Excerpt: Stone Guardian (Masonry, Magic, and Love, #1) Gayle Katz + giveaway

Stone Guardian (Masonry, Magic, and Love, #1)
Gayle Katz
March 4th 2022
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
No Steam! No Spice! Gargoyles are immovable statues of stone. Lifeless, the librarian thought, until one of them takes flight to save her from an untimely demise.

A kindhearted but lonely librarian. Nancy is drowning under the weight of an abusive boyfriend, failing grades, and looming unemployment. While at work, she confides her deepest, darkest secrets to the gargoyle perched near her desk. But she’s unprepared when the strange stone statue comes to life.

A gentle gargoyle born under a curse. Treyton can’t believe it. In the past century that he’s been guarding the beloved Victorian library he calls home, the lonesome man never had anyone notice him until now. And he’s enchanted by the beautiful woman yearning for true love under his watchful gaze. But the witch who gave him life wants him back. And she’s willing to kill anyone who stands in her way.

As his vile witch plots against them, will Nancy and Treyton be torn apart forever, or can they overcome the evil threatening their love — and their lives?

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Get the complete series HERE!

EXCERPT:
It was the screams that woke Nancy.

They were bloodcurdling, gut-wrenching howls filled with nothing but pain. It was unlike anything Nancy had ever heard before.

Gasping for breath, Nancy’s eyes flew open. She pitched forward and peered around her with bleary eyes, trying to figure out which of her neighbors must have been shrieking … but instead of her ceiling and her warm blankets, she found herself lying in a heap on the side of a dirt road.

Above her, gray clouds swirled through the frigid night. Snowflakes drifted down and clung to her lashes and her hair.

Why was she outside? The last thing she remembered was diving into bed after Diana left.

Panic filled her as she rolled clumsily onto her arms and knees, finding her legs twisted and tangled in endless yards of fabric. It was only when she managed to drag herself to her feet by gripping a lantern-lit street post that she realized she was no longer in her Wonder Woman pajamas. She was dressed in a long-sleeved frock that swirled around her ankles. She grabbed at the thick fabric, tugging and pulling at it, until she realized that she was wearing some sort of antiquated dress and a petticoat.

“I must be dreaming,” Nancy whimpered, but she was hardly able to hear herself over the screams still echoing around her.

Her chest heaving, Nancy stumbled down the dirt road. She had to find someone, anyone, to tell her where she was and what was going on. This place was unrecognizable to her. There were only ten houses on this small road, as well as a building Nancy assumed was some sort of general store. There was also something almost familiar about the budding town, though Nancy could not put her finger on what it was—especially when she realized that flames licked up toward the sky from most of the buildings. Heat emanated from them, battling with the wintry chill of the air.

Nancy froze. She could only stare as the townspeople ran around wildly and begged for help. Suddenly, men on horses charged through the village, some swinging swords and guns while others aimed flaming arrows at people and homes.

“The outsiders are attacking!” someone screamed before getting cut down before Nancy’s very eyes.

“No … no!” shrieked Nancy. “Wake up, please! I don’t want to be here anymore!”

About the Author:
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Daring Women. Dangerous Worlds.

Gayle is a fan of zombies, sci-fi fantasy romance, and psychological horror—though not necessarily in that order. She writes the kinds of books she wants to read but often can’t find. Hoping to scare you, make you swoon, and root for her characters, her love of kick-butt heroines and sassy snark shines through in her work.

Born and raised outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gayle lives with her husband and they are currently working on their own happily ever after.

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Book Review: Heavenly Pleasures (For Heaven's Sake) by Isla Dennes

Heavenly Pleasures (For Heaven's Sake)
by Isla Dennes

January 30, 2018

ebook, 257 pages
genre: Chick Lit, comedy and humor, contemporary, sweet romance

Who would have thought a group of working girls would help Brooke find not only herself but the love of her life, too? But at Heavenly Pleasures, quite a lot of things are possible…

Meet Brooke, a self-confessed shopaholic turned reluctant brothel receptionist, as she stumbles through life, trying to live up to her parents’ and fiancé’s high expectations—at the cost of her now low self-esteem.

Who would have thought a group of working girls would help her rediscover her inner strength and finally tackle her personal demons? But at Heavenly Pleasures, the rules are made to be broken and new opportunities are just around the corner…

Brooke, a self-confessed shopaholic in financial dire straits, takes a receptionist position at the local brothel. The money is good and the hours are flexible, so no biggie that she’s topping up the lube, stocking the condoms, and perpetually listening to porn. Brooke just needs to keep her employment under the radar until she’s above water. Then, finally, she and her fiancé can live happily ever after.

Heavenly Pleasures is a romantic comedy in the tradition of Bridget Jones’ Diary, and Confessions of a Shopaholic; works Dennes references in the story. I like a relatable female lead whose poor judgement leads to hilarity. But, for me, the poor judgement needs to be slight with a touch innocence to be endearing. Brooke’s judgement, however, is tragically bad. So bad, in fact, I had a difficult time relating to her on any level and I am most definitely a shopaholic. I loved the premise of the book, just not the execution. I found the pacing awkward. The book was much longer than it needed to be. It took far too long for Brooke to settle in at the brothel. I would’ve liked for more of the story to take place in the brothel and for some of the working girls to be better developed. Brooke’s relationship with her parents and fiancé are highly problematic from the start and a little too exaggerated to be believable.

Ultimately I had a few laughs and appreciate the concept. This book is the first in a series, though it has a lot of the characteristics of a stand-alone. I’m curious as to what Dennes has planned for the rest of the series.

Three Sheep

Bianca Greenwood

About the Author:

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Married, mother of one son and three daughters, Isla Dennes developed a love of writing while employed in her dream job as the owner of a bookshop in a seaside resort town in NSW, Australia. Not content to simply read every book in the store, she found herself compelled to create novels of her own. Had she concentrated more on sales and less on writing, she might well have retired a wealthy woman, but writing won out in the end, with the result being a lifelong passion for creative writing across a number of genres, including a brief but regrettable sojourn into horribly sentimental New-Age poetry that's best forgotten.