Genre: Medical Thriller, Crime Mystery, Dark Romance
When Dr. Jessica Hemings volunteers for a medical mission in Rwanda, she
becomes entrapped in the maelstrom of Rwandan politics and the enmity
between Hutus and Tutsis. Her Tutsi features plunge her into the
Rwandan Genocide. Dr. Cyprien Gatera, Jess’s superior and a Hutu
radical, commandeers her clinic, slaughters her patients and her
adopted sons, then forces her to treat his wounded. She escapes and
survives three weeks in hiding before finding refuge at Benaco
refugee camp in Tanzania.
There, Jess vows revenge. She searches for Gatera with the help of Michel
Fournier, a French lawyer-turned-war-correspondent, and Dr. Tom
Powell, her long-time lover. When an unknown informant passes
information to Jess about her nemesis, she returns to Rwanda, despite
warnings from the Belgian Secret Service that Gatera plans to
assassinate her. In their final showdown, Jess must decide if revenge
is best served cold—or not at all.
Suanne Schafer, born in West Texas at the height of the Cold War, finds it
ironic that grade school drills for tornadoes and nuclear war were
the same: hide beneath your desk and kiss your rear-end goodbye. Now
a retired family-practice physician whose only child has fledged the
nest, her pioneer ancestors and world travels fuel her imagination.
She originally planned to write romances, but
either as a consequence of a series of failed relationships or a
genetic distrust of happily-ever-after, her heroines are strong women
who battle tough environments and intersect with men who might—or
might not—love them.
Jolie was three when she found she was ugly and deformed.
She was five when she found she was a sub-human and an outcast.
She was seven when five boys and two girls dragged her out of the
orphanage and beat her unconscious, leaving her lying bleeding and
broken in the street.
She was content to lie there and die, tired of being hated and abused.
But a frail old man with wispy white hair and a long beard wasn’t
content to let her die. He not only saved her, but he adopted her and
passed on his unique martial art to her.
She was twenty when she headed to Delphi, the center of the United
Systems of Perileos (USP) and the planet of her birth-father to find
her place in his society.
Based on her unique upbringing, she decides to join the USP military,
requesting to be assigned to the Tasmanians SFG, an elite all male
unit. The military brass is reluctant to deny her request and admit
their enlistment contract permits bait-and-switch assignments.
Instead, they agree to let her enter the school, thinking she
couldn’t possibly succeed–a Chihuahua competing against
Rottweilers–and plan to make an example of her when she fails.
Although Jolie is small, she is not what she appears. But can her adopted
father’s art enable her to survive the treachery of the military
brass, the grueling of the school, the prejudices of the instructors,
and the testosterone of an all-male class?
And if she succeeds, can she thrive in the high-octane and all male
environment of the Tasmanians?
Clem Daems is a native of Chicago, Illinois and a graduate of the
University of Arizona. He served twenty-two years in the US Air
Force. Since then, he has worked as a software engineer, course
developer, and adjunct professor, teaching mathematics and Computer Science.
He has always been an avid reader of Science
Fiction/Fantasy but never had an interest in writing or being an
author. So, it was surprising when he began his first novel, several
years after his retirement, at age seventy. His first novel,
co-authored with Jeanne Tomlin, “The Talon of the Raptor
Clan”–recently reissued as the “Talon of the Unnamed
Goddess”–was a 2010 EPPIE finalist in Fiction/Fantasy.
Clem is an award winning author and an active member of the Science
Fiction Writers of America.
His hobby–a life-long one–has
been Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Clem is currently retired and living in
Tucson, Arizona.
He would enjoy hearing from you at
clemd@comcast.net on any topic: his books, the characters, writing
with a co-author, Kung Fu, his website
(http://clemd.home.comcast.net/~clemd/JC/Index.html), life after
retirement, or…
Like the Wild Geese of Old Ireland, five boys grew to manhood despite
hunger, war, and the mean streets of New York
The War had left him blind to beauty…
Kieran Donnelly is a gifted artist who has sworn never to paint again. He
saw and did too many things during the war to extinguish the ugliness
that lies in his heart. But a chance to work with some of the most
magnificent paintings brings him close to the world he still
loves…and an extraordinary woman who sees his true heart.
Darkness couldn’t extinguish the light in her heart.
Blind from the age of four, Emily Lawrence yearns to experience the outside
world. When she hires Kieran Donnelly to catalogue her father’s
paintings, he offers her a glimpse at life outside her exquisite
home…and a chance for a future.
Can Kieran and Emily emerge from the darkness to find happiness and love?
I believe I was destined to be interested in history. One of my distant
ancestors, Thomas Aubert, reportedly sailed up the St. Lawrence River
to discover Canada some 26 years before Jacques Cartier’s 1534
voyage. Another relative was a 17thCentury “King’s Girl,”
one of a group of young unmarried girls sent to New France (now the
province of Quebec) as brides for the habitants (settlers) there. My
passion for reading made me long to write books like the ones I
enjoyed, and I tried penning sequels to my favorite Nancy Drew
mysteries. Later, fancying myself a female version of Andrew Lloyd
Weber, I drafted a musical set in Paris during WWII.
A former journalist and lifelong Celtophile, I enjoyed a previous
career as a reporter/editor for a small chain of community newspapers
before returning to my first love, romantic fiction. My stories
usually include an Irish setting, hero or heroine, and sometimes all
three!
I am a member of the Romance Writers of America, Hearts Through History
Romance Writers, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. A lifelong
resident of Montreal, Canada, I still live there with my own Celtic
hero and our two teenaged children.
“A great story of murder, mystery . . . and well-developed
characters.”—Margie Hager, Netgalley Reviewer on A Drop of Magic
“A Drop of Magic is a damned fun and original read, with sass,
action, hot men, and a whole lot of magic.” —Diana Pharaoh
Francis, author of the Diamond City Magic, Magicfall,
and Horngate Witches series
Deeper into the shadows. . .
The paranatural community isn’t done with Alex. She’s been summoned
to the fae court, and she’s got her hands full trying to prepare.
But her date with the fae will have to wait. There’s been a death
at the gallery, and the man she hoped would be a part of her future
is the prime suspect.
Bitter enemies pull her into the middle of a paranatural war for territory
that has her dodging police, swords, teeth, and claws—not to
mention the truth. The deeper she digs, the more secrets she
uncovers, and the less certain she is about the innocence of the one
man she wanted to trust.
She thought she was done with murder and monsters, but she’ll have to
enter the belly of the beast if she hopes to save her friend.
With the world clinging to a fragile peace forced on the Fae by humanity
after the Faerie Wars, metalsmith Alex Blackwood is plunged into the
world of the half-fae who traffick in illegal magical artifacts. Her
best friend’s murder and his cryptic last message place her in the
crosshairs of a scheme to reignite the decade-old war between humans
and fae.
Worse, violent attacks against her and the arrival of a fae knight on a
mission force Alex to face a devastating revelation of who
and what she is. To catch a killer, retrieve a
dangerous artifact, and stop a war, Alex will have to accept that
she’s an unregistered fae “halfer” with a unique magical
talent—a talent that would change everything she believes about her
past, her art, and her future.
Her world is crumbling around her, and Alex will have to decide who to
trust if she and the world are going to survive.
“A Drop of Magic is a damned fun and original read, with sass, action,
hot men, and a whole lot of magic.”
—Diana Pharaoh Francis, author of the Diamond
City Magic, Magicfall, and Horngate Witches series
Born and raised in
Colorado, L. R. BRADEN makes her home in the foothills of the Rocky
Mountains with her wonderful husband, precocious daughter, and
psychotic cat. With degrees in both English literature and
metalsmithing, she splits her time between writing and art.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michael Okon will be awarding a $50 Amazon Gift Card, then 5 signed copies of the book (US ONLY) to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
MY REVIEW
Michael Okon writes some great novels and I am excited to read Witches Protection Program. I am a sucker for a great cover and that gun has me very curious. What do you think it contains?
Wes is the black sheep of the family. Is it because of his reading disability? It made him seem slow and he had to work harder just to maintain what others found so easy.
Now…he was being sent to DUMBO at the Witches Protection Program, having to abandon his dream job. He doesn’t believe in witches, elves or anything magic, but I have a feeling that is about to change.
Enter Morgan…who denies her legacy as a witch and heir to Pendragon, a very successful make-up company.
I can’t help but laugh at Wes and Alistair. A comedy of errors…or should I say ego. Wes needs that chip knocked off his shoulder.
Morgan’s best friend is not a witch, but she aspires to be. Her spells made me think of Charmed (a TV show) and I couldn’t help but laugh at the wording of her spells. The question is…will they work?
Will the frog turn into a prince or will the prince turn into a frog? I laughed my way through the entire scene. Michael Okon’s ability to make me visualize the scene as it unfolds, makes it uproariously funny and sticks with me throughout the story.
Witches Protection Program by Michael Okon is Charmed. The magic and romance runs AMOK. The serious and humorous collide in this wickedly fun paranormal story of greed justice and romance.
4 Stars
Wes Rockville, a disgraced law-enforcement agent, gets one last chance to prove himself and save his career when he’s reassigned to a 232-year-old secret government organization.
The Witches Protection Program.
His first assignment: uncover a billion-dollar cosmetics company’s diabolical plan to use witchcraft for global domination, while protecting its heiress Morgan Pendragon from her aunt’s evil deeds. Reluctantly paired with veteran witch protector, Alastair Verne, Wes must learn to believe in witches…and believe in himself.
Filled with adventure and suspense, Michael Okon creates a rousing, tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern-day New York City.
Read an Excerpt
The narrator filled in more information. “It wasn’t until this land became my land that the government decided to create an organization to protect women at risk. The Davina Doctrine went against everything that the Willas stood for. Even though they ran the risk of persecution, the Davinas chose to work with law enforcement to expose the evil deeds of the rival sisterhood. President George Washington established secret legislation under Title VI of the Control Act of 1792. The law was enacted to protect the good witches that exposed the evil deeds of their sisterhood.”
The screen went dark. There was only a chair in the center of a dimly lit stage. A single spotlight focused on the top of the blond actress’s head. Wes was right; it was the actress he’d suspected. She had a hit sitcom and two Emmys, and there was some recent Oscar talk about her last movie.
“Yes. There are witches. Living among us. They are women who believe in using their power to protect love and life. And then there are some who use their powers for all the wrong reasons.”
The camera came to rest on her beautiful face. She winked saucily as she placed a triangular witch’s hat on her head. “Welcome to the Witches Protection Program.”
Alastair smiled broadly. “I love that part.”
“That was Jennifer Anis—”
About the Author:
Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.
Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.
Happily settled in her cozy cottage with
its resident ghost, Cass Peake looks forward to Halloween. Then another
corpse is found on her beachfront. With the support of family and her
ghostly roommate, Cass investigates. To her dismay, she finds the murder
victim handled her goofy neighbor’s trust fund and he was in dire need
of money. The suspect list grows with a former husband, another needy
relative, and a maybe shady accountant who suddenly disappears. To top
it all off, rumors circulate about treasure hidden in Cass’s cottage.
Detective George Ho doesn’t like his
ex-girlfriend snooping around. Despite that, sparks still fly between
him and Cass. But superstitious George has no idea Cass’s home is
haunted. Can Cass solve the mystery and renew the romance with her
ghost-adverse ex?
About Rena Leith
I currently live in Cape May County in
New Jersey after spending years in the San Francisco Bay Area with my
Maine Coon cats Sierra and Ginger. I attended Clarion Writers Workshop
for Science Fiction and Fantasy at Michigan State University and sold a
story I wrote there to Damon Knight for The Clarion Awards anthology. I
wrote technical manuals in Silicon Valley and also published several
poems and science articles as well as a couple of chapters in Research
& Professional Resources in Children’s Literature: “Piecing a
Patchwork Quilt.” I’ve also taught English in high school and community
colleges.
**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
LATEST HAPPENINGS
Hello fellow bloggers. I hope you have all had a great week, filled with family, fun and a lot of great books. Woo Hoo. Two weeks in a row. As the summer winds down and the pool cools off, I am still enjoying the warm weather and spending as much time outdoors as I can. I will be doing the October Blogger Shame challenge and hope to get a lot more late reviews done and finish out most of the year. I will still be plugging in some tours, I can’t help myself. It’s so hard to say no. LOL
Most of you already now about my vacation to Connecticut, Rhode Island, Boston and Cape Cod, but I thought I would share some more photos. You can see the pictorial tour HERE.
I don’t know the name of the LIghthouse, but it is in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.Here’s another lighthoust in Narragansett Bay and we fished all around it.I love all the flowers that were still in bloom
My mother in law had cut this one because the squirrels were relentless in their pursuit of a free meal.
Seems flower boxers are everywhere and I love them.
I have some great giveaways going on and a few reviews to share, so feel free to browse to your heart’s content.
Sometimes you’re interested. Sometimes you can’t be bothered. Sometimes
love doesn’t give you a choice. In Jacob and Lilly’s case, love
isn’t letting either of them go.
Jacob Edmonton has a plan for his life, but it doesn’t include love. He
was Hollywood’s quintessential golden boy—until a
flash-in-the-pan fling with a high-profile singer upended his
world—and his reputation. Now he’s nursing more than a wounded
ego and his only goal is to repair the damage.
But his return to superstardom is shot to hell when his sister winds up
undergoing emergency surgery. There he meets Lilly Staver, a
straight-shooting nurse who’s as brutally honest as she is
beautiful. She sees through his suave façade and he wants to hate
her until he realizes he can’t resist her.
Lilly knows all about men like Jacob Edmonton—if you’ve seen one
pretentious, egocentric celebrity—you’ve seen them all. She’s
unimpressed with his Hollywood pedigree and his belief that love is
reserved solely for maniacs. So why can’t she stop thinking about
him? Her mind tells her to run as fast as she can from Jacob…but
her heart isn’t listening.
Love as they know it just took a hairpin turn into uncharted territory,
but when Jacob’s former girlfriend shows up with an opportunity to
salvage his career, will he choose the life he knows or the love he
never knew existed?
This is the first of three books in ‘A Series of Moments’, chronicling the
timeless and heart-wrenching love story of Jacob Edmonton & Lilly
Staver.
“From the Moment We Met”, the first book in the romantic saga, A Series
of Moments, introduced us to Jacob Edmonton and Lilly Staver, and a
love neither believed possible. But life is all about the choices you
carry with you and those you leave behind. Love is no different.
Now, in “Unguarded Moments”, Jacob realizes that his actions have
consequences, and his heart is paying the price.
Jacob made a choice. Now, in “Unguarded Moments”, he realizes he’s
made the wrong one. The lights of Hollywood do shine, but not nearly
as bright as the light of love. He’s ready to fight tooth and nail to
bring Lilly back into his life but is it too late to undo the damage?
Lilly saw the writing on the wall, but she chose to follow her heart
instead. Her foolish, naïve heart. She’s learned her lesson many
times over—loving Jacob was a bad idea in every sense of the word.
She vows to never make the same mistake again…but can she resist
the one man who still holds all the pieces of her shattered soul? She
gave him her love, but instead of loving her back—he watched her
walk away.
Thousands of kilometers lie between them now, but the distance isn’t Jacob’s
toughest hurdle. It will be far more difficult to convince Lilly that
loving him wasn’t the gravest mistake she’s ever made.
The heart wants what the heart wants—but can Lilly believe in Jacob
again, or will her fears end any chance of their reconciliation?
This is the second of three books in ‘A Series of Moments’, chronicling
the timeless and heart-wrenching love story of Jacob Edmonton &
Lilly Staver
A Series of Moments follows the journey of Jacob
Edmonton, a world-famous actor, and Lilly Staver, the nurse who saved
him from himself. “Beautifully Broken Moments” is the
stunning conclusion in the trilogy, but after all the upheaval, will
Jacob and Lilly ever find their Happily Ever After?
All it takes is a moment—one moment can change the course of your
life—and love.
With a single statement during a press conference, Jacob upended his
world, destroying his happiness and heart in the process. When his
ex-girlfriend Victoria claimed she was not only engaged to the acting
legend but also expecting his child, Jacob went along with the
charade. But his actions were not to salvage his reputation or
career; they were to protect the only thing that mattered—his real
fiancée, Lilly. To save her from the backlash of Victoria’s
jealousy and rage, Jacob let go of the only woman he had ever loved.
As the truth behind the events of the last several months shifts into
sharp focus, Jacob is left with one final choice—move on without
Lilly or fight with everything in his being to reunite with the love
of his life. For Jacob, it’s the easiest decision he’s ever made.
Lilly watched her dreams crumble on international television when Jacob
claimed she was ‘a brief fling’; too bad her heart never received
the memo. Devastated by his most recent betrayal, she plans to flee
England and Jacob forever, intent on escaping their tempestuous
romance, until she learns the reality behind Jacob’s actions.
Just as their plans start falling back into place, the wheel of life doles
out a tragedy that will test them on every level. Is Jacob’s love
enough to carry them through or is the trail of heartache too
difficult for Lilly to traverse again?
Life is a series of adventures, waiting to be explored.
That’s how I look at life, the greatest adventure we will ever experience.
My name is Julie Soper and I write under the pen name M.L. Broome
(the M.L. stands for Mezza Luna). The name came to me in a dream,
which is how many of my story ideas also appear.
My motto is that I’m a believer in love and a lover of life, even when
life isn’t being kind or pretty. I’ve seen the darker side of human
suffering through my years as an ICU nurse and nurse educator, but in
those dark days, I also witnessed the depths of strength present in
everyone. We are extraordinary beings when we allow ourselves the
freedom to dream.
I’ve always created stories, with most remaining locked in the vault of my
mind. But the story of Jacob and Lilly wasn’t satisfied being
relegated to the confines of my head, and their tale of love found
and lost was birthed into the world.
I hope you enjoy their love story. I know I do. I love these
characters, even when their actions drive me to the brink of
madness.
From #1 New York Times bestselling
author Ilona Andrew comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the
Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines
are the new currency of society…
In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor
is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her
House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but
when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina
risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.
But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them
is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s
teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true
motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.
To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary
powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.
“Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team.
Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications
sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was
never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was
never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in
college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade.
(Gordon is still sore about that.)
Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Texas with their two
children and many dogs and cats.
They have co-authored several NYT and USAT bestselling series. They are
currently working on urban fantasy of Kate Daniels, the paranormal
romance of Hidden Legacy, and thjeir independently published series,
Innkeeper Chronicles.
Kingdom Cold: The Complete Series by Brittni Chenelle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB
Kingdom
Cold
The Complete Collection
——-
Book I: Kingdom Cold
Book II: Kingdom Soul
Book III: Kingdom Untold
——-
Beware: a binge awaits.
Deliciously dark, romantic and gripping, the Kingdom Cold trilogy now can be
yours in a dazzling collection.
Kingdom Cold follows the impulsive, teenage princess, Charlotte, as she
attempts to murder her betrothed. But an arranged marriage is only the
beginning of her problems, for the world as she knows it is falling apart. Her
kingdom faces total destruction at the hands of Merlin and Lancelot, leaders of
power-crazed Camelot.
Will wicked King Arthur prove, once and for all, that ruthless deeds create the
legend? Can Princess Charlotte sacrifice love to save her home?
Only one can reign.
EXCERPT
Come on, Charlotte,” I said, kneeling. I tilted her
head up to look her in the eyes. “We’re almost th—” I froze. A heavy
stream of tears flowed down her cheeks, dripping from the bottom of her chin.
She sobbed. “I don’t want to marry you.”
It wasn’t news, but I’d never seen a woman cry before. She
seemed so fragile it made something ache at the bottom of my stomach. This was
not the girl who shot the arrow or the girl who showed her disappointment upon
our first meeting. This was someone new.
I sighed. “I know.” I felt fear seep into my
skin before my next question manifested. “Do you want to marry my
brother?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to
marry anyone.”
I nodded as her breakdown worsened. It was a terrible
reality, but somehow it made me feel better. I hadn’t exactly been a
disappointment, she just didn’t want any of this. I had a lingering urge to
reach out to her, to wipe her tears, or hold her in my arms, but I didn’t. I
let her cry.
“I don’t want to be a princess,” she sobbed. “I just want to
be free.”
Afraid to touch her, I inched back and settled into a more
comfortable position on the floor.
“I’m sorry this happened to you,” I said.
“Stop the wedding then!” she cried.
My body stiffened. “I too am bound to honor my father’s
agreement.”
She wiped her face and looked me straight in the eyes, her
swollen cheeks red and brimming with emotion. “What do you want?” she
asked.
I shook my head.
“My kingdom? You can have it,” she breathed. “Let
me go.”
Frozen, I begged my body to tear my gaze from hers.
Her lips parted and she breathed in like it hurt, before she
spoke. “Aren’t you afraid of what you’ll be giving up?”
My brow furrowed as I contemplated what she meant. I bit the
inside of my bottom lip.
“Do you honestly think you could ever love me?”
The word “love” struck me, like an arrow masked by dusk.
She studied my face, my silence burning away her last seeds
of hope. Her tears began to fall again, this time slow and sorrowful.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
BRITTNI CHENELLE currently lives in Seoul, Korea which inspires her multicultural fantasy books. Her favorite genres to read and write are Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Romance, Fairytale Retellings, and Young Adult Dystopian novels. She’s very passionate about equal representation and makes a point to include characters from different backgrounds and cultures in her Fantasy stories.
