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Showing posts with label contests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contests. Show all posts

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Guest Post Entering The Time Machine by D.H. Morris Author of The Girl of Many Crowns (#contests- Win Some Book Swag and a copy of the book)

 

I want to welcome D.H. Morris to Books R Us. She is the author of the historical fiction book The Girl of Many Crowns. The author has written a guest post just for my readers, Thanks for stopping by.


Book Details:

Book Title:  The Girl of Many Crowns by D.H. Morris
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  305 pages
GenreHistorical Fiction 
Publisher:  New Classics Publishing
Release date:  October 4, 2024
Content Rating: PG due to some mature subject matters, but no graphic violence, language, or sexual content.
 

Book Description:
 

The true and inspiring story of a powerful knight and a run-away queen who unite to defy an empire.

King Charles, the first king of France, is beset by Vikings, rebel lords, and his brother, all seeking to take his kingdom. To strengthen his kingdom, King Charles marries his twelve-year-old daughter Judith to elderly, widowed Aethelwulf, King of Wessex. When Aethelwulf dies unexpectedly, Judith is pressed into marrying Aethelwulf's cruel eldest son. When her second husband also dies, twice-widowed Judith refuses to accept a third arranged marriage.

As punishment for her refusal, King Charles imprisons 16-year-old Judith in one of his palaces where she is visited by her brother, Louis, and his knightly companion, Count Baldwin “Iron Arm.” When Baldwin helps Judith escape, they are hunted by her father’s men and must flee for their lives. Can Baldwin and Judith hold on to each other and their faith as they face the fury of an empire?

Buy the Book:
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GUEST POST:

ENTERING THE TIME MACHINE - by D. H. Morris

Even as a child I saw history as a form of time travel. However, my life-long love affair with history makes it frustrating to read historical fiction that includes anachronisms. My quest to avoid including anything out of place in the world of The Girl of Many Crowns led me to read forty books and numerous articles about the Ninth Century. The timeline and the plot for The Girl of Many Crowns came from the annals kept by ninth-century monks at the abbey of St. Bertin. But fleshing out the events mentioned in the annals is where the research happened. Most of that research took place during the writing process. Here are several examples:

In the ninth century kings were itinerant. They had multiple palaces and moved often from one to the next to keep an eye on their nobles, listen to legal matters, and to avoid overburdening the resources of any one region. Immediately, I was faced with the question of what these moves entailed. How many people would move in one company? How far was the distance between palaces? Did they use carts, wagons, etc.? Did they have luggage or just pack everything in straw? Striving for historical accuracy, I paused writing until I had read books on early medieval European royal courts and how they traveled. I learned about the duties of the various members of the court during such endeavors, including the role of the court jester in entertaining weary travelers.

The Girl of Many Crowns is also a book of many places as indicated by the maps included. However, I could not write about those places without researching how they looked twelve hundred years ago. What buildings were there at the time that the characters were there? What were those buildings made of and what history was behind each building or city? Of course, not all of my research made it into the book. But it was important for me to know it in order to write confidently about that time period.

Finally, not being a Catholic, myself, and finding that religion was an enormous part of the characters’ story meant that I needed to delve deeply into early medieval Catholic beliefs, controversies, popes, celebrations, as well as the order and content of the ninth-century mass.

My research started by reading the works of early medieval historian Janet L. Nelson. Her books are filled with footnotes and bibliographies leading to long lists of other scholarly sources. Wikipedia is also useful for finding sources, with one caveat. You should not rely on the opinions written in the body of any given Wikipedia article without reading the original sources cited. The primary sources for citations in Wikipedia are where the real value lies.

The Girl of Many Crowns is heavier on the “historical” rather than the “fiction” part of Historical Fiction. I hope you will enjoy entering my time machine and traveling back with me 1200 years to a dangerous, fascinating, and adventurous period in European history.

 



Meet the Author:

A native of San Diego, California, D. H. Morris has lived on four continents and traveled through many countries. She has four children and eleven grandchildren and currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Choral Music education and pursued graduate work in English at USU and law at the University of Utah. She is also a published playwright.

As a descendant of Judith and Baldwin, the author discovered their intriguing story while doing a genealogical project. This journey inspired her to research everything about the 9th Century – including food, politics, travel, war, education, clothing, jewelry, religion, holidays, marriage customs, and medicine. She loves talking about this remarkable time in history when the European countries we know today were being formed and fighting for their very existence.


connect with the author:  website pinterestgoodreads

Enter the Giveaway:
THE GIR OF MANY CROWNS Book Tour Giveaway



Saturday, January 18, 2025

Book Blitz of Some Like it Hott by Serena Bell(#Contests-Enter To Win An Amazon Gift Card)

Some Like It Hott
Serena Bell
(Hott Springs Eternal, #3)
Publication date: January 14th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

She’s nothing he wants. And everything he needs.

Preston: I’m Mr. Serious, the guy they call “all work and no play.” So of course my grandfather’s sadistic will has put me in charge of fun at the family’s wedding resort. I have just a few weeks to come up with an all-ages activities program for the resort’s guests—or lose my family’s land forever. Meanwhile, the clock’s ticking at my finance firm, where I’m up for a huge promotion—if I can prove I’m a team player.

Worse, I have to work with the reigning queen of fun, Natalie Archer. If there’s a party, Natalie’s there, and she’s the one dancing on the tables. She doesn’t think much of my suits, ties, cufflinks, and spreadsheets, and I don’t think much of her fun-first–safety-last attitude. But for some reason, I can’t stop thinking about her gorgeous curves, wild curly hair, or sparkling smile. I’m a man who values self-control—and I’m running low.

