Michelle Schad's Blog, page 2

D20 Character Build

People like to start stories with ‘twenty years ago…’ all the time. This story starts way before that when D&D and general table-top gaming wasn’t ‘cool’; when parents called it devil worship or the nerds purposely hid in basements (also, it starts with a giant mug of sanity). Fast-forward to the 2000’s when big-name actors start admitting their love of the game, fantasy movies are the ‘in’ thing, and basements are purposely designed with really awesome shit in it for gaming. Because of all that, we now have a generation of kids growing up in a world of table-top games, online rpgs, and live-action role-play (otherwise known as LARPING). For crying out loud, Henry Cavill of the Witcher nearly missed his audition for Superman because he was in a raid!

My story does start roughly twenty years ago when Living Greyhawk was the penultimate way to get together with your fellow geeks to toss some dice and save some folks. Over the course of that gigantic, world-wide campaign, I not only learned to love every geeky aspect of the game I’d played in secret, but also how to create my own worlds and run them.

Then, things changed.

Living Greyhawk came to an end.  New games rivaled WoTC’s D&D, and everything got a facelift for the new generation. 

No one liked it.

So they tried again. All of them.

Some of us liked it.

Now, it happens again.

The powerhouses of the d20 world are Wizards of the Coast and Paizo. They create D&D and Pathfinder respectively, each of which has had a fairly recent overhaul. I am here to compare those overhauls.

I opted to use my novel character, Reven Si’ahl, in the character build with just a basic, level 1 bard. Easy-peasy. Hear we go- –

D&D 5e: Let’s start with the biggest perk of all: D&D Beyond! It is a quick, free, registration to sign up. You can elect to get news of upcoming mods, but it opens up the 5e character creator. In free mode you can keep up to 6 characters, keep track of what campaign they are in, create your own campaign, and have a virtual library of all your purchased books and modules at your fingertips (an SRD version pops up if there are questions). There are even digital dice if you happen to forget yours.

Characters can be accessed from any device that has internet. Updating them is easy in real time and is very user friendly. The rules are simple to understand. So, building wasn’t difficult. My bard was given birth in roughly 15 minutes. 

It’s biggest flaw, however, is the lack of versatility. There are very few options for customization compared to Pathfinder 2e. Personally, I like to customize my character to be different from the other bards. I can’t really do that in 5e. Outside of that, it isn’t a bad build out.

Pathfinder 2e: Unfortunately, unlike D&D, Pathfinder does not have a D&D Beyond equivalent – – yet. The savvy person that I am opted to build Reven using the demo version of Pathfinder Nexus which will be the D&D Beyond equivalent. It will use HeroLab which I was already familiar with from other systems. For those not familiar with it, it has a slight learning curve and the registration process is not as easy as it is for D&D Beyond. Overall, meh. The rules for 2e are a little more complex than 5e rules, too. A novice player can easily get lost in some of the complexities, but a veteran should have no problems at all.

The actual build out takes much longer than it does for 5e but there are so many more ways to customize the character than what 5e allows! I had so much fun building out his background and stats. Everything is prompted, so once you get the hang of the layout, it is easy to use and easy to build. Unfortunately, as it was only a demo, I’m not sure how many characters are available to hold in this version. The demo was free but it seems that Pathfinder Nexus may have a cost to it – anything I searched came up inconclusive. I expect it will do what it can to be similar to D&D Beyond in order to stay competitive.

Still, two very convenient ways to create a character rather than using pen and paper. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go create a few more of my novel characters just to see what they might look like on ‘paper’.

Happy gaming!

The post D20 Character Build appeared first on Taming Chaos.

Fall TV Review

The end of 2021 gave us quite a bit of new things to make up for the fabulous lack of things over the summer or the early part of 2021 (thanks, COVID). Production of our brain-draining boob-tube entertainment picked up again during the spring and summer months to bring us several promised shows (and movies, but those get their own post) if at a slightly later date. I will now review the most discussed (as well as the ones I managed to watch). I also encourage healthy discussion on the matter. Troll me, and I’ll shut you down.

Wheel of Time – The television show produced by AmazonPrime is loosely based on the novel (and series) of the same name by Robert Jordan (and later finished by Brandon Sanderson). Ok, here comes my tl/dr old person rant: STOP TURNING EVERYTHING INTO A WOKE STATEMENT. The long version now follows. Please keep in mind I only watched the first episode due to the reasons stated below.

The Good Bits: The scenery in the show is positively stunning. Wherever they filmed it is beautiful and, cinematically, is captured very well. The costuming in the first episode was fairly basic but also nicely handled as far as I could tell. Some weird choices but not bad choices. This includes the non-human creatures like the trollocs and Fades. Masterfully created. And, finally, eye candy from Daniel Henney who plays al’Lan Mandragoran was appreciated even if it was entirely unnecessary.

The Bad Bits: Oh My M-to the Friggen Gods. I almost don’t know where to  begin. I feel like there will not be enough time/space to express my extreme hatred of what’s been done to an otherwise well-built world. Robert Jordan was, by no means, the perfect author or master plot doctor but he built an amazing world of intrigue and magic that AmazonPrime, the producers, writers, and directors have taken and thrown straight into the garbage. They kept the names.

I could go scene by scene and it still would not scratch the surface of why I hated this show from episode one. However, my biggest beef was, in fact, the diversity.

The show is currently being praised left and right for their diversity and inclusion. It’s complete BS. Why? Why would I say something like that?

Because the world was diverse enough without someone sitting behind a desk insisting it needed to be more diverse. Everything was written in glorious (sometimes painful) detail from skin tone to hair style, down to the cursed pleats on a skirt! The Two Rivers (the small town where episode one is set) is secluded and rarely sees outsiders. It is notable because later in the series it becomes important that they are isolated. I have no problem with what color you want to make these people but make them all the same color! It matters! It is notable that Rand is different from everyone else. 

NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DIVERSIFIED! Do I need to repeat it? It’s based on a book. Read. The. Book.

Rant over.

Cowboy Bebop – Cowboy Bebop is the live-action adaptation of the anime of the same name produced by Netflix. I’ve seen the reviews, heard many say it wasn’t at all like the anime and, on this one, I disagree. I think it very much is, even if it isn’t exact to the anime.

The anime is 26 episodes, start to finish, with a beginning, middle, end. Done. Many Japanese anime are built in this fashion rather than having multiple ‘seasons’ like we do here in the states or even in the UK. Thus, Netflix had to do some creative thinking to build out season 1 so they could have season 2 even if they have now made the (poor, imho) choice to not renew for that 2nd season. The planning still needed to be there, just in case. I understand and accept this entirely.

It’s first win – they got Yoko Kano to do the music again, including the opening sequence which, in my opinion, is just kick ass. It has always been one of my favorite anime opening sequences and it remains intact, trumpet solo included.

Second win – casting is pretty spot on, all things considered. This is a space epic of sorts and intended to be diverse cuz, you know, space. So, go casting department. Along with that, the costumes are great. It is often difficult to adapt something drawn to something physical but they’ve done very well with it.

The only negative is the story is a little slow and a little hard to follow if you’re unfamiliar with the original material. There isn’t really much character set up given for those that might not already know the Bebop crew. I think this may be where most of the reviewers are coming from in bashing it. Each episode is, in itself, a tiny little story. They get a job, do the job, and (usually) fail the job. There is also an overarching plot involving Spike that gets pieces in each episode so far to move it along.

In the words of The Duke from Moulin Rouge: “Generally, I like it.”

The Witcher S.2 – Where do I begin! Mind blown on this one. I ate it up all in one long, butt-numbing session because I couldn’t get enough of it. The Witcher is produced by Netflix. Season 1 introduced us to Geralt of Rivia and all the things that make him, the Witcher. It got bad reviews for it’s time-hopping and slightly confusing ‘plot’ that was not tied together until the final episode. Masterfully written in my mind, but not for everyone. Now, in Season 2, we pick up where we left off with Geralt and Ciri trying to make it to somewhere safe, and figuring out just what the living hells happened to Yennifer! 

The Good: Well, there’s a lot, cuz I really, really liked the show. I have played the games and even attempted a read of the books (translation issues had me thrown so I couldn’t finish the books). The costuming is amazing, as always. I love hearing the tidbits of the poor costuming crew trying to keep Henry Cavill from rolling in the mud to make himself look more dirty. The story was easy to follow this time as it went in a single timeline. Introduction of new characters was handled well (even if people complained about the treatment of one character in particular). Anyway, I could gush for days but I think my favorite part was when Roach (the horse) finally meets his end and Geralt finds a new ‘Roach’ because it happens all the time in the game and the man just renames every horse he gets ‘Roach’. Love that nod to the gamers. Thank you for that. Also, the season cliffhanger: OMFG! Cannot wait for Season 3!

The Bad: For some reason, Geralt’s eyes bugged the crap out of me this time around. Like they couldn’t get the yellow contact lenses to stay in Mr. Cavill’s eyeballs correctly. Personally, I don’t like the political plot too much as it makes me want to strangle all the witches for their buffoonery. I know it ties in to Ciri and the totally awesome cliffhanger at the end, but it still feels lackluster to me. Outside of that, I didn’t have much issue with anything else in the show.

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Ringing in the New Year…Late

Well, we made it to another year without a complete total world melt-down. Hooray! Welcome to 2022, I’ll be your host for this corner of existence. It’s a very small corner. It is the time of year to reflect, to make vows to change and be better (or worse, I don’t know your choices), and then throw everything out the proverbial window by the end of the first month. Take me, for example: I resolved to post a blog a week. In case y’all missed it, it’s February.

Welcome to Life!

The idea of new resolutions isn’t new and it rarely sticks. Why?

Well, mostly because a lot of what we resolve to do is long-term things for beings that crave instant gratification. Example: eating healthier lasts a little while until someone is running late, didn’t have time for their kale-kombucha smoothie in the morning, and makes a mad dash through a McDonald’s on the way into work. Healthy eating gone!

Life, my friends, totally gets in the way. I want to lose weight. Eventually. While still eating french fries covered in ketchup. Maybe if I only eat fries covered in ketchup…

Anyway, my point is that resolutions are great if that’s your bag. Even if it isn’t your bag and you make them so you can sleep better at night for a while, kudos on you; you got that extra sleep you probably needed. Success!

I’ve decided against new resolutions (or old ones) in favor of riding the current of life. Too many times my actions become reactionary to things out of my control. Jobs change, family gets sick, pets suddenly eat their own tails, circumstances change from moment to moment. I have attained my Chaos Tamer moniker honestly. I mean, I literally just made a move from Virginia to Florida in under two weeks! I still haven’t unpacked all my boxes yet!

Carrying on… 

This year I have HOPES:

I hope I can get three novels and a few novellas published this year.(Not bad so far. One upcoming, several in progress.)I hope I can lose some weight so I can stop being a desk slug.(So far so good, 10lbs down since Jan 01 when I started counting.)I hope I can get my autoimmunes under better control.(Ehhhhhh…. We’ll work on that one.)I hope I can learn to utilize social media better for marketing my work.(I got TikTok? No, I don’t know how to use it much yet, but I’m learning!)

There. That’s it. Those are my HOPES. Just four things that would be nice to see in 2022. No deadline, no pressure, just wishes for a better existence in my tiny corner of the universe.

What are your HOPES?

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Piper Blackwell Audiobook #BlogTour

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Set in a small town in Indiana, Piper Blackwell is the newly appointed sheriff in this intense mystery thriller series from Faust lifetime achievement winner, Jean Rabe. Narrator Catherine Wenglowski lends her voice to this series of books that will keep you up at night…

DEAD OF WINTER, DEAD OF NIGHT, and now, DEAD OF SUMMER, have been converted into ear candy (or, audiobooks) for your listening enjoyment. 

About the Books:

DEAD OF WINTER
In a deceptively peaceful county, a murderer hides in plain sight.
Fifty-eight minutes into her first day on the job, 23-year-old Sheriff Piper Blackwell is faced with a grisly murder, the victim artfully posed amid decorations on his lawn. Drawing on former military training, Piper must prove herself worthy of the sheriff's badge, and that won't be easy.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Length: 8 hr 47 min
Language: English
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/The-Dead-of-Wi...

DEAD OF NIGHT
As Sheriff Piper Blackwell rushes to a clandestine meeting with an aging, paranoid veteran who believes spies are trailing his every move, she is caught in a fierce thunderstorm. Pounding rain drums against the bluff, washing away the earth and revealing a grisly secret someone tried to bury a long time ago.
Putting a name to the skeleton on the bluff, and searching for the thief who robbed the old veteran of his life’s earnings, sends Piper delving into the sleepy towns that dot her rural county. Now she’s digging into pasts perhaps best left alone.
Accompanied by Chief Deputy Oren Rosenberg, Piper seeks to expose a truth someone wants to remain forever hidden. The investigation may have started with a thunderstorm, but Piper aims to finish it and find justice. Uncovering fragments of Spencer County’s history could prove more dangerous – and deadlier – than she ever expected.
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Length: 8 hr 32 min
Language: English
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Night-Pip...

DEAD OF SUMMER
Shouts of delight turn to screams of terror when a carnival ride goes berserk at the Spencer County Fair. Sheriff Piper Blackwell must contain the chaos and investigate the possible sabotage, even as she tries to solve a local businessman’s horrific murder.
But managing two investigations with at least one killer on the loose pushes the young officer and her tiny staff to their limits. Can Piper catch the murderer, or will the summer’s body count continue to rise?
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Length: 8hr 19 min
Language: English
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Summer-Pi...

Love the Piper Blackwell Series and want to keep up with Jean's latest works? Sign-up for her newsletter: https://jeanrabe.com/sign-up-for-my-n... and follow her on Amazon: http://author.to/JeanRabe.


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About the Author:
USA Today best-seller, Jean Rabe's impressive writing career spans decades, starting as a newspaper reporter and bureau chief.
From there she went on to become the director of RPGA, a co-editor with Martin H. Greenberg for DAW books, and, most notably, Rabe is an award-winning author of more than forty science fiction/fantasy and murder mystery thrillers.
She writes mysteries and fantasies, because life is too short to be limited to one genre–and she does it with dogs tangled at her feet, because life is too short not to be covered in fur.
Find out more about her at www.jeanrabe.com



About the Narrator:
Catherine Wenglowski is a New York City based audiobook narrator. With a background in theater and as a classically trained singer, combined with her lifelong love of reading, Catherine uses her trained ear and creativity to add breath and life to characters and to connect with her audience. Visit her website at: https://www.wenglowvo.com/

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The Assassin and the Libertine #BlogTour

The fate of France itself is at stake if these sworn enemies cannot change their ways—and their hearts.

Daphne de Duras is a proper French duchess by day and fledgling assassin by night. Her latest mission is to dispatch justice and protect the French aristocracy by executing Étienne de Noailles, disgraced former noble, legendary rake, and vampire emissary to the court of King Louis XV.

But Étienne’s alleged crime—the gruesome murder of Madame de Pompadour, the King’s mistress and Daphne's friend—doesn’t quite fit the dashing vampire’s nature. With his immortal days suddenly numbered, Étienne needs to convince his would-be executioner not only of his innocence, but that they should hunt the real killer together—a challenge almost as difficult as convincing himself that he isn’t falling for her.

Daphne reluctantly agrees to a temporary partnership when Étienne persuades her that something more sinister is afoot. He can, after all, help her find answers in places she’s unable to go alone. And despite her deep loathing for any and all vampires, she can't help but start thinking of a few other places she'd like to go with him.

ASIN:‎ B09BQ51FGZ
Publisher:‎ City Owl Press: Mystic Owl (October 14, 2021)
Publication date: ‎October 14, 2021
Language: English
Print length:‎ 263 pages
Check it out on Amazon: http://mybook.to/TAATL
Add it on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
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Love the Les Dames Dangereuses series and want to stay up to date on Lily Riley's next release? Follow Lily on Amazon here: author.to/LilyRiley or check out her website: https://www.authorlilyriley.com/

Review from Publisher's Weekly:
Scandal, seduction, and supernatural secrets animate Riley’s deliciously decadent debut and Les Dames Dangereuses series launch. In 1765, a blood plague is spreading among the Parisian poor, turning them into vampires. For many, it’s a better fate than starvation as a human. As one of few courtiers infected, “legendary rake” Étienne de Noailles is appointed the vampire emissary to His Majesty. Though he tries to advocate for vampire rights, he’s treated as little more than a threat and a lust object at Versailles.
Read more here>


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lily Riley is a romance novelist currently focused on historical paranormal books that feature a little bit of cheek and a lot of steam. 
Her debut novel, The Assassin and the Libertine, publishing under the Mystic Owl imprint of City Owl Press, comes out October 14, 2021.
When Lily isn’t writing about dreamy supernatural beings in 18th century France, she enjoys sipping champagne, eating cake, and dancing naked by the light of the full moon.
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Find more about her at her website:  https://www.authorlilyriley.com/ or on social media.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Amazon, and Goodreads.
 

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Agent Down #BlogTour

Bargaining with the enemy always has a cost—and mine has come due.

VEE:
Remember that way hot, way arrogant chef I rescued? Turns out, he’s my soulmate.
Despite Bruce’s lack of a filter, life is all good in Region Two.
Cryptids stalking the city’s shadows.
My team stalking the cryptids.
My sisters using our fav rom-coms as a study guide for meeting your civilian boyfriend’s parents.
I always believed cryptids were the greatest danger out there. I was so, so wrong. There are some tragedies even agents and Company resources can't combat. A hopelessness that threatens to shatter the team and my heart.
Until I accidentally uncover an ultra-classified miracle. Hacking research above my pay grade isn’t the worst of my sins. What the research points me to requires betraying the Company, my team, everything that makes me–me.
But if this deal with the devil saves Bruce? I’m okay with the sacrifice.

BRUCE:
We’d gone through a different kind of battle and come out more in love than ever.
Vee thought we’d won. Hell, so did I.
Except there are things Vee never told me. That there was a price for saving my life. That Vee’s the one who has to pay. And now I’ve lost the woman who I love with every cell in my body.
When the Company discovers what she’s done, the verdict is treason, the punishment, death.
They’re about to meet Bruce the Bastard though.
There’s no power—human, government, or cryptid—that can keep me from saving Vee.
Print Length: 329 pages
Publication Date: August 31, 2021
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Language: English
ASIN: B0952FX3SR
ISBN-13: 978-1-7372190-3-3
Order on Amazon: http://mybook.to/AgentDown

Love the Region Two Series and want keep up with Janet's next release? Follow Janet on Amazon here: author.to/JanetWaldenWest or go to her website and sign-up for her newsletter: www.janetwaldenwest.weebly.com (Note: If you sign-up for her newsletter, you'll get the Region Two prequel, Agent Alone as a sign-up bonus​. Who could resist?)
Haven't started the Region Two Series yet? Then by all means, check out the series on Amazon: http://mybook.to/RegionTwoSeries
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Janet Walden-West lives in the Southeast with a pack of show dogs, a couple of kids, and a husband who didn’t read the fine print. A member of the East Tennessee Creative Writers Alliance, she is also a founding member of The Million Words craft blog. She pens inclusive Contemporary Romance and Urban Fantasy. As a two-time Pitch Wars alum turned Pitch Wars 2019 Mentor, Sherrilyn Kenyon scholarship recipient, and Golden Heart® finalist, she believes in paying it forward by supporting burgeoning Southern writers.
She is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary Agency.

Find more about her at janetwaldenwest.weebly.com or on social media.

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Love-Haight Case Files #BlogTour

Supernatural beings are willing to fight for their legal rights!

Since the Summer of Love, the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco has been known for attracting weird and unconventional souls, but things got even stranger when the monsters moved in. 

Magic has returned to the world and with it a host of supernatural creatures—not just vampires and ghosts, but sentient gargoyles, ghouls, sprites, faeries, and more. The frightened citizenry, holier-than-thou bigots, headline-seeking reporters, and harried police refer to them as OTs (Other-Than-Humans), but Thomas Brock and Evelyn Love believe even supernatural creatures have legal rights. 

Delve into their case files for a genre-bending mix of mystery, horror, suspense, thrills, courtroom drama, and romance. The city’s OT element is sometimes malevolent, sometimes misunderstood, and often discriminated against. Brock and Love represent them all, dead, undead, or alive—whatever the case, whatever the species. 


**Winner of three prestigious Silver Falchion Awards **

for mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels: Best Fantasy, Best Urban Fantasy, and Best Multi-Genre Novel. 


ASIN: ‎ B098K6SG49
Publisher: ‎ Craig Martelle, Inc (September 20, 2021)
Publication date: ‎ September 20, 2021
Language: ‎ English
Genre: Paranormal Mystery Thriller
Check it Out on Amazon: http://mybook.to/LoveHaightBk2

Want to stay up to date with Donald and Jean? Follow them on Amazon:
Donald J. Bingle (http://author.to/DonaldJBingle) and Jean Rabe (http://author.to/JeanRabe). New to the Love-Haight Case Files ? Check out the rest of the series: http://mybook.to/LoveHaightSeries


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About the Authors:

Jean Rabe:

USA Today best-seller, Jean Rabe's impressive writing career spans decades, starting as a newspaper reporter and bureau chief.
From there she went on to become the director of RPGA, a co-editor with Martin H. Greenberg for DAW books, and, most notably, Rabe is an award-winning author of more than forty science fiction/fantasy and murder mystery thrillers.
She writes mysteries and fantasies, because life is too short to be limited to one genre–and she does it with dogs tangled at her feet, because life is too short not to be covered in fur.
Find out more about her at www.jeanrabe.com, on social media, or sign-up for her newsletter here: https://jeanrabe.com/sign-up-for-my-n...



Donald J. Bingle

Donald J. Bingle is the author of eight books and more than sixty shorter works in the horror, thriller, science fiction, mystery, fantasy, steampunk, romance, comedy, and memoir genres, including the Dick Thornby Thriller series (Net Impact; Wet Work; Flash Drive), Frame Shop, a murder mystery set in a suburban writers’ group, Forced Conversion, a near future scifi thriller, GREENSWORD, a darkly comedic eco-thriller and (with Jean Rabe) The Love-Haight Case Files, Books 1 & 2, a paranormal urban fantasy series about two lawyers who represent the legal rights of supernatural creatures in a magic-filled San Francisco. He also edited Familiar Spirits, an anthology of ghost stories. More on Don and his writing can be found at www.donaldjbingle.com. Sign-up for his newsletter here: https://www.donaldjbingle.com/newslet...
 

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Victome’s Prize #BlogTour!

About the Book:

When his younger brother is summoned to Versailles, Vicomte Frederique de la Tour decides to intervene and takes his place. King Louis’s XV court is stunned when instead of a lad, the legendary spy, known to his underworld associates only as The Wolf arrives.

Lady in Waiting Hélène d’Ètoilles’ life has been serene: Serve Her Majesty the Queen of France with grace and obedience. Now her life and her sense of self are in turmoil when she discovers she’s been gifted to a nobleman for his family’s loyalty and years of service. No longer a lady in waiting to the Queen of France, she’s thrown into a world of subterfuge and passion, of lust and power.

Publisher: Champagne Book Group (August 30, 2021)
Releases on: August 30, 2021
Genre: Historical Romance
Language: English
ASIN: B003U2RVAC

Find it on Amazon: http://mybook.to/ViscountPrize

Want more of Patricia Bates's books? Insight into her characters? Join her mailing list here: https://tinyurl.com/5cj4k5er

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About the Author:
Canadian author Patricia Bates writes dark and edgy historical and contemporary suspense romances. Because to bleed is to survive, but it's by loving that we truly live.
She has two Best Sellers under her belt for Champagne Book Group and Beachwalk Press.
For more details on Patricia, you can visit her at her website: www.patriciabates.com
Or join her on www.facebook.com/romanceauther
www.twitter.com/PatBAuthor
www.instagram.com/patriciabatesauthor

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#Review: Untouched by Jayme Bean

There is nothing better than a good, relaxing vacation. I have been fortunate enough to embark on such a holiday this summer to the beautiful islands of Hawai’i, more specifically to Oahu. There is nothing more relaxing or beautiful than Hawai’i. Of course, every vacation needs good reading material. As the insane booklover I am, I brought three physical books and my Kindle, you know, just in case. As it turns out, I had less time to read as I thought because I was out on the island living my best life. However, the one book I did read in its entirety is probably the best thing I’ve read in quite some time.

The book I speak of is Untouched by indie author Jayme Bean. I came across the book during a writer’s lift on Twitter. The cover looked intriguing, so I followed the author. When she ran a special for a signed book, I grabbed a copy. Being an indie author myself, I like supporting others and getting signed copies is always awesome.

First, I will say that the added touch of getting my signed copy with a postcard from one of the characters inside of it was awesome. The book itself had a slow start as most books do, building up the setting and characters. However, that was the best part of the book: the build-up. Without it, the rest would not have been nearly as impactful and downright terrifying. Here I am, sitting in paradise (literally) glowering at the potted plant in my hotel room because of what I was reading! Everything was so immersive and real that any plant I passed over the course of reading the book was immediately met with scrutiny. The relationships built through this horrifying ordeal were honest, real relationships that depended on one another in a space that was designed to rip them apart. There is a true mastery where fiction meets fact, and the rest is taken away by the reader’s imagination. I cheered, I cried, I nearly threw the book when it looked like things were going wrong, and then I gasped (which elicited a very odd look from my husband who was trying to figure out why I was cursing about and at plants while on vacation).

Overall a very well-written, thought-provoking book that leaves me curious about what may be lurking in the uninhabited – and habited – jungles of the world (I’m looking at you Hawai’i…).

Next Up: The Diviner’s Game Series by Jennifer Cody.

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Flash Point #BlogTour!

About the Book:

Banish the demon, stop the prophecy, and do not fall in love. Easy, right? Yeah, not so much.

Mina Donovan is a woman of many talents. Fire elemental, psychic, Legacy witch, magical asset for an FBI paranormal task force…she does it all. Her latest struggle? Not crushing on her sexy best friend. Logically, she knows they can’t be together. Too bad her heart has never bothered with logic.

The friend zone is the last place pyro expert Josh wants to be with Mina. Not that he has any choice in the matter. A witch hunter falling for a witch? Not smart. He’ll just have to learn to ignore his attraction to the gorgeous woman who already owns so much of his heart.

If Mina and Josh have any hope of finding their way to happily ever after, they’ll have to banish an all-powerful demon and take down an evil magical organization. Oh, and they’ll also have to figure out how to stop the prophecy that warns a dragon will consume Mina.

It’ll take more than magic to fix this supernatural dilemma.

If you like Michelle M. Pillow, Abigail Owen, K.F. Breene, or K.M. Shea, check out this series that readers have described as a steamy Charmed meets Lucifier with witch sisters solving murder mysteries and finding true love.

Buy Links:
Amazon: https://smarturl.it/Legacy5amz  
City Owl Press: https://smarturl.it/Legacy5CO 
Goodreads: https://smarturl.it/Legacy5GR 

Love the Legacy Series? Keep an eye out for Wicked Crown, book one of Joya's new Redemption Series, coming in 2022 with City Owl Press.
New to the Legacy Series? Start binge-reading here: https://tinyurl.com/y8k6sj2m
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Luna Joya writes sexy hexy romances in the award-winning Legacy Series.
Fluent in sarcasm and penal code, Luna prosecutes by day and writes at night. She loves history, especially Los Angeles and Hollywood lore.
A survivor of traumatic brain injury with steel body parts, she lives in SoCal with her combat veteran husband and their two-pound terror of a rescue pup.
Find more about Luna Joya on her website: https://lunajoya.com/

 

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