Hello everyone,
Like I said a few weeks ago I won't be around very much. My aunt passed away 2 weeks ago, and tomorrow I'm getting married. Any posts that have gone up have been scheduled for weeks now. I hope you understand that I need time away from this for a bit. Thank you for your understanding.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Book Tour and Giveaway: Eve the First by Teresa Edmond-Sargeant
Eve the First:
A Fairy Tale Revision
by Teresa Edmond-Sargeant
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling
A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Wicked Prince," "Eve the First" introduces a princess unlike any other in popular fairy tales: ruthless, power-hungry and ambitious enough to conquer Heaven. After successfully monopolizing the known world, Eve lays her eyes on taking down God so she can reign supreme over Heaven and Earth.
She was called Eve the First.
And once upon a time, that name, and its infamy, petrified the hearts and minds of anyone familiar with her conquests, capabilities, and cunning tenacity fueled by her volatility.
Eve’s innocent beauty belied her passion to conquer the world. Her doe-like eyes concealed the twinkle that reflected her megalomaniacal thirst for power. With her youthfully plump, pink lips, Eve barked demands at her subjects and soldiers, threatening to execute them if they failed to carry out her commands. She wore her lustrous locks in braids and pinned up into exquisite loops with hair ornaments crafted from the bones of her enemies and decorated with precious jewels like pearls, diamonds, and sapphires.
In Eve’s kingdom of Regnum, the populace sought for worldly knowledge, wealth, and prestige. Above all, the people pursued the supreme form of existence: immortality. To these ends, they excelled in architecture, arts, music, literature, alchemy and science. With the practices of Pagan worship, drunken orgies, and human sacrificing, they prided themselves on being their absolute best in knowledge and wealth, while their crude and barbaric natures situated them at the bottom of human existence.
Eve ruled the land of Regnum with the utmost passion of all kinds: love, fear, cruelty, and intensity, but mostly the last three. Every day she studied maps of foreign kingdoms, plotted her next conquest, and trained her soldiers until their feet bled and their sanity broke. Wherever she went, her subjects genuflected and lowered their heads, averting eye contact. If Eve caught anyone sneaking furtive glances at her, she screamed the dreaded words, “Away with him and off with his head!”
The next time that person was seen, his headless body was at the bottom of a ravine near Eve’s castle.
As she brandished her sword and ambition, Eve led her army all over the world, from the nearest to the most remote lands. She left behind trails of bloodshed, death, and tears. With every swing of her sword—a stab here, a beheading there—Eve radiated joy as blood splattered all over her armor and corpses piled up. Villagers said their bountiful fields, once ripe with harvest, were cultivated with the blood of the dead. Whole carcasses and body parts littered the meadows, turning them into rolling graveyards, as though the dead had been dug up.
“I have unyielding determination that cannot be matched,” Eve once said. “If that makes me an evil woman, so be it.”
Once Eve conquered a village, she marched into its public square and staked her coat of arms into the soil. Her soldiers kept the crowd back while the crowd admired Eve’s glorious beauty sullied with dirt and blood. Clutching the flagpole, Eve placed her right hand over her heart.
“Today’s victory is in memory of my dear mother, the late Queen Catherine the Third,” Eve said to her new subjects. “She would have been proud to know that I will bestow upon all of you a new day, a new life, and a new era. I acknowledge that from this day forward, this is the age we start to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and heal the sick. I have ushered in a Golden Era of Peace where the sun will always rise in the east, trees shall forever bear fruit, and harvest season shall forever be abundant. This is the time when we unite as one to remake this land so it will transcend our utmost expectations and ideal selves.”
Eve then signaled her soldiers to present her newly conquered subjects with baskets of bread and meat and vessels of cider.
“Today, what I have done was quite a sacrifice, but it was all done for you my beloved people,” Eve continued. “I will give you whatever you yearn for—food, shelter, clothes—and promise to alleviate you of the agonies you long suffered at the hands of your demon of a king. That will happen if — and only if — you crown me your ruler and allow me to erect my statues everywhere in your village.”
Then her soldiers demanded that the peasants form lines in front of them. Cries of “Long live Eve” rang throughout the land as soldiers passed out equal rations of food and drink to the peasants.
Teresa Edmond-Sargeant is an Orlando, FL-based poet, author and journalist originally from northern New Jersey. Her poetry has appeared in anthologies featuring NJ poets. During her time as a reporter in Jersey, she won two NJ Press Association awards.
In 2006, she published her debut poetry book, "How Fate's Confusion Connects"; the book's second edition will be released later in 2014. She is the author of three (so far;-)) Amazon Kindle ebooks: "Eve the First," "An Estella Exclusive" and "Ethical Strains," all short stories.
Edmond-Sargeant is a member of the Florida State Poets Association. She is now a staff writer for The Apopka Chief, a newspaper that covers the Apopka, FL, area (http://www.theapopkachief.com).
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Book Tour and Giveaway: The Rhynan Saga by Rachel Rossano
Duty
Novels of Rhynan Book 1
by Rachel Rossano
Genre: Historical Romance
Duty to King
Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king and the recent civil war. When his benefactor demands Tomas marry the cousin of a noble, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.
Duty to Others
Brielle Solarius struggles to keep her village from starvation under the new Lord Wisten, her cousin. The men rode off to war and never returned. The remaining women and children face a dire winter if they do not find a solution soon. When she learns her cousin sold her into marriage to save his life, she isn’t surprised. However, she is taken aback by Lord Irvaine’s unpolished ways. Was this man a noble or a foot soldier?
Duty to Each Other
Bound by the words of their vows, they face a rough future. They must forge a marriage while battling betrayal, accusations of treason, and villains from the past. Survival depends on their precarious trust in each other. Failure could mean death.
Honor
Novels of Rhynan Book 2
The Earl of Dentin excels in his position as Securer of the Realm. But the king’s order to pluck an orphaned child from a loving home unsettles Dentin. When a dark-eyed woman challenges his honor regarding the mission, Dentin finds himself unable to justify his actions or get her out of his mind. Something about her lack of fear intrigues him.
Lady Elsa Reeve attempts to avoid the marriage of convenience her brother and mother demand of her. She understands the need to pay off her brother's massive debt. She only wants her family to consider her wishes in the process.
As Elsa becomes further entangled in a snare of her brother’s creating, only one man defends her. But can she trust Dentin, her unlikely champion, and his motives? With a murderer on the loose, Elsa’s fate in jeopardy, and a traitor plotting against the king, Dentin finds his priorities shifting in an unexpected direction.
The Making of a Man: A Short Story Anthology
(Novels of Rhynan)
This is a short story anthology.
The Earl of Dentin returns. Eight stories ranging from short story to novelette in length give us greater understanding into why Dentin is the complex and enigmatic man he is. It also includes new adventures that happen between Honor and the next Rhynan novel.
Passing the Mantle – An ill-fated hunting trip
Forging Friendships – Recruiting able-bodied men ineligible for knighthood
The Sword of Korma Monroe – A sword made for trouble
Turning Point – A duke and an earl plot treason
The Bittersweet Pear – A marital misunderstanding
Isbeth’s Redemption – Dentin doesn’t make a good first impression
A Squire’s Love – Reginald’s quest
Restoration – A trip to Braulyn produces unexpected company
Duty
First Novel of Rhynan
First Novel of Rhynan
By Rachel Rossano
"The red one is mine," he said.
I didn’t raise my head although instinct urged me to. Father had called me Red. He said I was born screaming, skin deep red like the beets in the garden and hair fiery like the setting sun. The man who spoke was not my father.
I glanced at him from beneath my cloak’s hood. Arrogant in his size and superior mass, his eyes picked me out of the writhing mass of captives. Early morning sunlight glinted off plain armor and an unadorned helm, yet the unwashed barbarians treated him with the respect due a commander.
The crowd of women around me parted for the soldier fulfilling his order. Mothers moved back with babes in their arms, toddlers clinging to their skirts. Their fingers clutched older children’s hands or shoulders. A living mass, their voices silenced by the army surrounding them. Their faces spoke eloquently of their fear.
The soldier, smelling of sweat and sour wine, grabbed my left arm and dragged me out from among them. I didn’t want to bring harm to the women around me. The soldier would injure many before subduing me. I allowed him to pull me toward the commander with only minimal resistance.
Once free of the captives, however, I yanked from the man’s grip in an attempt to run. Three pairs of rough hands caught hold of my arms before I managed more than a few steps. The stench of their unclean bodies turned my stomach. I gagged as I fought them. They dragged me through the dust and dumped me at his feet.
I struggled up only to be brought down again. Pressure behind my knees forced me to kneel.
I lifted my face to glare at the commander.
“Remove her hood.”
Someone pulled my cloak half off my shoulders in his enthusiasm. Red curls fell free in a wild mass about my shoulders.
Silently I cursed the color. If only I had been blessed with plain brown or even blond tresses, I could have hidden in plain sight.
“My Lady Brielle Solarius, I presume.”
What inspired you to write the Novels of Rhynan?
Duty was inspired by a single sentence, the opening one. “’The red one is mine,’ he said.” Lord Irvaine is referring to Brielle, my red-headed heroine. From there, an adventure was born. Initially I planned on writing a short story, but the story ended up needing a larger canvas and became a novel.
Honor was inspired by a reviewer falling in love with one of my secondary characters, Dentin. He appears and plays an integral part in the last parts of Duty and he made such an impression that the reviewer begged for me to write his story.
The Making of a Man, the anthology short story collection, was born out of the writing of the first two Novels of Rhynan. So many secondary characters were catching my readers’ notice that I felt compelled to delve deeper into the world and give more of them their own story. The stories seemed to fall into place around Dentin, so the focus quickly became him, his past, present, and future. Also included are hints that will be picked up in the final three planned novels of the series.
Rachel Rossano specializes in clean romantic fiction set in historical-feeling fantasy worlds. She also dabbles in straightforward historical romance and not-so-strict speculative fiction.
A happily married mother of three small children, she divides her time between mothering, teaching, and writing. She endeavors to enchant, thrill, entertain, and amuse through her work. A constant student, she seeks to improve her skills and loves to hear from readers.
Book Tour: Passion of a Witch by K.D. Friedrich
About the Book
Title: Passion of a Witch
Author: K.D. Friedrich
Genre: Paranormal Romance
In a few weeks, Summer Leery will be mated. For most witches, it's a time to celebrate, but Summer isn't smiling. Her upcoming union is one of convenience, not love, contracted between her family and one of the most powerful families in the coven. As always, Summer's loyalty remains with her kin and the traditions she's expected to follow. No matter how much she detests her future husband. With her parents off to secure her nuptials, Summer is eager to enjoy her last moments of freedom.
Kian Lancaster's relationship with his father is volatile. So finding himself at the bastard's mercy is the last place Kian wants to be. Unfortunately, he has no choice. His mother is suffering from an unknown illness and needs constant care. Care that costs money. Money Kian doesn't have. With little options, he lets his father pay his mother's mounting medical bills, knowing the offer comes with a heavy price. Kian must work for his father's ruthless company. Looking to forget his bleak future, he plans a nostalgic night of liquor and fun in the local woods. Unaware his destiny lurks in the shadows of towering pine.
Summer is shocked to find a human trespassing on her family's land. More surprising is that the Goddess to all witches demands Summer welcome the cursed intruder. Summer has no time to waste playing host to a foolish human. No matter how handsome. With her wedding weeks away, Kian's a temptation she can't afford to entertain. But when her deity makes a decree to bring the male into the supernatural world... what's a witch to do?
Kian's about to find out. For the first time in his life, a woman didn't fall to her knees to please him. Summer's apathy shackled his lust and refused to let go. Kian knows he should stay away from Summer, but when it comes to this woman, he can't get enough.
Their attraction is instant, their desire intense. Two hearts forced together by the will of a Goddess. Is Summer strong enough to resist Kian's charm? Or will she risk it all to taste the power of love?
