Cover Reveal | Queens of Moirai by Rhiannon Hargadon

Queen of Moirai
Rhiannon Hargadon
Publication date: September 5th 2023
Genres: Adult, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy

Not every fairytale has a happy ending.

In QUEENS OF MOIRAI, the last descendant of The Three Fates will face her heart-stealing mother and take her rightful place as a Queen.

Buried alive just after birth, the next morning Morena is found in a blue blanket – still very much alive. Doomed with dark magic, imprisoned in a stone tower, her only friends are siblings similarly cursed.

To protect those she loves, Morena will wear a skull mask, becoming the one we know as the Grim Reaper. Her destiny seems certain until a stranger arrives, claiming to be her betrothed. All too willing to throw herself into his arms, she travels to his world, and is awed by the beauty, the glitter, and the beautiful people of his court. Some will love her. Some will protect her. Some will torment her. And one will claim every inch of her soul.

Before long, Morena’s wishes for freedom and her kingdom pale compared to her desire for revenge. She’ll fight to save her sister, control her destiny, and find the one who manipulates The Fates… before it’s too late.

This thrilling and fierce dark fantasy is what would happen if CIRCE met FOURTH WING. It’s a Greek mythology retelling, with Goddesses, folklore, and Fae.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

Rhiannon is a first time author and long-time reader and writer, whose love of reading was reawakened by Booktok and Bookstagram. She loves friends-to-lovers tropes and has been blissfully married to her bestie for ten years. She’s the mother of two children. When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace with a fantasy book or swimming. She lives in North Carolina with her family, and their rescued pitbull. Having worked three jobs through university, Rhiannon is passionate about higher education for low-income families, and on the side helps run an annual scholarship for high-school seniors.

Amazon / Goodreads



Review | Growing Up Powerful Journal: A Confidence Boosting, Totally Inspiring, Joyful Journal

Give yourself a fun and empowering confidence workout with this inspiring interactive journal.

Maybe you’d like to try out for a part in the school play, score a spot on a sports team, or make friends at a new school. This journal was created to give you a safe and encouraging place to explore your personality and your thoughts, goals, and dreams.

Through tried and true advice, questions, activities, and writing prompts, you’ll:
– Explore moments you are proud of, great ideas you’ve had, and plans for your future
– Celebrate your true superpowers
– Practice starting a conversation with anyone
– Try out tactics for being a more positive thinker
– Explore when you’re ready to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I’m excited to see more interactive options being added to the Rebel Girls line. This is a journal full of prompts, scenarios, stories about Rebel Girls, quizzes, coloring pages and more. With all the different themes such as self confidence, friendship, moods and more – it’s sure to be a book that girls come back to time and again. It’s something where they can pick any page they want and do an activity, or go through it more sequentially if they want to.

Happy reading (and journaling)!

Review | The Book Haters’ Book Club by Gretchen Anthony

All it takes is the right book to turn a Book Hater into a Book Lover…

That was Elliott’s belief and the reason why he started The Book Haters’ Book Club—a newsletter of reading recommendations for the self-proclaimed “nonreader.” As the beloved co-owner of Over the Rainbow Bookstore, Elliott’s passion and gift was recommending books to customers. Now, after his sudden death, his grief-ridden business partner, Irma, has agreed to sell Over the Rainbow to a developer who will turn the cozy bookstore into high-rise condos.

But others won’t give up the bookstore without a fight. When Irma breaks the news to her daughters, Bree and Laney, and Elliott’s romantic partner, Thom, they are aghast. Over the Rainbow has been Bree and Laney’s sanctuary since childhood, and Thom would do anything to preserve Elliott’s legacy. Together, Thom, Bree and Laney conspire to save the bookstore, even if it takes some snooping, gossip and minor sabotage.

Filled with humor, family hijinks and actual reading recommendations, The Book Haters’ Book Club is the ideal feel-good read. It’s a celebration of found family and a love letter to the everyday heroes who run bookstores.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I was definitely intrigued by the concept of this book but found it a bit hard to get into it. The first section of the book definitely was slow in pacing, but once I got past that and got more into the meat of the story I did find myself enjoying it more. I enjoyed the amount of humor injected in the story as it helped it move more and increased my enjoyment in it. I did end up overall enjoying the story and found the writing style easy to read even when the pacing felt slow.

Happy reading!

Blitz | A Hollywood Ending by Melanie Summers

A Hollywood Ending
Melanie Summers
Publication date: August 10th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When life hands you heartbreak, grab a sexy bodyguard…

America’s sweetheart Courtney Bennett had it all – fame, fortune, and a doting husband in one of Hollywood’s most powerful men. But when he trades her in for a younger actress, Courtney’s world topples down around her.

With paparazzi on her tail and nowhere to turn, she hides away in a secluded cabin in Colorado with her new (and deliciously hot) bodyguard, Damien Young.

As Courtney strives to rebuild her shattered heart, she finds herself drawn to Damien, the man determined to get her back on her feet again.

But as a man of honor, Damien won’t take advantage of a woman in such a vulnerable state, no matter how undeniable their chemistry is.

Author’s Note: A Hollywood Ending is a sizzling, opposites-attract romance. It’s much spicier than a regular Melanie Summers rom-com so you may want to grab a fan (or maybe a glass of cold milk).

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

She ripped the warm center out and popped it in her mouth. “Mmmmm. Wow. White bread with real butter.” Sighing, she added, “You have no idea how long it’s been.”

“Quite a while, I’m guessing.”

“I’ve basically been hungry for the last decade. For real. And this is sssoooo damn good.” Damien watched her, his body responding as she closed her eyes and dragged her tongue across her lips. He cleared his throat and turned his gaze to the sunset for a moment. He could not allow himself to react like that to her. No matter how drawn to her he was. Glancing at the table, he looked for a way to distract himself. Picking up the bowl of mushrooms, he said, “More mushrooms, Ms. Bennett?”

“You know what, Mr. Young? I will have more mushrooms.” She tilted her head and gave him a thoughtful look. “But first, I need to thank you for taking such good care of me today. I know it’s not your job—carrying me around, feeding me, and listening to me go on about my life and my crappy marriage.”

“I’m happy to help however you need.”

She wiggled her eyebrows in the most lecherous way imaginable and said, “However I need, hmmm?” Then she giggled a full-on fit of laughter, her drink sloshing in her glass as she held it in front of her mouth. “Oh god, you should see your face!”

He slapped on a smile, recovering quickly from the direction his thoughts had plummeted. Dragging them back from the gutter, he smiled at her and spooned a huge helping of mushrooms onto her plate. “Here you go, Ms. Bennett.”

She sighed, her laughter dying out. “You’re no fun, you know that? I was just teasing.”

His entire body agreed with her assessment. Doing nothing was not fun at all. But he refused to look at Ms. Bennett anywhere other than those startlingly green eyes, and definitely not lower, where she was sliding the pendant from her necklace back and forth on the chain. Back and forth. Just above her cleavage.

It was going to be a long night.

Author Bio:

Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.

Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.

In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).

Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.

She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js


Blitz | Castles & Cauldrons by Tammy Tyree

Castles & Cauldrons
Tammy Tyree
(The Castle Point Witch Series, #2)
Publication date: August 7th 2023
Genres: Adult, Paranormal

Castle Point’s nunnery is wreaking havoc on Alexandra Heale’s personal property. The nuns, under the rule of an ancient demon, are acting anything but holy.

Alexandra’s best friend and fellow witch, Penny, is missing, presumably kidnapped and being held by the Witch Hunters in the bowels of Castle Dagon.

Alexandra, now High Priestess of the underground witch population, is already at the mercy of Blake Sheraton, Deputy Sheriff sworn to uphold Earl Dagon’s ancient law against the practice of witchcraft.

Battling another demon and a group of possessed nuns while trying to save her friend will surely cinch her fate.

Alexandra, torn between her love/hate feelings for Blake and her desire to exist, enlists the help of badass Master Herbalist and burgeoning witch, Theodora Cunningham, to do the impossible; create a potion that would banish the demon and bring peace back to Castle Point.

If only they could do so without being captured and burned at the castle pyre…

If you love the classic Witches of Practical Magic, the paranormal investigations of the Palmetto Point Witch Series by Wendy Wang, or the slow-burn romance and humor of The Witches of Hollow Cove by Kim Richardson, then you’ll love this book!

“Castles & Cauldrons” is the intensely gratifying, edge-of-your-seat second book in the Castle Point Paranormal Witch series, written by award-winning author, Tammy Tyree!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT:

Alexandra

Earl Dagon was chasing me.

I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear him, his heavy footsteps were closing in on me. My breath quickened as I slipped in and out of the dark corners of Castle Dagon, desperately trying to find a place to hide. I could almost feel his breath, hot and putrid, as he huffed and puffed with the pace of his footsteps. His voice, a thought floating through my own mind.

“You can’t hide from me, Evelyn. I know you’re here. I will find you, my darling. You will be mine again.”

I opened my mouth to scream “No!” but nothing came. Chilly spikes of fear stabbed every part of me. I lunged forward, into another dark corner, heading toward the castle door. The Earl, hearing me, quickly shifted, and closed in on me once again.

Every step I took felt like running through sludge. My feet, heavy with fear and tired from running, threatened to fail me before reaching the door. I pulled every ounce of energy from my being and prepared to take the final lunge, from the darkness to the door, only a few short steps away. I pulled back, like a cat about to pounce, and, with heavy legs, leaped forward, willing the voluminous sludge to release my feet. I lunged for the door.

Earl Dagon snarled his footsteps right behind me. A large, clammy hand clasped around my neck, forcing me back, then spinning me around, toppling me to the ground…

I woke up when I hit the floor.

Relief flooded my body as I looked around, recognizing my bedroom. I was wrapped in a burrito of blankets and sheets, laying on the floor. Sticky sweat dampened the sheets and my hair, now clinging to my face and wrapped around my neck…like a large hand, choking me.

It was a dream. A really terrible, awful, very bad dream.

They were coming more frequently now. Since my daring jaunt to Castle Dragon in an effort to get a peek at an ancient book sequestered under lock and key in the library. Blackjack and I had taken a wee nap in an off-tour bedroom waiting for everyone to skedaddle. I had my first dream of the Earl then. He seemed to be mistaking me for ‘his’ Evelyn of Cumbria – the witch he professed to love, who broke his heart and ended up buying on the castle pyre.

The Earl Dagon wasn’t after me. He wasn’t even alive. He was a piece of my history, my ancestry long since dead.

Thank the Goddess.

Blackjack sauntered into the room as I attempted to free my arms from their tangled position. He jumped up on my chest and sat.

“Havin’ some troubles, woman?” My familiar’s silky voice floated through my mind.

“A bad dream, Blackjack.”

Blackjack lay where he sat, curling his paws under his chest. “I heard a thump. Did you fall off the bed? Or have you taken to sleeping on the floor?”

I peered at him, my arms still trapped in the blankets, gobs of hair masking my face. “I fell off the bed, you goober.”

“Oh, what fun.” Blackjack’s emerald green eyes, a match to my own, glistened. “You should probably get off the dusty floor. You’re not the best housekeeper, you know. Your dust bunnies have dust bunnies,” he proceeded to pull out a paw and lick it.

“Ever so helpful, as always, you mangy brat.”

Author Bio:

Demons, witches and ghosts – oh my!

Tammy (she/her) writes about what she knows – ghosts, hauntings, entities, witches, demonology and the paranormal!

A Clinical Hypnotherapist, Tammy infuses; tales from her actual case files of demonic possession and entity attachment with her knowledge of ancient demonic lore and witchcraft into artfully woven fiction and memoir.

Her upcoming ‘Castle Point Witch Series’ is due to release in early 2023 and promises to be full of paranormal goodness.

Her memoir ‘Dead Men Still Snore’ is a page-turning, award-winning true story of love, loss and channelling her husband’s messages from the other side.

Visit https://tammytyree.com/ for more info about Tammy, her work and to receive updates for future books!

Happy reading!

Goodreads / Facebook / TikTok / Instagram


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js


Cover Reveal : The Boyfriend Countdown by Tori Samuels

The Boyfriend Countdown
Tori Samuels
Publication date: November 7th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Margo Diaz has a reputation as a workaholic. Everyone knows where she eats her lunch — at her desk, and where she spends her Friday nights — at the office. But when her ex-boyfriend announces his engagement to the same woman who broke up their relationship, she finds herself tangled in a lie. Because what’s worse than working with your ex, is telling everyone you have a boyfriend when you don’t.

Forced to plan a New Year’s gala to impress a client, Margo finds herself promising everyone will meet her plus one. And with her name in the running for a promotion, she really can’t screw this up. She has to find a boyfriend, and a twelve-day online blind dating service is just the ticket she needs.

Everything is fine, Margo has a plan. That’s until she discovers her blind-date is Richard, the tall, sarcastic man she bumped into a few weeks ago. Not needing any distractions, she’s determined to keep the lie going to show everyone she can have it all — a career, a family, a (fake) boyfriend. Except, Richard isn’t what she thought and her attraction for him grows harder to ignore. Yet Margo is committed to keeping herself away.

How will Margo convince everyone she’s been dating a man she’s never met? Can she risk telling the truth or will she let her lie hurt more than her reputation? With a week left before the gala, the boyfriend countdown is on.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

Tori Samuels, author of the HoliFATE series, can be found sipping peppermint mochas, snuggling with her dogs, and dreaming up the next perfect contemporary romance novel. A native resident of Bolton, Canada, Samuels uses her hometown as the backdrop for her witty and swoon worthy cast of characters. Looking for your next holiday-themed read, then grab your favorite dessert coffee and get cozy.

Website / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok



Review | World’s Worst Time Machine by Dustin Brady

For kids, life can be boring, but Liam and Elsa know how to create their own fun—or so they think. After finding a $3 time machine at a garage sale, Liam uses the machine to summon Thomas Edison for help with his book report. It’s not until the time machine sends a different Thomas Edison from the 1930s that chaos ensues.. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This book was so fun to read! I didn’t know what to expect, but it sounded fun and that is definitely what it was. It was super fast paced and easy to read, so really perfect for its intended audience. The pace kept me engaged and the characters leapt off the page for me, which I think is another thing that will be beneficial for younger readers. I also really liked the real life references to historical events and figures. Overall it was a fun and quick read that I think is perfect for younger readers but could be picked up by anyone.

Happy reading!

Review | Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky

Jessi Zabarsky’s lushly illustrated shoujo-adventure comic that introduces Lelek the witch as she blows through town one day, kidnapping the peasant girl Sanja. The unlikely pair grow more entangled as they travel together, looking for the missing half of Lelek’s soul – the source of her true magical abilities. Both women are seeking to learn, in their own ways, how to be whole again. This book collects the serialized story all into a single volume, including the heart-gripping conclusion and other all-new material.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

If you’re looking for a cute Sapphic witchy story, then this will fit the bill. I found the art and style very whimsical and fun, and did enjoy the characters. Where this fell a little short for me is that I found myself wanting to know more about the world itself. There were moments where they touched on societal issues that might factor in, but it wasn’t every really explained as to the how and why, which made some events confusing. I would have really loved there to be a little more world building and foundation, but I also understand that this was just supposed to be about Sanja and Lelek. All in all I still really enjoyed it and had a fun time reading it.

Happy reading!

Review | Rebel Girls Celebrate Pride: 25 Tales of Self-Love and Community

This collection features 25 inspiring tales of proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Read about how these women, girls, and nonbinary people broke down barriers, honored their identities, and lived authentically no matter what anyone else said.

Find your voice with Janelle Monae. Play for equality with Billie Jean King. Protect your community with Marcia P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. And organize joyful celebrations with Dr. Lady Phyll and Molly Pinta.

With a foreword by Elena Favilli, this book pairs inspiring, easy-to-read text with colorful full-page portraits created by female and nonbinary artists from all around the world. Plus, scannable codes let you listen to longer stories on the Rebel Girls app!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once again Rebel Girls has come out with another great installment to their collection. This collection includes stories of members of the LGBTQIA+ community from all cultures, identities and even generations. I always enjoy the diversity and inclusion in these books and this one is no different. I really like the added QR codes to listen to longer stories/information about some of the people featured in the book, plus all of the interactive and informative pages at the end of the book that would really be so beneficial for those trying to learn or trying to figure out who they are.

Happy reading!

Review | Beautiful Malady by Ennis Rook Bashe

A siren song of queerness, disability, and myth, these poems reinvent love, life, and death. BEAUTIFUL MALADY is an exploration of pain, weaving speculative poems about fairy tales, folklore, fantasy, and the supernatural with the reality of chronic illness and disability. Ennis Rook Bashe deftly creates a world where the broken body is beautiful.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I thought the combination of fantasy/speculative with talk of disability was interesting, so was glad to pick this one up. I found the poems themselves to be beautifully worded and full of imagery – they definitely draw you in so that you are invested. Sometimes the talk of disability (though the inclusion is appreciated) can seem awkward or out of place, but here it was seamless. Whether the poems be about fighting against prejudices etc. or living within your disability, they were full of authenticity and heart.

Happy reading!