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Blog Tour: Dirty Spirit – Sawney Hatton

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DirtySpirit copy

Experience the offbeat occult/paranormal novel from the twisted mind of Sawney Hatton.

Final DiRTY SPiRiTS ebook cover

Dirty Spirits

Publication Date: March 15, 2024

Genre: Horror/ Supernatural Horror

SOME VOWS ARE FOREVER.

They say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, and Doug believed it.

He didn’t expect to fall in love with an addict. Once he did, he knew the relationship would be challenging. But there are some things you can never imagine happening, crazy stuff you can never prepare for no matter how hard you try. All Doug can do now is hang on and hope the love of his life isn’t dragged back into hell by her ex-fiancé who can’t move on.

Because while Liam Fowlington may be dead… he’s far from departed.

“The tension is tight, the pacing is amazing, and I was kept on edge the entire time. The book is very reminiscent of Jordan Peele’s GET OUT, but with more of the paranormal mixed in.” -The Writing Werewolf

Content Warnings:

Drug & alcohol addiction plays a large part in the story. R-rated sex and violence.

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About the Author

Sawney Hatton is an author, editor, and screenwriter who has long loved taking trips to the dark side. Weaned on a steady diet of paranormal horror and creature features, he quickly developed an appetite for all things macabre and monstrous. With early literary influences as tonally disparate as Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, Evelyn Waugh’s The Loved One, and Marquis de Sade’s The 120 Days of Sodom, he enjoys fusing the sinister with the satirical, the abominable with the absurd. Other incarnations of Sawney have produced marketing videos, attended all-night film fests, and played the banjo and sousaphone (not at the same time). As of this writing he is still very much alive.

SAWNEY HATTON

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Blog Tour: A Dream of Blood – Olivia Boothe

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A DreamofBlood copy

We’re celebrating the release of A Dream of Blood and Magic, a gothic fantasy romance by Olivia Boothe! Pre-order now or get you copy on June 12th!

ebook

A Dream of Blood and Magic (Spirit Marked Book 1)

Publication Date: June 12, 2024

Genre: Gothic Fantasy Romance

Underworld meets Kingdom of the Wicked in this forbidden love, rivals to lovers, high stakes, slow-burn gothic contemporary fantasy romance.

Series Tropes:

  • Vampires, witches, and other supernatural creatures
  • Chosen One
  • Forbidden Love
  • Rivals to Lovers (Meant to be rivals who become lovers)
  • Forced Proximity
  • A bargain that leads to more
  • Spirit-Bonded (fated mates)
  • Slow Burn (couple doesn’t become an item until book 2, but the tension is built in book 1)
  • Found Family
  • High Stakes quest
  • Portal Magic
  • Elemental Magic
  • Time Travel
  • Spirit Guardians (familiars)
  • Good vs evil

A SINISTER DARKNESS BREWS, SOWING THE SEEDS OF WAR. AND AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL IS A YOUNG WITCH WILLING TO RISK IT ALL TO SAVE THOSE SHE LOVES.

When a mysterious crow crash-lands through Avery Jaxon’s Brooklyn apartment window, awakening the elemental magic dormant in her veins, Avery soon discovers her entire life has been a skillfully woven lie, and that even her new avian friend holds secrets of its own, including the answers to her shrouded past.

But pulling back the veil is only the beginning. An ancient prophecy has been set in motion, thrusting Avery into a centuries-old supernatural war between witches and vampires.

Seeking to harness Avery’s rare and ancient power, the most notorious dark arts witch hive in the world is on the hunt to find Avery before she’s captured by Kane, a vampire sworn to protect humankind from the next Spirit Marked—a foretold witch with such immense, raw magic, it will threaten to destroy all life on Earth.

Now, to save humanity and protect her friends, Avery must learn to control her potent magic, all while building an alliance with the warrior vampire sent to seize her. Their destinies are more entwined than either could have ever foreseen. But despite the magic that binds their paths and the enigmatic attraction growing between them, Avery struggles to trust the man born to be her enemy.

However, Kane’s not the only vampire thirsting for the honeyed taste of Avery’s blood…someone else also seeks to wage a war against her heart.

In the end, Avery must not only grapple with the painful truth behind her family’s past, but she’ll need to accept the journey laid out before her. For not only do the lives of those she loves depend on it, but so do the lives of every mortal and immortal creature alike.

Intended for audiences 18 years+

Triggers:

  • Blood and gore
  • Death and violence
  • Explicit language
  • Some sexually explicit content
  • Stalking
  • Abductions
  • Mention of young girls being trafficked for blood
  • Animal death (vampire killing a boar and drinking its blood)
  • Commentary on childhood trauma due to losing parents at a young age and having a bad experience being in the foster care system
  • Commentary on mental health due to childhood trauma, such as feelings of abandonment, betrayal, and issues with authority

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About the Author

REAL LOVE AS IT IS. MESSY. COMPLICATED. AND SINFULLY ADDICTIVE.

Olivia Boothe is a contemporary romance and fantasy author.
Born in Colombia and raised in New Jersey since the age of eight, Olivia always dreamed of becoming a storyteller. Now, she enjoys crafting novels with deep, layered plots because romance is not just about the first kiss and the happily ever after, it’s about everything in between.

In addition to writing, Olivia loves reading across all genres, binge watching her favorite TV shows, and hanging out on Tuesday nights with her girlfriends for wine, snacks, and junk-TV therapy. Olivia lives in Northern New Jersey with her hubby, three boys, and a mini Aussie named Rosie.

OLIVIA BOOTHE

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Blog Tour: Vengeance – Saima Mir

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For two years, Jia Khan has been running her late father’s organised crime business in the north of England. So far, her authority has remained unchallenged, but now things are beginning to unravel.

When she finds her father’s notebook recounting his arrival from Pakistan in the 1970s, it awakes an old family feud that could have devastating repercussions for Jia. And worst of all, one of her staff lies brutally slain, his corpse displayed provocatively in her garden despite her sophisticated security.

Someone is getting dangerously close. Could there be a traitor in Jia Khan’s trusted inner circle?

Saima Mir has written for The Times, Guardian and Independent. Her debut novel, The Khan, was a Times Bestseller, a Guardian best crime and thriller and a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. Her essay for It’s Not About The Burqa (Picador) appeared in Guardian Weekend and received over 250,000 hits online in two days. She contributed to the anthology The Best, Most Awful Job: Twenty Writers Talk Honestly About Motherhood. Saima grew up in Bradford and now lives in London.

My thoughts: Jia Khan has cemented her role at the top of her father’s criminal organisation but she’s also inherited his enemies. Finding her dad’s 1970s diary she learns how he started his empire building, and who he crossed to do so. 

When her enemies strike directly at her and her family, Jia knows she has to hit back hard, and make it clear that she is the Khan and no one can topple her. She also makes some changes to her organisation that will bring it up to date and strengthen her position. 

This was another gripping instalment of Saima Mir’s crime series, Jia is a really interesting character and this book really develops more of her, the way she manages her organisation and the complicated relationships she has with her family and employees.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Fae of the Fjord – Elle Thrasher

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RTHE FAE copy

Welcome to the tour for The Fae of the Fjord by Elle Thrasher! Read on for more details and visit our Instagram page for a chance to win a signed paperback copy!

Cover

The Fae of the Fjord: A Fantasy Romance (The Nordic Fae Series, Book 1)

The Fae of the Fjord is a steamy fantasy romance set in modern-day Norway, with heaps of humor, magic, and Scandinavian flair. This is a why-choose (lite) romance, because why have one fae when you could have two?

  • Grumpy/sunshine
  • Fae fantasy romance
  • Who hurt you
  • Why choose (MFM)
  • Laugh out loud funny
  • Spicy

It isn’t Lennie Martin’s fault her cruise ship left without her…

Okay, that’s kind of a lie.

The ship left on schedule, but Lennie is distracted photographing the stunning fjord outside the tiny Norwegian village and loses track of time.

Out of luck, Lennie finds herself stranded in the quirky town until the next boat arrives. When she accidentally punches Espen, a friendly local cop with a penchant for yoga, who turns out to be far more than meets the eye (which in itself is plenty), she propels herself head over heels into a magical mystery the likes of which she never could have imagined. Because that last photograph that cost Lennie her ride? Turns out that silver light she captured was evidence of an illegal magic transfer between fae — not a stray lens flare — that could have detrimental effects on the fjord region.

To return home, all she needs to do is survive a week in the little village, help Espen with his investigation, and avoid the local grump, Øyvin, who seems determined to make her vacation a whole lot more complicated. Or more fun, depending on how you look at it.

When friendships bloom between her and the fae and the urge to solve this mystery grows stronger, Lennie is torn between commandeering a boat to run back to her normal life, or digging in her heels to be a part of this new world and help the fae of the fjord.

CW: Violence, graphic language, on page sex, loss of a loved one, and poisoning.

AVAILABLE HERE

About the Author

Hi! I’m Elle Thrasher, an author of romantic fantasy books.

My books are filled with relatable heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, lots of laughs, and locations that will give you wanderlust.

While I’m originally from the UK, and lived in Norway for seven years too, I now live in the US with my husband and one very fluffy dog. When I’m not writing, I can usually be found drinking a cup of tea, staring at my never-ending tbr, or taking a joke waaaaay too far.

ELLE THRASHER

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Book Release Blitz: Securing Aubrey – Julia Douglas

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Happy publication day to author Julia Douglas! This one is perfect for summer reading friends!

securing-aubrey-ebook (1)

Securing Aubrey (Hawthorne Security Book 1)

Publication Date: June 11, 2024

Genre: Romantic Suspense

🕶️ Celebrity/Bodyguard Romance
💞 Forced Proximity
🤫 Family Secrets
🎲 High Stakes
💕 Found Family
✨ HEA

Loyalty. Obsession. Betrayal.

World-renowned singer Aubrey Gray is finally free after spending the last seven years earning money to pay for her sister’s hospital bills. When she announces her early retirement and leaves Los Angeles in the rearview, she expects some fans will be disappointed. She can handle that. What she isn’t sure how to handle is the unexpected onslaught of hateful comments, death threats, and the decapitated teddy bear sitting innocuously on her dining room table.

As her dream of freedom devolves into a nightmare, Aubrey reluctantly acknowledges she may need help. Unfortunately, her best chance for survival rests with stubborn, overprotective celebrity bodyguard Noah Hawthorne who is one big-name client away from securing a prosperous future for his company–and his team.

As their strictly business relationship blooms into a full-fledged romance, Aubrey and Noah are tested when a series of horrific events begins to unfold. Will Noah be able to protect Aubrey or will the stalker waiting in the wings outsmart them both?

Fans of Gilmore Girls and Susan Stoker’s Protecting Caroline will enjoy this small-town, celebrity-bodyguard romantic suspense.

Securing Aubrey is the first book in an interconnected series. It is a stand-alone novel with a guaranteed HEA.

Triggers: Brief mention of SA, Character death

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About the Author

Julia Douglas is a captivating author of clean romantic suspense novels.

Julia Douglas writes sweet romantic suspense novels that pull readers into worlds filled with tension and romance. Julia’s novels are enjoyed for their intriguing plots, heartfelt romance, and wholesome themes, making them a perfect escape for readers of all ages. When she isn’t weaving tales of love and suspense, Julia enjoys a cozy life in the suburbs with her amazing husband and their two phenomenal children.

JULIA DOUGLAS

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Blog Tour: The Island of Forever – Jeremy Harrison

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TheIsland copy

Welcome to the book tour for The Island of Forever by Jeremy Harrison. This one has all kinds of Peter Pan vibes, and mythical creatures!

LCP_TIOF_FrontCover

The Island of Forever

Expected Publication Date: June 18, 2024

Genre: YA Fantasy/LGBTQ+

🌴Coming-of-Age
🌴First Love
🌴Hidden Identity
🌴Chosen One
🌴Friends to Lovers
🌴Peter Pan Vibes
🌴Fairies and Merman

He’s his own worst enemy—and their only salvation.

Seventeen-year-old Max Greenfell grew up hearing stories about the Island of Forever—a beautiful paradise of intrigue and magic that was once controlled by a destructive shapeshifter who killed everything in his path. When monsters roamed its sandy shores, and the island’s magic began to dwindle, a hero emerged to overcome the evil and restore the land.

But all good stories have an end—and fairy tales are just that—or so he thought.

When a strange storm sweeps through his town, Max finds himself washed upon the shores of the fabled utopia. Faced with bullying and overwhelming anxiety at school, he finds solace in the island’s allure, creating a better reality to confront. But his arrival has disrupted the world’s balance, threatening to unleash the shapeshifter once more.

With help from a snarky merman and a pistol-wielding fairy, Max must embark on a dangerous adventure to ensure the island’s safety. Returning home will be a challenging journey, requiring him to confront his deepest emotions, confide in his closest allies, and survive an encounter with his greatest foe: himself.

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Blog Tour: The Little Book of Extraordinary Cats – Anita Kelsey

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Discover the captivating world of fabulous felines in The Little Book Of Extraordinary Cats.

Join Anita Kelsey on a journey through fifteen remarkable tales celebrating the courage, resilience, and affection of our beloved feline companions, from pioneering space traveller Félicette to therapy cat London Meow. Whether you’re a cat lover or seeking heart-warming stories of human-animal connections, this book is a must-read.

Amazon UK Amazon US

Anita Kelsey holds a first class honours degree in Feline Behaviour and Psychology
(work based BA Hons) and runs a vet referral service dedicated strictly to the diagnosis and treatment of behaviour problems in cats. She is also a qualified cat groomer and specialises in grooming challenging or phobic cats.

Anita, a strong advocate of a vegan lifestyle, is based in East Sussex but consults all over the UK as well as international requests. She lives with her husband, a music producer, and 1 Norwegian Forest cat, Kiki.

Her first book ‘Claws. Confessions Of A Professional Cat Groomer’ was published by John Blake in 2017 with her second book, Let’s Talk About Cats self published via Amazon worldwide in 2020. The Little Book Of Extraordinary Cats is Anita’s third book.
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My thoughts: this charming collection of real life felines is perfect for the animal lover in your life (especially if that’s you)  illustrated with portraits of each cat, the chapters capture not just the thing that makes each one unique and worthy of celebration but the impact of their life on their human friends.

My cat Ted had a good sniff of this book – it’s what he does, and declared it acceptable.

We often think of cats as being aloof and disinterested (as they can be) but this collection shows that they’re also clever, funny, companionable and a boon to humanity – especially those who save lives and offer joy and comfort to the humans they know and meet.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Service Model – Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Murderbot meets Redshirts in a delightfully humorous tale of robotic murder from the Hugo-nominated author of Elder Race and Children of Time.

To fix the world they must first break it, further.

Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service.

When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: They can run away.

Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose.

Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming.

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and headed off to university in Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself, he subsequently ended up in law. Adrian has since worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds and now writes full time. He also lives in Leeds, with his wife and son. Adrian is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor. He has also trained in stage fighting and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind – possibly excepting his son. Tchaikovsky’s critically-acclaimed Elder Race was shortlisted for a Hugo Award and for the inaugural Ursula K. Le Guin Prize. Other notable works include The Expert System’s Brother and Made Things.

My thoughts: I really liked the main protagonist – a valet bot who goes by Uncharles for most of the book. Some terrible quirk of his programming caused him to slit his master’s throat, and flee his home. Things are very confusing for him from then on out – he discovers a world that has fallen apart, where humans have mostly disappeared and robots aren’t coping well either.

When he meets The Wonk, a rather peculiar and tatty individual at Central Services, they end up on a road trip together, one with very different aims. Uncharles just wants a new human master to serve, the Wonk wants answers.

I always enjoy the worlds the author creates, even this tragic dystopia, Uncharles is so naive but it’s that innocence and willingness to keep trying that allows him to keep going. His lack of emotion and inhuman nature are the very things he needs in this strange new world. He and the Wonk make a great team. There’s lots of references to the Wizard of Oz, which definitely seems to be an influence, if the Wonk and Uncharles were Dorothy and the Tin Man.

Humans have built robots to do almost everything for them and made themselves obsolete but then the robots have also become pointless as so many of them have lost their roles, like Uncharles or the Librarians. Finding new ones in the changed world might give them a sense of purpose.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Book Release Blitz: Woven Song – Rachael Krotec

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WovenSong copy

Woven Song is now available and if you like epic tales full of myth, love, and betrayal, then you are going to want to read this!

Woven Song_E BOOK

Woven Song

Publication Date: June 7, 2024

Genre: YA Fantasy/ Asian Mythology

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Found Family
😈Fallen Gods
🏮Asian mythology
🐈Orange Cat Chaos
❤️💔Will they, won’t they
⚔️Epic fight scenes
🤕Chronic illness rep
🐉 DRAGONS
🗡️Girls with swords

Isolated on the moon and yearning for the warmth of connection, a young Kaguya-hime falls to the mortal realm. While unknowingly sealing away her divine identity, she begins living as the mortal Yuki. But the mortal realm isn’t as charming as it seems…

Years later, after being banished from the imperial city of Gobe, Yuki returns on the emperor’s request with the hopes of restoring her family’s dojo. But when Yuki’s dreams are seemingly dashed after tragedy strikes, she is forced to face the unsettling truth behind her banishment.

On the verge of death, Yuki’s life becomes intertwined with the dragon god, Ryu, and together they must fight to save the mortal realm from Izanami, the ruler of the land of the dead. Caught between living as a mortal or a goddess, Yuki must fight to write her own mythology before the gods do it for her.

Woven Song weaves Asian mythology into an epic tale of love and loss, of loyalty and betrayal — where love is as soft as a lullaby, secrets are currency for the wicked, and every friend might be a foe.

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Blog Tour: Newport Writers Anthology Two

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We are a diverse group from south Wales with over 20 members, covering a broad age range and a variety of styles within the sphere of writing. We include poets, novelists, writers of flash fiction and short stories, plays and film scripts.

We published an anthology in February 2020 entitled Newport Writers – An anthology of poetry and prose. Available from Amazon in paperback and for Kindle.

We met on Zoom during the pandemic, but have now found a venue in central Newport where we can get together with plenty of space for social distancing.

We hold an Open Mic night once a month at popular Newport coffee shop Horton’s, and in the summer of 2021 we participated in several spoken word events.

Some members of our group are available to read and offer critique, and we have a proofreader among our membership.

Email us at newportwritersgroup@gmail.com

Facebook: Newportwritersgroup

Twitter: @NewportWriters

My thoughts: the Newport Writers return with their second anthology of poetry and short fiction. There’s a really interesting selection of work on display here, ranging from science fiction and fantasy to contemporary pieces.

I really enjoyed reading the group’s work – there’s some very talented writers here, some very deserving of more eyeballs (attention agents and publishers!)

If you’d like to see what I’m talking about, check them out on social media and on Amazon.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.