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BBNYA Semi-finalists: Life Support – Sarah McKnight

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This year, the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Every bite Kendra takes is a battle. Rosie can’t control her mouth. Alex struggles to keep his head above water. Tyler’s world has come crashing to his feet. Ricky’s anger threatens to spill over.

Told through a series of shifting perspectives, five strangers, nothing but blurred faces in a crowded high school hallway, come together in search of solace, support, and comfort. Together, they help each other realize that although life may not be perfect, the world around them can still fall perfectly into place.

But one of them may be beyond help. Will they be able to reach out in time to pull their friend out of the darkness, or are they already too late?

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Sarah McKnight has been writing stories since she could pick up a pencil, and it often got her in trouble during math class. After a brief stint teaching English to unruly middle schoolers in Japan, she decided she wasn’t going to put off her dream of becoming a writer any longer and set to work. Her books tackle real-world issues such as anxiety, depression, and letting go of the past – with a little humor sprinkled in, too. A St. Louis native, she currently lives in Pennsylvania with her wonderful husband and three cats. You can find her on Twitter @mcknight_writes, Instagram and TikTok @sarahmcknightwrites, and Facebook at Sarah McKnight – Author

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Book Blitz: Change of Heart – T.A. Williams

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Two families at war and Alice finds herself caught in the middle. Can she re-write a story as old as time?
When cutbacks force Alice out of her assistant manager role at a Devonshire stately home, she turns her sights elsewhere: the picturesque hills above the historic city of Parma. An aristocratic Italian family are looking to open their medieval castle to the public, and Alice is just the woman for the job.
Four years ago, a life-changing accident pushed Alice into depression, but the beauty and charm of the Italian countryside works its magic in brightening her days. Especially when she keeps bumping into handsome Luca… But rivalries run deep in the town, and Alice’s work – not to mention her potential love life – are caught in the middle of a long-standing feud between two families.
With her job and future happiness in peril, can Alice save the future of the castle, and bring two warring families together?

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I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I did languages at university a long time ago
and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to Italy for seven years as a teacher of English. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only ten years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.
The fact that I am now writing escapist romance is something I still find hard to explain. My early books were thrillers and historical novels and I now also write cozy crime, but my first love has always been romance. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations and descriptions of food to make you drool.

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My thoughts: another marvellous escape to beautiful Italy from one of my favourite writers of fabulous romances. Alice has taken a job at a medieval castle in need of new income streams. The family are broke and the castle needs a lot to restore it and keep it theirs. Alice has lots of ideas of ways to bring new life to the town and the castle.

There’s also a handsome architect with a lovely Labrador (always a bonus) who catches her eye. He’s the estranged son of the town mayor, locked in a never-ending feud with the Baron’s family dating back centuries.

Luckily Alice is made of tough stuff, and while her relationship with the lovely Luca and his dog Frank, is going well, the castle is a bit tricky. Thankfully the family, even the initially unsure baron, are happy with all her ideas – alpacas, clearing some of the trees and selling the wood, a museum.

I really enjoyed this book, I liked Alice, despite her accident and the injury she now lives with, she’s good at her job, and makes new friends easily. It was just a really lovely, fun story and left me with a nice warm feeling.

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

blog tour, books

BBNYA Semi-finalists: Legends of Andolin; Adella of the Campos – A.M. Portman

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This year, the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

A WOMAN IN A DESPERATE SEARCH

Adella’s life had been peaceful on the frontier of Valenna. But when mysterious raiders attack and burn her town down, her brother goes missing. Leaving everything behind, she sets off in a desperate ride across the plains to find him.

A MERCENARY IN DIRE NEED OF HER HELP

Kol, a highly-skilled Sornian soldier, needs Adella’s help if he wants to live to see another day. A traitor to his country with nowhere else to turn, he agrees to guide Adella across the wilderness of the Campos.

A HIGH-SEAS ADVENTURE

When Adella is captured by the enemy, she inadvertently lets a powerful artifact fall into the wrong hands. Risking everything to find her, Kol takes a gamble and joins forces with the mysterious Captain Declan, a notorious reaver known for plundering Sornian ships.

Each must face the same choice: Save the life of someone dear to them, or retrieve the artifact and prevent the awakening of Mundil and the rise of the Twelve Calamities…

In a world of intrigue, mystery, and betrayal, will the choices they make lead to disaster?

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A. M. Portman lives in Michigan with her husband, sons and goats. Her interests include horse riding, 18th century re-enactment, wilderness survival and classical literature. When not at home writing, she can likely be found at her 54 acre equestrian facility. The Legends of Andolin series began when the author’s sister requested an original novel for her birthday. Taking inspiration from her favorite classic authors such as Kipling, Stevenson, and Burroughs, Portman endeavored to craft a new tale filled with adventure, mystery, and humor featuring unique and memorable characters.

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Blog Tour: The Homemaker – Miranda Rijks

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Maria always wanted a family. Now she’s found one.

Imogen has never been so busy – she’s juggling two jobs, has a young family and now she’s pregnant again.

Enter Maria, the perfect housekeeper. Hard working and capable, she seems like the ideal solution to Imogen’s chaotic life. But Maria isn’t at all what she seems – she has a sinister agenda of her own.

Little by little, she installs herself at the heart of Imogen’s family – doing the school run, cooking meals, caring for Imogen’s little girl.

But once she has won the family’s trust, Maria starts to do some digging. And discovers that Imogen has been keeping a terrible secret, a secret which Maria threatens to reveal unless Imogen starts to run this home the way Maria sees fit.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Imogen has no choice but to comply.

A terrible mistake. Because as the full scale of Maria’s horrifying plan becomes apparent, Imogen realises that everything she holds dear – her marriage, her family, her friends – all may fall victim to The Homemaker.

The Homemaker – the chilling psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Visitors and What She Knew.

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Miranda Rijks is a writer of psychological thrillers and suspense novels. She has an eclectic background ranging from law to running a garden centre. 

She’s been writing all of her life and has a Masters in writing. A couple of years ago she decided to ditch the business plans and press releases and now she’s living the dream, writing suspense novels full time. 

She lives in Sussex, England with her Dutch husband, musician daughter and black Labrador.

This is her twentieth psychological thriller with Inkubator Books.

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My thoughts: this turned creepy really fast and all Imogen wanted was an extra pair of hands. Instead she got Maria – a dream of a housekeeper at first, then a steadily worsening nightmare.

Imogen runs a B & B out of her home, 2 nicely decorated bedrooms with ensuites, a freshly cooked breakfast in the morning. Allowing her to raise daughter Ava, and still offer a hotel consultancy service from home. Despite her husband telling her they don’t need the money, she wants to be independent. But the workload is increasing and she needs some help.

Hiring Maria, who can’t seem to do enough, should be great, but Maria forces her way further into their home and lives. And then Imogen’s friend Tom is killed in a hit and run, and events get worse and worse. Could Maria be behind it all?

Exploiting Imogen’s desire to find her biological parents, isolating her, harming Ava. There seems to be no extreme Maria won’t go to to get what she wants. With shocking results. Imogen needs to stop her, to save her family, but can she?

Twists and turns and shocking moments abound, and it turns the home into a terrifying place, the family might be sharing it with a killer.

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

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Blog Tour: The Crow Lord – J.M. Failde

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TheCrowLord copy

Another gorgeous new release to share this week! Check out The Crow Lord by J.M. Failde!

Front cover-final

The Crow Lord (The Vampires of Malvania Book 1)

Publication Date: October 24, 2023

Genre: Vampire Romantasy

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

🖤 Enemies-to-Lovers
🩸 Who Did this to You?!
🖤 Vampire/ Human
🩸 Forced Proximity
🖤 One Bed
🩸 Good Girl
🖤 Touch Her and I’ll Unalive You!
“What will you give me?” His voice again was like melted gold. Like a whisper in the bedroom. “Anything.”

Malvania is broken into four manors ruled by vampire: the Viper Morada, the Arachnid Estate, the Maggot Mansion, and the Crow Court. After escaping the cruel and malicious Viper siblings in search of her brother, Lila Bran finds herself caught in the gaze of the Crow Lord himself, Ambrose Draven.

Beyond her better judgment, Lila strikes a bargain with Ambrose, five favors in exchange for safety. But when she ends up back in the hands of the Vipers, can she trust the Crow Lord to save her despite her desire to hate him?

Now, Lila must discover more to Ambrose Draven than his title as the Monster of Malvania in order to save her brother and fulfill her half of the bargain. As she fights to survive, she uncovers the truth behind her lineage, ancient vampire secrets, and the heart of a monster.
(Note: This book contains mature language, themes, and content that may not be suitable for all readers. Reader discretion is advised.)

Available on Amazon and Free for KU

About the Author

Author Page photo-cmyk (1)

J. M. Failde spent just over one hundred fortnights rigorously studying the complexities of the English language at Florida International University. While she is not conjuring up stories, she can be found searching for el chupacabra, befriending the ghost in her house, or dying her hair a new shade of blue. Failde currently resides in her gothic manor on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, with her partner, Mike, and her familiar—the round but feisty calico cat, Maki.

J.M. Failde

My thoughts: running from the evil vampires who keep her prisoner, Lila enters the home of another vampire – The Crow Lord Ambrose Draven. In exchange for his help, she promises him five favours.

However she is no ordinary human, and as they grow close, Ambrose reveals her true nature – descendant of the woman whose death created vampires. He trains her to fight and kill his kind, even as they fall for one another.

This is a very spicy book, Ambrose and Lila’s relationship is not all roses and kisses, so definitely don’t leave this out for anyone too young to read, the author doesn’t hold back.

The plot is strong and the sex scenes don’t detract from it, Lila wants to save herself and her brother from the Viper Lord’s spoilt sons, but humans aren’t aware of how to kill vampires, who have taken over the land. Ambrose is a benevolent ruler of his people but not everyone is like him. As the book ends, war is about to break out and Lila turns undercover spy in order to stop her former masters. Leaving her relationship with Ambrose hanging.

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

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Blog Tour: Kindred Spirits – Lynn Eldridge

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KindredSpirit copy

We’re celebrating the spooky release of Kindred Spirits by Lynn Eldridge this week and it will be available on Halloween!

Kindred Spirits ML

Kindred Spirits

Publication Date: October 31, 2023

Genre: Paranormal Romance

A captivating paranormal romance that embarks on a journey of newfound love… and the everlasting effects of grief.

After a devastating accident, young billionaire Jack Malone is left wanting for the family and life he lost. Closing his heart off to the world in fear of feeling the same heartache, he has become a notorious recluse and landlord to several houses in St. Augustine. But despite his best efforts to keep people at arm’s length, his carefully constructed world is about to crumble.

When teacher Sydney Crane blows into town, she doesn’t expect her first encounter with her landlord to involve property vandalization—and unexpected nudeness. Off to a rocky start, she is determined to change Jack’s opinion of her. But after the unexplainable shakes her world and she finds herself in his protective embrace…she worries she may have ventured too far.

As Jack and Sydney’s connection deepens, so do their supernatural encounters. Navigating past heartache and an increasingly haunted house, their pursuit of love becomes a race against time that even they fear they won’t survive.

Will Jack and Sydney be able to unravel an ancient murder before their chance at love evaporates faster than a fleeting apparition?

Get swept away by this heart wrenching paranormal romance that showcases the strength of one couple’s resolve and their key to happily ever after. 

Available Here and on Amazon!

About the Author

Author Photo 2 -- Lynn Eldridge

Lynn Eldridge is a former president of the West Virginia Chapter of Romance Writers of America and earned an honorable mention in their Golden Heart Contest. Lynn is the author of several historical and contemporary romance novels, including Desire in Deadwood, Remember the Passion, Tame the Wild, and Skyrocket to Surrender. Her latest novel, Hearts and Mountains, is a 2023 Spur Award Finalist. In addition to her writing career, Lynn is a licensed clinical therapist and dedicates one day a week in an outpatient behavioral health facility in Charleston, West Virginia.

Lynn Eldridge

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Cover Reveal: A Vengeful Shade – Kimberley Grymes

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We’re thrilled to share the cover and a teaser for A Vengeful Shade, the second book in the Three Shades trilogy by Kimberly Grymes!

AVS_paperback ebook cover

A Vengeful Shade (Three Shades Trilogy #2)

Expected Publication Date: TBA

Genre: YA Dark Fantasy

Old threats resurface along with new ones, the mystery of the third Shade unravels, and Adele and Rune struggle to adapt to their new life of normalcy.

Book two continues with Adele trying to find her place living a somewhat normal life. While Rune struggles to help the angels rebuild their once beloved city in the Angel Realm. Little do they know their fight against evil is far from over. Vengeance is in the air for all those that have betrayed the Queen of the Under Realm.

Cover

Shade of Light (Three Shades Trilogy)

Publication Date: October 24th, 2023

Genre: YA Dark Fantasy

✨ Medieval Fantasy World
✨ Morally Gray MCs
✨ Unexpected Twists
✨ Magic
✨ Angels & Demons

Not all monsters are evil. Some choose to do better. So, which one am I?

Eighteen-year-old Adele believes she’s a monster because of her ability to infiltrate minds. She has come to terms with the fact that she may be alone for the rest of her life in order to avoid hurting others. For years, she’s been kept captive at Castle Forge, living comfortably under the watchful eye of a tyrant general. But after secretly witnessing her aunt heal someone with her blood, Adele knows the only way to get answers is to escape. Even if that means leaving behind the one person who’d shown her compassion during her captivity.

She travels far to her childhood village, and while trying to uncover the mysteries of her past, she encounters the Shade. The same mysterious attackers who changed her life eight-years ago. The Shade have been raiding Adele’s childhood village, capturing its inhabitants for their queen, the ruler of the Under Realm. It isn’t long before Adele realizes these attackers possess similar powers, drawing more questions about who she is, where she comes from, and how she’s connected to these evil beings.

After a childhood friend is captured and taken to the Under Realm, Adele must decide whether to stay and help the village or return to Castle Forge, where a dear friend might be in danger from the general’s wrath. With evil all around, Adele must choose who she wants to be and what her future holds.

This young-adult dark fantasy story promises a captivating and thrilling journey filled with action, suspense, and unexpected twists. Book one in the THREE SHADES TRILOGY explores themes of self-discovery, acceptance, and the power of choice as Adele navigates a dangerous medieval world to find her place in it.

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CW:

This book/series is young adult fiction and appropriate for 14+ years of age to read. It is considered “dark” fantasy, but appropriate enough for teens to read. There are mildly violent scenes, but nothing that falls into the “gore” or “horror” category. And the magic is more abilities that can either be used to help other or for torturous reasons.

This is a story that takes place in a medieval fantasy world with arrows, swords, and other non-gun-like weapons.

If you enjoy “dark” fantasy TV shows such as Wednesday, Vampire Diaries, or Shadow and Bone then you’ll be okay with the level of “darkness” in Shade of Light.

About the Author

Kimberly Grymes loves being sucked into science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, and paranormal worlds.

After many, many years of reading books and watching other people’s stories on TV and film, she finally took the plunge and started writing and sharing her own stories, starting with her debut novel, Isoldesse. She’s also released a companion novella, The Red Umber Forest. Besides storytelling, Kimberly enjoys baking, crafting, and taking bookish pictures for her Instagram page.

She and her family live on the outskirts of Wichita, Kansas with their two crazy miniature pinschers, Cori and Jubilee.

Kimberly Grymes

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Book Blitz: Death Rattle – Carter Pugh

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DeathRattle copy

The perfect book for Halloween! Check out Death Rattle by Carter Pugh, where murder mystery meets urban fantasy!

D.R.cover-0

Death Rattle

Publication Date: September 10, 2023

Genre: Murder Mystery/ Urban Fantasy

Murder Mystery meets Urban Fantasy in this coming-of-age tale where nothing is as it seems. Meet Clarke Carpenter, a thirty-year-old nanny and student who desires a life more substantial than her own, full of magic and wonder. After moving to the city, hoping to overcome her insecurities and claim a more vibrant life, her world unexpectedly upturns when she is accused of murdering her roommate. Clarke’s dreams of a fairytale existence are obliterated…or are they? Follow along in this thrilling first installment of the Death Book series as Clarke discovers the mystery of who she is.

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Blog Tour: A Fool’s Errand – D.E. King

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Welcome to the book tour for A Fool’s Errand by D.E. King. Read on for more details!

A Fool's Errand Cover LARGE EBOOK

A Fool’s Errand (In All Jest #1)

Publication Date: October 2020

Genre: Epic Fantasy/ Young Adult

Watching over the kin and scraping up what work she could, was Lani’s lot, and she’d come to terms with it. Up until she stumbled on Ashantha dying in the town’s wood storage cave, that is.

There in his final breaths, he pleads with her to protect a jewel he has given his life over.

In those moments, her life changes forever as she becomes unwittingly linked to his secret society of Jesters.

The amulet Lani takes possession of is the key to an eight-hundred-year-old secret previously hidden behind a magic barrier that has begun to crack.

What begins as a journey to find answers quickly becomes a matter of life and death as she runs from Derk assassins sent to retrieve the jewel at any cost.

Far from home, halfway across Dharatan, Lani must find the only person Ashantha told her could be trusted with the amulet and free herself of its deadly burden.

A Fool’s Errand is Book 1 in the In All Jest series, an epic fantasy series by fantasy author D.E. King. Book 3, Spire of Fools is out November, 2023. 

Available on Amazon

About the Author

headshot-white-shirt

D.E. King writes epic fantasy novels, starting with the In All Jest series.

His novels are available in eBook, paperback and hard back book formats from worldwide retailers as well as his own stores at http://www.kingdarryl.com. Get exclusive behind the scenes news, discount coupons, and more by joining Darryl’s Reader’s Group at http://www.kingdarryl.com

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BBNYA Semi-finalists: Jiddy Vardy – Ruth Estevez

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This year, the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it into Round Two with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

1779

On tumultuous waters a girl is born as pirates board the ship…

Jiddy Vardy is a survivor.

Rescued at birth, she grows up in Robin Hood’s Bay, a community which harbours a dangerous secret that could get you killed.

Always the outsider, with her dark skirt and hair, at sixteen Jiddy is clever, brave and headstrong, soon risking her life and freedom to play her part in the Bay’s clandestine activities.

Then, just as romance blossoms and Jiddy finally feels like she belongs, figures from the past threaten to tear her world apart, and she has to decide where her loyalties truly lie.

A thrilling tale of one girl’s search for identity and love, set against a backdrop of wild seas, smuggling and violence.

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Ruth began her career in theatre and television around the UK, working in props, acting and stage management, before becoming a fiction writer. Theatres and TV companies include Opera North, Harrogate Theatre-in-Education Company, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, and ITV’s Emmerdale.

Ruth has taught scriptwriting at Manchester Metropolitan University and was previously a scriptwriter on the Children’s TV series, Bob the Builder.

Ruth now writes for adults and young people and her published novels include historical fiction: Jiddy Vardy, Jiddy Vardy – High Tide and Meeting Coty, contemporary: Erosion, and YA: The Monster Belt. Place and identity feature strongly in all Ruth’s work.

Currently, Ruth is also Project Coordinator of the Portico Sadie Massey Awards for young readers and writers, an annual short story and book review competition based at the historic Portico Library, Manchester.

Instagram: ruthestevezwriter

Twitter: @RuthEstevez2

Facebook page: @ruthestevezM

Website: www.artgoesglobal.wordpress.com