Saturday, October 5, 2019

Saturday's Series Spotlight: Druid's Curse by Shea Balik Part 1

Author: Shea Balik
Series: Druid's Curse #1-5
Genre: M/M Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy
Release Dates: The Edge of Darkness - April 15, 2019
A Flicker of Hope - May 29, 2019
A Menacing Tempest - June 14, 2019
Fatal Frost - August 23, 2019
Beneath the Surface - September 5, 2019
Cover Design: Harris Channing


Ancient Druids, who monitored the Veil for centuries, curse a band of marauding Vikings. Now immortal and shifters, the cursed men must protect today's Druids from Unseelie minions, allowing them to continue the rituals that protect all of humanity.

PLEASE NOTE: Although each book in this series focuses on a different couple, to enjoy the overall story arc, it is recommended you read these in order.

The End of Darkness #1
Summary:
Ryley Duggan resented his family for forcing him home on his twenty-first birthday to perform another stupid fire ritual, instead of letting him go out and get shit-faced like normal people his age. He’d never believed in the stories his grandmother told him about the reason behind what they were doing. That was, until he walked outside to the bonfire to see bloodcurdling creatures that no Hollywood studio had ever come close to replicating, killing his family.

Since an early age, Eirik had one job, to protect the descendants of the one who’d cursed him and his friends. It hadn’t been what he’d ever imagined for his life, but after nearly a millennium, Eirik had learned one thing, life never went as planned. Never had that been truer than when he’d rescued Ryley from certain death.

Now the two must learn to work together to save humanity. Will all be lost? Or will they discover a way to heal their hearts by opening themselves up to love?

A Flicker of Hope #2
Summary:
Kegan Tulach already knew that monsters were real. He’d faced them. Watched in horror as they killed those he loved. Then run from them. It was his response for the past two years. But now, on his twenty-first birthday, running wasn’t an option. He had nowhere to go. It was time for him to face his worst nightmare.

There weren’t many people who could do what Bjorn did. Fight monsters and live to tell the tale. It was a job thrust upon him as a kid. If he had known the true hell that would be cursed upon him, he would have preferred to die even though he’d only been fourteen at the time. Now, years later, he had hope that the curse would come to an end. The question was, would he choose the death he’d so desperately craved for more than a millennia, or would he do the one thing he swore he’d never do? Choose love.

If Kegan and Bjorn can find a way past their fears, they may discover something worth living for - each other.

WARNING: This book contains some graphic violence against Unseelie monsters and hot man on man love!

A Menacing Tempest #3
Summary:
When it came to defense, or offense when needed, Cullen McIntyre thought he was prepared. It wasn’t until he watched as monsters he’d never knew existed walked out of thin air to kill members of his family, twice, that Cullen realized how wrong he’d been. By the third time he’d come face to face with those determined to kill him and the rest of his family for doing their duty, Cullen knew he needed help, and lots of it.

The moment Ulf laid eyes on Cullen, he’d been enthralled by the man’s resolve to protect what was left of his family. Being shot and left for dead by Cullen should have cooled his desire for the fiery man, but it only made him want him more. By the time he caught up to Cullen, Ulf knew, without a doubt, the druid was destined to be his. Now he just needed to convince Cullen of that.

As Cullen and Ulf join their friends to fight the monsters from the realm of the Fae, they find there is a new threat waiting to get through the Veil. A threat they might not be able to defeat. Will Ulf & Cullen get their chance at happily ever after, or will the Fae finally succeed in their quest to destroy the veil?

Fatal Frost #4
Summary:
No way was Arne going to allow fate to chain him to a guy who thought all creatures, even those determined to kill you, were worthy of saving. Arne was a Viking warrior, death was his thing and he was damned good at it.

Dermot Kincaid believed all of God’s creations deserved respect. He was a pacifist at heart, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t stand up for himself. Even when that meant getting retribution against the asshole who thought he was better than anyone else.

When Arne and Dermot are attacked, they must find common ground so they can work together to defeat the enemy. If they can’t, they may not just risk losing, but they also risk their hearts developing a Fatal Frost.

Beneath the Surface #5
Summary:
His whole life Hrafn had been ridiculed for his inability to always understand things. He was slower than others when it came to comprehending the world around him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want what everyone else did – love. Yet, he was sure that would never happen for him, for who could ever learn to love someone like him?

With a knock on the door, Teagan’s world had been changed. Unsure how life could be so cruel and take his family from him, Teagan struggled to find meaning in his life. Searching for his ancestry led him to the place where the origins of his family tree began. If he’d known his being there would bring hell upon earth to that small town, he never would have come. Then again, if he hadn’t, he never would have met his fate.

Hrafn and Teagan must find a way to break down the barriers of their past so they can see what is Beneath the Surface if they hope to find their eternal love.

Author Bio:
Best Selling author of the Cedar Falls Series, Paranormal War Series, and Miracle Series, Shea Balik has always had a vivid imagination with stories running around in her head. Often her stories are taken from observations of other people with her own spin.

Traveling is one of her favorite ways of fulfilling her passion of people watching. You never know, one day you may spark her imagination for her next book.

Whether at home or traveling she is usually in front of her computer writing or curled up with a good book.

You can stay up to date with everything Shea by following any or all links below:


FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  BLOG
WEBSITE  /  NEWSLETTER  /  B&N
KOBO  /  BOOKBUB  /  INSTAGRAM
iTUNES  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS



The Edge of Darkness #1

A Flicker of Hope #2

A Menacing Tempest #3
AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK
B&N  /  KOBO  /  SMASHWORDS
iTUNES  /  GOODREADS TBR

Fatal Frost #4
AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK
B&N  /  KOBO  /  SMASHWORDS
iTUNES  /  GOODREADS TBR

Beneath the Surface #5





Brought to you by:

Release Blitz: Lost & Found by Liv Rancourt

Title: Lost & Found
Author: Liv Rancourt
Genre: M/M Romance, Historical
Release Date: October 4, 2019

⏳💸⏳ Currently $2.99⏳💸⏳$4.99 after 10/20/19⏳💸⏳

Summary:
A dancer who cannot dance and a doctor who cannot heal find in each other the strength to love.

History books will call it The Great War, but for Benjamin Holm, that is a misnomer. The war is a disaster, a calamity, and it leaves Benjamin profoundly wounded, his mind and memory shattered. A year after Armistice, still struggling to regain his mental faculties, he returns to Paris in search of his closest friend, Elias.

Benjamin meets Louis Donadieu, a striking and mysterious dance master. Though Louis is a difficult man to know, he offers to help Benjamin. Together they search the cabarets, salons, and art exhibits in the newly revitalized city on the brink of les années folles (the Crazy Years). Almost despite himself, Benjamin breaches Louis’s defenses, and the two men discover an unexpected passion.

As his memory slowly returns, Benjamin will need every ounce of courage he possesses to recover Elias’s story. He and Louis will need even more than that to lay claim to the love – and the future – they deserve.


The table on the other side of me was empty, at least until I’d poured myself a second glass of wine. Then, crossing the room in a familiar halting rhythm, my neighbor, the man from the café on the Place du Tertre, took a seat.

I raised my glass in a toast of alcohol-fueled enthusiasm. “It’s nice to see you.”

He blinked as if surprised by my words. “I’m not sure I know you.”

His gaze suggested otherwise. “A while ago, you were at L’Oiseau Bleu.” I swirled the wine in my cup. “Are you following me?”

“I had a taste for fish.” Hooking his cane over the edge of his table, he shrugged again. “And I have better things to do than observe the habits of a drunk American.”

We were interrupted by the arrival of my dinner. There might have been humor in his tone, but still, the sting of his words quashed the impulse to invite him to join me.

Turning to the waiter, slick black hair gleaming, he placed his own order. When the waiter brought his wine, I took the opportunity to raise my glass a second time. “Cheers.” I deliberately did not smile. “Comment allez-vous?” How are you, using the formal “vous,” not the more intimate “tu.”

Tu. In all my time in France, I’d never regularly used the personal form of address. To be honest, if English had an equivalent construction, I could have said the same about my friends and family at home.

“Bien. I am well.”

His tone, and the slight tremor of his fingers on his glass of wine, hinted otherwise. He turned as if to shield himself from my appraisal. I couldn’t help myself. It was my nature to observe. Assess. Diagnose. “I’m Benjamin Holm.” The distance between us was too great to bridge with a handshake.

He raised his glass. “Louis Donadieu.”

I forced my fork through the crisp crust of fish. Juices ran free, and my mouth watered. I ate, hunger keeping my attention fixed on the food on my plate. Though it had been almost two years since I’d last sat at an army canteen, I still attacked each meal as if someone might steal it away.

At my last bite, I glanced at Louis. He watched me, a pool of stillness amidst the confusion around us. “Did you even taste it?”

“Yes.” Swirling my fork through the drippings on my plate, I fought the urge to smile, unsure of the rules for the game he played.

He sniffed. “Bien.” Shifting in his seat, he poured himself more wine. As long as he wasn’t looking, I continued my assessment. He held his right leg extended, as if he was unable to bend it at the knee, but was otherwise quite vigorous, virile even.

I finished my peas and potatoes, bemused by my strange dinner companion. After a week in Paris, I’d had no luck with my main goal, and this conversation, though tentative, intrigued me.

“Were you injured?” I gestured at his feet with my wine.

“What?”

“In the war. Your leg.” His narrowed gaze suggested I’d transgressed. So, no questions about his health. “Pardon. I did not mean to—”

“No, I was unable to participate in the grand conflict.”

He turned his attention away, leaving me confused. This was less a game than a jousting contest. Rather than bring another helping of rudeness on my head, I swallowed the rest of my wine and prepared to leave.

“What are you doing?”

I paused in the act of reaching for my wallet. “I’m finished. I need to be going.” Though I had no real destination beyond the poor comfort of my solitary rooms. Instead of my wallet, I fished out the photograph. “Here.” I stood, leaning over his table and offering him the picture of Elias. “I’m looking for my friend Elias. Have you seen him?”

Always the same words, bringing the same blank response.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to be found.” He tapped the white edge of the photograph, and I snatched it away.

“He’s my friend.”

“So?”

His acid tone burned through my good humor. Who is this man to follow and then abuse me? “Have a good evening.”

“Good evening, though if you give up so easily, you must not really want to find him.”

Surprise kept me planted by his table. “Do you know where he is?”

He tipped his glass in my direction, the corner of his lips curling in what could not truly be called a smile. Though it wasn’t a scowl either. “No, but if I do see him, I will send him to the heavy-footed American man who lives on the floor above me.”

Tired of being the target of his sport, I straightened, falling into the habitual pose of a military officer. “Again, good evening.” Annoyed beyond what the situation called for, I departed.

Author Bio:
Liv Rancourt writes romance of all kinds. Because love is love, even with fangs.

Liv is a huge fan of paranormal romance and urban fantasy and loves history just as much, so her stories often feature vampires or magic or they’re set in the past…or all of the above. When Liv isn’t writing she takes care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether she’s at work or at home. Her husband is a soul of patience, her kids are her pride and joy, and her dogs – Trash Panda and The Boy Genius – are endlessly entertaining.

Liv can be found on-line at all hours of the day and night at her website, on Facebook, or on Twitter. She also blogs monthly over at Spellbound Scribes. For sneak peeks and previews and other assorted freebies, go HERE to sign up for her mailing list or join the Facebook page she shares with her writing partner Irene Preston, After Hours with Liv & Irene. Fun stuff!


FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE
NEWSLETTER  /  FB GROUP  /  B&N
iTUNES  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS



⏳💸⏳ Currently $2.99⏳💸⏳$4.99 after 10/20/19⏳💸⏳





Brought to you by:

Release Blitz: Hard Lessons by Samuel King

Title: Hard Lessons
Author: Samuel King
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Cover Design: Leah Kay Suttle

Summary:
When his new student turns out to be a handsome property developer with a complicated past, teaching is the last thing on Jake’s mind.

When recently single Jake heads off to rural Somerset for a job interview as a reading teacher, he’s expecting his pupil to be a child, but it’s the handsome and charismatic property dealer Nathan Foley who needs his help. Their relationship quickly becomes sexual, and Jake worries he is rushing into another relationship too fast. And, as the heat between them intensifies, Jake begins to question Nathan’s motives.

Adding to the confusion is Nathan’s bitter older sister, Alice, who seems to have taken an instant dislike to Jake, as well as a strange man who Jake spots wandering around the grounds of the house.

What is Alice’s problem? Who is the handsome stranger? And are Nathan Foley’s feelings entirely genuine? Perhaps Jake is the one who is about to learn a hard lesson.


Sunlight was streaming through the huge window when Jake opened his eyes. He could have closed the blinds so that the day wouldn’t have infringed on his sleep, but he was glad he hadn’t. He glanced at his phone, which sat on a small bedside table. It was only seven a.m. He thought about getting dressed and sneaking out of the house alone. He wasn’t sure lunch with Nathan was such a great idea after the knee-rubbing of the previous night, but his new boss had suggested it would be a good chance to talk about how the lessons were going to pan out. Also, if Jake were honest with himself, he liked the idea of spending time with Nathan.

There was no denying he was attracted, but getting involved with Nathan would be a bad idea on so many levels. First of all, Jake was still reeling from his break-up with Matt, and second, Nathan Foley was his boss and student for the next two months. They needed to establish a professional relationship.

As if Nathan could hear his thoughts, there came a knock on the door and the man’s husky voice calling.

“Jake, are you awake?”

Jake froze. Should he keep quiet, pretend to be sleeping or invite Nathan into his bedroom?

The knock came again.

“Yes, come in,” called Jake, making sure the quilt was pulled up to his neck.

Nathan opened the door. He was dressed in a white bath robe that only came down to an inch above his knees. It gaped open at the top, revealing a chest covered in dark hair.

“Morning,” he said. “I’ve made coffee and wondered if you wanted some.” He was holding two mugs in his left hand, one finger looped through the handles.

“Yeah, that would be great,” said Jake, shifting into a sitting position. The quilt dropped down to his waist, revealing his smooth, toned torso. He thought about pulling the quilt up to his neck again but decided it would make him look too paranoid.

“If you’re up for it, I thought we could head over to this beach I know,” said Nathan. “It’s really isolated and would be a great place to walk and chat and build up an appetite for lunch.”

Nathan sat on the end of Jake’s bed, handing him one of the mugs. Jake took it, feeling a flush spread from his face down to his chest.

How did Nathan go from the stony-faced interviewer of just a few days ago to this affable man who brings me coffee in bed?

“That sounds like a plan,” said Jake, unable not to look at Nathan’s exposed chest, one dark nipple clearly visible where the top of the robe hung loose.

“Excellent,” said Nathan, standing. As he moved, his robe momentarily shifted and Jake had to suppress a gasp at the brief glimpse he had of Nathan’s cock. Even while flaccid, it was long and thick, hanging between

Nathan’s firm thighs. Jake hastily averted his gaze, although Nathan’s dick had already disappeared behind the robe.

“See you in about an hour?” Nathan gave him a questioning look.

“Sure,” said Jake, needing Nathan to leave so that he could fantasize about that cock while he masturbated. There was no way he could get through an entire day without responding to the sight of that amazing dick.

As the bedroom door clicked closed, Jake threw back the quilt and grabbed hold of his already hard length, jerking it aggressively as he imagined Nathan sitting on the end of his bed, robe fully open, revealing his entire manly body and that suckable dick, gradually growing hard.

Jake came in several thick gushes, covering his stomach and chest. He lay back, breathing heavily, still thinking of Nathan, now imagining his boss leaning across the bed and kissing him on the lips. A familiar warm feeling spread through his body and Jake realized he was developing more than simple feelings of lust for Nathan Foley. This is going to be a confusing and potentially exciting two months.

Author Bio:
Samuel King is London born and bred, and spent his twenties and thirties hanging out on the London gay scene, mixing with some true characters and even finding romance on a few occasions. Now more likely to be found eating in a nice restaurant on a Saturday night than clubbing, he also enjoys reading across many genres, and watching films—especially old horror films and romantic comedies. He is also the author of Male Male erotic romance, Hard Lessons, available from Pride Publishing from 1 October.






Brought to you by: