The Fae King's Curse

Title: The Fae King's Curse 

Series: Between Dawn and Dusk 

Author: Jamie Schlosser

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Release Date: April 17, 2020

When I pulled Kirian from the icy waters of the creek behind my house, we were just twelve years old. As he looked in my direction with unseeing lavender eyes, I quickly realized our age was just about the only thing we had in common. He spoke with an accent, he had pointy ears, and he was so beautiful it made my heart ache. Oh, and he claimed to be a fae prince cursed by witches who stole his sight.

I thought he was crazy from hypothermia. Turns out, he wasn’t, and for some reason he keeps coming back. But a day in my world is a year in his. Every time I see him, he’s older. Wiser. Hotter.

Over the past six years, I’ve tried not to fall in love with him because the terms of the curse are clear: If he doesn’t wait for his fated mate in all ways, including an innocent (or not-so-innocent) kiss, he’ll be blind forever.

So when Kirian kisses me and pulls me through the portal to his realm, I make it my mission to do some damage control. It’d be a whole lot easier if he wasn’t determined to marry me... And if someone wasn’t trying to murder me every step of the way.

“I love you, Kirian. I’m in love with you.” My eyes sting. Damn it. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. “Every day, when you come back to me, I’m terrified you’re going to tell me you found her—your mate. And it’s going to break my heart, because it’s not me. It’ll happen eventually, and I know when that time comes, I’ll never see you again. If you really care about me, you’ll leave right now and never come ba—”
Without warning, Kirian steps forward, cradles my face in his hands, and bends down. It seems like time is in slow motion as he comes closer.
I’m frozen in place when his breath ghosts across my mouth, right before his lips press to mine.
For a glorious second, all my dreams come true.
Kirian’s mouth is just as soft as I’d imagined it would be, and this isn’t just a single peck. His lips massage and nip at mine as he kisses me over and over again.
Kiss.
The curse.
No.
Pushing at his chest, I separate from him with a gasp. “What did you do? Kirian, if you so much as kiss someone else…”
I don’t have to finish that sentence. He knows the terms of the curse just as well as I do.
Permanent.
He’ll never see again because he kissed me.
“Why?” I demand, panting. “Why would you do that?”
Gripping my shoulders, he leans down until we’re nose to nose. “Because I can live without my sight, but I cannot live without you.”

Jamie Schlosser writes steamy new adult romance and romantic comedy. When she isn't creating perfect book boyfriends, she's a stay-at-home mom to her two wonderful kids. She believes reading is a great escape, otters are the best animal, and nothing is more satisfying than a happily-ever-after ending.

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Dragon Mist

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. David will be awarding a dragon pendant similar to the one worn by Christine Drachen in Dragon Mist (US only) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

As the third daughter of a third daughter, dragon-shifter Christine Drachen must mate with a human.

Not all human males are genetically compatible with dragon shifters, and suitable matches are rare in old Charleston. Christine, though, has identified James to be an appropriate match. Even humans who acknowledge the possibility of dragons cannot believe that one can be both a dragon and a human, shifting between the two. As a result, Christine must attract James without fully revealing her true, shifting nature until he has committed to mate.

James gradually discovers what Christine is. She shows him the gold dragon she always wears around her neck. He notices the prints, statues, and tapestries of dragons that decorate her family’s home. Strange noises emanate from behind the Drachens’ house during a party, and James believes he actually sees a dragon, one wearing a necklace like Christine’s. Christine’s last name, Drachen, means “dragon,” and, while she jokes her entire family is composed of the creatures, James begins to suspect there is more to what she says than a simple attempt at humor.

Finally, though, he sees her shift.

To protect their species from persecution, dragon-shifters silence any human who sees one of them shift, and the most practical method is generally death. The rule is absolute. But Christine has fallen in love with James. How can she protect her family without killing the boy she loves?

Dragon Mist is a story of boy-meets-girl, with a few non-human characters, high stakes, a bit of magic, a little humor, and an abundance of romance.

Read an Excerpt

It had started two days after high school graduation, following a sleepover at Cindy Beaufont’s house. Cindy and I had slipped away before dawn, leaving a note claiming we were going out to the beach for an entire day of sun worship. Instead, we bought bus tickets to San Francisco and hopped the first Greyhound headed west. I’d calculated we would pass through Atlanta and be somewhere in Alabama before we were missed.

Inspired by the underground newspapers we read, Cindy and I were joining the throngs of young adults who were descending on San Francisco for the Sumer of Love. We parted ways as we stepped off the bus. I purchased two pair of overalls and wore little else for almost three months. The jeans and t-shirts I had taken with me would come home just as they had been taken from Mom’s washer on the first day of June.

I was searching for freedom. For a month, a summer, a year, a period of time, I wanted to be free, free from the rules and discipline of the drache, free from the expectations for an upper class, below-Broad young woman in old Charleston, free to consider and understand my shifting nature. I passed the summer painting dragons, making jewelry, and selling my work to buy food. I had done well, I thought. I had left home with fifty dollars, lived well, and my wallet currently held sixty-two greenbacks.

It is mid-August now, the Summer of Love is winding down, my freshman year in college beckons, and my masquerade as a flower child must come to an end.

The real world calls, and I had planned to leave for home next week.

But Bing is dead.

Someone will link me to Bing, someone who saw us in the park in the moonlight, someone who watched us leave the house together, perhaps a friend of his to whom he confided his “plans” for the evening. The witnesses from the park all will tell a story of a golden dragon. The more lucid may recount how a blond girl turned into the golden dragon. All will say the dragon cut the man to bits with her hand.

Believable, right?

All of them, ninety-eight of hundred at the least, will have been smoking pot or dropping acid. Police officers will smirk, and search for a human perp. I was the girl with him, the one screaming “rape,” and the police will want to blame me for his death, although they will be hard pressed to explain how I overcame a man so much larger than I and dismembered him without a weapon, all in the space of thirty seconds.

Should officers frighten me, well, young draches have been known to shift involuntarily. An all-round bad scene.

Life will be simpler if I disappear, if I become an untraceable phantom.

I need to be on the road tonight.

About the Author:

I live near Charleston, South Carolina, where I walk the beaches, eat fresh seafood, and photograph the ocean, the birds, and the beautiful sunsets. Seven of my nine novels have been set in Charleston, but Dragon Mist is the first to explore the lives of the non-human residents of the “holy city.”

Find more of my work on my website! http://www.burnettsbooks.com/books-by-david.php
Sign up for my newsletter. https://www.subscribepage.com/j4c1o6
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavdBurnett
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidBurnett.Author/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/David-Burnett//e/B0092SDNXM
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6579272.David_Burnett

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The Persistence of Memory

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Karen Janowsky will be awarding a digital copy of the entire Persistence of Memory trilogy: Deja vu, All Our Yesterdays, and The Beginning of Always, in epub or mobi, to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

When superheroes fall in love, anything can happen.

Daniel Hecht doesn’t belong in this century. Catapulted into the present from 1943, he’s out of place and out of touch. Still, he was the American war hero called “Lionheart” and his heroism has followed him into the modern world. He now leads an underground group of superpowered misfits, but the misfit he keeps turning to is Nina Asher.

Nina has a vast knowledge of history, yet no idea who she is or where she’s from. She has become the target of dangerous creatures that have appeared all over the world. As she and Daniel work to decipher an ancient, cryptic myth, they experience flashbacks to things that never could have happened. They are falling in love, but there’s something they’re sure they need to remember, and it’s keeping them apart.

The key to saving the world may begin with the act of remembering.

Read an Excerpt

From CHAPTER TWO

Labyrinth

‘The New Woman was blessed. Each of the gods lay a gift inside the womb of the unborn goddess.’

July 2011, Roosevelt University, Washington, D.C.

Nina

“A s a matter of fact, I already have gotten lost in here,” Nina admitted. She had just led Daniel through the archives room at the back of the library. After a few unintended detours, they managed to find their way back to the entrance. “I don’t think I’m usually this bad with direction.” She wondered if she should have said that aloud. It seemed like the opposite of what one should say while trying to make a good impression. She saw him look at her sideways and couldn’t quite tell whether he was trying not to laugh at her.

“I can see why.” He turned around, surveying the labyrinthine expanse of corridors demarcated by large crates and floor-to-ceiling shelves which were crammed with boxes, tools, and large, old-looking objects. He smiled. “You’ve got your work cut out for you, organizing this place.”

He turned around again. He was only a few inches away from her, and when he reached past her waist, she held her breath. A memory flashed of the same motion, the same, comforting scent, like the woods after it rained, and a familiar, definitively masculine arm pulling her closer. The memory vanished as he leaned in and turned the doorknob, holding the door open for her to pass. She met his eyes as she walked by him and he looked as startled as she felt. She tried to blink away the residual, now contentless déjà vu. “Well, I won’t be bored, at least.” She tried to get a quick, surreptitious impression of his reaction, hoping his face wouldn’t register disappointment in her lack of wit. When she glanced up, it was obvious that he had been looking at her as well. They locked eyes and looked away.

About the Author:

Karen Janowsky has been fascinated by ancient mythology since childhood. She has loved superheroes since the first time she saw the Super Friends on television in 1970’s. Because flying an invisible jet was never a viable career option, and because running around in a cape, swimsuit, and bright red boots is not socially acceptable for adults, she teaches yoga and writing at the College of Southern Maryland. Her stories and poems have been featured in several anthologies and literary magazines since 1991. She received her master’s degree in English from Florida State University.

Author website: https://www.karenjanowsky.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Karen-Janowsky-391334061451858/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Karen_Janowsky
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkarenjanowsky/

Where to Buy:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Persistence-Memory-Book-Déjà-Vu-ebook/dp/B07P5GF4FH
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-persistence-of-memory-book-1-karen-janowsky/1130727739
Apple iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1454271061
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-persistence-of-memory-4

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Beyond the Book: Princess Morgane

Let's interview Princess Morgane, my heroine in The Enchanted. She's a great girl. I know you'll like her.

1.  Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to your author’s attention? Occupation? 

“I am the Princess Morgane, daughter of King Maccus, wife of Prince Alan who is heir to his father King Bowdyn. The entire kingdom celebrated my marriage to Prince Alan, so I suppose that is how she heard of me. My occupation? I am a princess.”

A tall, blonde warrior enters the chamber where the interview is taking place. He hears the last thing Princess Morgane says. “Do not forget, my princess, that I have seen you washing dishes. Mayhap you would enjoy that occupation.”

The princess laughs, her eyes gleam. “My husband jests, though I did indeed wash the dishes when we fought the terrible evil in King Osric’s realm.”

“Fought and prevailed in large part to you, my dear.”

The princess nods to the interviewer. “As you can see, Madame, my husband is a practiced flirt!”

2.  What or who is the greatest love of your life? Why? What drew you to them?

Princess Morgane reaches for Prince Alan’s hand. “Our love story did not begin the way most do. Our fathers arranged a marriage for the two of us even though we had never met. I did not expect to even like him, but I grew to love him almost immediately. How could I not? He is everything a man should be. He is kind, generous, clever, protective, …”

“Nay, my love. These are qualities that should apply to you. If I possess any virtue at all, it comes out of my love for you.”

The princess blushes and turns back to the interviewer. 

3.  What’s your greatest fear?

Princess Morgane bites her lip. “I fear that one day I might lose the prince. We live in a dangerous world.”

Prince Alan scowls at the interviewer. “Think no more upon it, my princess. I will take very good care of myself.”

4.  What’s your motto in life?

“Aut viam inveniam aut faciam - I will either find a way or make one.”

The prince beams at her. “Well said, my princess. After our experiences I do not believe in the word impossible.”

5.  How do the other characters in your book view you? 

Princess Morgane considers the question. “With no false modesty, I can say that I have found favor with my husband and his family. To this day I possess the red banner given to me by King Bowdyn in appreciation of my service to the kingdom.” Her eyes twinkle. “Perhaps I do not look like a warrior, but I am held in high regard by the army.”

Prince Alan laughs. “Indeed. Madame Interviewer, you should hear the warrior Renweard speak of her bravery when she confronted the false princess. Even now he brags of how she killed an enemy to save me. In truth she saved me twice, once in Pygeria, and once when the false princess held sway over the castle.”

6. What do you prefer? To spread & hear gossip, or be the creator of gossip fodder?

“Well, if one must choose, I suppose I would rather be the creator of gossip fodder. It is much more entertaining that way.”

7.  What is it about you that is going to draw us readers in? 

Prince Alan clears his throat. “I will answer that one for you. She has the heart of a dragon and beauty beyond compare, but she is warm, nurturing, and loving toward all whom she meets.”

“Thank you, my prince.”

8.  What was your happiest moment? 

She laughs. “Oh, that is easy. My happiest moment was when Prince Alan broke the evil spell upon Pygeria, thereby giving us the chance for a future together.”

9.  What trait in others do you find most deplorable?

“I abhor greediness which leads to all manner of deceit and unkindness.”

0. The random question: If you were a color, what color would you be and why?

“Yellow. To me, yellow is a joyous, happy color full of hope and sunshine. I have suffered much in my life, but thanks to my adventures with the prince my days are now filled with sunshine.” She stands. “Come. Let me show you the lovely painting the prince did for me. It too is filled with the sunshine.”

Buy link: http://amzn.to/2cmFuGy

Review: Can't Stop the Music

Can't Stop the Music

by C.D. Hersh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE:   Fantasy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Jammed highways, food shortages, and rainstorms can’t stop the music when hippies Rose and Dakota hear the melody of love at the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival. Or can it? When a jealous wannabe girlfriend and misunderstandings drive them apart, the couple loses track of one another in the massive crowd. Will they find each other again, or live lives of missed opportunities?

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EXCERPT:

When they reached the makeshift bridge over the road, someone yelled, “Hey beautiful! You with the red hair.”

She looked around to see if there was anyone else with red hair. Then she glanced up and spotted two guys, one blond and the other dark-haired, leaning over the side of the bridge.

“Yeah, you,” the blond called out as he caught her gaze.

Willow halted beside her. “He’s cute. How about him?”

Rose looked away, her gaze landing on the other guy.

He jabbed his companion in the ribs. “Quit trying to pick up every girl you see.” Then he leaned farther over the rail. “Don’t pay any attention to him. He’s high.”

“So she’s not beautiful?” Willow yelled to the hippie.

She poked her friend. “Stop it, Willow, you’re making a scene.” In spite of her protest, her gaze remained on the dark-haired guy.

He rested his elbows on the rail and stared back at her. The intensity of his expression shot heat into her belly.

“I didn’t say that, just that she shouldn’t pay attention to him.” He flapped a hand at his blond buddy, then tapped his own chest with his thumb several times as if to say, ‘Choose me!’

Does he want me to pay attention to him? Her heart thumped in rhythm to his jabbing thumb.

“Take that one,” Willow whispered. “He’s the real cutie.”

My Review:

Woodstock was one of the defining moments in the Hippie movement. People who went to Woodstock still remember it today, and many will tell you how wonderful it was.

Rose, one of the main characters isn't really a hippie at all. She's at Woodstock for the music and that's it. After seeing the Soul Mate tree she expects that the young man she just met might be the love of her life, but even though he too sees the Soul Mate tree they lose each other in the crowd and go home without either real names, phone numbers or addresses. So did the Soul Mate tree lie? Will Rose find her true love or not?

The book is well written and flows well. Rose and Dakota are sympathetic characters that made you cheer for them. There are a few twists and turns.  I'd give the book 4 stars.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

ABOUT C.D. HERSH:  Two hearts creating everlasting love stories.

Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after.

The books of their paranormal romance series entitled The Turning Stone Chronicles are available on Amazon. They also have a short Christmas story, Kissing Santa, in a Christmas anthology titled Sizzle in the Snow: Soul Mate Christmas Collection, with seven other authors.

They are looking forward to many years of co-authoring and book sales, and a lifetime of happily-ever-after endings on the page and in real life.

LINKS FOR C.D. HERSH:

Website:  https://cdhersh.wordpress.com/

Soul Mate Publishing Author Blogsite: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/

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

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/cdhersh

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/AuthorCDHersh

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/CDHersh

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Stop-Music-Soul-Mate-ebook/dp/B01N9RDN96/

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cant-stop-the-music-cd-hersh/1127103581

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

C.D. Hersh will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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A Wild and Unremarkable Thing

Title: A Wild and Unremarkable Thing

Author: Jen Castleberry

Genre: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Arthurian

Release Date: January 23, 2018 

Cayda has spent her entire life training to slay a Fire Scale. Now the time has come to leave her dragon-ravaged village behind, march into the Summer Alps, and reap the rewards of a Champion. But the road between poverty and prosperity is rife with beasts, betrayals, and baser temptations. Sensible Cayda soon discovers she’s not the only Champion with her eye on the prize, or the only one wearing a disguise. A Wild and Unremarkable Thing pits girl against dragon in a stunning blend of Greek mythology and medieval lore. Don’t miss the thrilling novella that readers are calling poetic, enchanting, and a must-read for fans of fantasy!

Paperback Indiebound

“A wild and remarkable journey…Polished, vivid, and extraordinary…Completely mesmerizing!”  -Chantal Gadoury, author of The Songs in Our Hearts ​ “Poetic…The perfect balance of simplicity and eloquence…I highly recommend it to lovers of fantasy and dragons!” -Harley Is Reading “Poetic…Fairytale like…Laugh out loud!” -Laura Bookish “An enchanting read filled with dazzling descriptions and a sumptuous plot!” -January Rabbit “Must read! [Cayda] proves that girls can do anything!” -Rachael Hansen, Goodreads Reviewer “Greek mythology mixed with some badass Mulan vibes…I was totally enthralled…[Cayda] makes me feel like I can do anything!” -Cake Face Reader “Extremely relatable…Praise-worthy…A breath of fresh air!” -Rattle The Shelves

The Fire Scale flies low over Ithil. Its body is the breadth of a circus tent. Its breast is striped by veins as broad as the boughs of a mighty oak. Its roar is like the howl of an angry wind. It gleams in the starlight. Its scales are ruby-red. No wonder just one of them is worth its weight in gold, and there must be thousands. They sparkle, catching the glow of lamps and torches below - flat, fluttering discs that ripple against its skin like a scarlet coat of suns. Its leathery wings beat, once, twice, like a tribal drum, like a thunderclap, and out of its yawning mouth, a blaze erupts, engulfing everything. One breath, and Ithil is black as ash. Ithil, gloating Ithil, built of white sandstone. Built by the hands and backs of scholars. One breath. Libraries and the proud, columned summer homes of wealthy merchants are set alight. Every inch of lush, green earth in the airy market square is grit and gravel in an instant. Screams rise up like a symphony, sobs and the worst swears men can muster. Just outside of the town gates, in a field not far enough away for anyone’s liking, crystal champagne glasses fall into the grass. Girls in their finest gowns faint or flee, and some are trampled underfoot. In the heart of Ithil, beneath a brightly embroidered tarp, drunks and costumed children lie dead or dying. They make groaning prayers as they bleed and burn, mouths flush with the rose-cobbled street. One, two. The Fire Scale is high above the burning town. It gapes, and smacks its lips. Embers teeter over its tongue and tip out between its wide-gapped fangs. One, two. The Fire Scale breaks through the clouds and inky phantoms swirl in its wake. Some Ithites watch its yellow talons shove aside the stars. So quick, it came, it left. A breath. A fast-ascend, and it is gone. And Ithil…Ithil is on fire.

Jen Castleberry resides in Virginia Beach with her husband and pets. Her background is in Communications and Animal Welfare. All of her pets are named after superheroes! For more info, visit www.jencastleberry.com

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