Book Blitz & Giveaway: Vacancy [The Seven 01] by Linda Kage!

Excerpt!

   Hudson sent me an atta-girl smile. “With her dimples, he would’ve been absolute putty.”

   Starting to feel the very discomfort I’d been hoping to stir inside Damien, I backed toward him uneasily. He caught my waist in a comforting grip and pulled me safely to his side as I tilted my head his way and asked from the side of my mouth, “What’s wrong with my dimples?”

   This was the second time one of his friends had brought them up.

  “Absolutely nothing,” he murmured before lifting his hand in a staying gesture to the other three. “Will y’all drop it, already?”

   Except Alec had heard my question, and with a snort, he motioned to Damien. “Dimples are, like, his kryptonite. Put ‘em on a pretty girl, and they send him straight to his knees. Every time.”

   “Oh, really?” I asked, turning my head enough to send Damien a curious glance.

   Scoffing, he challenged Alec, “Name one girl I’ve dated who’s had dimples.”

   Both Alec and Keene opened their mouths to retort, only to frown and press their lips back together. They glanced at each other in question before Keene swerved back, lifting a finger as if he’d come up with a name, only to drop his hand and scowl some more.

   “I mean, we gotta mention Madisyn,” Hudson finally said.

   “Ooh.” My brows lifted. “Who’s Madisyn?”

   The others only snickered, so I whirled toward Damien.

   He huffed out an irritated sound and rolled his eyes. “I was eleven,” he explained. “And she was twenty-six and married with two kids. We did not date.”

   “But, holy hell,” Alec was more than eager to gush. “She was his first crush, and he had it so bad for her.”

   “Really?” I murmured, eager to hear more. “That’s kind of sweet.”

   “Yeah. And you know how he only says about two words a year?” Alec went on. “Well, both words that year were dimples.”

   Keene elbowed him. “Hey, Damien?” he said in imitation as he addressed Alec. “How’s it going?”

   In answer, Alec sighed and fluttered his lashes dreamily as he glanced up toward the sky before placing both hands over his heart. “Dimples,” he sighed.

   “Oh Jesus,” Damien muttered, not impressed. “I was not that bad.”

   “Yeah... You were,” Hudson affirmed.

   With an irritated sniff, Damien shook his head. “I hate you guys.”

HOW DO YOU RENT A ROOM FROM A GHOST WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT?

This year was supposed to be different because Oaklynn had a plan.

Stop partying.

Stay away from guys.

Focus on classes.

Graduate!

All she needed to do was find a place to stay near campus, and she’d be set. But when she finds the perfect room to rent, it brings the mysterious Damien into her life.

Her friend tries to warn her that he’s dangerous. He has secrets and darkness in his eyes. But the only danger Oaklynn can tell that he poses is to her attention. He’s all she can think about. Except, he’s hiding something, and when the truth comes out that her new roommate was murdered…a decade ago…nothing will ever be the same again.

So yeah, this year will definitely be different.

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Author bio:

Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact.
Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children's literature from The Institute of Children's Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelors in Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.

Now she lives with hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant.

Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor...or Hulk (can't decide). Justice League Team Flash. Arrow Team Stephen Amell. Stranger Things obsessed. Heard Laurel, not Yanny.

Started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club. Then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now all over the place with her romance reading tastes.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Whiskey on Our Shoes by Tonya Preece!

Excerpt!

   Checking that the wig hides all my blonde hair, I ask Mom, “Who am I today?”

   Her head whips around, and she gasps. “I almost forgot. How about…Bella?”

   “Works for me.” I slide on a pair of oversized sunglasses, and she puts on a floppy, wide-brimmed hat.

   She’s told me before how being spotted in public doesn’t concern her unless there’s a chance of me getting drawn into the attention. On the few occasions I’ve shown up in snapshots with the celebs in our family, I looked slightly different each time, thanks to various disguises. And in those rare photos, I’m in the background, facing away from the camera.

   Managers and salespeople create a subtle barrier between us and other shoppers, but my goal is to be invisible to them as well. Not so easy when they give us the royal treatment behind the scenes. I trust they won’t take pictures or video, but a lot of my energy’s spent pretending to be someone else. I’m rusty at avoiding curious stares. It’s more exhausting than I remembered.

   As Mom browses from display to display, I find it easier to stay engrossed in a game on my phone. Staring at the screen, my face is shielded by the tresses of the brunette wig.

   “Earth to Bella.” Mom waves a hand in front of my eyes. “Isn’t it cute?”

   I glance at the summer dress she’s holding. “Yeah, it’s nice,” I say, and my gaze falls right back to my phone. She must not notice my lack of excitement and moves on to another dress, chattering non-stop.

   “Ooh, Bella, check this out.” “Hey, Bella, I could see you in this.” “Bella, do you like this dress?” She won’t stop, and I have an absurd sense of not being me anymore. How the hell should I know what Bella likes?

   The next time Mom calls me Bella, I wince and squeeze my eyes shut.

   “Are you okay?” Mom touches my arm.

   “I’m not feeling well.” I press my fingers to my temples.

   She guides me into a curtained dressing room. “Try not to puke or faint or anything.” She lingers by the entry, eying me warily. “Are you good now?”

   “I will be. You should keep shopping. I just need a minute.” I sit on a bench in the small space.

   “Maybe you’re dehydrated. I’ll have someone bring you a drink.”

   I close my eyes and lean on the wall, craving the freedom I’ve enjoyed without Mom.

   My heart sinks, though. I love Mom, and I’ve missed her, but is this what Lor means when he talks about me finding independence?

   “Excuse me, miss, are you Bella?” someone says.

   I open the curtain. There’s a lady, mid-twenties, offering me a bottle of water. Grateful, I take it, and she has an eager, starstruck look in her eyes.

   “It must be cool to hang out with Sloane Silver, huh? How do you know her?”

   “She’s a friend of my mom’s.” I take a long, cold drink.

   “Wow, where’re you from?”

   Cornered, I mutter the first thing to pop into my head. “I’m from Budapest.”

   Her eyebrows rise, probably from disbelief since I don’t have an accent.

   Oops. I stand. Time to leave.

   The lady moves aside, and Mom’s standing there, the color drained from her face. She stares in my direction, her eyes glazed over.

   I approach her. “What’s wrong?”

   She startles and snaps out of whatever made her look like she’d seen a ghost. “Oh, nothing.” Her gaze flits to the lady. “We’re good here. Thanks for your help.”

   The lady makes herself scarce as Mom shoos me back into the dressing room and closes the curtain.

   “Eva, what made you think of…that place?” Mom whispers.

   “What place? Oh, Budapest?” I shrug. “It came to mind because of the postcard. The one in Lor’s living room.” I note the clenching of her jaw as she turns away. “Does the postcard mean something? When I asked Lor, he wouldn’t say.”

   “If he didn’t tell you, it must be private.” She faces me again, with a tight smile. “You’ve hardly shopped for yourself today, and I want to buy you something. Try these on.” She hangs the dresses she’s holding on a hook in the dressing room.

   I absentmindedly flip through them, waiting for her to leave before I strip.

   “Ev—Bella,” she whispers. “Why are you checking price tags?”

   I shrug. “I guess it helps me decide if something’s worth it or not.”

   “Worth it?” She eyes me, head to toe, like I’m a stranger. And I do feel strange. Maybe she doesn’t know me anymore. Do I even know myself?

Eva dodges the fans, media, and gossip that follow her supermodel mom and rock star family members by wearing disguises. After an aimless gap year, she struggles to figure out what she wants from life. She moves in with her famous guitar god brother in Austin while he recovers from a drunken stage stunt accident and tries to stay sober. When a hot Texas cowboy named Alex takes Eva by surprise, she risks her safety and security of anonymity by letting him into her unconventional life.

Alex is captivated by Eva and promises to protect her privacy. Yet he has a secret of his own—the fling he had with an older woman is fraught with scandalous potential for him and now Eva. He broke free of that mistake months ago, or so he thought. As things heat up with Eva, his old flame returns and won’t leave him alone.

Just when Alex thinks he has the reins on the situation, his ex teams up with a gossip reporter hell-bent on invading Eva’s privacy. The resulting exposé, with a sly spin on a recent encounter with his ex, is Alex’s worst nightmare, and Eva’s unsure what to believe. Can she face the world with Alex at her side or will she return into hiding?

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Author bio:

Tonya Preece writes romance and contemporary young adult fiction and incorporates music into all her books in one way or another. She lives near Austin, TX where she’s a small business manager for a forensic engineering firm. She and her husband enjoy traveling, live music, wine, and spoiling their fur babies.

As an active SCBWI member since 2015, Tonya has volunteered for several conferences and has served as a critique group facilitator. She joined the Writer’s League of Texas and The Author’s Guild in 2021. She served as the 2022 WriteOnCon Financial Administrator and Critique Boutique Coordinator.

Tonya’s 2022 debut, Whiskey on Our Shoes, was selected for the 2019 #WriteMentor program. One of her YA novels, CLOSER TO THE FLAME, earned her a 2020 scholarship/mentorship with Austin SCBWI and was a finalist at the 2018 Houston SCBWI conference.

An avid consumer of written stories, Tonya reads and/or listens to an average of 75 books a year. Some of her favorite YA authors include Jeff Zentner, Julie Buxbaum, Sarah Dessen, and Robin Benway. In adult romance – Kate Clayborn, Christina Lauren, Helena Hunting, Emily Henry, and Abby Jimenez. Series she tries to keep up to date on: Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum. Recent mainstream faves are Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Five Fun Facts about Tonya that aren’t reading or writing related:

1. She volunteers at a local food pantry, where she’s enjoyed serving weekly since 2017.

2. Her travel bucket list includes Italy, Ireland, and Bora Bora. Australia would be awesome, too!

3. She loves ziplining, indoor skydiving, and rollercoasters.

4. She’s a fan of bands like With Confidence, Broadside, All Time Low, State Champs, Sleeping with Sirens, and As It Is.

5. 5. In her free time, she can be found indulging a jigsaw puzzle habit and/or binging shows like Outer Banks, Never Have I Ever, Downton Abbey, Bridgerton, Good Girls, Veronica Mars, and iZombie.

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Book Blitz & Giveaway: Kiss of a Witch [Darkness Rising 02] by S.G. Slade!

Excerpt!

   At the brothel the players had just arrived, fresh from the triumph of a new play.

   ‘What’s it called?’ Mary asked, sliding onto the lap of one of the men at the table. He was in his forties, she guessed, with grey flecks in a reddish beard and hungry eyes that were sad. She passed an arm around his neck, and his left hand rested on her thigh. She liked the players: they were always good for entertainment and often had a sensitivity about them that was rare in the apprentices and artisans who made up their audience.

   ‘ ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore,’ the player said, and Mary laughed.

   ‘So it’s about me, then?’

   He laughed and squeezed her leg. ‘Come see it tomorrow,’ he said. ‘We play for three more days.’

   ‘Perhaps I shall,’ she replied. She liked the playhouse, and though most of the girls went there only to pick up trade, Mary loved it for the magic of the drama, an escape from the drudgery of her life. She ran the tips of her fingers across the muscles of his arm. He was strong, and the muscles were hard and taut. Sometimes, she thought, being a whore was not so bad. Then, ‘Does it end well for the whore?’

   He shook his head.

   ‘So it’s true to life.’ It was not a question.

   ‘Truer than you can imagine,’ he answered, and slid his eyes away in some kind of sadness she could not know.

Trapped in a spreading web of darkness, the power of an ancient book might be their only hope.

Mary Sparrow was cursed at birth, and the bawdy house is the only home she’s ever known. Like most of the girls, she dreams of escape. But when an old man drives her friend to madness, she swears she will have her revenge.

Toby Chyrche also hopes for a better future, away from the tailor’s shop where his fate seems set in stone. Then afateful meeting seems to promise freedom, until an ancient book of magic reveals chilling truths.

Ensnared in the spreading web of darkness, they turn to magic to protect themselves. But shadowy forces crave a sacrifice, and the spectre of death is beckoning. Can they wield the power of the book to protect those they love? Or will they pay for their courage with their lives?

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Author bio:

S.G. Slade was born and raised in the historic city of Bristol in England, and now lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband, son, and a very small dog called Livvy. She has worked variously as a secretary, a teacher, a shop assistant and a nurse, but lifelong obsessions with books, history, and magic have never waned. When she isn’t reading or writing (which isn’t often), you can find her either doing yoga, going for long walks, or watching old movies. Touch of a Witch is her first historical fantasy book.

She uses the pen name S.G. Slade for her fantasy books, and also writes Historical Fiction under the name Samantha Grosser.

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Release Day Blitz: Auctioned Surrender [The Sinful Duets 02] Via Mari!

Damian and Bryanna

As one of the wealthiest bodyguard’s and mafia connected men in the world, my assignment shouldn’t be difficult.

Get in and find the woman who’s fallen prey to a deadly global trafficking ring and return her to the family. Protect her at all costs.

Those were the orders, and I’ve never let a client down.

The innocent beauty’s eyes swirl with emotion as she looks at me, full of caution, wariness, fear, curiosity and need, all in a hazy mixture of lust that makes this more than a job.

But Bryanna has secrets of her own. She fights my help every step of the way, fleeing right out of my arms and back to those who want to sell her for a price.

The hold they have over Bryanna is not strong enough to keep me at bay. I will move heaven and earth to win her trust and to make her mine.

They’ve messed with the most ruthless of protectors in this deadly game of sin, and they will learn that the hard way today.

Because tonight, Bryanna will be mine.

Dereck and Layla

When asked to help with an assignment, the last thing I expect is to meet an exquisite woman full of attitude who ignites my soul like she was made just for me.

Layla Contreras can hold her own in the dangerous criminal underworld. A fiery exotic dancer who is strong-willed, sassy, and determined.

In a swift twist of fate, danger ignites.

I will do what it takes to keep Layla safe, even calling upon mafia alliances who are more than happy to go up against our mutual enemies.

But this is far from a job now…

Layla thinks her secrets will keep me away, but she couldn’t be more wrong. I plan to earn her trust, to bring that wall completely down, and tame the bravehearted fire within.

I will bury the sins of the past and anyone who gets in the way of me claiming the relentless beauty all for my very own.

Watch me…

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Via lives in the Midwest with her husband. As a child raised in both the United States and the United Kingdom, she spent countless hours traveling and developed a passion for the written word at a young age.

She is also an avid reader of romance. In fact, you can find her curled up in an overstuffed chair, especially during winter when the wood fire is crackling and popping, reading a page-turning novel until the early hours of the morning.

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: ETA: The Trial of Logan Gruver by I. Ashmawey!

Logan Gruver doesn’t mean to commit the first murder in history—it was an accident, he swears. But now, he has introduced violence millennia early, escalating humanity’s destruction, and is about to go on trial for the first time-travel murder ever.

All Logan wants is to find purpose in his life, stuck in a house with abusive parents who are always comparing him to his deceased sister, and trapped in a stalemate banking job where he feels invisible. So when he wins a shot at traveling five million years into the past as a volunteer guard, Logan jumps on the opportunity. His newfound freedom is a breath of fresh air. He even finds love with a charming traveling journalist, Giselle. Unlike anyone he’s ever met, she challenges him to learn more about himself, and the two grow closer as they journey into the past.

Then the curious duo discovers the organization they traveled with is keeping a massive secret: humanity will mysteriously go extinct in the future, and no one knows why. These vacation getaways to the past are actually an attempt to restart humanity, five million years prior. The bigger problem: the attempt isn’t going to work.

While trying to save both past and present, Logan makes a grave error that ends in a murder that was never supposed to happen. Now the entire timeline is on the brink of destruction, and Logan may have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save mankind.

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Author bio:

County based Film and Television Writer widely known for his vivid, emotionally-moving writing style. Throughout his creative career, he has written for a multitude of prominent media outlets like Disney Channel. He has also both written and produced numerous independent films.

Born in the heart of Washington D.C., the creative spark entered Ibrahim’s life early on. By the age of 10, he started crafting short stories, resulting in statewide recognition. During middle school, he was the editor of the school newspaper. From a young age, he would see the extraordinary in what the majority deemed as ordinary. Ultimately, this is what drove him to share the unique things he saw through the art of storytelling.

Today, Ibrahim is happy to call his passion a lifelong vocation, and consistently strives to create positive change that will continue to impact people for generations to come.

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Release Day Blitz: Grumpy Santa by Kat Baxter!

Audrey

I’ve been in love with big, brooding Jared Sawyer ever since he hired me to work in his hardware store. He scowls a lot and growls more than he talks, but there’s something about him that makes me feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be. After one explosive night in his arms, I’m even more certain we belong together. But then he never mentions the way he kissed and held me, or the naughty things he whispered in my ear.

How is it possible that what felt like forever was just a one and done?

Just when I’m sure that the only consequences of our night together are awkward silences at work, I find out Jared left me with more than a broken heart.

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USA Today Bestselling Author Kat Baxter writes fast-paced, sweet & STEAMY romantic comedies. Readers have dubbed her books “laugh-out-loud funny,” “hot enough to melt your kindle,” and “The Queen of Adorkable.” She lives in Texas with her family and a menagerie of animals. Kat is the pseudonym for a bestselling historical romance author.

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Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Black Unicorn by Heather E.F. Carter!

Excerpt!

   Having reached the opposite wall, the dancers executed a quarter turn to face each other and proceeded through a short advance and then a lengthier, intricately choreographed retreat. Then they moved through another quarter turn to face the Presence, and my breath caught in my throat as I caught my first glimpse of his face.

   Damnation.

   He was not English, at least not entirely. His dark coloring did not harken back to the raiders from Normandy, but rather to blood whispering of heat-scorched mornings, afternoon siestas, and the lazy currents of warm bluish-green waters. His eyes, though I knew from long experience to be blue, appeared now as dark as his hair, and were fringed with sooty lashes so impossibly thick and long they cast permanent shadows beneath them, lending him a thoroughly debauched air.

   In fact, his beauty was staggering; the sort a Michelangelo or a Raphael might have found in some Mediterranean brothel; an incubus to be immortalized by lending a face to divinity.

   He advanced towards us, the light shimmering around him like the gentle waves of the flautist’s vibrato as he moved through the intricate series of steps.

   “Who is he?” Charlotte queried from my other side. “I do not think I have ever seen him before.”

   “That is Ashby Harcourt,” I said. “Earl of Ashenhurst up in Northumberland and whoring companion to my late husband.”

The Year is 1792. The French Revolution rages in Paris, the French monarchy abolished, and William Pitt is about to declare war on the Revolutionary government. But all London Society can talk about is the enigmatic highwayman known as the Black Unicorn.

Newly widowed Elina has no time for highwaymen or politics. Freed from her brutal seven-year-marriage, she is fiercely protective of two things: her new freedom, and her two sisters. But when Elina’s family is mistakenly stopped by the Black Unicorn on their way up to the North Yorkshire Moors, and her sister is savagely attacked by one of his men, revenge consumes Elina. For the sake of her sister, she will destroy the Black Unicorn.

And the shooting party at Scarcliffe Towers seems the perfect place to ensnare the mysterious figure.

Another guest at the party, Ashby Harcourt, is known to London Society as the beautiful Portuguese libertine. Elina knows him simply as the whoring companion of her late husband. But this dark Northumberland lord is a man with secrets: a secret love for Elina Brinkley, the daughter of the lofty Marquess of Hertford, and a secret life as the Black Unicorn. But as Elina unravels the mystery surrounding the man behind the mask, she discovers that the Black Unicorn is so much more than just a highwayman.

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Heather E. F. Carter writes historical fiction, historical romance, and erotic short stories. Though a lifetime Southern Californian, the settings of her novels are not foreign to her, having spent time each year in her parents’ hometown in Northern England. An accomplished academic, she combines her areas of expertise with her passion as she weaves historically authentic and timelessly relevant tales of love and intrigue. Having earned a B.A. in European history from UCLA, an M.A. in Medieval Women’s History from CSUF, and an M.A. in Early Modern History from UCLA, she left her studies midway through a doctorate in eighteenth-century English history when she discovered her passion and propensity for writing novels. While on a year’s leave of absence in her sixth year at UCLA, she put her doctoral research to good use writing THE BLACK UNICORN, a historical romance set in eighteenth-century North Yorkshire. Fascinated with Baroness Orczy” Scarlet Pimpernel stories, she was inspired to explore her first love, Sir Percy Blakeney, and wondered what he might have looked like if he were a little less heroic. That idea, combined with her love for vampire stories and the classic Gothic hero, led to the creation of Ashby Harcourt, also known as the highwayman behind the sobriquet The Back Unicorn. Her family’s history on the gothic North Yorkshire Moors, which grew in her annual visits with her beloved grandmother, was a natural choice for the setting. Heather’s passion for the research and writing of THE BLACK UNICORN comes alive on the pages through the vivid scenes and seductive dialogue. As you surely will, she fell in love with her story, so much so that she eventually chose to leave academia to pursue writing fiction full time. When she is not setting the pages on fire with her steamy romance, she is spending time at home in Sand Diego with her musician husband, Terry Carter, their adorable and precocious twins, and pet snake, Zanzibar. Music runs in the family, and Heather also plays the flute and supports her husband’s burgeoning ukulele empire. Currently she is researching Revolutionary Paris for the sequel to THE BLACK UNICORN.

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