Blog Tour + #Giveaway: The Lost Eye of the Serpent by Jeremy Phillips @jphillips2323 @yaboundtourspr

The Lost Eye of the Serpent
by Jeremy Phillips
Genre: YA Mystery
Release Date: August 6th 2016
Limitless Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:

It may sound crazy, but Jonathan Delacroix is certain his sister Rose really is Sherlock Holmes...

Girls are not detectives. But in the summer of 1893, in the small western town of Hope Springs, Rose Delacroix is bound and determined to prove them wrong. When the famous Emerald Serpent Jewels are stolen from the Delacroix family hotel and the blame lands solely on her older brother Bill, Rose recruits Jonathan as her Watson-like counterpart to solve the case.

Proving your brother innocent is difficult when the evidence keeps stacking up against him...

Before Rose and Jonathan can properly start their investigation, another robbery is committed. The rusty revolver purported to have once belonged to Wild Bill Hickock has been stolen from the general store and found hidden amongst her brother's belongings. With Bill in jail, and the owner of the Serpent Jewels planning to sue the Delacroix hotel, Rose knows she has to find a lead, and soon.

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An Interview with Jeremy Phillips

What inspired you to write The Lost Eye of the Serpent?

My inspiration was simple.  I thought about what kind of a story I myself would want to read, as a mystery reader in the Young Adult genre?  What sort of story would I myself find compelling?  That was perhaps half of my inspiration.  

The other half, was the idea of being able to discuss some important social ideas in the story, in an indirect manner.  By which I mean, the fact that Rose is an almost proto-Feminist character.  Her thoughts on the rights and capabilities of women are pretty well accepted in our world today, but in the 1890's, not so much.  Just the thought of her becoming some type of a police officer or detective, would have been absolutely inappropriate for her time and place.  With this story, I get to discuss some of that with the reader and help them see more about the world we live in. 

When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

I was always a big reader as a child, so for me it was a natural extension from that to want to write.  Definitely by the time I was in high school, I had aspirations to want to write books.  So, that's been 30 years ago now.  But I enjoyed it then, and I enjoy it now. 

What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book? 

I remember reading some Dr. Seuss stuff, sometime before kindergarten.  My mom read to me a lot, and so we spent a lot of time with that.  I'm sure that played a part in my developing interests. 

What genre of books do you enjoy reading? 

Oh, I like to read everything.  I am very omnivorous with this.  I love the genre stuff, the Fantasy stuff, the Mystery stuff.  But I like to read most everything, if it's well written. 

What is your favorite book? 

This is always a hard question.  I love so many of them.  I just finished re-reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series, which I do love.  There's a movie coming out next year of this, which I am hoping will be done properly.  We'll see. 

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why? 

Another very tough question!  My favorite author, if pressed, would have to be Vladmir Nabakov.  The man had such a way with words; he could turn a phrase better than most.  If you've only heard of him for Lolita, then you owe it to yourself to read some of his other works.  Bend Sinister, Invitation to a Beheading come to mind.  The guy has some good, tough to read stuff, but I enjoy the challenge of it. 

When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?  

I think it's a little bit of both.  Sometimes it's very hard, like when I'm just starting out with a tale.  Or when I am slogging my way through a revision.  But  then when you've got the thing going along right, when it's all dialed in and just flowing away out of you.  That's a damned fine feeling. 

Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets? 

Oh yes, I love dogs.  I have a couple Labradors around, and of course I take breaks from whatever I'm doing sometimes, writing or whatever other work, to spend time with them. 

Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

  

Stick with it.  Always remember that the only way to write is to put your butt in that chair and do it.  Writing is the only art that I know of, where people like to talk about it more than they like to actually do it.  That's because they get stuck, which is something that I do, too.  Often.  They get stuck with the hard part, and can't see their way through to the fact that you have to treat it like a JOB and just sit there and do the work, if you want to get the chance to experience that easier, fun part where the work flows out of you like magic.  Which it eventually does, in time. 

