Christmas in Glowing Springs T.J. Amberson Publication date: September 24 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Avery Walsh is a romantic at heart, but her demanding career as a big-city attorney means she doesn’t have time for love. Dane Livingston is a small-town boy who has had his share of heartbreak, and so he vowed never to love again. When a Christmastime snowstorm leaves Avery stranded in Dane’s charming village of Glowing Springs, Avery and Dane team up to save the village’s beloved Huckleberry Inn. With Christmas Day approaching, will Dane and Avery be able to save the inn . . . and dare to take a chance on love?
A sweet (clean) romance told in 3rd-person, dual POV
TJ Amberson hails from the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband and nutty cocker spaniel. When she’s not writing, TJ might be found pretending to know how to garden, riding her bike, playing the piano, enjoying a hot chocolate, or scouring the Internet for cheap plane tickets. She adores all things cozy, seasonal, and holiday-themed; she cheers for happily-ever-afters; and she believes there’s no such thing as too much seasonal decor. With a love of multiple genres, TJ writes sweet romance and romantic comedies for adults and advanced teen readers, and clean fantasy adventures for teen and advanced tween readers.
Designed Amy Patrick (Designed, #1) Publication date: October 17th 2022 Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Seventeen-year-old Mireya is the youngest person on Earth in 2055. Well, one of them. She and her classmates on the military base where she lives are survivors of Zika-Two, a mosquito-borne virus that took out the very youngest and oldest of the world’s population fifteen years earlier and rendered the remaining humans infertile.
Formerly banned research into cloning, genetic engineering, and artificial intelligence is green-lighted by a government desperate to prevent looming human extinction. In fact, it was experimental nanotechnology that saved the lives of Mireya and her friends.
She’s always been told this makes her special. She certainly doesn’t feel special. As hard as she tries, she can never seem to please her indifferent parents, and her periodic memory lapses threaten to sink her already-shameful class rank to dead last. She just wants to be like everyone else, to be normal.
Mireya’s never left the base, never wanted to, and never questioned why she’s been content to stay there her whole life—until she runs into Heath. Actually, he bumped into her with his Gideon Corp delivery van. She’s not hurt, but she is baffled.
Why did the alluring young guy look at her like he knows her? And why did he seem shocked at her very average eye color?
When one-by-one her friends visit the physician and come back acting like strangers, Mireya decides to venture beyond the gates of the base to the nearby city of Atlanta to search for answers. And for Heath.
What she’ll find is the imposing walls surrounding Gideon Corp, the world’s largest corporation, hide many secrets about the cataclysmic global event and perhaps even Mireya herself.
DESIGNED is perfect for readers who loved Hunger Games, Divergent, Delirium, The Wrath & the Dawn, and the Selection.
The loud electronic voice reached me a second too late. I’d already stepped off the curb into the street and directly into the path of a delivery van.
A flash of white and chrome filled my peripheral vision as the bumper made contact with my left hip, sending me to the pavement with a wince and a yelp.
The good news was I wasn’t flattened by the thing. The nearly silent electric vehicles were programmed with collision avoidance tech that slowed them automatically in case of a sudden obstacle, which meant it hit me hard enough to knock me over but not hard enough to crush bones.
The bad news was I could already hear the shouting of the obviously perturbed operator through the van’s closed windows. No doubt the accident had surprised him as much as it had me.
He’d probably been relaxing in the back of the self-driving vehicle watching vids or reading when he’d felt the jolt and sudden stop. Now he was storming around to the front of it, spewing a stream of profanities.
“What the hell are you doing?” the van operator demanded. “Didn’t you see me coming?”
Before I could respond or get up on my own, a pair of strong hands slid beneath my arms. He picked me up off the ground and set me upright. I would have protested the invasion of my personal space, but it all happened too fast.
Brushing off the seat of my uniform, I tested my footing, lifting and wiggling one foot then the other.
The ache in my tailbone told me I would be sporting some very colorful bruises tomorrow, and my butt couldn’t have been any wetter if I’d cannonballed into a swimming pool. Lovely.
“So are you okay? Say something.”
Anger still emanated off the guy in waves, but his deep voice now held a note of concern. What could I say? I felt like an idiot.
“Of course I saw you. I just thought getting run down would be a good way to score some tech augmentation in my lower limbs.”
I finally glanced up at the man– who hadn’t responded and was not laughing at my joke.
My hair was in my eyes, disheveled from my fall. I pushed it from my face, and the sight in front of me nearly knocked me backward again.
Technically, I supposed he was a man, but he was younger than I’d expected, close to my age.
He was big. And angry. His dark brows were drawn together tightly. It wasn’t the forbidding expression that stunned me. It was his eyes.
Their color was like nothing I’d ever seen before– a spellbinding combination of blue and green so beautiful, so piercing, it almost defied reality.
I was so mesmerized it took me a second to realize he was staring at me, too. He’d been in the middle of a question.
“So then you’re not hur–” but he’d broken off mid-word.
After a long pause during which he continued to stare at me like he’d never seen a girl before, he spoke again. “Your eyes. They’re brown.”
“Yeah…” I dragged the word out into a question. “… last time I checked.”
Something about his troubled expression struck a cord of recognition. I glanced from his incredible eyes to the shock of dark hair above them and down to the breadth of his shoulders then the rest of his tall, big boned frame and then at the name badge on the front left pocket of his company uniform.
Heath.
“Have we met before?”
The guy blinked rapidly and back-stepped toward the delivery van, his head moving in a tight, rapid shake.
“No, I don’t think so. You’re okay? You’re not hurt?”
He paused for my answer, but his back and shoulders were plastered against the front of the van like I was dipped in flu virus and he hadn’t had a vaccination in years.
The instant I said, “I’m fine,” the guy turned and climbed into the van. Within seconds it was whispering away down the road, the unmistakable Gideon Corp logo on its back doors shrinking then disappearing as the vehicle rounded the corner.
Oookay. It was obvious why he was a delivery man for the world’s largest biotech company and not employed in some capacity where he might have been required to interact with actual humans on a regular basis.
Totally awkward.
But cute.
Author Bio:
Amy Patrick is the award-winning author of the popular Hidden Saga, Crimson Accord series, and Designed, a new YA dystopian romance. She lives in Rhode Island, where she enjoys writing in her car at the beach year-round and dreaming up captivating new science fiction and fantasy worlds for her readers to devour.
Visit her website at amypatrickbooks.com where you can find a complete book list. Join her VIP mailing list at https://bit.ly/APsVIPs for the latest book news, insider info, and fun freebies.
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. If you’re continuing with WOW, feel free to link those up as well! Find out more here.
And the book I am waiting for is…
From the blurb:
Award-winning author Mark Oshiro (Anger is a Gift) returns with a new contemporary coming-of-age novel laced with a twisty, dark mystery you’ll have to read to believe.
KEEP YOUR SECRETS CLOSE TO HOME It’s been one year since Manny was cast out of his family and driven into the wilderness of the American Southwest. Since then, Manny lives by self-taught rules that keep him moving—and keep him alive. Now, he’s taking a chance on a traveling situation with the Varela family, whose attractive but surly son, Carlos, seems to promise a new future.
Eli abides by the rules of his family, living in a secluded community that raised him to believe his obedience will be rewarded. But an unsettling question slowly eats away at Eli’s once unwavering faith in Reconciliation: Why can’t he remember his past?
But the reported discovery of an unidentified body found in the hills of Idyllwild, California, will draw both of these young men into facing their biggest fears and confronting their own identity—and who they are allowed to be.
For fans of Courtney Summers and Tiffany D. Jackson, Into the Light is a ripped-from-the-headlines story with Oshiro’s signature mix of raw emotions and visceral prose—but with a startling twist you’ll have to read to believe.
**************
Expected Publication Date: March 28, 2023
Publisher: Tor Teen
Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense
ISBN 9781250812254, 1250812259
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About the author:
MARK OSHIRO is the award-winning Latinx queer author of Anger Is a Gift, Each of Us a Desert, as well as their middle grade books The Insiders and You Only Live Once, David Bravo. They are the coauthor (with Rick Riordan) of the upcoming Nico di Angelo adventure book. When not writing, they are trying to pet every dog in the world.
Queen of Hearts Whitney Dineen (Seven Brides for Seven Mothers, #6) Publication date: October 14th 2022 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
* All books in this series read as standalones.
Queen Charlotte of Malquar has a talent. She’s already helped two of her children find mates, and now she’s convinced her daughter’s new secretary would be a perfect partner for her remaining single son.
Agnes Dupuis has a plan. She’s going to work for the royal family for a couple of years before opening her own upscale employment agency. When she starts her job with Princess Aubrey, she knows everything is on track. After a short time, she gets transferred to the crown prince’s staff, and she couldn’t be more ecstatic.
At thirty-five, Prince Andrew knows it’s past time for him to find a bride. Unfortunately, it’s a nearly impossible task. While he would like to marry for love, it doesn’t look like that will be an option. His future wife will be queen one day and she must have all the necessary skill sets to thrive in that role.
Sparks fly when Agnes and Drew start to work together. Drew fights his attraction for his new secretary as hard as he can. Meanwhile, Agnes doesn’t know what she’s doing wrong. She can’t seem to do anything to make the prince happy.
Will Queen Charlotte be responsible for another match? Or are Agnes and Drew destined to forever butt heads.
Find out in the deliciously fun sixth installment of the Seven Brides for Seven Mothers Series
Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries — not always in that order.
Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.
She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.
Gold Medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2017.
Silver medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.
Magissa Kassandra Flamouri Publication date: October 11th 2022 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, New Adult
“…a stirring combination of real-world Greece and supernatural overtones…the perfect amount of magic and monsters.” – Verified Reviewer
“…an exciting adventure of magic, loss, and healing.” – Verified Reviewer
For as long as she can remember, Chrysa Markou has longed for Pyrga, her native village in the mountains of Greece. But she never thought she would return like this—an orphan, crushed by grief and wracked with guilt over her parents’ deaths. Even surrounded by family, she feels like a xeni—a foreigner. A stranger.
All she wants is to belong, but Chrysa instead finds herself beset by vicious gossip, family secrets, and a magical heritage that could derail the future her parents wanted for her. To make matters worse, the one responsible for orphaning Chrysa has returned to unleash a reign of supernatural terror over her new home.
With the help of a handsome but moody Seer and a pair of burly guard dogs, Chrysa scrambles to protect her village from an onslaught of dark creatures commanded by her parents’ murderer. As the noose of the killer’s malice draws tighter, Chrysa grapples with festering doubts: Is she the victim, the hero…or the true cause of her people’s suffering?
Triumph over evil seems worth any cost, until it threatens to unravel everything Chrysa believed she was fighting for.
In retrospect, I probably should have realized a lot earlier that I was meant to be a writer. Even as early as kindergarten, I struggled to pay attention in class because the outside world was just not as interesting as what was going on in my head. By that time, I had already made my storytelling debut (“Squirm the Worm,” delivered at age three) and had spent countless hours playing make-believe with my 284 stuffed animals, every one of whom had a name and detailed backstory.
Though I quickly learned to pay attention (or at least look like I was paying attention) during school hours, I retained a tendency to daydream and a love of stories. When I left high school to attend the Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College, I learned to translate both emotional and programatic content into music. Now, as an exam prep and college essay tutor, I have the time and flexibility to really dig into fiction again. My work has appeared online and in print in such venues as Timeless Tales Magazine and Quantum Fairy Tales.
Happy Publication Day to Built to Last by Erin Hahn!
From the blurb:
Two childhood sweethearts find a second chance at love in this adult romance debut from a critically acclaimed young adult author.
Shelby Springfield has spent the last ten years trying to overcome her past, sanding it away like she does the rough spots on the vintage furniture finds she makes over. But as a former child star, it’s hard to forget a mediocre pop career, a meltdown widely documented by the paparazzi, and a huge public break with her former co-star Lyle Jessup. It’s also hard to forget her other co-star and childhood sweetheart, Cameron Riggs — the one who got away. Anytime Shelby has called, Cameron has come running… and then he runs right off again to chase stories around the world by making documentaries, too scared to admit what he really wants. But when Lyle stirs the pot, getting the two back in the spotlight with a home renovation show, Cameron can’t help but come on board. There’s something in it for everyone — almost. Cameron wants to come home and set down some roots. Shelby wants to prove to the world she’s not the messy party girl anymore. And Lyle wants to twist the screws on his two childhood friends who had more chemistry than he could dream of with anyone. Sparks and sawdust fly as Shelby and Cameron film the pilot for “Homemade” and battle Lyle’s shenanigans at every turn. Erin Hahn’s sparkling rom com debut, Built to Last, is a second chance romance sure to have readers falling in love fast.
Erin Hahn is a very popular author of YA novels and for a good reason- she always manages to strike the right kind of balance between the plot and characterization without sacrificing the most important part of any kind of romantic story- its emotional side, the heart. Rest assured, Built to Last, her first adult romcom, is as sweet and entertaining as her previous books.
Shelby Springfield and Cameron Rigg’s story goes far, far back…Together with Lyle, Shelby’s treacherous ex, they used to be child actors and co-stars of a tv show. Then Shelby returned to Michigan to stay with her dad and got involved and fully invested in his house renovation business. When Shelby’s Dad got injured in a car pile up accident, it became clear that he needs to slow down and Shelby starts looking for a way to give him a peaceful retirement. Doing a home renovation TV show seems like a great idea. The only problem is Shelby’s Dad gets quickly discarded by the producers due to his lack of ‘presence’, something Shelby’s childhood BFF/sweetheart Cameron has in abundance. Did I mention that the show is produced by Lyle who may or may not have his own vision of how to make the show even more popular by playing with Cam and Shelby’s unresolved feelings.
Friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, because there’s nothing more difficult and nothing sweeter than loving somebody you have known for years with all their failures and successes, their secrets and their flaws, seeing them face problems and learn from their mistakes. Both Cam and Shelby have changed a lot since their childhood in the spotlight… Can their friendship survive and turn into something even more powerful, given half a second chance? Read for yourself and find out.
About the author:
ERIN HAHN is the author of the young adult novels You’d Be Mine,More Than Maybe, and Never Saw You Coming as well as the adult romance, Built to Last. She married her very own YA love interest, who she met on her first day of college, and has two kids who are much, much cooler than she ever was at their age. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a.k.a. the greenest place on earth, and has a cat named Gus who plays fetch and a dog named June who doesn’t.
Happy Publication Day to Dark Tides Kimberly Vale!
In this highly anticipated sequel to our favourite pirate fantasy in Crossbones Kimberly Vale is back with another spellbinding story of love, danger, and adventure!
From the blurb:
Kimberly Vale’s swashbuckling pirates return for another high seas, high stakes adventure where Csilla and the Bones crew must battle more otherworldly creatures seeping in from Limbo, and threatening to swallow them whole. The Dark Tides are rising . . .
When love is an anchor, the sea can swallow you whole.
Csilla Abado has a full plate after becoming the first Queen of Bones. While leading Cerulia, she needs to find a way to mend the lingering crack between Limbo and the mortal realm. And when Lorelai and Nara go missing, the crew takes to the seas once more to try and find them . . . facing the worst of the villains and even more otherworldly creatures spilling in from the crack.
Kane Blackwater, desperate to find Dominic Rove, washes up at Death’s Cove where he comes face-to-face with creatures who have no place in this world. When he’s wounded, his magic-laced injury seeps throughout his body, spreading an unknown evil into his veins. His time is running out and he must decide what’s more important to him: Lorelai’s life or his own.
Lorelei Storm isn’t the same since her return from the realm of Limbo. A menacing and powerful magic rests under her skin, and she fears it as much as she craves its potential. When she flees Cerulia, she’s captured and taken prisoner by an Incendian Scout, and learning to control her powerful new magic may be the only chance she has at saving her own life.
As the war between gods and mortals builds to a crescendo, Csilla, Kane, and Lorelei must not only protect their world from destruction, but also their hearts from looming devastation. The seas darken and not everyone will survive the rising tides.
“What you deserve is to be happy.” She traced the golden weavings on the collar of his coat.
She meant to say more. That he deserved to find happiness with or without her. That he should love with his whole being and forgive himself his past. But his lips met hers before she could say anything else. His kiss was a burst of warmth that spread over her cheeks and down her neck. Then he was gone, shying away from her as he searched her face “Is this okay with you?” he asked, his voice a rasp, nearly pleading. “Is this what you want?
She answered by grabbing the collar of his coat with both hands and pulling him to her. He chuckled under her lips and kissed her back, his hands fitting back into place around her like it was where they were meant to be. She bowed into him as his hand traveled up her spine, his fingers twining into her hair.
She’d kissed a boy once back in Port Barlow, but not like this. Not with this type of hunger. She could kiss Kane under the stars until they faded into the bleeding light of sunrise and it still wouldn’t be enough.
One moment they were holding each other, the next they were stumbling to a nearby pillar. Lorelei’s back pressed against it as Kane leaned into her, kissing her again, deeper this time. Their rushed breaths filled the quiet space of the terrace.
His hands roamed over her ribs and onto her hips, clenching the black fabric of her dress. She lightly scratched the back of his neck and he sighed against her lips, the sound of it unraveling her.
Sparks started in her core, spreading up her chest, through her arms and into her fingers before she even realized what was hap- pening. Her wild magic summoned itself so quickly, she didn’t have time to bite it back. Like an uncorked bottle, magic poured from her.
The moment her sparks left her; Kane jolted. He convulsed under her touch, his entire body shaking like lightning swam through him. She let go of him, her heart in her throat as he crumpled to the ground. Though she no longer touched him, he still shook with tremors, his breaths more like ragged pants.
Lorelei moved to crouch down next to him, her trembling fingers reaching. But then she straightened back against the pillar, looking at her hands, afraid she’d lose control again. Attempting to make fear a stranger had only left it clawing at her door.
“What . . .” Kane said between breaths. He groaned as he rolled onto his side. “What was that?”
Her tongue turned to sand. Words were lost to her, swept away with the sea breeze.
“Lorelei?” he looked up at her from the ground, searching her with concern. “What happened? Were you harmed?”
Her heart throbbed. He worried over her even though he was the one shivering on the ground. She’d put him there. Her lack of control could’ve killed him. The more she thought of her grave mistake, the brighter the spark inside her grew.
She glanced down at her hands, her breath hitching. Her fingertips looked like they’d been dipped in gold. The terrace melted away and she was back in Limbo, her arms coated in the very same gold. In that realm, the power of her storm magic was unfathomable. Perhaps monsters weren’t the only thing slipping through the cracks in Limbo. Lorelei rubbed her fingertips together, but the gold remained like paint smudged into her skin.
She couldn’t stay there. No, she couldn’t stay anywhere near the ones she cared about. It was foolish of her to think that she could find a sliver of peace, even for just one evening. A cloud of regret hung over her.
Kane grunted, drawing her attention back to him as he crawled onto his knees. He lifted his head back to look at her, blinking as if trying to see clearly. “What’s wrong? Was it—was that you?”
His expression was unreadable. She’d never seen him look at her like that before. It was a mixture of shock and wonder, but did she detect disgust or was that her mind playing tricks on her?
“I’m sorry,” she managed to say. Her voice didn’t sound like her own, like she was speaking from behind a glass window. “I didn’t mean to. I can’t believe I—”
Kane rose to his feet, the movement wobbly and labored. “Shh, I’m fine.” He reached out and cupped her cheek with his palm. “Are you?”
His thumb softly stroked her cheek and sparks pricked at her fingertips again. She stepped away and curled her fingers into fists as if her golden fingertips would cease to exist if she couldn’t see them.
“I have to go.” Lorelei’s voice cracked. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.” She turned away from him, her face cold, her stomach churning, but she couldn’t take the chance of hurting him again.
“Wait,” he rasped, grabbing her wrist. His hand was warm. She wanted so much to hold on to it tightly. “Please. Stay.”
The pools of his eyes and the scratch in his voice nearly pinned her where she stood. She’d stay with him. She’d let herself lie in his arms until the sun woke up. She’d kiss him and he’d kiss her like nothing else mattered, like they were the only two in the world. But she couldn’t risk it.
She tore herself away from him before she caved in. “I have to go,” she said, unable to hide the way her voice quivered. “Please. Let me go.”
Kane dropped her wrist, his warmth leaving her skin much too fast, the evening chill sweeping into her quickly. Tears welled as she half-ran away, spilling onto her cheeks as she stumbled through the empty side halls of the courtyard. Faded guitars and laughter drifted on the wind, deepening the cold in her heart.
About the author:
Kimberly Vale is a reader, a bit of a hopeless romantic, and started writing on Wattpad as a teen. In the years since then, she has accumulated millions of reads online and has volunteered her time to mentorship programs and other efforts in the writing community. With a BA in Education, Kimberly teaches remediation and dyslexia intervention in public schools and lives in Arkansas with her husband, two children, and two dogs. She also enjoys playing video games, trying new recipes, and coming up with ridiculous theories about her current tv-obsessions.
It’s Monday! What are you Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn from Book Date, a place to share and discuss what we’ve read in the past week and what we’re in the middle of or are planning to read this week.
What I read / listened to last week:
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. We didn’t hit it straightaway, me and this novel. When it first appeared in my library, I was delighted, put everything away and started reading…and the style was way too lyrical, too poetic (too many adjectives, something I wouldn’t normally even notice)…so I put it down and mentally filed it down ‘On Hold until I’m in the right mood’. Reading my BBFF Yesha’s post on why she never dnfs books made me think of all the books we fall in love with at second, third or even fourth sight. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is like a delicate flower, beautiful and flawless once you get past the first few pages and get used to the writing style. Now I can’t wait for the sequel to come out in November. My only regret? that I didn’t read it with Yesha 🙂
Duke and I by Julia Quinn- oh my library…What are you doing to me? Did I really need to get addicted to another series? Still haven’t seen the tv show (on my to-be-watched list, after Outlander, maybe?). I generally (almost always) prefer books, so if you have both read and watched the show, please, let me know in the comments what you thought of both.
Built to Last by Erin Hahn
Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen
What I am reading/listening to now:
The Viscount who loved me by Julia Quinn- but of course!
Found Object by Anne Frasier
What I’m reading /listening to next:
Breaking the Friendzone by May Lynn
Victoria and Violet by Rachel Brimble
How did your last week go and what are you reading this week?
Forever Bound Jessica Dall Published by: Entangled: Amara Publication date: October 17th 2022 Genres: Adult, Romance, Time-Travel
From the minute Bridget Marshall began renovating the old Irish Castle she bought outside the Village of Shansally, Ireland (pop. 119) she’d been on the verge of being labeled another “Silly American.” But after years of managing other people’s hotels, she’s ready to run one herself. And nothing will get in her way, not even her grumpy next-door neighbor, Liam O’Flannagain.
Soon, though, the dream Bridget’s been waiting for is becoming a living nightmare. The renovations, not to mention the budget, are out of control, and someone—or something—is determined to get her out of the castle. And if that wasn’t enough, whenever she’s with Liam, the castle’s ancient past seems to come roaring to life, sweeping them along in a story they’re apparently destined to relive.
If she is to uncover the castle’s secrets, Bridget will need Liam’s help to figure out exactly how they’re connected…before the tragic past repeats itself.
I tried not to let myself get entirely swept away in the fantasy as we moved around the staircase to reach the ballroom at the back of the castle. “I know there’s going to be some—or, well, a lot—of bad news once we get started. Karen said it’s been a good decade since anyone’s lived here, but I’m hoping most of the neglect can be taken care of with the changes I already have planned. Like most of the plumbing is going to need to be torn out anyway to add bathrooms to the bedrooms upstairs.”
“It’s a good job we’ll be going down to the studs in most the rooms, aye.” He scribbled something in the little notepad he’d pulled out as we talked. “When you don’t use pipes for this long, you’ll have leaks. We’ll also have to be on the watch for mold, of course. And lead. I expect we’ll have a fair share of lead paint to remove, age this place is.”
Leaks, mold, lead… I tried to laugh the rising stress off.
“And then we’ll have to start talking exorcists. I’m sure there must be a poltergeist or two.”
“Haven’t heard of any poltergeists,” Cormac said, tone matter-of-fact as he stopped to poke at another damp spot on the wall with his foot before going back to scribbling. “Folk do like talking ’bout the curse, though.”
I paused. “Curse?”
He flashed me another warm smile, one that actually reminded me a bit of my granddad’s. “I don’t put much stock in all that, myself, but people like spinning that yarn after the brutal string of luck this place’s had. You know, the Sloane family had her built after the buildings around the old Norman keep burnt. They had it ’til they were chased out around independence. Originally English, you see. Ever since, the castle’s spent more time empty than lived in. Chris Carlson, last owner of this place, only had her a year before the financial crisis. Sunk all his money into real estate during the Celtic Tiger, so wasn’t a good time for him.”
I hummed, preferring not to think about the housing collapse when I’d just sunk most of my own money into property.
“Some say the Sloanes cursed the place ’fore leaving.”
Not caring to stew on that either, I pushed the doors to the ballroom open. The same breathless feeling I’d had at the edge of the property swept through me again. With the way the backyard sloped away from the house, it looked like we could have jumped from the back door into the lake. The wall of floor-to-ceiling windows said whoever had designed the house had wanted to bring the the lake inside as much as I did. With a couple dozen white-draped tables and ambient lighting, I could have the most romantic restaurant in the county. That was certain.
Cormac was looking at me expectantly, and I realized I’d entirely missed whatever he’d just said.
“Sorry, what?”
He laughed lightly. “Don’t you let any of that worry you, lass. If you care for those tales, most the ghosts ’round here are supposed to be completely harmless. The Bean an Locha stays out there, even.” He motioned toward the windows.
Author Bio:
Jessica Dall finished her first novel at the age of fifteen and has been hooked on writing ever since. In the past few years, she has published a mix of fantasy and historical fiction novels, along with a number of short stories that have appeared in both magazines and anthologies.
In college, Jessica interned at a publishing house, where her “writing hobby” slowly turned into a variety of writing careers, including creative writing teacher and, her current job, content editor for a small press.
When not busy editing or writing, Jessica enjoys crafting and piano, and spending time with her friends and family. She can most often be found at her home in Maryland with a notebook, her much-loved, sometimes-neglected husband, and toddler.
Academy of Magical Creatures: Books 1-3 Megan Linski & Alicia Rades (Hidden Legends Omnibus Collections, #1) Publication date: June 9th 2022 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHORS Megan Linski and Alicia Rades create a mythical three-book box set full of forbidden romance at a supernatural academy where magical creatures bond with powerful elementals and a hidden prophecy will decide the fate of all.
Sophia is destined to be the savior of an ancient tribe, but controlling her Fire magic at a school where dragons fly and mystery is around every corner is more complicated than she thought. At Orenda Academy, power is absolute, and students are thrown into a dangerous competition to survive. The Elders who run the tribe are ruthless, and they see Sophia as the ultimate threat.
Liam is the outcast son of a Water chief who’s lost everything. He’s been given a chance to restore his honor… if he helps the Elders take Sophia down. Unfortunately, she’s the one person he’s chosen to protect.
Fire and Water aren’t allowed to be together, and if anyone discovers Liam’s love for Sophia, death will be imminent for them both. To fight back against the Elders, their forbidden romance must come into the light… and ignite a rebellion within the tribe.
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Academy of Magical Creatures: Books 1-3 includes the first three books in an emotional and enchanting new adult academy series. Magical creatures, found family, and extraordinary worlds abound in this forbidden love story featuring a diverse cast and disabled main characters.
Over 1400+ pages of mythical creatures and memorable characters!
“Descriptive sections breathe life into the magic creatures, fantastical setting, and awe-inspiring magic spells.” -The BookLife Prize by Publishers Weekly
“I truly recommend this book for anyone looking to get sucked into a world; to lose sleep; become depressed that the world isn’t real but also enjoy a delicious read!” -Rebecca M., Reviewer ★★★★★
“I have no words for how this book made me feel. There is literally nothing else out there like it at the moment. You so need to read to believe.” -Sandra Kaye, Reviewer ★★★★★
“Best book I’ve read in a long time!” -Sarah Cox, Reviewer ★★★★★
This title is one omnibus in a set of Hidden Legend collections. The Hidden Legends Universe features college-aged protagonists attending magical academies, dual points-of-view, disabled and diverse main characters, and steamy, empowering romances. Omnibus sets connected to this series include University of Sorcery, College of Witchcraft, and Prison for Supernatural Offenders.
Megan Linski is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author who lives in Michigan. She is the author of more than fifty fantasy and paranormal novels which feature themes of friendship, community, and healthy romantic relationships. She has over fifteen years of experience writing books alongside working as a journalist and editor. She graduated from the University of Iowa, where she studied Creative Writing.
Her passions include ice skating and horseback riding. In her free time she enjoys dancing in the snow and drinking fancy coffee while at her natural habitat, the mall.
Megan advocates for the rights of the disabled, and is an activist for mental health awareness.
Megan co-writes the Hidden Legends Universe with Alicia Rades. She also writes under the pen name of Natalie Erin for the Creatures of the Lands series, co-authored by Krisen Lison.
Alicia Rades is a USA Today bestselling author of young adult and new adult paranormal fiction. When she’s not dreaming up magical stories, she’s either binge-watching Netflix, meditating, or spending time with her family. She has an unhealthy obsession with psychic characters and writes with a deck of tarot cards next to her computer.
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