Release Blitz: The Night Nanny by Nelle Lamarr

Title: The Night Nanny

Author: Nelle Lamarr

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Release Date: May 13, 2024

“Please don’t worry, Ava. Your baby is safe with me. I’m going to take care of her like she’s my own…”

Ever since my daughter Isa was born, I’ve been struggling. I can’t remember anything, and my brain is in a fog. So when my husband Ned suggests we hire a night nanny, I leap at the chance.

As soon as she walks into our home, I feel a wave of relief. I smile at her and notice her eyes are the color of amethysts. A memory flashes across my brain, but before I can grasp it, it’s gone.

But something isn’t right. Ned is acting strangely and every time I ask him why, he tells me I’m being paranoid. But I’ve seen him whispering to our nanny and it makes me nervous. He was the one who wanted to hire her, and now I’m wondering why…

Then my engagement ring goes missing. Ned is furious—it cost a fortune—but I know I haven’t misplaced it. I always hide it in the same place, and no one knows where except him.

But then it gets worse. Our nanny accuses me of leaving my baby face down on her stomach, struggling to breathe. I might be exhausted, but I would never do that. But when I look to Ned for support, I can see he doesn’t believe me.

I feel like an outsider in my own home. Am I going mad, or is someone trying to destroy me?

The totally gripping page-turning psychological thriller with twists that will leave you guessing until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid, The Girl on theTrain and Colleen Hoover’s Verity.

“WOW WOW WOW! What an addicting read!... Pulled me in from the beginning and had me on the edge of my seat. 5/5 amazing stars!!!” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“5 huge stars… This was full of twists and turns and I literally could not put it down. I read it in 2 sittings and the ending floored me.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wow… I devoured it in one sitting!... Addictive… I thought I guessed what would happen next, but I was so wrong!... Nail-biting thriller… Keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout!” @arcreviews_by_m ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wow! I read this book in one sitting! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and my jaw was on the floor through all the twists and turns… Kept me wanting more.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wow!... One of the best psychological thrillers I’ve ever read… Action-packed.” Goodreaders reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

PROLOGUE

Dearest Mama~

If you don’t hear from me again, I’m dead.

I’m scared. This place is creepy. It’s dark and damp and smells really bad. Musty and medicinal, and I just saw a rat. Somewhere a girl is crying. It sounds like she’s in terrible pain. And when I went to use the bathroom, there was blood in the toilet. So much blood I almost threw up.

It didn’t look so bad on the outside; in fact, it looked like one of those beautiful homes you work in. All brick, two stories, with a shrub-and-flower-filled yard, and it overlooked a crystal-blue lake. An attractive woman in an elegant suit met me at the front door and instructed me to use a side entrance that led to the birthing clinic in the basement.

Right now, I’m sitting here all by myself in the waiting room on a hard wooden chair, one arm folded across my big, swollen belly. I so wish you were here with me, but I know that if you took a day off from work, that awful couple whose ginormous house you clean would fire you in a second. One day when I become a famous actress, you won’t have to work for people like that anymore. If I have it my way, you’ll never have to work again, and you and Em can live with me and my baby in our Beverly Hills mansion.

The girl’s crying is getting louder. It sounds like she’s dying! I want to cover my ears, but someone is calling out my name.

A woman in a white uniform. She’s tall and intimidating. Her name is Nurse Bates. I see it on her name tag. She flashed me a smile, so maybe she’s nice.

A high-pitched scream is mingling with the sobs, and someone just burst through the door to the delivery room. It’s a little girl with waist-length blonde ringlets who’s clad in a frilly pink dress. She looks a few years older than Em. Maybe age eight or nine. So pale, she looks like she just saw a ghost.

The nurse yelled at her to go upstairs. But first the poor little thing dashed to the bathroom before I could stop her. When she came back out, vomit was splattered all over her pretty dress. Our eyes connected, hers wide with terror, and then she ran up the stairs as fast as her feet could carry her.

A sharp voice is ringing out at the top of the stairs. “There you are, you naughty child! I’ve been looking all over for you! You should have NEVER gone down there!”

I recognize it. It’s the woman who met me at the front door. She sounds very angry. I can no longer see or hear the frightened little girl. Oh, Lord!! I hope she doesn’t get into trouble.

In the meantime, the sobs have gone silent. The girl before me must have had her baby. Now it’s my turn. I’m freaking out. More than a little.

I’m wearing the beautiful necklace with the small gold cross you gave me and hope it will bring me good luck. That it won’t hurt and there’ll be no complications.

Guess what?! The baby just kicked and I feel a tingle of excitement. I can’t wait to give birth and hold her in my arms. And I can’t wait for you and Em to meet her.

Sorry, I’ve got to go. Nurse Bates is giving me the stink eye. I’m going to give her this letter and ask her to mail it to you. I hope she’s someone I can trust.

Just one last thing… if something does happen to me or my baby, promise you’ll never forget the man who forced me to come to this horrible place.

And to NEVER forgive him.

He needs to pay.

Forever~ Your loving daughter

Nelle Lamarr is the psychological suspense pen name for Nelle L’Amour, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author, who has sold over 350,000 books worldwide and has been an Amazon All-Star. Her books feature complex, multidimentional characters—strong women among them— and jaw-dropping twists you won’t see coming. A former executive in the entertainment industry with a blockbuster children’s television series to her credit, she lives in Los Angeles, California, with her Prince Charming-ish husband, beautiful twin princesses, and a bevy of royal pain-in-the-butt pets. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading gripping thrillers by her favorite authors with a cup of coffee or glass of wine. The Night Nanny is her second psychological suspense and follows her critically acclaimed debut, The Family Guest, which has been translated into a dozen languages.

You can follow Nelle on social media. She loves to interact with her readers.

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The Crystalline Crucible by Adam Rowan Virtual Book Tour

The Crystalline Crucible

Adam Rowan

Genre: New Adult 

Publisher: Spinning Monkey Press

Date of Publication:  May 14, 2024

ISBN: 9798985769562

ASIN: B0CXYM3R8B

Word Count: 90000 

Tagline: Treasure comes in many forms

Book Description: 

Maxwell Jacobs, a neurodivergent 21-year-old with a passion for knights, Tetris and cheese sandwiches, harbours an audacious dream-to become the greatest treasure hunter in England. 

His chance comes with The Crystalline Crucible, a treasure-hunting contest promising untold wealth and answers to the world's biggest secrets. However, Max's mission gets off to a rocky start when he's arrested for breaking into a museum in search of a clue. His fear of leaving his hometown, Stapleford, his cynical best friend, Rosie Shaw, and his clumsy, awkward nature only serve to complicate things further. Overall, his prospects seem dim. 

That is, until Max crosses paths with Khalil Ahmed, a former criminal seeking redemption and quick cash. Despite their differences, their shared desperation draws them into The Crystalline Crucible. Together, they'll decipher cryptic clues and embark on an epic nationwide adventure, with high stakes and a singular goal: to find treasure!

Amazon      Books2Read     BN     Smashwords     Amazon UK     Apple

CHAPTER 1: THE WOOLLY MAMMOTH THIEF

In the seven-decade-long existence of the Nottingham Natural History Museum, no break-in had ever occurred until five a.m. on one fateful Saturday. The trespasser’s name was Maxwell Oscar Jacobs, a local retail worker. In his spare time, he enjoyed playing Tetris, doing crossword puzzles, and—his preferred pastime—a spot of treasure hunting.

With a stone he’d found on the pavement, Max had smashed the museum’s back window and climbed into it by balancing on a rubbish bin. Shortly thereafter, he padded warily through the geology exhibit surrounded by models of Earth, not enjoying the experience in the slightest. Surveillance cameras mounted above on the wall scanned him, but he dearly hoped the authorities hadn’t been dispatched to arrest him. They shouldn’t be. After all, he hadn’t poured chocolate milk on the power box outside for nothing.

Max was twenty-one years old, rather tall with stick insect limbs. Bright blond hair and a poorly cut fringe topped his head. He wore a grey Cookie Monster hoodie, straight-legged jeans, Mickey Mouse socks and a cheap, halfbroken children’s watch with coloured numbers. He also wore blue trainers with the shoelaces undone and carried a Tony the Tiger rucksack in which to store the mammoth tusk he was after. To top it all, he had a scabbard that held a broadsword called Fleshrender, Max’s favourite possession.

Pacing along, he thought passingly that he should have dressed the part more and put on a ski mask. His heart pounded as he passed by the dinosaur exhibit, unease assailing him. It was too late to go home at this point. He just had to find the mammoth tusk before daylight.

He gathered himself, drew his sword and focused on not tripping while he navigated through the dark, winding corridors. Even the smallest of noises made him jump—broadsword at the ready—as he crept through the empty halls.

With the lights off, the museum was practically a haunted house. While he tiptoed into the zoology section, glimmering rays of moonlight streamed in through the windows, falling gently over him. Shadowed model animals lined the walls, felt rabbits and plastic spiders sitting on table displays. A frightening bear stood with its paws raised and its sharp jaws wide open as if
ready to pounce on him at a moment’s notice. Max’s eyes widened, but within seconds he discerned to his relief it was just taxidermy.

At last, the mammoth appeared behind a red security barrier not far away. With every muscle tensed, he gazed in awe at its gigantic figure. But his jaw dropped as he realised, despite how carefully he had planned this mission, he’d forgotten one crucial part: how to extract the mammoth tusk out of the skeleton. It looked like it’d been screwed in tightly. Should’ve
brought a screwdriver. Oh, bother.

Pushing his shoulders back, he sheathed his weapon, strode right up to
the mammoth and peered at the display label. It read:

This woolly mammoth skeleton was discovered in 1925 by a team of esteemed archaeologists in rural Devon. It was the first almost entirely preserved specimen ever uncovered in England. It is a relic of priceless historical value. DO NOT TOUCH.

Deciding to disobey and wrest the tusk out, Max stepped over the maroon rope that encircled the mammoth and wrapped his hands around it. Like Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, there was nothing else to do but pull really, really hard.

After counting down from three, he tugged the mammoth tusk towards him with all his might. It took a few tries, but finally the tusk separated from the woolly mammoth skeleton with a nasty crack, and he fell on his backside.

Yet before he could rejoice, he heard the sound of a creak.

A door opened across the room.

“PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK! LAY DOWN ON THE GROUND!”

Max turned around and scrambled to his feet, mouth wide open. Police with intimidating weapons emerged out of nowhere, swarming him. He gaped at the approaching horde before looking back down at the tusk. This couldn’t be happening.

The thought crossed his mind to run. But what was the point? There were too many police. He was toast!

He dropped the mammoth tusk on the floor and unsheathed his sword.

“Listen, this is all a b-big misunderstanding,” he stuttered.

“NO MISUNDERSTANDING!” a second officer yelled, a woman in a navy tunic with a bulletproof vest. She inched over to him. “HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK NOW!”

Max stared at the police, aghast. They think I’m a criminal. How ridiculous. I’m just an innocent treasure hunter!

“Let me e-explain. It’s v-very, very important for you to let me eexplain,” Max stammered.

He pointed his sword at them threateningly, before spotting a paunchy man who held what looked like a laser pointer and was aiming it at him.

Max swung the sword around as a warning. “Please. If you’d just give me a second to clear this up, I’m sure that—arghhh!”

His words cut out with a bloodcurdling scream. Electricity surged through his body. The red dot he’d seen on his chest hadn’t been from a laser pointer at all, but a taser. Limbs spasming, Max fell onto the floor and crumpled into a ball as the police closed in on him.

About the Author: 

Author Adam Rowan’s passion for writing began in childhood, although he admits his early attempts were far from perfect. After a hiatus during his teenage years, Adam rediscovered his love for writing in his early twenties and has been dedicated to improving his craft ever since. In 2022, MotherButterfly Books published Adam's first novel. His second book, The Crystalline Crucible, is published by Spinning Monkey Press and is inspired by his experiences growing up in England. When he's not immersed in the world of writing, Adam is an electronic musician and avid film fan. With the support of his family, Adam continues to pursue his writing dreams, understanding that patience is key in the journey of creating a book. 

Threads https://www.threads.net/@shinjutnt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shinjutnt/  

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3w3uH0d 

✱✱Book Review✱✱ Legacy of the Witch by Kirsten Weiss Virtual Book Tour

 

7 Researching Tips and Tricks

If you're looking to add an extra layer of authenticity and intrigue while writing whodunits, research is key. Here are my top seven tips for researching mystery novels:

1. Start with the Basics: Before diving into the nitty-gritty details of your mystery, make sure you have a solid understanding of the genre. Read widely within the mystery genre, paying attention to different sub-genres, styles, and storytelling techniques. This will help you get a feel for what works and what doesn't in the world of mystery writing. In witch mysteries like Legacy of the Witch, magic might help the amateur detective learn the answers, but readers don’t want a magical solution to a mundane murder.

2. Get Technical: Depending on the type of mystery you're writing, you may need to brush up on your technical knowledge. Are you writing a police procedural? Then you'll want to familiarize yourself with police protocols, forensic procedures, and legal terminology. Is your mystery set in a specific time period or location? Research the historical context, cultural nuances, and geographical details to bring your setting to life.

3. Talk to the Experts: Reach out to professionals in relevant fields to gain firsthand insight into your story's subject matter. Whether it's interviewing law enforcement officers, forensic scientists, private investigators, or magical practitioners (if you’re writing witch mysteries, like I do), talking to experts can provide invaluable details and inspiration.

4. Explore Online and Offline Resources: The internet is a treasure trove of information for writers.  It’s also a trove of misinformation, so be sure to doublecheck whatever you find! Explore online databases, forums, and websites dedicated to topics relevant to your mystery. From crime statistics and historical archives to expert blogs and discussion boards, there's a wealth of resources waiting to be uncovered with just a few clicks. But sometimes, you just need a good book. For Legacy of the Witch, I had to mail-order a book on Penn Dutch folk magic from a small college in Pennsylvania. It was the only way I could get my hands on it (and highlight relevant passages guilt-free).

5. Visit Real-Life Locations: I like to visit the locations that inspire my mystery settings to  gather sensory details. I take photos and lots of notes on the sights, sounds, and smells of the environment to enrich your descriptions and make your setting come alive on the page. But if you can’t get there, Google Streetview is a great resource!

6. Stay Organized: With so much information at your fingertips, it's important to stay organized. Keep detailed notes, bookmarks, and files of your research findings for easy reference as you write. Consider creating a research journal or digital folder to keep everything organized and accessible. I’ve recently fallen in love with Joplin, a web clipper app that allows me to organize things I’ve found online by topic.

7. Balance Fact with Fiction: While research is essential for adding authenticity to your mystery, don't let it bog down your storytelling. Remember, you're writing fiction, not a textbook. Use your research to enhance your story and create a richly detailed world, but don't be afraid to take creative liberties when necessary to serve the narrative. I like to rename and fictionalize the towns and other locations I use in my books. The towns of Mt. Gretel and Babylon in Legacy of the Witch were based on real times, but I twisted some of the details to make the story work.

Now grab your magnifying glass, sharpen your investigative skills, and get ready to craft a mystery that will keep readers guessing until the last page!

Seeker: As societies grow increasingly fragmented, hopelessness, nihilism, and division are on the rise. But there is another way—a way of mystery and magic, of wholeness and transformation. Do you dare take the first step? Our path is not for the faint-hearted, but for seekers of ancient truths...

All April wants is to start over after her husband’s sudden death. She’s conjuring a new path—finally getting her degree and planning her new business in bucolic Pennsylvania Dutch country. Joining an online mystery school seems like harmless fun.

But when a murdered man leaves her a cryptic message, she catches glimpses of another reality she’s unwilling to acknowledge. A reality where bygone enchantments cast cryptic shadows, and the present brims with unanswered questions.

As April works to unearth the mystery, every step brings her closer to a truth she’s been evading. And to a conspiracy of hexes that may end in her demise.

Legacy of the Witch is a spellbinding, interactive tale of a woman’s midlife quest to understand the complexities of her own heart. A paranormal women’s fiction murder mystery for anyone who’s wondered if there might be more to their own life than meets the eye…

Book 1 in the new Mystery School Series featuring the UnTarot, a deck of cards for meaning making. Start reading now!

UnTarot deck app included!

https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Witch-Paranormal-Fiction-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CH3T41JS/ref=sr_1_1

And there was someone inside the yellow coat. A silver-haired man. 

For a moment I thought it was a bad joke, he wasn’t real. Then, heart banging, I hopped over the stone ledge. 

Heedless of the brambles tugging at my clothes, of the muck squelching beneath my shoes, I stumbled to the supine man. He lay staring with one broad hand pressed to his chest. Blood stained his neck and pooled in the hollows around him.

“Oh my God,” I breathed, fumbling for the phone in my jacket pocket.

His head turned toward me, and I yelped. 

I dropped to my knees beside him. “You’re alive. It’s okay. I’m calling for help now.” What had happened to him? Had he tripped and fallen? But what had he been doing in the circle? 

“Can you put pressure on the wound?” I asked. If he couldn’t, I’d need to. I’d need a cloth, something to staunch the flow. 

But first, help. Hands shaking, I called 9-1-1.

He lifted a hand and pointed toward the trees. “Look beneath,” he whispered. “The brotherhood.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m calling now.” I pressed the phone to my ear. “I’m calling...” My voice faded.

His blue eyes grew as cold and impersonal as the Atlantic, and he stared without seeing at the sky. A thick dullness fogged my chest. I was too late. He was dead.

Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐

Legacy of the Witch surprised me with how truly immersive it is. There's a website and an app where you can see the UnTarot and learn what the cards mean, which adds a whole other layer to an already interesting and engaging story. I also like that April is all grown up and closer to my own age. It's refreshing to be able to relate to a character, even in a paranormal story. The book is well written and the pacing is equally well done. As a first in the series, this one does a nice job of introducing us to April and giving us a feel for the world Kirsten Weiss has created. It certainly held my interest and leaves me curious to see what's next for The Mystery School Series.

I believe in free-will, and that we all can make a difference. I believe that beauty blossoms in the conscious life, particularly with friends, family, and strangers. I believe that genre fiction has become generic, and it doesn’t have to be.

My current focus is my new Mystery School series, starting with Legacy of the Witch. Traditionally, women’s fiction refers to fiction where a woman—usually in her midlife—is going through some sort of dramatic change. A lot of us do go through big transitions in midlife. We get divorced or remarried. The kids leave the nest. Our bodies change. The midlife crisis is real—though it manifests in different ways—as we look back on where we’ve been, where we’re going, and the time we have left. 

Now in my mid-fifties, I’ve spent more time thinking about the big “meaning of life” issues. It seemed like approaching those issues through witch fiction, and through a fictional mystery school, would be a fun and a useful way for me to work out some of these ideas in my own head—about change and letting go, faith and fear, and love and longing.

After growing up on a diet of Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, and Agatha Christie, I’ve published over 60 mysteries—from cozies to supernatural suspense, as well as an experimental fiction book on Tarot. Spending over 20 years working overseas in international development, I learned that perception is not reality, and things are often not what they seem—for better or worse.

There isn’t a winter holiday or a type of chocolate I don’t love, and some of my best friends are fictional.

http://www.kirstenweiss.com

https://www.facebook.com/metaphysicaldetective/

http://www.twitter.com/kirstenweiss

Kirsten Weiss will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

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Book Blast: I Think It Might Rain by Rick Marchand, Illustrated by Nicole Herbut

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rick Marchand will award a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Meet Bartholomew, a curious, kind and sweet third grader. One day, Bartholomew wakes up and is convinced he sees a black cloud forming in the clear blue sky. "I think it might rain," he proclaims. But what happens when his family, friends, and classmates don't believe him? Will he be able to stand up to the bullies who call him names? Will he hold firm in his beliefs?

Read an Excerpt

As the sun beamed brightly through his bedroom window, Bartholomew pulled on his tee shirt – the one with his favourite Pokémon design. As his head popped out, he noticed a small black spot far in the distance. That doesn’t look good, he thought.

Grabbing quickly for his telescope, he pointed, focused the lens, and peered out through its long-extended tube to see just what the small black spot might be.

His imagination scaring him a little, he thought out loud: “Could be an assault helicopter? Maybe even a stealth bomber? Are we being attacked by aliens?”

Bartholomew raised the telescope. Refocusing the lens, he decided to have another look. What if it’s just one of those huge hot air balloons?

Straightening back up, scratching his head, a puzzled look now on his face, he thought, No way; I’ve never seen one of those around here.

Taking one last look, squinting as he focused out towards the black dot, “I GOT IT!!” he yelled out, loud and proud. “That’s a storm cloud and it’s heading our way. I think it might rain!!!”

About the Author: Richard Marchand and Nicole Herbut are a father/daughter, grandfather/mother, author/illustrator team creating picture books for young boys and girls. Their stories centre on a young boy named Bartholomew and his family and friends. They are designed to convey a simple yet meaningful message that can help young children learn from and grow with. Rick's stories were developed with his own daughters who at a very young age wanted him to "read a story from his mouth" and not a book. Buy the book at Amazon, Indigo Chapters, Barnes and Noble, Booktopia, or Walmart. Join Bartholomew's journey of belief and courage! Enter to win a e-copy of 'I Think It Might Rain'—a heartwarming tale of kindness overcoming doubt.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

I Think It Might Rain

by Rick Marchand

Giveaway ends May 20, 2024.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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Timeslayers by Colin Sephton Virtual Book Tour

Did you have a minor character who insisted on playing a larger role in the story. If so, please tell us about it. And if not, please tell me how you get the characters in your head to behave.

This is an interesting question, do my characters behave? I think it’s also worth considering, do I want them to behave? In a sense the characters are my own creation, therefore you can look at it simply and say I am their god, their creator, they have no choice to behave or not. However, as I start writing about a character, I will usually start by visualising who they are, what do they look like, are they even human. I will sit and write a descriptive passage explaining in detail what they look like, their skin, their clothing if they have any, do they carry any weapons or artefacts, and if so what. How do these artefacts work? Other times, as I am an artist, I will paint the character from some preliminary sketches, I will design their clothing, think about the colours, and then write my description using that painting. Only then will I begin to write them into my story.

Once I have started writing using that character, they will develop as I use them for the story, Sometimes I get it just right, other times I go back and edit what I have done so the character behaves in a particular way to suit events that may happen to them later. This helps me to understand who they are. Now I am writing the third novel in the series, I feel the two protagonists, Ignatius and Indigo have really developed and I am at a point where they do always behave. This is going to sound strange, especially to non-writers, but when I begin writing a new chapter, those two are telling me how they feel, how they would react and what they would say. It’s a strange feeling to know them so well. To come back to the thought of wanting them to behave, no I don’t always want them to. I want them to lead me, sometimes not what I originally intended, it makes for a much more believable character with some depth and a personality of their own. It also makes writing more enjoyable.

In a Steampunk Oxford, Ignatius and Indigo are both agents for the Union Jacks, a secret organisation. The role of the Union is to protect the British Empire, which is at the height of its powers, and help in its technological advances. They have discovered the existence of the mystical Book of Consciousness written by the creator of the cosmos, the genderless Omnisoul. The book is the history of everything that is, that has been and that will be. The agents are aided by Skye, who accidentally calls forth seven merciless immortals called the Charon.

Known as the Beautiful and the Damned, the Charon are the Infernal Dukes of Hell, created to carry out the will of the Omisoul. But they are tired of their immortality and want to end their existence. Elsewhere, the sorcerer Ragnar of Roc has conjured a hole in spacetime, allowing the draconic Elder God Calabi Ya to re-enter the cosmos from the Ghost Worlds. He is as old as the Omnisoul and wants the book to learn his destiny. The two Union Jacks leave Oxford and are taken on a journey across the cosmos in the great ship Taraka, which sails through space and time. Ignatius and Indigo are mere pawns in the cosmic ocean of fate, carried to fabled places, witness to bloody massacres, and half-willing conspirators in the Charon’s plot to thwart the Omnisoul’s plan and defeat the protectors of the Well at the Centre of Time.

Amazon: amazon.com/Timeslayers-Colin-Sephton/dp/196230809X/ref=sr_1_1

He ran his hand through a shock of blonde hair that looked permanently wind swept. Isambard Ignatius was a tall young man; he was handsome, dressed in a frock coat of check tweed and an engineer’s waistcoat, complete with a large silver pocket watch and chain.

From previous research, Ignatius had discovered a vague reference to an archaic manuscript that was said to hold the key to reality, the story of the whole cosmos – what had been, what was and that which was to come. This was said to be the biography of the cosmos. Legend had it that the book was unique in being older than the earth, indestructible, and that whoever read it could see the events described within pass before their eyes. Ignatius didn’t believe this but did believe that in the wrong hands the book could be very dangerous. 

Ignatius was beginning to realise that the body was, as many eastern aesthetics had taught through the ages, surplus, just a vehicle for the mind. This was a philosophy and science that would make religion obsolete. The view that the real world was nothing more than the physical world was destined to come crumbling down and be lost in the debris of all religious buildings. He knew this was why the Administorium were trying to keep an eye on his activities.

Colin was born in Coventry and worked in the automotive industry for over twenty years before becoming an Engineering teacher. Obtaining his first library card at the age of thirteen, he became an avid reader of Fantasy and the mysteries of the Universe. He has an inbuilt curiosity for lost knowledge and ancient texts that may help to unlock the secrets of consciousness and the universe. Living in Oxford for many years, he has now moved back to his home county of Warwickshire where he enjoys creating and working with his wife on their garden in which he writes and entertains their two grandsons. He has always been an artist and writer and is inspired by the worlds created by Robert E Howard and Michael Moorcock, with the artwork of Frank Frazetta.

Publisher Author Page: https://cinnabarmoth.com/colin-sephton/

Website: https://sephtonart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeslayers/

The author will award a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Cover Reveal: Exiles by L.J. Ambrosio

 

Welcome to the cover reveal of EXILES, a Literary Fiction/Coming of Age novel by L.J. Ambrosio. The author will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC, an autographed copy of the book, or a dragonfly necklace to three randomly drawn winners. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In this final chapter, Ron's story concludes from Reflections on the Boulevard (2023). Michael's wish was for Ron to exile himself in the heart of Paris with its beautiful culture and citizens as they protest and fight for the soul of the city. Ron's journey is met with life-affirming friendships and lessons along the way. The final book in the Reflections of Michael Trilogy, which started with A Reservoir Man (2022).

About the Author: Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at 7 Universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ljambrosioauthor
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Bound Across Time by Annie R McEwen Virtual Book Tour

Bound Across Time

Book One

Annie R McEwen 

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Ghost Romance

Publisher: Harbor Lane Books

Date of Publication: May 7, 2024

ASIN: B0CV4RPDDX

Number of pages: 324

Tagline: In a castle on the shores of the Irish Sea, she’s met the love of her life. Clever, witty, strong, fiercely attractive.  What’s the catch? He’s a ghost.

Book Description:

Historian CeCe’s dream job in a Welsh castle goes sideways when she’s ordered to ditch the history and lead ghost walks. That’s the worst of her worries until she meets Patrick: strong, handsome, irresistible…and dead since 1761.

Desire and hope flare in Patrick’s heart when CeCe touches him while, for CeCe, Patrick is everything. But she’s in the bright world of the living while he’s trapped in the shadows. 

Loving a ghost is deadly business. Patrick and CeCe struggle to outrace fate as it hurtles them toward disaster. Can the ancient riddle of an Irish seer save them? The spells of Welsh witches? 

Or can powers CeCe didn’t even know she possessed bridge time and defeat death?

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Book Trailer: https://shorturl.at/ajuE0

Excerpt from Bound Across Time, by Annie R McEwen

You’re an idjit, Patrick. Death was always too good for you.

He should have gone slower with her, no doubt about it. He was a lout, a brute, to startle her so thoroughly, and that was never his intent. He could have—no, he should have—whispered, or moaned, or shimmered from a distance. Instead, he was hasty.

Hasty? He was a burning brand of desire. Who could blame him after two hundred-fifty…how long had it been? He’d lost count of the years.

That was still no reason to be an imbecilic knave, popping up like codswalloping Punch on a puppet stage while wearing the same filthy linen he was tipped overboard in when the Earl didn’t have the decency to give him a proper burial. At least the sea water had washed away the blood.

His honor, his common sense—perhaps they’d washed away as well. Within reach of this woman, he could remember nothing he’d learned of subtle romance and courtly manners. All he could think of was making her his, now until the end of time.

What an embarrassment he was, to his sainted mother, to his upbringing, to the gentleman he was reared to be. An embarrassment to every Irish bard who ever sang songs or wrote poems about women who were doves, and lilies, and other things he couldn’t remember.

He did remember that they were fragile and easily startled. Easily driven away.
Next time, I will be slow. I will slowly and gently explain things to her. Unusual things. Highly unusual, uncanny, frightening, nigh incomprehensible things.

Sure, now, Patrick, me boyo, that’ll be a stroll along the banks of the Shannon.

By the right hand of God, but she was beautiful. Slumbering on the stone floor, her skin smooth ivory but gilded, as though the sun had kissed her once and then fallen in love, unable to leave. She’d lost her cap, and her hair—rich, deep brown and burnished with red, like brandy—tumbled around her neck and shoulders. Her sun-brushed skin, high and perfect cheekbones, the delicate slant of her eyes, the plump swell of her breasts above the top edge of her bodice, the curves of the body he could imagine pressed to his own aching and lonely one…

Beauty itself, she was, not only of body but of mind. In the weeks before she’d seen him, he’d watched her exercise that beautiful mind among the slower thinkers of the Castle, who doubtless envied her. She was stubborn, spirited, and quick-witted—he liked that.
He crouched over her crumpled form, not touching, only taking in her scent. Rose attar and mint—he liked that, too.

The only thing he didn’t care for was the name she went by, See-see. What sort of name was that? It was something you called a canary. He would never call her that, not when the French name with which she’d been christened was just like her.

Céleste, meaning heavenly.

She was waking now. He rose and backed away. Time for him to depart, as he must, and breathe a prayer. Not for himself, there was no point to that. If God had ever listened to him, he wouldn’t be where he was, and he deserved no better. His prayer would be for her, the angel who defied or escaped God’s curse to light his endless night.

Come back, Céleste Gowdie. Please come back.

About the Author:

Annie R McEwen is a career historian who’s lived in six countries, under every roof from a canvas tent to a Georgian Era manor house and driven herself to work in everything from a donkey cart to a vintage Peugeot. For her, it feels perfectly natural to create stories of desperate love and powerful secrets in faraway times and places.

Winner of the 2022 Page Turners Award, Genre (Romance) Category, Annie also garnered the First Place 2022 RTTA (Romance Through Ages Award from Romance Writers of America; Post-Victorian to WWI Category), the 2023 MAGGIE Award, and the 2023 Daphne du Maurier Award. Her Regency murder mystery “Death at Dunarven” appears in the 2024 Murder Most International Anthology. 

Annie’s books are published by Harbor Lane Books (US), Bloodhound Books (UK), and The Wild Rose Press. When she’s not in her 1920s bungalow in Florida, Annie lives, writes, and explores castles in Wales. 

www.anniermcewen.com

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https://www.amazon.com/author/anniewritin 

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