Monday, April 30, 2018

Nicky Fallen Gliders #1 by Lynn Burke

Nicky Fallen Gliders #1



Art Work: Jay Aheer, Simply Defined Art

Keywords: MC, Erotic, Contemporary, May/December

Dominic “Nicky” Landon has been a Sargent at Arms for the Fallen Gliders for thirty years. When he finds out his only sister overdoses on drugs dealt by his brothers, he hands in his colors and severs ties to the club and vicious lifestyle forever. Mel Hughson owns the only bar in hicksville, no-mans-land, New Hampshire. She’s content with her single life, but the cold, spring night Nicky Landon’s Harley rolls into town ignites her desire. The fact he’s got at least twenty years on her doesn’t mean jack to Mel. He’s hot, he’s dangerous, and whether he knows it or not, he belongs to her. Can Mel tempt Nicky to ignore their age gap and surrender to her, or will the secrets from his perilous past rise up to destroy everything?

 Excerpt:

“You’re messing with fire, little girl.”
Heat flushed through me. “I enjoy flames now and then.” My breath caught at the hunger on his face, parting my lips.
“Fuck it.” He grasped my chin in his warm palm. “I’ll give you what you want, little girl, but don’t go crying to your mommy in the morning because a big bad wolf left his mark on you.”
Oh, God. I swallowed and squeezed my thighs together. Older men were so the shit.
He captured my lips, but without the brute force I’d expected. Hunger, yes, but the full softness of his lips pressed against mine, taking and tasting, his tongue probing, whiskers brushing my skin. I parted my lips and moaned as he sank his tongue into my mouth, fucking every hidden corner, filling me with the taste of whiskey and pure male. My skin pebbled, pulse thrummed.



About Lynn Burke:
Lynn Burke is a full time mother, voracious gardener, and scribbler of spicy romance stories. A country bumpkin turned Bay Stater, she enjoys her chowdah and Dunkin Donuts when not trying to escape the reality of city life.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorLynnBurke

$10 Amazon GC  GIVEAWAY!

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The White Rajah by Tom Williams

The White Rajah: The Historical Tale of Rajah James Brooke (The Williamson Papers Book 1) by [Williams, Tom]
Blurb: Invalided out of the East India Company’s army, James Brooke looks for adventure in the South China Seas. When the Sultan of Borneo asks him to help suppress a rebellion, Brooke joins the war to support the Sultan and improve his chances of trading successfully in the area. Instead, he finds himself rewarded with his own country, Sarawak.

Determined to be an enlightened ruler who brings peace and prosperity to his people, James settles with his lover, John Williamson, in their new Eden. But piracy, racial conflict, and court plotting conspire to destroy all he has achieved. Driven from his home and a fugitive in the land he ruled, James is forced to take extreme measures to drive out his enemies.

The White Rajah is the story of a man, fighting for his life, who must choose between his beliefs and the chance of victory. Based on a true story, Brooke’s battle is a tale of adventure set against the background of a jungle world of extraordinary beauty and terrible savagery. Told through the eyes of the man who loves him and shares his dream, this is a tale of love and loss from a 19th century world that still speaks to us today.

Tom Williams

About the author: Tom used to write books for business, covering everything from the gambling industry to new developments in printing technology. Now he writes about love and adventure in the 19th century, which is not nearly as well paid, but much more fun. Years ago, Tom visited Borneo and spent a couple of days living in the jungle with the Dyaks. He helped catch and kill a deer, discovered that he's a crack shot with a blowpipe and narrowly avoided eating a monkey. He came home with a sword that can take a man's head off and an abiding fascination for Sarawak and its history. Much, much later this resulted in The White Rajah. Tom lives in London and when he's not writing he likes to ski, dance tango or street skate. In fact, he'll do almost anything to avoid honest work.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/White-Rajah-Historical-Brooke-Williamson-ebook/dp/B079VK7V34/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Get it now, only .99£ at Amazon UK! 

My review: Five stars - I've read several of Tom Williams's books, and I have enjoyed them very much. I started this and was caught up in a fantastic adventure and touching love story between two very different men. I had no idea that that James Brooke really existed, but I knew something about Borneo and it seemed entirely plausible that the Sultan would give him the kingdom of Sarawak to rule, making Brooke a white rajah! This is a beautifully written story. It's also well researched, and the historical knowledge of the far east is fascinating. A compelling tale. I highly recommend it!


