Category: Fantasy

Katey Hawthorne On Clockwork Magic on the Blood and Clockwork Tour (Guest Post, excerpt and Giveaway)

Blood and Clockwork

Blood and Clockwork by Katey Hawthorne
Less Than Three Press
Published March 16th 2016

Art Work  by Natasha Snow

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Katey Hawthorne, author of Blood and Clockwork, here to talk about the novel and the inspiration behind it.  Welcome, Katey!

Clockwork Magic

Hi, and thanks for letting me drop by at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue words. You know I love you all! Today I’m going to talk about my newest release, Blood and Clockwork, which is part of Less Than Three Press’s Solitary Travelers collection—all containing asexual protagonists! They cover the ace spectrum pretty well, from what I understand, and the hero of my book, Alistair Click, is asexual panromantic. He’s also a huge nerd and itinerant horologist.

I’ve had a huge thing for clockwork my whole life. I’m not sure what it is about the cogs and wheels clicking away, but they’re mesmerizing. I think back to a time when clockwork was far more pervasive than it is now and how wonders like the Silver Swan used to draw huge crowds—and wonder if it does even now. I don’t think it’d seem any less magical to people today… well, depending on their level of cynicism.

Anyhow, this is just a long way of saying that this is why I love to write about clockwork, and even clockwork as or intertwined with magic. There’s a small problem with that in Alistair Click’s world, sadly…

A faint glimmering came from a round object within, like a glass ball, but with some sort of gas or liquid trapped inside, roiling. It tied my stomach in knots. “It may be magic,” I said gravely.

“Magic, of course there’s magic.” [Marco’s] deadpan was impressive. “Okay, so. Clockwork-activated magic?”

“No wonder the Prince went mad.” I handed off the lantern and jumped down from the stool. “This makes it even riskier to meddle with. Magic is outlawed for a reason. That reason is madness. It follows inevitably.”

So there’s that to deal with, on top of a tower full of clockwork puzzles. Fun times, amiright?

BLURB:

Blood and Clockwork: Alistair Click set out to lay to rest the superstitious fears about the Mad Prince’s clockwork tower. If thatBlood and Clockwork meant he might bring the ghost city of Avalonia back to economic life, connecting the western kingdoms once again, so much the better. So what if no adventurer who’d entered the tower in the last century of desolation had ever re-emerged? They didn’t have his skill and wit. He could do better.

The tower turns out to be far more than Alistair expected, however. Not only are there clockwork puzzles to open every door, but one of them drops a boy from a strange world into his lap—figuratively speaking, if only just. Marco Murphy was just gaming in his New Jersey apartment, and now he’s stuck in what feels like a never ending LARP nightmare.

The deeper they delve into the Mad Prince’s tower, the darker the secrets they uncover. They’re not entirely sure they’ll ever be able to get out again, either. It’ll take all Marco’s charm and Alistair’s cleverness, plus the strange bond growing between them, to get them out together… and alive.

LINKS:Author’s site: http://www.kateyhawthorne.com/p/one-shots.html

Sales Links

Less Than Three Press  |  Amazon   |   All Romance eBooks

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katey Hawthorne is an avid reader and writer of superpowered romance, even though the only degree she holds is in the history of art. (Or, possibly, because the only degree she holds is in the history of art.) Originally from the Appalachian foothills of West Virginia, she currently lives in Ohio. In her spare time she enjoys comic books, B-movies, loud music, Epiphones, and Bushmills. Find her at http://www.kateyhawthorne.com/

GIVEAWAY:

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Its Release Day for the Riverdance Anthology (excerpts and giveaway)

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Riverdance Anthology
Authors: L. J. Hamlin, Asta Idonea, Dale Cameron Lowry, Morwen Navarre, Lynn Townsend.
Cover Artist: Kris Norris
Publisher: Torquere Press
Release Date: March 15, 2016

Book/Buy Links: Torquere

Synopsis

Riverdance is a compilation of all things Irish. From fae flitting hither and thither trying to trick their quarry, to a modern-day Highland games, complete with caber tossing and traditional dance, our romantic compilation of Celtic tales and lore are sure to remind readers that love is the pot-o-gold at the end of the rainbow.

