Read The Sand Prince by Kim Alexander #Fantasy #Adventure #EpicFantasy

  

The Sand Prince

(The Demon Door Book 1)

Synopsis

Two worlds.
Bound by magic.
Divided by a Door.
On the barren, war-ravaged demon world of Eriis, the fierce queen Hellne fights to keep her people alive and her son Rhuun's heritage a secret. On the green and gentle human world of Mistra, demons have faded into myth. Only a handful of old men and fanatical children still guard The Door between the worlds.
Different and shunned by his demon kin, Rhuun finds refuge in a book that tells of a human world of water and wonder. Forced by his mother's enemies to flee Eriis, he finds himself trapped on the other side of The Door in the very place he has read and dreamed about—Mistra.
Chained to the deadly whims of a child who guards The Door, Rhuun must balance serving and surviving, even at the risk of exposing his true identity. Riskiest of all is his task of kidnapping an infuriating young woman who is about to find out that the demons of Eriis are much, much more than just an old bedtime story.

More Info: https://books2read.com/TheSandPrince

What are the other books in the series?

The Heron Prince

The Demon Door can be opened...but the price is deadly.

Prince Rhuun has found acceptance among the humans on Mistra, something he could never have in the demon realm of Eriis, not even as heir to its throne. What's more, he has even found love with the prickly, passionate heiress, Lelet va'Everly.

The idyll can't last. The prince has enemies who are after more than his throne. They are out for his blood…which holds the key to unsealing The Door between the two worlds, and the demons want in. When Rhuun is lured into a trap on Eriis, Lelet has no choice but to turn to a motley group of exiles, children, and madmen to help save him.

Lelet soon discovers that, like all things, rescuing the prince comes with a price. The secrets in Rhuun's blood may be worth killing for, but are they worth dying for?

Check It Out: https://books2read.com/HeronPrince

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The Glass Girl

Love opens all doors…but betrayal locks them forever.


Newly blessed (or cursed) with wings and fire, Prince Rhuun of the demon realm of Eriis sees hope for his life in the human world of Mistra with his fierce human lover, Lelet va'Everley. She literally went to hell and back to save him, and she's not about to let anything—or anyone—ruin their perfect future.


All too soon, the claims of family, duty, and justice force Rhuun and Lelet to confront new griefs and old mistakes as they attempt to restore balance to the throne of Eriis. But, with every jealous rumor and each vengeful whisper, friends turn, family schemes, and forgotten enemies creep from the shadows.


Treachery in Eriis and betrayal in Mistra jeopardize what Rhuun and Lelet have fought so hard to build, threatening to tear apart the two lovers, their families, and even their worlds.

Check It Out: https://books2read.com/theglassgirl

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The River King

SOMETIMES LOVE DOESN’T CHANGE THE WORLD. SOMETIMES IT CHANGES ALL OF THEM.

Rhuun, the half-human and wholly reluctant prince of the demons has finally reunited with his fiery Lelet. It’s too bad they must hide behind a facade of icy indifference to fool those who are determined to keep demons and humans apart...by any means necessary.

There is more at stake than bringing the miracle of rain back to Eriis. It's not just sand and lost royals poised to come through the newly-opened Door. Something ancient is hungry, and fat, complacent Mistra won't stand a chance. Even worse, whispers and shadows speak of blood magic that could destroy not just The Door, but all Doors—forever—barring the way home for lovers and enemies alike.

Will the love Rhuun and Lelet have moved worlds to share be the very thing they must sacrifice to save their worlds?

Check It Out: https://books2read.com/TheRiverKing

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Who am I?

Kim Alexander grew up in the wilds of Long Island, NY, and slowly drifted south until she reached Key West. After spending ten rum-soaked years as a DJ in the Keys, she moved to Washington DC, where she lives with two cats, an angry fish, and her extremely patient husband who tells her she needs to write at least ten more books if she intends to retire in Thailand, so thank you for your patronage. 

