Category Archives: book series
Check out this review!
from poems_by_jojo (a friend and sister writer)
“I usually post poems, but this is a fantastic read for Pride month (or any other month). One of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors.”
Serenity by the Sea: The Gull Island Series Book 2
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND JENNIFER VIDO!
The inspiration behind the Gull Island series came from a family vacation to Fripp Island, South Carolina. As a frequent visitor to coastal Carolina, I am fond of the Lowcountry, especially the people who call it home. Fripp Island is a small barrier island, rich with natural beauty and history—the perfect backdrop for my fictional town, Gull Island. My childhood experiences growing up on the Jersey Shore filled in any missing blanks about living near the sea.
The Gull Island series is a testament to the power of community and features three standalone novels: Serendipity by the Sea, Serenity by the Sea, and Simplicity by the Sea. These books are not just about the town, but also about the people who make it a community. Each novel introduces a strong, relatable woman at a crossroads in life, navigating the complexities of work and love, and searching for her own happily-ever-after.
I hope readers will gain an appreciation for small, coastal towns—tight-knit, Lowcountry resort areas like Gull Island—where kindness is the heartbeat of the community. When I visited Fripp Island, I was struck by the island’s warm hospitality and how locals seamlessly interacted with visitors, sharing the island’s history and natural beauty. Gull Island has a story, including historical landmarks and meeting places where the locals like to gather. Each of the three books introduces the reader to a different part of the island, providing a glimpse into Lowcountry living at its best.
Exciting news for fans of the Gull Island series! Serenity by the Sea: Book Two is set to be released on July 31st, continuing the journey in the delightful seaside community of Gull Island. As an author, I’m committed to connecting with my readers. Follow me on Goodreads and sign up for my newsletter to get exclusive behind-the-scenes details and insights into the inspiration behind these stories. I look forward to sharing more with you!
Tagline:
While reinventing herself, a celebrity designer tangles with a contractor determined to remove her from his renovation.
Blurb:
Celebrity designer Hailey Maybank escapes to Gull Island to reinvent herself after a high-profile divorce, lending her expertise on a renovation project. Working with the boss’s son comes with complications, but will she risk her professional reputation for a chance at love?
Will Purdey vies for a partnership in the family business by showcasing his design skills on the firm’s latest project. Partnering with a famous designer who has a tarnished reputation can ruin his plans, but will his growing attraction for the colorful artist allow him to complete the job?
Excerpt:
The phone pinged, interrupting her search. Rubbing her temples with her neatly manicured hands, she debated subjecting herself to another cringe-worthy social media post by some overly invested follower who insisted on commenting about her messy divorce. The public jumped into the ring, clinging to every dribble of drama when she signed the papers three months ago, making the split official. Separating her public persona from her personal life was nearly impossible, with the paparazzi following her every move, hungry for a sensational headline. Their telephoto lenses snapped away, searching for a money shot capturing her despair. A single tap on the screen could open the floodgates once again.
Being married to a celebrity chef had its perks–like a refrigerator perpetually stocked with decadent leftovers from his namesake restaurant–but getting divorced from Jason Leoni, Atlanta’s most sought-after culinary genius, royally sucked. His star-crazed followers granted the dark-haired Italian stallion a hall pass for his cheating ways, pinning the blame on Hailey for breaking the couple’s wedding vows. The ashes of a breakup, no matter the circumstances, burned, but this one continued to smolder. Try as she might, Hailey couldn’t figure out how to escape the heat. To the social media world, she was the villain who crushed their foodie fairytale.
Bio:
Jennifer Vido pens sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut book in the series won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. Baltimore Magazine also named her a finalist for Best Local Author. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband, Durbin, are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
Shark Shifters and Selkies
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND KATE HILL!!!
Whenever I’m planning a new book, research is always an adventure, even if it’s mainly done at home. I love to learn new things that help me create exciting fictional worlds.
My latest release, Shifters’ Sea, is a paranormal romance featuring shark shifters and selkies. Both mythical creatures have different backgrounds. In my story I’ve tried to blend what I’ve learned about their legends with the fantasy world in my story.
Shark shifters have roots in legends from Hawaii and Greece, among other places, while selkie myths are of Celtic origin. Unlike normal sharks who are often the object of fear, shark gods and goddesses of Hawaii were protectors. Shark shifter legends in Greek mythology were often more frightening. The gods and goddesses sometimes turned people into sharks as punishment, as was the fate of the once beautiful youth Akheilos.
Selkie myths told of charming creatures that easily shifted from seal to human and held great appeal. They sometimes mated with humans who fell in love with these lovely shifters.
In my short story Shifters’ Sea, a modern shark shifter and selkie meet during a storm at sea and for them a new adventure begins.
Excerpt from Shifters’ Sea:
The seal fights its way closer to the boat. I’m about to dive in after it when it reaches the edge. Grabbing a coil of rope, I toss it overboard. The seal shifts to a blond woman. She clings to my line.
Grunting, I haul her up, fighting wind and water, until she lands, naked and panting on my deck.
“Hey are you okay?” I kneel beside her. Still breathing hard, she lifts her gaze to mine and nods. I’m momentarily stunned. She has the most amazing green eyes I’ve ever seen, not to mention a gorgeous body. Muscles, generous curves, long legs. If we weren’t in the middle of a storm, I’d be slack-jawed, but right now my main concern is to keep us afloat. Not that I couldn’t survive in the open sea, even in a storm, but I’ve gotten attached to this boat and I’d rather not lose it.
“Come on. I have clothes you can put on.”
We stand and the ship lurches. I reach out to steady her, but her sea legs are just as good as mine. Not shocking, considering what she is.
I glance off to the side. Another giant wave rises and in it, I glimpse a big, dark silhouette with glowing amber eyes. It’s gone in seconds.
“What’s wrong?” asks my unexpected guest.
“I thought I saw something, that’s all.”
Shifters’ Sea
by Kate Hill
Series: Romantic Moments
Format(s): Ebook
Heat Level: Spicy
Pairing(s): M/F
Genre/Themes: Paranormal Romance, Shifters, Instalove
Length: Short Story
Purchase Link:
Blurb:
Kai – Once upon a time, my kind were protectors, but the modern world doesn’t believe in legends, so I cruise the oceans, happily single with no responsibility. During a storm at sea, I rescue an irresistible woman and get dragged into a battle with a crazy cousin who has developed a taste for selkies.
Ivy – When I left home to escape an arranged marriage to the leader of our selkie harem, I didn’t expect to be caught in a storm and hauled aboard an old tub by a gorgeous guy. Kai is everything I want, but when I return home to tie up loose ends, I find a killer hunting my people. We selkies learn fast that to kill a shark, it takes a shark.
Note: Shifters’ Sea is a short insta-love paranormal romance. This Romantic Moments story is the perfect length for a lunch break, before bed, or any time you want a quick, romantic read.
About Kate
Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies. When she’s not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history. She runs the Compelling Beasts Blog that is dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate also writes as Saloni Quinby.
Visit her online at https://www.kate-hill.com. Join her newsletter at https://kate-hill.com/index.php/newsletter.
Kate’s Links:
https://www.instagram.com/katehillromance/
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/katehillromancewritingandmore
Mystery on the Jersey shore
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND KAREN CINO!!!
Hi All! I am so thrilled to be here today. My writing career has been such a journey. Even as the market changes, my heart and soul remain in one place. The Beach. Through the years I have intertwined my love of the Jersey Shore into my books. I love the beach so much that nine years ago, I moved down to the shore. My new series Jersey Route 35 Cozy Mystery Series takes place at the Jersey Shore, Seaside Heights, Exit 82 to be exact. And before you ask, I have never watched the MTV show Jersey Shore, nor have I frequented any of the places they were at.
I got into writing cozy mysteries because of my sense of adventure. In my earlier years, I was an investigative reporter and loved sneaking around in search of answers. I guess it was the curiosity that always got the best of me. That’s why, in the first book in the series, Seaside Reboot brings the main character back to the place that she always loved. She finds herself on the boardwalk, dipping her feet at the water’s edge. The main characters will bring you down the boardwalk to visit so many of the attractions throughout the series. The series is available on all platforms.
Thank you for stopping by. Feel free to reach out to me.
BUY LINK
BLURB
Vicki Bandini never expected to be returning home to the family beach house on the New Jersey Shore, let alone inherit her daughter’s businesses. Sitting in her driveway is a 1962 Transporter that’s literally a beach store on wheels. The winter business consists of cleaning out estates. Days after her arrival, she goes on a last minute job her daughter had gotten. Before she starts cleaning, she finds a dead body up in the bedroom.
To her surprise, the detective who arrives was her high school sweetheart. Along the way, she meets a retired police photographer named Angie who winds up being her partner in crime as they both try to solve the murder.
To add to the confusion is an old family feud with her next door neighbor. Completing the chaos is when old sparks ignite with the handsome detective. Will Vicki be able to keep the past on the back burner, and her nose out of the investigation?
EXCERPT
Vicki Bandini stood on the back deck with the sleeves of her sweater pulled over her fingertips. For early May the temperature was well below average. The ocean’s waves were calm as the sunrise rippled across the water. This was her favorite time of the day.
Moving back to the Jersey Shore to her family’s summerhouse would be a big adjustment, especially being a widow. When she and Sean first got married, they’d enjoyed living at the beach. She was devastated when he got transferred to Queens. But now she had moved back into the family beach house where her daughter, husband, and granddaughter had lived.
When her son-in-law’s company announced its move to South Carolina, Vicki was distraught. Their weekly Sunday dinners at Vicki’s house were now a thing of the past, and spending time with her granddaughter would be via FaceTime.
As a teenager, Vicki sorted out her problems on this deck. After she buried Sean, she came to spend a few days with her daughter and spent most of her time sitting out here on the swing. His death had been unexpected and happened so fast. It was hard to wrap around her head that her husband passed away from colon cancer right before his forty-fourth birthday. She never expected to be back in her hometown as a widow, having to start over again. She hadn’t had time to digest that he had colon cancer that had spread throughout his body, before he was gone. Who would’ve thought that at forty-eight she would be a widow?
With her daughter and her family having moved, Vicki was left to run her daughter’s two businesses: Mia’s Residential Home Cleanout and Jersey Shore Beach Shop on Wheels. Vicki could picture herself driving the 1962 Volkswagen transporter, selling all kinds of beach accessories, but the cleanout business, she knew, would be backbreaking. She would finish out the customers already on the schedule and then decide if she wanted to continue during the off-season. It wasn’t as if she needed the money, Sean had made sure he’d provided for her after he’d passed.
Vickie opened the sliding glass door and went into the house. It was still early, she hoped there would be an influx of warm weather later in the day. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, bringing her back to the day she came home from her honeymoon. This house brought back so many memories of when she was growing up. Her parents had bought it and they’d used it as their summerhouse until deciding to make it their primary resident just before she started high school. Right before she had gotten married, her parents had moved down to Florida, and Sean and she moved into the summerhouse. Within the first year of their marriage, they’d put on an extension taking the bungalow from two bedrooms and one bath to three bedrooms with a family room.
The landline rang, bringing her out of her flashback, and she followed the ring until she located the phone on the mantel. “Hello.”
“Is this Mia’s Residential Home Cleanout service?”
“Yes. How may I help you?”
“Hi. It’s Neil Adams. Just verifying you’ll be at 43 Hummingbird Road tomorrow morning at ten.”
Vicki opened the appointment book and saw the entry. “Yes, I’ll be there.”
“As we previously discussed, I need you to pack up the remaining clothes and donate them to some charity. The house is being sold fully furnished. Anything you come across that’s personal, let me know.”
“Okay.”
“The realtor will leave the key under the planter on the porch. When you’re done and the realtor gives the thumbs up, I’ll pay you through PayPal.”
Vicki agreed, since she had no clue as to what Mia had worked out with him. It would have been nice if she had gone over the upcoming jobs. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow when the job is completed.” Before she could say anything else, he had already hung up. “Thanks Mia,” Vicki said. She took the appointment book into the kitchen and plopped into the chair.
She flipped through the rest of May and was relieved to see there weren’t many jobs booked. She needed to speak with Mia about this cleaning business. She hated cleaning her own house, let alone cleaning someone else’s. But Mia told her the money she made during the winter months was enough to carry her through the year. Since there was only a handful of jobs scheduled for the rest of the month, she would finish them out, and then reevaluate if she wanted to continue. In her next conversation with Mia, she would discuss the future of the company.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Website http://karencino.com
Blog http://karencinobooks.com
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008LCG31Y
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4444484.Karen_Cino
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/karencino
Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/Karen-Cino-296585170371401/
Sign up for Karen’s newsletter http://subscribepage.io/jGP7wi
Characters leave, authors live on
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND HELEN HENDERSON!!
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about what happens when an author types, “The End.” It could be the result of having yet another birthday, the great-niece’s comment, “Aunt H, you’re old,” or the previews of the NCIS memorial episode to Doctor Donald “Ducky” Mallard. My first introduction to David McCallum was not the mature medical examiner, but as the brooding, blond-haired Russian spy, Illya Kuryakin. Yes I know that dates my age.
There are several points in a manuscript’s life marked by an end. One is when the manuscript is finished. Others are when the author sends the novel off to an editor, and the big highpoint, when their work is released to the general public. Repeat with book 2, and 3, and then there is the final goodbye to the series and the characters you have lived with for months or years. So far I have lived through the grief of ending the Windmaster Novels and the Dragshi Chronicles. With Fire and Redemption scheduled for an April 2024 publication, I should be feeling the euphoria of a release. However, there is a sense of emptiness and maybe a hint of melancholy. I know that while Fire and Redemption finished the tale of Brial and Karst, it is not the end of a series. I have already started work on scribing one more of Deneas and Trelleir’s adventures. But I do know that when that story is captured, I will be saying farewell to the dragon and the slayer that captured his heart. If intrigued, the beginning the story that began the Tear Stone Collectors is talked about here. https://lyndialexander.wordpress.com/2022/05/09/having-a-slayer-as-a-friend-is-dangerous-when-youre-a-dragon/
Characters Leave, Authors Live On. The best thing we can do for our readers is to keep on writing, to create new worlds of imagination for the reader to explore and new characters to meet and have adventures.
Bio: Although the author of several local histories, and numerous articles on the topics of American and military history, antiques and collectibles, Henderson’s first love is fiction. Her work in the museum and history fields enables a special insight into creating fantasy worlds. The descendant of a coal-miner’s daughter and an aviation flight engineer, her writing reflects the contrasts of her heritage as well as that of her Gemini sign. Her stories cross genres from historical westerns to science fiction and fantasy. In the world of fantasy and fantasy romance, she is the author of the Dragshi Chronicles, The Windmaster Novels and the Tear Stone Collectors. Her stand-alone works include the dark fantasy, Imprisoned in Stone and the military tribute, Hearth and Sand.
In her books, she invites readers to join her on travels through the stars or among fantasy worlds of the imagination.
Where to find the author:
Blog/Website: https://helenhenderson-author.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenHenderson.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/history2write
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/777491.Helen_Henderson
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Helen-Henderson/author/B001HPM2XK
Title of book: Fire and Redemption
Genre of book: Dragon Magic Fantasy
Expelled from the dragon isle, Medraut is forced to shed his wings and take on human form to live amongst the people of the mainland. To have the future she desires, Brial must survive the fever, raiders, and most of all, Medraut’s dragon ability to control minds. Karst, son of the head slayer, disowned and sent on an impossible quest to kill a dragon, made himself a home in the trading wagons of Clan Vreis. His newfound happiness and hope for a future with Brial is threatened when the caravan stops to help an injured man lying in the middle of the trail.
Three men and a dragon desire the same woman. One wants her for power, one for her beauty, and one for love. The dragon just wants her.
Excerpt:
Terse commands sent the helwr to bring back Brial’s grandfather. Hopefully, Feldt can convince Brial what is best for her.
Hoofbeats announced the caravan leader’s arrival. “Tywyll said you wanted me?” Before Karst could answer the older man scanned the drivers of the following wagons. A worried expression on his face, he raised his eyebrows in question. “Brial?”
Karst forced out the words through his tight throat. “She has the fever.”
“Are you sure?”
Different responses raced through Karst’s mind. He didn’t want to raise a false alarm but needed Feldt’s help. “I have not kissed her forehead like the gray-haired ones do to test the heat, but Brial has stumbled several times. She is shuffling and leans on the hauler beasts to stay upright.” He paused to control his growing terror. “Tywyll and I are afraid she will fall under the hauler’s hooves or be run over by the wagons.”
Feldt stayed silent so long Karst thought he had overplayed his hand. “The evening air has a chill to it. My granddaughter does seem more flushed than called for. You were right to call me, Karst. She will not leave her post unless I order her to. Wait here. I will talk to her.” A kick sent his mount galloping past one slow-moving wagon after another to wheel beside Brial. The horse walked slowly, keeping pace with the wagon. The words Feldt spoke were unintelligible, but the shake of Brial’s head told of her rejection of whatever her grandfather had said.
The argument carried on for several minutes before Feldt stepped down from the saddle. No sooner had his feet touched the ground than Brial stumbled, falling to her knees. Dragged along, the force of the movement tore her hands from the harness.
“No!” Throat muscles spasmed with the force of the scream. Even though Karst knew he could not reach her in time, he had to try to save her. His body refused demands to race to Brial. He couldn’t move. “Nooo.” This time the sound came out as a moan.
Buy Links:
Amazon – https://www.amzn.com/B0CY7ZDFBJ
Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1537238
More Sales Sites: https://books2read.com/fire-and-redemption
A glimpse into the future?
College, careers, and adventure travel took my husband and I on an amazing journey across the U.S. and around the world, but we’ve finally come home. Some of the places we enjoyed visiting growing up have become overrun with people, but there is still plenty of remote, rugged and beautiful places to explore, including the area where I based the fictional community of Beartooth on. There are Beartooth Mountains, the Beartooth Highway, and Beartooth Pass, but there is no community except on the pages of my novels in The Beartooth Chronicles.
Currently, the Beartooth Highway is closed from about October to Memorial Day each year due to extreme amounts of snow. But what if all of the glaciers melted? What if the climate changed enough to allow year-round gardening at 9,000 feet above sea level? And what if society disintegrated to the point that life in the rest of the country became too dangerous? Being cut off from the world wouldn’t be easy, but would the sacrifices be worth having a refuge from the world?
Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1)
Ashley McPhee arrived in Beartooth with her mom, Sara, when she was three years old. Ever since Ash can remember, life has been simple and peaceful. She enjoyed a carefree childhood, tending honey bees with her mom, and spending time with her best friend, Caleb Solomon. But, life in their idyllic mountaintop community is changing.
After learning of the government’s plan to use a geoengineering process to cool the planet, Ash and Caleb realize they need to step up and take an active role in the community. Along with fear for how the process might impact their food supply, Ash learns her mom’s health is failing.
Sara doesn’t want Ash to face an uncertain future alone and nudges her and Caleb into marriage. Even though they have known each other most of their lives, Ash and Caleb’s relationship has changed drastically in a short period of time. They embrace the challenges of learning about each other, dealing with tragedy and grief, protecting their community from deadly predators and ruthless neighbors, and experiencing epic adventures, while trying to find solutions to a rapidly changing environment and deteriorating world.
Excerpt:
Caleb stood up a walked several paces away from Ash. He turned and looked down into her eyes. “When we all got up to leave, he shoulder-bumped me, trying to push me off the trailer—bad idea, I’m bigger and stronger. I shoved him off and jumped down, ready to teach him some manners. He said I wasn’t good enough for you, and I’d probably get you killed in the wild. I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him to his feet, and then Neal stepped in.”
“What did Neal say?”
“He told Tyler that in a fight he’d put his money on me, so he didn’t think it was wise to provoke me. He then proceeded to remind me that unless I thought I was capable of keeping the electrical and water systems running, breaking any of Tyler’s bones was a bad idea.”
“I have to agree with Neal. I have no doubt you could seriously hurt Tyler, but you can’t let him goad you into anything,” Ash said as she stood and walked toward him.
Caleb pulled her to him and held her tight. “I know I’m not good enough for you, and if something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself. I couldn’t go on. Maybe you shouldn’t go with me into the wild.”
Ash looked up and ran her hand down his cheek. “Tyler said something similar to me when you saw us talking during the break in the meeting. I’ll tell you what I told him. I would rather die with you in the wild than live without you. I’m going with you.”
The Beartooth Chronicles series. In a world plagued by natural and human disasters, a small group of individuals secure a struggling mountaintop resort to establish a sustainable community away from a country riddled with violence and hate. The home they’ve created has provided a safe and comfortable existence, but as environmental disasters continue to multiply, bringing out the worst of humanity, the residents of Beartooth find themselves faced with a series of challenges that will test their ability to survive. Book 2 in The Beartooth Chronicles, Above the Abyss, is coming summer 2024.
Author Bio
Kim McMahill started out writing nonfiction, but her passion for adventure, stories of survival against the odds, and speculating about the future of humanity and our planet, soon turned her attention towards fiction. She has published multiple novels, over eighty travel and human-interest articles, and contributed to a travel story anthology. Growing up in a beautiful mountain west community, traveling the world, and enjoying a twenty-year career with the National Park Service, has given her the opportunity to live in amazing places, experience incredible adventures, and witness many changes in our world, all of which have helped shape her stories.
Social Media Links
Blog: https://www.kimmcmahill.blogspot.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KimMcMahillAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimmcmahill/
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kimmcmahill
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kim-McMahill/e/B007IK0EJW/
Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/849945.Kim_McMahill
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kim-mcmahill
Buy Links- Official release is March 19, 2024, but you can pre-order ebooks now. And print books will ship immediately.
Amazon ebook-https://amzn.to/3wwE9ZV
Amazon Print-https://amzn.to/49CiTki
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/refuge-from-the-world-kim-mcmahill/1145008600?ean=2940186040781
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/refuge-from-the-world
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1531094
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kim_McMahill_Refuge_from_the_World?id=UeT4EAAAQBAJ
Belle Isle: a park in the heart of the city
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND, CHRISTINA LYNN LAMBERT!!
I was born and raised in Virginia and currently live about two hours from the ocean and three hours from the mountains. During the winter, though, I’m not likely to leave my warm house unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’m not a big fan of winter so I am counting the days until the temperatures rise and the flowers and trees start to look alive again. One of my favorite local spots to go once the weathers begins to warm up is Belle Isle, in the heart of the city of Richmond.
The traffic and bright, hectic energy of the city surrounds the island but once I park my car and walk across the street, it’s like entering another world. A suspended foot bridge provides a path over the depths of the James River. At the end of the bridge, defunct train tracks and rusty transmission towers nearly obscure the mouth of the forest. A dirt trail leads hikers to the shore of the river. The huge, flat rocks rising up from the water create the perfect place to sit and read a book or have picnic.
Belle Isle has been occupied by many things over last few centuries including a fishery, a nail factory, a small town, and an iron works facility. The island was also a prison during the civil war. In 1973, Belle Isle became a park. Wildlife and nature thrived where destruction of the land and suffering had once occurred. From the flat rocks above the water, I can see the old Tredegar Ironworks, historic Hollywood Cemetery, kayakers working their way through the rapids, and in the distance, there is the city. On the island though, there is a pause, a temporary peace.
Belle Isle has been a source of inspiration for my writing over the years. Being outside helps me feel connected to the most essential things, the things that really matter. The island is nature rising once again, but nature didn’t obliterate all signs of the past. The island entwined itself into the old structures. A reminder. The view of the city remains just as the truth and the past remain. In the heart of Richmond City, the island is a place of hope and harmony.
Blurb:
Kylie was the victim of a brutal experiment that gave her telekinetic abilities. Coyote shifter Trevor doesn’t trust the psy but when his feelings for Kylie grow out of control, will he risk everything to be with her? When a deranged doctor has disturbing plans for shifters and psy, can Trevor and Kylie stop him, or will they be silenced forever?
Excerpt:
Blackwell didn’t introduce Trevor to the mystery woman, though, and that sent his curiosity into caution mode. The purple-haired beauty gave him a wary look before glancing back down at the computer tablet in her hand. Right. Business. Trevor had obviously interrupted a meeting. He’d stopped by Matt Blackwell’s hotel room to drop off a folder full of intel and surveillance photos. He needed to find an excuse to stay and talk to the woman with lovely dark brown eyes.
“Thanks for taking care of the research,” Blackwell gave him a nod. “Set the info on my desk and I’ll take a look before the meeting tonight.”
Trevor walked past the mystery woman and set the folder full of information on the small desk beside the coffee table. He stole another, longer glance at the woman. Her nails were painted indigo blue. His favorite color. The tattoos winding around her arms seemed to be in motion, encircling her in their safety. Weird trick of the light. Had to be. He rubbed his eyes. Blinked. The tattoos went still. The woman smelled amazing, like wildflowers after the rain, but she didn’t smell like a shifter. Didn’t mean she wasn’t one.
Scent blockers made it easy for shifters to mask their unique scent, to a degree. The blockers also did a fairly good job at hiding other smells shifters could detect, like fear, desire, and rage. Even so, Trevor could almost always detect hints of the slightly rancid, faint garbage aroma of the blockers, no matter what brand or what home recipe a person used. Coyote shifters could pick up on smells most other shifters couldn’t.
What is the woman with the willowy tattoos? Was she a threat to Blackwell? Maybe a rabbit shifter? Rabbit shifters were the only animal shifters who carried no animal scent, but their eyes…. Not a specific color, just a look. Plus, they usually liked to flash their double rows of horrifying sharp teeth upon meeting other shifters. Just for a flex. The rabbits could be mean when bothered unnecessarily, but mostly, they were pretty decent. The woman caught him looking again and gave him a little half smile. Her pretty eyes with long, thick lashes were definitely not the strange eyes of a rabbit shifter.
“I’ll see you later, Trevor.” Blackwell gave him a pointed stare.
“You’re alright here?”
“I’m fine. I have Nathan,” Blackwell gestured to his giant assistant and body guard who was seated in a chair in the kitchenette, reading a book.
No code phrases were used, and Trevor didn’t detect any signs of distress from the mountain lion shifter or his bear shifter assistant. Trevor nodded. Apparently, Blackwell had no intention of introducing him to the woman sitting with him. Nathan, grinned at Trevor, like he knew something. Fine, Nathan could keep his secret. But Trevor would get information, one way or another.
Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZT58GXZ
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Author Bio:
Before I had the wild idea to write a book, I worked in a few different fields. I was in sales for a while, and after I finished college, I worked as a case manager. When my children were little, I was a personal trainer and running coach. During the evenings, when I was supposed to be studying for another fitness training certification, I started writing a story. Finally, I gave in and acknowledged that writing is what I’m meant to do. I love creating imperfect but determined characters who find the courage to love and the strength to survive in a world where there are no guarantees. My stories include a fair amount of sarcasm, suspense, steam, and violence. When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time outside and finding ways to avoid cooking. I live in beautiful Virginia with my husband, two teenagers, a sweet, hairy monster of a dog, and two devious cats.
Author Social Media Links:
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Broken men, healing hearts
A restaurant manager starting over.
A merman learning himself for the first time.
Will their plunge into the unknown lead to a life shared together?
Unbreak My Heart
Men of Neptune Book 4
by Deja Black
Genre: LGBTQ Paranormal Romance
A restaurant manager starting over. A merman learning himself for the first time. Will their plunge into the unknown lead to a life shared together?
Restaurant Manager Tony Aikawa moved to Charleston, South Carolina, looking for a fresh start for his family. Life after his wife left him with their four children has made him feel bereft. He’s doing the best he can, but it’s hard doing it alone.
Law student Adamaris Hali thought he was human. Or that’s what his father led him to believe. Now his father, a former Guardian of Neptune, has left his family behind to join his mate in the city of Atlantis. Adamaris has learned his mother didn’t just die but was viciously murdered, and he is not human but a merman as well. Now, he has to learn how to embrace the being within.
These two broken men are starting something new. Will it lead to a forever together?
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Song of the Siren
Men of Neptune Book 1
Graham is a broken soldier in body and soul. With no place to go, he moves to the coast to live with the only relative who loves him. Lost and without hope, Graham is not sure how he can get his life back. That is until he hears the song of the most gorgeous man he has ever seen.
Kamau is a siren who lives part of his life with his siren mother the other part with his human father. Dutiful son to mother and father but never true to himself. That is until Graham walks into the church and Kamau realizes he has found his mate.
Jonah Anderson is the pastor who relies on his son’s gift to grow his church. All is going well for him and the church. That is until he sees the way Kamau looks at Graham.
At a time when Christmas presents are given for the holiday, will Graham and Kamau receive the gift they’ve dreamed of for a lifetime? Each other.
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**Don’t miss the rest of the series! **
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DEJA BLACK had fantasies of men loving men, men who felt strongly, loved hard, and needed a hero. Then one great day she came across a book and discovered the world of m/m writing, encountered others who shared her obsession as much as she did, and found a world where she could not only be accepted for the lives and loves she envisioned, but she could create them too. So why not? Why not take the stories she would write and throw away as a teenager, grow them, dream them, and make them a reality where she could know her own characters, let them live their story, and make them real for someone else? And she did. Now, with the support of her hubby and some intense time management, she is learning to balance her family of two children at home and the many others she teaches each and every day with her passion of writing what she loves to read.
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Read about a deadly ice planet this winter! Don’t miss the giveaway!
WELCOME author STEVEN BISSETT with his Earthborn Saga series!
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
Sure thing, I’ll summarize them with a major attribute, and then go into a little more detail to explain.
Rex: Loyalty.
Somewhat counterintuitive for someone who was exiled to a prison world as a child for someone else’s crime and grew up around underworld types, Rex is unshakeable in his loyalty to his friends.
Much of this can be seen to stem from the fact that on Delta-13, the only things of real value are your word and your friends. Anything else can be taken away by the authorities, and being friendless or unreliable is often to be dead.
For Rex, this taps into his naturally honest and fair personality and causes him to unblinkingly confront assassins and celestial beings for his friends.
Wellesley: Responsibility.
Built for management, responsibility comes naturally to Wellesley and he always looks for the best practical outcome for his friends and allies.
Conscious of his wartime experience, Wellesley puts meticulous thought into his advice and knows vividly that many people’s lives hang on his assessments.
Lily: Discovery.
An intensely curious woman by nature, Lily has devoted her life to uncovering the mysteries of the mind and understanding what makes people do the things they do.
Extreme cases, unknown mental disorders, mysterious psychological afflictions, all are fascinating to Lily and she jumps at the chance to help those that are suffering from them.
But what no one else knows is that her pursuits are fueled by a condition that she’s managed to keep secret for most of her life.
Gromyko: Enthusiasm.
Growing up on Delta-13 presented Gromyko with two options: Be crushed by the bleakness of life until he dies forgotten, or be a Superman to inspire hope.
Being the great man that he is, he chose to be a Superman, and he lives life just as close to the edge as he can while trying to free the people of Delta-13 from their unjust imprisonment.
Many see his actions as self-aggrandizing self-promotion, but in truth, they are actually motivated by a deep attachment to the people of Delta-13 and an unrestrained love of life.
Ugo: Idealism.
A true intellectual and idealogue, Ugo believes that the only path for humanity is through pure freedom of the mind.
Naturally an explorer, the Empire’s heavy-handed control tactics offended him personally and drove him to radical freedom movements promising to release humanity from the chains it’s been bound by. Even if the cost is a bloody galactic civil war that would leave many human worlds open to attack from aliens.
In other areas of life, he’s a very balanced and reasonable man that tries to find the best outcome for everyone. But in the name of his idea of “freedom”, there’s no one that he won’t sacrifice.
What is your favorite part of A Son of the Shadows and why?
My favorite part has to be when Rex and Gromyko go out to contact the Order operative and run into the authorities. I won’t spoil it for those that haven’t read it, but Rex and Gromyko act very naturally and smoothly in concert, and the scene is so dynamic that it’s one of my overall favorite scenes in the whole series.
How did you come up with the name “A Son of the Shadows”?
I came up with it while brainstorming titles with my brother. We were trying out different possible titles, and shuffling a list of words to draw inspiration from when my mind caught on “Shadows”.
I really liked the mystique of it, and since darkness plays such a role in the book, it seemed like a really great starting place. So we started working on what could go with “Shadows” to fill out the title, and give a weighty feeling for the book.
We settled on “A Son of the Shadows” since it has a double meaning for the protagonist Rex.
Firstly, he’s an orphan and was raised “in the shadows” on Delta-13, so it’s a pretty direct connection.
But the second is because of the dark “shadow” power that guides his destiny and shapes who he is. Metaphorically, he is a “son” to the power since he wouldn’t exist without it, and it’s the whole reason why he’s a significant person.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
Yes, I’ve got a couple that haven’t been published. For the most part, they’re Western short stories that I wrote before starting in on the Earthborn Saga, but there are a few fantasy books as well.
Westerns hold a special place for me, so someday I’d like to write up a few more stories and release a new collection of short stories.
Night is falling.
Embrace the darkness.
A Son of the Shadows
The Earthborn Saga Vol 1
by Steven Bissett
Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy
Night is falling. Embrace the darkness.
On the ice-clad prison world of Delta-13, where minds teeter on the edge of madness, mankind’s future dangles by a thread.
Living under the shadow of an imperial conspiracy, Rex Hunt discovers a psychic gift that will upset the balance of power in the entire galaxy.
As Rex grapples with his newfound power, prison psychiatrist, Dr. Lily Tselitel, delves into the chilling surge of madness among the inmates, pulling her closer to a secret as old as the galaxy itself.
Their paths converge as they uncover an imperial plot to build a weapon that threatens to suffocate the flickering spirit of rebellion in the galaxy’s fringe colonies.
Unbeknownst to the rebels, as they fight against the empire’s sinister plan, an ancient shadow looms over the galaxy, threatening to consume humanity’s vast colonies, and even Earth itself!
Discover the first book in an epic space opera where hope survives in secret taverns, and the line between life and death is blurred in the snowy expanse of Delta-13.
You’re just one click away from learning mankind’s fate.
The Beast Emerges
The Earthborn Saga Vol II
Ancient secrets. New battles.
An unyielding, insidious peril, the Devourers unleash chaos in the galaxy.
First in their malevolent sights: the ice planet Delta-13, next the enigmatic jungles of Preleteth. Rex Hunt, driven by destiny and cryptic legends, forges alliances in the galaxy’s darkest corners.
From pirate-infested asteroids to secret Imperial bases, danger lurks at every corner. When ancient prophecies from the sentient world of Preleteth point to a shadowy salvation, Rex’s fate becomes irrevocably intertwined with a journey that spans galaxies.
Every alliance forged, every secret unveiled, and every battle waged will shape the future in this grand space opera of courage, sacrifice, and cosmic revelation.
Dive deep with Rex and his crew as they embark on a perilous journey. If you think you’ve outsmarted the might of the Empire or the ruthlessness of the Devourers… prepare for your reckoning.
Jump into book two of The Earthborn Saga today!
The Crucible of Titans
The Earthborn Saga Vol III
Dreadnoughts. Devourers. Deception. In a star field of lies, can anyone be trusted?
Trapped aboard the Empire’s ultimate weapon, Sentinel, Rex becomes the crucial factor in the cosmic war against the Devourers.
But there’s a mysterious web of deceit beyond the battlefield. Driven by an intense hatred of mankind, an ancient being emerges as the parasite’s true puppet master.
Between the Empire, the Devourers, emboldened pirates, and a plethora of colonial revolutionaries, are there simply too many enemies to overcome?
The mysterious Krancis, architect of the Empire’s desperate gambit to survive, sends Sentinel on a collision course with the single greatest foe ever to threaten mankind. The battle to come is beyond colossal: it’s a celestial clash of titans that could cost Rex everything he has left.
Dive into this enthralling mosaic of military tactics, clandestine politics, and cosmic spirituality. Feel the universe quake under the weight of monumental choices. Here, heroes are born, villains rise, and entire galaxies crumble.
Ready for the next level of space opera?
The Tides of Retribution
The Earthborn Saga Vol IV
Will the Empire crumble under the weight of betrayal and invasion?
As the galaxy is besieged by the merciless Devourers and treacherous Fringers, one ship and one man stand as humanity’s final hope.
Can the enigmatic Rex, a master of shadowy psychic powers, and the massive warship, Sentinel, keep the relentless enemy at bay?
Rumors of alien infiltration and psychic omens shake the Empire to its core. Can Rex and Sentinel hold the line long enough for Krancis’ new experimental weapon to be deployed against their enemy?
As the hive-minded Devourers grow bolder and more ruthless by the day, the Empire finds itself fighting battles on multiple fronts. Eliminating high-level operatives providing intelligence to the parasite becomes as crucial as protecting the Empire’s teeming population centers.
Venture into this colossal clash, where an alien hive mind, the Imperium’s internal enemies, and the ticking clock that marks humanity’s doom converge. Witness as Krancis’ innovations offer a glimmer of hope, Rex pushes his psychic gifts to the limit, and the Devourers edge closer to ultimate victory over humanity.
Ready to discover what surprises await humanity?
Immerse yourself into the intrigue of book four of the Earthborn Saga today!
The Crusade of Vengeance
The Earthborn Saga Vol V
The tides are turning, but is it enough to save humanity?
When the Empire’s last gamble pays off, the Devourer’s end finally seems inevitable.
Armed with Adler fighters and Sentinel’s devastating cannon, the Devourer’s reign of terror might be on the brink of ending.
But the colossal enemy has one last trick up its sleeve and is spreading a devilish evil across the Empire in a desperate bid at victory. Armed with city-sized masses of stinking Devourer flesh, these psychic nightmares that consume life are being warped in from deep space to wreak havoc on the Empire’s core worlds.
And even as Rex powers Sentinel’s cannon to obliterate the Devourer’s latest monstrosities, a darker evil waits in the wings, a force that dwarfs all other threats.
Advanced weaponry meets arcane entities and the very fabric of the universe hangs by a thread.
Prepare to confront the real enemy in book five of the Earthborn Saga today!
Steven Bissett has been writing stories for over fourteen years. An eclectic author, he excels at seamlessly blending genres together to produce unique stories. With compelling characters, dynamic plots, and a crisp, candid style that holds nothing back, Bissett continues to delight readers of every age.
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
What makes a great adventure?
Sometimes a great adventure happens without traveling out of your city or town. It doesn’t require a long trip, a boat, a plane, or a significant amount of money, but it’s an adventure that changes your entire life. The adventure begins when you decide to leave behind old ways of thinking, guilt, or inhibitions that tell you that you’ll never be anything but what you are at the moment or that you don’t deserve to be happy.
A great adventure starts when you realize that you have other options and that it’s not too late to change your job, walk away from a bad relationship, or expand your knowledge and skill set. Other people might not want you to go off on that adventure, but it doesn’t hurt to look at them and their motives so that you can do what’s best for you.
It’s this kind of adventure that changes the life of the heroine in Shauna’s Silver Swordsmith. Shauna has a rough life. She’s dealt with loss, hunger, and worry over where she’ll live. She’s tied up with people who have no interest in her welfare, people who want to keep using her for their benefit. Then she meets two men who offer a helping hand. They know she has not only the potential but the right to be more than she is. It takes her time to accept the opportunity to leave her old life behind. She can’t believe that that past won’t follow her or that she can trust anyone, but it’s a decision that can’t be made for her. She has to make the choice.
At the start of her story, Shauna doesn’t leave her city, but she has a giant adventure, changing from a victim to a warrior who learns to believe in herself.
Shauna’s Silver Swordsmith (Silver Hearts 3)
by Kate Hill
Steamy Paranormal Romance
Blurb:
Daniel – Reared by the master swordsmith who taught me his craft, I’ve dedicated my life to forging steel. I never thought about the occult, until a foreign man with unimaginable power stops at my home and forge. He takes me to Japan where I study under an ancient swordsmith. Nothing and no one, especially a woman, can tear me away from my craft, or so I think. While visiting New York City in 1927, I meet Shauna, and everything changes.
Shauna – Working the streets with only my abusive pimp Jack to look out for me is no way to live, but I don’t have much choice. When a rich weirdo takes me to a ritzy hotel and offers me a way out, I’m not sure what to do. Then he shows up at Jack’s juice joint with tall, gorgeous Daniel whose mixed messages make my head spin. Can a vampire swordsmith fall in love with a former pro skirt, or is all his heat only in the forge?
Note: Shauna’s Silver Swordsmith is a short vampire romance with a stubborn hero, a resilient heroine, historical settings, some spice, violence, and a HEA.
Excerpt from Shauna’s Silver Swordsmith:
I close the bathroom door, relieve myself, and wash up in the sink. When I return to the living room, Lucas is seated in a chair by the fireplace. By now the logs have been reduced to tiny pieces of burnt, smoldering wood. How long have I been here? I haven’t checked in with Jack all night. He’ll probably kill me.
“Mr. Kishida, I have to go. That wine must have hit me in the head, but I don’t remember much of anything after you—To be honest, I don’t know what you did. Oh, and that whole taking my blood thing, it’s a great act. You really had me going. If you give me my dough, I’ll scram.”
“Your money. Of course.” He stands and tugs a wallet from his jacket pocket. He removes several bills and places them on the coffee table.
I snatch the money and count it. “Wow! 50 clams! You must have had a helluva time tonight, and I don’t even feel worse for wear.”
He studies me with a hint of pity in his strange gray eyes. The rest of his face remains calm, like a wax statue again. Just like when I’d seen him on the street corner.
“I really have to go, but if I can ever do anything for you again—”
“I know where to find you. Shauna, you should consider applying for a job here.”
I smile. “They won’t hire me.”
“I have pull with management.”
“I bet you do.” Hell, I’m tempted to listen to him, but if I don’t get hired and Jack finds out—
Who am I kidding? Even if I do get hired, Jack will never let me keep the job and all my teeth.
“Why the hesitation?” he presses. “Room and board comes with the job. It will get you off the street.”
“Room and board,” I whisper, shuffling the bills like they’re cards. I lift my gaze to his. “I’ll think about it. Now I’ve really gotta go. It’s probably too late to get a cab, and besides, I shouldn’t spend the dough.”
“Why not? It’s yours.”
I laugh. “You slay me. It doesn’t work that way. It’s been an interesting night, Mr. Kishida.”
Purchase Link:
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CKX1C8WC
Author Bio:
Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies. When she’s not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history. She runs the Compelling Beasts Blog that is dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate also writes as Saloni Quinby.
Visit her online at https://www.kate-hill.com. Join her newsletter at https://kate-hill.com/index.php/newsletter.
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Lyndi Alexander's worlds of fancy 