May 1, 2016 by Caroline Barker

Book Blitz Psychopomp and Circumstance (Books of Nethermore #1) by Adrean Messmer

Title: Psychopomp and Circumstance (Books of Nethermore #1)

Author: Adrean Messmer

Genre: Horror, New Adult

Release date: May 1st, 2016

Released by: A Murder of Storytellers

Length: 311 pages

Blurb: It starts on Facebook—an update that Nell doesn’t remember making. It’s bad enough that she’s dying and none of her friends know. Now, she’s pretty sure she’s going crazy too. She sees the Sewercide Man everywhere she goes.

The bright, safe little town of is Bandon descending into darkness, dragging the inhabitants along for the ride. Death follows madness for those bound to the Sewercide Man’s will.

But the Sewercide Man is more than just a ghost or a monster. He is death without justice. He is destruction without remorse. He doesn’t have a plan.

He just wants to bring everyone home.

“A blend of gritty realism and dark supernatural, Psychopomp and Circumstance is Heathers meets It Follows, with a sprinkling of The Twilight Zone, all told with black humor, nihilist teen angst, and a buried need to be loved and accepted.”—Richard Thomas, author of Tribulations

Buy Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Author bio:

Adrean Messmer is a horror writer living in Tulsa, Oklahoma with a tiny human she put together from some spare parts and a technowizard husband. She has a cat named after a Batman villain, and a dog who’s really a magician.

When she was eight, she asked her mother to read Stephen King’s It to her as a bedtime story and her mother actually did it. So, that probably explains a lot.

https://twitter.com/JunkyardPoet

https://www.facebook.com/adeymess/

www.Splatterhouse5.com

April 30, 2016 by Caroline Barker

Book Blitz & Giveaway Kale’s Paroxysm by Nina R. Schluntz

Title: Kale’s Paroxysm

Author: Nina R. Schluntz

Genre: M/M Romance

Date released: April 7th, 2016

Released by: MLR Press, LLC

Length: 311 pages

Blurb: Convinced Martin will come back, despite their volatile history, Kale embarks on a relationship that is perfect if it remains superficial; but Eli’s past is riddled with secrets and Kale’s obsessive nature drives him to uncover it all.

Kale has spent years in a volatile relationship with his ex, Martin. Convinced he will come back, even after a conflict that results in Kale being incarcerated and suspended from his law firm, Kale begins a no-strings-attached relationship with the man he meets in jail.

Eli has always kept his romances with men temporary. He hasn’t always been honest about being gay and he prefers to keep the secrets of his past hidden. Kale’s obsessive nature makes it difficult though, and soon their relationship is edging toward something more. Kale’s possessiveness appears to have no limits, nor do his fits of rage, and Eli worries, as Kale’s affection shifts from Martin to Eli, that he may become Kale’s next victim rather than his lover.

Buy Links:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author bio:

Her husband continues to ensure her stories maintain a touch of realism as she delves into the science fiction and fantasy realm. And their kitty, a rescued Abyssinian, is always willing to stay up late to provide inspiration.

“Kale’s Paroxysm” is Nina’s first contemporary novel, but will not be her last. Visit her blog, mizner13.wordpress.com, for information regarding previous and upcoming publications. She also posts book and movie reviews for a wide variety of genres.

On Twitter: @mizner13

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amaranthine.mizner/

Website: https://mizner13.wordpress.com/

Publisher: http://bit.ly/23SXXRQ

On Amazon: http://amzn.to/1qJCuJ4

On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1WPIlsW \

The author is hosting a giveaway for ONE lucky reader to WIN a $10 Amazon GC!

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April 10, 2016 by Tina Williams

Blog Tour ~ Sins Against the Sea by Nina Mason

#paranormal #mythology #romance

Nina Mason’s new release, Sins Against the Sea, looks like a fabulous read!

“If the merfolk were real, imagine how they might feel about the way we humans treat the ocean. That was my premise for Sins Against the Sea, a story deeply steeped in the mythology and folklore of the Scottish isles.”

–Nina Mason, author

Title: Sins Against the Sea

Author: Nina Mason

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Mythology

Heat Level: Moderately steamy

Format: Kindle and Paperback

Cordelia Parker, an oil company spokeswoman, has never believed in magic, despite her late mother’s fanciful stories. Then, during an oil spill in Scotland’s mysterious Minch, her reality is shattered when she stumbles upon a merman in a hidden cave. Even more shocking, she feels the same soul-level connection to him she felt for the ocean before it claimed both her parents. A fish out of water in his sexist culture, Cuan feels a powerful attraction to Cordelia, but, because she knows what he is, he is duty-bound to kill her. If humankind discovers the Blue Men of the Minch are real, they will destroy them the way they destroy the ocean, whose abundance belongs at once to all and none. Thus, the only way he can have a life with her is to prove she is more than she appears, trust her with his secrets, and give up his undersea world. With so many obstacles to overcome, they will need a miracle to be together…or maybe just a splash of ancient island magic.

Here’s more about the author of Sins Against the Sea:

Nina Mason is an incurable romantic who strives to write the same kind of books she loves to read: those that entertain, edify, educate, and enlighten. She has one series out at present, Royal Pains, which follows a Scottish duke and duchess through the events of the Restoration period. Born and raised in Southern California, Ms. Mason currently lives with her family in Woodstock, Georgia. When she isn’t writing, she works as a consultant for Pure Romance, a line of relationship-enhancement products. Nina combines author readings with in-home Pure Romance parties. She also does Pure Romance parties on Facebook. For more information, email her at ninamasonauthor@gmail.com.

Nina is the author of two other series: Royal Pains, an erotic historical romp set in the Restoration era, and Knights of the Tarot, a paranormal romance/urban fantasy featuring shapeshifting faery heroes and various forms of divination.

Here’s where you can find Nina on social media:

Visit Nina’s website: http://ninamasonauthor.com Follow Nina on Facebook: http://facebook.com/ninamasonromance Follow Nina on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ninamasonauthor

Find Nina on Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/ninamasonauthor Subscribe to Nina’s newsletter: https://vr2.verticalresponse.com/s/authorninamasonsnewsletter

April 8, 2016 by Tina Williams

BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR POST ~ City Nights: One Night in Budapest, by Lucy Felthouse (plus giveaway)

Unexpected Humour by Lucy Felthouse (@cw1985) #newrelease #erotica #romance #newadult #NA #tirgearr #blogtour

I occasionally get comments from readers about the humour in my books. It’s not in all of my books, and to be honest, except for the most recent stuff I’ve worked on, I don’t think I could say offhand which ones do contain funnies. Reason being… I don’t know I’m doing it. Much of the time, I don’t even know I’ve done it. It’s weeks or months down the line, when I’m working with an editor on my books, and I’ve had some level of remove from the story, that I realise there’s humour in there. It makes me laugh, so it obviously stems from my sense of humour—which admittedly, is pretty bonkers. But I definitely don’t sit there writing and thinking to myself “I’ll just add that in there because it’s funny” or “I must add something amusing to this chapter.” Whatever it is, it just seems to happen naturally.

This was definitely the case with One Night in Budapest. While it’s not got as many humorous parts as in some of my other books, there’s a particular section that made me grin as I wrote it, and laugh out loud as I edited it. Again, it wasn’t something I deliberately wrote to be amusing, more a situation that presented itself, and I saw it mainly as an opportunity to torment my characters a little. I hope it makes you smile, too. I’ve posted a little teaser of it below—though it’s not the whole section, as I don’t want to give too much away 😉

Happy Reading,

Lucy x

*****

Blurb for City Nights: One Night in Budapest

Adult/18+ read

Hermione’s in Budapest on a romantic weekend break. Or at least it should have been romantic—an unexpected break-up means she’s visiting the Hungarian capital alone. Determined to make the most of it, she goes on a night-time river cruise, the perfect opportunity to see some of the city’s beautiful sights after dark.

On the boat, cute Budapest native Emil serves her cocktails. They chat a little on the journey, engage in some banter, and when Emil asks Hermione out for dinner, she’s seriously tempted. But she’s a long way from home, by herself—is dinner with a complete stranger a good idea? Hermione decides to take a chance, and what follows is an unforgettable night which will transform her life forever.

Buy links:

Amazon Barnes & Noble

iBooks UK iBooks US

Kobo Smashwords

*****

Excerpt

Emil made a note on his pad. “Very good. Would you like to choose your second drink now, or later?”

“Later, I think. Thank you.” That would, at least, give her time to peruse the options at a more leisurely pace so she could find something else she fancied that didn’t have a name with sexual connotations.

She couldn’t help wondering whether she would be bothered about that had Emil not been so attractive. Would she have been able to ask a woman, or a man she didn’t find attractive, for a Screaming Orgasm or a Quick Fuck without bursting into laughter or dying of embarrassment? As she watched Emil walk away, his backside tight and luscious in his uniform trousers, she figured she wouldn’t be able to find out the answer to that question any time soon. He’d clearly assigned himself to her table, probably to ensure she got her bargain drinks. Christ, if they got any cheaper, they’d be paying her to drink them.

Therefore, the way she saw it, she had three options: have another Woo Woo, find something else that didn’t have a smutty name, or suck it up and order whatever the hell she wanted, smutty name or not.

Shaking her head at her own silliness, she turned back to admiring the city as it floated by the windows. At least she had a little while to make up her mind—her first stupidly named drink had yet to come.

*****

Author Bio

Lucy Felthouse is the award-winning author of erotic romance novels Stately Pleasures (named in the top 5 of Cliterati.co.uk’s 100 Modern Erotic Classics That You’ve Never Heard Of, and an Amazon bestseller) and Eyes Wide Open (winner of the Love Romances Café’s Best Ménage Book 2015 award, and an Amazon bestseller). Including novels, short stories and novellas, she has over 140 publications to her name. She owns Erotica For All, is book editor for Cliterati, and is one eighth of The Brit Babes. Find out more about her writing at http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk, or on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe to her monthly newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

*****

GIVEAWAY!

Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/lucy-felthouse-15/

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April 6, 2016 by Caroline Barker

Blog Tour, Exclusive Author Post & Review BLOQ by Alan Jones

Released in the last week, we are pleased to be joining gritty, Scottish crime author Alan Jones (The Cabinetmaker, Blue Wicked) for his latest work of fiction, BLOQ, during his release blog tour! Not only do we have the book info and review for you, but the author has written an exclusive piece for us, whereby a main character from the story is being interviewed by a journalist, also a character from Bloq!

Title: Bloq

Author: Alan Jones

Genre: Crime drama, thriller

Release date: April 1st, 2016

Released by: Ailsa Publishing

Length: 300 pages

Blurb: A father waits in Glasgow’s Central Station for his daughter, returning home from London for Christmas. When the last train has pulled in, and she doesn’t get off it, he makes a desperate overnight dash to find out why. His search for her takes over his life, costing him his job and, as he withdraws from home, family and friends, he finds himself alone, despairing of ever seeing her again.

This is a gritty crime novel with some sexual content.

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

REVIEW ***** (5* rating)

Bloq is an extremely well-written dark and gritty crime novel, telling the story of a widower whose devoted daughter doesn’t come home for Christmas. The father goes to all lengths in the search for her, with twists and surprises that really do shock and create emotion within the reader.

We start where the reader is succumbed to a fantastic, dark-but-gripping prologue, demonstrating foul play and providing us with the curiosity to find out just who the victim is, and who did it. I love it when books reel you in, straight in at the deep end at the very beginning. In this way, there’s no leaving the story until you get some answers. The author has his claws in you, and you’re hooked!

One cannot help but feel completely devastated for Bill. He is a very likable, gentle character, and not only has he been widowed recently, but now his only daughter, Carol, has gone missing with no explanation. Since she moved down to London for her career as a journalist, Carol always took the time to return to Glasgow, visiting her parents, and now just her father. She would always let him know which train she was ready to catch and he would then meet her at the station. When her train arrives with no sign of Carol, he immediately senses that something is wrong; she hasn’t called or texted him. And so he waits for the next; all the time the reader senses his gut feeling that something is wrong.

As the story begins to unfold, and with little help from the police, Bill tries to follow the only lead he has from one of Carol’s friends. To be able to keep track of his search he spends a great deal of his time in London, whilst still trying to maintain his day job in Glasgow. With luck going completely against him, after a few weeks of working flexi-time, he is encouraged to leave due to the fact that he shuts himself off and thinks only of his daughter’s disappearance.

Many doors close in Bill’s face, leaving very little hope. But, the sheer determination that Bill has is admirable. The reader can truly sense that he will find out what happened if it’s the last thing he does. I found myself tearing up due to the gentle and caring manner the author wrote about Bill’s actions and feelings – as if it was the author himself that had undergone this terrible ordeal. It is delicately and beautifully written in the places it needs to be. A truly outstanding read.

I love how in all of Alan Jones‘ books the main character has a skilful trade that is incorporated somewhere into the story. In this case it is more subtle than his previous work, but as a fan of the author I truly appreciated it.

Alan Jones has gone from strength to strength with each book (The Cabinetmaker, Blue Wicked). And, I can see Bloq being his most popular to date. It will definitely stay with me for a long time to come, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

A copy of Bloq was provided by the author in return for a fair and honest review.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR POST

To coincide with our blog tour post Alan Jones has kindly provided us with a pastiche of an article written by one of the minor characters in the book, a journalist, about one of the main characters in the book, the owner of the nightclub that gives the book its title – Bloq.

Aleksander Gjebrea – Eastern Bloq Entrepreneur. By Steve Evans The Times, Business section: London Local

I met Aleksander Gjebrea at his up-and-coming nightclub, ‘Bloq‘, a new player in London’s entertainment scene. After hearing good things about the club, bravely located in one of the city’s less fashionable areas, I paid a visit with some friends a week ago. If the evening was anything to go by, the management are pulling out all the stops to attract the cream of London’s clubbers.

While they’re still a way off attracting the A-listers, the club has its fair share of lesser known celebrities and young footballers. And it was busy. Even so, the owner took time to sit down during the evening for a while and chat with our group, and I must say, it would have been hard to imagine a more congenial host. I took advantage of this and asked him if he would be prepared to give me an interview for an article in a series I was writing about young immigrant entrepreneurs who had made their mark on their adopted city, and he kindly agreed.

So, before it opens for the evening’s revelry, we’re sitting in Bloq, drinking coffee and talking about his journey from his first job as a barman after arriving in the UK over ten years ago, to owning a nightclub with multiple zones and a top of the range sound system attracting up and coming DJ’s from all over England.

I asked him first if he’d ever hoped he could have come this far in such a short time. He laughed. “I always knew I would succeed. I would have just kept going until I did. That it happened so soon is just a bonus.” He tells me this in a voice tinted with an accent which is a product of his Albanian origins. I complement him on his English. He smiles and tells me that at first, the accent was detrimental, both in his employment and in social situations, but, the more successful he had become, the more his Albanian tinted speech proved to be an asset, but he stopped short of saying that he deliberately cultivated his accent to appear more charismatic.

He certainly oozed an easy and unaffected charm. A good looking man at 35, he says his single status is largely due to his focus and drive being on the business. He claims to work 18 hour days and, from what I have seen, it would be hard to dispute this.

“When I arrived from Albania, I had three of four jobs in different bars; a day here, a day there, but the owners soon realised that I worked hard and had a good feel for the job. I’d worked in my uncle’s bar back in Vlorë before I left Albania, so I knew the bar trade well. After a few months, I was offered the manager’s job at one of the bars and I increased turnover by £35K in one year. I put the bonus money I’d saved as a deposit on a run-down bar in a not so good area. It was part of a bankruptcy sale and it went very cheap. Within two years I had bought the property next door and expanded out into it. There were lots of students moving into the area and I put in some good audio, hired some decent DJs and did the whole place up as a small club.”

He told me where his first venture was situated, and that his younger brother ran it now. I asked him what had prompted his decision to move on to a new place when he had built up a good business that was doing well for him.

“I knew that I’d taken it as far as it could go. My brother had been over for a few years working for me and I thought of making him the manager, but I decided that he would make a better job of it if he owned it. I know that he’ll pay back the money to me, even though I’ve never asked him for it. It’s in our family make up. So I was happy to hand it over to him. I knew that to achieve my ambition of having a top class club, I needed a bigger venue, in the right location.”

I asked him why he’d chosen Walworth. It wasn’t an obvious place for a top end nightclub.

“It was the building that mattered, and I couldn’t afford one big enough in a more fashionable area. Walworth has good transport connections and is not too far away from central London. This building came up and I knew it was right.”

On the club’s name, he re-told the story I’d heard when I’d visited the club. Originally, he’d intended to call the club Eastern Bloq, a homage to his origins, but the name had been shortened to the more striking Bloq.

We took a break from our interview and he showed me around. The club has four main areas. There’s a sizeable lounge bar with a dance floor; very well decked out with lush seating and a number of tables for diners. The club does a limited menu, but it’s not primarily an eating place. It has a laid back feel to it, and the music is generally smooth, shall we say, and it’s not so loud as to make conversation impossible without shouting. The drinks are priced reasonably for an establishment of this quality, although, for those with too much disposable income, I noticed a few very expensive bottles of wine and some top end spirits on the drinks menu.

A stairway from the main foyer climbs to a terraced seating area overlooking the lounge bar, housing an intimate and quiet corner in the otherwise hectic and noisy venue.

The third area is the main dance zone, and you can tell there’s been a heavy investment in the sound system, and just as importantly, in the sound insulation that allows the music to be as loud as it needs to be without making the rest of the club intolerable. It’s very impressive, as I saw on the night I was there as a clubber, and the lighting was equally attention-grabbing too.

I asked Aleksander how much it had cost him.

Without blinking, he told me the whole place had cost well over three quarters of a million. I’d suspected it might have been more, but he informed me that he could strike a good deal with his contractors! He said that he’d paid off the loans on his previous club within three years and that he’d been able to put a bit of money behind him before he bought the building that he then transformed into Bloq. Despite that, he adds that it will take him a little longer to clear the debt on his latest project.

“I also run an import\export business between the UK and Albania. There’s a demand for British luxury goods because of the more open economy out there, and we bring produce back from Albania that competes very well with its UK equivalents. This, with some property development we’re also involved in, has allowed us to reduce the debt burden significantly, just five years into the life of the club.”

As we returned to the lounge bar, he showed me the VIP room, that is available at an undisclosed fee to those of his clientele who preferred a more private and personal experience, but with access to all the club’s other facilities.

“It’s very popular for birthdays, anniversaries and the like, and we’re finding it increasingly being booked by commercial organisations for corporate entertainment.”

I tackled him about the drug scene, and how it affected the management of the club.

“Being completely honest, it’s nearly impossible to stop it altogether, but our security is second to none, and we pride ourselves on the fact that the club has no serious drug issues.”

Returning to the lounge area, I asked him where he thought he’d be in another five years.

“My ambition is to make Bloq one of the premier late night London Venues by 2017. I would like to think that we can accomplish it at this location, because it’s good for the local area, bringing employment and extra footfall for local businesses. After that, who knows. Paris, Rome, Madrid?”

Having spent a few hours with the man, and being given a glimpse of the small but impressive business empire he has built from nothing in a very short time, it’s hard not to believe him when he says that he can achieve this ambitious target, and it’s even harder to rule out the possibility that it may well happen.

March 2, 2016 by Tina Williams

BLOG TOUR ~ Scandalously Yours Boxed Set (includes author post, excerpt and giveaway)

This boxed set looks such a fantastic read. I’m partial to historical romances, especially ones where scandal meets seduction and this collection fits the bill nicely! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway, read the author post by Maeve Alpin where she discusses her novella The Brass Octopus and check out the scandalous excerpt! 🙂

Scandalously yours…

Through the ages, where there has been society there have always been norms and, conversely, scandals when love gets in the way of propriety.

From the ancient Celts to medieval Cornwall, from Regency and Victorian England to the American west after the War Between the States, eight stories by multi-published, bestselling authors explore the triumphs of love between a man and a woman—even scandalous love—over what’s considered “proper” in their time.

Wilder’s Thief, by USA Today bestseller, Josie Jax

Robbing a bank wasn’t what reformed pickpocket Rachel Conroy had in mind. Yet when the lyin’ banker entangles her in one helluva financial fix, she finds herself in the bank of Diamond Bluff, Missouri, disguised as a lad and holding a gun on an unfamiliar teller. But the handsome man is so distracting she can’t keep her sex-addled brain on the task at hand—until he threatens to turn her over to the authorities to be hanged if she doesn’t return the money.

When village newcomer and winery owner Dierck Wilder mans his uncle’s small-town bank for a few fateful moments, he’s suddenly staring down the barrel of a revolver. His life veers off on a tumultuous path after he pursues the robber and uncovers a sexy diamond in the rough. Now to unearth the truth and tame Wilder’s bandit…

Aphrodite’s Necklace, by Anh Leod

Exiled by her husband to staid, Victorian England, the goddess Aphrodite is determined to spice up life for a mortal couple by giving them a magic necklace that opens their minds and hearts to passion. Can she teach innocents to delight in sensual love?

Emily Rogers is in the marriage mart, but once the necklace is in her hands, she enlists William Coxe, her family butler, to help find its owner. As Aphrodite intended when she dropped the priceless piece at a ball held in Emily’s home, desire overwhelms Emily—and also William, whom Emily’s parents would never countenance her marrying.

Good sense prevails when the two return the necklace to the goddess, but by this time love has caught the lovers in what seems an impossible situation. Can improper love survive the loss of Aphrodite’s necklace? Only with the goddess’s help can they find a way toward lasting happiness.

Madamoiselle Makes a Match, by Kate Rothwell

An original novella, never before published!

Victorian virgins meet at an inn.

In a village where work is hard to find, virtuous Sally must at last “entertain men” or lose her job at the local inn. The young man she agrees to entertain is Jasper, a visiting gentleman who’s appalled that he’d accidentally forced Sally into this predicament. Yet despite their peculiar meeting and the enormous differences in class and education, the maid and gentleman discover passion and something even more precious, intimacy. Their lovely interlude is interrupted, reality intrudes, and Sally faces another choice…

Seducing Laura, a Regency novel by bestselling British author, Lynne Connolly

When a fortune hunter attempts to steal her niece’s heart, Laura Wickenham makes every effort to prevent the ill-fated match. But the appearance of charismatic Ross Stansfield, the fortune hunter’s handsome uncle, throws her off balance. Instantaneous and combustible, their attraction makes her question her decision never to love again. When the young couple elopes, Laura sets out in pursuit, and fearing for her safety, Ross loses no time chasing her. Thrown closely together, their attraction becomes impossible to resist.

Ordered to find a master spy in the maelstrom of Regency London, Ross finds duty is a distraction any time he’s near Laura. He can’t make his need for her real until he discovers which of her suitors is a threat to Britain. As desire flares between the two, a world of spies and family scandal threatened to thwart a lifetime of happiness.

The Brass Octopus, by Maeve Alpin

Spinster Librarian Piety Plunkett is happy alone with her books, until her sister transforms her with a bras octopus beautifying machine. With her new look, the librarian catches the lusty attentions of a notorious rogue. Blake Blackmore enjoys the favors of beautiful women from the brothels of London to high society’s most fashionable debutantes, but only the spinster librarian consumes his mind night and day. Piety insists she will not wed but devote her life to her position as head librarian.

Blake takes matters into his own hands. In three passion filled lessons, he tutors Piety in carnal pleasure. Now that she is sharing her body, instead of just her books, Piety is shocked yet pleased at how naughty she can be. But if anyone finds out about what goes on in the library after closing time her reputation would be ruined. Is that Blake’ ultimate plan?

Beneath a Cornish Moon, by Ann Jacobs

A dying man’s last wish: Protect Lea. Make her your bride.

Marrying the lovely, sensual Lea will be no hardship for Alain, Earl of St. Vincent. Keeping her safe may be another matter, for a curse lies upon the St. Vincent lands.

Unless Alain can convince Lea to join with him in the fertility rites of the Winter Solstice, her life and his lands may be forfeit.

Alain’s dark passions seduce Lea’s heart and body, but it will take more than passion to bring St. Vincent back from the dark side of the moon.

Timeless Voyage, by Cornelia Amiri

As the pirate Anwen, presses her dagger against the throat of, Kaeso, her Roman captive, he s captivated by dreams of a woman he loved in a previous life, the mirror image of Anwen. Can Anwen and Kaeso steer their timeless voyage to a happy destiny or will they be robbed of love again?

As the Celtic pirate, Anwen, presses her hard iron dagger against a Roman’s throat, memories of fated lovers, druids and sacrifice, stay her hand.

Wooing the Librarian, by Jane Leopold Quinn

After a spectacularly failed romance left her devastated, all Isis Garrett wants is to start her library in this California town. The last thing she wants is another man, not even the handsome preacher who offers his church for her books.

Pres MacKay is starting a new life as a preacher. He can’t hide his attraction to the sweetly rounded new librarian even as she pushes him away. Can he discover the way into her closed heart and prove to her he’s one of the good guys?

Pres isn’t about to give up on Isis, though. The question is can she forget the pain of the past and see a future with him?

Author Post by Maeve Alpin

Scandalously Yours is a fantastic box set of historical fantasy romances. I’m thrilled to have my tale, The Brass Octopus, in the box set. It’s a Victorian novella that uses the ugly duckling and sexy librarian tropes.

The ugly duckling is a favorite fairy tale of mine. The so called duckling was always beautiful, she was just with the wrong family. If she’d been with a family of swans no one would have ever used the word ugly. That’s what happened to my heroine, Piety. Her verbally and emotionally abusive mother called her ugly. As she grew up, Piety tried to not bring attention to herself – dressing drably and throwing herself in to her work. She’s the head librarian in London, so she’s quite prim and proper. Naturally, since I am writing Steampunk I needed a machine and since I was using the ugly duckling trope I thought of a beauty machine, one with eight arms like an octopus. It covers your head, does your hair, puts make up on you and more. So the brass octopus beauty machine was born.

Now, let me tell you about the hero. Blake Blackmore is a rich rogue who spends his nights gambling and womanizing. I’m sure you’ve already guessed, once he meets Piety he’s willing to give all that up for her.

So these are tropes you’ve seen before: the ugly ducking and the lovable rogue. What makes The Brass Octopus different is – Piety and Blake live in an alternate dimension in which inventions depicted in Jane Loudon’s book the Mummy, A Tale of the 23rd Century have been created. So even though it’s Victorian London, there is some advanced technology for the era. Women wear pants, and tinkering or inventing gadgets is a favorite pastime for proper Victorian ladies along with decoupage, scrapbooking, and hand painting china. And Piety’s sister, Polly, has created a beauty machine called The Brass Octopus.

Blurb:

Can a prim librarian make a rogue smile…Can a lovable rogue make a librarian wild?

Librarian, Piety Plunkett is happy alone with her books, until transformed by a beautifying machine. Blake enjoys the favors of women but only Piety consumes his mind night and day. If anyone discovers what’s happening at the library after closing time, Piety’s reputation will be ruined. Is that Blake’ plan?

Excerpt:

Blake nodded at the servant. “We are chums of Meriwether Aston. Do you know where he is?”

“Yes sir, Young Master Aston is dancing in the sky with a young lady.”

Sager’s face twisted into a puzzled expression as he gazed up at the tall footman. “I am afraid I don’t follow.”

“Mr. Meriwether Aston took one of the guests up in the family balloon,” the footman replied in a deadpan voice.

Blake placed one hand on his hip. “Are you saying some young lady is unchaperoned in a hot air balloon, with Meriwether?”

“Yes, sir,” the footman answered with a blank expression.

Blake felt his lips draw together in a perfectly puckered circle of surprise. “Sounds like something I would do.”

“It’s sure to be the scandal of the ball.” Sager rolled his eyes.

“He may be forced to marry that one,” Blake said under his breath.

“Meriwether has one lady, but there are many more beauties here for us, and I plan to dance with them all.” Sager wagged his eyebrows.

“They are all the same. I tired of high society and giggling debutantes long ago. I am here for you and will try to survive the night as best as I can.”

“Oh, I see Miss June Ashton-Boyd. I must sign her dance card.” Sager adjusted his cravat.

“By all means. I’ll stay near the door for now. In case I need to leave unexpectedly.” No matter what he’d told his friend, Blake didn’t plan to stay for more than an hour. The young misses attending the ball came for one reason only: to find rich husbands. He was not in the market for a wife. He never would be. Unless he could find a beauty with the striking confidence and intelligence of that librarian, but clearly she wasn’t impressed by him. He’d never find that type of woman at a dance, anyway. More like a church social or a tea party. He seldom attended either. Those events lacked a certain thrill and rush that he loved.

As Sager dashed off to secure a dance with one beauty, Blake’s breath caught in his throat as a vision of loveliness glided into the entrance hall. He peered at the woman’s neck, swan-like and creamy, above the low-cut, shimmering blue gown. A desire to press his lips against her neck jolted him.

He noticed the resemblance at the nose and mouth between the auburn-haired lady and the blonde at her side. Sisters, he guessed. Blake sensed he was missing something. Their features seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place how. A servant handed each woman one small, leather booklet to slip onto their delicate wrists.

Blake bowed to them. “Good evening, ladies.” Then he flashed his brightest smile at the lady in blue. “I would be greatly honored if you would allow me to sign your dance card.”

“Are you asking me to dance with you?” She wiggled her lips, not quite a frown or a smile. Her brow furrowed as if his request confused her.

Usually women flirted with him to persuade him to sign their dance cards. As charming as this lady appeared, she might prove to be a challenge. That piqued his interest even more.

“Well, I know we have not met before.”

“Do you joke, sir? I am not amused. I have accompanied my sister with the intent of enjoying the ball and I shall do so no matter what you may think of me.” Piety tilted her head away from him.

“I did not mean to cause you any distress. I shall help you enjoy the ball. I assure you, I am a fine dancer.” She seemed a little calmer. “Let me introduce myself, I am Blake Blackmore.” He placed his hand on his chest. “May I have the pleasure of your name and that of your companion?” He flipped his palm off his chest and held it out toward her.

As she turned her head toward him, her eyebrows arched. “My name is Piety Plunkett and this is my sister, Mrs. Polly Plunkett Young.” She tilted her chin in the air. “Do you truly not recognize me?”

“I am sure I would have remembered if we’d met before.”

With a frown on her face, she opened her empty dance card. “By all means, feel free to choose a dance.”

When he finished filling in his name, she glanced at her card. “You have reserved each song. It is quite improper of you to engage more than four dances.”

“So it is.” He nodded, hoping she wouldn’t mark his name out. “I am quite improper.” She had an air of confidence and independence about her that he found compelling. He needed to charm her into a dance before she realized she had the option of saying no. He stretched his arm out to her. “May I escort you and your sister into the ballroom?”

For more about The Brass Octopus and Maeve Alpin please visit her at http://MaeveAlpin.com, https://www.facebook.com/MaeveAlpin/ and twitter @MaeveAlpin

Buy links:

Amazon.com— http://amzn.to/1QG7y2d

Amazon UK– http://amzn.to/1POPAdZ

All Romance Ebooks– http://bit.ly/1Vk1rED

Kobo– https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/scandalously-yours-2-166.html

Smashwords– https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/612550?ref=cw1985

Books will also be available at barnesandnoble.com and iTunes (Apple), but buy links are not yet available for them.

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February 24, 2016 by Tina Williams

BLOG TOUR with AUTHOR POST & EXCERPT ~ A Killer By Any Other Name, by Mary O’Sullivan (includes giveaway)

Today we are delighted to feature Mary O’Sullivan and her latest release Thicker Than Water, a thriller featuring a serial killer and a town’s search to find a missing teenager and her father. Scroll down to read Mary’s post in which she reveals the extensive research she undertook prior to writing, an excerpt and the book’s blurb. Tina 🙂

A Killer By Any Other Name

My latest book, Thicker Than Water, features a serial killer. This meant doing research on psychopaths before I wrote a word. I had to know which traits my character should have, how they would interact with those around them, how they would conduct relationships. I was surprised to find from my research, that intelligence and charm were dominant traits – very far removed from the image of the sleazy unkempt person you would shun. Their apparent normality helps them to carry out their mission in life. I understood from what I learned that their empathy is nil, conscience non-existent, and their motivation is control. The ultimate power over another person is that of life and death. These angry people feel god-like, in total charge, perhaps for the first time, as they end the life of another human being. That power becomes an aphrodisiac, their life-blood. They live to kill and kill to live.

Infants, vulnerable beings that they are, tug at the heart strings of even the toughest of us. It is difficult to imagine violent murderers as innocent babies – blank canvases. Or are they? Are killers born with murder already imprinted in their genes? Professor Adrian Raine, over the course of many years research on prisoners, discovered that murderers’ brains make them more prone to anger. Conversely, their brains are configured to lower their ability to control that anger. He also believed early childhood abuse to be a factor in causing the brain to develop in this way.

In 1993 along came the amazing discovery of the so-called ‘Warrior Gene’, associated with violent behaviour and present in thirty percent of males. The really interesting finding is that not all of that thirty percent go on to behave violently. Some can, and do, lead law-abiding, productive, lives and form steady relationships. An interesting example of this is told in the book ‘The Psychopath Inside’, by neuroscientist James Fallon. In studying the brain scans of convicted criminals, he discovered his own brain scan matched theirs. He also scored high on the Hare Psychopathy Check List, a set of questions designed to determine anti-social and psychopathic tendencies. He concluded that if his upbringing had not been a positive influence, then he himself would probably have become a criminal. A neat answer to the nature versus nurture question but research is still at an early stage.

For me, Edward Theodore Gein (said to be the inspiration behind the book and film Silence Of The Lambs), personifies the most nightmarish aspects of psychopathy. Not satisfied with murder and cannibalism alone, this Wisconsin handy-man, fashioned lampshades from the flesh of his victims. He epitomises evil and yet, from photos, he appears to be a harmless little man. You can be side by side with a very disturbed psychopath and have no inkling.

That was the case with crime journalist, Ann Rule, as she sat beside the multiple murderer Ted Bundy, in of all places, a Crisis Call centre. She and Ted were friends as she investigated the serial murders of young women. Not for a moment did she suspect the, handsome, clever, well-educated and clearly normal, Ted Bundy. Her book on the subject, The Stranger Beside Me, makes for thought provoking reading. Ted, also known as the Campus Killer, was convicted of three murders, admitted to thirty six, and is believed to have committed at least one hundred. He was executed on 24^th January 1989 but, as with other multiple murderers, people still seem to be fascinated by him.

While I think research very important, I also believe that it should just be a background in a work of fiction – an insurance that I won’t put my character into too implausible a situation. So when I discovered that the term psychopath, which I had studied so diligently, is now out of favour and Anti-social Personality Disorder is in, I abandoned research and let the writing begin.

Below is an excerpt, in the voice of the killer, from Thicker Than Water, published by Tirgearr Publishing.

Thank you to a readersreviewblog for hosting me today and thanks also to Lucy Felthouse (Writers Marketing Services) for organising my visit here.

Excerpt from Thicker Than Water

I control it – the urge, ‘the need’ as I usually call it. It gradually builds from the dreams and the voice and I hold the reins every step of the way from concept to final disposal. I orchestrate ‘the need’ and it fulfils me. That’s our bargain. But of late, ‘the need’ has been a bit too impulsive, too anxious to act before the ground work is properly laid. Like with that student in Dungarvan. Yes, I was in charge enough to ensure there were no CCTV cameras in the pick-up area , no witnesses to our meeting , that I left no traces and that I destroyed evidence but I’m still uneasy at how unplanned the whole thing was . I’m especially perturbed by how helpless I was on that occasion against ‘the need’. I saw her, Andrea McGee, and I knew the instant she stepped off the bus wearing hot pants moulded to her buttocks that she was evil. Her nose ring was the final sign she was one of them. I intended to mark her for processing, to learn more about her and her movements, to plan the where and when for disposal. ‘The need’ had other ideas. It took the chance of following the girl along a country road, of picking her up. It raged and burned inside me, it became me until that glorious moment of release when she let go her hold on life and ‘the need’ let go its hold on me.

And now, ‘the need’ is starting to burn again, to remind me that I have work to do. It hasn’t given me enough time to enjoy the peace. But maybe that’s the price of having a purpose in life. And one thing I know for sure. The world will be a better place when my work is done.

Blurb for Thicker Than Water :

When local teenager, Keira Shannon and her father, business man Gerard Shannon, go missing, the town of Ballyderg unites to search for them.

As the search continues rumours of domestic violence, extramarital affairs and criminal behaviour are rife. The crisis causes families and lifelong friends to doubt each other.

The only certainty left is that the town has been visited by evil. Or has it? Could it be the evil one has always lived there sharing history, laughter and tears? And if so, who could it be?

Buy Links

Amazon buy links: http://authl.it/3st

Tirgearr Publishing: http://bit.ly/1J6E7ZV

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1RpGnhf

Author Biography:

Mary worked many years as a Laboratory Technician. Her hobby, her passion, has always been writing. Busy with family and career, she grabbed some moments here and there to write poetry and short stories. She also wrote a general interest column in a local newspaper.

As the demands on her time became more manageable she joined a local creative writing class. It was then, with the encouragement of tutor Vincent McDonald, that the idea of writing a novel took shape. She began to expand on a short story she had written some years previously. It was a shock for her to discover that enthusiasm and imagination are not enough. For the first time she learned that writing can be very hard work.

Mary now has six traditionally published novels, nine eBooks and hopefully more to come, inspiration permitting.

Social Media Links

Please visit my web page at: http://www.maryosullivanauthor.com

Chat to me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/authormaryosullivan

Follow on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/authorosullivan

*****

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February 16, 2016 by Caroline Barker

Spotlight & Blog Tour Chronicles of Ara: Perdition (Vol. 2) by Joel Eisenberg & Stephen Hillard

Title: Perdition (The Chronicles of Ara Volume 2)

Author: Joel Eisenberg & Stephen Hillard

Genre: Fantasy

Date released: November 15, 2015

Published by: Topos Books

Length: 480 pages

Blurb: At the conclusion of “The Chronicles of Ara: Creation”, Volume One of our eight-book series, the goddess Ara’s tragic plot is realized with what appears to be the end of the world. But nothing is ever as it appears. Nothing is ever that simple …

In Volume Two of the series, “Perdition”, we rewind the clock two years prior, when author Thomas McFee is engaged in a mystery upon the world’s discovery of “the catalyst of human inspiration.” That catalyst was, indeed, Ara, who has since been incarnated as the mortal Adriel.

As Thomas is away, another creator, Matthius Alexi, encounters the mysterious man known as “Brikke,” who discloses a tragic secret: Unless she is found and imminently killed by her father’s hand, Adriel will soon be taken and returned to the realm of the gods, thereby threatening the very existence of both human and immortal.

Meanwhile, through an exploration of the lives and darker works of authors Mary Shelley, Carlo Collodi and Robert Louis Stevenson, the prodigy known as ‘X’ is himself on the verge of solving the universe’s greatest mystery, a solution that will once and for all determine the steps necessary to pause the engagement of a new dawn of time and, from there, the gradual implosion of time and space …

When J.R.R. Tolkien is summoned to authenticate a recently-discovered “lost” book of Beowulf, events are set in motion that years later will unveil an imminent tragedy: The entirety of the world’s art and invention has been inspired by a corrupted muse, who has implanted a series of codes within the works of history’s most influential authors, warning of humanity’s end and a new dawn of time. Are the works of Tolkien, Poe, Shelley and many others victims of the corrupted muse, Ara?

“Tolkien, lost art, arcane creations, and a corrupted muse. Fantasy lovers, get ready for some fun.”

– Brad Meltzer, bestselling author of “The President’s Shadow”

“The Chronicles of Ara: Creation is sincerely unlike any novel I’ve ever read, an astounding tale of myth and art that hits the reader on a primal level and never lets go. This is exciting, addicting stuff folks.

You’re not going to know what hit you.”

– Gilbert Adler Producer: Superman Returns, Valkerie, Constantine

AUTHOR BIOS

Joel Eisenberg has been interested in the mechanics behind artistic creation, an ongoing theme of the Chronicles of Ara series, since he penned the nonfiction How to Survive a Day Job in 2004. Interviewing seventy-plus professional creatives, including celebrities from several artistic industries, he credits his “mentor in a box” tome with hastening the realization of his dad’s inspiring words from forty years ago. Writing a novel with similar objectives, much less a series, has been on his bucket list since.

Professionally, Joel has worked primarily in the movie and television industries as a writer and producer. The film he is most proud of, April Showers, which he executive produced, was based on the Columbine school shooting tragedy. He is a former special education teacher and supports school safety causes.

Joel lives with the only woman in the world who could put up with him, his wife, Lorie, and their rescue dog (repeating a not-so-subtle message there), Koko, in Los Angeles, California.

Stephen Hillard grew up in Bossier City, Louisiana, and Grand Junction, Colorado. He graduated from Colorado State University, and also earned a degree in Philosophy at Columbia University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado. Before settling into his current career as a private equity entrepreneur, Steve was a teacher at Rikers Island Prison, a welder, a carpenter, and a practicing litigation attorney. He is the founder of Council Tree Investors, a private equity fund involved in the entertainment and telecom industries.

Steve has also been an active philanthropist, focusing primarily on higher education, as well as at-risk Latino and indigenous youth, at the Escuela Tlatelolco in Denver, Colorado. In 2011, Steve published Mirkwood: A Novel About JRR Tolkien, which sparked international controversy, became an Amazon Best Seller, received a national prize, and was subsequently published worldwide in Spanish by Grupo Planeta.

In addition to collaborative efforts with his partner, Joel Eisenberg, on The Chronicles of Ara, Steve is developing other projects. These include an untitled prequel to Mirkwood, Farway Canyon, a retro-horror graphic novel about radiation, blobs, and (of course) Cold War zombies, and KNOLL, a novel about JFK, Carlos Marcello, Elvis, the NSA, and Edward Snowden. He resides with his wife, Sharmaine, in San Antonio, Texas.

Joel and Steve can be contacted directly through their author page, www.eisenbergandhillard.com, or their “Ara” series page, www.chroniclesofara.com.

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/incorgnito

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/IncorgnitoBooks

Purchase Link: http://www.incorgnitobooks.com/the-chronicles-of-ara-predition/

February 10, 2016 by Tina Williams

BOOK BLAST with REVIEW, AUTHOR POST & GIVEAWAY ~ Discovered (The Forsaken Blood Series #1), by Em Taylor

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Discovered
SERIES (& book #) – The Forsaken Blood Series #1
AUTHOR – Em Taylor
GENRE – Vampire Romance/ Science Fiction Romance/ Futuristic Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – 4th December 2015
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 98,000 words
PUBLISHER – Em Taylor
COVER ARTIST – Veronica Fernandez Munoz and Em Taylor

**NOTE – Book can be read as standalone

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Edinburgh is a city that’s slow to change. Which is why in 2061, Professor Lachlan Mackenzie still lives there. He hasn’t changed in the 1000 years since he and his shipmates abandoned ship, forsaken by the Vampyras millions of light years away and left to fend for themselves, feeding off the blood of humans.

Lachlan is drawn to sexy psychologist Kate the moment he steps into her office. He wants to protect her and help her overcome her PTSD. Ignoring the warning signs of his growing attraction he agrees to be her cabin mate on the journey to the new colony on Mars. But when Kate discovers him feeding on bagged blood, all hell breaks loose. Has he been set up by the Vampyr council leader? Will Kate ever forgive his lies? And how does he explain what he is to his long lost daughter who he meets on their journey?

As Kate starts to trust, outside forces threaten to rip them apart. Will Lachlan lose the only woman he’s ever truly bonded with?

BUY & TBR LINKS

GOODREADS

Discovered - Teaser 2

EXCERPT

He forced himself to move his lips across her cheek, peppering light pecks down her jawline as she tangled her fingers in his hair and whispered his name.

Suddenly she started to struggle. “Lachlan, your teeth.”

“What about them?” he asked, pinning her back to the bed and tugging at the shoulder of her white tennis dress. It moved down to her elbow easily, and he revealed the cup of a white lacy bra. His cock jerked and his heart beat speeded up. Soon, very soon his lips would be around the dusky areola he could see just beneath the material.

“Are they in or out?”

He lifted himself slightly off Kate pulling the other side of the dress down, unconcerned with whatever was bothering her.

“My canines are in for now. Why?” Another perfectly-shaped and perfectly-sized breast. “Lift your hips.” She did as she was bid, and he slipped the sexy little tennis dress off, reminding himself he needed to ask Meg to send some hydrogen peroxide.

“I still have blood on me.”

Lachlan leaned on his elbow and surveyed her, cocking an eyebrow. “You do indeed.”
There was a line of dried blood running from just below her collarbone, under the cup of her bra, and probably pooling just under her breast. He touched it lightly with an index finger, tracing it as far as the edge if her bra. “That…my darling Kate, is every male Vampyr’s wet dream.”

He pressed his tongue to the edge of the lace, and Kate sighed, her eyelids fluttering closed.

“What if your teeth pop out again and you bite me by accident?” she asked as she arched her back, reaching for the touch of his tongue. He chuckled against her breast.

“Did your mother never teach you it’s rude to disturb a man when he’s eating, Katie?

My Review – Five Stars!

Fun, Sassy and Sensual – A fab start to a new series!

Em Taylor’s Discovered is a fun, sassy and sensual read which pairs a sexy space Vampyr/university professor Lachlan MacKenzie with human Psychologist Kate Masters. Set in the future, in Edinburgh, in space and on Mars, it will appeal to readers of paranormal romance and sci-fi romance alike. It is a world where humans are still unaware of the existence of an alien species, Vampyrs, who have been living amongst them for hundreds of years since becoming stranded on Earth.

I loved how the attraction between Lachlan and Kate is so instantaneous. However, their relationship is far from plain sailing due not least to Lachlan’s reticence to get involved with a human again on account of unfortunate experiences in his past. There are a number of misunderstandings and some hilarious scenes as the pair circle around each other even before they embark on their mission to Mars.

Lachlan is one sexy Vampyr – he has looks and brains and manages to combine old world charm with an outlook which is not out of place in the world of 2061 when the novel is set. He tries not to give into his attraction to Kate as he wants to protect her from what his true nature is, lest he frightens her. Nonetheless, sharing quarters on board ship inevitably leads to some intimate scenes and the sexual tension and mayhem increase and the inevitable happens! Of course initially Kate has no ideas that Lachlan is an alien, least of all a Vampyr and she is suitably shocked when this comes to light: cue a great deal of soul searching amongst some sizzling love-making scenes as to what their future together will be! The read contains a great deal of humour, but also touches on some dark issues from both Lachlan’s and Kate’s past.

I really enjoyed the premise of the novel, that of aliens having lived amongst us for centuries, giving rise to the vampire myths. The novel contains a lot of humour, in particular the character of Meg, the leader of the Vampyr Council, and her interactions with both Kate and Lachlan were priceless! If Lachlan comes across as a little world-weary from his long life as a Vampyr, Meg is positively jaded and I am curious to know exactly what she is plotting and if she too will find her other half!

I recommend Discovered to readers of sci-fi and paranormal romance. Fans of Lindsay Sands Argeneau Vampire series and Evangeline Anderson’s Brides of the Kindred series will especially love this novel. Readers who up until now are only familiar with Em Taylor’s Regency Romances may also wish to indulge. It is a fab start to what promises to be an addictive series.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note a copy of this novel was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

AUTHOR POST

What do you love best about writing sci-fi romance and what are the challenges?

Hi everyone and thanks for joining me on this blog blast. I was asked to talk about what I love best about writing sci-fi romance and what are the challenges. That’s a big question. My first foray into writing as an adult was science fiction romance—albeit fan fiction. I hadn’t written since school. English at school put me off. After my first year at secondary school (aged about 12) I never really had an English teacher who inspired me. Don’t get me wrong, most were competent teachers, but they taught the syllabus, no more no less—a bit of Shakespeare, some Arthur Miller (The Crucible was probably the only thing I remember remotely inspiring me), the war poets, Oscar Wilde, and of course, the obligatory Of Mice and Men.

In a slightly alcohol-induced bet one night, I tried my hand at fan fiction and my Star Trek Voyager loving friends seemed to approve. I gave myself a pen name (Libby Kim) and set myself up on fanfiction.net. After a year of writing a prolific amount of Star Trek Voyager—mostly Janeway/Chakotay—fan fiction, I decided I wanted to make the leap and write my own stuff and that meant creating my own worlds and that’s the biggest challenge in Science Fiction Romance.

When writing fan fiction, the world is already created. Of course, you can create new planets and species according to your story but the weaponry, ships, technology is already they. How they travel through space is already there. My book, Discovered, is set just 45 years from now. I’d like to think we have better and quicker ways of cooking healthy food by 2061, but I suspect it won’t be quite as technologically advanced as the Star Trek replicator. So I had to come up with something else. I made hover trams instead of regular trams and although we can get to Mars, it still takes three weeks.

I thought that science fiction would be easy and I could just make it up as I went along as you can in fantasy. But when it came to creating the planet that my aliens came from, it turns out I was still bound by the laws of physics. So I spend a couple of hours on the Nanowrimo forums getting help on how I could have a planet that had half the planet always in darkness and half always in the light. Then I had to spend hours learning about nuclear combustible elements on the periodic table—something that’s always a worry if MI5 ever turn up at my door and want to see my browser history. Having spent a few years writing Regency novels and being very aware I had to get the minutia of Regency life correct or I would soon hear about it through my Amazon reviews, I hadn’t quite expected that I would have to become knowledgeable in nuclear science overnight to avoid the same fate again.

But to be honest, creating my own worlds and species is also the best part about writing sci fi romance. Although my hero is a vampyr, I could choose which parts of the vampyr myth I wanted to keep and what could remain as myth in my story. Just as I could, in some instances play with science. I could also play with what will happen in the future. Who will be Prime Minister in the UK in 2061? What will have happened politically? Will Scotland have gained her independence? Let’s just say the PM is very cute, because he’s the hero of book 2.

In some ways writing Science Fiction Romance is the same as writing any other romance. It doesn’t really matter what pegs you hang your story on, they story is still sexy man meets cute girl and things get very hot. I have to say I was never a fan of Science Fiction until I was in my 30s. I still haven’t watched Star Wars. A friend and I were both big fans of The West Wing and I was off sick from work. She told me she’d send me a boxed set of DVDs to cheer me up. When it arrived, I couldn’t believe it. It was nothing like West Wing. It was some sci fi thing called Firefly. I gave it a couple of days then out of sheer boredom I started to watch it. Well…. Nathan Fillion…. There is nothing more to be said. If you’ve never watched Firefly or Castle then you haven’t lived (Castle didn’t exist back then). I was a convert to sci fi. Star Trek Voyager was playing every day at 3pm and I started watching that. I then bought all the DVDs because I couldn’t wait for the stupid TV and had to find out what happened. So if you don’t know if you fancy Discovered, have a look at the reviews. A few of the reviewers weren’t sure and took a chance and loved it. Sci fi doesn’t have to be scary or dull. Happy reading. And thanks for having me.

AUTHOR BIO

Em was born and brought up in the Central Belt of Scotland and still lives there. She was told as a child she had an over active imagination–as if that is a bad thing. She’s traded her dreams of owning her own island, just like George in the Famous Five to hoping to meet her own Mr Darcy one day. But her imagination remains the same.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

GIVEAWAY PRIZES

18ct White Gold Plated Swarovski Crystal Black Pearl Necklace and Earrings, Red silk scarf and signed paperback copy of Discovered

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February 9, 2016 by Tina Williams

BOOK BLAST & REVIEW – Sinful Possession (Cynfell Brothers # 5) , by Samantha Holt (includes excerpt and giveaway)

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Sinful Possession
SERIES (& book #) – Cynfell Brothers # 5
AUTHOR – Samantha Holt
GENRE – Historical Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – 25th January
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 37000

NOTE – Can be read as standalone

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. The Cynfell brothers are the very embodiment of a sinful existence. But could the right woman change that?

Sloth

Miss Lila Radley was set to be the belle of the ball this summer. With her charming manners, beautiful looks and excellent connections, everyone anticipated her receiving endless proposals.

However, no one expected her to be kidnapped.

After she witnesses a murder, Lila finds herself in the hands of two overwhelmingly attractive brothers—entirely against her will. However, while the twin Cynfell brothers might be as devastating in looks as each other, only one intrigues her—the brooding Lord Ash Cynfell.

Unfortunately, he is the very reason she is in danger.

Already battling with his own demons, Ash finds himself with an additional burden to bear—Miss Lila Radley’s safety. He cannot very well abandon her as it was due to his inaction that a man ended up dead and a serial killer is now targeting her. Unfortunately, keeping the vivacious Lila protected until the murderer is found is going to test him in every way possible.

Can he resist her charm and beauty, aware a worthless man like himself is no good for a woman like her? All he knows is that when Lila turns her sunny smile onto his twin brother, his finds himself unable to summon his usual relaxed attitude. Has Ash Cynfell, the most reclusive brother, finally found something worth fighting for?

BUY LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US – http://amzn.to/1TPGbFQ

EXCERPT

“What were you thinking?”

Ash narrowed his gaze at Harris. “There’s a serial killer out there. A powerful and dangerous one.”

His brother paced in front of him while Ash sat on a chair too small for his build outside of the bedroom.

The bedroom that held a currently enraged Lila. The crashes of furniture had stopped only a short while ago. It seemed no one had noticed that Lila had gone. Her family, according to Harris, had assumed she’d retreated to bed. They were, as his brother said, a little scatter-brained.

He couldn’t deny he had come to that conclusion from his short acquaintance with them, but Harris spent more time in society so his opinion was likely correct.

So that at least gave him time to decide what to with Miss Lila Radley.

Pin her to the bed and kiss away her fury?

He smirked to himself. No. Tempting as that was, he suspected that would only increase her ire. Since she’d awoken from her faint, she’d been full of fire. He wouldn’t tell her that he had enjoyed picking up her soggy form and carrying her to his brother’s carriage far more than he should have done. He also certainly wouldn’t mention how she’d curled a hand around his neck and burrowed herself against him.

He released a sigh. If it wasn’t enough he’d already near fallen for her on sight, she was now appealing to his need to protect. There was nothing quite like being needed by the opposite sex. And when she’d tucked her face into his neck, he’d been lost.

My Review

Five stars *****

Scandalous and Sexy Victorian Escapade

I just loved Sinful Possession, the latest addition to Samantha Holt’s Cynfell series. In this scandalous and sexy read, the hero is compelled to kidnap a debutante in an effort to save her from the clutches of a serial killer.

The romance between the handsome and reclusive Ash and the feisty and headstrong Lila sizzles with sexual tension from the off. At first she is enraged that Ash and his twin Harris have whisked her away from the marriage mart, despite the duo being sinfully attractive and (at least in Harris’ case) charming. Yet it is the brooding Ash who draws her and the banter between them and the results of their enforced proximity is highly diverting. Even his occasional grumpiness and his propensity to fall asleep at inappropriate times does not put her off. She starts to view this man who places her well-being above his own as a keeper. Yet does he want her for his own and what is he hiding? It takes a very determined Lila to persuade this man of his true worth.

I just adored Ash’s determination to protect Lila, even at the expense of her reputation and his good name. He is instantly attracted to her and it is not long before he wants to protect her not just from the killer on the loose but other men who covet her. There are some highly amusing scenes where these protective instincts come to the fore.

Samantha Holt certainly excels at both scenes of sexual tension and sensual love-making and she delivers both with alacrity in this novella. Recommended for historical romance lovers who are looking for a sexy, satisfying and diverting read.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of this book was given to me as part of this blog tour for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

AUTHOR BIO

Samantha lives in a small village in England with her twin girls and a dachshund called Duke. She enjoys writing historical romance involving chivalrous knights, hot highlanders and cravatted men. Writing is her (more than) full time job but on the rare occasion, she’s not writing, she loves to visit the many stately homes and castles nearby.