E.G. Manetti's Blog, page 35

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Paranormal

*Reposted from Some Like Hot group's Indie Spotlight thread.

Continuing my series on InD'Tale 2017 Rone Finalists, this week features those in the paranormal category. Same a general disclaimer as before; I am not paid by InD'Tale in anyway - I like the ezine and usually agree with the reviewers. Of course, Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a 2017 Finalist, so we know they have it together.

Hellbound Warrior

Rhys O’Morda finds himself at the mouth of Hell after swearing he would never go back. When the archdemon, Kadir, steals the Goddess’ powerful Triskele Amulet, Rhys is left with the fate of the world resting on his shoulders. Cursing his birthright, he sets out to tackle the nine circles of the Underworld. Facing rivers of fire, freezing rains, soul-sucking creatures and his inner weaknesses is nothing compared to coming face to face with his Fated Mate. His biggest challenge isn’t passing the tests of each circle in Hell, but trying to win his mate’s heart.
KU or US$3.99 Purchase links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Of Spells and Shadows

Orphaned as a child and desperate to belong to someone, Kinsey Fletcher will do anything to find her uncle--her last living relative. This young witch has an impenetrable bond with Colin Ward, the wolf who saved her as a child, but nothing can replace the unconditional love that was stripped from her so long ago. When Dominic, the captain of the wolf guard, is tasked to escort Kinsey to America to find this absent uncle, Colin's jealousy puts the trio at risk. Kinsey belongs to him--only to him.

But America doesn't provide Kinsey with the joy she so desperately searched for. The magickal world is corrupt and full of politics, betrayal, and lies. And now, Dominic, Colin, and Kinsey can't trust anyone--possibly not even each other.
US$4.99 Purchase links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/of-s...
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/of-s...

Maggie

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to share your home with an unearthly spirit who can’t find closure? Living on the edge of a cemetery with souls dating back to the 1700s would be enough to spook anyone, but Naomi finds it oddly romantic, and becomes inspired to write her next novel. Why not, when her muse, Maggie, calls to her from beyond her own window?

After all, the story couldn't possibly be as complicated as Naomi's own love life. Torn between Ryan, the mysterious and seemingly perfect man she just started dating, and Bryce, the sexy single dad who recently moved in next door, Naomi must navigate the tangled web of dating—all while trying to solve the mystery of Maggie's death.
US$0.99 Purchase links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/magg...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/magg...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/magg...

Hearts Unloched

A psychic interior designer reluctantly agrees to renovate a sexy investor’s abandoned hotel on a lake rumored to have once been the mob’s body dumping ground.

Interior designer Kate Bardach loves her single girl’s lifestyle—living in Manhattan and spending weekends at her lake house. She’s passionate about her career, reinventing old buildings. But there are some projects she can’t take on because of the spirits trapped there. Kate is psychic—she sees dead people.

Marco Lareci is one of Wall Street’s most successful investment brokers who’s achieved all of his life’s goals—except for finding his soulmate. His latest project, an abandoned resort on Loch Sheldrake, needs a savvy designer to transform the crumbling complex into a boutique hotel. When Marco meets Kate, he can’t believe his luck. She’s the perfect match for his business and his heart.

Marco’s body excites Kate even more than does his renovation project. But the haunting there, a bonafide poltergeist, affects her on an intensely personal level. Kate’s aunt disappeared from the place fifty years ago.
US$2.99 Purchase links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Dark Vortex

For the survival of his clan, Jack Fialko needs to mate with a witch of equal power before the end of the solstice. He finds the perfect woman, except for one serious flaw. She has no idea how to engage in the dangerous magical foreplay–the duel for sexual equality. The task of training her in two days seems insurmountable, especially while other warriors are trying to kidnap her.

Zoe is a warrior-healer hybrid. The trouble is, she has no idea what that means. It’s all a harmless game until one night a dominant, brooding, sexy-as-sin warrior touches her and ignites a shameless craving to mate. Zoe must decide if the scorching chemistry between them is worth fighting for.
US$2.99 or KU Purchase link
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Six

Paige Carmichael has one simple rule: don’t rock the boat. She lives a quiet life in the suburbs with an adequate boyfriend and a job that pays the rent, all the while trying to hide the fact that she’s the daughter of a world-renowned paranormal investigator. Her happy bubble bursts when the father she’s tried so hard to forget appears at her door with an ominous message—vampires are real.