Stalk Me

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Havercakes from Wuthering Heights

Taking a departure from Regency posts this month, to proffer a recipe first mentioned in one of my first historical reads - and remember, while Emily wrote Wuthering Heights in 1846, it's set slap-bang in the English Regency era.

This food is mentioned by Lockwood in the first chapter of the book, when he first enters the farmhouse. Also known as oatcakes, havercakes are traditional Yorkshire fare and while I will die on the hill that Wuthering Heights is absolutely not a romance in any way, shape or form, Emily Bronte has been my inspiration for writing for many years - and no, I did not like the recent film. It disrespects the novel - but my opinion is only one of many.

One end, indeed, reflected splendidly both light and heat from ranks of immense pewter dishes, interspersed with silver jugs and tankards, towering row after row, on a vast oak dresser, to the very roof. The latter had never been under-drawn: its entire anatomy lay bare to an inquiring eye, except where a frame of wood laden with oatcakes and clusters of legs of beef, mutton, and ham, concealed it. Above the chimney were sundry villainous old guns, and a couple of horse-pistols: and, by way of ornament, three gaudily painted canisters disposed along its ledge.

Wuthering Heights,  Chapter 1

Yorkshire Oatcakes

Ingredients 

• 1 cup (250 ml) warm water, divided plus extra
• 2 ¼ tsp (7 g) traditional active dry yeast
• ¼ tsp (1 g) sugar
• 1 ⅓ cups (134 g) oats, quick or large flake
• 1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp (3 g) salt
• 1 cup (250 ml) milk, warmed
• 2-3 tbsp (28 – 42 g) butter, as needed

Instructions 

1. Pour half a cup of the water into a small bowl and warm it until it reaches approximately 105°F to 115°F.

2. Add the sugar and yeast, stirring lightly to combine. Set aside and allow the yeast to activate. After about 5 minutes, when it becomes foamy and risen, continue with the recipe.

3. Using a food processor or blender, pulse the oats until they form a coarse flour. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground oats, plain flour, and salt.

4. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Add the yeast mixture, the remaining half cup of water, and the milk. Whisk until a smooth, thin batter forms. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 1 hour.

5. Melt the butter in a small dish and set it aside with a pastry brush.

6. Gently stir the batter and assess the consistency. It should be thin enough to pour easily from a ladle, similar to crepe batter. If needed, whisk in an additional 3 to 4 tablespoons of water to achieve this texture.

7. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, lightly brush with melted butter. Pour in one ladleful of batter, tilting the pan to spread it into a thin, crepe-like layer. If it does not spread easily, add a little more water to the batter.

8. Cook the oatcake until nearly set. Turning it too soon may cause it to break. When the surface appears mostly set, flip and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly browned on both sides.

9. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.

These oatcakes go well with a savoury dish such as stew, but I like mine slathered in butter and honey for tea.

Read Fake it 'til You Make Out by Isla Olsen #MMRomance #RomCom #FakeBoyfriends #Free

  

Fake It 'Til You Make Out

Love & Luck Series Book 1

Key Words: 

MM Romance, Rom-Com, HEA, Best Friends, Fake Boyfriends, Bi-Awakening

Synopsis:

Heath
It’s a classic story: Boy meets girl, girl breaks boy’s heart, boy pretends to be gay to get back at girl, girl outs boy to everyone on Facebook…
Okay, maybe it’s not that classic. But it’s what happened to me.
When I bump into my cheating ex and catch sight of the moon-sized rock on her finger, there’s only one option to save face: pretend to be dating my gay best friend, Declan.
And when she outs me on Facebook and everyone I know sees it, there’s still only one option: keep pretending to be dating Declan.
And when Declan and I have to kiss to keep up the ruse and it turns out there’s actually a spark between us (more like a blazing inferno, if truth be told) there’s once again only one option…

Get It Now:

Direct Ebook FREE

https://www.islaolsen.com/products/fake-it-til-you-make-out-love-luck-book-1-e-book

Direct Paperback

https://www.islaolsen.com/products/fake-it-til-you-make-out-love-luck-book-1-paperback

Direct Audio

https://www.islaolsen.com/products/fake-it-til-you-make-out-love-luck-book-1-copy

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084KR4MLB

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More in the Series

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Who am I?

