BOOK REVIEW for "Rumpel's Redemption (Twisted Ever After, #3)" by Tamara Grantham

Rumpel’s Redemption

(Twisted Ever After, #3)
by Tamara Grantham
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: July 22, 2019
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult

Kardiya Von Fiddlestrum, a dark elf, yearns for adventure. But when she gets kidnapped by Rumpel Stiltskin and taken to a foreign magical realm, she realizes not all adventures are created equal. 

Rumpel Stiltskin wants revenge on Kardiya’s grandmother for the curse that turned him into a goblin. Now free of that curse and in human-form again, the young prince knows he can use Kardiya to get to her grandmother. But revenge isn’t Rumpel’s only motivation. He’s also seeking the child of the dark elves from an ancient prophecy – only she can save his home, which has been infiltrated by the Sa’hadov. Could Kardiya be this elf? It may not matter, since she’s refusing to cooperate either way. But things change when she learns a hard truth…

Agreeing to help her kidnapper wasn’t her first choice—but neither was falling in love with him.

Rumpel’s Redemption is the third and final book in the Twisted Ever After series.

~ BOOK REVIEW for Rumpel's Redemption ~

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

I think this was my favorite book of the Twisted Ever After series!  Kardiya and Rumpel worked well together, even though she started out doing so under duress.  Due to past experiences, some of their making but much of other people, neither has much reason to trust the other.  And yet, as they struggle physically and mentally to overcome the hardships inflicted upon them and their traveling companions as they try to fulfill the prophecy and save both of their worlds, they become quite close.  At times melodramatic, they are both still at heart decent people, trying their best to help save the world.  The ending has a few good twists and turns, but does eventually lead to their happily-ever-after.  I do wish, however, that we'd learned what Kardiya's family thought of Rumpel after all of this, more about what became of Rumpel's brother after their adventures, and such.  But overall, it was a delightful and intriguing fantasy novel.

I recieved a free eBook copy of this title from the author as part of her review team, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

AMAZON / iBOOKS / NOOK / KOBO / SMASHWORDS / GOOGLEPLAY

READ THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES FOR FREE!

The Witch’s Tower 
(Twisted Ever After, #1)
by Tamara Grantham 

Published by: Clean Teen Publishing

Publication date: March 11th, 2019

Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult

Gothel is a witch. Punished for the actions of her mother, her choice is simple: either she stands guard over Princess Rapunzel—or she dies. But just because a choice is easy doesn’t mean it’s pleasant. Protecting Rapunzel means watching as the princess lays trapped in a tower, bedridden by hair that is so long and heavy it’s slowly driving her insane. Gothel’s life has become one of imprisonment and solitude as well—until a prince and his handsome squire appear at the tower.

Only one object can cut Rapunzel’s hair and end the curse: a pair of magical shears. But the shears are guarded by the most terrifying witches in the land, who also happen to be Gothel’s aunts. As Gothel and the prince’s squire, Raj Talmund, work to form a plan, she finds herself more and more drawn to the mysterious young man from the Outerlands. Unfortunately, his destiny is far more dangerous than she wants to admit: to save a princess, he must kill the witch who’s been forced to guard her.

The Witch's Tower is the first in an inspired new series of fairy-tale retellings from award-winning fantasy author Tamara Grantham.

READ TODAY FOR FREE:

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Author Bio:

Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series and the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in Indiefab’s Book of the Year Awards, a Rone award for best New Adult Romance of 2016, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 200 five-star reviews. She has recently signed with Clean Teen Publishing for a fairytale retelling trilogy.

Tamara holds a bachelor’s degree in English. She has been a featured speaker at numerous writing conferences and a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.

Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align, and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading, taking nature walks, and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY:

Enter Tamara Grantham’s five days of giveaways over on her Facebook page.            (Search daily for that day's prize contest.)

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COVER REVEAL for "The Hollow Queen (Stolen Empire, #5)" by Sherry D. Ficklin

The Hollow Queen 
(Stolen Empire, #5)
by Sherry D. Ficklin
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date:
September 23rd, 2019
Genres: Historical, Young Adult

As a princess of the Romanov Empire, Elizabeth has enjoyed a life of luxury and privilege. But the sudden deaths of her parents leaves her unprotected – awash in the dangerous tide of her family’s political rivals. When the supreme council crowns her half-nephew Peter II in her place, Elizabeth is left with no title, no power—and no allies. Now little more than a bastard in the eyes of the world, she is sent to serve in the palatial home of Prince Menshikov—the real power behind the boy king. 

But Elizabeth won’t fade quietly into the background. 

Determined to uncover the truth behind her mother’s murder and expose the men who mean to rule Russia in secret, she grows closer to the handsome young king, and swears to protect him and his rule at any cost. But the forces that oppose them are as dark as they are far-reaching–and this time, Elizabeth could lose more than just her title…

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:

Sherry is the author of over a dozen novels for teens and young adults including the best selling Stolen Empire series. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she's on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.

Sherry also writes contemporary romance under the pen name SJ Noble. You can find her at her official website, www.sherryficklin.com, or stalk her on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/sherry.ficklin. 

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BOOK REVIEW for "The Dragon Swan Princess (Twisted Ever After, #2)" by Tamara Grantham

The Dragon Swan Princess 

(Twisted Ever After, #2)

by Tamara Grantham

Published:   March 26, 2019

SUMMARY:

Odette Von Alarissa is a prisoner, her captivity the result of a decades-old war between the dragon shifters and the witches. But there has been a recent change in her ownership. Xaldain Von Rothbart, the traitor responsible for starting the war, is her captor now. A dragon-shifter just like Odette, Xaldain has plans for her that are unimaginable—but with a magical mark on her shoulder that prevents her escape, and the survival of her people hanging in the balance—she has no real choice but to comply.

Drekken Von Fiddlestrum has returned to his homeland to find himself in an unhappy quandary. To save his kingdom, he must marry a noble – yet he has no desire to do so. When he crosses paths with Odette, he agrees to help her. But as their feelings for each other grow, it can only lead to destruction for them both. Drekken must marry for duty, and Odette must consent to Xaldain if she wants her people to survive. True love and obligation collide in this compelling retelling of the classic Swan Princess story.

REVIEW:

***(3) out of 5 Stars!

While this is a fun adventure tale, with a totally original take on the classic fairy tale, I did not enjoy this volume in the new "Twisted Ever After" series nearly as much as I did the first one.  Perhaps just because I am not as familiar with the story of Swan Lake as I am with that of Rapunzel.  Or maybe because most of this tale was so dready and depressing, with the individual condemned fates of both main players seeing so overwhelmingly unavoidable.  Or perchance it could have been the fact that I didn't find Odette and Drekken as compeling of characters as Gothel and Raj had been in their story.  I certainly did not like the latter two nearly as much in this tale as I did in their own.  In fact, none of the characters really appealled to me that much, with the exception of Kardiya.  It seems only fitting that she will be one of the protagonists of the next book in the series.  And I am quite looking forward to the tale of her and Rumpel!  

I received a free eBook copy of "The Dragon Swan Princess" from the Author, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

Click here to read my 4-Star review of THE WITCH'S TOWER, 
a Rapunzel retelling and the first book in the Twisted Ever After series.

Purchase Links

The 2nd book of the Twisted Ever After trilogy,  DRAGON SWAN PRINCESS,  is on sale this week only for just $2.99. So if you're ready to read Swan Lake  with dragon-shifters, magical curses, and feisty heroines,  grab your copy now from one of these retailers: AMAZON US AMAZON UK  AMAZON CA B&N SMASHWORDS KOBO APPLE iBOOKS Author Bio Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than half a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series, the Twisted Ever After trilogy, and the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 200 reviews.  Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English. She has been a featured speaker at the Rose State Writing Conference and has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series. Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks, and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGrantham.com.

BOOK REVIEW & BLITZ for "The Witch's Tower (Twisted Ever After, #1)" by Tamara Grantham

The Witch’s Tower 
(Twisted Ever After, #1)
by Tamara Grantham
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: March 11th, 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Gothel is a witch. Punished for the actions of her mother, her choice is simple: either she stands guard over Princess Rapunzel — or she dies. But just because a choice is easy doesn’t mean it’s pleasant. Protecting Rapunzel means watching as the princess lays trapped in a tower, bedridden by hair that is so long and heavy it’s slowly driving her insane. Gothel’s life has become one of imprisonment and solitude as well — until a prince and his handsome squire appear at the tower. 

Only one object can cut Rapunzel’s hair and end the curse: a pair of magical shears. But the shears are guarded by the most terrifying witches in the land, who also happen to be Gothel’s aunts. As Gothel and the prince’s squire, Raj Talmund, work to form a plan, she finds herself more and more drawn to the mysterious young man from the Outerlands. Unfortunately, his destiny is far more dangerous than she wants to admit: to save a princess, he must kill the witch who’s been forced to guard her. 

THE WITCH’S TOWER is the first in an inspired new series of fairy-tale retellings from award-winning fantasy author Tamara Grantham.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

99¢ on release week only!

—
~ BOOK REVIEW for The Witch's Tower ~

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

This is a very different take on the traditional Rapunzel story.  Instead of being the "bad guy" (or girl, as it were), Gothel is actually the hero of this tale.  She sets out - first with the aid of the prince's squire, and later a rather odd assortment of characters - on a quest in hopes of retreiving the golden shears from her aunts, ending the curse, and setting Rapunzel - as well as herself! - free.  Of course, things are never as simple as they should be, and there are a lot of twists and turns to their tale, a lot of hardships to be overcome.  But the original pair do eventually make it back to Rapunzel's tower, where their destiny awaits them.  

I quite enjoyed this unusual version of the fairy tale.  The characters were all quite interesting, from Gothel and Raj, to Rapunzel and the prince, to their traveling companions and various other characters that they come across, even Jester the cat.  (Although I wish he'd had a larger role!)  Many of the personalities seem like they have much larger stories to tell, and since this is the first in a series, I'm hopeful that we get to see more of many of them in future volumes.  

There were a few items that either didn't exactly jive with other aspects of the narrative or that weren't given the attention they seemed to warrant.  And much of the dialogue was stilted and felt rather unnatural.  But the story itself was quite fun, and the characters delightful.  It definitely kept me engaged and wondering what was going to happen next.  I'm looking forward to additional tales from this world.  

Excerpt:

Moonlight illuminated the tower as Raj and I crossed into the meadow. The handcart’s wheels squeaked as I pulled it to a stop at the base of the tower. Raj had been true to his word and purchased all the supplies we needed for winter. I couldn’t complain—I was grateful he’d done it. I only hoped he didn’t expect a miracle in return.
Now I had the chore of transporting everything into the tower. Luckily, I’d brought my largest knapsack. As I loaded vessels of lentils, bags of flour, and a few jars of syrup into my bag, Raj stood over me.
“You’re bringing all that up there?” he asked.
“It’s better than leaving it down here.”
“You really live up there all the time?”
“Yes, I only ever come out to gather edibles, or when we’re desperate for supplies.”
“But how do you get water?”
“We have a well inside the tower. Can you help me?” I tossed him an empty burlap sack. If he was so insistent on being here, he might as well help me.
“It seems like a lonely existence.”
I eyed him. Lonely? What did he know of loneliness? I didn’t feel like admitting to this stranger how desperately lonely the past five years had been, how I lay awake at night wishing I had someone to talk to, feeling as if the silence would drive me to insanity. No, he didn’t need to know any of that.
“It’s not that bad. Rapunzel isn’t one for talking, but we have a cat. His name is Jester. He keeps me company most of the time.”
“A cat?”
“Yes. He’s mostly feral. But he’s friendly enough, and he comes and goes as he pleases. He’s even learned to climb the vines to get in and out of the tower. He’s quite clever.” I adjusted the pack’s straps on my shoulders. “Now, let’s get up there before Rapunzel…” I stopped myself. “Let’s get up there.”
With the pack strapped to my back, I turned to the tower. Wind rushed past, battering my hair against my cheeks, as I prepared to speak the spell.
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” My words carried on the wind, echoing through the forest.
I waited, nervousness making my hands grow clammy as I held to the pack’s straps, but why did I feel so uneasy? Was it because Raj was with me?

I turned to him. He stood with haunting dark eyes as he watched a coil of ropy, matted hair drop from the tower’s only window high above us. I stepped to the length of hair and grabbed it, holding my breath against the scent of unwashed scalp. I never got used to that smell.
“Should I follow you?” Raj asked.
“Yes. But let me enter first.” Gripping the hair tightly, I started the climb. I made my way toward the window at the top of the tower. Halfway up, my muscles burned, and I focused on breathing to make it the rest of the way. This part was always the hardest, and the sack of supplies weighing me down wasn’t helping. Why did Varlocke have to put his daughter into such an impossibly tall tower?
When I reached the window, I grabbed the ledge. The worn stones felt smooth under my palms as I climbed over, then landed inside. As I straightened, I pulled off the pack and left it on the floor, then focused on the room. Moonlight illuminated the bare stones walls, the well sitting at the room’s center, the wooden chairs, roughly-hewn tables, huge bookcases cluttered with dusty spell journals and vials, and the bed where Rapunzel lay.
I stepped over the matted coils of hair. Pieces of rat and bird bones lay trapped in the knotted strands, seeming to glow white against the dark hair. The sound of gnawing stopped me.
She wasn’t.
“Rapunzel,” I said quietly. “What are you doing?”
The gnawing continued. I approached her on quiet feet, afraid of what I might find. Behind me, Raj scrambled inside the room.
Please don’t let it be the prince.
When I reached her side, her pale, skeleton-white skin glowed in the moonlight. She held a rat.
I exhaled, grateful it was only a rodent and not something—someone—else. A crust of bread and a handful of wild beets sat on the bedside table, but they were untouched.
Raj’s footsteps echoed, and I turned to face him. His tall, lean frame looked so out of place. Only the high sorcerer ever visited, and to have an Outlander squire inside my home unnerved me.
“Is she eating something?” he asked. “What is that?”
“Sorry. It’s the cat’s fault. He catches them and leaves them on her lap. He thinks he’s giving her a prize or something. Rapunzel does that with them sometimes—with the rats—eats them, I mean.” I stumbled over my words, feeling immeasurably mortified that Raj had to see it. But it could’ve been worse.
I approached her. She looked up, as if only seeing me now, and she hissed. With her red-rimmed eyes, it looked as if she hadn’t been sleeping, and her collarbones seemed to be protruding more than I remembered. Her white gown hung off her meatless frame, but at least it was the clean one I’d left for her. She’d managed to change clothes—at least there was that.
“Where is the prince?” Raj asked.
“I don’t know.” I scanned the room. With the large piles of hair covering the floor, he could’ve been hidden, but we should’ve seen some clue he was here—his feet or a hand poking out. Something. “You’re certain he came up here?”
“Yes, positive.”
I studied the tower more thoroughly but didn’t see anything that resembled the prince. Odd. Where was he?
“Rapunzel,” I said, turning to her, “we’re looking for a prince. Have you seen him?”
She shook her head, clutching the rat, her fingers digging into the carcass.
“Please,” Raj said. “I need to find him. His father is the king. He’ll be very sad if he loses his only son. Can’t you tell us where he is?”
Rapunzel focused on the man, but she remained silent. Outside, the sky lightened. Pink streaked through the gray as dawn approached. As the sun rose, sunlight streamed into the room, giving light to the dark places. Something thudded inside the well, and Raj followed me as I maneuvered around the coiled hair toward the raised ring of stones surrounding the deep drop that went straight through the bottom of the tower.
“Is there something in the well?” Raj asked.
“Someone probably.”
I pried open the lid. Sitting atop the wide-mouthed bucket was the prince, who stared up at us with a vacant expression. Hair coiled around him as blue bands of magic wrapped his wrists and ankles. I grabbed his tunic with both hands and attempted to lug him out. He was heavier than he looked.
“How’d he get in there?” Raj asked.
“Rapunzel. She tried to throw him down, I assume.”
“She can do that?”
“With her hair, yes. She’s clever when she’s motivated.”
“He was looking at me!” Rapunzel yelled. Well, at least she was finally speaking.