Sunday, April 29, 2018

Lilac time

It's April, and we had a sunny hot week, so the lilac bloomed. My favorite flower! I walk the dog each night to the corner, where there is a lilac grove. In the evening, the scent perfumes the balmy air.
Anne Marie, who has a hedge of lilac, gave me a bouquet of white and purple lilac, and the whole apartment smells fresh and clean. (Even if it isn't - believe me, I haven't had time to clean in weeks...)

Image result for lilac
I saw my first pink lilac in Germany. I took the night train from Paris and arrived early in the morning. I was headed to a book conference. I started to look at the area map, to see where I was, but right away the scent of lilac tickled my nose, and I saw a small, absolutely beautiful lilac tree with shell-pink blooms. I didn't know it existed in that color.
I was standing there, eyes closed, drinking in the scent, when someone tapped me on the shoulder and asked (in English) if I were lost. (The pink tree was just in front of the train station, half hidden behind the map of the area.) I looked at her, and I must have been half loopy from my trip from Paris and drunk on the strong smell of lilac), and I said to her, "Do you speak German?" 
She raised her eyebrows and said, "Of course, this is Germany, and I'm German."
I was flustered, and pointed to the lilac bush. "Can you tell me how to say 'lilac' in German?" 
Her eyebrows went even further up. "That's 'lila' (sounds like lee-la), is that all you want to know?" 
I shook my head, "No, I am lost. Can you point me to the hotel?"
It turned out she was a writer too, and on her way to a book conference. Her name was Marte Cormann, she became a good friend. We would take walks every day, when the conference broke for lunch, and she'd teach me "German Words I'd Never Use". Now, whenever lilacs bloom, I'm taken back to that sunny weekend in Germany, strolling around Weisbaden, and I remember my German words, that include goose, swan, asperagus, badger, and lilac, of course.
 

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Dead Giveaway by Diane Benefie




THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN

If asked, Gwendolyn Ballard would admit she co-parented her best friend Chloe's son, Cameron. Now Gwen is all he's got as they flee from the man who murdered his mother. There's only one place Cameron will be safe, and that's with his uncle, Elijah MacElvoy. Arriving on his doorstep at the Broken Arrow Ranch is a desperate decision, and Gwen knows he'd slam the door in her face if she didn't have his nephew with her. But she'll do anything for Cam, even if it means putting up with Elijah's distrust and judgment.

Chloe's dead. Cam's orphaned, and Elijah is confronted with the prospect of living with the one woman who's driven him crazy for the past ten years. He'll fight to keep her safe. That's encoded in his DNA. But can he trust her with a little boy who just lost his mother? As Eli watches how Gwen loves and cares for his nephew, he reevaluates his thinking and gives in to the smoldering attraction he felt the first time he saw her. With so much on the line, Eli comes clean about his past, making way for a future that's all about silver linings.

Enjoy an Excerpt

In the long, drawn-out moment that Eli stared at her, she saw something flicker in his expression. The flint gray eyes she remembered so well seemed to burn over her, his scrutiny like a physical touch. Gwen kept her feet locked to the ground even as the insane urge to turn and run surged through her.

He shifted his gaze to Cameron, then back to her. Cameron’s death grip nearly cut off the circulation in her fingers.

“Gwendolyn.” His deep voice held a timbre that, despite their mutual animosity, had always sent warm shivers down her spine.

“Elijah.” She held her breath as tension swelled, and waited for the door to slam in their faces. He stepped back.

“We can come in?”

With a mocking look, he opened the door wider. She let out her breath in a shaky sigh. Two dogs, the larger a Rottweiler mix, the smaller a fluffy black and white terrier, sat at alert, the terrier all but quivering in excitement. Stepping into the warm house, Gwen felt the fear and panic she’d been carrying ease a fraction, leaving behind an aching exhaustion. For tonight at least, she and Cameron were safe.

The dogs sat with butts planted. Keeping Cameron at her side, she held out a hand to each of them to let them get her scent.