Natalie launches Operation Fun to help me loosen up and win the promotion I’ve been chasing. Now we’re spending days and nights together—and learning that some activities are a lot of fun for both of us. But as our deadline approaches and our collaboration heats up, Natalie and I find ourselves asking a big question: Opposites may attract, but can they live happily ever after?

A spicy, grumpy-sunshine, fish-out-of-water, billionaire, opposites attract, workplace relationship standalone romantic comedy set in the beloved small town of Rush Creek.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

By the time I start my new job a week after my coffee-shop encounter with Lloyd and Susie, I’m starting to feel more optimistic about things. My new boss, Hanna, hooked me up with a swanky room in the Hott Springs Eternal lodge; I’ve deleted all Lloyd’s emails, texts, and photos; and I’ve pawned all the jewelry he gave me.

I’m not sleeping great, and I’m still a little weepy…but you can’t have it all.

I poke my head into Hanna’s office and say, “Hey!”

“Oh, hi, Natalie. Come in.”

I can tell right away that something’s off. She doesn’t sound as brimming with enthusiasm as she did when she called to let me know I had the job or when we talked about my lodging. But I tell myself it’s nothing to do with me—probably a bridezilla situation from earlier in the morning—and step inside.

“Good to see you.” She waves me into a chair across from her. “I have some paperwork for you to fill out, but first I wanted to have a word with you.”

She rearranges a stack of papers, and I realize she’s nervous. Which means the “something off” I observed when I first walked in? Probably does have to do with me.

Shit. “Everything okay?”

I don’t know what I’ll do if this job falls through. Things are over with Lloyd, and it’s a huge understatement to say my parents aren’t my first choice of roommates. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that the idea of asking them for any kind of favor makes me feel like throwing up. Which is why I have to save the money to go back to school.

And even if my housing situation weren’t at stake, I want this job. Yeah, it’s not on the long-term Get Serious path, but it’s totally up my alley. I love people and I love, well, fun—and this is a job where I get to make sure people have fun. Nothing else I’ve applied for sounds like something I want to do.

“I have so many great ideas for how to make Hott Springs Eternal a true destination!” I blurt out, sounding like a bad cover letter—as if that’s going to keep her from delivering whatever bad news is on the tip of her tongue.

She winces, and…I do, too. She looks away, and shit. Shit shit shit.

“It’s complicated,” she says, still not making eye contact. “Nothing to panic about, but there’s a—twist.”

“A twist,” I repeat. That doesn’t sound good.

“I’m really sorry about this bait and switch, but my hands are totally tied. I know I hired you to be the sole person in this position, but, well…God, how do I explain this?”

She’s not making any sense, and apparently my face betrays my confusion and worry because she says, “Wait, let me start from the beginning.”

But just then, her eyes leave my face and fix on something behind me. “Oh, hey,” she says.

I turn to see a man standing in the office door, towing a rolling suitcase behind him. He’s tall and broad-chested, wearing a gorgeous gray linen suit whose expensive tailoring flaunts the strength in his shoulders and biceps. His brown-and-burgundy power tie is cinched up tight against his strong, tanned throat. A half day of dark stubble coats his iron jaw, his cheekbones were carved from stone, and he’s scowling like he just found out his bespoke-suit maker has gone out of business.

My mouth goes dry, and my thighs get hot.

I may have read a little too much “You liked Fifty Shades? Try this!” romance at a formative age.

My eyes go to his hands.

No ring.

Yes, I checked. The universe has spontaneously served me up a Hot Man in a Suit. I challenge any single, straight woman with a pulse not to try to figure out if this guy’s married.

Although it’s pointless.

Because things never work out between men like him and women like me. They’re all business, and I’m a party. They take themselves and everything else seriously, and I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

But it doesn’t stop me from having to wipe imaginary drool from both corners of my mouth.

It might be the stern look and the crease between his dark eyebrows. The set of his jaw or the harsh twist of his lush mouth.

Whatever it is, I have to force my eyes away from him and back to my boss’s face.

Which is pained.

Whatever the bad news is, it involves this man. And that makes sense because no matter what happens next, I already know he’s bad news for me.

“Preston,” Hanna says, “this is Natalie Archer. I’ve, er, hired her to be Hott Springs Eternal’s activities coordinator.”

His scowl deepens, making my heart beat faster, out of both fear and lust.

“That’s unfortunate,” he says.

Yikes.

Nice to meet you, too, Preston.


Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers ’Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Instagram / X / Newsletter


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Friday, January 17, 2025

Book Blitz of My Hearts Desire by Heather Alexander(#Contests- Enter to win signed copies of books 1 & 2 in the series OR a $25 Amazon gift card (winner’s choice)

My Heart’s Desire
Heather Alexander
(The Kincaid Brothers Series, #2)
Publication date: January 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Romance, Time-Travel

When her best friend’s name appears on a tombstone dated 1883, the only way for Amber Harrison to save her is to travel through a mysterious time portal to the Old West—

Destiny drops her in 1883 Montana at the feet of Josh Kincaid—a sexy, time-traveling deputy with plans of his own. Attraction stirs between Amber and Josh, and soon their flirtatious friendship blossoms into a fiery romance. Teaming up, they devise a rescue, but time isn’t their only enemy. An escaped convict, seeking his revenge on the Kincaids, interferes with their plans. In order to keep their future on its true course, they must stop their adversary’s plan from coming to fruition. Can they beat time and return to their rightful place, or will they be stranded in 1883 forever?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

EXCERPT:

“Don’t move,” a deep, masculine voice commanded.
Amber froze. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Waves of fear poured down her spine.

“Hands where I can see them,” the voice continued.

Amber thrust her hands straight up into the air. Her stomach burned, fear roiling in its depths. If she didn’t have an ulcer when this over, it would be a miracle. She closed her eyes for a second, hoping the voice belonged to Wyatt. Because if it wasn’t him, or she was in the wrong year, surely, she was dead. Trespassing was against the law even in this backward time. Great, and she didn’t think it was possible for her anxiety level to climb any higher.

“Turn around…slowly.”

The initial signs of an oncoming panic attack banged at the door to her senses. Her heart pounded, her chest tightened, and her head spun like she’d just come off the tilt-a-whirl at the amusement park. But she did as she was told and inched herself around, one baby step at a time.

If anything confirmed her trip back in time one hundred and forty years, this was it. The cowboy standing before her was tall, over six feet, and clad in what she expected to see a man from the 1880s to be dressed in. He wore an unbuttoned vest over a linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His pants were super snug, and his dusty cowboy boots covered his legs from the knees down. The empty holster sat low over his right hip, and the silver spurs at his heels clanked as he moved toward her.

“W-Wyatt?” She swallowed nervously, lowering her hands. “D-don’t shoot!”

Dark blond brows shot up when she said his name, but he waved the gun and took another step toward her.

“I didn’t say you could lower your hands.”

Oh, shit!

She thrust her hands up again. “You…you are Wyatt, aren’t you? Wyatt Kincaid. Please tell me you are. Otherwise, I’m seriously screwed…in more ways than you could possibly imagine.”

Mesmerizing green eyes widened, and then his gaze swept over her from head to toe but remained on her feet. “I’d recognize twenty-first century sneakers anywhere.”

He tipped his chin toward her footwear, but his gun remained aimed at her.

Relief surged through her, and she sagged a little. This must be Emma’s husband. Now she understood what compelled her best friend to return to a previous century. Emma, you got yourself one fine husband. Out of all the details Emma revealed about Wyatt last year, Amber didn’t recall anything about him having such compelling green eyes. It was difficult to look away, not that she wanted to, she had to. This was her best friend’s husband.

Chalk it up to her time-travel muddled mind.

He took a step toward her and tilted his head to study her. “I’m guessing you’re…Amber?”

“Uh-huh. That’s right.” She nodded, still a little stunned. “Where’s Emma? I need to see her.”

His scowl quickly turned into a smile, and he holstered his gun. “Wow, the famous Amber Harrison in the flesh.”

He recognized her! Inside, she jumped up and down with excitement. “You know me? Wait, I don’t know how that’s possible. We’ve never met.”

“I recognize you from a photo Emma brought back with her last year…but you’re mistaken about who I am.”

She retreated a step. “If…if you’re not Wyatt Kincaid, then who are you?”

His smile widened, and he extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Josh. Wyatt and James’s brother.”

Author Bio:

Heather Alexander writes time-travel, contemporary, and historical romance.

Heather began writing as a child, inspired by her mom who loved to write fiction and poetry. Putting pen to paper—or rather fingers to keyboard—she began writing in the genres she loves. When she’s not writing, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, sipping Earl Grey tea while cozying up with a great book, and traveling. She is currently working on her next book.

Follow Heather on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads @booksbyha. Join her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / X / Bookbub


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Thursday, January 16, 2025

Book Blitz of Daring Destiny by Kaylene Winter (#contests-Signed copy of Daring Destiny + swag)

Daring Destiny
Kaylene Winter
(Charming Irish, #2)
Publication date: January 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Daring Destiny is a sweltering saga of billionaire intrigue, opposites-attract, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers with an unexpected life-changing twist.

Before I founded my AI tech company, I spent my high school years silently pining over Astrid Gustafsson, the unattainable ice-blonde beauty. Fast forward a decade and I’m shocked when she asks to collaborate on a secret project. The opportunity is too enticing to pass up.

Our newfound friendship quickly ignites into a wildfire of desire, and my passion for Astrid intensifies, leaving me eager to risk everything for our future. The challenge is, relentless demands of my high-stakes empire threaten to smother the flames of our burgeoning romance.

When fate dramatically intervenes, will a life-changing twist dare us to embrace our destiny?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

EXCERPT:

“So…” she says quietly. “Can we talk?”

“Yeah.” I brace myself for what’s coming next.

The end. This is probably the last time I’ll ever see Astrid. My heart is breaking into a million pieces and I’m not sure how to stop her from…

Without thinking, I reach out and take her hand, comforted by how natural it feels. She doesn’t pull away, just flicks her eyes up to me and blinks rapidly. As if she’s trying to stop from crying. My heart thunders in my chest. She moves in closer.

Thu-thump.

Suddenly, her lips are on mine.

In the beginning, it’s a soft kiss. Tentative, as if she’s testing the waters. Then, it quickly deepens and I find myself pulling her flush against my chest. Instinctively, my arms wrap around her as I lose myself in the moment. She tastes like peaches and heaven.

When our lips finally part, our foreheads remain pressed together as we try to catch our breath.

“I didn’t mean to…” She clutches at my waist.

“Neither did I,” I mutter, though it’s a lie. If I could kiss Astrid forever, I would.

I planned to.

