Freeing the Beast - Erotic Paranormal RomCom - Erotic Play - Sexy Spells -Tina Donahue Monthly Newsmagazine #TinaDonahueBooks #EroticRomance #ParanormalRomance #RomCom #Giveaways #EyeCandy

  

FREEING THE BEAST

Erotic Paranormal Rom-Com

Book One - Taming the Beast

AMAZON

Who said sorcery & love wasn't fun?

A Yearning Witch Meets Cupid's Sexy Descendant

Erotic Play

Sexy Spells

A Cast that includes

A Good Fairy

A Female Demon 

And A Voodoo Priestess

No more Mr. Nice Guy.

For Becca Salt being a witch isn’t all magic. Too curvy and lonely, she spends her nights running a makeover service for demons, vamps, weres and zombies who want to project a more human, normal side. Their goal? To get the babes without the authorities hunting them down like rabid dogs. Once Becca suppresses the worst of their beast, they’re on the hunt and gone.

Dating has been a definite bitch for Eric Diletto. Although he’s hot and hung, he’s also one of Cupid’s descendants—a god born to believe in courtship, courtesy and all that other junk. Tired of women dumping him for the bad boys, Eric hires Becca to release his inner beast. Grrrr.

Two potions later, they’re crawling all over each other. With Eric’s newfound dominance, he’s definitely the man. And the god, who intends to take Becca here, there and everywhere. Who said sorcery and love wasn’t fun?

Warning—a witchdoctor’s nightmare. Contains potions with weird side effects, a sorceress with limited magical skills and a yearning heart, plus a minor god who wants to get down and dirty. Bad, bad boy.

PRAISE FOR FREEING THE BEAST

NOMINATED FOR BOOK OF THE MONTH

"Funny, sexy and ice melting, this book made me laugh, cry a little and want to keep reading long after the last page was done."

LASR (Long and Short Reviews)

A great mix of humor, seduction, mythology, witchcraft, bloopers and some good Italian food just rounded it off for keepers. Tina Donahue is now on my must read list and I really hope there will be more stories based on this novel. Loved it!

FIVE STAR REVIEWS - AMAZON

Amazing

Haven’t been so entertained in such a long Time thank you for this joyous time reading this amazing story! I can’t wait to read more. - Earauzn

***

This book was amazing. The good guys can win. Becca runs a paranormal makeover service. She is very good at what she does but when Eric walks in, things change. She has an instant attraction to him but she can’t figure out why. Two potions later, and the attraction is bigger than life. Is it the potion or does Eric really feel for her? She can’t imagine life without him but she can’t help but feel like it just the magic doing the work. Can Eric make her see that she is worth his love? A must read!!! - Julie Jackson

TEASERS

Excerpt:

     “You’re going to do my treatments in here?” There wasn’t any equipment around or things one might use for magic, like chicken feet, wands and other stuff.

“Before we begin, you need to read this.” She slid the papers she’d been reading across the desk to him.

He grabbed a chair and sat. “Is that the process?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It’s the contract you have to sign or nothing, and I do mean nothing, happens.”

Jesus, she was hardcore today. As a rule, business owners were that way with people who didn’t want their services, not ones who did. He bounced the inch-thick papers on his palm to test their weight. “I’m guessing this sucker weighs a pound. Am I right?”

She drummed her fingertips on her naked belly. Tiny silver stars cascaded from her navel. Each time she breathed, the jewelry caught the light.

He wanted to kiss the baubles and her dewy flesh.

She wore the same basic outfit she had when they had first met—flowy pants and a top that tied beneath her breasts, only these were in sapphire blue. The same shade as her eyes. Her makeup was no less dramatic than the last time—crimson lipstick that made her mouth undeniably kissable and black stuff surrounding her lids.

What a babe. Too bad she wasn’t into him. Maybe with the junk she came up with to bring out his beast, she would be. “Is your service usually this complicated?” He lifted the papers and hoped she wasn’t using them to run him off.

