Giveaway – Cruel and Splendid Mermaids by Julie Catherine @xpressotours

Cruel and Splendid Mermaids
Julie Catherine
(Broken Mermaids, #1)
Publication date: October 17th 2023
Genres: Adult, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy

For mermaids and humans, the rules are the same: be careful around strangers, be wary of magic and before you dive in, check what’s lurking under the waves.

Nineteen-year-old Ellara Merme’s whole life she’s known one purpose: to mate with men, to procreate, and to bear offspring to fight in Neptune’s underwater army. No problem… There’s just one hiccup. Her siren song doesn’t work.

No one can know.

She’s a broken mermaid with a faulty lure and she has only one week left to make the damaged song work. But all that can change with the ocean’s next deadly storm. Dragged from a shipwreck, mythology says a rescued sailor will be so grateful he’ll fall into anyone’s arms. Even a broken mermaid’s. Still, there’s a reason why merfolk and humans don’t get along. And a lot can go wrong when a girl from the ocean washes up on the shore.

Think mating is easy? Think again.

Cruel and Splendid Mermaids is a first-person dark and playful underwater fantasy. Book one in the Broken Mermaids series.

Goodreads / Amazon


EXCERPT

This was the best part of every day. Floating in the surf, watching the earthy pinks, bathing in the heavy, orange glow. The manner in which the morning sunlight hit the beach and the other beautiful things on the shore.

He was early today.

Just a bit.

Always running like clockwork.

His tanned, heaving chest, warm brown and stretched firm over muscles. Blood pumping to his heart and lungs. The way his whole body flexed in his gait. The steady footfalls landing in the sand. Little divots tossed up with each tread. His body moved forward, reconnecting with the earth. Over and over. I couldn’t look away.

I would take any, of course. But this man was my favorite.

So deliberate in his path.

Though human and mermaid timelines didn’t one hundred percent line up, I liked to think we were of similar age. I eyed him up. Close, anyway. The backwards cap over wavy brown curls. Hair that only got curlier as he started to sweat. I liked his gray, cotton running shorts. That bare chest. I loved his strong, limber legs. It would be nice if he could be my first.

Not just nice. A dream.

The only dream of my heart.

I wasn’t picky, I wouldn’t be, I knew that. A man was a man was a man. But there was something about him. Every step that he ran. So damn firm and so upright. I rubbed my belly everyday as he passed.

“Put a baby in me,” I sometimes whispered, although he couldn’t hear me. That was clear, because no coughing fit overtook those simple words. I was out here in the waves and he was up there. Running home. Running for sport. Running somewhere. And anywhere. And everywhere.

I just floated.

Waiting.

Watching every day ’til he passed.

Then, I’d kick up my fin, dive beneath the waves and head for home. Another day in the life of a mermaid. A new beginning. A brand new chance to finally, finally show all of Merme my true worth.

Author Bio:

Julie Catherine is an author, screenwriter and playwright.

Website / Goodreads / Newsletter





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Giveaway – An Outcast and An Ally by Caitlin Lochner @CaiLochner @XpressoTours

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An Outcast and an Ally
Caitlin Lochner
(A Soldier and a Liar #2)
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: April 21st 2020
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Dark secrets and conflicting loyalties abound as four superpowered teens are torn apart by war in Caitlin Lochner’s An Outcast and an Ally, the epic YA sequel to A Soldier and a Liar.

Lai, Jay, Al, and Erik are on the run after the military accuses them of being traitors. Tensions between everyone are high, but they have to stick together if they want to survive. And somehow stop the war that’s now in full swing.

But when Erik returns to the rebels to find answers about his past, Lai, Al, and Jay have no choice but to go to the Order―a peace coalition bent on stopping the rebels and dissolving the enmity between gifted and ungifted. However, the longer the war drags on, the more Lai’s long-kept secrets threaten to destroy everything she’s ever worked for. Sparks fly as the team constantly questions whether they can trust one another and everyone tries to navigate a war that will change everything.

Filled with the same high-stakes superpowered action and complex relationships as A Soldier and A Liar, Caitlin’s first book, An Outcast and an Ally brings this story to a dramatic and satisfying close.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play


EXCERPT

LAI 

Of the three rebels coming to meet us, Al dispatches the first easily with her halberd and keeps running to take care of those in front. She makes it look so effortless, so graceful, I’m almost jealous. She doesn’t even need her flames to dominate a battle. Jay and I tag-team the second rebel while the third goes for Peter.

Our opponent is thick with muscle and armed with a spear. She swings low, trying to trip up our footwork, but Jay throws one of his knives at her chest and she has to sidestep quickly to dodge it. I come in from her other side. She swings again, this time aiming for my stomach, and I fall back. Jay throws another knife, and she deflects it with her spear shaft. But he’d already started running at her as soon as he’d thrown it. He gets in close and thrusts one of his knives just under her rib cage. When she lifts her spear to try to plunge it into his back, I run my spear through her heart. She chokes and falls to her knees with a muffled sob.

I hope her death was as painless as possible. My stomach still turns every time I kill someone, especially after hearing so much about the rebels from Erik. But I can’t afford to hesitate. It could cost my friends’ lives. At least there’s no one Erik is close with on this raid.

I turn back to make sure Peter’s okay—just in time to see the third rebel’s sword narrowly miss his chest. Peter fumbles with his daggers. The rebel thrusts again. This time, he hits Peter’s arm. Deep. Blood immediately falls as Peter drops one of his daggers with a gasp.

I’m behind the rebel before he can attack again. He spins around to block my spear, but I caught him off guard. He doesn’t put enough strength behind it. My spear twists around his blade and sends it flying out of his grip before one of Jay’s knives finds its mark in his throat.

“Jay, give Al some backup,” I say. The words snap off my tongue. “I’ll stay with Peter.”

Author Bio:

I’m a nerd, traveler, and architecture enthusiast who worked as an assistant English teacher in Tokyo for three years before pursuing my MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Central Florida. I love reading and writing anything with magic, adventure, and complex found-family relationships. I can typically be found absorbed in books, games, or manga, or else obsessing over said books, games, and manga.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram


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Book Trailer – Lies I Live By, Sabel Lauren @laurensabel



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Not only does Lies I Live By look like a great read, the Lauren Sabel’s bio looks interesting too. Be sure and check her out.

Lies I Live By
Lauren Sabel
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date: May 31st 2016
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Romance, intrigue, and action collide in this psychic twist on the classic spy novel.

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Callie Sinclair is literally out of her mind; as the government’s youngest psychic spy, she finds valuable information for top-secret missions. Her work keeps her headaches at bay, but it means she must lie to everyone she loves, including her longtime boyfriend, Charlie.

When a new psychic arrives at the office, Callie can’t help but flirt; Jasper already knows her in a way Charlie never will.

But as her love life gets more complicated, so do her visions. People halfway around the world seem to be in danger…and people in her own backyard, too. If Callie can’t find a way to alter future events, she could lose the people she loves—and her mind. Literally.

Lauren Sabel’s enthralling, romantic novel captures the thrill of exploring a unique power in a dangerous world.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

BOOK TRAILER:

Author Bio:

Originally from the Rocky Mountains, Lauren Sabel has returned to the cool mountain air of Boulder, Colorado after living in several wonderful cities that she will always love and continue to visit year after year.

Lauren loves her husband, her kids, her family, her friends, and stories that end happily. She also loves digging into her mind and revealing tiny gems she didn’t know were there.

Lauren learned to mind dig while getting her MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa, a Buddhist college in Boulder, Colorado. Before Naropa, Lauren studied film in Rome, where she developed her love of crypts and other beautiful creepy things. She also worked in the film industry in New York and San Francisco, focusing mainly on film festivals, as she can never pass up a good party. In San Francisco she worked for Chronicle Books, where she was inducted into the fascinating world of book publishing.

For the past eight years, Lauren has been teaching college students the joys of creative writing, whether they like it or not.

In 2008, Lauren was published in Undiscovered Voices, an anthology of the best new writers for children in the U.K., where she was living at the time. Then life got very exciting very quickly. She signed with Jodi Reamer Esq. at The Writer’s House Agency in New York, and they made magic happen, and that magic is named Katherine Tegen. (aka: Katherine Tegen Publishing, Harper Collins).

Lauren’s first book, VIVIAN DIVINE IS DEAD was published June 3 2014. Lauren’s second book LIES I LIVE BY was released by KT Books on May 31 2016. She’s currently working on her next book, which she can’t wait to tell you about (but has to wait just a little while anyway).

Lauren believes that being a teenager is an act of courage, and is proud of anyone who manages to stick through it, despite the pain. 🙂

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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Fantastic Giveaway for State of Alliance by Summer Lane

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fundinmental would like to welcome Summer Lane and State of Alliance.

Thanks so much for the Guest Post, Summer.

I love learning the extents an author will go to do their research.

The Carmel Mission and State of Alliance

By Summer Lane

When I was writing State of Chaos in 2013, I did a lot of hands-on research to get a feel for what Cassidy Hart would be experiencing when she began fighting with a guerilla-war rebel group. I went to a range and took a rifleman course (the longest day of my life! I’ve got the scars to prove it!) to make sure I wrote about weaponry and marksmanship as accurately as possible. What’s my point? I love research, and if I’m going to write about something, I’m going to get as close to the subject as possible.

For State of Alliance, I went to Monterey to research geographical locations for the fifth installment of Cassidy’s story. One of the places that really resonated with me was the Carmel Mission, perhaps the most famous mission on the California coastline. Father Junipero Serra – the Father of the California Missions – is buried here. It is a gorgeous, deeply spiritual place. I connected with it. I loved the atmosphere and the architecture. As I visited, I saw Cassidy coming here for an integral part of the story. I took about five hundred pictures, stowed them away, then scurried home. The Carmel Mission makes a lovely cameo in State of Alliance, providing Cassidy Hart with something important that she’ll need to survive the storyline!

Look at that gorgeous cover.

I can only guess at what is to come.

Add Me To Your Goodreads now.

Book & Author Details:
State of Alliance by Summer Lane
(Collapse Series #5)
Publication date: January 30th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic
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SYNOPSIS

There is no such thing as safe.

For Commander Cassidy Hart, staying alive is only one of her day-to-day problems. As a newly minted Senator of the State of California, she must travel to Monterey Bay with the hope of bringing an agreement between the militia forces and the Pacific Northwest Alliance as the United States desperately battles against the shadow invasion forces of Omega.

But Monterey is not what it seems. The threat of another Omega attack looms on the horizon, and Commander Chris Young – the love of Cassidy’s life – is not the only important person in Cassidy’s life who is keeping secrets. Assassinations, betrayal and startling revelations lie ahead.

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The war is now. Fight or die.

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Choose your side.

The fifth installment in the international bestselling Collapse Series, a YA/NA post-apocalyptic romantic adventure.

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Summer
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Summer Lane is the author of the international bestselling Collapse Series and Zero Trilogy. She owns WB Publishing and Writing Belle, an online magazine dedicated to the Art of Storytelling. Summer is also an accomplished creative writing teacher and professional journalist. She lives in the Central Valley of California where she creates her stories and shares them with the world.
Blog  /  Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook  /  Goodreads
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If you must have it now, grab your copy here.
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GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)
  • 13 eBooks:
    • The Soul Thief, Majanka Verstraete
    • Trigger, Jill Meengs
    • Dead Girl Walking, by Ruth Silver
    • Spirit Warrior, by DEL Connor
    • Fractured Dream, by KM Randall
    • The Green Dagger, by Kelly Hess
    • Jacob, King of Portalia, by Casey Cubb
    • A Reaper Made by Liz Long
    • The Road by G. Michael Hopf
    • The Death, by John W. Vance
    • Last Woman by Jacqueline Druga
    • Realm of the Unknown by James McPike
    • Element Wielder, by Cesar Gonzalez
  • 1 paperback of The Lost and the Wicked by Cesar Gonzalez
  • 1 signed copy of Day Zero by Summer Lane
  • $10 Amazon Gift Card
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Show the authors some love and let us know which one you would choose if you win.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

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Giveaway Blitz for My Date From Hell by Tellulah Darling

The title, My Date From Hell by Tellulah Darling , grabbed me and I felt I had to participate in this tour.

The book sounded so funny, I couldn’t wait to find out what it was about.

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My Date From Hell
Tellulah Darling
(The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #2)
Publication date: October 31st 2013
Genres: Comedy, Mythology, Young Adult
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SYNOPSIS
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Sophie Bloom’s junior year has been a bit of a train wreck. After the world’s greatest kiss re-awakened Sophie’s true identity as Persephone (Goddess of Spring and Savior of Humanity), she fought her dragon-lady guidance counselor to the death, navigated mean girl Bethany’s bitchy troublemaking, and dealt with the betrayal of her backstabbing ex, Kai (sexy Prince of Darkness). You’d think a girl could catch a break.

Yeah, right.

With Zeus stepping things up, it’s vital that Sophie retrieve Persephone’s memories and discover the location of the ritual to stop Zeus and Hades. So when Aphrodite strikes a deal that can unlock Sophie’s pre-mortal past, what choice does the teen goddess have but to accept?

The mission: stop media mogul Hermes from turning Bethany into a global mega-celebrity. The catch? Aphrodite partners Sophie and Kai to work together … and treat this suicide mission as a date. Which could work out for Sophie’s plan to force Kai to admit his feelings for her–if she doesn’t kill him first.

Add to that the fact that BFF Theo’s love life and other BFF Hannah’s actual life are in Sophie’s hands, and suddenly being a teenager—even a godlike one—seems a bit like … well, hell. Whatever happened to dinner and a movie?

The YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology fireworks continue to fly in My Date From Hell. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book two of this teen fantasy romance series. Breaking up is easy; dating is deadly.

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EXCERPT
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A lone figure stood awaiting my arrival.

Take the natural snobbiness of your everyday hipster, compound it by the regular arrogance of guys in their mid-twenties, and magnify it by infinity thanks to that whole god factor. You’d start to come close to the waves of disdain that just naturally rolled off this dude. The Eau de Smarm he exuded ensured that I wasn’t going to be cozying up to him any time soon.

It may have seemed like his denim shirt, worn unbuttoned over a white wife beater and skinny jeans had been picked up directly off of the floor that morning, but no. From the top of his rakish fedora sitting on his bright red- dyed hair to his pink socks and white vintage Keds, Hephaestus was calculated cool.

And weirdly cute, but I wasn’t going to give him that.

Not even the cane he sported, due to his left foot being twisted inwards could detract from his projecting an overall “don’t even bother reaching for my greatness” status. If anything, the cane was a sleek, black, way cool accessory. “Hephaestus, I presume.”

He crossed his arms. “It’s Festos. And you better have a damn good reason for showing up here with that password, honeybunch.”

“Theo sent me. Prometheus,” I amended, since I wasn’t sure if he knew Theo’s human name.

Given the double take I received, I guess he did.
“I don’t believe you,” he said flatly.
“I swear. He thought you could help break a memory spell.”
“Too bad. I’m busy.”
I took a step forward, my hand up to keep him from ordering me out.

“Please. I don’t think he would have sent me unless he believed you were truly the one person who could help.”

Festos considered me for a second, then rolled his eyes. “Lovely. You’re her. Did Prometheus mention any type of payment for my services?”

“His undying thanks?”

Festos looked a bit too hopeful at that. You know, if you looked past the “couldn’t care less” vibe.

“Not really,” I amended. “But you’re the only god he’s ever mentioned in a remotely respectful way.”

“Wow. Such flattery.” He sighed and waved me toward the machine in the middle of the room. “Get on.”

I hesitated.

He limped over to the contraption. “You want it undone or not? Lose the pillow you’re wearing and move.”

I tossed my puffy coat onto one of the sofas. Then glanced outside. I couldn’t help it. I was worried the minions had come back.

“We’re warded up,” Festos said and flicked a switch.
The machine came to life in a roar of sound.
I bet you a bajillion dollars that if you made a list of all the ways you might

remove a memory suppression spell, no matter how weird you got, none of the items would include being hooked up to one of those kinda grungy, video arcade dance machines and trying desperately to keep up with the patterns whipping past.

I win, right?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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TellulahTellulah Darling
noun
1. YA Novelist
2. Alter ego of former screenwriter and instructor
3. Sassy minx

Geeks out over: cool tech.
Squees for: great storytelling.
Delights in: fabulous conversation.
Writes about: where love meets comedy. Awkwardness ensues.

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Stalk Tellulah Darlling
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GIVEAWAY
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taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and PhotosTellulah Darling is offering one (1) ebook copy of My Date From Hell for the giveaway. Open internationally.  The ebook will be sent out after November 25th.

Entry is easy peasy. Leave your email address and tell me:

Have you ever had a Date From Hell?

Giveaway is Over.

WINNER – Laura T

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To get your copy of My Date From Hell by Tellulah Darling, or one of her other books, click on the cover below.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

animated smilies photo: animated animated.gif  Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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