Sea's Nod

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Release Tour: Fight It Until We Can't

Operations Manager Carli Porter runs The Lochwell as if it were her own and is fiercely protective of the community she’s built within its walls. But when the building's owner sends in his best friend to evaluate its future, Caril finds herself fighting to keep everything she loves from slipping away. Left with no other option, she’s forced to team up with Alexander Grassi, the very man who could decide the building's fate. Readers who enjoy steamy, he-falls-first romances will devour Fight It Until We Can’t by Cissy Mecca & Tina Gallagher, a small-town, rivals-to-lovers romance.

Read Now!

He's a property analyst hired to find the cracks.

She's the operations manager who will make sure he doesn't.

Carli Porter runs The Lochwell like it's hers. The coffee shop is her living room. Its book club members are her family. The residents are her friends. The pub is her Friday night. The only problem? The building belongs to someone else, and that someone just sent his best friend to decide its fate.

Alexander Grassi is smart and annoyingly hard to hate. He also has the kind of forearms that make it very difficult to stay mad at him. (She's tried. It hasn't worked.) He's supposed to write a report, hand it over to his friend and leave. He wasn't supposed to start showing up to trivia night. Or turning her coffee cup so the handle faces her. Or looking at her like she's the best thing in a building full of things worth saving.

She says his report could ruin her life.

He says she's not wrong.

She says that's makes him the last person she should want around.

He says he's staying anyway.

Because some legacies (and people) are worth fighting for.

Add to Goodreads Here!

Excerpt

"Did you tell her?" Chris asked Vee as he emerged from the small kitchen at the back of the shop.

"Tell me what?" I asked. Vee slid two coffees toward Maria Grazia and me.

"Only that the hottest guy I've ever seen was asking for you earlier," Chris said. "He wasn't just hot. He was extraordinarily hot. Casual, buttoned-up, perfect hair, two days shadow with a smile that could melt polar ice-caps kind of hot".

"I know the man looking for you. And can guess why he's here," Maria said. She set her cup down. That small, deliberate gesture told me more than her words had. "He's a good man," she added carefully. "His mother is one of my dearest friends. But good men can still be sent to do difficult things".

Before I could figure that out, or even take another sip of coffee, he stepped into the coffee shop. At least, I assumed it was him. But since the Brew didn't often see extraordinarily hot men with smiles that could melt polar ice-caps every day, I assumed that was probably him. His light blue buttoned-down shirt was open, no tie, but the casual tan sport coat still gave him a polished appearance. Honestly? Chris's description was overall pretty spot-on.

He scanned the room, his gaze pausing when it reached us. He smiled at Maria Grazia and headed our way.

"I'm thinking this is Carli?" he asked her.

"You didn't tell me you planned to meet with her, Xander". Maria Grazia's tone was sharper than usual.

"I don't have an appointment," he turned his attention to me. His eyes were hazel, in the best way possible. "And honestly didn't think I'd actually find her. You get around." Xander stuck his hand out. "Alexander Grassi".

A firm handshake from someone accustomed to shaking hands. "Carlina Porter," I responded, defaulting to my full name, as I did when I met someone new.

"I'm a property analyst," he said.

Before I could fully register that, Maria Grazia added, "And one of Graeme Lochwell's best friends".

The bottom dropped out of my stomach. Property analyst. Graeme Lochwell's best friend. Both pieces landed separately, and then all at once, the way bad news always did. I looked at Xander. He wasn't smiling anymore either. Whatever this morning had been before... Lou's Instagram, AnnMarie's bathtub, the abandoned coffee cup on some forgotten high top... it had just become the least of my problems.

About Cissy Mecca

A "recovering" 8th-grade teacher and curriculum consultant with a PhD in Language & Literacy, Cecelia loves writing high-heat, emotionally charged romance. The Brands (The Mecca Romance Multiverse): Cissy Mecca: Contemporary Romance, Cecelia Mecca: Medieval and Scottish Historical Romance. C.L. Mecca: Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Mecca Romance Signature Style: Heroines: Bold, strong women who fall hard but never lose their identity. Heroes: High-heat, protective, and intense. Vibe: Visceral, sensory-rich escapes... from family-owned vineyards to the war-torn Anglo-Scottish borders. Other Info: Representation: Katie Reed (Katie Reed Literary) Personal: Married, two teens, Disney enthusiast, traveler, and wine lovers Authority: PhD background makes her an excellent guest for craft-focused podcasts or literacy-based panels.

About Tina Gallagher

Tina Gallagher grew up and continues to live in Northeast Pennsylvania. As a tween, she and her best friend would create happily ever afters for their favorite soap opera couples. Eventually, the soap operas lost their appeal, but the writing never did. Before living her dream as a full-time author, she worked a spectrum of jobs ranging from baking and cake decorating to marketing and project management. In between creating memorable characters, traveling, and taking pole dance lessons, Tina enjoys spending time with her two grown children and Golden Irish named Thea.

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Blurb Blitz: Twinkle of Doubt

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

For fans of Colleen Hoover, this inspirational follow-up to Shooting Stars Above continues the love story between internationally best-selling novelist Tess and counterterrorism agent Jack as they both fight to overcome their deepest fears.

Tess Lee is a wildly successful and world-famous novelist whose inspirational books explore our innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jack Miller is a federal agent who has spent decades working in counterterrorism—a violent world that has left an inevitable residue on his psyche. Two years into their marriage, as Tess and Jack both heal from past trauma, their epic love, fostered by their ability to truly see one another, has brought them profound happiness. When an anonymous threat is made against Tess’s life, however, everything changes. Will they learn to lean on each other, or will they fall apart into the darkness?

In Twinkle of Doubt, the second Celestial Bodies Romance, Tess, Jack, and their chosen family explore the nature of doubt and the struggle to feel worthy of love.

Read an Excerpt

The next morning, Tess and Jack were snuggling in bed. Jack was playing with Tess’s hair and teasing her. “I’m serious. You’d look good in a tiara; maybe you should have gone for that royal.”

“First of all, everyone looks good in a tiara.”

“That’s your first of all?” he said, tickling her mercilessly.

She giggled uncontrollably until he stopped.

“Okay, I should have said, ‘In no particular order.’ But my other points were that royalty is absurd, and that man was dull and uptight. And furthermore, Omar is out of his mind. He wasn’t in love with me.”

“Well, that’s where you lose all credibility. I trust Omar on this one. It’s impossible not to fall for you.”

She slid her hand behind her head, pulled out her pillow, and walloped him in the face.

“You did not just do that,” he said through laughter.

“That’s what you get for saying such silly things,” she said, now lying flat on the bed.

“Hey, I’m just grateful you’d give up a crown and palace for a guy like me,” he said.

“Jack, there are no guys like you. There’s only you.”

He leaned over, caressed her face, and kissed her.

“Give me my pillow,” she said.

“Oh, now you want it back?” he teased, holding it in his hand as far away from her as he could stretch. “You’re gonna have to come and get it.”

She started to crawl over him when his cell phone rang. “Ah, you’re in luck,” he said, handing her the pillow. “It’s Bobby.”

“See if they want to go to the movies with us later,” Tess said, propping herself up against her pillow. “If Gina’s there, we can persuade you two to see a romantic comedy and not one of those killing spree monstrosities.”

Jack laughed and answered the phone. “Hey, Bobby. What are you guys up to later? Save me from a chick flick.”

About the Author:

Patricia Leavy, PhD, is an award-winning, best-selling author. She is also the publisher and CEO of Paper Stars Press. She was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology, and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College. She has published more than fifty books; her work has been translated into many languages, and she has received more than one hundred book awards. Her novel Shooting Stars Above was featured on People “10 Romance Books to Read After Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry” and was the 2025 Firebird Book Award First Place Winner in Contemporary Novel, Romance, and Summer Beach Read. Patricia has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” In 2024 the London Arts-Based Research Centre established “The Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research.” Patricia lives in Maine. In addition to writing, she enjoys art, reading, and travel.

Website: http://www.patricialeavy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenWhoWrite/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patricialeavy
X (Twitter): https://x.com/PatriciaLeavy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Twinkle-Doubt-Celestial-Bodies-Romance/dp/B0FCYS6Y8Q
She Writes Press: https://shewritespress.com/product/twinkle-of-doubt/
Simon & Schuster: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Twinkle-of-Doubt/Patricia-Leavy/The-Celestial-Bodies-Romances/9798896361329
The Celestial Bodies Romances: https://www.simonandschuster.com/series/The-Celestial-Bodies-Romances

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Release Blitz: Fight It Until We Can't

Blurb

He's a property analyst hired to find the cracks.

She's the operations manager who will make sure he doesn't.

She says his report could ruin her life.

He says she's not wrong.

She says that's makes him the last person she should want around.

He says he's staying anyway.

Because some legacies (and people) are worth fighting for.

Add to Goodreads Here!

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Excerpt

Hold on a second. Since when can't we start with the sex scene? That's some kind of bullshit." Everyone laughed. I was pretty sure they thought I was kidding. I wasn't. One simply didn't joke about really good sex scenes, especially when the hero drags the heroine up his chest to sit on his face. "We always start with our overall thoughts of the book," Tiff said, her eyes dancing. She was the leader of our sometimes-unruly pack, but even she couldn't keep the grin off her face. We were sitting in the back corner of The Brew, the coffee shop that served as the heart of the Lochwell. The smell of roasted beans and old wood settled around us like a blanket. Outside, the Finger Lakes sun was beginning to dip, but inside, the heat was all on the pages of this month's pick. "My overall thought is that the hero needs to stop talking and start doing more of... that," I said, tapping the cover. This was my life. My sanctuary. These women were my family, and this building—this beautiful, crumbling, historic brewery—was my soul. I’d spent three years making sure every brick was in place, every tenant was happy, and every cup of coffee was perfect. I was the operations manager. I was the fixer. And I was damn good at it. But as I looked at the door, I saw him. The man who didn't belong here. The man with the expensive suit and the professional audit folder tucked under an arm that looked like it belonged on a Roman statue. Alexander Grassi. He wasn't here for the book club. He was here to decide if the Lochwell was worth saving, or if he was going to recommend his best friend sell it to the highest bidder. He caught my eye through the glass, and for a second, the banter of the book club faded into static. He didn't look like a villain. He looked like a man who knew exactly how much trouble I was about to give him. And God help me, I knew exactly how much trouble he was going to be for me.

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

About Cissy Mecca

About Tina Gallagher

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Friday, May 8, 2026

Book Blast: Versions of Nirvana

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. H.C. Turk will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops at the tour.

In order to save her family, an 18th-century witch entertains suicide, thereby entering a coma-like trance that lasts 300 years. In this magical state, she reaches into the future to guide other people who long for redemption.

England, 1710. Young Alba knows she is a witch, but the term means nothing until her mother is executed for witchcraft. Then Alba enters a trance that causes everyone around her debilitating emotions, just like Alba’s. The trance, which is Alba’s magic, does not appear again until years later when her mentor is arrested and sentenced to death. Panicked, Alba stabs herself in the heart. Instead of dying, she enters a “false sleep” (coma), a state of spiritual consciousness. Hoping to find peace for others, she seeks similar souls in the future.

Germany, 1942: An American soldier is mortally wounded. In his final moment, he experiences the glory of a beautiful life, if only in his dreams. He enters a spiritual realm filled with warm family adventures, metaphysical escapades that are alternately hilarious and horrific, yet always lead away from anguish. Directed by Alba’s unseen influence, Andrew fights for solace, and wins.

Indonesia, 2003: A young American woman on a Western Pacific island must relive an ancient, tortuous journey through a primitive environment in order to redeem the foreigners in the country. Influenced by a power she can only sense in her heart (Alba), Connie seeks a solution of acceptance instead of rejection.

Told with humor and compassion, the heart of the book is the longing to find peace despite haunting failure, and finding joy in helping others achieve the same.

Read an Excerpt

When I was alive, I could not tell you what a train is, or would be. Now, I cannot tell you how I feel about transportation of this nature, a line of connected metal carriages driven by mechanisms like clockwork from beyond; and is that not the source of the future? When I was alive, I could not tell you what a train is, or would be. Now, I cannot tell you how I feel about transportation of this nature, a line of connected metal carriages driven by mechanisms like clockwork from beyond; and is that not the source of the future?

Neither can I tell you the nature of my testimony, though I praise the Deity that I can wield my influence into the lives of other people who deserve liberation. Unlike salvation, which comes from God, redemption comes from the heart.

“Liberation” is a goal of the associated horror ensconcing this era: “warfare,” the particular involved here not local, but global, the second of its kind, though not the last.

1945. How bigoted would I be to say that no witch is good at numbers? Germany. Once I was accused of being of that nationality, and now I virtually live there, with my virtual life.

In the distance, snowy, irregular mountain tops, not the Cambrian Mountains, but the Alps. Some brief words can be so fine.

An American draftee rides in a German Diesel locomotive with other stragglers. (Time is coming for me to absorb the meaning of these new terms and the ideas they represent without delineating their specifics: a nation that did not exist when I was alive, the massive machines, the murderous weapons. Beyond that, how close must one be to a person and their living in order to become a participant, not merely an observer?)

Neither can I tell you the nature of my testimony, though I praise the Deity that I can wield my influence into the lives of other people who deserve liberation. Unlike salvation, which comes from God, redemption comes from the heart.

“Liberation” is a goal of the associated horror ensconcing this era: “warfare,” the particular involved here not local, but global, the second of its kind, though not the last.

1945. How bigoted would I be to say that no witch is good at numbers? Germany. Once I was accused of being of that nationality, and now I virtually live there, with my virtual life.

In the distance, snowy, irregular mountain tops, not the Cambrian Mountains, but the Alps. Some brief words can be so fine.

An American draftee rides in a German Diesel locomotive with other stragglers. (Time is coming for me to absorb the meaning of these new terms and the ideas they represent without delineating their specifics: a nation that did not exist when I was alive, the massive machines, the murderous weapons. Beyond that, how close must one be to a person and their living in order to become a participant, not merely an observer?)

About the Author

H. C. Turk is a writer, sound artist, and visual artist. His novels have been published by Villard and Tor. His short fiction, sound pieces, movies, and visual art have appeared in numerous magazines, websites, podcasts, and film festivals. He used to paint houses (not as an art form.)

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVWKKVS9/
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/4DGy2P
Video Trailer: https://youtu.be/UHr5XHs5kdk?si=nScbZiKK2FjqC_zA
Website: https://hcturk.com
Bandcamp: http://hcturk.bandcamp.com/
Newsletter: https://hcturk.substack.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehcturk/

Saturday, May 2, 2026

[belated] Release Tour: Five Summers From Now

A breakup on the way to a Fourth of July getaway was supposed to be the end for Merritt and Ben until a strange accident sends them five years into a future neither of them remembers. No longer together and surrounded by lives that have shifted in unexpected ways, Merritt and Ben must piece together what went wrong between them and their once-tight friend group. As old feelings reignite and hidden truths are exposed, the past and present collide in ways they never anticipated. Readers who enjoy heartfelt second-chance romances, stories with emotional time slips, and a love that refuses to fade will devour Five Summers from Now, a steamy new romance from Michelle Dayton.

Purchase at Your Favorite Retailers!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4ssbvRO

iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/43ndtrpr

Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/4zw8nzsv

KOBO: https://tinyurl.com/5ykxf8rr

Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/3jc863m3

Tule: https://tulepublishing.com/books/five-summers-from-now/#order

They were supposed to spend the Fourth of July weekend with their closest friends—fireworks, laughter, traditions. Instead, Merritt Sullivan and Ben Samuels broke up on the drive to the lake, before the first spark lit the sky.

But after a strange accident on the dock, they wake up to find that everything’s changed. It’s five years later. They’re no longer a couple. Their friends’ lives have shifted in ways they never saw coming. Careers, relationships, even loyalties have rearranged—some for the better, some painfully worse. And neither of them remembers the years in between.

Forced to navigate a future they don’t recall, Merritt and Ben must work together to understand what fractured not only their relationship, but their entire friend group. The only way back—if going back is even possible—is to face the heartbreak they once tried to outrun.

As old feelings resurface and new truths come to light, they’ll have to decide: is the future worth keeping…or worth rewriting?

Add to Goodreads!

Excerpt

Tears formed and slid down my cheeks. I dashed them away with one hand, silent, not wanting to break the spell. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ben’s right hand jerk in my direction as if he wanted to touch me, needed to touch me, but then realized he shouldn’t.

Oh, to hell with it.

I reached over, grabbed his hand, and pulled it to my heart. I bent my head and pressed my lips to it. He’d said his brother’s name to me, for the first time ever.

A broken sound escaped his mouth at the feel of my lips on his skin. The next thing I knew, he was pulling me into his arms, the tight confines of the car be damned.

He pushed the driver’s side seat back, settled me onto his lap sideways, and held on to me for dear life, panting into my neck.

“It’s okay,” I murmured, winding my arms around his neck and stroking through the hair on the back of his head. “It’s okay.”

I closed my eyes and breathed him in, the Downy fabric softener and chlorine scent of my Ben. His arms tightened around my waist, and I let myself luxuriate in his embrace. God, I hadn’t felt this safe in ages. I’d been so angry with him for so long. Even when we hugged, it was perfunctory and quick. I hadn’t let myself cling or need him. Hadn’t let him hold me or need me.

I’d taken his hand because he needed comfort. We both did. This was his body’s response to my earlier apology. He didn’t have the words, so holding me like this was his way of showing me he forgave me.

But now, the embrace was changing for me. It was becoming about need. All about need. I needed to feel his chest expand and contract, needed to feel his breath against my bare neck, needed his hands tugging on the strands of my hair.

I was suddenly hot all over, despite the air-conditioning. It’d been so many months since he’d touched me, and even if this embrace was simply in the spirit of forgiveness and comfort, my body was responding in a very not-PG way.

“Merritt,” Ben whispered.

I pulled my face back, brushing my cheek against his on my way to eye contact.

He stared up at me, at my mouth, his pupils expanding and obliterating the blue. When I sucked in my bottom lip, he groaned in the back of his throat. “If you don’t want to be kissed, you better get the hell off my lap.”

Instead, I gripped the seat behind his shoulders and used it as a brace as I twisted my body upright and carefully brought my right leg over to straddle him.

Later, I’d probably kick myself for this. Escalating things with Ben at this moment made about as much sense as the defeat of the aliens in Independence Day, but common sense didn’t stand a chance against the desire in Ben’s eyes, my racing heart, and the singing sense of rightness in my veins every time his mouth was on mine.

Ben’s body was taut with restraint as he waited for my right knee to find purchase on the seat cushion between him and the door. The very instant my weight stabilized, he cupped the back of my neck and drew my face to his, claiming my mouth.

About Michelle Dayton

There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel – as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage.

This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Release Tour: Fight It Until We Can't

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Blurb Blitz: Twinkle of Doubt

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Release Blitz: Fight It Until We Can't

Friday, May 8, 2026

Book Blast: Versions of Nirvana

Saturday, May 2, 2026

[belated] Release Tour: Five Summers From Now

Netgalley Badges

My Blog List

Tour Partners

Report Abuse

Blog Archive

Labels