Excerpt Tour: A Cure for Spring Fever

 

GENRE: Paranormal Romance 

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 BLURB:

For centuries, Gamekeepers have used their magical abilities to create a buffer between the

creatures who dwell in the enchanted forest and the sleepy coastal town that sits in its shadow.

When Gamekeeper Stan Ross’s magic begins to fail, he must find out what went wrong, then fix

it before the two worlds collide. His hit or miss magic has already led to a few close calls so he

journeys to the Sacred Isle searching for answers and advice. Finding a cure proves

elusive—until Stan encounters a kitchen witch who captivates him body and soul. Lynnette

Peters is healing from her own wounds, however, and it isn’t clear whether she’s ready to open

herself to the possibility—or the peril—of love.

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 EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

Lynnette sat in a deck chair on the ferry, knees pulled up under her wrap and a travel mug of

strong coffee in her hands. The steady thrum of the vessel’s engines wasn’t helping her

headache, but she found the salt spray refreshing and closed her eyes for a moment to enjoy

the sensation. In a little over an hour, she would be home. Getting back to the sanctuary of her

bakery—where the world made sense and she felt safe and in control—was her primary

motivation. She was running on too little sleep and too much of everything else, and her

emotions were in a sea of turmoil from her encounter in the grove last night.

She’d understood that participants in the fertility rite were archetypes of the divine feminine and

the divine masculine, but she hadn’t quite grasped the emotional aspects of that sacred union. It

was an understatement to say the experience had been more passionate, and more poignant,

than she’d prepared herself for. She’d known there would be pleasure, but she hadn’t realized

the rites would be so intimate, blurring the lines between the sacred and profane.

Pulling her phone from her bag, she checked to see if Leslie was awake for the day but got no

response. There was a notification from Mystic Mingle, and she swiped to decline without

checking the profile. She’d connected with her mystery man on a deeper level than she’dmanaged in over a year of dating on the app, and the thought of going back to the artificial small

talk, staged personalities and lack of sincerity was daunting. She’d gone to the grove to receive

the wisdom to recognize and nurture love when it entered her life, and somehow came away

with a lot of confusing feelings for a stranger she would likely never see again.

Great job, Lynnette, she thought as she took another swig of coffee. 

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

 AUTHOR 

Barbara Robinson is an author of contemporary and historical romance set against a backdrop

of magical realism. She is a deep thinker and tea drinker who finds inspiration in myths and

folktales, poems and ballads, and academic writing on a variety of subjects. Diagnosed with

autism and giftedness as an adult, she enjoys exploring themes of neurodiversity and opposing

character perspectives in her writing.

She is an avid gardener and lover of nature who works out plot lines and character sketches

while nurturing her garden, walking in the woods, or sitting by the shoreline watching waves.

She is known for world building that features rich and immersive detail, supported by meticulous

research and careful observation.

Barbara lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, in the shadow of ancient mountains that lie along the Bay

of Fundy coast. These rugged vistas shape her story settings, while providing the perfect

backdrop for life with her husband, her hounds and her dragon (Pogona Vitticeps). She has a

Bachelor of Arts from the University of King’s College and a Master of Arts at Dalhousie

University, and she recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from the

Humber School for Writers (Humber College, Toronto).

Website

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GIVEAWAY 

The author will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

Rafflecopter

VBT: The Fallenwood Chronicles

Leslie D. Soule 

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 GENRE: Fantasy 

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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.

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

INTERVIEW

I

Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

When I was younger, I always thought about having an imaginary friend, but the problem is just that –

it’s imaginary. I’ve never had a difficult time separating out the real world from fantasy. And I actually

used to tend toward hanging out with real creatures. I used to catch fat toads and bring them into my

mom’s bedroom to freak her out, and things like that.

Do you have any phobias?

Ooh, good question. Blood & gore. I’ve never been able to stand it.

Do you listen to music when you're writing?

Typically, no. I prefer silence, so I can let my mind wander. Of course, if I’m in a Starbucks or another

coffee shop and the music’s already going, it doesn’t bother me. I can still write with that in the

background.

