Friday, December 31, 2021

Savage Bloodline: Warm up with a Savage


If the sleigh's a-rocking, don't come a-knocking!

It's the time of year to get yourself a savage and stay warm. Grab a savage, a blanket, and some hot chocolate. You deserve the hottest, sweatiest stories you can imagine as winter sets in. You'll shed your flannel pajamas for lace and leather when you meet the DeLucas. 

Preorder the Savage Bloodline Boxset: https://books2read.com/SavageBloodlineBoxset

Add it to your TBR list on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57656059-savage-bloodline 

Download the prequel, Brutal Bloodline for FREE!

https://BookHip.com/PQVFCMB

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Deluca Family by joining the  Savage Bloodline Readers' Group or by joining the Savage Bloodline Patreon

Book Info

Release Date: 3/15/22

ASIN- B092D9RGRW

In the streets and in the sheets, there’s one word that describes them best. SAVAGE.

The men of the DeLuca family are proof that the bigger the alpha, the harder they fall… in love.

Buy Links

Universal Buy Link - https://books2read.com/SavageBloodlineBoxset  

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092D9RGRW/ 

Nook - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/savage-bloodline-kenya-wright/1139270630 

Apple - https://books.apple.com/us/book/savage-bloodline/id1561989851 

About the Series

Blurb

Darkness lurks behind their gazes. There’s something sinister about their smiles. Their name incites fear in their enemies. Their touch arouses passion in the women they love. They are the DeLucas. In the streets and in the sheets, there’s one word that describes them best. SAVAGE.

The men of the DeLuca family are proof that the bigger the alpha, the harder they fall… in love.

Download this exclusive anthology featuring 20+ BRAND NEW mafia romances to find out which DeLuca you will fall in love with. But first, you must ask yourself one question: Are you ready to give your heart and body to a savage?

Immerse yourself in this dangerously seductive collection that includes:

*Arranged Marriages.

*Billionaire.

*Enemies to lovers.

*Forced Proximity

*Friends to lovers.

*One Bed

*Second-chance.

*And more!

Excerpt

Tears or Rain?

 Someone was going to die tonight.

Someone’s life was going to end before the clock struck twelve. Midnight. Their death would be painful, brutal. No mercy would be shown to them. Anyone who tried to defend them, anyone who got in the way, they too would die. That was the promise Enzo DeLuca had made to his grandfather.

And it was a promise he intended to keep, even if he had to burn the entire city to the ground to do so. Before he could keep his pledge, he first had to bury their fallen. He had to say his final goodbye to the man who’d been more like a father than a grandfather to him. The man who’d raised him. The man who’d nurtured him. The man who’d shaped him into the person he was today.

To this man, he owed his life. For this man, tonight, he was going to take a life. Rain fell in sheets on that cold and dreary January day in Bari, Italy. It was as if even mother nature was mourning the loss of Ermanno Deluca. Unlike most of those around him, Enzo DeLuca refused to stand under the shield of an umbrella.

He wanted to feel the cold rain against his skin. He wanted it to drip down his face like tears. Tears he refused to shed. There would be no crying for him. Not yet. Not until he’d kept his promise to his grandfather. Not until he’d put a bullet in the heart of the bastard responsible for the pain the DeLuca family was feeling today.

Perhaps this rain was a parting gift from his grandfather, who knew Enzo would not feel worthy of crying over his death, not until the person responsible was dead too. Enzo refused to allow his grandfather’s body to grow cold in the earth while his killer lived life to the fullest, making money, eating, sleeping, fucking, living as if he hadn’t caused the death of a Don. As if he hadn’t taken the patriarch of the DeLuca family away from them.

He refused to allow the DeLuca name to be made weak by the actions of a coward. Though he’d yet to kill the person responsible, those who knew Enzo knew that the coward was a dead man walking. A zombie. He could see, he could feel, he could hear, but he was already dead. There was already a bullet chosen for him.

