Release Day Spotlight: Rising Sun (Eleven Kingdoms #1) by Donna Grant

 Happy Release Day Donna Grant

Rising Sun is the first book in a brand new series!

Get your copy today!

About the Book

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant introduces a wickedly seductive new series with a ruthless, jaded elf and a bewitching human hiding a powerful secret—unlikely soulmates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death.

Nothing could make Yasmin return to Shaldorn, the place of nightmares. But when she’s caught stealing, she’s given an ultimatum: take Ravi over the Dangerous Peaks to the stronghold or face imprisonment.

She has no choice but to agree, though she intends to escape the elf as soon as she reaches the mountains. Yet, as they battle nature itself, the two enemies find common ground—and an all-consuming passion.

Can they prevail in their dangerous heist, or be torn apart by betrayal?

Purchase Links

✦SIGNED PRINT→ https://dgrant.co/3upXfAq

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✦Audible→ https://dgrant.co/3TZyS6r

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✦Audiobooks→ https://dgrant.co/3vocD0M

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About the Author

Release Blitz: Love Hazard by Rachel Van Dyken

Hating the guy across the street should never lead to camping, bears, and kissing.

Love Hazard, an all-new steamy novella set in The Bet world from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken is now live!

Book Blurb

When hate leads to love next door…

My dad is protective. Scratch that. He’s like the person who would grab a chair, place it on the lawn, and watch me walk across the street just to deliver an apple. So, when a bet between the rude, good-looking guy across the way becomes a full-on battle, it turns into absolute chaos.

He says my degree is useless and that I’m a rich, spoiled princess.

I say he’s an idiot who only knows how to fix motorcycles and is incapable of having a clean-shaven face.

He gives me a tiara. Thanks.

I buy him a razor. Perfect.

He follows that up with a book… Like. I. Can’t. Read.

I then give him soap—explanation easy there.

The following day, I receive a pink princess blanket that I may or may not have burned and tossed on his front doorstep, not realizing his dad is a cop. Now, both dads want the war to stop between us, forcing us to go on a camping trip to bury the hatchet—which I’m convinced he actually brought.

He’s a hazard to my health.

But it’s only a weekend. I honestly don’t know if we’ll make it out alive, but the dads are tired of it all. Regardless, I’ll come out, and prove I'm not the princess he thinks I am.

Maybe he’ll end up lost in the woods—one can only hope. One thing’s for sure. I will never, ever fall for him.

Ever.

A bet with the boy next door? Challenge accepted. I’ll be waiting for my trophy at the

finish line.

Grab your copy today, exclusively on Amazon!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ueMAbf

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/lovehazard

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/3Sz2w1W

Add Love Hazard to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/48N7E82

Keep reading for a look inside Love Hazard!

 

Grin smug, I was maybe a foot from the Jeep when I heard a crack and looked down.

A branch.

A branch under my foot.

Slowly, I looked over my right shoulder.

Hell was waiting for me there.
With a yell, I grabbed the driver’s side door and jerked it open, then started the Jeep and hit the accelerator with a bear close behind me.

“Ahhhhh!” Hazel screamed as she got thrown across the back seat. “I’m not buckled in.”

“But you are alive.” I took a turn, then another, then went up onto the highway and headed toward the small town of Canon Beach. “You’re alive.”

I was damn near hyperventilating when she crawled into the front seat, buckled up, and turned to me, her brown eyes twinkling. “Naked and Afraid has nothing on us.”

“Well,” I joked, “at least the afraid part. We didn’t have to get naked.”

The air thickened.

Shit.

Again, I did it to myself.

“I guess.” Her voice was quiet. “There are no rules in nature, anyway.”

Vague.

I wanted to ask her what she meant, and then I wanted to analyze and digest every part of the sentence.

My grip tightened on the steering wheel. “We’ll just find a hotel.”

Yes, because that would fix every ounce of sexual tension—forced proximity, a comfy bed, bathrobes, and adrenaline.

Sure.

Oh, the lies we tell ourselves.

For more information about Rachel Van Dyken, visit her website:

https://rachelvandykenauthor.com/

For More Information about 1001 Dark Nights

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**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Blog Tour: People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle

New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz, writing as Jayne Castle, returns to the alien yet eerily familiar world of Harmony in PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES (Ghost Hunters #16), another heart-pounding futuristic romantic suspense novel perfect for fans of J.D. Robb and Christine Feehan.

Returning to the future-set earth colony Harmony with a brand new set of compelling characters and winning combination of electrifying adventure and sizzling romantic tension, this seventeenth installment of Castle’s beloved series follows a disgraced explorer whose crew vanished in a failed expedition and a woman desperate to locate her missing sister, one of the crew members.

Get your copy today!

About the Book

Two people desperate for answers wade through smoke and mirrors within the alien world of Harmony in this new novel by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Castle.

His name is Joshua Knight. Once a respected explorer, the press now calls him the Tarnished Knight. He took the fall for a disaster in the Underworld that destroyed his career. The devastating event occurred in the newly discovered sector known as Glass House—a maze of crystal that is rumored to conceal powerful Alien antiquities. The rest of the Hollister Expedition team disappeared and are presumed dead.

Whatever happened down in the tunnels scrambled Josh’s psychic senses and his memories, but he’s determined to uncover the truth. Labeled delusional and paranoid, he retreats to an abandoned mansion in the desert, a house filled with mirrors. Now a recluse, Josh spends his days trying to discover the secrets in the looking glasses that cover the walls. He knows he is running out of time.

Talented, ambitious crystal artist Molly Griffin is shocked to learn that the Tarnished Knight has been located. She drops everything and heads for the mansion to find Josh, confident she can help him regain control of his shattered senses. She has no choice—he is the key to finding her sister, Leona, a member of the vanished expedition team. Josh reluctantly allows her to stay one night but there are two rules: she must not go down into the basement, and she must not uncover the mirrors that have been draped.

But her only hope for finding her sister is to break the rules…

Excerpt

 

Chapter One

The past . . .

"Higher," Molly shouted, thrilling to the reckless sense of freedom she got on the swings. "I can almost see the sign."Leona obliged, pushing harder on the playground swing. The billboard on the other side of the brick wall came into view. It had been erected a few months earlier and had not yet had time to fade in the desert sun. griffin investigations. want answers? we'll get them for you. call now. no waiting. Beneath the words was a phone number printed in giant red letters. Molly and Leona had both spent so much time on the swings they had memorized it.

Molly's full name was Molly No Middle Initial No Last Name. She was six and a half years old. Her sister's name was Leona No Middle Initial No Last Name. Leona was also six and a half years old. Ms. Inskip, the director of the Inskip School for Orphan Girls, had explained that although they had been left on the doorstep of the school together when they were infants, Molly and Leona were not biological sisters. Molly and Leona had decided to ignore her. After a while Ms. Inskip had given up trying to explain the facts of DNA.

A few months earlier, Molly had found a couple small chunks of untuned amber in the orphanage garden. During arts and crafts class, she and Leona had figured out how to tie lengths of ribbon around the amber to create necklaces. They wore the pendants night and day, symbols of their sisterhood.

Molly and Leona had grown up together within the confines of the school. It was not a bad place like the orphanages in some of the stories they read. Ms. Inskip was stern but not mean. For the most part she hired trained, caring teachers and staff.

As the years went by, Molly and Leona had watched as the other girls who wound up in the orphanage were adopted. But no one had ever wanted the sisters with no last names. Ms. Inskip had told them that they were very special and that someday special parents would come to adopt them. They had stopped believing her.

"Can you see it yet?" Leona demanded, giving the swing another strong shove.

"'Want answers?'" Molly sang out. "'We'll get them for you. Call now. No waiting.'" She rattled off the phone number.

"My turn," Leona announced.

Molly wanted to argue, but there were rules. They had agreed that when the sign came into view it was time to take turns on the swing. Besides, Ms. Inskip would soon call them back inside. The director believed in an orderly routine. She claimed it was the best way to ensure that the orphaned girls in her care developed what she called the life skills needed to take their place as respectable, responsible adults in society.

What Molly and Leona were gradually figuring out was that becoming a respectable, responsible adult in a society in which family and family connections were everything was not easy for orphans-and even more difficult for those whose last name was No Last Name.

A complete absence of basic personal information-no birth certificates, no sad notes from desperate unwed mothers, no ancestry records-was an extremely rare circumstance, but Ms. Inskip insisted that was the case for Molly and Leona.

Molly reluctantly jumped off the swing. Leona took her place.

"Make it go really high," Leona ordered. She was inclined to tell others what to do and how to do it whether or not they wanted the instructions.

Molly pushed until Leona was flying high enough to read the Griffin Investigations sign. She was about to demand another turn on the swings when a man's arm wrapped around her from behind, squeezing her so hard she couldn't breathe. A big hand clamped across her mouth. Remembering Ms. Inskip's rules for dealing with Stranger Danger, she struggled wildly. But in the next instant she felt a sharp sting on her upper shoulder. She got dizzy.

She was dimly aware that the stranger was carrying her out through the open gate. She wondered briefly how he had managed to steal the key from Ms. Inskip, and then she fell into darkness.

The last thing she heard before she went unconscious was Leona's scream.

Chapter Two

The past . . .

She woke up in a radiant green chamber. There was a high, arched doorway but no windows. She was a fan of the rez-screen series Jake Carlisle, Underworld Explorer, so she recognized the setting immediately. She was in the maze of ancient underground tunnels that crisscrossed the planet.

Two metal tables sat in the center of the room. There were a notebook and a small pile of yellow crystals on one of the tables. The other table was covered with glass tubes and jars, some of which contained strangely colored liquids. The items reminded Molly of a scene in the video Ms. Inskip had made the girls watch the previous week, Do I Want to Be a Scientist When I Grow Up? She remembered that chambers like the one she was in were called laboratories.

Leona had been fascinated with the video. Molly had been bored.

At the thought of Leona, she reached up to take comfort from the amber pendant. But it was gone. She realized she must have lost it in the struggle with the stranger.

Out of nowhere, terror swept over her, closing her throat and making it almost impossible to breathe. There was no sign of the man who had taken her, but she was sure he was not far away. She was afraid to move, because every instinct warned her that doing so might draw his attention.

After a while she realized she could not stay motionless forever. She had to pee and then she had to escape. She scrambled to her feet, never taking her eyes off the doorway. When the stranger did not appear, she started to move out into the hall to search for a bathroom.

Without warning the doorway began to shiver with shadows. Another wave of fear lanced through her. Somehow she knew she must not touch the strange darkness that whispered in the opening.

Unable to come up with an alternative, she retreated to a corner to take care of the immediate problem.

When she was finished, she went back to the doorway again, hoping the scary shadows were gone. She was not sure what she would do if she did get out of the horrible chamber. Like every other kid on Harmony, she and the girls at the orphanage had been warned repeatedly about the risks of going down into the maze of ancient green quartz tunnels that crisscrossed the planet. Children who went into the Underworld alone never returned to the surface, according to Ms. Inskip. But anything was better than staying in the laboratory waiting for the stranger to come back.

She moved as cautiously as she could, trying to sneak up on the shadows, but when she was a couple of steps away, they flared in the doorway, blocking her path.

She looked around the small space. There was nowhere to hide. She stood in the center of the room, tears leaking from her eyes, unable to think of anything else to do.

She cried until she could not cry any more and then she hunkered down against a wall, drew up her knees, and hugged her legs close, trying to make herself as small as possible.

She had no idea how much time passed before the first dust bunny showed up in the doorway. He stood on his hind paws and chortled. He looked just like the pictures of Newton, the Clever Dust Bunny, the hero of her favorite series of children's books. He was a scruffy ball of gray fur with two small ears and six paws. He watched her with his bright blue eyes. She knew he had a second set that he used for hunting, but they were closed.

It was such a relief to see a nonthreatening creature that she almost cried again.

"Hi," she whispered.

The dust bunny fluttered through the doorway, unconcerned about the dark shadows, and halted in front of her. She patted him gently on top of his furry head.

"You should leave before the stranger comes," Molly said. "He'll probably hurt you."

The dust bunny made encouraging noises and zipped back and forth between her and the doorway. She shook her head.

"I can't leave," she said. "The shadows won't let me."

The dust bunny abandoned the attempt to coax her out of the chamber. He gave a farewell chortle and disappeared out into the hall. She wanted to cry again but she couldn't. It was as if she could not feel anything at all now.

After a while she went to the table that held the yellow crystals. Curious, she picked one up. It felt good in her hand. She dropped it into the pocket of her blue Inskip School uniform. Then she chose a second stone for Leona and put it in her other pocket.

The dust bunny returned some time later. At first she thought she was dreaming. In her many lectures on the risks of wandering into the tunnels, Ms. Inskip had talked about something called hallucinations. She had explained that they were among the many terrible things that happened to little girls who took a notion to explore the Underworld. She had explained that experiencing hallucinations was a lot like falling into a bad dream while you were awake.

The dust bunny chortled and bustled through the doorway, once again ignoring the shadows. Molly decided she did not care if he was a hallucination.

"Thanks for coming back," she whispered. "I'm glad to see you again, but it isn't safe here. You should go."

The dust bunny ignored the advice and bounced a little, clearly excited about something. She picked him up and hugged him close, taking comfort from his furry presence. But he immediately wriggled free and fluttered back toward the doorway. He chortled down the hallway.

A moment later she realized he had not returned alone. A half dozen dust bunnies scampered through the doorway and chortled at the sight of her. It was as if they had just played a game and won. They were beside themselves with glee.

Before Molly could understand what was going on, two women appeared in the opening. They had flamers in their hands and knives on their belts. Both wore small day packs, the kind adults carried when they went into the Underworld, but aside from the weapons and the packs, neither of them was dressed like Jake Carlisle, Underworld Explorer.

The shorter one had shoulder-length, silver-blond hair. She wore tight faded jeans, a crisp white shirt, a wide leather belt studded with amber, and boots. The taller woman had on a blue pantsuit and low-heeled dress shoes. There was a pretty scarf around her throat. Her dark hair was pinned up in a knot.

Both women wore matching wedding rings.

"Told you the dust bunnies were not playing a game," the one with blond hair said. "Hang on while I de-rez the shadow trap."

A moment later the strange darkness that had barred the doorway disappeared. The dust bunnies chortled approval.

Molly gazed at the two women. A part of her was thrilled, but she was also worried about hallucinations. "Are you angels?"

The one with blond hair chuckled as she strode through the opening. "Sorry, no. Charlotte and I were out partying at a bar the night the angel recruiter came around looking for talent."

"What?" Molly said.
"Never mind, honey," Charlotte said. "Eugenie here likes to make dumbass jokes at inappropriate times."

"Ms. Inskip doesn't like it if we say dumbass," Molly said.

"Screw Ms. Inskip," Eugenie said cheerfully. She surveyed the room. "On second thought, forget that idea. What the hell is this place?"

"It's a laboratory," Molly announced. "I saw one in the career video."

"Good observation," Charlotte said.

She went to the smaller table and scooped up the notebook.

"Here's the deal, kid," Eugenie said. "We're no angels but we're the next best thing. We're the team from Griffin Investigations."

Molly was dazzled. "'Want answers? We'll get them for you,'" she recited. "'Call now. No waiting.'"

Charlotte glanced at Eugenie. "And you said those signs were a waste of money." She turned back to Molly. "Your sister, Leona, called us. When we showed up at the Inskip School, she told us what had happened and gave us your necklace. Helen Inskip claimed you'd been adopted, but we didn't believe her for a second, did we, Eugenie?"

"Nope." Eugenie snorted. "It was pretty clear Inskip was lying. But we'll let the authorities deal with her. Right now our job is to get out of here."

The dust bunnies chortled and took off through the doorway.

"I guess they figured their work here was done," Charlotte said.

"Ours isn't," Eugenie said. "You take Molly. I'll handle security."

"Right." Charlotte stuffed the notebook into her pack. Flamer in one hand, she extended the other hand to Molly. "Ready to leave?"

"Yes, please," Molly said.

When Charlotte's fingers closed around her small hand, she knew everything was going to be all right. Eugenie went out into the hall, checked both ways, and then beckoned.

"All clear," she announced.

Molly was so happy to be out of the green chamber she almost cried again. But she managed to avoid embarrassing herself in front of the brave team from Griffin Investigations.

Eugenie led the way. When they reached an intersection, she motioned Charlotte and Molly to wait.

She moved out into the intersection.

"Well, shit," she said.

Molly started to say that Ms. Inskip did not approve of the word shit, but there was not time, because Eugenie was diving back into the corridor where Charlotte and Molly waited. A bolt of fire flashed in the intersection. Thanks to two seasons of Jake Carlisle, Underworld Explorer, Molly knew that she had just seen a blast from a flamer.

"How many?" Charlotte asked.

"I only saw one. Not a pro. Bad beard. Bad hair. Bad glasses. He's wearing a white lab coat."

"That fits with the lab stuff we just saw," Charlotte said. "He may have security working with him."

"I don't think so. Pros would have done a better job of guarding the kid."

An outraged male voice thundered in the other hallway.

"You can't take the child. She is a subject in a very important research project. She will be returned to the school unharmed when I have completed the exam."

"This case just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Charlotte said.

"The situation seems pretty straightforward to me." Eugenie crouched at the entrance to the intersection and raised her voice. "You're guilty of kidnapping. There are witnesses. I'm making a citizen's arrest."

Excerpted from People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle. Copyright © 2024 by Jayne Castle. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books

Books-A-Million | Kobo | Google Play | Bookshop

About the Author

Jayne Castle, the author of Sweetwater and the Witch, Guild Boss, Illusion Town, Siren's Call, The Hot Zone, Deception Cove, and more, is a pseudonym for Jayne Ann Krentz, the author of more than fifty New York Times bestsellers. She writes contemporary romantic suspense novels under the Krentz name, as well as historical novels under the pseudonym Amanda Quick. Learn more online at www.jayneannkrentz.com.

Blog Tour: Archangel's Lineage by Nalini Singh

 Happy Release Day Nalini Singh!

I am so excited that Archangel's Lineage is released into the wild!

This is Book #16 in Nalini's Guild Hunter series and is UNBELIEVABLE! 

Get your copy TODAY!

About the Book

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s dangerous and beautiful world of archangels, vampires, and mortals has never faced a threat this cataclysmic…

Raphael and Elena are experiencing their first ever year of true peace. No war. No horrors of archangelic power. No nightmares given flesh. Until…the earth beneath the Refuge begins to tremble, endangering not only angelkind’s precious and fragile young, but the very place that has held their most innocent safe for eons.

Amid the chaos, Elena’s father suffers a violent heart attack that threatens to extinguish their last chance to heal the bonds between them and make sense of the ruins of their agonizing shared history.

Even as Elena battles grief, Raphael is torn from her side by the sudden disappearance of an archangel. But worse yet is to come. An Ancestor, an angel unlike any other, stirs from his Sleep to warn the Cadre of a darkness so terrible that it causes empires to fall and civilizations to vanish.

This time, even the Cadre itself may not be able to stop a ticking clock that is counting down at frightening speed…

My Review

5 Million Stars

Nalini Singh wrung out my soul, shattered my heart and painstakingly–and lovingly–mended it back together in Archangel’s Lineage. 

Nalini Singh fans have been speculating about the meaning of the title ever since it was revealed in 2023. I know what I was hoping for and it’s exciting to see what everyone else thinks too! I can neither confirm nor deny any or all guesses, but what I will say is that Nalini Singh doesn’t disappoint in Archangel’s Lineage! 

The story is beautiful, heartbreaking, heart wrenching, unbelievable, passionate, explosive, amazing, exciting, nail-biting, tear-jerking, lovely, and everything you want (or need) in a Nalini book. 

Archangel’s Lineage is packed FULL of surprises! I cannot wait for everyone to read it! I whole-heartedly recommend the entire Guild Hunter series and EVERY book by Nalini Singh!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links

Penguin Random House

Nalini Singh Website

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh is passionate about writing. Though she’s traveled as far afield as the deserts of China, the Highlands of Scotland, and the frozen landscapes of Antarctica, it is the journey of the imagination that fascinates her most. She’s beyond delighted to be able to follow her dream as a writer.   Nalini lives and works in beautiful New Zealand. You can contact her directly through her website. While visiting the site, Nalini invites you to join her newsletter for up-to-date news about both the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series, as well as fun exclusive extras, including free short stories set in her worlds. nalinisingh.com

Release Blitz: Touch Me by J. Kenner

Will their hearts survive the ultimate test?

Touch Me, a Stark International novella from New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner & Blue Box Press is now live!

Book Blurb

Former wild child Jamie Archer can’t believe how amazing her life has become. Not only is she married to the sexiest man on the planet, Stark Security Chief Ryan Hunter, but she’s also set to star in a big budget blockbuster that is sure to send her career soaring into the stratosphere.

Everything is perfect until Jamie, the least maternal person on the planet, finds out that not only is she pregnant, but that her due date interferes with the film’s production schedule.

Ryan has always supported his wife’s ambition, but he never expected to learn that they were having a baby from the shouts of paparazzi. Hurt, angry, and afraid that Jamie will choose her career over their family, Ryan tries to pull her closer, but only succeeds in pushing her away.

Now, as the pillars of their once fairytale marriage begin to crumble, Jamie and Ryan must find a way to outshine the glitter of stardom and rediscover the strength of their bond.

Start reading today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/49aHUmA

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/touchme

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/47QN9pV

B&N: https://bit.ly/3Ubj5lo

Kobo: https://bit.ly/425iJiw

Apple Books: https://apple.co/4aYVISg

Google Play: https://bit.ly/48RWIWm

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/426MRd5

Start the series with Tame Me→ https://bit.ly/495ijug

Excerpt

 

Keep reading for a look inside Touch Me!

“Oh, Kitten, believe me. If you don’t kiss me, there will definitely be a fight.”

I hold back a laugh, but my whole body is tingling from the scent of him. From the pressure of his body against mine. I slide my arms around his neck and rise up to claim his mouth. It’s both soft and hard, and the moment his fingers twine in my hair and his tongue finds mine, that tingle turns into a torrent. A wild wave of need so intense that I really, really wish that it was bedtime or nap time or any sort of away time for the kiddo.

But no. His mom won’t be back for hours, and that means I have to wait to get what I want. Ryan knows it, too, and when he gently pushes back, a wave of desperation crashes over me, and I have to fight the urge to draw him close, strip him bare, and scar the kid for life.

As if he knows what I’m thinking—and considering this is Ryan, he probably does—he chuckles softly. I feel the low rumble in his chest more than I hear it. Our eyes meet for a moment, then he eases behind me and rests his hands on my shoulders, the brush of his thumbs on the back of my neck sending shivers up my spine.

His breath tickles my ear as he leans close, and I freeze when he whispers, “I want one, Kitten. Not today. Not next week. But one of these days you need to stop being scared.”

I stay frozen, expecting him to walk on. To say something else. To do anything but what he’s doing, which is standing behind me, his palm now resting lightly on my shoulder.

It’s like a reverse staring contest, but it’s one I’m determined to win.

And as David stands up, then plops down on his bottom, then laughs his little head off before doing it all over again, Ryan bends over and kisses my head. Then he walks away from me, crossing the room to grab David and swing him up into the air, sending the little demon into peals of joyous laughter.

For More Information about J. Kenner, visit her website: https://www.juliekenner.com/

For More Information about 1001 Dark Nights

Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Cover Revealed: 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe by Codi Hall

I am SUPER excited to be sharing the cover of  Codi Hall's next book, 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe, releasing October 1st 2024 from Podium!

10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe is the first book in Codi's Mistletoe Spinoff series, Falling in Mistletoe! Still set in the quaint fictional town of Mistletoe, Idaho where it's Christmas 24-7!

Falling in Mistletoe centers on the bachelors around town! I am so excited for all of them to get their happily ever afters, no matter how grumpy they are! 

About the Book

A misunderstanding sparks an enemies-to-lovers romance between an outdoorsman and an aspiring writer in this funny and festive Christmas-themed novel.

 

So far, no man in Mistletoe, Idaho, has measured up to the literary heroes in Delilah Gill’s favorite books. Anthony Russo is no exception. She’s not sure why the steamy smooch they once shared suddenly turned frosty, and she’s tried to keep her distance ever since. But she’s had enough of being serially single, and she decides it’s the perfect time to put herself out there.

 

Anthony isn’t interested in playing games and he doesn’t like being used—especially not to make his own best friend jealous. Still, a bruised ego doesn’t stop him from imagining kissing Delilah again when she shows up to the local watering hole looking like a million bucks and the other single men in town start to notice her considerable charms.

 

As December approaches and the Christmas festivities ramp up, both Delilah and Anthony find themselves roped into Mistletoe’s seasonal happenings. It won’t be long now before proximity turns loathing into interest and ultimately a romance that could lead to a very happy holiday indeed . . .

Pre-Order Link

https://podiumaudio.com/audio-book/10-things-i-hate-about-mistletoe/

About the Author

Codi Hall has been writing for eight years under the pen name, Codi Gary. In the spring of 2020, Codi signed with Audible for three original audio books about a trio of siblings finding love in their little mountain town during Christmas time. A California native living in Idaho, she fell in love with big skies, amazing people, and brisk winters. When she isn't writing, you can find her watching movies with her family, making silly Tik Toks, taking gorgeous photos, and snuggling up with a good book and one of her many furbabies! 

TikTok | Instagram | Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Blog Tour: An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtz

Happy Release Day Melissa Holtz!

An Enchanting Case of Spirits is her debut novel! 

Congratulations Melissa! Wishing you all the best!

Grab your copy today! 

Purchase links are below along with an excerpt!

About the Book

When a fortieth birthday celebration leads to a ghostly visitor, four friends find themselves navigating surprising mysteries and spiritual hijinks, in this clever debut from Melissa Holtz.

Alyssa Mann isn’t adventurous, not since her husband died and she found herself the single mom of a teenage daughter. But there’s no way to avoid celebrating the big 4-0, so when her best friends drag her out for drinks and a tarot reading, she throws caution to the wind and decides to see what the spirits have to say. It’s all fun and games, until she wakes up the next morning with a wicked hangover—and a ghost perched on the edge of her bed.

Sheer panic sends her running to get help from Nick West, the (very attractive) detective who lives next door. When he finds no one inside, Alyssa has to accept that she really did see a ghost. As the dearly departed keep appearing, Alyssa and her friends do their best to learn how to control her newfound power. Trading insults with ghosts, tracking down family heirlooms, and getting closer to the skeptical but helpful Nick is more fun than Alyssa imagined. But when looking into one ghost’s past reveals unexpected—and unwelcome—facts about Alyssa’s late husband’s death, she discovers she just may be in over her head.

Excerpt

Five of Cups

Another spoonful will dull the painful truth.

My youth is gone.

A carton of ice cream is gripped between my legs like my life depends on it not slipping from my clutches. A cool autumn breeze flits through the open window next to my whitewashed sleigh bed, and I shiver as it races up my exposed arms.

I consider closing said window but refrain, too comfy to move from under the heavy down comforter and matching gray sheets I'm currently curled beneath.

My lips wrap around a tarnished silver spoon-a wedding present from my mother-and a chill settles over me. Whether from the draft or cold dessert, I'm not sure, and I couldn't care less either way.

Less than nine hours remain of my fortieth birthday, and I'm alone, eating my ice cream as though it's my last supper.

My eyes are fixed on the harvest-yellow walls, a color I adored once upon a time but now resent because I'm no longer the carefree wife and mother who chose that cheerful shade.

Birthdays come and go, and the next may not be promised, but it's just a day. Tomorrow, all the calls and messages will stop. I'll be one year closer to my own death, with nothing but wrinkles and cellulite to keep me company.

Dramatic much?

My phone chimes from the nightstand and I ignore it. It's been going off all day with messages commemorating a day I'd rather skip from family and friends who know this yet refuse to oblige me.

Almost immediately, the phone rings, and I know that either I answer or risk a wellness check from the police, courtesy of my well-meaning friends. There's no doubt it's Lanie or Nina on the other end of this call. Both of my best friends are dogs with a bone, and neither will stop until I shut off the phone or scream down the line that I'm alive.

Sighing, I grab the black smartphone and push accept.

"I'm breathing. You can stop calling," I drone, sounding pathetic even to my own ears.

"Well, that's a relief." Lanie's dry tone just barely hides the irritation she works so hard to conceal. "I thought you'd managed to drown yourself in Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle or that nasty riesling you adore." I hear Lanie's deep breath before she continues. "Alyssa, you can't hide from your birthday."

"But I'm going to give it my best try," I say, eyeing the now-empty ice cream container with contempt, sending a thanks up to the gods that she didn't attempt a video chat. If Lanie Anderson saw my current condition, she'd stage a full-on intervention.

All traces of irritation and worry vanish when she says, "Ava called."

I groan, silently cursing my far-too-perceptive daughter for calling my overprotective best friend. This wouldn't be the first time. In fact, it seems to be happening far more often than reasonable.

I know Ava doesn't want me to be alone today, but I don't want her worrying when she should be focusing on studying for her exams. She's a little over an hour away at a prestigious boarding school for the arts, and if it were her choice, she'd give up her dreams and come back home.

"She shouldn't have done that. I told her I was fine."

"She doesn't think you are, Ally. You haven't left your house for more than a grocery run this week. It's your fortieth birthday and you aren't celebrating, when we all know that birthdays are a big production with you."

"I left my house," I say indignantly, blowing a wayward piece of hair out of my eyes.

"Don't be cranky. It's unbecoming of a woman in her prime." Her teasing lilt is meant to make me laugh, but I don't.

"I'm not cranky and I'm not in my prime."

"Sure you are!" she says far too cheerfully when moments ago it was all doom and gloom.

"Forty is a prime number."

"It's not."

"It isn't? Hmm . . ."; she murmurs, and I can see her clearly in my head, full lips pursed and one perfectly microbladed eyebrow cocked in contemplation. "Well, I guess you're right.

Nothing prime about forty."

"I hate you."

"You don't," she practically purrs.

She's right. I cherish our friendship. Even more for her part in picking me up off the floor on numerous occasions over the last two years. Lanie has been a constant friend. One who hasn't allowed all of me to break into the million tiny pieces it wants to. A fate my poor heart didn't escape.

Two years ago, my soul was crushed, and it wasn't with one hard knock to my front door.

The harsh reality is that I was sitting next to my husband Garrett the day he died. My head hit the side window, and the last thing I remember is a bright light and the color red. For over a year, I relived the accident nightly. I didn't have dreams; it was always the same nightmare. One I couldn't wake up from.

Garrett died. I survived. And that truth has haunted me for a long time.

My eyes catch on Garrett's ashes, which sit in a generic, unmarked container on top of my dresser. Too cliché for a life as beautiful as ours had been.

A tear slips down my cheeks unbidden, and I swipe it away.

Not today, Satan.

My current grief is brought to you by my birth. I only have room for one trauma at a time.

"Earth to Ally," Lanie sings through the phone.

I shake my head, clearing my mind. "What did you say?"

"It's your birthday, and it's Thursday wine night. I know you said you didn't want to celebrate, but you must. Nina and I are headed out, and you're coming."

I chance a glance into the floor-length mirror resting against my wall and grimace. My wavy strawberry-blond hair is matted at the crown of my head, and I have dark circles underneath my bloodshot eyes. The entirety of my face is blotchy and swollen, a byproduct of crying.

I'm a hideous beast today.

"No, thank you."

My spoon scrapes the bottom of the empty ice cream carton, and the tears stream briskly down my cheeks.

It's been two years and I know this breakdown isn't about him. It's about a number. Forty always sounded ancient and here I am living it and feeling every ache and pain that decided to start on this very day.

How convenient.

Excerpted from An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtz Copyright © 2024 by Melissa Holtz. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Purchase Links

Penguin Random House

About the Author

Photo by Janel Lee Photography

Melissa Holtz is a former publicist and marketing expert in the romance genre. Now in an advisory role to several bestselling authors, she consults on industry marketing trends. An Enchanting Case of Spirits is her debut novel. melissaholtz.com