Requested for an Audience Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

I’m taking excerpts from my new release KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE.

The excerpt, after the ‘fight’ with the klixta worms:

In the dressing room, gladiators congratulated him profanely on his ‘win’ as they disrobed and cleaned their weapons from their own bouts. He responded in kind and headed for the refresher chamber, which his status entitled him to use rather than the communal showers.

Erment intercepted him. “You did a nice job today. Thanks for putting all the effort into it just for the bored lower tier rats.”

“If I set foot on the sand, I do my best,” he said, curious as to why the master was here at all.

“You’ve been requested for an audience,” Erment said, lowering his voice. “In the special office.”

A surge of hope spun through his mind, quickly pushed away. Elara would never be so indiscreet. Being in the stadium today was a risk for her after the unsavory events of the prior evening. Probably some overawed young scion of a House wanting private lessons will be waiting for me. Erment was practically incapable of turning down the chance to make a credit from services provided by any of his gladiators, no matter what the client wanted the man to do. “All right, let me shower and change. I’ve got the damn klixta sap all over.”

Shaking his head, Erment handed him a wash rag. “No time. She said immediately. Wipe yourself off and come on.” The master reached out and snagged a fresh scarlet cloak from a hook on the wall. “Wear this and you’ll be fine. She didn’t ask for or pay for skin privileges.”

As he was rushed across the huge space to the visitors’ office, Kyden couldn’t decide between being insulted on Elara’s behalf that Erment even considered she might lower herself to ask for a quick sexual encounter, or disappointed for himself. He’d dreamt of her…..

VS Note: What does Elara want?

KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE by Veronica Scott

Kyden is the top ranked gladiator in the Five Systems but he’s hardly there by choice. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. He has no idea where his home is or how many years have passed since he was condemned to a life of endless combat. Kill or be killed is the rule and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death.

Elara Vasclavian is the daughter of a senator, as far removed from the life of a gladiator as a noblewoman can be until through the machinations of a political enemy, she ends up in terrible jeopardy. Abducted and given to a group of drunken gladiators for their amusement the night before the games, Elara vows to put up a fight but there’s no real hope of saving herself. Until Kyden steps in, responding to the goddess’s commandment to protect those who are smaller and weaker. And discovers she’s his fated mate.

Rescued, Elara returns to her life of privilege but she can’t forget the man who saved her life. The gulf between their places in the Five Systems is unbridgeable, no matter how much Kyden longs for even a glimpse of her in the arena audience. No matter how much she feels the pull to be by his side. As matters stand, they cannot be together…Or can they?

KYDEN is the first book in a new series, spun off from my ongoing Badari Warriors series. Kyden is a Generation Five Badari whereas the main characters in the long running series are from a later time and are Generation Eight. This new series stands alone and you don’t have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one. I couldn’t resist the temptation to tell a few other Badari stories, set in the galaxy’s Hinterlands, and who can resist gladiators?

Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

6 First in Series SciFi Romance Novels

Note: Portions of this post first appeared in the Roswell Daily Record…

I thought I’d talk about a few “first in series” science fiction romance novels. I wanted to talk about some series I haven’t mentioned before or not lately.

One series I don’t talk about enough is E. G. Manetti’s  Twelve Systems Chronicles, a ten book completed series which has the world building and galactic sprawl of space opera, with a strong, slowly building romance at its heart. The mix is very satisfying and the author balances space battles with the more intimate scenes. Here’s the blurb from the first book The Cartel:  “Where passion and duty collide. A woman in peril. A ruthless warrior with a hidden agenda. A society where honor is revered and trust a dangerous luxury. Raised to wealth and privilege, Lilian’s future was shattered when her father was convicted of terrible crimes. By law and custom she should have followed him into death to redeem her corrupt genetics. Desperate to avoid execution for crimes not her own, Lilian accepts an indenture contract with a powerful warrior. For three years he will have total control of her body, will and intellect. Lucius Mercio commands one of the most powerful Cartels in the Twelve Systems. As clever and ambitious as he his ruthless, Lucius’ wealth, influence, and power are place him among the elite of the warrior caste. It is not enough. Lucius intends to take his Cartel to unimaginable heights with the aid of Lilian’s brilliance. He faces only one obstacle. Lucius must keep Lilian alive.”

The recently released final book in the series, Thorn Bearer, ties up the entire adventure and has been extremely well reviewed.

For a less classic but enthralling scifi romance, there’s the USA Today Best Selling Author husband-and-wife writing duo Tiffany Roberts and their Spider’s Mate series. Yes, the hero of the three novels is indeed an alien spider. I’m normally not a reader who enjoys nonhuman heroes. I like my romance between humans or at least humanoids, and my steamy scenes the good old fashioned way, to put it politely. These authors are such excellent writers, however, that they can draw me in and make me care deeply about nonhuman characters, which they have done with Ketahn, the hero here. In book one Ensnared, he has quite a set of problems, as per the blurb:  “Ketahn did not want a mate. Fate has a different plan for him. When the queen he despises declares her intention to claim him, he retreats into the jungle. What he finds there changes his world. Small, delicate, and pale skinned, Ivy Foster is nothing like the females Ketahn has known. She’s not of his kind at all. Yet the moment he sees her, he knows the truth in his soul—she is his heartsthread. And now that he has her, he won’t let anything take her away. Not the jungle, not the gods, not the queen and her warriors. Whether Ivy agrees or not, their webs are entangled. No one will ever sever those threads.”

The third and final volume, Bound, was recently released. I wouldn’t recommend this series to anyone who doesn’t enjoy dark themes and complicated “bedroom” scenes. Tiffany Roberts has a number of other series with more humanoid heroes which a reader could try first before moving on to the Spider’s Mate.

The Stryxian Alien Warrior series by Ella Blake is a scifi romance reader favorite (with great cover art too). The series stands at six books and I think she may write more in the future but each book can be read as a standalone.  Bonded to the Stryxian was the first book and here is the blurb: “Humans made a deal with the Stryxian males: Help us defend Earth, and when the war is over, we’ll send you women to help rebuild your dying species. Now, the war appears to be over and Trinity Bentzer’s number has been called in the lottery. Only, instead of winning a boatload of money, she’s getting some badass winged alien she’s never met. Trin’s not thrilled to be shipped off and matched up, until she meets Raig. 
Maybe she hit the jackpot, after all.

Commander Raig Thanor’s job is to supervise the females’ move to their holding chambers until they are sent to their final matches, but the moment he meets Trinity, he knows she’s his. If only claiming her didn’t risk sparking a war within his own people.”

Reviewers compare the series favorably to those by Ruby Dixon and others and I’m always happy to see a new release. In the Stryxian universe.

I have a long running series myself, the Badari Warriors, about genetically engineered soldiers of the far future, whose DNA includes alien predator influences, and their human fated mates. The series is at seventeen books and still going but I recently began a spinoff, Badari Gladiators, with the first book being Kyden. The concept is that over the centuries of the Badari experiment, a few unscrupulous scientists sold off individual Badari to become gladiators in various interstellar communities where staged arena battles are fought for the entertainment of the masses. Kyden is one such unfortunate who has actually done well for himself but can’t obtain his freedom. Then by chance he meets his fated mate Elara, who is a senator’s daughter and therefore out of his reach. Or is she? I had a great time writing this book since I always loved the old sword-and-sandal movies about gladiators and it was fun to update the trope to futuristic scifi.

I’m hard at work on the second gladiator book now and hope to have it released in the next month, before turning back to the original Badari series to continue the story there.

VS: Two series I didn’t have space for in the original RDR post:

For a more light hearted scifi romance approach, there’s Cassandra Chandler’s Department of Homeworld Security, with fourteen books to date. Book one, a novella, was Gray Card and here’s the blurb: Is he after her heart or her planet? Evelyn Chambers is a nerdgirl and proud of it. When she finds out that her drop-dead gorgeous best friend is an alien general with only three days left on Earth, she has to wrap her head around too much at once. Aliens are real, and if she wants to keep hanging out with one, she’ll have to marry him! Adam Smith has never seen a planet as beautiful as Earth or a woman as enticing as Evelyn. His government wants him to re-enlist, but when Evelyn suggests marriage to help him stay, Adam realizes that what he really wants is her—and he’ll sacrifice everything to be with her. Can he convince his government—and Evelyn—that he’s looking for more than a Gray card?

Then there’s Raider Warlords of the Vandar, by Tana Stone, with six books to date. Full of steamy scenes and suspense! The first was Possessed and here’s the storyline: I sacrificed myself to save my sister’s ship. Now the raider warlord owns me. It was my own fault. I was the navigator of our ship, and I’m the one who led us straight into Vandar territory. We’d heard rumors about the Vandar raiders—everyone in the galaxy had. Terrifying and ruthless, they were a scourge on the Zagrath empire and destroyed everything in their path. Few had actually laid eyes on the Vandar or the notorious warlords who led their fleets of warships—and survived to talk about it. So, when the ruthless aliens boarded our ship intent on destroying it and killing the crew, I did the only thing I could do. I gave myself to the dark and menacing warlord. In exchange for allowing my sister’s ship passage out of the Vandar territory, I must share his bed and travel with his crew of deadly raiders. Even though the sight of the huge, battle-scarred alien terrifies me. But as I adjust to my new life on a savage warship, I discover that the dominant alien warrior wants more than just my body. He wants to possess my soul. And he’ll make a new deal with me to get it.

Wishing you many hours of happy reading in 2022!

New Releases in #SciFi #Fantasy and Paranormal Romance for JAN 26

Thanks for all the good wishes! I’m on Day 13 of COVID omicron and most of the symptoms are gone but wow, the fatigue is hanging on. I really have to be careful to rest a LOT and not try to do too much. I just don’t have any energy yet!

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL). 

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TYR (ASTRAL MATES BOOK 2) by Luna Hunter

Harper Myers is having a seriously bad day. Her ship has crashed on an alien ice planet, and she’s stranded there with Commander Tyr — a brutish Dragan Warlord who can’t stand humans. They have to share body heat just to survive on the harsh world, and that’s only the start of their problems, because the primitive inhabitants of the ice world think Harper looks good enough to eat. Literally.
There’s only one way for Harper to stop herself from becoming a savory snack for the ice-planet locals: Pretend to be Commander Tyr’s wife. On second thought, perhaps being eaten alive isn’t such a bad idea after all.           Amazon KU

TATTLE TAIL: CELESTIAL MATES (TAIL AND CLAW BOOK 4) by Nancey Cummings

Just a little lie… a fake fiancé fib. Peaceable needs a man to get her parents off her tail and stop their matchmaking. Desperate, she blurts out a made-up, surprise engagement to the worst, most aggravating man in the galaxy: Joseph Moonquest. Instant. Regret. The problem is that Joseph is the most insufferable, arrogant and wildly attractive human male she’s ever met. Worse still, he takes news of their surprise engagement in stride. He’ll play her games. Joseph and the stunning alien woman have been circling each other for months. Peaceable is the least fun, most goody-two shoes person he knows. She’s so prim and proper, colder than the stars in deep space. He might ask why she’s so desperate for a fake fiancé but he’ll enjoy tempting and teasing the uptight alien. She’s the one woman he’s never been able to charm. He’ll melt that icy exterior and make her come undone. Her little lie? He’ll play along until she’s at his mercy and the fussy female is in his bed. He’ll be the best fake fiancé in the cosmos. Game on.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

SO’LAN: BOOK 4 IN THE GALAXY SANCTUARY ALIEN ABDUCTION ROMANCE SERIES by Alana Khan

Brutalized as a gladiator, So’Lan’s body has finally healed, but his mind is still heavy with the weight of the many abuses he suffered in his owner’s dungeon. Can a gorgeous human pirate help him salvage the wreck that is his heart? Phoenix – Tempting but broken, So’Lan has baggage I want no part of. Each time he saves my life, I find myself reconsidering the hunky lion-man’s appeal. The moment I decide he’s worth fighting for, I also discover we have a much deadlier battle on our hands. So’Lan – 
Gutsy and guarded, the little human is mine. I’ve known it since she saved me from the crash. It takes her a while to admit her attraction, but if we can survive the hostile terrain and deadly inhabitants of this primitive planet, I will do anything to keep her. So’Lan contains a feisty female pirate and a good-looking gladiator mistaken for a god. There are also merciless marauding monkeys and contemptibly cruel crocs. And don’t forget glittering gold. Gobs and gobs of gold.       Amazon KU

MONGRELS UNITED (THE ENDURANCE BOOK 7) by Tracey Cooper-Posey

VS Note: I LOVE this series! I was so excited she was writing another book set on the generation ship (because I love that trope too). Had it pre-ordered.

Morale on the Endurance is at an all-time low. Grady Read is one of the youngest Chiefs of Staff to the Captain to ever serve. She is supremely ethical and hard working. Nash Hyson, on the other hand, is one of the Endurance’s richest citizens, lives life at light speed, is friends with all the wrong people, and is absolutely the last person Grady should be seen with. When Nash’s father dies from unknown causes, Nash’s hunt for answers brings him and Grady together to investigate what they believe is a deadly threat to the Endurance, one that might explain the misery that grips the ship and makes life unpleasant for everyone. They struggle to keep their relationship purely business, even though their mutual attraction is powerful. Their investigation uncovers a decades-old conspiracy, and brings them into the sights of those who will do anything to keep their secrets.

Amazon     Kobo

RESCUED AND RUINED (WARRIOR ELITE SERIES BOOK 1) by V T Bonds

I thought being kidnapped by heartless scientists was the worst thing that could happen to me.
I was wrong. Being rescued by a massive teal alien alpha covered in spikes was worse. The scientists only wanted to experiment on me. He wants to ruin me. **This story is knot for the faint of heart. It is a dark action-packed Omegaverse story set in a world where violence and sexual situations occur.    Amazon KU

CAPTAIN OVERBOARD (BLACK FLAG BOOK 7) by Rachel Ford

Some days, it’s sink or swim. Fresh off a successful mission, everything looks like it’s going swimmingly for the crew of the Black Flag. Right up until Captain Magdalene Landon-Ellis vanishes on her way back from a meeting with the admiralty. With few clues about her disappearance and Union leadership proving as tightlipped as ever, Chief Engineer Katherine Ellis-Landon and the crew of the Black Flag decide to take matters into their own hands. They’re going to figure out what happened to Maggie, and they’re going to get her back. Come hell or high water.     Amazon KU

NEBULA’S TOWER (ALPHA WORLDS BOOK 3) by Chloe Parker

MARIAN – All I was thinking about was survival when I escaped the Towers of Eyela, a human experimentation facility on a desolate, distant planet. All I’ve thought about since then is the man I left behind. Aiden and I were taken together, but the alien scientists turned us into monsters. I was able to fly away, but Aiden’s been trapped for years. I finally have the means to rescue him, and nothing will stop me from climbing that tower and taking him away. Not even the monster he’s become. AIDEN – I don’t remember who I am. I don’t even remember my own name. But I remember a girl with grey eyes, and the way her hair smelled like roses. The memories are all I hold on to through the long, tormented nights and agonizing days, as I turn more and more into the creature these aliens have made me. My wolfish transformation could be irreversible, but I maintain my humanity for her. My body calls out for her, even though I don’t know who she is. And when she finds me, who knows if I’ll be able to keep my instincts in check.          Amazon KU

RELEASING THE INTERSTELLAR CAPTIVE (THE LOST ROMANS BOOK 3) by Ami Wright

Jynna is a worthless piece of spacejunk. At least that’s what she’s always been told. To escape her dead-end life in the orbiting slum of Fortuna she turns to a life of crime. But she chooses the wrong ship to rob. She’s caught in the act. Her captor gives her a choice: perform as his caged camgirl or go out the airlock. It should be a simple choice to make, especially since the prisoner she’ll perform with is her celebrity gladiator crush. If only it wasn’t for her terrible secret. Quintus Annius Milo wakes up in a strange world with no idea how he came to be there. He’s enslaved in a floating ship full of magic. His jailors demand that he perform with a beautiful hostage who hides a core of iron under her delicate exterior. He wants to refuse. It’s clear she’s terrified. All he can do is protect her from the worst of their captors’ punishments. But Milo’s resolve not to take what he’s desperate for is tested in the cruelest ways their captors can imagine. As Jynna and Milo search for a way to free themselves from their situation, will fear and insecurities keep their hearts captive?       Amazon KU

THE SAVAGE by Jenika Snow

VS Note: A re-release. From DEC 27.

Audrey had known that the slave traders would come for her and her family eventually. There was only so much luck a human could have in the desolate world they lived in. And that luck had run out. With her family completely wiped out, Audrey was at the mercy of the traders, finding herself about to be auctioned off to the highest alien bidder. But she knew she couldn’t live the rest of her life as a pet, a vessel to be used in the most obscene ways… or worse. So when she managed to escape, it wasn’t freedom she found, but a barbaric and savage male named Styx. And because he claimed he’d saved her life, she was now his to use in any way he saw fit. She’d fight, but Audrey was finding it hard to keep her body and heart away from the very primal, clearly dangerous savage alien male.                   Amazon KU

ALIEN PRINCE MECHANIC (SPACE KNIGHTS MC BOOK 2) by Zara Zenia

Green Beret Carla Kellogg is used to kicking ass and taking names as one of the only females to ever join the unit, but when she’s abducted by an alien slave trader looking to pay off a debt, she finds herself in the hardest battle she’s ever fought: for her freedom and her life, along with those of the nineteen other innocent human women taken. Meanwhile, Merrix, mechanic for the renegade Space Knights, and his outlaw vigilant “brothers” learn of the kidnapping of the Earth women while hiding in an asteroid belt in the solar system. Suddenly, what was a stopover for repairs turns into a rescue mission–and a date with destiny for team mechanic Merrix. Carla has escaped into the bowels of the ship and is determined to do everything she can to free her people from their alien captors. When the rescue mission goes awry and everyone but Merrix is captured, Carla comes to his aid and discovers the Knights’ intent. But can they trust each other and work together to save the day, or will the time they spend together, crawling around the ship ductwork in close quarters teach them that some itches are too dangerous to scratch?                           Amazon KU

SAVING THE SAUTIITIONS (AMONG THE COSMOS BOOK 2) by Melissa Smith

Destiny is a strange thing. Changing our life paths dramatically with every twist and turn. Nothing held more true for Captain Kari Hanley. With a mission to complete and people to save, she won’t let destiny stop her. One way or another she will finish what she started. Returning home poses all new problems, putting lives in danger, and causing secrets to be revealed. When an odd ship appears, seemingly out of nowhere, research reveals Captain Kari may have just found the solution to a burning problem her team is facing. Will it be enough to handle this newest foe? Will the relationships so recently forged hold against the strain and pressure, or will they break with the tension? *Saving the Sautiitions is the second book in the Among the Cosmos series and which must be read in order.       Amazon KU

SEVEN MERCIES (SEVEN DEVILS BOOK 2) by Laura Lam and Elizabeth May

VS Note: Described as a ‘feminist space opera.’ Not a romance. SciFi release of note.

After an ambush leaves the Novantae resistance in tatters, the survivors scatter across the galaxy. Wanted by two great empires, the bounty on any rebel’s head is enough to make a captor filthy rich. And the seven devils? Biggest score of them all. To avoid attacks, the crew of Zelus scavenge for supplies on long-abandoned Tholosian outposts. Not long after the remnants of the rebellion settle briefly on Fortuna, Ariadne gets a message with unimaginable consequences: the Oracle has gone rogue. In a planned coup against the Empire’s new ruler, the AI has developed a way of mass programming citizens into mindless drones. The Oracle’s demand is simple: the AI wants One’s daughter back at any cost. Time for an Impossible to Infiltrate mission: high chance of death, low chance of success. The devils will have to use their unique skills, no matter the sacrifice, and pair up with old enemies. Their plan? Get to the heart of the Empire. Destroy the Oracle. Burn it all to the ground.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

TORMENTED BY THE WARLORD (ASH PLANET WARRIORS BOOK 4) by V K Ludwig

I won’t touch her. But I will torment her soul. While the other warlords mate with the daughters of our enemy, I want nothing to do with these political marriages. Fate calls me north, searching for what the shamans say will complete my soul. An impossible task without more warriors at my command. Then an opportunity arises which I cannot refuse: hundreds of additional Jal’zar to strengthen my warband, allowing me to safely push into freeraider territory. The catch? I must marry a woman. A kiss and a deal later, I take my unruly wife with me into the plains. Anne has a sharp tongue and refuses to submit herself to my rule, rubbing me the right way in all the wrong places. I will never touch her. I will never love her. Anne can never be more to me than the annoying fineprint at the end of a contract – because she is a daughter of the men who killed my family.    Amazon KU

LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME: A NOVEL by Mike Chen

VS Note: Not a romance but a scifi release of note with an interesting premise.

Evie Shao and her sister, Kass, aren’t on speaking terms. Fifteen years ago on a family camping trip, their father and brother vanished. Their dad turned up days later, dehydrated and confused—and convinced he’d been abducted by aliens. Their brother, Jakob, remained missing. The women dealt with it very differently. Kass, suspecting her college-dropout twin simply ran off, became the rock of the family. Evie traded academics to pursue alien conspiracy theories, always looking for Jakob. When Evie’s UFO network uncovers a new event, she goes to investigate. And discovers Jakob is back. He’s different—older, stranger, and talking of an intergalactic war—but the tensions between the siblings haven’t changed at all. If the family is going to come together to help Jakob, then Kass and Evie are going to have to fix their issues, and fast. Because the FBI is after Jakob, and if their brother is telling the truth, possibly an entire space armada, too.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

TWIN WARRIORS (THE IRON MILITIA BOOK 1) by Natalie La Roux

Taken from her home, Amy finds herself trapped on a desert planet with no hope of escape. Lost in the dry, barren wasteland, she barely survives. Making a new home on this cruel, unforgiving planet isn’t easy, but Amy begins to see the beauty of this strange world through the eyes of her new friends. When two large, identical twin warriors, half man and half machine, stumble upon her, Amy’s life once again changes. Unable to chose between the two huge warriors, she falls for both. But this new planet and her new family come with its own deadly challenges. Cane and Cole left everything they knew behind for a life on a desert planet. But madness is creeping in, and for twins like them, there is no hope. At least, that is what their entire race told them. Finding Amy changes their lives in ways they never thought could be possible. New friends, impossible challenges, a deadly attack on their home, and even an enemy from their past won’t stop the Twins from doing whatever it takes to keep the woman they both love safe.                      Amazon KU

ARKED (TRIBES BOOK 6) by Milana Jacks

Lena – Everyone on Nomra Prime thinks I’m Mae, a fire goddess come to life. A goddess the males of this planet will kill their own kin to possess. Truth is, I’m just a tough product of the California foster system. I’ve stayed alive on my youth and my looks, and keeping my brain under wraps. That requires a lot of lies. The biggest? The queen believes I’m head over heels for her son. She’s not wrong. She’s just wrong about which one. Ark – From the moment I met her, this human female has simmered in my mind, taunting me with promises of hot nights spent making pups. She is Mae, goddess of fire and lies. And my brother thinks he will win the games, and win her hand. He is wrong. Like the ripest fruit plucked from the marketplace of Ra, she will be mine. Three spans, two nights, one winner. The games start at dawn.                    Amazon KU

HEART OF AN ORC (MONSTER HEARTS) by Cara Wylde

Fresh out of college, with a degree in Biochemistry and wild dreams for the future, I can’t believe my luck when I get a job as a lab assistant with the mysterious organization IMRA. But then I find out IMRA stands for… umm… International Monster Research Association, and that… umm… alien monsters exist, and now I’m not even allowed to talk about my job at home! Deep breath. I can handle this. I’m a professional, and this is a great opportunity. Oh, what’s the job description? So glad you asked! It’s… let me check. Ah, right! Collecting test samples from a recently captured green-skinned beast that’s as tall as a mountain, a bit too growly for my taste, and could certainly break out of his cage if he wanted to. An orc. I’m to collect various bodily fluids from an alien orc. Deep breath. Don’t panic, Lou. Come on! You’re a professional. *sweat drop*          Amazon KU

DAUNTLESS (CENTAURI BRIDES BOOK 8) by Kallista Dane and Kate Richards

I’m tearing across the galaxy at a hundred times the speed of light. Tomorrow I’ll become the bride of a fierce alien warrior—and I’ve never even kissed a boy. My mother always told me I was too delicate to play sports, to join clubs, to go away to college, so I studied from home. A childhood illness left me with a weak heart. Even after the doctors said it was strengthened, Mom was too worried to ease her grip on me. She never allowed me to go to a dance or a party or a football game. When mother died after a long illness that took every dime she had, I was left with nowhere to go and a degree in ancient history that offered zero employment opportunities. My only friend, Inia, who had lived next door since I was a little girl, signed up for the Centauri Brides program and suggested I join her. I’d never even lived in my own apartment, but with few options—no options—I found myself signing up to marry a huge hulking alien, sight unseen. and spend the rest of my life on a newly discovered primeval world. Kyros – I want at least a dozen children. My entire family was wiped out when a vicious enemy destroyed Arythios. My father, mother and eight siblings gone as if they’d never existed while I was commanding a team of warriors in charge of security aboard the solport. Unlike some of the others, I was eager to sign up for a human mate. I requested a strong woman, like my mother was. While waiting for a Bride, I built a home with enough bedrooms for the many children we will bring to this world. Tomorrow I will claim my chosen Bride. Together we will found a dynasty on Centauri and our descendants will celebrate our union for millennia.       Amazon KU

AKKARIAN LEADER (AKKARIAN ALIEN BOOK 1) by Ariel Ryan

Crash-landed, stranded, and at the mercy of a barbaric alien. What could possibly go wrong? Crashing my shuttle wasn’t exactly on my to-do list. But here I am, stranded in the desert of an alien planet. Alone and slightly annoyed, to be honest. There’s no way for my ship to find me unless I find high ground, and with sand in every direction, your guess is as good as mine as to where that might be. Except I might not be as alone as I thought. When Da’leel appears out of the sand it might be my first lucky break for days. His glowing green eyes, broad chest, and large… hands could make him just the help I need. Except he wants to claim me as his prize. Now just how could I persuade him not to? Because I definitely don’t want to bond with a tall, dark, well-built alien. Do I?      Amazon KU

DESTINATION ALIEN BRIDE (APEX ASTRAL WARRIORS) by Dee J Holmes

Journalist Brooklyn Tate came to this Caribbean island to blow the lid off a money laundering scheme at a destination wedding—instead, she discovers a bodysnatcher invasion straight from her nightmares and a hot alien warrior sent to stop them. The interstellar hottie claims he wants a mate for life—but he also acts like humans are barely evolved gerbils. How can she possibly be this grumpy goliath’s match? Khaz is one of only five surviving Apex’ir warriors. Locked inside his helmet, he’s determined to hunt down the parasitic aliens responsible for destroying his planet. He thought he’d cut down any humans necessary to kill his enemies, the Fever. Then he meets Brooklyn. The interfering female has his protective instincts firing, and his body aching for more. But can a human truly be his mate? To claim an impossible future, Khaz must discover whether Brooklyn’s touch can free him from his helm. But their enemies are closing in. Will their passion set the stars alight, or will the Fever burn them up before they can unmask the heart of the infestation.

Amazon KU

WILD BEAST by Loki Renard

I tried to claim his world. He claimed me instead. I was only supposed to be stuck on this planet long enough for my partners to get the necessary paperwork done to make it officially ours. I didn’t know it already belonged to something else…Now that wild beast plans to…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)            Amazon KU

CAPTURED BY THE ALIEN WARRIOR (WARRIOR MATES OF ZIVON BOOK 1) by Presley Hall

In the far reaches of space, you have to keep your guard up to survive. But this gorgeous alien warrior is breaking down my defenses. Three years ago, alien raiders abducted me from Earth. I escaped to a remote trading planet, where I’ve scraped by and kept my identity as a human hidden… until one day, I get caught stealing from a mysterious warrior named Rok. Aliens are dangerous and untrustworthy. Or at least, that’s what I’ve always thought. But Rok is different. Despite being furious that I took something from him, he doesn’t hurt me. Instead, he offers to help me. I’m not sure I should trust him—or if I can trust myself around him. Because every time I look into his gold-rimmed eyes, the ice around my heart melts a little. His touch sends licks of fire over my skin, and he gazes at me with such possessive heat that I feel like I’ll combust. But I know better than to put my faith in an alien. And I certainly know better than to fall in love with one. Right?                            Amazon KU

CLAIMED BY THE ALIEN TYRANT by Sophia Sebell

Lord Kruth was a monster. Terrible, angry, ruthless… and I belonged to him. A simple hike in the woods on a clearly marked trail. Easy enough. Except my curiosity got the better of me and I fell off a cliff, landing straight in the center of a military training exercise that ended when a strange mist overtook the clearing. Next thing I know, me and the entire group of soldiers are captives of High Warlord Kruth on a distant planet. Stolen away to be forced into his military and help him take over the galaxy. Spoiler alert: I’m not a soldier. That was quickly discovered when I was forced into a trial to prove my worth and passed by sheer luck under the watchful eye of the admittedly hunky High Warlord Kruth. Lord Kruth rules with an iron fist, doling out cruel punishments to those that disobey him and commanding an unimaginably vast army. He’s terrifying, mean, ruthless… with his chiseled torso and thick thighs, barely contained under that fur covered loincloth he wears. That smoldering scowl that softens when his eye falls on me… Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) he had taken a liking to me and kept me by his side. All I could do was wait and follow Lord Kruth’s orders obediently, or as obediently as my mouth would let me. Hopefully, the soldiers abducted with me would work out an escape plan. There was a slight problem, though. The more time I spent with Lord Kruth, the less I was sure I even wanted to escape.                            Amazon KU

ZEPHYR (PHOENIX WARRIORS BOOK 1) by Bethany Shaw

Zephyr – I’ve made it my mission to stop the aliens that have been terrorizing the galaxy. Their next target is Earth. My objective is to save as many lives as I can. But when I meet Addison, I see my soul mate. The last thing I need is a distraction. It seems fate has other things in mind. Addison – Stranded in a remote location during an alien invasion was the last thing I expected when I ventured on a field trip with a bus full of second graders. Everyone is turning to me for answers. It’s a role I didn’t ask for and don’t want, but I must protect everyone I can. The aliens are closing in and we have nowhere to run when a fiery phoenix swoops in to save the day — literally. There’s not just one alien species on the planet, but two. I need to convince the hot phoenix shifter to help us save the planet. If I fail, our planet will be blown up.                 Amazon KU

DRONE RIDER 3 (DRONE RIDER AI WARS) by Ginger Booth

VS Note: Not a romance but a hard SF, cyberpunk release of note.

Along the exotic ruins of the Silk Road, cyborgs seek to slay an AI dragon. Or is that, ally with the dragon? Cyborg Betta honeymoons with her AI boyfriend Valentin in Chernobyl. But China is collapsing. Factions jockey for control, while Russia and Japan invade. Tai Loong, the Great Dragon AI, mounts a formidable defense. Russia demands Betta’s team earn their keep. What kind of AI is Tai Loong? What are his weaknesses? How can Russia destroy him? The drone riders infiltrate the Silk Road to discover his secrets. But do Betta’s AI allies wish to conquer the charming dragon? As allies prove enemies, and enemies become friends, her desert trek brings disaster, sorrow, and of course, new critters.                       Amazon KU

RENEGADE LOVE (GALACTIC LOVE BOOK 3) by Ann Aguirre

He’s relentless. He’s aggressive. His armor is scarred to hell. Toth Krag is infamous among bounty hunters. Nobody has ever seen his face and lived to tell the tale. He doesn’t fail. He doesn’t quit. And he doesn’t take prisoners. But maybe he’s getting soft. For once, he showed mercy, and no good deed goes unpunished, so now he’s tracking the deadbeats who run Volant’s Fabulous Spectacle.
She’s casual. She’s spontaneous. She never liked Earth that much anyway. Yara Duncan is always at the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s how she wound up as the human attraction in a space circus. Frankly, it’s the best gig she’s ever had. Aliens pay to watch her eat and do puzzles, and she gets to see the galaxy free of charge. She’s enjoying the adventure, until the scariest hunter in the universe shows up. For some reason, he thinks she’s in charge, and he’s determined to drag her back to face his employers. Yara doesn’t run from her problems, and Krag doesn’t know what to do with a human who seems more interested in what he looks like under his armor. This time, the hunter becomes the hunted in the wildly unpredictable game of love.

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WOLF WARRIORS DUET by Marteeka Karland

VS Note: Re-releases. Publisher states both have been “extensively edited.”

Future Earth. The privileged few build their wealth on the backs of slaves who are neither man nor beast, but both. Those with gold to spare spend it at the Arena… betting on the Warrior Shifters is the pastime of the elite. Claimed by the Guardian Wolf: Miranda is the daughter of one of the cruelest Gladiator owners. Still her heart remains pure. The last thing she bargained for was catching the eye of the fiercest warrior of all — Brandwulfr. To Brandwulfr, Miranda is a way out of this godforsaken realm, a way to get home. He doesn’t need to be attracted to the silly little human. Yet something in her touch awakens the wolf within him…Taken by the Wolf King: Caught between deadly politics and a man bent on claiming her, all Elsa can afford to focus on is saving her children — at any cost. Tortured and maddened by pain, Leif vows revenge on the woman he would have made his queen. Will his hatred of what she was forced to do build a wall between them that can never be torn down?

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POSSESSED BY THE ALIEN WARLORD (FATED MATES OF THE VAROOL BOOK 3) by Krista Luna

KIRA – As the fleet’s best engineer, I work endlessly to keep everyone alive with little more than spit and a prayer. Then an even more crucial job beckons. Survival demands we crack the enemy’s jamming tech, and I’m just the person to do it. But the new job is on-planet, and the only way to get there is to marry a Varool. The biggest, grumpiest alien of the big-and-grumpy bunch claims me. I swear Grol’s made of living stone, but his touch is pure fire, freeing my truest desires. I’m falling fast, but Grol’s emotions are impenetrable. With so much heat between us, his indifference could burn my heart to ash.      GROL – Duke, Head of War, Warlord—I go by many titles, none of them soft. I am the sharp tip of the sword aimed straight at the heart of my enemy. Then she says my name. Grol, simply Grol. This small human is my fated mate. I claim her to assuage the mating frenzy, almost losing myself in pleasure. Duty demands that I protect her so she can discover a way to defeat our foe. Yet the longer we are together, the more her intelligence and lightness of spirit affect me. Enemies attack from all sides, requiring complete focus for the fight. For the first time in my life, my purpose is divided. How can such tiny hands have such a strong grip on my two hearts?              Amazon KU

MUNRO by Kresley Cole

TORMENTED IN UNIMAGINABLE WAYS – Coming off torture at the hands of his warlock captors, Munro MacRieve never expected to find his mate, or to lose her just as abruptly. Driven to desperation, the ruthless warrior uses his enemies’ own powers to reunite with her—in the distant past. STOLEN FROM HER TIME – When a crazed werewolf crashes her wedding, Kereny “Ren” Codrina does what any cunning huntress would do: she captures him. Yet she finds herself softening toward the wounded beast—until he turns the tables and forces her into an incomprehensible future. CAN A HUMAN AND AN IMMORTAL UNITE IN ORDER TO SURVIVE? As danger mounts, Munro will do anything to make her undying, even sell his soul to an evil sorceress. But first he must convince his fiery mate that she belongs with him. If seduction means her survival, Munro will use every weapon in his arsenal to possess her—forever.

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THE BEST OF BOTH WOLVES (RED WOLF 2) by Terry Spear

Where there’s a wolf, there’s a way…Sierra Redding is on her way to her new job as an art teacher for a red wolf pack in Portland, when she thwarts a break-in. She’s just in time to see the would-be thief and sketch him for detective Adam Holmes, earning her a job with the police department as a sketch artist, and bringing her closer to the handsome investigator.

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IRON EAGLE (KODIAK POINT BOOK 8) by Eve Langlais

Can a broken hero get a second chance at life and love? Once known as the Iron Eagle of the skies, Eli, a former military hero, now spends his time drowning his regrets in alcohol—until a woman challenges what’s left of his pride. Yvette, a human with a mission, drags Eli from his pit of misery with a plea he can’t ignore: The world needs you. And Eli needs something to help him move past grief and guilt. What this shifter doesn’t expect as he regains his feathery courage, is to fall in love.
But will he have a chance at a happily ever after given the threat facing the world? Time to be a hero one last time.

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MOMENT OF TOOTH (A WITCH IN WOLF WOOD BOOK 4) by Lindsay Buroker

Morgen Keller’s life has been chaotic since she inherited her grandmother’s old house—and her legacy as a witch. Werewolves regularly attack her, familiars spy on her, and enemies she didn’t ask for keep lighting her property on fire. Through everything, she’s been fortunate to have one steadfast ally: Amar. The lone werewolf is a fearsome fighter, a loyal protector, and he’s sexy in nothing but a magical talisman. Just as Morgen and Amar overcome most of her problems and officially start dating, trouble from his past arrives in town. The powerful enemy who long ago slew his parents has come to finish off the family. As strong as Amar is, he may not be able to handle his old nemesis alone. But will he let Morgen help? And is it within her fledgling power as a witch to do so?

