STEALTH
-- EXCERPT: Hazel I didn’t dare gaze into the eyes of the man who bought me. Thanks to my stepbrother, Nikolai, I belonged to Franco, his second in command in the mafia. “Next week you’ll be my bride,” Franco said, his teeth yellowing and crooked. He grabbed my jaw and yanked my face closer to his for a kiss. His breath smelled of vomit. My stomach recoiled. We stood outside his black sedan, the door open. I was to go with him. I’d sooner starve myself to death. That was still a possibility after I went with the man who I was engaged to marry. Bile rose to my throat, and I swallowed the burning acid as it slid back down. I kept my mouth sealed shut, but it didn’t stop him from planting his thick dry lips against mine. His tongue pushed at my mouth rough and forceful, but I refused to grant him access. The scum-sucking vermin could kiss the soles of my feet. I wanted to kill my stepbrother but not before I took out Franco. Franco’s thick hand palmed my hair, his fingers tangled in my locks before he yanked hard, bringing my face to his. “Other girls should be as lucky as you.” My stepbrother was nowhere to be found. Typical. Sell me and move on, like I meant nothing to him. I was a piece of property. That was it. Franco shoved me toward the back door of his sedan. Oh hell, no. I had the upper hand now, with only Franco and his driver. If I made it to his house, who knew the danger that awaited, how many men I’d be forced to fight or what other security measures would exist. “Get off me!” I slammed my elbow into his stomach and stomped on his toes before kneeing him in the crotch. His driver lifted his gun, pointing it at my head. “Please, you’d be doing me a favor,” I said. I’d sooner die than marry him. “Don’t shoot her!” Franco pushed the gun away from the driver, lowering the barrel. I pulled back my fist, landing another blow, this one to Franco’s face before his hand yanked my hair and slammed my head into the side of the car. The world spun and nausea swept over me. He shoved my body into the back of the vehicle, slammed the door shut, and stomped around to the front passenger side. “Don’t puke on the interior, Bitch.” The car engine started. My vision blurred, but I felt for the door handle and gave it a hard pull. Damn child safety locks. It didn’t open. Roar. I flew back against the seat as the driver slammed on the gas. The tires squealed, and my nose tickled with the scent of burning rubber. The skyline grew smaller in the distance as we tore out of the city. Where the hell were we going? Where did Franco live? “Where are you taking me?” I rubbed my eyes, confused and tired. The blurred vision was getting better, but I still felt like I’d been run over by a car. “Home sweet home, Darling. We’re going to Russia.” Russia wasn’t my home. I’d never been out of the country. My fingers stroked the white gold locket against my neck, the only token of my mother that I had left, a gift from my deceased father. I wasn’t going to Russia or any other country with Franco. I shoved my hand into my pocket and retrieved my cell phone. I turned it on silent and sent out a text requesting help. I didn’t know how long I had until the flight or until they searched me. I’d been foolish not to bring a knife or at the very least mace with me, some kind of weapon to defend myself. I had memorized Mason’s number, having stalked him online. It had been years since we’d seen each other. We’d gone to boarding school together. He had joined the army after high school, and I had been sent to live with my father. It was no secret he worked for the security firm Eagle Tactical. I couldn’t call them. It would be too risky. I hoped that their business line could receive texts. I didn’t have Mason’s personal number; it appeared to be unlisted. Mason, I need your help. Please track my phone and come for me. I wouldn’t ask if this wasn’t life or death – my death. Hazel It was short and to the point. It’s all I could do. I hoped it would go through and he’d come for me.
GIVEAWAY! Shift of Moralsby K Webster Publication Date: March 26, 2021 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, M/M, Shifter RomanceRead for FREE in KindleUnlimited: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU From USA Today Bestselling Author K Webster comes an angst-filled, steamy age-gap MM shifter standalone romance! ***This is the fifth book to release in the Kingdom of Wolves collection but is a COMPLETE STANDALONE. It’s meant to be read on its own and is a full story with a happily ever after.*** I found him when he was a boy. Bloody. Mangled. Near death. If I’d been a merciful alpha, I would’ve snapped his neck and ended him right then. Except, I didn’t. Something in his big brown eyes tugged at my heart strings. I kept him. Healed him. Raised him to be fierce, loyal, and brave. Now that he’s an adult, everything’s changing. He’s no longer the soft, scared beta I once thought he was. No, there’s an uncontrollable anger inside him. A rage-filled hate I don’t understand. As a dangerous pack begins tormenting us and destroying our home, I feel him pulling from me as he seeks justice. He thirsts for revenge, even if it means leaving our pack and going solo. But, as his alpha, I won’t let him go without a fight. Each time he pushes, I pull him right back to me. I’ll keep him locked in my arms or pinned beneath me forever if that’s what it takes to keep him. A shift of morals has begun. One I don’t understand, but certainly don’t resist. I’m the most powerful wolf on Beacon Island. I don’t have weaknesses. Until now. This wild, reckless young man changed everything when he stole my heart. This book is a steamy standalone MM age-gap shifter romance. No other books need to be read before or after this one as it is a complete story.About K. WebsterK Webster is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her titles have claimed many bestseller tags in numerous categories, are translated in multiple languages, and have been adapted into audiobooks. She lives in “Tornado Alley” with her husband, two children, and her baby dog named Blue. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and researching aliens.Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter The Final Dawn
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GIVEAWAY! Heart and Seek
-- SNEAK PEEKS: “This store is right over a fault line,” she said. “It is?” Because he couldn’t think of a damn thing to add to a geology discussion right now. She bit her lip. “It sings to me.” As her simply being did to him. He made a non- committal noise. “We managed to kiss without a single tremble.” She trailed her hand along his jaw, tapping the divot in his chin beneath the facial hair. “Not even a rumble.” Totally untrue. She had cracked his resolve and his heart all over again. -- He pushed overgrown black curls out of his face to reveal familiar brown eyes, blood along one cheek to mirror a scar on the other, and a beard covering the cleft on his chin. The one deep enough to nestle the tip of her little finger. Like the dimple had been cut for her. Crash. Or at least she’d called him Crash when she’d been a lovestruck teenager with a crush as dizzying as these staggering cliffs on a boy from East Los Angeles. Of the millions of people in this city, why did it have to be Diego Benitas, war hero and heartbreaker?
GIVEAWAY! I Put a Spell On You
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: The next time I stirred the house was still and dark. The Fairy Godmother’s Rulebook was open next to me on the sofa. Mesmerized by the pattern of lights dancing across the ceiling from the pool in the backyard. I came to the dawning realization I wasn’t alone. Someone was in the house with me. Maybe I was dreaming, but every time I came to full consciousness I had the terrifying feeling of being watched. I tried to sit up, but I couldn’t. It was as if I’d lost the use of my limbs. I drifted in and out of sleep. Then a shadow moved over me and soft hands brushed against my face. I couldn’t move and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make a sound. “Look at her ears,” a man said in a hissing whisper. “She’s almost reached full maturity,” a woman whispered in response. A pair of hands gently pushed my hair back over my shoulders. A hand lightly touched the skin on my back, gently moving over the raw, bumpy skin protruding out of the middle of my back. “She’s fledgling. It won’t be long now,” a woman’s voice whispered. “No more than forty-eight hours.” I struggled to become fully awake, but couldn’t move. It was as if I was drugged. I laid on the sofa paralyzed with terror and fear until I slipped back to sleep.
