E.G. Manetti's Blog, page 7

Indie Spotlight: Not Quite Historical Romance

One of the most challenging aspects of historical romance is conveying a sense of time and place. Too often, they can fall into the trap of conveying modern sensibility in historical costumes.

Kate Valent's Tempest in a Teapot reads and feels like it takes place in Victorian England. A Victorian England with magic and a touch of steampunk. Whimsical, inventive, the story balances suspense and romance to keep the pages turning.

Charlotte loves tea as much as the next person, but she never expected a magical teapot to choose her husband.  
 
When eccentric businessman and magician Martin Steepe hosts a tea party to find a wife, Charlotte doesn’t expect to be chosen. After all she’s only a baker’s daughter aspiring to be a penny blood author and the Steepes want to marry into nobility. Except he does choose her. With enchanted tea leaves. Unfortunately for Charlotte he doesn’t even know her name let alone that she isn’t nobility. And she isn’t entirely certain having the same favorite tea is a good basis for a marriage.  
 
As their awkward courtship evolves, she finds herself falling for Mr. Steepe’s honesty, his charming magic, and the tea he sells. But then his cousin discovers the truth of her standing and refuses to let Martin marry a commoner. With the fate of the Steepe Family fortune at stake, he is determined to end the engagement through whatever magical and non-magical means necessary. If she doesn’t put an end to his scheming he will ruin her engagement. If the truth doesn’t first.  

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** To qualify for Indie Spotlight, EG has read and rated at least one book in the series 4 or 5 Stars.

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Indie Spotlight: 2023 in Review

It is hard to select a handful of Indie Romances from this past year's blog, but these few stuck with me.

Since I like my sci-fi with a heavy dose of romantic suspense, Cara Bristol's Cyborg Force series hits the top of the list. I've read all four and love them all.

Trapped in a sandstorm, they’ll battle passion and danger…

Breeze O’Day
Windswept, sandblasted Sajave isn’t every astrogeologist’s dream assignment, but it’s been my safe zone from a dangerous past, and now I’m about to announce a game-changing discovery. But on the way to finalize my research, my hovercraft gets caught in a violent sandstorm and crashes. Unfortunately, my rescuer is Tack Grayson, an ill-mannered, bad-tempered mammoth of a man who’s made it perfectly clear saving me is a huge imposition. Well, no worries. I’ll soon be on my way to finish my top secret project, and our paths need never cross again.

Tack Grayson
If I had wanted company, I wouldn’t be living in a cabin hundreds of miles from nowhere. But I’m a cyborg with C-Force and rescuing people is what I do, even if they are idiots who should know better than to venture out in a sandstorm. Now I’m stuck with Breeze O’Day until this storm blows over.

But as I learn more about Breeze and her research, I begin to worry our association won’t end anytime soon. She’s in danger. Serious danger, and she’s going to need my help.

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There is something about lords and ladies in historical romance that is endlessly appealing.
Sorcha Mowbray's Lustful Lords hits that sweet spot between reliable and creative with just enough modern sensibility for the steamy bits to be steamy.

His brother's untimely death leaves him with an Earldom and a fiancée. Too bad he wants neither of them...

Theodora Lawton has no need of a husband. As an independent woman, she wants to own property, make investments and be the master of her destiny. Unfortunately, her father signed her life away in a marriage contract to the future Earl of Stonemere. But then the cad upped and died, leaving her fate in the hands of his brother, one of the renowned Lustful Lords.

Achilles Denton, the Earl of Stonemere, is far more prepared to be a soldier than a peer. Deeply scarred by his last tour of duty, he knows he will never be a proper, upstanding pillar of the empire. Balanced on the edge of madness, he finds respite by keeping a tight rein on his life, both in and out of the bedroom. His brother’s death has left him with responsibilities he never wanted and isn’t prepared to handle in the respectable manner expected of a peer.

Further complicating his new life is an unwanted fiancée who comes with his equally unwanted title. Saddled with a hand-me-down countess, he soon discovers the woman is a force unto herself. As he grapples with the burden of his new responsibilities, he discovers someone wants him dead. The question is, can he stay alive long enough to figure out who’s trying to kill him while he tries to tame his headstrong wife?

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Monster romance is its own subgenre in paranormal romance and tends toward the dark side. In an entertaining change, Ava Ross and Honey Phillips-- authors I know from their scifi-romance--have decided to go the PNR rom-com route with series featuring orcs as romantic heroes.

A new life, a new job, a new orc husband . . . Wait, isn’t he supposed to be my boss?

After my ex announces his wedding to someone other than me, I’m eager to leave town. A new life and a new job are just what I need to restore my mojo. On the way to my destination, I overnight at a hotel where edible unmentionables and a tattooed orc construction worker rock my world. I sneak out the next morning, figuring I’ll never see him again.

Until I walk into my new job. That hot orc construction worker?

He’s my boss.

He’s eager to continue where we left off.

And those symbols on his wrists? According to orc tradition, they mean we’re married.

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One very large orc. One very small human. Does size matter?

When Elara flees corporate life to open a coffee shop in the small southern town of Fairhaven Falls, the last thing she is looking for is a relationship. But when she meets Grondar, the gruff orc owner of the bakery next door, sparks fly. Literally.

Grondar has been burned by human females before. He has no intention of letting the feisty little female next door get under his skin - no matter how attractive he finds her. And it certainly doesn’t mean he’s going to let her get away with sabotaging his business.

Despite their disastrous first meeting, Elara still finds herself having inappropriately heated thoughts about the massive orc next door. The attraction seems to be completely one-sided - until he reluctantly comes to her rescue and she discovers a very different side to the grumpy male.

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What is about a ruthless criminal that appeals to the imagination? Nico Conti is a satisfying addition to this trope; dangerous and deadly with a rock solid commitment to the code. Oliva has seen enough bad guys to be cautious when dealing with Nico while also falling under his spell.

Bad Beat: A hand in which a player with strong cards is unexpectedly beaten by a lucky draw.

Nico Conti has never regretted joining the family business. Through hard work, loyalty, ruthlessness, and dedication, he earned his rank as Capo and his army of soldiers.

With the life he leads, a good woman is not in the cards—until one comes along and turns his world upside down.

Olivia Miller’s childhood was anything but conventional. Raised in a brothel, her mother protected Olivia from that life until she became sick. Now Olivia must be the protector.

Taken as collateral by Nico Conti in a business dispute between families, Olivia is desperate to get home—until Nico makes her an offer she can’t refuse.

Or can she?

Because to save the one she loves most, Olivia will need to ignore the sacrifices made for her and barter herself to the man who holds her future in his hands.

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And, of course, there's my 2023 release, CHRYS a spin-off of my award-winning Twelve Systems Chronicles.

At the outer edge of the galaxy, on a backwater planet, to claim their future, Chrys must confront his past, and Verity overcome her fears.

CHRYS
A hero of the battle for the Thirteenth System, for over a decade, Chrys fought for a place in one of the mighty cartels. Success is within his grasp when a mysterious bequest from his home world sends him across the galaxy. Caught between his past and his duty, Chrys takes his engineering partner with him. As the voyage unfolds, he discovers a lovely woman in the place of his battle comrade.

VERITY
Verity endured over a decade of servitude for a chance at a brighter future. She has harbored a hidden crush on Chrys for years, wanting him to view her as a desirable woman and not only a battle comrade and business associate. She survived a battle with evil, and in victory, she will fight for her dreams.

When Chrys falls under suspicion of murder, it will take all their courage and wit to free him.

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Prices reflect time of posting.
** To qualify for Indie Spotlight, EG has read and rated at least one book in the series 4 or 5 Stars.

Indie Spotlight: Holiday Selection

With Christmas around the corner, it is a good time for a selection of some of my favorite holiday romances. Sci-fi, paranormal, historical, or contemporary; I enjoy them all.

Meet Douglas Fir is not a romance, but it is laugh-out-loud funny, so I included it as bonus listing.

People put objects on trees? As a holiday tradition? The singing tree creature is a threat that needs to be eradicated.

Being human isn't easy with robotic alien residents misunderstanding the simple stuff. Alex can't imagine his family life without Bazin and Miaxa, though. Time to show them Christmas holiday traditions, preferably without space aliens blowing things up.

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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 Eve has always been filled with extraordinary magic…

Melanie Woods has been waiting by the Christmas tree every year in the hope of seeing the Yule Cat one more time. When he doesn’t appear, she finally decides it is time to let go of her childhood fantasies and replace them with some very adult ones involving the gorgeous owner of an amazing, Christmas-themed bakery.

No one would guess that North Cotter is actually the Lord of the North Wind—more popularly known as the Yule Cat. No one except the child who stole her way into his heart when he was supposed to be taking her to the Yuletide Kingdom to offer as tribute to the Winter Queen. Banished by the Winter Queen when he fails to deliver, North is happy to remain in exile, making pastries that delight palates both mortal and immortal.

North’s solitary life changes when a blue-eyed beauty shows up on the steps of his bakery, having won a Christmas Eve baking lesson. He and Melanie are cooking up some Christmas magic that he hopes will last forever—if the Winter Queen doesn’t put a freeze on them. Will the fires of his and Melanie’s love be enough to melt the frozen heart of the Winter Queen, or will they be forced to spend their eternity together in a land of endless cold?

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This bundle of goodies features a sack full of cozy Christmas romances, starring a batch of hunky shifters that just might get you on the naughty list!

Time to celebrate with these five fan-favorite shifter romances, each with its own magical Christmas twist. Offered here in one handy volume, to help make Santa’s job a little easier:

Bake This!
-Will this sexy shifter be able to resist the holiday magic?

Bear This!
-She shows up with a magical secret, but this fireman burns for something more.


Charm This!
-This lone wolf is ready to turn on the charm.

The Clockwork Dragon
-A dragon’s fire can melt the coldest heart.

Ghost of Shifters Past
-A spirit from the past. A love for the future.


You won’t need a mug of hot chocolate or a crackling fire to warm you up if you grab your copy of Howl for the Holidays now!

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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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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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**Books featured in the spotlight have been read by EG and received at least a 4-star rating on GoodReads.



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❄️💜 🎁 This holiday season, we’re giving you the presents! 🎁 💜❄️

No strings! No signups! Just free books as a thank you to our readers!

30 of my fellow science fiction romance authors have banded together to bring you some festive cheer. Don’t forget to treat yourself this holiday season and curl up with some steamy and sweet romances, completely free!

This promotion is good for one day only, Dec 7, 2023.

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Indie Spotlight: Vampire Rom-com

Ever since the success of the Harry Potter books, magical academies have become a staple of paranormal romance. Happily, Laura Greenwood's Obscure Academy series is at the college level. As such, the romance is well-developed, and there is far less angst than prevalent in the young adult counterparts.


Without reading volume 1, I was attracted to volume 2 by the title. It works well as a stand-alone, and I never felt I was missing some back story. As promised by the title, it's a blend of rom-com and paranormal romance with a touch of suspense as the MCs sleuth through clues to help the heroine deal with her blood-drinking aversion.

It's never a good thing when a vampire can't drink blood.

Bernie never thought she was a good vampire, especially as even the thought of drinking blood turns her stomach.

When she heads to a cooking class in the hope of fixing the issue, the last thing she expects is to meet another vampire who not only understands, but is willing to help her find a solution to her blood-drinking problems.

The moment he meets Bernie, Shane knows there's something special about her, and he's determined to make sure he helps her as much as he can, especially if that means he can capture her heart in the process.

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Indie Spotlight: Mafia Romance

What is about a ruthless criminal that appeals to the imagination? From The Godfather to The Sopranos there is something irresistible about a complex bad guy with a code.

Nico Conti is a satisfying addition to this trope; dangerous and deadly with a rock solid commitment to the code. Oliva has seen enough bad guys to be cautious when dealing with Nico while also falling under his spell. In world full of predators, it's good to be under the protection of someone at the top of the food chain.

Bad Beat: A hand in which a player with strong cards is unexpectedly beaten by a lucky draw.

Nico Conti has never regretted joining the family business. Through hard work, loyalty, ruthlessness, and dedication, he earned his rank as Capo and his army of soldiers.

With the life he leads, a good woman is not in the cards—until one comes along and turns his world upside down.

Olivia Miller’s childhood was anything but conventional. Raised in a brothel, her mother protected Olivia from that life until she became sick. Now Olivia must be the protector.

Taken as collateral by Nico Conti in a business dispute between families, Olivia is desperate to get home—until Nico makes her an offer she can’t refuse.

Or can she?

Because to save the one she loves most, Olivia will need to ignore the sacrifices made for her and barter herself to the man who holds her future in his hands.

Author's note:
This is a full-length, steamy, contemporary romance novel without a cliffhanger. It is part of a series, but each book is a stand-alone centering on new main characters. Due to sex, language, and violence it is recommended for persons over 18.*** HEA ***

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Indie Spotlight: Spacefaring Hellhounds

I read Finding Mogha in one of the Pets in Space anthologies and was completely entranced by the sentient 'hellhound'. The main characters, Dani and K'ven are wonderful, but there is no question, it's C'hase's book.

Although considered a Korthan 'Hellhound' by humans, there is nothing demonic about C'hase. In fact, if there are demons about they are the terraforming humans.

Part of the Before the Fall series, Finding Mogha can be read as a stand alone.

Can the sound of a voice ignite a soul-deep passion in a sworn enemy?

Dani Myers is on the run and running out of time. Her discovery of a young Korthan Hellhound in a lab sends her on a desperate mission. The pup isn’t some obscure test animal; it is a sentient mogha that can speak. The last thing she needs as she tries to save the creature is to have her ship shot out from under her.

K’vyn doesn’t hate all humans, just the ones that won’t cease terraforming Korthan worlds. Their disregard for life has driven his people to the brink of all-out war. When a human supply freighter shows up in Korthan territory near the beloved mogha home world, he is duty bound to rid the galaxy of another human ship. A distress call as the ship crashes creates an unexpected soul-deep pull inside him.

Dani’s decision to smuggle the mogha called C’hase back to his home world might not have been her smartest move, but she felt she had no choice when she overheard plans to terraform the animal’s home planet. Now, without help from the Korthan who shot her down, she’ll never be able to warn the Mogha inhabitants of impending doom.

She isn’t sure which surprises her more after she crashes on an unknown planet—the fact that she is still alive, or the mutual attraction between her and K’vyn, the Korthan who did the shooting. Is it possible a Korthan and a human can work together to save C’hase and the mogha home world, or will they be caught between those that want to terraform and the Korthans determined to save the mogha from extinction?

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Elemental Fire is 20% off through Halloween (10/31)!

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80+ Robots, Gargoyles, Aliens, and More!

ELEMENTAL FIRE TAKES SILVER RONE!

It is wonderful to have my first attempt at urban fantasy romance receive a 2023 RONE Silver Medal in Fantasy/Urban Fantasy. Thank you to everyone who voted Elemental Fire into the the finals, and thank you to the RONE judges!

In an unrelated but convenient development, Elemental Fire is 20% off through Halloween (10/31).

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Indie Romance Spotlight: Orcs, of course!

With Halloween approaching, my reading choices are skewing paranormal and monster. Monster romance is its own subgenre in paranormal romance and tends toward the dark side. In an entertaining change, Ava Ross and Honey Phillips-- authors I know from their scifi-romance--have decided to go the PNR rom-com route with series featuring orcs as romantic heroes. These are not the deadly and gruesome orcs found in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

A new life, a new job, a new orc husband . . . Wait, isn’t he supposed to be my boss?

After my ex announces his wedding to someone other than me, I’m eager to leave town. A new life and a new job are just what I need to restore my mojo. On the way to my destination, I overnight at a hotel where edible unmentionables and a tattooed orc construction worker rock my world. I sneak out the next morning, figuring I’ll never see him again.

Until I walk into my new job. That hot orc construction worker?

He’s my boss.

He’s eager to continue where we left off.

And those symbols on his wrists? According to orc tradition, they mean we’re married.

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One very large orc. One very small human. Does size matter?

When Elara flees corporate life to open a coffee shop in the small southern town of Fairhaven Falls, the last thing she is looking for is a relationship. But when she meets Grondar, the gruff orc owner of the bakery next door, sparks fly. Literally.

Grondar has been burned by human females before. He has no intention of letting the feisty little female next door get under his skin - no matter how attractive he finds her. And it certainly doesn’t mean he’s going to let her get away with sabotaging his business.

Despite their disastrous first meeting, Elara still finds herself having inappropriately heated thoughts about the massive orc next door. The attraction seems to be completely one-sided - until he reluctantly comes to her rescue and she discovers a very different side to the grumpy male.

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*Prices reflect time of posting.
**Books featured in the spotlight have been read by EG and received at least a 4-star rating on GoodReads.



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CHRYS Available Now!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Paranormal Romance Guild Release Day Review of CHRYS!

"I loved this book!"
Read Review

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At the outer edge of the galaxy, on a backwater planet, to claim their future, Chrys must confront his past, and Verity overcome her fears.

CHRYS

A hero of the battle for the Thirteenth System, for over a decade, Chrys fought for a place in one of the mighty cartels. Success is within his grasp when a mysterious bequest from his home world sends him across the galaxy. Caught between his past and his duty, Chrys takes his engineering partner with him. As the voyage unfolds, he discovers a lovely woman in the place of his battle comrade.

VERITY

Verity endured over a decade of servitude for a chance at a brighter future. She has harbored a hidden crush on Chrys for years, wanting him to view her as a desirable woman and not only a battle comrade and business associate. She survived a battle with evil, and in victory, she will fight for her dreams.

When Chrys falls under suspicion of murder, it will take all their courage and wit to free him.

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80+ Robots, Gargoyles, Aliens, and More!