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THE OH MY GAWD COUPLE (HOT DAMN SERIES BOOK 16) by Robyn Peterman

Welcome to my Hell… and not the good one where I’m in charge. Word on the street is that my brother’s son was potty trained at eight months old. Unacceptable. I shall not be bested by God. I have pilfered plastic potties, Cheerios and bagels. I am prepared to teach my boy to put the pee in the hole. All I need now is a potty song. Or so I thought. Apparently, sending Lizard to clog all the commodes in Heaven has put me in hot water with Mother Nature. The certifiable woman has threatened a pole dancing punishment if I don’t play nice with my brother. So I shall do what any sane leader of Hell would do—die my hair, shave my eyebrows and go into hiding for a century. Desperate Devils do stupid things. But no one hides from Mother Nature for long, not even God and the Devil. Now we’re in a cornfield in Nowhere, Indiana. No magic. No cell phones. No IDs and three days to make nice and figure out how in the Hell to get to Kentucky. Good luck to us…Sometimes you need a little Heaven to raise a lot of Hell.             Amazon KU

THE SIXTH DEMON: BOOK ONE by R A Steffan

When the Archangels slammed the pearly gates shut on the great war between the Demons and the Fae, the angel Shemasiel missed the memo. Trapped alone on Earth, she’s spent the past few millennia sticking her nose in where it’s not wanted, and generally being a nuisance to the people in charge. Posing as human investigative reporter Neveah Lane, she’s first on the scene of a mysterious death with hallmarks of the supernatural. But when one of Hell’s most notorious demons is also sent to investigate, it quickly becomes apparent that more is at stake than the death of a single woman.
Now, with the truce between two powerful, warring races hanging in the balance, a stranded angel and Hell’s most devious spymaster must choose whether to oppose each other on principle, or work together for peace. As the two orbit each other in pursuit of their competing goals, Neveah finds herself experiencing the appeal of the forbidden for the first time in her ageless existence. Angels are supposed to be immune from temptation. Too bad Neveah was never a very good angel.    Amazon KU

VICAR (VIKING ANCESTORS FORGED IN FIRE BOOK 4) by Sky Purington

Trinity is prepared to become fated mates with a Viking dragon if it means saving humanity. What she isn’t ready for is a Viking like Vicar. A man who suffers from multiple personalities. One is civil, the other ruthless. Yet when her dragon connects with his across time, and Loki’s Dagger mysteriously ends up in her possession, she knows their paths are on a collision course. Intrigued by Trinity’s influence over him and determined to retrieve Loki’s Dagger, Vicar heads to the future only to find Trinity on the run. In quick pursuit, he follows her back in time and learns the unexpected. Now that she’s in his era, she suffers from dual personalities as well. One is sweet, the other cutthroat. To make matters worse, they’re up against an enemy god determined to pit them against each other and make Trinity his own. Thrust on a turbulent journey together, they discover not only a forgotten past but learn they once shared a deep love. They also realize just how involved their savage nemesis was in their ultimate fate. Will they rediscover the sizzling passion they once shared despite all they’re up against? Or have they already lost the battle to something that’s been stalking them since childhood? Amazon KU

A KINGDOM OF IRON AND WINE (IRONWORLD SERIES BOOK 1) by Candace Osmond

She’s part Fae with sunlight in her veins. He’s a vampire…with heart and soul. It’s a match made in magical hell, but Avery can’t seem to stay away. With her crew of misfit friends–Fae, vampires, witches, and shifters–Avery Quinn uncovers a secret society of werewolves selling Fae blood to vampires on the black market. Set against the artsy backdrop of downtown Halifax, A Kingdom of Iron & Wine is a fantastical tale of magic, danger, and love as Avery stumbles upon a hidden mythical world woven into her own buried past. With each secret she uncovers, Avery grows closer to darkness. Because, while her mortal heart may belong to Cillian, she has no idea her immortal soul was long promised to a dark Fae Lord…and he’s coming to collect.                Amazon KU

LUCK OF THE DEMON (DEALS WITH DEMONS BOOK 4) by Stacia Stark

Within a matter of days, Samael will turn to ash. And there’s a high chance I’ll die with him. To save both our lives, I’m calling in every favor and debt owed to me. I’ll travel through realms. I’ll tussle with mythical creatures.  And I’ll hand over the things I value most– even if it means playing right into Lucifer’s hands. I never could have imagined I’d risk everything for a demon. But what Samael and I have will always be worth fighting for. Even if it means ending treaties, severing friendships, and alienating our allies.  Because Samael is mine now.  And I protect what’s mine.       Amazon KU

NIGHT TRICKS (MIDNIGHT MAGIC BOOK 1) by Richard Amos

They say warlocks are lesser beings. I’m about to prove them wrong. The streets have been my home for as long as I can remember. To get by, I use my magic tricks, bringing smiles to the faces of adults and children alike. As a warlock, my powers are limited. Nothing like a witch’s magical skills. Basically, I’m a glorified magician as well as a second-class citizen. Fine. It doesn’t get me down. I have my cat Fizz and Kylie Minogue’s music to keep me going as I dream big. I know there’s a better life out there for me. When I accidentally summon the lost magic of arcana, something not even a powerful witch can do, my world is turned upside down. Enter Tae Frost. Mysterious billionaire vampire. Deliciously handsome and brooding. Able to set my pulse racing with just one look. A man who offers to change my life for the better. I just have to move into his penthouse and help him hunt demons first. Hmmm. I have a big decision to make. Do I take this Cinderella-like opportunity? Especially with the dangerous secret I’m hiding from the world. And if the witches discover I’ve summoned arcana… Well, it won’t be fun to be me if they do. There’s a demon making a big impression—a creepy, button-eyed man spilling blood across London. Seemingly uncatchable, as well as unhinged. The city is trembling in the wake of his shadow. With my new powers, I’m the only one to stop him. Damn.   Amazon KU

PUMPKIN SPELL LATTE (ENCHANTED ENCLAVE MYSTERIES BOOK 7) by Samantha Silver

Fall has come to Enchanted Enclave, and with it, drama! The election to decide on a new mayor is fast approaching, and things are heating up between Aunt Lucy and Ariadne. Meanwhile, Ross is trying to come to terms with his discovery of magic’s existence, but he’s going to have to do it quickly, because someone has been stealing things in Enchanted Enclave, and he’s the detective assigned to the case. But when Cackling Witch Coffee becomes one of the places hit by the thief, Eliza, Leanne and Kaillie aren’t just going to stand around and wait idly by waiting for the case to be solved.   Amazon KU

ARRAN (WOLFY BOOK 2) by Tia Fielding

Trauma and heartache have followed Arran his whole life. Raised by wolf hunters, he was lucky to escape Washington State and that life at his first chance. Becoming a liaison between wolf packs and hunters across the United States was Arran’s way of healing his soul from what he’d seen his family do. A decade ago, he met Marek, the alpha son of a small pack in Montana. The pair quickly realized they were mates, fell in love, and had plans for a future where Arran being a liaison would make a real difference. But then, everything changed when Marek had to step up as the Alpha. Since that day, Arran has been running from his past, solving problems for other people while his mating bite throbs in time with his broken heart. He’s had lovers, but everyone who sees the scar on his wrist knows that he belongs to another. Fresh off one job, Arran receives a late-night call from Marek’s wife — his replacement — begging for help, and there’s nothing he can do but head back to the Alpha he never wanted to face again. Not after he learns that the events from New Mexico are connected to what’s happening to Marek’s pack. Someone is threatening two packs he’s been involved with, and that can’t be ignored. Showing up on Marek’s doorstep is its own complication with plenty of surprises in store for both men. Not only does Arran have secrets from his hunter past, but Marek has been bearing his own all these years. Old hurts and new revelations mix in a cocktail of hurt and comfort as the pack figures out how to move forward and be happy again.

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BRAZEN HEARTS (MAFIA BEASTS BOOK 3) by Cassia Briar

5th Circle, I’m coming for you…I’m coming for vengeance. I’ve changed. I’m not the same terrified girl on the run I’d been for all those years. Soon, my enemies are going to meet the new me. And I’m going to make them bleed. The dark witches have taken their cause to a whole new level. Countless innocent lives could be lost if we don’t stop 5th Circle. Now, more than ever, we need to be free of the enchantress’s curse—and time is running out.              Amazon KU

THE DAWN OF PEACE (ETHERYA’S EARTH) by Rebecca Hefner

Before the end of hatred, there was the dawn of peace…Two immortals from warring species save each other’s lives as the conflict rages on. Alrec, the hulking Vampyre warrior, spares her first. Years later, Kilani, the fierce, uncompromising Slayer, returns the favor. Stuck in her remote cabin, their bond grows as Kilani warily nurses her injured Vampyre, determined to deny her growing desire for the man with deep, knowing eyes and mesmerizing fangs. And, of course, there’s only one bed… The sizzling prequel to the Etherya’s Earth paranormal romance saga.

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BANISHED (THE RAVENMASTER CHRONICLES BOOK 2) by K A Riley

Accompanied by Render, her long-time raven companion, Kress joins Brohn as they set out to track down the five members of the Fallen that Kress had to leave behind on her last adventure. Along the way, the heroic team finds themselves drawn into the plight of the Unsettled, now an oppressed underclass being targeted for extermination by the Cult of the Devoted. Plagued by internal divisions, some of the Unsettled want to negotiate with the Devoted, while others are planning something much more dramatic. Caught in the middle, Kress and Brohn have a decision to make. The side they pick and the path they choose could save—or else end—the lives of millions.   Amazon KU

EMBER: OUTFOXED (SILVER SKATES BOOK 16) by Hanleigh Bradley

When a skulk of Kitsunes comes to town, things are going to start heating up! My life is pretty much perfect. Not only do I have the family I never dared to wish for, but I’m finally the World Champion! Of course, there’s no rest for the wicked so my coach has already started training me for next year’s figure skating championship. But even Garrick’s constant nagging isn’t enough to ruin my buzz. I’m literally living my dream. Until a skulk of Kitsunes move to Silver Springs, including a Fire Kitsune who insists that she’s my long lost sister. Not to mention, the Celestial Kitsune that makes my heart race. But I’m not looking for another mate. The three Sterling brothers are more than enough for this Kitsune.              Amazon KU

FAE-FUL (FALLEN BAE BPI BOOK 3) by Rachel Angel

Since learning that my killer biological father had set loose his army of dark fae into my city, Las Vegas, I made the painful decision to not take my rightful crown in the Faery Realm and to be with my 4 handsome and hot fae princes. So from the Fallen Fae Academy to FBI training, I went…to become a Fae B.I. But what I’m seeing in Vegas is far more deadlier than Dark Fae let loose.   Amazon KU

UNICORN’S MANE (PARANORMAL COPUNCIL BOOK 13) by Laura Greenwood

Nathalie has almost given up on finding her fated mate, until she finds him in the last place she ever expected. Everyone knows that lion and unicorn shifters don’t get along, but when a gorgeous unicorn enters Derek’s life, he knows things are going to be different. Can Nathalie and Derek overcome the rivalry drummed into them since birth and accept one another as fated mates?

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LONE WOLF (EXILED BY THE PACK BOOK 3) by Charlene Hartnady

Tiffany – I know what I want and how I want it. My life is neat, orderly and all mapped out. I love the high octane, mile-a-minute hustle. My career as a stockbroker consumes me. I don’t mind because I’m great at what I do. Some days it’s like printing money. If I want something, I buy it. I work hard and party even harder. Then my grandmother dies, and I’m left reeling. ..(SNIP…)      Grayson – I was exiled by my pack over ten years ago. Why? Because I’m different and different is apparently bad. They are dead to me. I’m better off without them. I know the feeling is mutual. I built a cabin in the woods, away from humans…away from everyone and everything. Some might say I’m a hermit, but I like it just fine. The whole world can go to hell for all I care. I’ve carved out a place where I can just be. I’m at peace. That’s when she blunders onto my land…(full blurb on ebook seller page…)   Amazon KU

DEEPEST AND DARKEST (WRAIGHWOOD ACADEMY BOOK 4) by Teresa Hann

I chose to save a man I thought was past salvation. That doesn’t mean I can stand him.  Heaven help us all on this forsaken road trip through Hell. I thought I knew what I was doing when I dragged Arcturus Nightfeld’s darkest secrets out into the light. I was wrong. Now we’re on the run—me, my best friend, and my worst enemy. Our one hope of survival lies in my father’s secret research lab, deep within the Hells. The problem is getting there. Enemies hunt us. Demons surround us. But our biggest danger on this insane quest just might be each other. Love isn’t the same thing as forgiveness. Hate isn’t the same thing as lack of understanding. The only way out of the Hells is overcoming our past.   AmazonKU

STEALING THE MERMAN (CURSED MERMEN BOOK 3) by Aramis Jordan

Darin – A pirate looking for his own found family. Finn – A cursed merman who yearns for what he can’t have. Conall – An infamous pirate captain who’s sworn off love. When they meet, sparks fly. But having grown up in an orphanage, Darin is insecure. Conall was betrayed by the woman he loved, and he has locked his heart away. Finn has no means to break the curse and be with the men he loves. And there’s a dark secret lurking in the shadows.              Amazon KU

BITE MARKS (THE LYCANS 5) by Jenika Snow

I was ruthless, brutal. A sociopath by all accounts. The leader of the American Vampire Clan, a male who all feared because I was merciless. And then I found my mate. Kayla. So fragile. Breakable. So human. I’d make her mine, and she’d hate me for it. I wanted to give her pain with pleasure, wanted to break her skin and lick up the blood I spilled… take Kayla into me like she’d take me into her. I’d have her surrendering to my needs. I’d give her my body but wouldn’t be able to give her my heart. How could I when it wasn’t something I had to offer, when I was nothing but a coldhearted killer? So when the threats come to my front door, it’s time to show my female she’s mated to the most dangerous vampire in the world.                    Amazon KU

HARDWOOD (POISONWOOD AND LYRCI BOOK 3) by Sam Burns

Malcolm McKittack’s life consists of the three Ps: pleasure, partying, and paranoia. Okay, maybe not usually the last one, but somebody’s been following him. He’s being hunted, doomed to be sacrificed on the altar of some old guy’s downstairs dysfunction, only no one believes him. Kostas has never met anyone annoying as Malcolm Freaking McKittack. He comes into his club, acts like he owns the place, and worst of all, he looks good doing it. He’s trouble, and Kostas doesn’t need any. It doesn’t matter how the incubus makes eyes at him, he’s not interested. When Kostas witnesses Malcolm being kidnapped, he knows he shouldn’t get involved—it’s probably some creepy demonic game. But playing the hero fits him like Malcolm’s bespoke suit, and it’ll take them both to stop a plot that threatens the whole supernatural world.                     Amazon KU

THIRST TRAP (VAMPIRE VIGILANTE BOOK 2) by Nazri Noor

VS note: From DEC 31

Life for Sterling the vampire is sweet in sleepy Silveropolis. Blood is in easy supply with college kids and cryptid hunters swarming the town for mountain madness, an annual search for an elusive creature known as Smallfoot. But another corpse is discovered in the woods. Are the Everetts back? Is it a ritual killing, or a random murder? With the help of a brooding journalist and a jealous storm god, Sterling must investigate before it’s too late. The victim was staked through the heart, after all. A vampire hunter has come to Silveropolis.             Amazon KU

A VELVET GLOVE (ARCANE HEARTS BOOK 4) by Nazri Noor

In the middle of shearing talking sheep, Jackson Pryde and Xander Wright are visited by Hecate and Freyja, queens of magical might within their pantheons. The goddesses have summoned Jackson for a meeting among immortals, a convocation of entities who wish to study the strange nature of his prismatic powers. Jackson’s busy enough already. Work is underway for the rebuilding of the artificers’ guild. Rumors abound that his childhood hero is searching for a suitable assistant. And a chance assignment sees the boys visiting the heart of where their bitter rivalry truly began: the elite academy of Grayhaven. Good thing a visit to Xander’s alma mater won’t unearth old grudges and ancient insecurities. Right?                       Amazon KU

KEEPING MAGIC (THE ANGELA TURNER FILES BOOK 2) by C D Gorri

Sometimes the truth comes at a cost…Teenage Witch Angela Tanner is learning to control her powers, but it’s not as easy as it looks. Especially when everything points to her being a Fire Witch. Is her awesome power a gift or a curse? That’s something she must find out. At least she’s not alone. She has the help of her own personal Guardian, Jody Nieves. Together, they set out on a journey to discover the truth behind her powers. Can she learn control in time to save herself?

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BARVALE HOLIDAY TEALS: VOLUME 1 by C D Gorri

Welcome to Barvale, New Jersey! These short, fast-paced, steamy, holiday stories are set in the bear shifter town we grew know and love in The Bear Claw Tales and The Barvale Clan SeriesInside: A Bear For Christmas – At 47 years old, Jillian Osborn was too old to believe in fairy tales and finding love twice in one lifetime wasn’t in the cards for her, or was it? Hers To Bear – When Maisy returns to town, Arthur can’t believe his luck. Maybe this time around, he can reveal his secret, and win the girl. Thank You Beary Much – One week away celebrating his graduation, AJ left his friends high and dry to spend his days and nights in her company. A year later and he still dreamt about the beautiful Estella Baron.

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MATCHED TO HIS FOX (THE DATES OF OUR LIVES BOOK 9) by Lorelai M Hart

Alpha Kurt left his flourishing business and cheating husband in the city for a new life at the shore. He adores the small town he now calls home. The people are welcoming, his job at the bakery incorporates everything he loves without the stress of ownership, and he’s even learning how to swim. If only he had someone to share his life with. Maybe the app his boss talked about isn’t such a bad idea after all. Omega fox shifter Reynard thought it was cute when his parents told him he’d one day be traded to a neighboring pack, or skulk as foxes called them, if he didn’t snag a mate… it wasn’t until he turned twenty that he discovered they were serious. The skulk in question? They stuck with the ways of old, including omegas being nothing more than a possession. Reynard did what any fox would do in his situation; he left. Five years and six places later, Reynard has landed by the sea, and for the first time he feels at home. If only he had someone to share this home with. Maybe the app that keeps sending him emails isn’t such a bad idea after all.               Amazon KU

KISS MY ASH (THE BLOOMIN’ PSYCHIC BOOK 4) by Anabel Chase

Mia Thorne’s midlife makeover is going better than she ever expected. She has a new job, a new relationship, a new garden—well, never mind the garden. She doesn’t even mind that she’s back to pounding the pavement to generate ad revenue for the local newspaper. Unfortunately an important meeting with the marketing director of the Newberry Playhouse generates the wrong kind of buzz when a beloved actress is found dead the day of her big performance. The murder triggers a ghostly rumor that had been put to rest long ago. With suspects crawling out of the seemingly haunted scenery, Chief Tuck and Detective Fairfax have their hands full and Mia is only too happy to pitch in.
Can Mia solve the case and help the show go on or will the final curtain fall on the historic playhouse?                   Amazon KU

TWENTY FIVE TURNS (TALES OF THE FOREST BOOK 5) by Blaine D Arden

Can love last when one won’t leave, and the other can’t stay? Fear of moving farther away from his family had cost Eer the love of his life, but now, after twenty-five turns, Kat has returned…with a son, and Eer’s feelings resurface as if it had been only yesterday since they’d first kissed. But any hope Eer has of rekindling their love seems doomed to fail when a murderer’s taste for revenge forces Kat to choose between endangering their family or running… and leaving Eer behind, again.

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THE BROKEN MIRROR: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (REMARKABLE REMEDIES) (HAVEN HOLLOW BOOK 13) by J R Rain and H P Mallory

When Poppy accidentally breaks her bedroom mirror, she has no idea the bad luck she’s in for! With just about everything going wrong, Poppy’s first order of business is to reverse the curse of the broken mirror ASAP! Unfortunately for her, though, that’s not quite how the cosmos work. Saddled with a serious case of misfortune, imagine Poppy’s surprise when one of her clients walks into her store with yet another mirror! This one isn’t cursed, though. It’s haunted. The ghost of the woman stuck inside the mirror appears to be from pioneer times, and as she yells in silent horror and pounds against the glass, it’s pretty clear she wants out. But just how does one free a ghost from a mirror? Poppy’s about to find out… the hard way.                 Amazon KU

VAMPIRE VOW (SCORNED BY BLOOD BOOK 3) by Heather Renee

A price had been paid. One none of us were prepared for. For just a moment, I allowed myself to believe things would be okay—that I could find a way to recover from my past and move on. Except life quickly proved happily-ever-after’s were nothing more than fantasy for me. I didn’t know who was responsible for turning our home into a bleeding inferno, but I would soon. And when I did? I’d stop at nothing to make sure they felt every whip of anguish I’d been struck with. With time running out, it was up to Maciah and me to seek vengeance. Our hearts might be shattered, but our determination is unbreakable. With Viktor in our sights, we’re ready to end what he started all those years ago. Even if it means putting our own lives on the line.             Amazon KU

CONVENTIONAL SHADOWS (A SIMPLY CRAFTY PARANORMAL MYSTERY) by Lissa Kasey

They can’t escape the supernatural even on holiday. Alex and Micah’s trip to a nearby anime convention is meant to be cosplay fun and time away from their busy lives in New Orleans. But the ghosts seem to be drawn to them, as a fellow con attendee asks them about a doll he suspects is haunted. Alex was hoping to leave his curse at home, but when confronting shadows in a hotel room filled with dolls, he wonders if maybe he shouldn’t have left home at all. Will the spirits from the convention find their rest, or will they follow Micah and Alex home?

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RAISING KAINE (PILLARS OF MAGIC: DOMINION CHAPTER) by Lissa Kasey

His vampire lover went to ground, leaving him a single dad of twins, and the most coveted witch in the world. The fae want Seiran as their advocate. The government and the Dominion want to use him as a pawn. Seiran decides a vacation away from it all sounds like a good idea, until he arrives to find a resort threatened by corporate tampering. But the fae aren’t willing to let him go, and when his toddlers vanish in the middle of the night, Seiran has no choice but to accept a bond, or lose what little he has left, while he waits for the return of lover.

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REFLECTION OF A CURSE (ROMANCING A CURSE BOOK 3) by Lissa Kasey

After a yearlong battle with declining health, Brand is offered the opportunity to live and work building a small home community in Upstate New York, and reconnecting with his best friend. But Brand is a long way from recovered and doesn’t know if he’ll actually be able to do the job. Law thought he escaped small town life, and was on the verge of adding to his list of rehab skills when everything shut down. Now he’s in limbo, unable to work with suspended certificates, and back home with a family curse he’d like to keep secret. Brand needs more than just a physical therapist. And Law is looking for a place to belong. When the truth is revealed, can the two of them find love, despite the mysteries and curses that plague their past?            Amazon KU

THE NIGHTSHADE GUILD: MAGE TO DISOBEY by Mandy Rosko

Lisa Chen has finally made a decision. She’s going to give up her life of magic and settle for a non-magic life with her human ex. Well, mostly non-magic. She’d never abandon Angus , her little red dragon familiar. But no sooner does Lisa reconcile with Jason Cross when a strange symbol appears on her arm. What does it mean? She’ll have to re-enter the magic world to find out, which means leaving Jason yet again. She promises it will be the last time, but promises are shattered when she uncovers the meaning of the symbol: She’s been chosen to join the world’s twelve most powerful mages on The Nightshade Guild. She’s shocked. Especially when the other Nightshade Guild members tell her that she needs to return with them and take the oath. Why did the symbol chose her? She’s never been good at playing by rules, and now she’d be expected to be one of the rule keepers. An impartial protector and enforce of rules regarding the all of the world’s magical creatures. She’s sure she can’t do it, because Lisa was Mage to Disobey.           Amazon KU

THE BROKEN TOWER: A NOVEL (THE BARRIER LANDS BOOK 2) by Kelly Braffet

Judah the Foundling chose freedom over betrayal when she leaped from the top of the castle tower. Now she finds herself wandering an unknown forest, far from everything and everyone she loves. For the first time in her life, she’s beyond the great Wall that surrounds Highfall castle; for the first time, she’s alone. Away from the Seneschal, the power behind the throne; away from Nate Clare, the House Magus who was her teacher, friend, betrayer. Away from her foster brother, Gavin, with whom she has a mysterious bond that has kept them together—and kept her alive. But Judah isn’t free. Fiercely sought by those who believe she holds the key to unlocking the power trapped in the world, she must learn to navigate the dangers of an unfamiliar place. She knows that somewhere, Gavin is in peril. To save him, she not only must learn to use the new power she discovers inside herself, she must survive.

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HOLD MY PLACE by Cassondra Windwalker

VS Note: Classified as ghost fiction, erotica and gothic.

Obsession never dies. When librarian Sigrun falls head-over-heels for the sophisticated and very married Edgar Leyward, she never expects to find herself in his bed—or his heart. Nevertheless, when his enigmatic wife Octavia dies from a sudden illness, Sigrun finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance worthy of the most lurid novels on her bookshelves. Sigrun soon discovers Octavia wasn’t Edgar’s first lost love, or even his second. Three women Edgar has loved met early deaths. As she delves into her beloved’s past through a trove of discovered letters, the edges of Sigrun identity begin to disappear, fading into the women of the past. Sigrun tells herself it’s impossible for any dark magic to be at play—that the dead can’t possibly inhabit the bodies of the living—but something shadowy stalks the halls of the Leyward house and the lines between the love of the present and the obsessions of the past become increasingly blurred—and bloody.              Amazon KU

INTO THE MIDNIGHT VOID (BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL BOOK TWO) by Mara Fitzgerald

Emanuela has finally gotten what she’s always wanted. Since escaping her catacomb prison, she’s become the supreme ruler of everything under the veils. Finally, she has the power to throw aside senseless, old traditions and run things exactly the way they should be.  But when cracks in her magic start to show, Emanuela begrudgingly allies herself with her enemies, including her frustratingly alluring archnemesis, Verene. Together, they discover deeper truths about the mysterious blood magic Emanuela and Verene both wield. There is a higher, otherworldly authority outside the veils, and in order to save Occhia and the other realms, Emanuela may just have to rip another crown off someone’s head.

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OBSIDIAN by Sarah Daley

Shade Nox is the only witch in a land of wizards – a fiend, a rogue, a wanted criminal. Defying those who think her an abomination, Shade wears her tattoos openly and carries obsidian blades at her hips. For years, she has protected the outcast clans who wander the blighted Wastes, but the land is growing more unstable and her blades are no longer enough. To save her people, Shade vows to raise a Veil of protection – a feat not accomplished in over a hundred years. But the magical Veils are said to belong to the Brotherhood church; if she succeeds in raising one, it will expose their lies. They swear to see her obliterated first. Treading a dangerous path where allies can be as deceitful as enemies, and where demons lurk in the shadows, Shade chases a vision which could lead to her people’s salvation… or her own destruction.

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THE DEVIL OF DARK HOLLOW by Juniper Kerry

When Fiona MacHugh inherits her aunt’s B&B in a magical sanctuary village, she knows to expect some surprises. Bats in the attic, a rotting front porch, even the giant black dog that only appears when she’s alone… all of these things she can handle; especially since every day, she gets closer to solving the mystery of her aunt’s death. One thing Fiona didn’t expect was to find herself at odds with her neighbor, a grumpy casino owner aptly named Devil. Devil is handsome and brooding and dangerous… and hell-bent on getting rid of her. Devil Walker doesn’t have anything against Fiona MacHugh. He really doesn’t. In fact, those curves and dark eyes call to him in a way that makes it hard to keep his hands to himself. But the B&B is part of the family legacy he’s been trying to reclaim ever since his father destroyed their empire. He promised his grandfather; he made a vow. And no matter how sexy or sweet or alluring his neighbor is, he has to find a way to make the B&B his.   Amazon KU

PROMISED IN FIRE (OF DRAGONS AND FAE BOOK 1) by Jasmine Walt

A fae with impossible magic – Adara has been an outsider for as long as she can remember. Born and raised in the earth fae realm, she’s a water fae who can’t control her magic, making her not just useless, but downright dangerous at times. When a training mishap accidentally unleashes a hidden magic inside her, Adara suddenly finds herself on the run. The king wants to use her powers for nefarious reasons, and he’ll stop at nothing to obtain her—including kidnapping and torturing Adara’s own mother. A dragon awoken from slumber – As the last of his kind, Einar wants nothing to do with the kingdom of Ediria or its problems. The fae hunted his kind to extinction, and he harbors only hatred for them in his heart.  But when a beautiful fae female awakens him from an enchanted slumber, Einar is reluctantly ensnared. And while he would rather die than submit to any fae, every fiber of his body screams to claim her as his own. A kingdom corrupted by darkness – The last thing Adara and Einar want to do is join forces, no matter how scorching the passion between them is. But a dark magic is sweeping through the land, rotting the kingdom from the inside out. And if the two cannot put aside the centuries-old feud between their races, they will lose everything they hold dear.

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ALPHA’S OATH (STORMSHIELD BOOK 2) by Claire Cullen

With their kingdom fighting for survival, a wedding isn’t on the cards for Thorne. A good brother and fighter, he’s willing to do anything to protect his home. He’d be a good husband too, but he’s not the kind of alpha a typical omega falls for. His future looks lonely until he finds an omega prince washed up on the shore. Cleo always wished he’d been born a normal omega, the kind that went on the marriage circuit and found themselves a husband. That Cleo would never have fallen overboard during a storm and wound up stranded on a deserted island with an alpha prince. Maybe he can’t have the life he’s always wanted, but he can pretend, just for a little while.          Amazon KU

SOME BY VIRTUE FALL (THE SEVEN GODS BOOK 1) by Alexandra Rowland

By the King’s Edict, men have been banned from performing on stage. Everyone else is still out for blood. Sabajan Hollant, director and co-founder of the celebrated Lord Chancellor’s Players, has one resolution: This time they’re going to do it right. If they want to keep their noble patron—hell, if they want to stay in the theater business at all—they’re going to have to keep their hands clean. No accidents, no rising to other troupes’ provocations and taunts, and certainly no more duelling in the streets. But their arch-rivals have different plans, and soon enough, Saba and her troupe are caught up once again in an escalating drama of revenge, betrayal, and outright sabotage. The men may have started this war—but Saba and her remaining players are going to end it.

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MANGLED (RIDGEWOOD ROGUE WOLVES SAGA BOOK 1) by Mazzy J March

Life should come with an instruction manual. Because nothing in mine to date has equipped me to deal with it. My mom is lost in her own world of drugs, gambling, alcohol, tobacco and the worst possible choices in men. If she’s even still alive. My dad, well, I don’t know who he is or where he is which is why this group home has been my home off and on since I was three. A girl with anger issues and only one leg isn’t really first in line to get adopted by the shiny, goodhearted people who stroll in here looking for a dream kid. In fact, sometimes they don’t even bother bringing me out for show. There’s no point, even though Mom signed off her rights to me. Like selling a used car, or giving one away. So, now that I’ve turn eighteen, they treat me as all children are who have grown out of the foster system. They put me out on my own with fifty bucks in my pocket and disappointment written on my forehead. Oh and a few months of rent in an apartment building that looks like a crime scene documentary location shoot. Survival is my only plan for life. Get a job. Rent a place to lay my head where no one can hit me and no creepy foster dad can try to sneak into my bedroom in the middle of the night. Eat. Sleep. Rinse. Repeat. I’m not a dreamer. Never have been. A shifter female with only one leg has no choice: survive and stay under the radar.              Amazon KU

THE LADY UNDER THE LAKE: M/M PARANORMAL MYSTERY (QUEST INVESTIGATIONS BOOK 3) by E J Russell

This client is all wet…After receiving a hot tip on the whereabouts of my almost-boyfriend’s nearly-ex-husband (hey, I told you—it’s complicated!), I thought my love life was finally coming up for air. But when we stake out the remote lake, it’s not the ex who surfaces. It’s the Faerie King’s long-missing mother (and I mean really long, as in double-digit centuries), and she wants to hire Quest Investigations. Since one of my bosses is the king’s brother, he has a tsunami of…feelings about her as a potential client, and refuses to take the case. Instead, he passes it to me. Yes! However…Should I be thrilled at the vote of confidence or suspicious that he’s tossing me in the deep end without a life preserver, the better to punish the woman who abandoned her kid all those years ago? You know what? It doesn’t matter. I may be Quest’s token human, but I’ve proven I can get the job done, so I dive right in. Then the lady explains what she wants me to do: find her missing child. Seriously? I expected more of a challenge. All I have to do is introduce her to the king and bingo, case closed. But when she says, “Not that one,” this little family drama threatens to send ripples throughout the supernatural community—especially with my boss in over his head as the prime suspect in a fae kidnapping. As if things weren’t complicated enough… Remember that nearly-ex? When he shows up and muddies the waters, I’m faced with a choice: I can solve this case or I can finally hook my almost-boyfriend. Dammit.                     Amazon KU

COWBOY DRAGON’S BRAVE BLIND DATE (COWBOY DRAGON’S INN) by Serena Meadows

I had never shared my darkest secret with anyone until she came along…m a successful cowboy dragon shifter. Running my hotel and ranch with my best friends fulfilled me and I didn’t even know I needed her. But Veronica blew my breath away and how…I felt for her. She was running from her abusive ex. Always worried that he might hurt her. I made one thing clear, Letting her know that I wouldn’t let him lay a finger on her. I had to keep my promise when she was taken. My heart was in danger. Veronica knew of my secret and she loved me anyway. If something happened to her… and our unborn baby, I would never forgive myself.                Amazon KU

SHADOW WARRIORS by Natalie La Roux

Ever since Sarah Weller was five years old, she has been haunted by a cloud of thick black smoke. It lived. It moved. And from its center, two glowing red eyes watch her. Daily nightmares of the tragedy that took her parents kept her awake. Uncertainty of how she survived plagued her thoughts. But a battle is brewing in the Shadow world. A place behind the thinnest of veils and Sarah is about to be pulled into it by a man she never imagined possible. Witches, Dragons, and shapeshifters are meant to be a thing of myths. Legends we tell children in bedtime stories. But, as Sarah is about to find out, everything has an origin story. A fight that seems impossible to win, for the sake off all living things, hangs in the balance. Will Sarah and her new guardian be able to stop the death of millions? Or will the truth tear apart everything she believed was real?                      Amazon KU

VIOLET SPARK (BUTTERFLY WITCH BOOK ONE) by Elsa Jade and Erin Kellison

Imogen Taylor: Artist. College dropout. Gamer. Screwup. I had big plans for art school in California, but when the best mom in the world—mine—needed help, I came home to Arbolito, Arizona instead. I even got my old high school job back, making smoothies at the Desert Freeze…in winter. So, yeah, by day, my life is a cold, tropical-hued hell. But at night, I escape reality by plugging into my favorite video game, Legendelirium, to become a powerful, sexy witch, going on epic quests while vanquishing baddies. Until a cute guy from my gaming world shows up at work, gives me the worst kiss ever, and my reality and fantasy lives get blended by purple goo laced with lethal, nanorobotic technology. Now, I’ve got powers—strange, witchy ones. Scary people are after me, and I don’t know who to trust. And, get this. Somehow, it’s up to me to defeat them, or it’s game over.

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ECHO POWER (ECHO POWER TRILOGY BOOK 1) by Anna Durand

The apocalypse begins at two o’clock on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. Strange music emanates from the sky, mesmerizing everyone and luring us outside. Then the sky splits open, and terror rains down on the earth. Monsters rampage, ripping apart any living thing they see while powers beyond comprehension destroy my city. I’m a librarian, not a warrior. But now I must find a way to survive and stop these monsters. How? By allying myself with one of the beasts. He calls himself Dax, and he claims I’m to blame for the end of the world. The only way he will protect me is if I give him my body. The scariest part is that I want to do it. He terrifies me. He hates me. But something about the gruff, angry beast of a man brings out a dangerous desire I never knew I had inside me. But the Echo wants its due. Only the one who created it can save us now—or drag us deeper into the depths of hell.

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BLOOD LANDS (SAVAGE LANDS BOOK 5) by Stacey Marie Brown

Nobody can hear your screams from the depths of hell…Those who survived Halálház, never imagined going back. But this isn’t Halálház, this is Věrhăza, and nothing can prepare any of them for this. With General Markos in control of the new prison, torture and cruelty is taken to a whole new level. But what Brexley is forced to do, will not only change her, but the course of the future. With her abilities starting to show themselves, Brexley risks everything to save those she loves from dying; but in doing so, she exposes her abilities to Istvan. When she and Warwick are tortured and used as experiments, she finds that Istvan’s deceit and betrayal go far deeper than she could imagine. Istvan will do anything to stay in control. As Brexley’s powers grow, so does the hate and darkness inside. Her hands are marked red, her soul heavy in guilt. There has been so much death, pain, and agony.
When does someone break? How much can one person take before the hero turns into the villain?

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FATAL STORM (STORM SERIES BOOK 5) by AR Vagnetti

“Being dead sucks.”When the Devil snatched Kleora Tanagra’s soul from eternal peace in heaven and imprisoned her in Hell, the land nymph ruler vowed vengeance, despite how his exquisite touch awakened her flesh and set her heart on fire. “I am Satan. No force on earth can destroy me. However, my enraged captive is giving it her best shot.” Jagorach Darath, the original fallen angel, refuses to regret his decision to steal Kleora’s soul. But time is running out to discover a way to restore her life before the land nymphs declare war on the immortal world, and while Jag enjoyed teaching his little peach the consequences of defying the very Devil, if he loses her for good, the world will suffer his eternal wrath.

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MIDNIGHT MOON (REBEL WOLF BOOK 1) by Linsey Hall

I’ve been on the run from the mob for years. But no one can hide from the City Pack forever. When they find me, they give me two options—pay back my father’s debt or die. If I want to live, my only shot is to rob the most powerful man in the city—the gorgeous Garreth Locke. He has a smile to melt your heart and a body to scramble your mind. But Garreth isn’t just a hot, rich guy. Turns out, he’s a freaking werewolf. And he wants me as much as I want him. Problem is, he’s also dangerous. I can’t let him know I’m trying to steal from him to pay back my enemies. I have no idea how I’m going to get out of this alive, or with my heart intact.     Amazon KU

THE UNINVITED (KREWE OF HUNTERS BOOK 8) by Heather Graham

VS note: A re-release.

1777: In the throes of the Revolutionary War, Landon Mansion is commandeered by British Lord “Butcher” Bedford. He stabs Lucy Tarleton — who spurned his king and his love — leaving her to die in her father’s arms. Now: After the day’s final tour, docent Allison Leigh makes her rounds while locking up…and finds a colleague slumped over Bedford’s desk, impaled on his own replica bayonet.
Resident ghosts may be the stock-in-trade of stately Philadelphia homes, but Allison — a noted historian — is indignant at the prospect of “ghost hunters” investigating this apparent murder. Agent Tyler Montague knows his hauntings and his history. But while Allison is skeptical of the newcomer, a second mysterious murder occurs. Has “Butcher” Bedford resurfaced? Or is there another malevolent force at work in Landon Mansion? Wary, yet deeply attracted, Allison has to trust in Tyler and work with him to discover just what uninvited guest — dead or alive — has taken over the house. Or their lives could become history!

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MORTAL SKIN: M/M FAE ROMANCE (FOLK BOOK 1) by Lily Mayne

I first saw the Folk when I was a little boy. When they started appearing in my garden, with their unnatural, cruel beauty and honeyed words and veiled taunts. I grew up with big green eyes watching me from the forest. Whispers from the trees. Shimmering skin darting between the bushes. Black creatures always lurking in the shadows. While they were here, I thought nothing of them. It wasn’t until they were gone that I realise it wasn’t… normal. But it isn’t until I’m twenty-one, when my life is in ruins, that they come back to take me away. They say I’m not fully mortal. They say I should be among them. The Unseelie Ruler wants me on her land for reasons no one will explain to me, but it’s her aloof, painfully beautiful son who captures my attention and refuses to let go. The cold, black-eyed assassin prince who strikes fear into the hearts of all Folk. Who I’ve been warned about, repeatedly. Who watches me always. I don’t trust the Folk, so I ignore their fearful advice to stay away from him. I ignore all of them except him, despite everything telling me that he can’t be trusted—that he’s just as bad as the rest of them, that he’s playing games with me, the clueless mortal held here against his will. But I want him. Mortal Skin is the first in a mm fae romance trilogy about a dark fae assassin prince and a mortal who is thrown into the cruel world of the Folk.      Amazon KU

BEAR AND SQUARE (PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY BOOK 38) by Milly Taiden

Famous Hollywood actress, Paige Kirby, is sick of the limelight. Can’t a woman eat a donut without the tabloids snapping her picture? No matter how hard she tries, Paige can’t outrun the paparazzi. They always find her. After a narrow escape, Paige meets Gerri Wilder, who recommends Bear Paw Protection. A vacation with a well-paid bodyguard might be just the ticket to happiness. And she won’t focus on the gorgeous hunk guarding her no matter how hard it is. Bear shifter Dev Weaver’s latest assignment didn’t go so well. All he wants to do is lick his wounds and play his guitar. He doesn’t want to babysit another high-strung starlet – even if it would mean a free trip to Hawaii. He has no choice. Gerri Wilder, an old friend of his sleuth, specifically recommended him to Paige Kirby. The bodyguard has no option but to guard a body he’d rather not notice. A beautiful, curvy body he really doesn’t want to notice. Because Paige isn’t just some spoiled actress – she’s his fated mate, and someone is tracking her every move. Dev is on the case. But could an old enemy of his be the real threat? Time will tell. He just needs to keep Paige alive to see where their romance goes. Hopefully not before their luck runs out.                Amazon KU

FLAME OF MIND (PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY BOOK 39) by Milly Taiden

Brielle Hudson is having a bad day. The airline lost all four of her suitcases. All of her creations for an important fashion show are now lost to the red tape of conveyer-belt hell. Her luck just might change with the help of her meddling best friend and a substantial business loan. And let’s not forget her best friend’s billionaire brother, who is as sexy as he is arrogant. Dragon shifter Jasper Fortune likes the world of finance. He likes spotting patterns and making decisions on instincts. When he comes face to face with his mate – his little sister’s gold-digging best friend – all those patterns he likes? They vanish. The instincts? Well, those stay. He can’t seem to keep his hands – nor mouth – off Brielle. Even though he doesn’t trust her. The dragon and his lingerie designer argue until they kiss and kiss until they argue. Fighting their attraction is useless, especially when an unknown enemy attacks. Again. Turns out, those bags weren’t lost. They were stolen. Now he has to save Brielle and figure out how he’s going to keep her. Forever.                        Amazon KU

CANNON (CAGED AND DANGEROUS BOOK 1) by Milly Taiden

Breaking out of a supermax prison is nothing. Breaking away from Ryver Fernando, that’s another story. The government has me locked me up like a wild beast. They’ve suppressed the dragon inside me. Well, this beast is about to receive a get-out-of-jail free card and all hell is gonna break loose. The deal is simple. Rescue a female human in exchange for my freedom. Sounds easy, right? It’s not, because she’s my mate. She’s the woman that makes my dragon roar. The one who gets his scales hard and boils his blood with desire. I don’t want to want her. But I can’t help fate. I don’t want her smile to affect me, but it freakin’ does. Perhaps we could live happily ever after, except there’s one big problem. Her mother’s the one who imprisoned me. Talk about an awkward meeting with the in-laws. This one’s gonna be a war.                   Amazon KU

MELTING THE ICE WITCH (THE DRAGON’S HOARD BOOK 4) by Mell Eight

The Tribe of the White Dragon has lived in the frozen wastes of the north for thousands of years, but they are slowly dying without their dragon to protect them from the inhospitable cold. In desperation, they kidnap Kam, hoping to use him to breed witch power back into the Tribe. But Kam is not a witch, and there is nothing he can do to save them—until he sees the white dragon encased in ice and all alone and a chain reaction is set off that may save them after all.

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HOT ENOUGH TO BURN (PHOENIX FURY BOOK 1) by Cynthia Eden

VS Note: A re-release.

Do you believe in monsters? You should, they walk among humans every single day. Reporter Eve Bradley has known the truth about paranormals for a while, and her latest story has taken her inside the mysterious Genesis facility. It’s at Genesis that Eve first meets Subject Thirteen, Cain O’Connor. Big, gorgeous, and truly, truly HOT. Cain is a phoenix shifter. Every time that he dies, he rises from the ashes…stronger, deadlier, and another step closer to losing his control. And what happens when a phoenix loses control? Welcome to hell on Earth. Cain feels an instant connection with Eve, a woman who swears she wants to help him. The attraction between them burns hotter than his flames, and soon, Eve is the only link to sanity that Cain has as the world turns to fire around him. Eve isn’t human, despite the cover she’s used for years, and she is more than capable of withstanding a little heat. But as their enemies plot to trap them, Eve and Cain will be forced to trust each other completely. Be forced to surrender to a desire that cannot be controlled, and soon, if they are not careful, it’s a desire that might just have the power to destroy them both. If you want something too badly, if you want someone too much…you will never even see the fire coming, not until it’s too late. Be careful. You don’t want to get burned.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

TIGER DADDY’S NANNY by Leela Ash and Pamela Avery

Chloe Gardner wants nothing to do with a rough and tumble shifter like Darryl Jensen. But as the new nanny who loves and cares for his children, seeing him is a necessary evil. Being that close to the alpha Tiger shifter is like being in a torrid hurricane of emotions, tension, and white-hot lust. He makes her feels things she has never felt, in places she didn’t know could come alive. As a Deer shifter with hardly any notion of what being a shifter really means it is more than a little intimidated and at times downright terrifying to be thrust into his shifter world.     Darryl Jensen’s Tiger instantly takes an intense attraction to Chloe, but Darryl knows that with threats to the pack ever-present and as he is still extricating himself from his ex, the last thing he needs is a new Mate for his Tiger to fixate on. Besides she is here to be the motherly figure his kids need. He doesn’t need to mess that up. It doesn’t help that every time he is near her his Tiger just wants to claim her right then and there. And far from dissuading him, her riveting air of innocence, and her love for his kids only draws him in like a moth to a flame. As the shifter world and the pack’s vampire enemies start to close in, it isn’t long until their budding romance is tested to the limit. Can Darryl protect her and his kids from the growing threat? Can she embrace her own shifter nature as well as overcome her fears in time to save them all before it’s too late?

Amazon

PRETTY BROKEN THINGS (CARAVAN OF FREAKS BOOK 1) by Rory Miles

To the unknowing, the circus is majestic. Marvelous. Mysterious. For me, the caravan is a prison. A sadist’s trophy case full of pretty, broken things. If being caged isn’t enough, three men haunt me like shadows. The Aerialist might kill me. The Freak might die. And The Seer might watch it all happen with a wicked grin on his beautiful face. If we can come together to defeat The Ringmaster, a terrifying, dark magician, we can find our freedom. Escaping the Caravan of Freaks is harder than it seems because before freedom comes desperation.            Amazon KU

TORMENT (GODS AND MONSTERS BOOK 1) by Lauren Dawes

A legendary Valkyrie. A ruthless assassin. A god with revenge on his mind. In the shadows of Boston’s streets, Korvain, one of the last full-blooded dark elves in existence, stalks the night. Feared like no other, he is single-minded in his determination to fulfil one last task for his guild master: to kill one of the most fabled goddesses of all time. Betrayed by Odin, Bryn’s days as a shield maiden in the All Father’s army are over. Now living among the mortals, she owns and runs one of the most popular nightclubs in Boston. She just has no idea that one of her new employees has been contracted to kill her.                     Amazon KU

BELLA AND HER BEAST by ML Preston

One Man. One Woman. One Curse. The clock is ticking for Greyson Devereaux and life as he knows it will soon come to an end. A man by day and owned by the moon at night. There is only one option — find his one true mate or be bound to the beast for eternity. For years he searched, hoped to find her but his efforts have come up short…until now. With only three months remaining, how can he convince Bella that she’s the one and how can she tame the beast within?         Amazon KU

DOMINATING ALPHA WOLF (DEMON HOLLOWERS MC BOOK 2) by Skye Wilson and Lindsey Devin

This big bad wolf can’t resist a sweet, small-town librarian . . .The second I lay eyes on Morgan, I know instantly she’s my mate. It must be a joke. Not only is Morgan human, she’s an innocent librarian who has never been on a motorcycle in her life. My wolf can’t resist her. To make her mine, I need to get close. And for her to trust me, I’ll have to reveal who and what I am. Except it turns out I’m not the only supernatural who thinks Morgan is special . . .But pack alphas like me don’t appreciate competition, especially if they think their mate could be in danger. I just hope Morgan’s got enough imagination to believe that the things you read about in books might be true.   AmazonKU

UNTIL HIS LAST GOODBYE (SYTHE 1) by Kiki Clark and E M Lindsey

When Death is your soulmate, finding love has never been so heart-stopping. Having been a powerful medium for as long as he can remember, Elias knows his fair share about the afterlife. Spirits are pushy. Spirits are needy. And they don’t respect personal boundaries. Being a conduit between the living and the dead is exhausting but ignoring his gift isn’t an option. Even though embracing his calling has ruined nearly every relationship he’s ever had, Elias has learned to offer what comfort he can to those left behind, knowing his own time is limited. So the day Death comes knocking, Elias is resigned. Then intrigued. And then enchanted. He has no business falling for an immortal collector of souls. No matter how kind and surprisingly innocent he is. Or how the Reaper’s gentle nature soothes the hollow ache inside his chest. There can be no way forward when you fall for Death…unless you join him.    Amazon KU

GRUMPY DRAGON NEXT DOOR (GRUMPY AND BROKEN SHIFTERS) by Alicia Banks

Beth – I knew that life in York Town was going to be different, especially when the second morning I was there, my hot but rude neighbor banged on the wall because I didn’t catch the alarm in time. It went downhill from there. I was constantly throwing barbs his way, but a few stung when they were thrown back. Things changed when he saved my son. I saw him differently, and the rough façade fell away. What was left was a man that I quickly grew to love. But, the man wasn’t a man. Cole was something else, something dangerous, and I didn’t know what to do. I’d fallen for a monster, but it didn’t matter. I still wanted him. How messed up was that? Cole – I knew Beth was trouble from the start. She looked innocent and vulnerable, but it was all a guise. Deep down, I knew that Beth had the power to break me. Not only was she human, but she was one who needed a savior. I was never that way, never had been before. I stayed away from those kinds of situations. I knew better.
With Beth though, it was different. I couldn’t say no to her when she looked at me with desire in her eyes. All I could do was act on it. When I knew that she was hurt and needed my help, I had to save her. Then, I had to fall in love, even though everything about it was wrong. A human and a fire dragon, how could that work?                  Amazon KU

JIMMY (SUMMON A BAD BOY 1) by Megan Slayer

I call on the fates to bring my love to me. As I will it, so mote it be…What if those simple words plus a name on a scroll could guarantee true love? Karey’s determined to find out if the spell, Summon a Bad Boy, works, and she knows just who she’s going to ask for. Jimmy McCreadie. The tattooed man makes her weak in the knees — he’s every naughty desire she’s had come to life. She’s nothing like the women he dates, and far too shy for her own good, but she’s not giving up. Mix a bad boy with some magic and have faith. Anything’s possible. Karey’s desire just might come true.

Amazon     Kobo

OUR BLOOD (BLOOD SERIES BOOK 4) by Brea Alepou

A coven isn’t a home without witches. Finnely is still dealing with the aftermath of losing all that he’s known. The guilt that eats at him every day is only pushed down by his men who give him purpose: A stalker vampire, an a-hole prince vampire, and a broken wolf. The humans are done turning a blind eye to the supernatural. They are causing too many casualties, bodies litter the streets and innocents are leaving the world too soon. Stress levels are high as the weight of the world rests on their shoulders. The search for the false king is not only seeming impossible but deadly. They have to stick together in order to keep from being killed. What lies in the dark must come to the light. Supernaturals will be forced into the eye of the public. How in the world will Finnely, Rome, Jacob, and Cambridge stay together?                     Amazon KU

CAULDRON OF REBIRTH (TUATHA TREASURES BOOK 3) by Anny Cook

When his mother dies unexpectedly, single father Shadow Takenaka retires early from his military career to assume responsibility for his teenage daughter, Indigo. The task of settling his mother’s estate hits a snag when her attorney presents him with his unusual inheritance–a beautiful engraved copper cauldron. Suddenly, Shadow and Indigo are on the run, fleeing stranger who are willing to do anything to acquire the cauldron. During their wild chase up a mountainous road, their pursuers bump Shadow’s truck over a cliff, sending it into the river below. After spending a cold, wet, foggy night on a deserted shore, Shadow and his daughter wake to a new reality. Their flight has ended on a strange world with three moons. When Indigo finds herself alone and abducted by giants, she learns the true meaning of independence and facing the responsibilities of adulthood. Undertaking a heroic journey in search of his daughter, Shadow encounters dangerous magical creatures, enigmatic gods who charge him with obscure quests, and Ani, a courageous female warrior who steals his heart with the promise of a bright future.

Amazon

HIS SASSY OMEGA by Raiven Matthews

Quinn – I didn’t believe in fated mates, or any of that insta-love nonsense. Truthfully, I barely believed in love. It wasn’t something I’d ever needed, and I didn’t have time for it. Besides, love just led to being hurt, and I could do without that. When a huge alpha barged his way to the front of the line in my bakery, it was anything but a meet cute. My sassy mouth promptly told him exactly where he could take his perfectly formed behind. Right back out the door he’d just come in, and don’t come back, thank you very much. Then our hands touched, and sparks of electricity shot between us, and my soul screamed Mate. I wasn’t looking for love, or a mate, but he was looking at me and I couldn’t look anywhere else. He was big and sexy and growly, and smelled like every wishful dream I’d ever had, and forgotten. Making me want things I’d never wanted before. Making me want to run from him as fast as my legs could carry me. Secretly, hoping he would chase me. Lachlan – I was having a bad morning. Clashing with a smart mouthed, sarcastic omega was the cherry on top of my already bad day. Getting tossed out of my favorite place for sweet treats was not how I’d planned to start my day. I’d always played by the rules, and done what was expected of me. My whole life, I’d known what I’d wanted in my mate. Until he was standing in front of me, nothing like I’d expected him to be, sassing me and ordering me about. Now he was all I wanted. I just had to convince him of that. We were opposites in every way. Fate must have gotten Her wires crossed, and messed up big time. Or did She?                        Amazon KU

BEDLAM MOON by Kathy Haan

This is a fated mate, reverse harem paranormal romance, where romance comes first. Expect instalove between one member of the harem. She thought she had seen the world. She had no idea the fae have a world of their own…Thirty-four-year-old Lana Chapman-Sawyer has an MBA, zero student loan debt, a successful travel blog, and curves for days. What she doesn’t have is a family…Lana’s mother vanished when she was only eight, her father was never in the picture, and her adoptive parents died in a car accident when she was thirty, leaving her orphaned once again. When Lana receives a strange package with a magical key in the mail, she decides to take it to her cabin deep in the Northern woods of Minnesota, the very place where her mother abandoned her. Little does she know, the neighborhood is not exactly as she remembers it…Osgood “Oz” Finlandian is your average next-door multi-billionaire humanitarian and businessman. He just so happens to be a 5,500-year-old vampire. And not just any vampire. He’s the first vampire ever created. The King of Vampires who rules over the royal court. He’s also the one to tell Lana about Bedlam, the fae realm, and the locked witch powers she never knew she had. But unbinding her powers is only the beginning…Oz, who has a dark past of his own, promises to help Lana uncover the mystery behind her mother’s disappearance, and the two of them take on several quests, all the while facing ancient prophecies, recurring dreams, an obsessed witch, and an evil cult hot on Lana’s tail. Too bad Lana also has to navigate her way through irresistible desire in the process…                Amazon KU

THE WINTER KEEPER’S WIFE (BOOK CLUB HEARTSGATE) by Danni Roan

VS Note: Time travel

Ada Revel is in love. She’s engaged to an amazing man, planning a summer wedding and organizing a surprise visit to Yellowstone National Park for the holidays. With just one more Book Club meeting before Christmas, Ada is sure that all of her dreams are about to come true. What can possibly go wrong in her perfect life? Even another run-in with the purple-haired match-maker can’t dampen her spirits. Dr. Lachele, though well-meaning well, doesn’t seem to think that Ada has already won her happily-ever-after and though Ada knows the woman has made her book club friends’ dreams come true, she doesn’t need a wish to bring her face to face with true love. Will a drop into the country’s oldest national park and a snowmobile accident change everything?

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

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VS: I realized I’ve been published for ten years now, as of this month! Woot! Here was my first ever published book, from Carina Press at the time, now re-released by me. The story features Sobek the Crocodile God of ancient Egypt falling in love with a priestess…

Cover by Fiona Jayde

PRIESTESS OF THE NILE (GODS OF EGYPT SERIES) by Veronica Scott

RT Book Reviews 4 1/2 Stars – Night Owl Reviews Top Pick

The Story: Drawn to his abandoned temple on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, Sobek the Crocodile god is even more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though filled with lust, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical joining of a Great One and a human.

Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.

Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. And when he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But can a love between a human and an immortal survive the ultimate test of the gods?

Buy LinksAmazon     Apple Books     Kobo     Nook     Google

HQN does retain the rights to the audiobook.

Audiobook: Amazon or iTunes 

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

January 19

January 12

January 5

December 29

December 22

“New” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  And I may mention ‘special items’.

I do NOT cover every single new release in SFR/FantasyR/PNR. I never have. That would be an impossible task for any human! I assemble my list by hand every week based on various informal inputs, and I do curate the list to some extent…

Some authors aren’t in KU but still don’t list books with Apple or other platforms. This report is very time consuming to prepare so I’ve always had to limit myself and cannot go and look up every book on all the platforms. If an author gives me their other buy links, I include them here but generally I develop the post on my own, not from author-supplied information. I curate and prepare this post individually every week to help connect readers/books/authors and I have to be very careful not to give it so much time as an activity that I don’t write my own novels! Thanks for the feedback and happy reading!

I check and verify all the buy links at the time I create the post  but after that I’m not responsible.

Required Statement: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifiying purchases.

Required Statement: As an Apple Books Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

 

 

Tentacles and Barbs Weekend Writing Warriors

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

I’m taking excerpts from my new release KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE.

The excerpt – Kyden in the arena:

When it was time for him to return to the sands, he found the klixta worms waiting for him in a writhing mass. They were quite ferocious in appearance, with tentacles and barbs but were actually a mindless mass of parasites from a forest world. A clever gladiator could make the creature appear to be a formidable opponent by dancing in and out of reach, slicing off appendages as the klixta roared and advanced, but in reality the alien life form ate only lichen and large insects. They were a closely held secret of the gladiatorial world because crowds loved them. Occasionally a gladiator was assigned to be ‘devoured’ by the klixta and other men assigned to ‘rescue’ him, which the crowds adored. The common people ate up all the public relations flackery about the gallant warriors and the friendships and feuds which supposedly went on.

Erment and the other masters kept tight control on the promotional machinery.

Kyden made an excellent show of his time with the klixta, conscious of Elara in her luxurious box, watching. He wanted her to see him at his best and he was glad he wasn’t fighting other humanoids today. He had no desire to hurt or kill anyone in front of her. This protoplasmic chimera didn’t feel pain as far as anyone could ascertain and regenerated in an acid bath in a few days so he had no qualms. The crowd roared its approval as he cut off the final ‘head’ and the klixta collapsed, oozing brightly colored fluids onto the sand.

He bowed to the empty emperor’s box and then—greatly daring—to the Senatorial seats. Warmth ran through him at the quick sight of the lady applauding his effort.

The bored officials brought him the afternoon’s crown of woven greenery while the announcer read off his point totals and then Kyden left the arena without attempting to see Elara again.

VS: But he’s going to see her again and soon…..

KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE by Veronica Scott

Kyden is the top ranked gladiator in the Five Systems but he’s hardly there by choice. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. He has no idea where his home is or how many years have passed since he was condemned to a life of endless combat. Kill or be killed is the rule and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death.

Elara Vasclavian is the daughter of a senator, as far removed from the life of a gladiator as a noblewoman can be until through the machinations of a political enemy, she ends up in terrible jeopardy. Abducted and given to a group of drunken gladiators for their amusement the night before the games, Elara vows to put up a fight but there’s no real hope of saving herself. Until Kyden steps in, responding to the goddess’s commandment to protect those who are smaller and weaker. And discovers she’s his fated mate.

Rescued, Elara returns to her life of privilege but she can’t forget the man who saved her life. The gulf between their places in the Five Systems is unbridgeable, no matter how much Kyden longs for even a glimpse of her in the arena audience. No matter how much she feels the pull to be by his side. As matters stand, they cannot be together…Or can they?

KYDEN is the first book in a new series, spun off from my ongoing Badari Warriors series. Kyden is a Generation Five Badari whereas the main characters in the long running series are from a later time and are Generation Eight. This new series stands alone and you don’t have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one. I couldn’t resist the temptation to tell a few other Badari stories, set in the galaxy’s Hinterlands, and who can resist gladiators?

Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

New Releases in #SciFi #Fantasy and Paranormal Romance for JAN 19

VS: I have COVID Omicron and am feeling pretty miserable so while I’ve done the report and feel I’ve captured the new books pretty thoroughly, I was too tired to look up all the other non-Amazon links as I usually do. Sorry!

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL). 

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EMPEROR (GALACTIC KINGS BOOK 2) by Anna Hackett

VS Note: Loving Anna’s new series of course! She’s a total autobuy for me.

When an experimental starship test goes horribly wrong, a scientist from Earth finds herself fighting for her survival, and her only lifeline is a wild, powerful alien king. Waking on an alien world, wracked by pain, Dr. Poppy Ellison is confused and adrift…until his voice calls to her in the darkness. The big, wild, enthralling man reveals that she’s been infected and is turning into an alien shapeshifter. Poppy has always been smart, practical, and boring, but with her entire life turned upside down, there is no one she can trust…except for this alien wolf. Emperor Brodin Damar Sarkany is king of Damar and its shapeshifters. As wild as the forest city they call home, the Damari can be volatile, always fighting to control the wolf inside. Brodin uses his immense strength to keep his people in check and protect them from the most dangerous evil of all—his war-mongering father. He can’t afford the distraction of a small, tantalizing woman from Earth, even when everything about Poppy sings to the instincts of both man and wolf. As his father’s ruthless warlord attacks, innocent children are at risk, and Poppy knows she has to help by mastering her new, emerging abilities. She must also face the shocking passion that explodes between her and Brodin. But as Poppy and Brodin hunt down the enemy, they uncover a plot that could mean the destruction of all the Damari…if they don’t stop it in time.   Amazon KU

GENMATE MISTAKEN (GENMATE DILEMMA BOOK ONE) by Cara Bristol

VS note: Very exciting that Cara is starting a new series! Love her books…

Vengeance led him to love. But will it destroy him, too? Vengeance keeps ’Topian Edwin Mysk from surrendering to the pain of the destruction of his home world and the loss of the genmate he might have had. One day the Xeno Consortium will know his wrath. Until then, he will pursue his self-imposed mission to locate and reunite the massacre survivors. When he lands on Laxiter 4, he finds the ’Topian settlement abandoned, except for a lone woman. Lala. Their immediate, intense bonding proves she’s his genmate, the one female his genetics have chosen for him—the one he’d believed lost forever. With Lala at his side, he resumes his search for the others. But Lala is not the ’Topian he thinks she is. She’s a shapeshifting Xeno, a disgraced former general in the consortium military wrongly convicted of helping ’Topian insurgents escape annihilation. Edwin Mysk offers her best chance to locate the escapees and receive a stay of execution—as long as he doesn’t discover her secret. Will the gulf between hatred and love, despair and desire, prove too wide for them to cross? Is their genmate bond a tragic mistake?

Amazon          Apple Books       Kobo        Author’s Universal Link 

SILVER SPICE: WARRIORS OF VALOSE SAGA 7 by Iona Strom and LS Anders

Wynnter –My spirit mate had eyes for another, yet her spirit called to mine. While my ancillary heart pumped andrenalyne through my veins, I warred with my instincts to pummel the male she favored, but her preference can’t be forced. She must choose me. Another battle takes precedence to mine when an unimagined conflict wages in the sky above us. The clouds burned with the battle as their ash rained down on our heads, making my role in the survival of my species paramount. It was vital that I tempered my rage, so I could work together with the male I wanted to thrash. Rose – A nerdy girl from the inside out, I had never been faced with having two males vying for my attention. Never considered a pretty girl, it’s both strange and exhilarating to feel so desired. Who should I choose? The male I’ve grown attached or the newcomer who called to my soul? There was no time to savor my novel situation. With the safety of so many resting on the success of our mission, I must set aside my personal needs until later. For now, the three of us must work together as a team to penetrate the dome so the warriors can retake the city of Huren.                    Amazon KU

ALIEN MOST WANTED: CAGED BEAST (FOLSOM PLANET BLUES BOOK 1) by Honey Phillips

VS Note: A re-release.

One minute Amanda is crying over a Hallmark movie and binging chocolate. The next she is being offered as a prize to the winner of a brutal contest in an alien prison. And the biggest, scariest alien of them all just won her…A cheating boyfriend is the least of Amanda’s worries when an alien appears in her living room. Discovering she has been sold to an alien prison is terrifying. Seeing two males fight to the death for her is horrifying. But the massive red male who looks at her with such hunger? He could destroy her. Left to rot with the other Undesirables, Riker’s only focus is on escape. He has no intention of fighting for anyone’s entertainment. Until he sees the soft, beautiful female being offered to the victor. A female is the last thing he needs, especially one who arouses his mating instincts, but neither can he resist her. Can he protect her from the vicious guards, the evil warden – and from himself? Please note that Alien Most Wanted: Caged Beast is the extended version of the short story originally published as part of the Alien Embrace anthology.                          Amazon KU

THE PURVELI (ALDEBARIAN ALLIANCE BOOK 3) by Dianne Duvall

Ava has always been different. Born with strong telepathic abilities, she lives a very isolated life until she is offered a job with an obscure network that aids powerful Immortal Guardians in their quest to protect humanity from the psychotic vampires who prey upon them. Suddenly, she doesn’t feel so different. For the first time in her life, Ava has found a place where she belongs. She’s happy. Life is good. And when her employers invite her to join a group of other gifted ones and a handful of Immortal Guardians on a journey to another planet, it becomes absolutely fantastic. In no time at all, she is speeding across the galaxy aboard a Lasaran warship manned by two amazing alien races. It’s the dream of a lifetime… until a vicious attack by a mutual enemy of Lasara and Earth lands her alone in an escape pod with no habitable planet in sight and only one ship within range: one that carries the enemy who wants to know why the bioengineered virus they released on Earth long ago didn’t exterminate humanity and leave the planet ripe for their claiming. Jak’ri doesn’t know how long he has been a prisoner aboard the Cebaun, but he fears the enemy’s twisted experiments will soon lead them to a virus that will eradicate the Purveli people. Despair grips him until a female from Earth is taken captive and reaches out to him telepathically. The gift that Ava said caused her such misery in the past soon becomes his salvation as the two of them form a fast friendship. Determined to distract each other from the horrors of their existence, they immerse themselves in telepathic communion during the day, then seek solace and adventure together in shared dreams. As their friendship deepens into love, the two hatch a daring plot to escape their captors. But the enemy will not let them go without a fight. Can Ava and Jak’ri stand against so many and emerge victorious?

Amazon

ALIEN HUNTER’S FATE (FATED MATES OF THE XILAN WARRIORS BOOK 3) by Ava Ross

An alien insists I’m his fated mate. After we escape a deadly alien game called the labyrinth, he says he’s keeping me. This deal was supposed to be simple. Take a shuttle to the space station. Connect with an alien in need of Slaking—their term, not mine. One week between the furs with no hearts involved, something I’m determined to avoid after being burned. I’ll return to Earth, and nine months from now? I’ll deliver a scaly bundle of joy. Right. Instead, Krek and I are captured by big alien spiders and thrown into a deadly, underground tunnel game called the labyrinth. The spiders tell us we’re free to go if we survive the challenge. Krek insists we’ll escape the labyrinth. He says I’ll soon have a child on the way. He also says I’m his fated mate. And he’s not returning me to Earth.    Amazon KU

ALIEN PRINCE VLOT (WARRIORS OF KOLIAM BOOK 6) by Eden Ember and Starr Huntress

It’s undeniable, she’s synchronized his two hearts and his life is about to change forever. VLOT – I just want to end the Ablidorian Pirates slave trade business and set Zorlox free from their clutches. I mind my own business, being the best brother and crew member for Qor. Until she does the unthinkable and I can no longer deny the attraction. EVE – I roll up my sleeves like any other member of the crew. I’m a scrapper and I’ve always taken care of myself. But this blue muscled being seems to have thrown my common sense out the window. I bite my lip to keep from admitting my budding feelings for him.                    Amazon KU

THE ALIEN’S DILEMMA (VIRGIN WARRIORS OF KAR’KAL BOOK 4) by Gemma Voss

A breeding mate was my worst nightmare. Now I am trapped with her. I thought I could ignore it, but my desire is proving more powerful than I ever imagined. Mori did everything he could to prevent the mating call from finding him. But even galaxies away from Earth the curse of his ancestors will not rest. Fearing that human disease known as love, he decides to put his life in the hands of a man he might otherwise call an enemy. When he boards the flight to a distant colony, Mori’s hopes of getting as far away from his fated mate as possible will be dashed when he realizes that she is along for the ride– and just as surprised as he is.      Sophie has been tirelessly pursuing her journalism career, but wishing for a dose of excitement backfires when she finds herself abducted by an ambitious Kar’Kali warrior with big plans to re-populate the race. Her grumpy new mate is too focused on escape to touch her, but the longer he holds out, the more she fears for his safety. Once she is fully immersed in the struggles that the Kar’Kali are facing, Sophie will uncover a more dangerous story than she bargained for.           Amazon KU

CLAIMED BY THE ALIEN SHIFTER (WARRIORS OF THE LATHAR BOOK 16) by Mina Carter

She doesn’t need love. She’s getting cats. Lots of them. She absolutely doesn’t need a sexy alien making her think of happily ever afters…Elise doesn’t need a man, she has enough with her job and ensuring her brother, the President, stays out of trouble. Or, at the very least, doesn’t get humanity into an intergalactic war it can’t win. She doesn’t have time for herself, never mind love, so when sexy alien Cade turns up in the bar she’s drowning her sorrows in, she absolutely shouldn’t take him home…Or kiss him. Because kissing him reveals he has more than a few secrets. Like he’s… what the hell is she going to do with an innocent twenty-something alien who kisses like a god? When he fights tigers bare-handed, putting his life on the line for those weaker than himself? Well, there’s only so much a girl can take…She’s the beauty to his beast and his fated mate. How does he tell her the monster inside him could get them both killed? Cade’s seen two planets in his life and his farm was nothing like Earth. It’s loud, chaotic and he’s a fish not only out of water but off-planet and sucking deep space vacuum. The scent of his mate changes everything. She’s tiny, delicate… everything he’s not. She’s his opposite, but she’s the home he never expected to find. He doesn’t care what it takes, he’ll make her see they’re perfect for each other. Until she’s taken from him and the monster inside him takes charge. He will save her, but revealing what he is to the Empire could get them both killed.

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TAKEN (THE UNCAGED) by Amber Ella Monroe

Never cross the Uncaged. It was a warning. They didn’t listen. And now someone must pay. Never take from an Alpha, let alone a pack of alphas. When my family found out they were coming, my mother uttered one word: Run. She tried to protect me from them, but it was only a matter of time before fate caught up to me. And he did…Rodric Moonblood is a beast among ordinary men. When the work is dirty, they send him. I’ve been ignoring my primal instincts for so long, but when it comes to Rodric, I can’t ignore the heat…my need for him…or the power of the mate-bond.     Amazon KU

THE TENTACLE PIRATE’S PRINCE by Charlotte Brice

I am Prince Ezra, the crown prince of my wealth solar system. My coming-of-age party is being held on the furthest planet in the system, where I am to find my queen. Turning 21 is looking a dismal prospect. When I begged and prayed for an alternative, being abducted by space pirates wasn’t what I had in mind. Falling for the tentacle pirate wasn’t anywhere on my list. But I’m not complaining.   Amazon KU

LEKO (LUNAR UPRISING BOOK 3) by Cyndi Friberg

Hating aliens is Julia’s family business. Can Leko reach beyond a lifetime of resentment and teach her that love knows no boundaries? Leko, a powerful lunar raider, is working undercover in an anti-alien militia when he encounters Julia. Instantly he knows she is his mate, but he came to Earth to uncover a Morax plot, not succumb to bonding fever. Julia knows there is something special about Leko. She has never reacted to anyone the way she reacts to him. Still, she refuses to consider the reason. Circumstances soon throw them together and force her to face the truth. The “man” she is falling in love with is an alien, and her father is not what he seems.             Amazon KU

UNRAVELING THE STARS: A STARSTRUCK NOVEL by Brenda Hiatt

You suspect your best friend has been sucked into a dangerous cult. Worse, the guy you’re hopelessly in love with is a member! Rescuing your friend will ruin your budding romance…but what choice do you have? Bri and Deb have been besties with M since elementary school, but over the past year and a half she’s changed. The more strange things they notice, the more they think whatever is going on with M has something to do with that new company that recently relocated to Jewel and all the new students whose parents work there. Their suspicions deepen when they start dating two of the hot new boys and notice more and more weird anomalies, like common phrases the boys don’t know and strength and speed that seem to go beyond the ordinary. The more they dig for clues, the more certain they are that M has been drawn into a cult that’s performing dangerous experiments on their members…including M! Confronting her will almost certainly ruin the promising new romances both Bri and Deb are enjoying, but they realize it’s a risk they’ll have to take. What they don’t expect is the incredible truth behind all the “evidence” they’ve collected—or the risk they’ll run by exposing it!

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SPACE MERCENARY’S PRIZE (TALLEAN MERCENARIES) by Lynnea Lee

When a tiny form crashes into me in the alley behind my old haunt, I don’t expect to find a half-dressed human female in my arms. Jenny brings out my instinct to guard and protect. Drunk and eager for a fight, I knock out her attacker and vow to take her home to Reka 5. There’s only one problem: Jenny’s owner wants her back. We wake the next morning with an enormous bounty on our heads. New Rhea is chock full of no-questions-asked mercenaries eager for the credits, but a promise is a promise, and I will get her to freedom. Besides, Jenny is mine. And anyone who wants her will have to get through me first!               Amazon KU

THE CHOSEN TWELVE by James Breakwell

VS Note: Not a romance but a scifi release of note. Sounded good.

There are 22 candidates. There are 12 seats. The last interstellar colony ship is down to its final batch of humans after the robots in charge unhelpfully deleted the rest. But rebooting a species and training them for the arduous task of colonisation isn’t easy – especially when the planet below is filled with monsters, the humans are more interested in asking questions than learning, and the robots are all programmed to kill each other. But the fate of humanity rests on creating a new civilization on the planet below, and there are twelve seats on the lander. Will manipulation or loyalty save the day?

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KEEPING HIS MATE: ALIENS OF OLUURA BOOK 4 by Ivy Knox

Bruvix thought rescuing an unconscious human female from a notorious slaver was the right thing to do…but that’s when his problems begin. Stealing a med tube containing a human female outside the slaver’s brothel, Bruvix takes her back to Oluura, where he finds out the ring she wears means her heart belongs to another. How can that be when he feels the tether connecting his soul to hers? How can his eternal mate be taken? Eleanor Santos wakes for the third time since being abducted from Earth. The second time, she’d attacked the alien who touched her, thus getting herself shipped back in the white tube to her abductor. Now seeing human females, she knows she’s safe, but her heart cries out to the love of her life still on Earth. Bruvix knows the deeps scars on his body from being attacked by a vicious beast years ago make him too ugly for his mate to look at, but he’s discovering that his inara is unique. She has a love of the wild, in more ways than one. When the slaver who took Eleanor finds her on Oluura, his army comes to take her and the other females back. Bruvix comes face to face with his greatest fear—he can save either Eleanor or himself. He almost died once, but this time his luck isn’t so good.                  Amazon KU

ALPHA OF THE BADLANDS by Penelope Woods

I was fated for another. He took me anyway. When the badland tribes came for me our settlement’s defenses proved no match for them. I was taken captive to be given to their leader. But an even more fearsome brute carried me off…Ronan is not just an alpha. He is a feral beast, and (…more blurb on ebook seller page…)           Amazon KU 

CUPID’S ARROW: BOOK TWO OF THE SHAMBHALA SAGA by Susan English

When her utopian moon base is targeted by Earth’s authoritarian powers, can she stand in the face of tyranny to prove love is stronger than hate? Biologist Pavani Nampeyo is devastated to lose her soulmate. But with the world military preparing to raid their lunar science colony, the broken-hearted specialist makes the agonizing decision to stay behind while the love of her life escapes to another solar system. And when the brutal invaders fail to find the missing colonists, Pavani’s protective instincts steer her in the path of a violent assault. Bruised but undaunted, she and her team attempt to drive out the troops by broadcasting video of the illegal occupation across the planet. But with the threat of reprisal looming, Pavani’s only hope of reconnecting with her true love might lie with the colony’s all-powerful artificial intelligence…Can Pavani outwit a formidable force before all her dreams turn to cosmic dust?

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THE SHANG ZHOU SHUFFLE (VIRSANA EMPIRE: SIR YADEN BOOK 5) by  Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus

VS Note: Not a romance. The Queer SciFi twitter feed calls this a “queer sci-fi fantasy”…a release of note.

The Emperor cares for each and every one of his subjects, be they bartender or prince. Prince Ishikawa of Shang Zhou has embarked on a risky undercover adventure all on his own, and Yaden and Ivan are sent after him to make sure he comes out alive. Working as the crew of a local pub, the three of them try to figure out why the local military is training Vox Populi terrorists. But this is a Lotus Knight mission, and when Ivan’s sister finally decides to ‘rescue’ her brother, things escalate rapidly.

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COLD SEDUCTION (ICE PLANET RENDU BOOK 3) by Zoe Ashwood

She escaped Earth and ran across galaxies…into his arms. Hanne won’t return to Earth. Ever. No matter that the rest of the human delegation is flying back from Rendu and she is one of the few humans to remain on this strange, frozen planet. What awaits her back home is way worse than any ice storm…or the brooding alien general she can’t stop thinking about. Lhett knows he’s far from being anyone’s idea of a happy ending. His scars are enough to send people running, and his moods scare away the rest. But he can at least make sure that the stubborn human scientist doesn’t die on his watch, even if she drives him crazy with her visits to the planet’s steamiest appliance store. When the heat between them rises to battle even the brutally cold nights, Hanne and Lhett discover that some scars don’t show up on skin. And opening old wounds is more painful than they ever imagined. Can love between a human woman and a hulking alien male beat the odds?      Amazon KU

RETURNING HEROES (THE GALACTIC CAPTAINS BOOK 6) by Harry F Rey

Captain Ales has returned to the galaxy, forever changed as the powers have prepared for war. He’ll accept help from anyone if it leads to the mysterious Turo from whose cage Ales must free himself if he ever wants to return to the Red Moon. Meanwhile Daeron has been offered the deal of a lifetime by the ruler of the Seven Suns. Marry Osvai, the Kyleri prince, and become heir to the richest star-state in the galaxy while raising an army to restore the prince to his rightful place as Emperor of the Million Suns. But Viscamon’s grip on Jiwani has only tightened as the nobles imprisoned in the Royal Baths still refuse to bow to the immortal’s cataclysmic theology of destroying the Galactic Balance. It seems the only way for Imperial Guard Captain Antari to avoid a massacre is outright treachery. While dynasties play galactic politics, the Outer Verge is being torn apart. From a prison cell, Mahnoor watches The Rip destroying Targuline, until the Kyleri rebels offer him the chance to save himself by flying into the heart of danger. He might even become Jansen’s most unlikely hero. Heroes and villains run riot around the galaxy, unleashing destructive forces and sliding the great powers toward a war from which no one will be safe.

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PASSIONATE PRISONERS by Angela Knight

VS Note: Re-releases.

Roarke’s Prisoner: Starship captain Elise Morrell remembers the eager animal submission she once knew at Captain Michael Roarke’s ruthless hands. She’s determined not to become his toy again…Stranded:Hawke’s been alone in the alien “Goldfish Bowl” for far too long. When Alex lands in his arms, they both realize they can fulfill each other’s every need — if they survive…Chain of Kisses: For years, Prince Admiral Arles of Tor has been obsessed with the woman who jilted him at the altar. Gisel is now a mercenary space captain, and he’s determined to get her out of his system. Too bad she’s also a political liability he can’t afford…Armored Hearts: Interstellar mercenary Captain Nick Rand is a vampire on the verge of starvation. Lieutenant Zara Tahir is willing to exchange blood for blood — and maybe kinky games — but Rand’s still her enemy. Right? Blood and Steel: Elyn Castel spent decades as the slave of a sociopathic vampire. Cyborg Jarl “Blade” Bladin has killed the vampire, and now he’s is after Elyn. She’s finished if he gets his hands on her. But escaping is easier said than done.

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VS: Special Item of Interest: GAME ON: 15 STORIES OF WINS, LOSSES AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN by Various

Not romance but sounded like a fun anthology and scifi adjacent…and I know many readers are also gamers…

From the slightly fantastical to the utterly real, light and sweet romance to tales tinged with horror and thrills, Game On is an anthology that spans genre and style. But beneath each story is a loving ode to competition and games perfect for anyone who has ever played a sport or a board game, picked up a video game controller, or rolled a twenty-sided die. A manhunt game is interrupted by a town disappearing beneath the players’ eyes. A puzzle-filled scavenger hunt emboldens one college freshman to be brave with the boy she’s crushing on. A series of summer nights full of card games leads a boy to fall for a boy who he knows is taken. And a spin the bottle game could end a life-long friendship. Fifteen stories, and fifteen unforgettable experiences that may inspire readers to start up that Settlers of Catan game again.

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PIRATE’S PARADOX (SENTINELS OF SAVANNAH BOOK 6) by Lisa Kessler

Pirate Caleb Graves may be an immortal, but he’s also a navigator and a man of science. And yet he can’t explain the erratic tides threatening Savannah. Nor the terrible dreams of sailing through a vicious, supernatural storm that he keeps having. But when fascinating, petite dynamo Diana Williams marches up to his ship and demands to speak to the captain, Caleb is caught up in a wave of unexpected fear…and an electric frisson of longing for this captivating woman. Diana wouldn’t be a true psychic if she didn’t listen to her spirit guide. So when dream after dream compels her to visit specific coordinates in the Atlantic, she can’t ignore it. Now, she just needs a ship. Good thing she knows about a particular pirate ship that’s in tip-top shape. Complete with a surly, albeit hot, navigator who doesn’t immediately believe in her visions. But no matter how much Caleb objects, she’ll risk sending the entire crew—including herself—to the uncharted ocean. But both their dreams could be the key to saving Savannah and may even be a clue about the fabled lost city of Atlantis. Or it could damn them all to an unforgiving, watery grave.

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MIDLIFE PRELUDE: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (PACKLESS IN SEATTLE BOOK 1) by Lia Davis

Omega wolf shifter, Matilda Carol, is about change her life forever. Starting over at forty-five isn’t the scariest thing she’ll have to face in her new life. But she’ll pay any price to gain her independence. Even if it means she has to die in the process. Faking her own death and moving away from the only home she’s ever known is intimidating, to say the least. Especially when Mattie has been sheltered and controlled by her uncle all her life. It’s a good thing that her BFF, Julie, is a powerful fae with connections to several paranormal factions that have all sworn to keep Mattie hidden from her uncle. When Julie goes missing, Mattie will not rest until she’s brought home. But she’s never investigated a missing persons case before—or any other case. When the police can’t find any trace of Julie, Mattie does her own detective work with the help of a vampire king, a witch, and a mysterious hottie who stirs her inner wolf’s mating urge. Wow. She didn’t see that one coming. Mattie may be packless in Seattle, but she’s in control of her own destiny for the first time in her life. She’s not about to waste this opportunity.              Amazon KU

TRUSTING THE DRAGON (STONEFIRE BRITISH DRAGONS BOOK 14) by Jessie Donovan

Finally divorced and free of her bastard ex-husband, Sarah MacKintosh Carter looks forward to living with the Scottish dragon clan and attempting a normal life. However, a letter arrives and says she has thirty days to mate a dragon-shifter, or she has to return to a human city. If she leaves, she knows her former in-laws will be determined to take custody of her sons. So the countdown begins on finding a dragonman to mate her. There’s just one rule: no falling in love so she can protect her heart.
Hudson Wells hasn’t stopped thinking about the female he met by chance two years ago—she’s the only one he’s wanted in his life and his bed since the loss of his late mate. When the chance comes to claim Sarah as his own, Hudson puts his name forth to be her mate. Now he just needs to convince her to pick him. Despite the fact she’s divorced, Hudson soon discovers that Sarah was neglected, so he makes it his job to prove how desirable she really is. As Hudson does his best to persuade Sarah of how they’re combustible together in bed and a good team as parents out of it, her past comes back to haunt her. Not only does it threaten one of her sons, but it could also end up destroying the future she now yearns for with Hudson. Will she find a way to seize a happy ending for once? Or will Sarah end up losing everything she cares about?

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HIS OMEGA’S KEEPER by Evangeline Anderson

They took us in the middle of the night and forced us to do things together…things I don’t dare admit. 
They came and took us in the middle of the night—kidnapped us and locked us in an attic—me and my stepbrother Jake. They’re some kind of cult—the Worshipers of the Moon—and they say that Jake and I are the last of the Royal Weres. We’re the last two with the blood of the First Wolf and because of that, we’re their only hope. But now they want me to do things with Jake—things I know I shouldn’t do. Things that could get me in a lot of trouble nine months down the line. It’s frightening, but Jake is protective and gentle—he understands what we need to do in order to get free. The only trouble is, our plan might prove disastrous in more than one way. The cult members keep telling me that Jake is my Alpha and I am his Omega—his to claim, his to take. But when we finally get away from them, we don’t dare to tell anyone what they made us do together. For the penalty for our sins in the Were world…is death.

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MATING MONSTERS (I.S.S.) by M Sinclair

My monsters had found me… and they weren’t letting me go. The institute, also known as ISS, housed the most terrifying nightmares that existed in this world…but the true monster was the one that tortured me day in and day out. The one that made me feel worthless and question if I could even call myself a monster. My mother. I knew I would never escape her. She was everywhere, and two nights before my planned escape, she threatened everything. Somehow she found out my secret. Somehow she found out about them. My monsters. The only nightmares I could call my own. And when she threatened their very lives? I decided to run, leaving with a severed heart, realizing that they would wake the next morning to find that I was long gone. They would hate me for it… Or so I thought. But what happens when they hunt me down? What happens when they show up right when I truly need them? What happens when I realize that the men who chased me halfway across the globe…are actually my mates?                          Amazon KU

ORACLE (THE PACK PROPHECY BOOK 3) by R L Caulder

VS Note: No blurb. Here was some of the basic info from book one’s blurb:

“The arrival of the Prophetess will bring both hope and destruction for the wolves of the world. She alone will be able to save them–or damn them.” The dark prophecy that has been passed down since the first pack of shifters is coming to fruition– and I am at the center of it. An orphaned human taken in by a pack of wolves. The fate of their existence in my hands. I’ve been treated as the dirt beneath the pack’s paws for years.  Will they be able to accept my new role when my powers surface? Will I be able to forgive them enough to help them?                  Amazon KU

A GATHERING OF CRONES (THE CRONE WARS BOOK 2) by Lydia M Hawke

She’s running out of time. And so is the world. After learning on her sixtieth birthday that she’s one of five Crones destined to save the world, Claire Emerson has been desperately trying to acquire the lifetime of magic she missed out on. But the mages who are out to destroy everything she loves aren’t waiting, and when one of the other Crones ends up on Claire’s doorstep—wounded and unconscious—Claire knows she’s out of time. Leaving the safety of her warded house, she goes in search of the remaining Crones… only to find them under siege by the mages and their nearly indestructible monster. And without control over her powerful elemental magic, she has no idea how to rescue them. Can Claire harness her powers in time to help her fellow Crones defeat the mages—or will her efforts bring even greater disaster?

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PINK MOON RISING (A WITCH’S COVE MYSTERY BOOK 18) by Vella Day

A movie production in Witch’s Cove, a talking bad boy raccoon, and a dead leading lady. Just your typical day in paradise. I am so excited that I am going to be in a movie! So what if it’s not much of a speaking part. Just being around celebrities will be awesome. Or at least it was until one of the leading ladies turned up dead. It’s not that my partner and fiancé in The Pink Iguana Sleuths aren’t used to dead bodies, but this case also included a raccoon, who happened to be the leading lady’s familiar. It wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t recruited Iggy for his nocturnal misadventures. Since we suspected magic had something to do with the woman’s death, the sheriff actually welcomed our interference (his word, not mine). With a large cast, the suspect list was endless. As daunting as that sounds, between the gossip queens in town and several powerful beings, I’m confident we’ll find the killer. If you want to check up on Iggy and this miscreant raccoon, check the alley behind our strip mall, and you might catch a glimpse of them. They would be happy to fill you in on the latest news.   Amazon KU

ELECTRIC IDOL: A DELICIOUSLY FORBIDDEN MODERN RETELLING OF PSYCHE AND EROS (DARK OLYMPUS BOOK 2) by Katee Robert

In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there’s always a price to pay. Psyche Dimitriou knew she’d have to face Aphrodite’s jealous rage eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake…or for Aphrodite’s gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the killing blow. Eros has no problem shedding blood. Raised to be his mother’s knife in the dark, he’s been conditioned to accept that he’s more monster than man. But when it comes time to take out his latest target…he can’t do it. Confused by his reaction to Psyche’s unexpected kindness, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he binds her to him, body and soul. Psyche didn’t expect to find herself married to the glittering city’s most dangerous killer, but something about Eros wakens a fire inside her she’s never felt before. As lines blur and loyalties shift, Psyche realizes Eros might take her heart after all…and she’s not sure she can survive the loss.

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GARNET FIRE (GEMSTONE WITCH SERIES BOOK 1) by Ana Michele

McKenna Pomengale has spent her entire life within the safety of her Coven’s Farm in Texas. There she not only learned live off the land but how to walk the Astral Plains, keeping the universe balanced. When her and every member of her coven is pulled from the plains and unable to gain entrance to them again McKenna must leave the only home she has ever known. She has to travel to the site of the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Upon her arrival she must search out the Guardians and learn the secrets they have protected for all these years. Learning to trust others outside of her coven while insuring her of her coven’s survival is paramount.

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BATTLE OF THE HEIRS (THE EURA CHRONICLES BOOK 5) by K N Lee

For years, Lilae has been desperate to return to her home–to her true family line. But, instead of a harmonious reunion, Lilae now faces a fight against her brother that can divide the last remaining humans who haven’t been enslaved by the Empire. Liam discovers the truth of his fate alongside Sona, and threatens his bond with the woman he loves. On the other side of the world, the young Tryan boy from an ancient line of royalty is groomed to lead an army of dragons against the biggest foe the world of Ellowen has ever seen.

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LORD OF EMBERS (THE DEMON QUEEN TRIAL BOOK 2) by C N Crawford

Once, I was a broke college student. Now, it seems I’m destined to rule as the Lightbringer–queen of the demon realm. Except I have competition in the form of Orion, the Lord of Chaos. Like me, he has been marked as a leader. We can’t keep our hands off each other, even if he swore an oath to kill me.
It seems we both want the same thing–the crown. And in this battle of wills, only one of us will be left standing.                      Amazon KU

YULE LOG: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (REMARKABLE REMEDIES) (HAVEN HOLLOW BOOK 12) by H P Mallory and J R Rain

VS Note: From DEC 21

It’s December 21 and the first night of the celebration of Yule! Much to Lorcan’s feigned irritation, Wanda is in the midst of throwing a Yule celebratory party at one of his numerous residences within Haven Hollow. But, yuletide exaltation is hardly on his mind. The only thing Lorcan can think about, other than the long and smooth line of Wanda’s delicate neck, is his Yule gift still awaiting her. But, as with most things involving the vampire and the Blood Witch, not everything goes to plan. When Lorcan imbibes one too many blood-chatas (ten, to be exact), memories of his unfortunate childhood revisit him and before he can stop himself, he’s waxing… well, not exactly poetic. Faced with a ruined holiday party and feeling sorry for himself, Lorcan turns his anger on the Yule log, something which will prove to be quite the big mistake.                   Amazon KU

HAUNTINGLY HAPPY: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (MIDLIFE SPIRITS BOOK 10) by H P Mallory and J R Rain

VS Note: From DEC 31

When Luke Montague was hit by a truck, courtesy of Angharad’s witch magic, I was in shock. But, when he opened his eyes and looked up at me, saying “ma minette,” I knew my life would never be the same again. And I was right. But, even with Drake alive again, everything isn’t daisies and roses. No, far from it. I’m still playing puppet on a string to Guarda (ahem, zombie puppet on a string) and important artifacts are still going missing throughout New Orleans, stolen at the hands of ghostly children. As if that weren’t enough, there’s a witch terrorizing the city with wands of licorice that turn into deadly snakes. And my sudden onslaught of dreams of the Colonial 17th century are somehow related, I’m sure. In my dreams, I’m in a garrison under attack from ghostly invaders and they’re searching for someone—someone who, in turn, is searching for me. Yep, just another day in the life of Peyton Clark, spiritualist, medium and perpetual mess up.                  Amazon KU

NEW WOLF (ARCTIC WOLF BOOK 2) by H P Mallory and J R Rain

A break-in at the local bar seems at first glance a routine case of vandalism, likely the result of high schoolers looking to score some free booze. Except no alcohol was stolen, there’s no evidence of an actual break-in, and the thief was clearly looking for something. But what? Chief Elodie Matthews wants to know. Meanwhile, as a new werewolf, her first official turning is rapidly approaching―and she’s not looking forward to it. By all accounts, it’s going to be painful and super weird, and she just doesn’t have time for it. Not when it turns out someone is hunting all the werewolves in town. No one is safe, least of all the new chief of police and the town’s newest werewolf resident. With the full moon fast approaching and a killer about to unleash unholy hell upon the citizens of Hope, Alaska, it’s up to Elodie Matthews to save the day. The only problem is… she barely knows who she is anymore. Or what she’s about to become.                   Amazon KU

EMBER (HAPPILY NEVER AFTER BOOK 7) by Plum Pascal and H P Mallory

Ember relies on two things in her life: Cleanliness and order. Owing to a traumatic childhood, she’s got OCD and clings to control, doing her best to avoid people and men, in particular. When a handsome stranger named Aimes Padmoore comes to her cartography office in Sweetland, claiming he needs her help deciphering a map that belonged to the Blue Faerie, Ember wants nothing more than to assist him and send him on his way. What she’s not counting on is another meeting with the young man who, this time, brings a friend—the prince of Sweetland—Blake Nonpereil. And Blake is just as handsome as Aimes, which causes Ember quite a bit of angst because both men are nothing but trouble as far as she’s concerned. When Aimes and Blake declare their wish for Ember to travel with them while they attempt to recover yet another map, she staunchly refuses. But when a third man gets involved, Vaughn, he forces Ember’s hand by targeting her where she’s most vulnerable—her family. Forced into traveling with all three men into the Anoka desert and beyond, Ember finds she might end up needing them just as much as they need her.                Amazon KU

EMPRESS OF THE DARK (FORGOTTEN GODS BOOK 6) by Laura Greenwood

Trapped in the compound of a man who doesn’t love her, Nephthys knows it’s time to get out.  But escaping is only part of the problem. Somehow, she has to convince the other gods she isn’t a spy for Seth. Can Nephthys reclaim her place with the other gods, or is she doomed to the same fate as the man she’s trying to leave behind?

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STORM WARRIOR (THE WEAVERS CIRCLE BOOK 5) by Jocelyn Drake and Rinda Elliott

Hale Anderson – The Air Weaver. He was the freaking Air Weaver. Not exactly what he expected when he got kidnapped by the pestilents, but Hale’s good rolling with the punches. He can take a little time away from his pursuit of a doctorate in astrophysics to save the world. Except that the final spell is poised to kill all the Weavers and their last hope lies with him finding his soul mate. Hale doesn’t want a soul mate. He just wants Harrison. Harrison William Davenport III – As the Keeper of the Heart of the Earth, Harrison must bring the final key to the Weavers if they’re to stop the pestilents. He’s trained for this task his entire life. And he’s prepared to die just like his father did with the last generation of the Weavers. But what if saving the world isn’t enough anymore? What if the only thing that matters is saving Hale?                        Amazon KU

HEART SHAPED CONFECTION DECEPTION (MURDER IN THE MIX BOOK 41) by Addison Moore

My name is Lottie Lemon, and I see dead people. Okay, so I rarely see dead people, mostly I see furry creatures of the dearly departed variety, who have come back from the other side to warn me of their previous owner’s impending doom. It’s Valentine’s Day in Honey Hollow and cupid isn’t the only one looking to strike someone. Miranda and Wiley have special plans for the heart-shaped day but a killer is set to derail their plans and take down Lottie as well. A supernatural white lab shows up on the scene and things go from celebratory to deadly when love takes a back seat to murder. Lottie Lemon has a brand new bakery to tend to, a budding romance with perhaps one too many suitors, and she has the supernatural ability to see the dead—which are always harbingers for ominous things to come. Throw in a string of murders, and her insatiable thirst for justice, and you’ll have more chaos than you know what to do with. Living in Honey Hollow can be murder.   Amazon KU

HEARTS AT WAR by K N Banet

Two broken hearts. Jabari and Aisha had a wild romance once, a beautiful year of bliss. She thought she had found her forever, and he felt his dead heart being pulled on in a way he thought was impossible. However, Jabari had already lost the love of his life and there was nothing that could repair that damage. So he walked away. He was the General, as many called him, and he knew just how to strike. He broke Aisha’s heart so perfectly that he was certain she would never try to pull at his dead heart again. One innocent life. Aisha didn’t know she was pregnant until after he was gone. So many things ran through her mind when she found out. Jabari, son of Hasan, was the oldest son of the most powerful werecat family in the world. It was fear, not anger or heartbreak, that kept her from reaching out sooner…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)                 Amazon KU

LOST KINGDOM: THE DARKFELL VAMPIRE CLAN BOOK 3 by L A McGinnis

I might be a queen, but this isn’t a fairytale. A ruthless king dragged me into the vampire world kicking and screaming, intending to kill me, like he had so many before. Then I took everything away from him. His throne is mine. His kingdom is mine. I wear the crown of the vampire queen, and to some, it seems all my dreams came true. But victory came at a terrible cost. My mate is far beyond my reach, and trying to save him would risk a bloody battle and the lives too many innocents. But when an ancient evil rises, the only way to survive is with Deston by my side, which means I’ll fight to get him back. If war is coming, it might as well be on my terms.                  Amazon KU

AKATA WOMAN (THE NSIBIDI SCRIPTS) by Nnedi Okorafor

From the moment Sunny Nwazue discovered she had mystical energy flowing in her blood, she sought to understand and control her powers. Throughout her adventures in Akata Witch and Akata Warrior, she had to navigate the balance between nearly everything in her life—America and Nigeria, the “normal” world and the one infused with juju, human and spirit, good daughter and powerful Leopard Person. Now, those hard lessons and abilities are put to the test in a quest so dangerous and fantastical, it would be madness to go…but may destroy the world if she does not. With the help of her friends, Sunny embarks on a mission to find a precious object hidden deep in an otherworldly realm. Defeating the guardians of the prize will take more from Sunny than she has to give, and triumph will mean she will be forever changed.

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ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY by Dana Schwartz

VS Note: This one is classified as a gothic and/or an alternative history. Seems to have fantastical elements…

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry. Jack Currer is a resurrection man who’s just trying to survive in a city where it’s too easy to die. When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham’s lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, Beecham will allow her to continue her medical career. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books—she’ll need corpses to study. Lucky that she’s made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living. But Jack has his own problems: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, his friends are disappearing off the streets, and the dreaded Roman Fever, which wiped out thousands a few years ago, is back with a vengeance. Nobody important cares—until Hazel. Now, Hazel and Jack must work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society.

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THE BEHOLDEN by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Orphaned as young women, Celestia and Izara De Malena find themselves land rich but destitute, with only a failing rainforest acreage, Celestia’s perfect manners, and Izara’s nascent magic to their aristocratic names. With the last of their money running out, they enact a dangerous plan—using a spell she doesn’t fully understand, Izara summons the Lady of the Seraphine and demands a favor: a husband for Celestia, one rich enough to enable the De Malena sisters to keep their land. But a favor from the river goddess always comes at a cost . . . Now, five years later, rumors of war and disease are spreading, Celestia’s husband has been called away on a secret mission for the Emperor, and the Lady of the Seraphine is back to collect her due. Izara will be forced to leave the academy where she has been studying to become a mage; Celestia will be pulled from her now-flourishing farm while newly pregnant with her first child. Together, they must repay their debt to the Lady—embarking on a mission that will put them on a collision course with Celestia’s husband, the Emperor, and a god even more powerful than the Lady of the Seraphine.

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LIGHTNING IN A MIRROR (FOGG LAKE BOOK 3) by Jane Ann Krentz

VS Note: Psychic ability…

Olivia LeClair’s experiment with speed dating is not going well. First there was the nasty encounter with the date from hell who tried to murder her and now the mysterious Harlan Rancourt—long believed dead—sits down at her table and tells her she’s the only one who can help him locate the legendary Vortex lab. This is not what Olivia had in mind when she signed up for the Four Event Success Guaranteed package offered by the dating agency.  She doesn’t have much choice, though, because her psychic investigation firm works for the mysterious Foundation and Victor Arganbright, the director, is adamant that she assist Harlan. There’s just one problem—no one knows Harlan’s real agenda. His father once ran the Foundation like a mob organization, and Harlan was destined to be his heir.  There’s a real possibility Harlan has returned to claim his inheritance.  For now, however, it’s a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend because others are after the secrets of the long-lost lab. Unfortunately for Olivia, the one thing friend and foe have in common is that everyone is convinced she is the key. Her unique psychic talent is required to defuse the ticking time bomb that is Vortex. Neither trusts the other but Olivia and Harlan soon realize they must work together to survive and unlock the Bluestone Project’s most dangerous secrets before more innocent people die.

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BOUND BY FIRELIGHT (WICKERY BOOK 2) by Dana Swift

After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa’s punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay. Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante . . . but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk. Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already. . . . Now, can they save themselves?

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SERVANT MAGE by Kate Elliott

They choose their laws to secure their power. Fellian is a Lamplighter, able to provide illumination through magic. A group of rebel Monarchists free her from indentured servitude and take her on a journey to rescue trapped compatriots from an underground complex of mines. Along the way they get caught up in a conspiracy to kill the latest royal child and wipe out the Monarchist movement for good. But Fellian has more than just her Lamplighting skills up her sleeve.

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THE LOCK-EATER by Zack Loren Clark

VS Note: This is a children’s book but sounded fun!

Melanie Gate is a foundling with a peculiar talent for opening the unopenable—any lock releases at the touch of her hand. One night, her orphanage is visited by Traveler, a gearling automaton there on behalf of his magical mistress, who needs an apprentice pronto. When Melanie is selected because of her gift, her life changes in a flash, and in more ways than she knows—because Traveler is not at all what he seems. But then, neither is Melanie Gate. So begins an epic adventure sparkling with magic, wit, secret identities, stinky cats, fierce orphan girls, impostor boys, and a foundling and gearling hotly pursued by the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the land.

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BEGINNINGS (BEGINNINGS END SERIES BOOK 1) by W J May

Centuries before the creation of the five kingdoms, when the great houses were still forming and the realm was ruled by fae, a small band of companions set out on a journey. Kiera had never left her village. It was a stroke of luck that she wasn’t there when the dragon attacked. Without any friends or family, without a shred of hope that anyone might believe her, she strikes off alone into the forest, looking for people that can help. The world is new and untamed. The people are leaderless and wild. There has never been an alliance to unite them, but an alliance is exactly what the realm needs. Because a darkness is coming. One that threatens to consume them all…Be careful who you trust. Even the devil was once an angel.

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COMING BACK (A GRAPHGIC NOVEL) by Jessi Zabarsky

Preet is magic. Valissa is not. Everyone in their village has magic in their bones, and Preet is the strongest of them all. Without any power of her own, how can Valissa ever be worthy of Preet’s love? When their home is attacked, Valissa has a chance to prove herself, but that means leaving Preet behind. On her own for the first time, Preet breaks the village’s most sacred laws and is rejected from the only home she’s ever known and sent into a new world. Divided by different paths, insecurities, and distance, will Valissa and Preet be able to find their way back to each other? A beautiful story of two young women who are so focused on proving they’re meant to be together that they end up hurting each other in the process. This gorgeous graphic novel is an LGTBQ+ romance about young love and how it can grow into something strong no matter what obstacles get in the way.

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THE STORM’S WHISPER (THE BROKEN LANDS BOOK 5) by T A White

The path to peace is never easy. As the first Caller in living memory, Eva struggles to find her footing as the bridge between her chosen people and the mythological race known as the Kyren. When unexpected arrivals threaten to test the newly formed alliance, Eva and her protector, Caden, fight to hold together the fast-fraying bonds before peace unravels and war once again returns. Should she fail, bloodshed the likes the Broken Lands haven’t seen since the cataclysm will stain the ground red.
The mysterious abilities that lie at the heart of Eva’s power will be her salvation or lead to her becoming an evil far worse than anything seen before. Will this land fall or be reborn into a new age?

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POISED IN EITHER EYE by B Pigeon and Fell A Marsh

Five years have passed since Mateo chose to live among humans, and he had not yet encountered another dragon in his city—until now. Mateo is content with his choice to leave the austere, artless world of dragons for Earth’s subcultures—but he’s running out of money, and worried that the presence of a clueless newcomer, Zephyr, will attract hunters who traffic in magical creatures. To protect them both, Mateo agrees to teach Zephyr how to blend in among humans, secretly hoping to take advantage of Zephyr’s powers in the process. Dragons’ magic is, after all, tailored to the art of stealing, and Mateo needs money he no longer has the powers to acquire. But, despite his best efforts, Zephyr’s arrival still throws the stability of his human life into question. Zephyr left the dragon realm, Velzexus, to prove himself. His goal is to acquire an impressive hoard of gold to bring back to his family—though he finds that he must learn the rules of humans before he’s ready to steal.But humans are smarter and more dangerous than he assumes, and his plans may be further out of reach than he hopes.

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PACK DARLING PART TWO by Lola Rock

After a disaster of a first heat, I’m ready to swear off alphas and escape to a cabin in the woods. My body has other plans. Now that I’m awakened, I can’t survive another heat alone. Problem is, I hate alphas, hate packs, and really super hate the so-called mates I can’t forgive and can’t forget. Now my biological clock’s ticking too fast to handle, and I can’t wait on Wyvern Pack to figure out their damage. I’ll take care of my own needs. And if you can’t give me what I want, then get out of my way. Because this omega bites back.

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SLEEPWALK (ALPHA COMPOUND SERIES BOOK 4) by Anna Fury

My name is Jude, and like everyone, I’ve got secrets. Unfortunately, mine involves my family’s part in the creation of the Awaken virus, which turned normal men into violent, ruthless alphas three years ago. It was an accident, but now we’re on the run while I try to right my wrongs. I’ve spent three years hiding from the government, trying to find a cure for the alpha wildling phase, those volatile initial days after the transition. If I can do this, it will change everything. There’s just one problem–Griz. He’s the New York alpha pack’s strategist. Brilliant, kind, possessive. Perfect. I’m his mate, although I have to keep him at arm’s length. He loves me because he doesn’t know me–not really. What’s worse is I can’t tell him, because I need his pack to keep me safe until I find a cure. But the blazing, simmering need between us is undeniable, making it hard not to reveal my truth to him. If almost ending the world and having a doomed romance with a hot alpha wasn’t enough, my father’s been acting increasingly strange. His behavior leads me to believe he’s up to something sketchy with our research. I can’t let Griz and the pack be at further risk because of my work, but I’m terrified of what will happen when the truth gets out. When we’re forced to flee the Compound, and I’m in close proximity with Griz every day, it all comes to a head.. I’ve got to tell him the truth, but what he’ll do with it is anybody’s guess. Possibly kill me, definitely kick me out of the pack. There’s no way he could ever still love me, though…right?                          Amazon KU

THE UNHOLY (KREWE OF HUNTERS BOOK 6) by Heather Graham

VS Note: From DEC 20. Re-release.

The remake of a classic horror film awakens something violent from the past, and only the Krewe of Hunters can stop it, in book 6 of the fan-favorite suspense series, only from New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham. At Hollywood’s Black Box Cinema, a young starlet dies a terrifying death.
When a movie mogul’s son is charged with the grisly murder, he calls agent Sean Cameron, who specializes in irregular investigations. As part of the FBI’s paranormal team, Cameron knows that nightmares aren’t limited to the silver screen. Working with special-effects artist Madison Darvil—who has her own otherworldly gifts—Cameron delves into the malevolent force animating more than one movie monster. But will they be in time to stop the next noir scenario come to life?

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NEVER ON A NEW YEAR’S EVE by Heather Graham

VS Note: From DEC 29

Angela is waiting for Jackson Crow to come home—he’d just run into the office for a bit of last-minute work. Her dream was for a quiet night with just her kids, her husband and a cup of hot cocoa enjoyed together on the couch. It’s getting closer to midnight when she suddenly receives a call. She is warned—there will be a murder at midnight. Immediately after she hears Corby scream for help. While on their front porch, Corby had witnessed a kidnapping, and tells her the man is taking his victim to the cemetery. There is one just down the street, one that is as old as the country itself.
She’s not a fool—Corby calls in other agents while Angela rushes out to discover what she can while waiting for back-up. Strange conversations with the would-be killer keep her moving closer through gravestones and mausoleums, and when she knows others have arrived, she also sees that she must act and act quickly if she is to save a life. She tackles the kidnapper before he can act, but the act brings them both crashing through the door of one of the old cemetery’s mausoleums—and into a strange encounter that will change her perception of every new year to come.      Amazon KU

THE UNSPOKEN (KREWE OF HUNTERS BOOK 7) by Heather Graham

VS Note: A re-release.

It is 1898. Bound for Chicago, the freighter Jerry McGuen goes down in Lake Michigan, taking with it every man aboard. But what other fate could befall a vessel carrying the ill-gotten sarcophagus of an Egyptian sorcerer? Now: A veteran diver and “ghost ship” expert is exploring the legendary wreck for a documentary. He dies inexplicably inside the freighter’s main saloon. Then another diver is killed, and panicked rumors rise like bubbles from the lake: ancient demons have awakened below! The expedition’s beleaguered financier calls paranormal investigator Katya Sokolov to Chicago to save the film – and perhaps some innocent lives. Along with media forensics guru Will Chan, Kat plumbs the depths of an evil that may date back to the time of the Pharaohs. But some secrets are best drowned in the seas of the past.

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MORTAL CURSE (SHADOW SHIFTERS BOOK 1) by Tia Didmon

A shadow. A shifter. A curse. When a reaper attack thrusts Dannika into the shadow shifter world and her transition results in her imprisonment, she turns to Raine, the sexy shadow who saved her. As her attraction to Raine mounts, and dissension in the shadow shifter clan increases, she learns that being the only woman to survive the transition isn’t her only secret. Her new abilities come with a price, and if she doesn’t curb her killer instincts, she will end up as loathsome as the creature who attacker her.                    Amazon KU

HIS DETERMINED BEAR (BEARS OF ASHEVILLE BOOK 3) by Skye R Richmond

Graham’s biggest passion is baking delicious treats. So when his favorite teacher asks him to bake a wedding cake, he can’t turn it down! However, he isn’t prepared to meet Cooper, the son of the bride who looks good enough to lick. One sniff and he knows Cooper’s his mate. But what does the man do? He criticizes Graham’s brownie recipe! Now Graham is determined to show his mate who’s boss… of the kitchen. Cooper takes his first vacation in years to attend his mother’s wedding. He thought his world would be turned upside down when he learns about shifters, but a neurotic baker has him in a full tailspin! Forget the brownies, Cooper could eat Graham. Too bad his visit to Asheville is only temporary. In a few weeks, he’ll be back to work and Graham will be a very warm and fuzzy memory. Or so he thinks. What happens when a cranky, opinionated omega meets a sweet yet determined bear?                                   Amazon KU

UNITED: MAGIFORD SUPERNATURAL CITY (PACK OF DAWN AND DESTINY BOOK 2) by K M Shea

A wolf is attacking the humans of Timber Ridge and changing them into werewolves—against their will. The change process is extremely dangerous and involves bloodshed. It isn’t something that happens by accident, which can only mean one thing. Someone is doing this on purpose. I’m going to find the rampaging sicko responsible for this outbreak, even if it means I have to master my new magic to stop them. Thankfully, Greyson—the Pack Alpha and the most powerful wolf in the Midwest—is always down for a hunt. The only problem is that I’m starting to find him attractive—which is the worst thing I could do. He’s got an incomplete mate bond, and since I’m a hunter, I could never be a wolf’s mate. That’s okay. I’m used to being alone. I’m a werewolf hunter, not part of the Pack. But that’s an awfully dangerous place to be when there is a rogue wolf on the loose.     Amazon KU

THE FEY FAVOR (FAIRYTALE MATES BOOK 6) by Hawke Oakley

Can a tiny persnickety fey and a gentle giant human truly be fated? Gingersnap is a busy man. As the Fey King’s trusty underling, he’s constantly running errands and fulfilling important tasks. He doesn’t have a minute to spare for love, even if his heart secretly yearns for it. But Gingersnap’s life is thrown into chaos when a human baby appears out of nowhere on the Fey King’s doorstep—the same King notorious for hating humans and infants. Desperate to keep his new charge safe, Gingersnap turns to the only person he can think of: the human whose house the Fey Kingdom resides in. Single omega Edmund runs an in-home daycare. He loves children despite not having any of his own. His efforts at finding true love haven’t worked so far, but he’s positive good things will happen… someday. And that someday happens when a small man with a funny name appears in his house with a baby in hand.                     Amazon KU

MAGIC SOURCE: AN ORICERAN URBAN COZY (THE EVERMORES CHRONICLES BOOK 3) by Martha Carr and Michael Anderle

What does a young witch do when someone dangerous is after her, but their identity remains hidden? Fran Berryman strikes back and calls on her newly found powers. Super-sized. What are the Evermores up against? It’s nothing good…The Darkness Between Dreams is trying to track down the stolen book containing the prophecy of Tess. What will the Darkness do when he discovers the prophecy points straight at Fran? Everything Fran has built could come tumbling down – especially since there’s a traitor in their midst…Can Fran and her new company keep creating and testing new prototypes, seeking out investors, and keeping the Source contained – while fighting off attacks from the Darkness Between Dreams? Will they be able to achieve their dreams of Mana Wave?   AmazonKU

MAXIMUS (LORDS OF OTHERWORLD BOOK 1) by Stella Rainbow

Maximus – The first time I went looking for Kym, it was because he was a relative of a murder victim I was investigating. Every time after that? It was because I realized he was my mate. For the first time in my long existence, I’d found something more important than my work. But with evil brewing in the shadows, my realm and my king needed me more than ever. Could I really make a choice between my family and my mate? Kym – I knew my uncle’s death was a murder, but no one believed me except my best friend. That is, until I met Maximus. After spotting the huge, intimidating man lurking around my shop, I’d had no option but to face him. He didn’t scare me, but what he told me turned my life upside down. Could I really make a choice between the only home I’d ever known, and the man who promised me the world?                      Amazon KU

TRUE NORTH by Corey Kerr

Misha doesn’t remember what it’s like to have a home. He left Russia in search of a better life, but when he didn’t find it, he left the human world behind. Now he lives in the woods and eats garbage out of trash cans. At least he’s safe here as long as he stays a bear. But he keeps going back to one particular house, to one particular guy. He can’t seem to stay away. JT feeds him breakfast and says he wants to help, and Misha slowly, begrudgingly begins to trust him. Before long, Misha’s living in his spare room and learning how to be human again… and lusting over his new roommate. JT is everything Misha’s always told himself he can’t have. He plays hockey, he’s rich, he looks amazing in a swimsuit, and he turns out to be much less straight than Misha assumed. As their summer idyll takes a thrilling, steamy turn, Misha begins to tentatively put down roots in JT’s hometown of Sault Ste. Marie and think about what might happen when the summer ends. But Misha’s past hasn’t left him behind, and when his secrets abruptly come to light, he risks losing everything about his new life that he’s come to cherish… especially JT.                        Amazon KU

FATE HOLLOW ACADEMY: TERM ONE by Lyra Winters

Fate Hollow is the academy of the elite, where supernatural beings with special magic train for war against humans. A big-hearted, naïve arctic fox shifter like me couldn’t have prepared for the treachery lurking within the walls of the academy. Students were going missing or turning up dead on campus and rumors circulated about humans infiltrating academy grounds. Seeds of fear bloomed within the student body. To make matters worse, the mate that rejected me was hellbent on painting a bright red target on my back with the help of his new girlfriend. Against all odds, I found refuge with seven irresistible supernatural men, each one more different from the last. Would the bond of my mates be enough to manifest my hidden power? Without it, I was vulnerable. And with a dragon cult attempting to wage war on humans, I had no choice but to fight.      Amazon KU

MAFIA DRAGON’S REJECVTED MATE (IRISH DRAGON SHIFTER BROTHERS BOOK 19) by Brittany White

The Island Witch – My home is cursed. Not a single one of us can leave. I’ve spent my entire life trapped on this island, with only my coven for company. The only visitors are a group of rough males – dragon shifters who run a supernatural mafia. They’re called Excido, which means ‘destroy.’ They trade in dark magic, in an underground market. As a potion maker, I’ve made the brews they sell. But my father forbids me from meeting them. He says they are ruthless and cruel. His warnings have only made me more curious. The mafia leader is a sexy male named Kane. He isn’t cruel to me. He takes me on picnics and sunset sails. He says he’s my mate. But Kane’s got a dark side. I see it firsthand when he rejects me.
Will I ever recover from losing the love of my life?
The Mafia Dragon Shifter – I was born into a life of crime. My father treated my mother like dirt. He raised me to be just like him. But I never want a mate.
After my father’s murder, I focused on running my mafia crew and selling dark artifacts. My business leads me to a hidden island, one kept secret from the world. The coven sells me their weapons and their potions, all enchanted with dark magic. Any item they create is a hit with my clients. Then I meet the potion maker, the one whose magic enchants. She’s a gorgeous witch. One who’s been coddled and protected by her father. She has me captivated. I’m under her spell, ready to give up everything for her.
Until I realize that our lives are too different. I’m a changed male, but I can’t live in her world.
I reject her promises and break her heart.
Can a powerful witch forgive her dragon shifter mate for rejecting her love?                    Amazon KU

VAMPIRE KING by Van Cole

VS Note: A re-release.

Willis Vaughn is a king with a problem. He has fallen deeply in love with another man and now desperately wants him to be his mate. But he is a vampire and the man he loves is a werewolf – and both species are sworn enemies. And then there is the not so small issue of his fiancée, Luna.
A formidable woman intent on getting her own way! With his kingdom in disarray and open war breaking out, Willis realizes he needs to bring unity to the land. Might that way be to lead by example and bring equality between the vampires and werewolves – starting with him? Can Will’s love for a werewolf transcend his people’s long feud with them? Or is his crown – and his romance – doomed to failure? Because unless he can do something, there will be no hope for him and the vampires of ever living in peace.                 Amazon KU

KINGS OF SHADOW AND STONE: WORLD OF AUREUM SERIES BOOK 2 by Anastasia King

Servant to the God of Death, now a prisoner of war. Keres’ chains are in the hands of her enemy and he’s bringing her to heel. As twists of fate entangle her, she must learn to play the strings or become the spell-bound puppet. The bargain for freedom, a bond forged in darkness. The deadly game between Gods and mortals has only just begun.                 Amazon KU

IGNITE THE FIRE: INFERNO by Karen Chance

Cassie Palmer, once a down on her luck clairvoyant and now the chief seer of the supernatural world, is in the fight of her life. While on a rescue mission in Faerie, she is kidnapped by a king of the fey named Aeslinn. He is her sworn enemy and has every reason to want to kill her, yet instead he offers a trade: her life for that of her lover, John Pritkin. Cassie doesn’t know what the king’s game is, only that it involves his alliance with Zeus, the head of the ancient pantheon who used to rule all of Earth and who is determined to do so again. In order to save her lover, and the world, she has to figure out what Zeus and his royal puppet are up to. She also has to stop them, even if it means taking on the king of the gods himself.

Amazon

SHE’S THE ONE WHO CAN’T KEEP QUIET (THE WAR STORIES OF THE SEVEN TROUBLESOME SISTERS BOOK 5) by S R Cronin

VS Note: The Queer SciFi twitter feed says “queer fantasy (lesbian, poly, demi/bi, ace)”

Do you know what your problem is? Celestine, the fifth of seven sisters, is tired of hearing about hers. Father thinks she’s frivolous because she likes pretty clothes and caters to the crowds in the taverns who adore her music. Mother thinks that because she’s the most social daughter in the family, she can’t keep quiet about anything. They’re both wrong. Celestine hides a secret she has kept for most of her life. As the family beauty and a talented musician with a lyrical voice, she has the best prospects for marriage to a prince. When such a liaison never happens, people assume Celestine is too choosy. But even in somewhat tolerant Ilari, a daughter hates to disappoint her family. How can she tell them she’s in love with a princess instead? Lucky for Celestine, all her sisters are obsessed with an invading army headed to their realm. Celestine would rather ignore the threat and enjoy the freedom their lack of attention gives her. But, her voice can unlock a power that may help save Ilari. And the woman she loves is determined to fight these invaders. And her family, for all their talents, seems clueless about how to motivate the masses. Celestine knows she can inspire the citizens of Ilari to do what needs to be done. Is it time to put her inhibitions aside and use her voice to save those she cares about?

Amazon

LOVE AND CURSE MAKING (MAGICAL DATING AGENCY BOOK 1) by Kelly St Clare

What do jazz pixies, siren celebrities, and three hundred disastrous dates with supernatural men have in common? Me. I’m Cerys. And at twenty-two years old, running a paranormal dating agency with my bestie and living in the magical society of Nepos is an amazing life. Not gonna lie though, it’d be better with a little action. Kissing, maybe? A one-armed hug? Heck, after three years, I’ll take a man touching my bedsheets. Or would if this curse didn’t 100 percent block me from romance. When my ‘extinct’ brand of magic explodes in the presence of true love, the off-the-charts sexy but infuriatingly bored Detective Devereaux gets involved. And let me tell you, ladies, there are m-u-s-c-l-e-s under his long coat! So I’m cursed and dodging the law and trying to put more love in the world each day. And now some creep is digging up heart elemental bodies. Seriously. How is it only Monday?

Amazon KU

HOLD MY BEAR (VIRTUE SHIFTERS BOOK 5) by Zoe Chant

If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen…Chef Charlee has spent a lifetime trying to outrun her difficult past. A head chef job in a small town might be the start of something new—but she never expected the boss to be more sizzling hot than anything she’s ever cooked! But Charlee has been burned before, so keeping her mind on the job is the only safe choice. If only she would stop imagining the kitchen counter as a great place for a steamy rendezvous… (No, Charlee! No! You prepare food on that! Stop thinking that way! But he’s so handsome…!) His new restaurant is his fresh start. But the head chef is the tastiest thing on the menu…Bear shifter Steven has big plans to break away from his family’s brewhouse tradition. All he needs is a new town, a new restaurant, and a new…incredibly sexy, curvy chef who just happens to be his fated mate?! Now it’s not ambitions for the bistro that get him all fired up—it’s Charlee, and finding a way to coax her out of her shell. Charlee doesn’t know about shifters, and Steven doesn’t know if this restaurant is really what he wants after all—but the more they work together, the more they become certain that above all else, what they want is…each other.                  Amazon KU

COLLEGE DAYS (REAGALOS PREQUEL) by Rebecca Cohen

Lornyc is good at keeping secrets, because secrets can get you kicked out of College. Lornyc considers the undergraduate course, and most of the people on it, beneath him. He just needs to get through this year and then he can start his doctorate. Methian might be attractive enough, but he’s an annoying, fat-headed, sloth toad, and Lornyc doesn’t want him as a lab partner. In fact, Lornyc doesn’t want anything to do with him. Prequel to the Reagalos novels: enemies to lovers, new adult, gay romance fantasy. A stand-alone novel in the Reagalos universe that charts how Lornyc and Methian got together, despite their best efforts not to.                Amazon KU

BOUND TO THE DARK (CLAIMED BY MONSTERS BOOK 1) by Sadie Moss

Monstrous. Dangerous. Broken. And completely devoted to me. In a world where fae are hunted by vampires, disguising my true nature is a matter of survival. That’s why I’ve spent the past several years pretending to be human, even dating a human guy. But after finding out that Mr. Jerkwad is cheating on me, I do the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I go to a bar and leave with three stunning, mysterious men. We spend one wild night together, and the chemistry between us is like an electric storm. Maybe that’s because to them, this isn’t just a one-night stand. All of these men are part fae, and they claim I’m their fated mate. That should terrify me, especially since I can tell they’re each harboring dark secrets behind their gorgeous features. They’re part fae, but they’re part something else, too. Something wild, feral, and untamed. But when a vampire mobster sets his sights on me, it may be that the only ones who can protect me…Are my three monstrous mates.         Amazon KU

THE NORTH WIND by Alexandria Warwick

Long before civilization, there were the gods. And before the gods, there was the earth, the celestial bodies, and air given flesh. They are the Anemoi—the Four Winds—and they have been banished to the four corners of the world. Wren of Edgewood is no stranger to suffering. Her parents are gone. Survival is all she knows. For three hundred years, the land known as the Gray has been encased in ice, surrounded by a great barrier called the Shade, which protects the townsfolk from the Deadlands beyond. But day by day, the Shade weakens. Only one thing can stop the Shade’s fall: a mortal woman taken captive across the barrier, bound in wedlock to the dark god who reigns over the Deadlands. He is the North Wind, the Frost King, an immortal whose heart is said to be as frigid as the land he rules. And the time has come for the Frost King to choose his bride.    Amazon KU

MECHANIC WOLF (SHIFTER MATING AGENCY BOOK 2) by Layla Silver

I got matched with a mechanic wolf. I came to this paranormal small town because I’m on the run from my stalker ex. Once here, the dating agency set me up with the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.
The chemistry is there, but I know how risky it would be to date him. It’s not easy to be a human living among supernaturals. Some would say I’m dancing with the enemy. That I would betray my kind by dating one of them. But I can’t deny the feelings that he brings out in me. He says he could protect me, and I know he’s strong enough. But am I willing to put him in that sort of danger?
Can I give love a chance when the stakes are so high? When suddenly it’s not just me that has to be protected…But the baby inside of me too?                       Amazon KU

NINE: THE ETERNALS BOOK THREE by J Marie (Jordan Marie

The only memories I have are of being studied and tortured. My captors were slowly killing me.
When I got the chance to escape, I took it—even though doing so left my brothers alone in that prison. Yet, I’m not truly free. The guilt and pain eat away at me daily. I stumbled into a place called the Badlands by accident. It’s a sanctuary for people like me—but then, I’m not like them. Not at all.
I stay, simply because I have nowhere else to go. I have nothing, definitely not a purpose to continue existing–Until her. Welcome to the world of the Eternals. Supernatural beings finding their way in a world they don’t belong to, yet have no choice but to live in.              Amazon KU

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VS: The next book in my STAR CRUISE backlist is STAR CRUISE: RETURN VOYAGE, which takes a look at one of the youngest survivors from the WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM (“Titanic in space…”) grown up and still dealing with PTSD issues from surviving the wreck. I did a lot of research for this one, including into how the youngest survivors of the actual Titanic sinking coped as adults. It was nice to (briefly) bring some of the other major characters from WRECK back for a glimpse at the end. And I enjoyed Verlaine, the heroine’s service animal.

This book is a re-release of STAR CRUISE RETURN VOYAGE, which was in the Pets in Space® 5 anthology. No new material has been added.
Gianna Nadenoft is a reclusive survivor of one of the worst interstellar cruise ship disasters in the history of the Sectors. Now a renowned artist, she hasn’t left her home planet in decades, not since returning there after the wreck as a traumatized three year old. With her service animal at her side, she’s going to make the effort to travel across the star systems to attend her brother’s wedding and reunite with her fellow survivors.        Trevor Hanson is a security officer aboard the cruise liner Nebula Zephyr with his own traumatic past as a former Special Forces soldier and prisoner of war. He’s assigned to provide personal protection to Gianna during her time aboard the ship but soon finds his interest turning from professional to romantic. The two share more in common than either of them realizes and their attraction grows as the voyage continues.        But powerful enemies including a conspiracy theory-obsessed fellow passenger and sinister individuals with hostile intentions are watching Gianna and making plans to seize this rare opportunity to gain access to her and the secrets they believe she’s still keeping about the wreck. Can Trevor overcome his personal demons and rise to the occasion to save Gianna from the danger waiting on his ship? Or will she slip through his fingers and suffer a terrible fate deferred from the day her last voyage came to a disastrous end?

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo     Nook     Google Play

Also available wide in the NEBULA DREAM TRILOGY BOX SET at all major ebook sellers.

Artist’s rendition of Verlaine

 

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

January 12

January 5

December 29

December 22

December 15

“New” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  And I may mention ‘special items’.

I do NOT cover every single new release in SFR/FantasyR/PNR. I never have. That would be an impossible task for any human! I assemble my list by hand every week based on various informal inputs, and I do curate the list to some extent…

Some authors aren’t in KU but still don’t list books with Apple or other platforms. This report is very time consuming to prepare so I’ve always had to limit myself and cannot go and look up every book on all the platforms. If an author gives me their other buy links, I include them here but generally I develop the post on my own, not from author-supplied information. I curate and prepare this post individually every week to help connect readers/books/authors and I have to be very careful not to give it so much time as an activity that I don’t write my own novels! Thanks for the feedback and happy reading!

I check and verify all the buy links at the time I create the post  but after that I’m not responsible.

Required Statement: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifiying purchases.

Required Statement: As an Apple Books Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

An Empty Throne Weekend Writing Warriors Snippet

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

I’m Taking excerpts from my new release KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE.

The excerpt: As promised, I’ve jumped ahead to the first arena scene, which is the next day. Kyden had to volunteer to fight in order to save Elara and her sister the night before.

Today Kyden was to fight with his own natural weaponry, the fangs and talons his creators had given him. He expected to walk through the bout. Midweek fights were cheap seats only, far below being a full audience, mostly practice for the less experienced men rather than serious contests, although the points won or lost did go onto each gladiator’s account and his standing in the system-wide ranking.

Kyden could recline in the middle of the damn arena and take a nap and his points total would barely move because he had such an unthinkable number of wins. There hadn’t been time for his owner to advertise the fact he was fighting either, much to the master’s chagrin.

He walked into the arena at the end of the line of gladiators and briefly scanned the crowd. Or should he say the few people scattered in the cheap seats? They were the lucky ones today, getting to see the Death Dealer in action unexpectedly. When he did fight in prime time, the prices were exorbitant and the scalpers made huge profits.

The trumpets blared and the ceremony began. Kyden pivoted smartly with the others and saluted the empty Emperor’s box. To his knowledge, the ruler of the Five Systems had never graced their stadium with his presence. He didn’t even live in the solar systems he ruled, preferring to dwell in hedonistic style in the Outlier Empire, being related to the ruling house there in some complicated genealogy. But the ritual must be carried out and Kyden uttered his oath to the empty throne with all the others standing in a line beside him, mouthing the same words about fighting for the glory of the throne and the Five Systems and pledging to die bravely. The trumpets blared again and he made a quarter turn as required, to repeat a lesser oath to the equally empty Senatorial seats.

Only to blink and do a double take at the sight of Lady Elara Vasclavian, dressed in the formal robes of her House, occupying the family’s box along with a number of retainers and others.

VS Note: Lady Elara isn’t a fan of gladiatorial contests and hasn’t attended them previously…

KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE by Veronica Scott

Kyden is the top ranked gladiator in the Five Systems but he’s hardly there by choice. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. He has no idea where his home is or how many years have passed since he was condemned to a life of endless combat. Kill or be killed is the rule and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death.

Elara Vasclavian is the daughter of a senator, as far removed from the life of a gladiator as a noblewoman can be until through the machinations of a political enemy, she ends up in terrible jeopardy. Abducted and given to a group of drunken gladiators for their amusement the night before the games, Elara vows to put up a fight but there’s no real hope of saving herself. Until Kyden steps in, responding to the goddess’s commandment to protect those who are smaller and weaker. And discovers she’s his fated mate.

Rescued, Elara returns to her life of privilege but she can’t forget the man who saved her life. The gulf between their places in the Five Systems is unbridgeable, no matter how much Kyden longs for even a glimpse of her in the arena audience. No matter how much she feels the pull to be by his side. As matters stand, they cannot be together…Or can they?

KYDEN is the first book in a new series, spun off from my ongoing Badari Warriors series. Kyden is a Generation Five Badari whereas the main characters in the long running series are from a later time and are Generation Eight. This new series stands alone and you don’t have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one. I couldn’t resist the temptation to tell a few other Badari stories, set in the galaxy’s Hinterlands, and who can resist gladiators?

Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

My recent Tiktok video with images relating to the novel:  https://www.tiktok.com/@veronicascottauthor/video/7051540172722294022

New Releases in #SciFi #Fantasy and Paranormal Romance for JAN 12

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL). 

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FIRE (ROGUE ALIEN WARRIORS BOOK 3) by Hattie Jacks

He wants to set her soul alight. She wants to watch him burn… I made a mistake, now he’s going to make me pay. Meet Kyt, the rogue alien warrior version of a playboy. He’s all devilish good looks and angelic alien badness. He lives for the party, until my nearly catastrophic error means he’s put in charge of me. Playboy no longer, he’s just become the boss from hell and he’s in the perfect position to ensure I do his every bidding. If I don’t please him, and we don’t manage to break the sentient AI that controls all organic life on this planet, then we’re both in a whole heap of trouble. Although, given the way he’s been looking at me lately, I think I’m already in more trouble than I ever dreamed possible.                                Amazon KU

DUBIOUS TREASURE (COSMIC KISSED) by Harpie Alexa

She wanted what any other woman wanted, love. He wanted to return home to his most prized possession, his hoard. But fate has other plans. Plans neither of them suspected. Tommie –  She never expected to find love or to have a family of her own. It just wasn’t in the stars for her. Or for anyone really. With humanity half dead, and the remaining elderly males locked away in protective domes, she was one of the last remaining humans left. The last of humankind, teetering toward the brink of extinction, thriving on today, ignoring the sorrows of tomorrow. So when Earth suddenly announces its brand new program, the Re-population Initiative, and introduces several mated pairs who had successfully conceived, of course Tommie was ecstatic. For the first time in her entire life, she was given hope for a second chance. But then she got sick and everything changed. Vaethys- Lured, tricked, and sent to Earth to be a mate, Vaethys does everything he can to avoid fulfilling the deceptive contract he suddenly finds himself bound to. All he wants is to return to Zrestia, to his precious hoard and the deep oceans his heart calls home. But just as things were starting to go his way, something unexpected happens. He lays an egg. And if there’s one thing this drakon knows, it’s that he cannot return home without his unexpected mate and their unhatched young.   Amazon KU

PIRATE WAR (TELEPATHIC SPACE PIRATES BOOK 4) by Carysa Locke

VS Note: Unfortunately after the post went to press the release date was changed by the author to FEB 12, 2022. It is available for pre-order.

USING FEJO (THE CLECANIAN SERIES BOOK 5) by Victoria Aveline

She’ll do anything to get home. He’ll do anything to keep her with him, forever…Vanessa doesn’t have the luxury of building a happily ever after on a new planet like her fellow alien abduction survivors. She must get back to Earth. Her family needs her, and she can’t afford to let them down again. So, she’ll find a way to break Clecanian law and get home—even if she has to marry (and betray) a sexy space pirate to do it. Fejo can’t believe his luck when Vanessa, a gorgeous human with a sharp tongue, chooses him as her husband. He doesn’t know what he did to win her favor, but he’s determined to do everything in his power to make her happy. If only he could figure out why his alien bride is so reluctant to accept the kindness—and pleasure—he’s so eager to offer. Vanessa’s plan was simple. Until she started falling for her ridiculously charming husband. Now, she has to figure out how to get home without breaking Fejo’s heart—or her own. Easy, right?    Amazon KU

ONE VERSE MULTI by Sander Santiago

For the last ten years, Martin King has been a rift repair technician for the Multi-verse Protection Corporation (MVP), closing gaps between universes. But he is ready for a change and joins a research team tasked with answering some exciting questions. “Exciting” quickly becomes “troubling” as the team learns that the multi-verse is on the fast track to a collision event that could destroy everyone and everything. MVP is there to help, right? Maybe not. Everything changes when Martin is kidnapped by an anti-MVP group who claims MVP is secretly propelling the collision. And if the multi-verse issues weren’t enough, several men make Martin rethink what it means to be single or even monogamous. Martin’s growing feelings for Luca, the data manager on his research team, and Tidus from the FOX universe, help him understand what’s truly at stake. Only one thing is certain, Martin must figure out how to keep the multi-verse and his love life from collapsing into chaos.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

ADAMANT’S REVENGE by M Garnet

Revenge leaves a bad taste in his mouth, so perhaps the new woman on his ship could finally bring something better to his lips. Going through the civilized space and finally finding the killers of his parent still did not seem to bring him the peace of mind he had expected. There was still so much anger inside this man who had so much to offer but hid behind drinking and fighting. He had surprised himself when he saved a child and inherited an illegal robot that did amazing acts on his ship. He helped a teacher that turned out to be a beautiful woman who taught women how to fight back, so she became his ship’s pilot, but still something was missing. His friend, a con man with a price on his head, stayed with him to support him. Then the surprise to all of them came—when a military woman stole his ship, his most prized possession, and it changed his life and how he looked at the universe. Could revenge turn to love?

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

THE HIGH COMMANDER’S MATE (INTERGALACTIC ALLIANCE SERIES BOOK 1) by Bella Blair

Vivian: My mission is simple, straightforward, really. Contact the Intergalactic Alliance and plead for help for Earth. But when I meet the Lord High Commander, nothing is simple or straightforward any longer. Draxor: The moment I lay eyes on the strange human, I know I have met my destiny and must make her mine. The only question is, will she surrender willingly?

Amazon

ALIEN PRINCE’S MATE (CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE MATING KIND BOOK 3) by Lorelai M Hart and Colbie Dunbar

Sometimes you find your future in someone else’s eyes. Alpha Prince Esak came to Thulnara for a reunion. One drunken night in the city changes everything when he runs into a woman whose eyes match his own. Discovering a parent you didn’t know you had is one thing, learning you found your fated mate on another planet… that’s quite another. Omega Blake’s first stay at Shore’s Home B&B was… interesting. His encounter with a man who wasn’t human shook him to his core. Not that he can tell others the man is other… what other he doesn’t know. Instead, he hides in his room anytime he isn’t working. When his boss sends him back to the B&B, he’s determined to keep his head down and go unnoticed. That plan fails the second Esak walks in the room. Forget the rules drilled into him since childhood. Blake wants to be noticed, and he’ll do what it takes to make that happen.

Amazon KU

SEARCH FOR THE CRIMSON LADY (DRYDEN UNIVERSE) by Greta van der Rol

One hundred years ago the pirate ship Crimson Lady terrorized the space lanes, then she disappeared without a trace, leaving behind nothing but tall tales and legends. Until Tara Wyndham finds an artefact from the lost ship. Rys Kovas made a mistake when he left Fleet to take over his uncle’s tourist business. He jumps at the chance to hire out his luxury yacht to go hunting for a ghost ship with the lovely Tara and her grandfather. But murder, sabotage, and accidents mar their journey. It’s clear somebody doesn’t want them following the trail. As the danger ramps up Rys suspects there’s more to the mystery of the Crimson Lady than a long-lost spacefarer’s story. Can Rys, Tara, and her indomitable grandfather unravel the mystery and escape with their lives?

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

COLD THE NIGHT, FAST THE WOLVES by Meg Long

VS Note: Not a romance but a scifi release of note.

On a frozen wasteland of a planet, a girl is on the run with a wolf who is born to be a killer but bound to be her guide. As they fight to escape ice goblins, giant bears, and a ruthless leader intent on trapping them both, one question drives them relentlessly forward: where do you turn when there is nowhere to hide?

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

VELOCITY (THE DENNAMORE SCROLLS BOOK 2) by Gun Brooke

When Holly Crowe, an outsider in Dennamore, learns of the extraordinary discovery of alien artifacts, she stuns the inner circle of the space mission set out to unlock their mysteries by claiming she is meant to be their captain. Claire Gordon lives for fixing cars in her father’s workshop, hiking the Adirondacks, and reading science fiction, but it’s not enough. Desperate to find meaning in her life, Claire stumbles upon the secret space mission and may have finally found her purpose. As Holly and Claire work toward an uncertain future, only one thing is for certain–they will have to risk their lives and their hearts to discover the truth.

Amazon     Kobo

CYBEREVOLUTION AFTERMATH II: HERCULES HC600 by Kaitlyn O’Connor

Captain Amanda Lee isn’t certain of whether she’s been rescued or captured by the trio of massive woodsmen who come upon her after she crashes. Unfortunately, although Amanda holds the ship until everyone can jump to safety, she doesn’t manage to make it to the ground entirely intact herself. Injured, lost in the wilderness of an alien world, her chances of survival aren’t good, but she isn’t convinced the handsome strangers that help her can be trusted either. Especially when she discovers they aren’t men at all. They’re cyborgs–dangerous rogues. When Caleb suggests that they should try to convince the woman they’ve rescued to accept them as mates, Kameron and Trinity think he’s a fool, but once the suggestion has been made they can’t dismiss it–despite the fact that Amanda seems more alarmed than thrilled by their efforts to woo her.

Amazon     Kobo

BENEATH THE CROWN (BENEATH SERIES BOOK 2) by Natalie La Roux

VS Note: From JAN 1

Life has a funny way of throwing a giant wrench into your life in the most unique way possible.
Ash survived hell with her ex-husband for years. She got out alive, but the scars he left run deep. When her best friend, Connie, tells her about the man she loves and where he comes from, Ash sees it as a way to escape her past. But it soon becomes the beginning of a new future. King Zasrus is the most powerful man in the Five Kingdoms. After losing the love of his life to sickness, Zasrus gives up any hope of ever finding love like that again. When his older brother returns from a far away planet, his life changes in the blink of an eye.Torn between unrelenting duties to his Kingdom and his people, and the powerful attraction towards a woman unlike any other, the king must find a balance between his role and his heart. Forced to choose between a responsibility he never truly wanted and the people he loves, King Zasrus learns who he is as the man beneath the crown, and what he is willing to do for those he cares about the most.                 Amazon KU

IF I WERE A WEAPON (ALL THESE GIFTS BOOK 1) by Skye Kilaen

See the future. Set things on fire. Fall in love? A superpowered sci-fi romance. When dying alien ships materialized across the Earth, their nanite infection knocked Deneve Wilder out cold. She woke up with the ability to see the future. Determined to keep anyone from using her visions for evil, she took to the road. Giving up everything was a small price to pay for freedom. The ship that hit Jolie Betancourt’s town gave her the power to set things on fire. It was safer to start over in a new city. Then one terrible mistake demonstrated far too clearly that for her, solitude is safer. For everyone. So when Deneve shows up after a vision of Jolie being kidnapped, Jolie wants little to do with the frustratingly attractive drifter. Deneve’s surprised by how much she wants to thaw the pretty shopkeeper’s chilly attitude, but the idea of staying in one place sets off her alarm bells. If they can’t evade whoever’s abducting people with powers, however, the growing connection they both feel anyway might be the least of their problems.                     Amazon KU

ALIEN’S KIDNAPPED OMEGA by Sienna Sway

Alex – My job was supposed to be easy; meet the dominant Alien race of Mukhana, negotiate an alliance, and leave. Being literally carried away into the night changes everything. Kidnapping a human is asking for trouble. Every alien in the galaxy should know that by now, but the nassa are more barbaric than expected. Despite some small similarities with humans, their culture is hard to comprehend. They’re kind yet controlling, warm yet stern. Even though he literally kidnapped me and will fight to keep me, Saar seems to respect me and maybe even care for me. Most confusing of all, everyone keeps calling me an omega…Saar – Humans are confusing creatures. They send their most delicate and vulnerable through the universe unattended. The moment I saw Alex, I knew he was an omega. Even though I was furious that he was being paraded around, unmated and unprotected, I was also thrilled because I knew at once; he was mine. I will save my omega from his difficult life. I will keep him safe and protected, even if it means war.                  Amazon KU

ALIEN CONQUEROR by Sara Fields

He’s going to take me the same way they took our planet. Without gentleness or remorse. I dared to defy him, but as this alien brute rips my clothes off and…(more blrub on ebook seller page…)   Amazon KU

ALIEN BABY DADDY by Athena Storm

The galaxy’s most fearsome warrior is taking on his most dangerous role. Kindergarten teacher. 
Grizz isn’t what you’d expect when you think someone watching over a bunch of booger picking, non-nap taking, 5-year-olds. He’s huge. With muscles that make a mama swoon and a physique to make her drool. He’s got that come hither look that melts me. Oh…and one other thing. He’s an alien. He lives among humanity to protect us. There’s danger at my son’s school where I teach. So, he goes in undercover. From Day 1 I know there’s something different about this man. I’ve never encountered someone as MANLY as him. Undercover teacher? More like get under the covers and teach me. We have some real scary space monsters that are stopping us from doing that though. They want to destroy the planet and also make sure we don’t get to second base. Only our love will save the day.
And then. ..We’ll work on getting my son a half-alien little brother or sister.          Amazon KU

JAWBREAKER (FOUR POINT UNIVERSE BOOK 14) by Max Ellendale

It isn’t everyday that the citizens of Seattle witness shadows passing out of the corner of their eye or hear the whoosh of something taking flight from the pavement beside them, but when a Shadow Protector descends on their city, they find themselves thrust into comic-book endings on the regular. History Professor, Veyda Halpern, takes on the mission of protecting her city and the people she loves by channeling the gifts bestowed to her by Andromeda. For the most part, she manages to keep her identity a secret, until her private world collides with a local museum curator who catches her sneaking into the exhibits at night. Entranced by the brazen, and sometimes cold, Harlow Misner, Veyda’s visits increase until the two finally face each other, cracking the fragile foundations of the lives they’ve both worked to build in hope of cultivating something more meaningful.    Amazon KU

THEIRS TO TAME (KOBAR MATES BOOK 4) by Ivy Barrett

Victoria Somersby swore she would never submit to the Kobar breeding program. Then she was taken captive…As the leader of the human rebellion, she vowed that no matter how roughly and shamefully these alien brutes might punish, use, and ravage her, she would never truly surrender to them. But that promise proves hard to keep with…(more blurb on ebook seller page…)       Amazon KU

ORC’S PRIZE (ORC WARRIORS OF PROTHEKA BOOK 3) by Celeste King

I know I shouldn’t have wandered into Twilight Reaper territory. And yes, I did get rescued by Borak’s tiny orcling son who is also very fond of me. What can I say? I’m good with kids. That’s all women in this destroyed world are good for anyways – making and taking care of babies. But seriously, if this giant Orc thinks just because he can break me with his hands that I’m intimidated by him, then he’s got another thing coming. I’ll help this Orc Chieftan raise his unruly son if he wants. But I will not be the Chief’s Woman. I will not love him and be his willing mate, no matter how strong and handsome he is. We will not share a bed and keep ourselves warm under skinned furs next to his roaring fire. And I will not, will never, ever, love him! We will not be some sort of happy family! Then why is my only desire to be the tiny human mate to this giant monster Orc?        Amazon KU

DECIMATE (NEANDER BEAST BOOK 3) by Nova Noble

Neanderthals return to Earth, this time as modified Neander Beasts, ready to take back the planet. Aria lives a lonely life, sneaking out of the palace on Earth to have just a few moments of freedom without her father, the Anyma sectar, breathing down her neck. It’s on one of these secret trips that she runs into a man who doesn’t fit in with the humans. More importantly, he has a way of making her angry. Very angry. As the leader of the Neander Beast crew sent to Earth to build their new headquarters, Jezper has a secret mission of his own: find as many females to mate with as he can. Even though it’s strictly forbidden in the strained peace treaty with the Anyma. If only Aria hadn’t caught his attention. And if only she’d told him who she really was. Maybe then the two alien species wouldn’t be on the verge of war.                     Amazon KU

BLACK AND BLUE (RISE BOOK 2) by Kamryn Foxe and Emilia Foxe

An omega who fights. An alpha who loves. A world that would see them burn. Alex never dared to believe she’d love an alpha, especially not one like Matthew. He accepts her for all that she is, and he has sacrificed everything for her. They may be free of his family, but the Ryker shadow looms large. Over their lives, over their love, and over their newfound freedom. And they are not the only ones who would see them torn apart. Matthew has many regretsAlex is not one. He chose to run with her, and he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. He failed his mother once upon a timehe will not fail his mate. Alone and on the run, they will face friends and foes alike. They may think they know their enemy’s face, but it will soon become clear: there are monsters in this world beyond even their imaginings.                          Amazon KU

LUCIFER ENTITY (AGENT STINGER BOOK 1) by Zara Thanh amd Jovena Shirley

Love is chemical. Leon “Stinger” Ortega is a secret agent who specializes in corporate warfare and espionage. Weathered, highly trained, and outfitted with a nanite technology that grants him accelerated healing abilities, there wasn’t a single mission he couldn’t accomplish. Until, that is, he is tasked with protecting corporate asset Lucien Gerarchi, a musician adored across the world for his angelic voice and bewitching diamond-blue eyes. Leon is quickly blindsided by the celebrity’s advances, and as events draw them closer, lines are blurred and boundaries are crossed until the men can no longer resist each other. But in a world where only the strongest survive, love and loyalty are constantly being tested. No amount of training or experience could have prepared Leon for the moment he learns the truth behind their fatal attraction.                Amazon KU

CARRIED OFF BY THE ALIEN (ALIEN CAPTORS BOOK 8) by Ashlyn Hawkes

Angel Delacruz has always thought aliens existed, but everyone else always laughed at her. Even though she points out all of the women disappearing, no one listens to her. And then she’s carried off by an alien herself. And it’s utterly terrifying. She’s to be taken to a planet where hundreds of aliens will be there, looking for their fated mates. Is it too late for her to be wrong about aliens?   AmazonKU

GLOW STICKS by Mia Harlan and Sapphire Winters

VS Note: A re-release.

Welcome to the Garrnex Mating Games, where the galaxy’s fiercest warriors battle to claim their prize. Today, it happens to be me. Tired of my dead-end-job and crap social life, I take the first opportunity I can to ditch Earth. I’m sure it’s the best decision of my life—until I’m stripped naked and dumped at the Garrnex Mating Games. The brutal alien warriors in the arena fight to claim me, but only the triad of hulking Namoxi warriors remain standing. Blue skin. Glowing Hair. Iridescent tattoos. These three alien brothers are different from anyone I’ve ever known. Now that they’ve won their prize, they’re ready to claim it, and they expect me to surrender, body and soul.

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WORLDSHIP FILES: MUTINY by Erik Schubach

VS Note: Not a romance but a scifi release of note.

When the Earth is threatened by a slowly expanding sun, mankind embarks upon a mission to send a mammoth Worldship to settle a new planet across the stars. The preternatural races step out of hiding to work with the humans to save what they can from their dying world. With the aid of the Fae, shape shifters, Vampires, and other creatures of supernatural lore, the Worldship, Leviathan, is complete one thousand years later. Lotteries are held and only twelve million souls are selected to make the ten thousand year journey to the new world aboard the multi-generational starship. The Worldship Files follow the cases of Knith Shade, a human law enforcement officer of the Enforcers Brigade aboard the Leviathan, five thousand years into her journey. As the Leviathan recovers from the battle brought to it by the Artifact on the alien vessel that pierced her hull, Knith finds herself embroiled in a plot to wrest control of the Worldship and the Ka’Infinitum by two rival sects of rebel magic users. All is not as it seems as Knith finds herself in another struggle to find the truth and do what is right.

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AIRSHIP PRIVATEERS (SECRETS OF THE OLD ONES BOOK TWO) by Blaise Corvin

Trent Noguero plays as Vale dePardon in the massive, culture-redefinining deep dive VR game, Secret of the Old Ones. The game feels like reality, a better version of reality. The primary form of entertainment on Earth is to either play SOO or watch those who do. After becoming a streamer and a professional gamer, Trent abruptly discovered how dark and ruthless the real world can be. Now he does what he can to search for those who threatened his loved ones. His regular job remains growing his career as Vale, a member of one of the most powerful streaming parties in SOO. The new PVP event in Secret of the Old Ones offers unprecedented opportunities for player advancement and quest rewards. But a growing faction of inhuman players are threatening human-controlled lands, razing cities to the ground. Human characters like Vale might actually lose the war. And with everything else going on in his life, Trent feels a growing suspicion that something is amiss in the real world, something related to the game.

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WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM (CONTROLLERS BOOK 2) by Lynda Lyons

VS Note: From NOV 29. I read the Look Inside and was intrigued although the narrative jumped around between various characters and their POVs. I put it on my TBR because the book seems interesting. LGBTQ+ SciFi – romantic elements maybe?

In a future fully integrated by androids, there’s more need than ever for the highly successful Controllers to track down and destroy ‘droids who no longer consider themselves to be mere machines. The Controllers are a special force whose primary job is to track down androids who have gone renegade. Lt. Valentine Smith of The Controllers is under the tutelage of superior, Amelia Roberts. This time it’s personal for Valentine as a bomb meant for Amelia is planted in the Director’s private apartment. But it’s still business as usual as Valentine is sent to assure an important interspecies meeting goes well. But, why is the head of The Controllers, Amelia Roberts so standoffish with everyone except for her second in command, Valentine? Is it aloofness? Shyness? Or does she have a secret?

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THE SILVER BULLETS OF ANNIE OAKLEY: AN ELEMENTAL MASTERS NOVEL BOOK 16 by Mercedes Lackey

Annie Oakley has always suspected there is something “uncanny” about herself, but has never been able to put a name to it. But when Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show goes on tour through Germany, Bill temporarily hires a new sharpshooter to be part of his “World Wide Congress of Rough Riders”: a woman named Giselle, who also happens to be an Elemental Master of Air. Alongside this new performer, Annie discovers that she and her husband, Frank, are not simply master marksman, but also magicians of rare ability. As they travel and perform, Annie must use her newfound knowledge and rare skill to combat creatures of the night scattered across the countryside, who threaten both the performers and the locals. Annie’s got her gun, and it’s filled with silver bullets.

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DUSK UNVEILED (RAVENWOOD COVEN BOOK 2) by Carrie Ann Ryan

The Christopher curse is one of legend—so old that every new generation knows they will be touched by it. With every spell muttered, every magical pull needed to save her town, Laurel Christopher knows she’s one step closer to burning to ash and leaving those she loves behind. She’ll fight with all she has to protect her people—and the man she loves—but she might not have enough strength remaining to save herself. Jaxton Dark lost his best friend to the necromancer attacking Ravenwood but refuses to lose his mate to a curse that could take them both. He’s well aware of the loss calling them, but before he can stand up for those he loves, a betrayal cuts him to the core. Sacrifice was always an inevitability when it comes to the curse that threatens their fate. Yet it’s only when the darkness makes a subtle and surprising move that star-crossed lovers, Laurel and Jaxton, will truly find out the meaning of who they could be and what they must give up to survive.

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DRAGON UNBOUND: A DRAGON KINGS NOVELLA by Donna Grant

He’s never been tempted…until her. Sexy. Mysterious. Dangerous. He’s an immortal Dragon King bound by ancient rules and eternal magic. Cullen has one objective: find and destroy the evil that threatens the new home of the dragons. Just when he’s closing in, he’s ambushed and finds a stunning warrior woman fighting alongside him. No amount of magic could prepare him for the beguiling lass who spurns his advances and defies him. From the moment Tamlyn takes a stand against her kind, she’s had to fight one perilous battle after another. Staying alive in an endless struggle, and the lines between good and evil are blurred with every encounter. She’s always stood alone—until she comes to the aid of an irresistibly handsome stranger. Cullen will force her to face truths she’s been running from…even as enemies plot to destroy them both.

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MASQUERADING IN THE MIDLIFE: A PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (FANGED AFTER FORTY BOOK 3) by Lia Davis and L A Boruff

Forty and fanged. That’s only half of who Hailey Whitfield is. She’s also a bounty hunter and the true mate to the vampire master who made her. The latter is something she isn’t sure she is ready for. She’d previously sworn off marriage. Never again. A true mating bond, though, seems like so much more than a marriage! She has two months to figure out the bonding thing and she plans to put a pin in it for now. A more important mission had come up. Her friend and fellow bounty hunter, Chloe, is missing, and it’s up to the Bond Girls to bring her home. The case takes a dangerous turn that sends Hailey and her team undercover to get an invite to the largest masquerade ball on the east coast. Is it wrong to be excited about the ball and scared for her friend at the same time? Probably. But Hailey is taking the world by storm, one case at a time.                 Amazon KU

DANICA: DARKNESS OF WINTER (FALLEN STARLIGHT SERIES BOOK 1) by Gina Manis

When I fell from the stars, I didn’t know what to expect; but it wasn’t running for my life in the darkness of a winter forest. First, it was running from the three men that attacked me as my feet barely touched the ground. Then it was the hungry pack of wolves. I used all my light to fight them off and now I am at the mercy of the vampire that saves me. Our connection is instant, but it can’t be real. A vampire is darkness, and I am the light. The only thing I can do is run from him. Run and forget what he makes me feel because I need the light if I am to face the Umbra. The city of light awaits and in it is what I truly need. The human prince offers me everything I need. He feeds my light with love, family, a home, and I grow stronger. I’m building a life that I have always dreamed of, and I see a future for myself with the prince I have fallen in love with. When the Vampire King returns to the city, so does the vampire who saved me. Despite the darkness in them, I am drawn into the entrapment of their feed and so is the human prince. I am lost in all of them as the Umbra attacks. My destiny is to save the humans by defeating the darkness of the Umbra. She created the vampires, and her darkness lives in each of them. To kill her, I risk killing the vampires I’ve grown to love. What future is there worth living if I destroy my heart?                            Amazon KU

ORC-WARD ENCOUNTERS by Sam Hall

As a plus sized woman and all round awkward noodle, I’d faced some challenges in my search for love, but none more than this. I’ve stumbled through a portal to another dimension and fell into the arms of them: Vargan, Kren and Ghain. Three massive orc warriors who keep going on about courting me. See, in their world, women are few and far between and are seen to be gifts from their goddesses and they are pretty intent on unwrapping me. But not just for a roll in the hay. They are looking for a love that will last a lifetime and the problem? So am I. I’m torn between two worlds, one where my family, my friends, my life is and the other…? I’m starting to think that’s where my heart is.  Amazon KU

STALKING MAGIC (GUARDED BY THE SHIFTER BOOK 3) by Kate Rudolph

He’s too much trouble. When Vi picks Leland Rowe up after he’s spent a night in a jail cell, she knows he’s trouble. He’s the last man she wants as a bodyguard. But her coven leader insists. Their coven needs protection and Rowe is the man for the job. One thing’s certain, she won’t fall for the infuriating shifter. He’s riding the edge of danger and dancing with a death wish. He can’t be her mate. She’s a brazen witch. Rowe’s wolf stands at attention the second he sees Vi, and that’s not the only thing standing. She makes him feel things he’s never felt before, and though she riles him up, he wants to leave his mark on her. Forever. He’s seen two of his packmates meet their mates. Is it his turn? He’ll never have a chance to find out if he can’t keep her safe from a rival coven. Rowe is no match against magic, but he’ll find a way to do the job. No matter the cost. He’s finally found someone worth living for, but he’ll have to risk it all to keep her.

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SMOKE AND MIRRORS (THE WITCHES OF WHEELER PARK BOOK 9) by Christine Pope

When the truth burns away her illusions, only one man can break her fall. A few months ago, Skyler Fields didn’t believe witches were real. Until she was kidnapped and held prisoner in a facility that forced her to face the fact — she is one. And not just a run-of-the-broom witch with a cool party trick, either. She can control fire with a mere thought, and detect when other witches are nearby. Freed with the help of a fellow prisoner, she follows her thumb to Arizona, where, she’s told, the Wilcox clan will give her the help she needs. She never expected the first Wilcox she meets to make her pulse race. With his tall, dark good looks and smoke-gray eyes, Jasper Wilcox could easily distract Skyler from her mission. But she has questions about her heritage, and the buzzing in her head tells her she’s in the presence of a warlock who can get her the answers she so desperately craves. As Skyler and Jasper work to peel away the lies surrounding the source of her gifts, they are irresistibly drawn together. But the deeper they dig, the greater the danger that the truth will tear them apart…and put the entire Wilcox clan in danger.

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RED SUN (THE SHIFTER CHRONICLES BOOK 14) by M D Grimm

Raphael is no ordinary wolf shifter. Raphael knows he must be possessed by a demon. What else could explain the aggression, the physical, beastly transformations? To protect himself and others, his father locks him away. But when Raphael is nineteen, the demon gains full control and breaks free. Now Raphael is scared and desperate on the streets of El Paso, Texas, convinced he’s cursed. Then a stray cat enters his life and everything changes. Ahmes is a cat shifter and knows there’s something off about the young shifter he’s encountered. It soon becomes apparent that the young man doesn’t know what he is, and Ahmes is determined to help and care for him. But gaining the trust of not only the fearsome wolf but the scared young man will take all his persistence. Friendship, and the potential for more, grows between them as they travel to Haven, Montana—a town founded by shifters, for shifters, and home to a specialized counseling center, one that can help Raphael understand and accept who and what he truly is. If that wasn’t enough, on their trail is the last person either expected—Gregor Whitefield, the commander of the Knights of the Dawn, which is an organization bent on the eradication of shapeshifters. Gregor enjoys the thrill of the hunt, determined to collect the unique blood that is crucial to Arcas’s great plan. Raphael’s blood.

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COLLECTOR OF SAND AND TEARS (FORGOTTEN GODS: ORIGINS BOOK 2) by Laura Greenwood

Despite her self-imposed exile, the gods want the Eye of Ra back. But Nehmetawy doesn’t want to be used as a weapon anymore and wants to stay free. When Thoth turns up to try and charm her into returning, she’s determined to resist his advances. Soon their conversations lead to more, and neither of them are able to ignore the connection between them.

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THE LONG FORGOTTEN WINTER KING (THE GUILD CODEX:  UNVEILED BOOK 2) by Annette Marie

I thought I was a useless witch whose only weapons were a switchblade and a mean disposition.
I thought Zak was a rogue druid with waning power and an alluring aura that’s impossible for me to resist. And I thought my fae familiar was a harmless shapeshifter who chose me because I’m “mildly interesting.” But nothing is what I thought. Nothing is what it seems. Including me. I need answers, and I need them fast—before I sink any deeper in the quagmire of secrets I’ve fallen into. The Crystal Druid’s. The Winter King’s. And my own.                    Amazon KU

BEAR RANGER’S VENGEFUL MATE (BEAR RANGER GUARDIANS) by Serena Meadows

My name is Moira—I’m a wolf shifter—and crave revenge for my best friend’s murder. I know the evil bear shifter clan is guilty. But new trouble is here with signs of poaching… and I find myself doing the unspeakable—joining forces with the enemy to hunt down those responsible for beheading an elk.
Conrad, the bear park ranger and I track the poacher…but keep falling short. There are signs of illegal activity inside a taxidermy shop…But cops arrive to mess things up…and I get shot. Conrad, the one I’m supposed to hate, tends to my wounds. I’ve never felt an attraction like this. Just his touch sends my mind swirling. Amidst the investigation, I can’t keep stop thinking of Conrad and his body near mine. I’m falling hard and fast for the enemy. Our families—constantly at war—will never support this relationship. Will our affection be strong enough to break down the walls between the wolves and the bears? Or will our love be kept a secret forever?                    Amazon KU

THE UNCERTAIN UNICORN (MALE-ORDER MATES BOOK 5) by Lorelai M Hart

A group of unicorns is a blessing…Once there were many unicorns, but now we are few, and with the loss of my mate, one less. My daughter and I are rarities in the world. The university where I hoped for tenure has just shut down their entomology department, leaving few other options to support us. Bug studies in the big city? Not so much. I need to make a new start. Remarkably I’ve found the opportunity both to work and to ease the loneliness of the past five years in a national park out West. If I dare…I might have been out of my mind or possibly drunk the night I filled out the Male-Order App form that night. But so many of my fellow rangers have had incredible luck in meeting their special omega that the thought of one more winter in that cabin alone provided the final boost to clicking the send button. Cliff is a unicorn, not another bear like me, but he’s also interested in accepting the special project we’ve had trouble finding, making it a win win for both of us. Or a huge mistake. But how did I miss the message that it’s not just a male-order unicorn…but that he comes as a package deal with a very sassy daughter who is not happy to meet me. They’ve given up their home and everything else to come here and start fresh. And there are no other available winterized cabins so we are going to spend the cold, snowy months together. Me. A unicorn omega. And Felicity.                          Amazon KU

GRAVE MISCONDUCT (GANG OF GHOULS BOOK 3) by Eva Chase

Psycho is as psycho does…As if falling for the ghosts of four murdered gangsters wasn’t crazy enough, it turns out we’ve got a real live supervillain on our hands. One with mysterious powers that reach way farther than we could have imagined. And that villain has torn my sister away from me. I’ll stop at nothing to bring her back and see my men get the vengeance they deserve. It’s just a little hard to win a war when you’re not really sure what kind of monster you’re up against. Or how many you’re up against, for that matter. There’s a whole new dimension to my own powers that I’m only just starting to uncover—one that could level the playing field. But what if tapping into it makes me just as much of a monster as the pricks we’re up against?                         Amazon KU

HER DRAGON DESIRE (AWAKEN THE DRAGON BOOK 5) by Milly Taiden and Ava Hunter

VS Note: From DEC 31

Camile Sawyer is a witch living in hiding with her grandfather, secluded away from those who feared her kind. She doesn’t know what she’s doing when she blows on The Horn of Summoning, and she doesn’t understand why a huge dragon soon crashes onto her family land. And her attraction to this dragon is unlike anything she’s ever felt before. Her need for him is all-consuming. First, Slag the Magnificent is awakened abruptly after centuries of sleep. Then, he is shot out of the air by some modern human weapons. Finally, he faces off with a human sorceress who transforms him from his fire dragon form into a measly human. But none of that compares to the fact that he’s finally found his one… and she’s a human witch. A beautiful, sassy and strong woman he’s happy to call his mate. Slag isn’t the only dragon who’s been awakened by the Horn, but the others aren’t as forgiving. Slag and Camile will have to defend themselves and save cities while continuing to search for a way to turn Slag back. Their troubles don’t end there. There are dragon Hunters chasing them, and they’re furious that Camile is refusing to fulfill her duties by eliminating Slag.       Amazon KU 

BURNING BRIGHT (NIP AND PAW BOOK 1) by Milly Taiden

Egon Thatcher isn’t just the Sheriff of Thatcherton. He is also the alpha tiger. It’s a big responsibility, especially during the tourist season. With summer starting, he has one goal: make sure the mountain’s visitors have a good time to fund the town’s survival. All that is forgotten when he finds his mate lost in the forest. Having a trouble-free summer is soon the least of his problems. Finding out his mate is a sassy beauty just adds to the distraction. Bree Elsher is having one hell of a bad week. She learned — on live television while delivering the evening news—her ex-boyfriend is a murderer. Everyone thinks she might have been his accomplice. So she hides out on a secluded mountain away from everyone. But when she is rescued from a tiger attack by Sheriff Egon Thatcher, everything changes. He makes her emotions crazy and her hormones go up in flames. The threat of her past is dragged through the forested mountain. Bree is in danger while her entire life comes crumbling down. Egon wants to keep her safe, but there is so much more at stake than his streak of tigers and his mate. Bad things have come to Thatcherton, and the fated mates might not get a chance to explore their bond. Not if the killer has anything to say about it.        Amazon KU

THE AMBER CROWN by Jacey Bedford

The king is dead, his queen is missing. On the amber coast, the usurper king is driving Zavonia to the brink of war. A dangerous magical power is rising up in Biela Miasto, and the only people who can set things right are a failed bodyguard, a Landstrider witch, and the assassin who set off the whole sorry chain of events. Valdas, Captain of the High Guard, has not only failed in his duty to protect the king, but he’s been accused of the murder, and he’s on the run. He’s sworn to seek justice, but his king sets him another task from beyond the grave. Valdas doesn’t believe in magic, which is unfortunate as it turns out. Mirza is the healer-witch of a Landstrider band, valued and feared in equal measure for her witchmark, her scolding tongue, and her ability to walk the spirit world. When she’s given a task by Valdas’ dead king, she believes that the journey she must take is one she can never return from. Lind is the clever assassin. Yes, someone paid him to kill the king, but who is to blame, the weapon or the power behind it? Lind must face his traumatic past if he’s to have a future. Can these three discover the real villain, find the queen, and set the rightful king on the throne before the country is overcome?

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THE BONE SPINDLE by Leslie Vedder

Fi is a bookish treasure hunter with a knack for ruins and riddles, who definitely doesn’t believe in true love. Shane is a tough-as-dirt girl warrior from the north who likes cracking skulls, pretty girls, and doing things her own way. Briar Roseis a prince under a sleeping curse, who’s been waiting a hundred years for the kiss that will wake him. Cursed princes are nothing but ancient history to Fi—until she pricks her finger on a bone spindle while exploring a long-lost ruin. Now she’s stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose until she and Shane can break the century-old curse on his kingdom. Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes all stand in her way—not to mention a mysterious witch who might wind up stealing Shane’s heart, along with whatever else she’s after. But nothing scares Fi more than the possibility of falling in love with Briar Rose.

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DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS: A NOVEL (CELESTIAL KINGDOM BOOK 1)  by Sue Lynn Tan

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the powerful Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind. Alone, untrained, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the Crown Prince, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the emperor’s son. To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. When treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, however, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

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NIGHTRENDER (SALVATION CYCLE) by Jodi Meadows

In the middle of nothingness is the Island of Salvation.  Reality bends easily here. Villages disappear. Forests burn forever. Pockets of inconsistent time are everywhere, their boundaries strung with yellow ribbon. And the three kingdoms of Salvation have been at war for a thousand years. But the greatest threat is the Malice, an incursion from the demon plane slowly tearing its way through the world’s weakest seams. Seams that—once split—will lead to the total unraveling of night and day, light and dark, life and death. Not that the human world takes much interest. Of more concern is the upcoming marriage of Rune Hightower, Prince of Caberwill, and Johanne Fortuin, Princess of Embria—the serpent bride, a girl of famous cunning—which offers a possible end to the ancient conflict. But Rune has noticed the growing darkness, and he is determined to summon mankind’s only defense: Nightrender, the hammer of the gods, an immortal warrior more weapon than girl. There is only one problem. The last time she was summoned, she slaughtered every royal in Salvation, and no one knows why. Will she save humanity from the Malice… or plunge it deeper into the fires of eternal war?

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A BETRAYAL OF STORMS (REALM OF FEY BOOK 1) by Ben Alderson

Wychwood, the realm of the fey prepare for war against the humans who hate, hunt and kill them for coin. Aided by the unclaimed, destructive power of the murdered, forgotten Winter Court, they ready their numbers for complete domination of the human realm. All until Robin Vale reveals himself to be the last Icethorn heir. A hope for the humans he has grown up amongst, but to the detriment of many who would see him dead before ruining their years of preparation. Robin finds allies during his discovery of a realm he has long since feared. Gideon, a fey warrior who aids as a distraction during the long nights. Althea, a stern princess hellbent on stopping the human hunters from killing her kind. Thrust into a world of betrayal, murder and lies he must survive long enough to have the choice; listen to fate and claim his families power, or let it wreak havoc on a realm that turned its back on him for becoming who he was truly meant to be. But a dark evil is brewing, monsters have returned and the scales of power are being forced by a hand who longs for revenge.    Amazon KU

SWEARING AT A SEA MONSTER (FOLK HAVEN BOOK 3) by Lauren Connolly

Everyone needs to relax. Even mythical creatures. Moira MacNamara cannot stand Levi Abadi, and it has nothing to do with the fact that he’s a literal monster. Who cares that the man can transform into a terrifying beast? The truly bothersome things are how he ambushes her in council meetings and wants to demolish her prime real estate on Lake Galen. Plus, there’s the whole history of his father stealing a precious selkie pelt from her family. Moira will go so far as to enter a dangerous magical competition just to win an argument against the infuriating monster. The busybody selkie needs to get out of his way. Levi is barely months from the grand opening of his luxury spa, and he does not need literal duels happening on the vacant property next door. The stubborn selkie owner of the land knows just as well as he does that the ground is steeped in toxic magic, and bad things will continue to happen if no one clears out the evil vibes. Problem is, when Moira comes up with a plan, Levi somehow gets roped in as her assistant. Fine. As long as this means there’s nothing bothering his future customers during their relaxation. On the pair’s quest to cleanse the lakeside property, the two mythical enemies find themselves on common ground. Ground they lay down on, roll around on, and maybe lose a few pieces of clothing on. But secrets of the past and new dangers to the town of Folk Haven threaten a fragile romance between the selkie and the sea monster.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

DANGERS AND EMPTY MANGERS (MITZY MOON MYSTERIES Book 17) by Trixie Silvertale

Mitzy Moon might be getting too comfortable. Her love life is satisfying, her family is supportive, and her extra senses are becoming more reliable. But, before she can bask in that glow, a suspicious death and a missing Messiah threaten to spoil the New Year…Sniffing out the murderer of a local cheesemaker should be her guiding star, but there’s nothing as upsetting as a stolen baby Jesus. And with the trail growing smellier than a ripe Limburger, she’s desperate for help from her supernatural supporting cast. Unfortunately, with her powers now leading her in circles, she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice. Can Mitzy peel the rind off the culprit before she’s prematurely aged?   Amazon KU

THE GHOST’S HOST by Cathleen Collins

Renee Chambers is a burgeoning germaphobe in search of a new job—something less stressful than her last job, teaching high school students. When her supposedly psychic best friend, Ellen, points her toward an odd little bookstore and a strange, otherworldly woman, Adrianne, Renee is thrown for a loop. One awkward interview and an even stranger psychic encounter later, Renee gets the job. Then Ellen’s psychic dabbling has unintended consequences when Renee meets a pushy new friend, Katherine, a jealous ghost who’s convinced they are soul mates. A casino trip, a drunken drag show, an old beater of a car, and a pair of dinosaur panties push Renee to the edge, but the real kicker is when Katherine starts getting more insistent and borrowing bodies. All Renee wants is a peaceful, fledgling hermit existence, but that’s unlikely unless she can figure out her true connection to Katherine, Ellen, and Adrianne. To discover the truth, she must come to terms with her past and learn how to embrace the future.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

ROGUE REFORMATORY BREAKOUT (SUPERNATURAL MISFITS ACADEMY BOOK 3) by Amber Lynn Natusch and Marty Mayberry

VS Note: From DEC 31

Maddy and Cece thought taking on the Council and destroying Wadsworth’s secret power source would free them, but now they’re stuck in a possessed building—one using the bodies of fallen classmates to relay its demands. Even after a harrowing escape, the girls quickly learn it’s not over yet. To defeat the being trapped in Rhys’s former family home, they must discover why his family lost both it and their magical gifts, as well as the role Aidan’s parents played in the evil plaguing Wadsworth. But tragedy, deception, uncertainty, and betrayal plague the four of them as they work together to uncover the truth behind the reformatory. If they don’t set things right or shut it down—they’ll become its final victims.        Amazon KU

MOON SCORNED (RAVEN MOON WOLVES BOOK 1) by Marty Mayberry

I fell hard and fast for the son of an elite wolf pack. Then he rejected me. Asher was my fated mate, and he took off when I needed him most, rejecting me and my inner wolf. Then my half-sister is murdered at an exclusive college that’s enshrouded in magic and secrets. When the school offers me a scholarship, I accept and move onto campus. I’m going to find out who killed her, then rip them apart. And if I run into Asher while I’m there? He’ll learn I’m no longer his sweet little thing. He’s about to taste the fury of a wolf shifter scorned. Everly’s everything to me, but to protect her, I had to shove her away. If I go near her, the Drudge Pack will discover who she truly is. My father—their enforcer—will kill her. But when she shows up at Ravenmire College, my inner wolf hungers. I’ll do anything to keep her safe—even if that means sacrificing myself and betraying my dangerous family.  Amazon KU

RAV: A VAMPIRES IN WONDERLAND PREQUEL by Candace Robinson and Amber R Duell

You think you know Wonderland. But you don’t. Imogen, the Queen of Hearts, is known for taking the hearts of those who betray her, including her servants. Her king, Rav, ventures to the mortal world to lure in new prey to replace their dwindling help. One bite, one simple exchange of her blood is all it will take for a mortal to become one of them. And this time, Rav chooses a girl named Alice.   Amazon KU

GHOST OF TRUTH (MDEIUM TROUBLE BOOK 2) by Alice Winters

Hiro – When I first realized that I could see the dead, I never imagined that it would allow me to help save the lives of others and pull me into Detective Maddox Booker’s path. Through my ability, ghosts have become some of my greatest friends and allies. But now, someone’s dead and his ghost is gone. Ghosts have sought my help for my entire life, wanting to be heard, but something is keeping them quiet, almost hostile as our search for the ghost of the dead man leads us to a small village. Even though everything looks normal on the outside, I’m starting to wonder what’s happening on the inside. Maddox – Life is better than it’s ever been. Hiro’s by my side and has brought my best friend Reggie back into my life—if we can consider Reggie’s harassment (even as a ghost) a positive. And even Hiro’s horde of ghosts won’t keep me from asking him to move in with me. The only issue is that work is never quiet, especially when Hiro is able to dive into a whole new side of a case by speaking to the victims of the dead. But when someone takes Hiro from me in the middle of the night, I know that I will do absolutely anything to get him back, and I will make them pay for what they’ve done.                   Amazon KU

LOVED BY FLAME (DRAGONBORN DAUGHTERS BOOK 5) by Kimber White

Giselle – Born of the two most powerful dragon houses on earth. You’ve never seen anything like me.
There has never been anyone like me. No one can catch me. No one can stop me. Nothing can hurt me. Until he did. He came out of nowhere, shattering my world with the force of thunder. He touched me. Stirred me. Made me crave something I thought I could never have. For the first time in my life, I have a someone strong enough to fight by my side. If I can ignore his secrets. Look past his scars.
Even when I know they’ll be my undoing.      Toren – I’m a man with no past. No family. No memories. A nomad. A survivor. Their war no longer belongs to me. I’ve served my time. Done my penance. Earned my peace. Then I heard her cry in the night. Felt her pain. Knew something had hurt her. Her blood called to me. Quickened my pulse like electric shock. From the moment I touched, her I knew she was mine. To protect. To keep. To claim. Mine. Only others want her too. Her strength. Her power. Taking what’s mine means I’ll lose my freedom. And what’s left of my soul.

Amazon     Kobo

AN ASSASSIN AND AN ARTIST by Edward Kendrick

Marin Deschamps has led an interesting life for the past one thousand years. Born a shifter, and also a healer with magical abilities, he still would have died in battle if vampire Baptiste hadn’t turned him. Although his Sire didn’t approve, he became an assassin, working for nobles who needed his services. As the centuries passed, he plied his trade or fought in various wars until, in the late eighteen hundreds, he settled in Denver, where he used his impressive skills to protect those who needed them. Never once in all that time has he allowed anyone into his life — until now. Tyler Campbell is an artist and a nascent author who is writing a book on the early history of Denver. While sketching the tunnels below the city to illustrate his book, he meets Marin, who is there for reasons of his own. Tyler is instantly drawn to the handsome, amber-eyed man. A man he has no reason to believe is anything other than another human, although humans are aware that supernaturals live among them. Marin is appalled when his panther reveals that Tyler is his fated mate. Things get worse, in his opinion, when he needs Tyler’s help to stop a vicious gang of humans bent on destroying all supernaturals. Will they be able to stop the gang, and if so, will Marin’s vampire half allow his growing interest in Tyler to become more? If he does, he will have to reveal what he is, which could destroy any hope that they might have a future together.

Amazon     Kobo

LEGALLY CLAIMED (ELVENSWOODS TALES BOOK 5) by Alexa Piper

Peter is good at being a lawyer. He also happens to be a vampire, which — in his experience — is far less exciting than the books make it out to be. The most romance he gets these days is watching others fall in love. But this vicarious lifestyle isn’t something Peter minds or even wants to change. Theo escaped an abusive relationship and is determined to get his college degree, even if prostitution is how he pays for it. No stranger to the supernatural, he has agreed to let vampires bite him for money, but his first client in the new city is nothing like Theo expected. Peter has no good reason to tuck Theo into bed after that blood donation, but he does. Peter also has no reason to fantasize about Theo, and yet, Peter’s mind is soon drifting to the pretty, black-haired, jade-eyed boy he doesn’t even really know. A chance encounter at New Elvenswood University brings Peter’s fantasies close to reality. Theo’s vampiric ex soon becomes a problem Peter will have solve. And he won’t use his skills as a lawyer to do it, either.

Amazon     Apple Books       Kobo

MARKED BY MONSTERS: GHOST CREWS BOOK ONE by Dagmar Avery, Aurora Maris and Stella Price

Atticus. Thorn. Balthazar. Three men Sybelle Strange never expected to see after they left her for their transition. In the three years they had been gone, she never once thought they would return, especially not after they had gone missing. And she didn’t expect them to show up turned into nightmares. But there is a price on her head, and the three of them are the only thing that stands in the way of the Monstera King of the East Coast getting his hands on her, and they take their job very seriously. Because she was theirs, once upon a time. And they have come home to collect what was promised. With teeth, tentacles and claws.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

VAMPIRES OF SAVANNAH: THE VAMPIRE’S THRO0NE VOL ONE by B A Stretke

Something is coming. Change is in the air for the Vampires of Savannah and no one knows just what is in store. Fabian Duval has been the Commander of the Brennan Coven since arriving on these shores some 200 years ago. He leads the soldiers of the Brennan Coven and oversees all security. Master Rian Brennan and his coven of Vampires are new to the scene here in South Georgia and the more aristocratic covens don’t let them forget it. But with the backing of the Vampire King, they have thrived in their slice of Savannah. The night that Fabian walks into the Nexus bar everything changes. No one believes that Beloveds exist. Just a tale told by vampire elders that was never really true. Fabian has never known a single vampire who has found their beloved, until he locked eyes with Rhys Jones. Rhys Jones is a nobody, at least that’s what he tells himself. He’s working three jobs and doing online classes part-time as he saves up enough money to really make a go of his life. He knows how to lay low and not draw attention. In a place like Savannah and a bar like the Nexus, attention can be a deadly thing. Everything he has ever known and believed to be true is about to be turned on his head when Fabian Duval strolls into his life and saves him from a patron of the bar. Can this be real? Can Fabian really want a guy like him? There are dangers and political machinations at work in the shadows of Savannah’s stately mansions and not everyone is going to get through this alive. Some scores are only settled in blood. The road to the Vampire’s Throne runs red.

Amazon

PANTRY PRANKSTER (MAGICAL RENOVATION MYSTERIES BOOK 9) by Amy Boyles

Someone is stealing in Peachwood. At first it was jewelry, but when the thief turns to stealing food from a local church pantry, Malene’s convinced the Presbyterians are behind the shenanigans. But Clem and Rufus aren’t convinced, so they set out to nab the culprit. Only, the thief turns out to be a sprite heck-bent on ruining their town. Can Clem and Rufus stop the creature before it destroys Peachwood? Or, will the town as they know it turn to dust?                     Amazon KU

SNOWFLAKE UNBOUND (BETAS IN WAITING BOOK 2) by Viola Grace

Luna has gone through the last seventeen years keeping herself and her son alive and cared for. She has needed dragon fire and used all means to get it. Her history is now something that she would have been mortified to hear about from another source, but she has survived, and that is what matters. With Erik learning how to be a dragon alpha from another dragon alpha, she is free to help friends and finally start enjoying her life a little while she looks for the dragon who has locked her body so it can’t support itself. It has made for a challenging few years. To compound complexity, Erik’s father looked a little different from the standard driver’s license photo. It was a man-sized dragon who loved her that night and left her on her own… and she has to find him to get control of her life again.

Amazon     VS NOTE: Many of hers are on Apple Books and also Kobo so this may be, eventually. Same for her title below.

THE OTHER ALPHA’S BABY (BETAS IN WAITING BOOK 3) by Viola Grace

Andy was trapped in a relationship that was forced on her. Her finances were depleted on a regular basis. She couldn’t choose her own life, car, associates. He even decided she should bear his child when his wife wouldn’t. His sudden death was more relief than burden, and her body immediately undergoes a transformation from stunted beta to petite omega. Only her terror is holding her back now. A friend she has known for years steps in and helps hold her up. He finds her a pack and helps her embrace her new designation and all it means. The pack finds her an assistant to manage life with five males. Dell is a woman who has seen the dark side of alphas. When she is offered the chance to work with and for Andrea, she accepts and helps her through the loss of the child she never chose but still looked forward to. Dell had her own experience a few years earlier.
The day she meets Andrea’s pack, Dell is prepared to stand in the shadows, but her own nature puts her into the path of one of the alphas, and he is delighted to finally have a breeding mate of his very own. Balancing her job and her lover will be difficult as the pack pulls tight, with Andrea and Dell firmly in the middle.

Amazon

HIS FOREVER MATE (UNEXPECTED MATES BOOK 6) by Brea Alepou

VS Note: From DEC 30

Cole is so ready for a forever mate. He’s happy his pride mates have found love, but he can’t help but feel lonely sometimes. When will he finally find his other half? His True Mate. When a job comes up, Cole is all too willing to take it. If he’s lucky maybe he’ll meet his other half while he searches for someone who doesn’t want to be found. Amos lost control once, and he vowed to never hurt anyone again. That means walking away from his family and straight into a shifter’s worst fate: loneliness. But even when his fated mate stumbles into his path Amos is determined to continue punishing himself. Sending his overly happy, young, and naive mate away is the only way to keep his vow.   AmazonKU

ALPHA’S REVENGE (SHIFTER OPS SERIES BOOK 3) by Renee Rose and Lee Savino

I learned the hard way what it’s like to lose people you love. As an alpha, I vowed never to let that happen again. That means keeping my focus. Never letting my guard down. And, most of all, staying away from civilians – i.e. humans. But the feisty chocolatier has me breaking my own rules. The beautiful female tests my patience… and all my control. I should stay away. I can’t protect the pack if I succumb to my desires. But what if this is more than desire? What if Fate matched me with this human, and she’s my mate? If I don’t claim her, I’ll lose it all in the worst possible way.

Amazon      Apple Books     Kobo

BIKER BEAR’S BEST FRIEND (BEARS OIF FOREST HEIGHTS BOOK 4) by Roxie Ray

I blame Rogue, my shifter best friend, for my poor taste in men. He’s always looked after me like a big brother, except my feelings for him have never been sisterly. But when it comes to women, he’s a playboy who has only ever seen me as a friend. Take my latest boyfriend—make that ex-boyfriend. I dumped Harlem because he’s been acting scary possessive, but he doesn’t like the idea of being my ex. Now Rogue’s coming to the rescue again. With a little careful digging, he’s discovered Harlem’s past with women is worse than scary—it’s sick. Plus, there’s a hot new alpha in town, sniffing around my coffee shop and harassing the locals. And he really likes my scent. I sure can pick ‘em. With two dangerous guys on the prowl, Rogue’s going to get all protective again. I just know it. But this time something’s different. Maybe I’m dreaming, but it’s like his bear thinks I’m his mate.   Amazon KU

A DEMON AT MIDNIGHT  (PARUNTHUPURAM DAYS) by Juna Ratnam

VS Note: From DEC 29

Daniyal Zaman is an expert in running away. Case in point: Last summer, I hid out for three days in a stranger’s bedroom so I didn’t have to deal with the Demonica Weekly photographers swarming the street, or my four nosy grandmothers (don’t ask), or that stupid viral video of me crying on the dance floor. And when I began to like my sweet host a lot more than I should, I retreated to Earth and threw myself into 3D modelling for video games. Now my nani and grandma have summoned me to host their seventh anniversary ball on New Year’s Eve, and I can’t say no. Even if it means working with the event architect Surrith—who just so happens to be the handsome demon I ghosted six months ago.   Amazon KU

POWER AND PENTAD PART TWO (SHADOWS AND SHADE BOOK 6) by Amanda Cashure

** The following contains spoilers from books 1-5 ** We ended Kitten and Allure with the big split up, Killian, Roarke and Seth headed for the White Castle and the promise that Jada will secure them seals and the ability to ride straight back out. Allow them to rescue Pax and Thane from having their soul ripped out. We all knew that would go bad – didn’t we? The guys ended up having to plead their case to the White Castle Dignitaries, which left them stuck at the castle and drove them to the Veil mirror and a snippet of the moment Shade was attacked. Followed by three Elorsin’s …(more blurb on ebook seller page…)                   Amazon KU

JOEL: TATE’S CROSSING BOOK ONE by Kathi S Barton

Caitlynne’s job was difficult. Doing what she did for the government not only put herself at risk, but any friends or family she had could become a target. When her sister was hurt, she blamed herself even though it had nothing to do with her directly. It didn’t matter. It was time for her to quit before someone she cared about ended up dead. Joel Tate had been in the building to meet with Becca Jacobson when she was attacked. To save her, Joel had to change her into what he was, a wolf. More or less guarding her in the hospital, Joel met her sister, Caitlynne, when she was brought to the hospital to see her sister. As soon as Caitlynne was close enough to him to get her scent, he knew she was his mate. Caitlynne’s disappearing act from her job started things rolling. Her boss wasn’t taking I quit as an answer. When they tried to kill her by setting her apartment on fire, Joel thought it was time to take the situation into his own hands.

Amazon     Kobo

THE ASSASSIN’S PROMISE: THE LOST LINES SERIES BOOK 2 by Merri Bright

After escaping an evil king bent on reviving an extinct, magical line, Roya promised to dedicate her life to ridding the world of abusive tyrants. But when her mentor, Thorn, flunks her out of the Assassins Guild, she flees her humiliation and runs straight into danger. Now kings and warlords hunt her, somehow privy to her deepest secret—that she is one of the legendary line. Thorn is her only ally, until Roya’s magical lure inadvertently draws more than one dangerous protector to her side.
Roya wants to be known for her skills as a poisoner, not mysterious powers. But when Thorn teams up with a prince, a warrior-scholar, and a pirate, there may not be enough poison in the world to kill the pull she feels to all four, though these men may not be who they say they are. And some may want to lock her away for themselves. Maybe it’s time for her to cook up a deadly plan of her own.   Amazon KU

CRUEL DELIGHTS (PREDATORS AND PREY BOOK 2) by Scarlett Snow

VS Note: From DEC 29.

I escaped one prison only to wake up in a crueler one. This time, I’m surrounded by light instead of darkness and a wicked captor bloodthirsty for revenge. Solas makes Killian look like a saint now that I know what the Light Alpha truly intends to do with me, and for the first time in my life, I want the shadows to find me. I want Killian, the cruel, seductive Dark Alpha who wrecks me into pieces every time he touches me, and Fenrik, the grumpy, protective fire wolf whose flames weld me back together again. I also want my best friend now more than ever, but only time will tell if Tristan made it out of the Dawnlands alive. Or if I will, either. With three powerful alphas on my side and the wrath of the gods, I think my chances for survival are high enough to wage war on the wolf who rejected me…and make him pay.                   Amazon KU

TOR (WESTERLY COVE BOOK ONE) by Zoe Chant

Jump into a brand new series from Zoe Chant, featuring a beautiful, magical shifter town, a sexy, protective hero with a chaotic polar bear family, a tough heroine picking up the pieces of her shattered heart, a maybe-haunted lighthouse … and a cat only his owner could love.       Amazon KU

A SHADE OF MYSELF (MAGIC AFTER MIDLIFE BOOK 4) by Deborah Wilde

Vanquisher of vampires. Wrangler of offspring. Seriously in need of a coffee. Life is happily bobbing along. My family and close friends support my magic and things are getting interesting with the wolf shifter. But smooth sailing turns to shark-infested waters when I plumb the dark depths of my past to investigate my parents’ last con. Being chum was never on my bucket list. In comparison, my new assignment should be easy: track down a demon to check a necklace for dark magic. Of course, nothing about demons is simple and I find myself forced to strike hard bargains with both demon hunters and an ancient vampire. Awesome. The farther out I drift seeking answers, the tighter I’m caught in a net of secrets, lies, and deadly revelations. And this time, I might not break free. Just keep swimming.                 Amazon KU

VENGEANCE (THE DEMON HUNTERS BOOK 5) by A S Fenichel

After a debilitating injury leaves Brice Lambert in agony, he’s relegated to teaching others to hunt demons. He knows all the secrets of the demon war and plans to die for the cause. Never did he expect his dreams of a loving wife and big family to come true, but the very witch who healed his leg is capturing his heart. Abigail Higginbotham’s extraordinary power elicits fear and mistrust from the very people who should love her. Instead, they shuffled her around, depriving her of family and coven alike. Joining the Company of demon hunters brings her the closest thing to a family she has ever had. Forbidden to love, she risks losing everything for the man who has loved her for many lifetimes. Together, they must find the key to seal the gates of Hell and lock out the demon master forever. Fail, and mankind is doomed. Succeed, and face death in the pit of Hell. A small price to pay for eternal love.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

A WOLF FOR VALENTINE’S (HOLIDAY SHIFTERS) by Lisa Daniels

Sometimes I like the feeling of being in danger. Although Blue Falls is my vacation and my escape from reality, I’m drawn to the dangers that lurk there. It is a SMALL TOWN with a LARGE werewolf population. I know I should be cautious visiting certain parts of town…but my curiosity has led me to Artur. A werewolf protecting the trail. A single alpha wolf with a heart of gold. We hit it off almost immediately. There’s something about him, and he sees something in me. Just as well it’s close to Valentine’s Day. Perhaps we can be each other’s dates, and see where the day takes us. Perhaps.

Amazon KU

BLOOD MOON RISING (WISHING MOON MAGIC BOOK 2) by Harmony Raines

There’s a blood moon rising. But not just any blood moon. This is a cardinal moon. Is it also a harbinger of doom? Meredith and her children are adjusting to their new lives in Wishing Moon Bay. However, a new threat soon puts them in peril and threatens their happiness. Vampire attacks. After centuries of peace, the vampires of Wishing Moon Bay are acting strangely. Is it because of the approaching blood moon? After all, this is no normal blood moon. This is a cardinal moon, the same rare event the witches harnessed to cast the protection spell that keeps the town safe from those who would persecute them for their magic. As Meredith’s relationship with Silas deepens, and the blood moon rises, she must fight to protect those she loves. But she’s not alone. Meredith’s friends and family stand by her side until the end. However, they have no idea who or what they are fighting. And whether the end will mean the second death of Silas Langdon, vampire.            Amazon KU

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VS: The next book in my STAR CRUISE backlist is STAR CRUISE: IDOL’S CURSE. My taking-off point for this one was the modern day belief that taking stones or petrified wood fragments from various Mational Parks here on Earth brings bad luck and the items must be returned. My alien idol embodies this concept bigtime! I also had an interstellar diva with butterfly hair and probably one of my most popular ever pets in space – Charrli the canine.

STAR CRUISE: IDOL’S CURSE: An unusual bequest….

Juli Shaeffer, the Nebula Zephyr’s cruise director, receives a mysterious bequest from the estate of a longtime passenger – a lump of rock taken from a reef on the planet Tahumaroa. Legend states anyone who steals from the ocean gods will be cursed. The passenger’s will requests the rock be returned to the beach so his heirs won’t be affected by the bad luck he believed he’d incurred. Juli doesn’t believe in superstitions and she agrees to carry out this small favor on the ship’s next stop at the planet in question.

Until the rock disappears from her office…

When the rock disappears and reappears in various locations around the ship, and seems connected to a steadily escalating series of mishaps, Juli turns to Third Officer Steve Aureli as the only one she feels she can trust. Along with Steve and his elderly Aunt Dian – a passenger aboard the Nebula Zephyr for this cruise – she investigates the strange series of malfunctions plaguing the interstellar luxury liner. Steve and Juli enlist his Aunt Dian’s dog, Charrli, a retired Sectors Z Corps canine, to help them track the missing rock as it moves about the ship.Juli and Steve must find the rock, hang onto it and transport it to the planet’s surface, before the alien idol’s curse turns deadly. The attraction between the two of them grows as the threat to Juli becomes more and more focused. Can she carry out her task while he keeps her safe from the alien curse? Will the capricious alien idol bring them good fortune…or disaster?

Amazon        Apple Books        Kobo       Nook        GooglePlay

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

January 5

December 29

December 22

December 15

December 8

“New” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  And I may mention ‘special items’.

I do NOT cover every single new release in SFR/FantasyR/PNR. I never have. That would be an impossible task for any human! I assemble my list by hand every week based on various informal inputs, and I do curate the list to some extent…

Some authors aren’t in KU but still don’t list books with Apple or other platforms. This report is very time consuming to prepare so I’ve always had to limit myself and cannot go and look up every book on all the platforms. If an author gives me their other buy links, I include them here but generally I develop the post on my own, not from author-supplied information. I curate and prepare this post individually every week to help connect readers/books/authors and I have to be very careful not to give it so much time as an activity that I don’t write my own novels! Thanks for the feedback and happy reading!

I check and verify all the buy links at the time I create the post  but after that I’m not responsible.

Required Statement: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifiying purchases.

Required Statement: As an Apple Books Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We Won’t Speak of It Weekend Writing Warriors Snippet

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

I’m Taking excerpts from my new release KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE.

The excerpt, from the beginning of the book, after Kyden went to investigate an outcry in the gladiators’ assembly room and found two women who say their presence is a mistake. He takes the girls to his cell. As the top gladiator in the Five Systems, he has more of a room than most and a private bathroom. Continuing on from last week:

“Stand aside, barbarian,” said the officer in charge. “Or be shot. And if you’ve touched a hair on the heads of the senator’s daughters, you’ll wish you’d never been born.”

I wasn’t born—I was created in a lab. With wry amusement, Kyden raised his hands to show he intended no resistance and allowed the security troops to shove him against the wall and hold him there at gunpoint. He could have killed all of them with ease but he recognized the insignia of the Vasclavian House on the uniforms and Elara wasn’t acting upset.

Although she was reading the officer the riot act for mistreating him.

“This man saved my sister and me from injury tonight,” she said fast and furiously, shaking her finger in the officer’s face so hard he retreated a step. “How dare you allow your guards to rough him up?”

“Lady Elara, doubtless the ruffian had his own unsavory plans for you,” the officer said. “None of these people can be trusted.”

Kyden heard Erment’s voice from the hall. “My Death Dealer is an honorable man. If he came to the aid of the ladies he’s to be commended although I don’t understand why they were here at all tonight. If you wanted a tour of the facility, my lady, it could have been arranged quite easily for a more appropriate time.”

Clever Erment, giving them all an out. Kyden admired his owner’s quick thinking but then Erment was a weasel-like character, quick on his feet.

The security officer was agreeing now, taking the Gladiator Master’s lead. “Yes, a huge misunderstanding. I’m sure the Senator will appreciate your staff having accommodated the unusual request. But of course we won’t speak of it further, will we?”

This last was addressed to Kyden, still being held against the wall with blaster barrels pressed into his back. He chose to remain silent although he wished desperately to turn around and have one more glimpse of Elara as she walked out of his life again, leaving it and him in a shambles.

VS: Next week we’ll jump ahead to the arena…

KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE by Veronica Scott

Kyden is the top ranked gladiator in the Five Systems but he’s hardly there by choice. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. He has no idea where his home is or how many years have passed since he was condemned to a life of endless combat. Kill or be killed is the rule and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death.

Elara Vasclavian is the daughter of a senator, as far removed from the life of a gladiator as a noblewoman can be until through the machinations of a political enemy, she ends up in terrible jeopardy. Abducted and given to a group of drunken gladiators for their amusement the night before the games, Elara vows to put up a fight but there’s no real hope of saving herself. Until Kyden steps in, responding to the goddess’s commandment to protect those who are smaller and weaker. And discovers she’s his fated mate.

Rescued, Elara returns to her life of privilege but she can’t forget the man who saved her life. The gulf between their places in the Five Systems is unbridgeable, no matter how much Kyden longs for even a glimpse of her in the arena audience. No matter how much she feels the pull to be by his side. As matters stand, they cannot be together…Or can they?

KYDEN is the first book in a new series, spun off from my ongoing Badari Warriors series. Kyden is a Generation Five Badari whereas the main characters in the long running series are from a later time and are Generation Eight. This new series stands alone and you don’t have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one. I couldn’t resist the temptation to tell a few other Badari stories, set in the galaxy’s Hinterlands, and who can resist gladiators?

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New Releases in #SciFi #Fantasy and Paranormal Romance for JAN 5

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL). 

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ALIEN ARCHITECT NEEDS A NANNY: ALIEN NANNY AGENCY by Tasha Black

VS Note: Tasha always has fun new series concepts!

Emelia Robbins works as an admin at the Alien Nanny Agency. She never goes on assignments, but when a desperate client puts out a last-minute plea for help, her boss decides to send her out in the field. It’s a one-year nanny contract, and if she fulfills it, she’ll earn a bonus big enough to make her dreams come true. But when she meets the out-of-control kids, she isn’t sure she’ll last a week. And her intimidating new boss might not let her make it through a single night. Mr. Drayven may be a well-respected architect, but his deep voice makes her tremble and his big body leaves her weak with unrequited lust.     Ra’as Drayven is working on the biggest project of his career. He needs a nanny who won’t head for the hills as soon as she meets his energetic daughter and complicated son. When the Alien Nanny Agency agrees to send help, he expects a matronly drill sergeant from the Outer Rings, not the beautiful young Terran who trips out of a rented gadabout and into his home. The last thing he wants is another pretty face using her employment to try and win his broken heart. Especially when her innocent eyes and dangerous curves might give her the power to do just that.

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THE KINDRED by Alechia Dow

Joy Abara knows her place. A commoner from the lowly planet Hali, she lives a simple life—apart from the notoriety that being Kindred to the nobility’s most infamous playboy brings. Duke Felix Hamdi has a plan. He will exasperate his noble family to the point that they agree to let him choose his own future and finally meet his Kindred face-to-face. Then the royal family is assassinated, putting Felix next in line for the throne…and accused of the murders. Someone will stop at nothing until he’s dead, which means they’ll target Joy, too. Meeting in person for the first time as they steal a spacecraft and flee amid chaos might not be ideal…and neither is crash-landing on the strange backward planet called Earth. But hiding might just be the perfect way to discover the true strength of the Kindred bond and expose a scandal—and a love—that may decide the future of a galaxy.

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THE STARLESS CROWN BOOK ONE by James Rollins

VS Note: Not a romance. Scifi release of note.

A gifted student foretells an apocalypse. Her reward is a sentence of death. Fleeing into the unknown she is drawn into a team of outcasts: A broken soldier, who once again takes up the weapons he’s forbidden to wield and carves a trail back home. A drunken prince, who steps out from his beloved brother’s shadow and claims a purpose of his own. An imprisoned thief, who escapes the crushing dark and discovers a gleaming artifact – one that will ignite a power struggle across the globe. On the run, hunted by enemies old and new, they must learn to trust each other in order to survive in a world evolved in strange, beautiful, and deadly ways, and uncover ancient secrets that hold the key to their salvation. But with each passing moment, doom draws closer.

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PORTAL by Bruno Miller and Kristen Painter

VS Note: Not listed as a romance. Romantic elements maybe?

Dell Eckhart lives on the wrong side of the portal. The side where the ruin and devastation left behind by the war makes everyday life harder than it’s ever been. More than anything, he wants to win a ticket for passage through the portal. He’s running out of chances, but he’s not going to let that stop him. He needs that ticket. It’s the only way to save the one person he truly cares about. There’s just one problem. That person is actually an android. And androids aren’t allowed through the portal. Doesn’t matter. He’ll figure it out. Because life on the other side of the portal is perfect and easy, and she’ll be safe there. At least, that’s what he’s been led to believe.    Amazon KU

VIGILANCE (INTERSOLAR UNION SERIES BOOK 3) by Etta Pierce

Still reeling from the upending of her life, Dr Amelia Ahlberg finds herself the sole physician of the new human colony on Yaspur. Luckily, a medical delegate was assigned to help her settle in after the trauma of the Paramour. When a young girl falls ill because of a common flower, Amelia realizes she’s way out of her depth. The pressure is mounting for her to learn and adapt. With lives on the line, working with her medical delegate becomes more important than ever. But Ezraji Zarabi is confusing. Though they worked well together from the get-go, he’s become increasingly erratic, distant, and hot-headed. The stress threatens to crack the good doctor’s reality. When she starts to hallucinate, she has to wonder…Is it her? Or is it him? Amelia’s instincts are put to the test. Does she trust the one person that’s always there when she needs him, or does she question why he’s there in the first place?                     Amazon KU

SATISFACTION: A START ME UP STORY by Megan Slayer

VS Note: The Publisher put this into SFR. I went back and looked at earlier books and it appears the Start Me Up store is electronics and there might be robots? androids? involved?

Darryl Tackas needs a miracle — he wants to find the man who makes him whole. Running Start Me Up and helping other men find their happy endings is great, but Darryl wants a happy ever after of his own. When he learns Lew has a crush on him, Darryl hopes magic will spark between them. Lew George has wanted Darryl for so long, but he’s been too shy to make a move. When a mutual friend hooks them up, Lew can’t hold back. He’s sure he’s found the one, but can they really have a forever together?

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DARKEN (CYBORG RANGER SERIES BOOK 2) by Clarissa Lake and Christine Myers

Cyborg Marine Ranger Darken Wolf is coming to Earth to become a law enforcement officer in the post-apocalyptic American West and meet his genetic mate. When he arrives, she is missing. Gina Malcolm’s best friend points him to Overlord Devlin White, from whom she escaped several years before. Darken steals into the Overlord’s compound to free her, and they flee. Of course, it couldn’t be that easy. A fighter plane follows Darken’s sky cycle and shoots them down over the New Mexican desert. While the landing was a little rough, the bigger problem is that Darken’s CPU shuts down, and the sky cycle burns along with Darken’s only comm. He is not even sure where they are but decides going North is the best plan. It could be a very long walk. This is only the beginning as they get acquainted and embark on a life as a couple. All they have to do is survive long enough to share a future together.                             Amazon KU

SCALY SURRENDER (ALIEN GLADIATOR KINGS BOOK 2) by  Jove Chambers

A female prize – I know I’m going to be claimed on the floor of the arena by a brutal alien gladiator, but does it have to be him? The cocky Lizard King, a showman who seems to act like he enjoys this, parading and preening for the crowd? The one with two penises? But it is him, of course it is, and when he takes me, he’s some odd combination of cruel and considerate, and it’s good—stars, it’s good—it doesn’t have any right to be that good. At least I know our species aren’t compatible. No matter what, we could never have offspring. A ruined fighter – This girl is different. I don’t know why. I don’t want it to be true, but there’s something about her. When I have her in the ring, I hope my handler doesn’t notice. He’s the cruelest man I know, and he delights in manipulating me. But no way do I ever catch a break. So, when I climb aboard our ship, he’s got her there, all for me, he says. He has plans for her, to alter her, make her breedable. He’s just the sort of psycho to try to force that. It’ll be fun for him. But I vow I will never touch her again.              Amazon KU

ARDULUM: THE BATTLE FOR PRUITCU by J S Fields

VS Note: LGBTQ+ scifi, not a romance although the author says it has “a touch of romance”.

Fifteen years ago, Guard Four stood by and watched her friend, Atalant, be jettisoned into space for questioning their planet’s religion. Atalant should have died. Instead, she disappeared. Consumed by guilt, Guard Four trawls space, hopping from spaceport to spaceport, hoping to find and bring Atalant home with exonerating evidence that Ardulum, the traveling planet her people worship, is no mystic deity. At the edges of the known galaxy, Guard Four finds the shattered remains of a murdered world – a world of her genetic cousins who could have provided the evidence she desperately seeks. Ardulum, it seems, is no fairy tale but rather a bogeyman, set on destroying anyone who gets between it and its biological imperative to reproduce. And in its seat of governance rules Atalant – god to a planet she swore did not, could not, exist. Guard Four must unravel Ardulan fact from myth to save her friend and the billions of other beings threatened by the Void – a tear in space created from Ardulum’s most recent birthing event. But how does one bring a god of a killer planet home? And how is Guard Four supposed to stop the Void without giving it the only thing it wants – the destruction of Ardulum?              Amazon KU

ARRIVAL (CAPTURED EARTH BOOK 1) by A G Wilde

You think the world couldn’t end tomorrow? Think again. Our world is no longer our own. It’s been taken by beings we could never have imagined. And we are weak. Helpless. …hopeless. Hunted.
They have divided us into groups: Harvesters, Gatherers, and Breeders. I am but one of the dispensable. My name is Adira Mosely …and I am a Breeder.           Amazon KU

RED DOT by Mike Karpa

VS Note: From NOV 1 but I saw it mentioned on Queer SciFi’s twitter feed and it sounded really different.

After the disaster of global warming, the world has gotten its act together. People are positive, sensible and creating a better future and a just present. So, in a world where everyone makes good decisions, what could possibly go wrong? Well, other people. Twenty-something gay man Mardy dreams of becoming a full-time machine-tool artist. He brims with ideas, puts in the hours, has a solid circle of artist buddies—and forbidden friendships with artificial intelligences, the virtual slaves he works alongside of in his day job. But he’s always coming in second to an irritatingly successful rival. When he meets the rival’s twin, unexpected consequences drive Mardy to pursue not only his artistic passions but also love. And just possibly make the world a better place in the process.

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THE GEMINI STRAND by L J Hasbrouck

Life on Mars is no fairy tale for Morgan, a scrappy adventurer who plunders Earth’s carcass in search of loot—and evidence of an elusive scientist. She hopes he can cure her father’s dementia, but instead he kidnaps her father and flees into the deceptive dreamlands of Mars. During her frantic search to locate them, Morgan begins experiencing strange hallucinations that make her think she’s losing her mind. Meanwhile, Nil, a tormented killer struggling to repress his humanity, thinks his hallucinations are a flaw in his system. Soon his pesky emotions roar back to life, throwing a dagger into the whole “cold-blooded assassin” thing. While he pursues his next mark, a witty hacker trying to save Nil’s other victims, he battles with his disorienting visions and burgeoning emotions. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s falling in love for the first time—and the hacker he’s falling for is also the scientist who kidnapped Morgan’s father. Drawn together by their common target, Morgan and Nil harness their mysterious visions to find each other amidst holographic recreations of Oz, Wonderland, Neverland, Atlantis, and Camelot. Before she loses her father forever, Morgan must work with a killer and kidnapper to discover the sinister truth behind her father’s illness and her bond with Nil. And Nil is forced to decide between protecting the man he loves and helping the girl he’s inexplicably linked to. Because they share more than disorienting hallucinations—and what they share will change everything they thought they knew about themselves.

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RESCUED BY THE ALIEN PRINCE: WARRIORS OF ALPHA MAJESTROG by Katrina S Karter

Tamsin, an infectious disease physician’s life is hectic, selfless, and caring. She is invested in helping her sister take care of her nephew Wyatt. Her dedication to her nephew’s health is her priority as he battles a life-threatening illness. Her life is turned upside down when a routine doctor’s appointment is derailed when aliens kidnap her. Their lives on White Elfall, becomes increasingly difficult when she realizes that the aliens are involved in more than kidnapping humans. When her futile attempts at escape puts them in jeopardy, things become complicated when she comes face to face with alien warriors infiltrating her prison. Instead of the alien wanting to help rescue her, his sole mission doesn’t involve her at all. Can she get the huge alien to rescue her?  Iarred Ackmed – The fate of my planet rest on me finding a resolution to this incurable virus. As a warrior of Alpha Majestrog, my word is my bond, but these circumstances require me to ..(more blurb on ebook seller page…)

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WAKING ROMEO by Kathryn Barker

Year: 2083. Location: London. Mission: Wake Romeo. It’s the end of the world. Literally. Time travel is possible, but only forward. And only a handful of families choose to remain in the “now,” living off of the scraps left behind. Among them are eighteen-year-old Juliet and the love of her life, Romeo. But things are far from rosy for Jules. Romeo lies in a coma and Jules is estranged from her friends and family, dealing with the very real fallout of their wild romance. Then a mysterious time traveler, Ellis, impossibly arrives from the future with a mission that makes Juliet question everything she knows about life and love. Can Jules wake Romeo—and rewrite her future?

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GRIMM AND FRACTURED (CURIOUSITIES ANTHOLOGY SERIES) by Various

VS Note: Not romance. Fairy tales but steampunk  so I put it here at the end of the scifi/scifi romance section.

These aren’t your granny’s fairy tales. Or they might have been, but not after we got done with them. We’ve bent, twisted, welded, and remade them for an industrial age. Eleven stories with characters you’ll recognize, but they will not turn out like you remember. (Titles and authors on ebook seller page…)

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GENESIS: THE SOLDIER AND THE HYBRID (THE RISE OF THE HYBRIDS BOOK 2) by Serena Simpson

Liar, traitor, those were the words that hung over Lieutenant Eden Brown’s head. Now all she had to do was make sense of what was happening to her. Somehow, she woke up in the Hybrid City. The military wanted her court-martialed. The Hybrids wanted her loyalty, or they would turn her over to the government. She wanted…and therein laid the problem. Time was running out and what she really wanted to know was why Jaziel made her heart beat faster. Did she believe in the Hybrid cause, or did she simply want one of them as her own?      Jaziel was given the duty of guarding the prisoner. It was not one he wanted, but the lives of his people were at stake. Watching her would have been easier if she didn’t remind him of sunshine. She was one strange quirk after another, soft yet harder than steel. His lips wanted to tilt up when he was around her. Was she a hero or a traitor to the American people? Had she come to kill the Hybrids? Could she be trusted? He needed an answer before he went and did something foolish like falling for the enemy.
Time was running out, and a target was placed on Eden and Jaziel’s heads. They were wanted dead or alive. There was no time left, and they had to decide if the first bloom of romance and the possibility of a relationship was enough to establish trust. If not, someone would die. Was love worth placing your life on the line for?             Amazon KU

THE REVIVED NIRI-5M: MOONS OF VES-ONI BOOK 3 by

Kidnapped, used, abused and dead. Those were my last memories before I died. I didn’t stay dead though. My skin is different now, and there’s chattering in my head. Opening my eyes everything shines, I feel stronger. Catching a glimpse of myself, I don’t look completely human anymore either.
When I find the others who are aboard this ship with me, they drop to their knees calling me their Queen. Hmm, Queen Cecelia. I can live with that. On earth I was just my sister Valerie’s thorn – here I think I’ll be a Goddess. What else will I find?                         Amazon KU

LYING MIRROR (MIST AND MIRRORS BOOK 2) by Eve Langlais

The mist will taint all life unless she finds a way to stop it. Despite her best efforts, Agathe didn’t kill the King, but she did escape with something even more valuable. Stealing back her magic was a good start. Now, she must find a way to save the Kingdom from the rising mist and the threats within. The spells that used to protect are fading fast with deadly consequences. After more than a century of peace, the monsters have returned to attack the towns and villages, but they’re not the only danger. A sickness in the mist mutates everything it touches—except for Agathe. She’s special. If only she knew how to use that to her advantage. Who can she ask for help? Who should she believe?
Maric, the King’s most valued soldier—and her lover—wants her to return to the Citadel and join forces with the monarch who stole her magic once before. Then there’s Zanir, a smooth-tongued liar who taunts her via a mirror. He promises her answers. Demands that she come to him so he can show her the truth. The fact is, both men want to use her, and the wrong choice might mean the end of Agathe—and the Kingdom.

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SAGGY BUT WITTY IN CRESCENT CITY: PARANORMAL WOMEN’S FICTION NOVEL (MYSTICAL MIDLIFE IN MAINE BOOK 5) by Brenda Trim

Vampires with a vendetta. The Queen of Voodoo. Nasty necromancers. Just another day in my life. If you need a magical mystery solved, apparently I’m your gal. As the go-to private detective for the supernatural community, I’ve got every shifter, fae, and ghoul knocking on my door. Now the local vampires have decided to test me by leaving a dead shifter in a public park. Ever handled a pack of shifters looking for revenge? It’s not pretty. And right now, I don’t have the time to settle a feud. I have to get to New Orleans and find a necromancer to help me pull my ghoul’s soul from the other side. In classic mom fashion, I put my foot down and force the vampires to give up the killer so I can finally head out of town. The Crescent City springs more surprises on me than a jack-in-the-box and I’m on a roll from the moment we touch down. I accidentally unleash centuries-old magic on a plantation owned by six mundie sisters, and then I’m off and running through the swamps just to evade demons and more vampires. After I’m forced to seek the help of the infamous Marie Leveau, I’m officially fed up. My best friend is fighting for her life, and by the time I get to the necromancer,]]] I have to stop one of the Houdun Loa from hijacking my attempt to bring Selene’s spirit across. Whatever happens next, I’ve made it clear to every magical being in bayou country why it’s a very bad idea to underestimate me.                      Amazon KU

DAMNING THE DEAD (THE DEAD SERIES BOOK 3) by Kerry Blaisdell

Hyacinth Finch’s life-after-death just got more complicated. High on her to-do list: Stop Satan from stealing any more of Archangel Michael’s powerful relics, marshal her Dead Army of two thousand souls, and recapture dozens of escaped Hell Demons, to prevent six thousand dead Nazis from wreaking havoc in the world. And on top of all that, her onetime ghost boyfriend has hijacked the body of a former German militant, which has its ups and downs for their relationship. Then, just when things seem to be under control, her nephew Geordi’s powers start leaking out, and Hyacinth’s own begin to change. She must discover where their abilities originated. But as she digs deeper, will the truths she uncovers do more harm than good? And more importantly—can she figure it out, before Satan escapes from Hell and takes Geordi for himself?

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A GRAVE GIRLS GETAWAY by Jeaniene Frost

VS Note: A re-release

Vampire Cat Crawfield is experiencing a new role as a mother. Turns out, trying to manage a perfect domestic life for her daughter is more…challenging than Cat ever imagined. Since things have finally quieted down in the undead world, her husband, Bones, suggests that Cat recharge by spending a girls-only getaway with her best friend, Denise. Cat and Denise intend to spend the week doing nothing more than dancing, drinking, and sightseeing. Unfortunately, they stumble across a deadly summer solstice ritual performed by powerful witches who have no intention of letting their uninvited guests live to reveal what they saw. Will this girls-only getaway turn out to be the last vacation – ever! – for Cat and Denise?

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ECHOES AND EMPIRES by Morgan Rhodes

Josslyn Drake knows only three things about magic: it’s rare, illegal, and always deadly. So when she’s caught up in a robbery gone wrong at the Queen’s Gala and infected by a dangerous piece of magic—one that allows her to step into the memories of an infamously evil warlock—she finds herself living her worst nightmare. Joss needs the magic removed before it corrupts her soul and kills her. But in Ironport, the cost of doing magic is death, and seeking help might mean scheduling her own execution. There’s nobody she can trust. Nobody, that is, except wanted criminal Jericho Nox, who offers her a deal: his help extracting the magic in exchange for the magic itself. And though she’s not thrilled to be working with a thief, especially one as infuriating (and infuriatingly handsome) as Jericho, Joss is desperate enough to accept. But Jericho is nothing like Joss expects. The closer she grows to Jericho and the more she sees of the world outside her pampered life in the city, the more Joss begins to question the beliefs she’s always taken for granted—beliefs about right and wrong, about power and magic, and even about herself. In an empire built on lies, the truth may be her greatest weapon.

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THE IVORY KEY by Akshaya Raman

Vira, Ronak, Kaleb, and Riya may be siblings, but they’ve never been close or even liked each other that much. Torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken, only one thing can bring them back together: the search for the Ivory Key, a thing of legend that will lead the way to a new source of magic. Magic is Ashoka’s biggest export and the only thing standing between them and war with the neighboring kingdoms—as long as their enemies don’t find out that the magic mines are nearly depleted. The siblings all have something to gain from finding the Ivory Key, and even more to lose if they don’t. For Vira, the Ivory Key is the only way to live up to the legacy of her mother, the beloved former maharani. Ronak plans to get out of his impending political marriage by selling the Ivory Key to the highest bidder. Kaleb has been falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani, and this is the only way to clear his name. And Riya needs to prove her loyalty to the Ravens, the group of rebels that wants to take control away from the maharani and give it to the people. With each sibling harboring secrets and conflicting agendas, figuring out a way to work together may be the most difficult task of all. And in a quest this dangerous, working together is the only way to survive.

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GHOSTLY PROBLEMS (A HARPER HARLOW MYSERY BOOK 20) by Lily Harper Hart

Harper Harlow-Monroe is settling into married life well. Her biggest problem is her best friend Zander, who is planning his own wedding. That is until a new resident comes to Harper with a poltergeist problem. Beckham Lighthouse is located in a unique spot, where the lake and the river meet. When a body washes up on the shore close to the building, talk turns to the poltergeist … which they’re having zero luck dealing with. Harper’s husband Jared, a local police detective, believes they’re looking for a human culprit. Harper thinks her case and his might be connected. Together, they have to dig deep. Things take a turn when …(more blurb on ebook seller page…)    Amazon KU

SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND by David Valdes

All Luis Gonzalez wants is to go to prom with his boyfriend, something his “progressive” school still doesn’t allow. Not after what happened with Chaz Wilson. But that was ages ago, when Luis’s parents were in high school; it would never happen today, right? He’s determined to find a way to give his LGBTQ friends the respect they deserve (while also not risking his chance to be prom king, just saying…). When a hit on the head knocks him back in time to 1985 and he meets the doomed young Chaz himself, Luis concocts a new plan-he’s going to give this guy his first real kiss. Though it turns out a conservative school in the ’80s isn’t the safest place to be a gay kid. Especially with homophobes running the campus, including Gordo (aka Luis’s estranged father). Luis is in over his head, trying not to make things worse-and hoping he makes it back to present day at all.

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CINDER THE FIREPLACE BOY AND OTHER GAYLY GRIMM TALES (REWOVEN TALES) by Ana Mardoll

Once upon a time there lived… a beautiful prince who kissed a frog. A cinder-smudged child who hid a secret. A princess who climbed a long braid of golden hair for love. A thumb-sized boy with the courage of a giant. And a valiant little tailor whose wit was as sharp as her needle. These stories and many more await you in this delightful collection of classic fairy tales, lovingly retold and featuring characters who receive wonderfully queer happily-ever-afters! Let these new takes on the Brothers Grimm warm your heart and nurture your yearning to see yourself reflected in beloved favorites.

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DAHLIA TWO: WITH A SIDE OF FRIES (SPELL LIBRARY: DAHLIA) by Tabitha Barrett

Just when I get my happy ending, dark entities arrive in town to screw everything up! Here I am, blissfully minding my own business, tattooing the residents of Silver Springs when I’m thrown into the middle of a fight between the witch covens who believe my nerdy necromancer sweetheart, Daire, is responsible for ghosts attacking the town. Of course, my witch sweetheart, Ian, is the High Priest of one of those covens. Now, he’s torn between his friendship with Daire and the powerful coven members who are too scared to figure out the truth and want to banish Daire from town. In the middle of all this, I find my mother’s lost diary with a little ghostly help of my own. Is someone trying to help me buy a vowel by giving me the diary? Will it lead me to the truth about my mother’s death, which might be connected to the poltergeist attacks? Sadly, her diary is bound with blood magic and I’m a psychic with zero magical abilities. Time is running out and I can’t lose my mates. Can my vampire sweetheart, Aiden, help me unravel the mystery of the cursed diary before everything comes crashing down?                  Amazon KU

WHERE THE DROWNED GIRLS GO (WAYWARD CHILDREN BOOK 7) by Seanan McGuire

“Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you’ve already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company.” There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again. It isn’t as friendly as Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. And it isn’t as safe. When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her “Home for Wayward Children,” she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn’t save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different prophecy, Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster. She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming.

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ONCE UPON A MERMAID: FOUR MERMAID TALES by Demelza Carlton

Fall deeply in love with four mermaids and the heroes who capture their hearts in this mer-vellous collection of tales. Let a sexy Scotsman pull you from the sea, break a family curse for a Viking prince, be seduced by a hot doctor with secrets, then team up with an alien to stop terrorists from destroying your planet. Start reading these four steamy stories now!

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ALL DAUGHTERS RISE (KINBORN BOOK 1) by Alysa Auriemma

Sabrine, a Greenwitch, has grown up thinking that the female, winged warriors known as the Daughters were unrepentant killers, gleefully slaughtering all humans who stood in their way. This all changes when her ex, vampire Lora Walker, resurfaces with a shocking revelation–Sabrine’s mother was once the feared leader of the Daughters. Sabrine has unknowingly been groomed to be her mother’s assistant. Now Sabrine needs to reevaluate everything she thinks she knows, and she needs to do it fast, because the barrier that separates the magical world from the world of the humans is cracking open, and nobody knows why. And the only person she can rely on is the last person she wants to deal with: her ex-girlfriend.            Amazon KU

DECANTER OF DREAD (A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT MYSTERY BOOK 3) by Sara Bourgeois

The day before Halloween, Jonathan Carlyle moved into his cottage on the beach. The cottage had been empty for all the years that The Elusive Cat next door had been open. He just showed up one day. He sat on his porch in the cold winds. And then he vanished. A haunted soul who touched all their lives with his presence and his disappearance. But why had he come? And how did he leave? Or was he dead?              Amazon KU

A CROWN OF MADNESS (THE FALLEN FAE SERIES BOOK TWO) by A K Koonce and Rebecca Grey

Rule #2 Don’t get Caught. I’m waiting, watching, and listening… always listening. While Jeriko fawns over my brother Basilus, and the Mad King cooks up a new dark recipe for disaster, I’m bidding my time within the chaos. Things would be going smoothly for me if my eldest brother wasn’t trying to marry me off. Now I have to break a Prince’s heart, understand my own messy feelings, and then tear an entire kingdom to the ground before my father kills us all. Sounds simple. Right?     Amazon KU

NEVER LEAVE ME (WATERS OF TIME BOOK 2) by Jody Hedlund

In the last stages of a genetic disease, Ellen Creighton has decided to live out her remaining days at the estate of her longtime friend Harrison Burlington. Harrison cares deeply for Ellen, but as a wheelchair-bound paraplegic, he’s never allowed himself to get serious in a relationship. However, he’s desperately trying to save her by finding the holy water that is believed to heal any disease.
When he locates two flasks, Ellen refuses to drink one of them because she believes the holy water killed her sister and father. In an effort to convince her to take it, Harrison ingests the contents first, and when Ellen witnesses the effects, she can no longer deny the power of the substance in the bottles. Dangerous criminals are also seeking the holy water, and Ellen soon learns they will go to any lengths to get the powerful drug–including sending her back into the past to find it for them.

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HUNGER (VAMPIRE BELOVED BOOK 6) by R E Butler

Jude Devoe has been an outsider her entire life. As a hybrid, latent shifter, she has one foot in two vastly different worlds. The world of her wizard father and the world of her falcon mother. Because she can’t fully shift, she focuses on magic and taking care of Lahn, her wizard brother. Ever since the leaders of their nest killed their parents, Lahn’s been driven by revenge. His need for vengeance sends them to Cleveland to take out the vampire coven on the behest of the anti-vampire church leader. Jude will do anything to keep her brother safe but going after innocents is a step too far.
Vampire Temple has been around a couple hundred years, but he’s never felt anything like the draw to an elusive female he saw in a video. He has no idea what she really looks like, only that her people have branded her an outcast and she is working for the anti-vampire church. When he scents something amazing outside the club one night, he knows it’s her, and he follows his instincts to locate her. He finds her hiding out with her wizard brother after planning a devastating blow to the coven. Can Temple get past her connection to the church, or will he always wonder where her loyalties lie? Will they both come out on the other side alive when her brother interferes in their relationship in a dangerous way?

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AWAKENED PRINCESS (BEYOND THE CURSE BOOK 1) by Laura Greenwood

Being cursed for a century is easy compared to what Keira has to face when she wakes up…
When Keira wakes up to find herself in an abandoned castle, with only the son of a rival kingdom to help her, she is thrust into a world full of prophecies, dark magic, and chaos.
After inheriting her Seer powers, Gretel found it easier to hide from the world. But now she’s needed to help a Princess become a Queen.

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DRAGON’S HEX (RETURN TO DRAGON ISLE BOOK 3) by Sophie Stein

Colton has lived on his own ever since his wife died tragically. It’s been ten years, and he can’t bring himself to move on. The idea of loving someone new isn’t even on his radar. In fact, every time he tries to start dating again, something happens that makes him realize just how horrible of an idea that really is. Angel has been hiding on Dragon Isle for months, trying to escape from the hex her sister put on her. The spell makes it terribly difficult for her to do anything at all, yet the only way to break it is for her to fall in love. Angel’s sister thought she was being clever and giving Angel the push she needed to find love, but all she really did was drain all of her energy, and now her life. The hex was supposed to dissolve after one of the people involved in the spell died. Well, Angel’s sister died weeks ago, and the hex still seems to be strong. It makes it difficult to focus, and the headaches it brings are wildly out of control. The worst part of the hex, though, is that it makes every dragon shifter on the damn island look like a delicious treat. When Colton walks into the restaurant where she’s been hiding out, Angel realizes that all bets are off. She needs a dragon. She needs that dragon. But will jumping into a fake marriage be enough to break the hex?

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TIGER’S FAKE DATE (SHIFTERS OF RAWR COUNTY BOOK ) by Sophie Stein

Ivy – If Susan wasn’t so uptight, none of this would be a problem. It wouldn’t. Not really. As it is, she’s the biggest Bridezilla I’ve ever seen, which is why I’m stuck interviewing actors to play my boyfriend at her upcoming nuptials. The guy I choose is tall, dark, and…nerdy. Like, ultra-nerdy. He plays video games and reads comics, and he’s seen more anime than me, which is no easy task. Lincoln has a secret, though. It’s something beyond the normal nerdiness. It’s something that he doesn’t want anyone to know about. I want to know about it, though. What is this guy hiding? And why do I have a feeling that it’ll change everything?             Lincoln – When I started running my fake date service, I didn’t expect to meet someone like Ivy. I didn’t expect to want more than just a single date. I couldn’t have possibly planned any of this. That’s exactly what’s happening, though. Just one date, and my inner-tiger lets me know that yeah, she’s our mate. Unfortunately for me, she doesn’t know I’m a tiger shifter, and she doesn’t know I think she’s my one true love. Is Ivy strong enough to handle the truth? Am I?

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BLACK PORT (KNIGHT PROTECTOR: BLACK WYVERN BOOK 1) by Rachel Ford

A secret order, hunted by two rival kingdoms. A network of spies and saboteurs. Valia Iceborn is the daughter of two worlds, and a servant of none: her mother was a Northern outlaw and her father a Southern deserter. She grew up in the wilds of No Man’s Land, but the open sea is her home. She swears no allegiances, lest they be to gold. Knight Protector Portia Daysen is a loyal of daughter of the empire. She goes where she’s told, and does what she’s told. When the empire sends her to the bustling city of Black Port to ferret out a mysterious secret order threatening stability in the region, she doesn’t think twice. Plunged into a world of deceit and derring-do, where no one is who they pretend to be, and nothing is at it seems, Daysen’s investigation leads her to Valia’s dock. And crossing sabers with the most formidable – and charming – foe of her career might be the last mission Knight Protector Portia Daysen ever takes.             Amazon KU

SHADOW LIGHT (BLOOD & SHADOW BOOK 2) by C M Hano

Clover, High Princess of Thornwharf, has survived torture and death. Reborn as the goddess Emnera, she must embrace her new role in order to defeat the shadows that threaten the realm. With new alliances, old friendships, and a dagger of great power, Clover will journey across the realm and join the final battle to defeat the Dark Wizard. Meanwhile, Calian’s mind is compromised with the lingering shadow magic used by the Dark Wizard. Time is running out for our beloved Ashana and a new character just might be the final breaking point to cast him into darkness. The outlaw known throughout the realm as the Hooded Mercenary, is on the path to vengeance. When his past threatens his future, will his quest for revenge turn to tide in the war?            Amazon KU

JOY OF HEX (MOONSTONE BAY COZY MYSTERY BOOK 9) by Amanda M Lee

Hadley Hunter is living the good life until a group of authors shows up on Moonstone Bay, and one of them clearly has murder on their mind. Jasmine Riley was the lone female writer in a male-dominated genre, and she was on top of her game. When she winds up dead in the ditch on the highway outside of the city, suspicion turns to her competition. There’s just one problem … the culprit might be supernatural. Hadley not only finds the body but is injured in the aftermath, catching a glimpse of a door to another world before losing consciousness. Did the head injury cause her to hallucinate, or was it something more? Galen taps Hadley to be his partner on the case, convinced that’s the best way to keep her from finding trouble. Unfortunately for both of them, plane doors are starting to open all over the island, and with them come monsters from another world. That means trouble continuously finds them. Plane doors are forbidden on Moonstone Bay, but somebody doesn’t care about the rules. Hadley is determined to find answers … and she gets help in the form of Bay Winchester, a Michigan witch on her honeymoon with FBI Agent Landon Michaels. Together, they start digging … and find that not all monsters are obvious. Someone is controlling the plane doors. That someone is putting everyone on the island at risk. Hadley is determined to find out who … and stop them. Along the way, she will find new friends … and maybe even the ever-elusive shark shifter she’s been dying to cross paths with. It’s a meeting of powerful witches and a battle for the ages. Strap in and enjoy the ride.             Amazon KU

MAGIC OF MIDNIGHT by Various

Some say midnight is the witching hour. Are you ready to believe in magic? Enter a world of supernatural mysticism, where Witches, Werewolves, Fairies, Vampires, Demons, and more roam the shadows at night. Are you brave enough to journey with bestselling and award-winning authors into fantastical worlds where spells are cast, curses broken, heroic friends are made, and adventures are filled with epic excitement? The magic happens at midnight…don’t miss it.

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MOON RIVER HEARTBREAKER (EXILED PACK BOOK 4) by Fel Fern

Stephen Marshall is a pregnant Omega trapped in the skin of his wolf. A monster left Stephen scarred for life. Stephen might’ve escaped one hell, but he’s far from fixed. Everyone believes he’s a lost cause, that he’s only holding on until his baby is born. Everyone but Dom. Dom sees him—really sees him. The Alpha doesn’t care about his flaws or his insecurities. Dom offers him everything, but Stephen doesn’t believe he’s worthy of Dom’s love. Alpha Dom Morton has resigned himself to a life of loneliness. Raised in a lawless pack of monsters, Dom knows he’s not suited to be anyone’s mate. After meeting Stephen, Dom wants more. Dom doesn’t care that the baby growing in Stephen’s belly isn’t his. Stephen is his to protect and cherish. Working with unwanted animals taught Dom he’s more than a killer. That he’s capable of caring for others, but is he ready to become Stephen’s mate?   Amazon KU

IMPROBABLE – THE OUTLANDISH ADVENTURES OF MIRIAM COLE – SEASON THREE by Rysa Walker

NOTE: Improbable is an ongoingserial. This is the third season. New episodes are available weekly on Kindle Vella. A new season (ten episodes) will be published on Kindle approximately every two months. Nine heiresses are missing in Gilded Age New York with no ransom demand. Journalist Miriam Cole’s sister was the first to vanish twelve years ago. The only connection? They all attended the exclusive Pembroke School. Now, a bizarre murder has Miriam on the run, questioning the very nature of reality as she joins forces with a handsome ex-Pinkerton agent, a reluctant psychic, Mark Twain, and the NY League of Skeptics. Can Miriam find the girls or will New York City be destroyed in the crossfire?            Amazon KU

DEADLY KNIGHT (MIDNIGHT EMPIRE: THE TOWER BOOK 3) by Anabel Chase

From the time I joined the Knights of Boudica, I’ve pretended to be just like all the others. A magic specialty or two. Skilled with a blade. An innate sense of justice. But normal is overrated, right? Now that I know there are more ancient and powerful stones out there, I won’t rest until I find them. If that means using more of my magic and risking exposure, then it’s a chance I have to take. My research leads me to a place I never imagined. A place where history is stored. And secrets are revealed. Unfortunately my discoveries put a target on my back. I can’t make a move without a vampire breathing down my neck. Of course, there’s one vampire whose closeness I don’t really mind—if only he wasn’t a dark prince with a deadly past and a monstrous family. If only he wouldn’t kill me on the spot if he finds out what I truly am. With the race on to claim the remaining stones, I have to put my personal feelings aside and do the job I was born to do. These stones could change the world for the better—or they could be the end of us all.                  Amazon KU

HOT TODDY HOMICIDE (MYSTIC BAR MYSTERIES BOOK 3) by Constance Barker

When a client at Fang’s gym collapses after a vigorous work out in the ring, does that spell natural causes or something more sinister? The deceased isn’t quite sure and decides it’s time to investigate, via Zeus. Wanda is none too pleased since this victim is a bit of a curmudgeon. But if there is a killer on the loose, better to know and stop them before any body else becomes a victim. Can Wanda find out the truth so Zeus will be rid of the burp inducing grump? And will Fang be able to gain back his reputation as a gym to gain and maintain your health and not as a way to death’s door?

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ELUSION (THE FAE REALM BOOK 5) by Cathlin Shahriary

Sent on a mission by the Seelie king, Maddock ventures into the Coille. However, the Coille didn’t earn the nickname the Deadly Wood by chance. After a near-fatal attack, Maddock is left depending on the kindness of a stranger to save him. Enora, an Unseelie healer, sets out on a personal errand to refresh her supply of herbs. Though dangerous, she bravely travels into the Deadly Wood. It should’ve been easy—get in, harvest the plants, get out. Unfortunately for her, an attack by one of the forest’s beasts proves things aren’t simple. Especially when her escape leads the creature to harm an innocent, and she can’t ignore her healer instincts. Trapped together in a forest intent on killing them, Maddock and Enora quickly learn they only have each other. However, if he discovers her identity, the trust they built may shatter, ruining any prospect of survival.       Amazon KU

FAE LADY REBELLION (REAL MEN OF OTHERCROSS BOOK 6) by Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix

VS Note: From DEC 21

Wren is determined to have an adventure this holiday season, but no one mentioned she might find her mate! Chafing under the watchful gaze of her overprotective big brother, Wren Oberon had to use all of her fae powers to get her sneaky-sneak on so she could attend the holiday party of the year at Othercross. Now she finds herself in a compromising position with no help in sight—until some random wolf shifter comes to her aid in a most dramatic fashion. When he claims to be her fated mate, Wren begins to wonder if she might need a second rescue. Before she can determine if the guy’s a nutjob, her hot-headed brother finds her and locks her away for her own good. But Wren can’t stop thinking about the sexy shifter and what their mutual attraction might mean. Can she figure out a way to escape her brother’s enchantments or will she live the rest of her life wondering what might have been?

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FAERIES GONE WILD (THE GODHUNTER SERIES BOOK 34) by Amy Sumida

VS Note: From DEC 24

This new fey world is having some growing pains. In the aftermath of wild magic running amok over the Earth, Vervain and Azrael are trying their best to find a way to coexist happily with humans. Most of the world has gone fey-crazy, elevating faeries to a celebrity status, but there are still those who haven’t gotten over the horrors that the wild magic wrought, and they don’t like the fact that more and more faeries are coming to Earth. On top of dealing with these hate-mongers, there’s the legal issues that arise, making faeries the target of law enforcement as well, including Vervain’s friend, Austin. But all of these matters take a backseat to babies. During the time when raths to Faerie were open and wild magic ruled the world, many children were conceived. Now, those children are showing unusual traits, and without magical parents to protect them, Vervain fears for their safety. Human but with fey magic, these babies could be the key to peace between the races, or they could be the catalyst of war. Either way, the Godhunter is right in the middle of it all.     Amazon KU

SEASONS: PSYCOP BRIEFS VOLUME 2 by Jordan Castillo Price

VS Note: DEC 21

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night…will keep a PsyCop from his duty. Because ghosts don’t take snow days. Seasons: PsyCop Briefs, Volume 2 contains four novelettes and fourteen short stories. This all-new, novel length collection begins right where PsyCop 12, Other Half, left off, with Vic and Jacob’s honeymoon. It then cycles through each season, highlighting various moments in the series with laughs, scares, tender domestic scenes, and of course, ghosts—then circles around to Other Half again.

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STARFIRE (GRIM GATE BOOK 2) by Emily Goodwin

They say if you take a secret to the grave, the truth will stay buried. But that’s not exactly true in my case, and each hidden truth that surfaces turns out to be even more dangerous than the last. As a medium, I’m used to seeing the line that divides the living from the dead. Almost crossing said line? Yeah…I’ll never get used to that. Though every secret I unearth seems to push me closer and closer to that very fate. I’m not exactly helpless this time around, at least. I’ve spent the last few months training and learning everything I can about magic, and having a demon-hunting boyfriend doesn’t hurt either. Just when it seems like I’m finally getting things figured out, I discover the biggest lie of them all, and it changes everything…including my ability to trust the very person I thought I could count on more than anyone, leaving me to face the darkness just how I did before. Alone.

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CUNNING MAN by Lena Austin

St. John Everett ekes out a living as a bartender in New Orleans. Then the pandemic strikes and things begin to shut down — including the bar where he works. Things start looking up when Jin is notified that he’s inherited a cottage in England from a great-uncle he knew nothing about. Out of a job, with no employment opportunities on the horizon, Jin boards a plane to London. He falls immediately in love with the small cottage and the tiny village of Manuden, and in lust with his new solicitor, Rick Harrow. But Rick isn’t just his solicitor. He’s descended from a long line of Guardians of the local Cunning Man — the title and powers Jin inherited along with the cottage. No longer just a bartender, Jin is now a legendary male witch who uses prophecy, herbalism, and witch bottles to protect the local community. With his three magical white mice, his Guardian/lover, and the Witches of Essex, Jin must use his new powers as The Cunning Man to save the village, his lover, and his new friends from a pandemic gone wild. And who knows? If his talent making witch bottles is as good as it is with juggling booze bottles, he might even save the world.

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THREE BROTHERS FAIR by Emily Carrington

VS Note: Re-release

According to prophecy, three brothers must find their mates. But prophecies are often both right, and misunderstood. Prince of Seas (Three Brothers Fair 1): What’s the worst thing about being a water demon? You can’t tell your husbands apart. Of course, it doesn’t help when your newest mate-to-be disguises himself as his brother to win your hand. Prince of Land and Fire (Three Brothers Fair 2): Against his will, Lord Tian has fallen for a magical land creature — a gnome. Prophecy says he must wed a land creature and become a destroyer and spy. When Tian and Alastair play at BDSM and love they set in motion the destruction of the status quo. The Zephyr Prince (Three Brothers Fair 3): Andy is the eldest son of the ruling kelpie family. His two brothers have found their lovers, in accordance with an often-misunderstood prophecy. Now it’s Andy’s turn.

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TAKEN: A NOVEL (TAKEN SERIES BOOK 1) by C E Roderick

Matt was my husband. I was supposed to be with him for the rest of my life when the accident happened and took him away from me. I wouldn’t love anyone else. I believed. Until, I meet Leif. He tells me to trust him and to take my chance with him. Except, I’m his hostage. Not only am I his hostage, but time is holding me captive too, and I’m suddenly trapped in a world that is not mine. The year is 1756, and I am strangely in Massachusetts Bay Colony. War between Great Britain and France explodes across New England, and terrorizes the territory. I don’t know how I got here, and all I want to do is find a way home. But, the more time I’m stranded here, the more I spend time with Leif, and I am compelled toward him. Our lives are becoming inextricably entwined, and I’m afraid of losing everything that I once knew and loved. I begin questioning where I truly belong as I think of the life I left behind. I wonder if I’m going to withstand this, because all I know for certain is he is bound to my survival… and to the truth of why I’m here.

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AWAKENING (MAGIC AND EMPIRE 1) by Mikala Ash

London, 1851. Centre of the empire, a bustling city with a hidden heritage that refuses to let go. Anne Device, daughter of a prostitute turned spiritualist, has seen it all — degradation, desperation, anger, pain, and sorrow. Unbroken by the rough and dirty streets of Whitechapel, Anne’s world revolves around her family — her mother, sister, and brother. Enter the charismatic and attractive Lord Carlyle, a gentleman magician who sees in Anne the potential to move worlds. For the first time Anne experiences the magic of romantic love. A rags to riches story she’d only imagined possible in a Faerie tale. On her glorious wedding night she willingly gives her body, but the days that followed will test her very soul.

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JUGGLING CONCERNS (KARMA BAKERY BOOK 5) by Erin R Flynn

Arabella Baker, her daughters, and the Karma Bakery rocked Christmas. Now she can put more into place instead of constantly running to make all the orders for the holidays. Until Valentine’s Day at least. All bets are off then. She’s also excited to work on her personal relationships. She feels like she’s surrounded herself with friends rather than people who worship her or even just employees. People who really value her, and then there’s the men who want to be with her. Even with a hiccup, she feels like she can handle progressing her relationships. It’s a good place to be. So of course, everything has to blow up. Not with the bakery. New Year’s Eve is a cakewalk compared to what they’ve already been doing, and the path seems a smart one for the bakery. No, this is personal, and something she hoped to never have to deal with. Life will never be the same once the curtain is pulled back this time. But does Arabella have the right people at her back this time, or will history repeat itself and break her?                     Amazon KU

UNSEELIE THRONE (MAZE OF SHADOWS BOOK 3) by  Kathryn Ann Kingsley

When the prize is death, some games are better lost than won. If she loses, she becomes his queen, and he unleashes war across Earth and Tir n’Aill alike. If she wins, he dies. The answer seems clear. But then why can’t she bring herself to want victory? The longer Abigail wanders through his Maze of Shadows, the less sure she becomes of anything—allies, enemies, wrong, right, evil, good, hate…and love. With every twist and turn, her heart is more fully trapped in his snare. Facing the choice of whether to win—and kill the Bloody Prince—or lose and become his queen, Abigail can’t decide which is worse. In fact, she is starting to think that she might no longer want to win at all. No matter the cost.                        Amazon KU

FERGUS’S HURRICANE: VAMPIRES OF THE BELOVED GEM BOOK 3 by Taylor Ryan

Fergus McGregor doesn’t like change. It was difficult enough leaving behind the pub that had been in his family for centuries. Now he has to accept not only a new boat but also more help behind the bar? Though he prefers to work alone, when he sees the soulful brown eyes across from him, they make him want things he never thought he wanted. Seven years have passed since Montgomery’s older brother left and came to the human realm, leaving a young Montgomery behind. Now, Montgomery is old enough to leave the fae realm and finally find his own mate. He doesn’t care who he is, only that he got away from his parents. First, according to the Fate Thomas, he has to take a little vacation aboard the Beloved Gem. But who is the cranky redhead behind the bar, and why does he make his body tingle? Montgomery grew up thinking vampires couldn’t be trusted around fae because of the draw of their blood. He’s learned differently and discovered the pleasure from Fergus’s bite can be quite…enticing. And well, Fergus learns just how much trouble a little fae can be.

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METAL HEART (METAL AND MAGIC BOOK 1) by Michelle Frost

When stray human Matthew wanders into Black Dog shifter pack territory, he’s injured and vulnerable. The last thing Matthew expects is for the pack’s alpha to be the home he’s always been looking for. Bram can’t believe his nose when the trespasser his enforcers drop at his feet turns out to be something entirely different. Nursing Matthew back to health becomes Bram’s priority, but the pack isn’t thrilled to have a human in their midst. When the pack gives them an ultimatum—either Matthew joins the pack in truth or leaves—the only question is, if he decides not to stay, will Bram be able to let him go?                Amazon KU

V.A.M.P. – BOOK TWO: BORN by Kimberly Todd

Katerina fell madly in love with an 800-year-old lesbian vampire—that was the easy part. Now she must learn to navigate the seductive and dangerous consequences of the vampire world. Will her internal struggle to hold onto who she truly is and all that is pure, survive her cravings for blood? Serena Vanderen already rescued the love of her life once from the vicious Hapsbergen family. Now she must fight to protect Katerina from herself and the terrifying threat of losing her forever. Can Serena stop the woman who is most precious to her from becoming a mass murderer? Amazon KU

COMPELLING INFINITY (ARCHIVIST BOOK 2) by Meghan Ciana Doidge

I was a dragon. Dragons didn’t run from any situation. Not even a dragon disguised as a witch. Well … at least not from any situation that involved the archive or my duty, because apparently I fled before anything even remotely personal. Including surprise double dates. A masked gala. A solstice celebration with the werewolves. Broken relics and doorways leading not only to other realms, other mythical and magical creatures, but to other possible futures. For me. And maybe even for Kellan. And, well … that’s all just another day at the office for me. Though my witch disguise really wasn’t going to hold up for much longer. Because even though I’d accepted my role as head curator at the magical archive of the National Museum of Ireland, and all the duties that came with being the Archivist of the Modern World, apparently I didn’t like the restrictions that came along with that. Because I couldn’t build the life I truly wanted — the dream unfurling in the dark chambers of my heart — on lies and half-truths. Which meant that a moment was looming when I’d be faced with a choice that I couldn’t bear to walk away from. A choice that I might be willing to lose everything else to obtain.

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QUEEN OF DARKNESS (BLOOD AND FANGS BOOK 3) by Riley Storm

VS Note: From DEC 21

The vampire queen has called for my death. I know I should run. But I can’t. Everyone else thinks I should flee and find a safe place to hide. They don’t think I can take her on, and who can blame them? The vampire queen is over a thousand years old. She’s had centuries to grow stronger and learn how to fight. I’ve had a month. I’m brutally outclassed. Almost. I possess one advantage—if I can bring myself to use it. My dual heritage. There’s only one other like me on the planet, and at the height of his powers, he challenged the very gods themselves. It’s a double-edged sword, though, considering he went insane with bloodlust. But it’s the only chance I have to end her ruthless reign and save not only myself but my mother. Taking her throne won’t be easy, and I know better than to do it alone. First, I’ll have to convince Aaron that it’s the right move. There’s some history between him and her that he’ll have to overcome. I just hope that it won’t ruin the budding future I see between us. After all, what’s the point in going up against the darkness, if there’s no light at the end?

Amazon KU

WOLF ON ICE (LOVE AT FIRST PUCK BOOK 1) by Kallie Frost and Harper B Cole

An alpha wolf’s family legacy…The son of famous ‘Slapshot’ Sandulff himself, Zane has big skates to fill. When the pressure becomes too much, he transfers to a school where he can keep his family happy by playing hockey, but without worrying about the pro shifter league catching wind of him.
Hoping to find himself, instead he discovers two brothers, an underdog team dreaming of making its mark, and an omega he can’t stop thinking about…An omega who hates playing…All Wesley wants to do is work his way toward a degree in journalism. Had he known actually playing a sport for a semester was a requirement, he would have chosen a different school. Now it’s too late and the only thing standing between him and his degree is the ice. Then he meets Zane. Thrown together to improve their game, neither expects the sparks to fly off of the ice too… As the championship game draws closer, Zane and Wesley have an unexpected deadline of their own; Wesley’s due date.   Amazon KU

BLACK SOUL WHITE HEART ( BLACK HAT BUREAU BOOK 3.5) by Hailey Edwards

Vonda Winterbourne is, sadly, a lady. Much to her regret. And her parents expect her to act like one. That includes marrying a nice white witch who can provide her safety, companionship, and all the comforts one could desire in their gilded cage. Hiram Nádasdy is no gentleman. He’s a black witch with a reputation that strikes terror in the hearts of his enemies. But not in the girl. No, the girl is fearless, reckless, and determined to know him. He ought to reveal the darkness lurking in his heart and scare her away before it’s too late, but he’s curious about her as well. And, frankly, he’s not sure it would work. Black witches don’t befriend white witches, and white witches don’t fall in love with black witches. They certainly don’t marry them. Or do they?               Amazon KU

FIGHT OR FLY (SECRET PACK BOOK 2) by Ember Blaze

After a lifetime of hiding, I’m about to share my heat with the pack that saved my life. Kam and I are in hiding after the Committee’s attempt to capture and expose us. Our old lives are over, and our new lives as part of the alphomic underground are just beginning. Before they do, we’ll take this chance to live and love as our kind was always meant to. A fleeting glimpse into a better, happier life, and then we’ll return to the fight to free our people from oppression. At least, that was the plan. When the operative who recruited us disappears after a meeting gone wrong, everything descends into chaos. As an upper-level member of the underground, Rhys Beckett has information that could raze the secret resistance group to the ground, taking all of us with it. Jax, Alex, and Flynn are determined to get him back before the worst happens—but when the would-be rescuers start disappearing one by one, our fragile new life is in danger of crumbling around us before it ever really started. In the end, a bitter enemy may be our only hope for survival. He may also be our ultimate downfall. 

Amazon KU

DELIVER MY HEART COWBOY: A TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE (HEARTS OF MULE STOP BOOK 2) by Jillie Rivers

When nineteenth-century rancher Bart James sends off for a mail-order bride, he doesn’t expect her to come from the future. She’s not exactly who he sent for, but one look at her makes him want to keep her. When modern-day Livia Morgan lands in 1895 Wyoming, the peace of the land soothes her traumatized soul, even as Bart excites her heart. But when she learns she’s arrived in place of his mail-order bride, whom she knows—from history—is murdered three days after coming to Wyoming, she and Bart must find the murderer, to keep Livia from suffering the same fate. Is it the cattle baron and his violent rustlers who are aiming to take Bart’s land and herd who did the deed? Or the mail-order bride’s disreputable brother, bent on stealing a fortune?    Amazon KU

ALPHA UNLEASHED (LOVE BY GLITTER BOMB BOOK 12) by Maggie Hemlock

Susten is free at last from the Rook and Feather Stronghold! With the help of his friends, Feral Moonscales’s used Moonscale Talon, and the Pheromone Swap dating and romping app he’s living his life to the fullest. Not interested in commitment or being tied down, he never sees any Alpha more than once and as far as he’s concerned, he can live this way forever. Besides, what’s the problem with sampling a bit of everything the world has to offer? Nathaniel Blake used to be a lion shifter. Now, after spending a decade as a captive stuck in his lion form, he figures he’s probably a human shifter. That is a lion that probably has a human form or at least would if he could outsmart Hasen, his warden and ringmaster of the all-shifter circus he’s forced to perform death defying stunts for every night when the lights are dimmed. If he were alone, the once firefighter would probably make a run for it, but his twin sister shares in his captivity. Making a break for freedom means risking her life too and that’s not something he’s willing to do for anything less than guaranteed freedom.
Both men’s lives will change forever when the circus arrives in Green Bay and their true-mate response kicks into full gear. The only question that remains is what happens when Nathaniel is unleashed, and a decade of rage pours out of him. Will love be enough to save him from himself?   Amazon KU

TAKEN FOR A PRIDE (PARANORMAL DATED AGENCY BOOK 37) by Milly Taiden

Exiled from her wolf pack, Savannah Rex is lucky to run into Gerri Wilder, though she has no idea that the matchmaker has a plan for her. She thinks Gerri is helping her get a new job, until she ends up colliding head-on with two very sexy lion shifters. Pride alpha, Diesel, and beta, Ryder, have plans to continue conquering the business world, but they can no longer deny something’s missing. With the help of the famed matchmaker, the two lions soon meet their match. And what an explosive meeting that is. Savannah is fiery, sexy and perfect for them. Now to convince her a triad is absolutely normal. Savannah challenges them in every way possible, but the wolf shifter has some unfinished business with her home pack. Can Ryder and Diesel persuade the sexy wolf to forget the ghosts of her past, or will continued assassination attempts force her to forget the future she could have with the lions?                  Amazon KU

MAKE MINE A BEAR (MATED BY CHANCE BOOK 3) by Harper B Cole and Colbie Dunbar

VS Note: From DEC 12

Bear shifter Terrell’s collection of antique books is his passion. When he discovers that an antique bookstore is opening in town, he’s one of the first people at their door. Terrell crosses his fingers that he’ll finally fulfill his quest and locate a first edition copy of his great-grandfather’s book. It might only be worth a few dollars to most, but to him it’s priceless. When Joe brings some misdelivered mail to his elderly neighbor, he finds the man crying, a soaking wet book in his hand. He soon discovers that it was the first book his neighbor ever owned and it wasn’t water that spilled on it—it was cranberry juice. After comforting him, Joe makes it his mission to find another copy, leading him to a new antique book store in town. Both men find more than they’re looking for at the shop, when a small piece of paper falls out of their books with directions to meet at the local dog park. If it weren’t for the quirky owner, neither of them would’ve thought anything of it—but with Mr. Lucas, you can never be sure. They both take a chance and head to the dog park, but are they willing to take a chance on love?               Amazon KU

VAMPIRES WILL BE VAMPIRES (FANGS AND FEATHERS BOOK 3) by Isla Frost

The supernaturals banished the gods from earth. They should have done a better job. My life, as I know it, is over. My beloved career, my purpose, my very identity has been ripped from me. Because I now possess the devil’s magic. And no one around me is safe. Oh, and my dragon ex-partner-in-action wants my help saving the world. Again. But this time the enemy is no mere magically gifted human. I’m facing a vampire who’s been around for a millennium, maybe two, and who has more money, experience, and influence than I can possibly imagine. A vampire who’s somehow murdering the last remaining immortals. And if that’s not enough, he’s backed by a goddess. I thought my new devil’s magic was too much power for anyone to possess. But I’m terrified it won’t be enough to stop what’s coming.                     Amazon KU

WINTER WOLF by C A Hall

VS Note: From DEC 14

Alana doesn’t believe in fate. She doesn’t believe in second chances, either. But when a wolf pulls her out of the ice, not even Alana’s swan can keep her from taking notice. Fay’s kind, beautiful, and everything Alana isn’t. From being a predator to moving away from her pack, Fay lives a life Alana would do anything to have. So when Fay suggests they start a fake relationship to spice up the holidays, Alana jumps at the idea. A new relationship is just the excuse she needs to skip out on visiting her folks. Falling for the she-wolf wasn’t part of the plan, but as the holidays come to an end, Alana finds herself fearing her flight home more than ever before. Can Alana find the strength to break away from her flock, or are her family’s expectations of her stronger than her heart?   AmazonKU

HIGHLANDER’S MERMAID: TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE (THE MATHESON BROTHERS BOOK 13) by Joanne Wadsworth

VS Note: From DEC 22

Lilias adores the depths of the sea, but when scales form on her legs, she discovers she’s Changing. Becoming something else. Something otherworldly. The top half of her body is still human, but her lower half is now morphing into that of a fish and soon, she’ll no longer be able to walk on land. In all her eight-hundred years, nothing like this has ever happened to her or any of her fellow water fae. She needs answers—and to find the eldest of her fae kind who’s gone missing—except it seems there is only one man who can aid her in her mission. His name is Levi Matheson, and he’s a fae-blooded shifter from a time far in the future. Never has Levi met a more maddening, stunning…um, woman/mermaid like Lilias? Intent on aiding her in her mission, he is sent hurtling across the realms with her. She’s evolving right before his eyes, and he’s running out of time. What’s worse? He’s also one-hundred percent certain she’s his fated mate. Which leaves one gaping problem. How on earth does he complete the bond with her when she has a tail?

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

CHARLIE FOXTROT 101: THE WARRIOR BOOK 2 by Martha Carr and Michael Anderle

Idina Moorfield is officially a soldier in the army – with a little extra firepower. Her dark and magical little secret. Can she keep the new powers under control? Jump School may be her undoing.  It takes focus, determination, and steely courage to face her fears and jump out of a C-130 aircraft from 1,200 feet. That’s exactly what brings Idina’s abilities forward at inconvenient moments. Her magical abilities are acting up and changing. Visions of someone else’s past pop up at the wrong time. In them, voices talk about the Warrior. Is Idina the new Warrior? Can she put together the pieces of her family’s mysterious past to understand what is going on in her present and future? She’s determined to earn her Wings despite it all. But there are creature out there wanting her to fall. She has to figure out how to fight them on an Army base and not have her magic discovered. Will she succeed? Or will she have to explain and risk the curiosity or wrath of the US Army?               Amazon KU

THE VAMPIRE STAYED FOR BREAKFAST (PARUNTHUPURAM DAYS by Juna Ratnam

VS Note: From DEC 8. Reviewers mostly seemed to like the story but be disappointed it was so short and hoped the author will write more stories in the future.

What do you do when you’re locked out of your ex’s basement apartment twenty minutes before sunrise? Seduce the neighbour, of course. Stranded for the day in a shabby apartment corridor, the vampire Aserad turns his charm (read: unbridled curiosity) on Selan, the unsuspecting human next door. Then he discovers he actually likes this strange spreadsheet nerd—and Selan might have secrets of his own. The Vampire Stayed for Breakfast is part of Parunthupuram Days, a new urban fantasy series set in a queernorm city with desi vibes.            Amazon KU

THE MASKED FAE (ROYAL FAE OF THE ROSE BRIAR WOODS BOOK 1) by Shari L Tapscott

Never make a bargain with one of the Fae. It’s a rule everyone knows…and yet it’s one Alice’s family seems to ignore. After her brother loses their entire family fortune in a wager he cannot afford, Alice ventures into the Rose Briar Woods to make a deal with the formidable Fae marquis who now owns her family’s estate—a portrait in exchange for her brother’s freedom. But instead of Lord Ambrose, the young artist meets a mysterious masked man who saves her when her carriage is attacked by goblins. Even though he warns her to leave the woods, Alice finds herself working in the marquis’s manor. Right away, Alice realizes Lord Ambrose is not what she expects. He’s kind when the Fae are supposed to be cold, and he’s generous even though he wants to be rid of her. And more, he’s hiding a painful past—one that seems to have something to do with Alice herself. Soon, Alice is torn between the handsome marquis and the dashing masked bandit who continues to visit her in the evenings, but her heart tells her something is amiss. Because it seems very likely the two men Alice is taken with just might be the same man.         Amazon KU

RETURN TO THE HOLLOW (MISFIT PROTECTION PROGRAM BOOK 2) by Cassandra Featherstone

It is neither intelligent nor polite to tell a true Southern woman with a gun she can’t do somethingBut after I was informed my career with the F.B.I. was dead in the water, I packed up what little pride i had left and returned to my hometown. The one I never thought I’d ever set foot in again. Whistler’s Hollow. When I left the Hollow 14 years ago, I never intended to return. But now I’m living in my childhood home, surrounded by hot guys, mischievous animals, and enough mystery for me to put my considerable talents to good use. Nothing is what it seems in this small Southern town, but I’m determined to unravel the tangled web of my past–before it destroys my future.       Amazon KU

BEAR’S MIDLIFE BABY (SHIFTER NATION: FATED OVER FORTY) by Meg Ripley

Having a baby at my age is crazy enough. Try throwing another species into the mix. At 45, I never dreamed I’d be starting over. But here I am, newly single in a new little town. My BFF dragged me out on New Year’s Eve to celebrate my next chapter, And a pair of stunning blue eyes caught my attention. I definitely wasn’t there to find a new man, But when I felt my cheeks burning at the sight of him, I knew it wasn’t just another damn hot flash. So when he asked me to go back to his place to ring in the new year, He didn’t have to ask twice. But we ended up sharing much more than one wild night. I’m technically old enough to be a grandmother, but now I’m pregnant. On top of that? I just found out he’s part bear. As in not human. In that case, what exactly is growing in my belly? And how can I know I’ll be safe?                   Amazon KU

WALK FASTER: TERRITORY WALK BOOK 2 by Kelsey Soliz

And on to the next territory to find my third mate. It is just one, right? Oh, good. Caden is all healed up and Brett still makes me want to punch him in the face, but now we’ve got other problems to face. Namely, what seems to be some sort of stalker situation with a deranged suitor claiming we’re ‘meant to be’. My mates think he’s crazy, but I can’t help but feel like it’s important that we meet.
So do I walk faster towards, him or away? And why does running sound like such a good idea when everything that I thought was solid falls into shambles? Everything is about to change, some of it has already changed, and other things are best left to the dream realm, where I have absolute control.   Amazon KU

CAUGHT BY THE HUNTER (DISTANT FAIRY TALES BOOK 2) by Viola Grace

An accidental meeting leads to a connection that will last forever… if they ever meet again. Ejected from her home, Nyna is forced to run across the city to her grandmother’s house. If she had known it was the night of her first heat, she might have jumped into the sewers instead of trying to outrun the huntsmen of the Overlord of Y’tel. Trapped in a colony city, she runs as fast as she can wearing her red cloak. The canine heads of the Lyron hunters focus on her, but they are waiting for the bell that lets them hunt. She hates that damned bell. Sornoth sees the flicker of red, catches her scent, and waits impatiently, quickly beating the fellow huntsmen who would have pursued her before he chases after her himself. When he catches her, the taste of her burns itself into his brain, and after he marks her, he sends her on to her destination. It will be two and a half years before they meet again, and when he meets his son for the first time, things change.

Amazon

WHAT THE HEX? (THE FAMILY SPELLS BOOK 2) by C M Stunich

My demon ex has me trapped in a devil’s bargain. My mother is dying, and I need the help of my soulmates to save her: all four of my soulmates. That means I’ll have to rescue the half-witch, Hex Sorciere, from his evil coven before the clock runs out on Mom’s curse. The only person who can help me do that is Monster, the demon prince whose skin is literally tattooed with an aphrodisiac that I can’t resist. Once upon a time, he pulled me into his arms and into darkness: I can’t let that happen again. Crash Hex’s wedding to a demon mafia princess, stop the curse rotting my mother’s body, and visit the families of my vampire, werewolf, and fae husbands to stop a demon-witch war. What the hex is a busy mom, business owner, and wife of three gorgeous men supposed to do? Take her cursed pistols, her broom, and her best heels, and kick some serious a**, that’s what.   Amazon KU

BOUNTY CLAIMED (SOLSTICE HUNTRESS BOOK 2) by  Lindsey Devin

A fae serial killer is on the loose targeting humans and I’ve been brought in to track him down. Except there’s a catch—I have to work alongside Corbin Frost again. Corbin is hot as hell and acts as if he owns me because he’s the only one who knows about my unusual fae powers. The reason he hasn’t turned me in is because I’ve got dirt on him, too. Dirt about his hidden demon side, which I think might secretly like me. It doesn’t matter that I might feel the same. If we want to survive this case, we’ll have to keep our wits about us. This serial killer leaves his victims unrecognizable. He’s bad news, and I’ll do whatever it takes to bring the sadist to justice. Even if it means going to the one place I shouldn’t—the land of the Fae. To remain unnoticed, I’ll need to rely on protective magic and put my trust in Corbin, although it could get me killed.                  Amazon KU

EBONY’S LEGACY YEAR THREE (LEGACY ACADEMY BOOK 7) by M L Guida

I know Gunnar is my true mate but I’m forbidden to tell him how I feel. It gets even worse because a vampire royal wants to claim me and I only have to until the end of this school year to figure how to control my own life and choose the man I love.                 Amazon KU

TEMPTED BY FIRE (BLOOD OATH BOOK 2) by J A Carter

Taken by one enemy and held captive by another, Calla is forced deeper into the supernatural world of power games and deceit, used in a vicious attempt to gain leverage over the vampires she’s bound to. But she isn’t about to be a pawn—not again. Haunted by his dark and bloody past, Gabriel may have no choice but to reunite with the woman from his nightmares to get Calla back, while Atlas, Kade, and Lex are left to deal with the vampire hunters, an age-old threat that has made a deadly, modern-day comeback. When Calla finally gets the answers she’s been searching for and discovers there are more dangerous things than the men she wants to hate but her body craves, she must face the reality that letting herself care about them only gives her more to lose. And with enemies closing in on all sides, she could lose everything.                  Amazon KU

SCORCHED (EMBLAZONED BOOK 1) by J D Light

Aidyn Blackburn is a human, fighting in a dragon’s world. He’s had one mission since his mother died ten years before… Find the dragon responsible for killing her and make him pay. He’s spent the last decade learning to fight dragons and bouncing around from dragon cune to dragon cune, searching for any information he can find. He didn’t expect to find something else when he ventured into the territory of the the Valen Cune. Specifically, he didn’t expect to find Dux, their leader. When his attempts at strong-arming information out of the man doesn’t work, his slightly… softer approach backfires on both of them. Nothing changes a destiny faster than a baby. But just because they’re having a child together, doesn’t mean Dux wants him to stay, right? This isn’t a damn fairytale. Oh, and what about Aidyn’s revenge? And how the hell is he supposed to keep a diaper on a kid that can shift from human to dragon and back in the span of a sneeze?               Amazon KU

WHAT IF (PSYCHIC VISION BOOK 20) by Dale Mayer

What If …Detective Abigail Cartwright has earned a reputation for solving weird homicide cases, but, when she’s called to a lecture hall at the local university, she faces the oddest one yet. During a What If … lecture, run by soon-to-be-retired Professor Gertrude Milligan, two students died. Without any signs of how or why. Confused, Abby digs in to solve the mystery, only to find several old cases connect—or do they? Were the two students murdered, or was something else going on? Professor Leon Wellington is worried about his aunt Gertie. Their personal history was bad enough, but to have two of her favorite students die right in front of her has left her shocked and grieving. How can she not be a prime suspect in this case? Then she goes missing …When the past collides with the present, the stakes are higher than ever, as a killer realizes how close he is to losing everything.

Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

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VS: The next book in my STAR CRUISE  series is Mystery Dancer. I’ve always been fascinated by the legend of the Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia – did she survive the killing of her entire family? Were any of the women who claimed to be her telling the truth? I thought it would be a unique challenge to re-tell the story in a science fiction setting and having her on the run, trying to escape assassins by auditioning for the dance troupe on the cruise ship Nebula Zephyr was a natural fit.

STAR CRUISE MYSTERY DANCER: Tassia Megg is a woman on the run after the death of her elderly guardian. She needs to get off the planet in a hurry when chance directs her to an open dance audition for the luxury cruise liner Nebula Zephyr’s resident troupe. One thing Tassia can do is dance.

Security Officer Liam Austin is suspicious of the newest performer to join the Comettes. She shows all the signs of being a woman on the run and seems to fit the Sectors-wide broadcast description of a missing thief, accused of stealing priceless artifacts. As he gets to know Tassia during the cruise, he starts to wonder if she’s something more – a long vanished princess in hiding from deadly political enemies of her family perhaps?

And what’s the story with the three eyed feline companion other crew members swear Tassia brought aboard the ship? Does the animal even exist?

As the ship approaches its next port of call, all the issues come to a boil and Liam must decide if he’ll step in to help Tassia or betray her. F’rrh the alien cat is the key to the mystery and Tassia’s fate.

A science fiction romance take on the Anastasia tale…

Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo      Nook      GooglePlay

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

December 29

December 22

December 15

December 8

December 1

“New” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  And I may mention ‘special items’.

I do NOT cover every single new release in SFR/FantasyR/PNR. I never have. That would be an impossible task for any human! I assemble my list by hand every week based on various informal inputs, and I do curate the list to some extent…

Some authors aren’t in KU but still don’t list books with Apple or other platforms. This report is very time consuming to prepare so I’ve always had to limit myself and cannot go and look up every book on all the platforms. If an author gives me their other buy links, I include them here but generally I develop the post on my own, not from author-supplied information. I curate and prepare this post individually every week to help connect readers/books/authors and I have to be very careful not to give it so much time as an activity that I don’t write my own novels! Thanks for the feedback and happy reading!

I check and verify all the buy links at the time I create the post  but after that I’m not responsible.

Required Statement: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifiying purchases.

Required Statement: As an Apple Books Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Tell Me About You Weekend Writing Warriors Snippet

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

May be edited a bit from published version.

I’m Taking excerpts from my new release KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE.

The excerpt, from the beginning of the book, after Kyden went to investigate an outcry in the gladiators’ assembly room and found two women who say their presence is a mistake. He takes the girls to his cell. As the top gladiator in the Five Systems, he has more of a room than most and a private bathroom. Continuing on from last week, I’ve skipped over a bit of conversation and now Elara asks him,

“Tell me about you.”

Self-defensiveness rose in Kyden immediately, like a force field. Crossing his arms, he leaned back in the chair until the frame creaked in protest. “Nothing much to tell. I have an official bio on the gladiator trideo page.”

“Yes and I’ll look at it again more closely now,” she said. “But I want to know more about the man who rescued me, not the statistics of his fights and kills.”

Kyden shook his head. “There’s no point. This is where I must be and who I am now. The past is over and done with.”

Eyebrows raised, she studied him. “Such a terrible finality in your voice. I’m sorry you have to fight tomorrow now, because you wanted to save us.”

Rolling his shoulders, Kyden was unconcerned by the prospect. “A midweek exhibition is not a big deal. There won’t even be a crowd. I probably won’t even break a sweat and certainly am in no danger. Don’t romanticize my efforts.”

What she would have said next he was never to know because there was a loud disruption in the corridor and the next thing he knew, armed men had broken down his unlocked cell door. Swiftly he placed himself in front of the women, ignoring the blasters pointed at him.

VS: Seems like a good place to stop, right? (Grins wickedly.) More next week.

KYDEN: BADARI GLADIATORS SERIES BOOK ONE by Veronica Scott

Kyden is the top ranked gladiator in the Five Systems but he’s hardly there by choice. Unscrupulous guards faked his death in the lab where he was created and sold him into slavery in the galaxy’s hinterlands. He has no idea where his home is or how many years have passed since he was condemned to a life of endless combat. Kill or be killed is the rule and a Badari never gives up. He’ll fight to stay alive until the Badari goddess sees fit to decree his death.

Elara Vasclavian is the daughter of a senator, as far removed from the life of a gladiator as a noblewoman can be until through the machinations of a political enemy, she ends up in terrible jeopardy. Abducted and given to a group of drunken gladiators for their amusement the night before the games, Elara vows to put up a fight but there’s no real hope of saving herself. Until Kyden steps in, responding to the goddess’s commandment to protect those who are smaller and weaker. And discovers she’s his fated mate.

Rescued, Elara returns to her life of privilege but she can’t forget the man who saved her life. The gulf between their places in the Five Systems is unbridgeable, no matter how much Kyden longs for even a glimpse of her in the arena audience. No matter how much she feels the pull to be by his side. As matters stand, they cannot be together…Or can they?

KYDEN is the first book in a new series, spun off from my ongoing Badari Warriors series. Kyden is a Generation Five Badari whereas the main characters in the long running series are from a later time and are Generation Eight. This new series stands alone and you don’t have to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one. I couldn’t resist the temptation to tell a few other Badari stories, set in the galaxy’s Hinterlands, and who can resist gladiators?

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