Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 203

Audio Book Tour - When You Close Your Eyes by Roxanne D. Howard #audiobook #romance

When You Close Your EyesRoxanne D. Howard
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fantasy Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Audio Narrated by: Geoffrey Boyes
Date of Publication: January 28, 2019
ISBN-10: 1509223606ISBN-13: 978-1509223602ASIN: B07L162YB5
Number of pages: 422Word Count: 114,000
Cover Artist: Diana Carlisle
Tagline: He’s stepping out of her hot fantasies and into her life.
Book Description:
Dreams are the perfect shelter for fantasies, safe havens to step inside without changing our daily lives. For Lark Braithwaite, all that is about to change. During the last six months, Lark has dreamt of a mysterious Irish lover who knows what she wants and gives her exactly what she needs. In her waking life in busy London, things aren't as ideal as her long-term relationship with her controlling fiancé Charles has hit a dry spell.
When Lark is called home to Oregon for her father's funeral, she comes face to face with the demons from her past, but she never expects to meet her dream lover in the flesh. Niall O'Hagan steps straight out of her fantasies and into her life, and the powerful connection they share rocks her foundation. Although she's dealing with the bitterness of her fiancé's betrayal and his jealousy, Niall soon stirs Lark's awareness of her superficial existence and reawakens her sexuality....and her soul.


Audio Sample


ebook Copies Available at The Following Retailers
Amazon     iTunes     BN     Bookstrand      Google Play    Kobo


Add to Your Reading List at
Goodreads    Bookbub
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/4Sxz-_cvilk

Excerpt:Her fantasy lover is real…“Why are you wearing a suit and tie this time?” She squinted against the sunlight. Please, God, let this be a dream. He moved his head and put her in shade.“This time?” He lifted an eyebrow, perplexed. “You’ll have to forgive me, lass, but I’ve no idea what the devil you’re talking about.” He maneuvered himself off her and sat upright at the end of the swing.She tucked her feet against her, sat up, and blinked at him in utter disbelief.“I came to knock on the door when I saw you on the swing. You tossed and turned, and with the way you grunted, I assumed you were in the middle of some sort of a seizure.”He turned his head and licked his lips, full and abused by her kisses. A mushroom cloud of mortification bloomed inside her, steadily bigger by the minute.“Erm, you…begged me to kiss you, and then you yanked me down. One thing led to another and, well, that was pretty much the way of it. I am only human, though I know it’s no excuse.” He swallowed and stared at her, his Adam’s apple moving in his throat. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have gone down when you pulled me, but it was strange—like you knew me or something.”Lark leaned forward and rubbed her eyes. This couldn’t be real. He had to be a hallucination. When she opened her eyes, she’d see a man in his fifties with a receding hairline, glasses, and a beer gut. She reopened her eyes, and there he was: The full package.

About the Author:
Roxanne D. Howard is a U.S. Army veteran who has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and English. She loves to read poetry, classical literature, and Stephen King. Also, she is an avid Star Wars fan, musical theater nut, and marine biology geek. Roxanne resides in the western U.S., and when she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children. Roxanne loves to hear from her readers, and encourages you to contact her via her website and social media.
Website: www.roxannedhoward.com
Newsletter: http://roxannedhoward.com/subscribe/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoxanneDHoward
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoxanneDHowardAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxanned.howard/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15019190.Roxanne_D_Howard
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Tethered Trust by Jade Royal #BDSM #Romance

Tethered Trust
Limits of Love
Book 2
Jade Royal

Genre: BDSM Romance

Date of Publication: 3.21.2019


ASIN: B07PGT4XM1
Cover Artist: T.E. Black Designs
Tagline: Limits of Love Series Book 2
Book Description:
Running from a demon that has been after her for six years, Vanessa needs respite. His last threat echoes in her mind even now. He's already won. Why won't he leave her alone? How much more can he take besides her life?
Jamar isn't looking for love. He's too busy with his passions for photography and rope to ponder such things, but a favor from Mistress X flips the script, putting love at his doorstep.
Is he strong enough to walk away from the fiery Latina? Or is he already doomed? Does he have enough rope to slay her dragons?

Amazon
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/uFwSW5gs_-Y
Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/51Yikor8uU4h7LlCeLCqok



About the Author:
When the voices begin to speak, Jade Royal sits down in her lab to write the tale.
The story unfolds with each keystroke as she listens to her instincts bring the words to life. For as long as she can remember, Jade has always expressed her creative nature artistically, especially by writing. She refers to herself as “Slave to the Pen” because it’s difficult for her to resist the call to write.
Jade resides in Cincinnati, Ohio where she was born and raised. She has many siblings and is very family oriented. She spends Sunday evenings eating dinner with them keeping the bond between family nice and strong.
Jade Royal is the author of the series Limits of Love. The series focuses on love, romance, and the eroticism of the two combined. The first book was released in December of 2016.
As an author, Jade hopes to pull in her readers to experience a community of stories that they can relate to on various levels. The emotional roller coaster that is bestowed will hopefully make her readers stalk her words and provide literate entertainment.
For more information on Jade Royal, follow her on her website and social media avenues.

Release Day Blitz Unbearable Failure by ML Guida #scifi #scifiromance #romance #sciencefiction

Unbearable Failure
Bears of Aria
Book Two
ML Guida
Genre: Sci-fi Romance
Publisher: Buffalo Mountain Press
Date of Publication: March 27, 2019
ASIN: B07NQR4FHF

Cover Artist: Melody Simmons
Tagline: He’s on a mission that could destroy his family, but he has to learn the truth. Only his mate is willing to stand by his side.
Book Description:
Vaughn: I won’t rest until I find out the truth.No matter what––even if it disgraces my father.
Rumors are floating around that my father a decorated captain abandoned his crew on the cruel planet Sutois to save his own skin.
I can’t believe it’s true. He isn’t a selfish coward. Or is he?
But I have another problem. Our women are dying on Aria and we don’t know why.
An Earth woman may have the cure, but she won’t hand it over.
I don’t like kidnapping, but she leaves me no choice.
And she’s my mate.
Sandra Rotella:  Everyone thinks I’m a failure. I’m here to prove them wrong.
My mom and stepfather are respected scientists and so far, none of my experiments have worked.
But one.
This is my chance to prove I’m as good as my parents.
An alien is desperate for the formula, desperate enough to kidnap me.
And he tells me we’re fated to be together.
That isn’t logical. He can’t take away my only chance for success.
I’ll fight to get back home.
Amazon
Excerpt:
Vaughn, the Intrepid’s science officer, reviewed documents on the ship’s computer of his father’s mission on Sutois and there wasn’t a shred of evidence that his father had abandoned his crew on that cruel planet.The screen turned blurry. He rubbed his tired eyes and exhaled a frustrated breath. He hadn’t had a good night sleep since that day Nucl had accused his father of being a coward.The door to his quarters buzzed open. Dread crawled up Vaughn’s dry throat.His older brother and captain, Tash, stormed inside with a scowl. His green eyes were dark and the scar on his throbbing cheek was white. “Why do you have your damn intercom turned off? I’ve been trying to reach you.” His voice was less than pleased, meaning Vaughn was at the bottom of the food chain.Heat burned on Vaughn’s cheeks and his ears. He immediately turned off his computer. “I’ve been doing research.”Tash crossed his arms over his chest. “Still trying to prove that Dad was a yellow-bellied coward?” His gut tightened. “No. Not at all.”“Then why do you insist on believing Nucl?” He spun his computer and turned on the screen to reveal the last page Vaughn had been reviewing.Vaughn winced and avoided his brother’s accusing gaze.“Dad was a well-respected star ship captain for the United Planet Confederation.” He pounded his fist on the table. “He’s an admiral, for Shade’s sake.”“I realize that Tash, but I need to know. I can’t stop thinking about it.” His brother’s eyes clouded over, and he turned away. “Then, you’re a fool. Nucl was completely mad. He betrayed his own people on Sutois. Feeding our people to the Gogs.”Nucl’s betrayal had ripped his brother apart, making him doubt his ability to be captain.Vaughn wanted to believe him, but the hair on the back of his neck itched and cold chills crept down his back. Insanity was just too easy to accept. “Tash, there was nothing you could do.” Vaughn could still remember the screams, the horror, the constant death, and he shuddered.Tash cast him a lost look, then hung his head. “Dad would have a found a way. I was the captain. I should have way to save my crew.”Tash never thought he could live up to their dad’s reputation, but he was a better captain than their father had been. “You did everything you could do.”

About the Author:
Award Winning Author M.L. Guida loves science fiction and the paranormal. From Star Trek to Dark Shadows to Supernatural, she fell in love with things that go bump in the night. But it was the heroes, she loved the best. Whether it's a shape shifter from outer space or a vampire from the past, her wounded heroes always find a way to win the heart of the heroine.
Sign up for M.L. Guida's Supernatural Scroll  Newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/6ICXv
Website: https://mlguida.com
Blog: https://mlguida.com/blog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mlguida2
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-l-guida
Facebook Reader’s Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/MLGuidasSupernaturalLounge/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MLGuidaauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mlguidawriter

New Release: Iron Circle by Justin Joschko #YA #YAScifi #YADystopian

***** New Release *****
When the only way out is through, Selena must pit her wits and fists against Juarez’s toughest brawlers to escape the clutches of a merciless dictator intent on conquering the city’s last-known resistance.

Iron CircleYellow LocustBook TwoJustin Joschko
Genre: Science Fiction Dystopian
Publisher: Month9Books
Date of Publication: March 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-948671-35-4ASIN: B07K4X5RZG
Number of pages: 305Word Count: 367
Cover Artist: Danielle Doolittle
Book Description:
The path west is long, but despite Selena’s progress, New Canaan is never far enough behind her. It was there that her parents were killed, forcing her and her little brother Simon to flee the tyrannical state. Now, New Canaan wants control over every last inch of America-That-Was. Only the Republic of California can stand against it—but not without the data stick in Selena’s pocket, rumored to contain vital information about New Canaan’s deadly new weapon.
As winter closes in, Selena races south in search of an open passage to the coast. She must pass through Nuevo Juarez, where a ruthless leader named Thorin has seized power. Selena runs afoul of Thorin’s men and is separated from her brother, captured, and auctioned off at the city’s thriving slave market.
Her only way out is through the Iron Circle, a fighting ring where the city’s most fearsome warriors pit their skills against one another. As the populace and Thorin watch Selena rise through the ranks, Selena earns a reputation she doesn’t want and the attention of man with the power to destroy her and what’s left of America-That-Was.
https://amzn.to/2T69zAV
#dystopian #sciencefiction #YA #YAScifi #YADystopian #Month9Books #NewRelease #MustRead #WhatToRead #eBook #BookBuzz #AuthorRT #BookBoost

Book Playlist - Mabon by Kellie M Davies #PNR #paranormalromance

MabonThe Clandestine ChroniclesBook OneKellie M Davies
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Aurora House Publishing
Date of Publication: September 2018
ISBN: 978-0-6481851-7-8ASIN: B07HF18BY5
Number of pages: 227
Cover Artist: Simon Critchell
Tagline: Let the Magick in.
Book Description:
Magick or Love.
If both ran deep in your blood, which would you choose?
On her sixteenth birthday, introvert Lucy DeBane can’t shake the memory of her father’s death, or the possibility that by day’s end a life altering ancestral truth will blow apart the world she knows. Lucy is sure of one thing, her feelings for Gil ... tall, dark and hot ... her first real love.
So when she hears the chiming of ancient bells and her family’s secret is revealed, Lucy must make a decision ... become a DeBane witch, or walk away from family for love.
Is there a way she can have both?
‘Davies weaves together a complex tale of magic and romance in this sweeping adventure.’ ~ Fiona Horne
Amazon


Excerpt:
The stone was cold as we descended the stairs, but the room was not. I became aware of the alcoves lining the curved wall. Each held a squat white candle and a small vial of what I was told was frankincense – for the cleansing, purification and spiritual aspects of my initiation. The room was lit with hundreds of white pillar candles, many looked as if they were floating, a trick of the eye I presumed. The wine cellar - original swept dirt floor, Mom’s heirloom chaise lounge and side-table, her collection of wines aging row after row - had never looked the way it did tonight.  Racks were now covered in rich burgundy draped velvet,excluding one, which had bottles, but I guessed they held something other than wine by the way my sisters scuttled back and forth from that particular rack - choosing a bottle then emptying a dash of its contents into a large cauldron that sat dead center in the room. It frothed and bubbled as if being heated over a fire, but there was nothing underneath it, only the soft glow of moonlight pouring over it from the open roof above.I could see the moon was complete but hidden behind a filmy wisp of fairy floss cloud, awaiting it’s unveiling.“Self heating cauldron. Doubles as central heating.” The twins, giggled. They looked at me with wide smiles, trying to contain a fizzing excitement that appeared to spark back and forth between. It was contagious, the tiny fluttering in the pit of my stomach had begun to escalate and with it I recognized the faint tinkling of chimes underlying my excitement.“Mom,” I squeezed Dana’s  soft hand with unintentional vigor, causing her to flinch. “The chimes have started again.” “I thought they would,” she dismissed my comment with a nod of her head, and led me to a chair. “Sit down here until we are ready for you.” As she smiled, broad and gentle, she pulled me in for a warm hug. “This is an amazing event for you Little Soul.” She combed my hair back from my face in a single move, as if it had been the mere shadows of her fingers in my hair. “All of my girls, touched by the craft.” Her eyes began to mist. “Who ever thought we would be blessed so?” And with that she yanked several hairs from my head.“Yeow,” I sulked rubbing at the inflicted site. “Necessary?”“Sorry Lucinda. I don’t think you would have given them to me if I had asked, now would you?” Dana quickly crossed the room to the cauldron and threw the hairs in. Her lips moved in incantation. “Probably not,” I whispered under my breath. My ‘bald spot’ still stinging, I sat down to watch the proceedings. I had seen Abi and Mat work simple spells, usually in the chaos of their room, and I had seen my mother work more complex ones in our kitchen, but I hadn’t seen any of the rituals that took place here. I wasn’t interested. Maybe somewhere buried in my subconscious, I truly believed in what my family did but I didn’t think this line would choose me, yet here I was swathed in a white robe, seated on the edge of my stool, awaiting my inheritance. Kind of cool? Very.My sisters, having finished their concoction, were now standing close together chatting about their weekend plans. It was comical that they were discussing social plans dressed from head to toe in plain black hooded robes, cinched in at their waists with white silk cords, their feet bare. I wondered what Dion and Frankie would say seeing their girlfriends like this.“Girls are you prepared to begin?” My mother added a few more ingredients to the caldron which turned the steam a shimmering shade of royal blue. The twins stepped forward and filled two tiny decorative phials with the steam, double quick, and replaced them on the altar. The cauldron was pushed into a large recess in the wall“Let us begin.” As my mother spoke these words, the room flooded with the hoary luminosity of the exposed full moon and I almost jumped right out of my skin.
Gliding across the cellar floor, my mother stopped in front of the altar, a table covered with a pure-white cloth embroidered with more symbols. They were Theban, and with my fresh thirst for knowledge of our craft I knew studying this alphabet  would be my first assignment. I was told the letters, embroidered in a shiny pewter thread, symbolized the Universe. With her back to me, I could only see its handle, Dana’s athame, her personal three foot long ritual sword, was being unsheathed. With a splatter collection that illustrated the deliciously dangerous, I had somewhat of a fascination with death …. and blood … and knives.My sisters had spoken in whispers about this sword, it’s not really something you bring up at a Sunday lunch though, and as Dana’s athame had never crossed my eyes before, the suspense was killing me.. Dana moved to the center of the moonlit circle. She held her athame out high at arm’s length for presentation and  I was mesmerized by an iridescent-silver light that rippled from the handle to the point then back again.Dana clasped the sword between both hands and a strange contentment crossed her features as it pulled her hands down until it rested, tip down, on the dirt floor.The dull thudding of my heart accelerate as my mother walked away from the sword, left balancing uprightAll three witches took their places. Dana stood in the north quarter in front of the altar stretching her hands out for the twins to take in theirs. She pressed on their hands and they all smiled at each other. Abi snatched a wink in my direction and my pulse quickened. The ritual, my initiation ritual, was about to begin.








About the Author:
Kellie M Davies was born and lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and two children. After University and a long period away from writing, she began to dabble with words again. Stories flowed and from the mess of manuscripts that cluttered her computer files, Lucy’s story rose.
www.kelliemdavies.com
www.instagram.com/kelliemdavies/
www.twitter.com/KellieMDavies
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012866890167



                  

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Mabon by Kellie M Davies #PNR #paranormalromance

MabonThe Clandestine ChroniclesBook OneKellie M Davies
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Aurora House Publishing
Date of Publication: September 2018
ISBN: 978-0-6481851-7-8ASIN: B07HF18BY5
Number of pages: 227
Cover Artist: Simon Critchell
Tagline: Let the Magick in.
Book Description:
Magick or Love.
If both ran deep in your blood, which would you choose?
On her sixteenth birthday, introvert Lucy DeBane can’t shake the memory of her father’s death, or the possibility that by day’s end a life altering ancestral truth will blow apart the world she knows. Lucy is sure of one thing, her feelings for Gil ... tall, dark and hot ... her first real love.
So when she hears the chiming of ancient bells and her family’s secret is revealed, Lucy must make a decision ... become a DeBane witch, or walk away from family for love.
Is there a way she can have both?
‘Davies weaves together a complex tale of magic and romance in this sweeping adventure.’ ~ Fiona Horne
Amazon

Teaser Excerpt:
All three witches took their places. Dana stood in the north quarter in front of the alter stretching her hands out for the twins to take in theirs. She pressed on their hands and they all smiled at each other. Abi winked in my direction and my pulse quickened.

The ritual, my initiation ritual, was about to begin.

About the Author:
Kellie M Davies was born and lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and two children. After University and a long period away from writing, she began to dabble with words again. Stories flowed and from the mess of manuscripts that cluttered her computer files, Lucy’s story rose.
www.kelliemdavies.com
www.instagram.com/kelliemdavies/
www.twitter.com/KellieMDavies
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012866890167



                  

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A Bewitching Monday

A Bewitching Monday

Justin Joschko's Top 10 Paranormal Books #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/PmCX30oaSpq #Month9Books

Please Welcome Kellie M Davies as She Tells Us About Her Paranormal Romance, Mabon, The Clandestine Chronicles, Book One #BEWITCHINGBOOKTOURS http://ow.ly/nqxg30oaStI

Risking Forever by Tara Gallina - Book Tour + Giveaway #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/y62830oaSH0

Giveaway - Goth Cat Eye Sunglasses #Giveaway #entertowin #gothsunglasses #sunglasses http://allthingshalloweenguide.blogsp...

The Lady Raven by Rebecca Henry http://www.dowiesplace.com/2019/03/th...

Sadie's Revew of The Lady Raven by Rebecca Henry https://risingindiesunited.blogspot.c...

Risking Forever Vol 1 by Tara Gallina #newadult #collegeromance #newadultromance #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/fb5n50o4x6E

The Descendants - Rise of the Reaper Army The Descendants Book One Nikki Lee Taylor #bewithingbooktours http://ow.ly/20PE30oaSk2

Immerse Mer Chronicles Book 3 Tobie Easton #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/7orA30oaScx

Yellow Locust by Justin Joschko #scifi #sciencefiction #dystopian #YA
https://creativelygreen.blogspot.com/...

In the Kitchen with Tobie Easton #Fantasy #Mermaids
https://creativelygreen.blogspot.com/...

Justin Joschko's Top 10 Paranormal Books

My Top 10 Paranormal Books
I’m a bit of a jack-of-all-trades reader, in that I don’t have a favorite genre or one that I primarily read. However, when I became a teenager and transitioned from a casual reader to an avid reader, my first and greatest go-to author was Stephen King. If you made a pie chart of every book I read in high school, King’s slice would be about half the pie. So suffice it to say, I’ve got a soft spot for horror and paranormal fiction.
Below are my top 10 works of paranormal fiction (in no particular order), along with a brief reason why. But first, a couple caveats: my definition of paranormal overlaps with, but is not synonymous with, horror. I suppose technically any work of fantasy is “paranormal” in a sense, but to fit my definition, it’s got to be spooky, though not necessarily “horrific.” Also, I’ve limited myself to 2 King books to avoid oversaturation. I could populate a list twice as long with his work alone.
1. The Haunting of Hill House – Shirley Jackson: The ultimate haunted house story. Jackson intuitively grasped that stories of haunted places are less about ghosts than about the people who seek them out in the first place. Her characters are rich and darkly comic without succumbing to parody, her prose is without parallel. 
2. At the Mountains of Madness – H.P. Lovecraft: I had a hard time choosing one Lovecraft story, since the Cthulu mythos is really one extended and self-reinforcing body of work, but At the Mountains of Madness is as good a choice as any. William Dyer is a quintessential Lovecraftian protagonist, a scientist describing increasingly improbable and horrific discoveries with breathless erudition. However, Lovecraft’s work is driven by ideas, not characters, and there are a lot of them here, as he provides perhaps the richest depiction of his universe’s strange and frightful history.
3. Salem’s Lot – Stephen King: My vote for greatest vampire story ever written (fight me, Stoker fans!). King is the master of creating a rich and inviting small town with a rotten underbelly, and watching the townsfolk succumb to Barlow’s assault is terrifying. Bonus points for introducing Father Callahan, who would go on to great things in the Dark Tower (see below).
4. Monkey Beach – Eden Robinson: The story of Lisamarie Hill, a girl with strange powers that go largely unrealized for much of the book. The truly paranormal aspects don’t emerge until the final chapters, but the build on everything that came before in a very satisfying way. 
5. The Castle of Otranto – Horace Walpole: I love this book in no small part because it’s so ridiculous. In the opening pages, a major character is crushed to death by a giant helmet. A giant helmet! It only gets more bonkers form there. Widely credited with inventing the genre of gothic fiction. 
6. Picnic at Hanging Rock – Joan Lindsay: The most powerful parts of a novel are sometimes the parts that aren’t written, and Picnic at Hanging Rock is a great example of that. It’s never clear what happens to those girls or their teacher, and no explanation could top the sense of quiet foreboding the story generates in the explanation’s absence. 
7. The Kraken Wakes – John Wyndham: Wyndham wrote other books that hew closer to horror—The Midwich Cuckoos is probably the best example—but it was the Kraken Wakes that I found the most frightening. The sense of mounting hopelessness is palpable as the invading aliens thwart humanity’s every attempt to stop them. The ending is a bit Deus Ex Machina, but I think we as readers have become a bit too hard on that approach, which works in certain instances. This is one of them. 
8. House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski: Generally speaking, I’m not a huge fan of experimental fiction. Too often it feels like a lot of window-dressing trying to distract from the fact that underneath it all, there’s not a lot of story there. But I also admire an author with the courage of their convictions, and boy, does Danielewski have that. House of Leaves has stories within stories, narrators upon narrators, and layers that grow and blend and double back on themselves, as geometrically complex—and impossible—as the eponymous house itself. 
9. World War Z – Max Brooks: I’m a fan of Studs Terkel and Svetlana Alexievich, and frankly I’m surprised no one capitalized on the strengths of their oral history format in genre fiction before Brooks came along (or maybe they did and I just didn’t notice). It’s a clever conceit, and one that infuses a scenario as fundamentally silly as a zombie apocalypse with a certain verisimilitude.  
10. The Dark Tower – Stephen King: The apotheosis of King novels, this 7 volume work (or 8, if you count The Wind through the Keyhole) isn’t simply a fantasy epic to rival Lord of the Rings. It also links together disparate threads of King’s other work, creating a grand metatextual tapestry that few other authors could manage. We all quibble with the ending, but honestly I’m not sure how any writer could’ve brought something so massive and powerful to a graceful stop. 

Iron Circle
Yellow Locust
Book Two

Justin Joschko
Genre: Science Fiction Dystopian
Publisher: Month9Books
Date of Publication: March 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-948671-35-4ASIN: B07K4X5RZG
Number of pages: 305Word Count: 367
Cover Artist: Danielle Doolittle
Book Description:
The path west is long, but despite Selena’s progress, New Canaan is never far enough behind her. It was there that her parents were killed, forcing her and her little brother Simon to flee the tyrannical state. Now, New Canaan wants control over  every last inch of America-That-Was. Only the Republic of California can stand against it—but not without the data stick in Selena’s pocket, rumored to contain vital information about New Canaan’s deadly new weapon.
As winter closes in, Selena races south in search of an open passage to the coast. She must pass through Nuevo Juarez, where a ruthless leader named Thorin has seized power. Selena runs afoul of Thorin’s men and is separated from her brother, captured, and auctioned off at the city’s thriving slave market.
Her only way out is through the Iron Circle, a fighting ring where the city’s most fearsome warriors pit their skills against one another. As the populace and Thorin watch Selena rise through the ranks, Selena earns a reputation she doesn’t want and the attention of man with the power to destroy her and what’s left of America-That-Was.
Amazon Excerpt:
Selena grabbed her opponent’s left wrist. His skin was hot and clammy, its greasy expanse flecked with patches of flaky, dry crust. Suppressing her revulsion, Selena brought the man’s arm up behind his back and, with modest but steady pressure, eased him to his knees. The man obeyed without struggling. Whatever spirit his disease hadn’t eaten away had been beaten out of him by Thorin’s strongmen. He was defeated before he’d even entered the Iron Circle. The least Selena could do was signal this defeat gently. She laid him on the ground and pressed his shoulders into the dirt. He seemed to get the message, for when she released him, he stood slowly, nodded at her in uncomprehending thanks, and scuttled out of the circle. She imagined he wouldn’t get far and would likely face his punishment in some other form. There was nothing she could do about that, but at least she wouldn’t be the one providing it. In recognition of this resolve, she stepped back and raised her arms to the crowd, beckoning their ire. The crowd obliged, hurling incomprehensible epithets and pounding their fists on the railings. Selena ignored them, summoning her inborne Seraphim’s hauteur. She set her eyes instead on the clutch of fighters awaiting their own bouts, scanning for an ideal target. There was no shortage of options, but Selena was choosey. It would have to be someone who appeared unbeatable, and he would have to be among Los Hermanos. One presented itself almost immediately. The Hermano who’d gestured obscenely at her before the fight was now tapping his friend on the chest with the back of his hand, signaling his derision at the spectacle before him. She scoped the topography of his muscles, sized up his potential speed and power, noted points of weakness: long hair and beard for easy grabbing, an offset knuckle that would weaken his left jab, a peculiar slope to his jaw hinting at an old break. He commanded respect from his peers, which meant he was good—but also meant he was cocky. Selena was good, too, and no one here had seen her fight.

About the Author:
Justin Joschko is an author from Niagara Falls, Ontario. His writing has appeared in newspapers and literary journals across Canada. Yellow Locust is his first novel. He currently lives in Ottawa with his wife and two children.
www.justinjoschko.com
https://www.facebook.com/Yellow-Locust-184228472206563  
https://twitter.com/justinjoschko

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Yellow Locust by Justin Joschko #scifi #sciencefiction #dystopian #YA

Yellow LocustBook OneJustin Joschko
Genre: Science Fiction Dystopian
Publisher: Month9Books
Date of Publication: May 8, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-946700-63-6ASIN: B079828BLX
Number of pages: 306
Cover Artist: Danielle Doolittle
Book Description:
Selena Flood is a fighter of preternatural talent. But not even her quick fists and nimble feet could save her parents from the forces of New Canaan, the most ruthless and powerful of the despotic kingdoms populating America-that-was.
Forced to flee the tyrannical state with her younger brother Simon in tow, Selena is now the last chance for peace in a continent on the verge of complete destruction.
In her pocket is a data stick, the contents of which cost her parents their lives. Selena must now ensure it reaches the Republic of California—a lone beacon of liberty shining across a vast and barren wasteland—before it’s too late.
Between New Canaan and California stretch the Middle Wastes: thousands of desolate miles home to murderers, thieves, and a virulent strain of grass called yellow locust that has made growing food all but impossible. So when Selena and Simon stagger into Fallowfield, an oasis of prosperity amidst the poisoned plains, everything seems too good to be true—including the warm welcome they receive from the town’s leader, a peculiar man known only as The Mayor.
As Selena delves deeper into the sinister secrets of this seemingly harmless refuge, she soon learns there is a much darker side to Fallowfield and the man who runs it. Before long, she must call upon the skills she honed in the fighting pits of New Canaan to ensure not only her own survival, but that of her brother, in whom the Mayor has taken far too keen an interest.
And she’d better act fast, for an all-out war inches ever closer, and New Canaan is never as far away as it seems.
Amazon

Excerpt: The grass followed the siblings into town, looming silently along the highway shoulders, lancing up through broken sidewalk slabs, squatting in the cavernous lobbies of derelict skyscrapers. It stalked them all the way to the city center, where a square kilometer of turf and asphalt had been pared away to uncover the silty soil beneath. Stakes with tips painted green, blue, and orange still jutted evenly along the field’s southern edge, though whether the colors signified crop rotation or ownership, Selena couldn’t say. Only one plant grew there now, and she was willing to bet it hadn’t been deliberately planted. The yellow grass devoured every inch of naked soil, creating a neck-high carpet of brittle, oily stalks. We aren’t gonna find any food on offer here, Selena thought, though she kept this opinion to herself—the last thing her brother needed was more bad news.A fountain stood on a cobbled square beside the field, its ledge chipped and weathered. A bronze woman stood atop its stone platform, her face tarnished and scaly with grime. She held aloft a jug with a broken handle. Water dribbled from its spout. No food, maybe, but water’s more important anyway. Selena knelt to the water. A caustic stench of grease and bitter herbs rose from the pool. A skein of shimmery oil coated the water, stirred to a rainbow froth where the trickling spout spilled its endless contents. Selena rolled up her pant legs, removed her shoes, and waded into the fountain. The water’s scummy skin clung to her leg hairs. She cupped her hands beneath the dribble.
Even before the water touched her lips, she knew it was bad. The stench of it lapped at her face like a hungry tongue. She sipped anyway, gagged, spat. Running or still, the water was hopelessly befouled. Its taste and smell lingered long enough for her to place it: the smell of the yellow grass, the few times she’d been forced to push her way directly through it. Not content with razing the town’s crops, the vile stuff had also poisoned its water supply. Whatever this shit is, it’s thorough.
About the Author:
Justin Joschko is an author from Niagara Falls, Ontario. His writing has appeared in newspapers and literary journals across Canada. Yellow Locust is his first novel. He currently lives in Ottawa with his wife and two children.
www.justinjoschko.com
https://www.facebook.com/Yellow-Locust-184228472206563  
https://twitter.com/justinjoschko
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