Daily Archives: 05/04/2024
COVER REVEAL – Xander ~ Helen of Troy Retelling (Forbidden Ice – Hockey Gods of Olympus #1) by Drethi A. & Nenia Campbell
Posted by Book Loving Pixies
Title: Xander ~ Helen of Troy Retelling
Series: Forbidden Ice –
Hockey Gods of Olympus #1
Authors: Drethi A. & Nenia Campbell
Release Date: June 1, 2024
Cover Design: Temptation Creations
Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Hockey Romance/Reverse Age Gap
Breeding/Forbidden Love/Stepmother Romance
BLURB
She fought battles for others… and never expected someone to wage a war for her.
Calm. Calculating. Disciplined.
Xander Maxwell thrives on controlling his emotions. The ruthless hockey player leaves it all on the ice but is levelheaded outside the rink. Until he comes face to face with his estranged father’s beautiful young bride.
Jordan—a walking wet dream with heart-stopping curves, a sunshine smile, golden hair, and bright blue eyes.
He shouldn’t be enticed. His only goal is to no longer live under his father’s thumb. It doesn’t matter that Jordan is the most beautiful woman on earth or that she radiates like the sun itself.
There is only one problem. She is everywhere—in his thoughts, in every bone, even in his blood. She has snuck into his dreams, and he can’t wrench her out.
***
Successful, affectionate, and warm.
Jordan Banks makes a career out of selling the perfect life. With clients consisting of the wealthy and famous elite, there is no room for error. Perfection is everything, especially to her controlling husband.
The only part of her life she hasn’t perfected is the one that matters the most—family.
When Xander returns home after years, it’s an opportunity to cement the close-knit family dynamic she has always craved. After all, she is closer to him in age than her husband.
The unlikely bond she forges with Xander isn’t part of the plan, though. Nor does she expect to see the same suffocating loneliness reflected in his eyes, the one she’s found within her marriage.
But their undeniable connection comes at a cost. A series of devastating secrets comes to light, shattering her not-so-perfect life and leaving only Xander to shield her from the glancing blows.
Jordan is used to fighting battles for her clients but it’s Xander who wages a war for her.
Xander is a steamy reverse age-gap hockey romance. This book is inspired by Helen of Troy.
It includes explicit content and only recommend for mature readers.
GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210123831-xander
PRE-ORDER LINKS – $2.99 special price for one week only!
US: https://amzn.to/4aws85w
UK: https://amzn.to/4cz6a3D
CA: https://amzn.to/4cvs2gt
AU: https://amzn.to/3xdR6bw
Universal: https://mybook.to/9ICGl
Order via Kickstarter for a bonus scene, NSFW/exclusive art & more: https://kck.st/43FMozB
AUTHOR BIOS & LINKS
Drethi A.
Drethi lives close to DC with her husband and runs a wedding planning business. She loves to travel and tries to visit multiple countries per year.
When she’s not traveling or busy planning a special day, she can be found plotting ways to put her characters through hell. She is all about angst and dark themes in her romance. Drethi loves to put her flawed and disturbed characters through the wringer before giving them their Happily Ever After.
You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. She loves talking with her readers, so don’t be shy.
TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@authordrethianis
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/415726906403920
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/drethi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authordrethi
Nenia Campbell
Nenia Campbell lives in San Francisco. She writes dark romances about morally grey men who are obsessed with their heroines. Sometimes they have knives. Sometimes they chase her through the woods. They might even be her stepbrother. When she’s not writing, she is working in tech, going to local wineries, traveling, or playing cozy games. She has one black cat and a huge collection of retro romance novels that she likes to show off on Instagram.
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@neniacampbell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aficionenias
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbeebooked
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@alwaysbeebooked
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Posted in #DarkReads, #Kickstarter, Authors & Books, Blurb, Coming Soon, Cover Reveal, Tropes, What to expect
BOOK TOUR – Scars on my Heart (Willow Valley #5) by S.L. Sterling
Posted by Book Loving Pixies
Title: Scars on my Heart
Series: Willow Valley #5
Author: S.L. Sterling
Release Date: March 28, 2024
Cover Design: Thunderstruck Cover Design
Tropes: Single Dad, Single Mom, Friends to Lovers, small town romance, second chance at love, only one bed scene
Goodreads: https://geni.us/ScarsonmyHeartGR
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/scars-on-my-heart-willow-valley-book-5-by-s-l-sterling
Blurb:
Willow Valley had become like home to me and my two boys, Dylan and Noah. Everyone knew everyone in this small town, and they helped us heal from our devastating loss.
Once I knew my kids would be okay, I started looking for work. Bluebird Books hired me almost right away. I was to run the new kids program that Trinity was starting. That was where I met Zach and his daughter, Grace.
Zach was the new owner of the Willow Valley Inn. He’d come in to return a book his daughter had borrowed from the program. We exchanged pleasantries and that was when the computer had gone down. Zach lost his patience, and that was when our pleasant conversation turned sour. I wasn’t worried about it because I figured I’d never see him again.
I was wrong. It turns out in a small town, everyone sees everyone almost daily, if not twice a day. At the grocery store, the gas station, the elementary school and as luck would have it, the bookstore. Soon, our conversations turn pleasant again, and without even trying, I find myself drawn to him. Then he asks me out on a date.
Despite my reservations, I decided to take a chance on love again. But just when things start to look up, Zach’s ex-wife suddenly reappears, causing chaos in his life once more. Which somehow causes chaos in mine when my children begin acting out.
Leaning on one another for support, we navigate obstacles that life throws at us. As time passes I begin to wonder if another chance at love will bring us closer together or make each one of us run the other way?
Buy Links:
Universal: https://geni.us/ScarsonmyHeartWV5
Amazon: https://amzn.to/49NeD1y
Apple Books: https://apple.co/49KaBHc
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3v6Minu
Smashwords: https://bit.ly/49Dk2YI
Google Play: https://bit.ly/49WxiY4
Excerpt:
“Oh my god!” I screamed, grabbing for a towel that hung on the towel rack and quickly covering myself. It was too late, though. I knew he’d seen me, just like I saw him, as he quickly grabbed for the shower curtain that I’d ripped away from covering him.
We both stood there, looking at one another, our faces red, each one of us mortified in the moment. It was then I turned around, ripping my eyes from him.
“I thought you were downstairs. God, Zach, I’m so embarrassed. I’m so…” I took off from the bathroom, feeling like I could die. Panicking, I raced around the room, grabbing clothes from my suitcase as my heart raced until I felt faint.
I dropped my clothes to the floor and sat down on the bed, breathing hard, trying to erase what I’d just seen. I heard the bathroom door open and then felt the end of the bed dip down and a warm hand on my bare shoulder.
“Zach, please, this is just all too much,” I said, my vision blurring as I looked out the window.
“Hey. It’s alright. Look, I’m going to take a step back here, and I’d like you to do the same. Look at me.”
I could barely turn my head, but I did, and when I met his eyes, I didn’t see someone who was embarrassed. Instead, he looked at me with the same look he’d given me ever since we met.
“We are two adults. We are sharing a room. I know you didn’t think I was in there. Hell, I didn’t think you were back up here or were coming up anytime soon. So how about we both just forget what happened and try to have a good evening.”
I swallowed hard. I still felt like I wanted to die, and here he was trying hard to ignore the fact that we’d seen one another in our birthday suits.
“Zach, I can’t.”
“You can. I know you can. Now I’m going to get dressed and leave you so you can get ready for dinner. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
He didn’t say another word. Instead, he did as he said he was going to.
Once he was gone, I reached for my cell phone. I needed help, and the only one I could think of was my sister.
BLP REVIEW – Tracy
****
Author Bio:
S.L. Sterling was born and raised in southern Ontario. She now lives in Northern Ontario Canada and is married to her best friend and soul mate and their two dogs.
An avid reader all her life, S.L. Sterling dreamt of becoming an author. She decided to give writing a try after one of her favorite authors launched a course on how to write your novel. This course gave her the push she needed to put pen to paper and her debut novel “It Was Always You” was born.
When S.L. Sterling isn’t writing or plotting her next novel she can be found curled up with a cup of coffee, blanket and the newest romance novel from one of her favorite authors on her e-reader. Her favorite authors include Kendall Ryan, Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward, Lauren Blakely, Alessandra Torre and Willow Winters.
In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, sunny destinations, spending quality time with family and friends and of course reading.
Social Media Links
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SLSterlingGoodreads
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hearomance/
Instagram: http://bit.ly/SLSterlingInstagram
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/SLSterlingBB
Sterlings Silver Sapphires: http://bit.ly/SterlingsSapphires
Amazon: http://bit.ly/SLSterling
Newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/64d6991578891ef5c9a2f474
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Posted in Authors & Books, Blurb, Book Tour, Buy Links, Endorsements, Excerpt, New Releases, Recommended, Reviews, Tropes, What to expect
Tags: #SLSterling, @EJBookPromos
RELEASE TOUR – War of the Mind (Olympian Wars #3) by Dana Claire
Posted by Book Loving Pixies
War of the Mind
Olympian Wars #3
by Dana Claire
Immense grief causes demigod Calli to do the unthinkable and use her powers to erase herself from the memories of her beloved Henrik. Calli rebuilds herself and her crew, only to be reunited with Henrick by order of the crown to stop Perseus and his accomplices before it’s too late. As remnants of their passion haunt their voyage, will their wounded hearts find their way back to each other, or will past choices stand in their way?
Readers who love pirate adventures and Greek mythology with forced proximity and second-chance romances will want to devour Dana Claire’s new Young Adult Novel, War of the Mind.
Blurb
His sacrifice could save humanity. Her revenge could turn it to stone.
When immense grief turns demigod Calli Bordeaux’s heart to vengeance, she does the unthinkable. Using her powers, she erases herself from the memories of her beloved, Henrik, so that he cannot join her hunt for the notorious pirate Captain Fredrick, Henrik’s savage father. Shattered, Calli rebuilds herself and the crew of her parent’s ship to vanquish her enemy, only to discover a piece of Henrik came with her after all.
Unaware that he lost the greatest love of his life, former pirate turned royal guard, Henrik, sets out with Cava’s navy to find a woman the gods forsook and the humans fear. Medusa. Her latest rampage of stony destruction is not mindless slaughter but self-preservation from pirate assassins. The demi-god Perseus has put a bounty on her severed head, seeking the power it possesses to slowly slaughter mankind.
United by order of the crown, Calli and Henrik must stop Perseus and his pirate accomplices before it’s too late. Echoes of their past passion haunt their voyage, tipping them into turmoil when humanity needs them most. Can their wounded hearts find their way back to each other in time? Or will the barriers constructed by past choices stand in the way as the world around them turns to stone?
Buy Link
Amazon → https://amzn.to/3Hm150k
Goodreads → http://tinyurl.com/hz9u3awn
Excerpt
Copyright 2024 Dana Claire
My legs wobbled as I tiptoed into Henrik’s bedroom, careful to close the door behind me with a soft click. Moonlight streamed through the slightly parted curtains, casting a silvery trail on the floor that guided me across the carpet. I knelt by his bedside and watched his sleeping form, the gentle rise and fall of his bare chest—a chest I had stroked a hundred times but would never touch again. His lips fluttered, giving me pause. Lips I had kissed since I was thirteen and would miss as much as him. His mahogany locks fell over his forehead, a messed look that he never donned during the day but one I always loved to admire while he slept.
I lingered by his side, allowing the rhythm of my heart to slow, my eyes tracing over him, memorizing every visible detail for the final time. Gently, my fingers brushed the dimple of his chin, then slowly traced his cheeks, feeling the remnants of dried tears. They were not for his father but shed for me—for my pain. I couldn’t let him carry any more than he already had. I knew I was doing the right thing. He could go on to live a life full of promise, something I could no longer give him.
I’d ache for this: his face, the warmth of his companionship, the depth of our love. Yet, deep down, I knew I couldn’t offer him the future he deserved. Our dreams of marriage, of children playing along the seashore, of exploring the world together—those would remain unfulfilled fantasies. A heavy, uninvited burden had been thrust upon me, a path I had to walk alone. I couldn’t, wouldn’t, drag him into this dark journey and risk his soul to Hades.
Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over. “I love you,” I whispered, my voice a ghostly echo in the darkness. Gently, I lowered my lips to his, bestowing a final, fleeting kiss. I didn’t linger, couldn’t bear to, and our united lips parted too swiftly.
“I’ll never stop loving you. For all my days, you’ll have a sanctuary in my heart. In moments of despair or fury, I’ll delve into my memories of you. You’ll be my steadfast anchor, my unwavering light in the darkness. But I can’t return this love to you, not anymore.” My voice quivered as I inhaled sharply, steeling myself.
“You deserve a world of happiness, an eternal life of bliss.” With a heavy exhale, I placed my hands gently on the sides of his head. A surge of energy coursed through me, pulsating from my palms. The power within me awakened, vibrating with an intensity that resonated with the new, harsh shriek at the very core of my being.
His eyes blinked open, the dark green irises blending with his widened pupils, my name a faint sound on his lips. “Don’t.” He exhaled.
“I’m so sorry. It’s the only way.” My voice trembled. “I will see you again… in the afterlife.”
My arms shook under the strain, yet I maintained my hold, determined. One by one, I erased our shared moments from his mind: the laughter-filled day at the seaside festival, our playful sparring sessions, the intensity of our first kiss, the passion of our lovemaking, our bold adventures, and each time we’d defied the world with our love. Each memory, vivid and precious, slipped away from his consciousness. The essence of his thoughts, foreign to my senses, tasted of the ocean’s salt and the earthy musk of the woods. As I swallowed, they vanished from his mind, leaving a void where our love had once thrived.
When I stood, his eyelashes fluttered briefly before he settled back into a peaceful slumber. His cheek rested against the pillow, his breathing steady and calm. My hands trembled as I backed away, each step heavy with the weight of what I had done. Nausea churned in my stomach, the taste of guilt bitter in my mouth. I crept out of his room, closing the door behind me.
About Dana Claire
Dana Claire is an award-winning author whose stories explore identity, fate, and destiny at the crossroads of romance and adventure. Her love of romantic tension, the supernatural, and non- stop action has elicited positive feedback from many readers, as their online reviews reveal her flair for spine-tingling action and unforgettable characters. Dana is now sharing her stories through speaking events and book signings, introducing more readers to the worlds she created. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her adoring husband living her dreams: writing books, telling stories, and changing the world, one reader at a time.
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Tags: @danaclairebooks, @TheIndiePenPR