Alternative Destiny by Allyson Young #mmf #paranormal #romance

Alternative Destiny by Allyson Young

A Blue Star Shifters Novella

MMF paranormal

Published by Evernight Publishing

May 26, 2020

                           

Cassie Fortuna flees back to her own pack, broken-hearted, after discovering her intended’s interest in another woman. Despite shifters being monogamous, it seems Ben isn’t.

As her twenty-fifth birthday approaches, and her heat, she resigns herself to returning—there is no one for her in Mystic River and her only sibling and her family live in Blue Star. Besides, she’s over Benjamin Kraft.

Ben hopes Cassie came back for him but is unable to breach her cold façade to finally share his dark secret. Secrets have a habit of coming out, however, and Cassie is stunned by what she learns. Intent on making things up to her, Ben succeeds in winning her back. Having never gotten over him, she embraces their new relationship. 

But Cassie and Ben could be in danger, as well as someone else important to him when others learn his secret. Is the risk worth the reward?

Excerpt:

She was cutting the crusts off a peanut butter and jam sandwich when she felt him. He moved almost silently, but her wolf was attuned and threw itself against the boundaries she’d enforced on it. His scent reached her next, that spicy fragrance with a hint of musk, and Cass the woman swallowed a moan.

After setting the knife down, she transferred the sandwich from the cutting board to a plate before turning with it held in front of her like a tiny shield. Or an offering.

It took a massive effort, but she met Ben’s stare with a cool, polite one of her own. “Hey, Ben.”

“Cass.” He sauntered closer and leaned one hip against the fridge.

Having no desire to engage in small talk, she snagged her cup and moved past him, now intending to eat her breakfast in her room.

“Jett tells me you’re back for good.”

“That’s right.” She was nearly out the door when he moved with that deceptive speed he had, grasping her elbow. 

“I’d like an explanation.”

When hell froze over, not that she’d pretend she didn’t know what he was referring to.

With a calm she didn’t feel, especially with her wolf begging for freedom, she shifted her weight to face him, and her elbow came loose. “I changed my mind about you. About … us. And I was too chicken to tell you to your face. Sorry. I’m such a girl.”

He watched her with the same steady regard she remembered so clearly, only without the warmth he’d faked in the past. How he’d charmed her… Old news. She fought her humiliation and looked into his eyes. 

Ben had golden eyes, and she suspected his wolf was almost always at the surface but within his iron control. Thank god for that control because he hadn’t allowed them to become intimate, something that puzzled her to this day. Because surely, if he’d played the amazing sex card—and she just knew it would be amazing because his kisses made her melt—she’d have been a total pushover.

In any event, passion couldn’t cloud her thinking, even if her wolf might not agree. Her animal hadn’t yet matured, but it still knew what—who—it wanted. Her other side was surely smarter.

“You’ve changed,” he finally said as she waited him out. “What happened to you?”

You happened. Shoving back the thought, fearful it would echo in the room, Cassie lifted a shoulder, careful not to spill her coffee. “Nothing happened to me, Ben.”

Shaking his head, he backed up a little, and she breathed in the extra space. “I don’t get it, but I will. I like puzzles.”

God help her. With a smirk that hurt the corners of her mouth, she said, “I’m not a puzzle to be solved, sorry. I came back to seek a mate. Jett has granted me permission to make my choice.”

She blinked at the sudden bleaching of his sun-kissed skin, as if all the life-giving blood had drained away. His eyes narrowed, and his mouth set, a muscle clenching in his jaw. And then his face relaxed, and he laughed. The sound grated across her senses, like fingernails on a chalkboard. 

“Our Alpha has been gradually changing the time-honored rules. Accommodating the females more and more. Some don’t approve, but we need to consider the period we live in, and I’ve been a supporter. Until now.”

“Excuse me?” The mug of coffee and the plate were weighing her down heavily, like an extra tiny punishment she had to endure as part of the interrogation. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that when flighty, spoiled females are given the right of choice, I question our Alpha’s wisdom.”

Successfully defeating the urge to throw her coffee in his face, Cassie found the right words. “I suppose you’ll have to take that up with him. With my brother-in-law. Be sure to mention the spoiled and flighty part.”

Her comment hit the mark. Ben flinched, barely, but she caught it. He knew he’d crossed a boundary, and she wondered what he’d do to fix it. He surprised her.

Passing a hand over his face, he said, “Dammit, Cass. What happened between us? I can’t believe we’re sparring like this. I can’t fathom how you left without so much as a goodbye or an explanation. Aside from that note.”

“You’re sparring, Ben. I’d prefer not to converse at all.” She made her exit as quickly as she could without appearing to flee. How could she tell him what she’d overheard?

“It’s not over, Cass.” His final words floated behind her, but she pretended not to hear. She didn’t care to interpret his … warning? Promise? Threat?

She gained the privacy of her room—shades of that fateful night—and shoved the door closed with her hip. Her coffee was lukewarm, and her sandwich had the consistency of flavored paste, but she grimly consumed both. She’d survived her first encounter with Ben and hadn’t given anything away, and had seen him dig himself a hole. With any luck, he’d widen it on his own and fall in.

Buy Links:

https://www.evernightpublishing.com/alternative-destiny-by-allyson-young/  SALE!

https://www.amazon.com//dp/B089585DNH

https://www.bookstrand.com/book/alternative-destiny-mmf

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/alternative-destiny

 

About the author:

Peri Elizabeth Scott aka Allyson Young lives in cottage country, Manitoba, Canada where she and her husband pretend to work well together in their seasonal business. 

