Sunday, October 15, 2017
Sunday's Safe Word Shelf: Coming in Third by Amber Kell
Summary:
Love sometimes comes in threes.
With his mother plotting to have him wed, Niall decides to sneak out of the fae palace and fulfill one of his greatest fantasies. At the Unconventional bar, he finds a pair of lion shifters looking to spice up their love life. Unable to resist the strong attraction between them, Niall lets the persuasive pair take him home.
Jovan and Luka have been searching for their third for years. When Niall stumbles into the bar, their shifter instincts tell them the innocent fae could be their long sought mate. After a sensual night together, they’re certain the beautiful man was fated to be theirs.
His guards fetch him from the shifters’ bed and Niall is taken away from the pair. Upset about Niall’s return to the palace and a possible arranged marriage, the lion shifters battle to decide their future—should they go and fetch their mate or let it only be the one-night stand Niall promised them?
Publisher's Note: This book was previously published as part of the Unconventional in San Diego anthology by Pride Publishing.
“Do you think he’ll cooperate?”
Niall stopped. He pressed his body flat against the wall at the sound of his uncle’s voice. He’d planned to go clubbing, confident everyone had already left for the night. Normally by this time they were all off at social events or, as Niall privately called them, ‘sucking up to the queen parties’.
Crap.
“He’ll do what I want. It’s time for him to marry. I’ve even made a list for him to choose from.” His mother’s tone pierced icy shards of disdain through his skin.
“What if he doesn’t like your choices?” his uncle persisted, ever the sly voice of innuendo and scandal. There were weasel shifters less sneaky than Niall’s Uncle Virnen, and none as mean.
“Then I’ll persuade him.” They laughed together, two partners pleased to crush others in their pursuit of common goals.
Niall’s stomach gurgled and swirled in protest as he pulled his magic around him. The hair on his arms and neck rose, reacting to both the dangerous situation and his escapist magic. He raced past the doorway, breath held and nerves clenched to the edge of pain. A single drop of sweat slid down his hairline and worked a straight path down his nose. He twitched.
Fuck.
The rumble of voices concocting evil plans followed him down the hall. He didn’t need to hear any more. He’d known his days were numbered. Mother had planned Niall’s life since she’d first strategized how he should learn to walk. She also choreographed his whippings when she thought he’d twitched a pinky out of line.
Now they’d come up with a way to hold him in the painful, steel bear trap of marriage. Before he could say no, they’d have him shackled and bound. He had no futile belief they’d truly give him any say about anything. They might present him with the illusion of a choice, but reality wouldn’t match the pretty fiction they created to get him to go along.
Tonight he would take control. For once he’d stop letting others run his life and do something for himself. Tomorrow they’d drag him back to his broken life but tonight was his. He’d be caught and punished, but they’d whip him even if he did nothing. His mother’s guards relished the taste of his pain and the marks on his body. More than one had licked at him while he dangled from magic draining manacles, dripping out his life force.
His own guards had broken him out of his last captivity and more than a few of his mother’s guards had met with an unhappy accident.
Burying his past horrors deep, Niall swiped a set of keys from the rack in the garage. The red convertible suited his mood tonight.
Although the queen’s guards saw him leave the estate, no one moved to intervene. His mother must not have sent out word to keep him confined. For once, his luck ran true.
Niall lowered the convertible’s hood. The breeze whipped around him, ruffling his hair and granting him an unprecedented wave of freedom.
What if I just keep driving?
Niall stopped. He pressed his body flat against the wall at the sound of his uncle’s voice. He’d planned to go clubbing, confident everyone had already left for the night. Normally by this time they were all off at social events or, as Niall privately called them, ‘sucking up to the queen parties’.
Crap.
“He’ll do what I want. It’s time for him to marry. I’ve even made a list for him to choose from.” His mother’s tone pierced icy shards of disdain through his skin.
“What if he doesn’t like your choices?” his uncle persisted, ever the sly voice of innuendo and scandal. There were weasel shifters less sneaky than Niall’s Uncle Virnen, and none as mean.
“Then I’ll persuade him.” They laughed together, two partners pleased to crush others in their pursuit of common goals.
Niall’s stomach gurgled and swirled in protest as he pulled his magic around him. The hair on his arms and neck rose, reacting to both the dangerous situation and his escapist magic. He raced past the doorway, breath held and nerves clenched to the edge of pain. A single drop of sweat slid down his hairline and worked a straight path down his nose. He twitched.
Fuck.
The rumble of voices concocting evil plans followed him down the hall. He didn’t need to hear any more. He’d known his days were numbered. Mother had planned Niall’s life since she’d first strategized how he should learn to walk. She also choreographed his whippings when she thought he’d twitched a pinky out of line.
Now they’d come up with a way to hold him in the painful, steel bear trap of marriage. Before he could say no, they’d have him shackled and bound. He had no futile belief they’d truly give him any say about anything. They might present him with the illusion of a choice, but reality wouldn’t match the pretty fiction they created to get him to go along.
Tonight he would take control. For once he’d stop letting others run his life and do something for himself. Tomorrow they’d drag him back to his broken life but tonight was his. He’d be caught and punished, but they’d whip him even if he did nothing. His mother’s guards relished the taste of his pain and the marks on his body. More than one had licked at him while he dangled from magic draining manacles, dripping out his life force.
His own guards had broken him out of his last captivity and more than a few of his mother’s guards had met with an unhappy accident.
Burying his past horrors deep, Niall swiped a set of keys from the rack in the garage. The red convertible suited his mood tonight.
Although the queen’s guards saw him leave the estate, no one moved to intervene. His mother must not have sent out word to keep him confined. For once, his luck ran true.
Niall lowered the convertible’s hood. The breeze whipped around him, ruffling his hair and granting him an unprecedented wave of freedom.
What if I just keep driving?
Author Bio:Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.
When she told her husband what she wanted to do with her life he told her to go have fun.
During those seconds she isn't writing she remembers she has children who humor her with games of 'what if' and let her drag them to foreign lands to gather inspiration. Her youngest confided in her that he wants to write because he longs for a website and an author name—two things apparently necessary to be a proper writer.
Despite her husband's insistence she doesn't drink enough to be a true literary genius she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.
She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres..
She also writes under the name Mikela Q. Chase.
SMASHWORDS / EXTASY / AMAZON
EMAIL: amberkellwrites@gmail.com
KOBO / iTUNES / GOOGLE PLAY
Magic of Books Promotions Presents Back 2 School Part14: Mixed Genres
Authors: Ella Medler, Cora Cade, Liza O'Connor
MCV Egan, Kim Headlee, Ryan Jo Summers
Genres: Non-Fiction, Memior, Self-help, Historical
Action, Adventure, Women's Fiction, Contemporary
Summary:
REJOICE! The children are back in school.
For those who live to read...here are some awesome books provided by the incredible authors who wrote them. All in celebration of the new school year.
While a few of these books might be oldies, but goodies...others could be new and fresh off the presses.
Relax and find your new favorite author.
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
MIXED GENRES
Over the last month and a half Magic of Books has presented ten different genres. This post is a mix of genres that may not have been previously presented. Included in this post are genres ranging from self-help to fiction to memoirs.
Please enjoy these books. The list is available in alphabetically order by title.
Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win an Amazon Giftcard.
50 Things No One Tells You About Book Publishing by Ella Medler
Non-Fiction Author resources - Self-help
50 Things No One Tells You About Book Publishing – Clever Solutions To Help You Deal With Publishing, Clearly And Truthfully Explained
The first steps into publishing can be a bewildering experience. This book is intended to remove the pink filters and show Publishing for what it is. Secrets are revealed, myths debunked, practical solutions and coping strategies provided – all tried and tested. Whether you are still deciding whether authorship is for you or you have already caught the bug, this is your honest, clear guide to the many things you should be aware of.
A Day of Pleasure by Cora Cade
Contemporary Fiction
Welcome to the Drunken Duck, a pub where the men are fine as hell and the ladies know how to get what they want.
In MORNING LIGHT, Noah Harper returns home from deployment to find his kid brother’s best friend isn’t a tomboy anymore. Tennyson Sharpe has been waiting for Noah to notice her for nearly ten years and she’ll be damned if she lets the opportunity pass.
When Army Ranger Callum Eversman arrives on the scene in TWO IN THE AFTERNOON, he’ll do anything to protect Molly Ryan, but will a hot fling satisfy her craving for him?
Chris Harper falls hard for the feisty Lainey Eversman in STAY THE NIGHT. She’s got a hands-off policy when it comes to pretty boys, but Chris is out to prove he’s nothing like the man she left behind.
A Day of Pleasure Anthology:
Book #1: Morning Light
Book #2: Two in the Afternoon
Book #3: Stay the Night
Defined by Others by M.C.V. Egan
Women's Contemporary Fiction
A word, a single word defines a moment for Anne. She needs to find a new one when her spouse leaves her at the age of 47, coming out of the closet literally in a closet. She finds herself back in her hometown amongst her high school friends which she left behind in her past.
An inheritance from a friend leaves her with the means to meddle and spy on the lives of some of their mutual acquaintances. In an attempt to run from her reality Anne gets engrossed in a game of "fun" and "flirtation" with her friend and fellow sufferer Connie at her side. Anne however did not read all the files and what to her is fun games turns into a deadly reality. It is no longer a game.
Life, death and not even a defining word can stop the reality of manipulation.
Luck Be an Angel by Liza O'Connor
Action/Adventure
Reporter, Ethan Long, is sent into the backwoods of Arkansas to investigate a woman who claims her sixteen boys were born by Immaculate Conception. Not believing in divine intervention, Ethan plans to uncover the identity of the man who continues to impregnate Sara Smith every year, leaving her to raise her sons on nothing but luck and love. He enters their home as a tutor and eventually discovers the truth, but not before he has fallen in love with Sara and her wonderful boys. Now he must face his own crossroad in life and decide whether to follow his heart or his professional obligations.
The Bridge of Deaths by M.C.V. Egan
Historical Fiction
The Bridge of Deaths is based on the crash of Lockheed Electra10A G-AESY August 15, 1939. True events and real people investigated through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico and the United States. The reader feel that he/she is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions.
The Business of Writing by Kim Headlee
Non-Fiction Author resources - Selfhelp
Have you written a book but don’t know how to go about getting it published?
Have you published a book but need advice distributing it to more sales channels?
Are you hunting for more ways to improve your bottom line?
The Business of Writing: Practical Insights for Independent, Hybrid, and Traditionally Published Authors is the go-to guide for everyone wishing to start—or jump-start—their writing careers.
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, discover the answers to such questions as:
—Do I really need to incorporate, what “flavor” of company should I set up, and how do I take the plunge?
—How do I manage my writing expenses and taxes?
—What is an ISBN, where do I get one, and how many will I need?
—What is an imprint and how do I establish one for my books?
—What decisions must I face in the prepublication phase?
—Do I need to register my book’s copyright and how do I accomplish it? What about using other copyrighted materials?
—How on earth do I condense my 100K-word book to a 300-word description, let alone a 20-word tagline?
—How do I select the best keywords for my book?
—What makes for a great cover and how can I get one?
—What do I need to know about book formatting—print as well as digital?
—How can I turn my book into an audiobook?
—How do I develop and refine my author brand?
—How can I land invitations to speak at conferences and conventions?
—I use several pseudonymns. How do I manage them all?
—What’s an ARC? A media kit? A book trailer? A blog tour?
—Do I really need to start a blog? Send out a newsletter? Dive into social media? Give away my books?
—How do I price my book? Should I pick one price or vary it? Where are the best places to advertise my sale events?
—How much is all of this going to cost me??
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the publication and promotion process, let award-winning, critically acclaimed author Kim Iverson Headlee give you the practical wisdom you need to stay on task and perhaps even come out ahead.
Ty's Journey: Sharing the Lessons, Life and Love of My Adopted PTSD Collie by Ryan Jo Summers
Non-Fiction, Memior, Pets
In March, 2015, nine collies were transported from a Tennessee neglect/ hoarding situation to a North Carolina breed-rescue organization. They were collectively called ""The Baseball Team"", and individually they were given baseball-themed names.They were all untrained, neglected and distrustful of people.Some had reverted to near wild-dog instinctive behavior. A male blue merle called Ty Cobb was the first to be adopted.
His adopted 'mama' recorded the first two years of their journey, chronicling their challenges, doubts, setbacks, successes, surprises, and ultimate triumphs as Ty first learned to trust, then to blossom and thrive.
Written in diary style, this is the story of that one particular, unique collie. He went from being a near-feral hoarding victim, without even a name, through a long trail of adjustments, to belonging to a family that treasured him for the special hallmarks that make him 'Ty'. Along the way, as he healed, he also brought healing to others in need.
* A portion of each sale of this book will go to benefit the Collie Rescue of the Carolina's.
Ella MedlerElla Medler is a U.K. author and editor. She writes fiction in many genres in a seemingly vain attempt to slow down her overactive brain enough to write non-fiction on subjects she knows a thing or two about. She also does not believe in the starchy use of English and ignores the type of rule that doesn’t allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. Her books are action-driven, and well-developed characters are her forte. Loves: freedom. Hates: her inner censor.
Nestled away in a small town in Ohio, I spend my days adding delicious books to my library, snuggling with my three rotten dogs, and debating the finer points of life with the dear husband.
When I'm not tucked away with a book you can be find me tapping away at my laptop. With coffee. And my playlist.
Liza O'Connor
Liza O’Connor was raised badly by feral cats, left the South/Midwest and wandered off to find nicer people on the east coast. There she worked for the meanest man on Wall Street, while her psychotic husband tried to kill her three times. (So much for finding nicer people.) Then one day she declared enough, got a better job, divorced her husband, and fell in love with her new life where people behaved nicely. But all those bad behaviors has given her lots of fodder for her humorous books. Please buy these books, because otherwise, she’ll become grumpy and write troubled novels instead. They will likely traumatize you.
MCV Egan
M.C.V. Egan is the pen name chosen by Maria Catalina Vergara Egan. Catalina was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1959, the sixth of eight children, in a traditional Catholic family. From a very young age, she became obsessed with the story of her maternal grandfather, Cesar Agustin Castillo--mostly the story of how he died.
She spent her childhood in Mexico. When her father became an employee of The World Bank in Washington D.C. in the early 1970s, she moved with her entire family to the United States. Catalina was already fluent in English, as she had spent one school year in the town of Pineville, Louisiana with her grandparents. There she won the English award, despite being the only one who had English as a second language in her class. In the D.C. suburbs she attended various private Catholic schools and graduated from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland in 1977.
She attended Montgomery Community College, where she changed majors every semester. She also studied in Lyons, France, at the Catholic University for two years. In 1981, due to an impulsive young marriage to a Viking (the Swedish kind, not the football player kind), Catalina moved to Sweden where she resided for five years and taught at a language school for Swedish, Danish, and Finnish businesspeople. She then returned to the USA, where she has lived ever since. She is fluent in Spanish, English, French and Swedish.
Maria Catalina Vergara Egan is married and has one son who, together with their five-pound Chihuahua, makes her feel like a full-time mother. Although she would not call herself an astrologer she has taken many classes and taught a few beginner classes in the subject M.C.V. Egan's new series DEFINING WAYS uses Astrology and the Metaphysical tools.
Kim Iverson HeadleeKim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins—the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-twentieth century—seem to be sticking around for a while yet. She has been an award-winning novelist since 1999 (Dawnflight first edition, Sonnet Books, Simon & Schuster) and has been studying the Arthurian Legends for nigh on half a century.
Ryan Jo Summers
Ryan Jo Summers is a North Carolina writer who pens romances with a twist. They may contain any number of elements: Christian, humor, mystery, paranormal, sweet, shape-shifting, or time travel. Her dad is a songwriter and his aunt wrote poetry so writing must be in the family genes.
She makes her home in a century-old mountain cottage, with a menagerie of adopted pets. In her spare time, she likes to gather with family and friends, paint ceramics or canvas, potter in the yard, bird-watching, or read, play chess, Mahjongg or work word-find puzzles. She might take her dog and head deep into the forests and rivers near her home to plot the next big scene or story. Like her dad's aunt, she writes poetry as a means to cope with life's pains.
She collects lighthouses, shells, driftwood, and anything to remind her of the shore.
Ella Medler
Cora Cade
Liza O'Connor
MCV Egan
GOOGLE+ / LINKED IN / DEFINING WAYS / YOUTUBE
Kim Iverson Headlee
SMASHWORDS / GOOGLE PLAY / SCRIBD / BaM!
Ryan Jo Summers
50 Things No One Tells You About Book Publishing by Ella Medler
A Day of Pleasure by Cora Cade
Defined by Others by MCV Egan
Luck Be an Angel by Liza O'Connor
The Bridge of Deaths by MCV Egan
The Business of Writing by Kim Iverson Headlee
Ty's Journey: Sharing the Lessons, Life and Love
of My Adopted PTSD Collie by Ryan Jo Summers
Brought to you by:
Release Tour: A Chance this Christmas by Joanne Rock
Title: A Chance this Christmas
Author: Joanne Rock
Series: Road to Romance #3
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 5, 2017
Summary:
Growing up in the Christmas-crazed theme town of Yuletide was fun for fashion designer Rachel Chambers until a family scandal made her unwelcome. Eight years later, she’s home for a friend’s wedding and trying to go incognito… until her old flame spots her.
Snowboarder Gavin Blake wants to make things right with Rachel, and smoothing her way back in Yuletide seems like the best way to do just that. Making Rachel his date for a week of pre-wedding parties is sure to bring them closer. Except he underestimated how long a small town can carry a grudge—or how much the memory of a long-ago kiss could tempt him all over again.
As the wedding approaches, Rachel remembers all she loved about her close-knit, Christmas-loving neighbors. But even if she can win over the town again, will she be able to convince her footloose, mogul-shredding wedding date that they can find happiness beyond the holidays?
Last Chance Christmas #1
Second Chance Cowboy #2
Rachel glanced back and forth between him and the car. “I don’t know.”
Insulted that he didn’t look like the better option, Gavin tugged the keys free from the door truck. “The Rachel Chambers I once knew had a sense of adventure.”
He held out his hand, waiting. And yes, hoping.
“And look where that got me?” she whispered, but took his hand just the same. “I’m a pariah in my own town.”
Leading her toward his truck a few spaces on, he made sure they stayed out of the reflected carousel lights.
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Unlocking the passenger door, he helped her up into the old F150 he’d bought when he purchased the house. He hurried to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel before she changed her mind.
“Oh really? I’m not sure you’re going to be much help salvaging my reputation.”
He really shouldn’t get involved. He knew that. Championing Rachel in this town would be bad for the business he wanted to open. It could hurt his chances of accomplishing a whole laundry list of things he wanted to tackle in town, starting with a fundraiser he needed the town council to approve.
But he owed her, didn’t he?
“That’s where you’re wrong.” A plan came together in his mind—a way to make up to her the wrong that he’d done all those years ago. “I’m a local sports hero these days.” He wasn’t bragging. People placed a whole lot of emphasis on sports. “I’ve got some standing in town.”
“I don’t think that’s going to help me. I might just tarnish your Olympic halo.” She rubbed a knuckle along the passenger window, as if she could clear the icy layer on the outside.
They sat in the cold truck while he waited for the defroster to kick in enough to clear the windows.
He knew she had a valid point.
“I kept my mouth shut eight years ago when I should have defended you to everyone. At the time, I thought maybe you hadn’t been honest with me, and that maybe you really were still with Luke.” Gavin had felt like he’d betrayed his friend, and the guilt had made him say things he later regretted. “I know better now, thanks to making amends with Luke. And I’d like to help you feel welcome in Yuletide again.”
“You don’t have to do any such thing.” She turned toward him, a hand on his arm. “I’m not going to stay in town long anyhow.”
He could see the hint of vulnerability in her pretty eyes. Was she leaving because things were uncomfortable for her here? He couldn’t abide that. Not when he’d been a part of the reason she’d felt ostracized. He knew exactly how to fix it.
Besides, he realized he was in no hurry for her to leave. It’d been too long since he had seen her.
“I happen to know Kiersten Garrett really wants you at her wedding.” He’d been over to dinner at Luke’s and Kiersten had shared as much.
Rachel’s jaw dropped. “I— Well. Just because Kiersten wants me there doesn’t mean I need to put up with grief from everyone in town.”
He jumped into trouble with both feet. It came with the territory on the mountain every day, and he wasn’t going to shy away from a risk now, with someone who used to be important to him.
“Consider the town quieted when you go to the bridal welcome dinner as my date.”
Last Chance Christmas #1
Summary:
Fashion buyer Shea Walker had a fast track lifestyle until a car accident sidelines her to a painful recovery. Seeking quiet for the holidays, Shea returns to the snowy mountains where she grew up to make peace with her past and spend time with her estranged family. She never expected J.C. Royce—now a hockey star—would return to their hometown, too. Determined to avoid that particular sexy mistake, she’s caught off guard when her first night in town brings them face to face.
J.C. never misses a chance to come home to Cloud Spin, Vermont, and this Christmas, he’s back home for some enforced downtime. But in all those trips, he’d never caught a glimpse of Shea, the childhood friend he once thought would become a whole lot more. Before she’d left town, she’d made sure he knew that would never happen, so seeing her practically fall at his feet outside a local pub is gratifying. Until he realizes his proud former friend is truly hurt—and in more ways than she lets on. Lucky for her, he’s got a big house just sitting empty, a tree ready to decorate and Shea is in no shape to stay by herself. But he’s got bad boy arrogance down to an art form after eight years in the NHL, so he’s more than a match for feisty Shea. Especially when it comes to her outrageous claim that there was never any chemistry between them...
But when it comes to convincing her to stick around town until the New Year, he just might need a Christmas miracle.
Second Chance Cowboy #2
Summary:
Dancer Larissa Martine is ready to start over and Las Vegas seems like the perfect city for a shiny new beginning. But first, to honor her pact with her girlfriends, she wants to make a quick stop in Cheyenne, WY to make amends with her first love, the guy she left to chase her dreams of Broadway fame. Except rancher Matt Briggs isn’t nearly as interested in her regrets as he is in keeping her in town for his sister's wedding. It’s a request she can’t deny when his family takes up the cause to make her stay for just one more week, but it’s difficult to maintain her friends-only boundaries with a man who attracts her as much as ever.
After losing his father and inheriting the family ranch in addition to the one he’d bought on his own, Matt’s life is all about obligations. But Larissa’s unexpected arrival during the wedding mayhem is a bright spot he won’t ignore, even if that means tempting her into far more than just a dance. He figures one night with her will bring them both some peace with their past, which is all she said she wanted. But one night leaves Matt wanting a whole lot more and this time, he’s willing to gamble everything to make her stay.
Author Bio:
Brought to you by:
Four-time RITA nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn't like. The author of over eighty books enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently focusing on sexy contemporaries and small town family sagas. An optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her life outlook perfectly--love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann. When she's not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her favorite sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three athletic-minded sons.
A Chance this Christmas #3
KOBO / iTUNES / GOODREADS TBR
Last Chance Christmas #1
KOBO / iTUNES / GOODREADS TBR
Second Chance Cowboy #2
iTUNES / KOBO / GOODREADS TBR
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)