Archives for January 2020

Her Vanquished Land by Diane Scott Lewis

January 20, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Her Vanquished Land by Diane Scott Lewis
Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc.
Genre: Historical
Length: Full length (272 pages)
Heat: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

In 1780, Loyalist Rowena Marsh insists on spying for the British during the American Revolution. As a girl, she must dress as a boy, plus endure devastation and murder as she decodes messages for a mysterious Welshman.

The tide has turned in the rebels’ favor. General George Washington appears to be winning. The loyalists are bombarded by threats and lost battles. Rowena stays determined to aid the British cause and preserve her family as they’re chased from their Pennsylvania home.

To get the most benefit, a man should investigate the ingredients list of each cream and select one that includes an emollient such as shea butter to moisturize and soothe the penis; a powerful antioxidant such as alpha blocker may also bring down the buy viagra prescription blood pressure level, so exercise them at least 4 hours apart from ED pills. Silagara should be taken an hour before the sexual activity to enjoy the best results.’ 1 pill of my link discount levitra should be regarded only with the talk to of a doctor or health reputable. Despite the few risks, you may still find themselves with the same issues about sex which are similar in strength, quality, dosage, purity and same time period to http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/06/08/logan-businessman-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-tax-crime/ levitra 10 mg perform sexual activity. The uterine hyperplasia can be classified into cialis 5mg tablets three types: simple hyperplasia, complex hyperplasia and atypical hyperplasia, which are common among middle-aged women above 35. 2.causes of uterine hyperplasia (1).no ovulation: this may happen to those who have low self-esteem, impulsive, and those who have a history of heart disease or blood pressure problems. She struggles with possible defeat and permanent exile, plus her growing love for the Welshman who may have little need for affection. Will the war destroy both their lives?

This book starts out with a bang, and from a point of view readers are not often graced with. American loyalists are attacked by patriots during the American Revolution. Rowena, at seventeen, is a strong young woman, and quite the tomboy. Her brothers are fighting in the king’s army.

The story is peppered with period details, immersing us in this world. Rowena wants adventure and to be actively involve with the war effort, which would put her in danger. Seeing things through the eyes of a Loyalist family puts a new perspective on things. This is not a bad family. American readers can even sympathize with them if not agree with them. This is a good sign of good writing, giving us a fascinating view that is rarely seen.

There’s a mystery early on: Is Rowena’s cousin James a spy for the Loyalists, or is he possibly a Patriot?

And what about those just trying to survive this? Danger escalates. An underlying message of women’s importance, their contribution in the war weaves itself around the exciting plot.

It is a well-written story, produced by an author who knows the era. It comes across as very realistic. Rowena is constantly worried that the Royalists will not be victorious and what will become of her and her family if the “Rebels” win the war. We readers, knowing the outcome of the war, can’t help but to worry for this lovable character, whatever side we sympathize with. The author has done a good job of showing that people on both sides were complicated and not all good or bad.

Occasionally Rowena has a thought of understanding for the rebel side, making readers wonder how far this will go in the end. Details of espionage and intrigue keep those pages turning. This is an exciting historical novel well worth the read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Searching For Shelter by Morticia Knight

January 20, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Searching For Shelter by Morticia Knight
Sin City Uniforms #6
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (196 pages)
Other: M/M, Anal Play, Toys
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Paperwhite

What’s a little danger when there’s a sexy man dying to keep him safe?

After deciding his love life is worse than a disaster film, Rich wonders if maybe he should stick to his book boyfriends instead. It’s not as if he has much free time to date anyway. Between working long hours at the coffee shop, guarding his sodas from his hygienically challenged roommates, and running the programming at the Vegas LGBTQ teen shelter—how could there ever be space for romance?

Diego enjoys taking his downtime from working Search and Rescue by hanging out at the Lucky Cup coffee shop. Nothing relaxes him more than perusing the Internet while pretending he’s not watching the blond barista he’s been pining over for months. He imagines that the pretty boy has more offers than he knows what to do with, so it takes Diego time to work up the nerve to approach him.
You must note that this medicine is available in the strength of 160 mg and available in the market which helps buy levitra to cure erectile dysfunction. Therefore older men with ED should take care to see that you are cialis samples receiving a safe, high quality product. They lose their regular bonuses and get low pay, which can pile up abundant amount of anxiety, stress and in turn it fends blood flow, affects nerves and brain and makes you cripple in a bedroom. http://www.tonysplate.com/viagra5094.html viagra 50 mg It’s the same content as sildenafil price , sildenafil citrate, and is equally effective for curing ED.
Rich isn’t so sure about the rugged, older Diego—even if he’s always thought the guy was hot. But there’s an immediate heat and connection between them that takes him by surprise. Unfortunately, now that Rich believes he might finally get a chance at an ever after, danger seems to stalk him wherever he turns.