Do you ever read your stories out loud?

I try not to. LOL!

Tell us about your main character and who inspired him/her.

I wrote Ash as a person loosely based on myself and my experiences in trying to mentally grapple with

the state of the world. But I have a nagging thought, about Ash evolving somehow, after the events of

Fallenwood, into some kind of creature that is more unlike myself and harder to figure out. I’m still

churning that idea around in my head.

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AUTHOR:

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

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 GIVEAWAY 

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

Rafflecopter

VBT: Chasing the Dragon

 

GENRE: Vigilante Crime Thriller/Horror

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BLURB:

A town on its knees, dread's bony fingers wrapping around its throat and squeezing, death

rattles soon to follow.

Drugs, filth, and a lack of human decency are starving it of hope.

Introducing Simon Dooley, our trauma-driven wannabe superhero, the relentless voice of his

dead mother pleading with him to "end the chaos." Dressed in a leotard and armed only with a

dozen dog poop bags, Simon's plight will find him falling in love and going head to head with the

seediest characters walking the streets.

The town needed a hero... it got Reformo.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 EXCERPT

“This doesn’t have to happen.” I hold my hands out, declaring myself weapon-free. “You could

turn your life around. We could unite, start teaching kids about the harmful effects of drugs and

clean up these streets. What do you say?”

“Look, I don’t know who the fuck you are, Mister, but I see you ain’t right in the head. But mental

or not, you can’t come on my patch and expect not to get shanked.”

Moonlight falls across his face, picking up the few hairs across his lip. Jesus Christ, how old is

he? “It’s not too late,” I say. “This town can be good again. We could start a youth centre. Get

funding from the council and buy a table tennis table.”

“You’re off your rocker, mate.” He tosses the knife between his hands, finishing with an

impressive spin. “That might keep you happy down at the local funny farm, but folks can see

angels with the stuff I sell.”

“I just want some order.”

“Well, you’re in the wrong place, mate.” He stares me down, flexing his jaw muscles. “Now, you

have two options here: run like the wind, or have that lovely leotard cut to shreds.”

“It’s not a leotard.”

This time, I move first, feigning to the left but attacking from the right. Bum Fluff tries to alter

course, but it’s too late, the knife cutting through the air, the blade missing my side by nothing

more than an inch. We come together, the flurry of hairs on his lip dancing on the breeze.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW 

* Did you use any of your own experience as inspiration?

Haha. Yes. It’s me on the pages of this book: the same upbringing as Simon, the same claustrophobic

and uncomfortable environment, all dictated by my iron-fisted mother. If I left crumbs on the counter or a

cup next to the sink without washing it, my life would not be worth living. And God forbid if someone

parked outside our house or started playing loud music. In those cases, the day, possibly week, would be

ruined. My mother even uttered the words, "When will the chaos end?" at one point, thus the multiple

references in the story. The Reformo connection is all about the fantasy world I often escaped to. Writing

this was incredibly cathartic and therapeutic.

* On average, how long does the writing process take?

.

I’ve written 185 short stories, 15 novellas, and two novels. A short story can take anywhere from a week

to three weeks. Novellas usually take me a solid two to three months. Novels edge into the five to six-

month territory.

* When did you realize you wanted a career in writing?

I was a late starter. I’m 50 now and have been writing for a little over five years. As an eighties kid, the

arts were pretty much frowned upon, so I took what I thought was the safe route, graduating with a

degree in mathematics. I then spent much of my adult life working a job I hated, drinking most nights to

numb myself. Much like Simon’s mother’s voice, the words of my old English teacher often haunted me

when the lights went out. “You should pursue this. You have real potential.” I think my wife got sick of me

bringing it up in conversation and, in no unpleasant terms, told me to get my finger out and write

something. The rest is history. As soon as I stepped foot in magic world, I knew there was no return.

* If you weren't an author, what other career paths would you have taken?

Unfortunately, I’m not a full-time author. I work for a family-owned lifestyle magazine these days. To be

fair, it’s a pretty good job. They frequently let me loose on articles and editorials. It’s not magic world,

though.

I have no idea about other career paths. These days, I only want to write.

.* Out of the characters that you created, who is your favorite?

It's a tough one to call. I love Reformo, and I think readers will, too. He's flawed and trying his best, just

like the rest of us. I'm also a big fan of Nana, my debut novella and a risky foray into the world of old-

people horror. Nana loves her family and would do anything to protect it. Anything. That project excited

me as I wanted to dig beneath the watery peepers and gummy smiles of old people. They all look so

innocent and precious, but we know appearances can be deceptive. And everyone has skeletons in the

closet.

* What advice would you give to someone looking to be a writer?

Practice. A lot. Lock yourself in a room and get rid of the bile. My first stories were awful, but after three

decades of doing nothing creative, that's hardly surprising. You'll also be a product of influences. That's

okay, but you must find your voice. The only way to do that is to write your heart out and dig deep. And

write for fun, not to tick boxes. The rest will follow. And don't listen to too much advice; it can be

overwhelming and stifling. Jeez, I could talk for days on this subject.

* What kind of research (if any) was required for any of your books?

Minimal. I don't write historical fiction; I write horror and generally deal with the unknown. My research is

the places I've been, the people I've interacted with, the smells in the air that carry a nostalgic sucker

punch.

*How long after you finish a book do you start another one?

Previously, it’s been no more than four weeks. My next gap will be considerably longer.

Website

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GIVEAWAY 

The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

Rafflecopter

Release: Land of Ashes

 

Title: Land of Ashes

Series: Savage Lands, Book 7

Author: Stacey Marie Brown

Release Date: March 27, 2024

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

Tropes: angst, one bed, touch her and d*e, forced proximity, revenge, impossible love, forbidden, action packed, connected series

Cover Designer: Jay Aheer, Simply Defined Art

★★★★★ "Omg!!! I devoured this book! I felt so sucked in the same way I did when I first started the Savage Land series. Ash’s story is such a fun one to explore after the way the OG Savage Land books ended. The amount of adventure, character development, and tension was everything!!" ~Bri, Goodreads

When there is nothing remaining in your soul, there is nothing left that can be taken away.

Ash has always been the rock, the one everyone turns to. That was before devastation took everything from him, leaving his soul dead on the ground, along with his heart.

Not able to face his sorrow, he drowns himself in alcohol, sex, and drugs. Turning away from everyone who loves him, he sinks further into the darkness, where he feels nothing.

The only thing important to him is seeking revenge.

Tracking down those who destroyed his life and killing them.

One night, saving a girl from an attempted kidnapping, Ash’s world changes. Entwining their lives on a dangerous journey across the lands of Romania, where political unrest tears at the country and hides terrifying discoveries.

Scarlet should have been a blip on his radar, a girl he helped and forgot. Except her secrets tie their fates together.

Where the danger might be closer than he thinks.

And the darkness comes from within.

USA TODAY Bestselling author Stacey Marie Brown is both a PNR and Contemporary Romance writer of hot cocky bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick ass. Sexy, cheeky, and always up to no good. She also enjoys reading, exploring, binging TV shows, tacos, hiking, writing, design, and her fur baby Cooper. Loves to travel and she’s been lucky enough to live and travel all over the world.

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Sunday Post #104: Spring and Fanfiction

Happy Spring to All !!! 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

Let me know how Spring is were you are.

This was taken yesterday afternoon, believe it or not. I have to admit that I love the constant weather change in this state. Originally posted as a reel in my Instagram 

📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰

For anyone that read the Shades of Magic Series, please take a look at my latest  fanfiction story ----> Rhy's Fears . 

📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰

 

Post Rewind 

📌 18th = Book Blast: In All Things

📌 19th = TMST #25: Travels

📌 21st = Cover Reveal: Poison and Wine

📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰📰

*** If you don't have anything to say about this week's topic, you can comment on any other part of the post or just say "hi".

*** I am always having to edit many of my posts. If I made any grammar mistakes, I will eventually fix them.

*** The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer