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Favorite Comics by Marguerite Labbe – Guest Blog

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Marguerite Labbe who is visiting with us to celebrate the recent release of A Little Side of Geek.

Favorite Comics

You can’t write about comic book conventions, writers, and artists without talking about your favorites. For the record, one of Morris’s favorite artists is Neal Adams a creator of Ra’s al Ghul, who is a top villain for Morris. For all of his disavowal of geek interests, Theo has a soft spot for Spider-Man and a love for Morris’s comic Beneath the Surface which Morris describes as Dora the Explorer meets Scooby-Doo with a dash of ESP.

I didn’t get into Batman comics like Morris, though I did love the animated TV series and movies. But I have read some. One of my favorites is Gotham by Gaslight where Batman takes on Jack the Ripper. And I’ve been meaning to pick up Tom King’s Grayson and Batman runs. But I haven’t done that yet.

Since I’m writing about a comic book writer/artist, I wanted to give a shout out to some of the series that shaped me as a writer over the years.

My husband Keir introduced me to comics before we were first dating in the early years of high school. He used to go to weekend comic book conventions back when they were held in small hotel spaces and it was a room of dealers with long-boxes of comics. There may be a couple of mid-tier artists who attended, but not many. Keir and a friend and came back with the entire run of X-Men’s X-Cutioner’s Song. I read it and was hooked on X-Men throughout the rest of high school.

In college, I discovered Joseph Michael Lisner’s Dawn. I hung out at Keir’s dorm all the time and a friend down the hall had a poster of her up on his wall and it intrigued me. I cannot tell you how much I loved everything about that character. She is the goddess of birth and rebirth and her lover is Cernunnos, the god of Death. I liked Lisner’s stuff so much, that I urged Keir to take a trip with me to Pittsburgh to meet Lisner one weekend and Keir had to remind me that we couldn’t go because that was the weekend we were getting married. Eventually, I did manage to meet Lisner. I have his Dawn: Lucifer’s Halo, Dawn: Return of the Goddess, and Dawn: Three Tiers mini-series signed by him at home.

After we were married, Keir introduced me to Watchmen and I became an Alan Moore fan. The neat thing about comics is that it’s not just the about the written story. The artwork takes on its own life and in the case of The Watchman the work that the colorist John Higgins did added so much to the whole atmosphere of the tale. I think that was the first time I consciously noticed details like that beyond just enjoying the outcome. If you’ve only ever seen the movie and not read the comic I strongly urge you to do so. Because I also loved the story within the story that is missing from the movie and adds to the whole.

I was introduced to Neil Gaiman through his Sandman series which to this day still remains a personal favorite. I think it may have been a Christmas gift from my husband. In it, Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, is taken prisoner, and it leads him down a really interesting path. It was so neat how all the stories were separate and still part of a whole and I loved the dreamlike quality to the writing. That led me to his book of short stories Fragile Things that I bought for Keir just as he was deciding to launch his own comic book and I was able to get it signed for him. The note from Gaiman encouraging him to take a leap and follow his dreams really made an impact on him.

I think the last series I’ll mention because I could go on all day is Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughan. It was probably the only series not introduced to me by Keir. I got it from a Twitter recommendation. It’s completely different from any other comic I’ve ever read. The superhero, Michael Hundred, questions whether his powers actually have harmed more than helped people and he decides to go into politics instead and is elected Mayor of New York.

Making this list has me wanting to go back and reread all of these as well as pick up new titles that I missed. Please tell me some of your favorite comic series and why you love them. I’m always looking for something new to read.

When opposite worlds collide, it’s anyone’s game.

But this acquisition de viagra unica-web.com time there was another element that factored into it. Thus, free viagra consultation, Phentermine, Xenical and Propecia are extremely popular and widely purchased. A person who wishes to consume these drugs must seek medical assistance. cialis no prescription overnight But, presently there are cialis stores many chemical based supplements available in the market. Proud geek and comic book artist Morris Proctor wants nothing more than to live in semiseclusion with his devil cat and gamer friends. Despite what his well-meaning family thinks, he’s perfectly content with his status quo. The last thing he needs is to date another nongeek hell-bent on changing him.

Then he meets his adorkable new neighbor, Theo Boarman, who doesn’t know Star Trek from Star Wars, but who tempts him like no other.

Theo has spent the last year recovering from the loss of his parents and trying to play both roles for his teenage brother, while working to keep the family restaurant afloat. Dating is the last thing on the menu, especially with a man who thinks the height of dining is shoving a packaged meal into the microwave.

But if Morris gives him one more shy smile or flaunts that kilt he wears so well, Theo will be forced to convince him that a hot summer fling is just the recipe to let off a little steam.

When that fling gets serious fast, Morris has to decide if he’s willing to give his heart to Theo on the chance that they’re a perfect mix.

About the Author:Marguerite Labbe has often been called both Trouble and Sunshine by those who know her. She’s not sure how she manages to make both those nicknames work together, but apparently, she does. She’s a New Hampshire woman who married an Alabama man, an Air Force brat who has somehow managed to settle herself firmly in Southern Maryland, with one overgrown son and two crazy cats.

Marguerite loves to spin tales that cross genre lines, where stubborn men build lifelong ties of loyalty, friendship, and family no matter the odds thrown against them, and where love is found in unexpected places. She has won the Rainbow Award for Historical Romance with Fae Sutherland, as well as the Rainbow Award for Paranormal and the Rainbow Romance Award for Excellence, also in Paranormal.

