BLOG TOUR & Excerpt – Total Eclipse of the Moon by Zoe Forward

Total Eclipse of the Moon
Zoe Forward
(The Crown’s Wolves, #3)
Publication date: August 21st 2023
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

If he doesn’t break the curse tying him and his brothers to the Crown of England as paranormal terrorist hunters, they’ll be forced to execute him.

An accidental demon possession erodes Shane Lanzo’s sanity. Sometimes he’s in control. Sometimes not. His only hope is the witch who cast the curse, which is a problem. The last two times he approached her, the feisty enchantress somehow tamed the demon inside him, but rendered him useless against his desire for her.

Madeline Edney sucks at being a witch. Her casting the curse on the lycan brothers was a fluke, and it destroyed her life. She’s been hunted by the Crown ever since to make sure she doesn’t try to undo the curse. She never expected Shane to find her so easily. He’s a temptation that promises zinger chemistry, her absolute weakness. One taste was gratifying. Two was foolish. Three has become an addiction. Lifting the curse requires she forfeit her life, but if the hunters kill her, it leaves Shane at the mercy of the Crown. Either way she dies.

Shane has a choice: freedom for his family, risking Madeline in the process or a chance at happiness with the witch who fated his brothers as prisoners for eternity.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

 

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“Did you cop a feel of my boob?”

Shane Lanzo pried his fingers off his temples where they’d been nursing his headache. He searched the bar for the target of the bartender’s accusation.

A Puerto Rican local leered at the bartender’s curvy chest without apology.

The smile curling the petite brunette bartender’s lips might seem flirty to her groping patron, but to Shane it warned of white-hot violence. Something on the darker side of magic was about to happen. 

The bartender added ice to a cocktail shaker and shook. She poured a green-tinged beverage into two martini glasses and slid one the way of her leering customer. “We should have drinks together before getting friendly. On the house.” 

You foolish soul. Don’t drink it.

She toasted her glass at the man but didn’t sip.

The man raised his glass, leered at her chest, and drank.

Like an imminent train crash, Shane couldn’t look away from the disaster.

The guy jumped up to cup his groin. “Bruja.” You witch.

Everyone in the sparsely packed restaurant turned to stare at the spectacle of him moaning. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he fell to his knees. His high-pitched yowl hitched up an octave, which irritated Shane’s sensitive ears. 

“La bruja me envenenó.” The witch poisoned me. He pointed at her.

Her eyes widened as if the effect of her potion stunned her. 

She stood on tiptoe to lean over the counter and look down at him on the floor. “¿Quieres ayuda?” Would you like help?

“Ni a putas!” Oh, hell, no! He pulled himself upright using the barstool and hobbled out the exit like a man with glass balls between his legs.

The background din resumed now that the show was over. As usual, humans dismissed the possibility of magic. They rationalized the inexplicable into normalcy. 

“You going to stop wasting payer space and order something?” 

Shane spun his swivel-top stool back toward the bar counter to face the bartender’s glittering hazel eyes. She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. A black tourmaline crystal had fallen out of her shirt where it hung on a long silver chain around her neck. The protective stone was meant to absorb threatening energy and transmute it into something harmless. 

“What’ll you have?” Her accented English was a combination of several European languages.

“I don’t want what he had.”

 

 

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USA Today bestselling author, parent, wife, veterinarian, chocolate lover. Author of spicy paranormal and contemporary romances. Zoe Forward brings readers the perfect combination of action adventure, romance, humor and a bit of magic.

Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers’ Best Award.

You can find her residing in the South with a menagerie of four-legged beasts and two wild kids.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

$30 Amazon gift card

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BLOG TOUR – Disenchanted by Brianna Sugalski

Disenchanted
Brianna Sugalski
(A Lay of Ruinous Reign, #1)
Publication date: December 16th 2022
Genres: Adult, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, New Adult, Romance

At the peak of the Breton Renaissance, Lilac Trécesson is held prisoner in her own castle after a most wicked secret is revealed on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her coronation looms years later, and between their town riots and the noble family bent on snatching her throne, she prepares for the worst…

Until a letter arrives from The Witch of Lupine Grotto, detailing a curious offer to banish her curse forever.

Her heirloom dagger at the ready, Lilac embarks into Brocéliande and finds herself in the hands of a bloodthirsty barkeep who demands her help in exchange for protection against the even deadlier forces of the woods.

She is thrust on a quest to uphold her family’s legacy—and her sovereign right to destroy it and start anew—by any means necessary. Pity the fool to underestimate the girl with subpar blade skills but pure spite to make up for it.

This is the tale of a cursed princess,

A crestfallen killer,

The town that wants them to burn,

And the witch who can save them both.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

 

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Outside her door, Lilac turned to tell him goodnight—and her breath caught in her throat.

The way the torchlight illuminated his hair from behind made him look ethereal.

She rubbed her eyes.

“You,” she said, fumbling for the knob behind her. Should come in, she suddenly wanted to say as he regarded her from a safe distance, in the middle of the hallway.

“Have a good night, Garin,” was all she managed.

It was closer to sunrise by now, but a couple hours of sleep sounded better than nothing. She grabbed for the knob again and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge. Cursing under her breath, she tried again, harder. This time her hand slipped, and she stumbled backward.

Garin was suddenly behind her, catching her by the shoulders. 

“That was quick,” she observed as he righted her.

“No, you’re just moving in slow motion. You did finish off a rather large serving of a sipping drink in all of five seconds. Would you like me to help you inside?”

Lilac stiffened against him. It didn’t sound like a horrible idea—but she wasn’t sure it sounded like a good one. Not only was it unsafe for her as a lone traveler, but there was no sense in allowing herself to become sidetracked. Not with everything at stake.

She couldn’t.

Could she?

Seeming to sense her hesitation, he immediately let go of her. “I’m sorry.” His voice was different. Soft. Gentle, even. 

Lilac turned to face him, to tell him it was all right.

“That was not my intention. I would never hurt you.” The remark seemed off kilter, but suddenly, she couldn’t bring herself to look away. Stars then danced in the twilight of his darkened irises, and through the haze, Lilac wasn’t so sure.

A curious feeling washed over her then. The longer she held his gaze, the lighter she felt, and the more aware of her hammering pulse she grew. It throbbed through her head, her throat, her fingertips, down her legs. The longer she looked, the softer his sharp edges became.

“Would you like to come in?” The words felt foreign as they fell out of her mouth.

His brows rose slightly—suggestively—and so did the corners of his mouth. 

Her cheeks grew red. No one had ever taken a moment to question her intent before. “I just thought you might have wanted to…” She trailed off, flustered.

“I didn’t intend to make it seem like I was waiting for an invitation. I was only admiring you.”

“Me? Why?” She crossed her arms across her chest. 

“It’s everything. Your face. The way the torchlight frames it just there.” He drew his hand near. “May I?” 

She nodded, and he reached up and tenderly ran his knuckle down one cheek. Then the other. The shiver that ran through her came too quick to conceal.

Garin didn’t even seem to notice. “You have a striking look about you.” He leaned against the wall—against her door—and without thinking, she pivoted her body to face him. “Has anyone ever told you that before?”

She shook her head, throat dry.

Although he was the one propped against the wall, she felt pinned by his gaze. She stepped closer.

“You would look almost menacing if you swept your hair back.” He reached for her again and smoothly ran his palms from the bottom of her ears, down the sides of her neck, over her collarbone, sweeping her hair back to rest over her shoulders. It felt entirely like a lover’s caress, and she stepped back in panic.

“Menacing,” she repeated, riding her nerves. “That’s a funny way of calling someone beautiful.”

“Beauty is what people admire from afar. Menace is the lure that draws them near.”

She laughed nervously. “I don’t know anyone who would prefer menace over beauty.”

