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New! Valkyrie Love by Viviana MacKade

Blurb:
Brenna left Asgard with a curse on her name and a broken heart.
A Valkyrie now free and independent, for millennia her life had been great. Just great.
Then a bleeding Elf knocks at her door holding a baby.

Alexander Reed left the Marines and lost the wheel of his life.
A soldier without a worthy fight, he became everything he despised.
Until he ends up in the wrong backyard at the wrong time.

Fljóða, Queen of the Light Elves and last of her lineage, is an infant with a death sentence on her head.
Hunted by the Night Elves, her survival brings Brenna and Reed together for the ultimate mission: take the little Queen to safety in the Vanaheim Realm, deep in the Roots of Yggdrasil.

Not simple, but straightforward.
Or so it seemed.
Between flaming giants, demons, and an army of Half Breed determined to kill the Queen and conquer all the Elvin Realms, Brenna and Reed will have to face their inner monsters.
Monsters appearing in the form of feelings neither want but cannot control.

Buy links:

Amazon Kindle ~ only 99 cents while in preorder

Amazon Vella ~ Get 3 episodes FREE

Follow Valkyrie Love on tour! Find the dates at www.viviana-mackade.blog

An interview with Brenna:

NA: Brenna, welcome! We’re anxious to know more about you.

Where were you born? Where do you live now? What do you like and dislike about it?

Brenna: Technically, I was created in Asgard, never born. Now I live In Montana. I love what Reed and I are doing there. Shoveling snow sucks, though.

NA: If I searched your name online, what would it say?

Brenna: That it means Sword, which is exactly why I picked it.

NA: Do you have any bad habits?

Brenna: Oh, Reed would have a field day answering this question. I’d say, not listening to (his) advice on combat moves and general fighting would be the biggest. It got me into some trouble, that’s for sure. I also leave dirty cups in the sink.

NA: Which dead person would you most want to meet? Why?

Brenna: I met so, so many famous people, the kind that changed history’s course, that I can be satisfied. If I had a chance, I’d like to meet Reed’s mom and dad. I’ve never had that. They must have been great, because they raised a great man.

NA: Who do you trust the most? Who do you not trust?

Brenna: I started out trusting the circle made of my closest “family”. Got burned badly, so didn’t trust anyone after that. Enter Reed. I trust him.

NA: Do you have a pet? If yes, what is it? Is it a rescue or breeder?

Brenna: We sort of have this dog. His name is Dog. Because, you know, he’s one. So he appeared one morning, everything was covered in snow and freezing, and this guy looked at us, just looked. So now we have a dog. I’ve never had a pet. I like it.

NA: Have you ever eaten food straight from the ground or from the tree? What was it?

Brenna: You should really read our story. Then things we ate…

NA: If someone told you a secret, are you likely to keep it?

Brenna: Definitely.

NA: When you met the other main character, what did you like about them? What did you dislike about them?

Brenna: He was an exceptional fighter, and that was the reason why I proposed him the mission. I didn’t like how he asked all these questions about me. I wasn’t sure about the answer back then, and it got me mad.

NA: What will the reader like about you right away?

Brenna: That I’m a badass with a very interesting sword, and not afraid to use it.

Viviana bio and links:
Beach bum and country music addicted, Viviana lives in a small Floridian town with her die-hard fans and personal cheer squad: her husband, her son, and her daughter. She spends her days between typing on her beloved keyboard, playing in the pool with her babies, and eating whatever her husband puts on her plate (the guy is that good, and she really loves eating). Besides beaching, she enjoys long walks, horse-riding, hiking, and pretty much whatever she can do outside with her family.

Find Viviana:

The best way to know me is through my website (and the books I host): http://www.viviana-mackade.blog/

On FB

On Twitter

Amazon Author page

Book review: Privilege by Tina Donahue

WOW! What a book! Here’s info about Privilege and the first book in the series, Target. See my review at the end.

Privilege

The Valesky Crime Family Book 2

by Tina Donahue

Genre: Dark Mafia Romance

She’ll destroy the mobsters who murdered her brother… unless they kill her first.

District cop Lia Blosky warned her twin brother not to get involved with the Valesky Crime Family. He didn’t listen. Now, he’s dead, tortured horribly before mobsters murdered him. Out for blood, she’ll do anything to see these monsters dead.

FBI Special Agent Adrian Kalin is connected to the Valesky Family in a way he loathes and doesn’t want. His stepfather rules the syndicate and is tired of Lia threatening to kill him and others responsible for her brother’s death. To shut her up for good, he orders Adrian to murder her. Who better than an FBI agent who has no connection to her and knows how to hide evidence?

Adrian resists, but if it comes down to saving Lia or his brothers and mother from Dimitri’s rage, he’ll have to choose family.

In a deadly game between each other and the mob, Lia and Adrian fight to survive… while also surrendering to their undeniable attraction to each other.

This is book two in the Valesky Crime Family series, can be enjoyed independently and has an HEA.

Publisher’s Note: This contemporary dark mafia romance contains elements of mystery, suspense, action, adventure, adult themes, and possible triggers for some readers.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Books2Read

Target

The Valesky Crime Family Book 1

A Russian kingpin wants her dead… the only one who can stop it is the man sent to murder her.

Toni Flores loved her dream job working for a respected US senator until he raped her. She’s determined to bring him to justice, no matter the cost.

For years, Dimitri Valesky, head of a Russian crime family in America, has bought off those in government. Just like the senator responsible for Toni’s assault. When she won’t keep quiet about it and risks Dimitri’s business, he orders his stepson Michael to kill her.

Michael’s a lobbyist not a mafia enforcer. He refuses the insane demand, but Dimitri insists. The power he holds over Michael and his brothers is absolute… or so he believes.

Rather than murder Toni, Michael intends to romance her. Once he convinces her to keep quiet about the Senator, she won’t be a target any longer and Dimitri will back off on the hit. The plan falls apart and now they are dodging mafia enforcers, bullets, and Dimitri’s outrage.

Michael and Toni fight to stay alive and save those dearest to them as they also fall hopelessly in love.

This is book one in the Valesky Crime Family series and has an HEA.

Publisher’s Note: This contemporary dark mafia romance contains elements of mystery, suspense, action, adventure, adult themes, and possible triggers for some readers.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Google * Kobo * Books2Read * Blushing Books

Tina’s an Amazon and international bestselling novelist who writes passionate romance for every taste – ‘heat with heart’ – for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. She’s won Readers’ Choice Awards, was named a finalist in the EPIC competition, received a Book of the Year award, The Golden Nib Award, awards of merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competitions, and second place in the NEC RWA contests. She’s featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.

On a less serious note: she’s an admitted and unrepentant chocoholic, brakes for Mexican restaurants, and has been known to moan like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally while wolfing down tostadas. She’s flown a single-engine airplane (freaking scary), rewired an old house using an ‘electricity for dummies’ book, and is horribly shy despite the hot romances she writes.

Website * MeWe * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$15 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review

Law or crime? That’s the dilemma faced by anyone near to the Valeskys

Lia Blosky is a police officer—a good, honest, smart cop. But she’ll never get ahead for those very reasons. She thinks she knows what’s going on in the precinct but proving it is a different matter. What she does know is that her little brother ignored her advice of staying away from the Valesky crime family. He didn’t. Now Lia is making no secret that she is out to get everyone who had anything to do with his death. That’s a dangerous claim to make if the very people you count on to back you up in the field have allegiances elsewhere.

Adrian Kalin is a special agent with the FBI but he’s also Dimitri Valesky’s stepson. Thank God no one knows! He hates being involved in any way with Valesky, but the man is devious as well as dangerous and he has found a way to weave his mafia web around each of his stepsons to make them do things they despise. The web? Keep them close to do Valesky’s bidding—inside information, tracking people, making deals—all to benefit the organization. The bait Valesky uses to keep everyone in line? Their mother, and the threat that Valesky will hurt one of the other brothers.

When Adrian is ordered to find and murder a pesky cop making noise about killing Dimitri, Valesky has finally crossed the line with Adrian…unless she’s so willful he has no choice but to kill her. She’s beautiful and talented and a real handful. But if it comes down to her or his mother or one of his brothers, she’s a goner.

I hadn’t read Target, so I wondered if I’d get lost in details about the family and characters in Privilege. Tina’s excellent writing made sure that didn’t happen. The books are truly stand alone. I found Privilege to be exciting without lots of shoot-‘em-up scenes or bodies littered everywhere. These characters used their brains first and brawn second, which made the book more thrilling. Of course, Lia and Adrian light up the night with their attraction and the book is steamy—something I like. The suspense is tangible, the characters compelling. I’m going back to read Target, and an author can’t get a better endorsement that that. I recommend Privilege!

Hurry! 99 Cents…for now. From Lisabet Sarai: At the Margins of Madness

Blurb MM Paranormal erotic romance (Five flames):

Nineteen year old Kyle sees visions of disasters, visions that tear his world apart. Everyone assumes that he is schizophrenic, but Rob, the cop who picks him up off the street, knows better.

Rob’s own experience has taught him that psychic powers are real, and potentially devastating. Since his telepathic sister’s brutal murder, Rob wants nothing to do with “gifted” individuals like Kyle. Yet he can’t deny his attraction to the beautiful, tortured young man – an attraction that appears to be mutual.

When a brilliant, sadistic practitioner of the black arts lures Kyle into his clutches, Rob faces the possibility that once again he may lose the person he loves most to the forces of darkness.

Note: This novel was previously published by Totally Bound under the title Necessary Madness. It has been revised and reformatted for this edition.

Buy links:

Kinky Literature: https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/917-at-the-margins-of-madness-a-tale-of-power-and-love/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QQG683R/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09QQG683R/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/at-the-margins-of-madness-lisabet-sarai/1140911192?ean=2940165754531

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1127718

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/at-the-margins-of-madness-a-tale-of-power-and-love

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60179575-at-the-margins-of-madness

Online excerpt (X-rated)

https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2022/01/sizzling-sunday-new-mm-paranormal.html

Introduction:

Valley of Stories

Near the center of Massachusetts, the huge, butterfly-shaped Quabbin Reservoir practically divides the state in two. Constructed in the nineteen thirties to satisfy the thirst of the Boston metropolitan area, Quabbin figuratively divided the state as well, pitting the rural inhabitants of the Swift River Valley against the city dwellers in the state capitol. Four towns – Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott – were drowned by Quabbin’s advancing waters. The houses of their inhabitants were dismantled and relocated on higher ground. Bodies were exhumed from their graves and reburied elsewhere. Forests were leveled in order to reduce the amount of degrading biological material that would pollute the reservoir. The land that had belonged to Dana and its unfortunate fellows was allocated to neighboring towns. Communities which had prospered in the valley since the seventeen hundreds ceased to exist.

Needless to say, the Swift River Valley is haunted. Even if you don’t know the history, you can’t escape the sense of mystery as you drive the winding length of Route 202, which hugs the west end of the reservoir. The evergreens that were planted to protect the watershed have grown tall now, shadowing the road. The woods around the man-made lake are home to bears, bald eagles, wildcats and perhaps stranger, more secret beings. On the eastern shore, overgrown dirt lanes meander through the village of Petersham, sending tentative fingers toward the still water.

Ghosts of the dispossessed inhabitants from the flooded towns still seem to hover in the area. They’re joined by older creatures from the earlier times when the Algonkian natives fished in the Swift River, grew their corn along the banks, and worshiped the spirits of the forest.

I’m not the only individual to feel that the Swift River Valley is full of supernatural stories. The movie version of Stephen King’s Dreamcatcher features the reservoir as a prominent plot element. The cult horror author H.P. Lovecraft explicitly set his now-classic tale “The Color Out of Space” in the valley before its flooding. A variety of other authors and singers have been touched by the mystery that seems to permeate the place.

My MM paranormal romance At the Margins of Madness is partially set in the Quabbin Valley. The book revolves around various psychic powers – precognition, telepathy and the like. I used to live near Quabbin, and had friends in Petersham. It seemed like a natural place for the home of a consulting witch who helps individuals with psi talents to understand and control their abilities.

Excerpt:

“Kitchen’s here, with the door out to the back porch. Only one bathroom, I’m afraid. Here’s the guest room—your room. The closet’s empty; you’re welcome to put your stuff in there.”

Rob led Kyle through his apartment, fussing and clucking like a mother hen. He wondered for the hundredth time whether this was a mistake. The guy was just so damned beautiful. Rob could hardly bear to be close to him. Driving the few miles from St. Vincent’s to his building, Rob had tried to pay attention to the road, but he couldn’t help sneaking sidelong glances at the mysterious, sensual face of his companion. Kyle seemed to be brooding. Maybe he had his doubts, too.

“What stuff?” Kyle spread his arms, a half-smile on his plump lips. “Everything I own is on my back.”

“I’ll take you over to Greendale Mall so you can pick up some new clothes. Loan you some cash until you get on your feet.”

“What makes you think I’ll ever ‘get on my feet’, Sergeant Murphy?”

“Rob. Please.”

“Okay, Rob.” Kyle stared at the mostly bare maple outside the guest room window, before turning back to confront him. “Why should anything be different now?” Rob heard the bitterness in his voice. “I have a disease, and I don’t mean the ulcer. I’m cursed. I see terrible things, and I can’t stop them. It’s getting worse all the time. There are only two possibilities. Either I’ll kill myself, or I’ll truly go insane.”

Rob suppressed the urge to take the man in his arms. Instead, he settled for an avuncular pat on the shoulder. “It’s only your imagination, Kyle. Your mind playing tricks on you. Once you understand that, maybe you can suppress the visions. Or control them.”

