A MelanieM Audiobook Review: Drama Cruise (A Nicky & Noah Mystery #3) by Joe Cosentino and Brad Enright (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Theater professors and couple, Nicky Abbondanza and Noah Oliver, are going overboard as usual, but this time on an Alaskan cruise, where dead college theater professors are popping up everywhere from the swimming pool to the captain’s table. Further complicating matters are Nicky’s and Noah’s parents as surprise cruise passengers, and Nicky’s assignment to direct a murder mystery dinner theater show onboard ship. Nicky and Noah will need to use their drama skills to figure out who is bringing the curtain down on vacationers before it is lights out for the handsome couple. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, ribald, edge-of-your-seat entertaining third novel in this delightful series. Curtain up and ship ahoy!

I’m a real fan of Joe Cosentino’s over the top murder mystery drama series, The Nicky & Noah Mysteries. Campy with a heart is one way I love to describe them, so I had already read Drama Cruise and was looking forward to the audio version.

Drama Cruise is one hilarious story about a cruise full of professors, Nicky, Noah, their parents, and a killer out to kill of the professors one by one. I laughed my way through the book, puzzling over the mystery, loving the interaction between men, their parents, and all the crazy wedding plans. Really, the book is terrific. So how did the audiobook version measure up?

Great story is still there, so is the mystery. But somehow the narration of Brad Enright just didn’t do it for me. His voices seemed to slide between either way too bland. I had a hard time telling the difference between some characters unless the author told me there was a change to the hugely campy tones (think 50’s television Italian roles in comedies) used for Nicky’s parents. I just felt that the narration swung from campy to realistic to bland which threw me off. I felt the narrator should have chosen one tone and then just gone for it.

Love the Nicky and Noah mysteries? You’ll love this one but I think I would go ahead and read the ebook or paperback version. That’s the story I highly recommend.

Cover art is the wonderful movie poster/high camp version I so love and come to expect.

Sales Links: Amazon | Audible

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 5 hours and 56 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Joe Cosentino
Audible.com Release Date: August 10, 2017
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Language: English
ASIN: B074N6Q1SB

A MelanieM Review: Burning Tracks (Spotlight #2) by Lilah Suzanne

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Gwen Pasternak’s got it all. Or so it seems…

In the sequel to RT Book Reviews’ Top Pick Broken Records, Gwen’s life looks perfect: She has a job she loves as stylist to the stars, a beautiful wife, Flora, and a house in the heart of Nashville. But the more she works alongside country music’s dynamic princess Clementine Campbell, the less Gwen is certain of her commitment to a life of domestic bliss.

Meanwhile, her business partner Nico Takahashi is happily settled down with reformed bad-boy musician Grady Dawson. But when Nico questions the permanence of their relationship, Grady retreats into some dangerous old habits. Will Gwen ruin the life she’s built with Flora for something new and exhilarating? Can Grady be convinced of Nico’s devotion before it’s too late? Burning Tracks is a story of tough choices, taking risks, and the pressures of living life in the spotlight.

Burning Tracks, the second installment in the Spotlight Trilogy, sees Gwen Pasternak take center stage in this saga of intertwined relationships. Gwen and her wife Flora have always been an integral part of Nico Takahashi’s life. She’s his partner, sometime life support, best friend and even foundation when things have gone wrong. And Nico has been hers, even if that put Flora on the outside. So bringing Gwen out here and letting us see more of her life makes total sense. She and Nico switch places for a book, with Nico and Grady switching places, their relationship drama swirling as a secondary although still greatly important element here in Burning Tracks. Neither Gwen or Nico can be separated from each other.

We have been leading up to crisis in relationships, small, large and everything in between and the cause of them. Here the push has been for a child from Flora, something that Gwen doesn’t really think she wants or is capable of being a good parent to. Adding to that pressure is a new client, Clementine Campbell, who wants all of Gwen all of the time.

Lilah Suzanne expertly threads us through the confusion that Gwen feels about all the complications in her life, the pressure she feels, the knowledge that she’s on the precipice of her relationship with her wife who she loves….we feel it all and love Gwen all the more. She’s so human and vulnerable yet trying to do her best.

Clementine Campbell, the powerful charismatic country star on the rise is just as amazing. She’s so brilliant a character, she shines off the page, even at her most irritating. Only Flora comes off as a grey figure here in comparison which is a shame.

Nico and Grady, and the others are all here too, fighting for their relationship, making mistakes still due primarily to communication, something that seems to plague them all.

I love the aspect of the country music business and style here. That never fails to entertain and inform.

Now to the sex. Yes, there’s a lot of F/F sex here. If you don’t care for that, then you can fly over it and still stay at the heart of this story, the relationship dynamics, the mistakes people make, and the paths back to the people who are really their HEA. I really enjoyed this story, loved it place in the trilogy and highly recommend it.

Cover art again is perfect.

Sales Links: Interlude Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 224 pages
Published August 11th 2016 by Interlude Press
ASINB01FSLEMXQ
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Spotlight Trilogy:

Release Blitz – EXPOSURE by Aly Hayden (excerpt and giveaway)

exposureebooksmall

Title: Exposure

Author: Aly Hayden

Publisher: Self-published

Cover Artist: Aria from Resplendent Media

Genres: Contemporary M/M Romance

Length: 61,000 words/150 pages approx.

It is the first book in the Drawn Together series.

Each book follows a different couple, so there’s a HEA and no cliffhanger.

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Blurb

Sam Hayward’s parents think he has a boyfriend. And he does… in his dreams. But when they insist Sam bring his partner to the annual Labor Day family reunion, his options are to either admit it was all a lie or find a stand-in in a hurry. The trouble is that his lies have all been based on one very real man.

Ben Matheny has been hurt before. When he’s bribed into playing a part by his friends, he fleshes out Sam’s dreams, but it’s like flying too close to the sun. He’s always had a crush on Sam, and now they’re going to the Hamptons to spend a week pretending they’re lovers, everything is getting harder.

When Ben uncovers another lie Sam has told – that Ben is every bit as rich as Sam is – things begin to unravel. If Sam isn’t happy with who Ben is, Ben can’t stick around to get burned again.

With their hearts on the line, the two must fight for their dreams as the pressure mounts. It would be so easy to admit that it was all a sham, but some dreams are worth the risk.

EXPOSURE BLURB

Excerpt

“Guess we have the hot tub all to ourselves,” Ben said with a smile.

He didn’t know whether he meant the words to be flirtatious or not. It was one thing to flirt when there were other people present. That was just what he did, how he interacted with people. Deliberately flirting with Sam was different. Dangerous.

“Guess we do.”

Sam’s voice was lower than usual. Almost seductive. There was no one around that would make Sam feel like he had to play the part of the boyfriend, which meant only one thing: Sam was actually into him. The signs were all there, if Ben was reading them correctly—the way Sam had taken to holding his hand, the morning wood after cuddling all night long, the look Sam had given him when he’d seen Ben in the shorts. And then there was that thing he had started to say right before they had gotten on the boat.

Much as Ben wanted to believe that Sam might have feelings for him too, there was still a part of him that wasn’t sure. There was certainly one way for him to find out, though. The hot tub was big enough for about six people, so naturally they had taken corners along the same wall. Slowly, Ben moved closer and closer to Sam, until they were sitting side by side. He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, and let his leg brush against Sam’s.

“What are you doing?” Sam’s voice was low and husky, and when Ben looked up, he found Sam’s pupils so large that only a sliver of hazel showed around the edges.

He swallowed hard. “Getting closer to you.”

His heart beat so fast that his chest ached as he waited for Sam to do something. Say something. Have any reaction at all. It had been so easy when it was just flirting, but this…this was terrifying.

Seconds passed, though, and Sam didn’t move away. Instead, he leaned back against the side of the hot tub and slid his hand into Ben’s, underneath the water.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said softly.

