Category: 5 star Rating

Review:  Harbor (On the Wind Book 3) by Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes

Rating:  4.75🌈

Harbor, the third in Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes’ fabulous On the Wind fantasy series, is a redemption romance story for two men whose journey we’ve been following for several books.

On the Wind will be my most rec’d series by these authors because of the consistently excellent storytelling, the depth of the characters development, and the emotional journeys they undertake complex, moving, and relatable.  And each new book has made me say “oh, now, this one is my favorite.”

Orestes, of the now dishonored and disbanded Eagle Clan, is a character that has been a staple of the series. A consistent character whose power hungry father destroyed their family and clan, Orestes has been a tragic figure, friend, and needed support for the main characters in the series. But he’s been a bit of an enigma as well.  Here the authors give him the depth of character and history as well redemptive arc his Eagle deserves. I adore this giant thoughtful man who’s lost so much.

He’s paired with another so desperately in need of a redemption story himself. That’s Prince Tybalt, the sulky, beautiful heir to the throne of frigid Urial. His father, King Albany, a ruler is proving himself increasingly unpopular, contemptuous of others, including his son, and untrustworthy in his dealings. But over the past novels, Tybalt’s own actions and behaviors has made him a figure of contempt, someone’s who’s weak and unimportant, consumed by pretty things and his own personal interests. 

But always Tybalt was seen through the perspective of others, his actions and personality reflective by their own history and court status, not that he didn’t earn his reputation.  But here in Harbor, both men unexpectedly find that they didn’t know they could have, a new start, a twist in their life lives and love. All done through an amazing combination of outstanding character development, great story plotting, and a combination of magical powers and a grand romantic arc. 

Tybalt turns into a real man, a person we can trust and love, worthy of the friendships he starts to build.  And Orestes, the Eagle without a Clan, finds a new home, a people who he can fit in with, and a man to build a life together with and love. 

I read this book twice.

Harbor (On the Wind Book 3) by Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes is a fantastic story , one I didn’t want to end.  I love the series and hope the authors continue with new books going forward. Especially because I want to see Mercutio get his HEA. Absolutely recommend!

This one may be my favorite one so far. 

Cover art © 2023 by Natasha Snow Designs

On The Wind series:

Sanctuary #1

Guardian #2

Harbor #3 

Buy link

        Harbor (On the Wind Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Orestes father was killed, his clan dissolved, and now, it’s snowing, which is the worst affront of all.

The last scion of the ended Eagle clan, Orestes is sent to frigid Urial to negotiate peace with King Albany, but the sitting monarch has no interest in him, and his son, Prince Tybalt, has too much.

For all his life, Tybalt has been a disappointment to his father and an embarrassment to any lord in Urial with a sense of decorum. Quick-witted and sharp-tongued, Tybalt thrives in indecency, and the new Nemedan diplomat provides the perfect opportunity to astonish court. When his father casts him aside for a new wife and heir, he is determined to take the mammoth of a man to bed. After all, any attention is better than none, even if it comes alongside horrified gasps.

With nothing to anchor him to Urial, Orestes is all too happy to let the prince use him in his play for revenge, but unexpected affection lurks just behind the prince’s roguish smirk. Anything more than a tumble between them is forbidden, dangerous, deadly—but letting the last Eagle sink his claws into him is a risk Tybalt can’t help taking, even if it changes Urial forever.

  • Publication date: November 14, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 261 pages

Review:  Winnie Takes Paris (Love and Travels #2) by Lane Hayes

Rating: 5🌈

I just love this and fell deeply under the spell of Winnie Rodriquez as he conquered not only Paris but his wonderful, brilliant professor, Dr. Alistair Creighton.

One of the many things I appreciate about this novel is the absolute joy I can see the author took in writing this. It’s everywhere, in every aspect of the book. The places that Winnie and Alistair travel to and visit while in Paris are all museums, shops, and special spaces that Hayes herself has been and the affection and love shines in her descriptions.  Her views of Paris and the surrounding areas mirror Winnie’s in so many ways in the wonderful outlook and appreciation.  

I can also see the creativity and passion for this story in the outright hilarity of the conversations, dialogue’s between Winnie and Alistair as they learn about each other, that joyful and deeply rooted in how special each is. 

These characters are beautifully real, aware, vividly written, gorgeous characters. I couldn’t look away from the pages and their journey into a relationship and love. And Paris was a stunning background for them to discover that they were perfect for each other and fit together. 

I could see both Winnie and Alistair so clearly, their personalities and clothes were as finely detailed as everything else. 

My one quibble is I wanted more. One book isn’t nearly enough for this couple who’s spread across multiple countries. I would love to see them together again in books to come. 

Highly recommended, along with Raine’s story. 