Paige’s safe little life doesn’t have secretive strangers that hide from the sun, arcane laws, or mysterious covens that stretch back for eons, but change as sure as the cycle of the moon is headed her way. Unfortunately for Paige, it’s a dog-eat-dog world, and if she doesn’t learn to adapt and discover her own inner strength, she might just find herself at the bottom of the food chain—quite literally.
US$0.99 or KU Purchase link
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...

Untouchable Lover

King Noeh wants to live his single life, fight his enemy, and honor his goddess by winning the war over Earth’s most precious resource—water. Bonding to a female shifter is not part of the plan, not until his goddess insists he take a queen by the next full moon or lose his crown. When he rescues a beautiful female from the enemy’s grasp, a forbidden attraction blooms, and he must decide between his kingdom and his heart.

Melissa hunts for a new place she can call home, one far away from her controlling master who vowed to make her his concubine. Captured by the enemy and tortured to near death, she’s rescued by a brooding, handsome king. When her master shows up at the king’s underground Keep, the tension escalates. She struggles to keep the honorable king at arm’s length, but she can’t ignore the compelling desire he ignites in her soul.
US$3.99 Purchase links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unto...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/unto...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/unto...

Indie Romance Spotlight: Time Travel

*Reposted from Some Like Hot group's Indie Spotlight thread.

The last spotlight featuring the 2017 Rone Finalists in Fantasy/Scifi was popular enough that I'm continuing the theme with the 2017 Rone Award Finalists for Time Travel. As a general disclaimer, I am not paid by InD'Tale in anyway - I like the ezine and usually agree with the reviewers. Of course, Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a 2017 Finalist, so we know they have it together.

Must Love Kilts

A drunken bet...

When computer game designer Traci Campbell gets too close and personal with a bottle of Glenfidditch while vacationing in Scotland, she whisks her kilt-obsessed sister back to 1689 to prove hot guys in kilts are a myth. Hello, hundred bucks! But all bets are off when she meets Iain, the charming playboy in a to-die-for kilt.

Wrong place, wrong time, wrong name...

Iain MacCowan regularly falls in love at the drop of his kilt. The mysterious red-haired lass with the odd accent is no different. But when his new love is discovered to be a Campbell, the most distrusted name in the Highlands, his dalliance endangers his clan's rebellion against King William.

It’s all hijinks in the Highlands until your sister disappears...

Traci thinks men are only good for one thing--thank you, Iain!--but when she awakens once again in Ye Olde Scotland and her sister is gone, she must depend on the last person she wants to spend more time with. He wants to win a heart, she wants to keep hers, but can these two realize they're meant for each other before the Jacobite rebellion pulls them apart?

US$4.99 Purchase links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/must...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/must...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/must...

A Highlander In Vegas

Braeden MacDonald believes he’s died and gone to a place his very wise Grannie called ‘the meadows.’ In fact, he’s actually been transported through time to present day Las Vegas, Nevada and the Grand Opening of The Albannach Hotel, where the strange sights and sounds have him wondering - has he arrived in heaven… or hell?

Tessa McTavish doesn’t believe she needs a bodyguard following her around day and night, but her father has insisted and abiding by his wishes she finds herself both intrigued and irritated by the tall, dark and handsome Scotsman her father has hired to do the job.

Dueling Las Vegas sorcerers, a charmed pocket watch and magick spells will either destroy The Albannach and the McTavish name, or save it, but only time and Braeden MacDonald will tell.

US$0.99 Purchase Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-hi...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-hi...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-hi...

A Time For Love In Paris

In 1975, Elise Sutherland, a young woman from Scotland, travels to Paris, France, to study art at the illustrious Fine Arts School of Paris. After stumbling upon a mysterious old book in the infamous Shakespeare & Company bookstore, she unwittingly travels back in time.

Elise finds Paris at the turn of the century a very different place and succumbs to the charms of Michel Flaubert, a masterful painter and sculptor.

As Michel’s career takes off, he discovers an unusual woman lurking inside his studio. There is simply no other woman in Paris like Elise. Though puzzled by her frequent disappearances, he finds himself infatuated.

Can the two star-crossed lovers find love at the brink of WWII?

