Friday, January 29, 2021

*Book Tour & Giveaway* Dragon Blood by Mary Beesley-GUEST POST

 


Dragon Blood
Draco Sang Trilogy Book 1
by Mary Beesley
Genre: YA Fantasy


Cal, a hungry sixteen-year-old sick of mining the sand, wants to fit in and make his ma proud, but instead, his violent tendencies bring shame. And the truth. He’s the son of a Draco Sang. Carriers of the Dragon’s blood, the Draco Sang transform into half human half beast as they mature into adults. And if Cal can't control the dark impulses of his dragon blood, he'll grow into a man-beast—and he'll be hunted.

Ferth, son of a Draco Sang chief and last of his class to grow claws, needs to prove his worth to his father, or he'll be sent to the slave house. Hiding his human heart, he joins the army headed south to conquer the fertile human lands.

Neither brother feels they belong. Cal is human, fighting against becoming a beastly Draco Sang, while Ferth is struggling to push back his humanity and transform into a worthy Draco warrior.

Before ever meeting in open battle, Ferth is sent to kill Cal. But when he learns they are brothers, he must decide which loyalty is stronger, blood or country. And whether to finally give in to his humanity.




Mary Beesley believes humans are born to create, and promotes creativity in all its beautiful forms. She's learning calligraphy and watercolor. She loves exploring our magnificent planet and finding all the best places to eat around the world. But nothing beats coming home and sharing a pot of slow-simmered minestrone and homemade sourdough with friends and family. If she's not in her writing chair, you'll probably find her hiking in the Utah mountains with her husband and four children.


GUEST POST

What inspired you to write this book?

Probably better not to dive to deep into the weird folds of my brain for where these ideas come from.



What can we expect from you in the future?

LOTS OF BOOKS! I have 8 completed manuscripts and 3 work in progress manuscripts on my hard drive. They range from YA fantasy to women’s fiction.

Dragon Blood is book 1 in a YA fantasy trilogy. Book 2, Wolf Pack is scheduled to come out November 2021. TO UNITE A REALM, is an adult fantasy that is completely unrelated to Dragon Blood. I also have an adult romantic comedy, BETTING ON LOVE, that’s set to come out in 2021. It might be unconventional to write in so many different genres, but I love them all and I want to write what I love.


Can you tell us a little bit about Dragon Blood?


DRAGON BLOOD is a YA fantasy about twin brothers separated at birth and raised as enemies. They both carry the Dragon's blood, but one is struggling to conquer it and remain human while the other desperately wants to submit and rise in the ranks of the Draco Sang.



How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

For Dragon Blood, there was very little outside research before the writing started because I didn’t know what I didn’t know yet. I spent most of the prewriting time inside my brain instead of on google. I had an entire spiralbound filled with notes on plot, scene, character, world etc, that I’d dreamed up. It was later during drafting that I’d have to look up things like animal traits or fighting techniques.


Where did you come up with the names in the story?

By drawing my own blood and splattering it on the wall and seeing what names appear.


Who designed your book covers?

Cammie Larsen with Monster Ivy Publishing. She’s great!


Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.

This is so hard from me, so I’m pulling this review from goodreads and I hope it’s convincing you to want to read my book:

Dragon Blood is Beesley's debut novel. It's a YA fantasy following two brothers on opposite sides of a war. One embraces his kind and the other tries to hid what's in his blood. Both are faced with huge decisions.
This is the best thing I've read over the last couple months. Beesley has a rich writing style that really pulled her world and her characters together. She presented us with overwhelming joy and immense pain. I'm not ashamed to say I did shed a tear or two during a certain part of this book. The bonds between her characters were so good and they felt so alive. I would recommend every fantasy loving reader check out this book. It's sitting on my favourite shelf with Eragon, The Stormlight Archives, and other huge fantasy books because this little book deserves it. I am anxiously waiting for book two because the ending was just... what the heck? She knows how to write a book and make you beg for more.”



Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$25 Amazon giftcard – 2 winners!
 

*Book Tour & Giveaway* Stealing Jia by Gail Koger

 



Stealing Jia
Coletti Warlord Series Book 13
by Gail Koger
Genre: SciFi Romance, Humor


Jia grew up in an orphanage that turned children into master thieves and gave the school of hard knocks a run for its money. Jia’s psychic talents have kept her alive, but not out of trouble. While searching for her adopted brother, Jia finds herself on a galactic adventure with a horde of extra-terrestrial kids she’s determined to protect. Adding to the chaos is an Askole Battle Commander who claims she is his mate. How is that even possible? They’ve never met.

Trayon, the Battle Commander, is a deadly Askole. Huge. Battle hardened muscles. A regular warrior’s nightmare with black, armor-plated skin and tentacles. Who knew the scary guy was such an excellent kisser and had the heart of a romantic? All Jia ever wanted was a family of her own. Maybe an alien family wouldn’t be so bad.

To win Jia, Trayon must prove he loves her and she’s not some female the Coletti Overlord just sold him. But first, he has to keep the trouble magnet alive long enough to convince her.





How do I come up with my stories? Being psychotic helps. I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for way too long. All those years of wild requests, screwy questions, bizarre behavior and outrageous demands have left me with a permanent twitch and an uncontrollable craving for chocolate. Don’t get me wrong. Working as a 9-1-1 dispatcher can be very rewarding. BUT - some days I felt like the entire world was nuts. I mean, c’mon, who in their right mind calls 9-1-1 for the winning lottery numbers? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone, I took up writing.
I made the Night Owl's Awesome Paranormal Romance Authors List.




Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$25 Amazon gift card, 
a fired glass pendant, 
a copy of Arresting the Warlord 
 - 1 winner each! 

*Book Tour & Giveaway* Indigo by Paula Berinstein-GUEST POST

 


Indigo
by Paula Berinstein
Genre: Time Travel Romance, Adventure



What would you do if you suddenly found yourself mistress of an 18th-century plantation?

Esther Rubens is looking forward to getting to know her new community in South Carolina and repairing her troubled marriage. But as soon as she arrives in Charleston her life begins to diverge from the idyllic picture in her mind. Her physicist husband, Melvin, is arrested for driving while black, she inherits a strange English property from a cousin she didn't know existed, and she learns that her great-grandmother Sophie, a brilliant scientist kidnapped by the Nazis, discovered the secret of time travel of all things.

Intrigued by Sophie's cryptic journal Melvin begins to experiment with time travel, but his anger at the police makes him careless. The process backfires, killing him and throwing Esther back to 1750. Attacked by an unknown assailant the moment she arrives, she seeks protection at an indigo plantation belonging to a dashing planter with a dangerous secret, negotiating a deal that guarantees her safety. But she soon realizes she's made a terrible mistake. What she discovers on the plantation is far more horrific than anything she could have imagined.

Overwhelmed, she attempts to flee just as the planter's mysterious, handsome brother arrives from England seeking refuge-and offering an opportunity that's too compelling to turn down. But can he be trusted? And are the two of them strong enough to vanquish the evil that's pervading the lowlands? Only time will tell.

The first title in the Indigo series.





Paula Berinstein (Paula B) is the author of the Amanda Lester, Detective middle-grade/YA series, which features a descendant of the Sherlock Holmes character Inspector Lestrade and is set in the English Lake District.

She is also the author of a new time travel series for adults, Indigo.

From 2005 to 2012, Paula produced and hosted the popular podcast The Writing Show (http://www.writingshow.com). She holds degrees in English literature and librarianship from UCLA.



GUEST POST

Writing a Historical Novel


Paula Berinstein


Whether their work is called time travel or historical fiction, an author who writes stories set in the past needs to deal with history. From the number of stories published in this genre you’d think it was easy, but to me it’s just about the most daunting thing a non-historian can write, whether the tale is drenched in detail or takes a broad brush approach. If you get it wrong people will scream, and chances are the story won’t work.



Photo Credit: Bernhard Rode, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons


Clio makes being a historian look easy—and elegant


When I began planning the Indigo series I had zero confidence that I could write an entire historical novel. In my Amanda Lester, Detective series for tweens and teens I do laborious research just to get minor details right, and it’s set in the present! I’m not sure anyone can tell, but I don’t just make up Amanda’s world. There really is such a thing as acoustic levitation (lifting things with sound waves). A person with two DNA identities really can exist: they’re called a chimera. There really is an old sugar manufacturing plant alongside the Thames. But writing an entire novel based in a place and time I know little about? That’s a tall order.




Photo credit: OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay


A chimera really does exist! It’s a person with two sets of DNA.


When I decided to try my hand I got hold of a few books about South Carolina in the colonial period and began reading. Yikes, they were so dull and so packed with information my head hurt. I was absolutely sure I would never retain a thing and would have to scuttle the project.


But little by little the facts began to stick, and eventually I understood enough to concoct a basic story. I had to stop constantly and look things up—still do—and that’s not only tedious but sometimes nearly impossible. When you begin writing a scene that takes place in Charles Town in 1751 you need to know how the city was laid out, whether there were sidewalks, whether slaves were allowed to stay in inns with their masters, what kinds of boats the planters used, and a million other details. Of course you can never find them all in one source so you have to go running around looking for needles in haystacks, even when, as I did, you’ve joined the South Carolina Historical Society. (They charge for custom research, so costs can add up quickly, but if you do the work yourself it can take forever. Needless to say I’ve opted for the latter despite its drawbacks.)



Photo credit: gillingsham6 from Pixabay


Good luck finding out how Charles Town, South Carolina was laid out in 1751


As I do this work I wonder about all those writers who publish regency romances, stories set in old Scotland, and World War II adventures. How much research did they do and how long did it take? How much of what they wrote is accurate? Are they just smarter and faster than I am? I have no idea. Surely they’re not all Hilary Mantels, but you don’t have to be, do you? Imagine if that were a requirement to publish a time travel romance. They wouldn’t exist.




Photo Credit: Alina Kuptsova from Pixabay

Writing about knights is easy if it’s fantasy. Not so much if it’s history.




Photo Credit: GregoryButler from Pixabay


How much do you know about battleship engine rooms? I know diddly squat.




Photo Credit: Pete Linforth from Pixabay


The Pyramids are romantic but what do the insides look like? How do they smell? Is it hot or cold in there? Do you need a key to open the door?



If you’re a writer of historical fiction, I’d love to hear from you. Do you worry about every little fact or do you gloss over some details? Do you have a degree in history? Do you read a hundred books before getting started? How long did it take you before you felt you had a good grasp on the time and place? No matter what you say I won’t stop writing, but it would be fun to swap stories. If you’re not an author, I’d still love to hear what you think. We story lovers need to stick together.



Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$25 Amazon giftcard– 2 winners!
 

Thursday, January 28, 2021

*Book Tour & Giveaway* Black Water Magic by Leslie Scott-GUEST POST

 


Black Water Magic
by Leslie Scott
Genre: Paranormal Urban Fantasy



Teagan Blackwater’s biggest problem used to be hiding her relationship with a demi-demon from her grandmother, Nola, the most powerful witch in all of Florida.
When Nola is murdered, Teagan learns how insignificant her secret really was. And how rare it is she only had the one. Firewater Springs is a small town, and every one of its residents seems to have secrets of their own. Including the friendly cop Teagan had a crush on in high school and the Demi-demon she’s been sleeping with.
But the person with the most secrets was Nola herself, and Teagan needs to unravel them to break a curse and solve Nola’s murder. It’s no secret Teagan doesn’t feel up to the task, but she is the new Swamp Witch of Firewater Springs, so what choice does she have? Everyone is counting on her.
No pressure.





Award winning author, Leslie Scott thrives in the middle of chaos. Not because she home schools her son and rides herd over the family's zoo of indoor pets or listens to her soul mate wax poetically about all things car and related. Oh, no. That's nothing. The real chaos is the characters in her mind, elbowing and tripping each other to get to the front of the line so they can be the next romantic couple in one of her stories. Her family is her passion. Writing is her dream.



GUEST POST

What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?


I’ve been a writer since the day I could hold a pencil. Even then, I was always making up stories. I remember my little sister would have me create a script of sorts for our Barbies before we played. Thinking now, it was probably a lot like those Real Housewives show. I’d come up with a few situations and things that had to happen and we’d go off the cuff for the rest of things. Ha! I was a plantser even when I played with dolls.

But it wasn’t until about four years ago that I decided that if I was going to spend so much time writing and creating, I needed to share those creations with the world. The business of being an author, was definitely the right decision for me. For the first time in my life, I’m happy with what I’m doing, I feel fulfilled.


Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?


I can write both ways, though admittedly noise around me can be distracting—so can silence. My go to solution to these problems (when I’m distracted) is music. Every book, every character, have their own playlists. Different types of music, from rap and hip hop to country and blues. Music helps block out all the noise and set the scene for me.


Some characters even have favorite songs. Hadley, the heroine of my novel Hot Lap is particularly fond of Taylor Swift’s Red.


Teagan, from Black Water Magic, loves Paint it Black. Specifically she loves the Ciara cover.


Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Black Water Magic?


You know, I grew up on shows like Buffy and books like The Vampire Diaries. They instilled within me a love for places that host a cast of eclectic and diverse characters. Witches, demons, fairies, were wolves, shifters, and anything goes sort of smorgasbord.


The characters in Black Water Magic fit that mold. Teagan and her closest friends, are witches. But even their magic differs between them all. Teagan is a more traditional witch, with extra power from the swamp around her. Her best friend Oliver practices a form of magic more closely related to voodoo and focuses on spirits and sacrifices. And her other close friend, Shelley’s magic is more bound to the earth and things found here. Think potions and the like.


I like to instill originality in each character, right down to the magic and powers that make them different.


If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?


I’m going to keep this answer PG-13 (the answer would be totally different if I wasn’t, lol) and say Oliver. I think when I wrote him, I crafted who I envisioned as the perfect best friend. As for what we’d do, I don’t even think that matters because I’d be so giddy to hang out with him.


If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?


As the book, Black Water Magic, is about the Swamp Witch of Firewater Springs, Florida … a swamp scented candle would make sense. It would also smell absolutely horrible, so I’m not saying that. How about the scent of the beach, the and the clean scent of the ocean on the breeze.


Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.


Black Water Magic is a mashup of all the things I love about writing and reading. Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem. For an escape into a vivid world filled with danger and drama, read my book! Also, sexy demi-demon bikers. Need I say more?



Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$25 Amazon 


*Book Tour & Giveaway* Caught In His Webb by Sean D. Young

 


Caught in His Webb
The Love Connection Book 2
by Sean D. Young
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense



Sara Simmons has no desire to go into law or politics, so her brothers will continue the family's legacy of prestige and honor. Making her mark on the world with high fashion has always been her dream. Taking her shot, she is threatened by a situation that could not only ruin her career, but her family's reputation. There's only one person she can run to for help and keep her secret too...Derrick "Spyder" Webb.

Being the man of the house at the age of twelve when his father died unexpectantly, caused Spyder to grow up quickly. It made him a little unforgiving and demanding, but it also made him one of the greatest problem solvers this side of the Mississippi. Now, when people are in trouble, they come to him, but Sara is another story. He'd helped his best friend's baby sister one night so many years ago. What he didn't expect, however, was pulling her in his arms to comfort her and feeling things he hasn't since. Now, she's older, more mature and gorgeous as hell. The problem is she's off limits, but lately he can't deny that her presence makes him want to pull her inside of his web of protection ...into his web of desire.




Sean Young has always been an avid reader. This Gary, Indiana native joined her first book club at the age of seven. A lover of the happily ever after, Sean uses her vivid imagination to craft heartwarming and passionate family love stories that deal with forgiveness, promise, romance and redemption. A certified wedding planner by trade, Sean continues to help brides plan the wedding of their dreams.




Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon giftcard, 
Swag Pack with Print Copy of Caught in His Webb 
– 1 winner each 


Wednesday, January 27, 2021

*Book Tour & Giveaway* Bride on The Run by Anna J. Stewart

 


Bride on the Run
Butterfly Harbor Stories Book 9
by Anna J. Stewart
Genre: Clean Contemporary Romance


Finding true love...

In the unlikeliest places!

Sienna Fairchild never imagined she’d be a runaway bride. Or that she’d stow away on a worn-down boat belonging to handsome tour operator Monty Bettencourt. Monty’s used to navigating rough seas, but Sienna might overturn his whole life, and avoiding drama is tough in such close quarters! If Sienna’s sure she doesn’t know what she wants, then why does running away feel so much like coming home?




USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J Stewart writes sweet to sexy romances for Harlequin and ARC Manor’s Caezik Romance. Her sweet Heartwarming books include the Butterfly Harbor series as well as the ongoing Blackwell saga. She also writes the Honor Bound series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and contributes to the bestselling Coltons. A former Golden Heart, Daphne, and National Reader’s Choice finalist, Anna loves writing big community stories where family found is always the theme. Since her first published novella with Harlequin in 2014, Anna has released more than forty novels and novellas and hopes to branch out even more thanks to Caezik Romance. Anna lives in Northern California where (at the best times) she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually binge-watching her newest TV addiction, re-watching her all-time favorite show, Supernatural, and wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock.  You can read more about Anna at her website, www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com .





Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$15 Amazon


*Book Tour & Giveaway* Intergalactic Enosis: The Pyxis System by Aurora Welkin

 


Fallen Warriors
Intergalactic Enosis: The Pyxis System Book 1
by Aurora Welkin
Genre: SciFi RH Romance



We are warriors. We are shifters. We are Saberians.
We are the greatest...until we fall.

When the females of Saber mysteriously die, Prince Arana, the only remaining member of the Royal family, vows to govern the living and avenge the fallen.
As if being the new king was not enough, Arana faces a grave challenge. He and Beast, his sabertooth half, need to play nice long enough to accomplish the only thing that will save them—finding compatible females for his people.
He needs to lead his warriors by example, else his failure will cost him more than just his life. Will he locate a mate Beast will accept in time, or will he be leading to doom those he pledged to protect?
Fallen Warriors is a 39k words reverse harem romance that ends in a cliffhanger. Arana’s story climaxes in book 2 of the series, Saved Warriors. (No M/M). Happily ever after guaranteed!

**  NOTE : This book contains violence, explicit sexual situations, bad-language, and content that some readers may find triggering. If this material offends you, please do not read.  Visit aurorawelkin.com for further information.

If you love kicka** heroines, drool-worthy aliens who don't mind sharing, dive in now! This series will appeal to fans of the Dragons in Exile series, the Ozar Triad series, and the Interstellar Brides series.
To find out what happens next and be notified of the upcoming releases, sign up for my newsletter!


Get Fallen Warriors FREE when you join Aurora's newsletter!

**Get Fallen Warriors FREE when you use one of these codes Jan 6th- Feb 6th!
From B&N – use code BNPSDT100
From GooglePlay – use code HW98E6RN3FP6H




 
Saved Warriors
Intergalactic Enosis: The Pyxis System Book 2


Abducted by aliens? Check.
Caged with other female aliens, only wearing my birthday suit? Double-check.
Swoon-worthy male alien brooding my way? Triple-check.
Oh, God! I’m in trouble.

Saved Warriors, book 2 in the Intergalactic Enosis: The Pyxis System series, is a science fiction alien warrior MFMM reverse harem romance featuring a human female and three aliens that are determined to claim their fated mate. (No M/M). Happily ever after guaranteed!



Aurora Welkin is a Sci-Fi and Paranormal romance author. She lives in Sydney, but every chance she gets, she goes traveling all over Europe. She enjoys reading a little too much, and her loved ones usually find her with her nose in a book. In her free time, she loves strolling along the beach, drinking a cup of cocoa.
Aurora's books can be read as sexy, "stand-alone" adventures, but when read in order, you get so much more from the overarching plot. Despite happenings inside her stories that might not be entirely sunshine and roses, her Happily Ever Afters are always free from cheating because even though her males are aliens, they are possessive alphas who know how to take care of their human women. Fair warning...her heroes are drool-worthy and her love scenes sizzling hot.





Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon