Spotlight: Mistress of Death by Kathryn Trattner

Publication date: August 22nd 2020
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance, Young Adult

Love. Death. Revenge.

In the city of Telum, at the edge of a dying empire and divided by superstition, anything can be had for the right price.

Gabriel Mercer, raised in the shadow of the most famous assassin the city has ever known, wants nothing more than to make a name for herself. Taking a solo contract from an up and coming politician seems like the best way to make it happen.

The night Matthew, a police officer with a spotless record, discovers Gabriel unconscious his world changes. On opposite sides of the law the pair strike up a bargain that becomes harder and harder to keep as their attraction grows.

When the city starts to burn Gabriel will put everything she’s gained at risk for a chance at revenge. Even if it means her future going up in smoke.

Excerpt

The curtain dropped, intermission bell ringing. A storm of rustling fabric filled the cavernous room. Men and women stood, talking and laughing, in imitation of the performance.

A waiter knocked and entered the box. "Would you like champagne?" 

"Yes, we'll take it here. A bottle of the '84."

"Of course, sir. I also have a message for the young lady." The man paused, waiting for Mercer’s approval. A nod and then a cream envelope was produced, pulled from a pocket with a twist of the wrist. The server held it in Gabriel’s direction.

"Thank you." Gabriel took it, running a gloved hand over the surface; warm, soft the way only expensive paper could be. 

"I'll be just a moment, sir." 

Gabriel waited until the door shut before looking at Mercer. He smiled. 

"I warned you he'd be here."

"He wasn't when the curtain went up."

"No," Mercer sighed, crossing his legs as he turned to face her. "Open it, see what the man of the moment has to say to the woman of tomorrow."

She smiled, meeting his gaze, but it faded when she saw his expression. "What is it?"

He shook his head. "Open it before he returns to his box. It’s better not to have him see your reaction."

Gabriel shot a look across the room. Royce's box stood empty, the little golden door open. Hesitating over the envelope, she felt the weight of it in her heart. It was a line, and once crossed she would not be able to return.

"I know you don’t like him," Gabriel began, turning the paper over in her hands, "but he's very powerful. If you want me to be someone of consequence, I could make a worse choice."

"This said by the woman he drugged and tried to keep against her will." Mercer snorted, leaning back in his chair.

"I could have handled—"

"You would have become a pawn overnight, a puppet on silk strings. He is flame, you are moth. This cannot end well for you." 

The constant argument between them warmed, heating to spill over into the box. Since that night, one of failure in his eyes, all roads led here. Nothing had been settled and both tried to pretend their world remained unchanged; their relationship, not quite father and daughter, not Master and apprentice, teetered, ready to fall into some unplumbed depth.

The champagne came, nestled in a bucket of ice with glasses so thin they could cut air. The waiter uncorked the bottle, all quiet professionalism, and poured before leaving. The theater around them buzzed as people came back from the reception area and the bar. The boxes on either side remained empty; the most important one, across the room, waited for its occupant.

Sipping champagne, rolling it around in her mouth, Gabriel bit words back. There was anger, resentment. After all this time, all the training, she expected his trust. He should trust her to do the right thing. But every move she made he questioned, each thought and action policed. 

She watched him pull his cigar case out, a gift from her several years before. No engraving, no words of love, just the solid gold, heavy in his hand, and kept close to his heart. He pulled a lighter from his pocket, putting flame to the slim cigar.

"May I?" Gabriel extended a hand. He raised an eyebrow but passed it without a word.

Minutes passed, the room filling, and Gabriel drank one, then two glasses of champagne, the conversation between herself and Arno Mercer over. The letter lay in her lap, the lighter balled in a fist against her thigh. She tapped a foot, waiting.

Royce returned to his box; she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. The final bell for the attendees to take their seats echoed, voices hushing.

Gabriel set the glass down, eyes on her hands, refusing to look across the room. Flicking the lighter open, watching the flame jump to life, she lit the edge of the cream envelope. The fire caught, eating heavy paper. A burst of warmth against her skin, the feeling of power as the little blaze grew. She felt watched, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.

"You've caught his attention," Mercer said, pouring himself another glass. "What do you plan to do with it? Let it burn your fingers?"

"I won’t be a puppet." 

Watching the paper turn to black ash, Gabriel dropped the remnant in the ice bucket. She focused on the curtain; the orchestra tuned, the first strings of music coming from the pit. The lights dimming, she could feel Royce like a hole in her cheek. "But in a year, I want the Left Bank to recognize me as the Mistress of Death. If you don't want me to go to him, you must help me. Or why else have you spent your life training me?"

Mercer nodded, reaching out to grasp Gabriel’s hand. He’d never touched her growing up, never hugged or kissed her cheek. He had not even held her hand until last week, when he’d pulled her from Royce's house.

"Gabriel, Mistress of Death. In a year, the entire city will know you."

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About the Author

Kathryn Trattner has loved fairy tales, folk stories, and mythology all of her life. Her hands down favorites have always been East of the Sun, West of the Moon and the story of Persephone and Hades. When not writing or reading she's traveling as much as possible and taking thousands of photos that probably won't get edited later. She lives in Oklahoma with her wonderful partner, two very busy children, one of the friendliest dogs ever, and an extremely grumpy cat who doesn't like anyone at all.

Want to hear about the latest release? Sign up for my newsletter Magical Mundane Madness at kathryn.substack.com

Connect:

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https://twitter.com/k_trattner

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19929212.Kathryn_Trattner

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Cover Reveal: SHIP-WRECKED by Cassie Cross

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Series: Love Is...

Release Date: October 8th  

Skye McLane is Hollywood’s newest It Girl. Between the film offers flying in and the ever-present awards buzz around her, Skye seems to have everything, until pictures of her heartthrob boyfriend cheating on her are splashed all over the internet. Heartbroken, Skye just wants to focus on her work and lick her wounds in private, but her publicist has another plan. 

His name is River Holloway. 

River’s a rising star with a penchant for finding trouble wherever he goes. He has a new movie coming out and some career-making deals in the works, but River’s getting the wrong kind of attention after a couple of fights captured by the paparazzi. What he needs is an image rehab, and his publicist thinks Skye is just the girl who can give it to him. 

America’s newest sweetheart and a bad boy in need of a little TLC seems like the perfect recipe for some positive press. It’s strictly a showmance with a pre-determined expiration date, until a trip to a tropical paradise leaves them shipwrecked, and their time alone together makes them realize that their feelings might not be for show after all…

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About Cassie Cross

Cassie Cross is a Maryland native and a romantic at heart, who lives outside of Baltimore with her two dogs and a closet full of shoes. Cassie’s fondness for swoon-worthy men and strong women are the inspiration for most of her stories, and when she’s not busy writing a book, you’ll probably find her eating takeout and indulging in her love of 80’s sitcoms.

Connect with Cassie: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Spotlight: A Mother's Grace: Healing the World, One Woman at a Time by Michelle Moore

As women everywhere are dealing with unprecedented trials and stress in their lives, A Mother’s Grace: Healing the World One Woman at a Time shares remarkable true (and inspiring) stories from female change-makers with advice about turning adversity into action.  

Author Michelle Moore shares how her adversity became a global movement when she survived an aggressive form of breast cancer at the same time her son faced near fatal complications from juvenile diabetes. Grateful to be alive, she was compelled to make changes in her life and in the lives of others. Along with her own personal story, Moore shares the stories of 10 women and how their lives serendipitously came together in the most unique ways so she could continue to grow this movement and partner with these women in quite miraculous ways. 

Excerpt

HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN PHILANTHROPIC MISSION: 

THE SIX BRANCHES TO GRACE 

Adapted excerpt from A Mother’s Grace: Healing the World One Woman at a Time

By Michelle Moore

All it takes to begin is taking one step forward, inspired by a dream or a yearning to do something. You may want to start your own 501(c)(3) or volunteer at a local hospital, holding drug-addicted babies. You may want to write a book or start a social media campaign. Whatever it may be, all that’s holding you back is fear. 

But fear does not need to render you motionless. Here’s what you can do, one step at a time, according to what I call the Six Branches to Grace. I firmly believe you need to be in touch with God and the world, and most of all your true self, before you can fully realize your own divine journey. Take a stab at the following suggestions that got me started. 

1. Grab a notebook. 

I believe our phones may be our demise, distracting us from the beauty of the world. God does not come to us on our phones. God’s grace comes in the connections we make with our family, friends, pets, communities, and co-workers, and to those desperately in need of a hand to hold during difficult times. So put your device down, look up and around you, and start to tune in to God’s signs and guidance. 

Take a notebook with you and keep articles and assorted things inside it that move you and feel important. Write like a banshee every time something pops into your head. I carried around a red leather notebook for eighteen years. I filled it with articles, advice, photos of inspiring scenes, ideas, quotes, and small pieces of what became content in this book. Make that notebook your own personal project, like a vision board coming to life. 

2. Pray. 

Pray to your God, the universe, or a higher power. To me, prayer is meditation, a release. It’s a total letting go to what will be, and when I have no distractions, I can feel a buzz throughout my body, like every cell is alive but calm. Just find a routine that works for you. I don’t believe there is a right or wrong way to pray, but closing your eyes and finding stillness can change the trajectory of your day. Here is an amazing episode on the Science of Success podcast that has assisted me in this process, called, “ The Shocking Secret You Must Know to Create Lasting Behavior Change with John Assaraf.” 

3. Listen to inspirational music. 

I have my own “innercise” and exercise playlists and after listening my blood is pumping, primarily from great music that gets my ass in gear and makes me appreciate how precious life is. It’s amazing how music can get you going. My friend makes me the most amazing playlists and whenever I am mad or down I listen to them. This reminds me of how he feels about me, and any petty stuff I may be feeling just melts away. 

4. Read! 

I’ve always been a reader. When I was five years old, I joined a book club in the summer and if I read ten books, I got a free book from the library. I was thrilled to get that new book—the smell, its feel, and the sense of a new adventure. When you’re seeking a quieter, more internal form of inspiration and comfort, read! Keep three or four books by your bedside with a highlighter and read for an hour before you go to sleep. I struggle with this one because at night I like to “check out” mindlessly on Netflix. That means I must force myself to slow down and read, and I’m never sorry when I make that choice. 

5. Enlist your posse. 

This is of utmost importance. If you don’t have one, create one now. Put together a group of girlfriends who have your back, who you can talk to in the utmost confidence, and who will tell you like it is—lovingly at first, but they should also be willing to hit you over the head, if and when you are being ridiculous. (Confession: I have bruises all over my head.) As you develop your ideas, ask for their opinions and steady feedback. They should also hold you accountable and keep you moving. I called on my posse throughout the entire process of writing this book and developing the charity. 

Over the last ten years, I’ve formed a writing group, a travel group, a birthday group, a lunch group, and a prayer group. These special women have carried me through more than any one person in my life, and they are way cheaper than the $150 to $200 bucks you pay for 47.5 minutes with a therapist. (Yes, I like therapists, too, but the older I get the more I appreciate the strong women in my life—my posse.) You can start with one “bestie” and grow it. No games, no agenda, no drama—just pure friendship. 

6. Secure a project partner. 

This may be key for you. I could not get all of my ideas on paper, which made my situation seem insurmountable. Had I not found my project partner, it would have taken me another eighteen years and I would be in an old folks’ home, still trying to write this book. Tell people your goals. Be honest; lay your fears aside and tell the people you have recruited that they will become like vehicles to help you find the right people. You may have to pay your project partner, but that is why they are experts in their field and worth your investment. Aren’t you and your goals worth it, too? 

Project partners can be writers, life coaches, therapists, trainers, spiritual advisors, and/or editors, but whomever you choose, it should be someone who can hold you accountable. Paying for these services holds me way more accountable to the process and keeps me motivated and on track. If you can’t find the right fit for your philanthropic mission and you genu- inely feel like your idea fills a gap in the world, then you can start your own 501(c)(3). 

Michelle Moore is a senior vice president for Laboratory Corporation of America; and founder of Mother’s Grace, a nonprofit organization that has raised more than $5 million for families in acute crisis, and assisting more than 6,000 mothers throughout the world. Michelle is also the author of the upcoming book A Mother's Grace: Healing the World One Woman at a Time (HCI, August 2020).

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About the Author

By day, author Michelle Moore oversees the COVID-19 testing response as a senior vice president for Laboratory Corporation of America; by night, she is the founder of Mother’s Grace, a nonprofit organization that has raised more than $5 million for families in acute crisis, assisting more than 6,000 mothers in the state of Arizona and throughout the world. Mother’s Grace addresses the critical needs of mothers and their children in the midst of tragic life events by helping them with housing costs, medication, meals, housekeeping, childcare, transportation, and a host of other immediate needs. Through mentorship and seed grants, Mother’s Grace also assists women in starting their own nonprofits, with the goal of producing a new generation of women leaders. 

Michelle is the recipient of MASK Unity’s Moms Making a Difference Award, the highly coveted Hon-Kachina Award and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Philanthropy in Action Award. In 2019, Moore was awarded the Phoenix Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business award and was granted a State of Arizona Commendation by First Lady Angela Ducey for her extraordinary service to the people of Arizona. 

Connect:

Website: https://mothers-grace.org/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Mothers-Grace-196458780398320/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mothersgrace_/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gracefulmoms

Spotlight: A Game of Fate by Scarlett St. Clair

Publication date: September 18th 2020
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Retelling

Hades, God of the Underworld, is known for his inflexible rule, luxurious night clubs, and impossible bargains. Used to control, he is not prepared to discover the Fates have chosen his future wife and Queen—Persephone, Goddess of Spring.

Despite her attraction to the god, Persephone, an ambitious journalism student, is determined to expose Hades for his cruel and ruthless ways.

Hades finds himself faced with the impossible—proving his future bride wrong. Regardless of his efforts, there are forces who wish to keep the two apart and Hades comes to realize he will do anything for his forbidden love, even defy Fate.

Excerpt

A smell brought him out of his thoughts and gave him pause. It was familiar—wildflowers, both bitter and sweet.

Demeter, he thought. 

The Goddess of Harvest’s name was sour on his tongue. Demeter had few passions in life, but one of them was her hatred for the God of the Dead.

He inhaled again, taking the scent deeper. Something about it was off. Mingled with the familiar aroma was the sweetness of vanilla and a mild, herbal note of lavender. A mortal, perhaps? Someone with the goddess’s favor?

The scent drew him out of the darkness in which he had lingered to the edge of the balcony, where he scanned the crowd and found her immediately. 

The woman who smelled like vanilla, lavender, and his enemy sat poised on the edge of one of his sofas in a pink dress that left little to the imagination. He liked the way her hair curled, falling in luminous waves down her back. His fingers itches to touch it, to pull it until her head tipped back and she looked him in the eyes. 

Look at me, he commanded, desperate to see her face. 

She seemed to look everywhere before her gaze halted on him. His hand tightened around his glass, the other gripped the balcony rail. 

She was beautiful—lush lips, high cheekbones, and eyes as green as new spring. Her expression was startled at first, eyes widening slightly, transforming into something fierce and passionate as her gaze swept his face and form. 

She is yours, a voice echoed in his head, and something inside him snapped. Claim her. 

The command was feral. He had to grind his teeth to keep from obeying, and he thought he might shatter the glass in his hand from clutching it too tight. The impulse to whisk her away to the Underworld was strong, like a spell. He had never thought himself so weak, but his restraint was a thin, frayed thread.

How could he want this woman so badly? What was this unnatural pull? He stared at her harder, searching for a reason, and became aware that he was not the only one feeling the effects of their connection. She fidgeted beneath his gaze, her chest rising and falling as her breath hitched, her skin turning a pretty pink, and he had the thought that he would like to follow that flush with his lips. 

He would give anything to know what she was thinking. 

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About the Author

Scarlett St. Clair lives in Oklahoma with her husband. She has a Master's degree in Library Science and Information Studies and spends a lot of time researching reincarnation, unsolved murders and Greek mythology-all of which made it into her debut novel, When Stars Come Out.

Connect:

http://authorscarlettstclair.tumblr.com/

https://www.instagram.com/authorscarlettstclair/

https://twitter.com/ScarlettStClai1

https://www.facebook.com/authorscarlettstclair/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18145334.Scarlett_St_Clair

https://authorscarlettstclair.tumblr.com/Newsletter

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Spotlight: All the Missing Pieces by Julianna Keyes

Reese Carlisle hates her life. Three years after her father’s arrest for one of the largest embezzlement schemes in history, twenty million dollars is still missing, and the world believes she knows where it is.

Two years after her brother’s death, they still think she killed him.

One year later, she’s still hiding.

When the loneliness is too much, she seeks out strangers for one dark night, no questions asked. She makes up a name, puts on a disguise, and tries to forget.

One night she meets a new man. She tells him her name is Denise, she’s a dental assistant, and she loves dogs. He tells her she’s smart, she’s pretty, she’s funny. Things she hasn’t heard in too long.

Things that are too good to be true…

Excerpt

I enter my dark apartment, the wall of windows providing enough ambient light to see my uninspired, decidedly minimal decor. I drop my purse and press my back to the door, sliding down to the floor. My black skirt rides up my thighs and my legs flop apart, knees rubbery, ankles weak.

I’d like to think I had too much wine, but that’s not true.

Not even after a night of halfway decent sex am I this shaky.

I know what the issue is.

My gaze flickers to my purse the way it would to a ticking time bomb. I fumble with the clasp before retrieving the shiny black room key and turning it over and over in my hand like a magician with no trick.

I yank off the cheap wig. I have a closet full of them, thanks to my brother’s short-lived career in theater management. They’re one of the few items that were returned to us after the raid. At least they came in handy. They help me become Harriet and Isabel and Jess. People nothing like the person I was. And most definitely nothing like the woman I am.

The stranger wouldn’t want this woman. He likes redheads with brown eyes who laugh when they’re not supposed to. My once-bleached hair is back to its natural black, my fingernails haven’t been painted in three years, and I only bother to shave my legs when I have a date. I don’t think the stranger would know what to do with this girl. He could read a million newspaper stories exposing my father’s crimes and hypothesizing about mine and never find the truth.

Liar. Thief. Murderer. Whore.

It’s in there somewhere.

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About the Author

Julianna Keyes is a Canadian writer who has lived on both coasts and several places in between. She’s been skydiving, bungee jumping and white water rafting, but nothing thrills—or terrifies—her as much as the blank page. She loves Chinese food, foreign languages, baseball and television, though not necessarily in that order, and writes sizzling stories with strong characters, plenty of conflict, and lots of making up.

Website:  www.juliannakeyes.com

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/juliannakeyes

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/juliannakeyesauthor

Email:  info@juliannakeyes.com

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Spotlight: Ivory White by Cambria Hebert

Publication date: September 18th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Once upon a time…
There is a girl with skin as fair as ivory and hair as black as night.

She was the apple of her father’s eye, but now that he has died, someone wants to dip that apple into poison.

Advised to flee, Ivory escapes her elite world in New York City and stumbles into a place she didn’t know existed.

A modern-day princess, afraid and lost on the dark streets, running for her life.

Ivory White has no one to call, nowhere to turn.

All she has is a random number scrawled on a torn napkin.

She calls. He answers.

Ivory is thrust into a house filled with misfits— a band of completely untrustworthy men.

But can this group of men keep her safe?

Excerpt

She looked like someone who’d just stepped out of a storybook. Nothing about her belonged here in my world. 

Even though her clothes were casual, they were far too upscale for this place. The fabric was delicate and soft just like her limbs and the way she walked. Her round blue eyes scoured every inch of the place as though she had never been anywhere like this before. 

And the hood. The royal-blue hood pulled up over her head was like a cloak, shrouding her in mystery and concealing so much more than just her features. 

When I finally got a glimpse of her creamy white skin, I had to force myself not to react. She didn’t look like anyone from my world either. Not her heart-shaped face, perfectly formed chin, or red-rose lips formed in a bow. A few strands of hair so dark lay against her cheek, and I could only think of black velvet.

That mouth, though. The standoffish, almost haughty way she looked at me, it didn’t really match. Like the storybook she stepped out of had a beautiful cover and artwork, but the interior words were aggressive and messy.

She’s scared. 

It became more and more apparent the longer I sat beside her. She felt backed into a corner, into this bar, which was clearly out of her comfort zone. I understood that. I could even make allowances for her aloof, unfriendly behavior. 

I was interested. Definitely intrigued.

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About the Author

Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. 

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house). 

Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.

Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website: http://www.cambriahebert.com.

Email: cambriahebert@rocketmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cambriahebertbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cambriahebert

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cambriahebert/

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/cambriahebert/pins/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5298677.Cambria_Hebert