#BookReview: Standing Up: Making the Best Out of Surviving the Worst by Mary L. Devine @shewritespress

For true-crime fans, a gripping memoir of a domestic violence survivor who becomes a police detective in the domestic violence unit and is forced to face her demons when her first major case mirrors her own violent assault.

Standing Up invites you on an exhilarating journey with a woman who refuses to be defined by her scars. A pulse-pounding chronicle of survival against all odds, this memoir takes readers along on a plunge into the chilling depths of abusive relationships.

At the tender age of twenty-three, Mary Sweeney-Devine unwittingly stumbled into the clutches of her abuser, igniting anguish and despair. With each heart-wrenching trial, including a hospital visit, she unearthed a reservoir of resilience she didn’t know she possessed. But just when she thought she had weathered the storm, a second marriage to a recovering alcoholic unleashed a tempest of secrets and unforeseen challenges.

Yet Devine emerged from the darkness, fueled by an unyielding determination and a fierce spirit. With the help of unexpected allies, determination, and a sprinkling of humor, she navigated the treacherous terrain of her past—and reclaimed her life with courage. Offering hope to those ensnared in the vicious cycle of abuse, Standing Up is a riveting testament to Devine’s indomitable spirit and a gripping saga that will leave you breathlessly rooting for the victory of the human heart over adversity.

#BookReview: A Flame in the North (Black Land's Bane, #1) by Lilith Saintcrow

An elemental witch and her shieldmaiden journey into a world of ancient myth and unexpected destiny in this sweeping Norse-inspired epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow.

The Black Land is spent myth. Centuries have passed since the Great Enemy was slain. Yet old fears linger, and on the longest night of the year, every village still lights a ritual fire to banish the dark.

That is Solveig’s duty. Favored by the gods with powerful magic, Sol calls forth flame to keep her home safe. But when her brother accidentally kills a northern lord’s son, she is sent away as weregild—part hostage, part guest—for a year and a day.

The further north Sol travels, the clearer it becomes the Black Land is no myth. The forests teem with foul beasts. Her travel companions are not what they seem, and their plans for her and her magic are shrouded in secrecy.

With only her loyal shieldmaid and her own wits to reply upon, Sol must master power beyond her imagination to wrest control of her fate. For the Black Land’s army stirs, ready to cover the world in darkness—unless Sol can find the courage to stop it.

They thought the old ways were dead. But now, the Enemy awakens…

#BookTour: Sundays with Grandma by Siavoche Siassi @RABTBookTours

Children's Book

Date Published: January 3, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

 

Sundays with Grandma tells the story of an ailing Grandmother who spends her last years in life fully present for her Grandson while cultivating within him an enduring hope and optimism for the beauty of life. Inspired by true events, the book is based on the author's observations of the playful relationship between his son and his mother during a period when she was battling and ultimately succumbed to breast cancer. 

Told through the eyes of young grandson Noah, this is a story recounting the memories Noah had with his loving Grandma Sherry during their weekly Sunday visits. These Sundays are filled with delicious food, silly fun times with Grandma, and important life lessons. While Noah notices that Grandma is getting weaker and weaker with each visit, that doesn't stop their special Sundays together. Noah realizes when he is older that Grandma's important lessons have taught him not only about the beauty of life but also how to accept some of its most difficult moments.

Written for kids of all ages, Sundays with Grandma delicately uses the beauty of nature to remind kids who might be experiencing loss and grief that their lives are just beginning to blossom, with so much beauty and growth to look forward to in the days to come.

#Preorder Blitz for Sweet Chaos by @kimberlyquinn.books @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Sweet Chaos

Series: Savage Hearts Syndicate #1

Author: Kimberly Quinn

Genre: Dark Romantic Suspense

Tropes: Mafia Romance/Enemies to Lovers

Possessive Hero/Secrets & Lies

Release Date: May 20, 2025

BLURB

The man I’m being forced to seduce is ruthless, dominant, and untouchable.

And he should be. He’s a hitman.

But now, he’s my mark, and I don’t have a choice—deliver Dex to the Bratva, or lose everything.

Playing seductress is nothing new, but the stakes are. Dex unexpectedly changes the rules, twisting the game, pushing me to stay one step ahead…

Then, he puts his hands on me.

Suddenly, I lose all control.

And in Dex’s arms, I realize maybe I never really had control of a damn thing to begin with.

What will remain amid the savage chaos we've created when the hunter becomes the hunted?

We're both about to find out.

#ReleaseBlitz for Sin in the Mountains by @lara_london_writes @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Sin in the Mountains

A Brother's Best Friend Small Town Romance

Series: Passion Ridge #5

Author: Lara London

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Short Read/Mountain Town Romance

Brother's Best Friend

Release Date: April 30, 2025

BLURB

My best friend never forgave me for telling his sister how I felt about her, and I lost them both in one night. When we see each other again for the first time in over ten years, can I risk my heart a second time, or do I let her walk away forever?

Scarlett

I’ve had a crush on my brother's best friend since we were kids, but it was all one-sided...or, so I thought. Now, we're thrown back together as maid-of-honor and best man in our friends’ wedding, and I'm starting to think the feeling might have been mutual. He looks at me like he wants to devour me, and all I can say is, yes, please. But I don't want one night with Levi. I want forever.

Levi

Scarlett broke my heart when she left Duhring Park for her big city dreams. Now, a wedding for mutual friends brings us back together for the first time in over a decade, and I realize I've never gotten over her. I told her my feelings once, and she ran. Should I put it all on the line again, or save my wounded heart from misery?

***

What to expect from a Lara London short read romance: Quirky heroines, sexy men who can't get enough of them, no cheating, an HEA, and a double dose of heat!

#ReleaseBlitz for Friends Don't Kiss by Bella Rivers @bellariversauthor @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Friends Don't Kiss

Series: Emerald Creek #4

Author: Bella Rivers

Genre: Small Town Steamy Romance

Tropes: Friends to Lovers/Fake Dating/Found Family

He Falls First/No Third Act Break Up

Release Date: April 30, 2025

BLURB

They didn’t plan the kiss. Or anything that happened after…

Colton

When I kissed my best friend to shut up her judgmental family, I didn’t expect her to melt in my arms.

Kiss me back.

Hold me tight.

I thought she didn’t feel for me the way I do, but this changes everything.

Our friendship started the day I found her sleeping in her car, fresh off a betrayal that should’ve broken her. I cracked her protective shell and helped her start over. Now she’s become a part of me.

It’s simple: this kiss is the beginning of our forever.

But nothing with Kiara is simple. Not the wounds from her past. Not her struggles to succeed as a pastry chef. Not the reasons she fights her battles on her own.

She turns me down? Fine. I’ll wait.

She starts swiping right on other men? Absolutely not.

Kiara doesn't know it yet, but she's already mine.

Kiara

This fake kiss wasn’t supposed to leave me breathless, aching for more, and wondering what if.

Because Colton Harper doesn’t do anything halfway. Not kissing, not pretending, and definitely not loving.

Now he wants to date for real, but I’m terrified.

I built a new life in Emerald Creek, made friends who are my new family. Colton is my rock, and changing our friendship to dating could lead to losing everything.

I’ve seen how love ends, and I won’t let that happen to us.

He’s relentless though, so I cave in. He can be my first. Just once. No expectations. No heartbreak.

When he refuses, I’m left with no choice but to swallow my disappointment and move on.

But Colton can be very persuasive.

#Teaser: Taken by the Maine Coon by @MeganSlayer @RABTBookTours @wendizwaduk @changelingpress

 

Paranormal Women’s Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Date Published: May 2, 2025

 

 

A big cat and a woman without magic could just be the right combination.

 

Meela Durning swears she doesn’t belong in Eerie. She’s not magical. Never has been, but she’s the child of paranormals. When she’s forced to return to Eerie to sort out the problems from her past, she finds a big, fluffy cat. The animal lover in her has to make sure the feline gets home. He could be missing. Someone has to want him, right?

Aslan Maine has known from the moment he met Meela that she was destined to be his. He’s seen her in his dreams. When she picks him up to return him to his rightful home, he can’t hide his secret any longer. He’s no ordinary cat!

She can’t believe her eyes when the fluffball she rescued shifts into the sexiest man she’s ever seen. When he offers her forever, she’s got to decide if she deserves to be alone or to have a future with the handsome shifter.

 

If she can survive her past, she can have him. Right?