Spotlight: Wooded Discovery by B.B. Swan

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(Spellbound Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: April 29th 2022
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Previously published as Out of the Woods by B.B. Swann.

His senior year just turned magical. Now if only he can win his crush’s affections without getting killed.

Seventeen-year-old Zaidyn Mitchell would rather not be weird. But nothing can be stranger than when the self-proclaimed bookworm wakes up one night, floating several feet above his bed. Still desperate to fit in after his parents unceremoniously unlocked his abilities, all Zaidyn wants is to date the girl of his dreams.

With his magic a little uncontrolled, the budding wizard finally makes a move and promises his beautiful classmate to help stop a construction project from destroying the nearby woods. But when an unknown force attacks and tries to separate them, Zaidyn fears this supernatural world is about to send them to their doom.

Can the teen would-be hero find a way to save them both?

Wooded Discovery is the delightful first book in the Spellbound Chronicles YA urban fantasy series. If you like humor and drama, fun twists and turns, and a dash of danger and romance, then you’ll love B.B. Swann’s coming-of-age adventure.

Buy Wooded Discovery to awaken hidden enchantment today!

Excerpt

The towel I’m wrapped in smells like Mom’s favorite mountain-scented fabric softener. A clean air smell drifts from the wet terry cloth, mixing with the biting scent of chlorine from the pool water in my hair. Both normal smells. Both familiar. Neither helps me relax after hearing their detailed description of what I am.

Mom sits across from me at our kitchen table, sipping from her favorite purple coffee cup. Dad sits in the chair next to Mom. Take out the trash. Pick up your dirty underwear. Oh, by the way, you’re a wizard.

“Congratulations.” Dad toasts me with his cup. “You’ve transmogrified.”

He slurps his coffee. The clock ticks on the wall over the counter. The refrigerator hums as the ice maker kicks on.

And I’m a wizard.

(Note to self: J.K. Rowling was full of crap. Finding out you’re a wizard sucks.)

“What does that mean?” More Latin?

“Changed, honey, into a wizard.”

We sit in silence for a moment. Mom crosses her legs and kicks her foot back and forth, wiggling the table with her. Dad shakes, too, bouncing his knees. Vibrations from their movements travel through the wooden tabletop. Like they’re five and Christmas has come early.

All I want is to wake up from this weird dream, finish high school, and go away to college.

But as much as I want to argue with them, I can’t. Mom froze my body with her mind. I jumped out a window and flew. Dad flew after me. On a scale of one-to-ten, that’s enough weirdness to score a one hundred on the weird-shit-o-meter. Finding out I’m a wizard sounds less insane by comparison.

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About the Author

BB Swann writes books for the young and the young at heart. She is devoted to giving her readers characters they can relate to who overcome their struggles with hope, love, and sometimes a touch (or two) of magic. After twenty-seven years of teaching, she now represents authors as a literary agent with The Purcell Agency and helps others achieve their dreams—no magic required, but she does feel like a fairy godmother at times. She loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at www.bbswann.com or find her on social media from her Linktree here.

Connect:

https://www.bbswann.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@bbswannauthor

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https://twitter.com/BB_Swann

Spotlight: My August by Lily Blu

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Publication date: April 25th 2023

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Dark Romance, Romance

Synopsis:

August and I have been inseparable since childhood, but one kiss changed everything. Suddenly, I began to see things in a new light – not just about myself, but about him as well. It was as if he had morphed into a different person right before my eyes.

Sick, deviant, twisted – words I never would have associated with us before, now seem to fit like a glove.

Despite the fact that he slowly chipped away at my sanity and made me see the ugliest parts of himself, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his side. Even as things grew increasingly dark and twisted between us, I remained fiercely loyal to the boy I had once called my best friend.

Excerpt

"Can you hold me, August?" Her voice is small, filled with uncertainty, and yet it's enough to break down the wall I built around my heart.

I know that I shouldn't do it, that I should push her away and maintain the distance I've tried so hard to keep between us. But as I look into her brown eyes, filled with a mix of sadness and longing, I find myself powerless to resist.

I take a deep breath, trying to control the desire that's building inside of me, and then I gather her in my arms. She feels so good, so warm and soft against my body. I can't help but bury my face in her hair, taking in the scent of her vanilla shampoo and the feel of her silky strands against my cheek.

My hands wrap around her small waist, pulling her even closer to me, and when she climbs onto my lap, I nearly stop breathing. I can feel every curve of her body pressed against mine, her heat and her softness driving me crazy with desire.

I know that this is a wrong, that I shouldn't be doing this. But in this moment, nothing else matters except the brewing desire and longing between us.

I can feel her heartbeat racing against my chest, and I know that she must feel it too. She must feel how hard I am, how much I want her.

"You shouldn't be in here," I say through gritted teeth.

"I know…I just…"

"What, Lu…?"

"I need to be close to you. You're all I have."

I freeze for a moment, my mind racing with conflicting emotions. Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I feel a surge of protectiveness and desire all at once.

Without a word, I scoop her up into my arms and carry her to my bed. I lay her down gently, tucking the covers around her before crawling in beside her.

"Stay still," I whisper into her ear, my voice low and husky.

She nods, and I can feel her body relaxing against mine. I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her close to me, and push my c0ck against her a$$ pressing then pulling away. If she notices she says nothing about it.

I know that what I'm doing is wrong, that I shouldn't be taking advantage of her like this. But in that moment, I can't help myself. The desire and need that I feel for her is too strong to resist.

I try to control my breathing, to keep myself from getting too carried away, but it's no use. The feel of her body against mine, the softness of her skin and the curve of her hips, is too much to handle.

I start to move my hips, grinding against her as quietly as I can, and I feel myself getting closer and closer to the edge.

And then, suddenly, her breathing evens out and I realize that she's fallen asleep. I freeze, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me. What the hell am I doing? I ask myself. This is wrong, so wrong but as much as I want to stop, my body refuses to listen. 

I pull down my sweats, my erection springing free. The need and desire I feel for her is too strong, too overpowering to resist. I try to slow down, to regain control of myself, but it's too late.

My fingers grip her hips but not hard enough to hurt as I rub my c0ck faster against the, the friction is maddening as the pleasure builds until I can't hold back any longer. 

I c0me with a shudder, panting against her hair, my body tensing up as I spill myself all over her back. I feel a surge of shame and disgust wash over me, but it's quickly replaced by a wave of pleasure and satisfaction.

For a moment, I lay there, panting and trying to catch my breath. And then, slowly, I realize what I've done.

I've used her for my own pleasure without her c0nsent. I feel sick to my stomach, knowing that what I've done is unforgivable.

But even as the guilt and shame wash over me, I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The monster has been satiated. I know that what I've done is f*cked up, but I can't help but crave her, want her, need her. Need more. 

I lay there for what feels like hours, grappling with my conflicting emotions until I pull away from her, feeling disgusted with myself. But even as I swear to myself that I'll stop, that I'll be better, I know that I'm lying. The desire is too powerful to resist. And deep down, I know that I'll never be able to stay away from her for long.

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Spotlight: Brilliance by Sydney Jane Baily

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#5 Diamonds of the First Water Series

Historical Romance, Victorian Romance, Regency Romance, Steamy Romance

Release Date: April 27, 2023

Publisher: WOLF Publishing

In this sparkling early Victorian romance by USA Today bestselling Sydney Jane Baily, a reticent musician gets caught in the web of the one-of-a-kind diamond daughter.

She’s open-hearted and guileless, but he’s been fooled before. Twice!

Brilliance Diamond is one of a kind amongst her siblings. Unpredictable, some might say feather-brained, but always with the best intentions. Alas, when she says aloud things that others only dare think, she ends up in the suds time and again—until an impulsive act leads her directly into the arms of her prince charming.

Lord Vincent Hewitt, parliamentarian and pianist, seems to have an unerring ability to put his trust in the wrong person. When he meets a sweet lady who is both honest and candid, his battered spirit starts to heal. After all, she would never consider deceiving him. Would she?

Determined to help the reticent musician, Brilliance unwittingly sets off a chain of events leading to betrayal and lies… and her own devastating heartbreak. Will the treachery in Vincent’s past destroy any chance for their sparkling happily-ever-after?

Engaging characters, attention to period detail, and passionate romance with a touch of intrigue — you’ll find it all in the stories by USA Today bestselling author Sydney Jane Baily.

Diamonds of the First Water Series

Clarity (#1 Diamonds of the First Water Series)

Purity (#2 Diamonds of the First Water Series)

Adam (#3 Diamonds of the First Water Series)

Radiance (#4 Diamonds of the First Water Series)

Brilliance (#5 Diamonds of the First Water Series)

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About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Sydney Jane Baily writes happily-ever-after historical romance set in Regency and Victorian England, late 19th-century America, the Middle Ages, and the Georgian era.

Born and raised in California, she earned degrees in English and history on the East Coast and has traveled the world, spending a lot of exceedingly happy time in the U.K. where her extended family resides, eating fish and chips, drinking shandies, and snacking on Maltesers and Cadbury bars. Sydney currently lives in New England with her family — human, canine, and feline.

At her website, SydneyJaneBaily.com, you can learn more about her books, read her blog, sign up for her newsletter (& get a free book), and contact her. She loves to hear from her readers. To be notified of her new releases, please follow Sydney on BookBub or Amazon. Or you can connect with her on Facebook.

Connect:

Website: https://sydneyjanebaily.com/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sydney-jane-baily

Amazon: https://author.to/SydneyJaneBaily

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydney.jane.baily/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/sydney_jane_baily

TikTok: @sydneywritesromance

Spotlight: One Kind Hand by Christine DePetrillo

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Genre: Contemporary Romance

About One Kind Hand: 

What would someone accustomed to the glamour of Hollywood and the bustle of New York think about tiny, simple Maplehaven?

Charlene Moyen isn’t looking for a nice guy. With her teasing barbs and badass chopper pilot skills, she needs someone who won’t flinch every time she unleashes her quick wit and daredevil instincts. Unfortunately, Charlie’s small hometown doesn’t have any guys like that. It’s probably for the best. Her parents’ relationship hasn’t provided a rock-solid example of what love is. She wouldn’t even know how to be someone’s true other half.

Charlie is an expert at maneuvering her helicopter though. When an opportunity to feature her chopper in a movie being shot locally arises, she enters her name. She never expects to be filming with her favorite action-adventure actor, Austin Rayhill. Austin is surprised as well. He thought having a female pilot in the movie would be a good marketing move, but Charlie proves to be so much more than that. She pulls him out of his Hollywood world and gives him the dose of reality he needs.

After Charlie lends a hand to Austin during an accident on set, the off-screen chemistry between them soars. Until Charlie’s extreme flying pokes at the one thing Austin fears most.

Is one kind hand enough to bridge two worlds?

One Kind Hand is a meeting-your-movie-star-crush, small-town, contemporary romance that features a tomboy heroine and a famous, big-screen hero who have more in common than they realize.

The One Kind Deed Series, contemporary romance

"The town, the people, the love story... a perfect romance."

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About the Author

Christine DePetrillo can often be found hugging trees, conversing with dragonflies, and walking barefoot through sun-warmed soil. She finds joy in listening to the wind, bathing in moonlight, and breathing in the fragrances of things that bloom. If she had her way, the sky would be the only roof over her head.

Her love of nature seeps into every story she tells. As does her obsession with bearded mountain men who build, often smell like sawdust, and know how to cherish the women they love. Today she writes tales meant to make you laugh, maybe make you sweat, and definitely make you believe in the power of love.

She lives in Vermont with her husband and many woodland creatures who defend her fiercely from all evils.

Connect with the Author:  Website | Newsletter | Bookbub | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tiktok

Spotlight: Undertaking Love by Megan Montgomery

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Publication date: April 1st 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Bethany West upgraded her lucrative career as a sex worker for her dream job as a death worker when she partnered at Smythe & Co. Mortuary. She expected her eco-friendly innovations and death positive attitude to blow the roof off the Victorian-era relic. But that was seven months ago, and during that time, she’s only managed to piss off her embittered business partner, George Smythe, a man dead set on maintaining the status quo and driving Bethany out of his namesake business.

When the pair reluctantly travel together to a mortuary conference in New Orleans—and compete in dueling embalming demonstrations—George finally recognizes the value of Bethany’s business model for the first time. He’s also starting to recognize a growing attraction to his blonde bombshell business partner. Meanwhile, Bethany learns the truth behind George’s cold contempt, and it’s much worse than she thought, stemming not from a single incident, but from the constant on-call status, the compassion fatigue, and the overwhelming stress of the job.

Bethany has 4 days to crack open his tough outer shell to reveal the compassionate man she knows is inside, and she has a plan, but unless George learns to open his heart and lean on her, at the risk of succumbing to their cremation-level attraction in a dangerous way, he’ll jeopardize both the business and their hearts by refusing the true partnership they both need.

Excerpt

George

I gripped the edges of the cot and crouched on the balls of my feet, taking a minute to steady myself, head hanging low on my shoulders. I gave myself two full seconds before standing up and getting to work.

No point in wasting time.

I removed my jacket and unbuttoned my shirtsleeves, rolling them up to my elbows, still thinking about what it must be like to walk through life looking like her, putting people under spells.

It wasn’t just her beauty, although I had to admit she was objectively beautiful.

Playboy beautiful. OnlyFans beautiful.

Men spent a collective fortune to look at still images of her. Or so I was told. I would never ever go to her site. Not even to satisfy a morbid curiosity. Why the hell would I? We were oil and vinegar. I spent every waking moment trying to avoid my business partner.

A body could only look so good naked.

I had to hand it to her though; the way she deliberately dulled herself to look more approachable, less intimidating for clients.

Wearing polo shirts and khakis for pickups didn’t quite work, though. There was nothing she could do to disguise her bone structure or her crystalline eyes. Or lips that were full and plump and pink even without her bloodred lipstick. The best she could do was drape her otherworldly figure in baggy, unflattering, generic workwear.

In those tight, vintage-glam, days-off dresses, her body was indecent, perhaps even downright obscene, the way her mountainous hips curved out from a tiny waist. If she wore those outfits around here, her giant boobs displayed alongside the caskets and urns, nobody would be able to get any work done. Who could make a decision around that?

She was cartoonishly drawn, the utmost decadence sprung to life in the form of a woman. Obscene beauty. It was too bad it was packaged into such an unlikeable creature.

Or maybe it wasn’t bad at all.

Because despite her extra helpings of bone structure and sex appeal, the woman posed not the slightest whiff of temptation. Not for me.

Sure, stunningly gorgeous women had once been my type. Just the thought of slipping my hands around a woman’s waist, moving lower as wide hips inched my fingers farther apart would make my dick hard. I used to love that overt type of femininity that threw back to a different generation, with heightened proportions, heels, lingerie. I liked to clutch a woman’s ribs and delicately trace the underside of heavy boobs.

Too Much, amplified by the confidence to own it definitely used to be my type.

Now I had no type. I was as celibate as my brother, Gus, in his last year of seminary. I was ruined by divorce, work, stress, and the feeling that nothing I ever did was good enough. The constant need to push myself further, do more for the clients, make things perfect at any cost. That drive was my mistress now.

I wasn’t a man, I was a granite statue, ensconced in my niche that was this home, this business. There was no blood or desire left inside me. My hands were plastered to my sides, unable to reach for the soft skin of another. Any hardness wasn’t in my cock but in my soul.

So, no. I wasn’t tempted. Temptation was for men who didn’t work eighteen-hour days, remaining on-call the other six. Temptation was for men who could allow themselves to be hurt again.

Temptation was for men who had a future.

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About the Authot

Megan Montgomery writes romance. Sometimes they're funny. Sometimes they're morbid, but all her characters have cool jobs. She and her husband, Johnathon Olavarria co-host Forced Proximity podcast, a weekly romance book and movie club.

Her debut novel, Well . . . THAT Was Awkward was inspired by her homesickness for southern Maryland. She now lives halfway across the US on the prairie with her husband, son, and mom. 

When she’s not writing, reading, lifting weights, or cooking dinners her son won’t eat, you’ll find her toiling in the garden or brewing potions from her medicinal herbs.

Connect:

https://www.meganmontgomerywrites.com/

https://www.facebook.com/meganmontgomerywrites/

https://www.instagram.com/meganmontgomerywrites/?hl=en

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/megan-montgomery

https://twitter.com/meganthraxm?lang=en

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20680329.Megan_Montgomery

Spotlight: Stars Like Gasoline by Jessika Grewe Glover

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Publication date: April 24th 2023
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Synopsis:

When Celia, a Florida art curator, purchases the haunted house of her brother’s deceased fiancé, the spirits threaten her life and her career. To rid the home of the malevolent ghosts, she enlists the help of her brother, Oscar, and Adrian, the best friend of Oscar’s late fiancé, who’d been killed as an Afghanistan veteran. The three are about to be thrown into a chasm of events involving a dead French artist, a Dutch aerospace heiress, and a missing Japanese painter who is presumed to be dead. Not to mention a stalker that begins to threaten Celia and Oscar.

The link between these events appears to be a hidden journal from the 1980s Celia discovers in the home, belonging to a dead, but revered French artist. As Adrian helps decipher the clues, an attraction burns between him and Celia, raising the stakes of the game someone is playing. A game that no one might make it out of alive.

Excerpt

“The blisters hurt like the devil when the water hit them, and the open sores on my ankles were screaming demons at me. The night was the kind of heat the air conditioning doesn’t quite hold the upper hand over. Every window was fogged over with moisture. A 2019 Kikumoto painting with no title was a rare find indeed. If I could only get the release for the other piece I’d found, I could bet the gala would draw art dealers and patrons from much farther than our usual guests. Strange that the Cesar acquisition had come from Fort Pierce. While it had a small arts community, the town just south of us wasn’t known for the careful upper-middle-class and bourgeois lifestyle of Vero Beach. Maybe I was tired, but it felt like I was missing vital puzzle pieces here. An anonymous donation of a huge Cesar collection, Kikumotos appearing out of nowhere, seemingly belonging to no one, and a Cesar having once been in my house but now missing.

      Cabinet doors slammed in the kitchen, and a thump preceded the sound of running water. I jumped in my seat, leaving my laptop open on the small writing desk, which sat facing the front window. Goosebumps ran a race up my legs and arms, chilling every inch of me. Clenched fingers opened and closed over my phone. Screw it. I texted Oscar.

      Something is in here. Don’t call Adrian. If you’re already home, no worries. Just letting you know.

      As I raised my eyes from the phone screen, a reflection caught in the fogged window. Silhouetted against the arcing bougainvillea was a man, standing directly behind me. The chair crashed to the floor as I stood like a jack-in-the-box. An icy touch reached out. I grabbed at the salt from the windowsill and tossed it at the shape, watching as the aberration in the room broke apart momentarily. A Spode Blue Italian salt bowl sat on the corner of the black spindle-legged desk. I cupped my fingers into the salt granules, pulled a handful, and spun in a quick circle, entrapping myself within the purported protection circle. I chanted an old Wiccan protection spell I’d found in an eighteenth-century grimoire in Boston and watched the spirit come closer and closer to the circle.

      “Elements of Day,

      Rays of Sun,

      Hear what I say

“Goddess of Night,

      Strength of Other,

      Goddess of Light,

      Protection of Mother.”

      God only knows why I had that memorized when I’d only seen the piece a handful of times. The Catholic side of the family would be appalled by my use of a Wiccan spell, but La Madre María hadn’t been working so far. ”

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About the Author

Jessika Grewe Glover is the author of Another Beast’s Skin, the first book in a contemporary fantasy trilogy. She grew up in Miami dreaming of magic and other realms in which to escape the heat. She currently resides in the Los Angeles area with her British expat husband, two kids, and the world’s fastest bulldog.

Connect:

https://www.jessikagreweglover.com/

https://twitter.com/jessikamittens

https://www.tiktok.com/@jessikagreweglov

https://www.instagram.com/jessikagreweglover/

https://www.facebook.com/JessikaGreweGlover/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21072121.Jessika_Grewe_Glover