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Saturday, April 30, 2022

Excerpt: Trials By Tides: A Zasra Press Anthology + giveaway

Trials By Tides: A Zasra Press Anthology
April 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
The strangers hadn’t come for just any story. They’d come for her—the memory I’d clearly failed to bury. The one story I’d never tell… from “The Storyteller”

Somewhere down in the depths of the ocean, deeper than any light could reach, something awoke… from “Cost of the Crown”

I cannot shake the call of the ocean. It consumes me, fills my dreams, crowds my mind, and in that moment I know…I will do anything to become a mermaid… from “The Calling”

As gentle and sweet as the ocean’s lullaby can be, its waters are dark, dangerous, and full of mystery….

Dive in and explore ten original stories centered around the ocean. You’ll find something for everyone, from benevolent mermaids to powerful levjatans; stolen secrets and forbidden stories. Meet pirates and thieves, sea dragons and gods in these tales of action, grief, romance, and mystery!

The Song Thieves – Eleanor Owen
A girl who steals secrets from the sea searches for her missing sister, following clues found in the sea’s strange songs.

EXCERPT
I’d been hearing the song for days. Its whispering voices had danced an aching beat in my mind as we’d pursued it across the waves. Though I should have known better, I still tried to make sense of it, to pick out a melody I could understand. It throbbed in my skull like a migraine.

Only when I was under the water did the song start to untangle. In the air, it was a distorted whisper scratching against my thoughts, but with the sea against my skin, I heard its voices clear. They spoke no language that had ever graced a human tongue, as much sound and feeling as it was word.

Through ink-dark water I kicked away from the shattered moonlight. Around me, streaked shadows and seaweed wove together into a darkness far thicker than the night above. All the while, I followed the song, deeper, deeper.

The strands of it, each voice within it that wove together to make something that was almost music, wrapped around me and pulled me down, yet I struggled to fall into the trance of their embrace. For as mesmerizing as this song was, I heard another, and amongst its voices, I heard my own. From distant depths it whispered a frantic litany, like a discordant thought had clambered from my head.

If you ever hear your own voice, get out of there. It was the first lesson Attarin had taught me about song hunting. He’d never cared to elaborate on why.

I gritted my teeth and focused on the song before me, the one I had been sent to salvage. I could see it now, a scrap of luminescence snagged between ribbons of seaweed. Lungs burning, I floated before it. Syllables pulsed through me with every swell of the sea.

Moments before my outstretched fingers touched it, I recognized a different voice within its chorus.
Manannan’s Daughter – Christiana Matthews
Mortals are all very well to use as playthings, but Cliohna’s decisions anger her father, with disastrous results.

Son of the Sea – Aisling Wilder
On an island in the West of Ireland, a lost soul rescues a dying man—or does the man rescue him?

The Delivery – Barend Nieuwstraten III
For a pair of hired hands, a simple task of escorting a coffin and its caretaker across the southern sea should make for a relaxing journey. However, as questionable things begin to happen, they find themselves more and more involved in the wild events to come.

The Storyteller – R. L. Davennor
An elderly storyteller is forced to recall the one tale she swore never to utter.

Cost of the Crown – Ine Gausel
Young prince Coral has always been told that the sea is a dark and dangerous place, but something he finds up on shore will change his life forever.

Heart of Amber – Kida LangÃ¥s
After a storm brings two lost unlikely friends together after a decade apart, both of them have to make a choice: sneak away and rekindle their friendship, or risk losing each other a second time.

One More Time – A. M. Dilsaver
A young widower seeks solace from the ocean and its mysteries after his wife dies.

The Calling – A. M. Dilsaver
Torn between her true love and the ocean, Cordelia must make a choice that will change her life forever.

The Sparrow in the Ash Sea – S. K. Sayari
An unlikely hero must return the Goddess of the Sea to her temple before the ash sea overtakes all.

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
$100 Amazon gift card
2x paperback copies of Trials By Tides

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Tomorrow...

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Book Review: Blood Drawn (A novel of the Demon Accords – Book 17) by John Conroe

Blood Drawn (A novel of the Demon Accords – Book 17)
by John Conroe
September 2, 2021
Pages: 368
Demon Accords number 17. Chris Gordon and Tanya Demidova are the world's top close quarters battle experts. As fast and powerful as elder vampires, with supernatural weapons that match their supernatural speed, strength and senses. But how does a close-quarters warrior fight an enemy that is literally light years away -- 25,000 light years away?

It would take one hell of a ranged weapon, something that can cross unimaginable distances with unfathomable power. Something... or... someone. Hmm, but witch is best?


The world is trying to believe that aliens will attack and destroy everyone and everything. The Vorsook are intelligent beings who conquer worlds for their resources and have amped up their strategy to avoid being stopped by Chris, Tanya, Declan, and the rest of the team.

Declan’s power has grown exponentially and even Chris and Tanya are shocked at some of the things he can do. Governments are afraid of him, but can the world be saved without him and his elementals? Declan is the type of person you would want your kids to grow up to be. He is quiet, thoughtful, respectful, and doesn’t let power go to his head. It doesn’t hurt that Stacia; his werewolf mate keeps him in check if things seem to be going out of control.

Chris and Tanya are front in center with aliens, people, and governments still trying to use their family members against them. One thing that they forget is that Chris and Tanya are very powerful all on their own but that their team is the best ever seen to thwart these kinds of attacks but the team can’t be everywhere at the same time.

Getting 5 sheep




Denise B

About the Author:
website-FB
Conroe wrote his first readable novel, God Touched, right after finishing his daughter's copy of Twilight and muttering: "Vampires don't farging sparkle!"

With seven more books in the series and a stand alone novel (Black Frost), he doesn't seem to be slowing down. He cut his reading teeth on the likes of Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, JRR Tolkien, Robert Heinlein, Andre Norton, and H. Beam Piper.

Financial professional by day and author by night (actually by morning), he bangs out his stories with fingers that are usually sore from forge burns or getting beat up at the dojo.

Friday, April 29, 2022

New Release: The Goddess Apprentice: A Nephilim Universe Book (The Ebony Angel 4) by L.L. Hunter

The Goddess Apprentice: A Nephilim Universe Book (The Ebony Angel 4)
by L.L. Hunter
April 30th, 2022
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/PNR
Cover Designer: KILA Designs
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR
Ebony thought moving to the Realm of Fire and becoming the next goddess would be all rainbows and unicorns.

But she was wrong.

Apart from undertaking training to become the next goddess, she must also finish her schooling.

And with Luca back and Travis by her side at the best academy in the universe, she should be happy, right?

When Travis returns one day complaining of a demon attack in the Realm of Ice, and people talking behind their backs, Ebony is worried that not all is as it seems in the universe.

She soon begins hearing reports of rioting in several cities around the world, and with the alchemist Sylvie conducting secret experiments under her nose, she suspects the rebel group are up to their old tricks again.

After all, when your soulmate is the grandson of Lucifer, and you’re the new goddess in training, not everyone is going to agree.

What could go wrong?

The exciting fourth installment in the bestselling Ebony Angel series.


About the Author:
L.L. Hunter is the author of over 20 published works, including The Legend of the Archangel Series and The Garden of Eden. She has studied everything from veterinary nursing, forensic science, and dramatic arts, but has always known her true calling was to be an author. 

She has been writing since her teens - everything from fan fiction, to song lyrics, to plays and musicals. When not working on her next paranormal romance, she can be found at home in Australia, reading somewhere comfortable with one or both of her “fur babies.” Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @llhunterbooks, and her blog - http://llhunter.blogspot.com.au.

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Urban Fantasy New Release: A Charade Of Magic, Book 1 by Helen Harper

A Charade Of Magic, Book 1
by Helen Harper
April 29, 2022
Urban Fantasy
There are three absolutes in Mairi Wallace’s world:

1. The Mages rule every city in Scotland with terrible, violent authority.

2. It is not physically possible for any woman to wield magic.

3. Mairi does not have a voice.

She is about to learn that none of these things have to be true.

From twisted wynds and tartan shops to a dangerous daemon and malevolent ravens, the future of a tattered nation might lie with one solitary woman.


About the Author:
After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time although she still fits in creative writing workshops with schools along with volunteering to teach reading to a group of young Myanmar refugees. That’s not to mention the procession of stray cats which seem to find their way to her door!

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland.

Helen currently lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with far too many cats – not to mention the dragons, fairies, demons, wizards and vampires that seem to keep appearing from nowhere

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

New Release: Wolf Hunter (Moon Kissed Book 1) by Harper A. Brooks

Wolf Hunter (Moon Kissed Book 1)
by Harper A. Brooks
April 28th, 2022
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Cover Designer: Ryn Katryn
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR
Falling for her target wasn’t part of the plan.

Tasha Ward exists as a phantom. Drifting from place to place, she can blend in to the point of invisibility—a trait highly useful for a deadly assassin like her. But after years of perfecting her skills, she wants to be seen.

No… It’s more than that. She wants the alpha of the murderous Redcliff wolf pack to look her in the eye as she plunges her knife straight through his heart.

Traveling deep into the pack’s territory alone, Tasha’s prepared for war... until she finally faces the pack’s ruggedly sexy leader and does the one thing she’s never done before. Hesitate.

As the new alpha, Reid Holden doesn't agree with many of the traditions his father believed in. Such as taking a woman to sacrifice once a year. Unfortunately, being on top means you’re always a target, and there are venomous snakes everywhere. Even in his own family.

Tasha’s meant to be another enemy, but Reid is finding it impossible to hate her. It doesn’t help that his wolf has already claimed her as its own. She may want him dead, but she may be the one person he’ll end up risking everything for.

Sizzling romance meets pulse-pounding suspense in Wolf Hunter, the latest gripping novel from USA Today Bestselling Author Harper A. Brooks!


Harper A. Brooks lives in a small town on the New Jersey shore. Even though classic authors have always filled her bookshelves, she finds her writing muse drawn to the dark, magical, and romantic. But when she isn't creating entire worlds with sexy shifters or legendary love stories, you can find her either with a good cup of coffee in hand or at home snuggling with her furry, four-legged son, Sammy.

She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
RONE Award Winner
USA TODAY Bestselling Author
International Bestselling Author

Excerpt: Ice Floe (Ice Floe Book One) by Melissa Birling

Ice Floe (Ice Floe Book One)
by Melissa Birling
Date of Publication: April 28, 2022
 Genre: YA Fantasy Romance, YA PNR
Publisher: Purpance Publishing
Number of pages: 320
Word Count: 87,000
Cover Artist: Thea Magerand
Secrecy is safety. Sisterhood is everything.

