Monday, October 18, 2021

#BookReview: The Sisters of Reckoning (The Good Luck Girls #2) by @cndwrites






Synopsis: The Sisters of Reckoning is the blockbuster sequel to Charlotte Nicole Davis's alternate Old West-set commercial fantasy adventure. 

The Good Luck Girls are free. Aster's sister and friends have new lives across the border in Ferron, while Aster remains in Arketta, helping more girls escape. But news of a new welcome house opening fills Aster with a need to do more than just help individual girls. And an unexpected reunion gives her an idea of how to do it. From there, grows a wildly ambitious plan to free all dustbloods, who live as prisoners to Arketta's landmasters and debt slavery.

When Clementine and the others return from Ferron, they become the heart of a vibrant group of fearless fighters, working to unite the various underclasses and convince them to join in the fight. Along the way, friendships will be forged, lives will be lost, and love will take root even in the harshest of circumstances, between the most unexpected of lovers.

But will Arketta's dustbloods finally come into power and freedom, or will the resistance just open them up to a new sort of danger?


#BookReview: The Queen Will Betray You (Kingdoms of Sand and Sky #2) by @shhenning






Synopsis: The breathtaking sequel to The Princess Will Save You in the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky duology — a brilliantly-executed YA fantasy homage to The Princess Bride

To stay together forever, Princess Amarande and her stableboy love, Luca, must part: Amarande to reclaim her kingdom from usurpers, and Luca to raise a rebellion and find his destiny. Arrayed against them are all the players in the game of thrones for control over the continent of The Sand and Sky. Facing unspeakable betrayals, enemies hidden in the shadows, and insurmountable odds, their only hope is the power of true love...


Sunday, October 17, 2021

#BookReview: Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham @thisone0verhere






Synopsis: Everyone has wanted their favorite book to be real, if only for a moment. Everyone has wished to meet their favorite characters, if only for a day. But be careful in that wish, for even a history laid in ink can be repaid in flesh and blood, and reality is far deadlier than fiction . . . especially on Addington Isle.Winterset Hollow follows a group of friends to the place that inspired their favorite book-a timeless tale about a tribe of animals preparing for their yearly end-of-summer festival. But after a series of shocking discoveries, they find that much of what the world believes to be fiction is actually fact, and that the truth behind their beloved story is darker and more dangerous than they ever imagined. It's Barley Day . . . and you're invited to the hunt.

Winterset Hollow is as thrilling as it is terrifying and as smart as it is surprising. A uniquely original story filled with properly unexpected twists and turns, Winterset Hollow delivers complex, indelible characters and pulse- pounding action as it storms toward an unforgettable climax that will leave you reeling. How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run.


Jonathan Edward Durham was born near Philadelphia in one of many rust-belt communities where he read voraciously throughout his youth. After attending the College of William & Mary, where he received a degree in neuroscience, Jonathan waded into the professional world before deciding he was better suited for more artistic pursuits. He now lives in California where he writes to bring a unique voice to the space between the timeless wonder of his favorite childhood stories and the pop sensibilities of his adolescent literary indulgences.


#BookReview: Sisters of Shadow (Sisters of Shadow #1) by Katherine Livesey






Synopsis: All she knew was vengeance…
Alice has lived in the forest on the fringes of Alder Vale ever since her parents abandoned her. Alone, exiled, feared by all. All except Lily.

But something is stirring beyond the mountains, whispers of spectres stalking the moors, women of unfathomable power luring children into a cult that has haunted local lore for a generation.

Then, in the dead of night, Alice receives a letter promising answers to the questions that have always tormented her. And so she meets Grace. The red-cloaked cultist pledged to protect her, a scarred warrior born of storm and sea, the girl who will steal her heart.

Anne of Green Gables meets His Dark Materials in this whimsical fantasy adventure following the unlikely alliance between an apothecary, a witch, a warrior, and a witch-hunter. Perfect for fans of Garth Nix, Natasha Ngan, and Diana Wynne Jones.
 