About the Author 

My first novel will be available on September 8th, 2015. It's a Young Adult fiction story called: My Buddhist Christmas.

Author Links:

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Review: The Elf by Max Dune @authormaxdune @yaboundtourspr

The Elf
by Max Dune
Genre: YA Fantasy/Action & Adventure (Christmas themed)
Release Date: October 20th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:


Elves are dying in the North Pole, and none of their scientists can find a cure. They believe it’s a virus, unleashed by a powerful enemy. All signs point to Jack Frost, who’s been biding his time from afar. Watching. Waiting. Plotting. One brave elf, to save his kind, will venture out to meet evil in the eye. But he uncovers a mystery more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. Now Lucian must join a group of warriors and fight. Fuego; a flame-wielding pyro.Tiktok; a brilliant bomb expert, Yuriko; a deadly ninja assassin. And Bullets; a hot-headed gun aficionado. These unlikely heroes must learn to work together and defeat the rising evil. Or Christmas will soon be lost…forever. 

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My Review:

When I read the summary for The Elf I thought I have got to read this. I just had to read about all the little elves making all the toys for little children for Christmas. I thought this is going to be a fun read a retelling of Santa and his little elves. Boy was I wrong these elves are not small or short they are way taller than I am and are nothing like I imaged or was led to believe.

Just imagine my surprise when I started reading The Elf and found out that the elves world is nothing like I was led to believe oh no. But that is somewhat of another story that I will let Lucian tell you about. But I will tell you that things at the North Pole are not what they seem.

There is a virus going around among the elves that is very deadly. All the elves are led to believe that their archenemy is responsible for the spread of the virus. When the love of his life Lily becomes ill with the virus Lucian decides that he is going to find the person that is responsible and make him pay for what he has done and hopefully get the cure.

Lucian and Lily are two wonderful characters who make awesome elves. They both have hearts of gold that are always thinking of others especially the children and getting the toys out on time. Lily is a very sweet person that puts her own needs aside to make everyone else happy. She has such a sweet personality. I think her and Lucian make a great couple.

I really loved and enjoyed reading about the elves and everyone at the North Pole. I love the hmmm retelling of the elves and the little world the author created for them it was magical. I can’t wait to read more of Lucian and Lilly’s story as well as all their friends. If you have not read The Elf yet then I suggest that you do you will not regret it. This is one story I will be thinking about long into the future. 

About the Author:

Max Dune is a Southern writer who spent most his childhood watching TV, devouring comic books and weaving magical worlds in his head. In his mid-twenties, he decided to follow his true passion. He has since created a number of short stories, novels, screenplays and TV pilots. 

To be alerted to future books and giveaways, sign up for his newsletter at http://eepurl.com/b5Is91.

Author Links:

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: The Decision by L.K. Kuhl @lynettehoff1 @XpressoTours

The Decision
L.K. Kuhl
(Everlasting Trilogy, #2)
Publication date: October 20th 2016
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

The guests are invited. The cake is all set. In just a few short hours Sophia Bandell will be saying “I do” to a guy she isn’t sure she loves. But where does she go from here? She feels her life is headed in a downhill spiral. Her first and real true love, Tate Forester, is a ghost. But he’s the man she wants to be with…the one she can’t live without. Sophia is faced with the toughest decision of her life. Does she forget about Tate and marry the egotistical lawyer, Aaron Stuart? Or does she take the plunge and join Tate to be with him for eternity?

