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Forged In Lies The Monarch Series Book One Raven Dark and Jenna Stirling

 

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Forged In LiesThe Monarch Series Book OneRaven Dark and Jenna Stirling
Genre: Dark Dystopian, Why Choose MC RomancePublisher: Raven DarkDate of Publication: April 23, 2023ASIN:  B0C3CYFH5BNumber of pages: 348Word Count: 106,428 wordsCover Artist: Raven Dark
Tagline: This world is full of deadly beasts. And I might be worse than any of them…
Book Description:
This world is full of deadly beasts. And I might be worse than any of them…
I remember life before the solar flare destroyed society. And I remember pieces of the dystopian hellscape that followed.
But my memories are fractured. Full of holes and inconsistencies.
How I managed to slit the throat of a biker twice my size is a complete mystery.
But I did. Easily and without thought.
Now, the dead man’s four ruthless MC brothers want me as their captive plaything in the bedroom, and their assassin in the outside world.
I should hate them. Fear them. But I don’t.
My attraction to these sexy savages is as inexplicable as my nagging feeling that something—or someone—is coming for me.
All I can do now is hope the sleeping beast inside me is ready to kill when I need it…and that the brutal men I’m falling for don’t get caught in the crossfire.
“Forged in Lies, book 1 in the Monarch series, is a dark, post-apocalypse why choose romance featuring a strong heroine, and the merciless alpha males who love her. (Think The Handmaid’s Tale meets Sons of Anarchy, mixed with a dash of Firefly, but with more happy endings and spicy times.) Download today and hope your e-reader doesn’t go up in smoke.
***WARNING***This book contains sexual situations and dark scenes that may upset some readers. If you have triggers, please do not buy this book. Cliff-hanger ahead. HEA at end of series.
Amazon

Excerpt:

Havoc’sgrip tightens, unmistakably possessive. His eyes gleam down at me. “Back off,Twig. I choose who she’s with. And you won’t be on the list.”

Twig’sbrows go up in surprise.

Havoclooks at me and blinks, apparently caught off guard by his own words. “Relax,pretty girl,” he adds, pushing past Twig. “You belong to me now. No one willtouch you unless I say so.”

“Is thatsupposed to make me feel better?” I mutter.

And yet mysex slicks at his sheer possessiveness.

“Not surehow you’re getting to me, but you’ll pay for it later.” His voice is suddenlygruff.

“You bettercount on a rough night.”

My pulsestutters. What’s with this guy? One minute he sounds as if he wants to keep meall to himself, and the next he wants to pass me around. How many guys are wetalking here?

Trying todistract myself from Havoc’s effect on me, I dig the bread out of my pocket andnibble on it. I look at Sage. Not sure what I’m hoping for, but his expressiontells me nothing. It’s as if I’m frozen out, and something between us hasevaporated.

“Havoc,Sage,” a guy shouts, striding over to us. He’s tall and athletic-looking likeSage, but with blond hair pulled into a ponytail. “What the fuck took you twoso long? Venom’s pissed.”

“That’snothing new.” Havoc grabs a beer from a barrel near him, and Sage does thesame.

“Whathappened at Gore’s?” Ponytail smirks, watching me eat. I don’t like the wayhe’s looking at me. “And what’s up with the strange?” he adds.

My gazezeros in on the patch on his cut. I take in the acronym, committing his rank tomemory. Second In Command.

At histone, Havoc’s hand moves to my nape. I could swear Sage stepped closer.Ponytail’s smile widens.

“Gore’sdead,” Havoc says, guzzling his beer. “Couldn’t pay his dues.”

“Fuck.Another one? This’ll put the Keep in a hell of a mood. What about his women?”

“Deadtoo,” Sage says. “They were gone by the time H found them.”

“Shit.They would have fixed a lot of problems. All right, Sage, send a couple guysout there to scavenge.”

“You gotit, Hutch.” Sage heads over to a group of guys standing with Twig.

“So, who’sthe bitch?” Ponytail—Hutch—asks, nodding to me.

 “Goretried to hide her when we showed up,” Havoc says. “She wasn’t his, though.”

“Straypussy, is it?” Hutch’s eyes narrow on me. “I’ll take first crack at her.”

Havocpushes me behind him. I think I actually hear him growl.

Hutchgrins and lifts his shoulders. “Fuck, what’s with you? You’re like a dog withhis food.

Well, youbetter bring her to Keep first before you stick your dick in her.” He’slaughing as he

turns andheads for the house.

I scrunchmy brows at his retreating back, then glance up at Havoc. He knows I’m MC. Whydidn’t he report it to his Second?

“Thisway,” Havoc orders me, heading after Hutch. “Wait until Venom sees you. He’sprobably gonna want your ass first.” He pauses and leans down, lowering hisvoice to that growl that makes my blood heat. “And I’ll eat up every second,pretty girl. I bet watching would be almost as good as fucking you.”

Alarmbells ring in my head. I gotta get out of here now before this gets any worse.And I have to get to Charlie. As long as I’m here, I can’t do that.

Heart inmy throat, I lower my eyes, searching for an escape route. Some of the bikessit without men near them, keys dangling from ignitions. One’s a few feet away.Even if I could get Havoc to let go, he’d catch me before I reached it.

Still...

We’reclosing in on the front doors, Havoc’s long strides eating up the grass. If I’mgoing to act, it has to be now.

I lurch,pretending to stumble. Havoc loses his grip. I whip around and sprint towardthe nearest bike.

Havoccurses. Shouts ring out. Panting, I swing onto the bike, kick the stand up, andfire up the engine.

“Stupidbitch,” Havoc roars.

Out ofnowhere, a strong arm snakes around my neck and I’m yanked off the bike. I landon my ass with a yell before I’m pulled to my feet and spun around.

I have about a half a second to see silver-blond hair beforethe guy swings his fist right at my face.

