Monthly Archives: February 2021

Cover Reveal – Gravebriar by Casey L. Bond

   

Title: Gravebriar
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Editor: Stacy Sanford/ The Girl with the Red Pen
Proofread by: Kendra’s Editing and Book Services
Blurb by: The Blurb Doctor
Cover Designer: Melissa Stevens/ The Illustrated Author Design Services
Publication Date: March 19th, 2021
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR


Blurb:
Sometimes witches hunt their own…

 

Someone knows my secret and they’re wielding it as the weapon of my execution. I stand accused of poisoning my Gravebriar coven mate. To my fatal regret, I can’t prove my innocence without revealing the truth I’ve long kept hidden: while every other Gravebriar witch are green witches and healers, my magic lies in poisons.

 

There is one witch who believes me – the same boy who was sent to kill me with instructions to pluck the briars that sprouted from my grave – the only cure for a Gravebriar witch. Forge Silverthorn will be my undoing… or my salvation.

 

He claims there is a malicious plot vining through the witch town of Cauldron that threatens to tighten around my throat in a deadly noose. Promising I can escape by seeking the help of a banished witch who hides our kind in plain sight, he leads me to a dark circus full of witches.

 

The ringmaster will only help us if we agree to join his circus of uncanny tricks and diabolical feats for two nights only, using our magic to thrill his patrons. In exchange for our participation under the big top, he’ll divulge the information I need to save my coven mate and clear my name.

 

But when dark secrets emerge from the shadows of this promised sanctuary, I’m forced to decide if I can truly trust anyone, especially Forge… my would-be executioner, my coven’s sworn enemy, and my could-be love.  

 

 

Praise for Gravebriar:

 

 “Spellbinding and rich, Gravebriar is a wildly creative, witchy journey.” 

– Heather Lyons, author of The Collectors’ Society

 

“Casey L. Bond seamlessly weaves a world of magic, intrigue, betrayal, and wonder that you’ll never want to leave, and characters that will become dear to your heart!” 

– USA Today bestselling author C.L. Cannon

 

“Cracking open the pages of Gravebriar was like stepping into a world where witches roamed and magic abounded. I never wanted to leave.”  

– Christy Sloat, bestselling author of The Librarian Chronicles

 

“Casey L. Bond weaves an enchanting world filled with magic and intrigue. Gravebriar is spellbinding and romantic, and will keep you turning the page until the end.” 

– USA Today bestselling author Ali Winters



Casey Bond lives in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. She likes goats and yoga, but hasn’t tried goat yoga because the family goat is so big he might break her back. Seriously, he’s the size of a pony. Her favorite books are the ones that contain magical worlds and flawed characters she would want to hang out with. Most days of the week, she writes young adult fantasy books, letting her imaginary friends spill onto the blank page.

Casey is the award-winning author of When Wishes Bleed, Things That Should Stay Buried, and With Shield and Ink and Bone.

Author Links: 






Saturday Spotlight – Hitting the Wall by Cate C. Wells

Title: Hitting the Wall
Series: Stonecut County #1
Author: Cate C. Wells
Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 12, 2021


She’s not a secret. She’s a second chance.

Shay
Six years ago, the good, upstanding men of Stonecut County ran me off. I took a secret with me. An inconvenient truth they wanted buried.
Actions have consequences. Their perfect golden boy maybe wasn’t so perfect after all.
Then life hands me one too many lemons. I’m forced to go back, and in Stonecut, nothing ever changes.
Kellum Wall is still golden.
I’m still unwanted.
And falling for his cocksure smile will most certainly ruin my life all over again.

Kellum
I believe there are still good men left in this world, and I strive to be one. I was raised to live by a code. God and country. Protect and serve.
I always do the right thing, even when it’s hard—and yet, somehow, I’ve made an unforgivable mistake.
I want what I lost. The woman, the child, the white picket fence. But it’s not gonna come easy.
Shay’s a survivor. She doesn’t believe in happily ever after, and earning her trust might be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
She’s got my heart in her hands, though, and this time—I’m not letting her slip through my fingers.

Hitting the Wall is a steamy, small town romance featuring a secret baby and a second chance at love. It’s the first book in the Stonecut County series. Intended only for adult readers.





“A perfect secret baby story…a gut wrenching journey that leaves you on edge the entire time. -T. Hogan, Goodreads
“Cate C. Wells is becoming a one-click author (without even reading the blurb) for me. I love her writing. It’s raw and uncompromising, with characters that are flawed, real, and relatable versus being perfect caricatures.” Jen, Booksprout
“This was a fantastic read. It was so incredibly well written and such a beautiful story. I LOVED it! Got sucked in and then wasn’t able to put it down until I finished, which was slightly problematic with my work and family life.” BookLoverinSeattle, Goodreads



Continue reading →

AuThursday – Angelique Migliore

Tell us a little about yourself and your background? 

Religions and Linguistics are my first true loves. I hold degrees in Hospitality and Religious Studies, but food and cooking for others is my love language.

How do you make time to write? 

Writing is my primary occupation. 

Do you believe in writer’s block? 

Yes and no. I believe in creativity-block. If I stall when I write, I’ll move to another form of creating rather than walking away in frustration. I’ll craft or draw or even indulge in some self-care time. When I give my conscious mind over to something else, that usually results in my subconscious working out the block. 

Tell us a bit about the genre you write and why you love it. 

I write Romances in Contemporary, Mythological Fantasy, Science Fiction and Dystopian. I love the flexibility of Romances and the sub-genres I can work with, and I have to have the hope of a better life.

How are you publishing your recent book and why? (*e.g. Indie, traditional, or both) 

I have three Erotic Romance novellas traditionally published with a small press, Tirgearr Publishing. But as Amazon likes to hide ERs in a dungeon so-to-speak, my name and the titles of my books are unsearchable [without a great deal of trouble]. So, I’m currently writing a Paranormal Romance novella for the sole purpose of making my name searchable.

Are you an Introvert or Extrovert? How does this affect your work?

I am an Extrovert, and in the company of most writers, that makes me such a rare breed, I might as well be a unicorn. I like meeting with my critique partners regularly, and, pre-pandemic, in person. I also LOVE conferences!

What is your favorite motivational phrase? 

I’m really not much of a motivational-loving person. It’s my job to get my ass in gear and do what I need to do to get my writing, marketing, and business done, and I’m very hard on myself about it.

That being said, if I had to choose, Benjamin Franklin said,

“…there will be sleeping enough in the grave…”

This quote has stuck with me since I was a teenager.

And more recently, when Lizzo’s “Water Me” comes on, I’m the one singing at the top of my lungs

“I am my inspiration!”

What advice would you give to aspiring writers? 

  • Write whatever genre you love; forget about other people’s opinions on that.
  • Read widely and voraciously.
  • Have fun.

Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web? 

Everywhere!

Here’s my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/angelique.migliore

Do you have an excerpt you’d like to share with us?

Sure! We just celebrated ONE NIGHT IN TAMPA’s one-year book-iversary, so we’ll pull from it. It’s a modern-day, subverted-trope, Cinderella retelling. This is toward the beginning of the book, when our hero and heroine meet.

She vanished into the crowd of photographers, who were gone by the time she returned with waters and bananas. “Thank you very much,” I said. “For everything.” And I meant it. I held up my medal for closer inspection of the skull and cross bones. “Does this mean I’m a pirate now?” 

She smiled at me, and for the first time, I could see cinnamon-colored corkscrew curls escaping from her ponytail at random points. “You’re welcome. And what’s your real name, Cinder-fella?” 

“Since you’re into formal introductions with complete names, I’m Salvatore Convivio Ricco, ma’am, but my friends just call me ‘Viv’.” 

“Ha!” she barked. “I have about five more names than what I gave you.” Her eyes roamed freely over me. “Salvatore? Who are you saving? And Convivio? In Spanish you’d be a feast or a banquet.” 

I leaned back in my chair and gave her a better view at the whole package. “In Italian, Convivio takes on a bit more of a philosophical meaning. It’s more like, to celebrate life full of joy or living life to the fullest.” 

She half-peeled a banana and handed it to me. “You Italians. Why use one word when you can use ten?” 

I smiled from my heart and wagged my eyebrows at her. “Yeah, well, the good news is we make love the same way. You know a lot of Italians, do you?” 

She sat in the chair next to me and took a drink. “Of course—this is Tampa Bay. Are you not from around here?” 

I swallowed a large bite of banana. “Nope. And please explain ‘Mariposa del Pilar’ to me. Isn’t that a bit sacrilegious?” 

“My father is the most devout Catholic of the family and wanted to name me after Santa Maria del Pilar. My mother is the more free-spirited of the two and changed my name with the nurse in the birthing room as soon as my father left to get some Cafecito. My mother said I should have wings, not a yoke.” She peeled her own banana this time.  

New Release Whiskey and Honey by Heather Lauren

Title: Whiskey and Honey
Series: The Empire Records
Author: Heather Lauren
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 3, 2021


Celebrity Chef, Lyla Turner escapes Chicago for her hometown, in sunny California, and the comfort of her two best friends.

Running from the ashes of her career, destroyed by someone she trusted, she finds herself making more trouble when she meets the handsome and alluring, Cole. A tall sexy lumberjack of a man who just so happens to be her new roommate and strictly forbidden. Unable to fight the sheet burning chemistry the two fall hard, his kindness and understanding melt her heart but at the expense of losing a long time friendship.

When trouble comes to her front door, will the two be able to survive the fallout?








Heather is a mom of three who enjoys writing steamy contemporary romance from the comfort of her couch in sunny Arizona. She lives off coffee and toddler crumbs and is madly in love with the father of her children. She always guarantees sexy men who fall hard from strong women and happily ever afters.



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