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—

EXCERPT:

I turned again and caught a glimpse of Aaron coming into the backyard, dressed to the nines in a black tuxedo, his arms splayed wide. He advanced toward my sister-in-law Kristy, who had just come out the backdoor, his voice tight and full of despair. “No sign of her. I’ve looked everywhere. I don’t know what to do next.” His arms flopped down to his sides, and he slumped into a lawn chair on the deck. “This is so unlike Sophia to do something like this.”
Just then, all of my bridesmaids, my best friends—Claudia Bunker, Jenny Staid, and Laura Anderson—came out of the house to join them on the deck. All three of them, along with Kristy, were dressed in their lacy purple bridesmaid dresses, long diamond earrings, and flattering braided up-dos.
“Sophia, you’d better go break the news to them now. Don’t put them through this any longer.” Tate gave me a gentle nudge, urging me to put an end to this.
My chin trembling, I answered him with a small nod. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t answer, my mind tossing a stormy chaos of what to do next. Did I go break the news to everyone that the wedding is called off? Everyone go home. It’s over. There will be no Mrs. Aaron Stuart today. My eyes slanted back to the yard again. This time Aaron sobbed into his hands. I blinked, then blinked again, my vision blurry.
My chest ached, and I shivered as though the wind had shifted, wind that carried in cooler air— air consumed with an acidic premonition and a feverish guilt. My hands fell limp and I sagged against the tree, sliding down the length of the trunk to deposit my butt on the ground, too weak to stand.
I rubbed my face, trying to come up with the right words, words that wouldn’t disintegrate me— kill us. There were none. This was going to be the hardest thing I’d ever done in my life, but I’d been weighing the consequences since early this morning. Ever since Tate told me there was no possible way there could ever be a future for us, not in this life anyway. Carrying out this agonizing feat would mean shredding my existence, tearing every piece of livable being out of me and turning me into a hollow shell. But I saw no other way.
My breathing picked up pace, amped, making the dizziness spin my world out of control. I was losing it. It got so bad I could no longer breathe. I gasped and wrenched my body, reaching for the sun— grasping, grabbing, trying to save my life. But the air was gone. Nothing to sustain me.
Tate knelt beside me and clutched my shoulders to keep me sitting upright. “You going to be okay, Ladybug? I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn’t think it would be this difficult for you.”
Finally, my voice spewed the bitter, vile words out like a hot rush of lava. The knife had already sliced its way through and gutted me, my heart pierced to the end of the blade, long before they spilled forth. I was too debilitated to even clear my throat. I gurgled out. “I’m letting you go, Tate.” The repugnant, volcanic ashes floated to the ground in a hushed whisper, singeing the ground as they lit.
Tate tipped his head, his mouth falling open. His eyes wouldn’t move, they drilled into me. “What are you saying?”
The tears… I couldn’t stop them. They surged forth like a rapid river, spilling down my face. “I’m so in love with you and… and I know that this time… this time I’ll never be able to forget you. And I know what that means. It means that in six weeks you’ll be going away. But I can’t fight it anymore. My love for you is too strong, and I’m too tired.” Now that I said the words I knew there was no going back for Tate. He would be gone.
Tate lowered his head, his lips pressed into a thin line. He swallowed twice, a small sound escaping from the back of his throat like something wanted to burst forth but couldn’t quite get the job done, caught somewhere between hurt and anger. He sat back on his heels, looking at his hands that trembled on his thighs, then finally whispered. “Do what you have to do. For as much as it hurts both of us, I think it’s for the best. You’ll find someone besides Aaron and move on, and we’ll be together in eternity.”

Author Bio:
L.K. Kuhl lives in Nebraska with her husband Gene of twenty-nine years, young son, Nathan, and Greg, their Black Lab dog. She has two older daughters, Morgan and Brittani and son-in-law, Trevor. L.K. has been writing for over twenty years. She first began writing children’s books and poetry, moved on to writing music, and is now writing Young Adult and Adult novels. She loves spending time with her family, vacationing, writing, reading, and taking long walks. It’s the characters who write their own stories in her novels, and she is just their messenger, sharing it with the world. 

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Blog Tour + #Giveaway - In the Beginning: Dark Retellings of Biblical Tales Anthology presented by Month9Books @chapterxchapter @month9books

 

 

 

In the Beginning (Oct. 25, 2016) –Eight authors come together to build a powerful collection of dark young adult short stories inspired by the mysteries, faith, and darkness found within the Bible. Old Testament and New Testament, iconic and obscure figures alike are illuminated, explored, and re-envisioned throughout this charity anthology from Month9Books.

IN THE BEGINNING, ed. Laureen Cantwell and Georgia McBride

Daniel and the Dragon by Stephen Clements A troubled orphan named Habakkuk dutifully follows his master, the prophet Daniel, into temples of blood-thirsty demon-gods, battles with unspeakable horrors, and bears witnesses to mind-breaking evil until his master's zealous defiance of the king's law seals their fate.

Babylon by Nicole Crucial Far above the earth, in Second Eden, where moments and eternities all blur together, young Babylon befriends Sefer, the Book of Life. As Babylon awaits the moment she'll fulfill her destiny, she and Sefer try to understand the world in which they live.

Last Will and Testament by Mike Hays A homeless young boy, Baz, bears the weight of humanity on his shoulders and upon his body. When dark forces test a new-found friendship, Baz’s willingness to bear the ugliness of their world will be shaken.

The Demon Was Me by Sharon Hughson Based on the story of the demon-possessed boy healed by Jesus, this tale provides a glimpse into a post-apocalyptic world where a teenage boy seeks to journey to a better land and yearns to discover the kind of man he's meant to be, only to be hijacked by an evil spirit intent upon chipping away at the hope, faith, and resilience of its host.

The Deluge by Marti Johnson A non-believer shares the story of Noah’s ark-building and the deadly downpour that follows. Fear, faithlessness, and the fallibility of mankind collide in a community where second chances aren’t unlimited and a better-late-than-never attitude just might be your doom.

Condemned by Elle O'Neill Just sixteen-years-old, Barabbas finds himself pulled out of Routlege Academy and into a reality show competition—against Jesus himself—where the reward for the winner is life.

First Wife by Lora Palmer In a first-person retelling of the saga of Jacob, Rachel and Leah, themes of family, deception, guilt, and heartache emerge amidst the first days of Leah’s marriage to Jacob—a marriage mired in trickery a mere week before Jacob was to marry Leah's sister Rachel.

Emmaculate by Christina Raus Based on the story of Mary's Immaculate Conception, we enter the troubled mind of Emma, who finds herself torn between her religious upbringing and the purity ring that binds her to her boyfriend and the pregnancy that results from her relationship with another boy.

In the Beginning: Dark Retellings of Biblical Tales 

Publication Date: October 25, 2016 

Publisher: Month9Books

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10 Places I Want To Visit

Everyone dreams of travel—especially we writers, who use those experiences for fiction, nonfiction, or both. Here are a few of the places I want to be inspired by someday.

 https://goo.gl/images/fBLXIK

1. Munich, Germany

I think it’s fair to say that most people would enjoy visiting the places that their ancestors come from. My mother’s side of the family originated in south Germany, and there’s even a museum there dedicated to the group they belonged to (the Danube-Swabians). Plus, Munich is famous for its Octoberfest celebrations, Christmas markets, and its proximity to Neuschwanstein Castle, the structure that inspired the Disney logo! And if you speak German, like I do, it’s always nice to get a chance to use it.

https://goo.gl/images/A84vOy

2. London, England

The UK is high on most Americans’ lists for travel because of our long history with Britain and the fact that we all speak English, which makes tourism a lot easier. As a Jane Austen fanatic, I’d love to see the country about which she wrote. (And while the Regency period would certainly be interesting, the only thing I think I’d like would be the balls.)

https://goo.gl/images/HNNnry

3. Tokyo, Japan

I spent a good deal of my teenage years watching anime, reading manga, and consuming everything I could get my hands on regarding the culture of Japan. In fact, I recently did a paper for an Asian Religions class deconstructing the portrayal of Japan’s two main religions in the show Inuyasha, and the Japanese mythology is still one of my favorites. I’d love to see the sights and sounds of Tokyo. 

https://goo.gl/images/iQv4wp

4. Hawaii

I’m not much of a beach person, but Hawaii would probably change that. I might even be willing to learn to surf. 

5. Knicanin, Serbia

This is a bit of a strange one, but it goes back to writerly research. I’ve always wanted to write a book based on my maternal grandfather’s experiences in post-WWII Yugoslavian concentration camps, and the camp where he spent most of his time (formerly Rudolfsgnad) is now called Knicanin. 

https://goo.gl/images/noeIsp

6. New York City, New York

Seems like nothing special, but I’ve never been! I feel like visiting NYC is a right of passage for any American, and I haven’t be able to have that experience yet. I can only imagine what it would be like to stand in Times Square, see a show on Broadway, or discover delicious, hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

https://goo.gl/images/U7NR7T

7. Rome, Italy

I’ve actually been to Rome before, but I loved it so much that I’ve made a pact to go back someday. There is nothing more captivating than a city that’s thousands of years old, and nothing more hilarious and simultaneously awesome than standing in front of the Parthenon and walking twenty yards to the nearest McDonald’s. Rome is full of life, art, and history in a way that I’ve never seen before. 

https://goo.gl/images/RZHBJM

8. Atlanta, Georgia

Another one that seems unassuming, Atlanta has always held a strange appeal to me. I don’t know exactly what it is about the city that makes me think I’d like it so much, aside from all of the events that go on there. Maybe it’s a strange, mystical ideal I hold about the urban south as outposts of modernity, art, and progress in otherwise rural areas. Honestly, I feel like Dragoncon alone is enough of a reason to want to go!

https://goo.gl/images/yChpNT

9. Berlin, Germany

More reasons to use my German, and who wouldn’t want to go to Berlin? Not only is it full of history, the site of the iconic Berlin Wall, but it’s also well-known for its nightlife and art. 

https://goo.gl/images/kUPP6q

10. Prague, Czech Republic

My parents and grandparents took a cruise around Eastern Europe last May and fell in love with Prague. I’d love to have the chance to do the same.

So there you have it! What ten places would you most like to visit?

Nicole Crucial is a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington studying communication studies and creative writing. Her interests outside of writing include all kinds of pasta, em dashes, color-coding everything, and collecting an absurd number of pictures of her cat. She is one of eight authors in the forthcoming In the Beginning anthology from Month9Books. To learn more or connect with her, visit nicolecrucial.com.

 

 

Stephen Clements

Stephen Clements earned a Masters in Political Science from the University of Memphis, served a stint in the US Army with a heaping long tour in Iraq, and would never recommend Baghdad as a vacation spot. When he got out, he cornered and married a mean, beautiful woman, and they have three corgis and one murderous cat. He has three books, with a recent short story in MEMPHIS NOIR. He loves history, theology, travel, and making wine.

Goodreads

 

 

Nicole Crucial

Nicole Crucial is a creative writing student at UNC Wilmington. Her hobbies outside of reading and writing include social media, Netflix, yoga (sometimes), costuming, organizing things, and spoiling her cat. She loves writing about fantastic worlds because she is certain that she would not survive in them. You can visit her website at: http://www.nicolecrucial.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

 

 

Mike Hays

Mike Hays is from Kansas, a tried and true flatlander by birth. He relishes the fact his adult self can now make stuff up and not be sent to the principal's office for it. His life is built around stories-whether as a dad, a molecular microbiologist, a high school sports coach, or as an author- stories are key. He writes mainly from a boy point of view and hopes to spread ideas and stupid-funny inspiration through his books, blogs, and social media. His upper middle-grade historical fiction, THE YOUNGER DAYS, is about a family's survival in the fallout from the violent Border War over "Bloody" Kansas. Connect with him on Twitter (@coachhays64).

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

 

Sharon Hughson

Nurtured through a troubled teenhood by Aslan in Narnia, Sharon Hughson has long appreciated the power of the written word. She has published romance and women's fiction, but her dream is to write young adult fantasy, a genre she credits for keeping her alive during her parents' turbulent divorce and the chaotic readjustments that followed. Sharon fuels her imagination with recollections from years of motherhood and a lifetime of experience working with young people, at church and in public school. She resides in Oregon with her husband, sons and three cats, where she spends her non-writing hours substitute teaching, reading, playing piano, enjoying the outdoors and scrapbooking her family's memories.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

 

Marti Johnson

Marti Johnson was born on an American Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She has lived in Massachusetts, Maine, Colorado, Nevada and California. Marti hiked and climbed mountains as a girl and young teen, and spent many years on horseback in the scenic eastern Sierras in California. She is the author (under her given name, Margaret Johnson) of DARK HORSE SPIRIT: BEYOND REDEMPTION published in 2014, and is currently working on a sequel.

Goodreads

 

Elle O'Neill

Elle O'Neill loves reading and writing-from her first all-nighter as a seven-year old with autographed copies of David Adler's Cam Jansen books to her high school and college English and creative writing classes. She believes that you can fall into the world of a book and find yourself. While she sometimes has a hard time separating fiction from reality (or is it that she prefers not to?), she likes to think that's a whimsical asset. She enjoys reading just about anything, but treasures underdogs and bluestockings-their trials and successes feel close to home.

Goodreads

 

 

Lora Palmer

Lora Palmer writes science fiction and fantasy for young adults. Her debut novel, THE MIRRORMASTERS, is forthcoming from Clean Reads. Bucks County, Pennsylvania is her home, where she resides with her wonderful husband and their mischievous cat. She has earned a graduate degree in Psychology and works at a local residential facility serving autistic children and teens. In her spare time, she also sings in a praise band, Chalice Sounds.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

Christina Raus

Christina Raus earned her BA in Creative Writing from Western New England University in 2015. She received the Max Y. Litman English Prize for literary analysis and written communication upon her graduation. She has written articles for Lioness Magazine, a digital publication for female entrepreneurs. Originally from Massachusetts, she currently resides in New York, where she is attending Sarah Lawrence College and working on a novel. She is expected to graduate from Sarah Lawrence's MFA in Creative Writing Program in 2017. "Emmaculate" is her first fiction publication.

Twitter | Goodreads

LAUREEN P. CANTWELL, Editor: Laureen grew up in eastern Long Island and eventually found her way to Memphis -"the rock 'n' roll side of Tennessee," where she worked as a librarian at the University of Memphis and grew to love the darkness of the city-and Elvis. While there, she proposed and co-edited an anthology of short fiction, Memphis Noir, part of Akashic Books' renowned Noir series published in November 2015. That adventure led to a conversation with Georgia McBride at a library conference, and to the thrilling experience of working with In the Beginning and putting together a charity anthology full of complex stories suitable for a young adult audience. She currently lives in Western Colorado and works as a librarian for Colorado Mesa University.

 

  GEORGIA McBRIDE, Editor: Georgia lives in North Carolina with her kids and husband. She has three dogs, one bird, and a fish. She loves to read, watch movies, listen to music, and go see films. She is a publisher, producer, writer, and editor. She has never met a piece of bacon she did not eat, or a cup of coffee she did not drink.

 

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Blurb Blitz + #Giveaway: Within A Captain's Fate by Lisa Olech and Veiled in Blue by Lynne Connolly @LisaOlech @lynneconnolly @GoddessFish

Within a Captain's Fate

by Lisa Olech

BLURB:

Wherever the tides take you . . .

Guided by the winds of fate, Henry ‘Ric’ Robbins arrives on a hot June day in Port Royal. But the moment he sets foot on what should be a pirate’s paradise, he’s driven to steal a woman destined for slavery, survives the worst natural disaster to ever hit the isle of Jamaica, and answers the call to be captain of the Scarlet Night.

Jocelyn Beauchamp’s life is one of privilege—until she is rudely thrown into the hands of pirates. Freed from the chains of her cloistered society, Jocelyn is drawn to her newfound life at sea—reckless, thrilling, and utterly unpredictable. And the man who saved her life not once, but twice—why not do it all over again?

Veiled In Blue

by Lynne Connolly

GENRE:   Historical Romance

BLURB:

It is up to the Emperors of London to protect the throne—without risking their hearts…

Governess Eve Merton would have fallen into serious trouble on her walk home if a handsome stranger had not stopped to help her. But when Mr. Vernon gives her a lift on his horse, he makes no secret of his attraction. As a well brought-up young lady, Eve does her best not to notice, but when he sets about courting her, she knows she’s in trouble. For she has a secret: she is the daughter of a deposed king, which means not only is she without a dowry, but also that her life is in danger…

Little does Eve know that Mr. Vernon has secrets of his own. In truth, his name is Julius, Lord Winterton, and he’s well aware that Eve is the offspring of the Old Pretender. In order to save his sister, he must convince Eve to wed—though he wants nothing to do with love. But as the two grow closer and an attempt is made on Eve’s life, Julius may realize that fighting his heart’s true desire is a battle most pleasurably surrendered…

An Excerpt from WITHIN a CAPTAIN’S FATE by Lisa Olech

In broken French he told her to relax. “I’m trying to save both our necks.” He continued to cover her body with his own. The strength and power of him surrounded her. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. The spice upon his skin. “I won’t hurt you. Play along.”

With another quick glance toward the main street, he lowered his head as if to kiss her. In the dim light of the narrow alley, he held her gaze. The rush of his breathing tickled across the bare skin of her shoulder. “If we’re lucky, they’ll run right by,” he whispered.

He reached down and lifted the side of her skirts to expose her leg clear to her thigh. She gasped and pushed against him. When she once again demanded he release her, he covered her lips with his fingertips. His pale gaze never leaving hers as he captured her knee, boldly raising it to rest upon his hip.

She would have screamed and fought him save for two things. At that moment, a loud, angry mob rushed past the end of the alley. And the sensation of his fingers at the back of her knee and the press of his heat against her body had robbed her of any sane thought.

Jocelyn followed his glance when he next looked back toward the street. A boy with thick ropes of dark hair stood near the entrance. She’d seen him standing with her rescuer at the auction. It was as if he guarded them. At the shake of his head, the man holding her shifted his head and raised her knee another inch. Anyone looking into the alley would assume they were random lovers tucked away from prying eyes.

She met his gaze once more, her breath racing. Surely he could feel her heart beating its way out of her chest.

AUTHOR BIO:

Lisa A. Olech is an artist/writer living in her dream house nestled among the lakes in New England. She loves getting lost in a steamy book, finding the perfect pair of sexy shoes, and hearing the laughter of her men. Being an estrogen island in a sea of testosterone makes her queen. She believes in ghosts, silver linings, the power of a man in a tuxedo, and happy endings.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Buy links:

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AUTHOR BIO:

Lynne Connolly

I was born in Leicester, England, and lived in our cobbler’s shop with my parents and sister. It was an old house and most definitely haunted, but I didn’t find out until I left that my great uncle had hung himself in the living room! But I think our ghost might have been older than that. It was built on the site of the old Roman cemetery, and the land had been constantly inhabited, being in the centre of town. Then, when the council bought the house from us to build a road, my grandfather retired and my father went and worked for the Post Office. My mother was a sample machinist; that is, she worked with designers on the prototypes (models or samples) of garments. So I was very well dressed! We bought a relatively modern house in the country, and my mother was blissfully happy. It’s all very well living in a large old house, but it’s a dreadful task to keep it clean and warm!

My mother's side of the family are Romany gypsies, although sadly we haven't any of the old trailers that are so astonishingly beautiful. I was taught to read the Tarot cards, and I usually use two packs; the Rider pack for simple readings and the Crowley Thoth pack for the complex stuff. I've always had an interest in the paranormal and it's been a delight to be able to put some of this into my novels.

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