Seventeen-year-old Glacia didn’t plan to track a kidnapper, stick a middle finger to the government, and fall into a forbidden summer fling. This is simply what happens when you’re the resident odd girl out, in a shoal of all-female mermaids whose values are a little cracked. Or a lot cracked, if you consider government-endorsed murder and the seizure of male infants to be an issue.

When society rules, family, and romance collide, Glacia fights back the best way she knows how: by taking the matter into her own combat-trained hands and kicking some tail. The problem is, no amount of training can prepare Glacia for the crime circle she discovers, secrets she unveils, and human guy she can’t get out of her head. Glacia finds herself at a crossroads where she must decide whose rules to follow. Who she can trust. And ultimately…who lives and who dies.


Ice Floe Excerpt: Chapter 6
We’ve been sitting on the ledge a while now, mostly staring at the view. I steal occasional glances at Tucker. I can’t shake the feeling that there’s a force between us. Energy. A pulse. A magnet. Something. Every time I focus my thoughts elsewhere, he pulls me back in. It’s distracting.

“You ready to head down?” he asks.

“You might as well get started. I can’t climb down with all your equipment in the way.” “I have an extra harness. You should come down with me.” He reaches for his pack and
stands up.

I jump up to join him. “No way. I’m not hooking myself into that death trap.”

“Glacia, come on. This cliff is super challenging, and it’s way more difficult to climb down than up,” he says, his voice growing louder. Here we go again.

“I’ll be fine once you get your stuff out of the way.” I raise my volume to match his. “It’s not safe. I would feel horrible if I let you climb down and you got hurt.”

“Let me?”

“Not let you. It’s your choice.” “I choose NO.”
He clenches his jaw tightly and grinds his teeth. I take a few steps back in preparation. There’s enough room up here to land a solid kick to the face. That should knock him out, then I’ll have to figure out a way to climb down his cat’s cradle setup. Tucker crosses one arm over his chest and raises a hand to cover his mouth. We glare at each other – at an impasse.

“Let’s make a deal,” he offers. “You climb down with me using a harness and rope, and I’ll take you on a boat ride.”

This catches my attention.

“That’s right, I saw you light up when I mentioned my dad’s boat shop,” he continues with a cocky air.

He’s more perceptive than I gave him credit for. Volatile and perceptive. A hefty combination.

“Have you ever been on a boat?” he asks.

I shake my head. I would love to go on a boat. Tucker knows how to fix them and can
teach me everything a trainer could, plus more. What am I thinking? This is crazy. I can’t go on a boat with a human. What excuse would I give if I got caught? I can’t pretend I’m seducing.
Everyone knows that’s not high on my priority list, and you’re not supposed to seduce alone. Maybe I could say that I’m collecting information to share with the girls I teach… Hmm. That’s almost believable, given my dedication to the studio.

Tucker can tell I’m on the fence about it and ups the ante. “I’ll teach you to drive the
boat.”

Unfair. Of course, I want to learn how to drive a boat. That’s a beyond useful skill in my
back pocket. I peek down the cliff face to assess the reliability of Tucker’s wedge-rope system. Stupid. Like I know what I’m looking for.

“Fine,” I agree. “We need to be hooked together, so if I die, you die.” “Seems reasonable.”

“AND I get to drive the boat.”

“Deal. Let’s see, today is Monday, and I already have plans tomorrow. Wednesday?”

“What time?”

“Eleven a.m. on the Ula pier.” “I’ll meet you there.”
Tucker flips his pack around, unclips a belt, and offers it to me. “Do you know how to wear a harness?”

I snatch it from him, compare it to his gear, and step into the leg holes. When I have it all clipped in, I throw my hands on my hips.

“Now what?” I ask.

Tucker leans in toward me, rope in hand, then pulls back and reconsiders. “That’s not quite right,” he says haltingly. “Can I fix your harness?”

“I already agreed to this mess, didn’t I?”

He rolls his eyes. “I think that’s a yes. Pull the harness up – it has to sit higher on your
hips.”

I follow his instructions, and he flops the rope over one arm. He moves in closer and
bends down to reposition the harness. His fingers wrap around the loop against my leg as he pulls it up below my hip. My heart beats faster and my insides twists. I evaluate the top of Tucker’s head in an effort to distinguish these sensations from other emotions. He secures the loop and raises his gaze to meet mine.

“Is that too tight?” he asks. His hazel eyes penetrate mine. The edges are a deep brown that blend into a murky green with an amber starburst around the pupil.
I shake my head and look away. I hope he can’t tell how disoriented this is making me. “Pull the tabs on your waist tighter,” he instructs.

I cinch the waist while he rearranges the other loop on my leg. Why is this making me so agitated? He’s only fixing my gear so I don’t fall to my death. Tucker gathers the rope into his hand and reaches out to tie it to the front belt loop. As he does, his fingers brush my skin just below my belly button. A jolt of electricity shoots through my body. I take in a small gasp of air and hold my breath. He freezes, his fingers lingering on my stomach. Did he feel that too?

