New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday August 2

twoAs 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).

VS Note: I have a New Release!!!!

TWO AGAINST THE STARS by Veronica Scott

Empathic priestess Carialle has escaped the evil Amarotu Combine, but she’s hardly out of danger. Not when she risks everything to rescue a drugged man from a crooked veterans’ clinic. By lulling the clinic staff to sleep, she reveals her powers. And once again, criminals are after her and her rescuer.

Marcus Valerian, a wounded Special Forces veteran, never expected to have his life threatened by the clinic that’s supposed to help ex-soldiers like him. But when he wakes from a drugged state to find a lovely woman urging him to run–he does. In his family’s remote fishing cabin, he suffers the agony of withdrawal, soothed only by her powers.

In their idyllic hideaway, the two also discover a nova-hot attraction flaring. But can they stay alive long enough for it to become more? Not if the Combine has anything to say–they are not giving up until Marcus is dead and Carialle is their weapon

Buy Links:

Amazon     iBooks     Barnes & Noble  Kobo

 

space babiesSPACE BABIES by Rena Marks

An antiquated ship, rotating through the galaxy of a deserted planet, bears immediate investigation.

Helian Six boards the abandoned vessel to find the long-lost inhabitants in a state of stasis. But the systems are failing, and half a dozen have woken up. The planet below shows long dead bodies, poisoned by the scum of space, a species known as Gorgians.

Strangely, the few who have awakened are much smaller than their planetary predecessors. And not very intelligent.
Determined to believe the cute, tiny beings are not pets, the crew of Helian Six decides to train the small warriors to defend the planet. They become the laughingstock of patrol, however, after they commit and realize it will take twenty-two cycles to “rear” the inhabitants.

So they do what any intelligent males would do. Kidnap teachers. And if the females can’t manage to avert their eyes from their buff physiques, well, score!

Amazon     iBooks

breaking the admiralBREAKING THE ADMIRAL (SPACE GRIT BOOK 7) by Ella Drake

When her personal ad for a husband is answered with a deal to secure the position of the alien Scoriah, Admiral Lucinda Ryan takes it. All she wants is a marriage of convenience: a man in her bed, her ex unable to claim legal hold on her family, and a trained killer to protect her daughter. If he growls while she makes him burn, all the better–as long as all that heat stays in her cabin where it belongs.

Tay Bronson sacrifices himself to keep his family safe. If he has to have intimate relations with a human who can’t tell him and his brothers apart, at least he can make her beg for her pleasure. Or at least, that’s the plan. But when she introduces him to his insta-daughter whose sleep is disturbed nightly by what she claims is a ghost, he gets more than he bargained for. Keeping his family safe now means facing monsters he never saw coming.

Amazon     iBooks

moraxMORAX (THE TELLOX BOOK 2) by Kelly Lucille

VS Note: Recommended by Reader Elizabeth N

Morax is a Tellox, built for the sole purpose of battle and the hunt. An assassin during the great wars, he has lived most of his life in the shadows. Even among his own kind he is feared.

Creeg made a place for him among his chosen men and, along with a handful of others, they have formed the only family Morax has known. Now a blood mate has been found among the humans of Earth, and that family is threatened…

Amazon

queen killerQUEEN KILLER (LEGACY HUNTER BOOK 1) by Chris Heinicke and Kate Reedwood

Stardrives.
Powerful, beautiful, bio-mimetic energy in its purest form. A benevolent gift meant to launch humanity into a new age of space travel. They were the hope for the future. The key to the next stage in human discovery.
But every gift has its price.

Nearly a thousand years after Earth took its place in the network of galactic commerce, the planet is depleted of resources and on the edge of collapse. Can stardrive technology bring the Earth back to life? Adventurer Axel Ryan is betting his life that it can. But there aren’t any stardrives left to be found on Earth, and ships capable of interstellar travel are hard to come by. His only choice is to enlist the aid of mercenary pirates to steal one. With the stakes high, and the future of Earth on the line, does it matter he’ll have to betray the love of his life?

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer has always been Element Cruz’s motto. And it couldn’t be more true with Axel Ryan. Drugged, abandoned, and her ship stolen, she’s more than ready to let the price on his head kill him. Except Axel holds the key to saving humanity. And if there’s one thing Ellie can’t refuse, it’s the chance to win.

Amazon     iBooks

alien awakeningALIEN AWAKENING (ALIEN MINE SERIES BOOK 2) by Sandra Harris

VS Note: This was recommended by a reader but  frankly the reviews are pretty mixed. I have not read this or the first book. As always, please decide for yourself!

Stranded on the far side of the Galaxy, psychologist Kathryn Holden has done her best to help her fellow abductees—both human and non-human—adjust to their new life in an alien civilisation. Setting out to explore her new home and search for that last elusive fragment of her own peace of mind, she discovers a perfectly preserved underground city with no evidence of a population . . . and an Artificially Sentient Intelligence bent on protecting her from anything or anyone.

T’Hargen Mhartak, sector head for covert operations for the Angrigan, Magran & Legolopanth Alliance, once deluded himself that the human woman, Kathryn Holden, held the key to lighting the darkness shrouding his soul…

Amazon

raidRAID by K S Merbeth

VS Note: Not clear to me if there’s romance but apparently the heroine is very kickass.

Clementine is a bounty hunter in a world gone mad.

Bound and gagged in her passenger seat is the most revered and reviled raider king in the eastern wastes. She can’t cash him in and she can’t let him go, so together they cross the wasteworld, following a dying road and dodging bloodthirsty raiders who either want to free Jedediah or claim him as their own.

And in a world where lawlessness reigns, a tyrant worse than they could have ever imagined emerges to take the throne.

Amazon     iBooks

domikuDOMIKU (SEDUCED BY THE GLADIATOR BOOK 3) by Margo Bond Collins

Earth-2 envoy Hannah James wanted to go off-planet to gain new experiences. She didn’t anticipate falling in love with not one, but three, of Lurra’s gladiators.

But now that she’s decided to stay to be with them, she might never get the chance—outside forces working against them might end their romances before she ever gets to tell the three men how she feels.

And if they all survive, they could spark a change that will echo throughout the entire galaxy.

Amazon

mine to keepMINE TO KEEP by Jenika Snow

No one would stop me from keeping her as mine.

OTTO: The world that was once known is gone. In its place is a society where the rich rule, and the female population are auctioned off to the highest bidder.

I am more primitive than most, living off the grid and surviving on my own. I am a loner, a man who has needs and desires, and I am about to do something about it.

I may not be wealthy enough to purchase a female for myself, but I’ll have one as mine regardless.

And anyone who tries to stop me will see exactly the type of man I am, and the lengths I’ll go to claim a woman as my own.

SANSA: I lost the only two people I loved, my parent who hid me away from a barbaric society that wanted nothing more than to sell my body.

Being alone was consuming, and I didn’t know how much more I could take.

Then I found myself injured, on the verge of unconsciousness, and in the middle of nowhere. When I wake I’m in a strange cabin, and the man who is just feet from me looks at me as if he owns me.

He’s big, strong and muscular, and seems more animal than human.

And he’s told me I’m his now.

Amazon

alien prices pregnant fake fianceeALIEN PRINCE’S PREGNANT FAKE FIANCEE by Desiree Hunt

VS Note: I kid you not on that title.

Volex needs a girlfriend, fast. His mother, tired of his scandalous behavior, has given him an ultimatum: Pick a bride at the ball she’s holding in his honor the next evening, or lose his privileges as a crown prince of Vertar forever.

Volex has no intention of settling down, and especially not with one of the power-hungry princesses his mother has lined up. However, he also doesn’t want to lose his privileges. What he needs is a woman who can pose as his fiancée for a few days…and she needs to be convincing.

Enter Celestial Mates! All he needs to do is get the infamous dating agency to find him that special someone to accompany him to the ball, and then he can beam her back home. It’s a perfect plan, except…

He doesn’t expect the woman they pair him with to be so attractive.
He doesn’t expect to fall in love.
And he really doesn’t expect to get her pregnant.

Amazon

vega fallingVEGA FALLING (TETHERED WINGS BOOK 2) by Sabine Priestley

VS Note: I really enjoyed book 1 in this series so this is definitely on my TBR List.

Vega grows stronger the more sensari use it as their sanctum from the brutal caste system of Mandori. And leader Damon Forester will stop at nothing to keep it safe from their enemies.

Until Tara Newton, a hacker with a troubled past, stumbles upon some of his measures. No human should have been able to breach his shifter’s protective essence and locate the code hidden in Vega’s financial systems.

That makes her a dangerous oddity–one his other half demands more of.

As Mandori ups its game, threatening the entire sensari population of Vega, Damon loses his presidency, and possibly the woman his shifter has claimed for mate.

Amazon     iBooks

dragonswornDRAGONSWORN (DARK HUNTER NOVELS) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

There is nothing in the universe the cursed dragon, Falcyn, hates more than humanity . . . except Greek humans. In a war he wanted no part of, they systematically destroyed everything he’d ever cared for. Now he waits for the day when evolution will finally rid him of the human vermin.

Medea was born the granddaughter of the Greek god Apollo, and among the first of his people that he cursed to die. But she will not let anyone rule her life. Not even her notorious grandfather. And when Apollo sends a new plague to destroy what remains of her people, she refuses to stand by and watch him take everything she loves from her again.

This time, she knows of a secret weapon that can stop the ancient god and his army of demons. Once and for all. However, said device is in the hands of a dragon who wants nothing to do with politics, the gods, humanity, demons or Apollites. And especially not her. He is the immovable object.

She is the unstoppable force . . .

When Apollo makes a strategic move that backfires, he forces Falcyn back into play. Now Medea either has the weapon she needs to save her people, or she’s unleashed total Armageddon. If she can’t find some way to control the dragon before it’s too late, Falcyn will be an even worse plague on the world than the one Apollo has set loose. But how can anyone control a demonic dragon whose sole birthright is world annihilation?

Amazon     iBooks

stone cold foxSTONE COLD FOX (COUGARVILLE) by Evangeline Anderson

Cougarville’s mechanic, and resident Alpha fox, shelters a mysterious woman who ignites his protective animal instincts when evil forces try to tear them apart.

Jo Ferrell has been cast out of her home for reasons she doesn’t understand. The grey streak in her hair is gone, her body is younger, and there’s an ominous shadow chasing her. With nowhere else to go, Jo finds shelter in a shed whose owner she wants nothing to do with—but he’s too much to resist.

Reese Cooper has never felt a pull towards a woman like he does towards Jo and his Fox is desperate to claim her as their mate. After offering her a place to stay, Reese finds it difficult to resist his beautiful new roommate. But when dark magic threatens their happiness, Reese will use all of his strength to protect the woman he loves…if he’s not too late.

Amazon     iBooks

breath takingBREATH TAKING (ST LEASING BOOK 2) by L P Maxa

VS Note: Apparently a shifter romance.

From the minute he saw Molly Page, Keller Byrne sensed the beautiful yoga instructor was his forever. But he didn’t want the forever life, and he damn sure wasn’t good enough for Molly even if he did. Plan A? Keep his hands to himself and mind his manners. But Fate has other ideas. So plan B is to make her his.

Molly Page doesn’t play games. She’s into Keller, and she could swear the sexy St. Leasing baseball coach is into her, too. But he’s never touched her and is the perfect Southern gentleman–until one of the FBI agents investigating the school makes a move on her. Then, hoo-boy, the alpha comes out. Now Keller can’t keep his hands off her, and, apparently, that has consequences that last a lifetime. Which is all Molly ever wanted.

Amazon     iBooks

alpha bears magicianTHE ALPHA BEAR’S MAGICIAN by Jasmine Wylder

Mandy Hicks is an earth mage who has been unlucky in love. Her controlling, possessive father stopped her from having normal relationships with boys as she grew up, and she doesn’t think she’ll ever find true love…until Daniel Andrews steps into her life.

Daniel Andrews has a reputation, and not a good one. After the death of his father, he became alpha of his bear clan and was determined to serve them to the best of his ability. Unfortunately, his less-than-perfect teenage years left a black stain that he is constantly trying to move past. Meeting Mandy, with her thick curves, turns his world up-side down. That emotional and physical attraction…a mage…his mate…no way.

Before either of them can do anything about it, an ancient vampire with the ability to enthrall people resurrects from her grave and threatens to destroy all they love. With the world at stake, romance has to go on the back burner… but passion refuses to be denied. Daniel and Mandy have to find a way to defeat her before all is lost. Will they? Find out.

Amazon

star witchSTAR WITCH (THE LAZY GIRL’S GUIDE TO MAGIC BOOK 2) by Helen Harper

VS Note: Reader Elizabeth N suggested this series…

Ivy Wilde, the laziest witch in the West, is still entangled with the Hallowed Order of Magical Enlightenment. That’s not a bad thing, however, because it gives her plenty of excuses to spend more time with sapphire eyed Raphael Winter, her supposed nemesis. And when he comes knocking because he needs her to spy on the latest series of Enchantment, she jumps at the chance. Hanging around a film set can’t be hard … or dangerous … right?

Amazon

huenHUEN (ZHEKAN MATES BOOK 2) by E A James

Aine’s life was little more than insignificant. She was orphaned at a young age in the neighboring kingdom of Glasule and adopted out of convenience by a Zhekan peasant family who needed another pair of hands to help around the home. Aine’s days were tedious and uneventful.

Until…

Huen Covendane is a royal cousin of the Zhekan monarchy and he despises his place among his own. The men of Zheka are meant to be warriors, bathed in blood. Huen’s lifelong pursuit of knowledge has made him an outcast in his own family and they continue to pressure him to wed and take his place alongside the great warriors of Zheka.

Huen’s rebellion against his station not only threatens his own life, but perhaps the lives of the entire kingdom of Zheka. But when Aine Brevenswood comes into his life he must fight to win her affection and save their lives…

Will their forbidden love tear the kingdom apart? Or will they triumph and overcome against all odds?

Amazon

every memory of youEVERY MEMORY OF YOU by Linda Mooney

VS Note: An elephant shifter story…

Traveling with the circus since he was twelve, the carny life was all Toby Pach knew, the only place he fit in. From strong man to clean-up crew, he had many jobs, but he spent most of his time working with the elephants, who he had more in common with than most people knew.

When Toby sees the newest act and member of the family, a dark-haired beauty named Kai, he’s enamored. Could she be the one who will accept him, both sides of him?

Kai Omanpang, one half of a knife-throwing act, is tired of traveling from one Big Top to another. She’s ready to settle down, ready to put down some roots, but she can’t convince her father of that. Maybe this circus will be different, and they will be part of the main event after all. When she meets Tobias the Mighty, she’s intrigued by the gentle giant, but he has secrets.

With an unexpected onslaught of protestors, shootings, and a string of bad luck, something’s got to give. Is it the newcomers’ fault? Or is it time to hang up the ringmaster hat once and for all? Circuses are a dying pastime, but the memories they incur will last a lifetime.

Amazon     iBooks

seal wolf undercoverSEAL WOLF UNDERCOVER by Terry Spear

Never be so foolish as to fall for the enemy…
Special wolf agent Jillian Matthews has joined the jaguar-run United Shifter Force to track down a deadly criminal. She’s even willing to work with PI Vaughn Greystroke—until the hot, growly SEAL wolf makes the mistake of getting in her way. Naturally, she shoots him. Who could blame her?

Vaughn Greystroke has always worked alone. But when a string of attempted murders puts him in the crosshairs, teaming up with the Shifter Force begins to sound like a good idea. Even if he has to work with alluring—and potentially treacherous—Jillian Matthews. Vaughn is a trained SEAL, after all. He can surely keep his distance from Jillian…no matter how much she’s getting under his skin.

Amazon     iBooks

wolfs mateWOLF’S MATE (SHIFTER ROGUES) by Celia Kyle

Cougar shifter Abby Carter always plays it safe. That’s why she’s an accountant–no excitement, no danger, and no cocky alpha males. She loves her quiet life, but fate has other plans. When Abby uncovers the shady dealings of an anti-shifter organization, she’ll have to trust the too-sexy-for-her-peace-of-mind werewolf Declan Reed… or end up six feet under.
Declan Reed is starting over. After two years with Shifter Operations Command, it’s time to put his past behind him. Now Declan is the only thing standing between the gorgeous Abby and an early grave, and if he’s going to have any chance of keeping her alive, he’ll have to embrace the darkness he’s fought to keep at bay. But first he has to convince Abby that there’s no safer place in the world than the arms of a big bad werewolf.
never dare a dragonNEVER DARE A DRAGON (BOSTON DRAGONS BOOK 3) by Ashlyn Chase

You think it’s tough being a dragon? It’s a piece of cake compared to being a phoenix shifter. Dragon shifters just have to worry about accidentally setting their stuff (or a loved one) on fire. A phoenix can rise from the ashes, but then they have to start over…as if growing up once wasn’t tough enough..

Meet Lt. Jayce Fierro of the Boston Fire Department, and Kristine Scott of the FDNY. A long distance relationship could never work—especially not with the secrets they’re keeping. But when Kristine lands herself in a blaze of trouble, she’s in no position to turn down Jayce’s help. Even if it means letting down their guards…and giving in to their sizzling attraction.

AmazoniBooks

billionwere needs a mate

THE BILLION-WERE NEEDS A MATE by Georgette St. Clair

Werewolf. Billionaire. Bastard. Husband? There’s no way that Taylor Stockdale is marrying her rude, arrogant, sexy boss. Unfortunately, billionaire CEO Cliff Bronson’s not the kind of man who takes no for an answer. He holds the fate of Taylor’s best friend in his hands – and he’s willing to bargain for Taylor’s hand in marriage. But he’s openly avoided her for the past year, so why is he suddenly demanding a wedding – before the next full moon? And why did he call her his “mate”? And why does everyone in the little town of Hidden Hills act so weird once a month?
Cliff Bronson has made a terrible mistake. He’d been long-distance lusting after the curvy secretary for the past year – he likes her smart mouth as much as her full figure. The second he met Taylor in person, he knew that she was his, and he knew she was a werewolf – he smelled it on her. So, as was his right, he demanded that she be his mate. Unfortunately, it turns out that Taylor has no idea of what she is, and the first rule of being a werewolf is, nobody talks about being a werewolf. Now it’s a race against time to convince her that she’s his one and only – before his pack enacts their terrible and ancient law calling for the death of any human who learns of their existence.

Amazon

harem of chaosHAREM OF CHAOS by Mia Church

As the daughter of Chaos, I expect a bit of upheaval in my life. But I fled my mother’s realm, tired of being a pawn in her games, and seeking peace. What I found was a trap.

The demigods my mother sent to bring me back are all so delicious in their own way, part of me wants to go with them. But I know what awaits me.

Can I convince them to stay on earth with me? All of them? And if I do, how will I keep them safe when Chaos rains down upon us?

Amazon

 

 

 

sanctuarySANCTUARY by Teresa Gabelman

Drowning in debt, the owner of Stone’s Wolf Sanctuary, Gemma Stone, is as exhausted as she is determined. Not only does she have to win over frightened, injured wolves daily, but she’s tired of those threatening to close her sanctuary down.

It’s not until Eric Jackson walked into her life that she sees a light at the end of the lonely tunnel she’s been traveling. To the surprise of both, they have more in common than either could have ever imagined.

Amazon

 

 

 

heiress of lightHEIRESS OF LIGHT by Ashlyn Allbrook 

Born into a dying kingdom, Princess Elena of Garius is certain her intelligence and compassion would make her a better ruler than Prince Leonardo, the man her father insists she marry to rule in her stead… a man rumored to have a cruel steak as deep as his father’s pockets.

As Elena tries to find a way to protect herself and her kingdom, she learns she is the key to the rebirth of magic into the Kingdom of Light. And her five guards have been preordained to help her—with the touch of their bodies to hers.

Magic has been dead so long that most people believe it’s a myth. But there’s no denying the ache in Elena’s chest or the feelings that consume her whenever her guards are near. Wicked feelings no princess should feel for one man, let alone five.

The cure for this strange madness is days away. And while her guards have sworn to protect her—even to their deaths—Prince Leonardo isn’t so quick to let her go. Not when he believes Elena is the mother of magic.

And he wants to claim her as his own.

Amazon

tamed by a tigerTAMED BY A TIGER (ETERNAL MATES SERIES BOOK 13) by Felicity Heaton

A snow leopard shifter in the prime of his life, the last thing on August’s mind is tying himself to one female. He welcomes a different one to his bed each night, or at least he had until five months ago when he became alpha. The duties and pressures of running his pride have his libido dead on arrival—until a trip to London to discuss business with the former alpha lands him in the path of a beautiful, bewitching tigress who awakens a passion in him that flares white hot and a need of her that consumes his every moment.

Promised at birth to a male she has never met, Maya has left her pride behind to go to the tiger alpha who is to be her mate, but she can’t leave without saying goodbye to her older brother, Talon. A stop in London at Underworld to see him one last time turns out far different, and far more dangerous, than how she had imagined it when she sets eyes on an alluring crimson-haired stranger who stirs new, unbidden feelings in her, desires that rouse her fiercest and most frightening instincts and demand she stake a claim on him—her fated mate.

Will Maya be strong enough to place her pride and her family’s safety before the desires of her own heart? And will August unravel his feelings for the black-haired beauty before it’s too late and he loses her forever?

AmazoniBooks

ride the stormRIDE THE STORM  by Karen Chance

Ever since being stuck with the job of pythia, the chief seer of the supernatural world, Cassie Palmer has been playing catch up. Catch up to the lifetime’s worth of training she missed being raised by a psychotic vampire instead of at the fabled pythian court. Catch up to the powerful, and sometimes seductive, forces trying to mold her to their will. It’s been a trial by fire that has left her more than a little burned.

But now she realizes that all that was the just the warm up for the real race. Ancient forces that once terrorized the world are trying to return, and Cassie is the only one who can stop them.

Amazon iBooks

 

lost vampireTHE LOST VAMPIRE by Kate Baxter

Once one of the oldest dhampirs in existence, Saeed now faces a treacherously uncertain future as a vampire. He believes that the only thing that can restore his position within his coven and tether his lost soul is the flame-haired fae who is destined to be his mate.

Cerys Bain is a soul thief. She is feared by those who dwell in the supernatural realm—and hopelessly bound to the ruthless mage Rinieri de Rege. The raw, sensual vampire who enters her world is both a threat and an intoxicating temptation: No one has ever made Cerys feel the way Saeed does. But to claim their fate as soulmates, Saeed must first find a way to free Cerys from Rin. Is their desire worth the risk of certain destruction—and eternal doom?

Amazon      iBooks

 

dragon rebelDRAGON REBEL by Ophelia Bell

If Assana looked up the word “nymphomaniac” in the dictionary, she might expect to find her own image in place of the definition, especially after meeting the immortal red dragon, Gavra. The timing couldn’t be worse for her to discover the mate that Fate intended—the one she’d be willing to let go of her tightly bound hold on her deepest sexual desires for—the one who literally drives her mad with lust. Now that she needs her sanity more than anything to regain control of her race’s home from her insane mother, she’s faced with the inconvenient desire to lose control and be that primal nymph she keeps locked inside.

Thank Gaia for Silas. The handsome young ursa male is blessed with magic that can calm the lust-filled madness threatening to consume Assana’s mind. She needs him more than ever now that she has no choice but to spend her days in close proximity to the dragon she desires, yet doesn’t dare touch lest she give in to that ancient, primal need all nymphaea are born with.

For red dragon Gavra, he can only put off having the beautiful nymph maiden for so long, or the ursa male who Fate has promised him. Once Assana’s crazy mother is out of the way, nothing will stop Gavra from claiming and marking them both as his.

AmazoniBooks

wicked biteWICKED BITE (REALM ENFORCERS) by Rebecca Zanetti

As she hunts for a drug lord killing her fellow witches, all Nessa Lansa’s instincts point to the Grizzly motorcycle club. That might be because their leader, Bear, is the strong, silent shifter type: warm brown eyes and more muscle and alpha male than any woman can ignore. Which makes Nessa’s plan to seduce and betray him all the more dangerous . . .

Bear doesn’t trust the curvy, blue-eyed witch. But Nessa can heal the injuries that sap his strength. And since he can’t stop thinking of her lush body and teasing smile, her plan to mate him to reclaim her own power is highly tempting. Just one problem. Once a desire this wild is loose, no one will ever control it.

Amazon     iBooks

 

storm and seductionSTORM & SEDUCTION WARRIORS OF THE WIND BOOK 2 by Anna Hackett

VS Note: I don’t normally cover re-releases in this post but I love Anna Hackett’s books. I do make exceptions! I also one clicked as I’d missed these whenever they originally came out.

The Warriors of the Wind are the only thing protecting humans from a centuries-old evil, but with their potential mates, the Aurae, long gone, these alpha warriors are in danger of becoming the very evil they hunt.

Note: Re-release. Storm and Seduction contains two short, sexy novellas. These are re-released stories originally published as Taken by the South Wind and Tempting the West Wind. They have been updated and have new scenes and/or extended scenes added.

Storm: the last thing he expects on his hunt is an alluring assassin out to kill him.

Seduction: trapped, naked, and chained with a beautiful woman who can never be his.

(More blurb on Amazon…)

Amazon

VS Note: EMBRACE THE ROMANCE: PETS IN SPACE 2 is  coming October 10th! We have preorders ( Amazon  and links to more ebook sellers on our webpage  – scroll down!) and we have a coloring book in FREE to Download and also available now as a coloring book paperback from Amazon here.

I’ve always wanted to write a rock star romance and so for this anthology I DID! But as a scifi romance of course LOL.

Jake the Cat Approves coloring Book

My cat Jake feels he should have been included in the coloring book!

LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

July 26

July 19

July 12

July 5

June 28

June 21

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My standard Notes and Caveats:

It’s a mix of the genres in no particular order. Also the term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  

(NOTE: If the author provides me with buy links I insert those; otherwise I default to Amazon and iBooks. Pricing and availability are current as of the day I prepare the post – things can change fast in the ebook world LOL.)

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

 

 

New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday June 28

barbarian galactic gladiatorsAs 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).

BARBARIAN (GALACTIC GADIATORS BOOK 6) by Anna Hackett

VS Note: I have been WAITING for this one! Didn’t even finish reading the blurb before I one clicked LOL.

Abducted by alien slavers, experimented on, and left blind, the last thing doctor Winter Ashworth needs is a big barbarian gladiator in her life, especially an annoying one who thinks she’s small and weak.

Rescued by gladiators on the desert world of Carthago, Winter is doggedly working to embrace her new life. But two of her friends are still missing and she’ll do anything to help get them back…even if she has to work alongside Nero Krahn: hunter, barbarian, gladiator. The scowly, brooding man is too big, has too many muscles, and pushes all her buttons.

Nero is the House of Galen’s best hunter and tracker. Raised on a barbarian world, where strength and might are prized, he was bred to hunt and fight. Now the arena is his home and his loyalty is to his imperator. He knows he can use his skills to find the two lost women, even if that means protecting a small blind woman who takes every chance to misjudge his words and lash him with her sharp tongue.

But as they follow a dangerous trail to save their friends, a new enemy emerges–one who wants Winter. The pair find themselves reluctantly attracted to each other, uncovering a scorching desire that shocks them both. As Nero fights to protect Winter, the barbarian gladiator will discover the true meaning of strength from the small Earth woman he wants to claim as his.

Amazon

lovers and lunaticsLOVERS AND LUNATICS (MARS ADVENTURE SERIES BOOK 2) by Jennifer Willis

VS Note: I haven’t even finished raving about Book 1 MARS HO yet LOL so of course I one-clicked on this!

Is true love lurking in the junkyard of low Earth orbit?

Hannah Cuthbertson’s job is on the line when she is ordered into orbit aboard a fledgling salvage ship to promote a new reality show, Space Junkers. Worse still, she has to work with the Face of Space himself, Gary Nelson—the perfectly groomed and professionally sculpted Mars Ho! host whom she abhors.

But one dangerous occurrence after another proves that this is no ordinary assignment.

As two frenemy salvage crews compete for the same payload, Hannah and Gary must put their suspicions aside to get to the bottom of a treacherous conspiracy—and to satisfy the escalating heat between them.

Will Gary escape the amorous clutches of his most ardent space groupie? Will Hannah and Gary risk everything to expose the truth?

Amazon

cosmic riftCOSMIC RIFT (GRAND MASTERS GALAXY BOOK 4) by Aurora Springer

Empath Violet embarks on a new and desperate mission to find her missing lover.

Violet’s happy family life is shattered when Athanor Griffin vanishes. The formidable Grand Master might have teleported anywhere in the galaxy. Violet strives to find her psychic partner, while looking after their baby and fulfilling his duties on the Council. Her frantic search uncovers a new threat to galactic civilization along with resurgence of the infamous Ixioth slavers. The Council dithers in response to her call for action, and even her former allies believe the Griffin is dead. She must risk her son, her psi-powers, and her life to rescue her beloved mate in the hope they can unite to fight the menace.

Amazon    Amazon international: http://authl.it/B06XVQ6T93?d   iBooks   Kobo    B&N

fidelityFIDELITY (TO BE SINCLAIR BOOK 10) by Eva Caye

Prince Richard Sinclair is his brother’s right-hand-man and go-to guy, who excels as the Emperor’s Fireman because he can’t deal with his personal life. He only plays the Imperial Bad Boy because that’s what makes the dukes respect him, despite his age, intelligence, education, and birthright. Delightfully intrigued by Lady Meredith Lauder, his virtual Cinderella, he rescues her from her burdensome family life at the first opportunity.

Scarred by ridicule and neglect, Merry gleefully abandons her family, but she feels she has to work at the Imperial Palace to compensate for Richard’s generosity. Even as he entices her to his bed, she believes she’s being true to her core principles, to never be dependent upon a man, and to pursue a relationship of equals. (more…)

Amazon     iBooks

neverwylde book6NEVERWYLDE (RIM OF THE WORLD BOOK 6) by Linda Mooney

Finally rescued from the half-world, Kyber and Kelen believed the worst was behind them.
They were wrong.

Another ship has landed on Neverwylde, but are the visitors friend or foe? Kelen, Kyber, and the crew are hoping for a rescue, but preparing for a battle. The fight between Terrans and Seneecians has been put behind by those on the half-planet in order to survive, but the newcomers are not of the same mindset.

Even if they are rescued, where will that leave Kelen and Kyber? With neither being accepted by the other’s race, will they be forced to go their separate ways?

Everyone is hoping for their own happily ever after once and for all. But sometimes the worst terrors don’t come from alien worlds.

They’re closer to home.

Amazon     iBooks

tied up in customsTIED UP IN CUSTOMS (DEPARTMENT OF HOMEWORLD SECURITY BOOK 4) by Cassandra Chandler

Eric Peterson is a man on a mission: get his AWOL asset, Brendan, back to work on a classified communications relay his superiors want finished yesterday. When Eric tries to reconnect, a gorgeous—and strange—woman shows up in Brendan’s place, claiming to be an alien on a mission to save the planet.
Sorca has been sent to bring Eric to the Arbiter so that he can join the Department of Homeworld Security…or receive a mindwipe if he’s not interested. As the strongest soldier in the Coalition fleet, her plan is simple—ask him nicely, and if he says no, take him anyway. But the more contact she has with the Earthling, the more her thoughts turn from battling the human to bedding him.
Can they let go of their missions for long enough to follow the orders of their hearts?

Amazon

warriors claimingA WARRIOR’S CLAIMING (THE INSTINCT BOOK 3)  by Marie Harte

It’s time to claim her mates…

Raia is on the hunt, and she never misses a target. No matter how big he–they–might be.

Arghet doesn’t know what to make of the new addition to the clan. Skehl is huge, an indomitable warrior with a beserker’s power. Once part of a hated enemy clan, he’s watched carefully. Somehow Arghet finds himself having to look after the beast. Arghet’s a Vyctore warrior. He has more important things to do than care for a troubled male. He’s doing his best to track down the strange female who stole his kill not long ago. Oddly, she bears the same skin markings as Skehl, a dark tribal marker on her left cheek.

But when he finally finds her, Arghet learns he’s no longer the hunter, but the hunted. And that Skehl is much more than the quiet, subdued warrior he once seemed.

Amazon     iBooks

reckoningRECKONING (KATIERAN PRIME BOOK 13)  by K D Jones

Commander MarIK made a decision that led him down the wrong path. Now he has to find a way to help the Katierans and protect the beautiful negotiator who was in danger. Then he can take his own vengeance against the leader who used him and others and now made alliances with the enemy. OrIN had finally gone too far; MarIK would not let this slide. A day of reckoning was coming. May the Goddess help any who stood in the way.

Amazon    iBooks  

TRANSCEND (ORIGIN BOOK 2) by Scarlett Dawn

Women are disappearing in New City, and the Corporate Army assigns their best soldiers to the case. In a world still recovering from war and death, every woman is needed for the survival of the human race.

Mina Kramer is a socialite in New City. She smiles for her father’s business associates, transcendlaughs at all their jokes, and acts the perfect daughter. When she’s suddenly abducted from a party at Baker Corporation, her whole world turns sideways. The kidnappers aren’t asking for her family’s money, the one item her parents have plenty of. With only confusion and captivity in her future, she prays for a rescue by her parents.

Except her saviors come in the form of the all-power Mr. Finn Baker and Poppy Carvene, a tiny sprite of a woman. And they don’t return her to her parents. Mr. Baker decides he wants to keep her and use her as bait to flush out the kidnappers’ leader.

Mina must push her fears aside or dive deeper into them. Does she want to run to her parents, who are safe? Or will she transcend to a woman who fights criminals bent on destroying New City? And can she overcome her startling feelings for the sexy Mr. Baker, a man who harbors secrets of his own?

Amazon

oblivionOBLIVION by Adriana Moon

VS Note: From mid-June, picked up from a Goodreads comment by Reader Jen in the Sci-Fi Romance Group over there.

Captain Breanna Delaney knew Caleb Sylvaine would be trouble from the moment she reviewed his military records, but she didn’t have many options available to her on the last-minute mission. His distractions could spell disaster for her, but she wasn’t known as the Ice Queen among them for nothing—something Sylvaine sees as an intriguing challenge in spite of the danger.

The recently surfaced colony ship needed recognizance, and it was up to her to bring her ragtag group of mercenaries to investigate why the ship disappeared twenty-five years before, and what had brought it back onto their radar. None of them realized the horrors that awaited them in the bowels of the abandoned craft.

Amazon

xavierXAVIER (AN OMNES VIDENTES NOVEL) by Wendie Nordgren

The Parvac Empire sends Xavier, a genetically engineered hybrid soldier, on a mission to capture a dangerous weapons manufacturer. When he discovers a tech slave who is desperate to escape, he finds salvation from a lifetime of unrequited love. However, Xavier isn’t the only one who wants her. Her cyborg master sends his brutal AI soldiers to take her back. Will Xavier’s telepathic and empathic abilities be enough to save the woman he loves?

Amazon

THE MECH WHO LOVED ME (THE BLUE BLOOD CONSPIRACY BOOK 2) by Bec McMaster

VS Note: I love her BURNED LANDS dystopian SFR series so I’ll have to try this!

mech who loved meAva McLaren is tired of being both a virgin, and a mere laboratory assistant for the Company of Rogues. When a baffling mystery rears its head, it presents her with the opportunity to work a real case… and perhaps get a taste of the passion that eludes her.

Blue bloods are dying from a mysterious disease, which should be impossible. Ava suspects there’s more to the case than meets the eye and wants a chance to prove herself. There’s just one catch—she’s ordered to partner with the sexy mech, Kincaid, who’s a constant thorn in her side. Kincaid thinks the only good blue blood is a dead one. He’s also the very last man she would ever give her heart to… which makes him the perfect candidate for an affair.

The only rule? It ends when the case does.

But when an attempt on her life proves that Ava might be onto something, the only one who can protect her is Kincaid. Suddenly the greatest risk is not to their hearts, but whether they can survive a diabolical plot that threatens to destroy every blue blood in London—including Ava.

Amazon

its getting hotIT’S GETTING HOT (RED PLANET DRAGONS OF TAJSS SHORT STORY) by Miranda Martin

Life on Tajss can be hard. There’s very little water, it’s hot as hell, human technology has been set back to the stone age, and some of the survivors just want to cause trouble for everyone else. Despite everything, there is hope for the future of two races. Adorable half-alien babies prove love can conquer all.

This short story is part of the Red Planet Dragons of Tajss series and is not intended to be stand alone. It should be read after book five, Olivia’s story (Dragon’s Kiss), and is a quick look into life as a survivor for those who just can’t get enough of the Red Planet.

Amazon

unlikeable demon hunterTHE UNLIKEABLE DEMON HUNTER: STING (NAVA KATZ BOOK 2) by Deborah Wilde

After a bumpy start as the only female demon hunter in the top secret Brotherhood of David, Nava Katz heads to Prague for her first undercover mission: unmasking a demon movie star. She’d be all kinds of thrilled if it weren’t for the fact that her fellow hunter-with-benefits, Rohan Mitra, has reclaimed his rock star status and assigned Nava the role of groupie.

Rejecting her “be a good girl and follow orders” directive, Nava unleashes an alter ego guaranteed to hook their celebrity target and drive Rohan crazy. No downside-until she finds herself up against Rohan’s past, the Brotherhood’s antiquated thinking, and her own identity issues, turning her personal life into a bomb that could blow up the entire operation.

Sparkly and deadly; it’s a plan.

Amazon

red havoc bad bearRED HAVOC BAD BEAR (RED HAVOC PANTHERS BOOK 5) by T S Joyce

The countdown is on. Crazy Lynn Matheson has six days until she’ll join all the other shifters who have lost their minds and been put down by their alphas. All she wants to do is get through the next week with the Gray Back Crew as quietly as possible, but some of the big, dominant males in Damon’s Mountains are pushing her to fight her destiny. The main culprit? A tatted-up, motorcycle-riding, trouble-making giant of a man named Jathan Barns. He’s watching her every move, angering the panther inside of Lynn. She wants nothing to do with love, but Jathan is stirring up emotions she never thought she would feel again, and now he’s making her question everything—her destiny included.

The countdown is on. Jathan Barns has six days to save Crazy Lynn. She fell apart when she left Damon’s Mountains, and now no matter what it costs him, he is determined to keep her alpha from putting her down…

Amazon

beyond timeBEYOND TIME (A KNIGHTS THROUGH TIME ROMANCE) by Cynthia Luhrs

What happens when a 14th century Scottish hunk ends up in the 21st century? Would you believe his story?

When Mellie Evers is dumped on social media she decides to put her imagination to good use. And with the big family reunion rolling around, there’s no time like the present. Mellie tells everyone about her new boyfriend. He’s perfect, charming, Scottish…and fake. Well, he’s based a little too closely on a certain Scottish hottie but that guy? He’s a thief and claimed to be from…the 14th century and she kind of played a big part in getting him sent away. When he appears at the museum again, Mellie tells him she’ll help him out if he’ll pretend to be her fake boyfriend for the big reunion. Only Mellie doesn’t know Connor isn’t lying, he really is from the 14th century…and this time, he’s keeping that secret to himself.

Amazon     iBooks

no perfect magicNO PERFECT MAGIC (UNEXPECTED MAGIC BOOK 6) by Patricia Rice

VS Note: OK, I haven’t read this series and I’m not sure it’s strictly speaking  fantasy or a paranormal BUT hey, it sounds GOOD. Put it on my TBR List.

Will Ives, the bastard of the late marquess, is as strong, handsome, and smart as his titled brothers, but he has no interest in society or book learning. His unique gift for training highly-prized rescue dogs is all he needs. His peace is shattered the day the beautiful but eccentric Lady Aurelia demands his help in finding a child no one knows is missing.

The daughter of a duke, Lady Aurelia has everything: wealth, beauty, and a family known for their good works. Unfortunately afflicted with hyper-acute hearing, she spends most of her time cringing in her room. She wants to please her father and make a good match, but how can she when every dinner, tea, and ball is pure torture?

When a child only she can hear cries for help, Aurelia must find a way to turn her affliction into the gift it is, before it’s too late. Will, in turn, must overcome his hesitancy to work with a lady who makes him feel inadequate in all ways but one.

With the reluctant aid of Will and his dogs, the pair sets out on an unusual journey that will surely lead to heartbreak— or a love against all reason.

Amazon     iBooks

destiny of dragonsA DESTINY OF DRAGONS (TALES FROM VERANIA BOOK 2) by T J Klune

Once upon a time, the wizard’s apprentice Sam of Wilds got his happily ever after in the arms of his cornerstone, Knight Commander Ryan Foxheart. A year has passed, and while Sam’s been captured five or six more times since then, things are pretty great. His parents are happy, Gary and Tiggy still eat sass for breakfast, Randall is somehow alive despite being older than the gods, the King rules with a gentle hand, Kevin the dragon is as gross as ever, Morgan sighs a lot, Ryan continues to be dashing and immaculate, and Sam is close to convincing Prince Justin they will be best friends forever.

Life is good.

Until it’s not.

Because Vadoma, the leader of the gypsy clan and Sam’s grandmother, has come to the City of Lockes with a dire prophecy written in the stars: a man of shadows is rising and will consume the world unless Sam faces his destiny and gathers the five dragons of Verania at his side.

And she brings along her second-in-command, a man named Ruv.

Ruv, who Vadoma says is Sam’s true cornerstone.

Amazon     iBooks

garden of gravesGARDEN OF GRAVES (HOUSE OF ROYALS BOOK 8) by Keary Taylor

The King has arrived in Boston.

Lexington confessed to a crime he didn’t commit to save Elle’s life. Now she’s summoned the one and only person who can spare him, but it comes at a dangerous price: confessing every one of her secrets to the King. That she is the one who has been curing the Bitten, and who the true father of her unborn child is.

Trying to do good comes with unforeseen consequences—a cured Bitten, one who should have just walked away and tried to forget, wants revenge. The cycle must stop, and the only way to do it is to expose all vampires to the world.

The decree has been made, the fate of Charles Allaway is sealed; he will die. But first they have to find him. No more hiding, Elle is ready to take her fate, and that of her child, into her own hands.

Amazon     iBooks

one thousandONE THOUSAND WISHES ONE THOUSAND STARS (THE COMPLEX BOOK 0) by Katherine Rhodes

The Angel fell, but not for him.

P’iliticus Alvinad had pined for the beautiful angel Arahambramin for centuries. But angels—living just a quarter turn out of the reality all the Metas inhabited—were one of the most mysterious of all the species, and she had never taken a second look at the diminutive djinn.

Pili’s heart was crushed when Min chose another to love. His ire rose when he found it was a Human. He knew he could ever turn her away from the Human who fathered her child.

He didn’t trust his heart after that. For his own safety, he entrusted his lamp to John Smith, the vampire. When John brings the lamp to the Complex, Pili is forced to follow. There, he discovers what his angel never knew about her chosen mate…

…and his plans for their child.

Amazon

mouth wateringMOUTH WATERING (ST LEASING BOOK 1) by L P Maxa

Looking to change her life, Corey Cooper moves across the country to a remote town in Colorado to become the new guidance counselor at St. Leasing, a prestigious all boys prep school. But soon she learns her attraction to the gorgeous head coach, Dominic Hardy, is more than the usual chemistry, and that her students are more than the typical randy teenage boys.

Dominic Hardy loves his life at St. Leasing. As head coach, he’s fulfilled by his career, and in the small Colorado town outside the school’s gates he has all the entertainment a man could desire. No complications, no attachments, life was good. Then Corey Cooper comes to St. Leasing and Dominic’s instincts kick in – she is his, and that’s for life. Throw in a troubled teen, a tyrannical parent, and a mysterious disappearance, and all of a sudden everything at St. Leasing has become a matter of life or death for his kind.

Amazon

VS: My SFR Galaxy Award Winning Novel HOSTAGE TO THE STARS is still on sale for $.99!

Buy Links:     Apple iBooks     Amazon    Kobo     Barnes & Noble

canva

LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

June 21

June 14

June 7

May 31

May 24th

May 17th

**************************************************************

My standard Notes and Caveats:

It’s a mix of the genres in no particular order. Also the term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  

(NOTE: If the author provides me with buy links I insert those; otherwise I default to Amazon and iBooks. Pricing and availability are current as of the day I prepare the post – things can change fast in the ebook world LOL.)

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

New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday May 31

hemiAs 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).

LOTS of New Release goodness this week…I see my TBR List growing!

HEMI (HELL SQUAD BOOK 13) by Anna Hackett

VS Note: I love this kickass series! Put this on my kindle.

In the middle of an alien invasion, a big, tough, tattooed former mercenary is finally going to chase down his woman.

Camryn McNab knows love is a lie. Okay, maybe not for everybody–her fellow soldiers on Squad Nine have managed to fall in love in the middle of a vicious alien attack. But it’s not for her. She comes from two people incapable of love. For now, her life is about survival, fighting to protect others, and kicking some alien raptor butt. What she doesn’t need is a certain wild, bearded, tattoo-covered soldier always underfoot, messing with her things, and driving her crazy. But no matter how hard she tries to outrun Hemi Rahia, she can’t seem to shake him, and a terrified part of doesn’t even want to…

A member of the Squad Three berserkers, Hemi knows his squad has a reputation for not following the rules and being a little wild. Former bikers, mercenaries, and…other less savory things, they fight hard and party harder. But Hemi has known for a while now that there is only one woman for him. One courageous, sexy, attitude-filled woman he wants to claim as his own. But he has to catch her first.

Tasked with a top-secret mission deep in alien creeper territory, Hemi and Cam will fight side-by-side to achieve their dangerous goal. Their chemistry is off the charts, but persistent Hemi wants more than Cam’s body…he wants her heart and soul as well. As their battle with the aliens turns deadly, they will have to fight not only for their love, but for their very survival.

Amazon

rhysRHYS (ALIEN RAIDERS BRIDES) by Vi Voxley

VS Note: I do enjoy Vi’s books!

Quinn Ford has nothing left to lose. After the Nayanors took her sister, little else seemed to matter. Now that they’re after her, well, maybe she can do something about it, get back her sister and get home. Only someone stubbornly certain that she could change the universe would be reckless enough to face a Nayanor, but Quinn’s a woman on a mission. It’s just her luck that the man she faces has a mission of his own.

Rhys has been looking for his mate for far too long. Patience is not a virtue he knows and when his perfect creature emerges during a raid, he knows he has to have the curvy Earth woman. She is his and he will be hers, regardless of whether all his people agree. But a Nayanor’s fate is not supposed to be easy and with a spitfire by his side, Rhys knows that there is plenty left to fight for.

She might just be the cause of most of it.

With enemies and allies converging against him, Rhys has choices to make he never thought he would have to consider. His fated, or his future?

Amazon

bond that saves usTHE BOND THAT SAVES US (ETERNAL BONDS BOOK 4) by Christine D’Abo

Captain Amy needs money and the Catallian race can provide it. The race showcases the best pilots the sector has ever known. Amy plans on winning it with the help of her new copilot, the mysterious and sexy Sean—as long as she can keep her sex pheromones in check. But her attraction to Sean kicks her body into overdrive, overwhelming them both.

Sean has left friends and duty behind. Intending to heal mind and spirit, he joins Amy as her bodyguard and copilot. Sean has no interest in forming a bond with Amy, even though their lust for each other is undeniable.

As the two find themselves battling their uncontrollable attraction, they are forced to fight a drug lord intent on fixing the race—even if it means taking Amy and her crew out of the running permanently.

Amazon    iBooks

dragons kissDRAGON’S KISS (RED PLANET DRAGONS OF TAJSS BOOK 5) by Miranda Martin and Juno Wells

Olivia thinks it’s impossible that the outrageously tall Zmaj with steely blue eyes would fall for her. A former data analyst, now she’s just another human crash survivor on the harsh and alien desert planet. Smart, curvaceous Olivia doesn’t feel like she measures up but that doesn’t stop Ragnar from eyeing her luscious curves.

He’s the best hunter for the Tribe, driven and single minded. Ragnar has always put the needs of his people over his own and never once regretted it, but now the dominant alpha male has his heart set on a different treasure. He’ll claim and protect the voluptuous beauty no matter the costs.

Life on Tajss is hard enough but now the Tribe is on the run from the same pirates that crashed Olivia’s ship. To find a new home will be a grueling journey through sandstorms and worse. She and Ragnar don’t speak the same language but Olivia ends up falling for the alien dragon-man anyway, finding she might have to choose between the mate she’s meant for and the people she belongs to.

Amazon

stealing jaxSTEALING JAX (DISTANT WORLDS BOOK 4) by Kelly Lucille

Tolan Lark is a Shakien Cat, mercenary, space pirate and occasional spy for the Alliance, but his hunt to end Cor Warrung and the death games has become all consuming, until there is nothing and no one he will not risk to finish the job. At least there is no one he would not risk until he claims a mate.
Jax is a royal Dainaree who has left her planet and people behind to follow her own path. She is a powerful mech whisperer; a gift that few of her nature loving people understand or accept. It is a gift that powerful men covet, and she is about to hit the radar of the most powerful and dangerous men in the galaxy.
Tolan Lark might be able to keep her safe, the question is, will she let him?

Amazon

hunger jane thorntonHUNGER (Jane Thornton Book 1) by C. E. Black

VS Note: I one clicked. This is an April release but it’s moving up in SFR on Amazon.

“‘Have you seen the girl?’
I was the only girl here. The only living soul in this whole damn town. It had been almost a year since the beginning of the end, and I’d been here the entire time. It was my hometown, where I’d grown up. And where I thought I would die. Eventually. But I wasn’t ready. Not yet.”

A year ago, Jane Thornton watched quietly as the world fell apart. Like a thief in the night, something took over humanity, leaving behind only the dead and the flesh eaters. Or so she thought.

Being born mute was a weakness in the old world. Now she used it to her advantage. If there was one thing she was good at, it was hiding. Until they found her.

Kaden and Mason were two of the biggest, most threatening men she’d ever seen. And she was now their captive. But if they were holding her against her will, where were her chains? Why were they so concerned about her safety and her empty stomach? And how could her heart survive if she ran now?

Warning: This is book one in an on-going series (trilogy) and may or may not end in a cliffhanger, depending on your definition of a cliffhanger.

Amazon

eden revealedEDEN REVEALED (THE EDEN SERIES BOOK 4) by Lexi Post

A female spy, an Eden monk, and a man with no memory must reveal a corrupt leader while keeping their hearts safe—an impossible task.

Former stunt woman, Toni Reid, has adopted Eden as her new home. What’s not to like with naked hunks walking around and women being worshipped by them? She doesn’t mind the distraction of spying on one of the leaders of the Ruling Circle too much, but just as she discovers his secret, she’s caught.

Akasha is next in line to ascend to the Triad panel, those who determine which men are morally good enough to receive a portal chip…

Amazon    iBooks

kittKITT STARGAZER ALIEN MAIL ORDER BRIDES 4 by Tasha Black

Honey McCarthy is a dancer with a penchant for bad boys. When her summer job teaching ballroom classes at a family resort in the Catskills turns into a matchmaking gig for smoking hot fugitive aliens she’s not sure who she can trust – the friends who have had her back all summer, or the handsome stranger who visits her dreams.

Kitt has been sent to Earth for one purpose, to fill one woman with as much pleasure as she can bear – a mission he would enjoy very much if Honey would stop second-guessing herself and accept his touch. But Kitt will be lucky if Honey can keep herself out of harm’s way long enough to give in to the hunger he sees in her eyes.

When an ex-flame threatens to extinguish the woman he loves, Kitt will have to decide between celestial peace and his urgent need to protect Honey.

Amazon    iBooks

alien alliancesALIEN ALLIANCES (NAROVIAN MATES SERIES BOOK 1) by Clarissa Lake

The United Alliance of Worlds has been protecting and visiting Earth for centuries. Star ship Raptor One carries a crew of humans and feline humanoids. The Narovian felines can and have interbred with humans during all that time. Many felines have found their true mates among the Earthers. Immediately on recognition, the felines give off pheromones that cause their true mates to desire them sexually so intensely that they must mate almost immediately.

Once Narovians started finding their meomee or true mates there a savvy businessman found away to profit from it. The Narovian Genetic Matchmaking Agency has set up shop on Earth, under the guise of genetic testing for ancestral origins and genetic markers for disease. This brings a new set of challenges to the crew of Raptor One under feline Captain Dargan Merrek as they protect Earth from alien hostiles amid sexy encounters with true mates.

Amazon

sovereigntySOVEREIGNTY (CARGON TRILOGY BOOK 3) by Kimberley Gould

In a post-apocalyptic world, a lowly servant is at the front of a second renaissance.

Eve’s diplomatic and trade ministers are crossing the known world in the days after she is raised to the throne. She needs to know if the majority of nations accept or reject her. Regardless of their findings, one nation is rallying against her and preparing to restore order by making her acknowledge her proper place as a servant. Despite her better judgment, she is aiding her fellow elite in preparing for a physical attack.

Can Eve hold onto her throne? Or will the enlightenment she has worked to grow explode around her?

Amazon    iBooks

white hotWHITE HOT (A HIDDEN LEGACY NOVEL) by Ilona Andrews

VS Note: My next read, LOVE their books!

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she’s used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family’s detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor “Mad” Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada’s “talent.” But there’s no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice …

Amazon    iBooks

aiding the dragonAIDING THE DRAGON (STONEFIRE BRITISH DRAGONS BOOK 9) by Jessie Donovan

Teagan O’Shea is a rare female dragon-shifter leader. While her Irish clan has a tradition of female leaders, they have had to hide behind a public male face for centuries to keep the other clans from viewing them as weaker and attacking. When the truth leaks, Teagan is faced with a choice—hand over the leadership to a male or invite the challengers to a leadership trial and earn her place. Out to prove having a penis isn’t required to be a leader, she picks the latter.

Aaron Caruso is sent to Ireland under the guise of repairing relations between two clans on the isle of Ireland. However, upon arrival he learns the truth…

Amazon     iBooks

twice tetheredTWICE TETHERED by Sabine Priestley

VS Note: I have this pre-ordered.

In a country called Vega, winged sensari and humans live and work together for the first time.
Priya Desai wanted nothing more than to launch her career at Genetic Realms engineering, but one night with CEO Morgan Steele changed everything, including her humanity.
Morgan is duty bound to help Priya through the transformation–an intensely physical process which brings both pain and pleasure.
As his enemies fight to destroy his company, and political tensions rise, the two must find the truth: Did someone engineer the transformation in her, or did he really tether twice?

Amazon     iBooks

persuasionPERSUASION (CURSE OF THE GODS BOOK 2) by Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington

Willa Knight: Dweller? Bad-ass? Notorious pet to five magical beings?

In Blesswood, there are rules, and someone is trying to teach her how to follow them. The only problem is Willa. Which shouldn’t be anything new, since she has been a problem since birth—something her pseudo-sister Emmy would agree on.

So it definitely shouldn’t be new … but it is.

Because things are starting to happen that have never happened before.

Things are starting to get …chaotic.

Amazon

lions secret loveTHE LION’S SECRET LOVE by Trinity Blacio

In this sixth title in the best-selling Masters of the Cats series, cat shifter Opal Vanberth was young for her kind, but she knew she had an old soul. And she had always felt more comfortable with humans than her own kind. Maybe it was the fact she had been raised by a human heroin addict, or that she had been in and out of foster care for most of her life. One thing was for sure, she never expected men like River, Rhodes and Zanger to be hers. And she always worried something else would take her happiness away, as it always did…

Amazon     iBooks

fire fallFIRE FALL (OLD SCHOOL BOOK 4) by Jenny Schwartz

Vanessa Araya is not hiding! She’s trying to find herself after the terror of being kidnapped six months ago. Who is she when her trust in people has been stripped away? How can she be free and brave and in love with life when a little part of her is always looking over her shoulder? Being the daughter of a billionaire hurts in unique ways.

Seth Bentham fell for Vanessa three years ago, and walked away. He’s a wizard mercenary: lethal, magical and in deep in a dangerous world…

Amazon

demon who loved meTHE DEMON WHO LOVED ME (BIG BAD BITE SERIES BOOK 4) by Jessie Lane

He’s a gambling man…
One brunette bombshell with a devious mind and a potty mouth has thrust Kent smack dab in the middle of where he never wanted to be—his family. He’s spent most of his life avoiding his familial responsibilities, especially the one that required him to join the Ninth Circle Council—the demon society’s equivalent of judge, jury and executioner. Then one lost bet with the little Amazon flipped his entire life upside down. With worries about retaliation from the remnants of a rogue pack of wolves in Germany, he doesn’t have time to deal with his family, or his obsession with Chloe Demos.

And she’s the biggest risk he’ll ever take…
After her mother’s death, Chloe’s world crashes down around her. A secret Amazonian heritage. Aunts and a long lost brother she never knew about…

Amazon    iBooks

alpha wolfALPHA WOLF (SHIFTER FALLS BOOK 4) by Amy Green

Alison Masterson has been in love with werewolf Brody Donovan since she was twelve years old. Now he’s the alpha of the Donovan pack, and she’s just a waitress at the local diner, dreaming of the man she can never have. Until the night she accidentally discovers his secret.

Brody Donovan has never noticed the pretty redhead who would do anything for him. But now he needs her to keep a secret—and he’s starting to realize she’s his mate. The problem is, he can’t deserve her. Because Shifter Falls is about to enter into a dangerous war with humans. And the secret Alison knows is only the beginning of his terrible past.

Amazon    iBooks

tiger troubleTIGER TROUBLE (ALASKAN TIGERS BOOK 12) by Marissa Dobson

Since stepping into the role of Alpha for the Texas Tigers, Tex’s sole focus has been on his members as he tries to help them heal from years of abuse and torment. Now, with Manetka Resort about to open, he’s taking a last minute trip to the Alaskan Tigers’ compound in search of guards to protect both the Elders and the clan. While there, he finds the unexpected—his mate.

Carleen comes from an enemy clan with a controlling and manipulative Alpha…

Amazon     iBooks

cry wolfCRY WOLF (SILVER HOLLOW PARANORMAL COZY MYSTERY SERIES BOOK 4) by Leighann Dobbs and Traci Douglass

A mysterious death brings Deputy DeeDee Clawson to the scene of a movie being filmed at an old mansion in Silver Hollow. Tucker Rockwood, the star of the movie, is found dead, a stake through his heart. Lots of people might have wanted to kill Tucker, but when DeeDee’s investigation points in the direction of the movie’s producer, Caine Hunter, she thinks she has her man.

As if investigating this murder isn’t enough, DeeDee has something else hanging over her head. As the daughter of a werewolf pack leader, she has agreed to an arranged marriage. She hasn’t even met her intended yet, but she’s already starting to regret her agreement to enter into a loveless marriage…especially when her feelings toward Caine turn from suspicion to romance.

Caine Hunter has been smitten with feisty deputy Clawson since day one, but since DeeDee seems determined to arrest him for murder, he’s pretty sure the feeling isn’t mutual…

Amazon     iBooks

tradition be damnedTRADITION BE DAMNED (LAST HOPE BOOK 1) by Rebecca Royce

It is the end of days…

Taken from her family at birth, and raised by the mystic Sisterhood, Anne understands she will fight the demons for the rest of her life. Often referred to as the Weird Sister, Anne longs for a life she knows she can never have and dreams of her five guards affections although she believes they hold her in disdain.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

Bryant, Mason, Garrett, Kieran and Milo see Anne for who she is and they’ve loved her every day they’ve known her, although they can never see her face. Fate has chosen them as her beloveds and when the already destroyed world falls apart, they will see they are meant to be…and that maybe all hope is not lost at all. Maybe it is just the beginning.

Amazon     iBooks

ruins and revengeRUINS AND REVENGE A RAINE BENARES WORLD NOVEL by Lisa Shearin

VS Note: From May 2nd.

An ancient power.

Beneath a mountain on an uninhabited continent is said to be a fabled city, a city occupied by an ancient goblin civilization founded for only one reason—to protect and defend the Heart of Nidaar, an artifact that can harness the forces of nature as a weapon.

An elite team of combat mages.

Chief mage and goblin duke Tamnais Nathrach must help the guardians keep the legendary power out of the hands of a malevolent goblin brotherhood and their otherworldly allies, whatever the cost. Together with his hand-picked team—which includes elf pirate (and team demolitions expert) Phaelan Benares—Tam descends into a vast subterranean world both wondrous and terrifying, a world laid with deadly traps and filled with apex predators from another age.

The countdown to the end of the world.

Some secrets are meant to stay buried. When the Heart of Nidaar is accidentally awakened, and aimed at the west coast of the Seven Kingdoms, Tam and his team are in a race against time to prevent the deaths of millions. To succeed, they must confront their deepest fears, unmask their darkest secrets, and reveal their shameful pasts, testing the bonds of friendship and beyond. To fail means death for them all—and the end of all life in the Seven Kingdoms.

Amazon     iBooks

willow and the wolfWILLOW AND THE WOLF (THE SHIFTERS SERIES BOOK 1) by Elizabeth Kelly

She’s NOT afraid of the big bad wolf.

Wolf shifter, Malcolm Burke, lives an ordinary life and that’s just the way he likes it. Until Willow Tanner waltzes into his office and into his life. Perky, odd, and human – his new receptionist is definitely not what he’s looking for. So why does his wolf so vehemently insist Willow belongs to him? And why does he find it so difficult to resist her sweet kisses?

Willow Tanner knows what she wants, and what she wants is the grumpy but deliciously sexy Malcolm Burke. The wolf shifter makes her entire body tingle, and she’s not going to let a silly little thing like him being a paranormal stop her from coaxing him into her bed.

Determined to prove she’s no ordinary human, Willow uses her special abilities to help Mal and his partners at the security firm. But when her curiosity and eagerness to help lands her in trouble, Mal will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Amazon     iBooks

firefiighter sea dragonFIREFIGHTER SEA DRAGON (FIRE AND RESCUE SHIFTERS BOOK 4) by Zoe Chant

VS Note: This one seems intriguing. Added it to my hopelessly long TBR List.)

Neridia Small just wants to fit in – but that’s hard when you stand six foot six in your bare feet. Maybe it would be okay if she was supermodel skinny to go with her supermodel height, but a ridiculously tall, fat black woman? She’s only ever attracted the wrong sort of attention. She longs to find a man who’ll look past her size and see the real her. A nice, normal man…

John Doe will never understand humans. A sea dragon knight from the hidden underwater city of Atlantis, he reluctantly took human form in order to search the land for the missing Pearl Emperor, ruler of all sea shifters. Though John has found unexpected friendship as part of a unique all-shifter firefighting team, his heart will always lie under the ocean… until he rescues Neridia from a mugging.

As a knight, John’s forbidden from taking any mate – let alone a human. And a sea dragon’s honor is his life. But when a decades-old secret rises to the surface at last, only John can protect Neridia from a deadly foe. Fate binds John and Neridia together, honor demands that they stay apart… and love will require one of them to sacrifice everything.

Amazon

strange hymnA STRANGE HYMN THE BARGAINER BOOK 2 by Laura Thalassa

VS Note: This sounds super good! I went back and bought Book 1  Rhapsodic, today, to start there.

Siren and soulmate to the King of Night, Callypso Lillis survived the clutches of Karnon, the mad king, and his twisted prison. But the nightmare isn’t over. Callie wears the physical reminders of her time as a captive, and mounting evidence suggests the Thief of Souls is still out there.

When a fae celebration thrusts Callie and her mate, Desmond Flynn, into the Kingdom of Flora, they take their investigation with them. But under the bright lights and striking blooms of the realm, they find there are more immediate issues to deal with. No place is more uniquely savage than the great fae halls, and no amount of bargains can save Callie from royal intrigues.

Fairies play dangerous games. Some want love, some want vengeance, some want flesh, and some want things too unspeakable to utter. One thing is for sure: no one is who they appear to be. Not even Des, who only grows more enigmatic with every passing secret.

But the Kingdom of Flora has its own secrets, from bleeding trees to branded slaves and missing guards. Something is stirring in the land of all that grows, and if Callie isn’t careful, it will claim everything and everyone she loves—and her along with it.

Amazon

shadow reaperSHADOW REAPER  (A SHADOW RIDERS NOVEL) by Christine Feehan

Billionaire playboy Ricco Ferraro knows no other life. Being a shadow rider is in his blood—but so is a haunting desperation stemming from the secrets of his dark past. His recklessness puts not only his life at risk, but also the future of his entire family. To save them all, he must find a woman who can meet his every desire with a heat all her own…

Just when Ricco has given up hope, he meets her—a mysterious woman whose shadow connects with his. She’s someone looking for a safe haven from the danger that has stalked her over the last several months. In Ricco’s embrace, she finds one. But the darkness in which they so often find sanctuary can also consume them.