She has always enjoyed the written word, and after reading an erotic romance, quite by mistake, decided to try her hand at penning one. That was followed by a mix of spicy (Ally) and sweet (Peribeth) romances in various genres as well as a post-apocalyptic adventure without a lick of romance by Peribeth. 

A bestselling Amazon author, a hybrid, and a coauthor, as of May 2020 she has published seven series and several standalones, with others in the works. 

www.perielizabethscott.com

https://www.facebook.com/sweetnspicyauthor/

VBT ~ Counting on Trust, Audio Book by Mary Ferguson Powers

It's a book tour and you're invited to come along. Who is touring? Mary Ferguson Powers with her book, Counting on Trust in audio version! Come join us! There are prizes to be won. Such as? A randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter will receive a digital and an audio copy of the book. How cool is that? Want more chances to win? Then follow the tour. You can do that here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2020/01/nbtm-tour-counting-on-trust-by-mary.html

Counting on Trust, Audio Book 

by Mary Ferguson Powers

In this suspense-charged, touching novel, Counting on Trust, information is stolen from a U.S. genetic engineering company (Omniprotein) by an employee promised payment by a Chinese general who wants to profit from selling the company’s technologies in the military region of China he commands. 

• To force quick payment the thief attacks fellow employees and threatens to continue until his money arrives. Will his next targets be: young lovers, computer geek Gabriel and gorgeous biologist Selena, who are discovering loving sex while trying to overcome post-traumatic effects of Selena’s girlhood rape. 

• Company president, Eleanor, who’s determined to keep some privacy and intimacy although her job’s high profile and her husband, Charley, has just had prostate cancer surgery. 

• Venture capitalist, John, who plans to duplicate Omniprotein’s facility in China and reunite with his ex-wife, fashion designer Ziyi, who returned to Shanghai after their only child died. 

The personal stories of these couples explore how privacy, intimacy and trust are changing in our social-media age. They paint a compelling portrait of our time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Find the excerpt here! 

https://www.facebook.com/countingontrust/videos/391102768302904/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for the post: what inspired you to write this book?

There were several factors that motivated me to write Counting on Trust.

First was my interest in globalization and its impacts, especially with regard to China and its relations with the U.S. This began when I accompanied my husband on a trip to China in 1978 with a delegation of faculty members from the University of Pittsburgh. At that time, China was just opening up to the West. What I saw and learned there suggested some interesting story ideas.

Next, the idea for a story involving corporate intrigue came while my husband and I were living in Nebraska. There was a lot of research on GMO foods being done at some of the universities nearby. We lived on a small lake, and I decided to invent a fictional company, Omniprotein, that was doing research on GMO fish. The theft of this company’s intellectual property by a Chinese general kicks off all the subsequent action.

A third motivation is my interest in the work of Jane Austen. I appreciate the way she deconstructed relationships and the social norms around romance and marriage in her day. I wanted to explore how relationships are changing in modern times. I also wanted to explore the fragility of trust in a relationship: how easily it can be broken and how difficult it can be to repair. To that end, Counting on Trust follows three couples of different ages and backgrounds, each struggling with issues of trust.

And finally is the enjoyment I experience in creating the characters that will populate a story. Like many writers, my characters are built up from an amalgam of people I have known at different points in my life. I like to mix and match physical traits, personality, temperament, and behavioral quirks. Often I will exaggerate these a bit to provide more depth and interest for my readers. Then I like to give each character a backstory that provides a rationale for their behavior. Lastly, I decide how they would probably interact with each other based on all that, and make adjustments. I like to think of it as being a kind of “character chef”: you might have a recipe of sorts, but the real fun and creativity comes with experimenting and tweaking until it you get something that feels just right. Counting on Trust has a large cast of characters and it allowed me to spend a lot of time indulging this passion!

About the Author: 

Themes of novels by M. Ferguson Powers reflect the author’s varied interests, including preservation of the natural world and its creatures;

Challenges of building and maintaining loving relationships in a culture with decreasing respect for personal boundaries and privacy

Influences of globalization on world events and how the U. S. and other nations relate to one another

Public policy issues such as controlling the military-industrial-political complex and requiring the health care industry to be more respectful of its clients

The need for cooperation across governments, cultures, and societies to address global challenges such as climate change

Developments in business and university administration and management

Powers has taught microbiology, headed a university office of research, served as executive director of two university-business partnership programs, and co-authored two books on university administration. She has a bachelor of science degree in bacteriology from The Pennsylvania State University, a master’s in experimental psychology from George Mason University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

She lives on an island near Seattle with husband David R. Powers and their two shelties. Her first novel, Each Unique and Fascinating, about a bullied young girl whose father has gone to war, was published in 2012. OrcaSpeak, a novel of relationships and suspense, was published in 2013, and its prequel, Counting on Trust, was published in 2017.

Website: http://www.mfergusonpowers.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Counting-on-Trust-452725141841646/

Buy Links for audio book:
https://bookmate.com/audiobooks/m9qwmqtu
https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780985794668
https://www.downpour.com/counting-on-trust?sp=349165
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/audiobook/counting-on-trust
https://www.hoopladigital.com/search?page=1&q=counting+on+trust&scope=everything&type=direct
https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/counting-on-trust/399403

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NBTM Counting on Trust by Mary Ferguson Powers

It's a book tour and you're invited to come along. Who is touring? Mary Ferguson Powers with her book, Counting on Trust in audio version! Come join us! There are prizes to be won. Such as? A randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter will receive a digital and an audio copy of the book. How cool is that? Want more chances to win? Then follow the tour. You can do that here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2020/01/nbtm-tour-counting-on-trust-by-mary.html

Counting on Trust, Audio Book
by Mary Ferguson Powers 

In this suspense-charged, touching novel, Counting on Trust, information is stolen from a U.S. genetic engineering company (Omniprotein) by an employee promised payment by a Chinese general who wants to profit from selling the company’s technologies in the military region of China he commands.

