What? Don’t be weird,” I said. I pointed to the bottles on the counter. “Are any of these similar to alcohol on Earth? I want to get drunk.”
“You are the one who suggested it. And now you want me to get you drunk?”
“It’s the least you could do since I’m getting you such great ratings.”
“Oh, I do like you.”
“How flattering,” I said. “Buy me a drink then?”
Raghib finally appeared next to me. Where the fuck had he gone? Had he been apologizing to the pervert? I glanced at him to say as much, but mister slick put a finger on my cheek and turned my head back to him.
“If I am buying you a drink, you should keep your attention on me,” he said.
“Really? You think the viewers want to watch you schmooze me?”
His jaw fell open, and he gaped speechlessly at me. I wasn’t entirely sure what kind of fire I was playing with, but I didn’t want this guy to request me to personally entertain him or some shit either. And that look on his face was really starting to come across as sexual predatory-ish.
“Never mind,” I said. “I’ll just take some glamour. Nice talking.” I pushed on Raghib’s arm and moved away from creeper number three of the night.
“I leave you for two minutes, and I find you with a Game Warden?” Raghib hissed in my ear.
“He was thanking me for all the great ratings we are getting for his show,” I said. “What happened to you anyway? We’re tethered. How did you lose me?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Nina Schluntz is a native to rural Nebraska. In her youth, she often wrote short stories to entertain her friends. Those ideas evolved into the novels she creates today.
Her husband continues to ensure her stories maintain a touch of realism as she delves into the science fiction and fantasy realm. Their three cats are always willing to stay up late to provide inspiration, whether it is a howl from the stray born in the backyard or an encouraging bite from the so called “calming kitten.”
https://mizner13.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nina.schluntz.novels
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1980193.Nina_R_Schluntz
https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/nina-schluntz/
Series link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMXTJLSV
Book 1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BM4HLGJL
Book 2
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BMY6H3P7
Book 3
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BMZC24SF
Kindle Vella (serialized version of the series, available in USA only)
https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0BKTF9LMF
Book Video Links
Book 1: https://youtu.be/uN3P7D3oY4c
Book 2: https://youtu.be/4AXEX23pA3A
Book 3: https://youtu.be/_d_7Ki4S_MI
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February 5, 2023
Review: NIGHTTIME IS MY TIME by Mary Higgins Clark
A 20-year-old high school reunion was bringing Jean back home. The memories were too painful since the drowning of her friend just a month ago. But the reunion committee planned to pay a tribute to her, which was why Jean was going.
Mingling in the reunion was also a man that was bullied in school by the popular “mean girls,” which included the recently departed Alison, Laura, and Jean.
Meanwhile, Jean’s been receiving random faxes about her secret pregnancy and the baby—secretly named “Lily”—that she gave up. Her daughter was not 19. Who would be sending these faxes and was her daughter in danger now?
The reunion was full of tension and drama with most of the people wanting to show everyone else that they were no longer “the kid” in their high school pictures. Soon, talk of the 5 women that mysterious disappeared in the last 20 years began to circulate. Was this class cursed? That’s how they became known as “The Hard Luck Class.”
Among the class walks “The Owl,” a predator stealthily swooping toward its prey. After all, the owl was a symbol of darkness and death.
“Nighttime is my time.”
Suspicion and speculation grow among the former peers when the 6th woman, Laura, goes missing and Jean fears that her child’s life may be in danger. An interesting string of murders all tied to an unforgotten past. It makes you wonder which one of the guys at the reunion is the real culprit.
An utterly compelling read!
Rating: 5 stars
Review: LET ME CALL YOU SWEETHEART by Mary Higgins Clark
Assistant Prosecutor Kerry was at the plastic surgeon’s office, waiting on her daughter’s appointment, when she saw her—the woman with the face she’d seen before. On more visits, Kerry continued to see that same face on different patients. Was the doctor giving these women the same face?
Soon, Kerry realized that the face the women had was the same one from the Sweetheart Murder case. Wearing a dead woman’s face? Ick, creepy!
Once more, the doctor giving out this face was the murdered victim’s father. Mmm…
This brought that whole murder trial to question. Was the doctor lying when he accused his son-of-law of the murder? And was an innocent man paying the price for it in prison?
This was another interesting and bizarre case. It can be a little long at times, but it still makes you see this ‘til the end. What was with the good doctor? Did he kill his own daughter? Or was it a mobster she was involved with? It’s always the person you’d least suspect in these stories, but who did it?
Another good one by MHC!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: ONE GONE BEFORE LONG by Kaylie Hunter
Davina was working as a cleaning lady to take care of her brutal father.
“Between my sister’s disappearance, my mom’s suicide, Francis’ violent outbursts…[the chief] was determined to someday run me out of town.”
The story had an easy narrative, but it takes a while to get going. It turns out Davina gets visions and often gets in trouble when she follows them. There’s a lot of time-consuming dialogue between the townsfolks, and it takes a long time to get to the point. The people tend to lose focus with their inane chatter. I guess this was an okay read, but it’s SO LONG.
Rating: 3 stars
Review: IN HER SHADOW by Jay Nadal and Adam Nicholls
This is the story of a woman telling her story as she sits at a police station accused of a crime she didn’t commit. The whole thing starts off pretty slow with Erin recounting how she met Jack—the man she loved and the one that would later be attacked. This was a pretty okay read with an interesting premise, but it was much too slow for me.
Rating: 3 stars
