Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 177

Review: WHAT HE WANTS by Lola Jamieson

A woman needs money and an ad looking for a truck rider might be just the ticket. That is if she’s willing to be a sex slave for 4 days.

This had a slow start as we go through the pondering and application process. Turns out there’s a sex check list, which is kinky. Story still gets your juices going, but the read itself was okay.

 

Rating: 3 stars

Review: THE NEWBIE by Elle Wild

A hot wife with her husband’s permission to mess around. Perhaps the sexy swim instructor can be her first? A hot, short read!

 

Rating: 4 stars

Review: SEDUCING THE SUPERVISOR by Elle Wild

The hot wife wants her supervisor. What a wild and hot ride it was!

 

Rating: 4 stars

Blog Tour: WITHIN by Peter Gribble

 

Within

by Peter Gribble

 

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GENRE: Fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

Purdu, the barbarian invader, has arrived! How can the pacifist, nonviolent City of the Magicians contain him when one faction appeals to his heart, the other to his ambitions?

 

Sas and Lalya are envoys of opposing camps, but Purdu throws them together to isolate them from their enclaves and assert his own authority. Yet two others decide to oppose him their way. Hyur, foremost metallurgist, secretly forges a magical weapon to tempt and subvert him. Gleswea, an astronomer, flees south to view skies she has never seen, but is swept into a culture that judges women of ability as necromancing witches deserving death.

 

Shoan, City strategist, reconstructing his wrecked plans, is unaware these four have slipped his calculations. Sas, Lalya, Hyur and Gleswea are unknowingly inching the City toward an unseen, perilous fate. Will anyone catch it in time?

 

Within, the second book in The City of the Magicians series, exposes how even as the City's old dream of a rebirth in Magic seems to be happening, traditional institutions are failing. With Purdu spearheading the revival, some Citizens fear the purposes their Magic may soon be turned to.

 

Praise for Threat, the first book in The City of the Magicians series.

 

"An exquisitely crafted, richly textured world of magic and mystery, with settings and mood so exceptionally well visualized that fans of science fiction and fantasy should not pass up the chance to walk inside." – IndieReader

 

"Apart from the beautiful writing, the robustly written characters, and the strong setting, Peter Gribble has the ability to immerse readers in a world that is well-imagined and sculpted. Having enjoyed Threat immensely, I am looking forward to the next installment in the series." - Readers' Favorite

 

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The tale had transformed him.

 

An idea—an audacious, dazzling idea—possessed him. To fashion, forge and create a sword of intent, of power, as the barbarian captain said, to curse and destroy whoever killed by it. He was a Citizen of the City of the Magicians—what better way to prove it than by making a magical artifact?

 

A cursed sword for none other than Purdu, the barbarian commander, the so-called god—the god who demanded Citizens re-dedicate themselves to Magic.

 

Delicious irony—Purdu would get his wish.

 

At its foundation: authentication of the deepest Citizenship in him.

 

Audacious! Obvious!

 

It was indeed a call to return to the ways of practice.

 

Climbing Pilgrims Way back into the City, he was scarce aware when he passed through the Break.

 

A sword of intent! Big job. Expensive. Mightn’t have much time. Invasion could move on soon . . . but if it’s all about empire, who knows?

 

The complication: He knew nothing about sword making.

 

What he saw on Mushum’s table were, he supposed, the rough and ready weapons of the common soldier. Were officers’ swords any better? And what of Purdu’s own? Did he have more than one? A favorite? He would have to find out, examine them up close.

 

Mushum threatened he would be begging for his teachings.

 

Complications were nothings with an idea this marvelous. All would be possible!

 

If done with care. With patience.

 

With a Citizen’s habit, he had turned at his usual left beyond the Break to make the long walk around to the mountain’s north side to home.

 

What of the curse? And the pushing of it?

 

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Peter Gribble has written for NUVO and other magazines in British Columbia.

For over ten years he wrote a monthly gardening column for a local Vancouver paper.

The City of the Magicians is his first published series.

 

 

CONNECT WITH Peter Gribble

 

WEBSITE - Peter Gribble – Author

https://petergribble.com/

 

GOODREADS - Peter Gribble (Author of Threat) | Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20904184.Peter_Gribble

 

PURCHASE LINKS Book One - Threat                    

 

AMAZON.COM - https://amazon.com/dp/0228812194

 

AMAZON.CA - https://amazon.ca/dp/0228812194

 

AMAZON KINDLE - https://amazon.com/dp/B08NTQ69Q7

 

INDIGO CHAPTERS - https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/threat/9780228812197-item.html

 

BARNES & NOBLE - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/threat-peter-gribble/1138327338

 

PURCHASE LINKS Book Two - Within

 

AMAZON.COM - https://amazon.com/dp/0228826446

 

AMAZON.CA - https://amazon.ca/dp/0228826446

 

AMAZON KINDLE - https://amazon.com/dp/B09RLZP7DV

 

INDIGO CHAPTERS - https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/within/9780228826446-item.html

 

BARNES & NOBLE - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/within-peter-gribble/1140984426

 

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GIVEAWAY

 

Peter Gribble will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: SKATE CUTE by Melissa J. Roche

 

Skate Cute

by Melissa J. Roche

 

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GENRE:   Contemporary Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Kriss heads home to her small prairie town with 98% of an astrophysics PhD, a load of memories she’d rather not think about, and a survival plan: skate and graduate. Her plan doesn’t include the attention of a familiar admirer from the nearby fire station, one with an impressive physique, a hidden singing talent, and a smile dazzling enough to sweep her off her skates. Before she knows it, she’s falling for him—hard.

Chase has settled into the rhythms of his small-town firefighter routine, but he remembers Kriss from high school: the starry-eyed skater girl on her way out the door of his life. Now she’s back, just as gorgeous as ever, spinning around the next-door rink without a care in the world. Or so he thinks, until Kriss is targeted with mysterious acts of vandalism designed to derail her dreams. Can he help Kriss find the courage to stand up under the attacks and trust herself to love again?

 

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Excerpt One:

 

He rounded the first corner at the far end of the field and snuck a glance back toward the rink just in time to watch Kriss’s long ponytail sail out behind her helmet with another tight spin. That one must not have gone quite as planned, because she stumbled a little and lurched sideways. But she recovered gracefully enough with a quick laugh a moment later, as if she enjoyed the thrill of almost wiping out on the concrete.

 

Yup. Gotta fall to get better. His ass knew as well as anyone else’s, after too many falls on that very same rink, shuffling his own inline skates and hockey stick around one of the goals in his spare time.

 

Too much of his spare time. But he wasn’t so bad on wheels himself, these days—MVP on the fire department’s informal team, crushing the police department’s lousy attempts at rivalry in the yearly Battle of the Badges tournament.

 

His high school self would die a thousand deaths before admitting it, but young Chase had taken up street hockey for a very… specific reason. Kriss had been just as badass on her skates all those years ago as a senior at Sacreola High, three years ahead of him. Hot, smart, and senior—and totally out of his league.

 

She had graduated and moved on without giving him so much as a second glance. But his newfound love for skating had stuck around long enough to turn him into a decent hockey player on the side. No harm done.

 

 

 

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 GUEST POST

What are the main components of a romance?

 

What a great question! I’ve found I’m pretty picky about the romance I read and write, and as such I have lots of ideas about what constitutes a good romance, but at the same time I recognize that my opinions are just that: my opinions. No one else has to agree with any of my ideas here, but these are the aspects I look for in a good romance novel.

 

1. Rich characters with believable arcs

 

I don’t have to believe anything else about a book—the setting, the plot, the technology, the sparkly skin of the magic system—but I have to believe the characters. I want to feel their emotions, act their actions, react their reactions inside my own head. I want to follow their arcs from the beginning to the end, see the way the characters are shaped through each scene and conversation. The surest way to boost a book from “fun” to “favorite” on my shelves is to craft characters I can’t forget even after I turn the last page.

 

Conversely, the fastest way for an author to lose my interest in a plotline is to maneuver the characters’ actions and emotions to fit the author’s needs. For example, if a heroine is going to keep a lie secret from the guy for two thirds of a book, it had better be because of something inside her as a character, not the author’s need to drag a story out of her as a plot device. Or take contrived emotions, such as one main character’s anger toward the other. Flawed characters prone to angry outbursts I can understand—and love—but any sort of contrived emotion is an immediate turn-off.

