Everything We Are by @darbyblakeauthor & @siennarayauthor Book Blitz and Giveaway! #XpressoTours @XpressoTours #darbyblake #EverythingWeAre #siennaray

 

Everything We Are
Darby Blake & Sienna Ray

Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

Thea Jenson has her future meticulously planned out. Graduate from college. Get a job. Marry her high school sweetheart and have two beautiful children. When she decides to transfer schools, her brother suggests she move in with him and his unruly hockey roommates. Everything in her life is going according to her plan . . .

. . . until she bumps into Kyler in their kitchen and sparks fly.

Kyler Rose, the starting center for the Northport University hockey team, is done for the moment he lays his eyes on Thea. But he can’t allow her to become a distraction. He’s determined to make it to the NHL. That’s if he doesn’t get booted for failing grades first. And even though he’s on scholarship, it doesn’t pay his bills or provide for his family. Neither do the tips he earns from his bartending gig. When an offer to make some fast cash falls in his lap, he takes it, thinking no one will care if he gets hurt . . .

. . . except Thea does care.

But just as Kyler finds a way to navigate his feelings for Thea, an unexpected link to his family comes to light and he finds himself in the fight of his life to protect those he loves the most – his family.

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—

EXCERPT:

THEA

I never really thought I’d be that person—the one who switches school after a year because they’ve changed their whole career path. It’s not as if the change is because some big scandal went down. There was no sordid affair with a teacher, no cheating on a test, not even the slightest hint of any wrongdoing. The plain fact is, I quickly discovered the major I was studying was not for me. It took a while for realization to set in. I thought my plans were set in stone since ninth grade. Graduate from college with a summa cum laude, become a successful defense attorney defending high-profile cases in the state, get married and have kids. Now my direction has changed, and a high-flying defense attorney has been replaced with a nutritionist and dietician.

There is another reason for this change; one I haven’t admitted to anyone. I feel like I’m stuck. I’m floating around in no man’s land with a future I’m not sure I want anymore. The trouble with having a life plan from an early age is the risk of growing out of it. It seemed like a good idea when I was fifteen and obsessed with crime dramas. It’s only when you start hitting the books and going to lecture upon lecture you realize it’s not as glamorous as it seems. I quickly discovered the legal profession is not for me.

So here I am, leaving my hometown of Silver Lake and moving three hours south, where I’ll attend the University of Northport for the next three years. The Health Sciences department at Northport is one of the best in our state, which is the reason I’m transferring there. My career choice may have changed, but my ambitions for graduating summa cum laude remain the same. It helps that my older brother, Jude, goes there. Thankfully, I get to share a house with him and some of his teammates. Jude is on Northport’s ice hockey team, and if he wanted to, he could easily be drafted to the NHL. At the moment, though, he’s set on graduating and “conquering the world,” his words, not mine.

Darby Blake is a pen name for New York Times Bestselling Author Heidi McLaughlin. Darby’s first novel, EVERYTHING WE ARE, co-written with her best friend, is due to be released in June 2022. Learn more about Darby by visiting darbyblake.com

Author links:
Website / Facebook / Instagram / Newsletter
--

Sienna Ray is a quietly introverted author living in the UK. She lives with her other half and despite aspirations to be an author in her school days, has only just recently embarked on her writing journey. Her debut novel, EVERYTHING WE ARE, co-written with her best friend, is due to be released in June 2022.

Author links:
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The Laughbox by Julia Kent Book Blitz and Giveaway! #Laughbox #juliakent #XpressoTours @XpressoTours

 

The Laughbox
Julia Kent

Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

The Laughbox contains SIX full-length novels so you can start all of New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Julia Kent’s series, plus get an ALL NEW NOVELLA you can’t find anywhere else.

Get a taste of billionaires, small towns, rock stars, office romance, secret bosses, second chances, first crushes, enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, and so much more.

Each series is wildly different from the others, with varying heat levels, different hijinks, but always, always – a heartwarming world you want to live in, with heroes who make you swoon and heroines who make you laugh – and cheer on in their quests for happily-ever-after endings.

This boxed set includes:

Shopping for a Billionaire (a New York Times bestseller)

Fluffy (a USA Today bestseller)

Love You Wrong

Random Acts of Crazy (a New York Times bestseller)

In Your Dreams

Maliciously Obedient (a USA Today bestseller)

and an ALL NEW novella, Shopping for a Billionaire’s Anniversary, featuring Declan and Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, as they celebrate their anniversary with affection, heat, and a hilarious set of awkward mishaps that still manage to be conquered by love.

Sink into seven fun stories that leave you with all the feels, loads of laughs, and strange looks from people around you as you read, giggle, and fall in love.

Note: each of these are series starters. Some are standalones (Fluffy), others end with the main characters together but with more books in the series as I follow their relationship (Shopping for a Billionaire, Random Acts of Crazy), others are prequels (Love You Wrong, In Your Dreams), while Maliciously Obedient has a cliffhanger. Full, up-front transparency for readers.

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SPECIAL RELEASE PRICE: 2.99 until 6/26 when price goes up to 9.99!

—

EXCERPT:

Declan

Here.” My executive assistant, Dave, shoves a perfectly wrapped present at me, with a card and a small envelope. We’re in my office, the sun shining on this beautiful spring day, and I am finishing up work before taking a vacation.

Yes–vacation. It’s for one night, but it counts.

“What’s this?”

“Your anniversary gift for Shannon.”

The note card is blank.

He notices me noticing this and his face sours, the corners of his mouth dropping in scorn, pulling his beard down so he looks like an angry leprechaun.

“I draw the line at writing sweet nothings to your wife and signing your name, even if my rendition of your signature is far superior to your own,” he says dryly, reaching down to square a pile of papers on my desk.

“My signature is my signature. No one can best it, Dave.”

He just snorts.

I shake the box lightly. “What’s in here?”

“Leather.”

“Leather?”

“Ninth-year anniversary gift. Leather is flexible and represents durability.”

“I am well aware of what leather represents. What does it have to do with my marriage?”

He snorts again.

I frown and ask, “Just leather? What is it, a wallet?”

“No! Of course not. The traditional gemstone for ninth anniversaries is lapis. I had a jewelry artist set chunks of lapis in gold, then stitch them onto a leather cuff bracelet.” Dave holds his phone up to me, showing a picture of the piece.

“That’s incredible.”

A short sigh of contentment, then a clipped, “You’re welcome” is how Dave takes a compliment. He doesn’t feed off praise.

He feeds off his own hypercompetence. If efficiency were a drug, Dave would be Al Pacino on Scarface, covered in the fine white powder of his own brutal excellence.

“The lighthouse is reserved for the evening?” I inquire, reaching for my briefcase.

“Yes. Your suit’s in the car already.” Dave eyes me. “Where will you change?”

I’m wearing jeans, hiking boots, and a Lacoste polo shirt, all Shannon’s favorites. The dark green shirt is a nod to my eyes, which she has spent almost a decade raving about.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

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Provoking Odium by @cynthiasax Book Blitz and Giveaway! #cynthiasax #ProvokingOdium #XpressoTours⁣⁣⁣ @XpressoTours⁣⁣

 

Provoking Odium
Cynthia Sax

(Cyborg Unity, #1)
Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction

A Beautiful Cyborg

While accompanying his leader on a mission, Odium, an E Model cyborg, hears a distress call over the communication lines. The voice on that message makes his circuits surge with energy and all his systems light up. He has to respond to the mysterious female, would risk his lifespan and the lifespans of everyone on board their ship to protect her.

A Human Female Others Call Beast

Briella gained her nickname due to her flying abilities, her fearlessness, and her scarred countenance. Her verbal-only relationship with the sexy cyborg who answers her distress call is a steamy yet short-lived fantasy. His kind is physically perfect, and she is…not. He will uncover that truth when…if they survive the attack upon her freighter.
***
Provoking Odium is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a human female intent on remaining mysterious, a cyborg warrior determined to uncover her identity, and an enemy seeking to destroy them both before they have the opportunity to meet.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Briella should leave now, before Mohini and Odium met. Seeing the two of them together would tear her soul apart.

But then the doors opened, and the toes of two huge black boots became visible.

She lifted her gaze and her breath caught. That footwear was attached to an equally large male.

Odium was built like the warrior he was. The body armor barely contained his muscular form. Well-maintained weapons decorated the garment. His stance was strong. His hips were narrow. His shoulders were wide.

Desire hit Briella like a missile, almost knocking her over.

She’d researched E Models, had seen some of his kind on Mercury Minor, and she believed she knew what to expect.

But her overly active imagination had fallen far short of envisioning Odium. His hair was the blackest black. His skin was gray. Not one scar marred his countenance. His eyes were dark.

His face. Stars. His face.

All the cyborgs she’d met had been handsome. Odium, however, was Mohini-levels of beautiful. He was that exquisite female’s physical match.

Briella’s desolation escalated. She took a step backward.

Odium’s nostrils flared. He turned his head, gazed directly at her.

She froze in place. That was impossible. There were hundreds of beings stationed between them. He must merely be looking in her direction.

Seeking to test that theory, she shifted to the right.

His gaze tracked her.

Her warrior had somehow located her in the crowd.

Briella’s palms dampened. Her stomach knotted.

Others sought to speak to Odium. He didn’t look at those beings. His focus was on her.

It was heady, exciting, worrisome. She brushed her fingers over her goggles. They were in place, so her eyes were hidden.

He saw her scars. Those couldn’t be concealed.

But he couldn’t view the worst of her disfigurements, the part of her that had evoked fear and hatred in her kind, that made the toughest of warriors avoid her.

She could endure his perusal, could stand her ground and—

Mohini approached Odium.

His gaze flicked toward the female.

Her friend was impossible for any male to ignore. And her cyborg was certainly a male. He vibrated with vitality, with power.

Briella wanted him with every cell in her body.

Mohini appeared as enthralled with Odium. Her eyes glowed with interest. Her lips moved. Her friend’s words were too softly spoken for Briella to hear.

But she could imagine what was being said, and every flirtatious comment, every glance, every movement was a dagger stuck deep into her face. The pain, the torment lashed her again and again.

It was unbearable. Panic filled her. She couldn’t do this, couldn’t stand by passively and watch her friend seduce the male she wanted. That was beyond her capabilities.

She turned away from them and ran.

For updates on characters and for very bad jokes, sign up for Cynthia's monthly newsletter at http://cynthiasax.com

USA Today Bestselling author Cynthia Sax is currently writing cyborg and alien romances with high heat levels. These stories are set in a shared dark, gritty, sometimes violent world. There is always a romantic happy ending between the main characters and this happy ending is FOREVER. But everyone else is in danger.

Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of... top ten lists.

She loves writing fated to mate or instalove romances as this is her personal experience with love. She fell in love with her Dear Wonderful Hubby at first sight and 25 plus years later, they're still very much in love. This is what she wishes for her characters and for her readers.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / Newletter

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Maddie Bloom & the Fae Academy by Emily Jenkins Book Blitz and Giveaway! #MaddieBloomandtheFaeAcademy #EmilyJenkins #XpressoTours @XpressoTours

 

Maddie Bloom & the Fae Academy
Emily Jenkins

Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Welcome to Fae Academy, where if the Sluagh Sidhe lurking in the woods doesn’t get you, the homework just might…

Maddie Bloom is dreading sophomore year. Not only is her mom’s mysterious illness getting worse, but it’s also a brand-new year of her longtime bully to look forward to. Because who doesn’t love getting swirlies in the newly renovated girls’ bathroom? But then the accident happens. The one where she’s escaping said bully and accidentally summons a magical portal that drops her right into the foyer of a literal castle.

That’s when the big reveals start…

1. Faeries exist.
2. Maddie is half-fae. Which is how she ended up in Figstern’s Academy for Excellence, aka Fae Academy.
3. And Maddie’s uncontrolled magic? It’s slowly poisoning her mom.

When she’s given the chance to stay and learn to control her gifts to save her mom, the choice is clear. But Maddie’s not exactly welcome at Fae Academy. Bullies exist even in the magical world, and don’t get her started on the vindictive hobgoblin or the disgraced prince of the Autumn Court.

