Friday, December 31, 2021

Book Blast and Giveaway: Their New Year's Beginning by Michelle Major



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michelle Major will be awarding a $20 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.

At the stroke of midnight, a stranger’s kiss changes everything…

Brian Fortune doesn’t think he will ever find the woman he kissed at his brother's New Year's wedding. So when the search for the provenance of a mysterious gift leads him into a local antique store a few days later, he's stunned to find Emmaline Lewis, proprietor—and mystery kisser! Surprise turns to shock when he realizes that she's also six months pregnant. Brian has never been the type to commit—and he’s really not ready to become a family man in one fell swoop! But suddenly he knows he’ll do anything to stay at Emmaline's side—for good…






Read an Excerpt

“May I kiss you, Emmaline?”

Welp. There it was. He was actually asking her permission. As if Emmaline could be more taken with him, his quiet question pushed her over the edge of reason.

She was smitten. The kind of enamored that had her wondering if he might be able to hear her heart pounding against her rib cage. As if her anticipation was a palpable thing.

After a moment, she nodded, not trusting her voice.

Brian’s warm hands lifted to her face, and he cupped her cheeks as if she were precious to him. She felt precious.

He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, featherlight and controlled. Her body erupted in goosebumps and she let out a tiny moan, both in satisfaction and frustration. She reveled in the sensations swirling through her and, at the same time, wanted more.

Brian must have heard the sound—another tally in her list of embarrassments for this night—but he didn’t seem to find anything wrong with it.

In fact, it seemed to spur him on. The kiss turned deeper as he shifted both of them into a nearby alcove so she couldn’t be seen by the crowd.

He continued to cup her cheeks, the softness of his touch in sharp contrast to the hard planes of the chest she could feel under her hands. But when he lowered one hand to the small of her back to pull her closer, Emmaline wrenched away.

She could not allow herself to be pressed up against him. Not now. Not without revealing…too much.

He looked as dazed as she felt as he stared at her.

“I have to go,” she whispered, more to herself than him.

Before he could answer, she turned and ran away.

About the Author:
: USA Today bestselling author Michelle Major loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after. An avid hiker and avoider of housework, she lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two teenagers, and a menagerie of spoiled furbabies. Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com.

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Thursday, December 30, 2021

Blurb Blitz and Giveaway: Journeys: The Archers of Saint Sebastian by Jeanne Roland

Journeys: The Archers of Saint Sebastian

by Jeanne Roland

 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Young adult crossover historical romance and adventure

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

A barracks full of beautiful boys. A girl in disguise, living among them.

 

It’s the 14th century, and the longbow is king. But in the northern European principality of Ardennes, archery isn’t just the nation’s defense. It’s the national obsession.

 

MEET THE JOURNEYS

12 young Journeyman archers, the best in the country

2 years of public competitions, in which looks count almost as much as ability

6 will win a coveted membership in the Archers’ Guild of St. Sebastian

1 will become the prince’s new Guardsman

 

MEET MARIEKE

15-year-old Marieke is as obsessed with St. Sebastian’s as everyone else in Ardennes. Only it’s the middle ages, and girls just don’t become elite archers. Except Marieke's prospects as a girl aren't promising either, after a well-timed kick from a mule has left her with a face that’s badly scarred and ruined for marriage. But when circumstances force her to leave her old life behind and flee to the guild for refuge, there are only two things Marieke really knows about the place. One is that a mysterious accident ended her own father’s time as a Journey. The other?

 

There are no women allowed inside St. Sebastian’s.

 

Marieke knows disguising herself as a boy and infiltrating the guild means embarking on a dangerous deception. But it may be her only chance to find out the truth about her father’s past and to stop a murderous plot from coming to fruition. When the dashing young Journeyman Tristan takes her under his wing as his squire, she’s got to stay – at least long enough to help him beat out his brutal arch-rival to win the competitions.

 

Keeping her identity a secret will be hard. Living in close quarters with a pack of gorgeous boys? That will be harder still. But the hardest thing of all will be keeping the vow she makes for herself: to see Tristan become the next Guardsman, without ever letting him find out she’s a girl - a girl, who loves him.

 

Part Robin Hood and part Princess Bride, with a pinch of Mulan and a dash of Cyrano de Bergerac in the mix, The Archers of St. Sebastian I: Journeys is a humorous action and adventure saga inspired by late medieval/early Renaissance Belgium and packed with romance, wit, and longbow archery. Perfect for young adults looking for an immersive read and for adults who love young adult themes, Journeys is an escape into the past that reads more like romantic historical fantasy than pure historical fiction.

 

Unrequited love? Ugly heroines who stay ugly? Friendship, coming of age, romance, adventure, and plenty of archery competitions? A unique setting inspired by the glorious city of Bruges, with a richly imagined world set within the walls of a male-only archers' guild? Journeys: The Archers of Saint Sebastian has it all, so if you're looking for a great escape, don your disguise and join Marieke as she enters the forbidden world of Saint Sebastian's, and prepare to fall in love with the Journeys - that is, the twelve best and most beautiful archers in all of Ardennes, the Journeyman archers of St. Sebastian's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

(Context: 15-year-old Marieke is disguised as Marek, and she’s serving as a squire to the Journeyman archer Tristan at the archers’ guild of Saint Sebastian. She’s in love with him, but she’s sworn an oath never to let him find out she’s a girl. In this scene, she fishes for information on Tristan from his aristocratic friend Gilles, one of the other Journeys competing for permanent membership in the guild).

“Would it be safe to say, then,” I continue, trying even harder to sound casual, and making sure to exclude Gilles himself from my remarks, “that the Journeys, as a group, might not have as much experience, then, as they let on?”

“Gentlemen, Marek,” Gilles says, looking at me reprovingly over his dagger, “do not discuss their sexual exploits.”

I wait. Gilles loves to hear himself talk, and if you just wait him out, he’ll usually talk about anything. It works. After a minute, he laughs. “Well, we all know now there’s at least one with absolutely no experience at all!” He chuckles, remembering Taran’s embarrassment, but I don’t care about him.

“But the others?” I press.

“Well, if you’re asking me to speculate,” he muses, and I give him an encouraging look meant to tell him that I’m doing just that, so he continues in a gossipy voice. “I’d say it’s probably a mixed bag. At least a few have probably been around the pasture once or twice, if you know what I mean. We’re a pretty appealing bunch, after all. There’s the matter of Jurian, of course,” he says sternly, and I have no idea what he means, “but for most, opportunity is rather a problem. Not everyone has had the advantage of growing up in a manor, with rather obliging servants. Girls, Marek, as you may know, have an unfortunate habit of having so many fathers and brothers. And then, there’s just no accounting for sensibilities. I’d have thought Falko, for example, was a terrible slut. But according to him, he’s sworn a vow of chastity to some unattainable lady, so there you have it. I rather suspect this is a convenient way of explaining his spectacular lack of success, but if Falko can be chaste, then anything’s possible. Speculation is meaningless.”

“A chivalrous oath to an unrequited love. Sounds more in Tristan’s line,” I say leadingly, hoping to turn the conversation to my real objective before the others get back. But mocking Falko’s vow makes me uncomfortable. In a way, I suppose what I did this morning in the chapel could be interpreted as the exact same thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Roland hails from Davis, California, where she spent most of her youth lounging at the pool, soaking up the sun, and daydreaming. She had a key ring that read 'I’m running away to join the circus,' and her favorite moment of the day was when the local movie theater went dark, and the slogan 'escape to the movies' appeared on the screen. As an adult, her passions include all things melodramatic and beautiful — everything from classic movies, British romantic poetry, ancient tragedy and epic, to Italian opera. She is now a professor of Classics in a small midwestern town, where she lives with her Greek husband, her fraternal twins, and a Bernese mountain dog named Franco Corelli.

Amazon purchase link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L6KZ8D7

Author website:

www.jeanneroland.com

Other websites:

I blog as the Allegorical Traveler about Greek mythology at www.nepenthepress.com

I’m not a big social media person; the best ways to reach me are via my website, or Facebook

Twitter: @booksbyJeanneR

Instagram: @jeannerolandwrites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeannerolandwrites

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY:

Jeanne Roland will be awarding a $40 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 


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Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Review: Mafiosa Princess by Liza Malloy


Mafiosa Princess by Liza Malloy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb: 

Two men love her. But only one truly knows her.
College Junior Giada Conti wants nothing more than to pursue a normal life fueled by her own choices. Unfortunately, she doesn’t realize her father’s business isn’t completely lawful, or how that fact will completely dictate her future. Pre-law student Adrian Patras is certain Giada is the perfect woman for him, until he meets her family and grasps the extent of his girlfriend’s naivete. As Adrian finds himself unwillingly pulled into the family business, Giada grows frustrated with his insinuations about her father. Meanwhile, Giada’s ex, the notorious Luca Marino, pops back into her life with his own criminal agenda that includes winning her back.
Mafiosa Princess is the captivating first book in the steamy mafia romance series that you won’t want to put down.



My Review: 

Mafiosa Princess is the first book I have had the pleasure reading by Liza Malloy. It definitely will not be the last. I adored reading Giada and Adrian’s story. I loved their chemistry together so much. There were a few twists and turns that I did not see coming and would not have predicted. This made me intrigued and had to keep reading to see what would happen next. I enjoyed learning more about the Italian culture and family.

I am giving Mafiosa Princess a very well deserved five plus. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading wonderfully written romantic fiction. I can not wait to read future works by Liza Malloy in the near future. This one should not be missed it. I loved it!

I received a digital copy of Mafiosa Princess from the author, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

View all my reviews

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Blog Tour and Giveaway: A Shadow on the Snow by JPC Allen

About the Book


Book: 
A Shadow on the Snow

Author: JPC Allen

Genre: YA Mystery

Release date: December 1, 2021

Nineteen-year-old Rae Riley can barely believe her gamble paid off. After spending seven months investigating the identity of her father and whether he tried to murder her mother, Rae has been accepted by her dad, Sheriff Walter “Mal” Malinowski IV, and his immediate family with open hearts. And for the first time in her life, Rae is making friends, jamming with three cute cops who play outlaw country music.

But someone is leaving Rae threatening notes, reminding her of her late mother’s notorious past when Bella Rydell wrecked homes and lives during the few years she lived in rural Marlin County, Ohio. Fearing the threats will make Mal and his family reject her, Rae investigates the mystery on her own. But her amateur sleuthing may cost her the father she’s always wanted when the stalker changes targets and takes dead aim at Mal.

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

JPC Allen started her writing career in second grade with an homage to Scooby Doo. She’s been tracking down mysteries ever since and has written mystery short stories for Mt. Zion Ridge Press. Her Christmas mystery short story, “A Rose from the Ashes”, was a Selah-finalist at the Blue Ridge Mountains Writers Conference in 2020. Online, she offers tips and prompts to ignite the creative spark in every kind of writer. She also leads workshops for tweens, teens, and adults, encouraging them to discover the adventure of writing. A lifelong Buckeye, she has deep roots in the Mountain State.  A Shadow on the Snow is her first novel.

 

More from JPC Allen

“Write what you know.”

This piece of advice is given to a lot of beginning writers. But many writers are successful concocting stories in fantasy worlds or researching 18th century Russia and writing brilliant historical fiction. I’ve never been comfortable in any genre but mystery, and the more I’ve written, the more I’ve come to write what I know. There’s only one me, and if I pull from my experiences, I hope to give my mysteries a unique touch.

A Shadow on the Snow is set in southeast, or Appalachian, Ohio, because that’s where I grew up. I based Wellesville on St. Clairsville, the town I lived in as a kid. The library my main character Rae Riley works in looks like the library there, and the courthouse is right across Main Street, just like in my novel.

Until I was thirty, my mom’s parents lived out in the country on a ridge between St. Clairsville and the Ohio River. Their home was my favorite place on the planet, so when I needed a farmhouse for Rae’s family, I modeled it on Grandpa and Grandma’s house. I’m sure when my sisters and cousins read about the breezeway that runs between the house and the garage and the steps that lead from it to the outside door to the walkout basement, they’ll instantly know where I got my inspiration.

None of the characters are exact copies of real people I know, but I do use traits of real people to bring my characters to life. Aaron has my oldest child’s enthusiasm for science. Jeanine shares qualities with my youngest sister. Jason Carlisle is based on a man I saw once at my youngest child’s soccer game. All the other dads who coached wore baggy t-shirts and shorts. This man looked like he’d stepped off a yacht with perfectly styled hair, a navy blue windbreaker, and tailored white shorts. In my fictional Marlin County, where most men consider a plaid shirt without a tear to be formal attire, I thought a man who is fashionable would be an interesting contrast to the other characters.

Rae has a lot of me in her. She works at a library, which I did for ten years, but I was a children’s librarian, instead of a check-out clerk. She’s interested in photography and horses like I am. Both of us are shy, don’t like to inconvenience people, and worry what others think of us. However, I have never had the courage or the nerve to set a trap for a stalker, and that experience, as well as the most heart-pounding scenes in my book, are pure inventions. There’s a limit to writing what you know, and as a mystery writer, I’m very glad I can write about crimes without having to experience them!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 18

Nancy E Wood, December 19

Texas Book-aholic, December 20

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 21

Inklings and notions, December 22

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, December 23

Bigreadersite, December 23

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, December 24 (Author Interview)

Vicarious Living, December 25

For Him and My Family, December 26

deb’s Book Review, December 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 28

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 29

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 30 (Spotlight)

Blogging With Carol, December 30

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, December 31

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, JPC is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card, a signed copy of Christmas Fiction Off the Beaten Path, a signed copy of A Shadow on the Snow, and a bookmark based on the artwork of an Ohio artist!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

 https://promosimple.com/ps/14f21/a-shadow-on-the-snow-celebration-tour


My Review

I enjoyed reading A Shadow on the Snow by JPC Allen. This first installment from their A Rae Riley Mystery series is, also, the first book I have read by this author and it will not be the last. It was a great introduction for me. It had a lot that I enjoy in a book: mystery, suspense, action, and adventure. I like that it was not easily predictable and never knew what was going to happen next. 

I am giving A Shadow on the Snow four and a half stars. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading clean suspense filled mysteries. I would love to read more like this one from JPC Allen in the future and will be looking forward to reading the next book from the A Rae Riley Mystery. 

I received a paperback copy of A Shadow on the Snow from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

Review Tour and Giveaway: KidVenture: Twelve Weeks To Midnight Blue by Steve Searfoss

KidVenture: Twelve Weeks To Midnight Blue

by Steve Searfoss

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GENRE:   Middle Grade Fiction 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Chance Sterling launches a pool cleaning business over the summer. Join Chance as he looks for new customers, discovers how much to charge them, takes on a business partner, recruits an employee, deals with difficult clients, and figures out how to make a profit. He has twelve weeks to reach his goal. Will he make it? Only if he takes some chances.

KidVenture stories are business adventures where kids figure out how to market their company, understand risk, and negotiate. Each chapter ends with a challenge, including business decisions, ethical dilemmas and interpersonal conflict for young readers to wrestle with. As the story progresses, the characters track revenue, costs, profit margin, and other key metrics which are explained in simple, fun ways that tie into the story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

If anyone tells you that kids can’t start a business, don’t listen to them. They can. I should know, because I did. People sometimes ask me how KidVenture started and how it got its name. Well, I’ll tell you. It all started the summer before sixth grade. All I remember about that summer is that it was hot, so hot I thought I would melt. That and my sister Addison kept annoying me. You could say I was boiling and steaming that summer.

My dad told me he would pay me ten bucks to clean the pool. It was a pretty good deal. I’d take a net and scoop out all the leaves and dead bugs that had landed in the water. It took me about two hours to clean the pool so I 3gure I was making about 3ve dollars an hour. Not bad for a ten-year-old kid.

I thought it was going to be a one-time gig, but the following week my dad asked me if I wanted to clean the pool again.

“But I already did,” I said. He told me to go take a look. I couldn’t believe it. The pool was full of leaves and dead bugs again. I had spent all the money I made from cleaning the pool the week before on a slingshot, two comic books and an ice cream cone. I needed the cash so I said yes.

Next thing you know, I’m cleaning the pool every week and making an easy ten bucks each time. After a couple weeks, I realized I could save my money and buy that bicycle I had seen one time at that big sporting goods store on Wilson Street. The bike was super cool. When I looked at the sticker, it said the color was midnight blue. I didn’t know what that meant, except that it sounded dangerous and I liked that. I asked my dad if we could get it and he said, which is the grown-up way of saying No, but I want to let you down easy.

The bike, the dangerous one, cost $225. Which is way more money than a ten-year-old could ever hope to get. That is, unless said impoverished ten-year-old had a job, which I now apparently had.

“It’s going to take forever to save up for that bike,” I said, after I had just 3nished cleaning the pool for the second time, and my dad handed me a crisp ten dollar bill.

“No, not forever,” my dad retorted.  “You’ll save up $225 in no time.”

“Not when I’m only making ten bucks a week.” I started to feel sorry for myself and walked away.

Then I turned around.  “Dad, how long will it take if I save all my pool cleaning money?”

“You figure it out,” my dad said, and handed me a paper and pencil.

“But I hate math!” I protested.

“Well then you’re right. It will take forever,” my dad said and returned to reading his newspaper.

“Oh all right,” I sighed. “Hand me the pencil.”

I started scribbling some numbers.

“Twenty…Twenty-two…Twenty-three! No, wait. Twenty-two and a half weeks!” I shouted excitedly.

“How many months is that?” my dad asked.

“Ugh. More math? Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

My dad has a way with words. I began scribbling numbers again. “Let’s see, four weeks in a month, approximately, so that works out to…” I mumbled.

“Five-point-six-two-3ve months.” I said triumphantly. 

“That’s right,” my dad smiled. “So about 3ve and a half months.”

“Wait…” I said dejectedly. “Oh no!”

“What?” “That’s 3ve and a half months, if I don’t buy any more ice cream.”

“True.”

“Better call it six months.”

“Six months is not a long time,” my dad insisted.

“It is!” I scowled. “At this rate I might was well just wait till Christmas.”

A couple more weeks went by, and even though I dreamed of mint chocolate chip ice cream almost every night, I had managed to save all of my pool money. I had $30 tucked away in my bike fund when I suddenly had an idea.

I went straight to my dad and declared, “Dad! Dad! I have an idea.” He put his newspaper down slowly and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes?”

I could barely contain myself. “How about you pay me $20 for cleaning the pool!”

“$20?”

“Yes! Yes! Twenty buckaroos. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner. Twenty dollars for cleaning the pool instead of ten.”

“Hm….I like it.”

“You do?” I have to admit, even as excited as I was, I wasn’t really expecting the conversation to go so well.

“You’re negotiating,” my dad said. “I like that.”

“Great!” I exclaimed. “Wait, what’s negotiating?”

“It’s what you’re doing now,” my dad said. “Asking for more.”

“Great! Awesome. So, is that a yes?”

“No.”

“But why not? I’m negotiating, just like you said.”

“Yes,” my dad said. And then he smiled. I recognized that same smile. It was the smile he had when he told me when I was three years old that Santa had made a wrong turn somewhere east of Winnipeg on his way to our house and there would be no Christmas presents that year.

“You’re forgetting that I’m negotiating too.”

My mom had her own smile. It was the smile that immediately told my dad to stop making the children cry on Christmas Eve.

“And I want to know,” my Dad continued, still smiling, “why would I pay more for the exact same pool cleaning service you’re already providing for the handsome sum of $10.”

I had to admit he had a point. Where was Mom? I could really use her help right now.

 “You raise an interesting question,” I said, trying to sound as serious as I could. “I’ll have to think about that and get back to you.”

I couldn’t sleep that night. I was thinking about what I could do that would be diDerent than just the same pool cleaning service I offered. What could I oDer my dad that would be of more value, so I could charge more?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I wrote my first KidVenture book after years of making up stories to teach my kids about business and economics. Whenever they'd ask how something works or why things were a certain way, I would say, "Let's pretend you have a business that sells..." and off we'd go. What would start as a simple hypothetical to explain a concept would become an adventure spanning several days as my kids would come back with new questions which would spawn more plot twists. Rather than give them quick answers, I tried to create cliffhangers to get them to really think through an idea and make the experience as interactive as possible.


I try to bring that same spirit of fun, curiosity and challenge to each KidVenture book. That’s why every chapter ends with a dilemma and a set of questions. KidVenture books are fun for kids to read alone, and even more fun to read together and discuss. There are plenty of books where kids learn about being doctors and astronauts and firefighters. There are hardly any where they learn what it’s like to run small business. KidVenture is different. The companies the kids start are modest and simple, but the themes are serious and important.


I’m an entrepreneur who has started a half dozen or so businesses and have had my share of failures. My dad was an entrepreneur and as a kid I used to love asking him about his business and learning the ins and outs of what to do and not do. Mistakes make the best stories — and the best lessons. I wanted to write a business book that was realistic, where you get to see the characters stumble and wander and reset, the way entrepreneurs do in real life. Unlike most books and movies where business is portrayed as easy, where all you need is one good idea and the desire to be successful, the characters in KidVenture find that every day brings new problems to solve.

KidVenture Links

Website

https://kidventurebook.com/

PDF Version for Reviews

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nb507efjely5ify/KidVenture%20Twelve%20Weeks%20To%20Midnight%20Blue.pdf?dl=0

ePub Version for Reviews

https://www.dropbox.com/s/48sytevgpybqs0y/KidVenture%20Twelve%20Weeks%20To%20Midnight%20Blue%20ePub%20Version.epub?dl=0

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/KidVenture-Twelve-Weeks-Midnight-Blue/dp/1672411416/

Author Bio

https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Searfoss/e/B08N1K65G1/

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56090574-kidventure

Barnes & Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kidventure-steve-searfoss/1136292505

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/kidventurebook

Twitter

https://twitter.com/KidVentureBook

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/kidventurebook/

Pinterest

https://www.pinterest.com/kidventurebook/_saved/

The book will be $0.99.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY:

Steve Searfoss will be awarding one $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC + 10 Print copies  to 11 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE TOUR AND COMMENT
ON EACH STOP TO EARN MORE ENTRIES TO WIN!






My Review

I found KidVenture: Twelve Weeks To Midnight Blue by Steve Searfoss to be a great book. It teaches kids some valuable lessons of how to keep a business going. I liked following Chance and seeing how his pool cleaning company would do. I admired his courage and his hard work in getting through all of the challenges his faces. 

KidVenture: Twelve Weeks To Midnight Blue is getting a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for young readers who are between the ages of ten and fourteen. I look forward to reading more books like this from Steve Searfoss in the future. This one would be a great addition to a local or school library. 

I received a copy of KidVenture: Twelve Weeks To Midnight Blue from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.






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Monday, December 27, 2021

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Mirrors and Mysteries by Christina Bauer



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Christina Bauer will award a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. In addition the author is running an additional giveaway to celebrate this cover reveal. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



Rapunzel meets Jane Eyre in the epic conclusion of this fairy tale romance!

Grayson Eyre has left her old life behind. She’s no longer stuck serving Lady R, a sadistic Rapunzel from the Lowood clan of elves. Instead, Grayson now teaches at the Thornfield home for shifter orphans. Even better, her boss is none other than the sexy alpha, Dex. It’s all good until a mysterious witch, Jocasta, appears in a nearby tower, demanding that Dex and Grayson discover the true nature of all Rapunzels. If not, Lady R will return to claim Grayson… and Thornfield will be wiped out by the evil Prism Master. Can Dex and Grayson discover the truth in time? And what will it mean for their growing attraction?

Secrets are revealed and feelings explored in this epic conclusion to the story of Dex and Grayson!


Read an Excerpt from TOWERS AND TITHES

Grayson

Bonk, scrrrrrratch.

Bonk, scrrrrrratch.

I awaken to the unmistakable noise of a forest harpy knocking at my window. Again. That’s the third time this week.

And it’s the single best part of my day.

Yawning, I slide out of bed, cross the room, and open my curtains. Sure enough, a four-foot-tall creature hovers on the other side of the glass, her wings flapping in a steady rhythm. She has the head of a woman and the body of a hawk. Classic forest harpy.

I wave. “Are you here about a wolf pup?” Harpies act tough, but they have a soft spot for a certain baby animal. So do I, for that matter.

She caws. “Yes, I seek a healer.”

“That would be me.” My pulse speeds. I love holding and healing new pups. “Meet you by the front door.”

The harpy frowns, a movement that shifts all the dainty feathers covering her face. “You’re an elf healer?”

Here we go.

This happens all the time. Harpies are overprotective, especially when it concerns a baby version of their favorite animal.

And honestly, this chick should wonder about me.

About the Author:Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

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Monster House Books

Mirrors and Mysteries, Book 9 of Fairy Tales of the Magicorum 

Amazon
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Towers and Tithes, Book 8 of Fairy Tales of the Magicorum 

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Barnes and Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NOTE: The author is also running a separate Rafflecopter on her site:
Enter Christina's Rafflecopter here.

Blurb Blitz and Giveaway: Stop the Clock by Cassie Swindon

Stop the Clock

by Cassie Swindon

 


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GENRE: Romantic suspense 

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NOTE: The book is free. 

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BLURB:

Stop the Clock is the finale in the Golden Chains trilogy.

 

Raelyn Bell has already experienced death and loss. Her family is falling apart at the seams. Despite her fears that Zohaib will hurt the few people she has left, Raelyn is still determined to prove him guilty. But this villain’s hunger for more power threatens to rip her and Kody apart.

 

To save Raelyn from being captured, Kody Walsh makes a deal with the devil and is dragged across the border to the middle of a rainforest by Zohaib’s hostile force. Commanded to complete unimaginable tasks for the sake of the enemy, Kody’s stakes couldn’t be higher.

 

Raelyn desperately seeks for any way to rescue Kody and has to decide if she can trust her mother for help after all they have been through. Can they see this journey through without losing their lives—and each other? 

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EXCERPT:

Raelyn lit another candle. The flicker added a layer to the dancing light coming from the fireplace. Seducing Zohaib with an email of this gorgeous model might be the only way to plant a virus and access his files. Raelyn refused to let that scumbag capture or sell one more woman.

She turned too fast, sending her new Canon camera flying. The naked woman beside her reached out and grabbed the stand before the tripod toppled to the cabin’s floor.

“Woops, sorry.” Raelyn shook her head.

“It’s fine. I got it.” The model followed Raelyn’s gaze. “Why do you keep glancing at the clock?”

“No reason.” Raelyn handed over an elaborate Venetian mask.

“I need you to wear this over your face.”

The model smiled. “We’re playing dress-up?”

“The man we’re doing this for is Italian, and he likes mystery and games.”

The woman clicked her tongue and fastened the mask on, covering most of her face. “Whatever you say…” She took the sheet of paper and angled it closer to the fire. “So, this is the script? … I’m all yours, Zohaib. Where and when can we meet?” She crunched the paper into a ball. “This is crap. I have a better idea.”

“You’ve done this before?” Raelyn asked.

“Manipulated a man? Of course. You haven’t?”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Instead of the boring bio info, here’s some interesting tidbits about the author:

           Tackled her father for a pair of Michael Phelps’ personal goggles

           Cried when the Cubs won the World Series

           Met husband freshman year of college- a blizzard & tequila may have been involved

           Moved cross-country by the flip of a coin

           Mutated into a zombie when daughter was born in 2013, then again 17 months later when her son was born

           Evacuated from a boat crash in the Atlantic during a whale watching tour

           Witnessed a wild horse pack galloping through the Rockies

           Cofounded a three-person Beanie Baby Club in the 90s- in a treehouse

           Snorkeled in The Great Barrier Reef

           Broke her foot when pretending to be a Baywatch lifeguard

           Stranded in a Cancun lagoon while jet skiing

           Crunched the back of a Dodge Neon against a wall while transporting a Medieval knight to a pub

           Invented a symbol language to pass notes to her best friend in high school

           Swung off a rope swing of pirate ship in Aruba

           Backpacked through Italy

           Stole plaques showing what swim records she broke

www.CassieSwindon.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cassie-Swindon-Official-Author-117026993483422

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassie_swindon_author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CassieSwindon

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GIVEAWAY:

Cassie Swindon will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway