Urban Fantasy: With All My Haunted Heart by Isabel Sterling

With All My Haunted Heart
by Isabel Sterling
Sept 8, 2026
Genre: LGBTQ, paranormal, urban fantasy, witches
A witch hired to ethically haunt a small-town B&B instead finds herself spellbound by her non-magical client in this cozy and enchanting sapphic romance.

Steadily losing clients to the new DIY-magic shop on the other side of town, Pippa Ainsley is getting desperate. Instead of hiring the witch to correct their magical maladies, local mundanes have been taking their chances with the cheaper—and unpredictable—crystals and herb blends. So when Pippa’s best friend hires her to inspect his newly acquired bed-and-breakfast for ghosts, she doesn’t think twice about it.

That is, until she learns that his unfairly attractive co-owner, Elle Thompson, doesn’t want Pippa to rid their business of spirits. She wants Pippa to give them an edge over the competition by haunting their B&B.

It’s the perfect challenge for Pippa’s experimental magic, but just because she could figure it out, doesn’t mean it’s a smart or safe idea. But Elle is persistent, and the financial boost could save her own business if Pippa succeeds. Soon, Pippa finds herself testing the limits of her magic… and her ability to stop the growing attraction she feels toward Elle, a woman with a painful secret of her own.

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Praise for Isabel Sterling
"With All My Haunted Heart deftly weaves humor and steam with deep, true emotions in a gorgeous queer romance full of both literal and metaphorical ghosts and magic."—Stephanie Burgis, USA Today bestselling author of Wooing the Witch Queen

“With All My Haunted Heart contains everything I could want in a paranormal romance–found family, a cozy setting, plenty of humor, and lots of fun magic. Isabel Sterling deftly weaves in themes of letting go and daring to let others in, conjuring a spellbindingly sweet sapphic romance that's full of heart and hope.”—Tori Anne Martin, USA Today bestselling author of This Spells Disaster

“Heartfelt and cathartic, Sterling weaves a story that grounds the fantastical with relatable characters and predicaments. With All My Haunted Heart reminds us that even the strongest magic can't fix family trauma, a flagging business, or an inconvenient crush.”—Kiri Callaghan, USA Today bestselling author of A Hearth Witch’s Guide to Magic and Murder

“In With All My Haunted Heart, Isabel Sterling has created a love story that goes beyond its (incredibly hot and sweet) central romance—an absolutely beautiful exploration on family, grief, healing, friendship, and what it means to reach for something new when your whole world feels shattered. This is a stunning adult debut.”—Shelly Jay Shore, USA Today bestselling author of Rules for Ghosting

“With All My Haunted Heart is an utterly spellbinding sapphic romance that’s as charming as it is surprisingly moving. Full of witchy shenanigans and big swoons, this book swept me up in the magic of its cozily haunted bed and breakfast. Sign me up for a stay!” —Bridget Morrissey, author of That Summer Feeling

“With All My Haunted Heart is profoundly emotional and bewitchingly sexy! I was fully entranced by Sterling’s cozy paranormal sapphic romance—a stunning and hopeful exploration of love, grief, and other ghosts that linger in our hearts.”—Jessica James, author of For Our Next Song

“Sterling’s rich, magical world dazzles readers with its fantastic intricacies. Suspense, romance, and wit go hand in hand, and the thrills run right up to the last page.” —Richelle Mead, #1 international bestselling author of The Glittering Court and Vampire Academy series, on These Witches Don't Burn

"An enchanting mystery, simmering with intrigue. Once you start These Witches Don't Burn, you'll be utterly spellbound." —Sarah Glenn Marsh, author of the Reign of the Fallen series

"These Witches Don’t Burn is an original, thrillingly romantic spin on the classic teen witch tale. Infused with page-turning suspense, bittersweet romance, shocking twists, and tragic turns, Sterling has written a standout debut. Never sentimental, often sweet, but unafraid to break your heart, the writing is as lovely, vibrant, and ruthless as its characters." —Dana Mele, author of People Like Us

"An enchanting debut from Isabel Sterling. I'd be in for the note-perfect f/f romance alone, but These Witches Don't Burn perfectly blends a fun teenage relationship story with a delightfully dark and twisty supernatural thriller. A lovely witchy book full of complicated girls and a world rich with queer characters. It'll leave you wanting a coven of your own." —Britta Lundin, author of Ship It and writer on Riverdale

"Sterling's debut meshes high magical stakes with the raw, real human emotions of broken hearts and new love, creating a book that's utterly bewitching in every way." —Dahlia Adler, author of Under the Lights on These Witches Don't Burn

“A fun, fresh contemporary fantasy with one of the most endearing and authentic casts I've read. Complicated friendships, deeply relatable romantic entanglements, and Salem's long history make this book an unforgettable read.” —Katherine Locke, author of The Girl with the Red Balloon on These Witches Don't Burn

About the Author
website
Isabel Sterling writes stories about queer love and resilience with a witty magical twist. She is the author of several YA and adult novels, including: These Witches Don’t Burn, This Coven Won’t Break, The Coldest Touch, and the forthcoming With All My Haunted Heart. Isabel is also a master certified life coach, the founder of The Confident Author Academy, and the host of The Author Burnout Cure podcast. An alum of Purchase College and Syracuse University, Isabel spent a decade working in higher education and LGBTQ non-profits before striking out on their own to write and coach full-time. Isabel lives with their spouse and fur-babies in Central New York, where the winters are frigid, the summers are too hot, and autumn is perfect.

Excerpt: Silver Spider: A Paranormal Murder Mystery by Lena Austin

Silver Spider: A Paranormal Murder Mystery 
by Lena Austin 
June 5, 2026
A Paranormal Murder Mystery Romance
Fantasy / Romance / LGBTQ
Publisher: Changeling Press
The secretive Duke of Aberystwyth has invited Madge Majesty to a murder mystery party, but he's the first victim!

Madge is a harpy, mystery writer, and amateur sleuth with a nose for murder. At her side is her faithful chauffeur, Hayden, who is a telekinetic ex-thief -- and a confirmed bachelor.

Now it's up to Madge to solve the whodunit. Her suspects are a motley assortment of inverts and very nervous heterosexuals, all of whom have more than just their sexual foibles to hide. Is it the cross-dressing vampire, the packless werewolf, the voyeuristic doctor, the gargoyle majordomo, or the promiscuous man who seems bent on getting everyone into his bed, including Hayden?

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Excerpt
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2026 Lena Austin
"Madame?"

Madge Majesty looked up from her study of the papers spread on her lap and across the seat of her beloved 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost Limousine. "Yes, Hayden?"

"Madame, Dunraven Castle is but perhaps half an hour away. You requested a warning." Hayden had lasted years longer than any of her other drivers, so he knew he was liked, but wasn't fool enough to take advantage of that knowledge. Harpies were not creatures to take lightly.

"Hmm. So I did." She gathered up her papers and stuffed them into her leather case. Wearily, she pulled on the gloves she'd laid to the side and put on the ridiculously large hat with an immense array of feathers decorating it. "There. I'm properly adorned." She huffed out an unladylike breath, as much as her corset would allow. "I'd give a great deal to be back in Greece where the fashions were sensible."

Hayden quirked a smile at her. "But not warm, Madame. Wales in winter is considerably chillier." As if to emphasize his point, the wind rattled the Rolls with no respect for the craftsmanship that went into it.

"I'm very sorry I agreed to be the Duke's hostess for this mystery party. Why didn't I refuse and stay in our lovely townhouse in London, where I could enjoy a party or write as I pleased?" Madge rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Ah, well, what's done is done. We'll make the best of the weekend and be toasting our toes in front of the home fires soon enough."

"I've never been to a mystery party, Madame. How does one throw a party for a mystery?"

"Very simple. It's all in this box." Madge patted the locked strongbox beside her. "There are clue cards and the basic plot for me to follow. This one is perfect for a winter game, called The Santa Clause. Who wouldn't love to murder a solicitor or two now and again?" She shrugged. "I certainly would, upon occasion."

Hayden retreated into silence and returned his attention to maneuvering her precious new car through the few treacherous roads that Wales bothered to have at all. The ex-thief was not fond of anyone who had anything to do with the law. He was officially rehabilitated, but a mere ten years of service as her driver didn't negate a lifetime of running from authority. An extremely careful and quiet man by nature, he was -- in Madge's opinion -- the perfect companion, much better than a twittering peahen of a lady's maid.

The car lurched and slid to one side on a patch of icy mud, throwing Madge against the door. She bore it in stoic silence. Hayden wouldn't understand how much they needed the money provided by this weekend of enforced merriment. Everyone was writing books in this day and age, and she wouldn't say the money she earned was paltry, but it certainly didn't allow for a lavish lifestyle. In fact, if the truth were known, Hayden was the only employee she could afford. Thus, while on their jaunts -- often paid by those who wished for a bit of fame and glamour to rub off on them -- Hayden served as chef, chauffeur, lady's maid, and man of all work.

Since it suited her to be knowledgeable about subjects many men hadn't even the stomach for, Madge pulled out of her case one of the few books where the great Sigmund Freud appeared to change his mind on the subject of anxiety and inhibitions. Madge grinned to herself. She did love humor, especially when humans meant to be serious. "Of course we all have inhibitions, moronic little man."

Her mumble caught Hayden's attention. "Why do you bother with that mumbo-jumbo, Madame? He thinks everything has to do with sexual congress!"

"Hmm, yes, well, he does have certain prejudices, doesn't he? I'm not aberrant because I enjoy sex, and I seriously doubt the way your mother changed your nappies has anything to do with your homosexuality. Do be forgiving, dear. He's hopelessly addicted to cocaine, and trapped in a repressed society."

Sadly, everything she said was true. "You'd know more about repressed societies than I, Madame. I'm only a poor human, after all." Hayden gave her one of his infamous Mona Lisa smiles -- a smile that showed no teeth but implied much more than mischief while keeping well into propriety. Bless him, he never stepped a toe out of line publicly, unless called upon to do so.

Madge, on the other hand, had no compunctions about showing her fangs, even when she covered her retractable dagger-like talons with silk gloves. The pointed ears peeking out of dark curls and her Grecian looks marked her as a foreigner in a land notable for its snobbery, but Madge saw no need to bother hiding herself. Well, all right, she hid the wings. Blasted things got in the way if she didn't, but that was for her convenience and not propriety. She was what she was -- an expatriate harpy who told a good story and occasionally found cause to use her bloodthirsty nature to solve a mystery.

The irony was, no one ever thought to accuse her of the murders because harpies weren't known for subtlety when it came to killing. Madge acknowledged the legend with twisted lips, and didn't bother to remind anyone that she was free and no longer the slave of the Furies.

Framed by snow clouds the color of a pigeon's breast, Dunraven Castle hove up from the surrounding hills like a fairytale. Beautifully situated and scrupulously maintained by a trust none of the Duke's wastrel ancestors could touch, it was a welcoming sight in the gathering gloom of dusk. Thanks to the road conditions, if you dared call the deeply rutted mud tracks by the same noble word the Romans used for their craftsmanship, they were hours late. They'd missed tea in their haste to make up time, and now her stomach rumbled audibly. "Have we time for a biscuit, Hayden?"

"Was that your stomach, Madame? Surely I thought we were about to have a storm." Hayden pretended to study the sky very seriously. At the same time, his hand reached back imploringly. "I'd love a bikky, thank you. No doubt I've missed the servant's dinner, and I've no mind to make do with a bit of cold chicken and some bread until morning."

Chuckling wickedly because he knew she always insisted he sit with her at table, forestalling any foolish matchmaking attempts, Madge handed him a large shortbread biscuit from her hamper, and they munched companionably. Finally, the car traversed the bridge atop the dry moat and passed through the portcullis into the courtyard of Dunraven.

"Just do me one small favor, Madame?" Hayden did not move from the seat to open her door.

"So serious! Very well, what is it?" She thought she knew, but made him ask.

"Let's try not to let this weekend become a real murder mystery?" His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, and she imagined under the proper driving gloves of his profession, his knuckles were white. Poor thing, he really had suffered at the last mysterious weekend, and had ended up incarcerated for three days until Madge had proven to everyone's satisfaction that another had committed the deed. For poor Hayden, it had been a truly miserable occasion.

Madge patted his shoulder. "Buck up, Hayden. I'm planning nothing more than a game all weekend. After all, what could happen in the Duke's presence?"

About the Author
Someone cursed Lena Austin with "may you have a life so full you'll have many tales to tell your grandchildren." Lena's a "fallen" society wench with a checkered past. She's been a licensed minister, hairdresser, Realtor, radio DJ, exotic dancer, telephone service tech, live-steel medievalist swordswoman, BDSM Mistress, and investment property manager. Not necessarily in that order. She never finished that degree in marine archaeology, but did learn to scuba -- she's got a lifetime of "Research material!"

Hey, why waste these stories on kids who won't listen anyway? Writing them down is a nice way to spend her retirement. What? You expected an ex-BDSM Mistress to take up crocheting or something? 

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SLAY! / The Girlfriend Survives - Double First Issue 56-page comic Flip Book

SLAY! / The Girlfriend Survives - Double First Issue 56-page comic  Flip Book

(review of SLAY! coming soon) 

 

 by Jeremy Whitley & Alex Smith & Luc Nakashoji

On one side it's the first issue of fantasy-horror-western SLAY! by Writer Jeremy Whitley, Artist Alex Smith, Colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick and Letterer Taylor Esposito, and on the other-side the The Girlfriend Survives is the first issue of a superhero story told from a perspective you've never seen before, written by Jeremy Whitley, Illustrated by Luc Nakashoji and Colored by Jamie Noguchi.

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"SLAY!"
Leilah wants to be a monster hunter. She wants to do it so bad, she's pretending to be the notorious monster hunter known as The Scarred Rider in hopes she may meet the legend herself. But when her first hunt turns out to be way more dangerous than she can handle, Leilah may not live long enough to meet the Rider or, worse yet, she just might.

This post-apocalyptic monster-hunting western is the first chapter of an epic about coming of age soaked in blood and monster guts and the dangers of meeting your heroes in the dark woods while you're impersonating them.

"The Girlfriend Survives" follows the story of Delilah Dillon, a barista who wins the heart of local college professor Billy Bright. But what she can't possibly guess is that Billy is the civilian alter ego of the mighty superhero Brightstar! And when Brightstar's greatest foe discovers her connection, she finds herself headed down the same route as a hundred civilian love interests before her - right into the fridge. But Delilah has a secret of her own: she's a survivor and this superhero love story is about to get flipped on its head.

 

YA Time Travel Romance: Where Fireflies Dwell by Samantha J. Won

How beautiful is this cover? Fans of K-Drama and time travel will love Where Fireflies Dwell by Samantha J. Won!

Where Fireflies Dwell
by Samantha J. Won
January 2025
Genre: YA Time Travel Romance/ LGBTQAI+/ K Drama Vibes Enemies to lovers
Best friends to enemies
Time travel
BL, LGBTQ Rep
Family

Time travel is not a choice. It’s a curse.

Ri Yunho and his best friend, Jo Wooju, have it all. With the immense fame and wealth that come with being two of the most popular Korean Hallyu actors in their generation, the pair jump from one wild success to another. But when Yunho’s life is shattered after a heinous allegation by Wooju leaves him in prison, he’s forced to grapple with the reasons behind his best friend’s betrayal.

As if to salvage his life from the ruin it has become, Yunho mysteriously meets a magical entity and is transported back to his teens, where he is given one chance at redemption—to reshape his future and uncover the truth behind Wooju’s backstabbing.

Caught up in a mounting conspiracy that will force Yunho to reconsider everything he knew about his former best friend, he’ll need to delve into the past and find the shadowy figure pulling the strings that led to his imprisonment.

Can Yunho unravel the web of secrets behind Wooju’s betrayal? Or has his fate already been decided?

Where Fireflies Dwell is a story about friendship, family, and youth. But most importantly, it’s about what it means to love unconditionally.

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About the author
Instagram
Samantha J. Won was born and raised in the Philippines. She now resides in Los Angeles, California with her family. She is a registered nurse but has always felt the urge to dive into writing. What started as a childhood hobby, sparked by her love for the classic The Baby-Sitter’s Club by Ann M. Martin—eventually turned into full length scripts, fanfictions, and children’s stories. Samantha J uses her writing to fill those literary voids she stumbles upon when struggling to find her next great read. She enjoys roller skating, spending time with her dog, and devouring her favorite shows.

 

Triggers: Abuse, attempted suicide

IG: @authorsjwon @rrbooktours

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#rrbooktours #rrbtWhereFirefliesDwellTour #wherefirefliesdwell #samanthajwon #yabook #lgbtq #contemporary #sliceoflife #kdrama #kdramavibe #asianbooks #timetravelromance #booktours

Call Forth the Moonlight: Magíqon's Guide to Gryphon Liberation by Z.M. Celestaire + giveaway

Standing up for magíq means the world stands against you.

Call Forth the Moonlight: Magíqon's Guide to Gryphon Liberation
by Z.M. Celestaire
Apr 4, 2025
Genre: LGBTQ Ecopunk Fantasy Romance
Deubrise is a land blessed by the breath of the slumbering gods. Magíq lives within nature, powerful and beautiful. Few else can harness it besides the gryphons that reside in the mountains near Nico De Falco's home, and the rare magíqon like Nico's little sister. But magíqon are shunned and feared by modern society.

To protect himself from such treatment, Dr. Ackerleigh Sebring keeps his magíq a secret. Yet his "radical" teachings of magíqal history gets him fired from Ravensbourne University. Desperate, he finds a gamekeeper job caring for an imprisoned gryphon. Finally, he can be his whole self.

That is, until Nico follows a misguided impulse and frees the gryphon, injuring Ackerleigh accidentally.

Their fates—and feelings—become entangled in their determination to protect the sacred magíq of the gryphon. Ackerleigh and Nico will stop at nothing for the sake of liberation.

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Z.M. (they/them) is a writer, artist, and therapist. Writing and art have been a hobby for some twenty years now since they were a goofy little middle schooler. Z.M. grew up devouring urban fantasy authors like Charles De Lint, Holly Black, and Patricia C. Wrede.
Z.M. lives in Saint Paul with their spouse, human child, and fur children. 

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The Baritone’s Rival (The Vampire Impresario Book 2) by J.B. Warrick + giveaway

Two rival opera singers.
One vampire, one human.
Both running from the past. 

The Baritone’s Rival (The Vampire Impresario Book 2)
by J.B. Warrick
Genre: M/M LGBTQ Paranormal Romance
Two rival opera singers. One vampire, one human. Both running from the past.
Oscar Acosta’s abusive ex-boyfriend is dead, and his old vampire coven is gone. Now all he cares about is winning a coveted spot with the prestigious local opera company. His stiffest competition is Trent, an adorable fellow grad student with a linebacker’s build who he is definitely not crushing on.

When Oscar’s ex turns out to be not-so-deceased, sending several vampires to kidnap him, Oscar is forced to reveal his own vampire identity to his classmate. Can he trust Trent or should he keep him at a safe distance?

Trent Erickson is on his own with no safety net. He doesn’t have time for partying, especially not with a privileged trust fund nepo baby like Oscar. Trent’s not going to let some rich flake steal his star spot onstage, even if the guy stirs up feelings in him that he doesn’t understand.

But when he witnesses three savage vamps attacking Oscar, Trent’s own hidden history rears its ugly head. After all, he knows more about fighting vampires than any human should.

The Baritone’s Rival is a 60,000-word rivals to lovers, bi-awakening, fated mates vampire romance with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhanger. It contains an ambitious opera singer and the closed-off vampire who falls for him in spite of himself. It also has steamy scenes and the violence you might expect from a vampire story. It is a standalone novel in an interconnected series. Not suitable for readers under 18.

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The Baritone’s Rival by J.B. Warrick Excerpt
Oscar retrieved a plastic bottle of alcohol and gauze pads from the island. He crouched down next to Trent. His cheek was right by the man’s broad chest.

 
“I don’t think you need stitches, but this is going to hurt a little.” 

Trent nodded, although Oscar thought he might be drifting off. He poured a few drops of alcohol on a pad and touched it to the topmost cut.

Trent breathed in sharply, his hands gripping at the sides of the chair and his eyes snapping open. 

“Fuck.” 

Well, he was awake now. Oscar worked as fast as he could, but he wouldn’t risk infection. His fingers made their way across the damaged skin tenderly. Tenderness was not something Oscar had known much of, or something he trafficked in, but seeing Trent there brought it out in him. 

He just wanted his classmate to be okay, for his smooth, pale skin to be unmarred by scars and injury. He had to reverse the wound, to make it as if it had never been. He didn’t know why it was so important. Trent had said he’d been in vampire fights before. Still, something about touching him like this made Oscar’s chest open up. It felt raw, unprotected, to be caring for Trent in this way.

When he hit one particularly tender area, Trent yelped in pain, and Oscar’s heart leapt into his throat. Why was he having this reaction? He wasn’t squeamish. He’d killed vampire and human alike. Was it just that he was responsible because Trent had saved his life? Every sigh and moan caused another crack in Oscar’s cool facade. 

When the cuts were clean, he covered the area with a large piece of cotton gauze, holding it in place with medical tape. Oscar stepped back to admire his handiwork. Trent looked almost rugged with the bandage. It was a contrast to his innocent, midwestern face and sun-kissed skin. And it was sexy as hell. 

Oscar forced away the thought. This man despised him and clearly had a thing against vampires in general. He was straight! Yet Oscar couldn’t help drinking in the sight of Trent as he relaxed against the wooden chair with his eyes closed.

“How are you feeling, Trent?” Anthony asked, startling Oscar. He hoped he hadn’t been staring for too long. 

Trent’s eyes fluttered open. “Okay. The sting is duller.”
Anthony stepped toward him, reaching out to help him up. 

“Good. Let’s go sit you down in the common area. I can get some ibuprofen for the pain.”
Trent grabbed Anthony’s hand and heaved himself up. As they moved to the door, Trent looked over at Oscar with a strange look on his face. A question. Did he not want to leave Oscar?
“I’ll be right there,” Oscar said. A smile sprang up unbidden at Trent’s expression. “I just need to wash your blood off my hands.”
“That is a weird thing to hear,” Trent said, chuckling low. A spark of electricity ran up Oscar’s spine at the deep, rich sound.
What was wrong with him? 

As Trent and Anthony left, Oscar went over to the porcelain farmhouse sink, tossing the scraps of gauze and medical tape in the trash as he passed it. He turned on the water and held out his hands.

There wasn’t too much to wash off. The wound had dried, other than a few drips when the t-shirt was removed. A quick rinse and he was clean. 

Except for the single droplet of Trent’s blood that sat on the side of the knuckle of Oscar’s right pointer finger.
He didn’t know why he did it. It was an impulse, a sudden desire with no logic or reason. After staring at the burgundy bead for a long moment, he brought his hand to his face and licked it off.

His vision blew out in a bright rainbow of color. The taste of it exploded his senses, and a thrilling tingle ran from his tongue, down his throat, and spread to every inch of his body. He was overwhelmed with the sensation.
Never mind the sweet, perfect flavor of it. Honey and clove. It was all Oscar wanted to taste for the rest of his life. The intense, thrilling assault on his senses could only mean one thing. 

No. He couldn’t be Trent’s mate. Would the universe do this to him? Would fate give him a mate who despised the very idea of it? A man who wanted nothing to do with vampires? Who wanted nothing to do with him? Who probably hated him?

The Tenor’s Shadow (The Vampire Impresario Book 1)
One temperamental opera singer. One vampire bodyguard. Let the sparks and secrets fly.

Anthony wouldn’t let anything stand in his way.

His career as an operatic tenor was finally taking off, and he would be damned if he let some stalker keep him from his globe-hopping musical dreams. But he had made the mistake of telling his uncle about the threatening letters the creep had been leaving in his hotel room.

Now he was saddled with a muscle-bound bodyguard who was seriously cramping his love life, even if the guy did have a swoony accent and the perfect number of freckles. No matter what Anthony did, he couldn’t get rid of the stubborn redheaded Brit. Freddie just didn’t fit in with his glamorous life of encores and galas and schmoozing. And how did the man never sleep?

Freddie was there to do a job.

Or maybe a few. He had been content as head of security for the Hughes vampire coven in London. But now he’d been sent to America to keep his coven master’s nephew safe from the threat of a rival coven. He knew the rules. Anthony couldn’t find out about the existence of vampires, and he certainly couldn’t find out that Freddie was one. Plus, he had to manage Anthony’s demanding personality, and Freddie was painfully bad with people. And he absolutely one-hundred-percent had to keep himself from hooking up with the overbearing American.

When friction erupts into steamy passion, can Freddie and Anthony forge a relationship together? Or will Freddie’s secrets and the deadly vampires of the Azarian coven tear them apart?

The Tenor's Shadow is a 50,000-word MM vampire romance with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhanger. It contains a strong-but-silent vampire bodyguard and the high strung opera singer that falls fast for him. It also contains steamy scenes and the violence you might expect from a vampire story. Not suitable for readers under 18.

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J.B. is a writer of MM paranormal and fantasy romance. They live in New York City, and when they're not writing they spend their time eating delicious snacks and listening to opera. If you're looking for fast-moving open door romance, fun and magic, and just a touch of darkness, J.B.'s books are for you!

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99 cents - The Northern Witch Series The Complete Box Set by K.S. Marsden + giveaway

The quirky, best-selling Urban Fantasy Series.
When a Witch-in-Training falls for a Demon-Possessed Soul...

The Northern Witch Series
The Complete Box Set
by K.S. Marsden
Genre: YA LGBTQ Urban Fantasy
The quirky, best-selling Urban Fantasy Series.

When Mark decides to follow in his Nanna's footsteps, and train in witchcraft, he takes on more than he could ever have imagined. Up until now, he has been ignorant of the magical dangers, demons and monsters that his coven defend against.
Everything changes when Damian moves to Tealford. He is everything Mark has ever wanted, but he comes with his own cursed life.

Luckily, Mark has the support of his friends and family... as well as the handsome newcomer.

Containing the full 6-part series:
Winter Trials (Northern Witch #1)
Awaken (Northern Witch #2)
The Breaking (Northern Witch #3)
Summer Sin (Northern Witch #4)
A Dark Fate (Northern Witch #5)
All Things End (Northern Witch #6)

**On Sale for Only .99cents for December – Get it Now!!**
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Kelly S. Marsden grew up in Yorkshire, and there were two constants in her life - books and horses.

Graduating with an equine degree from Aberystwyth University, she has spent most of her life since trying to experience everything the horse world has to offer. She is currently settled into a Nutritionist role for a horse feed company in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

Her first book, The Shadow Rises, was published in January 2013, and she now has several successful series under her belt.

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Excerpt: A Curse for Samhain (The Skeleton Crew Paranormal Cozy Series Book 1) by Dahlia Donovan + giveaway

Welcome to the Skeleton Crew. Bring your knitting needles and a good, strong brew.

A Curse for Samhain (The Skeleton Crew Paranormal Cozy Series Book 1)

by Dahlia Donovan
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Cozy Mystery
Welcome to the Skeleton Crew. Bring your knitting needles and a good, strong brew.

Gender fluid, autistic vampire Hyde Snodgrass runs Between the Leaves—a cosy village book store. Their life revolves around books, all things autumnal, and the two cats who rule their world. The shop also plays host to a weekly knitting group called the Skeleton Crew.

When one of the leaders of the village coven fails to show up for the weekly knitting meeting, Hyde finds themselves investigating a horrific murder side by side with their long-term crush, Teresa Vega.

Suspicion immediately falls on other members of their group. Hyde and Teresa struggle to find answers to the growing list of questions. It’s made all the more difficult when the killer has them in their sights.

Can working together spark the romantic flame within them?

Will they solve the mystery before death comes too close?

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EXCERPT
“What do you think, Mortar? Pestle?” Hyde finished adjusting their button-down collar out of the blue sweater and glanced at the two cats observing them. One meowed quite loudly while the other sniffed before licking a paw. “You’re both remarkably unhelpful.”

The outfit of the day was one of their favourites. A lovely blue sweater with a well-worn button-down underneath. Jeans. A little boyish style from yesteryear with their trousers tucked into their socks and a vintage pair of brown boots.

I am a chubby ginger icon. I can seize the day.

Or I can seize a book to read.

That sounds better.

I’ll seize a book.

A particularly loud yowl caught their attention. The cats were definitely ready for their breakfast. They both looked pitifully up at Hyde.

“All right. Come on, you two.”

Mortar was a stunningly beautiful Persian with startling blue eyes who’d definitely been a queen in a previous life. Pestle, on the other hand, had probably been a court jester. His long ginger fur and almost glowing yellow eyes certainly set him apart, as did his sense of mischief.

They were Hyde’s constant companions. They ruled the roost. And more often than not, they kept the right people in the shop and the rest from overstaying their welcome.

Between the Leaves had been Hyde’s passion project for almost eighty years. The building had been a gift from the woman who’d taken them in as a child. A little shop with a comfortable flat on the second floor, it had once been a place serving afternoon tea, but books had been more interesting to Hyde.

Returning to stare at the mirror, Hyde attempted to corral their short, curly red hair into some semblance of a style. It was going to be a hat day. A hat day. It was a mostly nonverbal day. And a they day.

Being a vampire had its perks; being almost a hundred yet having stopped ageing at thirty was certainly a plus. Being an autistic one, though, had drawbacks. Every sound and smell was amplified by what felt like a thousand. The world could be an incredibly overwhelming place. It was Flossie who’d come up with the idea for the signs.

Flossie Vandermark was one of the three witches who ran The Spiked Cauldron, the village pub. She also happened to be a proud member of the Skeleton Crew, a weekly knitting group who met up at Hyde’s bookshop. Flossie had suggested a sign for days when Hyde didn’t want to talk or when they felt more they than she.

It made Hyde feel accepted. Everyone wanted to do what made them comfortable. It was part of the magic of their village.

Acceptance.

Everyone knew about South Myrddin. The little village on a loch in the Scottish Highlands was founded by Merlin himself, or so the lore went. It had a reputation for taking in the abandoned.

Hyde had come as a child when their family vampire coven had rejected them. South Myrddin was the place for stragglers, odd ones, and outliers. A place to find family if one wanted.

A place to find home.

The village had a healthy coven of witches. A few vampires. The odd werewolf. A collection of naiads, dryads, and brownies. Druids and shifters. A stray kelpie. An incubus and succubus, who were Italians who ran a restaurant. And one lone fae who’d been in South Myrddin since the beginning, or so they claimed.

The eclectic bunch of magical beings had all made South Myrddin their home. Most of the villagers came searching for a place to feel comfortable in their own skin. Hyde considered themselves grateful to have been left there all those years ago.

 

About the Author
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Dahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.
 

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Excerpt: CINDER31LA (sapphic steampunk re-imagining) by Freida Kilmari + giveaway

CINDER31LA (sapphic steampunk re-imagining)
by Freida Kilmari
August 31st 2024
Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+, Retelling, Steampunk
I have 22,280 days left to live.

She only has 31.

Here in Clepsydra, everyone knows when they’re going to die. Born with a life clock embedded into our wrists, the tick-tock of our heartbeat is a pulse we’ll forever hear. Steambotics rule number one? Never mess with a life clock. For 21 years of my life, I’ve followed the rules and walked in my late father’s footsteps, hoping to one day be as good an engineer as he was.

Until she walked into my life.

The princess is dying, and it’s up to me to break the law and do the impossible. To cure time.

 Goodreads-Amazon

EXCERPT
I had 22,280 days to live. That was all the time I would get, whether I liked it or not. The clock never lied. The brass and steel of my lifeclock embedded in my wrist ticked on despite my mental whirring and purring, and I yanked my blue coverall sleeve down to mask the annoying tick tock of my heartbeat.

Returning my attention to the engine in front of me, I asked, “What’ve you got today for me, then?” I popped the hood of the steamer open and watched the faulty lines cross where they shouldn’t and meet where they should, with nothing transferring. “Hmmm . . .” I rubbed sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. “Seems you’ve got yourself all twisted, little buddy. Don’t worry, we’ll have you fixed up in no time.” As if in answer, the steamer chugged and whined, puffing a dirty cloud of old, used air in my face—clearly on its last legs. But I couldn’t return it to Old Mags like this; it was the only way she could see her grandchildren over in Prago City.

I spent all afternoon untangling the steam lines, trying to put them back together in a way that resembled the older models, but this thing was built before I was born and I couldn’t figure out how to line everything up to the radiator.

“Liquid toffee, El,” a synthetic voice croaked out from my desk.

“Ah, sweet toffee.” The bitter and sweet mixture always got my heart pumping.

IoN’s rusted, bronze body no larger than my head whizzed through the air with his new thrusters, his arms dangling behind as he raced back to the kitchen.

“Careful, IoN! You’ll knock something off the shelves if you don’t watch those arms.”

“Well,” he said as he whizzed back out with a can of compressed air, “if you did not pack them full with so many”—he paused and pulled an old project I’d been trying to work on last month from the shelf—“doodads, then I would not have a problem.”

He was always like this, moaning and complaining about the state of the garage these days. But with Dad gone, I had to step up and take over the business—my stepmother wouldn’t want to ruin her perfect new manicure my earnings paid for—and that meant there was no one to help clean up. The shelves on the metal and wood walls had stopped floating some time ago. I had since given up fixing their thrusters and nailed them to the walls the old-fashioned way.

“Just be careful,” I chuckled.

His small, hemispherical body whizzed around the garage, picking up all the tools I’d left lying about this morning after fixing my neighbor’s Instacaff mug. Business had been a bit slow recently—or, as my stepmother liked to remind me, nonexistent. The garage used to shine in the middle of downtown’s business park on level zero; even some of the rich would come to use Dad’s services. “He’s the best in the business,” they’d say, and I’d coo and wonder at his magnificence. Now, it was nothing but a scrappy old building with a broken sign the sun didn’t even reach since they’d built the city’s new level twenty-one a couple of years ago. We’d barely had any sunlight reaching us before, but twenty-one’s entertainment center blocked out the meager shaft of light that used to flicker our way from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. every day. Besides, its white marble and old cog design was an eyesore I could do without. I hated the damn sight of it every time I stepped outside.

“Mom to Cinderella,” the radio echoed across the garage, dispelling my thoughts.

I cringed. I hated that name and she knew it, but I was reminded of the warning my stepmother gave me this morning before leaving our apartment: “Cinderella, darling, don’t forget to make some actual money today, or I’ll be forced to resort to grounding you.” She booped my nose, smiled that cruel, frustrating smile at me, and walked to the local spa for her morning massage.

As if grounding me would help pay the bills. I was the only one working!

“Cinderella!”

I snapped out of the daymare that was her plastered-on face and ran to the radio receiver. “Yes, Phyllis?”

“Cinderella!” the radio crackled again, forcing her voice into octaves even higher than her fake personality would usually reach. “How many times must I tell you to call me ‘Mom’ or ‘Mother.’” She sighed over the receiver. “Really, Cinderella, I simply cannot keep telling you.”

“Sorry, Mother.” My voice retained its usual nondescript tone, hiding anything and everything she might use as leverage over my life. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, now that you’ve actually asked.” She coughed to clear her throat. “I may have a job for you. Someone sent us a letter requesting your assistance at the Dome on level eighteen.”

Level eighteen? I’d never even left level zero. Most commoners didn’t venture farther than level ten, and even that was only if you had a well-paying job or an invitation to take you there. Level eighteen? I bet I could see the sun from up there. Not the small slithers we occasionally got when you found the right street corner at the right time of day, but real, actual sunlight.

About the Author:
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Freida Kilmari, an author, writer, and editor from south-west England, has a passion for unique fantasy, one that started with the likes of Philip Pullman, Derek Landy, and Darren Shan. With their fantastical words, she spent her childhood and young adult life vying to create her own world of words one day. Eventually, after finishing her degree and settling into being a business owner, she started writing fantasy romance with LGBT+ twists, and from there, she's kept twisting tropes, retelling fairy tales and legends, and seeing just how far you can push the boundaries of sexuality and gender.

Living in south-west England, she owns and runs Penmanship Editing, a fi
ction editing business that strives to make the most out of each author's unique story, words, and heart. "Every writer is different, and it's those differences that make our work a part of who we are." She's worked on over 100 books in the last two years and has received praise from authors and other editors alike for her encouraging and togetherness approach in a field that is lacking uniqueness and empathy.

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CAMP 1985 (Slasherverse Book 1) by Matthew R. Corr

We can't of a better book to close out the season with! If you love 80's vibes and horror flicks, you need to read CAMP 1985 by Matthew R. Corr!

CAMP 1985 (Slasherverse Book 1)
by Matthew R. Corr
June 14, 2024
Genre: Horror/Slasher/New Horror/LGBTQ2+
Enter the nostalgia-laced world of CAMP 1985, A bogus new summer program where parents send their social-media-addicted teens to unplug and make face-to-face connections without the help of a screen. Ander expects a fun weekend getaway with other influencers but instead finds himself trapped in a radical landscape without wifi. Just when Ander gives in to camp life and starts crushing on a cute gamer boy, a little fun with a spirit board unleashes a vengeful spirit of a bygone era. Now, with danger lurking behind every tree, Ander and his fellow campers must navigate a twisted game of survival against a retro evil determined to off them one by one. Who will survive? Brace yourself for a bloody good time in the first of seven books in Matthew R. Corr’s Slasherverse!   

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#rrbooktours @rrbtCAMP1985 #CAMP1985 #80stheme #80shorror #newhorror #horrorbooks #queerhorror #slasherbook #slashermovies #gayhorror #finalboy #horrorbooks #horrornovel #queerslasher #scaryreads #finalgirl

Book Review: Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk

Thirst
by Marina Yuszczuk
March 5, 2024
Publisher: Dutton
ASIN: B0C773SH3T
ISBN: 9780593472064
It is the twilight of Europe’s bloody bacchanals, of murder and feasting without end. In the nineteenth century, a vampire arrives from Europe to the coast of Buenos Aires and, for the second time in her life, watches as villages transform into a cosmopolitan city, one that will soon be ravaged by yellow fever. She must adapt, intermingle with humans, and be discreet.

In present-day Buenos Aires, a woman finds herself at an impasse as she grapples with her mother's terminal illness and her own relationship with motherhood. When she first encounters the vampire in a cemetery, something ignites within the two women—and they cross a threshold from which there’s no turning back.

With echoes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and written in the vein of feminist Gothic writers like Shirley Jackson, Daphne du Maurier, and Carmen Maria Machado, Thirst plays with the boundaries of genre while exploring the limits of female agency, the consuming power of desire, and the fragile vitality of even the most immortal of creatures.

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Thirst is about a female vampire told in first person. How she was sold by her mother to a vampire nobleman, who fed off her and eventually he turned her when she became a young woman, her and other women who she began thinking of as her sisters. When the Master vamp is killed many years later, she and her sisters escape, living wild in the forests, feeding off humans. As the years progress and they learn to cloth themselves and seduce victims for their food, her sisters are destroyed and eventually the vampire gets aboard a ship that heads to the new world, arriving in Buenos Aires.

The novel has touches reminding me of classic horror like Dracula and Frankenstein, with whispers of writing not unlike Shirley Jackson, Daphne du Maurier, and other gothic writers.

A blood-soaked novel of unending blood thirst, death, immortality, and desire that pulls you in with its haunting prose, bringing vampires that are not like those in Twilight, but back to the dark, scary ones.

I gave Thirst 4 sheep.




Reviewed by Pamela K. Kinney

About the Author:
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Marina Yuszczuk was born in Argentina in 1978. She is a writer and founding editor of Rosa Iceberg, a press focused on publishing writing by women. She is the author of multiple books of poetry, short-story collections, and novels. She has a PhD in literature from Universidad Nacional de la Plata and is a film critic for one of Argentina’s top newspapers. Thirst is her first book to be published in the United States.