About the Author:

Website-FB-TwitterMelissa Birling strives to experience life from a “both and” rather than “either or” perspective. She enjoys living in metropolitan cities and on a small farm. She appreciates burn-your-tongue Mexican cuisine and delicious London pub food. Lately, Melissa spends her time engaging with cyber security professionals and mermaids. Not actual mermaids, although if you know any, she’d love to meet them.

The revelation that one can be both a successful corporate consultant and a fantasy author who writes about mermaids, encouraged Melissa to finish her debut novel, Ice Floe. The emotional high of typing “The End” at the completion of her first draft, triggered a writing spree that hasn’t stopped since. On any given Saturday or Sunday, you will find Melissa writing. She won’t respond to any attempts at human engagement, because she’s “at a good part,” but you’ll find her typing away, nevertheless.

Melissa lives with a ceaselessly supportive husband and their dog who enjoys hunting neighborhood skunks.

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
$25 Amazon gift card

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Excerpt: Infinite Bond: (slow burn mmmm paranormal romance) by L. Rose

by L. Rose 
April 26, 2022
With three hearts to worry about, as well as my own, time will tell if I’m up for the task.

Infinite Bond, an all-new magical M/M/M/M paranormal romance from bestselling author L. Rose is available now!

With three hearts to worry about, as well as my own, time will tell if I’m up for the task.

I’ve always been normal. Okay, maybe more of an average guy, who’s quiet and awkward. Just someone who’s trying to survive living in my trailer while dodging my mom’s debt collectors.

Everything changes when a power within me surfaces, and my eyes are thrown wide open.

Humans aren’t the only ones who walk the earth.

Read that again, but slowly. I know. I can hardly believe it either.

There’s more. With my newfound power, I’m expected to attend a college to learn how to use my slightly terrifying and temperamental telekinetic ability, a power I apparently should have received when I was a kid, not at twenty-one.

Throw in my new roommates and my brain threatens to overload while my heart can’t figure out who or what it wants. All my traitorous heart is sure of is that it’s greedy and beats far too fast when any of the three not-completely-human men are around.

Not that my wanting will do me any good. There’s Cade who hates me, Zeke who’s super nice and understanding but way out of my league, and Hyde who’s as scary as he is quiet.

I have no idea if I’ll survive the changes, but I really want to. Just wait and see for yourself. As soon as you meet these guys, you’ll understand and see our undeniable connection. Just be warned, nothing but death will stop me protecting my hearts.

Download your copy today!
Add to Goodreads

Excerpt
Reaching down, I picked up the bag and noticed the duffle on the floor, so I grabbed it as well. The weight of both had me stumble a little to the side. My face heated. Maybe it would be best to run for my room and hide in there until Sebastian pried me away for classes.

Groaning inwardly, I flicked my gaze to Zeke, who stood there with his arms crossed over his broad chest, smirking.

“Are you shy?”

My pulse raced, my stomach churned, and I wanted to… God, hide once again. “Yes.” I nodded. “And, um, awkward around meeting people.”

Why?

Why did I say that?

My blush deepened and I was close to throwing up.

“Got it. Look, I’m going to give it to you straight.”

Now I wanted to pee.

“Yes?”

“Cade is an asshole. Hyde is…. Well, he’s a dick sometimes too. Don’t let their attitudes get you down. You’ll get used to them.”

In other words, I would have to deal with more bullies. Great.

Grazing my bottom lip with my top teeth, I nodded. What else could I say to that? There wasn’t anything. What I wanted to do was curl into an emotional ball and rock back and forth over the daunting situation I was now in. My stomach rumbled and twisted. At least Zeke couldn’t see my shaky hands since I was holding both bags tightly.

“Hey” was said softly, but I still jolted at the closeness of his voice. My eyes snagged on his feet in front of me first before they traveled up his long legs to his chest. A shiver raked over me when Zeke cupped one side of my neck. “It’s not all bad here. Promise.”

I nodded again, not convinced my voice would work from the feel of his warm hand on my skin.

Why was I reacting to his close proximity? Why did my heart beat faster than it had in fright? Why did I have the urge to hug him?

It was crazy. No, beyond that. But I couldn’t get my mind to work to find the word I was looking for.

“Get some sleep. I’m sure you’re wrecked from the night.”

With another nod, which he chuckled at, Zeke pulled his hand away. I watched him through the curtain of my fringe as he walked to the kitchenette. Before I could make a fool of myself again, I raced to my door and turned the handle. I walked into the door when it didn’t open, smacking into it hard.

My face burned, the blush spreading down my neck when I heard a low chuckle. I gripped the handle and got the door open on my second attempt. I didn’t look back, even when I wanted to. Closing it, I dropped the bags to the floor. My back hit the door, and I slid to the ground, wrapping my arms around my knees and burying my forehead against them.

Dread filled me, thinking about what tomorrow would bring.

How was I going to live through everything without combusting into a nervous pile of goo?

Not for the first time, I wished I had a bigger pair of balls.

About the Author:
Website-Amazon-Goodreads
Bestselling author, Lila Rose, writing as L. Rose to bring you a brand-spanking-new reverse harem paranormal romance series. You'll laugh, maybe cry, and hopefully enjoy feisty Paige and her annoyingly hot men.

