Category: M/M Paranormal Fiction

Love a Paranormal Romance? Check Out the Release Blitz for Fight For This by Suki Fleet (excerpt and giveaway)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Fight For This

Author: Suki Fleet

Publisher: Suki Fleet

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: January 31, 2020

Genre/s: M/M Paranormal Romance (fairies)

Trope/s: Friends to lovers

Themes: Admitting feelings, in denial, saving the world (sort of)

Heat Rating: 3 – 4 flames

Length: 60 000 words

Add on Goodreads

 

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK 

 

 

A fairy who can’t control his glamour, and the growly Guardian who adores him, must stop the Veil that protects all fairy-kind from being detected in the human world from being destroyed.

 

Blurb

Grey and Si have been dancing around one another for months. 

Grey’s helpless attraction to fairies (and one fairy in particular) is a source of endless frustration—but as his energy can damage a fairy’s glamour, he can’t let himself get close. 

Si is different to other fairies and he’s wearing down Grey’s defences. When Si discovers the Veil is thinning around the school where they both work—putting the students and teachers there at risk from detection—he needs Grey’s help to fix it. 

Problem is, Si isn’t a true fairy, he’s just a magical mistake. For as long as he can remember all his glamour has done is messed up and broken stuff. Though Grey maybe older and wiser about a lot of things in the human world, he’s pretty clueless about all things magical. He doesn’t even know the Veil exists until Si knocks himself unconscious trying to save Grey’s reputation after a night out. 

But it’s funny how mistakes work out. Even funnier how trusting one another can help even the most impossible events turn out all right. 

 

Excerpt 

Barely supressing a shiver, Si let the full rush of his glamour flood through him. Nothing else felt like this, the giddy flare of it as exhilarating as diving off a high rocky outcrop into a breathtakingly cold sea. Admittedly, he was probably a little addicted to the rush—magic in all its forms was notorious addictive. But more than that, for a brief second, Si was connected to everything—plugged into exactly the right place—powerful enough to affect change in the world, and unlike every other second in his life, he felt like he knew just what to do. 

This was the good bit, the bit that convinced him that this time it wouldn’t go so horribly wrong.

Opening his eyes, he scrunched his toes against the soft threadbare strands of carpet and steadied himself. 

Grey’s presence hummed comfortingly near. When fairies were in love, they could share their glamour, heal one another with it, share energy and connect with each another in a way that sounded so similar to the mating Grey longed for that Si wondered if it wasn’t the same thing. And the sex when you were connected was supposed to be fucking mind-blowing. 

Si shook the thoughts from his head. He needed to focus. 

Across the room, Greene’s eyes began to widen comically. Probably he could feel the ripple of Si’s magic as it charged the air around him, but Si didn’t care; there was nothing in his contract that said what he could or couldn’t do. And unless Greene transported him from the room somehow, there was nothing he could do to stop him either.

The urge to dramatically clap his hands together was strong. But good magic didn’t announce itself, as Levi, his mentor, used to say. 

Si took a deep breath, then murmured as softly and as clearly as possible, “Let the truth be known.” 

For an instant, the air shimmered, filled with the scent of dying leaves, oranges, freshly brewed black tea. 

The world seemed to expand. Details became richer. 

The truth was known. Si was certain of it, even if the details of how it was known eluded him.

A giddy, joyous feeling that whatever he’d done had worked danced in his chest, a feeling so at odds with the shocked expressions of everyone in the room. But it didn’t matter how they were staring at him. It had worked. He had worked. His glamour wasn’t some cosmic joke for other fairies to laugh at. It was useful. He was useful. 

So why was all the air being sucked from his lungs? Why was the happy feeling disintegrating? Why was the world beginning to blur? But before he could come up with any answers that made sense, Grey’s carpet tilted towards him with the unexpected speed of a rollercoaster, and all the warm light suddenly drained from the room.

 

About the Author 

Suki Fleet is an award-winning author, a prolific Reader (though less prolific than they’d like), and a lover of angst, romance and unexpected love stories.They write lyrical stories about memorable characters and believe everyone should have a chance at a happy ending.
Their first novel This is Not a Love Story won Best Gay Debut in the 2014 Rainbow Awards, and was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Awards. Their novel Foxes won Best Gay Young Adult in the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter @SukiFleet

  Instagram  |  Newsletter Sign-up

 

Giveaway 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a choice of one of 5 ebooks from Suki’s backlist

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

 

Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts and reviews here

A Free Dreamer Review: Loose Ends (Badlands #4) by Morgan Brice

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Cold cases, old enemies, ex-lovers, and vengeful spirits are making life dangerous for psychic medium Simon Kincaide and his boyfriend, homicide detective Vic D’Amato.

The ghosts of Myrtle Beach are restless, trapped by love, secrets, scandals, and spells, keeping Simon busy protecting the living from the unhappy dead. Someone from Vic’s past is out to destroy him and everyone he holds dear, and the high-profile trial of the first case Simon and Vic worked together puts them in the spotlight—and put a target on their backs. As a deadly trap closes around them, can Simon and Vic tie up the loose ends to stop the threat, or will they become the newest ghosts of the Grand Strand?

Loose Ends is an urban fantasy MM paranormal romance with spooky supernatural suspense, hot sex, hurt/comfort, feisty friends, found family, ghosts galore, and dark magic. It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone and features an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels. Intended for readers 18 years of age and older.

I love a good ghost story, so there was no way I could have resisted “Loose Ends”. And it turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Like the blurb says, this works perfectly fine as a standalone. I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series and while it’s obvious these two guys have a past together, all the important bits are explained.

I really liked the fantasy aspects of this story. There’s a bunch of different ghosts and quite a bit of magic as well. I just wasn’t too fond of coupling of magic and religion, tbh. It all felt a little bit one-sided. There’s angels and saints and the like and it made me wonder if that really is the only way to banish a ghost. What about a Hindu ghost? Can you banish that one with Christian beliefs too? But I did enjoy how the magic was rooted in the traditions of different cultures, though.

We meet a few different ghosts throughout the story and they’re all very different and Simon had a different solution for each of them. It was actually interesting to see how he dealt with them and came up with individual ways how best to help the spirits.

Vic and Simon are in a comfortably established relationship and I often prefer that to a blossoming relationship. It leaves more room for the important parts of the plot. Here, the romance was still very strong and the two of them worked really well together. I really enjoyed how they interacted with each other.

There’s quite a bit of action and suspense going on as well. It takes our protagonists a while to figure out what’s going on and then it gets really dramatic toward the end. There was, of course, a happy end, which I never doubted for a second.

Overall, this was a good, solid book. Nothing spectacular, but still thoroughly enjoyable. If urban fantasy and ghosts are you thing, it’s definitely worth a try.

I’m not a huge fan of the cover. It’s just our two protagonists in front of a pretty landscape. I’ve seen hundreds of covers that look very similar and it’s not very memorable.

Buy Links

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK  |   Kobo  |   Nook

Book details:

Kindle Edition
Published December 29th 2019 by Darkwind Press
ASIN B0839PTFL6
Edition Language English
Series Badlands #3

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Asylum by Julian Burnes

A Barb the Zany Old Lady: Howling on Hold by EJ Russell

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

I admit, I was attracted to this story by the cover and the blurb—and the fact that it was a standalone since I haven’t read any of the author’s other stories and I don’t like starting in the middle of a series. But I was disappointed in that there were multiple characters from previous books who played a strong secondary role in this story. There were also references to situations and past events that those who’ve read the other books would likely recognize. 

Apparently, though, when it comes to werewolves, this is the first time they’ve been explored. Those other books were about the Fae, and vampires, and other shifters and more, whereas this one focused on werewolf packs, their hierarchy, and the training of “juniors,” those who have passed certain criteria and now enter a three-year Howling school where they learn how to suppress the things that make them wolves so they can pass unnoticed in the human world. This book is about Tanner, a young wolf howling student who turns 21 and is worried that his uncle will call him back early so he can take over his legacy as pack alpha, his dad having died years before. And it’s about his RA in “the Doghouse,” Chase Denney, a guy with high moral standards who refuses to act on his attraction to Tanner. 

After a series of misunderstandings and a possible threat on his life, Tanner goes into hiding for three months. Chase isn’t aware he’s gone, due to his own series of misadventures that bans him from going back to the Doghouse, and when he returns, he immediately sets out to find Tanner and tell him how he really feels. Even when the two find each other, there’s still threats from otherworldly creatures to contend with, intercessions and assistance by the (apparently important) characters from previous books, and a dirty, underhanded plot from one of Tanner’s family members.

To be honest, the story felt way too busy with information overload. Perhaps it hit me that way because the author was trying to fill in all the past issues for those new to the book, or perhaps that’s the author’s writing style, but there was a lot of narrative, and in proportion, very little dialogue. Facts, facts, and more facts had my head spinning with information I did not find interesting so I had a difficult time following many parts of the story. I enjoyed the sweet and simple romance between the two young men, but that took up very little page time. A few less characters, both new and past, and a few less plot twists would have gone a long way toward making this a better book. More face-to-face time with more dialogue, less about the antics of the other wolves in the house (which didn’t seem to go anywhere or have a point to them), and a note linking this to the other books in this paranormal world would definitely have made the story more enjoyable.

The cover by L C Chase is really attractive and shows, in cartoon style, a wolf standing on a cliff edge, howling at the sky, with a cartoon bubble filled with hearts coming out of his mouth, instead of the traditional howl. Very cute and it’s what sold me on reading this story.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 237 pages
Published January 13th 2020 by Riptide Publishing
ASINB081H7NLR6
Edition Language English

So Squirrels. This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

So… Squirrels

 

So as I counted down the days until Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words went on hiatus, I had things to do and wanted everything to go in a tidy, organized manner.  So of course, everything rapidly descended into chaos.  The dishwasher broke down, I had to deal with family RL issues, and then there were squirrels.  Well, a squirrel.  In the house.  For an extended stay.

Looks around.

I think he or she is finally gone.  Of course, with this one, you just don’t know.

Had squirrels in the house before.  Some brought in via the many animals, furkids who have lived here over the years.  Moles, voles, shrews, chipmunks, and the occasional field mouse have all made it in as the unfortunate “living gifts or toys” from various cats and dogs over the years.  Most actually made it back outside.  Then there are the visitors down through the chimney., that wonderful artificial “tree hollow” that has seen so many over the decades (my father built this house).

Most of the squirrels and I have come to a tried and true method when they arrive into the family room that way.  I open the back doors into the yard and boom, out they go.  No drama, all very  neat and quick.  I had assumed we, the squirrel community and I had an agreement on this. All very civilized of course.

But it seems in every small group there exists a rebel.  One who goes left, when all the others go right.  That is the squirrel who came down the chimney several days ago.

They did not go right out the door into the yard.  Nooooooo.  They went  left.  Dashing madly up the stairs into the living room where my tubby little dog awaited!  With glee!  They then proceeded to zoom around many levels of house, levels of rooms, well the squirrel did, tubby didn’t.  Then it happened.  I lost track of the squirrel.  And it went stealth.  No chattering, nothing.

And its scent was everywhere so said dog couldn’t find him.  Although to be fair my sausage with a head gave it his all.  All day and all night tracking the now quiet and unmoving squirrel. I had looked with my trusty flashlight.  The next day, we had a sighting!  And then it went quickly hiding until located once more. I mean is this squirrel a secret Russian operative?

Found!  Unbelievably in the closet full of Christmas Nutcrackers (honestly who writes these things) in the library, up behind all those boxes.  Couldn’t get to it and that squirrel wasn’t coming out.  So new tactic.  Call Animal Control with the nets to come and get it to release.  Right? Nope. I should have remembered.  Unless it’s actually in a trap, nope.  Back to square one. My own method.  While I was pondering what to do, Rambo squirrel made a move, busted out of the louvered door closet and out of the library for another round of madcap chasing.  Door propped up, and again I didn’t see it go out.

Sigh.

Tubby is investigating my desk in the library and the closet as I write this.  No idea if the squirrel is out or in.  Time will tell.

Good news, my little dog has had more exercise than if he’d had a zillion Peloton workouts.  Yay squirrel.

Honestly, I think its out, don’t you? 😬

In the meantime, I am thinking the hiatus will be more like me making intermittent reviews and ramblings until we are back fulltime in June 2020.  Too many books to talk about and apparently things to say.

So stay tuned, more on this later on.

 

 

 

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

 

Sunday, January 26:

  • So Squirrels. This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, January 27:

  • Review Tour – Garrett Leigh – The Edge Of The World
  • A MelanieM Review: The Edge of the World by Garrett Leigh
  • A MelanieM Review: Ted of the d’Urbervilles by Rob Rosen

Tuesday, January 28:

  • Book Blast – Earnest Ink by Alex Hall
  • AUDIOBOOK TOUR – Love’s Trials by Janice Jarrell
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady:Howling on Hold by EJ Russell
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Loose Ends (Badlands Book 4) by Morgan Brice

Wednesday, January 29:

  • REòEASE BLITZ Bound to Liberty by Kai Tyler
  • Release Blitz – Hold Me Up by Colette Davison
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Stay Lucky by Leta Blake
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review Asylum by Julian Burnes

Thursday, January 30:

  • BLITZ Better Than Beginnings by Lane Hayes
  • Tour: BL Dayhoff on The Right Move
  • A MelanieM Review: Loose Ends (Badlands Book 4) by Morgan Brice
  • A Free Dreamer Review Out of Time (Out of Time #5) by C.B. Lewis
  • A MelanieM Review:Howling on Hold by EJ Russell

Friday, January 31:

  • Blog Tour – Loose Ends (Badlands Book 4) by Morgan Brice
  • Release Blitz – Say It (Fascination Series Book 1) by Sky McCoy
  • Release Blitz with ARC Reviews – Fight For This by Suki Fleet
  • A MelanieM Review: Head in the Game by Jeff Adams
  • A MelanieM Audio Review:All I Want Is You by DJ Jamison and Wyatt Baker (Narrator)

Saturday, February 1:

  • So What Happens Next?

A Free Dreamer Review: Time Turns (Out of Time #4) by C.B. Lewis

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

As a consultant analyst for the most technologically advanced firms in the country, Danny Ferguson knows he’s seen a lot of crazy stuff, but nothing comes close to his newest position at the Temporal Research Institute, the world’s foremost time travel organisation.

The corrupted piece of code Ferguson found on the TRI’s closed network is a serious concern for Lysander O’Donohue, the director of the TRI. Unable to trust his own people—any one of whom might be the source—he’s forced to put all his trust in Danny to solve the mystery of the corrupt code and find the identity of the enemy within.

But when an unexpected temporal gate opens, a straightforward code analysis becomes something a lot more complicated.

I read and really enjoyed part three of the series, so I was eager to get my hands on the next book. And Time Turns certainly didn’t disappoint.

While this is part four of an ongoing series, I think it works perfectly fine as a stand-alone. The protagonists from part three get barely any on-page scenes and the important events are summed up early on. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t read part three, though, because it’s just as good as this one, albeit quite different.

Coding isn’t necessarily something I’m crazy about. The few times I’ve been exposed to it, I found rather boring. But this book actually made it seem really fascinating. The way Danny works with it is like a new form of art. You don’t need to understand it to appreciate its beauty. And the author didn’t delve too deeply into the theory, so it never got boring or confusing.

I was utterly captivated from the very beginning and I used every free second to continue reading. Neither of the protagonists actually did any time-traveling and there wasn’t actually all that much action. But somehow there was this suspense that just made it extremely hard to put down the book. This is the kind of book that should come with a special warning: “Do not read if you don’t want to be late.” Seriously, I was almost late for work more than once.

Lysander is a really interesting guy. He’s a very private person and has some unexpected secrets. And Danny is just plain adorable. Sure, he’s cocky and overconfident, but also extremely loyal and hard-working.

I absolutely loved the relationship dynamic. Danny was so mindful of Lysander. And Lysander never took advantage. The progress felt natural and the sex scenes, while few and far between, were really hot.

As for the mystery part, the revelation of the bad guy was completely unexpected to me. I don’t read a lot of mystery, though, so maybe an avid crime/mystery reader could have deduced who the culprit is sooner.

Overall, “Time Turns” was a brilliant book and my first 5-star-book of the year. And it’s made me even more eager to read the rest of the series.

The cover by Natasha Snow fits with the rest of the series and the story, but it’s a little nondescript. I’m not a fan of covers where the models make up the largest part of the design.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon

Book details:

ebook, 400 pages

Published September 16th 2019 by NineStar Press

Out of Time Series

Time Waits

Time Lost

Time Taken

Time Turns

Out of Time

Here It Is! The Release Blitz for Loose Ends (Badlands Book 4) by Morgan Brice (excerpt and giveaway)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Loose Ends (Badlands Book 4)

Author: Morgan Brice

Cover Artist: Natania Barron

Release Date: December 30, 2019 

Genre/s: Urban Fantasy, MM paranormal romance

Trope/s: Spooky supernatural suspense, hurt/comfort, dark magic.

Themes: Trust, loyalty, commitment, partnership

Heat Rating: 4 flames

It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone and

features an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels.

