Category Archives: Giveaway

Giveaway – The Laughbox by Julia Kent @XpressoTours @jkentauthor

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The Laughbox
Julia Kent
Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

The Laughbox contains SIX full-length novels so you can start all of New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Julia Kent’s series, plus get an ALL NEW NOVELLA you can’t find anywhere else.

Get a taste of billionaires, small towns, rock stars, office romance, secret bosses, second chances, first crushes, enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, and so much more.

Each series is wildly different from the others, with varying heat levels, different hijinks, but always, always – a heartwarming world you want to live in, with heroes who make you swoon and heroines who make you laugh – and cheer on in their quests for happily-ever-after endings.

This boxed set includes:

Shopping for a Billionaire (a New York Times bestseller)

Fluffy (a USA Today bestseller)

Love You Wrong

Random Acts of Crazy (a New York Times bestseller)

In Your Dreams

Maliciously Obedient (a USA Today bestseller)

and an ALL NEW novella, Shopping for a Billionaire’s Anniversary, featuring Declan and Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, as they celebrate their anniversary with affection, heat, and a hilarious set of awkward mishaps that still manage to be conquered by love.

Sink into seven fun stories that leave you with all the feels, loads of laughs, and strange looks from people around you as you read, giggle, and fall in love.

Note: each of these are series starters. Some are standalones (Fluffy), others end with the main characters together but with more books in the series as I follow their relationship (Shopping for a Billionaire, Random Acts of Crazy), others are prequels (Love You Wrong, In Your Dreams), while Maliciously Obedient has a cliffhanger. Full, up-front transparency for readers.

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

SPECIAL RELEASE PRICE: 2.99 until 6/26 when price goes up to 9.99!

—

EXCERPT:

Declan

Here.” My executive assistant, Dave, shoves a perfectly wrapped present at me, with a card and a small envelope. We’re in my office, the sun shining on this beautiful spring day, and I am finishing up work before taking a vacation.

Yes–vacation. It’s for one night, but it counts.

“What’s this?”

“Your anniversary gift for Shannon.”

The note card is blank.

He notices me noticing this and his face sours, the corners of his mouth dropping in scorn, pulling his beard down so he looks like an angry leprechaun.

“I draw the line at writing sweet nothings to your wife and signing your name, even if my rendition of your signature is far superior to your own,” he says dryly, reaching down to square a pile of papers on my desk.

“My signature is my signature. No one can best it, Dave.”

He just snorts.

I shake the box lightly. “What’s in here?”

“Leather.”

“Leather?”

“Ninth-year anniversary gift. Leather is flexible and represents durability.”

“I am well aware of what leather represents. What does it have to do with my marriage?”

He snorts again.

I frown and ask, “Just leather? What is it, a wallet?”

“No! Of course not. The traditional gemstone for ninth anniversaries is lapis. I had a jewelry artist set chunks of lapis in gold, then stitch them onto a leather cuff bracelet.” Dave holds his phone up to me, showing a picture of the piece.

“That’s incredible.”

A short sigh of contentment, then a clipped, “You’re welcome” is how Dave takes a compliment. He doesn’t feed off praise.

He feeds off his own hypercompetence. If efficiency were a drug, Dave would be Al Pacino on Scarface, covered in the fine white powder of his own brutal excellence.

“The lighthouse is reserved for the evening?” I inquire, reaching for my briefcase.

“Yes. Your suit’s in the car already.” Dave eyes me. “Where will you change?”

I’m wearing jeans, hiking boots, and a Lacoste polo shirt, all Shannon’s favorites. The dark green shirt is a nod to my eyes, which she has spent almost a decade raving about.


Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon


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Giveway – Reasons Why Not To Date Public Enemy CEO by Melanie Munton @XpressoTours @melanie_munton

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Reasons Why Not to Date Public Enemy CEO
Melanie Munton
(Shell Grove, #1)
Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

What happens when the most hated man in town goes after everyone’s favorite girl-next-door?

Reason #1: Big, bad CEO Aiden Beaumont wears his grumpy mask every day like a badge of honor. Mia Sparks wants nothing more than to honk his nose or throw a pie in his face, à la The Three Stooges, just to see if he’s capable of smiling. Unfortunately, she can’t. Because he’s technically her boss, and she’d like to keep her gig at the new five-star beach resort for longer than two weeks.

Reason #2: Everyone in her small hometown of Shell Grove, SC hates the man. He brought big business to their little beach town, and as far as her fellow citizens are concerned, that makes him the devil incarnate. But he won’t be staying forever, which works for Mia. She doesn’t go for the flashy city types anyway. She’s quite happy living her quiet life in Shell Grove. The faster the cranky—albeit stupidly hot—CEO is out of her life, the better.

Reason #3: Every time Aiden frowns at her, it hits her like a thousand-watt smile. He has a language all his own, and it’s starting to make way too much sense to her. She can’t avoid him in a town the size of a postage stamp, and it finally hits her that…she doesn’t want to escape him. This always-irritated, too-serious businessman couldn’t possibly be the stable safe haven she’s been looking for. Could he?

Aiden knows there’s a million and one reasons to stay away from the sugary sweet Mia. But who runs away from sunshine after living their entire life in a secluded cave? And when someone from her past unexpectedly emerges and tries to drive a wedge between the two of them? All bets are off. Aiden has never lost a fight in the boardroom, and he’s not about to lose the fight for the woman he wants to deserve. He just has to prove to her that he’s not the PUBLIC ENEMY CEO everyone thinks he is.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Reasons Why Not to Date Public Enemy CEO

“All players place your bets,” the dealer announced.

“This seat taken?”

Mia knocked over her stack of chips at the proximity of that growl.

God bless the US of Aiden.

Craning her neck, her gaze instantly clashed with her boss’s. But not before it took a cursory glance down his shredded body in that precisely tailored tux. As if he wasn’t devastating enough in those crisp suits he wore every day, he had to go and drop all the panties in the room by sporting a getup that made him even yummier than James Bond himself.

His devilish grin said don’t worry, baby, it’s real easy to take off.

Or maybe that was her own libido talking. Which incidentally, was blazing to life like the town bonfire on the Fourth of July.

“Good evening, Ms. Sparks.”

That voice curled around her like the aromatic notes of decadence drifting out from a gourmet kitchen. “Evening, Mr. Beaumont.”

For all that’s holy, talk normally. Not like a porn star.

He briefly paused at the breathy quality to her voice before taking the seat to her left. He and the dealer nodded to each other as Mr. Beaumont threw out his bet. Mia scooted her chips forward, placing her much smaller bet. All of a sudden, she was nervous. It didn’t help that it felt like her pink clam was going to peek out the bottom of her short dress at any moment.

“Are you having a good time?” Mr. Beaumont asked as the dealer passed out each player’s first card.

Mia re-crossed her legs under the table when she felt a distinct thrum down in the region of her coochie. “Wonderful. You?”

“I guess we’ll see by the end of this hand.”

She smiled at that. He seemed to be in one of his slightly less cranky moods. If this was his version of laidback, she’d hate to see what an actual vacation looked like for him.

“You know, there are two different categories of blackjack players out there,” he mused, watching the dealer while speaking to her. “There’s the play-it-safers and the risk takers.”

The dealer finished distributing each player’s two cards, leaving Mia with the king of hearts and a five of diamonds, giving her a score of fifteen. Mr. Beaumont had an ace and a six, which would give him a score of either seven or seventeen.

As the dealer started with Ernie and Jewel, waiting to hear whether they would hit or stay, Mr. Beaumont propped his elbows on the table and turned to Mia. “Which one are you, Ms. Sparks?”

Normally, she was a play-it-safer all the way. The only occurrences she was ever a risk taker were when she had Maggie by her side, cheering her on. But why did she always need Maggie to help her throw caution to the wind? She was capable of raising her own sails and taking on open waters by herself. What was stopping her?

When the dealer turned to her, Mia kept her gaze trained on the man whose face she’d fallen asleep to nearly every night for the past two weeks. “Hit.”

Mr. Beaumont’s eyes gleamed with approval.

The dealer turned over her card, revealing the six of clubs. “Blackjack.”

As pleased as Mia was with her prize for leaping instead of lying down, that feeling didn’t begin to match her absolute joy at being the recipient of the first real, open-mouthed smile she’d ever seen from Mr. Beaumont. It was…exuberant.

“See? Sometimes risk yields the sweetest reward.”

Instead of standing with his seventeen, he hit for another card, which Mia couldn’t say she would have done. The dealer flipped over his card, revealing the five of spades, bringing his score to twenty-two.

Everyone around the table sucked in breaths, wincing in sympathy.

But he merely shrugged. “And sometimes you’re just left with shit.”

Mia tipped her head back and laughed. Boisterously, with her entire body. And damn, it felt amazing.

For all of his begrudging frowns and terse words, he did something to Mia whenever he was in her orbit. It was like she became hyperaware of every molecule, every atom, inside her body and especially, of the way they reacted to his presence. If she didn’t know better, she would say all the cells in her body had somehow become magnetized, and Mr. Beaumont was the ferromagnetic material they were drawn toward. Even if he irritated her at times, she still felt a kind of static electricity humming around her that never seemed to spark around anyone else. Even when she was having fun with her friends, no sensation she’d ever encountered came close to what she felt around this man.

Her body just…buzzed…around him.

“When was the last time you took a big risk?” she asked, collecting the chips she’d won. “Other than that hand, of course.”

He didn’t smile again, like she half expected him to. Instead, his expression sobered, his eyes filling with…resignation, maybe? He took a healthy pull of his scotch before answering. “Showing my face here tonight.”

Her grin slipped away and got absorbed by the depth of his sandy bottom eyes. Funny, because the color reminded her of shallow ocean waters, just near the shoreline. Not the rich navy blue in the middle of the sea. She suspected that much like the ocean itself, his eyes reflected the life teeming inside him. But he banked it for some reason, closed himself off to it.