When she’s not working hard on writing new stories, she spends her time reading novels of all genres, enjoying role-playing and tabletop games with her friends, and helping out her husband with Apocrypha Comics Studio.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Role With Us Podcast

Buy the book at Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble

Burning Girls by Veronica Schanoes


Burning Girls by Veronica Schanoes
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror, Historical
Length: Short Story (54 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

“Burning Girls”, by Veronica Schanoes, is a fascinating dark fantasy novella about a Jewish girl educated by her grandmother as a healer and witch growing up in an increasingly hostile environment in Poland in the late nineteenth century. In addition to the natural danger of destruction by Cossacks, she must deal with a demon plaguing her family.

Squamous cell carcinoma that occurs in the oral mucosa may cause pain generic tadalafil india and other sensory issues. Pradeep’s strategy of djpaulkom.tv levitra uk growth through diversification and forward and backward integration. However, there are some recommended remedies in this direction, you might save cheap viagra online a lot on buying spares every time you want sex, while you need VigRX Plus for 4-5 months and after that you’ll be able to do something which most men are able to do without it, that is. The generic cialis on line essential property is that it takes for a person to identify what you are selling. No matter what they say, never trust a demon.

The world building was phenomenal. I loved the fact that the author incorporated scenes from well-known fairy tales and real historical events into the troubles that Deborah, the main character, and her family faced. Not only was it fun to pick out those elements of the plot, they made the early twentieth century come alive in my imagination. I could imagine exactly what it would be like to live in Poland or the United States during that period of time.

I would have preferred to see some more time spent on character development. Deborah and her family made the same mistakes over and over again while they were trying to escape the clutches of the demon who was tormenting them. I was surprised by the fact that they didn’t seem to learn from their previous mistakes, and I would have liked to know why they kept making choices that hadn’t worked out well for them at all in the past.

One of the things I appreciated the most about this story had to do with how witches were treated in it. Deborah was only a little girl when her family realized that she’d inherited her grandmother’s special abilities, and they made sure she had all of the training she needed in order to become proficient at her future occupation. Her talents were seen as a gift, not a curse. While she did require guidance and training, I liked the fact that being a witch was thought of as a positive thing in this universe.

Burning Girls is a must-read for anyone who adores fairy tales.

Soul of Discretion by Susan Mac Nicol and M. Tasia – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn commenter will win eBook copies of Survival Game by Susan Mac Nicol and Grady by M. Tasia. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET

Simon Bridgeworth believes in loyalty, and keeping things in-house. When he discovers his best friend, who has been running the Canadian division of Simon’s tech empire, has been skimming millions from the company, Simon flies to Toronto to get to the bottom of the theft and learns his friend has been murdered. Devastated and at a loose end, Simon knows there’s no way the company’s problems can be kept under wraps now. Imagine his surprise when he learns the Mountie investigating the murder is the first repeat Simon has allowed himself in years.

Sergeant Nick Cooper is a proud member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He’s served his country in the military, and now he’s protecting the citizenry of Toronto. But devotion to duty is no longer enough. On a whim, Nick hooks up with Aristocrat69 on crUIzer, and what started as one night of incredible sex turns into an attraction neither man can ignore. When a grisly mob murder sends Nick to the Breakforce corporation, he is shocked to discover his lover is none other than its CEO. When Simon’s life is threatened, ethical lines blur as Nick does anything to keep him safe – no cost is too high for the man who has become Nick’s everything.

Read an Excerpt:

Despite his experience at hook-ups and having sampled a wide range of the male population across the world, Simon’s jaw dropped on seeing the man in front of him.

Sweet Jesus. His profile picture didn’t do this man justice at all. He was, quite simply, stunning. And big. And muscled.

Crystal blue eyes stared at him from beneath short-cropped dark hair and from the expression of appreciation on the hook-up’s face; he was finding Simon equally as tasty. Dressed in old comfortable jeans, a jacket that looked as if it had been rescued from a thrift shop, and large boots that were scuffed and worn, the hook-up was exactly what Simon needed.

Simon gestured the man in. “Come in, Northernsalute,” he murmured with a smile. “I have a feeling we’re going to get on fine.”

Northernsalute grinned as he came in, his blue eyes crinkling with laugh lines and the trimmed stubble around his jaw looking deliciously lickable.

“Yeah?” He reached out a calloused hand and stroked Simon’s jawline. “I think I might agree with you on that one, Aristocrat sixty-nine. I’m a sucker for a man with an English accent.”

Simon rolled his eyes as he closed the door, and watched his guest—well, his guest’s extremely tight arse—stride across the room to stand by the cocktail cabinet Simon had already opened.

“Not the first time I’ve heard that,” he said. “I don’t know what it is about the accent that triggers horniness on this side of the pond, but I thank God for it. Perhaps someone should do a study on it.” He gestured to the bar. “Would you like a drink first? I know we’re here to fuck but there’s no point in not being civilised about it.” He noticed his “date’s” flinch at Simon’s choice of words. Oh God, he groaned inwardly. Please don’t let this guy be another needy bastard like the last one.

“Whisky, neat. No ice. Oh, and the name’s Nick. I can’t imagine calling you Aristocat sixty-nine all night so figured we might as well swap names now.” Nick raised an enquiring eyebrow as he shrugged out of his jacket and placed it on the back of the sofa.

Simon poured the drinks. Whisky for Nick, and a bourbon for himself. He’d developed a taste for it when he’d lived in New Orleans some years ago. “If you wish. Mine’s Simon. Please refrain from any cute ditties about ‘Simon Says’ because I’ve heard it all, and I’ll probably re-arrange your face if you try it. Especially in bed.” He handed the whisky to Nick, marvelling at the way the man’s face lit up in laughter.

