Tag Archives: romance

Giveaway – Running Out Of Time by Angie Stanton @XpressoTours

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Running Out of Time
Angie Stanton
(Carillon Time Travel Series, #2)
Publication date: October 10th 2022
Genres: Adult, Romance, Time-Travel

Time shapes those who travel through it.

Running Out of Time is a love story—spanning across decades—of a young man lost in time who risks everything to save a modern-day girl who is trapped in the past. The wrinkle is that he only travels forward and she back, and their sole means of communication is a buried time capsule.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I glance at the infuriating girl out in the middle of the lake, and am incredulous to see her standing up in the boat trying to paddle with one oar. What in God’s name is she doing? I mutter a curse. She will be the death of me yet.

I lower my head and row with all my strength hoping to reach her before she topples into the lake. Then the sky opens up and rain pours down in cold, heavy sheets and the air temperature plummets. Within a minute I’m drenched to the bone.

Finally, I’ve caught up to her and glide my boat up towards hers. She’s entirely soaked, her hair flattened to her scalp, and she’s huddled up, her arms wrapped around herself, her legs bunched close, shivering. She could have died out here.

I am so angry, I yell. “Have you gone daft!”

And she has the audacity to grin.

“Clearly, you have.” I clench my jaw ready to wring her neck but first secure her boat to mine. Then I return my attention to the foolish young woman whose cheeks are chafed and red from the cold. “You think you can climb into my boat?”

“Of course. I’m not helpless,” she yells over the downpour.

I raise an arched brow. Rainwater runs down my face and into my mouth. I spew it out. “I believe you’ve just proven otherwise.”

With one hand I grip the sides of the two rowboats and extend my other. “Take my hand.”

Her expression is a combination of relief and something else. Perhaps it’s determination as this girl is no shrinking violet. She reaches out. I grasp her hand firmly. Despite the rain, wind and rocking of the boats, I notice the delicate hold of her long fingers as she stumbles across the boats in a most unladylike fashion.

I guide her to the bench seat across from me. She’s shivering and pale, and gripping her arms for warmth.

“Are you alright?”

“Never better,” she manages, her teeth chattering.

I strain against the oars, pulling stroke after stroke, my muscles aching from the long trek. The girl, whose name I still have not learned, hasn’t stopped watching me. It’s as if she’s studying a lab specimen. She appears tiny and defenseless in her pretty little dress and shoes that are likely now ruined. With my hands gripping the oars, rain runs freely down my face and into my eyes and mouth.

Suddenly, she smiles, and her face lights up despite the rain and the leaden gray of the sky.

“What is so funny?” I snap between pulls.

“I knew you’d have to talk with me eventually, but I never imagined this is how it happens.”

Author Bio:

Angie Stanton is the award winning, best selling author of Don’t Call Me Greta, If Ever, Waking in Time, Rock and a Hard Place, Snapshot, Royally Lost, Dream Chaser, Under the Spotlight, Snowed Over, and Love ‘em or Leave ‘em.

A few of her awards include:

If Ever

★ National Readers’ Choice Award Winner

★ HOLT Medallion Award Winner

★ Write Touch Readers’ Award Winner

Waking in Time:

★ Midwest Book Award Winner

★ National Readers’ Choice Award Finalist

Angie has a Journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin. Her books have been translated in German, French, Spanish, and Bulgarian.

A life-long daydreamer, she’s put her talent to use writing contemporary fiction about life, love, and the adventures that follow. In her spare time, Angie loves to sneaks off to enjoy the best live entertainment on earth, Broadway. She is currently working on her next book and is a contributing writer to BroadwayWorld.com.

For more information on Angie and her books, please visit:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Giveaway – Give Me Forever by Heidi McLaughlin @XpressoTours

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Give Me Forever
Heidi McLaughlin
(Beaumont: Next Generation, #5)
Publication date: October 11th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

From the New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl: The Motion Picture, Heidi McLaughlin delivers an emotional second chance romance about life, love, and what it means to truly be happy!

Elle James has it all: a loving fiancé in Ben, a promising career as a music manager, and a supportive family. She couldn’t be happier with her life. That is until the unthinkable happens and she must accept the consequences of her actions and figure out how to come clean to her family or continue living the lie.

Ben Miller had it all: a loving fiancée, a budding career, and the support of people who loved him like family. That was until he wanted more, and his fiancée was unable to meet him halfway. He makes a decision, one that affects everyone. When his life takes an unexpected turn and he’s diagnosed with a life changing illness, he finds himself fighting for more than just love.