Morwen Navarre brings us The Sidhe’s Apprentice, a tale of a young man desperately wanting to be a wizard, like his grandfather, who never banked on falling in love with his mentor. In Finding Balance, Lynn Townsend sets readers in the middle of the Highland games, as well as between two former lovers who need to forgive and forget. L. J. Hamline’s tale, Luck of the Irish, tells of some lucky days that turn into lucky nights. Born of Fire, Dale Cameron Lowry’s offering, brings readers the abduction of a human by fairies, and the greatest lesson of all: love is more than superficial. Finally, Asta Idonea’s The First Swallow of Spring chronicles an annual pilgrimage to the land of the fae, and how the wiley lord tries to keep a human for his own.

Heat Level: 5
Pairing: M/M, F/F
Length: 32,900 words
Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Humor, M/M Romance, Paranormal

Excerpt

From Morwen Navarre’s The Sidhe’s Apprentice:

There was nothing for it but to follow the path which Master Lorc·n had indicated. Master Lorc·n’s parting words had not been comforting, and Alistair had a feeling this Master Cian·n would be no warmer.

Alistair took the opportunity to look around as he walked, wondering how much magic was required to maintain this place. The transition was completely seamless, as though the door to the embassy had been a gate to another realm. None of the whispers had even hinted at the existence of such a portal, though, and Alistair was not too sure he would want to ask. The illusion was flawless, the sky a pearly glow above the tall treetops. The light was softer than sunlight, but far brighter than moonlight, and he wondered if it was designed to duplicate the sun of the Sidhe realm. He could hear faint birdsong, and there was a gentle breeze that brought the scent of honeysuckle with it. If this was Sidhe magic, he wanted to learn all he could.

The stream was not very wide, where Alistair approached it. A single stride would take him over it, but he had been told to wait, and not to cross it. Obedience was mandatory for a student of the Sidhe. That much was common knowledge. There was no place to sit, so Alistair stood and waited. He let his thoughts drift, trying to imagine what it would be like to live in this tranquil place for a year and a day.

“Are you contemplating running away? I wouldn’t recommend it.”

The speaker was Sidhe, and there was a definite lilt to his English. Alistair felt his cheeks grow warm, and he bowed hastily as he straightened up. He swallowed as he got a good look at the speaker on the other side of the stream.

Author Bio
Publisher of GLBT fiction books:  http://www.torquerepress.com to offer the finest in erotic LGBT romance available.
Author Links:
Torquere Facebook Page | Torquere on Twitter |Torquere Blog
Torquere on Pinterest | Torquere Website

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Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: eBook copy of the Riverdance Anthology. Must be 18 years or older to enter.

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Old Labels, Tagging and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Old Labels, Tagging and The Need to Move Forward

 

Something one of our reviewers said  to me this week got me thinking about labels and tagging.  She said that there was a controversy stirring about a current release and the GFY label and bisexuality, blurring/confusion between them.  She wanted to give me a head’s up.  Now I had no idea (still don’t) because I wasn’t paying any attention but it brought to mind things that have been swimming around the brain for some time now…that there are some labels that need to be put to rest.

In the book review world there are certain three letter  or  three character abbreviations we use all the time to quick label  a book.  Among some of the most widely used are M/M, D/s, HEA, HFN, and of course, GFY.   Its the later that I’m going to be blogging about on Saturday.  I think we’ve grown past that label, and now its rolled into hurtful territory.   Why not use the term pansexual (among others) where proper?  And bisexual where the character clearly loves and desires both sexes?

Not getting into it today but look for a much longer and thoughtful post on Saturday.  Join in on the discussion and let me know how you feel about tagging and labels.  I’m really curious.  Haven’t be gone past these old perceptions?  Isn’t it time we laid them to rest?  We’ve enlarged the LGBT to include LGBTQIA, lets bring the book review world along with it.

Now we’ve got a stacked  week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words, lets get to it.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, March 13:

  • Old Labels, Tagging and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, March 14:

  • Chris T. Kat ‘Mending the Rift’ virtual tour and giveaway
  • ‘At Your Service’ by Ariel Tachna – Author Guest Blog/Release Day
  • Book Spotlight: Bound (Guards of Folsom, Book Five) by Author: SJD Peterson
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Bound (Guards of Folsom, Book Five) by Author: SJD Peterson
  • A MelanieM Review: At Your Service by Ariel Tachna
  • A Stella review: Mending the Rift by Chris T Kat

Tuesday, March 15:

  • Between Ghosts by Garrett Leigh – Riptide Publishing Contest
  • Its Release Day for the Riverdance Anthology (excerpts and giveaway)
  • In Our Contemporary Spotlight: Trial by Fire by BA Tortuga DSP tour and guest blog
  • A MelanieM Review: Trial by Fire by BA Tortuga
  • A Lila Review: Ghosts (The Power of Zero, #2) by Jackie Keswick

Wednesday, March 16:

  • Coffee Sip and Book Break with Lioness in Blue by Shira Glassman
  • A Ali Review: Eagle’s Nest by AJ Marcus
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Lay It down by Mary Calmes
  • A Jeri Review: Him (Him #1) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
  • A Lila Review: Balls Up by Kate Aaron

Thursday, March   17:

  • Dianne Hartsock’s ‘Stuck on Rewind’ virtual tour and giveaway
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Being True by Jacob Z. Flores
  • A F.D. Review: Lima Oscar Victor Echo and The Truth About Everything by Suki Fleet
  • A Jeri Review: Us By Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
  • A Lila Review: Beyond the Sea by Keira Andrews

Friday, March 18:

  • Katey Hawthorne’s Blood and Clockwork Tour and Giveaway
  • Love Comes to Light Author: Andrew Grey’s Guest Blog
  • A Stella Review: Spencer Cohen by NR Walker
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Two Pet Dicks by John Inman
  • A Paul B Review: Love Comes to Light by Andrew Grey

Saturday, March 19:

  • Melanie M Thoughts On Labeling – Isn’t It Time to Put Away GFY?

Time to Reveal the Cover for Beastly Businessmen and Guitar Gods by Asta Idonea (giveaway)

Beasty-Businessmen-banner

Synopsis

Fairytales and Myths for the Modern Gay

The modern age is devoid of magic.

Or is it?

How else could a stolen guitar or a lost shoe lead to love?

What but magic could spark romance at a workplace assessment?

Or turn a mean-spirited monster into a man?

Six fairytales and myths are given a contemporary MM twist in this collection of stories, proving that sometimes the mundane can be magical too.

DRAGGED INTO LOVE (Þrymskviða)
When Theo’s landlord steals a prized guitar in lieu of rent owed, he informs Theo he will return the instrument on one condition: he wants a date with Theo’s twin sister.

LOVE’S CODE (Ariadne and Theseus)
Andre must pass the examination if he wants to keep his job.

However, he is distracted by his unspoken love for fellow programmer, Eren.

Beasty Businessmen cover

GUESSING GAMES (Rumplestiltskin)

Sasha told a little white lie in his job interview and it won him the role.

Only now he is faced with a pile of work he doesn’t know how to complete.

ASSIGNATIONS AND ULTIMATUMS (The Strange Elopement of Tinirau)

Hunter and Ross are in love, but Ross’ father keeps trying to set him up with undesirable, yet powerful, older men, the latest of whom happens to be Ross’ boss.

LOST AND FOUND (Cinderella)
Cillian is dreading the work masquerade ball, but once there he finds himself romanced by a dashing stranger, only to flee when he discovers the man’s identity.

A DEBT IS A DEBT (Beauty and the Beast)

Dunstan Griffin is not a man to let a debt slide, so when debtor Alfred Siskin offers the EA services of his son, Wynn, in lieu of payment, Dunstan accepts.

Book Trailer

Pre-order Links

Don’t miss the March Sale! All Wayward Ink Titles titles are 35% off on the WIP website and 30% off on AllRomance. The 30% discount also applies to all Amazon websites for Beastly Businessmen and Guitar Gods pre-orders and the first few days after release.

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/beastly-businessmen-and-guitar-gods-by-asta-idonea/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-beastlybusinessmenandguitargods-1997418-149.html

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CUNOSB6/

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CUNOSB6/

Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01CUNOSB6/

Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B01CUNOSB6/

 

Excerpt

ONCE UPON A time the world was a place of magic and fantasy. People believed in fairy realms, healing potions, and true love’s kiss, and witchcraft, spells, and curses were accepted as fact, a part of life. Once upon a time….

But those days are long gone. The world has changed, magic replaced by technology, wonder by disillusionment, and fairytales and myths reduced to the purview of children, bound within the pages of a book or on the screen, no longer real but pure make believe.

Or are they?

Let us, dear reader, travel together to a place where all is not as it seems. Come with me to London’s financial district. Hand in hand, we will enter the imposing yet innocuous office building of DunGriffinCorp. It doesn’t look like much at first glance, I grant you. No different from any other firm here in the City. But take the time to peel back the layers and you may be surprised at what you find. For within these walls magic and romance still abound. The employees of DunGriffinCorp don’t know it yet, but several of them are about to have their lives changed forever.

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About the author

NICKI J. MARKUS was born in England in 1982, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her husband. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.

Nicki launched her writing career in 2011. She published works through Wicked Nights Publishing and Silver Publishing before both companies closed their doors. She is now self-publishing some of her works, including the novella Time Keepers and the fantasy novel The Ragnarök Chronicles.

Nicki also writes M/M fiction under the alternate pen name of ASTA IDONEA and has had several short stories published by Wayward Ink Publishing. She is currently working on her first M/M novella.

Nicki works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys: music, theatre, cinema, photography, sketching, and cross stitch. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel.

Social links:

Website: http://www.nickijmarkus.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus

A Lila Review: Where Loyalties Lie by Logan Taylor‏

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Where Loyalties LIeWhen his homeland is conquered by invading barbarians, Nessir winds up not dead, but instead serving the new kings much as he once served his own. Though at first he is terrified of what they will do, across the palace and through the kingdom Abaidas and Ophion swiftly begin to make improvements their predecessor neglected. And though a married man should be off limits, Nessir finds himself falling for Abaidas anyway—and astonished when the interest proves to be mutual, and to learn that Ophion has no objections to Abaidas taking a lover.

But just as Nessir is settling into his strange, new life, he stumbles across an assassination plot—a plot he can speak of for fear of his sister’s life, unless he can convey it in a way that will not get him caught. In an act of desperation, he throws himself at Ophion, and under guise of being lovers the two work to protect the man they both love. And all the while Nessir tries to ignore the growing wish that Ophion’s affections were not merely a ruse…

 The opening scene brought us directly into the story’s setting and provided us with our first introduction to Nessir’s job, place in society, and relationship with King Amun. By the time the barbarians arrived, we have had the opportunity to learn more about Nessir and his sister.

 Abaibas’s and Ophion’s arrival changes Nessir’s future, but he decided to serve the King and his Consort without much pressure. Perhaps because both men gave him the opportunity to make his own decisions. He takes his role as the Majesties’ body servant as easy as he had done with the previous King.

 Leaving the war camp behind, the three men return to the conquered city. As the time pass, they get comfortable with each other, and Abaidas requests his husband approval to start a relationship, which he receives. Shortly after, Nessir learned about the conspiracy against the new King and staged an affair with Ophion to find a way to save the man they both love.

 Ophion protects Nessir’s sister as they tried to get more information about the attempt against Abaidas and planned to stop it. Their pretend relationship starts turning into more, but both, Nessir and Ophion, kept it to themselves.

 A combination of characters and events influenced the men’s lives, relationships, and positions. We get to witness the attempt against Abaidas, how it’s handled, at the repercussions, not only for their lives but to their separate relationships. By the end of the novella, we have the starts of a HEA with a promising future.

 Where Loyalties Lie has a good sense of location, era, and characterization since the very beginning. An accomplishment that’s sometimes difficult to grasp in a novella. The world build seems to take precedent leaving the plot points a little bare without resting relevance to the overall outcome.

 This is one of those stories that would benefit from another handful of pages. It’s a great start for a longer re-write, or perhaps, a series in the same world, even if it is with other main characters. There were some unanswered questions that can be addressed in further volumes.

 One thing I’d like to read more about is Abaibas’s and Ophion’s relationship. We know they were childhood friends, but I’d love to see their relationship unveiling. Especially, how their love story turned into an open relationship.

 The triad started as separated relationship, morphing later on into it. Even so, there’s a separation between the married couple and their third created by the inequality of the social status. In the end, it works well for them, and we get a glimpse of how hard they would work to stay together.

 Overall, I enjoyed this story. I just wanted a little more plot to join the beginnings of a great story.

 The cover is lovely and goes well with the time period and events in the story. The only drawback is the off-centered silhouettes that seemed too modern for it.

Sale Links: Less Than Three Press | Amazon (unavailable) | ARe

 Book Details:

 ebook, 89 pages
Published: March 9, 2016, by Less Than Three Press
ISBN: 9781620047293
Edition Language: English

A Lila Review: Ravenhearth by Lotus Oakes‏

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

RavenhearthEvery ten years, a letter arrives at Ravenhearth’s Abby requesting a companion for the town’s Keeper– a powerful mage that keeps the town safe from a deadly miasma. His only request is that the person comes willingly into the castle.

 Ten years before, Ash touched the last letter and felt the need to learn more about it. Over the years, he did nothing more than to survive in hopes to have a chance to be the next companion. When the next letter arrives, he’s the first one to volunteer to be sent to Ravenhearth’s Keeper.

 He’s a twenty-one-year-old orphan, interested in learning magic, and volunteering is his only chance to achieve his dream. He loved the town he moved in with his mother sixteen years ago, but he doesn’t have anything left holding him back. After convincing the Council about his desire to be the Keeper’s companion, they agreed, and a week later, Giles, the castle’s butler comes for him.

 The rest of the story takes place at the castle and expands about a year. During this time, Ash meets several characters that would play an important role in his life. He learns more about himself and the real reasons he is drawn towards magic. And he does all this under Giles’s guidance. In the end, Ash’s dreams come true, and he gets his HEA.

 Ravehearth is a novel that has the potential to be considered high fantasy if push further than its romance element. The world the author created is flexible enough to house multiple stories in its different cities. The diversity of the cast, their gifts, and their personality give this story the possibilities to being remarkable.

 We get little background information about the miasma, the magic, the mimics, the clockwork, and the world itself. Enough to feel comfortable with the things happening around the MCs, but not enough to be invested in anything else than the possibilities of a relationship between Ash and Giles or Ash and the Keeper.

 Ash life hasn’t been easy since the passing of his mother, but from an early age, he felt the calling to become the Keeper’s companion. We see him struggle with his decision and what he found when he arrives at the castle. He is a loving character that will steal a piece of your heart.

 The limitations of Ash’s POV made connecting with the other characters difficult. The readers want him to get happiness, but we don’t have a way to know if what’s happening in the castle would be enough to fulfill Ash’s expectations. I’d had like to read Giles’s POV or perhaps to have the Keeper as an omniscient narrator.

The beginning and the end of the story moves at a steady pace, but the middle drags with nothing more than Ash’s musings and dreams. Very sexy dreams, but not enough to take the plot forward. The story line is predictable, but even so, it was engaging enough to keep reading. And the magic studies are nothing more than a footnote to the story. We get more details about plants and food that the magic lessons.

 This story has great potential, but it felt short in its current incarnation.

 The cover, by Kirby Crow, shows Ash looking towards the Ravenhearth castle– the miasma visible between them– matching one of the scenes in the story.

 Sale Links: Less Than Three Press | Amazon | ARe

 Book Details:

ebook, 204 pages
Published: February 17, 2016, by Less Than Three Press
ISBN: 9781620047149
Edition Language: English

A MelanieM Review: Mantled In Mist (SoulShares #6) by Rory Ni Coileain

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Mantled in the MistIn the sixth novel in the Rainbow Award-nominated paranormal M/M SoulShares series, Fiachra Dubhdara is a Fae living a stolen life, in a body that isn’t his own. He’s also the most junior detective on the D.C. Vice squad, assigned the task of infiltrating and shutting down Tiernan Guaire’s Purgatory.
Peri Katsura is the newest and hottest masseur at Lochlann Doran’s Big Boy Massage, inexplicably drawn to the gorgeous cop assigned to bust him but needing to hide a dark secret of his own.
And the owner of Fiachra’s body has a plan to get it back – a plan that may cost Fiachra his SoulShare and close the doors of Purgatory forever. Unless the Marfach gets there first…

Mantled in the Mist by Rory Ni Coilean takes one of my favorite series and with this story made it even deeper and more fantastical.  The author has added several new magical beings, ones we have never heard of before, to this tale of pain, loss and magic.  We are now introduced to races that played major roles in the ancient war that sundered Earth from the other dimension the Fae now reside in.  The price for one race?  They became the subject of mockery, bullying, and deep outright cruelty by the purer fae on the other side for their racial bloodline and past history.  The price paid by the others on Earth? Well, I’ll leave that for the story.

By overlaying such emotional elements, one you can interpret by modern standards so many ways, Ni Coileain has elevated this series to new heights.  The overlays and  similarities can be made for the aboriginal races around the world today and their treatment at the hands of the “superior” races that followed, or to the nature/earth religions who suffered at the developing cultures that encroached and exterminated them.  There is a richness of interpretation here that makes the enjoyment of reading the story swell along with the tale of romance, suspense and yes, horror that follows.

Fiachra, dark skinned, dark haired, tormented, Fiachra thought it better to fade than continue his existence as it was.  But fading did not go as planned and he ended up in another’s body.  Tall, gorgeous, blonde, everything a pure fae looks like.  I love the comparisons and problems this poses here when Fiachra meets his SoulShare and wants him to love the real Fiachra.  The problem of getting his body back was a maze of pain and problem solving that I loved  watching play out over the story.  Actually one than one problem, something else I will leave for the story.

Peri Katsura is another one of those damaged souls that Rory Ni Coileain does so beautifully.  Drag queen, masseur, Peri has many faces and a inability to trust, especially the big blond cop that threatens to bust him.  The two of them together are so engaging in their painful pasts and colliding confusions of the heart.   To help them/blockade them are all the other SoulShare couples from the previous stories still working together to stop the horrific Marfach from their planned assault on the Fae world, a task making the Fae ruthless on both sides.

The characterizations here are vivid, believable and have staying power.  I can pick up these stories and remember exactly who is who.  The terror engendered by the Marfach just grows with each story, something I had not thought possible given some of the past scenes of torture that are rendered somewhat graphically in previous books. Here it is more of the imagination because we know what it/they are capable of.

It ends, as they all do, far too quickly, setting us up for the next in the series.  If I am reading the author right, it should be an entirely different take on the SoulShares element.  Could be wrong, but I can’t see to see it play out.

Here is a series that has it all.  Fantasy, romances, bdsm, horror, mythology, beautiful world building…and six books and growing. I highly recommend it to lovers of all of the above and more.  But don’t read them out of order as they build on each other.  New to the series?  Start with the first, keeping up with me?  Pick this one up and  continue along.

Cover art is lovely, I like the celtic elements and its very different from the ones before.

Sales Links:  Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Riverdale Avenue Books

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 334 pages
Published January 20th 2016 by Riverdale Avenue Books
ASINB01AVNC1N4
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSoulShares #6

SoulShares Series in the order they were written and should be read (add them to your Goodread list):