Tag: Lesbian fiction

Book Blitz – Cinnamon and Cigarettes by Samantha Kate (excerpt and giveaway)

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Title: Cinnamon and Cigarettes

Author: Samantha Kate

Publisher: Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Release Date: June 1, 2016

Heat Level: 3

Pairing: F/F

Length: 88,800 words

Genre/Tags: Contemporary, Bisexual, Lesbian Romance, New Adult

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Synopsis

Sara Clarke, recent college grad, is sweet, demure, and cautious in all things, but especially romance—until she meets Moira Estrada, a bold amateur pilot and patron at the library where Sara works. Their intimacy blooms rapidly as they share everything from a sudden medical emergency to Christmas with the Estrada family. With her dashing new girlfriend by her side, Sara learns to overcome some of her greatest fears, whether they be acknowledging her own bisexuality, flying across the sky in a Cessna, or falling in love for the first time.

But Sara’s fear of confrontation is harder to conquer. When asked about her relationship, she finds herself lying to her family, pretending to date a man so she can avoid conflict with her straight-laced and image-conscious parents. But her attempts to please everyone cannot last forever and could result in far worse than her parents’ disapproval: she might lose the respect of her new friends at the library, or become estranged from her sister—or, worst of all, Sara might lose the only person she’s ever truly loved.

Excerpt

Moira pulled her key-ring out of her pocket, plucking out a large silver key from her collection. “Fasten your seat belt. We’re starting the engine now.”

She inserted the key; the plane gave a small lurch as the engine burst to life beneath Sara’s feet, and the propeller began to spin. This engine was nothing like the smooth start of a car; it ignited with a roar, like a motorcycle gunning to maximum velocity, and within moments that sound was pierced with sharp, rhythmic bursts from the propeller’s increasing oscillation. The sound was cacophonous; Sara put her hands to her ears, to block out a fraction of the din.

Amid the noise, she heard Moira speaking into her microphone. “Fairways Air Control, this is Lamassu. Oil pressure gauge is green, transponder is on. Are you receiving transmission?…Okay, thank you. Requesting permission to taxi to Runway Three…You’re the man, sir.”

Sara smiled faintly at her pilot. Moira’s combination of aviation jargon and casual slang was, admittedly, really endearing. So was the way her eyes widened as she scanned the blinking lights and bright monitors in front of her, grinning gleefully, looking simultaneously mischievous and reverent.

“Hang on,” Moira said, removing one hand from the controller and fumbling around by her feet. “I forgot to give you your intercom.” She withdrew another pair of headphones, handing them over. “These will help with the noise.”

Sara put on her headphones; the cacophony was quelled into the distance, now just a background ambiance. In the forefront now was Moira’s voice, smooth and sanguine, every word spoken directly in Sara’s ears.

“Removing parking brake now,” Moira said, a hand reaching out to pull the brake knob near Sara’s knee. The plane slid forward, and Sara gulped, hoping to keep her stomach from lurching as well. “Beginning taxi.”

They slid along the main “road” at a slow crawl. Sara noted each white stripe that passed by until they’d arrived at one of the runways; they did a slow 90-degree turn until they faced the open road. It was barely wide enough to accommodate the plane’s wings, and the forest was perhaps a mile ahead. Was that really enough space for them to take off? Even in such a small aircraft? Wouldn’t it take a massive amount of acceleration to lift them into the air? Was this even possible? Was it—

“Trim and flaps set,” said the voice in Sara’s ear, shaking her out of her fretting. Moira had a more “official” tone now, like one might hear over an automated line, with measured rising and falling inflections. “Engine temperature normal. Wingtip strobes on. Airspeed indicator reads zero.”

Sara fidgeted with the boom mic on her headphones. “That’s a lot of things to know about,” she whispered into it.

Moira turned her head, smiled, and put one hand on Sara’s knee. “That it is. But I’ve had my license for almost four years now, and if I were a shit pilot, they wouldn’t let me waltz back in those doors.” She grinned. “I’m going to bring you home safe, Sara. I promise.”

Sara nodded slowly.

“Okay,” Moira continued, pulling her hand back and gripping the throttle, “Lamassu departing now.”

She pushed the throttle in, gradually but firmly, and they lurched forward, slowly at first, but soon they were gathering speed—the pine trees lining the runway lost the detail of their branches and needles, and soon they were a blur of dark teal and mossy green, punctuated by open field—and Sara’s stomach was shoved down and back into the seat; she felt like where she once had flesh and sinew and blood there was now only a void, an empty space filling itself with nothing but the rush of incoming air—

“Okay, Sara, we’re going to lift off—now!”

Sara hadn’t known what it was like to lose the ground beneath her until this moment, when Lamassu’s nose flicked up and an anchor tied around her feet her whole life came undone, evaporated, dissipated into the afternoon sunlight—she realized it existed only when it ceased to exist. Suddenly there was space around her in every direction; she was now bound by nothing. The seat belt wrapped snug around her waist, the windshield ahead, the pane of glass a few inches from her right cheek—they seemed trivial, insignificant, incapable of truly binding her when the space beneath her feet was exponentially expanding.

“You’ve taken flight, dear.”

Soon the white lines beneath them vanished as well, as the runway shrank down, becoming a tiny part of a tiny complex that was quickly passing beneath and behind, no longer required, no longer relevant. She needed nothing in the air, only that constant whir of propeller oscillation, the humming of the engine, and the whipping of wind through the microscopic crack between the window and the fuselage. She almost thought she might float above her own seat, no longer subject to earth’s gravitational force.