Monday, April 25, 2022

Live Book Release Party on Facebook: Magic Takes Manhattan (Manhattan Magic #1) by Jade Greenberg + giveaway

Magic Takes Manhattan (Manhattan Magic Book One)
by Jade Greenberg
04/26/2022
Genre: Paranormal Women’s Fiction / Romantic Comedy
ISBN: 9781957615004
ASIN: B09WQGRP43
Number of pages: 186
Word Count: 30k
Cover Artist: Jennifer Schatten
She always knew New York was a magical city. She had no idea how magical.

A hilarious, quirky, and enchanting, “riotously funny night of magical mayhem” from USA Today bestselling author, Jade Greenberg.

She always knew New York was a magical city. She had no idea how magical.

What do you do if you tend to attract unfortunate incidents? Make it work for you, that’s what. Take me, Mandi Muscovitz, independent insurance claims adjuster and master of disaster. I’ve made a career out of bad luck. But no matter how good I get, every year on April 30th, my birthday, mayhem always ensues. This year’s no different, and I expected that. What I did not expect was to find myself at the center of a magical apocalypse.

Lucky for the fate of the universe, I ain’t new to this type of stuff. And it don’t hurt I got a hot wizard to stare at while I save the planet from an eternal winter.

Yeah, alright, I may have caused the problem, but it wasn’t intentional. And I’m going to be the one to fix it, so it’s like it cancels itself out in a way.

But whatever. Don’t worry. I got this… Probably.

Join Mandi on her May Day adventure as she saves the world in Magic Takes Manhattan, a not-to-be-missed, humorous Paranormal Women’s Fiction novella.


Join Us Today at 4PM EST for a Live
Book Release Party on Facebook

About the Author:
Jade Greenberg is a USA Today bestselling author of Paranormal Women's Fiction with a Rom-Com twist. She lives in New York City with her family and loves finding magic in unexpected places.

GIVEAWAY
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Sunday, April 24, 2022

Excerpt: Of Claws and Fangs: Stories from the World of Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood by Faith Hunter + giveaway

May 3, 2022
Ace Trade Paperback
New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter presents a stunning collection of stories from the world of shape-shifting vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock and beyond.

Collected together for the first time, this volume contains shorter works featuring heroines Jane Yellowrock and Nell Ingram, as well as a host of other characters from the Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood series. Faith Hunter is “an expert at creating worlds filled with intriguing supernatural elements and exciting scenarios”* and her skills are on full display in this collection. From a vampire-filled Halloween evening in New Orleans to the searing tale of how a certain were-leopard first got his spots, this collection has something for everyone, and each story is sure to put the super in supernatural.

With eighteen stories in all, Of Claws and Fangs will enrich and entertain—it’s a must-have for Faith Hunter’s readers and all lovers of fantasy.


Excerpt
Leo lifted his cuff and checked the time on his Versace Reve Chrono, though he knew, almost to the second, when the sun would rise. His kind always did. “I’ll be only a moment. Security will wait outside.”

George opened his mouth to protest. George was always protesting something. Leo lifted his finger, silencing his primo. “I will speak to Marcoise alone. You may cover the outer exits. You may not enter. The cleaning crew will be working and, as former military, they will be armed. I will calm them. I will not have a bloodbath in my club.”

George hesitated, clearly thinking about the numbers of potential victims and hostages. “Derek Lee’s company is new,” George said. “I’m not certain of the extent of his knowledge, or of his biases.”

He did not need to add Many have refused to work for the vampire Master of the City of New Orleans.

He raked through his hair with his long fingers, worried.

“Alone,” Leo insisted, and tapped on the window. The chauffeur opened his door. “Thank you, Alfonse,” Leo said. He was always polite to the help.

Into the night, he exited with all the grace of his kind, part ballerina, part snake, part spider, all predator. The night smelled of humans and blood. Saliva filled his mouth, hunger riding him. The girl earlier had been a tasty diversion, her body a delight as she used it to seal his promise, but this . . . this was the hunt. There was nothing like it, and even civilized Mithrans such as himself knew the desire, the overriding craving for shadowing and stalking prey.

Leo leaped to the door, his speed creating a pop of sound as the air around him was displaced. He keyed open the lock and entered. His men, left behind, rushed to guard the entrance and provide the protection his kind seldom needed. He slipped inside, into the shadows. Standing behind a brick pillar, he watched the cleaning crew, scenting them. The men were all dressed alike, in one-­piece gray uniforms; they were healthy, their blood touched with alcohol and marijuana. He had known it for centuries as hemp, MJ, ganja, and by a hundred other names and grades and varieties.

He took in a slow breath and parsed the chemicals in their blood. The marijuana smelled . . . odd. Impure. He watched as a small man, no more than five feet, five inches tall, lifted a bucket and then, oddly, dropped it. The pail landed with a clatter and splash of water on the concrete floor, and the man stood, hunched over, staring at the mess as if mesmerized. Certainly confused.

Leo sniffed again. There was something mixed with the marijuana, some chemical he did not recognize. The small man took a breath, a faint gasp of sound. He fell.

Leo held still, as only undeath allowed. The other men rushed to help. Another fell, his head bouncing on the floor. A third dropped. And another. Only Derek was still standing, the boss of the crew. Leo had hired Derek Lee’s fledgling company because of his service in the military, though the man was destined for far more. Derek pulled a weapon and backed to the bar, the brass rail at his spine, analyzing the room, the short hallways.

Leo said, “You did not partake of the smoke offered to the others.”

Derek swung his weapon toward the column hiding Leo. “Who’s there?”

“Leo Pellissier, Master of the City. The smoke? The weed?”

“Owner of the Royal Mojo. Fanghead. And no, to the weed,” Derek said, his weapon steady on the brick pillar. “One of the guys brought it. Said his brother had gotten a deal on the streets.”

“Mmmm. And a gift is always a good thing?”

“No.”

“And what shall you do to the man who injured your cohorts?”

“Better you don’t know.” Derek’s voice was harsh, unyielding.

Leo chuckled. “There is more here than meets the eyes.”

“No shit, dude. I got free weed, four downed boys, and the Master of the City hiding behind a brick column. How ’bout you come out. Make nice-­nice wid me.”

“How about we take down whoever is waiting for us in the office? I smell six. One is a Mithran, one is female and bleeding, one is a dead human.”

“My men?”

“They are breathing. I will offer them healing blood if they are not awake before dawn.”

Derek considered. “You take the fanghead. I’ll take the others.”

Leo stepped from behind the column, hands where they could be seen.

“You seem certain that you can contain the humans,” he said. “Three against one?”

“This trap wasn’t for me. Makes sense it was for you. I’m supposed to be down and out so they won’t be expecting me.”


About the Author: 
Faith Hunter is the award-winning New York Times and USAToday bestselling author of the Jane Yellowrock, Soulwood, Rogue Mage, and Junkyard Cats series. In addition, she has edited several anthologies and co-authored the Rogue Mage RPG. She is the co-author and author of 16 thrillers under pen names Gary Hunter and Gwen Hunter. Altogether she has 40+ books and dozens of short stories in print and is juggling multiple projects.

She sold her first book in 1989 and hasn’t stopped writing since.

Faith collects orchids and animal skulls, loves thunderstorms, and writes. She likes to cook soup, bake bread, garden, and kayak Class II & III whitewater rivers. She edits the occasional anthology and drinks a lot of tea. Some days she’s a lady. Some days she ain't.

Tour-wide Giveaway!
There’s a tour-wide giveaway open to US residents
2 winners will receive a limited-edition leather Soulwood bracelet
1 winner will receive their choice of a $50 gift card from Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Book Review: Craved by a Wolf (Eternal Mates Book 20) by Felicity Heaton + giveaway

Craved by a Wolf (Eternal Mates Paranormal Romance Series Book 20)
by Felicity Heaton
April 19, 2022
Hella is one witch who is done with relationships. Having rid herself of a clingy nymph, she’s determined to stay single and savour everything her fae town in Geneva has to offer—with no strings attached. The trouble is, it turns out breaking up with a king isn’t as easy as she’d thought. Her ex just sent a legion to kidnap her and take her to the faerie realm of Lucia.

And he wants to make her his queen.

Grant MacKinnon is one wolf shifter who prefers a quiet life. His home in a glen in Scotland, his small wolf pack, and fine whisky is all he needs. The trouble is, a witch in the fae town in Fort William just cursed him to die if he doesn’t find his fated mate and bring her to her. Now he craves a female he’s never met, one he was convinced didn’t exist, and he refuses to believe she’s really his one true mate… until he sets eyes on the beautiful blue-haired lass.

And his wolf instincts howl that she was made for him.

And when he realises she’s in danger and another male wants her as his queen, MacKinnon will stop at nothing to protect her and claim her as his mate.
PURCHASE LINKS

Craved by a Wolf is the latest edition in the Eternal Mates series by author Felicity Heaton. I was a smidge worried that being the 20th story in an ongoing saga, I might feel lost in the pages. Burred under oodles of characters. Alas, that did not happen and quite the opposite. This one left me wanting more from the series and if every book can end so seeming, well this might just be my new fav series.

I love a snarky worded leading lady, maybe I feel a kinship or that it could be in some way myself on the pages. Love some darker romance and men that can stand side by side with their leading lady. If there was a paranormal world that could come to life, this might be one we could all enjoy. I got lost in the pages, became the characters, and dreamed about them when I slept at night. LOVED this story, the colors and layers of a world that came to life in my mind and grew from there.

Action, of course, that's the only thing I wanted even more of. Only because it's written so well, very thoughtful situations and against the odds moments. Overall, this is a steamy one with that happily ever after to give it a beautiful ending. Wanting more and looking forward to the next story!

Getting 4 and 1/2 Sheep





KD

EXCERPT
Life was pretty sweet.

Hella ambled along the lakeshore, the heels of her black knee-high boots clicking on the pale golden flagstones that formed the broad promenade and her gaze on the stunningly blue water to her right as it twinkled in the artificial sunlight. She sipped her iced coffee, a bounce in her step, her whole body feeling lighter—brighter—for finally having swept off the oh-so-clingy nymph.

Ethyrian had been fun for a while. Charming. Rich. Handsome—no—beautiful. Hella wasn’t sure a man should be beautiful, but that was nymphs for you. They weren’t gorgeous like incubi, who all looked as if they had just stepped out of Hollywood and easily gave Brad Pitt and Ryan Reynolds a run for their money. No. Nymphs crossed the line into beautiful, every single one of them looking for all the world as if they had just stepped out of the wood elf kingdom in Lord of the Rings.

Man, she could really go for some Legolas right now.

She scowled, pushed that thought aside, and stopped her roaming gaze before she could single out any eligible males in the crowded promenade. She wasn’t going to backslide. This was going to be her year. One devoted to exploring everything the fae town she lived in had to offer.

Which was a lot.

The damned nymph popped back into her head.

Hella booted him back out of it.

She had a policy when it came to her bedfellows. She didn’t do commitment. She didn’t do clingy. She most definitely didn’t do men who cried like babies and begged her to take them back.

Hella had flatly told him no and goodbye and had kicked him to the curb.

For a man who had been desperate to stay with her, he certainly hadn’t been calling all hours of the day or making wild attempts to change her mind. Which was strange.

It might have been a bit disappointing if it hadn’t allowed her the space and freedom to expand her horizons.

Hella flashed a saucy wink at a pair of panther shifters loitering outside one of the taverns to her left that lined the broad pavement, facing the huge lake. The younger of the two took the bait, his smile nothing short of salacious as he gave her a sexy, slow once-over, raking his golden eyes from her hair to her boots and back again. Currently, she was working her way through all the eligible males in the fae town.

She glanced at the buildings that encircled the lake, crammed into the cavern that sat beneath a mountain, and realised that was a lot of men. Fenix, her incubus best-bud, was going to be kept in tonics and pills for a long time thanks to her current foray into sexually exploring every possible species—bar those classified as demon breeds like incubi—to see what suited her tastes best.

She hadn’t tried panther yet.

She twirled a strand of her wavy blue hair around her fingers and sipped on her drink, making sure he got a good eyeful of the way she wrapped her glossy lips around the straw.

His low growl sent a thrill down her spine as he stepped towards her. His friend put a halt to everything by grabbing his arm and tugging him back, and saying something that had the handsome shifter frowning at him. Maybe they were going to fight over her. Two females stepped out of the tavern holding four tankards and made a beeline for the males. Hella shrugged. Or maybe not.

She turned her cheek to them, no longer interested in what either male had to offer. She also didn’t do cheats. Anyone who warmed her bed for a night or two needed to be unattached.

The last thing she needed was angry females banging down her door or spreading malicious talk about her. It was bad for business.

No one wanted potions, ointments or spells from witches liable to screw others over. People tended not to separate a witch’s personal life from their business practice. If she was known to cheat when it came to pursuing pleasure, she couldn’t be trusted to not cheat when it came to the wares she sold. Plenty of witches had fallen foul of that and had been driven out of business, or worse, out of the fae town in which they lived.

Hella took in the elegant pastel pink, cream and dove-grey four-storey buildings that lined the promenade, their lead roofs absorbing the bright sunlight that bathed their façades. They resembled the buildings in Geneva, the nearest mortal town, a classic European air about them. The ones that acted as hotels for visiting immortals had French doors and balconies for each room rather than windows, offering a view of the lake to everyone who stayed there. Others were taverns with apartments above them, and some were shops and other businesses.

She drifted towards the large windows that lined the lowest floors of a row of stores, admiring the colourful glass bottles in the perfume emporium and the latest fashions displayed in the next building. Her gaze dropped to her black dress. Witches had to wear black dresses. It was tradition. No one wanted to buy magical goods from a woman in a pink dress or linen slacks and a camisole. A witch had to look the part.

Hella had pushed the limits of what was acceptable, testing out several dresses in her years to see how far she could go without turning off her clients and driving them elsewhere. Rather than the drab ankle-length dress many witches wore—mainly those fresh from the coven—she chose to wear knee-length empire-line dresses or summer dresses that cinched in at the waist and were stitched with faint violet stars. She even wore corseted dresses that showed a little more of her wares than was appropriate according to most circles in witch society.

Today, she had picked her favourite strapless empire-line dress, one that had a sheer black layer over the silky underlayer. That top layer was folded into pleats around her breasts, and beneath them there was a delicate band of ribbon embroidered with silver swirls and dots.

She always felt good in this dress. It drew the eye to her best assets.

She also didn’t do ankle boots. She pushed the boundaries there too, choosing knee-high leather boots that laced up the front and had a comfortable three-inch block heel.

She eyed a pretty amethyst brooch on one of the dresses in the window display and drifted towards it, her gaze transfixed on it as the polished stone and gold filigree that surrounded it glittered in the warm light. If she couldn’t wear colours other than black, maybe she could accessorise. She had never tried wearing jewellery before. Surely that wouldn’t turn her clients off?

“Want it?” A male voice rolled over her and she tensed, her head whipping to her right. Disappointment flooded her when she found herself face to face with a squat, ageing man who was wearing half a tankard of ale down the front of his leather jerkin. He slurred, “I’ll buy it for you.”

In exchange for what?

Hella really didn’t want to know the answer to that question, so she politely smiled and moved away, heading at speed for the lake and not slowing until she was sure she was alone again.

She dumped her empty drink in the nearest bin and surveyed the lake, losing herself in it as the water sparkled and its beauty hit her all over again. She was sure she would never grow tired of this view. The elegant buildings hugged the shore as far as the eye could see, ending only at the far side of the manmade lake where a slice of bright green replaced them. A dense forest rose up beyond the park, clinging to the rugged slope. Above the trees, the rocky roof of the cavern curled towards her.

Hella had helped with the spell that turned the ceiling of the cavern into a sky for the most part. Originally, it had channelled whatever weather was happening above the mountain they were under. The town hadn’t particularly been happy when they had discovered that weather included snow and rain too, so on days when it was inclement topside, the spell defaulted to a fake blue sky and sunshine.

Which had led to the town demanding they do a new spell that made the days always sunny and warm, and the nights always clear and moonlit and blanketed with stars.

She tipped her head back and bathed in the warmth of the sunlight, and was humming to herself before she realised what she was doing. What could she put on the menu tonight? Maybe she could find some eligible bachelor panthers and convince them to warm her bed. If she wandered south, into the network of alleyways that connected the broader avenues in the town, she would eventually end up in the area of the cavern where the townhouses and apartment buildings gave way to sprawling walled compounds. The shifters liked their space and had established themselves quickly in the town, grabbing a lot of the vacant land for themselves. One of the compounds belonged to panthers. The one next to it belonged to tigers.

The two breeds were always fighting like cats and… cats.

Still, if she couldn’t find a panther to sample, she could always bag herself a tiger. They were excellent lovers, incredibly acrobatic. She had learned a few things from the tigers she had bedded over the years.

She turned towards the next alley, feeling more positive about the evening ahead of her as she recalled her past exploits.

Her step slowed as she experienced a sudden sensation that something had shifted. Her mood? The air? She wasn’t sure.

Whatever it was, it felt off.

Wrong.

She slowly took in her surroundings, that feeling growing at an alarming rate. The promenade was busy, with a lot of groups hanging out in front of stores or beside the lake. Other groups were moving, chatting animatedly to each other, and there were some solo people like her too. Some of those males and females meandered as she was, enjoying the warm sunshine, while others moved with purpose through the crowd, heading somewhere. She scanned them all, seeking the source of the sensation building inside her, and her fingertips tingled as her magic rose to the fore.

Hella looked over her shoulder in the direction she had come.

And spotted them.

A dozen burly, drop-dead-gorgeous men heading her way.

Hella hitched her skirts with her left hand, aware this was going to come down to a chase, and possibly a fight.

Because apparently, nymph kings didn’t take no for an answer after all.

She summoned a protective spell and a speed spell in her mind, chanting the incantations as quickly as she could manage, and twisted back in the direction she had been heading.

And slammed straight into a broad, impressively cut bare chest.

Hella tilted her head back, her gaze roaming up the thick slabs of his pectorals to a strong but elegant neck, the spells forgotten as her stomach dropped.

The beautiful blond’s lips quirked into a satisfied half-smile, the pointed tips of his ears showing as the breeze caught his long hair and shifted it across his shoulders, and his blue eyes piercing her.

Hello, Legolas.

She might have purred if it wasn’t for one small fact.

He was a nymph.

His stunning eyes narrowed and his hand shot forwards, his grip bruising and unyielding as it closed around her arm, fingers pressing deep enough that pain shot up to her shoulder and down to her hand.

Life suddenly didn’t look as sweet.

Panic seized her as firmly as his large hand as she heard the other nymphs closing in and the air hummed with familiar power. He was preparing to teleport. She swiftly raised her left knee, aiming for the sweet spot between his green leather clad legs as she quickly worked through the incantations.

He released her and blocked her leg.

And slammed a cold metal cuff around her right wrist with the other.

The power that had been surging through her disappeared, the incantation in her head nothing but empty words as the bespelled shackles did their work, severing the connection between her and her magic.

Hella grunted as two more nymphs grabbed her from behind, slamming her forwards into the larger male. She elbowed one in his stomach, hard enough that he loosed a very satisfying grunt and stumbled back a step. She was quick to seize the small amount of space she had gained, leaning away from the one who was trying to shackle her and cocking her fist. Another of the nymph’s stopped her before she could punch him, tightly gripping her arm and holding her back.

The male with the shackles pulled her arm free of his grip and yanked it towards him, hard enough that pain shot through her shoulder as she fell against him. He shoved her back a few inches and she could only glare at him as he fastened the other cuff around her free wrist, his satisfied smirk growing wider, and teleported with her.

But in the breath between the fae town and an unfamiliar room, a sound rang in her ears, one that sent a chill skittering down her spine and spread strange warmth through her veins.

A beast howled in rage.

BOOKS IN THE SERIES

About the Author:
Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! All of them alpha as you would expect in paranormal romance, and every book with a guaranteed HAPPILY FOREVER AFTER!

If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter, Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole, Donna Grant and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling London Vampires series. Seven sexy and sinful Greek god brothers can be your new addiction in the Guardians of Hades series. Or how about four hot alpha shifter brothers in her Cougar Creek Mates series? Or if you prefer huge, detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the Eternal Mates series.

GRAND GIVEAWAY
Enter the grand tour-wide giveaway to win one of five signed paperbacks and swag packs at the Inflamed by an Incubus book page. This giveaway is international and open to everyone, and ends at midnight on May 2nd. Enter now: