Unwillable: A Journey to Reclaim My Brain by Jackie M. Stebbins (Guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY)

 

 

It is my pleasure to share an inspirational guest post by author Jackie M. Stebbins, who gives a glimpse of her journey to publish this memoir.

JMS:  During my senior year in college, I specifically recall one of my final classes where another student talked about her bucket list and that she desired to someday write a book. 

I remember scoffing at her a little under my breath saying, “Puhh-leassse, that’s so cliché.” And for whatever legitimate or spiteful reason I seemed to have, I always thought people were being trite when they expressed that they, or someone they knew, should write a book. 

I believe it’s because since a very young age, I was focused on becoming a lawyer, and never really committed myself to hobbies. 

From the time I read my first John Grisham book in fifth grade, my heart was set on becoming a lawyer. Pursuing the law is time intensive academically, mentally, and emotionally. All of my waking hours and brain power seemed to go to family law, criminal defense, civil litigation, running my law office, and being the best wife and mother I could be when I was home. 

But in 2018, my life was completely upended when I was diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis (AE), a rare brain condition wherein a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks her brain. AE sent me into cognitive failure and it nearly stole my life. 

When my brain was turned back on by intravenous steroids and I woke up, I realized that everything I knew was gone, including my beloved career. 

And suddenly, it was no longer trite or trivial to write a book. It was the only thing that kept me alive in my darkest days. 

Writing my memoir, Unwillable, quite literally helped me survive AE, recover from its devastating and traumatic onset, and rebuild my shattered life into an author, blogger, podcaster, and motivational speaker. 

I always go back to my favorite quote from John Lennon: “Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans.” Yes. Life happened to me. And it turned me into a “cliché” author. 

And I love every minute of it.

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Unwillable: 

A Journey to Reclaim My Brain

by 

Jackie M. Stebbins

 

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GENRE:   Memoir

 

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BLURB:

 

“Jackie Stebbins’ UNWILLABLE is an inspiring story of a brilliant woman’s battle with autoimmune encephalitis and the circle of support--from loving family members to dedicated physicians--who helped guide her through a hard-won recovery. Her story is as moving as it is important and is destined to help so many others facing this condition.”

Susannah Cahalan author of NYT #1 Bestseller Brain on Fire

 

Goodreads

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EXCERPT

I remember the moment it hit. It was like the physical feeling of lightning striking me and an earthquake ripping through me all at once. It had an instantaneous feeling of terror and destruction. The explosion started in my brain and reverberated through my entire body. It caught and spread like wildfire.

 

It is my memory that I sat upright in bed when it felt like the lightning bolt struck my head. My hands and arms immediately started to fly wildly and uncontrollably all over the place, as if I was trying to brace myself while the earthquake tore through me. For just a second, I wanted to scream out for help, but I couldn’t. I peed my pants. And after that, it all goes black. 

 

The memory I have is only an instant long, but I can still feel the desire to scream. I can feel my arms moving so rapidly and uncontrollably that they are almost screaming out too. It is the worst of all the nightmares, all the terrors, and all the episodes I had in that bed for those seven months, in a few split seconds. 

Buy links 

 Amazon link

Barnes & Noble

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Jackie M. Stebbins was living her dream as a nationally recognized family law, criminal defense, and civil litigator. But Stebbins’s career as a lawyer abruptly ended in May, 2018, when she was diagnosed with a rare brain illness, autoimmune encephalitis. Stebbins persevered to make a remarkable recovery and turned herself into an author and motivational speaker. Stebbins is the author of the JM Stebbins blog and host of the Brain Fever podcast. Stebbins’s side hustle includes raising three lovely children with her wonderful husband, Sean, in Bismarck, North Dakota, and in her leisure time she can be found reading, trying to be funny, and aqua jogging.

 

Social Media:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn

TikTok

 

Websites:

jmstebbins.com

Blog

unwillable.com

 

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GIVEAWAY

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The tour dates can be found here

The Not so True Adventures of Brandon, Josh, and Adam by Barry Fellinger (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

 The Not so True Adventures of Brandon, Josh, and Adam

by 

Barry Fellinger

 

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GENRE: Children's Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

Eleven-year-old cousins Brandon and Josh return home safely at the end of their Almost True Adventure, only to discover that their cousin Adam has been captured by the very same aliens from the Intergalactic Council on Obedience to Parents they just escaped from!

 

Now the boys must figure out how to get back into space, rescue Adam, and return home safely again!

 

It's a Not So True Adventure full of action, surprises, old friends, new enemies, frenemies, and what's that about doubles troubles?

 

A hilarious and once-in-a-while serious story of past, present, and future antics, based on some of the three cousins' escapades in real life!

 

 

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EXCERPT

Double Trouble OR WHICH COUSIN  IS WHICH?

 

 

Oh, this is making my head hurt! Brandon is up there, but it’s not me. But it’s the right Brandon who will know what to do. But Josh is up there, but it’s not the right one, and he will be lost, and why doesn’t this Josh . . .

 

Brandon #2’s thoughts jumbled together as he tried to think everything through. He was fast losing his appetite.

 

His mind wandered as he began to pick away at his food. I mean, the one who should be with me is not, cuz this Josh is down here. But the wrong Josh, though he certainly knows what’s about to happen, which means he will refuse to eat the broccoli. But if Brandon up there doesn’t realize he has the wrong Josh, that Josh will be kidnapped with him, but it won’t be the right Josh. Then I will be stuck with the Josh, who lived through this, and he will understand everything, so maybe that’s not so bad . . . By now Brandon’s head throbbed so much from trying to sort this all out in his mind that he couldn’t concentrate on food anymore and put his head in his hands. Then he looked up at Josh.

 

“Josh,” Brandon spoke very low. “I understand. You’re not the right one.”

 

“What, dear?” asked Brandon’s mom, as Brittany complained, ‘Mom, Brandon’s whispering secrets about me to Josh.”

 

“Am not,” snapped back Brandon.

 

“Um, Mom, I think Josh might be sick. I think he should go to my room and lie down.”

 

“But I’m fine.” Josh was now panicking, understanding Brandon knew, but neither of them knew if the other Brandon hiding with Josh’s double understood yet. They were waiting for this Josh to come up, after all. Brandon needed the right Josh with him soon, but because he had not been through this before, he wasn’t thinking about one super important thing.

 

“What about the tantrum?” Josh asked Brandon softly. “If I don’t act up, they won’t come and then Adam is . . .”

 

He stopped mid-sentence when he felt an unusual bump like someone was trying to push him off his chair, strong enough that he nearly fell off it and had to grab the table to keep his balance.

 

“Brandon,” Josh whispered again. “Did you feel that?”

 

“Feel wh—” Brandon started to say and then the phone rang. Josh thought the last time that happened, they had been rounding the corner to the kitchen when his Aunt Beth answered the phone, not seated at the table. That’s different, he thought to himself. Aunt Beth is sitting at the table this time, but I guess we definitely did take longer upstairs. Still, something strange is going on, though.

 

Brandon’s mom turned to speak to the three children with a concerned look on her face. “That was your Aunt Patty,” she said, catching her breath. “It’s about your cousin Adam. He got into some big argument with his parents at the dinner table, and then he stomped off to his room.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Barry M. Fellinger resides in St. Thomas, Ontario, with his wife Beth, and currently works as a director in health care and also teaches leadership courses and seminars.

 

He loves spending time with his adult children, grandchildren, extended family, and friends.

 

He enjoys reading, writing, watching superhero television shows and movies, collecting comics, attending the occasional Comicon and, for inspiration, relaxing in Sanctuary II, his comic book/man room.

 

He has a few more books in the works which he hopes to complete before or during retirement.

 

 

Social Media

Facebook 

Instagram

 

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GIVEAWAY

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The tour dates can be found here

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My review:

4 stars

 

“The Not so True Adventures of Brandon, Josh, and Adam” by Barry M. Fellinger describes the adventures of three cousins who get caught in an unexpected side effect of Brandon and Josh’s previous experience with the Intergalactic Council on Obedience to Parents. Despite their intermittent squabbles in the past, the cousins must find a way to work together with their alien friends and allies to solve the kinks in the space-time continuum that they’ve inadvertently disrupted.

 

This fantastical children’s story was a little confusing at first, given the duplication of a couple of the main characters and the references to previous occurrences which took place in another book. It’s no surprise that the alien Derks discover there is an issue with having used time travel on Josh and Brandon that causes a disruption of the timestream. The adventures in which broccoli, of all things, figures prominently is a wacky and imaginative tale that manages to touch on the complicated-yet-simple relationship that a trio of eleven-year-old boys can have.

 

I love that the Derks are both fearsome and unthreatening, and that this all starts because of defiant behavior that is being punished. There are various lessons included in the story that are artfully blended with unexpected twists and turns and unusual characters, and even the science lessons are conveyed in an understandable manner. This is both a fun read and a cautionary tale to remind one of the importance of…eating one’s broccoli (and respecting one’s parents)!

 

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

My Dead True Love by Kim Pierce (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

My Dead True Love

by 

Kim Pierce

 

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GENRE:   Metaphysical & Visionary; Women's Friendships

 

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BLURB:

 

When a newspaper reporter’s fiancé dies abruptly, she questions how he could just cease to be.

Dogged by unbidden thoughts, odd coincidences and unexplained phenomena, Ann Stewart becomes obsessed with finding out what really happens after we die and whether her beloved Gregory is still out there. She finds her answer, which takes her and a close-knit coterie of women to the edge of the cosmos—and the core of their own hearts.

Based on a true story.

 

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EXCERPT

We stood a moment without speaking—sizing each other up, I suppose—before I invited her to have a seat on the couch. I sat down next to her. 

“Look, I know this situation is awkward,” I began. “Me the fiancée, you the ex-wife…”

“Yeah, I can only imagine what he’s said about me. Medusa unbound.”

“Oh no, that’s not what I meant.…”

I tripped over my words.

“But it’s very likely what he meant.” She let out a belly laugh.

Bunching up her considerable green velvet skirt, she stretched out her legs, revealing black cowboy boots.

“Ours was not a friendly parting.”

“I gathered,” I said. “I also know you were married for, like, ten years—double the time I knew him. And I know I ought to feel jealous…”

Elizabeth stared at me, waiting.

“But I don’t.”

“No?”

“No. You were close to him. He was close to you.” I paused. It was difficult, even counterintuitive, what I was trying to say. “I could hear this in the intimate way you talked about him at the service.”

I clasped my hands as my words spilled out haltingly.

“I don’t even know how to say this,” I continued, “but I understood. It’s not like you’re a rival. You’re more like a sister. Or something like that. Someone I have a common bond with. He’s gone, and the hurt of that…”

I looked away. Tears were percolating up, boiling over again. Would this fountain of grief never cease?

I rushed to add, “The hurt of that doesn’t leave room for trivial bullshit like jealousy.” There, I’d said it. My heart was pounding.

“We… shared… him. Like no one else can understand.”

Someone understands.

 Buy links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Apple Books

Kobo

Scribd

Thalia

Angus & Robertson AU

Vivlio

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Kim Pierce is a former Dallas Morning News writer and editor who completed the Writer’s Path fiction program at Southern Methodist University. This is her first novel, inspired by events surrounding the death of her fiancé in 1998. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with her partner and three cats.

 

Website

Facebook

Instagram

 

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 GIVEAWAY

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My review:

4 stars

 

“My Dead True Love” by Kim Pierce follows Ann, a woman who has to come to grips with the sudden death of her fiance. Her journey of discovery about the beloved man who was both secretive and extremely loving leads her to examine the relationships she still has even as she tries to comes to terms with her loss. Her unconventional choices about how to deal with her grief result in significant changes in her life and unexpected personal growth.

 

This mystical story is even more thought-provoking and eerie when one discovers that it is based on true events. The author deftly conveys the bewilderment and searching for answers that accompany the grief at the loss of a loved one. Although the pacing is a little uneven for me, and there are forays down odd paths with some of the secondary characters, I was drawn into the main character’s quest for closure and and impressed by her honesty and compassion in her interactions with her daughter as well as the ex-wife of her fiance. This book celebrates women and how they can help each other heal and find acceptance even as it explores the concept of existence beyond death and inspires one to be true to oneself. I will be thinking about the premises explored for some time to come.

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

Flawless Witness by Merida Johns (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

Flawless Witness

Flower Girl Novella sequel

by 

Merida Johns

 

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GENRE:   women's fiction, women's domestic suspense fiction, women's psychological fiction, domestic abuse

 

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BLURB:

 

Suzanna Jordan suppressed the memories of Jonathan’s abuse for thirty-six years, but when a tell-all journal surfaces after his death, a legacy of cruelty haunts her from beyond the grave. But will Jonathan’s darkness, bared for all to see, drag Suzanna into despair, or will these revelations free her soul to bear witness to his abuse and finally offer her the closure she so desperately seeks?

 

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EXCERPT 

“Are you Suzanna Jordan, my father’s previous wife?” he asks.

 

The slight nasal tone and clipped cadence of his voice are too familiar. It is one thing to know Jonathan is dead—another to have his rebirth materialize before my eyes. Sweat bubbles in the creases of my palms and under my arms. The priest casts his eyes downward and says nothing. The air turns into a block of ice, and the birdsong stops as if the feathered creatures in the trees sensetrouble brewing.

 

“Yes, I was Jonathan Spencer’s first wife. The death notice didn’t mention a son named Jonathan. Who are you?”

 

The priest offers me the envelope. “I want to give you this. You deserve to see what’s in here.”

 

I reach for the ordinary office packet. The words “Trojan Horse” burst into my head as I read the white address label on the package, typed with my name.

 

Amazon buy link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Merida Johns writes about the human experience—which often is messy. She shows how ordinary people tackle challenges, live through sorrow and betrayal, and struggle with doubt. But despite this, they gather the strength to act on their aspirations and achieve flourishing lives.

“My insight into the power of fiction came during a conference call in late 2017 with fellow life coaches when I asked, ‘What would it be like to help people achieve a flourishing life through storytelling instead of another self-help book?’

After that phone call, I got started answering that question. Five years later, the result is the publication of my debut novel Blackhorse Road and a second novel, Flower Girl. Both works are women’s fiction, and the driving force of the stories is the protagonist’s journey toward a flourishing life.

Now, I’m thrilled about the recent release of Flawless Witness—a story of a woman who has suppressed the memories of her ex-husband’s abuse for three decades. But when a tell-all journal surfaces after his death, a legacy of cruelty haunts her from beyond the grave.

Before writing fiction, I was a professor, author of health informatics and leadership textbooks, and leadership coach focusing on helping women break the glass ceiling and fulfill their leadership and economic potential. 

My husband and I reside in the beautiful Midwest countryside. This is where I find the serenity and space for bringing to life the stories of everyday people who face and overcome extraordinary challenges by finding and following their North Star.

Website

Twitter:  @MLJohnsAuthor

Facebook

Instagram

Goodreads  

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GIVEAWAY

 

 

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My review:

 

3.5 of 5 stars

 

“Flawless Witness: Flower Girl Sequel” by Merida Johns is a sequel to the domestic thriller novel, “Flower Girl”. It gives insight to the chain of events that shaped Suzanna Jordan’s life and forces her to face unpalatable truths and explore the strength that has made her into the woman she is now, only if she has the courage to examine the evidence that has come to light.

 

This psychological fiction novella is both chilling and inspiring. I was a bit challenged by its evocation of distasteful past history, even though I have thankfully never experienced the horrors that the heroine has, and at first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue reading. Those who have triggers about domestic abuse should use caution about reading this story, although glimpses of Suzanna’s present circumstances underscore that she has travelled through her dark times and found happiness. Some things were a little clunky for me, but that may be partially because I’ve never been a fan of reading constant flashbacks, and partly because I haven’t read the companion novel that this story is designed to clarify.

 

I think that this tale would probably serve as a great teaching tool for those who are connected to someone who has experienced domestic abuse. I feel it might be a challenge for those who have already dealt with that heartbreak and betrayal of trust unless it helps provide a catharsis and not a reminder of all they’ve endured. The author does a good job of evoking the horrors sometimes experienced by victims and reminds us that there is not necessarily public justice for some actions but private victories that are the best reward for surviving and overcoming negative experiences.

 

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

Moon Life by Marlene Fabian Stiles and Hank Fabian (VBT, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

Moon Life

by 

Marlene Fabian Stiles and Hank Fabian

 

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GENRE:  Science Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

 

It is the year 2051 and the International Space Institute has just sent two rival astrobiologists to search for extraterrestrial life on Europa, the mysterious ice moon of Jupiter. What they encounter could not only revolutionize science, it might make one of them the most famous person on Earth. Or does the Universe have other plans?

 

 

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EXCERPT

Charlie was right, the phenomenon was curious. If these holes had been created by gas bubbles, why were they uniform and spaced so evenly? Dismissing the peculiarity, she began a photographic assessment of the tunnel wall.

 

At one point, she discovered a fissure wide enough to squeeze through and marked her location on MySpeak’s guidance system so she could retrace her steps. Then she crawled into the fissure on her hands and knees. As her light relaxed the shadows’ grip, she stared in amazement at the spacious chamber before her. Her headlamp revealed a domed ceiling interlaced with natural archways reminiscent of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Shimmering bulbs of water the size of walnuts hung from the arches like crystal ornaments. One by one they broke loose and fell in a reluctant rain, delicately splashing into a shallow pool cradled on the rocky floor.

 

A translucent brilliance caught her eye, and she centered her light on a glimmering mineral cluster that resembled a cache of rare gemstones. Pale green crystals seemed to come alive as her light danced across their facets. This is what he saw, it must be. Now she was grateful for her hammer. Striking the crystal as hard as she could multiple times, she finally broke off a small sample.

 

The raw beauty of this chamber invoked an overwhelming sense of awe as well as a realization that nothing could live on this barren moon; her mother had nothing to fear. Ming Yue conceded that she was relieved as well.

 

She took one final picture, then closed her eyes and spoke a silent prayer. Please let Pleiades find us so my brother can see these. A sobering possibility crept over her: She was the first human to see this fantastic grotto, and she might also be the last.

 

Amazon

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AUTHOR Bios and Links:

 

The family that writes together stays together, so siblings Marlene Fabian Stiles and Hank Fabian co-authored a science fiction adventure that explores Jupiter’s moon Europa as two rival astrobiologists race to be the first to find extraterrestrial life. This discovery should ensure the winner fame and fortune, but the Universe has other plans. 

Hank is the guy walking around with a long lens camera and binoculars, a tourist of the world fascinated by every creature that moves and every plant that grows. He teaches biology and helped devise a college genetics program. As a scientist he likes to work with facts, so there's a possibility that the creatures he’s created actually exist!

Marlene is the president of a nonprofit, The I Will Projects, dedicated to advancing educational venues that include a middle school aquaponics program in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club which received a NASA grant. She writes in multiple genres and also has published “Elderchild,” an Alzheimer’s narrative written in the first person. She shares Hank’s love of the natural world and is dazzled by the interconnectivity of all living things.

 

Marlene's Goodreads page

Hank's Goodreads page

Hank Fabian Amazon page

 Video interview

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Love and Valentines at Caynham Castle (Spotlight, excerpt, and review) GBP ADULT titles

 

Love and Valentines at Caynham Castle

Adult stories

by

Jeanne Adams, Morgan Brice, Caren Crane, Seressia Glass, and Nancy Northcott

Publisher: Rickety Bookshelf

Cover Artist: Lyndsey Lewellan

Release Date: February 1, 2023

Genres:  Contemporary, paranormal, MF, MM

Tropes: 

Caren Crane's story—opposites attract & forced proximity

Jeanne Adams' story—Grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, different backgrounds/worlds

Seressia Glass's story—friends-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine

Morgan Brice's story—hurt/comfort, evolving relationship

Nancy Northcott's story–Second chance at love, redemption

Themes: holiday, dealing with the past, bargains and deals, redemption, facing the future

Heat Rating: Varies by story

Length:  150 000 words/482 pages

This is the fourth in the Caynham Castle shared-world holiday romance series. 

Goodreads

One castle, five authors, five love stories, all at the same holiday event!

Blurb 

Racing Toward Love 

by Jeanne Adams

Dr. Oriela Deschamps was overjoyed to get a job appraising an estate for the Wellington family in the small English town of Caynham-On-Ledwyche. From the first meeting with the Byron "Bo" Wellington, Ori knows the job is going to be a challenge. First, there's Bo himself - the sexy, grumpy heir to Ribald Racing Stables. Then, there's the exceedingly dangerous artifact that's the centerpiece of her appraisal. That artifact, a set of riding silks from 1947, carry a curse and someone wants them for dark and desperate reasons. Can Ori's magic save them, or will the would-be thief kill both Ori and Bo, just as they find their special Valentines?

Fae-ted Mates by Morgan Brice

Dawson and Grady King are honeymooning at Caynham Castle, hoping to take a break from monster hunting. They have one piece of family business to handle, involving a generations-long agreement with the Welsh Fae. When things go wrong, will Dawson and Grady survive, or will they be trapped in the Faerie realm forever?

Romance Sells Records by Caren Crane

After watching her mother’s hope for a grand romance get dashed time after time, Hannah Evans grew into someone with no tolerance for romance. Callum Hughes’ parents had an enviable relationship, and he wanted the same for himself: if only he could convince Hannah to trust what they could build together.

Cupid Comes to Caynham by Seressia Glass

In Cupid Comes to Caynham, Oliver Jones' family has run the Boar and Knight off and on for centuries. After his father's death, it is now Oliver's responsibility to manage the ancient pub, a duty that leaves him no time or desire for love--until professional tourist Shayla Munroe literally falls at his feet. With Valentine's and Shayla's departure date fast approaching, does love have time to bloom or will it die on the vine? Not if Venus and Cupid have anything to say about it.

The One Who Got Away by Nancy Northcott

Hastings Whitney grew up driven not only to succeed but to be seen to succeed. His focus on success cost him two marriages and any number of relationships. Now he has a second chance with the woman he never forgot, jewelry designer Corinne Lanier. Has he changed enough to balance work with a relationship? Or will a business crisis bring old habits back to the fore? And is there a sinister side to his problem?

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Excerpt from Fae-ted Mates by Morgan Brice

CHAPTER 1

GRADY

“I can’t believe we’re really here.” Grady King pulled Dawson along by the wrist to the check-in desk. “It’s a real castle!”

“It’s called Caynham Castle. Not exactly a surprise—it sort of looks like one,” Dawson teased fondly.

“Yeah, but ‘Magic Kingdom’ isn’t a real kingdom,” Grady retorted. “Truth in advertising is rare.”

The lobby was in one of several buildings along the wall of the outer bailey. Dark wood wainscoting covered the lower half of the hewn stone wall, matching the counter. A large oil painting of a man in the opulent clothing of another century hung behind the check-in desk. Grady assumed it was one of the many Earls of Caynham whose most recent descendant still owned the castle and ran it as a hotel and event destination.

The woman behind the counter watched their banter with a bemused look. “Welcome to Caynham Castle. I’m Constance. Could I have your last names, please?”

Grady plunked their joined hands onto the counter so that the matching rings showed. “King. My husband and I have the honeymoon suite.”

“Theatrical much?” Dawson joked. “She’s seen married folks before, I’d wager.”

“We’ve never been here before or been married before. Don’t dim my joy.” Grady knew he was being over the top, but everything about the trip had his excitement cranked up to the max. Honeymoon. England. Castle—and our own suite. Vacation. And no monsters for two whole weeks.

“He had a lot of coffee on the flight,” Dawson told the woman in a faux-apologetic tone. His grin made it clear that he enjoyed Grady’s enthusiasm.

“You have to understand,” Grady confided in Constance, “we’ve had several friends who absolutely loved their stay here. They told us plenty about the castle. I want to find all the gargoyles.”

“Let’s get you checked in so you can deposit your luggage and go hunting,” Constance said with a smile.

Grady’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean hunting them—” He snapped his mouth shut, realizing that she hadn’t meant their kind of monster hunting. Dawson subtly elbowed him in the ribs, but his unspoken message was clear.

Don’t freak the mundanes.

“Grady and Dawson King.” Grady tugged a bit on their joined hands, loving how the matching gold bands caught the light.

“Ah yes, here’s the reservation. And it seems as if your friends have sent some welcome gifts. There’s a package from Teag Logan and Anthony Benson, one from Erik Mitchell and Ben Nolan, and another from Simon Kincaide and Vic D’Amato.”

Her tone shifted as she read the names, and her eyes widened. “Oh. Oh, my. Are you all in the same business?” She dropped her voice. “Do we have a ghost problem again?”

Buy Links

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

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Meet the Authors  

All five authors are members of the same Facebook Author Group - Romance Bandits

Join them here 

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Giveaway 

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My review:

4.5 stars

 

Each of these stories is set at the picturesque Caynham Castle and its environs, and features a different aspect of the location around Valentine’s Day, with its attendant celebration Valentine Dance.

“Fae-ted Mates” by Morgan Brice follows honeymooning Grady and Dawson King, whose delightful vacation is temporarily interrupted by Dawson’s commitment to reaffirm his family’s accords with the fae…who aren’t all so sanguine about the arrangement.

 

This adult gay paranormal romance novella artfully combines romance, danger, and fantastical creatures in an exciting tale. The devotion between the main characters, the glimpse of fae politics and machinations, and the practical importance of maintaining both major and minor agreements is underscored. I love the alluring glimpses of Caynham Castle and its inhabitants (both visible and invisible), and I was caught up in the struggle the pair inadvertently became victims of. I learned about a new creature and a different way of affirming their connection, and both snickered at the reminder that one should heed the advice of those who come before us and sighed at the romance inherent in the story. Another great addition to a lovely collection of stories.

Each of these stories celebrates romance, and they all were entertaining, with vivid characters and descriptions, and I’ll be looking for other titles by the authors who were new to me.

 

A copy of these stories was provided for review