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Sunday, June 30, 2019

TV Series Review: Good Omens (2019)

Good Omens (2019)
TV mini-series
May 31
Amazon Prime
Creators: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
Series Directed by Douglas Mackinnon
Stars: David Tennant, Michael Sheen, Frances McDormand 
A tale of the bungling of Armageddon features an angel, a demon, an eleven-year-old Antichrist, and a doom-saying witch.

Having a book you love turned into a movie or show can be nerve-wracking. Let's face it: fans love things for different reasons and not everyone is going to be happy. Sometimes people helming the ship somehow don't get or ignore why people love a thing so much and miss every opportunity to do something amazing.

And sometimes, things go right.

I should say here and now that it's been a while since I've read Good Omens, but I think that also helped me detach from my love of the book and watch the show as its own entity. I know there are differences, but I can't speak to specifics and obviously I'm not that hung up on them.

You guys, this is so good. For me, it *feels* like the book. It has the same energy, momentum, humor, and quirkiness. All of the characters are given time to be introduced and grow, and I never felt like the plot or world building runs away with anything or any of the cast was in over their heads. Everything felt committed to the story, which is what you really need with anything by Pratchett and Gaiman. If anything, this makes me want to reread the book right now.

The casting is excellent - David Tennant and Michael Sheen are magic, but truly everyone is fantastic in their roles. I love a lot of the background casting and how characters actually fit their time periods and regions in the flashback bits. The horseman are fun, John Hamm is a great choice for Gabriel, the kids are realistic. I don't think there was a single casting choice or actor that felt wrong to me.

The effects fit the vibe of the story, and the script rings true to the book. And yes, there is Queen. So much Queen, and used in the best ways. Be warned, that joke is never explained in the show, so if you're going in blind, there are still things worth reading the book for.

My only issue was occasionally the pacing seemed to drag - I mostly noticed it in the cuts back to Adam and his friends in the woods. Those scenes were so similar after the first few, but I get the point of trying to break up other action.

If the more tongue in cheek and quirky bits aren't for you, well that's what this is. It's funny and insightful and unnerving in turn.

If this book is your Bible, I'm sure there's something I'm not catching that may set you off. If you go in with the idea that this is an adaptation (and a very good one), I think you'll love it. If you haven't read the book, you will absolutely enjoy it if you love the authors and know their styles.

In short, it's a lot of fun.

4.75 sheep of the apocalypse







About the Author:
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Selah Janel is a writer who is trying to start doing that again instead of reading manga all the time.

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Excerpt: A Darker Shade of Evil Anthology + giveaway

PreOrder ***N*O*W***
Featuring USA Today, Int’l, Award-Winning Bestselling Authors
And
They’re coming in like Demons & Devils!
☆.•°*°•.☆ Lock in the $1.99 price before it goes up! ☆.•°*°•.☆
A Darker Shade of Evil
September 24, 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Including stories from USA Today and Bestselling Authors

Khardine Gray, USA Today Bestselling Author– Alone In The Dark
Dariel Raye – USA Today Bestselling Author – The Devil Upstairs
Lori Titus USA Today Bestselling Author – Talons
Muffy Wilson – USA Today Bestselling Author – Succubus Unleashed
Keta Diablo – Bestselling Author – I Spy A Demon
Marilyn Harlow– Bestselling Author – Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend
Gracen Miller – Bestselling Author – Hex
Michelle Scott – Bestselling Author – The Demon’s Prisoner
Katherine Smits – Bestselling Author – Siren Descending

About A Darker Shade of Evil
Deadly demons, diabolical devils and other creatures of the night will hold you spellbound in this one-of-a-kind anthology. In a world of dark delights, they trifle in forbidden passion, suspense, and kick-ass battles. It’s all right here for you in this captivating urban fantasy and paranormal romance anthology!

Brought to you by USA Today and International Bestselling Authors, these stories of sexy alpha heroes and heroines will keep you turning the pages. Devils, demons and their lethal hunters will draw you into their conquests, twisted deceptions, scorching heat, and yes, even love.

* Heat Rating: Spicy to Erotic Romance
* No Cliffhangers
* Happily-Ever-After or Happy-For-Now

Email Muffy Wilson (Muffy@MuffyWilson.com) to receive your
SAMPLE of A Darker Shade of Evil
 PLUS 12 FREE Books!
Compliments of the Authors of A Darker Shade of Evil
with Proof of Purchase!
13 New Books, Over Half a Million Words
from some of your Favorite Authors
and your Soon to be Favorite Authors

Succubus Unleashed
by Muffy Wilson
FOUND ONLY IN A DARKER SHADE of EVIL
Pre-Order only $1.99:
Dead women, all young and beautiful, are popping up all over the city in various states of decomposition…missing some shocking body parts. 

Detective Brock Hanley takes the case, determined to find the murderer. He has no idea whom or what he’s facing.


Then, she walks into his life. Sapphira Leash.

Half beauty queen, half tigress…all misanthropist, and more than just curious about his haunting new case.

