E.G. Manetti's Blog, page 15

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Indie Spotlight on Romance: Space Gladiators

In Badari Gladiators a spin-off of her highly-rated Badari Warriors series, Veronica Scott has combined two of my favorite alpha-heroes; aliens and gladiators. And, as with all Ms. Scott's books, her heroine's do their fair sharing of rescuing and battling villains.

Kyden is the top ranked gladiator in the Five Systems but he’s hardly there by choice. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. He has no idea where his home is or how many years have passed since he was condemned to a life of endless combat. Kill or be killed is the rule and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death.

Elara Vasclavian is the daughter of a senator, as far removed from the life of a gladiator as a noblewoman can be until through the machinations of a political enemy, she ends up in terrible jeopardy. Abducted and given to a group of drunken gladiators for their amusement the night before the games, Elara vows to put up a fight but there’s no real hope of saving herself.

Until Kyden steps in, responding to the goddess’s commandment to protect those who are smaller and weaker. And discovers she’s his fated mate.

Rescued, Elara returns to her life of privilege but she can’t forget the man who saved her life. The gulf between their places in the Five Systems is unbridgeable, no matter how much Kyden longs for even a glimpse of her in the arena audience. No matter how much she feels the pull to be by his side. As matters stand, they cannot be together…Or can they?

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Indie Spotlight on Romance: 2021 in Review

For my last Spotlight of 2021, I'm revisiting a handful of favorites from the past year.

Marie Johnston's foray into contemporary romance with the Oil Kings lacks the good versus bad suspense of her other works, but it makes up for it in entertaining and only mildly angsty family drama.

I lost my job and got kicked out by my roommate, who happens to be my ex-husband, on the same day.

If I nail one interview, I can get my life back on track. I even get to fly on a private jet with my prospective boss's dad Gentry King, a widowed oil company CEO. We'll make one stop and once Mr. King's business is done, we'll continue on to Denver where I'll hopefully land a high paying job that'll keep me from moving back in with my parents. I'm not even thirty, I can't go backwards in life.

Mr. King is unbelievably attractive and intimidating, but it's a short flight and I never have to see him again after it's done. Only we don't make it to Denver. A snow storm strands us in Wyoming where the only hotel room available has one bed. Unlike me, Mr. King remains undaunted and continues to work remotely at the desk in the room, otherwise ignoring my existence. Until the power goes out and there's nothing for us to do but get to know each other.

Between our age difference, his adult kids, and his former mother-in-law who's still in control of the company, what happens in Wyoming might have to stay in Wyoming.

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Seven time SFR Galaxy Award Winner, Veronica Scott , writes fabulous scfi action-adventure blended with classic romance. Within her Sectors SF Romance series, the Nebula Dream trilogy re-imagines the Titanic disaster in space with two follow up stories about the survivors.

Welcome to the story of the greatest interstellar cruise liner disaster of all time (“Titanic in Space” as the Galaxy Express Blog termed it), one small group of survivors and what befell them in later years, as told in three novels.

Wreck of the Nebula Dream
Traveling unexpectedly aboard the luxury liner Nebula Dream on its maiden voyage across the galaxy, Sectors Special Forces Captain Nick Jameson is ready for ten relaxing days, and hoping to forget his last disastrous mission behind enemy lines. He figures he’ll gamble at the casino, take in the shows, maybe even have a shipboard fling with Mara Lyrae, the beautiful but reserved businesswoman he meets.
All his plans vaporize when the ship suffers a wreck of Titanic proportions. Captain and crew abandon ship, leaving the 8000 passengers stranded without enough lifeboats and drifting unarmed in enemy territory.

Star Survior
They survived an iconic spaceship wreck together. She never expected to see him again … especially not armed to kill her.

Return Voyage
As a child, she survived the Wreck of the Nebula Dream. As an adult, she cannot move forward with her life until she faces the past. On the edge of burnout, bodyguard to a celebrity should be like a vacation . . . but someone doesn't want the child to remember.

Each novel has been previously published on its own and all can be read as standalone tales. Although interrelated, each story is a standalone romance with an HEA.

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Omegaverse stories are premised on societies wherein humans are divided into a dominance hierarchy of dominant "alphas", neutral "betas", and submissive "omegas". *Wikipedia

Books in this subgenre are on the darker side and, as Alison Aimes demonstrates in her Ruthless Warlords series, ideal for blending with the popular 'mafia' romance trope.

