Catherine Edward's Blog, page 5
February 4, 2022
Book Blitz: Unmeasured by Alyssa Turner
Unmeasured
Alyssa Turner
(Unmatched, #1)
Publication date: March 15, 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
SHE’s a good girl, or at least she tries to be. People think Samantha Hunter lives a fairytale life. Only this young, wealthy American in Paris has a secret. If she lets it free, there’s no telling what she’ll do. Being the wild child is one thing. Letting her dark fantasies run wild is quite another. How could she? The better question is…how could she not?
HE wears a suit, but he is not entirely civilized. Oleg Balashov is often hungry for something he’ll probably never find. His closest friends have similar appetites and the private club they own is the perfect place to feed their desires. Oleg is ready to pay an old debt with an arranged marriage, mafia style. Then Samantha appears on a bar stool with just enough curiosity to get her into trouble. She’s in way over her pretty head. Or is it the other way around? The Masters of Club Duval have a new pet and she isn’t so easy to tame. Samantha Hunter is about to rewrite all the rules for these Doms and nothing will ever be the same.
Trigger warning: Oleg owns a whip, and he knows how to use it. After the happily ever after ending, the epilogue of this book will be an introduction to the prologue of book 2, Unleashed.
Only 99¢ for a limited time!
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EXCERPT:
Finally, he spoke. His voice was a raspy and feral version of itself. “Your safeword… Scream it loud. Scream it at the top of your fucking lungs, because I need your screams today for all the wrong fucking reasons.”
He cracked the whip again, and it snapped her shoulder blade with the thinnest of cuts, sounding like a gunshot, feeling like a hornet’s kiss.
“If I hurt you…” he said.
She turned around, and her gaze locked first on his trembling hand and then his tortured eyes. “I will survive you.”
“If you survive me, then you can have me, because truly I belong to no one else.” The whip cracked above her head.
“Turn the fuck around!”
When she did, he snapped a sideways strike across her ass. Her flesh lit with fiery agony. She balled her fists and inhaled deeply, trusting his control over the nine-foot length of braided leather.
Then a loud thud sounded, and a crash followed. She turned around to see Oleg stalking toward her, his whip strewn across the floor next to a broken vase.
Heavy, billowing breaths blew past his lips. He scratched his chin and then rubbed the back of his head. One last swallow, and he steadied himself. The worst of the storm had passed and she’d survived. In fact, she’d more than survived. Samantha had stood in the eye of the storm and remained on her feet.
“Where the hell did you come from?” he demanded, grabbing both of her shoulders, shaking her once, though she was certain he wasn’t concerned with the name of her hometown.
She didn’t flinch. His hold on her was nothing to fear. Then his thumbs swiped at the teardrops on her cheeks before he decided to sip on them instead. She melted right there. “How did you find me?” she asked the same unseen knower of all things.
God, how badly she wanted this man inside of her. She pawed at the chastity belt, angry at it so suddenly. Danger wafted off him in invisible waves, unspoken, ultrasonic, undeniably magnetic. The beautiful, broken monster had revealed himself, raw, untethered, and she devoured his anger, his pain. It had given her peace even as she hungered to know the limits of his pain, to be at the sharp edge of his despair with him. But why? What could be found in dark, bottomless pools that made her want to jump in? She’d been asking herself that question all her life and still didn’t have an answer.
Author Bio:
Alyssa believes that when characters speak to you, you've got to listen. She's been all ears and writing stories in all lengths since childhood. She only wonders where those notebooks of handwritten dramas ended up.
Almost everyone tags her romances as habanero hot, and with her proclivity for the ménage genre, Alyssa is often recognized for weaving complexity and emotional depth into her characters. She has so much fun writing, she can never be relied upon to put the wash into the dryer any time after 10 PM. Luckily, she is married to the most understanding husband in the world.
The Love Has No Regrets collection of novels by Alyssa Turner includes several series with familiar characters threaded into each story. Her LHNR world is ever growing, spanning from Manhattan to Paris, with Polyamorous love that answers only to the heart. Read more about Alyssa Turner and preview her published works on her blog.
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February 1, 2022
February Giveaways and Freebies
February Giveaways and Freebies
Who doesn't love free books? Looking for more books to read?
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31st Jan to 18th Feb, 2022
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1st Feb to 28th Feb, 2022
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15th Jan to 15th Feb, 2022
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1st Feb to 28th Feb, 2022
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1st Feb to 1st Mar, 2022
Searching for your next favorite story?
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1st Feb to 28th Feb, 2022
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14th Feb to 28th Feb, 2022
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Books in past tense
1st Feb to 3rd Mar, 2022
Searching for your next favorite story?Look no further! These bestselling authors have teamed up to offer a delightful selection of new books. Available for a limited time.Click on the banner to view the books, click on as many as you like, download, read and ENJOY!Fantasy Escapes
14th Feb to 16th Mar, 2022
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Reads through time
15th Feb to 15th Mar, 2022
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January 31, 2022
28 Motivating Quotes for this February
28 Motivating Quotes for this February
Inspirational quotes really have a way to lift your spirits when you fell down. They have helped me a lot. Hope it helps you stay motivated.
Here I bring you 28 quotes to motivate your days this month.
“That smile could move mountains. It could also break hearts.” – Kylie Scott
“When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life or the life of another.” — Helen Keller
“I want to reach my potential, impact my world, and leave a legacy.” —Seth Buechley
Always find opportunities to make someone smile, and to offer random acts of kindness in everyday life. – Roy T. Bennett
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” ― Robert Frost
“Today is a good day to try.” —Quasimodo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. – Mother Teresa
“Make your life matter and have fun doing it.” —Aaron Hurst
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” — Steve Jobs
Smile more. Smiling can make you and others happy. – Roy T. Bennett
“Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.” —Dalai Lama
“The healthiest response to life is joy.” — Deepak Chopra
“Surround yourself with positive people.” —Rod Rohrich
Everyone smiles in the same language. – George Carlin
“My mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” — Forrest Gump
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile. – Charlie Chaplin
“Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.” — Lillian Dickson
Look back, and smile on perils past. – Walter Scott
“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”— Lao-Tze
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” —Mahatma Gandhi
Children show me in their playful smiles the divine in everyone. – Michael Jackson
“The joy of life is becoming a person you are proud of.” —Bill Orender
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. – Mark Twain
“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little nameless, unencumbered acts of kindness and of love.” — William Wordsworth
“We have to collectively work together to improve the world.” —Samuel Strauch
It’s hard not to feel happy when you make someone smile. – Roy T. Bennett
“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” — Helen Keller
“Base your relationships on the right values.” —Dick Gephardt
28 Quotes related to reading this February
28 Quotes related to reading this February
Reading improves brain function and sharpens your memory. Encourage children to make reading a habit every day. Here are some quotes related to reading:
“Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.” - Dr. Seuss
“A book is a gift you can open again and again.” - Garrison Keillor
“Oh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read printed words!” - Betty Smith
“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.” - Victor Hugo
“The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can’t.” - Mark Twain
“You may have tangible wealth untold. Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be — I had a mother who read to me.” - Strickland Gillilan
“Wear the old coat and buy the new book.” - Austin Phelps
“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.” - Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” - Frederick Douglas
“Some books leave us free and some books make us free.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” - Paul Sweeney
“I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.” - C.S. Lewis
“Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new after all.” - Abraham Lincoln
“Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself.” - George Bernard Shaw
“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.” - Henry David Thoreau
“Beware of the person of one book.” - Thomas Aquinas
“Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book.” - Jane Smiley
“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” - P.J. O’Rourke
“If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Man reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one’s hand.” - Ezra Pound
“I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.” - Roald Dahl
“One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time.” - Carl Sagan
“There is nothing more luxurious than eating while you read—unless it be reading while you eat.” - E. Nesbit
“Books to the ceiling, Books to the sky, My pile of books is a mile high. How I love them! How I need them! I’ll have a long beard by the time I read them.” - Arnold Lobel
“It’s not that I don’t like people. It’s just that when I’m in the company of others – even my nearest and dearest – there always comes a moment when I’d rather be reading a book.” - Maureen Corrigan
“My alma mater was books, a good library…. I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity.” - Malcolm X
“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” - Cicero
“We are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read.” - Jules Verne
www.editingleindiehouse.com
January 30, 2022
First look at Indomitable by J.D. Edwards
Indomitable by J.D. Edwards
Blurb:
When Black voices are stifled, the reality is transformed into fiction, history is twisted into folklore, and heroes are turned into myths. Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin, holding a brief account of Eliza Harris, in 1853. Now, 170 years later, learn the actual tale of Eliza's harrowing escape from slavery and her unwavering bravery to live a life of freedom. Eliza risked everything to cross the semi-frozen Ohio River in the dead of night and save her baby from a slave's life.
Indomitable is a work of historical fiction based on real events and Eliza's firsthand narrative. While one branch of the author's family owned Eliza, the other branch risked their lives to rescue her. We cannot undo the past, but we can recount the tales of those who fought for liberty and assure that their sacrifice was not in vain.
Chapter 1
Cries of ‘Happy New Year!’ filled the air, but Eliza kept her eyes downcast while cleaning. New Year parties be for the White folk, but we ain’t ne’er got no party in 1837. Why should 1838 be different? It just be another day.
Eliza’s mind drifted as a drunk guest tripped over the area rug and plunged into her, covering her dress in champagne. “Whoa! Watch what you’re doin’, you lazy crow! Clean up this mess and get me another drink! You’re as useless as your mother!”
“Yes, Mista Wood! Right away, sir!” Eliza turned and glowered as she hastened to the bar to refill her former master’s drink. It just be once a year. Keep your mouth shut and bite your tongue. Tomorrow, you can clean the house and forget ‘bout Mista Wood. At least you ain’t cuttin’ timber or workin’ the fields like George.
Elias Wood jerked his thumb toward Eliza and spoke in a carrying voice. “You’ve got to learn how to handle these Negroes, m’boy! Don’t give them an inch and always maintain strict discipline. Take this one, for instance! I may have sired her, but I never considered her my daughter. She was my property, pure and simple.”
Reason Downing wrinkled his nose in disgust. “You mated with your slave? Have you no shame, sir? They’re animals!”
A burst of laughter filled the room, and Elias clapped Reason on the shoulder. “My dear boy, they may be soulless, sub-human creatures, but they’re not animals! They descend from Cain, and as such, they’re inferior to decent folks, like you and me.”
Scowling, Reason lowered his voice to avoid eavesdroppers. “Sub-human or animal, I can’t believe you’d mate with them. It goes against nature, and all that’s holy!”
Elias tapped the side of his nose and leaned in closer to share his wisdom. “That’s where you’re wrong, m’boy. I get no pleasure from the deed itself, mind you, but when I make my own slaves, I triple my profit!”