Why she hates the world is a puzzle. Maybe she just hates men, or maybe it’s just Detective Brock Hanley. How can a long-legged temptress with an attitude help him solve these murders? Sapphira has connections of the darkest kind, and a seasoned detective’s eye for violence and murder. If she defies her golden rule – never get involved – Hell could land at her doorstep - literally.

She has a secret, a big one, and the closer Brock Hanley gets to Sapphira Leash the harder it is for her to resist having sex with him…or killing him.

Succubus Unleashed Excerpt:
A Beautiful Gift 
Chapter 1 
“Where?”

“Under the west pillars of the Golden Gate Bridge in the swampy marsh and fetid pools of saltwater left by the receding tide. She’s been ravaged, first by her assailant then by nature.” The first responder on the scene replied as he wiped his face and mouth with a handkerchief.

“I don’t want her mother to see her like this. The torture of losing her daughter is one thing to live with, but this? This is torture; it’s cruel. Jesus Christ, looks like we’re gonna need dental records to ID her.” This wasn’t Drew Loverhood’s first murder scene, but it was gruesome and ranked right up there with one of the worse.

“You’re right. She should imagine returning her daughter to God the way He sent her to live with her Mother.” 

“You okay, Tank?”

“Yea…I got daughters…I threw up when I saw her — I marked off the spot so CSI wouldn’t mistake it as evidence. Sorry. She can’t be much older than my girls, maybe twenty…twenty-five?”

“Yea, I would guess. Has the ME been called? We really can’t touch her until she’s through with the initial examination. Expand the restricted area. I don’t want the press to secure any drone photographs. I want her Mother to remember her as she was in life — joyful, sweet, pure — a beautiful gift.” Detective Loverhood sighed and shook his head.

“Hmmmmm…maybe she will someday.”

“Yea. Christ, where is Hanley when you need him…” Loverhood said to no one under his breath

“I think he took early retirement and is somewhere in the Rockies, sir.”

“Jesus, Tank! Don’t you think I know that? He was my goddamn partner for a decade, right after I got my gold shield.”

“Yea, of course. Sorry.”

“You’re doing a lot of ‘sorry’, Tank. Pull yourself together. Wait up by the demark line for the ME and get her down here without any fanfare, will ya?”

“Sure, Lover, will do.”

“‘Detective Lover’ to you, Tank.” Loverhood didn’t want to bust the guys balls. This was an especially nasty scene. Har for anyone, especially a guy with daughters. We see it every day, but it doesn’t get any easier when the face you see, you imagine is one of your own.

Dr. Celecia Farmer was walking down the hillside below the bridge with her investigator. As she walked, she was putting on rubber gloves. 

“Hey, Lover, whatcha got?” 

“Pretty self-explanatory, Doc. Young woman, twenty to twenty-five…maybe a hundred and ten pounds, Caucasian, auburn haired. Doesn’t look like a runaway or a hooker, she has a manicure and pedicure. Not much else I can tell without moving her, which I didn’t do, but she is dead.”

“Yes, I can see that from here. Tommy, get some photos, please, before I get in there to take a closer look.”

“What do you think, Doc?”

“Right now, you don’t want to know what I think because what I think doesn’t matter. It’s what I know that matters.”

“You always so ‘by the book’, Doc?” Loverhood knew what he thought but he hadn’t said a word out loud to anyone. He didn’t like where this was going already and the quick conclusions he drew, based on a decade of experience, wasn’t good for anyone. This was going to be a long one, Loverhood already knew that. And messy. He sure wished his partner was here working these cases with him, but he was sure he wouldn’t comeback even if he called him. Or begged him.

Ever since his wife and daughter were killed by a nutcase with a death wish and driven by revenge, Detective Brock Hanley had retired to higher ground. He never wanted to see another bridge, especially not a “golden” one. Lover called him a couple of times a year on special occasions or to ask him about a case or something superficial, but conversations were stilted and awkward, even for as long as they’d know each other and as close as they once were. It was hard, hard to pretend that something precious hadn’t died in him when “his girls” died.

He was a zombie. He had no more to give to anyone because nothing mattered to him. Lover was beginning to think he was just waiting to die himself so he could see them again.

But they both knew that when their numbers were up, they wouldn’t be going to the same place—not after what they both had seen and done. Especially what they had done. They had done things they would never want their wives to know about, walked that fine blue line, the one between legal and downright sinister. Law and order was never pretty and Lady Justice wasn’t blind, she wasn’t fair or just, she was moot. She was a co-conspirator, plain and simple. And she took all she could out of Detective Brock Hanley when she took the only people he ever loved.

“Lover…Lover…Lover!”

“Yea, Doc. Sorry…” He sighed in the face of yet another death, another gruesome, cruel, sadistic death of a beautiful child ripped from a bright future and family that would never be or be the same.

“Listen, I am done here, for now. I can’t tell you much other than this is a suspicious death. She has marks around her neck and petechial hemorrhaging. There are no other marks, abrasions, lacerations, bruises or contusions so she wasn’t dropped from the bridge or down the hillside. And she is missing some vital body parts, but I’ll know more when I get her on the table. I can tell you that ToD was between midnight and six this morning based upon her liver temp and lividity. It could be a sex crime or something more sadistic and sinister. Like I said, I’ll know more when I open her up.”

“So, Doc, how long has she been in the water?”

“I would guess about four to six hours. It was after high tide, though, I can tell you that otherwise she would be all beat up by the surf and there might not be much of her left from the marine life. I will add, though, that she has been ravaged by someone or something.”

“So, how’d she die, Doc, strangulation?”

“Cause of death could be from any one of a number of manners of death. Could be strangulation, drowning, or she might have bled out.”

“Bled out! What from?”

“Well, Lover, you were busy collecting evidence when we rolled her over. She has a pretty nasty horizontal incision in her lower abdomen. Looks like she is missing something from the inside.”

“Sweet Jesus, Doc—what the hell?”

“I am not positive, but it looks like she was either pregnant, maybe not, but they took all her reproductive organs, from what I can tell. So, there could’ve been a baby involved or they just wanted her organs. I can’t know until get in there and the toxicology comes back in about three weeks.”

“Three weeks? We can’t wait that long for the toxicology. We need to know if she was drugged and murdered for her baby or her organs. Either way, there’s some sick fuck out there and we must stop him as fast as possible. Keep this under wraps, Doc, we don’t want to start anything we can’t control with the women in our city.”

“You may have to stop them. There could be more than one sick fuck out there.”

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Friday, June 28, 2019

Excerpts: Fractured Sleep (Fairy Tale Ink, #4) + giveaway


Fractured Sleep (Fairy Tale Ink, #4)
by Adrienne Monson, Jo Schneider, Quinn Coleridge, Angela Brimhall
June 28th 2019
386 pages
Genres: Adult, Fairy Tales, Fantasy
Fairy Tale Ink is proud to present these four retold stories of the classic, Sleeping Beauty. A story for every reader from best-selling and award-winning authors!

Aurora’s Fight, by Angela Brimhall: Five years ago, Aurora was forced to live at Thornhurst Manor, the city insane asylum. Every night she dreads sunset when sleep becomes a wicked game of survival. When Aurora is kidnapped and imprisoned in The Briar, a vision reveals the desperate man in the next cell is her only hope in stopping the plague of her nightmares. Will she find a way to rescue this mysterious man before The Dragon’s death countdown reaches zero?

The Lonely Princess, by Jo Schneider: Everything changed in the 500 years Aurora slept. Now teenagers go to the Academy, where humans and fey live side-by-side and everyone pretends to get along. In her attempts to find her place in this new world, she meets Saru—a mysterious boy who delights in irritating her. Their attraction is instant, but his forgotten past might be their undoing.

Dragon’s Curse, by Adrienne Monson: When her nana is in a near-fatal car accident, Dawn is forced to reconcile her beliefs about magic. Her long-buried powers could save Nana’s life, but at a high price. Accepting magic means that the man Dawn dreamt about her whole life is real and that she’s the only one who can save him from a cursed sleep. To do that, she’ll have to face the terrifying dragon who put him there.

Restless, by Quinn Coleridge: Rory Kingston doesn’t want much. Just a good night’s sleep and a normal life free of magic. Yet Rory’s own royal pedigree keeps getting in the way of achieving these goals, not to mention her preoccupation with a new neighbor. Where the darkly handsome history professor goes, danger and mayhem follow. Has Phillip come to drag Rory back to the magical kingdom she left behind years ago or are his motives even more nefarious?



At the Edge of Dreams
by Angela Brimhall
Steampunk)
Aurora pressed her back against the clock tower wall, clutching the stolen scroll to her chest. The whine of clicking machinery from the surrounding buildings tapped like a metronome in her head, beating out the rhythmic heartbeat of The Briar. She squeezed her eyes shut listening for the signal she’d been detected. But nothing came. Aurora’s chest fluttered when she peeked around the corner to Main Street.

Steam hissed from arterial pipes and veiny downspouts protruding from faceless citadels. Aurora searched through shadows for yellow-orange eyes. Mist clouded the alleyways wedged between the buildings, cloaking any Huntsman hiding from view, but she couldn’t see any patrolling the street.

Aurora didn’t hesitate. She bounded away from behind the wall and ran, not looking back. Alarms blared as she passed the city limits and met the lip of Spindlewood Forest.

They know.

Her thighs burned. Puffs of strained breath came in uncontrolled spurts, but the dissonant sound drove Aurora harder. She crashed through the threshold of trees and fought her way up the steep hill into the woodland’s heart.

Aurora pulled herself over the summit and crawled to the nearest bush, wheezing through pursed lips, clutching the stitch in her side. A twig snapped. The sound rode on a whisper of dank smoky air from the grove of trees two feet away.

Something was close.

The hair on Aurora’s neck rose, and she narrowed her eyes, peeking around the shrub. She gripped her piecemeal knife in one shaking hand, the scroll in the other, waiting for the metal minion to show himself.

Where are you?

Several cracks echoed in different directions around her. Blood rushed from Aurora’s face into her stomach. She whipped around, her head darting every which way, ears perked. Aurora crouched, knife out, ready to jab anything that came close.

I’m surrounded.

A skeletal metal face peered at Aurora from behind a large tree trunk five feet in front of her. It’s lifeless eyes twisted and whirred, yellow pupils fixating on her location. Aurora froze. The Huntsman stepped out from behind the tree and brandished a long bronze pistol.

Dragon’s Curse
by Adrienne Monson
(Paranormal Romance)
I was going to explode. A restless energy had been building inside me for months now. There were times when it felt like my skin was the only thing keeping me from flying apart. There was no good reason for it. Frustration continued to grow and everything I’d done to ignore it and tamp it down seemed to only feed the impotent ire simmering beneath the surface.

When my coworker, Ben, had asked me out for the third time tonight, I’d lost it. I mean, yelled and came pretty close to slapping him. While he may have been annoying, he hadn’t deserved my freak out.

My phone played Sound of Silence to let me know it was ringing. All I wanted was to take a shower and wash the smell of coffee and baked goods off, but when I saw it was Nana, I answered. “Hey.” I put the speaker on so I could grab some water while I spoke. I tossed my keys on the counter and placed my phone next to them.

“What’s wrong?” Her confident voice flitted through my tiny apartment as if she were in the room.

My shoulders tensed and my defenses kicked in. “Why does something have to be wrong?”

“It’s in your tone. I can tell. What are you so mad about?”

That was the question I’d been asking myself for weeks. I glared at the phone as I drank. The cold water felt nice on my throat, but it was not enough to calm me.

“Dawn?” Nana called, her voice louder. “Don’t you give me that look.”

Rolling my eyes, I huffed. “You can’t see my face. You have no idea what look I may or may not be giving you.”

“I know you. You’re glaring a hot laser at the phone right now.”

It was all too easy to imagine her grey eyes meeting mine in challenge, never backing down. I’d bet anything she was folding her arms across her chest and that her lips were pulled into a stubborn line. “It’s a boy, isn’t it?” she asked.

Grinding my teeth, I picked the phone up from the counter and headed to the bathroom. “I don’t date, Nana. Why would you think it’s a boy?”

“What happened?” Her tone had softened and the concern I heard broke through the barrier I’d had up all evening.

My shoulders slumped and I put the phone down again to pull my long, blonde hair out of its ponytail. Nana didn’t say anything. She always knew when to wait. “Ben asked me out again,” I finally admitted.

“Why do you say that like it’s a horrible thing?”

I was positive that her brows were drawn together and that her thin lips were pulled down into a frown that showcased little wrinkles. It’s how she always looked when we approached this topic.

An image of a man with brown hair and brown skin entered my mind. He wasn’t real – just a man from my dreams that no one knew about. I couldn’t tell Nana he was the reason.

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Thursday, June 27, 2019

SALVATION DAY by Kali Wallace - 24 hours to survive. 24 hours to win sweepstakes

24 hours to survive. 24 hours to win.
You could win an advance copy of SALVATION DAY by Kali Wallace, a gripping thriller that takes place in less than 24 hours! But act quickly, because this giveaway is also only 24 hours - and time is running out...
"A smart, gripping thriller you just can't put down. Explosions, betrayals, morally gray choices and twisty secrets; all set in the world that comes after the end of ours. Perfect for fans of Aliens and locked spaceship murder mysteries." – Kameron Hurley, Hugo Award-winning author of The Light Brigade 



by Kali Wallace
July 9, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
A lethal virus is awoken on an abandoned spaceship in this incredibly fast-paced, claustrophobic thriller.
They thought the ship would be their salvation.

Zahra knew every detail of the plan. House of Wisdom, a massive exploration vessel, had been abandoned by the government of Earth a decade earlier, when a deadly virus broke out and killed everyone on board in a matter of hours. But now it could belong to her people if they were bold enough to take it. All they needed to do was kidnap Jaswinder Bhattacharya—the sole survivor of the tragedy, and the last person whose genetic signature would allow entry to the spaceship.

But what Zahra and her crew could not know was what waited for them on the ship—a terrifying secret buried by the government. A threat to all of humanity that lay sleeping alongside the orbiting dead.

And then they woke it up.




About the Author:
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Kali Wallace has had a lifelong passion for both science and storytelling, and she earned a PhD in geophysics before becoming an author. Salvation Day is her first novel for adults. She is also the author of two young adult novels, Shallow Graves and The Memory Trees; the children’s fantasy novel City of Islands; and a number of short stories. After spending most of her life in Colorado, she now lives in southern California.


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Wednesday, June 26, 2019

The Pros and Cons of Dating a Cop in a Haunted Town -Michele PW + giveaway

The Pros and Cons of Dating a Cop in a Haunted Town 
The Evil That Was Done by Michele PW
Redemption, Wisconsin is like no other town. Redemption decides who it wants living in its town … and who it doesn’t.

Some people even say the entire town is haunted.

On that note …

In celebration for the publication of “The Evil That Was Done,” the third book in the “Secrets of Redemption” series, I thought I’d provide some pros and cons around dating a cop in a haunted town. (After all, our heroine Becca is most definitely trying to decide if she really ought to be dating Daniel, who is on the Redemption police force, or if it would be smarter to stay single for awhile. So, to help her out, let’s look at the pros and cons of dating a cop in a haunted town.)

Pros: You don’t have to worry about him being downsized. Lots of ghosts and paranormal activity means lots of things to investigate! It’s difficult to imagine the police force would ever run out of things for him to do. (As a bonus, it may even mean more overtime and bigger checks!)

Cons: Hard to make plans. Being busy is a sword that DOES cut two ways. Too much to do may mean he can’t show up for your birthday dinner or join you on that weekend getaway you’ve been planning for months.

Pros: Never a dull moment. Ghosts can be soooo unpredictable. One minute they’re showing themselves, another they’re knocking on doors, moving objects around, or maybe even making a lot of noise. There’s always something new to going on.

Cons: Lots of unsolved cold cases. As it’s tough to actually arrest a ghost, there’s likely going to be a ton of unsolved cases on the books. Which is kind of a bummer and may be hard on his ego.

Pros: No chance he falls in love with a suspect. We’ve all seen those movies. The one where the femme fatal walks into a private investigator office and even though the PI knows she’s bad news, somehow he ends up falling for her. Well, if your guy is investigating ghosts, there’s no need to worry about that.

Cons: UNLESS the suspect is some male-killing demon succubus. Yes, this would most definitely be an issue.

Pros: He likely won’t end up in a shoot off. Ghosts do a lot of things, but shooting guns isn’t one of them. One less thing to worry about.

Cons: But he might end up with bumps and bruises from poltergeists throwing things at him. Those poltergeists are pesky entities, aren’t they?

Pros: Although, on second thought, bumps and bruises aren’t THAT big of a deal, which means you can relax more when he’s on duty. Just investigating the local ghosts is probably a pretty safe gig, all things considered.

Cons: Unless he’s investigating the male-killing demon succubus. Enough said.

(For more fiction snippets, definitely check out Michele’s blog at MPWNovels.com) 

Michele PW is back with THE EVIL THAT WAS DONE, the shocking conclusion where long-buried secrets will finally be revealed. Time is running out for Becca to prove she isn’t responsible for the recent disappearances in her childhood hometown, Redemption. Fans of Dean Koontz, Nora Roberts, and Holly Seddon will devour this addicting award-winning series. 

by Michele PW (Pariza Wacek)
June 26, 2019
281 pages
It’s happening again—people are disappearing. 

And just like before, the finger is pointed at Becca.

She knows how it looks … and that she’s being set up.

Someone is following her. Sneaking into her house. Planting evidence to make her look guilty.

The problem is, she has no idea why.

The bigger problem is, no one believes her.

And time is running out.

As the 2018 Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers' Choice Book Series Winner, the Secrets of Redemption series is a must read. Fans of psychological thrillers, romantic suspense, and mystery novels will devour the twisty and addicting series. Grab your copies today! Also, available in Kindle Unlimited!

Only Available on Amazon and FREE in Kindle Unlimited

It Began With A Lie, Book #1 on Amazon

This Happened To Jessica, Book #2 on Amazon

About the Author:
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Michele Pariza Wacek (also known as Michele PW) taught herself to read at three years old because she so badly wanted to write fiction. As an adult, she became a professional copywriter (copywriters write promotional materials for businesses, nothing to do with protecting intellectual property or putting a copyright on something) and eventually founded a copywriting and marketing company. She grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and currently lives with her husband and dogs in the mountains of Arizona. You can reach her at MicheleParizaWacek.com. She’s published two novels, “The Stolen Twin” and “Mirror Image,” both psychological thrillers/mystery/suspense books.


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Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Book Review: Wolf Instinct (SWAT Book 9) by Paige Tyler


Wolf Instinct (SWAT Book 9)
by Paige Tyler 
June 25, 2019
320 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Book 9 of 9 in SWAT: SPECIAL WOLF ALPHA TEAM
He's a wolf shifter.
She hunts monsters.
How can she be The One for him?

SWAT werewolf Zane Kendrick will do whatever it takes to take down the man who attacked his pack. His search takes him to Los Angeles, but when he meets Alyssa, the smart, sexy agent who comes to his aid, he's immediately interested in pursuing more than just the next lead. All his wolf instincts tell him that she's The One.

FBI agent Alyssa Carson has investigated some weird stuff lately, and finding missing people drained of their blood definitely falls into that category. When following a clue leads her to Zane, she agrees to work with him and his team. She's attracted to the gorgeous Brit, but she doesn't have time for anything but finding answers.

When Zane and Alyssa discover the sinister truth, it'll take everything they have to make it out of this mission with their lives—and hearts—intact.

SWAT Series:
Hungry Like the Wolf (Book 1)
Wolf Trouble (Book 2)
In the Company of Wolves (Book 3)
To Love a Wolf (Book 4)
Wolf Unleashed (Book 5)
Wolf Hunt (Book 6)
Wolf Hunger (Book 7)
Wolf Rising (Book 8)
Wolf Instinct (Book 9)

Praise for Paige Tyler's Wolf Rising:
"If you love hunks in uniform, a spitfire heroine, drama, danger, intrigue, and some really steamy moments, then get your hands on Wolf Rising." —Fresh Fiction 
"Will leave readers panting." —Booklist
"This fast-paced procedural brims with heat and action." —Publishers Weekly
"Totally unputdownable." —USA Today Happy Ever After

The SWAT series is no stranger to surprises, a few books back the team of highly trained alphas learned about The One and then found themselves the targets of an assassination attempt. SWAT member Zane Kendrick’s search for the ones responsible lead him from Dallas to Los Angeles where he meets FBI agent Alyssa Carson who may or may not be part of the group that is trying to eradicate all werewolves. Meanwhile Alyssa is trying to solve her latest case that involves missing girls and a body drained of all blood.

That Paige Tyler sure knows how to keep readers invested in her characters! Wolf Instinct packs quite the punch if you’ve been reading the series from the beginning. Which I highly suggest you do before picking this one up. All the wolves are hunky but Zane’s got a little something extra… He’s British! *insert sexy accent here*

FYI in my mind he sounds a bit like Clive Owen. *swoon*

Anywhoo, Wolf Instinct relies a lot on the plot for its pace and it works so well when it comes to the suspense and action. Just who is snatching young women off the streets and why? Is it connected to the attack on the SWAT compound? Those questions and more are answered even as more questions arise. It was quite the ride, however I do think that the romance took a bit of a blow with this book. Zane and Alyssa’s relationship is definitely of the “insta” variety and I had a difficult time buying into their declarations of love after only a handful of days in each other’s company. Even if Alyssa is The One for Zane, I would have liked their love story to rely less on that legend and more on them getting to know one another.

Romance aside though, Wolf Instinct had me firmly in its grasp and part of the reason is because Tyler really lets readers get to know her characters. Zane has been around since the beginning so he’s familiar but if you’re just jumping into the series, Zane is a great guy to start with, though I really do recommend reading the series in order. Paige Tyler doesn’t disappoint and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

reviews of books 1-8

Rating: 4 sheep





Adria @ Adria’s Musings and Reviews
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Paige graduated from The University of West Florida with a degree in education in 2000, but decided to pursue a full-time career as a writer in 2004. Since then, she’s written over fifty books in several genres, including paranormal, contemporary, western, sci-fi and erotica. She loves writing about strong, sexy, alpha males and the feisty, independent women who fall for them. From verbal foreplay to sexual heat, her stories of romance, adventure, suspense, passion and true love will leave you breathlessly panting for more. 

She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kickbutt heroines who fall in love with them.

When not working on her latest book, Paige enjoys reading, jogging, P90X, Yoga, Pilates, going to the beach, watching NFL football, watching movies and hanging out with her husband (not necessarily in that order!)



Q&A with SciFi romance author Layla Stone + giveaway

Q&A with Layla Stone
Are there any secrets from the book, you can share with your readers?
I don’t want to ruin it for anyone, but I will suggest paying attention to Ansel in this one.

Can you share a snippet that isn’t in the blurb or excerpt?

“Are you always like this?”

Yon placed her on the bed, took a pillow, and handed it to her. “Keep the foot elevated. And, no, I’m not always like this.”

She held up her hand, hoping he wouldn’t leave her yet. She wanted to understand him better. “And when you say, ‘not always like this,’ do you mean you don’t knock people unconscious a lot?”

His head tilted slightly. “No, I meant I don’t usually come down to the planets I hate just to find a specific female and bring her back safely.”

It took a half-second longer than it should have for her to process that. “You came for me?”

“You shouldn’t have been down here in the first place.”
Yelena didn’t know what to say to that.

“Good thing you didn’t like Lotus Adaamas, because it was the last time you’re going to see it.” Yon was still holding out the pillow. His tone didn’t sound angry, more matter-of-fact.

She took the pillow and said, “Is it because of my skin? Or because of something else?”

“All of that and more.”

“What else could there be?”

“I will write you a list.”


Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
I’ve meet males like the hero before and I’ve always wanted to see him with a happily ever after, but more often than not, he can’t soften enough to be in a relationship.

What do you hope your readers take away from this book?

I hope they are interested in the next book, to be honest.

Can you give us some insight into what makes the hero tick?

He’s got a chip on his shoulder a thousand miles high, brought on by upbringing.

What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?

It was hard to soften the hero enough to make him a character my readers would enjoy instead of hate. I re-wrote this book three times just to get the romance right.

What was the highlight of writing this book?

My favorite part of writing is sending 2-3 chapters to my beta reader and getting her thoughts via marco-polo app.


by Layla Stone
June 24th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Science Fiction
She’s shy and timid. He’s unsocial and arrogant.

Yon’s past hardened him to the point that he speaks the raw truth without thinking about the consequences. He’s always been that way, but if he’s not careful he’s going lose more than the sweetest female he’s ever known, he’s going to lose a potential mate.

Yelena’s past conditioned her to be obedient and silent. She’s always been a loner, but when she meets Yon in the cages of Brica, she’s drawn to him and his strength. If only he’d notice she’s not as weak as he thinks she is.

Yelena has a chance to help find the Numan who turned her skin luminescent. During the mission something goes wrong and she has to rely on Yon once more… or is it Yon who has to rely on her?

About the Author:
Layla Stone is a Sci-Fi Romance author who is passionate about writing and reading romances. Her books are a blend of science fiction, romance and action adventure.

A business coordinator by training and a bookworm at heart, Layla makes her home in Southern California, where she lives with her husband, two children, and a trio of fur babies.

You can find more information about her characters and their races at www.authorLaylaStone.com

To learn more about Layla, her life and writing process, copy and paste this link into your browser and join her monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/daY1qj

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
$25 Amazon Gift Card, 
A VistaPrint Mug that Layla designed (Sarcasm: Because Murder Charges are Expensive) 
Sweets Bite Gift Bag with 5 of the yummiest Lemon Blueberry and white chocolate cookies: https://www.sweetgirlcookies.com/product/sweet-bites-gift-bags/

Monday, June 24, 2019

Excerpt: Mine Immortal (Varcolac Novel Book 2) by Kristin Ping

Mine Immortal (Varcolac Novel Book 2)by Kristin Ping
May 8, 2019
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Cover Designer: Joemel Requeza
Editor: Tim Bullins and Monique Fisher
Publisher: Fire Quill Publishers
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR
As part of the Ancient race in the supernatural world, three-thousand-year-old Varcolac Jason Chase, also known as Jericho, knows he has a lot of enemies and allies. But his world is turned upside down when strange dreams about a human girl starts plaguing his nights. It could only mean one thing, and it was something he never expected. Varcolacs get one true mate in their lifetime, and Jason Chase thought his didn’t exist.

After the death of her mother, twenty-four-year-old South African Morgan Freeman heads back to the one place that had always felt like home—the cruise lines. But this time it’s different. Meeting Jason Chase, the man of every woman’s dreams, was so not part of her plan, but it feels like they’re a match made in heaven. But something doesn’t feel right. Nobody could be that perfect, right? When the truth finally comes out, her heart is shattered and the world she once knew ceases to exist.




JASON
“Are you sure about that?” I asked. “Zac, I will break your balls if you tell anyone about this.”

“Dude, you are the Alpha. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”

“Good, so don’t even think about it.”

He chuckled, which pissed me off. None of this was funny. “It’s not funny.”

“No, it’s not. I just don’t understand why you feel the need to shift. It’s not normal, dude. You can get anyone you want.”

“So can you.”

“Yeah, well, that takes all the fun out of it. No, I like doing it for a different reason.”

“No, you like fucking around with people’s heads.”

“That too,” he said.

“So, all I have to do is clear my mind and it will work?”

He chuckled.

“Have you really never shifted before?”

“No, I’m not that messed up.”

“But you want to shift with your true mate?”

“I need to find out something, that’s all,” I lied. I was curious, and I shouldn’t be. “It’s not like I’m going to do anything to her. I’m not that sick.”

“It’s fun, not a sickness. You should try it.”

“Yeah, I’ve got responsibilities, Zac. I’m not a pup.”

“Whatever you say, old man. Enjoy.”

If only I looked like an old man. “Wait, before you hang up. Did you check the cages?”

“Yes,” he whined. “Our concern is with you on the cruise ship. Dom is the one you should be worried about, not us. We’ll be fine. You just concentrate on your shift, and like I said, enjoy.” He put the phone down.

Zac was Isaac’s twin and a huge fucking player when it came to the opposite sex.

He hardly slept with humans, but what he does is worse. He shifts.

Shifting was not what it sounded like. It was a term we used when we tried to gain control over a situation or gather information. I think that ability came from our vampire side, since some of them could really fuck you up when they got in your head.

Zac used it to seduce human women.

He would present himself in the form of a dream, which was what we called shifting.

The reason I wanted to shift with Morgan was because I was curious about her. I couldn’t deny it.

I’d stepped back the past three days, thinking it would be easier, but I could see that I’d made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t as bubbly as the first night.

That only piqued my curiosity.

I should just talk to her, but that could backfire. It might make me fall hard for her, and I didn’t want that to happen.

That was why I opted to shift. I could ease my curiosity, and leave her thinking she’d just dreamed of me. No harm done. Except, it might make things between us even more awkward than they already were.

Just thinking about shifting tonight was turning my stomach into knots.

I didn’t want anyone to know, because I couldn’t lie. My face always told the truth, and I usually admitted to things before I could get caught. I hated that I couldn’t lie, but I figured it came with age. Lying was senseless when you were my age. But I could not tell Morgan the truth. She could never know what I was. So, hopefully, my curiosity about her would disappear tonight.

MORGAN
I left the bar and made it to my bed, grimacing when I saw the time on my clock. Two a.m. These late nights had to stop because they were starting to take their toll on me, but I was happy to have caught up with Kate. We’d made plans to go to the carnival in Rio de Janeiro—our next port after the one tomorrow—since it had always been on my bucket list.

I fell asleep faster than I thought I would, only to wake up to the sound of my door opening.

A tall figure walked in. I paid no attention as it was probably someone that came to visit Ashley.

I didn’t close my eyes though.

It was weird that I could see him, since I usually couldn’t see my hand in front of me in the darkness of the cabin.

But I could see his outline clearly, just not his face.

My heart started to race. He wasn’t aiming for Ashley; he came straight to me.

I switched on my light as he came to my side and found . . . Jason.

“Dude, what the fuck are you doing here?” I asked with a breathless chuckle.

His eyes widened. “This wasn’t how I had planned this. I think I should just go.”

I wanted to tell him to be quiet when I noticed that Ashley’s bed was empty. Where was she? She had been in her bed a few minutes ago. This didn’t make any sense.

“Don’t, just . . . ” I stopped him and sighed. Then I started to laugh again. What was I doing?

He stopped, turned around, and walked back to my bed looking scrumptious.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?” I clapped a hand over my mouth after the words had tumbled out. What was wrong with me? I never spoke without thinking.

“I’m beautiful?”

“C’mon, you know you are. Hey, where’d Ashley go?”

He chuckled. “I’m in your room and you’re wondering where your roommate is?”

“Yes, she has a big mouth and if she finds you here . . . I feel sorry for you if that happens.”

His body shook with his laughter. “Why? Does she think I’m beautiful, too?”

“Ugh, whatever. How did you even get into my room?”

He shrugged. “I’m a guy with many talents.”

“So I have heard.”

I looked at his hand, but it wasn’t shaking anymore.

“What’s been up with you these past three nights? You’ve been . . . different.”

“I’m different?” he asked. “I was just about to ask you the same thing, Minx.”

I gulped, feeling my throat bobbing up and down. The way he said the nickname I had since I was a little girl was doing strange and wonderful things to my body. I let out a small chuckle.

“I’m fine,” I struggled to find the right words. “I’ve just been struggling to get in bed before two. Don’t know why.”

I glanced at the clock and saw it was five, then glanced back at him.

“Two,” he asked, his voice taking on a strange tone. I glanced at the clock again. It showed it was two.

That was weird.

I looked back at Jason.

“Uhm . . . what are you doing here?”

“Isn’t it clear? I’m here for a booty call.”

I nearly choked on my saliva.

“From me?” I asked, aghast.

“Yeah.” He frowned, “Why, what’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, but why me?”

Something about this didn’t feel real.

“Just go with it,” he said as he got into bed with me. He positioned himself on top of me, then lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me.

Was I really doing this when all he’d said was to just go with it? Was I that cheap?

I shrugged inwardly. It was Jason fucking Chase, the hottest guy I had ever set eyes on. Who cared if I was cheap?

His tongue slipped into my mouth, exploring and igniting things in me that I had never felt before. I inhaled his scent, and it sent sparks down to my lady bits.

As if he could read my mind, he slipped his hand into my panties. I knew I should have stopped him, but something inside me held onto the way he made me feel.

I wanted this.

I wanted him.

I wanted Jason Chase.

JASON
One moment I was ready to leave and then the next I was literally on top of her.

She wasn’t supposed to wake up in her dream, but that just confirmed to me that she was different from any other human woman I’d ever met. Perhaps it was because she was my mate. Whatever the reason, I didn’t know.

Everything I had been contemplating—my feelings for her, the plans I had—all flew out of the window when she’d looked at me with that bewildered smile on her face.

Did this mean she was into me?

She moaned as my hand slipped over her folds, and I reveled in the fact that I was the one doing this to her. She was driving me crazy with lust. I now knew why Zac enjoyed shifting so much. This way, it felt real, but I couldn’t hurt her.

I could feel it build up as she moaned in my ear. Her warm tongue lapped at my earlobe, making goosebumps flush over my skin.

She was waking things up that hadn’t been awake inside me for a long time.

I felt my fangs lengthen, and though I didn’t want it to happen, I couldn’t stop even if my life depended on it.

“I want you so badly.” I whispered in her ear, and then the pain came.

I woke up and found myself in my cabin.

Morgan was far from my bed. Her smell wasn’t real.

But the pain, oh the pain was real. What was happening?

I grunted as the pain increased. Hunching over, I clutched my stomach, trying my best not to wake up Belatar, but to no avail.


About the Author:
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Kristin Ping is a USA Today Bestselling author who resides in South Africa with her husband, two beautiful girls and her bulldog that tries to eat her house. She has been writing for the past decade and write under many pen names in different genre’s. Her first novel under Kristin Ping is called Hinder, A Bender’s novel that forms part of the Guardian of Monster Saga.

She has reached her USA Bestselling status with her novel The Curse, published by Fire Quill Publishing in 2018. She sold the Italian translations rights that will be published by Hope Edizioni in 2021.

She has published two more novels in the Varcolac Series which will always formed part of the Guardian of Monsters, and hopefully will bring out the third Varcolac novel, Immortal Beloved, soon.
For more information you can go to her website www.kristinpingbooks.com