R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 276

BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL: Western #GIVEAWAY #AmazonGC

REJOICE! The children are back in school.

For those who live to read...here are some awesome books provided by the incredible authors who wrote them. All in celebration of the new school year.

While a few of these books might be oldies, but goodies...others could be new and fresh off the presses.

Relax and find your new favorite author.

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WESTERN

Western in traditional literary terms is a genre of various arts which tell stories set primarily in the later half of the 19th century in the American Old West, often centering on the life of a nomadic cowboy or gunfighter armed with a revolver and a rifle who rides a horse. Cowboys and gunslingers typically wear Stetson hats, bandannas, spurs, cowboy boots and buckskins. Other characters include Native Americans, bandits, lawmen, bounty hunters, outlaws, soldiers (especially mounted cavalry), settlers and townsfolk.

Please enjoy these books that focus on Western and all its sub-genres. The list is available in alphabetically order by title.

Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win an Amazon Giftcard.

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Annabelle - The Soiled Doves Series Book 3 by Susan Horsnell
Western Historical Romance

Annabelle was tricked into having relations with a man she thought she was to marry, now she is a soiled dove with no chance of a decent future.

Chase is a Ranger who is besotted with the young girl the first time he sets eyes on her.

Can Chase overcome Annabelle’s indiscretions to give the young woman the future she desires?

Award winning authors Susan Horsnell and Margaret Tanner, have joined forces to create an exciting new Western series - Soiled Doves.

Each book in the series will be a stand-alone novella with a happily ever after ending.

Matt by Susan Horsnell
Western Romance

When Matt Carter helps to rescue a young girl who has been ferociously beaten and left to die, he doesn't expect she will capture his heart.

Maddie Chandler has no idea why someone would want to kill her and she is terrified they will return and finish the job. And, why can't she remember who she is or where she is from?

Can Matt protect her from the vicious outlaws who are determined to take something from her?

Will local Law Enforcement, Texas Rangers and Indian Trackers find the vicious outlaws before someone is killed?

A story about tender love, murder, greed and intrigue.

Outrageous Offer by Lola White
Western Romance

Hyacinth Woodley is a desperate woman. Officially deemed a spinster with no marriage prospects in sight, alone after the death of her parents and out of money, she answers an ad for a mail order bride, only to be rejected by her groom upon her arrival in Creek Bend. She has a choice to make—work in the saloon or accept an outrageous offer of being one man’s unpaid mistress.

Offer O’Neal is the new, less-than-proud owner of the Double O Ranch. After sinking every cent he had into the property, he’s left pinning his dreams of success on stud fees from his horse, the only thing of real value he’s got. He can’t afford a wife, but a willing woman in his bed is an appealing prospect, and Hyacinth’s got nowhere else to go.

Just as Offer starts thinking of Hyacinth as the one bright spot in his otherwise stressful and unlucky life, the bridegroom who rejected her returns demanding repayment for his investment. Ernest Horsham feels he’s spent a lot of money on getting the woman to Creek Bend under false pretenses, and the judge is on his side. But it’s only when Hyacinth is arrested as a thief and a fraud that Offer realizes how much he values her company.

Slammed by Liza O'Connor
Western

Davy Hill goes from obscurity to fame by riding the rankest bull alive. Coming from a life of poverty, the young cowboy expects his life to change for the better now that he’s a successful professional bull-rider. Yet, with every occurrence of good luck comes an equal dose of bad. He suffers a potentially career-ending injury, a string of betrayals, and much worse. Despite all the brutal slams he takes, he keeps getting up, because he’s a bull-rider and they never give up.

Two Indians and a Dead Man by C. Forrest Lundin
Western

"Someone behind him pulls the hammer back on a rifle. Now James understands why his horse didn’t want to move.

Two Fingers McCracken doesn’t want James's money or supplies; the Metis wants help. The man who kidnapped his daughter knows McCracken’s face. James agrees to help. The Civil War veteran doesn’t realize the situation is far more complicated than he first thought.

Emmalee McCracken is a pawn in a bigger struggle than anyone anticipated. But getting out alive and staying out of jail will take all James Madison Robertson’s intellect. And keeping Emmalee in Oregon may prove to be beyond him.

Based on a real situation that happened in 1880, two towns in Union County, Oregon engaged in a vicious battle to get the railroad to come their way. The conflict resulted in harsh feelings that persisted into the 20th century."

Will by Susan Horsnell
Western Romance

Will Carter, a deputy in Gold Springs, has no intention of settling down and the furthest thing from his mind is marriage.

He insists his brothers would have to hogtie him to get him down the aisle.
Until…..

He meets Rebecca Nolan.

Their first meeting results in a bruised jaw, a sore backside and a stay in jail.

Will's attitude regarding women is proven right by the feisty hellcat.

So, why does she get under his skin?

Will she be able to save his life?

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RELEASE TOUR: Unfiltered by Leigh Lennon #GIVEAWAY

UNFILTEREDby Leigh LennonRelease Date: September 15, 2017Genre: Contemporary Romance


Justine

I never will get my happy ending. With my past threatening to ruin the possibility of love in my future, I keep every man at arm’s length. Nick appears out of thin air, becoming a part of my life instantly, leaving me breathless and wanting more. The pain that haunts me is still present, but Nick is worth the risk. When he promises me forever; can I trust him?

Nick

Justine makes me see that a forever is in reach with her. She keeps telling me she is hard to love; yet I find it quite easy. Once I break down her walls, she finally lets me in. But, I have a secret of my own which can expose her to the demons that destroyed me in the past. However, with Justine, I will do anything and everything to make her mine.



Nick

Justine is my future and I can’t imagine a life without her as my future. She is nervous about the next step yet I won’t let her go that easy. “Are you really that uncertain of us?”

“No, it’s not that. I’m not uncertain of us, I am uncertain of me, of me ruining this by being well, me!”

Leaning forward, with an affliction of righteous anger fueling me, I snap, “I fucking hate when you put yourself down like that Justine,” Her eyes instantly shift in dilation over my brashness, which has never been shown to her.

“Whoa, buddy,” she says as a warning. “Don’t you see? I am scared that I will be the one to screw this up, that is all.” She asks, her hands shaking. I grab them to bring calm to her.

“I am doing all I can to show you I am not like those that abandoned you in the past. Don’t you see that?” I look away, trying to not attach myself to the hurt in her eyes, placed by others, but I am not the one who placed all that crap there. “I haven’t had a lot of long-lasting relationships. You once told me that you suspected Rafe stepped out on you well before you left him.”

She looks down, as if she was silently telling me she hates the direction of this conversation. “Yes, that is true.”

“I think this is affecting you more than you’re willing to admit. And sure, this relationship of ours is moving fast, but I think when you are our age, you just don’t care about the petty shit you do when you are twenty. We have something special, Justine.”

“Yes, I agree.”

“But you’re still scared,” I press for an answer.

“Hell yes, I am scared. You came out of nowhere right when I wrote off being able to love again.”

“You are too damn proud of a woman. You don’t have to act all macho with me.”

“But I have had to do just that for so long. Rafe was a shitty husband and a really shitty dad until Hildy came around. And how do you think that made me feel. He wouldn’t change for the kids and myself but with her, he did. Which I guess is good, she wouldn’t put up with the half-assed dad stuff. But he wouldn’t change for me. So yes, I have been on my own, even during our marriage, on my own.”

“And that has made you the mom and woman you are today. But more so, honey, that has affected how you let someone love you. I am not Rafe and you are not alone anymore.”

“So, what does that mean?” she asks skeptically.

“I’m not leaving you. I’m here and we are going to make this work because I love you. I can’t see growing old with anyone else but you. So please let your guard down when it comes to me.”

Justine is not one to cry but she has let her exterior hardness down and tears were openly flowing. “I never thought I needed to hear those words before, but it is such a relief to hear them from you,” she says.

