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Blurb

Raven, Justice of Gemini, wanted nothing to do with the problems other gods created. He'd settled down in a quiet corner of The Veil, kept to himself, and continued to do his job. His twin, Scot, had become a jaded player in the name of boredom, and Raven had given up on any hope of dating until he met Cyan, a beautiful young God, thrust into an impossible position.

Cyan, lord Ether and son of the Source, never thought about love until Raven saved him in a fight with Vampires.

All they want is the next date, but the goddess of Time has other ideas. She wants Gemini dead by any means necessary. She thrusts them into a war that pits born gods against demigods, taking sibling rivalry to a brand new level.

This is only the beginning for The Félidés Clan. Who will survive, and will Raven and Cyan have the second date?

BOOK 2

Book Title: Predator’s Patience (#1.5)

Length: 151 pages

Release Date: September 8, 2023

Genre: MM paranormal romantasy

Trope: Time Travel

Blurb

Cyan Revy FeLiSe has one beautiful afternoon with Raven, Justice of Gemini. He returns home and discovers the gods are going to war. Raven doesn't answer when Cy calls; the number belongs to someone else. Cy pretends he isn't hurt, but he's devastated. And then, the god Chaos, makes an extraordinary request. He wants Cy to find his sons.

Time doesn't flow the same in the Garden, and Cy doesn't know the war has started, ended, and begun again. His mother, The Source of All Things, disagreed with the outcome the first time around. Several of his brothers died, and Raven and Scot had to be born again.

Cy agrees to help Chaos find them, which leads them all from one Plane to another, trying to stop Gi, the goddess of Time, from tearing them apart. Within these pages is the story of Raven and Cyan. Journals and private memories between the couple who are just trying to find each other.

BOOK 3

Book Title: Madness And Majick

Length: 78 pages

Release Date: August 21, 2023

Genre: MM Paranormal Romantasy

Trope: Finding love

Blurb

Dear me,

One time goddess named Gi started a war with my papas, Justice and War of Gemini. For some stupid reason, she assumed birth would make them lower than demigod.

In truth, it only made them angry.

They signed a contract to judge someone, and part of that agreement was kids. Nyx, the god of Peace, and one of my grandparents would only help if my dads had kids with a suitable female. He's only asshat number two.

Number three would be my not-so-lovely Aunt CattyWhack, um, Catori, who has trapped my papas in the Veil club, which is under a Time spell, where every night is Samhain. She's trying to kill them.

Then there is me, who's never been without my twin. We've shared everything but boyfriends since the womb, and suddenly he's somewhere else, and I'm stuck in The Veil, alone, living in a hotel suite, until my papas are free.

Syra, The Source of All Things, and my honorary grandma, because family ain't always blood, gave me a job to do.

And I'm trying. Only a god can sustain a god, and now that I'm grown, my papas' blood only gets me so far.

I really need my twin right now. My big brother, Shiloh, would do, too. He's off looking for my mom, so she can replace Gi.

What have I gotten myself into? Somebody save me. I don't want to do this by myself.

Kansas Raine Félidés, Lord Cinis

BOOK 4

Book Title: Sealed With A Tris

Length: 108 pages

Release Date: September 21, 2023

Genre: MM Paranormal Romantasy

Trope: fated mates

Blurb

Dear Me,

This would be the longest summer of my life, and it hadn’t started. You see, I’m the forgotten twin and what is referred to in my world as ‘the spare.’ Oddly enough, I do still hold my title, Lord Vitae, but it isn’t doing me much good in my current state.

I arrived two weeks previously and landed in the shower, fully clothed. My twin slapped his hand over my mouth to keep me from shrieking the walls down at the shock of the water blasting me in the face.

After helping one Jace Corrins with Clary Clatterbox My Mama Is The Soul Maker, I stayed hidden until we moved into the house Mamie bought for us, and then I finally got to stop shielding my presence from my brother’s most lovely mate.

In precisely one month, Kansas and I will turn nineteen, and it will be the first time in our existence that he had a lover and I didn’t. I know. Getting laid should not be a priority, and it really isn’t. My focus at the moment is checking on the custom guitar I’m having made for Kansas, for said birthday.

Material things hadn’t always mattered to us because before, we could wake up on a completely different plane, in a completely different year and age. Our honorary Mamie, the Source of all things, has assured us repeatedly that The Veil is home and we can’t be moved unless we move ourselves. We are trusting her judgment because, really? Who would tell her no?

Tristan Storme Félidés

BOOK 5

Book Title: See Who Loves You Now

Length: 154 pages

Release Date: October 21, 2023

Genre: MM Paranormal Romantasy

Trope: Time travel

Blurb

The worst birthday turns into the best when Kansas and Shiloh meet Sam and Rye Lance. But are they part of Catori's plan to wipe the Felides Clan from existence, or is it forever and always?

A spell stands between them and the truth. Only Time will tell.

Giveaway

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About the Author

Jae Greyn is the author of the Fire Ridge Pride Series. Born in the United States, Jae is an advocate for being good humans to animals and people. A consumer of coffee, chocolate, and romances.

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Thursday 25 January 2024

Touched by Destiny (Arcane Havoc #1) by Jessamyn Kingley

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: Touched by Destiny (Arcane Havoc #1)

Author and Publisher: Jessamyn Kingley

Cover Artist: LJ Anderson of Mayhem Cover Creations

Release Date: February 8, 2024

Genres: MM Paranormal Romance

Tropes: Fated mates

Themes: Love, resolving the past

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 97 000 words

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Without risk, finding a soulmate is impossible.

But Gabriel and Eric quickly discover that the first step was the easiest.

Blurb

Gabriel Wolfebrier believes his honor is forever tarnished. For the first fifteen years of his resurrected life, he did whatever his necromancer told him. They were friends. Family. So, Gabriel asked no questions as he helped bury dead sorcerers he was told were enemies. Too late, Gabriel learns he’s been duped. But somehow, he is offered a second chance.

Born with the mark of a skull on his hand, Eric Marwood has special talents. Unlike other necromancers, he can speak to the dead and help them find their way home. He is dedicated to two things—nurturing his skills and dreaming of a life with Gabriel. But not everyone reveres his gifts, and destiny-touched men and women like him are hunted.

The Marwoods consider Gabriel one of their own, but his past is a heavy burden he cannot forget. Which is why it annoys him each time he notices how beautiful Eric is or how much fun they have together aiding ghosts.

Sex is the only way to find a soulmate in their world, and Eric is determined to seduce Gabriel. As for Gabriel, he is desperate to ignore his own urges. Life has a funny way of changing in an instant, and neither man truly knows what the future holds.

Excerpt

Eric nodded at his brother, and his eyes locked with Gabriel’s. There was too much distance between them to gauge the necromancer’s thoughts. That full mouth painted a glossy pink curved, and something inside of Gabriel snapped. Gone was the cautious voice demanding he steer clear of his lust and adoration of the man sinuously walking toward him. His blood thundered in his ears as he grew harder. His thoughts grew reckless, and he wondered—envisaged—what it would be like to take Eric.

What did he have left to lose? Would Gabriel go to the grave without one taste of him?

“Gabriel,” Eric said as he stopped in front of him with mere inches separating them.

Too consumed with lust to even find his tongue to speak, Gabriel gave a brief nod of his head to let Eric know he’d heard him. Those dreamy blue eyes were dark with need, and Gabriel’s cock jerked in response.

“Can I speak with you privately?” Eric asked, his voice no more than a raspy whisper.

It was an invitation. Gabriel was under no illusion about Eric’s intent. He’d declared it a night to toss away his inhibitions, and for some reason, he’d chosen Gabriel as the target for his desires. He knew he shouldn’t accept. If he were smart, Gabriel would insist Eric return to the dance floor. But Gabriel was apparently short on intelligence because he held out his hand instead. The other guards would figure out where they were going and likely why, but they were paid to be discreet.

As soon as Eric slid his warm palm into Gabriel’s, they left the private club at a fast clip. There were plenty of other inspirits around to ensure Richard and Maribeth were protected, so Gabriel didn’t worry about the other young Marwoods. His sole focus was on Eric and how fabulously his lanky frame was showcased in his tank and those pants highlighting the delicious curve of his pert ass.

“Where are we going?” Gabriel asked huskily.

Eric tugged a hotel key out of his pocket and handed it to him. A quick glance told Gabriel it was for a room on the first floor. They wouldn’t have to find an elevator, and Gabriel refused to give himself a moment to contemplate the stupid decision he was making. But as he unlocked the door and shut himself and Eric into the quiet space, he acknowledged that he’d been waiting years for this moment.

Gabriel reached for him, and suddenly there was a horny necromancer plastered to his front. Their mouths met, and Eric’s kiss was charmingly clumsy. He tasted of strawberries. Gabriel mused that those pretty boys he’d dated hadn’t had a clue how to please him. With a little gentle coaxing of his tongue, Eric relaxed, and their embrace grew languid and impossibly hot.

Clutching Eric’s round ass, Gabriel intended to give him an experience the necromancer would never forget. Long after Gabriel was dead and buried, he wanted Eric to recall his first night of passion. Gabriel shifted so his dick rubbed against Eric’s length. Eric groaned and tore his lips free to gasp loudly.

Taking advantage of his exposed neck, Gabriel sucked at Eric’s tender skin. His thoughts grew darker as he worked a hand between them to find Eric’s zipper, and he hoped none of Eric’s future trysts would compare to the passion exploding between them. No one had ever pushed Gabriel so close to the edge with such little effort.

A few sexy kisses, a couple of moans, and Gabriel’s balls were ready to empty. The last thing he wanted was to give either of them any time to think or put any space between them, but Gabriel shoved Eric away long enough to rip the tank top over his head. The smooth skin of his hairless chest was damp with sweat from dancing and the desire building between them.

Gabriel trailed his fingers down between Eric’s pectorals, and the muscles of his belly jumped as Gabriel moved lower. Shoving Eric’s pants over his hips revealed a small scrap of black that served as his underwear. The tip of his ruddy cock had defied the waistband, and Gabriel’s mouth watered with anticipation of his taste.

About the Author

Jessamyn Kingley has published over forty titles and refuses to pick a favorite among them. With an extraordinary passion for her characters, Jessamyn eagerly crafts new tales and avidly re-reads them whenever her schedule allows. Jessamyn shares a home in Nevada with her husband and their three spoiled cats. When she is not writing or adding new ideas to her thick stack of beloved notebooks, she is gaming with family and friends.

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Tuesday 23 January 2024

The Red Dragon of Oxford by Joy Lynn Fielding #giveaway

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: The Red Dragon of Oxford

Author and Publisher: Joy Lynn Fielding

Cover Artist: Miblart

Release Date: January 15, 2024

Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance

Tropes: Fish out of water, mutual pining, shifters

Themes: Self-acceptance, empowerment

Length: 66,000 words

Heat Rating: 4 flames

It is a standalone story (the first in a new series) and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Dragons aren’t real. Or so I used to think.

Blurb

Oxford isn’t exactly what I’d imagined. Sure, the colleges are romantic, and everyone is brilliant enough to trigger my impostor syndrome. I expected that.

The dragon, however, was a big surprise.

I saw him on my first day. The beautiful beast spoke to me, then disappeared. I’ve been looking for him ever since.

But when I’m not on a wild dragon chase, I spend my time in the library. I’d like to think I’m only there to study, but who am I kidding?

I’m there for him.

Rufus Mortimer is the world’s hottest librarian. He’s strict, enigmatic, and sexy. He makes me feel things I’ve never felt before.

But he has a secret. One that could destroy everything.

So now, all I have to do is find a dragon, earn my doctorate, and try to not to let my new romance burn my life to the ground. Easy, right?

I wish…

The Red Dragon of Oxford, book 1 in the Wings Over Albion series, is a sweet and spicy paranormal m/m romance with a guaranteed happily ever after.

Excerpt

“You can’t take those.” The voice was deep, male, and came from very close behind me.

I spun around, heart hammering. The guy standing there was big—broad-shouldered, and muscular as if he worked out. His blue shirt pulled slightly over his chest, reinforcing his build. Rich brown hair fell past his shoulders, and his eyes were velvety brown in a face that left me breathless. His jaw was defined, his nose straight with slightly flared nostrils, and the firm line of disapproval his lips were pressed into failed to hide their sensuality. He belonged in Hollywood, not an Oxford library.

He was so close to me that it was intimidating. Moving back a few steps gave me the opportunity to take in allof him, and he was well worth it. The softest-looking faded jeans I’d ever seen outlined thick muscled thighs that had come straight out of my dreams. Callum was cute. This guy, though. This guy had me wanting to go to my knees for him. I was practically drooling.

Unfortunately, he was glaring at me and showed no sign of bending me over the nearest table and having his way with me.

I wrenched my mind back to the fact he’d said something to me. “Sorry, what?”

“You can’t take those books.”

“I’m a research student.” I tore my eyes away from his face long enough to thrust my library card at him. “I was told I could take up to twenty books out at once.”

“Well, you can’t.”

“It says so in the library rules. I live in college, so I wouldn’t have far to come if I got an alert saying someone else wanted them.”

“I don’t care. That’s too many books to take out of here.”

“Okay.” The intensity in him was something else, and I backed down. “How many am I allowed to take?”

He glanced over them. “Four,” he said, and it sounded reluctant.

My face must have shown my incredulity because he pointed out, “You can only read one at a time.”

Anger stirred in me. These weren’t novels, to be read one after another. They needed to be compared and cross-referenced as they were read. It was why I’d applied to Mortimer in the first place—the college’s collection of scarcely remembered German theologians was unrivalled and precisely what I needed for my dissertation.

“Sorry, who are you?” It finally occurred to me to ask. If he was just another research student throwing his weight around with the newbies, I’d tell him where to go. Surely he couldn’t be a tutor because he was only about thirty.

“The librarian.”

Holy crap, and I’d tried to argue the rules with him. “Good to meet you,” I said weakly and tried to smile at him. “I’m Mark Stevens.”

He nodded and folded his arms. His shirt’s valiant attempt to cope with his movement resulted in acres of silky material clinging to his muscles. I was staring again.

“Sorry, I don’t know your name,” I said when it was clear he wasn’t going to speak. He was still watching me as if to check I only took four books.

“Rufus Mortimer.”

“Like the college!” It was a stupid thing to say, but it was better than telling him I wanted to lick him.

He looked unimpressed. “Choose your four books. I’ll replace the others.”

The guy was kind of a prick, though I wasn’t sure what he could have said to my comment.

Once I'd found the four texts I most wanted, he gathered the remaining books into his arms. “Don’t forget to scan them,” he said as he moved away. “And don’t keep them long. They belong here.”

Until he said that, it hadn’t dawned on me that there was a way to keep access to all twenty books. And so many more. “I could have them all out on my desk if I stayed in here?”

“Of course.”

The way he said that nagged at me. It reminded me of something, but I didn’t know what. “In that case, please don’t shelve them,” I said. “I’m going to get my stuff from my room and work here.”

“Okay,” he said, but he didn’t put them down. He watched me leave, holding the books close, cradling them like they were his babies.

About the Author

Joy Lynn Fielding lives in a small English market town, where she indulges her passions for vintage aircraft, horse riding and gardening (though not all at the same time).

Joy tends to wax lyrical about the fascinating facts she discovers during her research for books. Thankfully, she has a very patient Labrador who has a gift for looking interested in what she’s saying while he waits for the food to arrive.

Social Media Links

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Port in a Storm (Sinners Series) by Rhys Ford #giveaway

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Port in a Storm (Sinners Series)

Author: Rhys Ford

Publisher: Dreamspinner

Cover Artist: Rhys Ford

Release Date: January 23, 2024

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Married M/M Couple foster / adopt child

Themes: Dealing with childhood trauma, questioning whether the past makes a bad father, found family

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 59 000 words/ 200 pages

It is book 8 in the Sinner’s Gin Series and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

San Francisco SWAT Lieutenant Connor Morgan and Crossroads Gin drummer Forest Ackerman make an odd couple. Connor, an Irish-born cop from a tight-knit family, never imagined he’d find his happily-ever-after with a raised-on-the-streets musician, but Forest had the gentlest soul he’d ever met. After a long, hard road of heartbreak, murder, and trouble, they fell hard in love and married.

Then Fate intervenes and throws their lives into a chaos neither one of them is prepared for.

During a brutal SWAT raid, Connor stumbles on Tate, an abused, vulnerable little boy caught in a shoot-out with his father’s drug-running gang. As heavy fire riddles the walls, an injured Connor rescues Tate from the fray… only to be struck numb when a caseworker pries a sobbing Tate from his arms.

Scarred from his own childhood experiences, Forest doubts he can be a good enough father, but Connor assures him they can give Tate what he needs and more. Soon they are on an insane ride where trust and affection are hard-earned, especially when coming from a little boy raised in society’s filthiest gutters. Facing down every challenge thrown their way, they battle to give Tate what Connor treasures and Forest never had—a family to call his own.

Excerpt

“Got a little boy—I think—here. Anywhere clear to get him out?” Pain flared in Connor’s shoulder when he moved. The child’s weight pulled down on his muscles, straining the tender spots blooming on his back. He’d either landed in something wet or the hits he’d taken were more serious than he thought.

“Negative, but I can give you cover,” Yamamoto said over the comm. “Working back down the hall. Can you hold?”

“Holding.” Connor wrapped his arms around the boy’s torso, trying to cover as much as possible. “Get your arms down, kiddo, and grab anything you can on my vest.”

The child was rigid, legs stick straight and stiff. His tiny hands were dotted with bruises and dried blood, his knuckles bleached white when his fingers tightened around the straps on Connor’s armor. He buried his face into Connor’s chest, breathing hard and heavy when another round of gunfire opened up in the hall.

A pair of large dark shadows fell across the opening in the wall, and then Yamamoto angled his back against one side of the broken drywall. He gave Connor a hand signal, then counted down from three to a closed fist and began a heavy barrage of sprayed shots. Gun drawn, Connor ducked out to the right, keeping the boy against his chest. He moved quickly, pausing at openings and long stretches of the hallway, alert to any movement.

When his boots hit the living room floor, Yamamoto gave the all-clear to move the fight to the back of the house again, leaving Connor with an easier egress. The young man they’d left for the other team was gone, hopefully safe and sound away from the raid. The pain along Connor’s shoulders was turning from a dull throb to a raging fire, and as he tried to clear the mound of debris, he stumbled and caught the tip of his boot on something hard. The kid let out a short yelp of terror when Connor’s grasp loosened. Then he sobbed brokenly as Connor tightened his grip.

“I’m not going to drop you,” he reassured the little boy. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

About the Author

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and is a two-time LAMBDA finalist with their Murder and Mayhem novels. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and Rogue Firebird Press.

They’re also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? They shares the house with Harley, a grey tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled alley cat who isn’t sure living inside is a step up the social ladder as well as Gojira who is a chaos goblin masquerading as a tabico. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep of a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

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Saturday 20 January 2024

The Hot Mess Prince by Emily Spady #kindleunlimited

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: The Hot Mess Prince

Author and Publisher: Emily Spady

Cover Artist: Morganically Sourced

Release Date: October 13, 2023

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: royals, prince/assistant, opposites attract, romantic comedy

Themes: redemption, self-acceptance, family

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 57 795 words/ 205 pages

It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK

A sweet, snarky m/m romance with kittens, cheese festivals, royal gossip, and a guaranteed HEA.

Blurb

Neel Batra is good--no, great--at his job. A consummate professional despite all the chaos of managing one of the most notorious party boy royals in Europe, he never lets Prince Thibault get under his skin. Well, almost never. And he certainly doesn't entertain any thoughts or feelings that are less than professional. Especially after an image rehab campaign sees Neel and the prince working in closer conditions than ever.

Prince Thibault d'Archimbault may be a disaster, but even he knows certain things--and people--are off limits. Even if he can't help noticing his assistant's pretty eyes, and how fun it is to annoy him. Can he practice self-control for once in his life and stay out of Neel Batra's way, even while they work together on cleaning up Thibault's reputation? Or will things get distinctly ... messy?

Excerpt

“I don’t have a car.” Three years working for the prince, and the man knew nothing about him. Typical. “I rode my bicycle.”

“Of course you did. Doing your duty, right? Protecting the environment and all that.” Thibault had a smug little smile on his face, like Neel had completely failed to surprise him. “Doesn’t it ever get tiring?”

“What gets tiring is lack of sleep. Which is why I’m leaving now,” Neel said, making no move to get up.

“Stay here for a bit. Have a drink with me. I’ll get Viola to drive you home if you’re worried about biking under the influence.”

“Absolutely not. You shouldn’t be out here, either.” Neel pointed a finger at him across the hot tub. “We’re starting your twelve-step plan or whatever it is tomorrow and you need your sleep, too. More than I do. You’ll be the one in the photos, and we can’t have you looking all gray and hungover.”

Thibault shrugged. His chest was flushed from the heat, his hair curling into his eyes. “Honestly? I couldn’t sleep either. I’m… I’m trying to take this seriously, Batra. Whether you believe me or not. And it’s making me nervous.” He poured a refill into the glass and held it out. “Come on. One drink. Just stay and… talk to me. Until I feel sleepy.”

The glass was sweaty with condensation as Neel took it from his hand. “I’m only drinking this so that you won’t,” he warned, and finished it in one gulp, before he could have any foolish thoughts about how Thibault’s mouth had been on the glass, his pink, pouty, irritating mouth–

“You, er,” said Thibault.

“We’ve all been to university, your highness,” Neel said archly.

“Yes, but you probably weren’t shooting 100-year Ankenbrandian pear brandy.”

Neel shrugged, feeling the red bloom of alcohol in his stomach, the tension beginning to seep out of his shoulders, his neck. “So, I’m to tell you a bedtime story now, is that it? Don’t recall it being part of my job description. But who knows what my job is at this point.”

Thibault took a swig from the bottle, then refilled Neel’s glass. “I guess I was just hoping that you had some plan for tomorrow. You’re so good at plans.”

Neel really ought to sip this one slowly, but he was enjoying how the over-excited clock in his head had finally started to tick down, and the stars were bright overhead and the mountains gleamed in the distance and Prince Thibault was glistening across from him like some male siren that had just emerged from the Aegean sea, and it was time, wasn’t it, that Neel told him exactly what he thought about all of this nonsense?

“You are the one who came up with all of this. There is no plan. You’re petting kittens, for fucksake.”

“Right, but, what should I wear?”

Neel waved his hand in the air dismissively. “Something casual but expensive that shows off your chest. Do you really need me to tell you all this? Just pet the kittens and look cute. Why did you choose all of these things if you don’t even want to do them?”

Thibault ran a hand through his hair. “Well, I knew I needed to tell grandmother something. And they are things I wanted to do. Most of them. Some I chose because I knew they’d annoy you.”

“I thought so. Pour me another drink.”

“You sure you’re going to be all right? The water’s really hot, and you’ve had like four shots. I’m a heavy pourer.”

“You owe me, Thibault.”

The prince slid across the hot tub, and Neel flinched at the sudden hand on his forehead. “Hm, yeah, I don’t think so,” Thibault murmured. “You’re really warm.”

“Don’t pretend you care,” Neel said, holding himself as still as possible so he wouldn’t melt. “Don’t pretend to be responsible.”

“I’m not,” Thibault said. “But you are, and you’re going to be hating yourself if you’re too hungover to get a perfectly adorable picture of me and those cats tomorrow. C’mon, Batra, let’s get you up.” He hoisted Neel onto his feet. “Out we go. We’ve got a date with some baby kittens.”

“‘Baby kittens’ is redundant,” Neel said, and fainted.

About the Author

Emily Spady lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United States with her husband and cat. This is her first novel.

Author Links

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Monday 15 January 2024

Facing the Curse by Patrick Bryce Wright

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Facing the Curse

Author: Patrick Bryce Wright

Publisher: JMS Books, LLC

Cover Artist: Written Ink Designs

Release Date: December 2, 2023

Genres: Contemporary M/M Romance, paranormal thriller

Tropes: Sexy neighbour, psychotic ex

Themes: Found family, surviving abuse, healing from trauma

Heat Rating: 1 flame

Length: 70 375 words/281 pages

It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

B & N | Kobo | JMS Books

When Tito and Leo meet at a Wiccan event, they feel the spark. But Tito’s abusive ex-boyfriend Matt stands in the way. As Matt’s behavior becomes increasingly unhinged, can Tito and Leo survive?

Blurb

Tito Russell and his boyfriend Matt move into an apartment together despite past problems. Then Tito meets their new neighbor, Leo, who is Wiccan like Tito, and they strike up a friendship. Matt unleashes violent rage at Tito for even looking at another man, and Tito dumps him for his own safety. Matt’s behavior becomes progressively unhinged. He stalks and threatens Tito, even as Tito falls in love with Leo. Can Tito and Leo survive to live happily-ever-after?

Excerpt

Tito was struck by half of the secondary title of Ancestral Tarot: “Uncover Your Past.” Tingles erupted over his scalp, down the right side of his face, and then down his right arm. “I can’t tell you what’s happening to me, but I feel so drawn to this book.” He looked at the other one and felt a similar pulling sensation.

“Cool.” Leo dropped into the chair across from Tito and sipped his coffee. Half a bagel sat on a plate in front of him. “You seemed pretty into it last night.”

“I did a tarot reading when I got home.” Tito thumbed through the table of contents of Ancestral Tarot. “I can translate the reading as ‘Yes, totally do this.’ And there seems to be some kind of focus on my past or my childhood memories.” He flipped through the chapters, stopped on a tarot spread, and scanned the page. A website might give him some sample pages to look at, or it might not. He was glad he could just sample the book in person.

Leo made a “mnph” sound in his throat. “You’re talking to someone who works with abused teens. Trust me when I say a lot of things go back to childhood trauma. Not everything. Adults get traumatized, too. It can alter their entire life course when it happens. But childhood trauma is my focus, so my brain always goes there.”

Tito glanced out the window, checking to see if Matt’s car had arrived or was in sight. I can’t afford to get caught up here. He’ll never believe I’m just looking at books, and he’ll say I should have just sampled them online.

A chilling thought swept through Tito: Will Matt try to stop me from working with my ancestors? He got super upset when I tried my first spirit summoning spell by myself. He said I was too much of a rookie and that I should never cast it without him, but when I ask him to do the spell with me, he won’t.

“Well, I believe you.” Tito scanned another sample page. “All my friends when I was a kid were abused. When I was nine, I saw my best friend’s father beat up his brother. My best friend in middle school told me his father hit him. My best friend in high school said her father raped and molested both her and her brother, and she fantasized a lot about killing him. Then she ended up on drugs and died of an OD.”

“Jesus! I’m sorry.” Leo set down his cup.

Tito glanced up. “Oh, we weren’t friends anymore. She went psycho all over me, and I had to run away. But a friend of a friend told me last year that she’d ODed.” He switched to Ancestral Grimoire and read the table of contents. “But it is sad. I always believed her that she’d been abused. She was a wreck. The OD was believable, too.”

“God.” Leo sighed. “There’s so much avoidable tragedy in the world. Why do so many parents abuse their children?”

Tito flipped to chapter two and scanned it. “Too few people care. They’ll fight to the death to make sure a baby gets born, but then they don’t give a flying fuck what happens after the baby arrives. Children in the U.S. have less rights than children in most other first world countries, and Social Services is drowning. Plus very few people agree to foster kids. So abusive parents get their kids back or their kids are never removed in the first place.” He felt the explosion of rage he associated with triggering off.

“The statistics are much worse than what we have recorded.” Leo leaned forward. “We can only track child abuse cases that are reported. And most cases aren’t reported. The same thing is true for rape statistics. It’s all much worse than we think.”

Tito’s stomach knotted so hard he couldn’t sip his coffee. He glanced out the window. Still no Matt. “This stuff always blows me up. I’ve never been raped or molested, and my parents didn’t abuse me. But it doesn’t matter. I guess I just have that basic human decency old people claim our generation lacks. This stuff hits every rage button I’ve got.”

Leo’s gaze rested on Tito. “It should piss off everyone. Always.”

“Yeah.” Tito forced himself to sip more coffee. Good coffee should never go to waste, and I should be a good guest. His grandma’s obsession with social etiquette was still burned into his brain.

The sound of a car door closing jerked Tito’s attention to the window. Shit! I’m in trouble.

About the Author

I’m a quirky English professor with tattoos, piercings, and an addiction to supernatural thriller, horror, fantasy, and science fiction. I'm proudly neurodivergent, third gender, and a trauma survivor, all things often reflected in my novels. I have degrees in both English and psychology, both of which inform my writing. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, off-road biking, and pyrography.

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Thursday 4 January 2024

Elex: Sons of Hecate Volume I by Mellanie Rourke #kindleunlimited

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Elex: Sons of Hecate Volume I

Author and Publisher: Mellanie Rourke

Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Release Date: December 26, 2023

Genres: Dark Romance, Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

Tropes: Hurt/Comfort

Themes: Overcoming adversity, rags to riches

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 92 000 words/320 pages

It is a standalone story and first in a series. The other books will be coming out in 2024.

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

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Alone, they are victims. Together, they may topple an empire.

Blurb

Elex is a slave even though his father is King of Alexandria. Disinherited once his elemental magic developed, he was banished to the Alexandrian Legion to "learn his place" at the non-existent mercies of his new masters. Humiliated and abused, he learns the hard way that he can't always protect the ones he loves.

Now the time of the Machi Thanatos approaches, a deadly competition where Legionnaires must battle their foes and each other for the dubious honor of a lifetime of slavery at the hands of Elusians, Alexandrians with the ability to control Elex and his fellow Mageians by Suppressing their ability to use magic.

Elex will fight to the death to protect himself and those he loves, but during the Machi he meets Helios, a shapeshifting Soma from the rebel country of Illyria. Helios will fight for what he loves, too, and this savagely fierce little Mageian is quickly adding his name to that list.

Separately they are two victims of the whims of Alexandrian Elusians. Together, they may discover a secret that could topple an empire.

Excerpt

The moonlight slowly slid across his face, casting his scarred side in shadow. Finally, he spoke.

“What did you want me to ask you that I didn’t?” he asked.

I closed my eyes. Fuck. He’d know if I was lying. In for a penny.

“I wanted you to ask me if you could kiss me,” I whispered finally. He didn’t move at my words, and I suddenly felt like the biggest idiot. How could this beautiful, courageous, kitten-saving man ever want someone like me? Especially after just sharing everything my own blood had done to me.

Feeling suddenly filthy, I was on my feet and pulling away from him without thinking. “Yeah, dumb thing to think, I know. Probably been drinking too much of that vodka.”

“That sentence was a lie,” he whispered. Then without warning he was in front of me. He slowly reached out and cupped the back of my head and drew me close. He was standing so near to me that I could feel his breath on my cheek. “But that first one…”

He swept his thumb over my lips.

“Truth,” he whispered, a small, sad smile forming. He moved even closer, his breath hot on my skin.

“Kataramenos,” he said, drawing my name out. My heart pounded in my chest at his nearness, and my body flushed both hot and cold at the same time.

“Kat. May I kiss you?” he asked, finally.

I swallowed hard, my nerves on fire. I couldn’t believe someone like him might want someone like me. I couldn’t look away from his eyes, which were brighter than the moonlight. I could see my reflection in his gaze. It was almost unrecognizable. It was a person who was strong. Confident. Whole. Someone who deserved something good in his world. Someone I wanted desperately to be.

I nodded, unable to form the words.

He moved forward slowly, just brushing his lips across my own. The zap of our magics built to a vibrating hum as he licked gently across my lips with his tongue. I opened my mouth slowly, savouring the taste of the vodka as he slid into my mouth, the gentle heat of his body pressing against mine.

He held me like I was something…precious. Not fragile, exactly, but something valued. I had fooled around with other Mageia in the past and been used by Elusians against my will. This was completely different from any of that. None of those encounters, even the willing ones, had ever made me feel cherished. Safe. Made me feel like he did.

About the Author

Mellanie Rourke lives in Akron, Ohio with her spouse and their furry menagerie of 3 young adult roommates (because ‘they aren’t kids anymore’), two dogs, three cats, and five ferrets.

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