Spotlight & Excerpt: Deception + Giveaway

Book cover Deception Nina croft

Deception
Dark Desires Origins, #2
by Nina Croft
Adult Paranormal Romance & SciFi Romance
Publisher Entangled Amara
Out November 23, 2020

Brave new world or the same old crap?

Warlock Milo Velazquez has always dreamed of a day when “monsters” like him don’t have to hide in the shadows. Now, on a planet far from Earth, he’s hoping the old prejudices have been left behind. Though from what he’s seen so far—not a chance.

Their new leader could make life a living hell for Milo and the other immortals illegally transported across the galaxy. Under cover, he scopes out the threat, but he never expected to find a beautiful woman locked in a cell underground. He should ignore her and focus on his mission, but instead he sets her free.

Milo has met all kinds, paranormal creatures and humans, in his centuries of life, but Destiny is like nothing he’s ever encountered before. She’s flawless, and strangely naïve, though she can spout off facts like a walking encyclopedia. He isn’t sure who—or what—she is, or why someone so innocent would be a prisoner.

All he knows is Destiny is different…and finding out why could be their only hope for survival.

Each book in the Dark Desires Origins series is a complete standalone novel.

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Excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

“Live, for a day will come when you will be happy and bless life.”

—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

~~

Milo blinked his eyes open and frowned.

For a moment, he wasn’t sure where he was except in a small, enclosed space that felt like a fucking coffin. He tried to move, but bands held him tight around his chest and head, and every muscle in his body tensed.

He slowed his breathing and forced himself to think. What was the last thing he remembered?

Walking out on a meeting with Rico. After turning down his offer of a place on the fleet leaving a dying Earth and heading for “a new and better world.”

Ha—he’d believe that when he saw it. He was guessing more of the same old shit. No way. He’d rather stay on Earth and take his chances.

He’d been leaving the building and then…damned if he could remember.

The light was dim, but he could make out movement through the opaque roof of his tiny prison. Something was happening. A door opened above him, and the restraints pinged and released their hold.

As soon as he could move, his right hand reached out for his wand—never far away—and found…nothing.

Fuck.

“You looking for this?”

The voice was familiar, low, with a hint of amusement, and Milo swore again. Aloud this time. He tried to sit up, but something was stuck to his chest—some sort of monitor. He swiped it off, then sat up and swung his legs over the side of the box he’d been lying in. Scrubbing a hand through his short hair, he blinked a few times to clear his vision. He was naked except for a pair of black boxers.

A man—though he used the word loosely—stood in front of him, with Milo’s wand in his hand. Tall, olive skin, black hair, eyes so dark brown they were almost black, and a smirk on his face. Ricardo Sanchez. Vampire and—Milo supposed—savior of the supernatural world. He was also Milo’s uncle, though no blood relative. A long time ago, and in a faraway place, Rico had been married to Milo’s mother’s sister. Until she’d been burned at the stake as a witch.

Rico, having spectacularly failed to save his wife’s life, had once promised Milo’s mother that he would look out for his nephew. Milo had been six years old at the time. He’d never seen his mother again. But centuries later, and against all the odds, Milo was still alive. So he supposed he should be grateful.

He pressed a finger to his eyes. “Where the hell am I?”

Rico grinned. “Guess.”

God, he could be annoying. Milo looked around him. They were in what appeared to be a storage facility. In the low light, he could just make out rows and rows of containers similar to the one he’d woken in. Thousands of them. Cryotubes… He’d seen pictures on the newsfeeds.

The lids were closed, and a green light glowed on each one. Milo was getting a bad feeling about this.

He concentrated. There was no sense of movement, but all the same he couldn’t shift that feeling that everything was about to go to shit.

He’d told Rico “no.” He didn’t want to go into space. He wanted to keep his feet firmly on the ground. Flying was not his favorite thing—in fact, he hated flying. Why the hell would he voluntarily step foot on a spaceship? Besides, he had things to do on Earth.

The vampire wouldn’t have ignored his express wishes. Would he?

Stupid fucking question. “I’m on a spaceship, aren’t I?”

“Welcome to the Trakis Two.”

Milo blew out his breath. Maybe there was still time to get off. “Tell me we haven’t left Earth yet.”

“I’d love to, but…”

This was just getting better and better. “Why?”

“I promised your mother I would look after you.”

“That was five hundred fucking years ago.”

“A thousand, actually.”

He went still. He’d been asleep for five hundred years? His mind didn’t want to process that information.

When he remained silent, Rico raised Milo’s wand. “Abracadabra,” he said, waving it between them. Luckily, nothing happened. “Piece of crap.”

