Son of the Siren by Kristina Elyse Butke blitz with giveaway
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Son of the Siren
Kristina Elyse Butke
Publication date: July 2nd 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Sometimes love is a curse, a twisted, unnatural obsession.
Such is the dark magic of a siren’s song, the power of which half-siren Lirien witnesses for himself as he watches his mother sing his father, the King of Ardeth, into the sea. In a fruitless attempt to reverse his father’s fate, Lirien sings the siren song himself, not knowing its true power is seduction. Instead, he ensnares his stepmother, the Queen, with its hypnotic melody.
When Lirien refuses her desperate advances, she turns to forbidden magic to force her love on him. But wishing upon a havoc stone is an invitation to chaos. The queen’s own son and daughters, Lirien’s beloved siblings, are whisked away and transformed into animals. They flee the kingdom, and Lirien chases after them, his beautiful voice also gone.
Through elven mountains, fae forests, and siren waters, Lirien will stop at nothing to find and save his family. Threats come at him from all sides, but there are allies, too—Kitra, a shapeshifting fae fox who vows vengeance on the Queen for killing her brother, and Brandegil, an elf who can awaken the sacred sword Alibrandr to help break the spell on the children.
Together, they’ll bring the stars raining down from the heavens if that’s what it takes to save Lirien’s family, but there’s still the matter of breaking the spell on the Queen. And Lirien’s own deadly curse haunts him should he stray too long from the sea.
—
EXCERPT:
On the night of his twentieth birthday, Lirien was dreaming he was a golden bird with long, lustrous plumage, when a wordless song invaded his sleep. A woman’s voice, rich and beautiful, floated upon the warm summer breeze through the open balconette window, but it wasn’t until he felt the gentle brush of her breath against his ear that Lirien opened his eyes.
He was alone in the darkness of his room, but the song caressed him with silky fingers. A tingling warmth traveled his skin before it settled down as a hot knot in his stomach. He felt something like a tug at his waist, pulling him forward.
He didn’t remember standing or walking. He was in his bed, and then he was on the beach with the hulking silhouette of the castle and cliffs rising behind him. He thought he was dreaming again, until the cold water washed over his bare feet and, at last, the dreamlike haze within him dissolved.
The singing continued.
The light from the large, snow-white moon cast a strong glow upon the sand, which sparkled as though the stars had fallen and taken root there. Beside him, a mound of red velvet bedclothing had been tossed carelessly aside at the water’s edge. Lirien recognized the clothes and the figure in the sea before him, a man slowly stumbling forward against the crashing waves.
The knot in his stomach tightened. Father! What are you doing?”
The man was already waist deep and Lirien ran in after him, sloshing through with difficulty as his father journeyed farther and farther out.
Stop! Come back!”
Somehow, over the waves and the breeze, his words reached his father. Now treading water, he turned to Lirien, but too late.
The singing stopped. Long, lithe arms, silvery blue and covered in a smattering of scales, shot up from the water and encircled his father, dragging him below.
In desperation, Lirien dove under, blindly swimming ahead as frantic thoughts pummeled him and the sea floor disappeared underneath him. You knew someday she would come; you’ve known all along. It’s her, and she’s here for you both. Without ever seeing her before in his entire twenty years, he knew instinctively who she was.
A woman’s voice echoing inside his head brought a flash of pain. Get away!
Her eyes, two luminous orbs— large, bright, and orange like sunset, orange like Lirien’s own —flooded his vision. She was less than an inch from his face. He was so startled he opened his mouth and took in water, and choking, he rose to the surface. And then she was on him, seizing him tightly underneath his shoulders and staring at him intently.
Her hair, of darkest sapphire, another trait Lirien had inherited, was matted against her gleaming skin. Everything about her was longer, larger. She towered over him easily, and her fiery gaze was so intense he could hardly return it. And her face… he would never be able to describe how lovely and terrible it was, or the feeling that came over him when he saw the parts of her that were also his own.
Let me go.” His voice, a gentle baritone, came out flimsy and trembling.
Do not follow. She turned to swim away from him. You will not see me again.
Lirien didn’t know what else to do. He called her by the only name he knew.
Mother.”
She stopped.
Don’t take him. Please.”
A wistful look spread across her face as she gazed into the water. I loved him. I did. But I cannot help what I am. She met his eyes. And because I love you, you cannot follow.
She dove, a flash of her leg skimming the surface of the water, only to change to feathery finned, kaleidoscopic tail as she disappeared below.
