The War Queen; J.M. Robison Author

The War Queen

by J.M. Robison

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GENRE:   Fantasy

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BLURB:

Altarn, believing Kaelin is trying to take her land, rides to an ally to ask for help in the coming war against him. But war launches in her absence, though it’s not Kaelin’s and she, in fact, needs his help instead. Kaelin is wounded in battle, but if she lets him die, can she fight the enemy on her own? Or if she saves his life, will he try claiming her kingdom like he planned, or her heart?

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Excerpt:

Again, that unreadable expression he’d perfected. “You had to call me out in your speech, didn’t you?”

A surge of panic heated her spine as Kaelin’s threat to publicly hang her pushed her forward to make her face it. She almost wanted to push the blame on Ratavia, since Ratavia had written the speech.

“I was speaking of the Foreigners. Blindvarns are particular about people wanting to enslave them.”

“What makes you think I want to enslave your people?”

is tone compelled her to look at him. Firelight sliced orange beams over his polished armor. Shadows from below both cut and softened the planes on his face while morphing his blue eyes into either hard ice or soft skies—all dependent on her minute-to-minute opinion of him.

“Because the last king did.”

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interview with the Author:

1. How long have you been writing?

I wrote my 1st story when I was 4 years old. I still have it. Funny, because the elements in that story are reflected in my current writing. I wrote my 2nd story in the 1st grade, my third in the 7th grade and for the next 15 years… so not sure how to answer that question. My entire life?

2. How long have you been a published author?

I became a proud debut 14 October 2016.

3. What titles do you have available?

The War Queen, for now. I have 7 other stories I’ll be seeking publication for.

4. What made you choose the subject of this book?
   I never choose the book. The book chooses me. I feel that I am not a writer, but an historian for other worlds. Characters approach me and ask me to write down their stories. So I do.

5. Do you have any new titles coming soon?
I certainly hope so. The Last Wizard is in the query slush piles right now, but that will be my next published book. It’s a YA historical fantasy romance based on Victorian Era England.

6. What is your favourite genre and why?

Fantasy, because I’m not bound by any rules. If I wrote books based on an actual time-line, I couldn’t have dragons, or gods falling out of the sky. In The War Queen, the Blindvarn army uses a wing looking blade called the shorns. They come in a pair and are worn on the back, looking like wings. Anyway, in creating these, I needed a metal that was lightweight but super strong, easy and cheap to manufacture, is found in abundance in mines, and copper-colored because I love that color. In my research, there is no such metal, even if I sacrificed the copper-color. But then I realized, “Hey, this is a fantasy. I can make something up!” And I did. The metal is called lithalium. Plus I feel like a god in creating a world out of mush and characters out of the fabrics of my fancy. It’s a powerful, controlling feeling.

7. What, to you, is the most exciting part of the writing process?

The creating. Taking nothing but my breath and fashioning it into a solid image I can shape and mold as I please. Characters live or die at my whim.

8. If you could co-author a book with anyone, who would you choose and why?

I would never co-author. I’m too selfish with my ideas. Remember that god complex I’ve already mentioned?
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

J.M. Robison has been writing the histories of fantasy worlds for 16 years and authored 7 novels. The War Queen is her debut book – more books on the way, to include The Last Wizard and The Lost Gods (see her “Books” tab above to read more about them) – and she has no other claim to fame; growing up in Bennington, ID (Good luck finding that on a paper map), she didn’t know what wireless internet was until she was 21. Having joined the U.S. Army at 17 with a deployment to Afghanistan and Romania, and working as a Deputy Sheriff, she’s seen a lot of people and been to a lot of places; the evidence of which frequently bleeds into her writing. She loves and uses essential oils. She makes her own shampoo, lotions, laundry soap, face wash, and toothpaste.

 CONNECT WITH ME AS AN AUTHOR

AUTHOR WEBSITE: https://jmrobison.wixsite.com/jmrobison

FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/RobisonAuthor/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/JMRobison

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15903140.J_M_Robison

BOOK BUY LINKS

NOOK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-war-queen-jm-robison/1124714823

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-war-queen-1

SMASHWORDS: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/668824

APPLE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-war-queen/id1159909372?mt=11

KINDLE US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXD0C6N

KINDLE UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01LXD0C6N

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J.M. Robison will be awarding a War Queen t-shirt (man or woman sizes) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 Enter to win a War Queen t-shirt – a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

 http://goddessfishpromotions. blogspot.com/2017/05/vbt-war- queen-by-jm-robison.html

Harper’s Place; Sheryl Winters Author

Harper’s Place

by Sheryl Winters

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GENRE: Romance

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BLURB:

Harper Grey is fed up with over-bearing men. Her father wants to sell the family hamburger joint to her brother because a woman could never make it successful.

Harper knows she has the same flair for business as her mother, and sexy Navy SEAL Patrick O’Brien dares her to prove it to the world.

When duty calls and Patrick must leave her side, will Harper be strong enough to make her dream a reality?

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Excerpt:

Aunt Adelina’s dining room hasn’t changed in years. The same flower embroidered tablecloth adorns the long, low kitchen table. The material is only slightly yellow with age and protected by a heavy plastic covering. The hard, low-backed captain chairs have me squirming in my seat. Across the table from me, Tony and Dad shovel Aunt Adelina’s spinach lasagna into their mouths as if this were their last meal.

“So how’s the job hunt going?” Tony smirks. “I sent you that link for the secretarial position at my company didn’t I?”

I am here only for Aunt Adelina and her free food, I remind myself even as I twist the bread on my plate into tiny pieces onto my plate. “Was that the email I deleted?” I reply in a voice as sweet as maple syrup. I also blocked your fool-ass account.

“Now Slugger,” Dad says with a heavy frown. “I know Tony meant well. He tells me things have been rough since you quit Just Burgers.”

That is so not how I remember it. “My life isn’t rough. It’s gotten considerably better, and I didn’t quit, you fired me so you could shut down Just Burgers instead of letting your daughter run it remember?” I drawl out the ‘r.’

Uncomfortable silence reigns at the table, only broken by the crunching of a dinner roll by Aunt Adelina. In contrast, Uncle Ed’s hand is extended in the air with a roll clutched tight in his fist.

Dad clears his throat but not before shooting a dagger-filled look at me. “Harper, about that. I counted on you to help me with the cleaning of the store. You know my arthritis acts up in the winter and—”

I leap to my feet. “Yes, and I expected to be treated as part of the family and not just a helper when it’s convenient.”

“Who wants another garlic roll? Here, pass this around.” Aunt Adelina thrusts the basket into my hands. The basket has traveled the table so many times tonight I’m amazed it doesn’t have its own airline miles.

“It’s a good thing you closed the store, Dad.” Tony shoots a sly glance in my direction. “It was more than time for you to get out of that money pit. Wintering in Florida will be the best thing that ever happened to you.”

Tony shovels another piece of lasagna onto his plate, and I fist my hands at my side.

“Tony, are you sure you want that big of a piece?” The words erupt from my lips before I can stop them. “You’re getting kinda chunky, especially around the middle.”

“What?” Tony’s head jerks up. He straightens and sucks in his breath as if it will make his beer gut disappear.

“That’s one thing I admire about Patrick. He works out every day. My boyfriend picked an active job.” I glance at Tony’s midsection. “And you. You picked a job where you will get progressively fatter. By the time you’re forty-five, we’ll be picking out your coffin.”

Aunt Adelina coughs into her napkin.

“Listen, Harper, just because I finally got Dad to see reason, doesn’t mean that you need to take it out on us. Dad closing down shop and not selling to you was for your own good, you know,” Tony says. “We thought about it carefully, weighed the pros and cons.”

“My own good! You are a sneaky toad of a brother. You have no clue what’s for my own good because you take the safe road, always! I’ve got half a mind to—”

“Enough arguing.” Aunt Adelina’s thundering voice has the entire table turning toward her. “It’s time for pie.” She grabs my arm and tugs me toward the kitchen. “Young lady, you will help me.”

“I’m not serving Tony. He’s fat enough,” I say over my shoulder loud enough that the sneaky toad will hear me.

“Harper Elizabeth Gray! Enough squabbling with your brother.” Auntie releases my arm and grabs up a pie knife, pointing its blunt end at me. “You will pretend to be nice if it kills you. We are a family and we will act like it.” She slices into the lemon meringue while I continue to stew. “Now give this to Tony.” Aunt Adelina slaps a full plate of pie into my hand and pushes me toward the dining room.

“Fine.” I hesitate, turn and grab another plate she’s dished up, and slide that pie on top of Tony’s. Grinning, I scoop up an extra spoon of whipped cream, smothering both pieces. Ooo… With my free hand, I locate auntie’s secret stash of chocolate chips and sprinkle some on top just for the hell of it. What is it about Tony that makes me feel like a ten-year-old again?

Aunt Adelina groans. “Child, you’ll be the death of me.”

Tony accepts his piece, but not after giving me a pointed sneer. I pat my much slimmer stomach and smile as wide as I can.

I no sooner reach the kitchen than another slice of pie is shoved into my hand. Dutifully, I begin passing plates around the table again. When everyone has been served, I clear the table of dishes and escape to the quiet of the kitchen. The silence of the small room is a pointed relief. Twenty more minutes to the gift opening. Five minutes of Dad and Tony glaring at me over matching pink bow ties. Fifteen more minutes to clean up the living room and say my goodbyes. One hour to the subway and I’ll be home by midnight.

I can do this!

Filled with irrational anger, I begin scrubbing away at the plates. Stupid men and their inability to do any amount of dishes.

“Well, now, little girl. It’s not like you to slam things and run away.” Aunt Adelina drops an empty pie plate on the counter. “You want to tell me what’s going on? You didn’t break up with that nice young soldier of yours did you?”

The bitterness I’ve been keeping inside, the many days of stomping the pavement looking for a backer, the many nights of trying to come up with just the right words to convince bankers to loan me cash crashes down on me. “How come you’re not mad because they let Just Burgers go instead of helping me buy it?”

“Oh, honey.” She picks up a dish towel and dries off the plate I hand her. “Why should we be mad? It’s just the way the world is.”

“Chauvinistic you mean?”

“This whole thing reminds me of when your mom and dad started that damned money pit of a restaurant. Elizabeth had her heart set on some name and your father just wouldn’t give in. He was like that over the salad bar she wanted so bad. She would have been so ahead of her time.” Aunt Adelina pats me on the shoulder. “Your father loves you, baby girl, don’t ever forget that. It’s not his fault that he could never see the forest for the trees. Some men are like that. So damn fool stubborn they just can’t admit when they are wrong.” She dumps the empty ham platter into the soapy water. “So are you still committed to this dream of yours?”

I lift my chin. “I need time to regroup. I know what you’re thinking, that I’m wasting my time at the corner station, but it’s money coming in. I’ve been turning in resumes on my days off. I was told I needed experience, a backer, and capital.” Thank you, Mrs. Anderson. “I plan on working on one thing at a time.”

Can she hear the desperation in my voice?

Aunt Adelina sighs as she puts a plate into the cupboard over her head. “Well, the gas station is good honest work. That reminds me, I found something of your grandmother’s that I wanted you to have.” She peers around the corner, lifting up piles of mail off the counter. “Now where did I put my handbag?” She leaves the room and comes back a few moments later, her large black purse swinging from her arm. “I have to remember to clean this out. Do you remember that house Grandma Alicia lived in? That big rambling structure?”

“Yes.” Mom hated having to sell the house after Grandma died. She and Aunt Adelina split the profits in half. And Dad and Mom used her share to start Just Burgers. Aunt Adelina used hers to buy her home.

Aunt Adelina pulls out a photograph and hands it to me. It’s the three of them standing in front of that old house. Aunt Adelina, Mom, and Grandma, three of the toughest, hardest working women I know.

“Put that on the mantle.” She pats me on the shoulder. “Then you look at it every day. That’s a picture of women who know what good, hard drudgery is. You work at your gas station if you have to, to make ends meet, but don’t you dare ever give up.”

I finger the photograph. These women would never give up, but this is so hard. “I’m scared I’ll never get a loan.”

“You’ll get it, Harper. You just need faith. Mountains aren’t moved in a day. You just keep trying and I’ll just keep being proud of you.”

The photo bends in my hand and I carefully smooth it out. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll fail? What if no one ever believes in me the way you do, what if—”

The palm of her hand shushes me with one movement. She pulls me in by the shoulders with a gentle squeeze. “Enough. You are Harper Gray. The strongest, smartest kid I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. You come from a long line of strong women. Now hand me that dish. We’ve got to get these done or we’ll never get to opening those presents.”

Breathe Harper, remember you are a professional. You meet hot guys every day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I never set out to be an author. Only a storyteller. Some days I succeed better than others.

Links:

Website: http://sherylwinters.weebly.com/

Blog: http://sherylwinters.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherylwinters123

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WintersSheryl

Buy Links:

Roane Publishing: https://www.roanepublishing.com/product-p/hp-01.htm

Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XT6VPHK

Amazon (UK)  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XT6VPHK

Barnes and Noble  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1126040154

Kobo Books  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/harper-s-place

Smashwords  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/713416

Bookstrand  http://www.bookstrand.com/harpers-place

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Sheryl will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

 http://goddessfishpromotions.b logspot.com/2017/05/book-blast -harpers-place-by-sheryl.html

Hell Holes: What Lurks Below; Donald Firesmith Author

Hell Holes: What Lurks Below

by Donald Firesmith

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GENRE: Science Fiction (Apocalyptic)

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BLURB:

It’s August in Alaska, and geology professor Jack Oswald prepares for the new school year. But when hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appear overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, Jack receives an unexpected phone call. An oil company exec hires Jack to investigate, and he picks his climatologist wife and two of their graduate students as his team. Uncharacteristically, Jack also lets Aileen O’Shannon, a bewitchingly beautiful young photojournalist, talk him into coming along as their photographer. When they arrive in the remote oil town of Deadhorse, the exec and a biologist to protect them from wild animals join the team. Their task: to assess the risk of more holes opening under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the wells and pipelines that feed it. But they discover a far worse danger lurks below. When it emerges, it threatens to shatter Jack’s unshakable faith in science. And destroy us all…

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Excerpt:

IN THE PLANE

Once everything was stowed, I followed Mark up the short stairs and into the lavish interior of the business jet. Unlike the cramped commuter planes I usually took when flying up to the oil fields, the Embraer Legacy 500 made first class seem like coach. Either the executive funding our study was desperate to get us up there, or this was the only aircraft the company had left to send. Either way, I was happy for the unexpected upgrade.

Unlike typical airliners, the jet’s eight large leather seats were organized around four small tables, two on either side of the cabin. Each table separated two seats, one seat facing the back of the airplane and the other facing forward. Angie and Jill were seated in the first row of the plane leaving the second row seats facing forwards for Mark and me. I’d just sat down opposite my wife when she pointed her finger over my shoulder. Following Mark had prevented me from noticing the unexpected extra person seated in the rear of the cabin. With the satisfied smile of a cat having feasted on canary, there sat Aileen O’Shannon. I wondered whether Angie and Jill had selected this particular seating arrangement so they could glare at the weirdly bewitching beauty in the back. Of course, it may have been to keep Mark and me from being tempted to look at her instead of paying proper attention to our wives.

I got up and marched straight to the rear of the plane and said, “I’m sorry, but I never said you could come along on this trip.”

“You are?” she asked coyly. “Oh, my. You never said I could not come.” She gave me a stunning smile that I’m sure usually got her everything she’d ever asked for. “I naturally took your silence to signify agreement, so I packed my bag and cameras, and here I am. Lucky for you that I did; you wouldn’t want to get up there only to realize you needed someone to make a visual record of your discoveries. Besides, I know some of the discoveries the Russians made that they didn’t publish.”

The co-pilot walked up behind me. “Excuse me, Dr. Oswald. Can you please take your seat now? We’re on a very tight schedule, and Mr. Kowalski wants you in Deadhorse as soon as possible.”

I looked up front and saw that the cabin door was already closed, and the seat belt signs were on. Before I could answer, the plane began taxiing away from the hangar. Realizing that it was too late to rid ourselves of the reporter, I turned around and took my seat facing Angie.

“I see we still have Miss O’Shannon with us,” Angie said with a hint of irritation. “I thought you’d decided we didn’t need her.”

“I did,” I answered as the plane accelerated down the runway. “But the cabin door was already closed, and we were already moving.”

“Jack, you’re the leader of this study, and this plane wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you. The pilot would have turned around if you’d asked him to.”

“You’re right,” I admitted sheepishly, silently cursing my habit of not questioning authority figures, at least not unless it involved science.

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

Suddenly and for no apparent reason, my annoyance with O’Shannon disappeared, and I felt an overpowering desire to keep her with us, with me. I twisted around and looked back at her. She was staring back at me with a knowing smile. God, she looked so mesmerizingly beautiful as her fingers provocatively played with the top button of her shirt. Of course, she should come…

“Jack… Jack!”

I jerked back around, my heart pounding as I felt my face warming. I was blushing from embarrassment and guilt. I was also confused, unsure of what had just happened.

“Jack, I was talking to you, and you just ignored me! What’s gotten into you?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A computer geek by day, at night and on weekends Donald Firesmith writes modern paranormal fantasy, apocalyptic science fiction, action and adventure novels and relaxes by handcrafting magic wands from magical woods and mystical gemstones.

A computer geek by day, Donald Firesmith works as a system and software engineer helping the US Government acquire large, complex software-intensive systems. In this guise, he has authored seven technical books, written numerous software- and system-related articles and papers, and spoken at more conferences than he can possibly remember. He is also proud to have been named a Distinguished Engineer by the Association of Computing Machinery, although his pride is tempered somewhat worrying whether the term “distinguished” makes him sound more like a graybeard academic rather than an active engineer whose beard is still more red than gray.

By night and on weekends, his alter ego writes modern paranormal fantasy, apocalyptic science fiction, action and adventure novels and relaxes by handcrafting magic wands from various magical woods and mystical gemstones. His first foray into fiction is the book Magical Wands: A Cornucopia of Wand Lore written under the pen name Wolfrick Ignatius Feuerschmied. He lives in Crafton, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, his son Dane, and varying numbers of dogs, cats, and birds.

Links:

http://donaldfiresmith.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FiresmithAuthorFanPage

Tweets by DonFiresmith

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1290902.Donald_G_Firesmith

Trailer

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/embed/amXuTAlKoX0

Buy Links: The book is free

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hell-holes-what-lurks-below/id1076804292

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hell-holes-donald-george-firesmith/1122443723

https://www.createspace.com/5617034

https://www.instafreebie.com/free/8uvDD

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/608355

Praise Quotes

“I enjoyed my time in Firesmith’s world. I did not want to leave. I really got a kick out of it, and would happily come back for more. Recommended.”

MJ Kobernus, author of The Guardian: Blood in the Sand

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“This book rocks.”

Barton Paul Levenson, author of Dark Gods of Alter Telluria

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“a quick, enjoyable read. Full of action and fraught with danger”

Dave Robertson, author of Strange Hunting, Strange Hunting II, and The Brave and The Dead

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“The book is an easy and quick read and an action-filled one that you’ll imagine as a TV series or a movie with no difficulty.”

Olga Núñez Miret, author of Escaping Psychiatry

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Donald will be awarding an autographed copy of the Hell Holes 2: Demons on the Dalton (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 Enter to win an autographed copy of the book – a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

 http://goddessfishpromotions.b logspot.com/2017/06/mbb-hell-h oles-what-lurks-below-by.html

He Takes the Cake; J. Lynn Rowan Author

HE TAKES THE CAKE

by J. Lynn Rowan

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GENRE: Contemporary romance

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BLURB:

Life is good for Tess Gardiner: Her Savannah, Georgia, bakery and cafe is thriving. She’s earned Master Pastry Chef status from the American Culinary Federation. And she’s attending a regional culinary convention in Charleston, where she’s been invited to sit on a small business panel discussion. The opportunity to tout her success will, hopefully, lead to bigger and better things in her professional life. As for her personal life? The relative contentedness she’s enjoyed for years receives a sudden jolt when she comes face to face with Tyler Brinks, the ex-boyfriend she summarily dismissed from her life eight years ago.

Tyler’s success as a highly-trained chef has launched him into the stratosphere. He already owns one ridiculously successful restaurant, and he’s aggressively working on plans for a second. But he’s never quite gotten over Tess, and he’s never really been sure what actually went wrong between them. So when a pastry and baking competition is announced for the week following the culinary convention in Charleston, Ty jumps at the chance to tempt Tess with the challenge of being his partner, giving him the perfect opportunity to remind her how good they once were together.

As the competition heats up in the kitchen, it soon becomes clear to Tess that Ty has more than cream puffs and cupcakes on his mind. And she can’t deny that her feelings for Ty never truly cooled, but have been simmering all these years, despite the way their relationship ended. Now Ty’s attention has her wondering—is this just the path to final closure? Or could this be a second chance at true love?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

If Ty’s thinking about the same incidents that lead to our breakup, he doesn’t let on. “Only about a year or so. It . . . wasn’t what I thought it would be.”

“I see.” Though I don’t, especially given his own slight stumble for words. “Where’d you go in the interim?”

He relaxes a bit and takes a sip of espresso. “New York for a little while, working as a sous chef in a Midtown restaurant. That let me save up for Le Cordon Bleu.”

His dream.

I smile, sincerely happy he’d made it come true. “Were you able to go to Paris?”

“No,” he says with a short laugh. “But Ottawa was close enough. My mom wanted me to try and get into the program in Atlanta, but I wanted the international experience. So Canada it was.”

I make a noncommittal sound and lift my cup again. “Then you settled on Charleston to open your first restaurant.”

“Well, it wasn’t a direct route from getting my Grand Diploma to opening On the Brink.”

“Nice name, by the way,” I quip, arching a brow at him.

He leans forward. “Says the woman who named her own business after herself.”

I give into the impulse to stick my tongue out at him. “At least mine rhymes. And we’re not talking about me.”

“Not yet, anyway.”

“But you’re opening a place in Hilton Head. Does that mean you’re moving there, too?”

Ty shrugs. “I’ll probably have to do a little back and forth for a while. Can’t exactly be the head chef at two restaurants at the same time.”

There’s the opening I need to hint at the topic I’m really curious about. “Won’t the back and forth thing make it hard for . . . your girlfriend?”

For a moment, he freezes, recognizing by my tone that I’m fishing for information. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Really?” I force nonchalant surprise, if that’s even a thing, into my voice. “Guy like you, I’d think you’d have women falling all over themselves to be with you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asks, brows lowering and a look of hurt defensiveness playing in his eyes.

I wasn’t expecting that sort of reaction from him. Again, I fumble for words. “Smart, successful, funny, sexy—”

My hand flies up to cover my mouth, but it’s too late. Ty stares at me for a few seconds before he busts out laughing.

“I didn’t mean that I think you’re sexy,” I insist, dropping my hand.

His laughter subsides to internal chuckles. “It’s okay, Tess. I know I’m irresistible, even to you.”

“That’s not—”

“For the record, I still think the same of you.” He sounds like he’s teasing, but a flash of something serious passes between us as his gaze softens.

My retort dies in my throat, coming out as a choked snort instead.

~~~~~~~~~

Author Bio:

Lynn Rowan started writing stories as a small child, usually starring her favorite cartoon characters. Most of her work through middle and high school was filled with typical teenage angst and melodrama, and usually mirrored the books she loved to read. But eventually she found her own author’s voice and decided to seriously pursue a writing career.

Historical fiction remains J. Lynn’s “first love”, but she has enjoyed the journey to becoming an author of romance and chick lit. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Central New York Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. She is also a teacher who tries to instill a love of learning, reading, and writing in her students.

When she’s not writing, J. Lynn enjoys travelling, gardening poorly but enthusiastically, studying various topics in American history for her own expertise, and channeling Julia Child every time she steps into the kitchen.

A native of Oswego, NY, she now lives in Charlotte, NC, with her own Romantic Hero of a husband and their little rainbow, affectionately known as Babycakes.

Email: jlynnrowanliterature@gmail.com

Website: http://jlynnrowanliterature.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JLynnRowan

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JLynnRowanLit

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jlynnrowan/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UClfsVyA4LQYMA0Cq7T1rb6w

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14191767.J_Lynn_Rowan

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Lynn-Rowan/e/B012YC8PQ2/

BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE PURCHASE LINKS

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/better-than-chocolate-j-lynn-rowan/1123766258?ean=9781682911235

WHEN IN ROME PURCHASE LINKS

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-in-rome-j-lynn-rowan/1125876595

THE ONE I’M WITH PURCHASE LINKS

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The author is offering the following prize through Rafflecopter: 

$20 Amazon/BN GC

Enter to win a $20 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

  http://goddessfishpromotions. blogspot.com/2017/06/book- blast-he-takes-cake-by-j-lynn- rowan.html

Flood by Elaine Cantrell

Flood

by Elaine Cantrell

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GENRE: Contemporary Romantic Suspense

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BLURB:

Drawn together by their love of animals, Aria DeLuca and Caleb Hawkins burn for each other. They never suspected that malignant forces were successfully plotting Caleb’s ruin from the moment he entered her life.

When the flood of a century strikes Aria’s hometown, an alienated Caleb is all that stands between her and catastrophic loss.

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EXCERPT

Caleb watched as she deftly removed the white baking dish from the oven. The way she moved reminded him of the river in front of her home as it gracefully and joyfully made its way to the sea. She was so beautiful. The flickering candles on the table made her eyes look like molten, brown fire. Her skin was so satiny smooth he guessed his fingers might catch on it if he was stupid enough to touch her. And her lips. He repressed a groan. Lush was the only way to describe them. Lush, pouty, and so kissable he picked up his wine glass and held his fork at the same time just to keep his hands from reaching out to her.

What would she say if he did? She had wanted to have dinner with him instead of that jerk Jason Lee. Aw, she’d probably slug him one. He’d deserve it too. A man like him had no right to a woman like her, a woman who came from a good family and owned her own business.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Elaine Cantrell was born and raised in South Carolina where she obtained a master’s degree in personnel services from Clemson University.  She is a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary society for women educators and Romance Writers of America.  Her first novel, A New Leaf, was the 2003 winner of the Timeless Love Contest.  When she’s not writing or teaching, she enjoys movies, quilting, reading, and collecting vintage Christmas ornaments.

Find Elaine at the following locations.

http://www.elainecantrell.com

http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/elainepcantrell

Tweets by ElaineCantrell

http://www.goodreads.com/elainecantrell

http://www.amazon.com/Elaine-Cantrell/e/B001K7V90M/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1411604384&sr=1-2

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Elaine will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter to win a $15 Amazon/BN GC – a Raffleocpter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

 http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/05/excerpt-tour-flood-by-elaine-cantrell.html

Ahe’ey; Jamie Le Fay Author

Ahe’ey

by Jamie Le Fay

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GENRE: Epic Fantasy Romance

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BLURB:

Morgan’s feminist books didn’t prepare her to deal with the dashing Gabriel and the land of Ahe’ey . . .

Morgan is a dreamer, change maker and art lover. She is a feisty, slightly preachy, romantic feminist full of contradictions and insecurities. Morgan uncovers a world where women have the power, and where magic is no longer just a figment of her wild imagination. Sounds like a dream, but it may, in fact, turn into a nightmare.

The world of the Ahe’ey challenges and subverts her views about gender, genes, and nature versus nurture.

The strong and uninvited chemistry between her and the dashing Gabriel makes matters even more complicated. His stunning looks keep short-circuiting her rational mind.

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Excerpt:

“What do you want from me, Ange’el?”

“Your warriors, they can help secure the area. It’s just for a couple of hours.”

“Are you out of your mind? Has Viviane heard about this? My warriors protect our people from those who threaten our security,” she spoke decisively.

He adjusted his tone, trying to reason with her. Silk and honey flowed from his voice and his eyes. “Sky, we were once—”

“Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare!” She leaned in, speaking to his face. Her hand squeezed the hilt of her sword. She gritted her teeth, responding to his silence. “Where were you when we battled the Hu’urei for over twenty years? Where was the powerful prince of Ange’el as my warriors died in the battlefield, crushed by the dragons? Why would I risk the safety of Ahe’ey to respond to the whims of a spoiled coward? Go back to your rich city penthouse Ange’el. You don’t belong here.” Her eyes and her words were razor-sharp spears.

“Please. Sky.”

She mounted the horse and galloped away.

His guilty conscience endured her justified anger and her hate for him. He wore her wrath as a reminder of his weakness, of his betrayal. He gave Sky her rage, and he would suffer it for the rest of their lives. The tension between their roles at Ahe’ey only worsened their frail and fractured relationship. Their agendas were different. She was ultimately responsible for the security of the people of Ahe’ey, and within its borders she was as powerful as the queen and king. She was to be obeyed and rarely needed her mighty army to enforce her orders. Gabriel worked to hide any clues of Ahe’ey’s existence from the humans. In parallel, he sponsored and lobbied for technological and political progress so that Ahe’ey’s secrets could one day be disclosed.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jamie is an accomplished writer and speaker that focuses mainly on topics related to girlhood, feminism, gender equality, and the misrepresentation of minorities in media and marketing.

Links to all Book Sellers: https://www.books2read.com/aheey/

Website: http://www.angeelseries.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34459933-ahe-ey

Twitter: https://twitter.com/angeelseries

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

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

“In this romantic tale, a champion of women’s empowerment stumbles on a hidden–and seemingly perfect–society. A bracing mix of emotionally and intellectually honest fantasy.” – Kirkus Reviews

“A compelling and creative work of paranormal romance. Le Fey takes her characters to places seldomly seen in fantasy fiction that readers will find empowering and prescient. Ahe’ey is a fairly polarizing book. As an example of feminist fantasy fiction, you won’t find much better than this. Ahe’ey is an impressively thought-out story, with many original touches and a fairy-like romance that will deeply satisfy readers of the genre.” Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★

“This book is a thoughtful look at empowerment for women. At the same time, it’s a rollicking trip into a fantasy world complete with dragons, love and strength, and ideas that really get you thinking. This book is highly recommended for all ages.” – HUGEOrange

“They’re flawed, real, and honest characters that can be easily related to. Ahe’ey is the kind of novel society needs to read, to create inspiration and to make people think. Ahe’ey is daring, complex, and honest. A must-read novel that tackles heavy and real topics with a mix of serious and humorous, charm and tragedy.” – Reader’s Favorite – ★★★★★

“Ahe’ey contains a richly imagined world that raises complicated and timely questions about our own. Jamie Le Fay’s Ahe’ey is an action-packed love story that puts forth a nuanced vision of gender stereotypes, body politics, and the dark side of seeking perfection.” – Foreword Clarion – ★★★★

OTHER PRAISE

“Jamie is a fine writer with a rich imagination and is able to convey her strong feelings about women’s rights, feminism, gender equality and other important matters of injustice, primarily because she keeps us involved with the characters of her strong story.” – Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewer, Vine Voice – ★★★★★

“As a liberal and committed feminist who is increasingly frustrated by the simplistic self-righteousness of my own side, and the belief that all that is needed is for a few smart people to start a revolution, I found “Ahe’ey” to be refreshingly multi-sided, while also maintaining its core beliefs.” – E.P. Clark, Author – ★★★★

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Jamie will be awarding a $40 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 Enter to win a $40 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

 goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/05/blurb-blitz-aheey-by-jamie-le-fay.html

The Goddess’s Choice; Jamie Marchant Author

The Goddess’s Choice

by Jamie Marchant

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GENRE: Fantasy (epic)

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BLURB:

In a world where the corrupt church hides the truth about magic, the fate of the joined kingdom falls on the shoulders of two young people from opposite ends of the social hierarchy.

Crown Princess Samantha’s life begins to fall apart when she starts seeing strange colors around her potential suitors. She fears that she’s going insane–or worse that she’s defying the Goddess’s will. Robrek is a lowly farmboy with incredible magical powers. He has been biding his time waiting to get revenge on those who call him a demon.

Thrown together by chance, they must overcome their differences to fight their common enemy Duke Argblutal, who, with dark magic, is slowly poisoning the king’s mind and turning him against his own daughter.  Time is running out for those chosen by the Goddess to prevent the power mad duke from usurping the throne and plunging the joined kingdoms into civil war.

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Excerpt:

“Let us be painting your face tonight, Your Highness!” Ardra begged, in her north Korthian accent. Samantha’s maid was as small and slight as the princess herself and had hair so blonde it was almost white.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Malvina chimed in. “Lady Shela’s maids said just yesterday we couldn’t possibly know our business ’cause you never wear paint.” Malvina, more of a typical Korthlundian woman, was tall and broad and not nearly as pretty as Ardra.

“Lady Shela,” Samantha snorted in disgust. Shela wore so much paint she resembled some ghastly sea creature. Samantha knew she wasn’t pretty, but she was fond of the freckles that speckled her nose and thought the emerald green brilliance of her gown set off her white skin and auburn hair beautifully. Besides being appallingly uncomfortable, paint would absolutely spoil the effect. The princess gestured toward the huge portrait that covered one wall of her bedchamber. “Do you think Danu wore paint?”

Malvina shrugged. “The Princess Danu was said to be a powerful sorceress, Your Highness. She probably didn’t need to wear paint to attract men.”

Samantha laughed bitterly, as she thought of the army of men waiting below. “I wish not wearing paint was all it took to scare them off. They say Danu never married, and see how happy she is.”

Samantha yearned for Danu’s freedom. The long-dead princess was laughing as she galloped across the fields. Danu’s auburn hair flew out behind her in the wind. The stars on the forehead and chest of her horse shone against its gorgeous coat. Samantha loved this painting, which was just as well because it was bolted to the wall and couldn’t be removed without tearing her chambers apart. She’d decorated the rest of her bedroom to match. Tapestries of horses covered the walls. Her dressing table, armoire, and large four-poster bed had horses carved into the woodwork. A quilt, embroidered with horses and stars, was spread over the bed. The mantle over her fireplace sported figurines of horses in gold, silver, jade, crystal, and precious stones. Every new ambassador added to her collection.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jamie began writing stories about the man from Mars when she was six, and she never remembers wanting to be anything other than a writer. Everyone told her she needed a back up plan, so she pursued a Ph.D. in American literature, which she received in 1998. She started teaching writing and literature at Auburn University. One day in the midst of writing a piece of literary criticism, she realized she’d put her true passion on the backburner and neglected her muse. The literary article went into the trash, and she began the book that was to become The Goddess’s Choice. She is now releasing an expanded edition of the novel. Her other novels include The Soul Stone and The Ghost in Exile. In addition, she has published a novella, Demons in the Big Easy, and a collection of short stories, Blood Cursed and Other Tales of the Fantastic. Her short fiction has also appeared in the anthologies–Urban Fantasy and Of Dragons & Magic: Tales of the Lost Worlds—and in Bards & Sages, The World of Myth, A Writer’s Haven, and Short-story.me. She claims she writes about the fantastic . . . and the tortured soul. Her poor characters have hard lives. She lives in Auburn, Alabama, with her husband and four cats, which (or so she’s been told) officially makes her a cat lady. She still teaches writing and literature at Auburn University. She is the mother of a grown son.

Links

Website: http://jamie-marchant.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamieMarchantSF

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5258855.Jamie_Marchant

Newsletter Sign up: http://jamie-marchant.com/newsletter/

Buy Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Goddesss-Choice-Book-Kronicles-Korthlundia-ebook/dp/B071RQ786T/

This book will be .99 on release day only. 

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Jamie will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter to win a $15 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  

http://goddessfishpromotions.b logspot.com/2017/05/book-blast -goddesss-choice-by-jamie.html