Category Archives: Giveaway

Giveaway – Prick by D L Hammons @XpressoTours

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Prick
DL Hammons
Publication date: December 12th 2023
Genres: Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult

People are dying under mysterious circumstances in the small town of New Haven. And the city’s best hope of uncovering the truth rests with a troubled teen and the girl who can’t stand him.

Cassie Underwood’s life is shattered when her younger sister dies in a freak car accident. In her grief, Cassie unfairly blames her sister’s constant companion—Taggart McGill—a boy with a sketchy past and abrasive personality. As Cassie attempts to recover from the loss, she struggles to honor her late sister’s memory by befriending the person she resents most.

Things get complicated when Cassie overhears a fellow student asking Taggart to convince the police another death in the accident had nothing to do with the crash at all. Taggart surprisingly agrees and a suspicious Cassie decides to accompany him in his snooping. She soon learns everything she knows about Taggart is wrong… and he has insight into things that link the car accident to other suspicious deaths in their close-knit community.

Now it seems there’s only one thing keeping Cassie’s name off the growing list of victims—finding out who Taggart McGill really is.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

—

EXCERPT:

“Didn’t my sister ever tell you that the way you dress is a bit clichéd? I mean, look at you. The isolated loner, the social outcast, in a dark hoodie? Really?”

I wasn’t sure what changed, maybe something in his posture, but he seemed to soften.

“It might be cliché, but it’s practical.”

“How so?”

Taggart pulled a pair of white earbuds from inside the sweatshirt and plugged them into his ears, then pulled up his hood, which completely covered his face, blocking me—and everything else—out.

I leaned over the edge of the table, pulled back his hood and yanked out his buds. He didn’t resist.

“Point taken.”

“Obviously not.”


Author Bio:

DL Hammons wrote his first piece of fiction decades ago … to impress a girl (it was moderately successful), and he hasn’t looked back.

He wrote a script for a 15-minute audiotape in the style of old radio shows (i.e., Little Orphan Annie, Dick Tracy), for which his group received an A+ and he was praised for the originality of the story. He was hooked. He later joined the school newspaper and made a name for himself authoring sports articles and feature pieces.

Unfortunately, the seed planted in high school would lay dormant for decades while DL faced the realities of adult life. College exams, school loans, early morning alarms and late-night dinners, business trips, heart-stopping love, dirty diapers, mortgages, coaching clinics, scholarship applications, and everything else that tends to induce follicle disembarkation and enlarged prostates. It wasn’t until his children had flown the coop that “the itch” returned, and he had the time to give it the attention it deserved.

Growing up as a military brat, DL moved around quite a bit as a kid. After graduating from LSU and raising a family in several southern states, he now makes his home in Central Arkansas where he has spent the last dozen years perfecting his voice, splitting his writing time between YA and Adult Mystery/Suspense. Other than being an author, DL claims that the most interesting thing about him is that he lacks a sense of smell. Other passions include (but are not limited to) his family (including his two mini-Australian Shepards) music, movies, video gaming, and cool weather camping.

DL is represented by Tina P. Schwartz of the Purcell Agency.

Knight Rise and Fallen Knight are part of his adult Silent Sleuth series, and PRICK is his first Young Adult book – part of the Taggart McGill Mystery series.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Threads


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Giveaway – Vacancy by Linda Kage @XpressoTours @lindakage

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Vacancy
Linda Kage
Publication date: December 13th 2023
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

HOW DO YOU RENT A ROOM FROM A GHOST WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT?

This year was supposed to be different because Oaklynn had a plan.

Stop partying.
Stay away from guys.
Focus on classes.
Graduate!

All she needed to do was find a place to stay near campus, and she’d be set. But when she finds the perfect room to rent, it brings the mysterious Damien into her life.

Her friend tries to warn her that he’s dangerous. He has secrets and darkness in his eyes. But the only danger Oaklynn can tell that he poses is to her attention. He’s all she can think about. Except, he’s hiding something, and when the truth comes out that her new roommate was murdered…a decade ago…nothing will ever be the same again.

So yeah, this year will definitely be different.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Completely out of my depth with this guy, I picked up one of the pillows from his bed and hugged it to my chest, trying to muffle the impact he was having on me. But his smell rippled up from the fabric, and my body went into a state of hypersensitivity.

“So…” I said, drawing in a deep breath and trying to sound casual, even though every part of me was trembling with arousal.

Damien left the doorway to take a single, cautious step in my direction. “Did I pass inspection?”