He really was an attractive chap, Simon mused. With a personality to match. He might be worth a repeat or two while Simon was here. Save him explaining his hook-up philosophy to a new men.

“Duly noted.” Nick’s twang was sexy and Simon wasn’t averse to hearing more of it. He walked over to the couch and sat down, patting the seat beside him.

“Let’s have a drink, then we can get down to business.”

About the Authors:

SUSAN MAC NICOL

Sue writes steamy, sexy and fun contemporary gay romances, some suspenseful, some gritty and dark, and others just plain ahhhh….

Lover of angst and conflict, she enjoys putting her characters through the emotional wringer and bringing them out the other side with an HEA, or, at the very least, a HFN.

She is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and is also a member of the Romantic Novelists Association in the UK. She’s the Editor-in-Chief at Divine Magazine (www.divinemagazine.biz), and she’s a Charity Board trustee at Being Me in London (http://www.beingmecampaign.com).

Sue is passionate about research and has stayed in a circus, taken lessons from a blind person on how it feels to be non-sighted, and has travelled to a lighthouse with maintenance crew to see firsthand what it’s like inside. She’s also written a screenplay with a Hollywood actor/producer, with a view to taking her book, Sight Unseen, to the big screen.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon Author Page

M. TASIA

Michelle is a paralegal and author who lives in Ontario, Canada. A member of the RWA and its chapter RRW, she is a dedicated people watcher, and a lover of romance, 80’s rock, and happy endings. Married to a good man, mother of two wonderful girls, Michelle is also a servant to two spoiled furry children.

Website | Facebook
| Twitter | Instagram | Amazon Author Page
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A Duke Like No Other by Valerie Bowman – Spotlight

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Valerie Bowman who is celebrating the release of her newest Regency romance, A Duke Like No Other, book nine in her Playful Brides series.

First comes love, then comes marriage. Unless it’s the other way around. . .

General Mark Grimaldi has sacrificed everything for his military career, working his way through the ranks without the benefit of a nobleman’s title. Now, his years of dedication are about to pay off―with an offer for a prestigious promotion to Home Secretary. There’s only one condition: Mark must be married. Aside from the small matter of not actually wanting to be wed, Mark faces another troubling problem: he already has a wife.

Nicole Huntington Grimaldi has spent ten contented years in France without her husband―and without regret. When Mark asks her to return to London and play the part of his beloved wife, she sees her chance. But neither of them is prepared for news that will throw Mark’s future into chaos…nor the undeniable desire they’ve rekindled. Maybe happily-ever-after can happen the second time around in A Duke Like No Other, the next Regency romance from Valerie Bowman.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Mark quirked his mouth into a half smile. Nicole had always been direct. It was one of the things that had first drawn him to her. She wasn’t about to let him get away with arriving unannounced without admitting that he wanted something. Good, because he liked to be direct too. “You’re right. I do want something from you.”

“Say it.” She crossed one leg over the other and for the life of him he couldn’t stop staring at how those breeches hugged her long legs. Outside, he’d been slightly obsessed with how they hugged another part of her anatomy. And that shirt . . . the one that was exposing her chest in a way that made the back of his neck sweat. Leave it to Nicole to have her hair down and to be wearing breeches while riding around a French château on a horse named Atalanta. She’d been besting the comte in the race they’d been engaged in. That was also like her. She adored competition and hated to lose at anything. If he had any hope of her saying yes to his proposal, he needed to make certain he didn’t become her adversary . . . again.

He glanced around the drawing room. Outfitted in rose and cream silks with the occasional hint of green, the room was tastefully decorated. The château itself was large and well appointed without being ostentatious. She had access to his money but had never spent a shilling of it. No, this was all a result of her own money or her family’s.

He spread his arms wide along the back of the settee. “No reminiscing? No catching up? No discussing the good times?”

Her dark red eyebrow inched even higher. “Were there good times? I seem to recall those being few and far between.”

“There were a few.” In bed. He tugged at his collar.

She poked at the chignon on the back of her head. Only she could make a quickly put-together hair arrangement look effortlessly gorgeous. Several tendrils of the long red locks fell to frame her face, which wore a decidedly disgruntled look. “Out with it. I’m quite busy. I’m attending a dinner party this evening and I must dress.”

Mark bit the inside of his cheek but ultimately he couldn’t keep the comment that had sprung to his lips to himself. “A cleaner pair of breeches?” Damn, she looked good in those breeches. She looked good altogether. Better than good. The years had been kind to her. The fresh-faced plumpness of her cheeks had given way to a slenderness that made her cheekbones prominent. Her lips were still full and pink and inviting. Her hair luxurious, soft and smooth. Her eyes looked more world-weary, to be sure, but their sea-foam-green depths were still astute and intelligent. Her body was still trim and fit. Her thighs looked even fitter, probably from riding astride. Ahem. What he wouldn’t give to see those thighs once more, to have them wrapped tightly around his—

“Despite my present appearance, I do own a gown or two.” Her words snapped him out of his indecent line of thought. She gave him another tight smile.

He stood, crossed to the nearby sideboard, and poured himself a brandy. “Going to meet the comte again?”

“Careful,” came her throaty voice from the settee. “It’s nearly sounding as if you’re jealous.”

Still facing the sideboard, he cocked his head to the side. “Jealous? Whatever does that word mean?”