US$2.99/KU Purchase links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Dragon Knight’s Ring

Crusader, Adam MacFhearguis is on one last quest to the standing stones in Scotland where he seeks to bury the past. However, a silent prayer sends him to an unknown future and to his beloved Meggie. When he uncovers a shocking revelation, Adam questions everything about the woman he thought he knew and loved. He may have traveled the veil of ages, but time is now his enemy.

Margaret MacKay lives a life in the future without the memories of her past—her death. When Adam arrives at her door confessing he knows her, she is confused and wary. With each passing day, she yearns to learn more from this stranger. Yet, when a truth is revealed, can she trust the man to unlock the chains from her mind and heart?

Will love free the bonds to unite the two lovers who were doomed centuries ago? Or will evil finally claim victory over the Dragon Knights?
US$0.99 Purchase Links
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...

Two Worlds Collided

Evie Reid on a whim agrees to travel back in time to 1997 to change bad boy Bellamy Lovel's path of destruction. She's smart with a college degree, but she is still fan-girl crazy for the rock band, Civilized Heathens. Evie knows despite all Bellamy's smiles and enthusiasm on the stage, he's destined to end it all on one lonely night in a hotel room unless she can change his path.

Bellamy isn't keen on having Evie as his personal assistant, hired by his band mates to watch over him, and keep him on schedule. However, there is something about the woman that sparks his interest, despite his best to ignore her. When darkness threatens to consume him, he realizes she may be the only light that will chase the shadows away.
US$0.99 Purchase links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/two-...
Apple:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/two-...

12 Systems Featured on Backlist to the Future

I'm super excited. This week Cara Bristol's Backlist to the Future Blog has an awesome write up on the bargain two volume set:






http://carabristol.com/2017/06/backli...

Indie Spotlight on Romance: Fantasy/Sci Fi

* Reposted from Some Like it Hot group's Indie Spotlight thread.

I came up short on a spotlight candidate this week. It is not that I haven't read several new-to-me indies in the past two weeks, but in an usual turn of events, none that hit the 'Spotlight' standard. Fortunately, I have a group of experts to help out. InD'tale announced the Rone 2017 Finalists this week. Every book on the list received either a 4.5 or 5 star review. Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a finalist. So their judgment is excellent overall.

Note that while all of these include romance, in some instances it is a subplot.

Finalists in the 2017 Fantasy Sci/Fi Category (beginning with mine)

Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3

Life within the Serengeti Cartel is perilous, riddled with malice and intrigue that can threaten the mightiest of warriors. For Lilian – brilliant, despised and one misstep away from execution for her father’s crimes – all that stands between her and destruction is the powerful warrior Lucius Mercio. In return for his protection, Lilian became Lucius' apprentice, yielding control of her body, will, and intellect. The desperate gamble has paid off. In defiance of all expectation, Lilian has survived nearly a third of her trial by ordeal, but it is far from over.

Determined to raise Serengeti to the pinnacle of power in the Twelve Systems, Lucius has ruthlessly exploited Lilian’s brilliance to achieve his ambitions. Within seasons, he will lead Serengeti to new heights with the launch of Bright Star, the first stellar exploration venture in over two centuries. With each new success, Lucius’ rivals multiply while a traitor stalks the halls of Serengeti, determined to thwart Lucius by any means. As the viciousness of her enemies escalates, Lilian is forced to confront the past and choose between betraying her oath of loyalty to Lucius and protecting the deadly secrets of her father's dark acts.
***$4.99***
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Transgressions-...
Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trans...
Apple:http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/trans...
Kobo:http://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/trans...

Beloved Enemy

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?
*** $4.99 ***
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B...
Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/belov...
Apple: http://itun.es/us/WYiGab.l

Annihilation

Death is the easy way out.
Still clinging rabidly to power, the Elites spin lies of prejudice and hatred, stoking the flames of war.
The sole driving force toward peace, Mira, had sacrificed everything. But her strength alone was not enough.
It will take the strength of many to finish what she started. As the world lurches toward war, each party has much to lose. Human. Vampire. Otherkin. The only outcomes are peace… or death.
***$2.99/Kindle Unlimited*** http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019...

Tempting the Dryad: A Fada Novel, Book 3

Book 3 in a sexy paranormal romance series by Rebecca Rivard, an EPIC Awards Finalist for Best Fantasy/Paranormal Romance His dark Gift... Rock Run warrior Tiago do Rio is hiding a powerful Gift, one so easily misused it could make him a pariah in his own clan. The temptation to use his Gift to make his darkest fantasies come true is almost irresistible. The only good thing in his life is his friendship with the dryad Alesia. Her shifter mate... Wild, solitary fae Alesia lives on an uninhabited island in Rock Run territory. Her Gift is to make things grow. She spends her days tending to her woodland home, but her nights are lonely-until she meets the sexy Latino shifter. Now she and Tiago are best friends, but she longs for more. A clan's fate at stake... Then just as Tiago and Alesia realize they may be mates, a den of rogue shifters threatens to bring war down on the Rock Run clan-and the two are caught in the middle. Can Tiago master his terrifying Gift in time? Or will he lose his mate as well as his soul?
*** $3.99 ***
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016...
Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tempt...
Apple: http://itun.es/us/6hHJdb.l
Kobo:http://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tempt...

Lament of the Fallen

The Hunter of Voramis is no more.

Alone with the bloodthirsty voices in his head, fleeing the pain of loss, he has one objective; travel North to find her, the mystery woman who plagues his dreams and haunts his memories.

When he stumbles upon a bandit attack, something within urges him to help. His actions set him at odds with the warrior priests commanded to hunt down the Bucelarii.

Left for dead, the Hunter must travel to Malandria to recover his stolen birthright. There, he is inexorably drawn into direct conflict with the Order of Midas, the faceless, nameless group of magicians that holds the city in a grip of terror. All while struggling to silence the ever-louder voice in his mind that drives him to kill.
***$3.99/Kindle Unlimited***
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J...

Escapee: Repelling the Invasion

A Disillusioned Soldier

Hector Dukelsky, an upper-class career officer, yearns to fight a righteous war instead of defending corporate interests on Banff, an isolated mining moon. That dream seems dead when his entire command is slaughtered while he’s away, leaving him alone in smouldering rubble with no chance to survive, let alone strike back at the enemy.

A Pilot with a Chip on Her Shoulder

Catt Sayer, a working-class fugitive from the law, earns a meagre income carrying supplies on a decrepit airship, but her hard-won life vanishes when invaders capture Banff. While searching for survivors, she rescues Hector and flies him to safety. But he doesn’t want safety. He wants her to risk her life on a hopeless journey to attack the enemy headquarters.

A Dying Moon

Catt is sure Banff will kill them long before the enemy can … yet she agree s to Hector’s scheme, certain he’ll quit after experiencing one of the moon’s eruptions or ferocious storms. But he doesn’t quit, and slowly his noble dream—and his love—conquer her heart. She pits her life and love against Banff’s lethal environment, even though the only reward for success will be the opportunity to face ten thousand enemy warriors.
*** $2.99***
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B...
Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escap...
Apple:http://itun.es/us/rLuIcb.l
Kobo:http://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?quer...

Dating an Alien Popstar

Daisy Kirkwood has only just escaped her small-town life and run away to New York City, the land of last-minute secret gigs at famous musical venues, when she's kidnapped by aliens. Unfortunately, no one ever writes about how to handle alien abduction in those fancy NYC guidebooks.

Griffin and Dev are supermassively sexy aliens from a politically and environmentally troubled planet who arrive on Earth with very little knowledge about human ways other than what they learned from a wayward E! News signal. Their mission is to pretend to be the most influential people on the planet—English pop stars, of course!—and gain the help of a powerful secret society. Upon arriving, they abduct Daisy Kirkwood, a nerdy young woman who loves music but could seriously use a bit of help in the love-life department. Though Griffin and Daisy initially squabble, neither can deny the intergalactic sparks whenever they're too close to each other. Together, they must face murderous aliens, cultural misunderstandings, bad backup musicians, and the dark side of fame and the media, all set against a tight deadline…
*** Freebie ***
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C...
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/datin...
Apple:http://itun.es/us/eCAZbb.l
Kobo:http://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/datin...

Trangressions is a 2017 Rone Finalist!

Thank you to everyone who voted! *Big Hugs*

Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a 2017 Rone Finalist. Over the summer, a panel of judges will review/rate all 7 finalists in the Fantasy/Scifi category. Results will be available in the fall.

http://indtale.com/2017-rone-awards

InD'tale Crowned Heart for Fortuna!

Fortuna: The Apprentice, Volume 4 is the second volume in the Twelve Systems Chronicles to receive a coveted 'crowned heart' review from InD'tale magazine. If you aren't subscribing to this free ezine dedicated to indie fiction, you should definitely check it out.



http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/...

Indie Spotlight: Sci-fi Romance

*Reposted from Some Like it Hot Group's Indie Spotlight Thread

In many cases, romances categorized as sci-fi romance are only very loosely 'sci-fi', focused more on hunky aliens and cyborgs than future technology, societies, and the adventure we commonly associate with science-fiction. Of course, as one of my readers and friends pointed out, I tend to be a harsher critic of books written in my own genre than I am of other romance sub-genres.

Happliy, Veronica Scott does a fantastic job of world building, page-turning action, and romance writing. I discovered her work in the anthology Pets in Space


Her novella Star Cruise Stowaway was my favorite of the series. The heroine is a alien of unknown origin with paranormal powers that are coveted by criminals and the authorities. The hero is a cargo master (regular guy, regular job) who refuses to give up the woman he loves.

I have since discovered that Veronica Scott is an awarding winning Indie Author who also did some time at NASA where she won an award for non-fiction related activities.

Currently free -

Andi Markriss hasn’t exactly enjoyed being the houseguest of the planetary high-lord, but her company sent her to represent them at a political wedding. When hotshot Sectors Special Forces Captain Tom Deverane barges in on the night of the biggest social event of the summer, Andi isn’t about to offend her high-ranking host on Deverane’s say-so—no matter how sexy he is, or how much he believes they need to leave now.

Deverane was thinking about how to spend his retirement bonus when HQ assigned him one last mission: rescue a civilian woman stranded on a planet on the verge of civil war. Someone has pulled some serious strings to get her plucked out of the hot zone. Deverane’s never met anyone so hard-headed—or so appealing. Suddenly his mission to protect this one woman has become more than just mere orders.

Freebie links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Zulaire...

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escap...

Apple: https://itun.es/us/XAjzP.l

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Que...

More about Veronica Scott: https://veronicascott.wordpress.com/

Fiction Doodles: Rabid Kanga

Romantic, scenic outback my blistered heels. My rental four-wheeler broke down five miles back and my new hiking boots are nowhere near broken in. Dropping onto a rock, I tilt the brim of my hat to help my sunglasses fight the glare. Nothing. A whole lot of nothing including cell reception.

I reach into my pack for a bottle of tepid water. Supposedly, there's something like a town three miles up. I don't need to horde the water.

Some of the nothing moves. A kangaroo. I was hoping to see one, but now I can't really work up the enthusiasm. It makes weird growling noises. Is that a snarl? Kangaroos snarl?

I clamber up the rock. How high can that thing jump? Can it climb? Is it rabid? Oh. My. God. It's rabid.

I hurl my water in a futile attempt to drive it away. It leaps up and snags the bottle. Biting into the plastic it shakes the bottle like a terrier shakes a mouse, splashing water across the dry road.

Dropping the bottle, it stomps it madly. When nothing is left but flattened plastic it snarls again. With a mad - make that rabid - snuffling, it begins to circle my rock.

Spotlight on Indie Romance: Fated Mates

*reposted from Some Like It Hot group's Indie Spotlight Thread

The 'fated mates' trope blends the 'one true love/soul mate' trope with the 'instant love' or 'insta-love' convention. Prevalent in shifter and alien romance, fated mates can be eye-roll inducing or super entertaining. In her Sigma Menance series, Marie Johnston achieves entertaining with sufficient suspense and plot twists to keep the reader turning pages, and a strong romance to keep the reader invested the main characters.

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?



This first volume in the series is free.

Freebie links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/feve...
Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fever...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/feve...

Transgressions needs votes!

Transgressions: The Apprentice, Volume 3 is a Rone Award nominee. Sponsored by InD'Tale ezine, Rones recognize the best in Indie fiction. To be nominated is great! To make it to the finals and the judging would be even better.

For that, Transgressions needs your votes! Please.

Follow this link to vote: http://www.indtale.com/2017-rone-awar...

*** You will need an account for the free Indie Magazine, InD'Tale: www.indtale.com. But hey, it's a good magazine, and if you don't like it you an unsubscribe later.