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Adeline’s Aria by Laynie Bynum

August 5, 2020 By 2 Comments


Adeline’s Aria by Laynie Bynum
Infernal Echo #1
Publisher: Fire and Ice YA
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

What would you give up to be with your idol? Your reputation? Your best friend? Your sanity?

Addie is a small-town high school senior with a best friend to take care of and college plans to figure out. Jude is a drop-dead-gorgeous British rock star turned actor and one-half of Hollywood’s favorite “it” couple alongside his co-star, Lana Thatcher.

You cheap levitra tablets deeprootsmag.org need to use the oil carefully and must apply the same only on targeted areas so that you can get more effects. When it comes to finally getting to the Specifics: cialis online? To actually open up blood flow to the penis and they are easily available at your local pharmacy, with further discounted rates if your buy large quantities dependent on treatment needs and budget. This is the main reason that the cancer is a deadly disease; but medical science has brought this article to let you know what side effects you can cialis buy uk face with unprescribed sudden medications of erectile dysfunction. On top of dealing with this disease, people often suffer from low self-esteem and depression. vardenafil generic When the two cross paths at a music festival in Addie’s hometown and begin an undercover whirlwind romance, the press becomes vicious, his faux fiancé flames rumors, and Addie must decide if her “dream come true” is worth the nightmare it’s becoming.

Addie’s always admired Jude from afar. Now he’s right in front of her.

I found the premise of Adeline’s Aria extremely intriguing. Meeting a celebrity crush is something many people dream about, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened when Addie not only met Jude but also began a secret relationship with him!

Addie is a very likable character. As a young woman on the cusp of graduating from high school, she’s still trying to work out what her next step will be. Does she go to college? Pursue her love of photography? Both? Addie is smart, talented, and completely devoted to her family and friends, but what I like most about her, is how real she is. Sometimes she’s totally confident and has it all together. At other times, she’s a mess who needs the comfort of her mom and her best friend. She’s doesn’t have it all figured out, and that’s okay. When Jude comes crashing into her life, Addie is understandably swept off her feet, but through it all, she stays true to herself. I admire her quite a bit.

Jude is definitely a rock star. He’s talented, attractive, and I love the description of his tattoos. I also love the fact that (Un)Lost by The Maine is on his playlist! However, there is more to Jude than his on-stage persona. He’s a regular guy who is sweet and kind but also has faults and family drama. I will say that his occupation does seem to amplify some of his problems quite a bit. While Jude loves his work, he’s also trapped by it to a certain extent. Everything he does is scrutinized by the public. I admire his resilience in being able to live in the spotlight and not completely lose himself.

I love how Addie and Jude meet! I can’t say much without spoiling the story, but I will say this. It could have gone horribly wrong, but Addie handled herself extremely well. I can only hope if I find myself in a similar situation, I’m as cool under pressure as Addie was. From the moment they meet, they certainly have chemistry, but I do think their relationship moves a bit too fast. After spending a few hours together, things start to get pretty serious. Jude is very open with Addie from the start, which I like, but his life moves at a different pace, and Addie soon finds herself out of her depth. Consequently, Addie and Jude often find themselves at odds as they try to figure out how to have a serious adult relationship. I found myself wishing they would just slow down and have an honest conversation. Despite this issue, I have a lot of hope for Addie and Jude’s future.

I enjoyed reading Adeline’s Aria. The relationship drama was intense at times, but the ending made it all worthwhile. I look forward to finding out what comes next in this series!

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Forgiven Are the Starry-Eyed by Christine Dore Miller

July 31, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Forgiven Are the Starry-Eyed by Christine Dore Miller
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Sixteen-year-old Andrea Cavanaugh is elated when Josh, a bright-eyed piano prodigy, becomes her first boyfriend. But the closer she gets to him, the more she realizes that he’s not the boy she first fell for. In its poignancy and emotional darkness, Forgiven are the Starry-Eyed takes you deep into the delicate and devastating web of shame that spirals from the depths of dating violence when dreamy teenage love turns dark. Andrea must find not only an escape, but a belief that she is even worthy of freedom.

Love isn’t supposed to hurt.
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I appreciated the way the author showed the audience the many warning signs of an abusive relationship through multiple examples in the storyline itself. This was so much more effective than sharing a list or having another character spout them off once Andrea was more deeply involved with Josh. It also gave the audience a chance to think for themselves, especially when it came to the small moments of discomfort the main character felt on her first date that can so easily be brushed off.

There were some pacing issues in the beginning that I found distracting. What made them even more noticeable was that one scene from a faster-paced section was included out of chronological order early on. This was the only thing I wish had been written differently about this tale. Everything else about it was so accurate, interesting, and sympathetic that I wish every teenager would read it before they jump into the dating pool for the first time.

The ending was perfect. I often wondered how Ms. Miller was planning to resolve everything, especially since this was a fairly short novel and there were still so many loose ends to tie up by the time I got to the last ten pages or so. It was delightful to see where she went with the plot at that point. It was satisfying but also left room for a sequel if she ever decides to write one. I, for one, would love to know what happened to Andrea next!

Forgiven Are the Starry-Eyed was a timely, educational read that I’d recommend to teen and adult readers alike.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

What would I tell a new author? by Matt Carter – Guest Blog and Giveaway

July 31, 2020 By 5 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Matt Carter will be awarding a $15 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 would I tell a new author?

So, you’ve decided to become an author. Well, first and foremost, congratulations! Welcome aboard, and I am happy to see that you want to make a life out of your creativity. That is a wonderful and beautiful thing, and I wish you nothing but the best of luck upon entering this world. May your successes be great, and may your reviews only be the kindest of kind words.

That being said, here comes the part where I say, “head’s up!”

Nothing should ever stop you from doing what you love, and if that’s writing, then you write. What you should be aware of, however, is that what you’re embarking on is a long, hard road. Sometimes you will hear stories of someone who gets a worldwide bestseller right out of the gate, and if you’re one of them, well good on you! Odds are, however, you won’t be. Writing is a constant uphill battle of working on projects, putting your blood, sweat and tears into something you love, and then putting it out there for the world to tear apart should they decide to notice you at all. Sometimes they will love you, sometimes they will hate you, and much of the time they will feel cruel and indifferent. You will see books of dubious quality become worldwide bestsellers while you struggle to get friends and family to review your work on Amazon. It is a long, hard road, but it is the one you’ve chosen.

And it is at times like this that I look to the great and immortal words of Peter Quincy Taggart when I say, “Never give up, never surrender.” Just because the road is long and hard doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile. Writing is what you love to do, and what you’re meant to do, and no matter what gets thrown in your way, keep going! Keep building up your skills, your network of contacts, your resources that you can call upon when you have a new project. Keep putting out works, self-publish if that’s the route you want to go, or keep contacting publishers and agents if that’s the route you choose. Keep reminding yourself that this is your dream, and never forget that. It’s a long, hard road, and it will be tempting at times to give up when you face rejection after rejection. I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. It’s just the name of the game. But if you can feel writing in your soul, if you’ve got words that need to get out and must be shared with the world, then you don’t give up.

So, those are my warnings and my suggestions on how to deal with those warnings. Whatever you do, keep writing, keep going, and I shall wish you nothing but the best of luck in your venture.

Though here are some parting tips I couldn’t work into my main ramblings:

– Get plenty of sleep, you will value it.
– Invest in a comfortable chair to write in, your back and neck will thank you.
– Eat healthy, but eat comfortably.
– Learn when to trust and not to trust your spell check.
– Get an editor or beta reader, you will value it.
– Study up on how to write a good query letter.
– Be excellent to each other.
– And if you feel like going outside where other people might be while we’re still living under the specter of COVID-19, please wear a mask! This is a part of being excellent to each other.

For nearly sixty years, Bennytown has been America’s most exciting family theme park destination. Under the watchful eye of cultural icon Benny the Bunny, the park has entertained generations of children with its friendly atmosphere and technologically innovative rides, acting as a beacon of joy and wonder, where magic is real and dreams come true.

Bennytown once saved sixteen-year-old Noel Hallstrom’s life, and to repay it, Noel has applied for a summer job. Though the work is messy and the hours are bad, Noel is happy to be a part of the Bennytown family, until he sees the darkness beneath the surface. Strange, mechanized mascots walk the park perimeter. Elegantly dressed cultists in wooden Benny masks lurk in the darkness. Spirits of the many who’ve died in the park roam freely, and every night the park transforms into a dark dimension where madness reigns and monsters prowl.

Noel is about to find out more about Bennytown than he ever wanted to know, and that its darkness might have designs on him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPTS (Please choose only ONE to use with your post):

Excerpt One:

“I believe in Bennytown,” Adam sniffled.

You weren’t supposed to cry at Bennytown, since it was a magical place where dreams come true. Bennytown was a themed wonderland of rides, shows, and fantastical worlds that let you escape from real life.

His parents and commercials repeated that to him on a regular basis, so it had to be the truth.

It didn’t feel really magical right now, though.

Adam sat on the curb in Happy Hollow, whimpering and wiping away tears. Bits of vanilla ice cream and chocolate smeared his chin. He wanted to kick Shawn for ruining everything. Mommy and Daddy always took Shawn’s side and barely listened to their other son. Even when Adam was right.

He wasn’t supposed to cry, but he did anyway.

“I believe in Bennytown,” he repeated.

Repeating the phrase helped ease the pain a little. The words had a power he found comforting, like saying he believed in Santa or the Easter Bunny. Unlike any of those mythical figures, these words had extra power because Bennytown was real.

About the Author Matt Carter has used his lifelong love for writing, history and the bizarre to bring to life novels like Almost Infamous: A Supervillain Novel, Pinnacle City: A Superhero Noir, and the Prospero Chronicles young adult horror series (all co-authored with Fiona J.R. Titchenell). Bennytown,is his first solo horror novel.

He is represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel and lives in the usually sunny town of San Gabriel, CA with his wife, their pet king snake Mica, and the myriad of strange fictional characters and worlds that live in his head.

Publisher Book Page | Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Buy the book for only $0.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, or IndieBound.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Fearless by Katie Golding – Spotlight and Giveaway

July 21, 2020 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Katie Golding who is celebrating the upcoming release of Fearless. Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post for a chance to win a copy of the book>

He’s got one last chance
To make things right

Billy King may be smiling under his black Stetson, but the plain truth is this cowboy-turned-racer is hurting: for his horse back in Memphis, for his girl with one boot out the door, and for his faltering career thanks to an injury that’s not getting any better. The moment he’s free from the press circuit, Billy bolts home—resolved to heal, and ready to win Taryn’s heart a second time.

Hopefully, before the love of his life is gone for good.

Taryn Ledell never wanted to fall for sweet blue eyes and a deep southern drawl. As a World Superbike racer, she had plans, and none of them involved playing second fiddle to any man. But now he’s back, and she’s forced to make some hard choices. With her sponsors eager for a decision, Taryn finds herself tangled in all the lines they’ve drawn in the sand. But broken bones and broken hearts don’t heal overnight, and the cost of forgiveness can be sky high: unless Billy can prove that his heart never left the ranch…or her.

Enjoy an Excerpt

My whole heart was thumping strong in my chest while everything in me begged to kiss him. But I couldn’t bring myself to make the first move—I wanted Billy to go for it. To step up and take the risk and feel all the elation of me rewarding it with full-on acceptance because for once, what a guy wanted was exactly what I wanted, too.

He let out a deep sigh that was almost more of a groan, sinking my hopes. “You’re not making this easy on me at all, are you?”

“Making what easy?”

He looked away, unable to hide his smile. “Nothing.”

It was too much fun; I couldn’t resist. The way he was, the way he made me feel. “You want to kiss me, Billy?”

He grinned at the ground. Probably, I was pushing too hard, too fast, but I didn’t really know any other way to go. Not when I wanted him to kiss me that damn bad.

When he lifted his head, there was no fear in his blue eyes. Just a pure kind of acceptance that he wasn’t going to be happy until he got what he wanted. “Yes, ma’am. I do.”

My heartbeat took off as Billy stepped closer, his hat hiding both of us from the February moon. The rich scent of him was too tempting: I pulled it deep into my lungs, drowning in the masculinity rippling off him. But he still wasn’t touching me, no matter how much I wanted him to.

“Would that be all right?” he whispered.

I don’t remember nodding or breathing, just beaming at him and praying my self-restraint could hold on a little bit longer. “I’ll answer that in a minute.”

Billy smiled, and then I finally got everything I’d been craving. He brushed his fingertips over my cheek with a touch softer than the wishing petals of a dandelion, hooking a knuckle under my chin and tilting my lips up to his. My eyelashes fluttered closed, my pulse thundering through my veins as I waited and waited, desperate for the first crash of his mouth against mine.

All I felt was space between us, growing longer and wider until it just wasn’t anymore—the first brush of his lips so soft, I wasn’t even sure that I’d felt him. But Billy was there, his kiss as slow as his drawl, careful and gentle, and little more than a sip of an ocean I was eager to disappear into.

I took his jaw between my palms, prickly with stubble but sculptured and strong. Drawing him down to me, I quickly melted into the shocking plumpness of what I’d considered to be thin lips but now felt rich and deep, and a whole new shade of delicious. Then he moaned, his hands squeezing my waist and pressing me up into him. It was like embracing iron, rippled and smooth, the bite of his buckle scraping my belly, and my hips pressing hungrily toward the long, thick swell growing behind his zipper.

He took a needy gasp for air, and I hugged him closer, slipping my tongue into his mouth. A growl churned from low in his throat as the kiss turned dirtier, the strike of his tongue and bite of his lips getting wonderfully sharp. But not sharp enough for what I wanted when my body was catching fire everywhere he touched me: his wide palm secure on my lower back, his other hand buried in my hair and massaging my scalp.

He felt so good, too good. And he hadn’t grabbed my ass once.

“You know”—I leaned back, my hand on his chest and Billy breathing hard, blinking at me with his hands suspended in place—“you don’t kiss like a bull rider.”

His brow furrowed, the slightest spark of suspicion in his eyes. “How many bull riders you kissing?”

Nice.

“Hopefully none.”

He half rolled his eyes, but he was smiling again as he settled his hands on my waist, his thumbs petting the space leading to my hips. All trace of jealousy totally and completely gone, thank God. “All right, what do you got against bull riders?”

I did my best to calm my libido—which wasn’t helped by tapping his rock-solid chest with a single finger. But I wanted to set the record straight before we stumbled into a problem. I was never going back to that life, not when I had waited nine hours for Travis to wake up and not when I had been more terrified than I knew a person could be when Jace was airlifted. “You put your bull above everything else. And I’m telling you right now, Billy King, no eight-second bull ride is ever going to come before me.”

Billy didn’t groan, didn’t flinch, didn’t blink. He just nodded. “Okay.”

“I’m serious.”

Serious as Bonnie Landry’s black funeral dress and the poem she brokenly read over Beau’s glistening coffin.

“Yeah?” Billy drawled, but his smile was clearly teasing as his hands slid from my waist to lock somewhere over my lower back. He pulled me closer until I was nearly gasping from the tease of his erection against my hip, straining his zipper and parching my mouth. His eyebrow arched in the picture of confidence, then he leaned down close enough to kiss me again, whispering against my lips, “Good thing I’m not a bull rider no more…”

Good thing indeed.

***

Excerpted from Fearless by Katie Golding. © 2020 by Katie Golding. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author:Katie Golding writes high-octane romance about complicated people always searching for the next thrill ride. She lives in Austin, Texas with her beloved husband and son.

Website

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Bonfyre by Becky Brinkley

July 17, 2020 By 2 Comments


Bonfyre by Becky Brinkley
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Bonfyre, a little red convertible, mysteriously changes the lives of its drivers. Bonfyre sparks Suzanne into finding the courage to escape and ignites Becca’s heart to risk love again. Stacy stops a stalker and Dorothy finds a reason to go on. Bonfyre drives Rachael to overcome her phobia and inflames Grandy’s desire to expand her horizons. Tracy creates a red-hot masterpiece and Amber leaves her smoldering secrets behind. Bonfyre! The sisterhood of the traveling convertible.

It’s never too late to start fresh in life.

This book regularly introduced new human characters as Bonfyre was bought and sold over and over again. I loved getting to know all of the women who knew this car no matter how short or long their times together happened to be. Each one of them was coming from a unique set of circumstances that influenced how they reacted to this car. I won’t mention any specific names, but I should note that some of their backstories included sensitive material such as domestic violence and stalking for any readers who prefer not to be surprised by these subjects.
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It would have been nice to have more character development. While the various women who owned Bonfyre did make changes in their lives, there wasn’t as much time devoted to exploring why these changes happened as I would have liked to see. Given the wide variety of problems they dealt with, this was surprising. There was so much space here to show how ordinary people can transform their lives in marvellous ways, but it wasn’t explored very deeply at all.

Some of the best scenes involved acts of true human kindness. Whether the characters involved in it had been friends for years or had met five minutes beforehand, it was heartwarming to see just how far they’d go to help someone who desperately needed it without any expectation of reciprocation or reward. That’s something I could read about all day and never grow tired of. It’s so wholesome.

The other thing I would have liked to see developed more fully were the conflicts in this tale. As mentioned earlier, these characters dealt with pretty serious issues in many cases. It came as a surprise to me see how quickly and easily their problems were solved. While it happened more than once, this was especially true when it came to the domestic violence subplot. As much as I wish we all lived in a world where abuse could be permanently resolved this fast, knowing that this generally isn’t the case pulled me out of the storyline because of how unrealistic it is for most victims.

I enjoyed the fact that the paranormal elements were allowed to simply exist without the need to dig into how they worked or why they attached themselves to a convertible. Bonfyre was an incredibly special vehicle that brought good things into the lives of everyone who owned it. Sometimes readers really only need a basic understanding of why impossible things are happening, and this was one of them.

Bonfyre should be read by anyone who loves seeing storylines tied up neatly and happily.

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Dream Phaze: Germination by Matt Watters – Spotlight and Giveaway

July 17, 2020 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Matt Watters will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Everyone dreams.

All Saxon Zynn wanted to do was dream, not for himself, but for everyone. Back in 2037, Saxon stated, ‘Dreaming is a reality to be experienced.’ A decade of research later and his Dream Immersion technology is poised to become the major entertainment medium of the 21st century, but will unforeseen obstacles prevent him from achieving his purpose?

Dream Phaze is about the inception of engineered dreams and the evolution of indulgence. Set at the crossroads of alternative realities in the near future, it plunges into a world where every human desire, no matter how heroic or evil, can be fulfilled… dreaming just became an adventure.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Twilight was ending as night beat day and engulfed the barren landscape. They gingerly entered the water.

‘It’s stinging my legs, Saxon. What’s that smell?’

‘Sulphur. Under no circumstances should we dive, splash, or put our faces into the water,’ Saxon instructed. ‘Unusual tactile sensation; it’s sort of thick and soupy. What’s your pain threshold on?’

‘I’m on three,’ Kris said.

‘Me too,’ Wendy confirmed. ‘I shouldn’t have shaved my legs this morning.’

‘Don’t go in too far, you might have trouble putting your feet back down on the bottom.’

The three of them lolled in the dense Dead Sea water, looking up at the burgeoning night sky. Small foam bean pillows supported their heads.

‘So, besides the floating sensation, stinging cuts, and the danger of swallowing this muck, what are we doing here, Saxon?’

‘Relax, Kris, enjoy the experience for a moment, we have time. Notice there are very few sounds here.’ Saxon heard someone entering the water behind him, but didn’t look back.

‘Hello, Saxon.’

He instantly recognised her voice. ‘Evening, Lena,’ he smiled.

‘Hi, Lena,’ Wendy chimed in.

‘Lovely night for a dip.’ Lena waded into the water beside Saxon and reclined.

‘Look up there,’ Kris pointed at a faint glow in the eastern quadrant of the night sky. ‘Meteoroid?’ The radiance grew in intensity, then an abrupt flash exploded into flares rippling out like fireworks.

‘Exploding meteoroid,’ Wendy agreed, watching tens of thousands of shooting stars pepper the heavens. ‘Spectacular!’

‘Wow, it’s beautiful,’ Lena whispered, as the sound wave touched them with a faint crack.

‘About 13,000 years ago, just north of this region,’ Saxon explained, ‘early nomadic tribes, hunter gatherers, began staying put in the one place. They collected plants, animal meat and skins, and settled down around their larder to became hunter collectors.’

The others bobbed, mesmerised by the light show above as they listened to Saxon’s lecture-style storytelling.

‘At that time, a sizable meteoroid entered the atmosphere and exploded into a massive meteorite storm covering almost a third of the planet.’

‘So, we’re going to have meteorites rain down on us?’ Wendy asked.

‘One theory goes, this event changed the planet forever,’ Saxon continued. ‘It helped initiate a 1300-year cold period that wiped out the megafauna across North America. Tonight, we will be re-testing the–’

‘Involuntary death exit protocol,’ Kris finished.

‘Correct.’

‘I don’t know, Saxon,’ Wendy said concerned. ‘Being hit by a meteorite is not my idea of entertainment.’

About the Author: Matt lives in Sydney, Australia and works as a course developer and writer in the Community Services sector.

‘This narrative began as a short story in 2014. Over subsequent years it evolved through several plot, character and title iterations until Dream Phaze emerged as an episodic series published online in 2018. These episodes, collectively known as Germination, are now an ebook.

Dream Phaze – Imagination, the second ebook in the series, will be released in September 2020.

Matt is a member of the Australian Society of Authors and Alliance of Independent Authors.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Buy Dream Phaze- Germination at your favorite venue.

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Avocado Bliss by Candace Robinson & Gerardo Delgadillo

July 16, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Avocado Bliss by Candace Robinson & Gerardo Delgadillo
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Dacre Vinson has spent the majority of his life in quite the predicament—even the surf and his books can’t erase his Type 1 diabetes. But when Dacre’s family moves to a new Mexican town, an eccentric girl obsessed with trees offers him a job on the spot, leading to what could be the perfect distraction from his problems.

Salbatora Tames has one true love, her avocado farm. Her family constantly nudges her to be more social, but Sal much prefers the dirt, the sun, and the solitude. Besides, trees listen better than people do.

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This could be a summer full of changes.

Salbatora and Dacre’s character development were both handled wonderfully. It isn’t easy to pull this off when working with two narrators, so I commend the authors for putting so much work into making both of these characters well-rounded and interesting folks. It made me eager to get to know both protagonists better and see if they received the happy endings I thought they deserved.

While I initially understood Dacre’s strong reluctance to talk about his Type 1 Diabetes, there did come a time about halfway through the book when this personality trait of his strained credibility. I’m saying this as someone who has a different medical condition that can become life threatening if not handled correctly. Yes, it made total sense for Dacre to feel embarrassed and annoyed by the way certain folks babied him after learning about his condition. That is always irritating. At the same time, there are certain medical conditions that really need to be disclosed for safety reasons so that others will know what warning signs to look out for in an emergency and when they should call for help. There were so many other things I loved about this story, but I sure struggled to understand why that main character hadn’t learned to communicate the basics about his condition to new people yet.

The road trip was filled with adventure. I never would have guessed that delivering a shipment of avocados could be so dangerous, especially since this was set in modern times and the characters had cell phones and a vehicle. It was a great deal of fun to see just how much trouble two teens could get into despite these advantages.

Avocado Bliss was an exciting read that I’d recommend to anyone who has ever wished they could be like other people.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Exploring Wired By The FBI by Glenn Painter – Guest Blog and Giveaway

July 9, 2020 By 8 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter the Rafflecopter to win a $100 or $50 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. Read our review here

Exploring Wired By The FBI

My book takes place when the “mobs’ were still prevalent in cities like Chicago and Kansas City. In fact, my main character was raised by a mobster boss. This is one reason why he became what he was. That is all he knew while growing up. Back in those days, if you crossed the mob, you ended up in the river. Drugs and crime were a part of life. The FBI would also do anything in their power (and their power was great) whether it was legal or not to get their man convicted. If you were dumb enough to double cross the FBI in any way, they had their way of making you pay for it. That is exactly what happened to my main character in this book and the reader will find out just how vicious and unethical the system is and can be. Once the FBI starts ‘pulling strings, the average person doesn’t have a ghost of a chance.

A Special Note from the Author

Hello Readers!
Welcome to my 15-week book tour which starts on April 14th and concludes on July 30th.

This tour was planned before the onset of this terrible covid-19 virus which has invaded our world. I want to extend my deepest sympathy to everyone, especially those who have lost loved ones.

A donation from me will be going out immediately to the charity I have listed below and I will also be donating 25% of any royalties from the book which is featured on this tour, to the covid-19 Response Fund. This fund gives support to preparedness, containment, response and recovery activities. The 25% of royalties will be donated when I receive the final notification of number of books sold. I am also encouraging all authors to make some sort of donation to help with the recovery efforts. WE ARE ALL IN THIS FIGHT TOGETHER!

We all are wondering what the long-term impact this covid-19 virus will be to our communities and our livelihoods, Every American, as well as the companies that have worked very hard for every author have been affected, but I have faith that we will recover from this terrible pandemic if we all stick together and we all do our part – no matter how small.

I will also be donating, (over and above what Goddess/Fish is offering):

$100 Amazon Gift certificate to one randomly drawn commentator
$100 Amazon gift certificate to one randomly drawn host.

These drawings will be done via Rafflecopter that will be created by Goddess/Fish Promotions at the end of the tour. To all of my fellow-authors – please don’t forget our marketing representatives, book agents, reviewers,commentator’s, hosts, etc.. who are probably working from home and trying to help us.

I will be posting all pertinent information on my web site www.gapainter.com once the tour is over. The Gift Certificates will be mailed immediately after the tour is completed and the 25% will be posted once I receive Royalties resulting in the sale of all electronic and print versions of WIRED By The FBI.

I wish that I could do more, however, with every-one’s support, WE WILL BEAT THIS TERRIBLE SETBACK.

Thank you, god bless all of you and the United States of America.

Glenn Painter

Christian Romano lives his life as a con-artist, burglar, drug dealer, and a ladies’ man, using his good looks to con wealthy women out of jewels and money. When he is arrested and jailed in one of the most violent jails in the U.S. (Cook County in Chicago), a steamy affair begins with a nympho female jail guard. When he loses control of the romance, Christian must end the affair by reporting her to Internal Affairs. It turns out that she is already under suspicion for supplying drugs to various gang members inside the jail. He has to decide if he is “”rogue”” enough to help set her up for arrest. Meanwhile, the FBI wants to recruit Christian to gather information against a sadist ex-cop, Scott Mason, who has been arrested for murder. The risk? Christian must wear a wire and testify. The reward? Witness protection for Christian and his girlfriend and a modification of his prison sentence. Will Christian risk his life for a chance at freedom? Will the female sheriff “”get even”” with him? Or will his life end at the hands of the jail’s drug lords or a lunatic former cop?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Something’s wrong, my intuition told me, as I stepped out of the stairwell and into the chaotic frenzy of the main hallway running under Division One of the Cook County jail.

Sergeant Ricky Walsh opened the heavy, rusted steel door leading to the death trap—that is A-B stairwell—then turned to me. “Romano, take the stairs down four flights to the bottom, I will meet you there.”

There are four sets of stairs that lead to the main boulevard on the first floor. They are legendary for the infamous men who have been butchered there, the bloodstained walls are a testament to the violence that is the norm in this building. As I begin my descent down the narrow and poorly lit stairwell, the thought hits me: At least half a dozen men have been stabbed in this exact place. The words taunt me as I step slowly down the stairs so that Walsh will have time to beat me to the first floor in the old, decrepit elevator.

When I finally make it down, I breathe a sigh of relief. But it is not Walsh waiting at the huge, steel door I am to exit. Instead of the old mick—who looked and walked like a bulldog with his perfectly groomed hair and mustache—it was one of the lackey guards. They would often hang out on the main floor waiting to proposition some poor woman coming to visit her man. I open the door and step through quickly, not wanting to arouse suspicion. But my heart hangs in my throat.

During my trip down the stairwell, the heavy steel recorder slid down my pant leg, stopping on top of my right foot. The ACE bandage, meant to hold it in place, was also dangling and ready to pop out for everyone to see. Panic set in as my mind processed a million thoughts, but I couldn’t break my stride.

It was common knowledge that this is where inmates often came out stabbing when sent to attack a guard by one of the gang bosses. Looking past the guard, I saw Sergeant Walsh bearing down on us as fast as his stubby legs would carry him.

“Hey Walsh,” I said, “the food poisoning is getting worse, I’m gonna puke all over this guy.”ng around to see what was going on. These guards tolerated zero bull, especially from a smart-ass like me.

I decided that it was quicker and easier to shove the recorder under the waistband of my jail pants and pray it would stay. After splashing water on my face, I poked my head out.

Walsh fell right in line with my cover. “We’re going to the hospital, come with me!” he bellowed.

I exited the closet, pushing the recorder into my torso as we walked past another guard. We traveled down the long hallway. Once we were far enough out of earshot, Walsh found an unoccupied attorney visiting room. As he opened the door, I scurried to the far corner.

“The hallway is clear!” Walsh yelled.

I pulled the recorder from my waistband and looked at it with disdain. Then I wrapped it tight with the ACE bandage. Although the long recording wires had to be reconnected and it only took a few moments, it felt like forever.

Then it hit me: I’m wearing a wire against one of the most violent hitmen Chicago has ever known, and this prick had been a Chicago cop. He probably knows every person who works in this jail. Getting whacked in a place like this costs less than a carton of cigarettes. What the hell have I gotten myself into? But there was no backing out, and I still had to get back to my tier.

Walsh looked at me, his brow furrowed. He quietly asked, “You alright, kid?”

“I better be. I signed a deal with the devil, and it’s time to pay up.”

I drew in a deep breath as we headed to the hospital, so we could sign in and make it look legit.

How did my life get to this point? I wondered as I followed Walsh. Growing up in Chicago, I was exposed to police corruption, murder, drugs, gangsters, and sex, oh yes, lots and lots of sex.

I had no clue of what awaited me, but my unsavory legacy was about to go down in history like crap down a toilet.

About the Author:Glenn Painter is single and lives in Central Florida. He became interested in writing at an early age but did not make it his career until 2014 when he published his first book, Beyond the Sentence.

Glenn has written this story from the notes by the man who actually lived it. However, extensive research was also require in order to make the story factual.

Glenn has also founded a company, ‘Prisoner Civil Right Services.’ He is an advocate for incarcerated individuals who have had their rights violated. He is in constant contact with these individuals, their families and the council. Most of his stories are inspired by ‘factual events’ that have happened to these individuals. This makes his stories both fiction and non-fiction.

Glenn says that writing is very challenging, and you must love the trials and tribulations that come with it. He believes that patience, perseverance and determination are required essentials to see a book through to being published. The journey is just as important as the destination.

Website | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | Twitter

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble for $2.99.

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

Cormican’s Lady by Raven McAllan

July 8, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Cormican’s Lady by Raven McAllan
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

What do you do when you overhear someone saying they are going to blackmail your estranged husband so he divorces you and marries them?

Laney Cormican knew—warn him.

Movie star, Alex Cormican sees a great opportunity. He’s never stopped loving Laney, even though he was as much at fault as she was over their separation. He begs her to help him thwart the blackmailer-to-be … and see if they can make a go of their marriage again.
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With his co-star insisting she’s the one for Alex and the blackmailer insisting she has information to ruin him, Laney has her work cut out for her—thwart the women and admit to her emotions.

Will she, or will she let the chance pass her by and be alone once more?

Laney might have been separated from Alex Cormican but when she overheard and plotting of a woman determined to blackmail Alex into marrying her Laney can’t sit back and do nothing. Can Laney and Alex sort something out between them?

This is a fun and quick read. I enjoyed the banter between Laney and Alex and could see why they had struggled to make their marriage work the first time around. With fast-paced writing and a dash of humour this should be a story that finds a wide range of readers who enjoy it. Told in the first person perspective by Laney I did wish a few times that I could fully understand where Alex was coming from and what he was really thinking and feeling. Although I could tell things would resolve in a happy and positive manner it was a bit tricky to really see or feel that in a few places and I strongly suspect that knowing what Alex was feeling could have made this easier on me as a reader.

I was really impressed with the plot of how Laney and Alex worked together to solve their mutual problem with the potential blackmailer. I felt while still realistic and interesting the author had an awesome “outside-the-box” solution and it really kept my interest throughout the short story. I also enjoyed seeing a little of Alex’s actor lifestyle and felt this really added dimension to the story and kept it from being just a “estranged married couple work on their relationship” style of story. This quick read had depth and some lovely surprises that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

A strongly plotted and well-written story this was a great quick read and an author I’ll happily check out again.

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

Writing Hopepunk in a Grimdark World by Meredith Egan – Guest Blog and Giveaway

July 6, 2020 By 21 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Meredith Egan will be awarding a $20 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.

Writing Hopepunk in a Grimdark World

I find this idea enchanting. I think it describes something I’ve lived for a lot longer than the past few years, which is weird for an old white lady. I hope my readers find sparks of this in my novels!

The past few months have created a whole new world to navigate. In North America, and around the world, we are self-isolating, wearing masks and limiting our contacts even with the people we usually love lavishly. We are moved by an expanding awareness of how some systems in our communities are biased against our neighbours. Law enforcement and policing are being examined and are not measuring up to our hopes for our communities.

We live in interesting times! And unfortunately, after 30 years of hanging out with marginalized people, I’m not surprised…and I realize these times are challenging and sometimes scary.

So where do my ideas come from?

I work with victims of serious crimes and the people who have committed them, mostly in the field of restorative justice, I know many people who have thought about the challenges North America is waking up to. I’ve been in prisons all across Canada leading and listening in workshops and writing groups, with the goal of waking up in a world with no more victims.

Both of my books, Tide’s End – a just living novel and Just Living – a novel, take place in British Columbia, and are a mashup of crime writing, current social challenges and hopepunk.
In Tide’s End, Taylor struggles to find and rescue his little sister Jenny, who is the victim of the foster care system, and cyberporn. To do this, he has to navigate through difficult systems and situations, working with both ex-offenders and sexual assault survivors. He has to face his own struggles before he can help his sister.

And I learned about all of these struggles through stories from real victims and perpetrators who hurt and were hurt by others. I learned about how our systems marginalize both victims and offenders. I listened hard and learned to ask questions.

And I couldn’t tell these stories that were shared with me because they weren’t my stories, so I turned to writing fiction.

Every page of my work is worked with prisoners inside a medium-security prison here in Canada, and some of those writers I’ve known for 25 years. They challenge me, and my privilege and perspective, and always improve my stories. I am forever indebted to them.

And my early readers all have known victimization and/or marginalization. They, too, want no more victims.

My novels explore a place where people are complicated, and always changing, where anger and marginalization and struggle and hurt are real and affect people’s friendships, and families, and communities. It’s a place where people know what fear and safety feel like.

If you want to explore how we’ve gotten to this place, and how we can build a better society, I hope you’ll be a part of the conversation that comes from my books, and these questions.

What will our new normal look like when the pandemic stops being a threat to our loved ones?
When we start talking about ‘defunding police’ or releasing prisoners who have hurt people in the past, will our neighbourhoods be safe?

How do we, as we think about true crime, respond in ways that lead to #NoMoreVictims?

And how do we engage in the conversations that will lead to a new society, even when we also know that safety, like love, is never assured?

Join me at justlivingnovels.com to be a part of the ongoing conversations. I’d love to listen and learn from you, or your book clubs, about these ideas!

Taylor Smythe dreams of having a loving family. But first, he has to rescue his little sister Jenny from the gritty underbelly of the child cyberporn industry. Taylor journeys from homelessness in the inner city to a community in the dripping forests of the Pacific Northwest to confront the relentless pounding of his fiercest pain. Can he become the big brother Jenny needs right now, and for the rest of their lives? Tide’s End explores the many faces of sexual assault and human trafficking, and how life can shatter for those most affected – the victims. Because #MeToo is more common than we can imagine. As is #ChildrenToo and even #BoysToo. It tears apart our families and neighbourhoods. And wherever there is suffering, there are guardians and helpers who still the relentless pounding to encourage Tide’s End.

Enjoy an Excerpt

If this is what I have to do to rescue Jenny, I’ll figure it out, I thought as I drove along the dark, narrow roadway. My little sister is worth it, even if I feel like throwing up. Occasionally the overhanging trees dropped massive dumps of water onto my car. Or rather, into my car through rust holes and windows that didn’t seal. Every time there was the thunder of falling water, I ducked.

What the hell have you gotten me into, Marta? I thought, wishing daggers at the social worker who’d sent me here. Crawling further up the driveway, I turned a corner and gasped.

Holy crap, I thought, staring at the building in front of me. I’d stayed in dodgy motels. Run down apartments. But I’d never been in a place like this before. Ever. In my life. This place was huge, and gorgeous, and knew I wouldn’t fit in. I’d registered for the Survivors of Sexual Assault Retreat, but would it be okay? What would it take to blend?

The money I’d need to pay for the rest of the damned retreat was in my torn duffle. But this looked decidedly upper class, and, well…here I was hoping my junker would make it up the driveway. It’d been my home for the last three months…so not upper class.
Is this really what I need to do to get Jenny back? I’d just turned 19, and getting custody of Jenny Benny, being an epically amazing big brother for a change…that was the most important thing to me. Marta thought I’d better deal with my sexual…history first.

My mind bounced all over. Then it landed on maybe tonight I’ll get warm. Like, to my bones, warm. I smiled.

About the Author:
Meredith Egan is an author of critically acclaimed novels, Just Living: a novel and Tide’s End: A Just Living novel. The stories are shaped from her work with crime victims and violent prisoners over more than thirty years. Meredith is trained in mediation and peacemaking circles., and has been honoured to learn from many First Nations peoples. Meredith coaches writers and other creative folks and offers workshops and training through her Daring Imagination work.

Meredith is the principal at Wild Goat Executive Coaching where her clients include leaders in the automotive, technology, government and small business fields. She lives at the Groundswell Ecovillage in beautiful Yarrow, BC. with her dog Mollie, and rambunctious feline sisters Firefly and Filigree. For fun she dabbles in cooking soup for her neighbours, and soaking in her hot tub with her four adult children when they visit.

You can find Meredith through her website, and on Facebook and Twitter for information about her novels, and her coaching work. Meredith welcomes opportunities to speak with groups about justice, and writing. Her books are available through Amazon and local bookstores.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Buy the book at Amazon.

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