Dewey Decimated (A Haunted Library Mystery) by Allison Brook Book Tour and Giveaway!

Dewey Decimated (A Haunted Library Mystery)
by Allison Brook

About Dewey Decimated

Dewey Decimated (A Haunted Library Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – Connecticut
Crooked Lane Books (September 6, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639100903
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639100903
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09N6M1SNP

Librarian Carrie Singleton is back on the case, alongside library ghost Evelyn, in the sixth installment of Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook’s Haunted Library mysteries. 

Carrie Singleton is just off a hot string of murder cases centered around the spooky local library in Clover Ridge, Connecticut. She could really use a break—but no such luck, as she; Smoky Joe, the resident cat; and Evelyn, the library’s ghost, are drawn into another tantalizing whodunit. 

First, a dead body is found in the basement of the building attached to the library, and it turns out to be Carrie’s fiancé’s Uncle Alec, who Dylan hasn’t seen in years. But Alec has no intention of truly checking out, and his ghost makes itself at home in the library, greatly upsetting the patrons. Carrie and Evelyn work hard to keep Alec out of sight, but what was he doing in Clover Ridge to begin with? And why was he killed?

Meanwhile, the town council, of which Carrie is also a member, is embroiled in a hot-headed debate over the fate of the Seabrook Preserve, a lovely and valuable piece of property that runs along Long Island Sound. Turn it into an upscale park? Sell it to a condo developer? Or keep it as protected land? 

As the dispute rages, there’s another murder, this time involving a council member. Could the two murders be connected? And could Carrie be next on the hit list?

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook, she writes the Haunted Library series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series.

Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice. And Don’t Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids.

Website: http://www.marilynlevinson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10?ref=ts&fref=ts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/161602.Marilyn_Levinson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarilynLevinson
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-levinson

Purchase links:

Amazon      Penguin Random House    B&N    Kobo    Google Play 

Tour

September 6 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

September 6 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

September 6 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT

September 7 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

September 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

September 8 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 8 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT

September 8 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

September 9 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

September 9 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

September 10 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW

September 10 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

September 10 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

September 11 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 11 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW  

September 12 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

September 12 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

September 12 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 13 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT

September 13 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 14 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

September 14 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

September 15 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW

September 15 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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Out of the Ashes by @samgrosserbooks Book Blitz and Giveaway! #SamanthaGrosser #OutoftheAshes #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣⁣⁣⁣

Out of the Ashes
Samantha Grosser

Publication date: August 4th 2022
Genres: Adult, Historical

Amid the ruins of the Second World War, an illegal and tentative relationship begins.

England 1944. As Allied forces battle their way through Europe, German prisoners of war are sent to camps all over England. In a sleepy Somerset village, Clare is still grieving for her husband when the first prisoners arrive.

As the men start working on the farm, it isn’t long before she finds herself face to face with the enemy who made her a widow. Hating them all, she avoids them as best as she can. But when one of them saves a young child’s life, she is forced to reconsider. As an unexpected and illicit connection develops between them, her loyalties are stretched to the limit.

Their secret doesn’t last. Shunned by family and friends for illegal fraternisation with the enemy, Clare risks losing all she has. Then long-held secrets are brought to light and she must make an impossible choice.

In a world that has changed beyond recognition, can they find a way to build a future together, or will their happiness be destroyed by the burdens of the past?

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—

EXCERPT:

She sat at the table, numb. She should have sweet tea, she thought, remembering it was supposed to be good for shock, but she was unable to bring herself to make the effort and the stove remained blank and unlit. She waited, expecting the numbness to pass and the pain of the grief to take over, but there was nothing. Her body felt as though it belonged to someone else, and her thoughts drifted, hazy and unformed. What was wrong with her? She had heard of other women collapsing with such news, weeping and hysterical. Why did she feel so empty?

She laid the telegram on the table and straightened it out against the tablecloth, letting her eyes wander over the brief impersonal notice again, Walter’s death contained within it. How could so few words hold such momentous news? A letter would follow, it said. But really, what more was there to say? She would never hear her husband’s voice again, nor hold him in her arms. Their son no longer had a father.

She let out a breath, unaware she had been holding it, and feeling began at last to creep through her veins, a hollow in her guts. She placed her hand on top of the telegram, covering the words. She had always known, she thought. Right from the beginning when he told her he was going she had known, and she had spent all her tears and anger then in bitter fights and cruel words she had regretted ever since. Now she would never have a chance to make up for saying them.

The memory of the last time she saw him flickered through her thoughts – the sadness in his eyes as he turned to walk away from her along the platform with the kitbag on his shoulder, a stranger in his uniform. She had watched him mount the carriage steps, squeezed his hand a final time, until with a hiss of steam and a whistle he was gone. She had known even then they would not meet again.

A dog’s bark outside in the yard roused her from her thoughts and she lifted her head towards the noise. The clock on the mantelpiece struck the half-hour. Soon Eric would be home and she would have to tell him that his father was dead. She shuddered at the thought of it and sighed, tracing the words on the telegram with her fingertips as though she might feel Walter’s presence within them – his warmth, his kindness, his laughter. The hollow inside her began to fill with pain, and her vision blurred with sudden tears. She pressed her hand against the sheet of paper under her palm. She would have to tell Walter’s mother too, she remembered then, and his sister and her husband, everyone else in the village. She would have to say it aloud.

Walter is dead.

She wrapped her thoughts around the words and tried to roll them on her tongue, but her mouth refused to form the sounds. Her breath began to catch in her chest and as she wiped at her face where the tears had started to fall, she cast a glance towards the door. She wasn’t sure if she could face it. It was the thought that she must say the words to others that finally broke her defences. Lowering her face into her hands, she began to weep at last.

Samantha Grosser is a very British author who doesn’t function without tea. Having spent many years teaching English in Asia and Australia, she has now made her home on the sunny beaches of Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband, teenaged son, and a very small dog called Livvy.

She is the author of Another Time and Place, The Officer’s Affair, The King James Men, and the historical fantasy series Web of Witches. When she isn’t writing or reading, (which isn’t often) you can find her either doing yoga, going for long walks, or watching old movies.

You can find out more at samgrosserbooks.com

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Pack of Secrets by Amara Mae Book Blitz and Giveaway! #AmaraMae #PackofSecrets #XpressoTours @XpressoTours

 

Pack of Secrets
Amara Mae

Publication date: September 6th 2022
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

As the daughter of the Seattle alpha, Grace is expected to carve out her place in a shifter pack still reeling from the horrors of war. Only Grace has two major problems with fulfilling her father’s expectations: she’s an omega—meant to support, not lead—and she was born with her inner wolf caged, unable to shift. Determined to become the asset her pack needs, she’s spent her life training to steal a magical artifact rumored to have the power necessary to release her wolf.

Unfortunately, things never go as planned.

The theft triggers an enraged guardian, one that her inner wolf can’t seem to resist, and Grace realizes she’s in way over her head. She’ll need the help of a small but capable team to journey to a foreign land and track down a mythical tree.

Easy peasy for an outcast burglar with a fractured psyche, right?

To complicate matters further, her father is acting weird, her best friend just made out with her, and she’s pretty sure a dragon is on their tail.

Across the world from the only home she’s ever known, Grace must face the questions she never dared to ask. Deadly secrets begin to unfold, and Grace will have to decide: Is unleashing her wolf worth risking everything?

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—

EXCERPT:

I sniffed the air. Something smelled savage and… cold, like a wild beast trapped in ice. Definitely not another gargoyle; this was different. Unease crept up my spine as I drew my daggers and slowed my steps, slipping soundlessly through the night. Rounding a massive tree trunk, I sensed danger and froze. Something sliced the air in front of me, right where I would have been if I hadn’t halted. Moonlight glinted off metal. A sword! My heart leaped into my throat as I pivoted, narrowly avoiding a second slash. The attacker was lightning fast. Dropping into a crouch, I parried a third strike. Steel bounced off my daggers, the clash ringing through the silent forest as vibrations rattled my teeth and bones.

Damn! Fast and strong.

Surprised my blades didn’t crack under the force, I ducked and spun away. Like me, my weapons were built for speed and avoidance, and neither my blades nor my body would survive a vigorous pummeling. My best bet was to bail. Looking side to side, I tried to decide which way to bolt.

“Leox!” exclaimed a deep, masculine voice.

Power punched through the ether. The burnt ozone stench of magic tickled my nose as bright light overpowered the darkness. Temporarily blind, I lifted one arm to shield my sensitive eyes so they could adjust. When I could see again, I lowered my arm and watched in fascination as light circled in on itself, growing to about a foot in diameter.

What the…

Since my aunt was a witch, I’d seen some nifty magical creations in my time, but nothing like the blazing blue orb hovering before me. In awe, I prepared to dodge if it came hurtling at my face, but thankfully, the orb didn’t move. It did, however, provide enough light to give me a good look at my attacker. He wore only a pair of black sweats, giving me an eyeful of rich walnut skin. I felt my eyes widen at the sight of him, but I couldn’t help but gawk. He was huge! He had to be more than six feet tall with broad shoulders, narrow hips, and an athletic physique of mouth-watering, jaw-dropping perfection.

I’d never seen anything like him. Every exposed God-blessed forearm, bicep, pectoral, and abdominal curve screamed for my attention. I didn’t know where to look first. My gaze snagged on a dusting of ebony curls that led from his navel downward, disappearing under the waistband of his sweats. The scandalously low waistband. How had they even stayed up during our scuffle? It seemed like one wrong move, and every inch of him would be on display. My mind hiccupped on the possibility.

My wolf panted at the sight. Yes, panted. She’d never done that before. I ignored the bitch and continued my perusal of the perfect male specimen before me.

“You?” asked a deep, rumbling voice. “You are the beast? How can this be?”

Heat flooded my cheeks as I dragged my gawking gaze upward from his happy trail. Now, I realized he was wearing something besides the sweatpants. A leather strap stretched diagonally from his left shoulder to the right side of his waist before circling around his back. Had to be a baldric for the massive sword still clutched in his right hand. The blade that had tried to kill me. Then again, I wasn’t exactly there to plant flowers or lobby for world peace. I was a thief, and people tended to get pissed when I took their shit.

“Me?” I asked, trying to make sense of his words as my gaze finally snapped to his face. All the oxygen vanished from my lungs. “Beast?”

He arched one dark eyebrow at me in question. I’d clearly mystified him with my one-syllable sentences.

Fabulous first impression. You’re killin’ it, Chipmunk.

Amara Mae is a new adult urban fantasy author who has written additional genres under other pen names for more than ten years. Fantasy has always been her first book love, and she's researched and generally geeked out for years to build the Fractured Earth world which will be home to her Celestial Artifacts and several other series. She resides in the rainy Pacific Northwest, where she enjoys real and imagined adventures alongside her husband and their five boys and two dogs.

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Remy by @authorlanehart and @authordbwest Book Blitz! #Remy #DBWest #lanehart #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣⁣⁣

 

Remy
Lane Hart & D.B. West

(Savage Kings MC – Virginia, #1)
Publication date: September 6th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

After two confidential informants are murdered by a drug lord the DEA has spent months trying to bust, agent Avery Carmichael is ordered to go undercover.

She’s going to need some help infiltrating the outlaw world, which is where the hottest, most infuriating man she’s ever met comes in.

Remy Fulton is the president of the newest Savage Kings MC chapter in Rockland, Virginia. When his younger brother RJ gets into legal trouble, he reluctantly agrees to help the prissy snob with her undercover operation to keep RJ out of prison.

Pretending to be the biker’s latest conquest may prove much more difficult than Avery anticipated. From the moment they meet, Remy argues with her over every little thing. He’s especially furious with her when he finds out she’ll be staying with him for weeks, sharing his home and his entire life.

Their friends and family can’t find out their relationship is fake because blowing their cover could inevitably put Avery’s life in danger.

It’s no secret that the two don’t initially trust or respect each other. But once they’re forced to improvise a few times under pressure, they become more comfortable playing the part of an infatuated couple.

The agent and biker ultimately get so good at being together that even they forget that they’re only supposed to be pretending as they attempt to set up the deal to take down a homicidal drug dealer.

Avery can’t seem to recall why she despised Remy in the first place since he’s proven to be a kind, caring man who would literally do anything to protect his family.

And while Remy didn’t want to spend a second with Avery at the beginning of the undercover operation, he suddenly doesn’t know how he’s ever going to let her go.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Avery

As I hurry around the corner, I choke on a thick wall of smoke. It’s all thanks to the Marlboro Man standing just out of sight around the turn. I have to walk past him to get to the federal building unless I want to jump out into the busy road. Seriously, all he’s missing is the cowboy hat. Coughing while waving my arm in front of my face, I try to make my way out of the cloud while mumbling to myself. “Great. Just great. Now I’m gonna smell like cigarette smoke the rest of the day!”

