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Shift Work (Night Shift, Book 1) by TA Moore: Blog Tour, Exclusive Short Story, Release Day Review and Giveaway

March 18, 2021 by Denise

You’d think the werewolves would be the worst thing about the Night Shift; you’d be wrong.

All Officer Kit Marlow wanted was a cup of coffee and some downtime before his next night shift. Instead, he got a naked man in the elevator and an unaccounted-for dead girl in the morgue. He’s going to need to deal with both before he can head for his bed.

Or anyone else’s. Although not much chance of that.

Reluctantly partnered with the acerbic security consultant Cade Deacon—last seen naked in the elevator—Marlow delves into the dead girl’s life. Between them, they uncover a new crime scene with the whiff of old corruption. A corruption that, five years ago, nearly took Marlow’s life and ended his career.

Finding out who killed the dead girl on the slab might only be the start of this investigation. Oh, and it’s the second night of the full moon. So 80% of the city, including Cade, will turn into werewolves in the middle of the case.

So, there’s that.

Title: Shift Work

Publisher: Rogue Firebird Press

Release: March 19

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Coming April 19, 2021

Split Shift: Night Shift: Book Two

First of all, thank you so much for having me! I’m thrilled to be here with my new release, Shift Work by TA Moore. It’s a novella. It’s a longish novella, but still a novella. It’s the first book in a three book series that will be coming out over the next….three months. So that’s easy! Well, for you. I’m going to have no nails left.

For the blog tour I’ve written a short story set in the Night Shift world. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Five

She was blind.

Temporarily at least. As Marlow watched, the blisters were absorbed back into the skin, and the burned tissue stitched itself into shiny scar tissue.

Home-made flamethrower probably—it was a popular self-defense for nulls that had to be out. It didn’t work well, and they’d been lucky she was young. Once someone shifted, they weren’t a person anymore, but they weren’t a dumb animal either. Werewolves were smart enough; they just didn’t think like people. Werewolves were smart enough; they just didn’t think like people or want what people wanted. Annie would forget her blistered eyes when she woke up. The wolf wouldn’t. This wouldn’t work again.

Drool splattered on the floor as Annie swung her head around and snorted at the air. Her ears twitched on top of her head, first one way and then back toward Marlow. She took a step forward, down on all fours, so the muscles bulked in her heavy shoulders, and licked the air.

Marlow didn’t try to hold his breath. It just made your heart beat faster, louder, and eventually you’d have to suck in some air. He just kept his breathing slow and steady, his heart rate calm, as he slid backward on his ass.

The stack of boxes at the end of the aisle were old-fashioned scales. $50 a pop. Marlow hoped he wasn’t going to have to pay for damages. He kicked them over on top of Annie. As the wolf reared back in surprise, he used the time the distraction had bought to scramble to his feet.

“There’s a whole city out there, Annie,” he said as he jogged backward ahead of her. “Deer. I heard they released some pigs.”

She crushed the boxes underfoot as he stalked him. Her eyes were gunked with pus, but the glaze of cataracts had faded. When he shifted direction, she turned her head to track him.

One step back.

Another.

Marlow mentally plotted his route through the department. He needed to keep her away from Beth. They might have been friends in the daylight, but the wolf wouldn’t care if she smelled blood.

Suddenly something crashed against the floor on the far side of the store. Three men, backpacks on their shoulders and kitted out in half-assed body armor, kicked over some of the shelves and stitched a spray of bullets down the aisle. The tiles splintered and shattered in divots and chunks until one of the projectiles caught Annie in the shoulder.

She threw her head back and roared in pain as the metal punched through flesh and bone. The next bullet docked her ear, the point shredded off in a spray of bloody hair, and then Annie threw herself out of the way and disappeared into the darkness.

“Idiots,” Marlow snarled. He gestured back the way he’d came—toward Beth—but hopefully, they’d more sense than to indulge a grudge now. “Get out of here.Go.”

One of them shot at him. It missed, punched into the shelves behind him, and then they ran.

Annie snarled, a low, wet sound, and then lunged out of the darkness.

Read the rest of the story on https://bit.ly/2Ojm6jQ!

This novella is set in a new world, and I had a bit of a time trying to understand what a few of the words meant initially (still not sure I understand what a null is 🙂 ) However, it is easy to catch up and figure out where things were headed.

I’m glad to see there is a second book with these MC’s, because I definitely want to know more about Kit and his past. That was piece that was revealed very slowly, in little chunks, and I want to know more!

There’s a bit of a murder mystery that sneaks into a lot of TA Moore’s books, and to give you a heads up there are definitely a few gory details that you might expect along with a murder among werewolves, but it definitely keeps you guessing.

I enjoyed the interactions between Marlow and Cade, but in many ways, I enjoyed their internal conversations with themselves almost as much. They kept trying to talk themselves out of their crush on the other, and it was such a back and forth it made me laugh.

I am looking forward to seeing how these things play out in the next book.

4 pieces of eye candy

TA Moore is a Northern Irish writer of romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and contemporary romance novels. A childhood in a rural, seaside town fostered in her a suspicious nature, a love of mystery, and a streak of black humour a mile wide. As her grandmother always said, ‘she’d laugh at a bad thing that one’, mind you, that was the pot calling the kettle black. TA Moore studied History, Irish mythology, English at University, mostly because she has always loved a good story. She has worked as a journalist, a finance manager, and in the arts sectors before she finally gave in to a lifelong desire to write.

Coffee, Doc Marten boots, and good friends are the essential things in life. Spiders, mayo, and heels are to be avoided.

Website: www.tamoorewrites.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAMoorewrites/

Twitter: @tamoorewrites

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How To Live by Susan Hawke: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

March 8, 2021 by Denise

Take one clueless, spoiled guy with notoriously bad luck…

When Derek Leigh is diagnosed with breast cancer at twenty-four, it’s the final straw in a lifetime of bad luck. If he’s going to die, it’ll be on his terms… with one helluva party that packs a lifetime’s worth of fun into whatever time he has left. To make this happen, Derek blows up his life: dumps the long-term boyfriend in the worst way possible, borrows money he can’t repay from a loan shark, and heads to Atlantic City… where his luck unexpectedly changes, giving him fresh hope.

Add one easygoing tattoo artist with a big, open heart…

Asher Matthews has dealt with a lot in his thirty-five years: he and his twin were born addicted to heroin and abandoned at birth… until Mama Maisie added them to her brood of lost boys. ADHD and dyslexia didn’t keep him from following his dream of opening his own tattoo shop, especially with his family’s support. With all that he’s been given in life, Asher makes a point of giving back where he can.

To equal two men who instantly connect in all the best ways.

Derek is shocked to not only survive his cancer treatment, but to come to the end of it in great health. Too bad he’s blown through all his money, lost his car, and has nowhere to turn. On a whim, he goes for a free tattoo. Asher takes one look at the sexy twink who’s down on his luck and offers him a room, a job, and even better, a friend. If they have a little no-strings fun along the way, it’s fine. It’s not like anyone is looking to fall in love, right?

This 55k novel is the seventh book in the LOVESTRONG series about finding love and being yourself in a small town. Watch out for ridiculous amounts of money won and lost, a butler who takes everything in stride, and a scruffy dog you’ll want to cuddle. This is an mm romance full of all the fun, laughter, and sweet feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book.

Possible trigger for anyone currently fighting cancer or closely related to a breast cancer patient. The book is low angst and the experience is gently handled, but the subject matter is present.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Lovestrong series – Books 1-6

I stepped aside to allow him by, refusing myself the stolen pleasure of letting his body brush against mine. As he leaned in to see, Derek wasn’t shy. But then, neither was Marlena, a trait common among cancer survivors. I guess it was par for the course going through what they had, constantly poked and prodded and denied basic modesty because saving your life was way more important.

She showed him the surgical scars, now hidden by the tattoo. Marlena acknowledged me with a wink, complimenting my skills with both line and shading. I was just glad she liked it and couldn’t wait to see how it looked when it healed and settled in.

While they chatted, I finished cleaning my tools. Marlena left after putting on her shirt and giving me a careful but grateful hug. Derek watched her leave, his expression both stunned and excited.

After the door closed, he snapped out of it, turning to me with those vulnerable eyes again. “Can you really help me? Give me something to make me feel normal again when I’m naked?”

“Absolutely. I can give you anything you want. But first, you need to define normal because it’s relative. I’m liking your style, a little bit fem but with enough masculinity to convince me it’s part of your style but not necessarily how you identify. I only say so because my sibling-in-law is nonbinary, but feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.”

A sex kitten emerged as he batted his lashes with a sexy little smirk. “Don’t worry, honey. I identify as completely male. There’s no law against dressing up pretty, so I do what I can with what I was given.”

“Yeah, you do.” With a kick of my foot, I pushed off on my rolling stool, wheeling myself back a few feet to my computer and drawing supplies. “Sit down, cutie. Let’s get to know each other some more so I can give you the kind of tattoo you deserve. Can I see the canvas I’ll be working with?”

Biting his lip, he glanced around nervously before nodding almost shyly and immediately pulling the shirt over his head. I rolled over and took a good long look at his chest, design ideas already sparking in my head.

“I can definitely give you something to make you feel good naked. Your scar tissue hasn’t faded as much as I’d like, so it’s hard to say how invasive it might be in the future. But if I tattoo over them today and make them part of the design, you won’t need to worry. The only item of importance is creating a design you can happily live with because you’ll have it forever.”

“Isn’t that kind of the idea?” The haughty tone was back, and damned if it didn’t turn me on. “What kind of design are we talking about? I don’t exactly want to seem like I’m wearing a bra. A sexy lace cami, maybe, but I don’t want to get stuck with a color. How does anyone decide this? It seems too hard.”

Normally, I would want a new client to wait and sleep on it before putting any ink on their body. But in Derek’s case, it seemed urgent for him to find a way to connect with his body again. And if his looks were closely tied to his self-worth, as would be expected in a young, hot guy like this, ink was the obvious answer. Now it was simply a question of picking the right design.

Fortunately, I was good at my job.

“I could do a cami with cutouts displaying three-dimensional nipples incorporated in the design if you want to go with something more common. But if you trust me, I can do something freehand to represent you as a person and be totally unique without feeling like underwear. Stick to getting your clothing at the designer boutiques. Let me give you some artwork you’ll be proud to show off when you get naked.”

Derek’s eyes lit up. “Yessss, I want something unique and totally me, definitely nothing common. Does this face deserve common?”

“Definitely not, but I’m at work, so I’m not going to follow my line of thought.” Winking, I ran my tongue between my lips. “Quit distracting me, cutie. Let’s get the design done first. Once I have a plan and the basic lines put down, you’re welcome to flirt all you want. Do you have anything you absolutely do or do not want?”

He simpered before taking it seriously. “I wouldn’t mind something natural, like flowers or leaves or whatever. As long as these deep slash marks are hidden, I’m good. Wait… I don’t want anything freaky. Nothing scary, no creepy bugs or skulls. This is probably where I should warn you, I suck at making decisions, and giving me too many choices is a bad idea.”

“I hear you. You’re talking to a guy with ADHD. Too many options will have me bouncing off the walls. I can seriously lose entire days waffling if I let myself.” Grabbing an art pad and pencil, I tapped the end of the pencil against the paper while I considered how to proceed. “How about this? You said you want something natural. Close your eyes and give me the first thing that comes to your mind when I ask you these questions. No thinking. I’m seeking gut reactions.”

Derek wiggled his shoulders, giving a little clap. “Sounds fabulous. I’m totally in.” He closed his eyes, lifting his chin expectantly as if waiting for a kiss. As tempting as the idea was, I still had a job to do.

Dammit.

As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.

I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.

Connect with Susan:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/authorsusanhawke
FB: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSusanHawke
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Reader Group: www.facebook.com/groups/TheHawkesNest
Website: http://www.susihawke.com

Win one of three e-copies of How to Live.

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Blood On Tap by Riley Long: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

March 3, 2021 by Denise

Drew
What’s a retired rockstar vamp to do in a quaint, quiet English town?
Buy the only pub, make it a vampire haven, and flirt incessantly with my one and only employee, of course.

Nova
I hate everything about my new boss.
His face. His arrogant smile.
The way he acts like he knows everything.
I hate him so much I just want to… kiss him? What the hell?

Riley Long on Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Drew:

I shouldn’t have been surprised by his presence in such a vampire-heavy town, but a vampire serving humans was unusual to my eyes. Seeing an apex predator doing something so mundane struck me as odd. I made my way to the bar and slid onto a stool, the vinyl cracked and fraying.

“Hi there,” I murmured, my voice low. I smiled at the tall, blond bartender, whose wavy hair would have reached his shoulders if it hadn’t been tied back. He looked very much like he could have come out of a picture book about Viking times, except he wore a snug-fitting t-shirt with Blood Money’s logo emblazoned on it, and jeans that perfectly cupped his very firm ass.

“What can I—?” He ended abruptly and tilted his head to the side. His eyes narrowed as he took me in, and I ran a hand through my damp, close-cropped hair. When he spoke again, his tone was cold, closed off, and his expression was carefully neutral. “Are you—?” he shook his head. “Can I help you?”

“You work here?” I knew it was a stupid question. He was behind the bar, of course he worked there, but I couldn’t help asking. I couldn’t wrap my mind around a vampire serving humans willingly.

He nodded. “And I’m busy.” He grabbed empty glasses off the bar top and put them in a tray, then grabbed a rag and began to wipe the bar down.

“Oh, yeah, totally. I can tell.” There were no patrons asking for his attention at that moment and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

“I’ve never seen you around here.”

I laughed a little. “Don’t worry, Tex, I’m not looking to steal your territory.”

He shook his head. “No territory to steal. It’s not like that around here.”

“Then what’s it like?” I leaned forward and slid my fangs out with a smile. I wanted him to see I meant no harm.

He dropped his voice to a hiss, leaning in close. “Put your fangs away, for fuck’s sake. Nobody needs to see that.”

Riley Long is a wife and mother living a quiet life in Virginia, with her husband, son, and one goofy pit bull. She passes her evenings writing, reading, and watching bad television (or not so bad television). For fun, Riley participates in NaNoWriMo, GISH, and reads with her book club, the BAMFs. She likes things with silly acronyms. The craziest thing Riley has ever done involves whipped cream and hugs. Riley writes sweet and sexy romance, with a special place in her heart for hipsters and musicians.

Connect with Riley:
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/riley-long
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13515411.Riley_Long
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerrileylong
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/writerrileylong/boards/
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Website: https://rileylongwrites.com/
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Schooling the Jock (Nerds Vs Jocks, Book 1) by Eli Easton & Tara Lain: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

February 23, 2021 by Denise

Only an unfair universe makes a guy who’s that gorgeous so damned obnoxious.

A-hoe!
Poindexter!
Snarky, superbrain Dobbs and snooty football star Jesse stare at each other from their rival frat houses on opposites sides of the street — and opposite sides of everything else.

Alpha Lambda Alpha and Sigma Mu Tau have been sworn enemies for decades. Then one disastrous prank proves to be the last straw, and the college dean blows his cork!

Work together or lose both your houses.

Question – -How can Dobbs win his coveted Quiz Bowl championship with when he’s forced to put a dumb jock on his team?
Answer — Lots of personal schooling.

But when personal becomes very personal, Jesse risks causing his overtaxed family one more huge worry and the running back starts running.

Will Dobbs give up on the shocked jock, or show him that the answer to the big question is, Yes?

SCHOOLING THE JOCK is an enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract, campus romance – with one hell of a lightning round.

Title: Schooling the Jock

Series: Nerds Vs Jocks, Book 1

Authors: Eli Easton & Tara Lain

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

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BookBub

After lunch, Jesse’s mom said she’d clean up if Jesse watched Eli, so the three of us went out to the barn with the family dog, who I’d learned was named Mack, at our heels. Bella, the brown cow, wasn’t in the barn, but she was out in the pasture. When Jesse called her, she lazily ambled toward the fence. Eli stood on the lower fence railing and held out a baby carrot. The cow walked up and took it with an alarmingly huge gray tongue. Eli clapped his hands and petted her head.

“Look, Dobbs!” Eli said. “She’s real.”

“She certainly is,” I agreed. “She has pretty eyes.”

Eli didn’t say anything.

“And shapely legs. For a cow.”

I glanced at Jesse who rolled his eyes but smiled.

“She’s the prettiest cow in the world,” Eli pronounced.

“Well, she needs a crown then, don’t you think?”

Eli looked at me like I was nuts. I glanced around. I spotted a holly bush by the barn and went over. I took out my handy-dandy pocketknife and cut some branches. I bent them to form a circle and wove the ends together to make it stay.

When I presented it to Eli, he grinned. “This isn’t a crown! A crown is gold.”

“Au contraire, little dude. A crown can be made of all sorts of things. This is a cow crown.”

Eli placed it on Bella’s head, looping it over one ear. Bella looked unimpressed. She tr

ied to nose Eli’s hand, looking for more carrots. Finding none, she started walking along the fence, eating grass. The holly circle dangled.

Eli followed her along the fence line, chattering to her. Jesse and I stayed where we were and watched.

“Thanks for, you know, being nice to Eli.”

I gave him a don’t-be-weird look. “Despite what you might have heard, I reserve my venom for grown men.”

“Ah. That explains it. And here I thought you might have a kernel of decency.”

“Nope. Although, I can’t be mean to you today either. Not after you fed me sloppy joes and, uh, helped your mom at lunch.” My cheeks heated. That was such a lame thing to say even if I’d been thinking it. I tried to make up for the compliment. “You guys have a whole routine. You should take it on the road.”

He shrugged. “We’ve all learned how to get things done as efficiently as possible, I guess.”

And yet, you’re at Madison. “Bet she misses you when you’re gone.”

Jesse’s face tightened. “I got offered a good football scholarship to Madison, so it made sense. And my mom wanted me to go.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Really? You’re not that intolerable.”

He rolled his eyes. “I think she wanted me to get away from it for a few years. To be more independent.” He made a face. “Not that it’s bad, Eli and Micah. It’s just…”

“Challenging?”

He shrugged. “More like all-consuming. The first five years were really rough, especially since my folks were trying to get a diagnosis so they even had a clue what to do. But they’ve come a long way. Eli especially.”

“Yeah, I noticed Eli’s really affectionate with you. That’s great. I thought autistic people didn’t like to be touched.”

Jesse nodded. “None of us can touch Micah. Eli’s like that with most people. Even my mom and I can’t touch him sometimes. But, when he’s in the mood, he lets me. I think he missed me. And you were there. Like, he was maybe feeling a little jealous or insecure? And he’s upset because Micah’s in the hospital.”

That all might be true, but I knew what I saw. “Grammy Dobbs always said, the eyes speak louder than words. Eli looks at you like you’re his hero. He loves you a lot.”

Jesse’s face softened. “Yeah. I don’t know. It’s kind of a brother thing.”

“A brother thing?”

“Eli and Micah are in their own world. Micah’s non-verbal, so Eli talks for him. I guess, as their older brother, I’m sort of on the fringes of that bubble too.”

Jesse’s tone made that sound like a special thing. And I wasn’t sure what to feel about that, or this farm, or this family. He looked so ridiculously handsome standing there with the red barn behind him, the snow under his boots, and that sheepskin-lined corduroy farm jacket, hair mussed by the wind, pink cheeks, eyes bright. Like, if he were a calendar model, I’d leave it on that page for perpetuity. And he was looking at me in a way Jesse Knox had never looked at me before. His face was open and his eyes warm. Hot even? He stared at me. And I stared back. His gaze flickered to my lips.

A frisson of lust shot down my body, lighting me on fire. I suddenly had a bone-deep urge to kiss him. I coughed, shocked at myself. I mean, I was only human, and Jesse was…Jesse. But I was getting way out over my feet here. Thinking of him that way was extremely unwise.

“So! I hear there are chickens,” I said to lighten the mood.

Jesse waggled his eyebrows. “There are. Real live ones.”

“Oh, my God. This is practically a safari!” I shouted.

Jesse laughed.

This was a fun story of two guys who are seemingly complete opposites. Two frat houses who aren’t really rivals since one is a jock house and the other is a nerd house, but being that they are across the street from each other, they play pranks on each other. Until one prank got a little out of hand and the dean comes down hard on them. The jock house has a competitive flag football team and the nerd house has a quiz bowl team. And they each have to send two people to the other teams.

This story focuses on the 2 jocks sent over to compete on the quiz bowl team. Dobbs (a nickname from his last name. Seriously- why do guys always do that?) is the quiz bowl team captain and he takes his position and his team VERY seriously. And when Dobbs and Jesse, the jock, end up stuck with each other for a weekend, expectations start to fall away.

Of course Jesse is in the closet. But he doesn’t even try to fake it with girls. He is committed to football because of his scholarship, and his college program because he is all about being a nurse. But you know the jock is going to fall for the nerd. And the nerd is going to figure out that the jock is pretty smart and a giant softie.

I loved how the entire story really involved a lot of different characters from both houses, as well as Jesse’s family. It made the whole story more believable.

One of the things that bugged me was the 2 frat guys who were responsible for the final prank never got any repercussions from their house. I understand how the dean was punishing everyone, but you would think that those two guys would face disciplinary actions.

And there were two sides to the punishment from the dean. But the flag football story will be in book 2.

If you enjoy college stories, opposites attract, etc, you will enjoy this story. Low angst and mostly fun.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Coming from a background in computer game design, Eli has written over 35 books in m/m romance since 2013. The Mating of Michael (2014) and A Second Harvest (2016) both won The William Neale Award for Best Gay Contemporary Romance, and Eli’s books have won many awards from the Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s Reader’s Choice Awards. She is best known for her Christmas romances, the Howl at the Moon series of rom coms featuring dog shifters, and her Sex in Seattle series, which revolves around a sex clinic in Seattle.

Connect with Eli:
www.elieaston.com
Facebook: Eli Easton
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/164054884188096
Twitter: @elieaston

Tara Lain believes in happy ever afters – and magic. Same thing. In fact, she says, she doesn’t believe, she knows. Tara shares this passion in her stories that star her unique, charismatic heroes and adventurous heroines. Quarterbacks and cops, werewolves and witches, blue collar or billionaires, Tara’s characters, readers say, love deeply, resolve seemingly insurmountable differences, and ultimately live their lives authentically. After many years living in southern California, Tara, her soulmate honey and her soulmate dog decided they wanted less cars and more trees, prompting a move to Ashland, Oregon where Tara’s creating new stories and loving living in a small town with big culture. Tara loves animals of all kinds (even snakes), diversity, open minds, coconut crunch ice cream from Zoeys, and her readers.

She has around 57 books published or scheduled for publication.

Connect with Tara:
Website: https://taralain.com/
Facebook Reader’s Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/255111391312743
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taralain/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/taralain
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taralainauthor/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/tara-lain

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The Elven King’s Captive by Devon Vesper: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

February 22, 2021 by Denise

An omega elven king finds his alpha. Unfortunately, he’s human.

Casersis Ardal, the former Sun King, is a First Generation elf of over three million years. He meets his match in Dustin Juniper, a twenty-year-old human construction worker.

Dustin has been in charge of his whole life since he was sixteen. But when he meets Casersis, destiny strips all his control away. His body, his heart, his whole world change when he comes into contact with a magical amulet and starts changing species. And falling in love with an ageless elven king makes him question everything.

Casersis has been alone on earth for millennia. Having a burgeoning elf around brings feelings he isn’t comfortable with. But he can’t let Dustin go. If the humans find out Dustin isn’t human, Dustin would become a science experiment. The only option Casersis has is to keep Dustin captive. He must protect Dustin from himself as the young man fights Casersis—and fate—every step of the way.

If they want to be together, Casersis and Dustin must find a way to compromise. Once in a lifetime takes on new meaning when you live forever.

This 73,000-word non-shifter omegaverse novel is set in a world where mpreg (male pregnancy) is a fact of life, however this series does not end with a baby or pregnancy.

Title: The Elven King’s Captive

Series: Fated Elves, Book 1

Author: Devon Vesper

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

My heart pounded as I raced to Dustin’s side. I could not be too late. I would not be too late.

Dustin…

Even with all of my magic pushing me forward, I felt like I was not moving fast enough. I was running out of time. I heard a snarl, the snap of ravenous jaws. The beauty of the forest around me held no allure as I maneuvered around trees, between trunks and through the thick underbrush. Twigs and branches ripped at my hair, at my clothes, scratched my face and hands, but I did not care. Nothing mattered except getting to Dustin in time.

Voices up ahead signaled that I was close. I slowed myself down, not wanting to startle Don, knowing he had his gun with him. If I startled him when he fired, he could hurt Dustin.

Or kill him.

The wind changed direction, and I could smell my beauty’s fear mixed with Don’s. The scent of polished metal mingled, making my stomach roll. I had to make it in time. I had to.

Erastus’s feral growl grew louder. As I rounded another tree, I saw them. Dustin had fallen face-first onto the ground, the side of his face covered in dirt, moldering leaves clinging to his cheek. Erastus stood over him, his front paws in the center of my beauty’s back.

And Don had his gun drawn.

I stopped as suddenly as I had moved, right beside Don. As his finger squeezed the trigger, I shoved his hand up so the bullet went into the air.

Deafening silence fell, and all I could hear were four sets of heartbeats on the breeze, and the gentle rustle of falling leaves.

With a breath, I released Don’s hand and stepped in front of him. “Put your weapon away.”

“Sir?”

I stared Erastus down, looking him directly in his golden eyes. “Put the gun away and head back for the house. Now.”

“But, sir—”

“Do as I say, Don.”

The man sighed and I felt him back up, heard the click as he re-engaged the safety, the slither of metal against leather as he holstered his weapon. With each sound, the tension in my shoulders and back eased.

As I felt his presence recede, I backed up a step, spoke low and with a tone colder than Dustin had ever heard from me, that I had hoped he would never hear from me. “Erastus. Get off of Dustin.”

The wolf snorted and narrowed his eyes at me as if to say, “Make me.”

I’m a mother, furbaby spoiler, and a girl who can’t get enough of pretty, pretty boys. As a kid, I traveled the world, too young to appreciate the gift I was given, but now those adventures spur on stories that my brain just can’t keep up with. Well, my brain tells me it keeps up just fine, but my fingers are the slow ones. I’ll let you decide. But the boys, man. The boys I remember make my heart sizzle looking back on them. Being a kid at nude beaches, I never cared, but looking back on those memories of Sicily, WHEW! There are some really great childhood images that I wish I could have been an adult to savor.Home is some place I call “rustic”. I’m used to large cities, stores everywhere, gas stations on every corner. Here in rural Pennsylvania, it’s rustic and beautiful. And quiet. Too quiet. With all this quiet, all there is to do is write stories, and let the hot men in my head out to play. We all benefit, yes? I like this development. The only thing I dislike about this rusticness is the fact I can’t find a coffee shop that sells a proper chai latte. They make it from powder. Ew. This makes for a disgruntled Dev. Ugh. I miss my chai.

Most of all, I am a down-to-earth southern girl at heart from spending 16 years in Florida. If you chat with me, you’ll hear endearments like darlin’, sweetheart, and hon/hun/hunnie. It’s who I am, and if we chat, you’re almost instantly family, so get used to it.

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To celebrate the release of The Elven King’s Captive, Devon is giving away a $5 Amazon Gift Card & an e-copy of The Elven King’s Captive!

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Right As Raine (Aster Valley, Book 1) by Lucy Lennox: Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

February 3, 2021 by Denise

Tiller:

As the first openly gay professional football player, I can’t afford to make any mistakes, on or off the field. And the absolute biggest mistake I could make right now would be to fall for Mikey Vining, my best friend, employee and, more importantly, Coach’s baby boy. I might fantasize about Mikey at night-—every night—but actually touching him would be a serious personal foul.

And falling for him? That’s completely out of bounds.

Mikey:

I’ve learned my lesson about falling for one of my dad’s players. They’re a bunch of spoiled jocks with more muscles than brains. I’ve spent years learning to keep my eyes, and my hands, to myself. But resisting the temptation becomes nearly impossible when Tiller Raine and I end up together in a small cabin in a remote Colorado town.

Suddenly, there’s not much to do but look at each other. And talk. And hopefully, hopefully touch.

But what happens when our stay in Aster Valley is over and it’s time to return to the real world? Will Coach blow the whistle on our relationship? Or will Tiller admit there might actually be something he loves more than football after all?

Right As Raine

Aster Valley, Book 1

By Lucy Lennox

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

When we got to the check-in counter at the airport, I split off to go to the regular people’s line while Tiller headed for the first-class one. It took him a second to realize I was no longer behind him, but when he did, he hissed at me loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Get over here, you moron.”

I dutifully followed, knowing from years of experience how this was going to play out.

“I can’t fucking believe you did this again,” he snapped under his breath.

“You cuss like my dad,” I muttered. “And you know how I feel about spending your money.”

When it was our turn at the counter, Mr. NFL Superstar turned on his charm and laid down his celebrity card. “Hi…” He squinted at the woman’s name tag. “Nessa. How are you this morning?”

She blushed right on cue and fluttered her fake eyelashes. “I’m doing great, thanks! How can I help you today, Mr. Raine?”

He put his hand on top of my head and turned me to face Nessa. “My assistant here made a mistake when he booked our reservations, and I need to upgrade him to first class to sit with me, please. We have some work to do, and I don’t want to waste our time in the air.”

It was bullshit, of course. He just preferred sitting next to someone who wouldn’t pester him about his job, the team, stats, and insider information. When I was his seatmate, he had a buffer between him and the oftentimes rabid Rigger fandom. It didn’t hurt that I was so much smaller than he was and he wouldn’t have any issues fitting his giant shoulders and legs into the space between our seats. First-class seats were big, but not NFLer big.

She clicked on her keyboard and sighed, huffed, and scraped her upper lip with her bottom teeth before finally letting out an ah-ha noise. “Got it. Gimme just one… there. I’ll print these new boarding passes out for you and get your bags checked in.”

When Tiller tried handing over his credit card, she blushed again and pushed his hand away, her own hand lingering on his. I turned around so I could roll my eyes without being rude to her face. The businessman behind us in line caught my eye.

“Is that Tiller Raine?” he whispered.

I shook my head. “Bobby Simplethorn. You probably know him from that hemorrhoid commercial.”

The man looked at me in total confusion. “What?”

I sang a little jingle. “Nothing softens bottom thorns quite like Simplethorn… No? You don’t know it? Huh. Bobby here is the CEO. That miracle cream is his baby. I can introduce you if you want?”

The man winced. “Uh, no. That’s okay. Thanks, though.”

I shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

When I turned back to face the lady at the counter, I found both her and Tiller staring at me. Nessa turned to look at Tiller with a raised brow.

“No,” he said before she could ask. “The closest I’ve come to hemorrhoids is dealing with this pain in my ass.” He thumbed at me over his shoulder. “And now I’m regretting the seat change.”

In the beginning of January, a lot- and I mean A LOT- of authors were part of a big winter giveaway. Lucy Lennox was a part of it and her contribution was a short novella called Winter Waites. Set in Aster Valley, Colorado, it featured an occupational therapist and a famous musician.

Now we officially have book 1 of the Aster Valley series. Mikey, the 5th son of a college football coach who is the complete and utter opposite of his 4 burly brothers who played sports. Oh, and he is gay. Not in the closet either, which was nice to see.

Tiller is a hot shot player on Coach’s pro team the Riggers. Problem is, Tiller really doesn’t know how to fuel his body with the right foods. Oh guess what? Tiller is also gay and out. WHEE! Don’t worry- they will hide their relationship for different reasons.

Mikey is hired temporarily as Tiller’s personal cook and dietician. Temporary turns into over five years. And when I say that, I mean there was a 5 year time jump in the book. Which is kind of cool knowing that both of these guys were crushing on each other and doing everything they could to stay away from each other. AND neither knew. HA!

Until Tiller is hurt and since he can’t play, Coach sends him off to Colorado to visit his family. Coach just doesn’t know that Mikey went along.

So Tiller and Mikey alone in a cabin- ok, cabin is a BIG stretch- in the winter with no one else around…let’s just say they finally started acting on their feelings.

What follows is an introduction to the adorable former ski resort town of Aster Valley and a few of the citizens- including who we met in Winter Waites. It is easy to fall in love with the town- and Mikey does. Mikey and Tiller start facing some facts as well. Tiller doesn’t NEED Mikey any longer. Mikey isn’t following his dream- instead he stuck with what was comfortable. But the bigger question- could Mikey leave Tiller in Texas to chase his dream in Colorado?

Mikey’s family and they way they treated him just broke my heart. His mother was just the stereotypical 50’s housewife who just deferred everything to the husband. I wanted to smack her. She was so completely clueless. Ugh.

Anyway. Mikey and Tiller were awesome together. I ADORE that they basically lived together for 5 years before anything happened. There were some really fun characters we met in Aster Valley that I can’t wait to get more of. This is definitely a series I will follow. I hope it is more than 2 or 3 books.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

After enjoying creative writing as a child, Lucy didn’t write her first novel until she was over 40 years old. Her debut novel, Borrowing Blue, was published in the autumn of 2016. Lucy has an English Literature degree from Vanderbilt University, but that doesn’t hold a candle to the years and years of staying up all night reading tantalizing novels on her own. She has three children, plays tennis, and hates folding laundry. While her husband is no shmoopy romance hero, he is very good at math, cooks a mean lasagne, has gorgeous eyes, looks hot in his business clothes, and makes her laugh every single day.

Lucy hopes you enjoy sexy heroes as much as she does. Happy reading!

To celebrate Lucy’s upcoming release, we are giving away 2 e-copies of Right As Raine!

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