Friday, May 3, 2024

So completely good, so wholly right … #MFRWsteam #EroticRomance #SneakPeek

Getaway Girl cover
 

Welcome to the May MFRW Steam Hop! This is, of course, the “lusty month of May”, and I thought I’d kick things off with a sneak peek at my upcoming erotic romance release Getaway Girl. The book is available now for pre-order; it will come out next Monday. Want to read it before it’s available to anyone else? Leave me a comment. I will randomly select one winner from everyone who comments.

Meanwhile, here’s the blurb and a steamy bit from later in the book. Enjoy!

Blurb

Be careful what you wish for

All Peg wants is a break, a bit of adventure, a relief from her mundane existence in the bucolic but boring Yorkshire hamlet of Kirkby Malzeard. When dashing, sophisticated journalist Lionel Hayes saunters into the pub where she's tending bar, Peg suspects that he was just the sort of man to fulfill her fantasies of escape.

The seductive Lionel, however, is not what he seems. Before she knows it, Peg is a hostage, roped and gagged, speeding away from the scene of a daring crime. Lionel is armed and dangerous, but somehow Peg still wants him regardless of the consequences.

Note: This book was originally published in 2015 by Totally Bound. This second edition has been substantially revised and has a new ending.

Buy Links: https://www.lisabetsarai.com/getawaygirlbook.html

Excerpt (Explicit)

Nobody mentioned the missing barmaid, I gather.” Peg switched off the television, somehow annoyed that her absence hadn’t even been noticed.

Looks as though they’re really on the wrong track. Maybe we can relax a bit.” Lionel came up behind her and unfastened her bra again. His hands reached around to cup her breasts, massaging them gently. Despite her best intentions, Peg couldn’t help leaning back into his body. His hard cock settled in the divide between her buttocks. He stroked the silky rod up and down in that warm crease while strumming her rigid nipples with his thumbs. Each touch sparked electric spasms in her pussy. “Come back to bed, Margaret. Please.”

Peg allowed him to pull her back to the king sized four-poster. She was still uneasy, but she couldn’t resist his hands, his mouth, his sumptuous voice. He lay her down on her back and suckled at her swollen nipples until they were so sensitive she could scarcely bear it. Meanwhile, his fingers played between her legs, smearing her wetness over her outer lips, teasing her clit, then plunging deep into her hungry pussy.

She was achingly close to climax—he already knew how to bring her to the brink in minutes. With expert skill, he held her there, balanced on the edge, every touch waking new pleasure in her depths, but with the ultimate pleasure always a breath away.

He rubbed his cock against her thigh as he pumped his fingers in and out of her pussy, faster and harder. Each stroke ended with a flick to her clit. Each brought her closer to the release she so desperately craved.

His scent surrounded her, sweat and sleep and semen, mixed with the faintest hint of evergreen. It was familiar now, reassuring, yet still intoxicating. She moaned and squirmed under the relentless assault of his fingers and his mouth. She felt his cock jerk against her, and knew that he was close also.

Inside me,” she gasped. “Please, now… I want to feel you come inside me.”

Lionel rolled over on his back and in one swift movement, pulled her on top of him. Peg opened her thighs eagerly. His cock slid home, deep into her pussy, where it belonged. He tensed as he entered her, struggling for control, holding back so that they could climax together.

Peg sat up, her thighs straddling his pelvis. She began to ride him, up and down in long, liquid strokes. He held her hips, steadying her but allowing her to set the pace. She buried his flesh in hers, grinding against him. Her clit was so swollen and hard that it felt like a tiny penis. He arched up to meet her, forcing his cock deeper. She bore down, gripping him with her inner muscles, glorying in the feeling of fullness and connection.

Lionel moved his hands to her breasts, toying with her nipples. She writhed against him. Suddenly, he jerked upwards, his muscles straining, fingernails biting into her breasts. “Come now,” he moaned. “Come, love.”

It might have been the force of his cum boiling into her depths, or the friction of his furred pubis against her exposed clit, or the sudden pain of his lacerating fingers. Or it might have been that word, that word that he had used so casually. Whatever the trigger, Peg soared into a spectacular climax, her body convulsing in rhythm with his. The bed whirled, spinning them into space. She clutched at Lionel, dizzy, giddy with pleasure, astonished that anything could feel so completely good, so wholly right.


Don’t forget to leave me a comment! And I do hope you’ll visit the other authors participating in today’s Steam Hop.



Thursday, May 2, 2024

Is their attraction physical – or metaphysical? #ParanormalRomance #Mystery @HuleneKaren

Kissing Kin tour banner

Blurb

Maeve Jackson is starting over after a broken engagement—and mustering out of the Army. No job and no prospects, she spins out on black ice and totals her car.

When struggling vintner Luke Kaylor stops to help, they discover they’re distantly related. On a shoestring budget to convert his vineyard into a winery, he makes her a deal: prune grapevines in exchange for room and board.

But forgotten diaries and a haunted cabin kickstart a five-generational mystery with ancestors that have bones to pick. As carnal urges propel them into each other’s arms, they wonder: Is their attraction physical…or metaphysical?

Excerpt

The sky was a rich twilight blue--deepening yet crystal clear, as if clarifying the situation.

Didn’t realize the time.”

The vineyards reflected the rusty-red tones of the late winter sunset.

Dusk. I held back a sigh as I glimpsed the winery and cozy cabin. Heartrending in its homey beauty, the scene tugged at my earliest recollections.

The child of vagabond parents, I was often on the road at dusk, just as the lights began coming on in the houses we passed. Growing up without a permanent address, I fantasized about living in one of those comfortable homes instead of viewing them through the car window.

Gets dark early in the mountains.” He caught my gaze, did a double take, then stared.

Is something wrong?”

Your hair…”

Is something on it?” I swiped at my head.

No.” He chuckled. “The sunset captures your hair’s highlights--gives it a reddish glow.”

Oh.” Pleasantly surprised, I gave a nervous laugh as the heat crept to my cheeks. “Thanks.”

He reached out his hand and hesitated. “May I?”

Sure.” I quivered as his hand swept my hair behind my ear. As arousing as a caress, the gesture sent a shockwave through my body.

Then his hand molded itself just above my neck, gently supporting my head as he leaned toward me.

Without warning, I ached to feel his mouth on mine.

He leaned closer.

His warm breath tickling, I met him in a rush of hormones and adrenalin. Then lifting my lips, I closed my eyes, reveling in the give and take of his kiss.

Only Teddy’s insistent bark woke me from the daze.

About the Author

Karen Hulene Bartell author image

Author of the Trans-Pecos and Sacred Emblem series, Karen is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life, who writes multicultural, offbeat love stories. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved often, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Texas Piney Woods with her husband Peter and her “mews”—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.

Connect with Karen:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell

MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/karenbartell

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HuleneKaren

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/611950.Karen_Hulene_Bartell

Website: http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/karenhulenebartell

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenhulenebartell/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-hulene-bartell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhulenebartell/

 

Kissing Kin book cover

Buy Link https://www.amazon.com/Kissing-Trans-Pecos-Karen-Hulene-Bartell-ebook/dp/B0CRJ6P13V/ref=sr_1_1

A randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon/BN gift card.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Review Tuesday: Life After Promiscuity: A BDSM Love Story by Dorothy Freed #ReviewTuesday #BDSM #Memoir

Life After Promiscuity cover

Life After Promiscuity: A BDSM Love Story by Dorothy Freed

Wordwooze Publishing, 2024

Life After Promiscuity is an erotic memoir that describes in delicious, explicit detail the author’s decades-long involvement in a committed D/s relationship. Ms. Freed (“D” to her master) met her Sir at a public BDSM event in 1970’s San Francisco. Before that fateful night, she’d known she was excited by kink, but she hadn’t dared act on her desires. She was fortunate to connect with an experienced dominant who recognized her submissive yearnings and whose outrageous fantasies complemented her own. Over the years, her beloved Sir educated her, challenged her, disciplined her when she was bratty or disobedient, and above all, cherished her.

There’s a lot of sex in this book, but the main draw, for me, is the emotional connection between D and Sir. People sometimes talk about kink in terms of “playing”, and indeed D/s scenes can be light or humorous at times, but commitment takes the intensity to another level. This is serious D/s, life-changing and life-affirming, a mutual collaboration to deepen trust and expand limits. Occasionally Sir would allow D to be used by others; she even (with his blessing) explores her dominant side. None of this undermines the fact that D belongs to Sir – willingly and joyfully.