AUTHOR BIO
K. D. Friedrich is a writer of Contemporary and Paranormal Romance. A lifelong New Yorker, an overprotective mother (her daughter's words), and an obsessed reader of everything romance. Most days, you can find her hard at work, creating intricate worlds and compelling characters, hot alpha heroes being her favorite. Her novel, Soul Tie Seduction, placed second in the 2013 Golden Palm contest for Paranormal Romance and was a finalist in the 2016 Golden Quill for Paranormal Romance.
LINKS
Giveaway
Win a $10 Amazon gift card during the tour.
And today we ALSO have an amazing excerpt for you! Enjoy!
Excerpt
Kian fisted his fingers in her shirt and clung to the incredible rightness of having Summer in his arms. Her spine stiffened the moment his biceps encased her. Through the thin cotton, the softness of her skin teased him.
She soon settled, and they held each other, neither one making an attempt to separate.
Unable to resist, he buried his face in her throat. He filled his lungs with her sweet scent, a scent as fragrant as the array of blooms decorating the woodland surrounding them.
Did she suffer this incredible desire too?
As he traced his mouth over her pulse, she trembled, making him smile.
A steady stream of tingling pulses created warmth wherever her body touched him. The scorching lust threatened to burn him alive. She may not know it, but she owned him.
If he didn't get away from her, he was going to pull her onto his lap and show her his appreciation in the most carnal way. He'd drag her dainty fingers to his rock-hard cock and show her how to ease a man's suffering.
No… not any man.
Her man.
He pulled back slowly in order to admire her beauty.
Jesus, she was stunning. Her skin held a pretty blush and her olive-green eyes sparkled from the light cast by the flickering lantern sitting in front of the window.
"Kian."
His name sounded like a plea. The fact he affected her with the same ardor pleased him. To show his pleasure, he responded with a satisfied groan.
Summer slid back, taking with her the heat he found so alluring.
He raked his fingers through his hair, his body hard and tense. Her rejection shoved a wave of frustration through him.
How can she not feel this… connection?
When he dared peek at her face, he found her cheeks flush. Beneath his heated gaze, her body shuddered, providing more proof his little witch wasn't immune to his charms.
Unable to hold back his pleasure, he smirked.
Her blush deepened, and her tongue flicked across her lower lip, drawing his attention to her luscious mouth. Little did she know how much her simple action affected him.
He moved closer. "God, you're beautiful."
Monday, January 2, 2017
Cover Reveal: Tapped by Liz Crowe
Tapped
By
Liz Crowe
Genre:
NA Romance
When wealthy brewery owner Austin
Fitzgerald meets sexy saleswoman Evelyn Benedict, angry sparks fly.
They seem destined to clash, until a hot hookup in a cold beer cooler
changes everything.
For Austin, it's a life-altering
moment that sets him on a path away from his birthright, while Evelyn
must face her fears about committing to a man considered the playboy
of the micro-brewing world.
The power of preconceived notions
nearly tears them apart—until they meet up with brew master Ross,
who opens their eyes to a deeper, even more erotic connection. But
three strong personalities don’t always make for the best emotional
mix and when a simple misunderstanding causes chaos, it’s up to
Ross to repair the tattered shreds of their relationship.
Amazon best-selling author, mom of three, Realtor, beer blogger, brewery marketing expert, and soccer fan, Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville currently living in Ann Arbor. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse.
Her early forays into the publishing world led to a groundbreaking fiction subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” which has gained thousands of fans and followers interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”). More recently she is garnering even more fans across genres with her latest novels, which are more character-driven fiction, while remaining very much “real life.”
With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and at times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.
Don’t ever ask her for anything “like a Budweiser” or risk bodily injury.
Website
Blog
Facebook Fan Page
Facebook Chat Group
Facebook Profile
Twitter Feed
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Page
Sign Up for Liz Newz
Blog
Facebook Fan Page
Facebook Chat Group
Facebook Profile
Twitter Feed
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Page
Sign Up for Liz Newz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
