#BookReview: Deadly Editions (Scottish Bookshop Mystery #6) by Paige Shelton

Synopsis: A treasure hunt through Edinburgh gives way to a search for a villain terrorizing the city in Paige Shelton's Deadly Editions, the sixth Scottish Bookshop Mystery.

Bookseller Delaney Nichols receives a mysterious cloaked visitor one evening at the Cracked Spine Bookshop. He presents to her an even more perplexing note: an invitation to an exclusive treasure hunt hosted by eccentric socialite Shelaigh O'Connor. Delaney is intrigued, but also cautious: Shelaigh, while charming in person, has a reputation for her hijinks as a wealthy young woman in the '70s. She was even once suspected for the murder of a former boyfriend, though ultimately cleared of all charges.

But Delaney is enticed by the grand prize at the end of the treasure hunt: a highly valuable first edition copy of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson. The winner is also to receive the contents of Shelaigh's vast library, and an unspecified sum of cash.

The night after the first meeting of the treasure hunters, however, several homes in Edinburgh are robbed in a manner reminiscent of Shelaigh's old tricks. And when a man connected to Shelaigh is killed, suspicion builds. Except Sheilagh herself has disappeared from her home, seemingly kidnapped by the villain.

Terror mounts throughout the city as Delaney attempts to solve the mystery, while trying to stay out of the killer's clutches. For she, it seems, is his next target.

#BookReview: Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein

Synopsis: An exciting debut contemporary young adult novel perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Mary H. K. Choi 

Grace Welles had resigned herself to the particular loneliness of being fifteen and stuck at a third-tier boarding school in the swamps of Florida, when she accidentally saves the new kid in her class from being beat up. With a single aim of a slingshot, the monotonous mathematics of her life are obliterated forever…because now there is this boy she never asked for. Wade Scholfield.

With Wade, Grace discovers a new way to exist. School rules are optional, life is bizarrely perfect, and conversations about wormholes can lead to make-out sessions that disrupt any logical stream of thoughts. 

So why does Grace crush Wade’s heart into a million tiny pieces? And what are her options when she finally realizes that 1. The universe doesn’t revolve around her, and 2. Wade has been hiding a dark secret. Is Grace the only person unhinged enough to save him?

Acidly funny and compulsively readable, Mercedes Helnwein’s debut novel Slingshot is a story about two people finding each other and then screwing it all up. See also: soulmate, friendship, stupidity, sex, bad poetry, and all the indignities of being in love for the first time.

#BookTour: 7 Minutes to Freedom by @NatalyaAndroso2 @RABTBookTours #Giveaway

 

7 Minutes to Freedom: Simple Writing Meditations to Liberate Your Writing and Your Life

Self-help, creativity, personal growth, writing prompts, journalling, personal transformation

Date Published: January 28, 2021

Publisher: North Spirit Publishers

Have you always longed to express your innermost thoughts in writing but thought it impossible because you’re not a writer? Do you wish you could quiet the voice in your head, lose the self-doubt, and write to your heart’s content? What if you could let go of limiting beliefs, build a joyful daily writing practice, and discover your authentic voice and your authentic life?

Freedom is closer than you think. Freedom to write and rewrite your life. Freedom to write yourself happy, clear, and free. Seven minutes at a time.

7 Minutes to Freedom offers a roadmap for writers and nonwriters to find their voice, embrace their creativity, and radically transform their writing and their life. It is a practical guide to summoning your courage, writing through challenges to create a dream life, boosting your creativity, gaining insight, and improving your relationship with yourself and your writing,

This book is written for experienced writers, novice writers, nonwriters, those burnt out by the creative process, and those who have struggled to share their thoughts, ideas, and voice. It is meant for anyone interested in self-discovery, creativity, and deep spiritual insight.

With one hundred simple and powerful seven-minute writing meditations to use as guideposts to creative freedom, this book will help you rediscover the joy of writing, build new daily habits, and embrace the freedom that comes with knowing you can write and live without fear.

#BookReview: We Can't Keep Meeting Like This by @rlynn_solomon

Synopsis: A wedding harpist disillusioned with love and a hopeless romantic cater-waiter flirt and fight their way through a summer of weddings in this effervescent romantic comedy from the acclaimed author of Today Tonight Tomorrow.

Quinn Berkowitz and Tarek Mansour’s families have been in business together for years: Quinn’s parents are wedding planners, and Tarek’s own a catering company. At the end of last summer, Quinn confessed her crush on him in the form of a rambling email—and then he left for college without a response.

Quinn has been dreading seeing him again almost as much as she dreads another summer playing the harp for her parents’ weddings. When he shows up at the first wedding of the summer, looking cuter than ever after a year apart, they clash immediately. Tarek’s always loved the grand gestures in weddings—the flashier, the better—while Quinn can’t see them as anything but fake. Even as they can’t seem to have one civil conversation, Quinn’s thrown together with Tarek wedding after wedding, from performing a daring cake rescue to filling in for a missing bridesmaid and groomsman.

Quinn can’t deny her feelings for him are still there, especially after she learns the truth about his silence, opens up about her own fears, and begins learning the art of harp-making from an enigmatic teacher.

Maybe love isn’t the enemy after all—and maybe allowing herself to fall is the most honest thing Quinn’s ever done.

#BookTour: The Iron Raven (The Iron Fey: Evenfall #1) by Julie Kagawa

Synopsis: You may have heard of me...

Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Prankster, joker, raven, fool… King Oberon’s right-hand jester from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The legends are many, but the truth will now be known as never before, as Puck finally tells his own story and faces a threat to the lands of Faery and the human world unlike any before.

With the Iron Queen Meghan Chase and her prince consort, Puck’s longtime rival Ash, and allies old and new by his side, Puck begins a fantastical and dangerous adventure not to be missed or forgotten. 

#BookReview: When We Were Infinite by @KellyLoyGilbert

Synopsis: From award-winning author Kelly Loy Gilbert comes a powerful, achingly romantic drama about the secrets we keep, from each other and from ourselves, perfect for fans of Permanent Record and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.

All Beth wants is for her tight-knit circle of friends—Grace Nakamura, Brandon Lin, Sunny Chen, and Jason Tsou—to stay together. With her family splintered and her future a question mark, these friends are all she has—even if she sometimes wonders if she truly fits in with them. Besides, she’s certain she’ll never be able to tell Jason how she really feels about him, so friendship will have to be enough.

Then Beth witnesses a private act of violence in Jason’s home, and the whole group is shaken. Beth and her friends make a pact to do whatever it takes to protect Jason, no matter the sacrifice. But when even their fierce loyalty isn’t enough to stop Jason from making a life-altering choice, Beth must decide how far she’s willing to go for him—and how much of herself she’s willing to give up.

#BookReview: The Memory Thief by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Synopsis: From acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes the fantastical and heartfelt first installment in a new trilogy about the thirteen witches who are responsible for all the evil in the world—and the girl who sets out to defeat them. Full of magic and bittersweet truths, this tale is perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Twelve-year-old Rosie Singer’s mom is missing whatever it is that makes mothers love their daughters. All her life, Rosie has known this...and turned to stories for comfort. Then, on the night Rosie decides to throw her stories away forever, an invisible ally helps her discover the Witch Hunter’s Guide to the Universe, a book that claims that all of the evil in the world stems from thirteen witches who are unseen...but also unstoppable. One of these witches—the Memory Thief—holds an insidious power to steal our most precious treasures: our memories. And it is this witch who has cursed Rosie’s mother. 

In her quest to save her mom—and with her wild, loyal friend “Germ” by her side—Rosie will find the layers hidden under the reality she only thought she knew: where ghosts linger as shades of the past, where clouds witness the world, and a ladder dangles from the moon leading to something bigger and more. Here, words are weapons against the darkness, and witch hunters are those brave enough to wield their imaginations in the face of the unthinkable. 

At the core of this stunning novel—the first of the Thirteen Witches trilogy from critically acclaimed author Jodi Lynn Anderson—is a passionate argument that stories have the power to create meaningful change...and a reason to hope even when the world feels crushing. 

#BookTour: Friday Nightmares by @CoreyEdward2 @SydeFyre @rabtbooktours #Giveaway

 

YA Urban Fantasy

Date Published: January 19, 2021

Publisher: FyreSyde Publishing

For generations, the wizards of Candle Paranormal Investigations have helped the people of Boston with everything from garden-variety poltergeists to Eldritch abominations. Sixteen-year-old Henry Candle, however, has no interest in taking over the family business and would much rather spend time hanging out in cafes with his human friends. But when his father is brutally murdered while working on a case, Candle Paranormal Investigations magically falls into Henry’s possession — and so does a warning: “BEWARE, HENRY. HE’LL COME FOR YOU, TOO.”

Henry does some digging and discovers that two other wizards have been killed in the past month, both of their bodies found with the same symbol scrawled into their chest as his father. He decides to reopen the case so he can discover who (or what) is murdering Boston’s wizards before he's next. Aided by his pug familiar, a witch and a group of human friends, Henry must stop a supernatural serial killer and find an evil spell book that could end the world.

#BookTour: Modern Day Shaman by @authorparul #Giveaway @RABTBookTours

 

Modern Day Shaman® Find a Deeper Connection to Life

Memoir/Personal Development/Spiritual Growth/Shamanism

Date Published: 5th January 2021

This very personal and deeply engaging book details the extraordinary spiritual journey of Sarah Ann Negus, the Modern Day Shaman®. It reveals how she allowed her spiritual gifts to shine through, so she can help other people in the world to find theirs. Her first book helps you to master your energy and to ‘see in the dark’, unshackling past conditioning and believing in the realms of infinite possibilities, so you can be the best version of yourself possible, both personally and professionally.

The key messages of her timely book, revealing to the world the true essence of how we are all shaman, is beautifully depicted in the numerous standalone quotations from the author, which add depth and richness to the reader’s experience, as demonstrated below.

#BookReview: The Girl the Sea Gave Back (Sky in the Deep #2) by @adriennebooks

Synopsis: The new gut-wrenching epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep.

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home. 

#BookReview: The Last Watch (The Divide #1) by @jsdewes

Synopsis: The Expanse meets Game of Thrones in J. S. Dewes' fast-paced, sf adventure The Last Watch, where a handful of soldiers stand between humanity and annihilation.

The Divide.

It’s the edge of the universe.

Now it’s collapsing—and taking everyone and everything with it.

The only ones who can stop it are the Sentinels—the recruits, exiles, and court-martialed dregs of the military.

At the Divide, Adequin Rake, commanding the Argus, has no resources, no comms—nothing, except for the soldiers that no one wanted.

They're humanity's only chance.
This title will be released on April 20, 2021. 

#BookReview: This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria

Synopsis: Orphaned and forced to serve her country’s ruling group of scribes, Karis wants nothing more than to find her brother, long ago shipped away. But family bonds don’t matter to the Scriptorium, whose sole focus is unlocking the magic of an ancient automaton army.

In her search for her brother, Karis does the seemingly impossible—she awakens a hidden automaton. Intelligent, with a conscience of his own, Alix has no idea why he was made. Or why his father—their nation’s greatest traitor—once tried to destroy the automatons.

Suddenly, the Scriptorium isn’t just trying to control Karis; it’s hunting her. Together with Alix, Karis must find her brother…and the secret that’s held her country in its power for centuries.

#BookReview: The Jade Bones (The Age of the Seventh Sun #2) by @LaniForbes @BlackstoneAudio @favouritepages

Synopsis: Cast into the underworld after an act of shattering betrayal, Mayana and Ahkin must overcome unimaginable odds if they are to return home and reclaim the throne of the Chicome. A river of blood and demons disguised as children are only two of the challenges standing in their way. Fortunately, they are not unequipped. Mayana’s royal blood controls the power of water, and Prince Ahkin wields the power of the sun itself. Ometeotl, the Mother goddess, provides them with other gifts—and an ominous warning that one of them may not survive. But can the goddess be trusted?

Back in the lands above, Mayana’s best friend, Yemania, has survived the empress selection ritual—but her next challenge may be more than she can bear. The new empress of the Chicome Empire demands she become High Healer. Yemania has no interest in serving in the palace; she wants to use her healing ability to help the common people. More than that, her heart is no longer her own. She has met an enchanting stranger—Ochix, one of the feared Miquitz people who are ancient enemies of the Chicome.

As Mayana and Ahkin move ever closer to confronting the lords of the dead, Yemania and Ochix must hide their forbidden romance or face the wrath of both their empires. Meanwhile, the new empress has made a dangerous alliance that might destroy everything they hold dear.

Four young people risk their lives to save the world from a looming apocalypse in this captivating sequel to The Seventh Sun. Based on ancient Mesoamerican legends and mythology, The Jade Bones is a compelling and romantic adventure that builds to a heart-stopping climax.

#BookReview: Escape Room: Thorn House by J.E. Hailstone @Honeybourn

Synopsis: Five Nights at Freddy’s meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library when three kids are invited to an escape room challenge at a notoriously haunted house, and they find themselves wrapped up in a dangerous game that they must win if they want to make it out alive.

The door to Thorn House is open.

The game has begun.

There’s nothing Luca Price wants more than a great adventure. But with just a week to go before seventh grade starts, he and his best friends Owen and Kylie are starting to think that this will be the most boring summer of their lives. So when Luca’s invited to an escape room at a creepy abandoned estate called Thorn House—in the middle of the woods and at midnight, no less—it’s too good to pass up. Even if town legend says it’s haunted. Armed with all the snacks and supplies they’ll need, the three friends bike into the woods, ready for their biggest adventure yet.

But as the night progresses, they start to realize that the rumors of evil at Thorn House might be more than just stories. And when an exciting game turns into a fight for their lives, the kids will have to uncover the mysteries of Thorn House, and its connection to Luca’s family, if they ever hope to escape.

#BookReview: The Seventh Sun (The Age of the Seventh Sun #1) by @LaniForbes @BlackstoneAudio

Synopsis: Thrust into leadership upon the death of his emperor father, young Prince Ahkin feels completely unready for his new position. Though his royal blood controls the power of the sun, he's now responsible for the lives of all the Chicome people. And despite all Ahkin's efforts, the sun is fading--and the end of the world may be at hand.

For Mayana, the only daughter of the Chicome family whose blood controls the power of water, the old emperor's death may mean that she is next. Prince Ahkin must be married before he can ascend the throne, and Mayana is one of six noble daughters presented to him as a possible wife. Those who are not chosen will be sacrificed to the gods.

Only one girl can become Ahkin's bride. Mayana and Ahkin feel an immediate connection, but the gods themselves may be against them. Both recognize that the ancient rites of blood that keep the gods appeased may be harming the Chicome more than they help. As a bloodred comet and the fading sun bring a growing sense of dread, only two young people may hope to change their world.

Rich in imagination and romance, and based on the legends and history of the Aztec and Maya people, The Seventh Sun brings to vivid life a world on the edge of apocalyptic disaster.

#ReleaseBlitz for Villain of Secrets by @authorlacotton and @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Villain of Secrets

Series: Verona Legacy #3

Author: L. A. Cotton

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release Date: February 10, 2021

BLURB

Nora Abato is the kind of girl people gravitate to. 

Sassy. Selfless. Stubborn. 

She knows what she wants and she’s determined to get it. And Nora wants her very own mafioso, the bad boy with a tortured soul who will do whatever it takes to protect his family. 

Enzo Marchetti is the kind of guy people run from. 

Rash. Reckless. Ruined. 

As the Marchetti crime family's new enforcer, he’d rather spend his days getting his hands dirty than thinking about the future, or the girl with fire in her eyes and fight in her heart. 

When a new enemy threatens the Marchetti empire, Enzo and Nora suddenly find themselves in close confines, and the undeniable connection between them is pushed to its limits. He can’t resist the girl who sees past the darkness in his soul and she can’t give up on the guy who has never been taught how to love. 

There’s only one problem. 

Enzo isn’t Nora’s fairytale prince, he’s the villain who will destroy her dream of a happily-ever-after. 

He'll break her... 

If she doesn’t break him first.

#ReleaseBlitz for Black Light: Roulette Rematch @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Black Light: Roulette Rematch

Series: Black Light Book One, Season Five

Authors: Jennifer Bene, Livia Grant, Renee Rose,

Measha Stone, Maggie Ryan, Ann Mayburn,

Shane Starrett, Sinstre Ange, & Raisa Greywood
Publisher: Black Collar Press

Genre: BDSM Erotic Romance

Release Date: February 8, 2021

BLURB

Three hours. Four hard limits. Nine naughty couples.

Black Light's thrilling game of Valentine Roulette returns for the fifth year with nine very dirty — and very hot — NEW stories from your favorite BDSM authors.

It's Valentine's Night and time for a rematch, but the egos of two dominating Dungeon Masters aren't the only things on the line. These couples are going to gamble their hearts with one spin of the wheel, and there's only one guarantee in this year's Roulette...

The East Coast may have won the battle last year, but Black Light West plans to win the war in this explosive, sexy collection!

Featuring stories from: Livia Grant, Jennifer Bene, Renee Rose, Measha Stone, Ann Mayburn, Maggie Ryan, Shane Starrett, Sinistre Ange, and Raisa Greywood!

#BookReview: Knight's Ransom (The First Argentines #1) by @muirwoodwheeler

Synopsis: Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. A brutal war of succession has plunged the court of Kingfountain into a power struggle between a charitable king who took the crown unlawfully and his ambitious rival, Devon Argentine. The balance of power between the two men hinges on the fate of a young boy ensnared in this courtly intrigue. A boy befittingly nicknamed Ransom.

When the Argentine family finally rules, Ransom must make his own way in the world. Opportunities open and shut before him as he journeys along the path to knighthood, blind to a shadowy conspiracy of jealousy and revenge. Securing his place will not be easy, nor will winning the affection of Lady Claire de Murrow, a fiery young heiress from an unpredictably mad kingdom.

Ransom interrupts an abduction plot targeting the Queen of Ceredigion and earns a position in service to her son, the firstborn of the new Argentine dynasty. But conflict and treachery threaten the family, and Ransom must also come to understand and hone his burgeoning powers—abilities that involve more than his mastery with a blade and that make him as much a target as his lord.

#BookTour: The Jade Bones (The Age of the Seventh Sun #2) by @LaniForbes @BlackstoneAudio @favouritepages

Synopsis: Cast into the underworld after an act of shattering betrayal, Mayana and Ahkin must overcome unimaginable odds if they are to return home and reclaim the throne of the Chicome. A river of blood and demons disguised as children are only two of the challenges standing in their way. Fortunately, they are not unequipped. Mayana’s royal blood controls the power of water, and Prince Ahkin wields the power of the sun itself. Ometeotl, the Mother goddess, provides them with other gifts—and an ominous warning that one of them may not survive. But can the goddess be trusted?

Back in the lands above, Mayana’s best friend, Yemania, has survived the empress selection ritual—but her next challenge may be more than she can bear. The new empress of the Chicome Empire demands she become High Healer. Yemania has no interest in serving in the palace; she wants to use her healing ability to help the common people. More than that, her heart is no longer her own. She has met an enchanting stranger—Ochix, one of the feared Miquitz people who are ancient enemies of the Chicome.

As Mayana and Ahkin move ever closer to confronting the lords of the dead, Yemania and Ochix must hide their forbidden romance or face the wrath of both their empires. Meanwhile, the new empress has made a dangerous alliance that might destroy everything they hold dear.

Four young people risk their lives to save the world from a looming apocalypse in this captivating sequel to The Seventh Sun. Based on ancient Mesoamerican legends and mythology, The Jade Bones is a compelling and romantic adventure that builds to a heart-stopping climax.

#BookBlitz:Uncrossed by @JAHuss and K.C. Cross @XpressoTours $50 Amazon gift card

Uncrossed
J.A. Huss, K.C. Cross
(Harem Station, #7)
Publication date: January 26th 2021
Genres: Adult, Romance, Science Fiction

Princess Corla was supposed to be my soulmate.
But we were star crossed.
Two ships passing in the dark. Meant to be together, but never able to be together.
At least that’s what I thought.

But it turns out—my life is a lie, evil forces are out to get us, Harem Station is spinning chaos, and the soulmate bond won’t protect us.

Sounds pretty bad, right?

But here’s the best part.
I can change it.
I can change all of it.
If I can just find a way to get myself uncrossed.

Uncrossed is the last book in the Harem Station Series and features a man chasing his star-crossed soulmate through time, a bazillion enemies at the gate, an entire station in chaos, and an explosive ending that proves, once and for all, that love WINS in the end.