Blood of the Hunted by Marc Micciola – Spotlight and Giveaway

December 6, 2022 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marc Micciola will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Resistance Is Rising

Weylyn, Olwen, and other members of the marginalized and subjugated group known as the Tóráin are trying every day to gain equality and freedom. Their enemies, which consist of vile human monarchs, their soldiers, and a masked witch assassin known only as The Dove, continue to tighten their grip around the necks of the Tóráin.

Leading The Resistance, Weylyn and Olwen endure many trials that test them physically and mentally, relying on their loved ones to keep them from losing hope. They both wish to see a time of equality and peace, but to achieve that requires more than what they have. Desperation leads The Resistance to find new allies all across the continent of Kosavros with the goal of finally defeating their oppressive overseers.

Their fight for freedom and respect leads Weylyn and Olwen down paths that open their eyes to new dangers, both involving themselves and the rest of the world. However, they do not waiver. For the Tóráin are known for their resilience, and they have already endured much. What comes next will be hard, but they’re ready to fight for their lives. Together.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Tears started to fill my eyes as I watched the soldiers bark out instructions to the witches, the women casting spells to torment the brave lycan they had restrained. I was mad at myself for doing so, but I looked away. I looked up, blinking away the water from my eyes as I stared at the looming image of the Sainte Mère Cathedral. I inspected the spires and the stained-glass window high above us as I tried to gather myself. The gothic church’s shadow stretched over nearly the entirety of Dame Square, swallowing the crowd in darkness despite the sun shining brightly in the afternoon sky. After taking a deep breath, I forced myself to look back down at the stage. The image I saw would give every single Tórán who had braved the crowds today a great pain in their heart. The lycan before me meant a lot to our community. He was always empowering those who were deemed devils simply because they were different. We all knew we were hated, but that lycan made us feel like we were worth something. He made me who I am today, and now I had to watch someone take him from me. Today, they were executing the most important person in my life: my father.

About the Author:

Marc R. Micciola lives in Ontario, Canada with his two dogs Rielly and Ace. He has a great passion for hockey, movies, and books. He possesses a book collection consisting of a multitude of fantasy stories. Many of these novels are from his favorite authors: Mark Lawrence, George R. R. Martin, Tom Lloyd, and J. R. R. Tolkien. His prize possessions are his two replica swords from the Lord of the Rings films and his growing number of fountain pens. When Marc isn’t writing, he’s spending time with his dogs, his family, and his friends. Photography and wood art are other things that Marc enjoys doing. Marc’s goal when writing any book is to put together a story that is enjoyable, emotional, and intriguing. If the words on the page make you feel something, then this author feels he’s done his job.

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What Would I Tell a New Author by Natalie Cross – Guest Blog and Giveaway

December 5, 2022 By 8 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Natalie Cross will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

“What would I tell a new author?”

It may be presumptious of me to give advice to a new author, as I still consider myself a newbie. Even though only two of my manuscripts are published, I have actually completed five or six manuscripts, in various stages of editing, over the past two years, so let me offer my two cents.

When I started my writing journey with the first draft of Ballroom Blitz, I wondered constantly whether it would be “good enough.” Good enough for who or to what standard, I never quite clarified to myself, but it was sufficient to halt my writing multiple times. I wasn’t finishing the book because I kept going back and trying to perfect my sentences.

That’s when I realized that the first draft isn’t meant to be perfect. It’s a very detailed outline, destined for rewrite after rewrite. Those bare-bones first drafts will evolve and morph into something beautiful and “good enough,” but if you never finish them, they’ll languish. I swear some of my unfinished manuscripts sit there laughing at me. And stories shouldn’t languish like browning bananas. They deserve to exist.

That’s not to say I’m not a mood writer. Should I sit down and complete a full three-book series in one go? Maybe. Do I do that? Absolutely not.

I have the first books in several different series lying around on my laptop. Once I get these competing stories out of my head and into a raw first draft, I skip around to complete other series. I’ve had to accept that’s the way my brain works.

That might not be how yours works, and that’s fine. That’s wonderful. Respect what works for you. We should all be different because we will create different and wonderful stories. They will be good enough for someone if they are good enough for you. I can’t wait to read yours.

In the glamorous world of ballroom, love and dancing do not always mix.

Professional dancer Anita Goodman has learned that lesson the hard way. With her studio and her reputation on the line, she has to take a chance on the last person she ever wanted to partner with: her best friend.

Patrick O’Leary has loved Anita since high school, but he has languished in the Friend Zone for long enough. He will take this last chance to prove to her that love is greater than winning.

Neither of them realize that conquering their rising attraction won’t be their biggest obstacle. Someone does not want them to be together, and will stop at nothing to get their way.

Love, dance, and danger. It’s a Ballroom Blitz.

Enjoy an Excerpt

The ballroom still thrummed with the clack of heels and the slide of suede, though its last inhabitants had vanished over an hour before. Applause and cheering from the final night party echoed across the hallway. The tables were strewn with hair pins, empty water bottles, and sweaty towels tossed with exhilaration before another heat. The perfume of sunless tanner and hairspray drifted toward the apex of the ballroom’s ceiling, and it almost seemed that a few notes of a Viennese waltz still clung to the utilitarian white hotel tablecloths.

Rapid footsteps broke the waiting silence. Stilettos from the click click click, glimmering with crystals, a few of which scattered from the shoes with a brackish clatter as the heels struck the parquet of the ballroom floor. Heavy breathing, panting. “No!” A stumble as one heel of the red satin crystal-encrusted stilettos snapped. Sobbing.

Then another pair of footsteps, flats, fashionable. Something hard, with an edge that might draw blood. These footsteps were measured. No panic. No anxiety. Calculating.

The sobs intensified. “Please, please, please, no, I didn’t do anythi—”

A gurgle, a grimace, a thud. The wash of silk from a bone-white evening gown susurrated along the cold parquet floor. The scent of copper flooded the air.

A grunt, a vicious exhale, an audible sneer.

Then the ballroom closed upon itself again. The tables, the cloths, the chandeliers, the lights. All waiting for its new secret to be discovered.

About the Author: Love is an adventure.
Natalie writes romances and cozy mysteries featuring women who want to be seen and the men and women who cannot look away from them.

Natalie lives in Los Angeles, where writing is an acceptable way to avoid sunburn. She is mom to two lovely young munchkins who despise brushing their hair and eat way too much cake. She is unapologetically terrible at taking selfies.

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Character Interview: Adrian Xerxes Cranford by A P von K’Ory – Guest Blog and Giveaway

December 2, 2022 By 5 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A P von K’Ory will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Character Interview: Adrian Xerxes Cranford
I‘m Dr Cedric Chamberlain, the so-called “head doctor” for the lads and lasses here at Her… I mean His Majesty’s most elite 45 Royal Marines Commando of the Royal Navy. These elite warriors have served the Crown globally for more than three and a half centuries. I’ve had sessions with the elite fighters before, during and even after their engagements with the Royal Marines Commando.

Today’s special session is with Commander Adrian Xerxes Cranford.

Commander Cranford ranks in the top tier. To get there he must have at least three exceptional medals of honour.

Dr. Chamberlain: To get straight to the nitty-gritty, what are you most proud of, Commander Cranford?

Adrian Xerxes Cranford: Now, this might sound rather curious for a man like me. You’re no doubt aware of that, Dr Chamberlain. Possibly the reason you’re asking this particular question. But my mother was and still remains the one person I’m proud to have known and loved. (The psychiatrist in me scribbles on the notepad, finding this answer indeed unusual. I’m curious about where this will lead.) She’s the reason I became a Royal Marines Commando. I think my deep affection for her affects how I feel about and treat members of our so-called fair sex.

Dr: Indeed. Would you like us to talk about your mother, Commander?

Adrian: Beyond telling you I’m most proud of her? No.

Dr: (I nod. Perhaps indirect questions?) Can you tell me if there’s anything you consider your biggest regret?

Adrian: Dr Chamberlain, with all due respect, you know my story. This is not the first time we’re clashing swords here. Or should I say the first time you’re picking my mind instead of clashing swords?

Dr: (And there it was again, that coiled inner tension bristling to spring free but still held in tight reigns) It’s this internal tension we’re trying to loosen, Commander. Do you find it hard to talk about your story, as you refer to it?

Adrian: No, not hard. Just bloody repetitive. We’ve been here from the very beginning. You already know what you need to know.

Dr: (I lean forward to reduce the personal space between us. The Commander remains seated with an ankle casually draped over a knee, laid back. He lost his mother at age 15 and blames his father for her death. But beyond that revelation, he refuses to talk about the matter. The key to unlocking that coiled tension.) You’ll agree you can’t be the judge of what I need to know. (He works hard not to roll his eyes at my words, then nods but remains silent) Okay. Right now you’re in a relationship you feel you can’t quite sort out. Has this to do with memories of your—

Adrian: Leave her out of this. I’m here because regulations require me to do so at regular intervals, Dr Chamberlain. Let’s keep it there, shall we?

Dr: (He obviously isn’t ready to admit any associations of mother-son to man-girlfriend, which in itself says it all) Does she fit the bill, if I may use that expression? I mean is she someone you can consider being with for longer? (A sigh while he rubs a hand at the back of his neck)

Adrian: With the both of us so damaged, as you know, I believe it will be a tough journey. But we’ve gone beyond the first hurdle, mentally and physically. She still has trust issues. But she gets her pain from me instead of cutting herself up. That’s a major step forward. And yes, we’re both still battling with our demons.

Dr: I’m happy for you both. I presume you no longer feel caged. (I make it a statement and he smiles)

Adrian: We’re still battling. We’re both complicated characters, Dr Chamberlain.

Dr: Have you opened yourselves up to each other about your relationships with your parents? (Parents played a huge part in his life, I knew.)

Adrian: I’m not discussing that with you.

Dr: (The Achilles heel for both of them. Part of the damage and the demons they’re warring with) Commander, who is the most important person in your life right now, and why?
(Without hesitation…)

Adrian: My mother. Always. Because she was, is, and will be.

Dr: Does Ms Boswell remind you of your mother in any way at all? (The ankle leaves the knee and he sets his foot firmly on the floor, leaning forward, and clasping his hands between his knees)

Adrian: In strength of character and stubbornness, yes. The latter often makes me want to drape her over my knees and take a firm palm to her arse. But I love that she’s a challenge. Our demons and dark pasts are still taboo to talk about. Part of our internal struggles. She still has trust issues as I just said, and I still struggle with secrecy. But our more than mere sex is an entirely new territory for both of us. It’s glorious and often laced with pain. The pain I love to give her and she loves to get from me. We both love to hurt, if you get what I mean.

Dr: And that bothers you?

Adrian: Yes. I never felt like that with any woman.

Dr: Okay, so where do you think all this will lead to? Would a break hurt or heal?

Adrian: A break? We aren’t anywhere near that, Dr Chamberlain. Not even close. We’re at least progressing. Definitely not retreating. So, if you don’t mind, let’s take a break. I’ve had it for the day, Doc. (He slaps his palms on the top of his thighs, a couple of inches away from his kneecaps, and gets up. He offers his hand even before I rise to shake it in goodbye. We shake firmly, as usual, with me smiling, him shaking his head with a grim mien.)

LEO

A three-letter word made me a murderess at the age of eight years. But having experienced the curses of that word, I was done with men as I grew up. All men. Except to outplay them in the New York financial arena. Then Crowned Sex enthroned in gorgeous velvet charm and lustful gallantry storms into my life. Spewing volcanic lava on my monumental arctic ice block. With the unapologetic fierceness of a savage god. Wearing crackling thunderbolts straight from the god Zeus. Explosive has nothing on it.

Adrian isn’t hot, he’s fucking hellish. He embarks on melting my ice block at the speed of lightning. But I was done with men. I was done with sex. For ever. I. Was.

ADRIAN
I scented her darkness from the moment I was told about her. The sight of her sealed my decision. She was the woman created for my own darkness. I set off to protect her even from herself. Protect her to claim.

Fuse her darkness with my own. For. Myself. I’d fended women off me with bazookas when I was done but they weren’t. I wasn’t prepared for the battle I soon fought. Not only with her but also with her family. And New York’s billionaire gangsters who own entourages of corrupt cops and politicians. With every battle I won, she started new darker wars around me. You ate or you were eaten. Not even starving was an option.

NOTE: Although the blurb is in the first person, the story of Leo and Adrian is written in the third person. This story contains adult material including explicit sex and violence. You’ve been warned.

Enjoy an Excerpt

He caught both her flying arms, used her momentum to spin her around onto her back on the couch and landed over her.

Smack bang between her legs.

Pinned her hands above her head and every f****** struggle she tried only forced her to rub against his hard body.

Furious, her thighs tensed but with nowhere to go except around his hips. He planned this. She f****** bet he planned this to the last minute detail.

“You double-faced bastard, get off me!”

“No. You put yourself here. Right here under me, Leo.”

“Get the f*** off m—”

He slammed his crotch right against hers and ground in.

She screamed as some unknown force kindled her center and the sensation rushed simultaneously south to her soles and north to her scalp.

She stiffened, trembling. Then whimpered. Then—

About the Author:

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P von K’Ory writes the kind of books she herself would like to read and is passionate about, whether romance, psychological thriller or nonfiction. She is the winner of six awards from four continents, the last one being the Achievers Award for Writer of the Year 2013 in the Netherlands. The Selmere Integration Prize was awarded her in 2014 for her engagement in helping African Women in the Diaspora cope with a variety of domestic and social problems. The Proposal, a short story, won the Cook Communications first prize in 2010 and is published in an American anthology Africa 2012. In 2012, she won the Karl Ziegler Prize for her commitment to bring African culture to Western society in various papers, theses, and lectures. Again in 2012, her book Bound to Tradition: The Dream was nominated for the 2012 Caine Prize by the Author-me Group, Sanford, and in 2013 she was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

Von K’Ory is married to an aristocrat and politician of Franco-German descent, has a large extended family. She lectures Economics and Sociology in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. She’s migratory and – weather willing – lives in Germany, France, Cyprus, and Greece.