We stand there for a moment, holding each other. Neither of us willing to let go. The air between us is charged. Electric.

She gazes up at me, her eyes soft but guarded. “Thank you.”

“For what?” I’m genuinely confused.

“For being here tonight. I truly didn’t think you’d come” She takes in a huge breath and lets it out, like she’s nervous.

Considering the situation, I’m unsure how to respond. “Why wouldn’t I be here? It was important to you. To us.”

She smiles wistfully and tilts her head. “Brennan.”

“I… Uh…” I don’t know how to respond.

Astrid shoots me a look as if to say, shut the fuck up.

So, I don’t bother finishing the sentence. It’s pointless to bullshit her. I’m not capable of giving her what she needs and we both know it.

I’m utter crap at relationships. I don’t know how to nurture them. Prioritize them. Communicate properly. I never have. Probably never will.

Astrid should have been different. She’s everything I ever dreamed about. My ultimate fantasy. And I had her. Until I fucked up.

Ruined us.

Astrid sucks in a breath. “So…turns out I’m pregnant.”

Wait, what?

Reality crashes down, unforgiving. Like a hundred million buckets of ice water.

If I can’t manage a romantic relationship with someone as perfect as Astrid…

How in the fuck can I be a good father?

Reality crashes down, unforgiving. Like a hundred million buckets of ice water.

If I can’t manage a romantic relationship with someone as perfect as Astrid…

How in the fuck can I be a good father?

Author Bio:

When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / X / TikTok


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Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Book Blitz of Where the Road Ends by Kathryn Beck (#contests-$25 Amazon gift card + promo items/swag)

Where the Road Ends
Kathryn Beck
Publication date: January 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction

Bartender Mara Sawyer has sixty days to turn her life around. If she can’t, Mara will lose the chance to regain custody of her daughter. Never having envisioned her life as a living, breathing, public service announcement for the Wyoming judicial system, Mara embraces the judge’s harsh rebuke. Finding a steady job will be easy, finishing school will be easy. Eluding the distraction of the new swaggering Texan, Luke Whitten, will be anything but easy.

With all her cards on the table, Luke and Mara build a strong friendship and along the way, she gives herself permission to fall in love again. When Mara’s ex offers up full custody in exchange for betraying Luke, Mara must choose — her daughter’s happiness, or her own.

Goodreads / Amazon / Wild Rose Press

EXCERPT:

New guy held up his finger for the fourth time in an hour.

She swept his plate and silverware into the dirty dishes bucket and pulled the handle to deliver him another beer. “Are you sure you don’t want a shot of something?” She waved at the collection of liquor bottles behind her. “Your something unpleasant is going to get expensive at some point.”

He ran his finger along the grain of the wood, up the condensation of the glass. His hands were large and calloused. Workingman’s hands.

Refusing to bite, or speak apparently, he looked up and smiled.

Twisting around, she grabbed up one of their generic, bar-grade bottles. “You look like a tequila man.”

“A tequila man, huh?” He raised one eyebrow, motioned with his finger for her to pour. “Sure, you want to call that tequila?”

She glanced at the bottle, thought again, and grabbed up a bottle of Sagebrush, her mid-grade agave tequila, and held it up for inspection. “Better?”

“I’m impressed.” He nodded as she was poised to pour.

“So, a man who knows his tequilas. A man not in his element with this weather.” She glanced at his ambiguous touristy ball cap. “You’re from Texas.”

He extended a killer smile that swept all the sharpness away in an instant. “And how would you know that?”

“Simple.” She looked at his hands, at his chest. “We get a lot of oil guys in here. But oil guys in Wyoming are different.”

She nodded at a customer a couple of bar stools down, held her finger up to new guy.

He shot down his tequila and winced, looped his finger as she got back to him. “You realize you’d be laughed out of the Lone Star State with your tequila selection.”

“Maybe, but that means I’m right about the Texas part though.”

He rocked his head from side to side. “Perhaps.”

“Ball cap is a dead giveaway.” She floated her head sideways to indicate the packed bar. “Wyoming boys wear them backward, trying to look cool, or what they think is cool. Texas boys are already confident, wear their caps like grown men should.” She was flirting, but he was a safe sort. The kind just passing through on their way somewhere else. Not like he’d be interested in her anyways. Since the courtroom visit—her sweet and salty explosion of junk food continued, ending last night with an entire key lime pie. Instinctively, she glanced down the counter to Angela. But here new guy sat, had sat. She knew better than to read anything into that.

After three shots, he slowed down, nursing his beer, staring so intently at the coaster, there had to be something unpleasant and deep going on. There was no way one night on her barstool would touch his problems. No matter how many shots he did.

But in an instant, his buzzed ass stared at her with blue eyes, glacier blue, burning straight to her insides. She liked to think she could hold her own looking someone in the eye, but she was the first to look away. She didn’t need anyone trying to analyze her lengthy list of problems.

“Do you have family here?” she asked, trying again. She’d never worked so hard for a conversation. Two nights off diminished her let-me-into-your-world vibes.

“Huh?”

“Mom, brother, sister? What you Texas boys may call kinfolk?”

She didn’t miss the flinch when she said brother. She also didn’t miss his eyes lighting up and the bite at his lip when mentioning a sister. Within ten short seconds he pulled out a photo of not only his sister, but two adorable nephews, in full cowboy attire.

He put his credit card on the bar and returned the pictures to their sleeves. After he signed the receipt, he hitched his hip and jammed his wallet into the back pocket of well-worn, faded-to-soft jeans.

He tipped his cap, looking over the crowd for a minute, and turned his hat around backward, making her laugh. “Does that make me blend better?”


Author Bio:

Kathryn is a transplanted Canadian who now calls Texas home. She loves writing strong, morally gray women tackling complex relationships and their messy lives. Kathryn enjoys road trips, spa weekend getaways, and spending time with family and friends.

Website / Facebook / Instagram / X


 

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BOOK BLITZ OF PASSIONS BY SHERITTA BITKOFER(#contests- Enter to win a signed paperback of Passions, a candle, coffee tumbler, sticker, and a pair of fluffy reading socks)

Passions
Sheritta Bitikofer
Publication date: January 10th 2025
Genres: Adult, New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

His world was dark until she brought the light…

Chloe Kaspin has two dreams. Find a quiet place to recover from an abusive ex-boyfriend, and to make a living as a writer. The first dream is fulfilled when she inherits her beloved aunt’s cabin in the Georgia mountains. Now the second dream is up to her. Then she finds mysterious notes critiquing her work. Has a dangerous stranger managed to invade her refuge? Or is her cabin as haunted as the townsfolk say it is?

Gavin Caras immigrated from England to Georgia in 1733. While pursuing his dream of being a writer, his entire family is wiped out by a mysterious infection. Only Gavin survives, not only alone, but with a hunger that can only be satisfied by blood. For generations, he’s managed to hide in the basement of the cabin he built. But now his cabin is occupied by a woman who shares at least one of his passions: the world of the written word. Late one night, he finally reveals himself to her, not a ghost, but a man driven by an unholy hunger, a passion he would die to end if he could.

The autumn winds may be chilly but Gavin warms Chloe’s heart. Then children go missing in the nearby town. Has Gavin been lying to Chloe? She’s willing to help him find a way to end his blood-lust, but the cost may be too high. Chloe and Gavin can’t rewrite the past. Can they survive to write a new future together?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

Her eyes shifted toward her desk on her way to the kitchen, and her heart jumped against her ribcage as she saw more writing on her notepad.

Another letter. This one was longer.

Chloe was jolted awake once more, just as she had been the day before. The disquieting thought rammed through her sleepy head that the locks hadn’t worked. Without taking the time yet to read the letter, she checked the windows and the doors. Again, there was no sign of forced entry.

Chloe’s eyebrows furrowed as she thought it over. With the locks on the two doors, there was no way the intruder could have broken in, written that note, and then returned the locks to their original positions on their way out. The same went for the windows. How were they getting inside?

She sighed heavily and ran a set of long nails through her dark wavy hair, snagging on a few tangles at the back of her head. There was nothing she could do about it now. Perhaps there was nothing she could do to prevent this from happening time and time again.

Shuffling to her desk, she sat down and read the perfect cursive writing, feeling mixed emotions as her eyes followed the words.

I thought you would never go to sleep. I do not appreciate waiting. Next time, do us both a favor and get to sleep at an earlier time.

Chloe’s jaw dropped. Had they been watching her the whole night? They knew when she was still up writing? A cold chill ran up her spine at the thought of someone spying on her. Wrapping the robe around her chest a little tighter, she continued.

As for your manuscript, I noticed you made the changes I suggested. Excellent work. You have a firm grasp of dialogue composition. Their conversations are believable. But, I do suggest that you avoid writing from the male point of view. This is not meant as an offense to you, but you obviously do not understand the inner workings of the male mind. As a writer, if you narrate strictly from the female’s perspective, you will sound more competent in the genre you have chosen. Nonetheless, your story is coming along just fine. I look forward to reading more. Yours sincerely – G

Chloe was stunned. She leaned against the slatted back of the chair and stared dumbly at the wall.

She didn’t know what to think. Whoever this was had noticed the changes as well as read through the additions she made the day before. Not only that, but they commended her for it and exonerated her dialogue style. She took no offense to their comment about writing from the male point of view. It was difficult and uncomfortable to put herself inside the male brain and try to figure out how their thought process worked. It had always been something of an impossible task, and she took no joy in it.

Deducing from that comment alone, she assumed her mystery correspondent must be a man. Why else would he be so knowledgeable on how the male mind does or does not work?

If she adhered to this instruction, there were many changes she’d have to make to the story. There were several scenes with only her male protagonist present and his thoughts on the female. She’d have to change the whole book to an omnipresent perspective if she wanted to keep those scenes. But wasn’t that pretty much the same thing she was already doing?

Chloe groaned and held her head in her hands, propping her elbows on her closed laptop. She hated herself for taking these notes so seriously. The thought that a complete stranger was somehow breaking into her home, just to write these silly critiques, was far from her mind. All she could think about was obeying the suggestions as if his opinion was valid and worth her consideration.

Then it occurred to her that she wasn’t writing for this stranger. She was writing for herself. Why did she have to change her entire story just to accommodate him, of all people? A stranger she had never met and was forcing his way into her home somehow without any trace or reason.

Author Bio:

An author of paranormal and urban fantasy fiction, Sheritta Bitikofer lives for the deep, engaging stories that enthrall readers from cover to cover. As a wife and fur-mama of eclectic tastes, she can be found roaming Civil War battlefields, perusing the romance section of the bookstore, or relaxing with a plate of chili cheese fries.

Take a look at the books she has available and stay tuned for new releases.

Also visit her official author website at: www.sherittabitikofer.com and her writing blog at www.moonstruckwriting.wordpress.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / X / Blog / Newsletter


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Saturday, January 11, 2025

Book Blitz of Tale of The Seasons Weaver by D. Wallace Peach (#contests-Enter to win an $25 Amazon Gift Card)

Tale of the Seasons ’Weaver
D. Wallace Peach
Publication date: January 9th 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

“Already the animals starve. Soon the bonemen will follow, the Moss Folk and woodlings, the watermaids and humans. Then the charmed will fade. And all who will roam a dead world are dead things. Until they too vanish for lack of remembering. Still, Weaver, it is not too late.”

In the frost-kissed cottage where the changing seasons are spun, Erith wears the Weaver’s mantle, a title that tests her mortal, halfling magic. As the equinox looms, her first tapestry nears completion—a breathtaking ode to spring. She journeys to the charmed isle of Innishold to release the beauty of nature’s awakening across the land.

But human hunters have defiled the enchanted forest and slaughtered winter’s white wolves. Enraged by the trespass, the Winter King seizes Erith’s tapestry and locks her within his ice-bound palace. Here, where comfort and warmth are mere glamours, she may weave only winter until every mortal village succumbs to starvation, ice, and the gray wraiths haunting the snow.

With humanity’s fate on a perilous edge, Erith must break free of the king’s grasp and unravel a legacy of secrets. In a charmed court where illusions hold sway, allies matter, foremost among them, the Autumn Prince. Immortal and beguiling, he offers a tantalizing future she has only imagined, one she will never possess—unless she claims her extraordinary power to weave life from the brink of death.

In the lyrical fantasy tradition of Margaret Rogerson and Holly Black, D. Wallace Peach spins a spellbinding tale of magic, resilience, and the transformative potency of tales—a tapestry woven with peril and hope set against the frigid backdrop of an eternal winter.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

A wicker basket of colorful spools rested at my feet. I picked through the bewitched thread my mother had hand-spun long before my birth. No matter how many seasons passed, the spools unwound and unwound, and I no longer fretted about reaching their ends. There was no end to magic, no end to the seasons, no end to my place on the cusp of two worlds.

A delicate pink caught my eye, a color crafted from the cherry blossoms bordering my garden. I held it against the tapestry, testing its suitability for flowering plum trees and coral bells I’d stitch into the meadows and along the forest’s edge.

“Should you desire my opinion, Erith,” a small voice piped up, “it requires a touch of carnation and a shimmer of sunshine. On the dogwood blossoms as well.”

“I wondered about those.” My gaze rose to my knee-high hospet. He sat cross-legged on the hearthstone in front of our shrinking fire, cracking walnuts with his sharp teeth. The creature blinked at me with eyes as clear as spring water, his waistcoat buttoned, cheeks rosy, and cinnamon hair parted in the middle like a magistrate. Nobbin kept my wood and moss cottage tidy, expecting little beyond customary respect and an occasional outfit when his garments aged past mending.

He also took it upon himself to offer artistic advice since my mother had chosen to join my father in the underworld.

“I might leave them as they are,” I said. “Dogwoods are white.”

Nobbin’s eyebrows tilted up in an expression of devilish skepticism. “Spring’s princess will agree with me. Give it a brush of magic. I know you dabble when I’m otherwise occupied.”

“You spy on me?”

“I’m observant. And I’m charmed.” He flicked his handcloth at the window. “Snow doesn’t glitter like that without your touch, my girl. You added that sparkle to your mother’s tapestry, and it impressed the Winter King.”

“Do you think so?” A blush heated my cheeks. “From what I’ve gathered, he’s not one to dole out compliments.”

“None of them are.” Nobbin held up a nut as if inspecting a precious gem. “Such is the nature of immortals. Add a layer of royalty on top, and we are lucky they don’t dismember anyone or anything tarnishing their crowns.”

“Dismember?” I cringed at the grisly thought and drew my black shawl around my shoulders. “My mother told me the courtiers are kind and cruel in equal measure. Without good reason for either.”

Not one to speak with his mouth full, Nobbin raised a finger and swallowed a morsel of walnut. “Indeed, they’re notoriously whimsical. But you are their weaver, and every artist must begin somewhere. You will earn your place, Erith, though it is no simple task to prove your power and demand respect. Spring is the first tapestry you may claim as your own creation, and it is a glorious start. I have untold faith in you.”

I smiled gratefully and stifled a shudder at the challenge ahead. Despite Nobbin’s trust in me, my confidence wavered like a weathervane on a gusty day. I’d done my best, and it would have to serve. The seasons ’rulers wouldn’t dismember me on a whim. I hoped.

Author Bio:

Best-selling author D. Wallace Peach grew up surrounded by her father’s well-loved paperback books. Fantasy was a staple, but it was Tolkien’s The Hobbit that planted the seeds which would grow into a passion for writing.

Peach started writing later in life when years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books. She was instantly hooked.
In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of the arts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography.
Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Myths of the Mirror


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Friday, January 10, 2025

Book Blitz of The Magical Tea Shop BY Aimee O'Brian (#Contests- Enter to win a Gift Card-2 Winners

The Magical Tea Shop
Aimee O’Brian
(Charmed Love, #1)
Published by: Tule Publishing
Publication date: January 7th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

In the small town of Hazard, finding your soulmate might require magical intervention.

Ivy Wayland has a bet with her sister, who says you can’t have it all—success in business or love, but not both. Since opening her tea shop, Ivy knows where her priorities should be, but she has her heart set on her landlord. All her life, she’s heard the family lore about how their antique cookie press infuses homemade cookies with so much love that the recipient will fall head over heels for the giver. Ivy decides to take the chance.