He's out for revenge. She's out to escape. Neither intends to fall in love.

His instructions are simple: do not open the bag. To escape exile and enact revenge, crime boss Magnus Avitus agrees to play the part of errand boy. But when the volatile package he’s been tasked with delivering begins to squirm, he has to take a peek. He never expects to come face-to-face with her. Or to have everything inside him roar "mine."

Her plans are simple: escape the bag and those intent on using her. But when omega Amora Rose's prison is unpacked before she can free herself, she is claimed by ferocious, scarred warlord who makes her heart whisper "mine."

Except she has a secret that’s about to send all their simple plans up in flames.

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COMING JANUARY 1st

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Holiday Reads

With Christmas around the corner, I'm offering a few fun, Christmas themed reads.

A Holiday by Gaslight is a charming historical. 5-stars/1-flame

A Courtship of Convenience

Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion—or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things.

A Last Chance for Love

But severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are.

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Homeworld for the Holidays is an 'aliens among us' rom-com. The passage were the hero attempts to explain Santa Claus to his alien girl friend is laugh-out-loud funny. 4-stars/3-flames.

He wanted to spend Christmas with the girl of his dreams—but never dreamt they'd spend it in space!

Buddy never meant to stow away on an alien warship. He just wanted to surprise Nika, the girl of his dreams, with a holiday dinner she’d never forget. But now, he’s stuck aboard the Reckoning with his dog, of all things, headed to a star system far from Earth and the Christmas dinner where he planned to introduce Nika to his family.

Nika has enough on her plate building colonies, dome worlds, and space stations in the Sol system—all without Earth’s governments detecting their presence. With a war going on throughout the galaxy, it’s up to her to create sanctuaries for sentients who have lost their homeworlds. When she’s called aboard the Reckoning to track down odd system errors—and pulled from a holiday dinner with Buddy—she knows something’s gone very wrong. It goes from bad to worse when she finds Buddy and his dog on board.

Now, they have to work together to figure out how to fix the ship for good, keep Buddy and his dog hidden, and forge an alliance with a planet full of super strong warriors with impulse control issues. For a galaxy at war, can a chef, his dog, and a little holiday four-part-harmony pave the way to peace?

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Christmas with Angel is a fun and steamy holiday novella. Part of a larger series, but easy enough to follow if read as a stand alone. 4-stars/4-flames.

Cowboy firefighter, Cole Hatcher, is determined to do what’s right and take his fiancé with him to his mother’s annual holiday dinner party. After all, the two most important ladies in his life need to learn to get along and the sooner the better. Besides, the rest of the family will be there.

Lacey Winters can’t forgive her future mother-in-law for keeping them apart for eight years. While she loves Cole’s family, including the five they are living with, “Racy Lacey” wants to spend Christmas alone with Cole, preferably in her sexy Christmas present for him.

But there are worse things brewing than family drama. This Christmas day, nothing goes as planned…for anyone.
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Watching the holiday budget? Check out these sci-fi romance FREEBIES!

2022 Free Book Club for Red Gems Subscribers

For all my newsletter subscribers, something special each month of 2022--an exclusive free book! The book may be available elsewhere, but not for free. The contributors include several who have appeared in Indie Romance Spotlight; Veronica Scott, Cara Bristol, Lea Kirk, and Tasha Black. Those who haven't been in the spotlight may well be before 2022 ends.

Not a subscriber to my monthly newsletter, Red Gems? It is easy to do.

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Book Club Contributors:

Cara Bristol
Tracy Cooper-Posey
Nancey Cummings
Candice Gilmer
Lea Kirk
Tamsin Ley
E.G. Manetti
Skye MacKinnon
Sue Mercury (Lyndon)
Veronica Scott
Susan Smith

Which author will provide each month’s book will remain a surprise.

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Silver Fox Aliens

Welcome to the Silverstar Agency, specializing in intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.

Aliens need brides has been a popular scifi romance trope for at least a decade. Silver fox aliens need brides is the newest variation and a welcome one. Lea Kirk's Silverstar Mates Series follows three winged aliens as they attempt to woo and win earth women.

Love can be as elusive as stardust.
After thirty-five years married to a controlling husband, Robyn Martin Donahue now has her freedom, friends, and a job she adores. And there’s still room in her heart for a special someone. Where in the galaxy can she find a man who will love and respect her, not try to rule her?

By law, a monarch cannot govern alone.
Recently widowed Kyzel Raptorclaw, the remaining sovereign of his clan, is on the hunt for a new mate. This time he wants more than just an ally; he wants love. But breaking with his peoples’ ancient mating tradition comes at a personal price—one his new mate may not accept.

Can Kyzel convince Robyn they are better together, or will their happily ever after crash and burn before it has a chance to soar?

Welcome to the Silverstar Agency, specializing in intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.

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Indie Spotlight on Romance: Omegaverse

Omegaverse, also known as A/B/O (an abbreviation for "alpha/beta/omega"), is a subgenre of speculative erotic fiction. . . Stories in the genre are premised on societies wherein humans are divided into a dominance hierarchy of dominant "alphas", neutral "betas", and submissive "omegas". *Wikipedia

Books in this subgenre are on the darker side and, as Alison Aimes demonstrates in her Ruthless Warlords series, ideal for blending with the popular 'mafia' romance trope.

He's the most brutal Alpha crime boss in the galaxy—and she belongs to him now. Payment for a debt owed. Pawn for an act of vengeance. Property to be used, knotted, and bred.

Irresistibly gorgeous mafia king Nikolai Skolov is dominant, hard, possessive—and determined to bend innocent omega Dahlia Lundin to his will. But she is equally determined to resist. The lives of those she loves depends upon it.

Except Dahlia isn't prepared for the insatiable hunger the Alpha's discipline awakens. Or her soul's recognition that her new master is also her fated-mate.

As dangers mount and betrayals loom, all Dahlia knows is turned on its head. Allegiances are tested. Secrets exposed. Until Dahlia is not sure if her ruthless enemy is the monster who will destroy her or the only one left who can save her...

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Also available for 99c, a standalone novella from the same series.

He's out for revenge. She's out to escape. Neither intends to fall in love.

His instructions are simple: do not open the bag. To escape exile and enact revenge, crime boss Magnus Avitus agrees to play the part of errand boy. But when the volatile package he’s been tasked with delivering begins to squirm, he has to take a peek. He never expects to come face-to-face with her. Or to have everything inside him roar "mine."

Her plans are simple: escape the bag and those intent on using her. But when omega Amora Rose's prison is unpacked before she can free herself, she is claimed by ferocious, scarred warlord who makes her heart whisper "mine."

Except she has a secret that’s about to send all their simple plans up in flames.
99c Purchase Links
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Prices reflect time of posting

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Celebration Sale Extended! Trio Boxed Set 99c!

To celebrate winning a 2021 RONE, the 99c sale on the Twelve Systems Trio has been extended to November 30!

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Indie Spotlight on Romance: 2021 RONE Winners

Rounding out my coverage of the 2021 RONE awards, Note that my blog omits the categories; Young Adult, Historical ~ Ancient to Regency, Paranormal Short, Historical ~ Victorian to 20th Century, Contemporary/Sweet, Audiobooks, and Anthologies.

THE WINNERS ARE:

Time Travel/Science Fiction

Within days of being rescued from Desperation Crevasse, Lilian must return at Lucius’ side as his shield bearer. Together with their guild allies, they will confront the Despoilers and end their threat to Blooded Dagger and the cartel. In the savage battle, Lucius is injured leaving Lilian to protect her him, Blooded Dagger, and the cartel.

Stranded on Desperation until he recovers, Lucius gathers his allies to protect his interests from rivals determined to exploit his weakness. With the aid of ancient guild lore, he and Lilian will seek to uncover the remaining Despoilers and penetrate the mystery of an ancient prophecy. Before he can return to Crevasse City and his center of power, one if his inner circle will challenge his preeminence and threaten Lilian’s survival. It will take all his cunning and Lilian’s courage to counter the betrayal before it endangers the Nightingale’s voyage to the Thirteenth System.

Across the Twelve Systems, from Desperation to Metricelli Prime, and Fortuna, Lilian and Lucius will battle to protect their love and forge a future for themselves, Blooded Dagger, Serengeti, and the Twelve Systems.

Author's note: This is the ninth book in the Twelve Systems Chronicles and a continuation of the story that begins in The Cartel: The Apprentice, Volume 1.
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Contemporary/Steamy
Get Away Closer

“You only get one chance to make a first impression.”

When Charlie Lawrence meets his neighbor, it’s not good.

Lanie Kelly is a small town girl who loves contemporary rock n’ roll; lives the night owl life; and craves peace and quiet.

Charlie is a city boy who loves country western music; sunrise walks with his dogs; and woodworking with his collection of power tools.

They share a driveway and little else.

Sparks fly as summer heats up and a thunderstorm drops a tree on Charlie’s house. As their relationship begins to blossom, a fifty year old family feud and a toxic ex-lover test its strength.

With hearts and homes on the line, Lanie and Charlie must decide to give up or…

US$3.99
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Historical/Regency
To Win a Wicked Lord

Lord Percival Bretagne is used to playing games. He survived being a spy for a decade using his wits alone. But that was just life and death. Now, he's playing for the most important prize of all—love.

He'll Stop at Nothing...

Ten years after his family gave him up for dead, British spy Lord Percival Bretagne is back home, but his mission is far from over. Playing the aristocrat in London gambling dens and at country house parties is just a cover for Percy's real quest. He's hunting the man who stole everything from him—his family, his marriage, even his identity. And this time nothing, and no one, will stand in his way.

She'll Risk it All...

But one night with Isabel Galante changes everything. She's willing to gamble a woman's most intimate prize in order to save her imprisoned father, but she didn't expect a devilishly handsome opponent with a dangerously attractive wicked streak. Isabel would do anything for her family, including betraying Percy, but she has no idea that she's stumbled into the middle of a decade-long quest for revenge.

Who Will Win in the Game Called Love?

Percy has been betrayed before, and now the man who destroyed his life is using Isabel to strike again. With the fate of the government and his new life in the balance, he'll have to keep Isabel seductively, scandalously close. They begin a passionate game of truth and lies, deception and dalliance, uncovering the heart of who they really are and realizing that winning might mean losing what matters the most—each other.

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Paranormal Long
Heart of Vengeance

When dealing with vampires, expect betrayal at every turn…

Mage private investigator Alice Worth’s life has changed dramatically. On the plus side, she has a new home to share with alpha werewolf Sean Maclin and her ghost sidekick Malcolm. She’s also gained an office with her name on the door, a fearsome ally, and dark magic inherited from a defeated enemy.

On the downside, a dire prophecy hangs over her head, she’s uncovered a terrible betrayal, and the new magic is killing her.

When the ancient head of the Vampire Court calls in a favor, Alice is forced to put aside her own problems to hunt a stolen treasure. She and Malcolm travel to realms full of wonders and nightmares in their pursuit of a thief consumed by need for vengeance. To survive and return home, they must rely on a motley group of highly unusual allies.

In pursuit of justice, Alice and Malcolm face many terrifying adversaries. Unfortunately, some are much closer to home than they could imagine…

US$4.99 or KU Link
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Suspense/Thriller
Killer Score

Obsession is a dangerous thing, especially if you're the target...

Detective Evan Gallagher has exchanged his job as an FBI agent for a position within Ireland's police force. A Garda Síochána rarely deals with serious crime, and Evan thinks Dublin would be a quiet place to start over-but he's proven wrong.

Psychologist Chelsea Campbell never thought that volunteering as profiler for the Garda would change her life so drastically-until Detective Gallagher calls her to a murder scene in the middle of the night.

Is this a one-time impulse, or is the killer's agenda only starting? As hard as Chelsea and Evan struggle to solve the case, neither of them expects a second dead body so soon. Working against the clock, they have to win this cat-and-mouse game before the killer claims the next intended victim-which happens to be one of them.

Each book from The Irish Garda Files series can be read as a stand-alone novel and does not contain cliffhangers.

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Historical: Scottish
The Reiver's Cub

Ten years ago, Bess Mowatt promised to guard her newborn cousin from his father, Aleck Maxwell. Called the Reiver Wolf, Maxwell is the scourge of the Scottish marches, and no fit guardian for a child. But when the keep where Bess and the boy live suddenly comes under Maxwell's protection, she has nowhere to hide.

Aleck doesn't quite believe the tale he was told, that his son died at birth. His head tells him one thing, and his heart another. While protecting the keep from marauders, he makes a connection with Bess's young charge. But Bess stands in the way, a woman who is also a warrior, a protector who needs his protection. Can he persuade this fiery woman to accept his help? Will a lie told long ago stand in the way of their love?

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Fantasy
Sparks

Being Chosen by the Gods doesn’t mean much when the Gods have abandoned you.

Jordan was raised to save his people from the war to come. All his life he trained to take down the rebel army of demigods and demons foretold to tear the middle realm of Terath to pieces in their determination to destroy the Gods.

Now, the war is finally here. But everything that made Jordan special has been stripped away from him—his prophetic ability to hear the Gods in Their creation, his leadership over his people, even his faith.

As the rebels send a new threat to take down Jordan and the people of Haven—the most powerful wizard of all the ages—Jordan has never felt more lost. So when the golem who served as Jordan’s only friend and childhood protector disappears, Jordan sets out to fix at least one thing in this dark, broken world—even if it means breaking into the Gods’ home and hunting Them down—and bring back a soul for Adem.

US$6.99 or KU
Amazon

Mystery
The Fog Ladies: Family Matters

Till death do us part, with kitchen shears. What drives a family man to kill his wife? This question haunts Sarah James, a medical resident who meets the unhappy family at a resort near Big Sur. She witnesses how ugly a marriage can be. But murder?

Sarah and the spunky Fog Ladies—elderly neighbors from her San Francisco apartment building—set out to discover the truth. Their probing finds the threat is perilously close to home, as another troubled family struggles to survive.

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Cops, Jocks, & Cowboys
Protecting the Princess

He wants to protect her.
She needs him to love her.

Parker Princeton is a man’s man. The kind who leads expeditions into the wilderness, can start a campfire with nothing but determination, and has survived on a steady diet of beef jerky and Dr Pepper. When he discovers a female in the woods, alone and injured, his first instinct is to protect her, the second to claim her as his own. Although she can barely remember her name, he’s falling head over heels in love with the beautiful, mysterious woman.

Growing up as a pampered princess from a small European kingdom, all Poppy Granville wants is to experience a normal life. After finishing a year of studies in New York, Poppy decides to explore America before she returns home to face the responsibilities of her title. She ditches her cell phone, buys an old rust bucket car, and sets out on an adventure. After an injury leaves her stranded in the middle of nowhere, a rugged outdoorsman seems to be her only hope of surviving, even if she has to pretend to have amnesia to keep her identity a secret.

Will telling him the truth set her free, or lose him forever?

Laughter, love, and a fairy tale ending await in this funny, sweet romance packed with small-town charm.
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Indie Spotlight on Romance: Pets in Space 6

Aliens, cyborgs, military, revolutionaries, colonists and more. All the heroes and heroines from all the favored tropes, plus their pets! Each year, I look forward to this anthology.

Even better, for the month of October, 10% of October royalties are donated to Hero-Dogs.org to provide specially trained dogs to veterans and first responders.

This is a limited release. Once it leaves the stores, the authors will publish their stories independently. Other years, the individual novella prices have ranged from US$2.99-4.99. So grab this bargain while it is available.

Pets in Space 6

Join the incredible authors in this year's Pets in Space 6 for another out-of-this-world adventure. This award-winning, USA TODAY Bestselling anthology is packed full of your favorite Pets in Space®. Featuring 11 original, never-before-released stories from some of today's bestselling science fiction romance and fantasy authors, Pets in Space 6 continues their vital support of Hero-Dogs.org, the non-profit charity that improves quality of life for veterans of the U.S. military and first-responders with disabilities. Don't miss out on this limited-edition anthology before it's too late!

Pets in Space 6 is edited by Carol Van Natta. Contributing authors: S.E. Smith (NY Times and USA TODAY bestselling author), Veronica Scott (USA TODAY bestselling author), Honey Phillips, Carol Van Natta (USA TODAY bestselling author), Cassandra Chandler (USA TODAY bestselling author), J.C. Hay (USA TODAY bestselling author), S.J. Pajonas (USA TODAY bestselling author), Greta van der Rol, Deborah A. Bailey, Melisse Aires, and Kyndra Hatch.
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