Author Bio:

Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series and the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance of 2016, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 200 five-star reviews.

Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Lamar University. She has been a featured speaker at multiple writing conferences, and she has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.

Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks--which fuel her inspiration for creating fantastical worlds--and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGrantham.com. 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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COVER REVEAL for "The Witch’s Tower (Twisted Ever After, #1)" by Tamara Grantham

The Witch’s Tower 
(Twisted Ever After, #1)
by Tamara Grantham
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: March 11th, 2019
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy,
Young Adult

Gothel is a witch. Punished for the actions of her mother, her choice is simple: either she stands guard over Princess Rapunzel — or she dies. But just because a choice is easy doesn’t mean it’s pleasant. Protecting Rapunzel means watching as the princess lays trapped in a tower, bedridden by hair that is so long and heavy it’s slowly driving her insane. Gothel’s life has become one of imprisonment and solitude as well — until a prince and his handsome squire appear at the tower. 

Only one object can cut Rapunzel’s hair and end the curse: a pair of magical shears. But the shears are guarded by the most terrifying witches in the land, who also happen to be Gothel’s aunts. As Gothel and the prince’s squire, Raj Talmund, work to form a plan, she finds herself more and more drawn to the mysterious young man from the Outerlands. Unfortunately, his destiny is far more dangerous than she wants to admit: to save a princess, he must kill the witch who’s been forced to guard her. 

THE WITCH’S TOWER is the first in an inspired new series of fairy-tale retellings from award-winning fantasy author Tamara Grantham.

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:

Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series and the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance of 2016, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 200 five-star reviews.

Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Lamar University. She has been a featured speaker at multiple writing conferences, and she has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.

Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks--which fuel her inspiration for creating fantastical worlds--and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGrantham.com. 

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BOOK BLITZ for "Renegade (Blood Of The Custodians, #2)" by Sharonlee Holder

Renegade
(Blood Of The Custodians, #2)
by Sharonlee Holder
Published by:
Changing Tides Publishing
Publication date: May 28th, 2018
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

He’ll risk his heart to save her soul.

As the war between the Fates and the resistance rages on, Colin Murphy – bastard son of Hades – finds himself caught between his loyalty to Eros and a past that threatens to destroy him.

Pursued by Persephone’s bounty hunters, and with a pissed-off daemon to contend with, there is one thing that Murphy knows for sure – Hailey, the human he now shares his mind and body with, is innocent in all of it. She is a firefly flickering in the darkness of his black existence, and he will do anything and everything to protect her.

Hailey was groomed to be a socialite, with her entire future mapped out for her.

Nothing could have prepared her for the abrupt ending to that life – or the impact of living in such close, intimate confines with a forsaken son of Hell. He’s powerful, he’s dangerous… and he’s her only hope of escaping the dark forces that pursue her.

Boundaries will be tested, loyalties questioned, and hearts pushed to the limits in this action-packed paranormal romance that continues the epic Blood of the Custodians saga by Sharonlee Holder.

This steamy, fast-paced paranormal romance series by Sharonlee Holder is perfect for fans of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward and Sacrificed to the Dragon by Jessie Donovan.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Excerpt:

Murphy didn’t bother with the door. He came straight through the hearth, travelling through the fiery elements of his heritage. Mayhem was close. Writhing beneath the surface, tearing at the restraints, howling to be set free.
Clamping down on his base self, he swept the small front room of his mind, a red haze gathered behind his eyes and found …
“You’re making a mess,” said the toffee-eyed temptress with hands on her curvy hips and chin jutted at the coals littering the stone flooring.
Murphy glanced down and began to toe aside embers. Wait a fecking minute! This was his house–so to speak.
Growling, he took a step forward. “Where is she?”
Hailey–goddamn her–stood her ground, threw her shoulders back, maximising the swell of luscious breasts, and arched a slender eyebrow. “I’m not sure how things work where you come from, but where I come from, you catch more bees with honey,” she stated with all the hauteur of a tiny hive queen.
No. Not gonna happen. She’d tricked him once, and that was shame on her. He wasn’t about to give her another opportunity to force the fool’s hat onto his head. For all he knew, she was working with Valazhor. Come to think of it …
“What did she offer you?” he asked.
Candy apple lips parted then snapped shut again, a believable impression of affront arranged across her features. “Excuse me?”
She wanted to play it the hard way, did she?
Dainty hands dropped from her hips and tucked into the crooks of her arms when she crossed them under her breasts. Carnal desire hijacked the moment and served up a confused reminder of plush curves undulating against him, open-mouthed kisses along his neck…
“You heard me,” he growled, cursing the throaty throb in his voice. “What was to be your reward for distracting me so that the Medusan hybrid could get close enough to deliver Persephone’s message?”
Anger ignited in her eyes, flaming cognac over toffee, the scent of burnt caramel licking the air. “I don’t appreciate what you’re implying.”
Anger he could do. Anger was safer. Way safer than the alternative.
Closing the gap, Murphy crowded in, using his size to dominate. Again, she refused to back down and craned her head all the way back, daggers in her eyes. Dynamite, as the saying goes, comes in small packages. The masochist in him toyed with the ignition switch.
Lowering his head, he said in her ear, “I’m only going to ask one more time so think carefully before you answer.” This close, her scent was richer, more exotic. Harder to ignore. “What was the deal Valazhor made with you?”
She didn’t move, though her breathing became shallower. “Or what?” Hailey murmured. “You’ll lock me in my room?” She turned her head toward him, her lips millimetres from his, candy scent invading his nostrils.
His mouth watered, and the base of his spine knotted with need. It took greater effort than he wanted to admit to make his brainbox line up the threat he had ready. “Or, I’ll save myself a whole lot of fecking trouble and give you to Persephone myself.”
Thick black lashes, swept upward, revealed the brandy fire in her eyes. Her aura in life had read as human. Nothing about her had suggested hybrid, much less witch. Even the background check Ross had him run before allowing her to visit the penthouse revealed little more than a classic case of daddy’s pampered princess. And yet, her eyes burned with a soul fire that intrigued and disturbed him, agitating something deep inside of him.
“What are you waiting for?” she challenged in a whisper. “Do it. Hand me over.”
Caught in the blaze of her eyes, everything else ceased to exist. In the lull, that thing she had disturbed, rose up. Intensely territorial, fiercely possessive, spiked with a craving so intense… he acted before thought could catch deed.

Author Bio:

South African, born and bred, Sharonlee Holder lives in one of the outer suburbs of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa.

Life is a happy and creative jumble consisting of a husband, three grown daughters, one super cute grand-daughter, three dogs, a cat, and a mouthy African Grey parrot.

Endless hours at the keyboard are supported by copious amounts of frothy coffee and ‘What ifs?’ Writing breaks are a blend of the big outdoors astride a motorbike, reading or watching anything and everything to do with fantasy, romance and the paranormal.

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BOOK BLITZ for "According to Audrey" by Happy LaShelle

According to Audrey 
by Happy LaShelle
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: April 30th, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Cautious and introverted, seventeen-year-old Dove spends most of her free time pursuing her one true passion: painting. The twinkling lights of Balboa Island, the ferryboat to the peninsula, the fire pits on Big Corona Beach… these have long been the subjects of her canvases as she daydreams about finding an Audrey Hepburn-film kind of romance. 

A hotshot jock is exactly not the type of guy she’s been looking for — but when Leo Donovan drops his cool act to show his vulnerable side, Dove begins to question everything. But first she’ll have to navigate her way through claim-staking mean girls and disapproving parents — and still keep her focus on attending the art school of her dreams. 

Being in love turns out to be more complex than the average silver-screen classic. Can Dove follow her heart (and Audrey’s cues) to create her own perfect Hollywood ending?

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Excerpt:

Leo gently took the bag from my nose and wrapped the ice in the washcloth. “This will be more comfortable,” he said, eyeing my nose like an expert. “It doesn’t look swollen at all, that’s good.” He put the ice into my hand and helped guide it back to my face.
It was not possible to feel any more un-pretty than at this moment. Pain and embarrassment had now mingled into one big uncomfortable feeling. But another feeling was creeping up. I stole another glance at him. He looked like a Hollywood film star from the 1950s—chiseled, with a squinty stare.
I summoned the nerve to look into his eyes and finally spoke. “Thanks, I think I’m okay.” My attraction clashed with my desire to hide. Suddenly I wanted him to go away and stay all at the same time.
His brown eyes locked onto mine, and his mouth turned up at the corners. Was he enjoying my embarrassment? I had no choice but to laugh. “What?” I asked, pulling the ice away from my face.
He grinned and sat down next to me. “Dove, you need to keep the ice on it,” he said, placing it back onto my nose.
The gentle way he said my name made my heart race faster and I searched his face, drinking in its sincerity: his deep gaze—somehow it made me feel safe, and his lips seemed to be just waiting to… kiss me.
All at once, my enamored thoughts screeched to an abrupt stop.
No way.
My stomach twisted into a painful knot. How could I have fallen for the sensitive, caring act? Was I really lame enough to get all dreamy-eyed over a few sweet words and a pack of ice? There was no way I was going to end up as one of his conquests. With the ice still held to my nose, I stood with as much dignity as possible.
“Thanks, I’m fine now.” I lowered the ice and looked straight into his dark, concern-filled eyes, shooting him a glare. “I have to go.”

Author Bio:

Happy LaShelle is a writer, mom of three, and wife to a Basque baker who brings home loaves of crusty sourdough everyday. She lives near the mission bells in sunny Santa Barbara, but loves the cold, rainy banks of London's Thames River just as much as the sandy shores of her Newport Beach hometown. She studied History at UCLA and enjoys taking pictures of old stuff. Because everything has a story. 

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BOOK BLITZ & BOOK REVIEW for "Grayghost (Olive Kennedy, Fairy World MD, #7)" by Tamara Grantham

Grayghost 
(Fairy World MD, #7)
by Tamara Grantham
Published by: Crimson Tree Publishing
Publication date: February 26th, 2018
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

The final installment in the epic Fairy World MD series by Tamara Grantham. 

It’s been four years since Olive Kennedy sealed the portals between Earth and Faythander. Four years that she’s been living on Earth, working as a consultant to the Houston PD. It helps keep her mind off other things — like being separated from her husband and her dragon king stepfather.

Her ex, Brent Sanchez, works with her on the police force and helps her solve crimes. His friendship is a comfort — but also a reminder of what she’s missing. Everything changes when Olive discovers a broken mirror at a murder scene. It contains magic, and although it shouldn’t exist, it could be used as a portal to Faythander. Dark forces are at work, and the one person she wants by her side to help her is literally a world away. Olive will stop at nothing to solve the murder and return to the only place she calls home. 

New from award-winning author Tamara Grantham, Grayghost is the thrilling conclusion to the best-selling fantasy series Fairy World MD.

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****(4) out of 5 stars!

REVIEW:

The Fairy World MD series, about the elf-human Olive Kennedy, is a masterpiece of Fantasy story-telling.  The greatest indication of this for me is how much I care about the characters in this world created by Tamara Grantham.  Throughout the course of the seven book series, I found myself continually caught up in their joys and trials, love and tears. 

Book six ended in such a way that I thought I might never recover from it.  Kull and Olive were separated, apparently forever.  Somehow against all odds, a way is discovered for Olive to return to Faythander, but so much time has passed and so many things have happened, that it is no longer the same world she remembers.  And, even having returned, she is still separated from Kull.  Her journey through the land, and attempts to set things right, is utterly depressing and almost completely without hope.  This is not a bright and happy tale. 

 There are enemies galore here, with changing allegiances and unknown motives; even former allies are not necessarily so anymore, and even many prior friends are less than such now.  There is an awful lot of intrigue and mystery, which leads to a lot of action and peril.  Everyone is definitely kept on their toes.

Despite all odds, our heroes eventually do prevail, but several trials must be overcome beforehand, many secrets are revealed, and even some associates are lost.  It is definitely a dramatic conclusion to this very eventful series. 

~

I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author 

while acting as a Beta reader for the book,

and I have willingly provided an honest review.  

Excerpt:

Kull walked in front of me, and my father behind. We didn’t speak. It seemed as if even the sound of our voices would break the fragile spell shrouding the room. I wasn’t sure what sort of creature would have been held prisoner here. I studied the lines of runes covering the sand, realizing the spell might have been more complicated than I’d first thought. A few of the symbols I recognized, but most spells were never written. Still, some of the characters were familiar. The Ӿ-shaped symbol meant light.
“The runes,” I murmured. “Can you read them, Kull?”
“Yes, a few.”
“What do they mean?”
He pointed to a symbol near the center. “That arrow-shaped symbol means serpent. It’s been repeated quite a few times.”
I wasn’t getting a good feeling about this. I hated snakes.
“Wait,” Kull said, holding out his hand to stop me. “Look there.”
In front of him, an onyx statue carved to look like a snake lay across our path. Kull took a step forward, and held up his lantern. As the light touched the scales, the snake transformed, and flaming blue eyes opened.
The snake hissed, revealing its fangs. Kull removed his sword in one swift motion as the snake coiled, preparing to strike. He swung at the head, but the snake darted back, then slithered toward the center of the room.
Its lithe body slid over the sand, destroying the runes as it went. The room rumbled, and the floor sank in the center as a hole opened. The sand drained through it, emptying like an hourglass. The snake disappeared through the hole. We stood with our weapons ready.
“There go the runes,” Rolf said.
“And the snake. You think it will be back?” Heidel asked.
“Maybe Kull scared it off?” I said.
“Not likely,” he answered.
“What was it doing here?” Rolf asked. “You’d think if a snake lived down here, it would’ve disrupted the sand and all those runes before now, wouldn’t it?”
“It wasn’t an ordinary snake,” my father said. “I believe it was a basilisk.”
“Those are real?”
“They’re real, but they’re not going to turn you to stone, thankfully. Still, they’re extremely dangerous. I believe our light must’ve woken the beast. It had most likely been in this tomb for centuries, protected by the runes that kept it asleep. However, the spells to keep it unconscious are very sensitive, even light disrupts their balance.”
Kull cursed. “So, we’ve unleashed a basilisk?”
“Yes, but the question is—what sort of basilisk is it?”
“There are different types?”
“Yes, let’s hope it’s not a shape changer. Then we might be in some trouble.”
The sand continued pouring through the hole, its sound like waves moving through water.
“Let’s not wait around and find out,” Kull said. “Follow me.” He moved swiftly across the chamber toward the doorway on the opposite side. As I followed, I glanced at the hole. Most of the sand had drained, leaving only patches on the floor, the tiny crystals turning blue under the fey light.
When we approached the doorway, a stone slid over the opening, booming shut. We turned, but the entrance we’d come through also sealed. At the center above the hole, an image in the shape of a female appeared. Her form was translucent at first, with metallic skin, almost as if she were made of bronze. She was hairless and nude, though she had no features, like a mannequin. Slits replaced her eyes, but as her head swiveled and she focused on us, they opened and burned blue, like the snake.
My father cursed, catching me off guard. “It’s a Medusa Basilisk. Have your weapons ready.”

Author Bio:

Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than half a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series and the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance of 2016, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon in both the Mythology and Fairy Tales categories with over 100 reviews.
Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English. She has been a featured speaker at the Rose State Writing Conference and has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.
Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks, which fuel her inspiration for creating fantastical worlds, and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGranthamBooks.com. 

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