“The comte is a friend, nothing more.” Her voice sounded dismissive. He didn’t believe her, however.

Mark splashed more brandy into his glass. “I’m certain you’d tell me if he weren’t.”

“I’m certain you’d care.”

Mark turned back toward her and took a healthy swig of his drink. “A man doesn’t like to think of his wife in the bed of another.”

On the other hand, acquisition de viagra without sexual incitement in keeping up penile hardness and erection. It may mean cheap viagra from uk your blood vessels are clogged. According to some research, this disease affects 28 percent of men age 65 to 74, and 22 percent of men age 75 to 85. cheap viagra It is one of levitra generika the best herbal oils to stop early discharge or premature ejaculation, cure ED and PE. She actually rolled her eyes at that comment. “Oh, you’ve been celibate all these years then?” she countered, her voice dripping with skepticism.

He had been, but he’d die a slow death back in the French prison camp before he told her that. However, he wasn’t so unrealistic as to think Nicole would have remained untouched. They had agreed to part ways, hadn’t seen each other in ten years. She was a beautiful woman in the prime of her life. Still, the notion of punching the comte dead in the face held a great deal of appeal at the moment. “I’ve never been one to kiss and tell, love.”

She gave him a tight smile, which clearly indicated she didn’t believe him, either. “You’re a general now?” she asked abruptly, clearly ready to change the subject.

“I am.” He moved to the window and looked out across the lavender fields, one arm held behind his ramrod-straight back as if he were surveying a battlefield. The stance was still comfortable for him even after all these years of working for the Home Office.

“I suppose congratulations are in order.” The tea arrived and Nicole poured a cup for herself and splashed in a liberal amount of cream. He remembered that about her. She took her tea with no sugar, just cream.

“No congratulations needed,” he intoned, taking another swig of brandy.

The silver spoon she used to stir her tea clinked against the delicate china teacup. “I must admit, I’ve often wondered when I’d get a missive that you’d been killed.”

His chuckle was humorless. He turned to face her. “Such little faith in me? Or wishful thinking?”

“Neither,” she replied, lifting the cup to her pink lips. “Just a profound knowledge of how reckless you are.”

He inclined his head. “Used to be.”

“Really?” She raised a brow. “Is that why you’ve come? To tell me you’ve changed?”

He chuckled. “I haven’t changed that much.”

“I’m not surprised.” She set down her teacup and crossed her arms over her chest. “Tell me, Mark, why have you come?”

He saluted her with his glass, the amber-colored liquid shining in the afternoon sunlight. “You were right. I need a favor from you.”

She didn’t so much as bat an eyelash. “Of course you do. What’s the favor?” She picked up her cup once more and took a sip.

He downed the final splash of brandy and met her gaze. “I need you to return to England with me for a few months and pretend to be my loving wife.”

Copyright © 2018 by Valerie Bowman in A Duke Like No Other and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Paperbacks.

About the Author:VALERIE BOWMAN grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s number seven) and a huge supply of historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got. Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her family including her mini-schnauzers, Huckleberry and Violet. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS. She is the author of the Secret Brides and Playful Brides series.

Author Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Betting on Kincade by Devon McKay


Betting on Kincade by Devon McKay
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (228 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Everyone Cassie Wilcox loved is gone. And now, thanks to her drunken stepfather, her house and family business will be taken from her, too, unless she can find a way to buy back the ranch from the new owner. With less than two months to come up with money she doesn’t have, her options are running out, and apparently, her common sense as she rents out rooms to an eclectic group of strangers.

Returning home for Dalton Kincade is bittersweet. Not a damn thing has changed. Two years on the rodeo circuit weren’t able to shake free the memory of the feisty redhead who’d broken his heart into a thousand pieces. Nor the sting of her parting words…Never trust a Kincade.

Winning her beloved ranch in a drunken bet is the last thing he expected to happen, but at least he saved it for her. Now, he has to figure out how to break that news to a woman who never wants to see him again. Renting a room in the house he now owns might be a risk, but it’s nothing compared to betting his heart on winning back the love of his life.

Family members need to realize that they cialis 40 mg need help regardless of the addict’s or alcoholic’s commitment to recovery. In addition, absent of the gallbladder leads to spasms of the sphincter of Oddi with growing the pressure within the common bile duct causing pain. on line viagra The target gene is packaged into a viral vector so that the gene can http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/04/04/april-weather-snow-yes-snow-forecasted-for-this-week/ buy viagra online survive without enzymatic breakdown in the bed. Patients with this levitra 40 mg http://appalachianmagazine.com/2015/01/08/appalachias-dying-family-cemeteries/ condition may have motor deficits, visual disruptions, sensory dysfunctions, cognitive deficiencies, verbal deficits and emotional problems. This is purely a feel good book that is quick and easy to read. I have read a huge amount of contemporary western romance stories so I recognized a lot of familiar tropes; some I liked, some were just okay. There was one scene that I can safely say was unique and I know beyond of a shadow of a doubt that I’d never read this in a story before because I’d sure remember that particular scene. Despite relying on a lot well-worn storytelling techniques, I can classify this novel as an entertaining read that was worth my time.

Dalton Kincade is the hero in this romance and he carried the momentum for me in this story. He had his reasons for leaving the heroine, Cassie Wilcox, to join the rodeo for two years. Cassie should have understood. Yes, she suffered a broken heart when he left but under the circumstances, she should have had a less selfish perspective, especially after two years. It obviously hurt him to leave too.

Cassie’s stubbornness and pride was borderline annoying. For that reason I had a hard time connecting with her “woe is me, I must save the ranch all by myself” attitude. It was a broken record to hear Cassie constantly talk about how she can make more money to save the ranch. I’d say that Cassie was the most presumptuous character I’ve ever read. Some of her solutions to make money were surreal and unrealistic. All I know is that Dalton had way too much patience and clearly loved her more than she loved him. Although their past love was well established, the chemistry in the present was lacking. There were some good moments when Cassie let down her walls and showed some vulnerability. I wished there were more scenes like that. It would have helped.

Cassie viewed Dalton as bossy, stubborn and a man who will always try to step in and save her. I didn’t view Dalton as bossy and stubborn at all. I actually viewed the heroine as ungrateful that she didn’t appreciate his stepping in to help her. What’s wrong with a man who loves you wanting to protect and help you? I’m not saying Dalton was perfect but I sure liked him more.

Some upbeat and positive elements were when Cassie and Dalton kept making wagers back and forth between themselves. That added a bit of humor into the story and helped me to connect to them as a couple. They did have some sizzling scenes but that only reinforced my impression that Dalton was too good for Cassie.

Some characters were more developed than others. Cassie’s stepfather, Gary Evans, was definitely a loser, a dirt bag, and a pathetic piece of life. He added suspense and drama to the story because he was the main conflict throughout the book. How his character was handled at the end didn’t exactly work for me. One of my pet peeves is not having all the plot threads tied up. I need absolute, complete closure. There must be justice. I don’t want to speculate in my head that everything worked out. I love happy endings with a pretty bow. There at least could have been an epilogue. If it weren’t for Dalton, then this entire book would have been infuriating to me.

Betting on Kincade was a good read. It was mostly enjoyable. I made it through and didn’t consider it a waste of my time, because time and time again Dalton drew me back into the story and kept my interest. I know not all romance books can be smooth sailing. Reading this book was like being in a car with a manual transmission whose driver didn’t know how to drive a stick shift. You’re just glad to be out of the house and going for a ride. You just have to hang on even when you hit the potholes because spending time with Dalton Kincade is SO worth the risk.

707 Freedom Series by Riley Edwards – Spotlight and Giveaway

 

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Long and Short Reviews welcomes Riley Edwards as she celebrates the release of the fourth and final book in her 707 Freedom Series. Enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post for a chance to win the complete series.

He was my first love…

I wanted him to follow his dreams. I wanted him to escape the life he hated. I thought I was doing the right thing by not telling him how I truly felt. Until it was too late, and my silence turned into my biggest regret.

Twelve years ago, Shane Owings died, taking my heart with him. I was left devastated and broken hearted. Time didn’t heal, as the years went on I only missed him more.

She was my best friend… the only woman I ever loved.

When I ran off to join the Army, I left behind everything I had ever loved. I thought I was doing the right thing, but my good intentions quickly turned into my biggest regret.

Every year on the anniversary of Shane’s death I watched as Lillian Nelson visited Shane’s grave and spilled her secrets to a dead man. Each year I hoped she wouldn’t be back, that her heart would finally heal and she would move on. But year after year she was back. So many times I wanted to reach out and comfort the beautiful woman, but I knew she would never forgive me. It was my fault Shane was dead.

Until… A terrorist shows up looking for revenge.

I had to come out of the shadows and protect the one woman I had no business falling in love with.

Buy the book at Amazon.

*****

The moment Jasper heard Emily Jenkins’ sultry voice he was transfixed. 

An instant and heated reaction that wound its way through his soul and warmed his skin. The inexplicable connection was broken as fast as it began. Emily has a son. Jasper doesn’t “do” kids.

When her life spirals out of control, will Jasper be able to let go of his tragic past and save Emily and her son? Or has the Special Forces Soldier found his weakness – a history he cannot let go of?

Emily Jenkins lost her husband on the battlefield and was left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart while finding a way to raise her son alone.

Jasper Walker is known for being the playboy of his team. Professionally, he is a tier one assassin – a trained killer. Personally, he blows through women giving them no more than a week in his bed as he privately struggles to move on from the woman that is forever lost to him.

When their lives collide, Jasper finds out he’s not the only one with secrets. There is more to the black-haired beauty Emily than a widowed single mother.

Buy the book at Amazon.

*****
 

Blake Porter was one of the lucky ones. 

She’d met the man she was going to marry while she was in high school. She thought she was living a fairytale; the nerdy wannabe journalist dating the gorgeous star quarterback. One wrong move proved to irrevocably alter the course of their lives. 

Betrayed by the girl he loved, Levi McCoy left for the Army and never looked back. Blake’s deception pierced his soul and shattered his heart. He used the pain to his advantage and became cold and calculating – the perfect Black Ops soldier. 

Over a decade later, the 707 has been called in to rescue a reporter embedded in a deadly terrorist cell, and Levi’s shocked to learn it’s the one woman who’d once owned his heart. But Blake is no longer the naive teenager she’d once pretended to be. She’s something far more dangerous.

With bombs exploding, blood being spilled, and the terrorists closing in, they both battle the memories of their beautiful beginnings and shared history. Levi and Blake face off in a showdown of wills. In one corner, Levi is determined not to fall for the woman he’s never stopped loving. In the other, Blake tries to hold on to her self-respect and not beg Levi to hear the truth. 

When the lies and deception are revealed will they survive with their hearts and lives intact?

 

 

Buy the book at Amazon.

She’s the game changer he wishes he’d never met. 

Nolan Clark is the last man standing. While he is happy his teammates have found love, he’s even happier to be single. But fate is a funny thing. When a one-night stand turns into a friends with benefits agreement, he starts to question why he’s holding the beautiful Reagan at arm’s length.

He knows she’s dangerous and should end their arrangement but the sex is too good and she is too… much.

He’s the regret of a lifetime!

Nolan Clark should’ve been off-limits. He’s my closest friend’s teammate and a man that I’m not prepared for. I lied and told him I understood he’d never offer me a white picket fence and jumped straight into bed when he offered me the only thing he could sex.

With every smile, every touch, and every sizzling kiss I fall deeper in love. When the day comes for me to move five-hundred miles away to start a new job, he doesn’t stop me. Days pass, then weeks, and Nolan Clark does exactly what he said he was going to do – loses my number.

With Reagan gone to start her new life in Florida, Clark is left in Georgia at war with his heart. The timing couldn’t be worse. The past he thought he’d let go of, the ex-wife he’d thought he forgave crashes into his life brings with her an eleven-year-old boy he never knew existed.

When Reagan stumbles onto some information she shouldn’t, and her life is threatened, will Clark, and the 707 get there in time to save her? Or will she die alone and broken-hearted in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico?

Buy the book at Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author: Riley Edwards is a bestselling multi-genre author, wife, and military mom. Riley was born and raised in Los Angeles but now resides on the east coast with her fantastic husband and children. Her two eldest children have flown the coop and are now serving in the US military. Riley also has a teenage daughter that is the source of laughter and wit around her house. Her youngest son is a “bad-ass” in training and is very much a mini version of his Alpha father.

Riley writes heart-stopping romance with sexy alpha heroes and even stronger heroines. Riley’s favorite genres to write are romantic suspense and military romance.

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Riley’s Rebels newsletter – http://eepurl.com/cBkqKn

 

 

Please Be My Valentine by Jennifer Wenn


Please Be My Valentine by Jennifer Wenn
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short story (77 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Benjamin Emerson is determined to honor the dying Mrs. Brody’s last wish, that her granddaughter shall not spend Valentine’s Day alone. But as the special day is closing in, he still doesn’t know how to reach the stiff, correct librarian.

Broken by her psychopathic former fiancée, Leonore Brody moves back into her empty childhood home in Barnesville, numbly taking one day at a time. When Ben asks her to help his daughter, she can’t refuse, knowing how much he meant to her grandmother.
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Caught at the Emerson Farm by a snow storm, Leonore finds herself drawn to the charismatic Ben. But the scars from her past are deep – can she ever trust a man again?

After being dumped almost at the alter by her long-term fiancé, Leonore knows that her mood is volatile and that she’s far too easily irritated. She knows that her Granny would hate the snappish, waspish woman Leonore had become, but Leonore just can’t seem to help herself. Even Ben – whom she’d known since childhood – wasn’t safe from her temper and annoyance. When Ben comes to the library to get a book explaining about puberty in females – his almost-teenaged daughter suddenly mystifying him – Leonore a can’t help but try and help the humble, shy man and his delightful no-longer-little girl.

This is a lovely and mostly sweet story about a very hurt woman trying to find herself again and in the process helping a caring and loving young man raise his teenage daughter. I found it to be full of heart-warming emotion and definitely with that “small town” type of feeling. I sympathized with Leonore and her initially crabby mood – she’d been harshly treated by her ex and hadn’t really healed from the painful break up. While I felt for her, I didn’t really particularly *like* her in the first half of the book. Leonore’s actions – her anger and cynicism – were completely understandable, but I didn’t feel as connected to her or like her as much as I would have hoped. Ben, however, I felt smitten with almost instantly. A shy, sweet, humble farmer who simply wants to do hard work, love and raise his family and keep his nose clean – he was absolutely hero material to my mind and I was eager for him to receive his (well deserved – in my opinion) happy ending.

I found this story to be a very interesting, if character-based, plot. Again with a “small-town” kind of feel Ben’s relationship as a single father with his almost-teenaged daughter, and then the growing friendship/relationship with Leonore was definitely central to the storyline. Readers who want an action filled, fast-paced style of story might not find this as satisfying as I did. But I honestly feel sometimes everyone needs to sit back with a slower paced story, with vibrant, relatable and believable characters and read something a little sweeter and in those respects this book completely exceeded my expectations. While I admit a part of me would have been ecstatic had I found Leonore more appealing as a heroine, she was real. She had a temper, she was hurt and needed to complete her healing process. I might not have enjoyed her as a heroine as much as I could have – but I could certainly respect her and understand where she was coming from.

This is definitely a slow-moving romance story. Leonore takes quite a bit of the book emotionally healing from her ex and I wasn’t keen how she compared so much of who Ben was to what her ex had been like. I found for me, personally, that got old pretty quickly, but again it was understandable and realistic. When Ben comes clean on his promise to Leonore’s Granny and Leonore finally starts to look at Ben with romantic interest their relationship really starts to build. While they became intimate fairly promptly after this, I didn’t find the singular sex scene graphic – the bedroom door wasn’t “closed” as such but it absolutely wasn’t drawn out or described in explicit detail. I would think most romance readers who enjoy a bit of spice (but not erotic levels of it) in their romance should find this satisfying without being overly graphic. There are only a few passionate kisses and the one sex scene – so really to my mind the majority of the story revolves around the characters and their growing relationship to each other – not the physical and intimate side of the romance.

Readers looking for a story with a whole bunch of characterization, realism and good, warm-fuzzy type of feelings, this is a great story to kick back and relax with. While absolutely not perfect, it is a great read and one I fully intend to enjoy again in the future.

Written Together by Wendi Zwadak – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Wendi will be awarding a bracelet made by the author and a signed swag pack to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What if the woman he needs is the one he thought was out of his league?

Adam Pallas knows what he wants out of life—to teach history, to be happy and to have a hot woman by his side. He’s got one out of the three. He should be happy, but he’s not. There’s one woman who grabs his attention every time. The catch? She’s very much out of his league. Can being himself actually snag him the woman of his dreams?

Melissa Murphy isn’t looking for love, but every time she sees Adam her plans go sideways. The English teacher knows there’s a confident, hot man hiding behind the slightly nerdy history buff façade. But her past and the things she wants between the sheets tend to scare men off. She believes the odds may be stacked against them. Could it be their lives are perfectly written together after all?

Enjoy an Excerpt

©Copyright Wendi Zwaduk 2018

Adam stood beside her and went through his battery of stretches. He couldn’t help but watch her flex and bend next to him. Would she be that limber in bed? His cock twitched and he stifled a groan. Heat centered in his groin. Dear God, he had to look away or he’d embarrass himself. He shifted upright and focused on the football players.

“Ready?” She swatted his forearm.

Adam fell into step beside her in an easy gait.

“So, what’s new in the life of Adam, besides being freaked about having an extra class?” Her ponytail swished as she jogged at his side. “New girlfriend? You deserve one.”

“No. I’m not seeing anyone. Tessa showed me she wasn’t interested for good.” He winced. He hadn’t planned on admitting that—again. “I thought she might be the one.”

“She’s happy.”

“But not with me.” And here he was thinking about another woman anyway. Their footsteps thumped on the rubber surface. He had to stop worrying about his regrets and move on to the now.

“Did you ever wonder if you tried too hard?” She glanced at him, then stared ahead again.

“No—yes.” Might as well be honest with her. “I tried way too hard and wanted too much from her. I know I shouldn’t have, but the chase was too good.” Kind of like chasing Melissa. Most women saw him and ran the other way, claiming he was a good friend or one of the guys, but not dating material.

“Sometimes women like a challenge. Sometimes they’re honest with you and you don’t see it.” She picked up her pace a bit, leaving him in her dust. “Bye.”

About the Author:

Wendi Zwaduk is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to BDSM and LGBTQ themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com and the former AllRomance Ebooks. She also writes under the name of Megan Slayer.

When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

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First Time by Lynn Burke


First Time by Lynn Burke
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short story (90 pages)
Other: BDSM, M/F, Toys, Spanking/Flogging/Caning
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Daniel Cooney loves to tie women up and is nicely compensated for his services as an Elite escort. He’s no sadist, however, but a gentle dominate who longs for a woman of his own, one who won’t be intimidated by his size and ropes.

Acai berry supplements are another immeasurable way that different people maneuver pharmacy online viagra the fruits many benefits. It ensures continuous flow viagra without rx of energy to the genitals and reduces the desire for lovemaking. The only difference is price. cialis samples amerikabulteni.com is available at very low price in comparison to the branded cialis. But the effectiveness of this particular measure may not be suitable for you and click here to find out more purchase generic cialis may demand a lower or higher fraction for your recovery without making a negotiation with your body safety. Becky Eaton bends over backwards to help her boyfriend work through his mental problems, but her submissive nature enables his sick desires to turn vicious. His plans to exploit her for his pleasure backfires … Becky experiences desire—and a climax—for the first time beneath another man’s command. Master Cooney’s tender touch awakens her in ways she never expected.

Beaten and broken, Becky’s tattered heart yearns for what could be, and while Daniel’s strength proves a pillar of support, she must find the courage within to escape a murderous monster—before it’s too late.

Daniel was paid very well at Elite Escorts to tie willing women up and fulfill their bondage fantasies, but deep down he yearns for more. Daniel wishes there was a willing woman, a sub, who wasn’t put off and scared by his large body and dominant demeanor. Someone willing to get to know him and even love him. Becky is in an abusive relationship but is too cowed to do anything about it, until she meets Daniel and he takes the time to show her how special she truly is.

I struggled to really get into this story. Becky is very clearly being physically, sexually and emotionally abused and trodden-down by her partner, Stephen. This abusive relationship honestly made most of this story difficult for me to read. In one respect that’s a huge compliment to the realism and extensive emotion the author has put in the story and characters, but I’m personally the sort of reader who likes to escape the nasties of life when I’m reading. I could easily believe that a number of the scenes – particularly at the start and end of the story might be a trigger for some readers. Stephen at a number of stages is outright abusive to Becky and while there’s no pretense of caring or love in the abuse (it’s not written to be enticing or titillating, but just as a part of the plot) that didn’t make it any more palatable to me. Personally I found everything related to the Becky/Stephen plot exceedingly difficult to read. That said; I found this story to have a huge depth of emotion to it. Daniel through his bondage, and particularly his rope-play, opens up a whole new vista of emotions and feelings inside Becky, things she had secretly yearned for but never experienced for herself.

At times I found Becky’s character quite frustrating for naïve and “too stupid to live” style of behaviors, but I have to admit that it seemed a genuine part of her character as an abused and downtrodden woman. Abused women frequently return time and time again to their abusers, thinking they will change, that it’s their (the woman’s) fault that the abuser had lashed out particularly harshly. While I can appreciate the realism of all this – I just can’t say with honesty that I enjoyed this aspect of the storyline. I think to be honest it was just a little too gritty and realistic for me, personally. A little too confronting. The author has done an amazing job writing the story – but it was all just was real and detailed enough that I ended up feeling more uncomfortable than anything else while reading it.

Overall I truly think this is the style of story readers will either love or hate – I can’t imagine anyone reading this and being ambivalent. With realistic and excellent characters this is a vastly different story to the kind I usually read. I feel this would be a great story for readers looking to expand their horizons or read a truly different kind of tale. Gritty, almost too realistic and definitely not for the faint of heart, this is an emotional and confronting story.

Critique Groups and Contests? No Thanks. by Charlotte Hubbard – Guest Blog and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Critique Groups and Contests? No Thanks.

Although a lot of writers feel they benefit from belonging to a critique group, I’ve never been one of them. I don’t like group members—especially if they haven’t published any full-length fiction—telling me what they either love or would “fix” about the pages they’ve read because you come away with such a mix of advice, and their opinions often contradict each other! What are you supposed to believe?

Same goes for entering contests. Unless the contest judges are editors of a publishing house looking to acquire new authors, the comments and critiques really don’t count for much, the way I see it. Other readers, no matter how well-intentioned, are just giving their opinions, after all. They have no stake in the fate of your book.

I admit it: I’m a bit thin-skinned and I dislike criticism. Over the years, I’ve come to believe my own gut intuition about which elements of a story I should include—and I believe my sense of storytelling is right for the fiction I create.
Do I get revision letters and requests for changes from my editors? You bet I do. Some of the books you’ve read—including A MOTHER’S GIFT—are different in print from the manuscript I originally turned in. Originally, Leah raised deer to sell to a hunting lodge—and I know an Amish family in Jamesport, MO who actually does this for income. My editor felt some readers would be offended or upset about the fate of these deer, so in the final version, Leah raised cattle instead. I trust my editor’s judgment, so I rewrote those parts of the story. Her sensitivity overruled my authenticity.

Here’s my final answer about critique groups and contests: the only person who gets to have an opinion about my work is the one who signs my checks.

Does this sound arrogant? Maybe it is. But if you’re a struggling writer, maybe that piece of writing advice is exactly what will free you from the frustration and confusion that comes from listening to too many voices that drown out your own. Pay attention to feedback from agents and editors who are interested in your work—because they know the market and your genre’s requirements—but otherwise, shut out the noise of other people’s opinions. What do they know?

For Leah Otto, marrying Jude Shetler is a long-held dream come true. As a young girl, she was captivated by his good looks and talent as an auctioneer. When Jude, now a widower with three children, begins to court her, Leah doesn’t hesitate. Other men may not appreciate her tomboy ways, but Jude values Leah’s practical nature and her skill with the animals she tends, and both enter the marriage with joy and optimism.

Three months later, Leah feels as if her world is coming down around her. Her twin teenage step-daughters, Alice and Adeline, are pushing boundaries and taking far too many risks, while five-year-old Stevie deeply misses his mother. Leah, more at ease in a barn tending her goats and chickens than in a kitchen, struggles with her housekeeping duties.

Then a baby is abandoned on their doorstep, and Leah must search her soul. Caring for little Betsy fills her with renewed purpose and the strength to begin pulling her family together. With Jude’s steadfast support, Leah finds that what she once thought of as a happy ending may be something even better—the beginning of a life rich in love, faith, and unexpected blessings.

Enjoy an Excerpt

As Lenore Otto sat on the bed with Leah, wistfully watching the dusk of late November fill her daughter’s room, her heart was torn. The two of them had shared this evening ritual of talking and praying since Lenore’s husband, Raymond, had died last year. It had always brought her a comforting sense of peace, along with the certainty that she and her daughter would move forward with the plans God had for them. After all the cleaning they’d done and the preparations they’d made to host Leah’s wedding festivities the next day, she was ready to relax—but she needed to speak the words that weighed so heavily on her heart.

Tomorrow, when Leah got married, their lives would follow separate paths. Lenore knew she would be fine remaining on the small farm alone, making and selling her specialty quilts. She supposed some of her qualms about her daughter’s marriage plagued every mother . . .

Lord, I wish I could believe my Leah’s reaching toward happiness rather than heartache.

Before God’s still, small voice could respond to Lenore, Leah let out an ecstatic sigh. “Oh, Mama, it’s a dream come true,” she murmured. “Starting tomorrow, when I marry Jude, my life will finally be the way I’ve always wanted it. My waiting is over!”

Not for the first time, Lenore sighed inwardly at her daughter’s fantasy. As she returned Leah’s hug, savoring these precious moments in the room where her little girl had matured into a woman of twenty-eight, she didn’t have it in her to shatter Leah’s dreams. No mother wanted her daughter to forever remain a maidel, yet during these final hours before the wedding, Lenore thought she should try once again to point out the realities of marrying Jude Shetler. Jude was a fine, upstanding man any parent would be pleased to welcome as a son-in-law, but as a widower he carried a certain amount of . . . baggage.

About the Author:Charlotte Hubbard is the acclaimed author of Amish romance and fiction that evokes simpler times and draws upon her experiences in Jamesport, the largest Old Order Amish community west of the Mississippi. Faith and family, farming, and food preservation are hallmarks of her lifestyle—and the foundation of all her novels. A deacon, dedicated church musician and choir member, she loves to travel, read, try new recipes, and crochet. A longtime Missourian, Charlotte now lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and their border collie, Vera.

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