“I do.” He smiled lazily, and even if everything else had grown blurry, it made him more clear. Every glance he gave her was filled with a strange hunger, subtle enough and not predatory, but like he was challenging her to ask him about it. He was a commoner that smelled like he’d bathed in the finest custom colognes and spoke like he had the money and armies to match.

Garin pushed himself off the wall and circled her. “Am I making you uncomfortable?” Behind her, his voice was a low whisper that slammed into the wall of her will, cracking her poise and grace.

Part of her wanted it to break. Perhaps shatter completely.

She began fumbling at her door for the knob. Getting inside felt urgent. But then, through the haze, her mouth opened. “Come inside,” she said breathlessly.

He gave her a knowing smile and leaned past her—he smelled of pine and wood hyacinths emerging after the cold—and pushed her door open. 

Oh.

“After you.”

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Southeast Asian fantasy author with a soup addiction. Diverse medievalist and developmental editor who lives in oversized sweaters, and prefers to explore the more ominous—disenchanting, if you will—undertones of history, romance, and the arcane.

My debut, Breton Arthuriana-inspired YA Dark Fantasy DISENCHANTED, released with the Parliament Press in March 2020, and is being re-released and rebranded for the New Adult/ Adult indie market in December 2022. The rest of the trilogy will follow this updated genre rating.

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BLOG TOUR & BOOK REVIEW- The Hate Date by Kaylene Winter

The Hate Date
Kaylene Winter
Publication date: July 24th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When a man who has everything & will do anything—including pole dancing—to redeem himself to the feisty woman who could care less about power or money.

Clover Callahan took my client’s money and I’m not going to stand for it.
I’m taking her down, and if I play my cards right, she won’t even see me coming.
Everything’s going exactly to plan…
Until an elevator malfunction has us trapped for an entire night. Alone.

I mean, she’s hot. I’m hot.
What did you expect was going to happen?

Yeah. It did. And it was spectacular.

I can admit, I was wrong about Clover—she’s all I think about.
Unfortunately, after what I did, she hates me and everything I stand for.
But I’m no quitter…I’ll wear her down.
With a proposition even she won’t refuse:

One night.
One date.
Don’t be late!!

The Hate Date is a sweltering, standalone, billionaire, enemies to lovers, age gap, forced proximity, workplace, HEA romance.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

 

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I normally never ask to review a book on a blog tour but let me tell you I am happy I requested to read this Advanced Readers copy.

I want to say thank you to the author, publisher and Xpresso Tours for giving me the chance to read the ARC!!! I can tell you now I enjoyed every moment on this book when ever I found time to read. 

 

This was a quick and very fun read. I loved the steamy parts and there was a lot!! Both of the main characters are rich and very independent. Sad to say this is my first time reading this author but I know now I need to go check out the rest of here books. I love reading romance but lately I need a little spice and this book delivered just that!

 

I don’t normally like reading a lot of enemies to lovers but when I read the description of the book I know I just to give it a go! I am so glad I did. Now normally my reviews would be a lot longer if I love the book but I have been sick lately that I just find it hard to work on my blog with no energy. I finished the book the weekend and typed out the review the same day but could only post it now sadly. 

 

I loved how Clover became so strong and independent after she was screwed over buy her ex husbands and best friend.  If I was her I would have taken longer to get back on my feet I am sure. Joar or JJ just pulled me in from the I read of him. Both started of on the wrong foot but I am glad they become lovers instead of staying the supposed enemies. 

 

I would reread this book when I want to have quick steamy read if I cannot find any that I like. I would recommend you to go get this book and read it as well. Trust me you will love it. 

 

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

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BLOG TOUR – Shattered Dreams by Abbie Roads

Shattered Dreams
Abbie Roads
(Beautiful Nightmare, #3)
Publication date: July 11th 2023
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance

A crooked cop. Corruption. A woman convicted of murder. A man determined to prove her innocence.

When Helena Grayse is released from prison, all she wants is to say a final goodbye to her old life. But when a man finds her trespassing on his property, instead of turning her in, he takes her in. Accepts her. Loves her.

But someone decides to serve Helena with a death sentence.

Shattered Dreams is the third book in Abbie Roads’ Beautiful Nightmare Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a felon heroine who never thought she deserved love. If you devour true crime and romance novels then you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of danger, mind games, and swoon worthy love.

Buy this dangerously dark romance today!

Trigger warning: Depictions of SA and violence.

Previously Published under the title Never Let Me Fall.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

 

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Thomas burst through the back door on a dead run. Each footfall a jackhammer of sound. Stealth didn’t matter as much as getting to Helen.

He didn’t remember running through the house and up the stairs, but suddenly, he burst into the bathroom she’d been using. He skidded to a halt. Helen lay in the bathtub, curled on her side. Water rained over her nakedness. She wasn’t moving. Didn’t seem to be breathing. A garish river of scarlet gushed from the massive wound in her chest, pooling as it waited to slip down the drain.

Her face was an abominable shade of blue and gray and devoid of life. Water rained over her, swirling the blood leaking from her chest in mesmerizing streams. The wound was massive. Destructive. Deadly. Something no one could survive.

Despair emptied him out. He became a shell of skin with nothing on the inside.

He reached for her, but even though he stood as close to the tub as he could get, she seemed so far away, as if miles and miles stretched between them. Water rained over his head, drizzling down inside his coat, but he barely noticed.

His hands didn’t seem like they belonged to him as he scooped her out of the tub. Her skin was slick and slippery. Her body limp and lifeless. “Helen.” His voice contained a vast desolation. Her head lolled awkwardly to the side, and wet strands of hair clung to her face in fat tentacles. Ribbons of blood leaked from the gaping wound over her heart, sliding over and around her breast, pooling in the bend of her stomach. 

A sick sense of dread filled all his empty places. The wound should be gushing, not dribbling. He was too late. She’d lost too much blood.

No. No. No. Goddamn it. She couldn’t be dead. He wouldn’t let her die. Not now. Not when he’d just found her. Helen needed to be alive. Even though they’d just met, he couldn’t live in a world without her in it. Didn’t matter if they were together or not, she just needed to be alive. That would be enough for him.

His legs folded beneath him. He sat on the floor, leaned against the old tub, and held her. He grabbed her chin and shook her head gently, “Helen. Oh God. Helen, wake up.” This was wrong. So wrong. None of this should be happening. Not now.

Never taking his eyes off her, he reached into his coat pocket for his phone and then dialed the number he called the most. Work. He pinched the phone between his ear and shoulder while it rang.

“No news yet.” Lanning said when he picked up the call. 

Thomas opened his mouth. Only one word came out. “Helen.” His brain had clogged up, allowing only a trickle of thought at a time.

“What?” Confusion dominated Lanning’s tone.

“Helen.” It was just a name to Lanning, but to Thomas, she was everything. “Helen’s been shot. I need an ambulance. The police.” He let the phone drop and distantly heard Lanning shouting.

Nothing in his whole life seemed as important as Helen. “You’ve got to fight.” A lump of some unnamed emotion rose in his throat. He struggled to swallow it back down. “You hear me? You have to fight to stay here with me. I know we just met. But you and me— there’s something between us. I knew it the moment I saw you. And you need to stay so we can explore this thing. Because it feels powerful. It feels destined. Like we are supposed to be together.”

His voice hitched, and he struggled to keep talking around the fear and grief bubbling up inside him. “Just listen to my voice.” He smoothed wet hair from her face. Chilled skin met his fingertips. She was too cold. The tang of her blood sickening in the damp air. “Follow my voice. Don’t let it go.”

Thomas shifted Helen’s body until she was settled in the crook of his left arm. Blood pooled on her stomach, seeping into his coat.

Without any reason or rationality, he pressed his hand over the bullet hole. A zap of static electricity blazed through him at the contact. Her body jolted, and then his hand suctioned to her chest.

Everything changed.

Inside his torso, a cool and pleasant sensation gathered, then rolled down his arm to his hand and poured into her. His eyes rolled back in his head under the waves of bliss pouring from him into her. Holy shit. Maybe he was losing his grip on reality, but some vital part of him—his essence, his strength, his soul—flowed into her. The ultimate act of giving. And it felt amazing. “You feel this? You feel me inside you? Making you better?” He sounded crazy. He’d worry about his sanity later.

Underneath her delicate eyelids, her eyes rolled. For the first time since he’d picked her up, he noticed the subtle rise and fall of her chest. Blood no longer trickled from the wound. He stared at his hand mashed against her chest. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? Making him see what he wanted to see instead of reality?

Did it really matter what was happening as long as Helen seemed to be improving? Everything inside him that had been so devastated perked up as if spring had arrived.

She wasn’t dead. He knew that now. Knew it as surely as he knew he was alive. He slumped back against the tub and sucked in a giant breath.

“You’re going to be all right. I’m with you. I’m inside you. I’m a part of you now.” His gaze traveled beyond his hand over her heart to her body. All the horror he thought was behind them reignited.

Her chest and stomach were covered in scars. Her body told a story of misery unimagined, of incomprehensible suffering. And from last night, he knew there were more on her back that he couldn’t see.

“Oh, Helen.” He hugged her tighter to him. What on earth had done that to her? “This is it. After this, all your pain is over. I won’t let anything hurt you ever again.” He kissed her forehead, sealing the deal.

In the distance, sirens sounded—a reassurance that everything was going to be okay. He just needed to keep his hand on her. Keep himself flowing into her. The sirens pulled into his driveway, then cut off midwail. 

Thomas whispered to Helen. “You’re gonna hate this, but there’s no getting around it this time. You’re going to the hospital.” He paused, waiting for some reaction from her. But she kept breathing, and her heart kept beating, and that was enough for him. “But don’t worry. I’ll be with you the whole time. You don’t have anything to be afraid of. I promise.”

Footsteps sounded on the staircase, then treaded down the hallway toward them.

“In there,” he called.

Two EMTs entered the bathroom. Thomas didn’t look at them; he just kept his attention on Helen. Her color was better, and he knew in the way-down-deep parts of himself that she was going to be all right.

“Dddaaammmnn…” One of the EMTs stretched the word out long and low.

Thomas’s attention snapped up to the guy. What was he…

The guy had his gaze glued to Helen’s face. “That’s Helena Grayse.”

Thomas knew that name. Everyone in Sundew, Ohio, knew the name.

He looked back down at Helen. She looked so fragile and damaged. Nothing like a murderer.

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Abbie Roads is the best-selling author of the Fatal Dreams Series and the Fatal Truth Series. Her novels have been finalists in many prestigious contests including The Golden Heart, The Greater Detroit Booksellers Best, The Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award, The Write Touch, The Strut Your Stuff Contest, The Aspen Gold Contest, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, The Midnight Sun, The Kathryn Hayes Contest, The Chanticleer, The Daphne du Maurier, The National Readers’ Choice Award, The New England Readers’ Choice Contest, The Beverly Award, and The Maggie Award. Her debut novel Race the Darkness was Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Fall and Never Let Me Fall is an Amazon Editor’s Pick.

By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, putting her characters through the wringer before she gives them their happily-ever-after. She loves a good inspirational quote and is a fan of true crime.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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BLOG TOUR – A Seasonal Song by Dan Shaskin & Deb Wesloh

A Seasonal Song
Dan Shaskin, Deb Wesloh
Publication date: March 21st 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Discover love and music in the sultry streets of Miami with “A Seasonal Song.”

Clarissa Bianchi, a talented violinist, lands her dream internship with the Miami Orchestra, but little does she know that she will also discover the love of her life. Jack Williams, a rugged rock guitarist with a broken heart, meets Clarissa and is instantly drawn to her beauty and passion for music. Despite their different musical backgrounds, their mutual love for music brings them together on a journey filled with passion, growth, and unforgettable memories.

As the summer draws to a close, Clarissa and Jack must navigate their intense feelings for each other and determine if their love is strong enough to withstand the distance between Miami and Boston. Will their hearts play a different song, or will the romance come to an end?

“A Seasonal Song” is a love story that will leave you humming a sweet tune long after you turn the last page.

Goodreads / Amazon

 

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They got into the car, and both were silent. Clarissa sighed.

Jack finally said, “Clarissa, talk to me.”

“You can’t imagine. I’m so scared. I’ve known you for a month, more-or-less. Since that time, I’ve held your body next to mine. I kissed you and told you I loved you.”  Now I’m planning on living with you. Okay, only part time. I’m a little overwhelmed.”

Jack smiled. I don’t want to make light of the situation, but maybe you are overthinking this. He held up his hand to calm her thoughts and smiled. “Do you love me?”

She nodded her head affirmatively and smiled.

“Do you want to be with me at this moment?”

She smiled and said yes.

“So, what exactly do you fear?”

Clarissa sighed, gave a deadpan look to Jack. And finally spoke. “I fear . . .” She paused for a few seconds to formulate her thoughts, but she could not complete the sentence. She realized she couldn’t put into words exactly what she feared. She thought for a few seconds, sighed, and completed the sentence. “I fear this is going to end horribly and cause both of us a lot of pain. I have so much invested in this relationship; I’ve given everything to you.” She looked at the floor mat of the car. The logo of BMW blurred in and out of focus as the tears ran down her face.

Finally, Jack spoke. “Girl, look at me.” He grasped her chin and gently moved it so their eyes met. “Please smile. Just give me a smile.”

She relaxed and gave him a sincere smile.

“That’s my girl!”

She laughed at his comment.

Jack continued. “If your world comes crashing down, my world will crash with it. Damn it, my world will not come crashing down. I refuse to entertain such a prospect. Have faith, stay with me. We will figure this out.”

“Oh, Jack, forgive me. I have never been here before. I have never been so in love and so vulnerable, ever!”

He looked at her. “Because we have so little time, you only have two choices. One, you leave and forget all of this and pretend it never happened. Time will eventually wash the slate clean. One day you will wake up and it will seem this was all just a dream. The second choice is you engage one hundred percent. If you believe what we have is real and sustainable, then trust your feelings. If this is not what you want, all you need to do is open the car door and walk away. You will never see me again, and I won’t come looking for you.”

Clarissa paused for about ten seconds, deep in thought. She sobbed and slowly opened the car door. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. She turned her body and put one foot on the ground outside the car. She paused for a few seconds before she got out and slowly closed the door. Clarissa leaned with both arms on the roof of the car, crying. She was wearing a half shirt and her stomach trembled with her sobs.

Finally, after a minute, Jack got out of the car and stood on the opposite side. He put both arms on the roof and set his chin on the warm steel of the car. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.

“Clarissa, are we okay? You shocked me when you opened the door. I envisioned you would walk out of my life.”

“Would you have chased after me?”

He sighed. “Oh, damn girl. This is a typical female question. A trap. If I say yes, you will say ‘but I made a decisive decision to leave, and you didn’t respect me enough to comply with my wishes.’ If I say no, you will say I don’t love you enough to fight for you. In these circumstances, it is impossible to give the correct answer. Both answers are wrong. I think it is ironic women can’t see this. They simply plunge ahead and criticize when the man inevitably gives the incorrect answer.”

Clarissa stared at him, expressionless. Finally, she spoke. “Jack, have you been watching self-help videos on YouTube about how to understand women? Your answer is disturbingly close to the truth. Even I couldn’t have summarized it so succinctly.”

He laughed.

She paused for few more seconds. “So?”

Jack tipped his head to the side and gave her a questioning look. “So what, Clarissa?”

“So, do you let me go or chase me?”

Jack cracked up. “Oh, for the love of God, after what I just said, you want me to answer that question. Are you serious?”

“Jack, I’m serious. I want to know.”

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BLOG TOUR ~ We Come With Vengeance by H.G. Muralee

We Come With Vengeance
H.G. Muralee
Publication date: March 14th 2023
Genres: Adult, Steampunk

The war has stretched on for twenty years, and the soldiers, civilians, and nobles are exhausted. Towns grow more desolate while war technology continues to advance, leaving the rest of Kaier behind.

Felix—heir to House Leigh-Van—harbors resentment for the war that has claimed his sister’s life and his father’s ethics. Regardless, he follows his orders and is content to remain equal among his fellow soldiers.

When a routine stop for repairs puts Felix at the epicenter of a brutal attack impacting civilians rather than soldiers, he struggles to continue separating his ethics from his duty. He’s privately ambivalent but publicly supportive of his uncle—the king—when whispers of an underground rebellion start to circulate. The rebellion is gaining traction and could soon make a serious play at ending the war.

But when even the tactics of the resistance begin claiming lives as quickly as the war itself, Felix starts to wonder who will survive to see the peace they’re fighting for.

Goodreads / Amazon

The road outside of the castle gates had a few lingering souls who had stopped by to visit the church. Sven led them through the clean streets, past blocks of businesses and well-kept homes. The buildings degraded with each block, wood becoming more rotted and the air filled with the smell of bodily waste. Rats scampered across the street and disappeared into the shadowed crevices of the homes.

Innumerable amounts of people sat outside of their wooden and brick homes. The wood wasn’t properly sealed and was rotting. Water was accessible from a handful of water pumps. Not many homes had running water, and most families couldn’t afford the expensive electricity the rest of Pasidel enjoyed. 

“Don’t stare.” Sven grabbed Wilson’s shirt to bring him closer when his friend stopped. “They’re human beings, not zoo animals.”

Wilson had never been this deep in eastern Pasidel. Their cars were too big to fit on many of the roads, the people were clothed in rags, and he wasn’t used to the odor. 

“Sven.” Wilson slowly jogged to catch up with him. His attention couldn’t stay on a single building. “Why are conditions so bad here? It gets worse the deeper you go in.”

Sven didn’t look back at him. He wanted to get to Exco as fast as possible. Being in eastern Pasidel made him sick to his stomach. How a nation could treat their poor so badly, he didn’t know. “This is what happens when the wealthy only care about themselves.”

“Like House Wingate and House Leigh-Van?” Wilson questioned.

“In some ways, yes,” Sven stated matter-of-factly. “House Wingate used to throw excessive parties and spent their money like it meant nothing. House Leigh-Van is strict with their money. Don’t let that fool you, though. House Leigh-Van has enough money to buy House Wingate over at least half a dozen times.”

Wilson found himself staring at the sick people leaning on the walls of the decrepit buildings and off the side of the roads and fixed his eyes on the path ahead. “If they have so much money, why aren’t Felix and Murrugun helping them?”

“They can’t.” Sven stopped abruptly. “Murrugun and Felix have their house’s money, which is their province’s money outside of their allowance. If they want anything, they can have it if they have a good reason, but I don’t think their House Councils would be too thrilled if they suggested donating money to other provinces.”

Each house had its own council that assisted in the monetary contributions outside of what it took to run the main household of the family. They assisted with businesses, unions, food and ration distribution, among many things, but their main concern was their province and the people within.

Wilson grimaced while he witnessed firsthand the public alleyway restrooms. The alleys were lined with trash, and the store owners and residents tried to use their trash cans to block the view, but they could only do so much. Wilson opened his mouth, but Sven cut him off.

“Before you ask, yes,” Sven resumed, dodging two children who ran up beside him. “Murrugun is aware of the conditions here, and he and Felix plan to offer assistance when they’re lords, but that’s years away.”

“What about King Patrick?” Wilson murmured, his feet trudging behind Sven. He spoke so low even Sven couldn’t hear him.

Author Bio:

H.G. Muralee was born and raised in North Carolina. She graduated from Western Carolina University and works as a paralegal. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading far too many books, watching The Great British Baking Show, learning her husband’s native language, and playing with her dog, Oliver.

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