• To force quick payment the thief attacks fellow employees and threatens to continue until his money arrives. Will his next targets be: young lovers, computer geek Gabriel and gorgeous biologist Selena, who are discovering loving sex while trying to overcome post-traumatic effects of Selena’s girlhood rape.

• Company president, Eleanor, who’s determined to keep some privacy and intimacy although her job’s high profile and her husband, Charley, has just had prostate cancer surgery.

• Venture capitalist, John, who plans to duplicate Omniprotein’s facility in China and reunite with his ex-wife, fashion designer Ziyi, who returned to Shanghai after their only child died.

The personal stories of these couples explore how privacy, intimacy and trust are changing in our social-media age. They paint a compelling portrait of our time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for an Excerpt!! Check out one from Disturbance - https://www.facebook.com/countingontrust/videos/391102768302904/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author:

Themes of novels by M. Ferguson Powers reflect the author’s varied interests, including preservation of the natural world and its creatures. Challenges of building and maintaining loving relationships in a culture with decreasing respect for personal boundaries and privacy. Influences of globalization on world events and how the U. S. and other nations relate to one another. Public policy issues such as controlling the military-industrial-political complex and requiring the health care industry to be more respectful of its clients. The need for cooperation across governments, cultures, and societies to address global challenges such as climate change. Developments in business and university administration and management.

Powers has taught microbiology, headed a university office of research, served as executive director of two university-business partnership programs, and co-authored two books on university administration. She has a bachelor of science degree in bacteriology from The Pennsylvania State University, a master’s in experimental psychology from George Mason University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

She lives on an island near Seattle with husband David R. Powers and their two shelties. Her first novel, Each Unique and Fascinating, about a bullied young girl whose father has gone to war, was published in 2012. OrcaSpeak, a novel of relationships and suspense, was published in 2013, and its prequel, Counting on Trust, was published in 2017.

Website: http://www.mfergusonpowers.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Counting-on-Trust-452725141841646/

Buy Links for audio book:
https://bookmate.com/audiobooks/m9qwmqtu
https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780985794668
https://www.downpour.com/counting-on-trust?sp=349165
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/audiobook/counting-on-trust
https://www.hoopladigital.com/search?page=1&q=counting+on+trust&scope=everything&type=direct
https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/counting-on-trust/399403

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Book Blast ~ Ashes and Blood by Katie Zaber

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

“I’ll start at the beginning. Long ago, before roads, before we built structures, before medicine was discovered, before the government was created, before man gained any knowledge, there were The Five. Independent from each other, The Five had a mutual respect for one another. They knew their roles in the world and their duty. They were gods…”

An adventure begins when an otherworldly tree captures the attention of Megan and her friends. The environment morphs around them, transferring them to an exotic planet. Stuck in a rural town still maimed by the plague, a chance encounter with a familiar face gives Megan and her friends some security during their adjustment period.

While settling into new, promising lives, they are attacked and stalked by planet Dalya’s humanoid inhabitants, who focus on Megan. One dark night, after an epic, magical attack, the Fae King’s knight is sent to fetch Megan. When she wakes up a prisoner, she learns that there is much more to this strange world, and it is oddly more like her own than she ever would have expected.

Read an Excerpt

Megan

Today has been a whirlwind, and I’m not looking forward to tonight. I’m positive the elite members of society will flaunt their latest ensembles. A competition among the wealthy to win a proverbial pat on the back for the best dressed. A sport for the rich. They won’t work up a sweat—that’s for the poor. Instead, they compete with wits and money. Women prancing around wearing cage ball gowns, adorned with priceless jewels. Their main goal is to uncover juicy gossip while competing for the wealthiest bachelor. Men swirling this world’s version of expensive scotch talk business and watch women swoon. It can’t be very different from Earth’s aristocratic affairs, not that I ever attended. Movies and the internet displayed enough information to know what to expect.

I had assumed it would be a rather humdrum affair, but my opinion changes quickly, standing before the colossal golden doors. Realization hits me. I am so naïve.

It feels like I’m walking into a fairy tale, but the darker Brothers Grimm version.

Beautiful, handcrafted, golden double doors depict a grand party. Intricate artwork chiseled into the doors displays two long banquet tables of food, roasts on fancy platters, piles of vegetables, and dainty desserts. Between the buffet tables, people adorned with masquerade attire dance. They wave, inviting everyone to the party. Guests laugh, drink, and enjoy themselves under the watchful king. The artwork depicts the king having fun, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he studies everyone, meticulously watching individuals, judging their personality, appearance, and demeanor while in his presence. A crooked smile peels his lips back—it hints at his sly and cruel nature. I can’t help but look at the doors and realize this is a perfect portrayal of what awaits me.

Instead of a warm welcome, it’s a stern warning.

About the Author

Katie Zaber writes new adult fiction. With multiple projects spanning from being transported to an alternate universe, to past lives, reincarnation, and trapped souls, to prophesied pregnancies—there are more stories to tell. She lives in North New Jersey with her boyfriend.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Dalya-Series-110665970357251
Website: https://zaberbooks.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Blood-Dalya-Book-1-ebook/dp/B087YJ8W87/ref=sr_1_1

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Checkmating the Duke by Cassie O’Brien

Checkmating the Duke by Cassie O’Brien

In a game of high-stakes, who will hold the winning hand?

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088VKF635/

England 1662

After years of joyless Commonwealth rule King Charles II has reclaimed his throne, and London is ready to party. Extravagant exuberance being the order of the day, Lady Emma, sets out for the capital to join the fun but with an ulterior motive in mind.

Widowed six months previously, she seeks to gain the attention of the king and enlist his help to foil the ambition of her avaricious uncle, the Duke of Portchester, to snatch her young son’s inheritance. Emma is aided by her godmother’s son, Viscount Francombe, and the game begins…

But the Duke has also been busy, moving his own pieces into play on the board until Emma realizes she’s no longer merely a player, but a very unwilling part of the prize.

Danger looms. Threatening and real. Emma stands to lose everything. Her child, her home and the man who holds her heart.




Author Link



https://www.facebook.com/cassie.obrien.1614

Fever by Ellen Mint #amazonsale #militaryromance #interracialromance #ellenmint #doctor #contemporaryromance #memorialdaysale

Fever by Ellen Mint

Hot soldier + brilliant doctor = a thrilling romance in the desert sands.

Buy Links:
https://books2read.com/fever

#amazonsale #militaryromance #interracialromance #ellenmint #doctor #contemporaryromance #memorialdaysale

Doctor Mae Jones had no idea when she agreed to assist the army in vaccinating children half-way around the world what she’d face. She didn’t sign up for a sexy British officer trailing her every move, his giddy smile and sunshine good-looks distracting her. Nor did she expect the sudden rebel attacks and bullets flying while she attempts to try to cure an unexplainable virus about to threaten the whole world. It’s up to her to try and stop a war before it even begins while she keeps falling for this man who’s her total opposite in every way but the heart.

In the second entry of the Inquisition series, this stand-alone novel presents Alistair Young. For those tired of the alpha who want someone sweet as cotton candy, Alistair is your man. Easy on the eyes, and light on the heart — he’s prone to cracking jokes and playing card games with the sick kids. For all his easy-going ways he knows how dangerous growing close to the new genius doctor can be, but he can’t look away either.

Author Links
Website: https://ellenmint.blog/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ellen-mint
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellenmintromance
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/introvertedwife
Instagram: https://instagram.com/Ellen_Mint_Author

The Words to Bind by P. Stormwcrow

The Words to Bind by P. Stormwcrow

It all started with a munch, a meetup for the kink-minded. How was Luna supposed to know that it would change her life forever?

Buy Links:

https://bit.ly/the-words-to-bind
https://www.firstforromance.com/book/the-words-to-bind


#erotic #contemporary #romance #bdsm

A munch.

A play party.

A Dom that sets her passion aflame.

After a string of failed vanilla relationships leaves her feeling unfilled, Luna Weir decides to give the fetish scene one last shot. But with her one and only experience as a submissive leaving much to be desired, she has little hope that the lifestyle is her answer. So when she gives the local scene one final try in the form of a casual meetup for the kink-minded, the last thing she expects is to be pulled back into the world of ropes and commands.

But that is precisely where she meets Jacob Dakota--Mr. Tall, Dark and entirely Dominant. The experienced Dom commands respect from other Dominants and desire from the subs in the community who frequent The Playgrounds, a local fetish club. And when Jacob takes her under his wing, Luna senses he wants something more beyond the careful words and veiled glances.

Now she must figure out whether her feelings for Jacob are enough for her to take a leap of faith and relinquish control. Because a simple yes will bind her to him, heart and soul.

Author Links
https://www.facebook.com/pstormcrow
https://pstormcrow.com
https://www.twitter.com/p_stormcrow

Book Blast ~ Diary of a Lost Witch by Reut Barak

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly dawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. Learn more about the book here: http://reutbarak.com/lost

Visit http://reutbarak.com/diary-of-a-lost-witch-april-10/ to begin the story featured on Reut Barak's new blog

Molly is in trouble. Running away from home to escape the dangers of her coven, she ends up in Edinburgh at a time of Corona. Homeless and running for her life, she must find a new coven and get the help she needs to protect herself, or she is not going to make it back.

Read a Blog Entry:

April 14

Yesterday, I finally met another witch.

Her name is Gemma. She’d just graduated from nursing school and was volunteering to help out with testing patients for the virus.

I had seen her on the street, falling on her knee, while walking a dog, and her body magically heal the wound. I walked to her to ask if she was alright, coming close, but still pretending to keep that two meter distance.

“Just a scratch,” she assured me, and got up without help.

The dog was being difficult and kept pulling even when she was still on the ground. I offered to help and take the leash, but she shook her head. He was a friend’s dog, but they were self-isolating so he was stuck at home all day. She was trying to show patience.

I told her that we had a dog back home and that she was also finding it difficult. She asked where I was from and the conversation flowed from there.

We must have walked together for about half an hour before I felt she could be trusted. I was not about to make the same mistake twice.

She told me that there were many witches in the city, some solitary and others belonging to covens. Luckily for me, she was one of the later, and she invited me to the next coven meeting. We exchanged numbers.

I still couldn’t sleep right at night. Even after that ray of hope.

There was no accommodation anywhere and I must have checked five times. Apartments were difficult too. I could forge the documents for the lease, but I would still have to open a real bank account, and get some sort of job, which was dangerous, because I might have to expose my true identity. Even to Gemma, I gave a different last name. Wood, instead of Evans.

I ended up back in the forest under Arthur’s Seat, in my tent spell, that failed to really make me feel safe, despite the conjured mattress and warmth.

I hate being homeless.

In the morning, I felt I needed to move my legs, after all those nights of troubled sleep. I went up Carlton Hill. That place in the photos where people go to get a view of the whole city.

A message from my moms, from last night, reminded me of the dangers I had ran away from. It came from Sally, my birth-mother, who was usually high spirited, and perhaps one of the happiest people I’d known in my life. But from the tone of her note I could tell that she was worried.

Two witches from May’s coven had been seen outside the house. When my mom, Joe, came out to talk with them they left a message for me. Alice wanted to speak with me. Urgently.

“Keep safe,” was the end of Sally’s message.

I had promised myself that I wouldn’t cry, but the past few days had been so difficult.

When I reached the top and looked down at this beautiful city, the frustration, the fear and the exhaustion of the past few days hit me like a boomerang, and I couldn’t stop the tears anymore.

Molly Evans

About the Author:Following a short stint in the military, Reut graduated as a trained Opera Singer from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and then worked in Berlin, singing church music by Mozart, Haydn and Bach. While arranging concerts in the city and managing artists, she discovered her passion for business. She joined fellow entrepreneurs in the 2013-2014 class at the University of Oxford, with a scholarship to study business (MBA), where she founds that creativity goes far beyond art. She later had a taste of corporate life, seeing the inside workings of some of the world’s largest finance, energy and manufacturing companies, and wrote for National Geographic. Leaving the world of corporate drama behind, she now pursues her dreams of becoming a fiction novelist, a self-published vegan author, blogger and youtuber. She first arrived in Scotland as a hiker, eager to explore the mysterious highlands, where she got her inspiration for her books and blogs.

Well, no not really… The true story is:

Once upon a time…

Reut was born in Camelot in the year 1201, following the famous explosion of the northern dragon tower. She has a degree in fantasy and science fiction from the University of Atlantis and this record can be found in the central library, now twenty thousand leagues under the sea. She likes phoenix riding, dragon fighting and painting the roses red. And Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Website: http://www.reuatbarak.com
Lost Witch Blog: http://reutbarak.com/category/lostwitch/
Start reading from the beginning of the diary: http://reutbarak.com/diary-of-a-lost-witch-april-10/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reut.barak/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorReutBarak/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReutBarak
Tour page:  http://reutbarak.com/lostprizes/

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Book Blast ~ Single Chicas by Sandra C Lopez

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sandra C. Lopez will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Single Chicas is a collection of stories about modern Latinas being in, out, and around the zany hurdles of relationships. One woman receives strange calls from a lonely soul, another seeks advice on how to love herself, and another wakes up in a parallel universe to a man she's never met. These chicas will make painstaking effort to survive the complexities with humor and grace. Once again, López dazzles audiences with her brilliantly candid craft. Smart, witty, and funny, these stories will explore the true endurance of singlehood.

Read the Excerpt

Dear Single Chicas,

Hey, hey, love your site! I was wondering if you could help me. I have a boyfriend I'm crazy about, but he has a tendency to call me at work. It's getting annoying. Any advice?

Sincerely, Looney Cell

"Ah, a typical relationship conundrum," Simone said with a mouthful of pizza.

"Yeah, a typical headache," Georgia added.

"So what do we say?" Chrissy asked.

"Try this," Simone said, waiting for Chrissy to start typing.

Dear Looney Cell,

Your boyfriend needs to realize that, when you are at work, you are NOT his girlfriend. You need to give him specific hours, just like in any other job. Lay down the line with him. Point out that each time he calls you at your job, it keeps you from doing the work—work you're getting paid to do and work that in no way, shape, or form involves him. Besides, it may get you in trouble with your boss, if it hasn't already. Instead tell him to send you a simple text, but be careful not to overload your phone memory. Thanks for the shout out!

Single Chicas

The next email read:

Dear Single Chicas,

What's up! Problem: I'm engaged and I'm totally freaking out about it. Would I be a fool to ask if we could postpone the big day until I'm less freaked?

Yours truly, Runaway Bride

Reply:

Dear Runaway Bride,

Absolutely not! Don't do anything you don't feel ready for. Be honest about it. If nobody can understand that, then you would save yourself the headache and the hassle, not to mention the time and money, for that whole shindig. If it wasn't meant to be, then so be it. If, however, you have a guy that is willing to wait, then, by all means, let him wait. Wait, wait, wait until you are sure you can make it down that aisle without breaking out in hives. Just make sure you bring your running shoes on the big day....just in case. ;)

Sincerely, Single Chicas

The next email read:

Hey, Single Chicas,

I saw this one episode of "I Love Lucy" where Lucy suggests a vacation from marriage. What are your thoughts? Yay or Nay?

Sincerely, TV Addict

Dear TV Addict,

Yay! A vacation from marriage allows for the re-discovery of one's individuality―the "I" before the "we." There is such a thing as spending "too much" time together. Lucy said it best in that episode: "I'm sick at the sight of your face." Take a vacation to avoid this sickness.

Sincerely, Single Chicas

About the Author:

Sandra C. López is a writer, artist, blogger, and book reviewer. She is one of today's funny and influential authors in YA and chick lit. Her first novel, Esperanza, was published in March 2008 WHILE she was still in college. Her most recent and bestselling book is Single Chicas, a collection of humorous short stories about zany chicas. She is currently working on the next installment of the Single Chicas series called Holiday Chicas. Release date coming soon! When not writing her stories, Sandra supports the art and literary communities with freelance work and book promotion.

Website: http://www.sandra-lopez.com
Book Review Blog: http://sandrasbookclub.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandraLopezAuthorArtist/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArtistSandraL

Purchase Links: https://www.amazon.com/Single-Chicas-Sandra-C-Lopez-ebook/dp/B01KG85F1Y/

Please note: The book is free during the tour.

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Wild Seduction by Tia Didmon #steamy #PNR #Romance #KU

Wild Seduction by Tia Didmon

Prey or Mate? Destiny is ticking…

Buy Link:

mybook.to/WildSeduction

#steamy #PNR #Romance #KU

Prey or Mate? Destiny is ticking…

Left for dead when the serum designed to alter her DNA, backfires-Lana Canmore wakes in the morgue with revenge on her mind.

Seeking an ally in the Cascade family, Lana faces an unexpected challenge in the form of Luca Cascade. She’s in a race against time and destiny as she fights the Kallans, and her growing attraction to the sexy shifter determined to make her his mate.

As prey vs. mate escalates, Lana must resolve the dilemma of being hunted and seduced at the same time.



‘WILD SEDUCTION’ – is a continuing steamy paranormal romance saga between the ruthless Kallan crime family, hell bent on genetically altering humans, and the Cascades, a lair of cougar shifters fighting for survival.


Author Links
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/tiadidmonauthor/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/TiaDidmon
Website- https://tiadidmon.com
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/tiadidmon/
Bookbub- https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tia-didmon


Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18054247.Tia_Didmon

Every Step by CJ Burright

Every Step by CJ Burright

An annoyingly irresistible cop and a dare that could ruin her life... Love is a complication Kat will avoid at any cost.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08589Y8QX/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/every-step-cj-burright/1136561697?ean=9781839433887 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/every-step

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/every-step/id1500804531

#contemporaryromance #smalltownromance #steamysweetromance

Sharp-shooting cop Katerina Hellman needs a fresh start. Leaving behind a failed marriage, she ditches the city and bunks with her sister in the tiny town of Graywood. When the local police chief offers her a position as the temporary firearms instructor, she jumps on it. So what if it's a mostly boys' club? She's done with men, doesn't need their unrealistic expectations and not even the tall, dark and annoying badge Roman can change that.

Roman Farkos lives for his job, to serve and protect...until Kat shows up with her snarls and superiority. He can't resist pushing her buttons. She wants to be considered one of the boys, which would be fine if she didn't stir a desire to do more than protect and serve her. Kat may be raw from her recent split, but Roman resolves to convince her that love—preferably with him—is worth the risk.

When Roman challenges Kat to a six-week contest of wits and skills, it's game on. As they work and play side by side, her resistance fades and unexpected passion flares. But when big-city danger hits and secrets are revealed, Roman faces the greatest challenge of all—convincing Kat that real love is worth the fight.


Author Links

https://www.facebook.com/CJ-Burright-362988090450604/

https://www.twitter.com/CJBurright

https://www.instagram.com/cjburright/

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/c-j-burright

http://cjburright.com/

Book Blast ~ RIP in Reykjavik by AR Kennedy

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

Traveling with your family can be murder.
One wedding party + one estranged mother = another vacation that goes array for Naomi.

Naomi is off on another international vacation. She thinks traveling with her mother will be the most difficult part of her trip until she meets the rest of the tour group—a wedding party. It only gets worse when she finds the groom dead. Everyone’s a suspect on her Icelandic tour of this stunning country.

Read an Excerpt

I had only one thought at breakfast. How did a young man die on vacation? There was no accident, no trauma, no nothing. He was fine one moment. Dead the next. It didn’t make sense.

I looked at my phone. I did the quick math. It was the middle of the night for Charlotte. I still considered calling. Awake Charlotte or just woken up Charlotte would give me the same answer—I had lost my mind. Just woken up Charlotte would be more angry about it.

I could hear her saying that it was ludicrous that I had found a dead body on vacation. Again. But this wasn’t a murder.

Milo’s death had to be what it appeared to be. A tragic accident. He drowned. The police were doing their due diligence in the unexpected death. An autopsy would reveal an accident. I could return to enjoying my vacation, with my mother.

Or at least trying to.

“What are you doing?” I asked my mother when I returned to the room after breakfast.

She was writing in a notebook, as if she were journaling. It had to be her latest fad.

“Recording my recollection of the event,” she answered.

“Didn’t the police take your report?” I asked.

“Yes.” She put her pen down and closed the book. “But this is for Dateline.”

“For what?” I asked.

“For the investigation show. You have to know it. I watch every weekend.”

“And why would you need notes?” I asked.

“Because I’m sure we’ll be called in.” There was an excitement in her voice that was disturbing. “We were eyewitnesses. You pointed it out to that guide.” She seemed oddly proud of that.

“Sigi,” I told her.

“Yeah, the guide. They’ll probably want to talk to him too. But maybe his company won’t let him talk to the press. It’s not really the publicity the touring company would want, right?”

I ignored her question. “Did you see something useful?” I asked.

“Not that I know of. But these shows would want to talk to anyone who could give them any perspective. I had a bird’s-eye view of all of you. You were only a few feet away. You flirted with the dead man shortly before his death.”

“I did not flirt with the groom, Mother.”

“I’m not judging,” she retorted. “He was a good-looking guy. You’ve done worse. Do what you want on vacation. Anyway, the shows won’t care.”

“Shows?” I asked.

“Definitely. There’s 48 Hours, plus the ID Network has a bunch of shows. We would do them all.”

This was not the mother-daughter bonding I had envisioned. Not that I had ever envisioned mother-daughter bonding for us.

She didn’t note my horror and continued, with even more excitement. “New groom dies on vacation. That’s a big story. Plus, he’s handsome. They always love when the handsome ones die.”

“Mother!” I rebuked. “He drowned. Why would Dateline or any of those shows do a story on a drowning?”

“Because he was murdered! Had to be. Who drowns snorkeling in clear calm water? I Googled it. No one has died there before. You heard the police. They told us to stay in town.”

“Considering our return flight isn’t for several days, I think we’re good.” I went into the bathroom but then stopped. “What do you mean you Googled it?” My mother was not good with technology. That was more her mother’s area of expertise. “Let me see this Google search.”

She handed me her phone. The detective had told me others had died there. I couldn’t imagine he would be wrong. Or worse, that my mother was right.

I hit her internet browser and pulled up her last search. “Death at Thingamajig.”

I handed her back her phone. “We were at Thingvellir yesterday, Mother. Not at ‘Thingamjig’.”

“Close enough,” she said, dismissing me.

I didn’t bother Googling deaths in Iceland for her. We still had a few more days on vacation and I wanted to leave the hotel again.

I glanced at my watch. “We have two hours until our tour.”

“What tour?” she asked.

“Check the itinerary. I’m going to walk around Reykjavík.”

The hotel was at Old Harbour with the city center only a few blocks away. As I exited the hotel, I took in the harbour’s pier with the many fishing and tour boats docked. The pier was lined with large teal buildings, housing restaurants and touring services. Mount Esja was in the distance.

I took a deep breath of the clean air. No smog here. Other than spending time with Pops as a child, I could not remember ever breathing air as fresh.

I read the harbor’s sign about the touring companies stationed there. Whale-watching options were plentiful. I’d have to check back later on pricing when they opened.

My phone rang as I walked up the hill toward the city center. I almost didn’t check it, assuming it was my mother, asking where we were going later. I was surprised when I saw Charlotte’s name and face appear.

“What is it with you and finding dead bodies on vacation?” she asked when I accepted the video call.

“I didn’t find a dead body on this vacation,” I answered.

“That’s not what Mom said.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I shouldn’t have been surprised my mother had told Charlotte. I should be surprised that I didn’t get this phone call last night. “Okay, technically, I found it. I noticed it before anyone else and I pointed it out to the guide. But the guide really found it.”

She smiled. “You certainly found your travel partner on this one, didn’t you?"

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Mom! She’s keen on the whole murder thing.”

“The man drowned. It’s a shame. Tragic, really. But not murder.”

She huffed. “Ooh. I get it.”

I didn’t like her tone. I didn’t know what it meant, but I knew it wasn’t good. “What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“Mom thinks it’s a murder, so you think it’s an accident. You always have to take the opposite side from her.”

About the Author:

A R Kennedy lives in Long Beach, New York, with her two pups. She works hard to put food on the floor for them. As her favorite T-shirt says, ‘I work so my dog can have a better life'. She’s an avid traveler. But don’t worry. While she’s away, her parents dote on their grand-puppies even more than she does. Her writing is a combination of her love of travel, animals, and the journey we all take to find ourselves.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08477CQTR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4
https://books2read.com/u/bpOjP6

Website: http://arkennedyauthor.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/A-R-Kennedy/e/B00GOKCWHE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARKennedyauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ark_author/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ark_author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7382548.A_R_Kennedy
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-r-kennedy

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Come with Me by Beth D Carter

1.What was your inspiration behind this book?

I love writing about dystopian worlds because you can basically create your own version of the future. And since I happen to like writing about women who don’t know their own strength, this genre lets my imagination soar.

2. Do you ever find yourself slipping away and becoming so immersed in your  story it affects how you relate to others?

Yes.  I’m an introvert to begin with, but when my brain is filled with how to write the next scene I can go for days and forget to call my mom or put off grocery shopping until the next day, and then the next day after that.  Before I know it, a week has gone by without shaving my legs.  Gross.

3. Are you in any of your books?

There’s a little bit of me in every book, I think.  Maybe it’s just a random thought or a gesture, but something of me is in all my characters. 

4.  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Total pantser, although in my mind I do have an idea of where the story is headed.  My characters always surprise me when they make a one eighty from where I thought the story was going.  But as a writer you should always listen to your characters, because they’re basically your muse talking to you.

5. What is your favorite line, or scene, that you wrote in Come With Me?

I had a difficult time coming up with a title for this story. I wanted something clever but one line kept jumping from the page: Come with me. Nolan says it several times to Lainey. I eventually reached a point where I realized that one phrase meant everything.

6. If you could choose, which published author would you like to brainstorm with and why?

Lisa Kleypas because I love how she paces her novels and I’d love to pick her brain on how she plots them out. Or Julia Quinn because she’s hilarious and I have a feeling she likes wine like I do.

7. When you were little, did you ever think you'd be a published author? What was your "dream" job as a child?

My dream job as a child was being Indiana Jones.  When that didn’t pan out, I became responsible by going into the medical field. Being an author was always in the world of fantasy. I grew up in the early Eighties in the backwoods of Missouri, so no, I never thought in a million years I’d be a published author.  Thank holy heck for modern technology!  Ebook publishing opened up doors to me, and to many talented authors, to make our dreams possible.

8. What was the worst job you ever had while working towards being a published author?

I worked one day as an assistant to a urologist. I thought seeing penises all day long would be cool but come to find out, there’s a big different between thirty year old penises and seventy year old ones. 

9. And last, do you have anything you would like to say to your current readers or to those that haven't yet read your work(s)?

First, I’m a really funny person but my humor is dry, bordering on sarcastic. I put a lot of that in my stories, usually in the form of a sidekick or secondary character. Second, I write stories because I want people to read them. I write for the love of writing. And I love feedback. Yes, I’m trying to make a living but nothing makes me happier than to get an email from someone saying they liked something I wrote (or if you didn’t like it, please nicely tell me why it sucked). So drop me a line anytime to say hi…you can find me on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram:

https://twitter.com/BethDCarter
https://www.facebook.com/bethdcarterauthor

https://www.instagram.com/bethdcarter/ 


Name 5 pet peeves that simply drive you insane.

My 5 writing pet peeves…

1. My job. When I go to my day job I have to put my writer brain on hold and sometimes that is so irritating, especially when I get an epiphany about the plot.

2. Insomnia. You’d think staying up at night would be a great time to write, but insomnia turns your brain to mush and renders it unable to string coherent words together.

3. Social Media. Need I say more?

4. My muse. I’m hard at work trying to write out a complicated and scene and she’s like “Wait! I’ve got this awesome idea for another story!” Most of the time she wakes me up at three am. Bitch.

5. Character changes. Most of the time I can envision the beginning and ending to a story, but every once in a while the ending slips away, due to the direction of where the characters take me. When that happens I struggle a lot to maintain the plot. I’ve shelved some great stories because of this.

BLURB:

Those Who Survived Part One

      Lainey is one of the few that survived the virus that ravaged the human population. In order to remain safe, she stays away from people, preferring to live on her own. Not trusting anyone. Until one night she’s attacked and rescued by a stranger who insists that there’s still good in the world.

      Nolan has a fantastical story of a new civilization in Canada, and urges her to go with him. Lainey doesn’t know if she believes him or not, but the unknown is enough to scare her away. Yet day after day he slowly breaks down her walls, opening her up to the possibility that she might be strong enough to take a chance not only on him, but herself as well.

 Now for an Excerpt: 

Sex had never been that big of a deal for her, and the couple of men she’d slept with never rocked her boat. It became easier and less messy to ease the occasional sexual need herself. Draping her knee over the ledge, Lainey wished she had thought to bring a toy with her. So instead she closed her eyes, slid her fingers between her thighs, and imagined Nolan watching her as she pleasured herself.

She glided her fingertips over her skin, starting at her throat and letting the backs of her fingers trail down her chest. Between her breasts. Over her flat stomach. The water sloshed gently against her labia, providing its own stimulation.

Gently, with featherlike touches, she brushed her fingertips over her pussy lips. The tease made her hips undulate and her climax rise sharply. She wanted to come so bad, but just as she was about to let herself fall, a slight noise startled her. She jerked her eyes open and saw Nolan in the doorway, staring intently. Embarrassed, she pulled her hand from between her thighs and lowered her leg back into the water.

“W-what are you doing?” she asked, her voice dry. Heat burned on her cheeks.

“You didn’t have to stop,” he murmured.

“Uh, yeah, I did.” She tried sinking lower in the tub to hide herself. “Please. Leave.”

He nodded. “I’m sorry for bothering you. But there is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about, Lainey. We all need to find comfort in our lives.”

She wished the earth would open up and swallow her whole.

“Oh my God,” she muttered. “Just go!”

He did, leaving as quietly as he had appeared. Rising from the bath, she quickly dried off and rushed to put on clothes, all the while chastising herself for being so vulnerable. She should never have brought him here to her home. How could she ever face him again?

That night she hid in her room, unable to go down for dinner and sit across from him. To see the smirk on his face, knowing he caught her pleasuring herself. She spent the evening writing him a letter so she could slip it under his door, asking him to leave. Hours later, when it was all quiet, her stomach kept growling with hunger. Opening her door to make sure the coast was clear, the house lay completely still and silent. She looked down the hallway and saw Nolan’s door was closed. Moving slowly, quietly, she headed downstairs for a snack, finding a granola bar and some chips. Not the healthiest, but enough to take away the hunger pangs.

Going back upstairs, she took the letter out of her back pocket, ready to slide it under Nolan’s door. However, it was no longer closed, and a low moan came from inside. The voice in her head told her to run away, go back in her room and hide, but that devil riding on her shoulder urged her forward. Step by step, until she stood at the entrance of the darkened room. Outside light filtered in, highlighting the big man lying naked on his bed. His hand gripped his cock, stroking it from base to tip. The sight captivated her, the letter forgotten in her hand. His big body arched in his pleasure, and she couldn’t help but realize he did this for her. To show himself in the most vulnerable light just as he had seen her. Lainey stepped further into the room, unable to stay back. He turned his head, their gazes locked.

“I’ve been thinking of you,” he said, his voice almost guttural. 

He held out his hand and she stared at it for a moment, the conflict inside her mind came roaring back an in instant. She knew what taking his hand meant.

Come with me.

Buy Links:

Evernight: https://www.evernightpublishing.com/come-with-me-by-beth-d-carter/