Category: Riptide Publishing

A Special Inside Look at ‘Y Negative’ by Kelly Haworth (Guest Post on Genetics, and Giveaway)

Y Negative cover

Y Negative by Kelly Haworth
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover art by Jay Aheer

Buy it here at Riptide Publishing

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to welcome Kelly Haworth here today to talk to us about her  latest novel Y Negative and give us a little insight into the inspiration and science inside the story. Welcome, Kelly.

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Hi guys!  I’m Kelly Haworth here with my debut release Y NEGATIVE.  At various stops on this book tour, I’ll be sharing with you what it’s like to live in Ember’s world: where mascs rule and a guy’s gotta fight for his right to live and love freely.  Posts will range from what the difference between a masc and an andro is, to what on earth a guy does for fun in a dystopia.  Hope you come along for this in-depth look. You’ll also have a chance to win a $20 Riptide voucher!

Please follow the tour to check out all the stops.

Counting all the little X’s – The Genetics of Y Negative by Kelly Haworth

Okay guys.  Here’s the deal.  I have a degree in genetics, and a big inspiration for Y Negative involved me completely geeking out over weird genetics and rare genetic disorders.  I’ll be discussing those in this blog, and things get a bit technical.  You have been warned!

Ember lives in a world that has been rebuilt from the ground up.  Everyone knows something happened to mankind to make the world the way it is now, but only the scientists really care to investigate what that event may have been.  Nuclear bombs?  An asteroid?  A volcanic eruption? Whatever happened, I figured that the human population dipped so low that there could be some truly science-fiction-esque changes.  Essentially, the Y chromosome is gone.  Instead, the genes that make a biological male fully functional, what I call the “Y-gene cluster,” have relocated to an X chromosome.  What this means is that Y Negatives (biological females) have the genetic make-up of “XX”, and mascs (biological males) are “XXY”.

It turns out that “XXY” actually exists in our world.  It is called Klinefelter syndrome, and is a genetic disorder that occurs randomly in the human population.  These males are sterile, and only sometimes are there other symptoms, which can include weaker muscles and breast tissue.  Occasionally, the symptoms are severe enough to warrant testosterone injections.   You can read more about this disorder here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klinefelter_syndrome.

The variation of symptoms in Klinefelter syndrome is due to a process called “X-inactivation.” This is the same process that allows a female calico cat to have her distinct markings.  In all individuals with two X chromosomes, each cell randomly turns off one of them.  Cats happen to have fur color genes on their X chromosomes. So the patterns of a calico’s fur are due to different parts of her skin turning off different X chromosomes, and thus displaying different colors.  Think of it like each part of her skin threw dice to determine which color fur it’d grow.  All female humans also undergo X-inactivation, though there’s no convenient color difference for you to see it happening (thank god.).  But in Ember’s world, all females and males have two X chromosomes, and as we just learned with Klinefelter syndrome, males have a hard time with two X chromosomes.

When I learned about Klinefelter syndrome, I knew it applied to my boys and that I wanted it in the book.  Though, I did take liberties to fit my science fiction world, seeing as every male would be at least XXY.  Namely, my males aren’t sterile, and fewer males show symptoms than we would expect to see.  The guys who do show symptoms are called exins. Get it?  “X-in”activation? Hah!

Exins are usually in the same social circles as mascs; they’re just one of the guys. But if they are known to have particularly severe symptoms, or if they need to inject testosterone, they will most likely be ridiculed by their peers. Also, in Ember’s world, exins tend to be shorter, though in the real world, Klinefelter males tend to be taller.

Now I want to look at the bigger picture.  In Y Negative, homosexual relationships are the norm.  Given the quirky genetics I mentioned above, this leads to a pivotal rebalancing of society.  Technology exists that allows two biological males to father a child through the use of in-vitro fertilization.  So when young Y negatives (biological females) have their eggs harvested, the genetic material in the eggs is discarded, so that the genetic material from two masc fathers is used instead.   The resulting child is a biological descendent of both fathers (I actually call them “dad” and “father” because using the same name would have been totally confusing, right?).  So let’s look at the percentages using a diagram called a Punnett Square:

table Y negative
Assuming each male has one regular X chromosome, and another that carries the Y-gene cluster, he has a 50% chance of passing either chromosome to his offspring.  You may notice that only one of the above 4 boxes is going to be female (XX).  That means there’s only a 25% chance of these two mascs having a female child.
What this means for Ember is that he’s living in a world where at the very most, only 1 in 4 people are female.  And Ember points out to the reader that the percentage is a bit less—it’s closer to 20%.  With so few females in this world, so few Y negatives and andros, is it any surprise that they have become second class citizens?  That their voices have become so quiet as to not be heard?  This gives you a glimpse at some of the prejudice that Ember faces as an andro, a biological female, in this male-dominated world.  It’s a good thing that he is stubborn as hell and isn’t going to take that kind of shit lying down.
Thanks for joining me on this rather technical post, I hope to see you at the next stop of the tour!

About the Book

In the last surviving cities of a ruined world, the concept of “woman” has been forgotten to history. Those unfortunate enough to lack a Y chromosome live as second-class citizens in a world dominated by mascs.Y Negative cover

Ember is Y negative. He is scorned, bullied, abused by every masc he encounters, at work and at the gym. Not even his Y negative roommate cuts him any slack. He wants so desperately to be accepted as a masc that he’d rather buy black market testosterone than food. Something’s gotta give—he needs a change in his life, but has no idea how to find it.

Jess is a masc with a passion for studying the recovery of their devastated world. His boyfriend is pressuring him for more commitment, and his father expects him to take over the family business. He can’t wait to get away from civilization for his seasonal research out in the wild.

When Jess offers Ember a job, their lives collide in the isolated wasteland, and their initial attraction turns into a relationship that horrifies those around them. Soon their struggle to stay together and to be who they are turns into a fight for their lives.

Buy It Here: “http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/y-negative“

About the Author

Kelly Haworth grew up in San Francisco and has been reading science fiction and fantasy classics since she was a kid. She developed way too active an imagination as a result, thus, she started writing. Being genderfluid and pansexual, she loves to write LGBTQ+ characters in genres such as science fiction with diverse aliens, and urban fantasies with shifters and fire sorcerers. With degrees in both genetics and psychology, she works as a project manager at a genetics lab. When not working or writing, she can be found wrangling her toddler, working on cosplay, or curled up on the couch with a good TV show or a good book.

Connect with Kelly:

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The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Y Negative, Kelly is giving away $20 in Riptide Publishing credit! Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 21, 2015. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Follow the tour for more opportunities to enter the giveaway! Don’t forget to leave your email or method of contact so Riptide can reach you if you win! Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

A Free Dreamer Review: Minotaur by J.A. Rock

Rating: 1.5 stars out of 5

Minotaur_600x900Know this: I am not a warrior. I am a disease.

When I was six, my parents died.

When I was sixteen, I was locked away in Rock Point Girls’ Home. Nobody wants to deal with a liar. An addict. A thief.

Nobody except Alle. She is pure, and she’s my friend in spite of all the rotten things I am.

There was once another girl like me—long ago. A cast-off daughter. A lying little beast who left a red stain across the land with her terrible magic. She’s imprisoned now in a maze high up on the cliffs. They say she’s half woman, half bull. They say she dines on human tributes and guards a vast treasure. They say she was born wicked.

But I know her better than the history books or stories do. She and I dream together. Our destinies are twisted up like vines.

Except I’m not going to turn out wicked like she is. I can save myself by destroying her. I’m going to break out of this place, and I’m going to enter the labyrinth and take her heart.

And once I’m redeemed, maybe Alle will love me.

This is the first F/F book I’ve ever read, so when asked if I was interested, I wasn’t sure at first. But I really liked “When All the World Sleeps” by J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry, so I figured I might as well give it a try.

The reason why I really didn’t like this book isn’t that it’s F/F, I didn’t mind that part, though it probably isn’t really for me. No, it was the character of Thera.  I couldn’t stand Thera from the start. She’s not an evil woman, or even dangerous. She’s just an angry, whiny teenager, who hates the world. She’s selfish, incredibly annoying and not exactly the brightest out there. She goes off to slay a monster and doesn’t even think about bringing a weapon till it’s too late? Seriously? She lies for absolutely no reason whatsoever, even to Alle, who she’s oh-so-in-love with. Something I didn’t buy, by the way. When Alle doesn’t behave the way Thera wants her to, she’s furious and throws a temper tantrum. And as soon as she gets the opportunity, she cheats on her. What kind of love is that supposed to be?

Then there’s the world building, which was essentially non-existent. It felt like America in the 50s or 60s, except that the girls all wear pants and sweaters. And there’s magic and curses and a monster, of course. Which is the extent of world building we get here. I still don’t know whether this is the only town with magic and such, or if it’s commonplace all over the world. I still don’t know just how the magic works. Or is there even magic at all? I’m not sure. For heaven’s sake: Dear authors all over the world, if you’re going to write FANTASY, PLEASE DO SOME WORLD BUILDING. Seriously, that’s a major pet peeve of mine. And no, it’s absolutely no excuse that this was supposed to focus on the romance. You can do both, romance AND world building.

Apart from the protagonist, who I couldn’t stand, and the world building, which didn’t exist, very, very little happened during the first 60% or so. Then the plot finally started to pick up and was somewhat interesting for about 10%. Then it all went downhill again and I was just fed up with everything. I even skimmed the last 5% or so, since it just wouldn’t end, although there really wasn’t anything left to tell. So, essentially there wasn’t much of a plot here either.

In short, I did not like this book. At all. The protagonist was irritating beyond words, there was absolutely no world building, the romance wasn’t convincing in the least and very little actually happened for more than half of the book. The half star I added is for the basic plot idea, which did sound interesting, and the 10% of somewhat interesting plot

The cover by Imaliea is the best part of this book. It’s what first caught my eye. Though in hindsight, I have no idea why Thera is carrying a sword here.

Sales Links:   Riptide Publishing |  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book details:

ebook, 275 pages
Published October 19th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN 162649312X (ISBN13: 9781626493124)

Holiday Spotlight with Christine d’Abo on Rebound Remedy and Riptide Publishing’s 2015 Holiday charity anthology (guest post and contest)

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Rebound Remedy by Christine d’Abo
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist:  L.C. Chase

Buy it here at  Riptide Publishing

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to welcome Christine d’Abo here today to talk about her latest release, Rebound Remedy, a part of the Riptide Holiday charity anthology.  Welcome, Christine!

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Hello, my name is Christine d’Abo! Thank you so much for having me here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words today. I’m very honored to have been asked to participate in the 2015 Riptide Holiday charity anthology. The holidays are the perfect time to not only give back to our community, but to raise awareness of the struggles that some of our youth endure.

When these teens should be enjoying candy, presents, movies and fun, they’re struggling with their families, friends and their self-images. No one should feel anything but love and support this time of year.

This is my small way of helping out, of paying it forward. I want to challenge each of you to do something this holiday season to pay it forward. Volunteer at a local food bank, soup kitchen or other community support organization. Buy a stranger a coffee. Pay for the meal of a young family. Give someone a hug.

Every small act of kindness makes the world a better place.

I wish you all the best this holiday season.

If you would like to learn more about me, please pay a visit to my website  http://www.christinedabo.com. I’m also very active on Twitter as @Christine_dAbo and have a monthly newsletter. If you’d like to sign up, simply click here to fill out the form.

About Rebound Remedy

ReboundRemedy_500x750The last thing Cole expects to get for the holidays is dumped.  But there he is, in the airport on his way to Banff for a romantic getaway, helplessly watching as his boyfriend’s ex declares undying love, proposes—and is accepted. With a few weeks to go until Christmas, Cole’s mood dives from jolly to jaded. But instead of sitting at home alone and feeling sorry for himself, he goes to his favorite bar, McGregor’s, for a pint and some company.

The moment Owen McGregor sets eyes on Cole, he knows there’s something wrong. So he takes it upon himself to ensure that Cole has a happy holiday: twelve outings for the twelve days before Christmas. Even if he can’t quite think up twelve activities that don’t involve getting the forlorn hunk into his bed.

With each outing they take together, Cole realizes that the love he thought he’d shared with his ex was less than perfect. And that Owen might prove to be more than just his rebound remedy.

Rebound Remedy by  “http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/rebound-remedy“

Rebound Remedy is one of Riptide’s 2015 charity titles.

Twenty percent of the proceeds from this title will be donated to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) National Help Center.

Founded in 1996, the GLBT National Help Center is a non-profit organization that provides vital peer-support, community connections and resource information to people with questions regarding sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Utilizing a diverse group of GLBT volunteers, they operate two national hotlines, the GLBT National Hotline and the GLBT National Youth Talkline, as well as private, volunteer one-to-one online chat, that help both youth and adults with coming-out issues, safer-sex information, school bullying, family concerns, relationship problems and a lot more.

To learn more about this charity or to donate directly, please visit their website:  “http://www.glbthotline.org/“

About The Author

About Christine

A romance novelist and short story writer, Christine has over thirty publications to her name. She loves to exercise and stops writing just long enough to keep her body in motion too. When she’s not pretending to be a ninja in her basement, she’s most likely spending time with her family and two dogs.

Connect with Christine:

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Rebound Remedy, Christine is giving away a tin of tea from David’s Teas! Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 14, 2015. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Follow the tour for more opportunities to enter the giveaway! Don’t forget to leave your email or method of contact so Riptide can reach you if you win!

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Rain Shadow (Bluewater Bay #10) by L.A. Witt

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Rain Shadow coverNot realizing he was gay until well into his marriage and after the birth of his two children, Jeremy Rose and his wife stayed together through multiple counseling sessions until it got to the point where Jeremy realized he was not only keeping himself from experiencing life as a gay man, he was keeping his wife from finding a love of her own.  Despite having teens who might be hurt, the two divorced, and Jeremy’s worst fears were realized—his children hated him and didn’t want him in their lives.  Not sure if he was running away or running toward a better future, he took a job as Anna Maxwell’s security guard in Bluewater Bay, Washington.

When he meets a cute older man while accompanying Anna and her lover, Leigh, to an eagle-watching expedition, he’s intrigued, but fails to get the man’s contact information.  Shocked when he later sees the man at the counseling practice Anna and Leigh attend to repair their deteriorating relationship, he decides to pursue a date, aka one-night stand, with Scott Fletcher.  Scott is also a counselor, but not the one Anna is seeing. It bothers Jeremy that Scott is a counselor because he’s never had any good experience with counseling, but it doesn’t bother him enough to keep him out of Scott’s pants and the two have their one-night stand and many more afterward.

Over time, their “fuck buddy” relationship grows and changes but neither wants to acknowledge that out loud.  They’ve gone to dinner, on picnic and weekend outings, and even to a weekend retreat at a B&B, and yet they refuse to acknowledge that they’ve become more to each other than they planned.  To add to Scott’s problems with having a relationship with Jeremy, he’s got a phobia about dating cops since his life partner, a cop, was killed twenty years before.  Between Jeremy being a “cop,” aka security guard, and Scott being a counselor, there’s not much hope of compromise for these two.

Can the two overcome these issues? Do they even want to try?  And what happens when Jeremy’s daughter backs him into a corner and blasts him with her hatred of him leaving them and living so far away? There’s quite a bit of angst involved in this story of two men who struggle with their past issues while trying to come to terms with their present attraction.

I really liked Scott who was the epitome of the older man, with salt-and-pepper hair, and a mature down-to-earth attitude.  His opinions were clearly stated, and he held his tongue when he really wanted to get in there and tell Jeremy what to do.  He was also sweetly vulnerable in his worries about something happening to Jeremy.  However, Jeremy was a different matter for me.  I liked him but I never really warmed to him as a good character.  He probably meant well but he was stubborn in his views of counselors and the benefits of counseling, and he let his kids and his ex-wife manage all their meetings and therefore all of the negative outcomes, which he then spun his wheels about over and over again.  The chemistry didn’t click for me between the two, despite how much I wanted it to.

I can’t quite put my finger on why this story fell flat for me.  It may have been that I couldn’t get into Jeremy’s character, but there was something about it that felt repetitive to others I’ve read by this author.  If you had given me an audiobook and didn’t tell me the title or the author, I would have known it was written by L.A. Witt. The style of writing, the words used, the sex scenes—I felt like I had already been there and done that.  So, overall, though I liked the story, I really can’t rate it higher than 3.5 stars.

If you like Bluewater Bay series, by all means, read this.  Otherwise, I’d only recommend it to those who like a contemporary romance between older men, one of whom spins his wheels in self-inflicted angst and makes poor choices up to the end when he finally allows the light bulb to go off so that he and his partner can work toward their HEA.   

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Cover Art by LC Chase depicts the two MCs: one a shorter man with salt & pepper hair and wearing a suit, the other a muscular man complete with T-shirt, jeans, leather jacket and shades over his eyes.  It’s an attractive cover and represents the MCs very well.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 192 pages
Published October 19th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN 1626493669 (ISBN13: 9781626493667)
edition languageEnglish
seriesBluewater Bay #10

Bluewater Bay series goodreads page

Author Highlight and Up Close Look At “A Fortunate Blizzard” by L.C. Chase (Guest Blog & Contest)

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A Fortunate Blizzard by L.C. Chase
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Art by L. C. Chase

Buy it Here at Riptide Publishing

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have L. C. Chase here today on her tour for A Fortunate Blizzard.   She’s got her own sort of Q and A for us….  Welcome!

A Random Snapshot by L. C. Chase

Today I thought I’d pull some Q&A from an interview and turn it into a random “on topic” style post.

Favorite quote…

I have two favorites, actually:

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

   ― Mother Teresa

“Write with love, write with joy, and write with pride.”

   ― Victor J. Banis

All-time favorite fictional character…

Of all time . . . that would have to be Stuart Redmond from Stephen King’s The Stand. I just loved that character from the very first paragraph, and I can’t really say why now. I’ve read the book eight times, but not for more than ten years now. After all these years though, his character still resonates with me. I believe King weaved magic into that one.

Meeting my characters…

I would love to meet all of my characters in real life, but from my latest release, A Fortunate Blizzard, I would love to meet both Trevor and Marc. Not until after their epilogue, however. Why? Because I would love to go down into Marc’s amazing studio with the wall of windows and views of the Front Range, and paint with the two of them.

Dealing with rejection…

Years ago, an editor who rejected my story at my very first pitch session said, “I’m only one editor at one publisher.” That comment stuck with me ever since, and in an odd way, gave me confidence. A rejection isn’t the end of the world. It doesn’t mean stick to the day job. It just means keep at it, work hard, be the best you can be at your craft, and then hope the next time you pitch a story you find that one editor at that one publisher who loves your story.

The most annoying thing people say…

Them: What do you write?

Me: Romance

Them: Oh, so porn.

Me: *groan*

Lickety-split…

Favorite Song: In the Light, by Led Zeppelin

Favorite Movie: Pleasantville

Favorite TV Show: Castle
Leather or Latex? Leather!

Naughty or Nice? Nicely naughty. 🙂

The latest book…

With A Fortunate Blizzard I wanted to write a romance that revolved around the holidays and tugged at the heartstrings. A love story about two men finding each other at exactly the right time, and in doing so saved each other. A tale of hope, of taking that chance, and making the most of every day we have. I hope I’ve achieved that.

* * *

Now About

A Fortunate Blizzard by L.C. Chase

AFortunateBlizzard_600x900The Blurb:

There are worse things than being stranded in a blizzard.

Artist Trevor Morrison has always appreciated the little things in life, treating each day as a gift. And with good reason: he’s been on the transplant-recipient list for too long now. When he learns just how numbered his days truly are, he resolves not to take them for granted. But he won’t be unrealistic, either—which means romantic commitments are off the table.

Marcus Roberts seems to have it all. He’s handsome, financially sound, and on the fast track to partnership at a prestigious law firm. In reality, though, his drive for success has meant no time for friends or relationships. Add in the fact that his family discarded him long ago, and he’s facing yet another holiday season alone.

When the biggest snowstorm to hit Colorado in decades leaves Marc and Trevor stranded at the same hotel, a chance encounter and a night of passion leads to more than either of them expected. Finding comfort in each other is a welcome surprise, but time is not on their side. Either they find a way to beat the odds, or they lose each other forever.

Buy Links: Riptide Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | ARe

About The Author

About L.C. Chase:

Cover artist by day, author by night, L.C. Chase is a hopeless romantic, free spirit, and adventure seeker who loves hitting the open road just to see where it takes her. After a decade of traveling three continents, she now calls the Canadian west coast home. When not writing sensual tales of beautiful men falling in love, she can be found designing book covers with said beautiful men, drawing, horseback riding, or hiking the trails with her goofy four-legged roommate.

L.C. is a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist for Pickup Men and Pulling Leather; an EPIC eBook Awards winner for Pickup Men; an EPIC eBook Awards finalist for Let It Ride and Long Tall Drink; Bisexual Book Awards finalist for Let It Ride; and an Ariana eBook Cover Art Awards winner. She also received an honorable mention in the 2015 Rainbow Awards for Pulling Leather, and the 2012 Rainbow Awards for Riding with Heaven.

Visit L.C.’s website for the latest happenings at  lcchase.com.

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Giveaway

Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing for a $50 Esty gift certificate! Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 7. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to leave your email or method of contact so we can reach you if you win, and follow the tour for more opportunities to enter the giveaway!

Science Fiction Spotlight: Kate Pearce’s Tribute Series is Back with Triumph (Tribute #3) (contest)

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Triumph (Tribute #3) by Kate Pearce
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Buy It Here at Riptide

 

About Triumph

Rehz Akran has had enough of the Tribute program and its sadistic overseer, Palk. When Palk captures Rehz’s mate, Anna Lee, and offers her and Aled Price to the Ungrich for further research, Rehz is ready for rebellion. But first, with the help of Kai Mexr—who wants Aled back just as much as Rehz wants Anna—he must break into the Ungrich world, rescue Anna, and discover why they want her so badly.

The chilling answer to that question lies in Anna’s forgotten origins—origins that Aled shares. To save their lovers, Rehz and Kai must take on Palk and a government that is more than willing to sacrifice Anna and Aled to keep the peace.

The two couples join forces—in more ways than one—and together they discover that they may be capable of defeating two civilizations and changing the course of Mitan history forever.

Find out more about Triumph here “http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/triumph”

About the Author

About Kate Pearce

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kate Pearce was born into a large family of girls in England, and spent much of her childhood living very happily in a dream world. Despite being told that she really needed to “get with the program,” she graduated from the University College of Wales with an honors degree in history. A move to the USA finally allowed her to fulfill her dreams and sit down and write her first romance novel. Along with being a voracious reader, Kate loves walking on the beach and climbing live volcanoes in her new home in Hawaii.

Kate is a member of RWA and is published by Kensington Aphrodisia, Cleis Press, Carina Press, and Virgin Black Lace/Cheek.

Connect with Kate:

Website: www.katepearce.com
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1ASL0nK
Blog: www.katepearce.com/blog
Twitter: @Kate4Queen
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kate.pearce
Pintrest: pinterest.com/kate4queen

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Giveaway

Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card! Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 7. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to leave your email or method of contact so we can reach you if you win, and follow the tour for more opportunities to enter the giveaway!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Tribute: The Complete Collection

– See more at: Riptide’s Tribute page

Few of the people on Planet Mitan know that their future rests on very precarious foundations. A terrifying species holds the Mitans in thrall, and only a yearly tribute—part conscripts, part volunteers—secures the fragile peace with the sinister Ungrich. Nobody knows exactly what the alien creatures want with the Mitans, but the Mitan military and the few survivors of the underground ordeal have developed a training program. It’s brutal, even horrific, but effective.

Commander Rehz Akran is determined that his trainees, willing or otherwise, will learn everything necessary to survive as Tributes. If he can’t force them through training, no one can, and he’s prepared to use every filthy, dirty trick in his arsenal to secure complete obedience . . . and the survival of his species.

 

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– Read Free Dreamer’s Review of Retribution here.