Milo held out his hand, and for a brief moment he thought Rico was actually going to return the wand. But it seemed his luck had run out. At the last moment, Rico snatched it back.

“On second thought, I’m going to keep this for a while. Never know when it might come in useful.” He tucked it down his boot, and Milo gritted his teeth. The wand was a part of him, an extension of his very being. He snarled.

“Who’s a grumpy warlock?” Rico teased.

Milo studied him for a moment, trying to decide whether he could take the vampire. Nothing fatal, just one good punch on the nose might make him feel better. Rico watched him, that small smile playing about his lips as though taunting him. The tip of one white fang showed. Milo tensed his muscles.

Then a growl rumbled behind him and he glanced over his shoulder. Two men—and, again, he used the word loosely—stood shoulder to shoulder. He recognized the taller of the two—Dylan, alpha werewolf and an asshole. The second he didn’t know, but he was clearly another wolf. Crap. No way could he take a vampire and two werewolves. At least not without his wand. He turned back to Rico.

“I don’t suppose there’s a way to get me home?” Except his home was gone. Even if the Earth had survived, it would have changed beyond imagination after five centuries.

“Not a chance.” Rico gave a casual shrug. “Besides, you have a new home now. You’ll be pleased to know we have landed on our brave new world.”

Would it be any better than the old one? He doubted it.

“And,” Rico continued, “as much as I’m enjoying this little family reunion, right now we have more important things to do. Get dressed—there’s a bag under the tube—we have a meeting in five minutes. On the bridge.” And he was gone.

On the bridge? Hell, this was like something out of Star Trek.

Maybe it was all some elaborate practical joke and they were really back on Earth. But Rico wasn’t one for practical jokes. Which meant…

He was trying to wrap his head around the fact that Rico had somehow got the jump on him, knocked him out, and he’d been asleep for…five hundred fucking years. And Earth was far, far away. Or maybe didn’t exist anymore.

He jumped to his feet. For a second, he thought his legs were going to give way beneath him. He steadied himself with a hand on the cryotube as he heard one of the wolves give a snigger.

Two werewolves he could definitely take. Even without a wand. But then what? Where was he supposed to go?

And he had to admit that he was curious. So he ignored them, bent down, reached beneath the cryotube, and tugged out a bag. Inside, he found the clothes he’d been wearing for that last meeting. He pulled on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, socks, and boots, and he was ready to go.

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About the Author:

Author Pic - Nina CroftNINA CROFT grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia, which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of nine-to-five work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain. Nina writes all types of romance, often mixed with elements of the paranormal and science fiction.

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To celebrate the release of DECEPTION by Nina Croft, we’re giving away a paperback copy of Malfunction, the first standalone novel in the Dark Desires Origins series!

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GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS: Open to US shipping addresses only. One winner will receive a paperback copy of Malfunction by Nina Croft. This giveaway is administered by BookMojo on behalf of Entangled Publishing. Giveaway ends 12/31/2020 @ 11:59pm EST.

BOOK BLOGGERS: Join the BookMojo Tour Host List Today!

Cover Reveal: So Sweet the Bite, by Alexi Blake & May Sage

So Sweet the Bite
Alexi Blake and May Sage
Publication date: October 31st 2021
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

A ruthless prince. 

The second-born heir of Aevar, Alessandre is the sword of the realm, bound to protect the crown from all enemies. With spies sneaking from the southern and eastern kingdoms, demons swarming from the darklands, and traitors scheming at every corner, he’s grown hard as stone and unbending as steel.

Until she came, muddling his black-and-white world.

A jaded witch.

The last black witch in a time when dark magic is forbidden under penalty of death, Valina has learned to embrace shades of gray to survive.

She’s retreated to the darklands for a hundred years, but a shadow from her past disrupts her refuge. She has to once again intertwine with the royal court and all its machinations. Poison, lies, and secrets threaten the rule of the new queen.

An unlikely alliance.

Valina’s very existence goes against the laws Alessandre enforces. She was hunted by men like him for decades. They can’t help being at each other’s throats.

With an old enemy rising, ready to strike, Alessandre and Valina have to attempt to call a temporary truce in order to defend their worlds.

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INSTA_So Sweet the bite

 

Author Bio:

May (aka Alexi Blake) is a USA Today Bestselling Author who recently moved to The Hague, in the Netherlands. She writes many sub-genres of romance; mainly fantasy, paranormal and contemporary. You’re signing up for strong, sassy, kick-ass women and swoon-worthy alpha protagonists. Enjoy the ride!

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Book Blitz: Igniting Love + Giveaway

Igniting Love
(Rescue Me Series, #2)
Sara Ohlin
Out November 17th 2020
Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When an embittered artist crosses paths with a young widow, the heat is on…

When personal chef and single mom Katie Walsh jumps back into the dating game, Leo Treversini’s gaze in the doorway of a local bar lights up her whole body. Bumping into him a week later, Kate thinks fate is calling—until Leo’s bitter words hit her like a punch to the gut.

Recently returned to the up-and-coming Corvallis neighborhood, metal artist and loner Leo feels the beautiful power of Katie’s eyes like the flame from his torch, but discovering his muse is married and the young mother of three daughters cuts him to the quick.

Except…Katie is widowed, which means she’s free to love again—if she can trust a man with her heart and her most precious gifts, her daughters. As Leo is free to love her, if he can overcome a past betrayal and believe in Katie’s love. Add in the meddling community, Katie’s family and teenage internet crime and it’s going to be far from easy…or even likely.

Katie’s love might be just the balm Leo’s wounded heart needs, but will he have the courage to face his crushing past to accept it?

Can the artist with the wounded heart love his muse?

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EXCERPT:

He was so fierce and striking, almost a mirage as the heat swirled around him, and something pulled her to him, almost as it pushed her away. Fire, flame and heat and it was all consuming and not enough at the same time. She dragged her arm up and pushed her hair back off her neck. Gosh I’m hot! Is the entire fricking sky the sun? It’s relentless. “Um.” She smiled because for some reason her body whispered ancient words, You know him.

She wanted to run her hands all over him. See if he felt as beautiful as he looked. Oh my God. She smacked her hand over her eyes. She was having a conversation with herself and she wasn’t sure how many selves were involved. Her brain was trying to talk her down from the cliff of ridiculousness, but her soul was electrified for the first time ever. Or was it woozy, icky and hot? I don’t feel so good.

“It’s hot out.” Wow, she was such a stellar linguist. But she didn’t dwell on how stupid she sounded, because his eyes blazed over her, like he wanted to devour her, but would hate every second of it. He is angry. The veil was back from the other night, and not a hint of a smile graced his beautiful face…more like scorn. His weird demeanor was one more thing she could add to the crazy list of things happening at the moment. She liked lists. Car in ruins, check. Feel like I might faint, check. Sweating like pig, check. Beautiful mystery man I can’t stop dreaming about from the bar Friday night glaring at me, check. She unstuck herself from her car and tried to communicate even while her thoughts tornadoed together.

“I need a mechanic,” she said, taking a step toward him. She wanted to be closer. “My uh…” She gestured to her van. “I think my starter’s having a tantrum again.” She wiped the sweat off her forehead. Not one single muscle moved in his body. He waited, his arms tight across his chest. She couldn’t even tell if he’d heard her. “Can you, uh, are you… Do you work for Matt?”

“Nope.” That one word, again. She wasn’t sure whether to feel lucky, relieved or insulted. Why did she feel such burning around him? And why did he glare at her like he hated her?

“Did I, um, do something?” she asked. Lordy her tongue was like sludge.

He pulled a water bottle out of his back pocket and guzzled some down. Oh, cold water. “We’re booked up. You’ll have to take your infidelity and your piece-of-shit car somewhere else.” And with his final punch thrown, he tossed the empty water bottle in the dumpster, turned and walked away.

“What?” she whispered. Standing there boiling under the sweltering day on asphalt so hot it even smelled like fresh tar, with sweat sticking her curls to her cheek and forehead, his words hit her like a lance. A hidden thorn from the most beautiful rosebush. Unexpected pain.

Author Bio:

Puget Sound based writer, Sara Ohlin is a mom, wannabe photographer, obsessive reader, ridiculous foodie, and the author of the contemporary romance novels, Handling the Rancher, Salvaging Love, Seducing the Dragonfly and Igniting Love.

She has over fifteen years of creative non-fiction and memoir writing experience, and you can find her essays at Anderbo.com, Feminine Collective, Mothers Always Write, Her View from Home, and in anthologies such as Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak about Healthcare in America, Take Care: Tales, Tips, & Love from Women Caregivers, and Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Although she’s the author of many essays about life, grief, motherhood and the connections we make through delicious food and shared meals, Sara loves creating imaginary worlds with tight-knit communities in her romance novels. She credits her mother, Mary, Nora Roberts and Rosamunde Pilcher for her love of romance.

If she’s not reading or writing, you will most likely find her in the kitchen creating scrumptious meals with her two kids and amazing husband, or perhaps cooking up her next love story.
She once met a person who both “didn’t read books” and wasn’t “that into food” and it nearly broke her heart.

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