Aubrey Wynne's Blog, page 39
June 6, 2022
BROKEN WINGS SERIES by MW Arnold with a guest post and giveaway
Broken Wings Series
by M W Arnold
GENRE: Historical, Saga, Mystery, Thriller, Romance
BLURB:
The Air Transport Auxiliary Murder Club!
Four ladies of the Air Transport Auxiliary bond initially by solving the mystery of who was responsible for the death of one’s sister, finding along the way a mutual love for solving mysteries, which have an unerring knack of landing in their laps. Battling both internal forces and those of the country’s mutual enemies, these are sweeping stories of love, mysteries and hope, set against the backdrop of war when ties of friendship are exceptionally strong.
Excerpt
Many sights in her life had saddened her, but never had Doris seen the face he now turned upon her. Doris could only think of one expression to describe what she could see: complete and utter despair.
He glanced around before answering probably, she surmised, to make sure no one who didn’t need to know overheard what he was about to say. Taking her by the elbow, Fredericks led her until they were a little away from the crowd. Once satisfied, he told her, “You’ve seen the state it’s in?” Doris nodded. “It’s worse. Not only can’t they get the other undercarriage leg down, but they have a bomb hung up.”
“Bloody hell!” Doris swore. “They can’t get the wheel down or get rid of the bomb?” She felt very silly asking the questions, but they came out of their own accord.
Fredericks shook his head, his lips pursed in grim determination. “Believe me, they’ve tried everything.”
“Well, why don’t they bail out?” Doris demanded, fighting down the instinct to panic.
If anything, her companion’s face lost more color. “The members of the crew still alive are too badly wounded to survive bailing out,” he told her bluntly.
Doris took a few precious seconds to process what she’d been told, seconds during which the B17 droned its painful way ever closer to its destiny.
Q&A with the author:1. Give us a little bit about your background and when you first started publishing.
I spent the first sixteen years of my adult life in the Royal Air Force. I had a great time, going all over the western world, specifically living in Germany (whilst it was still split) and also, Canada for a year. I then left and since then have worked in various jobs in IT, I have recently started work in the National Health Service. I first started writing seriously around 2016, and in 2018 was fortunate enough to join the Romantic Novelists association. I had my first book, a romance, published in 2017, which I have since taken the rights back and intend to republish at some point. After this, I took a wee break and then began writing in the new genre and brought out the first in my Broken Wings series, ‘A Wing and a Prayer’, in November 2020.
2. Have you visited the places you’ve written about or just read about them?
Actually, I have. My books are based at a place called RAF Hamble, which is situated on the south coast of England, near Southampton. I visited last year and found a number of places which I’d found in my research, including a public house which is featured. I was very happy to find that I’d got much of the real village pretty much correct. Much of the action scenes in book 2, ‘Wild Blue Yonder’, takes places at a disused airfield only about thirty minutes down the road called RAF Polebrook. Interestingly, this is the field from which Clark Gable flew in combat and who features briefly in the book.
3. What interesting settings have you used (homes, battlefields, events in history, etc)?
Though Hamble is much changed since the war, parts of it are still virtually unchanged. In fact, whist I was looking around, I came across a local who had actually read ‘A Wing and a Prayer’. That was quite a thrill. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the airfields. Both RAF Hamble and, for book two, RAF Polebrook, are long closed. About all that’s left of Hamble are the gates, whilst there’s parts of the perimeter track and a memorial left of Polebrook to mark what was once there.
4. Why did you choose the particular period you write in? What is it about that era that speaks to you?
My background in the RAF has a lot to do for the subject matter in which I write. I’m aware it’s not a perfect match, the Air Transport Auxiliary not being a current operation and also civilian, however, the processes used are close enough that it makes the books believable. I’ve also had a long-standing interest in history, particularly the 1940’s, so it made sense to write about that era.
5. What inspires you to create a certain character (give example)? Have you ever changed the character arc because it didn’t work with the storyline?
My most popular character, Doris Winter, is also my sole American. She came about after I’d read about the American equivalent of the Air Transport Auxiliary, the WASPs – Women Airforce Service Pilots – and specifically, the poor way in which they were treated in comparison. I wanted her to be special; and from what my readers say, I think I’ve succeeded.
As for your other question, there’s a major character arc change that happens in book four, ‘In the Mood’. With sagas, there’s a large cast, and I’d got a little frustrated with one not having enough to do. That’s all I’ll say on that, sorry.
6. Do you have a certain quirk in your writing process? Do the stars have to be aligned or do you have to have your favorite tea? Where do you do your best writing?
I’m a strange one, authors who are friend always say. For a start, I’m a panster, in that I write by the seat of my pants and don’t plan. Well, that’s not quite well. I know how a book will start and how/where it will end. I simply don’t plan what goes on between those moments. I tend to write on the sofa, in front of the television too, as I can’t write when it’s quiet; I like to have a favorite movie on. When it comes to editing what comes back from my publishers, I like doing that to the greatest hits of AC/DC.
7. From all your books, who is your favorite hero and why?
It has to be Doris. She’s burst out of my imagination and seems larger than life, I’m never quite sure what she’ll do next. Since arriving on the other side of the Pond, she’s developed a fixation for British fish ‘n’ chips, Guinness and has proved to be a fearless flyer.
8. Outside of your own genre, what’s your favorite genre?
I’m a romantic a heart. If I’m not reading a saga, I’ll have a romance in my hands. Mind you, my favorite author of all time is the late, great, Terry Pratchett. I can fall into one of his Discworld novels at any time.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Mick is a hopeless romantic who was born in England and spent fifteen years roaming around the world in the pay of HM Queen Elisabeth II in the Royal Air Force before putting down roots and realizing how much he missed the travel. This he’s replaced somewhat with his writing, including reviewing books and supporting fellow saga and romance authors in promoting their novels.
He’s the proud keeper of two Romanian Were-Cats, is mad on the music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, and enjoys the theatre and loving his Manchester-United-supporting wife.
Finally, Mick is a full member of the Romantic Novelists Association. A Wing and a Prayer will be his second published novel, and he is very proud to be welcomed into The Rose Garden.
Social media links –
https://www.facebook.com/MWArnoldAuthor
Twitter – https://twitter.com/mick859
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/mickarn859/9
YouTube links –
Blooper – tinyurl.com/y222fr9f
Prologue – tinyurl.com/y3z4slff
Extract – tinyurl.com/y63kne6x
Buying links –
Amazon US tinyurl.com/y446pzgv
Amazon UK tinyurl.com/y2xhx4d4
Amazon Aus tinyurl.com/y5bqqtta
iBooks – tinyurl.com/y63fmdol
Nook – tinyurl.com/y53fmoap
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June 5, 2022
From Brick and Darkness by J.L. Sullivan
Welcome to my stop on the tour for From Brick & Darkness, a gritty YA novel steeped in djinn mythology. Read on for an exclusive excerpt and a chance to win a signed copy!
From Brick & Darkness
Publication Date: May 16, 2022
Genre: YA/ Modern Fantasy/ Retelling
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
The most powerful wishes aren’t said with words.
Bax always fantasized something remarkable would happen in his life. So when a decrepit man with glowing purple eyes offers him a ring intended for his estranged father, Bax accepts.
The ring speaks to Bax in a dream, tempting him with a vision of a powerful djinn. Desperate to make his fantasies a reality, Bax unleashes a creature called Ifrit, but soon learns this djinn isn’t what the ring led him to believe. Feeding off the depths of his subconscious, the sinister demon fulfills what he thinks Bax wants by manipulating, threatening, and murdering. With everyone he loves in danger and a trail of crimes pointing back at him, Bax must scramble to solve the puzzle that will banish Ifrit forever.
Add to Goodreads
Excerpt
Neck bones popped as his head rotated toward me, his face eclipsing the rays of the streetlight. His irises were dull purple, glazed over with a foggy film, and deep-set wrinkles radiated from the corners of his eyes like arrows drawing attention to them.
A shudder caused the keys to slip from my hand and clank on the ground. My face burned with shame that the poor man’s appearance had startled me. My rudeness would have disappointed Mom.
“I’m sorry, but really—” I snagged my keys.
His hand slithered out of the brick-colored sleeve as his arm rose, trembling as he strained to hold the weight of his own limb. Gloved in loose, veiny skin, his skeleton hand had yellowed fingernails so overgrown they grew in on themselves like curly birthday ribbons. As his fingers unfurled, he revealed a ring nestled in his palm.
It was large. Too large. The ring resembled the toy jewelry Jason’s sister played with or something from a Halloween costume. Grimy gold with a single dull purplish jewel that matched his eyes.
His hand trembled under the heaviness of the ring. “Take it.”
Shifting my backpack to my other shoulder, I took it. “What is this?”
The corners of his thin lips curled into a grin as a gust of warm, dry wind cut through the chilly October night and swirled around me
Available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble
About the Author
J.L. Sullivan writes young adult stories inspired by gritty urban environments and the tales that percolate within abandoned buildings and desolate alleys. He lives in St. Louis with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Princess Penelope Picklesworth.
J.L. Sullivan | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads
Click the link below to enter for a chance to win a signed copy!
Book Tour Schedule
June 6th
R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com
Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
Timeless Romance Blog (Spotlight) https://aubreywynne.com/
Cheryl’s Book Nook (Review) https://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
@beastreader – https://www.instagram.com/beastreader/
Bunny’s Reviews (Review) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/
The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
June 7th
@bookscoffeehappiness (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/bookscoffeehappiness/
@jacleomik33 (Review) https://www.instagram.com/jacleomik33/
@genoviareadingco (Review) https://www.instagram.com/genoviareadingco/
Not a Bunny Blog (Review) https://notanybunny.wordpress.com/blog
@marie.sinadjan – https://www.instagram.com/marie.sinadjan/
Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com
June 8th
@amber.bunch_author (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/amber.bunch_author/
B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
Riss Reviews (Review) https://rissreviewsx.wixsite.com/website
@rissreviews_xx – https://www.instagram.com/rissreviews_xx/
@takealookatmybookshelf (Review) https://www.instagram.com/takealookatmybookshelf/
June 9th
Freelance Writer, Janny (Spotlight) https://freelancewriterjannyc.com/
Liliyana Shadowlyn (Spotlight) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/
@tabithabouldin (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/tabithabouldin/
Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/
@mels_booksandhooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/mels_booksandhooks/
Rambling Mads (Review) http://ramblingmads.com
June 10th
I Love Books & Stuff (Spotlight) https://ilovebooksandstuffblog.wordpress.com
@books_inthecity (Review) https://www.instagram.com/books_inthecity/
@gryffindorbookishnerd (Review) https://www.instagram.com/gryffindorbookishnerd/
Book Tour Organized By:
June 3, 2022
The Bequest by B.E. Baker with an excerpt and giveaway
The Bequest
B.E. Baker
(The Birch Creek Ranch, #1)
Publication date: November 30th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Two widows, six kiddos, and a will that leaves them a massive cattle ranch, but only if they work it for a year.
