The Island of Zoe by Dino Hajiyorgi & Christos Sourligas Book Tour!

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A young Greek American woman travels to the island of Petra....

has she found the fountain of youth?

The Island of Zoe

by Dino Hajiyorgi & Christos Sourligas

Genre: Fantasy Romance 

A young Greek American woman travels to the island of Petra bearing precious cargo: her late grandmother’s body, to be buried on the land where the old woman spent her youth. But when Zoe arrives on Petra, she finds that her grandmother, Maria, has left her an opulent villa and old family secrets hidden in the mystery of the island.

Zoe notices how spry and fit the island’s elderly residents are. In fact, no one has miraculously died in over seventy years, and time actually stands still on Petra. After Stefanos, a dapper older gentleman, ends his life the night of Grandma’s funeral, Zoe learns that Stefanos and her grandmother were lovers and realizes there’s much more to the island than meets the eye.

Zoe sets out to discover the island and uncovers strange happenings: there isn’t a single working clock or telephone, rich migrants from all over the world live clandestinely in the hills, the island is on permanent lock-down by the Greek Navy, and the main residents are subjected to repeated medical tests. Manos, the raki-loving bon vivant who runs the local general store, hints that the islanders are paying a price for what they did to Grandma Maria and Stefanos but refuses to reveal more.

Hoping to sell her grandmother’s house and use the money to help her troubled retail business back in America, Zoe inadvertently falls for the local priest’s son, Paris, who will soon be a priest in his own right. As romantic tension mounts between them, he admits his reluctance to become a priest. Believing Zoe is a threat to their immortality, several islanders gang up on Zoe and try to expel her from Petra when more truths come to light…

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Dino Hajiyorgi was born in Istanbul in 1963 and lived in Chalkida, Greece. An award-winning writer, he was a film school graduate of ArtCenter College of Design in California, and worked as an animation series scriptwriter for Greek and German studios. A honorary member of the Athenian Club of Science Fiction, his short stories appeared in newspapers, magazines, anthologies, and in the Greek edition of Asimov’s Magazine. Dino’s additional published books are: “Nighttime Traditions”, “Ashes on Marble”, “Wolf of the Sea”, and “Saltibango and the Cats of Hydra”.

Christos Sourligas is an award-winning and bestselling author and award-winning filmmaker. He has created and produced multiple feature films and television shows, and as a former senior executive for several internationally-renowned television production companies, he’s successfully brought shows into the homes of over 1.5 billion television viewers worldwide, airing in over 140 countries, and on 100 airlines. He also serves as a mentor and volunteer with various awards events, festivals and non-profit organizations. Christos resides in Montreal, Canada, and travels often to his ancestral home in Arcadia, Greece.

“THE ISLAND OF ZOE”

Chapter quotes

Chapter 1 – PETRA  

 

Still, Zoe couldn’t shake her gut feeling that she was about to embark on a voyage of discoveries, that she would encounter countless lost secrets along the way. And she knew exactly the kinds. The ones that lay hidden deep inside the family trunk, hoping never to be found.

 

Chapter 2 – FIG TREE

 

With her last sip, Maria overturned the cup on its saucer and waited a few minutes. With fingers trembling, she turned the cup again and looked inside. There it was on the smeared porcelain, the whole truth for her to see. Aunt Erato had taught her well, and there was no mistaking the will of the gods.

 

Chapter 3 – REPAST 

 

“Their secrets are written in stone. You cannot save them.”

 

Chapter 4 – SURRENDER

 

“She was a woman he could not understand, a woman who fascinated him like no other.”

 

Chapter 5 – ISLAND OF SECRETS

 

“A sizeable flowerpot exploded inches from her feet. Shards of pottery hit her as she jumped back in shock! Zoe looked up, her eyes checking the rooftops, windows and balconies.”

Chapter 6 – BROKEN CLOCK

“When it was all over, Maria and Stephan opened their eyes and unlocked their lips. They beamed with lust and lament, bearing the weight of infinite defeated loves that never saw the light of day.”

Chapter 7 – SUDDEN DEPARTURE

“Stefanos took off his hat and rested it on his chest. The canopy above him was full of sparkling stars. He smiled. He was in high spirits. Gentle waves rocked the keel, as he eventually closed his eyes and slipped soothingly into the cosmos.” 

Chapter 8 – ESCAPE

“We got ourselves a boat. Kostas’ nephew, Argyris, will cross us to the mainland. It’s time.” 

Chapter 9 – THE CLOCK TINKERER AND THE MAIDEN

“It’s all a mystery. All I can say is that people from all over the world send me their broken clocks. Word has gone around that Petra holds some magical, mystical power where time stands still.”

Chapter 10 – PARIS

“I don’t deserve to be happy,” she stated. “Why not?” “I don’t know. I feel Petra will catch up with us... That it will eventually claim my soul.” He kissed her forehead and lovingly took her in his arms. “You can’t help it. You’re Greek. Drama runs in your veins.”

Chapter 11 – INTERNAL FLAME

“The island’s rich in mineral deposits and precious metals... Since the Dark Ages locals have avowed the elements buried under the ground attract or repel visitors to the island. Think of it as a highly charged energy field. Even The Crusaders came through here looking for the Holy Grail.”

Chapter 12 – MARIA’S CHOICE

“She will not be saved there, for there is no life to be gained on Petra. I’ve seen it. You’ve seen it, too. The island will eventually kill our daughter. You have to understand this...”

Chapter 13 – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

“This place is beyond Blue Zone. It’s almost... supernatural. Is it the geology? Is it the water? We still don’t know.”

Chapter 14 – SEPARATE WAYS

“Maria laid a paper napkin flat on the counter and overturned the cup. After a minute she lifted it and leaned in to read the coffee stains left on the napkin. The gods had responded. She wasn’t going to lose the freedom she struggled so very hard to get.”

Chapter 15 – GAME OF DEEDS

“If leaving this place is so important to you, then by all means, I will sign your deed. Go. Get your money and go back to America to make some more, if that’s what matters the most to you.”

Chapter 16 – THE PROPHECY

“One day Maria will return. And on that very day, a new love will be born. And the spell will finally be broken,” continued the woman with a devilish smile. “NO!” cried Sophia. “You are mistaken... you will see! I will not allow it!”

Chapter 17 – WRITTEN IN STONE

“Zoe was a woman possessed, ripping weeds and vines off the headstones, searching for something in the inscriptions without really knowing what she was looking for. She couldn’t believe her eyes! The youngest person to ever die on Petra in the last half-century was aged one hundred and two. In fact, some islanders had even reached the age of a hundred and fifty and higher.”

Chapter 18 – BLUE ZONE

“...Petra is unlike any other place on earth. Humans just don’t die here. Remember when you asked me what I would do if I find this elixir? Well, Petra is the elixir. This entire island is eternal life.”

Chapter 19 – EKATERINI

“The green slope of shrubbery below her, the blue Aegean beyond and the majestic sky above, all painted the imaginary bars of her cage that mercilessly imprisoned her. She paused to look and all she could see was the face of her mother, frozen in time, smiling at her from the picture frames on her father’s walls. Ekaterini would never see Rome, nor Paris, nor any place else. She felt the sting but refused to set her tears free.”

Chapter 20 –FORBIDDEN FRUIT

“You don’t want to lose those blue eyes to the church, do you?” Katie argued. “You should have done the nasty with him when you had the chance,” she continued. “He’s my cousin,” Zoe shot back. “Albert Einstein married his first cousin,” Katie argued, Zoe wondering how she even knew that?! She’s a naïve, wet behind the ears Millennial, after all.

Chapter 21 – BREAKING THE SPELL

“For years my mom anxiously prayed I could fix the clock and break the spell. And when she couldn’t take the guilt anymore of knowing she was the child of a cursed love affair, of a cursed island... she ended her life. It was no freak accident when she fell off the scaffolding—”

Chapter 22 – HEAVEN HAS FALLEN

The scene was tragic. Locals were visibly showing their age, shaking and moaning, shriveled up in the arms of their daughters and sons. Women and men over one hundred years old were now dying. Others were collapsing, too weak to stand on their own. Father Michael was on the deck of the frigate, bent over a dying man and administering the last rites. 

Chapter 23 – FOR SALE

The ship sailed away fast, Petra immediately making distance with the stern. Zoe ran to the back railing and watched the setting sun... About a week ago, Petra had greeted her shrouded in mystery, as a puzzle and a promise. It took her in, gave her a Greek identity, and now was leaving her scarred and hurt. When she looked back at the island, Petra was already a memory.

Chapter 24 – GOODBYE

Suddenly, a woman shrieked outside and Father Michael shot to his feet. Troubled voices began multiplying in the church square as the old priest darted out of his house. A desperate crowd surrounded the base of the bell clock tower. As the people parted, Father Michael made way to find Paris sprawled on the ground and Claudia kneeling over him. She looked up and Father Michael read the message in her eyes. His son was dead.

Chapter 25 – AMERICAN DREAM

They eventually sat on a bench by the East River. Zoe rested her head on Paris’ chest, her ear joyously listening to his heartbeat. And they said nothing, just watched the boats sail by until the sun set... The park lamps turned on, the vista of the city sparkled under a canopy of stars. In Zoe’s imagination, Petra was there, just a bridge’s distance from them.

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Rogues And Redeemers: A Zasra Press Anthology! #XpressoTours @XpressoTours

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Rogues And Redeemers: A Zasra Press Anthology
Publication date: August 8th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

It would take such a selfless act, to reverse what you have done… from “Turning A New Leaf”

I didn’t become the frog. The frog became me… from “A Frog Among Princes”

Justice served with a dash of poison was justice served well… from “Path Of The Righteous”

Descend into the darkness or rise up to the light as you explore eight original stories themed ‘Corruption’ and ‘Redemption’. You’ll find something for everyone, from dark magic, covert ambition, and war to ghosts, royalty, and beasts!

A. M. Dilsaver — The Devil In The Ashes

Born of lust and fueled by hatred, Aschelle is determined to make her stepmother pay for the cruelties of her childhood. With the prince throwing a ball to seek a wife, victory is only a wish away…

Barend Nieuwstraten III — Turning A New Leaf

When a plan to summon and trap a demon to gain power goes fatally wrong, a bargain must be struck to ensure the summoner does not leave the exchange empty handed.

Christiana Matthews — The Bequest

Gemma doesn’t believe in ghosts–until she meets her dead grandfather, Jock, and uncovers a family secret. In order to move forward with her life, she must persuade Jock to move on as well.

Christiana Matthews — A Frog Among Princes

When Prince Robert refuses to marry a magician’s daughter, he’s turned into a frog in retaliation. Years later, he must seek out the mage in order to save a friend.

Eleanor Owen — The 205th

As a marionette soldier, Faith-7 is given a chance to redeem the condemned soul inside of her by fighting against a heretical empire.

Emma O’Connell — Happy Ending

Waking in a sea of dead bodies, Jacob realises that he has no idea what happened to him. But can he really trust the girl who says she can help?

Ine Gausel — Remnants Of Light

Silencer Osvalt Fell is haunted by his past. To move on, he must learn to let go, even if it breaks his heart.

S. K. Sayari — Path Of The Righteous

Tanith, Imperial Official by day, covert vigilante by night, believes in justice—no matter the means. She must outwit those who suspect her before she loses everything.

Illustrations appear in the print version only.

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SNEAK PEEKS:

PATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS — S. K. SAYARI

Justice served with a dash of poison was justice served well.

Tanith spooned the reddish powder into her ring’s cavity, making sure the poison wasn’t packed too tightly. She slid the dull purple jewel back in place with a click, then slipped the ring on her finger.

It was time to get to work.

Although, could she really call this work? Or was it more of a hobby? A business, perhaps? Now that Tanith’s bitterness had faded in the years since her sister Narys was murdered, she didn’t consider it vengeance anymore. It was second nature and felt right.

As she mused, she sifted through the piles of clothing, hairpieces she’d used before she’d honed her magic, and heavens knew what else strewn about her tiny, ramshackle apartment in the slums of Karkhaz. After selecting a green tunic and brown trousers, the colours of those who toiled in the fields, she pulled them on. To complete her persona, she sucked in a breath and allowed her magic to wash over her like a waterfall.

Her bound auburn hair deepened to brown, and her skin darkened a shade. She stepped up to the mirror to complete the finer touches—high cheekbones, a button nose, and thin lips. The Allure wouldn’t mask her voice or height, but she wasn’t worried about what would happen if someone saw past it.

After all, who would suspect the Keeper of Order of breaking the law?

No one had thus far. Well, no one except him. Since his marriage to the Empress, Rosario Bregan had been intent on finding the “Nighthawk,” as nobles called the elusive assassin targeting the unrighteous within Karkhaz.

As the new Emperor, Rosario had taken the wellbeing of Zehanna’s capital into his own hands. He had introduced new policies for trade with neighbouring countries, bolstered the Empire’s coffers, and created several lesser laws to deal with crime. He’d even interviewed the Keepers, including Tanith. Despite his efforts, the Nighthawk still eluded him.

The name fit her well.

THE 205TH — ELEANOR OWEN

The first thing she knew was the mortar blast.

Shrapnel tore through her right shoulder and stabbed deep into her chest, and it was like waking from a dream. The explosion slammed her into her body, into that skin that was not skin, flesh that was not flesh, and left her, awake and aware, standing in the middle of a mist-shrouded battlefield.

She had existed before that moment. She remembered that existence, too, but it was hazy. A life—or something half resembling it—belonging to someone else.

Somewhere ahead, cannons flared through the smoke. Sound crashed dizzyingly around her. Men—boys, really, she thought as she looked into the glazed eyes of the fallen—were dying on that mad rush towards the waiting walls of Mardall. She’d dropped her rifle and made to reach for it, but her limp fingers flopped uselessly against the stock as the last motion in her arm died. The knuckles clicked against each other like dice in a cup.

“Faith-7, report,” a voice shouted behind her.

Clumsily, she turned. Smoke and fog hung heavy around the speaker, but she recognized the silhouette of Patience’s greatcoat. It was almost like an officer’s. Fitting, as he was almost like an officer.

“Functional,” she replied, because she knew that was what she was meant to say.

Broken light fell across the porcelain mask that passed for Patience’s face.

“Raise your arm,” he ordered through unmoving lips.

A pause. She couldn’t, of course. He could see that.

“Fall back, Faith-7,” Patience said. “Report to the carpenter.”

“Yes, sir.”

Patience nodded sharply and vanished into the fog.

Faith—she decided she didn’t need the number—watched him go. If she’d had a heart, she was sure it would have been racing. Indeed, she felt the echo of it, a distant half-memory of when her body had been blood and sinew. But there was silence in her chest, from the glowing green gem that peeked through the cracked porcelain beneath her uniform.

The shrapnel scratched against it. It almost itched.

The Devil In The Ashes — A. M. Dilsaver

They called her Elle.

Girl.

Because her father had wanted a quick affair in the kitchen, and what he’d gotten was her—a scrawny, wrinkled child with ruddy skin and hair black as ash. A wild, wispy thing, more witch than human, more spirit than child. Her mother’s in every way, save for the eyes. No matter how he tried to deny the rumors, to separate Elle from his real daughters, people would shake their heads and say those are Bonheur eyes. A deep, unfathomable blue. Not the azure of a clear day, or the twinkling cerulean of a lakeside picnic. Dark and haunted, a deep violet, like the terrifying absence of the sun right after it sets but before the darkness has taken over.

She was not expected to survive.

She did anyway.

And so did her mother, for a time. They lived a quiet life in the servants’ quarter of the manor, sweeping the kitchen and preparing food for the man who refused to acknowledge them, for the family who denied their existence. To keep her busy, her mother would drop lentils into the fireplace, let Elle pick them out one by one, and then laugh and draw symbols in the ash that coated the girl’s skin.

“Aschelle,” her mother would say. “My little ash girl.”

Killing her mother was his first mistake.

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The Plan Series: Flavors of the Month, Book One by Penny McLean New Release Blitz! @ninestarpress @indigomarketingdesign

 #LGBTQIA+ #contemporary #booklover #bookblogger #bookaddict #romancereadersofinstagram #booknerd #bookworm

Title:  The Plan

Series: Flavors of the Month, Book One

Author: Penny McLean

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 08/01/2023

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Female, Female/Female

Length: 60900

Genre: Contemporary, Contemporary, romance, humorous, bisexual, multiple partners, blog, ice cream, scientist, doctor

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Cynthia Blake has it all. Almost. 

As a successful businesswoman who owns a chain of ice cream shops in Scottsdale, Arizona, she knows life couldn’t be much sweeter. But when a drunken birthday realization turns into the plan of a lifetime, Cynthia announces she’ll date one man a month for the next year and marry one of them at the end of it all. In this introductory book to the Flavors of the Month series, Cynthia quickly learns just how complicated life and love can get. Has the perfect flavor been in front of her all along?

Penny McLean © 2023
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One
December 26

Drunk and full of birthday cake: the best way to make life-altering decisions. That’s my new motto. It’s taken me thirty-one years to come to this realization, but all my best ideas have come this way. Probably. I don’t actually have the data to back that up.

“Hey, Cyn,” Kim laughs as she plunks a dollop of frosting on my nose. “Weren’t you supposed to be married with three kids by now? Wasn’t that The Plan?”

The emphasis on the last word is like a knife in my ovary. Sixteen-year-old me had been a bit cocky when she showed up at lunch one day and dropped a manifesto on the table for my two best friends to see. Simply titled The Plan, it outlined what I was going to do with my life and when I would do it by. This wasn’t some whim. I’d really thought this shit out.

And to be fair, I hit almost every goal in The Plan on time or ahead of schedule. Am I the owner of a successful chain of ice cream parlors? Yup. In fact, there are currently eleven Sinfully Good locations throughout the Valley (Phoenix, that is) and Southern California. Do I own my own condo in Scottsdale and a vacation home in San Diego? Yes and yes. Am I married to the love of my life and somehow still skinny after having three of his children?

Well, I’m still skinny. Which really comes in handy for those rare getaways to the beach house. Speaking of which. Mental note—must make time to get back to beach house.

It turns out achieving the career parts of The Plan kept me a little busier than I thought it would, and no guy was ever able to keep up. There were contenders along the way and a few times when I thought I might have it all, but then the economy tanked and it took every ounce of business savvy in my five-foot-eight-inch frame to stay afloat. Lucky for me, people going through a recession tend to eat their emotions, and my flavors are incredibly soothing.

So, there I sit, hyperventilating as I try to blow out all those candles and realizing Kim has a point. In my uber-focused career path, I have completely let my love life fall to pieces. A few (read: five) celebratory shots of Fireball later, a new plan comes to mind.

“Well, for starters, I’m going to stop sleeping with Carter,” I announce.

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” says Meg, who has a right to be skeptical.

For the past three years, I’ve enjoyed a friends-with-benefits arrangement with a guy I met at the gym. I blame that Justin Timberlake movie, but it really has been beneficial for us both. We’ve managed to keep things casual while he gets through med school and I conquer the world of dairy deliciousness. He’s even one of my most trusted tasters for new flavors, but that’s mostly because he likes the way the ice cream tastes on my…

Well, anyway, it doesn’t matter what he eats the ice cream off, because it’s going to stop. Tomorrow. I mean, a girl needs birthday sex, right? Carter was on call last night, but he said he wants to stop by tonight to say hi and, as he put it, “let me blow out one more candle.” I’ll have to remind him the birthday girl shouldn’t be required to give a blow job, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

So, yes, no more sleeping with Carter. That’s obviously got to happen. The rest of the Plan still seems a bit crazy to me, but Meg and Kim seem to think it’s brilliant. Let’s see how it feels without a Fireball-induced fog.

I will date one man each month next year, starting in January.
That gives me five days to find someone on either a dating website or the old-fashioned-in-person way. Shouldn’t be too hard once I tell them it has to end after thirty days. Although I probably shouldn’t tell them about the next stipulation.

2. I will marry one of the twelve men.

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Penny McLean is a career woman by day, writer by night, mother at all times to three incredible children, and wife to a loving husband. Born in San Diego, California, she now hails from Gilbert, Arizona where she especially enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering at schools and libraries, with Girl Scouts, and for any causes that benefit marginalized communities, especially LGBTQIA+ youth. She began her career as a writer at the age of 17 when she was hired to cover movies, arts, and features for a youth-oriented page in the Arizona Republic. With twenty years of writing experience for magazines, newspapers, social media, and more, she is thrilled to have her first novel out in the world. Visit Penny's Website.

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Dragon Stones by Stephanie Burke New Release Blitz! #fantasy #spicybooks #smut #sexyreads #changelingpress

 

Title:  Dragon Stones

Author: Stephanie Burke

Narrator:isher: Changeling Press LLC

Release Date: July 28, 2023

Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 167 pages

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense, Action Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Women's Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Elves, Dragons & Magical Creatures, Gay, Magic, Sorcery, and Witchcraft, Multicultural & Interracial, Sex/Gender Shifters & MPreg, Shapeshifters

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His Shining Majesty, King of the Dhrovish Throne, has one son, the Silver Prince Vulwin Valas, who is a prince, a strategist, a warrior, and a… model?

Dragon Stone: In the human world, Prince Vulwin Valas is known as Win Arcarius, openly gay, very promiscuous, and one of the most highly sought after models ever. To the Fae Realms, he is known as the Silver Shadow, the King’s assassin, and someone not to be crossed. A routine visit home suddenly becomes more complicated, and Vulwin finds himself with a new mate, a new enemy, and a future he never considered before with… a dragon.

Dragon Alliance: Iffear comes to Vulwin at his most vulnerable, but as their magical enemies and a plot to destroy the Dhrovish throne make themselves known, the newly mated couple find themselves drawing closer together in order to survive.

Dragon Heart: Vulwin and Iffear know who was responsible for the attempts on their lives. Now they need to discover why. Seeking revenge could shatter the tentative peace and reignite the war between two Fae factions, but blood spilled in hate demands justice. How far will they go to fulfill a blood oath and see the Dragon Stones laid to rest?

Copyright ©2023 Stephanie Burke

Excerpt from Dragon Stone

Vulwin would have never noticed the male if it hadn’t been for the cat.

Really, in this age of mass hysteria about the agents of evil, who was brave enough to walk around with a cat in tow? And not only that, the cat was huge, black, and definitely noticeable.

The second thing he noticed was the chains around the male’s wrists, waist, and neck -- rather his corded waist, very thick wrists, and a neck that was exposed due to his lack of hair.

He didn’t have a chance to contemplate this event further because his king, with a boding voice, bade him approach. He entered the audience chamber and ignored the massive set of silver doors that slammed shut behind him.

“I see you have returned to us from the realm of man.” The king eyed him from the top of his tousled hair to his bare feet. “Unscathed?”

Vulwin nodded, standing tall before his king. “That I have, Your Shining Majesty.” Vulwin wanted to smirk at the man, indeed he did, but common sense prevailed and he contained his amusement at this old familiar back and forth.

“Strip.” The order was given negligently as the king turned to speak to one of his many advisors.

Vulwin looked around the chamber. Some things never changed. His king’s pet crows still perched along the rafters of the dimly lit room. A mixture of candles and old fashioned gas lights gave the whole chamber a yellow tinge, while burning incense took away that odd smell that filled the chambers because of the gas lights.

This audience chamber was dominated by the huge circular throne platform. It stretched along the back wall, its concave design dominating the small room. In the center sat the highest chair, the throne of the king, draped in furs and embroidered silks given as tribute from faraway lands. On either side of the throne sat two chairs, one for each of His Majesty’s advisors who helped him maintain peace and order in the realms.

Knowing that he would be ignored until he complied, Vulwin let go of the human glamour he wore, his long, pale gold hair disappearing with a subtle flow of light, lengthening until it became the knee-length silvery white that helped lend him his second name, Valas -- silver in the old tongue.

As the light passed over his body, it took along with it his human skin tone -- the pale gold that humans called albino and that his human manager found attractive -- and in its place his natural skin bled through.

Valas was proud of his skin tone, black as the starry night with a tracery of brilliant stars that gleamed when the light hit it just so. Others called his complexion speckled, the mark of a blessed child, and with his easy life he tended to agree with those old tales. No one else in the realm had skin like his and he was proud to show it off, a little miffed that his current assignment had him hiding it from prying eyes, but content to be smug about it when he was summoned to make his periodic trips home.

Removing the glamour was but the first step. With a wave of earth magic, he conjured from the floor a low table that sprouted forth like a small tree. It grew to about waist height and then Vulwin began to carefully remove the jewelry that adorned his body, starting with the delicate chains and hoops of gold that swung daintily from his long, pointed ears.

Unlike other Fae, the Dhrovish could be identified in an instant from the long, arching ears that rose up majestically from the sides of their heads. It was a point of pride to sport the most perfectly arched ears and the Dhrovish adorned them properly to show off their shape. He knew that Elvhenkind often looked down upon the Dhrovish for their midnight complexions and their large, ungainly ears, but he thought they were overcompensating for their lack by harping on the subject. Besides, a good, large set of ears generally meant that the Dhrow was sporting something thick and meaty between his thighs.

Oh yes, Vulwin Valas had a massive set of ears.

The necklaces of gold followed and the many rings that adorned his fingers and toes were removed next. Then the human clothing was carefully pulled off and folded, the long tunic of black silk, the loose fitting pants, and the anklets with their tiny bells.

He wore no underpants -- he couldn’t get used to that human concession -- so he stood there naked save for the thick swirl of ornate gold rings that encircled the base of his cock, his chastity device.

He stepped back from the conjured table and turned his gaze to his king...

Changeling Press LLC | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Stephanie is a USA Today Best Selling, multi published, multi award-winning author, Master Costumer, handicapped, wife and mother of two.

From sex-shifting, shape-shifting dragons to undersea worlds, sexually confused elemental Fey and homo-erotic mysteries, all the way to pastel-challenged urban sprites, Stephanie has done it all, and hopes to do more.

Stephanie is an orator on her favorite subjects of writing and world-building, a sometime teacher when you feed her enough tea and donuts, an anime nut, a costumer, and a frequent guest of various sci-fi and writing cons where she can be found leading panel discussions or researching varied legends and theories to improve her writing skills.

Stephanie is known for her love of the outrageous, strong female characters, believable worlds, male characters filled with depth, and multi-cultural stories that make the reader sit up and take notice.

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Defying Evil by @Abbie_Roads Reveal Post! ⁣⁣#AbbieRoads #DefyingEvil #XpressoTours @XpressoTours

 #Preorder this dangerously dark romance today ➞ https://amzn.to/45q21uH⁣⁣

Defying Evil: A Dark Romantic Thriller
Abbie Roads

(Blood is Thicker Than…, #1)
Publication date: October 17th 2023
Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller

He’s the son of a serial killer.
She’s his father’s only surviving victim.
He’s obsessed with her.
She’s frightened of him.
Before it’s all over they’ll need each other to survive.

Cain Killion’s life has revolved around blood. From a childhood of torture by his father, to his gruesome ability to solve crimes. When a current case is directly connected to his past, there’s only one person with answers.

But she isn’t talking, and the bodies are stacking up. The only solution… Kidnap her.

Defying Evil is the first book in the Blood is Thicker Than Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a man tortured by his past who never thought he was capable of love. If you devour edge of your seat thrillers and romance novels, you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of mind games and tragic love.

Read this dangerously dark romance today!

Trigger warning: Depictions of violence.

Previously published until the title Saving Mercy.

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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.

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A Hospital in the Clouds by @mhairead_macleod_author Book Blitz! ⁣⁣#mhaireadmacleod #AHospitalintheClouds #XpressoTours

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A Hospital in the Clouds
Mhairead MacLeod

Publication date: April 27th 2023
Genres: Adult, Historical, Historical Romance

CAN ANNA OUTRUN HER PAST?

Reinventing herself as a nurse in the tropical frontier of Australia, healing her soldier-lover, raising her unruly daughter – these are just a few of the challenges Anna Sinclair, a young suffragette, faces while on the run from the law back in Scotland.

As she struggles to establish her own hospital, her past draws closer and risks exposure of her shameful secret, along with the loss of everything she holds dearest.

Will everything she desires be achieved, or crumble around her?

“A powerful and perceptive depiction of love in the wake of war and trauma.” Nadine Davidoff, Freelance Editor

“A story about confronting and overcoming trauma within history… It had me turning the pages in a frenzy. Absolutely captivating!” Sandra, Indie Book reviewer

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When I saw Tom Austen that March morning of 1918, I knew there was something about him I recognised, something shared. It was in his expression as he let me dress his foot, rotten and black around stumps of cartilage where his toes had been surgically removed. He held in the pain, hissing through clenched teeth.

I drew the screen and squeezed a fresh cloth into a warm basin of water. ‘Here, Lieutenant Austen, I’ll help you off with your things.’

His shirt was damp with sweat, his pants soaked with urine.
‘Do you need to use the bedpan?’
‘Too late.’
As I pulled off his pyjamas his hand went to cover his crotch.
‘You should be used to this by now,’ I said, handing him a towel.
I wiped his face, the fair chin stubble uneven from alopecia, then massaged the washer gently down his chest, across red shrapnel scars and under his arms.
‘I was quite a hairy bugger until the war,’ he said.
‘Why didn’t you stay in England until your recovery?’
‘Must have been homesick. And Australian nurses are much prettier.’
We’d heard that old line from the soldiers many times, as if they were determined to assure us they were still virile men inside those broken bodies. We nurses usually played along – it was our job to heal, after all. But it was more than a job, more than just providing moral support and sympathy. We were part of their new family, we sisters who cared for them day and night. But the men we tended in the Injured Veterans’ Ward of the Cairns District Hospital were only a few of the hundreds who’d been shipped up to regional centres. It made room down south for the newly-arrived from Passchendaele, Pozières, Villers- Brettoneux, Lagnicourt – exotic names these men had no trouble pronouncing.

‘How lucky am I, eh? Shelled with phosgene. Didn’t realise what was happening. Thought I’d landed back home in a vat of newly picked corn – that’s what it smelt like. Didn’t feel it at first, then couldn’t breathe for the life of me. Crawled around, found my gas mask. Got patched up and sent back. Took another hiding from Fritz. Now this bloody trench foot.’

He made his butchering sound like a jaunty boy’s adventure, but I knew the truth. One night when the other men were asleep, I had found him, drawn back into that dark underworld, his body curled into a tight ball, his shoulders shaking.

A fly crawled over the bed, attracted by the rot that even disinfectant swabs couldn’t wash out. I flicked it away. ‘Your lungs are healing, Lieutenant. Our tropical weather will help. And you will get better, you hear?’ There was a liver-coloured wound at his neck, fading into scar tissue. At first, I suspected shrapnel damage, but when I looked closer, it resembled the more rounded scar of a bullet. ‘How did you get that?’

He propped himself up on one elbow and looked at me. ‘I can see what you’re thinking. So, don’t say it.’

‘Say what?’
‘That I’m really quite a lucky chap.’
‘I wasn’t going to.’
‘Then you’d be the first. That’s the platitude they come up with.’ He coughed, and the pain from his burned lungs made him slump back as he squeezed his eyes tight, shutting everything out. ‘Bloody carbolic floors,’ he said.

It was supposed to be a quick wipe down before I changed the basin and cloths for the next patient, but I slowed the process a little, the water wringing and splashing, sponging and soothing the pale landscape of violence. I patted dry the tattooed profile on his bicep. ‘She’s a pretty one. With her dark blue hair flying around.’

‘On leave with the battalion when I had that done. Got myself blotto. Didn’t have a girl to write home to, so I thought I’d carry one in my arms.’ He gave a chuckle then coughed again. ‘It’s just not the sort of thing … an officer is supposed to do. Is it, nurse?’

I guessed a warning about STDs would embarrass him, especially from someone his own age, and he’d probably have heard the standard lecture many times. Instead, I said with a smile, ‘You’d know how to set a good example, then.’
‘I’m the least qualified in the world to do that.’
‘Sounds like false modesty to me.’
‘No. Hard to explain – and if I tried, it would probably be bulldust.’

Mhairead MacLeod was born in Scotland and now lives in Australia. Her first novel, The False Men won two manuscript awards. The manuscript for A Hospital in the Clouds has been short-listed for and won screenwriting manuscript awards. Before she became a writer Mhairead was a lawyer, which has proved useful for researching her historical fiction.

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Egregiuos by J. Hali Steele New Release Blitz! #PNR #darkfantasy #gay #LGBTQ #steamyreads #sexybooks #shifterromance

 

 

Title:  Egregious

Author: J. Hali Steele

Publisher: Changeling Press LLC

Release Date: August 5, 2023

Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 89 pages

Genre: Action Adventure, Dark Fantasy, New Releases, Paranormal Women's Fiction, Razor's Edge Erotica, Romance, Suspense

Liam Lamech buried Valerian, the vampire he recognized as his mate, next to Hell’s Gate nearly two thousand years ago. When the vampire king frees the vile creature, Liam determines not to give in to the strongest emotion a vampire can experience -- the pull of an eternal mate. Liam can’t kill Valerian, yet he vows never to love him. Still, he’ll protect the undead man with his own life.

Valerian detests the memory of his days as a Roman emperor, though not nearly as much as he hates Liam, the vampire God chose as his mate. Aware they were meant to spend eternity together, the monster buried Val so close to Satan that a piece of his soul still burns. Even though Liam is one of the vampire king’s most revered warriors, Valerian vows to make the bastard pay!

Egregious (Sanguine Blood Seekers 5)

J. Hali Steele

All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2023 J. Hali Steele

Liam Lamech found himself in an impossible situation. He despised his mate, a malicious fiend who, as a Roman emperor, was responsible for slaying a multitude of Christians.

The vampire who filled Liam’s mind during every waking moment had been created by one whose blood would burn stronger than Liam’s, had he not regularly received blood from Sten Majkovic, the vampire king, and the most supreme undead creature inhabiting God’s world.

Liam had believed Sten truly liked and respected him until the king unearthed the body of Publius Licinius Valerianus, known by the vampire world as Valerian and now as Liam’s mate.

All those centuries ago Liam strongly suspected his connection to Valerian. The pull of the eternal bond was so intense Liam would not even take the vile brute’s blood before he entombed him in a hole deep enough that if he reached out, he could touch Satan’s face. Liam prayed the devil would hold the evil bastard prisoner forever.

Liam only knew of one other vampire who had resisted the phenomenal attraction to his own mate all those eons ago. Kamose, a seventeenth dynasty pharaoh, had somehow managed to live thousands of years with knowledge his mate still lived.

Shit, Kam survived without his mate because, as did Liam, he carried strong blood in his veins. Couple that with the fact that he searched out and screwed the saint every chance he could unless the holy man had gone to ground.

Now all vamps sought the only being they would forgive any sin -- their mate. That one, human or undead, who completed them, who would walk at their side forever.

Valerian was not that vampire. He couldn’t be. “I will never forgive him,” Liam swore. “And I don’t want a mate! God, please tell me, show me, Valerian can’t be the one.” Liam stormed back and forth in such fury, he wore a path in the jewel-toned carpet that stretched the width and length of his living room. Liam didn’t even have the luxury of talking to his king as Sten, claiming back pain, had safeguarded his home from everyone except Joshua. Not even Sten’s favored warrior’s lover could gain entrance to what had now become a fortress.

“Backache my ass.” Vampires didn’t entertain bodily aches unless another, far superior, snatched their heart out. Depending on age and ability, both could die from such an act as no vamp was permitted to destroy another of their kind unless the execution was ordered by Sten -- and still, there were dire consequences. After all that Liam had undertaken for his king, he now viewed Sten as an ungrateful reprobate.

Creeping around his own mind got Liam nowhere. May as well do what he’d done for thousands of years to stave off loneliness and… sorrow. Where the hell had that word sprung from? Liam suffered no woes over the past and what he’d done in God’s name. Saturated with anger, he felt as if his life -- or rather, his undead existence, was falling apart. Underground, the club in King of Prussia, a suburb of Philadelphia, was full of voyeurs willing to take him or watch him be had by someone he prayed would savagely use him tonight. A visit to the exclusive sex venue would settle Liam’s thoughts as well as ease tension that rose each time the sun crested the horizon.

What enraged Liam’s soul most was that God had permitted Valerian, the sacrilegious piece of shit, to live. “Me. I performed that feat.” The thought paraded through Liam’s mind. I allowed Valerian to live. “Why did I supply him with enough of Kenan’s blood to keep him thriving in that hole?”

And where was his king? Liam had been without Sten’s blood for a longer period than usual. That loss infuriated Liam, and although he’d drained blood from a heart laced with Valerian’s blood, he still had trouble tracking the murderous asshole.

Dissolving into nothing, Liam slipped into Underground unnoticed by human eyes. The smell of men and sex relieved his tension briefly, until he heard a voice he recognized all too well.

“Son of a bitch!”

Purchase at Changeling Press LLC

Growl and roar -- it's okay to let the beast out. -- J. Hali Steele 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! J. Hali's a multi-published Amazon bestselling author of Romance in Paranormal, Fantasy, and Contemporary worlds which include ReligErotica and LGBTQ stories where humans, vampyres, shapeshifters and angels collide -- and 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.

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Can Emelia and her band of plucky outcasts save the world from a cult of fanatics intent on unleashing an ancient horror?

The Beckoning Void

by Patrick LeClerc

Genre: Gaslamp Adventure Horror

Emelia DuMond is an actress, her skill at adopting and changing her identity lifting her from her humble beginnings to success on the stage of Victorian London. And to the attention of the Ghost Society, a secret organization who work to defend the world from threats of the paranormal. After centuries of seeking, the sinister Disciples of the Void have obtained an arcane book of great power. A power that could tear the veil between dimensions and plunge the world into a dark, unspeakable future.

Now she has recruited an aging soldier of fortune burdened by a conscience, the sword wielding daughter of an Afghan brigand and an airship whose captain escaped slavery during the Civil War by stealing a Confederate vessel.

Can Emelia and her band of plucky outcasts save the world from a cult of fanatics intent on unleashing an ancient horror?

“The Beckoning Void” is a tale of cunning plots, flashing swords, skillful piloting, witty repartee and eldritch dread.

** Recently made it into the semi finals of the 2023 Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award! Details can be found at https://www.bbnya.com/ OR on Twitter at @BBNYA_Official **

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Patrick LeClerc makes good use of his history degree by working as a paramedic for an ever- changing parade of ambulance companies in the Northern suburbs of Boston. When not writing he enjoys cooking, fencing and making witty, insightful remarks with career-limiting candor.

In the lulls between runs on the ambulance --and sometimes the lulls between employment at various ambulance companies-- he writes fiction.

His work can be found at inkandbourbon.com, and quantummuse.com

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