With their happily ever after slipping through their fingers, will Elle and Ben be able to survive, or will life’s curveball be too much for them to handle?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I’m listening to Elle talk instead of focusing on my current project. She’s on the phone with her mom or sister by the tone of her voice. When it’s business, she’s matter of fact. It’s her way or the highway—something I’ve learned by working for her management company over the years. In her line of business, she needs to be direct. Other managers have tried to show she can’t hack it in the industry, only for her to prove them wrong. Sinful Distraction is well on their way to stardom, and she’s in the process of signing two new bands. To say I’m proud of her is an understatement. Elle’s doing exactly what she set out to do—changing the music management industry.

I look outside at the graying sky and wonder if there’s a storm coming or if December is going to be a dreary month in Malibu. I think it’s been a week since I’ve seen the sun, although the lack thereof hasn’t deterred any of the surfers. Every morning when I go for a run, they’re out there, welcoming the early morning waves and the quiet solitude before the traffic starts and tourists arrive. I close my laptop and make my way outside to get the mail. While most of our bills are online, all our packages come to the house. I’m elated to find a catalog full of wedding invitations and internally fist pump because this means we’re one step closer to finally nailing down a wedding date. We’ve already decided to get married in Napa at one of the vineyards or in Tiburon overlooking the bay, and just need to pick a date.

Elle comes out of the office and finds me in the living room flipping through the catalog. I’ve dogeared a couple designs I like and plan to show her. She sits down next to me, leans over, and kisses me on the cheek before righting herself. “What are you looking at?”

I close the magazine so she can see the front. “Came in the mail today. It’s a sign for us to set a date and finally get the ball rolling.”


Author Bio:

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.

Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.

In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.

Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018, and is now available on DVD & Digital.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Giveaway – Realm Of Darkness Limited Edition Fantasy and Paranormal Collection @XpressoTours

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Realm of Darkness
A Limited Edition Fantasy and Paranormal Collection
Publication date: October 4th 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

When darkness falls, beware of the creatures that come out to play…

Fall under their spell over and over again in this ultimate paranormal and fantasy romance boxset! Over 40 full-length novels with heart-melting heroes and devastating anti-heroes, full of romance, magic, mystery, and adventure can be yours for an insanely low price.

Ready to be swept away? Your book boyfriends are waiting… Enemies-to-lovers, alphas, fae, werewolves, dragons, shapeshifters, vampires, gods, angels, demons, and more: with novels ranging from sweet to spicy, there’s a flavor to sate your every craving.

You won’t find these exclusive novels anywhere else, so don’t miss your chance. Over ten thousand pages by New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling authors and at less than three cents per book, this collection is a steal, but only for a limited time. Grab it today before it’s gone forever…

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

—

SNEAK PEEKS:

“Cosmic Honor” by Jade Waltz

“Yield,” he ordered.

Jaiya swallowed, feeling the sharp nick of the blade barely brushing her skin.

She turned her head to the side, exposing her neck to the dominant male, as blood trickled from her fresh wound.

“I yield,” she whispered, closing her eyes. Her voice barely registered to her own ears.

The weight of the blade lifted away as the prince trailed his nose along her neck, breathing in her scent.

She gasped when his smooth tongue lapped at her wound. Something hard pressed against her thigh, growing with each passing moment.

She was afraid to move, to fight. Here was a side of the prince that she had never seen before, as he went from an attacker to . . . an aroused caregiver?

—

Unblessed by Nia

Being flogged with a wire whip.

Carrying red-hot metal bare-handed.

Getting bitten by a nest of rattlesnakes.

Nia hadn’t enjoyed any of them. But she would rather relive any of those experiences than spend even one second with Xavier Rohesia. And here she was, preparing to spend the next five days with him. Alone. In a secluded cabin.

Inhaling the scent of jasmine courtesy of the nearby aromatherapy mister, she slid deeper into the warm bubbling water. I’m going to enjoy every second of this that I can before I have to meet up with that insufferable man.

Despite tightly braiding her long black hair and curling it into a tight bun on top of her head, strands had worked their way loose and clung to her damp neck and shoulders. As long as the rest stayed up — she’d no wish to wash and dry the thigh length mass of it after this soak.

Sunk in the water to her chin, Nia continued to expand her list of things that she would prefer to do rather than spend time with Xavier.

Running without cover to draw fire from my triad.

Shopping at a big box store the day before Christmas.

Nia shuddered at the last thought as she positioned herself to have jets of water massage her lower back. That trip had been horrifying. The things she did for her triad, her partners in all things…but joining them on a shopping trip during the Christmas season had stretched her bond with them to the limit. Adding their respective partners had nearly killed her. Nia would much rather be shot at.

And now she had to spend a week in a cabin shared by the asshole unicorn who did not live up to his last name – kindness. To make matters worse, there was a strict no killing rule. The mage may have saved the life of Amir’s lover, but this was still a steep price for it.


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Giveaway – Kingdom Of Acatalec by S M McCoy @XpressoTours

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Kingdom of Acatalec
S.M. McCoy
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: October 3rd 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

I work with aliens, my best friends is held hostage, and everyone wants to murder me before the Lord Prince can magically bond to share my power? If I had known an illegal drone race would lead to murder, kidnapping, and lies, then I might have thought better about the giant prize of credits, and the dream of walking again.I never met my best friend in person until a drone race gone wrong had both of us vying for our lives against a secret alien society. To make matters worse… my boss was one of them, and I couldn’t decide if he was trying to save my life, or the reason I was in trouble to begin with.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Audible

—

EXCERPT:

He sighed. “The less you know about these people the better.”

So they were mobsters, I confirmed to myself. I mean, anyone hosting an illegal drone race couldn’t be considered a quote unquote good guy, but I hadn’t really thought about it before. I merely liked the extra cash that most of these races provided, but this race was much more risky than anything I’d ever been involved with.

“Got it.”

“If we win the race, you can get through this whole thing without anyone knowing who you are. You keep your mask on, and you stay in the drone assigned to you. It isn’t uncommon for winners to take on a persona, but if you lose you will be forced to pay off your debt, and we don’t want to owe these people, they don’t take credits. You will be forced to join the Drone Guard, as you are now considered one of the top pilots, and that is more valuable than credit.”

“Like indentured service? They can’t do that… can they?”

“They can, and they do, though most are more than happy to devote themselves to the cause.” He smirked at me. “I don’t see you as being a follow orders kind of pilot,” he joked, “If you were, we wouldn’t be here.”

I glared at him. “This isn’t funny. You could have been more upfront and said, ‘Tyler, I know you’re a sucker for illegal drone races, but you’d been getting yourself involved with gangsters. Please sit this one out.’ Would have been a nice heads up.” I lowered my voice and did a horrible impression of his silky deep tone that sounded more like a gruff cartoon character.

He leaned forward and grabbed my hand in his then smoothly said, “Tyler, don’t get involved with illegal drone races. Being as they are illegal, they are usually run by powerful overlords that don’t care about your wellbeing. Please listen to me next time.”

I pulled my hand from his and swatted at him. He laughed, and leaned back into his seat, and this was the most relaxed I’d ever seen him. Which was surprising considering we were going to an evil overlord’s lair and trying to win a drone race to save my friend Kelly from financial ruin, and now make sure I didn’t become an indentured pilot to amoral goons.

“Would that have made a difference,” he asked seriously to me.

I frowned and shook my head. “Probably not. I wouldn’t have believed you.”

“And you believe me now?” He quirked a brow. He was quite handsome when he wasn’t reprimanding me.

“After the cutthroat race to even be here right now, unfortunately yes. Plus,” I stopped and shook my head, changing my mind about telling him how much I was worried that I still hadn’t heard from Kelly. She was the one who even signed us up for this race, and it made me nervous knowing who we were racing for was dangerous. What if she didn’t make it through the first race, and was lying in a ditch somewhere, or worse at the hospital because another racer crashed her into oncoming traffic? Picking at my nail cuticle I flexed my fingers and then dug them into my pant legs to stop myself from picking until I had no more skin to pick.

He watched me expectantly, waiting for me to finish. The way his eyes tore into my soul made me want to tell him all of my secrets, my lip quivered because my insides hurt thinking about anything happening to Kelly. She was all I had when this was all over, at least I hoped I still had her after this was over. Misinterpreting why I was so emotional he nodded and tried to reassure me, “You’ve far surpassed most pilots I’ve seen in this race during training, but fear will help you stay sharp. Let your instincts help protect you when the time comes.”

“My instincts are what I fear most right now.”

Author Bio:

Stevie Marie is the author of young adult paranormal fantasy, The Divine Series, and The Acatalec Series. Born within the apex of another universe, where magic flows like leaky faucets, and forged from the fires of the Underrealm she dug her way to Earth and reluctantly participates in human society, secretly returning to her home world to relay the stories of her monsters, and the troubled love of her people. When she isn’t writing she’s designing clothing, momming it up with her tiny monsters, or narrating audiobooks in the rainy city of Seattle, Washington.

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Review – Broken by Maggie Shayne @MaggieShayne

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have read Forgotten and Reckless, Books I and II of the Shattered Sisters series by Maggie Shayne, and loved them. I am so excited to get my hands on Broken.

Caitlin Rossi awakes after a car accident and can’t even remember her name. She may have amnesia, but she still feels a great loss and a menacing threat. I think I would be paralyzed with fear, or run away as fast as I could. I can’t imagine what it would be like. Who do you believe? Who do you trust? Especially when you meet the rest of your dysfunctional family and realize you are worth a lot of money.

I feel the danger comes from someone close, someone very close, but Maggie Shayne does throw out a red herring. I already know who ‘they’ are so that doesn’t distract me, but there are enough suspects to keep me guessing.

Caitlin has amnesia, but she still has a working brain. She is determined to get to the bottom of things. I love the character…and Dylan isn’t too shabby either. Secrets…they always come out, one way or another. Maybe that’s a good thing. They can be a heavy burden to carry.

Sure, I expect a happy ending, but I am so loving the twisty journey I will have to take to get there. Broken reads like a true crime story. A rich bitch and her money, and those who hate her. How far will they go to get it? Can’t she save her marriage to Dylan?

It’s Chapter 8 before Toni and Joey are mentioned, then they disappear…until the end. I can hardly wait to read Book IV, Hollow. I wonder how the series will end. How many sisters are there? Surely, the sisters must all come together.

4 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

Caitlin Rossi’s near tragic accident was no accident at all. With her memory wiped clean, she returns to a houseful of strangers who claim to be her family, and not one of them seems glad to see her. Least of all her darkly handsome husband, Dylan.

Her gothic mansion is cold and filled with secrets. One member of this hostile household wants her dead—and unless she can regain her lost memories, they might just get their wish.

***A substantially revised edition of the story originally titled Kiss of the Shadow Man***

ABOUT MAGGIE SHAYNE

I live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hour away, in different directions, and not really all that big by most standards, though they both seem humongous to me. I look out my window to see rolling, green, thickly forested hills, wildflower laden meadows and wide open blue, blue skies. My road is barely paved. The nearest neighboring place is a 700 acre dairy farm.

My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire–it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.

No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day–there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)

That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!

And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)

Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we’ve acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the “Monster Moon.” Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.

Glory is not amused.

She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She’s tolerating the newcomers. Barely.

My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub

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Giveaway & Review for The Perfect Brother by Chris Patchell @partnersincr1me @chris_patchell

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MY REVIEW

Liz and Kee have the opposite taste in men. From the opening pages, they had me busting out with laughter with their funny dialogue.

Indira works for a company that harvests your data and uses it against you. I mean, you do need that 20th pair of shoes, don’t you? Privacy? Pshaw. What’s that? (my thought)

Mallory Riggins works at the Daily Grind. She knew Tim and his missing girlfriend, Katie Lord, from them being customers. She attended college, taking business classes. She was also dating the teacher.

Amar is Indira’s brother. They are from India and she battles her mother’s attempts to marry her off. She wants freedom, eats meat, and drinks beer. Amar toes the line, sort of. He’s vegetarian, soon to be wed. I am sure they are not allowed to have affairs, even if their culture believes in arranged marriages.

I have my eye on a couple of suspects for Katie being missing.They both act suspiciously. I feel it’s too obvious for a Chris Patchell novel, so I am still on the lookout. I have a feeling the police will go in a wrong direction.

At page 152…Oh No! I felt this coming, yet I am so bummed about it. A woman is found murdered. I usually don’t get to know a murder victim as well as I got to know her. I knew it was coming, but that doesn’t change how bummed I am about it.

I feel The Perfect Brother is different from other Chris Patchell novels I have read. I didn’t find it full of action packed, in your face, suspense and thrills. The dangers were more subtle with gross injustice and a bit of vigilantism on the technical side. A terrifying glimpse into how easy it is for someone to access your information and stalk you, all because of a company gathering your data, sharing your patterns, and is too easily accessed.

The investigation, if you could call it that, is tunnel visioned. They found a suspect and never looked any further. I have had a spidey sense feeling since early on, but I have no clues to use against him. Another suspect arises and I think I now have my eyes on the murderer.

Unputdownable, because I HAD TO KNOW. Chris Patchell sure did weave a tangled web. I found The Perfect Brother to be more of a mystery, than thriller. This ARC had 433 pages of deliciousness. I only stopped when necessary. Though I rated it a 4, I think when it has been polished it could be a 5.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Perfect Brother by Chris Patchell.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

A scandalous liaison. A killer on the loose. Can a young woman save her sibling from going down for murder?

Vancouver, Canada. Software engineer Indira Saraf refuses to march to her traditionalist parents’ old-world drum. Resentful of her brother’s golden-boy acceptance but still a devoted sister, she encourages him to confess his secret affair before he ends up married to a woman he doesn’t want. So she’s horrified when his student and lover is slain and he’s arrested for the gruesome crime.

Repurposing her own AI technology to prove his innocence, the unorthodox rebel scours the dead college girl’s life for clues. But when Indira discovers another missing co-ed and the suspects pile up, she learns the hard way that her digging has drawn deadly attention…

Can she hunt down the culprit before she takes a fatal fall?

The Perfect Brother is a chilling standalone suspense thriller. If you like dogged heroines, complex family relationships, and dangerous twists, then you’ll adore USA Today bestselling author Chris Patchell’s riveting tale.

Genre: Suspense

Published by: Indie Pub

Publication Date: September 27th 2022

Number of Pages: 421

ISBN: 978-1-7335452-4-2

Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

ABOUT CHRIS PATCHELL

Chris Patchell is an award-winning USA Today Bestselling Author who started writing to curb the homicidal tendencies she experienced during her daily Seattle commute. She writes gripping suspense thrillers with romantic elements set in the Pacific Northwest and believes good fiction combines a magical mix of complex characters, compelling plots, and well-crafted stories.

Over the years, she has written numerous popular books and series, including bestsellers Deadly Lies, In the Dark, and her most recent collection of small-town crime novellas, the Lacey James Series. Along the way, her writing has won several awards, including a 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Award, an IndieReader Discovery Award, and a Pacific Northwest Literary Award.

When she’s not writing, you can find Chris reading books, hanging out with her family, watching football, and struggling to keep up with her workout regime, all while shushing her incessantly yapping Yorkies. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two kids.

Connect with Chris:
www.ChrisPatchell.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @chrispatchellauthor
Instagram – @chrispatchellauthor
Twitter – @chris_patchell
Facebook – @authorchrispatchell

; ;

 MY CHRIS PATCHELL REVIEWS

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Giveaway – The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven @GoddessFish @bohemienneivy

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The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven by Jennifer Ivy Walker

GENRE: Paranormal fantasy medieval romance

BLURB

In this dark fairy tale adaptation of a medieval French legend, Issylte must flee the wicked queen, finding shelter with a fairy witch who teaches her the verdant magic of the forest. Fate leads her to the otherworldly realm of the Lady of the Lake and the Elves of Avalon, where she must choose between her life as a healer or fight to save her ravaged kingdom. Tristan of Lyonesse is a Knight of the Round Table who must overcome the horrors of his past and defend his king or lose everything. When he becomes a warrior of the Tribe of Dana, a gift of Druidic magic might hold the key he seeks. Haunted and hunted. Entwined by fate. Can their passion and power prevail?

EXCERPT

He opened the brilliant blue eyes that she’d seen in the vision.

As she gazed into them, the earth tilted. Her heart raced; her bearings were lost. In the depths of his eyes, she glimpsed a fountain in a forest. The turquoise waters of the ocean. An underground well encased by sacred stones. She, the forest fairy, was immersed in the blue waters of the warrior’s eyes, the waves emanating from him flowing through her, cleansing her. Beckoning her.

In Tristan’s eyes, Issylte glimpsed a black bird—a sea raven—soaring over an open sea, hovering now before her. A small dove fluttered in her breast, called forth from her soul. White wings unfurled as she took flight, rising into the azure sky alongside the black seabird—-floating together through the diaphanous clouds scattered across the vast ocean.

In the breadth of an instant, Issylte was bound to this warrior, the Blue Knight of Cornwall, as if fate had indeed entwined them. Through the windows of his eyes, she peered into his soul, her own blending with his, as if they were the forest and the ocean, encircled now within the three layers of protective stones, the holy trinity of sacred elements of the Goddess.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French.

As a high school teacher, she took her students every year to the annual French competition, where they performed a play she had written, “Yseult la Belle et Tristan la Bête”–an imaginative blend of the medieval French legend of “Tristan et Yseult” and the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast”, enhanced with fantasy elements of a Celtic fairy and a wicked witch.

Her debut novel, “The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven”–the first of a trilogy– is a blend of her love for medieval legends, the romantic French language, and paranormal fantasy. It is a retelling of the medieval French romance of “Tristan et Yseult”, interwoven with Arthurian myth, dark fairy tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, and otherworldy elements such as Avalonian Elves, Druids, forest fairies and magic.

Explore her realm of Medieval French Fantasy. She hopes her novels will enchant you.

  • Website:  https://jenniferivywalker.com/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker
  • Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bohemienneivy
  • Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jenniferivywalkerauthor/
  • Amazon link:  https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B0B91R2MJZ
  • Barnes and Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wild-rose-and-the-sea-raven-jennifer-ivy-walker/1141977954
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Giveaway – Wild At Heart by Stacy Gold @XpressoTours @AuthorStacyGold

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Wild at Heart
Stacy Gold
(Wild Love, #1)
Publication date: May 2nd 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

They each hit the trail solo in search of themselves…

Overworked entrepreneur Jules Martinez is sick and tired of men leaving her for their exes. Determined to wipe the giant, scarlet Rfor rebound off her forehead, she kicks off a yearlong vow of celibacy with five, blissful weeks backpacking her favorite trails through Washington State. Solo.

Out-of-work financial analyst Evan Davenport hasn’t been happy since camping in Scouts as a kid—before his wealthy parents and now ex-fiancé made all his major life decisions. Hoping to find joy and purpose, he buys all the latest ultralight backpacking gear, flies to Washington, and sets off alone on a weeklong speed hike through the wilderness.

Mother Nature has other plans, though, and keeps shoving Evan and Jules in each other’s paths. Usually naked. When sparks fly, can they find what they’re looking for in life together instead of apart?

Goodreads / Purchase

—

On sale for $1.99 for a limited time only!

—

EXCERPT:

Chapter 1

JULES

“I’m so jealous, Jules.” Bryn perched on the end of one of the beds in our hotel room at Cascade Locks, watching me pack gear. The thin, gray light of pre-dawn filtered through a crack in gold curtains that’d seen better days.

I tucked a bag of snacks and my rain jacket into the top of my backpack, cinched the drawcord, and buckled the lid with a solid click. “Of what, twelve guys dumping me for their exes in a row? I’m sure we could arrange that for you too. If you ever really start dating again.”

“Ha. Funny.” She toed my calf. “You’re taking five weeks off to go backpacking solo. Who cares why?”

Tingles of excitement zoomed around in my chest and I flashed her a grin. “Yeah. Dealing with zero assholes and zero clients for more than a month does sound pretty heavenly, doesn’t it?”

She grinned back. “Like I said, totally jealous. At least of your trip.” Her expression went serious. “I still can’t believe the next guy you date is gonna be unlucky number thirteen, though.”

“Yeah. I’ve thought about that. Probably too much. Definitely enough to jinx the next one for sure. So, I’m swearing off men for at least a year to restart the count.” I hesitated, the excitement buzz fading. “A year is enough time to consider it a clean dating slate, right?”

“Wait. You mean you’re swearing off dating, or swearing off sex too?”

The last eight years had been nothing but suckage on the relationship front. It’d probably take more than a year to fix my shit. But nothing would change if I didn’t change something. “Yes. Both. All of it.”

Bryn eyes widened. “You’re serious.”

“Dead.” Bending, I tugged the rough nylon laces of my left boot. The well-worn leather snugged around my foot. “I’m never gonna figure out anything buried in too much work plus too many bad dates.”

“When did you decide this?”

“Last night.” I shouldered my pack and adjusted the straps until the familiar weight settled on the tops of my hipbones. “What I’ve been doing isn’t working. It’s time to take a big step back and focus on myself for longer than just a few weeks.”

“I guess that’s one way to break the pattern.” Bryn opened the door, and we stepped outside into early morning stillness. “And yes, a year is definitely long enough to clean your dating slate.”

Fog tendrils drifted from the Columbia River across the half-empty parking lot. The air hung thick with moisture and cedar and the sweet mustiness of damp soil. The best smell in the world after too many days breathing city fumes.

“I sure as hell hope so. If not, at least maybe I can figure out what to do about my business. I can’t keep working this much.”

We strolled across the lot side-by-side, the chill air nipping my skin through my nylon hiking pants and shirt, waking me up. The sky glowed marigold behind the inky silhouettes of the mountains.

“You’ll come up with a plan. You always do.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” We crossed the empty highway, walked a few hundred yards, and turned off. Gravel crunched under our soles. “And thanks for driving me down here from Seattle. And picking me up at the other end.”

“Of course. That’s what best friends are for.” She wrapped a hand around my arm and leaned in, hugging one of my few body parts not covered by my backpack. “Though I still wish I was going with you. I could use a break from assholes and clients, too.”

The first golden rays of sunlight slanted through the tree branches, lighting the dirt road ahead. “We’ll have to plan a girlfriends’ trip once I get back.”

“I’m holding you to that.” Her warm hand tightened on my biceps. “Maybe we can convince Aly to come with us for once.”

I snorted. “We’ll get Aly on a backpacking trip when pigs fly. But I’m all for trying.”

A handful of parked cars and a dark brown trailhead kiosk appeared, marking the southern end of the Pacific Crest Trail through Washington. And my starting point. And the start of five weeks of solitary bliss in one of my favorite places in the whole world.

Bryn pulled out her phone. “Hey. Let me grab a shot of you in front of the sign, to commemorate the moment.”

“Okay.” I took a few steps back.

“Say, single life.”

I popped a hip and smiled for the camera. “Single life.”

“Perfect.” She slipped her phone into her pocket. “I love you, girlfriend. Stay safe out there and call me whenever you hit civilization.”

“I will.” My throat tightened. “I love you, too.”


Author Bio:

Award-winning adventure romance author Stacy Gold would rather be in the middle of nowhere than almost anywhere else. To that end, she’s run more than 50 rivers in three countries, been heli-dropped into remote ski huts multiple times (and made it into even more under her own steam), worked for the U.S.D.A. Forest Service as a backcountry ranger, river ranger, and naturalist, and spent fourteen years as a commercial river guide and kayak instructor. Her last “real job” was serving as Communications Director for a state-wide mountain biking non-profit.

When she’s not busy kayaking, skiing, mountain biking, or hiking, with her husband and happy dogs, Ms. Gold writes about independent, badass women finding love and adventure in the great outdoors. Her latest release, Wild at Heart, came out May 2nd, 2022.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Amazon / Bookbub


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Giveaway – Stripped Bare by Alia Glass @XpressoTours

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Stripped Bare
Aila Glass
Publication date: September 23rd 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

A grumpy construction worker. An exotic dancer. And a night that leaves them wanting more.

Daphne
As a broke college student, I’m putting myself through school as an exotic dancer. Dozens of men come to watch me perform every night, and I’ve never been tempted by any of my clients…until him.
Mack with his smouldering gaze and sexy smirk. He knows exactly what to do with my body and how to ignite me with just a touch. Now this grumpy, possessive construction worker is telling me I’m his. But he’s so much older than me. Can we make it work despite the age gap?

Mack
I’m big, grumpy, and I don’t care much for the club scene. The only reason I’m here is to get my coworkers off my back. But the second I spot Daphne on stage, something feral is awakened within me.
She’s a younger woman but that won’t stop me from claiming her. I’m counting down the days until she’ll be tied to me forever. Soon, she’ll learn that possessive is my middle name and from now on, she’ll spend every night screaming it.

If you’re looking for an older man that quickly claims his younger woman, then you’ll love meeting Mack in Stripped Bare.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

The lights on the outside of the White Onyx are white and pink. It doesn’t look like a strip club. It looks like a regular nightclub, which I guess has as much sex appeal as a strip club. I park in the back and head to the door.

I see Tyler, Jason, and Peter outside. Tyler waves his hand to get my attention. As I pass by, a group of women turn my way and I can feel their eyes eating me alive. They’re three young ladies, all with lust in their eyes. I can feel their stare as I walk away.

“You came,” Tyler says and hands the bouncer some money.

“You sound surprised,” I say as I hand the bouncer some money as well.

“Yeah, well…” Tyler says as we walk in. He turns to face me, “I thought you’d change your mind when you realized that you don’t want to come, but since you’re here…”

I shake my head, then look around the club when I walk in. It’s pink and blue but dark, with the smell of cheap alcohol and even cheaper perfume. Men and women are dancing on poles throughout the room as men and women watch them.

We head to the bar and order some drinks. I take a whiskey on the rocks, Jason orders the same, and Tyler and Peter order a beer.

“Well,” Tyler shouts over the booming music, “have fun!” He heads toward a table with a small dark-haired woman dancing on it and takes a seat. Then I see Jason and Peter go their separate ways. It’s then I realize that we may be close but not I’ll-stand-next-to-you-while-looking-at-a-stripper close.

I walk to the corner stage where a tall woman with dirty blonde or brown hair dances on the pole. There are a couple of men already there, but I sit down anyway.

The woman is mesmerizing. She dances to Sam Tinnesz’s Play With Fire and wears a small black bra that shows a lot of her breasts and an even smaller black panties with lace on the back. She swings her hips around and her hands play with her hair. Then she sinks down and crawls toward me. My cock grows fast in my pants.

It wants her. I want her.

She crawls around the table and when she faces the other way, her ass is on full display and I groan. She looks back at me and smiles, telling me she heard me. Turning around, she crawls back to me and is now a foot away from my face. She gracefully slides onto her back and stills, looking at me as she spreads her legs and moves them around like she’s riding an invisible bike.

It takes all my strength not to grab her from the stage, take her to a secluded corner and fuck the shit out of her. As she stands up and dances around the pole, I take a breath and think about what’s happening to me. No woman has ever induced such an intense need in me. The need to take. The need to fill this gorgeous blonde with my cum. To tie her to my bed and fuck her six ways to Sunday.

Holy fuck.

I take a big sip of my whiskey. When I put it down, she’s come back to me and the other men have left.

“You want a private dance, baby?” she asks.

Author Bio:

The Dirty Romantic

Aila Glass is a Canadian romance author and a hopeful romantic. She loves to write forbidden romances with some dirty talk and dirty alphas. When she’s not writing she is reading romance books or listening to music. Preferably classic rock or country.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Instagram / Bookbub


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Giveaway – Bargain With A Beast by Grace Goodwin @XpressoTours @LuvGraceGoodwin

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Bargain with a Beast
Grace Goodwin
Publication date: September 27th 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction

Adrian Davis thought getting on a real-life, ‘beam me up, Scotty’, transport pad was adventure enough. Visiting her mother—and the Atlan beast her mom had chosen as a mate—on another planet? Setting foot in an Atlan prison? Completely crazy.

Like totally, bat-shit, what-the-hell-was-she-doing-with-her-life crazy.

She was supposed to spend a few days wandering around with her twin sister, seeing the sights, expanding her horizons. The trip was supposed to be a much needed break from the hectic schedule she was keeping in school. She was only nineteen. She had plans. Finish college. Medical school. Husband. House. Two-point-five perfect kids and a golden retriever named Buddy.

All that changed with one roar of pain. She heard him. A beast. He was out of control, locked behind an impenetrable wall, alone. Suffering the agony of mating fever.

Ready to die. Forsaken.

Adrian can’t let him go. She will have to fight a centuries old system, warlords on another world, and the beast himself to get what she wants.

To save him.

To keep him for herself.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Turning my head, I found my mate and her sister both staring at me, hands on their hips. Stances, identical. Adrian’s expression? Determined.

The other female had more sense. She had the decency to be nervous, biting her lower lip. “I don’t know about this, sis.”

“They won’t even realize where I am until tomorrow.”

“I know. But you know how much I hate lying to them. What if they check on us when they get home?”

Adrian chuckled. “They won’t. Mom can’t keep her hands off him. They’ll be too busy bumping uglies to worry about where I am.”

Bumping uglies? Ugly what? And why would they bump?

“I’ll worry.”

“That’s why you’re going to be back here in exactly four hours and let me out.”

Stephanie looked at me, inspected me from head to toe. I remained silent. “What about him?”

“I’ll figure it out. After.”

After?

Stephanie’s head dropped backward so that her face looked up at the ceiling. She groaned. “God. And you were making fun of mom for being a horny wench. This is insane. You know that, right?”

“I know. I don’t care. I’m calling in my twin card.”

“Oh, I know. You told me. Why the hell do you think I’m down here again? And low blow by the way. I used my twin card for that stupid calculus test.”

Twin card?

“Not my fault I saved mine for something juicy.” Adrian gathered her sister to her, their heads identical in height as well as form. In fact, the twins were remarkably similar except for my mate’s beautiful hair. “Look. I’m going in there. I know what I know. I can’t explain it, okay? You have to trust me.”

The brown-haired twin’s voice was muffled in her sister’s neck. “Okay. But if you die, I’m going to be really, really mad at you. Like, forever mad.”

I’m going in there?

Adrian’s words finally registered, and I moved forward to tower over them as much as I could with the energy barrier still between us.

“You will not enter this cell, my lady.” I was furious that she would take such a chance. Still, I could not force a threatening tone from my throat, not while I spoke to her.

And my lady? What evil spirit possessed me to speak those two words?

Fuck. What was happening to me? I should shout. Rage. Scream. Act like an out-of-control beast ready to rend and tear and kill. I could do none of those things. My beast, it seemed, had as tight a leash on me as I did on him. He would not allow me to frighten her. Would not allow me to disrespect her. Upset her. Injure her in body, mind or spirit.

Gods be damned. What the fuck was I going to do now? I could never offer her my mating cuffs. I could not. I would be executed in a matter of hours.

I could offer her nothing.

With a low rumble, my beast disagreed, shoving erotic images into my already fracturing mind.

Adrian released her sister and turned to face me. This close she was even smaller than she had at first appeared. Yet her eyes blazed with defiance. “Stephanie?”

“You sure? Really, really, really sure?” Her sister moved toward the control panel.

“Do not,” I ordered.

“Twin card. Playing it. Now.” Adrian ignored me.

Stephanie sighed. The energy barrier dropped.

Adrian took three steps forward. Her scent washed over me. My beast growled. My cock throbbed in pain. My vision blurred. I ordered my limbs to move, to remove this female from my cell. The beast took control of every cell, every muscle of my body. The transformation moved through me. My muscles screamed as they exploded, grew larger. My bones elongated. My beast shoved me aside as if I were no more than a wisp of fog in his peripheral vision.

The energy barrier reappeared, locking her inside the cell.

With me.

With my beast.


Author Bio:

Grace Goodwin is a USA Today and international bestselling author of Sci-Fi and Paranormal romance with nearly one million books sold. Grace’s titles are available worldwide in multiple languages in ebook, print and audio formats. Two best friends, one left-brained, the other right-brained, make up the award-winning writing duo that is Grace Goodwin. They are both mothers, escape room enthusiasts, avid readers and intrepid defenders of their preferred beverages. (There may or may not be an ongoing tea vs. coffee war occurring during their daily communications.) Grace loves to hear from readers.

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


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