Love and Travels :

Falling for Raine #1

Winnie Takes Paris #2

Buy link

Winnie Takes Paris

Blurb

The fabulous stylist, the absentminded professor, and a Parisian adventure


Winnie

Someone once said, when life gets you down and you’re feeling blue, brush yourself off and go to Paris!

Okay, maybe that was me. 

Hey, I don’t regret taking an oddball assignment to assist a British professor abroad. I could use a break from my life as an aspiring hair and style guru in LA. The only worrisome snag is that the professor is determined to do everything on his own. 

Not acceptable. I’m here to help the impossibly smart geek with mismatched socks who just happens to be my best friend’s boss.

No, I don’t know nothing about history, but I’m nothing if not resourceful. What could go wrong?

Alistair

I’ve been called an absent-minded professor more than once. I don’t mind at all. My work is important and living on a diet of biscuits and tea while delving into ancient civilizations doesn’t seem so terrible. But Paris calls. And somehow, I have a new temporary assistant.  

Winnie is a technicolor, whirlwind American with a wicked laugh and the subtlety of a steamroller. He’s brash and ridiculous and
funny, warm, lovely, and—

Oh no. This can’t be happening. I swore I’d never fall for anyone again. 

Winnie can take Paris, but he can’t take my heart. 

Or can he?

Lane Hayes

November 7, 2024

220

pages

Review:  Passing Through Purgatory: Passing Through Cafe #1 by Nik Knight 

Rating: 5🌈

Nik Knight’s new rom-com urban fantasy new novel and the first installment in her new series is utterly stunning.  Passing Through Purgatory: Passing Through Cafe #1 by Nik Knight caught my eye by that cover and then by the description.

But the actual story surpassed all my expectations by being not just a great story, but one that brought such immensely diverse, believable cast of characters, human and otherworldly. Each with their own unique and fully defined sense of being.  Complete physical elements, emotional and spiritual elements, and often, as I think Knight will explore further, some hurtful, damaging aspects to their background and histories in the Hell Universe (just another world where trains run late and bigotry exists that feels very familiar).

The universe and characters are ones I connected with immediately. It starts with human Oliver Barnes, living in Chicago with friends (love Jude). He goes for a job interview in Greed district of Hell’s Pentagram but    in one realistic scenario (even if it’s in Purgatory), he misses his train. 

And in doing so, finds something else that is, everything he could possibly want.  But first he needs to go through the doors of the Passing Through Cafe. 

There Knight gives us the most chaotic place, a cafe of owners and employees who will become Oliver’s found family. Each one such a distinctive being who quickly find a place in our hearts. I found myself forgetting that the lovable Gem, is an Araknis (think spider with a great butt) as well as many eyes and arms. After a while, it was Gem, who actually had a fragility about him that endeared him even more. Same thing with Rusty the Pyclon, a pink walking Care Bear with a snarky attitude that hides a damaged past. I mean there’s 

Tad the Anura,  a tough dishwasher,

Willow the empath dyad who’s a baker assistant to the fabulously gorgeous Glyma the succubus baker.

And Zef the asexual winged Mantodea , who is sometimes a drag Queen and cafe greeter, along with the handful, handsome demon Toni the Elas. 

Quinn, owner and  partner to Glyma, along with Bob, a question mark of a species who lives in the office and resembles a bug, complete the cafe found family.

It seems like a lot, but how Knight introduces them to Oliver (and the reader) folds them beautifully into his new dynamic and the world view we are seeing.  Their lives and respective personalities as well as personal backgrounds will start to be revealed the more Oliver becomes a deeply entrenched part of their lives. 

Because the Hell world has its intricacies as far as status, bigotry, speciesism, and it’s divided along racial or specific lines and into territories.  This element is still being explored. But the basic concept is laid down and it’s ugly in its reality. And how it impacts our little group. 

I look forward to seeing what happens next.  Because while there are scenes of absolute hilarity here, there’s some of moments of such pain, of past history that’s so bad that it’s unmentionable.  Both hit hard because we’ve come to care so much about our group of characters.

And that includes the final one I haven’t mentioned yet. Liel Karakis  the Gymnot lawyer from the Greed district. He’s the one that Oliver falls for. A fantastic relationship and romance, but albeit not human in its sexual scenes. As it should be because Liel isn’t human.  But for Oliver, it’s the person who matters, not the body. And Knight has been as imaginative in this element as she is in every other aspect of the story.

Beautifully executed and well done. 

I’ll end this saying I was so excited to see the narrative flow to the ranch, every part of that storyline, and the family. A glimpse into the Christmas visit would be amazing, because you know the gang is going to have to go too.  Just saying, pretty please?

I honestly need Gratification in Gluttony now.  I highly recommend this and the author. Just fabulous.

Cover Design © 2024 Priska Mills

The Passing Through Cafe 

  • Passing Through Purgatory #1
  • Gratification in Gluttony #2  (Coming winter 2024

Buy link:

        Passing Through Purgatory: Passing Through Cafe #1

    

Blurb

When Oliver applied for a job in the Hell dimension on a whim, he didn’t expect it to turn his whole world—or his heart—entirely upside down.

Recently graduated at twenty-six, and two months behind on rent, Oliver Barnes is desperate. So desperate, in fact, that he applies for a job in the Greed district of Hell’s Pentagram. But when he misses his train and, subsequently, his job interview, he stumbles, instead, upon a strange little coffee shop in the middle of Purgatory’s barren desert—and into an unexpected opportunity.

It isn’t the job he came to Hell for, but maybe it’s exactly the job he needs.

As he navigates the demon dimension and tries to survive the ridiculous shenanigans of his unholy co-workers, Oliver soon falls head-over-ass for a tentacled lawyer with electric fingers and a deadly-sharp grin. Together, they discover that, sometimes, love and happiness can be just a train ride away.

Join Oliver and the rest of the eccentric staff of The Passing Through Cafe in Nik Knight’s new rom-com urban fantasy series, full of found family, embarrassing encounters, spicy situations, and love that crosses dimensions.

  • Publication date: September 13, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 395 pages

Review: Dragon’s Folly (Wings Over Albion Book 3) by Joy Lynn Fielding 

Rating: 4.5🌈

Dragons, mysteries, romance and multiple ongoing storylines. Yes please. I’m just loving this series by Joy Lynn Fielding.  Her Wings Over Albion just got more intriguing while expanding the series foundation knowledge and known dragon families previously laid out. 

Now , as the book begins ,the fearsome, totally powerful head of dragons, Abimelech Mortimer, has call a moot, a gathering of the heads of the dragon families in a neutral location, for a major announcement. As well as other purposes on his agenda. 

As the dragons rarely leave their own territories, this is an exceptional event, fraught with challenges and potential undertones.  A fabulous way to introduce the characters and the stakes involved with the players and challenges faced. 

We see briefly, some of the characters of the other novels. But our immediate attention will fall on the newest characters and dragons. As it should because they are remarkable. 

Especially Ollie Shaw. Ollie is that character who shows astonishing growth from the awkward, somewhat disrespected lesser member of his family to dragon who lives and loves largely. His journey, which encompasses that of Archer Talbot, and his siblings Tim and Mia, is revelatory.  We rejoice with him and Archer, along with Mia and Tim, as they shift in their thinking, struggling with their own personal pasts, and restructure into a believable, magnificent warm-hearted family. One we dearly want more of in the end. 

Fielding adds to the dragon mythology and knowledge she’s building as well as bringing more dragons of color into the series.  Everything is weaving together into a fabulous series tapestry that melds King Arthur, mystery, dragon politics, and love.  I can’t help to see what happens next.

This is beautifully written, fantastic characters and gorgeous plots.  Highly recommended!

Cover art

Wings Over Albion:

  • The Red Dragon of Oxford #1
  • In the Dragon’s Lair #2
  • Dragon’s Folly #3

Buy link

        Dragon’s Folly: MM paranormal romance, Wings over Albion, Book 3

    

Blurb

Falling for him would be pure folly. I know that. Now all I have to do is convince my heart


Allowing a strange dragon into my home was not my idea.

The Assembly assured me it was necessary, though. And that’s how I ended up with him.

Ollie Shaw is clumsy. Unfairly hot. He stumbles through my life leaving a trail of chaos and sunny charm in his wake.

And I hoard every moment with him like he’s my greatest treasure.

But with an entire dragon territory to rule, bills to pay, and treachery brewing in my family, I can’t afford to be distracted by Ollie’s copper-gilded beauty and boundless enthusiasm.

I especially can’t give in to my dragon’s primal urge to claim him.

Because loving him could cost me everything I’ve fought so hard to protect. And that would eventually come back to bite us both—with dragon’s teeth


Dragon’s Folly, Book 3 in the Wings over Albion series, is a sweet and spicy, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity paranormal m/m romance.

  • Publisher: Independently published (October 9, 2024)
  • Publication date: October 9, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 287 pages

Review:  Dawnchaser (The Summertide Chronicles Book 2) by Sam Burns 

Rating: 5🌈

The Summertide Chronicles is such an excellent , imaginative series.  One of the best by Sam Burns, who’s given the readers many incredible worlds and characters to explore and fall into love with. 

Dawnchaser is the second in the series, and the author is still exploring the world, the magic, and the threat that’s making it imperative that the four main powerful ruling families come together to find a solution before it’s too late.  

For what exactly isn’t exactly clear yet. But that is has to do with changing natural conditions and a rumbling Mount Slate, well it’s sounds ominous enough.

Burns gave us an initial glimpse into the four families as that fiasco of a gathering in Gloombringer.  There we met various individuals from the white-haired, imposing Moonstrikers, the dour Gloombringer, the power-mad Dawnchasers, and the wild Sunrunners. Each family able to use their gifts/talents by way of bonding with both an individual sentient crystal and then the head of the House with its most powerful House crystal. 

It’s a fascinating, compelling element as the sentient crystals have their own charm and personalities. And, depending upon the person that they are bonded with, a complex relationship between them. 

That dynamic is seen here in multiple threads, letting Burns go deeper into the concept of what the crystals might actually be. 

Dawnchaser follows up on the traumatic events from Gloombringer, that brings the Moonstriker, Cove, to the Dawnchaser family territory and estates on the mission to hunt and eliminate Huxley Dawnchaser.

Instead,Burns gives us Cove , as well as other members of the Moonstriker family, revisiting an older personal nightmare and understanding that the Dawnchaser’s have been yielding a legacy of even deeper family abuse.  

Florian Dawnchaser and his younger sister, Fawn, who’s sensitively portrayed as person with Down syndrome, are beautifully crafted characters, vividly realistic and engaging in every aspect of their storylines.  From the beginning of this book, where we and the Moonstrikers see them in a very different way and situation to the development of their personalities and the family dynamics as Cove helps them and himself deal with the trauma that Huxley and the Dawnchaser legacy has created.

It’s just a tremendous novel.  There’s so many layers here to appreciate and to feel connected to as multiple characters work together to forge new futures, right the some of the devastating crimes done in the past, and help create hope for the next generation. 

I love this series and characters. And can’t wait to see what the next book will bring. 

Highly recommended as well as the author.

Love these covers too. 

The Summertide Chronicles:

  • Gloombringer #1
  • Dawnchaser #2 
  • Sunrunner #3 – Jan 2, 2025

Buy Link

        Dawnchaser (The Summertide Chronicles Book 2)

    

Blurb

I came here to kill Huxley Dawnchaser.

I expected the ridiculous extravagance of his estate, his home, his life. What I didn’t expect was the trail of broken people he left in his wake long before he murdered Oberon Gloombringer. I certainly didn’t expect to be put in the position of helping Huxley’s children pick up the pieces of their own shattered lives.

There must be some way I can kill him twice.

Dawnchaser is the second in a series of four books, starring one exhausted family lord, one terrified bunny who needs to discover his inner predator, and one princess who just wants everyone but her friends to go away so she can have her tea party. It contains Cove and Florian’s HFN, and continues the overall story arc of the series.

  • Publication date: October 3, 2024
  • Language: English
  • File size: 1384 KB
  • Print length: 294 pages

Review: The Mercenary’s Guide to Mishaps and Romance (The Hitman’s Guide 7) by Alice Winters 

Rating: 5🌈

I was so excited to see another book in Alice Winters’ The Hitman’s Guide universe.  It’s one of my favorite series from an auto read author and this new release is another confirmation of both.

The Mercenary’s Guide to Mishaps and Romance brings back Scottish assassin Tavish from a previous book and gives him a well deserved romantic journey to a loving relationship and a new home, complete with our usual gang of ex hitmen twisted heroes, partners and friends.

Tavish takes a deal that has huge implications for our gang when he inadvertently kidnaps an innocent man.  That’s Ellis, an utterly charming guy, a vet tech with an unusual past and, as created by Winters, a personality so winning that we can’t help but fall in love with him. 

We aren’t the only ones.

But there’s a bunch of saving to do, mysteries to solve, revelations to surface, and snappy dialogue that occurs while things go boom and crashes happen.  Yes, and the Fence is mentioned often!

I was absolutely entertained by Ellis and Tavish as they fought, survived , all while developing a strong relationship. Then finally getting a well written resolution to a multi-level mystery and HFN they deserve that’s totally satisfying. 

The Mercenary’s Guide to Mishaps and Romance (The Hitman’s Guide 7) by Alice Winters was a great read and had all of my favorite characters. I can’t wait to see more in this universe.

Highly recommended.

The Hitman’s Guide:

  • The Hitman’s Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love #1
  • The Hitman’s Guide to Staying Alive Despite Past Mistakes #2
  • The Hitman’s Guide to Tying the Knot Without Getting Shot #3
  • The Former Assassin’s Guide to Snagging a Reluctant Boyfriend #4
  • The Hitman’s Guide to Righting Wrongs While Causing Mayhem #5
  • The Hitman’s Guide to Codenames and Ill-Gotten Gains #6
  • The Mercenary’s Guide to Mishaps and Romance #7

Buy link

        The Mercenary’s Guide to Mishaps and Romance (The Hitman’s Guide Book 7)

    

Blurb

Ellis

Why is it that the first attractive man to look my way mistakes me for a bad guy, stuffs me in the trunk of his car, and ships me off to an island where I’m positive the only thing waiting for me is my own murder?

I mean… yeah, Tavish is charismatic and fun, but did I mention the whole trunk thing? Oh, maybe I forgot to mention his peculiar group of friends who keep promising to “help” me, but why are they running around with masks and weapons while praising fences?

Tavish and his friends are actually the bad guys, aren’t they?

If I (somehow) look past all of that
 Tavish really does seem like a nice guy. He’s caring, funny, and willing to risk his life to protect me. It’s become quite clear that if I’m going to get out of this alive, I’m not going to be able to do it without him.

Tavish

So maybe I mixed things up a wee bit and took Ellis on a tiny road trip that he might not have been privy to. Ellis doesn’t seem to overly mind. I mean, yeah, maybe he tried blinding me with aerosol spray
 or maybe I was just blinded by his handsome smile.

The problem is that Ellis is in danger, but he knows nothing about this world he’s been thrown into. He’s sweet, kind, and has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. And I’m prepared to protect it at all costs.

Contains a charming man who lays on a Scottish accent to get his way, a bewildered vet tech who’s wondering why everyone around him is so strange, a parrot who may or may not want to steal Tavish’s man, and the Hitman’s Guide crew up to their usual hijinks.

  • Publication date: October 3, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 379 pages

Review:  Conflicted (Hopeless Blessed Book 1) by Lark Taylor 

Rating: 4.75🌈

Conflicted might turn out to be one of my favorites in this multi-series universe about demons, angels and various supernatural beings getting their soulmates and HEA.  It’s a heavily interconnected, richly layered universe where the storylines and well written characters keep weaving together throughout each other’s lives and series arcs. 

Those are precisely the superbly crafted elements Lark gives us where Conflicted excels here. Several of the important characters, Micah and Dimitri, archangels who were a part of a longstanding ancient angel brotherhood, have had a ongoing storyline that stretches from Luck of the Devil (The Reckless Damned Book 4, through the Damned Connections series up to Conflicted.

It’s been a tortured dynamic as Dimitri found his soulmates (Lucky, a human and Dagon, one of the sons of Lucifer) while Micah mourned the loss of Dimitri, the love that was never his.  Each angel has, through the course of the many series, done or asked of the other, some truly questionable acts.  Micah to get Dimitri, Dimitri to save his soulmates. 

Now Lark, in some gorgeous plotting and character development, gives each of them the redemption arc that they deserve (Micah) and,frankly, have been needing (Dimitri). 

That it arrives via the figure of a demon that had helped to save the other soulmates is perfect. That’s Nox, one of a group that is brought topside after that last battle.

Nox is both unexpected and an amazingly powerful character.  Again, Lark had some great surprises and twists in store for the universe, characters and plot lines when she brought in this character. 

The battle scenes are vibrant with action and emotional moments.  The characters have the depth to go with the dramatic climaxes and plot lines that Lark has created for them. And the potential for the series and characters that’s been laid out is intriguing and anticipatory.

I’m waiting happily for the next one to be released.

Put this series on your list,it’s incredible. And include the previous series too. But read them in the order they are written. That’s a must.

Reckless Damn Series – first series 

  • Devil’s Mark #1
  • Devil May Care #2
  • Deal with the Devil #3
  • Luck of the Devil #4

 

Damned Connections – sequel 

  • Patience #1
  • Justice #2
  • Temperance #3
  • Humility #4 – finale

Hopeless Blessed – Seraphim sequel series 

  • Conflicted #1
  • Devoted #2 – September 9,2025

The Wild Edges (wolf shifters sequel series)

  • Finlay #1 – July 10, 2025

Buy link

        Conflicted: MM PNR Enemies to Lovers (Hopeless Blessed Book 1)

    

Blurb:

Heaven has many rules for angels to follow, but one comes above all others.

Angels and demons cannot fall in love.

Micah

I’ve been alive for millennia and have yet to meet my fated mate. It’s not something I’ve ever cared about; my heart already belongs to another. Someone I can’t have. Someone who doesn’t want me.

Now I know we’ll never be together. Unlike me, he’s found his fated mates. Two of them.

That’s fine. As leader of the Seraphim, Heaven’s most elite unit of angels, I don’t have time for love.

Apparently fate has other ideas.

Meeting my mate on a battlefield outside Hell is surprising, to say the least. When you add in his uncanny resemblance to the man who broke my heart, it’s safe to say I’m far from pleased.

The fact that he’s a demon, my natural born enemy, is just icing on the cake of this is never going to happen. It’s a good thing I haven’t been banking on meeting my mate and living happily ever after, because there’s no way it’s happening with Nox.

It’s not like Nox wants me either. He hates me with a ferocity I’ve come to expect from his kind. The two of us never being together is the only thing we can agree on.

Still, there’s a pull between us that neither of us can ignore, no matter how much I wish we could. What starts out as hate sex, a way to try and burn off the intensity between us, quickly blossoms into something more. Something dangerous.

Something forbidden.

Conflicted is an exciting enemies to lovers, angel x demon, MM PNR romance. The first in the Hopeless Blessed series, each book will follow a different couple. All can be read as standalone titles.

Review:  Whiskey and Warfare: The Team Huntress Flights by E. M. Hamill

Rating: 5+🌈

E. M. Hamill’s Whiskey and Warfare is such an exceptional book that, once I finished, I went out and bought a hardcover copy for my collection and bedside.  It’s a book that’s so powerful and personal a story for me that I needed to make sure it’s kept as close physically to me as it is feels emotionally. It’s my comfort read and a joyful journey that I cherish.

Hamill’s incredible characters, their depth of connection to each other, the history and emotional rawness of each other’s lives and the journey that they embark upon is one I’ll visit again and again. 

The beauty of Hamill’s understanding of grief and mourning, so well demonstrated through the character of Maryn Alessi, who’s only just lost her partner and spouse.  But Maryn in a realistic turn of events faces a new uncertain and unwelcome future.

I love this woman so much. Reading this was almost a cathartic experience for me. 

The journey?   Dr Maryn Alessi, former mercenary, now professor, 54, must see her deceased mate, Primetri Andelek, to zer’s home planet for burial. Andelek’s remains must be returned to the soil of Xyri within 2 weeks of death in accordance with the family’s spiritual beliefs.  Maryn has 6 days. How? A ship that’s amazing and full of memories along with a crew that’s basically family.

Scylla Merrow and wife Jac, Col the Boshi, all part of the Artemis Corps, a female identifying combat unit that responded to colonies under attack, for a price.

That’s the fantastic narrative framework for a story that sings. It encapsulates memorable characters, scenes of great power and pathos, high hilarity and also deep sorrow.

Hamill’s story and the crew’s journey will embrace and celebrate their shared experiences and love for each other. It’s a great story about trauma, recovery, perseverance,  healing, and love in all its forms.

That ending is everything.  I believe that this is book one. But if it’s just a first step that’s all that counts, I’m absolutely fine with that too.   I’m left healed and hopeful along with the crew. Isn’t that a wonderful feeling?

Spectacular writing, absolutely beautiful and one of the best of the year.

Buy link

        Whiskey and Warfare: The Team Huntress Flights

    

Blurb

“This is the story we all need now — filled with so much love and respect and genuinely fun adventure.”

KD Edwards, author of The Last Sun

“Every element of it just SANG. The story was *chef’s kiss*. This book is truly special.”

Sarah Chorn, author of The Necessity of Rain

Running on caffeine and spite with nothing left to prove. GOLDEN GIRLS meets FIREFLY in this rollicking space opera adventure.

Maryn Alessi retired from mercenary service after her last assignment went horribly sideways and settled down on a quiet planet with the love of her life. Unexpectedly widowed, Maryn must fulfill a promise to return her mate’s ashes to zer home planet for funeral rites, but a brutal civil war has destabilized space travel.

Former Artemis Corps sisters-in-arms and their sassy ship, the Golden Girl, are up to the task, counting on luck and their rather sketchy cargo business to get Maryn passage through the contested star lanes. But when the crew of the Girl rescues survivors of a ruthless war crime, Maryn and her ride-or-die friends must take up their old profession to save the lives of innocents from a genocidal dictator.

  • Publisher: StarBard Books; 1st edition (September 15, 2024)
  • Publication date: September 15, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 262 pages

Check out the Other Worlds Ink Tour for the amazing “Whiskey and Warfare” by E.M. Hamill (excerpt and giveaway)

Whiskey and Warfare -E.M. Hamill

E.M. Hamill has a new queer women-led space western out (pan, lesbian, aro/ace), Team Huntress book one: Whiskey and Warfare. And there’s a giveaway!

Running on caffeine and spite with nothing left to prove. GOLDEN GIRLS meets FIREFLY in this rollicking space opera adventure.

Maryn Alessi retired from mercenary service after her last assignment went horribly sideways and settled down on a quiet planet with the love of her life. Unexpectedly widowed, Maryn must fulfill a promise to return her mate’s ashes to zer home planet for funeral rites, but a brutal civil war has destabilized space travel.

Former Artemis Corps sisters-in-arms and their sassy ship, the Golden Girl, are up to the task, counting on luck and their rather sketchy cargo business to get Maryn passage through the contested star lanes. But when the crew of the Girl rescues survivors of a ruthless war crime, Maryn and her ride-or-die friends must take up their old profession to save the lives of innocents from a genocidal dictator.

Warnings: violence, genocide, aging, chronic illness, grief (death of spouse), PTSD

Praise for the Book:

“This is the story we all need now — filled with so much love and respect and genuinely fun adventure.” –KD Edwards, author of The Last Sun

“Every element of it just SANG. The story was *chef’s kiss*. This book is truly special.” –Sarah Chorn, author of The Necessity of Rain

“A fantastic read, a thoroughly delightful romp through space with an all-female main cast that blends crazy action scenes with deep reflection on what it means to grow older. This isn’t your parents’ Golden Girls.” –J. Scott Coatsworth, QueerSciFi.com

Universal Buy Link | Goodreads

Giveaway

E.M. is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card with this tour:

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Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47318/

Excerpt

Jac regarded Col with an arched eyebrow. “What happens to your species as you age? I don’t see you looking any different than the last time we got together.”

“You can’t tell?” Col stroked her furry cheeks. “I have more hair on my face.”

“Don’t we all?” Maryn gave a shaky laugh. “I look like I just hit puberty. I think my moustache is glorious.”

“I have also developed lower breasts,” the Boshi said, revealing her catlike teeth in a silent snarl of disgust.

“Mine are heading south too.” Jac cupped her tits, staring at them in contemplation.

“No. Lower breasts.” Col motioned to mid-abdomen beneath her tunic when it became clear they did not follow. “My second set.”

All three humans stared at her with varying degrees of curiosity. “What are they for?” Scylla asked.

“In my society I would be expected to help nurse the litters of my children. If I had any.” Col’s furry ears flapped as she shuddered. “Mewling, damp little things. Why anyone would want them is a mystery.”

“Ours turned out okay, and I didn’t have to get cozy with anything but a syringe,” Jac said with a laugh. “But I’m pretty sure Maya doesn’t expect me to breastfeed our grandkids.”

“Don’t look at me. I got rid of the plumbing a long time ago.” Scylla slapped her flat chest with both hands.

“How old is Maya now?” Maryn was chagrined to realize she hadn’t asked after her honorary niece.

“Twenty-one. She finished her first degree and she’s in medical residency on Telluride Station.” Jac beamed with pride. “Her gene dads still practice in New Denver, so she’s living with them. They’ve been trying to convince us to settle down there, where it’s safe and boring, but we’re not ready for that.” Something Maryn couldn’t name flitted through her expression before Jac’s face softened. “She sends her love, by the way.”

“Sweet kid. I owe her a graduation gift. What a lousy aunt I am.” She sniffed and wiped her nose with a tissue.

“You’re not.”

“I haven’t even seen her since she was six, when you came to visit.”

“She gets it, Mar.” Jac’s voice was gentle but firm, trying to head off Maryn’s slide into self-recrimination, but it was too much.

“I hate this. All of it.” She balled up the soggy paper in her fist. “I have six days left to take Andelek to Xyri before the scheduled rites and I have got to pull my shit together. I could check interplanetary express freight pricing, I guess. They’ve probably raised the rates because of the war, but I can afford it.”

Her eyes grew hot again. “But it just seems so wrong. Ze isn’t a box of supplies to be shuffled off world by a robotic pilot like so much cargo. But I don’t know what else to do.” Maryn made a frustrated noise as her voice snagged on the words. Tears came again whether she wanted them or not, and she swept the back of her hand over her eyes. “I’m running out of time.”

“About that.” Jac exchanged a long glance with Scylla before she continued, “We were talking. We want to take you to Xyri.”

The warm burst of astonished gratitude faded against an electric-jolt corkscrew of anxiety drilling into her chest. Shame came next, as always, and self-disgust filled her mouth with a sour, acetic burn.

“Are you sure?” she stammered. “It’s such a dangerous flight plan right now. It won’t complicate your business?”

“Nah. We’re still freelance.” Scylla shrugged. “Mostly private transactions. We’re our own bosses.” Her husky voice softened. “And you know the Girl would love to see you.”

“I miss her too.” Golden Girl was the well-loved privateer cruiser they’d pooled their end of tour bonuses to purchase when they left the Corps. The ship had been their home, their means of independence, and she had a definite personality. Its AI learning interface had picked up more human nuance with every mission until they treated it like a fifth crew member.

“The Girl’s small enough she doesn’t attract much attention on sensor sweeps. We need to go through Konecthedot system anyway on 
 business.” Jac traded another secretive nod with Scylla, and Maryn wondered what they weren’t saying.

“That is next to the front.” Col wasn’t fooled by the innocence act, her peridot eyes narrowed.

“Doesn’t mean it won’t be risky, but we can get you there in plenty of time for the remembrance rites.” Scylla cocked her head and her deep brown eyes, so dark they were almost black, glinted with hope and mischief. “Whatcha think, Mar? We can make it a girls’ trip if Col wants to tag along.”

“Yes!” the Boshi exclaimed in her sweet, breathy voice. “I have been bored out of my skull. I can work anywhere since CosBank gave me remote branch equipment.”

What her friends offered was too generous to turn down. She took a deep, steadying breath. “I don’t know what to say, except—” she gestured helplessly. “Thank you.”

Scylla gulped the rest of her wine, her enthusiasm building. “Konecthedot sector might be close to the front, but we haven’t had any issues yet. It’s less dangerous than anything we did when we were mercs. We’ve got two stops to make on the way, but after that, we head straight for the wormhole and Xyri. We can transport you faster without picking up passengers at every station like the star liners do.”

“Globney said the Qetish fleet is blocking the Pashni.” Maryn twisted her fingers together to keep them from shaking.

“They don’t bother flights that originate anywhere other than Khepra, from what we heard,” the pilot assured her, and amended with a skyward glance, “Leastways, not much.”

“I haven’t been off world since 
” she faltered.

Terror. Black, endless space. Isolation. The memory threatened to overwhelm her already fragile composure.

“We know.” Jac stroked her forearm.

Of course they did. They’d saved her life.

Author Bio

E.M. Hamill

E.M. (Elisabeth) Hamill writes adult science fiction and fantasy somewhere in the wilds of eastern suburban Kansas. A nurse by day, wordsmith by night, she has sworn never to grow up and get boring.

Frequently under the influence of caffeinated beverages, she also writes as Elisabeth Hamill for young adult readers in fantasy with the award-winning Songmaker series.

She lives with her family, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse.

Author Website: https://emhamill.wordpress.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/EMHamill

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Review: SOS HOTEL: Luxury To Die For #6 by Adam Vex (& Zodiac)  ( Ariana Nash)

Rating: 5🌈

As expected from the penultimate book in this wildly imaginative series, 

SOS HOTEL: Luxury To Die is an extraordinary paranormal Mr Toad’s Wild Ride of emotions and events from beginning to end.

As Adam’s identity has finally been revealed to his inner circle, and he’s slowly readjusting the way he views himself and the Prophecy, the authors, Adam Vex (& Zodiac) via Ariana Nash, proceeds to start bombarding him and us with a ton of events and elements that sends us off on a giant narrative roller coaster that’s a white knuckle ride. 

It’s a continuous beautifully crafted journey of “that’s fabulous, that’s horrifying, I’m so happy, I’m terrified, I’m thrilled, I’m petrified” and put that on repeat. 

And no one is villaining like this villain, I’m telling you.  He so needs a comeuppance. 

It ends in a sort of cliffhanger and we are getting set up for the finale, the ultimate showdown.  I can’t wait.

One more note.  None of these are standalone novels. Read them in order and pay attention to the author’s notes about the trigger warnings.  

And don’t miss out on the funny texts after the story ends. 

Cover design by Ariana Nash 

SOS Hotel:

  • For a Supernaturally Safe Stay #1
  • Friendly Sanctuary for the Fiendishly Fabulous #2
  • Sleep with Us #3 
  • Great Service from Top to Bottom #4
  • No Rest for the Wicked #5 
  • Luxury To Die For #6
  • Your Final Resting Place #7 – tbd

Buy link

        SOS HOTEL: Luxury to Die For

    

Blurb

My big secret is out. Adam Vex may be a tiny bit nothuman. But it’s not so bad. Just so long as Gideon Cain doesn’t find out.

It’s probably best if I keep my head down and stay out of trouble, especially after our ‘accident’ at the vampire chapel.

But one little date won’t hurt. We deserve some time off. And what can go wrong at a fancy dinner? It’s not as though we’ll become tangled in a corporate plot to exploit Lost Ones in brutal fights to the death for entertainment, during which we attempt to free the fighters, only for the evening to end with me riding an enraged werewolf through the restaurant, and have the entire escapade viewed millions of times online resulting in all of San Francisco asking:

“What is Adam Vex?”

Why would any of that happen?!

My name is Adam Vex and I’m your host at the SOS HOTEL, where we offer luxury to die for (Luxury not guaranteed).

*

Warning: SOS Hotel contains explicit language, situations, and content that some readers may find kinda unsettling. The books also contain the BEST F*CKING DEMON there ever was, the worlds most useless vampire who has a weird-ass thing for Swedish furniture, and a 100% human (not sus) who is super nice and deserves to have nice things.

  • Publisher: Crazy Ace Publishing (September 27, 2024)
  • Publication date: September 27, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 220 pages