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Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Book Three of The Price of Talent Series is Here!

Hey all, AK Nevermore back with you with another new release! Split, book 3 in The Price of Talent Series is live.  If you're a fan of Spicy Dystopian Romance, then this is the series for you! 





Stronger Together, Forced Apart


On an alternate earth, a cataclysm has altered a subset of the population. Talents are persecuted for their psychic and physical mutations, giving rise to two conflicting societies based upon maintaining genetic purity. And the Source, a shadowy corporate entity dependent upon the exploitation of captive Talents, is hunting them…

The city of Glynfyls is burning.

And Flynn Scot is powerless to stop it. Now that his status is in question, the Assembly is calling for his head. The only thing keeping it on his shoulders is the commons rioting with the demand he be made Overlord.

Fluctuating between extremes, Kara’s talent deficiency is becoming critical.

With her body failing and Flynn at the Assembly’s mercy, Kara Scot has no choice but to take his seat and fight for her House. But clearing Flynn’s name and battering herself against the tide of public censure threatens to drag her under.

So does the wave of Humanity Purists marching toward Glynfyls.

No Talent is safe outside the city. Refugees flock to the north fleeing extermination only to find a metropolis torn by prejudice and fear. Unless Flynn and Kara can find a way to survive the machinations of the Assembly, there will be nothing standing between them and annihilation. Because even if they survive the extremists, Titus’s army is following in their wake ready to harvest whatever is left.

Excerpt:


Want more? Download the Breeder, the series prequel, for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/91ffk852qo

And Destroyer, Flynn's origin story for free here:

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/982bgzz15j

and get your copy of Breaker here: https://books2read.com/BreakerOne



You can find out more about my books on my website, https://aknevermore.com/ or see what I'm up to on my sadly neglected socials:

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AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.

Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy full time. 

AK pays the bills writing a copious amount of copy, along with a column on SFF. She belongs to numerous industry organizations, volunteers for far too many committees, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Writing a Book Versus Readers Reading a Book



Have you ever noticed that what you write is not necessarily what readers read?

I find reviews very revealing. In For the Love of Jazmin, I thought I was writing about a strong man, a protector who would do anything for his wife, even if it meant going against his beliefs. Readers focused on the man's wife, telling me they were impressed by her strength, her perseverance, her search for a way to escape the evil drug lord and save her husband. Jazmin was seen as the strong character who didn't give up and kept her head up.

Throughout the story, I was told, she fought a silent but effective battle against her captor and won in the end.

Here's a look into the book...

 

A loving couple are kidnapped by a schizophrenic criminal who is out to play off one against the other. What must they give up to get free?

Nine years ago, Jazmin brought a Colombian drug lord to justice. His son, Raoul, finds out where she lives and kidnaps her husband, Ethan, knowing she won't refuse his invitation. As Jazmin enters Raoul's lair, she doesn't know if she can save her husband and herself, or if they will both die trying to escape the schizophrenic criminal who is determined to play one off against the other.

 

Excerpt

Raoul had refrained from showing Ethan around before, and the guests were eager to follow him down into the dungeon. Due to the mass of people standing around Raoul and talking to him, he couldn’t keep her from going to Ethan’s cell quick enough and she pretended to not have heard his command.

Jazmin held fast to the bars. “He’s much better prepared,” she told Ethan, who was already dressed to fight. The gloves hung outside the cell door. “He’ll go for you full blazes. A second knock out would ruin much of Joaquin’s reputation, so he didn’t come with second class this time.”

“You look beautiful.” He smiled at her lopsidedly while he bandaged his hands. “Hey, don’t worry too much about me. If he comes full force at me I’ll greet him the same way. I only have to think about this morning to be mad with rage.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“So tomorrow night then?”

“If I can get Raoul’s keys, yes. Please, Ethan, don’t bet your life on this. It’s just a chance, not a guarantee. If he stays away from me the whole day I can’t do anything.”

“But you’ve got a plan?”

“It’s a hazard game.” She lowered her gaze, weighed down by what he expected of her. “I’ll try everything, Ethan. But up to the moment when I open your cell it’s all... vague.”

“I’ll be here.”

Jazmin’s throat was too constricted to speak. His trust as well as his need to be finally freed broke her heart. She nodded and turned away when Pascual and Sosimo came to bring out the fighter.

Raoul suddenly grabbed her arm. “How dare you stand here? I ordered you at my side! Now come and pretend you like to be with me, or this’ll be a bad night for your pet!”

She saw Adrián standing near the row of chairs, looking at her intently, hands in his pants’ pockets. Raoul guided her through the aisle and smiled the whole time as if he already knew the outcome, not to mention that he was showing off his beautiful girlfriend all the time. Jazmin made an effort to lighten up her expression. She had gone a long way to alter Ethan’s fate.

She wouldn’t falter on the last hurdle.

****

 

Monday, November 18, 2024

Pawliday Love! And New Books!

 The holidays, fur babies, and romance come together in this anthology to


benefit the fur babies and their families in Florida and North Carolina this fall. Join romance authors of all subgenres as we celebrate how we can come together to help out these communities devastated by the recent natural disasters.

I don't have a release in November, but I'm part of a charity anthology releasing December 15 - Pawliday Love. Proceeds are gong to animals and families impacted by the hurricanes in NC and FL. All the authors are contributing a short story. Mine will feature characters from Winter Falls, Asher and Tess, as well as reference to Northern Rescue for a new spin off series I'm planning.

Did you know Northern Rescue is available in Large Print

And! Whew, three new preorders.



 Stormy Affair -- Coming January 16

When scandal fades and passion ignites.

In a sun-soaked tropical paradise, Vance is ready to trade his Michelin-starred life for something more fulfilling. Opening Beach Bum—a vibrant seaside café on the sandy shore—he’s not just serving up delectable treats; he’s craving the taste of freedom. Tired of the corporate grind, he seeks a no-strings-attached connection, but what he finds is anything but ordinary.

Fresh from a broken engagement and the suffocating expectations of her old life, Lara takes a spontaneous flight south, landing in Vance's beachside haven. The warm sun and salty air beckon her to let go of her past. Drawn to Vance’s magnetic charm, she soon discovers their relationship ignites a passion she never knew existed.

As their fiery connection deepens, Lara grapples with the thrill of surrendering to Vance's dominance. But when Troy—a mysterious figure from Vance's past—enters their world, everything shifts. What begins as a steamy fling evolves into a tantalizing love triangle that tests boundaries and desires under the tropical sun.


After The Hurt -- Coming February 7


After the Hurt features a resilient fighter going round for tantalizing round with the one that got away—a headstrong woman bent on seduction.


Pepper Chapman refuses to throw in the towel. Nine months ago, she made the biggest mistake of her life. Blinded by grief after her mom’s death, Pepper abandoned the man she loves. Now she wants a second chance at everything she gave up: strong hands driving her to ecstasy . . . a deep voice whispering naughty promises in her ear . . . the future they’d planned since they were teenagers… and his love. So Pepper comes home looking for forgiveness, ready for a new beginning—if he’s willing to give her a shot.

Retired MMA star Tank Sherman may be used to low blows, but Pepper’s emotional sucker punch left him reeling. Trying to ignore the pain and forget the pleasure of her body beneath his, Tank is prepared to ring the final bell on their relationship. Then Pepper shows up out of the blue, radiating a sensuality he’s tried hard to forget. But Tank won’t let himself get hurt again, and that means resisting the heat that still burns between them. Because if he takes Pepper back, he knows he’ll never be able to let her go again.

Originally published with Random House, Loveswept.




Spring Break with a Treasure Hunter


Spring Break shenanigans with a bit of danger and a whole lot of passion.

Official cover and blurb to come

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKVBWT4F

Friday, November 15, 2024

More than she bargained for...

It was meant to be a short and shallow steamy read.

That’s what perplexes me about this latest project: how it ballooned into a novella. The intention was a 1,200-word wham-bam-thankyou-sir flashfic, but while writing Sofia’s initial exchange with Alexei, little hints at her backstory kept popping up. I had to explore what got her on that interstellar cruise ship in the first place. Why was this dinner date so important?

I’m not too old-fashioned. I’m content with a one-night stand being what it is. But everything means something to someone. Everything we do is part of a bigger story. And we do things because they matter to us for one reason or another. It may be a small reason, like you’re antsy and need a fix. You can have your one-nighter and let it go, no problem.

But then how you go about it is unique to you; the way you flirt, make your intentions known, how you eventually pop the question. Those little decisions are a culmination of who you are, how people have treated you in the past, what you think about the person you’re with, and how you choose to express yourself.

It means something.

I guess, then, there’s so much you could say about a one-night stand if you wanted to. At the time, I didn’t think I wanted to. But the more I wrote, the more words kept pouring out.

Sofia isn’t me, but she shares elements of my stories, and of the stories I’d collected from people who at some point in their lives loved too much, loved for the wrong reasons, loved the wrong person, not loved themselves enough, or not let themselves be loved.

This novella, The Only Question That Matters, arrives in its re-edited incarnation on 9th December.

The Only Question That Matters — a sci-fi romance

“Do I call this love already? I am almost disgusted with myself. How pathetic to fall so easily. Perhaps I was the cause of my past heartbreaks. Not stupid schoolboys or an arrogant rich man, but a gullible girl from a flower farm who opens her heart too readily and expects too much.”

Sofia is en route to Planet Paradiso, ready to start a new life after her divorce. But when she accepts Alexei’s dinner invitation on her final evening, she realises she’s in for more than she bargained for.

As the AMS Celestial Dream arrives at its destination, and their one-night stand draws to a close, Sofia must choose between a newfound possibility with Alexei and the freedom she so desperately craves.

Get this sci-fi romance novella 


JL Peridot writes love letters to the future on devices from the past. Visit jlperidot.com for the full catalogue of her work.

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Two Yummy Treats: Pumpkin Muffins and Perfectly Christmas!

When I made a pumpkin pie for our Canadian Thanksgiving this year, I had half a can of pure pumpkin left over. Rather than letting it go to waste (or sit forgotten in the freezer), I made gluten-free pumpkin muffins with it. A delicious snack to have on a break with a cup of cocoa and a great book! 

 

Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins

 

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

2 eggs

½ cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cup E.D. Smith pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filing)

1 ½ cup gluten-free flour blend (I use Robin Hood)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp salt

 

Beat the sugars with the eggs until thick (2 minutes). Slowly pour in the oil with the mixer on low speed. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Add to the wet ingredients and mix only until combined. Scoop the batter into a paper-lined muffin tin (or use a silicone mold). Makes 30 small muffins or 12 regular muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Enjoy!

 

 

And if you need an idea for a great book…In Perfectly Christmas, the small town is worried that the new – but temporary - surgeon will fall in love with their beloved family doctor and lure him away when she leaves. They set up a plan to keep the two doctors apart! Perfectly Christmas is part of the Perfectly Series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. It’s a fun, sexy, holiday romance – perfect if you need an escape!

 


On the first day of Christmas, his true love said to him, “Sorry, I have to work.”

That’s the life of a surgeon, and Dr. Madison Hayes wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dr. Quinn Malone has another priority. In the countdown to Christmas, he needs to convince his old flame that there’s more to life – and love – than the job itself. 

This time, his heart is in it for the long haul. Really. 

Romantic and . . . complicated – it’s Perfectly Christmas!

 

 



Enjoy an excerpt from Perfectly Christmas ~ 

 

Edna Alexander and Bea Mitchell stood at the window of the seniors’ center and watched the new surgeon drive out of the parking lot. 

“She’s very young, Bea.”

“And very pretty,” Bea agreed with a frown. She adjusted the tortoise shell glasses perched on her nose. “Didn’t we specify we wanted someone old, someone frumpy?”

“There wasn’t a tick-off box for that.”

“Hmph. There should’ve been.”

They watched the car pull out onto the street and hit the curb as it turned.

“She drives like us.”

“True. And look at the bright side, Edna. If we need surgery, it’d probably be better to have a young whipper-snapper doin’ it rather than some old fart like us.”

“I’m more worried about losing Dr. Quinn.”

Bea pursed her lips. “I know. But what are the chances of that happening?”

Edna gave her a grim sideways glance. “I’d have said slim to none three weeks ago. But when Dr. Hoity-Toity Hecktare decided she’d had enough of us, and Dr. Quinn looked like he was going to go with her, I almost had a stroke. I would never have believed he’d abandon our beloved Strathaven for a girl.”

“Woman,” Bea corrected absently. “Do you think he truly loved her?”

Edna shook her head and her gray curls bounced. “No.” She bit her lip. “Yes. That’s what I’m worried about. What if he up and falls in love with this new surgeon and leaves us?”

“We’d have a town of five thousand with no doctor.”

“Exactly. We’d be right back where we were five years ago before Quinn returned home.”

“And we’d have to go through another round of recruitments for a new doctor. I rue the day when someone from the Underserviced Area program figures out that we’re the Mitchell Alexander who’s been filling out all those forms.”

“A problem for another day.” Edna sighed. “Maybe she’ll stay. Dr. Madison Hayes. She seemed very friendly. Very small-townish.”

Bea grunted. “Not likely. You read her application. I’ll bet my boots she’ll do her two years and move on.”

“And take Quinn with her.” Edna twisted the strap of her oversized purse. “We can’t control his heart.”

“No. But we can’t risk him falling in love, either.”

“So we’ll keep them apart.”

Bea’s eyebrows shot up and she paused, considering. “That’s not a bad idea.”

“Of course, it’d be easier if he wasn’t also the only anesthetist for miles around. They’re going to have to work together.”

“Sure, but they’re professionals. I can’t see them getting into any hanky-panky at work. We’ll just make sure they’re never alone together outside of the clinic.”

Edna grinned widely. “Excellent plan. I’ll get on the blower, and before she unpacks, we’ll have a network of chaperones in place.”

“Email me the list.”

“Send me an email, and I’ll reply.”

Bea looked at her pointedly. “Edna, you gotta learn how to send an email.”

“I know how,” Edna said. “You hit reply, then type, then send.”

Bea laughed and threw her arm around Edna’s shoulders. “I think I’ll get you a computer lesson for Christmas.”

Edna’s eyes lit up. “A private one? With that hotty Albert Sparkle?”

Bea stepped back and started buttoning her coat. “Albert’s one hundred and two. And I think the name is Spartan. Does he even own a computer?”

“Yes, and he’s rigged himself up the perfect cup holder with this little drawer thingy that slides out at the top of the computer engine.” Edna pulled a crocheted cap over her curls.

Bea frowned. “You mean the CD tray on the tower?”

Edna smiled. “Maybe. Isn’t that brilliant?”

Bea laughed. “You two were made for each other. C’mon, let’s go and start Operation Put Out the Fire.”

 

Buy link (you can also enjoy it in Kindle Unlimited): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYW5T7X

 

Award-winning author Linda O’Connor started writing romantic comedies when she needed a creative outlet other than subtly rearranging the displays at a local home décor store. Her books have enjoyed bestseller status. When not writing, she’s a physician at an Urgent Care Clinic. She shares her medical knowledge in fast-paced, well-written, sexy romances – with an unexpected twist. Her favourite prescription to write? Laugh every day. Love every minute.

 

Website https://www.lindaoconnor.net

Twitter https://twitter.com/LindaOConnor98

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LindaOConnorAuthor

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/795688.Linda_O_Connor

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Linda-OConnor/e/B00S7CNLEA