Intended for readers 18 years of age and older.

Length: 62 000 words/ 220 pages

Add on Goodreads 

As a deadly trap closes around them, can Simon and Vic tie up the loose ends to stop the threat, or will they become the newest ghosts of the Grand Strand? 

Blurb 

Cold cases, old enemies, ex-lovers, and vengeful spirits are making life dangerous for psychic medium Simon Kincaide and his boyfriend, homicide detective Vic D’Amato. 

The ghosts of Myrtle Beach are restless, trapped by love, secrets, scandals, and spells, keeping Simon busy protecting the living from the unhappy dead. Someone from Vic’s past is out to destroy him and everyone he holds dear, and the high-profile trial of the first case Simon and Vic worked together puts them in the spotlight—and put a target on their backs. As a deadly trap closes around them, can Simon and Vic tie up the loose ends to stop the threat, or will they become the newest ghosts of the Grand Strand? 

Loose Ends is an urban fantasy MM paranormal romance with spooky supernatural suspense, hot sex, hurt/comfort, feisty friends, found family, ghosts galore, and dark magic. It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone and features an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels. Intended for readers 18 years of age and older.

Buy Links

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK  |   Kobo  |   Nook

Excerpt

“The hauntings are worse than ever. Someone else is going to get killed.” Josh Ryan hunched over his steaming cup of coffee. Out front, Mizzenmast Coffee was packed with java addicts

waiting in line for the best, and only, pirate-themed specialty coffees on the Grand Strand.

That was why Simon Kincaide had ushered his guest to the less- used second seating area, which still had a full-sized pirate statue, a treasure chest, and a motley stuffed parrot from its days as a bucca‐ neer attraction. Tracey Cullen, Le Miz’s owner and Simon’s best friend, had turned a building she couldn’t afford to redecorate into Myrtle Beach gold with her hit café. Only the regulars ever both‐ ered to come into the second room, which meant Simon and Josh might have a chance to talk uninterrupted.

“You guys explore a lot of abandoned places. I’ve never seen you rattled by ghosts before,” Simon observed.

Simon owned Grand Strand Ghost Tours, a logical undertaking for someone with a strong gift as a psychic medium and a Ph.D. in folklore and mythology. His abilities were the real deal, and when he wasn’t leading ghost tours or helping deal with bothersome haunts, he was an official consultant with the Myrtle Beach Police Department on supernaturally-linked crimes, along with his boyfriend, Homicide Detective Vic D’Amato.

“Yeah, well. Usually we run into cold spots, see a few orbs, maybe hear something we can’t explain,” Josh replied. “We’ve never had a ghost push one of my team off a roller coaster platform. If Cam hadn’t been a gymnast, he’d never have been able to catch himself on that beam, and he’d be dead.”

“You’re sure he didn’t slip?”

Josh shook his head. “Not Cam. He’s like a cat. And he said afterward that he felt hands on his back before he was pushed.”

Simon sipped his latte as his mind raced. Josh headed a team of urban explorers and paranormal investigators who prowled around abandoned buildings, old ruins, and the sites people left behind. They documented the beauty of decay with their cameras and video and tried to verify reports of ghost sightings. Josh was also one of Simon’s “Skeleton Crew,” the joking name given to the young, untrained psychics who found their way to Myrtle Beach and strug‐ gled to control or understand their abilities. Simon knew that Josh’s ability to sense ghosts was real. So if he said he’d seen something…

“Cam’s all right?”

Josh nodded, ducking his head to take a gulp of coffee and hide the worry in his eyes. “He pulled some muscles. It was a hell of a dismount. But nothing broken. It could have been way worse.”

“Did you get any idea who the ghost was?”

“No. But we knew there were rumors that the park was haunted —even before it shut down for good.”

Buccaneer Thrill Park had a snakebitten history. A couple of rich out-of-state investors thought a pirate-themed major amuse‐ ment park was the kind of idea that couldn’t fail. Simon vaguely remembered reading about the park opening ten years ago before he’d moved to Myrtle Beach from the state capital in Columbia. The park had promised to offer the tallest and fastest coasters, trendy bars, a star-studded celebrity launch, and all the high-tech hoopla money could buy.

