blog tour, books

Blog Tour: Shades of Light – Kimberly Grymes

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ShadesofLight copy

We’re celebrating the release of Shade of Light, a gorgeous new YA fantasy by Kimberly Grymes!

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.

Add to Goodreads

Available on  Amazon

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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blog tour, books

Blog Tour: Shades of Light – Kimberly Grymes

ramblingmads

ShadesofLight copy

We’re celebrating the release of Shade of Light, a gorgeous new YA fantasy by Kimberly Grymes!

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.

Add to Goodreads

Available on  Amazon

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

Book Tour Organized By:

RRBookTours Button

R&R Book Tours

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Night of the Sleepover – Kerry Wilkinson

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Four girls close their eyes. Only one wakes up.

Leah and her three best friends get changed into their pyjamas, eat pizza and argue about what film to watch. They laugh together until the early hours. But the next morning, Leah blinks open her eyes and sees three empty sleeping bags. The other girls are gone.

Twenty years later. In her small hometown, still-haunted Leah has never been able to shake off the rumours and whispers. How could she have slept through it all? She must know what happened.

Now, a documentary is being made about the night Leah’s best friends disappeared. Is the truth about to come out?

Then an anonymous email arrives in Leah’s inbox. ‘Stop them’.

Somebody out there knows what happened the night of the sleepover. Is Leah in terrible danger? And will she ever find her missing friends – or are some secrets meant to be kept forever?

An absolutely addictive psychological thriller with twists and turns that will make you gasp. Anyone who loves Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena or The Perfect Marriage won’t be able to put this down.

Amazon

Kerry Wilkinson is from the English county of Somerset but has spent far too long living in the north. It’s there that he’s picked up possibly made-up regional words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’. He pretends to know what they mean.

He’s also been busy since turning thirty: his Jessica Daniel crime series has sold more than a million copies in the UK; he has written a fantasy-adventure trilogy for young adults; a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter and the standalone thriller, Down Among The Dead Men.

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My thoughts: I used to have sleepovers when I was a teenager, luckily I never woke up to find all my friends missing, although I did once see my sister crouched on the floor eating the leftover popcorn we’d discarded and she definitely wasn’t invited!

But that’s what happened to Leah, at a sleepover at her friend Vicky’s house, she wakes up and her 3 friends are just gone. Not in another room, not playing a prank, just gone. And 25 years later, she still doesn’t know what happened. But someone out there does.

The brother of one of the other girls is making a documentary about the case. The police still have no answers, and he wants to find out whether anyone remembers something, a lead the cops didn’t follow perhaps.

Leah’s getting strange emails from “a friend” telling her to shut the film down or else. But she doesn’t know why they’re threatening her, she doesn’t know what happened. Or does she?

Kerry Wilkinson specialises in plots with twists and turns that you just can’t see coming and this one is no different. Just as you think he’s handed over the answers, it goes off in a different direction entirely and made my head spin. I have no idea where the sequel will go, this was so shocking.

*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

Blog Tour: A Court of Tangled Threads – Amanda Pillar

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A CourtofTangled copy

Welcome to the tour for romantic fantasy A Court of Tangled Threads by Amanda Pillar!

Amanda-Pillar---A-Court-of-Tangled-Threads

A Court of Tangled Threads

Publication Date: September 8, 2023

Genre: Slow-burn Romantic Fantasy

Some goals are harder to achieve than others.

Violet has only three, each one more impossible than the last: cure her sick sister, get a better job, and on the off chance she manages the first two—it would be great if she could avoid accidentally snatching souls along the way.

Sounds easy, right? Wrong.

When she finds herself trapped in the realm between the human world and the fae, Violet realizes no one’s coming to save her. But it’s not the rescue she needs—it’s the escape.

Her plan might work, but it could have a soul-rending outcome for everyone around her.

Blake can kill with a touch, but when the Black Queen commands, refusal is never an option.

To complete a ridiculous quest, Blake makes a deal with a Troll, setting off a chain of events that leads him to a castle filled with the dead and a soul-stealing woman with magic as dark as his.

As their fates become entwined, Violet and Blake find themselves on a perilous journey to unravel one of the greatest crimes in fae history, but it’s not just fate that Violet has to worry about—it’s the enigmatic knight whose grip on her heart grows stronger with every step.

Add to Goodreads

Available on Amazon and Free on KU

About the Author

Amanda_small-1

Amanda Pillar is an USA Today Bestselling author and award-winning editor who lives in Australia. Amanda is the author of the Graced series, the Heaven’s Heart series, and the standalone book, Haunt Me. Amanda has co-edited six fiction anthologies and solo-edited three. In her day job, she works as an archaeologist.

Amanda Pillar

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BBNYA Semi-finalists: Debunked – Dito Abbott

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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.

Sometimes adventure knocks. Other times, it kicks the door in.

“Dearest Alexandria and Ozymandias,

If you are reading this, I have perished. My demise likely involved some manner of spiked pit or curiously fanged beast, so it’s doubtful I suffered long. Do not try to find me—the path is too perilous, and I am lost to the mortal plane.

”

When Alex and Ozzie read their grandfather’s latest “death” letter, they barely blink. Dying six times in two years has to be a record, even for an explorer as incompetent as Sir Quidby Forsythe III.


Faster than you can say “kidnapped by a giant, glowing lizard,” the Forsythe twins are dragged into a world of ancient prophecies, sarcastic swords of legend, mutant slime beasts, and a growing awareness their grandfather might be the greatest explorer in history.


With Skhaar the Annihilator hot on their trail, Ozzie and Alex must solve the mystery of Sir Quidby’s disappearance before they become the final victims of the Forsythe Curse.

Amazon UK USA Canada

Goodreads StoryGraph

Dito (rhymes with “Cheetoh”) Abbott was born in Puerto Rico, grew up in Saudi Arabia, and sailed around the world with his family by the age of twenty-seven.

His debut YA Fantasy novel, Debunked, draws on his love for adventure, googly-eyed slime beasts, and sarcastic swords of legend.

Dito lives in Phoenix with his wife, two daughters, and an invisible dragon named Clyde.

books

Cover Reveal: Severance of the Sorceror – Kate Gateley

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We are thrilled to reveal the cover of the final book in Kate Gateley’s epic fantasy trilogy, Severance of the Sorcerer. If you are interested in signing up for an ARC you can do so here.

Ebook_SeveranceoftheSorcerer

Severance of the Sorcerer (The Lost Wells Trilogy #3)

Expected Publication Date: February 2024

Genre: Epic Fantasy/ Fantasy

A spreading darkness, a final prophecy, and one last chance to live … or die.

In his desperate bid to find answers of his own, Cassius Longinus—the ancient Child of Rome—released the killing darkness upon the world. A betrayal by Julia and Dom’s strongest ally and dearest friend, Ronan—who falls into Cassius’ ranks and advances the Sorcerer’s gruesome experiments—leaves the future looking more uncertain than ever for the Sovereign and the World Ruler.

Now on the run and isolated from their tight group of loyal allies, Julia and Dom must somehow pick up the pieces of their shattered trust, reconnect with their remaining friends, and together work to unravel the mysteries of the Otherworld’s most recent and worrisome portent—all while searching for a new path to end the darkness.

Coming Soon!

About the Author

Screenshot_20230917_100715_Instagram

Kate currently lives, and writes, on a small farm in the Cowichan Valley on beautiful Vancouver Island, with her amazing husband, two incredible sons, an adorable dog, several barn cats who don’t earn their keep, and some decidedly ungrateful chickens … all of whom are very dearly loved. She is a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC), Federation of BC Writers (BCFW) and Independent Book Publishers Association (IPBA).

Get a copy of Tides of the Sovereign and Mantle of the World Ruler by visiting the Books page, and subscribe to the newsletter for updates on book releases, upcoming events, and more pertaining to the Lost Wells Trilogy.

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Blog Tour: Mrs Plansky’s Revenge – Spencer Quinn

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Mrs. Plansky’s Revenge is bestselling author Spencer Quinn’s first novel in a new series since the meteoric launch of Chet and Bernie — introducing the irresistible and unforgettable Mrs. Plansky, in a story perfect for book clubs and commercial fiction readers.

Mrs. Loretta Plansky, a widow in her seventies, is settling into retirement in Florida while dealing with her 98-year-old father and fielding requests for money from her beloved children and grandchildren. Thankfully, her new hip hasn’t changed her killer tennis game one bit. One night Mrs. Plansky is startled awake by a phone call from a voice claiming to be her grandson Will, who needs ten thousand dollars to get out of a jam. By morning, Mrs. Plansky has lost everything. Law enforcement announces that Loretta’s life savings have vanished, and that it’s hopeless to find the scammers behind the heist.

First humiliated, then furious, Loretta Plansky refuses to be just another victim. In a courageous bid for justice, Mrs. Plansky follows her only clue on a whirlwind adventure to a small village in Romania to get her money and her dignity back — and perhaps find a new lease on life, too.

Spencer Quinn is the bestselling author of eight Chet and Bernie mystery series, as well as the #1 New York Times bestselling Bowser and Birdie series. He lives on Cape Cod with his wife Diana and dogs Audrey and Pearl. Keep up with him by visiting SpenceQuinn.com.

My thoughts: this was great, I want to be Loretta Planksy when I grow up. She could have just sat there and given up when her life savings are stolen in a telephone scam. One of those horrible ones that you hear about every now and then targeting the elderly. My own grandparents have received similar phone calls, though not this exact one, in the past and as my parents get older I worry about them too – these scammers are smart.

But not Mrs Plansky, she’s not taking this nonsense and when law enforcement don’t seem too keen to push to go after the gang who took her money – she buys a plane ticket to Romania and goes hunting.

She’s an active seventy-something and not afraid to get stuck in, the American Embassy in Bucharest try to send her straight back to Florida, but instead she rents a car and drives off to the small town she’s heard back in the States from an slightly more loose lipped FBI agent, than he should be.

This is a funny, wry revenge thriller with an incredible protagonist in the brilliant and determined Mrs Plansky, culminating in a chase through the Carpathian mountains to save two young men and a journalist from thugs.

I want Mrs P to start her own detective agency, helping other older people who’ve been targeted by scammers and con artists, or who just need someone to help them when officialdom fails. I think she’d be fantastic at that. She’s not afraid of action – climbing out of windows and sneaking around secret tunnels. I reckon she’d do a better job than some of the cops out there.

*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: Death Mask – Eric J. Gates

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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.

Zoe Davis, late-thirties, bookstore owner, now living with a new family in Albuquerque, NM.

Ordinary. Unremarkable.

So why are Special Ops elite soldiers trying to kill her?

Perhaps Zoe isn’t who she seems to be…

2021 Reader’s Favorite GOLD MEDAL AWARD winner

Readfree.ly ”The 50 Best Indie books of 2021″ Award (Nº 1 in Thriller category. Nº 3 overall)

Amazon UK USA Canada

Goodreads StoryGraph

Award-winning author Eric J. Gates has had a curious life filled with the stuff of thriller novels. Writing Operating Systems for Supercomputers, cracking cryptographic codes under extreme pressure using only paper and pen, and teaching Cyberwarfare to spies are just a few of the moments he’s willing to recall. He is an ex-International Consultant who has travelled extensively worldwide, speaks several languages. His specialty, Information Technology Security, has brought him into contact with the Military and Intelligence communities on numerous occasions. He is also an expert martial artist, holding 14 black belt degrees in distinct disciplines. He has taught his skills to Police and Military personnel, as well as to the public. He now writes thriller novels, drawing on his experiences with the confidential and secret worlds that surround us.

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Blog Tour: Love is an Art – Kathy Strobos

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He hates lawyers. So I’m a lawyer pretending to be an artist. Forgetting one tiny detail: I can’t paint.


Tessa: There’s something about the way the blond guy laughs and leans in to listen. My gaze keeps returning to him.
The only problem is, we’re at an art gallery after work, and I’ve swapped my lawyer suit for a paint-splattered shirt. I’m pretending to be a struggling artist, acting as bait to entice a scammer who conned my friend out of thousands of dollars.
I look pathetic. But still, I approach Hot Guy.
Our glances meet, and an awareness shimmers across.
He offers to buy me a drink–we’re definitely flirting–and then he asks me what I do.
Just when Scammer Guy is in earshot.
I have no choice but to say I’m an artist. I can tell Hot Guy later that I’m not.
But then he says he hates lawyers.
Now what?


Zeke: She’s the worst artist I’ve ever seen.
And I hate that that makes me suspect that she’s lying to me. After my ex-girlfriend cheated on me, trust is in short supply.
She makes me laugh, and it’s one adventure after another with her. Definitely different from my workaholic lawyer ex.
Maybe it’s time to give love a second chance.


All is fair in love and litigation, but when truth and deception clash, can you trust your heart?


*The romcom books in this series are interconnected standalones set in the same world. Each can be read as a pure standalone with a guaranteed happily ever after.

Books2Read UK Amazon US Amazon Kobo Apple Barnes & Noble

Kathy Strobos is a writer living in New York City with her husband and two children, amid a growing collection of books, toys and dollhouses. She previously worked as a lawyer before switching careers to write romantic comedies full-time and get in shape.

Born and raised in Manhattan, she loves writing about New York City and the accomplished heroines who live and fall in love there, amidst its vibrant energy and the aroma of homemade chocolate chip cookies. She is the author of A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts, Partner Pursuit, Is This for Real?, Caper Crush, My Book Boyfriend and Love Is an Art.
She is still working on getting in shape.

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My thoughts: this is another fun, and funny, rom com from Kathy Strobos, this time featuring a lawyer called Tessa, pretending to be an artist (for a good cause) and Zeke, a finance guy not pretending to be anything.

Tessa is helping out a friend by going undercover as an artist to catch a scammer who has been setting artists up and getting thousands of dollars out of them. It’s something she enjoys doing – getting justice. And not just at work, she also volunteers for a non-profit, helping out innocent people with legal advice and representation. Except she can’t tell Zeke that. 1, scam man is right there and 2, Zeke hates lawyers. His ex was one and that’s a big red flag for him.

But he likes Tessa, she’s fun, crazy things keep happening around her, he gets involved with her various investigations and when they work together on a case involving both of their employers, he can’t cope. How can he forgive her for lying to him and get over the whole being a lawyer thing?

Luckily Tessa is up to the challenge of winning Zeke over, and showing him that not all lawyers are the worst. Thankfully for us readers, there’s a lot of fun to be had while doing so. Also a lot of food, seriously don’t read this if you’re hungry, eat first. There’s also a cute dog and I love a pet in a story so good news all round. Enjoy!

*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: Dead Sexy – Cameo MacPherson

ramblingmads

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.

Taking a chance on love can be harder than hunting the undead.

Cassie Jones, the head of Jones’ Post-Mortem Tracking Agency, has been cursed with a capital “C.” Thanks to an unfortunate incident with an angry wizard, any guy she falls for is guaranteed to betray her. So when David MacDuff – the most mouthwatering man she’s ever had the misfortune to meet – hires her to track his recently deceased brother, Gideon, she knows she’s got to keep things strictly professional.

Yeah… like that’s going to happen. She should have stuck to hunting vampires after all.

Amazon UK Canada USA

Goodreads StoryGraph

Author Bio

Cameo MacPherson is an author with a strange sense of reality. She honestly thinks it’s possible to write books, maintain an acting career, raise three children, and fight off an encroaching zombie horde all at the same time. (Although sometimes she does get the children and the zombies confused.) A graduate of St. Vincent College in Pennsylvania, Cameo is proud to have put her degree in Advertising/Communications to absolutely no use and hopes to continue doing so. She can be found on social media (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and BlueSky) @cameomacpherson