Nov 13 2018

Renewing Forever Virtual Book Tour

Renewing Forever is the second of a series of standalone novels focused on older characters who think love has passed them by. Frank and Tom’s story is a true second chance romance, reuniting childhood friends and first loves separated by an argument and thirty years of misunderstanding. I hope you enjoy reading about their renewed friendship and their plans for forever.

About Renewing Forever

A neglected resort, a lost chance at love, and one last chance to renew forever.

Frankie and Tommy once dreamed of traveling the world together. But when seventeen-year-old Frank kissed Tom, their plans ended with a punch to the jaw and Frank leaving town without looking back. Thirty years later, Frank’s successful career as a journalist is interrupted by his uncle’s death and the question of his inheritance—the family resort where his childhood dreams were built. When he returns to the Pocono Mountains, however, he finds a dilapidated lodge and Tommy, the boy he never forgot.

Tom’s been keeping the resort together with spit and glue while caring for Frank’s uncle, Robert—a man he considered father, mentor, and friend—and his aged mother, who he refuses to leave behind. Now Robert is gone, taking Tom’s job with him. And Frank is on the doorstep, wanting to know why Tom is still there and why the old lodge is falling apart.

But before they can rebuild the resort, they’ll have to rebuild their friendship. Only then can they renew the forever they planned all those years ago.

Now available from Riptide Publishing!

About the This Time Forever Series

Small towns and second chances.

Simon, Frank, and Brian think love has passed them by. Each is facing down his fiftieth birthday—Simon in a few years, Frank next year, and Brian soon enough. Each has loved and lost. But for these men, everything old really is new again, and it’s only when they return to their roots that they’ll find their second chances and the happily ever after they’ve been waiting their whole lives for.

This time it’s forever.

This series includes:

  1. Building Forever — releasing October 15, available now!
  2. Renewing Forever — releasing November 12, available for preorder!
  3. Chasing Forever — releasing December 10, available soon!

About Kelly Jensen

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories about the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas, and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, cowritten with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Connect with Kelly:

To celebrate the release of Renewing Forever one lucky person will win a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card and a swag pack of stickers, art cards, and bookmarks! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 17, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

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Nov 12 2018

Fury (Menagerie #3) by Rachel Vincent

1986: Rebecca Essig leaves a slumber party early but comes home to a massacre—committed by her own parents. Only one of her siblings has survived. But as the tragic event unfolds, she begins to realize that other than a small army of six-year-olds, she is among very few survivors of a nationwide slaughter.
The Reaping has begun.
Present day: Pregnant and on the run with a small band of compatriots, Delilah Marlow is determined to bring her baby into the world safely and secretly. But she isn’t used to sitting back while others suffer, and she’s desperate to reunite Zyanya, the cheetah shifter, with her brother and children. To find a way for Lenore the siren to see her husband. To find Rommily’s missing Oracle sisters. To unify this adopted family of fellow cryptids she came to love and rely on in captivity.
But Delilah is about to discover that her role in the human versus cryptid war is destined to be much larger—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined.

My initial reaction when I finished Fury, the last book in the Menagerie series was torn between heartbreak and… well, I’m still not sure. Yet, there’s no way that I could rate this book with anything less than 5 stars. Given the direction that Rachel Vincent had taken the characters and events in Menagerie and Spectacle, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I wanted these characters that we’ve gotten to know, respect and love to get the happiness that they deserved – just like Delilah did. *sigh*

There’s really not a whole lot more I can say without giving things away, and trust me, Fury is one of those books that you have to experience for yourself. There was also a big difference between Fury and the rest of the books in the series. The chapters flipped between “1986″ and “Present Day.” At first it was a little confusing, especially since the book began with “1986.” It didn’t take long to not only get used to, but to actually look forward to each POV. Eventually both POVs catch up with each other and surprising connections are made.

I loved these characters and the world that Rachel Vincent created. Parallels between “fiction” and “non-fiction” weren’t hard to recognize, but the message wasn’t forced. I suppose it’s possible to read the Menagerie series without making the connection, but it would be nice if people paid attention to the details…

Then there was the ending… not what I expected and definitely not what I wished for, but there was a spark of hope, which is always nice to walk away with in a series as powerful and emotional as this one. ❤

Nov 7 2018

Surreal Estate Virtual Book Tour

About Surreal Estate

Sasha Michaels is a psychic with an affinity for houses. And he’s homeless. Go figure. After months of sleeping rough, he stumbles upon an abandoned house, and the lonely place beckons him inside. He’s finally safe . . . until someone comes blundering in to his hideaway.

House-flipper Nick Cooper lost everything in the recession. Desperate to revive his business, he turns to a loan shark to fund his comeback project: flipping an abandoned house full of potential. But it turns out the house has an unexpected occupant.

Nick and Sasha make a deal: Sasha can stay in exchange for helping with the renovation. To both of their surprise, the closer they get to the loan shark’s due date, the stronger their feelings for each other grow. Problem is, Nick isn’t the only one with feelings for Sasha, and now the house doesn’t want to let Sasha go.

Now available from Riptide Publishing!

About Jesi Lea Ryan

USA Today bestselling author Jesi Lea Ryan grew up in the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, Iowa. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in creative writing and literature and a Master’s in business administration, along with an assortment of Associate’s degrees, certificates and designations, none of which have anything to do with writing books about psychics. 

Jesi considers herself a well-rounded nerd. She loves studying British history, exploring foreign cities on Google Earth, watching TED talks, listening to true crime podcasts, floating in her pool, and reading or listening to books — approximately two hundred books a year in many different genres. The side effect of all this is that she’s the ideal person to have on your trivia team, or what a former co-worker called “a dump truck of knowledge.

Her biggest vice is procrastination. #TheStruggleIsReal 

Jesi spent most of her adult life in Madison, Wisconsin, but now lives in Maricopa, Arizona, with her spouse and two exceptionally naughty kitties. Summers may be brutal, but at least she doesn’t have to shovel the heat off her driveway.

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Surreal Estate, one lucky person will win a $20 Riptide gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 10, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

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Nov 6 2018

Rabi and Matthew Virtual Book Tour

About Rabi and Matthew

A queer retelling of Romeo & Juliet, except no one has to bury their gays.

A decades-old family rivalry is reaching a boiling point as the patriarchs vie for a seat in Congress. Democrat vs Republican, Muslim vs Christian, Hashmi vs Swain — the Midwestern town of Arbor Hills is one spark away from an explosion of violence. So when two men find themselves irresistibly drawn together at a party, only to discover they were born on opposite sides of a bloody battle line, Matthew Swain and Rabi Hashmi know they should leave well enough alone.

The pull between them is magnetic, though, and it’s too strong to ignore. Unable to resist, they meet again in secret. Generations of hatred can’t temper the passionate love growing between them, but two men falling for each other in the middle of a war zone can’t hold back the inevitable clash.

And when decades of political, religious, and personal strife finally come to a head, there will be blood.

Now available from Riptide Publishing.

About L.A. Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut . . .

Connect with L.A.:

To celebrate the release of Rabi and Matthew, one lucky person will win a $10 Riptide gift card. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 10, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Oct 28 2018

Single White Incubus (Supernatural Selection #1) by E.J. Russel

Does a bear shift in the woods?
Well, partially. That was what got grizzly shifter Ted Farnsworth into trouble. He wasn’t trying to break the Secrecy Pact. He just wants people to see the real him. So he signs up with the mate-matching service Supernatural Selection — which guarantees marriage to a perfect partner. Not only will Ted never be lonely again, but once his new beaver shifter husband arrives, they’ll build Ted’s dream wilderness retreat together. Win-win.
Quentin Bertrand-Harrington, scion of an incubus dynasty, has abstained from sex since nearly killing his last lover. When his family declares it’s time for him to marry, Quentin decides the only way not to murder his partner is to pick someone who’s already dead. Supernatural Selection finds him the ideal vampire, and Quentin signs the marriage agreement sight unseen.
But a mix-up at Supernatural Selection contracts Quentin with Ted. What’s Ted supposed to do with an art historian who knows more about salad forks than screwdrivers? And how can Quentin resist Ted’s mouthwatering life force? Yet as they work together to untangle their inconvenient union, they begin to wonder if their unexpected match might be perfect after all.

First, the Supernatural Selection is a spin-off series of E.J. Russel’s Fae Out of Water series. You don’t have to read one series before the other, but you’ll be missing out just a little bit if you don’t. Actually, the main characters in Cutie and the Beast, the first book in Fae Out of Water make a couple of appearances in Single White Incubus. To be honest, I may be just a little bit partial, but Cutie and the Beast was my favorite book in the Fae Out of Water series – mainly because of its lightness and Single White Incubus reminded me of that book… a lot.

So… Ted was adorable. I loved him from the moment he was introduced. He was honest, sweet, adorable and lonely. He wanted someone to share his life with, which is why he went to Supernatural Selection. He honestly thought it was his only chance at happiness. Then Quentin came into his life and threatened everything he hoped for – along with an apparent slip-up at Supernatural Selection.

As adorable as Ted was, Quentin was… well… prickly. He had his reasons though. He’d tried love once and it was disastrous. He came close to destroying someone he loved and he had no intention of taking a chance again. That’s why he decided to allow Supernatural Selection find him a perfect undead match.

Through a crazy set of circumstances, things got a tad bit mixed up at Supernatural Selection, but did they? Things definitely got interesting and I’m pretty sure that it’s going to get even crazier by the end. I can’t wait to see what E.J. Russel has in store for the rest of the couples who decide to use Supernatural Selection. 

Oct 27 2018

Too Hot! by Avery Giles

Eli Johnson is not a hero. He’s just a guy who’s doing his best. His mother was a hero, though, and when she died, he dropped out of college to become a firefighter—a vocation she would have been proud of. He might not be able to save everyone, but he can do what she taught him: put more good out than bad.
Charlie Kinnear is definitely not a hero. When he ran into a burning building to save a trapped child, he was acting on instinct. He’s not expecting a medal, or for a handsome firefighter with a stunning smile to give him his oxygen mask. Charlie’s light-headed, and not from smoke inhalation.
Right as their romance begins, a serial arsonist terrorizes the city. As if that weren’t bad enough, Charlie appears at the scene of every fire. Eli hates to think it, but if someone wanted to get a firefighter’s attention—say, a certain sexy someone who coincidentally wandered into Eli’s life—what better way than by starting fires? Sparks are flying all right, and things may get too hot for Eli and Charlie to handle.

Too Hot! is Avery Giles’ debut novel and it’s not a bad start at all.

I loved both Charlie and Eli, even though Charlie was a mystery throughout most of the story. I had a hard time buying that he was a “bad” guy though, even when Eli wasn’t so sure. I never doubted him though and I have to admit that I got kind of aggravated with Eli when he did. I just knew that there was a logical explanation.

The author did a great job of keeping readers in the dark… even though they got Charlie’s POV. I liked that added suspense.

To be fair, I understood where both characters were coming from. Charlie had his reasons for keeping his secret and Eli had his reasons for suspecting him… They were both in a bad situation, but in the end they had each other. 😉

FYI – this author is now on my radar. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Oct 26 2018

Building Forever (This Time Forever #1) by Kelly Jensen

Charlie King is doing fine. Sure, he’s a widower raising a teenage daughter who just got her first boyfriend, his book series isn’t writing itself, and he has a crush on his new neighbor — the guy next door. But everything’s just fine.
Simon Lynley is doing better. He moved to Bethlehem to fall out of love and rebuild his career. An affair with his neighbor isn’t part of the plan, but the attraction between them is too hard to ignore.
But when Simon’s ex follows him to Pennsylvania seeking reconciliation, and Charlie’s life starts to feel like a video on repeat, everything comes apart. Charlie worries that he’s failing as a father, and Simon is a distraction he can’t afford. Meanwhile Simon doesn’t know if he could survive being left again, and he hasn’t come all this way to make the same mistakes. But despite their fears, it’s only together that they’ll find the strength to slay old foes and build the forever they’ve been waiting for.

I think that there are more than a few parents out there – single or married – that think that they’re failing somehow. No one’s perfect, but Charlie feels like he’s floundering more often than not. He misses his late wife. She was his best friend and a true partner in parenting their daughter. He really needed the balance she provided when it came to his daughter’s teenage years. And he definitely didn’t need the distraction of his new neighbor.

Simon had a lot on his plate. A new job, a new home, new goals… he didn’t need to be distracted either. Some things you can’t fight though and his attraction to Charlie was one of them.

I felt for both these men. They needed each other, but they were each too guarded to let the other in fully. I liked both Charlie and Simon and I could see where they were coming from… but I couldn’t wait until they both gave in…

This is also one of those books that is enhanced by the supporting characters. I loved Simon’s friends and Charlie’s family was great too… with a couple of exceptions. I’m sure that the rest of the series can be read as stand alones, but since the characters in the next two books were introduced in Building Forever, I going to enjoy getting to know them better. Renewing Forever is next in the This Time Forever series, but I personally can’t wait to see how Kelly Jensen redeems a certain character in Chasing Forever 😉

Oct 26 2018

Write On Review-A-Thon (October 26-28, 2018)

And for this month’s Write on-Review-a-thon – a blast from the past… or at least one review left-over from September? *sigh* In my defense, the left-over is from a series that I’ve been going through and I didn’t want to review two books from the same series back-to-back. As excuses go, it’s pretty lame, but it’s the only one I’ve got. 😉

A little about the Review-a-thon:

Brought to you by Reading the Paranormal and the #boutofbooks-ers facebook group. This monthly review-a-thon is a chance to get caught up on outstanding reviews. Bring your to-be-reviewed list, block out some time, write reviews. It’s that simple.

This month’s review-a-thon will run from Friday, October 26th to Sunday, October 28th.

You can see Kelly’s post at Reading the Paranormal

So, what reviews do I have to write? Not nearly as many as I expected, so I must be keeping up better than I thought. Still not great though and since I’m almost finished at least two more books by the end of the weekend… stay tuned 😉

Oct 25 2018

Single White Incubus Virtual Book Tour

About Single White Incubus

Does a bear shift in the woods?

Well, partially. That was what got grizzly shifter Ted Farnsworth into trouble. He wasn’t trying to break the Secrecy Pact. He just wants people to see the real him. So he signs up with the mate-matching service Supernatural Selection — which guarantees marriage to a perfect partner. Not only will Ted never be lonely again, but once his new beaver shifter husband arrives, they’ll build Ted’s dream wilderness retreat together. Win-win. 

Quentin Bertrand-Harrington, scion of an incubus dynasty, has abstained from sex since nearly killing his last lover. When his family declares it’s time for him to marry, Quentin decides the only way not to murder his partner is to pick someone who’s already dead. Supernatural Selection finds him the ideal vampire, and Quentin signs the marriage agreement sight unseen.

But a mix-up at Supernatural Selection contracts Quentin with Ted. What’s Ted supposed to do with an art historian who knows more about salad forks than screwdrivers? And how can Quentin resist Ted’s mouthwatering life force? Yet as they work together to untangle their inconvenient union, they begin to wonder if their unexpected match might be perfect after all.

Available from Riptide Publishing.

About Supernatural Selection

Are you a shifter who’s lost faith in fated mates? A vampire seeking a Second Life companion? Or perhaps you’re a demon yearning to claim a soul (mate)?

Congratulations! Your search is over!

Welcome to Supernatural Selection, where our foolproof spells guarantee your perfect match.

Until they don’t.

Check out Supernatural Selection today.

About E.J. Russell

E.J. Russell holds a BA and an MFA in theater, so naturally she’s spent the last three decades as a financial manager, database designer, and business-intelligence consultant. After her twin sons left for college and she no longer spent half her waking hours ferrying them to dance class, she returned to her childhood love of writing fiction. Now she wonders why she ever thought an empty nest meant leisure.

E.J. lives in rural Oregon with her curmudgeonly husband, the only man on the planet who cares less about sports than she does. She enjoys visits from her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the occasional hyperbole.

Connect with E.J.:

Website: ejrussell.com

Blog: ejrussell.com/bloggery/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/E.J.Russell.author

Twitter: twitter.com/ej_russell

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ejrussell/

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Building Forever one lucky person will win a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card and an ecopy of Cutie and the Beast, the first title in the Fae Out of Water series! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 27, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info! 

Oct 22 2018

The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he’s been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington DC. With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family’s summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon to try and find some sense of direction.
The cabin should be empty.
It’s not.
Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader.
Artemis, who isn’t exactly as she appears.
Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible.
Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.

At one point while reading The Bones Beneath My Skin, I posted “I think my favorite part of any TJ Klune book has to be his characters’ inner dialogue. It just makes them that much more “real” – and Nate is no exception.” That was less than half way through the book and my opinion never changed – not that I thought it would.

That being said, one of my least favorite parts about reading ANY TJ Klune book is this part. The review writing part… the part where I not only can’t, but don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, while at the same time trying desperately to let EVERYONE know that they need to read this book. Happens. Every. Single. Time. (Kind of ironic I know, since I requested to review this one…) So prepare yourself for rambling vagueness…

Nate spent the first few chapters of The Bones Beneath My Skin worrying about his sanity or hoping he’d wake up from the craziest dream ever. He came to his inherited cabin to find some direction and try to sort out the mess he had made of his life. Instead, things became exceedingly more complicated from the moment he found Alex and Artemis squatting in his cabin.

Now’s where the vagueness comes in… There was a lot more to Alex and Artemis than Nate could even come close to guessing… and he had a LOT of theories. The one thing that he did know – even after knowing her for a very short time – was that Artemis was special and she needed protecting, he just had no idea what from or why.

The Bones Beneath My Skin had pretty much everything that I’ve come to expect from a T.J. Klune novel. Witty characters, suspense, humor, and a strong sense of family – proving once again that a “found” family can sometimes be a lot better than the one you’re born into.

In The Bones Beneath My Skin, there was also action, twists, turns and more than a few surprises. Then there was the emotion. I was pretty proud of myself for making it through a T.J. Klune book tear-free – not that this book wasn’t full of feels – it definitely was. That’s not something new for this author either. What threw me was that I thought I was home free. I made it all the way to 95%. I was so close… and then? Well, you’re just going to have to read The Bones Beneath My Skin to discover for yourself all of Alex, Artemis and even Nick’s secrets.