[Book Tour- Excerpt] Midnight Highlander [GIVEAWAY]

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anya Summers will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Xavier Campbell needs a miracle. If he doesn’t want to lose the life he’s worked so hard to build, he must get married, and quickly. Trouble is, there is no woman in his life. Not even a friend with benefits. As a regular Dom at Eternal Eros, he gets what he needs and goes home. And a wife? Hell, no. This Highlander is single for a reason. So when his entire existence threatens to come crashing down, he realizes he might have to make some adjustments…or a bargain with the she-devil who beguiles him, body and mind, from the first moment he touches her.

Emma Morton wants a man. To play with. Watch television with. Cuddle with. And yes, God help her, she wants him hard, naked, and in her bed. More than once. What she doesn’t want is complications. Expectations. She is dedicated to her work, to building her business. She’s worked too long and too hard to change her plans for something as fleeting as love. No matter how much she wishes otherwise, life has repeatedly proven that romance is a myth. Pure fairytale.

But passion? Yes. She could definitely go for a ‘Single’s Night’ of play—and release—at the infamous Eternal Eros.

After one scorching night of pleasure, a reckless bargain is made. Marriage with an expiration date. A business arrangement. Nothing more.

But what starts as a farce becomes a bit too real and Xavier realizes this is no game. Telling Emma the truth would be dangerous…especially when he realizes he is playing for keeps.

Read an Excerpt

The announcement sounded over the loudspeaker that it was time for the submissives to assemble in the Pit to begin the selection process. Emma hoisted her glass. With her gaze unwaveringly trained on Xavier, she drained it, setting the empty tumbler back on the bar.

She tore her gaze away from Xavier and focused on his brother, casting a flirty smile in his direction. “Well, maybe I will see you in a bit.”

“If not tonight, lass, another night. Any woman who can drink good Scots whiskey like that, I want to get to know better.”

“Careful, or you’re going to fall in love with me.” She winked as she stood up.

Jasper pressed a large palm over his bare chest. “Lass, I’m already halfway there.”

With a throaty laugh, Emma swaggered away from the bar, putting a little extra sway in her hips for good measure. She would enjoy a night with Jasper. But it wasn’t his gaze on her back she felt with every step.

She tossed a glance over her shoulder, just to check.

No, Jasper was too gregarious, and was deep in conversation with another Dom at the bar already. It was his beast of a brother, with brawny muscles upon muscles and impossibly wide shoulders, whose gaze bored holes in her back. At least he wasn’t a participant in the event tonight. He never took part, for which she was extremely thankful.

Could you imagine doing a scene with that one? She shivered at the thought.

Emma would select literally any other Dom in the club to play with over him.

She got into line behind Nora and Tessa, who were each dressed up as pagan maids—the naughty version with skirts that ended mid-thigh, displaying a hint of the garter belts beneath. Behind her were Daisy, and Sage, and a few others.

The point of the selection process was to introduce a submissive to a Dominant they might not have tried playing with, and vice versa. It was always a bit of a head trip, the wondering, and waiting to see who they would spend the night with. Sex wasn’t always a given, either. That was something the Dom and sub discussed before engaging in their scene.

When it was Emma’s turn to pick, she fished around in the bucket and closed her hand around a marker. She withdrew it to the delight of the crowd assembled around the Pit.

She opened her closed fist. Stared dumbfounded at the marker in her hand and the man it represented.

“No.” Her gut clenched in fear. It couldn’t be. Not him. He never participated. After the tongue lashing she had given him at the bar, he would spend the time punishing her.

“Is this right?” She couldn’t stop the question as she stared at Sophia Ryan, doing her damndest not to recoil in horror before all the onlookers.

Sophia’s kind smile nearly undid her. “Yep. That’s Xavier Campbell’s marker. You’ll be down in private room six.”

Internal warning bells sounded that screamed: Danger imminent. Red alert. Engage offensive maneuvers.

Emma pasted a smile on her face as she exited the Pit. Her legs trembled on her walk toward the elevator. Fear coiled in her belly. Her hands shook as she reached for the elevator call button.

She could go home. Right now. Abandon ship, and take whatever consequences there might be.

She couldn’t do a scene with Xavier. She didn’t even like him. And the feeling was mutual.

About the Author:

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.

Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.

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[Book Tour- Excerpt] Daughter of Lore [GIVEAWAY]

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Eileen Dreyer will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

He doesn’t believe...

Zeke Kendall doesn’t believe in fairies. He’s a scientist; an anthropologist who has spent the last ten years digging in the harsh deserts of the American Southwest. But things look a lot different in the soft green shadows of Ireland. There it is easier to believe that magic exists, especially when Zeke tumbles off a fairy mound and ends up in the arms of the beautiful Nuala, who seems to know everything about him. When she tells him she is a fairy, he actually wants to believe it, even as he knows better.

She can’t believe...

Nuala is daughter of Mab, Queen of Fairies. She has grown up in the twilightland of the fae, fiercely loyal and loving to her people. But she has also been in love with Zeke Kendall ever since she first saw him in her scrying water as a child. To now have him so close is both joy and torture.

For she is the heir to the great crown of the Tuatha de Danann fairy clan. She has no place in Zeke’s world. And he, a man drawn in the sharp edges of his deserts, has no place in hers. Even as passion rises and the love she’d only dreamed of blossoms into reality, Nuala knows that a future for them is impossible. And yet, she can’t find a way to send him back to his own world.

Note: This title was previously published as Dark Seduction

Read an Excerpt

It was an impulse he couldn’t seem to control. It wasn’t a mountain. Not a bell tower from whose ramparts entire vistas could be viewed. Hell, it wasn’t even a good steep climb. It was just a big pile of loose rocks allegedly collected by the fairies. Even so, Zeke seemed to be suddenly afflicted by the age-old impulse to be King of the Hill. He wanted to stand on top.

There was mist against his face. Salt in the air that crept in from the ocean. Zeke climbed carefully, knowing that although the whole structure was solid, each rock was loose and an invitation to fall butt-first back to the ground.

He was holding his breath. How odd. It was as if, even with the sounds and smells and tastes around him, the world was holding absolutely still. Had stopped spinning on its daily axis just to watch Zeke Kendall climb a fairy hill.

He reached the top just after the sun set. The western sky was a gaudy red that faded to the purple of fuchsia closer to the sea.

Suddenly he caught sight of her. A flash of color, a waterfall of laughter, a scent of cloves and gorse. Not even thinking where he was, only that he had to catch her this time, Zeke spun on his heel. He saw her skip into the deep shadow. He yelled out to her.

He thought she called back. “No!” was what he thought he heard. But that couldn’t be right. So he called to her again.

He didn’t realize that from below him, his cries sounded like those of a man falling. His attention caught by a flash of peacock green in the shadows, Zeke lost his balance and went off the side of the cairn headfirst. He bounced forty feet straight down.

For a moment there was the startled cry of disturbed birds, the crash and rumble of a body falling. The sudden, stricken silence that inevitably followed.

But Zeke didn’t know. He didn’t know, because he was looking up into the most beautiful green eyes he’d ever seen.

He couldn’t take his gaze away from those grass-sweet eyes. “Don’t I know you?”

“You must get up, Zeke,” she said, leaning over him, her eyes anxious and her hands silken-soft as she patted at his cheek. “You have to get away before the queen sees you. It’s your only chance.”

“The queen?” he asked, smiling. Not feeling anything at all but the brush of her satiny fingers against his face.

She reached under his shoulders, trying to push him up. “The queen of fairies.”

“Sounds fun.”

Odd, how she shifted, her colors darkening, her eyes growing almost wild. “No!” she begged, pushing him, harrying him. “You don’t know what you ask. She’ll destroy you.”

But Zeke couldn’t move. “I’d rather sleep, I think. And oh, I should probably tell you...” Already his eyes were closing against the gentle pressure of those wonderful fingers. “I don’t believe in fairies.”

Her voice was so soft it was like a thought in his head. A thought so suddenly dark, he shivered, even lying in her silken arms. “It doesn’t matter,” came her voice, sounding suddenly sad. “They believe in you.”

About the Author:

New York Times bestselling author and RWA Hall of Fame member Eileen Dreyer and her evil twin Kathleen Korbel have published over forty novels and novellas, and ten short stories in genres ranging from medical suspense to paranormal to romance. She is thrilled to have joined Oliver Heber Books to continue her Drake’s Rakes series about Regency aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice everything to keep their country safe, of which Ill Met by Moonlight is a near relative.

A former trauma nurse, Eileen lives in St. Louis with her husband, children and large and noisy Irish family, of which she is the reluctant matriarch. A seasoned conference speaker, Dreyer travels to research, and uses research as an excuse to travel. Oh, who's she kidding? She doesn't need an excuse. She has the Irish wanderlust and satisfies it as often as she can to the point that she has sung traditional Irish music on four continents. She also had the incredible chance to research Drake’s Rakes by attending the 200th anniversary of not only the Battle of Waterloo, but the Duchess of Richmond ball (in period attire). She has animals, but refuses to subject them to the limelight.

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[Cover Reveal] I Do or I Don't [GIVEAWAY]

 

Today Rob Edwards and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for I DO OR I DON'T, his new Hollywood Thriller book which releases May 18 2022! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

 

On to the reveal! 

About the Book:

Title: I DO OR I DON'T

Author: Rob Edwards

Pub. Date: May 18, 2022

Publisher: Rayn Media Inc.

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 284

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, iBooks, Kobo

Beautiful Brooke Winthrop, and brash Becca Dodge are known in Hollywood circles as the Queen B’s for their meteoric success. They are the host and producer of I Do or I Don’t, the number-one-rated reality television show in the country. It is a whirlwind courtship show that ends every episode at the altar where two people must decide, on live TV, whether they will say the words that will change the rest of their lives.

One unlucky bride says, “I do,” only to be murdered by the groom on their honeymoon. The distraught father of the bride holds Brooke and Becca accountable. He manages to kidnap them and produce his own internet show based on the format of their program. Brooke and Becca are run through the scenarios they put their couples through. They must use these brief moments to prove their innocence or be killed in the last episode.

 

Excerpt:

“Just so you all know, with the good press we’re getting and the increase in applications, I’m contemplating pushing the network to give us either Sunday night or Thursday night, too.”

“Are you serious?” Brooke said.

Becca looked up. “It’s either that or two hours on Tuesdays. We need to make hay here. With our numbers the way they are, sponsor rates are at a premium. That gives us leverage for a mid-season renegotiation. I say we go for it.”

“Hell, yeah,” Amantha said and others at the table chuckled.

The door opened, and a young girl walked in and rushed over to whisper to Amantha. Brooke had seen her before but didn’t know her name. She just knew she was Amantha’s casting associate.

Amantha listened and turned to Becca. “So, apparently we have a woman who’s not comfortable with any of the ten individuals we’ve supplied her with. She’s in tears and is begging RuLanne for a few more applications.”

Becca shook her head. “No way. That’s part of it. You may get lucky, or you may not. Tell her that we’re sorry it didn’t work out for her and send her on her way.”

“Hold on,” Brooke said. “Becca, can’t we give her another five or so? We’re supposed to be helping people find love.”

“No, we can’t,” Becca leaned forward. “And don’t think for a minute that it’s our job to help people find love. We’re here to put on a show. If suddenly we start giving extra applications for people to go over until they find someone, they’ll never make a decision, and we’ll never have a show.”

“Oh,” George said. “You mean that show we have about helping people find love?”

Becca glared at him and then turned to RuLanne. “Do this. Go tell her we’re sorry we can’t give her more applications to go through. But promise her ten seconds on the next broadcast so she can tell all her family and friends. Then get her name to the editors and tell them I said to put her in, or I’ll have their ass. Clear?”

RuLanne nodded and rushed back out.

As soon as the door closed Becca slammed her hands on the table and stood. “The name of this show is not called ‘Finding Love.’ It’s called I Do or I Don’t and don’t think for a minute that anybody watching this show is hoping for the former. There’s a huge segment that is hoping to see someone say, ‘I don’t,’ because watching a train wreck is a shitload more entertaining than watching someone else’s happiness.” She pointed at George, glaring. “And, George Crone, if you argue with me one more time in front of the crew, your ass will hit the pavement so fast you won’t know what happened. And you can just keep on bouncing because you aren’t getting back in. Got it?”

George closed his laptop quietly and rested his hands on top of it. “Got it.”

The door burst open, and Alanna Gates, Fiona’s little sister and Becca’s personal assistant rushed in. “Miss Dodge,”

“What?” Becca shouted, impatiently.

“Ehhh...” Alanna paused briefly at the harshness of her boss’s tone. “I think you all should come see this right away.”

“See what?” Becca asked. “We need to finish this meeting.”

“Kristine Haddock, the bride from the show the other night.” Alanna looked around the room.

“She’s dead.”

 

About Rob Edwards:

The majority of Rob Edwards working life has been in the video and film production world, giving him ample experience with storytelling and the creative process. He has written throughout his career and has won national and international awards for his work.

He is now transforming his efforts to the page, rather than the screen.

Rob lives in the mid-Michigan area with his bride. Together they enjoy traveling, foodie adventures, wine tasting, reading, and generally being outdoors.

He currently works as a Media Development Specialist and teaches video post-production.

​Rob loves hearing from readers, so please feel free to contact him.

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a $10 Amazon GC, International.

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[Cover Reveal] Michael Angelo and the Stone Mistress [GIVEAWAY]

Today Steve Moretti and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for MICHAEL ANGELO & THE STONE MISTRESS, his new Time Travel Historical Fantasy book which releases April 30, 2022! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

 

On to the reveal! 

About the Book:

Title: MICHAEL ANGELO & THE STONE MISTRESS

Author: Steve Moretti

Pub. Date: April 30, 2022

Publisher: DWA Media

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 467

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

 

Michelangelo believed every block of marble held a statue inside it. Yet he knew that without deep personal sacrifice, it would remain forever hidden.

Five hundred years later, New York fashion photographer Michael Angelo Thomas falls in love with every woman who poses before his camera. He is driven to reveal what lies beneath the surface, stripping away the barrier between viewer and subject.

His finished photographs reveal the vulnerable beauty of each model. His work makes him the most sought after fashion photographer in 1994. But rather than enjoy his prestige, he lives a life of anguish, unable to form meaningful attachments or purge the demons of self-doubt and of losing both of his adoptive parents in a freak accident.

After the death of an aspiring young model that his photographs propel to international fame, he leaves New York for an assignment in Florence to photograph the world’s leading fashion models.

In the shadows of Michelangelo’s greatest triumphs, Michael discovers a secret that will change his life and those who desire to be closest to him.

Comments from Advance Readers:

“This was a definite page-turner, I could hardly put it down.” - Nevine R.

“All I can say is, ‘WOW!’” - Marianne P.

“I was so engrossed in the story that I lost all track of time.” - Emma D.

“Love, love, loving this novel, it’s got it all.” - Trulyn B.

“I am very impressed.” - Pierre F 

 

Excerpt:

Michael fell in love with every woman he photographed.

Unless he exposed his heart, he couldn’t get close enough to what lay deepest inside them. If he didn’t make himself vulnerable, his images only reflected what lay on the surface, missing the connection he needed. Once he felt himself swept away by his subject, sparks flying with each release of the shutter, and every lightning bolt flash, they bonded for hours in the studio.

And many more in the darkroom with Michael and the celluloid history of the session.

The results spoke for themselves. Some of the women revealed so completely in his images wanted to be with him, to touch the man who so deeply touched them. He made it a rule to never sleep with the women he photographed.

But he was never very good at following rules.

“Ginger, you’re already here,” he said, making a fist and holding it to his heart. “But…” he hesitated, moving his face close to hers, their lips almost touching.

“But, what, Michael?”

Even in this light, her features outlined softly with the faint brush of the red safelight, he could see her sadness and openness, her strength and her weakness. Her face was a canvas he could explore a long time. Ginger had a gift unlike the dozens and dozens of models he’d photographed. She didn’t need to strike a pose. Everything was there on the surface, waiting to be captured. Her gift was not knowing she had anything to offer, not knowing she was anything special.

Her innocence was intoxicating. “Would you mind if I took a few more pictures of you?” he finally replied.

“Really?” she smiled. “Now?”

“Yes,” he kissed her lips ever so lightly, then flicked on the light. “Come on.”

She followed him out of the darkroom. His mind raced with ideas about how he would light her, what lens to use and a dozen other tiny details about equipment and settings.

Ginger sat at his table, and poured the rest of the champagne into their glasses, then reached down to her purse on the floor. She took out an envelope, opened it and emptied the contents into her hand.

“I just got these,” she said, laying her palm flat, revealing a clutch of small pink pills.

Michael set down the lens he’d taken from his bag. “What are they?”

“It’s ecstasy… in a pill.” Before he could respond, she popped two in her mouth and washed them down with champagne.

She held out her hand, offering him the pills. “Let’s find it tonight.” 

 

About Steve Moretti:

I have always been drawn to passion and creativity in all its forms. I am equally fascinated by the mechanics of the universe and the characters of history. I have a special affection for the power of music which I believe is the universal language of human emotion.

My writing journey started in journalism, public relations and advertising then continued into software development. I have been writing novels full-time for a couple of years now and recently completed my first series, Song for a Lost Kingdom.

I also co-authored a biography on the life of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and am currently finishing the first book of a new trilogy called Michael Angelo.

I grew up in London, Ontario (Canada) and also lived in Pompano Beach, Florida as a teenager. I moved to Ottawa and attended Carleton University and now live just south of the city with my wife and our two dogs.

I look forward to your feedback. Visit my website stevemoretti.ca for the latest news, or email me at steve@stevemoretti.ca anytime!

 

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a $25 Amazon GC, International.

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[Cover Reveal] The Pen Thief and the Chamber of Power [GIVEAWAY]

 

Today Tasha Madison and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for THE PEN THIEF AND THE CHAMBER OF POWER, the second book in her YA Fantasy series which releases June 7, 2022! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

 

On to the reveal! 

About the Book:

Title: THE PEN THIEF AND THE CHAMBER OF POWER (The Pen Thief Series #2)

Author: Tasha Madison

Pub. Date: June 7, 2022

Publisher: Author Academy Elite

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 232

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

Chosen to Protect. Destined to Defend.

Arnie Schmidt has survived high school bullying and crushing heartbreak. Now, he must confront his deepest fear ... the truth about his mysterious powers that may change his life and future forever.

Meanwhile, brutal forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on destroying him. To defeat them, Arnie must find the strength to trust himself and those closest to him while undertaking a desperate quest to distinguish fact from fiction.

Deep in the archives of the Fellowship of Guardians-where long-awaited answers slumber-Arnie gains the insight he needs to navigate the unknown. But, the improbable thrusts him into a labyrinth of secrets, unexpected adventures, and a fight to escape an imminent danger. As his world shatters, he must delve into the depths of his power and encourage the abilities of others if he is going to conquer old wounds long enough to survive.

Can Arnie embrace his destiny before ancient shadows ruin the promise of a hidden prophecy?

 

Haven’t started the PEN THIEF Series yet? Grab Book 1, The Pen Thief and the Orbit of Uncertainty now!

 

Excerpt:

About Tasha Madison:

TASHA MADISON is an award-winning author, speaker, and coach who helps those overwhelmed by life’s challenges, disappointments, and traumas to harness their strengths so they can gain clarity on how to conquer their fears, achieve their goals, and live their best life. In the past twenty years, she has helped countless people to become the hero of their own lives with customized programming tailored to maximize transformational results.

Some Professional Accomplishments:​

• CEO of Hero Academy, LLC
• Creator of the Hero Blueprint©
• Earned a Juris Doctor in Business Law, an MBA, and a BA in Communication
• Earned a Certificate in International Commercial Arbitration
• Ronald E. McNair Scholar
• Published Global Award-winning Author
• Editing Ninja
• International Speaker on Leadership, Mindset, Personal Growth, and Authorship
• Selected by Yahoo! Finance as one of the Top 5 Female Mindset Coaches Transforming Lives in 2021

 

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a $10 Amazon GC courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours, International.

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[Book Tour- Review] Heart Fire [GIVEAWAY]

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rose Mackie will be awarding a $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

*The planet Falosia has an excess of females. The planet Verit has a surplus of males. The best of each have been put forward to start a new colony and find mates, in a last desperate attempt to save both worlds. A scorchingly hot sci fi, alien romance. *

Denara barely survived her disastrous first attempt at marriage; for years she threw herself into her research, giving herself time to heal. When the opportunity arises to take up a position on the colony, she decides to take a risk for the chance to live, and love, again. Lucius has spent his life under the heel of the ruthless Matriarchs of Verit. Tasked with leading the males of the new colony, he reluctantly accepts the assignment. The last thing he wants is to tie himself to a scheming female through mating, but nothing could have prepared him for meeting Denara. Sparks fly, but can they overcome their pasts to find love? With the political machinations of two planets vying for control over the colony, perhaps together, they can bridge the gap between their worlds.

What to expect: Glorious world building, spicy alien romance, friends to lovers, enthusiastic consent. Recommended 18+ due to sexual content.

Read an Excerpt

I am a First Warrior.” He stroked his animal fur, which she had successfully avoided looking at until now and pointed out a series of gleaming metal pins and buttons along the edge. “Each of these represents a successful campaign.”

Denara shuddered and turned back to the medicine cabinet, trying not to regard the dead animal. Lucius was moving before he was consciously aware of it. “Why do you do that?”

Suddenly he was very close; she could feel the heat radiating from him. He had moved so fast and silently that she had not heard him move. She spun around, backing up into the medication shelving, knocking several boxes to the floor. “Do what?” she stammered.

“Shudder and turn away? What displeases you so? I saw you do the same thing when you regarded me at the introduction social event.”

He was very, very close. She could sense his energy. It was distinctly feline - curiosity with a contained violence and ruthless intelligence. It was highly unusual, and nothing in all her years of experience had prepared her for the closeness of such a male. He seemed to suck up all the air in the room.

“Oh… it’s nothing.” He regarded her, his eyes deepening from their usual pale blue to a dark navy. She was transfixed at the sight. “Why do your eyes do that? Is it an evolutionary adaption? Or a deliberate genetic alteration?”

“Deliberate alteration. It allows us to see minute biochemical and heat changes, a useful enhancement for a warrior. It also allows me to see when you lie. I saw your displeasure at the first meet yesterday as well.” He cocked his head at her, studying her reactions, attempting to determine the source of her distress. The dark stranger within him was demanding that he find the source of the problem, kill it for her and lay it at her feet in tribute. “Something displeases you, Healer. Inform me of it, my lady, and I will remedy it immediately.”

“Could you, could you back up a bit please?” she gasped out, and he took two measured steps back, to place himself against the opposite wall, as far away as he could get in the small space.

“My apologies, I did not mean to frighten you. I observed you standing close to Odran yesterday and assumed it was acceptable in your culture. I would never touch you without your permission.” She detected a faint thread of hurt in his emotional resonance. “Or perhaps it is me you don’t wish to stand so close to.” He nodded, thoughtfully, examining her reactions in his mind. “Yes, that is it. It is I that distresses you. I shall remedy this by removing my presence.”

I am a huge fan of alien romances and this one did not disappoint. This book is centered in two races that are descended from humans, but they aren't quite human. They are from their own respective planets, but have genetic enhancements specific to their race. The Falosians have a planet that is majority female and the Verits are majority male. These two faces decide to come together on a new planet to establish a new mixed colony,  and to hopefully fix the gender ratios. 

The chemistry between Danara and Lucius is perfect, and I loved reading their journey to being mates. I wish their was a little bit more romance between the two, but I understand this book was to establish more world building than anything else. I did enjoy that everything wasn't perfect between them. It was refreshing for an alien romance. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this first book in the series. It has a ton of world building and you're introduced to a lot of main characters for the subsequent books in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys worls building and alien romance. 

About the Author:

Rose Mackie (she/her) is an Australian author who writes and loves sci-fi romance, paranormal romance and fantasy romance. Born in Scotland and living in Perth, Western Australia for the past 15 years, Rose loves nothing more than to hang out with her family and rescue cat, and create magical worlds of imagination.

All Rose Mackie books have an element of spice, kick-ass heroines, enthusiastic consent and happy endings. Rose has been writing for as long as she can remember, but has recently published her first book, Heart Fire. It still spins her out that people are reading the weird stories she makes up in her head!

Rose has fallen in love with writing, and loves seeing audiences connect with her work and characters, and hopes you’ll love them too!

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[Book Tour- Review] Weep, Woman, Weep [GIVEAWAY]

 

        Weep, Woman, Weep

by Maria DeBlassie

GENRE: Fantasy, gothic, magical realism

A compelling gothic fairytale by bruja and award-winning writer Maria DeBlassie.

The women of Sueño, New Mexico don’t know how to live a life without sorrows. That’s La Llorona’s doing. She roams the waterways looking for the next generation of girls to baptize, filling them with more tears than any woman should have to hold. And there’s not much they can do about the Weeping Woman except to avoid walking along the riverbank at night and to try to keep their sadness in check. That’s what attracts her to them: the pain and heartache that gets passed down from one generation of women to the next.

Mercy knows this, probably better than anyone. She lost her best friend to La Llorona and almost found a watery grave herself. But she survived. Only she didn’t come back quite right and she knows La Llorona won’t be satisfied until she drags the one soul that got away back to the bottom of the river.

In a battle for her life, Mercy fights to break the chains of generational trauma and reclaim her soul free from ancestral hauntings by turning to the only things that she knows can save her: plant medicine, pulp books, and the promise of a love so strong not even La Llorona can stop it from happening. What unfolds is a stunning tale of one woman’s journey into magic, healing, and rebirth.

EXCERPT

One time, I was feeling mighty fine and thought I’d try something different. I saw this ad in a magazine where a woman was in an obscenely large bathtub and covered up to the neck in bubbles. This was in a room with a marble floor, and there were candles everywhere, and she had her hair up all nice and a face mask on. Well, I got to thinking a nice long soak after a hard day’s work would be nice. 

This was a few months after my run-in with Sherry, and I was trying hard to let myself enjoy things more. It occurred to me after seeing her that her fatal flaw was not believing that her future was right in front of her. Or maybe she was too afraid to take it with both hands. I began to wonder if we didn’t hold back and do half the work for La Llorona with all that we ran from life. 

So I bought some bubble bath and made more beeswax candles and set about having myself a spa night. I mean, my bathroom was nowhere near as nice as the one in the picture. My tub was only long enough for me to sit upright and was right next to the toilet, but I made do. 

It was lovely. I mean, divine! I could see why fancy women liked this. I put on the radio, and the music was soft and sweet, like the candlelight against the fading day. I was so relaxed, that I was about to fall asleep in that tub. 

That was when I felt cold hands grip the soles of my feet and pull me under. 

I should have seen it coming. Why willingly linger in a body of water? But I didn’t, and that was how I found myself drowning in bubbles and thrashing around in my tub. It’s also how I learned that evil woman could find me anywhere—and I mean anywhere—so I could never let my guard down.

 Her grip was strong. Seemed like the harder I fought, the stronger she got. I was flailing about, my arms searching for anything and everything to hold on to, when I knocked one of those beeswax candles into the tub. To this day, I have no idea why that scared her, but it did. She recoiled something quick at the hiss of the flame when the wax hit water. 

I didn’t waste a second—I hoisted myself out of the tub and collapsed on the bathroom floor, choking and sputtering and sopping wet. Took me forever to clean up the mess and cough up all those flower-scented bubbles. My feet were cold and sore for days, with claw marks where her bony fingers hooked into my skin. 

Whoever said bubble baths were relaxing was a big fat liar.

First of all, this cover is beautiful, just like the book. This novella is about Mercy, a woman that wholeheartedly believes in La Llorona and her grasp on her life. I have to admit, I wasn't sure if the main character was reliable. I've read a few books where it seems to be supernatural, and then it just ends up being a mental thing. So, I wasn't sure if the inner monologue could be trusted. But, honestly, I feel like this made the novella more interesting to me because I was constantly conflicted on the events. Did her best friend actually become "baptized" by La Llorona or was she just a girl that was just broken from a series of life events? I'm still not really sure, and I think that's okay. 

Although the novella is short, it still packs a punch. The storytelling is really nice and I enjoyed the writing style as well. I believe it was just the right amount of length. I do wish it had more of an ending with the romantic interest, but that's not was this novella was about. Mercy's character growth was exponential towards the end, and I was glad to see what kind of strong woman she matured into. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that loves fantasy, character growth through hardship or magical realism!

Dr. Maria DeBlassie is a native New Mexican mestiza and award-winning writer and educator living in the Land of Enchantment. She writes about everyday magic, ordinary gothic, and all things witchy. When she is not practicing brujeria, she's teaching classes about bodice rippers, modern mystics, and things that go bump in the night. She is forever looking for magic in her life and somehow always finding more than she thought was there. Find out more about Maria and conjuring everyday magic at www.mariadeblassie.com.

Author web links:

Weep, Woman, Weep purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Weep-Woman-Fairytale-Ancestral-Hauntings-ebook/dp/B09CV9P9SH

www.mariadeblassie.com

twitter: @enchantmentll

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7rY-gLkSH-w8uuVyrhVALA

GIVEAWAY

Maria DeBlassie will be awarding a copy of the book (ebook for International winner/signed paperback for US Only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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