A bullet blessed by his grandfather before he’d taken his final breath and left Enzo to deal with the chaos the coward had created. Yes, the coward was still moving around in the world of the living, but he was on borrowed time. And that time would expire tonight. It had taken Enzo a few days, but he now knew who the killer was and where to find him.

A life for a life. That was the code they lived by. The bastard would pay for his sins with his life. Not only because of the promise Enzo had made his grandfather but also to prove to their enemies that the DeLuca family was still a family of savages. Under his grandfather’s rule, they’d been nicknamed savage gentleman by some.

They kept to themselves and handled their business as gentlemen, Men of Honor. But when fucked with, they revealed just how brutal their bloodline was, how ruthless their organization was. He knew other families were watching and waiting to see if they’d live up to that title. They were watching to see if they would fall apart or rise up now that Ermanno DeLuca was no longer around.

It wasn’t only their enemies who were watching them. Members of the family were also paying close attention. Today, family members from all around the world were attending the funeral of their Don. Yet, half of them hadn’t shown their faces in Italy in years. They’d moved away and only returned home for funerals and weddings.

Some didn’t even come for that. Yet, they’d come for the funeral of Don DeLuca. Not out of respect, love, or loyalty. They came to see if there would be drama and to see if the passing of the title would cause chaos amongst the organization. Already there was speculation of who the new Don would be.

Whispers of who some wanted it to be had already reached Enzo’s ears. Whispering and talking behind backs were actions of weak men. Enzo liked to handle things face to face. And those who were whispering behind his back would soon have to face him. There was another group of people who’d come to the funeral. His grandfather always referred to people like them as vultures.

They were the ones who’d shown up so they could sidle up to the new Leader and try to get on his good side early so they could make requests of him later. Then there were those who were happy the old Don was dead. They were there to verify it for themselves and to silently gloat that they’d outlived Ermanno DeLuca.

If Enzo could, he’d put a bullet in all those who felt that way. Then he’d bury them underneath his grandfather’s grave so that he could rest in peace the same way he’d lived, with his enemies beneath his feet. As Enzo stared around him, he noted that there was one last group of people present. The loyal.

They were the ones who’d truly come to pay their respects to their fallen Leader. Ermanno DeLuca had been hated by many but loved by more. He’d been a fair Don, who’d steered the organization away from wars and into alliances that benefited them. Some had been happy with the changes he’d made. Others had wanted to go back to the old ways.

They wanted to go back to the old days. The days when organizations fought against organizations regularly to prove who was the more ruthless, to prove who should be the king of the streets. Don DeLuca had won that war and claimed that title. He’d found no need to fight continuously.

However, there were some who’d enjoyed the wars, the chaos, the death, and destruction. It was true. The wars had led to the respect their organization and family enjoyed today. It led to them becoming the most feared family in Italy. The name, DeLuca, was feared and respected worldwide. Yet, the wars hadn’t only brought them glory.

It had brought death and destruction to so many of their people. A lot of blood and tears had been shed for them to hold the position they held today. The Don had taught Enzo to respect those who’d died so that he could stand where he stood. He’d told Enzo not to let those blood and tears be shed in vain.

Some of the family didn’t feel the same way. The problem was determining the motives of those around him. It was hard to tell who was for you and who was against you at a time like this. How was he to know who was crying and who wasn’t? Tears or rain? That was the guessing game he was playing. And he was losing.

The voice of his right-hand man, Stefano Masiello, sounded over the comm-link in his ear. “Enzo, after the funeral, you must go to the reception. You have to show your face there. We all do. As soon as the funeral is over, we can head there.”

Enzo was impatient. He didn’t give a damn about a reception. If he could, he’d skip the entire event. It would only be a bunch of motherfuckers, smiling in his face, telling him stories of the old days and things Don DeLuca had done. He’d heard those stories. He’d seen those smiles. Why the fuck did he need to see and hear them again?

“Nod if you agree, Enzo.”

His gaze darted to the other side of the burial site where Stefan stood. He knew Stefan was only looking out for him. He knew he needed to attend the reception to keep up appearances. However, there were more important things he needed to do. He wouldn’t be able to rest until his fingers were coated with the blood of his enemy.

He wouldn’t be able to rest until his grandfather was avenged and the entire world knew it. But the reception was not something he could skip. Therefore, he nodded. A shadow crept overhead, and the chill of the rain ceased descending upon him. From the corner of his eye, he saw his cousin, Vito DeLuca, stepping forward, holding an umbrella.

“The rain is getting harder,” Vito told him.

“I know.”

“But you don’t care, right?”

Enzo nodded. Vito sighed. Both men stood there, silent once more as they listened to the preacher.

“Sorry, I got here late,” Vito apologized.

“At least you came. Some did not. They will pay the penalty.”

“Not everyone was as close to Grandfather as you and I.”

“But we’re all of his blood. And we’re all supposed to come home when we’re called.”

“You’re right. Family is family. We’re bound together by blood. When needed, we must come.”

“You sound like Grandfather.”

“That’s because those are his words. I’m going to miss our monthly chats over the phone.”

“When did you last talk to him?”

“A week before he was shot. If I’d known then what I do now, I would’ve stayed on the phone with him longer.”

Like his cousin, he’d also been playing the ‘If I’d known game’. If he’d known what he knew now, he would’ve spent more time with his grandfather. He would’ve made time to travel with him.

Every time the Don mentioned taking a trip to the States, Enzo’s excuse was always that he was too busy. He’d give anything to take that trip with him now. Enzo swallowed the lump of aguish rising from within him. No tears. Not yet. It wasn’t time.

Facing Vito, he asked, “What were Grandfather’s last words to you?”

“He told me to always remain true to what I believe in. He told me that he trusted me to do what was right for the family, even if it wasn’t of popular opinion.”

“Grandfather talked about you a lot. He liked the road you’d chosen. He said we needed more men like you to keep us on the right path.”

For a while, neither of them said a word. Then Vito asked, “What were his last words to you?”

The Don’s last words to Enzo were much different from what he’d said to Vito. That was because he expected something different from Enzo. Though the weight of his Grandfather’s expectations of him was heavy, Enzo wouldn’t let him down, and he wouldn’t fold under the pressure.

He’d do exactly as he was told. His eyes were glued to the casket as it was lowered into the ground. Goodbye Grandfather. Rest in peace, Don Ermanno DeLuca. No crying. It still wasn’t time for that yet.

“Enzo,” Vito called to him. “What were Grandfather’s last words to you?”

As the casket disappeared, Enzo responded. “He told me to remind them of who we are.”

Savages.

Series Authors

Kenya Wright, Amarie Avant, Xavier Neal, Keta Kendric, Sonja B, Courtney Dean, L Loren, Sage Young, M’Renee Allen, Tiye, Shani Greene-Dowdell, Tamika Brown, Lyndell Williams, Imani Jay, Siera London, PE Kavanagh, Cassie Verano, Amaya Black, Theresa Hodge, Kasey Martin

Follow Savage Bloodline on Social Media 

Facebook Page: Savage Bloodline Mafia Collection | Facebook 

Facebook Group: Savage Bloodline Reading Group -La Famiglia | Facebook 

Instagram: Savage Bloodline Box Set (@savagebloodlinemafiacollection) • Instagram photos and videos

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Princes and Kings Review

 


Princes & Kings

A Rose in a Thorn Bush

by Sydney Williams

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Historical Fantasy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:


In the year 1240 AD, the land of Gwynedd Wales found themselves without a leader when their king, Llywelyn the Great, died at a ripe old age. The natural successor to the king was his son Dafydd, who took on the job of ruler after his death. Soon after taking on the job he was forced to sign a treaty with the king of England and send his brother Gruffudd and his nephew Owain to England to be imprisoned in the Tower of London in exchange for keeping his land and title. His other nephew, Llywelyn, became the new head warrior after his father's imprisonment, travelling the country and patrolling the borders to the north and the south. 


After four years imprisonment in the Tower of London, Gruffudd died while attempting to escape from his tower cell, and his son Owain was released by the king himself. He wanted Owain to help him start a civil war in Gwynedd. Meanwhile, after finding out about his brother's death from a letter sent by his nephew Owain, Dafydd declared war on England, prompting Owain to escape Winchester Castle, where he had been recovering from his time in prison to find his brother Llywelyn and help him in the war between England and Gwynedd. 


During the course of the war, Dafydd was killed in battle, leaving the Welsh army without a leader. Being the brave and noble man that he was, Llywelyn called the men to him and, with his leadership, they managed to send the English packing. With the new weight of responsibility thrust upon his shoulders, Llywelyn rode home at the head of the army to find that his world had changed. Now not only was his father gone but his mother as well, and the land of Gwynedd was once again without a leader. 


It became clear that the best man for the job was Llywelyn himself, and he decided that there was nothing else to do but become the new ruler. He would do anything to keep his people safe, even if that meant taking on a responsibility that he felt he was too young for. He would never abandon his people for anything and let the English take everything from him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt

Chapter 1: A Funeral to Remember

The town of Aberfraw Castle in the Valley of Clwyd Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales in the year 1240 AD

It was a cold, damp afternoon. In the town of Aberfraw Castle, all of Gwynedd wails as a procession of finely dressed nobles carried the coffin of the late King of Gwynedd, Llywelyn, the Great, through the streets. From all over the land, Gwynedd’s subjects arrived: they came to look upon the face of their dead King and to mourn his passing. The cobbles, slippery from a powerful rainstorm the night before, hampered the procession of nobles as they prepared to lay him to rest. The sky was still overcast with clouds that promised more rain as if nature was mourning for the great man. Filthy street urchins roughly shoved through the crowds of people, trying to catch a glimpse of the nobles while more fortunate children sat upon the shoulders of their father to see the royal party in their fine outfits.

Leading the royal procession were the King’s two sons, Dafydd ap Llywelyn and Gruffudd ap Llywelyn. Gruffudd, the King’s younger and illegitimate son, had no claim to the throne. He didn’t mind; he had never wanted to be a ruler. Gruffudd preferred being the head warrior of the royal army, protecting the people of the land in that way. It gave him a sense of freedom somehow that he felt being ruler would not. He was resplendently dressed as any noble should be in a thick green wool tunic, wool leggings tucked at the knee with high leather boots. His height and physique gave him an air of command and respect, both on the battlefield and off it, and gained him a lot of respect with the people of the land.

Gruffudd’s wise gray eyes turned towards his wife, Senana, who walked beside him with her head held high, giving her an air of great confidence. She felt him looking at her and caught his eye with a loving smile. Smiling back, he felt blessed to have such a woman by his side. From the moment they first met, he had known that she was the woman he would marry. Her light brown hair fell in the way that he liked, in a single braid that snaked down the back of her dress. Her dark-green silk skirt complimented his tunic and set off her deep blue eyes nicely. Such eyes any man in love could easily get lost in.

The heavy air wasn’t helping his somber mood. Instead, Gruffudd felt like it weighed heavily down on his heart, finding it hard to breathe. He had loved his father very much and would miss him terribly. He felt the loss of his father like a dagger to the heart. But he would not cry. He told himself that he had to stay strong for his children who must also be feeling the loss of their grandfather. He felt blessed that he had at least been able to say goodbye to him.

Review

This is a well-written book about a turbulent time in history. Being from the United States, I know very little about Welsh history. This book had the feel of a scholarly biography more than an action-adventure story. It is the perfect choice for someone desiring a realistic tale about the tensions between Wales and Britain and within Wales itself.

While interested in historical events, I always appreciate it when authors don't romanticize past time periods. Life was difficult at the time the story takes place (1240 A.D.). There was a great deal of upheaval at this time and people did not have access to modern medicine or modern conveniences. Even nobles could be felled by opportunistic infections.

The author did excellent work at making the story both educational and engaging. I was interested to learn more about a time and place that I was not well-versed in. The quality of the writing is superb. I rate Princes and Kings Book One five out of five stars.



PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON.COM

https://amazon.com/dp/0228863457

KINDLE

https://amazon.com/dp/B09CMYGZKW

INDIGO CHAPTERS

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/princes-and-kings/9780228863472-item.html

BOOK DEPOSITORY

https://www.bookdepository.com/Princes-and-Kings-Sydney-Williams/9780228863458

RAKUTEN KOBO

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/princes-and-kings

SMASHWORDS

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1099246

APPLE BOOKS

https://books.apple.com/us/book/princes-and-kings/id1581434633

~~~~~~~~~~~~~



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sydney has a big imagination and has been writing and performing from a young age. After going blind from Leukemia at the age of three, she found release from the medical part of her life through her music and her writing. In high school she excelled in English and history and after she left school she continued to write and to create her music. She formed her band, The Undercurrents with her best friend and drummer, Alex Nacci at the age of 22 and has been playing music with the band ever since.

Her book, Princes and Kings, is her first professional novel and it is book one of the historical fiction series she is writing titled, A Rose in A Thorn Bush about the last king of Wales. She was introduced to her main character in high school and with the encouragement of her Business Abilities coach she finely decided to write his story. Splitting the story into three books. Sydney has always enjoyed reading historical fiction and has found it an interesting genre to write in. After her series is finished she plans to continue writing about different historical British characters for as long as she can. Being Welsh on her father's side and Scottish and English on her mother's Britain is a place that interests her greatly and she has enjoyed writing about one of its characters. Giving her a chance to explore her heritage in a fun and exciting way and she looks forward to sharing her passion for the genre and the history of the British Isles with the world.

CONNECT WITH SYDNEY

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21888149.Sydney_Williams

Website: http://sydwilliamsauthor.com/

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/princes-and-kings-sydney-williams/1140023042

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CMYGZKW/ref=dp-kindle-redirect

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Sydney Williams will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Saturday, December 25, 2021

Ornery Owl's Reel Reviews: Dear Santa


Genre: Holiday Romance

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

Ornery Owl's Review

Tropes, tropes everywhere! Not the worst movie of its kind but too many tropes are a turn-off. 

Bratty mean-girl antagonists for the child character, check. 

Shallow clothes horses sniping at one another's fashion sense, check. 

A hero who feels beholden to the conniving female antagonist because reasons, check. 

I did like the redemption arc for Crystal, who started off as a two-dimensional cardboard cutout of a poor little rich girl and grew a personality along the way, and I'm a bit of a sucker for the sassy gay friend.

This one is hardly a must-see but it didn't make me see red. Watch it or not. It's an okay way to pass the time, not a life-changer by any stretch of the imagination.



Ornery Owl
Free-use image from Open Clipart Vectors




Friday, December 24, 2021

Happy Holidays 2021

 


Happy holidays if you celebrate them and kind thanks for your support. I plan to be here for you in 2022 with a slightly more streamlined approach (I hope.) Keep on keeping on and stay safe. Happy reading and writing!



Happy Holidays and an Ornery New Year
Free Use Image from Open Clipart Vectors



Thursday, December 23, 2021

The Cowboy's Christmas Star Book Tour and Giveaway

 


The Cowboy's Christmas Star

by Vickie Phelps

Genre: Holiday Romance 

When a good looking stranger wanders into Shelley Morrison's gift shop, she's immediately attracted to him. But he's more than just a handsome cowboy. She finds out his mother died during the summer and he wants to honor her by carrying on her Christmas traditions. He's looking for a star just like his mother had for the top of his Christmas tree. Shelley is determined to help him find that star, but there's someone else just as determined to stop Shelley from becoming involved with the handsome cowboy.


Vickie Phelps writes to encourage, inspire, and influence. She writes both fiction and nonfiction. "Forgive the Trespassers" is her tenth book, her fifth novel. Vickie worked as a bookseller and buyer for an independent bookstore for eighteen years and loves to talk about books and share stories with other readers.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads


Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Holiday Hopes Book Tour and Giveaway

 


Holiday Hopes

A Starlight Inn Novel

by Jessica Anne Renwick

Genre: Sweet Holiday Romance 

She's tethered to her past until he rescues the horse of her dreams . . .

Kelsey Simone can’t wait to have a tradition-filled family Christmas. When the vet school dropout’s sister invites her and their mom to stay at the idyllic Starlight Inn, Kelsey plans a holiday just like Grandma used to create in hopes of bringing their family together again. But she didn’t have a handsome stable manager with a Grinchy attitude on her Christmas list—nor the sick mare who reminds her of a past she’d rather forget.

Dane Clark has no time for seasonal frivolity. He has a stable to run, a lame horse to look after, and more than enough family drama to deal with. But the more the chatty guest with the pretty brown eyes and a way with horses gets under his skin, the harder it is to remember why he put himself out to pasture in the first place.

While helping the mare together, they start tearing down the fences of their pasts—until a storm hits and the Simone Family Christmas plans go awry. With the mare’s future in jeopardy, will Kelsey’s and Dane’s old wounds rear their heads, or can the warmth of Christmas melt their frosty hearts?

Holiday Hopes is the third title in the clean and wholesome Starlight Inn series. If you like flawed but hopeful heroes, charming small town romance, Christmas cheer, and family ties that sometimes bind, this is the book for you.

Grab your copy and get snowed in today!

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Books2Read


Jessica is an award-winning author who writes cozy stories with themes around friendship, family, and of course--romance! All of her romance books are sweet and clean. If small towns and happily-ever-afters are your cup of tea, then check out her Starlight Inn series!

She enjoys a hot cup of tea, gardening, animals, consuming an entire novel in one sitting, nerding out with video games, and real-life mountain adventures. Jessica resides in Alberta, Canada on a cozy urban homestead with her loving partner, fluffy backyard farm dogs, four chickens, and an enchanted garden.


Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads


Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Ornery Owl's Reel Stinkers: Christmas is Canceled

 


Genre: Holiday, Comedy

Rating: One of Five Stars (A Reel Stinker)

The only slightly likable character in this mess was the female protagonist's best friend. Everyone else was a horrid, self-absorbed narcissist with few to no redeeming qualities. 

I'm far from prudish about salty language, but what passes for humor in this film is pouty jerks slinging potty-mouthed insults at each other. 

The father character, who is around my age, is an embarrassment to parenthood. No matter how good the sex might be, if a guy I was dating ever referred to my son as a "human lump of pus," he would be lucky to survive long enough to run away. But Dad puts up with his hoochie mama girlfriend directing insults like this at his daughter.

This was a dreadful film and I think I need to assess what is wrong with me for sitting through it. Don't waste your time on this stinker. It is the cinematic equivalent of finding horse manure in your Christmas stocking.



Ornery Owl
Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors


Monday, December 20, 2021

Mate for the Howlidays Guest Post and Giveaway

 


Mate For the Howlidays

by Jessica Coulter Smith

Genre: Paranormal Holiday Romance 


Dex and Dane couldn’t be more different. One is motorcycle boots, leather, and all things wild. The other is a cowboy hat wearing sweetheart who owns the local bar. And Kizzie is the lucky lady who gets to keep them both!

When she moved back to Wolf Hollow, she only wanted a fresh start. Not once did she ever imagine she’d up being mated to two wolves, and just in time for the holidays!

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Changeling Press


Writer’s Block

I think most authors are asked how they handle writer’s block, and we all have different answers. In the thirteen years I’ve been published, the one thing I’ve learned is if my story isn’t moving forward, if I seem to be stuck, then something is wrong with the portion I’ve already written. Usually, that means I need to take a step back and look at it with fresh eyes in another few days. So during that time, I read, watch movies, and get caught up on laundry (is it possible to ever actually NOT have laundry waiting to washed?).

Once I’ve sort of reset my brain, I go back and read my book and make small adjustments at first. Then I read it again, and sometimes a third time, before I figure out where it went wrong. I yank that section and re-write it. There are times I get it right immediately and others that it takes a few attempts before the story smooths out again. And that doesn’t guarantee it won’t happen again before the book is finished. I’ve had books I wrote from start to finish without a single hiccup. Others took a lot more time to untangle.