I shrugged, still trying to play it cool. “For the time being.” Then, I took a step forward as well, holding my breath the entire time in anticipation.

Shaking his head, he eased closer. “I still can’t believe you’re standing in my room right now.”
Taking my turn, I shifted an inch toward him. “Why not?”

“I don’t know.” His whiskey eyes searched mine as if reading all my secret desires. “I kind of thought I may never see you again.”

I paused and tipped my head curiously. “But you’re my landlord.”

Lifting one shoulder, he narrowed the gap until there was only about two feet separating us. “I’ve had lots of tenants that I only met once and never saw again. And I didn’t want you to be one of those. I picked up my phone half a dozen times to text, but I didn’t know if it was okay to do that after…”

When he lifted his eyebrows in question, silently asking if it would’ve been okay, I merely sent him a mysterious smile. “What would you have said if you’d texted?”

His lips twitched, finding amusement. “Probably only that I wanted to see you again.”

Catching my breath, I squeezed the pillow against me tighter. “Say it now,” I commanded.

Damien’s eyes turned predatory. Moving in until only the pillow separated us, he whispered, “I want to see you again.”

“Okay,” I whispered back.


Author Bio:

Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact.
Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children’s literature from The Institute of Children’s Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelors in Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.

Now she lives with hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant.

Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor…or Hulk (can’t decide). Justice League Team Flash. Arrow Team Stephen Amell. Stranger Things obsessed. Heard Laurel, not Yanny.

Started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club. Then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now all over the place with her romance reading tastes.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram


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Giveaway – Kiss Of A Witch by S G Slade @ExpressoTours

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Kiss of a Witch
S.G. Slade
(Darkness Rising, #2)
Publication date: December 14th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical

Trapped in a spreading web of darkness, the power of an ancient book might be their only hope.

Mary Sparrow was cursed at birth, and the bawdy house is the only home she’s ever known. Like most of the girls, she dreams of escape. But when an old man drives her friend to madness, she swears she will have her revenge.

Toby Chyrche also hopes for a better future, away from the tailor’s shop where his fate seems set in stone. Then afateful meeting seems to promise freedom, until an ancient book of magic reveals chilling truths.

Ensnared in the spreading web of darkness, they turn to magic to protect themselves. But shadowy forces crave a sacrifice, and the spectre of death is beckoning. Can they wield the power of the book to protect those they love? Or will they pay for their courage with their lives?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

Then Toby ducked through the low door from the street and her breath stopped short in her throat. She was on her feet in a moment, shoving the sewing back into the basket at the hearth, straightening her skirts, checking her hair and adjusting the neckline of her bodice, small breasts pushed up and on display to their best advantage. She waited by the hearth, a coy smile on her lips and her head tilted in invitation. He saw her straight away and made his way towards her, and the little light of hope inside burned brighter. He had come, not for any girl, but for her.

‘Ale, Rosalind,’ Mary ordered to the other girl, who still sat staring at the unlit fire. Rosalind turned towards her, frowning in question. ‘Get us ale,’ Mary told her again, and eventually the girl got to her feet and headed out the back to where the barrels were kept.

‘Master Chyrche.’ She dropped her best curtsey, and he returned it with a bow.

‘Mistress Sparrow.’

They sat at a small round table beside the fireplace, and he looked around the empty room. ‘Where is everyone?’

She shrugged. ‘Elsewhere.’

‘Then I’m glad,’ he replied. ‘Because it means I can have you all to myself.’

She laughed, taking pleasure in the pleasantry. ‘I am all yours, Master Chyrche.’

He took her left hand in his, and began to caress the extra finger, gaze intent on the movement of their hands. Then, looking up, his eyes fixed hers in question. ‘Are you truly cursed, Mary Sparrow?’ he asked. ‘Does the Devil suckle at night on this finger?’

She gave him an uncertain half-smile in answer. Why was he asking the same questions again? ‘I cannot rightly say,’ she murmured. ‘I hope not.’

Lifting her palm to his mouth, Toby kissed it, then briefly, discreetly, slid the extra finger between his lips, his tongue warm and moist as it curled around the tip. Her breath lifted in response, warmth in her gut. Then Rosalind returned with the jug of ale and Toby let her hand go. Mary poured for them both and she drank, unsure of him now. She had met men before who made a fetish of her fingers, but Toby’s sudden interest disconcerted her. She lowered her cup and looked at him. He was watching her closely, eyes grey and pale in the candlelight, and she was self-conscious under his scrutiny.

‘Perhaps I’m your Devil,’ he said.

‘Perhaps,’ she replied, but she had no understanding of his meaning. He must have seen the confusion in her eyes, though she tried her best to hide it, because then he gave her a smile that made her fall a little deeper.


Author Bio:

S.G. Slade was born and raised in the historic city of Bristol in England, and now lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband, son, and a very small dog called Livvy. She has worked variously as a secretary, a teacher, a shop assistant and a nurse, but lifelong obsessions with books, history, and magic have never waned. When she isn’t reading or writing (which isn’t often), you can find her either doing yoga, going for long walks, or watching old movies. Touch of a Witch is her first historical fantasy book.

She uses the pen name S.G. Slade for her fantasy books, and also writes Historical Fiction under the name Samantha Grosser.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok


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Giveaway – Trust No One by Glenn Dyer @XpressoTours @duffy_dyer

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Trust No One
Glenn Dyer
(Conor Thorn Series, #4)
Publication date: December 11th 2023
Genres: Adult, Historical, Thriller

Loyalists meant to rid their country of a double-dealing collaborator. Instead, they created a threat that could destroy Allied unity.

Algiers. Winter 1942. Conor Thorn is devastated. He’s been fired from the OSS. His wife, Emily, has been fired from MI6. They allowed their morals to bend certain truths concerning the outcome of their last mission. Forever dedicated to defeating Axis powers, these skilled operatives jump at the chance to secretly help General Eisenhower deal with a political time bomb threatening Allied harmony and to redeem their honorable standing. To recover a rumored archive holding the truth about an assassination plot, they must travel deep into perilous Axis territory.

In the crosshairs of those determined to keep the information out of Allied hands, Conor and Emily fall victim to a violent assault. Though the resulting injuries leave him severely concussed and confused, Conor refuses to stand down while his beloved ventures deeper into danger.

Can Conor and Emily piece together a political puzzle in time to keep Allied unity from fracturing?

Trust No One is the high intensity, gritty fourth book in the Conor Thorn WWII espionage series inspired by true events. If you like heart-pounding action and white-knuckled tension, then you’ll love Glenn Dyer’s thrill ride through history.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

—

EXCERPT:

Conor stirred. His head was pounding like the bass drum in the US Naval Academy marching band. When he opened his eyes, one person stared back at him. The facial features were out of focus, as if he were looking through cheesecloth. He blinked. The onlooker’s mouth began to flap. He sat up, but his head almost exploded. A hand pushed him back. The cheesecloth dissolved, and he could see someone smiling at him. Given the slow shake of his head, Captain Jack Waddon was not pleased to see him.

“You are one lucky bastard, Conor,” Waddon said.

Conor looked around and recognized that he was back aboard Waddon’s Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina, the ship that had taken him, Emily, and Father Sean Sullivan to Italy on their mission to snatch Ettore Majorana. “What did you say?” He could barely hear his own words. “What the hell happened?” He reached for his throbbing forehead and felt a knot the size of a billiard ball. The surface of his forehead radiated a low heat.

“You were introduced to a blackjack swung by one angry MP, that’s what happened,” Waddon said. “As far as being lucky, well, that’s because Commander Butcher saved your butt. Told the MP that he’d take it up with Colonel Eddy himself and see that you, being nonmilitary, would exit the theater as soon as he could arrange transport.”

Conor rolled over onto his right side. The two men were in the plane’s compartment forward of the waist gunner’s area and aft of the flight engineer’s compartment. He reached for the back of his head and discovered a lump where the blackjack had ambushed him. “Stevens?”

“Hauled out of there to the field hospital. Out cold. Like you were.”

Conor groaned.

“Here,” Waddon said as he handed him a damp handkerchief.

Conor spied white gauze peeking out from under Waddon’s left sleeve. Waddon had been wounded three weeks prior when his PBY approached the beach near Anzio to exfiltrate Conor, Emily, Sean Sullivan, and Ettore Majorana.

“How’s the arm?”

Waddon waved off the question. “On the mend. Already back in the left seat.”

Conor nodded, then held up the handkerchief. “What’s this for?”

“Your ear. There’s some dried blood. Stevens must have landed at least one blow.”

Conor took the handkerchief and dabbed at his right ear, loosening some dried flakes but also coming away with some fresh blood. The bass drummer in his head pounded away. His head had seen better days.

“So you dragged my ass here after Butcher saved it?”

“Yep. Me and DiLazzaro. We thought you had some lead bars in your pockets. You were a load getting you in here.” Seaman Eugene DiLazzaro was one of Waddon’s crew and had wound up part of Conor’s team that went ashore at Anzio. The New Jersey–born Italian American had handled himself like a pro, particularly when the shooting started.

Conor’s stomach roiled. Bile crept upward. A mixture of oil, perspiration, fuel, and grease hung in the air, fanning the flames of his nausea. “Jack, do you have a bucket? I don’t feel too good.”

“Conor, don’t you lose it in my ship,” Waddon said, scurrying forward in search of something to keep his Catalina puke-free. Conor wondered what did the most damage: the blow to the back of his head from the blackjack or the oak bar that gave no quarter when his head collided with it. Waddon returned with a collapsible canvas bucket and shoved it into Conor’s hands. “Here, and don’t miss.”

Conor leaned over the side of the bunk and let loose a stream of vomit that filled the bottom two inches of the bucket. When he finally felt he had no more to give, he handed it to Waddon and lay back. “So you just happened to be in the area when the action started?”

“Hey, I was thirsty.” Waddon went aft and tossed the bucket’s contents out through the open starboard-side blister. He returned and sat across from Conor on the port-side bunk. “When I approached the bar’s entrance, I saw Butcher coming from the other direction. We were about ten feet from the bar when we heard a massive crash. That must have been Stevens doing a back flop on the backbar. Two MPs were already there. We saw one lower the boom from just inside the doorway. We both cringed when your head hit the bar.”

“Well, thanks for the sympathetic cringes. Then what?”

“I already told you. Don’t you remember?”

Conor shook his head and felt the pain surge as if his brain were bouncing around inside his skull.

“Like I said, Butcher jumped in, threw Ike’s name around a bit, and eventually, the MPs backed down. He told them to get Stevens to the field hospital and told me to take care of you, but not to go far. That he needed to see you when you got put back together. He wanted me to get this to you.” Waddon handed over a note.

Conor unfolded the paper. It was short and sweet. He folded the note and put it in his pants pocket, then settled back to let the whitecaps in his stomach calm down.

“Well, you going to let me in on it or not?”

“He wants to know why Donovan shitcanned me.”


Author Bio:

GLENN DYER is a former commercial television executive whose career spanned over thirty-five years. That career took him to cities such as Salt Lake City, Dallas, Washington, DC, and Denver. He returned to Park City, Utah in retirement in 2013 to write full-time. He is an associate member of the International Thriller Writers, the Author’s Guild and The OSS Society. Glenn attended Villanova University and graduated from Boston University. He and his wife, Chris, have three children, all of whom live too far away. Visit his website at www.glenndyer.net and follow him on Twitter @duffy_dyer and Instagram @glennduffydyer.

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter


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Giveaway – Whisky Hernandez by J S Mason @dollycas @JSMasonAuthor

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About Whisky Hernandez


Whisky Hernandez
Cozy Mystery
Setting – Martinique
Independently Published (November 25, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 269 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8364720542
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 269 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8360529972
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BKQBGQGF

Martinique. Memories. Murder.

A mystery is abound and the government has called in by special invitation the world’s greatest detective by study and trade, Whisky Hernandez, to help and assist the local police and solve the case fast, making use of her language proficiency in French and Creole. Full-time hygienist and part-time sleuth, this licensed private investigator, daughter of a talented New York and New Jersey former police detective, utilizes the help of her humorous photographer partner to get to the bottom of the mystery that is revealing itself on this island of flowers.

These honest and generous partners of crime-solving are experienced members in obtaining the proof they need to arrive at and protect the truth. Keeping her anxieties and panic attacks in check with the help of her service animal, Whisky is determined to dive into a variety of guilty-looking suspects, analyzing, scrutinizing, and, outsmarting all the ways the villain, the killer, is trying to get away with the clever crime.

Secret undercover work, hidden riddles, challenging puzzles, unique perilous and dangerous situations are all up against Whisky. But along with some banter and comic relief situations with her sidekick partner, our worthy and reliable hero will lead the way and do what it takes to get the job done. With twists, turns, swerves, and contorts, this resolute private investigator plunges into the depths of Martinique, coming up for air in an unforgettable ending.

About J. S. Mason

J.S. Mason is an author of four short story collections and one cozy mystery and has the distinct honor of graduating pre-school, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and law school, receiving a diploma from each of the aforementioned education establishments.

Aside from their outstanding excellence within the field of academia, J.S. Mason has quite the records in the athletics department, hitting one triple, bowling one turkey, and scoring three hole-in-ones in a single miniature golf game.

Extending to the performing arts, J.S. Mason has played a sheriff with a past, a pushy prosecuting attorney, and literally a spear carrier, only to hang up their boots/tie/spear because there was too much drama.

Other noteworthy accomplishments of J.S. Mason are that they have a first, middle, and last name.

Impressively, with a background in law enforcement and trial litigation, J.S. Mason always manages to have their shoes tied when they aren’t wearing Velcro.

J.S. Mason is most proud that they are referred to in the third person on their bio, as this is always how they refer to themselves.

J.S. Mason is happy with this.

J.S. Mason is satisfied with this.

J.S. Mason is excited to provide more high quality books to their audience and hopes they consume them with the utmost pleasure.

For clarity, in response to what some of their reviewers have said, they are correct – J.S. Mason is in fact an honorary A.I. module from M.I.T.

J.S. Mason hopes for you to have a good day and get through it because it can be hard sometimes.

J.S. Mason looks forward to giving you the experience you deserve.

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Giveaway – Twin Power by Ben and Kiyanda Young @ireadbooktours

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Book Details:

Book Title:  TWIN POWER by Ben and Kiyanda Young 
Category:  Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7),  30-38 pages
Genre:  Children’s Book
Publisher:  Twizzler Bees Entertainment
Release date:   June, 2021
Content Rating:  G. This children’s book is for everyone.
Book Description:

Sebastian and Simone are not just brother and sister. They are twins! They show little readers some cool things they can accomplish because of their Twin Power.

Join them in their adventures to see how Twin Power and working together make being twins super fun … and convenient.

The stories and adventures that the twins experience will show all children how to use teamwork to accomplish tasks. Through a series of activities included at the back of each book, little readers will practice memorization, counting, and matching while having fun coloring.

Twin Power Books are products of Twizzler Bees Entertainment LLC. Sign up for our newsletter and find more fun and educational activities at www.twinpowerbooks.com and feel free to reach out with questions or comments at info@twinpowerbooks.com.
Buy the Book
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Book Two in the Twin Power Series:

Book Details:

Book Title:  TWIN POWER: THE BEST SNOW DAY EVER by Ben and Kiyanda Young 
Category:  Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7),  30-38 pages
Genre:  Children’s Book
Publisher:  Twizzler Bees Entertainment
Release date:   October, 2021
Content Rating:  G. This children’s book is for everyone.
Book Description:

Sebastian and Simone are not just brother and sister. They are twins!

They show little readers some cool things they can accomplish because of their Twin Power.

Join them in their adventure, The Best Snow Day Ever as they learn to use their Twin Power to have winter fun with some neighborhood children. From a snowball battle to making a snowman, working together makes being twins super fun … and convenient.

The Best Snow Day Ever is the second in a series of Twin Power Books starring fraternal twins named Simone and Sebastian. The twins learn how to work together and teach little readers about what it means to be a twin and a best friend.

The stories and adventures that the twins experience will show all children how to use teamwork to accomplish tasks.

Through a series of activities included at the back of each book, little readers will practice memorization, counting, and writing while having fun coloring.
Buy the Book
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Meet the Authors:

Ben and Kiyanda Young are the proud parents of an amazing set of fraternal twins, Zara and Owen. As parents, they promote individuality among their children while encouraging their twins to support and rely on one another. The special bond between Zara and Owen is what inspired the Youngs to write Twin Power, the first in a series of award-winning books highlighting the unique relationship that twins share. In addition to being Zara and Owen’s parents, Ben is a gastroenterologist and Kiyanda is a surgeon, both with medical practices in Virginia.

connect with the authors: website ~ X ~ instagram 
Enter the Giveaway:

The Twin Power Series by Ben and Kiyanda Young Book Tour Giveaway




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Giveaway – Rome’s Last Noble Palace by Kimberly Sullivan @XpressoTours @KimberlyinRome

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Rome’s Last Noble Palace
Kimberly Sullivan
Publication date: December 6th 2023
Genres: Adult, Historical, Paranormal, Women’s Fiction

Two women. Two different centuries. One attic room

American Isabelle Field has been shipped off to Rome to live with her aunt, Princess Elizabeth Brancaccio. Isabelle’s aunt and mother share a common goal – replicating Elizabeth’s success by marrying Isabelle off to a European nobleman.

But Rome in 1896 is on the cusp of a new century and Isabelle longs for more than a titled husband. She secretly designs costumes for Rome’s burgeoning theatre environment and dreams of opening a fashion atelier. Can she gather the courage to forge a life for herself, even if it means going against expectations?

Over a century later, doctoral candidate Sophie Nouri can’t believe her good fortune when she is selected to intern in Rome’s Near Eastern Art Museum. Even better, the position includes an attic apartment in the spectacular museum property, the Palazzo Brancaccio.

Overseeing a major exhibition is stressful, but tension alone can’t explain the disturbing nighttime presence in the deserted hallways of the grand palace – especially one no one else can sense. Almost as if a spectral being is trying to communicate with Sophie directly. Or warn her.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Rome, 2018

SUNLIGHT STREAMED THROUGH the high windows, coaxing Sophie from her dreams. She cracked one eye open, groaning at the early hour on the travel alarm clock. How had she forgotten to close the shutters last night? Blame it on the jet lag of someone no longer used to international travel.

She turned her head to observe Matt’s sleeping form. His chest rose and fell in a calm, steady rhythm. A little sunlight seeping through the windows would never wake him this early. He was made of stronger stuff.

She turned back to the window, struck again by golden Roman light she’d forgotten after so many years away. Not at all like the diffused light back home. Sparrows swooped in graceful arcs across the cloudless, cerulean sky. As the sleepiness seeped from her eyes and her gaze sharpened, the bright, white blocks began to take shape. Her heart beat faster. The familiar but long-dormant sense of fear coursed through her body. She hadn’t been expecting to feel it so deeply after all these years away.

Closing her eyes, she took a calming breath and formed images of waking in her bedroom at home. The branch of the oak tree scraping the bedroom window, the twittering of the birds, the bold squirrel that peeked in her window most mornings, the creaks and groans of the old, converted farmhouse. Gradually, her heartbeat slowed, the fear seeped away. She inhaled deeply, counted to ten and exhaled.

She could do this.

She fixed a determined gaze on the grand palazzo, glittering white in the strong Mediterranean sunlight. Some of its brown shutters were open, others closed like sleepy eyes reluctant to yield to the morning light. She remembered all those useless afternoon battles against the Roman sunlight filtering heat and blinding rays into those great rooms.

At the palazzo’s upper edge, lithe young angels kneeled in rows, their flowing curls cascading down to their shoulders. Their pointed wings punctuated the cornice above, curving vines sprouted from their bodies in a riot of intricate swirls. The young angels were separated from one another by lush greenery, unrolling in a seemingly endless, elegant row. She’d always known the carving was there, but she’d never observed the details from this angle. Everything had been different from within. Despite the warmth of the early morning sun, she shivered.

Ignoring a mounting sense of dread, Sophie pushed herself up gently, careful not to rouse Matt. Sliding bare feet into beckoning slippers, she padded softly to the door, her back decisively turned to the noble home.


Author Bio:

Kimberly grew up in the suburbs of Boston and in Saratoga Springs, New York, although she now calls the Harlem neighborhood of New York City home when she’s back in the US. She studied political science and history at Cornell University and earned her MBA, with a concentration in strategy and marketing, from Bocconi University in Milan.

Afflicted with a severe case of Wanderlust, she worked in journalism and government in the US, Czech Republic and Austria, before settling down in Rome, where she works in international development, and writes fiction any chance she gets.

She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and The Historical Novel Society and has published several short stories and three novels: Three Coins, Dark Blue Waves and In The Shadow of The Apennines.

After years spent living in Italy with her Italian husband and sons, she’s fluent in speaking with her hands, and she loves setting her stories in her beautiful, adoptive country.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Bookbub / Instagram


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Review & Giveaway – If The Sun Spares Us by Brenda Marie Smith @GoddessFish @bsmithnovelist

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IF THE SUN SPARES US by Brenda Marie Smith

GENRE:  Post-apocalyptic thriller

MY REVIEW

We begin If The Sun Spares Us by Brenda Marie Smith where If The Light Escapes Us left off. The books are best read in order, letting the characters seep into your heart, the danger get your pulse pounding, and your hopes for them come to fruition.

Oh man, I never saw Bobby doing what he did. Was it the right thing to do? Who knows in the crazy world they are living in.

It’s a year later and they have settled into their new home. They still have their highs and lows and are meeting and trading with others, taking in those who want a place in their community. Perhaps there is hope for humanity yet.

Life goes on and mistakes will be made. Rebuilding the world will not be easy, but taking one step at a time and letting bygones be bygones allows them to work together to create their new world one step at a time.

Braving The Light Series by Brenda Marie Smith has been a tragic, gut wrenching adventure filled with despair and hope and love.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BLURB

Two years ago, a solar pulse destroyed modern life. Bea Crenshaw organized her starving, suburban neighbors into a farming community. But now Bea’s gone, and her grandchildren must carry her legacy forward.

In the post-apocalyptic pressure cooker of Austin, Texas, 19-year-old Keno and his younger cousins struggle to ensure their community’s survival even as they’re forced to relocate to safer grounds. Northern Lights that don’t belong this far south grow increasingly intense, making Keno fear what harm the sun will cause next.

Even worse, a marauding militia called the Raiders is closing in, led by a deranged woman who preys on teenage boys. Despite Keno’s debilitating flashbacks from a firefight, he and his wife have a new baby to protect. Though Bea is dead, her spirit desperately searches for ways to shield her grandkids. When Raiders target two neighborhood members, the only hope lies in the community’s strength, Keno’s ingenuity, and the family’s fierce love for one another.

EXCERPT

I’m half-starved, about to drop in my tracks, and emotional pain is clawing me up inside. Living through this apocalypse, I don’t know if it’s the deprivation or the heartache that will kill me first.

I think I’ve been scouting South Central Austin for a place to move my family and neighbors for about two weeks, but I’ve lost track of time, and I’m not finding a freaking thing. We have to move; we just have to. I was hoping to find a place with walls and water, but no such luck.

It’s dusk when I come upon a row of warehouses, looking for a spot to sleep. Most warehouse doors are bent, with the jambs and locks broken. All looted inside, messes that don’t look like they have anything worth scavenging. One door has a big hasp and a bigger lock intact. Maybe I’ll break it in the morning to see if I can find some food.

A few doors down, there’s a stairwell leading to a basement door. A good place to hide where I have an escape route. I duck down into it.

“We’re so screwed,” I grumble to myself as I lean my rifle on the stairwell and slide off my backpack.

“You got that right.”

F***. Who said that? I whip my face around, my hand on the pistol behind my back.

“I wouldn’t fire that if I were you.”

A face looms above me… behind a crossbow that’s aimed at my head. I throw up my hands.

“Don’t shoot!”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

2018-10-18_Brenda Marie Smith

BRENDA MARIE SMITH is attracted to stories where everyday characters transcend their limitations to find their inner heroism. She lived off the grid for years in a farming collective where her sons were delivered by midwives. A lifelong community activist, Brenda has managed student co-op housing, produced concerts, and raised a small herd of boys. She and her husband live in Kyle, Texas. They have more grown kids and grandkids than they can count.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

  • Website: https://brendamariesmith.com
  • Blog: https://brendamariesmith.tumblr.com
  • Twitter: @bsmithnovelist
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJlLSnORIyoaygvZ1j49ZKw

Buy Links for the Braving the Light Series:

  • IF DARKNESS TAKES US (Book One): https://amzn.to/461geyL
  • For IF THE LIGHT ESCAPES (Book Two): https://amzn.to/464zPOD
  • IF THE SUN SPARES US (Book Three): https://amzn.to/3LzIpwA
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Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

MY BRENDA MARIE SMITH REVIEWS

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Giveaway – When All Is Said And Done by Christy Hayes @XpressoTours

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When All is Said and Done
Christy Hayes
Publication date: December 5th 2023
Genres: Women’s Fiction

A heartbreaking novel about the sacrifices we make for love.

After an unstable childhood, marriage isn’t just a promise to Dustin Carver, it’s his lifeline. He and Tegan grew up together, fell in love, and planned their perfect life. When the future they imagined gets derailed by her demanding law career, their marriage slowly slides off the rails.

Tegan can’t believe her husband took her threat of a separation seriously and walked away without a backward glance. Heartbroken and embarrassed, she covers for his absence with lies. Lies she tells herself about her career. Lies she tells her family about her marriage. And lies she’s yet to confess to her husband about a secret she kept while he was away. When Dustin finally returns, she’s running on fumes and her lies are about to be exposed.

Seven weeks in Key West licking his wounds and watching his best friend fall in love is enough to convince Dustin to come home and fight for his marriage. Saving their relationship means returning to therapy and facing a bitter truth neither wants to address. What if their childhood romance doesn’t have a happy-ever-after ending?

This emotional read told with brutal honesty begs the ultimate question for marriages far and wide. At the end of the day-at the end of our lives-what is worth fighting for, and when, if ever, should we walk away?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Dustin’s POV

He heard a noise from the kitchen, and his pulse picked up the beat. Was that the side door closing or the echoed rumble from his rebellious stomach? He stilled the strings with his palm and recognized the familiar sound of Tegan hanging her keys on the hook and shucking her shoes by the door. His heart lurched into his throat.

Dustin cursed himself for getting lost in the music and not preparing for her return. He should have been rehearsing speeches in his head or making dinner instead of mowing the lawn, adding a couple of towels to her burgeoning laundry pile, and playing around on the guitar. He propped the instrument against the couch and stood on unsteady legs.

A surging swell of love, swift and savage, swept over him as he looked at her, sent his heart thrashing against his chest. There she is—my center, my orbit—in living, breathing color. Tegan had her back turned and was flipping through the mail on the counter. Her hair was longer than normal, a dark curtain falling well past her sagging shoulders.

“Hi.”

She gasped and spun, clutching her chest with both hands, her eyes blinking furiously. Frozen in that position like a still photograph captured on film, she looked thin—too thin—and fragile as blown glass. “Dusty.”

His name from her lips, soft and scratchy, scorched his eviscerated heart. “Sorry to startle you. I … I figured you’d see my car.”

She seemed confused, shaking her head, squinting her eyes. “Your car?”

“In the garage …” He tried and failed to keep the exasperation out of his voice. He’d been gone for weeks, and she hadn’t moved a muscle in his direction. Hadn’t flashed a smile or inclined her head or opened her arms to make him feel welcome. And after everything they had to say to one another, they were talking about his car?

“I parked in the driveway,” she said.

Her guilty tone and the way she tucked her chin to her chest were another lash to his pride. How many times had he begged her to park her car in the garage? They lived in a nice neighborhood, but why invite crime by leaving her car parked out in the open and alert everyone to her patterns of coming and going?

She read the look on his face and offered a muttered, “I was tired, and the garage door has been giving me fits. I think it needs grease or something.”

Stop talking about the stupid garage! He wanted to scream at her, grab her arms and shake her, invade the personal space she protected with her arms crossed tightly against her chest. He wanted to do something, anything, to get a rise out of her and stop the inane garage discussion.

The way she looked—the way she looked at him like a racoon caught pillaging the trash—kept his voice even and his feet rooted firmly in place. Even in the muted light, she appeared ready to drop. He longed to go to her, wrap her in his arms, let her lean on him the way she always had when life kicked her in the tail. But he couldn’t. Not now. Not with everything at stake.

Author Bio:

Christy Hayes writes romance and romantic women’s fiction. She is the proud mother of two grown children and lives outside Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and rescue dogs.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


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Giveaway & Review – Santa’s Magical Reindeer by Michele Monaco @ireadbooktours

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Book Details:

Book Title:  Santa’s Magical Reindeer: Becoming Pen Pals by Michele Monaco
Category:  Children’s Fiction (ages 3 to 7), 38 pages
Genre:  Children’s Book
Publisher:  Mascot Kids
Release date:   Nov 7, 2023
Content Rating:  G.  Suitable for everyone.

MY REVIEW

Michele Monaco and illustrator, Prabir Sharkar have created an entertaining fantasy of magical reindeers visiting three young girls, wanting them to be pen pals. The illustrations for the oversized book are colorful and fun, on heavy, slick pages for the youngsters to touch. The story may encourage the young to pick up pencil and paper and write to..anyone. There are a list of questions at then end for the kiddies to ask their favorite reindeer, Santa, or any pen pal they choose. I love books that encourage children to communicate in any form and stretch their imagination. Sure to entertain the child hiding in all of us.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
Book Description:

Right after Thanksgiving is the busiest time of year for Santa and his crew of eight famous reindeer! Every year, the Famous Eight sleigh team from the North Pole eagerly helps Santa by going on a quest to find kids who believe in Christmas magic. In Santa’s Magical Reindeer: Becoming Pen Pals, Prancer, Vixen, and Dasher go on an adventure in search of eager pen pals. On their journey, they find three rambunctious girls who eagerly exchange letters with them and become lifelong friends.
Buy the Book:
Mascot Books
Amazon ~ B&N
add to Goodreads
Meet the Author:

Michele Monaco has a great love for the Christmas season. She embraces the Christmas spirit all year round by remembering to look at life through the eyes of a child. As a mother of three beautiful and exuberant daughters, she believes in the magic that the holiday brings. Michele lives in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and enjoys traveling, reading, running, and enjoying the outdoors.

connect with author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram 


Enter the Giveaway:

Santa’s Magical Reindeer: Becoming Pen Pals Book Tour Giveaway




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