Reviews!

To any authors/publishers/ tour companies that are looking for the reviews that I signed up for please know this is very hard to do. I will be stopping reviews temporarily. My husband passed away February 1st and my new normal is a bit scary right now and I am unable to concentrate on a book to do justice to the book and authors. I will still do spotlight posts if you wish it is just the reviews at this time. I apologize for this, but it isn't fair to you if I signed up to do a review and haven't been able to because I can't concentrate on any books. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time. I appreciate all of you. Kathleen Kelly April 2nd 2024

29 May 2023

The Rogue's Ring A Treasure Tale Novel #3 by Nancy Lee Badger Book Tour! #HistoricalRomance #Historical #Scottish #Romance #Regency #TheRoguesRing #aTreasureTaleNovel

@SilverDaggerBookTours  #SilverDaggerBookTours


 

The Rogue's Ring

A Treasure Tale Novel #3

by Nancy Lee Badger

Genre: Historical Romance 

Heading out on his horse, Ghost, into the snowy Highlands of Scotland in January 1817 was not sane, but Bryce Ketteridge would never let down his friends. If a duke, an earl, and a former spy felt finding the owners of nobleman’s rings was important, he would do his share. Coming across masked bandits, and shooting one, turned his life on end. What follows was not in his plans.

The last thing Cat Douglas wished to do was steal coins from the handsome stranger she meets at a tavern. When he later shoots her while she threatened a nobleman’s coach, she suspected he had no idea it was her. Kidnapped boys, pirate threats, and murder propel them to save a boy named Blake. He was, after all, special to them both.

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Nancy Lee Badger grew up in Huntington on New York’s Long Island. After attending Plymouth State, in New Hampshire, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree and met and married her college sweetheart. They raised two handsome sons in Rumney, New Hampshire while she dreamed of being a writer. When the children had left the nest, and shoveling snow became a chore, she retired from her satisfying job as a 911 Emergency Medical Dispatcher and moved to North Carolina, where she writes full-time. Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and the Triangle Association of Freelancers. She finds story ideas in the most unusual places.

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The Old Dragon's Head by Justin Newland Book Tour!

 

 

Book Details:

​Book Title:  The Old Dragon's Head by Justin Newland
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  257 pages
GenreHistorical Fantasy, Supernatural Thriller 
Publisher:  Troubador Publishing Ltd.
Release date:  November 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 +M. Mild sex and cruelty. Mature themes.



The Great Wall of China may be constructed of stone and packed earth, but it is home to a supernatural beast – the Old Dragon. Both wall and dragon protect China’s northern borders from Mongol incursion. Just beyond the fortress of Shanhaiguan, the far eastern end of the wall protrudes into the Bohai Sea – that’s the Old Dragon’s Head.

​Bolin, a young man working on the Old Dragon’s Head, suffers visions of ghosts. The local seer suspects that he has yin-yang eyes and other supernatural gifts. Bolin’s fief lord, the Prince of Yan, rebels against his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor. In the bitter war of succession, the Mongols hold the balance of power. While the victor might win the battle on earth, China’s Dragon Throne can only be earned with a Mandate from Heaven – and the support of the Old Dragon. In every era, a man endowed with the powers of heaven – the Dragon Master – is born. Only he can summon the Old Dragon, providing he possesses the dragon pearl. It’s the year 1402, and neither the Old Dragon, the dragon pearl, nor the Dragon Master, has been seen for twenty years. Bolin’s journey of self-discovery is mirrored by that of old China, as both endeavour to come of age. When Bolin accepts his destiny as the Dragon Master, heaven sends a third coming of age – for humanity itself. But are any of them ready for what is rising in the east?





JUSTIN NEWLAND’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical fiction and crime, to supernatural thrillers and mystery. His stories deal with the themes of war, religion, and evolution and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe.

Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he found his way to the creative keyboard and conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies.

Next came the historical fantasy, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall.

His next historical fantasy, The Coronation (Matador, 2019), speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution.

His fourth, The Abdication (Matador, 2021), is a supernatural thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.

His work in progress is a two-book series, The Island of Angels, set in Elizabethan England, and is an epic tale of England’s coming of age. The first novel, The Mark of the Salamander, travels with Sir Francis Drake across the wide open seas of discovery from 1577-1580 and is due to be published in September 2023. The second, The Midnight of Eights, culminates in the repulse of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

He regularly gives talks to historical associations and libraries and enjoys giving radio interviews and making podcasts. Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.


connect with the author: website twitter ~ facebook instagram pinterest bookbub goodreads

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THE OLD DRAGON HEAD Book Tour Giveaway



The Highlander’s Enchantress by Violetta Rand Book Blitz! ⁣⁣#ViolettaRand #TheHighlandersEnchantress #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣

  #hisfic #historicalromance #bookstagram #instabooks #bookish #booklover #greatreads #booknerd #nowavailable #fortheloveofreading #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #releaseblitz #bookaholic #mustread #authorsofinstagram #bookblogger #amreading

The Highlander’s Enchantress
Violetta Rand


Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication date: May 29th 2023
Genres: Adult, Historical, Romance

If her cruel and domineering father were to be believed, Kali Bane is the worst of women. Defiant. Independent. Were it not for her beloved younger sisters, she would have sought her freedom long ago. When she refuses to wed an old, wine-soaked English lord, her father bans her to the McKay clan in the Highlands, warning them that she’s a witch.

There is no welcome at the McKay castle—only an aging laird prone to fits of temper who believes that Kali is, in fact, a witch. A sorceress. Here she is little more than a hostage, kept from sight from almost all but Adam McKay, the laird’s son, whose hypnotic green eyes make her long for something forbidden. It’s almost enough to make her abandon all thoughts of escape.

Kali is the only one who can protect her sisters from their father’s greedy machinations. But the longer she remains imprisoned in the McKay tower, the more Kali and Adam realize there are other forces at play. They’re both pieces in a silent, terrible game that could destroy everyone they’ve ever loved…including each other.

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He tugged their joined hands onto his lap so she had to turn and face him again. “Live.”

“Live?”

“Thrive.”

“Aye.” She seemed to understand now.

“Prosper, regardless of yer circumstances. What better way to spit in the bastard’s eye?”

She rewarded him with a soul-warming smile—soul-stealing, really. Pretty white teeth, each one a precious pearl, and perfectly formed lips stole his attention. And the sound of her tinkling laughter…

He was doomed. Cast into the pits of agony because this untouchable—forbidden—woman stirred something inside him that had long been dormant. Perhaps never there before. There were dozens of local lasses worthy of his affection and respect, but they all paled in comparison to this striking woman. She was fire and ice, sunlight and moonlight, sweet and bitter, and any other paradox his addled mind could create.

“Why are ye staring at me?” she asked, appearing uncomfortable.

“I hold ye in the highest esteem, lass—yer tenacity and iron will to survive.”

Again, her features softened at his words. Aye, he’d have to tread carefully with this one. She missed little if anything. If only he could reach out and caress her cheek—provide comfort and reassurance with tender kisses.

For a brief moment he forgot himself and leaned closer, his mouth hovering just above hers. Adam’s heartbeat intensified, and his mind swirled with anticipation of what she would taste like. What it would feel like to hold her in his arms? But as their gazes clashed, he remembered her words, how men always wanted something… Damn it, she was beautiful and smelled so lovely and looked so perfect.

Be the honorable man ye were raised to be…

USA Today Bestselling author Violetta Rand was raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, and spent her childhood reading, writing, and playing soccer. After meeting her husband in New England, they moved to Alaska where she spent a decade working as a scientist before quitting her day job to pursue her dream as a full time writer.

Violetta still lives in Alaska and spends her days writing evocative romance. When she’s not reading, writing, or editing, she enjoys time with her husband, pets, and friends.

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The Charterhouse of Evil by Janice Tremayne Book Blast!


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Janice Tremayne will be awarding an Audiobook of The Infants Spirits (Book 4) Haunting Clarisse Series to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Bound to life old and new, the sins of the departed still haunt her. When wickedness infects the innocent, can she see the curse undone?


Western Australia. Clarisse Garcia is ready to return stronger than ever. With her husband by her side, the plucky spirit hunter is back on familiar territory with an assignment for Benedictine monks. And now she’s out to vanquish whatever evil is plaguing the monastic village that caused orphans to mysteriously die.

With what could be a voracious demon on her hands, Clarisse partners up with a man who grew up in the local orphanage to investigate suspicious activities. And as they dig through the monastery’s shrouded history, she discovers that some of these servants of God might not be as benign as they claim… and she may be their next quarry.

Can this driven woman end the impiety before more lives are sent to the grave?

The Charterhouse of Evil is the shocking fifth book in the Haunting Clarisse supernatural horror series. If you like bold characters, adrenaline-spiking investigations, and jaw-dropping twists and turns, then you’ll love Janice Tremayne’s malevolent tale.
Excerpt

Clarisse heard the creak of her door opening slightly and unaided. She had no way of knowing who was behind the door, as the room was dark, and only a speck of light filtered through the window from a solitary lamppost outside, barely enough to recognize the possible intruder.

She heard the moans from the breath of death as though someone was suffocating. She had heard it all before and knew what the end of life sounded like.

An unwelcoming sound of a dead spirit roamed the guesthouse corridors that had not crossed over—not an uncommon encounter in haunted places frequented with the souls of those long gone.

As the spirit raised the tempo of its moaning repertoire, she heard rapid footsteps outside the room, as though someone was running up and down the hallway, chasing shadows. A child perhaps? It made her think there was more than one spirit wanting to contact her.

While the evil chasm was invading her private space, the wind blew outside as a storm ravaged the monastic village. Rain droplets, the size of golf balls, pelted her window as the gust of wind tried to force its way inside. The clap of thunder in the distance only added to the surreal ambiance.

Although most people would have been terrified, Clarisse was not. She had seen it all before. It was how demons announced themselves, thinking they could get your attention through fear and take the upper hand. But not Clarisse; she knew their tactics and didn’t overreact to any spiritual encounter.

There was a scratching sound on the door, of metal and fingernails, which she considered unusual for a wooden frame. It was followed by the breath of the dark spirit forming its words. It echoed throughout her room, followed by a sigh. The spirit entity was trying to communicate with her.

Clarisse sat upright in bed, placing the European-style pillow on the bedside frame, and said, “I hear you, demon. What is it you want?”

“Your catharsis awaits you,” the demon replied. It took a deep shallow breath then repeated, “Catharsis ….”




 
 



Janice Tremayne
is an award-winning supernatural horror writer from Australia. Her acclaimed novel, Haunting Hartley, was a finalist in the Readers' Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in fiction-supernatural and was awarded the distinguished favorite prize for paranormal horror at the New York City Big Book Awards. She was recently awarded the silver medal at the IPPY Awards 2021 Australia/New Zealand/Pacific Rim – Best Regional Fiction and the Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards 2020 Bronze Award in Adult Fiction.

Janice is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. The Haunting Clarisse series has regularly reached number one in the Amazon kindle rankings for Occult Supernatural, Ghosts and Haunted Houses, and British Horror for hot new releases/bestsellers. Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She grew up in a family with a cultural heritage where religious taboos and superstitions were entrenched into their way of life. This fascinated her as she was growing up and laid the foundations for developing a passion and style for writing supernatural horror novels for adult readers.

Writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago when she finally decided to put pen to paper, and she has never looked back. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale to the delight of her readers worldwide.


Audiobook of The Infants Spirits (Book 4) Haunting Clarisse Series



28 May 2023

Hooker Avenue by Jode Millman Book Review!

 

WINNER - Independent Press Award
FIRST PLACE - Clue Award
FINALIST - American Fiction Award


HOOKER AVENUE is the second in the Queen City Crimes series, which sees the return of attorney Jessie Martin in upstate New York’s Hudson Valley. Jessie is on her way home during a pop-up thunderstorm when she spots a woman drowning in a storm drain. She pulls over to save the woman—only to discover that no good deed goes unpunished.

Responding to the scene is Jessie’s former best friend, Detective Ebony Jones. Ebony and her partner are investigating a string of disappearances of sex workers, and the assault matches the other crimes with one difference—the victim is still alive.

Before Jessie can make amends with Ebony, she’s thrown into a dilemma. A former rival has offered her a job in his law firm, and as an unemployed single mother, she can’t say no. But this also means she can’t help Ebony with her case. Jessie’s employer is now the attorney of record for the victim, Lissie Sexton, and Lissie has gone into hiding, which places the two old friends on opposite sides of the law.

As the evidence builds, Jessie’s personal life goes into a tailspin. She’s being stalked by the killer she helped put away, and the man in her life is ready to take their relationship to the next level. With her allegiance being pulled in every direction and horrific revelations coming to light, will Jessie be able to figure out where her loyalties lie and stop another killer plaguing the Hudson Valley before her own life hangs in the balance?


Jode is a life-long resident of the beautiful Hudson Valley in New York State. After many years of practicing law, she semi-retired her briefcase to write.

Her award-winning debut thriller, THE MIDNIGHT CALL (2019) was the recipient of the 2020 BRONZE IPPY AWARD, 2020 AMERICAN Fiction Award for Legal Thriller, 2021 Independent Press Award, Finalist - 2021 Book Excellence Award, Finalist - 2020 Write Touch Readers Choice Awards, Finalist - 2020 National Readers Choice Award, Shortlist - 2019 CLUE AWARD. In 2014, THE MIDNIGHT CALL was designated as the "Best Police Procedural" by Chantireviews.com and was short-listed for the Clue Award.

Her second thriller, HOOKER AVENUE, was released in April 2022, and won the 2022 Independent Press Award, was a Finalist for the American Fiction Award and is a Clue Award Finalist.

In addition to writing crime fiction, Jode loves reading a good mystery. She holds a Masters In English Literature, and has taught undergraduate and law school, where her classes combined her interests in Law and Literature.

She is a book reviewer for Booktrib.com and New York Journal of Books, and a podcaster.

https://jodemillman.com/

My Thoughts!

Hooker Avenue is the second book in the Queen City Crimes ( Jesse Martin Series)  Series featuring Jesse Martin, Detective Ebony Jones, and Ebon'ys partner Zander. Jesse is on her way home from shopping and comes across something in the ditch on the side of the road. She investigates and finds that there is a person lodged in the ditch. She calls 911 and Ebony and Zander arrive on the scene. 

Jesse is a disgraced attorney but is clawing her way back up to the top. She agrees to take a position with a fellow attorney. She is also being stalked by a man she helped put into prison, in the previous book The Midnight Call. The man is calling her and harassing her. 

Detectives Jones and Pulaski are investigating a case that has numerous women missing. These women are all hookers, no one has investigated their disappearances so the two detectives take it upon themselves to find out what has happened to the women. They are hoping to find a pattern that will lead them to a serial killer hunting the streets of Poughkeepsie NY. They eventually find more than they had bargained for as the killer is very elusive.

With Jesse her fiance Hal, and the two detectives put themselves in danger to confront the killer. This is a fast-paced character-driven mystery book that is a continuation of the story set up in the first book, The Midnight Call. We learn a bit more about the lives of the characters, including the missing women. 

I always enjoy a good mystery thriller and this author does an amazing job telling a story that is gritty and could come right off of the headlines. Personal dramas and secrets come forth in the telling of Hooker Avenue. I enjoyed the book immensely and eagerly await the next in the series The Empty Kayak which comes out May 30th, 2023

I give the book 5 stars!

I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.

Drink Wine and Be Beautiful by @kimberlyinrome Book Blitz! #KimberlySullivan #DrinkWineandBeBeautiful #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣

#KimberlySullivan #DrinkWineandBeBeautiful #booklover #greatreads #booknerd #nowavailable #fortheloveofreading #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #releaseblitz #bookaholic #mustread #authorsofinstagram #bookblogger #amreading

Drink Wine and Be Beautiful
Kimberly Sullivan


Publication date: May 26th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Italian Tales of love, betrayal, longing, desire – and hope

Italy serves as the backdrop for stories of Italian women and expatriate women living in Italy.

A freak snowstorm in Rome changes the travel plans of two women, touching their lives in ways they could never have imagined. An ambitious Italian professional working in Brussels rails inwardly at her privileged boss, until fate presents her with a rare opportunity. A long desired trip to Bali, Indonesia serves as a needed chance for introspection. A cautious housewife in Rome thinks back to a fateful missed connection in Florence. A first-time mother feels debilitating guilt for not bonding with her newborn, until an elderly neighbor provides her with a new perspective.

The twenty-one stories in this collection follow women’s lives as they confront betrayal and love, alienation and community, despair and-ultimately-hope.

Goodreads / Amazon / Kobo


Snake Charmers and Donkey Carts

Marrakech

THE HAWKERS’ CRIES FILLED THE SQUARE, the guttural sounds of Arabic throbbing in Manuela’s ears. All around her, men yelled out in that strange language. Men were everywhere. They brushed past her in the marketplace crowds, and she shrank back. Unfamiliar smells filled the air.

She clung to Adriano’s hand as they walked through the Jemaa el-Fna square, willing herself not to cry. A cobra reared up his ugly head, its black tongue flickering, only a few feet from where she stood. She bit her tongue to keep herself from screaming. The snake swayed from side to side as the snake charmer played music on his pipe. A fat man in dirty robes approached her with another snake, trying to wrap it around her neck.

She stumbled backward, afraid she might faint, but thankfully Adriano was pulling her away, toward the dark, labyrinthine streets of the souk. Here she would do battle with the scooters and the donkey carts, but at least there were no snake charmers poised to place a slimy, wriggling serpent around her neck in exchange for coins.

Manuela breathed in deeply. It was all too much. The blood coursed through her veins at double-speed. Her heart pounded in fear and revulsion. She leaned in closer to Adriano, his comforting solidity managing to calm her and provide her with the courage she lacked in this odd city.

Min fadlak,” said a robed man, indicating his wares.

Manuela instinctively shrunk from his attentions, but Adriano stepped closer, examining the delicate lamps shining in the dark marketplace. Their intricate patterns cast colorful, elaborate illuminations through inky night sky. Even she could recognize its mystic beauty.

Kam else’er?” said Adriano.

The two men began haggling over the price, and Manuela stood silently, a spectator to the show. Life was a spectacle here, but one she took no pleasure in observing.

Three days into her holiday in Marrakech, Manuela felt only anxious and confused. The streets were too narrow. She had to remain vigilant not to step in the droppings left behind after the donkey carts passed. There were too many people pressed too closely together. People stood so close when they spoke to you. Adriano told her it was rude to step back, but she couldn’t help herself. The yells in Arabic sounded harsh and threatening to her ears. The sights and sounds, the colors and smells were too exotic.

Manuela could only relax when they returned to their riad in the evening, though even there she could not completely escape the lingering sense of foreignness. The wooden keyhole doors were too small, and she kept bumping her head on their frame. The sweet smell of spices filled the apartment with a cloying scent she was unable to banish, even after opening the windows for long periods of time in the hopes of airing the room.

She would step into the shower and rinse the city’s dirt and grime from her body, before enveloping her skin in a soft robe. When Adriano pushed her gently down to the bed, a sense of familiarity would calm her, and she could temporarily forget all about the stresses of this chaotic city.

Yet each morning she felt drained and exhausted once again, unable to face another day, desperate to return home, where things were safe and familiar. She longed to hear Italian spoken in the squares, to enter a restaurant and know that familiar foods were on the menu, to be capable of conversing with the shopkeepers.

To belong.

But what could she do? Adriano seemed to thrive in this new environment. He craved exotic places. Where had he learned to count in Arabic? He and the hawker were aggressively shouting figures back and forth, and she saw the spark of excitement in Adriano’s eyes. For her, this city was hell on earth. For him, an exotic tale out of Arabian Nights.

She breathed in deeply once again, attempting to quell the panic attack she could feel working its way through her body. The hawkers came closer with their oils and their soaps and their leather slippers. She closed her eyes and suppressed the desire to scream.

Back home, her days were spent cutting through the red tape of property purchases in Tivoli and placating demanding clients. Her hard-earned vacation was supposed to relax her, not cause greater stress.

She’d begged Adriano to go back to the Sardinian resort they’d visited this past spring, with its well-designed bungalows, soft, white sand beaches, perfectly ordered rows of umbrellas and beach chairs, and crystalline waters beckoning just before them.

Just smelling the salt air caused a sense of well-being to wash over her body. She’d thought Adriano would book the tickets for the resort, as they discussed. It was charged to her account, after all. Instead, he stopped off at her house with two tickets to Marrakech.

“You’re going to love it,” he said, kissing her on the neck. “It will be an adventure. I swear, you’ll never want to come back to Italy.”

She sighed. Not wanting to return to Italy wasn’t the problem. It was Morocco where she never wished to set foot again.


Kimberly grew up in the suburbs of Boston and in Saratoga Springs, New York, although she now calls the Harlem neighborhood of New York City home when she’s back in the US. She studied political science and history at Cornell University and earned her MBA, with a concentration in strategy and marketing, from Bocconi University in Milan.

Afflicted with a severe case of Wanderlust, she worked in journalism and government in the US, Czech Republic and Austria, before settling down in Rome, where she works in international development, and writes fiction any chance she gets.

She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and The Historical Novel Society and has published several short stories and three novels: Three Coins, Dark Blue Waves and In The Shadow of The Apennines.

After years spent living in Italy with her Italian husband and sons, she’s fluent in speaking with her hands, and she loves setting her stories in her beautiful, adoptive country.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Twitter / Bookbub

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27 May 2023

Some Day Soon by @justlikefrozen Book Blitz! #AnnaLindgren #SomeDaySoon #XpressoTours @XpressoTours

  #booklover #greatreads #booknerd #nowavailable #fortheloveofreading #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #releaseblitz #bookaholic #mustread #authorsofinstagram #bookblogger #amreading

Some Day Soon
Anna Lindgren


Publication date: May 24th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Everyone wants something…

But why can’t I figure out what Noah James wants out of our relationship? His sister hates me hell, the whole town fears me, and if he knew what I’m capable of, he’d leave like everyone else.

I’ve terrorized the quaint town of Smugglers Cove, blazing a trail of self-destruction when anyone gets too close. So when Noah buys the cottage next door and finds out about my past, he creates a list of childish activities to complete together.

I try to keep him at arm’s length, but every-time I think I’ve scared him off, he’s back for more. He’s always there when I need him and even when I don’t.

One thing’s for certain, people like me don’t end up with Noah James.

***

Noah:

Samantha Simmons stole my heart the minute I saw her standing near the bar, in an off-white dress, at my little sister’s wedding. Everyone warned me about the infamous villain of Smugglers Cove, but I never thought it’d be impossible to stay away.

When I move in next door, she lets me in on some of her secrets and reveals a side of her few have uncovered. The more she lets me in, the more I want to defend her and prove there’s more to her than a bad reputation.

Each-time I think I’ve earned her trust, all hell breaks loose. She’s scared to let me in but I’ll wait until she sees,

She may be the villain in everyone’s story but I think she deserves a happily ever after.

Goodreads / Amazon

“Don’t do that,” I say. “Don’t shut me out.”

“Go away,” she warns.

“No,” I say. “Talk to me, Sammy.”

“I can’t!” she yells at me.

I step toward her, lowering my voice as emotion threatens to crack my voice. “I can’t help if you keep fucking pushing me away.”

“Stop it,” she spits the words.

“I’m not going to leave you,” I say, holding onto her hands before she rips them away. “Nothing you say to me, nothing you do is going to convince me you aren’t worth it.”

Her chest heaves as tears stream down her cheeks. Her lips are parted, ready to fight back, ready to tell me how wrong I am, how I won’t understand.

This moment is do or die, leave it all on the table.

I take another step toward her, and crush my lips against hers, showing her how I feel before I tell her.

“I love you,” I pant against her lips. “I think I’ve loved you since the first day I met you when you wore white to my sister’s fucking wedding.” I laugh. “I fucking love you, Sammy girl. Don’t push me away. You can shut the world out. Just leave me in this one with you.”

She leaves her forehead pressed against mine, our noses breathing in the smell of one another.

“I can’t,” she whimpers, swallowing down the building emotion. “I can’t love you, Noah. I can’t risk losing you.”

Her voice cracks with each word. My ears ring as though a bomb has detonated near us, and I guess, in some metaphorical sense, one has.

“You lose all the fucking time when you push everyone away,” I say, my voice cracking under the pressure of each word. “Isn’t it worth trying to stay for once? To work through it rather than shut me out?”

“I’ll never be what you need,” she says. “I’ll never be able to give myself to you completely, to trust you fully.”

“Bullshit,” I snap.

“It’s not bullshit. You made a mistake ever thinking you could change me.” She sighs before hammering the final nail in our coffin. Her eyes locked on mine full of honesty and meaning. “I was your biggest mistake. You’re just too stubborn to acknowledge it.”


In the 3rd grade, Anna won a notable mention for her holiday story in her small hometown's daily paper. Since then, no awards have been won but the writing has, fortunately (or not––depends on who you ask) continued. She is now the author of two small-town Alaskan romances with a third set to be released in 2022. Her stories feature tales of friendship, bouts of laughter, and lots of swoon-worthy moments. She shares stories of adventure, love, and loss all the while remaining true to the quirkiness of the loveable small town she grew up in.

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Book 2 in the Savage Raptors MC series by @harleywylde Book Blitz! #SavageRaptors #harleywylde #Atilla #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣

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Atilla
Harley Wylde


(Savage Raptors MC, #2)
Publication date: May 26th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Solena — At the age of fifteen, my parents forced me to give my baby up for adoption. I never got to see his little face or hold him. All these years later, it still hurts — so much that one night I decide to dull the pain with alcohol and sex. There’s only one man I want, but the President of the Savage Raptors MC might be more than I can handle. I’ve had a crush on him for a while now. He says he can only offer one night. I want more. I want it all.

Atilla — Lost my woman seventeen years ago. Thought I’d lost my daughter too… until she showed up on my doorstep. Now I have a pregnant teen living with me, and a woman who wants more than I’m able to give her. Solena is far too young for me. Hell, she’s barely older than my daughter. So why is keeping my distance so damn difficult? Is it really okay to fall in love again?

WARNING: Atilla has a guaranteed happily ever after, no cheating, and no cliffhanger. There are subjects some readers may find difficult to read. Recommended for readers 18+ due to adult content.

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Solena

I didn’t know why I was here. This wasn’t my scene. The music was too loud, the women too wild, and the smoke nearly choked me. So why the hell hadn’t I turned around and gone home? The man at the end of the bar was the only reason I hadn’t run for the hills.

I’d seen him around town. In fact, he often came to the café where his daughter worked. The pregnant teen was working on her GED and waiting tables. I’d once been in her shoes, so I could sympathize. Except, I didn’t get to keep my baby. I’d been fifteen when my boyfriend didn’t take no for an answer. The result had been a little boy. One I’d never even gotten to hold. My parents had told the doctor to take him away before I even got a good look, and I had no idea where he was now.

I’d tried to find out, but I had had no luck. The place my parents supposedly used for the adoption had never existed. My stomach churned every time I thought about it. What had happened to my little boy? Was he okay? Did a loving family get him? Today he was especially on my mind, since it was his birthday. Which was the second reason I’d come here. I’d wanted a distraction so I wouldn’t think about him. Obviously, it wasn’t working.

I took a swallow of the cocktail I’d ordered and tried to get the courage to speak to the President of the Savage Raptors. He’d always seemed nice when he’d stopped by to visit Casey. We’d exchanged a few words here and there. Every time I got close to him, my heart raced, and I fought the urge to reach out my hand and touch him. Something about him called to me. I’d never been the type to go for bad boys or rough men. Atilla looked like both, and yet, I’d seen how gentle he was with Casey. Perhaps it was that side of him I yearned for.

More than once, I’d gone to sleep hugging my pillow, wondering what it would be like to have Atilla lying next to me. I didn’t know what I found so fascinating about him. I knew people would say he was too old for me. Their opinions didn’t matter. I’d never been so drawn to someone before, and I found him to be the sexiest man in town. Possibly in the entire world.

“You going to keep staring at him or go make a move?” someone asked from beside me. I startled and glanced in the man’s direction. Spade was on his leather cut, along with Vice President.

“Was I being that obvious?” I asked. Should I wipe my chin? Had I been drooling over the man? Wouldn’t be the first time. One of my co-workers once threw a napkin at me after Atilla left the café. I’d literally been salivating over him like a dog after a bone.

“Oh, yeah. I’m sure you’ve seen him wave off every woman who approached so far. I have a feeling he won’t turn you away. You’re different from the other women here. I can’t quite figure out why you came to a party at the clubhouse. You don’t seem like the sort to do this kind of thing.”

“I’m not. It’s my first time doing anything like this, and I’m extremely nervous.”

Spade smiled faintly. “You came for him, didn’t you?”

I nodded. I couldn’t deny it. The alcohol in my system hadn’t been enough to give me the courage to go up to him. I wasn’t sure anything could help me. What was I expecting from this, anyway? I wasn’t the one-night-stand type, and I didn’t think the man had come here to find a girlfriend. When I’d thought about getting a drink and possibly getting closer to Atilla, my brain hadn’t gone as far as the next step.

I yearned to speak with him. Get closer to him. If he kissed me, I might die from both pleasure and a shock to my system. In all this time, I’d never desired anyone. With Atilla, I found myself watching him whenever he was nearby, and wanting nothing more than to cuddle up to him. I couldn’t help but think if a man like him were part of my life, things would be different. It wouldn’t change my financial issues, but having someone to lean on, to give me their support and a little affection would have meant the world to me. Not just anyone… him. It had to be Atilla or no one.

Truth be told, I hadn’t slept with anyone since that one time. Then again, I didn’t consider what my boyfriend had done to me to be considered sex. He’d raped me. I knew it. He knew it. Everyone else thought I’d given consent, then changed my mind after the fact and made a fuss over nothing. Even my parents hadn’t believed me.

“Maybe I should just leave,” I said.

“Or you could follow me.” He snatched up my glass, and I hurried after him, keeping an eye on the open beverage. I knew nothing about these men, or what they were capable of. He wouldn’t put something in it, would he? I chased him down, only to come to a halt next to Atilla. Spade set my glass on the bar beside Atilla’s beer, then motioned to the empty stool. “Sit. Talk. But stop staring at him like a creeper.”

My cheeks warmed, and I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me. Atilla’s lips kicked up on one corner and I saw the amusement in his eyes. I sat down and took another swallow of my drink. Then drained the glass. Atilla motioned to the guy behind the bar and before I knew it, I had a fresh drink sitting in front of me.

“You’re Solena, right?” he asked.

He remembered my name? It pleased me more than it should have. It wasn’t like he said I was special or anything. Just because he knew who I was didn’t mean anything. For all I knew, he remembered every person he ever met.

“Yeah. I work with Casey at the café.” Way to state the obvious, idiot.

“So, why did you come here?” Atilla asked.

“To see you.” I winced. I hadn’t meant to blurt it out. It seemed the alcohol was affecting me more than I’d realized.

“That right?” He grinned. “And what were you hoping to gain from it?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

He eyed me up and down. “Well, you’re showing off more than you usually do, but you’re still overdressed for a place like this.”

I looked around the room and noticed most of the women were naked already. And the things they were doing… I quickly turned my head. It felt like my face was on fire, and I knew I could never be like those women. Not that I condemned them for being so free. It just wasn’t something I could ever do. I had stretch marks from my pregnancy, and a little extra around the middle. I’d be too embarrassed to strip naked in front of everyone.

“Come on. I’m getting a fucking headache. Grab your drink.” Atilla stood, picking up his beer.

I picked my cocktail up and followed him toward the back of the building. He entered a door at the end of the hall and flipped on the lights. It looked like a boardroom. Well, a rustic version of one. The wood table looked sturdy. He pulled out one of the leather chairs and motioned for me to sit.

“Is it okay for me to set my glass down?” I asked.

He snorted. “Not going to hurt anything.”

With the door closed, it was far quieter than it had been in the main room. The fact we were alone made butterflies riot in my stomach. I didn’t know why he’d brought me in here. Did he expect something?

Harley Wylde is the International Bestselling Author of the Dixie Reapers MC, Devil's Boneyard MC, and Hades Abyss MC series.
When Harley's writing, her motto is the hotter the better -- off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can't deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you've come to the right place. She doesn't shy away from the dangers and nastiness in the world, bringing those realities to the pages of her books, but always gives her characters a happily-ever-after and makes sure the bad guys get what they deserve.

The times Harley isn't writing, she's thinking up naughty things to do to her husband, drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, and reading. She loves to read and devours a book a day, sometimes more. She's also fond of TV shows and movies from the 1980's, as well as paranormal shows from the 1990's to today, even though she'd much rather be reading or writing.

You can find out more about Harley or enter her monthly giveaway on her website. Be sure to join her newsletter while you're there to learn more about discounts, signing events, and other goodies!

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26 May 2023

The Neptune’s Window Trilogy by @lllewin3 Book Blitz! #neptuneswindow #lllewin #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣

  #booklover #greatreads #booknerd #nowavailable #fortheloveofreading #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #releaseblitz #bookaholic #mustread #authorsofinstagram #bookblogger #amreading

Neptune’s Window: First Glance
L.L. Lewin


(Neptune’s Window, #1)
Publication date: November 25th 2020
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

What if you had a glimpse into what others are oblivious to? According to the zodiac, the planet Neptune represents illusions, mystery, and the unconscious mind. Aries Dade is a teenage medium who has the ability to look inside those illusions and speak to the afterworld. But for some reason, she can’t communicate with her recently deceased mother. With the help of a few spirits, she tries to discover the truth behind her mother’s death. But can she trust the spirits? Aries and her father move to Newport Beach, California to start over. Little do they know they are unlocking a world of lies, betrayals, and deception. And everyone they come in contact with is somehow intertwined with her mother’s death. When the star quarterback and a bad-boy senior vie for her attention, Aries senses something isn’t right. Meanwhile, the rich, popular girls make her life a living hell to keep her from finding out the truth. First Glance is the first novel in the Neptune Window’s trilogy. Do you dare to glance inside the window?

The complete trilogy

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Demanding spirits barged their way into Aries’s mind, each voice trying to outdo the other.
“Please stop,” she said through clenched teeth.

For a moment they went away, allowing her to bask in the silence. But as soon as she took a step toward the school, their clamor started back up.

Aries ran behind a row of palm trees, shielding herself from streams of cars and pedestrians as the high-pitched aggravation attacked her senses.

“Not today…please not today,” she begged no one in particular.

Out of sight, she dropped to her knees and picked at the grass as the noise escalated.

“Dammit. I said stop.”

Giving in, she put her hands in her lap. With her index finger, she wrote the alphabet on her leg. She needed deep concentration to make the connection. She waited for a clear voice to come through, dreading – yet at the same time accepting – communication with the dead.

After tracing a Z on her leg, she started over with A as a faint whisper formed. Unable to make out any words, she slowed her pace and drew the letter B. She kept repeating this action, taking deeper breaths each time, trying to match the frequency of the spirit.

She’d almost given up when a clear voice said, “You need to find out the truth, Aries.”

LL Lewin is the author of Neptune's Window Trilogy. A native of Southern California, she was born in Los Angeles County and grew up in Orange County. She graduated from the University California, Irvine with a degree in psychology and social behavior, and holds a Masters in Social Emotional Learning. After teaching for several years and interacting with the youth almost daily, she was inspired to write a young adult mystery novel, which morphed into a little more. Since things happen in threes for her (her initials, triple Sagittarius, the third born) the novel turned into a trilogy and reaffirmed her belief that three’s a charm.

She loves all things astrological, metaphysical, and spiritual. With her Sun, Moon, and Rsing all in the sign of Sagittarius, She's as Sagittarius as they come, optimistic, freedom-loving, and ever so tactless.

Her three passions in life are writing, traveling, and soccer. You’ll either find her writing at the beach, on an island somewhere, or on a soccer field. And her three vices are chocolate, pizza, and champagne, and not necessarily in that order.

For more updates, photos, and videos follow LL Lewin on Twitter or Instagram @LLLewin3

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