Jaxon Langford is ready to move on. The only thing stopping him from selling up is concern about how some of his small business owners would fare with a greedier landlord. When one of his enthusiastic tenants brings him a tin of delicious-looking cookies, he’s charmed. He takes the cookies to his baseball team’s practice, only to watch them be devoured without getting so much as a bite.

Suddenly, Ivy has her pick of the town’s eligible bachelors—except Jaxon. How can she prove her sister wrong and win Jaxon’s heart?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

Ivette Wayland caught her breath. With the sun shining down on him, Jaxon Langford always caught her just a little unawares. He only lived upstairs, but every morning she found herself anticipating his first appearance of the day. She gazed through the plate glass window of her cozy tea shop as his little black Scottie dog scampered to keep up with his long strides. Jaxon halted just outside her door.

Would he enter?

She ached to run her fingers through that molasses-brown hair, still damp from the shower and sparkling like sugared ginger crinkles. It was ridiculous how much she yearned to touch him. He was her landlord, for goodness ’sake. Ivy reined in her longing. Jaxon paused on the sidewalk and quickly stepped over to hold open the door for the tiny, elderly Hazel Bestwick, president of the Hazard Historical Society.

Please come inside, Jaxon.

A couple of young boys on their way to school, backpacks swinging, asked him a question. Jaxon leaned down to answer. He fist-bumped the taller of the two boys and grinned. Jaxon’s smile shot straight to her core. As if sensing her watching, he glanced at the window, trying to see through sunlight bouncing off glass, his eyes the color of a well-steeped Irish breakfast tea.

She let out a little sigh. What she wouldn’t give to have him for…

“Focus,” said a voice behind her.

Ivy jumped and blinked twice to bring herself back to reality. “You have customers.

Remember your goals.”

Her older sister’s constant criticism put her on the defensive. Ivy swung abruptly to face her, causing her high blonde ponytail to smack her own cheek. She shoved it back. “Business is steady.”

My business is steady.” Holly drew herself up straighter in her pink bakery smock smoothing a hand over her flawless updo before sweeping an arm out to draw Ivy’s attention to the nearly empty tearoom. “Your business is slow. And he…” She flapped her hand toward the window “…is a distraction to success. You can’t have it all.”

Author Bio:

Having lived in both California and Texas, award-winning author Aimee O’Brian now resides in the beautiful wine country where she writes dark, sexy, funny romance. With her three children grown and experiencing their own adventures, she and her husband are free to explore the world. When she’s not reading, writing, or planting even more flowers in her garden, she can be found stomping through ancient ruins and getting lost in museums.

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Monday, January 6, 2025

Spotlight of the Sun's Shadow by Sejal Badani (#Contests- Enter to win A Signed Copy of the Book)


 

Book Details:

Book Title:  THE SUN'S SHADOW by Sejal Badani
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 331 pages
Genre:  Literary
Publisher:  Lake Union
Release date:   January 28, 2025
Content Rating:  PG: Has 2 sex scenes with subtle descriptions. No bad language.



Book Description:

“A captivating story… richly woven narrative with vivid characters. A perfect story."

From the bestselling author of The Storyteller’s Secret comes an unflinching exploration of betrayal, forgiveness, and the healing power of a second chance.

Celine’s life is spiraling out of control. She’s in danger of losing the beloved equestrian farm that was her childhood home. Her distant husband, Eric, is devoting a suspicious amount of time to a stunning new colleague. Then her young son, Brian, receives a devastating cancer diagnosis. How much worse can things get?

Felicity has uprooted her career and her teenage son, Justin, to get closer to Eric. She’s tired of keeping his secrets―that Eric’s frequent “business trips” have been spent playing family with them. Felicity is determined to get her happily ever after, even if it means confronting Celine at a delicate time.

But when Brian’s prognosis worsens, and a transplant from Justin becomes his best chance at survival, Felicity must make a wrenching decision about her son’s well-being―and Celine must accept that the “other woman” is her only hope. In another life Celine and Felicity might have been friends. Can they put aside the pain between them to do what’s best for their families―and their own futures?




Meet the Author:

Sejal Badani is the Amazon Charts, USA Today, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Storyteller’s Secret and Trail of Broken Wings. She is also a Goodreads Best Fiction award and ABC/Disney Writing Fellowship finalist whose work has been published in over fifteen languages.

 
Connect with the author:  
 

 CLICK HERE TO WIN A SIGNED COPY OF THE BOOK



Friday, January 3, 2025

Book Blitz of Avenge Me by Tamela Miles (#contests- Win An Amazon Gift Card)

Avenge Me
Tamela Miles
Publication date: December 30th 2024
Genres: Adult, Horror, Paranormal

Hands Clean: Afterburner
A costly mistake, that set in motion a horrific chain of events, seemingly have Lili paying for eternity. One being, walking the world’s oldest streets and dirt pathways, has the power to save her – if there is any of her soul left to save.

Witch Bitch: Assassin
To the people in Mason’s world, Luna deserves every bit of sympathy as his grieving girlfriend. But does she, really? A long buried and probably best forgotten secret fuels the fire of a vengeance that keeps Mason alive and guarantees the demise of unfortunate others.

GPS
Zayne is having a bad week. He’s lost his girlfriend, his part time job, and he’s failing two classes. The only bright spot in his life is time spent in his car, talking with his technologically enhanced GPS. The navigation system seems to truly know and understand him. It also knows things, dark things, that may put him on the path towards an evil force that just won’t quit.

XO
Lauryn is not the girl she used to be. Her demanding life as a struggling, single mom takes its toll and leads to a night out with friends and poor choices – choices that open a door to an otherworldly force that’s straddling the fine line between not so good and ungodly.

Hotel Paper
Las Vegas is losing its charm, but Zach and Paris decide to stick around for one more unforgettable night of sin. He finds himself in her embrace in the darkest of ways and begins to question how well he knows Paris – and how well he knows himself.

**This is a short story collection that is closely related to Tamela’s last release, Kiss Me Deadly

Amazon

EXCERPT:

(from the short story, “Hands Clean: Afterburner”)

Perry, as he was better known, stood on a grassy hill, overlooking the expanse of the beach and the churning waves just past sunset. Warm fur rubbing against his ankles reminded him he wasn’t alone, and he looked down with a gentle smile. A black cat weaved her away around his legs, purring loudly and looking up at him expectantly.

“Calling you “Cat” sounds straight ridiculous, but you refuse to tell me your name.”

The cat meowed and he chuckled. “Fine. Just “Cat”, it is.” He lifted her into his arms and rubbed noses. “It’s not often I ask animals to do my dirty work, so I thank you and promise to feed you.” Perry locked eyes with the cat and spoke softly in her mind. “Do you remember the plan? Are you ready to strike? When you get to the bar, be sure to give me a visual.”

At her reassuring purr, he put her down and let her run to her destination. He kept his eyes trained on the huge wood door of the Blue Rose bar, which stood several yards from his position on the beach hill. Cat approached the bar’s entrance and sat on the walkway, patiently waiting, as she licked a paw. Soon enough, the heavy door swung open, and a laughing couple emerged from the bar. Cat darted inside the dimly lit front area and, within seconds, gave him the visual he needed.

Perry almost immediately spotted his target, seated at a table with a large man. She was unchanged, both in face and body, even after a millennium.

Author Bio:

Tamela Miles is a school psychologist with Ed.S degree and a graduate of California State University San Bernardino and California State University Dominguez Hills. She is also a former flight attendant. She grew up in Altadena, California in that tumultuous time known as the 1980s. She now resides with her family in the Inland Empire, CA. She's a horror/paranormal romance writer mainly because it feels so good having her characters do bad things and, later, pondering what makes them so bad and why they can never seem to change their wicked ways.

She enjoys emails from people who like her work. In fact, she loves emails. She can be contacted at tamelamiles@yahoo.com or her Facebook page, Tamela Miles Books. She also welcomes reader reviews and enjoys the feedback from people who love to read as much as she does.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Amazon


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Monday, December 30, 2024

Spotlight of Anastasias Midnight Song by M. Laszlo (#Contests, #Fantasy- Win An Amazon Gift Card)

 


 

About the Book:

Longing to cure her deep, hysterical fears involving a diabolical dream fox living inside her womb, Anastasia T. Grace takes a post making occult mirrors in the hope that she may someday convince herself that she commands the power to banish her nemesis into one of her creations. However, when a troubled, young Englishman grows obsessed with her beauty, she is forced to confront the pressing, all-too-real, misogynistic danger of male psychopathy.

 Excerpt:

London. 19 June, 1918.

In the darkness before dawn, a dream awoke Anastasia—it was a
nightmare in which the dream fox inside her willed itself to metamorphose into a large, hideous diadem spider.

She did not fall asleep again for an hour, and once she had, a foul odour awoke her for good. What could it be? She sat up and pinched her nose shut. Sensing warmth against her face, she realised the room was bathed in the morning light. The odour lingered, too, so she climbed out of bed and crawled off to her left, following the smell. Soon enough, she discovered what she

believed to be the carcass of a rat lying to the side of the footboard. A dead rat. It’s an omen of something awful. When she finally mustered the nerve, she groped here and there for the tail and collected the lifeless creature. Then she stood, felt her way over to the window, and dropped the dead rat into the alley below.

After she had washed her hands, she stumbled back to the window. What to think of something like that? She revisited the dream. Could it be a sign the conniving dream fox inside my womb has already transformed into a monstrous diadem spider? If so, what happens next?

Outside, the streets grew quiet—and the lull made her twist the Huguenot cross. For a time, she paced. Wringing her hands, she debated what kind of pathology might be responsible for envisioning something so disturbing as the metamorphosis fantasy. Every now and then, she sat in bed and rubbed her belly—and in those moments, she brooded. Someday soon, I’ll deliver the diadem spider. Just like a woman gives birth to a little baby. And then the hideous thing will probably tear me to pieces and consume my remains, and why wouldn’t it?

About the Author:

M. Laszlo is the pseudonym of a reclusive author living in Bath, Ohio. According to rumor, he based the pen name on the name of the Paul Henreid character in Casablanca, Victor Laszlo.

M. Laszlo has lived and worked all over the world, and he has kept exhaustive journals and idea books corresponding to each location and post.

It is said that the maniacal habit began in childhood during summer vacations—when his family began renting out Robert Lowell’s family home in Castine, Maine.

The habit continued into the 1990s when he lived in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem and worked as a night clerk in a Palestinian youth hostel. In recent years, he revisited that very journal/idea
book and based Anastasia’s Midnight Song on the characters, topics, and themes contained within the writings.

M. Laszlo has lived and worked in New York City, East Jerusalem, and several other cities around the world. While living in the Middle East, he worked for Harvard University’s Semitic Museum. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio and an M.F.A. in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York.

 

 

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