Review : A Touch of Fever (Arcane Hearts #1) by Nazri Noor

Rating: 4🌈

A Touch of Fever is the first story in the Arcane Hearts series by Nazri Noor. He’s a new author for me and I’m definitely going to look forward to more from him in the future.

I enjoyed my time with these characters and this universe. Noor does an excellent job creating a world we want to know more about, especially the Black Market. It’s a place that moves itself, it’s new destination known only to itself. What a exciting concept.

Our main characters, which I think will grow over the next couple of books to include a sort of found family, is especially fascinating. We have a mage with a haunting future, Xander Wright. Our main hero, the artificer Jackson Pryde, who just might be something more. We have a witch Beatrice and a Guardian who I’ll let you read about. That’s part of the story.

There’s a small quest, a bigger mystery, some murders, and finally a larger adventure looming on the horizon.

If there wasn’t some on the page sex, very hot btw, I’d say this was the perfect YA series.

Noor has written terrific relatable characters, one’s dealing with issues of self worth, family responsibilities, the burden of duty, the pain of loss, and inadequacy. It’s tough being young sometimes. And Noor captures that.

Which is why I think that it’s a YA novel is everything but that it has sex scenes . It’s a terrific story either way.

I’m definitely on my way to the next in the series. And recommending this book now.

Arcane Hearts series:

✓ A Touch of Fever #1

◦ A Stroke of Brilliance #2

◦ An Iron Fist #3

◦ A Velvet Glove #4

https://www.goodreads.com › showA Touch of Fever (Arcane Hearts, #1) by Nazri Noor – Goodreads

Synopsis:

What do you do when you can’t cast spells? You make your own magic.

Jackson Pryde was never great at wielding magic. Instead, he works as an artificer, crafting enchanted devices in the Black Market, a shadowy bazaar of wonders. But Xander Wright, the mouthy, pretentious mage next door, hates all the hammering in Jackson’s workshop.

When a chance assignment forces them to team up, they discover a terrifying predicament. Something is driving members of the magical community into murderous rages. Jackson and Xander must combine might and magic to find the source of the Fever and stop it. Can they put aside their differences long enough to end the Fever, or will they succumb to its bloodthirsty curse?

A Touch of Fever is a 70,000-word M/M urban fantasy romance with a HFN ending. Join a fast-talking artificer and a snarky sorcerer, best friends turned bitter enemies, as they navigate an adventure filled with strange flora, mythical fauna, and magical murders. If you like your urban fantasy with humor, horror, and a whole lot of heart, you’ve come to the right place. Experience A Touch of Fever today.

Review: How to Hack a Hacker (Unholy Trifecta #3) by A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.5🌈

How to Hack a Hacker , the story where K, aka Kyou, is finally forced into getting his happily ever after.

It’s also the series finale and an excellent one.

Kyou has been somewhat of an enigmatic character. Now his background is exposed, the reasons for his cyber stalking of Brannigan revealed here. The story behind the cyber stalking is as complicated as Kyou. And it takes time to unfold.

Brannigan Genovese, aka the one Kyou has cyber stalked for 12 years, although his friends only know about 6 of them. Bran’s a real estate developer with an uncanny ability to fall into deep trouble at the drop of a hat. And it’s Kyou who’s gotten him out of it, whether Bran’s known it or not.

Brannigan has also been trying to find the person who’s been watching and assisting him online all these years but has always failed.

Only his current crisis brings everyone together.

Yes, the family is all here. Ari, Carter, and Remi. Ivan and Aiden. Even Trixie. All are center stage to support Kyou as he jumps into Bran’s crisis with the Irish Mob. It takes all of them as a family to pull Bran in and pull him out of danger. It’s an exciting and fun filled ride.

This is actually a two part story. Just when one wraps up, a second begins. The last stage brings around an unfinished element that I was very happy to see here. The author was tying up all the loose storylines and making sure that when everyone got their HEA, it’s going to stay that way.

There’s a marriage, a proposal, and a very solid found family thinking about more additions. Such a warm and happy feeling to end the series on.

Sherwood has another marvelous story here and terrific series for me to recommend.

I adore everyone and each couple and family. That includes Remi, naturally.

Unholy Trifecta series:

✓ How to Shield an Assassin #1

✓ How To Steal a Thief #2

✓ How to Hack a Hacker #3

Synopsis:

Staying away is Kyou’s number one rule when it comes to protecting the sexy real-estate developer.

Kyou has a routine. A system. He guards Brannigan Genovese, hacks for his family of choice, and drinks far too much caffeine for any living being. Only a few things can completely disrupt his routine to cause him trouble:

• Brannigan buying up real estate from the Irish Mob

• Kyou’s band of brothers figuring out who Brannigan actually is

• Ivan

• Feelings for one Brannigan Genovese

Oddly enough, it’s the feelings that get Kyou in the most trouble. Because when Brannigan is in danger, Kyou ignores all his brain’s protestations and breaks every rule he has to save the man, including his number one.

And damn the consequences.

Tags:

It’s not stalking (totally stalking), sleep is for the weak, coffee IS food, running-from-the-mob meet cute, Brannigan does stupid stuff to make Kyou call him, Kyou is utterly done, pansexual character, band of brothers, anxiety, family of choice, emotional growth, so simple a ten-year-old can do it, no really it’s not that hard, Kyou peopled last week, meddling, so much meddling, Irish Mobsters were hurt in the making of this book, Ivan’s actually serious for once, yes the world almost ended

Now Available on Amazon!

Review: How to Steal a Thief (Unholy Trifecta #2) by A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.5 🌈

How to Steal a Thief switches the spotlight to the thief of our found family, now that our assassin has his HEA, that’s Carter aka Smiley the merc, and daughter Remi happily in hand.

It’s now time for Ivan Azarov, aka Eidolon which means specter or phantom, a perfect code name for a expert thief. He’s on the hunt for a one of the rarest items known, the yellow 1855 Swedish Stamp, The Treskilling Yellow. Worth approximately $3 million.

Ivan’s a big exuberant man. Easily bored, highly intelligent, bisexual, though he tends more towards men, and he’s one to rush first, plan later. Although it’s does seem to work out for him. His background? That’s been missing until now.

Unlike Ari and Carter who were both within the same “working community “, here Sherwood pairs the Russian thief with someone on the outside, a physician trying to complete his residency. In other words, a naive soul.

That’s Aiden Stalworth. He’s actually a victim here. And that infuriates Ivan, especially as Aiden’s awful abusive family is so reminiscent of his own.

While their romance comes together relatively fast, they feel so compatible on the page that as a reader I got it and was invested in their relationship.

I wish Sherwood had explored a little more of Aiden’s relationship with his Grandmother, especially the fact that he kept from her that he was gay. Only afterwards, and until he’s in a relationship with Ivan, does he feel comfortable saying those words.

So Aiden’s coming out, here emotionally, growing… in so many ways. A fact he mentions as well.

He’s also being folded into the found family too.

Other aspects of the story include Ivan’s doubts about pulling Aiden into his world, a critical element which will come up again and again. These people are, after all, criminals.

Plus there’s the terrific mystery of where that Treskilling Yellow stamp is hidden! Plus you get more of Trixie, a secondary character I adore.

Not being a stamp collector, I had to look up the Swedish Treskilling. Yes it actually exists and yes, it’s one of the world’s rarest of items. I love that Sherwood uses it here.

At the end, Eidolon has his HEA and new love. What’s Aiden’s code name?

Find out in the next story.

It’s a great time and all things are tied up , and happily Evers are made for everyone!

This is another wonderfully written, fast paced, humorous romance. Love it and recommend it.

Unholy Trifecta series:

✓ How to Shield an Assassin #1

✓ How To Steal a Thief #2

✓ How to Hack a Hacker #3

Now live on Amazon

Synopsis:

Since when is playing Robin Hood part of the plan?

Pop into the unguarded apartment, find the multi-million dollar Treskilling stamp, pop back out. That’s it, that’s the entirety of Ivan’s plan.

What’s not part of the plan?

• Meeting the cute Aiden Stalworth

• Feeling guilty about trying to steal from the cute Aiden Stalworth

• Becoming Aiden’s “Robin Hood” and buying him all the things

• Playing bodyguard while searching for the stamp

• Being trusted completely by Aiden

Ivan very quickly realizes he needs a new plan:

• Seduce Aiden

• Protect him

• Find the stamp

Oh, and lick him. Licking Aiden needs to be part of the plan too. However, Ivan’s not sure how having his heart get stolen made it onto his list.

Tags:

Aiden does not appreciate being in peril, but Ivan likes protecting him, band of brothers, bisexual character, family of choice, experienced/inexperienced couple, strangest meetcute you’ve ever seen, don’t try and apply logic to this okay, just enjoy it, heist, Kyou is so done, Ivan is a walking disaster, crush at first sight, Ivan is one scary MoFo, be glad he’s on our side, assassinations as romantic gestures, stealing therapy, emotional growth, combat ballet, Carter and Ari are good wingmen, Ivan continues licking everything, including things he really shouldn’t, Remi’s the only sane one to be honest, no bedsheets were harmed in the making of this book, degrees of morality, healer acquired—quests can now be taken

Review: How to Shield an Assassin (Unholy Trifecta #1) by A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.5🌈

When I find a author I love , I’m like someone who’s been given a wonderful gift! So it’s with an unbridled enthusiasm that I attack everything in their catalog!

That’s the manner in which I came upon A.J. Sherwood’s Unholy Trifecta series! Honestly I wish I had more control because I binge read them all in one night.

Sigh.

But what a great night that was!

Each book gives a very memorable team member their happy ever after.

It sort of reads like a off bar joke..

There was an assassin, a thief, and a hacker…..

But in this case they form a found family….of criminals.

First up is Malvagio . Italian for Wicked. Also known as Ari Benelli, expert assassin.

When we meet him, he’s completing a job in Memphis and being followed. But the surprise is who is following him. It’s a 8-year old girl. One who’s been badly beaten.

The child abuse in the story has already occurred. We see the results scattered across the child’s face and body. Our imaginations fill in the rest.

This is also our first meeting with the girl who will become the glue to pull together the found family that’s to come. She’s Remi. Or will become Remi.

Events escalate quickly as Ari acquires a daughter and Remi a dad. I’ll let the reader find out how.

One aspect of this story is that the emotional damage Remi has experienced is never made light of. Throughout the story, her actions and words , which indicate to others that she’s still deeply traumatized , are taken notice of. And it’s mentioned that she’s in need of more help then they are giving her. I think that such a responsibility to show that the damage inflicted by child abuse doesn’t just vanish because they’ve been given a better living situation.

Kudos to the author here for that aspect of the story and her character.

The other members of the found family are folded in, Eidolon or Ivan the thief, and K or Kyou the Hacker. We get a great feeling and read on all of them through their interactions with the new family of Ari and Remi.

As all that is happening, so is the overall story arc of of art theft and new character intro of mercenary, Carter Harrison. That’s Ari’s love interest and he’s a wonderful one.

Carter’s a grand character who’s chemistry with the walled up Ari is perfect. This couple is so able to pull you into their world it’s hard to remember, one’s a mercenary and the other an assassin, with a daughter.

The crime is complicated, well thought out, and intelligent. I loved reading it and could see it acted out on screen. It’s a white knuckle hold your breath deal!

The ending was a little soft as I kept thinking something else was going to happen. But it’s just as well. Because the author has plans for it later on.

Suspense, humor, pathos, relationship dynamics that resonates…Sherwood put it all out there… in a criminal found family.

What a great suspenseful story and fantastic romance! Love the couple and found family, especially Remi.

Add this book and series to your TBR list. I’m highly recommending them.

Oh, make sure to read the short after the ending. It’s Remi’s POV on that night. Stunning.

Unholy Trifecta series:

✓ How to Shield an Assassin #1

✓ How To Steal a Thief #2

✓ How to Hack a Hacker #3

Now live on Amazon!

Synopsis;

It’s not stealing if you’re stealing it back….

Ari had a game plan for life. Shoot people. Get money. Hang out with fellow criminal friends. He saw absolutely no reason to change that plan until one dark night in Memphis, when a little girl reached out to him with pocket change and a desperate plea for him to help her.

Adopting an abused little girl off the streets was, needless to say, not part of the plan.

Ari has no idea what to do with an eight year old. Things get more complicated when a mercenary, Carter Harrison, approaches him with a job. He needs Ari’s expertise to get into the very high-security museum and steal back Monet’s “Water Lily Pond.”

The job isn’t an easy one. It will take more than the two of them to make it happen. The situation is further complicated because Ari’s not sure what to do with his new daughter while working this job. And for that matter, how’s he supposed to handle the sexy mercenary?

Tags:

Not child safe but child approved, children know best, Remi approves this book, idiots in love, but Remi loves them anyway, criminals make the best uncles, family of choice, Ari acknowledges Remi as the smarter one, Carter admits his own insanity, nothing blows up, Ivan is very disappointed by this, Kyou has PLANS for Remi, licking solves all problems, bedsheets, lifeskills, children should come with warning labels, it’s not stealing if you’re stealing it BACK, right?, the author once again regrets nothing

Review: Fluke and the Faithless Father (Fantastic Fluke #2) by Sam Burns

Rating: 5 🌈💫

After reading The Fantastic Fluke I had to immediately go to the next in the series to see what happens next. Imagine how surprised I was to find this (and probably all the other books) flow seamlessly from one to another.

The beginning here is exactly the last paragraphs of the ending of the first book so the narrative continues perfectly, picking up where the events left everyone evaluating how to go forward.

All the characters I have gotten to love, and a few I despise, are back. The interpersonal relationships are deepening. And the character growth and magical revelations just connect me even more closely with mage Sage McKinley, and his incredible found family that includes his cowboy mage (former ghost) boyfriend Gideon, his fabulous mage grandmother Iris McKinley and her staff/family as well as Rufus her familiar, Sage’s BFF and store partner Beez, Freddy, and last but never ever least … the amazing familiar Fluke the fox! Unfortunately there’s still Sage’s dads who are both a huge part of this story.

Both of them had enormous roles in damaging and traumatizing Sage, a element that has continued into the present. His biological father has remained in the bookstore Sage inherited, albeit in ghostly form, to taunt him daily, not content to have been just a miserable, horrible father to Sage while living.

The man Sage had loved and thought of as his real father and family, until he watched him murder his mother, is behind bars, convicted of the same murder that almost took Sage’s life too. And left him traumatized.

Both men and Sage’s past return here with real emotional impact.

I love found family stories and Burns is building a remarkable one while crafting a urban fantasy arc full of magic and mystery and quite a few murders.

Throw in how much damage a parent can inflict on a child’s personality by abuse, neglect, or, stunningly, unforeseen betrayal and murder, as Burns gives us a heartbreaking portrait of damaged adolescence and survival. And not just Sage’s.

Fluke and The Faithless Father is such a great story because of perseverance and strength and even grace shown by those under such awful conditions here. And the way in which they all triumph as they head to the next challenges.

It made me want to go back to the beginning and meet them all again, to see what I may have missed, recapture their wonderful spirits, before we head onto the next step.

I can already tell this is a journey I’ll want to take again with this remarkable family.

I’m highly recommending this book and series.

Again, a glorious cover.

The Fantastic Fluke Series:

✓ The Fantastic Fluke #1

✓ Fluke and the Faithless Father #2

◦ Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco #3

◦ Fluke and the Frontier Farce #4 – coming in 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showFluke and the Faithless Father by Sam Burns – Goodreads

Synopsis:

After escaping a murderer and resurrecting his boyfriend, Sage figures he deserves a little time to recover.

Unfortunately, life is rarely fair.

So instead of a break, he gets to deal with a magical law enforcement rookie asking uncomfortable questions about his brush with death. The quaesitor is acting downright suspicious. Or is it suspiciously?

Things go from awkward to dangerous when the man who murdered Sage’s mother is released from prison, and soon after there’s a break-in at the bookstore. The situation escalates so fast that Sage is afraid he’s going to end up with whiplash. Or worse, end up dead. He wanted a break, but not a permanent one.

Fluke and the Faithless Father is a direct sequel to The Fantastic Fluke, and should not be read first. It is an ~85k word novel that follows the continuing adventures of Sage, Fluke, Gideon, and their whole family, found and otherwise.

Review: Trial By Fire by B.A. Tortuga

Rating: 2.75 🌈

Trial By Fire is another cowboy n’ kids story similar to that group of books I recently talked about when I reviewed another similar novel by this author.

Two cowboys, this time one is from a large cattle station in Australia. Kid element is a baby who’s parents were the siblings of both cowboys, also a frequent pairing. And the siblings have just died in some accident, in this case a plane crash.

Here the story deviates as the men squabble over rights to the children (versus pulling together), warring parents, and almost immediate action and angst brought on by plot threads that seemed to arise out of nowhere. This on top of a surplus of storylines that just didn’t feel smooth and relatable.

That includes the romance between Holden Sheffield and Aussie Lachlan McCoughney. While both characters, indeed all the characters here are finely crafted, the author never really developed any real chemistry between the men. I never believed in an immediate attraction, let alone a “love at first sight’ dynamic.

I’m not sure if the issue was that Lachlan was a Aussie and missing that bone deep knowledge Tortuga has of her Texas/New Mexico/western cowboys .That entire Australian section,, from people to tiny things meant to be “Aussie “ fell flat against a Texas sky.

Especially since some of the other secondary characters were fully realized, including one who’s death and funeral elevated this story for its sheer poignancy and depth of feeling.

That romance? It felt rushed and unrealistic, while there were so many other elements piled on top almost as distractions.

Another real issue for me was the nonchalant way the author treated the characters future plans. The 6 months in Australia or in US, with a baby who’s a US citizen with one openly gay parent who is the legal guardian. Then casually mentioning marriage and adoption for the Aussie boyfriend/partner. All without taking into consideration Australian visas, LGBTQIA marriage laws with regard (and consideration for) the LGBTQIA community there. Were there any then considering this is a re-release?

LGBTQIA marriage, adoption, and Australian laws has been written about more widely and in depth by Australian authors. Usually accompanied by pain, frustration, waiting, and angst. Same about visas. So this lack of research was puzzling and seemingly showed a lack of care towards this serious topic imo. Realistically not going to be the “smooth sailing “ it’s made out to be here, even for the wealthy.

This story has some solid elements, some wonderful characters but together it’s never solidified. Just felt forced.

I love this author and have other books of hers to recommend. I’m just not sure this is one of them.

Great cowboy funeral though.

Synopsis:

One Aussie. One Texan. One baby. One hell of a fight.

When his sister and her husband are killed in an accident, Aussie cattle station owner Lachlan McCoughney rushes to Texas to rescue their infant daughter, Chloe. He expects to find his niece living in squalor with the Sheffields, a rodeo family.

Instead, Lachlan finds Holden Sheffield, a salt-of-the-earth cowboy running a huge business operation. They want to explore their mutual attraction despite the many problems thrown their way, and together, they must find a way to give Chloe a new family and find a love that spans thousands of acres and two continents

https://www.goodreads.com › showWeb resultsTrial by Fire by B.A. Tortuga – Goodreads

Review: Cowboy’s Law by B.A.Tortuga

Rating: 4.5 🌈

I love BA Tortuga’s cowboy and kids stories. The warmth, the amazing feel of love and family comes flowing through every scene and situation the characters encounter.

Whether it’s one of awkwardness, anger, fear, humiliation ( families, remember), hilarity, pain, and love, the overwhelming atmosphere is that of people who deeply respect and love each other. No matter what the exact nature of their biological ties might be. It’s family at its finest.

When bull rider Seth Rodgers adopts the family of his best friend, Pistol McMann when he died of cancer, his life was forever changed. He became Uncle Seth , in fact, dad, to five kids, overnight. It’s a life he’s found he was made for and he loves more than life.

Seth. And everyone of those children are intricately crafted to feel as alive and realistic as they come. Seth, tiny, wiry, energetic, determined, is every inch the ex bull rider, now organized family man with ranches to run. You can see him, weary , napping in front of the tv so clearly.

And every kid, yep, you will know them too. Each with their fears, strengths, funny moments, and ability to see through the grownup fabrications that occasionally get thrown out there. Love each and every one.

Law McMann , ex Army, disabled vet trying to see where he’s got a future, is a character easy to connect with. As he’s trying to reconnect with civilian life, he’s also trying to find himself a spot back into a family he’s never really known.

This is an emotional story of loss, recovery, reconnection, family, and love.

And on every level, at every stage, the author brings those challenges and themes together with our characters in a heartwarming story that will leave you smiling and happy.

Yes, I throughly enjoyed this! And am recommending it.

B.A. Tortuga

Synopsis: When rodeo cowboy Seth’s best friend dies unexpectedly from cancer, he finds himself taking on a ranch and a bunch of his friend’s younger siblings, because they have nowhere else to turn. Seth loves those kids like they’re his own, and he settles in well to his new life, which is why he’s pretty wary when his buddy’s older brother finally makes it home from a long stint in the military.

Law knows he might get a chilly reception at his brother Pistol’s old ranch, even if the kids living there are his half-siblings. He didn’t make it to his brother’s funeral, after all, but to his credit, he was blown up trying to come home to do just that. He’s fighting injuries and insecurity, but when Seth welcomes him to the family ranch, Law knows he’s pretty much in love. Even if he thinks Seth was his brother’s lover. Can these two find a way to let their emotions out before tragedy strikes their family again?

Review: The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad (Farthingdale Ranch #3) by Jackie North

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Once again I started a series in the he middle but I don’t think it will make much of a difference here. It’s easy to understand the couples and I’ll be going back to pick up on each of their individual romances after this one.

Why? Because I so thoroughly enjoyed my stay on the Farthingdale Ranch and felt as though I’d actually been there , walking the grounds, riding the trails and being a part of that found family.

This story was so moving. Both men experienced such growth, one in particular had undergone such a bad relationship that he’d been badly damaged emotionally and that had resulted in Erectile Dysfunction, a subject matter treated here gently, lovingly, and focusing towards healing the man . It was amazing.

Interwoven with recovery was a remarkable Father/daughter relationship. You can’t help but love Bea. She was a force of nature.

The core is Clay and Austin finding a way towards a healthy, happy HEA … a true family. It’s a slow tentative path but one made through communication and adjustments. And a respect for each other.

What a great story and remarkable universe. Great characters, marvelous setting, moving plot lines. There’s three more stories to come and two prior books. Oh what joy!

I love it when I fall in love with a series! I believe you will too.

Head over to the Farthingdale Ranch and grab up all the books!

Synopsis:

“If Austin has forgotten what love is, maybe Clay can show him the way.”

Happy-go-lucky Clay keeps busy with hookups at the local bar after working hard at the ranch. Those hookups used to be fun, but now they leave him empty.

Austin is reeling after a difficult divorce. His wife took everything, including full custody of his daughter, Bea, who is only nine.

Austin doesn’t know where his life is headed, but at least he’s got a roof over his head, and a new job as accountant at Farthingdale Ranch.

The job is exactly the kind of work he loves. The only problem is he’s distracted by Clay, who is gay. Austin is straight. There’s no way this can work.

A gay M/M cowboy romance with age gap, hurt/comfort, opposites attract, single dad, out for you, midnight rendezvous, friendship between men. A little sweet, a little steamy, with a guaranteed HEA.

Out now:

The Foreman and the Drifter #1

The Blacksmith and the Ex-Con #2

The Ranch Hand and the Single Dad #3

Coming Soon – The newest book in the Farthingdale Ranch Series! soon…..

The Wrangler and The Orphan #4

The Cook and the Gangster #5

The Trail Boss and the Brat #6

https://www.goodreads.com › showWeb resultsThe Ranch Hand and the Single Dad … – Goodreads

Cover Reveal for Inheritance (Deadly Curiosities #4) by Gail Z. Martin (with excerpt and giveaway)

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: Inheritance

Author: Gail Z. Martin

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Release Date: October 22, 2019

Genre/s: Urban fantasy with romantic elements.

(Note—Characters from my Morgan Brice (MM paranormal romance) books make several key appearances in this book.

Also, a long-time committed MM couple figure prominently in the plot).

Trope/s: Established relationships, strengthening commitment, supportive partners, protective partners

Themes: Friendship, found family, loyalty, family always has your back, trust

Heat Rating: 0 – 1 flame (No sex, kissing/hugging for MF and MM characters)

Length: 66 000 words/ 222 pages

It is the fourth book in the series but can be read as a standalone.

Add on Goodreads

Can Cassidy and her friends find the demon box, stop the killer ghosts, and break the Pendlewood curse before Beckford’s murderous cousins and the vengeful demon destroy them all?

Blurb

Cassidy Kincaide runs Trifles & Folly in modern-day Charleston, an antiques and curio shop with a dangerous secret. Cassidy can read the history of objects by touching them, and she teams up with friends and allies who use magic and paranormal abilities to get rid of cursed objects and keep Charleston and the world safe from supernatural threats.

Caribbean ghosts terrorize Charleston and start racking up a body count. Then Beckford Pendlewood, the heir to a powerful family of dark warlocks, shows up raving about a bound demon locked in a lost box and begs sanctuary. Can Cassidy and her friends find the demon box, stop the killer ghosts, and break the Pendlewood curse before Beckford’s murderous cousins and the vengeful demon destroy them all?

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Excerpt

From Chapter 1

“I have a problem antique I’d like you to take a look at.” The man on the other end of the call sounded rattled. I recognized his name—Alfred Stone, from Stone Auctions—but I didn’t think we had ever spoken, let alone met.

“What kind of ‘problem’ does it present?” I asked. A number of possibilities came to mind. “Questionable provenance? Not sure how to authenticate?”

“I think it’s trying to kill me.”

Well, damn. That kind of problem. “All right, Mr. Stone. Try to stay calm.”

“I just told you, it’s trying to kill me. I heard you…know…about these things. Please, help me.”

Across the store, Teag Logan glanced up to make sure everything was all right. I nodded, and he went back to helping a customer.

“I can come now. Are you at the showroom?”

“Yes. Thank you. And…please…hurry.”

I ended the call and sighed. This might be the first time Alfred Stone had an antique try to kill him, but that made it just another day here at Trifles and Folly.

I’m Cassidy Kincaide, and I own Trifles and Folly, an antique and curio shop in historic, haunted Charleston, South Carolina. The shop has been in my family for more than three hundred years. While we’re known as a great place to buy high-quality antiques, the shop is also a cover for the Alliance, a coalition of mortals and immortals who save Charleston—and the world—from supernatural threats. I’m a psychometric, which means I can read the history and magic of objects by touching them. Teag is my assistant store manager, best friend, and sometimes bodyguard—and he’s also a talented Weaver witch. Sorren, my business partner, is a nearly six-hundred-year-old vampire. Together with some other friends with very specialized abilities, we do our best to keep the world safe from dark magic and things that go bump in the night.

“Problem?” Teag asked when the customer left.

“I’m not sure,” I replied. “Alfred Stone just called—from the auction house. He says he’s got an item that’s trying to kill him.”

“You want me to go with you?” Teag pushed a lock of dark hair out of his eyes. His skater-boy haircut and skinny jeans made him look younger than his late twenties. “Maggie can handle the store.”

On cue, Maggie—our lifesaver of a part-time associate—waved to agree from the other side of the store. She was sporting a new bright pink streak in her short gray hair, and it matched her sweater, a reminder—as if I needed one—that she believed in taking risks and living large.

I reached up to slick my humidity-frizzy strawberry blond hair back into a ponytail and shook my head. “Let me go see what the problem is, and I’ll figure out what to do from there. It’s not far away, in case I need to give a shout.”

About the Author

Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, SOL Publishing, Darkwind Press, Worldbuilders Press and Falstaff Books. Recent books include Convicts and Exiles, Sellsword’s Oath, Inheritance, and Night Moves. With Larry N. Martin, she is the co-author of the Spells Salt & Steel, Wasteland Marshals, Joe Mack and Jake Desmet series. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance including the Witchbane, Badlands and Treasure Trail series. Recent books include The Rising, Flame and Ash.

Get a free complete short story, Catspaw here

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Don’t Miss Out On the Blog Tour for Behind the Stick, The Speakeasy #3 by K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn (excerpt and giveaway)

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Book Title: Behind the Stick, The Speakeasy #3

Author: K. Evan Coles and Brigham Vaughn

Publisher: Pride Publishing/Totally Entwined Group

Release Date: August 20, 2019

Genre/s: Contemporary, MM, Romance, Interracial, Erotic Romance

Trope/s: Bad Breakup, Hurt/Comfort, Interracial Relationship, Sex Buddies Become Lovers, Found Family

Themes: Family, Friendship, Family Conflict, Racial Intolerance, Forgiveness

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 97 045 words/370 pages

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Blurb

Kyle McKee lives a charmed life. He co-owns Under, an uptown speakeasy, where he is chief mixologist. Friends poke fun at Kyle’s tiny one-bed apartment in Chelsea, but they’re the best support system a man could ask for. Unfortunately, Kyle’s lackluster love life has led him to take a break from dating.

Harlem resident Luka Clarke is a lieutenant with Engine 47, the Pride of Morningside, where he carries on his father’s legacy with the FDNY. Luka, who is mixed race and bisexual, has his eye on Kyle, whom he met at a local burger joint and he just needs to make time to visit Kyle’s bar.

Before work one evening, Kyle is trapped inside the luncheonette when a fire breaks out. Luka’s firehouse answers the call and he connects with Kyle again under the most unexpected of circumstances. When Kyle gratefully invites Luka and the firehouse squad to Under, the flirting between the two men leads to a date.

Kyle and Luka quickly grow close, but Luka’s mother and sister distrust Kyle for being both white and gay. Luka believes his family will come around and accept Kyle in the end, but Kyle is not optimistic and hides his disquiet as attraction blossoms into love.

Kyle and Luka’s near-idyllic bubble is shattered one evening after a hate crime leaves them scarred, inside and out. Shaken, they put on a strong front but struggle inwardly against fear and personal demons. As the emotions seething beneath the surface finally come to a head, both men must decide if they have the strength to find love enough to conquer hate.

Reader advisory: This book contains references to non-nurturing parenting; homophobia; racism and racist slurs. There are references to recreational drug use. This book also contains scenes of mmmm ménage and characters caught in fire.

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Excerpt

Kyle McKee set down his gym bag and yoga mat and pulled up a seat at his gym’s juice bar. The class he’d taken had warmed his skin and stretched his muscles and joints to their limits. He felt like the world’s most relaxed slab of single New York man, which was good for Kyle’s state of mind. He’d been stressed lately, about his love life in particular. Because damn if every guy he’d been out with in the last two months hadn’t turned out to be a shitheel of epic proportions. So much so, Kyle had decided to stop dating entirely.

Eyes closed, Kyle forced away thoughts of dating catastrophes. He rolled his neck from side to side but peeled his lids open again when the chair on his left slid back and his friend Malcolm Elliot dropped into the seat. Malcolm gave Kyle a lazy grin. At six-three, he stood a few inches taller than Kyle, and he looked rosy-cheeked and loose limbed, his blue-gray eyes shining.

“I am a man-sized untwisted pretzel,” Malcolm said. “I’m not sure what that means, so don’t ask.”

“You’re yoga-stoned, dude.” Kyle smiled at Malcolm’s laugh.

“Is that a thing?”

“Totally a thing.”

Malcolm narrowed his eyes at Kyle. “You’re the one with the bloodshot eyes—what did you do after class?”

“Ugh, nothing but itch from allergies. Ragweed is my kryptonite.” Kyle pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers, then nodded at the menu on the wall behind the counter. “What are you drinking?”

“I’ll do a Kale Storm with protein,” Malcolm said.

Kyle held up a hand when Malcolm reached for his wallet. “I’ll grab these—you paid last week.” He smiled at the barista who’d stepped up to take their order. “A Kale Storm with a protein powder shot and a Peanut Butter Baby with chia, please. You headed home after this?” he asked Malcolm.

Malcolm shook his head. “I’ve got errands to run. My kitchen has mysteriously emptied itself of food since my brother and his girlfriend came back to town. What about you?”

“I’m opening tonight, so I’ll just head to the bar. I have extra clothes at the office I can change into.” Kyle co-owned a speakeasy called Under with his friend Jesse Murtagh and, while he loved his job, the commute uptown from Chelsea to Morningside Heights could be a pain in the ass. He welcomed the option to skip extra stops when he could.

Malcolm ran his gaze over Kyle’s gray Henley and dark jeans. “You could always serve in what you’re wearing, you know. You’d blow Jesse’s mind.”

Kyle covered a theatrical gasp with one hand. “I would never!” His preference for black or dark gray clothing while working was a source of gentle teasing among his friends. “Seriously, I don’t feel like I’m working unless I’ve got my blacks on. I’ve done it for so long it’s just part of how I do my job.”

About the Authors

K. Evan Coles

K. Evan Coles is a mother and tech pirate by day and a writer by night. She is a dreamer who, with a little hard work and a lot of good coffee, coaxes words out of her head and onto paper.

K. lives in the northeast United States, where she complains bitterly about the winters, but truly loves the region and its diverse, tenacious and deceptively compassionate people. You’ll usually find K. nerding out over books, movies and television with friends and family. She’s especially proud to be raising her son as part of a new generation of unabashed geeks.

K.’s books explore LGBTQ+ romance in contemporary settings.

K. Evan Coles

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Brigham Vaughn

Brigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.

Her books range from short stories to novellas. They explore gay, bisexual, lesbian, and polyamorous romance in contemporary settings.

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