An Alisa Review: Paw Prints on My Heart (Paw Prints #1) by L.J. Hamlin

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Holden loves his twin sister, tattoos, wild hair colors, and love. The first three are easy — his sister loves him, he’s training as a tattoo artist, and hair dye is a store away. But love is another matter. Scoring an evening of fun takes no effort, but getting someone to stay? Impossible.

Then a hot werewolf cop shows up for a tattoo appointment, and Holden’s interest seems mutual. But just as things seem to be going well, his sister collapses at a club and Holden’s world falls apart.

Contains the follow-up story, Paw Prints on My Skin: Werewolf Zack is a tattoo artist at an exclusive tattoo parlour designed to cater to the needs of shapeshifters. He works with lots of interesting people, but no one quite takes his interest like new customer Tobias. Tobias is many things: a playful Labrador, a tattoo virgin and a wildlife photographer. He’s all these things, but will he also be Zack’s? There is an instant spark between the two men that heats up quickly and could maybe, just maybe, lead to something more.

This was a nice story but I’m not sure the writing was for me. I felt there were lots of little explanations thrown into the story that could have been left out and just got annoying.

Holden and Dawn are pretty much attached at the hip and have a wonderful connection with each other. When him and Seth meet they both desire more and are slowly taking their relationship but when Dawn is hurt they work together to find out what happened. I liked the idea of this story but didn’t really feel any connections to these characters.

The cover art by Written Ink Designs works well for the story.

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 25,724 words

Published: August 21, 2019 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781646560486

Edition Language: English

A MelanieM Review: Flame and Ash (Witchbane #3) by Morgan Brice

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

The third novel in the Witchbane series.

One hundred years ago, a sheriff’s posse killed dark warlock Rhyfel Gremory, but his witch-disciples escaped, and their magic made them nearly immortal. To keep their power, each year one of the witch-disciples kills a descendant of one of the men in the posse, a twelve-year cycle that has cost dozens of lives, including that of Seth Tanner’s brother, Jesse

Seth rescued Evan Malone from one of the witches, and they’ve fallen in love despite the danger and chaos, going on the road to complete the quest and bring an end to the ritual murders. Their relationship is new, their emotions are raw, and the danger is real. It’s a challenge to find their way as a couple while they’re on the road together in the close quarters of Seth’s RV, training in magic and combat skills to fight off a supernatural killer.

In pursuit of the next witch-disciple, Seth and Evan team up with older hunters Milo and Toby as their quest to stop a century-long killing spree takes them to a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. They’re ahead of the sacrifice cycle, with plans to stop the murders and kill the dark witch. Only this time, the hunters become the hunted when the witch knows they’re coming to get him, and has deadly plans of his own. When their lives are on the line, will love be enough?

Flame and Ash contains sexually explicit content intended for adults 18 and over.

The search for the ancestors of the lynching party that killed the evil mage and mission to destroy his disciples before they continue their killing sprees picks up in Flame and Ash, book 3 of Witchbane. And with each new black disciple Seth and Evan are investigating with the intention to find his next target and kill the disciple, Brice manages to deepen the horror, up the suspense, and just in general, make each book a deadlier and finer novel to read.

A far more realistic turn of events, as each new dark witch seems to be stronger and better prepared for them. And much harder to kill for various reasons. You would think it would be easier but no. More facts are uncovered, each unpleasant and some downright shocking. Often they need help and here we get to meet old friends we’ve heard about through phone conversations or in passing when talking about Seth’s past. I adored Milo and Toby and hope this is not the last time we interact with them.

Really, there’s nothing I can say without bringing up spoilers here. The drama, suspense, and action is all superb and fast moving. There is always a great supernatural element as well as the paranormal ones to boot. Ghosts and runes, blood and death, hair raising chills and more fill these pages.

Plus romance, love and lots of great sex!

Each book also sees a deepening of the relationship between Seth and Evan as they continue to explore their new relationship and new areas of each other’s pasts that are still coming to light. As that happens, like a huge heavy black cloud that’s hovering over them and the horizon is the subject of the witch disciples still to be found along with their victims. Each case is getting extremely vicious and more difficult to handle. The odds of them surviving are going down, especially is they try to handle it alone.

All of which means I both can’t wait for the next story and I will approach it with extreme trepidation! lol

I love this series and can’t highly recommend it enough to all lovers of romance and urban fantasy. Start at the beginning and work your way here. Then join me as we way to see what’s in store on the next leg of this incredible journey!

Cover art is perfect for the story and characters. Love it.

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 229 pages
Published September 5th 2019 by Darkwind Press
ASINB07XMGJVBR
Edition Language English
Series Witchbane #3

Witchbane Series

Witchbane

Burn 1.5

Dark Rivers 2

Flame and Ash 3

If You Love Mystery and the Supernatural, Check Out the Blog Tour for Flame and Ash (Witchbane #4) by Morgan Brice (excerpt and giveaway)

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Flame and Ash (Witchbane #4)

Author: Morgan Brice

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Release Date: September 5, 2019

Genre/s: Urban Fantasy, MM paranormal, MM romance

Trope/s: Second chance, established couple, hurt/comfort, monster hunting, supernatural creatures, magic, ghosts

Themes: Learning to trust, navigating a new relationship, sticking together when the going gets rough

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Add on Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

This time, the hunters become the hunted when the witch knows they’re coming to get him, and has deadly plans of his own. When their lives are on the line, will love be enough?

Blurb

Flame and Ash is the third novel in the Witchbane series. It is a MM romance intended for readers 18 years of age and older.

Excerpt

After all, Evan thought, what value do I bring to the situation? Six months of training had improved his skills, taught him a few more rote spells, and helped him understand more about the kinds of things that went bump in the night. Despite it all, Evan knew he had a long way to go before he could match Seth’s abilities, and he worried that he could be the weak link that cost Seth his life.

The trip from Pittsburgh to Boone would take most of the day, and while Evan offered to take a turn behind the wheel, he knew that Seth preferred to drive. When he wasn’t chasing down loose ends about the Boone situation on his computer, Evan planned to doze in the passenger seat, but dark dreams woke him more than once, earning him worried glances from Seth.

“Hey.” Seth’s voice roused Evan from his thoughts. “Whatever you’re thinking—let me in. Don’t keep it to yourself.”

“I just don’t want to let you down,” Evan admitted.

“You won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know that you’ve saved my ass more than once,” Seth replied. “And that was before we spent the last three months doing more training.” He reached out to take Evan’s hand. “I trust you. I believe in you. There’s no one I’d rather have beside me in a fight. And I love you.”

Evan’s throat tightened. “I love you, too. And I want to be here, doing this, with you. It’s just…I’m not really the action hero type.”

Seth chuckled. “And I am?”

“You were in the army. You’re a soldier. So, yeah.”

Seth sighed. “I went into the army to get away from a bad breakup. Not exactly the most noble reason. I did okay, I guess. I was lucky enough to come home. But I knew I wasn’t going to make a career out of it. Some guys, they get in, and they know that’s where they’re supposed to be. It becomes their home and family, like they were born for it.” He shook his head. “It was never that for me.”

“I made okay money, working at the bar.” Evan looked at the road instead of at Seth. “But something was always missing, you know? What I did didn’t really matter. This…” He gestured to mean the two of them, hunting, the search for the witch-disciples. “It makes a difference. Saves lives. Stops a hundred years of killing. It just seems like fate could have picked someone who was better prepared.”

Seth laid his hand on Evan’s thigh, solid and warm. “Hunting doesn’t work like that. You’ve talked to Travis and Brent and Mark. They didn’t train to be a hunter from the time they were kids. They lost people, and it changed them. And from that point on, they learned on the job,” Seth said. “Just like you.”

Evan managed a wan smile. “If this were a TV show, I’d want to skip to the finale, where we ride off into the sunset.”

“I wish we could,” Seth admitted. “But I’m afraid there’s no fast-forward on real life.”

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.

Other books include Witchbane, Burn, Dark Rivers, and Badlands, Lucky Town, and The Rising, plus Treasure Trail. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!

I’ll be a Featured Author at GRL in October and also at Coastal Magic in February!

Join my Worlds of Morgan Brice Facebook Group! Get the early scoop on upcoming books and new series, see new covers first, enjoy insider news and special contests and giveaways! Plus it’s where I get my beta readers and launch team!