“The contract is simply full disclosure to help you understand the process. So you’re completely protected.”

A Wall Street hedge fund manager couldn’t have sounded as evasive. “Protected against what?”

Her face paled. She gestured to the papers he held. “It’s all in there. Go on, read it.”

“That could take days.”

She glanced to the right, the left and past him. When she’d run out of places to look, she dragged her attention back to his face. “Most of it’s standard legal junk. I’ve highlighted the important parts.”

“The ones that will release my inner beast.”

“In a manner of speaking.”

That again. She sounded far less confident than Eric would have liked or expected. He dropped the contract on her desk. The draft it created sent other papers floating to the edge.

Becca caught them before they fell to the floor. Her top gapped, exposing her lacy black bra. He gripped his chair and leaned up, rubbernecking.

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A little space talk

With the 57^th anniversary of the moon landing in July and the Artemis activity going on with our sites eventually on Mars, I’m reminded of Bride of the Pryde. Agent Susan McAllister starts off like Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor, as she comes into her office and finds everyone murdered. Then she discovers that she’s the person the murderers are there for. She runs—right onto a ship ready to launch into space with three captains (one of which is a carryover character from Triple S Bride and one of which is an alien with interesting (ahem) equipment) and a robot who isn’t quiet with his resentment of her interference. Mix in a little drug that releases all inhibitions, capture by a real space villain, and a little betrayal from the least suspected corner, and you have Bride of the Pryde.

I’m so proud that NASA is once again taking an active role in putting people in space. It’s the future come to life in the present. But that’s reality. For us, let’s enjoy a few space fantasies!

Blurb:
DAT agent Susan McAllister escapes Earth with killers in hot pursuit. She normally runs toward danger not away, and she likes controlling her own fate, not relying on three strange men and an irreverent cyberbot. Skilled and experienced, she doesn’t believe there's any way the three crewmen of the cargo ship Erik's Pryde can help her.

Captain John Erik thinks the sexy, headstrong passenger is nothing but trouble, but he also knows she needs help. And not being men to shrink from adventure, he's convinced that he and his crew are the ones to provide it. When they're infected by an illegal drug that releases inhibitions, the crew of the Pryde shows they are men who not only can fight, but can satisfy a woman’s every fantasy.

It's no surprise when Susan discovers that being a member of the Pryde's crew has unexpected, lasting benefits.

Buy links:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Bride-Pryde-Siren-Publishing-Menage-ebook/dp/B007NIR4HO/

Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bride-of-the-pryde-dee-s-knight/1109689352

Excerpt:
With a slight shudder, [Susan] accepted her new cover and stepped through the doorway—almost landing flat on her face when she missed the step down.

 * * * *

 Only Charlie’s quick reflexes saved her from falling flat on her face. And what a pretty face it is, too.

In fact, all of her was pretty—more than pretty. She was hot, which might be enough to mitigate the captain’s anger at the delay. Still, in the shipping business, time is money, and this beauty’s case of premarital nerves had already cost a bundle.

Holding her case in one hand and her elbow with the other, he ushered her down a short, covered walkway to another flight of steps. “I told you to watch your step,” he chided, “but you were busy watching that guy who was coming down the concourse. Is he the reason you were nervous about leaving?”

“Um…yeah. He–he thinks he has a claim on me.”

“But he doesn’t?” Charlie might as well get all the dirt right now. The captain was pissed enough without finding out later that trouble followed their passenger.

“He absolutely doesn’t,” she said. She sounded pretty damn sure.

They exited the shuttleway at the bottom of the stairs and walked to a small hover craft. She squirmed a little, as though uncomfortable.

“I maybe should mention, I have a weapon with me. Did I need to do something with it?”

A nervous woman and a gun. Bad combination. Damn. This’ll be one interesting flight. “The captain will want to secure it during the flight.”

She seemed to consider that fact. “All right,” she said after a hesitation.

Charlie stowed her bags and helped her aboard the craft. “I’m Charlie Sheridan, by the way.”

She didn’t acknowledge the introduction. “I’m the last passenger to board, right? I mean, once the doors close that’s it, we’re ready to go?”

That was an interesting question. Whether because of nerves or whatever, Danessa Vanessa was acting strangely.

He got them underway before saying, “Danessa, you’re the only passenger.”

“What?”

Charlie took a moment to study her. Her face was small and delicate, highlighted by large, liquid-brown eyes. Under a blonde wig, which had pulled up in back when she stumbled, she’d stuffed shiny, dark-brown hair. Her luscious mouth had full, soft-looking lips that begged to be kissed.

He would fantasize about that—and probably more, considering those tits, practically spilling out of that tight top, narrow waist, and legs that kept going and going. One kiss would set him on fire. He wouldn’t want to stop at a fantasy. And with flaring hips just made to hold onto when she rode his cock, who’d blame him?

She’s on her way to get married, you slug.

He concentrated on business, forcing his thoughts along other paths. “Intergalactic Brides did tell you that our ship is a freighter, right? It’s just you and our crew.”

“Criminy,” she whispered.

“I assure you, we’ll respect your privacy,” he said quickly. He pressed a button on his COMM unit.

“Erik here.” The captain said only two words, but any member of his crew recognized the tightly controlled tension in his voice. The half-hour delay had been hell for a man to whom punctuality was sacred.

“We’re on our way out now,” Charlie said.

“About damn time,” Erik replied.

“Captain, she’s carrying a weapon, a pistol I believe. I haven’t seen it.”

“When you come aboard stow it in the weapons locker. Stow the rest of her bags in her cabin and show her to the bridge.”

“Right. Out,” Charlie said.

“Who was that?”

“The captain, John Erik. He prefers to be called Erik,” Charlie said playfully, echoing her words.

“People shouldn’t be allowed to have interchangeable names.”

“As opposed to rhyming names, huh?” He added a smile to show he was teasing. The woman still had her weapon, after all.

“He sounded a bit testy.”

Charlie didn’t answer. He’d worked with John Erik for the past eight years, ever since gaining his pilot’s pin, and the man never stopped at testy. He was either a hundred percent with you or a hundred twenty percent pissed.

 

Reviews

“ABSOLUTELY WELL ROUNDED STORYLINE AND SUSPENSE WRAPPED TOGETHER. AN ENGAGING AND ENJOYABLE READING PLEASURE.” 5 stars

“This a great sci-fi romance. The mystery and love are numerous and wonderful. I highly recommend this book. Great author.” 5 stars

“This is a good action/adventure/romance story and I would recommend it to anyone who likes this type of story.” 5 stars

A little about me:
A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.

 After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website. And all three offer some of the best romance you can find! Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity. Sign up for my newsletter and have access to free reads.

Author links:

Website: https://nomadauthors.com

Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749

Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K

 

 

Taken by the Lady of the Lake by @meganslayer @changelingpress #romance #paranormal #ghosts

 

Taken by the Lady of the Lake (Taken 12) by Megan Slayer

BIN: 011758-03831

Genres: Action Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Themes: 2nd Chance Romance, Capture Fantasy, Elves /Dragons /Magical Creatures, Magic /Sorcery /Witchcraft, Murder Mystery, Shapeshifters

Series: Taken (#12)

Book Length: Novel

Page Count: 112

She’s an urban legend. He’s adrift. With a little magic, they’ll discover their fates are entwined.

Amanda Fortune never expected to be left in the lake, but after her murder and subsequent dumping, that’s exactly where she is. She’s become an urban legend, her ghost seen only by a very few. She longs to have a second chance at life, but that’s not possible when you’re dead. Is it?

With the right circumstances, anything is possible.