“Nah, there’s no way my cigarette smoke will overpower that rich-girl perfume you bathed in this morning,” his growly voice responds.

I turn around to face the smoker just as he tosses the stick down, grinding it into the cement with his big mud-splattered boot.

“You are going to pick that up, right?” I ask. Once the wind blows some of the smoke cloud away, I notice that the tall, scruffy man has holes in his jeans and a leather vest over his wrinkled tee. His only redeeming feature is a somewhat handsome face and pretty, true-blue eyes mostly hidden under long, grungy, dirty-blond hair.

The man lifts a single daring eyebrow. “What if I don’t?”

“You’ll be sorry if you don’t.” I peel my blazer back to show him the agency-issued gun in my shoulder holster and the badge clipped to my hip.

Now he gives me a smug grin. “I would love to see you try to arrest me, rich girl.”

I can’t help but glance down at my black pantsuit, red pumps, and matching red leather briefcase. “Wh-how do you know if I’m rich or not?”

“That Benz of yours is worth, what, about eighty or ninety grand?”

He saw me pull into the parking garage? How did I miss him?

“What I drive or how much I spend on a car is none of your business.”

“But my cigarette butt is your business?”

“Yes.”

His scruffy, clenched jaw ticks while his boot continues to cover the butt. Our silent standoff ends when someone behind us yells, “Remy, let’s go!”

“Fuck,” the smoker grits out.

“Is that your daddy calling you or your attorney?” I ask him.

“Neither,” he grumbles before he finally bends down to pick up the butt and toss it in the trash bin. When he starts to pass me on the sidewalk, his intimidating size coming closer causes me to take two big steps back to let him pass without us touching. I hear his chuckle as he walks away. Sighing heavily, I follow him up the steps of the federal building, where two men dressed in the exact same attire are waiting at the top.

Oh my god. They didn’t accidentally wear the same clothes. No, this was intentional because they’re part of a motorcycle gang.

“You’re the bikers I’ll be going undercover with?” I ask the three men.

The smoker laughs full out so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t end with him coughing up a lung. “You’re going undercover? They’re out of their fucking minds.”

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lane Hart has more than forty steamy stories currently available on Amazon. Sign up for her newsletter to receive updates on new releases and free promotions by copying and pasting this link into your web browser: http://bit.ly/LHDBWNewsletter

Lane lives in North Carolina with her husband, author D.B. West, their two daughters, a few lazy cats and a pair of rambunctious Pomeranians. She has a Masters in Criminal Justice and spent ten years working as a paralegal for a criminal defense attorney before walking away to become a full-time writer.

In October 2015, the paranormal romance anthology Wicked After Dark, including her standalone, Let Him Reign, hit #13 on the New York Times bestseller list. Since then she's been climbing the Amazon charts with hot new releases. So whether you're looking for MMA superstars, hot cops, arrogant football players, sweet millionaires, or romantic weddings, there's a little bit of something for everyone.

Lane loves to hear from her readers on Facebook, Twitter, on her website, or by email!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

--

USA Today bestselling author D.B. West was born and raised in the southern United States. While studying at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he met his wife and fellow author, Lane Hart. They now reside together with their two young daughters and their pets, a pair of Pomeranians.

After losing his father to a lingering illness, West began writing 'Awakening' as a way to channel his emotions, and honor the memory of a true friend. In addition to writing, he enjoys video games, motorcycles, and traveling.

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Iniquitus by J Hali Steele Book Tour and Giveaway!

 

Title:  Iniquitus

Series: Sanguine Blood Seekers 3

Author: J Hali Steele

Publisher: Changeling Press LLC

Release Date: Sept 2

Heat Level: 5 - Erotica

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 105 pages

Genre: Erotica, Action Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Erotic Shorts, Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Dark Desire, Gay, Vampires, Voyeurism and Exhibitionism

Synopsis

Kamose, undead before he was pharaoh, has lived on fringes of the vampire realm for thousands of years. He feels no kinship to the bloody bastards. Against vampire laws, Kam kills his master, the only man who loved him. He pays for that atrocity every day. Allowing Kam’s sarcophagus to be desecrated and tossed into a pile of trash as if he were truly dead, even God deserts Kamose. Until Matthias, the thirteenth apostle, crosses his path.

Saint Matthias should have been one of the twelve apostles. Instead, he gains the position after Jesus’ death. By then he’s a monster subsisting on human blood. Every bite, every draw of sustenance fills him with guilt he can’t assuage. The only time he experiences peace is in the arms of a much older creature. A vampire so vile and sacrilegious, Matthias fears he’ll cause both their souls to burn in Hell!

Excerpt

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2022 J. Hali Steele

As he peered across the room, watching Matthias flip through pages of the bible, Kamose swept his thumb over the amulet he always worn around his neck -- a polished amber ball held in the claws of the beetle, a symbol of immortality, resurrection, transformation and protection.

Fingering the amulet had once given Kamose comfort. The immoral acts he’d committed before and during his reign as a seventeenth dynasty pharaoh had left him in his current predicament, though.

Aware he was being observed, Matthias casually pushed a few stray strands of blond hair behind his ear as he continued reading. The apostle had the supple body of a dancer -- a trim, agile build that enticed Kam every time he moved. Loathe to employ what he termed sorcery or tricks, Matty walked most places, at least those he could reach on foot. The habit kept his muscles limber, his body fit. Even without employing magic, when Matthias crossed a room, it was as if he floated on air.

The composure Kam sensed Matty feigned became annoying. “You belong to me.” They’d argued the point for days. Kam had never before vacillated in regard to his needs or wants, yet nearly a month after commandeering the apostle from the king’s home, Kam was aware that forcing sex would only exacerbate an already impossible condition.

“Never, you irreverent beast,” Matty responded yet again.

Kam had shared an infinitesimal amount of blood with the younger vampire the first time they fucked, but he needed to fully claim Matty to alleviate the present situation. He'd given the godly fanatic a way to creep into the corners of his mind he sometimes failed to secure. That access had served to ramp Matty’s aggravation to a level beyond Kam’s control.

A prime example -- Matthias had used that one drop of Kam’s blood to locate Joshua, with the idea of destroying his former lover.  Damn apostle will be the death of me. “For as much as I’m living, I might as well meet true death.” Kam had experienced no day-to-day joy, no physical release. “I haven’t been with a man in weeks.” That was a first for Kam. Sexual desire raged every time Matthias entered a room, each time Kam caught his scent when traversing his domain. “If you don’t succumb, I’ll pursue another.” Strong shields had been set but if he left Matthias unattended, he might find a way around them. Matthias was the wiliest of bastards.

“Why harangue me?” Matthias looked up. “I’ll never be yours.” His scowl contained abhorrence. “My life, too, has been grossly unfair and you, Kamose, are a corrupt degenerate I should have left to die.”

“But you didn’t.” Crossing the floor, he leaned in until his cool breath brushed Matty’s face. “My patience wears thin, Matty. Whether you believe you’re mine or not will soon no longer concern me.” Snatching the holy book and tossing it to the floor, he pulled the vampire from the chair and grasped his ass. “This is mine. Don’t ever forget that.”

“Screw you.”

“Well, well. Do I detect passion?” Matthias’ stoicism had slipped. “Nice to hear you have that in you, though I prefer it the other way around. Anyway, Jesus might mind you wiggling your dick in my ass.”

“God have mercy on your soul!”

“He did. Gave you to me, didn’t he?”

“Never.”

“Whatever. I’m hungry.”

“I’m not cooking for you.”

“We’re going out. I’ll show you places in town I’m sure you haven’t seen.”

“I’m not diving into any bars.”

“Christ’s sake, how have you managed to survive? It’s dive bar. So called for their seediness. And I’m talking about fancy eateries.” Kam drew Matthias into an embrace. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking I only seek satisfaction in bars. You should see some of the waiters in these places.”

Matty flinched at Kam’s use of the Lord’s name. “You, you’re a nasty prick.”

“That spark of fire looks good on you.” Kam kissed him hard, sending his tongue into corners he couldn’t banish from his mind -- corners he remembered had once received him without complaint. Filling his fist with hair, Kam held the man close, gave no quarter for escape. It took only seconds to realize Matty was kissing him back. Matty’s hands swept Kam’s sides and shoulders before clutching in desperation. Tables turned as the young vamp’s mouth captured and held Kam’s. Deliciously, tongues touched, tasted. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Matthias was as near to Heaven as Kam would get.

Drawing away, Kam stared into gunmetal eyes that showed little blue. Thunderous gray glared back. Fuck it. “No human, nor God or his son, certainly not a vampire alive can have you. No one takes what’s mine.”

Purchase

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J. Hali Steele wishes she could grow fur, wings, or fangs, so she can stay warm, fly, or just plain bite the crap out of… Well, she can’t do those things but she wishes she could!

Multi-published and Amazon bestselling author of Romance in Paranormal, Fantasy, and Contemporary worlds which include ReligErotica and LGBTQ stories where humans, vampyres, shapeshifters and angels collide -- they collide a lot! When J. Hali’s not writing or reading, she can be found snuggled in front of the TV with a cat in her lap, and a cup of coffee.

Growl and roar -- it's okay to let the beast out. -- J. Hali Steele

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The Elf King’s Sacrifice by @anavrea Book Blitz and Giveaway! #ElisaRae #TheElfKingsSacrifice #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣⁣

 

The Elf King’s Sacrifice
Elisa Rae

(Elves of Eldarlan, #3)
Publication date: September 6th 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Romance

The King of Eldarlan hates parties. Superficial conversations and social niceties never come easy for him. When cursed to host human princesses at a party every night, he considers it mild torture until an unusual princess appears one night. Wrapped in a worn robe with bare feet and tousled hair, she intrigues him immediately

Kate had been a princess only a matter of hours before being pulled from her bed by a magical spell. It drops her in an enchanted garden populated by silent elves and princesses of various ages. Attempting to avoid the unsolicited advice of her new peers, she retreats to the dark hedge maze where she encounters her host.

The Elf King’s Sacrifice is a light, fantasy romance novella with a romance between a powerful elf king and an unusual human princess. It features friends to lovers amid curses and chronic illness. Also included is a marriage of necessity, an adorable puppy, and a relaxed alpha hero.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Wide-eyed, she searched the shadows where I stood, offering me the perfect opportunity to examine her without her knowledge. Barefoot and bundled in a worn velvet robe the color of emerald moss, her form was obscured by the plenteous fabric. She was a tiny thing, even for a human. Was she even full-grown? Mentally measuring her against the adult princesses infesting my palace grounds, I knew for certain she wasn’t nearly as tall. Had I gained yet another child princess to care for?

“My apologies. I was told I could explore. Was that incorrect?” Her dark eyes watched the hedge a little to my left. A slight frown pulled at her generous mouth. She peered into the wispy shadows that I had gathered around me when she had first intruded on my haven. Not a hint of fear flickered among the interest in her inquisitive gaze.

“That depends,” I answered.

Her eyebrows, slender wings of darkness against her pale skin, rose. “On what?”

“Who you are.”

She considered this for a moment, tilting her head slightly to the side. Her eyes glinted beneath dark lashes. I couldn’t discern their true color, but they were alight with intelligence and a flicker of amusement. “There is something exceptionally odd about introducing oneself to a hedge. Might I see your face?”

I let my shadow form to slip slightly, allowing her to see the outline of my figure against the backdrop of leaves.

She gasped softly and took a half-step backward. “You are taller than I thought.”

“You are short for a human,” I observed. “Are you full-grown?”

Instead of acting offended and running off, the reaction I had come to expect from my other guests whenever I had spoken to them, she laughed softly. “At thirty years, I am unlikely to grow anymore. I am not familiar with your kind, sir, whatever you are, but humans usually attain their full height before they reach twenty years.”

A reader of fairytales and folklore, Elisa Rae loves a happy ending. Noblebright characters, dastardly villains, and chemistry between characters delight her. When she isn’t writing, she loves to watch superhero movies and literary dramas.

If you like romantic adventures of various kinds, join her at: authorelisarae.com!

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Never Broken (Lisa Jamison #2) by Lori Duffy Foster Book Review!

 

The near corpse of a stranger had no idea where he’d been, how long he’d been there or who had kept him captive. But one thing intrigued journalist Lisa Jamison even more than his story: recent memories of a woman named Chandra Bower.
Seven years had passed since Chandra disappeared from Seneca Springs without a trace. Police investigators still compared DNA records whenever an unidentified body appeared, hoping to at least bring her family closure. Lisa still chased down leads from desperate family and friends, being careful to hide her investigations from an editor who thought she’d become obsessed with a woman who was clearly dead.

But this man had just seen her, sewing designer clothes in a dark, filthy basement with about twenty other men and women under horrifically inhumane conditions. And the sweatshop workers all had one thing in common: All were people of color.
A split-second decision to help the man takes Lisa on a race against time. His captors want him back, there is evidence someone on the police force might be involved and the man knows that if he were recaptured, they would torture him until he revealed the names of the two people who helped him escape: Lisa Jamison and Chandra Bower.

Lisa promised her teenage daughter she would stay away from the dangerous stories ever since her job had nearly gotten them both killed two years before. But she no longer has a choice. She must keep the stranger hidden while she gathers enough evidence to turn the case over to the city police or the FBI. At least three lives—her own, the stranger’s, and Chandra’s—depend on it. 

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Lori Duffy Foster is a former crime reporter who writes and lives in the hills of Northern Pennsylvania. She is the author of A Dead Man’s Eyes, which is the first in the Lisa Jamison Mysteries Series, an Agatha Award nominee, and a finalist for the Shamus Award. Never Broken is book 2 in the series. Look for her debut thriller, Never Let Go, in December of 2022. Her short fiction has appeared in the journal Aethlon, and in the anthologies Short Story America and Childhood Regained. Her nonfiction has appeared in Healthy Living, Running Times, Literary Mama, Crimespree, and Mountain Home magazines. Lori is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, The Historical Novel Society, International Thriller Writers, and Pennwriters. She also sits on the board of the Knoxville (PA) Public Library.

https://loriduffyfoster.com/

My Thoughts

Never Broken by Lori Duffy Foster is the second in the series but can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel.

Lisa Jamison, a journalist is just getting to her car, and inside she finds an emaciated man, Saul, who had just escaped from a sweatshop. He tells Lisa her story and she is intrigued and wants to help him and learn more and expose the owners of this sweatshop. She takes him to her friend Dorothy's home and enlists an ex-doctor friend to take care of him.

As Lisa digs into Saul's story she remembers the girl that he tells her about, Chandra, who disappeared seven years ago on her way to the store. Never to be seen or heard from, Saul's story is that she is still alive and in the same sweatshop that he escaped from. The only problem to his story is that he does not know where it is, he was too intent on his escape to pay much attention along with his condition did not allow for many memories.

She slowly gets the story from him and is determined to expose this trafficking of people for the needs of men who want only to make money off of these people.

Lisa enlists the help of her boss and a fellow journalist. Their search leads them to danger that they may not escape. Lisa is running against the clock to solve this mystery. Will she be able to solve it in time and still be safe?

I read the first book in the series, A Dead Man's Eyes, and really enjoyed it, so I felt that this book would be as good, and I was right. I loved Lisa and Dorothy's characters. Lisa has a daughter Bridget, she is not as much of the main character as she was in the first book but she definitely contributes to the story. 

If you like a good mystery, then this series is for you!

I give it 5 stars!

I received a copy for review purposes only!

Gallow Hill by Darcy Coates Review! #NetGalley @poisonedpenpress

 "Catnip for fans of things that go bump in the night, and eventually the day." ―Kirkus Reviews

The Hull family has owned the Gallows Hill Winery for generations. Their wine wins awards. Their business prospers. Their family thrives. People whisper that the curse has awakened once more.

The sprawling old house has long been perched on top of a hill overlooking the nearby town, jealously guarding the estate's secrets.

It's been more than a decade since Margot Hull last saw her childhood home. She was young enough when she was sent away that she barely remembers its dark passageways and secret corners. But now she's returned to bury her parents and reconnect with the winery that is her family's legacy―and the bloody truth of exactly what lies buried beneath the crumbling estate. Alone in the sprawling, dilapidated building, Margot is forced to come face to face with the horrors of the past―and realize that she may be the next victim of a house that never rests...

Darcy Coates brings you a brand-new horror novel that'll take your breath away... Gallows Hill is perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon, Simone St. James, lovers of ghost stories and anyone mesmerized by the twisted secrets of the past.

Darcy is the USA Today Bestselling author of Hunted, The Haunting of Ashburn House, Craven Manor, and more than a dozen horror and suspense titles.

She lives on the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cats, and a garden full of herbs and vegetables.

Darcy loves forests, especially old-growth forests where the trees dwarf anyone who steps between them. Wherever she lives, she tries to have a mountain range close by.

You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/subscribe 

My Thoughts

I read this book in one sitting, it took about 4 hours. I don't usually do that but this one really resonated with me. I love a good horror story and this one is definitely that.

Margot Hull is back after her parents' deaths to Gallow Hills Winery, just in time for the funerals. I didn't learn until about halfway through that the reason there were no open caskets for her parents was the abject look of horror on their faces. What could have caused that?

Margo meets the inhabitants of the Winery, but they are evasive about the questions Margo has regarding her parents. She gets a tour of the winery and other buildings on the grounds. This is her inheritance, the winery, and the house. Does she want it? Not really. She does not remember her parents as she was removed from the home at a young age.

The first night in the house, besides being creepy is filled with noises and things that go bump in the night. Subsequent nights are even worse with dead bodies coming to life and they come after her.

She learns that there is a curse on her bloodline of family. She learns about the curse and must devise a way to break that curse and keep herself and the other people on the land safe.

I had not read a good horror story in a while and saw this one and it piqued my interest. I am glad I did. This is a story that sticks with you for a while. Good and scary! Darcy Goates can sure tell a story and I will be sure to be reading more of her titles that I have on my Kindle. 

I give the book 5 stars! Loved it!

I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

Tricked in October by Starla DeKruyf Reveal! #starlawrites #TrickedinOctober #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣

 

Tricked in October
Starla DeKruyf

(Pineridge, #2)
Publication date: October 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

In this best-friends-to-lovers romance, mistaken identity leads to a Halloween hook-up that might not be so mistaken after all.

After losing her husband last winter, the thought of hosting a Halloween couples costume party is the furthest thing from Kelsey O’Henry’s mind. Besides raising three young children, managing O’Henry’s Bar and Grill, and caring for her alcoholic mother, she has more important things to worry about. Like the stack of unpaid business loans that threaten the bar’s existence. As well as her newfound feelings she’s developed for her best guy friend.

Davis Vance is tired of being followed around by cameras. He misses the days before he and his twin brother became “Renovation Dudes”—hosts of an HGTV show. When Davis learns Kelsey could lose the bar at the end of the fall season, he sees it as an opportunity to not only help his friend, but as a way out of renewing his HGTV contract.

There’s just one problem—lately Davis’s feelings for Kelsey have been less friendly and more romantic. And on the night of the bar’s Halloween party, both Kelsey and Davis can no longer ignore their desires. Will their passionate evening be a one-night stand—only a flicker of heat during the crisp autumn, or will she risk her pride and accept his help?

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Starla DeKruyf started writing when she still had words left to say and everyone stopped listening. Her love of romance novels began when she borrowed her friend’s copy of Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume and kept it hidden from her mom. When she’s not slinging coffee, volunteering with youth, or taxiing her kids around, you can find her jamming out to her playlists and writing her next swoony romance, usually by hand. She lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, three children, their English Mastiff, and a rescue pup.

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November by Sybil Bartel Release! #sybilbartel #November #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣⁣

 

November
Sybil Bartel

(The Alpha Elite Series)
Publication date: October 29th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Airman.

Hacker.

Mercenary.

Hacking one of the government’s top agencies was my first mistake. My second was thinking they wouldn’t find me. Nineteen hours later, five armed men kicked down my door.

They gave me a choice—prison or recruitment.

The Air Force took me in and trained me to be the best Cyberspace Operations Officer they’d ever had. Being the gatekeeper for the military’s strategic operations was an honor, but it put a target on my back. I never traveled without security—until I made my third mistake.

Twenty-two hours later, covered in blood and barely able to stand after events I wasn’t at liberty to discuss, I erased my past, changed my identity, and went off the grid. Then I joined Alpha Elite Security. I was invisible… until she saw me.

Code name: November.
Mission: Disengage.

NOVEMBER is a standalone book in the exciting Alpha Elite Series by USA Today Bestselling author, Sybil Bartel. Come meet Nathan ‘November’ Rhys and the dominant, alpha heroes who work for AES!

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Sybil Bartel is a USA Today Bestselling author of unapologetic alpha heroes. Whether you're reading her deliciously dominant mercenaries, bodyguards or military heroes, all of her heart-stopping, page-turning romantic suspense novels have sexy-as-sin alpha heroes!

Sybil resides in South Florida and she is forever Oliver’s mom.

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