I recognize that joy from my own experience as a submissive.

Unsurprisingly, the book has a retro feel, commencing as it does in the swinging seventies when kink culture was flourishing. Indeed, the entire genre of kinky erotic memoir feels a bit dated in 2024. Since Fifty Shades of Gray, BDSM themes and aesthetics have thoroughly infiltrated mainstream media and culture. Is there anything new or original that can be said? Is D/s still viewed as transgressive and perverse, or has everyone been spanked?

Ms. Freed doesn’t really care about this. She’s focused on her own journey, which she describes with an artless enthusiasm that is touching and a bit amusing. I’m sure it isn’t the case that every one of her sentences ends in an exclamation point, but that’s the tone of the story. Her life with Sir provides both psychological revelations and physical pleasure. She’s perennially excited and she wants to share that with us.

The book is structured as a loosely connected chronological set of anecdotes which includes her first lesbian lover and her experiments with the role of Domme. Every one of them is fun to read about. The last chapter, though, moved me deeply. She describes a (recent?) event that she and Sir attended, where they were decades older than most of the participants. Her hair is gray and she has difficulty kneeling for long periods. He uses a cane and cannot always command the iron erections he used to display. Nevertheless, the spirit of their power exchange endures – her blissful surrender and his grateful acceptance of that gift. Given that my age more or less matches theirs, this had real personal resonance.

Life Beyond Promiscuity is not a philosophical book; I’m bringing in my own perspectives here. For me, D/s is not about bodies or toys or even sexual pleasure. It’s about connection, trust, and mutually satisfying, complementary desires.

Dorothy Freed doesn’t dwell on this truth. But it’s clear that she knows and celebrates it.


Monday, April 29, 2024

His darkest secret exposed to the woman who could destroy him -- #RomanticSuspense #EroticRomance @AmberDaulton1

Arrestng Alan banner

Blurb

A hacker, a federal agent, and a crime boss. The time has come to fight.

Computer technician Alan Harding is no saint, but his squeaky-clean image is unshakable in the eyes of his family and especially his young son. After he agrees to assist a drug lord-turned-snitch and hack into a criminal database, he’s faced with an impossible challenge—keeping his hands and heart away from his sexy as sin bodyguard, DEA Special Agent Hannah Adler.

Hannah would rather go hand-to-hand with an assailant than go undercover as Alan’s girlfriend, but she’s determined to keep him safe and his illegal activities on the down-low. The handsome man and his adorable child, however, are more than she bargained for.

Once their enemies learn the truth and retaliate by kidnapping Alan’s son, they’ll have to race against the clock to save the boy and bring a dangerous empire to its knees.

Book 4 in the sexy romantic suspense series, Arresting Onyx.

Excerpt


He claimed her mouth and slipped his tongue between her parted lips. A hint of mint teased his taste buds, and he kissed her harder. Hannah wiggled deliciously in his arms as she tried to pull free. Every swipe of her breasts across his chest soothed the headache still throbbing behind his eyes. Each stroke of her belly against his restrained cock tightened his already achy balls. After he leaned sideways just enough to drop the bottle on the floor without spilling it, he backed her against the TV case.

Hannah pried her face away and kneed him in the thigh.

Ow!” He stumbled back, his head swaying.

Damn. What’s gotten into you?” She straightened her twisted shirt and patted her lips.

Sorry.” Not. He fisted his hair so hard his scalp burned. “I need you. I know you need me.”

You’re drunk and not thinking clearly.” She growled as he clutched her elbow. “Let go, Alan. I don’t want to hurt you.”

I’m already hurt. Do your worst.” He pushed her back gently and lavished such slow, sweet love on her mouth that she moaned and wrapped her arms around him. All-male triumph surged through his veins. He feathered kisses down her chin and suckled on her neck.

Oh, God. We shouldn’t do this again.” She tilted her head and lifted up on her toes.

Fuck.” He panted hard as her lower stomach brushed his erection.

I don’t want to regret this.”

He pulled back from her neck and cupped her warm face with his hands. “I’d never regret you. I’ve wanted you ever since you handed me my ass on a silver platter.”

You remembered I said that?”

It was the sexiest speech I’d ever heard. How about a drink? It will loosen you up.” He grabbed the bottle.

Hannah snatched the whiskey and swigged it like a pro. Her eyes watered, and she handed it back to him. “Strong.”

He gulped another long draw and set the bottle on the coffee table. With the liquid fire rushing through him, taking control, he kissed Hannah so deeply that he stole the air from her lungs. Then he pushed her face-first against the wall.

What the hell, Alan? Hold on.” She bent her arms to brace herself.

Calm down. Relax,” he murmured and buried his nose in her hair. Jesus. Even those wild, curly locks smelled of his favorite spice. He flattened his hand on her back and swept his lips across her tense neck and shoulder blades.

Her rigid muscles eased. She trembled and pushed back toward his crotch.

Good girl.” He jerked down his jeans and boxers, kicked them away, and pumped his heavy cock. Her cotton pants sheathed her sweet ass as he stroked himself between her cheeks. “Get ready to burn, Hannah baby. When I’m done with you, you won’t be able to move.”

Bring it, hotshot.”

Her breathy challenge rocketed through him. Hell, yes. Game on. She was his, and he played to win.

New Release banner
 

Add it to Goodreads - https://bit.ly/ArrestingAlanGoodreads

Check it out on BookBub - https://bit.ly/ArrestingAlanBookbub

Buy Links

Universal link - https://books2read.com/arrestingalan

Amazon - https://amzn.to/3CQFCuh

Apple/iBooks - https://apple.co/3PE4vAA

Barnes and Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/arresting-alan-amber-daulton/1143584871?ean=2940160981956

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/arresting-alan

Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=d2vCEAAAQBAJ

About the Author

Amber Daulton head shot

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

Social Media Links

Universal link – https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

Exclusive Newsletter (free ebook to new subscribers) – https://amberdaulton.com/newsletter-signup/

 

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Charity Sunday: For our four-footed friends – #CharitySunday #PetRescue #PureLove

Charity Sunday Banner

Many Charity Sundays, I’m on fire to do something about all the crises facing our world. War, injustice, poverty, disasters – the problems are daunting but we can’t afford to give up.

Sometimes, though, I recognize that small gestures close to home also play a role in increasing peace and joy on earth. I haven’t picked an animal-related charity in a really long time, even though my pets are central to my life. So for today’s Charity Sunday, I’m supporting Buddy Dog Humane Society, in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

 

Buddy Dog logo

I haven’t lived in Massachusetts for two decades, but Buddy Dog was the source for one of our most beloved cats, Leticia. She was the kitten of a feral mother, and was absolutely terrified of humans. I remember the way she shrank into the corner of her cage when we first visited to meet her. She was so gorgeous, though, a solid black half-Siamese with fur like velvet, that we took on the challenge of raising her. And it was a challenge, believe me. It was years before she was sufficiently socialized to be comfortable interacting with us. At that time, we were commuting back and forth each week between our rural home and an apartment in the city, taking our cats with us. Frequently when we were ready to leave, Leticia would hide under the bed, making a timely departure a difficult task.

Eventually she became a smart, self-assured and bossy adult female (like many black female cats). When we moved to Asia, she came with us, and lived here to the ripe age of seventeen (along with our other rescue cat Ferdinand).

 

Portrait of Leticia
 

Anyway, one thing I recall about Buddy Dog was how serious they were about establishing our credentials as responsible cat owners. They required us to fill in a questionnaire and submit all sorts of documents, including proof of income! I had to laugh, given all the felines we’d raised, but I appreciated their commitment. From their website, it looks as though they haven’t changed.

Anyway, today I will donate two dollars to Buddy Dog Humane Society for every comment I receive. As for my excerpt, I have a snippet from my new novel Fangs, Fur and the Single Girl, which features an ailurophile psychic. Enjoy!

Blurb

A tragically attractive vampire, a hunky wolf-man and a skeptical but susceptible career gal. What could possibly go wrong?