Sawyer Gibson doesn’t know what he’s meant to do in life. He has abilities to read the Fates, but his talents aren’t needed in the town of Eerie. Everyone here has magic. He’s nothing special. But Aunt Chloe is dying, and she knows more than Sawyer ever thought possible. Amanda is -- was -- her best friend. So Aunt Chloe sends Sawyer on a chase to find Amanda’s killer.

But Amanda’s a myth. A ghost. And ghosts can’t be seen, right?

The moment Sawyer lays eyes on Amanda, he’s smitten. There’s the tiny problem of her being a ghost… but that detail won’t stop Sawyer, even if someone else thinks it will.

Buy a copy here: https://www.changelingpress.com/taken-by-the-lady-of-the-lake-taken-12-b-3831

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GBLS9PFK

Excerpt:

Copyright ©2026 Megan Slayer

 “When I was a little boy, my aunt told me about her friend, Amanda. She said her friend was a lovely person and so sweet, but she disappeared. For the rest of her life, my Aunt Chloe wanted to know what happened to her friend.”

“Chloe?” She didn’t venture closer, but the mere mention of the name pricked her curiosity again.

“My mother’s sister. Do you know Chloe? Or Marie, my mother?” he asked. “My mother died five years ago, but Chloe held on. Her magic is fading.”

“No,” she whispered. Chloe had the strongest magic. She should be just fine.

“She told me you liked being here. She said this was your favorite place and you’d spend hours among the trees and around the water, existing in nature. She said you might have even been part woodland nymph because you were here so much. She loved the nights you’d go dancing together, and the days spent talking and mixing spells,” he said. “She said she was never the same after you disappeared.”

“No?” She couldn’t be excited. Not yet. She needed some detail only the true Chloe would know. Something only she could tell this man. “I can’t trust you.”

“I know you can’t.” He sighed again. “Why would you?”

The last man she’d thought she could trust had murdered her.

“She knew about the abuse and that you wanted to get away. She was trying to figure out a plan to get you out of that house without him knowing. To this day, she deals with the guilt of not working fast enough. You deserved better.”

She emerged from behind the tree. “What did he steal from me?” If he knew this, then he’d spoken to Chloe. Only her best friend would remember she never let go of her locket.

“Besides your magic? He stole your necklace,” the man said. “It was your favorite piece of jewelry.”

“Why?” She held onto the tree for stability, even if her legs weren’t holding her up.

“Because it came from your mother and was one of the few things you had to remember her by.”

If she’d been standing on her feet, she would’ve collapsed. “Who are you?”

“Sawyer Gibson.” He stood and held out his hand. “I don’t know where you are, but I hear you and I want to see you. I want to help you.”

Changing with the Seasons of Life

I’m a night owl through and through (so is my son, which is its own blessing and curse). I can’t remember a time I didn’t feel more productive in the evening. I’ve always felt more comfortable in the dark and cozy time in the night, when everything is quiet, everything is done, and I can finally let my mind play.

That is, until I had my son.

Turns out, as a mom, there is never a time when everything is done. The evening has transitioned for me from a time when I could finally relax and let my imagination run wild, to a time when I have to try and fit in the million things I wasn’t able to get done during the day. To the time when I still have my ear half listening for cries and whimpers, even though my son has been sleeping through the night for almost two years. To a time when I’m so depleted and exhausted, I have nothing left to give to anyone. Not even my story.

At first I thought I needed better systems. Ways to get more done, so there was less remaining to be done at the end of the day. And that has helped. I do feel like I have more mental bandwidth now that I have improved my system. But still, at the end of the day, I felt too tired to do anything. My body and brain were exhausted. Far too tired for the exciting—but also demanding—work of creating. While I love writing, it takes a lot of energy, and focus. And I just didn’t have that at night anymore.

