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Monday, April 4, 2022

Harkworth Hall Chase and Daniels Book One L.S. Johnson

 


Harkworth Hall
Chase and Daniels
Book One
L.S. Johnson

Genre: Queer Gothic Romance/Horror
Publisher: Traversing Z Press
Date of Publication: 2017
ISBN: 978-0998893617
ASIN: B073QFH8WG 
Number of pages: 166
Word Count: 38k
Cover Artist: Najla Qamber 

Book Description: 

Ask him about his wives.

Caroline Daniels must marry, and marry well. But in her remote corner of England eligible suitors are few and far between, and none hold a candle to her closest friend, Diana Fitzroy.

When Sir Edward Masterson arrives, he seems the answer to Caroline’s financial worries, though she instinctively dislikes the reticent, older merchant. Soon Sir Edward has set his sights on acquiring both Caroline and the decaying Harkworth Hall.

Caroline’s future seems secure, save that Sir Edward’s enigmatic secretary hints at a dark secret, and Sir Edward shows an unusual interest in the nearby bay. To discover Sir Edward’s true purpose, Caroline will have to face the horror beneath Harkworth Hall—and the woman who will change her life.


Excerpt:

I first heard of Edward Masterson the day of the birds, though I forgot about them through much of what happened after. Indeed, in the moment, their strange flight was only a disturbing inconvenience, as it turned my father back from his walk to the village on laundry day.

My father was a gentleman of small, regular habits. He walked to the village twice each week, to gain news of the wider world and have two pints of ale before walking back. In winter, he had Mr. Simmons, who served as our steward as well as sometime butler and valet, drive him. But in the fine weather of late spring he would set off walking, in his plain suit but with his sword polished and ready should he meet any ruffians.

The rest of our little household—myself and Mr. and Mrs. Simmons; my poor mother had passed when I was young—would plan much around this simple outing, for the house was too much work for the Simmonses alone. My father made no objection to my helping with light chores such as dusting, but he had recently been infected with the disease of matchmaking, and he feared for my prospects should I develop a working woman’s hands and complexion. His solution for our overworked staff was to simply hire more help as needed, but I often snuck into his study to review our account books and there was no surplus for such luxuries. Thus, I learned to separate want from necessity, and while other women my age were dancing at assemblies or practicing their needlework, I was scrubbing floors and learning to make pastry. I learned, and I learned as well to not reflect upon my circumstances, lest I fall into melancholy—and many days there was simply no time for such indulgence. As soon as my father left, I put aside my role as Caroline Daniels, landowner’s daughter, and became Caroline Daniels, maid, stableboy, or whatever we needed me to be. Laundry especially was a daylong affair, and more than once we had sent Mr. Simmons out to delay my father so we could get the last damp pieces inside before he returned.

My father left, drawing the door closed behind him. I waited in the hall, seeing in my mind’s eye his stout figure striding down the drive. Now he would pat his pockets, ensuring he had a shilling but little more, for he had once been robbed on his return and had a fine watch and several shillings taken off him. Now he would think about that watch, and touch his sword in reassurance. All was well and nothing was forgotten; he could enjoy his journey in peace, and we could set about our work. I counted to fifty, then with a deep breath seized the first laundry basket and began dragging it back to the yard—

—when I heard the terrible sound of the door swinging open again, and my father bellowing for Mr. Simmons. At once I dropped the basket, smiling brightly. My smile faded, however, when I saw the spatters on his hat and coat, including a red smear on his face.

“Are you all right? Did you fall?” I rushed towards him, thinking to stop any bleeding with my apron.

“Quite all right,” he said. “Only the birds are going mad.”

For a moment I stared at him, believing I misheard him, but then I saw movement in the sky past his shoulder. Birds of all sizes and shapes, flying at odd angles to each other but all heading inland. As I watched two collided, then set at each other with horrific shrieks and bared claws. Feathers drifted down as they fought.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s quite late in the year to be mating, and there are gulls up there. They usually stay close to the shore—” My father suddenly broke off, frowning at the laundry basket. “What are you doing with that laundry?”

“I was looking for a petticoat,” I said quickly. “I cannot find it anywhere.”

He gave me a suspicious look, but I was saved from further inquiry by Mr. Simmons appearing. As he fetched my father a fresh coat, I slipped past him and went out onto the drive. Dozens of birds filled the sky, and save for when their paths provoked a conflict, they were doing so in near silence, as if they needed all their strength to fly. But what were they flying towards—or were they fleeing something? I scanned the horizon: there was not so much as a cloud, not a hint of an incoming storm.

Above me two more birds crossed paths, and the larger one viciously raked the smaller. It tumbled to the ground, then carefully righted itself and began limping forward, still heading unerringly inland.

“Caroline, dear, don’t distress yourself with such sights.” My father took my arm and led me back to the house.

“But what could be causing it?” I asked, still craning my head. “Something has frightened them, something worse than a storm.”

“They were probably startled by an animal—perhaps we have a wolf again. I’ll ask in the village,” he said. “Oh, and I forgot to tell you! I will be stopping at the Fitzroys’ on my way home. I was thinking if Diana spends the season in town again, perhaps you could join her? A stay of some weeks will help you become more comfortable in society, and develop your acquaintanceships further.”

And there were so many replies I wished to make, all at once. The Fitzroys were our closest neighbors, and Diana my oldest friend. Having both lost our mothers early, and without siblings, we had been for a time closer than sisters. The memories of our girlhood, pretending to be the pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, or the tragic princess Caroline, still filled me with longing. But the Fitzroys’ finances had flourished where ours had declined, and I took no pleasure in the prospect of marriage. A season with Diana promised only embarrassing shortfalls and uncomfortable encounters.

I wanted to say all these things, and that I had seen far worse than a wounded bird in my life, for had I not seen my own mother die in childbirth? But such was not the speech of a dutiful daughter, and I quailed at the thought of disrupting our affectionate relationship. I was still struggling for words when he kissed me on my forehead and shooed me back inside, as if I was still a little girl.


Leviathan
Chase and Daniels 
Book Two
L.S. Johnson

Genre: Queer Gothic Romance/Horror
Publisher: Traversing Z Press
Date of Publication: June 15, 2018
ISBN: 978-0998893624
ASIN: B07DJQZ8GM 
Number of pages: 185
Word Count: 40k
Cover Artist: Najla Qamber 

Book Description:

We will survive this, Caroline.

It has been several months since Harkworth Hall burned, and mere weeks since Joanna Chase came back into Caroline Daniels’ life. But when a stranger arrives in their village and asks to see the damaged bay, they know that word of the creature has spread. With tensions simmering between France and England, they depart in haste for Medby, where Sir Edward’s brother resides. There they hope to discover if Thomas Masterson has stepped into Sir Edward’s shoes, and now wields the monster called Leviathan.

The situation in Medby, however, is far worse than they anticipated. Claiming the French attacked his ships, the younger Masterson seems about to launch an audacious reply. But his true plans are not so straightforward and there is little time for Caroline and Jo to uncover them. 

With the threat of war demanding risks in kind, Caroline and Jo must weigh their deepening affection against the greater good … and learn to trust not only their instincts, but their hearts as well.

The Painter’s Widow
Chase and Daniels 
Book Three
L.S. Johnson

Genre: Queer Gothic Romance/Horror
Publisher: Traversing Z Press
Date of Publication: June 26, 2020
ISBN: 978-0998893655
ASIN: B089QW92YN 
Number of pages: 182
Word Count: 40k
Cover Artist: Najla Qamber of Najla Qamber Designs

Book Description:

You know by now what a woman is capable of.

Caroline is home with her father and the woman she loves—but with the Leviathan still unaccounted for, such peace can only be temporary. Soon, the mysterious Mr. Smith is asking for her aid once more: one of the Mastersons’ conspirators has been murdered, and the only clue lies in a painting that was last seen in Medby. Meanwhile, Jo has worries of her own, as her affianced sister wants assurances she cannot give—not without denying her very self.

With her arrival in London marked by a second murder, Caroline finds herself once more drawn into a world she wanted to forget. Aided by old friends and new, she and Jo search for the painter, while staying out of reach of Jo’s sister’s powerful fiancĂ©. But soon they suspect that darker forces are behind the murders, involving not only the painter but his young, pretty wife … and an imaginary land called Arcadia.

As Caroline and Jo struggle to both stop the murders and protect the life they’ve made for themselves, they find a new conspiracy is just beginning … and their choices will come at a price greater than either imagined.


A Shining Path
Chase and Daniels 
Book Four
L.S. Johnson

Genre: Queer Gothic Romance/Horror
Publisher: Traversing Z Press
Date of Publication: April 2, 2022
ISBN: 979-8985797213
ASIN: B09SY7GJFH 
Number of pages: 198
Word Count: 47k
Cover Artist: Najla Qamber Designs

Book Description:

There is so much evil in the world … but this one thing we can make right.

The island colony of Arcadia promises hope, prosperity, and tolerance to all who settle there … and asks only that they protect it with their lives. For Caroline and Jo, however, this opportunity could spell disaster, for the island’s owner is none other than Mrs. Masterson. Is her invitation an honest offer, or a deadly lure? And what relation does this Arcadia have to the one in the widow’s paintings—a place accessible only by magic, and the last known location of the monster called Leviathan?

To uncover the truth, Caroline and Jo set out for Arcadia, only to find that each of their fellow travelers has personal reasons for accepting Mrs. Masterson’s offer. Caught between this impromptu army and the might of England and France, knowing at any moment the Leviathan might reappear, they race to stave off the impending violence. 

But the further they get, the more they realize that Mrs. Masterson has set herself, and the Leviathan, against a far greater opponent than any one nation. Her success will mean catastrophe for millions, but stopping her may cost Caroline and Jo what they hold most dear: each other.

Amazon     Kobo     Books2Read     Traversing Z


About the Author:

L.S. Johnson lives in California with a spouse, a cat, and numerous goldfish. She is the author of the Chase and Daniels quartet of gothic novellas and over 40 short stories. Her first collection, Vacui Magia, won the North Street Book Prize and was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award. Her second collection, Rare Birds, was an IPPY medalist. Her vampire serial, Prima Materia, is happening now. Find her online at traversingz.com.


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Wednesday, March 23, 2022

The Frelsarien: Battle of Eirbor The Frelsarien Chronicles Book One Lynette Charrier

 


The Frelsarien: Battle of Eirbor
The Frelsarien Chronicles 
Book One
Lynette Charrier 

Genre: Fantasy
Date of Publication: 3/13/2022
ISBN: Hardcover- 9798985598025
ISBN Paperback- 9798985598018
ISBN Ebook- 9798985598001
ASIN: B09Q5BPV5Y
Number of pages: 445
Word Count: 102K

Cover Artist: Covers By Christian

Tagline: Cursed bloodlines; Two warring nations; Three mortals trying desperately to return to their home world 

Book Description: 

One hundred years of peace have shattered, and the gods have sent the most unlikely of Heroes, mortals.

On the planet Eyon, one hundred years of peace has ended after the kingdom of Elmoria invaded the neighboring kingdom of Tharon. Desperate to regain their lands and citizens, the Tharians beseech the gods to deliver Frelsarien to them-mythical prophets who, in the past, have used the power of the gods to bring peace to the land.

Meanwhile on Earth, Idun, Ayla, and Colton have no idea their bloodlines carry a curse that enslaves them to the Overseers - supernatural beings whose divine rule stretches across the universe, earning them the status of godhood. After the Overseers come to collect them, the three humans learn that they must bring peace between two warring nations, or be damned to a life on this planet with no hope of returning home.

When the three Frelsarien arrive, the Tharians are disappointed to discover that the gods sent nothing but ordinary humans. Some give up hope that they will be of any help, while others cling to faith. The Frelsarien must either find a new way to prove their worth to the overseers, or attempt to develop the powers they were promised. In the face of adversity, will they be able to rise up to the challenge?

In a gripping page-turner, author Lynette Charrier pieces together an epic tale against a backdrop of tyranny, strength and resilience. Battle of Eirbor is the first novel in the Frelsarien series, a masterpiece of epic crossworld fantasy.

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/sY8fe_d2hSc

Amazon      BN

Excerpt:

Idun’s eyes flickered open. She had been dreaming again.

A throbbing pain pounded within her skull. She groaned and rubbed the back of her head and felt a large welt. Her bruised fingers glided around to the right side of her head, where she found another welt. She sighed while slowly propping herself up and looking around. Her eyes were still hazy, but she could just barely make out the silhouette of a woman sitting across from her. Idun rubbed her eyes before reopening them.

“I doubt that will help,” the woman said, just as Idun came to that very conclusion. “You have a concussion.”

To her surprise, Idun recognized the voice.

“Ayla?”

The woman stood up and moved towards her, taking her seat on the bed next to Idun. There were two of her in Idun’s eyes, but she could still make out the features of her lifelong friend. She didn’t look like herself. Her long, curly, brown-black hair framed a smooth face, free of acne, and unhidden by glasses. But the most striking difference was her weight. The last time Idun saw her, she was skin and bones and likely less than one hundred pounds. The Ayla sitting in front of her looked… healthy.

“Jesus! How long have I been out?” She wondered if this was still part of the dream.

“Idun! Language,” she snapped.

Idun chuckled and put her head back down on the pillow. “Seriously, though, how long have I been out?”

“Almost twenty-four hours.”

A confused expression crossed Idun’s face, and she looked up from her pillow. “Can’t be. Don’t take this the wrong way, but there’s no way you look like this after just twenty-four hours. And my hair doesn’t grow this fast either,” she said, holding up a lock of auburn hair which was now longer than the length of her arm.

“These are our Frelsarien bodies…” She said as if that were obvious. She waited a moment as if to see if this triggered a memory, but it didn’t. Idun had no idea what that meant. “So, you really haven’t been briefed on this?”

“What?” Idun picked her head off the pillow and looked up at the blur which was Ayla. “What are you talking about?”

“Where do you think we are?” Ayla questioned.

Idun looked around the room, which, from what she could tell, was made completely of stone and decorated in red. “I don’t know…”

Ayla sighed. “What is the last thing you remember?”

“The last thing I know for sure wasn’t a dream.” Idun had to think for a moment. “I climbed that cliff just outside of town.” She rubbed the back of her head again. “I must have hit my head when I fell, though. I had this weird hallucination about being chased by the grim reaper.”

Ayla stood up to pour Idun a glass of water, then walked back and placed it in her hand. “Idun… that wasn’t a hallucination. It wasn’t the grim reaper, though,” She said, with a laugh.

Idun brought the cup to her lips but stopped, giving Ayla a confused yet doubtful glance. She opened her mouth to ask her to elaborate, but Ayla beat her to it.

“It’s called the soul splitter. It separated our souls from our bodies on Earth and brought them to our bodies here on Eyon.” She waited for a moment to study Idun’s expression again; Which happened to be one of disbelief. “Does any of that ring a bell?”

“Not even a little one.” Idun tipped back her cup and then placed it down on the table. “I’m actually pretty sure I’m still asleep.”

Ayla reached over and pinched the skin on the underside of Idun’s arm.

“What the heck!” Idun propped herself up with a jolt.

“Well, you’re not asleep,” Ayla giggled.

Idun scrunched her eyebrows together and massaged the back of her arm. “And you’re not Ayla...”

 


About the Author:
 
Lynette Charrier was born in Manitoba Canada but grew up in Southern California. There she met her husband who whisked her away back to his hometown of Naples Florida. Not long after she earned her degree in interior design and quickly found a job in the field. However her true passion lies with the writing community. Ever since she was little she had been making up stories of distant worlds and far off galaxies. Now she's excited to finally share those stories with the world.










Hidden Lake: The Prophecy Denise Howard

 


Hidden Lake: The Prophecy
Denise Howard

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Northern Amour Writing
Date of Publication: 18 March 2022
ASIN: B09CRN5YYC
Number of pages: 195
Word Count: 50,383

Cover Artist: Northern Amour Writing

Tagline: What can go wrong in the hands of a newly founded teenage witch?

Book Description: 

Enter a world as new to you as it is to teenager Gracie Willton. On her 17th Birthday she learns about a secret her mother has been keeping from her. Gracie comes from a long blood line of powerful witches. Not only is Gracie a witch she is also considered the prophecy. 

Join Gracie on her journey as she learns the depths of her powers and how to control them. See how the prophecy unfolds and the bounds of the supernatural world are affected. 

However, as a 17 year old girl you still need to be concerned about high school grades and cute boys right?







About the Author: 

Denise lives with her partner and their four legged fur babies.  She loves small town living and visiting the big city lights. When she isn’t writing or indulging in reading the next book on her endless bucket list, she enjoys nature and binge watching TV shows. 

Denise has a college diploma in Intra-Oral Dental Assisting and in Business. She is currently enrolled in Laurentian University working on her undergraduate.  On top of that she works full time within the Government sector. She is an advocate for equality and hopes one day to become a bestselling author.








War of the Sea - Kickstarter Olympian Wars Book One Dana Claire

  War of the Sea - Kickstarter Olympian Wars Book One Dana Claire Genre: Fantasy Romance Publisher: Chamberlain Publishing House ISBN: 97989...