Amazon    iBooks

make me a wishMAKE ME A WISH (THE CONDUIT TRILOGY BOOK 1) by K B Ladnier and Anita Maxwell

Arsyn Henley has had a rough life growing up. All the universe has ever done, is take every loved one she has ever had and give deep rooted scars—both on the inside and out—in return. When a relative she never knew about dies and leaves her a cabin in the mountains, she’s eager to start over with a new life. She could never have guessed her new life would be riddled with secrets about her family, new people to love and most of all magic beyond her wildest dreams.

Enter the four dashing Kismet brothers who take this broken girl on a metaphorical magic carpet ride through the world of Jinn—beings who grant the wishes of the human race—and slowly put back together her soul with pieces of their own.

But where there’s light, dark is soon to follow. Can she find the strength to accept her new reality and the people who come with it bringing all the beauty of love and light to her? Or will she falter and beckon the darkness to take her away as it’s own?

Amazon

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I had the pleasure of two different people mentioning my first ever scifi romance,WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM (“Titanic in space…”, favorably last week, which is always fun! I also love playing with Canva to make memes, so here’s one for WRECK and its sequel:

Drifting on a dead ship, abandoned by the crew canva

 

 

WRECK OF THE NEBULA DREAM – SFR Galaxy Award Winner

iBooks Amazon  Barnes & Noble   Google Play   Kobo

STAR SURVIVOR

iBooks  Amazon    Kobo       Barnes & Noble

LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

May 24th

May 17th

May 10th

May 3rd 

April 26th

April 19th

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My standard Notes and Caveats:

It’s a mix of the genres in no particular order. Also the term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  

(NOTE: If the author provides me with buy links I insert those; otherwise I default to Amazon and iBooks. Pricing and availability are current as of the day I prepare the post – things can change fast in the ebook world LOL.)

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

 

 

New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday May 3

stowawayAs 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).

I have a New Release!!! I’m really excited to release three Sectors stories that have only been available previously in anthologies, none of which are available currently. (I know many of you purchased the Pets In Space anthology, which first contained STAR CRUISE STOWAWAY and thank you so much!) Along with STOWAWAY, I’ve really been wanting to get the other two stories out there for you, especially THE GOLDEN TOKEN, which was only in the  limited edition paperback we handed out at last year’s RT Booklovers Conference. So I’ve bundled them ALL into one book with the lengthy title STAR CRUISE A NOVELLA: STOWAWAY WITH RESCUE AND GOLDEN TOKEN SHORT STORIES.

Here are the story descriptions:

Star Cruise: Stowaway: A novella of 22K words, previously in the ‘Pets In Space’ anthology.
Cargo Master Owen Embersson is shocked when the Nebula Zephyr’s ship’s cat and her alien sidekick, Midorri, alert him to the presence of a stowaway. He has no idea of the dangerous complications to come nor does he anticipate falling hard for the woman whose life he now holds in his hands. Life aboard the Nebula Zephyr has just become more interesting – and deadly.

Star Cruise: Rescue: A short story of 9K words, previously in the ‘Romancing the Stars’ anthology.
When a shore leave excursion goes terribly wrong for Mira Gage, a member of the Nebula Zephyr’s crew, Security Officer Clint Miltan races the clock to find her before the ship leaves orbit and abandons Mira to her fate. Clint’s got more than a professional interest in Mira, but will he be able to save her from the aliens holding her prisoner?

The Golden Token: A short story of 13K words, previously in the limited edition ‘Dealer’s Choice’ paperback anthology handed out at the 2016 RT Booklovers Convention Interstellar Bar & Grille event.
Sectors Special Forces operator Charlie McBrire had a few days to kill on a layover at Space Station 47. He never expected to find himself in the middle of a miners’ rebellion, fighting to save the life of a casino dancer he just met but can’t imagine living without.

Amazon    iBooks    B&N     Kobo

theronTHERON: HELL SQUAD by Anna Hackett

VS Note: Always exciting to have a new entry in this series! I hit that one click button.

Sienna Rossi has always been a mix of contradictions. She loves ice cream, likes cooking, and is skilled at taking down aliens with her squad. Sweet and tough, soldier and woman, most people can’t seem to make sense of her…even the loving family she lost in the invasion and especially men. One man accepts her as she is, her best friend Theron. But the big, silent, muscled soldier has her firmly in the ‘friends’ zone…except that Sienna knows he wants her, and she’s determined to claim the stubborn man as hers.

Theron Wade lives to fight aliens. They killed his parents, his foster siblings, and his fellow Rangers. Now he has a new team–the tough, mostly-female Squad Nine. But one certain female haunts his dreams and stars in his darkest fantasies. Sienna is his sunshine in the darkness. He wants to her to be happy…and he knows that would never be with a man like him. A man with darker, rougher tastes that would shock her.

As Squad Nine works to track and destroy a dangerous alien device, best friends collide. Theron introduces Sienna to a world of rough, edgy passion that she craves. But as a mission goes off track, the two of them will risk everything for love, for their lives, and to save the world.

Amazon

verkiirVERKIIR (WARRIORS OF THE KARUVAR BOOK 1)  by Alana Serra and Juno Wells

Between her work as a nurse and trying to keep her teenage sister from doing something stupid, Meg Cauthran has her hands full. Since the death of her parents from malfunctioning alien technology, Meg has lived with one simple truth: The aliens are nothing but trouble. And when she’s assigned to a Karuvar medical facility, the impossibly sexy, incredibly possessive Verkiir proves just how right she is.

As First Guardian, Verkiir fer Vel’a is entrusted with the very future of the Karuvar–protecting the Pathfinder’s only son. Despite his people’s tales of fated mates, Verkiir only believes in one thing: His duty. But when he lays eyes on the feisty Meg, all he can think about is claiming all of her–heart, body, and soul–for his own…

Amazon

sky regencyTHE SKY REGENCY by J L Carter

It’s 1810, and Europe is at war as Napoleon stages his great march across the continent and the British Empire battles the threat. King George III’s illness leaves him raving about sky invasions—rants that his courtiers dismiss as the thoughts of a madman.
Margaret Swinton has her own problems; unwillingly promised to Julian Barwick, Duke of Bridgewater and a royal insider, she struggles to find feelings for him, something that her family cannot understand.
However, History will soon be transformed when strange lights start to appear over England: a new invader with a power that easily overwhelms the primitive British forces. As George III repeals the Regency Act, Margaret meets Aidar, the gorgeous and dreaded Prince of the Sky Men.
Margaret quickly finds herself trapped in a deadly, deceit-filled love triangle in a world that has changed forever. The stakes are high, and one wrong move could easily spell disaster…

Amazon

interviews aliens seductionINTERVIEWS, ALIENS AND SEDUCTION (VEGA SPACE VACATIONS BOOK 2)  by Lia Davis

Amaya Parker is leaving her home on Earth to interview for a job with the Angeldale Resorts on Vega. With no family holding her to Earth, no one would miss her if she moved to the galaxy’s elite vacation planet. After checking into her hotel room, she runs into two sexy aliens who seem focused on seducing her.
The resort manager Alexus and Finance Director Drayk have known each other their whole lives, becoming lovers as they entered adulthood. They fear they would have to part ways if either ever finds their true mate. When they meet the beautiful human, Amaya, they know instantly she is a mate for both of them. Seduction becomes the name of the game.

Amazon    iBooks

alien bounty hunterALIEN BOUNTY HUNTER (MAREK’S STORY) BY Brittany Love

Marek hunts deadly creatures throughout the galaxy for money, protecting the people on The Hundred Innocent Planets. While hunting a vicious Florthec on the planet Vyron, his hunt is interrupted when the beast grabs one of the inhabitants, and tries to devour her. Marek saves the beautiful woman, but now she’s seen him and that’s forbidden.

Princess Oren has run from her father because he wants to force her to marry the disgusting Prince Sly…

Amazon

A BABY FOR THE ALIEN PRINCE (CELESTIAL MATES) by Miranda Martin

Take a Human female as a mate on the off chance of saving his race? Absurd.

baby for the alien princeAt least that’s what Prince Elorshin Do’ana thinks. It’s true, the Alvan race is dying. There have been no new births in years and if they don’t do something, their entire race is doomed. However, Elorshin doesn’t want to bind himself to a mate that can’t fully share in the fated bond that all Alvan crave. Forced into a marriage by a House more powerful than his own, Prince Elorshin doesn’t think he will ever know happiness, that is until he meets his bright, luscious bride.

Margot Whelan wants two things, one of which she will never have. Love and a baby. The second can’t happen, not as long as she’s on Earth. Population control is too strict. When she sees an advertisement for the Celestial Mates Dating Agency she decides to take the chance…

Amazon

cargonCARGON (CARGON TRILOGY BOOK 1)  by Kimberley Gould

VS Note: I’ve been reading snippets from this book on the Weekend Writing Warriors blog hop and it’s been quite intriguing.

In a post-apocalyptic world, a lowly servant is at the front of a second renaissance.
Eve is born to the lowest caste, but her sharp mind brings her to the attention of the elite.

In an unprecedented move, she initiates a game of Cargon, the method elite use to rank themselves, and wins a place among them. From within, she sparks new ideas, ones that will literally enlighten her world.

Can she balance the sacrifices that come with her new privilege? Will she marry a partner that will bring her honor as well as love?

Amazon     iBooks

unnatural alliesUNNATURAL ALLIES (SHIFTING ALLIANCES BOOK 2) by Shari Elder

VS Note: I’m intrigued by a rat shifter novel. Yup, I one clicked after reading the sample.

In a changing world, violent fae encroachment on shifter land makes the impossible necessary—an alliance between predator and prey.

Nicca Baron, wolf beta, balks when assigned to a mission led by Evan Grant, the rat alpha. In different circumstances, he’d be dinner, or so her wolf keeps reminding her. But Evan proves to be a perceptive leader, a skilled fighter, and irresistible to her lonely heart…

Amazon

 

cold reignCOLD REIGN (JANE YELLOWROCK) by Faith Hunter

VS Note: I’ve somehow never gotten into this series, don’t know if there’s a romance but I known it’s a wildly popular series! I’ll have to maybe go back and try Book 1.

Jane walks softly and carries a big stake to keep the peace in New Orleans, all part of her job as official Enforcer to Leo Pellissier, Master of the City. But Leo’s reign is being threatened by a visit from a delegation of ancient European vampires seeking to expand their dominions.

And there’s another danger to the city. When she hears reports of revenant vampires, loose in NOLA and out for blood, Jane goes to put them down—and discovers there’s something unusual about these revenants. They never should have risen.

Jane must test her strength against a deadly, unnatural magic beyond human understanding, and a ruthless cadre of near-immortals whose thirst for power knows no bounds…

Amazon     iBooks

borrowed soulsBORROWED SOULS (A SOUL CHARMER NOVEL) by Chelsea Mueller

Callie Delgado always puts family first, and unfortunately her brother knows it. She’s emptied her savings, lost work, and spilled countless tears trying to keep him out of trouble, but now he’s in deeper than ever, and his debt is on Callie’s head. She’s given a choice: do some dirty work for the mob, or have her brother returned to her in tiny pieces.

Renting souls is big business for the religious population of Gem City. Those looking to take part in immoral—or even illegal—activity can borrow someone else’s soul, for a price, and sin without consequence.

To save her brother, Callie needs a borrowed soul, but she doesn’t have anywhere near the money to pay for it….

Amazon     iBooks

justusJUSTUS (WERE ZOO BOOK 4) by R E Butler

When Trina Potter arrives at the Amazing Adventures Safari Park to apply for a job at her cousin’s sweets shop, she doesn’t expect to meet the man of her dreams at the front gate, or that his kisses would drive her senseless.

Bear shifter Justus Dorne would love to meet his soulmate. The weekly park VIP tours so far have netted him zero meetings with the one female meant to be his…

Amazon     iBooks

TEMPTED BY FATE (BAD THINGS BOOK 6) by Cynthia Eden

VS Note: I’m enjoying this series so this is on my TBR List.

tempted by fateLeo is used to having power. After all, he carries the title Lord of the Light for a reason–he’s a supernatural powerhouse and his job is protect all of the “light” paranormals in the world. He’s used to snapping his fingers and getting anything–or anyone–he wants. But when he fell for Fate, Leo learned that power didn’t get a man everything. In fact, it didn’t even get him the one woman he wanted most…

Fate…AKA Mora (that’s the name she prefers to use–a lot less weighty on her shoulders) has spent centuries hiding from her supernatural ex-lover Leo…

Amazon      iBooks

MY DEFENDER (BEWITCHED AND BEWILDERED BOOK 8) by Alanea Alder

my defenderWhen a mysterious illness begins to sweep through Noctem Falls affecting the children, Eleanor Kimball is called to the city to see if she can determine what is wrong. As a pediatrician Eleanor loves children and desires many of her own, however, after several dating disasters she has not only sworn off men, but has given up her dream of a family, and the promise of a destined mate.

After discovering Grant in Noctem Falls she is faced with her own insecurities and finds it hard to believe in his love.

Grant Douglas is a man of few words and doesn’t do well surrounded by others…

Amazon      iBooks

dragon ladyTHE DRAGON LADY by Angelique S Anderson

Wylie Petford suffers extreme tragedy, only to discover that she holds great purpose.
The Dracosinum, a magical device with a key to her heritage, will unlock her future while leaving her love Lord Adrian in the past.
The loss of her closest friendship, the taking over of her home and town by Villainous Lord Ukridge…. is there no good to come from her life?
Now, with the odds against her, she has one chance to become who she is meant to be, escape her shackles and defeat the Lord Jameston.

Amazon

THE GUNS ABOVE (SIGNAL AIRSHIP) by Robyn Bennis

guns aboveVS Note: Not sure there’s much romance going on but the reviews seemed pretty favorable.

For Josette Dupre, the Corps’ first female airship captain, it might just be a bullet in the back.

On top of patrolling the front lines, she must also contend with a crew who doubts her expertise, a new airship that is an untested deathtrap, and the foppish aristocrat Lord Bernat, a gambler and shameless flirt with the military know-how of a thimble. Bernat’s own secret assignment is to catalog her every moment of weakness and indecision.

So when the enemy makes an unprecedented move that could turn the tide of the war, can Josette deal with Bernat, rally her crew, and survive long enough to prove herself?

Amazon     iBooks

a fire in the bloodA FIRE IN THE BLOOD by Amanda Ashley

“I see a man. He is old. Very old. He will come into your life in a moment of danger. He will watch over you and protect you.” The gypsy’s hand gripped Tessa’s tighter. “He will bring you death,” she whispered, her voice like the rustle of dry leaves. “And life.”

Ten years later, when Andrei Dinescu saves Tessa from a vicious attacker, she has no idea that the handsome stranger the gypsy fortune teller predicted is not a hunter but a seven-hundred-year-old vampire. Darkly powerful, unbelievably compelling, he is obviously pursuing Tessa, but is it her love he’s after or her blood?

Amazon     iBooks

far from centerFAR FROM CENTER: AN IMP WORLD NOVEL by Debra Dunbar

The archangel Gabriel has a score to settle. Rebellion has destroyed Aaru, and the angel that started it all is still on the loose. Gabriel will go to any lengths to make the rebel pay for his crimes, but, what the he didn’t bank on was being magically deprived of his powers and having to partner with a human and two demons.

Assuming a physical form opens an angel to sensation in all its tempting glory. And in his quest to bring about angelic justice, Gabriel will discover what it really means to sin.

Amazon     iBooks

once bittenONCE BITTEN (THE WOLVES OF HEMLOCK HOLLOW) by Heather McCorkle

One night was all it took to change everything. One moment of weakness, and now I’m becoming. Werewolves were supposed to be things only seen in movies, not things that exist in real life. Instead of med school and homework, my life is filled with a laundry list of things that were once impossibilities. Groups fighting over whom I belong to. The possibility of dying if I don’t learn everything before the next full moon. Figuring out how to survive in a world I never knew existed. But the biggest danger? Ty: history professor, super sexy Viking werewolf, and the man who’s been assigned by the Council to teach me how to survive becoming a werewolf.

Amazon     iBooks

fashionably fangedFASHIONABLY FANGED by Robyn Peterman

VS Note: I love the tone of the blurb! I have a feeling I’d really love this book, so I put it on the trusty TBR List.

I have to trap the most evil, worst bad dude in existence without actually turning him to ash. So, what’s a Vampyre to do?

For starters, enter an undead beauty pageant—in Oklahoma—where the hair is jacked and the contestants are busty and brainless.

My name is Venus. I’m a two-hundred-year old killing machine and I’m trading in my daggers and sword for a sparkly dress and an obscene swim suit. Tiny strips of Lycra are not my typical battle wear, but when in Oklahoma…

Armed with a fairly decent attitude, two debatably heterosexual insane old ladies, a woman I’d wanted to kill less than eight hours ago and the possible love of my undead life, I’m in over my head with this. Of course I have no clue what this is going to entail, but that’s never stopped me before.

I’m learning quickly nothing is as it seems—not my past and least of all my future. With the not-so-angelic Angels watching our every move and more butt glue, lipstick and hairspray than I knew existed, I’m gonna take my fate by the balls and twist. Hard.

In a race with death for the cursed life of the man I’m falling in love with, there’s no room for error. Especially when I can’t decide if I’d rather head butt him or jump his sexy bones.

Mixed up in a tangled trap of spotlights, sequins and seduction, I’m gunning for a crown and my happily ever after with the arrogant alpha-hole who makes me feel alive.

And the winner is…
Hopefully me.

Amazon     iBooks

dragons petTHE DRAGON’S PET by Loki Renard

When her plane goes down near the front line of the ongoing war between humans and dragons, Aria comes face to face with one of the enemy, and then the terrible beast transforms before her eyes into a huge, devastatingly handsome man. Taken captive and brought back to the dragon’s lair, she quickly discovers that he intends to keep her as not only his prisoner, but his pet…

Amazon     iBooks

 

her matesHER MATES (WOLF TRIALS BOOK 1) by Tamara White

Dani has been hidden from the packs all her life for fear of being found and killed by the same person that murdered her mother but now it’s time to reclaim her title.
As the future Alpha Queen, she must compete in the trials with her mates to prove she’s worthy to rule her people. She must choose the mate who will be right to lead alongside her but little does she know, her choice will change her whole world.

Join Dani in this new Reverse Harem novel as she learns about a world she had been kept from. She meets multiple mates and is faced with the impossible choice of choosing one to lead with her as part of the Alpha Pair.

How can she choose one, when she loves them all?

Amazon

slitherSLITHER by Melody Steiner

VS Note: Saw this one discussed on the Whiskey With My Book Blog

Elanor of Onyx, enslaved by the dragons who scorched her kin and country, is determined to escape her island prison.

When the changeling dragon, Adom, demands that Elanor come with him to the mainland on a secret mission, she sees the opportunity she’s been waiting for—a chance to exact her revenge. But when his actions take a surprising twist, Elanor begins to suspect that maybe things are not as they seem.

With a plot brewing against the mainland king, alliances are tested and Elanor discovers a secret that will forever change the way she views the slithering dragons—and herself.

Amazon     iBooks

witchs stoneWITCH’S STONE by Jamaila Brinkley

Duncan Lowell’s explosive magic is fueled by an equally explosive temper. He’s stayed away from the earldom he rules from afar to escape memories of his vicious father. But when he must return, other memories surface, too – of his childhood friend and conspirator, Fiona: the future Witch of Kilgoran.

Fiona Fanshawe has dedicated her life to the people of Kilgoran. After tragedy marred her family, she’s vowed to stay aloof, serve the village, and never marry. When Duncan arrives, demanding that she retrieve the Stone that caused her family so much pain, she’s forced to re-evaluate all of her choices.

Duncan’s demons make him fear hurting those he loves; Fiona’s make her terrified of getting hurt. Now, the witch and the earl will have to decide whether they will be more dangerous together – or apart.

Amazon

within the sanctuary of wingsWITHIN THE SANCTUARY OF WINGS (A MEMOIR BY LADY TRENT)  by Marie Brennan

VS Note: I debated whether to add this, have not read the series or the book, no idea re romance or not, but it all sounded so delightfully quirky, plus dragons (!) that I decided to leave it up to you, dear readers. It’s price-y though…

After nearly five decades (and, indeed, the same number of volumes), one might think they were well-acquainted with the Lady Isabella Trent–dragon naturalist, scandalous explorer, and perhaps as infamous for her company and feats of daring as she is famous for her discoveries and additions to the scientific field.

And yet–after her initial adventure in the mountains of Vystrana, and her exploits in the depths of war-torn Eriga, to the high seas aboard The Basilisk, and then to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia–the Lady Trent has captivated hearts along with fierce minds. This concluding volume will finally reveal the truths behind her most notorious adventure–scaling the tallest peak in the world, buried behind the territory of Scirland’s enemies–and what she discovered there, within the Sanctuary of Wings.

Amazon     iBooks

beauty conquers the beastBEAUTY CONQUERS THE BEAST by Jenny Schwartz

Lady Nora and Prince Alexander were never friends, and she can’t think of anyone more deserving of the curse that made him the Beast of the Sighaway Forest. But when six princesses from neighboring kingdoms fail to break the curse, it’s more than just the big and brutish Alexander who is suffering.

For her country, and out of an overdeveloped sense of duty, Nora will enter the beast’s castle. She’ll fight mysterious magic and confront the secrets of her heart, but the elusive beast remains untamable.

The shocking solution to breaking the curse will change Nora’s life forever.

Amazon

one true mate5ONE TRUE MATE 5: SHIFTER’S ROGUE by Lisa Ladew

If Mac ran the world, everything would be better. Everyone would say what they felt, mean what they said, and never, ever get offended. At least that’s what he thought his own personal utopia would look like, until he met Rogue.

Rogue’s life was just fine, thank you very much. An expert in her chosen field of danger and lies, she was well on her way to retiring by 30, as long as she could keep her curious mental slide under control. Until that hot-as-sin cop showed up, turning her life upside down, bringing her everything she’d always-and never-wanted.

Amazon

hundredth queenTHE HUNDREDTH QUEEN by Emily R King

VS Note: I thought this one sounded intriguing so I’m still debating whether to one click or add to TBR.

As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood in the ancient Tarachand Empire, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s position, let alone a courtesan or wife. Her sole dream is to continue living in peace in the Sisterhood’s mountain temple.

But a visit from the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda’s life. Within hours, she is ripped from the comfort of her home, set on a desert trek, and ordered to fight for her place among the rajah’s ninety-nine wives and numerous courtesans. Her only solace comes in the company of her guard, the stoic but kind Captain Deven Naik.

Faced with the danger of a tournament to the death—and her growing affection for Deven—Kalinda has only one hope for escape, and it lies in an arcane, forbidden power buried within her.

Amazon

red wolfRED WOLF by Jennifer Ashley

VS Note: This one really appealed to me so I added it to my TBR list.

A man is only as strong…

Red wolf Shifter Dimitri has fought his whole life for respect. It is claimed that red wolves are tainted with coyote blood and therefore not pure. He may not be skilled at verbally defending himself, but because he’s a bodyguard, tracker, and champion of the fight clubs, his fists are always ready for some rough and tumble. However, he’d prefer a roll in the hay with the woman who is his oldest friend.

…as the woman who’s got his back…

A spirited leopard Shifter and a fellow tracker, Jaycee Bordeaux has no problem forging a mate bond with Dimitri, but soon the two are called to infiltrate a rogue group bent on enslaving Shifters. Jaycee may have defended Dimitri from taunts before, but they now face a more lethal danger—one that threatens not only the future of their people, but also their love.

Amazon     iBooks

her wishHER WISH (A PLAYBOY GENIE ROMANCE) by Sophie H. Morgan

Charlie’s sick of Genies. Too beautiful, too sure of themselves, too “celebrity”. And way too eager to grant wishes in the worldwide Lottery that entices mortals into buying tickets in the hope of winning their desires. Charlie would rather walk naked through Times Square than buy a ticket. Unfortunately, her friend springs for one in Charlie’s name – and it gets picked. She refuses to get sucked in and has no qualms about saying so to the famously arrogant, devilishly handsome Genie at her door. Sexy Blue Eyes will just have to take no for an answer.

Jax Michaels would love to take no for an answer. As the most famous Genie on the East Coast, known for his sex appeal, his cheeky interviews, and his roguish style of granting wishes, he only has to turn to the next in line to find a willing partner…

Amazon     iBooks

all systems redALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells

VS Note: Hard scifi so no romance (that I know of) but I read an excerpt and was highly intrigued so I one clicked. The ‘murderbot’s’ POV was fascinating in the excerpt I saw! I liked ‘his’ sense of humor and sarcasm.

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

Amazon     iBooks

american demon huntersAMERICAN DEMON HUNTERS: SACRIFICE by Lindsay Buroker and others

VS Note: OK this is horror and not romance but got good reviews if one enjoys that type of thing, altho one reviewer does warn “Not for the faint of heart!”. I can’t read horror any more – my imagination is too vivid and then I can’t sleep.

A relic thief.
An ex-military Mom.
A grief-stricken father willing to do anything to save his son.
An American Demon Hunter.
All aboard the 8.05pm from Chicago to New Orleans for 19 hours that will change their lives.

When the relic of an ancient blood cult is used to summon the dead and open a portal to the beyond, demons escape onto the train. As the body count rises, each must fight to save their own lives and those of the people they love. New friendships are forged in the battles and love blossoms in the carnage.

But who will have to pay the ultimate sacrifice?

Amazon

LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

April 26th

April 19th

April 12th

April 5th

March 28

March 22

March 15

**************************************************************

My standard Notes and Caveats:

It’s a mix of the genres in no particular order. Also the term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  

(NOTE: If the author provides me with buy links I insert those; otherwise I default to Amazon and iBooks. Pricing and availability are current as of the day I prepare the post – things can change fast in the ebook world LOL.)

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

 

 

 

Wednesday New Releases in SciFi and Fantasy Romance for August 10th

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

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

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

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

FINN (HELL SQUAD BOOK 10) by Anna Hackett

Veronica: I’ve been enjoying this series very much!

In the aftermath of a deadly alien invasion, a band of survivors fights on…

For Hawk pilot Finn Erickson, flying is in the blood. Since the aliens decimated the planet, he spends most of his time flying Hell Squad into combat. With communication to other survivor bases cut off, he has no idea if his family is still alive and feels their loss keenly. But helping to fight back sustains him, and his quadcopter is the only woman he needs. She doesn’t argue with him…unlike a certain redhead who is one hell of a kisser….

Amazon

QuantumQUANTUM by Jess Anastasi

Veronica: This is on my kindle, loved the first book…

Someone wants Captain Admiral Zander Graydon dead. Like yesterday. Zander’s convinced his attractive assistant knows more than she’s willing to say, and if he can stop running long enough, he’ll find out exactly what she’s hiding. Lieutenant Marshal Mae Petros is determined to keep her CO safe. Before she tips her hand, however, Mae has to figure out if the alluring man she’s protecting is the real Captain Admiral Graydon. Or an alien shape-shifting imposter….

Amazon

TREASURES OF THE GODS (THE UNBREAKABLE SWORD SERIES BOOK 3) by S. M. Schmitz

Time is running out for Cameron and Selena to find the Unbreakable Sword and Nuada’s Treasures of the godsheir before the Norse lead a devastating war against the Tuatha Dé for control of the Otherworld. But ever since Cameron took the Spear and became the next sun god, new threats keep emerging: one from a Persian god and one from Cameron himself….

Amazon

TEMPERED HEARTS (HEARTS OF VALENTIA BOOK ONE) by S. A. Huchton

tempered heartsThe war against corrupted monsters from the Void may have ended, but much remains broken in Valentia, including its reluctant monarch. To save the kingdom from the destruction of civil war, Darius Marillion had to sacrifice his heart, agreeing to a marriage of convenience over one of love.

Lady Arden Tanarian was born to wealth, bred to be a fine wife to a high lord. Despite her mother’s best efforts, however, her passion for the decidedly unladylike fields of chemistry and elvish culture marks her as a different breed of woman….

Amazon

FEILLOR GOD OF LAMMAS (SONS OF HERNE BOOK SIX) by J. Rose Allister

FeillorTrapped in the last place he wanted to be…he would find the only thing he ever wanted.

The sixth in a series of erotic romance fantasy novellas…
Feillor, god of Lammas, is preparing to bring in the first harvest for his sabbat ritual, a task that has grown more deplorable now that humans no longer demonstrate respect for the old ways. He raises his scythe and nearly “harvests” a beautiful woman who appears out of nowhere. Sensing the Fates’ meddling hand in her sudden arrival, he demands that they return Salina to earth. The Fates agree on one condition: he must go with her and stay in the mortal realm for three days.

Salina has no intention of letting a local developer destroy the precious woods where she conducts her most sacred pagan rituals….

Amazon

ArkARK by Lucy Snow

Veronica: A July release we missed…

Melissa Crane has been preparing for this meeting for years. As personal aide to Ambassador Fuller of Earth, she journeys into space to meet the elusive envoys of the Kreossian Empire as they prepare to invite Earth into their Commonwealth.

When an explosion forces Melissa and Ark, a mysterious and powerful Kreossian warrior, to crash land on a nearby planet, Melisa realizes she may be in way over her head, and not just because the planet is trying to kill her…

Ark is one of the most feared warriors of the Kreossian Empire, known throughout the galaxy for his ruthlessness. He has pillaged massive planets all in the name of two things: serving the empire and finding his mate….

Amazon

the guild conspiracyTHE GUILD CONSPIRACY: A CHRONIKER CITY STORY by Brooke Johnson

Veronica: No idea re the romance content but steampunk…

It has been six months since clockwork engineer Petra Wade destroyed an automaton designed for battle, narrowly escaping with her life. But her troubles are far from over.  Her partner on the project, Emmerich Goss, has been sent away to France, and his father, Julian, is still determined that a war machine will be built. Forced to create a new device, Petra subtly sabotages the design in the hopes of delaying the war, but sabotage like this isn’t just risky: it’s treason. And with a soldier, Braith, assigned to watch her every move, it may not be long before Julian finds out what she’s done.

Now she just has to survive long enough to find another way to stop the war before her sabotage is discovered and she’s sentenced to hang for crimes against the empire….

Amazon

a promise of fireA PROMISE OF FIRE by Amanda Bouchet

Catalia “Cat” Fisa lives disguised as a soothsayer in a traveling circus. She is perfectly content avoiding the danger and destiny the Gods—and her homicidal mother—have saddled her with. That is, until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, fixes her with his steely gaze and upsets her illusion of safety forever.

Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker, the woman who divines the truth through lies. He wants her as a powerful weapon for his newly conquered realm—until he realizes he wants her for much more than her magic….

Amazon

THE HIGH GROUND IMPERIALS BOOK ONE by Melinda Snodgrass

NOTE: A July release we missed and also blurb from NYC Reader’s review: To summarize the high groundthe plot quickly, the book follows two cadets at the Solar League’s naval academy. The League is in fact a traditional space opera Empire, with an aristocracy drawn, amusingly, from descendants of owners of contemporary mega-corporations. They are called the Fortune 500. The two focal characters are a tailor’s son and the Emperor’s daughter, the first female cadet at the academy. They deal with intrigue, prospective civil war and two alien threats. Romance does ensue but it isn’t overwhelming and it feels true to life and not fantastical….

Amazon

CRASHED by Kate Rudolph

Veronica: Also a July release

CrashedA malfunctioning escape vessel, a deserted planet, and an angry warrior…

Sarah’s vacation isn’t turning out like she planned. When a false alarm and a faulty life boat send her plummeting to an empty planet with an alien stranger, she knows the trouble has only just begun. Nyxant is an enigma, silent and commanding. And while he makes her heart pound with heated glances and stolen touches, their differences may prove stronger than the pull between them….

Amazon

THE ARRIVAL:  A SCIFI WARRIOR PARANORMAL ROMANCE by Ashley West

Veronica: and another July release!

Losing his family and several friends to an attack waged by the Camadors, a race of aliens the arrivalbent on chaos and taking over the world has been hard on Sorrin, leading the warrior to become hardened and single minded where he was once much more friendly and easy going. When he finds out that the Camadors are planning to take their reign of terror to Earth, he follows, arriving just in time to find that humans are being taken prisoner and that the Camadors have something planned for the planet. His mind isn’t on saving the humans, but getting his revenge, and so he attacks their floating city, but winds up getting captured.

Sorrin finds himself in a cell with a human woman, and when she clings to him, he takes her with him when he escapes, figuring he can use her for information at least. But there is much more to this woman than meets the eye, and more to this mission than he ever expected….

Amazon

PORTALS VOLUME 6 – AN SFR FREE SAMPLER by Various including Jessica E. Subject, PJ Dean and Sabine Priestley

portals vol6Welcome! You have arrived at a portal to the galaxy.

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

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

Amazon

ERSTWHILE by H. E. Trent

As an adamant opponent of Terran settlement on the planet Jekh, Owen McGarry made his family name synonymous with “traitor” on Earth. Lobbyists standing to profit from off-world colonization hinted that the Jekhans were erstwhilepreparing to declare war. Nearly twenty years after Owen’s supposed death, his granddaughter Courtney wants to learn the truth—even if she has to travel to the far-flung colony to do it.

Court soon learns that not only was her grandfather right about the Jekhans, but that conditions on their world are far more hostile than she feared….

Amazon

SAND AND STORM (MOONFIRE TRILOGY BOOK 1) by Patty Jansen

Veronica: From June…

sand and stormThe entire world laid to waste. There are no second chances.

The ancient machine that produced icefire was destroyed twenty years ago, but the deadly magic is again on the increase. No one understands why or where it’s coming from.

Icefire controls the weather and massive changes in weather patterns plunge the northern half of the inhabited world in deep drought. The tide of refugees swells, but as long as no one knows where the icefire is coming from, nowhere is safe.

King Isandor sends people to investigate a concentration of icefire in the mountains at the border, but two consecutive patrols both vanish….

Amazon

 

ALIEN ROGUE’S PRICE by Nancey Cummings

The question is, are you willing to pay it? I’m not pretending to be good or honest. I’m a businessman and alien rogues pricethose who call me a pirate don’t get a chance to say it twice.

I have a stowaway on my ship. Meyet. Everything in my body cries out for the soft human woman:her curves, those lips, bright eyes, and the way she smiles at me. Is Meyet my fated mate?….

Amazon     Amazon UK

GHOSTS AND KISSES (A BANSHEE CREEK BOXED SET)  by Ani Gonzales

ghosts and kissesThree deliciously spooky (and hilariously funny) love stories that will make you believe in magic and romance (and maybe even Mothman!). Discover the haunted town of Banshee Creek, where it’s Halloween 365 days a year.

Amazon

BENZEN (WARRIORS OF ORBA) by Zara Zenia

After escaping their home, six aliens, including Benzen, hope to find freedom on a different planet. They end up benzencrashing onto a strange planet, a strange culture, and even stranger inhabitants.

They expected to learn some new things. However, one didn’t expect to find love….

Amazon

 

 

 

clueCLUE AND THE SHRINE OF THE WIDOWED BRIDE by Wendie Nordgren

When Clue Forester leaves Eris Space Station behind to live on a distant Earth settlement on the planet Cassini, she discovers a new reality of troublesome mononoke, beautiful ocean spirits, and vengeful demons who attempt to use her for their own purposes.

However, a powerful Okami rules the city of Scorpius and may be Clue’s only hope if she is to survive long enough to uncover the mystery of her uncle’s demise.

Amazon

amznAUG10

Archaeology in Intergalactic Space

AtStarsEnd-medI’m interviewing Anna Hackett over at USA Today/HEA for my SciFi Ecnounters column, about her HEAnovel At Star’s End. The heroine is a galactic archaeologist who happens to be searching for an Earthly relic – part of the “Mona Lisa.” The how and the why is all part of Anna’s plot and worldbuilding, which we discuss in the column, but I’m perpetually fascinated by the idea of what remnants of other civilizations we might stumble across once we finally get into the galaxy.

I’ve always been drawn to the stories of the old, mysteriously unknowable civilizations on our own world, hence my writing a paranormal series set in ancient Egypt! But when I first started reading Andre Norton’s science fiction novels many years ago, one of the most intriguing aspects of her world building to me was the Forerunners. As I understood it, the Forerunners were actually many alien civilizations and/or possibly one large, unified galaxy-wide association of these worlds. They and their accomplishments were lost in time thousands (millions?) of years before Ms. Norton’s characters ventured on the scene. She was excellent at giving the reader only tantalizing hints and tastes of the Forerunners and I always wanted more.

Her 1955 novel Galactic Derelict was especially fascinating because over the course of this novel an galacticderelict_acef310alien spaceship is located on Earth, having crashed and wrecked maybe hundreds of thousands of years ago. (SPOILERS, although the book dates to the 1950’s LOL.) But conveniently, in this series, humans have time travel (acquired perhaps from another wrecked alien vessel? I can’t remember) so they go back and find the ship when it’s freshly crashed, still in one piece with all its technology and marvels functioning. As the ship is being brought forward to our time, the engines are activated and the ship takes off in the now, trying to complete its long overdue voyage home.

The ship makes stops at various places in the galaxy and each time the unwilling human passengers have to hope ancient mechanisms for refueling are still working, they do some exploring…and then the ship reaches its home and turns itself off. So then the humans have to figure out a way to retrace the journey yet again. In the meantime, home base for the ship seems to have been a central place of Forerunner civilization and we get glimpses of buildings and artifacts and Forerunner descendants…

I was thoroughly and totally hooked, let me tell you!

When I started writing my Sectors science fiction series set in the far future, one world building element I included was a galactic civilization that had come and gone, leaving traces and tantalizing clues, and perhaps even a few working installations. I decided to call them the Ancient Observers  or AO for short (although that’s subject to change). I haven’t been able to talk about it much in any of the books I’ve written to date. One of the AO devices was going to play a part in Escape From Zulaire but my editors and I concluded that adding in any significant discussion of this ancient civilization was just too much for the pacing of the novel. So the device is still in the book but without much reference to who built it. (Hint: think REALLY giant emerald. You’ll know it when you see it!)

I have some other plots in mind for future novels where my Ancient Observers may come up again as hopefully intriguing tidbits, might get more “time on the page”…we’ll see.

So, do you have any novels to recommend that feature archaeology out there, among the stars? Or vanished ancient races on other worlds that our descendants are trying to understand through shards and wall paintings? I’d love to read some more stories along these lines!

WitchesBroomNebula