 

The irony? My editor is always helping me smooth out the wrinkles in my own characters among the pages of my novel drafts. Realistic character arcs are easier dreamed up inside my head than penned out on the page. Thus I have to take my own words here with a sizable dose of humility, recognizing the daunting task of crafting characters for a novel.

 

2. Satisfying sexual tension

 

I find this aspect of romance writing to be the most fascinating, because it varies so widely. It’s not just about how much bedroom rodeo an author slips between the sheets—or not—it’s more than that. I’m sure I’m not the only romance reader who has yawned through an explicit scene in one book while staying up late into the night to follow the teasing innuendo of a sweet romance in the next. The key to the page turner? Satisfying sexual tension.

 

I think satisfying sexual tension in a romance novel depends on two things: promise and pacing. Promiserelates to the expectation that the author sets up in the reader’s mind, both at the outset of the book and throughout as the story progresses. Promise tells a reader whether to expect a mild sweet romance or steamy erotica, and reader satisfaction often depends on avoiding surprises on either end.

 

Once promise has done its job with the setup, pacing steps in to carry the tension from page to page. Simply put, pacing refers to the speed at which events happen in a plotline, and it’s crucial to sexual tension. It doesn’t matter if a story features love (slash lust) at first sight over a wild wedding weekend, or a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers relationship that spans decades—the author’s choice of pacing can spool out the tension to keep readers turning pages.

 

3. A “happily ever after” ending

 

I have a love-hate relationship with this one, but I do admit it’s one of the must-haves of the romance genre. I’ve lived enough life to know that happily ever after (HEA) is a pretty little lie dressed up in princess pink, but I haven’t lived enough life to make me stop wishing it could be true. Just this once, just this story, just this epilogue—when I read romance, I want a good HEA at the end.

 

Not a cheap HEA, mind you. See above, points 1 and 2: I want the characters to work for it, to fight their flaws (and flirt aplenty) before they fade off into the sunset. I want to extrapolate the character arcs I’ve followed for 200 pages into a plausible future for the lovers I’ve fallen in love with, one that includes at least the pursuit of happiness. Bonus points if a romance can get me to believe the characters could work through any future difficulties in addition to those they’ve already solved between the covers. (Of the book. Book covers. What did you think I meant?)

 

That’s it! That’s what I’m looking for in a good romance. Did I miss anything? What makes a good romance story for you? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments!

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

Melissa received her first pair of black-and-hot-pink inline skates in fourth grade, a couple of years before she swore her life to the study of the stars (in a fit of sci-fi inspired passion). Two decades later, she has acquired several larger pairs of skates and an astronomy PhD, both of which tend to slip out from under her at the most inopportune moments. She enjoys skating and singing at the neighborhood rink in her small town in Colorado, where she lives with her husband, two boys, and a cozy lap cat. Only one of which is allowed to read her writing over her shoulder.

https://writerchickphd.com   https://melissajroche.com/

https://twitter.com/writerchickphd

https://www.facebook.com/writerchickphd/

https://www.instagram.com/writerchickphd/

https://www.youtube.com/c/stargirlskates

https://www.tiktok.com/@skatersings

Amazon buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/Skate-Cute-Melissa-J-Roche-ebook/dp/B09X6GH1LN/

 

This book is on sale for $0.99.

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GIVEAWAY :

 

Melissa J. Roche will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC or a digital copy of the book to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: LOVE POTION #999 by C.S. Edwards

 

Love Potion #999

by C.S. Edwards

 

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GENRE: Paranormal Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Did you hear what happened when a witch doctor met a witchologist in a bar? Well, mayhem ensued! What else did you expect? It's all because everyone had too many Gnome Island Iced Teas, not to mention the cloud of intoxicating glitter that put everyone under the table even if they didn't drink a drop. But the real punch line in that fateful tale were the two potion-filled arrow toting cupids. For one witch, after that night, stuff got real.

 

You see, the witch doctor was none other than the famous apothecary and alchemist, Betsy Babington. She's a celebrity! Famous, successful, single, and... bored. Before she walked into that bar, Betsy was itching to change things up. So, she enlisted her coven of misfits and two mischievous cherubs to make a rogue love potion recipe — destined to be the next big thing in her famous potions brand. She never once thought about making Love Potion#999 for herself! Definitely not! Well, maybe she did, just a little...

 

For the whole truth, you'll have to read the story. All I can really say is some magical historians have said Betsy Babington's tangle with the trouble of Love Potion #999 was like opening Pandora's box. Now that was a little extreme. For the folks who were there, it was more like a weekend in Vegas.

 

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Excerpt One:

 

She was tired of the same ole same ole. The truth was, Betsy Babington was tired of a lot of things in her life. She was tired of working so hard. She was tired of being famous. Some days, she was tired of being a witch doctor. But most everyday Betsy was tired of being alone. Of course, she had her coven, Ron, Lola, April and Jessica—which she loved. Charles, her ogre bodyguard, was truly like family. Her baby boy cherubs were total stinkers, but she totally adored them. But that one true special someone in her life was missing. She was 135, and single. That fact, coupled with the news of her younger sister falling for a hunky, mysterious, mystic angel, made Betsy jealous. Jealously was not an emotion she was used to having or liked. She’d never been jealous of either of her siblings. Bart and Betty Babington were awesome witch doctors, in their own right. But she had the life to be jealous of—that’s what she used to think. Lately, Betsy Babington felt green with envy at the mention of Betty and Gates, or any couple, and that icky feeling was stuck in her crawl.

 

A red blush crept across her face — brought on by envy and jealousy. She rubbed her cheek, desperate to temper the color before any member of her coven caught a glimpse of it. Ron, Lola, April and Jessica never noticed. They were oblivious, busy arguing about measurements.

 

“Not too much honey, that’s the key.” Ron measured the thick gooey liquid in a beaker.

 

“And just a drop of artemisia. We wouldn’t want to poison anyone.” April fussed. “It’s only for the silver color, anyway.”

 

Betsy strolled across the room to join her team as she gently folded the loose-leaf paper and tucked it in her lab coat pocket. “April’s right. Artemisia can be dangerous. But not the way we use it to tint the potion. Just a drop and a quarter should be all you need to make the Mirror Me potion sparkle.”

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GUEST POST

 

What are the elements you consider when writing your stories?

 

It’s a funny question really… the elements of the stories that spill out of my brain are kind of random and all over the place. Sometimes, I’m inspired by a title that pops in my head. Literally, just a phrase that sounds like a great book. I’ve built entire worlds around just one phase, or song lyrics! I love song lyrics – like the new book Love Potion #999.

For example, this whole book was inspired by The Searchers 1964 release, Love Potion Number Nine. If you listen to that song, you find all the elements I’ve built into this story. It’s a crazy romp about a bad love potion that causes all sorts of bad behavior. So, once I had that general feel and theme of the story as my backdrop, I could really layer in my characters. What they say. What they do. And how they feel, all tie back to that gypsy-like rock tune – it’s catchy, sexy, and makes you want to sing along. So, the dialogue in this book had to be all of those things. It really moves quick and propel the story. I always rely heavily on dialogue in shorter stories to reveal as much about my characters as possible.

Lastly, I’m not necessarily a plotter, but I like to have a vague idea of where I’m going. That’s it. And trust me it changes constantly. This makes planting elements like red herrings and foreshadowing a bit difficult – but I do love them!! So, you’ll find I drop hints about what’s to come throughout each story – even when I’m not writing mysteries!

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

I was born in Ashland, Kentucky, the youngest of three children, and grew up in the small Eastern Kentucky town of Inez. I moved to Lexington to finish high school. Attending Transylvania University for two years, before graduating from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia - with a degree in Economics - go figure! After a stint in New York City, I moved back home to Kentucky and have since built my life around family.

 

Living just outside of Cincinnati with my husband, Sean, and our five amazing kids, and a precious goldendoodle, I work hard to find time to balance family, work, and writing.

 

My first passion is weaving mysteries and I'm working on several new fiction projects now. This past year, I also found great joy in creating useful journals, trackers, and planners. I have big plans for publishing more of these creative notebooks in the future! As always, I cannot wait to share my next novel with you. I hope you enjoy, and welcome hearing from you!