Abigail and Amanda may have married brothers, but they have almost nothing else in common (and really, they never did get along very well). After their husbands both pass away, they have no reason to interact. Their connection drops to an awkward phone call on birthdays and an exchange of holiday cards.
Until an eccentric uncle of their husbands’ leaves a massive cattle ranch to the women’s minor children. . . if they work the ranch themselves. A ranch that’s located near a small town on the border of Wyoming that isn’t too keen on outsiders.
They’re both going to turn the bequest down, clearly. It’s not like either of them could properly raise their kids or find love again in a backwater province like Birch Creek. But when things at home change dramatically—for both moms—they decide to give it a try. . . just for the summer.
What could possibly go wrong in a mere three months? (Or more importantly… what might go right?)
Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Pamela Kelley said, “B. E. Baker takes you right to the heart of the small town that two widowed sisters-in-law land in very unexpectedly. Can they survive the year they need to spend there to keep it? I really enjoyed reading Bridget’s romantic women’s fiction debut.”
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play
—
EXCERPT:
“Mrs. Brooks? Mrs. Nathaniel Brooks?”
I haven’t been called Mrs. Nathaniel Brooks in more than a year, not since before Nate died. It catches me by surprise and leaves me almost unable to speak.
“Hello?”
“Yes,” I manage to say. “That’s me.” I clear my throat.
“Good.” The man shuffles some papers. “My name is Karl Swift.” Something about his voice, perhaps the wobbly timbre, makes me think that Karl is quite old.
“What can I help you with, Mr. Swift?”
“Er, well, it might be more correct for me to tell you what I think I can help you with.”
He sounds like Bilbo Baggins at his birthday party.
“Okay.”
“I’m actually a lawyer as well—I found your name on your law firm website from a simple search. I’m calling to notify you that last night, I formally read a will that had been posted in all the local papers and online.”
“A will for whom?” I still have no idea why he called, and I’m beginning to think he was improperly named–he’s definitely not ‘swift.’ Spit it out, Ol’ Man River!
“Jedediah Brooks passed away almost two weeks ago.”
Brooks. He’s related to Nate, then. The name finally registers. “Nate’s uncle?”
“Even so,” Mr. Swift says.
“I’m very sorry to hear that Uncle Jed passed,” I say, rotely. I didn’t meet Nate’s uncle more than a handful of times, and even then we barely exchanged a handful of words. He had a full head of white hair the first time we met, nearly twenty years ago at my wedding to Nate. He must have lived quite a long life.
“Thank you. His death was quite a shock, but at least it was quick. Jed always said he wanted it to be fast, not drawn out.”
My hand trembles where it’s holding the phone. Nate’s death wasn’t quick at all—and it was so fast I could barely think straight. “Is that why you called? To let me know that he’d passed?”
“Not precisely,” Mr. Swift says. “You see, as I understand it, both of Mr. Brooks’ nephews, Nathaniel and Paul, predeceased him.”
I murmur my assent. They were both so young. It still sounds so wrong to agree that they’re both dead, even now.
“In that case, there is quite a substantial bequest made to your children, Mrs. Brooks.”
“Excuse me?”
“Jed owned a three thousand, two hundred and eleven acre cattle ranch out here, on the northern side of Utah. It’s one of only six properties in the state that have stayed with the same family continuously, all the way back to the original land grant. In fact, portions of the property are actually in Wyoming, but it’s mostly in a place called Daggett County.”
“Are you saying that my children’s great-uncle left them a three-thousand acre ranch?”
“Yes, but it’s not quite that simple.”
I wish Mr. Swift would cut to the chase. For a lawyer, he certainly lacks in clarity. “What does the will say, then?”
“Specifically, it provides that the ranch and all its appurtenances, including the home, a guest house, two large barns, an outbuilding for storage, and some three hundred and fifty head of cattle should be left to your children and the children of Nathaniel’s brother, Paul, per stirpes.”
I wonder what something like that is worth. Maybe Ethan could get his Razr after all. “Well, that’s unexpected.”
“However.” Mr. Swift rustles more papers. “In order for the bequest to vest, the heirs or, in the case that they’re minors, their appointed guardians, must adequately and actively operate the Birch Creek Ranch for a period of one full year.”
“Operate it?” I ask. “Meaning, we can’t just sell it?”
“That’s correct. In order for your children to inherit under the terms of the will, you would need to move here and run the ranch for a year.”
Author Bio:
Bridget loves her husband (every day) and all five of her kids (most days).
She’s a lawyer, but does as little legal work as possible. She has three quarter horse geldings, a Holsteiner (jumping) horse, and she spends too much time riding and not enough time writing. (Or too much time writing and not enough time riding, depending on your perspective!)
She has more chickens than she’ll admit to having, two lions head rabbits, a cat, two dogs (one bouncy and one yappy). She makes cookies waaaaay too often and believes they should be their own food group. In a (possibly misguided) attempt at balancing the scales, she kickboxes daily.
So if you don’t like her books, her kids, her horses, her chickens, or her cookies, maybe don’t tell her in person.
B.E. Baker is the romance/women’s fiction penname for Bridget E. Baker, who also writes fantasy, end of the world, and dystopian books that add a little magic to the world.
Please sign up for Bridget’s fantasy or romance newsletters on her website at www.BridgetEBakerWrites.com or click Follow on her bio above to get notices and updates when she releases new books!
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub
GIVEAWAY!
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June 2, 2022
Bad Boys Don’t Date Clumsy Girls by KE Strand
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. KE Strand will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
When the school’s bad boy infiltrates her shelter, will she lose her sanctuary or her heart?
Hopelessly clumsy Ava, is too focused on graduation and keeping both feet on the ground to have a boyfriend. She has enough to worry about with a less than ideal home life.
Bad boy Dylan can’t help but find Ava’s klutziness entertaining. That doesn’t mean he wants to date her.
When court-ordered community service forces them together at the animal shelter, Ava fears she’s lost her refuge. Dylan’s arrogance gets under her skin. And she finds it unforgivable the dogs prefer him after everything she’s done for them. A spontaneous water fight heats things up and suddenly she anticipates each meeting. But his reputation might be too much for her to overlook.
Will Ava be forced to find a new escape? Or will she stumble her way into his heart?
Bad Boys Don’t Date Clumsy Girls is a light-hearted, clean young adult romantic comedy. The first book in the Oak Grove High series by KE Strand. It will make you cringe, cry, and cackle.
Buy Bad Boys Don’t Date Clumsy Girls for your latest binge read today.
Read an Excerpt
As luck would have it, Dylan Scott, the school’s notorious “bad boy,” is leaning against the tall front counter, smirking at me. I’m studiously ignoring him and trying not to think what a great story this will make for him to share with friends later.
“Ava, dear,” the compassionate office lady croons. “I have these gym sweats you can wear.” She holds up a tattered pair of blue sweatpants that look at least two sizes too big. I gag a little at the thought of them coming off the body of a sweaty boy who probably farted and scratched himself while wearing them.
“I’m afraid you’ve run us out of shirts.” Her face is all droopy with apology. “The only thing I can offer you is this one. I promise it’s been laundered. Looks like it’ll fit, though.”
I bite my bottom lip to hold in the strange mewling sound that wants to escape. “That’s my shirt.”
Dylan barks out a laugh and Mrs. Jensen glowers at him. He shrugs and holds out a hand to me. “Can you blame me?”
I step forward to snatch the clothes from Mrs. Jensen. The shirt used to be my favorite. It’s a flirty little button-up with cap sleeves. The cut makes me look like I have more of a figure than I do. But it’s as white as a fresh snowfall. Or it was until the spaghetti lunch incident. I must have left it in the bathroom after I changed that day.
About the Author:
KE Strand escapes within the pages of a book when real life thwarts her own outdoorsy adventures. But her favorite escape is into a story about young love. KE Strand writes clean teen romance because she loves those heart pounding moments of having a crush. The excitement, fear, and confusion of falling in love for the first time. And the relief and thrill of the first kiss. Each time you pick up a KE Strand book you’ll fall in love for the first time. You can find her on the following social media
Facebook
Instagram
Newsletter
Amazon Author Page
June 1, 2022
Chasing Ghosts by Kate Anslinger
Happy publication day to Kate Anslinger! Check out her new book Chasing Ghosts (A Grace McKenna Mystery Novel)!
Chasing Ghosts (A Grace McKenna Mystery Novel)
Publication Date: June 1st, 2022
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
What would you do if you could see haunting images in a criminal’s eyes?
Detective Grace McKenna’s mother has always told her that she has a gift.
When she looks into a criminal’s eyes she can see haunting images of victims who have been wronged.
One of those visions is the face of Jenny Silva, a high school art teacher who has gone missing from the small town of Bridgeton, Massachusetts, where Grace works.
When she makes eye contact with the possible suspect, Jenny’s tortured face flashes before Grace, leaving an unsettling imprint on her.
Grace finds herself making tough decisions to solve a case on her own, where she stumbles across town secrets and gets mixed up in an unlikely love affair.
Sometimes a wrong can find a way to be righted all on its own!
Will Grace be able to solve this case on her own?
A set of beady blue eyes overpowering the face of a teenage girl tore Grace from the present moment. The girl’s mouth was contorted into an angry frown emphasized by black lipstick that matched her shoulder-length straight black hair. The skin on her chin and right cheek was dotted in bumps and covered in varying shades of red as if she had tried to cover up teenage acne. Her neck and collar bone area were covered in blue and red blotches that looked like fingerprints pressed into her skin. A black winter hat with a white bat was pulled down to her eyebrows, enhancing the eyeliner that dipped in smudges beneath her eyes. The dead ends of her hair sprouted out the bottom of the hat and hit the collar of a black and white flannel shirt. Her face, filled with fright, transformed into an Edvard Munch Scream print upon an orange and red wavy background.
A new instinct kicked in and without thought, Grace’s hand went straight to her stomach, holding it like she was protecting a glass snow globe from falling to the floor and shattering. And as soon as she recognized how she had executed a mama bear’s intuition naturally and without a second thought, it dawned on her just how challenging motherhood would be. The baby that was rapidly growing in her womb would always come between her and the victims.
If Charlotte noticed alarm on Grace’s face, she didn’t show it. Instead, she smiled and tilted her head to the side, introducing the woman next to her. “Amy, this is Grace, we met by the bathroom. And we just happen to be a couple weeks apart in our pregnancies.”
A marked pause interrupted the space between them before Amy spoke. With a shifty gaze, Amy’s eyes rose from Grace’s shoes all the way up to her hairline. “It’s nice to meet you, Grace.” Her words ended in a hiss as she dropped a pair of crossed hands on a set of crossed legs decorated in pressed khaki pants. A pale blue cashmere sweater held tight to her perky breasts and was offset by a crisp white collar that peeked out the top like bird wings. Her posture was awkwardly erect, as if she was one of those mannequins strategically placed in department stores, free of any natural slump.
Naturally, Grace was inquisitive about the connection between the two women. Amy looked too young to be Charlotte’s mother, but too old to be a supportive friend accompanying her to her appointment. An older sister? A cousin? Whoever Amy was, Grace was now aware that the woman was responsible for the harm of the teenage girl who showed herself in the vision. Just as the conspicuous silence following the introduction was about to get awkward, a nurse emerged from the hallway and called out a name. Grace turned to see an older woman in the pale pink scrub uniform, haircut and highlighted in a style that was popular in the mid-nineties, when Jennifer Aniston set the example with long, face-framing layers. The nurse scanned the room, and with some force behind her voice she tried again. “Charlotte Anderson.”
“Well, that’s me.” Charlotte started to push herself up off the chair, until Amy hopped up and reached an arm across her back, guiding her to an upright position until she was face to face with Grace.
“Easy there, Charlotte. Precious cargo.” Grace stepped out of the way as Amy guided Charlotte to the nurse, like a mother ushering her toddler. As the connected duo passed by, Grace recognized the embarrassment that had come to the surface on Charlotte’s face.
“I’ll see you around and if I don’t, good luck with your pregnancy.” Charlotte swiveled her head, locking eyes with Grace as Amy continued to shepherd her down the hall, keeping the two of them at a snail’s pace.
“You too.” Grace waved a hand, committing Amy’s silhouette to memory.
About the Author
Kate Anslinger is the author of the McKenna Mystery novels, a series that follows Detective Grace McKenna on her spree of secretly solving crimes with the help of her gift to see clues in the eyes of criminals. In addition to her life as a novelist, Kate is a ghostwriter, editor, freelance writer and a veteran of the United States Air Force. Her debut novel Saving Jason, touches upon the struggles of PTSD, a topic that is near and dear to her heart. Kate lives on the North Shore of Boston with her husband, two daughters, and Newfoundland pup.
Kate Anslinger | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Book Blitz Organized By:
May 31, 2022
One for the Money by Skye Warren plus a giveaway
One for the Money
Skye Warren
Published by: Dangerous Press
Publication date: May 24th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Finn Hughes knows about secrets. His family is as wealthy as the Rockefellers. And as powerful as the Kennedys. No one knows that the men in his line have a debilitating, early-onset illness. He’s managed the business from a young age while his father served as the figurehead. All the while knowing there’s a ticking clock on his ability to lead.
Eva Morelli is the oldest daughter. The responsible one. The caring one. The one who doesn’t have time for her own interests.
Especially not her interest in the charismatic, mysterious Finn Hughes.
A fake relationship is the answer to both their problems.It will keep the swarming society mothers from throwing their daughters at him.And it will keep Eva’s mother from bothering her about marriage.
Then the fake relationship starts to feel real.
But there’s no chance for them. No hope for a woman who’s had her heart broken. And no future for a man whose fate was decided long ago.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play
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Author Bio:
Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance. Her books have sold over one million copies. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.
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GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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May 30, 2022
Salute Military Bookish Event and giveaway
I’m so excited to be a part of @NNP_W_Light’s Salute Military Bookish Event. Check out all books just in time for Memorial Day and enter the giveaway to win a $20 Amazon gift card. Visit the link below to check out the spotlight on The Penguin’s Progress and enter the giveaway.
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/salute-military-bookish-event
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May 28, 2022
The Burly-Que Girls by Linda Hughes – read an excerpt and enter the giveaway
The Burly-Que Girls: The 6
Linda Hughes
Publication date: December 26th 2021
Genres: Historical, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Get a front-row seat to classic striptease during the heyday of burlesque.
When former burlesque dancers Dolly O’Dare and her friends discover that their manager, Ballard “Balls” Benedict, has skipped town with their retirement funds, there’s no stopping the irate troupe from converging on Las Vegas to track down the scoundrel. But to rack up enough dough to hire a private dick, the six dames must sell their life stories in a steamy, hilarious, and – yes – sweet tell-all book.
They’ll do whatever it takes to find Balls and get their money back. After all, at this point in their lives, they’ve got nothing to lose. But along the way they discover that the real treasures are in zany old friendships, quirky new acquaintances, and maybe even a second-chance romance or two.
Join the fun and fall in love with these wildly wonderful women in this first book in the Burly-Q Girls series. You may end up doing a little hoochie-coochie dance to become a Burly-Q Girl yourself.
This work of fiction was inspired by real-life stories told to the author by her burly-que friends.
—
EXCERPT:
Suddenly, an impatient knock from outside assaulted the apartment door like a mobster’s Tommy gun. Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat.
“Who in hell …?” Ginger got up and opened the door.
Annie Fannie stood there in all her hoity-toity glory.
Ginger glared up at the tall, svelte woman, her shock evident. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Dressed in a designer outfit that no doubt cost more than Ginger’s entire wardrobe, hell, probably her entire apartment, the uninvited guest pressed the back of her hand to Ginger’s shoulder to nudge her aside. “Let me in. The heat out here is insufferable.” She came to an abrupt halt just inside the door, leaving Ginger stuck in the open threshold to deal with the heat. “Well, well, well. Look … at … this,” Annie snarled as she sauntered into the room and stood like a queen looking down her nose at her peons. “The whole gang is here. Hello, girls. It’s been a long time.”
Dolly huffed. “Not long enough.”
“Aren’t you going to invite me to sit down?”
“No, Annie, we’re not,” Ginger stated flatly.
“I haven’t gone by Annie since I quit performing. It’s Anastasia now.” She patted her dyed blond hair, making certain they noticed she had a chichi coif.
“I’m guessing you’ve never quit performing, one way or another.” Dolly stood up to face the interloper mano a mano.
Merry hopped up to join the line of defense.
“My, my. What hostility. What did I ever do to make you all so rudely hostile toward me?”
“Gee, Annie, I’m surprised you ask, because we know you don’t give a rat’s ass what we think.” Dolly balled up her fists and ground them into her hips, at the ready.
“As for the hostility,” Ginger seethed, thirty years of hot anger boiling up unexpectedly, “how about the fact that you lied to my boyfriend about me and stole him away? Huh? How about that?”
“Pfft. Please. He wasn’t worth having. I only dated him a few times. You could have had him back. Oh wait. I remember now. He went on to Pussy Willow after me. I guess he liked her … willow.” She smirked, amused at her supposed wit.
“You treated us like shit,” Dolly growled. “You insulted our costumes and our acts and even our bodies. Like you thought you were so much better than us.”
“Well …” Annie made the mistake of throwing her arms out wide and looking around the room. “I’ve certainly never lived in a hovel like this.”
That did it. Ginger flung herself at their tormenter, clawing at the viper’s haute couture dress and tearing it down to her waist.
“You little bitch!” Annie Fannie, once the most elegant of exotic dancers, turned out to be a formidable foe. She grabbed a handful of Ginger’s hair and with that they hit the floor, rolling around and throwing punches as best they could. Arms and legs flailed about at random, like a game of Whack-a-mole gone bad.
Dolly and Merry jumped into action, each snatching a brawler and yanking her away. Everybody got roughed up in the process. The Women’s Wrestling Association had nothing on them.
“Girls! Girls!” Dolly hollered. “This isn’t going to change anything.”
“Stop! Stop!” Merry yelled at the same time. “You’re both acting like Neanderthals.”
Once separated and on opposite sides of the room, the brutal enemies tried to kill each other with laser stares.
“Look at what you did to my dress. It’s ruined.” Annie slung the comment across the room. Her pink, embroidered, lacy, padded, underwire bra poked out at them.
“Yeah. Well, that’s nothing compared to what you did to my life. I loved Harold!” Ginger’s lower lip quivered as she shook a quaking finger at her nemesis.
Annie frowned, paused, then said, “His name was Howard.”
“No, it wasn’t! He was my Harold.”
“Ah, Ginger, honey.” Dolly’s gentle tone caused Ginger to look at her friend. “I remember him.”
They watched as awareness clicked in on Ginger’s face.
“As much as I hate to admit that Annie is right, his name was Howard,” Dolly reminded her.
Ginger looked to Merry for support, but all Merry could offer was a helpless shrug.
“Oh. Oh. Well. Yeah, sure. Now I remember.” Ginger straightened herself, patted her mussed up hair, casually sat down at the table, and calmly clasped her hands. “I knew that.”
“Now that we’ve done a brawling bump and grind down memory lane,” Annie chided, stuffing the torn edge of her dress up into her bra straps, “I’d like to get to the reason for my visit and then get out of this dump as quickly as possible.”
“Do tell,” Dolly said. “Why in hell are you here?”
Author Bio:
Happy endings and new beginnings – but not as you expect. Even better. That’s what Linda Hughes’ books are all about, whether historical romantic suspense, mystery, or second chance romance.
When Linda was 12 years old she wrote in her diary that she would be a “writter” when she grew up. With 20 books and a passel of writing awards, her dream has come true. She is a #1 bestselling co-author.
So browse around on her page. Find something that’s just right for you. That 12-year-old with big dreams, who still lives within Linda, is delighted.
Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub
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May 27, 2022
Dark Blue Waves by Kimberly Sullivan plus a giftcard giveaway
Dark Blue Waves
Kimberly Sullivan
Publication date: May 27th 2022
Genres: Adult, Historical, Romance, Time-Travel, Women’s Fiction
When you wake up in Bath, England two hundred years in the past, how far can a love of Jane Austen get you?
Janet Roberts dreams of an academic career in literature, so she can hardly believe her good fortune when she’s accepted into a Jane Austen graduate seminar in Bath, England. Settled in Georgian splendor among her seminar colleagues, Janet and her classmates live, eat and breathe Jane Austen.
An accident interrupts this idyll when Janet regains consciousness in her own room—back in Regency England. For a scholar of nineteenth-century literature, this should be a dream come true.
But Janet quickly learns there’s a world of difference between scholarly knowledge of the written page and maneuvering real life as a reluctant time traveler.
Her burgeoning friendship with Emma Huntington eases her entrée into nineteenth-century society. However, Emma’s brother, the handsome, proud and frustratingly magnetic Sir Edward, is far less welcoming.
While desperately attempting to make sense of her dilemma, Janet treads a thin line between trying to blend into her new world and not being unmasked as the imposter she is. Can she discover the way to return to her twenty-first century life? After working so hard to create a rewarding nineteenth-century life for herself and opening her hart to friendship and love, does she even want to?
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
Only 99¢ for a limited time!
—
EXCERPT:
Janet marveled at her reflection in the mirror. Her light brown hair with its sunny highlights looked elegant swept up; her neck appeared long and delicate. Her green eyes sparkled. She looked older, more sophisticated with her nineteenth-century toilette. She was certainly too suntanned to be fashionable among the creamy-skinned young women of Bath. Her form was perhaps too muscular for nineteenth-century tastes, but sport-sculpted shoulders and legs would be well-covered by the fashions of the day.
It did not require an extreme stretch of the imagination to believe that she might have just stepped out of the Bennet household. If only she could learn the manners and banish anachronisms from her discourse, she might actually get away with it.
“Why, Jane! Don’t you look lovely! What a miraculous recovery.” Emma glided into the room, all smiles and good cheer. “Doctor Perry has given me an excellent report. We are to take a short walk, but I have strict instructions to rest frequently. I have brought my sketching pad and pencils so that we shall have every excuse to sit and rest. Doctor Perry assures me you are strong, and he is confident you should soon be back to your old self.”
Janet smiled at her new friend. How kind they were being to her. She followed Emma out of the room, and then out the front door into the glorious, sunny June day.
June 17, 1813.
She could hardly believe it. She, Janet Roberts, writing her master’s thesis on nineteenth-century English social customs and manners and how they were reflected in the literature of the period, was now walking around Bath on June 17, 1813. This was a dream come true. How her fellow students and scholars would envy her, if only they knew.
But would they ever know? Would she ever return to her twenty-first-century life to complete that half-finished thesis, the one she needed to finalize by next May? Would she return to finish her Austen seminar? She’d agonized endlessly over her father controlling every aspect of her life—her studies, her career, her choice of a husband—yet here she was, a few days later, and her life was one giant question mark.
Emma slipped her arm through Janet’s, and the two women walked along the green of The Crescent, then continued the short distance to The Circus. This was the very same route Janet jogged with Siobhan only a few days earlier, on the morning of the accident that changed her life.
The streets were a riot of sights, sounds, and color. Women in their elegant dresses, servant girls in their coarse, functional smocks and aprons. In Janet’s world, it was not always easy to distinguish the classes by fashion. A twenty-first-century internet billionaire might work daily in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, just like the worker cleaning the streets. But here, in this new world, class and privilege were prominently displayed in one’s dress and carriage. There were no blurred lines. No room for ambiguity.
Children wandered the streets, carrying heavy parcels and buckets in their delicate, tiny hands. Janet longed to relieve them of their loads. How on earth could such young creatures be working so hard, carrying burdens that must weigh as much as they? Surely they should be in school, or enjoying their brief childhood, or accompanied by an observant adult, someone to ensure that they were vigilant and would not risk being run over and killed by a passing horse and carriage in a careless moment of childish distraction. Goodness, her modern sensibilities found this far too difficult to digest.
As she and Emma promenaded, elegant men stepped aside to allow them to pass. The men smiled and tipped their hats to the passing ladies.
The smell of horse manure was overwhelming. It hung so thickly in the air that Janet felt a wave of nausea wash over her. She saw a few men braving oncoming traffic, shovels in hand, attempting to clear the streets, only able to eliminate a small portion of the mountains of accumulated horse droppings.
Hadn’t the automobile been touted as the ideal solution to eliminate pollution? Janet, alongside her middle school classmates, had laughed smugly at the absurdity of that premise. How easy to have been smug in her clean and hygienic modern world. But now that she was actually living in the time period and breathing in the overwhelming odor that must have permeated every major city, she felt more sympathy for those who had welcomed the technology as a possible liberation from the nauseating stench that blanketed cities and towns.
Janet tried in vain to compose her face, but she couldn’t help but stare at the sights and sounds all around her.
Emma laughed at her friend. “You must remember to close your mouth and not gape at your surroundings. It looks as if you are out in the world for the first time, my dear Jane. Surely, you have not forgotten in this brief time what the world looks like beyond the confines of the sick bed.”
You would be surprised, Emma.
Author Bio:
Kimberly grew up in the suburbs of Boston and in Saratoga Springs, New York, although she now calls the Harlem neighborhood of New York City home when she’s back in the US. She studied political science and history at Cornell University and earned her MBA, with a concentration in strategy and marketing, from Bocconi University in Milan.
Afflicted with a severe case of Wanderlust, she worked in journalism and government in the US, Czech Republic and Austria, before settling down in Rome, where she works in international development, and writes fiction any chance she gets.
She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and The Historical Novel Society and has published several short stories and two novels: Three Coins and Dark Blue Waves.
After years spent living in Italy with her Italian husband and sons, she’s fluent in speaking with her hands, and she loves setting her stories in her beautiful, adoptive country.
Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub
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May 25, 2022
Where There’s Doubt by Terry Tyler
Welcome to the book tour for Terry Tyler’s latest novel! A thriller called Where There’s Doubt. Read on for more info!
Where There’s Doubt
Publication Date: March 24th, 2022
Genre: Psychological Thriller/ Drama
‘I can be anything you want me to be. Even if you don’t know you want it. Especially if you don’t know you want it.’
Café owner Kate is mentally drained after a tough two years; all she wants from her online chess partner is entertainment on lonely evenings, and maybe a little virtual flirtation.
She is unaware that Nico Lewis is a highly intelligent con artist who, with an intricately spun web of lies about their emotional connection, will soon convince her that he is The One.
Neither does Kate know that his schemes involve women who seek love on dating sites, as well as his small publishing business. A host of excited authors believe Nico is about to make their dreams come true.
Terry Tyler’s twenty-fourth publication is a sinister psychological drama that highlights the dark side of internet dating—and the danger of ignoring the doubts of your subconscious.
Excerpt
“Nico is a romance scammer, and this excerpt is from his point of view.”
After the barbecue weekend with Kate I do an impromptu ‘just had to see you’ overnight with Heather because she’s been acting rather strangely via text, and I can’t risk her getting pissed off with me. I take her roses, and on the spur of the moment I come up with a story about my cousin Dieter (Dieter? Weird name choice, brain!) who throws the best New Year’s Eve parties.
“Low key, just an incredible dinner with a selected few. He’s got a stupidly big house in the Northamptonshire countryside—we could stay there, make a weekend of it.”
I chose a date six months away to demonstrate my commitment, but now I wonder if it might be an idea to start talking spring breaks for next year, too. I need to get her up to speed, because she’ll be the first hit—got to be, because her house will need to be sold. Andrew, our tame estate agent, is well in with a couple of property developer types who are always looking at places like Heather’s to flip, so we’re fairly confident of a quick cash sale, but obviously we can’t rest on our laurels. I leave the sales side to Andrew. Might as well get all I can out of him in return for his eventual pay-off.
He’s getting ten grand—he wants to quit his job and go backpacking.
I leave Heather on Wednesday, and speed straight to Diss to up the pace with Polly. Down on one knee, the whole works. The ring is white gold with a pear shaped aquamarine, set off with tiny diamonds. One thousand, two hundred and fifty pounds, paying for it on credit; we’ll need make a couple of payments so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Em thought it was better to go down this road than the ‘used to be my mother’s’ story, with some piece of old tat from a pawn shop; Polly’s exactly the type who would take her new engagement ring to be valued.
I don’t want to think about the night I was forced to endure after the proposal; my acting powers were stretched to breaking point, never mind my restraint. Before we went to bed, she insisted we stand in front of the mirror to practice corny wedding photo poses.
“Come on, it’ll be a giggle!” she said. That’s how she talks. Calls a drink a ‘tipple’, and refers to watching romcoms and eating cake as ‘guilty pleasures’. She has plenty of the latter, usually pink iced cupcakes. Oh, and then there’s her great friend the universe. She believes she won the lottery and met me because she asked the universe to ‘gift her’ with these delights.
“You just have to believe, and reach out to the universe,” she tells me. It really is that simple. Allegedly. I’ve been asking it for this four million pound yacht I saw on a programme about the Southampton boat show, but it’s ignored me so far.
That night we stood there, me in a t-shirt and boxers, her in a silky, lace-edged ‘champagne’ coloured slip (I’d have called it off-white but she insists the colour is champagne), and she said, “Talk about hashtag blessed! Thank you, Universe!”
She told me about her life philosophy during an early email exchange (except that Polly doesn’t ‘tell’ people about things; she ‘fesses up’). I advised her to be very careful what she tells strangers on the internet, because there are a lot of unscrupulous characters out there. She took this as an indication of how much I care for her. You couldn’t make it up, could you?
I’ve had to weather a few meetings with her mother, too, but happily she fancies me as well, and can’t wait to welcome me into the family.
Of course, Polly being Polly, as soon as I proposed it became all about the wedding plans. The venue. The guest list. Buffet or sit-down meal? A themed wedding, perhaps? Okay by me; she was so excited about her new project that she was happy just to sit up in bed chattering away, which gave me a rest. Just when I thought I might have to put a pillow over her face and apply pressure, she got out her laptop and announced that she’d had a wonderful idea.
“A boutique hotel!”
“Qu’est-ce que tu as dit, chéri?” She likes it when I ‘talk French’. It’s ‘so romantic’.
About the Author
Terry Tyler is a writer of post-apocalyptic, dystopian and dark psychological fiction, and currently has 24 books published on Amazon.
When not busy writing she reads a great deal (she is a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team), blogs about TV, writing and any random stuff that pops into her head, likes going for walks in the countryside and takes too many photos of trees. She loves history, Twitter, clever observational humour and is moderately obsessed with post-apocalyptic scenarios generally, and The Walking Dead. Terry lives with her husband in the north east of England.
Terry Tyler | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub
Book Tour Schedule
May 23rd
R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com
Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
Riss Reviews (Review) https://rissreviewsx.wixsite.com/website
@rissreviews_xx – https://www.instagram.com/rissreviews_xx/
Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/
Books + Coffee = Happiness (Review) https://bookscoffeehappiness.com/
@bookscoffeehappiness – https://www.instagram.com/bookscoffeehappiness/
@gryffindorbookishnerd (Review) https://www.instagram.com/gryffindorbookishnerd/
Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com
May 24th
@ofmoviesandbooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/ofmoviesandbooks/
@jennlynnadams (Review) https://www.instagram.com/jennlynnadams/
@what.kerry.reads (Review) https://www.instagram.com/what.kerry....
@takealookatmybookshelf (Review) https://www.instagram.com/takealookatmybookshelf/
@mysticforestcrafts (Review) https://www.instagram.com/mysticforestcrafts/
Bunny’s Reviews (Review) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/
May 25th
@my_books_and_coffee (Review) https://www.instagram.com/my_books_and_coffee/
Liliyana Shadowlyn (Review) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/
@marvsbooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/marvsbooks/
Timeless Romance Blog (Spotlight) https://aubreywynne.com/
May 26th
@amber.bunch_author (Review) https://www.instagram.com/amber.bunch_author/
@infinite.readlist (Review) https://www.instagram.com/infinite.readlist/
@genoviareadingco (Review) https://www.instagram.com/genoviareadingco/
@chaptersofvicki (Review) https://www.instagram.com/chaptersofvicki/
B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
May 27th
@hodophile_z (Review) https://www.instagram.com/hodophile_z/
@inspired.j.reads (Review) https://www.instagram.com/inspired.j.reads/
Misty’s Book Space (Review) http://mistysbookspace.wordpress.com
@bhaneereads_ (Review) https://www.instagram.com/bhaneereads_/
Book Tour Organized By:
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