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Tuesday 22 September 2020

Book Spotlight - Along Came A Spider by Apeksha Rao




Along Came A Spider
Author: Apeksha Rao

Book Description:
Are your Spidey senses tingling?

At 17, Samira Joshi has only one dream in life. She wants to be a spy. And why not? 

Spying runs in the Joshi genes. 

Her great-grandmother was famous for sticking her nose in everyone’s business. Her grandmother had a flourishing side-business of tracking down errant husbands and missing servants. Her parents are elite intelligence agents for RAW.

Yet, they want their only daughter to become a doctor.

When she sees a college friend being trapped by a pimp, Samira does some spying of her own, and discovers the existence of a secret sisterhood of teen spies — The Spyders. And, she wants in!

The question is, do they want her?

To find out, read this fast-paced, gripping YA novel by brand new author, Apeksha Rao.

Buy Links:



Advance praise for Along Came A Spyder:

"A thrilling read with several nail biting moments. Will keep you hooked till the end."
~ Andaleeb Wajid, author of The Legend Of The Wolf

"A fantastic spy story, keeps you on the edge and you can't stop till you finish the book. A fantastic debut book. Look forward to reading more from the author."
~ Kanchana Banerjee, author of Nobody's Child and A Forgotten Affair.

"Witty, snarky and a thorough entertainer, Along Came a Spyder is a welcome addition to India's YA genre."
~ Shilpa Suraj, author of Love, Marriage and Other Disasters, Saved by Love, and, Driven by Desire

"Apeksha Rao writes a taut espionage thriller with a twist-a-minute narrative that is sure to get all readers hooked. The language is flawless, the characterization spot-on, and the plot is filled with rich details. It is the kind of story that you'd leave all your other work aside to read. Be warned!"
~ Neil D'Silva, author of Haunted, Yakshini and Maya's New Husband



About the Author
Apeksha Rao fell in love with words very early in life. 

While other kids of her age were still learning to spell, she was already reading her older brother’s books and comics. 

She wrote her first story at the age of seven and submitted it to Tinkle, a very popular children’s magazine. 

Writing took a backseat, as she established a thriving medical practice.

But Apeksha rekindled her love affair with words, while on maternity leave. 

She would tap away at her keyboard while rocking her twin babies to sleep, as sleep deprivation stimulated her dormant creativity.

She wrote numerous short stories, that she published on her blog. 

Apeksha has been lauded for her taut and gripping stories, that always come with a twist at the end.

In addition to Along Came A Spyder, she has written The Itsy Bitsy Spyder, a prequel novella to the Spyders series.

A Mumbaikar, born and bred, Apeksha comes from a family of doctors. 

At the ripe age of thirty-four, she wound up her practice and moved with her family, to Bengaluru. 

She is now a full-time writer. 

She is also a die-hard foodie, who’s still trying to find the best vada-pav in Bengaluru.

She has twin boys, who keep her on her toes.

Apeksha’s husband is her inspiration to write, as well as her biggest critic.

Author Links:

Monday 21 September 2020

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Romancing the Holidays Anthology

Romancing the Holidays: A First Coast Romance Writers Holiday Anthology
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2020
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:
A dozen ways to fall in love at the holidays…

Come celebrate the holidays with these dozen unique romances, ranging from sweet to steamy and all ending with a happily-ever-after. This anthology of short stories, written by multi-award-winning authors, including New York Times best-selling author, Alyssa Day, will transport you from Labor Day and Halloween antics to Christmas and Valentine romantics. Its stories will whisk you away into contemporary, historical, and paranormal worlds where love prevails. So, savor the authors featured in this enchanting book and bet your heart on some romantic cheer while you enjoy these twelve ways to fall in love.

Proceeds from this novel benefit First Coast Romance Writers, a non-profit chapter of Romance Writers of America that helps writers hone their craft and expand their knowledge of the publishing industry. A portion of the proceeds are also donated to FeedAmerica.org.

Buy Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK

Sunday 20 September 2020

BOOK REVIEW: Anna Banana by Sigal Adler

Anna Banana: Anna Finds a New Home
Author: Sigal Adler
Genre: Picture Book
Publication Date: 1 September 2020

Book Description:
ANNA BANANA:
******************
It was crowded there and hard to rest,
Just half a closet to help her get dressed.
Her only belongings a plant and a ball,
No, there was no space inside there at all.
It was time for Anna to find a whole new place,
a home much wider with plenty more space.

Buy Links:



MY REVIEW

Well, this was a wonderful surprise. I'm usually used to seeing a child as the protagonist of children's books, but this was very refreshing indeed. Anna Banana follows the journey of a senior citizen as she ventures out into the big world to find a new place to call her home. Off with her belongings and pets, she travels day and night searching for the right place to set down her foundation. She tries many different houses of all shapes and sizes but never quite finds the right fit. After residing in one house for two years, she still continues her search until she finally finds the perfect house for her and everything she owns.

This was a charming tale. It goes to show that it's never too late to start over again. I think the choice of character was very fitting for this story. Moving homes can be a very demanding endeavour, especially if you've been in one place for such a long time that you've become so accustomed to your space that the thought of moving is daunting. Change isn't always a welcoming venture, but if a little old lady can pick up and start over again and find solace at the end of her journey, even with the uncertainty Anna faced on her journey, it goes to show that, with perseverance, change can be rather rewarding. It’s a great message, which might be lost on some children, depending on their age, but it’s an enjoyable adventure with a fun quiz for the young ones.

Light and sweet. I would definitely recommend it.

VERDICT


Award: Gold
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Source: Own copy

Saturday 19 September 2020

Book Blitz & Giveaway - A Game of Fate by Scarlett St. Clair

A Game of Fate
Author: Scarlett St. Clair
Publication Date: September 18th, 2020
Genre: Adult Fantasy / Retelling

Book Description:
Hades, God of the Underworld, is known for his inflexible rule, luxurious night clubs, and impossible bargains. Used to control, he is not prepared to discover the Fates have chosen his future wife and Queen—Persephone, Goddess of Spring.

Despite her attraction to the god, Persephone, an ambitious journalism student, is determined to expose Hades for his cruel and ruthless ways.

Hades finds himself faced with the impossible—proving his future bride wrong. Regardless of his efforts, there are forces who wish to keep the two apart and Hades comes to realize he will do anything for his forbidden love, even defy Fate.

Buy Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK

Friday 18 September 2020

Author Interview with Sharon C. Williams - A Rainforest Adventure (Jasper - Amazon Parrot Book 1)

A Rainforest Adventure (Jasper - Amazon Parrot Book 1)
Series Title: The Jasper, Amazon Parrot Series
Author: Sharon C. Williams
Genre: Children’s chapter book, middle grade, action adventure
Publisher: Peculiar Possum
Publication Date: Volume one and two are second edition volumes of the series
vol. 1: July 9, 2019
vol. 2: July 23, 2019
vol 3: December 10, 2019

Book Description:
Jasper is no ordinary parrot.

He lives in the rainforest, which secrets he’s eager to explore. Jasper loves his home and his family, and he's also in charge of his younger brother Willie - a responsibility Jasper takes very seriously.

When he meets Charlie - a spider monkey with a penchant for food and a laid back attitude - he realizes he’s in for an adventure he never thought possible.   Even if this means getting into danger and worrying his mother to no end.

Exploring the boundaries of the forest, Jasper understands that there is more to the world around him. Who are the strange new creatures that have come there? With Willie and Charlie by his side, he will soon find out.

Buy Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Audible ¦ iTunes

Thursday 17 September 2020

Cover Reveal - Mercenary by Bella Di Corte

Mercenary
(Gangsters of New York, #3)
Author: Bella Di Corte
Publication Date: November 13th, 2020
Genre: Adult Romance Suspense

Book Description:
I had something to live for.

The moment I saw him, I knew.

His eyes would hypnotize.
His lips would speak the most beautiful promises.
His body? Made for pleasure.

But if Corrado Capitani thought that he could fool me into thinking he was a good man, he was wrong.
The moment I saw him, I knew the truth.

Those eyes hid his poisonous heart.
Those lips were vessels of deception.
That body? Made for inflicting pain.

He wasn’t sent from heaven. He was sent to drag me back to hell.

I had something to die for.

Alcina Parisi had a price on her head, and she’d eluded the best. She thought no one would ever find her, but I did. Everyone in our world called me Scorpio—the man who never let the enemy go. But she was a weapon, not an adversary, and I’d claimed her as mine.

Mercenary is the third of three books set in the savage world of the Gangsters of New York series.

Pre-Order Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK



About the Author
Bella Di Corte has been writing romance for seven years, even longer if you count the stories in her head that were never written down, but she didn’t realize how much she enjoyed writing alphas until recently. Tough guys who walk the line between irredeemable and savable, and the strong women who force them to feel, inspire her to keep putting words to the page.

Apart from writing, Bella loves to spend time with her husband, daughter, and family. She also loves to read, listen to music, cook meals that were passed down to her, and take photographs. She mostly takes pictures of her family (when they let her) and her three dogs.

Bella grew up in New Orleans, a place she considers a creative playground.

She loves to connect with readers, so don’t hesitate to email her at belladicorte@gmail.com if you’d like to reach out. 


Author Links:
Website ¦ Goodreads ¦ Facebook ¦ Instagram ¦ Bookbub


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Monday 14 September 2020

Blog Tour Promo - Tropical Doubts by David Myles Robinson



Tropical Doubts
Author: David Myles Robinson
Genre: Legal Thriller

Book Description:
When Honolulu’s flamboyant and quirky attorney, Pancho McMartin, agrees to step out of his normal role as a criminal defense lawyer, he thinks it will be a challenging but welcome change from his daily dose of criminal clients. His old friend and father-figure, Manny Delacruz, has beseeched Pancho to handle a medical malpractice claim against the physicians who botched what should have been a routine surgery, but which resulted in Manny’s beloved wife being in a permanent vegetative state. The case looks good, the damages enormous, but when Manny is arrested for the murder of one of the doctors, Pancho finds himself back in his old role. If Manny is convicted, it means he won’t be able to be at his wife’s bedside to hold her hand, caress her face, and read his poems to her. He will have lost his reason to live. The pressure on Pancho is enormous. While he and his team try to make sense out of one of the most sinister and complicated murder schemes he’s ever seen, the medical malpractice case chugs forward, in jeopardy of being worthless should Manny be convicted.

Buy Links:

Other Books by David Myles Robinson:






CHAPTER 1

Pancho McMartin watched as his client, newly convicted of murder, was escorted to the side door of the courtroom by two men in brown jumpsuits with “Sheriff” stenciled across the back. The client, a large Samoan in his early twenties, had a shaved head. Except for his face, every square inch of visible flesh was tattooed.

With shackles on his wrists and ankles, he shuffled to the door and then stopped and glanced over his shoulder at Pancho. He’d sat through the trial with a look of absolute disdain, even menace, and now Pancho almost laughed out loud at the expression on the man’s face—fear. Pancho gave him a small nod, which he hoped would convey some sense of encouragement. Not that there was much to encourage. The Samoan would spend the rest of his life in prison unless Pancho could win an appeal of little or no merit.

His client disappeared through the door, and Pancho was alone in the courtroom. He shivered as the room, now empty, returned to its usual freezing temperature. He leaned his elbows on the counsel table and put his head in his hands. This was his third trial loss in a row, the second this year—a record for him. Pancho knew his client was guilty and hadn’t wanted to take the case. But the client’s family in Samoa and Oceanside, California, had collected the $250,000 fee Pancho charged for a murder case. Even then he might have turned the case down, but Pancho’s private investigator and best friend, Drew Tulafono, had asked him to take it on.

“The guy’s family in Oceanside goes to church with my mother,” Drew had said. “And they’re using all their powers of persuasion to get her to get me to get you to take the case.”

“Don’t they know he’s guilty as hell?” Pancho asked.

Drew nodded. “Pretty much, although they’re hoping he’ll get off with self-defense. But the main thing here is that Samoan families, mine included, are tight-knit and supportive of each other. If someone’s in trouble, the family’s sacred duty is to come to their aid in whatever way possible.”

So Pancho had taken the client on and had presented a decent case for self-defense. In the end, however, Pancho figured the jury just couldn’t get past the way his client looked, which was like a gangbanger who would just as soon kill you as step out of your way.

Pancho sighed heavily and ran his hand through his long brown hair. Three in a row. He wondered if he was losing his touch. He felt tired and depressed. It had been a bad six months. Just before he’d taken on this loser of a case, his longtime girlfriend, Paula Mizono, a financial adviser, had tearfully told him she was accepting a position in Hong Kong. She loved him, she said, but she was in the prime of her work life and this opportunity, at triple her current salary, was too hard to pass up. “Besides,” she said, almost as an afterthought, “even though I knew what I was getting into when we hooked up, the fact of the matter is we hardly see each other. I’m off to work at three in the morning because of the time change to New York, and I’m ready to hit the sack by the time you get home.”

Pancho had lost his first wife to the long hours of his law practice and had vowed not to lose Paula. It was her job that caused the split, he told himself. But the pain of the loss and the loneliness of his empty bed hurt just the same.

The door to the judge’s chambers opened and Lew, the bailiff, poked his head into the courtroom. “You all pau in here, Mr. McMartin? I need to lock up.”

Pancho nodded and stood. “Yes, Lew, I’m done. Put a fork in me.”

“For what it’s worth,” Lew said, walking into the courtroom and pulling his keys out of his pocket, “I thought you did a great job on a dead loser of a case.”

Pancho gave a wan smile. “Thanks.” He loosened his tie, picked up his briefcase, and walked out of courtroom into the real world.










David Myles Robinson was a trial attorney in Honolulu, HI for 38 years before retiring to the mountains of New Mexico, where he lives with his wife, a former Honolulu trial judge. In the days of yore, before becoming a lawyer, he was a freelance journalist and a staff reporter for a minority newspaper in Pasadena, CA. He is an award-winning author of six novels, three of which are Pancho McMartin legal thrillers set in Honolulu.

Having traveled to all seven continents, he has also published a travel memoir entitled CONGA LINE ON THE AMAZON, which includes two Solas Traveler’s Tales award winners. He says he includes his middle name, Myles, in his authorial appellation because there are far too many other David Robinson’s running around.

Author Links:



Blog Tour Organised by:
http://www.pumpupyourbook.com

Sunday 13 September 2020

Paperback Release Launch & Giveaway - Arcadia Saga by Al Stone



From Amazon Best-Selling Author Al Stone
comes the Paperback Edition of the ARCADIA SAGA,
an epic young-adult fantasy series
brought to you by Centrinian!

Be sure to grab your copy today!

Join us today in celebrating the new paperback edition.

Enter below for a chance to win 1 of 3 $10 Amazon Gift Cards and 1 of 2 Signed Paperback Copies of Talisman Of El!

Friday 11 September 2020

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Phantoms in the Moonlight Anthology

Phantoms in the Moonlight
Authors: Alaine Greyson, Marie McGrath, S. C. Morgan
Publication Date: September 8th, 2020
Genre: Adult Horror / Thriller

Book Description:
11 stories to fright and delight. As the air turns cooler and bonfires take over the night, gather around the fire for stories of fall fun, strange occurrences and abject terror.

These stories published by authors S. C. Morgan, Marie McGrath and Alaine Greyson are sure to get your heart pumping and take your imagination on a wild ride.

Buy Links:

Tuesday 8 September 2020

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Beginning's End by M. Dalto

Beginning’s End
(The Empire Saga #3)
Author: M. Dalto
Published by: Parliament House
Publication Date: September 8th, 2020
Genre: NA Fantasy

Book Description:
Ever since her unexpected return to the Empire, all Queen Empress Alexstrayna wanted was to protect her family. Despite of the life-altering events that occurred within the Borderlands, her family – those that remained- were all she had left, and as Empress is was her predestined duty to protect the while ensuring the safety of the Empire.

But when the ever-threatening forces from the Borderlands challenge all she has worked towards to maintain that peace, she must search within herself to discover a new magic stronger than anything the Annals have foretold before.

Buy Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK

Saturday 5 September 2020

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Escape by Deana Birch

Escape
(The Covington Heights Crew #1)
Author: Deana Birch
Publication Date: September 1st, 2020
Genre: Adult Romance Suspense

Book Description:
FROM POPULAR ROMANCE AUTHOR DEANA BIRCH

Book one in The Covington Heights Crew series

The only thing she has to give is exactly what they want.

The Covington Heights Crew has a funny way of protecting their own. With rapes from rival gangs and human trafficking riddling their poverty-stricken streets, they’ll keep the girls from their neighborhood safe—for a price. No money? No worries. They have quite creative payment plans.

Messed up? Yeah, they know. They’re criminals.

Twenty-one-year-old Fiona Thompson was happy to stay off the radar of the twisted drug dealers who encourage her mother’s habit. She’s sure that she can work her way out of Covington and find a better life for herself and her baby sister. But then she beeped. Loud.

Second-in-command Leo Ricci is a poser. The web of lies he’s spun for a life unravels every time he’s around Fiona—every day he’s trying to keep her safe and every second he’s avoiding his destiny.

When his missteps challenge the authority to which he’s pledged his allegiance and Fiona’s life is at stake, there’s only one solution—become the man he never wanted to be and leave the place that was saving him from a worse, but unavoidable fate.

Buy Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo

Thursday 3 September 2020

Cover Reveal - Limitless by Kaylene Winter

Limitless
(A Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance, #2)
Author: Kaylene Winter
Publication Date: October 9th, 2020
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:
“She snuck up on me and stole my heart…

Sexy Viking drummer Jace Deveraux used his genius marketing skills to help propel Less than Zero (LTZ) to the top.

Friends-with-benefits was the only thing he was capable of.

Until free-spirited social media influencer Alexandria LeRoux made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Their secret, spontaneous global hookups were decadent, erotic, extraordinary.

For the first time in his life, Jace wants it all

Including a future with Alex.

Will one fateful night destroy his chance with her forever?

“I’ll travel the world for him…”

Ethereal animal-lover Alex had one goal in mind:

Conquer playboy Jace before they both left Seattle.

Her plans for him certainly didn’t include forever.

But their first time was so sublime, it ruined her for anyone else

What’s a girl to do?

Enjoy him in as many countries as possible, that’s what.

Except Alex has her own dreams and they’re already in motion.

Will Jace ever follow her for a change?

Their lives orbit on different courses, but gravity always seems to pull them back together…

Unless a blast from the past blows their chance to smithereens.

LIMITLESS is book 2 in the Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance Series.

Buy Links:
Amazon US ¦ UK



About the Author

When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990's, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.


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Wednesday 2 September 2020

Cover Reveal - The Night's Chosen by Emily Hornburg

The Night’s Chosen
(The Cursed Queens Series, #1)

Author: Emily Hornburg
Published by: City Owl Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2020
Genre: Adult Fairy Tales / Retelling / Romance

Book Description:
CHOSEN OF THE MOON GODDESS. DESTINED TO RULE. FATED TO MARRY.

A QUEST TO SAVE HER FAMILY, KINGDOM, AND HEART.

In this retelling of Snow White, for the past five years Princess Eira has run from her impending wedding. As much as she loves her goddess and kingdom, she’s searched the kingdoms for another way to rule as queen someday while also choosing her own husband. Yet, Eira’s claim to the crown falls into jeopardy when her father, King Brennus, is poisoned and fated to a sleep of living death and Eira is next on the assassin’s hit list – who happens to be her stepmother, Queen Amelia. After Eira escapes Queen Amelia’s clutches she journeys to the northern Paravian mountains in search of an enchanted cup to save her father.

Yet Eira’s quest is more than she anticipated with evading Queen Amelia’s guards, traveling with the one man she shouldn’t be with, and having to bargain with the ancient dragon guarding the enchanted cup. She’ll have to decide how to save her family and kingdom, even if it means sacrificing her heart and all she’s wanted her whole life.


About the Author
Emily is an author of fantasy novels who has had a life long love affair with stories and the written word. Her debut novel, The Night’s Chosen, a retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, will be published with City Owl Press October 6, 2020.

She’s a Chicago South-Sider, aunt to the best niece ever, expert at the fan-girl flail, a wheelchair “part-timer” with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, dog mom, Hufflepuff, coffee addict, and has a degree in youth and theatre ministry.

When not devouring or creating books, you can find Emily watching Gilmore Girls (for the 20th time), belting out showtunes, attending the latest con, brainstorming how she can go to Disney World (again), or figuring out how to make the perfect combination of chocolate and nachos.

Author Links:
Website ¦ Goodreads ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter ¦ Instagram


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