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Thursday, February 17, 2022

Dawned by Michelle Areaux

 


Dawned
Michelle Areaux

Genre: Young Adult- Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Book Bliss Publishing
Date of Publication: 2/14/22
ISBN: B09MNPW2TL
Number of pages: 190
Word Count: 48,000

Tagline: Eternity is a powerful tool

Book Description: 

Twilight meets Lucifer in this exciting new paranormal romance.

Everything changed the moment sixteen-year-old Harlow Parker met the mysterious and captivating, Declan Quinn.

Always feeling as though she were destined to live a life of solitude, she never expected to meet someone so--magical. After the tragic death of her parents, she moved in with her godmother, Lorie, in the small, southern Kentucky town of Willow Falls. Nothing exciting ever happened here-- until Declan arrived.

And, once she meets the mysterious and swoon-worthy Declan, everything begins to spiral out of control. The magnetic pull she feels toward him is undeniable, and a gorgeous boy who would ultimately break her heart, was the last thing Harlow needed.

Declan Quinn has spent centuries looking for the one who can unlock his mortality. Despite his attempts to remain hidden in the shadows of the small town, he finds himself drawn to the quiet new girl. Curiosity gets the best of Declan and he soon realizes she may just be the one he has been looking for all along. As sparks begin to flare between the pair, Harlow quickly discovers there is something dangerous and supernatural about the boy she has fallen for. Declan is withholding a dark secret that could destroy Harlow and their relationship.

Desire inevitably overpowers both Harlow and Declan as they find themselves in the middle of a suspenseful supernatural war between good and evil. When both of their pasts come back to haunt them, they must find a way to fight together before they are destroyed forever.


Excerpt:

I stop on the corner, ready to step onto crosswalk when I hear the rumble of a car heading my way. It is then that I decide to look up and away from the scattering of yellow and reds broken at my feet.  

A pearl white sedan whips past me, stirring the leaves and air so that I feel as though I’m suddenly lost inside a tornado of fall.  

The passengers turn to look out their window, probably confused by the strange girl who almost walked out in front of them. Their faces strike me and I forget how to breathe. It’s not because they are unfamiliar—Willow Falls is a small town. When you live here, you know everyone. No, their faces strike me as odd because they are the most beautiful and God-like creatures I have ever seen in my life.  

A pair of ocean blue eyes locks on me and I still, my heart racing like a wild race horse.  They belong to a guy around my age, but his striking features render me helpless. Raven black hair highlights his features as he stares me down. A blonde-haired guy, who is just as handsome, turns from the driver's seat and smiles a wicked smile that causes goose bumps to appear on my arms.


About the Author:

Michelle Areaux resides in a small Kentucky town and enjoys writing tales of romance that includes the bitter and sometimes ugly truth of love, angst, heartache, and desire that all come with falling in love. 








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Monday, February 7, 2022

autifully Broken Heroes Aurora’s Girls Book One Julia Keanini

 


Beautifully Broken Heroes
Aurora’s Girls 
Book One
Julia Keanini

Genre: Sweet Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pickled Plum Publishing
Date of Publication: 12/21/2021
ISBN: 979-8784847072
ASIN: B09KL9FC2M
Number of pages: 184
Word Count: 49,788
Cover Artist: Steven Novak

Tagline: We were broken, every part of us. But that makes us the very best at what we do. Making sure that no other woman or child suffers in the way that we have.

Book Description: 

We were broken, every last one of us. I lost my cousin to a brutal murder when I was just eleven. Nadia was emotionally battered and bruised until she was just a shell of her formerly confident self. Ella joined the military to change the world, but unknowingly left her sister behind in the clutches of a monster. And Shai was nearly beaten to death by the man who had vowed to love and protect her.

Maybe we still are broken, at least a little. But it’s because of our scars, not despite them, that we’re able to find and rescue others like us. Others who are still being broken, used as punching bags by loved ones, sold as nothing more than objects, or kept against their will.

I’ve trained for this since I was a child and now I’m putting that training into practice, knowing I can beat up any perpetrator, save any victim, with my bare hands. Nadia hasn’t come across a legal conundrum that she can’t solve and while we try to stay on the right side of the law, sometimes we have to bend the rules to save a life. So Nadia makes sure we never get in trouble for doing the right thing. Ella can talk an elephant into flying, and her skills have wrung confessions out of hardened criminals. And Shai . . . well, Shai is lethal. No man will leave her in a pool of her own blood again.

But because we’re so focused on our mission, the rest of life can get a little messy. Like relationships. I’m kind of in love with my best friend and he has no idea. He’s the only man in my life who hasn’t been intimidated by my strength, and part of me wonders if he’s actually attracted to it. But that relationship is going nowhere since I have a hard time admitting my feelings even to myself. Then Shai has a hot thing going with the police officer who saved her life, but since she refuses to acknowledge it, her love life has stalled before it had a chance. And don’t get me started on Ella and Nadia. Those women attract men every moment of every day, but won’t give any of them a second glance. But we’ll figure it out. The way we do with everything.

We are a team of the world’s most elite warriors, women seeking salvation and redemption for those who can’t do it themselves and holding their abusers accountable. And thanks to our boss, Susie, we’re backed by billions to carry out our work. The criminals of the world won’t know what hit them. Because we are Aurora’s Girls.


Excerpt: 

A man who preyed on women when they were alone: that’s who we were looking for. The women always sat at the bar, where he'd approach them, manage to gain their trust, and then lead them elsewhere to turn from Prince Charming into their worst nightmare.
Knowing that a man capable of such deplorable acts probably stood within a couple dozen feet of me sent shivers up my spine even though I was far from cold in that hot club with my leather jacket. Unlike Shai, who wore a dress that displayed her sleeves of tattoos, I was covered up, especially for a club. I wasn't averse to dressing up, but it felt strange to wear a little black dress my first day at a new job. And how did one fight in a dress? I was sure Shai had it all down, but I preferred my jeans, white tank, and jacket, thank you very much. In that ensemble I was certain I could hold my own . . . and then some.

If there was one thing I knew, it was how to fight. My first self-defense course started the summer I turned ten. It was a few months after my cousin had been murdered by her ex-boyfriend. My mom, and especially my aunt, thought it was imperative that I know how to protect myself in any situation, even if someone came at me with a gun like the man who'd taken my cousin from me.

So to that one summer of classes was added karate and then jiu-jitsu. Soon I had a black belt in several different types of martial arts, and then I turned my attention to boxing. Some have said we Andersons have an unhealthy obsession with training and mastering fighting techniques. But those people weren't awakened one spring morning by their aunt’s screams of terror upon finding out that her only daughter had been murdered just days before her twenty-first birthday.

"We need to move," Shai said in a low voice, taking one of my leather-clad arms and leading me to the dance floor.

I stood awkwardly for a moment before I realized why we were now on the dance floor. We were supposed to dance. So we did. Shai was relaxed, just swaying side to side, but I couldn't dance half-heartedly. The song was one of my favorites so I had to vibe with it. My moves wouldn't make me TikTok famous or anything, but I wasn't bad, if I did say so myself.

"Is Ella okay?" I asked, leaning down to yell in Shai's ear.

We made quite the pair. At five-nine, I was all lean limbs. I'd inherited my height from my father along with my light mocha skin, but what my sisters liked to call light brownde hair and green eyes were all my mom.

And then there was Shai. Tiny, tattooed Shai with her long brown hair pulled back in her signature ponytail, her dark eyes carefully scanning everything around us even as my thoughts continued to wander.

Why was it so hard for me to focus? Probably because it felt like nothing was happening. After years of training, I was ready for action. I was sure it would become easy as soon as our target approached Ella, but for now I really needed to get my head back in the game. Again.

"She's fine," Shai mouthed.

Thankfully I'd been looking at her so I didn't miss her message.

Aunt Susie had warned me that working with Shai would mean needing to practically read her mind. Shai didn't train people. She didn't have the time or patience for it. So if I wanted to work with Shai, I needed to guide myself. Of course I'd already been through months of Aurora training, but I'd have no training on the job. I figured that was a fair trade for working with the best in the business.

There were dozens of other teams Aunt Susie could have placed me on, but I thanked my lucky stars I was right where I was. I'd already learned so much and I was only half an hour into my first job.

The dance floor was packed but Shai and I had carved out a little space for ourselves, so I was taken aback to see a guy suddenly encroaching on that space. He approached from behind Shai, his intent apparent by the way his eyes bored into her butt. He looked back at his friends, laughing and pretending to grope Shai's bottom. I was about to warn her or tell the guy off, but never got the chance.

Somehow sensing his approach, Shai spun toward the guy and his eyes widened. From my position behind her I couldn’t see her face, but the look she gave the coward sent him scurrying away immediately.

I bit back a chuckle as Shai turned back to me and resumed her indifferent pretense at dancing. I didn't know her well yet, but doubted she would have appreciated my laughter. And I definitely didn't want to get whatever treatment she'd just given Mr. Gropey.



About the Author: 

Julia Keanini is just a city girl living in a country world (and secretly loving it). She loves the mountains and would adore the beach, if it weren't for all the sand and salt (wait, that is the beach?). A good book, a great song, or a huge piece of chocolate can lift her mood, but her true happiness is found in her little fam. She writes about girls who deal with what life throws at them and always about love, cause she LOVES love.









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The Cross of Ciaran The Cross of Ciaran Series Book One Andrea Matthews

 



The Cross of Ciaran
The Cross of Ciaran Series 
Book One
Andrea Matthews

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Inez M. Foster  
Date of Publication: June 18, 2020
ISBN:  978-1-7333375-1-9
ASIN:  B08BJ1QRGM
Number of pages: 362
Cover Artist: Jenny Quinlan 

Tagline:  Can a fifth century pagan priest find love with a twentieth century archaeologist or will his secrets shatter their future together?

Book Description: 

When a fifth century pagan priest is unearthed in Ireland fifteen hundred years after being entombed, archaeologist Caitlin O’Connell is convinced it’s the find of the century. The body is in perfect condition, right down to the intricate tattoos adorning the Celt’s skin. In fact, if scientific data hadn’t proved otherwise, she would swear he hadn’t been interred more than a few hours.

Eager to discover more about the mysterious Celt, Caitlin accompanies the body back to the New York museum where she’s employed, but before she has time to study him, the priest disappears without a trace. Rumors surrounding the event begin to circulate and result in the excavation’s benefactor pulling the plug on the entire expedition.

The rumors are not far off the mark though. After being buried alive for betraying his goddess and his priesthood in the dawning age of Christianity, Ciarán wakes to a strange new world. Alone and frightened in an unforgiving city, he stumbles upon the only thing familiar to him and seeks sanctuary within the church walls. With the help of the parish’s pastor, Father Mike, Ciarán slowly grows accustomed to his surroundings, though he’s plagued by dark dreams and the disturbing sensation that an evil from his past has followed him into the future. But a more immediate danger lurks on his doorstep.

Caitlin is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery concerning her missing Celt, and when she meets her Uncle Mike’s new handyman, Ciarán Donnelly, she’s convinced the handsome Irishman knows more about the theft than he’s letting on. Yet, even she can’t deny the attraction between them, simmering below the surface and blurring the lines between her personal and professional life. But will Ciarán’s secrets draw them together or shatter their future forever?


Excerpt:

 Ciarán stumbled along beneath the twisted canopy of blackthorn shrubs, their prickly branches entwining with those of the hawthorn to form a mystical passageway. Though only a dim grey light pierced its knotwork, intermittent flashes of lightning broke through the tangled vines to sketch eerie patterns across the moss-covered path. His robe caught on the spiny bramble, and he stopped for a moment to free his sleeve, but a sharp shove from behind thrust him forward once more, the sudden movement ripping a jagged hole in his fine linen robe.

His temper flared, and he turned to object, though it did no good. Another quick jab to his shoulder spun him back around and thrust him out into the lakeside clearing. Slender stone columns stood in a semi-circle around its perimeter, each one facing the sacrificial altar. He rested his hand against the one to his side, steadying himself as the reality of the situation washed over him in a wave of nausea. There would be no escape.    

As if in agreement, a bolt of lightning ripped across the horizon, followed by a crash of thunder so loud it caused the breath to catch in his throat. The goddess was angry.  

Out of nowhere, thick grey clouds had formed to conceal the morning sun and cast ominous shadows over the secluded enclosure. The urge to fall prostrate before his goddess mother gripped his innards, tearing at his stomach with a fiery knife, but he could not find it within his heart to do so. A black-robed cleric propelled him further into the temple confines, forcing him to his knees beside another of the slender gray columns. The decision to kneel had been made for him, though it was an empty gesture on his part.

Trying to retain his composure, he gazed around the quiet glade. Towering thorn bushes encircled the clearing, concealing the sanctuary from the outside world and providing a perfect setting for worshipping the goddess of their tuath. The bile rose in his throat, for he knew the requirements for admission all too well. Entry to its sacred confines was only granted to those within the priesthood and those about to die.  

About the Author:

Andrea Matthews is the pseudonym for Inez Foster, a historian and librarian who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogical speaking. She has a BA in History, an MLS in Library Science, and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. She is the author of the Thunder on the Moor series set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Border, and the Cross of Ciaran series, where a fifteen-hundred-year old Celt finds himself in the twentieth century. Andrea is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Long Island Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society.












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

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