Isla is a cocktail-loving, history-obsessed Aussie who writes low-angst, high-heat queer romantic comedy.

She is best known for the Love & Luck series and P.S. I Loathe You.

Some of Isla's favorite tropes include: Friends to lovers, queer-awakening, age gap, enemies to lovers, best friend's/sibling's ex, secret fling...and many more!

Fun Facts about Isla:

If she had a time machine she'd go to London on July 13, 1985, to see Live Aid.

She's travelled to 44 different countries 

If she could re-live any year of her life it would be 2000

Her all-time favourite books are Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters world

Her all-time favorite movie is Gladiator

Her all-time favorite TV show is Friends

Her all-time favorite song is "Live Forever" by Oasis, and she has the title tattooed on her forearm

The five people she'd invite to a dinner party are Neil Patrick Harris, JFK, Courtney Act, Miranda Hart, and Freddie Mercury

Stalk Me

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

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2346067248994507/

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BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/isla-olsen

Amazon Author: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Isla-Olsen/author/B084KJH4LL

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19490084.Isla_Olsen

Subscribe Today: https://emailoctopus.com/lists/315057e9-0f12-11ea-be00-06b4694bee2a/forms/subscribe

Spring: The Most Romantic Season of All

As you might suspect from my branding as the Celtic Romance Queen,

 I’ve written Romantasy set at the Summer Solstice.

The longest day of the year. 

The Unicorn and the Druidess

At Summer Solstice, people aren’t what they seem—they could be… a unicorn …a god…or someone you fall in love with.

Druidess Maelona pursues a unicorn into the woods and returns with a runaway slave boy she takes under her wing. Before she can go back to look for the unicorn, a handsome stranger ignites a fiery attraction within her. But she can tell he's keeping something from her. She suspects that he may be a Roman spy.

God Epon’s blood burns at first sight of the gorgeous Druidess. Goaded by his desire for her, he passes through the portal from the otherworld as a unicorn. Then he runs into the forest and she gives chase. There, he shapeshifts into human form to get to know her better. Plus, to win her trust, he fights the Romans and saves her tribe. 

But even then, will he and Maelona be able to overcome the insurmountable odds of a romance between a mortal and an immortal being anything more than a summertime tryst?

And I've written Romantasy set at the Winter Solstice. 

The longest night of the year. 

The Bear and the Druidess. 

Sometimes a secret must be revealed to move from the winter of love into its spring.

Romans stole all the winter grain from Druidess Bronwen’s tribe. Now, pursued by Romans, she ducks into a cave to hide. There she finds a handsome warrior who offers to help. He ignites a fiery spark of attraction within her but she can tell he’s keeping something from her.

The prayers of a beautiful druidess he can’t resist lead the Bear God Artaois into the cave where Bronwen is hiding. He pretends to be asleep until she finds him.

Artaois (Art) is determined to spend the longest night of the year with her. But Bronwen doesn’t realize he’s a god. He keeps his secret from her and even though he can transform into a bear, he only reveals himself in human form.

With the Winter Solstice upon them, can Artaois (Art) find a way to save her tribe from starvation? And, when Bronwen finally discovers his secret, will she leave the romance building between them out in the cold?

But I’ve never written about the Spring Equinox—Ostara.

That may change after attending an Ostara celebration the other day at Lark & Owl Bookstore in the Austin, Texas area.

Ostara falls at the spring equinox, usually between March 19 and 22, when day and night stand in perfect balance before the year tips toward the sun.

The name comes from a root meaning to shine, to rise, to bring light. Eostre was a dawn goddess tied to the east, where the sun rises after darkness. That is where we get Easter from—the Saxon name for the goddess, Eostre—which means east.

The festival honors rebirth and new beginnings, but in a gentler way—a slow unfolding. The first green breaking through the cold. Life stirring, even before it’s fully seen.

Its symbols—hares and eggs—reflect that same sense of new life.

This is a video of a recipe for a soothing salt bath you can make at Lark and Owl for Ostara.

Lark and Owl also has a book of Love Spells. 

In my enemies-to-lovers novel, The Celtic Prince, which takes place during the Saxon Wars, my heroine, Alefreada, is a Saxon and would have celebrated Ostara as a child. She also has a love potion of her own. 

Happy Ostara to Everyone.

The Bodyguard Series

 

After writing several science fiction stories, my muse and I decided to try our hand at a contemporary romance novel with a twist. So, we mixed romance with action. The result was The Secretary's Bodyguard, starring Ethan Mahoney, the bodyguard of the Secretary of State, and his lovely wife, Jazmin. During an official visit to Colombia, the team is attacked and chased out of town and must find its way back from the jungle on foot. The team comes together better than expected, thanks to the bodyguards’ excellent leadership and Jazmin’s toughness and her preparedness for a survival tour.

My muse and I didn't initially intend to write a sequel, but the characters grew on us as I wrote, and seven more stories followed in the years that followed. We loved the main characters, as well as the ones on the team. For instance, we had planned to kill off the secretary’s assistant during the escape but decided against it. It was a wise decision—in the sequels, the same assistant plays an important role and becomes a valuable asset.

Yes, we had fun with all the stories, characters, and twists that practically wrote themselves. LOL.

Enjoy!

 

Description

Ethan Mahoney loves his wife dearly and arranges for her to accompany him on his assignment as bodyguard of the Secretary of State to Colombia. The journey ends in a fiasco that leaves the secretary and his entourage stranded in the Colombian woods with terrorists on their heels, not knowing if they will survive and find their way back to civilization.

Excerpt

“You would’ve slapped him?” His voice tipped over with the last word. Ethan tried to imagine his wife hitting Walter Coleman, the incarnation of a strict, very conservative and always serious chief of security. It was funny. Reconsidering that she had brought down Ryan, the image lost some of its entertainment value. He frowned as he watched her very nice butt on a westbound trail that only she saw. There was that little idea in the back of his head he better ignored.

“He insinuated that I might be in a setup with the terrorists following us. It’s completely stupid, I know, but that’s the way he thinks.” She stopped on the way up and turned to where Ethan reached her. Her frown was deep and she looked tired. “He does his job and he was right to remind you to do yours. We’re not here because of some weekend trip gone wonky. You have to work and probably risk your life saving the secretary.”

He put his hands on her hips. “Princess, can you imagine that I put his life over yours? It’s not gonna happen. I’m very proud that you’re so brave. So tough. It might come out all wrong, but it’s not. I didn’t expect you to be like this. Not even with the police training and all.”

“I panic on the inside, Ethan.” She caressed his stubbly cheek and ran her thumb over the cleft in his chin. He saw her fight off emotions that would lead to tears. “I’m so afraid you’ll get hurt. And that those men catch up to us and kill us all in cold blood. I can’t stand the thought that you’ll throw yourself in the line of fire and that those bastards finally end what they began.” She combed his hair with her fingers. “I can’t think of a life without you.”

“I’ll work hard so no one gets killed. Would that be okay?”

She trembled as he took her in his arms. “They’re still coming after us and they’ve got the larger firepower, don’t they? Please, Ethan, tell me that we stand a chance.”

He let go and smiled at her. “Well, we got you with us. And if I got the secretary right, he’ll hire you as recruitment. Wait an hour and he’ll order Walter to hand you a gun.”

She turned and walked on. “I can fire a gun. I was a police officer.”

Ethan, his eyes already back on her derrière, opened his mouth for a reply, rethought the argument, and kept silent until she turned with a frown.

“Do you doubt I can shoot?”

Again, Ethan knew he was in trouble, no matter how he answered the question. “Walter…won’t hand a weapon to anyone he hasn’t personally trained. He’s…nuts when it comes to weapons and shooting. He wouldn’t let you touch—”

“He’d reject my help even if Ryan can’t shoot anymore?”

Ethan heard the outrage in her voice and called himself stupid to have brought up the subject. His mind juggled the possible ways to end the discussion. “Ryan’s fine, even with his left hand. I saw him train.”

“But, honestly, if those bastards come up to us, we stand a better chance to fight if I’m with you.”

“You’re right.” He didn’t know what else to say. Yet her argument would fall on the deaf ears of Walter Coleman. Ethan marched on, pondering how to avoid the unnecessary confrontation between his strong wife and the even stronger chief of security.

***

Find my books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo

Also at www.extasybooks.com

Visit my website  www.annraina.com

Follow me on instagram  ann_raina_author

 

Loving the Cowboy

 Loving the Cowboy is up for preorder now! It comes out on April 28 and is in the Wild Vista Ranch multi author collaberation.

It's a spin off from my book Passion Cowboy Style. It will be in K

Unable to stay away from her sexy cowboy, Jenna flies back to him and the Colorado Rockies. A part of her stayed in the wild and rugged west after she left and she wants to rekindle their passion. And uncover the potential riches hidden in this majestic landscape.

Chet sets out to mine a special place in Jenna’s heart with love and their undeniable chemistry. Their steamy affair has Jenna searching for more than gold in the mountains—she wants Chet’s rock-hard love, anywhere she can get it.

Their passion is undeniable and they come together with a summer heat that burns hotter than their winter tryst.

It will be in KU, and available for $2.99

Find out how Chet and Jenna met in Passion Cowboy Style and discover how powerful their relationship is. 

Chet, a rugged rancher and single dad has spent months exchanging flirtatious messages with a city girl he’s never met, and he’s eager to finally bring their connection to life. He invites her to his Colorado ranch, hoping to see if their bond can grow beyond the digital world. Chet is ready to explore a new relationship, and he’s determined to make the most of this opportunity.

Jenna arrives expecting a no-strings weekend with a sexy cowboy, intrigued by the idea of a carefree getaway. But Chet’s old-fashioned charm and steady patience quickly catch her off guard. While on horseback, a sudden snowstorm forces them to shelter in his remote mountain cabin, their connection deepens, revealing emotions she never expected.

Mother Nature isn’t done yet—she unleashes her full fury once more. Chet draws on all his mountain and survival skills to save the woman he has come to love. In the midst of the storm, Jenna faces the harsh fragility of life and her true feelings for Chet. But it could be too late to tell him the life—and love—that’s been waiting for her all along... is him.

If you like forced proximity and scorching passion, then Shana Gray’s Passion Cowboy Style is for you!

For a list of all my books by trope, visit my website! 

CLICK HERE  

March 16th was Release Day: Words for Patty Jo

A passion for books creates a lasting bond between teenage Patty Jo and David, but small-town prejudice and social differences doom their romance. After a summer of reading and falling in love, David heads for university, foreign adventure, and a dazzling career; Patty Jo marries slick, over-confident Don Ried. Yet plans can go horribly wrong. The victim of her violent husband, Patty Jo abandons her home and children to live on the streets of Toronto. David, a high-ranking executive in Paris, is dismayed by the superficiality of corporate success. Forty years later, Patty Jo and David meet again. Both have defied society; both have fulfilled their dreams. And what if first love was the right one after all, and destiny has the last word?

Jill Arlene Culiner has written a story for those of us who remember our first summer love.
N.N. Light Book Reviews

https://wildrosepress.com/product/words-for-patty-jo/