Not a magazine quiz this time but the sad story is…I knew I owed someone a blog post this week, so I dug up their questions document from a previous guest post I did a few months ago, picked a few new ones to answer – I truly do love people who give you 100 questions to play with, yay – and assembled the book blurb and an excerpt, etc. Only then did I realize my invitation to be a guest was from a completely different person (similar names) and was to cover an ancient Egyptian book, not a scifi romance! I had a migraine at the time so I have a (thin) excuse but rather than waste the work I’d done, here is the Q&A Nobody Asked For.

(I’ll skip the book blurb and excerpt since they’re all here to be found on my blog page.)

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why? I think I want to live somewhere that probably doesn’t exist, but I’d love to be in a big cabin-type house in the mountains, near a lake, but with good access to a major city fairly nearby (and no freeway traffic jams). The place would have to have excellent internet and cell reception, lots of pretty snow in the winter (but never snow me in)…I have quite the dream list. The more I let myself think about this question, the more I probably realize I’m basically describing a 2016 version of a cabin in upstate NY that my grandfather built when I was a kid. We used to spend a lot of time there in the summers.

Have you had other careers before becoming a writer? Actually I’ve been writing stories since I was seven so I regard ‘writer’ as being my first calling, but I did do other things to put food on the table and keep a roof. I loved working in retail during college and even became a department manager in Housewares for a major department store chain. The next promotion was going to require me to leave the store and move into an office in the downtown warehouse, where a woman I knew had recently been murdered (!), so that was scary and the pay was less than half what NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory offered me to come work in acquisition for them so….easy choice. Off I went to JPL! I had a long and satisfying career there doing all kinds of contracts and business-related things in support of the scientists and engineers.

Do you have a view in your writing space?Yes, my apartment has a balcony overlooking some beautiful trees and the San Gabriel foothills.

What genres are you drawn to as a reader?Mostly romance, including everything from Regency to romantic suspense. Science fiction and paranormal romance are my two most read genres though. Occasionally I read a nonfiction book, a biography for example.

Has your muse always known what genre you would write and be published in? Yes, I’ve always been drawn straight to science fiction, but with a healthy helping of romance. I also loved ancient history as a kid so I’m not surprised to find myself writing novels set in the Egypt of the pharaohs as a break from SFR.

What are you reading now? I just finished two new scifi romances – Dark Planet Warriors by Anna Carven and Dark Minds by Michelle Diener. I’m waiting for an Advance Review Copy of the next Ilona Andrews novel and I have Lover of Thorns and Holy Gods by Grace Draven next on the kindle. I also recently read and enjoyed Rock Weddingby Nalini Singh.

What advice can you offer to anyone deciding to self publish? Be prepared to find that you will spend significant amounts of time on the business aspects of publishing. Get yourself into some author networks where there’s all kinds of good advice being offered about literally every aspect of self-publishing.  Don’t feel you have to reinvent the wheel.You need an editor! I can’t emphasize that one enough. I have a developmental editor and a copy editor. You don’t have to do it all yourself , build a team – I have two wonderful cover artists, a book trailer creator, resources for graphics and banners, and professional formatters (thank you, eBook Formatting Fairies!).

The thing I love most about being independently published is the total control over everything from plot and length of the books, to the covers, to the pricing. I can change anything I want at any time, if necessary. Which isn’t to say I won’t go hybrid some day and also have a series with a traditional publisher. Never say never is another of my mottoes.

So there you have it, my post that wasn’t actually requested!

These releases are as reported to me by the authors, and I have not read most of them them. I always recommend sampling before you buy!

I put them in the order in which they come to me from authors or I find them myself in the previous week, so it’s a mix of the genres…usually giving priority to the books brought to my attention by the authors.) Also the term “new” is plus or minus a week or two.

(NOTE: If the author provides me with buy links I insert those; otherwise I default to Amazon.)

Also, I usually include only the beginning of the book blurb…

ILLUSION TOWN by Jayne Castle

Hannah West isn’t the first woman to wake up in Illusion Town married to a man she barely knows, but she has no memory of the ceremony at all. For that matter, neither does Elias Coppersmith, her new husband. All either can remember is that they were on the run…

With Hannah’s dubious background and shaky para-psych profile, she could have done much worse. The cooly competent mining heir arouses her curiosity—as well as other parts of her mind and body. And even her dust bunny likes him.

But a honeymoon spent retracing their footsteps leads Hannah and Elias into the twisting underground catacombs, where secrets from both their pasts will come to light—and where the energy of their clashing auras will grow hot enough to burn…

Amazon

DARK MINDS by Michelle Diener

Veronica sez: I LOVE this series!)

The mind is the most powerful weapon of all . . .

Imogen Peters knows she’s a pawn. She’s been abducted from Earth, held prisoner, and abducted again. So when she gets a chance at freedom, she takes it with both hands, not realizing that doing so will turn her from pawn to kingmaker.

Captain Camlar Kalor expected to meet an Earth woman on his current mission, he just thought he’d be meeting her on Larga Ways, under the protection of his Battle Center colleague. Instead, he and Imogen are thrown together as prisoners in the hold of a Class 5 battleship. When he works out she’s not the woman who sparked his mission, but another abductee, Cam realizes his investigation just got a lot more complicated, and the nations of the United Council just took a step closer to war….

Amazon

ENCHANTING THE KING  (THE BEAUTY’S BEAST FANTASY SERIES) by E. D. Walker

For a century, the nations of Jerdun and Lyond have been at each other’s throats. Princess Aliénor is a proud woman of Jerdun, and King Thomas of Lyond should have been her hated enemy. Yet from her first meeting with the foreign king, she cannot deny the tender connection between them. After a brutal ambush leaves them stranded in a strange land together, the two decide to face the many perils of the journey back home united. But as suspicious allies only—love is out of the question….

Amazon

ONE KNIGHT ONLY (REALM OF HONOR BOOK 1)  by Michelle Miles

A snarky Faery princess, a Scottish knight with a gambling problem, and a murderous earl all add up to one thing: Trouble. Maggie’s medieval education never prepared her for life in the Middle Ages! Do-gooder Maggie Chase throws her thesis out the window when she wakes up in the arms of a hot Scottish knight….

Amazon

LOVER OF THORNS AND HOLY GODS  by Grace Draven

A trilogy of short stories from the worlds of Master of Crows, Entreat Me, and Radiance.

Amazon

PORTALS: VOLUME FIVE by various FREE

NOTE: I have the first chapters of my own STAR CRUISE: MAROONED in this volume.)

Welcome! You have arrived at a portal to the galaxy.

Enter, and you’ll be introduced by award-winning authors to worlds beyond imagining, with heroes & heroines who dare to take it to the edge and beyond. Count on these adventurers to take their best shot … at their enemies and at romance!

Contains 10 first chapters, with links to purchase any or all of the complete books, should you wish.

Amazon     Nook     Kobo     iBooks

WASTELAND KING (GALLOW AND RAGGED BOOK 3) by  Lilith Saintcrow

The plague has broken loose, the Wild Hunt is riding, and the balance of power in the sidhe realms is still shifting. The Unseelie King has a grudge against Jeremiah Gallow, but it will have to wait. For he needs Gallow’s services for a very delicate mission — and the prize for success is survival itself.

In order to save both Robin Ragged and himself, Gallow will have to do the unspeakable…

Amazon

DRAGON FEVER A DARK KINGS NOVELLA  by Dana Grant

A yearning that won’t be denied

Rachel Marek is a journalist with a plan. She intends to expose the truth about dragons to the world – and her target is within sight. Nothing matters but getting the truth, especially not the ruggedly handsome, roguishly thrilling Highlander who oozes danger and charm. And when she finds the truth that shatters her faith, she’ll have to trust her heart to the very man who can crush it…

A legend in the flesh…

Amazon

THE TIME TRAVELING OUTLAW by  Macy Babineaux

The year is 2026. Logan Carver is serving the sixth year of a life sentence without parole. But the corporate prison where he is held has an experimental science wing, and Logan has been volunteered against his will to test a machine that can transport living things through time.

The year is 1861. Sally Macintosh is a beautiful, headstrong young widow living alone on a ranch near Lockdale, Texas. She had a husband, not long ago. But he was murdered by a ruthless cattle baron intent on taking their land. She’s about to lose all hope when she meets a stranger on the road into town, a mysterious, handsome wanderer willing to help her stand up to the man who killed her husband….

Amazon

WICKEDLY TWISTED FAIRY TALES FOR ADULTS Anthology by Various

Six hot and wickedly twisted novella inspired by six of your favorite fairy tales, by today’s bestselling authors!

Amazon

PROTECTED ALIEN MATE by Evangeline Anderson

Grav N’gol is many things. Murderer…ex-con…Alien half-breed…
And a Protector. More than just a bodyguard, a Protector chooses a female to ward for life and swears an oath to die for her if necessary.

Enter Leah Roth. The luscious little Earth female is supposed to be just a quick surveillance gig for Grav. He’ll check on her and report back that she’s okay—it should be easy….

Amazon

SMOKE AND MIRRORS by Charlie Cochet

Life for Dexter J. Daley has never been easy, but he s always found a way to pick himself back up with a smile on his face. Taken from his home and the arms of Sloane Brodie, his boyfriend and THIRDS partner, Dex finds himself in a situation as mysterious and lethal as the Therian interrogating him. Dex learns what he s secretly believed all along: his parents death wasn t an accident.

Discovering the whole truth about John and Gina Daley s homicide sets off a series of events that will change Dex and Sloane s life forever….

Amazon

STARRELLA FALLS by Aurora Springer

College freshman Estelle Wright has it all: a superpower, a flying horse, and a hunky boyfriend. All is threatened when her old enemy swears vengeance, ruthless killers target Atalanta, and Toby is under pressure to dump her. But, Estelle’s knack of finding trouble scuttles his plans. Their lives are at stake as they face agonizing decisions and the wrong choice may lead to disaster.

Amazon

THE ALIEN’S CAPTIVE by Ava Sinclair

General Augustus Bron, Commander of the Traoian Iron Guard, has never approved of the practice of capturing human women and training them to serve the rich and powerful of his world. He knows, however, that success in politics is all but impossible without the social status granted by ownership of a human pet, and with his planet in desperate need of new leadership he sees little choice but to obtain one for himself.

Amazon

EDEN DISCOVERED by Lexi Post

Animal lover Jaelene Upton doesn’t expect to lose sight of her sister when she follows her through a bizarre travel portal, but that’s exactly what happens when she’s distracted by a cute baby porcupine. Lost, she asks for directions, only to be nearly assaulted by one naked man before being saved by another. Since she isn’t a science fiction movie junkie like her sister, her best guess is she’s landed among a native tribe in the middle of a jungle….but odd reflections and paranormal abilities have her questioning even that assumption….

Amazon

ELLA AND THE ADMIRAL by Greta van der Rol

When Admiral Goran Chandler suddenly turns up in Ella’s restaurant her comfortable world is thrown into turmoil. Ten years ago he’d been a senior commander, and captain of the frigate Antelope. She had been Lieutenant Bulich then, and he’d kicked her off his ship.

With unexpected danger threatening, and a killer stalking the corridors of the Hotel Majestic, Ella and the admiral must work together to escape with their lives before they can consider the events of ten years ago, and what they mean now.

Amazon

OUT OF ORBIT by Thea Landen

Following an explosive space battle, Captain Jasmine Hale’s escape pod crash lands on an unknown planet. She communicates with some of the world’s natives, but grows frustrated when she learns signaling her crew for help is impossible. Though she acknowledges she is stranded on Ryk indefinitely, she dreams of the day when she can return to piloting a ship through the stars.

Aras, leader of the Rykians, hasn’t had contact with a human in five hundred years….

Amazon

DESTINY’S CHANCE by Cara Bristol

NOTE: A Re-released novella

Fate gave her a chance for love. Is she brave enough to accept it?

Destiny Grable loved Chance Everett for as long as she could remember, but he was never interested in her until a tragic act of fate grants her heart’s desire. Now Chance is all hers–body, mind, and soul. But once they’re together, she discovers he has a kinky side she never knew about. Is she ready for it?….

Amazon

DARK BREW by Diana Rubino

Two months in the spotlight change Kylah McKinley’s life forever. Falsely accused of murdering her husband Ted, she learns through past life regressions that she’s the reincarnation of Alice Kyteler, a Druid who lived in 14th century Ireland. Major events in her life parallel Alice’s. …

Amazon

NEVERWYLDE RIM OF THE WORLD BOOK 4 by Linda Mooney

On a half-world filled with danger and deception, the only thing keeping them sane and safe was their love.

They were no longer Terran and Seenecian. They were brothers-in-arms, fighting against a common foe.

With all new obstacles to face—a new climate, new enemies, and new personal issues for Kelen—the crew has their work cut out for them in this new territory. Already beaten down and broken, their food and water rations dwindling, and constant, non-stop attacks, it’s only a matter of time before they’re defeated.

On Neverwylde, you must learn to adapt. Protect those you love. But most importantly, be careful who, or what, you trust.

Amazon

A DRYDEN COLLECTION by Greta van der Rol

Three exciting stories from the Dryden Universe (note: all have been previously published individually)

Amazon

THE ZED WORD by Kim Knox

FREE Short Story

In a plague-changed world, the dead have become mindless playthings for the living. And Sofie DeWitt isn’t a fan of the undead…until she meets Zed.

Now one zombie is about to show her how far from a plaything he is.

Amazon

These releases are as reported to me by the authors, and I have not read most of them them. I always recommend sampling before you buy!

I put them in the order in which they come to me from authors or I find them myself in the previous week, so it’s a mix of the genres…usually giving priority to the books brought to my attention by the authors.) Also the term “new” is plus or minus a week or two.

(NOTE: If the author provides me with buy links I insert those; otherwise I default to Amazon.)

Also, I usually include only the beginning of the book blurb…

LONEN’S WAR – SORCEROUS MOONS BOOK 1 by Jeffe Kennedy

Alone in her tower, Princess Oria has spent too long studying her people’s barbarian enemies, the Destrye—and neglected the search for calm that will control her magic and release her to society. Her restlessness makes meditation hopeless and her fragility renders human companionship unbearable. Oria is near giving up. Then the Destrye attack, and her people’s lives depend on her handling of their prince…

Amazon

ABILITY by Eva Caye

Lieutenant Princess Brielle Sinclair, the first female navigator in the Sinclair Demesnes Service, can be sharp, sassy, classy, and determined, and oh-so-aware of her impact on the men! She’s totally ace, but her weird cyborg navigation implants represent her unique ability to visualize stelluric waves, the building blocks of wormholes and stargates….

Amazon

WHEN A LIONESS SNARLS by Eve Langlais

Stalking is only a crime among humans. In a lioness’s world, it’s called dating.

Jeoff, is a bit of a killjoy, a super cute one who gets furry on full moons.

But so does she.

Luna is everything Jeoff is not. Outrageous, outgoing, and violent. Very violent, and unafraid to go after what she wants—and she wants Jeoff….

Amazon

OUT OF DARKNESS by Anna Carven

The Kordolians are loose on the asteroid mining station Fortuna Tau, and first-rank mechanic Jia Morgan has become caught up in the thick of things. Under the careful watch of these steely-eyed silver warriors, Jia and her team have been tasked with repairing the hull of the Kordolians’ Alpha-Class battle cruiser, Silence.
The problem is, their alien technology is far, far beyond anything she’s seen before, and whatever they try to weld to Silence’s black hull just won’t stick.
When Jia goes in search of a tool that might actually penetrate the warship’s impossibly strong Callidum exterior, she find herself being aided by a most unlikely source. The hard-faced warrior who’s decided to accompany her walks on silent feet and carries a big, big gun. He’s equal parts scary and attractive, in an otherworldly sort of way…..

Amazon

WAKING EDEN by Rhenna Morgan

With a long foretold and annoyingly vague prophecy warning of immense change for Eden, Ramsay Shantos is forced to hunt words and legends instead of rebels. For a man of action, it’s the worst kind of agony. Until he encounters a sexy librarian who bears the fated prophecy’s mark. A mark no human should possess.

Tortured by her mixed heritage, Trinity Blair has enjoyed little human touch in her life, let alone intimacy. Even the most innocent contact fills her mind with a person’s deepest, darkest secrets—except for Ramsay….

Amazon

BEFORE SHE WAKES by Sharon L. Fisher

You’ve never read bedtime stories like these. RITA Award finalist Sharon Lynn Fisher blends dark erotic romance, fantasy, and science fiction in these bold tales of seduction and sensual awakening. . . .

Amazon

BORN OF MAGIC GARGOYLE MASTERS BY Missy Jane

As his month-long guard duty comes to an end, Master Wynnston should be looking forward to well-deserved time away from the king’s castle. Instead, he feels strangely reluctant to leave. When Zephara of the Pastelle race arrives, he realizes why.

The stunning, silver-eyed ambassador is the woman his heart, body, and soul have been waiting for. She’s also a powerful wizard who will endure the test of the Twenty. Wynn has never been afraid to woo a strong woman, but winning and keeping Zephara’s love will test him to the limit….

Amazon

YESTERDAY’S LEGACY THE ENDURANCE  by Tracey Cooper-Posey

Tightening food rations, cramped living quarters, unhappy and frustrated citizens. Life on the Endurance is unravelling fast. It is Marlow Fitzgerald’s job to maintain peace, including containing trouble-makers like Jonah Solomon, the radical thinker and society drop-out who just might be able to save the ship…if only she could believe him…

Amazon

LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE by Kim Knox – SHORT – 18pgs

Rebecca Marwood is trapped in her guardian’s house, but something in the night draws her to the fire and steel of his exotic menagerie. And there she finds freedom in the strangest of places…

Amazon

THE MINERS OF ZALMA OPPRESSION BOOK 1 by L. H. Whitlock

A rebellion is forming, slow as it may be, and everyone has a side. Whether they know it yet or not. Legend says that Lady Krass gave all of her children a way to know who their predestined lover was; so no one would ever be hurt like she had been before. This used to be a beautiful truth. But after generations of segregation, corrupt tests determining status, and government power, truth has become a dwindling fairy tale….

Amazon

QUEST FOR REDEMPTION DEFENDER OF THE REALMS BOOK ONE by Sheri Velarde

Zanna is an elven warrior princess, who seems to have it all, yet really has nothing. Her fate is not in her own hands. Instead, it is bound to an ancient magic she has no control over. She wants to rule the elves, yet must prove herself worthy before she is accepted. She also wants to find her mate, but after two thousand years, didn’t hold much hope. Her existence has become mundane, and she craves something new. A routine assignment suddenly turns into something bigger that could ruin all of them. Is she strong enough to save the world and find her own happiness too? Can she change and help change the fate of the world with her?

Amazon

THE ROYAL MATE SPACE WARS by April Zyon

It all comes down to this. The truth about what started the war between the Imarian and Craegin is coming out, along with the fact that there is one true royal left. One man to rule them all.

Markus Rothschild wants to live a simple, quiet life but when faced with the truth of what’s happening in his world, he knows he has no choice but to take his rightful place.

Paisley Ralston is a woman who loves teaching small children. She’s never even held a weapon, let alone fired one. Playing bodyguard to the royal heir is the last thing she expected to do. But when Markus’s security team is sabotaged, she may be his only hope…

Amazon

DAMNED IF HE DOES by Marcella Burnard

Rejected by heaven, twisted by hell, what’s a damned dead man to do when he stumbles upon a life and love worth fighting for?
Though damned for his earthly sins, Darsorin Incarri likes being an incubus. Prowling women’s dreams to siphon off their sexual energy for Satan’s consumption has its perks: an array of infernal power and a modicum of freedom. Sure, Ole Scratch holds Dar’s soul in thrall, and Dar has to spend a few hours recharging in Hell every day, but it could be much worse. All he has to do is hold up his end of his damnation contract – five women seduced, satisfied and siphoned per night for eternity. So when he encounters gorgeous, bright, and funny Fiona Renee, it’s business as usual. Deploy the infernal charm and rack up another score. Except it doesn’t work. She’s immune. He has to find out what’s gone wrong or face Lucifer’s wrath….

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Kobo     iBooks

STARLINE by Imogene Nix

One man, one woman, one psychotic alien. The race is on to save humanity. Past, present, and future.

Mellissa Davis is your average bookstore owner and aspiring romance author until one day an electronic bookpad slides through the mail slot of her small store. Now all she has to worry about is a sexy, time-traveling stealth ship captain, staying out of the way of the bad guy, and saving the universe. Not much to ask…

Duvall McCord, an up-and-coming space captain, travels to the past to stop the Ru’Edan leader’s plans to destroy the Earth Empire before it can be formed. His mission? Retrieve the handbook for the Elector. He doesn’t count on saving a woman who intrigues him or having to bring her back to his time in order to keep her safe. …

Amazon

THE AFTER EFFECT by Rose Shababy

Kasey and his friends have kickass abilities. Once determined to help society, their last battle left Kasey almost dead. Disillusioned, they leave the city in search of peace and quiet. But Kasey has a secret. Ever since he escaped the cold fingers of death, strange things have been happening to him. His powers are running wild, and he’s starting to lose control. It doesn’t take long for his girlfriend, Blue, and the others to notice….

Amazon

ETERNAL SACRIFICE MORTAL ENCHANTMENT BOOK 4 by Stacey O’Neale

Valac has stolen two of the sacred objects. In a bid to rule all four courts, he has threatened to use Excalibur to cut the mist that protects Avalon–ultimately ending the lives of thousands of elementals. As the Akasha, Kalin has the power to stop him. And she refuses to lose anyone else she loves.

Will she have to sacrifice herself to save them?

Amazon

SACRED LIGHT ARMOR OF MAGIC by Simone Pond

Fiona Farrow is ignoring her destiny.

Fiona has no interest in guarding the Sacred Scrolls from the evil Shadow Order. Not after the same job took her parents away.

But when a powerful demon mage from the Shadow Order steals one of the Sacred Scrolls and starts hunting down Protectors of Light, Fiona will have to put on her magical suit of armor and face her fears….

Amazon

AN AMAZING SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE SALE (Yes, including my Wreck of the Nebula Dream). Go to http://www.smschmitz.com/promo for details and links!

As of Tuesday evening:

(NOTE: If you’re here for the SFRB Summer Blog Hop to Other Worlds, go here.)

These releases are as reported to me by the authors, and I have not read most of them them. I always recommend sampling before you buy!

I put them in the order in which they come to me from authors or I find them myself in the previous week, so it’s a mix of the genres…usually giving priority to the books brought to my attention by the authors.) Also the term “new” is plus or minus a week or two.

(NOTE: If the author provides me with buy links I insert those; otherwise I default to Amazon.)

Also, I usually include only the beginning of the book blurb…

RELIC OF SORROWS by Lindsay Buroker

(Veronica: I’m loving this series!)

Captain Alisa Marchenko finally has a lead on finding her daughter, but her passengers want her to take them on their quest instead. Even though the Star Nomad is her ship, they have power she cannot fight, and she finds herself with no choice but to accept another detour.

But the ancient relic they seek has the ability to destroy worlds and is coveted by many.

Amazon

A SECRET ROSE: A THUNDER CITY NOVELLA by Debra Jess

Nikolaos Blackwood swore he would bring to justice the drug dealer known as Dodger. As Ghost, one of Thunder City’s alternative human defenders, it was Nik’s responsibility to keep his high school classmates safe. That included notorious bad girl Daniella Rose. Ten years later, he needs to locate Daniella to deliver an urgent request from her estranged family.

Dr. Daniella Rose finally believes she can lead a normal, happy life and focus on her relationship with Nik Blackwood — the one man she’s always wanted but could never have.

Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Kobo     iBooks

ALLIANCE OF EQUALS (LIADEN UNIVERSE BOOK 19) by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Beset by the angry remnants of the Department of the Interior, challenged at every turn by opportunists on their new homeworld of Surebleak, and somewhat low on funds, Clan Korval desperately needs to reestablish its position as one of the top trading clans in known space. To this end, Master Trader Shan yos’Galan, aboard Korval’s premier trade ship, Dutiful Passage, is on a mission to establish new business associations and to build a strong primary route that links well with existing Loops and secondary routes…

Amazon

THE SPACE COLONEL’S WOMAN by Jay Shaw

Helicopter pilot, Julia Swift, lives her life from one rescue to the next. Unlucky in love, she longs for a lover who resembles the hero of her favorite space show, Phoenix Rising.

When an injured man falls through a portal and lands on her local beach, it seems the universe has granted her wish. Not only does Colonel Mark Holden resemble the fictional military commander, he also bears his name.

Amazon

NEEDLE RAIN by Cari Silverwood

Samos, Heloise, and Thom: The road to their future will be paved with the bones of people these three will wrong.

HELOISE: A girl barely into womanhood, she learns the violent trade of the debt collector as one of her uncle’s Soldiers of Money. When her first command leads to the death of her comrades and an innocent, she is devastated. Grieving, she is forced to touch the world of ghosts and one of them wants her soul.

SAMOS: Destined to be one of the Imperator’s feared Immolator warriors, when faced with a choice that will lose him his wife-to-be, he instead chooses to become a traitor.

THOM: A needle master addicted to the séance drug, Somm. The drug is his weakness and the stone around his neck. Through Somm, he loses everyone he ever cared for.

To redeem themselves they must go their separate journeys, wrestle with their fates, and together kill a man who has waited a hundred years to live again.

Amazon

HEROINE COMPLEX by Sara Kuhn

Evie Tanaka is the put-upon personal assistant to Aveda Jupiter, her childhood best friend and San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine. She’s great at her job—blending into the background, handling her boss’s epic diva tantrums, and getting demon blood out of leather pants.

Amazon

BEAST LORD (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) by Elizabeth Rose

Book 3 (A twisted, tangled, romantic retelling of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.)

The curse of the de Bar siblings continues as Stefan de Bar, eldest of the seven, takes a small group of his brother’s soldiers and goes on a search for his missing sister, Rapunzel. The witch, Hecuba, has stolen his sister and they have been spotted near Breckenridge Castle. Stefan’s cautious nature and hesitance to make a decision is the cause of what turns into a deadly ambush. Bloodied and bruised, Stefan manages to take the castle, but in the process suffers severe damage to his face. He finds and confronts the witch, but this time she curses him, and it is possibly worse than the curses she’s previously bestowed upon his twin brothers. He needs to love a woman and be loved in return before the last petal falls from a rose, or the beast that is emerging within him will consume him forever.

Amazon

HER BLACK WINGS by A. J. Norris

Amalya Rivers longs to die and end her lonely existence—but it doesn’t work out that way…

A former runaway turned criminal, Amalya is murdered and thrust into a treacherous world full of red-skinned, horned beasts under the control of the Demon Ruler, Abaddon, instead of enjoying peace and serenity like she hoped. But saving a young child from a certain brutal death in the last moments of her life has earned her a chance at salvation.

Elliott the Redeemer wants no part in saving another soul…

Amazon

THE THORN OF A ROSE by Augustina Van Hoven

Ashley Halliday, a newly elected state senator, is over her failed engagement and ready to help make Idaho a better place to live and work. She has no time for romance…until she and Richard take their friendship to a new level. But then there’s John, an aide to the governor of Idaho. Both hold power…but only one is a good man. The other is on a mission to destroy lives. Will she learn the truth in time to save lives and keep her friends safe from dark influences?

Amazon

CAPTIVE’S KISS: A WATCHER’S KISS NOVELLA by Sharon Kay

Previously published in the Gathering Darkness box set.

It was only supposed to be one hookup. One hot night to ease the mating urge of his race’s fertile period. But after scorching, up-against-the-wall sex in a darkened club, Tanner can’t get Saige out of his mind. And when he spots her the next day, in league with an enemy, he’s determined to uncover more about her than her delectable curves.
Saige knows Tanner is one of the good guys. And that’s why she can never see him again….

Amazon

PEYTON’S LIGHT by S. M. Schmitz

Zoe never thought she’d be returning to Earth, yet only a few months after reaching Cambria, she and a small team are doing just that. Everyone who volunteers for her expedition knows Earth is likely swarming with the invaders, and it will take a miracle for their operation to be successful.

In the final book of The Cambria Code trilogy, Zoe comes full circle: she has returned to her home planet with the man who pursued her and convinced her to leave, and despite her initial reservations, she has loved him more deeply and fully than any man before. …

Amazon

HUMAN SURRENDER: FIVE DARK SCI-FI ALIEN WARRIOR ROMANCE NOVELLAS by  Renee Rose and more

Fierce alien warriors don’t ask. They take, they claim, and they conquer—even when the object of their desires is a trembling human female.

Human Surrender contains five *all-new* dark sci-fi alien warrior romance novellas, brought to you by USA Today and international bestselling authors of BDSM and spanking romance.

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THE CHASM by S. Usher Evans

They survived The Island, but can they cross The Chasm?

Four months after Prince Galian was discovered alive on a remote island, he’s adjusting slowly to life at the hospital under the Kylaen media’s glare. His promises to Theo remain unfulfilled as fear of his father keeps him from taking concrete action. And the more he learns about the machinations in Kylae, the less sure he is that it’s possible to make a difference. …

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BEING GREEN (CYBORG SIZZLE BOOK 5) by Cynthia Sax FREE

Can a stubborn scientist and a sexy cyborg make love grow?

Green, a cyborg warrior, cares for one being—his plant Windy. When Windy becomes sick, he’ll do anything to heal her, even venture across the universe to visit a worlds-renowned plant doctor.

He doesn’t expect to find love.

Doctor Shelby Cooper is the sole resident of a tiny planet. She prefers to be alone rather than risk caring for another being and then losing him….

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THE STAFF AND THE BLADE (IRIN CHRONICLES BOOK 4) by  Elizabeth Hunter

Warriors. Lovers. Enemies. Legends. 

Their union became pivotal in Irin history, but to understand Damien and Sari’s ending, you must go back to their beginning. Four hundred years ago, a young singer and a hardened warrior met and loved each other, but their life was torn apart by violence.

Yet no matter how much pain and anger stain their lives, bonds in the Irin race cannot be abandoned. Damien and Sari will never truly leave each other, because those who are destined cannot be ignored.

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HOW TO LOVE A DRAGON Boxed Set by Michelle Green and more

Feel the heat of a dragon in this new boxed set featuring NY Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Find out how to love a dragon without getting burned. These steamy paranormal romances are sure to warm your heart!

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PRE ORDERS

STARRELLA FALLS by Aurora Springer

College freshman Estelle Wright has it all: a superpower, a flying horse, and a hunky boyfriend. All is threatened when her old enemy swears vengeance, ruthless killers target Atalanta, and Toby is under pressure to dump her. But, Estelle’s knack of finding trouble scuttles his plans. Their lives are at stake as they face agonizing decisions and the wrong choice may lead to disaster.

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ENCHANTING THE KING by E. D. Walker

For a century, the nations of Jerdun and Lyond have been at each other’s throats. Princess Aliénor is a proud woman of Jerdun, and King Thomas of Lyond should have been her hated enemy. Yet from her first meeting with the foreign king, she cannot deny the tender connection between them. After a brutal ambush leaves them stranded in a strange land together, the two decide to face the many perils of the journey back home united. But as suspicious allies only—love is out of the question.

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Veronica: My guest today brings us a fun post about how her real life ends up in her books to some extent, plus an excerpt from her new book Saving Molly!

Liza shares how bits of her life end up in her stories.

Once my car died on a turning lane on a moderately busy street. I didn’t have a cell phone, but that didn’t seem to be a problem. Not only did a neighbor drive by and throw me heavy gloves—It was very cold—but another guy asked me if needed help, so I asked him to call the police, which he evidently did, because the officer arrived soon after.

First, the officer wanted to blame my car stopping on me, presuming I ran out of gas. Nope, I had taken my car in for a repair, they screwed the repair up and thus my car had died from a non-charging battery. (Ironically, my car was fine until AFTER I took it in due to a recall over the connections to the battery, which they supposedly had fixed early that morning.) In other words, I didn’t have a problem until they “fixed” the problem.

Anyway, the officer asked me to sit in the back of his car so he could ask me some questions. (There are two people with my name in my little town and he needed my social security number to determine which I was. I really didn’t want to give him my social security number. The other person with my name was an old woman, so how much trouble could she possibly be in? This had to be a case of two well-behaved citizens with the same name.)

Still, it was cold, so I happily jumped inside and quickly discovered there is NO, make that ZERO, foot room. So I asked why. The officer explained that it is a safety feature. If I were being arrested, I would be asked to slid my feet in while the door was open. Then upon closing the door, my feet would be trapped leaving me immobilized so I can’t kick out windows with my feet.

Don’t laugh. I know someone who did that once. (She’d been drinking.) So I couldn’t argue with the tiny leg space, but it was uncomfortable! Once I answered all his questions, I left and returned to my cold dead car to wait for my tow.

(Recently, I’ve received a notice that the doors of my new car may open without warning. I have yet to take it in for repairs in fear that if I do, my doors will then open without warning.)

The Story:

Sometimes even the strong require a helping hand.

Molly Brown always faces life with a smile, even when a frightening thug is intent upon killing her. At first, Detective Sean Cushing finds Molly’s cheery disposition unnatural, especially when he discovers the seriousness of her injuries. When she asks for police protection, he instead offers her a job and home being a nanny to his five-year-old daughter, hoping her cheery disposition can pull his child from her dark hole of misery. Never did he expect he’d be proposing marriage within a day, but life has a way of going in odd directions when Molly Brown is involved.

EXCERPT

Sean was on Broadway going south coming up to the stated crossroads. He scanned the crowded sidewalk before him but saw no one running or jogging. However, a blonde in her early twenties seemed to be getting a lot of people’s attention as she walked by.

He knew he had the right girl when he noticed people stopped after she passed and pulled out their cell phones. He slowed, following behind her, trying to fathom her game. Was she a pickpocket with a unique distraction or just an inconsiderate prankster?

A guy she passed pointed out Sean’s police car to her. He expected the young woman to run like hell at the sight of NYPD. Instead, she smiled and waved at Sean as if he were her best friend. She hobbled to his car, flapping her hands like a broken winged bird. He pulled the car to the side, made sure the doors were locked, and rolled down the passenger window two inches. He’d long ago learned to never trust the citizens of New York; no matter how benign they might appear.

Sure enough, the girl grabbed the door handle and repeatedly pulled on it. “Can you let me in? I’m being chased by a very scary man.” She said this with such cheeriness that he had no idea what to make of her claim.

“I’m off-duty.”

She glanced up the sidewalk, in the direction she had come, and for the first time, he saw a flash of true fear in her face. She turned back to him and smiled. “If I commit a crime, will you arrest me even if you’re off-duty?”

He didn’t have time for this shit. His daughter expected him home hours ago. She’d probably fallen asleep crying again.

“Lady, go home and see a shrink.” He checked the traffic to pull back into it and would have driven off if he hadn’t noticed in his side mirror, three blocks back, a drug dealer named DTX cutting a path down the sidewalk, literally knocking people out of his way.

The brutish thug was six-eight, built like a tank, with black bushy hair, and a scar on his left cheek.

A loud thump hit the right side of his car. He refocused on the blonde, hopping on one leg in a circle.

He shoved the gearshift into park, stormed around, and stared at the dent she’d made in his door panel. “That’s it. You’re under arrest.” He opened the back door, and pushed her inside. He must have used more force than he intended, because the girl flew off the seat and fell into the floorboard.

Several of the commuters and tourists bantered about the dreaded word: ‘police brutality’. He hoped to God none had caught the incident on a cell phone because he was pretty certain it looked a lot worse than he had intended. He hadn’t meant to send her flying into the back seat, and certainly not into the narrow foot space, but that’s where she was now.

SAVING MOLLY

AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT

LIZA O’CONNOR

Investigate these sites:

Liza’s Blog and Website   Facebook   Twitter

 Saving Casey (Requires Rescue Book 1): 

When eighty-year-old Cass Goldman learns she has inoperable cancer, she decides to end her life, peacefully on her terms. So imagine her horror when she wakes to find herself in a hospital with strange rich people staring at her. It’s not until the doctor arrives to examine her that she realizes she’s no longer old. She’s in the body of a seventeen-year-old teen named Casey.

Unfortunately, her new body comes with some serious baggage. First of all, the kid has burned every bridge imaginable. Secondly, those ‘people’ in her room are her outrageously rich parents and while the Dad seems friendly, the mother wants nothing to do with her. The moment they take her home to a horrifically huge mansion, which she dubs Tara, she’s abandoned to the care of the butler.

While Cass is determined to turn this train wreck of a life around, doing so is far harder than she expected. In fact, without help, she’ll end up dead just like the last occupant of this body. Thankfully, her dad has his hunky head of security become her bodyguard. Between her eighty years of life lessons and hunky Troy’s help, she just might live long enough not to be jail bait.

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