“How are you feeling?”

Even Moira’s voice was distant now.

“I’m fine,” she said, in a tone that was half hummed, half spoken. She reached one hand up to the windowpane, tracing random curves along the glass with a couple of fingers. “I…I’m flying.”

“That you are.” Moira dropped her professional tone, her voice wrapping snugly around Sara’s head again. “And how does it feel?”

Even the trees were shrinking away now, becoming indistinct clusters of viridian mixed with a soft palette of mossy and earthy hues, separated by strips of gray asphalt drawing mechanical grids along the earth. She looked ahead, and for the first time took in the sky; its cerulean blue spread out infinitely across the horizon, accented with a few wispy cirrus clouds and an occasional burst of gold light reflecting from nearby lakes.

“It’s liberating.”

“Perfect.” Moira pressed a few more buttons, and the plane gently pitched forward, sliding into a consistent altitude. Within a few minutes they leveled off, thousands of feet above the earth, the bustling metropolis a mere memory behind them.

Purchase

Torquere Press

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Meet the Author

Samantha Kate works as a paralibrarian (that’s library support staff) for her day job. In her free time, she tries to pursue more creative projects than is humanly possible. Cinnamon and Cigarettes is her first novel; her short story, “Bottom of the River,” was published in Torquere Press’ Twisted Fables anthology in February 2016.

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Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: One winner will be selected to win an eBook copy of Cinnamon and Cigarettes.

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Morning Coffee Sip and Book Break with ‘Fistful of Love’ by Renee Cronin (excerpt and giveaway)

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Fistful of Love by Renee Cronin

Release Date: April 4, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Renee Cronin
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Blurb

At the age of 23, social worker, Jeya Wellington was pretty much on her own. The devastating loss of her parents left her bereft and alone. Her best friend, Roman and his family have been like surrogates, but they could never replace what she lost. She needed a different connection. Shortly after losing her parents, she finds love and comfort in the arms of Rayne Watson, a correctional officer.

Rayne was exactly what she needed at the time, but now, two years later, Jeya wants out. She never expected love to come with bruises. She didn’t anticipate losing friends and living in fear. This was not her idea of true love. With the support of Roman, Jeya finds a way to leave. But Rayne isn’t letting go that easily. They made a commitment to each, and she has the tattoo to prove it – ‘Til Death Do Us Part.

Torn between the love she has for Rayne and the instinct to protect herself, is Jeya’s will stronger than her vow?

 

Pages or Words: 46,323
 Categories: Lesbian Fiction, Domestic Violence

Excerpt

It’s over.

Two simple words, intended to signify the end, were instead just the beginning. Jeya took a deep breath, and the pain that pierced her side served as the reminder she needed. She hit the send button. Unexpected relief instantly washed over her. “I did it. Step one. Now for step two.” Jeya placed her phone on the bed and stood up to double-check her suitcase. Going over the checklist in her mind, she felt confident that she had the essentials. A week away from home required more than she’d anticipated, but she had no intention of returning until the rainstorm had passed. Jeya took a second to acknowledge the double entendre of the word. Her girlfriend, Rayne, was definitely a hurricane. Her temper was unpredictable and left damage in its wake similar to that which Hurricane Gloria had. She knew she’d be safer at Roman’s house for the next several days.

The lyrics to “Dangerously in Love” cursed the air. The perfect ringtone to describe her relationship. She braced herself as she walked to the bed and picked up the phone. Jeya anticipated nothing less than an explosive response from her short-tempered girlfriend.

Buy the book: Amazon

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Meet the Author

Renee Cronin is a self-professed devour of knowledge, and a voracious reader. She began writing in earnest in 2005, when the characters in her head became so loud she was forced to tell their stories, or risk getting swept away into the abyss of her imagination. Renee has since used writing as a personal outlet to express her feelings, ideas, views, thoughts, and opinions about the world and the issues that impact her on a deep personal and societal level. (And of course writing also quiets the voices in her head of the many characters that are yearning to have their stories told.) Renee’s inspiration to publish is in large part due to the overwhelming display of encouragement, and support from family and friends, who believe she has a gift with words that need to be shared with world. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, she works in the social work field avidly advocating and supporting the varied needs of the people in her community. Renee is a bibliophile with a transcendent love for words. Her soul yearns for the acoustic stylings from a plethora of musical genres. As she continues on this journey of published author she hopes to keep her readers captivated and pining for more.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

4-Apr: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Full Moon Dreaming

11-Apr: Molly Lolly, Charley Descoteaux

18-Apr: Unquietly Me, Velvet Panic, Bayou Book Junkie

25-Apr: Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

2-May: TTC Books and More, BFD Book Blog

9-May: Prism Book Alliance, Love Bytes

15-May: Inked Rainbow Reads, MM Good Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook

23-May: A.M. Leibowitz, Oh My Shelves, Rednecks and Romance, Dawn’s Reading Nook

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win Rafflecopter Prize: $15 gift card to Amazon and an e-copy of book.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
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Early Morning Coffee Sip and Book Break with ‘The Better To Kiss You With’ by Michelle Osgood (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

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The Better To Kiss You With by Michelle Osgood
Release Date: April 21, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: Monika Gross

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is so happy to have  Michelle Osgood author of The Better to Kiss You With sitting in our author interview chair this morning.   Hi,  Michelle thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Hi, thanks for having me! I’m a writer who lives in Vancouver, BC, with my partner Elizabeth and our two black cats.  I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and have been fascinated with storytelling for as long as I can remember.  The Better to Kiss You With is a paranormal romance about Deanna, the moderator of an online werewolf role playing game, who falls for the mysterious woman living above her.

