The Hashtag Hunt by Kristina Seek narrated by Andrea Emmes -Award Winning, Best Selling Audiobook Narrator and Tim Paige. Check out the deets, listen to a sound bite and enter to win a fabulous prize. We think you’re going to love this fun, original romance.
The only reason Lauren entered the Hashtag Hunt was for the $10,000 grand prize. She needed seed money for her startup, and it sounded easy enough: twelve hours to text twelve photos to someone called the Wizard.
For hashtag number five, Lauren needs a #HottieInTheWild, and with the help of her best friend, Ivy, she finds the perfect subject.
The only reason Brenner entered Barkley’s Pub was to have beers with Scott, an Army brother back in town. The reunion is interrupted when a woman is caught crouched in a dark corner, taking pictures of Brenner. Lauren explains, and though embarrassed, she accepts Scott and Brenner’s offer to help with hashtag number six.
While hunting for hashtags, Lauren finds adventure and romance with her #Hottie, but she must stay focused to beat the clock and win the cash.
One lucky US winner will receive a paperback copy of The Hashtag Hunt signed by Kristina Seek and the narrators! They will also receive an Amazon Echo making listening to audios in your home a breeze. Enter today!
a Rafflecopter giveawayAbout the Author
Kristina Seek’s debut novel, The Hashtag Hunt, was published in 2018. She is a graduate of Queens College in Charlotte and a member of Romance Writers of America. In March of 2019, she quit her day job to focus on a career in writing. Kristina lives in North Carolina with her husband and son. She cherishes time with her friends and family, loves traveling to new destinations, and wants to cross off the other items on her bucket list.
A little bird told me, as I was searching for the elusive creature n the sky, that a mystery was brewing and I am eager for another adventure with Fred and Watson. I am having such a good time with Mildred Abbott’s cozy corgi series. If you are a dog lover you may enjoy Watson, an incorrigible treat eater. I believe each book can stand alone and can be read in any order, but always best to begin at the beginning. Each is its own mystery, but the characters do grown and develop along the way.
Even though Fred has a romantic interest with the local cop, she has to get involved. Is it because she doesn’t trust the cops to get the job done? Her and Watson put a lot of miles on their feet, which her feet sometimes end up in her mouth, but she always gets her man…or woman and everyone know its.including the bad guys.
Watson is special in his own right, seeming to sense wha is necessary and taking the appropriate action.
Plenty of suspects that kept me guessing. A sometimes humorous and lightly written cozy with wonderfully unique and quirky characters. Another great edition to the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Bickering Birds by Mildred Abbott.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Rocky Mountain National Park has it all: rugged peaks, pine-scented forests, enchanting bird-watching locations, and… murder. The
Cozy Corgi bookshop finally opens, and Winifred Page and her headstrong
corgi, Watson, are ready to welcome their first patrons. With her new
best friend, Katie, creating heavenly pastries in the bakery on the top
floor of the store, Fred’s dreams are all coming together in delicious
and unexpected ways. When Katie caters a meeting of the Feathered
Friends Brigade and drags Fred along, they expect nothing more than
loquacious chatter about birds as they endeavor to build a professional
relationship with the owner of the wild bird shop. Fred and Katie are
quickly roped into a moonlight snowshoeing hike in hopes of spotting a
rare owl. While the endangered bird proves elusive… the murdered man in
the snow is hard to miss. Fred’s growing relationship with
Sergeant Wexler hits a snag when he forbids her from donning her sleuth
hat yet again. But Fred is a lot like her corgi—she doesn’t like being
told what to do, even if it puts an end to a possible romance. As
Fred and Watson delve into the lives of the ornithological club members,
the tangled birds’ nest of an investigation makes Fred wonder if she
should have left this one to the police. But when feathers begin to fly,
Fred has no choice but to flush out a killer…
(This culinary cozy mystery includes a recipe for delectable ham and cheese croissants.)
ABOUT MILDRED ABBOTT
Reading the Cozy Corgi series is pretty much all you need to know
about Mildred. In real life, she’s obsessed with everything she writes
about: Corgis, Books, Cozy Mountain Towns, and Baked Goods. She’s not
obsessed with murder, however. At least not at her own hands (nor paid
for… no contract killing here). But since childhood, starting with
Nancy Drew, trying to figure out who-dun-it has played a formative role
in her personality. Having Fred and Watson stroll into her mind was a
touch of kismet.
I have seen Tegon Maus’ books around and heard such good things that I had to find out for myself. I was not disappointed.
The story is about Enon, a Jonda and mind reader, and Elisabeth, kidnapped royalty.
Enon would either be a hero or a dead
man. The fighting is fierce, but he makes a good showing, even managing
to hook up with a woman who has his number. Their verbal banter is more
often funny than hurtful.
Would betrayal take the king’s life? Isn’t there always someone hiding in the shadows wanting the kingdom?
The world created is fraught with danger
and enemies at every turn. Will the frightened little man become an
unwilling hero? Well, all I can say is the journey is long and arduous,
and not all will return.
Tegon Maus can sure spin a tale, drawing me in, making me crave more.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Gift by Tegon Maus.
4 Stars
BLURB
Tucker
Littlefield is a liar, a thief, a con-man. In an attempt to take advantage of a
party thrown by the King, he becomes involved in a kidnapping – the King’s
niece, Elizabeth, to be exact. Because of his fear of the dark as well as
heights, and a good many other things, he finds himself stabbed and bleeding to
death. To save him, a Shaman for the Jonda – Daneba – turns him into a soul
bearer for the Kindred. In an effort to find Lizie, Littlefield finds the Norha
instead and their leader Tahki – a cannibalistic tribe the lives under a
volcano that will leave no stone unturned to find Lizie. Littlefield is
blackmailed into her recovery. Will the help of his companion, Enon, help them
save Lizie…and themselves?
“Transformed by a
primitive magic beyond a civilized man’s understanding, I was given a horrible
gift that no man should possess… It held me, twisted me, turning me at its
bidding. I was enslaved by its power, compelled to devour the souls of the dead
until I became the monster of my fears. I have seen things I wish never to see
again. I have done things of which I wish never to speak. Yet I must if I am to
find the answers to fulfill my hope. I have walked upon blue ribbons of molten
stone to peer into the depth of a man’s soul. I watched as a promise made at
birth brought my friend Enon to sacrifice everything to become whole again –
all in an effort to save the life of his child. I have cried without shame for
the loss of all I hold dear and for fear that the future will hold more than I
can bear. I am Tucker Littlefield. Know all that I say now is
true-spoken.”
EXCERPT
She grabbed my right hand, holding it tightly. I was frozen
with fear and could not escape. The dagger suddenly flashed in her hand and she
drove it deep into my palm. I wanted to scream, but nothing came out of my
mouth. If it did, it was drowned out by the wails of Enon’s dog. It howled,
pained as deeply as I, as the flames of the fires became fingers, rippling out
to tear open the dog’s chest. They responded to Daneba’s voice, doing her
bidding, and peeled layers of flesh, laying open bone and hide alike, exposing
the animal’s beating heart.
A second unholy scream filled the air, deeper, wilder than
that of the creature laid open at my side. It was Enon, and all that had
happened to the dog began to repeat itself with him.
He, still kneeling, screamed as his chest turned inside out,
his beating heart exposed to my gaze.
I was next to be disemboweled by her spell. The tearing of
cloth and the sizzle of the fire as it pulled open my skin was deafening. The
snap of bone wrenched at my fear and as I looked down, there beat my own heart.
Blood ran freely from the hole in Enon’s hand. Daneba’s chant gained volume as
she collected it in a silver bowl and the wind blew harder. As she chanted and
the fire licked out repeatedly toward me, she poured Enon’s blood into the
fresh wound in my palm and between my fingers. She raised the bowl higher and
the blood that streamed from it thinned to a single strand.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
I was raised
pretty much the same as everyone else… devoted mother, strict father and all
the imaginary friends I could conjure.
The first thing
I can remember writing was for my wife. For the life of me I can’t remember
what it was about… something about dust bunnies under the bed and monsters in
my closet. It must have been pretty good because she married me shortly after
that. I spent a good number of years chasing other dreams before I got back to
writing.
Hanzel and Gretel’s story has nothing on Bulwark and the Gingerbread House.
It all started with and accident and a large puddle of water appearing from nowhere…and the town went to hell.
Clay is the small town sheriff and is prime marriage material. Dayna is the local reporter and dogging his every step, causing many personal problems for Clay.
It had been fifty years since the ‘unusual’ killings.
There are plenty of scary moments when I wondered who would survive and, of the ones who would bite the dust, how it would happen. Not much good going on, but when it happened, it was great. Plenty of magical badness.
Need a good scare, this may be for you. Is it there? Is it all in your mind? There are two endings and for those who want a HEA, you’ll want to read the second one. Me…I loved the first ending…it keeps on giving…
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Bulwark by Brit Lunden.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Clay Finnes is the sheriff of a small town in Georgia called Bulwark. Recently separated from his wife, all he can think about is what went wrong, and will Jenna ever come back to him. He’s troubled by a bothersome reporter trying to build a story from what he thinks is a normal day in his life. Clay has to admit that the fantastical stories, told by an accident victim as well as unusual sightings of wolves, things are getting a bit strange. A visit to the ominous Gingerbread House makes him realize that his life as he knows it will never be the same.
I love the simple, colorful cover for What You Did by Willow Rose. I am a sucker for a cover that draws me in. Also, the setting, Cocoa Beach in Florida. Been there, done that, and I love a familiar place.
I haven’t read the first book in the series, and I do love her books, so I know I am missing out. Willow Rose does fill me in, slowly, on what I missed.
Eva Rae is an FBI profiler, my kind of character. She’s been on the hunt for her long lost sister, but right now the three women reported missing will have to take priority. Her, and her cop boyfriend, Matt Miller both have some heavy baggage they carry around. He is a single dad and she is a single mom.
Four girls went to the prom…only one came home…and where Willow Rose goes from there is the reason why I grab every book I see of hers.
A couple of pages into Chapter 23, I saw what was coming and it will be devastating. Willow Rose tends to have lots of action in her books and a lot of it is very, very bad.
Her sister…things don’t go the way Eva thought. I don’t think there is any good way to predict what happens when a family member has been kidnapped. I was surprised, but that is a Willow Rose trademark. She definitely keeps me on my toes.
Eva Miller finds herself in a situation where all her training and experience in forensic psychology will be of no use.
The baby…so, so sad…this part is based on a true story, and, if you are anything like me, you will want to google it… but that’s all I can tell you so I don’t spoil it.
I love that Willow has her character writing crime novels too. Her serial killer book lays out the four typologies: lust, anger, power, and financial gain. Which one is she dealing with in this case? I’m not telling.
The action…from beginning to end…is filled with mystery, horror and fear that never ends.
The biggest downside to the novel…the cliffhanger!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of What You Did by Willow Rose.
4 Stars
Former FBI-profiler, Eva Rae Thomas, faces the most personal case in her
career, as bestselling author Willow Rose’s new hit series continues.
Three girls disappear on prom night at the local high school. One of them
is the prom queen.
FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas is chasing her long-lost sister when
detective—and boyfriend—Matt Miller asks her to join the
investigation of the three girls’ disappearance. They were last
seen walking home together after the dance.
When the body of a young girl shows up in her backyard, Eva Rae knows she
can no longer watch from the sidelines, and soon she realizes not
only is she involved in this investigation, she’s also this killer’s target.
WHAT YOU DID is the second book in the Eva Rae Thomas Mystery
Series and can be read as a standalone.
The Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author
and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 60 novels.
She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror,
Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won’t
see coming. Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 10 of
ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three
million books.
Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters.
When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and
watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
I do like my stories dark, the darker the better and Broken Doll is raw, intense, graphic sex, abuse…or..is it, when it is only a doll…a sex doll…WHOA…do not know what I was expecting, but this wickedly weird short story was not it and I do want more.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
My last memory is of the accident. The rancid smell of gasoline and the silence…the deafening silence. Then there was only darkness…and him. I am his captive. His broken doll. There is no escape. No hope. No one is coming to save me.
This is a twisted, dark horror novella. There is no HEA. You have been warned.
After
a climate change experiment goes terribly wrong, August Madison,
finds herself resurrected in a frozen wasteland.
With
most of the world’s population and food sources annihilated, depraved
nomadic gangs patrol the lawless landscape as outlasters claw for
survival.
Amid
the chaos, Graysen Marx, iron-fisted leader of the domed settlement
Liberty, emerges from the catastrophic event with his own
agenda.
When
August crosses his path, he sees an opportunity he must exploit.
She
sees an evil she must destroy.
Fans
of The Day after Tomorrow, The Handmaid’s Tale, Mad Max, and The
Hunger Games are sure to enjoy this enthralling post apocalyptic
dystopian adventure with a paranormal twist.
In
the second installment of the exciting Sum of all Tears series, a
core group of survivors from Liberty travel to Boston, endangering
themselves and those they left behind in a winner-takes-all showdown
that will leave readers breathless.
Fans
of The Day after Tomorrow, The Handmaid’s Tale, Mad Max, and The
Hunger Games are sure to enjoy this enthralling post apocalyptic
dystopian adventure with a paranormal twist.
Kim
Cresswell resides in Ontario, Canada and is the bestselling and
award-winning author of the action-packed WHITNEY STEEL series.
Her
romantic thriller, Reflection (A Whitney Steel Novel –
Book One), has won numerous awards including RomCon®’s 2014
Readers’ Crown Finalist (Romantic Suspense), InD’tale Magazine
2014 Rone Award Finalist (Suspense/Thriller), UP Authors Fiction
Challenge Winner, Silicon Valley’s Romance Writers of America (RWA)
“Gotcha” contest. Kim also signed a 3-book German
translation deal with LUZIFER Verlag for the first three books in the
series: Reflection, Retribution and Resurrect. Lethal
Journey won RomCon®’s 2014 Readers’ Crown (Thriller).
The
Assassin Chronicles TV series was in development with Council Tree
Productions. The TV series is based on Kim’s upcoming 4-book
paranormal/supernatural thriller series: Deadly Shadow (May
2018), Invisible Truth, Assassin’s Prophecy, and Vision
of Fire.
M.K.
Chester is an RWA award-winning author of historical and
contemporary romance. Her first novel, Surrender to the Roman,
is currently published with Carina Press. Her three-book historical
series, Bryeton Books, focuses on love, loss and redemption in small
town America at the turn of the 20th century, while her latest
release, Crashed, is the first book in the contemporary New
South Series.
M.K.
is a native Buckeye who lives in Tennessee. She’s married to a
veteran, recently became a MoM (Mother of Marine), and will soon
become a grandmother. She adores her Scottish Terriers and is
fighting MS.
Stranger Rituals Kali Rose Schmidt Publication date: July 9th 2019 Genres: Fantasy, New Adult
A fighter with a venomous grudge.
A monster with an immortal curse.
A girl with a terrible gift.
All three out for blood in a land torn apart by harsh gods and holy wars. Each entwined with the other, on their own quests for vengeance, and yet held together by strange links to sinister pasts. As their fates unravel, a dangerous romance blooms, and violent darkness beckons.
At turns both darkly humorous and utterly morbid, STRANGER RITUALS is the startling first novel in Kali Rose Schmidt’s dark new series.
She swallowed, and then moved away, ducking her face from his grasp, hating how he knew her weakness so well. She rose from her knees. The Djavul stared up at her a moment, then gracefully stood to his full height.
“What did they want?” she questioned.
Vojtech smiled. “You have a job to do.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know. That’s guarding you. It’s a thrill a minute.” She gestured toward the ruined soldier beside them.
Vojtech frowned. “I actually thought you were growing bored here. No attacks in three months, only this idiot sneaking around in the desert.” He shrugged. “It seems Olofsson is losing his fear of me.”
“Good.” Scarko’s words mingled with fury. “Let him. It’ll serve our purpose for the second Holy War.” She stalked back to the Warskian soldier’s head, lifted it by the scraggly, blood-drenched hair. “So, what did the gods want?”
Vojtech watched her carefully, hands clasped before him. “You’re to go to the city of Kezda. A boy there is immune, it seems, to Vrakan abilities. You are to kill him.”
Scarko dropped the head with a thud. “What?” she hissed. “Why me? I’m your guard. Send someone else.”
Vojtech smiled. “As much as I enjoy you bossing me around, the gods are not so easily convinced.” He wiped his hands on his black robes and sighed. “This boy is a street fighter,” he wrinkled his nose, “taking on Vrakan defectives from the Warskian army. While he isn’t able to die from the usual Vrakan methods—ice, wind, fire, shadows—I think your magic could kill him. That’s why you.”
Scarko left the head on the stone floor and stalked toward the stairwell, behind the Djavul.
“I’m sure he’d die by sword just fine. Tell the gods I won’t go. A street fighter—the nerve of them…”
She made to pass Vojtech, but he snaked a hand out and gently stroked her dark blonde braid, the color of damp sand. She spun around to face him, fury in her eyes. But it was equally matched in his.
“I am the Djavul of the Order of Saints, Scarko Kadezska. You will not blasphemy our gods here. You know as well as I do that we cannot resist their orders, and we should not. They have guided me thus far.” He took a step toward her, brushed a cold finger against her cheek. “You will do this, and you will return to me.”
She stuck her tongue out at him and turned, clomping up the stairs. She heard him chuckle softly as she pushed open the doors from the dungeon, the Shadows on guard making way for her, black thread entwined in their grey cloaks, same as hers.
“Watch him,” she said unceremoniously.”
Author Bio:
Kali Rose Schmidt is an author, mother, and villain lover. She likes bloody tales of monsters, yoga with the lights off, and anything that goes bump in the night.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.
The Fire of Dawn by V V Aky was published in April 1, 2012. I don’t remember where I got it from or how long it has sat on my Kindle, but, all I can say is, I wish I had more of her work to read. It appears this is the only book she has written. Also, be sure and check out her bio. I had to include it, seeing I found it so fascinating.
Look at this gorgeous cover!!!!!!!!!!!
Cover Design by Vincent Bogers and Derek Murphy. Amazing job guys!
BLEW MY MIND over this mesmerizing, riveting, totally engrossing vampire story that had me in tears over one character’s death and I was unable to stop reading until I got to the last word, and it is even better when the story is told in one novel, no waiting.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
It’s the last day of the
summer holiday in The Hague when Leah Koopmans’s carefree life as a
teen is brutally flipped upside down. Her pale skin turns a dazzling
gold, her senses heighten, and her muscles possess an uncanny strength.
But with these exhilarating new powers comes a thirst that can only be
quenched by one thing: human blood.
While her body craves for
fresh victims and her heart drowns in guilt, she meets inhumanly
handsome Max Machiavelli, who claims that Leah is immortal like him.
Infatuation ignites into blistering passion when she joins his coven in
Amsterdam. But as the mysteries shrouding her sudden change to
immortality unravel, Leah quickly learns that her aversion to taking
life isn’t the only thing that sets her apart from this group of
herculean strangers.
From the picturesque canals of Amsterdam to Corsica’s limestone cliffs and the untamed Siberian wilderness; from first loves to fierce battles, The Fire of Dawn is an extraordinary tale packed with romance, betrayal, and bloodsucking suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very last page.
ABOUT V V AKU
V.V. Aku has always believed
in beautiful stories. She found the man of her dreams and her way in
complex China, and wrote a fairytale of her own: The Fire of Dawn－a
scintillating tale about strength, self-discovery, and a girl who dared
to follow her heart.
Born and raised in The Netherlands, V.V. Aku (Veerle Ackerstaff) soon discovered that the world was a place worth exploring. After graduating high school, she set out to travel the globe until she finally touched down in China. On the border of Tibet she met Anzi Aku, a wild Black-Yi man who lives at the foot of the Himalayas. She has joined his clan and tries to find her place among the tribe and its shamans. When she’s not researching the clan’s mythology on vampires, she shamelessly gives in to the compulsion to write about the countless characters that haunt her dreams.
V.V. Aku is the
author of The Fire of Dawn and Black Dusk. She has been the creator of
stories since the age of three, and has a Post-Graduate Diploma in
English Language Teaching to Adults from The University of Cambridge
ESOL. After nearly a decade of working as an English language teacher
and TEFL trainer in China, Thailand, The Netherlands, and the UK, she
now devotes all her time to writing, her family, and practicing Kung Fu.
The Fire of Dawn is her debut novel.
The first chapter covers the end of Book II, Atlantis Awakening, so you could begin the series here, but you would have missed so much of the goodness, I recommend beginning with Book I, Atlantis Rising.
Ever since Keely had touched the wooden fish placed around her neck, she could see him…her blue haired warrior.
Who is she…the face Lord Justice keeps seeing?
I am lovin’ these fabulous love stories filled with magic and wonder. Each set of characters are unique in their own way, with secrets to be revealed. I love the feistiness of the female protagonists and their male warriors can TRY to control them all they want.
It was so funny when Brennan met Tiernan. Laughing through some very funny situations. I do like to enjoy my danger and torment. 🙂
I love Keely’s description of the Warriors…McHotties. I think that gives you a hint of Alyssa Day’s personality shining through her writing.
Funny, sweet, dangerous, uplifting, happy…OMG…the best one yet. I am blown away with this steamy, adult, sexually and magically explosive happy ever after.
But wait…it’s not over yet.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Atlantis Unleashed by Alyssa Day.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Eleven thousand years
ago, Poseidon’s warriors swore an oath to protect humanity from those
who stalked the night. Now those powerful forces are uniting. So are two
souls who are all that stand between justice and the eternal
darkness…
Lord Justice made the ultimate sacrifice for his
brother and paid for it with unimaginable torture. Now he’s back,
rescued from death, his sanity shaken, and his mission inescapable: to
search for the lost star of Artemis. But the beautiful human female whom
he has sworn to protect is shadowed by an evil that could destroy them
both.
The archaeological artifacts of Atlantis speak to Dr.
Keely McDermott, sharing visions of life long ago. The ancient
revelations have cast her into a world between past and present, between
reality and illusion–and, when she meets the fierce Atlantean warrior
assigned to guard her, between terror and temptation. As their two
worlds collide, so too will danger and desire…
ABOUT ALYSSA DAY
Alyssa Day is the pen name (and dark and tortured alter ego) of
RITA award-winning author Alesia Holliday. She is a multiple finalist in
the prestigious RITA awards for excellence in romance fiction and has
won several awards for her novels.
ATLANTIS RISING was the first
of Alyssa’s Warriors of Poseidon novels for Berkley Publishing, and was
featured on the cover of the March, 2007, issue of Romantic Times
BOOKClub magazine! Additionally, it rocked the bestseller lists, hitting
the Waldenbooks, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Bookscan, and the
prestigious USA Today bestseller lists! ATLANTIS AWAKENING came along
several months together and did the same thing – only better!! And then
her anthology SHIFTER, with authors Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, and
Virginia Kantra, spent three weeks on the prestigious New York Times
bestseller list!
Her publisher was thrilled, her family was
thrilled (they could eat!), her dogs were thrilled (bacon!!). Now she’s
happily writing her fingers off, deep in the world of Atlantis, the
Warriors of Poseidon, and a new exciting group of allies (??), the Fae.
Alyssa
has long been an avid fan of all things Atlantis, supernatural, and in
any way pertaining to lost civilizations. When she was six, she told her
mother that she would discover Atlantis one day—and now she has!
In
2006, Alyssa (writing as Alesia) was awarded the Romance Writers of
America’s RITA® award. The RITA is the highest award of excellence in
the genre of romance fiction. If we can get this new website on track,
you’ll see a picture on your right of Alyssa with her agent and editor
the night she won the RITA® award.