 

 

https://csedwardsauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/authorcsedwards/?ref=pages_you_manage

https://www.instagram.com/authorcsedwards/

https://twitter.com/CSEdwardsauthor

https://www.facebook.com/candaceswordedwards

https://pin.it/3J5Ye4K

https://magicandmayhemuniverse.com/c-s-edwards/

https://www.amazon.com/author/c.s.edwards

https://books2read.com/ap/nmOXwE/CS-Edwards

 

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GIVEAWAY

 

C.S. Edwards will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast: LOVE BLOOMS IN MORNING STAR by Charlotte Hubbard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 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.

As Jo Fussner keeps the Marketplace humming, her heart dances with a joyous secret. Jo and Michael Wengerd, a shy nursery owner from a nearby town, have fallen hopelessly in love. When Michael buys a courting buggy, Jo is sure a proposal will follow. But she’ll have to work hard to gain her mother’s approval—because the widowed Drusilla Fussner is convinced that marriage will bring her daughter nothing but heartache.

To win Jo’s hand, Michael enlists his father’s help in convincing Drusilla to give the marriage her blessing—and perhaps even open her heart to new happiness of her own. . . . But just as Jo and Michael’s hope for their future grows, an even bigger obstacle looms. The Amish elders vote to forbid any maidel from working once she marries. Now Jo must choose between the beloved store she’s put her heart into, and the man she can’t live without. Conflicted, Jo will have to trust that anything is possible when true faith guides the way.

Read an Excerpt

“What do you think of my new courting buggy, Jo?” he asked eagerly. “I ordered it from Saul Hartzler’s factory in December, and picked it up last night.”

Jo’s jaw dropped. A courting buggy! As they approached the open rig with a seat big enough for only two, her heart skipped like a happy schoolgirl’s. “It’s beautiful, Michael! Look at the way the wood shines. And what a wonderful shade of magenta you chose for your seat fabric.”

Michael smiled proudly. “I splurged on real leather, too,” he confided. “I figured this was the only time I’d be buying such a buggy, so I wanted it to be first-class for you, Jo. Wait here while I fetch my mare.”

Jo ran her finger along the buggy’s black wood, polished to such a shine that she could see her reflection in it. Deacon Saul was known for producing a quality product—and he hadn’t gotten wealthy by undercharging for his work, either. It wasn’t her place to ask Michael how many thousands of dollars he’d invested in his new rig. She and Mamm had considered ordering a new buggy a couple years ago, but when they’d heard what it would cost, they decided to make do with their old one.

“Gut girl—you’re doing fine,” Michael assured his horse as he approached Jo. “Josie, this is Starla, my new buggy mare.”

“Oh, aren’t you a pretty girl?” Jo said as she extended her hand. The mare looked young and angular, not yet in her prime. Her coat was a deep gray, with an irregular white star centered above her eyes. “You can keep her—and your new buggy—at our place!”

“Are you sure?” Michael handed Starla’s lead rope to Jo so he could hitch up his courting buggy. “I wouldn’t want your mamm to think we were overstepping her authority—”

“Starla can stay with us on my authority,” Jo interrupted. “If Mamm makes a fuss, I’ll take the blame. This is quite a surprise, Michael!” she added as she admired the way his black buggy and charcoal-colored mare looked together. Wasn’t it just like Michael to get all the details right?

He helped her up the steps and into his new rig. “I’m glad you see it that way, Josie-girl. I don’t intend to upset your mother, but I don’t plan on tiptoeing around her bad moods, either. We have a whole new life ahead of us—together. Shall we get on with it?”

About the Author: In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 60 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

Website
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Amazon
Kensington
Kobo

ChristianBook
Target

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Blog Tour: THE LITTER by Kevin R. Doyle

 

The Litter

by Kevin R. Doyle

 

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GENRE: Horror

 

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BLURB:

 

They kept to the shadows so no one would know they existed, and preyed on the nameless who no one would miss. Where did they come from, and who was protecting them? In a city that had seen every kind of savagery, they were something new, something more than murderous. And one woman, who had thought she had lost everything there was to lose in life, would soon find that nothing could possibly prepare her for what would come when she entered their world.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Pam said.

 

“Still think it was a dog?” her partner asked.

 

“What else could it have been? It doesn’t take the ME over there to know that this guy’s been all chewed up.”

 

“What I’m getting at is it may not have been a single animal.”

 

“Come again? Are you thinking of a pack or something?”

 

“Well,” Gonzales said, “just looking at it . . .” He waved his arm in the direction of the mess on the pavement.

 

“That’s insane, Enrico. Who the hell ever heard of a pack of dogs attacking people in the middle of a city?”

 

“You ever hear of one dog doing anything that even remotely looks like that?”

 

“What about rats?” she asked the older cop, fearful he would laugh in her face.

 

“I actually thought of that myself for a moment there. It’s not the most far-fetched of possibilities.”

 

“No?”

 

“Not at all. Once, I saw what was left of an old wino eaten by rats, back when I’d been on the force not much longer than you have. But that was a guy who’d crawled under the porch of a house, probably trying to escape the weather. Besides, long ago as it’s been, from what I remember, that body didn’t look anything like this.”

 

“No, huh?”

 

“Not really, no.  It looked more like he’d been nibbled on till he was worn down to practically nothing.”

 

Pam pointed towards the corpse.

 

“That’s not a bunch of nibbles,” she said.

 

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

A high-school teacher, former college instructor, and fiction writer, Kevin R. Doyle is the author of numerous short horror stories. He’s also written three crime thrillers, The Group, When You Have to Go There, and And the Devil Walks Away, and one horror novel, The Litter. In the last few years, he’s begun working on the Sam Quinton private eye series, published by Camel Press. The first Quinton book, Squatter’s Rights, was nominated for the 2021 Shamus award for Best First PI Novel.  The second book, Heel Turn, was released in March of 2021, while the third in the series, Double Frame, came out in March of 2022.

 

Web site: kevindoylefiction.com

Facebook: facebook.com/kevindoylfiction

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6473241.Kevin_R_Doyle

 

The book will be $0.99 during the tour.

 

Buy link:

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Litter-Kevin-R-Doyle/dp/1937769364

 

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GIVEAWAY

 

Kevin R. Doyle will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: MICKEY ON THE MOVE: FARMING by Michelle Wagner

 

Join us for this tour from July 12 to Aug 1, 2022!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Mickey on the Move Farming by Michelle Wagner
Category:  Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7),  38 pages
Genre:  Children's Picture Book
Publisher:  Mascot Books
Release date:   July, 2022
Content Rating:  G for everyone.

Book Description:

Mickey is on the move again!

He and his mom take pride in farming and gardening together, doing everything from raising chickens to growing delicious fruits and vegetables in their backyard orchard.

Mickey, who was born with deafness in both ears, has overcome obstacles to fully enjoy the great outdoors.

His Aqua Cochlear implants allow him to hear and appreciate the beautiful sounds in nature without the worry of weather dampening his day!

Join Mickey for another adventure!

Buy the Book
Amazon ~ B&N ~ Target
Mascot Books

 

Review: This is the story of Mickey on the farm. He feeds the chickens and tends to the garden. More than anything, Mickey loves to be outside, moving and exploring. Yep, Mickey was your average boy, except that he could not hear the way that other kids could, which was why he had to wear cochlear implants. In this story, see how Mickey lives with his cochlear. For instance, with a regular cochlear, Mickey would have to steer clear of water, but with his aqua cochlear, he could swim all he wanted.

This is the book of life with the aqua cochlear.  

Story was filled with fun and vibrant illustrations, which were simply rendered but had a cute and comical caricature quality that was simply endearing. Although this story wasn’t entirely geared toward farming, which was what one would expect judging by the title, this was still a nice story about overcoming your obstacles and living life on your terms.

A nice read about new possibilities!

Rating: 4 stars

 

 

Meet the Author:

Michelle Wagner is a full-time realtor, mom, and award-winning author who dedicates her time and energy to charities and events supporting children with hearing loss. Michelle takes pride in assisting families as they work through the different approaches to raising a special-needs child in a typical environment.

After discovering that her son Mickey was profoundly deaf in both ears, Michelle made it her mission to provide Mickey with the tools to ensure that he would live his best life. Today, Mickey, who wears bilateral cochlear implants, plays tennis and is currently in eighth grade at the St. Helena Montessori Farm School, where he is thriving and is social with his friends. Michelle makes sure that Mickey has the courage to be his optimal self. Michelle is donating 100 percent of proceeds from the sale of Mickey on the Move Farming to the Joyful Life Cochlear Implant Fund.

connect with author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram 

Tour Schedule:

July 12 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
July 13 – Character Madness and Musings – book spotlight / giveaway
July 13 - Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting – book review / giveaway
July 14 – Bound 4 Escape – book review / giveaway
July 14 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
July 15 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review / giveaway
July 18 – Kam's Place – book review
July 19 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / giveaway
July 20 – Reading is My Passion – book review / giveaway
July 20 – Pick A Good Book – book review / giveaway
July 21 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
July 21 - Triquetra Reviews – book review / giveaway
July 22 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
July 22 - The Phantom Paragrapher – book review / giveaway
July 25 – Sandra's Book Club – book review / giveaway
July 26 – Library Lady's Kid Lit – book review / giveaway
July 26 - Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
July 27 – Paws.Read.Repeat – book review / giveaway
July 27 - Lisa's Reading – book spotlight / giveaway
July 28 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
July 29 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Aug 1 - Chit Chat with Charity – book review / giveaway
Aug 1 - Books for Books – book review 

Enter the Giveaway:

 

Mickey on the Move Farming Book Tour Giveaway

 

Book Blast: COMPLICATING ROY by Megan Slayer

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Megan will be awarding a prize pack featuring a bracelet and necklace made by the author to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveawayComplication doesn’t always have to be a bad thing.

Duke Charles needs a break. He’s tired of life on the road and never having a place to settle down. He decides to head to Norville for a rest in his childhood home. Once there, he realizes his life isn’t quite so relaxed—he’s not only inherited the house, but a cat to go with it. When his friend from high school sends him on a date, he finds out how complicated life can be…in a good way.

Roy Mars likes his life as an artist. He paints, sells work and takes his cat, Raphael, for walks through Norville. He channels his emotions into his art…until he goes on a date and meets Duke. His uncomplicated life gets thrown into chaos, not least because Duke has rabid fans who insist on knowing every detail of his life.

Can Roy handle a little complication in the form of Duke, or will he quit before he finds his forever?

Read an Excerpt

Roy sighed. “You’re doing well with your side of the equation. I hear you’re good with your side hustle, too.” He had to ask subtly about getting a date. Unfortunately, he had no subtlety.

“My dating thing.” James laughed again. “Oh, doll, yes. I love when I pair people and it works out, but I do have a sixth sense about it. You know?”

“Yeah.” He hated sounding so withdrawn and sad, but why lie about the truth? “Would you know who to hook up with me?”

“You’re looking for a date? I thought you had a boyfriend. Not Mikael, but Donny? No, was it Bernard? Shit. Who were you dating?” James asked.

“No one. That’s why I’m asking for you to help me. I’ll pay.” He needed to do something to get out of his lonely rut.

James stopped cutting. “I don’t charge. I should, but the matchmaking is me strictly trying to find the right guy for you.”

“Do you have any suggestions?”

“I do.” James resumed styling Roy’s hair. “But I want you to trust me.”

“I do. Completely.”

“Good. I want you to go to Club Jester on Tuesday—in five days if you can’t count—at nine in the evening and go to the Viper suites. All you have to do is say you’re there because James directed it and they’ll let you back. I know Amos and he owes me, so it won’t be a problem.”

“Who am I meeting?” He tamped down his excitement. He hated blind dates, but he couldn’t wait to see who James had picked.

“It’s a surprise, but trust me that this is exactly who you need,” James said. “Think you can do that? I can tell you’re tired of being on your own. I couldn’t name your boyfriend, and I know everyone, so that means you haven’t had one for a while.”

“True.”

James spun him around to look at his reflection. “Well? What do you think?”

He never doubted James would make him look good. The cut and style worked with his face. But the date… Did he trust him? “I think I’m excited to go to Club Jester.”

“Perfect.” James removed the cape. “You’ll love him.”

“I hope so.” He didn’t take many leaps of faith, but this felt right—like he was looking at his future. It sure looked rosy.

About the Author: Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.

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