“Then why did you come?”

His gaze ran over her hair, her eyes, her lips. “You said you’d be here.”


Author Bio:

Melanie grew up in the Midwest, but she loves living in the Southeast (where the beaches are!) now with her husband and daughter.
Melanie’s other passion is traveling and seeing the world. With anthropology degrees under their belts, she and her husband have made it their goal in life to see as many archaeological sites around the world as possible.
She has a horrible food addiction to pasta and candy (not together…ew). And she gets sad when her wine rack is empty.
At the end of the day, she is a true romantic at heart. She loves writing the cheesy and corny of romantic comedies, and the sassy and sexy of suspense. She aims to make her readers swoon, laugh out loud, maybe sweat a little, and above all, fall in love.
Go visit Melanie’s website and sign up for her newsletter to stay updated on release dates, teasers, and other details for all of her projects!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


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Giveaway – The Berlin Device by Tammy Wunsch @GoddessFish

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The Berlin Device by Tammy Wunsch

GENRE: Action/Adventure

BLURB

Xander has led a life of luxury with a cushy job in the family business. After his father’s mysterious disappearance, Xander became CEO of the multi-million dollar, international enterprise and tries to prove himself to everyone, including himself.

Xander discovers encrypted files in his father’s hidden safe that detail his illicit activities. His father was more than disreputable—he was a member of a secret and diabolical organization whose sole objective is world domination. In the files are plans for the Berlin Device—a satellite weapons system that has the potential for unparalleled destruction.

Chloe has scrimped and saved for an amazing hiking vacation. When nothing goes right in her travels, fate intervenes and she and Xander are thrown together in a hopeless quest across Europe to recover the device before more innocent people die.

Dodging bullets, bombs, and barbaric henchmen, Xander and Chloe discover a mysterious facility that could become their final resting place…if their enemies have their way.

Can they escape with their lives?

More importantly, can they save the planet from The Berlin Device?

EXCERPT

“Damn it,” Chloe muttered to herself as she peered at her computer monitor. The night before her long-awaited, glorious two-week vacation to the Canary Islands, and she was still stuck at work. It always seemed as if she had to work twenty hours of overtime the week before every vacation and twice that amount when she returned.

She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a colorful brochure. It was well-worn from the hundreds of times she had looked at it. The brochure promised two weeks of relaxing hiking and delicious, regional foods as well as incredible views and a friendly group atmosphere. She looked around the sea of cubicles and thought she could use a friendly group atmosphere. Not one of her co-workers had offered to stay and help her out with the report that her boss insisted he needed by tomorrow morning. She frowned and vowed to never again volunteer to help them when they were overworked or wanted to leave—especially because she hadn’t even packed yet! Chloe vowed that things would change when she returned.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Tammy Wunsch is an International Writer of Mystery, Travel, and Wine – with a fierce entrepreneurial side. She spent most of her life in the Quiet Corner of Connecticut but currently resides in the Denver metropolitan area. Formally educated in business, she has worked in a variety of industries and is adventurous by nature. She is passionate about animals and loves to travel, cook, kayak, and read.

Links: Website / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

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Giveaway – Cinderlla Didn’t Live Happily Ever AFter by Anne E Beall @BeallRT @iReadBookTours

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Join us for this tour from June 13 to July 1, 2022!

Book Details:
 
Book Title:  Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After: The Hidden Messages in Fairy Tales by Anne E. Beall
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+),  126 pages
Genre: Feminist, Fairy Tales, Literary Criticism
Publisher:  Independent Publishing
Release date:  November 17, 2018
Content Rating:  PG + M. Some fairy tales are a bit gruesome but there is no bad language or explicit sex. 

 Book Description:

Did Cinderella live happily ever after? You might think so until you look more closely at the hidden messages in beloved fairy tales. In this book, fairy tales are analyzed in terms of the underlying messages about marriage, agency, power, suffering, and good versus evil, with a focus on how male and female characters differ in each of these areas. The analysis is a data-driven approach that provides clear evidence for the hidden messages in these beloved tales. The end conclusion is not whether fairy tales are good or bad but rather what messages they deliver about life, even if unintentionally.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
add to Goodreads

 

Meet the Author:

A leader in the field of market research and one of the few female CEOs in the industry, Anne E. Beall is the author of 10 books in business, gender studies, and mindfulness, including Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After: The Hidden Messages in Fairy Tales and The Psychology of Gender. Her book Heartfelt Connections was named one of the top 100 Notable Indie books in 2016 by Shelf Unbound, and she has published nearly a dozen business articles in noted journals. Her books have been featured in People Magazine, Toronto Sun, Hers Magazine, and Ms. Career Girl, and she has been interviewed by NBC, NPR, and WGN. Having received her PhD in social psychology from Yale University, Anne resides in Evanston, Illinois and is the founder of the market consultancy company Beall Research.

connect with the author:   website ~ facebook ~ twitter ~ goodreads
Tour Schedule:

June 13 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
June 13 – Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
June 15 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 15 – Viviana MacKade – book review / giveaway
June 16 – Cheryl’s Book Nook – book review / giveaway
June 16 – Sadie’s Spotlight – book spotlight / giveaway
June 17 – Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review
June 17 – Kam’s Place – book review
June 20 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 20 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
June 21 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
June 21 – Lamon Reviews – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 22 – Novels Alive – book review / giveaway
June 22 – The Girl Who Reads – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 23 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
June 24 – Chit Chat With Charity – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 24 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 27 – My Fictional Oasis – book review
June 27 – Books for Books – book spotlight
June 28 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
June 28 – My Reading Getaway – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 29 – Lisa’s Reading – book spotlight / giveaway
June 29 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
June 30 – Lynchburg Reads – book review / giveaway
June 30 – Library Lady’s Kid Lit – book review / guest post / giveaway
July 1 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
July 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
July 1 – Adventurous Jessy – book review / giveaway
 

Enter the Giveaway:

 

CINDERELLA DID NOT LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER Book Tour Giveaway

 


 
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – Cardinals by Ian Conner @XpressoTours

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Cardinals
Ian Conner
Publication date: June 1st 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal

Nine Hundred years before Christ, God has cast his wife, Asherah, out of heaven and condemned her to roam the earth as the first vampire. Over the centuries, she created other vampires. There are also those that she left for dead but survived her attack without being completely turned into vampires. These survivors are called Cardinals. Scottish Countess Kellena Donnachaidh and Lady Suzette Allard, our protagonists, are among these cardinals. They are searching out Asherah for a final conflict.

Asherah has discovered a way back to heaven so she can exact her vengeance. Using the Amulet of Cassiel she can call the Flaming chariot of Israel to return to heaven and exact her revenge on God.

Now, 3000 years later, the Vatican and other groups are working to destroy Asherah and the vampires., fearing their own destruction if she ascends, simply want to stop Asherah using the Amulet of Cassiel to re-enter heaven. The race and intrigue to recover the Amulet is full of intrigue, betrayal.

A completely new twist on Stoker’s tale.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Shortly after, Yasmeen finished her call with Sharit, first-class boarded. Another round of the third degree at the gate and she was finally shown to her seat. The first-class flight attendant was Lebanese.

“Traveling can be such a trial for us these days,” she said.

The flight attendant returned with a large glass of orange juice.

“That is a beautiful niqāb!” she said, admiring the gold and lace.

“Thank you. That’s most kind and thank you for this,” motioning to the juice. “I’m famished.”

“We’ll serve dinner once we reach altitude. Enjoy your flight. I’m Nalia Khoury. Buzz me if you need anything at all.”

Yasmeen thanked her in Lebanese. Bringing smiles to both their faces. She took out a laptop and continued reading about the Scottish woman. The file was extensive. She started over at the beginning again. She frowned.

“Born 1283 AD.” she whispered.

Math was never her strong suit; lazily she used the computer’s calculator function.

Seven-hundred-forty years, nothing compared to Sharit’s two and half eons, but still impressive. she thought.

She stood suddenly, angrily turning to find a white-haired man staring at her. Yasmeen wished mightily her khopesh was at her side.

“Who is this guy?” she said to herself.

A plane was no place for a brawl. She knew.

“That explains the smirk on his face.” she said, yawning. Her privacy curtain closed. A moment later, there was a knock on her chair by the flight attendant.

“Is everything alright?” her new Lebanese friend asked.

“It seems I have gained a stalker.” Yasmeen looked back at the white-haired man.

“Hmmm, not our first complaint about him. Wait one moment.”

She disappeared into coach and a minute later she returned with what appeared to be an Air Marshall. They stopped at the white-haired man’s seat.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to come with me to coach for the rest of the flight, then to security when we land.” the Marshall said.

“But I didn’t…”

“We can do it the easy way or the hard way.” The Marshall told the white-haired man, flashing his cuffs at him. Blondie knew when he was beaten. He glared at the flight attendant and looked toward Yasmeen’s seat.

“Pal, she is not the problem. You keep your eyes back there. Don’t be giving her any dirty looks for doing her job. Go!” the Marshall said tersely.

After they left, the attendant shrugged her shoulder at Yasmeen, then returned to where Yasmeen was sitting.

“See, easy as pie. No more loutish behavior from him.”

“Thank you.” Yasmeen touched the attendant’s hand.

“Really, I appreciate you heading off trouble.”

“That’s one less goon to. I have to be nice, too. I hope you like steak. I’ll be back soon.” Nalia told her.

Yasmeen was truly relieved that the attendant headed off the confrontation. Sometimes her temper got the better of her. She gave up on reading and waited for dinner service. The smell of the meal filled the cabin. The attendant was right. The steak was excellent and the smell of the meal filled the cabin.

“Thank you, Nalia. That was a much-needed distraction.”

The attendant’s eyes lit up when Yasmeen used her name and she flashed a brilliant smile, too. Yasmeen was finally noticing how very attractive she was. Later, she came by after dinner.

“Are you staying in London or connecting?” she asked.

“I live there.”

“Oh, how wonderful! I have another three-day layover after this flight.” Nalia said with her brightest smile.

“Perhaps we could…” Nalia left the sentence unfinished.

Yasmeen smiled back just as brightly. The possibilities behind that unfinished sentence improved her mood substantially.

“I have some work when I land, but later I could meet you. Where are you staying?”

Nalia removed a slip of paper from her blouse pocket, placed it in Yasmeen’s hand, and then gently closed her fingers around it.

“I look forward to it.”

Yasmeen enjoyed the rest of her meal. Nalia visited several more times as Yasmeen read Kellena Donnachaidh’s files. Each time, Nalia found somehow to brush against Yasmeen. Be it a simple touch of the hand or reaching across Yasmeen. Each contact was like a jolt of electricity, destroying her concentration. It was like a game for Nalia.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re beginning our descent to Heathrow,” The Captain announced.

Yasmeen was so flustered by Nalia’s scent and touch that by the time that announcement was made she snapped her laptop shut and surrendered. She could remember nothing she read, only the scent of Nalia and the feeling of Nalia’s breasts brushing against her arms. Yasmeen took out her cellphone and called her boss.

“Is there anything you need from me after I arrive at Heathrow?” she asked Sharit Hagel.

“Why, Yasmeen Obiad, have you found a pleasant diversion?” Sharit asked.

“Diverting is exactly the word that I would use.”

Nalia looked directly at Yasmeen and rubbed her fingers together in a tsk, tsk manner, scolding her for using her phone as they landed. She smiled, laughing. Yasmeen smiled back as she explained to Sharit she would not be coming in when she landed.

“Describe diverting,” Sharit told her.

“Lebanese, 5’3, high cheekbones, cute as hell, smart, courteous, beautiful…”

“Alright, alright” Sharit interrupted. “There’s nothing so important it can’t wait until Wednesday. Be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Wednesday morning, 10:00 a.m.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Yasmeen said excitedly.


Author Bio:

Ian Conner is retired and spent most of his adult life as a Marine and Army Infantry Sergeant. Now living near San Diego California with his wife Bonnie, a cellist, and their two dogs, Cookie and Issabella. Conner spends his days fostering kittens, gardening, crafting beautiful stained glass and creating worlds on the page.

Conner has authored other novels The Price of Partisanship, The Long Game, Coopers Ridge, Solaris, Cardinals and Ghost Witch.

After a lifetime of destruction the thought of creating something tangible and lasting holds great appeal. He found art cathartic and a way to redefine himself both in his eyes and the eyes of others.

Website / Goodreads


GIVEAWAY!
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Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – Awakenings by L C Conn @GoddessFish @ConnLoraine

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Awakenings by L. C. Conn

GENRE:   Fantasy

BLURB

Many generations have passed since Carling first faced Chaos’ rage. With each incarnation, his desire to find and claim her gifts grows.

Claire is just like any other 17-year-old, or so she thought. No stranger to tragedy and heartache, she finds comfort in her great-uncle and guardian, and her best friend, Adam. Her life is settling into a happy peace. Until one night everything she knew and trusted is turned on its head.

Spirited away in the middle of the night and thrust into a world of family secrets and hidden magical abilities, Claire discovers she’s not just any teenager and she’s being hunted by her best friend’s father. Claire must learn to harness her awakening gifts before an ancient evil finds her.

Can she master her Abilities before Marcus finds her?

EXCERPT

Claire crouched down where she was and pulled herself into a ball, praying that they would not spot her in the dim light. Her head was on her knees, and she could hear their footfalls come closer and closer. She prayed harder, embracing her legs tightly in her arms, trying to make herself smaller. The seconds dragged on and on as she promised every god she could think of and even her parents that if she got out of there, she would never do such a thing again.

Footsteps farther away from her brought her head up. The two men had passed her. Thanking her luck, she stood up and carefully made her way back to the door. From behind her, she heard one of the men swear.

“She has to be here somewhere. Go back and look,” one of them commanded.

It was at this point that Claire knew she had to get out of there quickly, and she started to run. Unfortunately, her pounding feet gave her away, and she could hear them call out and begin chasing her again. She made the door and slammed it behind her, leaping up the stairs two by two until she reached the entrance foyer and rushed to the door. She slammed her hand on the lock release button protruding from the wall and yanked the door open. Once outside in the back alley, she did not give the building a second look but continued to run.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Loraine Conn grew up on the outskirts of Upper Hutt, New Zealand. Her backyard encompassed the surrounding farmland, river, hills, and mountains which she wandered with her brothers and fed her imagination. After discovering a love for writing in English class at the age of eight, she continued to write in secret. It was not until much later in life that Loraine turned what she thought was a hobby, and something fun to do, into her first completed novel. Now married, Loraine moved from New Zealand to Perth, Western Australia in 2008, and became a stay-at-home mum. While caring for her family and after battling breast cancer, a series was born from a kernel of a dream. Loraine has now published the seven book fantasy series, The One True Child Series, and also the stand-alone Realm of Dragons, Fight for the Crown. Both the series and book have been released with the American based indie publishing company Between the Lines Publishing, under their Liminal Books branch, using the pen name L.C. Conn. She continues her career with many more stories waiting in the wings to be released, and even more ideas to be written.

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Giveaway – Maddie Bloom & the Fae Academy by Emily Jenkins @XpressoTours

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Maddie Bloom & the Fae Academy
Emily Jenkins
Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Welcome to Fae Academy, where if the Sluagh Sidhe lurking in the woods doesn’t get you, the homework just might…

Maddie Bloom is dreading sophomore year. Not only is her mom’s mysterious illness getting worse, but it’s also a brand-new year of her longtime bully to look forward to. Because who doesn’t love getting swirlies in the newly renovated girls’ bathroom? But then the accident happens. The one where she’s escaping said bully and accidentally summons a magical portal that drops her right into the foyer of a literal castle.

That’s when the big reveals start…

  1. Faeries exist.
  2. Maddie is half-fae. Which is how she ended up in Figstern’s Academy for Excellence, aka Fae Academy.
  3. And Maddie’s uncontrolled magic? It’s slowly poisoning her mom.

When she’s given the chance to stay and learn to control her gifts to save her mom, the choice is clear. But Maddie’s not exactly welcome at Fae Academy. Bullies exist even in the magical world, and don’t get her started on the vindictive hobgoblin or the disgraced prince of the Autumn Court.

Still, not all is what it seems at Fae Academy. And the more Maddie digs, the more secrets she uncovers. Secrets that could threaten her life, her mother’s life, and the future of the fae world itself.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I flipped onto my back, spitting mulch from my mouth. I was seconds from pushing myself into a sitting position when the ground vibrated beneath me, courtesy of Sam’s rapidly approaching footsteps. Her bloodlust rippled through the air; that’s how excited she was to have me where she wanted me.

Get up! My inner voice yelled at me.

I listened, but instantly regretted it. Sharp pain shot through my torso from the impact of the fall, and my stomach lurched as Samantha leered down at me. She was way too close for comfort – to where I could distinguish freckles from blemishes.

I swallowed, heat rising to my face. I had a feeling my life was about to flash before my eyes.

But before I could reflect on the short, uneventful fifteen years that I’d walked this Earth, I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye.

I turned my head sideways, and a strange warmth spread over my body, engulfing me from head to toe.

To my left, the air was… shimmering.

I blinked. Once, twice, a third time, but it was still there. A twinkling, transparent curtain swaying in mid-air and luring me in. Calling for me. I’m not exaggerating, either.

I swear it was chanting my name repeatedly.

Meanwhile, in front of me, Sam was preparing to pounce like a predator.

Without thinking, without understanding what was going on, I dodged, rolling toward the strange, glistening air to my left. And somehow, the space swallowed me whole, swooping me out of the playground and away from Sam’s clutches just as she reached out to make good on her promise to make me pay for forcing her to run.

I caught one last glimpse of her stunned face.

And then she disappeared from my view.

Or was it me who disappeared?

Whatever the case, the world as I, Maddie Bloom, knew it, was gone.


Author Bio:

Hi, my name is Emily Jenkins. I’m a high school student and wrestle, and I also happen to be the USA National East Coast Jr Teen! After writing a children’s book about bullying in 2020 (Wrestling Girl Takes Down Bullies), I was inspired to keep creating stories—which is how the Maddie Bloom series was born.

In my free time, I love collecting socks, cooking, and sewing clothes for my dog.

He tears them up. It sort of breaks my heart. I sew more.

Yep, it’s a vicious cycle. 😀

Wanna keep up with my updates?

Sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/h3oXtL


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Giveaway – The Accidental Detective Series by Kris Bock @GoddessFish @Kris_Bock

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kris Bock will be awarding Ebook copies of the first four books in the Accidental Detective Series – Something Shady at Sunshine Haven and Something Deadly on Desert Drive (out now), plus early copies of books 3 and 4, Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek (not available publicly until September 29, 2022) and Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain (not available publicly until February 28, 2023) – to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Accidental Detective book 1: Something Shady at Sunshine Haven

Injured in a bombing, Kate returns to her hometown in Arizona with new scars, a limp, and pain meds that give her brain fog. For the first time in her life, she’s starting to feel her age (49), even though she’s living like a teenager again: staying with her father, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into old friends who still think of her as Kitty.

Seeing her mother in an Alzheimer’s unit is the hardest part – until an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at that nursing home. Is a self-appointed “Angel of Mercy” killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and killing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit. If Kate can’t uncover the truth, her mother could be next on the killer’s list.

Kate has followed the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

The Accidental Detective book 2: Something Deadly on Desert Drive


Starting over at fifty might be hard, but it shouldn’t be deadly…

Still recovering from an injury that might have permanently derailed her career as an international war correspondent, Kate Tessler is living in her childhood bedroom and pondering her second act when another case lands in her lap. Kate’s father and his coffee group are worried. Their friend Larry married a younger woman who now insists he has dementia and won’t let any of his friends visit. They’re convinced that Larry’s wife and her two adult, dead-beat kids are out to steal his money. Can Kate help?

Soon Kate and her unusual gang of sidekicks are unofficially, officially investigating. But before they can dig out the truth, a murder raises the stakes. Now they need to prove Larry is both mentally competent and not a killer. They’ll have to find the real murderer—without risking their own lives in the process.

Praise Something Deadly

“I had such a lovely day reading your story. I could barely put it down. I am still in awe of how you manage to wrangle these three generations of sleuths without every going over the top or relying on stereotypes or cliches, and of course watching Kate start to come to terms both with her disability and potential inability to ever fully heal as well as her new life, aging, being back home again and reconnecting with her family—all while solving two crimes—definite multi-tasker! The story was so engaging and quite clever.” – Sinclair Jayne, author


Read an Excerpt from Something Deadly on Desert Drive

Mayor Todd Paradise shoved his hands in the pockets of his khakis. “This councilmember is blocking me, and I suspect it’s because of the developer. Maybe he’s simply trying to make me look bad. I suspect he’ll run against me in the next election. I’d be tempted to let him have the job, except I’m afraid of the damage he’d do.”

“What exactly do you want me to do?”

Todd hesitated, his gaze searching my face. “That’s the problem. I don’t know what to say. I’m not sure it’s ethical for me to ask you to investigate a political opponent. I’m not sure it’s ethical for me to let someone get away with this, if something illegal is happening. And I can’t pay you.”

“I see.”

“Do you have any advice? That’s all I can really ask.”

The sun highlighted his hair, showing threads of gray among the brown. His eyes looked troubled, but the lines at the corners came from smiling and laughing. When he was a boy, a lot of Todd’s charm came from his enthusiasm and passion for justice, his belief we could make the world a better place. He’d now seen the challenges, the complications. He was worn down, discouraged, but still fighting.

I wanted to make sure life didn’t knock down the rest of his spirit.

About the Author:
Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for her newsletter. You’ll also get a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for our romantic comedy newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. Or find the books on Amazon US or All E-book retailers

Website
Blog
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
Amazon UK Author Page

Where to buy Something Shady at Sunshine Haven

Tule Publishing
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iBooks
Kobo
Google Play
Amazon UK

Buy links for Something Deadly on Desert Drive

Amazon
Kobo

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Giveaway – The Right Kind of Unexpected by Rayna York @XpressoTours

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The Right Kind of Unexpected
Rayna York
Publication date: June 18th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Tess hasn’t experienced many kindnesses in her eighteen years. When her boyfriend abandons her at a small-town gas station, it’s just one more crappy event to add to the pile. Without a car, money, or cell phone, her options are limited, and calling her parents isn’t one of them. So when the family that owns the business throws her a lifeline, she grabs hold. Because even the worst situations can have a silver lining, and this one is a town called Jasper Creek, a diner everyone calls Earl’s, and a young mechanic named Colten Reed.

Rayna York’s standalone novel gives readers the small-town romance they crave with enough feels to make the heart sing. It’s the perfect feel-good, summer romance.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I rush to the bathroom at the side of the building and lock the door behind me. I can’t deal with this anymore. I grip the sides of the pedestal sink and drop my head, breathing deep. In, out, in, out, fighting for calm.

Why? Why did I think this was a good idea?

Three days ago, Dax and I were on our way to a gallery opening when I mentioned I’d never been to Disney World. He said he hadn’t either. I commented on how it would be fun to jump in the car and go. High school graduation was over, my parents were in Europe, I didn’t have any plans for the summer, so the next afternoon we were on the road.

Bad idea.

Horrible.

The worst.

I lift my sunglasses to the top of my head and startle at the red-rimmed, brown-eyed zombie staring back at me. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since we left, and I forgot to take my makeup off last night, then Dax was in such a hurry this morning.

Maybe our relationship was always a mess. I don’t know. We’ve only been together for six months. In New York, Dax and I got along great. There were parties, restaurants, people, and places to fill our time. Now, without the distractions and being stuck together in mostly confined spaces, I realize we don’t have as much in common as I thought. But it’s more than that. He needs to be right about everything and nags me until I concede to his views. I never noticed him doing that before. There are a lot of things I didn’t notice before.

I use a little soap and water on a paper towel and clean the black smears from around my eyes. It cleans the makeup off perfectly, but the dark circles and puffiness remain. I slide a hair elastic from around my wrist and pull my brown mop of humid-induced frizz into a messy bun.

With a deep sigh, I slide my glasses back over my eyes and push the door open into the bright sunlight. I take in the beautiful field dotted with wildflowers behind the gas station, then close my eyes and lift my face to the sun, disregarding the intensity on my pale skin. I breathe in the fragrant smell of green that only a sweltering heat can produce.

It’s time to put an end to this impromptu adventure. It ceased being fun after the first five hours. And it’s my car, my time, my money. With renewed strength, I turn on my heels, ready to confront Dax and get my car keys back. I’m heading home with or without my soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. I can drop him off at a bus station if he wants to continue the trip.

I round the corner of the building. Wait, what? Where is it?

I walk to the two ancient gas pumps and turn in a circle, taking in the white building with peeling paint, and everything else in the three-hundred-and-sixty-degree radius, but the car is nowhere in sight. I walk to the other side of the building, thinking he might have parked in a different location while getting something from inside, but the car isn’t there either.

Author Bio:

Rayna York grew up with hippie parents that liked to adventure. Where change was the norm, books were her constant—a way to escape. As an adult, many careers came and went, but writing has always been her passion. Everything I knew to be true is her first published novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Newsletter


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Giveaway – Monterey King by Claire Marti @XpressoTours @clairepmarti

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Monterey King
Claire Marti
(California Suits, #3)
Publication date: June 16th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When former Army Major Cameron Taylor comes home a hero from his deployment in the Middle East his scars run deep – both physically and emotionally. But he’s starting over, running a luxury hotel with his best friends. And Lucy Goodwin, apparently…his high school sweetheart who he’s never quite managed to forget.

There’s only one reason Lucy’s been engaged – and walked away – three times and now he’s standing right in front of her. Cameron Taylor is the man she’s never stopped loving, even when he left her “for her own good” all those years ago. There was nothing good about it, that’s for sure. Just like there’d be nothing good about trying to break down Cameron’s walls now. But that doesn’t mean she’s not tempted to try…

***Monterey King is the third book in award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Claire Marti’s spin off contemporary romance series, California Suits. The series will follow the adventures of five best friends who are opening a string of luxury boutique hotels from La Jolla to Monterey to Beverly Hills as each one finds true love…usually where he least expects it. Each book is a standalone.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

But sharing the conference table with the hotel’s Managing Director, Cameron Taylor, who she hadn’t set eyes on since he’d dumped her thirteen years ago? Yeah, that explained why her pulse pounded in her temples like the massive surf crashing on the nearby Monterey shore. She paused in front of the closed conference room door, taking a moment to gather her composure.

“The door isn’t locked.” An unmistakable voice rasped from beside her.

She spun around and her throat tightened the moment her eyes locked with Cameron Taylor’s arctic blue gaze.

How could someone look so familiar yet like a stranger? Lucy studied his lean, angular face. His strong, slightly crooked nose was the same, as was the determined squareness of his jawline. Small lines fanned out from his arresting eyes and grooves bracketed his chiseled mouth, which was pressed into a firm line. His posture was ramrod straight––even more rigid after a dozen years serving overseas in the Army.

“Cam.” How many times had she imagined what she’d say if she ever saw him again? How many impassioned speeches had she rehearsed before moving on with her life?

He inclined his head. “Hi, Lucy.” His crisp tone was as remote as his stony expression. The voice of an acquaintance––not the man she’d shared the love of a lifetime with until he’d broken her heart.

Through impeccable self-control, if she did say so herself, she forced her lips to curve upward. “So… how are you?” Awkward, but it was the best she had to offer. She hadn’t expected to encounter him one-on-one, at least not yet.

“Fine, but we should go in. Ryan and Charlie are waiting.” Cam reached for the mahogany wooden door’s carved brass handle at the same time she did.

His long, blunt fingers brushed hers. A flash of heat sparked up her arm and she snatched her hand back. Muscle memory? Of course, Mr. Poker Face didn’t flinch as he pushed the large door open.

Bright light flooded the conference room and bathed the expansive space in a golden glow. Lucy blinked. January on the Monterey coastline wasn’t celebrated for clear blue skies, but the cloudy gray morning had cleared, and rays of sunshine exposed the rugged Pacific coastline beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Author Bio:

Claire Marti is an award winning and USA Today Bestselling author of swoonworthy Contemporary Romance novels set in Southern California, including the Pacific Vista Ranch series and the spin-off California Suits series. She lives in San Diego with her husband, silly dog, and two clever cats.

Claire started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to pick up pencil and paper. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in English Literature, Claire was sidetracked by other careers, including practicing law, selling software for legal publishers, and managing a non-profit animal rescue for a Hollywood actress.

When Claire’s not writing, she’s teaching yoga. You can find her sixty+ online classes on the international website www.yogadownload.com. A breast cancer survivor, Claire is a sought-after speaker on the power of yoga and meditation. She’s been published in numerous magazines with articles on wellness and is the author of a memoir, Come Ride with Me Along the Big C, on her experience beating breast cancer.

Claire loves to hear from readers!

Reach out via email or sign up for her newsletter at www.clairemarti.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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