A moment later, Eliza returned with Elias’s drink and set it on the table, next to where they were seated. “Took you long enough!” Elias grabbed the drink and emptied the glass in a single gulp. Before she could leave, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the floor, causing her to cry out in pain. “Do you see that Mulatta skin, m’boy? You can make a fortune breeding domesticated slaves.” Flinging her arm away, Elias chortled as Eliza scrambled to her feet, rubbing her sore wrist. “Remember how much you paid for Annie? I gave you Eliza as a wedding gift. Imagine how much that gift would’ve cost you otherwise!”
“Youse a bad man, Mista Wood. We is human, and we do got souls!”
The force of Elias’s backhand broke open Eliza’s lip and sent her careening to the floor. Spittle flew from his mouth as he leaped to his feet, swaying where he stood. “You filthy animal! How dare you speak to your superiors with such disrespect?”
Reason caught Elias’s hand in mid-swing. “That’s enough, sir. Eliza is my property now, not yours, and I’d thank you to not damage my property any further.”
Elias puffed out his chest in indignation. “Humph! Well, I never! Discipline, m’boy! Your slaves need discipline! Yessir, they do!”
“Perhaps they do, but not from you, Mr. Wood. I’ll thank you to leave my slaves alone or leave my property.”
Glowering at Reason’s reprimand, Elias stumbled to the bar to refill his drink. Bending down, Reason helped a shaken Eliza to her feet. “It’ll be alright. Go see Hannah, and she’ll get you patched up. When you’re done, you can change and come back down.”
“Thank you, Massa!” Lowering her eyes, she rushed outside to find the resident healer. Reaching the entrance of the healer’s shack, she flung open the door and plowed into a plump, elderly woman.
“Lord almighty, child! Where you off to in such a hurry?” Noticing Eliza’s bleeding lip, Hannah clucked her tongue. “Good gracious, child! What happened to you? Did you go talkin’ back to Massa Downing? You know he ain’t ne’er laid a hand to us, so don’t go givin’ him a reason to start now!”
Eliza shook her head and sat across the table from Hannah. “No, ma’am! Ain’t nothin’ like that be happenin’. It was my old Massa what done this to me!” Eliza relayed the situation between gasps of pain while the healer doctored her lip.
“When you gonna learn your place, girl?” Hannah scowled as she finished administering first aid. “You ain’t to be speakin’ to White folk like that—even Massa Downing. You got a family to care for, and you can’t be doin’ that if you let your mouth run afore your brain. Go on now… you best be gettin’ back afore they send the hounds out for you.” She scolded, then gave Eliza a tight hug and handed her a handkerchief.
“Thank you, Miss Hannah!” Clutching the handkerchief to her lip, Eliza sprinted across the yard, rounded the corner of the estate, and plowed into a muscular man, almost knocking her down.
“Whoa there!” The man gripped Eliza’s forearms, holding her in place. “What’cha doin’ out here at this time of night?”
Eliza paled as she dapped her bleeding lip. “I got permission to see Miss Hannah, and she fixed me up proper.”
The man turned his smoldering eyes on the bloody handkerchief and caressed her lip. “Who did this to you? Was it Massa Downing or Miss Lizzy? Ain’t nobody gonna lay a hand to my woman!”
“Let it be, George.” Eliza rested a calming hand on her husband’s chest. “It weren’t Massa Downing, but ol’ Mista Wood. And Massa sent me to Miss Hannah, but I gotta change my dress and return to the party.”
“Alright, but you just watch yourself, you hear? Ol’ Mista Wood ain’t like Massa Downing. He’s got the Devil in him, I reckon.”
Giving George a quick kiss, Eliza returned to the estate to find her mistress in the kitchen, tapping her foot. “It’s about time you returned! Why are you still wearing that soiled dress? Get changed and get back down here. The party is almost over, and our guests are thirsty!”
“Yes, Miss Lizzy!” Tearing up the servant’s stairwell, She reached the second floor and changed into a new dress. Moments later, the boisterous melody of Auld Lang Syne filled the air as she entered the foyer. “I got the drinks, Miss Lizzy!”
Her mistress flipped a hand toward the men clustered around the piano. “I doubt they’ll even notice, but see if they want any more to drink before they leave.”
Crossing the room, Eliza served drinks to the men as they swayed in a drunken stupor. “Thank you, darlin'!” Reason Downing gulped down his first drink and grabbed another, slapping Eliza’s posterior. “Go see to my other guests… there’s a good lass.”
Blushing, Eliza carried the tray to Elias Wood, who, despite his drunkenness, eyed her with contempt. “You’re still here, are you? Well, give me my drinks and get outta my sight!” Averting her eyes, Eliza bit her tongue and proffered the tray of drinks to her former master.
She returned the tray to the kitchen after serving the last guest and stood along the wall. When the final party guest staggered from the house, Eliza breathed a sigh of relief that this night was over, and returned to her room humming Auld Lang Syne while she changed for bed.
As her dress dropped to the floor, the bedroom door opened, and Reason Downing staggered through the doorway. Eliza gasped and quickly snatched her dress from the floor. “Massa Downing! I’s changin’ my clothes!” A sense of dread filled her heart as her master leered at her nude body.
Reason hiccupped and swayed on his feet as he stumbled against the bedpost. “So? This is my house, and you’re my property. I can do whatever I want with my own property.”
“But Massa, I ain’t decent!” An uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach.
The stench of bourbon filled the air as her master stumbled forward, grabbing Eliza’s bare shoulder for support. “You Negroes aren’t decent, clothed or otherwise! You’re no different than a cow or a horse, except you can speak. Elias was right… Negroes are sub-human descendants of Cain condemned by God to serve decent, God-fearing White people.”
Reason twisted Eliza’s forearm behind her back, causing her to cry out. “The Bible says God gave men dominion over all the wild beasts that walk the Earth, which includes Negroes.”
She writhed to free herself from Reason’s grasp. “Massa, you ain’t in your right mind! Youse drunk! Your room be down the hall.” She reached for the door, but Reason jerked her arm backward, causing her to drop the dress to the floor. Tears stung her eyes as her master’s fingernails dug into her arm. Then panic rose within her as her master’s intentions became clear.
“Don’t you turn away from me!” Reason pinched Eliza’s cheeks together, eying her body with lustful intent. “I’m not finished with you yet!”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as an unstoppable flood of emotions washed over her. Raising her voice, Eliza retrieved her dress to cover herself. “Please, Massa! Have mercy! I ain’t done nothin’ wrong!”
His tone softened as he stroked the side of her face. “Don’t resist, and you won’t get hurt. You’re my property, and you’re gonna obey my commands!” Then he ripped the dress from Eliza’s hands, leaving her shivering and sobbing. “Now, are you ready to make more property for me?”
Screaming, Eliza bolted for the door but received a blow to the back of her head, causing her to pitch forward into the dresser. When she awoke at dawn, the stench of hay and manure assaulted her nostrils. She peered into the darkness but found one eye swollen shut.
Eliza’s frail voice shook as she called for her husband. “Hello? George?” Pulling herself to her feet, she cupped her hands to her mouth. “George! Where you at!” Her body ached all over.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the yard moments before the barn door swung open. “There you is! I’s been lookin’ all over...” George’s voice trailed off as he took in her bloodied lip, torn dress, and swollen eye. His eyes flashed, and his nostrils flared as he shook with rage. “Who did this to you? They gonna pay! Was it Mista Wood?”
Eliza buried her face in her hands and sobbed, shaking her head. “Massa… it was Massa Downing what done this to me. He weren’t in his right mind! The Devil took hold of him.”
George’s mouth hung open. “Massa Downing, done this to you? He ain’t ne’er laid a hand on us, sober or otherwise!” He wrapped his arms around Eliza and pulled her to him as she sobbed. “Don’t worry, none. He’s gonna answer for what he done, and if the law don’t make him pay, I will.”
She gasped and pulled herself free. “No, George! Don’t go doin’ nothin’ stupid. You’d be whipped or lynched for sure!”
He gripped her shoulders and lifted Eliza’s chin to find her eyes. “I’d fight the Devil himself to protect you.”
Wrapping an arm around his neck, she pressed her lips against his. “I know you would, but our children need a daddy too. Massa Downing was drunk, and I don’t want you hurt on my account!”
“Eliza!”
George turned to face the estate and shook his head. “You best be gettin’ back to Miss Lizzy right away! I can hear her yellin’ for you across the yard.”
Kissing her husband once more, she raced from the barn, picking straw from her hair as she ran. Chest heaving, she opened the back door and washed up at the sink as the kitchen door opened. “There you are! I’ve been calling for you!” Lizzy paused and clucked her tongue in disgust. “Where the blazes have you been, anyway? Rolling with the pigs? Go upstairs and get some fresh clothes on before you serve break...”
Lizzy gasped as Eliza turned to face her. “Good Lord! What happened to you? Were you attacked?”
Eliza nodded and lowered her eyes, but remained silent.
“You were? Who attacked you? Was it one of the party guests?” Lizzy’s temper flared as Eliza shook her head in silence. “Speak, girl! Who was it? Someone had to attack you! Was it one of the slaves?”
Again, Eliza shook her head, not daring herself to speak. Lizzy marched across the kitchen and shook her by the shoulders. “I demand you answer me! Tell me the truth! Who attacked you?”
“It was Massa...” Eliza’s voice broke, then a tear rolled down her bruised and swollen cheek. “It was Massa Downing, Miss Lizzy. He was drinkin’, and Mista Wood told him...”
Eliza’s head snapped to the side from the force of Lizzy’s hard slap across her face, splitting open her lip a second time. “You filthy whore! How dare you stand there and accuse my husband of attacking you? He’s been nothing but decent and respectful to the whole lot of you. How can you repay his kindness by besmirching his good name? My husband is a good, Christian man. He’d never sully himself by mating with an animal. It’s unseemly and goes against nature itself.”
“But Miss Lizzy, I ain’t lyin’ ‘bout what happened! Ol’ Mista Wood poisoned Massa Downing’s mind with money. He want Massa to breed new slaves. He done put the Devil in him, I tell you!” Another stinging slap brought Eliza to tears, and she stopped speaking at once.
Mistress Downing stood fuming, her chest heaving with rage. When she spoke, her voice was low and cold. “Get out… go live in the slave shacks until I figure out what to do with you and send Annie to take over your duties. I won’t have you spreading any more lies about my husband.” She pointed to the back door, her face reddening with the effort to control her temper. “Go! Get out of my sight!”
Bolting out the back door, Eliza tore across the yard to the shacks to find Annie hanging laundry on the clothesline. “Quick, Annie! Miss Lizzy needs you to take over for me in the house.”
“Oh, Eliza! Your poor face! What happened to you?”
Eliza brushed aside her question, pointing back to the house. “Don’t be worryin’ ‘bout me. Just be gettin’ back to Miss Lizzy afore she puts us both in chains!”
Annie’s face paled, and she nodded, handing a bedsheet to Eliza. “Just the pigs and chickens left after the sheets.” Biting her lip, Annie raced back to the estate, leaving Eliza to finish her chores.
The winter sun warmed the air as Eliza lost herself in the monotony of her work. Minutes later, a resonating crack echoed in the distance, and a piercing scream filled the air. Dropping the laundry in the basket, Eliza rushed toward the estate to find a throng of people gathering at the front porch. Not wasting any time, Eliza tore across the yard as Annie exited the back door.
Grabbing Eliza’s hand, Annie pulled her back into the kitchen. “You best be gettin’ to the sittin’ room! You gotta stop George afore he gets himself killed.”
Eliza’s eyes bulged as she ripped through the house to the sitting room. She opened the door to find Lizzy applying pressure to her husband’s bleeding shoulder and George standing over them with a gun. “Go on now, Miss Lizzy. Move out the way… ain’t no one else need to die today except Massa Downing!”
About the Author
J. D. Edwards is the internationally recognized author of The Faerie Chronicles, Killing Time, Sister Axe, Dry Bones, The Phantom Seer and Indomitable. His writing awards include The Charl Ormond Williams Fund, The Ohio Genealogical Society, Notebook Publishing’s #IndieApril, and Lulu’s Share Your Scare Writing Contest. Since 2012, J. D. Edwards has published over 50 genealogical articles in the United States and Great Britain, winning over a dozen writing competitions. Future projects include historical fiction books set in the 18th to 19th centuries, and a prequel series to The Faerie Chronicles.
Website/ Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook/ Amazon
January 28, 2022
Book Blitz: Damaged Grump: An Enemies to Lovers Romance
Damaged Grump: An Enemies to Lovers Romance
Nicole Snow
Publication date: January 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a hysterical office romance where the grumpiest boss claims the good girl and loses his scorched heart.
Our meet cute was one big sip of ugly.
He pushed my hell-no buttons, wearing an indestructible smirk.
I offended his warped morals in front of his starry-eyed minions.
Then I got my sweet reward for doing the right thing.
I found out I’d be calling Roland Osprey “boss.”
A filthy rich tabloid king. Emphasis on filthy.
A gorgeous villain who sold his soul—if he ever had one.
A tyrant who stole my sensitive, uplifting music magazine.
Welcome to my bait and switch.
Apparently, disasters come in threes.
His perfect vests that leave me delirious.
The way he stares at my lips—painted for torment with an arsenal of lipstick.
Our shared love for sad songs that makes me cry.
So does the big fat secret assignment he drops on my head.
I hate that he has a good cause.
I wish I could hate the wicked ways he makes me feel divine.
When my guard slips, I’m in free fall.
One all-consuming kiss in an alley seals our epic mistake.
How many times can one damaged grump make me sing the blues?
How do you ever fall out of love with the bad guy?
Full-length enemies-to-lovers romance doused in biting words and sizzling slow-burn tension. The worst boss ever finds his missing piece in the woman who loathes him—and an unlikely Happily Ever After worth all the lumps to the heart.
—
EXCERPT:
It’s ten a.m.
I was supposed to meet Roland fifteen minutes ago, and I’m still slumming around in a t-shirt and panties.
“Just a minu—ULP!” I yell, tumbling out of bed.
Legs, meet sheets.
Legs, get intimately acquainted with sheets.
Legs, dump me face-first on the floor when I try standing with the sheets tangled around my calves.
Yep, I basically just hog-tied myself.
I go down hard, groaning as another knock rattles the door. This time, it’s firmer.
“Callie? Are you all right in there?” Roland’s voice drifts through the thick wood.
Oh, boy.
“M’fine,” I mumble into the pillow that fell with me, thankfully cushioning my head smacking the floor. “Just tripped. Give me a sec.”
He doesn’t say anything, but his silence whispers skepticism.
Who could blame him?
I fight off the sheets, totter to my feet, and dump the bedding back on the mattress before snagging a pair of running shorts from the suitcase I’d left open in the corner easy chair.
Hopping on one foot, then the other, I shimmy into them, yanking them up over my hips. Then I stagger to the door and pull it open with my arms moving faster than my brain.
Eep.
One look at the bosshole makes me realize what a disheveled mess I am.
We’re talking oversized shirt falling off one shoulder, hanging down just long enough to hide my tiny shorts. Bedhead hair sticking up like a cactus—I’m surprised I don’t scare him—and I don’t even want to know what I look like without my makeup.
Especially not after sleeping with my face smooshed in a pillow.
He’s my total opposite.
How predicable.
Even dressed down, he looks so cool and collected and put together that he’d wreck a GQ model.
He’s just wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans with thick-soled black workmen’s boots—but it’s a designer shirt, designer jeans, designer boots in fine leather.
The dark-grey shirt clings to his chest like it’s painted on, pouring over his beastly pecs and dipping down sculpted abs in ridged patterns.
God. Even the stitching on the short sleeves strains against the rock-hard cut of his biceps like it’s struggling to hold them in.
Dark, faded jeans hang low on his hips in the right and oh-so-wrong way, held in place by a leather belt that just barely keeps them from dipping down to pure sin.
A little lower, and I know they’d reveal the narrow V of his pelvis.
The fit hints at the power between his legs, from his thighs underneath to a piece of him I dare not imagine.
Not if I want to keep my last worn thread of sanity.
Author Bio:
Nicole Snow is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She found her love of writing by hashing out love scenes on lunch breaks and plotting her great escape from boardrooms. Her work roared onto the indie romance scene in 2014 with her Grizzlies MC series.
Since then Snow aims for the very best in growly, heart-of-gold alpha heroes, unbelievable suspense, and swoon storms aplenty. With over a million books sold, she lives for the joy of making two people fight with every bit of their soul for a Happily Ever After.
Current fan favorites include her Enguard Protectors series, accidental love novels, plus long beloved MC romance thrillers like the Grizzlies and Deadly Pistols.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub
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January 23, 2022
Review: It's A Wonderful Werewolf
It's A Wonderful Werewolf by Cynthia EdenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Blurb:
Get festive with a wolfishly fun holiday romance from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Cynthia Eden…
Oliver Abbott never intended to be a werewolf. Howling at the moon, sprouting fur, shifting into a beast…not exactly the life plan that the former Navy SEAL had anticipated. But an attack on a snow-filled night changes everything. Suddenly, Oliver has a new reality, and he has to leave the only woman he’s ever loved, Gia Donato, in order to protect her from his wolfish side. Yeah, being a werewolf bites. Big time. Especially when you have the biggest, sharpest teeth in town.
But Christmas is a magical time…
On Christmas Eve, an angelical “intern” offers to grant Oliver one wish. Oliver can have anything he wants. His wish? He wishes that he’d never become a werewolf. Only that wish has unexpected consequences…Gia doesn’t remember him, danger is stalking her, and, ho-ho-horror of horrors, Oliver is now a mild-mannered tax attorney. Nope, not happening. Especially the part where Gia is in danger. Oliver wants a do-over on the wish. STAT.
He will embrace his inner beast.
Oliver is an alpha werewolf for a reason. He wants his old, howl-at-the-moon life back, and he’s going to take it—fangs, claws, fur, and everything else. With the help of his angel intern, Oliver’s beast returns, and the hunt is on. Oliver is ready to fight for his second chance with Gia, and he will be at her side when danger comes to her door. Because there is no way that he will stand aside and let anyone hurt her. No way, no day. First, though, he has to convince the gorgeous Gia that she should give their love a second chance…
But it’s Christmas, right? And anything can happen during the holiday season…even a miracle for a werewolf.
Author’s note: Even werewolves can use a little Christmas magic. Deck the halls with some furry fun, dangerous dilemmas, and an uber hot hero who is prepared to grovel with hot chocolate for the woman who owns his heart. Someone is stalking her? Danger is at her door? Oliver will get his beast on in an instant in order to protect Gia. IT’S A WONDERUL WEREWOLF is a fun and festive novella (approximately 23,000 words) with an absolutely guaranteed happy ending.
Review:
I love paranormal romances from Cynthia. I always look forward to when she releases them. "It's a Wonderful Werewolf" is a magical holiday romance with a lovely werewolf and his girl friend.
The story starts with Oliver proposing to his girlfriend in a park. The moment is completely magical and romantic. Gia is about to say yes when Oliver is attacked. They see a huge wolf running off into the woods and the next thing they knew Oliver was turning into one.
Newly turned, Oliver is confused and scared. He doesn't know how to control his primal urges. He's afraid that he'd hurt Gia and decides to break it off with her. Gia almost succeed in making him stay but Oliver unexpectedly turns in the middle of having sex. They both realize they knew nothing about werewolves, heck, they didn't even know such creatures exist until the attack.
Oliver leaves the town and doesn't look back until one year later, he stumbles across an angel in a bar. The rest of the story is filled with a pinch of magic, a very eager angel intern who cannot wait to get his wings, and an angry girlfriend who is pissed at Oliver for leaving her.
I'd say Cael, though appears only a few scenes steals the show with his quirky dialogs and reactions. He's funny and I'd love to read more about him.
Oliver and Gia loves each other too much. I loved how Gia's character is written. She doesn't care if Oliver is a werewolf. She insists that they stay together. It's a shame Oliver is too scared to take a chance. But he will realize his mistake soon.
It's a fun read. I enjoyed reading this.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NH54CQM
About Cynthia Eden
Cynthia Eden is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller.
Never miss a release from Cynthia Eden! Sign up for her newsletter at cynthiaeden.com/newsletter. You can also visit her Facebook page for her latest updates: facebook.com/cynthiaedenfanpage.
Cynthia writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred novels and novellas.
Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate.
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January 22, 2022
Book Blitz: Awakened Dawn (Blood and Darkness Book 1) by Aria Storm
Awakened Dawn (Blood and Darkness Book 1) by Aria Storm
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Blurb:
Mavis was my name, and you could say I have had a bit of a tough go. Following a tremendous personal loss, I was entombed by my own daughter rather than allow me to expose our secret to the world.
I woke up in a mausoleum and two centuries have passed. All I want to do is drink a bit of blood and maybe find a beautiful modern maiden to entertain what's left of my soul. However, sinister forces are ever at play in my world. Even a queen who is two-centuries usurped cannot rest. Vampyrs are dying and the royals including my only surviving child are all in danger, as are the communities around us.
Set in modern New Orleans, this is the tale of the Lower Queen, Mavis Aubrey the mysterious vampyr who once led most of Britannia. Come follow Mavis as she struggles to learn how to function in the post-modern world and the vast array of new challenges rising to greet her.
Slow building poly lesbian romance.
Excerpt:
Prologue:
1820:
Steam and fog mixed with the early humid winds as they swirled through the bustling morning streets of New Orleans. Humans humming and thrumming throughout their busy-work.
This was one of the most honest times of the day for the little species. Their most dedicated and faithful workers were up while the masters of the town nursed whatever spirit had bitten them in the parlors or the bars of the city.
While the light of dawn proved painful to my kind, I still forced myself to watch the bustling of the break of day. All the flow and the blood pumping and thrumming in time around me like my own personal feast.
Even as old and wise as my people are, we have basic predatorial instincts like every other apex predator in the wild. The main difference being we have chosen to learn how to live in obscurity and hide amidst the human pack. We don’t kill without justifiable cause and we don’t condone the waste of precious human life. We have extremely self-serving reasons for our stance.
“Mum, you’re going to ruin your sight if you keep at this.”
Abigale, my tender younger twin daughter told me. She was just shy of her sixteenth year. If we were humans this might mean she was already looking for her suitors, but mercy upon me, we are vampyr and we do not often search for our eternal bonds, they find us in their own time.
Being that we never age much beyond eighteen years, I have already been forced to pretend to the world that these are my little sisters and not my daughters.
“Abigale, go shutter your window and bed down for the night, my child.”
My voice was soft but stern. I was the matriarch of my line, and none except my own blood-born children dared to speak a cross thought against me.
“But tis morning, naught the night, mum.”
Abigale pointed out, and I turned and arched an imperial ginger brow in question at my youngest child. Mercy found harbor in my heart, for it had taken me over three-centuries to bare my daughters. I was gifted with Abigale who was just like me, ginger and completely spirited like a wild mare, and Alexia, named for her human father Alexander Smithfield. Alexia favored her father, they were twins, but not the kind who happened to look identical. Not that any mother born could ever see their children as duplicates. To me, their differences were vast and highly pronounced, even if most of the world at large would claim them to be similar in spirit and temperament.
“Tis night for all that lives by the darkness of night, my daughter.”
I told her, and Abigale snickered at me, and said, “That sounds a bit redundant and possibly conflictual to the laws Sir Newton presented us with.”
My clever and cheeky child quipped to me, and I felt my bloody vision flash red in a warning. It was an instinctive response as a seasoned apex-being. I am not one to tolerate challenge lightly, however, I am discovering parenthood has tempered my wild Irish disposition ever so slightly.
“Off with ye, Lass!”
I dismissed her, and she decided she had pushed her poor mum as far as she intended for the night. I was certain my child would rediscover her jolly spirits at my torment in on the marrow.
“You’re too stern with them.”
I heard Alex as he walked up. He was the girl’s father, and he knew now that I had lain with him sexually for four straight months, simply because it was finally my cycle of fertility. Outside that window, I have no need or desire for the company of men. I just needed his seed to give life to my womb.
“Alexander, remember your station here. I give you all, but never forget that I am the Lower Queen of the Vampyr of the Celtic people. Beholden to none, save fer her co-Ruling King of Britannia residing in London.”
I reminded Alexander, not that I flung my station in his face often. The young man was now thirty-eight. He had been about the age I appear when we met. Our girls desired their daddy, so I brought him into the vampyr tribe as a human confidant. However, such intimate knowledge of my sex seems to let slip the weight behind my every word and whim.
“Of course, forgive my loose tongue, Lower Queen Mavis Aubrey.”
He bowed to me, part of it tasted of mockery, but I decided not to call him on his subtility. Alexander desired to be what I was, this was not lost to me. However, the tribes rarely bring in humans and the process is potentially fatal to the vampyr themselves. As Lower Queen, I am not allowed to risk my life on such a flight of fancy.
“There have been growing numbers of malcontents outside the gates of the estates, My Queen.”
Alexander informed me, and I nodded to him and I looked out, past the yard, then the fields. Out beyond the cotton fields and the orchards. Beyond even the farthest grazing herds of my cattle. My eyes came upon a cluster of local farmers and other various seasoned men of their crafts. They were furious because a young woman ruled over these lands and managed them better by far than any other estate in New Orleans. Add to that the fact that we employed and protected freed slaves and refused to practice the unseemly cultural ways of mistreating dark-skinned humans.
(These humans clearly have not grown up next to Darken Fae, and just how diverse that lot gets! Which makes the skin color thing exceedingly illogical from my or any other vampyr’s point of view. Beyond all else, we find blood tastes better when it is not imbittered by misery and oppression.)
“Indeed, it appears they have themselves a rebel-rousing leader of some sorts. This happens on occasion; the menfolk get enough spirits in their bellies and they set their ire upon the wench ruling her own little fiefdom.”
I told Alexander, and he hesitantly nodded his understanding.
“My Queen, would it not be wise to try to keep them dispersed?”
Frowning at the suggestion given question, I shook my head.
“Nay, tis the lads being rowdy. If I go off in full keg blast every time, they were showing their public disdain for me, I’d never get any work done, nor would anyone on these lands. These folks have handled our presence here for over a hundred years now, so they will keep themselves on the other side of that fence.”
(The few who didn’t, ended up vanishing without a trace and not even a banshee could find them to wail for their deaths. Not that I shared this sorted bit of fact with anyone.)
Being born a Vampyr of high-birth had made me learn how to decern threat-levels. I could smell a truly violent thug before he managed to romp and fuss or do damage to me or mine. After all, if we simply killed everyone who disagreed with us, we’d be like the slave-driving lot of the southern plantation owners. Even my kind was far nicer to our prey. We learned a very long time ago not to kill the blood-font, simply to extract what was needed, which is about a chalice full a day.
Humans are a deep mystery to me, how they behave and how they perceive themselves.
“Alexander, I will keep my best men on the gates and the various points one might use to enter my lands. I never dismiss danger so close to our precious ones running about at night.”
I told him, and he nodded stiffly and turned walking back into the house. He had plenty of reason to worry, considering his finite life-experience. He’d lived first as a wealthy farm owner’s son, and now as the father of the heirs of the entire Aubrey holdings. My name and wealth were not at all insubstantial. In fact, I am certain I possess more earthy treasures than I could possibly find a use for in any number of my lives. With all my wealth, came the burden of watching over every soul under my land and my banner--such as it was. I was born in a time where every house held a crest and the Aubrey name meant something in Ireland. We were ancient Celtic as sure as the mortal Celtic peoples. We lived in balance amongst the druids and the fair-folk most of the history of our lineage.
“You should have dismissed that human years ago, My Queen.”
The deep rocky tone of my old friend Olaf sounded. He had been the vampyr of the Viking lands, come to conquer with their raiding parties. Now, he was my most faithful servant and one of my only true friends.
“He’s the girl’s father. It is bully for me I required his manhood to make them, but even his insufferable prattling is worth the reward of their delightful countenances.”
Olaf grunted a masculine affirmation. He had one single soft spot in his entire persona, me and by extension, my daughters. To all else, he was a brute and a bit of a bully.
“It’s not wise for one so great to keep someone so self-involved, this close.”
Biting down on my lip lightly, my right fang protruded from my mouth.
“He’s hardly so troubling as to warrant this appraisal. Not to worry, I will keep him in line, and he will eventually even out with age. It is mainly youthful exuberance that bursts forth from him. Even now, he is a young man still even by human standards. Many of his age would only have wee-children with a blushing young bride barely past her first cycle.”
Olaf gave a loud snort at this, and he seemed to agree for the most part.
“I am off for a fortnight, My Queen. I will travel across the Mississippi to tend to our interests with the native folk. They promised us unhindered hunting paths, but only if we keep more white folk from bothering them.”
Olaf was still a bit of a stranger to my people, so he knew how to deal with sensitive matters like people as close to nature as the indigenous people of this dark wild continent. As far as I considered it, they had much more right to be angry with us than was being displayed. Sure, there were constant struggles and plenty of folks disappeared on both sides, but I’d not witnessed much unilateral warfare on their part.
My heart broke every conflict drove them further from their original homelands. Being here from the inception of this American continental experience, I have a far different memory than that which is being re-told as our history.
“Bring them offerings and give them every honor and dignity. I too will venture out to speak with their elders and chieftains when next we meet them. Continued kindness and honor may keep them from war.”
Olaf was no stranger to battle, yet he too found himself ill at ease with the thought of conflict with the neighbors. My interests backed up to their territories, what was left of them in this area. I hoped to keep this as a buffer between them and the rowdy youth, like the ones eyeing my free workers as they began their days.
“I’ll leave Jack for the guard of the estate, My Queen.”
Olaf told me, and I nodded in agreement.
“He has his father’s heart. I think he will prove to be a fine captain one day.”
Olaf grunted and said, “Here we don’t have knights or captain of knights anymore. We just have shape-changing Lycans and terribly angry Indians.”
He left me with that morbidly amusing final thought as he raced off to begin his journey. Olaf was ever a glutton for punishment and was known to travel by day, despite how brutally painful the sun and mid-day heat could be to our kind.
About Aria Storm
Lover of magic, karate, and all things my twisted little mind deems "girly." A writer of very gritty, visceral worlds that can both be real and imagined at the same time.
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January 17, 2022
Review Copies available this Month
Review Copies available this Month
Hello lovelies, review copies for my books are now available for Book Reviewers. If you have bought my book please consider leaving reviews or ratings on Amazon. If you have read it on Inkitt or Wattpad, please leave a rating or a review on Goodreads. It'll help me a lot.
Also find available Review copies from Editingle below.
Husband Undercover - Booksprout
Available ARCs from Editingle Indie House:
Snowflakes and Winter Dream - Booksprout
Beyond The Hallow Grave - Booksprout
Broken Night - Booksprout
The Wild Anemone - Booksprout
Curse of the Hallow Moon - Booksprout
Review: One Week Girlfriend
Temporary. That one single word best describes my life these last few years. I’m working at a temporary job until I can finally break free. I’m my little brother’s temporary mother since our mom doesn’t give a crap about either of us. And I’m that temporary girl all the guys want to get with because I give it up so easily. According to the rumors, at least.
But now I’m the temporary girlfriend of Drew Callahan, college football legend and all around golden guy. He’s beautiful, sweet—and he’s hiding way more secrets than I am. He’s brought me into this fake life where everyone seems to hate me. And everyone seems to want something from him. The only thing he seems to want though is…
Me.
I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is, I think Drew needs me. And I want to be there for him.
Forever.
Buy links:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098836946X/
Review:
Fable is a struggling waitress trying to make ends meet with taking care of her brother and alcoholic mom.
So when Drew offered Fable a three thousand dollars to spend the thanksgiving week with him and his parents she accepted without a question. He might be gay, maybe he wanted to make some ex jealous, or maybe he just wants to irritate his parents...
Fable doesn't care... She just has to pretend for week, take money and leave. But in this whole equation what either of them did not expect was to fall for each other... love or lust it doesn't matter... However, Drew is hiding a secret which he sure will make Fable run away from him because he could barely deal with it himself.
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