I evaluated all the productivity advice I’ve heard over the years, and tried to think of another solution, but the only one I could come up with was to start my day writing. Its advice many have given before. Focus the beginning of your day on what matters most, when you have the most energy to give. Before, I’d never thought this advice would work for me. Because I’ve always been a night owl writer.

But desperation is the mother of invention, so I decided to give it a try. I set my alarm for six am, went to bed early and prayed for a good result. I even set up a reward system, to incentivize myself for getting up early, fully prepared that it would be like pulling teeth to get myself out of bed before the crack of dawn. And for the first week, I employed that system. But early on, I discovered something I never could have guessed.

I liked getting up early.

It didn’t take long before I began adapted my whole life around waking up early. I was naturally going to bed earlier, so I could get up earlier. I was even waking up before my alarm went off some mornings. I was getting mad when I couldn’t get up early. Because I found that I enjoyed that quiet time in the morning more than the quiet time at night. Because I wasn’t exhausted. I wasn’t already tapped out and only capable of doomscrolling on Instagram. I was able to be me. The person I was before all the mental labor of being a mom.

I started getting more writing done. I am now almost halfway finished with a revision/rewrite project I’ve been wanting to do for years. I’ve been consistently making progress, which I haven’t been able to do for over a year, and I couldn’t be happier.

When I first started this new schedule, I feared it would make the end of the day worse. That I would be run even more ragged than before, since I started the day earlier, but I haven’t found that to be the case. Sure I’m tired at the end of the day, and more inclined to go right to bed after my son falls asleep, but no more so than before. As I’ve made this change, I’ve noticed that getting up early gives me more energy. Taking time for myself in the morning, to focus on me before everyone else, has filled my cup in a way I’d been missing.

I wasn’t just able to do my writing, but to be a better mom too. I was also able to be more patient with my son, because I wasn’t waking up and instantly being thrown into mom mode. I was able to play with him in the morning, because I was already awake and enjoying my day. I found I was writing more. Not just in the morning, but any time I could find. I’m now more inclined to pick up my writing than I was before, because I’m already connected to my story from my morning writing session. 

The toddler stage is just a season, and I’m sure that once my son is through this season I’ll need to reevaluate my writing time again. Maybe in the future, writing at night will make more sense. Maybe in the future getting up early won’t be possible (I’m already dreading having to get him up another hour earlier for kindergarten in a few years), but for now I’m changing with the season of life I am in. And I’m grateful I’ve have found a way to be the mom I want to be, while also finding a little time for myself and my own goals. Even if it’s at an ungodly early hour of day.

So if you’re struggling and finding at this moment you can’t fit in what you need, or your losing yourself to the stage of life you are in, take a moment to evaluated what you need. Try to figure out where you can find time for those things, even if its somewhere you might not expect. Play around, experiment, try something new and see if it works. It might not. But once you find what does, and you’re able to find a way to fit yourself into whatever this tough stage may be, you’ll be glad you did.

NEW RELEASE - paranormal romance Hawk’s Heart #ParanormalRomanceSeries #RomanceNovels #fiction #LoveStories

Hawk’s Heart (Stranger Creatures book 5) is now available on amazon as well as other ebook sellers. The series is finally complete! Each book features a different couple fighting for their happily-ever-after. Hawk’s Heart is Luke and Jordan’s story.

About Hawk’s Heart:

Interior designer and empathic psy, Jordan Hayes, is overworked and stressed out. With her best friend and business partner, Val, away on her honeymoon and their office manager out on medical leave, work is piling up into a nearly unmanageable mess. Even worse, her ex is blackmailing her with a cryptic threat about exposing the fact that she’s an empathic psy. Jordan has never met anyone with abilities like hers until she crosses paths with a sexy, scarred, and seemingly cold-hearted man who is intent on bursting her bubble of safety. 

Nobody’s ever accused empathic psy and hawk shifter, Luke Daniels, of being a cinnamon roll but he’s not as cold and mean as he appears. Life has made him guarded, but when he meets interior designer Jordan, he falls fast and hard for the kind, beautiful psy. But would she ever want a guy like him?

An entrepreneur attempting to create an indestructible empire of greed has his sights set on Jordan, convinced she’s an easy target. Jordan and Luke will have to put everything on the line to survive and save the lives of dozens of captives. Will the bond growing between the two of them get severed or will they win the fight against everyone and everything standing in their way? 

Excerpt:

Jordan pulled up to a spot on the street near the front of 3054 Saint James Street. The house looked pretty new. Hopefully the client would be requesting a simple decorating job. When taking the call, Jordan had been distracted by the electrical fire that had erupted at a light socket when she’d flipped a switch. Good thing she kept a fire extinguisher on hand and knew a good electrician who owed her a favor. Involving her landlord would no doubt result in another rent increase or some other headache. Mr. Pulfrey wasn’t the most helpful, or ethical, landlord, not even close, but the office complex where she and her best friend and business partner, Valerie Taylor, rented space for Jordan and Taylor’s Design and Renovation was in a great location.

She grabbed her purse and messenger bag and speed walked to the door. Being a few minutes late to meet a potential client for the first time was not a great look, but her late arrival was the least of her problems. The recent rent increase on her office building had been unexpectedly steep. Then, there were the texts her ex had been sending, demanding money in exchange for keeping her secret, and of course, the uninvited skunk that had stunk up all of the inventory in her warehouse.

With a sigh, she rang the doorbell and did her best to put her worries aside. The man who opened the door was so fine, it took her breath away. A lock of pale blond hair hung over his right eye, nearly obscuring it, which drew her attention to a thick scar that began underneath that same eye and ended at the bottom of his jaw. And his mouth, oh, damn. She would bet her entire shoe collection, which had become fairly extensive, thanks to the vintage shop she’d recently discovered on the corner of Briar Street and Bella Rosa Road, that he could give a scorching-hot kiss with those luscious lips.

Knock it off! You are on a break from men, for good reasons, and this guy looks dangerous. Mm, so dangerous. She gave herself a mental slap but found it hard to find her voice because the strikingly gorgeous blond man standing in the doorway was looking at her so intently. His irises were a mix of icy blue and indigo shades, reminding her of barren trees against a snowy sky. Do I have lipstick on my teeth? She ran her tongue over her teeth. They didn’t feel slick or goopy. Had she buttoned her shirt up wrong? She’d been in a hellfire hurry to get out the door that morning. She gave her outfit a subtle glance. Nope. Both her shirt and skirt were fine. She ran a hand through her wavy, chin-length hair and felt no obvious snarls.

Snarls were rarely a problem for her anymore since she’d chopped the long length off one day in a fit of annoyance. Ward had made a passive-aggressive comment about her shorter haircut and her new red boots, which had been strike two against him. She kicked memories of Ward out of her mind because he didn’t deserve to be taking up space in her head, but then she was back to wondering about the man staring at her as if he had just discovered an alien species standing on his front porch.

“Um, Max Gardener?” Ugh. She hated that she sounded so timid and unsure of herself.

“No. I’m Luke. Luke Daniels. One of Max’s business partners. Are you the interior designer?”

“Yes. I’m Jordan Hayes.”

He nodded. “You can wait for Max in the office inside. He’ll show you the other houses shortly.” He remained in the doorway, expression guarded, watching her.

A flush creeped up her neck and into her cheeks at the scrutiny, but she stared right back at him. Light-blond hair dusted his arms and the black-ink lines of a tattoo peeked out from under his left T-shirt sleeve. Yum, tattoos. She wondered how many tattoos he had and where they were on his body. What would his skin feel like under her hands? Wait, what had he meant when he said Mr. Gardener would show her the other houses? She must have missed a lot more information than she’d thought during the original phone call. Or maybe she’d forgotten to leave herself more detailed notes.

With Val out of town on her honeymoon and their office manager, Sheila, out on medical leave after a bicycling accident, Jordan was overwhelmed.

“Come on in.” He held the door open for her.

Jordan hesitated. She didn’t usually meet clients by herself, especially not outside the office, but she’d had no choice since Val was in Belize and Sheila was recovering from surgery. The man’s truth didn’t come right to her, effortlessly, the way most people’s emotions hit her. She took a quick peek around the outside of his mind to get a better sense of him and felt the interference of a strong shield. Interesting.

Though she wanted to search a little more, to take a peek and see what was beneath his stony exterior, she tried not to invade anyone’s mind space unless it was a matter of safety. He didn’t seem to be a creep who was preparing to attack her, but a woman alone couldn’t be too careful. After a slightly harder push, she made it just past the outer edge of his mind space. She felt an array of his emotions, which were blunted by his shield, but none of what she felt from him seemed harmful, at least not toward her, but there was something else. Something…more to him, as if a bit of wildness waited inside him.

Purchase links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/b0h6nxq9vg

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hawks-heart/id6792861130

Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/christina_lynn_lambert_hawk_s_heart?id=wH72EQAAQBAJ    

Kobo Books: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hawk-s-heart-4

 

If you’d like to follow me on social media for my latest book updates and recommendations, poems, contest info, and other fun stuff, you can find me at:

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lynn-Lambert/e/B01MCYK0K7

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christina-lynn-lambert

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15900423.Christina_Lynn_Lambert

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Wordpress: https://christinalynnlambertwordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cllambauthor.bsky.social

 

Starting the Celebration

 December marks my 25th anniversary being a published author, and I'm starting the celebration early. I've planned a book signing tour and a few other things, but I wanted to share a recent profile from a literary magazine called Pie, Pages & Porch Talk (formerly Ignitivefy magazine). It's a product of author Savannah McCann's publishing group in Texas (hence the down-home flavor). The story is courtesy of a friend from my newspaper days, and I've included the magazine link below. Enjoy!

A Few Words with Author Tim Smith

By T.R. Savage

With 30 published books and a ton of blogs and newspaper stories to his credit, Tim Smith of Dayton, Ohio knows a thing or two about telling a compelling story. The award-winning, bestselling author didn’t enter the publishing game until his midlife crisis period, but he’s made up for lost time.    

“I did a lot of writing in high school and college, and I’ve always been an avid reader,” he said. “My college major was music education, and I taught for a few years before moving into human services, but writing was always a secret desire. I had an idea for a character and story that had been bouncing around in my head for years. One day I challenged myself to either write the damn thing or stop talking about it.”

That “damn thing” turned out to be a romantic spy thriller titled “Memories Die Last.” It’s set in the Florida Keys and features a former CIA agent named Nick Seven, who quit the covert ops world and now owns a trendy bar on the Gulf. By the end of the story, he’s sharing that corner of paradise with another former CIA co-worker, the beautiful Felicia Hagens from Barbados. The book found an audience and won awards, along with great reviews, and became the first installment in a series that’s still going. Surprisingly, Smith wasn’t initially interested in pursuing publication.

“I wrote the first one as a lark, sort of a been-there-done-that thing, to get it out of my system. I didn’t plan on doing anything with it, but a couple of friends read it and convinced me to consider publishing,” he said. “I began the submission process and eventually found a publisher that liked it. Memories Die Last was released in the spring of 2002, and I haven’t stopped.”

After following the success of the first book with two well-received sequels, Smith decided to branch out and try something different—writing a contemporary romantic comedy told from the man’s point of view.

“I was appearing at a large book festival and noticed other authors attracting more customers,” he said. “I approached a couple of them and found out they were selling romance novels. My stories contained a fair amount of affection between the two lead characters, but not enough to fit into that category. After reading their books, I decided to try writing one, but told from the man’s side of the bed, and with a lot more humor.”

Finding a publisher for this unique-concept novel (which he titled “Anywhere the Heart Goes”) would be a challenge, but it actually came at the right time.   

“The truth is, I’d had a disastrous experience with my publisher on my most recent book, and I was looking for a better neighborhood to call home. I researched publishers and identified some that offered the services and supports I wanted. Thanks to a friend’s referral, I landed with my current publisher in 2009, and I’ve been with them ever since.”

After a few rom-coms and a reboot of the Nick Seven series for a new audience, Smith decided to tackle his dream project—updating the hard-boiled private eye of the 1940s to a contemporary setting.

“I grew up watching film noir crime dramas with Bogart and other tough guy actors, and I read everything by Raymond Chandler, Mickey Spillane, and Dashiell Hammett. I had always wanted to write those kinds of stories. My hero is a former cop turned private eye named Vic Fallon, who operates in Sandusky, Ohio, on the Lake Erie shore. It’s about as far away from The Keys as you can get, and that’s what I wanted.”

Along with the mystery/thrillers, he’s written a number of short romantic comedies in two different series—Key West Heat and Holiday Stocking Stuffers.

“Those were seasonal offerings by my publisher, Extasy Books,” he said. “The Key West Heat stories are summertime vacation romances, and the Holiday Stocking Stuffers have a yuletide theme. I like to write those as a break from the intense action-adventures with my tough guy heroes, because they’re light romantic comedies. Think about episodes of Love Boat or Love, American Style and you’ll get the idea.”

Smith usually manages to include some personal experiences or subtle topical references in his stories. Although he relies on current events and headlines for inspiration, an engrossing story is the thing.

 “I’m not big on messages, but the theme is always the good guys beat the bad guys, then the hero and heroine sail off together into the sunset. I try to write entertaining stories with humor, realistic atmosphere, and a playful romance between the main characters. People read to be entertained, and like I tell aspiring writers, ‘If you want to send a message, use e-mail.’ When you read one of my books, hopefully you’ll come away feeling as though you just watched a good movie.”

You can find the complete profile spread with photos here: Pie, Pages & Porch Talk. My author page is AllAuthor/Tim Smith. 

 

Toxic Fandoms Ruining Good Things

 

 

Image by Светлана Бердник from Pixabay

"Who are you calling a chicken? 

Long and Short Reviews Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge August 5 prompt

https://www.longandshortreviews.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge/ 

Reasons I stopped reading or watching a series

In short, the reason I stop watching a series is usually due to the wrong kind of drama. Sometimes in the series itself, and other times in the fandom.

 

Image by Betidraws from Pixabay

"So did ya see what happened when Damon and Stefan fought over Elena last night? Did ya, huh? Did ya?

"I cannot even begin to tell you how much I don't care." 

With The Vampire Diaries, I got tired of the Elena-Damon-Stefan triangle. 

I also got tired of the drama surrounding Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder during the time that they were together in real life.

 

Image by Saarvendra from Pixabay

"This post-apocalyptic hellscape is way more relaxing and way less toxic than the Supernatural fandom." 

With Supernatural, I got tired of the toxic fandom drama. 

Ship what you like. I really don't care.

The fact that some people vehemently accused those who liked the Sam and Dean ship of supporting real-life incest and, in particular, child molestation, was repugnant to me. 

The Sam and Dean ship had nothing to do with either of these things. It stemmed from the somewhat flirty dynamic between the actors who played Sam and Dean. These men are friends in real life, and the warmth and innuendo between them came through in their characters. It was never anything more than that.

Fandom in theory should create supportive communities bonding over a common interest. 

All too often, the reality is otherwise.

It's sad when toxic devotees destroy the fandoms they claim to support.

 

Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay

Can't we all just enjoy creating weird things and shipping in peace?

Life's too short to get caught up in foolish drama. 

 

 Visit me at naughtynetherworldpress.start.page