I kneel in front of her and bring her to the floor with me. “Let me take on that burden. Can you believe me when I say I won’t leave you? No matter how much you push me away; you are stuck with me.”

“Yes,” she says as I embrace her. In that moment, I feel every worry receding from her body because she has found her person and I have found mine.




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Leigh has done a number of interviews over the last month. Visit these sites to learn more about Leigh and her books.Author Interviews Blog1Rad-Reader Reviews



Leigh Lennon is mother, veteran and a wife of a cancer survivor. Originally with a degree in education, she started writing as an outlet that has led a deep passion as she wrote twelve books. Now ready to publish all of them, she lugs her computer with her as she crafts her next story. She can be found drinking coffee or wine, depending on the time of the day.

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L@@K at ME! A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (Books 1-6) by Shayne Ford #GIVEAWAY

A BAD BOY BILLIONAIRE ROMANCENight of the Kings series
by Shayne FordGenre: New Adult Erotic Romance


LUST. POWER. BAD BOYS. LOVE. BETRAYAL.

This is a story about love, taming hearts, growing up and changing. It is about a good girl corrupting a bad boy, who turns her into a bad girl. And then, it’s about a bad girl, who brings the bad boy to his knees.

Rain meets James for the first time, fresh out of high school. Fascinated by him, she wants him to be her first man, someone she can never forget. At twenty-five, James is a ruthless, powerful, wealthy man, who’s never had feelings for a woman and wants to keep things that way.

He has two handsome best friends who are also his business partners.

This is NOT a conventional, linear romance. Expect a bit of a mess, dirty bits, other people, cliffhangers and twists of situations.



Chapter ONE

RAIN

Nobody knows where they come from.

Some people say they travel from the other side of the hills, where the wealthiest estates of the county share the beautiful scenery of Aspen and the well-guarded privacy of big money, but they could drive from farther away.

They come with the first whispers of the fall when the days are still warm, and the light looks like golden honey pouring slowly in a jar of glass. When the nights grow cold, and the leaves flutter in the wind under the vault of the cerulean sky. When homes like mine and Eve’s smell like cinnamon and apple pies, and smoke drifts from the piles of leaves burning outside.

They drive through town like ghosts while we spend our evenings tucked under the blankets, sipping tea and eating cookies, spinning stories like this.

But some people swear they see them all year round. Mostly at night, and almost never during the day, and that’s why it’s so hard to believe.

As they sweep through town, the whispers become murmurs before they turn into gossip, the stories, old and new, resurfacing, revived, spurring restlessness amongst the youngsters and skepticism amongst the older.

Men brush the idea off, huffing and puffing and grumping, turning a deaf ear to the women’s ramblings.

People spot their cars or bikes, but not that many get the chance to see them. Certainly not us, who are barely out of high school.

Women are the ones who spread the rumors, but their stories should be taken with a grain of salt.

Regardless, the tales and mysteries abound.

Eve and I love the legend.

Unlike her, I’m not willing to admit.

Some say they head west–– right outside of town, where an old estate sprawls on a big piece of land, guarded by the majestic forest in the background.

That’s where the road comes to an end, and the Dark House rises on the shore of a large, shimmering lake, the mansion shrouded in a lot of mystery just like them.

Surrounded by old trees, alleys with wrought iron benches, flowering shrubs and a brick wall covered with wild roses, the property–– if we are to believe the story, belongs to them.

Footpaths crisscross the land, an old tale saying there’s an abandoned tunnel hidden in the thick woods stretching behind the house.

Other people have spotted them downtown at Red’s–– the building with charcoal gray walls, red painted stairs, and black tinted windows. The playground of the most powerful and wealthiest men in town, perhaps the county. The favorite place for wheeling and dealing and indulging in guilty pleasures away from their spouses’ eyes.

Throughout the years the space we grew up in has become a portal between old and new, truth and secret, pure and sin, stories like this making the town feel so alive.

“Wait for me,” Eve shouts as I dart away from her, the wind blowing in my hair, the sun kissing my cheeks.

“I’ll meet you down there,” I say, pointing at the bottom of the slope.



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Chapter ONE

Rain

One week till Christmas~New York

There’s no stronger force than love. It makes you crawl and cry and curse. It tortures you and poisons you before it shows you bliss to hook you even more, and then it makes you bleed. It brings the toughest man to his knees and turns a woman’s heart into a pile of ashes.

“She doesn’t pay you to read… you know,” a terse voice rings out behind me, scratching my ears.

I stifle a retort.

She who pays me is not the owner of the store, and she who speaks is not my boss, but that’s useless to convey as well.

Clinging to my last ounce of dignity, I slowly fold the piece of paper, place it in my pocket and start stacking books on the shelf.

The more I sense her stare on my back, the more nervous I become. Suddenly, my lips are dry, and my hands turn sweaty as my dress begins to itch.

Pacing myself, I run trembling fingers over my skirt. I wish she’d go away. No fucking chance.

I have no other choice but turn around and face her.

Angel, my co-worker, a petite woman in her mid-twenties, who looks more mature than her age, straightens her back and creases her lips into a disdainful smile.

Her orange sweater makes the pearls around her neck look yellow and her skin translucent. A tangerine ribbon holds her curly hair in place as her beaded eyes follow me intently from behind thick-rimmed glasses.

How many times have we been through this?

She harassing me while I pretend I’m an idiot.

“I thought you’re leaving,” I say dryly.

“I am,” she says, throwing me a disgusted look, her fingers flipping a freshly sharpened pencil.

My eyes drop to the wedding band gracing her ring finger.

Who can love a woman like this?

Pure hatred runs in her blood.

“I just want to remind you that until you close the store, you have to make sure the customers' calls don’t end up in the voicemail. She doesn’t like that,” Angel says, acting as a surrogate for Candy, our new boss.

I clench my teeth to push back another retort.

I’d gladly give her a piece of my mind, but more than anything else I need this job and the meager paycheck that helps me to survive or rather doesn’t let me die.

“Okay,” I say, looking at her blankly.

For the life of me, I can’t figure out what possesses her to pick on me, day in and day out?

It was like that from the very beginning.

Before I even had the chance to open my mouth and introduce myself or say a thing or two about my life, her mind was already made up.

She’s not much older than me, and she’s not my boss, but somehow she thinks she is. She started working a couple of weeks before me, and yet she behaves as if she owns the store




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RAIN

The ocean breeze sweeps my feet.

Soft as a feather, the wind rolls onto my legs and my back before it trails my backside. It takes me only a mere second to realize I’m naked.

Caught between sleep and awareness, I stretch my arm and tap the mattress behind me, looking for the sheet.

I slide it over my body and let myself fall back to sleep, hoping to steal another hour. The seagulls have a different plan and start a riot on the beach.

I give up on the idea and just lie on the bed with my eyes closed, and my nostrils filled with the ocean scent.

A smell of coffee drifts from nearby. More awareness settles in, a nagging thought coming along with it.

He didn’t sleep in bed with me.

In fact, he hasn’t touched me since that night.

None of them have.

That must be him, and his instructions.

There’s no other explanation. The Night of the Kings, and my brief encounter with Lex wouldn’t have happened either, had he not given them the green light.

Another thought surfaces in my head.

Today is our last day on the island.

My stomach shrinks and my chest tightens with tension. Forget about sleeping. I crack my eyes open.

The wide stretch of glimmering blue water and the silver sand come into view. It’s a windy morning with the sky mostly clear, only a few fluffy clouds chased away by the wind here and there.

I could live and write in a place like this. I wouldn’t need a big house. Nothing like this for sure. A room or two will do. As long as I’d have the beach, the ocean and the crying seagulls my life would be like a dream.

I can envision myself sitting in a wicker chair, sipping margaritas, and plotting away. Knitting stories.

Hmm. That’s a nice thought. I smile for a few moments before I I shake off the fantasy and look around.The house is eerily quiet. I crawl across the bed, snatch my phone from the nightstand and flip it over.

It’s almost ten.

Propped on my elbows, I scan the beach, looking for them. The shore is empty.

I slide off the bed, wrap the sheet around my body, take a few stairs down and glance around. The water ripples in the pool while the palmetto leaves sway in the wind.

I take a few more steps, the warm sand brushing my feet. Shielding my eyes from the sun, I look up and down the beach.

There’s no sign of them.

Intrigued, I spin around and make the trip back, entering the house.

Chamber after chamber, I get the same feeling. There’s no one else in here but me. In perfect order, the rooms bear no signs of them. The bedroom doors are wide open, the beds untouched as if no one slept in them last night.

I check the closets. They’re empty as well. I dash back to my bedroom, toss the sheet on the bed, pick up my underwear, a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and get dressed in a hurry.



Amazon ✯ Books2Read ✯ Goodreads



LEX ✯ HARD LEX ✯ LOVING LEX
SECRETS. LIES. DECEIT. A GAME OF LUST AND BURNING PASSION.

Dahlia is a girl who just started building her own path in life. Lex is the man who has it all, except for one thing.

His heart is full of secrets, and his blood is filled with lust, yet no one can tame his fire.

Fate brings them together in more ways than one. He has a taste for mysteries. She has a heart made for love.

Falling for him is the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Satisfying her is the most pleasurable thing he’s ever done.

Will this be the everlasting love?

This is NOT a conventional, linear romance. Expect a bit of a mess, dirty bits, cliffhangers and twists of situations.

This is a New Adult Erotic Romance. 18+ Only.

PLEASE NOTE: Although a standalone, Lex’s story includes spoilers of James’ story since it unfolds in the same world at a later date. If you wish to know the backstory of the Kings, reading James’ story (book 1-3) is highly recommended



Shayne Ford writes NEW ADULT, Erotic Romance, the love stories involving hot-blooded men and adventurous, soulful women. The male cast includes Rock Stars, Billionaires, Bad Boys, Alphas with a heart, and the sweet, strong man you may find next door. The stories are emotional and deliciously hot. Sometimes they're unconventional, and sometimes they're a bit dark. Her Series are epic, layered, character-driven, and have a lot of depth. They are not the typical romance, nor are they formulaic or follow a mold.
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L@@K at ME! Val & Pals series by Margaret Lashley #GIVEAWAY

VAL & PALS seriesby Margaret LashleyGenre: Humor/Women's Fiction/Chick Lit

The first 2 books will be specially discounted to 99 cents on Sept 19th.

Absolute Zero: Misadventures From A Broad
A Midlife Meltdown...with a Side of Fries.

Val’s long-suffering life as a patient daughter, dutiful wife and reliable workhorse has turned her into a snarky, miserable nag.She has the house, the husband and the career. The only thing missing is the happy.

Before she’s set out to pasture, Val wants one more go around the track. Unbridled. In Italy.

La dolce vita or bust. 

Will Val find her happy ending abroad? Or someplace she never thought to look? And will she get there before her money and her sense of humor run out...

If you've ever dreamed of ditching your life and running off to Europe, now’s your chance! Join Val on a roller-coaster ride through Europe that will leave you gasping! From gut-busting hilarity to gut–wrenching gaffs, finding yourself again is always worth the price of admission. Buy it now!


The plane came to a halt. A mechanical bell binged. I looked around nervously. I slung my purse across my shoulder and sardined myself into the line of passengers inching their way down the narrow aisle. When I reached the plane’s exit door, I paused hesitantly, like a convict who’d gotten free of her cuffs without anybody noticing. My mind swirled with excitement and abject terror. Goosebumps rushed across my body. The hair at the base of my neck pricked up like a scaredy-cat.

What the hell was I doing? 

Mere days before, I’d slammed every single door – including the screen one – on my life back in Florida. The last chance to change my mind had come and gone, as unheeded as a speed limit sign at a NASCAR rally. Every safety net I’d ever known was thousands of miles away, across the Atlantic Ocean, out of sight and out of reach.

I took a deep breath to steady myself, then stepped off the plane into the complete unknown. I glanced back and waved goodbye to the Air Italia flight crew. I turned again and meandered down the gangplank behind a frail, elderly couple holding hands. Their long-standing marriage triggered flashbacks of my own, long-suffering one.

Seven weeks ago, I’d signed the final divorce papers ending fifteen years of matrimony to Jimmy Johnson, a man I no longer knew. I envisioned the beautiful house Jimmy and I had shared together. I’d sold it and my advertising business just days before the flight. After splitting the pot with Jimmy, I’d netted a hot-damn jackpot of $473,000. I pictured my best friend, Clarice Whittle. I’d left my Ford in her garage, along with a few boxes that held the final remains of the cranky, resentful woman I hoped this trip would get rid of for good.

I’d brought next to nothing with me. I’d left even less behind. No kids. No pets. No job. No husband. No responsibilities. No nothing.

I’d spend the last forty-one years in perpetual motion – Val Jolly’s non-stop stint as dutiful daughter, long-suffering wife and brown-nosing business woman. I’d catered to everyone else’s needs for as long as I could remember. Somewhere along the way I’d turned into a crabby, shrill woman that even I didn’t like. I’d forgotten who I was and what I wanted. This trip was going be my R&R&R – relaxation, romance and re-invention.

I was in Italy to try my hand at living irresponsibly, like my trampy cousin Tammy Jeter. She’d always done as she damn well pleased. Up ‘til now, I’d thought she’d been selfish. Especially when she left Whitey Large and their five pit-bulls (One with puppies!) to run off with Tater Johnson. Turns out, that girl had had it right all along.



Available  for only 99cents Sept 15-19 Amazon ✯ BookBub ✯ Goodreads



Glad One: Starting Over is a ...!
How Many Do-Overs Do You Get in One Lifetime?

One crazy old lady. Two gin & tonics. Three wacko beach-bum friends. Will Val's fourth stab at starting over add up to a big fat zero?

Val's down, but don't count her out just yet. Broke, but not broken (just seriously cracked), Val Fremden returns to her hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida to find everything she knew squashed under the heels of change.

With nothing left to go on but her own dry sense of humor and the life coach advice of a beer-guzzling old lady she meets at the beach, can her life get any crazier? Just wait.

Glad One is a satirical look at divorce, single-hood and climbing back up the social ladder. It's told through the eyes of a snarky, reluctant, midlife-crisis survivor who lost everything -- but regained herself.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel for Val? Or is that just the headlamp of another train wreck heading her way? Knowing Val, it's probably both.

If you like wacky, deeply flawed characters and laugh-out-loud situations, you’ll love Glad One! It’s the second book in Margaret Lashley’s hilarious, irreverent Val & Pals Series of seriously funny women's fiction.


A puff of jaded air forced its way between my pursed lips like steam from a relief valve. I needed a good cry. But this was not the time or place for it. To distract myself, I started counting my blessings.

One decimated pocketbook. Two cottage-cheese thighs. Three maladjusted ex-husbands.... Crap! 

Whoever was running the show up there had a wicked sense of humor – and I was getting damn tired of being the punchline. I scrounged around for my powder compact and opened it, intent on repairing my makeup after the nine-hour flight. One glance in the mirror at my worn-out face made me snap it shut. Why bother? 

In forty-five years, I’d accumulated a good portion of wrinkles, a fair amount of belly fat, and, apparently, precious little wisdom. These questionable assets, along with $5,726 and a suitcase full of inappropriate clothes, were all I had left to launch my latest life makeover. I slumped back into my seat. I was bone-dragging tired. Even so, a wry grin snuck across my lips like a stolen kiss from a stranger. I was not defeated. Not yet, anyway.

The way I saw it, I still had two viable options. One, I could finally learn to laugh at myself. Or two, I could drink myself into oblivion. I fished around the bottom of my purse for a coin to determine my fate. I flipped a tarnished nickel into the air with my thumb. It did a triple gainer, plunged into my coffee, and splashed a nasty brown stain on the crotch of my white stretch pants.Awesome. Let the festivities begin.

***

My last life makeover had begun over seven years ago, and had turned out to be a spectacular, downward spiral reminiscent of diving off a cliff with a bowling ball in my pants. Drowning in dullness and fueled by movie-inspired stupidity, I’d ditched a tiresome marriage and lucrative writing career, sold all my belongings and took off for Europe. In Italy, I met a German and fell in love with the idea of life with a stranger in a strange land. Things had been great for a while. But then the shiny wore off and the cracks showed up, like they always did.

On my arrival back in St. Petersburg, Florida, I’d discovered that seven wasn’t such a lucky number. In fact, seven years abroad had been just exactly long enough for my entire credit history to be erased – just like most of my money. I’d gotten off that plane with no driver’s license. No place to live. No credit card. No phone. No resume. And, worst of all, no friends. Incredibly, I’d somehow managed to become a foreigner in my own homeland.

As a lifelong lover of irony, I’d had to smile at my own ingenuity. How many other people on the planet could have claimed such a monumental fuck-up?



Available  for only 99cents Sept 19-22 Amazon ✯ BookBub ✯ Goodreads



Two Crazy: Fickle Finger of Fate
The World is not a Safe Place for Figurines. 

When you’re pushing 50 with an industrial bulldozer, birthdays can be a bitch. What was intended as a gag gift for Val ends up making her gag all right – and lands her in a whole heap of trouble with the law.

With one hot cop on her tail and a mean one on her trail, Val turns to old friends and new ones to help prove she’s not into human dismemberment.

Who’s the good cop? Who’s the bad? And who’s the dwarf in the Halloween mask?

Will a pair of falsies help Val stumble onto the truth? If not, she’s got to rely on her wacky, beach-bum friends if she’s going to escape the fickle finger of fate.

Two Crazy is a satirical look at how life seems to take pleasure in screwing up all of our well-laid plans. It’s told through the eyes of a snarky, middle-aged woman with major trust issues and dubious, yet highly original coping skills.

If you like deeply flawed characters and laugh-out-loud situations, you’ll love Two Crazy. It’s the third book in Margaret Lashley’s hilarious, irreverent Val & Pals Series of seriously funny women's fiction.


I woke the morning after my birthday party with a cop in my bed and a dead body in the kitchen. Okay, it was just a roach carcass. But I swear it was big enough to draw a chalk line around. It was legs-up in the middle of the floor. I’d fumbled, bleary-eyed, toward the cappuccino machine in nothing but Tom’s t-shirt, and had managed, of course, to step right on it. The disgusting crunch of its carapace underfoot made me scream like a little girl.

“Aaahhhh!”

As a native of the Sunshine State, I’d grown up learning to deal with the worst that Florida’s flora and fauna had to throw at me. Poison ivy. Cabbage-palm spikes. Daddy long-leg spiders. Fire ants. Kamikaze tree frogs. Ghoulish house geckos. Deadly rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. Even the occasional gator on the road or in a swimming pool. I’d managed to make my peace with all of them – except one.

Let a roach get anywhere near me – especially a flying one – and my bravado disappeared faster than Oreos at a Weight Watcher’s convention. When I’d stepped on that nasty bug, I’d let out a scream that could be heard on the International Space Station. If that marked me as a sissy, so be it. But there was something abhorrently primeval about a creature that could live for months without its own head.

“What’s going on in there!?”

Tom dashed into the room. He was naked except for his state-issued revolver. The sight of his tan, muscular body almost made me forget about my predicament. Almost.

“A roach,” I grimaced. I held up my foot like it needed stitches.

Tom grinned at me and shook his head.

“There appears to be no permanent damage. What happened to my fearless partner? Valliant Stranger?”

“Hey. Roaches are my kryptonite, okay?”

“Duly noted. I thought you put out some traps. Roach Motels, right?”

I took a paper towel off the roll and ran it under the tap. I bit my lip in disgust and wiped my foot. “Yeah, I did. I guess there was no room left at the inn.”

Tom sniggered. “Don’t those things come with ‘No Vacancy’ signs?”

“Very funny, Mr. Morning Sunshine. Can we please change the subject now?”

“Okay.”

A dirty grin crept across his face. Tom sidled up to me and put his hands on my hips.

“Have you got a vacancy that I can fill?”

I knocked his hands off of me.

“Geeze, Tom. I think that may go down in history as the most disgusting foreplay line ever.”

Tom scooped me up into his arms. His naughty grin deepened his dimples and crinkled the corners of his hypnotic, green eyes.

“Okay, how about this? I’ve got a gun, lady. Better do what I say.”

Both my hormones and my imagination went haywire.

“Now that’s something I can work with.”




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Three Dumb: Wheelin' & Dealin'
Baloney and Cheesed.

They say three’s the charm. But charming isn’t Val’s style.

Val Fremden is a lot of things. Quirky. Jaded. Disaster prone. But more than anything, she’s afraid of commitment.

When boyfriend Tom tells her he loves her – then trades away her mom’s ashes for a tiki hut – Val’s just not feelin’ it.

On the warpath with Tom, Val’s forced to rely on her oddball friends to help track down her mom’s cremains. But three botched stakeouts and two disasters later, she still hasn't got peanuts. Through trial (but mostly error), Val discovers it's not easy to outwit a mobile master of disguise when she's stuck driving a paddy wagon full of nutcases.

She loves Tom...she loves him not. Knowing Val, she’s gonna need a bigger flower….

Three Dumb is a satirical look at how life, over time, changes our perception of love and the things we value. It’s told through the eyes of a snarky, middle-aged woman with legendary commitment issues and a gnawing reluctance toward romance.

If you like deeply flawed characters and laugh-out-loud situations, you’ll love Three Dumb. It’s the fourth book in Margaret Lashley’s hilarious, irreverent Val & Pals Series of seriously funny women’s fiction.


I’d spent Sunday evening alone, cooling down slowly, like the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl. I’d avoided a critical meltdown, and when I woke up Monday morning, I’d found myself on the verge of no longer being a lethal danger to other life forms.

After a cappuccino and a long, cool shower, at 8 a.m. I called Lefty’s Hauling again. It rang fifteen times, unanswered. This was, of course, totally unacceptable. It was time for Plan B.

I slipped on a sundress and sandals, put my hair in a ponytail and climbed into the red pleather driver’s seat of Maggie, my 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint convertible. With a little encouragement in the form of smashing her gas pedal to the floor, Maggie carried me north along Gulf Boulevard. The four-lane road, lined with two- and three-story beach resorts, skirted the Gulf of Mexico like stiches in a hem.

Year round, tourists flocked to the quaint mom-and-pop motels and sugar-white beaches. I couldn’t blame them. All-in-all, St. Pete Beach was a great place to be.

I turned east on 107th Avenue. Immediately, the salt air and kitsch beach shops disappeared, replaced with anywhere-USA strip malls. At 66th Street, I turned north in the direction of good-old Pinellas Park.

Every major metropolitan area had a section designated especially for rednecks. How they found each other, I didn’t know. Maybe they were all related, or there was some special redneck hotline I wasn’t privy to. At any rate, in Pinellas County, the mecca for country bumpkins and politically incorrect-and-proud-of-it folks was definitely Pinellas Park.