Author Links

Amazon

Facebook Group

Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail)

Twitter: @MorganBriceBook

Website

BookBub

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A Chaos Moondrawn Review : Fated Hearts (Shadow Bound #1) by Garrett Leigh

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

There is a free short story prequel to this book, but you don’t need to read it to enjoy this story. Alpha Varian of the Northern Pack is allied with the Shadow Clan against the allied packs of the South. I don’t really understand how this alliance works; it is something to do with the peace accord with other supernaturals (like vampires), but that is never discussed in any detail. Shadow Clan has so far stayed out of the agression. Zio is a beta in Varian’s combat squad, full of rage after the death of his best friend Emma, their wolf healer. When Shadow Clan sends their healer Devan to replace Emma, he must navigate culture shock, distrust, grief and the mating bond in order to save the lives of his new Pack.

The fish out of water element is a great way to explain things through Devan’s POV. Unfortunately, this is completely underutilized. In this world, paranormals coexist with humans, but shifters are treated differently in different parts of the world. The wolves are born with their own supernatural powers, like an affinity with different types of magic…and nothing is done with that except for a few small tremors and some shielding, which is literally a few sentences. There is one human character introduced briefly in the book even though humans try to stop the werewolf aggression and some wolves have human mates. Also, Devan is a different type of shifter…the author purposely doesn’t say what type until well into the book, but it’s on the cover so I didn’t understand the big secret. As an enemies to lovers story, it’s based on the loss of Emma, not that they are different animal spirits. The way humans or paranormals become shadow shifters is something else not well explained because the prequel made me have more questions than the book did–some people die once, while some people die twice…or is that only vampires who become Shadow Clan? I don’t know.

Zio is not in the correct frame of mind, as the reader can tell when his POV is given at key times. The only things that make sense to me about his extremes are either immaturity or PTSD, although that isn’t discussed, yet it’s treated more as a charcter issue that is fixed with the mating bond. This is a book about war, but the action scenes weren’t that gripping. Some shifters die and there are a few horrific injuries, but it is seen at a distance somehow, even with Devan being the one to heal them. None of the other side characters come alive; they are supposed to be close, sometimes having sex after battle, but I never got to feel anything for any of them because that is something the reader is told instead of shown. I wasn’t emotionally attached to whether they lived or died.

Even though Zio was bitten young, he was raised by humans and doesn’t seem to know wolf history or understand wolf biology. That’s convenient to move the story along, but he purposefully never rectified it and willful ignorance isn’t a very attractive character trait. Devan seems to be more arrogant, thinking he can ignore their growing bond, while Zio doesn’t recognize they are mates at all. Frankly, as a healer used to dealing with different kinds of supernatural, Devan should know better. About 60% of the way in, Devan says he likes Zio but I’m not sure why when they have barely spoken to each other and their interactions are contentious or a short sexual activity. All of the sudden, just when they start having whole conversations, there is a manufactured crisis to keep them apart, which would have worked better if the attention to the political details had been in the world-building. Again, while this is convenient for a slow burn romance, it doesn’t really work with the story except as an excuse to wallow in an agonizingly precarious position. Then all of the sudden Devan is dying for no reason. What? At the end, the humans are involved and have some drug to use on shifters, which has to have been stuck in there at the last minute to create conflict for the next book. I really wanted to like this more than I did, but I didn’t connect to this story.

The cover art was done by Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design. I’m not sure it is representative of the mood of this story.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 256 pages
Published September 10th 2019 by Fox Love Press
ASINB07XSKC3ZP
Edition Language English
Series Shadow Bound #1

Cover Reveal for Beyond the Surface by Colette Davison (excerpt)

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: Beyond the Surface

Author: Colette Davison

Cover Artist: Illustrator: Bramasta Aji; typography: Colette Davison

Release Date: September 30, 2019

Genre/s: Paranormal romance

Trope/s: Fated mates, insta-love, age-gap, fairy tale retelling

Themes: Finding yourself; self-acceptance

Heat Rating: 3 – 4 flames

Universal Amazon Link mybook.to/BeyondTheSurface

Raen has always longed to see the world beyond the surface, but nothing could compel him to break the most ancient law of the merfolk. Could it?

Blurb

Raen should have found his mate during his first hunt, instead he almost died. Two years later, he’s struggling with internal fear, and his father’s disapproval.

Until he encounters a land-dweller.

A man he feels a deep and instant connection to.

A man who will drown if Raen doesn’t save him.

But in order to do so, Raen must break two of the merfolk’s rules:

Don’t interact with land-dwellers.

Don’t go beyond the surface.

If Raen saves the man, he stands to lose everything he’s ever known. But if he lets him drown, he’ll lose something infinitely more precious to his heart and soul.

Beyond the Surface is a paranormal MM romance, with fated mates who almost never met, a sweet insta-love relationship, and an age-gap.

Excerpt

The moment he wrapped his arms around the land-dweller’s chest and shoulders, he felt complete. For a heartbeat he was too stunned to do anything. Then he remembered that the man was dying. He shot upwards, breaking free of the surface before he could talk himself out of it. In his arms lay the land-dweller with heaving chest, and he made a weird, sucking sound. Then he was still, his head lolling against Raen’s shoulder. His damp hair dangled over Raen’s back. The shorter hair on the man’s chin and jaw tickled Raen’s chest. In this fragile state, he looked heartbreakingly beautiful. But he was alive. Raen knew he was alive.

Knowing he had saved the land-dweller, Raen gaped at the vastness of the darkening sky. It seemed to go on forever, getting darker and darker the further away from him it stretched. The moon was a clear, unwavering globe, shining brightly upon him. Pinpricks of light were scattered across the darkness. Under the moon, the world above seemed to be nothing but dark blues and black, and he longed to know what visual feast would greet him if he were to break the surface when light filled the above. Most of all he wondered why. Why had his people been forbidden from seeing such beauty?

He could have marvelled at the sight forever, but the weight of the land-dweller in his arms spurred him into action. He could feel the unconscious man shivering against him. Though he wasn’t quite sure what to do, he guessed the man needed to be out of the water; he was supposed to be on land, after all. He glanced at the boat, but between the high sides and the man’s size and build, it would be impossible for him to get him inside it on his own. He looked to the dark blob of land on the horizon. Terror tugged at him, but he knew he had to get the man there. He turned onto his back, hugging the man to his chest to keep his face out of the water, and began to swim.

It was harder than he’d expected. He was swimming against the tide, and the strange, thin wrappings the man wore gave the ocean purchase to try to pull them down. The man’s unfamiliar appendages didn’t help either. Instead of a long, lean tail, he had two limbs that Raen could have mistaken for arms, except they didn’t have hands on the end. They dragged through the water, making swimming that much harder. Raen didn’t give up. He had to get the man to land, and that was all that mattered. If he failed to save the man now, whatever punishment he would face when he returned home would be for nothing.

By the time they reached land, Raen was exhausted. With difficulty, he managed to haul the man onto the shore. He found it odd that there was sand here too, but at least it was familiar. Partly, anyway. It looked silvery blue beneath the moonlight and was warm to the touch. There was no one else in sight, though he did see a handful of tiny crabs, scuttling across the sand. Out of the water, everything was hot, and he quickly began to feel… he shook his head, unable to find one word that described the damp closeness that clung to him. There was a slight coolness that whispered against his skin, but it was another thing he couldn’t name.

Raen stared down at the man, marvelling at how handsome he was, even though the moonlight robbed his skin and hair of natural colour, replacing them with a variety of blue-tinged greys. Raen was bemused as to why—or even how—the man had so much hair covering his body; not just his face and chest, but his arms, underarms, and bottom arms. Whatever they were really called.

He pressed his ear to the man’s chest, feeling the tickle of the soft damp hairs, which covered the man’s skin. There it was, the rhythmic, lazy thud-thud of a heartbeat, just the same as the one he felt in his own chest. He smiled at the comforting sound, astounded by how similar and how different they were to one another. Cautiously, he ran his fingertips over the man’s cheek and jaw. The connection he felt to the stranger was all-consuming and overwhelming. He needed to deny what it meant because this man—this land-dweller—couldn’t possibly be his mate.

About the Author

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Facebook

Twitter

Facebook Group: Colette’s Cosy Corner

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A Busy Week and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

A Busy Week And RL

Life has been incredibly busy so its just the calendar this week. We will get caught back up on all things bookish next week. Until then here is our upcoming schedule of reviews and tours, along with contests for all to enter. Enjoy!

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, September 22:

Release Blitz Ground Zero by Aimee Nicole Walker
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, September 23:

Review Tour – V.L. Locey – The Good Green Earth (Colors of Love #4)
Review Tour – Garrett Leigh – Fated Hearts
Release Blitz – Nell Iris – Of Autumn Leaves and New Beginnings
Cover Reveal – Beyond the Surface by Colette Davison
An Alisa Review :Bitter Heat (Heat of Love #3) by Leta Blake
A Chaos Moondrawn Review : Fated Hearts (Shadow Bound #1) by Garrett Leigh
A MelanieM Review: The Good Green Earth (Colors of Love #3) by VL. Locey

Tuesday, September 24:

Blog Tour – FLAME AND ASH by Morgan Brice
Release Blitz Not Another Statistic by JM Dabney
Blog Tour THE KING’S DRAGON (Fire and Valor #1) by W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns
New Release Tour for Arctic Heat by Annabeth Albert
A MelanieM Review :Arctic Heat (Frozen Hearts #3) by Annabeth Albert
A MelanieM Review: Flame and Ash (Witchbane #3) by Morgan Brice
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:Arctic Heat (Frozen Hearts #3) by Annabeth Albert
A Stella Review: Happy for You (Love and Family #3) by Anyta Sunday

Wednesday, September 25:

Review Tour Goalie Interference by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn
Blog Tour No Good Men by Thea McAlistair
Review Tour – Rick R Reed – The Secrets We Keep
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review : The Secrets We Keep by Rick R Reed
An Alisa Review: Paw Prints on My Heart (Paw Prints #1) by L.J. Hamlin
An Ashlez Review: Goalie Interference by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn

Thursday, September 26:

Release Blitz – Dragon’s Hoard: Dragon War Chronicles Book Four by A. G. Carothers
BLOG TOUR Not Another Statistic by JM Dabney
BLOG TOUR Dine With Me by Layla Reyne
A MelanieM Review: Not Another Statistic (Yuri Sorenson #1) by J.M. Dabney
A Lila Review All This Could Be Yours by J.V. Speyer
A Lucy Review Dine With Me by Layla Reyne

Friday, September 27:

Review Tour – Allison Temple – Hot Potato (A Seacroft Novel)
Release Blitz for- RJ Scott – Without A Trace (Lancaster Falls #2)
Release Blitz – Jay Northcote – Where Love Grows
A Stella Review : Hot Potato (A Seacroft Novel) by Allison Temple
A Caryn Review The First Step (Coastal Carolina #1) by Shira Anthony
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Goalie Interference by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn

Saturday, September 28:

A MelanieM Review: Slay Ride by Josh Lanyon

Blog Post and Giveaway for Bitter Heat (Heat of Love #3) by Leta Blake

Thank you so much to Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words for having me here to today to talk about the third book in my Heat of Love series, Bitter Heat. This book features a damaged omega (Kerry) and an alpha who’s trying to prove himself (Janus). It has a lot of tenderness, hurt/comfort, and high stakes, but the happy ending is guaranteed.

When I started working on the Heat of Love series, various unconscious themes made themselves known almost from the start. The themes of gender, bodily autonomy, and reproductive rights have played through all three books thus far.

Recently, the first book in the series, Slow Heat, appeared on the Learning the Tropes podcast series (https://learningthetropes.podbean.com/e/slow-heat-by-leta-blake-episode-38/) which features Erin, a woman who is a romance-reading “veteran”, and Clayton, a man who’s a romance-reading “virgin”. I was deeply gratified to hear from them both that the intended themes of Slow Heat came through loud and clear. Especially for Clayton, who pronounced the important and visceral experience of imagining these reproductive conundrums on the male body as so profound that he thought the book should be taught in schools. (!!! Surely he was using hyperbole in that opinion, but perhaps not.) By the way, this podcast was hilarious and I highly recommend listening to it and subscribing to their future episodes!

Bitter Heat, the third in the Heat of Love series, continues the exploration of gender, bodily autonomy, and reproductive rights, but this time it takes the story out of the upper classes and into the poverty-stricken areas of the mountains. While the book, like the others, focuses on the effects of the fictional society on a small group of characters and doesn’t lack for steamy sex, it is also akin to the social novels of the of the nineteenth century in the way it calls out social problems of our current times by demonstrating the effect of those problems on a character’s individual life. And by posing questions in a fictional world that have real world applications.

In other words, yes, we have pregnant men in this book, and that might seem over-the-top, titillating, or disturbing depending on your point of view, but the effect of posing specific social questions on the male body can’t be underestimated.

What to expect from this book:

Pregnancy – this is the first of the main novels in this series to deal with a pregnant main character
Hurt/comfort – the main character of this book is in dire need of comfort
Angst – there is plenty of angst for those who love some good pain
Revisiting some older characters – namely we’ll see Caleb and Yosef, along with Janus as a main character
Reproductive anxiety – if you’re sensitive to issues regarding reproduction, please be aware going in that the fictional world set up in this book is oppressive in that regard

Should a reader have read the first two books in the series before diving into Bitter Heat? I’d say that Bitter Heat might be read as a stand-alone but would be best enjoyed if the first two books, Slow Heat and Alpha Heat, were read first.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Length: 110,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Dar Albert @ Wicked Strange Designs

Heat Of Love Series

Book #1 – Slow Heat – Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Book #2 – Alpha Heat – Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Blurb

A pregnant omega trapped in a desperate situation, an unattached alpha with a lot to prove, and an unexpected fall into love that could save them both.

Kerry Monkburn is contracted to a violent alpha in prison for brutal crimes. Now pregnant with the alpha’s child, he lives high in the mountains, far above the city that once lured him in with promises of a better life. Enduring bitterness and fear, Kerry flirts with putting an end to his life of darkness, but fate intervenes.

Janus Heelies has made mistakes in the past. In an effort to redeem himself, integrity has become the watchword for his future. Training as a nurse under the only doctor willing to take him on, Janus is resolute in his intentions: he will live cleanly in the mountains and avoid all inappropriate affairs. But he doesn’t anticipate the pull that Kerry exercises on his heart and mind.

As the question of Kerry’s future health and safety comes to an explosive head, only the intervention of fate will see these desperate men through to a happy ending.

This gay romance novel by Leta Blake is the third in the Heat of Love universe which began with Slow Heat. It’s 111,000 words, with a strong happy ending and a critically-acclaimed, non-shifter Omegaverse. It features alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, mpreg, heat, and knotting. Content warning for a violent and oppressive society regarding reproductive rights.

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

Patreon | Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Don’t Miss Out on the Release Blitz for Flame and Ash (Witchbane #4)by Morgan Brice (excerpt and giveaway)

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Flame and Ash (Witchbane #4)

Author: Morgan Brice

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Release Date: September 5, 2019

Genre/s: Urban Fantasy, MM paranormal, MM romance

Trope/s: Second chance, established couple, hurt/comfort, monster hunting, supernatural creatures, magic, ghosts

Themes: Learning to trust, navigating a new relationship, sticking together when the going gets rough

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Add on Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

This time, the hunters become the hunted when the witch knows they’re coming to get him, and has deadly plans of his own. When their lives are on the line, will love be enough?

Blurb

Flame and Ash is the third novel in the Witchbane series. It is a MM romance intended for readers 18 years of age and older.

Excerpt

“I’m excited about getting to spend time with them,” Evan said. His expression sobered. “I hope they like me.”

Seth gave his hand a squeeze. “You’re hardly a stranger. You’ve spoken with them on the phone and on video calls. Trust me, they will love you. They know I’ll be more careful, now that you’re in the picture.” Careful for Evan and for himself. Hunting didn’t usually make for a long life, but Toby and Milo proved that a happy ending was possible. Now that Seth had found Evan, he wanted that same future desperately, enough to make him both fearless and more cautious.

“I know. But it’s like meeting the family,” Evan replied, dropping his voice.

“My mom and dad would have loved you,” Seth said. “They were very chill about everything except when I went into the army. They were worried about me, and they had reason to be.” He smiled, remembering. “Mom taught me to catch a football—she had five brothers—and how to ride a motorcycle. Dad helped me with my homework and taught me how to cook.”

“Most of the things we did as a family centered around the church,” Evan said quietly. He rarely spoke of his family. “Picnics and retreats and music festivals, that kind of thing. But one year, we did a road trip to Mount Rushmore. Mom had always wanted to see it. I guess she figured it wasn’t frivolous because it was about history. It was nice. That was the year before they found out about me, and after that…” Evan turned and looked out the window. Seth kept a grip on Evan’s hand, trying to curb his anger. He doubted he would ever meet the Malones, but if he did, Seth intended to give them a piece of his mind.

“I was going to come out to my parents when Jesse died, and everything went off the rails,” Seth said. “Jesse had already figured it out. Hell, I think he knew before I did.”

He struggled not to let self-recrimination color his tone, but that internal battle waxed and waned on a daily basis. After all, Seth had gone along with Jesse’s idea to do a bit of amateur ghost hunting at a haunted bridge that rumor claimed was a hell gate. It was supposed to be a fun night spent drinking beers and making a hoax video to prank some of Jesse’s friends.

Then one of the immortal disciples of a long-dead dark warlock grabbed Jesse as the next victim in a century-old cycle of ritual slaughter, wounding Seth in the process. By the time Seth regained consciousness, it was too late. His wild story placed him under suspicion and briefly in a psych ward, until Seth learned to tell the doctors what they wanted to hear. By that time, his parents were dead, and his home had been destroyed in a fire. All he had left was the RV, the truck, his motorcycle, memories, and vengeance.

Until Evan.

“I wish I could have met them,” Evan replied wistfully. “And I wish I could say the same about my folks, but…you know…”

“Yeah. Fuck them.”

Evan nodded. “Right. Because we’ve got our own weird little hunter family now, and I like it that way.”

About the Author

Other books include Witchbane, Burn, Dark Rivers, and Badlands, Lucky Town, and The Rising, plus Treasure Trail. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!

I’ll be a Featured Author at GRL in October and also at Coastal Magic in February!

Author Links

Amazon

Facebook Group

Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail)

Twitter: @MorganBriceBook

Website

BookBub

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September Stories and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

September Readings And Romance

Here we are mid-September and my temperatures are bouncing from summer highs to autumnal 70’s and some of the leaves have started to drop. As I said all the fall sports have turned my attention to contemporary romances and main characters that are athletes. Hockey, football (both versions European football, aka American soccer, and of course, the NFL), then there’s rugby, and the miscellaneous sports we have mentioned.

This week, I’ve read books by VL Locey (The Good Green Earth,hockey), Avon Gale and Pipe Vaughn (Goalie Interference, hockey), and the memoir I mentioned last week,My Life on the Line: How the NFL Damn Near Killed Me, and Ended Up Saving My Life by Ryan O’Callaghan and Cyd Zeigler, courtesy of Akashic Books. That on top of my usual list of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, and regular contemporary romances.

I had passed over some comedic romances that our reader HB had rec’d a few weeks ago and wanted to include them here:

📕HB:Anyway back on topic for humorous reads or books with some humor I would recommend:

THIRDS series by Charlie Cochet
Nine Stones by Ofelia Gränd
Shawn’s Law by Renae Kaye
Tales From Verania series by T.J. Klune
The Weight of It All by N.R. Walker
Lightbearer by L.C. Davis
Learning How to Lose series by Alex Gabriel
Shy by John Inman
At First Sight series by T.J. Klune
Struck by Susi Hawke & Crista Crown (Book 3 in it’s series, shouldn’t be read as standalone)
Any book you can find by Kyle Adams

For myself? I am rediscovering NR Walker’s outstanding Spencer Cohen series on audio! Right now I’m on the first story as narrated by the incomparable Joel Leslie, such a treat. Look for that review by the end of the month.

So yes, a full week indeed.

It’s also the sort of weather that has me wanting to curl up with comfort reads and start planning ahead for those cold fall and winter nights when all I want to do is listen or read my favorite stories, snuggled up toasty warm and ready for all friends…in book form that is.

The geese overhead are telling and honking to me that it’s not that far away. So with the voice of Joel Leslie as Spencer Cohen in my ears and the gorgeous Sunday weather pulling me outside, I’m making this short and sweet.

I hope your Sunday is the same.

Happy Sunday. Let me know what you are reading or listening to this Sunday. Have a great week. And this is what our week is looking like ahead!

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, September 16:

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, September 15:

Cover Reveal – Their Special Agent (Thistle Hearts #1) by Mel Gough
BLITZ Clueless Cabot by André D. Michaels
RELEASE BLITZ Dine With Me by Layla Reyne
Blog Tour Dominated but not Subdued by JP Sayles
An Alisa Review: Murder in the Condo Next Door by Edward Kendrick
A Stella Review: Noah’s Bane (Lormount City, #1) by Wulf Francú Godgluck

Tuesday, September 17:

Cover Reveal for Under Pressure by Lauren Ashley
Release Blitz Ride the Whirlwind by Jackie North
Release Blitz Not Another Statistic by JM Dabney
Release Blitz – Allison Temple – Hot Potato (A Seacroft Novel)
An Alisa Review: Love You So Sweetly (Love You So Stories #4) by Tara Lain
A MelanieM Review: Romancing the Rough Diamond (Romancing the… #4) by Clare London