Encouraged by the reaction, Ben shifted down a bit and let his head rest on Sam’s shoulder. “Me too.” They sat in silence for a few seconds. Ben didn’t want to ruin the moment, but he knew that if he didn’t say anything, he would regret it. “Before, when we were about to get on the boat. What were you going to say?”

“I um…” Sam scratched at the back of his neck. “I was going to say, what if—”

“Sammy, Benny!”

Ben whipped around to see Karrigan. Someone had escaped from nap time. He fought to suppress a groan. Looked like this conversation would have to wait.

Buy Links

Amazon US link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075L266KH

Amazon UK link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075L266KH

Goodreads Link

Meet the Author

Aly Hayden has loved writing ever since she learned to pick up a pencil. As a child, she used to write short stories, then progressed to novels of various genres, none of which were ever published – for good reason. She started writing fanfiction in 2011, publishing on Archive of Our Own. After finding M/M romance in 2012, she fell in love and made it her mission to write one of her own one day. When Aly isn’t writing, she can be found playing with her lovable Yorkie and watching old reruns of House Hunters.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Facebook Author Page

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Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway: WIN ONE OF THREE e-copies of Exposure

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Release Blitz Schedule

EXPOSURE SCHEDULE 2

SEPTEMBER 14

SEPTEMBER 15

SEPTEMBER 16

Top 2 Bottom Reviews and More

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Making it Happen

My Fiction Nook

Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author

Megan’s Media Melange

A Book Lover’s Dream Book Blog

SEPTEMBER 19

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A Stella Review: How To Save A Life (Howl at the Moon #4) by Eli Easton

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Howl At The Moon by Eli Easton is one of my favourite series in the mm world . And it gets better with every new installment the author releases.

It’s really unavoidable to fall in love with each new character introduced and add to this, meeting all the “old” characters you loved in the previous books, that’s what makes the series a winner to me.

In How To Save A Life I learned to love Rev and the cute Sammy, two very different souls. Rev comes from money but walked away from his successful life in the family business when he realised how dirty his father’s affairs were. And then he starts a new life as the owner of a dog refugee in Arizona, until he meets first Milo and his friends (in book #3) and later a scared chocolate Labrador in a kennel. And piece by piece he understands he is missing something important. So he tracks down the dog and finds himself in the mysterious Mad Creek, the same town Milo lives in. And here he will see the same scared eyes of the cute Labrador in the hot Sammy. . From that moment Rev life will change again and it will collide with new people, a new unexpected love for someone who is new to human life and the desire to help a whole community.

It was a joy to read How To Save a Life, an engaging and well written story, full of love for dogs. There wasn’t a little detail I didn’t like. Highly recommended but I suggest to read the series in order to better enjoy the lovely world Eli Easton has created.

Cover art by Reese Dante is adorable and matches that of the rest of the series.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

ebook, 238 pages
Published August 28th 2017 by Eli Easton
Original TitleHow To Save A Life
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Howl at the Moon #4

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Finding Mr. Wright (Leaning N #2) by BA Tortuga

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including weddings. And misunderstandings.

Colorado wedding planner Mason O’Reilly lands a major contract: a two-hundred-guest wedding at the Leanin’ N Ranch, where his friends Ford and Stoney are working to provide a safe space for GLBT events. The Wright/Preston ceremony is a destination wedding, and as the grooms are from Texas, everything is done over the phone and email. There’s no way that could lead to trouble, right?

Oops.

Oil tycoon Noah Wright isn’t happy about the impending disaster, but he admires Mason’s quick thinking and grace under pressure. And that’s not all he likes about the out-and-proud wedding planner. Even though Mason’s interested in Noah, his Mr. Right can’t possibly be a rancher from Dallas.

Can he?

Finding Mr. Wright, the second story in the Leaning N series by BA Tortuga, involves wedding planner Mason O’Reilly, a secondary character from Commitment Ranch. I had wanted Mason to get his HEA and here he does. Though it takes a while.

All the wonderful characters from the original story are here, Stoney, Ford, their kid and the various ranch hands including their chef (who needs his own story). They form a wonderful foundation along with the Leaning N ranch for Mason and Noah Wright to meet, clash and learn to love. Of course, there are Texans, lots of mad Texans, transplanted to Colorado with a side trip south for good measure. I have to admit, that was the part that threw me here for a little while.

Normally I love the Texas influence in BA Tortuga’s stories but when it went upscale (how I love me BA Tortuga’s redneck cowboy lovers) as it did with Wright’s family, especially with Noah’s mother who I sort of despised, part of the heart went out of this story and it went cold. I understood that we needed to see where Noah was coming from and how much he had to work through. Totally worked. Still think his mama owes Mason a huge apology.

It took at trip back into the snow, up into the mountains of Colorado to find the warmth and heart of this series, for Noah to realize where his future was, as well as the fire and romance that pours out of this series. The Leaning N Ranch and all the come out of there are special. BA Tortuga creates these little villages of people that form unique families, ones you never get tired of reading about. All sort of quirky and wonderful. There are lesbian partners, chefs with a past who make up incredible concoctions, tattooed hulks who show up and never leave only to become indispensable in the kitchen, and of course Stoney and Ford and their kid. Now there’s Mason and Noah.

Can’t wait to see who’s next. Yes, I love this series. Yes, I recommend it. Pick up the first one and head to this one next. I’m already eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Cover Artist: Bree Archer. I like the cover but wish it was just a little more detailed.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:ebook, 1st edition, 226 pages
Expected publication: September 15th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781635338744
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: Leaning N

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Finder’s Keeper (Heart’s Gate) by Shira Anthony

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The truth might ruin his dreams—or make them come true.

When Zane moves into an old gothic brownstone, he discovers the house comes equipped with a caretaker—Kit, who lives in the basement. Zane is immediately drawn to the charming and attractive Kit. But Kit is much more than he seems. He is a two-hundred-year-old half-human, half–red-fox spirit who guards a Gate between the mortal and spirit worlds—a fact Zane should recognize, but doesn’t.

Orphaned at a young age, Zane never learned he comes from a long line of mystical Keepers. Kit needs Zane’s help to protect the Gate, but how can he tell Zane of his legacy when that will crush Zane’s dreams of traveling the world? If he takes up the mantle, Zane will be bound to the Gate, unable to leave it. But when Zane realizes Kit’s true nature, and his own, he’ll have to make a choice—fight to protect Kit and the Gate, or deny his destiny and any chance of a future with Kit.

Finder’s Keeper is one of those stories where one of the main characters arrives at a place, in this case an old brownstone bequeathed to him and his twin sister by an unknown uncle and immediately feels a connection. Ties to that place and to the handsome man he finds making him coffee and breakfast the next morning. Not instant love feelings but something that goes deeper. An emotional tie that somehow Zane can’t explain away, not that he really wants too.

I have to admit to having felt those from time to time. I’ve never really tried to categorize them. But you walk into a place, across a landscape or gaze into a stranger’s eyes, if even for a passing second and there’s a spark of recognition that isn’t possible, or a feeling of coming home when you’ve never been there before. In a way, Anthony uses that as a basis for her story of Finder’s Keeper only here the relationship between house and family, Gate and Keeper is almost cellular as well as spiritual.

Anthony makes it more realistic for Zane to accept his feelings for the house and its caretaker by having Zane and his sister orphaned at a young age as well as giving a difficult romantic history for Zane. All of which would make a house and new location suddenly look like a very attractive path if you’re looking to make a home. Especially if you feel as though you’re being led there. Which Zane is.

I liked all the characters Shira Anthony fills her story with and there’s quite the collection here, including Lor the demon, and Zane’s sister who I really could have used much more of. I hope that’s rectified in the next stories. I even really loved the romance here. I don’t think instant love has a place here. As set out by the author, their attraction and yes, love for each other is believable. The only thing that semi-irritated me towards the end was the dithering Kit did over the relationship binding, ignoring what Zane was telling him. Once yes, but repeatedly? That started to feel forced.

Oh Kit, he was amazing. I loved the Kitsune element here and hope that somehow the author will find a way to bring Kit’s father into future stories. Anthony has built so many intriguing minor (who knows) story threads into Finder’s Keeper that I can’t help but hope they will be fleshed out in future sequels to come. Lor the demon alone needs his own story too. And he’s not alone.

I’m loving this new Dreamspun Beyond line from Dreamspinner Press. If you love paranormal or supernatural romances, then Finder’s Keeper, the first in a new series from Shira Anthony is just the thing for you.

Cover art by Aaron Anderson. I just love this cover. Just the right element of spookiness and a gorgeous otherworldly model. Perfect!

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble

Book Details:

ebook, Dreamspun Beyond #4, 236 pages
Expected publication: September 15th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781635338782
Edition Language English
Series Heart’s Gate #1 setting Cleveland, Ohio (United States)

Review Tour for Eli Easton’s How To Save A Life (Howl at The Moon #4)

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 80,000 words

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Howl At The Moon Series

How To Howl At The Moon (Book #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK

How To Walk Like A Man (Book #2) Amazon US | Amazon UK

How To Wish Upon A Star (Book #3) Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb

Rav Miller looked into the terrified, intelligent eyes of the chocolate Labrador on death row, and knew he’d do anything to save him. When the dog, Sammy, escapes and heads to Mad Creek, Rav follows. Mad Creek. The town had become legendary in Rav’s mind after he’d met that bizarre group last year. Rav dismissed his crazy suspicions back then, but when he arrives in Mad Creek, he knows it’s true. Dog shifters exist, and apparently they all live in the California mountains. It’s enough to blow a bad boy’s mind.

Sammy has something in common with Rav—neither one of them trusts people. After Sammy’s abuse as a dog, he particularly dislikes tough-looking men like Rav. But when Sammy gets a chance to work with rescued dogs at the new Mad Creek shelter, his deep compulsion to help others overcomes his fear. Rav and Sammy bond over saving strays. If they can each find the courage to let someone else in, they might find their way to love.

Sheriff Lance Beaufort doesn’t like humans moving into Mad Creek, especially not the tattooed and defiant Rav. When Rav starts a rescue shelter, the town thinks he’s wonderful! But Lance isn’t fooled. He doesn’t buy Rav’s innocent act for one second. How much does Rav know about the quickened? What is his game? And why did he have to show up now, when Lance and the other town leaders are overwhelmed by all the new quickened pouring in?

Rav knows how to save a life. But can he save an entire town? Can he rescue Mad Creek?

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 5-star Rating Review here.

August 28 – Oh My Shelves, The Way She Reads, Gay Book Reviews, Dirty Books Obsession, Au Boudoir Ecarlate, Diverse Reader

August 30 – OMG Reads, RJ Scott

September 1 – Joyfully Jay, Bonkers About Books, My Fiction Nook, Urban Smoothie Read, Sinfully MM Romance, Nautical Star Books

September 4 – Hoards Jumble

September 6 – The Novel Approach, Hearts On Fire Reviews, Out Of My Head

September 8 – V’s Reads

September 15 – Bayou Book Junkie, Padme’s Library, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Xtreme Delusions, Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews, Sinfully MM Romance

Author Bio

Eli Easton has been at various times and under different names a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, an organic farmer, and a long-distance walker. She began writing m/m romance in 2013 and has published 27 books since then. She hopes to write many more.

As an avid reader of such, she is tickled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness, and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, two bulldogs, several cows, and a cat. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.

Website: www.elieaston.com
Twitter: @EliEaston
Email: eli@elieaston.com

Giveaway

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A MelanieM Review: Cinnamon Eyes by Nell Iris

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Cory’s had a rough year struggling with severe depression. He’s desperate to rebuild his shattered life and break away from his demanding family. When his therapist encourages him to do something for himself, he knows exactly what he needs. I want to see Asher again. The best friend Corey ever had who, at fifteen, held Cory’s heart in his hands without knowing it.

Asher’s had a troubled relationship with his father since he came out. Now that Pops is sick, he’s fighting for his right to help or even find out about his father’s health. Then there’s the complication of an ex-boyfriend unwilling to let go.

When Cory and Asher meet again after sixteen years, Cory’s feelings are as strong as ever. But does Asher feel the same?

Cinnamon Eyes by Nell Iris is a sweet, heartwarming romance that I totally enjoyed. Nell Iris is an author I wasn’t really familiar with but I fell in love with her characters and the manner in which she pulled me into their lives and romance.

Both Cory and Asher are men damaged after parting after young kids, a separation neither has recovered from, even after all these years apart. For Cory, it’s been the crushing pressure and emotional abuse of his cold family that crushed him and sent him into therapy. It’s also found Cory running back to the small town where he left his heart and childhood friend years ago.

Told from alternating points of view, we get an intimate window into what it feel’s like to have an anxiety attack and have depression be a large factor in your life. The author does a believable, sympathetic handling of Cory’s issues and let’s us connect with him easily from the moment we meet him. We want Cory to have his HEA and get the shivers when he meets up with Asher once more.

Sixteen years later and I still would have recognized him anywhere. The hair was as unruly as ever, and just as rock ‘n’ roll as his voice. The jawline so sharp he could probably cut glass with it. And the nose was still a little too big for his face.

I couldn’t see his green eyes from here, but I remembered them vividly. The pale color of a leaf newly broken out of its bud in spring, was such a stark contrast to his black eyelashes and olive complexion and had always hypnotized me with their beauty.

When he started singing, his voice pulled me out of my initial shock.

Two best friends
Like no one had ever seen before
Always together
happy and troublesome and wild
Sharing scraped knees
and high flying dreams
Carefree as the clouds in the sky
The boy with laughing cinnamon eyes
And I

The scene goes on and yes, the tears are rolling down my face and I’m so in love with these men and I don’t even know the whole story yet.

Of course life hasn’t been easy for Asher either. His character is just as layered, just as hurt, injured by people close to him and events he had no control over. Yet, he’s still in love with the one that left all those years ago.

But even with a reunion, nothing is easy. Watching Asher and Cory come back together, like melody and lyrics that flow effortlessly along, is a story that I just sunk into. I forgot about everything but their relationship, and hoping they could make it work. The author’s writing is smooth, her storytelling is wildly romantic while still being real, and the ending is everything you will want it to be.

Cover art is perfect for the story and characters. I just loved it.

Buy Links: JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

ebook
Published August 12th 2017 by JMS Books
ISBN139781634864404

Shira Anthony on Paranormal Romances and her new release ‘Finder’s Keeper (Heart’s Gate #1)’ (giveaway and tour)

Finder’s Keeper (Heart’s Gate #1) by Shira Anthony
Dreamspinner Press
a Dreamspun Beyond Title
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble |

♥︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Shira Anthony here again. Shira is here talking about her latest release,Finder’s Keeper (Heart’s Gate #1). Welcome, Shira!

✒︎

Shira Anthony’s Finder’s Keeper

Thank you Melanie and company, for hosting this stop on the Finder’s Keeper blog tour! Be sure to read to the bottom of the post for a chance to win a unisex red agate fox pendant I’ll be giving away at the end of the tour.

Finder’s Keeper is my first novel in the brand new Dreamspun Beyond line of contemporary paranormal stories that are romance-forward in the tradition of the old category romances from Harlequin and Mills & Boon. Finder’s Keeper is the sweet story of a half-human, half-fox spirit named Kit who guards a gate between the human and spirit worlds and Zane Mayer, an engineer who inherits the old gothic brownstone where the Gate is hidden.

Zane is a twin. His sister, Ren, owns a store in North Carolina dedicated to spirituality and the occult. She reads Tarot and constantly worries that something is going to happen to Zane. Zane, on the other hand, is infinitely practical. I guess that makes sense, since he’s an engineer. He doesn’t believe in Tarot, although he humors his sister when she makes dire predictions about what’s in store for him. But things change, and Zane begins to wonder if he’s imagining things or if maybe Ren isn’t so out there.

When Zane arrives in Cleveland to start his new job and move into the brownstone his second cousin left to him, strange things begin to happen. The strangest of all is the house itself. It’s perfect. Even though the photos he saw of the place show it falling apart, when he moves in, he finds all the appliances are brand new, everything’s been perfectly renovated, and the place is spotless. Even more surprising? The place comes with an adorable ginger caretaker, who introduces himself over an amazing breakfast that makes Zane’s mouth water. Kit seems to know all about Zane, which may seem weird, but Kit is so sweet and genuine, Zane soon finds himself falling in lust, at least.

Bit by bit, Zane comes to understand that there’s an entirely different world—the spirit world—that exists alongside our own human one. Zane comes to know the spirit world through Kit’s eyes. What he learns holds the key to his future and to Kit’s. Will Kit and Zane bridge the gap between them and find common ground? You’ll find out if you read Finder’s Keeper!

To enter for a chance to win the beautiful fox pendant? 1) at each stop on the Finder’s Keeper blog tour answer a question in the comments, and 2) claim your entry on the Rafflecopter here: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba94917/

So I mentioned that Kit is an amazing cook. With that in mind, here’s the question you need to answer before you claim your Rafflecopter entry: What is your favorite breakfast? I love cheese blintzes with cherry topping. Put your answer in the comments, then go to Rafflecopter and enter yourself! Good luck! -Shira

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Blurb

The truth might ruin his dreams—or make them come true.

******

About Shira

Shira Anthony was a professional opera singer in her last incarnation, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, i Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle. You can hear Shira singing “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca by clicking here: Shira’s Singing

Shira loves a great happily-ever-after and never writes a story without one. She’s happy to write what her muse tells her, whether it’s fantasy, sci fi, paranormal, or contemporary romance. She particularly loves writing series, because she thinks of her characters as old friends and she wants to visit them even after their stories are told.

In real life, Shira sang professionally for 14 years, and she currently works as a public sector attorney advocating for children. She’s happy to have made writing her second full-time job, even if it means she rarely has time to watch TV or go to the movies. Shira writes about the things she knows and loves, whether it’s music and musicians, the ocean, or the places she’s lived or traveled to. She spent her middle school years living in France, and tries to visit as often as she can.

Shira and her husband spend as many weekends as they can aboard their 35′ catamaran sailboat, Land’s Zen, at the Carolina Coast. Not only has sailing inspired her to write about pirates and mermen, her sailboat is her favorite place to write. And although the only mermen she’s found to date are in her own imagination, she keeps a sharp lookout for them when she’s on the water.

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Book Blitz for Knight of Sherwood (Outlaw’s Legacy #2) by N.B. Dixon (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Knight of Sherwood

Series: Outlaw’s Legacy, Book 2

Author: N.B. Dixon

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: September 14, 2017

Romance Genre(s): Historical, LGBT

Words: 145,000

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About the Book

Blurb

KnightOfSherwood

Robin returns to England after four years fighting in the holy land. On arriving at Locksley, he discovers that Guy of Gisborne, his most hated enemy, has been made Sheriff of Nottingham. Forced to flee into Sherwood, Robin sets himself up as champion of the poor.

But Robin has a secret. His feelings for his friend Will Scathelock have deepened, but to acknowledge the truth would mean facing up to his past. Meanwhile Lady Marian Fitzwalter, heiress to the vast Huntingdon estate is determined to claim Robin for her own.

Excerpt

The assassin made his way through the British army camp as if he belonged there. The once-pristine white cloth of his Crusaders surcoat was a dirty greyish brown, courtesy of the desert. The red cross emblazoned on the chest identified him as one of them—a Christian doing God’s sacred work in ridding the Holy Land of the infidel. It was all so easy. They were complacent, these English.

He had over fifty successful kills to his credit. He relished the hunt, the closing in on his unsuspecting prey. The harder the challenge, the more he liked it. Man or woman, young or old, Christian or Saracen, it made no difference to him.

His employer had promised him a considerable sum for the despatching of his enemy, a nobleman by the name of Robin of Locksley. With such a fee, he might be able to retire. He had begun wondering if it was time to settle down. Of course, the thrill of the chase would call to him again. However, he could be more selective about the commissions he undertook.

Though night had fallen, the camp was still bustling. A few sentries challenged him, but he produced his token: a piece of parchment bearing the royal seal. He was a humble messenger on an errand. They were fools. It wouldn’t occur to them that he could be other than what he seemed.

At length, he came to a large tent, the flaps of which had been pulled back in an effort to let in the sultry night air, revealing several soldiers engaged in an energetic game of dice. The assassin paused in the tent entrance, his head bent, the picture of a humble servant; it took several minutes before anyone noticed him.

“Who are you after?” a bearded soldier demanded during a brief lull in the game.

The assassin bowed. “I have an urgent message for Robin of Locksley. I was told to deliver it into his own hands.” Reaching inside his tunic, he withdrew several rolls of parchment. Sorting through them, he produced one bearing the Locksley seal and held it up for examination, but the soldier barely glanced at it. Few in King Richard’s army could read, and this soldier’s mind was more on the game than the conversation.

“His tent’s over that way.” The soldier gestured. “Wolf’s head insignia. Can’t miss it.”

The assassin nodded his thanks and hurried away in the direction the soldier had indicated.

In the distance, a jackal cried, the melancholy sound a testimony to the sorrow that had seeped into the ravaged land. This region was torn apart by war. There had been tremendous losses on both sides. At least Locksley’s death would be merciful; the assassin did not believe in prolonging the suffering of his victims. Why give them time to get off a cry and perhaps summon help? He struck as swift and silent as a snake. Often his victims never even knew what happened.

The assassin spotted the tent he was looking for. It was set apart from the others, with no elaborate decoration, no guards seated outside. He’d been told Robin of Locksley was a nobleman. If so, he either wished to hide the fact or he had fallen on hard times. The assassin found himself wondering again why he had been sent to kill him. He pushed the thought away. It was not his concern. Another few hours, and he would be on a ship, bound for France, and away from this scorpion-infested land. The first thing he would do on his arrival would be to take a bath and wash every ounce of sand from his body. It got into his clothes and hair and coated his skin so that it itched constantly. If there was one thing the assassin hated, it was not being clean.

Drawing a dagger from his belt, he slit the tent flap. Once the opening was wide enough, he slipped inside.

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords

About N.B. Dixon

Author Bio

N.B. Dixon is an author of historical fiction. Her love for the Robin Hood legend began in a neglected corner of the school library and has continued ever since. She is a self-confessed bookworm and also a musician.

She began work on the Outlaw’s Legacy Series in 2013, and was accepted by Beaten Track Publishing in 2016. Outlaw’s Legacy is a historical series based around the Robin Hood legend. The author describes it as Exciting Historical Adventure with GLBT romance.

Connect with N.B.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Knight of Sherwood, the second novel in the Outlaw’s Legacy series, N.B. Dixon is giving away an e-copy to 3 lucky winners. For your chance to win, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on September 29, 2017, and is open to entrants worldwide.

Good luck!

Enter here.

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Finder’s Keeper (Heart’s Gate #1) by Shira Anthony Dreamspinner Press a Dreamspun Beyond Title Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

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About Shira

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About the Book

Blurb

Excerpt

Buy Links

About N.B. Dixon

Author Bio

Connect with N.B.

Giveaway

Tour Stops

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Finder’s Keeper (Heart’s Gate #1) by Shira Anthony
Dreamspinner Press
a Dreamspun Beyond Title
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson