Monday, August 26, 2019

Benevolent by Erin A. Jensen (VNBtM, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT



I am happy to share a guest post from author Erin A. Jensen, who tells us...




What Attracts Readers to Fantasy?
 by
Erin A. Jensen

My reading tastes are pretty eclectic these days. I’ll happily dive into the pages of any story that catches my interest, but my favorite genre to read has always been fantasy. It’s also my writing genre of choice. I meet plenty of readers who tell me they don’t like fantasy but they love my stories. My guess is they’ve never given the genre a chance because the word fantasy automatically makes them think Lord of The Rings. I personally love Tolkien, but wizards, hobbits and magic rings aren’t for everyone. Fortunately, there’s a lot more to the fantasy genre than just epic fantasy. The genre I write in is contemporary fantasy, which means the story takes place in our modern world but there are “other worldly” elements to the tale.



So, what is it that attracts readers to fantasy? I think it’s the fact that fantasy provides an escape from reality. That doesn’t necessarily have to mean there is something wrong with your real life. Let’s face it — changing diapers, cleaning house, sitting in a cubicle, or taking out the trash isn’t terribly thrilling. When you get a chance to sit down and relax at the end of a long day, slipping into a world where magic exists, dragons roam the earth, or angels visit your dreams each night is a welcome break from everyday life. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend my downtime reading about ordinary people doing the everyday things that fill up my days in the real world. A comfortable happy real life existence is great, but it doesn’t make your heart race with fear or excitement or move you to tears. As a fantasy author, I haven’t done my job unless I’ve made you feel something deeply. If you ask me, the best cure for frustration with project deadlines or toddler tantrums is a brief vacation to an alternate world where magic and dragons and fairies are real!


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by 
Erin A. Jensen



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GENRE: Fantasy



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BLURB:



A story about the purpose of life, the healing power of fandom, and the resilience of the human spirit.



Tormented by the in-crowd at school on a daily basis, there were two things that gave fifteen-year-old Abigail Perkins the strength to keep going—her best friend, Danny Cobb; and her favorite television show, Supernatural. But the night Danny’s mother calls to say that his battle with cancer is nearing its end, and the doctors don’t expect him to live through the night, even Supernatural can’t dull the ache in her heart.



Devastated by her impending loss and crushed that Danny’s mother won’t allow her to visit him one last time, Abigail crawls into bed and cries herself to sleep that night; and she wakes to find Supernatural’s most endearing angel standing at the foot of her bed.



Told from Abigail’s perspective as she nears the end of her long life and revisits the moments that defined it, this story was inspired by the deep connection that Supernatural fans feel with the show’s beloved characters, and the show’s miraculous ability to help its fans through troubled times.



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EXCERPT



I shuffled across the room with a heavy heart, crawled into bed and cried myself to sleep, aching in the knowledge that I’d most likely wake in a world that my friend no longer inhabited.



That was the first night that he ever came to me in a dream.



“Would you like to say your goodbyes now, Abigail?” a male voice inquired from the foot of my bed.



A deep male voice—rousing me from sleep in the middle of the night—probably should’ve terrified me, but it didn’t because this man’s voice was a familiar comfort.



I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, which was pointless since I was obviously still dreaming. There at the foot of my bed, stood my favorite television angel, dressed in a button-down shirt, crooked necktie, and that iconic trench coat of his. He was beautiful, flawless bone structure, stylishly mussed-up hair, and piercing blue eyes that looked far too wise to belong to this man at the peak of physical perfection.



I blinked my eyes a few times to reboot my senses, but he still stood there waiting for an answer. “Castiel?” I muttered in a groggy whisper, “Am I dreaming?”



He smiled at me with more compassion than I’d ever witnessed in any human set of eyes. “Yes. You are, but that doesn’t make this any less real.”



“I’ve lost my mind,” I muttered as my eyes filled with tears. “My best friend is dying and I’m sitting on my bed, talking to a fictional angel.”



His brilliant blue eyes brimmed with sorrow as he shook his head. “You are talking to a real angel. I chose this form because the fictional angel is a comfort to you.”



I blinked my eyes a few more times, expecting him to be gone each time my eyelids lifted. “What?”



His apologetic frown did nothing to detract from his beauty. “There isn’t much time to explain, Abigail. Danny is not long for this world, and I know how much he means to you. His mother is wrong to deny you the opportunity to say goodbye.”



“How would we get there?” I muttered, ignoring the way my heart ached at the angel’s words. If I focused on that pain, I would fall apart, this dream would morph into something nightmarish, and I’d lose this imaginary chance to see my friend one last time. “I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to leave the house with strange men who slip into my bedroom in the middle of the night.”



“I’m not a man,” he whispered as he touched a hand to my foot.



The instant he touched me, my room melted away and I found myself sitting on Danny’s hospital bed. 



My eyes filled with tears at the sight of all the tubes and wires connected to my friend’s brittle body. I looked up and felt comforted by the angel’s presence.



“He can hear you,” the angel standing beside the bed whispered.



“Danny,” I croaked as I slid closer to him, “it’s me, Abigail.”






Buy Links

Barnes& Noble

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:




Erin Jensen is the Amazon International bestselling author of The Dream Waters Series. She was awarded the Bronze Medal for fantasy fiction in the 2018 Readers' Favorite international book awards. She also received Honorable Mention for fantasy fiction in the 2018 Writer's Digest self-published e-book awards. A part-time pharmacist and a full-time daydreamer, she resides in upstate New York with her ridiculously supportive husband, two teenage sons--who are both taller than her--and a Yorkshire terrier who thinks he's the family bodyguard.











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GIVEAWAY







a Rafflecopter giveaway



The tour dates can be found here









Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Julian Fox: The Dream Guardian by E.J. Miranda (VBT, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT







by
E.J. Miranda









It is said that dreams are just that: only dreams. But believe me, this is not always true. Some dreams are as real as the dreamer.

Thanks to their dreams, dreamers can receive the special visit of eternal wisdom that has inspired the creativity of great inventors, scientists, musicians, and even writers throughout the ages.

This creative wisdom is not always the type that appears to the eager conscience. Sometimes, a Defiler, a destroyer of dreams, is the one who tries to appear before the dreamer. These creatures were once humans, but they allowed their pain and desire for revenge to take over and seek the same miserable fate for the one who dreams.

You must not fear — Dream Guardians, also known as Kelsdrant, will always protect the one who dreams, even with their own life. They are people of flesh and bone, just like you and me, or at least they are on Earth.


The following story is dedicated to the fun, extravagant, and enlightening life of Julian Fox, the Dream Guardian.

Be prepared, dear reader. It is time to dream, laugh, reflect, and even maybe cry.

Welcome to the Land of the Wise Dreams.


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Excerpt

from Chapter 1: The Fox Family

There is no perfect family. This is a universal truth, but if the imagination of a pair of mischievous minds is added to reality, the result can be an explosive combination that shuts the door to normalcy.

Sonia and William’s marriage is an example of how patience can be extended to the absolute limits. After all, parental love can only tolerate so much nonsense from the ingenuity of their children, especially when they happen to be Julian and Nicholas Fox.

This outlandish story begins at the crazy end of a pleasant vacation. The two brothers, Julian and Nicholas, were enjoying the afternoon heat near the banks of the river that crossed their ranch. They lay in the shade of an enormous tree, listening to the torrent of water as if it were a magical lullaby.

Julian, the eldest, was twenty-one years old. He had just completed his university studies and the memories of experiences with his classmates were still fresh in his mind. Nicholas, the youngest and last of the two children, was twenty years old and he was still studying in college.

They stayed silent for several minutes with their eyes closed, hoping that a miracle would occur and the family vacation would continue for a while longer. But, resigned to returning home in just two days, they decided to make the most of nature’s sweetness.



Buy links:

Barnes and Noble
Amazon

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About the Author: 

E. J. Miranda is an avid reader, an enthusiastic traveler, and a passionate author. Her great sense of humor and love for nature have granted her a rebellious writing style: Her approach describes the adventures of life but in such a way that each reader can have an individual take on the matter. 

Her inspiration comes from her curiosity about other countries’ cultures and peculiarities. A few countries in particular that spark her curiosity are Colombia, Italy, Costa Rica, England, Belgium, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. 

Her favorite places to visit are historical sites and museums, locations that allow her to explore important and even overlooked details. 

She currently lives with her husband in Colombia but frequently travels to Houston to visit her daughter and son. 

E.J. Miranda has a degree in tax accounting, but she prefers interacting with people to calculating their taxes. 


To learn more about her life and work, visit her website.
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook




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GIVEAWAY

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

E.J. Miranda will be awarding a 1st prize: $50 Amazon e-gift card, and a 2nd prize: $40 Amazon e-gift card, to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



The tour dates can be found here


Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Fear Justice by C.C. Bolick (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT







I am happy to share words of wisdom from author C.C. Bolick (especially since chocolate is one of my go-to solutions when I am stressed, lol)




How to Handle Negative Criticism


by
C.C. Bolick

1)     Take a trip to Antarctica so that only the penguins can hear you scream in utter disdain.

2)     Eat chocolate (my personal favorite).

3)     As gracefully as possible.


No one wants negative criticism. Why do you think there’s so much to go around? Everyone willing to put their work on display should be prepared and accept their fair share. It’s part of being a writer. It’s part of being human. “Ask and you shall receive,” my grandmother always said.


Books are subjective. People are subjective. Put the two together and there’s no telling what will happen next.


Remember:

1)     You haven’t found true success until you’ve ruffled a feather or two.

2)     You’re in good company.

3)     There’s a lot to learn from hearing why someone isn’t gushing over your work.


If an author says they never read reviews, my question is… why not? A review means someone read my work and took the time to give their opinion. A bad review means they didn’t like it for some reason. Could be as simple as they thought the end should have been different. Or maybe it’s a series and there’s more reading required to find the end. Can’t say I’ve never been guilty of that. Could be this wasn’t their kind of story, or they didn’t connect with the characters.


Don’t forget the part where someone actually read my story. I’m always thrilled when anyone not only takes the time to read my books, but also leaves a review. Even the bad reviews, as hard as they are to swallow.

Keep in mind, if not for negative criticism, as a writer you’d always wonder if people really like your work. Do they connect? Would they recommend your stories to a friend? I’ve always believed if it wasn’t for the bad times, the good times wouldn’t look so good.


Yes, fret a bit like the rest of us. Have a drink if necessary, but keep writing. Use any juicy tidbits people offer to help improve your story, as long as the suggestions make sense. If the review feels like a personal attack and not about your writing, there’s not much you can do except go on with life and try to offer hope to the next author.


I waited tables for several years in college. Early on, I learned some customers couldn’t be satisfied if my life depended on it. I once dropped an entire plate of blueberry pancakes in a woman’s lap and still received a nice tip after helping her clean up. Embarrassing yes, but probably more for me than her. Some people are at their best in a raw situation, and I’ve never forgotten her kind words.


Whatever happens, don’t forget why you started writing.


And never, never, never tell someone their opinion is wrong. 
-->

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by C.C. Bolick



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GENRE: YA Urban Fantasy



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BLURB:



Seventeen-year-old Rena Mason counts the days until she can leave for college. Every night her father drinks himself to sleep, leaving her to care for her younger brother. When her father is kidnapped by terrorists, her dreams of freedom become a nightmare.



Stunned that her father has a history with these terrorists, Rena knows she must run or be their next victim. She learns the tough guy at school has a reason to look after her - he's working for a government agency with the same goal as the terrorists: find a woman who disappeared eighteen years ago. Time is running out since only this woman's special gift can save the world from a looming nuclear attack.



Rena can't trust anyone, especially not the stone-cold agent she's falling for. Can they save the world before Rena's feelings trap her in an agent's fight for justice?




Fear Justice contains elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal, with a clean romance. It's the first book in an exciting new series called The Fear Chronicles.

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EXCERPT




Tony cleared his throat. “You said your dad was kidnapped?”



“Last night. Coach and my dad were friends. They joined the Army together.” Why was I babbling? Tony didn’t need to know my life story. “I showed up this morning because I thought he might know why these people were after my dad.”



“Did either of them tell you?”



I shook my head and looked at Tony. “The man who beat up Coach Andrews—he said he’d give me a head start before hunting me down.”



Again, Tony glanced in the mirror. “He didn’t happen to say he drives a black Lincoln, did he?”



As I spun in the seat and leaned over the headrest to see, the belt cut into my neck. Behind us, a black car crept closer with every second. Someone in the passenger seat leaned out of the window with a gun. “There’s a man with a gun following us and I’m not freaking out. At least, I don’t think I am.”



“No, you’re cool.”



With a bitter laugh, I turned back around and dropped down on the red vinyl seat. “Cool? When are you going to ask why I’m not afraid?”



Tony hit the brakes and made a turn that left me choking from the belt’s grip. “Right after you ask why I picked you up.”





Buy link:

 The Book is on sale for $0.99 during the tour.
 (please check price before buying)



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:



C.C. Bolick grew up in south Alabama, where she’s happy to still reside. She’s an engineer by day and a writer by night—too bad she could never do one without the other.



Camping, fishing… she loves the outdoors and the warm Alabama weather. For years she thought up stories to write and finally started putting them on paper back in 2006. If you hear her talking with no one to answer, don’t think she’s crazy. Since talking through her stories works best, a library is her worst place to write… even though it’s her favorite!



C.C. loves to mix sci-fi and paranormal—throw in a little romance and adventure and you’ve got her kind of story. She’s written nine books including the LeftoverGirl series, The Agency series, and The Fear Chronicles.











Author Links:







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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway




The tour dates can be found here




Sunday, August 18, 2019

Fighting Chances (Charity Anthology w/multiple authors) ADULT titles






I'm a little late posting this, but a lovely anthology of gay male romance stories was put together to benefit the children of Alcoy, Philippines. Find out more information here.






(authors' names below)
ADULT titles



An opportunity to put his hands around his enemy's... neck.

What can a man do when the spark of hate ignites the fire of passion? Can desire bridge the gap between two men on opposite sides of a fence? A kitchen aisle? What about a war?

Can love heal years of resentment and little hurts? Can it make a man recognize the humanity in another? And is the line between hate and love really all that thin?

In these 10 stories by well-loved M/M authors united by a common cause, you can find men in conflict with each other and with themselves... ready to give love a fighting chance.

 

All profits to be donated PROJECT CHILDREN ALCOY, a small volunteer-run project which provides healthy meals and school supplies to kindergarteners and children in Alcoy, Philippines.



·       Don’t Mean a Thing – Riley Ashby
·       Going Down – Corie Rosling
·       Nerve – Emily Alter
·       Frustration and Fireworks – J.D. Light
·       Saving the Dragon – Alicia Graybill
·       Hooked by the Bell – Tanya Chris
·       The Wedding Party – E.M. Leya
·       Turning Over a New Leaf – Kat Cassidy
·       Six Months – BL Maxwell
·       The Dawn Singer – K.K. Pieza




Excerpt:



“Turning Over a New Leaf” - An enemies to lovers romance featuring a die-hard environmentalist and a wood-cutter.



“Really committed to those single word responses, huh?” Miles snipped, irrationally annoyed. It was honestly hard to believe that this was the same guy from yesterday afternoon. “You know, even most apes are smart enough to form rudimentary sign language sentences in a lab setting.”

Logan flashed him a hand gesture that wasn’t exactly sign language, but was pretty hard to misinterpret. 


Miles was mesmerized by the display of Logan’s sure, corded muscles working beneath the tight thermal shirt, and the way the moonlight glinted off the waves of his hair, shiny and coppery as a new penny. And the sounds he made—those booming grunts of exertion were primal and carnal and deeply unfair.




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My review:

4 out of 5 stars




Fighting Chances is an entertaining combination of "enemies to lovers" adult gay romance stories that showcase the writing talents of ten talented authors. The fact that the proceeds are being donated to a worthy cause is just icing on the cake.

I particularly enjoyed the hijinks in Tanya Chris' "Hooked by the Bell," as two men continue the bitter feud between their families over a strip of land that separates their respective properties...until they rediscover there are more important things to have in common. A particularly hilarious (to me) scene takes place in their childhood treehouse that is NOT soundproof, lol. 

Kat Cassidy's "Turning Over a New Leaf" gives a new perspective on the fight between fellers (who cut down trees) and environmentalists who go to extremes to protect nature and I felt a connection to both main characters immediately and will definitely be looking for other works by this author as well.

Corie Rosling's "Going Down" taught me that omegas can be pretty feisty, lol, and I enjoyed the lesson on what can be done with shrink wrap.

BL Maxwell's "Six Months" made me hungry, although I wanted to smack one of the main characters (always good when they resonate enough with you to make you annoyed, I guess, lol). A slow burn romance.


Some of the stories in the anthology are not for the faint of heart, so make sure to read the warnings that accompany descriptions. I read an ARC, so I am hopeful that the story that had quite a few errors has been revised. Overall, the book was engaging, (mostly) easy to read, and covers a wide spectrum of gay romance.



 A copy of this story was provided for review

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Dangerous Games by Claire Thompson (Spotlight and review) ADULT




by

Claire Thompson



When you play dirty games, the stakes are dangerously high …

Reese Armstrong is striving to get his life on track. He has started a new career, gotten a new apartment…now he has to figure out how to shake the guy who insists on controlling his every move. For years, Reese took part in the deviant bets orchestrated by his wealthy lover, Hank. He’s told himself he’s done with all that, but the terms of this latest bet are more than Reese can refuse. 
As head computer programmer at a software company, Luca Hartman’s professional life is soaring. But his personal life is a lonely mess. When the hot new sales guy takes an interest in him, a world of possibility opens. But Luca’s been burned before, and he’s wary of the sudden attention. Why would Reese, who could have any man he wants, choose geeky, stuttering Luca? Is he truly sincere or should Luca be on the lookout for a string of malicious code?
Disarmed and enchanted by the shy, brilliant Luca, Reese has to make a choice: reject Hank’s dirty tactics or follow through and destroy the potential he sees with Luca. But even if Reese wants to be done with their dangerous games, Hank’s not through with him…
This is Book 1 of the Games of the Heart M/M series. Be sure to check out Book 2 Turning the Tables.
- coming soon!








My review:



4.25 out of 5 stars


Dangerous Games by Claire Thompson features a computer geek named Luca Hartman who gets caught up in an unholy bet made by Reese Armstrong, a colleague at his company. Reese is trying to reinvent his life, but has been in a rut with the man who shaped his life since they were both in high school, even though their malicious games are no longer fun. Once Reese gets to know the shy Luca, he realizes there could be a better way to fulfill his needs, but only if he can find a way to break the chains to his past without destroying his future.


This adult gay BDSM romance provides a delicious mixture of kink and emotionalism as Reese works through the conditioning he’s had since his teen years and discovers there’s a different way to approach a relationship. I enjoyed the way things morphed as Reese’s conscience finally kicks in and he realizes that not only does he need to treat others better but he also deserves to be treated better. There are certain developments that are inevitable, and for me, the resolution of the major conflict is a little contrived, but I still breathed a sigh of relief. Both of the main characters are personable, and I was quickly invested in seeing them work out as a couple and entertained by the apparent role reversal. I am intrigued by the idea of the slimy ex getting his comeuppance, but it’s going to take a lot to redeem him, so I can’t wait to see what the author has in store.


A copy of this title was provided for review 



Loved By The Beast by Anya Summers (VBB, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT title









by
Anya Summers

ADULT title



Anna has plans for her life. This fall, she will be heading off to medical school, well on her way to becoming a doctor. But first, she and her besties head to Ireland to celebrate.

Nowhere did her future plans even include serious dating, let alone becoming mated to a man who can turn into a freaking beast with wings. Nor did she reckon with being sucked through a portal onto another planet while on her way home from a great night out.

Yet from the very first time her new mate touches her, Anna wonders if this could be the real deal – as in: the big L. The only problem is, her mate says his kind do not love; they protect, they pleasure, and they provide. Can Anna really kiss goodbye to all her plans for the future, and agree to spend the rest of her existence without love?


Publisher’s Note: This steamy paranormal romance, while the third in the Alcyran Chronicles series, can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

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Excerpt

Earth. He loathed this vile planet.

D’Vorak cursed his current predicament, perched high above the city on the flat, stone roof edge of a tall building. He scanned the surrounding area. His mission: find the three women, kidnap them, and get the lot to Rhiannon. If he accomplished his quest, she would cancel the compact his people had with the Clovis. It could only be voided by magic, which none of his people—himself included—had. When the pact ended, his people would be free of the Clovis once and for all. It was why he had taken charge of the mission and did not have one of his generals execute it. Their freedom from the compact must be won before their deception was uncovered. The Clovis could not get their hands on what they had built.

This world smelled like a swampy bog filled with methane gas, excrement, and an undercurrent of desperation. The stench permeated his being to the point where he was unsure he would ever be rid of it, even upon his return to Destruna. In all his days, D’Vorak had never seen so many stone buildings side by side together, or paved stone streets, and they went on for miles and miles, bleeding into the horizon. If he wanted wide open spaces, forests, trees, and grass, he would have to fly many miles, to the perimeter of the city and beyond.

The overcrowding press from multitudes of people left him with the urge to tear this planet apart. How anyone could live with so many people present, he had no clue. It would drive him mad. He could sense them, every heartbeat, every voice, all layered upon each other, drowning the individual out and created a deafening kaleidoscope of sound. The frenetic pace of this planet made it unbalanced and ungainly. It was a world in chaos on the brink of collapse. The skies were scorched, the air infused with noxious chemicals so thick he could taste them in his beast form. It was a wonder these people survived.

How could they not sense the impending doom? That their world was dying?


 Amazon link


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About the Author:
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.

Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. (http://www.maggiemaegallagher.com/) A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.




Website: Website
Facebook: Facebook
Twitter: Twitter
Goodreads: Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Bookbub: Bookbub
Instagram: Instagram
Newsletter


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Don’t miss these exciting titles by Anya Summers!

Dungeon Fantasy Club Series

Her Highland Master, Book 1
To Master and Defend, Book 2
Two Doms for Kara, Book 3 
His Driven Domme, Book 4 
Her Country Master, Book 5
Love Me, Master Me, Book 6
Submit To Me, Book 7
Her Wired Dom, Book 8

Pleasure Island Series

Her Master & Commander, Book 1  
Her Music Masters, Book 2
Their Shy Submissive, Book 3
Her Lawful Master, Book 4
Her Rockstar Dom, Book 5
Duets & Dominance, Book 6 
Her Undercover Doms, Book 7 
Ménage In Paradise, Book 8
Her Rodeo Masters, Book 9

Cuffs & Spurs Series

His Scandalous Love
His Unexpected Love
His Wicked Love
His Untamed Love
His Tempting Love
His Seductive Love
His Secret Love
His Cherished Love

The Alcyran Chronicles

Taken by the Beast
Claimed by the Beast
Loved by the Beast



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GIVEAWAY

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anya Summers will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



a Rafflecopter giveaway




The tour dates can be found here