GIVEAWAY! Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for the latest additions to DI Tanner series of police procedurals written by David Blake. THE WHERRYMAN Four missing children, three murdered men, and the helm of a boat with a blood-red sail, hiding a secret only he can tell. Returning to the Broads after nearly two years at sea, Tanner moors up next to a boat to find the body of a man whose five-year-old daughter is nowhere to be seen. As a torrent of unwanted memories begins flooding through his mind, an attractive Broads Ranger arrives at the scene with a disturbing tale; one of children being taken by a ghostly figure, standing at the helm of an old wooden boat. Purchase Link - getbook.at/TheWherryman My thoughts: We are back to the fascinating world of Norfolk Broads with DI Tanner's latest investigation! After the tragic events of Horsey Mere, John Tanner did the only thing he could do to preserve his sanity- he went to the sea ( 'The cure for anything is salt water—sweat, tears, or the sea' Isak Dinesen). Two years later he is back to the place where he started his journey and bang! in the middle of a new case, as he discovers the body of a Broads ranger and finds out that the ranger's five-year-old daughter is missing. He also discovers that this isn't an isolated case- three more children have been abducted from their parents' boats. And Vicky Gilbert (who has become a DI in the meantime) delivers another disturbing piece of news: a criminal family from London has relocated to Norfolk. They say that the head of the family wanted to retire, but in reality, they get into a new business- that of hiring boats to holidaymakers. There's another very sinister reason to suspect that they might be involved... The book is as dark and gripping as the previous one. The 'supernatural' element (or you might want to call it 'the superstition element) is the legend of a wherryboat with dark-red, blood-soaked sails and a lonely wherryman who whisks away children left without supervision. Of course, DI Tanner is a down-to-earth person, who believes in evidence collection and solid police work, but this much-feared ghostly apparition may have an unexpected rational explanation. We see a different side of Tanner, a person who has endured a lot of suffering in his life and hasn't lost his humanity and compassion. There are some old characters (I was very happy to see more of Vicky and DCI Forrester) and some new characters that you might take to or dislike intensely. The setting is very atmospheric. I don't know much about boats and sailing, but the descriptions sounded fascinating and I found myself looking for images online. David's passion for Norfolk Broads and boats was clearly evident in this book. Despite the very dark topic (the final scenes were downright shocking, even creepy), this was an entertaining read, I found impossible to put down. Can't wait for the next book in the series- Storm Force. Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources, the publisher and the author for the review copy. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. Author Bio Consistently ranked within the top 30 most read authors on Amazon.co.uk, David Blake is a full-time author living in North London. To date he has written eighteen books along with a collection of short stories. He’s currently working on his nineteenth, The Wherryman, which is the next in his series of crime fiction thrillers after Broadland, St. Benet's, Moorings, Three Rivers and Horsey Mere. When not writing, David likes to spend his time mucking about in boats, often in the Norfolk Broads, where his crime fiction books are based. Social Media Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidBlakeAuthor Twitter: @DavidDBlake Thank you for reading the post!
If you would like to find out what other bloggers thought of Horsey Mere and The Wherryman, here is the full blog tour schedule: Tristan
GIVEAWAY!
My thoughts:
Tristan by Jennie Lynn Roberts is a fabulously imaginative fantasy story set in an original world. If you are looking for a new series, full of adventures and well-rounded, interesting characters, Tristan is a book for you! Tristan is a Captain of Royal Guards entrusted with the protection of the King himself. At the beginning of the book a tragedy strikes and the King is assassinated with Tristan standing but a few feet away. Added to Tristan's shame and guilt is the fact that his childhood friend, a royal guard himself, Val, appears to have betrayed the King and his fellow soldiers and got involved with the treacherous Princess Alana, who has recently joined the royal family in order to secure peace. Tristan and his faithful Hawks are demoted and exiled, while Val is captured and is awaiting execution. When Tristan is given one chance to redeem himself by tracking Val's accomplice, he doesn't hesitateeven if the person in question is Val's younger sister Nim, his companion of childhood games. Nim's flight from the new King's vengeful Chancellor is heart-breaking. Once she find out that Val is still alive, she becomes a woman on mission: she must save her kind and loyal brother or die trying to do it. The world created by Jennie Lynn Roberts is spellbinding. It has been such a long time since I visited afantasy world so carefully constructed. It is quite complex, but the author doesn't fallinto the trap of an infodump. She doesn't tell, she shows and involves her readersin the adventures of her fascinating characters. I really enjoyed getting to know the protagonists and, yes, I will always have a sweet spot for a strong, reserved male lead and an equally strong, but so feisty female protagonist. The secondary characters are equally interesting and it was so much fun getting to know the Hawks with their unique abilities and unique dispositions. I adore slow-burn romance and friends-to-lovers trope and this one surpassed all my expectations! There was enough time and enough adventures for the characters to test their ideas of what they already believed in their hearts- that they belong together and that the trust they placed blindly in the nobility of each other's intentions was justified. I am really looking forward to the second part of the Hawks and cannot recommend it highly enough to all lovers of the fantasy genre.
If you would like to know what other bloggers thought of Tristan, here is the full blog tour schedule:
March 22nd –Sascha Darlington’s Microcosm Explored >> Guest post –Jazzy Book Reviews >> Excerpt –Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! >> Review March 23rd –Iron Canuck Reviews & More >> Excerpt –Viviana MacKade >> Guest post –Adventures in Writing >> Excerpt March 24th –Book Briefs >> Review –Reading Tonic >> Review –Sadie’s Spotlight >> Excerpt March 25th –The Avid Reader >> Interview –My Fiction Nook >> Guest post –Lindsey’s Library >> Review March 26th –BookishKelly2020 >> Review –Sara In Bookkland >> Interview –Ingrid´s Book Blog >> Review –Cranky The Book Curmudgeon >> Review Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for the latest additions to DI Tanner series of police procedurals written by David Blake. HORSEY MERE The remains of a 17th Century witch, an MP found hanging above a five-pointed star, and three girls with powers beyond anyone's control. As DI Tanner and DS Evans endeavour to make plans for their big day, the chance discovery of Norfolk's last known witch, tried and hanged by Norfolk’s infamous Witchfinder General, sparks a chain of the most horrific events, none of which Tanner seems able to stop. Purchase Link - getbook.at/HorseyMere THE WHERRYMAN Four missing children, three murdered men, and the helm of a boat with a blood-red sail, hiding a secret only he can tell. Returning to the Broads after nearly two years at sea, Tanner moors up next to a boat to find the body of a man whose five-year-old daughter is nowhere to be seen. As a torrent of unwanted memories begins flooding through his mind, an attractive Broads Ranger arrives at the scene with a disturbing tale; one of children being taken by a ghostly figure, standing at the helm of an old wooden boat. Purchase Link - getbook.at/TheWherryman My Thoughts: I am a newcomer to this fascinating series of police procedurals, but my blogger friends raved about David Blake's previous books and now I can see why. Fast-paced, gritty, atmospheric, Horsey Mere is an excellent addition to DI Tanner series. I must admit, when I first read the short blurb provided by the publisher, I imagined the book in a different light. So, if you are not a big fan of paranormal, rest assured, however atmospheric the beginning of the story is (three boys open an old grave with human remains), it is followed by a solid police investigation into a different case. I don't really want to give the story away, but the plot is well-thought through in the best way possible. You have all the clues, but you discover their significance together with the police, when you begin to see connections between the things which previously appeared unrelated. I like a good twist as much as any other reader, but what I like more is a foreshadowed twist and David Blake is a real master of creating watertight plots. Most of us read series like that because we find the detectives and their personal and working relationships, which are inevitably intertwined, fascinating. We get to see more of DI Tanner and his fiancee Jenny Evans. I dare say that seeing how well they understand each other, hearing their playful banter and knowing that they will always have each other's back ( 'until death do us part') is one of the most tender moments of this otherwise down-to-earth book. There are some really serious issues explored in this story- politics, racism, xenophobia, social climbing, blackmail with the overarching idea of action and reaction, force and counterforce, injustice/ suffering that is unfortunately exarcerbated by more injustice. These topics may sound too heavy, but the book is a real page-turner told at a perfect pace. Fortunately, the next instalment is already out and I can't wait to tell you all about it tomorrow in my new post on The Wherryman, DI Tanner#6. Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources and the publisher for the review copies of Horsey Mere and The Wherryman. All opinions aremy own and were not influenced in any way. Author Bio Consistently ranked within the top 30 most read authors on Amazon.co.uk, David Blake is a full-time author living in North London. To date he has written eighteen books along with a collection of short stories. He’s currently working on his nineteenth, The Wherryman, which is the next in his series of crime fiction thrillers after Broadland, St. Benet's, Moorings, Three Rivers and Horsey Mere. When not writing, David likes to spend his time mucking about in boats, often in the Norfolk Broads, where his crime fiction books are based. Social Media Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidBlakeAuthor Twitter: @DavidDBlake Thank you for reading the post! Tomorrow I am going to post my review of The WherryMan - hope you're already intrigued about DI Tanner's latest investigation.
If you would like to find out what other bloggers thought of Horsey Mere and The Wherryman, here is the full blog tour schedule: Happy Cover Reveal to Summer Sin by K.S.Marsden! Summer Sin (Northern Witch #4) As an eventful school year draws to a close, Mark has to face his greatest challenge yet. Witches, demons and spells have quickly become the norm for Mark, but he will find that magic can't solve all of his problems. With everyone relying on him, will Mark be able to save the day? Or will the price of being a hero be too high? Pre Order Link Available at special pre-order deal 99p (normal price £3.50/$3.99) Purchase links: https://books2read.com/u/b5kdXO Publication Date: 1st May Author Bio Kelly S. Marsden grew up in Yorkshire, and there were two constants in her life - books and horses. Graduating with an equine degree from Aberystwyth University, she has spent most of her life since trying to experience everything the horse world has to offer. She is currently settled into a Nutritionist role for a horse feed company in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. She writes Fantasy stories part-time. Her first book, The Shadow Rises (Witch-Hunter #1), was published in January 2013, and she now has several successful series under her belt. Social Media Links – www.ksmarsden.com www.goodreads.com/author/show/6905238.K_S_Marsden www.facebook.com/ksmarsden www.twitter.com/ksmarsden www.instagram.com/ksmarsden Apocalipstick
-- EXCERPT: Glass shattered in the next room and footsteps crunched over the broken splinters. What had once been a tall, middle-aged man in a business suit, was now a bloated corpse in rags crusted over with blood and pus. The baked-by-the-sun Streaker wore a wrinkled face with the consistency of an old raisin. His right arm hung limply, dislodged from the socket, but both hands made continual grabbing motions. Lacking any grace, the creature staggered to the bedroom door and stopped. It sniffed, searching out its next meal. Blood poured from Jenna’s lip, where Tundra had hit her. She wiped it away, then retrieving the piece of wood. Sensing the movement, the Streaker turned its undead eyes on her. Some of its skull had been torn away, exposing the rot. It lumbered and stumbled over the chair in its path, giving Jenna desperate seconds to ready herself. Arm raised, eyes dead and unblinking, it came, dancing with death. It reached out to grab her. Jenna ducked, then swung low and hard. “I must have gone brain dead. I can’t think of one good zombie joke right now.” The creature staggered back, but then surged forward. Jenna rammed the edge of the board into its stomach. “No comeback from the undead. There’s a no brainer.” It writhed against the constant pressure of the wood. A trail of intestines spurted out, staining the tattered remains of clothing. Jenna gagged at the stench. “You, my good sir, are too gross for words.” The undead groaned, plowing forward. Decaying brains leaking from its nostrils and eyes. “That all you got for me?” She stepped back, hoisting the board, and swung. The head of the creature flew sideways, but it continued forward, emaciated fingers scratching. She drove the Streaker over to the left with a repeated, steady swing. The wood sank into a shallow layer of skin covering the undead’s overripe, bloated belly. Upon Caleb’s return, he moved to Jenna’s side. She stepped back and leaned against the window. Caleb, hatchet in hand, forced the Streaker into a corner. A noise at the window had her spinning around. A hand shot through the glass and into the room to claw at Jenna’s face. Outside in the darkness, lifeless eyes found her. The undead rammed against the window, spraying glass. Jenna stepped away, and seconds later, a loud crack caused splintered wood and glass to fall to the floor along with pieces of the zombie’s fingers. With a catatonic stare, the Streaker pushed through the opening, tearing its flesh against the jagged edges of the frame. Jenna flashed back to the cigarettes and matches she saw in the room. Fire was exactly what she needed now. She searched for the matchbook that had laid on the floor, but the room was in disarray thanks to the fight. Something bumped behind her, and panic rose inside her. Dropping to her belly, scanning the floor, her fingers reached under the bed.
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