{Blog Tour} Confessions of a Sex Fiend by Rayven Godchild

{Blog Tour} The Pleasure Room by D.N. Simmons --- with excerpt, review, and giveaway

This post is about an erotic romance novel. 

Excerpt may not be safe for work or for those under age!

{Book Blitz} UNTAMED - Visionary Book 2, by N. Dunham

{Blog Tour} The Darkness of Light by Tammy Farrell -- with giveaway and review!

The Darkness of Light
The Dia Chronicles
Book One
Tammy Farrell
Genre: Historical Fantasy
ISBN-13: 978-1492766582
ISBN-10: 1492766585
Number of pages: 375
Word Count: 90,000
Cover Artist: Nathalia Suellen

{Book Tour} TO CATCH HER DEATH by Boone Brux -- with review AND giveaway!

To Catch Her Death
Grim Reality Series
Book One
Boone Brux
Genre: Paranormal Humor
Publisher: Red Hot Publishing
Date of Publication: Oct. 2013

ISBN: e-book – 9781938601118
Print - 9781938601125
Number of pages:250
Word Count: 60K
Cover Artist: Jennifer Meyers & Hot Damn Designs

{Blog Tour} THE CURSE OF MALENFER MANOR by IAIN McCHESNEY

The Curse of Malenfer Manor
Book One
Iain McChesney

Genre: historical mystery / paranormal
Publisher: Wayzgoose Press
Date of Publication: October 1
ISBN: 978-1-938757-10-5
Word Count: 85,000
Cover Artist: DJ Rogers

Those in line to the Malenfer estate are succumbing to terrible ends –is a supernatural legacy at work, or something entirely more human?

Young Irish mercenary Dermot Ward retreats to Paris at the close of World War I where he drinks to forget his experiences, especially the death of his comrade, Arthur Malenfer. But Arthur has not forgotten Dermot. Dead but not departed, Arthur has unfinished business and needs the help of the living.

Upon his arrival at Malenfer Manor, Dermot finds himself embroiled in a mystery of murder, succession, and ambition. Dermot falls in love with the youngest Malenfer, the beautiful fey Simonne, but in his way are Simonne’s mismatched fiancé, her own connections to the spirit world, Dermot’s guilt over the circumstances of Arthur’s death… and the curse.

{Cover Reveal} White Heart of Justice (Noon Onyx Book #3) by Jill Archer ---with giveaway!

Hi everyone! I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK! I absolutely loved Fiery Edge of Steel and Dark Light of Day earlier this year; a unique fantasy novel filled with demonic law, angelic powers, love, and action. May is SO far away, but at least we can all drool over the cover for now! ;)

Oh, oh, oh! I am soooooo excited! 

White Heart of Justice
Noon Onyx book #3
Jill Archer
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Ace

Date of Publication: May 27, 2014

ISBN-10: 0425257177
ISBN-13: 978-0425257173
Cover Artist: Jason Chan

Amazon IndieBound Goodreads

Since Lucifer claimed victory at Armageddon, demons, angels, and humans have coexisted in uneasy harmony. Those with waning magic are trained to maintain peace and order. But hostilities are never far from erupting…

After years of denying her abilities, Noon Onyx, the first woman in history to wield waning magic, has embraced her power. She’s won the right to compete in the prestigious Laurel Crown Race—an event that will not only earn her the respect of her peers but also, if she wins, the right to control her future.

However, Noon’s task is nearly impossible: retrieve the White Heart of Justice, a mythical sword that disappeared hundreds of years ago. The sword is rumored to be hidden in a dangerous region of Halja that she is unlikely to return from. But Noon’s life isn’t the only thing hanging in the balance. The sword holds an awesome power that, in the wrong hands, could reboot the apocalypse—and Noon is the only one who can prevent Armageddon from starting again…


Praise for
Fiery Edge of Steel
“Archer delves deeper into the enticing and magical world of Dark Light of Day in this original and clever urban fantasy… Excitement and action leap from the pages as Archer’s skill with description pulls readers fully into her magical world.”—Publishers Weekly

“An astounding adventure tale. Archer’s unique world, where Lucifer’s army triumphed at Armageddon, is filled with adherence to strict laws that keep an uneasy peace between races…A really fresh and fascinating series!”—RT Book Reviews

Dark Light of Day

“There is a fresh new voice in urban fantasy, and she has a unique take on Armageddon…With her unusual heroine, Noon Onyx, Archer has created a brilliant character who struggles against fate to find her place in the world. Set against the backdrop of university life, there is an abundance of adventure, mystery, and passion!”—RT Book Reviews

Jill Archer is the author of the Noon Onyx series, genre-bending fantasy novels about a post-grad magic user and her off-campus adventures. DARK LIGHT OF DAY and FIERY EDGE OF STEEL, the first two books in the series are available now from Penguin/Ace. The third book, WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE, will be released May 27, 2014. Jill lives in Maryland with her husband and two children.

www.jillarcher.com
@archer_jill
https://www.facebook.com/jillarcherauthor
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5782149.Jill_Archer

US only: 1 set Signed copies of DARK LIGHT OF DAY and FIERY EDGE OF STEEL
International: $25 eGift Certificate to bookstore of choice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Blog Tour with Reviews} ROGUE'S POSSESSION, Book 2 in Covenant of Thorns series, by Jeffe Kennedy

***

Publication Date: October 7, 2013
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Covenant of Thorns #2

Book Description:
A human trapped in the world of Faerie, in possession of magic I could not control, I made a bargain for my life: to let the dangerously sensual fae noble known as Rogue sire my firstborn. And one does not break an oath with a fae. But no matter how greatly I desire him, I will not succumb. Not until I know what will happen to the child.
Though unable-or unwilling-to reveal the fate of human-fae offspring himself, Rogue accompanies me on my quest for answers. Along the way he agrees to teach me to harness my power, in exchange for a single kiss each day and sleeping by my side each night. Just as I am about to yield to temptation, I find myself in a deadly game of cat and mouse with an insane goddess. Now my search for the truth will lead me to the darkest of all Faerie secrets.

Picking up right where we left off with Rogue's Pawn, Gwynn is delving deeper, not just looking for a way out of her bargain, but worried over the whys and wherefors about her deal with Rogue. Her nicknames continue to amuse, even when she's facing dreadful danger and she's making more friends (and more enemies) as her talents and powers develop, as she tries to skate the fine line between breaking and keeping bargains.

What is a magical tale without a quest? Gwynn learns more and more about firstborns, remembering stories of changelings, has a run in with the Queen Bi---, Titania, herself, and is now on a quest to help determine what happened to Blackbird and Fergus's baby, Brody, and what it means for Gwynn and her firstborn, which will be Rogue's if she fulfills her bargain with him.

And she should because oathbreaking in Faerie can have dire consequences...

There is so much detail in these novels, delicious, lush detail of this world Jeffe Kennedy has created for us. Well-written, well-paced, and in a world built to dine on, I devoured the pages. Another Kindle Bruiser book. I stabbed and swiped, eagerly gobbling up page after page in my own quest to find out "WHAT NEXT?!"

I love Gwynn's gumption, innovations, and morals. I loved reading the relationship build between her and Rogue, her and Starling, her and her friends as she developed them. I'd recommend this and the first book to anyone who loves paranormal, fantasy, and tales revolving around the Fae!

Other Books in the Series:

Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: July 16, 2012
Series: Covenant of Thorns
Where to Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Goodreads Description:
This is no fairy tale…
Haunted by nightmares of a black dog, sick to death of my mind-numbing career and heart-numbing fiancé, I impulsively walked out of my life—and fell into Faerie. Terrified, fascinated, I discover I possess a power I can’t control: my wishes come true. After an all-too-real attack by the animal from my dreams, I wake to find myself the captive of the seductive and ruthless fae lord Rogue. In return for my rescue, he demands an extravagant price—my firstborn child, which he intends to sire himself…
With no hope of escaping this world, I must learn to harness my magic and build a new life despite the perils—including my own inexplicable and debilitating desire for Rogue. I swear I will never submit to his demands, no matter what erotic torment he subjects me to…

Be careful what you wish for...
 
While you can read many, many books, it is only a few where you find yourself falling into the rabbit hole of the author's making. That is how I felt while reading Rogue's Pawn - utterly enthralled, enchanted, and seduced. Gwynn is a person whose modern, snarky wit, intelligence,  compassion, and ... American-ness is someone you can easily relate to. We Americans are a hardy bunch; arrogant yet compassionate, sexual yet prudish, total survivors. And this is what you have in Gwynn's character.

You completely side with her throughout this novel, cheer when she succeeds, and sympathize with her when she trips. Jeffe Kennedy's Gwynn and her nicknames for where she's found herself in Faerie are hilarious. I don't quite think I'll read another faery story without thinking of it as Disney Ireland. The Fae are just as malicious, cruel, and semantic wizards as in many tales of them, which makes them creepy and the things that go bump in the night. Disney may have taught you to fear the ugly things, but the true faery tales teach you that it's the prettiest of things you need to watch out for.

While it isn't called Faerie when Gwynn first arrives, it's understood that that is exactly where we are. And Gwynn, well-educated and well-read, knows not to eat or drink in the land of Faerie. She denies herself those things as long as she is able while stumbling her way around bargaining for her very life.

Ultimately, she bargains servitude for seven years and then her first born to Lord Rogue. After enduring a horrifying, torturous training by Lord Scourge, she is passed to Lord Puck and Lord Falcon to continue her training and use her magic in Falcon's wars; skirmishes using humans to satisfy the nobles' whims. This sounds horrific, but if you think of the history of mankind, is it any different? Yes, still horrific however. I really enjoyed the first use of Gwynn as the Lady Sorceress for the battles. You'll find yourself singing along and admiring how she is trying to circumvent the violence of war.

As Gwynn learns more and more of Faerie, more of herself, and thinks more on Rogue, you find yourself fully enraptured. I am so happy to have Rogue's Possession waiting for me so that I may continue this story!

About the Author:

Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning author with a writing career that spans decades. Her fantasy BDSM romance, Petals and Thorns, originally published under the pen name Jennifer Paris, has won several reader awards. Sapphire, the first book in Facets of Passion has placed first in multiple romance contests and the follow-up, Platinum, is climbing the charts. Her most recent works include three fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns, the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion, and the post-apocalyptic vampire erotica of the Blood Currency. 
Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, with two Maine coon cats, a border collie, plentiful free-range lizards and a Doctor of Oriental Medicine. Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com or every Sunday at the popular Word Whores blog.
She is represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg of Foreword Literary.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

{Book Tour} THE CURSE GIVER by DORA MACHADO

Book Title: The Curse Giver
Author: Dora Machado
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Publishing Date: July 4, 2013
Length: 510 pages
Source: Author via Tour Organizer for review

Synopsis:
Lusielle's bleak but orderly life as a remedy mixer is shattered when she is sentenced to die for a crime she didn't commit. She's on the pyre, about to be burned, when a stranger breaks through the crowd and rescues her from the flames.

Brennus, Lord of Laonia is the last of his line. He is caught in the grip of a mysterious curse that has murdered his kin, doomed his people and embittered his life. To defeat the curse, he must hunt a birthmark and kill the woman who bears it in the foulest of ways. Lusielle bears such a mark.

Stalked by intrigue and confounded by the forbidden passion flaring between them, predator and prey must come together to defeat not only the vile curse, but also the curse giver who has already conjured their demise.

Lusielle, our protagonist, is on the run from they pyre, sentenced to death - accused by none other than her slimy, abusive, tyrannical husband. Isn't it bad enough that she's been suffering from this monster of a husband? Accused of being one of the "Odds" she was tortured brutally, incomprehensibly, and unimaginably. She was set on fire to die, burning alive in the town square, near the brink of death.

Brennus, "Bren" the lord of Laonia, is on a quest to find the marked one and kill her to break the family the curse, the curse that has killed his father and three brothers, leaving him the only remaining member of the House of Uras. If he doesn't break the course, not only will he die in an agonizing manner, but his beloved homeland and its people will forever suffer in misery and blight. Believing that the marked one will lead to the curse's cure, Bren and his "twenty" are on the chase for the past decade.

By the time Bren locates one of the marked, Lusielle, she's tied to a pole, set on fire, about to be burned alive. Bren & the Twenty rescue Lusielle knowing he must also kill her for the curse to break. However, for no reason he can comprehend, Bren could not bring himself to do the deed, even though his men insist as time is short. Something, some inexplicable reason compels Bren not to carry out the deed and instead he nurses Lusielle back to health.

The two inadvertently end up on the run, hiding from Lusielle's torturers, the evil king's men and Bren's foremost enemy who is out to see that the house of Uras is destroyed completely and Bren dead for no other reason than power, greed, and hatred.

Lusielle and Bren are forced to assist one another through the treacherous, man-swallowing, killing bog. It is through these trials that both develop mutual feelings of care, like, and gradually, love for one another. It is in Lusielle's nature to lend help whenever and wherever she can that pushes her to help Bren at first. But she eventually learns that her actions are motivated by something deeper than this beneficence much like Bren learns about himself towards her. The two venture into numerous hardships; it seems that every which way they turn, there is something against them. Still, with grit and determination, this couple forges on. When one becomes hopeless, the other encourages, mostly Lusielle who has a hopeful outlook on life.

The Twenty, Bren's loyal group of men who have sworn their lives until death to serve him in his quest, slowly come to trust and care for this special little mistress as well. No longer "the woman" and "the wench", Lusielle's become a lady as they realize their lord has fallen for Lusielle. Although they feel there is no real future for them, they see that Lusielle is good for their lord. One of the Twenty eventually is even assigned for life to protect and serve Lusielle with his life. One of the toughest and strongest of the bunch at that! At first resentful, Severo, the bodyguard, comes to respect, care, and even love his Mistress Lusielle.

Their toils and troubles are immense, but these two are determined to break the curse, prevent Bren's decent into madness and death, like his father and brothers before him. Bren realizes he needs Lusielle although he doesn't feel he deserves her care or love. He is amazed at how she doesn't treat him like the plague with his family's curse history, something that he finds incomprehensible.

All seems dire. There isn't a resolution to the unavoidable curse. Bren, having no choice or solution, accepts his lot, his ague, the pain, and the madness. Lusielle, however, isn't about to accept that. Her quest to find the cursebreaker, to save Laonia, Bren's beloved land and its people, and in doing so learning more about herself, she quests on.

This fantasy tale is tremendous! So human, so well woven, a total tapestry. It was hard to put down despite its length. At every turn there was more to anticipate. The adventures the two characters face are most incredible and yet real. All of the characters are so well-developed, they jump from the pages becoming fully three-dimensional. Although a fantasy, this book is so well-crafted that it is totally believable. I felt as if I was glimpsing into the past, at something that truly happened somewhere in time. I would recommend this to all readers of every age. Total page turner, heart-twisting adventure! Loved it. 

Dora Machado is the award winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight Times Books July 2013. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She lives in Florida with her husband and three very opinionated cats. 

To learn more about Dora Machado and her novels, visit her website at www.doramachado.com  

Subscribe to her blog at http://www.doramachado.com/blog/ , sign up for her newsletter at http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php  and follow her on Facebook and  Twitter. 

For a free excerpt of The Curse Giver, visit http://twilighttimesbooks.com/TheCurseGiver_ch1.html

About Dora Machado's Novels:

Dora Machado is the award winning author of the Stonewiser trilogy and her newest novel, The Curse Giver. She is one of the few Latinas exploring her heritage and her world through the epic fantasy genre today. Her first novel, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, won the 2009 Benjamin Franklin award for best debut novel. Her second novel, Stonewiser: The Call of the Stone, won the 2010 Independent Publishers Book Award's (IPPY) Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy book of the year. Her third novel, Stonewiser: The Lament of the Stone, won the 2012 Independent Publishers Book Award's (IPPY) Silver Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy book of the year. All three novels were finalists in ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Category. Her latest novel, The Curse Giver from Twilight Times Books is available July 2013.

Website: http://www.doramachado.com/

Blog: http://www.doramachado.com/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoraMachado101

Twitter: @DoraMachado or https://twitter.com/DoraMachado

Amazon Author Central: www.amazon.com/author/doramachado 

The Curse Giver Chapter One

    Dread stared at Lusielle from the depths of the rowdy crowd. Concealed under a heavy hood, only the stranger’s black eyes dared to meet her gaze among the growing throng. The man’s eyes refused to flinch or shift from her face. His stare was free of the hatred she had gotten from the others, but also devoid of mercy. He held on to her gaze like an anchor to her soul, testing her fortitude, knowing full well her fears’ vast range.

She had always been meant for the fire. Even as she had escaped the blaze that killed her parents and burned the inn to the ground, Lusielle had known that the flame’s greedy god would return to claim her life. But she hadn’t expected it to happen after days of torture, surrounded by the raging mob, found guilty of a crime she didn’t commit, betrayed and condemned.

The town’s cobbler, one of her husband’s best customers, tightened the noose around her neck until it cut off her breath. She had waited on him countless times at the shop, and had always padded his order with a free measure of coriander to help with his wife’s cough.

But none of the town’s inhabitants seemed to remember any of her kindnesses as of late. On the contrary, the crowd was booing and jeering when they weren’t pelting her with rotten fruit. They treated her as if she were a common thief.

The brute who had conducted her torture shoved the cobbler aside, tying her elbows and wrists around the wooden stake. Orell. She remembered his name. His bearded face might have been handsome if not for the permanent leer. Like the magistrate, he wore the king’s burgundy colors, but his role had been more vicious. Had he been granted more time, he might have succeeded at extracting the false confession he wanted, but the magistrate was in a hurry, afraid of any possible unrest.

Orell yanked on the ropes, tightening her bonds. The wound on her back broke open all over again. She swallowed a strangled hiss. It was as if the thug wanted her to suffer, as if he had a private reason to profit from her pain.

But she had never seen him until three days ago, when he and the magistrate had shown up unannounced, making random accusations.

Lusielle couldn’t understand any of this.

She knew that the king’s justice was notoriously arbitrary. It was one of the main reasons why she loathed living under King Riva’s rule. But she also knew better than to express her opinion. Ruin and tragedy trailed those who dared to criticize the king. That’s why she had never mentioned her misgivings to anyone.

What had she done to deserve this fate? And why did they continue to be so cruel? After all, she wasn’t fighting them anymore.

True, she had resisted at first. Out of fear and pride, she had tried to defend herself. But in the end, it hadn’t mattered. Her accusers had relied on the testimony of the devious liar who had turned her in—Aponte Rummins—her own husband.

The mock hearing had been too painful to bear, too absurd to believe. Aponte swore before the magistrate that Lusielle was a secret practitioner of the forbidden odd arts. It was ridiculous. How could anyone believe that she, who had always relied on logic, measure and observation to mix her remedies, could possi¬bly serve the Odd God’s dark purposes? And how could anyone believe Aponte’s lies?

But they did, they believed him as he called on his paid witnesses and presented fabricated evidence, swearing that he himself had caught her at the shop, worshipping the Odd God. In the end, it had been her husband’s false testimony that provided the ultimate proof of the heinous charge for which Lusielle was about to die.

Burning torch in hand, the magistrate stepped forward. Still in shock, Lusielle swallowed a gulp of bitter horror and steeled for the flames’ excruciating pain. She didn’t want to die like a shrieking coward. But nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.

The magistrate offered the torch to Aponte.

“The king upholds a husband’s authority over his wife in the kingdom,” the magistrate shouted for the crowd to hear. “There can be no protests, no doubt of the wisdom of royal justice if a husband does as he’s entitled to do by his marital rights.”

Aponte could have forgone her execution. Considering the magistrate’s proclamation, he could have chosen a different punishment for her. Instead, he accepted the torch and, without hesitation, put the flame to the tinder and blew over the kindling to start the fire.

“Go now,” he said, grinning like a hog about to gorge. “Go find your dark lord.”

Lusielle glared at the poor excuse for a man who had ruined her life many times over. She had known from the beginning that he was fatally flawed, just as he had known on the day he claimed her that she couldn’t pledge him any affection.

But Aponte had never wanted her affection. He had wanted her servitude, and in that sense she proved to be the reluctant but dutiful servant he craved.

Over the years he had taught her hatred.

His gratification came from beating and humiliating her. His crass and vulgar tastes turned his bed into a nightmare. She felt so ashamed of the things he made her do. Still, even if she loathed him—and not just him, but the slave she had become under his rule—she had tried to make the best of it.

She had served him diligently, tending to his businesses, reorganizing his stores, rearranging his trading routes and increasing his profits. His table had always been ready. His meals had been hot and flavorsome. His sheets had been crisp and his bed had been coal-warmed every night. Perhaps due to all of this, he had seemed genuinely pleased with their marital arrangement.

Why, then, had he surrendered her so easily to the magistrate’s brute?

Aponte had to have some purpose for this betrayal. He was, above all, a practical man. He would not surrender all the advantages that Lusielle brought to him—money, standing, common sense, business acumen—without the benefit of an even greater windfall.

Lusielle couldn’t understand how, but she was sure that the bastard was going to profit handsomely from her death.

The scent of pine turned acrid and hot. Cones crackled and popped. The fire hissed a sinister murmur, a sure promise of pain. She didn’t watch the little sparks grow into flames at her feet. Instead, her eyes returned to the back of the crowd, seeking the stranger’s stare. She found him even as a puff of white smoke clouded her sight and the fire’s rising heat distorted his scarred face’s fixed expression.

The nearing flames thawed the pervasive cold chilling her bones. Flying sparks pecked at her skin. Her toes curled. Her feet flinched. Pain teased her ankles in alarming, nipping jolts. Dear gods. They were really going to burn her alive!

Lusielle shut her eyes. When she looked again, the stranger was gone from the crowd. She couldn’t blame him. She would have never chosen to watch the flame’s devouring dance.

A commotion ensued somewhere beyond the pyre. People were screaming, but she couldn’t see through the flames and smoke. She flinched when a lick of fire ignited her shift’s hem. A vile stink filled her lungs. Her body shivered in shock. She coughed, then hacked. Fear’s fiery fingers began to torment her legs.

“Come and find me,” she called to the God of fire.

   

      And he did.

For a free excerpt of The Curse Giver, visit  http://twilighttimesbooks.com/TheCurseGiver_ch1.html

Curse Giver Tour Giveaway Details

Subscribe to Dora Machado's blog and/or newsletter and enter for a chance to win:

1) One of three autographed books of Dora Machado's Stonewiser Series.

{Or}

2) One of ten special edition bracelets commemorating The Curse Giver's EBook release. 

This handcrafted, customized, limited-edition, 1/4 inch aluminum bracelet from Silver Statements is hammered and stamped with The Curse Giver's signature message—Knowledge, Reason and Awareness, and flanked by the stylized outline of butterfly wings. Inside, the bracelet is stamped with the word Strength. Aluminum is a great metal for jewelry. It won't turn your skin green, doesn't oxidize or tarnish, and its water safe. Plus it's so lightweight that you might even forget you're wearing it. 

For a chance at one of The Curse Giver's limited edition bracelets subscribe now at: 

http://www.doramachado.com/blog/?page_id=48

And/or

http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php

Yes, you double your chances when you subscribe to both the blog and the newsletter!

Giveaway Terms and Condition:

New subscribers to the blog and/or newsletter will automatically qualify to participate. Names will be selected at random from the list of new subscribers on November 15, 2013. Subscribers will be notified via e-mail. Winners will be asked to provide a mailing address for delivery.

HAPPY RELEASE DAY! Broken Dolls by BR Kingsolver

Broken Dolls
BR Kingsolver
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Suspense
ISBN: 9781301813568 (ePub)
Number of pages: 235
Word Count: 79,600
Cover Artist: Mia Darien

Private investigator RB Kendrick makes her living nailing cheating spouses, digging up other dirt to help in a divorce, finding long-lost relatives, and occasionally sniffing out criminal activity and fraud.

When she takes a job to find a missing girl, she has no idea she is headed for the most dangerous case of her career. Usually, her ability to read minds gives her an edge. But when the people she’s hunting are also telepaths, that advantage is limited.

The search takes her into the dark underbelly of telepathic society, where anything, and anyone, is for sale. She discovers that telepathic women and girls are being trafficked as the ultimate sex slaves.

With people trying to kill her, she’s on the run, not knowing who she can trust. Will she find the missing girl, or become a victim herself?

EXCERPT

I walked into the restaurant to meet my prospective client, scanned the diners and slipped into the booth with her. She started to say something, then her eyes widened and nothing came out of her open mouth.

“Mrs. Sanders? I’m RB Kendrick,” I said, extending my hand.

“Oh, my,” she breathed. “The description you gave me is wholly inadequate.” She stared at me for a minute, then said, “Copper.”

Confused, I looked around. There weren’t any police in there. “Huh?” I said intelligently.

“Your hair. It’s not ginger, it’s like polished copper. It shines.”

Women notice different things than men. As I suspected from our conversation on the phone, Sylvia Sanders was a norm and so was her husband. What I read in her mind matched what she told me verbally. It’s so much easier when clients tell you the truth. I understood why she had suspicions about her husband. The changes in his behavior and schedule screamed other woman to me also.

“So what do you want, Mrs. Sanders? A report, photos, a confrontation? A basic report of what and who he is or is not doing will run a thousand pounds. Photos catching them in the act are another thousand, if I can get them. Unlike the telly, most people don’t conveniently provide evidence in front of windows with the shades open. If you want to confront him in the act, I’ll accompany you for an additional fifteen hundred pounds.”

She blanched at my rates.

“If what he’s doing isn’t obvious, and I have to put him under surveillance for an extended period, my rates are five thousand a week.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” she said with a quiver in her voice. She gave me a thousand and I wrote down all the pertinent information.

“I’ll check on it this afternoon. I’m going to be out of town for a few days,” I told her. “If I don’t find anything by tomorrow morning, I’ll call you when I get back.”

“Thank you, Miss Kendrick. This has been going on for several months. I don’t think it’s going to change.”

“Mrs. Sanders, you need to think about what you’re going to do if your suspicions are correct. Are you going to confront him and hope he ends it? Or do you plan to divorce him? It’s something you should decide before hand.”

“I want a divorce,” she said. “I know he’s cheating on me. He called a little while ago and told me he had to work late this evening.”

~~~

Edward Sanders worked about a mile away. I took the Tube to his building. About twenty minutes after I arrived, I saw him come out and head for the Tube station. Obviously, he wasn’t working late.

I followed him and sat behind him on the train. I read his mind to get his destination, then sat back and used my phone to check my email.

When we left the tube station, I took a slightly different route than Sanders to reach the house of his mistress. I stood across the street and watched as she answered the door for him. I could understand why he was attracted to her. She was even more beautiful than what I had expected from the images in his mind.

I read her mind, also. She was the lonely trophy wife of a successful businessman who traveled often. Edward Sanders was good looking, and twenty years younger than his mistress’s husband. She wasn’t in love with him, but considered him a wonderful diversion. He wasn’t in love with her, either, but was infatuated that such a rich and beautiful young woman wanted him.

The shades in the living room weren’t drawn, and the amorous couple started their activities immediately upon his entering the house. I pulled my camera from my bag and walked across the street and across her lawn. There was a small tree in an ugly plastic pot sitting in the middle of the lawn, and I had to detour around it.

I could see glimpses of the lovers through the living room window, but reflections in the glass prevented me from a good view. It appeared he was doing her on the dining room table. This was going to be the easiest thousand pounds I’d ever made.

I was so focused on what was going on inside that I didn’t see the hole hidden by the small tree sitting in front of it. I should have realized what a potted tree was doing on the lawn. Someone planned to plant it.

I took a step and my left foot found only air. The world spun around and the camera slipped out of my grasp. My chin hit something hard and I bit my tongue.

When I came to my senses, my right leg was sticking straight up and the rest of me lay twisted in the bottom of a hole. My chin felt like it was on fire, and my tongue hurt like mad. It took me some time to get myself situated and crawl out onto the grass. I looked back. The hole was about two feet deep. I spit, and a spot of bright red blood landed on the green lawn.

I picked up my camera and checked it to make sure it was still working. Looking around, I didn’t see anyone. I waited until my head stopped spinning, then crept up to the window. They were still going at it on the table. I took some pictures, but had to wait for them to shift positions so I could get his face. After a few minutes, I had all I needed.

A sudden noise behind me caused me to turn around. A white-haired woman with binoculars hanging from her neck stuck her head out of the window of the house next door.

“You clumsy cow,” she shouted at me. “Get out of the way. You’re blocking the view.”

I retreated in a hurry, and she raised the binoculars, trained on the window through which I’d been snapping pictures.

Case closed. I walked back to the Tube and went home, holding a handkerchief to my still-bleeding mouth.

About the Author: I made silver and turquoise jewelry for almost a decade, ended up in nursing school, then took a master’s in business. Along the way I worked in construction, as a newspaper editor, a teacher, and somehow found a career working with computers.

I love the outdoors, especially the Rocky Mountains. I’ve skied since high school, with one broken leg and one torn ACL to show for it. I’ve hiked and camped all my life. I love to travel. I’ve seen a lot of Russia and Mexico, not enough of England. Amsterdam is amazing, and the Romanian Alps are breathtaking. I was in Paris and Iceland this summer.

I have a very significant other, two cats and two Basset Hounds. I’m currently living in Baltimore, nine blocks from the harbor, but still own a home in New Mexico.

http://brkingsolver.com/
http://brkingsolver.com/author-s-blog
https://twitter.com/BRKINGSOLVER
https://www.facebook.com/brkingsolver
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5823296.B_R_Kingsolver
http://amazon.com/author/brkingsolver

Cover Reveal! Bewitching Book Tours presents: Rogue's Possession by Jeffe Kennedy

Rogue’s Possession

Covenant of Thorns Series

Book Two

Jeffe Kennedy

October 7, 2012

Book Description:

A human trapped in the world of Faerie, in possession of magic I could not control, I made a bargain for my life: to let the dangerously sensual fae noble known as Rogue sire my firstborn. And one does not break an oath with a fae. But no matter how greatly I desire him, I will not succumb. Not until I know what will happen to the child.

Though unable-or unwilling-to reveal the fate of human-fae offspring himself, Rogue accompanies me on my quest for answers. Along the way he agrees to teach me to harness my power, in exchange for a single kiss each day and sleeping by my side each night. Just as I am about to yield to temptation, I find myself in a deadly game of cat and mouse with an insane goddess. Now my search for the truth will lead me to the darkest of all Faerie secrets.

Rogue’s Pawn

Covenant of Thorns Series

Book One

Jeffe Kennedy

Publisher: Carina Press

ISBN: 978-14268-9406-0

Book Description:

This is no fairy tale…

Haunted by nightmares of a black dog, sick to death of my mind-numbing career and heart-numbing fiancé, I impulsively walked out of my life—and fell into Faerie. Terrified, fascinated, I discover I possess a power I can’t control: my wishes come true. After an all-too-real attack by the animal from my dreams, I wake to find myself the captive of the seductive and ruthless fae lord Rogue. In return for my rescue, he demands an extravagant price—my firstborn child, which he intends to sire himself…

With no hope of escaping this world, I must learn to harness my magic and build a new life despite the perils—including my own inexplicable and debilitating desire for Rogue. I swear I will never submit to his demands, no matter what erotic torment he subjects me to…

Amazon, Barnes and Noble

About the Author

Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning author with a writing career that spans decades. Her fantasy BDSM romance, Petals and Thorns, originally published under the pen name Jennifer Paris, has won several reader awards. Sapphire, the first book in Facets of Passion has placed first in multiple romance contests and the follow-up, Platinum, is climbing the charts. Her most recent works include three fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns, the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion, and the post-apocalyptic vampire erotica of the Blood Currency. 

Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, with two Maine coon cats, a border collie, plentiful free-range lizards and a Doctor of Oriental Medicine. Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com or every Sunday at the popular Word Whores blog.

She is represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg of Foreword Literary.

http://www.jeffekennedy.com/

http://www.jeffekennedy.com/category/blog/

https://www.facebook.com/jeffe.kennedy

https://twitter.com/jeffekennedy

KINDLE FREEBIES: Stonewiser Trilogy by Dora Machado! August 31-Sept 2, Sept 6-7!

CORRECTED FREE DATES: 

AUGUST 31-SEPT 2, SEPT 6-7

Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone

Book 1

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy,

Romantic Fantasy,

Fantasy Romance, Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Mermaid Press

ISBN: 978-0979968204

ASIN: B001F7ATEO

Amazon

Book Description:

Winner of the 2009 Benjamin Franklin Award for best Debut Novel

Finalist for 2009 Foreword Book of the Year Award for SFF

Between truth and deception, between justice and abuse, a stonewiser stands alone with the stones. Or so begins the stonewiser's oath. But what happens when a rebellious stonewiser discovers that lies have tainted the stone tales?

In a world devastated by the rot's widespread destruction, only the tales preserved in the stones can uphold the truth and defend the Goodlands. In this world, stone truth is valued above anyone's word, and stonewisers are the only ones capable of retrieving the tales from the stones, the only link between past and present, order and chaos.

Sariah is the most gifted stonewiser of her generation, but her talent does not atone for her shortcomings. A survivor of the Guild's brutal training, she is curious, willful and disobedient. Yet not even Sariah is prepared for what she finds when she steals into the Guild's Sacred Vaults: A mayhem of lies and intrigues that shatters her world.

Hunted, persecuted, and betrayed, Sariah must make an unlikely alliance with Kael, a cynical rebel leader pledged to a mysterious quest of his own. The fate of their dying world depends on their courage to overcome centuries of hatred and distrust. But not even the grueling journey has prepared them for what they are about to discover. Because nothing is really as it seems, and the truth is more intricate and devastating than they ever suspected....

Stonewiser: The Call of the Stone

Book 2

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy,

Fantasy Romance, Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Mermaid Press

ISBN: 978-0979968228

ASIN: B0047DWZTU

Amazon

Book Description:

Winner of the 2010 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Gold Medal for SF/F

Finalist for the 2010 ForeWord Book of the Year Award for SF/F

Sariah's reward for revealing the stone truth: a death sentence.

The executioners have arrived and Sariah, the most powerful and controversial stonewiser of her generation, has been judged and condemned to death. For the last few months, Sariah has been hiding in the Rotten Domain, trying to find the elusive tale capable of uniting a divided people teetering on the brink of a catastrophic war. As she is dragged to the nets, where an eel rave has been stirred to maximize her execution's gruesome spectacle, Sariah knows she cannot escape her sentence. She is guilty of the crimes for which she's been condemned and no one, not even Kael, the Domain's foremost rebel leader, can save her from the executioners' righteous justice.

But Kael is more than just a formidable warrior; he is also a cunning strategist and Sariah's steadfast lover. Risking all he has, he bargains with the greedy executioners, bribing them into delaying Sariah's execution, buying her precious time and a last chance to realize the mysterious legacy that the stones have imposed on her. The agreement is hardly a reprieve. It encourages a mob to hunt Sariah for ransom, banishing her from the Rotten Domain and imposing heavy fines on anyone who tries to help her. Worse, it requires her to wear an irremovable, mysterious bracelet. If she doesn't return to the executioners with the tale in hand when the allotted time expires, Kael and his kin will be ruined and the bracelet will kill her.

Hunted by the executioners, the Guild and the Shield, Sariah and Kael embark on a desperate search. Their journey will take them to the depths of the Rotten Domain, where Sariah must wise a guiding beam out of the wild tale stored in a stone-carved game. The beam will lead them through the warring Goodlands—where the rot is on the move—to the land beyond the Bastions, where a zealous people guard an ancient stone that could hold the key to their search. Along the way, Sariah and Kael must overcome deadly traps, torture, heartbreak, agonizing defeat and devastating losses in a desperate attempt to avoid war and answer the mysterious call of the stone.

Stonewiser: The Lament of the Stone

Book 3

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy,

Fantasy Romance, Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Mermaid Press

ISBN: 978-0979968235

ASIN: B0051H6SUI

Amazon

Book Description:

"Do you know why the stones grieve?" the woman said to Kael. "Not for a soul, I'll tell you that much. The stones don't grieve for the passing of a lowly woman or the madness of a smitten man. They don't mourn death, or lost love, or broken dreams, or loneliness or despair. Yet you will make them wail. For you, the stones will weep."

In their most perilous adventure yet, Sariah, the rogue stonewiser who stunned the world by discovering lies in the stones and defying the all-powerful Guild, and Kael, the rebel leader who against all odds loves her, must find a stolen child, the only one capable of setting rule upon chaos, preserving the future of stonewising, and defeating the rot ravaging the land. The stakes couldn't be higher. The coveted child they seek is said to be an abomination. He is also their son.

It's a daunting challenge. Their child is in the hands of a deceitful enemy who has fled to a mysterious ruler, a rival deity with unfathomable powers pledged to destroy the goddess and eradicate stonewising from the world. Worse yet, the land is engulfed in strife, the rot is spreading faster than ever, and Kael is haunted by a malevolent curse compelling him to kill the woman he loves.

In a dangerous journey fraught with shocking twists, Sariah and Kael must do more than defeat their foes, unravel the mystifying forces vying to control their lives, and discover the mysteries of ages past. They must challenge the stones, defy the goddess and confront their cursed fates. Because only by embracing their destinies do they stand a chance to save their child and their world.

About the Author:

Dora Machado is the award winning author of the Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, from Twilight Times Books, available July 2013. She is one of the few Latinas exploring her heritage and her world through the epic fantasy genre today. She holds a master's degree in business administration and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University. She was born in Michigan and grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a bilingual fascination for writing, a love for history, and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She enjoys long walks, traveling, and connecting with the amazing readers who share in her mind's adventures. She lives in Florida with her indulging husband and three very opinionated cats.

To learn more about Dora Machado and her novels, visit her website at www.doramachado.com 

Subscribe to her blog at http://www.doramachado.com/blog/ , sign up for her newsletter at http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php  and follow her on Facebook and  Twitter.

About Dora Machado's Novels:

Dora Machado is the award winning author of the Stonewiser trilogy and her newest novel, The Curse Giver. She is one of the few Latinas exploring her heritage and her world through the epic fantasy genre today. Her first novel, Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone, won the 2009 Benjamin Franklin award for best debut novel. Her second novel, Stonewiser: The Call of the Stone, won the 2010 Independent Publishers Book Award's (IPPY) Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy book of the year. Her third novel, Stonewiser: The Lament of the Stone, won the 2012 Independent Publishers Book Award's (IPPY) Silver Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy book of the year. All three novels were finalists in ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Category. Her latest novel, The Curse Giver from Twilight Times Books is available July 2013.

Website: http://www.doramachado.com/

Blog: http://www.doramachado.com/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoraMachado101

Twitter: @DoraMachado or https://twitter.com/DoraMachado

Amazon Author Central: amazon.com/author/doramachado