They built it, but no one came. By the end of the second season, Buccaneer closed for good, amid whispers of hushed-up visitor

deaths, paid-off injuries, and financial mismanagement. The front‐ man, Greg Ellington, was found shot to death in his office a day before the press broke the story of embezzled funds and colossal ineptitude. Thad Stevens, the other partner and principal investor, vanished without a trace.

“I’ve been poking around on the Buccaneer story since the place shut down,” Josh said. “My team’s visited probably a dozen times. Plus, I knew people who worked on the construction and disman‐ tling, and who ran the rides when it was open.” He leaned forward, dropping his voice. “They won’t talk on the record, or to the police, but I’ve heard all their stories. And the rumors that got out? They’re just a fraction of how fucked up that place was.”

Simon sat back in his chair, settling his lanky body and long legs as best he could. He warmed his hands on the hot paper cup and tucked a strand of long chestnut hair behind one ear. “Tell me.”

“One of my sources was a crane operator when they were installing the Riptide Roll steel coaster,” Josh confided. “He saw one of the workmen fall from the top of the first hill when they were assembling the ride. Says the guy died on impact. The company paid to hush it up. Same thing happened when another worker was crushed to death. A load of steel pipe shifted, and he ended up underneath it.”

“Jesus.”

“That’s not all of it. The place was only open for barely two seasons, but the ride operators had stories that would curl your hair. Riders got whiplash, one girl lost a couple of fingers, and a kid died from head injuries when his ride car came loose and crashed. Not to mention the operator who got electrocuted when he had to run his ride in the rain.”

“If the owners had to cover all that up, no wonder they went bankrupt,” Simon said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe they didn’t get shut down.”

“Their rides continued to pass inspections from the state office —or maybe someone got paid off. Still, they closed suddenly before the end of their last season,” Josh said. “Whistleblowers went to the media. The situation was going to be ugly. But then it turned out to be even worse.”

About the Author 

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa.

On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs.

Series include Witchbane, Badlands, and Treasure Trail. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!

Read a copy of my Badlands short story Restless Nights here for free

Social Media Links 

Facebook Group  |  Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail)  |  Twitter: @MorganBriceBook   

Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a new release  

 Follow me on BookBub  |  Instagram

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

one of three ebook copies of any book in the Badlands series

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Follow the tour and check out the other blog posts here

An Alisa Review: Forbidden Bond by Lee Colgin

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Vampires and werewolves are historical enemies. When the Peace Accord that imposes an uncomfortable armistice between the species is threatened, the entire supernatural community must respond.

Young vampire heir Sinclair Davis successfully petitions the council for permission to attend a werewolf dominated university. Surrounded by a pack of unwelcoming wolves, Sinclair’s first meeting with their alpha doesn’t go well. The handsome wolf hates him.

Alpha wolf Mitchel Edgehill is furious when the university sends a vampire to be housed among his pack, even if he is cute. But there’s nothing he can do since the paperwork has been signed. They’ll have to find a way to coexist.

As tension rises within supernatural society and violence escalates between vampires and werewolves, an uneasy truce develops between Sinclair and Mitchel. The pair attend a peace conference in hopes of preventing war, but when a rogue group of humans attacks, Sinclair is kidnapped and held for ransom. Can the alpha wolf work with vampires to save Sinclair, or will war break out after all?

Man, everyone in this society has biases against the others.  I was so glad to see that Sinclair was different and he helped Mitchel and his pack also see that vampires aren’t so bad, even if it didn’t start out so well.  I liked this world and how far it all went in the end for peace among everyone, not just the paranormals.

I liked Sinclair and Mitchel’s slow burn romance but once they decided they wanted to really make a go at it they jumped right into it.  I was glad they stood their ground when others opposed their relationship and quickly showed the others how they could work together.  I will be looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Cover art by Natasha Snow is great and I really like the background of the school where most of the book takes place.

Sales Links: Nine Star Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 54,100 words

Published: December 23, 2019 by Nine Star Press

ISBN: 978-1-951880-06-4

Edition Language: English

Series: They Bite #1

And Still More 2019 Best Of Lists and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

And Still More 2019 Best Of Lists

Here we are mid January and the cold is upon us. After mid temperatures, it is finally feeling like winter here.  Our look at last year’s wonderful stories continues this week with our reviewer Alisa’s choices for her Best of 2019.  Check them out below:

From Our Reviewer Alisa:

 

2019 Best ebooks

Blood Wine by Aimer Boyz

Kept in the Dark by Charlie Cochet

The Hands We’re Given by O.E. Tearmann

Surviving the Shadows by Miranda Turner

Mason’s Run by Mellanie Rourke

All or Nothing by Riina Y.T.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Andi James and Lila Wilde

The Sweetest Thing by E.M. Denning

At Home by Carly Marie

His Two Alphas by Anna Wineheart

Best audiobooks

Untamed by Carly Marie, narrator Bolton Hill

Homeward Bound by HJ Welch, narrator Nick Russo

Mr. Frosty Pants by Leta Blake, narrator John Solo

Nothing Special V by AE Via, narrator Aiden Snow

The Swap by Annabella Michaels, narrator Michael Pauley

Best Series

Finding Home by Carly Marie

Davey’s Rules by Susi Hawke

My Truth by Ann Grech

Brotherhood of Ormarr by Jacki James, Michelle Frost, Steph Marie, Bobbie Rayne, Michele Notaro and Sammi Cee

Bid Bad Wolves by Queenie Wise

 

—

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, January 19:

  • And Still More 2019 Best Of Lists and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday,January 20:

  • Cover Reveal Loose Ends (Badlands Book 4) by Morgan Brice
  • Review Tour – Served with a Twist by Jet Lupin
  • BLITZ Out of Time by C.B. Lewis
  • An Alisa Review Forbidden Bond by Lee Colgin
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Time Turns (Out of Time #4) by C.B. Lewis

Tuesday, January 21:

  • Release blitz Adam Bomb by Kilby Blades
  • BLITZ Winter Masquerade by Kevin Klehr
  • An Alisa Review Don’t Ask Don’t Tell by Miski Harris
  • A MelanieM Review The Edge of the World by Garrett Leigh

Wednesday. January 22:

  • Release Blitz – Fade In (A Tales of Bryant Romance) – V.L. Locey
  • Release Blitz – Loose Ends (Badlands Book 4) by Morgan Brice
  • A Melanie Review Consorts of the Red King by Eden Winters
  • A Melanie Review Fade In (Tales of Bryant #3) by V.L. Locey

Thursday, January 23:

  • Release Festivities for Powder & Pavlova by Jay Hogan
  • AUDIOBOOK TOUR – Love’s Trials by Janice Jarrell
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Rescuing Kyle Special Forces: Operation Alpha by Lynn Michaels
  • An Alisa Audio Review:All the Way to Shore (Stories from the Shore #1) by CJane Elliott, Tim McKiernan (Narrator)

Friday, January 24:

  • Release Blitz Ted of the d’Urbervilles by Rob Rosen
  • Blog Tour – Hathornatum (Pleletus #1) by Taylin Clavelli
  • A Stella Review: Powder and Pavlova (Southern Lights #1) by Jay Hogan
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Hathornatum (Pleletus #1) by Taylin Clavelli

Saturday, January 25:

  • A MelanieM Audio Review:All I Want Is You by DJ Jamison and Wyatt Baker (Narrator)

EJ Russell On Oregon Locations and her new release Howling on Hold by EJ Russell (guest blog and giveaway)

Howling on Hold by E.J. Russell

Riptide Publishing

Published January 13th 2020
Cover Art: L.C.Chase

Sales Links:

Now available from Riptide Publishing!

Around Oregon by E.J. Russell

I’ve been an Oregon resident for—*checks watch*—almost thirty years now, and have lived in the same spot in the country outside Portland for twenty-nine years this month. (You’ll note I didn’t say I’ve lived in the same house, because the house we moved into isn’t the house we live in now. We’ve done two different remodels—neither one of which is completely finished, but I digress…)

Because I love Oregon and it’s what I know best, most of my books are set here. In fact, there’s only one—Tested in Fire—that’s not (if you don’t count the occasional side trip into Faerie, Sheol, or the Welsh Underworld). Consequently, there are some places and/or iconic objects that show up in Howling on Hold that have appeared in other books as well.

In no particular order…

Voodoo Doughnuts

I dare anyone to walk through the Portland International Airport and not spot at least one person carrying Voodoo Doughnuts’ signature pink box. I took this photo on the Amtrak train between Portland and Seattle, so even our neighbors to the immediate north can’t seem to resist the magic that’s in the hole. That pink box makes a cameo appearance in Howling on Hold, as it did in Stumptown Spirits. In Wolf’s Clothing, the doughnuts emerged from the box when Christophe brought them to Trent as a peace offering. Maple-bacon bars, anyone? (BTW, Voodoo has extended its reach beyond Oregon—they’ve now got stores in Denver, Orlando, Austin, and Hollywood!)

Forest Park

Portland is known for its urban green spaces, and Forest Park is one of the most well-known and extensive. In Howling on Hold, Tanner sees the park as a refuge, but in Stumptown Spirits, it had a more sinister edge as the sight of a legendary ghost war. Trent revisits the park in Wolf’s Clothing despite  the panic it triggers. In Cutie and the Beast, David, Alun, and Mal enter Faerie from the park, and in Bad Boy’s Bard, Niall and Gareth emerge from Faerie into the park, where David has to rescue them outside the Audubon Society. I took this picture of Balch Creek in Forest Park the day my Curmudgeonly Husband and I toured the Witch’s Castle (the site of the ghost war)—it’s similar to the terrain Tanner negotiates in Howling on Hold.

Portland Old Town and the Pearl District

I’ve placed two significant imaginary places from my Mythmatched story universe in downtown Portland. The Bullpen, the shifter bar visited by Casimir in Vampire with Benefits and by Hamish in Demon on the Down-Low is located in Old Town. Chase and the other guys from Portland Howling Residence Seven (aka, the Doghouse) take Tanner to the Bullpen for his twenty-oner party, where, er, hi-jinks ensue.

The Pearl District, the trendier area that got a lot of exposure in the television show Grimm, is where the Supernatural Selection offices were located in Single White Incubus, Vampire With Benefits, and Demon on the Down-Low. In Howling on Hold, those offices have been taken over by Quest Investigations, the private investigation company run by Mal Kendrick (from The Druid Next Door) and Niall O’Tierney (from Bad Boy’s Bard). Chase consults with Quest after the, er, hi-jinks.

What can I say? Once I find a place I like, I can’t resist revisiting! What about you? Any favorite spots that you come back to again and again? (And by the way, fictional spots totally count!)

About Howling on Hold

Sometimes it’s harder to teach a young dog new tricks.

That’s why werewolves embark on a Howling: a three-year rite of passage in which they’re sent to a group residence to wrestle with their wolfy instincts and assimilate into the Wider World. But Tanner Araya’s Howling is almost over, and he could be called back to his remote pack at any moment. His twenty-first birthday might be his last chance to act on his strongest instinct and finally kiss Chase Denney.

Chase is RA at the Howling residence affectionately dubbed “the Doghouse,” and he takes his job seriously. So seriously that when he realized he was developing feelings for a resident, he forced himself to keep Tanner at a distance. But now that Tanner’s twenty-one, he’s not Chase’s charge any longer. They could be friends or—if Chase is lucky—something more. At least until they both return to their home packs for good, as tradition demands.

It would take a miracle for them to get together—especially when the other Doghouse werewolves insist on “helping.”

Warning: Many Frisbees are harmed in this story, forgiveness is not always easier than permission, and the five-second rule does not apply.

Now available from Riptide Publishing!

About the Mythmatched Universe

Wait . . . Is that . . . No, it couldn’t be. Could it? A fae at the florist? A demon at the deli? A werewolf at the Y?

Humans will never know. They can’t know, or the lives of every supernatural creature on this world—or under it—would be at risk.

So the supes of every nation, culture, and pantheon joined together in uneasy alliance, vowing to keep their society secret in order to survive among humans.

But when you spend every moment hiding your true nature, how can you ever find true love?

Check out the Mythmatched universe today!

 

About E.J. Russell

E.J. Russell holds a BA and an MFA in theater, so naturally she’s spent the last three decades as a financial manager, database designer, and business-intelligence consultant. After her twin sons left for college and she no longer spent half her waking hours ferrying them to dance class, she returned to her childhood love of writing fiction. Now she wonders why she ever thought an empty nest meant leisure.

E.J. lives in rural Oregon with her curmudgeonly husband, the only man on the planet who cares less about sports than she does. She enjoys visits from her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the occasional hyperbole.

Connect with E.J.:

Website: ejrussell.com

Blog: ejrussell.com/bloggery/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/E.J.Russell.author

Twitter: twitter.com/ej_russell

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ejrussell/


 

Giveaway

To celebrate this release, one lucky person will win a $25 gift card to Riptide and their pick of an ebook from E.J.’s backlist. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 17, 2020. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. For more chances to enter, follow the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!