  • Tell us something no one else knows about your characters.

All of Deanna’s passwords are pop-culture references.

  • Have you ever written something that made you cry?

I have.  When you care about characters it’s difficult when they suffer a setback or a loss—even when you’re the one responsible for it!  I always feel a little self-indulgent after I clean up the tissues, but I try to remind myself that if I care about my characters this much, hopefully so will my readers.

  • Have you ever co-written with someone before?

Yes!  I have a close friend who I’ve worked with in the past, and we’ve been talking seriously about co-writing again.  He’s one of the best worldbuilders I’ve ever met.  He can create these amazingly complex plots and worlds and storylines, and I just want to play around in them.

  • What is the most difficult part of writing for you?

For a long time it was tough for me to see a plot through.  I would have so many different ideas and so many things I wanted to write about, that after a few thousand words I’d be paralyzed with indecision.  Now I write those ideas down and save them for later, because I know I’m not going to write only one thing.

  • Name your four most important food groups.

Popcorn, pasta, cheese, and wine.

Thanks, Michelle.  Now more about…

The Better To Kiss You With by Michelle Osgood

Blurb

Deanna, the moderator for Wolf’s Run, an online werewolf role-playing game, wanders the local forest with her dog Arthur and daydreams about Jaime, the attractive, enigmatic woman who lives upstairs. When threats from an antagonistic player escalate, Deanna wonders if her job could be riskier than she’d ever imagined—and if her new girlfriend knows more about this community than she had realized.

 

Pages or Words: 182 pages
 Categories: Contemporary, Lesbian Romance, Paranormal

 

Excerpt

“I think I know blood when I see it,” Deanna pointed out. “It was definitely blood.”

Beside her on the floor, Nathan leaned his head back against the couch and, behind the black frames of his glasses, rolled his bright blue eyes. “I’m not saying it wasn’t blood. But just, like, blood happens.”

“‘Blood happens.’ You sound like a tampon commercial.”

“Not true.” Nathan snickered over the top of his glass. “They never use the word ‘blood.’”

Deanna choked on a mouthful of wine.

“Anyway,” Nathan continued, “it was probably just a dead animal. Dogs love that stuff.”

“He wasn’t happy, though. He was scared. Something scared him. And Arthur’s brave. He doesn’t scare easily.” Deanna wiped the Pinot Gris from her chin and they both leaned forward to look at Arthur, who was sprawled artlessly on top of his dog bed and snoring loudly. Deanna smothered a giggle with the back of her hand and grabbed the bottle of wine.

“Just don’t confuse fantasy with reality. I think your job is messing you up.”

Deanna snorted. “Wolf’s Run is a just game, Nathan. I haven’t forgotten that.”

“Really? Because you’re talking about mysterious bodies torn up in the woods, and if that doesn’t sound like werewolves…”

Deanna gave Nathan a shove. “Ha, ha, very funny. I’m not like that weirdo who thinks that werewolves actually exist. It’s role-playing. Playing being the key word.”

For the most part, the players of Wolf’s Run were a good crowd—with the exception of one user who seemed to think that he actually was a werewolf. Apparently, he took offense to the game’s depictions of “his species,” considering them inaccurate and insulting. The rants had been going on for months, and the situation would have been laughable, except that in the last few weeks his posts had taken on a more threatening tone. Every time Deanna deleted his posts and blocked his username he simply created another account. The Wolf’s Run team didn’t want to block his IP address because IP addresses could be shared by a large number of people, and doing so might block legitimate players from the game. Besides, it was child’s play to circumvent a block by logging in from a third-party app or web service, or just logging in from a different location. Deanna could only shut him down and hope that this time he finally gave up.

“Well, then just accept that Arthur found a bunny rabbit or something and decided it would be a good idea to roll around in its mangled corpse.”

Deanna shook her head. “You didn’t see him. It was a lot of blood.” It had taken two desperately unpleasant baths and an entire bottle of shampoo to get Arthur clean. Deanna had had to scrub her bathtub three times before she’d felt comfortable using it again.

Nathan grabbed her hand with his long, thin fingers. “Listen, you’re my best friend, and I love you, and I’m sure that it was really terrifying, but I’m also one hundred percent sure that you are blowing this way out of proportion. No more fantasy werewolf role playing nonsense for you.”

“Until my shift starts in…” Deanna tapped the screen of her phone. “Ten hours.”

“Until then,” Nathan agreed and clinked their glasses. “Now, tell me more about your hot neighbor.”

Deanna buried her head in her hands and groaned. “It’s awful. She’s gorgeous. And I can’t think around her. Or speak. I turn into a spluttering sixth grader with her first crush.”

“That’s disgusting and adorable. Tell me more. What’s her name?”

 

Buy the book

 

 

 

Meet the author:

Michelle Osgood lives in Vancouver, BC, with her partner Elizabeth and their two cats. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and has been reading, writing and blogging in online communities for five years. She likes to read romance novels, speculative fiction and feminist pop culture critique.

Where to find the author:

 


BannerTemplateTour Dates & Stops:

21-Apr: BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Hearts on Fire, Bayou Book Junkie

22-Apr: My Fiction Nook, Kirsty Loves Books, Inked Rainbow Reads, Happily Ever Chapter

25-Apr: Oh My Shelves, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Louise Lyons, A.M. Leibowitz

26-Apr: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Havan Fellows, Open Skye Book Reviews

27-Apr: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Butterfly-O-Meter, Prism Book Alliance

28-Apr: Nephy Hart, QUEERcentric Books, Emotion In Motion, Unquietly Me

29-Apr: Chris McHart, Velvet Panic, Book Reviews and More by Kathy

2-May: Charley Descoteaux, Love Bytes, Bonkers About Books

3-May: Alpha Book Club, Cathy Brockman Romances, Rednecks and Romance, MM Good Book Reviews

4-May: Dawn’s Reading Nook, Divine Magazine, Molly Lolly

Final

Giveaway

 

Enter to win Rafflecopter Prize: Grand Prize: $25 Interlude Press gift card. 5 first prizes of e-copies of The Better to Kiss You With by Michelle Osgood.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
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An Aurora YA Review: Angel Radio by A.M. Blaushield

Rating: 5 out of 5     .★★★★★

angel RadioIt is on the cusp of summer that strange angels of eyes and wings appear throughout the world, and a week later all of humanity is dead. Except one girl. Months later, Erika Cantor continues to wander her desolate hometown without purpose or answers—until a strange radio broadcast sends her into the dangerous world outside—a world past civilization, whose only inhabitants are monsters and demons.

There, Erika meets Midori, a naïve girl with a cryptic connection to the angels, and Gav, a boy who seems to have knowledge he refuses to share with Erika. The appearance of the mysterious Fex raises even more questions. Can he be trusted?

 As Erika travels across Vermont searching for some remnant of society, she learns that there’s a reason she survived—that the angels, horrid creatures that they are—have a plan for her.

The action in this book starts right off the bat, which is a good thing in some ways and a not-so-good thing in others. I was really intrigued by the concept of the book, and the things that did happen within the first chapter really interested me, so I was compelled to keep reading. However, the nature of the book is that it starts out pretty directly with our main character alone in the world, or thinking that she is, at least. This definitely bolsters the stakes and makes it interesting to find out what’s going to happen next. However, there is very limited character interaction because of it. While I did understand this, I would have liked to have seen some more interaction between Erika and her parents, or even with some of her friends at school who were panicking, before we got to at least a whole chapter where I didn’t get to see Erika interact with anyone but herself.

 
For me, I was interested in Erika, I was intrigued by the way she thought about things, and her narration was interesting enough that I wanted to read if only to see what would happen to her. This is master characterization on the part of the author, because it wasn’t too overt, Erika didn’t just tell the readers exactly what her personality was. There were little comments here and there, little shifts in attitude from what would have been perceived as normal, that hinted as to Erika’s eccentricities. And it was enough to keep me interested through her journey until she met up with some other characters. Really, the whole book contained really strong characters. No one seemed one dimensional, apart, perhaps, from the people who were introduced in the first chapter and dead before it was over. The characters who were still alive were interesting within a paragraph of being introduced, sometimes in as much as a sentence.
 
And the plot wasn’t lacking either. Once it got on its feet and got past the set up for the book, the angels coming, Erika leaving home, it was captivating until the end of the book. An original idea is good, but keeping the plot engaging beyond that initial idea can be challenging. This book didn’t struggle with that at all, and definitely kept me interested beyond just the tagline of ‘angels destroy humanity.’ 
 
This book wasn’t your typical YA dystopian novel. It flourished with engaging characters, a stellar plot throughout, and lots of imagery to help the movie in my head.
 
The cover for this book is so beautiful. It definitely caught my eye from the moment I saw it, and drew me to the book really effectively. Some people have problems with a main character being pictured on the cover, but I actually liked having that drawing to flip back to and put an already constructed face to the name. It is really well done and shows great artistic ability, as well as being paired up just perfectly with the tone and plot of the book. It looks like a cover the main character could have chosen for herself.
Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 250 pages
Published December 31st 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634762800 (ISBN13: 9781634762809)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Cover reveal for Voss Porter’s ‘The Wrong Kind of Woman’ (excerpt and giveaway)

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 Release Date: February 18, 2016

 Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dark Hollows Press
Cover Artist: Eden Connors

Blurb

All of her life, Dana Anderson has done what was expected of her. She put herself through school, she worked hard for her career, and she held her brother together even after the loss of both parents. As summer comes, and her inhibitions lower, however, she finds herself face-to-face with danger, mystery and an illogical chance at true love. Will rough and ready biker, Bri Gunner, be the woman of her dreams? Or will the heat of their passing flame burn out?

 

Pages or Words: 86,412 words
 Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Lesbian Romance, Romance

Excerpt

“You have one bathroom for five hundred people and no soap, but you have hand sanitizer on the sink? This place makes no sense. None.”

Throwing open the door—an exaggerated explanation for nudging it back open with her aforementioned shoe—she reached down into her purse, fumbling for her cell phone and ran smack into a chest.

A decidedly muscular, hard-bodied chest.

That was a good twelve inches higher than her own chest, which was momentarily surprising.

Only, the giant, hard-bodied chest was a brick wall of the female variety. Blessedly, wholeheartedly, carnally female.

With a very serious piece of hardware in her belt, and not at all the enticing, strap-on variety.

“What the hell?” Fury flared before common sense prevailed, and she shoved out with her hands.

Looking up, the breath stolen from her lungs, she stared head-on at the tallest, most eerily beautiful woman she had ever before seen in her life. Gargantuan, really, if gargantuan is an adjective applied to women not bound by the covers of paranormal romance novels, with a seductively menacing frame that was well over the six-foot standard (well over the six and a half foot standard), this woman was enormous. Her hair, super short and blonde, was so light it was nearly white, and she had high cheekbones that betrayed a sense of genetic refinement so common in Europeans. Her eyes were the palest green, and there were freckles—only a dusting—over a slightly upturned nose, with skin a lovely shade of medium beige, just bright enough that it was vaguely human and just pale enough to make her a contender for the Cullen clan. Her lips…. Well, her lips were drawn into a sort of tight sneer, dripping with derision that leant itself to the rest of her person; every gangling, corded inch was cloaked in a snug black tee and straight-legged denim trousers that rode low on her narrow hips. The reinforced metal toe of her boot tapped impatiently on the tile floor—holy shit, why is there travertine in the back of a biker bar?—and when she opened her mouth speak, Dana could not help but wonder if her voice would match the rest of her—hard, implacable and more intoxicating than the very finest of wines.

Shit, I really need to get laid. I’m fantasizing about a security guard. Her fantasies were beginning to cloud the rigid faces of reality, namely that there was a large, silver pistol in the waistband of the aforementioned denim trousers and Lady MacGyver was probably hankering to use it.

“You should not be back here,” Sexy King Kong growled, slamming the metal tray she held in her hands down onto a sink in the background. Her voice was five octaves lower than it should have been, and filled with husk and combed intensity.

Buy the book: Amazon

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Meet the Author:

Voss Porter holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies from Francis Marion University and has been writing for pleasure from the age of six. She is a married mother of two human children and four canine progeny, a proud lesbian in an LGBTQ community that is yet undiscovered, and a passionate supporter of area humane initiatives. Her debut novel, The Right Kind of Woman, was published by Dark Hollows Press in December of 2015.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Happily Ever Chapter, Charley Descoteaux, My Fiction Nook, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, A.M. Leibowitz, MM Good Book Reviews, Divine Magazine, Inked Rainbow Reads, Havan Fellows, Cate Ashwood, Foxylutely Book Reviews. The Jena Wade, Unquietly Me, Kirsty Loves Books, Bonkers About Books, Ogitchida Book Blog, Tasty Wordgasms, Velvet Panic

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘The Wrong Kind of Woman’ by Voss Porter.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. LInk and prize provided by the author and  Pride Promotions.

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Its a Return to Bluewater Bay with Stuck Landing (Bluewater Bay #11) by Lauren Gallagher (tour and contest)

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Stuck Landing (A Bluewater Bay Novel) by  Lauren Gallagher
Publisher:  Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Buy It here at Riptide Publishing

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Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/Lauren Gallagher blog tour for Stuck Landing, the latest installment in the Bluewater Bay series!

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off my backlist (excluding Stuck Landing but including titles written as L.A. Witt, Ann Gallagher, or Lori A. Witt) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 19. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget your email or contact info so Riptide can reach you if you win!

About Lauren Gallagher

Lauren Gallagher is an abnormal romance writer who has recently been exiled from the glittering utopia of Omaha, Nebraska, to an undisclosed location in South America. Along with her husband, a harem of concubines, and a phosphorescent porcupine, she remains, as always, in hiding from the Polynesian Mafia. For the moment, she seems to have eluded her nemesis, M/M romance author L.A. Witt, but figures L.A. will eventually become bored with the wilds of Spain and come looking for her. And when that time comes, Lauren will be ready. Assuming L.A. doesn’t have her hands full keeping track of Lori A. Witt and Ann Gallagher, which she probably will.

Website:  “http://www.gallagherwitt.com/
E-mail:  mailto:gallagherwitt@gmail.com
Twitter:  “http://twitter.com/GallagherWitt“@GallagherWitt

About Stuck Landing

For months, acclaimed Wolf’s Landing director/producer Anna Maxwell has been nursing a crush on Natalya Izmaylova, a former Russian gymnast and current Wolf’s Landing stunt coordinator. When Anna witnesses Natalya’s very public breakup with her boyfriend, she can’t resist inviting her over for drinks to commiserate about love and all that nonsense. Commiseration doesn’t last long, and soon Anna’s in bed with the hottest woman she’s ever touched, living out fantasies she didn’t even know she had.

Despite the amazing sex, Anna wants to proceed with caution. They’re both newly single. They’re colleagues. And there’s the not-so-small matter of Anna’s biphobia.

Natalya won’t commit to someone who clings to ridiculous stereotypes, but they can’t avoid each other at work, and there’s no ignoring their chemistry. Anna’s defenses are slowly eroding, and Natalya is willing to give her another chance. But Natalya only has so much patience, and even scorching-hot sex won’t keep her coming back forever. If Anna doesn’t come to her senses soon and let go of her prejudices—not to mention her insecurities—she’s going to lose the woman of her dreams.

Bluewater Bay

Welcome to Bluewater Bay! This quiet little logging town on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula has been stagnating for decades, on the verge of ghost town status. Until a television crew moves in to film Wolf’s Landing, a soon-to-be cult hit based on the wildly successful shifter novels penned by local author Hunter Easton.

Wolf’s Landing’s success spawns everything from merchandise to movie talks, and Bluewater Bay explodes into a mecca for fans and tourists alike. The locals still aren’t quite sure what to make of all this—the town is rejuvenated, but at what cost? And the Hollywood-based production crew is out of their element in this small, mossy seaside locale. Needless to say, sparks fly.

This collaborative story world is brought to you by eleven award-winning, best-selling LGBTQ romance authors: L.A. Witt, L.B. Gregg, Z.A. Maxfield, Aleksandr Voinov, Heidi Belleau, Rachel Haimowitz, Anne Tenino, Amy Lane, SE Jakes, G.B. Gordon, and Jaime Samms. Each contemporary novel stands alone, but all are built around the town and the people of Bluewater Bay and the Wolf’s Landing media empire.

– See more at: Riptide Publishing’s Bluewater Bay page.

*A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Must Read Series

Greek Mythology Comes to Life with MINOTAUR by J.A. Rock (guest post and giveaway)

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MINOTAUR by J.A. Rock

Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Art by  Imaliea

Buy it at Riptide Publishing

Hi! I’m J.A. Rock, and I’m touring the internet with my new release, MINOTAUR, a queer fantasy/horror reimagining of the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur. And there’s a giveaway involved! I’m giving one reader a chance to win Lost in a Jigsaw, the puzzle that nearly destroyed my sanity a few years ago (but provided hours of fun, I swear), as well as a $15 Riptide voucher.


Thanks so much to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for having me here today, and to everyone following the tour.  Here’s today’s look at MINOTAUR.

The Legend of the Minotaur

There are many versions of the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur. The basic story is that King Minos of Crete’s wife, Queen Pasiphae, was cursed by Poseidon to fall in love with a bull. She slept with the bull and gave birth to a monster that was half-man, half-bull, which King Minos then had shut up in a labyrinth so complicated, no one could get out of it alive.

Every year, seven Athenian men and seven Athenian women were sent to the labyrinth as tributes to keep the Minotaur satisfied. Theseus eventually decided to go into the labyrinth as one of the tributes and kill the Minotaur. To ensure he could find his way out, Princess Ariadne, Minos’s daughter, gave Theseus a ball of thread, so that he could tie one end to the labyrinth’s door and follow the thread back to the entrance.

I didn’t actually know the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur terribly well when I started Minotaur. My mom had a book of Greek myths she read to me from when I was a kid, and I liked the story of the labyrinth because I was obsessed with mazes. Loving mazes is a thing. I reacquainted myself with the legend by reading it over a couple of times before I started writing, but I wasn’t looking to do a blow-by-blow retelling of the myth. Nor was I looking to do anything specific and agenda-driven, like “a feminist retelling of the Minotaur story.”

What I did want to do was explore themes of heroism, sacrifice, self-discovery, and what makes a monster. Minotaur takes place in an unspecified time based very loosely on the 1930s, and centers on an angry orphan, Thera, whose fascination with a legendary beast comes in part from the wickedness she perceives in herself. Years before Thera was born, a young woman gave birth to a baby she couldn’t care for, and the baby grew into the Minotaur, a half-woman, half-bull who terrorized the town of Rock Hill before she was trapped in a labyrinth. Now the town feeds her tributes in the form of orphans and criminals in order to keep her satisfied in her prison.

There are characters in Minotaur who have counterparts in the legend—though Thera is almost an anti-Theseus, drawn to the labyrinth for selfish reasons, and frustrated by society’s willingness to deem grand acts “heroic” while failing to recognize more subtle, honest displays of loyalty and courage as anything other than recklessness and stupidity.

What I love about the original myth is the way you just kind of have to roll with it. Pasiphae was cursed to fall in love with a bull? Okay, why not. The king had Daedalus build a massive labyrinth to contain the Minotaur? Sure. Myths are stories where so much seems to be going on below the surface, and yet they’ve been reduced to easily digestible two or three paragraph tales.

I didn’t care so much about being true to the legend as I did about showing what might lie under the surface in a story like Theseus’s, or Thera’s. Minotaur is not a tale about a monster and a hero, but rather about the way the two coexist in all of us.

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Giveaway

Thanks for being part of the tour! To celebrate this release, I’m giving one commenter Lost in a Jigsaw, the award winning maze puzzle—all the pieces fit together, so the only way to know if you’ve put it together correctly is to solve the maze. If this sounds too much like torture, rest assured that you also get a $15 Riptide voucher. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with a way to contact you.  Please leave your email address so we can get in touch with you if chosen. On October 26th, I’ll draw a winner from all eligible comments. Contest is not limited to US entries. If you’d like,follow the whole tour—the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win!

Blurb

Minotaur_600x900GreekKnow 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.

http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/minotaur

About The Author

J.A. Rock is the author of queer romance and suspense novels, including By His Rules, Take the Long Way Home, and, with Lisa Henry, The Good Boy and When All the World Sleeps. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Alabama and a BA in theater from Case Western Reserve University. J.A. also writes queer fiction and essays under the name Jill Smith. Raised in Ohio and West Virginia, she now lives in Chicago with her dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.

Cover Reveal for Blind Redemption by Denise Dearth and Amy Gillen (giveaway)

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A woman is missing, paths are misleading. Can Psychic Detective Jackie Vaughn see through the veil of lies to find her?

Synopsis

Kidnapped and sold into the Chinese slave trade the survival of Annette Freder, the wife of University Chancellor, Charles Freder, depends on struggling psychic detective, Jackie Vaughn.

Crippled by grief over the unexpected death of her wife, Jackie deals with her anguish through pills and booze. While these coping mechanisms numb her pain, the growing addiction hampers her abilities, and places her health and livelihood in jeopardy.  The missing personís case of Annette Freder shifts Jackieís focus, challenging her psychic abilities.

Blind Redemption Cover

While on the job in China, Jackie finds herself with limited access to medication, resulting in bouts of withdrawal and depression. But that is just one of the many hurdles hindering Jackie in her quest to find Annette and return her to safety. Will corrupt police, maxed out credit cards, an ousted Greek intelligence officer assassin, and a revelation from an unexpected source prove too much for her?

Entangled deceit and unravelling lies Blind Redemption captures the essence of the human spirit and the power of redemption

Pre-order Links

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/blind-redemption-by-denise-dearth-and-amy-gillen/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014U2PX9G
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014U2PX9G
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B014U2PX9G
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B014U2PX9G
ARe:  https://www.omnilit.com/product-blindredemption-1887377-243.html

Giveaway

Enter to win a Prize: $10 WIP Gift Card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link  and prize provided by the authors and Eyes on Books Promotions.

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About the authors

DENISE DEARTH is a novelist and songwriter.  Blind Redemption is the first novel in the compelling Jackie Vaughn detective series. She is a member of Broadcast Music Incorporated, a music performing right organization, and the National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981. Whenís sheís not writing she may be seen riding a two-toned, sky blue and white Victory Vegas Steel horse into the Midwestern sunset.

Denise Dearth can be found at:

Website: www.fictioncorner.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JackieVaughnPI

AMY GILLEN is a co-creator of the Jackie Vaughn detective series.  She earned a Bachelorís degree in English Literature from Indiana University.  She is a poet, photographer, and entrepreneur with a passion for kayaking and travel.

Amy Gillen can be found at:

Website: www.fictioncorner.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JackieVaughnPI

In the Book Spotlight: The Playhouse (a Superpowered Love Story) by Katey Hawthorne (guest post and giveaway)

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The Playhouse (a Superpowered Love story) by Katey Hawthorne

STRW In The Spotlight Header
Published by Looseid LLC
Cover Artist P.L. Nunn

Here’s Katey Hawthorne on writing her first F/F story and her Superpowered Love series….

Hello, and thanks for letting me drop in, Melanie! I’m running around celebrating because the very first f/f book in my Superpowered Love series, The Playhouse, just came out yesterday. It’s about—well, yes, there are superpowers, but it all takes place in a summerstock theater. Sounds like a weird combo, but it works… hopefully.

There are some pretty serious undercurrents in the book too, though, and that’s what I want to talk about a little here. While Lily’s dream is to make her beloved Playhouse more viable, Genevieve, the starlet who has her full and undivided romantic attention all summer, brings new goals to the table. Goals like better representation for people of color and minorities on the small town stage. (See also, Genevieve’s character stat entry on my website, where she goes on about her Les Miserables fanfiction.) Lily is, of course, delighted at the prospect and throws her heart and soul into that, as well.

Now to get personal. The reason I write queer characters all the time is because I wanted more of that as a kid. I wanted to see myself reflected in characters who lived crazy lives, loved interesting people, and yeah, maybe even had some superpowers. I’m writing the books I wanted to read, books that have queer people finding their happiness. But there’s more work to be done. More women, more people of color, more gender non-conforming people, more responsible representation of all kinds is my goal.

 Giveaway: So tell me: what would you like to see more represented in fiction? What pieces of you and your friends do you think deserve more reflection and attention? Leave a comment with a suggestion or thought, your email address where you can be contacted  and be entered to win a copy of The Playhouse!

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Author is providing the book, thank you, Katey!

The Playhouse Blurb

Summer has been Lily McBride’s favorite time of year since she was a kid, because that’s when the Brookesville Playhouse opens its doors. Now that she’s an adult and works as their tech director, Lily wants more for her beloved Playhouse: a larger audience, a longer season, and exciting shows to draw new patrons.

This year, though, she also wants Genevieve Mason, a pretty starlet-in-the-making from the local university, recruited for the season’s tech crew. Genny throws her heart and soul into the place too, adding her own dreams of representation to the ‘must-have’ list, and using her sweet voice and surprising flare for pyrotechnics to draw the crowds in droves. They work so well together, it’s not long before their summer crush blossoms into a steamy affair.

Lily’s falling hard, but always feels like Genny’s holding something back. And then there’s the dreaded Brookesville Arts Council—supposed to be a support system for all things cultural, instead dragging the Playhouse down with their old-fashioned stubbornness. There are a lot of hurdles to jump and egos to deflate before they can get what they want, both for the theater and from each other.

Sales Links:   Loose id   (special sales price of $4.99)

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Author bio: Katey Hawthorne is an avid reader and writer of superpowered romance, even though the only degree she holds is in the history of art. (Or, possibly, because the only degree she holds is in the history of art.) Originally from the Appalachian foothills of West Virginia, she currently lives in Ohio. In her spare time she enjoys comic books, B-movies, loud music, Epiphones, and Bushmills.

Contact/follow Katey at:

In the Book Spotlight: Black and Blue Love: A Lesbian Novel by Judy Folger (author interview and contest)

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Black and Blue Love: A Lesbian Novel by Judy Folger
Goodreads Link

Cover of Black and Blue Love

 Today we have author Judy Folger in our Interview chair!  Check out the interview below and all the book details and contest about Black and Blue Love: A Lesbian Novel.

Q and A with Author Judy Folger

Question: What inspired you to write this story?

A friend and I were talking about my romance books and in particular about women in our society today. She happened to mention that she once had volunteered at a domestic violence hotline center. She said she’d received a call from a woman in a violent lesbian relationship seeking help. That conversation led to my doing some research on the subject. My friend and I neither one remembered ever seeing or hearing anything about lesbian domestic violence. Thus was born my NEED to write a book about a lesbian relationship involving domestic violence.

Question: What books or authors inspired you as a writer?

I find this a difficult question to answer. I have always been a voracious reader. I read fiction and nonfiction on just about any subject. To choose one or a few books or authors who inspired me to write, well that’s difficult to say. Just reading books has been an inspiration…I wanted to write them, too.

Question: What romance novels did you read growing up?

Actually, I didn’t read romance novels while I was growing up. There weren’t any books for lesbian teens back then, and I found heterosexual romances boring. I was more interested in non-fiction.

Question: Did the lack of LGBTQ fiction, romance in particular, prompt you to write your own?

Actually what prompted me to write my own lesbian romance books was the fact that my longtime partner and I had separated. I turned to my writing, which I had suppressed for many years. Since then, writing lesbian romance books has simply been a natural thing for me. My first book, The Unfinished Letter was wonderful for me to write as I included many personal experiences and emotions. The Unfinished Letter was my best seller each month until I wrote and published Black and Blue Love. Now Black and Blue Love is my best seller each month with The Unfinished Letter coming in second.

Question: What qualities do you look for in a story?

I ask that the stories I read be real and believable. All my books are about strong, independent women who find themselves in difficult situations and who also find their way out. My characters and the plots are all realistic. I believe any woman can relate to my books.

Question: Characters or Plot? Which comes first?

I start with an idea for a story. I do not work with an outline. I sit down to write, and the characters start to come to life…they show me the way. It is great fun to write every day and to see how the story grows and develops and then finally ends…I don’t like the end…I hate to say goodbye to my characters.

Question: What are the most important elements for you to include in a story? Is humor one of them?

To me the most important element to include in my stories is believability and relatability. That’s what makes a good book a good book. As for humor, I always have humor in my stories. I personally have quite a good sense of humor. If we don’t have humor in our lives, then what’s left? Humor, I believe, helps us all to survive.

Question: What’s next for Judy Folger?

What’s next for me? To write and write and write. I love writing and creating. That’s who I am. Thanks for asking.
By the way, readers might be interested in knowing that the sequel to Black and Blue Love, entitled Meara’s Moms, is due out next month.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About Author Judy Folger

A proud member of the lesbian community, Judy wrote her first book after she retired and hasn’t looked back since. Her books tell the stories of women in love who fight to overcome real-life problems. Judy was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Wichita but now lives in Merriam, Kansas. She has a son who also writes and a daughter-in-law who does paranormal investigations.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judy.folger.7?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Judy_Folger

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Publisher: Judy Folger
Cover Artist: Judy Folger

Sales Links:   Amazon

STRW Author BookSynopsis

 

After Kallie Moran’s husband, Aaron, is killed in Iraq, Kallie asks her law firm to transfer her back to her home town so she can be close to her mother.

When her request is granted, she realizes that closeness to her mother also means closeness to her mother’s dreadful sister, Bessie Benson.

Bessie is loud and crass, and her sons make a lifestyle of rotating in and out of the county jail. The only Benson that Kallie has ever been able to tolerate is her cousin, Andi. Andi, too, once dreamed of getting out of Brookville, but unlike Kallie, she never quite made it.

Now an out lesbian, Andi drags her intimidated partner, Della, to local bars and out-of-control family affairs. Della seems so miserable that Kallie finds herself reaching out to this beautiful, fragile-looking woman who just doesn’t seem to belong among the Bensons.

As Kallie and Della become friends, Kallie witnesses the verbal and emotional abuse Andi heaps on Della. Then comes the terrible night when Andi is no longer able to confine herself to words and slams Della to the ground, permanently scarring her face.

Della flees to Kallie for protection. In relative safety, she struggles to face the fact that she is a victim of lesbian domestic violence. She is also falling hard for Kallie, her rescuer.

Kallie, meanwhile, is keeping some secrets of her own. She wants to be with Della as much as Della wants to be with her, but she is afraid to embark on her first lesbian relationship.

Their love blossoms when Kallie risks her life to save Della from another of Andi’s vicious attacks. But it doesn’t take Andi long to realize she’s been betrayed. Furious, drunk, and carrying her father’s hand gun, she vows that this time she will REALLY make Della and Kallie pay.

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Lesbian Romance, Lesbian Domestic Violence, Lesbian Abuse

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt:

Della leaned into Kallie so that their bodies were pressed close together. Kallie finally did what she had been wanting to do since the day she met Della. She reached up and tangled her fingers in that glorious, unruly hair. She had expected Della’s hair to be coarse, but it was soft and warm in her hands.

Then Della’s hands found her breases, and Kallie remembered where they were and what they were doing. It took every ounce of willpower that she’d ever possessed, but she withdrew from Della, backing into the wall at the end of the step. “We shouldn’t do this,” she said in a voice so hoarse with passion she scarcely recognized it.

Della’s green eyes reflected hurt and confusion. “Why not?”

“Because you’re my cousin’s partner.”

Della nodded sadly. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll go.”

Kallie tried to think of something to say that would ease things between the two of them, but no words came to her mind. All she could do was watch as Della walked out the door.
Pages or Words: 40,000

 

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Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of Black and Blue Love. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Rafflecopter link and prizes provided by Pride Promotions.

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Tour Dates & Stops:

9-Mar

Amanda C. Stone

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

10-Mar

Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

Cathy Brockman Romances

11-Mar

Hearts on Fire

Love Bytes

12-Mar

Kimi-Chan

Elin Gregory

13-Mar

Prism Book Alliance

Inked Rainbow Reads

16-Mar

Molly Lolly

17-Mar

Book Reviews and More by Kathy

18-Mar

Velvet Panic

Divine Magazine

19-Mar

Nephylim

Emotion in Motion

Bayou Book Junkie

20-Mar

My Fiction Nook

Cate Ashwood