Wired by the F.B.I. by Glenn Painter

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win $100 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Christian Romano lives his life as a con-artist, burglar, drug dealer, and a ladies' man, using his good looks to con wealthy women out of jewels and money. When he is arrested and jailed in one of the most violent jails in the U.S. (Cook County in Chicago), a steamy affair begins with a nympho female jail guard. When he loses control of the romance, Christian must end the affair by reporting her to Internal Affairs. It turns out that she is already under suspicion for supplying drugs to various gang members inside the jail. He has to decide if he is "rogue" enough to help set her up for arrest. Meanwhile, the FBI wants to recruit Christian to gather information against a sadist ex-cop, Scott Mason, who has been arrested for murder. The risk? Christian must wear a wire and testify. The reward? Witness protection for Christian and his girlfriend and a modification of his prison sentence. Will Christian risk his life for a chance at freedom? Will the female sheriff "get even" with him? Or will his life end at the hands of the jail's drug lords or a lunatic former cop?

Read the Review

This is a stark look at life in the prison system and the life that led Christian Romano to prison. From all accounts, Christian was a good-looking, charming man who found it easier to make a living conning wealthy women our of their jewels and money. With money being that easy to come by, why on earth would he want to work? Alas, all good things must come to an end, and Christian found himself incarcerated.

The struggles he goes through in jail, as well as everything that happens to him out of jail, should at the least serve as a warning. The life he leads is not a pretty one - especially once he is busted and thrown in jail. And, even when he thinks he has found a way to get some of his own back, things do not work out the way he hopes.

Christian cannot rightly be called the hero of the book, nor is he even an anti-hero. He is however compelling to read about - but I don't think I would like to try and make friends with him. He's not a very likable person. But... as I said.... there is still something compelling about reading about him. I could easily see this made into an HBO movie...somewhere all the grittiness can be seen.

The book is well written and as hard to put down as it is hard to read emotionally. A compelling picture of a life told in an equally compelling way. I'ld be interested in checking out more of Mr. Painter's works. 4 stars.  

Read an Excerpt

Something’s wrong, my intuition told me, as I stepped out of the stairwell and into the chaotic frenzy of the main hallway running under Division One of the Cook County jail.

Sergeant Ricky Walsh opened the heavy, rusted steel door leading to the death trap—that is A-B stairwell—then turned to me. “Romano, take the stairs down four flights to the bottom, I will meet you there.”

There are four sets of stairs that lead to the main boulevard on the first floor. They are legendary for the infamous men who have been butchered there, the bloodstained walls are a testament to the violence that is the norm in this building. As I begin my descent down the narrow and poorly lit stairwell, the thought hits me: At least half a dozen men have been stabbed in this exact place. The words taunt me as I step slowly down the stairs so that Walsh will have time to beat me to the first floor in the old, decrepit elevator.

When I finally make it down, I breathe a sigh of relief. But it is not Walsh waiting at the huge, steel door I am to exit. Instead of the old mick—who looked and walked like a bulldog with his perfectly groomed hair and mustache—it was one of the lackey guards. They would often hang out on the main floor waiting to proposition some poor woman coming to visit her man. I open the door and step through quickly, not wanting to arouse suspicion. But my heart hangs in my throat.

During my trip down the stairwell, the heavy steel recorder slid down my pant leg, stopping on top of my right foot. The ACE bandage, meant to hold it in place, was also dangling and ready to pop out for everyone to see. Panic set in as my mind processed a million thoughts, but I couldn’t break my stride.

It was common knowledge that this is where inmates often came out stabbing when sent to attack a guard by one of the gang bosses. Looking past the guard, I saw Sergeant Walsh bearing down on us as fast as his stubby legs would carry him.

“Hey Walsh,” I said, “the food poisoning is getting worse, I’m gonna puke all over this guy.” These guards tolerated zero bull, especially from a smart-ass like me.

I decided that it was quicker and easier to shove the recorder under the waistband of my jail pants and pray it would stay. After splashing water on my face, I poked my head out.

Walsh fell right in line with my cover. “We’re going to the hospital, come with me!” he bellowed.

I exited the closet, pushing the recorder into my torso as we walked past another guard. We traveled down the long hallway. Once we were far enough out of earshot, Walsh found an unoccupied attorney visiting room. As he opened the door, I scurried to the far corner.

“The hallway is clear!” Walsh yelled.

I pulled the recorder from my waistband and looked at it with disdain. Then I wrapped it tight with the ACE bandage. Although the long recording wires had to be reconnected and it only took a few moments, it felt like forever.

Then it hit me: I’m wearing a wire against one of the most violent hitmen Chicago has ever known, and this prick had been a Chicago cop. He probably knows every person who works in this jail. Getting whacked in a place like this costs less than a carton of cigarettes. What the hell have I gotten myself into? But there was no backing out, and I still had to get back to my tier.

Walsh looked at me, his brow furrowed. He quietly asked, “You alright, kid?”

“I better be. I signed a deal with the devil, and it’s time to pay up.”

I drew in a deep breath as we headed to the hospital, so we could sign in and make it look legit.

How did my life get to this point? I wondered as I followed Walsh. Growing up in Chicago, I was exposed to police corruption, murder, drugs, gangsters, and sex, oh yes, lots and lots of sex.

I had no clue of what awaited me, but my unsavory legacy was about to go down in history like crap down a toilet.

About the Author:

Glenn Painter is single and lives in Central Florida. He became interested in writing at an early age but did not make it his career until 2014 when he published his first book, Beyond the Sentence.

Glenn has written this story from the notes by the man who actually lived it. However, extensive research was also require in order to make the story factual.

Glenn has also founded a company, ‘Prisoner Civil Right Services.’ He is an advocate for incarcerated individuals who have had their rights violated. He is in constant contact with these individuals, their families and the council. Most of his stories are inspired by ‘factual events’ that have happened to these individuals. This makes his stories both fiction and non-fiction.

Glenn says that writing is very challenging, and you must love the trials and tribulations that come with it. He believes that patience, perseverance and determination are required essentials to see a book through to being published. The journey is just as important as the destination.

