Monday, December 21, 2020

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Murder Mittens (Magical Romantic Comedies, #13) by R.J. Blain (Adult Contemporary Romance)

 

Murder Mittens
R.J. Blain
(Magical Romantic Comedies, #13)
Publication date: December 25th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Becoming a bounty hunter and taking on the call sign of Murder Mittens wasn’t Harri’s brightest move, but what’s a lynx to do with millions of debt while working a customer service gig? The scars deforming her face won’t remove themselves, and she’ll bag and tag every criminal in the United States to get rid of them if necessary.

Being assigned a handler could make or break her, but did the powers that be really have to toss Sebastian Sumners her way? The lion with a stubborn streak as wide as hers tests her patience on a good day, but nothing makes her purr more than goading him into roaring.

Add in a protective family, a serial killer on the loose, and more trouble than any one cat needs, and it’s going to take a miracle for Harri to get through the most important job of her life.

Warning: contains magic, humor, cranky shapeshifters, cats, murder, and mayhem. Proceed with caution.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

Chapter One

Why was murdering irate, irrational, ignorant, and flat-out wrong customers illegal? The idiot on the phone rambled about how it wasn’t fair that dumping coffee on his router invalidated his warranty.

I thought it wasn’t fair his stupidity might lose me IQ points, and I’d learned long ago that humans—or lycanthropes, such as myself—didn’t come with warranties or guarantees. I had bills to pay, and murdering one of the customers wouldn’t pay my bills.

Then again, in prison, I wouldn’t have to pay any bills. Every day by the end of my shift, I considered incarceration as a viable option.

Free board, free food, good medical care, and asshole inmates to beat on sounded a lot better than dealing with an idiot customer.

“Sir,” I said in the hopes of circumventing his tirade. Mr. Edward Lavell ignored me.

The idiots always ignored me. I bet my gender had something to do with it. On average, the men finished their calls five minutes faster, and every supervisor to review the situation came to the same general conclusion: customers took men in tech more seriously than women, and I, unfortunately, sounded too feminine.

“Sir,” I repeated, only to be ignored again.

Why couldn’t I just hang up on him? Oh, right. I valued my job. As I valued my job, I couldn’t hang up on him, I couldn’t curse, I couldn’t threaten to rip his throat out, and I couldn’t indulge in my desire to murder him.

There was a time and a place for murder, and on the job at a call center for a cable internet company was not the time nor the place.

For the fourth time since calling in, Mr. Lavell explained that it really wasn’t his fault he’d dumped coffee on his router.

“Sir, liquid spills are right in the contract for the router. I’m sorry, but I can’t change the rules for you. Spilling coffee on your router invalidates its warranty.”

“It’s not my fault the cup holder in my computer has a mind of its own,” he complained.

Wait. What?

His computer’s cup holder has a mind of its own? The realization I dealt with someone far worse than just an idiot sank in. Every call center had legends of Code Red customers, who were in an entirely different class from the standard 1-D10T and the unfortunately common PEBKAC. With Mr. Lavell, I had it all. A problem certainly did exist between the keyboard and chair, and he’d definitely deserved his flag as an 1-D10T.

Until his call, I had remained safe from the evils of a Code Red customer.

By the time I got off the phone with him, I’d need some alcohol and someone to kill.

It’d be easier to find someone to kill than the alcohol; me and booze just didn’t mix, and I’d been banned out of every damned bar in town to keep the peace.

Maybe I could whip on some makeup, grab a gray wig, and pass for a little old lady. With my face covered in burn scars, it wouldn’t take much to pull off some makeup artistry and transform myself into an older woman rather than a mutilated one. I could become a conventional beauty given an hour and the right products. An old lady wasn’t an impossibility.

Alternatively, I could shift, pay my family a visit, and steal a bottle of liquor from one of the cabinets. With the number of lynxes running around the place, they might not even notice me before I made off with my alcoholic prize.

As sighing was not acceptable when dealing with paying customers, I took a moment to steel my nerves before saying, “Sir, computers do not include cup holders.”

That caught his attention. “What?”

“Sir, computers do not include cup holders,” I repeated, already dreading the moment I would have to explain what a CD was, how they were used, and what the player’s actual purpose was. Few systems still had any disc drives at all, as most companies had moved to online downloads of their programs and games.

