I Smell Sheep

Saturday, January 28, 2023

Tales From the Otherworlds: A Middle Grade Fantasy Anthology + giveaway

Tales From the Otherworlds: A Middle Grade Fantasy Anthology
Edited by Antoine Bandele

February 1, 2023
with stories by
Antoine Bandele, K.R.S. McEntire, Jessica Cage, Kish Knight, Ken Kwame, Francesca McMahon, Ryan J. Schroeder, Zia Knight, Brittany Hester, Loup Gajigianis
11 marvelous stories of mystical portals, magical lands, and mythical creatures.

Journey with children, fae creatures, and gods alike as they navigate the joy of friendship, the struggles of finding identity, and the unclear pathways of strange new worlds.

From bestsellers to rising voices, 11 terrifically talented authors explore the many faces of whimsy and wonder, mischief and misdoings.
The Otherworlds call to the brave, the extraordinary, and the fated. They call to you, adventurer. Will you answer?

The anthology includes:

Will of the Mischief Maker by Antoine Bandele
What happens when a deity needs a human body? They go to the source, of course.

The Queen’s Kitchen by K.R.S. McEntire
When young Joy opens a secret door to her basement, she finds herself in a world she might not be prepared for.

A Trip to Sunma by Jessica Cage
Twelve-year-old Ameer takes an unexpected trip to an alien world and learns that you can make friends in unexpected places.

The Guardian’s Twin by Kish Knight
When strange new friends come around claiming to know her, Kayla joins them and discovers a magical secret about her lost sister.

No Way Out by Ken Kwame
Celine Musa steps into a world where nothing makes sense and where dangerous creatures want to harm her, or worse.

The Green Man Falls by Francesca McMahon
When the creatures of the Otherworld go missing, it is up to Cernunnos, the God of All Wild Things, to seek out answers, that is, until he gets sick.

The Beams of Faelleria by Ryan J. Schroeder
When a middle school science fair contestant finds himself transported to a fairy kingdom, he’ll need science, magic, and a new friend to find his way back home.

King Impulu & The Sky Pearl by Zia Knight
Twelve-year-old Ruby Freeman and her best friend Jabari Lee travel to the Kingdom of Life to recover a magical pearl in order to save her family’s farm.

The Portal to Aril by Brittany Hester
Keke’s powers are the key to bringing justice to her race. There's only one problem, she has no idea how to be a necromancer.

Fae-Took by Marie McHenry
What’s a girl to do when she finds herself trapped within the fae realm?

Magiks and the Tale of Two Kings by Loup Gajigianis

One wizard, one warrior, and two kings. Will trust win over treachery?

**Also available in Paperback & Audiobook at Books2Read !**

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About the Editor

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ANTOINE BANDELE IS AN AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR IN ACTION ADVENTURE FANTASY, DARK FANTASY, SWORD & SORCERY, AFRICAN AMERICAN FANTASY, AND AFRICAN LITERATURE.

He was born and raised in Los Angeles, though he spent one year in Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Washington while his father served in the U.S. Army.

He lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and cat. You can find him producing videos all over YouTube, including his own channel (which you should totally check out). He is also an audiobook engineer.

Giveaway

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Friday, January 27, 2023

Excerpt: In the Shadow of a Hoax (Fareview Fairytales, #2) by Maci Aurora + giveaway

In the Shadow of a Hoax (Fareview Fairytales, #2)
by Maci Aurora
January 24th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
In the Kingdom of Kaloma, a woman is forced to rely on a man to “keep her” and is forbidden from maintaining anything of her own. It’s the law.

In the remote village of Sevens, at the northernmost point of the kingdom, there lives a family with four daughters and a son, toiling day in and day out together, hopeful a treaty with the boarding kingdom of Jast might change things.

When one daughter—at risk of being imprisoned for fighting back—hides away in the Whitling Woods. She stumbles upon a dying man and despite the risk to herself, chooses to save him. Only who he is has the power to change everything…

Tarley Fareview, idealistic and stubborn, does what she can to support herself in spite of an unjust Kaloma law. When she fights back after being attacked, she flees into the woods disguised as a boy. While in hiding, she discovers a dying man and must decide if she risks her life to save him. Unable to walk away, Tarley chooses to intervene and works to save the stranger, only little does she know that by doing so she’ll also risk the heart she promised herself she’d never give to anyone.

When the Crown Prince of Jast, Lachlan Nikolas—forced by the king to attend treaty negotiations with the kingdom of Kaloma in disguise—is attacked, his horse bolts, and they both careen over a cliff, falling to their deaths in a raging river below. Only, miracle of miracles, Lachlan doesn’t perish, and instead is given a second chance at life, but at a price. When he wakes, he’s not only been stripped of his clothes but also his identity. Saved by a strange woman—in a terrible disguise because she looks nothing like a boy—Lachlan must learn very quickly how to survive in a world where he isn’t a prince anymore and with zero skills other than his entitlement and his charm. Unsure who to trust, Lachlan must reinvent himself, learn how to survive, open his heart to discover the truth about worthiness, and discover what it means to sacrifice one’s self for true love.

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Excerpt 1:
It was nearing sunrise on the fifth day. The twilight teasing the flap of the tent. The birds were only beginning to sing, and though the music of the birds waking and the river beyond were usually her salve to get her moving, her eyes were so heavy, and her body weighted with exhaustion. Her mind and senses lulled toward sleep by the sound of Ollie’s clear breathing and the song of the birds, so she shut her eyes.

Just for a moment, she told herself. Ollie’s safe. I’ll rest. Just for a moment, she thought and slipped into the rest of the darkness.

“Tarley?”

She stretched her body, uncurling it, and basking in the gloriousness of warmth and rest. Her hand dropped against something unforgiving, her head pressed against a wall. She moaned, disoriented, and grabbed hold of the mound under her quilt trying to figure out what had crawled into bed with her.

“I’ve always enjoyed a good fondling, but I prefer it being reciprocal.”

Tarley’s eyes snapped open at the foreign sound—a man’s voice with just the hint of an accent with which she wasn’t familiar. Skin. That’s what her eyes focused on. Lots of it. An arm. A shoulder. A scruffy jaw in need of a shave as she raised her gaze. Full lips arched with a smile, the bottom slightly fuller though the pronounced arches of the upper. He was grinning, and his eyes—a myriad of colors—were darkened with a ring of deep green at the edges.

Realizing she was flush against him, holding him, Tarley jerked back, scrambling to the opposite side of the ten, only there wasn’t enough room to maneuver. She regretted the quick movement, her body protesting with aches and pains of not enough sleep.

“Ollie. I–” She couldn’t meet his gaze.

“You were asleep.”

Her cheeks heated realizing she’d been holding him in her sleep. Holding onto him the night she’d been trying to save him flashed in her mind reminding her she’d held him before. To save him, she snapped at her inner self.

Her eyes danced across the quilt until she found the bravery to meet his gaze.

About the Author:

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Romance author.

Lover of stories.

Maci Aurora has been writing stories since she was a child. When she was eleven, she fell in love with reading Sunfire Historical Romances about girls who made a difference in their lives and still fell in love. In high school, a friend introduced her to Lavyrle Spencer and Judith McNaught, and from there, her writing journey was cemented in telling stories about love. Having already published many novels (all of which are threaded with romance as upper YA and New Adult titles) under the pen name, CL Walters, Maci Aurora wanted to write stories that offered the same attention to story and characters but with additional steam.

Maci writes in Hawaiʻi where she lives with her husband, their children, and their fur-babies.

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Ebook copy of In the Shadow of a Hoax

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Cover Reveal: A Kingdom of Death and Despair (The Four Kingdoms #3) by Whitney Dean

Every cover in The Four Kingdoms series have been gorgeous but I think this may be our favorite yet! Make sure you pre-order this beauty today!

A Kingdom of Death and Despair (The Four Kingdoms #3)
by Whitney Dean
Expected Publication Date: June 27th, 2023
Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Romance
Publisher: Phantom House Press
Darkness doesn’t die.

Once upon a time, there was a half-witch of three who walked on the land where creatures roamed free.

Once upon a time, there was a prince of one who danced with the waves under the sun.

Once upon a time, there was a prince of two who hid amongst the shadows where fear only grew.

But when time became impatient, a prophecy was conceived of twins born of darkness, who would live their lives aggrieved but coupled with their misery was the answer all sought but the question remained, which one would be left to rot?

Pre-order Here

A Kingdom of Frost and Fear (The Four Kingdoms #2)
December 6, 2022
Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Romance
Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Forced Proximity, Hidden Identity, Chosen Family, Dark Magic, Grumpy/Sunshine, Dual POV
After years of wondering where she came from and what her story was, Raven received the answers she had been craving: she has a family and is the true heir to the throne of Seolia. But the answers she so hopelessly sought only bred more questions. As she digs deeper into her past, she wonders if maybe she should have stayed hidden in the shadows, safe from the pain and agony of knowing her happily ever after may not be so happy after all.

Zeke had been right all along: she hates him for what he’d hidden from her. Now, with Raven desperate to learn who she is, he’s desperate to win her back. But while still holding secrets of his own, doing so will come at a price he may not be able to pay.

And all the while, magic is slowly reawakening in the realm of The Four Kingdoms and not a soul is prepared for the new black magic Raven is now in possession of.

This is book two of an epic dark fantasy adventure series and contains scenes of graphic and mature content. Reader discretion is advised.

Amazon

A Kingdom of Flame and Fury (The Four Kingdoms #1)
by Whitney Dean
May 26th, 2022
Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Dark Romantasy
At ten years old, Raven was mysteriously willed to be the next ruler of Seolia, a kingdom nestled within the realm of The Four Kingdoms. Orphaned as a baby, she has spent fifteen years ruling over a kingdom she believes she did not earn all while hiding secrets: she possesses dark magic and she thirsts for blood. Now at almost twenty-five years old and with a sudden addiction to stealing life, Raven must fight through her new procured darkness to save her soul, but when a mysterious stranger arrives in her kingdom, she starts experiencing vivid dreams that detail who she truly is. As she slowly starts to unravel her story, what she uncovers at the end of the spool will change the course of her life and her kingdom forever.

A Kingdom of Flame and Fury is book one in a steamy and thrilling new fantasy series: The Four Kingdoms

This is book one of an epic dark fantasy adventure series and contains scenes of graphic and mature content. Reader discretion is advised.

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About the Author

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Whitney was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas and raised in Allen, Texas. She resides in a quaint little town in Arkansas with her husband and two children, along with her labradoodle, Simba.

Her love of reading came from the Harry Potter series when she was seven years old, and frequent trips to the most magical place on earth. Because of it, the fantasy realm has taken up residence in her brain for a very long time.

While her writings include real-life pain and angst, she is a fan of happily-ever-after's and always strives to bring that forth in her stories.

Twitter Tags: @RRBookTours1 @PhantomHPress #RRBookTours #AKODAD #CoverReveal

IG Tags: @authorwhitneydean @rrbooktours @phantomhousepress #rrbtakodad #rrbooktours #akingdomofdeathanddespair #AKODAD #thefourkingdomsseries #darkfantasy #darkfantasyromance #coverreveal #bookcoverreveal

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Thursday, January 26, 2023

Witch of the Silver Locust (Dawn of the Blood Witch Book Three) by Maria DeVivo

Witch of the Silver Locust (Dawn of the Blood Witch Book Three)
by Maria DeVivo
Genre: Occult Horror
Publisher: 4 Horsemen Publications
Date of Publication: January 24, 2023
Word Count: 59k
Trent travels through time to find the Blodheska and open the gates of Hell.

Follow Trent as he unveils the origin story of the mysterious and powerful world of witches across centuries. He’s been known as the witch Trond, or even as Galen, and finally Trent, the Witch of the Silver Locust. He will seek the Blodheska no matter where or when to nurture the powers they hold.

Traversing each moment, he must face opposing forces that have their own plans for their ideal apocalypse. He will face his enemies no matter if they are human or demon--or even the Church of Satan itself. As he defends his goal, Trent will ally with both new and old friends as he tries to open the gateway to the old ones and bring about the witch utopia of New Eden on earth.

Inspired by true events, this tale follows Trent as he endures an exorcism, the Church of Satan, and the Son of Sam while moving closer to fulfilling his destiny.

Reader Advisory: Witch of the Silver Locust contains violence, gore, Satanic rituals, and graphic sexual situations

Books2Read Amazon

Excerpt:
Three moon tides had passed, and Runa remained in our care. A subject? A prisoner? I could not truly tell the difference. Sten had returned to the cave that first night with the supplies Aizel told him to procure—supplies that were just a diversion so that she could make her final judgment on what was to be done with the girl. Aizel told Sten to set up camp in our village and wait for us to call for him. He knew she was well respected and that our people would take care of him if need be, so he left our cave to go into town and patiently waited until his child was delivered from the evil that took hold of her hugr and fylgja—in essence, her soul.

Sten was obedient and did as he was told—partly because he was a doting father who wanted to see his daughter healed, and partly, because at his core, he was a weak man who fell easily under Aizel’s spell. She promised him she would do whatever she could to help Runa, and if that meant Sten had to run into a pack of snarling wolves, he would have complied. But I knew the truth. There was no intention of expelling the draugr from the girl. Aizel was stalling for time as the demon inside Runa slowly festered and consumed her bit by bit.

And as the days passed, I purposefully and consciously locked my mind like a steel cage against Aizel so she couldn’t go digging around. I hadn’t told her what I had heard Runa say—how she had called out the sacred nickname my sister had bestowed upon me, for I knew she would have forbidden me to even go near the girl after that. Nevertheless, I was intrigued. How would she have known that name unless by some divine intervention? I was certainly convinced that this was more than just the average possession we were used to dealing with, and I was determined to find out more. What was this demon, and why had it made itself known to me the night of the full moon, and more specifically during a time of my great despondency?

So, without Aizel’s knowledge of my actions, I stole away into the storage alcove where Runa had been tied up for the last three nights in hopes of getting as much information from the creature as I could. I brought my canteen of water under the assumption that maybe a drink would satisfy it and give it reason to open up. When I reached the room, the air was thick with an unnatural heat and a steamy sheen blanketed the space around us, much like the steam from the hot springs a bit south of us.

I stood in the opening and watched as Runa’s slumped body breathed in and out with those frenzied pants. Her head tilted to one side as if the weight of her long, silky black hair was pulling her down in her slumber. She looked peaceful, even with her chest heaving up and down as frantically as it was. I wondered what type of frenetic dream she must be having. Was she running in a field? Were the wolves chasing her? Was a hoard of marauders ravaging her fragile body?

I dipped my foot gingerly across the imaginary threshold of the room, and suddenly she stopped, shot up, and opened her eyes wide. “All three,” she cooed with a smirk.
I froze for a moment, surprised by her abrupt actions, then continued my way inside.
Runa smiled wide, and the evidence of the draugr’s hold on her was blatantly clear. The soft pink tissue of her gums was coated with a dark black substance giving her mouth the appearance of a gaping void.

A void to swallow me whole and transport me to another dimension…

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” she blurted.

“You know I’m not afraid of you, right?” I said. “I’ve seen the likes of you before.”

She giggled. “Oh, have you?” she responded. Her voice was low and gravelly, and it echoed in the cave as if there were more than one being speaking simultaneously. I couldn’t tell if it was the acoustics or if she actually represented the power of the many. And the voice, that guttural, grinding tone was so familiar to me, yet I could not place where I’d heard it before.
I approached her in the chair and held my canteen to her face. She eyed me coolly. “No,” she

said. “It would just prolong the process.”

“Oh? And what process is this you speak of?”

“I know your plans. The girl is gone. There’s no use in saving her now.”

I pursed my lips together and nodded. “True. True.” I agreed. “But that doesn’t mean you still can’t serve a purpose for us.”

The draugr laughed aloud. Its voice pierced the inside of my eardrums so sharply that I winced.

“Untie me, and I’ll show you what purpose I can serve,” she said with a sly hint of seduction.

I looked down upon her and scoffed. Up close I could see the demon had begun to transform her. Runa’s visage had begun to crack. The pale skin of her once soft face had turned gray, and the dark green veins from beneath her skin pressed up close to the surface and pulsated as if they were their own living, breathing entities. Her cheeks had further sunken in, giving the sharp angles of her face an even more inhuman appearance. She grazed her thick black tongue across the surface of her dry lips. “I won’t bite,” she cooed.

I huffed and took a step back. “Do you think that’s what it would take to tempt me? I told you, I’ve done this before. You’re not the first draugr to grace this cavern. Do you even know how old I am?”

“Do you even know how old I am?” she shot back.

I knelt next to her and decided to seize the opportunity. Demons are all-knowing, or at least they think they are. And they like to talk, mainly about themselves and their powers. And it’s often their narcissism that contributes to their downfall. I remembered that from Blodwyn’s teachings. Long ago, she had guided me through my first expulsion of a draugr. I had watched her perform the ritual flawlessly on many occasions, and when it came time for me to go out on my own, it was less than a stellar effort. “Don’t worry,” Blodwyn had said, “your strengths lie elsewhere. We each have our own gifts and talents. Don’t let this one failure discourage you. And I wouldn’t even call it a failure…”

“The boy would have died anyway,” the draugr said, finishing my memory.

I pulled back a bit. “Oh. So, you’re in here?” I said, pointing to my temple.

“Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. It comes and goes like flashes of light, like a gust of icy wind, like the paper-thin cry of the locust swelling to a crescendo then leveling off.”

My face twisted in confusion for a second. “How did you know that name?”

She closed her eyes and bowed her head forward. “I know not of what you speak,” she said with an agitated tone.

I placed my hand on her knee, and she quickly opened her eyes again. “Yes, you do. You said a name the first night you were here. You called out to me.”

She laughed again. A low and menacing rumble from her chest. “Pink Silver,” she grimaced, and her chest heaved up giving way to a wretched cough. She turned her head to the opposite side of where I knelt, spit out a gob of inky black substance, cleared her throat, and looked back at me.

“Tell me your name,” I commanded.

The draugr ‘tsked’ her thick black tongue against the back of her teeth.

“You told Aizel! Why won’t you tell me? You know my name, Trond. And you know my secret name, Ruz. It’s only fair if we’re going to continue this relationship, don’t you think?”

The draugr’s voice lowered, “I told that witch nothing!” it spat. “She stole that from me.

The girl was fighting hard, and there was a moment of weakness. I’m better now.” It smiled again, and for a split second. There were maggots weaving in and out of its teeth. I blinked rapidly, hoping it would go away. The draugr laughed.

Book 1

About the Author:
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Maria is the Author of the Amazon bestselling and award winning series The Coal Elf Chronicles, the YA psychological horror series The Altered Experience, and the NA Urban Fantasy series The Aestrangel Trinity.

When not writing about dark fantasy and horror, she teaches Language Arts and Journalism to middle school students in Florida. A lover of all things dark and demented, she takes pleasure in warping the comfort factor in her readers’ minds. Just when you think you’ve reached a safe space in her stories, she snaps you back into her twisted reality.

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Inspired by true events, WITCH OF THE SILVER LOCUST follows the ancient witch Trent as he endures an exorcism, the Church of Satan, and the Son of Sam while moving closer to fulfilling his destiny. https://amzn.to/3F2NCsM

#blodheksa, #sonofsam #churchofsatan #witchofthesilverlocust #occulthorror

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Jet: A Dark Shifter Romance: Temple Maze Level Two (Temple Maze Series Book 2) + giveaway

Jet (Temple Maze #2)
by Anna Fury
February 28, 2023
Genre: Dark Shifter Romance
Escape from the Temple Maze was only the beginning…

Jet
A psychopath tried to break me, and nothing will ever put me back together. I’m detoxing, pissed off and determined to rescue my baby brother before she breaks him too. There’s just one problem—Achaia. The voluptuous human’s sea-green gaze sets my body on fire. She’s a distraction I can’t afford, no matter how hot I burn for her. My only priority is rescuing my brother—everything else is a distant second.

Renze
How lucky I am to have two delicious mates—the hulking direwolf, Jet, and his exquisitely beautiful neighbor, Achaia. I simply need them to yield to my blood bond. Unfortunately, duty calls. A maniacal villainess hurt Jet, and that sin will not go unpunished. Lives hang in the balance.

Achaia
I have no memory of who I am. Maybe I’m a nobody. Maybe I’m a monster. Anything is possible. It doesn’t stop the sensual vampiri next door from declaring that Jet and I are his. Renze alone is intoxicating, but the monstrous duo together are impossible to refuse. When circumstances send them on a journey in search of allies, I leap at the chance to find my own answers. Renze wants to claim me. Jet can’t stop staring at me. And I just need to find myself.

Can we save Jet’s brother and free an entire continent from a madwoman without losing our heads in the process?

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Noire (Temple Maze #1)
by Anna Fury
July 9, 2022
Genre: Dark Shifter Romance
Welcome to the Temple, the brutal maze where a cunning warlord rules over imprisoned monsters, bending and using them according to her whims. The maze is a dumping ground for souls in need of snuffing out. Got a relative you dislike? Send them in for prompt dispatch. Perhaps a political rival is a thorn in your side? For a price, you can have Rama’s psycho pets kill them for you. Happy hunting.

DIANA
I crossed a ruthless woman, and my punishment? Death within the walls of her Temple Maze. The murderous beasts trapped in these dark halls have only one job tonight–to take my life.

The maze is a game, one where the house always wins. But I’ve got a few secrets of my own. The key to my plan is unleashing the maze’s most dangerous monster–Noire. I know what he wants most of all, and I’ll offer it in exchange for revenge, something only he is capable of exacting.

NOIRE
Marks will say anything to save their skins. I’ve heard every possible lie when they’re begging for their lives.

But tonight’s hunt is different. When I reach my mark, I find a stunning woman. Diana’s body calls to mine, creating a blistering, blinding need that compels me. Her offer is even more enticing: freedom in exchange for exacting vengeance on the woman behind the maze’s creation. The woman I hate with every dark and twisted fiber of my being.

Can I keep Diana safe long enough to get us out? Or will the maze destroy us as we risk everything for our freedom?

CW: nonconsensual sex, reference to past SA, ptsd, knife and blood play, gore, vampirism, choking, primal chasing, bondage, light torture (if torture can be light)

Amazon

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About the Author
Website
Anna Fury is a North Carolina native, fluent in snark and sarcasm, tiki decor, and an aficionado of phallic plants. Visit her on Instagram for a glimpse into the sexiest wiener wallpaper you’ve ever seen. #ifyouknowyouknow

She writes any time she has a free minute – walking the dog, in the shower, ON THE TOILET. The voices in her head wait for no one. When she’s not furiously hen-pecking at her computer, she loves to hike and bike and get out in nature.

She currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her Mr. Right, a five-year-old tornado and one lovely old dog. Anna LOVES to connect with readers, so visit her on social or email her at author@annafury.com

Twitter: @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours #Jet

IG: @annafuryauthor @rrbooktours #rrbtjet #rrbooktours #jet #templemaze #annafury #darkromance #shifterromance #paranormalromance

Book Tour Schedule

January 23rd

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