An Alisa Review: Peaches and the Shadow by K.L. Noone

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

 

At twenty-four, Ethan Aur has a lot to prove. He’s the youngest member of his family, the academic one, and the latest heir to the tradition of supernatural quests and spells and enchanted swords. The family’s always protected him and worried about him, and his older brother keeps calling to check in.

 

But this particular quest is Ethan’s quest, and this ghost is his problem. He’s going to solve it on his own. By any means necessary. Even if that ghost is a very handsome man, charming and confident and dominant and kind.

 

Jake O’Malley took one look at the newly arrived Knight and that magical Sword and those determined eyes, and now he’s aware he’s in trouble — as if he didn’t have enough problems, being the trapped and ghostly version of his 19th Century brothel-keeper bastard self. But the Knight who’s come to help is everything Jake could’ve ever wanted: brave and generous and sweet, vowing to find a way to solve Jake’s stuck-between-worlds predicament, no matter what it takes.

 

Even if that involves a mutually pleasurable ritual involving sexual magic.

 

This was a nice story but I felt as though I wasn’t getting the full story.  Ethan is trying one more quest before he takes the reigns at the new museum his family if opening.  There he finds Jake that has been trapped as a ghost by one of Ethan’s ancestors.

 

You could tell Ethan was frustrated with being the baby and having everyone looking after him and for the first time someone actually sees past that.  He inexplicably connects himself to Jake when he brings him back to life but it is probably the best “mistake” he has ever made.

 

The cover art by Written Ink Designs is a nice picture for the story.

 

Sales Links: JMS Books | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 27 pages

Published: October 20, 2018 by JMS Books

ISBN: 9781634867450

Edition Language: English

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A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Blood for the Spilling (Studies in Demonology #3) by TJ Nichols

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

You really need to read this as a trilogy, and I would highly recommend them if you like epic fantasy/erotic romance with graphic violence. I was so excited for this third book to come out. If I rated the trilogy as a whole, I would rate it 4.5 stars. This is the end of the story arc for our heroes’ journey.

As the magic is draining from Demonside turning it into desert, Humanside is becoming covered in ice. Book two showed the escape from Vinland to the Mayan Empire for Angus, Saka, Terrance, Wek, Lizzie, Reese, and Emma. Everyone gets separated right away. Priest Cadmael has been questioning everyone to make sure they aren’t Vinland spies. He summons up everything I didn’t like about Terrence quite nicely. But what Angus, Terrance, and Saka fell into naturally, here is ritualized. Cadmael wants to get rid of Terrance and force Angus and Saka to bond with a Mayan priest as an anchor. Forcing humans and demons as partners against their will doesn’t seem that much different to me than the College. In fact, the Mayan way might seem better, but there are still ways in which humans are exerting control over demons in everyday life.

The Mayan Empire has a much higher level of magic and are devotional about rebalancing. In the city of Uxmel, demons seem to walk the streets freely. Meanwile Saka gets to see trees, flowing water, and permanent settlements in this part of Demonside. The demons are completely different, antlered, scaled, or feathered. Mage Iktan has put Saka to work in the healer’s building, when humans crossover for help. Lest you think everything is so much better, rebalancing takes on a whole new form here with the introduction of pitz, played in large arena matches. It was previously established that emotion in the blood made it more potent, although why that isn’t being funneled into something renewable instead of beheadings, seems strange. For instance, everyone in the crowd could donate blood rather than just killing a few players. As magical attacks from Vinland increase and their system starts to break down, they are lost–not used to thinking outside the box. They also don’t care about the whole world, just on saving their tiny part of it in the controlled way they want for as long as possible.

There are also doorways created that control the flow of magic between the worlds, as well as where people can come and go–both a good and bad thing. Still, this knowledge could help the Lifeblood tribes being summoned and killed by Vinland. Cadmael askes Angus to speak to World Council of Demonology; they then decides to ban demon magic except for rebalancing. But Saka is sick of waiting for humans to do something, so the demons will try to stop the flow of magic by closing the doors. Angus has a plan to find and take all the stolen magic from Vinland and return it to Demonside. The surprise here is that after all the distrust shown to the defectors, Cadmael just goes along with this plan? After Cadmael being a central character the whole time, he is now just shuffled to the background and no longer seems in charge.

