Fury
Marteeka Karland
(Black Reign MC, #4)
Publication date: October 29th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Noelle: I had dreams. Goals. That all changed when my baby brother suffered a traumatic brain injury. Now Jonas is my responsibility, and I can’t let him down, even if he’s his own worst enemy. I still have goals — I’m a fighter. As in MMA. Mixed Martial Arts. I want to be the best — fighting in the UFC. To be the best I need the best trainer. That’s Fury. The toughest man I’ve ever met. He doesn’t know it, but he’s also the man I’m in love with. But when Jonas gets in trouble, the only way I can save him is to go underground — illegal fights. I can’t tell Fury. He’d kill me himself. Or worse. Disown me. But I don’t have a choice. Jonas’ life is on the line. I have to fight. And I have to win. No matter the cost.

Fury: I spent seven years in the Army — the exact time it took to pay back my obligation for earning my medical degree free of half a million dollars in student loans. After that the Army and I both decided I might be better off putting my skills to use somewhere else. So now I put bikers back together for my club, Black Reign MC, and I’m damn good at what I do. I’m even better at taking them — and anyone else who gets in my way — apart. Lately I’ve been passing those skills on the smartest, most street savvy kid I’ve ever trained. But Noelle is a kid — barely 21 — and I’m way too old for her. Now she’s gone and gotten herself in a boatload of trouble. If she tries to fight Shadow, he’s going to kill her. And if he throws the fight, our mission to close down these illegal fights will fall apart. Innocents will die. How do I choose one life over another? It was hard enough as a doctor in the field. Now it’s so much worse… because I did the stupidest thing I could have done — I went and fell in love.

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EXCERPT:

“What now, boss?” Shadow asked. “You gonna make sure she’s all right?”

“Can’t. We gotta prep for this fight.”

“I got this,” he said. “That girl’s in pain. You can see it on her face.”

“Ain’t my problem right now, Shadow. You are. You get hurt, and Cain’ll have my hide.”

The big man chuckled. “That’s true. But Cain knows I can take care of myself in this kind of situation. I was built for fighting.”

My gaze snapped to him. “This ain’t no game, Shadow. Those men would as soon kill you before you got in the ring as not.”

“Fully aware,” he said, not fazed in the least.

“Come on,” I said. “Ain’t got time to fuck with her. She came into this on her own, she can go out on her own. Either way, after tonight, I’m done with her.”

“Uh huh.” Shadow chuckled as he walked back to our pit. “Let me know how that goes.”

I stayed for a while, watching as Noelle took off her gloves. She left her wraps on and used a towel to wipe her face off. Then she calmly reapplied the Vaseline to her face and readied for the next fight. Thankfully, I didn’t see any cuts to her face or obvious bruising except to her right shoulder. With any luck, that could work to her advantage.

Then I realized what I was thinking. The longer she kept this up, the more likely she was to get hurt. My gut clenched, and I wasn’t sure why. I’d already decided I was cutting her loose after tonight. As I continued to watch her, she glanced up, then did a double take. Yeah, she noticed me.

I refused to drop my gaze first, needing her to know how angry I was at her. Her lips parted, then her face flushed. She closed her eyes and winced hard before opening them again and meeting my gaze. She nodded once, knowing she was gone from my gym in that moment. Then she went back to work, readying herself for her next match. Which, I realized, was Shadow.

“Motherfuck,” I muttered. “Just Goddamned motherfuck!”

I stomped over to her, leaning in close to inspect her face. As her trainer, it was an automatic reaction. “You hurt?”

She shook her head, her gaze darting around. “What are you doing here? You can’t be here!”

“I could say the exact fuckin’ thing to you, Brawler.” I let my anger show. She might as well know how much fucking trouble she was in.

“Look, you need to go away. Leave me alone.”

“Why? I’m your trainer. Right?”

“Not tonight.”

“Not after tonight either.”

She winced and looked away, but nodded. “I hear you.”

“Why, Noelle? Why would you throw away your future for a quick buck?”

Her head snapped back in my direction. “Because none of your fuckin’ business, that’s why.”

Author Bio:

Romance author by night, emergency room tech/clerk by day, Marteeka Karland works really hard to drive everyone in her life completely and totally nuts. She has been creating stories from her warped imagination since she was in the third grade. Her love of writing blossomed throughout her teenage years until it developed into the totally unorthodox and irreverent style her English teachers tried so hard to rid her of. Now, she breathes life into faeries, space hunters, werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, and a few just plane ole ordinary people. She loves to see the awkward, self-conscious band geek get the captain of the football team and make him beg for it.

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G.O.A.T
Liz Crowe
(Detroit Sports Network, #4)
Published by: Evernight Publishing
Publication date: October 7th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

On the day Roz Garnet signed divorce papers, ending her near thirty year marriage to a hot-shot sports agent, she figured a celebration was in order. Little did she know that stopping by her favorite Detroit bar for an old fashioned would lead to a life-altering moment. All she wanted to do was to sink in her own self-pity puddle and try to figure out what she was going to do next.

Retired football star Sean Ridley was thrilled to have landed an up-and-coming agent for his son, so once that deal was struck, he stopped by his favorite Detroit bar for his own solitary celebration—no plans in place for a life-changing, chance meet up either.

But lives are changed, and plans are altered, and after one seriously hot weekend at a premiere horse racing event, Roz and Sean have to face the fact of the matter—that their first meeting might have been pure coincidence but it was one that made all the difference.

Lust and love don’t stop happening after forty—just ask the G.O.A.T.

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EXCERPT:

Sean got up, needing to move around, to dispel nervous energy.

“Oh, sit down, for heaven’s sake.” She smacked the ottoman in front of her. He took it as an invitation but reminded himself that he had to go slow, to let her lead. He sat, keeping his distance. But still so close he could smell her, her skin, her lotion, her very essence. It was intoxicating. He clenched his jaw against it. “You are so … cute.” She bent one knee and pressed the toe of her other foot into his thigh.

Okay, so this was torture. Sean channeled his inner big boy and smiled at her, got up, and sat on the couch. He needed space. “I am cute,” he said, sipping his water. “You’re beautiful. But surely you know that.”

She snorted and looked up at the ceiling. “You really do know how to bring out the worst in a girl, don’t you, mister man?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

She glared at him long enough to make him uncomfortable. “I’ve had way too much to drink. Again.” She got up, swaying a bit before she righted herself and headed for the bathroom. Sean waited, taking deep, calming breaths. She returned, looking flushed, her hair tumbling in soft curls around her face. Sean had to clench his fists tight enough for it to hurt to stop himself from grabbing her, dragging her onto the couch, showing her how a real man treated a woman as magnificent as her.

She walked up to where he was sitting, slouched down into the too-soft leather, and sat in front of him on the ottoman. “I like you,” she said, putting her hands on his knees. “I like you a lot. But I’m not … I mean, we should be friends. We’d be really great friends.”

He took her hands and pulled, gently, so she rose and shifted forward, ending up on his lap. Once there, she curled into him, knees up, arms around his neck. “I would love to be your friend,” he said, stroking her hair. “But I’d also like to be more.”

She was shaking all over, which made him doubt himself and this whole damn scene. Closing his eyes, he pressed his nose into her hair, sucking in deep breaths of her. “I want to be more for you, Roz. So much more.”

“I don’t know,” she whispered, letting go of him. “I don’t know anything anymore.”

“Tell you what,” he said, keeping his arms around her, holding her, like he sensed she wanted him to. “Let’s eat, watch a mindless movie, get a good night’s sleep, and go to a horse race tomorrow. I hear there is one. And it’s kind of a big deal.”

She nodded. He held on to her a little longer, hoping she wouldn’t get up anytime soon but knowing this was the extent of things for now. Which was fine with him. Going slow was his superpower. All the better to enjoy the final result, which, he told himself, would be a mind-bender for both of them. He grinned and pressed his lips to her temple, keeping it soft, non-committal.

The speed at which she flipped around, straddled him, and had her lips locked on his left him paralyzed with shock for a few seconds—but only a few. He met her halfway after the initial surprise wore off. Their lips smashed together, teeth clicked in an inexperienced way. Her lush body pressed against him left him breathless in a way that should embarrass him but didn’t. The whole thing was surreal. He wasn’t sure where to put his hands. Her desperation was palpable, he could almost taste it.

As soon as he identified it as that—an attempt to prove to him that she could do “this,” whatever “this” was—he broke the kiss. “Hold on a second,” he said.

“Why? Isn’t this what you want?”

He was struck dumb for a moment, admitting that it was very much what he wanted. And that she was so damn stunning right then, lips full, face flushed, curls framing her face. He took a deep breath and put his hand alongside her cheek. She clutched it, and that desperate aura slowly began to fade. “Breathe,” he said. “Just take a minute and breathe.”

She blinked fast, then sucked in a breath and exhaled, never taking her gaze from his. “You must think I’m some kind of a…”

“Fascinating woman who worked hard to help her husband become successful, but was denied the most basic of spousal privileges—that of being told you’re perfect and beautiful multiple times a day. And being made love to in a way that you deserve, also multiple times a day.”

She made a sound of disbelief and raised an eyebrow at him.

He grinned back. “Well, you know, there was a time when I could’ve done that. And while those days are behind me, I make up for quantity by ensuring top quality, if you know what I mean.” He was spellbound by her, unable to take his gaze off her even as his body was painfully ready to scoop her up and take her into a bedroom, or this couch, or the floor and prove his qualifications. Although he knew it was soon. He shifted underneath her, trying to get comfortable but not wanting her to remove the lovely warmth of her body from his.

“You’re a charmer, I’ll give you that.” She got to her feet, keeping her hands on his shoulders, which put her boobs at his eye level, which made everything worse and better at the same time. He gave himself a mental pat on the back for keeping his hands off them, took her hands, pushed her up and away from him.

“I try.”

Author Bio:

Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in Central Illinois. She's spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a social media consultant and humane society development director, in addition to being an award-winning author. With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, at times frustrate, and always linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

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Druid Dreams
M.F. Adele
(The Chronicles of Sloane King, #1)
Publication date: April 27th 2020
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Reverse Harem, Romance

I am not a good person.

I don’t cheat or steal, but I do lie a little bit… and participate in the occasional murder… spree.

Life as I know it gets turned upside down when I’m asked to step in and halt the progress of a black market drug tainted with magic. That one little business adventure opens up a whole f*****g Pandora’s Box and brings my ebony tower crashing down around me.

As if life wasn’t complicated enough, I also now have mates. Emphasis on the ssss part. I want to be mad about it, really I do… but they’re so hot, and the temptation to make them all mine is fueling my desire.

With a final mate that I’m not happy about and a stalker on my heels… maybe having several someones at my back isn’t such a bad thing.

Don’t get me twisted though… I’m Sloane f*****g King, and I’m no damsel in distress.

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Author Bio:

M.F. Adele resides in the outskirts of the Rocket City in Alabama. She lives in her overactive imagination, often fueled by caffeine and no sleep. When she isn’t writing, M.F. is outdoors with her family, obsessing over spicy margaritas and cigars, or reading books by her favorite authors.

If you’re looking for M.F. Adele, you can find her on social media in her group:

M.F. Adele's Hellacious Hybrids.

M.F. loves to interact with her readers, hear character theories, and share embarrassing stories.

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The Final Decree
Shami Stovall
Publication date: October 12th 2021
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

The Kingdom of Luka is controlled by the decrees of God-King Eliezer. Break one and become a twisted monster or serve forever, loyal to the crown. From the author of Frith Chronicles and Star Marque Rising, comes a new fantasy epic.

When God-King Eliezer utters a decree, it’s the law of the land, no matter how subtle or outrageous. Those who break the decrees suffer the god-king’s curse—their bodies twist into nightmarish monsters of devastation and hunger, forever a blight upon humanity.

The magic knows when a decree is violated, the moment it happens.

There are no exceptions. No loopholes. No escape.

Artemisia, a mysterious girl on the run from God-King Eliezer’s Holy Guard, is cursed and doesn’t know why. Fortunately, she has yet to change into a fell beast, but that isn’t a comfort. She could transform at any moment, and the resulting monster would destroy everything she cares for.

Desperate and fearful, Artemisia finds herself captured by a group of monster hunters led by Rylion Nasos, a man of superhuman strength and skill. When Artemisia displays magic of her own—magic that threatens God-King Eliezer’s rule—an agreement is made to confront the crown, despite the horrors it could unleash.

Cursed be the man who disobeys the god-king’s direct command.

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EXCERPT:

I stumbled forward, fueled only by hate.

The soldiers of the god-king had taken everything from me, but I would be safe once I crossed the border. Denying them the satisfaction of my death would be my final act of defiance.

The winter winds rushed past, as bitter and cold as my thoughts. I walked the long road through the Kingdom of Luka alone. I was a stranger—a random woman—nothing more than some wraith passing by, devoid of purpose. People regarded me with suspicion, and I hurried along. I tried, at least, until I tripped and fell.

I hadn’t eaten.

Snow provided little in the way of sustenance. It sated my thirst somewhat, but my gut twisted in agony. It felt like my stomach was consuming my insides, cannibalizing the other organs to keep me alive. I knew it wasn’t, but my nightmares had been filled with such imagery, and it was all I could dwell on.

I pulled my stolen blanket tightly over my body, unable to stand. With gritted teeth, I continued at a crawl. I should have found shelter and rested, but I was on the edge of town, by the first few houses that lined the road.

When merchants rode by on horses and carts, I glanced up, hoping they would spill something edible. They didn’t, of course—no successful merchant would—and I contemplated my situation with dreaded realization.

I might die here. In some town whose name I didn’t even know.

“That’s a nice blanket.”

The tone put me on edge. It wasn’t a compliment, but an appraisal.

Author Bio:

Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction, with several best-selling novels under her belt. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.

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The Cursed Princess
Alexa Michaels
Publication date: October 1st 2021
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

A fresh and dark urban fantasy abounding with treacherous secrets, desperate fights, and an angsty romances that could ignite the pages.

I’m Kyra Baxter. Once, I was human—now, I learn it’s all a lie.
As the top student at my university and the best intern in Dallas, I thought my life was built in the clouds, and I was on top of the world.
But then…it all crashed hard.

A murdered friend.
A secret world.
A mysterious warrior.

It’s safe to say that the life I thought was solid will never rise from the rubble. It’s time to move on, and live the life I was always meant for–what I was born for. Except there are those who want to make sure that never happens. In fact, if I don’t move quickly, the enemy who I’d been hidden from is coming for blood.
The curse I bear has blocked my memories, so I’m left to blindly navigate this new world. And when a swarthy male saunters into my life, I’m forced to face a ghost from the past without knowing who he is and was, and what he wants.
He says he’s here to help.
He admits he’s keeping secrets.
As our attraction grows, all I know is that if I want to break this curse, I’m going to need his help. And unless I heed the warnings my late friend spent her dying moment’s telling me, everyone I know and love could end up butchered.
This curse could be the death of all those I hold dear.

If you like fierce heroines, powerful heroes, terrible secrets, and slow-burn romances, then read the urban fantasy The Cursed Princess, the first book in the Kyra Baxter Trilogy!

**This is the beginning of a trilogy and ends on a cliffhanger.

***Author’s note: this book is intended for a mature audience in terms of content, language, and passionate happily ever afters!

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“You’d better let me go,” I threatened, raising my voice even louder. “My friends are waiting for me to pick them up downstairs. They’ll come looking.”

I clamped down on my shaking muscles and willed myself to stand firm. Snakes of fear slithered in my gut and I tried valiantly not to shake.

“No one is coming, Little Female,” one scoffed. There was a unanimous chuckle from the rest. I had a sinking feeling they knew I was bluffing.

The one who was holding my neck brushed a piece of hair aside and brought his nose down, inhaling right behind my ear. “Richer than the bouquets of the orient--human fear.”

Human. My mind fixated on the word and I tucked it away for later.

“Oh, I’m going to enjoy you, Female.”

The hot air from his words sent chills through my body.

“Don’t scare her now,” said the one standing in front of me.

Too late.

“We just want a little fun,” whined the one who held my arm from behind. “Her flesh will be decadent mixed with all that fear.”

These homeless men were clearly psychotic—they had to be on something. To resort to cannibalism attested to the state of their mental instability. I pushed through the disorientation of the situation and grasped for rational knowledge. “Let me go. Right now!” I demanded, praying that someone would hear me.

That filthy fingernail—for I refused to call it a claw—crawled across the side of my neck. There was a sting of pain as if I had been scratched by a cat. I knew the wound wasn’t deep. It was the infection from the filth that sent my gut churning and it was the last straw. I lifted my foot and slammed the stiletto spike of my high heel into what I hoped was his foot.

I had done it so carefully, making sure that none of them saw. Yet they had moved so fast that the spiked heal of the shoe bit into the concrete of the parking ramp. The contact reverberated through the joints of my ankle and knee. I hissed and tried to ignore the pain. They laughed at me.

“You’ll be sorry,” I promised.

We all knew it was a lie.

Licking his lips, the one in front of me leaned forward.

Fight! I wouldn’t go down without clawing and scratching. It wouldn’t be much, but it would be valiant. I braced for his impact, preparing to slam my head into his.

“Unhand her!” a masculine voice shouted from the ramp. I heard the pounding of shoes as another man sprinted toward us. The next moment, however, the monstrous men let go of me, shoving me backward.

I wobbled, unsteady on my feet, but before I could fall over, a firm hand reached out to steady me. Disoriented, I glanced down and saw the long, elegant fingers that had caught hold of me. They were clean with no claws, and their grip was strong—holding me up rather than entrapping me.

It took a moment for my balance to return. Only then did the stranger retract his hand, but I still felt his solid presence behind me. Perhaps I should have been more frightened at the arrival of another man. But instead, some kernel deep inside me stirred to life—a feeling I couldn’t place sang in my very bones, and I decided to trust my rescuer.

Author Bio:

When Alexa isn't writing, she can be found with a book in her lap and a mug of coffee or glass of red wine within reach. A native of the North Woods, Alexa is an avid lake-jumper, beach lounger, and sunshine lover.

Alexa is living a happily ever after with her own steamy hero. Together they have an English Springer fur-baby and would love a few more!

Alexa loves any type of love story. So you can find her writing both contemporary romance and fantasy novels. Instead of making a separate pen name, Alexa just adds her middle initial to her fantasy genre books!

Alexa H. Michaels ~ Author of Fantasy

Alexa Michaels ~ Author of Romance

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Welcome, dear readers! I am very excited to be hosting a Book Blast for Author Julieta Almeida Rodrigues! Her latest book, Eleonora and Joseph: Passion, Tragedy, and Revolution in the Age of Enlightenment, sounds like a fascinating read and I bet it would make for a fabulous movie! I hope you enjoy learning more about the book! Don't forget to enter the giveaway to win an eBook!

Eleonora and Joseph: Passion, Tragedy, and Revolution in the Age of Enlightenment by Julieta Almeida Rodrigues

The novel opens with aristocratic Eleonora Fonseca Pimentel pleading with the High Court of Naples to be beheaded instead of hanged like a criminal. One of the leading revolutionaries of her time, Eleonora contributed to the establishment of the Neapolitan Republic, based on the ideals of the French Revolution. Imprisoned in 1799 after the return of the Bourbon Monarchy - due to her work as editor-in-chief of Il Monitore Napoletano - and while waiting to be sentenced, she writes a memoir. Here, she discusses not only her revolutionary enthusiasm, but also the adolescent lover who abandoned her, Joseph Correia da Serra.

While visiting Monticello many years later, Joseph discovers Eleonora's manuscript in Thomas Jefferson's library. Now retired, Jefferson is committed to founding the University of Virginia and entices Correia with a position in the institution, once it opens. As the two philosophes explore Eleonora's writing through the lens of their own lives, achievements, and follies, they share many intimate secrets.

Told from Eleonora and Joseph's alternating points of view, the interwoven first-person narratives follow the characters from the elegant salons of Naples to the halls of Monticello, from the streets of European capitals such as Lisbon, London, and Paris to the cultured new world of Philadelphia and the chic soirées in Washington.

Eleonora and Joseph were both prominent figures of the Southern European Enlightenment. Together with Thomas Jefferson, they formed part of The Republic of Letters, a formidable network of thinkers who radically influenced the intellectual world in which they lived - and which we still inhabit today.

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Praise

"Rodrigues' writing is beautiful, and she brings the historical characters to life. The novel is told in alternating chapters, interspersing the conversations between Joseph and Jefferson at Monticello with Eleonora's memoir, which Joseph is reading. The scenes at Monticello are fascinating, with Joseph and Jefferson discussing a wide range of topics, including slavery, revolution, and science. Rodrigues makes the reader sympathize with the protagonists, and the book left me wanting to read more, especially about Eleonora." - HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY REVIEW

"Eleonora and Joseph is a passionate novel of love and revolution. In 1799, Eleonora Pimentel stands before the High Court of the Kingdom of Naples. She has been accused of treason. During her trial, Eleonora pens a memoir, giving details of the life events that led up to her arrest. Eleonora's life was revolutionary in thought, word, and deed.Julieta Almeida Rodrigues' Portuguese roots shine brightly in this romantic historical novel. The narrative is fictional, yet full of historical accuracy." - READERS' FAVORITE REVIEW

"The complex, contradictory characterizations and historical details of the Enlightenment era are skillfully handled and clarified in straightforward but descriptive prose that will satisfy both academic and non-academic readers. The most interesting player of all is Eleonora, a "martyr of liberty" whose illustrious life ends tragically at the gallows in 1799 with some of her fellow revolutionaries in Naples." - THE US REVIEW OF BOOKS REVIEW

"Julieta Almeida Rodrigues brings these colorful historical figures to life and marries their worlds in a narrative that is vividly written, capturing not just their lives, but an era on the cusp of unprecedented social, political, and cultural change. As Thomas Jefferson plays a key role in creating the circumstances which bring Eleonora's journal - and its revelations - to new life years after its creation, readers receive a satisfying contrast of European and American environments that embraces and explores moral, ethical, and social conundrums alike." - MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW, Donovan's Literary Services

"Brimming with pathos and rich in character, this is a knockout... Lush and electrifying, Rodrigues's vibrant tale about love, morality, and duty is a searing depiction of the Enlightenment. Rodrigues's intelligent writing brings the era alive while revealing the complexity of her vividly drawn characters. By turns luminous and tragic, the novel will ensnare readers from the first few lines and lingers in the memory long after they turn the last page." - THE PRAIRIES BOOK REVIEW

"Eleonora and Joseph is my best read of the year so far. It's rich in history, character, and flair. The story is told with a genuineness that prods the heart. It evokes profound questions that linger behind long after you turn the last page. Considering these factors and the impeccable editing, I rate it four out of four stars. Julieta's work holds so much history, passion and utter brilliance within its pages that I would recommend it to anyone interested in history." - ONLINEBOOKCLUB REVIEW

"This book allows the reader into the inner workings of this radical time where many opposing ideals were fought and died for. It is refreshing as a lover of historical fiction to read an original story like Eleonora and Joseph that brings to life important historical characters and events from a fresh new angle and lens." - NEW PAGES, Stephanie Renee dos Santos

About the Author

For more information, visit Julieta Almeida Rodrigues' website.

Book Blast Schedule

Monday, October 4
Passages to the Past

Tuesday, October 5
Cover Lover Book Review

Wednesday, October 6
Bookworlder
Novels Alive
Books, Ramblings, and Tea

Thursday, October 7
Bonnie Reads and Writes

Friday, October 8
100 Pages a Day

Saturday, October 9
CelticLady's Reviews

Tuesday, October 12
A Darn Good Read

Wednesday, October 13
Jessica Belmont

Thursday, October 14
Reading is My Remedy

Friday, October 15
Michelle the PA Loves to Read

Saturday, October 16
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Monday, October 18
The Book Junkie Reads

Wednesday, October 20
I'm Into Books

Thursday, October 21
Carole Rae's Random Ramblings

Giveaway

Enter to win an eBook of Eleonora and Joseph: Passion, Tragedy, and Revolution in the Age of Enlightenment by Julieta Almeida Rodrigues!

The giveaway is open to US addresses only and ends on October 21st. You must be 18 or older to enter.

Eleonora and Joseph

Eternally Owned
Eden Bradley
Publication date: October 5th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

For centuries, my maker and I have indulged our appetites together, seeking out partners willing to satisfy our… unique needs.

But from the first time we strip sweet Nissa down to her bare flesh and feast, I know she will be different. I live for the taste of her blood on my lips, the feel of her body writhing beneath me.

For the first time since I was turned, I want a human for my own. Mine to taste, to tease, to take as often and as brutally as I wish.

Mine to keep… for eternity.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

London, 2069

Nissa was not the kind of girl who put up with shit from anyone. Pushing her way through the crowded tube platform and toward the green-tiled tunnel leading to the stairs —and shoving aside a morphie begging for change—she wished the ancient escalators still worked. Not that much in London had worked since the Anti-Monarchy riots in 2040, the year of her birth—the riots where her parents had died doing nothing more than trying to make their way home to her and her grandmother.

Nana had been gone for twelve years now, leaving Nissa alone in the flat in Camden Town, next to what was left of Regent’s Park, but she was used to it. Being on her own since the age of seventeen had taught her to be independent, street-smart, and savvy about the rough world she lived in. She knew how to walk through a dark neighborhood without getting mugged, knew what to do about it if it did happen. She went where she liked, slept with whomever she liked, then kicked him out the next day without looking back. She was used to being entirely without connections, and that was exactly how she wanted things.

And being on her own meant there was no one to miss her if things went the way she hoped they would tonight.

Using her elbows and the occasional stomp of her stiletto-heeled boots, she finally got to the stairs, her legs pumping as she moved toward the small halo of dark sky above. Careful to keep a watchful eye on the others around her, she gripped her stunstick in her hand in case anyone tried anything. These dense crowds were even more dangerous than walking down a dark, empty street alone. Not that she would usually be so foolish, armed or not.

She was always armed.

Smacking away a groping hand just as she reached the top of the stairs, she turned her head and caught sight of a cocky grin on a handsome face—a pretty enough blond boy with a wicked gleam in his cool, grey eyes.

“Sorry, love.” He winked at her, giving her a quick nod as she moved away.

He really was pretty, and perhaps on a different night she would have encouraged him, but she’d had her fill of beautiful boys. Tonight she had much more in mind, and it had taken her too damn long to get this invitation for her to risk screwing it up over a common beautiful boy.

The damp air hit her as she pushed her way outside into the cold night, stepping over a pile of broken concrete.

“So much for the joys of the New Democracy,” she muttered under her breath.

There was never anyone around to clean up the streets after a bombing, and you had to watch your step everywhere you went, other than in the most exclusive neighborhoods. But Nissa never went to such places.

She moved down the block, into the heart of the old theatre district that now housed nightclubs, pubs and cafés, shops selling leather goods, personal protection devices, and sex toys. Jagged bolts of neon light reflected in puddles in the street, making glowing pools of eerie watercolor. Noise came from every direction—the low rumble of voices, the rattle of an engine as a car, heavy with armor, passed by, the scratchy cry of a street player’s guitar somewhere, and in the distance, the shrill of sirens that seemed to be ever-present in London. She could smell the damp as it worked its way through her worn wool pea coat and into her bones, along with the scents of wet cement, smoke, the acrid smell of unwashed humanity, and the press of too damn many people.

Walking faster, she passed a group of morphies huddled in a doorway, a woman passed out in their midst as they muttered over her, passing a pipe around with shaking hands and glazed eyes. One called out to her, asking for money. She turned her head, moving faster. As if she’d be fool enough to take out her purse in Soho at night.

Anyway, she had someplace important to be, and she didn’t want to be late.

Someplace crucial—the place she’d dreamed of for years.

Midnight Playground.

She turned the corner onto Shaftesbury Avenue, and there it was.

The old Palace Theatre stood like an elegant fortress of red brick and arched windows, surrounded by high, intricate, iron gates to keep the rabble out. Nissa pulled in a breath, ignoring the London stench.

She was here, at the most exclusive vampire club in London. The most exclusive sex club. There was a Midnight Playground in nearly every major city in Europe: Berlin, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, Prague. These places were nearly impossible to get into—for humans, anyway—and they never accepted anyone over thirty into their membership. At twenty-nine, Nissa was close to being excluded forever, but she’d managed it, finally. Or her friend Ilana had managed it for her.

She moved in, tucking her stunstick into the pocket of her coat and clipping it into its harness, then flipping open the hidden pocket that held her identification and invitation as she approached the gates. The bouncers were a pair of hulking, bald figures in black leather trench coats, arms crossed over massive chests.

She nodded to them. “I have an invitation.”

Holding it out, she pinched the heavy velum between her fingers, running her fingertips over the raised lettering and the embossed Celtic dragon’s head logo that matched the design in the center of the towering iron gates of the club.

One of the bouncers held his beefy hand out. “Let’s have a look.”

Nissa narrowed her eyes, looking for the telltale tinge of pink in the skin. Human. She supposed a vampire wouldn’t have to work as a gate bouncer. Vampires were an elite society—revered, feared. Desired.

She shivered even thinking about it, thinking about them. About the inherent sense of power that radiated from the few she’d ever come upon.

“Identification,” one of the enormous men demanded, and she handed it over. He glanced at the other man, holding out the invitation for him to peruse, as well as her ID.

“Is there a problem?” she asked, her heart thundering.

Both men turned to her. One held her identification up to the lamp mounted on the gate, then gave a sharp jerk of his chin. “You’re in, girl.”

Her heart lurched as the gate opened, and she stepped through and into another world altogether.

Immediately, the air seemed to clear of the ever-present London gloom, even to smell better, which was impossible, of course. But she was there, through the gate and walking up to the heavy iron doors, her boot heels ringing in her ears.

She was asked for her ID once more at the doors by another leather-clad bouncer, then she was ushered through, into a dark foyer lit only by red neon lights. There, an exquisite young woman in a short, tight leather dress palmed her identification card and silently helped her out of her coat, turning to take it away.

“Wait.” Nissa reached out and grabbed the girl’s shoulder. “Where are you taking my things?”

“You won’t need them here—everything you could ever need is inside. Everything, and things you’ve never imagined. Don’t worry, you’ll have your belongings back when you leave. If you do.”

Author Bio:

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author Eden Bradley aka Eve Berlin has written erotica and erotic romance for Berkley, Bantam, Harlequin Spice/HQN, Samhain Publishing and Black Lace, as well as indie publishing. Her work has been called "elegant, intelligent and sensual". Her debut novel THE DARK GARDEN was praised as "a masterpiece", and was a Romantic Times Top Pick. More recently, her novella GIRL (Book One in The Training House Series) has repeatedly been called "phenomenal", and BDSM author Jenna Jacob said "Nothing has touched me like this since 'Story of O'". Her novels and novellas have been translated into German, Romanian, French, Italian,Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Polish, Indonesian and Japanese.

As someone who has been involved in BDSM practice for much of her adult life, she relates in particular to her kink stories, infusing them with her own truth about kink practice from her life experiences. Eden speaks regularly on BDSM psychology and practice, as well as sex positive culture for women. She lives in Northern California, and loves art, shoes, tattoos, her Boston Terrier puppy, chocolate, and reading and writing smutty books, of course, not necessarily in that order.

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