Digital editions of Ambition to Savor by B.B.E. Gwyn are now available on Amazon! This one looks so good!
Ambition to Savor: A Cozy Fantasy Adventure (The Lone Thorn Series)
Publication Date: February 7, 2025
Genre: Cozy Fantasy Adventure
Standalone adventure
3rd-person single POV
Low fantasy magic
Cozy cooking
Platonic chemistry
Mystical creatures
Bizarre ingredients
Dynamic combat
Fast-paced plot
When a quest for magical ingredients takes you from kitchen to adventure, you’d better save your appetite.
Dedicated and cautious restaurant owner Jonathan Tessier dreams of crafting legendary recipes—the fame and fortune that might follow is a pretty nice bonus. But it’s all he can do to keep his restaurant afloat. Stolen ingredients, a surprise visit from a food critic, and a damaged reputation put his business at risk.
Jonathan knows he needs to make a change. A big one. Before he loses it all.
He and his eager head chef, Elenora Kerras, soon set off to find the bizarre ingredients that might save his restaurant. This hunt takes them through towns and wilderness, where they encounter dangerous beasts and sly individuals. They face challenges more thrilling than even their busiest dinner shifts.
Each success brings Jonathan ever closer to his lofty goal—until he stumbles upon his most startling discovery yet.
Will his dreams be worth all their luster, or will the revelation shatter his culinary world?
A standalone fantasy adventure in the Lone Thorn series, Ambition to Savor is a fun and whimsical tale that explores a question you never thought you needed to ask—What if a restaurant owner had magical powers and a dream to find flavors from deep within a world of hidden quirks?
We’re back in Achten Tan, but this time we are going back in time with new characters and a new adventure! Check out Tar & Bone by Debbie Iancu-Haddad!
Tar and Bone (The Sands of Achten Tan Book 1)
Publication Date: August 24, 2024
Genre YA Fantasy Adventure (Ages 12 to 18)
* Magic * Adventure * Disability & LGBTQ rep * Friendly Giant ants! * Non-European Setting * A weird Desert town in a ribcage. *No spice 🚫 🌶️🚫
Thirteen-year-old Kamal has been waiting his whole life to join the An’chers – the giant ant riders who protect the desert town of Achten Tan. Despite his disability, a crooked leg caused by a childhood injury, he’s determined to succeed in the try outs and become a cadet. To overcome the challenge, he strikes a bargain with an unexpected ally.
D’or is a half-elf with a dark secret. When the young giant Tar-tule rider agrees to help Kamal, his hazardous magic and the enemies it attracts put both boys in harm’s way.
Now they must evade the fanatic high elves who see D’or’s very existence as an abomination, and the dread sorcerer C’naga, whose interest in the boy threatens to lead them both down a dark path, from which there is no return.
Tar and Bone is a standalone prequel story to Speechless in Achten Tan. It includes themes of friendship, coming of age, and making tough choices. PG content is suitable for younger teen readers.
Welcome to the tour for Adella of the Campos, an epic fantasy adventure by A.M. Portman!
Adella of the Campos (Legends of Andolin #1)
Publication Date: February 2021 (First Edition)
Genre: Epic Fantasy/ Mythical Creatures
Tropes:
Epic quest, travel adventure, ancient prophecy, witty banter, betrayal, morally grey love interest, slow burn enemies-to-lovers, pirates, apocalypse
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?
Legends of Andolin: Adella of the Campos is the first in an all-new series that takes you on a captivating adventure filled with excitement, danger and, most importantly, sea serpents.
Feast your eyes on the exclusive new cover art for Empire of Shadows: The 1898 Edition, coming soon to Kickstarter! This luxuriously nerdy 19th-century inspired special edition of the hit historial fantasy adventure
features:
new original cover in gold and black foil on a green mercerized cotton binding
Victorian-style black and white frontspiece illustration by @atalienart
deckled edges
sewn binding with green and gold colored endbands
new historically-inspired layout
optional gold foiled slipcase It’s everything you need to feel like you just pulled this treasure off the shelves of a cluttered back alley vintage bookstore, except for the sneezing.
‘Tis said, if the Dragon Prince falls, so falls the kingdom. Lucky for the kingdom, I—a nobody thief—am here to catch him. But now he won’t let me go, and I may be the next feast of The Dreadmarked Dragon.
We’re celebrating the release of Lightfall by Elsa Jade! Make sure you treat yourself to this one!
LightFall: The Dreadmarked Dragon
Publication Date: May 13, 2024
Genre: Romantasy/ Adventure
Epic romantasy adventure
Snarky heroine makes bad choices
Doomed prince
Found family
We all have wounds
You are my only light
He is the Dragon Prince, cursed and bound by sacrificed auras to a savage demon dragon. Wielding the barely tamed monster like a weapon, the prince fights the hellish horde to preserve the light of all the Living Lands.
Me… I’m nothing. Or not quite nothing. I’m a good thief, with clever fingers and a wayward tongue—which only gets me in trouble when the glowering Dragon Prince rescues me. He wasn’t rescuing just me, of course. There’s a fine lady and a brave soldier and a shy little shepherd boy, and also a holier-than-me cleric and a king.
Now, because of a mistake that was not really mine, I’m trapped in a dangerous adventure. Demonic verges are splitting across the kingdom, releasing ghastly spawn from the Lost Lands. Even worse, the enchanted chains on the dragon are fraying, and the lifetime of scars that wound the Dragon Prince are bleeding where only I can see.
We must find our way through ancient tomes and fabled talismans and terrible battles before the kingdom crumbles. But I might be falling too—falling for the dreadmarked prince. He did save me, after all, so I might just save him in return.
Enter the exciting world of the Living Lands in LIGHTFALL, book one of The Dreadmarked Dragon duology, an epic romantic fantasy, where noble intrigue and demonic war are equally fatal, where one touch in the dark may lead to desire or damnation—and love might be most lethal of all. For fans of slow-burn romantasy who thought The Lord of the Rings needed a few more kisses.
Elsa Jade (also writing as Jessa Slade) fell in love with Tolkien’s stories way back in the day but always wished for just a bit more kissing. Now she writes paranormal romance, science fiction romance, and fantasy romance for everyone who howls at the moon or looks up at the stars to dream—with happily ever afters, guaranteed. The Dreadmarked Dragon duology is her first epic “romantasy” adventure. Learn more about Elsa Jade and the worlds of the Mating Season and Mating Fever, the Court of the Steel-Born Fae, and the Intergalactic Dating Agency, then sign up for the Elsa Jade Occasional Newsletter at ElsaJade.com
We’re celebrating the release of Empire of Shadows this week and if you love swashbuckling adventure stories packed with slow burn witty banter, flesh-eating beetles, and real history, this is a MUST READ!
Empire of Shadows (Raiders of the Arcana Book 1)
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
Genre: Historical Fantasy/ Gaslamp Fantasy
Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities.
One trifling little arrest shouldn’t have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it’s only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions.
When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she’s holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history. There’s just one teensy complication. A ruthless villain wants it, and Ellie is all that stands in his way.
To race him to the ruins—and avoid being violently disposed of—she needs the help of maverick surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling rogue who can’t seem to keep his dratted shirt on.
But there’s more than Ellie’s scholarly reputation (and life) on the line. Her enemies aren’t just looters. They’re after an arcane secret rumored to lie in the heart of the ruins, a mythical artifact with a power that could shake the world.
Between stealing trousers, plummeting over waterfalls, and trying not to fall in love with her machete-wielding partner, will Ellie be able to stop the oracle of a lost empire from falling into the wrong hands?
Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson’s smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. Read it now and dive into a rip-roaring historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Romancing the Stone and The Mummy.
Jacquelyn Benson writes smart historical fantasy where strong women confront the stranger things that occupy the borders of our world.
She once lived in a museum, wrote a master’s thesis on the cultural anthropology of paranormal investigation, and received a gold medal for being clever. She owes a great deal to her elementary school librarian for sagely choosing to acquire the entire Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown series.
When not writing, she enjoys the company of a tall, dark, and handsome English teacher and practices unintentional magic.
My thoughts: this was so much fun, a bit The Mummy (the Brendan Fraser one), a bit Indiana Jones but with a brilliant female protagonist set in an era when women were expected to get married and have children and be satisfied with their lot.
Ellie is a historian, archivist and budding archaeologist, if society would just let her. When she finds a mysterious map showing what she thinks is a Mayan secret city in British Honduras (modern day Belize), and is followed by a scary figure who seems to be after the map, she immediately books passage on the first ship across the Atlantic.
Once there she meets Adam Bates, the deputy surveyor and recruits him to help her find the city. Only she’s using a fake name, he went to Cambridge with her brother, and they’re being followed by the same sinister man she saw in London.
He’s got a whole crew of miscreants with him, and is searching for a magical item hidden in the city. Luckily some of his crew know Bates and with their help, and that of a local native priest, they just might escape in one piece.
I loved Ellie and Adam, they spend all their time bickering and falling in love, while on the adventure of a lifetime, full of terrifying moments and heart stopping risk. It’s absolutely marvellous. I cannot wait for the next one!
Tour Organized By: @rrbooktours
X: @rrbooktours1 #rrbooktours
IG: @jbensonink @rrbooktours
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own
We have something smart, and cute to share with you all today! Check out the book trailer for Finney and the Secret Tunnel by Jamie Lane Barber!
Finney and the Secret Tunner (A Finney and the Mathmysterians Adventure)
Expected Publication Date: November 14, 2023
Genre: MG Mystery/ STEM
Booby-trapped tunnels. Secret societies. Puzzles. A buried secret.
Finney’s sixth-grade math teacher might hand out too many worksheets and have a weird hang-toothed smile, but there’s something sincere about her that nudges Finney to follow her trail when she goes missing. Making her way through secret tunnels beneath the school, Finney’s now wrapped up in a secret society rivalry. In a race to solve puzzles and dodge dangerous boobytraps, can Finney uncover a world-changing secret left by one of the world’s greatest geniuses?
Jamie Lane Barber grew up in the southern California sun but enjoysher days now on the east coast in Virginia Beach. On top of writing and running a digital marketing agency, Jamie fills her time with shuttling her children between activities. Her kids and two crazy dogs help keep Jamie on her toes and always busy. Jamie enjoys karaoke nights with her husband, musical theatre, escape rooms, a tasty red wine, and, of course, reading.
We are thrilled to be hosting The Timewalker Archives by Emily VanderBent this week! Just look at the beauty!!!
The Timewalker Archives
Publication Date: May 25, 2023
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
⏳Time Travel
⏳Historical Descendants
⏳Secret Society
⏳Hidden Abilities
⏳Deadly Competition
⏳Slow Burn
⏳Forced Proximity
⏳Rivals to Lovers
Unlikely alliances, ancient lineages, and a rich history shrouded in secrets propel Adelaide Anson in her search for the only thing that matters—the truth behind the fire that claimed her parents’ lives.
When a mysterious letter appears promising answers, she finds herself joining the exclusive time traveling order of the Red Rose Society. As she makes her way from the French Revolution to the American Civil War and back again, Adelaide is left wondering who she can trust, and more importantly, who she’ll be. With danger and dashing companions at every turn, her emerging ability to see fragments of history leads her on a path to uncover the answers she seeks—and some she did not ask for.
While time unravels in ways she never thought possible, she’s forced to examine her role in history’s making. But as she quickly learns, the truth comes with a price and some secrets are better left buried.
Adelaide’s tale of twisted time will leave her asking the ultimate question—is protecting the past worth sacrificing your future?
The Timewalker Archives Vol. 1 combines Crimson Time and Fractured Past, the first two books in a young adult historical fantasy series perfect for fans of NBC’s Timeless and Alyson Noël’s Stealing Infinity.
About the Author
Emily VanderBent is a natural-born storyteller. As a writer and historian, she desires to celebrate women in history. Through her books, VanderBent uses elements of history to creatively engage readers with the past. She hopes her writing will encourage young women to fearlessly pursue their passions and own the narrative of their individual story.
While living in the real world, Emily dreams of days long past and stories yet to be told.
My thoughts: this was an interesting premise – descendants of famous people, good or bad, are inducted into a mysterious order, The Society of the Red Rose, who have built a time machine. Their true reasons for it are a bit murky and the woman in charge, known as Matriarch, has a lot of secrets.
Adelaide accepts an invitation to the Society, hoping they might have some answers about her parents’ terrible deaths in a house fire. She discovers that not only are most of the people she’s closest to members, but a lot more than she bargained for, and Matriarch seems to be very interested in her, possibly not for the best reasons.
Trips to the French Revolution and Civil War era America, mysterious Scottish castles, gangsters, estranged family members, Adelaide has a lot to deal with. It’s overwhelming, and then there’s the strange visions she’s been having. Are they connected to the Society?
While this doesn’t answer all of Adelaide’s questions, being the first in a series, you do learn, as she does, some shocking revelations, things that might change her entire life and throw her family into a new light.
Fun, full of mysteries and a hint of romance, this is an enjoyable and entertaining read.
Before the upcoming book tour, check out the trailer for The Five Watches, a time-travel adventure by John R. York!
The Five Watches
Expected Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Genre: Time Travel/ Adventure/ Spec Fiction
What might happen if a handful of people living in different eras became entangled in time, some intentionally and some accidentally? The nineteenth-century scientist, Dr. Wilhelm Gussen, is passionate about improving the welfare of mankind, and so he begins a journey through time in a quest to learn about future advances in epidemiology. Physicist Emory Lynch, from the twenty-seventh century, studies an old pocket watch, said to be a time travel device, and accidently stumbles into the twenty-first century. In 2019, Jim Zimmerman, the de facto neighborhood go-to guy, finds himself caught in the middle of a clandestine, future conspiracy. True to his character, he becomes inextricably involved in future affairs that involve saving humanity from itself-dragging his wife and a few neighbors along for the ride. Thus, begins a time travel adventure that examines the stubborn predictability of human behavior and how some things, even over time, never seem to change.
John York has been writing and publishing thought provoking novels since 2016, but he’s always been a storyteller, even as a kid in Central Ohio where he grew up. His life experiences provided him with a wealth of adventurous tales to share with others and resulted in his debut work, Wolf’s Tale. According to John, all his intriguing stories of unusual people, places, and events come to him in dreams. His heroes and heroines are always ordinary people who rise up to accomplish extraordinary things.
He currently lives with his wife, Paula, in New Port Richey, Florida, in a house they call “the swamp castle”.
Check out Promenauts: The Avarune Necklace by J.C. Williams and maybe treat yourself to a copy today!
Promantheus: The Avarune Necklace
Genre: Fantasy Adventure/ Mystery/ Young Adult
Grades: 3 – 12
Azuelo is a strange boy who has woken up in the middle of the woods with no memory of his former life. When he finds his way to the city of Stormhold, he is quickly inducted into the ranks of the promenauts, a group of warriors sworn to protect their city from the violent gurgans lurking just outside their walls. Now, Azuelo must fight to help defend his new home, all while trying to reclaim his forgotten past with only one thing as his guide, the avarune necklace.
Justin Williams, the author of Promenauts, The Avarune Necklaceas well asthe CEO, president and supreme imperial pooh-bah of Justin Williams Books LLC.
ramblingmads 