The city is full of fanatics who believe vampires are real. Bianca knows that’s a fantasy. Then a blond, blue-eyed blood drinker walks into her office and turns her universe upside down. Trying to escape from the vampire’s seductive influence, she collides with a wolf shifter whose mere presence inspires irresistible lust. How can Bianca resolve her feelings for her two mutually hostile lovers?

Fangs, Fur and the Single Girl cover

Excerpt

Unencumbered by her suitcase, Bianca could move more freely. It took her less than forty-five minutes by subway to reach St. Mark’s Place. A vegan restaurant occupied the ground floor of the address on Mirielle Dupont’s card. A steep flight led up to the second floor entrance of the building proper. There was no sign, but peering up from street level, Bianca noted that the window to the right of the entrance contained a plump calico cat, tightly curled on a black cushion.

The door opened before she knocked.

Bianca, my dear! I’ve been expecting you.”

A white tunic draped the psychic’s hefty, broad-shouldered figure, worn over sky-blue silk pantaloons. Atop her artificial golden curls perched a turban of multi-colored paisley satin. Elaborate silver earrings dangled from her chalk-white earlobes. Kohl outlined her eyes and her lips were painted a bright red. Despite the season, her feet were bare, the toenails bright with blue polish. Another feline, silvery gray, wove its sinuous body around her ankles.

Bianca allowed herself to be pulled into the cozy, cluttered room. Bookshelves packed with tumbled volumes lined most of the walls. Indonesian batik covered any empty spots. With a sofa, two puffy armchairs with matching ottomans, an enameled curio cabinet, and a round table flanked by wrought iron chairs, the room held far too much furniture. The window sill had been extended to form a broad shelf that supported two cat beds, one of which, as she’d noted from below, was occupied. The calico did not stir, but a tiger-striped creature who was stretched out along the back of the sofa raised its head to survey the new arrival, then raked its claws across the upholstery. A fourth feline, solid black and large as a toy poodle, sat in the middle of table, watching her with unblinking yellow eyes.

A gorgeous Oriental carpet covered the floor. Bianca toed off her boots before Mirielle could comment, not wanting to track in dirt from the street.

Thank you, thank you kindly. Won’t you sit down?” Mirielle gestured toward the table. “I’ll make us some tea.”

Before Bianca could object, the psychic had disappeared through a curtained door toward the back of the apartment. Not knowing what else to do, she took the offered seat, which put her just level with the black cat. He regarded her gravely, his expression suggesting far more wisdom than he could possibly possess.

Why was she here? Did she really believe the eccentric transvestite had some sort of mystical power? The crowded space did not seem to contain any occult objects – no pyramids, crystal balls, Ouija boards or Tarot decks.

Still, Mirielle had immediately identified Bianca at the club and had not seemed the least bit surprised by her appearance today. Without being told, she clearly had some understanding of Bianca’s dilemma. And despite her liveliness, the self-proclaimed clairvoyant struck Bianca as someone who’d been around for a very long time. If anyone had answers to Bianca’s questions, it might be Mirielle Dupont.

Her stout, turbaned figure reappeared through the draperies carrying a tray. “Here we are. My special soothing blend, rose hips and orange peel, with a touch of mint. Off with you, Bruno. We need your space.”

The black feline regarded Mirielle for a moment, as if deciding whether to obey. Then he rose to all fours, arched into a leisurely stretch, and leaped from the table to the sofa, where he settled himself just below the tiger.

FFSG Teaser

You can find buy links for FFSG on my website: https://www.lisabetsarai.com/fangsfurbook.html

Please do leave a comment. Every one can help a needy dog or cat find a home.



Friday, April 26, 2024

Another case for the Chocolate Martini Sisters! #CozyMystery #Arizona #Preorder

The real chocolate martini sisters

By Brenda Whiteside (Guest Blogger)

For the past six years, my sister and I have toasted our birthdays with a chocolate martini in an historic hotel bar in Prescott, Arizona. As the celebration became a tradition, we came to call ourselves the Chocolate Martini Sisters. The name was instant inspiration for me. I imagined two sisters, amateur sleuths, finding murder each time they came together to celebrate. The idea was born. But I’m a suspense author, and I needed mystery skills. That’s when I enlisted a writer friend in Minnesota, Joyce Proell. She liked my idea, and we became the Chocolate Martini Sisters writing team.

Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder (A Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery, book 3) eBook will release on April 30. It’s on preorder this week. The print book is available right now.

The third book in this amateur sleuths, cozy mystery series will have you chuckling and on the edge of your seat as the sisters solve the murder.

Blurb

It’s a rib cookoff…with a recipe for murder.

Nicole Earp and Emma Banefield are celebrating another birthday at the Dulce Inn with the added fun of a rib cookoff in the park. Not only are chocolate martinis in their plans, Nic has her heart set on winning the cornbread contest. But as the excitement bakes, someone is stirring up trouble for the inn and its employees.

Strange occurrences at the Dulce are on the rise. Slashed tires, menacing phone calls, and unsavory characters add a vibe that threatens the sisters’ anticipated fun-filled stay. When the hot-headed hotel owner is caught wielding a bloody letter opener over a dead coworker, the sisters are embroiled in a caper to help the one person who finds their sleuthing as welcomed as a rattlesnake in her bed. But is she innocent?

The Chocolate Martini Sisters are primed to find out. First, they’ll have to eliminate a host of suspects that includes a dishonest restaurant owner, a jilted girlfriend, an ex-wife, the barkeeper, and a masseuse with a crush. If they can stay off the radar of the surly chief homicide detective long enough, they can put out the fire…unless the killer burns them first.

Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1GPJR7

Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CW1GPJR7

Amazon CA

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CW1GPJR7

AND OTHER AMAZON SITES

BookBub

https://www.bookbub.com/books/cornbread-ribs-and-murder-chocolate-martini-sisters-mystery-book-3-by-brenda-whiteside-and-joyce-proell

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210562510-cornbread-ribs-and-murder

Cornbread, Ribs and Murder book cover

Excerpt

Care for a celebratory chocolate martini?” Grinning, Emma attempted to arch one questioning brow, similar to the dramatic effect she’d seen in movies, but both shot up.

Nic chuckled. “Do you really need to ask?”

In silent agreement, they’d set a course to the Azul Saloon when a piercing scream rang out. Emma startled, then froze.

What the heck?” Nic grabbed her hand clawing into the skin enough to make her flinch, then gulped and, noticing her pained expression, released her grip. “Sorry.”

The scream set a fire under the desk manager’s feet who darted from the reception area.

For an older man, Oliver Stonewell sure can move.” Emma hustled after him, sprinting across the lobby, curious about what she might find at the source of the wretched scream. Nic kept pace at her side, hand flat against the top of her hat, holding it steady.

As they closed in on the administrative office corridor, another longer scream morphed into a painful yowl. “Hellllp.”

The agonized cry tripped along Emma’s spine like jagged nails scratching at her skin. She raced past Jillian’s empty office. Following Oliver, she veered into the second open doorway and halted with a gasp. Oh my God. She’d seen the raw ugliness of death before, yet it didn’t prepare her for this—lots and lots of blood blossomed across the man’s shirt. She clapped a hand to her mouth stifling a cry. Unexpectedly light-headed, dots floated across her vision. Teetering, she caught the door jamb. Her legs steadied, but her stomach threatened to revolt.

Aw, jeez,” muttered Nic, echoing the horror coursing through her shaky body. 

* * * 

You can find all of the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery books here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BQ9T7ZBX

 

Joyce head shot

After hearing countless stories as a mental health professional, Joyce Proell retired to create her own tales. As an award-winning author, she writes historical romance and cozy mystery where all endings are guaranteed happy. She shares her home on the prairie with a husband and a little dog with a big personality. When she isn’t reading or writing, she likes to swim and finds baking almost as relaxing as a day at the spa.

Visit Joyce at her website: https://joyceproell.com/ or at https://www.facebook.com/JoyceProellAuthor

Brenda head shot

 

Brenda Whiteside is the award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery. She writes children’s books under the pen name, Brenda Sue. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have settled in Central Arizona. They admit to being gypsies at heart and won't discount the possibility of another move. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes.

Visit Brenda at https://www.brendawhiteside.com

or https://www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Critique Groups Are A Writer’s Best Friend – #CritiqueGroups #Fantasy #Giveaway @Fallenwood1

Fallenwood series tour banner

By Leslie D. Soule (Guest Blogger)

Often, I can come up with brilliant ideas all on my own (at least, I think they’re brilliant), but much of the time, a story can really get a lot out of being shared with others and critiqued. Prior to the pandemic, I belonged to a writing group in Sacramento, California, called Stonehenge, and we met at a pizza place and shared whatever story we’d been working on, and got commentary from the group on how it could be improved, to make it even better. It was in this group that I worked on stories like “A Case of May”, which is a horror story that was picked up by Terror House Publishing.

I remember explaining what I had of the story, at the time, to the group. One of the members said, “Ghosts have RULES?!”

Haha. Guess I hadn’t quite explained that part.

There’s certainly something to be said, for telling your story to others and seeing how they react to it. After all, they are your audience. In the case of a writing group, your group members are your beta readers.

I’ve often “borrowed” ideas given to me by other people, if it would make a story more interesting (always with permission from the person who came up with the idea). Such was the case with “A Case of May”, where a friend of mine came up with a far more clever ending than what I’d originally envisioned.

So I would highly recommend finding or creating a writing group, because it will not only provide a sense of community, but will most likely also make your writing quite a bit stronger.

A Case of May” can be found at: https://terrorhousemag.com/case/

Blurb

The Fallenwood Chronicles is the ongoing story of Ash Kensington, a young woman who finds herself transported into a fantasy world, where she must take up arms in a battle of Good vs. Evil, against the Dark Lord Malegaunt. Tragedy strikes her life in the real world, but she finds friends in Fallenwood, like her mentor Will Everett, a talking cat named Greymalkin, and a court jester named Terces. Working together, they battle against the odds as Ash faces attacks from the world and from within. Eventually Ash finds the strength within herself, to attempt the fight against Malegaunt, against overwhelming odds, come what may

Excerpt

Her heart raced and she breathed slowly, trying to calm her frazzled nerves. Glancing around, she wondered how far off the road she’d wandered. She knew it had been midday when she’d started running, and now looking up into the star-filled sky, it had to be late into the night. A rush of air greeted her the moment she reached this strange part of the forest, before her eyes had temporarily forsaken her. The wind whipped around her from all sides. She backed away from where she stood, and the wind felt like it was whooshing up from a precipice. Ashley paused to allow her eyes to adjust to the dark. When her sight returned, she realized that she was standing nowhere near a cliff—it was just an unfamiliar area of forest.

Suddenly, a ball of fire hurtled overhead in an arc toward her. Her mind screamed at her to run, but she found that her legs wouldn’t move. The flaming orb continued its descent, burrowing itself into the soft ground only inches away from Ashley’s boots. Two men rushed toward her, arguing all the while as Ashley stood immobilized. Her bones were in revolt. Her brain scrambled for an alias to give out to the men if they asked, but she could only come up with Ash, because she was looking at the little pile of soot at her boots. “Deflected,” the man in the lead announced.

About the Author

Author photo

Leslie D. Soule received her M.A. in English from National University. She is a scholar, artist, citizen journalist, and martial artist. She has been an established writer for a decade, and has novels published by Melange Books, Terror House Press, Gypsy Shadow Publishing, and Nat 1 Publishing. The Fallenwood Chronicles is her 4-book fantasy series and features the novels Fallenwood, Forgetting Fallenwood, Betrayer, and Retribution.

Twitter handle: @Fallenwood1

Buy Links

Book One: https://www.amazon.com/Fallenwood-Leslie-D-Soule-ebook/dp/B00OJR1KEA/ref=sr_1_2


Book 1 cover

Book Two: https://www.amazon.com/Forgetting-Fallenwood-Leslie-D-Soule-ebook/dp/B00HOXV4OW/ref=sr_1_1


Book 2 Cover

Book Three: https://www.amazon.com/Betrayer-Fallenwood-Chronicles-Book-3-ebook/dp/B073RRKRGM/ref=sr_1_1

 

Book 3 Cover

Book Four: https://www.amazon.com/Retribution-Fallenwood-Novel-Leslie-Soule-ebook/dp/B08D6T81QM/ref=sr_1_1


Book 4 Cover

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to one randomly chosen entrant during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway