Join us for this tour from Aug 18 to Sep 14, 2022!
Book Details:
Book Title: Call My Name: A Novel by Jenni Ogden Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 384 pages Genre: Literary/Women’s/Bookclub Fiction Publisher: Sea Dragon Press Release date: April 2020 Formats Available for Review: print (USA only), ebook (MOBI FILE
(FOR KINDLE), EPUB, PDF, NetGalley download), audiobook (Findaway
download, NetGalley download) Tour dates: Aug 18 to Sep 14, 2022 Content Rating: PG-13 + M: Has
childbirth/abortion/adoption/surrogacy themes, the brief description of a rape in the past by a Japanese guard of a prisoner in a POW camp in Sumatra in WWII (not explicit but of course disturbing and violent). A mention of cannabis smoking when characters are young, mild in-context use of f-word and other expletives.
I love a good Prologue. It can hook me quick, and Abigail Owen has done it in The Liar’s Crown. I am a huge fan of hers and she did not let me down.
Hesperia served Eidolon, the King of Tundra. He is a charming liar who has tasked her with cursing the child. The child is one of two, a twin, and Hesperia defies the king, cursing the other child. Twins: one is Enfornae, who she blessed, and the other is Hylorae. What does it mean? I shall have to read on to find out, but I am very curious of what the repercussions will be, for the children and for Hesperia. We shall find out when Eidolon comes for the Queen of Aryd.
One twin will rule, the other is a secret body double in dangerous situations…to die in her place. Sounds sucky to me.
I am Mereneith Evangeline XII of Aryd. There are six dominions, each named for their ruling goddess. She is a tool. A nonperson. She turns her back on Cain, her best friend, when the Queen dies. She has things she needs to do, and he can’t help her.
The Shadowwraith, alone, villified.
I loved traveling the vividly created dominions, the magicals and the humans. I want to share so much about the characters, Raven…and Meren…but that would spoil things for you. I will say, they are magical, lonely, tools to be used. A man made of evil shadows. A woman who is an echo of the queen to be. I love when peripheral characters are as important to me as the main characters.
OMG. I was swept away with the shifting sand, hiding in the shadows, filled with fear for Meren, a heroine that will sacrifice herself ,while trying to save others and her new found love from the evil that is determined to rule the dominions. Nonstop action. Pacing that brought so many chilling thrills that made me want to read until I reached the end…I got lost and didn’t want to come up for a breath of air.
The story is not finished, but it did stop at a good place, if that is possible. I hope you are writing fast Abigail.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Liar’s Crown by Abigail Owen.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
One born to rule. One to forfeit…
Everything about my life is a lie. As a hidden twin princess, born second, I have only one purpose—to sacrifice my life for my sister if death comes for her. I’ve been living under the guise of a poor, obscure girl of no standing, slipping into the palace and into the role of the true princess when danger is present.
Now the queen is dead and the ageless King Eidolon has sent my sister a gift—an eerily familiar gift—and a proposal to wed. I don’t trust him, so I do what I was born to do and secretly take her place on the eve of the coronation. Which is why, when a figure made of shadow kidnaps the new queen, he gets me by mistake.
As I try to escape, all the lies start to unravel. And not just my lies. The Shadowraith who took me has secrets of his own. He struggles to contain the shadows he wields—other faces, identities that threaten my very life.
Winter is at the walls. Darkness is looming. And the only way to save my sister and our dominion is to kill Eidolon…and the Shadowraith who has stolen my heart.
ABOUT ABIGAIL OWEN
Multi–award-winning paranormal romance
author, Abigail Owen, loves plots that move hot and fast, feisty
heroines with sass, alpha heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles
of sexy shifters! Other titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek,
ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, eMBA, organizational guru,
Texan, Aggie, and chocoholic.
Abigail grew up consuming books and
exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a
practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in
English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered
that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with
it.
Abigail currently resides in Austin,
Texas, with her own personal hero (who she totally married!) and their
two children, who are growing up way too fast.
The highly anticipated release of Angel of Ashes and Dust, Book III of the Wormwood Trilogy is up for preorder! As you can see, the cover will be revealed soon, but if you want to get a jump on the price, it is up for a special preorder price of .99 for three days only, so get it now, and it will automatically be delivered to your ereader upon release.
The end of her people and the death of a
planet is looming over her. Kali Michaels must choose between the
illusion of safety and the danger of her own power in this anticipated
and heart-stopping finale to The Wormwood Trilogy.
Kali has
come to fear her abilities because she knows they can be used against
her. In an effort to protect those she cares about, she is determined to
let the power of her Shadow lie dormant, despite the dangers rising up
around her.
Now, tormented by an unstoppable enemy, she and
Tiamat Wormwood must try to shield and lead others while doing the
impossible—survive in a dying land.
But how can she partner with Tiamat, when her proximity could kill him?
And how can Tiamat be trusted to save a planet, if he is the one who shattered it in the first place?
Little do they know that sometimes, for new beginnings, that which they love must first be destroyed.
*Please note: The title for this book has changed from “And from the Shadow, Light” to “ANGEL OF ASHES AND DUST”
Warning: There are reports of readers flinging their devices (one reader allegedly threw her Kindle three times) and ignoring their lives while reading Wormwood. The author does not assume responsibility for such awesomely reactive responses.
D.H. Nevins was born in Toronto and currently lives in a quiet area of Ontario, surrounded by forests
and lakes. By day, she is a personable, friendly school teacher. By
night, she silently chuckles as she writes about destroying the world.
When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, camping, flying around on her
motorcycle or dabbling in live theatre.
Aiden
has always felt like an outsider. After the rebel assassin is captured and
imprisoned by the world’s galactic overlords, he awaits execution. Then a mole
working for the occupying regime alerts him to a plot that could destroy the
entire resistance…
Engineering a daring
escape, Aiden’s growing feud with the new rebel leader leaves him out in the
cold and smouldering with resentment. Faced with deceit and betrayals on every
side, he recruits a group of overlooked outcasts and stakes everything on one
last mission.
Can the restless, reckless Aiden take a stand long enough to save humanity from enslavement?
EXCERPT
Nothing. Clean as a whistle. Until my massive hand grasped
hold of something, something which must have blended into its background so
perfectly that I hadn’t even spotted it. Something alive, nestling under the
co-pilot’s seat. I couldn’t believe it. A live gromeline. Trembling, possibly
with fury, and trying in vain to squeeze back. Grabbing my trophy – I could
feel its hot little heart throbbing like an injury against my palm – I hopped
out of the plane so fast that my wound protested.
‘Bully!’
Bully raised one eyebrow. Two would have been overkill.
‘Bully, you are not going to believe this. I found a
gromeline!’ The gromeline – only about fifteen centimetres – bit my finger,
hard, even though I could have easily crushed its entire body with my fist –
and probably would have, had I been a tester, and not merely disguised as one.
Feisty little gromeline. I flicked it lightly with my
sausage-sized finger. When it protested, I growled, ‘Cheese it, munchkin,’
though I could feel it struggling obstreperously against my palm.
Bully was intrigued. ‘Is it genuine?’ ‘Of course it’s
genuine. It just bit me, didn’t it?’
Bully probably considered this no proof. But they’re rarer
than clean air these days and his fascination was obvious. Now gromelines come
from the farthest galaxy so far discovered, can speak any tongue and own
enviable mental powers. They are also brave to the point of stupidity and
ludicrously small. This one was mouse-coloured – they can be spectacular – with
tiny red eyes. Few humans have ever seen one.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Alice
(Spaulding Taylor) McVeigh has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary
fiction, by Unbound Publishing in action/adventure and by Warleigh Hall Press
in Austenesque fiction. Her novels have won Gold Medal/First Place is the
Global, eLit and Pencraft Book Awards, been runner-up in the Independent Press
Awards, finalists in the Eric Hoffer, Rone and Wishing Shelf Book Awards and
selected by Shelf Unbound as one of the “top indies” of 2021. Two of
her novels are currently finalists in the CIBA Book Awards (the Cygnus and
Goethe Awards). Her most recent novel (Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation) was just
selected as Editors’ Pick “outstanding” on Publishers Weekly.
A professional
London cellist, Alice lives in London and Crete with her professor husband:
their only child is completing her Masters in Chinese Literature. They also
share two miniature long-haired dachshunds and an incurable addiction to
tennis.
Join us for this tour from June 14 to July 11,2022!
Book Details:
Book Title: The Beached Ones by Colleen M. Story Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 354 pages Genre: Paranormal, Literary, Ghost, Fantasy Publisher: CamCat Books Release date: June 14, 2022 Content Rating: PG-13 + M: The
book does explore suicide, and there is one scene indicating potential
sexual abuse (that is stopped before it starts). There is the occasional
swear word, but they are not frequent.
Book Description:
HE CAME BACK, DETERMINED TO KEEP HIS PROMISE.
Daniel and his younger brother grew up in an abusive home. Daniel escaped. Now an established stunt rider, he intends to go back to rescue his brother. But then one jump goes horribly wrong . . .
He recovers to find himself in Iowa, unscathed, yet his life has drastically changed. His best friend won’t answer his calls. Even his
girlfriend is hiding something. Increasingly terrified, he clings to the one thing he knows: He must pick up his brother in San Francisco. In five days.
From the isolating fields of Iowa to the crowded streets of San Francisco, Daniel must fight his way through a fog of disjointed
memories and supernatural encounters to face the truth and pay a debt he didn’t know he owed.
Colleen M. Story is a novelist, freelance writer, writing coach, and speaker who loves animals, music, and the great Pacific Northwest.
Her novel, Loreena’s Gift, was a Foreword Reviews’ INDIES Book of the Year Awards winner, among others. Her next novel, The Beached Ones is forthcoming from CamCat Books on June 14, 2022.
Colleen has written three books to help writers succeed. “Your Writing Matters” helps writers overcome self-doubt and determine once and for all where writing fits in their lives.
Her previous release, Writer Get Noticed!, was a gold-medal winner in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards and a first-place winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards. Overwhelmed Writer Rescue was named Book by Book Publicity’s Best Writing/Publishing Book in 2018 and was an Amazon best seller.
With over 20 years as a professional in the creative industry, Colleen has authored thousands of articles for publications like “Healthline” and “Women’s Health;” worked with high-profile clients like Gerber Baby Products and Kellogg’s; and ghostwritten books on back pain, nutrition, and cancer recovery. She continues to work as a full-time freelance writer, helping clients create informative and inspiring communications in a variety of media formats.
Colleen frequently serves as a workshop leader, writing coach, and motivational speaker, where she helps attendees remove mental and
emotional blocks and tap into their unique creative powers.
Join us for this tour from June 14 to July 8, 2022!
Book Details:
Book Title: THE ELEGANT EMU (a Harmony Adventure) by Karen M. Bobos Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 40 pages Genre: Children’s Picture Book, Fairy Tale Publisher: Bobos Babes, Ltd. Release date: June 2022 Content Rating: G for everyone.
Book Description:
The magical sisters are enrolled in an etiquette class when their manners are not fit for the king and queen of the enchanted land of Harmony. Can Elizabeth the Emu help the royal sisters?
In the beautiful and peaceful land of Harmony, three magical sisters, the Bobos Babes, uproot the kingdom’s tranquility with some
not-so-polite actions -nose-picking, belching, and other noisy…expulsions. Their parents, the King and Queen, enroll the
sisters in the elegant Elizabeth the Emu’s etiquette class where they learn manners and other ways to self-improve like being on time,
politeness, and proper personal hygiene.
Elizabeth the Emu explains to Angel Scarlet, Princess Daphne, and Fairy Cora that having proper etiquette is more than good manners, it’s about being kind and courteous. And for the sisters? Well, let’s just say that they will be needing more than one lesson from Elizabeth the Emu’s etiquette class.
Karen M. Bobos is the multi-award-winning author of the Adventures in Harmony series, which was created in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. While living in a city of unrest, her family left Chicago to stay with her mother in Northwest Indiana for several months. She and her husband were determined to keep life filled with wonder and magic for their three daughters, Scarlett (6), Daphne (5), and Cora (3). The Adventures in Harmony series was created to entertain her daughters during their stay at Gigi’s home and is filled with characters from the sisters’ world. Everyone deserves to escape to a land filled with love and adventure where creatures co-exist and happiness awaits.
Book Title: Doctoroo and the Case of the Red-Hot Hawaiians by
Rachel B. Wellner Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 44 pages Genre: Children’s Book Publisher: Wellner Media Release Date: March 2022 Formats Available for Review: print- Softback (USA only), e-book (Gifted KINDLE, EPUB, PDF) Tour dates: June 6 to June 24 Content Rating: G – (No bad language, story suitable for children ages 3-7.)
Book Description:
Doctoroo (also known as Dr. Marsha Roo) and her team―Kirby Koala,
Louie Llama, and Terence Toad― may live in Australia, but they travel
all over the world solving medical mysteries. In Doctoroo & the Case
of the Red-Hot Hawaiians, they fly to The Big Island of Hawaii, where
red, hot and very itchy hula dancers are in danger of missing their Big
Dance Festival. Will they have to skip the Festival, or will Doctoroo
help them in time?
Dr. Rachel Wellner MD, MPH, FACS, BACS, is a novelist, comedian,
and breast cancer doctor dedicated to making the world a better place
for her readers, audience, and patients.
Book Title: Kingdomless (The Evamore Series Book 1) by Michelle Garyfalakis Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 422 pages Genre: YA Fantasy Romance Publisher: Self-Published Release date: January 2022 Content Rating: PG-13 +M: There is a scene where our main
character is held at knife point and her attacker grabs her breasts
without consent. The word ‘nipple’ is used in this situation. This is
the reason for the added “M” in the rating.
Book Description:
The remnants of the United Kingdom of Garth, once ruled by the legendary Dynasty of Evamores are in the throes of conflict. Ten years ago, King Wren of the West discovered Raelle washed up on the shores of the Balour Sea, with no memory of the first nine years of her life. She was brought back to the castle and dutifully cared for and cherished by the king and his three older sons. On her nineteenth birthday, the Western Kingdom’s adoptive princess is secretly sent away by her stepmother to marry King Veras as a token of peace between the kingdoms. But, the Northern King has other plans.
As Raelle’s amnesia melts away with the help of a northern storyteller, she discovers more about the Kingdom of Garth, magic, the lovetie connection of the Evamores, and her role in the grand scheme of things. She is confused, angry, and curiously comfortable in the North.
A dark shadow overcasts all of the kingdoms, and the threatening influence of the fallen god Kellar seems to spread among the people,
inciting disorder and violence. While the fate of the kingdoms may rest on Raelle’s shoulders, she can’t help but feel kingdomless. Betrayal is everywhere, from her own adoptive family to her newfound friends. Fearless, observant, witty, and determined, she is town between her attraction to King Veras’ good nature and the unexplained pull to the Tracker Calak. The challenge that she faces is not simple. As the old gods, laws and magic awaken, so does her own sense of self. There is a choice to be made, step into the role expected of her, or dive into the unknown and make her own destiny.
This YA fantasy novel asks the readers important coming of age questions, captures the attention with witty dialogue, relatable
characters, and a world that is reawakening its forgotten magic. The readers will be entranced and hungry for more (and perhaps a piece of chocolate cake).
MICHELLE GARYFALAKIS was born and raised throughout Ontario, Canada. She currently lives just outside of Hamilton, Ontario with her husband, four kids and Snowy (their friendly Samoyed-Border Collie). When she isn’t obsessively typing out new stories on her computer, you can find her drinking coffee with a friend, snacking on some guacamole or binge watching Outlander (again). Michelle loves finding creative ways to communicate with people, and her passion for storytelling is the newest addition to that list.
Book Title: Ten Thousand I Love Yousby Lisa Slabach Category: Adult Fiction 18+, 303 pages Genre: Women’s Fiction Publisher: BookBaby Release date: February 2022 Content Rating: PG-13 + M for
handful of f-bombs and semi-explicit sex scenes; mature themes
discussing sexual mores and adult relations; no abortion, violence or
abuse.
Book Description:
In this humorously touching novel by the critically acclaimed author of Degrees of Love, a woman is blindsided when her high school sweetheart abandons her after eighteen years of marriage.
At sixteen, Kimberly Kirby thought the only thing she needed to be perfectly happy was to spend the rest of her life with Jay Braxton. Twenty years later, she still believes it. As they proudly watch their daughter, Haley, graduate from high school, she imagines her life is as perfect as anyone could reasonably expect. Jay is a formidable attorney, she a freelance writer, and their love as strong as ever. With Haley heading to UC Berkeley in the fall, Kimberly fantasizes about making love on the kitchen table. She has no clue that Jay’s bags are already packed.
Now divorced and determined to squelch her love for Jay, she accepts a gig writing a sex and dating blog for divorcees. As the Virgin Dater, she is on the hunt for love. No-strings-attached nights with a sexy fireman and moving to San Francisco are just what she needs to boost her battered ego and mend her shattered heart.
But just as she falls hard for a talented young chef, Jay fights to win her back. Torn between her bold new life and the comfort of Jay’s strong arms, she questions if there is too much to forgive. The ten thousand I love yous that had passed Jay’s lips can’t be dismissed, but nor can her newfound freedom and the knowledge that her happiness doesn’t depend on Jay.
Ten Thousand I Love Yous is Lisa Slabach’s second novel.
Prior to publication, her first novel, Degrees of Love was recognized as a Best Book of 2014 by Kirkus Review. Degrees of Love made its publishing debuted December 1, 2017 and was nominated for a 2017 Reviewer’s Choice Award by RT Book Reviews.
In addition to writing, Lisa is a Fintech Relationship Executive for a Fortune 500 Company. She is a long-time resident of Northern California and lives with her husband, one-hundred-forty-pound puppy and numerous goldfish. In her free time, she enjoys wine tasting, shopping with her daughters, and cooking in her pink kitchen.
Join Us for This Tour from September 27 to October 15
Book Details:
Book Title: ZITHER! by Jeffrey Hanlon Category: Adult Fiction 18+, 350 pages Genre: Mystery, Humor Publisher: Zither Studios Release Date: April 20, 2021 Content Rating: G.
“A zany rollicking mystery adventure as compelling as it is hilarious.” ~ Independent Book Review
“Hanlon’s humor shines bright and will leave fans of such madness wanting more.” ~ Publisher’s Weekly
Nominated for the prestigious Audie Award, Best Fiction 2021
Book Description:
A nutty religious cult rustles a herd of prime gazebos (huh??) and it’s up to bumbling P.I. Mars Candiotti to rescue them. Wannabe author Mars chronicles his quest in Jeffrey Hanlon’s rom-com mystery Zither.
Guided by his magically prescient IHOP waitress, Mars strives to mitigate the shocking global consequences of the gazebo heist, even though he has no idea what the word mitigate means.
As Zither swallows its own tale, Mars finds it increasingly tricky to distinguish between real people and his rambunctious fictional characters. Zither becomes the romper room where his reality meets fantasy – and get frisky with each other.
Mars’ international odyssey leads to an explosive conclusion in Panama. Teevees around the world tune in to watch live coverage of “Carnage in the Canal”.
And amid the lunatic havoc that is Zither there is (of course!) an epic love story as Mars meets Marian, the brainy librarian he had dreamt of. Marian says his books are “slapstick existentialism with subjective reality couched in parable”. (This is news to Mars). But is Marian real, or just another illusion in Zither World?
And in Mars’ klutzy (yet endearing) courtship of the enchanting Marian will he ever muster the nerve to ask her for a date???
My family moved to Northwest Oregon when I was 7. Or maybe when I was 8.
Had we stayed in the Beach Boys town, and knowing myself as I do now, I suspect I would have grown long hair, started a rock band, and been heavily into drugs. The rock band would probably have been pretty good. The rest of it, not so much. I’d likely have joined the ranks of those like Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin.
We moved to a mountaintop. The last five miles to get there were gravel. The final two miles were steep and to the end of the road.
That’s where we lived: the end of the road, 22 miles to the nearest town.
Our closest neighbor, about a mile down the road, was a hermit who lived in a shack. He had a goat. About once a month the goat would visit us. Then the hermit would show up to retrieve his goat. I think the goat liked us better than the hermit, which is why the goat kept showing up.
Goats are funny animals. I think they aspire to be house pets.
And speaking of animals, we had cats. Lots and lots of cats. Because we were remote and at the end of the road, unkind people – and ‘unkind’ is the kindest description I can use here – would dump their unwanted cats on or near our property. The cats would find our house. We gave them Fancy Feast and our love, and in turn they loved us.
My childhood friends didn’t visit too often. That was at least partly because when they did show up my father would say something like this: “Great! We have a job that could use an extra hand. Won’t take more than five minutes.” Well, that five minutes usually turned into an hour or two – volunteer labor! – and that friend would seldom visit again.
So my favorite childhood playmate was a 2000 pound Hereford bull, a big boy with horns spanning three feet. I’d go out in the pasture and the bull would strike a pose not unlike what you’ve seen in the movies where the bull was ready to charge, head down, eyeing me. But he wasn’t going to charge me. He just wanted his forehead scratched. And so I would scratch his forehead. He liked that, shaking his head every so often to show his approval. Then we’d elevate to a game that the bull might have called ‘Let’s see how far we can toss this little kid!’ and I’d place my
right hip against his massive head and he’d toss me into the air like a sack of flour. Over and over, farther and farther, higher and higher. I could have done that for hours – I can fly! – but after a few tosses the bull would grow bored with the game and wander off. Probably to chase some cute heifers.
The
nearest library was 30 miles away, and we ventured there often. It was a majestic old building, and the Grand Room had books on all four walls with reading chairs in the center. But that was not where I wanted to be. I figured all those books were popular books or books I was supposed to read. I wanted something different, so I would enter the room with a
small sign that said ‘Stacks’. It was row after narrow row after row of books, floor to ceiling, dimly lit, dusty. It was like entering a cave. Filled with treasures! It was in those Stacks that I discovered the likes of Kerouac and Heller and Huxley and Fowles and Steinbeck and Ellison and Bradbury and Hemingway
and many many others.
As Stephen King said, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
And those, each in their own way, was the inspiration for the first book I wrote at the age of eight or nine: ‘Pond Scum’.
It was illustrated. Jeffrey currently lives at an undisclosed location on the shores of the Caribbean where he spends his days is shorts and sandals making up stories.
