Book Blast: My Second Life

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Simon Yeats is awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

We all have two lives. We only get to experience living in the second after we realize we only have just one.

I have my first real scare in life when I get attacked by a kangaroo when I am seven. My first brush with the cliff-face edge of death comes when I am 12. My dad drives the family down the dangerous Skipper’s Canyon dirt road in New Zealand in a rented minivan.

Including the occasion I am almost involved in two different plane flight crashes, in the same night, there have been at least a half dozen more occasions when I have been within a moment’s inattention of being killed.

However, none of those frightening incidents compare to what I experience after my son is abducted.

This memoir is the story of how I used the traumatic experiences of my life to give me strength to forge on during a 13 year fight to be a father to my son.

What did it take for me to get to my second life?
It took me to truly understand what fear is.

Read an Excerpt

How does a second life differ from a first? My story of reaching the second will demonstrate it perfectly for those languishing in the latter. I guarantee the perception of your life will never be the same after reading about it.

What did it take for me to get to a second life?

Was it an occasion of cheating death? Was it multiple occasions of evading the grim reaper? Was it being arrested and thrown in jail for no reason?

Perhaps a better question might be. How much do I love my child? What am I willing to go through to be in my child’s only life?

Until recently, I had never even heard of this saying by Confucius. But, when a person sees something that resonates with a chord in their heart, they feel it.

I felt it like an earthquake.
Before then, I had never given thought to who I might have ever met that I would consider was living a second life.

Yet this would seem to be our very point of being.

While there have been many occasions in my existence when I have felt like the world is against me. The true nature of life often seems a cruel device. Callous. Savagely unforgiving. And the puppeteer of fate in control of all our lives does not seem to care that we do not want it to be this way.

How many people would admit that they are suffering during their first life?

Rhetorical question.

We all are. Some more than others. But we all are.

Not surprisingly then, that humanity thrives on the ever-unfolding tragedies around us. The devastation of the tsunami in Thailand. The OJ Simpson trial. World War Two concentration camps. The collective work of The Cure and The Smiths.

If it bleeds, it leads.

This is what people want to see.

But the hordes in their first life are primarily concerned with the suffering of the mighty.

However, many of us are not mighty.

Most of us are ordinary.

And the suffering in our first life is done in silence.

About the Author:

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.


Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/store s/author/B0CBNQLSPW/about
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoryeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoryeats

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/My-SECOND-Life-Simon-Yeats- ebook/dp/B0CB4LCCPN/ref=sr_1_1

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TMST #27: June 2024 Tells

Hello All !

Except for the 11th, each answer is a short one. So I just decided to combine the topics. 

 6/4: What outdoor activities do you like to do in the spring/summer?

I mostly enjoy barbecues and bonfires. I would say going to the beach, but that is rare.

6/11: Have your reading interests changed over time?

In elementary school, I liked to read Babysitters Club books and Goosebumps. During Highschool, I didn't like to read unless I Had had no choice. Now, I like to read romance novels. So I guess the short answer would be  ..... "No" ? 😁 

6/25: Mid-Year Check-In: What books have you loved so far in 2024?)

I am kind of being picky about what I add to my favorites. So far, I don't have any favorites this year. If you would like to see what books are on my favorite shelf ---- > Goodreads Favorites

Until next time....

*** Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That's What I'm Talking About

Release Tour: When You Were Mine

Jack Davies is the ultimate book boyfriend; jaded, wild and sexier than sin. While Sera De Lotto is the warm, sultry girl next door, all grown up with a mind of her own. For fans of Tessa Bailey and Christina Lauren, When You Were Mine is a spicy second chance, interracial romance from Ida Brady you won't want to miss.

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A spicy second chance romance...

Hollywood hunk, Jack Davies is back in his hometown, desperate to escape the clutches of fame and fortune. Not even his brother’s upcoming wedding can distract him from the mess heleft behind, or his inner demons. But a chance encounter with his first love, Seraphina De Lotto, changes everything. Jack can’t think of a sexier diversion. In fact, he can’t think at all.

But the sultry Sports teacher isn’t a wide-eyed teenage girl anymore. Sera’s tormented by her own guilt, and the memories of an innocent life she couldn’t save. Committed to helping the disadvantaged youth in one of the poorest suburbs of Melbourne, she has no time for the smooth-talking star and his tantalizing kisses.

With his agent demanding answers, Jack must face hard truths about his career and mental health before time runs out. If he wants Sera in his life, he must prove that there’s more beneath the surface than his killer body and a penchant for playing it cool.

But Sera’s not certain she can trust him to stick around this time. She’s convinced it’s far better to protect her heart, than listen to it. Little does she know, Jack has major plans...

The million-dollar question is, will she accept?

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Excerpt 

Copyright 2024 Ida Brady

Her smile froze in place as she opened the front door. All the air in her lungs seemed to disappear, as if she had been winded.

Jack. Jack Davies.

Sera was unable to do more than gape in confusion. She clutched the door handle, willing her body to action.

How many times had she opened her parents’ front door to see his smiling face that summer? How many times had she come to recognise his mood, just by taking in the set of his shoulders? It was an odd sensation. Like looking at the past but through a completely different lens.

It had been a little over ten years. But looking at him, she was transported back into the past. 

Sera’s heart galloped in her chest, bringing her back to life even as the goosebumps flittered over her skin.

Jack bloody Davies.

Despite the easy smile on his expressive mouth— one that had always seemed ready for a laugh—the hard muscle at his shoulders carried tension. She could sense that energy even before his blue eyes confirmed it.

Jack’s black baseball cap sat low but did nothing to mask his devilishly handsome face. A face she knew, whilst altered by the years, as well as her own.

“Seraphina.”

His voice. That honey-smooth drawl—now peppered by his time in America—seized her heart.

She hadn't a moment to blink before he stepped forward, engulfing her in his embrace.

Sera held on, surrounded by his citrus scent, startled by the hard planes of his body, flush against her own.

She stepped back because she really wanted to linger.

That zing of attraction sparked beneath her fingers, humming under the surface. It was only natural that her body remembered, even when her mind had tried so very hard to forget.

“Jack.”

His eyes raked over her face, her body.

“You've let the curls loose.”

Sera instinctively shoved back her mass of tumbling, wild hair. She had been going through a hair-straightening phase when she met Jack, which she had abandoned one summer morning when he had seen her out of the shower, loose curls free and unimpeded by chemicals. No man had looked at her with that much longing and pure lust since.

Then again, they had been young and… impressionable.

“Takes too long to straighten it these days and I have better things to do with my time. Tell me, why am I having a conversation about hair styling with Hollywood star, Jack Davies, in my parents' hallway?”

Owen walked through the front door with a large bouquet of flowers, Ally in hand. “Sorry, we picked this stray up off the side of the road. Your mother insisted we bring him along.”

“They tried throwing me out of the car, but I'm like gum.”

“You stick?”

“Stretch. I'm very bendy.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“And still inappropriate.”

Jack grinned. “It's good to see you, Sera.”

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About Ida Brady

Ida Brady writes spicy contemporary and erotic romance that packs all the heat! From humour, to heartbreak, to happily ever after, you're guaranteed a steamy read with all the tropes. Enemies to lovers, billionaire, virgin, menage...you name it, she writes it!

Ida is a lover of chocolate and thunderstorms. When she isn't trying to tame her intractable curls, she's running after her little ones, usually with a book in hand. Ida lives in the hustle and bustle of Melbourne's CBD with her Irish husband and their out of control collection of books. She sometimes daydreams about having a huge library in her home but will settle for stacking novels in the kitchen drawers instead.

In her past life, Ida taught VCE Literature and English to a gaggle of teenagers. While she misses their enthusiasm, she sure as hell doesn't miss marking papers. You might find her dancing the Argentine tango in her spare time, which isn't often these days. She loves travelling with her family, observing strangers at cafés and getting lost in a good story.

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Want to hear more?

Visit: www.idabrady.com

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Cover Reveal: Rose Moon

 

  Join us for the cover reveal of Rose Moon by Heidi Adams. Fans who love Forbidden Romances will devour this sexy, paranormal romantasy. Keep scrolling for more details about this sexy cover.

Title: Rose Moon

Author: Heidi Adams

Release Date: 10/17/2024

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romantasy

Word Count: 107,000 words

Tropes: Forbidden Romance, Tortured Hero, Cinnamon Roll Hero, Secret Romance, Fated Love, Fish out of Water, Family Conflict, Self-Discovery

 

  What secrets do we keep to protect the one we love? What lies do we tell, and what are we willing to sacrifice?Karter Quint has the perfect life: star athlete, gifted pianist, straight A-student, handsome and charismatic, he seems fated for success. What nobody knows is that he has battled debilitating episodes during which a strange force invades his mind and body. The only place where Karter truly feels at ease is at his grandfather’s house on the water in Cliff Island, Maine. There, he meets a mysterious girl named Ella and has an instant obsession. He learns that she is a Meridian, or mermaid. Karter and Ella find themselves connected on a higher level—a level that neither understands. They begin a heated and intense romance constrained by their limiting circumstances. However, loving Ella comes at a cost. Karter must take extreme measures of secrecy to protect her, straining relationships with his family and friends well into his adult life.

Rose Moon is an emotional and epic love story, and the first in a paranormal romance series, that will keep you guessing until the very end.

 

Pre-Order on Amazon

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Vote for Rose Moon as October’s Most Anticipated Romance Release on Goodreads

About Heidi Adams

Hi! My name is Heidi Adams, and I write wherever my characters guide me, which is mostly romance! A little paranormal/fantasy, a little contemporary, sometimes even a little dark. My characters take me on journeys that push me to the edge of my emotions with toe-curling passion, heart-pounding suspense that will leave you on the edge of your seat, and a ride full of twists and turns...but passion and love are always the driving force behind my characters and the heart of their stories. I love LOVE! And when I write, I escape into a world that love conquers all, even in the darkest of hours.

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Release Tour: Rebound

 

  Layla Jackson wasn’t looking for love or marriage, especially not with notorious playboy and single dad, Seth Wakowski. But when people in Seth’s life tell him it’s time he settle down and clean up his act, there’s only one person Seth can think of for the job. Can Seth win Layla over and prove there’s more to him than meets the eye? Readers who enjoy marriage-of-convenience romances will devour Rebound by Evelyn Sola, a steamy diverse romance.

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  Catching feelings in a marriage of convenience is REALLY inconvenient. Layla Jackson isn’t looking for marriage or her own happily ever after. At least not at this point in her life and especially not with notorious playboy and single dad, Seth Wakowski. He may be a baller on the court, but off- he’s immature and the total opposite of the kind of guy she would ever want to be involved with. Seth’s baby girl? Now that's a totally different story. Layla and Jasmine adore each other. But when people in Seth’s life tell him it’s time he settle down and clean up his act, there's only one person he can think of for the job. If only he can show her there's more to him than meets the eye. Despite her judgmental attitude toward Seth, she can’t deny the electrical charge each time their eyes lock. Or the desire that runs through her each time they touch. Can Seth win Layla over and prove that their marriage won't be just another rebound? He knows he’s playing for keeps, but will he be able to convince her of that?

Add to Goodreads!

Excerpt

Copyright 2024 Evelyn Sola

He follows me while I busy myself fluffing the pillows on the couch. “Marriage is serious. It shouldn’t be treated as a transaction,” I admonish. “Everything is a transaction, Layla. Look at me,” he orders, but I don’t move. “Come on.” He takes my shoulders and turns me to look at him again. “I have money, and you need it to help your grandma. You have something I want.” I gasp at his crassness. “Not that,” he chuckles. “We can help each other. My daughter likes you, and I want to give her the kind of family I never had.” I break away from his touch, but I don’t move away. “That’s not how marriage is supposed to work. And I’m only twenty-two. I’m not ready to raise a child.” Then I try to shove him, only he doesn’t budge. “A marriage works however we want it to work. Come on. Let’s sit down and figure it out.” He pulls out a chair for me at the table. Like a zombie, I sit. “You’re a whore,” I say. “I’m not going to ever be with someone who sleeps with everybody. Community dick is not my goal. Am I supposed to sit at home caring for your child while you’re out having orgies with fangirls? And what about your away games? Who knows what you’ll get into on the road.” He sits down across from me but pulls his chair as close to me as possible without touching me. “The thing is, I’m not a whore.” “You have a reputation for sleeping with anyone and anything. Women have come out and said they’ve had threesomes or orgies with you.” I look around and whisper, “Jasmine is here only because of some rando you took to your hotel room. You slept with her nanny for goodness sake.” “All of that is true except for the nanny. She got in my bed and took that picture. I never touched her, and I never wanted to.” I twist my mouth, not believing a word he just said. “The other things you said are true, but I’m not a whore. I never lied to anyone. I never made promises. Everyone I was with knew it was only for a night or two and that nothing would come of it. I never mistreated or took advantage of anyone. I had sex with people who wanted to have sex with me. There’s nothing wrong with that.” “So, you’re community dick but honest about it? Are you going to tell me every time you cheat on me? That is not appealing.” I try to stand but he’s too close for me to move. “Unlike you, I’m looking for a relationship with someone who cares about me. I’m looking for love, not some quid pro quo arrangement.” “I never cheated on anyone because I’ve never been in a relationship. I won’t cheat on you. I promise,” he says. That takes the wind out of my sails. I look into his green eyes, and he’s not smirking. He’s not even smiling. I look away. “You won’t cheat on me? Does that mean you expect us to—” The word gets stuck in my throat, “fuck?” “We’ll be married. A real marriage because I get horny.” “Eww,” I say. “What? You don’t get horny?” “That is none of your business,” I say with my nose in the air. “You help me raise Jasmine. It was hard last season. Each time I left her, she had a meltdown. Sometimes I’m gone for days or a week. I have no family to help me. I’m all alone.” Part of me feels for him. Alone is one thing I’ve never been. I’ve had both parents, Donna, and my grandma. Not to mention June Bug is always in my business. I have about a dozen other cousins, friends, and extended family members. I can’t imagine being in his shoes. If I was a single mother, I’d have a village to help me. But he’s not your problem. He’s not your friend or your family. “You don’t even like me,” I remind him. “Yes, I do. You’re very pretty. You’re smart and hardworking. You’re good to my daughter, and you have a nice ass. You’re the one who has always had a problem with me. And you’re nice to everyone but me.” “None of those reasons are enough for us to get married, and stop looking at my ass before I give you a black eye.”

About Evelyn Sola

A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find Evelyn with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come. Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion, and humor. She currently lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and two daughters.

Follow: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Reader Group | Goodreads | BookBub | Newsletter | Amazon

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Book Blast: Private License

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kevin R. Doyle will award a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

All Lorie Jones wants is a little help with her divorce. Some extra information, a bit of ammunition to take into court against her no-good husband. And when she hires the biggest and best investigation firm Kansas City has to offer, that’s exactly what she gets. But after their operative wraps up Lori’s case, he decides he doesn’t want to move on, and Lori soon realizes that she’s got an even bigger problem than she had before, one that threatens her privacy, and maybe even her life.

It’s up to Sam Quinton, one-man detective agency, to take on the largest firm in the business, and as Sam digs into the background of Lori’s harasser, he soon finds something bigger, and much more dangerous, than one overzealous guy who just can’t let go.

Read an Excerpt

They wore blue jeans, sneakers, and tee-shirts, the blond wearing navy blue and the brown-haired guy wearing bright red. Both wore their tee-shirts hanging out, and the shirts looked a size or two too big for them.

“How you doing?” the blond one asked me.

“Up to now, not bad,” I said.

The blond man continued, “Like to talk to you if you don’t mind.”

“And if I do mind?”

The two glanced at each other before turning back to me. “Going to talk to you anyway.”

I flicked my head towards the second man. “He have a voice?”

“Let’s say I’m the spokesman here, okay?” The blond tensed his arms and chest to show me he was in charge.

“You know,” I said, “flexing your muscles doesn’t do a whole lot when your shirt’s too big. You can either show off the muscles or conceal your weapons, but not both at the same time.”

Both men made involuntary hand motions towards their left hips, then caught themselves.

I smiled. “See what I mean?”

“We need to talk,” Blond repeated.

“No, you mean you want to talk. Just like I want to sit here and finish enjoying my breakfast, which isn’t going to happen if I have to take time to bounce you two bozos out into the street

“You think you can do that?” the brown-haired guy finally spoke up.

“Not sure,” I said. “But if you guys keep bothering me, I’m going to do my best to find out. And whether I succeed or not, it’s going to cause a ruckus, which I’m guessing your sergeant isn’t going to like too much.”

About the Author:

A retired high-school teacher and former college instructor, Kevin R. Doyle is the author of four novels in the Sam Quinton mystery series, all published by Camel Press. He’s also written four crime thrillers, including And the Devil Walks Away and The Anchor, and one horror novel, The Litter, along with numerous short horror stories published in small magazines over the years. The first Quinton book, Squatter’s Rights, was nominated for the 2021 Shamus award for Best First PI Novel, and the fifth in the series, Private License, will be out in August of 2024.

http://kevindoylefiction.com
http://www.facebook.com/kevindoylefiction< br />
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Private-License-Quinton-Kevin- Doyle/dp/1684923042

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Release Blitz: Rebound

 

Layla Jackson wasn’t looking for love or marriage, especially not with notorious playboy and single dad, Seth Wakowski. But when people in Seth’s life tell him it’s time he settle down and clean up his act, there’s only one person Seth can think of for the job. Can Seth win Layla over and prove there’s more to him than meets the eye? Readers who enjoy marriage-of-convenience romances will devour Rebound by Evelyn Sola, a steamy diverse romance.

 

  Blurb Catching feelings in a marriage of convenience is REALLY inconvenient. Layla Jackson isn’t looking for marriage or her own happily ever after. At least not at this point in her life and especially not with notorious playboy and single dad, Seth Wakowski. He may be a baller on the court, but off- he’s immature and the total opposite of the kind of guy she would ever want to be involved with. Seth’s baby girl? Now that's a totally different story. Layla and Jasmine adore each other. But when people in Seth’s life tell him it’s time he settle down and clean up his act, there's only one person he can think of for the job.If only he can show her there's more to him than meets the eye. Despite her judgmental attitude toward Seth, she can’t deny the electrical charge each time their eyes lock. Or the desire that runs through her each time they touch. Can Seth win Layla over and prove that their marriage won't be just another rebound? He knows he’s playing for keeps, but will he be able to convince her of that?

Add to Goodreads Here!

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Excerpt

Copyright 2024, Evelyn Sola

“They’re not home,” he says. He looks down like a kid who’s been told that their friend can’t come out to play. “Maybe I really do need a wife,” he jokes. At least I think it’s a joke, but when I look at him, he’s not grinning like he usually does. He looks away as if he’s deep in thought. “Women have enough problems without one of us taking you on as a husband. You do you know you have to keep your pants zipped if you’re married, right?” I ask, horrified at the idea of him marrying a poor unsuspecting woman. “You’re awfully concerned about what goes on in my pants.” He grins. “I wonder why that is?” He puts his hands on his hips and gyrates. “In your dreams. Nobody likes community di—” I stop when Aiden clears his throat and gestures at Jasmine. “Not in front of my goddaughter,” he admonishes. “Are you under the impression that you’re a woman? I bet you look like Barbie down there.” He gestures at my crotch, and I gasp in disg

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

About Evelyn Sola

A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find Evelyn with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come. Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion, and humor. She currently lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and two daughters. Follow: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Reader Group | Goodreads | BookBub | Newsletter | Amazon

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Sunday Post #107: Regarding Fanfiction 3

 

Hello All ! Happy June. 

I maybe behind in my ready, but I added three stories to my Archive of Our Own page since I last mentioned it in the Sunday Post. I hope you enjoy them.

Post Rewind 

📌 May 9th = Release Promotion: Poison and Wine 

📌 14th = Release Blitz: A Tormented Man 

📌 17th = Cover Reveal: Rebound

📌 18th = Cover Reveal: #Ghost

📌 22nd = WWBC #30: Combine Topics 3

📌 27th = Book Blast: One of the Most Expensive, Iconic and Kinetic Maps of Australia in the World 

📌 31st = Release Promotion: In The Shadows 

Currently Reading 

📖 Forbidden Hearts (by: Corinne Michaels)

*** 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