BOOK BLITZ – Whiskey with Wolves by Erica Spray

Whiskey with Wolves
Erica Spray
Publication date: May 7th 2024
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Sadie Crowe is a runaway hoping to make a better future for herself, but she soon discovers what it means to truly be on her own. While trying to survive bartending in the middle of nowhere, Sadie is swept away by promises of money and an easy life by an enigmatic stranger. The grown-up world makes one dark turn after another, and Sadie must find her way through torment into the light of her future.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Author Bio:

Born and raised in Southwest Louisiana taught me how to spin stories naturally. The culture, the flair, and the people really made it a magical place as a child. In a lot of my writings I still use Louisiana as the location because in a place as wild and tight-knit as Southern Louisiana, the possibilities are endless.

I knew I wanted to be a writer since I was in middle school. When i was in my thirties I knew that writing was my true calling in life. Just for the record, if something is your true calling, it will never stop calling you. Writing never stopped calling me and i’m glad that I finally listened and decided to take that leap.

You’ll learn pretty quickly that my novels are mysterious and thrilling. I hope to always bring that element of surprise in each book ending. Think you have me figured out? Think again.

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BOOK BLITZ – Refuge from the World by Kim McMahill

Refuge from the World
Kim McMahill
(The Beartooth Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: March 19th 2024
Genres: Dystopian, New Adult, Young Adult

Ashley McPhee arrived in Beartooth with her mom, Sara, when she was three years old. Ever since Ash can remember, life has been simple and peaceful. She enjoyed a carefree childhood, tending honey bees with her mom and spending time with her best friend, Caleb Solomon. But, life in their idyllic mountaintop community is changing.

After learning of the government’s plan to use a geoengineering process to cool the planet, Ash and Caleb realize they need to step up and take an active role in the community. Along with fear for how the process might impact their food supply, Ash learns her mom’s health is failing.

Sara doesn’t want Ash to face an uncertain future alone and nudges her and Caleb into marriage. Even though they have known each other most of their lives, Ash and Caleb’s relationship has changed drastically in a short period of time. They embrace the challenges of learning about each other, dealing with tragedy and grief, protecting their community from deadly predators and ruthless neighbors, and experiencing epic adventures, while trying to find solutions to a rapidly changing environment and deteriorating world.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

Ash fell into step next to Caleb without talking. They had known each other for so long that they could be together without saying a word, and it didn’t feel awkward. When they reached the lake, they sat down on one of the large boulders scattered around the shore and stared out at the water.

“The lake level goes down a little more each year,” Caleb said.

“I’ve noticed. It used to be up to that cluster of rocks over there when we would go fishing when we were younger.”

“Rain isn’t enough to keep it full. The last time I remember seeing snow up here was when I was seven, and it didn’t stick around. Seems kind of ironic that so much of the planet is flooded, yet many worry about having enough fresh water to drink and to irrigate crops.”

“Why did we stop fishing?” Ash asked.

“I didn’t stop fishing. I still go fishing at least once a week. When you started taking a more active role in the beekeeping and tree nursery, you were available less and less. I go first thing in the morning, and that’s when you and your mom do most of your work.”

“I miss going fishing with you. I’ll see if Mom cares if we change around the schedule a bit unless you don’t want me tagging along like I did when I was younger.”

“I miss it too. I would love for you to tag along even though you always out-fished me.”

He put his arm around her and pulled her close. Ash laid her head on his shoulder and stared out at the lake. They sat like this sometimes, not as much as they used to, and she missed this too. She loved the feel of his arm around her and the warmth of his body next to hers, but never read too much into the gesture. Today, especially, she was in no hurry to break the connection.

“Are you going to the community meeting tonight?” he asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Yes. I keep getting these unsettling feelings, and I hope to find out if it’s just my imagination or if there is something I should be worried about. First, I find out you’ve been tasked with building weapons, then I had an odd conversation with your dad, found out we’re having an off-cycle community meeting, and all of a sudden Mom is all over me about marrying Tyler Hewitt.”

“What!” Caleb shouted as he scooted away and turned his body to face her. “You’re not seriously considering marrying that old man, are you?”

“No, but apparently, they’ve talked about it. I pointed out to Mom that he’s eleven years younger than she, but eighteen years older than me. In Tyler’s defense, I can only think of a couple of other eligible women between his age and mine.”

“He has no defense. For him to even be thinking about it, is wrong. When he moved here, you were what? Three? Four? Why now?”

“I think Mom is worried about getting old and leaving me alone. I don’t think she’s been feeling well, but I don’t know if it’s anything serious.”

Caleb stood up and paced. Ash watched him, confused by his reaction.

“I don’t plan to marry Tyler or anyone else not of my choosing. But, I’m not sure why you would care anyway since you’ve got eyes on Evelyn.”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“Apparently, her mother has been telling people that you two have been spending time together.”

“That’s not true. She tagged along when I was delivering deer meat the other day to the storehouse, but that was it. I most certainly didn’t ask her to come with me, and all she did was ask me questions about Dillon. Besides, she’s just a girl.”

Ash chuckled. “If people are happy to pawn me off on a man eighteen years older, a mere four years between you and Evelyn is nothing.”

She watched as Caleb retreated to the water’s edge. He picked up a flat stone and skipped it across its glassy surface. Ash walked to his side and stood next to him.

“We’d better get back. The meeting starts in a couple of hours, and I should help Mom with dinner,” Ash said as she turned to leave.

Caleb grabbed her arm and pulled her back until she was facing him. “Let’s hear what they have to say tonight. If there is some reason why everyone needs to get married, you’re marrying me.”

“And, what if there is no need?” she asked softly.

“Well, maybe we should anyway.”

Author Bio:

Kim McMahill started out writing nonfiction, but her passion for adventure, stories of survival against the odds, and speculating about the future of humanity and our planet, soon turned her attention towards fiction. She has published eleven novels, over eighty travel and human-interest articles, and contributed to a travel story anthology. Growing up in a beautiful mountain west community, traveling the world, and enjoying a twenty-year career with the National Park Service, has given her the opportunity to live in amazing places, experience incredible adventures, and witness many changes in our world, all of which have helped shape her stories.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

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BOOK BLITZ – Last Seen in Havana by Teresa Dovalpage

Last Seen in Havana
Teresa Dovalpage
(A Havana Mystery, #4)
Publication date: February 6th 2024
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

A Cuban American woman searches for her long-lost mother and fights to restore a beautiful but crumbling Art Deco home in the heart of Havana in this moving, immersive new mystery, perfect for fans of Of Women and Salt.

Newly widowed baker Mercedes Spivey flies from Miami to her native Cuba in 2019 to care for her ailing paternal grandmother. Mercedes’s life has been shaped by loss, beginning with the mysterious unsolved disappearance of her mother when Mercedes was a little girl. Returning to Cuba revives Mercedes’s hopes of finding her mother as she attempts to piece together the few scraps of information she has. Could her mother still be alive?

Thirty-three years earlier, in 1986, an American college student with endless political optimism falls deliriously in love with a handsome Cuban soldier while on a spontaneous visit to the island. She decides to stay permanently, but soon discovers that nothing is as it seems in Havana.

The two women’s stories proceed in parallel as Mercedes gets closer to the truth about her mother, uncovering shocking family secrets in the process . . .

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

Sarah stood under a blue pendant lamp in the middle of a huge living room. The faded grandeur of the place still impressed her as it had the first day. She approached an upright piano and played the first chords of “London Bridge.”

Though the piano needed tuning, it had a rich, warm sound. There was a blue vase on top, next to the portrait of a dark-haired woman with a pearl necklace. The frame, heavy and ornate, looked like tarnished silver. The wall behind the piano was covered in paintings. The landscapes of marinas and countryside scenes didn’t impress the blonde, but she examined the portraits trying to discover a resemblance between their faces and Joaquín’s. If there was any, it eluded her.

Through the picture window, she saw people waiting in line across the street—the same people who had stared at her when she passed them. Her new neighbors. In due time she would join them at the grocery store queue, and they would get to know her.

She smiled and two dimples appeared on her cheeks. How fast things had moved! Less than a month ago she had been a guest at Hotel Colina in El Vedado, thinking of the handsome lieutenant who had swept her off her feet after the Triumph of the Revolution parade on January first, but not believing that their relationship (if you could call it a relationship) had any future. After all, she was an American—a “Yankee,” as they said here—who had come to Havana for eight days. But the days had turned into weeks. And the weeks would turn, hopefully, into months, and the months into years . . .

The sound of footsteps downstairs made her jump. She ran down the marble staircase, being more careful this time.

“Joaquín!”

A tall man with angular features, almond eyes and a big smile had just come into the living room. He was wearing the green olive uniform of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, which, in Sarah’s opinion, fit him amazingly well. The fact that she had fallen for a military guy still surprised her. Her father, with whom she had argued for years about everything under the sun, from politics to fashion, had been in the Navy, and she thought that was why he was so pig-headed. But she loved him and was closer to him than to her mother.

“¡Mi amor!”

Joaquín handed her a bouquet of white lilies, mariposas, which by now Sarah knew were the Cuban national flower. They hugged each other and kissed so passionately that a few mariposas were crushed in the process.

“They smell amazing!” Sarah said, pressing the bouquet against her face. “Thanks!”

“And here’s this too.” He offered her a small package wrapped in fancy tissue paper.

She tore it open and discovered a perfume bottle with the cap shaped like a dome. When she opened it, the scent of bergamot blended with the mariposa fragrance. She tried to decipher the name, written in Cyrillic characters.

“It’s called Red Moscow,” Joaquín said.

“It’s lovely! But you didn’t need to—”

“Don’t you know what day is today?”

She did. She had thought of it early in the morning, but he hadn’t mention it. She assumed Cubans didn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day because that would imply a religious reference to Saint Valentine. Joaquín had told her that religion was considered an “ideological deviation.” It made sense to her. The opiate of the masses and all that.

“El Día de los Enamorados,” he said.

A day for lovers. Sarah liked that. She was enamorada, no question about it. And so was he. No, wait, he was enamorado—she still, sometimes, got her endings mixed up. They laughed, embraced again and hurried to the second floor. The mariposa bouquet and the Red Moscow bottle were left on top of the piano, between the blue vase and the silver-framed portrait.

A truck drove at high speed in front of the house. The piano shook slightly, and the ghost of a melody came from under the closed lid. The vase and the portrait stayed put, but the perfume bottle fell to the floor and shattered. A potent aroma filled the room and snuck upstairs, passed by the master bedroom and reached the library, where the lady in the painting wore an expression of disgust.

Author Bio:

Teresa Dovalpage was born in Havana and now lives in Hobbs, where she is a college professor at New Mexico Junior College. She has a PhD in Hispanic Literature from the University of New Mexico with a specialization in Latin American literature.

She has published twelve novels and three collections of short stories. Her Havana Mystery series published by Soho Crime started with the culinary mystery Death Comes in through the Kitchen (2018), set in Havana and featuring Padrino, a santero-detective. It is loaded with authentic Cuban recipes like arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) and caldosa (a yummy stew). The second novel, Queen of Bones (2019) was chosen by NBC News as one of the top 10 books by and about Latinos in 2019. The third is Death of a Telenovela Star (2020). Set on a Caribbean cruise, it showcases the dark—sometimes deadly—side of celebrity, as well as the shenanigans that often happen abroad a cruise ship. Death under the Perseids (2021) also happens on a cruise ship, at first, and later in Havana, taking readers from the streets of La Habana Vieja to the botanical garden La Quinta de los Molinos. Upcoming is Last Seen in Havana, a sequel to Death under the Perseids.

She also wrote A Girl like Che Guevara (Soho Press, 2004) and Habanera, a Portrait of a Cuban Family (Floricanto Press, 2010).

In her native Spanish she has authored the novels Muerte de un murciano en La Habana (Death of a Murcian in Havana, Anagrama, 2006, a runner-up for the Herralde Award in Spain), El difunto Fidel (The Late Fidel, Renacimiento, 2011, which won the Rincon de la Victoria Award in Spain in 2009), Posesas de La Habana (Haunted ladies of Havana, PurePlay Press, 2004), La Regenta en La Habana (Edebe Group, Spain, 2012), Orfeo en el Caribe (Atmósfera Literaria, Spain, 2013), and El retorno de la expatriada (The Expat’s Return, Egales, Spain, 2014).

Her short story collections are The Astral Plane, Stories of Cuba, the Southwest and Beyond (University of New Orleans Press, 2012), Llevarás luto por Franco (Atmósfera Literaria, 2012) and Por culpa de Candela (Floricanto Press, May 2009).

Website / Goodreads

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BOOK BLITZ – In the Shadow of the Truth by Maci Aurora

In the Shadow of the Truth
Maci Aurora
(Fareview Fairytale, #3.5)
Publication date: April 9th 2024
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

The secrets Scarlett Fareview has hidden from her family are finally out in the open, but not without consequences. Alienating everyone she loves, she must face the hurt and betrayal she wrought with her duplicity. And the cost is high. In this series of novellas, the Fareveiws deal with the aftermath of Scarlett’s deception. Scarlett must face Tomas and her children, Brinna must determine if she and Luc can forge a future, and Auri and Nix face the next obstacle to their forever. Along with many other familiar characters, these stories bridge the gap between the end of In the Shadow of a Dream and the final book in the Fareview saga, In the Shadow of an Obsession.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

From In the Shadow of a Vow Novella

When Tomas returned from the barn that afternoon, the sound of his boots on the floor captured her attention as she stood at the kitchen counter he’d made for her. His form in the doorway—wide and encompassing—was at first a buoying relief then a crushing disappointment.

She’d failed him.

He stalled, assessing, his eyes dragging along the countertop where she stood amidst a haphazard wreck of herbs—her supplies for making tinctures and medicines she took on calls and sold at the market.

“Did you mean to leave all your tools in the garden?” he asked. There wasn’t any accusation in his tone, only curiosity. “And the laundry undone in the wash basin?”

When she didn’t answer—because she couldn’t seem to align the words with meaning—he asked, “What’s going on here?”

Scarlett looked down at the mess she’d made, opened her mouth to tell him what she was doing, but her mind went blank. She couldn’t remember what she’d been doing. She didn’t know what she was doing anymore. The longer she looked at the greens, the pestle and mortar, the boiling pot, the less sense any of the disarray made.

“It’s chaos, Scar,” he said quietly next to her. “Unlike you.”

She looked up from the mess to his face, to his kind eyes shaped with concern.

Scar. She’d always loved the way he shortened her name, the only one who ever did.

Then without warning, she burst into tears, pressing the towel in her hands against her face as her grief, pain, worry, regret, disappointment wrenched out of her with horrific gasp. She’d ruined everything.

Tomas gathered her into his arms with soothing sounds. “Hush,” he whispered, his wide, heavy hand on the back of her head.

“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, grasping hold of his shirt, her face pressed into the strength of his chest.

He held her.

“They’re gone,” she sobbed. “I failed.”

His arms squeezed her a touch tighter, and when his face pressed into the place between her neck and shoulder, Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing up onto her toes, needing to be closer to his comfort.

“I failed too,” he whispered, his lips against her skin. “We both have.”

She shook her head. “Not you, Tomas.” She drew back to look at him.

Raising his head, his eyes connected with hers, the sadness a deep, evergreen forest swirling inside them where he was lost. And it was her fault. She knew this. Had pushed him to go against his nature by keeping her secrets, securing the spells.

Unsure about anything but the tumult of emotions she couldn’t seem to harness, Scarlett reached for comfort she knew he provided, a comfort she could reciprocate.

She kissed him, her hands framing his face, his beard soft against her palms.

He froze, tension tightening his shoulders.

And she thought he might pull away, but suddenly he was kissing her back, capitulating, needing, seeking. His tongue sought entrance, and she granted it. It was hungry, two souls on the periphery of starvation, finding one another in the darkness.

Author Bio:

Romance author.

Lover of stories.

Maci Aurora has been writing stories since she was a child. When she was eleven, she fell in love with reading Sunfire Historical Romances about girls who made a difference in their lives and still fell in love. In high school, a friend introduced her to Lavyrle Spencer and Judith McNaught, and from there, her writing journey was cemented in telling stories about love. Having already published many novels (all of which are threaded with romance as upper YA and New Adult titles) under the pen name, CL Walters, Maci Aurora wanted to write stories that offered the same attention to story and characters but with additional steam.

Maci writes in Hawaiʻi where she lives with her husband, their children, and their fur-babies.

Website / Instagram / Newsletter

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BOOK BLITZ – Lady Cosa Nostra: Victoria’s Secrets by Contel Bradford

Lady Cosa Nostra: Victoria’s Secrets
Contel Bradford
(Lady Cosa Nostra, #1)
Publication date: April 8th 2024
Genres: Adult, Mafia, Romance

Born to a struggling African American mother and a successful Italian American father, Victoria Russo is destined for greatness. But her journey is fraught with pain, drama, and trauma beyond her years. From the treacherous schoolyard to the shadowy depths of the mafia underworld, this coming-of-age story defies convention at every turn.

The first in a trilogy, Victoria’s Secrets: Lady Cosa Nostra spins a gripping journey of resilience, identity, and survival against all odds.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Victoria stammered into the living room, buzzed from healthy swigs of sweet and syrupy cheap liquor. She could hear her mother in the kitchen, bitching someone out on the phone. Rosaline was always in a pissy mood. No matter the time of day. The fact that school had let out hours ago meant she was probably incensed on another plateau of rage. Victoria strategically crept pass her mother and upstairs to her bedroom, hoping she hadn’t tipped off the drunken giant.

“What a day,” Victoria sighed as she flopped down on her messy bed. Physically, mentally, and emotionally drained from the events of the past ten hours, she stretched out, confident that she could sleep for another ten.

Sure, there were guys here and there, but Victoria never had what she’d call a boyfriend. On that note, she might have two to call her own in Donnell and Damon⸺—if she played her cards right. Commemorating an official relationship with either would bolster her presence by a few precious notches. Things were looking up. Well, minus whatever repercussions stemmed from that one-sided fight with big bad Keisha. Before she could further relish in the wonderful world of what-if, cold hard reality came banging at her bedroom door.

God dang it. Victoria huffed and braced for the inevitable showdown, knowing she couldn’t win this one. “Come in!”

Rosaline barged in and wasted no time in unloading a barrage of verbal fury. “I am so sick and tired of yo ole triflin’ ass! What you doin’ fightin’ in school? Huh?!”

Victoria sat up and instantly went into panic mode, mind scrambling to decipher how her mother got wind of the fight. She figured she could at least table the issue on the back burner until tomorrow. In reality, none of that even mattered. Didn’t matter who or what instigated the incident. Heads were set to roll, and her noggin was square on the chopping block.

“Ma, it wasn’t even my fault,” Victoria pleaded her case. “She the one …”

“Shut the hell up!”Rosaline had heard enough. She silenced Victoria with a slap that echoed throughout the room, daring the rebellious teen to question her authority. “I don’t wanna hear it, Victoria! They talkin’ bout expelling you from school … permanently. Well guess what … you get kicked outta school, you kicked outta my house! I’m done wit your no good ass!”

Rosaline stomped out of the room, ire raised higher than when she entered. That’s that. No chance for Victoria to appeal with her version of the truth. Rosaline flew off the handle, straight into Psycho Mom town, where she then proceeded to lay the smack down. Victoria never spoke it. Hell, she tried not to even think it into existence. But right then and there, she declared seething hatred for her very own mother. The self-indulgent, crack blazing, booze guzzling whore who never cared for anyone other than herself. Certainly not her one and only child. If Victoria made good on a single promise, accomplished one goal in life, it was to get the hell out of Rosaline’s house ASAP.

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Contel Bradford is a seasoned freelance writer and author of multiple fiction tales. Though he is perhaps best known for reality-based hardcore urban fiction titles such as Thug Nation, he is quickly gaining a reputation as a compelling voice in the increasingly popular genre of erotica. Boasting a unique style that combines high-level writing with energetic, engaging storytelling, Contel has emerged as that author you must have in your reading rotation!

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BOOK BLITZ – The Omega Archives: Escalation by Erik Melendez

The Omega Archives: Escalation
Erik Melendez
Publication date: January 31st 2024
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Alex Connors returns for a new mission in The Omega Archives: Escalation. But this time, he must take on the most dangerous man in the world: Axel. A super soldier with years of combat experience, Axel is seemingly one step ahead of Alex in every way. What Alex thought would be a breeze turns out to be anything but. He’s still fighting the brainwashing from his training in the Omega Project, which prevents him from feeling fully human. Alex must figure out a way to outsmart and stop Axel . . . without losing what’s left of his humanity.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

We sprinted after the last guy who was running through the desert area. My heart pounded as I sprinted after the guy. All I could think about was tackling this guy to the ground and beating the shit out of him. The field seemed like an endless desert of sand and dried-out plants. The last guy made a hard turn into what looked like a cave entrance. The entrance hand a big concrete shaft leading inside with black water pouring out of it. We stopped and shined our flashlights into the cave, but saw nothing. Barns and I went inside. It was dark and smelled like a port-a-potty that hadn’t been cleaned in years; we heard rats squeaking and the echoes of water dripping in the distance. Being in there made my stomach feel like it was going to blow up and I felt like I would never eat again. We walked on until we arrived at a very large room. I went in, and the gate slammed shut behind me. The slamming echoed throughout the room and it froze my heart.

I turned and ran towards the gate. “Hey let me out!” I said. I tried pulling on the bars and kicking the gate down, but it was too strong. “Come on, let me out!”

I tried contacting Max on my radio. “Max, do you copy?” I asked.

“Alex… can you hear…” Max said. My radio went static.

“Long live the Union,” Barnes said as he backed off and sunk into the darkness of the cave. My heart dropped into my stomach as he backed off.

“Long live the Union, indeed!” Another man said in a British accent.

Some lights flashed behind me. I slowly turned around.

it was Axel.

“Alex Connors, we meet at last,” he said in a soft voice as he took a few steps towards me. “I have been looking forward to this for so long.”

A wave of anxiety hit me like a truck. He was a lot bigger in person, but not too big just big enough to pose a threat. I couldn’t take my attention off of how much bigger he was in person.

All around was rock and water. I could hear water flowing nearby only to pour out into a drain. I immediately pulled out my rifle and aimed it at him, ready to shoot as that feeling in my stomach came back.

“Please put down the weapons. You can’t kill all of us,” Axel said.

I looked up, and saw the next level up; a large group of Axels’ men were armed with machine guns and assault rifles. My entire body was covered with laser sight dots like a Christmas tree. My heart froze up as I pictured myself getting blown away.

“They all have armor-piercing bullets, and clear shots,” Axel said.

I put down my rifle, pistol, and knife. The clank of my rifle and pistol hitting the ground echoed in the room. I stood there feeling naked as I took some breaths, trying to calm myself down.

“So you’re Axel? What do you want?”

“Ah, straight to business huh?” he said, smiling.

“You know I have orders to bring you in, right?” I said.

Axel walked closer to me, seeming to grow bigger with each step. “Oh, I am aware of your mission, indeed,” he said “You think I don’t know you, Alex? I’ve been watching you for some time now,” he said while still speaking in his soft voice.

I started to sweat. I wiped my head while I tried to process my thoughts. I continued to try and get my mind off my feelings as I focused on Axel.

“Yeah. Well, to me, you are just another terrorist on some kind of mission. An anarchist,” I said as Axel laughed.

“Ah, so young and still so much to learn. I have been doing this far longer then you have,” he said.

“Age does have its advantages,” I said.

“As well as its disadvantages,” Axel replied.

“Why did you attack the Pentagon?” I asked as I walked closer to him.

Axel started to walk to me. “Easy. I needed to draw attention.”

“By killing innocent people?”

“Ha! Just another stereotypical word: Innocent. Please, Alex, those people were just expendable assets, just like everyone else.”

“We will see about that,” I said as I walked towards him.

At that moment, all I thought about was beating Axel to a pulp. I ran up to him and struck at him with all the strength I had. His steel-like body just absorbed the strikes, taking little to no damage whatsoever. I threw another right hook. He blocked it and threw an uppercut elbow to my face, knocking me back, then a spin kick to my chest, kicking me into a pile of bricks. I felt like someone had hit my solar plexus with a sledgehammer as I tried to breathe. All I could think about was the pain as I lay there like I was a plant being eaten by rodents. I rubbed my jaw, trying to ease the pain, and my body was covered in sweat and dust. The Mercenaries just stood by and watched.

“Your confidence has gotten the best of you. You have been fighting so much of these mere humans that you believe yourself to be unstoppable. You proclaim that you are a super-soldier. But really you are just a boy,” he said.

As I laid there, feeling like my body was crushed by a wrecking ball, I kept thinking about my training. I could still hear the trainer shouting at me to control my emotions. I closed my eyes and breathed, trying to get my mind off of my feelings.

“I’ve beaten people like you before,” I said as I got up slowly, trying to fight through the pain.

I did a spin kick to his face with Axel leaning back, slightly dodging it. I then did a spin side kick to him, with him blocking it, followed by a spin jump kick to his chest, which seemingly did nothing to him. I threw more hooks to his face with every bit of strength I had. When I went to throw the third, he grabbed my fist and started squeezing it like an empty Coke can; several snapping sounds emerged from my hand. I could feel the bones in my fist being slowly crushed like wood, and it was all I could focus on. I screamed in pain as I slowly dropped to my knees. I tried to break his grip, but it was as strong as steel. My right hand was practically destroyed.

“All this strength and no coordination. You are truly an amateur,” he said as he pushed me to the ground. He then did a powerful bottom fist strike to my back, which felt like being hit by a pipe wrench.

I took another breath, trying not to explode with anger so I don’t throw up, then got up and went to do another spinning jump kick. While I was in mid-air, Axel punched me directly in the solar plexus, knocking me down. All the air was knocked out of me again, and I could barely breathe. He then picked me up and threw me into a wall. A bang followed as I hit the floor. My body felt like all the bones were broken into bits, and I could not get up. My mind was glued to the pain as it settled. As I lay there, Axel walked up and crouched next to me.

“I understand what you are going through. You’ve spent half of your life training, and now you are split. Every day you contend with adapting to human life. These humans have corrupted your mind, but I can help you. I can save you from them. Please let me help you,” he said. His voice was pretty calm and soothing for a terrorist.

I slowly picked myself up, feeling like my body was going to break into pieces at any second. My arms felt like they were weighed down by trucks, and my chest weighed a ton. I gripped my broken wrist as I tried to find my balance.

“I don’t need your help!” I said, standing ready.

“Very well then,” he said as he did a spinning heel kick to my face, knocking me out. From there it was just blackness and nothing.

Author Bio:

Erik Melendez is a young adult novelist, graduated from t Henry Ford College, and martial arts enthusiast. He holds a black belt in Kung Fu and is skilled in firearms and other weaponry. In high school, he worked his way up to a cadet lieutenant junior grade for the NJROTC program, where he participated on the drill team, physical fitness team, and academic team. An avid fan of Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who, Erik gleans plenty of inspiration for writing action-packed sci-fi stories. He is the author of The Omega Archives and lives in Livonia, Michigan.

Website / Goodreads

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BOOK BLITZ – Angelbound Tales Volume 1 by Christina Bauer

Angelbound Tales Volume 1
Christina Bauer
(Angelbound Tales, #1)
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: March 19th 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Love Myla Lewis? Don’t miss Angelbound Tales Volume One, a collection of five bonus stories from Myla’s world, including:

· Walker’s Love Connection, where Myla uncovers a secret about her honorary older brother
· Sharkie and Snickerdoodles, in which our heroine faces down an uber-evil ghoul in order to get her hands on (what else?) some damned fine cookies.
· Wedding Bells, aka the story of a certain happy couple getting married. Havoc ensues in more ways than one!
· Herbie and Baby Hotdogs, the tale of a quasi-demon whose ‘mortal sin power’ is gluttony. Consider yourself warned.
· Saving Mrs. Pomplemousse, a mini-romance that explores the true meaning of ‘soul mates.’ Say it with me now: awwww!

Originally released in special editions, these many tales now unite in one master collection that spans print, ebook and audio formats! 42,000 words.

***Warning*** If you don’t like quirky indie authors, then you’ll hate the following disclaimer from my inner pirate: Shiver me tinders, if ye haven’t read Angelbound books one through three, then these tales’ll frustrate ye more’n a drunk goat on astroturf. Argh!

Now back to my regular pirate-free self: I hope these stories provide a little escape from reality because, let’s face it, we all need one these days

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

Walker’s Love Connection
Myla

My tail and I always get along.

Until we don’t.

Take now, for instance. I drive my ancient station wagon, Betsy, through the many strip malls and weedy lots that make up Purgatory. My ride is an un-pimped junker whose radio stays eternally stuck on a polka station. As ‘Roll out the Barrel’ blares from Betsy’s tinny speakers, my tail jabs my shoulder in time to the music. This is its way of saying, I’m not happy with our destination.

My tail loathes trips to the Ghoul-E-Mart.

“Come on,” I plead. “I promised Mom that I’d pick up milk from the Ghoul-E.” Technically, our overlords sell us something called white liquid product.

Saying that I’m only getting milk makes zero difference to my tail. Right now, it’s the star of its own little play called, Poke Myla’s Shoulder.

Jab, jab.

“We aren’t going to the Ghoul-E right away,” I explain. “We’ll hit the arena first.”

There’s only one arena in Purgatory—it’s where warriors like me fight evil souls and demons to the death. Is this an appropriate extra-curricular activity for a high school junior? Ah, no. But, that’s ghouls for you. Our overlords see their minions—meaning quasi demons like me—as the equivalent of pond scum.

My tail pauses for a moment as it considers a potential arena visit. Then, it acts in a way that says, what a load of B-S.

Jab, jab, jab.

Clearly, my tail has trust issues. It doesn’t believe we’re going anywhere near the arena. And there are two reasons why I shouldn’t approach the gladiator games right now. First, it’s not my day to fight. Second, even when I am scheduled to go, I should only show up with my honorary older brother, a ghoul named Walker.

But I have plans, people.

Author Bio:

Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Blog / LinkedIn

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BOOK BLITZ – Invocation by Aileen Erin

Invocation
Aileen Erin
(Days of Iron and Clay, #1)
Publication date: March 19th 2024
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult

From USA Today Bestselling Author Aileen Erin comes an all-new action-packed, romance-filled paranormal series.

There are three things I know without question.

One: demons are real.

Two: humans make awful mistakes that get them in demonic trouble more often than you’d think.

And three: I’m the only one who can help them.

I straddle the line between the mortal and spiritual realms every day. People might think they’re two different places, but they’re not. They lay on top of each other. It’s messy, and that’s why so many people need my help. Since I was little, I’ve been called all kinds of names—unusual, abnormal, even insane. Which is fitting, since they keep throwing me in to mental facilities. I’ve been in and out of them my entire life.

But no matter what people say, no matter what I’m risking, I will always help those in need.

Because there’s an endless war carrying on all around us, every minute of every day. One that can’t be seen by mortal eyes. But I can see it, the spiritual battle for mortal souls, and I’m working hard to make sure my father is on the losing side. He — Astaroth, Satan’s general— is why I can do this. He’s why I’m not normal. I can’t have friends, a life, or a boyfriend. I won’t be selfish enough to drag someone into this fight. But I’m not lonely. Not exactly. I have my mom. She’s my rock, my best friend, my partner. She helps me do what needs to be done, and she’s never afraid when it feels like I’m always afraid.

Because I hear my father whispering my name each night, his taunts echoing through the spiritual realm. He’s hunting me, and I know the day will come when I must face him again.

Every portal I open could be the one that finally pulls me back to Hell, and I wonder if I will brave enough, strong enough, good enough to fight him.

My name is Samantha Catherine Lopez, and I am Nephilim. This is my story.

**Fans of the Alpha Girls series will love this new series set in the same world, with a few familiar faces, but you DO NOT have to have read a single word of the Alpha Girls series to enjoy Samantha’s story.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

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EXCERPT:

The heat from the fires of Hell were burning my feet. I needed to close the portal, but I needed to get up to the other side before I did.

And then there was a warmth—not like the burning heat from Hell—but something else—something soothing—and I knew what I had to do.

I had to get rid of the tie.

I couldn’t cut it—I’d tried that so many times—but I could shove it away. I could lessen its effects. I’d even burned it out once.

If it worked before, it could work now.

I blocked everything out except for the feeling of the tie that bound me to my father. It was always there—a leash of fire that wrapped around my body, my soul—thicker than any other tie I’d seen before on a living person. But it wasn’t just a demon-mortal tie. It was a father-daughter tie.

The tie connecting us grew hotter, burning, and I focused everything I had on burning it out.

I let my outrage fuel me. The outrage of how this monster—my father—had hunted me my whole life, tortured my mother, dragged me to Hell, and made it impossible for me to have any kind of innocent childhood.

He’d robbed me over and over of everything good.

Not this time. He wouldn’t win this time.

He laughed. He actually laughed at me. “I gave you life. I gave you your powers. Just as I give, I can take it all away.”

No. I didn’t believe that.

And I wasn’t quitting. I wasn’t listening to him.

Screw him.

I pulled again, but it didn’t work. He started to say something about how I was a failure, but screw him. Screw failing. Screw everything but sending him back to Hell.

But my mouth was dry and I wanted to throw up and my body was starting to feel weaker and my arms started to shake.

An evil, deep rumbling noise had fear skittering along my skin.

I was getting too tired, too quickly.

And then it clicked.

He wasn’t just controlling me. He was draining my strength through our tie.

Fast.

I had to be faster.

Quickly, as quick as I could, I pictured the tie knotting and pulling tight, cutting off my father’s influence. I pictured it again—forcing my will on the tie.

Knotted and pulled tight.

Knotted and pulled tight.

Slowly, with every knot, I felt my father’s control lessening. Just enough so that I could think and—

Where was Eli?

That one thought broke through.

It was a tiny crack, but it was enough.

“Eli!” I screamed along the spiritual realm as loud and with as much force as I could. I tried to pull myself up, but my arms were too tired.

The demons below me started screaming and moving faster. They knew who I’d called, and they knew what he could do to them.

Something hit my feet.

I jerked my leg away, and my hands slipped and—

Phoenix’s face suddenly above mine.

He was now hanging halfway through the portal. The only thing keeping me from dropping was his grip on my wrists. “Samantha. Please! Can you hear me?” His voice was deep and calm as it washed over me.

“I can now. Thank you.”

“Pull me up. Now. Hurry.”

“On the count of three. Okay?” He smiled. Even while all this insanity was happening—he smiled and it calmed me again and gave me confidence.

Why? I couldn’t say. But it did.

“One…Two…Three.” He pulled a little, and then all of a sudden, jerked me up, and I was lying on top of him.

“Thanks.” I gasped out the word and let my body relax against his for a second.

“You’re welcome.”

Author Bio:

Aileen Erin is half-Irish, half-Mexican, and 100% nerd–from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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BOOK BLITZ – A Seduction of Dreams and Nightmares by A.J. Locke

A Seduction of Dreams and Nightmares
A.J. Locke
Publication date: March 26th 2024
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

They say humans are dreams and Fiends are nightmares. For though Fiends have magic, beauty, and power, their immortal lives are restricted. Vampires must sate their blood lust. Wytches will crumble to dust when their magic runs out. Shapeshifting Haunts must keep their vicious beasts caged. Incubi and succubi cannot indulge in carnal pleasure without dire consequences.

Novari is a human who bartends for Luccero, an alluring incubus and the star of her fantasies. She can’t have Luc, but she does have Keo, who also wouldn’t mind Luc’s touch. Keo, who loathes being a vampire, is in pursuit of a fabled cure that will turn Fiends human. A cure highly in demand as many Fiends crave freedom from their burdened lives.

When an unexpected discovery about the cure’s location puts Novari and Keo in danger, they take refuge in Luccero’s sprawling manor. There, they contemplate how to stay safe … and succumb to each other’s seduction.

The pleasure she finds with Luc and Keo makes Novari want to hide away forever, but when the danger zeroes in, they’ll have to figure out how to overcome it before the dream they’ve found together becomes a nightmare.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“Cursed,” came Luc’s soft voice. “As Fiends we consider ourselves cursed, nightmares. Humans, fragile and finite as they may be, are the dreams. They are born, they grow, they change, they have choices we will never have about who they want to be and what feeds their appetites. But we, everlasting and unchanging until the moment of our demise, have little choice. I can never travel far by myself lest I have no means to sate my Lust. I came into existence as an incubus with a specific way I must live, and that is all I can ever be.”

His words reminded me of the conversation with Keo last night and the way he’d questioned his urges because he couldn’t stop wondering if everything about him was decided before he even existed.

“I don’t think I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about things from your perspective. I feel bad about that.”

Luc chuckled. “Humans are selfish beings; I do not fault you for it.”

“I’m not—”

“I meant it not as an insult,” he cut in, “you are selfish because you know your time is limited. That there is an inevitable end you cannot avoid, and though you wish for the years to take you into old age, you live with no idea if your next day will be your last. Thus, you focus on yourselves, your pursuits, your pleasures. You can pick up jobs, hobbies, lovers, and discard them as your mood fits because ‘life is short,’ no?

“You try to pull as much life from the world as you can because when you die, there is no coming back. Fiends can walk through centuries; we do not think of time the same way. Were two hundred of your friends to ask you to keep something of theirs in your care for the rest of your life you would say there was no way you could dedicate your life to taking care of things that do not belong to you. Things that would impede your ability to live your life on your terms.”

He raised his hand to indicate the greenhouse. “But for me? I said yes every single time a Fleurisse came to me. Because it was of no consequence to hold on to things that would remain as long as I. All I have is time, and thus, we endure the long years together.”

Luccero was far more perceptive and empathetic than I would have ever thought he was. In a few short hours I’d learned more about him than I’d ever known. Because all I’d seen when I looked at him was his beauty, all I’d felt was his charm and his lusty aura. But he was so much more than a creature of seduction. I was sure his long life was full of amazing stories. He could tell me something about every Fleurisse here, was probably knowledgeable about things I wouldn’t know the first thing about.

I badly wanted to know this side of him more.

Author Bio:

A.J. Locke is a young adult and adult fantasy author, and also writes and illustrates picture books. She is an artist of various mediums including oil and acrylic paint, and watercolor. When she’s trying to avoid her writing projects she can be found trying to make a dent in her TBR pile, playing video games, watching anime, baking, and chasing the ever elusive eight hours of sleep. A.J. is originally from Trinidad and Tobago and now resides in NYC.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / TikTok / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!
1) Handmade book sleeve
2) Themed Notebook
3) Worldbuilding key item: Everway Compass decoration
4) Character art bookmarks: Luccero, Novari, Keovallen
5) Character art prints: Luccero, Novari, Keovallen
6) Handmade pressed flower necklace
7) Sticker sheet

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BOOK BLITZ – Pulling Her Resources by Mia Sivan

Pulling Her Resources
Mia Sivan
Publication date: March 16th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

In Tel Aviv’s high-stakes business world, Dafna works in a startup teetering on the brink of financial doom. Divorced for six years and starved for passion, she goes on a wild one-night stand with a hot, much younger bartender. But then, the tattooed barman strolls into her startup. Surprise! Turns out he is Erez Ben Ami, the CPA assigned to go over their books with a fine-tooth comb.

Erez is a single dad, with a young brother to support. His boss offers him a dream position, but there’s a catch: first, review a new, promising startup and make it as favorable as possible. His future is on the line, and he must suppress his feelings for Dafna, keeping his hands and other parts to himself.

Dafna can’t stop wanting Erez, he is the man who made her get over her ex-husband. They spend hours together, and soon, they’re using the office desks for more than emails.

Erez is falling for Dafna, she is the woman he has always looked for. When he suspects shady dealings within her company, he finds himself at a loss. Investigating it can cost him his dream job, as well as the love of his life.

Pulling Her Resources is a stand-alone later-in-life steamy romance featuring a forbidden workplace affair, financial intrigue and a Happy Ever After.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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EXCERPT:

“Do you have a condom?”

Fuck! Rookie mistake!

“A condom?” He stalled, panic building in his abdomen, realizing that he most definitely didn’t have one. He didn’t travel everywhere with them. His brother would have been better prepared. Eitan always had one in his trousers’ back pocket.

“You know, that’s so embarrassing. I don’t.”

“This is my one and only night at the luna park, and I want to go on all the rides.”

“We could do other stuff. Tell me what you want.” He would make more love to her tonight, condom or no condom.

“To feel you in me, on me,” Dafna answered.

She was killing him.

Author Bio:

Mia Sivan is an Israeli woman who lives, works and loves in Tel Aviv. The city is as much a part of her books as any other character.

Mia has worked as a senior investment manager for many years, and the books she writes draws much from her personal experience, as well as real-life scams that took place in the Israeli financial market.

When not writing or dreaming up steamy scenes, she lives with her handsome husband and even handsomer two sons, and enjoys long walks by the beach (it’s Tel Aviv, it’s never too cold).

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