Still, not all is what it seems at Fae Academy. And the more Maddie digs, the more secrets she uncovers. Secrets that could threaten her life, her mother’s life, and the future of the fae world itself.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I flipped onto my back, spitting mulch from my mouth. I was seconds from pushing myself into a sitting position when the ground vibrated beneath me, courtesy of Sam’s rapidly approaching footsteps. Her bloodlust rippled through the air; that’s how excited she was to have me where she wanted me.

Get up! My inner voice yelled at me.

I listened, but instantly regretted it. Sharp pain shot through my torso from the impact of the fall, and my stomach lurched as Samantha leered down at me. She was way too close for comfort – to where I could distinguish freckles from blemishes.

I swallowed, heat rising to my face. I had a feeling my life was about to flash before my eyes.

But before I could reflect on the short, uneventful fifteen years that I’d walked this Earth, I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye.

I turned my head sideways, and a strange warmth spread over my body, engulfing me from head to toe.

To my left, the air was… shimmering.

I blinked. Once, twice, a third time, but it was still there. A twinkling, transparent curtain swaying in mid-air and luring me in. Calling for me. I’m not exaggerating, either.

I swear it was chanting my name repeatedly.

Meanwhile, in front of me, Sam was preparing to pounce like a predator.

Without thinking, without understanding what was going on, I dodged, rolling toward the strange, glistening air to my left. And somehow, the space swallowed me whole, swooping me out of the playground and away from Sam’s clutches just as she reached out to make good on her promise to make me pay for forcing her to run.

I caught one last glimpse of her stunned face.

And then she disappeared from my view.

Or was it me who disappeared?

Whatever the case, the world as I, Maddie Bloom, knew it, was gone.

Hi, my name is Emily Jenkins. I'm a high school student and wrestle, and I also happen to be the USA National East Coast Jr Teen! After writing a children's book about bullying in 2020 (Wrestling Girl Takes Down Bullies), I was inspired to keep creating stories—which is how the Maddie Bloom series was born.

In my free time, I love collecting socks, cooking, and sewing clothes for my dog.

He tears them up. It sort of breaks my heart. I sew more.

Yep, it's a vicious cycle. :D

Wanna keep up with my updates?

Sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/h3oXtL

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Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano by Arnon Z. Shorr, Illustrated by Joshua Edelglass Book Tour and Guest Review!

Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano by Arnon Z. Shorr, Illustrated by Joshua Edelglass’

Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing, May 1, 2022
Category: Children’s Graphic Novels, Pirates, Action Adventure, Jewish, Children’s Prejudice and Racism
Tour dates: May 2-June 30, 2021
ISBN: 978-1728420097
Available in Print and ebook, 96 pages

Description Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano by Arnon Z. Shorr, Illustrated by Joshua Edelglass’

Set in the shadows of the Spanish Inquisition, this is the coming-of-age story of José Alfaro, a young refugee who forms a powerful bond with the mysterious Pirate Captain Toledano. It’s also a dynamic pirate adventure on the high seas, with hand-to-hand combat and ship-to-ship action, and the powerful story of a dark time in history when people took different paths to survive.

José Alfaro is a cocky, rambunctious teen in the 16th-century colony of Santo Domingo, pulling pranks and dodging the authorities. One day, José’s mischief lands him in serious trouble.

Hoping for a fresh start, he stows away on the Laqish, not knowing that it’s a pirate ship. From his hiding place, he watches the pirates divide their loot and plan their attacks on long days at sea. He also takes note of the respect they have for their captain, the intimidating Toledano.

But the captain has a secret―like José, he is a Jew. For him, piracy is not about the gold; it has a different purpose.

Under the tutelage of the ship’s quartermaster, José learns the intricacies of pirate life. But when he can, the captain finds ways to pull José away from the crew, to teach him about his ancestors.

View Trailer Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano by Arnon Z. Shorr

Review Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano by Arnon Z. 

Guest Review by Laura

“We are sailing towards danger, so sharpen your blades and swallow your pride.” – Captain Toledano.

A rip-roaring adventure on the high seas! 'Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano,' by Arnon Z. Shorr and illustrated by Joshua M. Edelglass is exactly the kind of graphic novel that sucks you in and whisks you away until the very last page! Shorr and Edelglass have created a wonderful story with beautiful visuals that ensnare the reader and make you feel as if you are experiencing everything with the characters.

This is a story about justice, loyalty and family relationships and each beat is perfectly done. The main character of the story, a young man named Jose Alfaro. He begins the story as a carefree teenager whose biggest problem is being bullied by his peers for his intelligence.

Soon enough, however, Jose's word is turned upside down when his father reveals to him that his late mother was Jewish. Jose's father, Señor Alfaro kept this knowledge from his son in order to protect him from the Spanish Inquisition which has taken over their colony of San Domingo.

However, Señor Alfaro is soon arrested by the head Inquisitor, a man named De Guzman. Jose escapes being arrested himself and goes to the harbor, stowing away on a pirate ship called the Laqish. When he is found, Jose is nearly thrown overboard into the ocean. But the captain, Toledano, decides to take Jose under his wing.

This is a move that is questioned by both Jose and the crew of the ship. But soon it is revealed that Toledano is a Jewish man, himself, and he wishes to teach Jose the ways of their religion. Jose spends many months on the ship, but soon they discover that they are able to return to San Domingo and possibly rescue Señor Alfaro. But, of course, things do not go as planned, and the crew of the Laqish must figure out how to get justice for Jose, and discover some things about themselves along the way. This is an epic read!

Guest Post by Joshua M. Edelglass

Comics Collaboration

As an artist, there’s definitely a “control freak” aspect of my personality.  I like things the way I like them.  When I have a vision for a project, there’s a part of me that wants to try to bring that vision to life undiluted, exactly how it was in my mind.

But over and over again in my career, I’ve seen that a successful collaboration can be magical.  When different artists work together and are in sync, the work they create together can transcend anything they might have been able to do individually.

This was absolutely the case in working with author and filmmaker Arnon Z. Shorr on our graphic novel José and the Pirate Captain Toledano.

 Arnon and I were able to set up a working relationship, right from the beginning, in which we were able to be open and honest with one another.  We could communicate openly; we could tell one another what we thought; we could ask questions and give feedback on each other’s work.  This is not the easiest thing to do!  Everyone wants to be liked, and I think we’d all prefer to hear praise as opposed to criticism.  It requires a certain amount of vulnerability and openness to be able to solicit and listen to feedback. 

Arnon and I were able to, in a gentle and supportive way, push one another.  As Arnon worked on the script for our graphic novel, I had an opportunity to review his drafts.  I was able to bring my artist’s eye and make suggestions as to how the story might best flow from page to page.  Maybe this scene needs a little more space to breathe, and we should extend it onto the next page?  Maybe this other scene could be consolidated so we could get this point across in just one panel instead of three?

Then, when I started illustrating the pages, the tables were turned.  I’d send the pages to Arnon and he was able to bring his writer/storyteller eye to my work.  He would let me know if the action I’d drawn in a panel was unclear, or if a character’s expression wasn’t quite capturing the emotion he felt was needed in that moment.

The result was that, at every step in the process, we each pushed one another to be better, which in turn made the final project better. 

What were some of the keys to our collaboration?

First, we talked openly with one another right at the beginning of the project about how we wanted to work together.  It was very helpful to set the tone, and to be able to be explicit and clear with one another about how we could best communicate.  When collaborators have regular channels of open communication, that makes it much easier if there’s ever a problem or a difference of opinion.  If you’re not used to communicating when things are good, it’s much harder to communicate when there’s a problem.

When giving feedback, we were each careful not to only give negative feedback.  We were each open with praise when the other’s work made us happy and impressed us.  And when we had suggestions to make, we both were sure that our comments were constructive and not too brutal.  It’s a delicate balance, but an important one.

 When receiving feedback, we both tried to be open and welcoming to new ideas.  This can be very hard.  I find it can feel very easy to tighten up and instinctually reject any negative feedback.  It’s easy to think: they just don’t get it!  But I found that if I could allow that initial impulse to pass, and allow myself the space to consider this feedback impassively, then suddenly I could find myself discovering wonderful different opinions or perspectives that I’d never considered when left to my own devices.  For this to happen, I felt it important to give myself time.  I tried to batten down my initial snap reaction, and take the time to let that pass and to be able to think about and consider the feedback carefully.

his doesn’t mean Arnon and I would always agree with the feedback we were giving one another!  One doesn’t have to be a pushover in order to be a good collaborator!  After giving each other the space to really listen to and consider the feedback we were giving, we both felt comfortable speaking up and voicing our opinions.  If one of us had a suggestion and the other didn’t agree with it, we would say so!  In these situations, we’d talk things out, and almost always, after some back-and-forth, we’d be able to find an agreement with which we were both comfortable.

These keys to collaboration don’t only apply to artistic collaborators.  I think this approach is applicable in any type of business or professional endeavor.

I wish you all the fortune to find many wonderful collaborators with whom you can work together!

About Arnon Z. Shorr

Arnon Z. Shorr is an author, screenwriter and filmmaker of character-driven adventures and thrillers, where heroes grapple with the extraordinary, and in doing so, learn important truths about themselves.

Arnon spent most of his childhood between worlds: a Hebrew speaker in America, a private school kid in a rented two-bedroom apartment. Whenever he’d set foot in one world, his other foot would betray him as different. For that reason, he tells stories that embrace the peculiar, where encounters with the unexpected reveal who we are.

Website: https://www.arnonshorr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shorr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArnonShorr/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arnonshorr/

About Joshua Edelglass’

Joshua Edelglass is a freelance illustrator from Massachusetts. He is also the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah New England. At Brown University, Josh wrote and drew the political cartoon, WorldView for The Brown Daily Herald. That experience gave him the bug for cartooning, a passion that has never left him.

Josh’s work has appeared in a variety of exhibitions, including Pow! Jewish Comics Art and Influence that ran at the Brooklyn Jewish Art Museum in Spring 2018. Josh was included in the Jewish Comix Anthology, published in 2014 by Alternative History Press. Josh was also included in SCI: The Jewish Comics Anthology vol. 2, which was published in the fall of 2018.

Website: www.motionpicturescomics.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshua_edelglass/

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Giveaway Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano by Arnon Z. Shorr

This giveaway is for 2 print copies One for each of 2 winners. This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on July 1, 2022 midnight, pacific time.  Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus May 2 Kickoff & Interview

Sage Nor Goodreads May 3 Review

Lu Ann Rockin’ Book Reviews May 9 Review

Jas International Book Promotion May 10 Review

Bookgirl Amazon May11 Review

Zohar Man of la Book May 17 Review

Am Goodreads May 18 Review

Betty Goodreads May 19 Review

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Nora S. Storeybook Reviews May 24 Guest Review

DT Chantel Amazon June 1 Review

Bee Book Pleasures June 2 Interview

Bee Book Pleasures June 2 Review

Ellen See Goodreads June 3 Review

Lisa’s Writopis June 8 Review

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Smitty Goodreads June 13 Review

Lisa’s Writopis June 14 Guest Post

Marion Moonlight Musings June 15 Review & Guest Post

Gud Reader Goodreads June 16 Review

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Suzie M. My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews June 21 Review

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Laura Lee Celticlady’s Reviews June 24 Guest Review & Guest Post

Mike Goodreads June 27 Review

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Her Dark Reflection by @haileyjadeauthor Book Tour and Giveaway! ⁣⁣⁣⁣ #XpressoTours⁣⁣ @XpressoTours⁣⁣ #haileyjade #HerDarkReflection #haileyjade #HerDarkReflection

 

Her Dark Reflection
Hailey Jade

Publication date: June 15th 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

“They called me the Whore Queen. Some even called me the Evil Queen. But they could call me whatever they wanted. I was still queen.”

Rhiandra Tiercelin hungers for power and her charm has always been her sharpest weapon in hunting it. So when a brutal attack leaves her physically scarred, desperation drives her to make a deal with Draven, a magic-wielding stranger who is inexplicably compelling and definitely dangerous. She knows she can’t trust him, but he when he offers to make her a queen, the temptation is too enticing to resist.

Armed with a glamoured face and an enchanted apple, Rhiandra is determined to scheme her way into a crown, even if it means risking the deadly punishment for unsanctioned magic use. But Draven is playing a bigger game, and she is just one piece on the board.

Can she keep her wits about her long enough to uncover his secrets, or will he lure her down a path she will come to regret?

Her Dark Reflection is the first book in a new dark romantic fantasy series perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy, Jennifer Armentrout and Sarah A. Parker. If you like cunning, ambitious heroines, morally ambiguous men and romance that toes the line between love and hate, then you’ll love Hailey Jade’s dark reimagining of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

‘After today, you’ll be living in the palace,’ he said, eating up that sensible distance I had just erected with a few steps. ‘Are you ready?’

I turned to him, looking up at him from under my lashes. By the time he had knocked on my door an hour earlier, his arms full of boxes of clothes, I had long since made up my mind to seduce him. I had flushed as I’d pulled on the clocked stockings and white chemise that I sported beneath the gown I now wore, wondering if he’d imagined what I would look like in them.

I traded in desire, but usually not my own. I had felt it before, of course, but this was disconcertingly intense. I felt like there was too much blood in my body, keeping my skin perpetually flushed and sensitive. It was inconvenient, especially since everything about him suggested that I needed to be on my guard. Fortunately, the solution to lust was usually a tumble between the sheets, and once my curiosity was sated, the desire went with it. I would have him, and then my head would clear.

He held my gaze and leaned forwards a little. I tilted my head, my breath coming faster. The smell of him was heady, rattling my senses like a stiff drink.

Then, he smirked. ‘Get your head on straight. Enchantment or no, you’re about to enter a den of vipers. Your wits need to be sharp.’

I let out my breath in a huff, flushing scarlet as I stormed away from him, heading straight for the door, mentally chastising myself as I did. Stupid little idiot. I wasn’t some maiden, to be played by a cunning knave.

‘Rhiandra,’ he called as I placed my hand on the doorknob, and I looked back at him, schooling my expression into one of blasé detachment.

‘Yes?’

‘Have you forgotten something?’ He gestured at the mirror over the fireplace and I scowled at it for a few moments, hating it, before slowly walking over to it. I gritted my teeth and braced myself as I stepped before the glass.

The beautiful girl in the small mirror on the dressing table was not the one that greeted me now. Staring back at me was my ruined face, the one that haunted my nightmares. All I wanted to do was get away from the sight, to run from this heinous reminder of what had happened to me, but I stood waiting. The feeling of phantom fingers brushed over me, over my scars, and my skin went strangely numb, then flushed ice cold. As soon as the sensation of cold had faded, I backed away from the fireplace, glancing at the regular mirror on the dressing table to make sure I was still whole and gleaming there. It seemed a particular kind of cruelty that the enchantment now woven into my mother’s mirror revealed my true face even as it hid it. I would be forced to look on my scars whenever I refreshed the glamour, and I wondered whether it was an intentional cruelty.

‘You can’t forget while you’re in the palace.’ Draven was still, his gaze sharp as he watched me. ‘Don’t wait until your time is almost up before you refresh the glamour.’

‘My, how lucky I am to have your sage wisdom supplementing my poor feminine brain,’ I snapped, my lip curled with sarcasm, begging for a rise, but he remained as impassive as a stone wall. ‘What happens if I meet a druthi? Won’t they see the glamour?’

‘You’ve nothing to fear from druthi. You could crack one over the head with your mirror and he wouldn’t understand what it is. A bunch of incompetent parasites.’ There was something in the way he said this, a simmering anger that drew my attention.

‘How can you be sure?’ I said. ‘They burn people every month for unsanctioned magic use. If they catch me—’

‘They won’t.’ He sounded irritated now. ‘Trust me, Rhiandra.’

‘I don’t trust you.’

He tilted his head and offered a vicious smile. ‘And yet, here you are.’

I sighed with frustration and turned for the door again. He was taking up too much space in this too-small room and I was ready to be out of it.

Hailey Jade is an Australian who has the audacity to think she might be able to hack it as a writer. Whether this is true or not, she is hoping giving it a red hot go will make the characters who live in her head pipe down long enough for her to get some sleep. She likes creating complicated antiheros, pairing them with heroines who wont be pushed around by any man, sex appeal be damned, and planting them both in worlds touched with magic.

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Death at Fair Havens by Maria Mankin & Maren C. Tirabassi

About Death at Fair Havens

Death at Fair Havens 

Cozy Mystery 1st in Series 

Setting - Massachusetts

Brain Mill Press (April 26, 2022) 

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 318 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 194855965X 

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1948559652 

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09NCJDRCS

Wanda Duff is an unconventional New England clergywoman, addicted to chicken wings, high-octane ice cream, and saying yes to anyone in need of a prayer, even the folks her town might think don’t deserve one.

 

When parishioner Niels Pond dies unexpectedly at the Fair Havens assisted living facility, Wanda’s duty to minister to his family is beset by her suspicions about the circumstances of his abrupt passing. Wanda finds an unexpected co-detective in high school vice principal Prudence Rye, who fled town on graduation night a decade ago and returned only recently.

 

Rye puts her job on the line to investigate the mourning Ponds with the surprisingly edgy Wanda. As they expose difficult family truths and uncover a dangerous conspiracy operating out of Fair Havens, Rye and Wanda discover curiosity has an unanticipated cost.

 

Comfortably gossipy, with a fresh take on the characters and ethos cozy mystery fans will love, Maria Mankin and Maren C. Tirabassi’s Death at Fair Havens launches a series that celebrates intergenerational women’s friendship and the power of inclusion, curiosity, and love.

 

"Here’s small town life portrayed with humor and affection, peopled with quirky characters you’ll care about." —James Patrick Kelly, winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards

About the Authors

After teaching and working in early education for a decade, Maria Mankin has published six books with Pilgrim Press and has contributed to several anthologies. She is also a co-author of Circ, a mystery set in Skegness England, published by Pigeon Park Press, and Pitching Our Tents: Poetry of Hospitality. She is a regular contributor to Living Psalms, a collection in which the Psalms are reinterpreted in poetry and art as a reflection of God’s work of justice and compassion. She is currently working on a book of poetry and the third novel in the Rev and Rye Cozy Mysteries.

After trouping the country in the 70s as assistant manager of theatrical tours for choreographer Agnes de Mille, The National Theatre of Great Britain, The Royal Shakespeare Company and the Black Broadway production of ‘Guys and Dolls,’ Maren Tirabassi changed careers, to the surprise of everyone, to study at Union Theological Seminary in New York City and later Harvard Divinity School. Ordained in the United Church of Christ, she served as a bi-vocational pastor to seven churches in Massachusetts and New Hampshire while developing her writing career. Maren is the author of twenty-two books, fiction, non-fiction and poetry, the majority published by The Pilgrim Press.

A former Poet Laureate of Portsmouth, NH, and LAMDA Prize nominee for Transgendering Faith, Identity, Sexuality and Spirituality she currently facilitates programs for the NH Humanities Council with New Americans and people with cognitive difference and leads poetry and memoir workshops in prisons, recovery groups, churches and synagogues, hospice and survivor groups. She blogs at giftsinopenhands@wordpress.com.

With frequent writing collaborator, Maria Mankin, she is currently editing Death in the Woods, the sequel to Death at Fair Havens, as well as plotting the third novel.

Author Links 

  Website https://callingallcharacters.com/ 

  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/revandrye 

  Twitter https://twitter.com/marenandmankin 

  Purchase Links 

  Brian Mill Press - Powell’s - Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Indiebound - Indigo 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 21 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

June 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy -AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 22 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST  

June 23 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 24 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

June 24 – Readeropolis – GUEST POST

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June 26 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

June 27 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

June 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 28 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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June 29 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – GUEST POST

June 30 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

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