Thank you to all the wonderful friends and readers this year. You've been such an important part of my life. You've made me laugh and shriek with joy. I hope your holidays are filled with the wonder and joy of the season!!New books are the best gifts but when you find a new book in a series, it's like getting together with your friends. Today, I'm sharing a new novella in the Secrets of the Moon saga.... Blood Moon. The mystery deepens…but the truth slowly begins to unravel. In the midst of an impending war, comradeships will be forged, relationships mended, and bonds strengthened. We’re closer to dismantling the alpha’s plan now than ever before, but when tragedy strikes, our commitment to a cause kept alive for the memory of our loved ones will be tested. Our ties tried. Our sanity preyed upon. Darkness will shadow our lives. A common goal, however, can help us move forward. Can we pick up the pieces long enough to ensure a future for Marjorie? Or will another loss be the evil that breaks me? Excerpt for Blood Moon “Is it true?” I ask before he can ramble on about formalities and pack protocol, which are things I know by heart already and have no desire to hear again. “What Josephine said?” Though I don’t get the impression Marquis has been eavesdropping on my conversation with our sister, I do know he has an idea of what I’m referring to. “That’s not a subject I wanted to discuss right now, but since you’ve brought it up I’ll start out by providing an easy answer to your question. Yes, I believe you’re an alpha in the making.” His words force me to shudder. Alpha? Me? I’m not qualified to be one. Not with my curse. I wouldn’t make for a good leader. My impulsive decisions would probably get half the pack killed. “Marquis, I don’t have any intention of being an alpha. Much less rule our pack. I’m perfectly happy watching you do it.” Only $1.99!! Amazon, All Romance, Kobo, B&N, ITunesAbout the Author: Kristy Centeno is the author of the Secrets of the Moon saga and Keeper Witches series. She has always had a passion for books and after years of being an avid reader, she decided to transform her desire to write into a reality and thus, her first novel was born. When she’s not busy taking care of her five children or holding down the fort, she finds time to sit and do what she loves the most: writing. Website Facebook Twitter Goodreads Blog Amazon Pinterest I love weddings. They are one of the most amazing ways to show your love and devotion. Today I'm happy to invite you to A Faerie Wedding- A Star Child companion novella. This time Gabe get's the limelight. Gabe Stewart has everything he ever wanted. Mortal Earth is safe. He’s a super-hero Protector whose best friend is within telepathic shouting distance. And then there’s his soul-mate, Singer. He knew right away she was the one he’d been waiting for. But Gabe’s world shatters when Singer professes she doesn’t love him. On top of that, his mother admits she’s been messing with his memory making him doubt everything he’s ever known. And just when it seems things can’t get any worse, his best friend in the whole freaking world, Kellen St. James, wants Gabe to stop being his Protector. Being a Protector is who Gabe is. What will happen if he’s not standing between the prince and danger? When the man who’s sacrificed his freedom is faced with life alone, which path will he choose? Will he remain the last Protector? Or will he finally get the happy ending he deserves? *A Faerie Wedding is a companion novella--intended to be read after the other books in the series. It is a New Adult novel and features adult language and situations. Sadly... you can preorder your chance to attend this wedding....which will happen just in time for Valentine's Day.... Preorder A Faerie Wedding: Amazon Kobo ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stephanie Keyes is the author of the YA Fantasy series, The Star Child, which includes The Star Child, After Faerie, The Fallen Stars, The Star Catcher, and The Last Protector. The Boy In The Trees, part of the Blood In The Shadows anthology, released in November 2015. The Star Catcher won first place in the 2014 Dante Rossetti Young Adult Novel Awards—Mythological Category. The Star Child was a finalist in the 2015 BTS Magazine Reader's Choice Awards. Keyes was also selected as a 2015 Rutgers University One-On-One Plus Conference mentee. She's an active member of SCBWI. Steph lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Mr. Keyes, her boys, Hip-Hop and Bam-Bam, and dogs Duncan MacLeod and Princess Riley. Steph is a hopeless romantic and Whovian who's shamelessly addicted to Nutella and spontaneous singing. *Author photos courtesy of Kristina Serafini Photo Website: http://www.stephaniekeyes.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Keyes-Author/150860604966160?ref_type=bookmark Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/StephanieKeyes Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/stephaniekeyes/ Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/stephkeyes Google+: https://plus.google.com/101104903861657395788/posts Covers can make or break a book. They have to be easy to see even in Thumbnail size. They have to be readable and engaging. Check out this fabulous cover for Wende Dikec's upcoming release: Tiger LIly.... great cover, right?? Lily Madison thought dying because of a bad manicure was the worst thing that could happen. She was wrong. Waking up in the hospital and realizing she’s being stalked by an entire herd of naughty little ghosts turns her entire world upside down. She begins to doubt her own sanity until she realizes she isn’t alone. A Goth girl, named Zoe, can see the ghosts, too. Most of the ghosts look like fuzzy blobs, but one is not blobby at all. He’s a very hot, very annoying dead guy named Nick. Although they dislike each other on sight, Nick soon realizes Lily is his only hope. With the help of Zoe and Mr. Wan, the manicurist who almost killed her, she has only days to get Nick and the other ghosts back where they belong or the whole world will be in terrible danger. But sending the ghosts back means saying goodbye to Nick forever, and Lily isn’t sure she’ll ever be able to let him go. Pre-order Today: Amazon KoboAbout the Author:
National award winning author Wende Dikec writes Young Adult speculative fiction with romantic and humorous elements. An avid traveller who spent many years abroad, she now lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband, three sons, a puppy named Capone, and a very well used espresso machine. She can be found on the web at www.wendedikec.com. The Delightful Dessert: Trifle One thing I’ve found while writing historical romance is that people of the upper classes eat both often and well. And the Regency period was no exception. My Regency novella, A Kiss Beneath the Mistletoe, begins with a special meal. A birthday celebration with the heroine’s favorite dessert: trifle. If you don’t know, trifle is a layered dessert using stale cake soaked usually in sherry or other spirits, combined with custard, fruit, and whipped cream. My mouth is watering just writing about it. :) Trifle evolved from an earlier English dessert called fool, the recipe dating from 1587. It was a thick cream flavored with sugar, ginger, and rosewater. Early in the 17th century, eggs were added and the cream became a custard that was then poured over stale cake soaked in some sort of alcohol. Trifle was originally invented to enable cooks to use up stale cake. The recipe that Jenny, my heroine, might have had for her 18th birthday party, would likely have been something like this from Martha Lloyd’s Recipe Book, published in 1806: “Take three Naple Biscuits cut them in Slices dip them in sack lay them in the bottom of your dish, then make a custard of a pint of cream & five Eggs & put over them then make a whipt Syllabub as light as possible to cover the whole the higher it is piled the handsomer it looks.” Today our modern palates prefer the use of lady fingers or sponge cake (rather than the hard biscuits), sprinkled with rum or sherry or port. Layer the bottom with the soaked lady fingers, then add layers of custard or vanilla pudding and fruit (blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, bananas) and repeat, ending with whipped cream on top, garnished with a strawberry or mint leaves. A truly spectacular dessert for your holiday or any festive occasion. I've had it before... Really Yummy!! Now let's see about this amazing book (ps. It's such a fun read! You should grab it!) TAG LINE Is one kiss ever enough? BLURB: Jenny Crowley has been duped! At her eighteenth birthday celebration her parents announce that instead of having the London Season she’s dreamed of for years, Jenny has been betrothed from birth to Alexander Isley, son of family friends and heir to a title. A distraught Jenny refuses point-blank to marry Alec, and when her aunt offers to whisk her away to a Christmas house party, complete with many eligible young bachelors, Jenny jumps at the chance to enjoy a variety of entertainments, be courted, and perhaps fall in love. Alec Isley is between a rock and a hard place. He desires a marriage with Jenny no more than she does, but when his family’s dire financial status is revealed, he follows Jenny to the house party in hopes of convincing her to marry him after all. When he discovers who else is courting her there, Alec is frantic to keep her from making a dreadful mistake. Struggling with new-found feelings for his childhood friend, can Alec convince her of his love in time to save her from being ruined under the mistletoe? BUY LINKS: AMAZON:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0193TFJ22?*Version*=1&*entries*=0 SMASHWORDS: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/599034 iTUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1067520718 EXCERPT: Dishes of trifle finally sat at each place. Jenny itched to pick up her spoon. She could taste the berries and cream even now. She glanced at her father, who at last smiled and nodded. “So, Charles, when is the wedding to take place?” Great-Aunt Henrietta trumpeted the question from her place at the mid-point of the table, her spoon already busy with her dessert. “Wedding, Aunt Henrietta?” Papa’s voice rose in a question, but he cut his eyes toward Mamma, who sent a frightened look at Jenny. Odd, but no more so than her great-aunt’s question. Whose wedding was she talking about? “Yes, Charles. Jenny’s wedding to young Alexander here.” Henrietta nodded across the table to Alexander Isley, who sat up abruptly, staring at her aunt with wide eyes, as though he thought the old lady quite mad. Jenny thought so herself. A prickly sensation began at the back of her neck. She shot Alec a quick look. No, his face wore an expression of outright confusion, his brows knit over his dark brown eyes. “She’s eighteen now, and you promised me when she was of age I’d see her married into the Isley family. I have lived for the day that I could announce to the world that one of my family had moved into the titled class.” She glared at Mama, who blushed and turned to Jenny. “It’s not as bad as it sounds, Jenny darling,” Mama said, patting her hand. That might have reassured Jenny, except her mother’s wide, staring eyes said yes, it was that bad. Maybe worse. Her heart began to pound and the sweet trifle turned sour in her mouth. “Not bad?” Great-Aunt Henrietta swung her gaze to Jenny and fixed her with a cold blue-eyed stare. “You should be grateful, girl. Your parents and I have arranged for you to take your place in society, as a titled lady in due time.” “It’s not true is it, Mama?” Jenny could barely choke out the words in a voice that didn’t sound like her own at all. Too high, too soft. A peculiar roaring in her ears made her head light. “Yes, my dear, it most certainly is.” Great-Aunt Henrietta nodded with such vehemence that the feathers on her green velvet turban bobbed back and forth. “When your mother refused to marry up, I swore none of your family would ever see a penny of my money. Then when you were born, she came to me, begged me to reconsider, and promised that you had already been betrothed to the Isley heir here.” She pointed a finger at Alec who looked like he might dive under the table. “She showed me the betrothal papers.” Everyone at table sat in stunned silence. Jenny looked down at her hands, clasped together so tightly her knuckles showed white. All her dreams of excitement and romance during her season had just exploded in the blink of an eye. Then the real import of her great-aunt’s word sank in and her stomach twisted. They expected her to marry Alec? AUTHOR BIO:
Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance. She has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage. Jenna is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America as well as President of Chesapeake Romance Writers, her local chapter of RWA. She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop. Find Jenna Jaxon online: BLOG: https://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Jenna_Jaxon FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenna-Jaxon/146857578723570 When a night out turns into a matchmaking scheme, they thought communication would be their biggest challenge to their happily ever after.... Signs of Desire
Order: ♥ ♥ Dreamspinner Press ♥ All Romance ♥ Amazon ♥ ♥ Add to: Goodreads
Description: Simon Tyler knows his job as a gay romance author makes his lack of faith in love more than a little ironic, but he’s tired of being used for his wallet. When a night out turns into a matchmaking scheme orchestrated by his best friends—though he’s not the target—Simon’s not thrilled, but since he’s sworn off happily-ever-after anyway, he goes along with it… until he meets the object of their efforts, Adrian, and finds perhaps he hasn’t given up on love after all. Professor Adrian Keys has tried to date hearing men before, but being deaf himself, he’s never had any success at making a connection. After his friends con him into going out and Adrian realizes it’s all an elaborate plan to set him up, he braces for yet another failure, only to discover there is a spark—except it’s not with the man his friends had in mind, but with Simon Tyler instead. Not all their friends have found a way past their romantic failures, but Simon and Adrian might be on the path to happily-ever-after. Resource Links:
Praise:
“I found it a beautiful tale of unhappiness changed to romance and then love with a happy ending.” —Rainbow Book Reviews, on “Designs of Desire” “Designs of Desire is a tough realistic book that is touched by violence countered by the growing love between the two heroes.” —Sensual Reads, on “Designs of Desire” “It’s a great book to fall into and enjoy some really good characters.” —Love Bytes, on “Desires’ Guardian” “This is my favorite in this series so far. I love seeing how these characters are growing, all of them. As individuals, as couples, as friends, and as a family.” —MM Good Book Reviews, on “Desires’ Guardian” “The writer did an excellent job with the characters, they are likable and perfect. Not perfect in the way that they have no flaws, but in a way that they grab you and complement each other.” —Love Bytes Reviews, on “Temptations of Desire”
Other Works by Author:
Designs of Desire – Simple Desires*+ – Bound by Desire* – Desires’ Guardian – Temptations of Desire – Truth in Lace* – Desires’ Pride* Micah’s Medicine+ – Caged Sanctuary – Whiskers of a Chance *shorts in series +shorts in anthologies
About the Author:
Website ♥ Goodreads ♥ Twitter ♥ Facebook ♥ Google + ♥ DSP ♥ Blog Giveaway!! http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7e3e855528/?KEY Change (Assignment: Romance #3) Barbara Valentin Romantic Comedy, 236 pgs Gemma Halliday Publishing The first thing Sara Cleff, a hard-edged, shower-singing rock music critic, wants to do after following a band on tour is crawl into her nice comfy bed in her well-appointed, optimally located vintage apartment. But before making it home, she learns her roommate-slash-boyfriend has apparently broken up with her while she was away on assignment and sublet their apartment out from underneath her. Ouch! When her key no longer fits in the lock, the last person she expects to find on the other side of the door is Andrew Benet, a wickedly gorgeous music director from a nearby church. Something about the brash music critic strikes a chord with Andrew, and he offers her the chance to stay on one condition—she has to join the choir at his church. While Andrew may hold the lease on Sara's apartment, does he have the key to unlock her heart? Buy Links: Amazon B&N Gemma Halliday iBooks Kobo Smashwords Print Follow the tour HERE Excerpt: Up as usual at the crack of dawn, Andrew trudged to the bathroom, almost forgetting to close the door behind him before he spotted Sara's bangles on the counter next to the sink. Reaching over, he shut the door and locked it. Fifteen minutes later, he was showered, clean-shaven, and ready to go, except he didn't have to be at the church until four-thirty that afternoon. Unplugging his phone from an outlet in his room, he brought it with him into the kitchen, transferred Sara's clothes that she had washed the night before into the dryer and poured himself some coffee. He sat on a barstool, debated throwing a sweatshirt on over his plain, blue, short-sleeved T- shirt to ward off the chill, but started scrolling through his email instead. His eyes, however, kept drifting over to Sara, out like a light on the sofa sleeper. While most of her was wrapped in the blankets like a human burrito, with the sun starting to break through the bare branches of the ancient oak tree blocking the expansive bay window, he could see her face quite plainly. Without all that the heavy dark makeup, he noted, she looked younger. And kinda sweet, actually. But then again, she wasn't talking. Still, he was glad he invited her to stay the night before. But what about tonight? And tomorrow night? And the night after that? While he mulled the possibilities, she rolled over and stretched, arching her back and groaning as she did. Resuming her curled-up burrito pose, she opened her eyes and mumbled, "How long have you been sitting there?" Looking at his watch, he admitted, "About a minute. Or five. Maybe ten." His cheeks suddenly felt a lot warmer. With a loud yawn, she sat up. "I slept so good." Patting the thin mattress with her hand, she added, "So comfy." The words hung in the air between them. Sarcasm before coffee. Great. Still, the sight of her in his pajama top seemed to lobotomize him. All he could do by way of a reply was nod. With a shrug, she added, "Seriously, on a sleeper sofa—who knew?" Snap out of it. With no small amount of effort, he turned and glanced at the dryer. "Your clothes should be ready in about twenty minutes." At that, Sara took a deep breath and yanked the covers back, revealing two impossibly long bare legs as she flung her feet to the floor. Knowing full well that the sudden blast of heat he felt was not delivered by way of the gilded vents along the floorboards, Andrew got up to check the thermostat on the wall next to the upright piano anyway, mumbling, "Gotta love old buildings." About the Author: Barbara is an award-winning novelist and second-generation journalist. After spending a decade in maternity clothes, she has five boys to show for it and much fodder for her column, The Plate Spinner Chronicles, a long-running feature in the Chicago Tribune. A member of RWA's Windy City chapter, she still dreams of the day when her to-do list includes "Send NY Times book critic thank you note" and "Accept Godiva's request to be a taste-tester." Contact email: [email protected] Website Amazon Goodreads Giveaway!!
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Melissa KeirGator Girl Extraordinaire Archives
October 2023
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