BOOK BLITZ: Damaged Doll by Jennifer Bene #GothicRomance #Suspense

Posted on July 13, 2022 by JessicaS

Damaged Doll
Jennifer Bene
(The Beth Series, #2)
Publication date: July 12th 2022
Genres: Adult, Gothic, Romance, Suspense

The long-awaited sequel to Breaking Beth is finally here!

“I’m too broken for love.”

After everything Beth has been through, all she wants is to feel normal.
To be normal.
But the weight of her past won’t let her go easily.

“Wanting her is wrong.”

All Jake wants is to be a hero.
To save as many as he can from the monsters of this world.
But when the monsters come for Beth Doherty…
he isn’t thinking like a hero.

Ripping her out of her life was bad enough.
Wanting her is worse.
But resisting her might just be impossible.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

She felt like she was underwater. Floating in emptiness, with no ground to stretch her toes out for, and no air to swim toward.

It was endless… but not in a peaceful way. Someone had told her once that drowning was peaceful, that the brain gave a sense of euphoria as the lungs filled up with water, but Beth had never felt anything like that.

No calm. No peace.

Just a flickering memory of panic, and an absolute fear of the surface.

Survival was supposed to be an instinct, and she knew she should want to reach the surface. To breathe air again, to stop suffocating in the dark… but all she ever did was dive deeper. The deeper she went, the easier it was to block out the flickering glimpses of the things happening above. All the sounds, the textures, the sensations. The things that were so much worse than drowning.

But it got exhausting to stay down when her body wanted to be buoyant, wanted air, wanted freedom. A constant fight, a battle for depth whenever the water got rough and the waves turned the distant surface into chaos.

It was happening again.

That steady rise to the surface that brought back the panic, heart pounding in her ears as she became aware of the world outside the water. She wanted to dive down, to hide from the pull, but she was so fucking tired — and then there were the voices.

Muffled, blurred by the water for a while… until she got closer. As the light grew brighter, and she started to feel, she could hear them. Too many.

And him.

His voice always stood out the strongest, even though it was always calm. Cold and calm. Just like the water farther down, where she was safer… but she wasn’t safe up here.

Surfacing was always bad. Always.

If she reacted, if she made a sound, then they’d know she could. Then the storm on the surface would just get worse, it would be harder to swim down with the water too rough. Harder to hide.

Despite her best efforts to avoid it, the light got stronger, the world coming toward her, and she clenched her teeth tight to stay silent, to avoid the urge to scream or fight.

And then she broke the surface, instinctively pulling at the cable around her wrist, tethering her to the bed — but it was better to be connected to the bed. Out of the bed was always worse. Out of the bed meant there might be someone new, somewhere new, which always meant pain.

Although the surface was always painful, and she did her best to brace for it as her mind joined her body, as her eyes focused on the light and she felt the texture of sheets against her back and thick plastic around her wrist and –

Curtains. Pale purple.

A poster of a boy band.

She was home.

She kept forgetting that she was home, that she didn’t have to stay under anymore, didn’t have to fight the surface or feel the panic. Of course, knowing it didn’t keep her heart from racing, or her nails from digging into her palms as she pulled at the zip-tie around her wrist.

Author Bio:

Jennifer Bene is a USA Today bestselling author of dangerously sexy and deviously dark romance. From BDSM, to Suspense, Dark Romance, and Thrillers—she writes it all. Always delivering a twisty, spine-tingling journey with the promise of a happily-ever-after.

Don’t miss a release! Sign up for the newsletter to get new book alerts (and a free welcome book) at http://jenniferbene.com/newsletter

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter

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NEW RELEASE: Kelpie’s Claiming (Fairview Chronicles) by Alexa Piper #DarkFantasy #PNR @prowlingpiper

Posted on May 7, 2022 by JessicaS

Publisher: Changeling Press
Cover Artist: Bryan Keller
Genres/Themes: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Gay, Murder Mystery, Shapeshifters, Suspense, Action Adventure

Rob’s current goal in life? Do not eat people. That’s easier said than done when you’re a kelpie in the service industry. While Rob pursues his goals from behind the bar, a stranger walks in, and Rob catches the man’s scent. Yet, patrons are not for eating, and it should have ended there… except when Rob smells that delicious scent again, the beautiful stranger needs help.

Bertrand wants to fit in, but because he’s part Fae, part Elf, and grew up human, he’s not really at home in either human or supernatural society. Still, he likes being a reporter and following a story all the way to its conclusion. The story he’s pursuing when he walks into Rob’s bar one night is one of supernaturals going missing, and Bertrand seems to be the only one who cares.

Meeting Bertrand might just shift Rob’s life goals. Coming face-to-face with a kelpie stallion might be enough to help Bertrand see where he fits in perfectly. Except Bertrand doesn’t really know what to make of Rob, and also, Bertrand’s missing persons story is bigger than even he envisioned. It’s turning into a case of abduction and trafficking he needs to unravel before he can even think about Rob’s advances. The story will lead Bertrand to some dark places before the year is out.

Available NOW at Changeling Press

Preorder for May 13th at your favorite retailer

EXCERPT

The daytime drinkers with the incipient beer bellies were getting louder. Rob was just about to get back to gutting his lime in order to suppress thoughts of gutting those three when the door opened once more.

The icy air tickled Rob’s nose with the smell of the season turning, of snowdrops shaking off the weight of frozen water to sing of longer days and sun returning to the world.

But the man walking into the Ragdoll wasn’t a sprite. He was — glamoured.

Rob, who knew how to use a glamour even if he turned into a carnivorous horse who could break hearts without prettying himself up with magic, could tell. The glamour wasn’t exceedingly strong on this man.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rob saw the mage look up briefly, noticing the same thing, but then dismissing it. She’d have been able to see through it easily enough, and since she didn’t react further, Rob could be sure the man who smelled of snowdrops didn’t have any openly nefarious intentions.

But the man… Rob’s mouth was watering, and he watched as the new patron pulled his fur-trimmed hood back from his golden locks and pried his snug gloves off his long fingers. He had to be part Fae. Rob was pretty sure just from his looks, but with a glamour that hid what he was, Rob couldn’t tell precisely.

The man looked shifty, though. Rob had misspent his youth lingering in pools, ponds, and really any body of water that didn’t have a kappa infestation. He’d done it in order to lure humans and whoever wanted to be lured, so he knew what shifty looked like quite intimately.

The glamoured patron wasn’t the let’s-drown-them-and-eat-their liver type of person, not that Rob would ever admit to anyone that he himself had ever been that person. The man wore glasses. They misted up in the warmth of the Ragdoll, and he had to pull them off, revealing a set of hazel eyes that brimmed with intelligence. Without the glasses, he wasn’t too blind to find one of the quiet corner tables, where he deposited his large frame in a chair that looked flimsy under him.

Because yes, the man looked like the kind of person Western directors with a bottomless budget would cast for the role of a Greek hero or an intergalactic hero. Rob liked a man who could hold his own in a fight, and he shivered at the thought of this one’s thighs pressing into Rob’s sides when he was in his horse form. He shivered at the thought of this man riding him.

Kyle grabbed a menu and made his way to the man while Rob watched.

The new patron was interested in the soon-to-be beer-bellied. He glanced past Kyle and seemed too distracted to properly examine the menu, but Kyle nodded and scribbled something on his notepad.

“Hey, boss.” Carla, Rob’s strawberry blonde half-succubus bartender, had snuck up on him and was clapping him on the shoulder.

“Please don’t startle me,” he told her. “And also, hello. You are early.”

“Well, I figured you might need the extra pair of hands,” she said and gave his still unharmed lime a pointed look.

“I was getting to that,” he told her, frowning.

Carla sighed. “Can I say something?”

“Can I stop you?”

She crossed her arms in front of her beautiful succubus chest. “What do you think?”

“Well, let’s have it.”

“You, boss, need to get laid. It might be, I don’t know, a shifter thing. I swear it’s like you guys molt or something.”

Rob sliced the lime in half neatly and let it bleed its acidic last on his cutting board. “Carla, dear. I turn into a horse. I do not molt.”

She raised her finger to forestall a lecture. “Changes nothing. You need to bang someone.” She tapped her nose with a finger, the nail painted fire-engine red. “I can tell.”

“I’m stressed because I’m tending bar when I shouldn’t be tending bar,” Rob said.

She waved that off. “Pfft. You’re happy for Ilya, admit it. Maybe ask that witch if he has a brother?” she asked and wiggled her eyebrows.

“He’s the sole Fey heir, and you know that as well as I do,” Rob said. “Also, I do not need to urgently bang a witch.” Rob kept his voice down, because he was not easily shaken, certainly not by the suggestion that he was in need of sex. Rob was accomplished. He had the occasional one-night stand, because (just like Ilya) he looked good behind the bar, almost as good as he did as a horse with his hooves in a lake, his mane dangling in the water, and the moon hitting his shiny coat just so.

Yes, if Rob wanted to find a warm body to put his cock in, he could do just that, but the succubus was overreacting. It was a thing with ‘cubi, assuming that one needed to have sex all the time or else one’s health — mental or otherwise — was in danger.

“Did you just daydream about fucking Aaron?” Carla asked.

Rob made quick work of the lime. “I did not, and I reject the idea.” Although the witch was a big strong man under that coat he wore all the time. But no. Going there was no good — even if from the looks of it, Aaron had very nice shoulders.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexa Piper writes steamy romance that ranges from light to dark, from straight to queer. She’s also a coffee addict. Alexa loves writing stories that make her readers laugh and fall in love with the characters in them. Connect with Alexa on Facebook or Instagram, follow her on Twitter or TikTok, and subscribe to her newsletter!

PREORDER: Protecting His Prince by Emily Carrington #LGBTQ #ContemporaryRomance #Suspense @CarringtonEmily @changelingpress

Posted on April 23, 2022 by JessicaS

Aaron has escaped his past with scars and strength. But when he is targeted again for his looks and his talent, his belief in the goodness of the world and the power of love are challenged.

Jason knows there’s something wrong with his husband, but Aaron won’t talk about it. Will Aaron’s refusal tear them apart? Can Jason keep his temper or will his need to protect Aaron destroy their love?

Warning: Jason and Aaron’s story deals with issues of PTSD, M/M rape, hate crimes, stalking, kidnapping, and torture. Jason and Aaron’s stories may be triggers for some readers.

Available Now at Changeling Press

Preorder from your favorite retailer for April 29th

EXCERPT

Aaron stirred the soup and hummed, aware he was a little off key but not caring. No one was home, and his husband, Jason, said he liked Aaron’s not-quite-on-pitch humming because, according to Jason, it was “resonant and heartfelt.”

He was humming a song from the musical they’d seen about three months ago. It had been Jason’s birthday present for Aaron, and even though his birthday was in December, this musical was the one they both wanted to see.

Aaron’s last five presents for Jason had all been paintings. The walls of their bedroom were almost full. The last painting had been of Jason’s entire family, from his oldest brother, Christopher, all the way down to his youngest sibling.

Anniversaries got paintings. Birthdays got paintings. Aaron would have felt guilty about not being able to give more than his art except Jason honestly seemed to love each one. His delight was infectious, and Aaron was already planning what to paint him for their ten-year anniversary, which was coming up at the end of this year.

The kitchen was full of the smell of baking bread and bean soup. Aaron’s mouth watered as he idly stirred the soup to keep the beans near the bottom of the pot from burning. Jason should be home in a few minutes and then they could eat.

The front door to their little apartment they shared with another couple burst open, and Jason literally waltzed in, turning and holding his hands out as if he was dancing with an invisible partner. He was singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” at close to full volume. Unlike Aaron’s humming, Jason was always perfectly on pitch.

Having Jason come in singing was slightly unusual, but dancing was another level of strange. Aaron found himself grinning in anticipation of something wonderful. He didn’t interrupt Jason’s song to ask and when Jason caught him by the waist and pulled him into the dance, he fell into easy step. They waltzed around the small kitchen, Jason leading.

When his husband stopped singing, they continued to dance. Aaron started to ask what had put such a spring in Jason’s step, but Jason kissed him, and Aaron went weak at the knees. He opened his mouth to Jason’s tongue, letting his lover explore. Jason tasted of coffee and something sweet, not quite chocolate.

There was a bubbling sound and Aaron turned toward the stove to stir the soup, having to let go of his lover to do so. He stirred and then tasted the concoction. It was excellent, if he did say so himself. He’d settled into cooking for the four of them: himself, Jason, and the couple they lived with. He’d been doing it for over nine years and his skills had improved.

Jason stepped up behind him and hugged him, resting his chin on Aaron’s shoulder. He smelled incredibly good, like summer heat and subtle cologne almost overshadowed by his shampoo. He smelled like Jason.

Like home.

“So?” Aaron asked as he turned off the burner under the pot. “What’s happened?”

“I got offered a job.”

Aaron frowned in confusion. He twisted in the circle of Jason’s arms and lifted his head slightly so he could meet Jason’s hazel eyed gaze. “But you love your middle school students. That’s not something every teacher can say.”

“Don’t you even want to hear where the job is?”

Still frowning, Aaron nodded.

“I’ve been offered a job in Colton, Pennsylvania.”

Aaron’s heartbeat picked up. Colton was the college town nearest to Marisburg. But then his excitement died. “You can’t take a lower paying job just to make me happy.”

“Who said it’s a lower paying job? I’m being offered the position as head of the math department at Colton University.”

Aaron gaped. “When did you apply?”

“I didn’t. Nearest I can figure is someone here works in Pennsylvania, or vice versa. Someone I know, maybe, or someone who’s…” He shrugged and a little of his enthusiasm faded. “Does it matter?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Carrington is a multipublished author of male/male and transgender erotica. Seeking a world made of equality, she created SearchLight to live out her dreams. But even SearchLight has its problems, and Emily is looking forward to working all of these out with a host of characters from dragons and genies to psychic vampires.

Fantasy creatures not your thing? Emily has also created a contemporary romance world, called Sticks and Stones, where she explores being “different” in a small town.

BOOK TOUR: Bones of Amoret by Arthur Herbert #thriller #suspense @HerbertWriter @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours

Posted on March 30, 2022 by JessicaS

We’re celebrating the release of author Arthur Herbert’s latest whodunnit, The Bones of Amoret! Read on for more details and a chance to win a signed copy of the book!

The Bones of Amoret

Publication Date: February 13th, 2022

Genre: Mystery/ Suspense

Amoret, Texas, 1982. Life along the border is harsh, but in a world where cultures work together to carve a living from the desert landscape, Blaine Beckett lives a life of isolation. A transplanted Boston intellectual, for twenty years locals have viewed him as a snob, a misanthrope, an outsider. He seems content to stand apart until one night when he vanishes into thin air amid signs of foul play.

Noah Grady, the town doctor, is a charming and popular good ol’ boy. He’s also a keeper of secrets, both the town’s and his own. He watches from afar as the mystery of Blaine’s disappearance unravels and rumors fly. Were the incipient cartels responsible? Was it a local with a grudge? Or did Blaine himself orchestrate his own disappearance? Then the unthinkable happens, and Noah begins to realize he’s considered a suspect.

Paced like a lit fuse and full of dizzying plot twists, The Bones of Amoret is a riveting whodunit that will keep you guessing all the way to its shocking conclusion.”

Add to Goodreads

About the Author

Arthur Herbert was born and raised in small town Texas. He worked on offshore oil rigs, as a bartender, a landscaper at a trailer park, and as a social worker before going to medical school. He chose to do a residency in general surgery, followed by a fellowship in critical care and trauma surgery. For the last seventeen years, he’s worked as a trauma and burn surgeon, operating on all ages of injured patients. He continues to run a thriving practice.

In this enigmatic follow up to his critically acclaimed debut novel The Cuts that Cure, Arthur Herbert returns to the Texas-Mexico border with this saga of a small town’s bloody loss of innocence.

Arthur currently lives in New Orleans, with his wife Amy and their dogs. He loves hearing from his readers, so don’t hesitate to email him at arthur@arthurherbertwriter.com

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March 28^th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

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March 30^th

Books + Coffee = Happiness (Spotlight) https://bookscoffeehappiness.com/

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March 31^st

Latisha’s Low-Key Life (Review) https://latishaslowkeylife.com/

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April 1^st

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BOOK TOUR: Betrayed in the Bluegrass by Virginia Slachman #mystery #suspense #thriller @NewShelvesBooks @KeriBarnum @RRBookTours1

Posted on March 11, 2022 by JessicaS

This week we are celebrating the release of Betrayed in the Bluegrass by Virginia Slachman. Read on for details and a chance to win a $25 Amazon e-gift card!

Betrayed in the Bluegrass

Publication Date: January 15th, 2022

Genre: Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller

Lexington Thoroughbred racing’s “power couple” Harper Hill and her husband, Detective JD Cole unite in this, the second in Slachman’s “Bluegrass” horse racing series. When a mysterious man, beaten and tortured, stumbles into the police precinct asking for JD, then dies before he can divulge his secret, a series of events are set in motion that will put the couples’ detecting power to the test and Harper’s life in grave danger. Soon after, Aubrey Lowen, Harper’s second cousin, is found severely beaten by the side of the road. Hospitalized, he hovers between life and death as Harper heads to Keeneland’s backstretch to keep an eye Lowen’s head trainer, Henley Smythe, who seems up to no good. As Harper tries desperately to uncover the culprit and help Aubrey’s wife Millie save their once-successful Thoroughbred farm, a dangerous character from Harper’s past shows up on the backstretch. Amid the dark pool of danger swirling around Harper, JD announces that the Feds have stepped in, preventing the couple from continuing their investigation. Undeterred, the two work under the radar to stop a killer bent on destroying the Lowen legacy and anyone who gets in the way. As murder and greed haunt every step they take, the couple knows that buried deep in Keeneland’s chaos the killer lies in wait—but uncovering the murderer just may cost Harper her life.

Now Available on Amazon

Blood in the Bluegrass

Harper had put the past behind her. Or so she thought. Fleeing the flashy, high dollar world of Kentucky horse racing for NYC, she’d been content living the life of a successful painter. But escape isn’t an option after the accidental death of her sister sends her back to the Bluegrass, a horse racing world filled with hope and heartbreak. As the body count rises as Eden Hill, Harper becomes convinced her sister’s death was no accident. Probing more deeply, Harper realizes Paris’ death is tied to a dark and deadly secret, one she discovers is why her racehorses are dying. Solving her sister’s murder and saving her family’s stud farm will take every ounce of Harper’s wit and courage. When seven skeletons are discovered on the grounds, and the barn with her best Kentucky Derby prospects is set on fire, Harper bears down to find the killer. The problem is, the culprit could be anyone: Is it JD, her childhood sweetheart, Marshall, their long-time trainer, or is it their nasty neighbor Red Cole, in partnership with her family for generations?

Someone is on a killing spree, and though Harper doesn’t know why, she is sure of one thing–the murderer is someone she’s known and trusted her whole life.

Amazon

About the Author

Virginia Slachman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and has taught creative writing and literature at the college level for over twenty years. The recipient of numerous awards and fellowships for writing, she’s published several volumes of poetry; Many Brave Hearts, a memoir about her family’s experience with PTSD; and most recently Blood in the Bluegrass and Betrayed in the Bluegrass, the first two books in her mystery series set on a thoroughbred breeding farm in Kentucky.

Virginia Slachman | Instagram | Facebook

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Book Tour Schedule

March 7^th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

Timeless Romance Blog (Spotlight) https://aubreywynne.com/

March 8^th

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March 9^th

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/

Ravenz Reviewz (Spotlight) http://ravenzreviews.blogspot.com/

The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

March 11^th

@theenchantedshelf (Review) https://www.instagram.com/theenchantedshelf/

@infinite.readlist (Review) https://www.instagram.com/infinite.readlist/

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BOOK TOUR: Life Rolls Along by Linda Nielsen #contemporaryromance #suspense #humor @SagesBlogTours

Posted on March 7, 2022 by JessicaS

Life Rolls Along

by Linda Nielsen

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Humor/Suspense

Memorable characters move swiftly through a well-crafted plot. Punctuated with sharp humor, twenty-first-century romances blossom in spite of well-heeled parental attempts to manipulate others to do their bidding.

Terri Sue Ellen, nonsensical and faux refined, and Charles Covington, wealthy executive, have a prickly daughter, Delaney Mae Anne, who wants a husband . . . so they buy one using their wealth and prestige to seal the deal.

But after a four-week honeymoon, Skye Topple grasps the fact that he’s made a blunder in marrying the boss’s daughter.

Life’s hilarious complications follow him as he embarks on a journey to sort through the shambles of his life’s choices when he returns to his humble beginnings in Big Sur where he tries to reunite with his family.

Blending truth with hyperbole, wicked humor ensues as scheming business partners and arrogant in-laws attempt to destroy Skye’s bold plans for his future.

When the bizarre son of a new business partner covets his wife, Skye realizes he’s ready to move on but not before he gets what he’s been promised.

He joins forces with RB, the unwanted step-brother of his wacky mother-in-law, and the men take part in an eccentric ruse, hoping the final cards fall in their favor. How dangerous are they, and how far will they go?

Find out in the dramatic story that takes a humorous approach on classiness, opulence, family, and romance.

From the Author

“When did you know you wanted to be a writer?”

When I was a child I knew that telling a story was fun. Unfortunately, that often got me in trouble as I talked too much. But around sixth grade a teacher, in an attempt to get me to pay attention and stop talking, told me to write it down. Whoa! This was a new concept to me at the time as it meant actually closing my mouth and concentrating on what I was thinking. I remember telling my mother and she blinked, smiled, and told me that was a lovely idea. I believe she was relieved!

I moved forward and learned to put things together in a coherent manner. And finally, when I entered high school, I actually had instructors who cared enough to guide the way. They challenged and praised and criticized. It was like a breath of fresh air to discover that along with mandatory subjects – history, economics, and science – writing was also important. It was a definite skill and one to be developed.

“What advice would you give to aspiring authors?”

Never let someone steal your creativity. Give your mind and your heart permission to explore. Plug in what you want and go with it. Don’t sell yourself short.

My professors used to suggest mini outlines but that required a beginning, middle, and an end. Sometimes an idea is just one part. Jot it down, let it jumble around on paper, clean it up and see what you’ve got. When you offer it to friends or professors, if you’re told no, that doesn’t work, don’t delete it, save it. You may want to come back in a few months – or even years – and look it over again, maybe revise, maybe combine with a fresh idea or put it back in save. You’ll surprise yourself.

I’m interested in knowing what you think. If you have the time, please email me at: eagleslair53@gmail.com or contact me at http://www.amazon.com/e/B07CTZCK6W

Thanks for your time! Your opinion means a lot to me!

Excerpt

Delaney looked puzzled. “Mother, what will you do when you get a pool? I thought you didn’t like to swim.”

“It’s an exhaustin’ exercise, and a person can get very wet, but it is a part of mah new physical fitness program, honey. As one ages, one must step up to the challenges. Ah even sought out our favorite hairstylist for advice. The secret is that due to mah larger derriere, well, Mr. Freddie pointed out that ah needed me a hairstyle that would call attention to mah head and not mah bottom.” She sighed wearily, “Even though he is a toad, he does know hair.”

“I had no idea that could be done.” Basking in her own emotional incompetence, Delaney, smiled her support.

“Why, maintainin’ mahself a good hair-do whilst swimmin’ about is essential. Ah read an article online that pointed out splashin’ around in an expensive pool was best as it produced more cool bubbles, and they could swim faster toward me so mah hot flashes would disappear quicker. To complete the picture, a pool boy is a mandatory accessory. So, ah gotta get me one. Pronto!”

“I understand now.” Delaney placed her head in her hands. “Anyhoo, what qualities are you looking for in the new hire?”

“Nice physique, good bone structure, tall fellah, pleasant manner, a bright smile . . . a young man who fills out his swimmin’ shorts.”

“Oh, my! That sound very physical.”

“Indeed it is!” She looked at her daughter in shock. “Delaney Mae Anne, ya got to learn to think before ya speak. Just how could an unphysical person instruct me on physical activities? A man with a good package is a healthy man and will have the stamina to keep up with me as ah bustle along in mah swimmin’ accomplishments.”

On Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07CTZCK6W

About the Author

Former business woman and entrepreneur, Linda Nielsen, is involved in community work, actively supporting animal rights, no kill facilities, and finding home for senior pets.

Her mother was a writer, her maternal grandmother wrote poetry and her paternal grandmother was an artist. She jokes that artistic ability runs in her veins, but she has yet to discover her hidden ability to pain anything other than the bathroom walls.

She and her husband have traveled through Eastern Europe, Asia, South America, Russia. Australia and the Baltic with backpacks, catching any flights that were available. But now that the world has changed, she admits to discovering more at home activities.

Linda enjoys wine tasting and credits the lesser known areas such as Calaveras County and the Lodi area in San Joaquin County as having some of the finest wines in California.

She escapes from her computer by spending sunny mornings in her garden and has fun cooking but admits that not everything in the kitchen is a success.

She thanks her fans and their ongoing support for keeping her focused when she’s writing and offering their feedback on both the story lines and her characters.

BOOK TOUR: The Beyond by Ken Brosky #horror #thriller #suspense @Grendelguy

Posted on February 11, 2022 by JessicaS

The Beyond

by Ken Brosky

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Suspense

Moon Song’s brother has gone missing in the town of Blackrock, Pennsylvania. Worried that her brother has slipped back into addiction and desperate for answers, Moon hires private investigator Ben Sawyer to help her uncover the truth. Together they discover what the people of Blackrock refuse to acknowledge: something terrible has happened inside the coal mine that defies all logical explanation, and it threatens the lives of every single person in town. Bodies are piling up at the funeral home, and many others have seemingly vanished.

Moon’s only hope of finding answers rests in the hands of a local professor who knows the mine’s horrible secrets. But the professor has problems of his own, and unless he can confront the creature that’s hunting him, Moon’s chances of making it out of town alive are darker than a seam of coal.

Dive into Ken Brosky’s horror-fueled nightmare and find out what’s in The Beyond!

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Get it discounted from Timber Ghost Press !

Ken Brosky lives and teaches in the great state of Wisconsin. In addition to having short stories published in magazines like Grotesque and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, he also writes regularly for Suspense Magazine. His favorite horror movie is John Carpenter’s The Thing, his favorite band is Nine Inch Nails, and his favorite book is Cloud Atlas.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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BOOK TOUR: That Night by Donna M. Zadunajsky #YAthriller #suspense @AuthorDonnaMZ

Posted on February 2, 2022 by JessicaS

That Night

by Donna M. Zadunajsky

Genre: YA Thriller, Suspense

Senior Kat Palmer observes several of her classmates acting suspiciously on the first day back to school. Her boyfriend was one of them.

One night, she follows him out to Lemmon’s Park.

A fight breaks out and she hears a terrifying scream.

Four of the five classmates flee the area.

Kat goes looking for the fifth. All she finds is a shoe, an abandoned car, and a cell phone. What happened to the classmate who owned these things?

As Kat continues to search the woods, she is knocked unconscious. She wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of what had happened. As the days go by, she starts to remember bits and pieces of that night. She can’t rest until she knows what really happened to the missing classmate.

Kat drives back out to Lemmon’s Park, hoping to recall more of that night. But this time she finds a broken watch with an engraving on the back. How did her father’s watch end up at the scene? He’d told her that the watch had been stolen when someone broke into their home last week. Had he been there that night?

The more Kat investigates, the more secrets she uncovers. She finds out that even the ones closest to her aren’t who they pretend to be.

Goodreads * Amazon

Donna M. Zadunajsky started out writing children’s books before she accomplished and published her first novel, Broken Promises, in June 2012. She since has written several more novels and her first novella, HELP ME! Book 1 in the series, which is about teen suicide and bullying.
HELP ME!, won Awards in:
The Great Northwest Book Festival-Winner
Global EBook Awards- Gold Medal Winner
The Great Southeast Book Festival-Winner
IPA Award- Winner in Grief Category
Reader Views Awards- In 3 different categories:
*Children-Teen 12-16 year olds
*Children-Young Adult 16-18 years old
*Best Teen/YA Book of the Year
eLit Awards- Silver Winner

Talk To Me, Book 2 was a Finalist in the Author U unpublished contest, 2016.
IPA Award- Winner in Death and Dying

The author is available for speaking on the matters of teen suicide, bullying and for author events.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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BOOK TOUR: Those We Trust by Marie Jones #contemporaryromance #suspense @MarieJones14057 @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours

Posted on February 1, 2022 by JessicaS

Romance, suspense and secrets? What more could you ask for? Check out Marie Jones’ novel, Those We Trust. Now available on Amazon!

Those We Trust

Publication Date: May 18, 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Suspense

Broken and humiliated by her husband of ten years leaving her unexpectedly, Sophia Meadows muddles through her daily routine—writing computer programs and rarely leaving the house. That is, until an old friend from university shows up on her door with an offer she can’t refuse: a chance to get away and heal in the Scottish Highlands of Inverness by flat-sitting. Yet once she arrives, she soon discovers the offer is not what she bargained for: A police surveillance team is watching her every move and a mysterious man is after the contents of a safe hidden in a wall. After a break-in at the apartment, her path collides with DI Marcus Armstrong, the man in charge of the apartment surveillance. Sophia is swept into an investigation of fraud involving her university friend and into a sudden attraction with the handsome DI who finds himself drawn to her even though she’s a suspect in his case. With evidence piling up against her and her friend and the attraction between her and Marcus growing stronger, Sophia is forced to confront her broken heart and find a way to clear her name. In a tangled web of secrets and clues, can she and the DI work through their attraction and learn to trust each other in time to stop a criminal and possibly save a life?

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About the Author

Marie Jones, British Writer has been writing and telling stories since she was a young child. Perhaps it was inevitable that she would call grappling with words and language a career—and loving every moment. She feels privileged to share her work with a large and welcoming audience. Get in touch to discover more about her work, writing process and future endeavours.

Marie Jones, British Writer | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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BOOK TOUR: Scattered Legacy by Marlene Bell #mystery #suspense @ewephoric

Posted on December 9, 2021 by JessicaS

Murder in Southern Italy, Book 3

Mystery/Suspense

Date Published: Nov 4, 2021

Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing

Antiquities expert Annalisse Drury and tycoon Alec Zavos revel in a love
affair peppered with treasure hunting, grand adventure, and the occasional
dead body.

It’s autumn when Alec arranges a getaway from them to visit is
mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy—a no-drama vacation to
transfer his car company to a rival. But before they can depart New York,
murder makes its familiar reappearance.

Accompanied by detective friend Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find
themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the
reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father—linking him to the
Mafia. An ancient rosary propels Annalisse down crooked paths to expose the
truth as they uncover answers none of them are prepared for.

GUEST POST:

Covers are a Window into Your Book

The key to choosing a cover is knowing your genre. Deciding on a cover doesn’t necessarily mean you can pick anything you like. It’s more what the reader who reads in your genre is expecting to see as your cover. If trying some new, groundbreaking cover art to intrigue, you may find yourself lacking in book sales. Readers want to be visually pulled into the story, but only if they can understand your story—in your genre—from your cover art.

If you’re able to swing a professional book cover designer, I highly recommend that source versus a basic ready-made cover. Stock photos are so common and easy to slap together, but what does that say about you as an author? Is a stock cover going to pull in your readers, or tell them your book is ho-hum boring? Many simplistic photos can work well as long as there are interesting elements added to shock or amaze your audience. There are several creative designers who can pull this off well.

I’ve personally used a husband and wife team from Australia who design all elements on their covers from start to finish. I found them after I fell in love with one of their winning covers in a contest. I was thrilled with my cover for Stolen Obsession! The extra money spent on a fully designed cover was well worth the effort. The cover for Stolen Obsession won the 2018 Independent Book Award for Best Cover in the Fiction Category and the IndieReader cover award.

In my second book, Spent Identity, I went into a different direction to find my cover designer because my first designers were overloaded with new clients. 99 Designs is an online website for graphic designers all over the world. I found Isabel from Portugal, there. The cover for Spent Identity is simple yet portrays a feeling of foreboding that goes along in the mystery/suspense genres. The book won the 2020 Independent Press Award for Best Mystery and has been named as a finalist in other contests. It’s well worth your time to research a slew of cover designers before you make your final choice. Expect to pay from $200 to $600 for top designers who create more than stock premade covers.

I’m especially proud of the work we did on the third book cover for Scattered Legacy. We began with a simple backdrop and added other elements to tell the story of what the reader would find inside the pages. Sometimes this method can work if done correctly, but use caution. Less is more, and busy covers can be confusing. If you are lucky enough to snag a pro cover designer, they will give you solid advice. The best recommendation I can give you is to search books in your genre and see what other writers are doing with their covers. Publishing houses seem to be using simple artwork with more emphasis on the title and author’s name. If you like this style, try it out for yourself, but always use a professional designer when possible.

About the Author

Marlene M. Bell is an award-winning writer and acclaimed artist as well as
a photographer. Her sheep landscapes grace the covers of Sheep!, The
Shepherd, Ranch & Rural Living, and Sheep Industry News, to name a
few.

Marlene and her husband, Gregg, reside in beautiful East Texas on a wooded
ranch with their dreadfully spoiled horned Dorset sheep, a large Maremma
guard dog named Tia, along with Hollywood, Leo, and Squeaks, the cats that
believe they rule the household—and do.

Contact Links

Twitter: @ewephoric

Purchase Link

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