Kyle sank down onto the bed. His dark eyes burnt under exquisitely arched brows. “My imagination? You know that’s not true.”

Rob lowered himself onto the desk chair. He wished that he were somewhere else. He wanted to help Kyle, but he really didn’t like where the conversation was going.

“What else could it be? These spells—they’re like seizures. Storms of random activity in your brain that make you see things. I was there at the hospital, remember, when it hit you yesterday. You were completely out of touch, yelling about the brake, the gas tank, groaning and crying. You were delusional.”

“It was a crash,” Kyle intoned. “At least five cars. Glass everywhere. The screech of rubber, the stink of leaking gasoline, and then the explosion and the smell of charred flesh… Check the papers, Rob. Call the police station. If it hasn’t happened yet, it will soon.”

“You really believe that your hallucinations foretell the future?” Rob remembered the night he’d picked Kyle up, the narrowly averted catastrophe at the address Kyle had seen.

“I only wish that they didn’t. All I ever see is violence and pain.” Kyle buried his face in his hands.

Rob moved to the bed, next to his guest, and put his arm around the denim-clad shoulders. He couldn’t help himself. “Look, that’s crazy. This isn’t some kind of horror movie. This is real life. There’s a rational explanation for everything.” He was trying to convince himself as much as Kyle. He didn’t want anything more to do with psychic abilities. Never again.

Kyle skewered him with a dark stare, hurt and angry. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I thought that you wanted to help me.”

Rob tensed. Kyle was so close. The funk of his old sweat rose from the worn jacket, along with a trace of disinfectant. Rob could see the pulse beating in the boy’s pale temple. He felt his own blood rush to his groin.

Kyle trembled. His nostrils flared. His eyes gleamed. Rob felt the pull, a magnet focused on his groin. It would be so easy to gather that taut young body to his chest, to fasten his mouth on Kyle’s ripe lips, to take control. But that wasn’t what the man needed. Kyle needed responsible strength. Logic. Maturity. With a heroic effort, Rob smothered his fantasies.

“I do want to help. If I didn’t, do you think I would have taken you in? I just want you to be realistic. To recognize that even when you think you’re seeing future events, that’s a delusion.”

Kyle wasn’t listening, not really. Rob could see him adjust his face, hiding his emotions, shuttering those bright eyes, donning a false smile. Putting on a mask. “Whatever you say, Rob. Maybe you’re right. After all, most nut cases think their visions are real.”

“You’re not a ‘nut case’, Kyle.”

“Are you sure?” He giggled. “You can’t have it both ways, you know. Either I’m prescient, or I’m insane.”

Meet Lisabet:

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (https://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, Bookbub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list and get a free ebook, plus exclusive contents and other benefits: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh

New release from Jan Selbourne!! Full Circle

An historical novel of mystery, intrigue, revenge, and love

Some women are just stubborn, as Lloyd Harrington discovers when he drags Carey Stafford back to London. Maybe the feel of a noose around her pretty neck will dispel the sweetness of her revenge.

As you can tell from these two comments, Jan Selbourne’s new book, Full Circle , is not all sweetness and light. But it is a fantastic model of intrigue, characters who masquerade as one thing and then another, murder and mystery, spanning two continents. And I musn’t forget revenge–lots of revenge! I loved it! I think you will, too.

Full Circle is available for 99 cents until February 1, when the price will increase (although not too much!) Really, with Jan’s attention to detail, her faithfulness to historical accuracy, and her amazing storytelling, her books are bargains at any price. If you’re a fan of Jan’s, you know what I’m talking about. If you’re new to her, do you ever have a treat in store!

Please enjoy this remarkable book!

Blurb:

According to Dr. Arthur Sanders, a terrible miscarriage of justice has taken place. His entire fortune and that of his partner, Mr. Frank Owens, has disappeared along with Owen’s secretary/accountant and the secretary’s assistant. Owens himself is visiting the Australian colony. Is he, like Sanders, a victim or the perpetrator? That is what Sanders wants Lloyd Harrington to find out and as swiftly as possible.

Harrington is recovering from an injury received while on the job in the Metropolitan Police as well as guilt from a personal loss. He’s bored from forced inactivity and the chance to use his skills to track down Owens interests him. Sanders agrees to pay all expenses, and so Harrington sets off for Australia. Before he leaves, a body is discovered—the secretary. And the assistant holds a ticket on a ship bound for Australia. It seems the action is all set to take place Down Under.

Miss Carey Stafford arrives at the home of Owens’ host just as Harrington does and announces to the stunned Owens that he is bankrupt, along with his partner, Dr. Sanders. How does she know this, Harrington wonders. His tingly detective senses warn him that something very wrong is going on here, and he arrests the lovely Carey for theft and possible participant in the murder of Owen’s secretary. He has no way of knowing then that she holds secrets upon secrets upon secrets. They will either provide the answers to everything or will drag Lloyd into a morass of trouble with his former comrades at the Met.

Full Circle is a complex tale of mystery, intrigue, and revenge. How the tale and its principals actually come full circle will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Buy link:

Amazon Kindle

Excerpt:

Lloyd and Frank Owens followed William into the hall and were about to enter the room opposite when the dogs outside set up a chorus of barking. Hooves and coach wheels grew louder and halted outside.

“Who the devil is this?” William fumed as a housemaid hurried to the entrance. A murmur of voices and as the maid stood aside, Lloyd stared in disbelief at the woman walking in. The same woman from the coach in the mud and the White Hart Inn but now her red hair was hanging in ringlets on both sides of her heavily made-up face, and she was wearing spectacles. He really was at the local playhouse or very soon he’d wake up.

“How dare you walk in here uninvited,” William said angrily and pointed at Lloyd. “Do you know this woman?”

“I don’t.”

William swung back to her. “This man has just walked in without a by your leave and now you! What next, half the town?”

The woman’s eyes widened with surprise seeing Lloyd, then ignoring William Parker, walked up to Frank Owens, standing in the doorway of the study.

“I have news for you,” she said softly.

“You know this woman?” William demanded.

Her eyes never wavered from Owens. “Mr Owens, you and Doctor Sanders are now penniless.”

Owens’ mouth dropped open. “What did you say?”

“The financial portfolio you shared with Arthur Sanders is no more. The lease on your London home was terminated on 31st March. Your home in Berkshire was sold. Your bank account is empty. Arthur Sanders has lost everything but his clothes.”

A pin dropping would be louder than a pistol shot.

It took several seconds before Owens found his voice. “Who are you?”

When the woman didn’t reply he began spluttering, “What on earth are you talking about?” His face was now a sickly white. “You know nothing of my business affairs.”

The woman shrugged eloquently. “You have no business affairs, you are ruined. Destroy and you will be destroyed.”

Frank glanced at Lloyd and back to the woman. “This is ridiculous. I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Soft footsteps and the attractive middle-aged woman walked across the hall. Her cold eyes glared at the woman. “I am Amelia Parker and I demand you explain this outrageous intrusion.”

“I don’t have to explain anything to you,” was the icy reply. Her attention returned to Frank. “I almost forgot. Your letter of credit. It’s obvious you haven’t presented it to a bank otherwise you’d know it is not worth the paper it’s printed on.”

Lloyd snapped out of his trance. “Don’t take another step. How did you know about this and what is your connection with Mr Owens and Dr Sanders?”

Ignoring him, she brushed past Williams and his wife and walked to the front entrance. Lloyd followed and put his hand on her shoulder. “I said, not another step.”

Her dark eyes flashed angrily. “Take your hand off me.”

Lloyd’s grip tightened on her shoulder. “Who are you and where or from whom did you learn of this crime?”

“None of your business.”

“It is very much my business. I am investigating a crime committed in London and the police are investigating a death connected with that crime.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Your business has nothing to do with me, so I suggest you solve your crime in London, not here.” Pulling herself away from his hand she walked out onto the porch.

Stunned he’d let her pull away, Lloyd followed and grasped her arm. “I haven’t finished. While on leave from the Metropolitan Police I was retained by Arthur Sanders to find Frank Owens. Now, answer my questions.”

“A London policeman here in the middle of New South Wales? Surely you can do better than that. A duke from a small European principality would impress those country upstarts in there a lot more.”

Despite himself, Lloyd felt admiration for her standing up to him. His grasp on her arm tightened and he pulled her back into the drawing room. “Slorrach, I’d be obliged if you’d bring me a length of rope.”

Slorrach glanced at William who nodded. Lloyd waited until he left the room, then pushed the woman into a chair and spoke to the three dumbfounded people staring at him.

“Last March, Arthur Sanders asked me to find the person or persons responsible for embezzling money from his business partnership with Frank Owens.” He told them what had transpired and about Henry Todd’s death. “The police believe it was a vicious robbery. However, I am sure they have discovered more since I left England. That’s not all. Mark Davis’s reference was forged, and a snooping servant found his ship’s passage to this colony.”

Frank’s eyes bulged. “Henry is dead and Mark Davis here?”

Lloyd glanced at the young woman whose face was as white as Frank’s.

William Parker’s face was red with anger. “What the devil is going on Frank?”

Author Jan Selbourne:

Jan Selbourne was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and her love of literature and history began as soon as she learned to read and hold a pen. After graduating from a Melbourne Business College her career began in the dusty world of ledgers and accounting, working in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. On the point of retiring, she changed course to work as secretary of a large NSW historical society. Now retired Jan is enjoying her love of travelling and literature. She has two children, a stray live in cat and lives near Maitland, New South Wales.

Author links:

Website: https://nomadauthors.com/JanSelbourne/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jan.selbourne
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanSelbourne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-selbourne-2817b6140/
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6

New! Damned If You Do: A BDSM Dance with the Devil by Lisabet Sarai

Paranormal BDSM erotic romance (Five flames)

Approximately 29,000 words

HEA ending

Blurb:
Wendy Dennison is tired of being a starving author. The royalties from her critically acclaimed romance novels barely pay her bills. Her devoted agent Daniel Rochester may be smart and sexy, but he can’t get her the sales she needs. Then a charismatic stranger appears at her coffee shop table, promising her fame and commercial success, as well as the chance to live out her dreams of erotic submission. But at what cost?

Nothing you can’t afford to lose, my dear.

Seduced by the enigmatic Mister B, she signs his infernal contract. He becomes both her Master and her coach, managing her suddenly flourishing career as well as encouraging her lusts. Under her mentor’s nefarious influence, she surrenders to temptation and has sex with Daniel. The casual encounter turns serious when she discovers her mild mannered agent has a dominant side. As the clock ticks down to her blockbuster release and Mister B prepares to claim her soul, Wendy must choose either celebrity and wealth, or obscurity and true love.

Buy Links (Ebook)

Kinky Literature: https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/713-damned-if-you-do/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PSN7XGX

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09PSN7XGX

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/damned-if-you-do-lisabet-sarai/1126292735?ean=2940165738319

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1124531

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/damned-if-you-do-12

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35009284-damned-if-you-do

Buy Links (Audio)

Narrated by Audrey Lusk

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Damned-If-You-Do/dp/B078NC1MGN/

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Erotica-Sexuality/Damned-If-You-Do-Audiobook/B078NC27YX/

The Lure of Surrender

In my new release Damned If You Do, my heroine Wendy Dennison signs a diabolical contract, exchanging her soul for commercial success as an erotic romance author. She only agrees to this bargain, however, after the mysterious Mister B explains that she must also accept him as her sexual Master.

Wendy has dreamed of erotic submission all her adult life. Her books celebrate the ecstatic connection between Dom and sub. However, aside from a brief, soul-searing relationship in her youth, she has no real BDSM experience. When Mister B offers her the chance to live out her most cherished fantasies, she can’t refuse. His promise of best seller status is not enough to sway her, but the lure of surrender is too powerful to ignore.

Excerpt 4: PG-rated (but the book is explicit)

The limo deposited her in front of her little house and floated away. A bit weary from the lengthy ordeal at the salon, Wendy almost tripped over the figure sitting on her front steps.

“Dan! What are you doing here?”

Her agent looked rumpled and haggard. He didn’t even bother to stand, though his eyes were hungry as he surveyed her.

“You don’t answer my calls. You ignore my emails. I figured the only way I could get through to you was to show up at your door.”

“Emails? I haven’t heard from you in months! I figured you were mad at me…”

“Every day, Wendy. I’ve sent you a message every single day. I’ve called again and again. That damned personal assistant of yours answers every time.” He rose to his feet finally, looking around with a scowl. “Where is the bastard, anyway?”

“I—um—I’m not sure. I think he’s doing some errands.” She rummaged in her bag for her key. “Come inside. We’ll talk.”

“No. You come with me.” He grabbed her sleeve, pulling her down the walkway toward a gray Taurus with a Steelers Rent-a-Car decal parked across the street. “You’ve got to get away from that guy. He’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous? What are you talking about? He’s been great for my career.”

Dan grabbed her shoulders and shook her, hard. “Wake up, Wendy! He’s got you under some kind of spell. You’ve become a totally different person.”

She tore herself free. “Yeah, I have. Instead of being a loser, I’m finally a successful author.”

“You’ve cut yourself off from everyone. I got an email from Jenna the other day. You do remember Jenna, right? Your old friend Jenna Martin? She was worried. Said she hadn’t been able to get in touch for weeks.”

Jenna. How odd. Wendy hadn’t even thought about her, not since that afternoon in the coffee shop when her crit partner sent the link about Sapphire Sands. The afternoon Mister B had come into her life. In the old days, they communicated nearly every day.

“I’ve been busy. Busy writing.”

“Is that all you’ve been doing? That slimy character Bent loves to suggest you two have been involved in other activities…”

She tried to take his arm. He shook her off. “Please, Dan, calm down. I’m fine. I’ve finally found my writing groove. Everything is going great.” She flashed him what she hoped was a charming smile. “I’m going to be on the Breakfast in America show later this week.”

“I wondered why you were all gussied up.” His bitter tone made her wince.

“You should be happy for me. After all, I’m making plenty of money for you, too!”

“Forget about money for once. What about feelings?” He grabbed her with both hands, pulled her close and held her tight against his body.

About Lisabet:

LISABET SARAI occasionally tackles other genres, but BDSM will always be her first love. Every one of her nine novels includes some element of power exchange, while her D/s short stories range from mildly kinky to intensely perverse.

New romance! Delicious Heat by Sadira Stone

Bangers Tavern chef Diego meets a woman who makes his heart sing. Trouble is, she’s pregnant with another man’s child. To win her, he’ll have to convince her and both their interfering families that he’s in it for keeps.

Blurb:

Cupid has lousy timing.

After kicking her cheating husband to the curb, nurse Anna Khoury discovers she’s pregnant. When Bangers Tavern’s hunky chef makes heart eyes at her, she dismisses that delicious thrill as the last thing she needs. Single motherhood will take all her strength and focus. Anna’s battered heart can’t take another blow.

Chef Diego Vargas is aiming higher than burgers and tater tots. His dream—his own food truck, the Empanada Angel, but he’ll need his family’s support to pull it off. Meeting Anna leaves him thunderstruck, even though his attraction to her threatens all his plans. Call it fate, call him crazy, but he’s determined to prove he’s in it for keeps.

With a belligerent ex-husband and two overprotective families set on breaking them up, Anna and Diego will need more than red-hot passion to pull them through. His career and her baby’s future are on the line.

Come back to Bangers Tavern for a spicy tale of forbidden love that will warm your heart…and other parts…and make you hungry for empanadas!

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HRJW5CN?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940162472384

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/delicious-heat

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1592832791

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59644171-delicious-heat

Excerpt:

Diego spread his arms wider. “You just gonna leave me hanging?”

Damn it, she could no more resist his embrace than she could defy gravity. His arms closed around her, warm and comforting. For a long, sweet moment, they rested there, nestled together, quiet and safe.

Maybe all those guardian angels were trying to tell her something.

Rocking her slowly, Diego murmured into her hair, “Anna, I want you. But I realize this is a weird situation, and I’ll wait until you feel comfortable trusting me. Or until you tell me to get lost.” Pulling back, he cupped her cheek in his broad, warm hand. “I hope it’s the first one.”

His bottomless dark eyes held her pinned. With exquisite slowness, they came together, lips brushing feather light. And then the sexiest moan in the history of moans rumbled from his chest, as his embrace tightened.

“Mmmf!” Breathless, she slid her fingers into his soft, thick hair.

He teased her lips with gentle nips until she opened to him. His tongue stroked hers in languid slides, unhurried, gentle…but her body responded with a rush of heat and a growing pressure between her thighs. She needed more. Now.

Gripping the front of his down jacket, she tugged until the snaps opened with firecracker pops, then yanked her own coat open and pressed her body against his. Another rough moan vibrated through his chest, teasing her nipples to stiff peaks. When he clutched her hips, the pressure of his erection against her belly unleashed an avalanche of lust that short-circuited her brain and lit up her nerves like the Northern lights.

I should stop. He’s kissing away my sanity. But her body demanded just a moment more, and another, and another…

Award-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales set in small businesses—a quirky bookstore, a neighborhood bar, a vintage boutique… Her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found in belly dance class, or strumming her ukulele, perhaps exploring the West with her charming husband, or cooking up a storm, and always gobbling all the romance books. For a guaranteed HEA (and no cliffhangers!) visit Sadira at www.sadirastone.com.

I’d love to hear from you! Please visit me on all the socials.

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SadiraStone

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18568049.Sadira_Stone

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sadira-stone

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Sadira-Stone/e/B07KWK5FBX

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sadira0641/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadirastone/

Author newsletter: https://eepurl.com/dKLMP2

New! Pre-order Delicious Heat by Sadira Stone

Hurry!! Pre-order until Jan 4!

Blurb:
Cupid has lousy timing.

Come back to Bangers Tavern for a spicy tale of forbidden love that will warm your heart…and other parts…and make you hungry for empanadas!

Buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HRJW5CN?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940162472384
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/delicious-heat
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1592832791
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59644171-delicious-heat

Excerpt:
When the tots were crispy and golden, Diego layered on the toppings: shredded extra-sharp Tillamook cheddar, crumbled pepper bacon, paper-thin slices of green onion, sauteed garlic mushrooms, pickled sweet-hot pepper slices, sour cream, and a drizzle of his house-made spicy ketchup. Heart attack on a plate. He hoped Charlie’s sister was hungry. Was she as pretty as Charlie?

He smoothed his apron and blotted his sweaty forehead. “I’m just gonna deliver these.”

At the bar, he found bartenders Kiara and River, along with all three servers, huddled around a brunette knockout in a curve-skimming red dress.

She glanced up. Their gazes met and held. Everything else slowed down.

Those last few steps to the bar felt like being towed through honey. Her espresso-dark eyes widened, sparkling under the Christmas lights. Her plump lips parted. Her chest rose and fell.

She’s a goddess.

He set the container of tots before her, removed his cap, and scrubbed a hand through his squashed hair. She echoed the gesture, winding a chestnut curl around her slender fingers.

Abuelita had told him the story of when she and Abuelo first met. “It was like a golden rope wrapped around my heart and pulled me to him. It holds us together still.”

At the time, he’d laughed off her hyperbole. But now, in this electric moment, Diego understood exactly what she meant.

“Hi.” The angel murmured, her voice low and musical, like a cello. “Did you make these?”

Dumbstruck by her beauty, he could only nod.

She lifted a tot to her lips, inhaled the steam rolling off it, and sighed.

He thanked the kitchen gods for the apron hiding his erection.

She took a bite, then her head lolled back on a groan. “Soooo good.”

Charlie narrowed her eyes and moved closer to her sister, bristling with protective vibes. He’d do the same if someone was eyeing his little sister like a tasty snack.

Say something, idiot! He cleared his throat. “They go really well with the Port Angeles Amber.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder toward the beer taps.

Her gaze dropped, and the corner of her mouth hitched up in a shy half-smile. “Wish I could try it, but I’m pregnant.”

No ring on her left hand, but a pale indentation where one had recently been. Divorced? Please let her be single. Please, please, please.

“Oh. Well then, enjoy, Miss…”

“Anna.” Though it didn’t seem possible, her wide smile made her even more beautiful.

Flushed and breathless, he backed toward the kitchen and bonked into something soft.

“Watch where you’re going, Romeo.” With a chuckle, Dawn grasped his shoulders, spun him around, and sent him on his way with a gentle shove.

What are you doing? his common sense shrieked. She’s pregnant! But he allowed himself a final glance over his shoulder. She popped another tot into her lush mouth and winked. He waggled his fingers and pushed through the swinging doors, then collapsed against the wall, clutching his heart.

“Whatsa matter with you?” Shelby asked with a snort.

He closed his eyes and heaved a happy sigh. “I just met the woman I’m going to marry.”

Order your copy of Delicious Heat today!

Sadira Stone:
Award-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales set in small businesses—a quirky bookstore, a neighborhood bar, a vintage boutique… Her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found in belly dance class, or strumming her ukulele, perhaps exploring the West with her charming husband, or cooking up a storm, and always gobbling all the romance books. For a guaranteed HEA (and no cliffhangers!) visit Sadira at www.sadirastone.com.

I’d love to hear from you! Please visit me on all the socials.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadirastone/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SadiraStone
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18568049.Sadira_Stone
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sadira-stone
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Sadira-Stone/e/B07KWK5FBX
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sadira0641/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadirastone/
Author newsletter: https://eepurl.com/dKLMP2

Charity Sunday: Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation

How Charity Sunday works: for every comment made on this blog post, I will donate money to the charity named. The same promise is made for every blog site listed in the group–click the Linky Links link at the bottom of this post to see the list of participants and read/comment on any of them to see a donation go to that blogger’s charity. We’re all different! Thanks for your help and your participation!

I’m dedicating this month’s Charity Sunday to Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation because the book I’m featuring is Finding a Christmas Miracle (written with my pal, Jan Selbourne). Jan and I wrote two novellas to make up the book and our heroes are enlisted men in their respective armies during Vietnam. They don’t die but dying is a chance every military member knows could happen. And if it does, Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation is here to help pick up the pieces for the children who need help with school expenses and counseling. This is a 4-star rated organization in Charity Navigator with 100% ratings in both Financial and Accountability arenas—I haven’t seen that before.

“Our mission is to provide college scholarships and educational counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.” Please comment on this post and help me send a good donation to this worthwhile group!

Finding a Christmas Miracle
Two exceptional novellas by award-winning authors, Jan Selbourne and Anne Krist

Blurb:
Two men are engulfed in a war no one understands or wants—Vietnam. They’re both hoping for a miracle with little expectation of finding it.

Jan Selbourne lends her award-winning writing talent to A Miracle in the Outback. Nick Saunders is in a hurry to escape a family argument and also to return to his Army base in Wagga Wagga. He doesn’t need another complication. Rachel Garth is a woman with a broken down car, a small girl, a deadly snake, and a baby on the way. She needs Nick’s help. He doesn’t know it, but he needs hers, too.

In award-winning author Anne Krist’s The Miracle of Coming Home, Army PFC Tom Stabler wins a trip to his parents’ Nebraska farm for Christmas. He needs the time away from the war. Lately, he’s been feeling lost and too alone. Trouble is, being home is almost as bad. Then Susan Swensen arrives, just as sweet and pretty as he remembers. Can Susan help him find himself again, or will it take a miracle?

Buy link:
Universal link https://books2read.com/u/3n2KvK

Excerpt:
Awake now, Tom wondered if he’d ever adjust to the feeling of safety again, ever truly believe it existed. He feared he’d always be peering into shadows for the hidden enemy or listening for the almost silent, deadly snick of a landmine trip.

Falling back on the pillow, he stared at the posters on the opposite wall, illuminated by weak moonlight shining through the window. One was for a rock concert held in Omaha four years ago. He’d wanted to take Susan Swensen, but her father wouldn’t let her go the hundred-plus miles into the city with him. Too far, he’d said in his thick Scandinavian accent. Too much can go wrong with a car. Young people can get stranded. Alone.

The last was said with a long, thoughtful stare right into Tom’s soul. How had the man known of Tom’s evil intentions to fake a car breakdown in order to make time with his daughter? Eventually, when she was accepted into nursing school, Mr. Swensen had let Susan go to Omaha. By then, Tom had gone much farther. All the way to Hell, in fact.

The other poster hailed the Fighting Hawks, his high school football team, on which he’d been the star linebacker. Those were heady days. He’d made a great linebacker at the university, too, but a lousy scholar, which was what put him on academic probation and placed his ass squarely in the middle of that worthless strip of land called Vietnam.

Now he wouldn’t even make a linebacker. He skimmed his hand down his chest and across his stomach. Lean—skinny almost. Where once had been bulk there was sinewy muscle. He could still run, though. Oh, yeah, he got lots of practice running. From firing position to firing position, from cover to transport helicopters—black birds hovering over open kill zones to lift guys out of danger or drop them in—and from helicopter back to cover. Some days it seemed he ran the whole damn time.

It felt that way now. But what the hell was he running from?

Tom sighed. There was no going back to sleep. Throwing off the covers, he roused himself from the warmth and sat up, looking at the four walls and feeling dislocated.

This room held the bed where he’d slept since he was six. Today, Christmas Eve, he turned twenty-one. After all those years, the bed should be familiar, and it was. The bed and the room. Both fit, both were comfortable. But Tom no longer was.

It was the same with the house. When he arrived early yesterday morning, he’d sensed something was off but hadn’t been able to put his finger on the problem. Now he knew. Somehow, while he was gone, things had changed, and no one had told him.

His bedroom, the kitchen where he’d watched his mom bake cookies, the living room where he’d beaten his dad at chess for the first time, all felt cramped and alien, as though he’d read about them but hadn’t lived in them. Even his family was all wrong. Gray threaded his mom’s hair, and his dad moved slower. As for his granddad, he was a frail replica of his previous self, with a wrinkled face and almost translucent skin. The loss of grandma had taken him hard. He’d greeted Tom with a smile and firm hug but Tom hardly knew what to say to him.

This life, these people, belonged to a Tom Stabler who no longer existed. The man he was now would have to adjust his thinking to live here again, and learning how would sure as hell take more than one week.

Loneliness clawed at his insides. Here, in the one place he should have felt a part of things, solitude engulfed him. It would have been better to stay in Nam than be here with everything wrong, no longer a part of his home, his family.

Reviews:

Jan Selbourne and Anne Krist creatively interweave emotional circumstances with developments that are frequently unexpected, and the result are stories which I will long remember for their realism. Both novellas are stirringly heartwarming holiday romances. 5 Stars, Amelia Richards

Well done, both ladies. 5 stars, Lesley Wilson

For heart-warming Christmas romance, the two novellas in Finding a Christmas Miracle certainly fit the bill. 5 stars, jcbooks736

5 stars on Amazon with no review Thank you, whoever you are!

Author Anne Krist:

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.

After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website (www.nomadauthors.com). Fortunately, Dee’s high school sweetheart is the love of her life and husband to all three ladies! Once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity.

Author links:
Website: https://nomadauthors.com
Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749
Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K

New! The Journeyman’s Trial. Part 2 in Lisabet Sarai’s Toymaker’s Guild series

Lust is a lubricant to creativity at Randerley Hall. But what happens when two Toymakers fall in love?

Blurb:
If she builds it, will they come?

Technically brilliant and thoroughly wanton, Gillian Smith has found her vocation: designing innovative erotic devices for the Toymakers Guild. Lust is a lubricant to creativity at Randerley Hall. But what happens when two Toymakers fall in love?

The Guild’s tribe of talented, uninhibited engineers has embraced Gillian as one of their own. Edward Thorne, the perverse genius who founded the Guild, undertakes to train her in the skills she’ll need as a journeyman, from practical mind-reading to transcendental orgasms.

As Gillian labours to impress the charismatic Master, her enigmatic fellow journeyman Rafe both entices and frustrates her. Their passion seems to go beyond mere appetite, but in Randerley’s promiscuous and permissive environment, does love make any sense?

When the Toymakers receive a commission to equip London’s most exclusive brothel with the latest sexual technology, Gillian has the chance to demonstrate her formidable abilities as well as to help Rafe exorcise the demons of his past. She doesn’t realize she’ll be forced to choose between Rafe and her future in the Guild.

If you like intelligent, lusty women and kinky steam punk sex toys, pick up a copy of The Journeyman’s Trial.

Series blurb:
Defying the repressive morality of the Victorian era, the Toymakers Guild uses advanced technology to fabricate bespoke sexual artifacts for the discrete pleasure of select clients. Its members are not only brilliant engineers but also sexual renegades seeking freedom from the prudish society that surrounds them. These are their stories.

Buy links:
Kinky Literature – https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/618-the-journeymans-trial-the-toymakers-guild-book-2/
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MQV4Y86

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09MQV4Y86

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1118032

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-journeymans-trial-lisabet-sarai/1140567579?ean=2940165096259

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-journeyman-s-trial-the-toymakers-guild-book-2

Add on Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59740783-the-journeyman-s-trial

Online excerpts:
PG-rated:
https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2021/11/sneak-peek-journeymans-trial-out-next.html

X-Rated:
https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2021/12/a-message-of-paradoxical-pleasure.html

Special deal! Get The Pornographer’s Apprentice, The Toymakers Guild Book 1, for only 99 cents during the tour! Buy links here:
https://www.lisabetsarai.com/pornographersapprenticebook.html

Rave Reviews for The Toymakers Guild Book 1

There are many more plot points, but I don’t want to spoil your enjoyment of this book. It has varied and steamy sex scenes that will take your breath away, a plucky heroine who doesn’t always come out on top (ahem), but who always prevails in her quest to be accepted as a Toymaker. ~ Fiona McGier, Goodreads

With thoughtfully written characters, hot sex scenes, and a well-paced and interesting plot, the Toymaker’s Apprentice leaves you asking only one question….when is the next book in the series coming out? ~ The Phantom Tollbooth, Amazon

[A] fast paced, hilarious, and thoroughly entertaining story as Gillian gets intimate with the staff and technology, only to find that there is a plot against the Guild that she takes on to save the day. I can’t wait to read what happens in the next book! ~ Arthur Royo, Amazon

Victorian nerds:
Greetings. My name is Lisabet, and I’m an engineer.

In the so-called real world, I design and write computer software. I also manage development projects and mentor other engineers. I’m surrounded by smart people who enjoy the puzzles of technology and who like to make things work. It’s a challenging but exciting environment, an environment in which solving a tough problem can be as satisfying as… well, maybe even as satisfying as an orgasm. In a different way of course.

In The Journeyman’s Trial I’ve indulged myself by bringing some of that excitement into the story. The Toymakers Guild is basically a group of young Victorian nerds. Archie’s a genius with electricity. Rafe’s a chemist as well as a creative mechanical engineer. Jia excels at clockwork artifacts and optics. My heroine Gillian has skills in all these areas, but what fascinates her most is mathematics and computation. In a world where computers don’t really exist yet, she’s trying to create them and figure out how to make them work.

Then there’s the Master Toymaker, a genius who not only knows how to design and build physical devices, but who also has a deep understanding of human thought and emotions.

The novel includes pseudo-technical descriptions of the outrageous sexual artifacts the Guild produces. I suppose that some people might get impatient with my flights of engineering fancy, but for me, that has been part of the fun in writing this series. I love imagining how innovations that are commonplace today might have been realized in the Victorian era, given the technical limitations of the period.

Is the book realistic? Well, yes and no. I’ve taken a lot of technical liberties, but in fact the second half of the nineteenth century was a time of great progress and innovation.

And what about the sexual insatiability of my characters?

I’ve known, and loved, a lot of nerds in my life. Contrary to the stereotypes, really intelligent people are often very active sexually. They have a richer, more elaborated understanding of desire and the many ways it can be fulfilled. None of the characters in The Journeyman’s Trial is based on a real person, but I’ve been involved with quite a few brilliant individuals who had similar attitudes – open-minded, experimental and focused on giving and receiving pleasure.

Just like Gillian and her uninhibited colleagues.

Excerpt:
At the foot of the stairs, she almost collided with a lean, dark figure. If he hadn’t grabbed her by both shoulders, they both might have tumbled to the floor.

“Why, hello, Jill!” A cocky smile lit the young man’s aquiline features. “I haven’t seen much of you lately.” He held on to her for considerably longer than was necessary to stabilise them. When he let go, she continued to feel his hands, heating her skin through the fabric of her garment.

“Good afternoon, Rafe.” She brushed some imaginary dust off her somewhat wrinkled lab coat. It was true that she’d barely spoken two words to her fellow journeyman since he’d rescued her on the moors two weeks before. Half the time he hadn’t even been at the dinner table. She’d wondered if he was travelling again. “I’ve been occupied with learning my new duties. The Master has been training me.”

His eyebrows arched. “Training, hmm? I’d like to know more about just what that entails!” He ran his fingers through his unkempt black locks. “I never got any sort of training from the Master. Of course, he hasn’t been around much. If I recall, he left Randerley only a few weeks after I joined the Guild.”

“When was that?” She wasn’t sure how she felt about the brash, forward young man who’d stolen a kiss within half an hour of her meeting him. Well, perhaps stolen wasn’t exactly the right term, but still, he seemed to have quite familiar manners.

“Two years ago last Christmas. Seems like a lifetime.”

“And before the Guild?”

His expression darkened. “I don’t really want to talk about that. Anyway, I’ve got an appointment with the Master in two minutes.”

Gillian stepped back to give him free access to the stairs. “You mustn’t keep him waiting, then.”

“But I’m really delighted to run into you.” He chuckled at his own jest. “Care to go riding with me tomorrow afternoon?”

“I’ve got quite a lot of work—”

“Tomorrow’s Saturday. Even that slave driver Featherstone takes Saturday afternoon off! Come on, Jill. Say yes!” His hand was back on her shoulder, casual, warm, maddening.

“Well… I grew up in the city, so I’m not much of a horsewoman.” She had to admit to being curious about Rafe. With his loose-limbed grace and easy smile, he was definitely attractive. Shouldn’t she be focused on her training, though?

“We’ll put you on Dorothea. She’s a sweet, biddable mare who won’t give you any trouble. And Samson likes her.”

“I don’t know…”

“I’ve got to go!” He squeezed her shoulder briefly and ran his fingers through her curls, then bounded up the stairs. “Meet you at the stables tomorrow at three,” he called out as he climbed out of sight.

“But…” There was no one to listen to Gillian’s excuses. In any case, why should she object? Rafe was a fellow member of the Guild. It was only fitting they should get to know one another – perhaps intimately.

About Lisabet:
Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, GLBT, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, Pinterest, BookBub and Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh

Reading through a tough time: Welcome JL Peridot

When the holidays go well, they give us everything we ever dreamed of about festive love and generosity of spirit. But they don’t always go well, do they? And sometimes reading is the best solace we can find.

When going through a tough time, I sometimes turn to a good book to get me through. It’s hard—stress saps my focus like nothing else. But even the rudest and most chaotic of books can offer peace and quiet like no streaming service does (except maybe Nois .li).

So, with just a few weeks to go until the new year, here are a few of my favourite tips for getting through the holidays the literary way…

Choose books with a guaranteed happy ending

Romance is a great place to start. Love stories and romantic subplots can exist in every genre, but for a story to be called a “romance” by industry standards, it needs to have a happy ending.

For this reason, romances are often (unofficially) touted as comfort reads, but there are other genres you can rely on too like cozy mysteries (mysteries that aren’t dark and bloody), gentle fiction, and inspirational fiction. Note that the latter two tend to be broad categorisations that encompass both non-religious and religious fiction. If either of these may stress you out even more, be sure to look up the book’s labels and reviews before reading.

Happy endings and lovely reads:

Not Suitable For Work by Skye McDonald
On Location by Sarah Echavarre Smith
Blood Kissed by Keri Arthur
Hidden Gem by Enni Amanda

Re-read a book you loved before

It’s tried and tested in your book, so don’t be shy about reaching for it again—this goes double for books you’ve re-read multiple times. There’s no shame in craving familiarity and predictability, especially in unpredictable circumstances.

Adjacent to this—for anyone who just can’t bear to pick up the same old book again—is asking close friends to recommend a book they loved that made them feel good. Knowing they’ve previously cherished the story that’s in your hands may bring about that much-needed feeling of companionship and camaraderie, while possibly giving you extra insight into someone dear to your heart.

Re-reads and recommendations I’ve enjoyed:

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Prioritise compelling over classic

By the time we reach adulthood, we will have been bombarded by recommendations for books we “should” read. Yeah, you know what that’s like. Well, forget it. As an adult, you are surrounded by “shoulds”—practically drowning in them. Many “shoulds” are valid of course, most come from well-meaning people. But you don’t have to put up with this in your leisure time.

Give yourself permission to choose books that suck you in. Fun reads. Trashy reads. Pulpy reads. Easy reads. Do this in the name of self care.

No recommendations here, just questions:

What book grabbed your attention the moment you saw it?
What book have you always wanted to read but were too embarrassed to pick up?
What book would you regret not reading if it were to disappear?
Where are you likely to find your favourite fiction tropes?
Who wrote that book you absolutely couldn’t put down; what else did they write?

Get lost in a series

When you know you’re in it for the long haul, a good series gives you a safe place to return to at the end of the day. Or throughout the day, if that’s what you need.

Whether the books follow a continuous story arc or give you a bunch of standalones with overlapping events and settings, you can more or less expect a “same same but different” quality between books. That is, every book will deliver something you loved about all the other books, even if most everything else has changed.

No recommendations from me. Goodreads Listopia has thousands !

All right, bookworm, here’s where to find more books without going broke…

Book promotion platforms (eg. StoryOrigin, ProlificWorks) — Consider this your best-kept secret, as indie authors turn to these platforms to reach new readers. As such platforms offer only limited access directly to readers, your best bet will be to subscribe to a couple of newsletters from indie authors in your genre. That puts you just a few clicks away from a massive rabbithole of books, many of which will be discounted, free, or available for review.
Book promotion mailing lists (eg. eReaderIQ, Books and the Bear, Book Doggy, The Book Circle, Discount Book Man) — These mailing lists are book catalogues, often curated to your taste in genre, delivered directly to your inbox. Books appearing in these catalogues tend to be on sale or available for free, either permanently or as part of a limited time promotion.
ARC (advance reader copy) websites (eg. NetGalley, BookSprout, BookSirens, Hidden Gems) — These sites are a great source of free books, as long as you’re happy to write a review. Although some readers love writing detailed reviews, it’s not always expected. Most of the time, a star rating and a few words about what you liked or disliked is enough. If you’re an avid reader and you tend to keep track of your books anyway, signing up for ARCs is an excellent way to keep your e-reader topped up.

And that’s a wrap for 2021! Thank you for reading my content here on Nomad Authors.

And thank you ever so much, Dee and Jan, for hosting me 🙏

About JL Peridot

JL Peridot writes love letters to the future on devices from the past. She currently resides in Boorloo (Perth, Australia) on Whadjuk Noongar country. Subscribe to her newsletter or visit her website at jlperidot .com for the full catalogue of her work. She also keeps a blog of random thoughts, updates and cool things she’s found.

Her latest indie release is a steamy futuristic office romance, It Starts with a Kiss 🚀

It Starts with a Kiss — out now!

Celeste is a talented engineer who doesn’t realize her job’s going nowhere fast. She’s a little naïve. She’ll cut code and solder cables forever as long as Owen’s around. Owen, on the other hand, knows exactly how badly things suck—he just doesn’t care. Sure, his skills aren’t what they used to be, but they’re still better than what Halcyon Aries deserves.

Then it happens. The company’s toxic management team finally cross the line. As both techies race to upgrade the station and to free the team from their oppressive contracts, they come to learn that life—and love—can only ever be what you make it.

Strap in for a steamy office romance in space, because sometimes It Starts With a Kiss!

Get this book
Add on Goodreads
Read the steamy excerpt on Beyond Romance

About JL Peridot

JL Peridot writes love stories and more from her home beneath the southern skies. When not chipping away at her current WIP, she’s chomping down on a new favourite book, watching Netflix, and chilling real good. Subscribe to JL ’s mailing list for banter, updates, teasers and the occasional microfiction.

Website: http ://jlperidot .com

Blog: http ://jayelle .pink

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All right, bookworm, here’s where to find more books without going broke…

About JL Peridot

It Starts with a Kiss — out now!

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