Nerves jumping, Gwen straightened. She hadn’t seen Eli for over five years and the subtle signs of the passing of time were evident. While he still maintained the rangy, lean build he carried on a tall frame, his face showed fine lines fanning out from narrowed eyes. He wore his straight brown hair longer than she remembered, combed back except for where it fell across his forehead.

His bearing, the way he carried himself, made her think of a cowboy sheriff in the old West, tough and unshakable. After the terror of the past days, she needed someone with that unyielding steadfastness on her side. She really hoped that he would be on her side.

She could see the questions in the hooded eyes, but he didn’t ask why she had shown up at his door.

Cameron gave his uncle a cautious look. Eli must have sensed the boy’s reserve, because he crouched down on one knee. Gwen watched, curious as to how he would interact with his nephew.

“Cameron, this big guy is Bubba, and the little one is Oreo.” Eli’s voice was low and calming.

“Oreo?” Cameron leaned down to pet the little dog. “That’s because he’s black and white, right?” Oreo reached out a tongue to lick his hand.

Eli’s features softened fractionally. “Yeah, that’s right.”

Cameron flashed a brief smile, one of the first Gwen had seen in days. Eli rose and led them into the room. The entryway opened to a comfortable living room with a large couch and a recliner that invited curling up with a good book. A fire warmed the room from behind a wrought-iron screen, and a large area rug in front of it covered the knotted-pine floor. Even if Eli wasn’t exactly welcoming, his house felt homey.

“What took you so long to get here?” The abrupt question startled her. He had been expecting them? The idea that he had somehow known she would come to him, had been waiting for her, unsettled her, like there was some unspoken connection between them. And that didn’t bear thinking about.

About the Author:
National Readers' Choice Award winner for her novel, Solitary Man, Diane Benefiel has been an avid reader all her life. She enjoys a wide range of genres, from westerns to fantasy to mysteries, but romance has always been a favorite. She writes what she loves best to read – emotional, heart-gripping romantic suspense novels. She likes writing romantic suspense because she can put the hero and heroine in all sorts of predicaments that they have to work together to overcome.

A native Southern Californian, Diane enjoys nothing better than summer. For a high school history teacher, summer means a break from teenagers, and summer allows her to spend her early mornings immersed in her current writing project. With both kids living out of the house, in addition to writing, she enjoys camping and gardening with her husband. Diane loves hearing from her readers.

Website: http://www.dianebenefiel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DianeBenefielRomance
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dianebenefiel
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/diane_benefiel
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/author/show/8075321.Diane_Benefiel
BookBub: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/diane-benefiel
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/diane_benefiel

BUY LINKS:

http://boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/dead-giveaway
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dead-giveaway/id1364342350?mt=11
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1128301685?ean=2940155188841
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dead-giveaway-22
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/807754
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C97NJ64

Diane will be awarding a $15 in Boroughs Bucks + a copy of Flash Point to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 

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Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Restoring His Howl by Megan Slayer



Opposites can attract, but can they make the love last?

Dillon came to the Sanctuary to hide, but also to heal. He’d been abused and needed a safe place to come into his own. He never expected to find a partner, but love came looking for him. Can he accept what he deserves or will he push away a chance at forever because he feels unlovable?

Cinders knows from the moment he sees Dillon that he wants the wolf shifter for his own. But can a jaguar shifter and a wolf shifter really pair up? He doesn’t know, but he’s banking on the attraction to pay off. What he doesn’t expect is how deep Dillon’s scars run. Is he strong enough to see beyond what’s happened to Dillon and help create a future for them together?

Anything’s possible when the jaguar shifter, a former stripper, and the wolf shifter figure out how to restore his howl.
Read an Excerpt:

©Megan Slayer, 2018 – All Rights Reserved

He spotted a black form moving in the grass. He hunched down and studied the animal. A jaguar. He should know the big cat by sight but didn’t know which shifter it was. The more the jaguar moved, the more Dillon watched. He couldn’t help himself. The black feline moved with grace and seemed to be showing off. The jaguar mesmerized Dillon. He’d seen plenty of big cats and knew there were at least two other jaguars on the property. Fifteen lions, four tigers, three jaguars, a bobcat shifter and six humans were currently at the Sanctuary—but he only knew a couple of them.

