Monthly Archives: June 2021

Book Tour: Sigurd’s Swords by Eric Schumacher #HistoricalFiction #Vikings #KindleUnlimited @darkagescribe @maryanneyarde

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From best-selling historical fiction novelist, Eric Schumacher, comes the second volume in Olaf’s Saga: the adrenaline-charged story of Olaf Tryggvason and his adventures in the kingdom of the Rus.

AD 968. It has been ten summers since the noble sons of the North, Olaf and Torgil, were driven from their homeland by the treachery of the Norse king, Harald Eriksson. Having then escaped the horrors of slavery in Estland, they now fight among the Rus in the company of Olaf’s uncle, Sigurd. 

It will be some of the bloodiest years in Rus history. The Grand Prince, Sviatoslav, is hungry for land, riches, and power, but his unending campaigns are leaving the corpses of thousands in their wakes. From the siege of Konugard to the battlefields of ancient Bulgaria, Olaf and Torgil struggle to stay alive in Sigurd’s Swords, the riveting sequel to Forged by Iron. 

Tour Schedule:

Follow the tour: https://www.coffeepotbookclub.com/post/blog-tour-sigurd-s-swords-olaf-s-saga-book-2-by-eric-schumacher-june-28th-july-9th-2021

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Pre-order link

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EXCERPT

Chapter 12

We turned our prows to steer board and headed for the docks below the fort. Though the sun had not yet risen, the garrison and people who lived in or near the fort came to greet our ships, for many were wives and kin to the warriors who had just returned. I knew their smiles and waves would die as soon as our ships touched land. Nearly half of our warriors had perished in the south, and there would be many families left without their menfolk that night.

As our hulls scraped land and we shipped our oars, the crowd settled into an uneasy silence. Families and friends scanned the ships with weary eyes for their loved ones. Most of our warriors did not wait to grab their things. They simply leaped from the ships and made their way into the crowd to end the suspense of those who waited. It was at once a tender and solemn affair, for seeing loved ones reunited warmed me, but seeing wives and children standing alone, searching, then eventually learning the hard truth, wrenched my gut. For them there was no comfort on that brittle night. There were only tears and memories.

To look upon them was too hard, and so I turned to Olaf, who stood beside me. But his gaze was fixed on something else — or I should say, someone else. I followed that gaze up the boarded path that led to the fortress, where a notable group of warriors and lords stood, looking down at us. They surrounded a young woman, and it was on her that Olaf’s eyes now focused. The entire group was dressed in dark cloaks and hats of fur. She, too, was wrapped in a thick cloak of fur. But unlike the others, her white-blond hair danced on the breeze in the wavering torchlight, giving her an almost ethereal aspect. 

I knew instantly who she was and punched Olaf’s shoulder. “Best not be caught ogling the prince’s bride-to-be.” Though I admit, I too was fascinated by her. Even from a distance, she was as mesmerizing as a flame.

Olaf smiled that mischievous smile of his. “Who is ogling? I was just curious.”

I rolled my eyes. “Curious in a leering sort of way.” I lowered my voice and looked about to ensure no one was listening. “Just mind yourself,” I warned.

Olaf brushed my warning aside with a wave of his hand and lifted his pack from his sea chest. “Take your ease, Torgil. I seek only good beer and hearty food, and mayhap the company of a warm woman. I will let the nobles have their own dealings. Come, we have earned our fun this night.” 

I looked at the milling crowd, then at the stark walls of the town, then back at Olaf’s mischievous smile. I envisioned myself in some tavern sipping beer, while he and the others bragged about their exploits and I struggled to stay awake, and the mere thought of it exhausted me. What I needed most was silence and comfort. “The night is gone,” I said. “Besides, I seek someone else.”

Now it was Olaf’s turn to roll his eyes. “Gods. You are about as fun as a rock.” He dismissed me with a snort. “If you find her, I wish you an evening like no other. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

I hefted my own pack, which carried my byrnie, helmet, and a few loose items, then I grabbed my shield from the port-side rack. “Watch yourself,” I said again as I leaped from the ship. 

I threaded my way through the growing crowd and headed north along the Volkhov, following the beach several hundred paces until I reached the tributary that turned east from the main river. There, at the intersection of the waterways, stood Sigurd’s hall. And there I froze, as nervous as if I were facing an army of Pechenegs, a hundred doubts accosting me at once. What would Turid think when she saw me? How would she react? Had I changed? Had she? Had she met someone else in my absence? The questions came at me unhindered, unabated, rapid-fire. They made my palms sweat and my stomach flutter. I had never been good with women, and here I was again, faltering. I cursed myself in an attempt to bolster my courage, but it did not work. Rather, it alerted the guard who walked nearby and whom I had not seen.

“Who is there?”

I raised my hands in surrender. “It is me, Oleg. Torgil Toralvsson.”

The man turned to me and a flash of light danced across his drawn blade. There was a smile on his wrinkled face. “Gods, you had me worried. I am getting too old for night fights.” He stepped closer and looked me up and down. “So Sigurd is home?” he asked.

“Aye,” I said. “He is. He and the men are at the fort.”

He sheathed his blade. “We heard rumors. Was it bad?”

“Aye, Oleg. It was.”

He beckoned me to him. “Come, lad. You are home.” There was that strange word again. I walked to him and he patted my back, ushering me forward.

Sigurd’s was a large estate, with a comfortable main hall in which he lived and entertained, a barracks for his men, a smithy, a larder, and a barn. Attached to the barn was a pen for his chickens, sheep, pigs, and two horses. Down near the water was a boathouse for Sea Snake and Sigurd’s two other ships. Service in the East had been kind to him.

“Head to the barracks and find yourself some warmth,” Oleg instructed. “The men are sleeping, so try to be quiet.” 

His words turned my mind to the ten men who had remained behind to guard Sigurd’s estate. Those lucky bastards were sleeping in their cots with full bellies and furs to warm them, and they were the last thing I wanted to see. I shook my head. “There is someone else I must see first.” Though it was night and I knew Oleg could not see my face very well, I blushed. “Is Turid in the main hall?”

“Oh,” he answered. I was about to explain myself when he waved me forward. “Come, then. Leave your things by the door. She sleeps in the first bed to the left as you enter. Mind your noise, now.” He winked at me. “And do not fall asleep. You know the rules. No warriors are to sleep in the main hall.”

I thanked him and deposited my things at the door, then entered the hall as quietly as I could. The door creaked as it swung open. I paused, letting the warmth seep into my skin as my eyes adjusted to the firelit interior and my nose to the smoke and body odor and must. Snores and heavy breathing and the crackling of burning logs filled the space. As silently as I could, I closed the door and moved to Turid’s bed. She lay curled in a ball with her face near the wall. Her fire-red hair was splayed across her shoulder and pillow. Gods, how peaceful she looked. My heart thundered as I sat carefully on the frame of her bed, then brushed my fingers against her shoulder. “Turid,” I whispered with my heart in my throat.

She rolled her head to me suddenly, a mixture of confusion and sleepiness on her freckled face. “Torgil?” she finally asked.

I smiled and whispered, “Aye.”

She sat up and wrapped her arms around my torso. I returned the hug, my nose close to her neck, and immersed myself in her scent. 

“I have missed you, Torgil,” she whispered fiercely.

I pulled back from her and studied her face. Those glacial eyes now filled with tears. That straight nose and prominent jaw and jutting chin. Those full lips and fair skin covered with freckles. “I have missed you too,” I whispered back, then looked away because her beauty left my cheeks searing hot and my body bereft of strength.

She lifted my furry chin with her finger and smiled gently. “From the rumors we heard, I feared I might never see you again.”

“And I, you,” I admitted softly. “It was good that you remained here.”

Suddenly her brows dipped and she looked beyond me, then back at me. “Where is Olaf?”

“He is at the fort. I came to see you.” My voice trailed off.

She lifted her blanket. “Come. Warm yourself.”

“Are you certain?” I knew what she had suffered at the hands of our Estland captors and did not want to break that barrier indelicately.

“Aye,” she whispered, holding the fur blanket open for me.

I shed my boots and slid under the furs beside her, aware of how much I must reek and hoping she did not care. She reached up and wrapped her arms around my torso. I closed my eyes, reveling in her touch and her scent, trying to ignore my ache for her. 

Her hand reached up and stroked my chest softly. “Rest now. You are home,” she breathed.

I sighed, relaxing into her warmth and into the peace I suddenly felt. Home.

“One day you must tell me of your adventure.” 

“I will,” I responded drowsily, trying to keep my weary mind from falling asleep.

It was the last thing I remembered. 

Author Bio

Eric Schumacher

Eric Schumacher (1968 – ) is an American historical novelist who currently resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife and two children. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended college at the University of San Diego.

At a very early age, Schumacher discovered his love for writing and medieval European history, as well as authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Those discoveries continue to fuel his imagination and influence the stories he tells. His first novel, God’s Hammer, was published in 2005.

Social Media Links:

Website: 

www.ericschumacher.net

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/darkagescribe

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/eric.schumacher.71/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-schumacher-91b80b

BookBub:

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/eric-schumacher

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Eric-Schumacher/e/B001K8G4YW

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/399517.Eric_Schumacher

Release Blitz: Against a Rising Tide by Samantha Cayto #LGBTQ #eroticromance @pridepublishing @firstforromance

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Against a Rising Tide By Samantha Cayto

General Release Date: 29th June 2021

Word Count: 54,881
Book Length: NOVEL
Pages: 194

Genres:

CONTEMPORARY
EROTIC ROMANCE
GAY
GLBTQI
MEN IN UNIFORM

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Book Description

Love always finds a way.

Scott, a Navy SEAL, returns to his childhood beach house to deal with the emotional trauma of his latest mission. When a sniper killed his closest friend, Scott was left dealing with survivor’s guilt and the disturbing feeling that his friend meant more to him. He has always identified as strictly straight, attraction to men being something he has ruthlessly suppressed.

When he finds Kitt, a friend of his sister’s, hiding out from his abusive boyfriend, Scott is once again drawn to someone of his own gender. Although annoyed at the intrusion, Scott also instantly develops an interest in his unwanted houseguest. Keeping his distance is proving to be impossible and his growing desire for Kitt cannot be ignored.

Forced to leave home, Kitt entered into a relationship with a man who turned abusive. Having finally found the courage to escape, the last thing he wants or needs is another alpha male invading his space. But having nowhere else to go, he ends up staying with a man who disturbs him in more ways than one. As scary as the SEAL is, Scott is exactly the type of man Kitt dreams about.

The beach house is small, and the two men cannot avoid one another or the attraction between them. With each passing day, their bond grows stronger. Hesitation slowly gives way to passion. They need to trust their feelings and let go of the things that frighten them, to find safety and solace in each other.

Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of violence, attempted murder, stalking, PTSD and references to death in a war zone, abusive parents and relationship abuse.

Excerpt

By the time Scott reached the beach house, visions of falling face-down in his bed swam before his eyes. He really should have checked into one of the airport hotels for the night instead of renting a car and heading north. But the driving need for solitude had overridden his better judgment. Even arriving in Boston at o-dark-thirty hadn’t thinned the crowds of people enough to satisfy his jangled nerves. He needed quiet and the mental space that came from being utterly alone to get his head screwed back on right. Otherwise, his time in the SEAL Teams would come to an end. The mere thought of having to leave his Naval career was intolerable to him.

He took a moment as he exited his rental SUV to simply stand and stare out over the ocean. The sun was just rising above the rippling blue-green water, washing the horizon in tones of red and orange. Seagulls screeched in their staccato fashion, as if they were in a constant state of agitation. He welcomed the familiar sound of their mindless scolding. The crash of waves against the rocky shore told him the tide was coming in. He took in a deep breath of salty air tinged with a hint of clam flats and smiled. All the joy of his childhood filled the aching hole that had formed in the middle of his chest. Coming here had been the right call. This was where he needed to be.

His exhaustion momentarily abated, Scott grabbed his duffel bag from the back of the SUV and walked up the stone path to the front door. There was no need to lock his vehicle, not in the low-crime town of Sewall, Massachusetts. It was barely more than a spit of rocky land and had never developed the cachet of its neighbors like Rockport as a fashionable seaside town. It attracted no one other than the dedicated perennial vacationer and was the perfect place to hide away for a while without fear of disturbance. His sister wouldn’t haul her brood up from the suburbs of Boston until August. He could be sure of having the place all to himself…to be alone.

Safe.

No, where had that thought come from? He was a SEAL, for God’s sake. There was nowhere on Earth that he didn’t feel as if he could protect himself. And he understood better than most that death was always lurking around, regardless. One only had to be ready to face it. Defeat it. If necessary, accept it when options had truly run out, but only after fighting to the very last breath. He took in another deep lungful of brisk ocean air with that last thought, irritated at his dark, almost defeatist attitude.

I need sleep. That’s all.

Scott almost sprinted to the seafoam green door, fumbled with the keys to open it and stepped inside the cool, quiet house of his childhood…that was not empty.

He froze inside the doorway and stared at the vision that greeted him. His mind did all kinds of acrobatics as he tried to make sense of what he saw. With the open floorplan of the first floor, he had a clear view of a naked woman standing in the kitchen. She was reaching up to a shelf filled with bowls, her toned arm stretched high. A curtain of long, dark hair swung below her shoulder blades, catching his attention. He followed the movement past the tapered ends, down a slender back of creamy skin accentuated by some kind of colorful tramp-stamp.

The tattoo skimmed a high, tight ass that held his gaze like a magnet. His overtired brain popped and snapped with a sudden spark of need. As exhausted as he was, his body came alive, desire shooting through him to pool in his groin. Even as an involuntary grunt passed his lips, the more rational part of his mind took over. It was trying to put on the brakes because something was off. The woman’s hips were too straight, and her shoulders were a bit broad. As the pieces clicked into place, the beach house inhabitant whirled around with a sharp inhalation. Now, the cock and balls of the man came literally swinging into view.

Scott’s own cock was caught between hardening and deflating again. He could feel it waging a war inside his worn jeans for a few seconds before it gave up in a semi-hard state that he ignored. Nothing to see here, folks. It was the other man’s reaction that caught and held his focus. Across the large expanse, there was visible fear in the dark eyes staring back at him. And the guy did nothing to hide his genitals. Instead, one hand had flown to the base of his throat in a clear defensive gesture. He whipped the other up to hold against his left cheek. But the quickness of the move hadn’t stopped Scott from seeing a livid bruise that marred the pretty skin there.

“Who?” The young man blinked at him for a few seconds, breathing quickly, before he visibly relaxed. “Oh, you’re Karen’s brother, aren’t you?” Although he dropped the one hand from his throat, he didn’t let go of his cheek entirely. Instead, he carded his fingers through his hair, letting the strands hide that half of his face. “She said you were overseas.”

“I was.” Scott stepped fully into the house and shut the door behind him before setting his duffel on the floor. He was careful to keep his movements slow. He’d dealt with petrified villagers plenty of times and knew he had to prove that he wasn’t a danger to them. Build trust. While he was at a loss as to why exactly, he could sense this man needed the same kind of consideration.

“I just got back and have two weeks’ leave.” Not that it had been his idea.

“Take the time, Carpenter. There’s no shame in needing it after what you’ve been through.”

“Yes, sir.”

He’d known an order when he’d been given one, but he still felt some guilt about lying around on a beach while others were out there fighting on his behalf. He pushed those thoughts aside to deal with the more pressing matter. Before he could ask the who, what and why, the naked man was talking again.

“I guess Karen didn’t know that. She said I could stay here until she comes up with her kids.” He dropped his gaze, while still tugging at his hair in nervous fashion.

Scott approached the kitchen area, again keeping his movements slow and non-threatening. “I was going to call her later.” He stopped and hooked his thumbs in his front pockets. “I’m sorry. You have me at a disadvantage. Do I know you?”

The young man flashed his gaze at him before skittering it away. Now that he was closer, Scott could see that his eyes weren’t entirely brown. There was a hint of green there as well. Hazel, he supposed, although he’d never given much thought to eye color before. He forced himself to focus on them, however, because the alternative was to stare farther south. There was a temptation to sneak peeks at parts of the man’s body. He’d always studiously avoided that urge before. He saw more naked men than he did women, that was for sure, and in a military environment where privacy was non-existent, one had to be respectful. Inside a quaint New England house, with the muted dawn shining through the window, making everything soft and almost romantic, the nudity was harder to ignore.

“I’m Kitt Tyler.”

Scott’s attention was tugged back to Kitt’s face—although really, to his lips. He couldn’t help noticing how plump and pink they were. ‘Generous’ was the word that came to mind, like those of old-time movie starlets—the type of mouth that combat men dreamed of kissing as they lay in their makeshift beds. It was what got them up again, fighting for their country. That observation startled him even more. What the hell is my problem? Exhaustion, that was all. What he needed was a solid eight horizontal hours uninterrupted, and that wasn’t going to happen until he wrapped up this unexpected meet-and-greet.

“You’re a friend of Karen’s?” Kind of a dumb question.

Kitt gnawed briefly at his lower lip, once again drawing Scott’s unwilling attention to that spot. “Yeah, I am, but also her hairdresser. I mean, that’s how we first met, and we’ve become friends, too. You know?”

No, Scott didn’t…at all. The last thing he and his sister ever talked about was hair styling, although she always looked great. He knew that she prided herself on being elegant and fashionable for her job as a publisher for some glossy, high-end magazine. She had him on her subscription list, which was sweet, except it all went straight into his trash. What did he care about trendy places to eat in Boston and the best store for thousand-thread-count sheets?

“Anyway,” the guy continued, still playing with his hair and darting his gaze around. “She has like a million pictures of you at home, so I recognized you straight off.”

Not exactly true. For a moment, when he’d turned and caught sight of Scott, Kitt had obviously been afraid. Of what? Scott wondered. Or rather…whom?

Scott ran a hand over his head. The need for sleep was overtaking his initial and visceral reaction to this unexpected guest. “I’m sure she’s bored you to tears with stories about me, too.” His sister was proud of his service, although he feared that she’d put him on a pedestal he didn’t deserve, certainly not after this last deployment.

A ghost of a smile graced Kitt’s lips. That was the moment when it hit Scott that this young man was utterly gorgeous—at a he-could-be-a-model level. Although, he was probably too short for that profession. He was about five-seven, just the right height to tuck into Scott’s shoulder. The new observations sent his brain into another unwanted spasm of discord.

“She has a bit, but I think it’s great how close you two are.” Releasing his hold on his hair, Kitt fluttered his hands and shifted his feet. “Anyway, I’ll pack up and get out of your way. It, um, might take a while for me to get a Lyft driver to come here this early, though. I hope that’s okay.”

“You don’t have a car?” Another stupid question. The driveway had been empty when he’d pulled up.

“No. Um, no.” Kitt stared at the floor again.

Scott could see the distress in the guy’s posture and read it in his expression. He knew when someone was afraid, nervous or angry, even when they tried to hide it from him. He could tell when they were lying about something. Kitt Tyler wasn’t merely a friend of his sister who needed a free summer vacation. There was more to it than that, and given the guy’s skittishness and that bruise on his cheek, Scott could make an educated guess what that more was.

For the moment, however, he was incapable of any further rational thought. He needed that eight hours, then he’d deal with the situation.

“Look,” he said, repressing a yawn. “I’ve been awake for over forty-eight hours straight. I’m going upstairs to get some sleep. No need for you to leave yet. We’ll talk later.”

Kitt’s relief was easy to see. Still, he said, “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Scott turned to retrieve his duffel bag from by the door.

“Oh, I should get dressed now so that I don’t disturb you.”

Too late on that score. “I can sleep through anything, but thanks.”

He made himself not watch as Kitt flitted up the stairs. He didn’t rush when he followed, either, so that he wouldn’t see any more of that undeniably tantalizing flesh. His plan worked. By the time he’d reached the second floor, his sister’s guest had disappeared into the far back room. The sounds of a drawer opening and closing drifted down the narrow hallway. Scott bit back a groan when he realized that Kitt had taken his usual room. That thought had barely formed before the guy popped back out, wearing crotch-hugging cut-off jeans and a tight white crop top. The clothing wasn’t much better than the nudity had been at hiding the guy’s fit physique. Oh, and bonus, now that Scott wasn’t studiously averting his gaze, he could see a belly button ring winking from the flat stomach.

“I took one of the kid’s rooms, if that’s okay?” Kitt looked impossibly young himself. What was the minimum age to be a hairdresser, eighteen? The guy must be straight out of school.

Scott didn’t bother to correct him. Visions of Kitt lying in Scott’s bed were already creeping into his brain. Instead, he waved the issue away and turned into what had been his parents’ old room. Karen and her husband used it now, but she obviously wasn’t coming up any time soon. He may as well bed down in it. He kicked the door shut with more force than he’d intended, but the lure of the big brass bed was irresistible. Stumbling toward it, he did as he’d dreamed of for hours—fell face-down onto the quilt his grandmother had made. He had just enough brainpower left to kick off his sneakers before giving in to the pull of sleep.

His last thought, however, was of the pretty boy at the end of the hall, silhouetted by the glint of the rising sun.

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About the Author

Samantha Cayto

Samantha Cayto is a Boston-area native who practices as a business lawyer by day while writing erotic romance at night—the steamier the better. She likes to push the envelope when it comes to writing about passion and is delighted other women agree that guy-on-guy sex is the hottest ever.

She lives a typical suburban life with her husband, three kids and four dogs. Her children don’t understand why they can’t read what she writes, but her husband is always willing to lend her a hand—and anything else—when she needs to choreograph a scene.

Giveaway

Enter to win a fabulous gift package and get a FREE eBook from the author!

Samantha Cayto’s Against A Rising Tide Giveaway

SAMANTHA CATO IS GIVING AWAY A $50.00 AMAZON GIFT CARD TO ONE LUCKY WINNER. ENTER HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN AND GET A FREE SAMANTHA CATO ROMANCE BOOK! Notice: This competition ends on 13th July 2021 at 5pm GMT. Competition hosted by Totally Entwined Group.

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New Release: Kitty Kitty (Souls Chapel Revenants MC) by Lani Lynn Vale #bookreview #contemporaryromance

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Kitty Kitty

Souls Chapel Revenants MC Book 5

Lani Lynn Vale

Release Date: June 29, 2021

About the Book

This is the story of a man falling in love with a woman.

A man that was supposed to be a role model, and a woman that was just barely twenty-one.

A man who should’ve known better, and a woman that didn’t know that she was destroying his career word by word, innocent touch by innocent touch, smile by smile, until it had already imploded.

The world collapses around Absinthe ‘Sin’ Solomon, and the only thing he can do is try not to take her down with him.

The moment the inevitable happens, and the gavel bangs signaling that he will spend the next nine years in prison for attempted murder, Sin tries to let go. But Blaise Mackenzie has never, not ever, been one to give up without a fight.

Her military career might be over, but her career as a prison guard is just about to get started.

And her favorite prisoner? A pissed-off older man, a drill sergeant dishonorably discharged from the Army that tells himself daily that the new ‘Kitty Kitty’ female prison guard is not for him.

After following him around for years, watching over him from afar in any way she can, Sin is released early. And the first person that he’s going to see? A stubborn little blonde-headed female that should’ve known better than to trust a man like him.

Purchase Links

✦ Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cphpgZ  

✦ Apple: http://apple.co/3bBi7sk  

✦ Nook: http://bit.ly/2Okeuhq

✦ Kobo: http://bit.ly/38uii6v  

✦ Audio: https://amzn.to/3pTgHi1

Add to your TBR: http://bit.ly/3t9mOzu

My Review – 5 stars!

Drama. Action. Mystery. Romance. Kitty Kitty has all that and more. Want a thrilling read that will steam your glasses? You’ve found it!

There’s chemistry and then there’s melt-my-ereader-heat. Blaise and Sin have both in spades. Their journey isn’t easy, but nothing worth having ever is. They’re made for one another and nothing, including prison, will stand in their way.

This book is absolutely amazing! There’s a bit of darkness but it ends with a happily-ever-after, and left me wanting more. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

*Disclaimer: I received and ARC in exchange for an honest review.

About Lani Lynn Vale

Lani Lynn Vale is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles. She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple also meaning over twenty) chickens.

When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading.

Lani is married with three children and lives in the Great State of Texas.

Website: http://www.lanilynnvale.com/

Facebook: https://bit.ly/LLV-fb

Instagram: https://bit.ly/LLV-IG

Twitter: https://bit.ly/LLV-twitter

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/LLVgoodreads

BookBub: http://bit.ly/LLVbb

Release Blitz: Lessons in Sin by Pam Goodwin #contemporaryromance @pamgodwinauthor

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Title: Lessons in Sin
Author: Pam Godwin
Series: Standalone in the Midnight Dynasty World
Genre:  College Romance/Contemporary Romance/ New Adult
Publisher: Dangerous Press
Release Date: June 29
Blurb/Synopsis:
There’s no absolution for the things I’ve done.
But I found a way to control my impulses.
I became a priest.
As Father Magnus Falke, I suppress my cravings. As the head teacher of a Catholic boarding school, I’m never tempted by a student.
Until Tinsley Constantine.
The bratty princess challenges my rules and awakens my dark nature. With each punishment I lash upon her, I want more. In my classroom, private rectory, and bent over my altar, I want all of her.
One touch risks everything I stand for. My faith. My redemption. And even my life.
As if that could stop me. I need her pain, and her heart, and she needs my lessons in sin.

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Cover Reveal: Debauchery (Dahlia Saga #6) and Malicious (Dahlia Saga #7) by Natalie Bennett #darkromance #newadult @AuthorNBennett

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Title: Debauchery (Dahlia Saga #6)
Release: August 18, 2021
Title: Malicious (Dahlia Saga #7)
Release: August 31, 2021
Author: Natalie Bennett
Genre: Dark Romance/New Adult Dark Romance
Cover Design: Opulent Designs
 
 
 
Such carnal delights.

When you meet the right person, you’ll know.

Who cares if they’re vile, sadistic, and could burn down a church with the things that come out of their mouth?

I sure don’t.

Luca Andreou was meant to be mine long before we had a bloody rendezvous in the middle of the night. There’s just a few obstacles I have to work around to make him see I can be everything he needs.

Like the iron fortress he’s built around his heart.

His peculiar hobbies.

Oh, and his wife.

But you know what they say…

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it sure as hell burned in one.

She may have loved him first, but I’ll be the one he loves last.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
A hereditary madness.

There was always something not quite right about Julias Andreou. You’d never hear anyone say it out loud though. If his wealth and charm couldn’t convince the whole town to pretend otherwise, his last name did.

He and his friend’s deviant transgressions and daredevil antics always went ignored.

I had always been told me to stay away from him, which wasn’t that hard of a task despite him being my older brother’s closest friend.

One chaotic summer changed everything.

If the truth wasn’t such a bitter pill to swallow maybe I could readily accept what was to come.

Julias Andreou may have been the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, but there is something corrupt and sinister inside him.

His heart is black.

His soul is darker.

And now, he’s my fiancé.
 
 
 
 

 
 
With a penchant for (writing) villainous immoral men, and a tendency to deviate away from traditional happily ever afters, Natalie Bennett is an international bestselling author of twisted and unconventional love stories.
When she’s not slaying words she’s somewhere in the sunshine state, happily taking life one curve-ball at a time.
 
 

 

 
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Release Day Blitz: Lightning Woman by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom #NewRelease #WolfShifters #PNR

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Lightning Woman

Wolves of the West 
Book One
Linda Thomas-Sundstrom

Genre: Paranormal Shifter Romance
Publisher: GothicScapes
Date of Publication:  June 28, 2021
ASIN: B096PTNWZ5
Number of pages: 282
Word Count:  60,000
Cover Artist: Magnetra

Tagline: Meet the Arizona wolf pack and the ghosts that haunt them.

Book Description:

Are the ghosts of Macy Lyons’ past stronger than the promise of a future with her new lover?

Macy Lyons is a respected member of the wolf pack housed in an old Arizona tourist attraction. Her special Were abilities make her a good scout, and also enable her to see the ghosts that haunt the desert. When those ghosts lead her to a visiting lawman from another state, she must find out why…and if those ghosts have a hand in shaping her future.

Florida detective Logan Carter has chased a criminal all the way from Florida to Arizona, and now can use the help of the secretive wolf pack housed at Desperado to find the crazy werewolf he seeks. But will his attraction to Desperado’s beautiful she-wolf scout be a help or a hindrance to his mission in a landscape so different from his own?


Excerpt:

As Logan studied this female vision that had appeared like a desert spirit borne on the blistering hot wind, he couldn’t help but appreciate her uniqueness. In fact, this representative of the Desperado pack was quite stunning, and radiated enough personal power for her outline to waver.
Pretty and dangerous…
Moonlight slid down each strand of straight black hair that fell to the she-wolf’s waist like sparkling water dripping from the skies. All that hair curtained a narrow body with few noticeable curves and very few wolfish traits, even though she had shape-shifted.
She was tall and slight of frame, with long, shapely legs. Her bare arms were beautifully sculpted with a layer of smooth, lean muscle. One arm bore the swirls of a colorful tattoo Logan couldn’t get a read on from where he stood because his focus kept returning to her face.
A slightly elongated facial structure, shadowed, angular, and with prominent cheekbones, was the real proof of what she was, and made him think this female might be a pure-blooded Were. Under the moonlight, the shadows on her face represented her missing patches of fur, or where fur would have been on any normal werewolf under a full moon. In fact, she bore no fur anywhere that he could see.
Crossing her right eye socket and extending two or three inches beneath it were three stripes of color that could have either been paint or tattoos. White. Black. Green. The effect suggested to Logan she might have Native American roots, though lots of women had unusual tattoos these days.
Damn, though. Maybe she really was some kind of a spirit.



About the Author: 


Linda Thomas-Sundstrom is an award-winning author of 40+ stories in the realms of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy. She has been published by Kensington Publishing, HarperCollins/Harlequin Nocturne and Desire lines, and GothicScapes.



The Dream Team – Linda’s Reader Team on Facebook:

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3pSKqaV 

Follow Linda on Bookbub:

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Release Blitz: Did It All Before by Cynthia Hamill #LGBTQ #contemporaryromance @cynthiawhamill @ninestarpress @GoIndiMarketing

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Title: Did It All Before

Author: Cynthia Hamill

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 06/28/2021

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 115800

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, contemporary, gay, British, doctor, photojournalist, healing, hurt/comfort, PTSD/Post Traumatic Stress, angst, slow burn, friends to lovers, soulmates

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Description

Award-winning photojournalist Scott Rowe is struggling with the physical injuries and emotional scars caused by the terrorist attack that killed his interpreter, Omran Saleh. A long succession of doctors and surgeons have put his body back together, but to Scott, his mind seems beyond repair. Panic attacks ambush his days, and nightmares haunt his fitful sleep. He can’t bring himself to touch his broken camera, let alone consider returning to work. His only sanctuary is the darkroom, where he can escape the secret he carries surrounding Omran’s death.

Dr Jason Andrews is determined to bring Scott back from the brink. His alternative healing methods are like nothing Scott has ever seen, and at first, Scott feels foolish lying on Jason’s table with hot rocks in his hands or acupuncture needles in his skin. But one thing keeps Scott coming back: the detailed visions that appear like movies in his mind, of himself in other times, cultures, and continents, and Jason himself, whose relentless hope steers them through the storms of Scott’s recovery.

As his health improves, Scott begins to wonder what his visions mean. Are they vivid daydreams, figments of his exhausted mind? And why does he only have these visions when he is with Jason?

Scott hopes the answers will give him a reason to make peace with Omran’s death and begin to truly live again, instead of merely surviving. But what if they also give him a reason to love?

Excerpt

Did It All Before
Cynthia Hamill © 2021
All Rights Reserved

Scott opens his eyes slowly as he steps out of the darkroom. The small lamp on his bedside cabinet provides only a shadowy glow over the flat, and he shuffles toward it with a yawn, finally ready for sleep.

When he’d started renting this place in Camden three years ago, it was meant to be somewhere to crash between jobs, a glorified storage locker with a shower. It’s square and plain, his bed on one side and galley kitchen on the other, decorated only with photos and trinkets from his travels. After the accident, when it became clear he’d be grounded for a few months, he transformed the bathroom by draping a blackout curtain around the door and setting a plank over the bathtub for his chemical trays. There, he can flip on the fan and work for hours, just feet away physically but miles away mentally from his bed, where insomnia and nightmares crowd out any hope of sleep.

His darkroom habit is his only connection to photography these days. He hasn’t picked up his camera since he left the hospital in January; it’s in pieces, after all, his £3,200 digital Canon collecting dust in his cupboard. Scott never did find out who collected it from the scene and sent it along with him in the ambulance. They shouldn’t have bothered; he can’t bring himself to touch the thing, even to throw it out. Instead, he finds solace in the undeveloped film from his 35mm Leica.

Film is reserved for London, family, and home, where there are no publishing deadlines to meet or editors to please. He has compiled quite a collection of undeveloped rolls over the last few years; being home only a day or two at a time had given him a chance to take pictures but not develop them before he’d be on his way again, so his desk drawer holds a grab bag of birthday parties, impromptu picnics, and London day trips. He never knows what will appear on the long strip of film, but he knows what won’t. There will be no Ukraine, no Kabul, no Delhi; no plane crashes, no war zones, no children dying in poverty.

Last night, the roll he processed had turned out to be all Olivia and Thomas, two years ago at Christmas. Scott’s heart clenched pleasantly when the images appeared, remembering how he and his sister had sprinkled jelly babies and crisps in the garden for reindeer food because Thomas thought that’s what they’d like. Tonight, Scott picks out a few frames to print for Olivia, of their mum filling stockings and Thomas’s astonished reaction to his new toy train. He spends time printing the images, making sure the contrast is perfect. His eyes finally get heavy as he places the last few photographs on the drying rack.

The sky is not yet lightening. Scott picks up his phone from the bedside cabinet to check the time. Thursday, the 19th of May, 4:07 a.m. An appointment reminder lights up, and shit, today is his first session with the new guy Dr Coulter wants him to see.

At least the appointment isn’t until two.

After he crosses the day off his calendar with his black Sharpie (he’s up to day one hundred fifty-nine) and sends a quick goodnight message on WhatsApp, Scott arranges himself in bed, flat on his back with his bad arm propped up on pillows. He’ll get a few hours of sleep after all.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

Cynthia’s love of romance began in eighth grade when she chose to read Jane Eyre instead of Huckleberry Finn. Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, and Daphne du Maurier shaped her passion for love stories that feature mysterious plots and unforgettable characters. At thirteen, she couldn’t have imagined a world where books appear on screens at the touch of a button, but decades later, romances of all genres fill her (digital) shelves while her dog-eared, well-loved copy of Jane Eyre still lives on her bedside table.

Cynthia’s art history degree landed her a museum job in New York, but she left the Big Apple when her own love story took her to the prairies of the Midwest. She now lives a stone’s throw from the Mississippi River, and you can find her poring over art books, reading tarot cards, taking nature walks with her family, and reading and writing love stories.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | eMail

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Torpedo/Beast by Marteeka Karland is now in paperback! #romanticsuspense @marteekakarland

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Torpedo (Bones MC 7)

Ambrosia — I wasn’t surprised when the playboy in the penthouse answered the door stark naked. The gun surprised me, but, hey. It’s a job, work is hard to come by. My crazy ex’s father has managed to get me fired from every job I’ve landed since his son got himself sent to prison.

Torpedo — The cute little thing who has the job of being my personal butler doesn’t need a naked man in her life. She needs a hero. One to slay her demons. Fortunately for her, that man is me.

Beast (Salvation’s Bane MC 2)

Fleur: Drugged and dragged to the back room of a BDSM club, I was about to be used in a brutal way. Until he exploded to my rescue.

Beast: I came by my name honestly. When it comes to protecting my club, or my woman, I’m the most ferocious beast you could ever imagine. What will Fleur think when she finds out the lengths I’ll go to protect what’s mine?

Get it at Amazon

EXCERPT

Copyright ©2021 Marteeka Karland
Excerpt from Beast

The Playground was hopping tonight. Gideon “Beast” Leigh sat at a bar on the far end of the club, watching the various scenes play out before him. He drank a cup of black coffee because he refused to drink a Coke unless it was liberally laced with Jack. Since they didn’t serve alcohol at the club — alcohol and BDSM didn’t mix well — he made do with the coffee.

Beast had seen several women he’d considered introducing himself to, but his heart just wasn’t in it. Most of the time, he loved getting bouncer duty at the Playground, but tonight wasn’t one of them. His mind kept drifting back to an incident that had happened earlier in the day. One that had left him speechless and more than a little unnerved.

Besides the Playground, Salvation’s Bane owned a couple of gyms in Palm Beach as well as a strip club. All but Playground were more for money laundering if they needed it, but all had to be monitored and policed. Last thing they wanted was to give the fuzz a reason to look at them too closely. Beast was at the gym, running diagnostics on their security system and generally scoping out the place. He always liked to keep tabs on their members and know who were regulars and who were fading on their New Year’s resolutions. He was just about to go for his own workout when he saw… her.

This petite little thing with curly chestnut hair pulled back in a knot on top of her head. With unusual silver-green eyes and pale, thin limbs, she looked like she belonged in high school instead of the fucking gym. Which made Beast more than a little uncomfortable.

Instead of being on a treadmill or something light to go with her frame and lack of musculature, the girl was on the bench press, her friend spotting her with only the bar. Which was still too fucking heavy for her. She was obviously struggling, but her friend, though encouraging her to push it up, wasn’t watching her. She was watching a group of young men in the corner. Watching… intently.

Beast focused on the girl. The more she strained to push up the bar over and over, the more she wiggled, giving everyone a good view when her gym shorts gaped. Normally, he’d have thought her “friend” was letting the jocks across the room look their fill at her expense, making fun of her behind her back, but none of them pointed or laughed. Instead, they looked intently, speaking in low tones. When one of them nodded, the girl’s friend called it, praising her for a job well done as she helped her put the bar back in the rack.

“I can’t believe they load those heavy bars down with weights,” she panted. “I can barely lift it as it is.”

“You’ll get used to it, Fleur.” Her friend patted Fleur on the shoulder as the girl sat up, obviously winded from her efforts. “We both will.” She smiled at Fleur before taking her own place on the bench. Fleur seemed oblivious to the men in the corner talking and continuing to watch her.

Beast sensed a trap, and he always trusted his instincts. Something was off about the whole situation. So he did what any self-respecting enforcer would do. He made a big deal about flexing his muscles as he moved to the free weights stationed between the two groups. Beast could be intimidating when he wanted to be. Just then, he wanted to be.

The boys had tried to hold his gaze, thinking themselves safe in a group. Once Beast began curling an insanely heavy dumbbell, they decided against confronting him. Then Beast shifted his gaze to Debbie, not a veiled threat but a notice that he was on to her. The girl had the good sense to realize she was in trouble. If they were setting the young woman up for something nefarious, they weren’t going to do it in his fucking gym.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erotic romance author by night, emergency room tech/clerk by day, Marteeka Karland works really hard to drive everyone in her life completely and totally nuts. She has been creating stories from her warped imagination since she was in the third grade. Her love of writing blossomed throughout her teenage years until it developed into the totally unorthodox and irreverent style her English teachers tried so hard to rid her of.

Find Marteeka Online: Website | Facebook | BookBub

Romance Book Box Giveaway #bookgiveaway #romancebooks

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It’s summertime in the US! How many of you are planning vacations, or perhaps a stay-cation filled with lots of reading time?

Do you want a chance to win this Changeling Press book box, charm bracelet, necklace, door hanger, and padded envelope of author swag? The box contains a range of romances from paranormal to scifi to contemporary. Two of the titles are anthologies that contain one or more LGBTQ romances. The full list of titles and genres are listed below.

Open until July 25, 2021

Box contains the following books:

Desire Island by Shelby Morgen, Stephanie Burke, and Treva Harte

Desire Island — a gateway to the heart’s deepest desire, to passion’s heat, to love.

Paranormal/Futuristic Romance

Preacher with Ryker & Badger by Harley Wylde (signed)

I lost the love of my life and vowed to never love again. Until temptation walked through the door.

Biker/Age-Gap Romance

All Wrapped Up Vol. 1 by Angela Knight, Dakota Cassidy, and Kate Hill

Vampires, Shifters, and Destined Mates search for their Happy Ever After on the paranormal side…

Urban Fantasy/Sci-Fi Romance

Neko by Ana Raine

Collin has loved Adrian for over a decade but can he trust his future to the Prince of the Demons?

Dark Fantasy/Gay Romance

Cardboard Hero/Wild Geese by Shelby Morgen (signed)

Tory’s falling in love with her hero — she’s just not sure which one.

Paranormal Romance

Lionsblood by Marteeka Karland

In Earth’s brutal, future frozen, the Lionsblood claim what they want, and never look back.

Shapeshifters/Sci-Fi Romance

Vaaden Captives & Warriors by Jessica Coulter Smith (signed)

When Vaaden warriors claim slaves from Earth they will face emotions they never knew they possessed.

Slave/Sci-Fi Romance

Rookery Cove by Kira Stone, Stephanie Burke, Jade Buchanan, Emma Ray Garrett, Tuesday Morrigan, and Lacey Savage

Rookery Cove Aphrodisiacs: Here to satisfy the intimate needs of every paranormal.

LGBTQ/Paranormal Romance

Venom/Torch by Harley Wylde (signed)

One f**king look. That’s all it took. I branded her. I let her go. Now she’s back, and she’s mine.

Biker/Age-Gap Romance

Cain/Bohanan by Marteeka Karland (signed)

This biker’s the hottest guy I’ve ever come across. Resisting isn’t something I’m even going to try.

Biker/Age-Gap Romance

Some of the swag items, like bookmarks, are also signed.

Click the link to enter: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway sponsored by Harley Wylde & Books+Coffee=Happiness book blog. No purchase necessary to enter. Open to US residents only. Void where prohibited. Must be 18+ years of age to enter. Please read the full terms and conditions at Rafflecopter.

New Release: Devotion by Carys Seraphine #darkfantasy #vampires @changelingpress

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For the past few decades, vampiress Erin Morana has mourned the death of her sire, Jon. She’s done her best to move forward, and now she’s renovating the mansion once used by a psychopathic vampire. Between her magic lessons with the mage Lazarus and the anticipation of the birth of her best friend’s baby, Erin has her hands full.

An attack on a dark street, however, changes everything. Now she’s caught in the middle of a fight she has little hope of winning, but she isn’t alone.

She’s never been alone.

Get it Now at Changeling Press

Preorder for July 2nd at Online Booksellers

EXCERPT

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2021 Carys Seraphine

“Wow!”

Erin Morana grinned and let her best friend, Dana Reid, into the newly renovated mansion. “Like it?”

Dana wandered from room to room on the ground floor, stopped before Erin, and gave her a tight hug. “Oh, my God. It’s gorgeous. I can’t feel even the slightest hint of Harlan Yates here.”

“You can thank Lazarus and Jessie for that,” Erin said. The mage and his lover had been instrumental in fixing the atmosphere of Yates’ house of horrors.

Dana bumped Erin’s shoulder. “From what I’ve heard, you’re no slouch in the magic department.”

Erin shrugged. “I’m still learning. It’ll take years before I even come close to Jessie or Lazarus, but I love it.”

Dana nodded. She walked up the stairs, exploring more of the house. After their little group of vampires, demons, and mages had destroyed the last of Yates’ followers, Erin set about changing the house into an actual home for donors and vampires alike. She hated the word “coven” and chose to just call the place a safehouse instead. It was the kind of refuge she’d hoped Yates offered, only to find things under his rule vastly different and far from safe.

“Have you claimed a room yet?” Dana called from the railing above.

“Not yet.” Erin headed upstairs and met her friend. “I’ve been sleeping in the library downstairs. Feels too… weird when I’m here alone.”

Dana nodded. “I get that. If Saul hadn’t left his loft to me, I’d join you. Maybe I still will, though. I don’t know.”

“You think Haez will care?”

Dana snorted. “As long as we have our privacy, I don’t think he gives a damn. Of course, we’d need a second room for the baby when he gets here.” Dana rested a hand on her belly. The child was the result of Dana’s previous boyfriend, not the demon she now dated. But after one of Yates’ offspring bit Dana, there was no telling how the child would turn out. Up to that point, Dana had solely been a psivamp, but now she and her baby were hybrids, though, thankfully, he would only need energy. As far as she knew, anyway.

“I’m sure we can arrange that,” Erin said.

The front door downstairs opened, and they both looked down.

“You should keep your door locked, my dear,” Lazarus said by way of greeting. Many thought the mage to be a bit snobbish and coarse, but Erin liked him. He glanced up and waved. “Good evening, ladies.”

Erin smiled and hurried down the stairs. If anyone else had seen the hug they shared, they wouldn’t believe it. Lazarus felt like a father, not the magical mentor he’d become to her. “I’m sorry. Dana just got here, so I didn’t even think about it.”

Lazarus tsked but smiled. “Noted, but please, lock the door at all times.”

“I will,” Erin said. “I promise.”

“Very good.” Lazarus nodded at Dana as she came down the steps. “I believe Haez is returning this evening.”

Dana’s eyes lit up, and she smiled. “I know.” She practically bounced. “I need to go back to the loft before our gig. Then it’s showtime!”

Erin laughed as her friend left. Then she made a point of locking the front door. She turned to find Lazarus watching her. “What?”

“Are you certain you’re okay here alone?”

“I am.” Erin looked around at the place, unable to hide the pride she felt at the work she’d accomplished. “It feels more like a home now, and I’m hoping to find some new people to move in soon. I sleep in the library, but once I get a few tenants in, I’ll claim a room upstairs.”

“Very well,” Lazarus said. “For now, let us return to the kitchen. It’s the best place for practice, more open.”

“What are we going to work on today?” Erin asked as they entered the newly renovated kitchen and dining room.

Lazarus moved the dining table with no effort at all. For such a petite man, the mage possessed an inordinate amount of strength. He set the six chairs aside and nodded. “Much better. Your barriers are strong, but I feel they could be improved. Defense is paramount. Always remember that, my dear.”

For a moment, Erin lost herself in a memory. Jon had told her that very same thing, so long ago. If she’d learned then…

“Erin?”

She shook her head and found Lazarus studying her, concern in his eyes. “Sorry.”

“Are you all right?”

She’d never gone into detail with anyone about Jon, not even Dana. She needed Lazarus’ lessons, but her heart and mind were elsewhere. “I…”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carys Seraphine is an alter ego of gay romance author Mychael Black. She lives on the Eastern Shore of the US with her family and their dog.

Carys at Changeling: changelingpress.com/carys-seraphine-a-224