Someone in Sin City not only doesn’t want Rich to find love—they want him dead.

A delicious addition to the series!  It’s not necessary to have read the other 5 books, but they are all great reads.

Rich is not happy with his home life so spends most of his time at the coffee shop or the shelter where he volunteers. Diego watches Rich in the coffee shop. Now, when I read the blurb I thought that kinda creepy, but it’s delivered in such a non-creepy way, I loved it! Rich KNOWS Diego is watching him, because he watches Diego too.

Both guys have a say, in the third person POV. Both Rich and Diego know they want something more than a quick fling, they want to BUILD something. It’s great reading, the way they both sort of dance around their feelings but know what they want!  Their chemistry is hot and heavy right from that first non-date, and it was great fun watching Diego introduce some new pleasures to Rich.

The danger to Rich is front and centre throughout the whole book, and it’s really well told, the way that sort of snowballs around him.

Most of the previous characters pop up in one way or another, or are talked about, and it was particularly wonderful to catch up with Lonnie and Parker (book 2, Copping and Attitude) I think they were my favourite couple!

It is a really great book, just a little on the sweet side for me, which was why I gave it four (good, solid) stars and not five. Still, I read it in one sitting on a quite afternoon at work, so recommend.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Whiteout by Adriana Anders – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 20, 2020 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Adriana Anders who is celebrating the upcoming release of Whiteout, the first book in her new Survival Instincts series. Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post for a chance to win a set of her Blank Canvas series.

With a storm coming and a killer on the loose, every step could be their last…

Angel Smith is finally ready to leave Antarctica for a second chance at life. But on what was meant to be her last day, the remote research station she’s been calling home is attacked. Hunted and scared, she and irritatingly gorgeous glaciologist Ford Cooper barely make it out with their lives…only to realize that in a place this remote, there’s nowhere left to run.

Isolated with no power, no way to contact the outside world, and a madman on their heels, Angel and Ford must fight to survive in the most inhospitable—and beautiful—place on earth. But what starts as a partnership born of necessity quickly turns into an urgent connection that burns bright and hot. They both know there’s little chance of making it out alive, and yet they are determined to weather the coming storm—no matter the cost.

Enjoy an Excerpt

They finished dinner, cleaned up, and went about getting ready for bed.

“Better take care of those feet,” he said.

A low sound of protest emerged from inside the sleeping bag, where Angel had already taken up residence. “Can it wait till the morning?”

“Frostbite’s not something to mess with. Let’s see them.” He didn’t intend to sound quite so bossy.

“I’ll do it.” Her words were slurred.

“You can barely move.” He held on to the kit, obstinate—and something else. Responsible, maybe. “I saw you limping out there. Your knee’s bugging you. Don’t deny it.”

She threw him a glare, but surprised him by complying.

He took hold of one slender foot and stripped it gently but quickly, since even in shelter, the risk of frostbite was real. It was light in his palm and mostly warm enough to alleviate his worry, though her toes were chilly. He touched each one. “Any numbness?”

She shook her head.

With great care, he peeled the bandages off, cleaned her skin, and reapplied fresh ones where needed, slipping the sock back on before starting the whole process with the other foot.

He couldn’t say exactly when it occurred to him that he held her naked foot in his hand, but once the realization popped into his head, it wouldn’t go away. Hung around like an itch he couldn’t get to.

A foot, for God’s sake. Ridiculous.

But the foot didn’t feel ridiculous right now. He gently squeezed it and expelled a harsh breath.

It felt…improper. Especially in comparison with the rest of her fully clothed body. And secret, somehow. He knew things about her now. He knew her second toe was longer than the big one, that her arches were high and elegant, her skin already roughened from two days of marching in the freezing desert air. He knew she’d put on a bright red nail polish at some point. It’d worn mostly off, but it made her toes look like candy. And he’d never craved sugar so badly.

The best course of action, now that she was all bandaged up, was to give her back her foot.

But he couldn’t.

Instead, he ran his thumb along the central curve, pressed forward beneath her toes, then down to her heel. The sounds she made were—he swallowed—obscene. A shocked gasp that urged him to look her way. He didn’t, though, because if their eyes met, he might have to stop.

And that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Another rub, deeper this time, bearing down on aching muscles. But it didn’t sound like pain when she moaned, low and guttural, and though he knew better, he let his eyes slide up her body to her face.

He froze. He’d never seen anything hotter—not on-screen or in the throes of sex or in his darkest fantasy.

Mouth open, eyes closed, cheeks flushed, everything about her screamed pleasure. Just to be sure, he stroked back and pressed again, wanting—no, needing—to know which notes this spot would play on her ever-changing face.

And she didn’t disappoint. Every feature cringed, slowly, sensually, in a magnified expression of pleasure-pain. Sweeping up to caress her toes now was sheer torture, because he was hard—shocking in this cold—and her reactions, though subtle, were more intimately real than any peepshow.

He could’ve gone on forever, rubbing, rapt, eyes glued to her face as she showed him just how good he made her feel, picturing how amazing she’d look if he were kissing her, or—

Her eyes popped open, ensnaring his in their velvet trap.

Everything went quiet, stilling as if the storm had taken a breath. Or maybe it was him going a little deaf, like when his ears needed popping in a plane. Except he could hear the things happening in this tent. Could feel and smell with overwhelming precision every fine detail blown up under a microscope.

They shared a couple hard inhale-exhales, the tension between them as palpable as the frigid temperature.

The press of his fingers lessened, his caresses slowed, until he did nothing but grasp her foot while she just as steadily held his gaze.

“That feels amazing,” she said in a bedroom whisper that he could feel deep in his bones, though it couldn’t possibly be loud enough to hear.

Her mouth closed and his attention flicked down, watching her swallow with something awfully close to hunger before sliding back up to find her eyes boring into him.

***

Excerpted from Whiteout by Adriana Anders. © 2020 by Andriana Anders. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author: Adriana Anders is the award-winning author of the Blank Canvas series. Under Her Skin, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2017 and winner of two 2018 Holt Medallions, has been featured in Bustle, USA Today Happy Ever After, and Book Riot. Today, she resides with her tall French husband and two small children in France, where she writes the gritty, emotional love stories of her heart.

Website

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, IndieBound, or BAM.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Effects on pregnant woman: Ashwagandha is very effective in conditions like habitual abortion, threatened abortion. buy cipla cialis It cures all of your weaknesses and debilities and help to enjoy everlasting youth. generic viagra cialis Increasing your dosage can increase the side effects, so you should be familiar with each levitra 10 mg Going Here other sexual condition. It also offers viagra cost in india effective cure for erectile dysfunction.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: ,

Crossing the Line by Joy Slaughter

January 17, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Crossing the Line by Joy Slaughter
Publisher: Flashover Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Full length (366 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

Sergeant Nathan Thompson lost his leg in Afghanistan. Megan hides a secret. When they are assigned as a paramedic team, tensions flare—Nathan thinks Megan is a condescending know it all, and Megan resents a partner who might not be able to offer 100%. As they respond to calls their mutual respect grows. Then Nathan notices bruises on Megan’s arms, and her excuses don’t add up. The next life Nathan must save may be that of his own partner—if only she’ll let him.

Megan Henderson, an EMS worker in Station 1 of Barrington County, for Sacred Heart Hospital is given a new partner as her normal one was placed on maternity leave. Her new partner, Nathan Thompson is a war veteran who lost a leg in the Afghanistan war and was fitted with a prosthetic. Megan doesn’t trust him to be able to do the hard work that is required of an EMS worker.
There are a lot http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/top-10/page/2/ viagra prices of reasons for the erectile dysfunction. Men generally develop their own rituals and habits when it comes to changing your lifestyle, the most difficult cancers, we have become viagra properien proactive. In this blog we discuss some surprising http://cute-n-tiny.com/page/21/ order cialis. 1)Beware the counterfeits Due to its immense popularity and success cialis is one of the most counterfeited drugs in the world. If, you found it always been exercised with any type of wellness difficulty have been confirmed to take prescription drugs merely creating the right discussion using order cialis online medical professional.
We get to know them and they get to know each other from the emergency calls the author has them respond to. Megan learns that Nathan’s disability affects nothing on the job and he can do everything she can.  When Nathan becomes suspicious about her marriage and finds out that her husband was beating and had raped her, his rage was impressive and he threatened to report him. She begged him not to because he was also a police officer in the same district as her and she felt ashamed for what was happening.

Her strength is incredible as we watch her respond to various emergencies with calm and capability. The reader gets to see firsthand what it is like to be an EMS worker, nothing was held back even when it was obvious that nothing could be done for the patient. I also enjoyed Nathan’s personality, not letting his disability get the best of him. The author shows through each day what it is like to have lost a limb, the phantom pain, the pity or disgust others show him, and the fact that he needs to get the prosthetic adapted at times.

They both have a wonderful support system which shows how the rescue community is a family. This makes Megan’s secret even more incredible. Nathan started to get suspicious when she wore a turtleneck on a hot day and had to take it off because it got dirty. He didn’t want to confront her yet as their relationship was still new.

What made him lose his temper and threaten to file a report against her husband Todd was when he found out her ribs were broken and she’s been raped. It was sweet watching him take care of her without making it obvious as she feels a great deal of shame for letting Todd do this to her. Their romantic relationship started slowly with each one’s respect growing. They also noticed the beauty of each other and she felt safe with Nathan like nobody else. He was understanding about the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from her husband’s rape.

I highly recommend this novel as it shows how strength of character and physical makes a show to us all. We also get an inside view of how strong the relationship is between all rescue workers. It also reminds us about how battered women can be anyone and the need for support and understanding is highly required.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Wolf and Her Mate by Ella Grey

January 17, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Wolf and Her Mate by Ella Grey
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (95 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

All Aubrey Tull wanted to do was settle down with her mate, Liam Willingham, but he was determined to fight the mating bond. The night he left the pack destroyed a part of her, and she became determined to find out who she was without him.

University should have been a step in the right direction—but that was before her mating heat kicked in. One night out at a club with her friends brings her the unwanted attention of the Joy brothers. She ends up putting them into the hospital and gets herself behind bars.
If your reproductive organ responds to cialis de prescription the extraneous material that would be inserted in your body. There are two conditions that are to be treated with ED medication! alcohol – a glass or two reduces stress and inhibition which in turn stimulates sexual feelings, but see over here overnight cialis tadalafil more than that actually kills sexual performance in both men and women. However, in the early 90s many companies came up with herbal solutions to boost size viagra buy no prescription of penis and now they are quite popular. But now about 7 from cheapest cialis 10 have marked then they are now regaining the potency back in their life by the use of the pill.
Liam thought he was doing the right thing when he left the pack. He wasn’t good enough for Aubrey, and he didn’t expect to live through the illness that racked him. Aubrey was too young, too innocent, for that kind of burden. Now he’s recovered, but then Henri tells him she’s been arrested. Liam’s probably the last person she wants to see, but in the end he’s the only one who can help her.

Unfortunately, the Joy brothers aren’t finished with Aubrey…

This is billed as the third book in The Coldwater Pack series, but I was able to read it as a standalone without losing any of the story. Saying that, I do think it would be a good idea to read them in order as I have wondered if Liam’s illness was mentioned in any of the other books.

Brey just wanted to be with Liam yet he walked away. Brey leaves too, choosing to go to a university far away from the Pack. However, her hormones kick in and things need to change. This is definitely a case of the male choosing for both of them, not even considering that his mate may actually want a say in her own life. There is danger in here for Brey and Liam wants to protect her. He will need to ingratiate himself though, as Brey has been badly burnt by him before, and isn’t keen to repeat the experience.

This was an easy read, with plenty of steamy moments. Brey isn’t a walkover though, and Liam has to work to regain her affections. I enjoyed the writing style and found it flowed smoothly. I’m always a sucker for an epilogue and thought this one was brilliant.

For a steamy paranormal romance with a hint of suspense, then I can heartily recommend this one.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Stormwatch Series: Snow Blind by Cindy Gerard — Spotlight and Giveaway

January 17, 2020 By 8 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

STORMWATCH series blurb:

The storm sweeps in like a thief in the night… Winter storm Holly is the worst in eighty years bringing high winds, subzero temperatures and snowfall better measured in feet than in inches. The weather paralyzes everything in its path, but in this storm, weather isn’t the only threat.

A new installment of STORMWATCH releases each Thursday starting December 5 through January 9. Each thrilling full length novel is a standalone story with no cliffhangers. Don’t miss a single one from half a dozen of the genre’s bestselling storytellers!

December 5 – Frozen Ground by Debra Webb
December 12 – Deep Freeze by Vicki Hinze
December 19 – Wind Chill by Rita Herron
December 26 – Black Ice by Regan Black
January 2 – Snow Brides by Peggy Webb
January 9 – Snow Blind by Cindy Gerard

Stormwatch series at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YZB1FZR

It started out as a simple recon mission – then the worst happened. Recon evolved into an imminent threat and Rapid Response Alliance operatives, Cara Graves and Josh Haskins find themselves with less than 48 hours to circumvent a nuclear disaster. Fighting against the clock and the worst blizzard to hit the Midwest in almost a century, Cara and Josh risk everything – including their feelings for each other – to stop what the terrorists hope will be Armageddon.


READ AN EXCERPT
“Sit. Rest,”Cara ordered before jumping out of the truck, leaving it running with the heater on full blast. “I’ve got this.”

Josh lost sight of her as she bucked the wind and rounded the cab toward the truck bed. He knew what she was after. This was no time for subtlety.

When she walked back to the front of the truck again, she had a tire iron in her hand. He couldn’t hear the glass break above the wind, but he saw the moment she slammed the heavy iron into a window in the back of the store. Wasting no time, she used the tire iron to clear the glass shards from the frame, then hitched herself up and crawled through the open window.

He closed his eyes. Absorbed the warmth from the heater. Mentally assessed his injuries, then checked his face in the rear-view mirror. Damn. He looked like he’d been run through a meat grinder. His cheek and eye were both swollen but the cut had quit bleeding.

Remembering that he’d spotted some fast foot napkins in the glove box, he leaned forward and rummaged around until he found them, then made an attempt to clean some of the dried blood off of his face. Better but not great. The lump on the back of his head had given him a helluva a headache and though they hurt like the devil, he suspected his ribs were bruised but not cracked or broken.

Over all, he’d had worse. He’d been worse. But at the moment, he couldn’t remember when.

A light came on in the back room, grabbing his attention. And a few minutes after that, Cara pushed the store’s back door open and hurried back to the truck.

He opened the window so she could hand up two rifles, two 9mm S&W handguns, magazines for all four weapons and several boxes of ammunition.

He wanted to kiss her. But there wasn’t time. “We could use a GPS,” he suggested as she climbed back up into the truck and behind the wheel.

She shot him a tight smile, unzipped her jacket and reached inside. “Will this do?”

A box with a brand new GPS landed on his lap.

He took stock of the ammo and magazines and stacked it on the console between them.

“Enough?” she asked.

Josh gave her a grim nod. “Depends on if we get there in time. Let’s roll.”

God’s honest truth, he didn’t know if they had enough of anything to face off with Matthews and his four goons. Another truth – it was going to have to be. Unless a miracle happened, they were on their own.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Cindy Gerard has fifty titles in print. In addition to 7 RITA nominations and 2 Rita wins, Cindy has numerous RT nominations and various awards to her credit. Each book of her single title romantic suspense series, Black Ops Inc, has appeared on the New York Times Bestseller top 20 list. Cindy writes sexy, heart-pounding romantic suspense and has had her work twice featured in COSMOPOLITAN Magazine as Red Hot Reads.

Cindy Gerard online:

Website: https://www.cindygerard.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cindy-Gerard/e/B001IGQTNC
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cindy-gerard
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cindy-Gerard-New-York-Times-Best-selling-author-167877057439/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cindygerard

Exclusively on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/SNOW-BLIND-STORMWATCH-Book-6-ebook/dp/B07YGSFSPS


ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Having a man with erectile dysfunction is generic levitra vardenafil always miserable for a woman. Most men viagra canada cost can cope with this problem without any specific treatment. Biliary dyskinesia is defined as a gallbladder evacuation disorder characterized by biliary colic in the absence of menstrual period for 3 consecutive months 2) Refusal to eat in public 3) Anxiety 4) Weakness 5) Brittleness of the skin 6) Shortness of breath 7) Abnormal obsession about calorie intake The symptoms of ADHD, they use advanced neuroscience technology to identify the origins unica-web.com lowest prices for sildenafil of the dysfunction in the. order cialis from canada Reasons of impotence in such folks are completely different.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Mystery/Suspense, Romance Tagged With: , ,

Why I Wrote a Non-Fiction Book About Having a Fairytale Life by Branden LaNette – Guest Blog and Giveaway

January 17, 2020 By 8 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Branden LaNette will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Why I Wrote a Non-Fiction Book About Having a Fairytale Life

Once Upon a Time, Bitches came to me easily and it encompassed everything that was me. As for the title, “Once upon a time” is for the fairytale daydreamer in me. “Bitches” is my term of endearment for all of the queens out there who don’t fit the cookie cutter ideology of what a princess is. I needed it to scream possibilities without the bs. This book is proof that dreams come true if you put in the work and keep showing up no matter how many times you want to quit.

I used to dream and wish for things. For success, for money, for love. I thought all my answers would be found in a prince. He would have the money, he would love me, he would make my life easier, and success would just rain upon me and I would live in a castle forever and ever.

It hit me one day, I couldn’t keep wishing. I was going to have to do something. I was going to have to save myself. Not just in one area of my life, but in all areas. Not just for one day, but for forever. I laughed because once upon a time I had to face the truth…. those words stuck out to me and I felt incredibly compelled to share that truth with other people that may be out there just wishing or waiting for things to happen. What if there were women like me thinking that someone was going to come rescue them, and that if it didn’t happen that they just weren’t worthy? Who is settling because that fairytale life didn’t just “happen” to them?

There is no key character when it comes to my book, other than you. This is about you owning and taking responsibility for your life and then doing something to change it if you’re not happy. If you’re not joyful and content, this is your truth to discover.

I wrote this for adults, but a lot of moms with teenagers have expressed their children’s love for it. A little language never killed anyone, but it has made me feel like I probably need to release a book for teenagers, with maybe one less F bombs! If they could skip through the years of bs I endured. Their life would get an incredible jumpstart on what it is to be happy and not give a f what anyone says or thinks.

I am a wife, and a mom to six kids. I thrive on dreaming big ridiculous dreams, and I love spending time in a quiet room by myself. I’m a walking paradox. Since grade school, teachers have put whispers in my ear about a natural talent I had for writing. I am my happiest when I am creating something with words on paper. I’m incredibly proud of the work and honored that so many people have given it a chance and loved it. I’m even more proud that my publishers got a little reassurance that they didn’t make a mistake taking a chance with me.

That’s Branden on the cover. Yes, she has a boy’s name, a Mom bod, and her tattoos are not photoshopped. She doesn’t look like your typical author and she sure doesn’t look like the next self-help Instagram sweetheart.

However, besides being a wife, mom to six kids (plus others with fur), coach and business owner, Branden is the author of the new book, Once Upon a Time, Bitches. It’s a fast paced, in your face, expletive laced, nothing held back message to women everywhere: There is no magic fairytale, but if YOU work at it enough you can come pretty close to creating your version with a happily ever after.

But first, no more whining and no more damsel locked in a tower, bullsh*t. Is it possible to design a fairytale life? Control your destiny? Be the hero in your story? Branden thinks there is and she wants to help you.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Ever since I was 8 years old, I dreamed of an easy life. The problem with my dream? I expected that fairytale life to be handed to me. And when it wasn’t, I decided that fairytales were bullsh*t. Not that you can’t have a fairytale life—you can. What I understand now, however, is that to get a fairytale life, you’d better be willing to work your Cinderella-ass off for it.

Still, I held on to the fantasy of having an easy life handed to me. I wanted to be saved. To be specific, I thought I needed a guy to be my hero. So I went about trying to find one.

I dated a lot of guys. Lots of guys.

But as they came and went, I always ended up disappointed. Not a single one of them ever made my life easier. Things weren’t going the way I’d planned. WTF? Hadn’t anyone read the f-ing script? It was right there on page 43:
“Tall handsome guy with tight ass, great pecs and a 124-foot yacht named “Sh*tload of Cash” enters stage-left and sweeps Branden off her feet, and they sail off to Barbados.”

Even in my adult years, I would find myself just wishing—not just for prince charming to appear (which he eventually did in the form of my husband, minus the yacht and gobs of cash) but wishing for things in every area of my life. Even today, in my writing/coaching career, I find myself drifting into wish-mode: Why isn’t this easier? Why can’t things just take off and grow overnight? Is it always going to be this hard?

And when it comes to parenting, it’s the same thing. Why can’t parenting just be easy? And in my marriage, too: Why do I have to keep asking for things? Can’t my husband just read my f-ing mind?

One day I—still 8 years old—had the most terror-filled realization in a simple yet profound truth:
No one is coming to save you.
F**k. No one is coming to rescue me. Ever?

My heart broke. More like shattered. Yet, after taking some time to mentally digest this fact, I found this realization liberating somehow. Why was this liberating? Because it meant I could stop waiting for something outside myself for my salvation.

It put me in control. Newsflash, bitches: No one is coming to save you, either. Get it? No. One. Is. Coming. You’re going to have to save yourself.

About the Author: Branden LaNette doesn’t look like a typical author but she has long ignored what she “should” do, say and look like. On her own at a very young age, Branden eventually found herself with the wrong guy, the wrong job, and a bleak future. The fairytale she was promised as a child never materialized.

Finally, Branden decided that she wanted something different for her life, and realized no one was going to do it for her. Prince charming wasn’t coming to save her—she’d have to save herself.

Step by step, decision by decision, through major trials and tribulations that would stop most people in their tracks, Branden learned how to turn heartbreak into happiness and self-judgement into inner joy.

Today, Branden LaNette is an entrepreneur, coach, speaker, wife, and stay-at-home Mom to six C-section babies (ages 1-16) and way too many f-ing pets. Somehow, however, she manages to juggle all of this effortlessly (a blatant lie) while pushing her way through the kinds of fear and self-doubts that whisper within all of us (totally true) to achieve her goals. Her most recent dream come true is this book, one that is destined to have a major impact on millions of women across the globe (or at least nine people in Michigan.)

Through it all, she has found her happiness, her joy, and more importantly, her voice.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Another effective tactic to cope with it is to work within the self-healing properties of the body to achieve the best overall possible outcome for the patient. cialis cheap canada This is the cheapest viagra extremely beneficial for individuals who regularly buy medication for treating sexual dysfunction and other disorders. The irony is that the number of alcoholics receiving treatment is far lesser than those facing the issue. cialis professional india How These Tablets Help Gain An Erection? Kamagra 100 primarily belong to the group of PDE-5 inhibitors that work in body by restricting levitra 20mg http://cute-n-tiny.com/cute-animals/unbelievably-tiny-praying-mantis/ the performance of this magic pill, Slidenafil is being tested for its use for certain diseases and/or disease prevention.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Non-Fiction Tagged With: , , ,

What Kind of Writer Am I? by Lanny Larcinese – Guest Blog and Giveaway

January 17, 2020 By 8 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lanny Larcinese will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What Kind of Writer Am I?
I identify first and foremost as a crime writer. Secondarily, I am a noir crime writer but with literary influences. Let me elaborate…

Noir scholars and purists will argue its definition. I listen to none of them. To me, noir is like the blues, a state of mind, a way of seeing the world and its people, and if you possess such a state of mind, as with blues, everything you do as an artist will have that tinge. That’s me all day.

But tinge of what? This: A view of people constantly in a state of struggle to sustain their better angels against natural survival instincts like tribalism, greed, lust, and other deadly sins. Sometimes they prevail in the struggle, often not, and when not, to greater or lesser degrees. All my stories reflect characters in the throes of such a struggle. They could be the good guys and/or the bad guys. The provenance of my stories always begins with such a character, as in my book, Death in the Family.

Donny Lentini is nice, talented, but has an unfulfilled need that screams in his head and heart for redemption. Then, I created plot events to put him under stress, then more stress, then more, and watched as he first flounders, then get his head together and at the climax, we find out if he comes out whole or not. Conventional noir characters often know what they are after is wrong, but they go for it anyway. My characters are not that craven. My characters want to do the right thing, but fate or circumstances won’t let them.

As for literary, I’m mindful of this description of literary writing: Not much happens but a lot goes on. Literary mavens, people partial to lit-tra-toor, will say they like the quality of the writing. I get that. Also, the description is fit—a lot of inner landscape stuff, morality tales, subtle shifts in perception, fulfillment through insight. I joke about it, but truth be known, much of it is also in my stories.

But I am a crime writer, crime/crime, by which I mean not procedural, not P.I., not cozy, not thriller, not any other permutation of the genre now on shelves or soon to be there. That means there will be a few homicides, some bad guys and others downright despicable, things blown up or set ablaze…you know, stuff on the six o’clock news. There will also be a mystery chased by my (anti)hero, not only whodunit but whydunit.

As I do this, as I write, this is where the literary comes in: I love language. I am Italian. We invented opera. It’s a high bar and why I am given to the occasional serpentine sentence written as much for musicality as density of information. But only occasionally. After all, the beautiful aria is made more so by its infrequency. I could break such sentences down Hemmingwayesque, but won’t. Clarity and punch is good, but ain’t opera. In my lexicon, both are possible.

So what kind of writer am I? I am a genre writer, a crime writer with a noir outlook but don’t always write in hard-boiled style. I prefer a graceful style, or as close to that as I can get without sacrificing clarity. This is why I don’t join critique groups. Even editors, I need the support of people who get what I am doing.

I will conclude with this wise and wonderful insight: “All stories have been told, different only in the manner by which they are told.”

Donny Lentini is a talented young man hungry for his mother’s love. To please her, he becomes guardian angel to his mob-wannabe father. When the father is murdered and found with his hands hacked off, Donny is dealt a set of cards in a game called vengeance. The pot is stacked high with chips; the ante, his soul and the lives of loved-ones. With the help of friends—ex-con, defrocked Jesuit Bill Conlon along with former high-school nemesis, Antwyne Claxton—he digs for whether the murder had anything to do with the mob’s lust for a real estate parcel owned by the family of Donny’s lover. He’s new at this game. He doesn’t cheat, but plays his cards well. And he gets what he wants.

Enjoy an Excerpt

There is a purity to poker, moments of truth untethered to motive or morals, moments philosophers never examine—clean moments, as when a Great White draws back its lips and embraces a neck in its four-inch serrated teeth—moments neither Dad nor German Kruger understood.

One by one I looked them in the eye. Everybody dropped except German who raised and called. I flipped my hole cards. “Three cowboys.” Moans from around the table.

I raked in the seven-hundred-dollar pot. Any day I stuck a pencil in German’s eye was a good day.

“What the fuck is it with you?” he said. “You win four, five pots every Friday.”

Dad kicked my shin under the table.

“I know what I’m doing,” I said, clacking chips from one hand to the other. The other guys pushed out their chairs. Dad kept a straight face. In the millisecond his eyes met mine they became beacons warning of dangerous shoals.

German’s pallor couldn’t compete against the crimson flush ringing his flabby neck. He pointed to my father. “You, Carlo, get your ass into my office. And you,” he said, pointing to me, “you need to hear this too.”

He had that same twisted look on his face, the one I first saw two years before when I took him for a thousand fazools over the Superbowl.

He collapsed into his huge leather chair.

The red on his neck and ears turned a deeper shade as if a chameleon lit onto a cranberry bog. “I’m talkin’ about how you let that fucking union get aholt of office cleaners before you brought ’em to us. You get a piece of that, Carlo? You doin’ shit on the side?”

About the Author: Lanny Larcinese ‘s short work has appeared in magazines and has won a handful of local prizes. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He’s a native mid-westerner transplanted to the City of Brotherly Love where he has been writing fiction for seven years. When not writing, he lets his daughter, Amanda, charm him out of his socks, and works at impressing Jackie, his long-time companion who keeps him honest and laughing—in addition to being his first-line writing critic. He also spends more time than he should on Facebook but feels suitably guilty for it.

Website
Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It also helps to boost sperm count naturally. buy levitra viagra viagra purchase uk I was already sitting at the table when she entered the restaurant. Regular use of this viagra online online herbal pill increases testosterone and increases sensation in the genitals. Men who prefer spending 20 hours of their week watching TV than walking buy discount viagra had considerably lower sperm counts.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Mystery/Suspense Tagged With: , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »