E.G. Manetti's Blog, page 24

Indie Spotlight on Romance: 2019 in Review

For my final spotlight of 2019, highlights from the past year.

Love over 30
First love, one true love, soul mates -- romance tends to favor the twenty somethings. In a refreshing contrast, indie author Jennifer Theriot features heroes and heroines over thirty -- often taking second chance on love.

Her contemporary Out of the Box trilogy follows the same recipe with an over forty hero and heroine thrown together by fate.

Olivia Petersen thought her life ended the day her husband walked out. Little did she know, it had only just begun.
A good woman, mother, and wife, she's got it made. She didn't expect anything to change, but of course it does...
Swept from her perfect paper-doll life in Houston, Olivia finds herself in Chicago, alone, betrayed, and far from home. Soon everything she thought she knew about herself and her life will be challenged.

Ash Harper is the man who has everything--everything except healing from the losses of a lifetime and a dark family secret.

What happens when the married woman and the sexy handsome widower are thrown together by fate?
99c or KU
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Cold Love
Love in on alien planets caught in a polar vortex is an intermittent theme in Science Fiction Romance. Cara Bristol adds an interesting twist by blending Aliens Need Brides and romantic suspense into her Alien Mate series. Intrepid earth women journey to planet thrown into an ice age by a natural disaster. In return for an essential power source, the alien hunks get brides and advanced technology. To keep it interesting, villains keep interrupting the path of true love.

I'm Starr Elizabeth Connor. Earth's government falsely convicted me of a crime, packed me on a ship with other female felons, and sent us to Dakon, a primitive, frozen wasteland of a planet. Why? Earth needs minerals, and Dakon is desperate for females.

But I'm no barbarian’s 'mail order bride,' even if he is super tall, muscular, and the chief of his tribe. He doesn’t want a BBW blonde, either--it's written all over his chiseled face. He'll be truly angry if he ever learns what my 'crime' was.

I am Torg. I have waited 34 rotations for a mate of my own. With this shipment, I was sure to get a fine, sturdy mate who'll bear me many daughters. Instead, I receive a small, curvy, pale-haired female who looks at me with anger and fear.

It is only when we 'kiss' that I believe things may work out between us. But I'm hearing rumors that Starr and her shipmates are law-breakers. To survive, Dakonians must obey all laws … or be exiled into the frozen wasteland. Just when I have found her, will I have to send my mate to die?

3.99 purchase links
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Gamblers and Gansters
Gamblers and gangsters are staples of the bad boy romance. Traditionally, they aren't as bad as suspected, and thus the romance. There are dark romance versions, but indie author Sarah Curtis is a traditionalist. Her Gamblers series is all about not-so-bad boys. They can be dangerous and sexy, but never true bad guys.

River Kingston has a problem, and his name is Royal. Her brother owes one-hundred grand to the mob, and River feels it’s her responsibility to help him.

The daughter of a renowned poker player, River does the only thing she knows how to do to win that much money...
She hits the tables.

Headed to Eden Island, home of the most elite poker tournament, The Omega One, River runs into--literally--the man from her teenage fantasies.

Now she has another problem, and his name is Alec Throne. Because after the famous poker star catches her from falling, he decides he's never letting her go.

And, as River soon discovers, when Alec Throne sets his mind to something…

He's all-in.
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Dark SFR
Dark romance is a bit of contradiction in terms. Romance, with its happily-ever-after requirement, does not mix well with dark. Often, dark romance is used to describe less than healthy relationships that include passion and sex. Although, there are those authors who can turn what starts in a dark place into a believable HEA; with characters who may tend to darkness, but are not without redeeming characteristics.

Science Fiction Romance is no exception and for those who like their heroes and heroines with a bit of a bite there are Cynthia Sax's Refuge series.

Can love redeem a monster?

The Refuge is home to some of the most violent beings in the universe. Kralj, its leader, reigns over the remote outpost with terrifying ease, ruthlessly squashing any rumors of rebellion, killing anyone who breaks his rules. Primitive, deadly, powerful, he’s a monster, scarred both on his face and his soul. He has never met a being he couldn’t control.

Until he meets her.

Dita has one mission—to kill the three targets claiming sanctuary within the Refuge. Or so she claims. For the first time in his long lifespan, Kralj isn’t certain of another being’s intentions. The tiny assassin is immune to his powers, her thoughts unreadable. He can’t predict her movements, can’t control her, can’t stop wanting her.

Dita is rare, as unique as he is, and, to keep the residents of the Refuge safe, Kralj will have to kill her. But first, he’ll touch her, taste her, show her how passionate the beast inside him can be.

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Rom-Com with an SFR twist

Is he after her heart or her planet?

Evelyn Chambers is a nerdgirl and proud of it. When she finds out that her drop-dead gorgeous best friend is an alien general with only three days left on Earth, she has to wrap her head around too much at once. Aliens are real, and if she wants to keep hanging out with one, she'll have to marry him!

Adam Smith has never seen a planet as beautiful as Earth or a woman as enticing as Evelyn. His government wants him to re-enlist, but when Evelyn suggests marriage to help him stay, Adam realizes that what he really wants is her—and he'll sacrifice everything to be with her.

Can he convince his government—and Evelyn—that he's looking for more than a Gray card?

Author's Note: Have you ever wanted a quick read with super-hot love scenes, wacky hijinks, and whimsical puns? Presenting The Department of Homeworld Security! Short, sexy, scifi, packed with fish-out-of-water moments, aliens being baffled by finding their first love, and lots of...probing.
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Epic Science Fiction Romance
Last, but by no means least, my own Twelve Systems Chronicles.

4 InD'TALE CROWNED HEARTS
4 RONE NOMINATION
3 RONE FINALISTS

The first three volumes, only 99c through December 31.
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Five-stars. The world building in this series is absolutely phenomenal. . . Lillian is brilliant. She is fierce and smart and vulnerable and endearing. ~ Melissa Brus, Paranormal Romance Guild, April 2019

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Regency Historical

Regency romances run heavy on lords and ladies. In a nice change of pace, Mia Vincy's A Wicked Kind of Husband features an industrialist hero who lacks polish. When he clashes with the extremely proper heroine, there are LOL moments as well as some serious steam.

It was the ideal marriage of convenience…until they met.

Cassandra DeWitt has seen her husband only once—on their wedding day two years earlier—and this arrangement suits her perfectly. She has no interest in the rude, badly behaved man she married only to secure her inheritance. She certainly has no interest in his ban on her going to London. Why, he’ll never even know she is there.

Until he shows up in London too, and Cassandra finds herself sharing a house with the most infuriating man in England.

Joshua DeWitt has his life exactly how he wants it. He has no need of a wife disrupting everything, especially a wife intent on reforming his behavior. He certainly has no need of a wife who is intolerably amiable, insufferably reasonable … and irresistibly kissable.

As the unlikely couple team up to battle a malicious lawsuit and launch Cassandra’s wayward sister, passion flares between them. Soon the day must come for them to part … but what if one of them wants their marriage to become real?

US$3.99 purchase links
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*** Prices reflect time of posting ***

99c Holiday Sale: Vols 1-3 of the Twelve Systems Chronicles

99c December 1 - 31!

Five-stars.  The world building in this series is absolutely phenomenal. . . Lillian is brilliant. She is fierce and smart and vulnerable and endearing.;~ Melissa Brus, Paranormal Romance Guild, April 2019

Amazon *  Nook * Kobo * Apple

The first three volumes in the epic science fiction romance series that blends elements of space opera with the intrigue and suspense of a political thriller.

Chalice Bearer Pre-Order

Chalice Bearer is available for pre-order!

Release date: January 21, 2020

Amazon * Nook * Kobo * Apple

Chalice Bearer Cover Reveal

Coming January 2020!

Pre-order available soon.

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Free and Fun SFR

Oops. I seem to have skipped a bi-weekly post. To make up for the omission, a double posting of free, fun, and steamy Science Fiction Romance.

The Savage King

​Cat-shifting King Kirill knows he must do his duty by his people. When his father unexpectedly dies, it’s his destiny to take the throne and all of the responsibility that entails. What he hadn’t prepared for is the troublesome prisoner that’s now his to deal with.

Undercover Agent Ulyssa is no man’s captive. Trapped in a primitive forest awaiting pickup, she’s going to make the best out of a bad situation…which doesn’t include falling for the seductions of a king.







Freebie links
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Gray Card

Is he after her heart or her planet?

Evelyn Chambers is a nerdgirl and proud of it. When she finds out that her drop-dead gorgeous best friend is an alien general with only three days left on Earth, she has to wrap her head around too much at once. Aliens are real, and if she wants to keep hanging out with one, she'll have to marry him!

Adam Smith has never seen a planet as beautiful as Earth or a woman as enticing as Evelyn. His government wants him to re-enlist, but when Evelyn suggests marriage to help him stay, Adam realizes that what he really wants is her—and he'll sacrifice everything to be with her.

Can he convince his government—and Evelyn—that he's looking for more than a Gray card?

Author's Note: Have you ever wanted a quick read with super-hot love scenes, wacky hijinks, and whimsical puns? Presenting The Department of Homeworld Security! Short, sexy, scifi, packed with fish-out-of-water moments, aliens being baffled by finding their first love, and lots of...probing.
Freebie links
AMAZON * NOOK * APPLE * KOBO

*** Prices reflect time of posting ***

Twelve Systems Bundle: 99c until 11/30

The world building in this series is absolutely phenomenal. . . Lillian is brilliant. She is fierce and smart and vulnerable and endearing.~ Melissa Brus, Paranormal Romance Guild, April 2019

99c - November 1-30

Amazon *  Nook * Kobo * Apple

The first two volumes in the in the epic science fiction romance series that blends elements of space opera with the intrigue and suspense of a political thriller .

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Halloween Classics

With Halloween only days away, I'm drawn to the classics; Vampires, Werewolves and things that go bump in the night. In other words, paranormal romance (PNR).

RITA nominated Marie Johnston handles both werewolves and vampires, with a few demons and witches thrown in for good measure.

The Sigma Menace series features werewolves being hunted by an evil quasi-government group. All can be read as standalones, but I recommend reading in order.

After being ditched only weeks before her wedding, Cassie Stockwell wasn’t out looking for a hookup. Then the devastatingly handsome bartender she’d been trying not to obsess over for months offered to give her a ride home. What could one night hurt?

When his future was almost taken away after one impulsive decision, wolf-shifter Jace Miller waited patiently for months before making a move on the woman he knew to be his destined mate. But will one night of passion keep his little human by his side once she learns of his world and the danger it brings to her doorstep?
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In the New Vampire Disorder demons are coming. And who better to fight the underworld than vampires?

As if overthrowing the vampire government and implementing a new council to make vampires, shifters, and hybrids play nice wasn’t enough, Demetrius Devereux finds a bigger problem to deal with in an innocent, stubborn, and privileged beauty.

Callista Augustus is the over-protected daughter of a once-powerful vampire leader. Discovering her desperate father has tapped into a well of pure evil, Calli swallows her sense of betrayal and turns him in. She almost regrets it when she meets the infamous and arrogant Demetrius. Forcing herself to work with the male who ruined her family, Calli's only concern is saving her father.

When Demetrius gets past the infuriating personality of the righteous female, he realizes Calli's the one in great danger. He gives her his help out of duty, until it becomes clear that if he loses her, he loses everything.
US$2.99 links
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In the Pale Moonlight novels, shifters are desperate to remain hidden but rivalries and greed threaten to expose them all.

Porter Denlan’s home is in turmoil, his pack lives in fear of their cruel leader, but he knows one female whose birthright can govern them without question. Unfortunately, his nemesis is also searching for her—and it isn’t to bring her back to the home she was taken from.

Raised as a human, Maggie Miller wishes she could connect with her species. But when a sexy carpenter comes into her work making outrageous claims about her destiny, she blows him off—despite her intense attraction toward the rugged male. Hours after she watched his admirable backside walk out, three brutes attack her. Unable to stay away from her, Porter jumps to her aid; they barely escape.

On the run, they learn what Maggie’s birthright truly is—and how it could tear them apart.
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*** Prices reflect time of posting ***

Chalice Bearer Sneak Peek 5

Chalice Bearer is into its editing cycle, so this will be the last sneak peek before the January 2020 release. Based on popular demand, a glimpse into what Rebecca is up to.

****

Rebecca opens the panel by her desk and checks her appearance in the mirror. The intricate twist has not released a single lock of platinum hair.

Oyster gray linen blended with turquoise silk. The suit fits her to perfection.

Ice blue watered silk top with a demure V-neck. Elegant and enticing.

Blade metal pumps with silver heels. A bit daring but within protégé decorum.

Plain gold posts in her ears. Beyond dull, but she was appalled when Lilian informed her that she could never again use the aquamarine studs of her apprenticeship lest it diminishes her current status. They were a gift from Seigneur Trevelyan and a symbol that he values her. The first and only she has ever received from one who did not wish to bed her.

Twisting to double check her appearance, she is satisfied with the understated elegance that will please her mentor. Her mentor who has yet to ask about the estrangement between monsignor and Lilian.

Mayhap she can have the aquamarines made into drops. Rebecca turns for the door.


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Indie Spotlight on Romance: 2019 RONE Finalists - Mystery

The last round of RONE Finalists for 2019 feature mystery and romance. Shipboard sabotage, wine country corporate espionage, getaway weddings, and mysterious slayings in 1951 Los Angeles; these four finalists deliver.

Stowaway

Her identity is hidden … He’s determined to uncover it

Charleston, South Carolina shipping heiress, MIRANDA MERRICK, discovers one of her family’s cargo ships, the Elle Merrick, has suffered multiple attacks by a saboteur. The devious actions have put the company at risk for bankruptcy. Miranda refuses to sit idly and wait for years of hard work to be destroyed. She boards the Elle in hopes of gaining help from her uncle, the ship’s captain, only to discover a stranger at the helm. A man much younger than her uncle, and someone she believes has no business being there.

In an effort to discover the culprit and save her family’s company, Miranda stows away on the ship - keeping her identity a secret while conducting her own investigation. Making matters more complicated, she finds herself attracted to the new captain, who could very well be the enemy. After all, until she can uncover the truth, everyone is suspect.

Captain NOAH SHEPPARD is hoping to merge his small, cargo shipping line, Clayton Company, with the multinational conglomerate, Merrick Shipping. Upon discovering one of Merrick’s ships has been deliberately and systematically sabotaged by a crew member, he agrees to captain the targeted vessel in hopes of discovering the identity of the saboteur. Once caught and brought to justice, both companies will then be able to close the deal and complete the merger.

Two days into the voyage, Noah discovers a stowaway, and assumes she’s either the saboteur or in league with him. But what Noah didn’t bargain for is having to deal with the mysterious, gorgeous, redhead, who wreaks havoc - not only to his patience, but to his heart.

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AMAZON

Wine Thief

What happens when a corporate spy clashes with a woman he can’t help but fall for?

Chloe Dorsey places her belongings in storage, puts Southern California in her rearview mirror, and heads to her sister’s home in Northern California for a fresh start. As one of the newly hired wine educators at the Napa Valley Point Resort and Winery, Chloe’s knowledge of wine is as limited as her income.

Anthony “Tony” Mahoney has one objective—to locate the Mother Vine, the source of the rare and award-winning wine that can only be found at the Napa Valley Point Resort and Winery. His talent for stealing secrets is tested when he makes an unlikely alliance with the one woman who could destroy all his plans.

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AMAZON

Handbags & Homicide

Kaley Kalua is ecstatic when her best friend announces that she’s getting married and bringing the pre-wedding celebration to Aloha Lagoon! As the maid of honor, Kaley can't wait to see her bride-to-be bestie, Emma—that is, until Emma shows up on the island with a few unwelcome faces in her wedding party, including Kaley’s cheating ex-husband, Bryan, one of his former mistresses, and his new girlfriend! To make matters worse, Kaley’s current relationship with the resort's hot lifeguard is on the rocks, and herbrand new handbag goes missing after a wild night celebrating Emma’s bachelorette party.

But things go from bad to downright deadly when Bryan’s girlfriend is found the next day, dead and buried in a shallow grave on the resort beach—along with Kaley’s missing bag! The police seem convinced that Kaley is involved in the woman’s untimely death. In order to prove her innocence and save Emma’s wedding weekend, Kaley must do a little investigating of her own. Did her arrogant ex-husband kill his own girlfriend? Or did the jealous other woman commit the crime? The deeper Kaley digs in her pursuit of the truth, the more secrets and lies she uncovers. It soon becomes clear that someone doesn’t want Kaley to air their dirty laundry. If she isn’t careful, she may not live to see her friend walk down the aisle.

US$4.99
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Thrill Girl

June, 1951...It's a tense summer in the City of Angels. A killer is on the loose. She's blonde, she's beautiful, and she murders bad guys. On three different occasions, she thwarted a mugging in progress, saving the innocent, dispatching the guilty, and fading away like a whisper in the rain. She never waits around for thanks. Apparently she doesn't want any.

Who is this woman?

Jack Curran, star reporter, is determined to find out. He's a good citizen. A war hero. A journalist who wants to write fiction, which he plans to once he files an exclusive on Thrill Girl's identity. When Thrill Girl strikes a fourth time, adding two more to her body count while saving a pretty shop girl, his investigation leads him to socialite Alana Maxwell. She's blonde. She's beautiful.

Does she murder bad guys?

Despite his publisher's warning to beware her very connected and powerful step-brother, Jack goes to ask her, face to face. But Alana Maxwell doesn't care that a newspaperman is tracking her like a hound with a snout full of fox. She has only one thing on her mind, saving her younger brother's life. It's something she'll do anything to accomplish. Anything. Including taking illicit drugs, living with blackouts and hallucinations, and putting herself in the hands of a mysterious doctor she has no good reason to trust.

Before Jack can nail down Alana's connection to Thrill Girl, LA is rocked by an even more lurid crime. A bum is ripped to pieces near the Griffith Park Zoo. The coroner says the bite marks have traces of human and animal saliva. The cops go crazy. Jack's newspaper proclaims a monster's in town. The good citizens of LA lock their doors and windows and clamor for answers.

Jack is determined to provide them. He hears a rumor about something called a der Katzenjunge. Translation? A European myth about men with the mutant ability to temporarily transmogrify into a savage, feline-like creature. What the hell would a crackpot story like that have to do with Thrill Girl, he wonders?

Quite a lot, actually.

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AMAZON

*** Prices reflect time of posting ***