And coffee always helps! I’m a Starbucks junkie.

Award-winning author Jessica Coulter Smith has been in love with the written word since she was a child writing her first stories in crayon. If Jessica isn't writing, then she's like reading. Her favorite books are romances, but she also enjoys the occasional mystery or general fiction book. Romance is an integral part of her world and she firmly believes that love will find you at the right time, even if Mr. Right is literally out of this world.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads



Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thursday, December 16, 2021

Handle With Care Excerpt

 


Title: Handle With Care

Heat Level: 5/5 or Rating: Explicit. Mature Audiences Only.

Blurb:

What would you do if you had twenty minutes alone with your idol?

Gemma Fox is a self-confessed unlucky-in-love geek treating herself to a weekend at a pop-culture convention on Australia’s sunny Gold Coast.

Drawn there by the temptation of seeing her celebrity crush, Everett Rhodes, the last thing she expects is to wind up trapped in an elevator with him. Parting ways, Gemma has no reason to suspect that their paths will cross again. After all, he’s a celebrity. She’s just a fan who lives on the other side of the planet.

Besides, her life is not a rom-com. (At least, that’s what she keeps telling herself.)

However, life has other plans. And Everett -stupidly charming, frustratingly handsome Everett- is hard to resist.

But when things get complicated, Gemma and Everett are both faced with the same dilemma:

How can they make things work when they live in completely separate worlds?

Excerpt:

The silence stretched on as the floors seemed to inch down to the ground level. Then the lights flickered, and the lift made a strange grinding-clunking sound, stopping abruptly. The display on the screen said that they had reached the 7th floor, but the doors didn’t open.

“That didn’t sound too good,” Gemma observed slowly, frowning at the still-closed metal doors. She pushed the ‘open doors’ button. They remained shut. The lights flickered again ominously.

“Pretty sure we’re stuck,” her companion remarked, frowning and pulling out his own phone. She assumed he had a travel sim installed or simply didn’t care about exorbitant roaming charges. “I don’t have any reception.”

“Neither do I.” She held up her phone to prove that, for all her joking about crazed fans, she wasn’t lying to him.

She hit the emergency call button in the lift.

Nothing happened.

Gemma blinked, incredulous. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She hit the button a few more times with increasing frustration and just a hint of panic. She just about jumped out of her skin when a warm hand landed on her shoulder.

“Sorry,” Rhodes backed up again, holding his hands up in surrender. “Are you okay?”

Fighting down a hysterical laugh, she swallowed and shoved shaking hands into her pockets. “I’m not the best with confined spaces. For short periods of time, it’s fine, but…” she blew a breath out slowly. “Sorry. I promise I’m not actually a raving lunatic.”

Talking to him was distracting enough from the plight of being stuck in a small metal box suspended between hotel floors, though, so she kept going. “I don’t suppose you have bodyguards or assistants or handlers or something? You know, someone that knew you were getting into this lift and who will raise the alarm if you don’t wander out on the ground floor in the next couple of minutes?”

He laughed at that, and it surprised her that it was a self-deprecating sort of sound and it was accompanied by a shrug. “No. No, I’m not that famous. In fact, you’re the first person to recognise me.”

Objectively, if she hadn’t been such a huge fan (with a crush to boot) she mightn’t have recognised him at first glance, particularly with the shaggy haircut he was sporting and if he slid his sunglasses on. Additionally, his show had been off air for two years: if he were off being successful and relevant, he wouldn’t have been booked at a random pop culture convention in Australia, would he? But that thought seemed a little unkind, considering how much she –and thousands of other people–looked forward to these conventions.

“Oh.” Gemma shook her head, feeling a little traitorous for her musings. “I’m willing to bet the closer you get to the Convention Centre, the faster that will change. Whether that’s a good thing or not, well…” she trailed off and offered him another small smile. “We’re not all crazies, remember.”

“I thought that was my line,” the actor grinned, and she felt her heart do a little flip. Damn him and his aesthetic charm. He stuck out his hand, officially introducing himself, “Everett, or Rhett, if you’d prefer.”

Buy Links:

Universal Link (consolidates the info below): books2read.com/u/49nnoX

Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B5JKMZD

Amazon (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09B5JKMZD

Amazon (AU): https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09B5JKMZD

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/handle-with-care-an-verebes/1139902543

Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/517187608/Handle-With-Care



Author Bio Verbiage:

Anita (A.N.) Verebes is a daydreamer, writer, and author of the debut romance novel ‘Handle With Care’. As a professional civil marriage celebrant, Anita makes a living telling other people’s love stories and celebrating real romance!

Living directly between Queensland’s sunny Gold and Sunshine coasts, Anita spends her days exploring the Great South East with her husband and their two rambunctious sons. When at home, she’s also a slave to two cats and one very spoilt Great Dane X.

Social Media/Website Links:

Website: https://anverebesauthor.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ANVerebes

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21688142.A_N_Verebes


Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Kyle and Corey Game Store Mystery Review

 

 

Middle grade/Y/A Mystery

Date Published: 6/25/21

Publisher: Covefe Press


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Brothers Kyle and Corey Holley (15 and 12) live Brothers Kyle and Corey Holley live in Fairly Springs, a small southern beach town. Kyle is a budding engineer; Corey is impetuous, funny, and baseball-crazy. Like most brothers, they fight often, but they also solve crimes. When the town experiences a rash of home robberies, Kyle and Corey decide to investigate. They learn that in each robbery, the thieves stole a high-end desktop computer.

Why? What are they looking for? And how soon till they find it? Other complications include Corey's wheelchair-bound math tutor, Kyle's after-school job in a local video-game store and a revolutionary new video game launching soon. Kyle and Corey: Brothers. Best Friends. Detectives. They don't go looking for trouble; it has them on speed dial!

 

 

 

 Review

Overall, I very much enjoyed this story about two young detectives solving the mystery of what is happening at a local game store where older brother Kyle takes a job. The store pays employees in cash, which is sketchy from the start. Kyle is reluctant to leave because he likes his job, but he is certain that their operations aren't entirely above board. As well, there has been a rash of robberies in town. Could the robberies be connected to the shady operations at the game store?

Kyle and Corey are believable protagonists. Each has his own unique personality and they are very different from each other. At times they clash, but their differences also allow them to see perspectives that the other might miss. They are accompanied by an interesting cast of side characters to add variety to the story.

The story was written for a young audience, but mystery lovers of all ages will be engaged by the strange goings-on at the game shop. The plot moved along at a nice moderate speed, neither becoming bogged down in details nor attempting to match the frantic pace of an action movie. The author hit a "just-right" Goldilocks zone with timing.

The only complaint I have about the book is something that causes me to knock a star off any rating no matter how much I enjoyed the story. I was bothered by the scene where Kyle's mother gives him the side-eye for wanting another helping of potatoes. It was previously stated that Kyle is "a little bit chubby." 

Evidently, Kyle's mother's intention is to encourage weight loss. Parents who do this sort of thing think that their behavior is helpful, but it actually encourages the target to develop a troubled relationship with food and their body that can cause a lifelong struggle. I became bulimic at twelve years old. At nearly fifty-seven, I still fight with my abusive life partner ED (stands for Eating Disorder) on a daily basis. 

On a more neutral note, I wonder if most school lunches really are awful or if this is a trope that authors include because they find it humorous. The lunches at the schools I attended were nothing stellar but they were certainly edible.

I give Kyle and Corey Game Store Mystery Review four out of five stars. You don't need to be a kid to enjoy this engaging story.

About the Author

JOE STEPHENS has been a fan of boys’ adventure books all his life, and in this, his first series book, he’s created two boys as memorable as Frank and Joe Hardy. He has a background in education and has also visited more than thirty countries while pursuing his passion for scuba diving. He lives in Georgetown with his growing family and three thoroughly spoiled cats.

Contact Links

Website

Goodreads

 

Purchase Links

Amazon


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