 

About the Author:
As a young girl Raven Dark dreamed of being abducted by a savage alien warrior, whisked away by a brutal pirate, or rescued by a cape-bearing hero. When none of these men came to claim her, she brought them to life in her stories. Then twelve years ago she met the man of her dreams. He doesn't wear a cape, fly a spaceship, or wield a sword, but sometimes she swears they've mind melded.
Raven lives with her dream man and their one cat that thinks she's a dog in the Mundane world's version of Ontario, Canada. When she isn't working on her latest erotic romance novels and crafting interesting worlds in which to set them, she's spending too much time with friends, feeding her Youtube addiction, or curled up on a couch watching favorite shows with her future husband.
Newsletter - http://eepurl.com/cEwhYL 
Twitter - https://twitter.com/RavenDarkAuthor
Instragram - https://www.instagram.com/ravendarkauthor/ 
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/raven-dark 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorravendark 
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14347797.Raven_Dark

The Roast Iconic Oracle Deck Marcella Kroll

 

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The Roast Iconic Oracle DeckMarcella Kroll
Genre: Body/Mind/Spirit / TarotPublisher: Sterling EthosDate of Publication: May 9, 2023ISBN: 9781454948759ASIN: 1-4549-4875-2Number of pages: Kit: 64 pages, 30 illustrated cards + bookletCover Artist: Marcella Kroll
Tagline: Sassy, snarky, and hilariously harsh, this oracle deck will tell it like it is.
Book Description:
When you do your one-card draw for the day, looking for a sign from the cards, what happens when you pull Fashion Witch? Bitch? Influencer? Red Flag? 
This intentionally sassy 30-card deck from well-known witch Marcella Kroll is a great way to get real talk from the Universe. 
Don’t settle for being coddled by the Rider-Waite-Smith. This deck will not hesitate to throw shade or tell you you’re trying too hard. If you’re tired of the mystic limitations of the Lenormand, get wrecked by Kroll’s hilarious hand-drawn illustrations.  
Direct, full of salt, and contemporary in its presentation and affect, The Roast Iconic is just what you need for days when you need your intuitive messages to be as direct as possible. Whether used alone or as a fun party game with friends, The Roast Iconic will deliver blunt truths that make you laugh just as much as they make you think.
Amazon       BN      Bookshop




About the Author:
Marcella Kroll is a professional artist, intuitive, and workshop facilitator. She has been practicing her gifts since 1995. 
Marcella works in private practice with clients all over the world and was a program presenter for the Los Angeles Public Library for 14 years, leading public classes for teens on tarot and other divination subjects. 
She regularly holds healing circles, guided meditation groups, and empowering workshops for men and women in the greater Los Angeles area and around the United States, and hosts a podcast, Saved by the Spell. She is also the co-author of Tarot in the Library Esoterica series from Taschen. She lives in Los Angeles, CA.
Website: https://www.marcellakroll.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcellakroll/
Saved by the Spell: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saved-by-the-spell/id1540136953

Caio Limerent Series Book One LS Delorme

 

CaioLimerent SeriesBook OneLS Delorme
Genre: Paranormal, Romantic, ThrillerPublisher: Limerent PublishingDate of Publication: Feb 11, 2023ISBN: 979-8-9874880-1-3 PaperbackISBN: 979-8-9874880-1-0  ebookASIN: BOBSGR1VB7Number of pages: 294Word Count: 114030Cover Artist: Brittany Wilson
Book Description:
Sarah Baker is a paralegal in a law firm in modern-day Brooklyn. Her life is bouncing between her abusive lawyer boyfriend, the voices she hears in her head and her soul sucking work at the law firm. On a New York spring day, she meets Caio as he plays basketball on a street court. He is alluring, intriguing and young. Yet that’s the least of his mystery, for Caio was beaten, thrown into a hole and left to die. In 1905.
Sarah tries to understand this enigmatic stranger while juggling the dubious ethics of her law firm and the ghosts in her head. As she struggles with loss, grief, love, beauty and lawyers, she will need to summon the strength to break all of society’s rules, save several lives and step into a new and potentially magical life.
Caio is the opening book of a new series of supernatural romantic thrillers that will pull on your heart (strings), challenge your perceptions and lead you on a singular journey of discovery and revelation.
Books2Read       Amazon     

Excerpt:

How can you be as smart as you are and have no backbone,girl? or You’re not pretty enough to be able to expect a man to take care ofyou, so you better find an administrative job so you can support yourself, orSelf-consciousness is just another form of vanity. It’s just you thinking aboutyourself too much.

That simply scratched the surface of what Sarah heard on adaily basis growing up. On the positive side, she could take criticism with thebest of them. She had also learned to channel her sensitivity into an awarenessof people’s motivations that coworkers called “uncanny.” On the negative side,when her parents died, she had absorbed their voices into those that alreadyspoke inside her head, and now they were the loudest ones.

It was her heightened awareness that told her that somethingwas not quite right with the Davies case. She wasn’t sure what, and she wouldneed to be careful about how she researched, but it tickled her curiosity.

Sarah was lost in these thoughts as she left the grocerystore and made her way home, past the park and toward the basketball courts.When she realized where she was, her heart started to race a little bit at thethought of seeing the boy she had seen last week.
There were some boys playing on the court. Shescanned them for someone in grungy clothes, but from a distance, they alllooked like they were wearing appropriate attire.

Sarah’s heart sank a little.

Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself. Although she wasn’texactly sure what she was chiding herself about, it was nice when the voicedoing the talking was her own.

As she got closer, she saw the tall, red-haired boy miss ashot and retake the ball. He was one of the regulars. When the red-haired boylanded, he jostled one of the other boys near him. That boy staggered, regainedhis footing, and in the process deftly stole the ball. When she saw his face,Sarah actually heard herself gasp. The boy who had been pushed, the one who nowhad the basketball, was the boy she had seen before. She hadn’t noticed himbecause his appearance was quite different. His shoulder-length dark hair hadbeen cut. He had on a red-and-black striped shirt that didn’t look expensive,but did look brand new, as did the matching shorts. His sneakers were blackwith pristine white soles. And right at the moment, he was dribbling the balldown the court—straight at her.

Sarah froze. She was standing on the sidewalk behind thebasket on the other side of the chain-link fence. She felt like her feet hadgrown roots as she watched him set up, jump, and make the basket. He came downright in front of her. As he landed, before turning to run back down the court,he stopped and caught her eye. His eyes widened ever so slightly, and hesmiled.

For a moment, helooked directly in her eyes and she felt a strange dizzy feeling in seeing himand being seen by him. No one in her life ever seemed to actually see her. Noone ever had.

About the Author: 
Lexy has lived an eclectic life.  As a 'navy brat', she grew up in various US states until her father retired to North Carolina when she was 14.   As an adult, she has continued this "tumbleweed" life, having since lived in 3 countries, 9 US states, and 21 cities around the world.  She has been a musician, scientist and attorney, and was one of the first employees at 23andMe.  But, through all this change, her love of writing has been the one constant whether it be songs, scientific writing, legal briefs, travel blogs or fiction.  Writing the Limerent Series allows her to combine all of this to help her create new worlds.  Lexy lives in Paris with her husband and two very cool sons.  
Caio is book one of 8 in the upcoming Limerent Series
Author link: https://www.lsdelorme.com 
Newsletter Sign Up: https://www.lsdelorme.com/subscribe 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lsdelormeauthor 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lsdelormeauthor 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lsdelormeauthor 

Entwined Within the Darkness Within the Darkness Trilogy Book One Charley Black

 

Entwined Within the DarknessWithin the Darkness TrilogyBook One Charley Black
Genre: Paranormal Romance, FantasyPublisher: Charley Black Date of Publication: September 4, 2022ISBN: 979-8986887708ASIN:B0BD577QKCNumber of pages: 310Word Count: 95, 963Cover Artist: MiblArt
Book Description: 
A wild evening goes demonically wrong…
Patience craves answers. Half a century after appearing on the steps of the witch academy, she was still no closer to recovering her lost memories and identity. Tormented nightly by visions of red eyes and burdened by dreams that, although connected, remain unclear. Patience, to distract herself, decides to defy the rules and enter the vampire club, Moarte, an act strictly forbidden for witches. Never expecting her best friend, Michael, to begin his transition into a full demon, Patience, desperate to save him, binds him to his vampiric lover.
To make matters worse, Lucius, the domineering brother of the vampire, whom Michael is now bound to, harbors a deep resentment for witches and especially for Patience. Even so, they must now work together to find a soul gem that will untether the bond before her best friend completely consumes his brother’s soul. As their unlikely alliance takes form and their attraction grows, Lucius’ presence draws out long-forgotten memories deep from within Patience. He may just be the key to unlocking her past—but will she be able to convince him that he needs her far more than he needs to kill her? Rediscovering her past and how it binds her to Lucius may just prove to be far more dangerous than either of them imagined.
Entwined, the first book in the Within the Darkness Trilogy, will leave readers in suspense. This enemies-to-lovers story will be filled with plenty of action, humor, and steam. So, prepare yourself, as the end of this novel leaves us with a cliffhanger, but not for long! Intended for 18+ readers, stay tuned to find out what lies ahead in this captivating trilogy.
Amazon      BN     Kobo       Google Play      Smashwords  

Excerpt1:

A tremendousgust of wind came out of nowhere, blowing the umbrella out of her hands. Shedebated whether she should run the rest of the way home or chase after it whenthere was a sudden pull at her core in the direction her umbrella went. Thesensation was strange, but her legs strode of their own accord toward theumbrella. She would usually fight this kind of enchantment, but her curiositygot the best of her. She wanted to know where it was leading her. It had to bean Allure of Soul’s charm, similar to the one found on the website, except thisfelt different. The pull was stronger than any charm she had experienced before.

She let thecompelling force at her core lead her to the front of the double doors of anold industrial building. It looked like it was a nightclub. Picking up herumbrella, she saw a sign above the doors that read: Moarte.

Interesting. Sothis is Moarte. Club Death. Typical of vampires to name their club “Death.”

Strangecreatures.

Realizing it hadstopped raining, she folded up the umbrella. She must have become swept up inthe enchantment because of the storm. Magic had a mind of its own sometimes.The weather constantly messed with enchantments, especially with lure charms.

Turning to walkaway since the allure had done its job and got her here, she found her feetwouldn’t leave.

“What the hell?”She struggled to leave, thinking it was a fluke. She tried moving toward thedoor instead of away, and it worked. Then she tried to turn away again. Herfeet wouldn’t move forward.

Fighting theenchantment became harder the longer she stood, so she gave in. Stepping up tothe doors, she touched the handle. An image flashed through her mind.

It was too quickfor her to see. A warm, familiar sensation washed over her, pulling at hermemory. It ran through her body, brushing against her soul, then vanished asquickly as it came. She pulled on the door. It wouldn’t budge. She could unlockit, but there was a magical ward, and she didn’t want to risk drawing attentionto herself by blasting off the door to a vampire club.

Vampires andwitches were still mortal enemies. Even with the law outlawing the killing ofwitches in place, vampires were to be avoided.

This time, whenshe turned to leave, nothing stopped her. Her feet moved forward withoutincident.

Her thoughtstraveled in a million different directions.

The first being,what the hell kind of enchantment was that if it wasn’t a lure charm? Therewere other enchantments that vampires used specifically to lure their victimsinto their clubs. It shouldn’t have affected her, at least not this strongly.She could blame it on the rain. Another possibility was something else wasleading her there.

Following cluesto her past wasn’t always easy. She went into many of her leads blind andknowing she would come out with disappointment. She always told herself she hadat least had to try. Her instincts were telling her there was a clue in theclub.

Walking up thestairs to her apartment, she knew they would go to Moarte tonight.

No… I couldn’tlet that happen. She had followed too many clues already. Tonight was going tobe about fun and doing something different. Remember: new energy in the air.

Though thisdiffered from her dreams and nightmares, she had never seen a glimpse of memorybefore or that warm sensation. It never happened when she was awake before.

No, she wouldn’tthink about it. Tomorrow was another day. She would chase it tomorrow.

She did this toherself all the time. All it did was add to her stress.

She promised herself she wouldn’t go anywherenear the club tonight

About the Author:
Charley Black is an up-and-coming writer and author who has been creating stories since she was twelve years old. Her early short stories dabbled in different genres, but her passion for romance novels — paranormal romance in particular — always shone through. Charley currently resides in Rhode Island, with her family and works at a local university. Debuting in September, Entwined will be the first of three novels set in the Within the Darkness universe.
Website - https://www.charleyblack.com/  
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AuthorCharleyB
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorcharleyblack  
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authorcharleyblack/ 
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22777464.Charley_Black 




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Bittersouls L.A. Morton-Yates

 

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BittersoulsL.A. Morton-Yates
Genre: YA Fantasy RomancePublisher: Synthesis PressDate of Publication: 12/17/2022ISBN: 979-8-9866022-0-2 (eBook) ISBN: 979-8-9866022-1-9 (Paperback)ASIN: B0BQFLM7D4 Number of pages: 286Word Count: Approx. 99,500Cover Artist: César Pardo
Tagline: A Shade. A Storm. A Soul.
Book Description:
Cursed with forbidden knowledge, 19-year-old Dela must hide her secret from her nomadic tribe or face exile into the frozen wasteland of the Bitters. When she becomes separated from her people during a blizzard, a mysterious and dangerous wanderer named Talon promises to help her find her way back to them. She quickly learns that nothing is what it seems, that her curse may actually be a gift, and that the Bitters are far more dangerous than she could have imagined.
Packed with unexpected twists, Bittersouls is a mixture of survival, adventure, and slow-burn romance that is sure to get your heart pounding.
Amazon

Excerpt:

Something moved at the edge of the horizon. Itwas like a shadow, black as a cloud but moving fast across the snow plain. Timeseemed to stop, but Dela could feel herself sliding forward as if she werestanding on a lake of ice. Freja was still yelling, but she couldn’t hear her.Her arms were flailing, but Dela hardly noticed.

A wave of lights moved in front of the thing,jumping and turning, quick as sparks. It was like a field of quails fleeinginto the sky before a coming wolf, but the wolf—the shadow—followed them. Thecloser it got, the more the shiver racked her spine. She knew exactly what itwas, though she’d never seen one. No one in the congregation had. There were nostories. No whisperings. Only a name.

“Shade.”

Freja stared at her, bewildered into silence.Perhaps she was going to speak, but then—

“Shade!” Dela reached for her friend, snatchingher by the sleeve and pulling her toward her. They ran, berries forgotten evenas the bags bounced in Dela’s grip. They were a dozen strides from the bushbefore she thought to secure them to one of her belt hooks. How could she eventhink of them at a time like this? They had to get to the camp. People had toknow.

They skidded to a stop at the edge of theoverhang they’d climbed. The tents were only a dozen feet below, and a handfulof people had gathered at the commotion. They stared up at the two girls withconfusion intermingled with irritation. They weren’t used to their eveningbeing disturbed by shouting, and the long journey had people’s nerves wornthin.

None of that mattered. All that mattered waswhat they would do. What were they supposed to do?

“Shade coming from the east!” Dela yelled. “Getthe Ministers!”

Chaos possessed the camp. People scrambled,yelling. Others just stood with disbelieving frowns. Some started running in noparticular direction. As if that would save them.

Would it?

Dela knew nothing about Shades. She hadn’t putmuch thought into what they might be or do or want. All she knew was thatwhatever that thing was, it was one of them. And the lights? The things it waschasing? What were they?

Freja was trembling as she crouched and threwher legs out over the edge of the rocks. It was a maneuver she’d done a hundredtimes, and in colder weather than this. But for fear or anger or nerves, hergrip failed. Dela lurched downward, chest striking hard against the rocks asher hand snapped out into the air—and caught her friend’s arm. She grunted asshe swung the girl toward the rock wall, which Freja caught in an instant. Theyexchanged an important glance, but there was time for little else.

Dela stood again, scanning the snowfield forsigns of the shadow. It was still gliding forth on nothing but empty air, likea nightmare in a dead sprint toward an innocent dreamer. But, she realized, itwas not heading straight for them. It had deviated, aiming toward the emptyfield north of them, and if it kept going that way, it might miss thementirely.

Could it see? It didn’t seem to have eyes. Norany other body part, per se. Did it smell, then? Or feel? How could it expectto find anything out here in the cold, white abyss of the Bitters?

Whatever rules it followed couldn’t be the sameas what humans or animals followed. It didn’t make any sense.

Then she saw the reason. One of thecongregation, maddened by fear, had made a break for it, out into the openBasin. The Shade wasn’t just going to miss the camp. It was going after him.

He’d made it a hundred feet from the camp, andshowed no signs of looking back or slowing. From the angle of approach, the mancouldn’t see the shadow coming. Couldn’t see it bearing down on him. Couldn’tsee the impossibility of his flight.

The Shade engulfed him as though it was littlemore than a localized fog. He vanished entirely from view, and for one bizarremoment, the beast of a cloud seemed to stop.

Thenthey heard the scream.

About the Author:
A life-long lover of the magic of storytelling, L.A. wrote his first story at the age of 7 and has been writing ever since. Speculative fiction, particularly fantasy, has always held a special place in his heart for the uniqueness of the places and the questions it can address. Though veiled by apparent strangeness, he has always seen it as capable of revealing deeper truth about our own reality.
L.A. graduated from Montana State University in 2015 with Honors in Biochemistry and a minor in Music Composition. This helped nurture his critical thinking and research skills which continue to be instrumental to his writing.  During his collegiate years, he also met the love of his life, Julie, whom he later married. At once his greatest supporter and his staunchest critic (when he is wrong, which is more often than he’d like to admit), she has been an integral part of his creative process ever since.
In February of 2018, L.A. became the father of his first son, Griffin. His second son, Tiber, was born in December of 2019 and his third son, Malachi, was born in January of 2022. Though life has become considerably busier since he became a family man, L.A. continues to work on writing in what little spare time he can find. He hopes to one day pass on his love of literature to his sons.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/lamortonyates
Substack- https://lamortonyates.substack.com/   Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lamortonyates/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorlamortonyates



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The Storm Darkens Demon Storm Book Three Valerie Storm

 

The Storm DarkensDemon Storm Book ThreeValerie Storm
Genre: YA FantasyPublisher: Shadow Spark PublishingDate of Publication: 04/13/2023ASIN: B0BY5RSVTPWord Count: 92210Cover Artist: Ginkahederling
Tagline: Ancient power wrapped in ancient secrets.The power to rend the world and save her loved ones, unless it devours her first.
Book Description:
Evil never really dies. It rises, again and again.  
Now—Kari knows it’s rising inside her.  After barely defeating wicked Shadow Witch Raven, the wolf-demon knows her turmoil is far from over when her vanquished foe invades her dreams. And a new power stirs within her: thanks to Raven’s cunning, Kari’s potential as the Catalyst has awoken. A conduit for a terrifying, world-cracking force—one that could open at any moment.  Kari has resisted this new temptation thus far. But Raven again forces her hand, unleashing a demonic abomination to draw her prey out—a deadlier foe than any Kari has faced before. If she taps into this dark new power, she could become strong enough to defend the people she cares about. But the Catalyst has bloodthirsty designs of its own… If she submits, what new horrors will be inflicted on the world Kari’s come to love? And when the Catalyst is finished with her at last—what will be left of Kari?

Availableon Amazon https://amzn.to/3TfPTaH

Excerpt

Again, Kari thought of thepurple-skinned mutation that had chased her and Vivianne.

“So there were others?”

Raven sneered. “Failures, yes.” Sheraised a hand, but Kari grabbed her by the wrist.

“What failures?! Did you send thelong-armed mutation that killed my friend?!”

Raven’s emotionless eyes made herheart drop. “I have done so much worse than send one beast out into the world,Kari, but I did not imagine we were here to talk about that.” Raven twisted herhand, tangling Kari’s wrist in long fingers. “Shall I show you every life lost,every drop of blood spilled? Not merely for my own pleasure, but because ofyou?”

Captain Gorn and his men fromFlatcairn, bloodied and broken. And…a field of purple-blue flowers becoming theeternal grave of a young blonde girl.

“Raven…” Kari’s voice hitched,threatening a scream.

Raven laughed, derisive and cold.“Focus, Kari. You know better than to lose yourself to grief, don’t you? Youknow what is at stake now, in the present.”

Kari wrenched away, eyes wild. Whenshe did, the image of the desolate city wavered and was replaced by ashimmering vision of a dark room. Cages lined the walls, each one filled with ahuddled group of monstrous beasts; neither human nor demon, they sported extralimbs or other grotesque developments. Eyeballs protruded from sockets, tongueslolled from the side of mouths, and tumors grew from faces, stomachs, andchests. Their groans and screams filled the space, echoing through a long, dankhallway.

“Stop!” Kari screamed, and the imagefaded to Raven standing in the middle of a body-ridden street. She stepped awayfrom the witch before stumbling, landing hard on her backside.

“Why are you doing this?”

Raven approached, carefully steppingaround the gore and bodies. “This? This is the cost of knowledge. I had to dothese filthy, disgusting things to become who I am now.”

She stopped in front of Kari andknelt. Despite the darkness of her eyes, they gleamed with untold levels ofcruelty. Kari had always seen such evil inside of Raven, yet she had never imaginedthings like this.

“I want you to ask a differentquestion, Kari. I want you to ask yourself, what are you going to do to stopme?”

About the Author:
Valerie Storm was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Growing up, she fell in love with everything fantasy. When she wasn’t playing video games, she was writing. By age ten, she began to write her own stories as a way to escape reality. When these stories became a full-length series, she considered the path to sharing with other children and children-at/heart looking for a place to call home.
Twitter https://twitter.com/valerie_storm
Blog https://rantsofawriter.home.blog/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/valeriestorm3135/    
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/valeriestorm_author/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082414584775 


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Prophecy of a Vampire Tania Gold

 

Prophecy of a VampireTania Gold
Genre: Paranormal RomancePublisher: The Wild Rose PressDate of Publication: March 29 2023ISBN: 978-1509248247ASIN: ‎ B0BS4JXXSSNumber of pages: 254Word Count:66572Cover Artist: Diana Carlile
Tagline: One prophecy, a thirst for blood, and a tangled web of lies…
Book Description: It’s been almost a century since Zachary Philips was turned into a creature of the night. A brooding man with a thirst for freedom and for blood. When he hears of the prophesied Vampire Queen being reborn, he hatches a plan to gain his freedom. Soon, their lives collide and although they are opposites, their sizzling sexual chemistry binds them together.
It doesn’t take too long before Ivy Litt finds herself ensnared by Zachary. She also realizes she can’t stay away from him. If only she knew about the web of lies he was spinning.
Will Zachary’s past and cry for freedom ruin his one chance of happiness, or will Ivy’s thread of humanity change the course of what could be something special?

Amazon     BN     Dymocks     AngusRobertson

 

Excerpt:

“Ivy, there is nothing you can do about it anymore. You mightthink that what you did was bad, but you protected yourself and it alsohappened to be in the natural way, for a vampire, that is. Which you are now,so you must learn to understand, and live with the knowledge that this will bea part of your future. You will get angry, you will get thirsty, and thatthirst will be to kill whoever stands in your way. In this case, the mutts wereadvancing on you, and you did the natural thing and retaliated with fangs.”

 I give her anotherlight squeeze, which then turns into my thumb, rubbing circles on her shoulder,just as I have done in the past. I feel her loosen up a little and all theanxiety and distress fleeing her body.

About the Author: 
Growing up with a passion for writing, Tania Gold, a wife and mother of two from Sydney, Australia, has always enjoyed delivering exciting stories to an audience. An avid reader of Fantasy and Romance novels, she had dreamed of creating her own world full of exciting and loveable characters.
http://www.taniagoldauthor.com
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22869093.Tania_Gold



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Gigi’s Monster Garage Ghouls and Gals Book One Loretta Kendall

 

Gigi’s Monster GarageGhouls and Gals Book OneLoretta Kendall 
Genre: Monster Romance, RomComPublisher: Loretta Kendall Date of Publication: April 16thASIN: B0BZJXVWZZNumber of pages: 306Word Count: 89,000Cover Artist: LK Creative 
Tagline:  “I’m a rockabilly love’n, hot-to-trot mechanic with a need for speed. A little sass and not much class, but I'll keep you entertained and your car in the lane.” ~ Gigi Stein
Book Description:
Take a wild ride with Gigi, the former bride of Frank N. Stein, as she navigates the world of rat rod racing and explores the unfamiliar territory of understanding love. With a sassy rockabilly style and a lot of attitude, this stitched-up bad girl will capture your heart with lots of laughs along the way. Join her and her misfit friends, including an adorable Venus flytrap who can be a little naughty. Be careful and read the warning signs in the lobby - Molly Sue bites!
Get ready for motor-revving action as Gigi discovers the truth of the lost romance of her human past, uncovering a hidden agenda for why she’s not like others of her kind. Made for humans and monsters alike, Frank-n-people are nothing more than entertainment and sensual gratification for their owners, created by a madman. Not accepting that as her fate, this undead girl is blazing a path of her own.
With the mad scientist Victor’s decision to grant Gigi free will, she has mustered up enough strength to part ways with her abusive ex-husband, following a cataclysmic event that forces vintage horror monsters into the human realm. When she crosses paths with Fox Adams - a lonely human drifter, he wants to work alongside the beautiful, green-skinned drag racing icon in her infamous monster garage. Confused by the attraction to a man with dreams of racing stardom, it forces her to look into who her host body really is if she wants a future with Fox. Together, they form an unlikely bond that will show her she wasn’t just made to be a living Frank-n-mate doll. She was made for love.
Amazon

Excerpt 2: Sweet Scene

“...It’snot good for people to have to dwell on death.”

Droppingher head to fiddle with her garage jumper’s zipper, she let out a breath.

“I worryabout that. Some girls get deactivated when they remember their past.Frank-n-people can go mad when they remember how they died. They become obsessedwith who they were before.”

Taking hiseyes off the road for a moment, Fox wasn’t about to hear that. “Hell, no. Iwon’t let them de-animate you. They’ll have to kill me before I let thathappen.”

In a fitof sudden anger at the thought, Fox pulled to the side of the road with tiresscreeching. The old truck's body shook violently as it came to a stop and dustfrom the roadside swirled around them.

The dirtthat wafted in through the air vents made her choke as she looked at Fox like he’dlost his ever loven’ mind.

“Are younuts? What is wrong with you?”

“I won’tlet them do that to you. You’re not undead, Gigi. I’ve seen others like you.Those other creations are just basically walking, talking drones. You arenothing like them. You have a soul with real-life emotions and a beatingheart.”

“That’snot true, Fox. I was made for Frank. He only wanted sex and a maid, so that wasmy design. It may not have been exactly what he ordered, but it’s how it is.Girls like me are made to serve. That’s it.”

“Really?Then why is it you have free will? Why are you not still bowing down to hisevery whim? And why the hell was he the only Frank-n-man to have a mate madefor him since the original Frankenstein monsters? I’ve seen enough of those sexdolls to know they do whatever their masters say. You don’t call him master,nor do you ever refer to him as anything other than an abusive asshole. That,and whatever other choice word you can think of. If you were made for him, youwouldn’t hate him so much.”

“So, I’mjust… stronger than the others. Maybe I’m a defective model.”

Fox noddedin agreement to that because she was right. “Yeah, you are. And for whateverreason, your creator let you be an individual, and that defect is absoluteperfection. Maybe he didn’t want to see you as Frank’s slave. For whateverreason, he made you unique. Dare I say… human.”

Gigididn’t know what to say. He was right, but no one had ever spoken to her likethat. Even her friends never brought up her creator in such a way, except forBear. She had wondered why she was different and why didn’t Victor keep to hissex doll plans.

“You’respecial, stitches. And I for one, am thankful for it. You’re a kindheartedsoul, and whatever you’re afraid of with Frank, I’ll fight to the death toprotect you. I know Bear would too because that guy sees you like his littlesister. He’s a good guy—you both are.”

“You barelyknow me,” she pouted.

“Yeah, butmaybe I’m a man who sees you as more than just some sex toy to get off on.Others might see you that way, but I don’t. If I ever had the pleasure ofmaking love to a woman as wonderful as you, it wouldn’t be about sex.”

“Oh yeah?Then what would it be?” she asked with a snarky tone, but still wanting toknow.

Leaningin, Fox traced his finger down her lightning bolt scar, making her eyes slamshut expecting pain to come next. But it didn’t, making her curious as to why.His fingers traced her scar like it was a precious beauty mark and a softbreath escaped her lips when realizing he had no intention of hurting her.

When his lips grazed her earlobe, he answered,“It would be pure ecstasy. I’d make you feel things no man ever could. I’d showyou what your heart wants, but you're too afraid to see.”

About the Author:
Loretta Kendall started her life with a dream and a story in her mind. For as long as she can remember, she was a storyteller, sharing tales with her friends from her overactive imagination.
After twenty-two years as an image consultant in the beauty and entertainment industry, the Indiana native revisited her childhood love for books while continuing working in photography and graphic arts. As a graphic designer she also spends her time creating book covers and marketing materials for advertising for clients.
She has been writing full time since 2017 following an amazing writing journey that led to the completion of several novellas, novels, serial stories on popular book apps, and anthologies. An award winning, traditional, and self-published author, Loretta has a passion for creating happily ever after romance stories with the perfect mix of steamy and slow burn moments. A hopeless romantic, she lives her own happily ever after of twenty-seven years of wedded bliss with her husband being a plant mom to her favorite Venus flytrap, Molly Sue.
https://www.lorettakendall.com
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https://www.goodreads.com/lorettakauthor

Tour Giveaway 
Free novella download when readers sign up for Loretta’s newsletter.  Ghouls and Gals Series Exclusive: Victor’s Body Shop

Mid-Flight

 

Mid-FlightLisa Wilkes
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller/Romance Publisher: Extasy Books Date of Publication: 03/31/23 ISBN: 978-1-4874-3651-3Number of pages: 270Word Count: 78,451Cover Artist: Extasy Books
Tagline: She failed to save her brother and her best friend from destructive forces. Could she topple the most sinister villain of all time?
Book Description: 
2037 was a really bad year.
Lexi Brennan’s best friend was killed in a plane crash. Two weeks later, an intergalactic crisis threatened the fate of humanity. Authorities responded by launching a genocide.
Lexi opposed this vicious attack. Then again, what could she do? An eccentric flight attendant drawn to glamorous trysts, she felt powerless to incite change. 
Until tragedy struck close to home. Suddenly, Lexi was forced to acknowledge the widespread atrocities. She uncovered a network of lies along with an opportunity to restore basic human rights. To protect others, Lexi would have to launch a movement that could destroy everything important to her, including her promising new romance.

Amazon

Excerpt:

Wordlessly, Lexigrabbed her purse and darted for the exit. She needed to see it. She had toknow for sure.

The midnight skywas pierced by jagged red veins. A thousand burgundy fingers tore through thestratosphere like lightning etched in the wrong color. Puffs of smoke dottedthe horizon, mushroom clouds rising toward the ominous red ether. From thedescriptions and images in Lexi’s VirtuAlarms, it appeared Santa Fe had gottenoff easy. Other cities looked like they’d been struck by an atomic bomb.

The world wasblazing. The sky was breaking apart in pieces.

AutoScan—JorgeRodrigues, I didn’t see your texts ‘til just now. They’re grounding all planesimmediately? Scary stuff. Wish I was there with you. Where’s your planelanding?

With arapid-fire double blink, Lexi sent the message.

Jorge’s responseflitted across Lexi’s cornea. His words felt frantic. Can’t get down. CapitolHill is burning. Dense population, nowhere to land. 80 miles from Dulles Airport.I don’t think we’ll make it.

Lexi read thelast sentence and crumbled. She fell to her knees on the hot New Mexicoconcrete, sirens blaring in the distance and meteors crashing to the ground witha fiery scarlet vengeance.

“No,” she beggedthe universe. “Please, no.”

Her visionblurred. Lexi ached to rip her skin off her body, inch by inch, melting into aheap of exposed veins. It was so enticing. She wanted it so badly. It was whatshe deserved, truly.

She should’vebeen on that airplane with Jorge. Self-reproval flitted through her mind on anendless loop. Should have, should have, should have, you worthless idiot.

She gasped forair.

AutoScan—ColinBrennan, dial right now, she instructed, calling her brother via electricalimpulses connected to her cranium. Five beeps sounded in her ear, then the linewent dead.

Tears rolleddown Lexi’s cheeks as she mentally composed another note to her best friend atSkyLine.

AutoScan—JorgeRodrigues, don’t talk that way. You will land safely. Reagan Internationalprobably has space for diverted aircraft. You’ll be fine. I promise.

As she waitedfor Jorge’s reply, she dug her nails into her leg, reopening the wound on herthigh.

She picked atit, forcing the gash to widen. It was the size of a dime, then a quarter. Shekept pulling, peeling, exposing her insides. She wanted her entire soul to leakout.

“Don’t leave me,Jorge,” she whispered. “Don’t you dare leave me.”

Colin tried toleave all the time. Lexi couldn’t handle another loss. She needed Jorge. He washer partner in crime, her other half. He was the best thing about being a flightattendant.

Words appearedin front of Lexi’s eyeball. Her chest tightened.

I don’t thinkwe— Jorge began.

“What?” Leximurmured aloud. Her hands fell to her sides, limp. “What is it, J.R.?”

Lexi craned herneck toward the red-streaked sky. She shouted, pleaded, implored her buddybidder to write back. She wanted to hear details about his safe landing, afterthe pilots found an open runway someplace in Maryland.

Arms claspedaround Lexi’s waist, dragging her back into the restaurant. She kicked andscreamed, fighting to stay outside. She wanted the sky to collapse on her anddrag her into the deep black unknown. She didn’t deserve the safety of foursolid walls and a roof. She didn’t deserve to be in a city that had receivedminimal damage from the celestial hellfire.

Lexi began tochuckle as she was forced back inside the restaurant. She could barely breathefrom laughing so hard. Through narrowed eyelids, Lexi saw customers and staffstaring at her in disbelief. She continued flailing her limbs. She laughed withall her might, a deep guttural guffaw that echoed through the bar.

When aVirtuAlarm informed Lexi that two planes in the Northeast had been struck down,she was convinced she’d dreamt the whole thing. The aircraft she was supposedto be on that night had not burst into flames. No way, no how. Jorge was notdead. Lexi would wake up soon, she knew. She would call him. They’d talk abouther silly nightmare, her tendency to imagine the worst possible scenario, herbizarre fear of erupting into laughter during a moment of crisis.

Lexi would wake upand chat with Jorge for hours. And she would not swap out of their nextscheduled airline trip.

About the Author:
Lisa Wilkes has spent 13 years as a flight attendant, jetting across the globe and collecting inspiration for her writings. Her debut novel, Flight Path, is a fast-paced romance laced with serendipitous encounters. This book follows a daydreaming stewardess as she learns to navigate a new terrain: unconditional love.
In her second novel, Mid-Flight, Lisa transports readers to the year 2038. A flight attendant begins to unravel after her best friend is killed in a plane crash. In the throes of unspeakable grief, she uncovers a political ploy to decimate one-fifth of the population. To combat this sinister plan, she must risk everything. Including her breathtaking new romance.
Lisa’s writing is provocative and timely, with a focus on societal issues and powerful internal conflict. Flight Path’s readers will appreciate Mid-Flight's emphasis on hope and redemption, while newcomers to Lisa’s work will be drawn to the power of her storytelling.
Website: https://www.lisamichellewilkes.com  
Twitter https://twitter.com/Travelisa1984 
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/lisawilkes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Travelisa1984/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lisa.castignetti 
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19785791.Lisa_Wilkes

Ghosts of a Coven Past Peter J. White

 

Ghosts of a Coven PastPeter J. White
Genre: HorrorDate of Publication: 12/12/2022ISBN: ‎ 979-8368383125ASIN: B0BPXD2DQN Number of pages: 249 Word Count: 62,000Cover Artist: Martina Sutter-Dalton
Tagline: A powerful witch with a mission to bring the child of Satan into the world lies dead and buried under an 1885 rowhouse. When Roger Nimanator moves in, the old witch discerns in him an open door to the spirit world.
Book Description: 
A powerful witch with a mission to bring the child of Satan into the world lies dead and buried under an 1885 rowhouse in Allentown, Pennsylvania, held in place by a combination of hex and the spirit of the young woman she had impregnated. But when Roger Nimanator and his family take possession of the house, the old witch discerns in him an open door to the spirit world.
The old witch gets a grip on Roger and begins to move in the world again, her spirit hungry for vengeance and for the coming of the Dark Lord. But Roger has awakened to his abilities and has gained a powerful ally in a modern-day witch and healer. Together they are determined to put the old witch to rest for eternity.
But the witch is wily and she has found allies of her own—a legion of them. Including one of Roger’s twin boys.
A master of manipulation and deceit, with Satanic powers growing, the old witch is on the verge of bringing her vision to reality. All she has to do is feed Roger’s doubt and the world—and his soul—are hers and the Dark Lord’s for the taking.
https://amzn.to/40fHkic

Excerpt:

A catappeared at the threshold of the doorway.

A cat? Ablack cat? Are you fucking kidding me? How cliché.

Rogermoved to swing his legs over the side of the bed, only he didn’t.

Body won’tobey. What the fuck?

You’redreaming. Simple. Sleep paralysis. Told you.

This is nofucking sleep paralysis. This is happening.

Nonsense.

The catarched its back and rubbed itself against the doorjamb in a way that sent ashiver of dread through Roger.

Sexual.Can feel the lust pouring off the thing…

The catstretched, yawned lazily, the yellow slits of its eyes glaring in the dim lightcoming through the gauzy curtains covering the bedroom windows.

Thoseeyes…

The catseemed to grin at him as if sensing his discomfort.

It walkedlazily over to the side of the bed, coiled itself, then leapt up. It sat for amoment, staring at him, tail twitching, unblinking eyes staring into his, lipsturned up to reveal its sharp little teeth.

Thoseeyes…reaching deep into me, reading my secrets, measuring the weight of mysoul…

Nonsense.

The catstood and put a paw on Roger’s leg.

Cold shotthrough him and he would have gasped if his body had allowed him.

The catgrinned up at him, yellow eyes glittering, lips curled back, and took anotherstep.

It walkedup Roger’s legs, the weight of the thing tremendous, out of proportion, thecold shock of its presence icy, penetrating to the soul.

Thingweighs as much as a grown woman…

How canthat be?

Dreaming.That’s how. Sleep paralysis.

Wake up!

No, thisis real. The goddamn cat a familiar or whatever the fuck they call them.

Don’t bean idiot. Wake up!

The catseemed to relish the confusion and pain Roger was suffering, lingering with itspaws on each of his thighs.

Then itlowered its head and butted his breastbone.

Pain shotthrough his chest and for a moment he was certain his heart had stopped.

The catheadbutted his sternum again and he found himself staring at the ceiling,unable to move, shadows from the streetlamp outside making ghostly shapes asthe curtains swayed from the breeze coming through the cracked open window.

Theshadows began to take shape: a ring of figures, dancing, flickering as if theywere shadows cast by firelight. Trees in the background.

Smoke?Wood smoke and something else…flesh and hair and…

The scenesuddenly so real Roger felt he’d been transported in place and time.

Nonsense.Wake up!

The catwalked up his belly to sit on his chest.

Weighttremendous. Can’t. Breathe.

The catstretched.

And keptstretching, growing impossibly tall, changing, morphing into…

An oldwoman, breasts stretched out tubes of flabby flesh hanging down to her soft,sagging stomach, swinging as she straddled Roger.

Thoseyellow eyes stared into his, and the creature’s mouth opened, teeth a cross betweena cat’s and human, blackened, rotten, with sharp fangs intact.

A foulodor issued from her mouth and added to the sense of suffocation. Roger’s mindbegan to fray under the onslaught, claustrophobia claiming him, panic rising.

The thingon top of him cackled again, sending a gout of foul breath into his face.

Rogertried to buck her off. To gag. To cry for help. To breathe.

Totalparalysis.

Going tosuffocate. Going to die any moment now.

The deepspot in his inner self was alive with panic, yammering at him:

Wake up!Wake up! Wake up!

The thingon top of him stiffened.

At first,Roger thought it was nearing an orgasm of some sort, but no…

Another presence had arrived…

About the Author:
Peter J. White was born in Colorado and raised in SE Alaska. He has degrees in Education, French, and an MFA in Creative Writing. He taught ELL in Bangkok, Thailand for six years, and currently teaches high school English in Washington State. Hobbies, past and present, include writing, bicycling, mountain climbing, kickboxing, MMA, and yoga.
Website: https://peterjwhite.weebly.com/
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22860805.Peter_J_White