Unable to make sense of his mother’s words or what he was seeing, Lirien ignored her command and dove deep. The water was too dark for him to see, but he imagined the hulking form of his father sinking into the bitter abyss. He pushed on despite the pain in his lungs and the pressure of the cold, dark ocean.
He wasn’t sure what happened or when he lost consciousness, but when he opened his eyes, it was daylight on the beach. He was sprawled out on his back, his wet nightshirt offering no protection from the sand that scratched his skin.
He struggled upright as his stepmother rushed to his side, clutching his father’s abandoned robe to her chest. Several of her guardsmen were scattered along the shoreline, searching the water.
”
He flinched. Queen Aurinda rarely said his name, and the sharpness of it startled him. She sounded all at once livid and frightened. What did you see? What happened?”
He couldn’t answer her without his own angry tears falling. King Neven is gone.”
Author Bio:
Kristina Elyse Butke writes fantasy filled with magic, dark curses, and true love. Her time living abroad in Wales and Japan inspires her writing through the fantastical settings and creatures she creates. She has an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and when she isn’t writing, she indulges herself with reading manga and webtoons, watching anime, and cosplaying. She also enjoys spending time in forests, the more whimsical, the better.
GIVEAWAY!
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Elements & the Fae by Jillian Beane blitz with giveaway
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Elements & the Fae
Jillian Beane
(The Elemental, #2)
Publication date: August 12th 2024
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Dirrin is gone, but who took his books? And why?
Cleaning up after the last battle and establishing the newly formed Council of Erist is hard enough, but when Dirrin’s books turn up missing and a chunk of obsidian with a strangely familiar magical signature is found, how will Suleima and her friends figure this out?
When new information about Suleima’s past comes to light, how will her dynamic with her found family change?
Rejoin Suleima and her friends as they face a new threat and discover that Dirrin may have only been the beginning.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
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EXCERPT:
What is the matter?” he asked.
There’s so much here, but nothing I am looking for!”
Let’s take a break. Go for a walk, clear your head. We can talk about what you’ve read or talk about nothing. You decide.”
She nodded and rose from her chair, heading for the door. Suleima didn’t venture far, content to sit on the porch, looking out into the woods beyond her house. Gage sat next to her, their legs touching, his arm behind her, sitting silently. After yawning, she laid her head on his shoulder. He tilted his head down to touch hers and held her hand.
They hadn’t had time to define what was happening between the two of them. She knew she enjoyed his company and wanted to spend more time with him. But things had been so chaotic since the two of them met. Gage’s friendship and strength were things she was beginning to rely on, and it was scary and wonderful at the same time. She thought he felt the same. It was usually Gage who initiated the first touch, and it had never gone beyond holding hands or sitting close. She certainly didn’t want to jeopardize their friendship, and danger was never far in all of their time together, it seemed.
Suleima drifted off to sleep like that.
She was sitting in her house again, going over and over the journals lying on the table. There was nothing. Nothing. Nothing! What good was all of this journaling and documenting of EVERYTHING, if it wasn’t going to be helpful to her situation?
Damnit, Erist!
Suddenly, she felt weightless and woke with a start. She was in Gage’s arms as he jumped the railing of the porch and took off in a full sprint into the yard beyond. What happened?” she cried out.
The growl in his voice raised the hairs on the back of her neck. I don’t know!” He set her on her feet and put himself between her and her home. Don’t move. I’m going to shift. Stay right here!”
Gage, my wards….”
Shtay heree!” Gage’s words were a guttural growl and his elongating jaw distorted his words.
She shifted her weight, and his growl sounded again. Okay, I’ll wait for you.” She raised her arms in surrender. My wards are in place and intact. Whatever you heard is not a danger.”
He growled once more, and she sensed him pulling from the pack to speed his shift.
Her next move was to sit and patiently wait him out.
A few minutes later, Gage shook out his fur and turned to her.
Can I go now?” she asked.
Gage showed her his large, white fangs.
I’m telling you, nothing got past my wards.”
He grumbled next to her and kept his own body between her and her home, but he allowed her to follow.
Walking up to the porch, Suleima saw nothing out of the ordinary. She approached the door, but Gage put himself in the doorway and wouldn’t move. Despite his grumblings, she leaned into the doorway above him to survey her home. Tea dripped from her ceiling onto the table and floor below. Her tea kettle seemed to have…exploded.
What the…” She again tried to push past Gage, but he was immovable. I need to go in and clean up this mess. I don’t sense anyone else in the area. But I do need to look and find out what happened.”
He planted himself in the center of the doorway and refused to budge, sitting in the way as if he were bored.
” She stomped her foot and sat on the railing of the house. Go satisfy this neanderthal need to clear the house, while the little weakling woman sits on the porch and waits alone for the boogeyman to come while you are inside. And watch where you step. I don’t want to clean blood off my floor as well.” She waved her hand dismissively at him.
Author Bio:
I have been writing since I was in high school and have finally found the courage to put some of that writing out for all to see. I have a love of all things artistic and crafty. Reading books, watching movies and listening to music makes my heart happy. I am a self-proclaimed Jack of All Trades, Master of None. I live in the mid-west with my husband, two amazing and crazy kids, and a cat who we think is part squirrel.
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Mr. Absolutely Not! by Alina Jacobs blitz with giveaway
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Mr. Absolutely Not!
Alina Jacobs
(The Seattle Svenssons, #1)
Publication date: August 6th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
Armed with comfy pants, overpriced coffee, and a highly anxious emotional-support corgi, I prepare to face him.
Corporate boss.
Villain.
I step into his office. His perfect mouth twists into a sneer.
There is no heart of gold beneath that suit, just a big black pit. He’s a shark in the frothy waters of high-stakes finance.
He might be the quintessential asshole CEO, causing all in his path to quake in fear, but he’s never had to face down a basic bitch in her thirties.
I am exactly like the other girls—I adore Starbucks, greige home decor, and making snarky jokes with my bestie. I’ve even inherited a stalker from an ill-advised singles party.
Yeah, the stalker is… a problem, one I’m hoping will just go away if I ignore it.
I can’t ignore him, though.
He’s all broad shoulders and snide comments, picking apart everything about me as he circles me, going for the kill.
He would never fire me, though. There’s no fun in that. He wants me to quit, to have a mental breakdown.
Well, he can get in line behind my crazy gold-digging sister, my guilt-tripping mother, and the aforementioned stalker.
He pins me with his gaze.
I brace myself, waiting for the verbal blow to come…
Instead, he says, I need a date tonight, and unfortunately, it has to be you.”
This is a full-length, enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy, complete with smokin ’hot-but-morally gray heroes, a smidge of suspense, and of course the perfect happily ever after!
—
EXCERPT:
After a cold shower, I wrap a towel around my waist as I step out then lather up to shave. I’m just rinsing off the straight razor when something slimy and rough runs against my leg.
I strangle a curse as the pudgy corgi stumbles back, tripping over the bath mat.
Mandy!” I bellow, wrenching open the slightly open door. Mandy!”
” I tell the animal. Out.”
It runs under the vanity and stares at me.
Dammit.
Mandy!”
Her footsteps are soft over the carpet as she hurries to the bathroom.
Salinger? Salinger, what the—” The door opens a crack.
” She jumps back out of view behind the door.
Your dog, that’s what.”
The animal lets out a whine.
”
The dog ignores her.
Get in here now and get that animal.”
Mandy makes that squeaking nose again. The corgi sneezes.
I can’t. You’re not wearing any clothes.” She’s still hiding behind the door.
Mandy…” Warning laces my voice.
The door creaks open. Mandy, hand over her eyes, takes a hesitant step inside.
It’s under the vanity.” I point.
Mandy walks into a wall.
” Groping around with her free hand, she begs, Pepper, come on. You know you can’t be in here. We talked about this, remember?” Her hip bangs into the side of the vanity. Ow!”
A few feet to the left.” I run some product through my hair. I’m not one of those men who rolls out of bed, washes their hair once a week with dish soap, and calls it a day. It takes time to look like someone you would trust with billions of dollars.
” Mandy’s voice is pleading. Pepper, please just get out of there.”
Christ.” Grabbing the robe that hangs on the back of the door, I shrug it on, sidestepping her as she walks straight into the glass door of the shower.
Uncover your eyes.” I tie the belt.
Nuh-uh.”
Mandy.”
Her fingers spread slightly, and her brown eyes peer at me.
I’m wearing a robe. Get your animal. This is absurd.”
Mandy’s still peering through her fingers, and she gropes under the vanity, trying to grab the dog. It. Does. Not. Want. To. Leave.
It makes a wheezing sound as she finally drags it by its back feet out from under the vanity.
I’m so sorry about that, Salinger.”
Mandy’s corgi side-eyes me as Mandy tries to scoop it up with one arm.
You see me every day,” I remind the dog.
Its lip curls up.
Mandy.” I point to her dog.
She went out before I brought her up.” Mandy sounds out of breath.
No. It looks crazy.”
The whites of the dog’s eyes are showing, and her ears are laid back against her head.
That’s just how she is,” Mandy says.
She’s not going to freak out at the charity function. Is she? Do you have medication for her or anything?”
Kneeling down in front of the dog, Mandy whispers, Let’s try and keep it together. I’ll take you to Olive Garden for a personal plate of pasta, no garlic. But not ’til after the event because I know you’ll get an upset tummy.”
This is going to be a fucking disaster,” I say to the ceiling. And where is my date?”
Author Bio:
If you like steamy romantic comedies with a creative streak, then I’m your girl!
Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books…
Sign up for my mailing list to get the free novella, AFTER HIS PEONIES, along with special bonus content, giveaways, and more!
http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Bookbub / Instagram
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—
Feeding My Addiction…
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**
After last week’s huge haul I’m happy to say I don’t have much to share this week yet again with only two new titles and definitely not wanting to make a habit of going overboard becoming a thing again.
As always clicking the covers will take you to the book on Amazon!**
New additions from Netgalley Aug 4th – Aug 11th
An extreme game of hide-and-seek turns deadly in this riveting new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger
When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10?
Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.
Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves.
A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive.
A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo’s apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.
The struggling writer is out of options. He’s hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan’s house isn’t as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seem more ominous than artful. Perihan’s group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there’s something wrong in the greenhouse.
As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan’s diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration he needs to finish his manuscript.
But he might not survive long enough to write it.
House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen #bookreview #thriller
**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**
Title: House of Glass
Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: Aug 6, 2024
Page Count: 344
My rating: 3 1/2 stars
About the book:
The next thrilling novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen, House of Glass.
On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.
A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?
Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny – in the midst of her parent’s bitter divorce – and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella’s mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.
From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there’s something eerie about the house itself: It’s a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.
As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny’s murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny’s boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella’s supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?
House of Glass is not the first thriller novel I’ve read by author Sarah Pekkanen and having loved her work before I was really excited to get into this one. The story is a bit of a two for one mystery with the current events taking the forefront but also secrets from the main character’s past coming to the surface too.
Stella Hudson is an attorney who gets a call to take on a rather interesting new client in a nine year old little girl, Rose. Rose’s parents are in the middle of a divorce so Stella’s job is to determine the best out come for Rose during it all and which parent will be the be fit going forward for Rose.
This isn’t an easy task for Stella as Rose also just witnessed the death of her nanny who fell from a window as Rose looked on leaving Rose to now go silent and refuse to communicate. Stella isn’t sure the death wasn’t an accident and if something else happened that day that has traumatized Rose into silence.
House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen was a bit of a slow burn novel as it went along which isn’t always my favorite but thankfully it did keep my interest even during the slower moments. The story did have all the trademark twists and turns from the author that I was used to finding in her books but didn’t end up ranking up their with my favorites leaving me to rate this one at three and a half stars this time. A good solid story but not the author’s best in my opinion.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Find this book online:
About the author:
Sarah Pekkanen is the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of four novels of suspense including THE GOLDEN COUPLE and THE WIFE BETWEEN US, and the solo author of the thriller GONE TONIGHT, will be published Aug. 1, 2023. Colleen Hoover says it is “Riveting, original and powerful. I’m a huge fan of Sarah Pekkanen’s books, and GONE TONIGHT is her best yet!”
Sarah is also the author of eight USA Today and internationally-bestselling solo novels: THE OPPOSITE OF ME, SKIPPING A BEAT, THESE GIRLS, THE BEST OF US, CATCHING AIR, THINGS YOU DON’T SAY, THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS and THE EVER AFTER. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages.
In her free time, Sarah is a dedicated volunteer for rescue animals and serves as Ambassador for RRSA India, working hands-on to vaccinate and heal street dogs in Anand, India. She also volunteers weekly for a horse rescue group in Maryland, mucking stalls and helping mistreated horses heal.
Sarah lives just outside of Washington, D.C. with her family. Please follow Sarah on Facebook and Instagram @sarahpekkanen and visit http://www.sarahpekkanen.com
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