The next few minutes of my life would not be fun, and I typed a message to my supervisor warning him I had a major 1-D10T on my hands, a possible Code Red situation, and to make sure he was aware I faced the demise of some IQ points, I notified him the customer had opted to use his disc drive as a coffee cup holder.

“What the hell is this thing for, then?”

“CDs, sir.” I closed my eyes and waited for the meltdown.

“First, you claim I invalidated my warranty, and now you’re telling me my cup holder plays music?”

“As this is an internet company, sir, I can’t help you with your CD player. However, it is not a cup holder, nor should it be used as one. As for your router, you owe $35.79 on the device. Once you finish paying for the damaged equipment, I can schedule a tech to come to your home and install your new router. Since you’ve been a customer for so long, I can waive the fifty dollar installation fee. Your monthly bill will not change if you opt to pay off the damaged equipment and start a new rental.”

If he gave me a hard time, I’d take my time and give him all of his options. None of them would be as good as my initial offer. I cracked open an eye and checked my messages with my boss.

He wished me the best of luck and promised to send flowers to my funeral. He also begged me not to tell my brothers about the menace wasting my time. If any one of my forty-seven brothers found out I dealt with customers screaming at me five days a week, they’d go on a rampage.

That my boss knew my family drove me crazy on a good day.

I figured my idiot family had gone on a hunt to meet my boss, and because we were all infected with lycanthropy, my boss wouldn’t have thought twice about their behavior.

Lycanthropes had a reputation.

Most days, it wasn’t a good one.

Only an idiot would piss off a bunch of male lycanthropes out to protect their precious little sister. Unfortunately for me, I counted as an endangered species, as the odds of a lycanthrope having daughters in the first place fell somewhere in around ten thousand to one.

I needed to notify my mother she needed to have more daughters. While she was at it, she needed to give me a new name, because nobody ever believed Harri was a woman’s name. I figured she’d meant to name me Harry because she’d expected yet another boy, swapping out the ‘y’ for an ‘i’ to make things easier on her.

When on the job, I went by Christine because Christine seemed gloriously feminine and nobody on the team used their real names. Technically, I was supposed to change my name every day, but I went by Christine for all new callers, and I only rotated through when I knew I was dealing with someone who gave me issues.

My method worked well enough, so my boss didn’t complain.

While Mr. Lavell spluttered and began the tedious process of mulling over his options, I began making plans for after work—assuming I escaped from my job without succumbing to the temptation of informing the customer he was most definitely wrong, he needed to go back to school to join the modern world, and it wouldn’t hurt if he learned to be civil.

I had to explain his options four times before he finally conceded he should stick with his old plan, pay for the damaged router, and move on with life. It took an extra ten minutes of listening to him whine before he finally hung up.

Above all, I hated the rule that we were not supposed to hang up on clients. It wasted time. Had I been allowed to just hang up, I would have wished him a good day, disconnected the call, and began the tedious process of adding notes to his file so the next customer service representatives stuck with him knew they had trouble on their hands.

My phone rang, but instead of a customer, my phone reported my boss wanted to speak with me. With slumped shoulders, I accepted his call and answered, “Sir?”

“I listened in on your Code Red.”

I hated when my boss actively monitored my calls; thanks to how the system worked, he could listen in on me at any time. But, a job was a job, and with my scarred face, finding a job became troublesome at best—and nobody in the call center knew or cared what I looked like. Oh, well. Before I jumped to conclusions, I’d ask. “What’s my grade, sir?”

“You did fine. You stayed professional, you didn’t come across as too condescending, and frankly, there’s no sane tech on this planet stays totally cool a Code Red. It could have been much worse.”

I checked the clock, breathing a sigh of relief that I’d hit the end of my shift and wouldn’t have to take any more calls. “What do you need?”

“I had a question about your schedule. You’re off for the next week, correct?”

“Yes, sir.” I had plans, and they involved the International Most Wanted List along with every legal bounty list I had managed to get my hands on in the past month. If my boss tried to put an end to my hard-earned vacation, I’d finally do what I should have done months ago, snap, and quit.

I wanted him to cross my last line so badly.

“Ted wants an extra shift. How would you feel about an unpaid day added to your vacation? I’ve already gotten approval if you’d like to claim the unpaid day.”

Score. I’d bid for time off almost a year ago, but sick days were the bare minimum the state allowed, which accounted to five for the entire year. An extra day tacked onto my vacation might let me bag an extra bounty.

Any day I bagged an extra bounty was a good day in my opinion.

“I can take an unpaid day, sir. That’s fine. Can you send me an email confirming the unpaid day off?”

“It’ll be in your inbox within the next ten minutes, and I’ll CC human resources notifying them you’re excused for that day.”

“Okay. Will the rest of my schedule remain the same once I’m back from vacation?”

“Yes. Ted just asked for extra hours, and the others with seniority declined the day off.”

I bet; on our income, every hour mattered. Most who worked for the call center had seen better days. I lived like I’d seen better days and I looked like I’d seen better days, but appearances lied. I only worked at the call center to maintain appearances. Thanks to depression in my teens and therapy that hadn’t gone like my parents had wanted, my entire family demanded I check in at least three times a week to ensure I remained human.

They believed if they took their eyes off me, I might shift into a lynx and never come back.

Two years ago, they wouldn’t have been wrong, but I’d found a new purpose in life. Not a single one of my brothers would approve, my mother would have yet another litter of kittens, and my father would be so disappointed.

Personally, I thought it was obvious. I worked in customer service. I was a prime candidate to become a murderous asshole. I did so legally, on behalf of the government and other legal entities, and I did so for a filthy amount of money.

Smiling stretched my scars, but I did it anyway. “If anyone needs any extra hours, I can afford another day or two off,” I offered. “I can take up to a week unpaid. I’ve been saving up to take some time off if any opportunities allowed.”

It would delay paying for the expensive procedure required to piece my face back together and remove the evidence of the fire that’d almost killed me as a child. It took a lot of magic to convince the lycanthropy virus I wasn’t supposed to be a scarred wreck.

A lot of magic cost a lot of money, and I figured I might have the three million dollars within five years if I landed a bounty every weekend and took on some of the more dangerous jobs. While I waited for my boss to mull over my offer, I considered the various jobs on offer.

I liked hunting other lycanthropes. Unmated males were easy catches, and the fugitives usually brought in a pretty penny. The last one I’d bagged as a live capture had added fifty thousand to my bank account.

Then again, if I landed an entire extra week, I’d make up the lost hours with a single small bounty, and anything else would be extra cash in my savings account.

My boss grunted, signaling he’d come to a decision. “I’ll keep that in mind and pitch the offer. I’ll email your personal and work addresses if there are any takers plus text your phone.”

“Thanks, sir. Have a good evening.”

“You, too.”

He hung up, and before something could go wrong, I clocked out, filed my paperwork for my final call, and logged out of the system so I couldn’t be sucked back into doing even more work.

If all went well, I’d be a hundred grand richer by the end of the week and that much closer to being able to look in the mirror without wincing.


Author Bio:

RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.

In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until satisfied.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Friday, December 18, 2020

Book Tour: The Black Angel Book Legend Series by Hope Irving (Paranormal Romance)

 

Series Title: The Black Angel Book Legend
Author: Hope Irving
Genre: Paranormal Romance










Only a madman would put a monk and a witch together. That was then, in 9th century Ireland. When the head of The Abhayam employed my calligraphy skills to craft a book of spells that only Deirdre could master, the Black Angel Book was born. Its coveted secrets sealed our fate. To save us, she cast a spell that would endure the ages. She can't remember. I'll never forget. Fallen from grace, our souls wander from one life to the next until we recognize each other. Again.
This is now, in a free-spirited part of Cape Cod. I'm a mere shell of the man that once fought for the woman he loved. I don’t know what she looks like, but her soul yearns for mine. My faceless soulmate has haunted my dreams for so long that when she shows up at my summer seminar, I hesitate. She has no idea the danger she's in. She has no idea the lengths I'll go to in order to keep her safe. She has no idea the magic I inherited is both a gift and a curse. If I can rekindle her memory, she’ll regain her power, and together, we can make this legend a reality.
For eternity.



Only a stupid girl would question the summer obsession who helped her to feel again. Afraid of exposing her wounded heart to the wrong person, again. Afraid of risking everything for the wrong reasons. Afraid of admitting that her rational mind has been wrong all along.
Urban legend. Magical book. Destined soulmates. These make no more sense than my uncontrollable attraction to my teacher. Am I wrong to overthink my relationship with a man whose secrets threaten my sanity?
And just when I thought all hope was gone, a fun, hot, and willing knight in shining armor saves the day. 
I never expected to be torn between two very different men. I never expected to follow my body’s lead. I never expected this summer in Cape Cod to be a game changer. Ever.




Only a heartless monster would disregard his sudden misfortune and continue to follow this path. The summer’s gone and so is the long-lost soulmate that he let slip through his talented fingers. 
Perhaps my eerie secrets shouldn’t have stopped me the first time around. After all, the calligrapher-monk and his witch lover found a way, so why not us? 
I’ve already overcome so many obstacles. I’ll do anything in my power to get her back. I fear nothing. Not the distance that I voluntarily put between us. Not the rival that she intentionally put in my way. Not the time that we’re unfortunately wasting. 
She’s been offered a new life in New York, but that won’t stop me from showing her that appearances can be deceiving.
We may be apart for now, but our attraction is meant to be, so we’re inevitable. Right?



Only an ungrateful bastard would refuse to thank his lucky stars. Lucky that he fell into the lap of one of the most prominent members of The Abhayam. Lucky that his skills landed him a well-deserved life in New York. Lucky that he accidentally unearthed the person his organization has hunted for centuries.
Until my luck ran out when my first Thanksgiving party turned into a disaster.
The star-crossed lovers should have been punished long ago; the ones who host their souls need to pay. Nothing can stop me. Not them. Not my supposed father who taught me well. Not the serial killer and his ridiculous trademark bouquet. His threat to the lives of my fellow solders must be handled. I’ll show no mercy. I’m ready to up my game, prove myself, and figure out how to master the Black Angel Book’s ultimate spell. Once and for all.



Only a devoted monk would deny forbidden feelings that conflict with the God he serves. He would not obsess over a woman. He would not seduce. He would not reveal unbelievable truths.
Good thing I’m not that monk anymore, although I do host his bewitched soul. Oddly enough, my best friend and my stubborn girl become suddenly inseparable on a Parisian trip that proves fruitful. They help each other cope with a painful reality. She helps him evolve into a better person without realizing it. He helps her jumpstart her memory, opening her eyes to lies that she formerly embraced.
Thanks to an extra push from a dreamcatcher, her true nature is strengthening gradually, making my rightful claim clear. Nonnegotiable.




Only a rookie witch would attempt to turn her dreams into reality. Like training in secret to push the boundaries of her gifts. Like causing the man of her dreams to appear out of thin air. Like making traitors pay for their misdeeds.
The dreamcatcher has opened my mind to a new reality that my rational side would never have suspected. As for my awakening gifts, some would call them a miracle. Others would call them a curse. I’m undecided.
Interpretation of good and bad is a simple matter of where you stand. I stand tall. I stand proud. I stand happy. So, for your own good, you’d better not stand in my way! Got it?


Only an unusual cat would know that having multiple lives is no a myth. Myths are meant to be read about, not experienced. Myths are filled with boundless hope and insane dreams. Myths are what spur believers forward.
Well, believe me, plenty of myths are part of your reality. Witchcraft. Spells. Warlocks. This was my reality, once upon a time, until I was trapped within a foreign body centuries ago., I’ve learned to tinker with my magic until I find the right people... And I think I just did. The many lives I’ve lived and the vast knowledge I’ve gained will pay off. At last.







Only the darkest soul would seek limitless power. Revenge. War. Cast the spell of eternity. Centuries later, it’s time to play again. Some pawns changed. Some remained. Others are back from the past. Now is the time to pick a side…
As life throws me curveballs, I struggle with my choices. Owning my forgotten gifts taught me that I was a queen, indeed… but which kind?
My journey proved that the infamous urban legend was truer—and closer to home— than I’d ever anticipated. I cannot allow the Black Angel Book to fall into the wrong hands. If an ancient spell between star-crossed lovers defines my present, I’ll learn to master it so I can shape my future with the man I love. Forever… or not.




Hope Irving lives in Paris, France, with her supportive husband and creative teenage
daughter. The French indie author spent a couple of years in Texas, where she earned her MBA. With many friends, relatives, and readers in the States, the US has a big place in her heart. Although French is her mother tongue, she chose to write her novels in English because it simply feels right for her characters.
Hope’s suspenseful and complex love stories are modern fairytales that feature an unconventional Prince Charming and a headstrong heroine. A natural introvert, she enjoys tormenting her flawed characters with a hint of darkness and sometimes magical elements. Still, her heart melts when love conquers all.
Her work has been described as “genre-defying,” “refreshingly unique,” and “an intriguing rollercoaster read.”
Learn more about Hope’s life in Paris, her love of multi-layered, swoon-worthy heroes that don’t play by the rules, and her book-loving world on her website. To keep up with all the latest, follow Hope on social media or join Hope’s mailing list for exclusive book information and great deals.




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Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Book Blitz & Giveaway: A Sweet, Soft Glow by Joshua Magnotta (Adult Thriller)

 

A Sweet, Soft Glow
Joshua Magnotta
Publication date: December 15th, 2020
Genres: Adult, Thriller

In the ten years since John Malley lost his wife and daughter, he has slowly faded into obscurity in a rural Pennsylvania town. He spends his days at the local bar and tries to numb the pain of his loss. That is, until Ted’s Dead Rose Tavern becomes the home of the biggest mass killing in the history of the town. John, the lone survivor of the killing-spree, is forced on the run. He heads north where he hopes to hide out at his brother’s house.

Meanwhile, in New York City, young Melanie Parker investigates a disturbing new trend she discovered online. From what she has learned, metallic black bands worn along the forearm are responsible for some form of mind control. Skeptical of this theory, Melanie embarks on a night time excursion that places her in the middle of a riot in the middle of the city. Melanie fights for her life as chaos spreads throughout the city.

As John witnesses the events in New York, he is compelled to take action. But once in the city, John is forced to confront his past.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

EXCERPT:

He felt a soft, cool touch on his arm. He opened his eyes, and to his right, standing next to him in the rain was Elly. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her hands outstretched toward her father. John let go of the gun and rushed to her. He swept her off her feet and held her close. Her small arms squeezed him around his neck like they always had. She was here; he could feel her heart beating against his chest as he held her tight to him.

“Elly,” he cried, his tears fell into her locks of golden-brown hair.

“Daddy,” she said.

Her arms still tightly around his neck, Elly leaned back so John could see her face. Her bright blue eyes shone back at him. And there it was, that smile he missed so much. Her face was bright, ebullient as always.

Then she was gone. John’s arms were still locked in her embrace, but she was no longer there. When he blinked, he could see her like the image on a polaroid coming into focus except in reverse. Each time he blinked, she became a little less. His head was numb, and he suddenly felt lightheaded.

Author Bio:

Josh Magnotta has been a resident of northern Pennsylvania for most of his life. Throughout his early life and teenager years he was an avid writer but during college drifted away from the passion as work and other priorities took precedence. In 2014 he graduated from college and soon began working swing shift in a factory. It was here, during off shifts where Josh would read during the night to stay awake, that his passion for writing was rekindled. After leaving the factory-life behind Josh went back to college and began work on his first novel, A Sweet, Soft Glow. He has since been writing ever since.

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Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Book Tour: The Ghost (The Hitman Series) by Ellie Isaacson (Dark Romance Suspense)

 

Title: The Ghost
Series: The Hitman Series
Author: Ellie Isaacson
Genre: Dark Romance Suspense
Release Date: December 8, 2020
Cover Design: Francessca Wingfield at Francessca's PR & Design


They said he was a ghost. A man who could slip in and out of a room, kill without a trace, and never be noticed.

But I noticed.

From the moment we met, he was the only thing I saw.

His moonlit gaze. The anger rippling under his skin. The turmoil dancing in the dark depths of his mind.

They said I was innocent and pure. That I needed to be hidden away and protected from the world.

Only I knew the truth.

I was stronger than they gave me credit for. And the brutal killer who showed no mercy melted under my touch.

Our pasts collided, vicious and cruel. And when mine came to collect, it wasn’t just my life on the line.

It was his, too.






Angel Eyes (Amazon) - “Jaw dropping conclusion!”
Amazon Review - “A thrilling dark romance”
Wendy’s Book Blog - “Heartwrenching!!”






Ellie Isaacson has been an avid reader her whole life, but a couple years ago she had a dream that she just couldn't forget. She cultivated that dream and began writing, which became a dream of a different sort. Ellie is thrilled to be able to share her passion with her readers. As an accountant and an author, she slings numbers by day and words by night. She's also a wife and a mother of two amazing boys.



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