Something stirred within Dillon. Longing? Desire? A little bit of both? He didn’t think he could be loved because of the damage to his body and soul, but he wanted someone to care for him. To care about him. To see beyond his past and accept him. Was that even possible? Once others learned what he’d done and how often, they’d run the hell away from him and for good reason. He hadn’t been in control of himself, but did that matter? Maybe not, but he wanted a mate, and he had to hope they’d be able to give him a chance.

Mate… He snorted. Another wolf would be the best option, so why was he watching the jaguar? The wolf should be in charge and finding another wolf. Did the wolf crave the jaguar? Maybe. His human side definitely wanted the big cat. Well, no… The human side wanted to meet the human within the jaguar.

Christ. No, he couldn’t meet the shifter. What was he thinking? Not only would he wreck the fantasy, but he’d have to let in the person. Closeness meant the possibility of being hurt or abandoned. Hell, no.

“Aren’t you a pretty boy?”

He froze. He’d forgotten about watching the jaguar the moment he’d gotten wrapped up in his mind. The big cat was nowhere in sight. Shit, shit, shit. He knew the voice, though. Cinders. Of course, the jaguar was the stripper. How had he not figured that out? Because he hadn’t been paying attention. He was now.

About the Author:
Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and BDSM themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best author, best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm
https://wendizwaduk.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wendizwaduk.meganslayer/
http://www.amazon.com/Megan-Slayer/e/B008BJCFSC
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/megan-slayer
https://allauthor.com/profile/meganslayer/
https://www.instagram.com/wendizwaduk/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5330530.Megan_Slayer
https://twitter.com/#!/MeganSlayer
http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj

Megan will be awarding a bracelet made by the author and a swag pack to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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Tuesday, April 24, 2018

GHOST by Helen Grant


GHOST by Helen Grant

Synopsis

Langlands House is haunted, but not by the ghost you think.

Augusta McAndrew lives on a remote Scottish estate with her grandmother, Rose. For her own safety, she hides from outsiders, as she has done her entire life. Visitors are few and far between - everyone knows that Langlands House is haunted.

One day Rose goes out and never returns, leaving Augusta utterly alone. Then Tom McAllister arrives - good-looking and fascinating, but dangerous. What he has to tell her could tear her whole world apart.

As Tom and Augusta become ever closer, they must face the question: is love enough to overcome the ghosts of the past?

In the end, Langlands House and its inhabitants hold more secrets than they did in the beginning...



Hi Helen, welcome to my blog ! I love Gothic romance – I think I've read every Victoria Holt novel there is! What writers influenced you, if any?

Hi Jennifer! I love Gothic romance too. One of my favourite recent films was Crimson Peak. I just love the allure of grand but crumbling houses! 
I'm not sure any particular writers influenced me when I was writing Ghost. I definitely don't try to emulate any other writer. But I am a big fan of Gothic fiction in general. Jane Eyre has always been one of my favourite books. I love anything a bit creepy, and a bit mysterious, and I really love a big reveal! There are a few of those in Ghost.

What gave you the idea for your book? And what do you like to do when you're not writing?

I'm going to answer these two questions together because they sort of go together! I've got a passion for researching the lost country houses of Scotland; it's a topic that really fascinates me. In the 1800s many wealthy people built these enormous mansion houses that later became far too expensive and impractical to run. Sometimes they were later used as schools or hospitals but eventually many of them were abandoned. Some of them were demolished – or even blown up! – but some are just sitting there, slowly crumbling away into ruins. I have visited the sites of some of these houses. It's both exciting and eerie to see the remains of these grand buildings. Sometimes there is still glass in some of the windows, or some of the timber is still there. 
I'm always very careful when I'm visiting anywhere like that. I don't go inside anything that looks as though it might collapse! And I never take anything away with me, except photographs. 
There was one mansion that I visited which was supposedly knocked down in the 1960s, but it never actually was pulled down. That made me think: supposing there was a house like this, forgotten in the middle of a forest somewhere, but with all the contents intact? Who would be hiding themselves away in there, and why? And that was what inspired the story of Ghost.  

My other hobbies include wild swimming. I swim outdoors (without a wetsuit) between May and October. There isn't any wild swimming in Ghost, but there is a moment where someone puts their feet in freezing cold sea water, and they start to feel numb in about one minute. That is definitely based on personal experience

Who are your favorite authors?

I like a lot of the classic authors. A big favourite of mine is Wilkie Collins. He has some of the most outrageous plot lines ever, and some brilliant characters. My favourite is probably Ralph, the brother of the hero of Basil. He has worked abroad as a diplomat and consequently he can swear fluently in five different languages. He has a travelling library of dubious French novels which he keeps locked up with a golden key, and he will have nothing to drink in the morning except hot chocolate. I think Ralph deserves a novel all of his own!
My favourite living writer is John Ajvide Lindqvist, the Swedish author of Let the Right One In. I think he goes to the places that other authors don't. I really loved his book Handling the Undead, which is about what happens when all the people who died within a particular time frame suddenly come back to life. So you could say that it's a zombie novel, except it's not about the horror of people shambling about trying to bite each other. The real horror is having a lost loved one back in such a damaged state; wouldn't it be better just to let them go? Like some of his other work, it is intensely moving. I've read it twice and both times I cried at the end.   

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Well, I do carry out quite a bit of "desk research" but actually I like to go out and look at things, and experience things for myself. Most of the locations in my books are based on places that I have really visited. For a previous novel, Urban Legends, I wanted to set a scene in the sewers, so I visited the Brussels sewers and the Paris sewers. It's partly about getting the details right but it's also about feeling the experience of being there. I want to be able to describe what it's like with the conviction of really knowing. One of the things that surprised me about the Brussels sewers was hearing this strange rumbling noise – it was the sound of underground trains passing by. If I hadn't been there and heard it myself, I don't think I would have thought of that.  
Over the years, I've got into the habit of visiting places that I think will be atmospheric, and using it as a way of generating ideas. A creepy location is a bit like an empty stage set; I can imagine the type of drama that might unfold there. 

What was one of the most surprising things you learned when you were writing your book?

Well, maybe I've already answered this question to a certain extent, but I think the thing that most surprised me was the extravagant scale of some of the country houses built in the 1800s. I remember reading about one that was so grand that it was impractical to live in, and was eventually demolished without the family ever having moved in! I think it's quite hard nowadays to realise just how wealthy the owners must have been to have these places built, and then employ all the domestic staff and gardeners to run them. And we're not talking about one house here or there. There were a lot of these places. It's a lifestyle I can't really imagine. 
There was one big house (now long vanished) not very far from where I live, that had beautiful ornamental gardens with fountains. Considering how rugged the landscape is, it's mind boggling to think how much work that must have been to create and maintain…

Any last words for your readers?

If you've read Ghost: thank you! The story is not told until someone listens. 

Thank you so much for stopping by!

You're most welcome! 


Author Bio

Helen Grant writes thrillers with a Gothic flavour and ghost stories. Her first novel, The Vanishing of Katharina Linden, was shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and won an ALA Alex Award in the US. Her other books include the exciting Forbidden Spaces trilogy. 
Helen's latest novel Ghost (Fledgling Press 2018) is set in Perthshire, where she has lived since 2011. When she is not writing, Helen loves to research the lost country houses of Scotland and to visit the sites where possible. Her experiences of exploring these fascinating places inspired her to write Ghost.


Authors Twitter: @Helengrantsays 
Publishers Twitter: @FledglingPress 


Monday, April 23, 2018

Some friends of mine

I was thinking about a friend of mine.
Everyone dies, of course - that's part of life. But sometimes I think about some friends of mine who were gone too soon. And today, someone sent me a message asking about one of my friends who died a few years ago. She didn't know. It made me think of him and his incredible talent as a photographer. And it made me wonder where I put the picture he gave me. I had it framed and it followed me everywhere, From New York to Europe. And then, in one of the many moves from Margaux to Lyon to Paris to Behoust to Montchauvet or to Mantes, it disappeared. It's most likely in the armoire with the stacks of photo albums. Or somewhere else. Lost, maybe. I hope not. I can close my eyes and see it - a winter scene with a flowing stream sculpting the ice and snow. He had a stamp, a Chinese symbol in red, that he used to sign his phtotos.
I don't need to close my eyes to imagine my friend. He had a round face and laughing eyes. Even when he wasn't laughing his eyes laughed for him. He loved to joke and he loved to teach. We met when we were teens. He took some pictures of me for my first modelling book. We lived next door to each other in New York City. He was funny, kind, and talented. He gave me books on philosophy to read, like "Sophie's World", and "Zen and the Art of Archery".
He came to visit my family in St Thomas, and I still have a charm he gave me for luck. The last time we met was in NYC, I went with my twins, and we went out to lunch together then went sight seeing. He took us to the Twin Towers and then to Times Square. "Your kids can't leave the city without seeing Times Square lit up at night," he said. He was right.  And now he's gone.
So many things make me think of him - my gold charm, books on philosophy, photos of snow. And now, today, a message from someone saying, "Hey Jen, I was in NYC and thought of Sing-Si. What's he doing these days?" And I had to write back - "Sad news...".
WP_20171026_15_57_26_Pro
Photo by Sing-Si Schwartz

Between Venus & Mars by S.C.Mitchell

BETWEEN VENUS & MARS
by S.C.Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE:   Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:  Once Upon a Galaxy . . .

Zana Starchild is on a mission to restore her tribe’s livestock and save herself from one more meal of kelp. Sure, it’s technically illegal to visit Old Earth, but to a rim rat like Zana, galactic laws are really just guidelines. Her wrecked starship just means she’ll need to use her backup plan to get off the abandoned world, an old Earth legend her uncle passed down to her.

Pulled from a relaxing shower, across the galaxy to Old Earth, Galactic Marshall Kyle Kepler finds himself naked and marooned with a quirky rim rat. Zana’s broken more laws than Kyle can count, and he plans to arrest her, just as soon as he can find transport off the planet and a pair of pants.

A junk heap of a starship, a magical tree, and a roving gang of mutant kangaroos are just the beginning of rollicking intergalactic journey filled with laughs, love, and adventure.

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

EXCERPT:   Zana Starchild banked the rickety TRS-90 quinjet, as a photon torpedo detonated off her port thruster. The explosion rocked the tiny starship, and it was all she could do to hang on.

“Okay, maybe I should have used the fuckin’ seatbelt.”

The instrument panel lit up with bright red whatcha-ma-doogers, flashing like the ancient neon sign hanging in front of Paddington’s Pastry Shop.

She grunted. “That’s probably bad.”

It would have been really nice to have someone with her who actually knew how to fly this junk-heap, or could at least tell her what the hell those flashing things meant.

It was kind of hard to check the instruction manual while these shitheads were firing phase cannons and photon torpedoes up her ass.

Not that she actually had an instruction manual.

“Shit.”

Just her luck to find deep-space pirates waiting at this jump point.

Bastards.

And these had to be the dumbest pirates in the entire galaxy. Sure, it was a convenient place to surprise travelers, but this jump point didn’t go anywhere anyone wanted to be.

Well, except her, and that was completely irrelevant to her argument. Even she didn’t really want to go to Old Earth. She just had to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:  S.C.Mitchell grew up an avid reader of comic books, science fiction and fantasy literature. He’s been writing stories for over thirty years. In 2010 he left his job as a computer desktop support specialist to pursue his passion for writing full time. He is a PAN member of the Romance Writers of America as well as the Wisconsin chapter.

As a writer of paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy romance, S. C. Mitchell crafts unique and wondrous worlds where characters explore, romp, and fall in love. Whether traveling through dark, demon filled dimensions, the edge of wild space, or ancient mythological heavens, heroes and heroines, guided by their adventurous hearts, discover hidden strengths on their pathway to enduring love.



LINKS:   Webpage: http://scmitchellauthor.com/
Links for "Between Venus and Mars" :
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION: S.C. Mitchell will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour:

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW: 
A zany, tongue-in-cheek space opera! We meet our heroine, Zana, in a decrepit spaceship on her way to a forbidden planet (Earth). She is heading there to try and replace the animals that have been stolen from her planet, because they need food and the people are in danger of starving. She crash lands somewhere in California, and finds a strange tree - the "Soul Mate" tree, she has heard legends about. There is more, of course - sentient kangaroos that have taken over earth, and getting food for her people may be harder than she thought. Also, the Soul Mate tree sends her a space cop (just what she needs after breaking the law, right?) and sparks fly. It's a pretty funny and wildly imaginative sci-fi romance. There are some adult situations and strong language. It's part of a loosely joined collection (The Soul Mate Tree Series) but you don't have to read the others in order to enjoy this one.


Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Edger by David Beem


Edger
by David Beem

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

GENRE: Comedy Fiction

It’s been said every story must start somewhere. Ours begins with a professional dork. The kind who fixes computers and lives in his gran’s basement. The kind tapped by destiny (that saucy minx) to become the world’s first superhero!

And not a moment too soon…

A nano-sized artificial intelligence is on the loose! It got itself dart-gunned into a cow butt by a frog man in a porn store! Two stoners are corrupting it on twitter! And that’s just the first three pages!!

Join our dork of destiny as he channels the collective unconscious—his psychic superpower—in a harrowing tale of high drama, romance, betrayal, revenge, jesus chickens, cocaine, weirdos, magicians, ninjas, nfl spies, and disco ball water torture administered to the tune of rapture, by blondie. My god, man, what does it all mean!?

It means uncorking that next bottle of wine isn’t only a good idea—it’s advisable.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

Water and glass shower the dance floor. Needle scratches vinyl. Hattori Hanzo seizes control instinctively and I land with the grace of a ninja. Mary, who has no dead ninja in her head, thuds with the grace of a turkey carcass dropped from the Level Two parapet of Westfield Horton Plaza.

“Kill them!” someone yells.

“Don’t kill them!” I yell back, figuring that’s got to be worth a try.

Shots are fired. Screaming patrons run and duck for cover. A bullet ricochets off the wall. I grab Mary by the ropes binding her, and drag her behind a nearby couch.

More gunfire.

I chance a peek. Caleb Montana is near the front door, exchanging shots with two Nostradamus agents hiding behind a life-size statue of Caleb in his quarterback uniform, one arm cocked back, preparing to pass the football, and the other stretched out in front, pointing.

I round on Mary, who flings her wet hair back like a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. Water sprays my supersuit’s visor.

“Cut me loose.”

“Right, right,” I say, feeling around on my utility belt. Jeez, I’ve never tried to locate anything without someone helping me from the Collective Unconscious. There are a lot of things here. I pull a tiny ball out, and the nano-technology grows into a switchblade-shaped object. Seems promising. I flick it on. Blue flame blows out from the end.

“Holy crap!”

“Come on, quit fooling around.”

“Don’t rush me! Do you have any idea how stressful this is?”

“Come on,” she says, her voice husky, cheek to floor, back arched, butt in the air.

“You never see Batman having this problem,” I mutter.


About the Author:David Beem enjoys superhero movies, taekwondo, and flossing. He lives in Djibouti with his family and crippling self-doubt. Help actualize David’s inner confidence. Visit his website today, and buy all the stuff.

http://www.davidbeem.com
https://www.facebook.com/david.beemauthor
https://twitter.com/davidbeem

Buy the book at Amazon.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

David Beem will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

His Valentine by Megan Slayer

Today we welcome Meagan Slayer again, who writes sizzling M/M romance. Enjoy the blurb, excerpt, and be sure to take part in the rafflecopter giveaway!


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Brandon Kidd thought he overcame his demons. He thought he’d conquered his addiction to booze and his need to be promiscuous. He thought he’d left his depression behind. Why? He met and is dating Aydin, the man who stokes his muse. But the depression and his insecurity have come back, and he’s also got to pass his annual review for his fine arts program. He’s got to get through the grueling review, open up to Aydin and have the Valentine’s Day he deserves?

Aydin loves Brandon. He sees the changes in his boyfriend and wants to help, but how do you help when you don’t know the problem exactly? To compound the problem, Brandon’s brother, Benson, has started causing trouble. Benson doesn’t want his brother to be gay, let alone in a relationship. Aydin found the strength to admit he wanted to be with Brandon. Aydin’s come into his own. Will he be enough for Brandon or will the crushing outside influence be too much to overcome?

They’ve come together for Valentine’s Day, but can the romance last?
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Read an Excerpt:

©2018 Megan Slayer, All Rights Reserved

“I meant to say something, but I got so wrapped up in that review…” Brandon met Aydin’s gaze. “Babe, I’m sorry. I should’ve asked first.”

Aydin closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. He needed a moment to think. Talk about a Valentine’s surprise. What was done was done, and he couldn’t get Brandon to take the works down—not when they were part of an exhibition. Maybe people wouldn’t realize he was the one in the image.

“You’re mad.” Brandon bridged the gap between them and draped one of his legs over Aydin’s. “Babe.”

Aydin opened his eyes. Being so close to Brandon, smelling his cologne and feeling the warmth from his body seeping into Aydin’s comforted him. “I’m disappointed that you hadn’t mentioned it to me until now, but I can’t be mad. That’s your art, and I volunteered to sit for you. I knew there was a chance you’d put those images into a show.” He brushed his knuckles down Brandon’s cheek. “If we ever do anymore nudes and any with us in bed together, they will not go on display unless I know first and have given you permission. Those are our intimate moments. I don’t want to share all of them.”

“Understood.” Brandon leaned in and kissed Aydin. “I’m horrible with relationships. It’s hard, and I’m going to screw up again. I know it.”

“No, you’re still learning. We both are.” He held Brandon’s hands in his. “It’s a big step going from casual to monogamy. Some people can’t do it.” Aydin suppressed a chuckle. Normally, he was the one with the worries and fears. With Brandon on his side, he’d realized his strengths and wasn’t the timid man he’d been. He wasn’t ugly or horrible—no, he was loyal, had faith in people when most others didn’t, compassionate, and dying to be loved.
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About the Author:
Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and BDSM themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best author, best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm
https://wendizwaduk.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wendizwaduk.meganslayer/
http://www.amazon.com/Megan-Slayer/e/B008BJCFSC
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/megan-slayer
https://allauthor.com/profile/meganslayer/
https://www.instagram.com/wendizwaduk/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5330530.Megan_Slayer
https://twitter.com/#!/MeganSlayer
http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj

BUY LINKS

MLR Press: https://www.mlrbooks.com/books.php
Available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079SY5HK9/
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/mYgOGW

Megan will be awarding a bracelet made by the author and a signed swag pack to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Sunday, April 15, 2018

What concerns me most...

There are lots of things that make me pessimistic about the future - but my main concern is inequality.

"One of the most dramatic trends since 1968 has been the growing divide between rich and poor. U.S. GDP grew by more than eighteen-fold between 1968 and 2016, but the rising tide has not lifted all boats. The top 1 percent's share of national income has nearly doubled while the official poverty rate for all U.S. families has merely inched up and down. The extreme concentration of income and wealth at the top has not only siphoned resources away from those at the bottom end of the income ladder. It has also increased the political power of the ultra-rich, which they’ve used to shape trade, tax, labor, health care, campaign finance, and other policies in their interest.

 A key driver of our growing economic divide is the steep drop in unionization. With the hemorrhaging of U.S. manufacturing jobs and the expansion of anti-labor policies, the share of U.S. workers in unions has fallen from 24.9% in 1968 to 10.7% in 2016. This has undermined workers’ ability to press for higher wages, even as the national economic pie has been growing. The decline of unions has also coincided with structural changes in the labor force, as businesses cut labor costs by reducing full-time workers.

A National Bureau of Economic Research paper found that between 2005 and 2015, all U.S. job growth was in temporary, part-time, freelance, and other “contingent” work. A recent study from the International Monetary Fund confirmed that the precarious employment trend has played a significant role in suppressing wage growth. The federal minimum wage remains a poverty wage and the federal minimum for tipped workers, at just $2.13 per hour, creates particularly high levels of economic insecurity for restaurant servers, one of the fastest-growing U.S. occupations, particularly for women and people of color. And according to Oxfam and the Economic Policy Institute, around 58.3 million U.S. workers are earning below the living wage of $15 per hour. It’s hardly a surprise that Brookings found that working-age adults account for most of the growth in the number of Americans living in poverty over the past 30 years. The number of 18-64-year-olds living in poverty has increased from 9.8 million in 1968 to 16 million in 1986 to 22.8 million in 2016."

Read this report: The Souls of Poor Folk: A Preliminary Report, Institute for policy Studies, December, 2017

GROWING DIVIDE BETWEEN RICH AND POOR Sources: Institute for Policy Studies analysis based on Thomas Piketty and U.S. Census.

Picasso's Lovers by Jean Mackin

  This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions . Jeanne Mackin will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Am...