Website: http://www.gapainter.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Painter/e/B00NETNKU6%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9875593.Glenn_Painter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/author2663

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WS6DQBT/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Calling by Branwen Oshea

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Branwen OShea will be awarding $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome to It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

The Calling is sci-fi, but I write both science fiction and fantasy. I write from my own experiences, and I’ve led a pretty weird life, lol. To me, magic is science that we can’t yet explain. Imagine how magical a cell phone would appear to someone a hundred years ago. I love seeking answers for the unexplainable and originally did research on brain biochemistry because I find the science of the mind, states of consciousness, and the mind-body connection particularly fascinating.

What research is required?

I think it’s important to understand whatever genre you write in, because most readers of each genre have expectations. In science fiction, most readers expect the science to be as accurate as it can be, or at least believable, however The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy breaks all the rules and had great success.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

There’s a scene in The Calling where the humans, Bleu and Neviah, are speaking to a group of star being children. I completely pantsed the scene, and still often think about what they learn regarding a very common human behavior. I won’t say more because, you know, spoilers. :)

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

Apparently, I make some pretty strange mannerisms and expressions while writing action scenes. I once had two concerned women in a coffee shop ask me if I was in pain, lol.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I’m mostly a pantser, though I need to know my characters well before I start writing. I then put them in a planned situation, and let them figure out how to get to the ending I want. So for my Finding Humanity series, I know where each book ends and where the series ends, but the fun of drafting is seeing how the characters get there.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

My son. He says hello.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

I’m currently editing a short story that takes place between The Calling and The Chasm, which I will be sending out for free to my newsletter subscribers soon. I’m also editing The Chasm (book 2) and drafting The Ruined, the third book in the series.

Do you have a question for our readers?

I love writing and reading multiple point of view novels, but I know not everyone does. So, my question is, do you enjoy multiple point of view novels? If so, why? If not, why not?

Humanity’s wake-up call. Answer it or face extinction.

When Bleu’s little sister shows symptoms of the deadly Sickness, a strange vision directs him to leave humanity’s subterranean haven and seek the cure on Earth’s glacial surface. Joining the expedition team, Bleu expects extreme temperatures, not a surface ruled by ingenious predators.

Rana and her fellow star beings have co-existed with Earth’s top carnivores since the humans disappeared. But when her peers transform into Crowned Ones, the final stage of star being development, she fears remaining Uncrowned like her parents. To prove her worth, she undertakes a dangerous mission—contacting the hostile and nearly extinct humans.

But Rana’s plan backfires, and Bleu’s team retaliates. As war with the more advanced star being civilization looms, both Rana and Bleu separately seek a way to save their people.

Read an Excerpt

“All right, get out, men.” Savas had never experienced such peace on the last mission. This was truly pleasant. They climbed out of the rover, and he tripped on his own feet as if drunk.

Laughing at himself, he reminded the others, “Guns out. Stamf, take the lead. I’ll bring up the rear.”

He paused, swaying a bit, while the other two men passed him and then proceeded slowly down the left branch. Sparkling light from farther down the tunnel lit their way. With a quick glance back toward the entrance, he took up the rear.

Then a voice as ethereal as the wind sang, “Caaaaaahm heeeeeeeere…caaaaaaaaaahm heeeeeeeere…”

What the hell?

Savas shook his head, blinked, and tapped his ear communicator. Stamf and Abdul, farther ahead, had frozen and appeared confused, swaying in place.

Something was terribly wrong. Was this cave filled with noxious fumes? Had they all gotten cold sickness? The databases talked of arctic workers becoming weak and confused by the extreme temperatures.

Think! Think. Savas wanted to lie down and nap. What’s wrong with me? Images from his childhood tumbled through his head. Not now. Not again. I control my own mind.

“Caaaaaaaaahm heeeeeeeeere,” the voice lulled, endlessly peaceful.

They all mindlessly continued forward, as if in a dream. A small part of Savas’ brain screamed in warning. I. Control. My. Own. Mind. He grunted with the effort. Fighting the urge to relax, Savas forced his hands to raise his weapon.

About the Author:

As a young girl, Branwen wanted to become an ambassador for aliens. Since the aliens never hired her, she now writes about them.

Branwen OShea has a Bachelors in Biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her previously published works include contributing to a nonfiction yoga book, wellness magazines, and her published science fiction novella, Silence of the Song Trees.

Website: http://www.branwenoshea.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/branwenoshea
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/branwenoshea
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/branwenoshea

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735915998

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If She Dies by Erik Therme

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Erik Therme will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Nine months ago, Tess’s five-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident. The driver, Brady Becker, was sentenced to two years in prison. It didn't make Tess’s pain go away.

Brady also has a daughter: A twelve-year-old named Eve who walks to Chandler Middle School every day. Tess knows this because she's been watching Eve for the last three weeks. It isn’t fair that Brady’s daughter gets to live, while Tess’s daughter does not.

When Eve goes missing, all eyes turn to Tess, who doesn’t have an alibi. But Tess isn’t guilty.

Or so she believes.

Read an Excerpt

“Oh my God,” a voice moans.

It comes from behind me, and panic permeates every inch of my skin as I whirl and see Meg Becker standing in the parking lot looking as stunned and horrified as me.

“What?” I rasp.

“I didn’t believe them,” Meg says in a trembling voice. “They told me to come here and watch and wait, but they didn’t say for what or that it was you.” Her face begins to twitch and pull. “How could you do this? Eve had nothing to do with what happened to your daughter!”

“I-I . . . didn’t,” I stammer, shrinking against the driver’s side door. “I got a text—”

“She’s here, isn’t she?” Meg cups a hand over her mouth and her eyes go wide as she points a shaky finger at room ten. “You were going into that room. Is that where she is? Oh, God—is Eve in there right now?”

Meg’s words are so muffled, they’re almost inaudible, and before I can even begin to formulate a response, she goes to room ten and claws open the unlocked door.

“Wait!” I cry, but it’s too late; Meg is inside the room, and without thinking, I move forward two steps, heart thundering, trying to see who or what’s inside . . .

. . . but the room is empty. No, not empty—there’s something lumpy and pink on the bed, and my blood runs cold when I realize it’s Eve’s backpack.

About the Author:

Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harbored runaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he can be found cheering on his youngest daughter’s volleyball team, or watching horror movies with his oldest. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa—one of only twenty-eight places in the world that UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature.

Website: https://www.eriktherme.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErikTherme
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErikTherme.writer
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7831573.Erik_Therme
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/erik-therme

Amazon—US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L9KFFPS
Amazon—UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08L9KFFPS
Audible—US: https://www.audible.com/pd/If-She-Dies-Audiobook/B08VS331HS?qid=1614004372&sr=1-2&
Audible—UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/If-She-Dies-Audiobook/B08VS2VV7G?qid=1614004316&sr=1-4&

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Justice by Tracy Tappan

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Tracy Tappan will be awarding one "Hero" coffee mug: Keith or Brayden or Pete, winner's choice which one. (US only shipping) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A star athlete with a notorious reputation, Justine “Justice” Hayes is offered the chance to join the United States’ elite Special Operations Forces. SOF is standing up three new units called “Special Missions,” and Justice’s past as a master thief makes her perfect to lead one of these intelligence-gathering teams.

But an impossible condition stands between her and her dream job.

She has to survive the Navy’s most intensive and grueling SPECWAR training program: BUD/S.

Despite opposition, Justice soon finds herself wearing the rank of a Navy ensign and competing with some of America’s toughest men. Two of these SEAL candidates will come to test her mind and her heart, as much as her will to keep business and pleasure firmly separate. Temptations multiply when she crosses swords with the cocky helicopter pilot who commands her Special Missions flight crew.

Her vow to maintain a professional distance is finally shaken when an unorthodox training exercise goes terribly wrong. In the brutal aftermath, she needs a man who cares about her to help her fully heal. But which hero will ultimately win her...?

The gentleman? The leader? The wild one?

YOU CHOOSE!

In this unique Choose A Hero Romance™, the reader decides which hero will earn a happily ever after with Justice Hayes.

Love every hero in his own way?
You can have as many happily-ever-afters as you want!

When you’re finished with one ending, simply choose another and keep reading.

All endings are available NOW

Read an Excerpt

Justice followed Pete inside his stateroom and banged the door shut. Loud noise: generated for reasons of temperamental satisfaction. She stood rigidly in place, lungs working hard. Beyond words. If the appearance of her eyeballs was anything like her vision, they probably looked like they’d been dunked in Red Dye Number Forty.

A man who knew what restraint actually was would’ve handled a woman in her condition—like a stick of dynamite on the tail end of its fuse—in a conciliatory fashion.

Maybe, All right now, what’s wrong?

Or, Come on, let’s work this out.

But no.

First thing out of Pete Robbins’s mouth was a Scottish accent. “She cannae take any more, Captain. She’s gonna blow!”

Astounded. Then murderous. Many more things, but Justice’s brain was actually spluttering. Robbins was mimicking Scotty from Star Trek. “You’re going to make a joke out of this?”

He shrugged. “Until I know what’s wrong, sure.”

According to the pressure in her ear canals, she was currently standing eight leagues under the sea. “What’s wrong,” she gritted back, “is that you’re dangerous.”

He perked up. “Oh, we’re doing Top Gun now? Cool.” He rolled into mimicking Maverick. “That’s right, Ice…Man. I am dangerous.” He gestured at her face. “Now you bite your teeth at me.”

She totally lost it.

Grabbing the collar of his flight suit in both fists, she slammed him back against the bulkhead. The metal wall rattled as if all the rivets were coming loose—she’d gained an unrealized amount of strength over the past months at BUD/S.

About the Author:

Tracy Tappan is a bestselling and award-winning author and the creator of the Choose A Hero Romance™ reading experience, a brand-new concept in storytelling where the reader controls the ending. You can find out more about this exciting new trend at http://www.chooseahero.com.

Tracy’s books in paranormal and military romance have earned both bronze and gold medals in the Readers’ Favorite contests, have finaled for the USA Book News and Kindle Book Awards, and won both the HOLT Medallion and the Independent Publishers Book Award (IPPY) bronze medal for romance.

Tracy holds a master’s degree in Marriage, Family, Child Counseling (MFCC), loves to play tennis, enjoys a great glass of wine, and talks to her Labrador like he’s a human (admittedly, the wine drinking and the dog talking probably go together).

A native of San Diego, Tracy is married to a former Navy helicopter pilot, who retired after thirty years of service and joined the diplomatic corps. He and Tracy currently live in Rome, Italy.

Visit her website and join the gang on her monthly newsletter for giveaways, publication updates, and other fun and sexy news.

Website: http://www.tracytappan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TracyTappanRomanceAuthor/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tracytappan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracytappanauthor/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tracy-tappan
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7579061.Tracy_Tappan
Amazon Author Page: http://tracy.link/amazon-author
Choose A Hero website: https://chooseahero.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Squealer by Christopher Calcara

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Christopher Calcara will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome to It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I don’t restrict myself to any particular genre. I’m not a single-genre writer. While not my first novel, SQUEALER was my first real thriller. The unfolding plot in the story drew me to the thriller genre.

What research is required?

Any factual research necessary for SQUEALER was either accomplished via Wikipedia or historical materials related to Kansas City, since it and its criminal element play important roles in the novel.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

I learned from SQUEALER’s protagonist to live more openly and honestly, and then to let the chips fall where they may.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I find that many ideas, scenes, words and phrases come to mind late at night, when I wake up in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning. So I keep a notebook in the nightstand to jot them down. SQUEALER benefited greatly from these “midnight meanderings”. Much of the novel, in fact, was fleshed out during these odd hours.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

In the case of SQUEALER, I was a pantser. One idea led to the next and the words flowed. In other works, I’ve plotted. In all cases, the parts are constantly moving, so in that sense, I’m a plotting pantser.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

My checkbook. A pen and index cards. If I shift my eyes a bit further to the right, I see my bulb garden outside my study window, nearly fully in bloom with daffodils, iris and hyacinth. Its purchase made quite a dent in that checkbook, but remains a sweet diversion from writing conundrums.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

I’ve returned to a novel I began a few years ago. It’s about a sister and brother, her mental illness, and their complex relationship over the years, climaxing in his adoption of her child. As of now, I’m calling it The Marchesi Girl.

Do you have a question for our readers?

What book genre would you like to see more of, less of?

With tongue-in-cheek and dark overtones, Squealer examines the life of an impressionable Midwestern Catholic Italian choirboy who grows into a mob-worthy assassin in order to avenge high school nemeses from his past.

As ‘Pete Casanova’ takes us on a journey through the heart-land, his early ethnic and religious experiences expose the motivations for his deadly actions. We come to realize why, for him, it’s never too late to seek revenge.

Squealer addresses topics of physical, mental, emotional, and sexual abuse inflicted on students by their teachers and religious authorities. It deals with the difficult subjects of homophobia, prejudice and bullying, but with wit … and suspense!

Read an Excerpt

I arrived through a special entrance for visitors so as not to rub elbows with the “general population.” I wasn’t there for them anyway; I was there for Sal.

There was a crowd of us, mostly wives and girlfriends; a few court-appointed attorneys I’m guessing, by the way they were dressed in ill-fitting suits, wrinkled shirts and ugly ties. We dismissed Sal’s lawyer after the trial; there was no request for a costly appeal. He admitted what he’d done, pled guilty, accepted the verdict.

As for me, I was no longer uneasy there; I became accustomed to the pen. It was like visiting someone in the hospital. (Could jail have been where Sam and Rose went when they told us kids they were going to see someone in the hospital?) After a while, you get used to the sounds and smells, the mangled patients, the uncomfortable silences.

On the surface of the glass, when I focused, I could see the reflection of my own face but I saw Sal’s too. If his head was in just the right position, our faces superimposed each other and we became the same person, but distorted.

Sal turned away, toward the guard examining the room and its civilian occupants on the free side of the pane, and he said low, “So, you ever see Pennisi?” Once thick as thieves, Sal was there and Leonard wasn’t.

“I hear he’s still connected,” I told him. “Doesn’t he visit?” I asked, facetiously.

“He don’t come within a hundred miles of this place.” Sal slouched in the government-issued plastic chair. It screeched. The guard stared at us, lips curling, nostrils flaring. “Afraid they might nab him. Stronzo.”

I couldn’t tell who he was calling asshole—Leonard or the guard. Sal didn’t mind getting his hands dirty and protected Leonard when they worked the streets together. Other than your enemies, that’s the only kind of person you wanted close to you—someone who had your back. Like Nickie’s and mine, Sal fought Leonard’s battles.

About the Author:

After earning a degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Calcara created marketing campaigns for businesses and institutions featured in print and broadcast media.

He writes fiction and semi-fiction, short stories, memoirs, plays, novels, and screenplays. He has collaborated with composers to write plays with musical scores. Joan is one such musical play that lyrically exposes the soul of Jeanne d’Arc—Joan of Arc.

Calcara was the only Charleston writer to win the 2011 South Carolina Arts Commission Fiction Project. His short stories have been published by numerous literary journals. He has lived in the South, Southwest and Southeast, and currently writes from the Midwest.

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNAGN_S_-Vr2s0JIn5nlYWw
Website: https://chrisjcalcara.wixsite.com/website
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21162911.Christopher_Calcara
Facebook: "https://www.facebook.com/christopher.caruso.14
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJCalcara
Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/Squealer-Growing-Gay-Catholic-Italian/dp/B08VRMMXST/ref=sr_1_1
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Squealer-Growing-Gay-Catholic-Italian-ebook/dp/B08TB6HTV8/ref=sr_1_1

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Most Eligible Viscount in London by Ella Quinn

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ella Quinn will award a $25 Amazon/iTunes GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In bestselling author Ella Quinn’s intriguing new Regency trilogy, a dashing suitor must decide if love and marriage are mutually exclusive . . .

Viscount Gavin Turley is convinced that love matches cause nothing but trouble. Still, after months of courting, he’s fallen for Miss Georgie Featherton. He’s passionate about her, in fact. But words of love are not an indulgence he will allow himself. When he presents Georgie with his marriage proposal, he will lead with his head—not his heart. His qualifications as a husband are excellent, after all. What could go wrong?

No sooner does Gavin kneel on one knee than Georgie’s heart goes aflutter with joy. Finally, the proposal she longed for had arrived. Yet Gavin seemed to be listing his credentials for a business partnership, not a romantic union. Without a declaration of love, Georgie can only reject his offer—unless the ladies of the ton, and Georgie’s grandmamma, have anything to do with it. For sometimes it takes a wiser eye to see the love behind a guarded heart—and a clever scheme to bring it out of hiding . . .

Read an Excerpt

A light tap sounded on the door to Georgie’s parlor. Smith opened it and stood aside as Adeline swept into the room.

“I did not think you would be resting.” She sounded pleased to have been right. “How are you doing?”

Georgie shrugged. “I wish I knew.”

“I can tell you that he does want very much to marry you.” Georgie pulled a face. “Yet he is still haunted by his father.”

In an attempt to help, Littleton had told Adeline who in turn told Georgie about the mess the former Lord Turley had made of everything after his wife had died. “I understand why he thinks he should not love his wife, but I do not understand how one can stop oneself from falling in love.” And that was the essence of the matter. Georgie firmly believed that love was the thing that held two people together during difficult times. She began pacing the room again, changing directions so as not to wear a path in the rug. “Do I give him another chance? Or would I be wasting my time? If he is so certain he will not love his wife, I do not see what I can do to change his mind.”

Adeline’s forehead creased in thought. “Allowing him until the end of the month to convince you would still give you time to go back to Town before the Season ends, and it would answer your questions.”

“I suppose you are correct.” Georgie stopped pacing. Why was this so hard? She closed her eyes and reached deep into her heart. There was a chance that there might be another gentleman out there who was even more perfect for her than Lord Turley only because this unknown gentleman loved her. But until she knew for certain that Turley would never love her, she would give him an opportunity to prove himself. “I shall give him one more chance.”

“I need to tell you one more bit of information.” This time her friend had a wicked grin on her face. “Your grandmother and her friend the duchess arrive tomorrow. They are staying with Mama-in-law.”

“And Turley.” Georgie felt her eyes widen. “Oh my. That will be interesting. What I would not give to hear what they have to say to him.”

“That is exactly what I thought,” her friend agreed. “Frits has suggested that he be allowed to come here as often as he wishes in order to court you. Do you have any objections?”

Georgie began pacing again. For some reason, she could not remain still. Littlewood really was the perfect place for a courtship. Other than the house party entertainments, they could spend time out of the eyes of the ton. It would give her—them—both the opportunity to attempt to resolve the differences in what they each wanted in a marriage. “No.” She wondered what role her grandmother and the duchess would play. “No. I have no objections.” Having a course of action would, at the very least, help her shake off the malaise she had been experiencing. “In fact, I believe I am looking forward to seeing how he intends to convince me I should enter into a loveless marriage.”

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn's studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a Great Dane. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat. After cruising the Caribbean and North America, she completed a transatlantic crossing from St. Martin to Southern Europe. She's currently living in Germany, happily writing while her husband is back at work, recovering from retirement.

Ella loves when readers connect with her.

Website: https://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044274.Ella_Quinn
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ella-quinn
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ella-Quinn/e/B00CAE0FSQ

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://geni.us/AzbRgd
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2PHZZEB
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3sD40si
Nook: https://bit.ly/3sDrldr
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3sDr2PP
Print: https://amzn.to/31t8qpU
BookBub: https://bit.ly/3fsGdb4
Goodreads: https://apple.co/2QFZyLh

Audiobook narrated by Rachael Beresford

Audible: https://adbl.co/3sCVQA6
Amazon Audio: https://amzn.to/3szTt1e
iTunes: https://apple.co/2QFZyLh

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Damsel in a Dress by Kirsten Weiss

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kirsten Weiss will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Bridesmaid duties can be deadly…

Maddie Kosloski has more than wedding cake on her plate. She’s managing her paranormal museum, helping her best friend Adele with wedding plans, and trying to prove that Adele’s vintage wedding dress is most definitely not haunted.

But when a bridesmaid turns up murdered, Maddie has to solve the crime to save the wedding. As her bouquet of suspects grows, and everyone’s alibis have the ring of truth, Maddie begins to doubt this wedding will go off without a hitch.

If you love laugh-out-loud mysteries, witty heroines, and a touch of the paranormal, you’ll love Damsel in a Dress, book 5 in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series of novels. Read this twisty cozy mystery today!

Read an Excerpt

Harper pointed and brushed her long, dark hair off her shoulder.

A slender woman, eyes open and sightless, lay on her back beneath an owl box. A pool of blood had formed around her head in the soft earth. Beside her, a chihuahua barked at us hysterically.

Bile rose in my throat. I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth. I thought I’d been prepared. But nothing can really prepare you for sudden death.

“Do you think she tripped and fell?” Harper said, pointing to the rock half-hidden beneath Bernadette’s spill of hair.

“Maybe,” I croaked, my mouth dry. Bruises darkened the skin above the collar of her cocktail dress, and there was a reddish mark on her face. They didn’t look like they’d come from a fall. “Did you call the police?”

“Of course I did. They’ll be here any minute. I just…” She pressed her hands to her stomach. “It’s Bernadette, one of Adele’s oldest friends, her bridesmaid.”

Lead weighted my gut. This was awful. Worse than awful. How were we going to tell Adele?

About the Author: Kirsten Weiss has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives her heartburn, but she drinks it anyway.

Now based in Colorado Springs, CO, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.

If you like funny cozy mysteries:

Pie Town - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/pie-town-mysteries
Tea and Tarot - https://www.kirstenweiss.com/tea-and-tarot-mysteries
Paranormal Museum- http://www.kirstenweiss.com/the-perfectly-proper-paranormal-mus-1
Wits’ End - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/doyle-cozy-mystery-series

If you’re looking for some magic with your mystery:

Witches of Doyle - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/doyle-witch-cozy-mysteries
Riga Hayworth - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/riga-hayworth-paranormal-mysteries
Rocky Bridges - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/rocky-bridges-mysteries

If you like steampunk:

Sensibility Grey - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/sensibility-grey-steampunk-suspense

Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at http://kirstenweiss.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kirstenweiss/
Bookbub: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/kirsten-weiss
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kirsten.weiss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirstenweissauthor

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rainbows of Emotions by Djehane Hassouna

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Djehane Hassouna will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Rainbow of Emotions is a culmination of Djehane's life experiences. It is a map guiding the reader through the confusing labyrinth of life, unravelling the complicated pattern of her intricate journey through poetry. Djehane writes poems about nature, events, and feelings, about life as a whole. She expresses her hopes and fears, her triumphs and failures, her gratitude and resentment. Every poem is linked to her soul! Every poem is a masterpiece in its own right!

Read an Excerpt

The Divine Artist

Enchanting the eye, autumn’s colors fill the horizon;
Today is the first day of cold, crisp weather!
The sky is turning into a coral reef: huge trees send
Their colorful foliage all the way up to the celestial dome!
Red and gold and replacing the green of summer;
Fallen leaves form a red carpet on the ground…
The breathtaking scenery offers jewel-like colors:
Coral, topaz as well as remnants of emerald!
Branches are waltzing with the wind; leaves are whispering
Their soft song to the breeze.
How could the beauty of trees be so captivating?
How could autumn’s colors be so fascinating?
This is the secret of the Divine Artist…

About the Author:

Djehane Hassouna grew up in Egypt where she received her formal education in French. Her fascination with French poetry and fairy tales has always inspired her writing. Djehane also speaks Arabic, Italian, and a little Spanish.

Djehane received her BA in French from the Catholic University of America, her MA in Comparative Literature from Vermont College, and her PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures from the University of Pittsburgh. Throughout her life, Djehane has continued to express her feelings through poetry in both French and English. As she writes, and as her emotions take shape into verse, Djehane becomes one with her poetry.

WEBSITE: http://djehane-poetry.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DjehanePoetry
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/djehanepoetry
Twitter https://twitter.com/DjehanePoetry
Mirakee https://www.mirakee.com/djehanepoetry
Allpoetry https://allpoetry.com/DjehanePoetry
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20994286.Djehane_Hassouna

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Emotions-Selection-Djehane-Hassouna/dp/0228832551/ref=sr_1_2
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rainbow-of-emotions-djehane-hassouna/1138500089?ean=9780228832553
Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/rainbow-of-emotions-a-selection/9780228832560-item.html
Kindle : https://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Emotions-Selection-Djehane-Hassouna-ebook/dp/B08R1676W9/ref=sr_1_6
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books/rainbow-of-emotions-a-selection-of-poems-by-djehane-hassouna-9780228832577/9780228832577

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reel to Reel by Isla Grey

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Isla Grey will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Lights, Camera, Action! From the very beginning, the world of cinema has captivated us. We have found ourselves laughing at our favorite comedies, crying when love finally comes to fruition, being beamed to other worlds or battling in the midst of action sequences. While movies might be the perfect entertainment, most have slight imperfections, mistakes, which go unseen, until they’re released and caught by the movie audience. These mistakes don’t detract from the film, and finding them are just as fun as watching the movie. For the past several years, Isla Grey has written a “Movie Mistakes” column for Bellaonline. “Reel to Reel” is a collection of some of those columns, spotlighting the fun goofs found in some of our favorite movies. Can you spot them? Grab the popcorn, sit back, and happy movie watching!

Read an Excerpt

The Notebook

There’s no question--Noah and Allie are in love. Set in two different time periods, the beginning of the pair’s relationship is shown via a notebook an older Noah reads to Allie who is suffering the effects of dementia. Can true love ever be forgotten? Here are a few movie mistakes to look for while watching “The Notebook”.

Near the beginning of the movie, the younger Allie and Noah are at a carnival. After their first encounter, Allie and another man get on the Ferris wheel. The man is holding cotton candy in his right hand. This is noticeable throughout the scene. After Noah has climbed aboard and gets Allie to go out with him, the cotton candy the man was holding is now gone.

After Noah and Allie have watched the movie in the theater, they decide to go for a walk. When they get to the traffic light, Noah tells her how he used to lie in the road and demonstrates for her. At first, Noah is closer to the center of the lane to his left. (This is noticeable in the overhead view.) During the close-up, Noah is now closer to the double lines that run down the middle of the road. This happens again when Allie joins him. At first, they are closer to the center of the lane to their left, but the next view shows them near the double lines.

About the Author

Isla Grey is from Central Virginia and at an early age developed a love of movies. She shared many Sunday afternoons watching old favorites with her grandmother that included everything from “Gone with the Wind” and “Rio Bravo” to “Titanic” and “The Mummy”. (Her grandmother may or may not have made fun of her when she covered her eyes during “Anaconda”.)

Working as Bellaonline’s Movie Mistakes editor since 2012 has given Isla the opportunity to indulge in two of her passions—movies and writing.

When Isla isn’t writing or watching movies, most of her time is spent with her ever active daughter and her band of cats. She also enjoys good music, reading biographies and ghost stories and taking quiet strolls.

Website: http://www.islagrey.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorIslaGrey/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IslaGrey1

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0918MM97L

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to Overcome Insomnia All By Yourself by Antoinetta Vogels

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Antoinetta will be awarding a print copy of "Healthy Sense of Self - How to be true to your self and make your world a better place!" to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour (US Only). Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Antoinetta has a bachelor’s in French and a master’s in music. She worked in the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra as a bassoonist, has two grown daughters, and lives in Bellevue, WA, USA.

In 2013, Antoinetta created the Sense of Self Method, a self-help program for people who want to get a good night’s sleep no matter what!

With her company, Healthy Sense Of Self, LLC, Antoinetta and her team provide education about what can be wrong in the way a person experiences their self and, consequently, others. Antoinetta has made it her life’s work to help people improve their life by reversing issues related to a negative self-image. She wants everyone to have the ability to be their most authentic self.

Read an Excerpt

Some children grow up in a supportive environment, with parents who give them the freedom to discover their true Self and encourage them to feel good about who they are. Others of us are doomed to constantly earning parental approval over the course of our lives because we’ve never felt acknowledged or accepted. How we deal with that situation will differ, depending on our individual temperament, character, and the way we learned how to deal with our emotions.

Feeling like you don’t belong creates a negative self-image because the message you receive is that you aren’t good enough to be included. But feeling invisible can be a self-fulfilling prophecy—when you aren’t seen or heard or taken into consideration, it’s a natural reaction to shrink in on yourself and not do anything to stand out.

I remember very well how I felt on those occasions. It was a feeling that always haunted me. One day, when I was about sixteen years old, I stood on the beach looking out over the sea, and I noticed a pole rising above the water. I imagined that the sea was full of people and I was sitting on that pole, removed from everyone around me and unable to reach them. It felt terribly lonely. The endlessness of the sea only made that sense of isolation stronger.

About the Author:

Antoinetta Vogels is the Founder and CEO of Healthy Sense of Self™ LLC, author of "How to Overcome Insomnia All by Yourself" her newest book which will release in the fall. She also wrote "Healthy Sense of Self How to be True to Your Self and Make Your World a Better Place!" (2013), as well as the Online Course: Introducing the Sense of Self Method! (found on her website, www.healthysenseofself.com), the "Sense of Self Workbook" (based on the Online Course but also to be used independently) (2014), "A Guided Journal to a Healthy Sense of Self (2014), and "The Motivation Cure" (2017).

Through many years of searching for her Self, Antoinetta has come to conclude that from early childhood on, many of us have not been acknowledged as the autonomous people we truly are. She provides insight and tools to help you enhance and/or completely restore your ability to sense your Self and correct the ill-effects of childhood conditioning that reverberate in all aspects of our lives.

Antoinetta Vogels is a graduate of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Netherlands and a former bassoonist of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. She is a ballroom dancer, a mother of two and lives in Washington, USA.

https://www.healthysenseofself.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7177981.Antoinetta_Vogels
http://www.twitter.com/HealthySoS

https://www.amazon.com/How-Overcome-Insomnia-All-Yourself-ebook/dp/B08T5Y299B/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Realm of Dragons by L.C. Conn

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. L.C. Conn will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Realm of Dragons is in peril from hidden plots and conspirators, which threaten not only the crown, but the dragons that are at the very heart of it.

Teagan Loinsigh, long ago banished from her magical home of dragons now lives on Earth. Her dreams and memories of the great creatures are put down to fantasies and an overactive imagination, until one day she comes across a creature so unlike any other in the land she lives in. A baby dragon.

Muniath Magaoidh, a Dragon Warden fallen so low by a failed mission, must be brought back from his despair to retrieve what is lost.

Scetis Mordha, alone in the world since he was a child. Finds himself in the middle of intrigue and conspiracy against The Realm of Dragons.

Tying them all together is a dragon. Not just a dragon but The King of Dragons.

Can these four save The Realm of Dragons?

Read an Excerpt

“This could all be settled now. Between you and me. There should be no more waste of lives. If you conquered this way, you would only be seen as a tyrant and most of those who were left would never have your respect.”

“Are you seriously suggesting that we duel to see who gets the kingdom?” Orcades scoffed at the idea.

“Yes,” Scetis replied.

“You, who have never held a sword or killed anyone. Against me, a seasoned warrior?” he looked around him as he laughed, most of the men joined in.

“That is exactly what I am proposing,” Scetis said. “Where are you?” he called in his mind to Squirt.

“Close. Don’t worry, I’ll come to your rescue,” Squirt replied.

“Easy for you to say.” Scetis sent out the thought. “So, what do you say?” he once more addressed Orcades.

“This will be the easiest fight I’ve ever won!” Orcades armour creaked as he hauled himself from his saddle.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ide asked him in a hushed voice.

“I have to, and don’t you interfere. Squirt will be helping me.”

“I have only just found you, don’t do anything stupid.”

“I have a plan,” he told her without any bravado or grin. He stepped forward to meet his opponent.

About the Author:

L.C. Conn grew up on the outskirts of Upper Hutt, New Zealand. Her backyard encompassed the surrounding farmland, river, hills and mountains which she wandered with her brothers and fed her imagination. After discovering a love for writing in English class at the age of eight, she continued to write in secret. It was not until much later in life that L.C. turned what she thought was a hobby and something fun to do, into her first completed novel. Now married, L.C. moved from New Zealand to Perth, Western Australia, and became a stay at home mum. While caring for her family and after battling breast cancer, a story was born from the kernel of a dream. The first book of The One True Child Series was begun, and just kept blooming into seven completed stories, which have garnered great reviews. She continues her career with more stories waiting in the wings to be released.

EMAIL: raindropc1970@gmail.com
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/LCConn
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ConnLoraine
INSTAGRAM: https//www.instagram.com/l.c.conn
WEB PAGE: https//lcconnwriter.wordpress.com/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17714374.L_C_Conn

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Coach's Wife by Barbara Casey

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Barbara Casey will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Cinderella Coyotes of State University are in the Final Four, poised to win the NCAA National Championship in basketball—the culmination of March Madness. For Marla Conners, she's proud of her husband Neal, and his achievement of coaching a collegiate team to the pinnacle of his career and the ultimate victory for his team. Yet, Marla's idyllic life is about to be viciously attacked and torn apart by a different madness—her husband's reputation ruined, a university disgraced, and she finds herself on trial accused of first-degree murder.

The Coach’s Wife is rife with spine-tingling suspense, conspiracy, deceit, and murder, sizzling and seductive passion, right down to the last second buzzer-beating heroics. This is also a candid and vivid behind-the-scenes portrait of Division One college basketball, university politics, money and corruption, and all the lives that are blessed and ruined by it all.

Read an Excerpt

Gale pried Marla’s fingers off of the bloody knife and wiped the handle of it on the quilt that was entangled around her legs. Marla’s screams had been replaced with sobs.

“Listen to me, Marla. You have to get hold of yourself.”

The two women hadn’t moved from the floor. Marla had her arms around Gale. She was shaking and crying. Gale pulled her other hand loose, the one without the knife, and shook Marla as hard as she could.

Marla immediately stopped crying and stared wildly at Gale.

“Now listen to me and do as I say. This is important. Are you listening?”

Marla nodded her head.

“You didn’t kill Martin. I did. I came into the kitchen to fix some tea and he attacked me. I grabbed a knife and stabbed him. You came in when you heard the commotion.” Gale looked at Marla. “Do you understand?”

“Gale, I killed him.” Marla looked with horror at the gruesome scene around her. “My god, I killed him.”

Gale struggled to keep from passing out from the pain ripping through her body. She knew Martin had cut her. She could feel the blood on her face. But that’s not what hurt. It was that horrible disease eating her up inside that was causing her so much pain.

“No, Marla. Listen to me. When they ask, tell them I killed him. Believe me, it’s better this way. What can they do to me? Nothing. I am already dying.”

“Gale, I can’t . . .”

Gale shook Marla. “Now you listen to me. The Seawolfers accepted you as long as they thought you were the one who had been wronged. But if they find out you killed him, no matter what he did to deserve it, they will never forgive you. They will make a circus out of this. Think of Neal and what he has worked so hard to build. Do you think kids will want to come play for a coach if his wife has killed someone? Do you think their parents will let them? Believe me, Marla, I know what I am talking about. Now do as I say.”

Gale started to get up off the floor, but Marla grabbed her. “Please, Gale, don’t leave me.” She was hysterical again. Gale leaned back against Marla, too weak and in too much pain to move. Somewhere she could hear a door opening, the sound of footsteps, and Neal calling his wife.

About the Author:

Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels for both adults and young adults, as well as book-length works of nonfiction true crime, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Her nonfiction true crime book, Kathryn Kelly: The Moll behind Machine Gun Kelly, has been optioned for a major film and television series. Her nonfiction book, Assata Shakur: A 20th Century Escaped Slave, is under contract for a major film. In addition to her own writing, she is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency. Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. Barbara is also a partner in Strategic Media Books Publishing, an independent publishing house that specializes in cutting-edge adult nonfiction. Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with her three cats who adopted her: Homer, a southern bobtail; Reese, a black cat; and Earl Gray, a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.

http://www.barbaracaseyauthor.com
http://www.barbaracaseyagency.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Coachs-Wife-Barbara-Casey-ebook/dp/B08YXQHCRR/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dragon Queen by Rod Marsden

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Night to Dawn Magazine and Books LLC will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Mixing with your betters can get you killed. Dragons know this as does a certain maverick pilot and his researcher wife. It is possible to get thrown into events not of your own making in which you must do your best to survive. Meanwhile, somewhere not far from mainland Tasmania, there is an island named Green Maiden’s Folly. What’s it like? Is it paradise, or has it been made over into a worse destination hellhole than Devil’s Island used to be like in the 19th and 20th Centuries? On Green Maiden’s Folly, the destiny of the dragon is revealed.

Read an Excerpt

Elanora’s black scales shone in the early morning light. She smiled at the effect the sun had on her spiked tail and also her legs, arms, and claws. The sun came up over the silvery sea. It was always a welcome sight, the start of a new day on her island. In the distance, waves rose and crashed before they could get to shore. A breeze touched her all too human nose, lips, and ears. It should have been unpleasant, but it wasn’t. She found the smell of salt in the air invigorating.

Lizards were bothered by the cold, but despite her lacertilian features, Elanora wasn’t a reptile. She was a dragon, and regardless of the plume of white coming from her mouth, she wasn’t shivering. In fact, she preferred a cool climate. She looked around for company because it was the loneliness that got to her, not the near frozen air.

She picked up a stick and drew a rectangle in the sand. A small blackish-grey crab came out of the rolling surf, and with its eyes on stalks, looked up at her. “These are the dragons,” she told the creature. “They are on the bottom. That’s not a good place to be. They’re mutants like me, but I’m special because I’m a female, and I’m not supposed to exist.”

About the Author:

Author Rod Marsden was born in Sydney, Australia. He has three degrees, all related to writing and history. He spent nine and a half years as a civilian clerk with the Royal Australian Navy. His proudest moments there were in the publications area.

He enjoys wildlife photography and in recent years, joined Illawarra Birders. He went on a birding expedition to the main north island of New Zealand, where he came upon wildlife unique to that country. There he also met up for the first time with correspondent, friend, and novelist Lyn McConchie. He shares his fascination with nature with his entire family, including his niece Jasmine Perala. Her pet, Kiki, is a young, female eclectus parrot and, soggy from a recent shower, is featured on Rod Marsden’s shoulder on the back cover of this book.

His stories have been published in Australia, England, Russia, the USA, and Canada. He has work in the Australian anthology Small Suburban Crimes, the American anthology Cats Do it Better, the American steampunk anthology Break Time, the Canadian anthology Morbid Metamorphosis, and in the Canadian anthology Grey Matter Monsters – Takers of Souls.

Many of his short stories, including “The Antarctic Pineapple,” have been published in Night to Dawn magazine. Undead Reb Down Under and Other Vampire Stories is a collection of his early short fiction on vampirism. Disco Evil is his first venture into the vampire novel. Ghost Dance is his first undertaking into dark fantasy involving a quest plus secret agents out to prevent demonic takeover. It has been reprinted with a new cover. Desk Job is his salute to Lewis Carroll.

His short plays, Zombie Vision, Hyde and Seek, and Smarty were well received at Cronulla Arts Theatre, south coast, New South Wales, Australia. Both his plays Smarty and Hyde and Seek made it into Sydney’s Short and Sweet contest.

He has a short story in The Twofer Compendium edited by Ruth Littner and Ann Stolinsky (2020) in which he mentions the Berry Celtic Festival, which took place every May in a farming community on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is a festival that, unfortunately, had to be cancelled in 2020 because of the coronavirus but will hopefully resume in May 2021.

http://rod-marsden.id.au/
https://www.facebook.com/rod.marsden

https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Queen-Rod-Marsden/dp/1937769658.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Chaebol's Wife by Dei Araujo

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dei Araujo will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

With the life of her unborn child in danger, Camille Jacobs had no choice but to flee Seoul, South Korea, and the man who made her heart soar.

Four years later, after the launch of her start-up skincare line, Camille is a successful, single mother who has taken the skincare industry by storm. In need of a new sourcing company to meet her clientele's demand, Camille strikes a deal with the devil—her estranged husband, Seung-ju Park, who still leaves her weak in the knees. But is passion enough to make Camille rethink marriage and a life with Seung-ju, or will old problems succeed in destroying her?

Seung-ju was amazed by the passion that roared to life at the sight of his wife. Camille stokes a desire in him that demands to be satiated. As the CEO of IPCorp Industries, a deal to source her skincare line would open the door for him to finally slake his obsession of her and put her out of his mind for good. Yet Seung-ju realizes that just one taste of Camille isn’t enough; he would need an eternity to love her and drink his fill. But a secret threatens to destroy his feelings for her, hurtling them to the point of no return.

Read an Excerpt

Camille rolled her eyes, ignoring his comment and the ribbon of desire that curled in her stomach.

The look was adorable, and Seung-ju wanted nothing more than to bend down and kiss her mouth into a smile. She looked stunning this evening. The alpha in him wanted to throw a floor-length coat over her and cover her up from everyone’s view. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that what he once thought was a simple updo, contained gold-cultured pearls woven into the tightly coiled coif. The updo displayed the graceful slope of her neck. His fingers itched to trail its contour.

“Why were you stalking me earlier?” she asked, cutting a piece of the steak and bringing it to her mouth.

“I was blown away by your beauty,” he said, his voice lowering.

“You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?”

“I don’t need alcohol to help me see what’s right in front of my face.”

“And what’s that?”

“You. My beautiful wife. In that dress.”

“Seung-ju.” She slapped his arm and reached for her glass of wine, but not before he caught the sight of a deep blush tinging her cheeks. “Whatever,” she said after a moment. “You practically marked me with that intense glare.”

“I can think of other, more satisfying ways of marking you.”

“Shhh,” she said with a smile. “You’re lucky I don’t have one on me after last night.”

“Be careful of what you say,” he warned. “I just might finish the deed tonight.”

About the Author:

Dei Araujo is a multicultural romance author who enjoys reading and writing stories of love where color has no boundaries. When she’s not writing, she can be found binge-watching Korean and Chinese dramas and anime. She received a bachelor’s degree in Journalism/News Editorial from the University of Southern Mississippi and later a MFA in Popular Fiction Writing from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Dei is a retired Air Force officer and comes from a proud military family. An adjunct professor at Barry University, she’s living out her real-life love story in beautiful Miami, Florida with her soulmate and their boys.

You can find her on these social platforms:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeiPAraujo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16944251.Dei_Araujo
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/deiaraujo73
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mystibleu73
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dei_araujo
>br> Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Chaebols-Wife-Dei-Araujo-ebook/dp/B08TR1T9B3

The Chaebol's Wife – free on Kimble Unlimited

a Rafflecopter giveaway