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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Spotlight:Winter Halo (Outcast #2) by Keri Arthur

Winter Halo (Outcast #2)
by Keri Arthur
December 6th 2016 by Signet
Mass Market Paperback
368 pages
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Souls of Fire novels comes the second in the futuristic fantasy series that will make you want to keep the lights on...

When the bombs that stopped the species war tore holes in the veil between worlds, they allowed entry to the Others. Now, a hundred years later, humans and shifters alike live in artificially lit cities designed to keep the darkness at bay....

The humanoid supersoldiers known as the déchet were almost eradicated by the war. Ever since, Tiger has tried to live her life in peace in hiding. But in the wake of her discovery that Central City’s children are being kidnapped and experimented on, Tiger’s conscience won’t let her look the other way.

The key to saving them lies within the walls of a pharmaceutical company called Winter Halo. But as she learns more about the facility, Tiger’s mission is derailed by a complication: Winter Halo’s female security guards are being systematically attacked by an unknown force.

Now Tiger must summon all her gifts to stop those responsible for both atrocities—no matter the cost to herself...

About the Author:
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Keri Arthur is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dark Angels and Riley Jenson Guardian series. She has written more than thirty books, received several Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category, and has won RT’s Career Achievement Award for Urban Fantasy. She lives with her daughter outside of Melbourne, Australia. Visit her online at www.keriarthur.com.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

38 New Book Releases in Speculative Fiction for November 29, 2016

A lot of great sci-fi and fantasy books out this week! If I forgot a book let me know in the comments and I'll add it. Happy clicking!

Finally found a WTF? book.

Jesse's Top 5 Reasons Death Replacement Sucks! (Dying Breath by Kory M. Shrum) + giveaway

Sure, plenty of people hate their jobs. Maybe you even hate your job. You might even catch yourself saying something like “God, my job sucks!” or “this job is killing me!”

Well, I’m here to tell you, no. NO. Your job is not killing you. You might be frustrated, or feel underappreciated, or hate everything because you’re tormented with an overwhelming desire to screw your boss, but your job is not killing you—at least it isn’t killing you the way my job is killing me.

When I say “this job is killing me”, I’m dead serious. As in dead dead. Ka-put. No pulse. Meat in the road, people. I have the worst, suckiest job ever. I win this pissing contest.

Period.

Hi, I’m Jesse Sullivan and I’m a death replacement agent. I work as a death surrogate, literally dying so that others don’t have to. It leaves me with sore muscles, scars and a bit of memory loss. But that’s not even the worst part. Here are five reasons why my job sucks worst of all:

It sucks to die.
I feel like I don’t even have to explain this. I mean almost everyone on the planet has a fear of death. You people are willing to pay $50K just to not die. And why wouldn’t you? As someone who has died over a hundred times, I can tell you it never gets easier. It’s scary as finding a clown under your covers and about as pleasant as a gynecological tour of your lady mansion.

And the problem with dying all the time is I have this edge-of-my-seat feeling that it could happen AT ANY MOMENT. Even on my nights off, when you would think I’d be nice and comfy in my own bed, sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat, heart racing. It’s really hard to relax in my line of work.

The benefits suck.
Most death replacement agents can do 80-100 death replacements before they’re brains become mashed bananas. Dying is hard on the brain. There’s a small window before we “reboot” where the brain loses oxygen which leads to scarring which leads to wearing a bib and possibly an adult diaper all your life. No 401K. No awesome health insurance. No paid vacations or time off. Just stiff muscles and a crotchety handler breathing down your neck.

It sucks to spend so much time in hospitals.
If you’re a death replacement agent, you’re going to get intimately acquainted with your doctor—no buts about it. Well, butts but not the kind anyone wants to talk about. And it’s going to be an uncomfortably intimate relationship. Dr. York has had to restuff my chest cavity, reattach limbs and fingers and pump me full of more blood than a dehydrated vampire raving at Mardi Gras. Having any man know you that well—inside and out—sucks.

It sucks to look like roadkill.
Death is not glamorous. Once that bus smears you across I-40 or the shotgun sprays your vertebrae out the other side, you start to look—rough. Sure, you heal up eventually. But for those first couple of days after a death replacement, you look exactly like what you are: someone who died. Your blood stopped. Maybe your limbs were torn off. Your favorite jeans are definitely destroyed. And worst case scenario, you lost some hair.

It isn’t pretty. And you won’t be either.

Major suckage.

Your spongy, vulnerable body sucks.
You know the suckiest part of my job?

You.

Oh, don’t give me that look. This isn’t personal. I’m sure you have a shining personality or whatever, but you’re so fragile. Do you even realize how easy you are to kill?

A moving vehicle can do it. Too much drinking can do it. Not enough drinking can do it. God forbid I leave you alone with some water and floor for five seconds. Hell, you can trip over your own feet and fall several stories to your death—I’ve seen it happen. There are so many millions of ways that you could possibly die that following you around trying to protect your fleshy ass—is the most stressful part of the job.

So how about we do each other a favor. You stay home and not die. And I’ll stay home and catch up on all the TV shows I’ve been missing while unconscious.

How’s that sound? Win-win for everybody. But stay out of the kitchen and the bathroom, okay? It’s not safe in there. Seriously. And don’t eat anything. And don’t try to pee in the dark just because it’s 2 a.m. Turn on the light for crying out loud. Wait, what are you…

Fuck it. I’ll see you at midnight.






by Kory M. Shrum

November 29, 2016
262 pages
"I always knew I was going to die. I just didn’t know it was going to be today."
Maisie won’t live to see her seventeenth birthday. Her mother and sister are locked in a war over the world, and Maisie is stuck between them. She must decide if she will join her sister’s cause, or defend her mother. In the face of her mother’s demands, Maisie doubts herself and what she truly wants. But her only alternative is to be murdered by the person she loves most.

Jesse wants to find her father’s body and finish him before he can resurrect. If she succeeds she will save millions, if not billions, of lives. But first, Jesse must defeat the woman protecting him.

Will Maisie stand with her? Or fight by her mother’s side?

One decision will make all the difference in the world.

About the Author:
I like to make things up and then write them down. When I'm finished, I clean it up, put a cover on it, and call it a day. When I'm not writing fiction or poetry, I teach writing to college students. I try to compensate for my incredible physical laziness by having a very active mind and imagination. I've dabbled in everything from fortune-telling to martial arts and I study drawing and French. I'm pretty bad at both. Currently, I live in Michigan with my wife, Kim, and our fat rescue pug, Josephine.



GIVEAWAY
Signed copy of winner's choice from the Jesse Sullivan Series
(chose from book 1-6)
US/Canada ONLY

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Cover Reveal: Reaped by Gracen Miller/Tina Carreiro

WARNING: This is a work of fiction. Reaped is told through the eyes of the dark side. We understand the mythical and religious spin within this book may be hard for some to read. So if you fit that mold, please don’t be tempted to open the book. If suspending belief is something you have a hard time with when religious aspects are involved, please refrain from reading. This work of fiction is not to be taken seriously. This book was written from our creative view and intended for entertainment purposes only. The book was not written to be incendiary or inflammatory. So before you pass judgment, remember, that’s reserved for God.
God ordered her to reap him…

Forged by her father’s hand to reap at His command, Solas was God’s most skilled Reaper. Killing on command, she had never questioned His directives—until now. Too bad Loki’s heart isn’t as black as she’s been led to believe. That would make her job easy. But she cannot dismiss the goodness she senses inside him. Bewildered by her attraction to Loki, she still craves returning home, but knows the only way back into her homeland is to obey God’s order. As the lines between allies and enemies are blurred, she questions who is weaving the biggest deception… the legendary trickster god or her own father?

But she can’t bring herself to swing her blade.

From the moment she fell at his feet, Loki mistrusted Solas. His intentions were simple, to use her and send her on her way. Then he discovered she was cast out of her homeland after defying her father’s order to reap him. Intrigued by a woman that would stand against the supreme God, Loki offers her his temporary protection while nursing his skepticism. Many warriors from the heavens have been sent to kill him, but only one has come this close. She’s the perfect weapon. A threat not just to his life, but also to his family and everything he stands for. He should take her life, but he craves protecting her and the secret she harbors more.

When you send a reaper to kill a god, don’t give her a reason to rebel.

A tentative alliance between Loki and Solas is brokered, but misunderstandings strain their fragile relationship. Battles are won and lost, but can Solas escape her father’s will? Faced with hard choices, Loki will have to decide what’s important to him. Or can he pull off the ultimate trick and win their freedom?

Release Date January 26, 2017


About the Author:
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Gracen is a hopeless daydreamer masquerading as a "normal" person in southern society. When not writing, she's a full-time mom for her two sons and a devoted wife to her real-life hero-husband. She has an unusual relationship with her muse, Dom, but credits all her creative success to his brilliant mind. She's addicted to writing, paranormal romance novels and movies, Alabama football and coffee...addictions are not necessarily in order of priority. She's convinced coffee is nectar from the gods and when blending coffee and writing together it generates the perfect creative merger. Many of her creative worlds are spawned from coffee highs and Dom's aggressive demands.


About the Author:
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Tina Carreiro is a multi-published author who resides in South Florida with her family. At the young age of 15, Tina started working to help her family and became a jack-of-all-trades, working in many different areas from managing an automotive shop, to putting her computer programming degree to use. In 2010, she retired from her office job to live her dream and write. Her addiction to romance novels began at a young age when she started sneaking her mom's Gray Eagle series by Janelle Taylor, and it was then her love for writing began. Her paranormal romance series, Power of the Moon, has gained popularity amongst the fans of this genre. Tina became a co-host on Encounters Live, a paranormal radio show, in 2009. Open to all things paranormal, Tina has had her own encounters with the paranormal but still approaches the topic from a logical angle. Tina is married to her best friend and Encounters Live co-host, Matt Carreiro, and is a full-time Boy Scout/camping/PS3/Minecraft mom for her son and daughter. When not writing, Tina enjoys reading romance novels, zombie movies, restoring classic cars, camping, and coffee with caramel macchiato creamer. Poking fun at herself, and everything in between is her key to laughter and a long and healthy life.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Book Review: Dispelled (A Null for Hire Novel Book One) by Terri L. Austin + giveaway + excerpt

by Terri L. Austin
Nov. 1, 2016 
Genre: urban fantasy
ISBN ebook: 978-1-946066-00-8
ISBN print: 978-1-946066-01-5
Number of pages: 340
Word Count: 90,000
Cover Artist: http://www.thedarkrayne.com/
They call me an abomination. A mutant. A curse on their kind.
I don’t let it bother me. Much.

My name is Holly James, and what they say is true. I’m a freak of nature—a null. My mere presence zaps the magic from Others, rendering them powerless. That’s why they hate me. But here’s the kicker: I’ve found a way to profit from my lack of mojo.

Whether it’s acting as a mystical wet blanket in a dispute between pyromancers or keeping hormonal shifters from changing during a sweet sixteen party, I provide a highly specialized service. For a hefty fee.

When a young witch turns up dead, clutching an amulet cursed with black magic, my estranged grandfather asks for my help. In return for nullifying the necklace, Gramps promises to find my missing mother—a witch who vanished after my birth. Of course there’s a catch. He wants me to assist Cade McAllister, the arrogant sorcerer in charge of investigating the case.

Cade resents my existence, let alone my attempts to help. Still, I’ll do whatever it takes to find my mom. For my own peace of mind I have to know what happened to her, and I won’t allow anything to get in my way. Not even this crazy, irrational longing I feel for a hot sorcerer with the sexiest scowl I’ve ever seen.

What a unique take on a PNR. A paranormal story with little to NO use of powers and magic. Would you give up your natural powers to be with the one you loved: Hmmm....hard call for me.

Holly is a black sheep of a family that she knows virtually nothing about. A Null. Someone who saps all the super powers out of anyone or anything that gets close to her. Party Pooper extraordinaire! Not someone on the top of your guest list for a party.

Hiring herself out to "Others" (name for super's and para's) in cases where the client wants NO "drama" at their events, she has found a niche to make herself productive and self reliable.

Then comes a request from the supernatural Council to help a sorcerer (Cade) find the murderer of 2 young witches. Not being an investigator, Holly is reluctant to help. But when she finds the head of the council to be her grandfather and he is willing to find her long lost mother, she agrees. SNAG, she has to work with a Cade who is overbearing and reluctant to share and cooperate with her in this assignment.

I'm sure you can take the plot from here! Sassy young woman, big bad male lead brought to his knees with desire (OOOHHH and what a heart throbbing build-up), sexy sexy scenes and a tortuous "who done it". Falling in love, danger on every corner, no clear cut suspect, wide variety of super's and strong main characters are cornerstones for my approval and interest in this story.

The only (mildly) negative comments I give are: 1). Why did her grandmother loose all her powers while raising her when the "Others" had their powers return when they were out of Holly's presence? 2). Why did Holly keep showing up the sorcerer during the investigation? I thought it made him look a little incompetent. 3). Why did Holly keep insisting on being the the middle of danger (for herself and others) when she knew no one would be able to use their powers for survival? I think I would have watched from afar or tried to get into the enemies camp. I know, I know....it may have evened the playing field for everyone but....Really?

Even with those questions I thoroughly enjoyed the story and was only disappointed when there was no resolution on finding her mother...WHAT!? That was the main reason she took this job! So perhaps there will be more coming about her grandfather and mother in future "Null for Hire" stories but it really felt like a "dangling participle" in this story.


Getting 4 "someone get a leash for her" stars!



Jeanie G

Excerpt

Cade stood on my front porch looking good enough to eat. He’d shaved, and his irregular features were even sexier now than when they’d been surrounded by stubble. The scar was more pronounced, too.

Dressed in a white button-down, he’d rolled up the sleeves, showing off his tanned forearms. Leaning one hand against the doorpost, he crossed his long legs at the ankle.

My gaze slipped over him, taking in his jeans, worn and faded in the right places. My eyes may have lingered on the bulge at his fly for the briefest second. His scuffed, black cowboy boots had seen better days.

He looked perfect.

“We need to talk,” he said, moving past me.

“Let’s talk in the car.” He didn’t respond, so with an eye roll, I swung the door closed and turned around.

Before he could bank it, I saw the heat in his gaze. He’d been checking out my backside. Mission sit-up-and-pant: accomplished.

“I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “You’re not going.”

“Au contraire, I am going.”

He squinted. Fine lines framed the outer corners of his eyes. “The only reason you’re alive, Null, is because you don’t present a threat to Others. The minute that changes, you’re dead.”

“I’ve been dealing with Others for a long time, Cade. I keep telling you, I can handle myself. Now, did you find any information about the shifter London was dating? Or that vampire, James Sharpe?”

“Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah, dead null.”

He twitched his lips, baring clenched white teeth. If we were animals, that look would have sent me packing in the other direction. But I was all human, baby, and I wasn’t budging.

“Also, I need to take a look at London’s file.” I wanted to see pics of what he’d found in her house. Surely it hadn’t always been as sterile as the day I snooped through it.

“Forget it. That’s evidence.”

Of course, precious rule number one. “I’ll barely look at it. You can even turn the pages so I won’t sully it with my little null fingers.”

“No.”

McAllister was a stickler for his details and rules. He wouldn’t let me touch the original, but… “Didn’t you at least make copies? That’s not evidence. Technically speaking.”

He closed his eyes for a second and sighed. “Fine,” he ground out. “If it shuts you up, you can look at a copy.”

That was almost too easy. Still, there was a hint of smugness in my grin. “See, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

He took a step toward me, narrowing the space between us. Heat rolled off him, and his delicious smell, mixed with the fresh scent of laundry soap, teased my nose. “Do you really want to play games with me, Little Null?”

I could think of a couple that might be fun. Instead I said, “I could easily kick your ass at Twister. I’m very limber.”

In the dim entryway, most of his face was cast in shadows. But those eyes. They glimmered greener than normal and were full of strong emotions. Anger. Irritation. Sexual frustration. Maybe a dangerous combination of all three? “You want to fuck with me, I’ll fuck right back. But I don’t recommend it.”

His words conjured up images of him moving on top of me, sliding inside me. I felt a little lightheaded from the thought. Clearing my throat, I placed my hands on my hips. The tips of my breasts brushed his shirt, making my nipples hard. His prolonged gaze at my chest told me he noticed. I couldn’t allow myself to get distracted this way. I had a job to do, a reward to collect. Screwing the sorcerer didn’t play into it.

“What I want is a look at your file and a trip to The Raven,” I said. “Since I’m the one who brought all this information to the table, the very least you can do is provide protection.”

He held my gaze and nodded. “One condition.”

“Look, McAl—”

He pressed his finger to my lips, silencing me. “We do it my way. It’s the only shot you have of getting out of there alive.”

I may be reckless at times, but I wasn’t an idiot. I liked living as much as the next girl. I nodded, but he didn’t remove his finger. Instead, he used the pad to slowly trace around my lips, robbing me of expertly applied pink gloss. My knees almost buckled when he put the same fingertip in his own mouth, sucking it.

“Tastes like peppermint,” he said in a low, rumbling voice.

If I’d let things continue last night, I’d have had that mouth all over me. Heat suffused my body as I stood transfixed, unable to look away. Not too full, not too thin. Those lips were just right. And they knew how to kiss.

“Understand me?” he asked.

My gaze slowly trailed up his face. As I stared into his amused eyes, my cheeks felt like they were on fire. He knew exactly what I was thinking. “What is your way, Sorcerer?”

“Tonight, we’re a couple. You’re going to keep that smart mouth shut and let me ask the questions. Oh, and one more thing.”

I raised a brow.

“You’re crazy about me.”

“If I were dating you, McAllister, I’d have to be crazy.”

About the Author: 
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All About the Tea
Terri L. Austin is a mild-mannered writer by day and a reality TV junkie by night. She lives in Missouri with her family, and loves to hear from readers.

Tour giveaway 

1 7” Kindle Fire Tablet
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Alpha Male Diner's Special: Hot Cowboy Nerd by Mia Hopkins + giveaway

Welcome to the Alpha Male Diner! My name’s Mia Hopkins. I’m your short-order cook and I’ve got a special dish prepared for you tonight. Please have a seat. I hope you’re hungry.

Cowboys are a specialty of mine, and no cowboy is more rare than the Hot Cowboy Nerd. This can be a tricky dish to prepare, but I guarantee you—nothing will keep you warmer on a cold winter’s night.

My hero Daniel MacKinnon gave up a lucrative job in the oil industry when he was forced to take over his family’s ranch. He’s brainy, stubborn, and gruff…but behind closed doors, this Hot Cowboy Nerd plays as hard as he works.

Meet Daniel…

Daniel MacKinnon: Hot Cowboy Nerd

Recipe created by Mia Hopkins

Cowboy Rising, Book 5 in the Cowboy Cocktail series

Main ingredients: *Six feet of all natural free-range cowboy, aged 24 years
*Equal amounts of discipline, loyalty, and stubbornness
*A heapin’ helping of solid farm-raised muscle
*Three generations of ranching know-how
*Advanced degrees in petroleum engineering and geophysics
*A generous scoop of regret

Spices and flavorings *Dirty blond hair, styled high and tight
*Green eyes (green as new grass, to be exact)
*A pinch of arrogance
*Lantern jaw, no beard
*A talent for dirty talk
*The brain of an engineer
*The stamina of a draft horse
*The heart of a fighter

Garnish
*A wicked adventurous streak

Step 1. Take first four ingredients and mix together as usual. Slowly add advanced degrees, finishing with a generous scoop of regret. Pour mixture into an empty whiskey bottle, cap tightly, and shake hard.

Step 2. When the main ingredients are muddled, pour mixture into a pressure cooker. Add spices and flavorings one by one over high heat. Stir with challenges and questions. Mixture will get tough and fight back. It’s going to take all your strength to overcome that resistance. Don’t give up.

Step 3. When the mixture turns molten at last, garnish with a wicked adventurous streak and serve on a bed of crisp white sheets. Remove Wranglers and enjoy hot!

Taste Test 

His cheeks red from working outside, the new brother removed his gloves and tucked them under his arm. He took off his hat and shook her hand. His rough fingers were warm. 

“Daniel MacKinnon.” He didn’t smile. 

Georgia couldn’t explain it. With a heavy jaw and dirty blond hair styled high and tight, he was as clean cut as a cadet—she usually preferred tattooed, bearded types. He looked to be in his mid-twenties—she usually liked seasoned men who were older than her, not younger. But this guy’s hotness seared her eyeballs, nailing her feet where she stood. 

“Georgia Meyers, L.A. Chronicle,” she said automatically, all other words escaping her. She was too old, too experienced, and far too smart to react this way—and yet, here she was. Staring slack-jawed at a pretty-faced cowboy like some blue-stockinged virgin at a rodeo dance. 

“I know you’re here to see my father,” he said, the low rumble in his voice stroking a sweet spot inside her chest, “but he isn’t available today. You need to reschedule, Miss Meyers.” 

His bright green eyes were so distracting, she almost didn’t register his words. “Reschedule?” 

“Yeah. You need to come back. Do the interview another day.” 

“What?” Snap out of it, Gigi. The story. She yanked her professional persona back in place. “Mr. MacKinnon, I’ve just driven an hour and a half from Fresno to be here. Two days ago, your father said he’d give me a tour of the ranch and walk me through the organic certification process. Isn’t there anyone else I can talk to?” 

Daniel’s stoic expression was both infuriating and unspeakably hot. “No.” 

Hot or not, who does this guy think he is? She stood up straight. “Okay, let me lay it all out for you. If there’s no one here who will speak with me today, just to make sure my time isn’t wasted, I’ll be more than happy to find another rancher. There are plenty of spreads in your neck of the woods, aren’t there? I’m sure my readers wouldn’t mind learning about conventional ranching operations. Maybe someone at the Hughes Ranch will make time for me. What do you think?” 

He narrowed his eyes at her and took a deep but silent breath. His broad chest rose and fell as he looked her over. At last he said, “Can you ride?” 

“A little.” Which was completely true, depending on one’s definition of “a little.” 

Fresh impatience lit up Daniel MacKinnon’s eyes. “All right. Let’s go.”


by Mia Hopkins
November 22, 2016 
Journalist Georgia Meyers is writing an article about MacKinnon Ranch in a last-ditch effort to save her job at a failing newspaper. At first, the hot-as-hell rancher wants nothing to do with her. But butting heads leads to knocking boots, and soon she’s getting the real story—in bed and off the record.

Cattleman’s son and petroleum engineer Daniel MacKinnon turned down a lucrative oil career to take over the family farm. Frustrated about giving up his dreams and worried about money, Daniel buries himself in ranch work—that is, until gorgeous Georgia shows up and rocks him to the core. A blazing one-night stand leads to something deeper. Despite their feelings for each other, he’s tied to the land and she’s a rolling stone. When the time comes to part ways, will the lovers choose duty over desire? Or will they face their fears and rise to the challenge of love?

Warning: Get ready for sassy banter, sizzling sex, orgasms galore, and a nerdy dirty-talkin’ cowboy who can go all night long.


Add COWBOY RISING to your TBR pile on Goodreads!


About the Author:
Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She's a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends. When she's not lost in a story, Mia spends her time cooking, gardening, traveling, volunteering and looking for her keys. In a past life, she was a classroom teacher and still has a pretty good "teacher voice" and "teacher stare." She lives in the heart of Los Angeles with her roguish husband and two waggish dogs.

CELEBRATE THE RELEASE WITH A GIVEAWAY! 
Grand Prize: Digital copies of Books 1-4 in the Cowboy Cocktail series plus a delicate gold and quartz crystal necklace from FeminaHandmade. 
5 Runner-Ups: Digital copies of Cowboy Resurrection (Book #2 in the series)
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