Monday 31 December 2018

New Release Blitz: Winter Fire by Richard Amos




Winter Fire by Richard Amos
Series Coldharbour Chronicles Book three
Genre Adult Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance
Publisher Independent
Publication Date December 7, 2018



Out of the frying pan, into the damn inferno!

Who is the white eye guy? How can Jake Winter save the city of Coldharbour from its curse? So many questions, yet still no answers. And then there is the whole complication with Dean…

Evil is rising…

Lilisian, the beast Supreme, is free. Worst luck! Jake Winter and his friends are desperate to stop her, but she hasn’t been seen since her last brief appearance. All over the city ritual sacrifices are taking place, praising her name, her followers waiting for her to fully rise to her true power.

The clock is ticking…

Jake has to kill Lilisian. There’s no two ways about it. If she is restored to her deadly glory, she’ll be a threat like no other beast he has faced yet. But life is always far from easy. Lilisian has a pet that she has just let off the leash…

When a dragon takes to the skies of Coldharbour, Jake will need to summon all his strength before everything he is trying to protect goes down in flames…

A dark urban fantasy tale with kick-ass action and slow-burn m/m romance.



Amazon        Goodreads  


What the hell was that?” I yelped.
My fucking car!” Greg boomed.
Yeah, maybe he should start using old bangers for patrols.
A deep keening came from the dark road, my sparks spitting in reaction to the horrible, mournful sound. Through the messed-up windscreen, I could see something pale moving in the dark.
I opened my door, my friends doing the same.
Okay,” Nay drawled. “This is a new one.”
The first thing I noticed about the white creature was the pear shape of its body—small head and upper region, a swollen lower region. Its arms were tiny, like a T-Rex, and the paleness of its skin was as white as freshly fallen snow.
The creature howled in despair.
The second thing I noticed, which I couldn’t quite believe, were the coal eyes, the carrot nose, and the black blobs down its front in a straight line that looked like buttons.
I’m asleep, right?” I said.
That can’t be a carrot,” Greg added.
What differentiated this beast from being a cute snowman on the front lawn was the wide mouth that almost split its small head in half. There were no lips, just lines of black and rows of black shards ready to rip flesh from bone.
And it had legs—two kangaroo-looking pins.
I sighed. “I’m so not in the bloody mood for this.”
Nay had her phone up, quickly scanning the beast into the app she’d created regarding beast knowledge.
The beast whined, taking some steps back.
I approached.
Careful,” Greg said, jutting a muscular arm out to halt me. “Don’t ever get sucked into the scaredy-cat crap, mate.”
There were no amber ribbons of light to see around the snowman—an indication of beast fear to my eyes.
Another howl of sorrow.
That’s not snow,” Dean said. “Can you smell that?”
What?” I wondered.
Lilies.”
I sniffed deep. There, on the cold air, I could smell the sweet scent of funeral homes. “I hate lilies.”
Me too.”
The snowman howled once more and pounced. Bloody hell! It went high on those bouncy legs. It came crashing down on the Mercedes, caving in the roof.
Greg roared and threw himself at the snowman. His fist met solidity, the side of the beast cracking ever so slightly under the power of his punch. With swiftness I wasn’t expecting, the beast kicked Greg in the chest and sent him sprawling on the asphalt.
It leapt into the air, aiming its body right for me. Crap. I rolled in time to avoid the crushing of my bones.
Nay threw a potion vial. It exploded into a green fire, spiraling around the freaky creature, but failing to do anything. The snowman jumped into a dropkick. Nay was quick to avoid a hit … just.
Greg was fuming, thankfully unhurt for now. He’d feel it when the rage cooled down.
Get on Dean’s shoulders!” Nay called.
What?”
Dean’s head was between my legs, and I was lifted into the air. He held me by the thighs, and my dick throbbed inappropriately at the firmness of his grip.
The snowman was bouncing after Greg, who was calling it every name under the sun as he swung punches and avoided getting kicked again.
Nay ran to me and Dean. “Ready?”
I swallowed. “For what?”
Dean’s gonna throw you.”
I am?” Dean said.
I thought we were on the same page seeing you’re between his legs.”
I blushed.
Didn’t want to debate it,” Dean replied. “I just did it.”
God! Could he feel my boner on the back of his head? I wanted to get down.
You mean go down!
Stupid inner voice! This was not the time for this bollocks.
Throw him, and I’ll aim him for the head,” Nay said.
Oh, my God!”
Dean squeezed my thighs a little tighter.
I’ve got a spell that should work.”
Greg got in a nice smack to the beast’s solid belly, a fracture line appearing across the white. The snowman howled and bounced away some feet, hopping from foot to foot once it was back on the ground.
Should?” Dean said.
We have one shot at this,” Nay answered. “While Greg’s pissing it off.”
Oh, shit.
You ready, Jake?” Dean asked.
No. “Y-yes.”
Get those hands ready,” Nay said. “You’re gonna have to work fast.”
If I miss?”
Don’t.”
Dean straightened and started to walk toward the beast.
You fuck with my car, I fuck you up!” Greg roared. “Come on! Let’s be having ya!”
In three,” Nay said, “charge and throw.”
Bloody hell! My lips were dry, my stomach doing loops. I could barely hear her counting or feel the speed of Dean’s charge.
Before I could blink, I was flying through the air at the snowman beast made of marble, magic tickling at my belly from Nay’s spell. If I missed, I’d smash my teeth out, break my nose and basically be a mess on the floor and then be kicked away or stomped on, a mushy mess of—
My hands were on the snowman’s head. Another part of me, the non-neurotic quarter—a.k.a. wannabe bad-arse—had taken over.
The terrible keening rang in my ears before the silence engulfed me in the place of beast essence.
Killing touch delivered, I enjoyed the sensation of feeding and did my best to hide the raging boner in my jeans. What with Dean having been in close proximity, and the fact that killing beasts made me inexplicably horny, it was straining to escape the confines of denim.
You can stay where you bloody well are! I told it.
Once my composure was restored to a degree of normality, I took in the scene. Greg’s car was completely written off. No way were we going home in the comfy, new Mercedes.
Greg was raging. He ripped off a wing mirror and smashed it on the road, proceeding to do the same to the other one.
Thanks, Karla,” Nay said into her phone and hung up. “Mr. Douglas is coming to pick us up.”
Motherfuckingbullshithellbollocks!” Greg boomed.
Nice work, you two,” Nay said.
I didn’t realize Dean was standing next to me. I turned to look at him to find he was staring right at me.
I offered him a smile, and he averted his gaze.
My shoulders sagged. A good old curl-up under the duvet, with the world being shut away, was just what I needed.

And a cold shower.

RICHARD AMOS is an author from England who is constantly lost in the worlds he writes about, and the ones in the queue yet to be written. He also has more books in his house than anything else, and is never without a book (and chocolate) in his hands when he's not writing. He's a proud nerd who loves to dance. Hard. Richard writes kick-ass Urban Fantasy with gay male protagonists, all with good doses of action, adventure and m/m romance. He also writes High Fantasy.







Friday 28 December 2018

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: The Trouble with Cowboys by Victoria James



The Trouble With Cowboys by Victoria James
Series n/a; standalone
Genre Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher Entangled Amara
Publication Date March 26, 2019


When Tyler Donnelly left Wishing River, Montana eight years ago, he swore he’d never come back. But when he gets the call that his father’s had a stroke, guilt and duty drive him back to his hometown. But not everything is as he remembers. The family ranch is run-down, his father refuses to accept his help, and Lainey Sutton is all grown up now--and still off-limits.


Lainey is done with cowboys. Especially the kind who think they can just walk--no, saunter--back into town looking even better than all her teenage fantasies. But she recognizes a man that needs a whole lot of healing, too. She owes his dad everything, and the best way she can repay his kindness is to show Ty what it means to be part of a small-town--and part of a family again.


But the problem with helping two men heal their hearts is she might lose her own in the process.



Entangled Publishing  https://goo.gl/oKHsFT
Barnes & Noble  https://goo.gl/GZECuL



VICTORIA JAMES is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.


Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover) and did all the illustrations herself. Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again.


In high school she fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened her own business. After her first child, Victoria knew it was time to fulfill her dream of writing romantic fiction.


Victoria is a hopeless romantic who is living her dream, penning happily-ever-after's for her characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but she's quite content living in suburbia with her husband, their two young children, and very bad cat.


Sign up for Victoria's Newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming releases and exclusive giveaways, follow her blog for daily antics and insight into her daily life, and get to know her on twitter and Facebook. She loves hearing from readers!






To celebrate the cover reveal of THE TROUBLE WITH COWBOYS by Victoria James, we're giving away for a $20 Amazon gift card!


LINK: https://bit.ly/2EQZksL


GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open internationally. One winner will be chosen to receive a $20 Amazon gift card. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Entangled Publishing.  Giveaway ends 12/31/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Entangled Publishing will send one winning prize, Pure Textuality PR will deliver the other. Limit one entry per reader and mailing address. Duplicates will be deleted.


Release Day Blitz: Amnesia by Jaimie Roberts




Amnesia by Jaimie Roberts
Series n/a; standalone
Genre Adult Contemporary Romance & Suspense
Publisher Independent
Publication Date December 28, 2018

I don’t use the term “bully” lightly. However, I have no qualms about using it when it comes to Max Cooper.
Arrogant.
Aggravating.
Annoying.
Those are just a few of the names I have for him that start with the letter A. I haven’t gotten through the rest of the alphabet ... yet.
From the moment I met Max three years ago, he was nothing but an arsehole. The only reason we put up with each other is because we share the same best friend.
Then, everything suddenly changes when Max is involved in a horrific accident which sets him back three years. He remembers his friends, but here’s the real kicker: He doesn’t remember … me.
At first, I think it must be a cruel joke, but then I see how serious he is. Over time, I get to know the real Max Cooper. The one who can be sweet, funny, and kind. The one who shows me he’s not such an arsehole after all.
Then, the inevitable happens; I start to fall for him.
Just as things between us begin to balance out, I start to lose my own equilibrium, and I don’t know why.
But, despite all of this, no one is prepared for the real terror that’s about to unfold.


My dad always told me to see the good in everyone—no matter how much you wanted to smash their face in. I always laughed when he said that. When I was at school, I was picked on. Even outside of school, I was mocked. There was one girl, Bethany, I think her name is. She told me I had big ears and a pointy nose. I plucked up the courage to ask her why she felt the need to say those things. She just wrinkled her nose, shrugged her shoulders, and said, “I don’t know. I guess you just have one of those faces.”
So, here I am at the age of twenty-one, all grown up with no hint of big ears and a pointy nose. But, alas to say, I still have “one of those faces.” I must have because Max Cooper thinks so. He “tolerates” me because I’m best friends with one of his closest friends, Gabrielle. I met Gabrielle my first year of college. I sat down, pen clutched between my fingers as I nervously tapped it against my desk. I sat at the back to remain hidden. I had learnt to adapt to hiding because of my “one of those faces” looks. If I stayed hidden, then no one could pick me out of a crowd. No one could judge me. I was safe. Or at least that morning, I had thought so. Gabrielle crashed into my world... literally. She tripped on someone’s bag and stumbled. Luckily at that point, I looked up. The girl with the crazy pink hair and even crazier green eyes fell on my desk at the same time I caught her from falling even further. “Thank you,” she had said. “I’m always falling over.” She had rolled her eyes as if she’d heard that so many times before. I am the girl with one of those faces, and Gabrielle was the girl who fell over a lot. Once she steadied herself, she looked at me with a crooked smile and said, “May I sit next to you? You look like the only sane person in the room.”
Right then, in that moment, I had smiled wider than I had in ages. Gabrielle, who is widely known as Pixie because of the cut of her hair, managed to do something I hadn’t done since before my dad died. I felt... noticed. And in a good way. She never once judged my boring baggy jeans, scuffed white trainers, and plain black T-shirt. I looked boring because I wanted to be boring. I wanted to be unnoticed. But, my little Pixie with the crazy pink hair and green eyes had other ideas. We instantly clicked, she and I. It was like we could see something in each other. Something... individual to what the rest of the outside world perceives what we should be. Pixie’s the crazy one, the outgoing, I-don’t-give-a-shit-what-you-think-of-me kind of gal. I equally admire her and am jealous of her at the same time. We’re polar opposites, and yet we click like nothing else. For the last three years since we met, we’ve been joined at the hip. We even moved in together four months after we had met. We do everything together, and life is wonderful.
Well, almost wonderful.
Unfortunately, Pixie came as a package deal, and that package deal included her irritating friend, Max. He also has an equally irritating best friend called Chester, who can’t seem to think for himself. He follows Max’s lead all the time. I’ve noticed, so others must have as well. In total, there’s six of us in our cosy little group, and I get on with all but two. I was the outsider. The one who came in late. Everyone already knew each other for around five years. It felt awkward at first, but everyone was welcoming. There was only one who stood on the sidelines watching me cautiously with his flaming brown eyes and hair so golden brown, that every girl wanted to snip a piece of it off so they could take it to the hairdressers to replicate its colour. Even I was tempted at one stage—until I found out what a total arse he truly is. His scrutiny of me made my walls flare up. I remember feeling watched as I was introduced around the room at Pixie’s house. My shoulders tensed, my teeth gritted. I hated that the girl who remained hidden was suddenly studied so closely I could feel his blazing brown eyes burrowing into me. My skin heated and my breathing quickened. I had felt intimidated by him straight away, and that thought had made me so angry, that by the time I had reached him, my stare was ice-cold. I had shaken his hand rigidly. I was definitely not accepting him the same as the others. Even Chester at the time welcomed me with a big, bright smile. That all changed once Max had obviously gotten him on the “I hate Lucy Rhodes” bandwagon. Since that initial meeting, we have never clicked. Instead, we exchange sarcasm as a defence mechanism. Pixie can’t understand it. She constantly asks me that if she loves me and him, then why can’t we love each other? “Because he’s an arse,” I would always reply. And then I would go to bed that night feeling guilty because I couldn’t live up to what my dad wanted me to be. To see the good in everyone.




JAIMIE ROBERTS was born in London, but moved to Gibraltar in 2001. She is married with two sons, and in her spare time, she writes.

In June 2013, Jaimie published her first book, Take a Breath, with the second released in November 2013. With the reviews, Jaimie took time out to read and learn how to become a better writer. She gets tremendous enjoyment out of writing, and even more so from the feedback she receives.




Wednesday 19 December 2018

Release Day: A Very Braden Christmas by Melissa Foster.



Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster's writing and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the Bradens.

A Braden Christmas celebration!

Family and babies abound during this fun-filled evening of love, laughter, and happily ever afters! Spend the evening catching up with our loving and loyal Bradens in this holiday celebration and fall in love all over again with each of the Bradens at Weston, and their children.

A VERY BRADEN CHRISTMAS is a novelette and part of the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection.


Family and babies abound during this fun-filled evening of love, laughter, and happily ever afters! A VERY BRADEN CHRISTMAS by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster is NOW AVAILABLE! 


New Release Spotlight & Review: Odette by Jessica Duchen




ODETTE
A 21st-Century Fairy Tale

by Jessica Duchen

Published by Unbound on 29 November 2018
£9.99 paperback, £3.99 e-book
ISBN: 9781789650006

Odette is the sixth novel by the author, music critic and librettist Jessica Duchen.

It has been 26 years in the making.
It is ideal for the Christmas season and its action takes place in December.
A wide audience knows and loves Swan Lake. This book brings the ballet’s heroine to life in our own world.
An unusual, whimsical book, magical realist with romance, music, humour and a feminist twist.
Likely to attract young adult readers as well as an adult readership, especially those who enjoy the magical stories of Joanne Harris, Philip Pullman and JK Rowling.
Could be described as Swan Lake meets Bridget Jones meets A Christmas Carol.
A positive, uplifting story about friendship, love, loyalty and empathy.
Deals at an oblique angle with contemporary issues including homelessness, exploitation, illegal immigrants and integration.


When a swan crashes through her window at the height of a winter storm, Mitzi Fairweather decides to nurse the injured bird back to health. At sunset, though, it becomes a human being.
This unexpected visitor is Odette, the swan princess – alone, in danger and adrift in 21st-century Britain, dependent on the kindness of strangers. Bird by day, woman by night, with no way to go home to Russia, she remains convinced that only a man’s vow of eternal love can break her spell.
Mitzi is determined to help Odette, but as the two try to hide the improbable truth, their web of deception grows increasingly tangled…
A contemporary twist on Swan Lake, Odette asks – in the best tradition of fairy tales – whether against all the odds, hope, empathy and humanity can win the day.
PRAISE FOR JESSICA DUCHEN’S NOVELS AND LIBRETTOS

A thrilling read” – John Suchet, The Daily Mail, ‘My Best Read’, Best Books of 2016

Enthralling…Jessica writes with an unpredictable and original voice and a dazzling perceptiveness, and I was hooked from the first page. A sensational achievement.” – Joanna Lumley

Jessica Duchen’s libretto is powerful and poetic” – Richard Morrison, The Times (on Silver Birch)

It is very rarely that I find a new writer whose work I love so much.” – Katie Fforde

Gripping…moving and uplifting” – BBC Music Magazine, Book of the Month

Jessica Duchen has music in her soul ... and she uses the intrinsic harmonies that so patently instruct her own life as the inspiration for her clever and compassionate novels. – Lancashire Evening Post

A narrated concert based on ODETTE is in the planning stages with the award-winning violinist Fenella Humphreys. pianist Viv McLean and Jessica as narrator. Music will include a celebration of Tchaikovsky’s magical score for Swan Lake, plus works by Chopin, Liszt and Gershwin. The first performances will be at Music at Mansfield Street, London W1, 17 April 2019 and St Mary’s, Perivale, 27 April 2019.


For a longer synopsis and an extract from the book please visit: https://unbound.com/books/odette/




'Tis the season to curl up and enjoy a magical modern-day fairy tale. Odette is a twenty-first-century retelling of Swan Lake.

It's more years than I care to remember when I saw the Swan Lake ballet at a theatre so, I read a little about the original story and origins before reading this novel, for no other reason than curiosity. My decision to do so in no way impacts my thoughts on this novel.

Living in the delightfully named fictitious town of Cygnford, single Mitzi Fairweather is a journalist with financial woes. When a swan crashes through the window of her rented flat, she's relieved the poor bird is alive, albeit injured. After taking the bird to see a vet, she decides to keep the bird at her home, while it recovers, only to find a woman in its place the following day.

There's plenty to appreciate in Ms Duchen's interpretation of Swan Lake. Her descriptions of the scenes and characters are laced with musical references which adds a wonderful depth to the narrative. Also included are topical references to today's society firmly cementing the authenticity of this contemporary narrative. The ending is a surprise and one which panders to my own personal reading taste, which is perfect. I love a novel which keeps on giving after the final words have been read and I'm lost in thought.

The writing flows at a steady pace to keep the reader invested in the narrative as it unfolds. It includes a strong message about the power of friendship which deviates away from a romance I was expecting. For me, there's a lack of emotion, a missing 'je ne sais quoi' to elevate this enchanting story to another level. Yet despite this, I still appreciated this adaptation.

Overall, an enjoyable novel with broad appeal especially at this festive time of year.

***Review copy generously received courtesy of the publisher***


Jessica Duchen is an acclaimed author and journalist, specialising in words for, with and about music. Her work has appeared in The Independent, The Guardian and The Sunday Times, plus numerous magazines around the world. Her first five novels have gathered a loyal fan-base and wide acclaim. Music plays a vital role in her books, and she frequently narrates concert versions of Alicia’s Gift, Hungarian Dances and Ghost Variations.

Jessica is the librettist for the opera Silver Birch by Roxanna Panufnik, commissioned by Garsington Opera and shortlisted for a 2018 International Opera Award. Current projects include the libretto for a youth opera with composer Paul Fincham for Garsington 2019 (an updating of an Oscar Wilde fairy tale) and two large-scale choral works with Roxanna Panufnik.

She was born within the sound of Bow Bells, studied music at Cambridge and held editorial posts on several music magazines before going freelance to concentrate on writing. She edited a piano magazine for five years and was then classical music and ballet correspondent for The Independent from 2004-2016. Her output also includes plays, poetry, biographies of the composers Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Gabriel Fauré (published by Phaidon) and her popular classical music blog, JDCMB. She lives in London with her violinist husband and two cats. She enjoys playing the piano, cookery, long walks and obscure books about music.


JESSICA DUCHEN’S WEBSITE