This has always been heading towards the showdown with Angus and the College to restore the magic stolen from Demonside in order to save the world. Overall, I am very happy with how I got there. I would say, I wouldn’t have minded this actually being four books. I feel there was so much detail in the first two books, that when details started to get skimmed over, especially in the last third of the story in order to rush to the conclusion, I felt a little disappointed. After waiting all this time for a love scene between Terrence, Angus, and Saka it was rushed and not quite what I hoped for. I have been a bit hard on Terrence during the course of these books and I will say, while he redeems himself here, he’s still the weak link. I finally decided that is alright; his role is not just the anchor to bring Angus back to Humanside, but to remind Angus of his humanity. He is the only one who wants Angus for Angus, not his magic. Still, I had an expectation that this would be a true triad, and I had to let go of that. There is a lot at the end that we don’t get to see, like what happened to the Lifeblood tribes? What happens when Saka goes back? So, I was left with questions and wondering if they will be told in flashbacks in another book that shows us the rebuilding. If they could take what was good about the Mayan Empire and Vinland (and what about the other nations) and merge them to make a new worldwide system, what would that look like? That’s really the highest compliment I can give: that I don’t want to let go of this world and the people in it. I will reread these.

Cover art by Catt Ford is great and I love how it connects with the story.

Sales Links: DSP Publications | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 280 pages

Published: November 27, 2018 by DSP Publications

ISBN-13: 978-1-64080-882-9

Edition Language: English

Series: Studies in Demonology #3

A Lila Review: The Billionaire’s Wish (My Billionaire #3) by Geoffrey Knight

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Tis the season to be jolly, but romance writer Matt Darcy is feeling anything but festive. With a pile of rejection letters as high as his latest manuscript, Matt is questioning whether his career as an author will ever take off. And while his perfect husband Cal has planned a week-long trip to a mountain chalet for Matt, Mrs. Mulroney, Mr. Banks, Tilly and Angus—so that everyone can be together and enjoy the lead-up to Christmas—Matt can only hope his feelings of worthlessness and self-doubt won’t ruin the trip.

But when a bump on the head knocks Matt out and he wakes up miles from the chalet, the journey he must undertake is not a trek through the snow, but an eye-opening insight into the lives of those he loves most if he, Matt Darcy, had never, ever existed.

Will Matt let his feelings of uselessness and self-doubt lead him forever into the Forest of Darkness… or will this Christmas open his eyes to the magical truth that it is indeed a wonderful life?

The Billionaire’s Wish is the most recent installment in this series. I did read the previous books but this story can be read as a standalone. As with any other series, it’s best to take the time to read the previous books. It would help the reader understand the characters best, as well as their reactions.

This is definitely a comedic romance to the style of I Love LucyThe Odd Couple, etc.  If you are not ready for the absurd, this story is not for you. It is funny, odd, sexy, and a little disconcerting, but overall, it works. It gives us a small taste into an established couple’s future and how they adapted after the first two books.

All these, mix with the A Christmas Carol story is a nice start to the holiday season. The topics shaped the story, bringing the characters from a contemporary standpoint to a classic, seamlessly.

The author did an excellent job creating this cover. It goes perfectly with the story and it’s engaging. Something I will stop to look at before reading the blurb.

Sale Link: Kindle Unlimited

Book Details:
ebook, 114 pages
ASIN: B07GCW94HL
Published: November 1, 2018, by Geoffrey Knight
Edition Language: English

An Alisa Release Day Review: Blood for the Spilling (Studies in Demonology #3) by TJ Nichols

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

Sheets of ice are spreading across the human world, ushering in an ice age as the magic drained from Demonside turns that world into a desert. Angus and reluctant warlock Terrance have defected from Vinland to the Mayan Empire—a land of dark and potent magic. But the Mayans aren’t offering sanctuary for free.

Nor is the world willing to stand back as Vinland attacks, and the backlash will affect all magic users.

Mage Saka has no tribe. He is now just another refugee fleeing the dying Demonside. He knows the conflict brewing now will be worse than the first demon war. Countries are banding together—not just against Vinland, but against all magic. Where will the powerful Mayan Empire stand?

Angus might have the power to fight Vinland and the Warlock College, but the cost will be terrible. Saka is torn between helping Angus and stopping him. And Terrance would do anything for Angus, but he’s terrified of the man Angus is becoming, even as Saka is warming to the idea of a relationship between the three of them.

No matter what choice they make, victory will be bittersweet, and when the ash settles and the snow melts, nothing will be the same.

I have been waiting for this book ever since I finished the last one, it ended with such a cliffhanger.  Angus, Saka and Terrance are trying to navigate their new normal while dealing with the suspicions of the Mayans.

The story continues to focus on rebalancing the magic in Demonside and how to fight Vinland.  Angus accidentally finds out that he can survive a “clean sweep” which no one with any magical powers has been able to do.  He finds a way to end the problems in Vinland but it’s going to take the support of Saka and Terrance along with many other mages and priests.

We get to see all three of the main characters’ points of view which doesn’t leave me guessing as to how they feel.  Terrance does a lot to redeem his actions from the previous books and it actually gives us a chance to get to know him.  I loved watching Angus and Saka continue to push against the status quo for what others think magic should be.  I could feel for them as they pushed back and tried to find the right solution.  Angus’s sacrifice was huge and changed him forever, I would love to see how this will change things in the world.

Cover art by Catt Ford is great and I love how it connects with the story.

Sales Links: DSP Publications | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 280 pages

Published: November 27, 2018 by DSP Publications

ISBN-13: 978-1-64080-882-9

Edition Language: English

Series: Studies in Demonology #3

E.J. Russell on Parallel Timelines and her new release Vampire with Benefits (Supernatural Selection #2) (guest post and giveaway)

Vampire with Benefits (Supernatural Selection #2) by E.J. Russell
Riptide Publishing
Cover art: LC Chase

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host EJ Russell here today  talking about the release of her new book, Vampire with Benefits. Welcome, EJ>

✒︎

Hello and welcome to the blog tour for Vampire With Benefits! I can’t wait for you to meet Rusty and Cas, the second mismatched couple in my Supernatural Selection series (part of the Mythmatched universe). Thank you to all of you and to this blog for helping me celebrate the book release!

Parallel Timelines

By this point in my writing life, I’ve penned several series: Art Medium, Legend Tripping, Enchanted Occasions, Fae Out of Water, and now Supernatural Selection. In most of these, the books in the series progress chronologically—in other words, the second book’s events occur after those of the first book, the third book’s events after the second.

Supernatural Selection is the first series I’ve written where the events in the first two books occur contemporaneously. As a result, I was twisted into a brain pretzel for much of my writing process!

The events of both books are set in motion in Single White Incubus when Ted and Quentin sign a blood mating contract without checking the fine print. At that point, the clock starts ticking—and their relationship has to build and mature within the time leading up to the full moon, when they’ll be able to marry their intended perfect matches, Rusty and Casimir.

So I knew where Vampire With Benefits had to start—the day Quentin and Ted accidentally married each other. Rusty and Cas had to meet that same day, and their relationship had to build and mature in the identical timeframe, culminating at the full moon, when all of them needed to be back at Supernatural Selection.

The “build and mature” part of each equation was the easy part—during the two-plus weeks where they’re saddled with the wrong spouse, they have only each other and their extended friends-and-family group to deal with. In Rusty’s case, that’s his clan, particularly his ex-boyfriend. For Cas, it’s Kristof Czardos, the head of the vampire council (who made his first appearance in Cutie and the Beast), as well as a few other significant others.

The kickoff wasn’t too bad either—just get ‘em to the Supernatural Selection office and slap them into each other. Piece of cake, right?

But the timing of the final scenes at the Supernatural Selection offices? Oy.

Conversation with myself: “Who’s in the building now? Are they upstairs or in the lobby? Where’s Zeke? Where’s Quentin? Where’s Ted? Where’s Rusty? Where’s Cas? What the hell was I thinking?”

It was definitely a blood-pressure-raising exercise, but it was kinda fun too. I enjoy logic puzzles, and getting everything to work out in the end was sooo satisfying—although I may have turned my editors’ hair gray!

My hair, of course, was already there.

 

About Vampire With Benefits

A match between a vampire and shifter could be deadly—but this broken beaver doesn’t give a dam.

Silent film actor Casimir Moreau had imagined that life as a vampire would be freewheeling and glamorous. Instead, he’s plunged into a restrictive society whose rules he runs afoul of at every turn. To “rehabilitate” him, the vampire council orders him mated to an incubus with impeccable breeding who’ll mold Cas into the upstanding vampire he ought to be. Or else.

As an inactive beaver shifter, construction engineer Rusty Johnson has fought—and overcome—bias and disrespect his entire life. But when his longtime boyfriend leaves him for political reasons, Rusty is ready to call it a day. Next stop? Supernatural Selection and his guaranteed perfect mate, a bear shifter living far away from Rusty’s disapproving clan.

But then a spell snafu at Supernatural Selection robs both men of their intended husbands. Rusty can’t face returning to his clan, and Cas needs somebody on his arm to keep the council happy, so they agree to pretend to be married. Nobody needs to know their relationship is fake—especially since it’s starting to feel suspiciously like the real thing.

Now available from Riptide Publishing!

About Supernatural Selection

Are you a shifter who’s lost faith in fated mates? A vampire seeking a Second Life companion? Or perhaps you’re a demon yearning to claim a soul (mate)?

Congratulations! Your search is over!

Welcome to Supernatural Selection, where our foolproof spells guarantee your perfect match.

Until they don’t.

Check out Supernatural Selection 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 the release of Vampire With Benefits one lucky person will win a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card and an ecopy of The Druid Next Door, the second title in the Fae Out of Water series, also from the Mythmatched universe! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 27, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

And Into December We Go! This Weekend at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

And Into December We Go!

 

With Thanksgiving leftovers still stockpiled in the refrigerator, a few final things this blogger is happily thankful for.  All the wonderful reviewers here at  Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words, the wonderful tour and promotional people and groups that work so  hard to help the authors get their stories and books promoted, the publishers, the editors (in every form), the writers producing all these amazing stories that transport us each and every day into other lives and worlds from contemporary to science fiction and everything in between.

And to all the readers of our blog in every format as well.  I’m thankful for you all too.  I love reading your comments and our interaction and look forward to December and soon another year together.

Hard to believe 2018 is ending soon.

This week we welcome the arrival of December.  Oh my.

If you look over this week’s schedule, much like the store’s decorations and merchandise all around you, you will notice the arrival of all the holiday stories has gone from a trickle to a flood.  It’s a veritable holiday feast of stories from Amy Lane to KC Wells.  There’s even a Hockey Holiday Anthology where 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to charity. December 1st also begins the start of our reviews of Dreamspinner Press’ Advent Calendar stories, one a day until the end of the month.  This year’s theme is Warmest Wishes!  We will also be reviewing again collections of stories from Mischief Corner Books, a grand selection that usually ranges from pagan to science fiction and many more.  That’s just touching on a small tip of our holiday story iceberg that’s awaiting you here!

Not that we will be forgetting our normal reviews for fantasy, contemporary, and other types of LGBTQIA fiction.  Nope, those will be included as well.  Busy, busy, busy.

Plus we need to start thinking about what stories and covers made our Best of 2018 this year.  Do you know which made your list?  Start jotting down names because you know I’m going to ask for them soon!

In the meantime, check out our schedule for the upcoming week, contemplate your leftovers if any, and happy reading!

 

 

This Weekend at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, November 25:

  • Release Blitz – JM Snyder’s Accidentally On Purpose
  • An Alisa Review: Centaur of Attention (College of United Monsters #2) by C.B. Archer
  • A MelanieM Review: Best in Show by Kelly Jensen

Monday, November 26:

  • REVIEW TOUR – Comply by Lee Manarte
  • Cover Reveal for Ithani by J.Scott Coatsworth
  • Release Blitz for Neutral Zone by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey
  • REVIEW TOUR – Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert
  • A MelanieM Review: Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert
  • A Free Dreamer Review : Comply by Lee Manarte
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Rend by Roan Parrish

Tuesday, November 27:

  • In the Spotlight Tour and Giveaway: Vampire With Benefits by EJ Russell
  • BLOG TOUR Rough Trade by Sidney Bell
  • Santa is a Vampire by Damian Serbu BLITZ Tour
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Sweet Clematis (Being(s) in Love #9) by R. Cooper
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Release Day Review:Blood for the Spilling (Studies in Demonology #3) by TJ Nichols
  • An Alisa Release Day Review: Blood for the Spilling (Studies in Demonology #3) by TJ Nichols
  • An Alisa Review: Santa is a Vampire by Damian Serbu
  • An Alisa Release Day Review: Secretly Dating the Lionman (Cowboys and Angels: Book Two) by Sue Brown

Wednesday, November 28:

  • On Tour with Havoc (Tattoos and Ties) by Kindle Alexander
  • Release Blitz Tour Request – Melanie Hansen – Loving A Warrior
  • Review Tour for Mr Winterbourne’s Christmas by Joanna Chambers
  • An Alisa Review Santa’s Kinky Elf, Simon by Damian Serbu
  • A Lila Review The Billionaire’s Wish (My Billionaire #3) by Geoffrey Knight (
  • An Ali Review : Mr Winterbourne’s Christmas by Joanna Chambers
  • A Lucy Review: Stay Awhile (Escape from the Holidays) by Kassandra Lea
  • A MelanieM Review: Hockey Holidays Anthology – Various Authors

Thursday, November 29:

  • Release Week Blitz Christmas Lane by Amy Aislin
  • HARMONY INK GUEST POST Jeff Adams (video)
  • Beat of Their Own Drum by KM Neuhold , Blog Tour
  • An Alisa Review: Peaches and the Shadow by K.L. Noone
  • A MelanieM Review: The Stars May Rise and Fall by Estella Mirai
  • A Lila Review: Beat of Their Own Drum by KM Neuhold
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Christmas Lane by Amy Aislin

Friday, November 30:

  • Review Tour – Jay Northcote – Stuck With You
  • Review Tour – Garrett Leigh – Crossroads (Skins #4)
  • Release Blitz for Old Acquaintance – Annabelle Jacobs
  • An Ashez Release Day Review: Strays and Lovers by John Inman
  • A Jeri Review : Crossroads (Skins #4) by Garrett Leigh
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review Semper Fae by Angel Martinez
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Stuck With You by Jay Northcote

Saturday, December 1:

  • Review Tour for Leta Blake – Mr Frosty Pants
  • Release Blitz – Santa Daddy – Keira Andrews
  • Release Blitz – DJ Jamison – All I Want Is You
  • An Alisa Review Burning Down the House (Escape from the Holidays) by Gregory L. Norris
  • A Jeri Review : Mr. Frosty Pants (Home for the Holidays #1) by Leta Blake
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: The Law of Miracles by KC Wells
  • A Caryn Advent Calendar Review: An Everyday Hero (2018 Advent Calendar Daily – Warmest Wishes)
    by E.J. Russell

 

Love M/M Paranormal Romance? Check out The Cub Club by Ardy Kelly (giveaway)

COVER - The Cub Club - Ardy Kelly

Ardy Kelly has a new MM paranormal mpreg book out:

What would you do if your adopted son shifted into a wolf cub before your eyes?

For single dad Steven the choice was simple – find the boy’s family and hope they had the answers.

As the alpha of Lone Wolves Ranch, Mack trusted in humans as much as he trusted in love. Not at all. But he has a soft spot for the brave man searching for his son’s relatives. When he discovers Steven is his fated mate, he’s stuck between a soft spot and a hard place.

The Cub Club is a gay wolf shifter romance containing Mpreg and knotting. A complete 65,000-word novel – no cliffhanger!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN


Giveaway

Ardy is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour – for a chance to win, enter via Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d4739/?

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Excerpt

BANNER3- The Cub Club - Adry Kelly

“We got company. There’s a biker at the gate.”

Mack looked up from the paperwork, staring at the walkie-talkie. It was unusual to have visitors. It was even more unusual for Sarge not to handle it on his own. The man was an excellent head of security, but he favored shifting and playing a rabid dog every time someone approached the ranch. It was effective. There wasn’t a repairman within fifty miles who would take their calls.

Mack picked up the radio. “I didn’t hear a motorcycle.”

“He’s on a friggin’ bicycle. Dressed in khakis and a button-down shirt. Who the hell dresses business casual in the Sierra backwoods?”

“Real estate agent?” Mack switched to the security camera feed on his computer. The mystery man stood outside the gate, holding a bicycle. “What’s he want?”

“Won’t say. Says he needs to talk to whoever runs the school here. Says it’s personal.”

Mack took another long look at the screen. If someone wanted to appear non-threatening, this man had it down pat.

“But here’s the weird thing,” Sarge continued. “I can’t smell him. I mean, he had to bicycle three miles down that dirt road, and in this heat I should be able to smell something.”

Sarge was of the old guard. Paranoid about discovery. Distrusting of humans. There was always a perfectly reasonable explanation for any visit, rare as they were. “I’m coming.”

Mack walked out of his office, into the hot afternoon sun. Everybody has a scent, he reasoned. Is Sarge getting a head cold?The gate was less than fifty feet away, and he saw the man waiting patiently.

He locked eyes with the stranger. The gaze he received in return wasn’t threatening or defiant. It held an intense curiosity. Too curious. This wasn’t ranch business.

Mack didn’t need to be any closer to take in the details. His suspicion heightened his senses, and he was on the alert for any potential danger. The man was attractive. Maybe in his mid-thirties, though prematurely gray. He was dressed exactly as Sarge had described, holding a mountain bike.

The only thing odd was what Sarge had already noticed: the man didn’t have a scent. There was something, but no stronger than salty sea air. Considering there wasn’t an ocean for more than a hundred miles, it was the only unique thing about him. Maybe he’s a merman.

Mack amped up his alpha attitude, swaggering the last few steps to the gate, before slapping his hand on the metal bars. “Can I help you?”

The stranger looked exhausted and tense. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his knuckles were white where he gripped the bike. He was covered in dust, much more than was usual. By late summer, the dirt road kicked up thick clouds of the stuff, but this was still June. Where had he bicycled from?

“I need to speak to whoever is in charge,” he said. The voice attempted to sound authoritative but cracked in the middle of the sentence, displaying an undercurrent of fear. Mack thought it strange he couldn’t smell it on him. “It’s about one of your students,” the stranger said.

Great. The man was a local, dressed in his Sunday best. The policy of the ranch was to be respectful but distant from their neighbors. Sometimes it was hard to accomplish that when you had teenagers. “Have they been causing trouble?”

The man shook his head. “No. An old student. Carol Rydell.”

Carol?Mack hadn’t thought of his cousin in years. She had been a rebellious teenager, with an overbearing alpha father. Uncle Jon was the alpha, and the old man didn’t like to be questioned. Carol had been too much like her father and didn’t like to be ordered around. She ran away at sixteen, and no one spoke of her since.

As much as Mack wanted to lie and say, “Never heard of her,” he found himself asking, “What do you want to know?”

The man’s poker face slipped, and worry was written all over it. “Did she have any family?”

“Why?”

He took a breath, and then blurted out, “Because she died thirteen years ago. In childbirth. And I adopted her son.”

If this was a ploy to get Mack to admit the ranch catered to the supernatural, it was a good one. Carol’s son could have come into puberty just in time for the full moon three days ago. And Mack recognized the look in the man’s eyes. Shift-faced.The human had seen the boy change. Or had he? He looked tense. But why can’t I smell his anxiety?

Mack realized he needed to be noncommittal. Get the man to tell him everything, while revealing nothing to him. “What’s your name?”

“Steven.”

Mack didn’t bother introducing himself. He was going to give the stranger the absolute minimum until he knew who he was talking to. “So, you’re raising Carol’s thirteen-year-old boy.” He opened the gate. “I bet you have questions.”

“You have no idea. I mean, I’m hoping you do.”

He wheeled the bike inside, while Sarge closed the gate behind them.

“You can leave that here,” Mack instructed, pointing at the bike.

Sarge stood beside him but Steven hesitated, as if this were his last chance to escape. No one said a word while Mack held his gaze, signaling my turf, my rules. Steven relinquished the handlebars, and Mack’s wolf purred. It’s fun bossing around humans.

The two walked the short distance to Sarge’s shack. It was half-jokingly called the guard house because all business with outsiders was handled here. No strangers got farther than this point without Mack’s approval, and few even made it that far. However, thisconversation needed four walls around it.

Once inside, Mack sat behind the desk. He needed to be intimidating and distant. “So, Carol’s son…” Mack waited to see whether Steven would supply the name of the boy. The long pause let him know he wouldn’t. “Has he recently come into puberty?”

When Steven nodded, Mack gave him a guarded smile. “I assume you’re not here because you caught him masturbating during the full moon.”


Author Bio

Ardy Kelly is my paranormal pen name. I work for one of the top boutique event planning companies in San Francisco, and I can’t risk having our clientele (or my boss) discover my passion for aggressive, sexual, alpha men.

I started writing steamy contemporary romance in 2015 under the name Robyn Kelly. At that time, only virgins seemed to be nabbing troubled billionaires, and I thought it was time to write a book where experience counted for something. When I discovered the Omegaverse last year, I noticed a lot of stories where Omegas were weak little victims, and decided to tackle that issue as well.

Much as I love writing all types of romance I don’t mind poking fun at the genre, too. My books always have a lot of humor, and usually one character is reading or writing a particularly silly romance book.

Author Website: www.robynkellyauthor.comm/ardykellyauthor

LOGO - Other Worlds Ink

New Book Release Blitz for Blackwood (Perth Shifters #1) by Pia Foxhall

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK 
 
Length: 93,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Tiferet Design
 
Blurb
 

In a world that is still getting used to shifters, where everyone thinks omegas are second class citizens, nature photographer and omega Braden Payne lets everyone think he’s a beta. That way no one gives him a hard time and he doesn’t have to live a repeat of his failed relationship. But when his car breaks down in the remote Blackwood forest in Western Australia, without the medication that lets him hide who he is, he’s faced with what he fears most: an unmated alpha.


Government forest guardian and alpha Coll MacDubhar is tired of illegal loggers, foolish tourists and people who underestimate the wilds of Western Australia. He discovers Braden lost and in need of medical assistance in the forest he protects and knows something’s not right.


But there’s hidden depths to Braden that capture his interest, and no decent alpha would walk away when Braden’s unwelcome past comes to visit.

 
Author Bio



Pia Foxhall is a queer, nonbinary and disabled Australian author who lives in the most isolated major city in the world – Perth, Western Australia – with two rescue cats. Much of their time writing is spent working on the Patreon-supported Fae Tales serial, a dark fantasy BDSM erotica epic that has been in production for many years. They’ve always been fascinated with all types of trauma recovery stories, and they like their character’s comfort to be earned, and the growth to feel real, and need a happy ending after that trauma recovery!

 
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A MelanieM Review: Blackwood (Perth Shifters #1) by Pia Foxhall

 

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

 

In a world that is still getting used to shifters, where everyone thinks omegas are second class citizens, nature photographer and omega Braden Payne lets everyone think he’s a beta. That way no one gives him a hard time and he doesn’t have to live a repeat of his failed relationship. But when his car breaks down in the remote Blackwood forest in Western Australia, without the medication that lets him hide who he is, he’s faced with what he fears most: an unmated alpha.

Government forest guardian and alpha Coll MacDubhar is tired of illegal loggers, foolish tourists and people who underestimate the wilds of Western Australia. He discovers Braden lost and in need of medical assistance in the forest he protects and knows something’s not right.

But there’s hidden depths to Braden that capture his interest, and no decent alpha would walk away when Braden’s unwelcome past comes to visit

It’s not often that I get to enjoy a story that throws a different light on wolf shifter culture and the  aspect of mating but Blackwood (Perth Shifters #1) by Pia Foxhall offered me that and much more.  Pia Foxhall is a new author for me but this story guarantees that I’m seeking out not only the others that she releases in this series but anything else written by her as well.

Foxhall did several things extraordinarily well here.  She’s familiar with her setting(s) and is deeply appreciative the natural environment, its complexities, the moral decisions being made that emotional and economically divide people/beings out there, and the incredible beauty to be found in its harshness. Through her characters she is able to pull her readers into that forested land, those men and women’s lives and make us feel their tie to the land as well.  It will affect you deeply.

That’s an abiding thread throughout this story.

Foxhall has also created a backhistory that I really wanted to know more of for the  wolf shifters.  Their lineage, , the Sleeping,the great Reawaking when the majority of the shifters got together and revealed themselves to the humans, the ramifications that continue to the present day in this story.  I am hoping that further novels enlarge on this past shifter history.

Then the author folds Braden’s past trauma, how it was handled by the  police, hospital, and government neatly into an side thread on current treatment of the omegas ,Alpha misuse, human misunderstandings of the wolf physiology.  wolf culture, and the lack of real reinforcement of  the laws.  This is such an important, believable, and downright authentic part of the story that could have overwhelmed the romance, yet never does.

And finally there is the romance that starts off so badly.  It’s a rescue that becomes a slow burn by necessity and respect.  I loved how it evolved and still is moving forward at the end of the story.  They still have some of the path to tread to HEA which is exactly how the author should have ended this story.  Rushing things would have been all wrong given the past events in Braden’s life and all the ones that happen during this story that were quite scary. Coll MacDubhar is the perfect partner for Braden and a easy character to love.  You will fall in love with this couple so quickly.  Also with their friends that surround and support them.  I can’ wait for more in this series.

I love being surprised!  New elements and new aspects always do that to me and this author gave me plenty to mull over in Blackwood (Perth Shifters #1) by Pia Foxhall.  Now to wait and see what the next installment brings!  If you love shifters as much as I do, grab this one up and check out Pia Foxhall  wolf shifters! I absolutely recommend it.

Cover by Tiferet Designs..  I sort of think this is a miss.  So many story elements to choose from and none are represented here.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Edition, 1st edition, 267 pages
Expected publication: November 23rd 2018 by Pia Foxhall
ASINB07JF61DS1
Edition Language English
Series Perth Shifters #1

 

 

An Alisa Review A Fated Bond by T.L. West

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

Joseph Roth, a young member of the Rockfort Paranormal Department which is in charge of keeping vampires, shifters, fairies, and all kind of supernatural creatures in check, finds himself facing more than he bargained for when he is assigned to investigate a mysterious murder. Not only is Joseph stuck between his department and a prestigious vampire family, he’s unaware of the target on his back. With the department keeping secrets from him, Joseph decides to uncover the truth on his own, unaware that dark forces are on the rise. Will Joseph be able to find the truth in time or is his search allowing the enemy to come close enough for a kill?

I felt like I was missing something in this story.  Joseph has been working for the paranormal department and becomes the target of one bad guy.  Greg has felt like he was waiting for something for the last 25 years, he doesn’t expect that connection to Joseph to put Joseph in danger.

This story shows a lot of different points of view and different sides of the story.  Unfortunately the story seemed half completed, maybe another book will come in the future but it isn’t marked as a series.  It seems this is loosely connected to Angels and Man-Beasts that I read last year and I felt the same way with that story.  I felt that Joseph and Greg were just a small portion of the book and wish there had been some sort of conclusion by the end of the book.

I like the cover art by Natasha Snow and the visuals are connected to Joseph and Greg’s portion of the book.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 39,800 words

Published: November 5, 2018 by Nine Star Press

ISBN: 978-1-949909-14-2

Edition Language: English