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Love Tools by Isobel Reed – Q&A and Giveaway

November 30, 2022 By 5 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What are four things you can’t live without?

Books. I think it would seriously affect my wellbeing if I couldn’t read. They are not only a much-needed escape sometimes, but they are my main form of relaxation. Travelling. At least once a year I try and go somewhere I’ve never been before. Home. My home is my safe space. It’s where I write, read, and spend time with the man I love. Chocolate. I feel like this one is self-explanatory.

What is your favorite television show?

Hart of Dixie. It’s everything I look for in a TV show. It’s got the romance, humor, and it’s against my favorite back drop – a small town!

If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be? Why?

Probably Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia series. Like me she’s the youngest sibling and she’s the first one through the wardrobe. Having spent most of my childhood making up imaginary worlds, I definitely dreamed of finding one. Also, who wouldn’t want a talking lion as a bestie and to get crowned Queen of Narnia?

What have you got coming soon for us to look out for?

Love Tools is book one of the Bluestone series. It’s the first series I’ve ever written, and I must admit I got really attached to the place and the characters. If Bluestone County existed in real life, I would pack my bags and be over there in a heartbeat. My favorite characters (and hopefully the reader’s) of course got treated to their own love stories. In total there are four books in the series, and you don’t have to wait long for book two. Expiry Dating will be released in February 2023. Book three will be published May 2023 and book four in August 2023. I’m also in the midst of writing a brand-new series which will be published later on in 2023.

What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

It makes sense that I write contemporary romance because it’s my favorite genre and what I spend most of my free time reading. Maisey Yates’s small-town romances are a strong influence as is anything by Tessa Bailey and Sarina Bowen. Even though I don’t write romantic suspense, authors like Susan Stoker and Riley Edwards are also an amazing source of inspiration. All of these authors, like myself, enjoy writing strong female character leads and pairing them with often overbearing alpha male leads.

What happens when the king of casual meets the queen of picking the wrong men?

Lily is running. From a dead-end job, a neurotic mother and all the losers she dared to date. Moving halfway across the world to Bluestone County seemed like a good idea at the time. So did reopening her estranged father’s hardware store. But now she isn’t so sure.

Small town living has its perks though. Wide-open space, clean air, and sexy cowboys. Well, one sexy cowboy. Jake. Who also just so happens to be the new bane of her existence. At least when he’s not talking, she can admire the view.

Jake is the king of casual. The love of his life has always been his ranch, and that was fine with him. He never really saw the point in long-term. But all that changes when a mouthy, blonde sasses him into oblivion. He should have known she’d be trouble as soon as he laid eyes on her. Now it’s too late. She’s all he can think about. All he has to do is convince her that he’s finally the right man.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Lily stared at the boarded-up windows and took a deep breath. There was no turning back now. Pulling the keys from her handbag, she unlocked the door and followed the creaking sound of the floorboards into the dimly lit store.

To her surprise the shelves were still stocked and brimming with power tools, each item covered in a layer of dust that had already started to make its way up her nostrils.

“What the hell are you doing here Lily?” she muttered to herself as she ran her fingers across the counter.

To get this place up and running, it was going to be more work than she ever imagined. She just hoped the apartment upstairs was in better condition.

After exploring the shop floor, she went to find out. She followed the beige hallway into the living room, taking a seat on the squeaky leather sofa and looking around. The space was depressing. Habitable but depressing nonetheless.

How could he have lived here for so long, and it still feel so empty?

Furniture was sparse, and other than the chair she sat in, the only other items that remained were a flatscreen TV, a scratched wooden coffee table and a small shelving unit scattered with a few books and a couple of picture frames.

She looked over at the kitchen adjoining the living room and noticed some basic appliances. It felt strange to be in his space. His home. Surrounded by his things. Was there a right way to feel?

About the Author: Isobel was born and raised in London. She still lives along the River Thames with her husband and her substantial book collection. Ever the hopeless romantic, she fell in love with the genre from a young age and was inspired to write her own stories. When she’s not feasting on romantic comedies or binge reading her hoard of contemporary romance novels, Isobel is writing.

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Light, Dark, and the Electromagnetic Spectrum by Scott Benjamin Gracie – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

November 29, 2022 By 5 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Scott Benjamin Gracie will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Since the dawn of time, electromagnetic energy has permeated through the universe, surrounding and interacting with everything it touches, illuminating, destroying and giving life.

The colourful section of the electromagnetic spectrum we see in the form of visible light, rainbows and other phenomena is tiny when compared to its vast entirety. Using many parts of the electromagnetic spectrum have become common everyday occurrence for the majority of people on Earth, as it’s been integrated into our lives in ways that we don’t even think twice about it.

This book illuminates many parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and its effects, the endless ways we have harnessed its energy, and how we interact and live with its influence.

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

Wave-Particle Duality of Light

Many years of research have led us to now understand that light behaves either as a particle or as a wave and each behaviour is dependent on the amount of energy a photon has. High-energy photons (like X-rays) act like particles, while lower-energy photons (like radio) act more like waves. This is called ‘wave- particle duality’.

In the early 1800s, Thomas Young, an English scientist, was experimenting with light by shining beams through two narrow slits. The result was a classic interference pattern that would normally be found if light were a wave, as seen in the interference pattern below. However, in the late 1800s, Max Planck, a German theoretical physicist, proposed that light could only be emitted in small chunks. It turned out to be that they were both right.

In the 1920s, physicist Louis de Broglie suggested that because light has momentum, energy and a wavelength, perhaps matter has the same. It turned out that he was also correct.

Matter sometimes acts like a particle and sometimes like a wave, just like light, so both light and matter are considered to be made of waves and particles.

Speed of Light

The speed at which photons travel is called the ‘speed of light’. That speed is 299,792 kilometres per second or 186,281 miles per second, and it’s the maximum speed light can travel.

The fact that light has a speed was first realised in the late 1600s by Danish astronomer Ole Rømer while he was studying one of Jupiter’s moons Io and observing an irregularity with the timing of its eclipses.

In the mid-1800s, physicist James Clerk Maxwell discovered that changing electric fields can create magnetic fields, and vice versa. He showed that waves of electricity can create waves of magnetism, which make waves of electricity, back and forth capable of propagating through space.

Other scientific revelations were revealed when Albert Einstein applied his theory of special relativity to James Clerk Maxwell’s equations and found the speed of light to be the constant between space and time. When light passes through some mediums such as glass or water, it slows down due to the photons interacting with atoms as it travels through. In water, light slows to approximately 225,000 kilometres per second, in glass to approximately 197,000 kilometres per second and in a diamond to approximately 124,000 kilometres per second.

When exiting the medium it travelled through, light again moves at 299,792 kilometres per second.

To better comprehend this extraordinary speed, if light could travel in a circle around the Earth, in one second it would travel 7.5 times around, or from the Sun, light takes 8.3 minutes to travel to Earth.

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About the Author: Scott’s passion for light and the electromagnetic spectrum began in his early teens while tinkering with electronics as a hobby. He was formally introduced to the lighting industry while studying Electrical and Electronics in Sydney, Australia, and in 1998 he started his career making custom light fittings and lamps in his dad’s garage. Formal lighting design qualifications expanded his opportunity to help project-manage and design on many industry levels.

Twenty-two years on, and Scott has worked on many major infrastructure, commercial and architectural lighting projects. He is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of Australia & New Zealand, the Colour Society of Australia, the International Dark Sky Association and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

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Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man by LaQuette – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 28, 2022 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. LaQuette will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Vanessa Jared, a 40-something divorcée, decided that the best way to pull herself out of their post-divorce slump was to form The Savvy, Sexy, Singles Club and start the “Do Me” portion of her and her friends’ lives.

But on the two-year anniversary, a sexy sheriff shows up on Vanessa’s doorstep wanting her to help him keep his little sister from marrying her no-good ex. Vanessa is not down for this at all. She wants nothing to do with her ex…until she spots a photo of her ex’s new fiancée wearing her grandmother’s ring—which he clearly stole from her. So now it is on. Vanessa is ready to take this trifling (fill-in-the-blank) down. What she does not expect is to fall in love along the way.

Enjoy an Excerpt

She turned around to face him, and he damn near missed the bottom step by focusing on her instead of his feet. She was wearing a tuxedo that fit every curve she had and made him ball his hands into tight fists for fear he wouldn’t be able to keep them to himself.

Her sleek bob had been curled into beach waves with one side pinned back, exposing the elegant curve of her neck. Her jacket was open, and the sight of her plump breasts essentially standing at attention for his viewing pleasure made his tuxedo pants more uncomfortable than the stiff material usually would.

“That bad,” she said with a playful grin. She knew damn well there was nothing remotely bad about her look or her outfit. Every- thing about it said Sexiest Boss of the Year.

“Yeah,” he choked out. “Perhaps we should stay in and discuss my thoughts on what you’re wearing.”

She walked closer to where he stood, pushing both hands in her pockets, which gave him a better view of the beautiful brown skin of her chest and bosom. She was definitely not playing fair.

“Really?” she questioned, lifting her brow in mock confusion. “What exactly are your thoughts?”

He somehow found the strength and focus to make his legs and feet work to step down off that bottom step that led into the living room. “I’m afraid what I have to say might offend your delicate nature. Getting slapped right before an event may depreciate the value of the goods I have to put on display to get people to part with their coins.”

“And if I promise to keep my hands to myself?”

He stepped closer until they were almost touching. “That’s the problem.” He looked her up and down before bringing his gaze back to hers. “I don’t want you to keep your hands to yourself.”

He waited to see if she would back away. If she showed even the slightest bit of hesitancy, he’d pause this game they were playing. Yes, he wanted her again. But only if the desire was mutual. His ego couldn’t take it if he didn’t see the exact same need in her eyes. “You see that as a problem?” She shrugged her shoulders and folded her arms, pushing her tits impossibly high, making the de- licious vee of her cleavage more pronounced and tempting. “I see it as a goal.”

“I keep telling you you’re playing with fire.”

“And I keep telling you, I like the heat. What’s the problem, Sheriff?”

About the Author:2021 Vivian Award finalist and DEIA activist in the romance industry, LaQuette writes bold stories featuring multicultural characters. She crafts dramatic, emotionally epic tales that are deeply pigmented by reality’s paintbrush.

This Brooklyn native’s novels are a unique mix of unapologetically sexy, stylish, & sensational characters who are confident in their right to appear on the page.

She is the 2016 Author of the Year Golden Apple Award winner & the 2016 Write Touch Readers Award winner. Writing—her escape from everyday madness— has always been a friend and source of comfort. At the age of sixteen, she read her first romance novel and realized the genre was missing something: people that looked and lived like her. As a result, her characters and settings are always designed to provide positive representations of people of color and various marginalized communities.

She loves hearing from readers and discussing the crazy characters that are running around in her head causing so much trouble

Latoya Smith at Arthouse Literary Agency
Please send all publishing and film industry
inquiries to Latoya@arthouselit.com .

Keisha Mennefee at Honey Magnolia Co Publicity
Please send all press and or publicity inquiries to keisha@honeymagnolia.co

Please send all conference speaker and teaching inquiries to LaQuette@LaQuette.com.
LaQuette at
Brooklyn Girl Ink, LLC
412 N Main St Ste 100
Buffalo, Wy 82834 USA

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Where Do Ideas Come From? by Marina Hill – Guest Blog and Giveaway

November 23, 2022 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marina Hill will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Where Do Ideas Come From?

Ideas come from desires. A most impactful quote is by Toni Morrison: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” The desire for these books intensifies for writers in marginalized communities. Many of us wish to tell write ownvoices tales—stories inspired by the writer’s own experiences surrounding their identity—and many wish to write tales that feature characters of our respective backgrounds. Personally, my relationships with my main characters are very intimate. Most of them are branches of who I am, who I want to be, who I was, or who I would or could be in a brand-new world. The main character of my current work in progress is braver than I will ever be. She rides dragons without fear and gives attitude to a cruel king. Me? I tremble with anxiety on the balcony of a high-rise building. I hate confrontation. This main character has traits I want to have—which is why I believe ideas come from desires. Desires don’t have to be world-changing. A friend of mine, Zoe Sivak, wrote Mademoiselle Revolution (an absolutely phenomenal read that I cannot recommend enough!). This book is, like the title, revolutionary. It is about uprooting what you know and balancing and new perspective. Sivak’s desire is to restore history and she does so exceptionally well. My desire, with Little Writer specifically, is to provide comfort and a space for girls who look like me to forgive themselves for mistakes they’ve made. Little Writer is a warm hug of a novel for every reader, but is warmest for Black girls.

A retelling of the classic coming-of-age story Little Women through the intimate lens of Jo March.

It’s 1862 and fifteen-year-old Jo March would rather be fighting in the war, like her papa, than improving her knitting skills on the home front. But societal conventions for the “gentle” woman-and her steadfast adoration for her three sisters-force Jo to stay behind and support the family, all the while rolling her eyes at Aunt March and daydreaming of becoming a famous author.

At home, love abounds in the March girls’ lives in the form of family, friendship, patriotism, religion, and-to Jo’s chagrin-romance. As each sister navigates their ascent into adulthood, Jo unwittingly ventures down a path of self-realization, using her gift of written prose to craft her voice, and thus, her truth. Perhaps, just maybe, she can strike balance between the freedom of independence and the warmth of partnership…

In this visionary adaptation, Little Writer tells the March sisters’ timeless journey to womanhood with a multiracial cast of characters, reimagining history to include diverse communities without elaboration.

Enjoy an Excerpt

When spring rolls around, my sisters and I love to stay outside.

One blossoming afternoon, while I’m in the coop to feed the chickens, I spot Laurie, Beth, and Amy around the redbud tree. Laurie latches onto a branch to shake the tree loose of any lingering magenta petals. Flowers begin raining on Beth and Amy, who lock hands and spin together. Their skirts fly about them and I smile at their girlish laughter.

Once I return to feeding the animals, Laurie appears behind me. “What d’you have there?”

“Teddy! Come in. I want you to meet my chicken, Aunt Cockle-top.” I point to her and, though Laurie enters the coop, he says far from the roaming animals.

“Please keep that from me,” he says, shaking some magenta flower petals from his curls as he skirts away.

“Don’t be afraid,” I exclaim, cleaning my hands on my linen apron before scooping up Aunt Cockle-top. She flaps her wings.

Teddy stumbles backward. “Jo!”

“She’s just a chicken. Face your fears!” I haul Aunt Cockle-top into the air toward him.

He yelps and loses his footing without trying to catch her. My chicken falls on top of him and he screeches, “She bit me!” to send me into a deep laughing fit.

“Josephine!” Marmee’s scolding voice startles me. My laughter is slow to dissipate as she brings a whimpering Laurie inside.

About the Author: Marina Hill is a writer with a keen interest in all things undiscovered. She grew up in the New Jersey side of Philadelphia, watching Eagles games and roughhousing with her plethora of older brothers. She attended Baruch College in NYC and has over a dozen publications of her other works. If she isn’t daydreaming about her next story, she’s studying history or yearning to dash into the forest, build a farm, and never look back. Marina never lives in one spot for too long and loves to travel with her dog.

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Heal Your TMJ by Dr. Haissam Dahan – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 22, 2022 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dr. Haissam Dahan will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

TMJ clicking. Jaw locking. Headaches. Migraines. Ear pain. Stiff Neck. The evidence is overwhelming: the roots of these issues may be caused by your TMJ! TMJ is the name of the joint of the jaw, and groundbreaking research has now revealed that it may be the cause of many chronic pains we suffer. TMJ is the second most common musculoskeletal pain, and as many as 1 in every 3 people will experience TMJ pain in their lifetime. For the longest time, people suffered in silence with TMJ pain, but new breakthrough advancements in research and treatment reveal that you can life a life TMJ-pain-free!

Drawing on his private practice, where he works with people suffering with TMJ, Dr. Dahan reveals in this book his 6 steps to eradicating chronic TMJ pain from your life. He will draw experience from his years working with TMJ sufferers to teach you how to heal your TMJ and live your best life ever!

Enjoy an Excerpt

After years of studying, treating, and learning about chronic pain, I know one thing for sure: Pain is a mask of something else. Pain is a thermometer of your life. Pain is a warning that your life is heading in the wrong direction. Essentially your body is saying, “You’ve made some stupid decisions, and I’m not happy, so I’m going to let you know.” So your pain isn’t a curse but is, in fact, a blessing.

About the Author:

Photo by CHRIS MIKULA, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Haissam Dahan became a dentist in 2005, and furthered his education by completing a clinical fellowship in orofacial pain at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He conducted TMJ research, earning a PhD from McGill University in 2014. He has lectured at Harvard, McGill and Tufts University, and has spoken at national and international conferences. He has a successful private practice in Ottawa helping patients who are suffering with TMJ pain.

Dr. Dahan lives in Ottawa with his wife, and has two young boys and a girl. He enjoys running, cycling, and spending time outdoors with his family and friends.

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Silhouette by Paul Swingle – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 18, 2022 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Paul Swingle will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

On the night of a blue moon, while walking his dog, middle-aged widower Jim sees Gladys on the roof of a neighboring apartment building and is inspired to speak with her. There’s just one problem: she can’t hear him.

Indeed, Jim isn’t even sure that Gladys truly exists—that she isn’t just a rooftop patio umbrella silhouetted against the moon. Hampered by debilitating social anxiety, he cannot work up the courage to even wave.

Yet Jim returns to the same spot night after night, and Gladys—who is indeed real—sees him and becomes equally interested. She even contributes to their “conversation,” though he cannot hear her either. And while Gladys struggles with her own demons—self-loathing and depression—she is lifted by Jim’s attention, even as she describes how difficult her life has been.

Two characters, driven by sadness and a longing to connect. Will they?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Tonight, I saw a rooftop patio umbrella move. Or was it a woman? It’s May 31, the night of the blue moon. I was taking my dog Gus for his nightly walk. On the rooftop of a building across the street from my apartment, against the light of the huge moon, I saw the silhouette of a patio umbrella. I’d been seeing that umbrella on that roof for weeks—months, maybe. Every time I walked the dog or snuck a puff on my cigar, it was there. Immobile and static. Always in the same place, always visible against either the daytime sky or the city-lit night. I had thought nothing of it, other than wondering if anyone ever used that patio. But tonight, I saw the umbrella silhouette move. “Son of a bitch,” I said. “What the hell is that? Was it the wind?” Startled, I tried to shake off an eerie feeling. Had the umbrella really moved? I don’t care for rooftop patios myself. I’ve been to 4 a few. You have to drag yourself up the stairs, hoping no one else is there when you arrive, so you can have a bit of solace. I always forget something downstairs.

About the Author:

Dr. Paul G. Swingle can be considered one of the founding fathers of Clinical Psychoneurophysiology, one of a select few, directly responsible for bringing Neurotherapy out of university labs and clinics to the general populace in the 1980’s.

His academic positions include, Professor of Psychology at the University of Ottawa from 1972 to 1997, Lecturer in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School from 1991 to 1998, Associate Attending Psychologist at McLean Hospital (Boston), Head of the Clinical Psychophysiology Service McLean Hospital (Boston). Professor Swingle was also Clinical Supervisor at the University of Ottawa from 1987 to 1997 and Chairman of the Faculty of Child Psychology from 1972 to 1977. Dr. Swingle is a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia and is Board Certified in Biofeedback and Neurotherapy. He is actively involved in research and practice. His numerous publications include nine books and numerous peer reviewed journal publications.

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Under the Cloud by B.R. Erlank – Spotlight and Giveaway

November 17, 2022 By 7 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. B.R. Erlank will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

They call themselves The Settlement Bureau. A faceless, soulless organization coercing individuals with threats to expose their improprieties and vulnerabilities. Inhumanely persistent, they’ve secretly driven hundreds of victims into bankruptcy, despair – and several even to suicide.

But when this organization tries to blackmail IT expert Terry Reynolds, they make a serious mistake. Terry is down on his luck. He is penniless, divorced and in a dead-end job. Yet, the abuse of his personal information stirs Terry out of his lethargy and he fights back. He embarks on a digital game of cat-and-mouse with the cold, calculating minds behind The Settlement Bureau – and in doing so, uncovers a sprawling criminal conspiracy.

Under The Cloud is a chillingly plausible new thriller by B.R. Erlank. With a plot ripped straight from the headlines, advance readers warn, “this book delivers a roller coaster ride right up to the final pages.”

Enjoy an Excerpt

Charlie’s canine senses were on high alert. He growled and stared across the street. There was a commotion in the shadows of a tree. Then Terry heard a frail, plaintive voice, “No, no, leave me. That’s mine. Let go!”

Terry knew that voice; it was Joe. What sort of low-life attacks an old homeless man? There was a thud and a howl of pain. Charlie was the first to react; the dog raced across the street with Terry behind him. Under the streetlamp, Terry could make out the old man’s face, bleeding and distorted with fear, as he shouted, “You imbecile, you don’t know…”

The attacker was dressed in black and was at least six inches taller than Joe. The assailant pushed Joe hard, then his fist smashed into the old man’s face. Joe slumped against the tree, and the thug pulled back his fist for another punch.

Terry shouted, “Hey! Leave him!”

The man briefly turned and hesitated. Then, before he could plant the fist again, Charlie lunged and sank his teeth into the man’s wrist. The attacker cursed, and a knife appeared in his other hand. The blade glinted in the streetlight, and Charlie’s bark turned into a surprised yelp, then a whimper. The attacker ran.

For a split second, Terry’s rage commanded him to follow, but the sight of Joe and Charlie, both crumpled and bleeding, stopped him in his tracks. He knelt by the old man, whose face was smeared with blood, one eye beginning to swell. His breath was coming in desperate rasps.

About the Author: Boris Erlank grew up in Southern Africa. He has lived and worked in places as diverse as Luanda, Cape Town, Singapore and San Francisco. Boris recently gave up his job as Global Privacy Manager with a Fortune 100 company to focus on writing full-time.

He has an extensive background in IT, data privacy and cybersecurity, and has drawn on that experience to craft his latest novel, Under the Cloud. His previous novel, Catch You Later, is a murder mystery set in Cape Town.

Boris lives with his family and two dogs in the foothills of Mount Diablo, east of San Francisco. He likes to cycle and hike. “Those solitary pursuits give me time to dream up the characters and plots for my novels,” he says. Boris also enjoys choir singing, travel, and listening to audiobooks.

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The book is on sale at Amazon for $0.99 until November 22.

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