Saturday, October 16, 2021

#BookReview: A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers #3) by @BrigidKemmerer






Synopsis: Face your fears, fight the battle.

Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone—even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace. 

Fight the battle, save the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Syhl Shallow with a gentler hand than her mother. But after enjoying decades of peace once magic was driven out of their lands, some of her subjects are angry Lia Mara has an enchanted prince and a magical scraver by her side. As Grey's deadline draws nearer, Lia Mara questions if she can be the queen her country needs.

As the two kingdoms come closer to conflict, loyalties are tested, love is threatened, and a dangerous enemy returns, in this stunning conclusion to bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer’s Cursebreaker series.


#BookReview: The Camelot Betrayal (Camelot Rising #2) by @KierstenWhite






Synopsis: The second book in a new fantasy trilogy from New York Timesbestselling author Kiersten White, exploring the nature of self, the inevitable cost of progress, and, of course, magic and romance and betrayal so epic Queen Guinevere remains the most famous queen who never lived.

EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom’s influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.

Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde, Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen’s knight, and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere–the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn’t belong. She never will.

When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere’s younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving–Camelot, or herself?


Friday, October 15, 2021

#BookReview: Warriors of Wing and Flame (Sisters of Shadow and Light #2) by @SaraBLarson






Synopsis: Acclaimed author Sara B. Larson continues her enchanting YA fantasy duology with a timeless fairytale feel in an original voice.

The doorway between the magical Visempirum and the human world has been reopened. Paladin are once more living in the citadel where Zuhra and Inara grew up completely isolated by the magical hedge that trapped them there. Amidst the brewing conflict between the Paladin and humans looms the threat of Barloc, who has stolen Inara’s immense power and continues to elude the Paladin who are desperately searching for him.

In this sequel to Sisters of Shadow and Light, Inara and Zuhra must navigate the treacherous paths of self-discovery, their love for each other, and for the boys who have captured their hearts. Together, they search for the strength within themselves to bridge the divide between the two worlds they inhabit, even as war threatens to destroy everything—and everyone—they love.


#BookReview: Send Me Their Souls (Bring Me Their Hearts #3) by @Sara_Wolf1






Synopsis: The finale to the epic Bring Me Their Hearts series reaches its thrilling conclusion, full of intrigue, emotion, and of course romance.

Reunited with Lucien, Malachite, and Fione, Zera finally has the choice of whether or not to regain her humanity and give up her life as a Heartless. But with war raging and an army of valkerax on the loose, she’s never needed immortality more. Will they be able to stop Varia without sacrificing themselves in the process?


#CoverReveal for Drawn to Mr. King by Elle Nicoll @GiveMeBooksPR









Title: Drawn to Mr. King
Series: Men #3
Author: Elle Nicoll
Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Abigail Davies,
Pink Elephant Designs
Release Date: November 8, 2021


BLURB

Jaxon King is a work of art—beautiful, unique… priceless.
I meet him when he admires my artwork at a hotel opening.
He’s older, sophisticated… a gentleman.
At least he is with his clothes on.
Out of them… well, that’s a masterpiece in itself.
But even a connection as strong as ours means nothing once the champagne wears off.
A promise to call me.
Then… nothing.
When he turns up as my new boss on the biggest project of my career, I try my hardest to turn the page and leave him in the past.
Only, he isn’t a memory I can simply erase.
No matter how hard I try.
We have this pull to one another… two colours that merge and create something heavenly.
But he screws up the paper and leaves me crumpled… torn.
Maybe it’s all an illusion and I should erase him from my heart once and for all?
If only we could draw our own path through life.
Start over.
But it’s never as simple as erasing the past, not when you’re drawn to Mr. King.

#ReleaseBlitz for Interstellar Angel by @LauraNavarre and @GiveMeBooksPR









Title: Interstellar Angel
Series: Astral Heat #1
Author: Laura Navarre
Genre: Reverse Harem Sci-Fi Romance
Release Date: October 12, 2021


BLURB

Trapped in a galactic mating contest where desire can be deadly, the only guys she wants are the three she can never trust.

In a faraway galaxy on the edge of apocalypse, cyber samurai Kaia of Kryll is the daughter of a tyrant who’s worshipped as a god by billions. A prison sentence she’ll kill to escape, since women like Kaia are worshipped in chains. And she’s just become the prize five hundred testosterone-fueled suitors will lie, seduce, and slaughter to possess in a ritual contest for her bed.

In the scramble to slip past her samurai defenses into her cybersuit, the only guys she wants are the three she can never trust. These four have a boatload of shared secrets and a shared passion so combustible it’s practically pyrophoric—breaking every dangerous rule on a world where lovers are crucified for unconventional unions. Their illicit heat will either end the war destroying all their races…

Or get the four of them killed when a god unleashes a fatwa for their heads.

Interstellar Angel is an epic, hyper-sexy, reverse harem space opera/sci fi romance and your gateway to the Astral Heat universe, where Star Wars meets 50 Shades by way of The Hunger Games. Laura Navarre delivers turbocharged outer space action with a fearless heroine, a cliffhanger series that ends with a guaranteed happily-ever-after, and a whole lot of heat.

Discover Interstellar Angel and blast off to adventure today!

#ReleaseBlitz for Ricochet by @cole_lepley and @GiveMeBooksPR








Title: Ricochet
Series: Fastball #1
Author: Cole Lepley
Genre: New Adult/College Romance
Release Date: October 12, 2021


BLURB

Sidney York has a broken heart. After being betrayed by her long-time boyfriend, she makes a spontaneous decision to transfer mid-semester. College is supposed to be fun and she’ll be damned if she lets a guy ruin it.

Ryan Wilkes doesn’t have a heart. He’s rude, entitled, and couldn’t care less who his destructive behavior hurts. Truth be told, he enjoys the damage it causes.

When Sidney meets her new roommates, everyone is welcoming except for one. The moody guy downstairs whose attitude is warning her to stay away. But Sidney’s pain is like a magnet to Ryan, and he intends to find out why.

** Author's Note: This book contains content that may be sensitive for some readers. Themes such as cheating, emotional abuse, and assault are depicted. If any of these are triggering, I'd skip this one. You'll get a HEA, but you might hate me until you get there.**

#BookBlitz: Lead in Life by @drlauramurillo @RABTBookTours #Giveaway






 


Succeed in the New Era of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Business / Leadership / Biography

Date Published: September 28, 2021



What do a single rose in a crystal vase, a box of tomatoes, a knitting needle, a basketball, and a tingling earlobe have in common? They are all signals to Dr. Laura Murillo to live life to the fullest every day. A high-energy, results-focused change agent in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) space, her undeniable passion for life stands as the foundation for her personal and professional brand.

As President and CEO of the award-winning Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, she has the uncanny ability to see a situation, not for what it is, but for what it can be. In Lead in Life, People. Passion. Persistence: Succeed in the New Era of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Murillo guides readers through the incredible, sometimes devastating, and victorious experiences that comprise her success—from earning a doctorate while pregnant, parenting a toddler, managing a parent’s illness, and working full time, to hosting multiple TV and radio shows in English and Spanish concurrently, and being appointed to the Washington, DC Federal Reserve Board’s Community Advisory Council, and more.

She uses her lived experiences as the daughter of immigrants, a woman, an executive, a media producer and host to inform her perspectives and insights as an authority on DEI, guiding corporations, organizations, and institutions to adopt a genuine culture of DEI. In this new era of DEI, corporations must make a solid, lasting commitment to full representation, fairness, and inclusion of all voices in every decision, at every level of a corporation, all the time.

Lead in Life illustrates why everyone in a corporation has value and a voice that must be heard.


#ReleaseBlitz: Fractured Crystals by @BettyBolte @RABTBookTours






 


Fury Falls Inn, Book 4

Paranormal Historical Fiction

Date Published: October 12, 2021

Publisher: Mystic Owl Publishing



Fury Falls Inn in 1821 Alabama. A place for ghosts, witches, and magic. A place of secrets and hidden dangers. A place where Daniel Fairhope’s family kept life-changing secrets from him.

His sister’s magic is coveted by two powerful, angry, demanding witches intent on her willing compliance with their demands. Worse, a witch hunter is on the loose, determined to rid the area of all witches. Struggling to cope with those threats, Daniel discovers his own unique and powerful ability as well as those of his estranged brothers. Abilities they’ll need to unite to protect their sister and the family secrets. But these challenges all pale in comparison to convincing the captivating woman he meets at the inn to trust him before she breaks his heart.

#ReleaseBlitz: Crop Burner by Gavin Black @RABTBookTours #Giveaway






 


The Tale Of Fearn & The Deamhon

High Fantasy

Date Published: 10/11/2021

Publisher: Global Book Publishing



-- Along with awesome power comes the greatest test of will --

Despite his humble farming roots, young Fearn displays incredible powers. Blessed by Dainua to harness the strength of every soul surrounding him, he’s known as an Asinta and could help the kingdom vitally. However, due to dark events that marred the name of those akin, Fearn finds himself distrusted by the superstitious villagers and even his own father, Dair . . . effecting untold sorrow.

To overcome the ancient ills of prejudice will not be easy. Luckily, there’s magic, too, beyond the spatial world — in words. As taught to be a “teller of tales” by Dair, who long has honed the craft, Fearn learns with creativity to also quickly capture minds. When wicked comes to visit, however, one mentor alone will guide the boy — a mentor with a story that has yet to end with due revenge.

Fearn soon shall discover the cost of love and loyalty — of hate and betrayal — and venturing to save his land, he’ll run the risk of losing himself, as deamhons play for keeps.


#BookBlitz: The Secrets of Stonebridge Castle by Blair Bancroft @RABTBookTours





 


Gothic Regency Romance

Published: September 2021

Publisher: Kone Enterprises


A gothic tale of ghosts, murder, and lost love...

When bullies threaten Aurelia Lacey and her five-year-old daughter Nell, they are rescued by an old friend, Jason Durand, younger brother of an earl. Jason, once a daring spy, has fallen into depression and drunkenness since the war, but he rallies long enough to offer the outcasts the shelter of his brother's country seat, Stonebridge Castle. But the ancient castle is not the quiet refuge they expected. Aurelia and Jason—both lost souls from the war against Napoleon—must deal with a bevy of hedonistic London house guests, seven hundred years of ghosts, multiple murders, and a chance—a very slim chance—that love will triumph over all.


Author's Note: Although ghosts are prominent in SECRETS, they appear as characters, not creatures of horror. And there is more emphasis on romance than in my previous Gothics.

#BookBlitz: The Finest Lies by David J. Naiman @XpressoTours eBook copy of The Finest Lies



The Finest Lies
David J. Naiman
Publication date: October 14th 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, Magical Realism

High schooler Nicole Hallett has just about had it with her brother Jay, so when a mysterious man appears with an offer to replace him with a better one, she doesn’t hesitate. Nicole has always been impulsive, but this time, she finds herself in predicament far worse than anything she’s experienced. Just like that, an average snow day—usually filled with hot cocoa and snowball fights—is commandeered by the stranger, who forces the siblings into a dangerous game.

Confronted by past reflections, tested by present complications, and threatened by future possibilities, Nicole has until the end of the day to disentangle the riddle of her life.

This suspenseful, yet winsome novel by award-winning author David J. Naiman explores the power of family and forgiveness. But take heed. The truth can cut like shards of glass, especially for those who’d rather avoid it. Sometimes, only the finest lies will do.



Thursday, October 14, 2021

#BookReview: You Were Never Here by Kathleen Peacock






Synopsis: Cat hasn’t been to Montgomery Falls, the town her family founded, since she was twelve years old. Since the summer she discovered she could do things that no normal twelve-year-old could do. Since she had her first kiss with Riley Fraser. Since she destroyed their friendship.

Now, five years later, she’s back and Riley has disappeared.

For the last three months no one has heard from or seen Riley. And while there are all sorts of conspiracy theories about where he went, neither the police nor his parents are any closer to finding him. When Noah, Riley’s brother, asks for help in discovering what happened, Cat is torn between wanting to learn the truth and protecting the secret that she’s been guarding ever since that summer she and Riley stopped speaking.

But then a girl is discovered floating in the river, barely alive with no knowledge of who attacked her or why. With the possibility that someone out there is hunting teens, Cat must make a choice: Use her unusual ability to discover the truth and find Riley or keep running away from a power she can’t control. Only one choice will put her in a killer’s sights…


#BookReview: A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe






Synopsis: Thea Hope longs to be an alchemist out of the shadow of her famous mother. The two of them are close to creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone—whose properties include immortality and can turn any metal into gold—but just when the promise of the Stone’s riches is in their grasp, Thea’s mother destroys the Stone in a sudden fit of violent madness.

While combing through her mother’s notes, Thea learns that there’s a curse on the Stone that causes anyone who tries to make it to lose their sanity. With the threat of the French Revolution looming, Thea is sent to Oxford for her safety, to live with the father who doesn’t know she exists. 

But in Oxford, there are alchemists after the Stone who don’t believe Thea’s warning about the curse—instead, they’ll stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone. But Thea can only run for so long, and soon she will have to choose: create the Stone and sacrifice her sanity, or let the people she loves die.


#BookBlitz: The Devil’s Necromancer by @ProwlingPiper @XpressoTours 3x ebook copies of Holiday Magic by Alexa Piper



The Devil’s Necromancer
Alexa Piper
(Hellbound, #1)
Published by: Changeling Press
Publication date: October 8th 2021
Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+, Urban Fantasy

Lionel, a necromancer and consultant for the Brunswick Police Department, wants nothing to do with immortals. Specifically, he wants nothing to do with Lucifer, who shows up on his doorstep one day with a ridiculous proposal. Lucifer, also known as the Devil, wants Lionel to be his pretend boyfriend. Except the pretend part is something the Devil doesn’t really seem to care for.

Lucifer has read enough romance novels to know that a good dose of forced proximity might be just the thing to get the stubborn necromancer he desires into his bed. The Devil’s plans are soon complicated when Lionel proves more uncooperative and oblivious to love than Lucifer could ever anticipate.

While the Devil wants to claim Lionel, all Lionel wants is to get away from Lucifer. Meanwhile, magic users are being murdered in the city. Lionel cannot escape the implications of those murders for long, and the case soon takes a different turn. Will Lionel be able to escape the Devil’s thrall, or will the necromancer fall for the immortal seducer?

Publisher’s Note: The Devil’s Necromancer contains scenes involving dubious consent that some readers may find offensive.


Wednesday, October 13, 2021

#BookReview: Couples Wanted by Briana Cole






Synopsis: Acclaimed author Briana Cole delivers a page-turning look behind-the-scenes of love and marriage in this sexy, suspenseful story of two couples and an intimate adventure gone very wrong...


Be careful what you switch for!

Adventurous and open-minded, newlyweds Bridget and Roman are determined to keep their relationship exciting. So, when they meet married swingers Corinne and Patrick, they're instantly drawn to their carefree glamour and warm promise of friendship. And after swapping spouses for one passionate, exhilarating night, Bridget and Roman feel fulfilled and closer together than ever...

Until Corinne and Patrick start turning possessive, wanting more of them than Bridget and Roman can ever give. Soon, the young couple is plunged into a nightmare of suspicion, lies, and secrets in which they can't trust each other--or what they think they know about themselves. Pushed to the breaking point, they must uncover the truth behind the other couple's machinations. But when the dust settles, there's no guarantee Bridget and Roman will have their love--or anything else--left to save...

This title will be released on November 30, 2021.