If it weren’t for Florida’s history of hurricanes and tropical storms, Pinellas Park would have choked to death on doublewide trailers decades ago. But in 1993, a freak storm took out all but the very highest quality manufactured homes. It had been dubbed the “1993 Storm of the Century” by some, the “’93 Super Storm” by others, and the “Great Blizzard of 1993” by the Yankees up north. But we locals simply called it the “No-Name Storm,” because it had come up so quickly and unexpectedly not even the weather forecasters had had time to register it with an official moniker.

It had begun on March 12th as a cyclonic storm in the Gulf of Mexico, then quickly grew into a beast that stretched from Cuba to Canada. It moved into Florida around midnight, catching us unaware with winds over 100 mph. It spawned 11 tornadoes and a storm surge in St. Pete that topped out at seven feet. For folks along the coast, bay and rivers, it had been devastating. It wiped out or damaged over 18,000 homes in the Sunshine State and killed 47 of our citizens, more than Hugo and Andrew combined. Suffice it to say, it was not a good time to be living in a tin can on wheels.



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WHAT FOURNovember 7, 2017
Most Definitely Contains Nuts.

All Val wants is a quiet holiday away from her oddball family. But a promise pried from her lips earlier in the year has blown that wish out the henhouse window.

When Val and her boyfriend Tom arrive at her mother’s house in Hicksville, USA, the annual Family Fruitcake Competition is well underway. And there’s more than a few fruits and nuts in the running.

But the biggest contest is between Val and her mom.

As their battle of wills heats up, unexpected ingredients get thrown into both women’s batter. It may be time to call in a referee….

Who will get best in show? Who will get their just desserts? And will Val’s half-baked family turn out to be too much baggage for Tom to handle? Order a copy and find out!

If you like deeply flawed characters and laugh-out-loud situations, you’ll love What Four. It’s the fifth book in Margaret Lashley’s hilarious, irreverent Val & Pals Series of seriously funny women’s fiction.



Like the characters in my novels, I haven’t lead a life of wealth or luxury. In fact, as it stands now, I’m set to inherit a half-eaten jar of Cheez Whiz…if my siblings don’t beat me to it.

During my illustrious career, I’ve been a roller-skating waitress, an actuarial assistant, an advertising copywriter, a real estate agent, a house flipper, an organic farmer, and a traveling vagabond/truth seeker. But no matter where I’ve gone or what I’ve done, I’ve always felt like a weirdo.

As a child I lived in my own pretend world of tickling fairies and talking cats. I began writing when I found an ancient black typewriter on my grandparent’s back porch. (Inspired by my brothers, Boys are Stupid was my first masterpiece.)

I’ve learned a heck of a lot in my life. But getting to know myself has been my greatest journey. Today, I know I’m smart. I’m direct. I’m jaded. I’m hopeful. I’m funny. I’m fierce. I’m a pushover. And I have a laugh that makes strangers want to join me at restaurants. In other words, I’m a jumble of opposing talents and flaws and emotions. And it’s all good.

In some ways, I’m a lot like Val Fremden the main character in my Val & Pals Series. My books featuring Val are not autobiographical, but what comes out of her mouth was first formed in my mind, and sometimes the parallels are undeniable. I drink TNTs. I had a car like Shabby Maggie. And I’ve started my life over four times, driving away with whatever earthly possessions fit in my car. And, perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned that friends come from unexpected places.

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RELEASE TOUR: Beyond the Mist by Casi McLean #GIVEAWAY

BEYOND THE MISTLake Lanier Mysteries, book 2
by Casi McLeanGenre: Time Travel Romantic Suspense


Piper Taylor concedes she’ll never fall in love, until a treacherous storm spirals her into the arms of the handsome Nick Cramer. Unrelenting remorse over a past relationship haunts Nick, but he can’t deny the mysterious connection and hot desire Piper evokes.

The allure of a secret portal hidden beneath Atlanta’s Lake Lanier tempts him into seizing the opportunity to change his mistakes. But his time slip triggers consequences beyond his wildest dreams.

Can Piper avoid the international espionage and terrorism of 2001 New York, find Nick, and bring him home before he alters the fabric of time, or will the lovers drift forever Beyond The Mist?


A soft mist hovered over the moonlit lake, beckoning, luring him forward with the seductive enticement of a mermaid’s song. Rhythmic clatter of a distant train moaned in harmony with a symphony of cricket chirps and croaking frogs. Spellbound, Nick Cramer took a long breath and waded deeper into the murky cove. Dank air, laden with a scent of soggy earth and pine, crawled across his bare arms. The hairs on the back of his neck bristled, shooting a prickle down his spine that slithered into an icy pool coiled in the pit of his stomach. He clenched his fingers into a tight fist, determined to fight through the emotion consuming him. Fear sliced through his belly like icy shards until he finally heaved, forcing rancid bile to choke into his throat.

I have to do this––he inched forward––only a few more steps and––

A sudden surge swirled around him, yanking him into a whirling vortex, where a violent blue streak dragged him deeper, deeper beneath the lake into the shadowy depths. Heart pounding, he battled against the force, twisting, thrusting toward the surface with all of his strength but, despite his muscular build, he spun like a feather in wind into oblivion. When the mist dissolved, Nick Cramer had vanished.

****

Darkness consumed him, a cyclone spinning, twisting Nick as he ripped through an endless void. His lungs burned for oxygen. He could hold his breath no longer, and relinquished his resolve, but he felt no pain. Instead, a sense of serenity encircled him as if he were floating, weightless, breathless, helpless on a cloud of warm air...then the abyss abruptly imploded. Pierced by a brilliant violet-blue light that shattered into a kaleidoscope of color, the tempest hurtled him, whirling, snaking boundlessly until he finally burst through the surface, gasping for air.

He filled his lungs to capacity, breathed in and out several times before opening his eyes to assimilate the greenish blur surrounding him. Instinctively dog-paddling to stay afloat, he stared at a rustic old wooden bench situated atop a ridge above until his head stopped swimming. He had survived the tumult that ripped his body through Lord knows what and challenged him physically and emotionally to the limits few men could endure. And for what, to end up exactly where he started?

“Noooooo.” His blood-curdling moan cut through the silence.

He slapped his hand across the water, scooping a splash that flew around him. There was nothing more he could do. He tried. He risked his life to set things right, to offset the tragic event that had haunted him for eleven years, but he always knew the chance equated to that of a snowball in hell.




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BENEATH THE LAKE
Reeling from her boyfriend’s indiscretions at a party, Lacey Montgomery escapes into the throes of a torrential storm. Her car spins out of control and hurtles into the depths of an icy, black lake. She awakens in the arms of a handsome stranger, in a place she’s never heard of—thirty-four years before she was born.

Bobby Reynolds is smitten the moment the storm-ravaged woman opens her eyes. Learning the truth about her origin does nothing to stop the passion taking root in his heart and leaves him torn between finding a way to return Lacey to her time and convincing her stay with him.

Will the couple be able to discover the key to a mysterious portal before time rips them apart? Or will their spirits wander forever through a ghost town buried beneath the lake?


Award winning author, Casi McLean, pens novels to stir the soul with romance, suspense, and a sprinkle of magic. Her writing crosses genres from ethereal, captivating shorts with eerie twist endings to believable time slips, mystical plots, and sensual romantic suspense, like Beneath The Lake, WINNER: 2016 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for BEST Romantic Suspense.

Casi's powerful memoir, Wingless Butterfly: Healing The Broken Child Within, shares an inspirational message of courage, tenacity, and hope, and displays her unique ability to excel in nonfiction and self-help as well as fiction. Known for enchanting stories with magical description, McLean entices readers in nonfiction as well with fascinating hooks to hold them captive in storylines they can't put down.

Her romance entwines strong, believable heroines with delicious hot heroes to tempt the deepest desires then fans the flames, sweeping readers into their innermost romantic fantasies. Ms. McLean weaves exceptional romantic mystery with suspenseful settings and lovable characters you'll devour. You'll see, hear, and feel the magical eeriness of one fateful night. You'll swear her time travel could happen, be mystified by her other worldly images, and feel heat of romantic suspense, but most of all you'll want more.

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BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL: Paranormal #AmazonGiftcardGIVEAWAY

For those who live to read...here are some awesome books provided by the incredible authors who wrote them. All in celebration of the new school year.

While a few of these books might be oldies, but goodies...others could be new and fresh off the presses.

Relax and find your new favorite author.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

PARANORMAL

Paranormal in traditional literary terms is related to the claimed occurrence of an event or perception without scientific explanation, such as psychokinesis, extrasensory perception, or other purportedly supernatural phenomena.

Please enjoy these books that focus on paranormal and all the sub-genres. The list is available in alphabetically order by title.

Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win an Amazon Giftcard.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

Bob at the Lake by R. Murphy
Paranormal Romance

What would happen if Roz, a crabby woman of a certain age, moved to the wintry shores of a New York lake—and got a ghost? And not just any ghost, mind you. Bob’s a ghost from 1920’s Manhattan, full of quips and over fond of his martinis, who swans around in a silk smoking jacket and makes Roz’s life very . . . well, let’s just say ‘complicated.’




Breakwater Beach: Book One in the Unfinished Business Series by Carole Ann Moleti
Paranormal Romance

Liz Levine is convinced her recently deceased husband is engineering the sequence of events that propels her into a new life. But it’s sea captain Edward Barrett, the husband that died over a century ago, who has returned to complete their unfinished business. Edward’s lingering presence complicates all her plans and jeopardizes a new relationship that reawakens her passion for life and love. What are Captain Barrett’s plans for his wife, and for the man who is the new object of her affections?

Dead Camp 1 by Sean Kerr
Paranormal Romance

Sometimes the past refuses to stay buried, and sometimes it comes back to bite you in the ass.

Eli is an ancient vampire with an ego the size of a planet and a sex drive to match, but his tumultuous past left him broken, so he hides from humanity and cowers from love, left to endure the crushing guilt that haunts his every waking moment. Even his best friend, Malachi, a ghost who is hopelessly in love with Eli, remains unaware of all that transpired in London. Malachi can never know the truth.

When the Angel Daniyyel pays an unwelcome visit, Eli must face his secrets, secrets that he has tried so long to hide. To make matters worse, a chance encounter with the most beautiful man he has ever seen shatters his beloved isolation, pushing him into the world of the living once more. Something about this strange man seems so familiar, but Eli can’t even remember who he was before he became a vampire, never mind explain the unwanted emotions the enigmatic stranger ignites in his dead heart. So Eli has a choice – return to the world that ruined him, or continue his self-imposed exile with no hope of salvation.

Mystic Lovers presented by Dani Haviland
Paranormal Romance

Enter our realms and explore your fantasies! These tales will enthrall you with their sexy heroes and spellbinding heroines. They will thrill your imagination, intrigue your spirit of adventure and take you to unique settings you never dreamed possible. Delight in stories that feature Egyptian Gods, Time Travel, Angels, Ghosts, and more. Come - spend time with our mystic lovers in their enchanted worlds. Treat yourself to the ultimate, enchanting read. Lose yourself in the inexplicable inspiration of 6 NYT & USA Today Best-selling authors: Rebecca York, Mimi Barbour, Dani Haviland, Jacquie Biggar, Aileen Fish, and Mona Risk.

Nightfall by TK Lawyer
Paranormal Romance

Tamara’s spicy scent thrills, seduces and weakens him like no other. She is his and he wants her. Unfortunately, she is done with men. Tamara’s been burned too many times in the past and she’s not looking for a relationship…..ever. But when she finds a stray dog on her doorstep she decides she wants a relationship with a male, after all- that of pet and pet owner.

Josh is not a dog and he has no interest in staying her pet. He has one burning desire- Tamara- in his bed, nightly and permanently. He will stop at nothing to convince Tamara they are better together and that he needs her, forever.

Their paths are intertwined and their future is inevitable but will Tamara allow Josh to love, cherish and protect her? Or will she say good-bye to the amazing, dedicated man whose loyalty and sweet promises could shatter her walls completely and consume her with desire?

Shattered Dreams by Melissa Kay Clarke
Paranormal Romance

Carson, a dreamer who can look into someone else's past and delve into the mysteries of a stranger's future cannot foresee what her own life will become. Resigned to her destiny as the caught prey of an ambitious wolf instead of residing with her own life-mate, Carson feels defeated. That is, until she looks into the eyes of the new pack healer.

Chase Blackston, is a confirmed bachelor with a firm grasp on how his life is going to be – ordered, neat and unencumbered. Sent to Sapphire Lake as a replacement for their aging healer, he had no intention of letting anything change his mind or his life. Attending the mate run for his new Alpha's daughter, Chase realizes the prey is more than she seems - she's his true life-mate. Can things get any more complicated?

With the future of Sapphire Lake hanging in the balance, along with the very evident attraction growing between Carson and Chase, no one is aware of the dangerous presence in their very midst.

Sweet Sacrifice by L.D. Rose
Paranormal Romance

Former Navy SEAL Sebastian “Bash” Lockard died in Afghanistan after leaping on a grenade to save his comrades. Little did he know his act of heroism would grant him a ticket into Heaven’s elite army as one of the few and powerful Archangels. Struggling with his new existence, Bash still retains his human memories, leaving behind a wife he loves with all of his heart. Although he’s forbidden to see her, he can’t resist her lure, or the mortal desires he harbors for her.

As a young widow and nurse, Irene Lockard still mourns her husband two years after his untimely death. His absence is everywhere, and when her best friend weds, she hits an emotional rock bottom. As if summoned from the skies above, Sebastian appears before her, and they share an unforgettable night. But when he once again vanishes, she wonders if she’s truly gone mad with grief.

The only way Sebastian can remain with Irene is if he makes the ultimate sacrifice. But will she overcome her fear of losing him again to another war?

Tempting The Light by Bonnie Gill
Paranormal Romance

Bad luck magnet Abby Fitzpatrick gets fired, catches her boyfriend cheating with a mime, and is cursed by an evil genie who pops out of a tampon box. She’s bound and determined to remove the spell and, as fate would have it, the hottest guy she’s ever met is out to kill her.

River Stone, a Cryptid hunter for Legends and Myths Police Squad (L.A.M.P.S.), poses as sheriff for Abby’s hometown of Haber Cove, New Jersey. He’s out to find and capture a man-eating gnome and bag the legendary Jersey Devil monster. Little does he realize, the woman who catches his heart is the same creature that he was sent to destroy.

Tempting the Light is the first novel in the L.A.M.P.S. series that features hunky secret agents who find true love while hunting and slaying dangerous Cryptids.

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PreORDER BLAST: Of Deception and Divinity by N.D. Jones #GIVEAWAY

OF DECEPTION AND DIVINITYDeath and Destiny Trilogy, Book 3
by N.D. JonesGenre: Paranormal Romance


The arrival of a new enemy. The start of a greater battle. A destiny to be defended.

A mighty war, waged every 500 years, has returned to the realm of mortals. And with it, the Day of Serpents arrives to wreak havoc upon the world.

Assefa and Sanura struggle to complete their mate bond, as they also continue their fight in this preternatural war of fire versus water. Unseen enemies, surprise magic attacks, and betrayal lurk at every turn for the couple, and revelations about their powers and past come to light.

As Assefa and Sanura fight to seal their bond and love, destiny and divinity may have already sealed their fate.


“I heard the prodigal son is returning and he won’t be alone.”

Tracey Kemraha shivered, the Grimba Forest not the most appealing place to meet. Yet the darkness and lateness of the hour, combined with the remote location made this the ideal and safest place to gather, even if she’d rather be any place other than there, and with him. Yet there they both were, surrounded by towering trees, muggy air, and long-awaited anticipation. No one could see them together, which made tonight’s outing, so close to the eve of their plan, both dangerous and important.

They had too much to lose, especially her. The tall, arrogant man, dark eyes devoid of any emotion, except contempt, stared at her, his green-and-black military fatigues blending into the forest in a way her royal blue outfit did not. And how she despised him, her means to an end, just as much as he loathed her, their alliance temporary and mutually beneficial.

“I see you still know far too much that takes place within the presidential compound. I would guess a spy if I didn’t believe you were capable of finding out all you needed to know by yourself.”

His sneer and slight baring of teeth reminded her, intentionally, she knew, of his power and standing. Out there, and all alone, there would be little Tracey could do if he decided to wrap his hand around her neck, breaking it as easily as he did the trust of those who dared to love the pampered prince.

If given enough time and physical space, she could defeat the were-cat in a one-on-one battle. But shifters like him understood the weaknesses of witches, preyed on them, counted on them, and took advantage of those weaknesses. She didn’t bother stepping away from the predator. He would only follow, guaranteeing she’d have only a second to begin a spell. Then he would be on her, ripping her throat out with fangs or claws and leaving her bloody, dead body to the scavengers.

“I have my means, but I know nothing of the woman who’ll be accompanying the second son of the Sudan. What can you tell me about her?”

She didn’t like it, hadn’t seen Assefa in years. Not that he hadn’t been home since he’d departed for the States. He had. But he’d come and gone, never once seeking her out, angering Tracey with his continued stubbornness. He was hers. And it was high time he stopped running and returned home—for good and to be with her, his mate. Yet, if the rumors were true, Assefa wanted his family to meet some woman he’d met in America—a totally unacceptable turn of events.



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Of Fear and Faith
Before trust and love can take hold, grow solid roots, and blossom into a reality larger than self, fear must be conquered and faith embraced. Yet fear of an ancient prophecy, of burning magical power, and a broken heart, Sanura Williams, psychology professor, is unprepared when Special Agent Assefa Berber enters her life, hunting a preternatural serial killer. Assefa's intelligent, chocolate eyes and intoxicating aura signature stirs her fire spirit but frightens the woman.

In a world where all is not as it seems, Sanura and Assefa must battle the gods' first creations - vile predators who threaten the safety of humans. Each confrontation, each bloody clash, will bring Sanura and Assefa closer to fulfilling the prophecy of being the Fire Witch and Cat of Legend - the ones who will save humanity from the Water Witch of Legend. Death, godly magic, and physical attraction draw Sanura and Assefa to each other, but fear and faith will determine their destiny.

Of Beasts and Bonds
In a world of mystery and magic, sometimes old bonds must be broken before new ones can be formed. Who knew that finding one’s soul mate would test bonds and unleash beasts?

Mami Wata and Oya are now free from their watery prison and ready to wage a battle five hundred years in the making. Special Agent Assefa Berber and Dr. Sanura Williams are the prophesized Cat and Fire Witch of Legend. To save the world from Mami Wata, a water goddess with a bloody thirst for power and an insatiable appetite for death and destruction, they must defeat her beasts and the Water Witch of Legend.

Assefa and Sanura are fully in love but possess only a partial mate bond. While Sanura has merged their auras, bonding Assefa’s cat spirit to her, she has yet to accept his claiming bite. Their incomplete mate bond and their new relationship are tested when Mami Wata sets her malevolent eyes on them, manipulating beasts, sacrificing humans, and creating heartache. Can their bond survive, or will they drown under the vicious tide of godly might?



N. D. Jones lives in Maryland with her husband and two children. She is the founder of Kuumba Publishing, an art, audiobook, eBook, and paperback company. Kuumba Publishing is a forum for creativity, with a special commitment to promoting and encouraging creative works of authors and artists of African descent.

A desire to see more novels with positive, sexy, and three-dimensional African American characters as soul mates, friends, and lovers, inspired the author to take on the challenge of penning such romantic reads. She is the author of two paranormal romance series: Winged Warriors and Death and Destiny. N.D. likes to read historical and paranormal romance novels, as well as comics and manga.

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RELEASE TOUR: Dead of Night by James Agee Jr.

DEAD OF NIGHTThe Blood Curse Chronicles
by James Agee Jr.Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance


All families have secrets.

Some have secrets worth dying for.

The Vasile family owns a funeral home in Frederickton, Virginia. For the most part, life in this small town is ideal. However, there is one secret they try to hide – one that could destroy their lives as they know it.

They are vampires.

When a strange girl comes to town for her grandmother’s funeral, new information is uncovered. There is a chance the Vasiles and all other vampires will know a day when they can become human and break the blood curse that has plagued vampires for centuries.


She opens her mouth to say something, more than likely about what book I should purchase, but I speak before she can get any words out.

“Was someone playing the piano earlier?”

She tilts her head as if I have just asked her a confusing question.

“Well…I don’t know how to explain this. It won’t make much sense to you, but the piano plays itself.”

She must see the disbelief written across my face because she hastily adds, “Sometimes there is the shadow of a person sitting on the piano bench, but honest to goodness the keys play themselves.”

The music starts playing and I find my body gravitating towards the sound. The keys bob up and down swiftly seemingly of their own accord. My heart leaps as I see the shadow of a person sitting on the bench. If I did not believe the old woman before, I sure do now.

I inch closer to the piano.

Is it a spirit? A ghost? My imagination?

A fast paced jazz tune is echoing throughout the shop. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the inky dust particles. I open my eyes and the head of the shadow is facing toward me. I reach out to touch it, unsure if I should. My hand goes right through the dark form and slowly the music stops playing.

The woman’s hand tugs on my arm. There is a slightly annoyed look on her wrinkled face.

“Why did you go and scare him off?”

I can’t help but ask her, “Him? How do you know that it is a ‘him’?

She chuckles and pushes her glasses up her nose to keep them from sliding off.

“Dear, you can tell by how he plays the piano. There’s such passion behind the sounds. He has so much emotion.”




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James Agee Jr. writes fictional stories that border on the unknown. When he isn’t reading a book, he is writing one. Stories surround him and he cannot help but to write a few of them down. Occasionally, some of those stories turn into books. He firmly believes that words have power and that if you are reading then you are doing yourself a wonderful favor.

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Back To School Special! HISTORICAL #AmazonGiftcardGIVEAWAY

For those who live to read...here are some awesome books provided by the incredible authors who wrote them. All in celebration of the new school year.

While a few of these books might be oldies, but goodies...others could be new and fresh off the presses.

Relax and find your new favorite author.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

HISTORICAL

Historical in traditional literary terms is when the plot takes place in a setting located in the past. Historical fiction can be an umbrella term; though commonly used as a synonym for describing the historical novel; the term can be applied to works in other narrative formats, such as those in the performing and visual arts like theatre, opera, cinema and television, as well as video games and graphic novels.

Please enjoy these books that focus on history and all the sub-genres.

The list is available in alphabetically order by title. Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win an Amazon Giftcard.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

Honor Bound: A Highland Adventure by Laura Strickland
Historical Romance

Following the disastrous defeat of the clans at Culloden, Scottish Chief’s son Diarmad Ramsay makes his dying father a promise. Diarmad will play the part of Bonny Prince Charlie in an effort to help the true Prince escape the Highlands. With only the fiery Mara MacIvor for guide and with danger on his heels, he must risk all for a Cause in which he no longer believes.

Mara MacIvor considers Ramsay a poor substitute for her beloved Prince. Ramsay may be one of the bonniest men she’s ever met and a braw sight with a sword in his hand, but his disillusionment makes a wide gulf between them. Pursued through the Highlands by Sassenachs and ruthless Highland renegades bent on claiming the price on Prince Charlie’s head, their physical attraction soon becomes a conflagration. But will they ever be bound by more than Diarmad’s vow of honor?

Lady Be Good by Heather Hiestand
Historical Romance

When exiled royalty and espionage combine, expect a romance as bold as the 1920s . . .

Olga Novikov is a princess without a throne. Her fiancé and her family slain in the revolution, she flees Russia and finds herself working as the head of housekeeping at London’s luxurious Grand Russe Hotel. It’s a far cry from the glamour of her former life, but she’s grateful for the job—until a guest forces her to question where her loyalty lies. The charming nobleman challenges her at every turn—and arouses dreams of romance she thought she’d abandoned forever . . .

Douglas “Glass” Childers is living a double life. On the surface, he’s the indolent Viscount Walling, but in truth he’s an intelligence agent searching for a Bolshevik weapons master. The coolly beautiful and headstrong housekeeper is a distraction he doesn’t need—unless she’s the key piece in the puzzle he must solve. Trusting her could be dangerous—but loving her is an undeniable temptation . . .

Liberty by Kim Headlee
Historical Romance

How hard would you fight for a chance at impossible love?

“Epic.” ~ Drue’s Random Chatter Reviews.

From the critically acclaimed, award-winning pen of Kim Iverson Headlee comes the thrilling, poignant tale of love across a vast social divide.

WINNER, 2015 BooksGoSocial Best Book.

Betrayed by her father and sold as payment of a Roman tax debt to fight in Londinium's arena, gladiatrix-slave Rhyddes feels like a wild beast in a gilded cage. Celtic warrior blood flows in her veins, but Roman masters own her body. She clings to her vow that no man shall claim her soul, though Marcus Calpurnius Aquila, son of the Roman governor, makes her yearn for a love she believes impossible.

Groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps and trapped in a politically advantageous betrothal, Aquila prefers the purity of combat on the amphitheater sands to the sinister intrigues of imperial politics, and the raw power and athletic grace of the flame-haired Libertas to the adoring deference of Rome's noblewomen.

When a plot to overthrow Caesar ensnares them as pawns in the dark design, Aquila must choose between the Celtic slave who has won his heart and the empire to which they both owe allegiance. Trusting no man and knowing the opposite of obedience is death, the only liberty offered to any slave, Rhyddes must embrace her arena name, Libertas—and the love of a man willing to sacrifice everything to forge a future with her.

Rebels, Rogues, and Romantics presented by Suzanne Jenkins
Historical Romance

Throughout history, women have been susceptible to their charms. Share the adventures of a few of the more memorable ones in this collection of historical tales written by award winning authors Taylor Lee, Suzanne Jenkins, Dani Haviland, Michele Hauf, and Katy Walters.


The Bridge of Deaths Revised Edition: A Love Story and A Mystery by M.C.V. Egan
Historical Fiction

Follow Bill and Maggie from 2010 to 1939 cross The Bridge of Deaths into the past and uncover the secrets of the crash of British Airways LTD. Lockheed Electra10A G-AESY. August 15, 1939. True events and real people investigated through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico and the United States. The reader feel that he/she is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions.

Three Abductions and an Earl by Tessa Candle
Romantic Regency

London-hating dreamer, Lydia Norwood, has failed spectacularly as a débutante. Now an encoretante whose family has lost a fortune, Lydia discovers that the beau monde is hard on a nouveau riche social climber, particularly one who is no longer riche and only wants to climb trees. Lydia must stave off the effrontery of rogue lords and conniving competitors long enough to make a good match, or else incur society's scorn by by being so scandalous as to earn her own money. Falling for the unattainable Lord Aldley is a distraction she cannot afford. But they share such an enchanted history, how can her heart resist?

The tragically virtuous Earl of Aldley is tired of ambitious families hurling débutantes at his head, but cannot hide in France forever. He returns to London to seek out the mysterious tree-climbing girl who once saved him from a scheming chit, and finds more than he bargained for. Abductions, seductions, trickery and injury all endanger Lydia, but Lord Aldley's heart is imperiled beyond rescue. He has only just found her; will he lose her forever to his enemy, his best friend, or his own dangerous mistake?

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L@@K at ME! The Reaper's Kiss by Dale Ibitz

THE REAPER'S KISSby Dale IbitzGenre: Paranormal Romance


Sex and poison aren’t enough to help William forget his status as a shunned reaper with a sordid past. Rejected, disgraced, and hopeless, he straps on his emotional armor so no one will ever hurt him again. His path to redemption for his sins is side-tracked by Natalie, an exquisite human trying to save her sister from the horrors of the Other World. But then Natalie’s reckless actions sets William on a collision course between his past and his present: a demonic tyrant who wants William back in her bed; the sadistic daughter of an angel who wants revenge on his murdering mother-goddess; and the mother-goddess who demands obedience and love from William, her favorite child. After learning the dark secret of Natalie’s past, how much will he sacrifice to save her soul?


William lost himself in sensations: the taste, the smell, the feel, everything that was Natalie. His lips continued their trek along her neck, down to her collarbone, before starting up the other side to taste her other ear. Warmth infiltrated every molecule of his body, melting the darkness in his soul, his heart, and his mind. He wanted Natalie not just physically, but emotionally. He wanted her to want him, to need him.

To love him.

Why was he torturing himself? He was no longer free to pursue her.

Lifting his head, he peered into her eyes, wide and dilated. She breathed heavily, the rise of her breasts pressing against him, stirring a need to tear off her clothes and forever brand her as his.

Her lips parted, drawing his gaze. Slowly, he sucked on her lip ring. Her lips were full and pliant, and she tasted warm and soft, like sunshine.

“Does your mouth hurt?” she whispered when he abandoned her.

“Nothing hurts when I’m touching you.”

And it was true. Overpowered by her essence, the aches dissipated: the ache in his heart, his body, and his soul. He felt whole and free, free to live and love and be a man that could be loved.

If only Natalie could love him back.

Craving another taste, he opened her mouth with his tongue. She welcomed him in, allowing him to push inside as deeply as he wanted. He savored her until she writhed and pressed her curves against his budding hardness. One hand cupped her breast, squeezing until her nipple hardened. When he rolled his thumb over the peak she broke off the kiss to lean her head back and moan. He immediately sought her neck, kissing a trail toward the neckline of her shirt.

The world faded. The bargains faded. His fate faded. All that mattered was Natalie, here and now and kissing him with all the passion he could ever hope for, initiating a desire he now knew only one woman could ever satisfy.

“Ahem.”

William froze as Bianca’s voice slammed the door on his fantasy. Closing his eyes, he murmured, “Sorry. I forgot where we were for a moment,” before stepping away and facing the other woman. To his surprise, she was grinning.

“I see you haven’t lost your touch.”

Natalie blushed. He could tell by the wave of heat hitting his back. Needing to put distance between them, he straddled the chair once again. Unable to behold his Natalie without striding across the room and kissing her, he distracted himself by sloshing another shot of vodka into his cup and tossing it down. He shuddered when the burn hit the back of his throat.

“But,” Bianca continued, “I thought the whole point of this exercise was to keep the girl’s soul safe.”

He studied the table, unresponsive, unable to admit the kiss had been all pleasure, not business. At least on his part.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He winced at Natalie’s question. She just couldn’t stop asking questions, could she? Gripping the cup in his hands, he braced himself for Bianca’s answer. If there had been any wavering in Natalie’s feelings toward him, it was about to unravel.




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Dale Ibitz was born in Oxford, Connecticut, grew up in the state of Washington, and then re-located back to Connecticut as an adult where she studied English at Central Connecticut State University. She never left, choosing Connecticut as her permanent home. Dale’s a fan of hiking and the outdoors, loves alternative metal music, and she never, ever starts the day without chocolate and coffee (preferably together).

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