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Thursday, June 8, 2023

The Jake Desmet Adventure Series by Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin Genre: Supernatural Steampunk Adventure

Iron & Blood

A Jake Desmet Adventure Book 1

by Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin

Genre: Supernatural Steampunk Adventure

Hell with the lid off.

Jake Desmet and Rick Brand, heirs to the Brand & Desmet Import Company, travel the world to secure treasures and unusual items for the collections of wealthy and supernatural patrons, accompanied by Jake’s cousin, Veronique “Nicki” LeClercq. Smuggling a small package as a favor for a Polish witch should have been easy. But when assassins come after Jake and a Ripper-style killer leaves the city awash in blood, Jake, Rick, and Nicki realize that dark magic, vampire power struggles, and industrial sabotage are just a prelude to a bigger plot that threatens New Pittsburgh and the world.

New Pittsburgh in 1898 is a crucible of invention and intrigue, the hub of American industry at the height of its steam-driven power. Born from the ashes of devastating fire, flood, and earthquake, New Pittsburgh is ruled by the shadow government of The Oligarchy. In the abandoned mine tunnels beneath the city, supernatural creatures hide from the light, emerging to feed in the smoky city known as “hell with the lid off” while their masters scheme to change the balance of power.

Stopping that scheme will require every ounce of Jake’s courage, every bit of Rick’s cunning, every scintilla of Nicki’s bravura, and all the steam-powered innovation imaginable.

Iron & Blood is a steampunk action-adventure filled with daring escapades, armed airships, vengeful vampires, mysterious magic, found family, mad doctors, quirky inventors, clockwork zombies, and loyal friends.

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Storm & Fury

A Storm & Fury Adventures Collection

New Pittsburgh, 1898 – a crucible of invention and intrigue. Born from the ashes of devastating fire, flood and earthquake, the city is ruled by the shadow government of The Oligarchy. In the swarming streets, people of a hundred nations drudge to feed the engines of progress. The Department of Supernatural Investigation was set up to take care of those things that live below, that go bump in the night… those odd cases that go beyond ‘standard’ investigation. Nicknamed ‘Storm and Fury’, Mitch Storm and Jacob Drangosavich are two of the more creative agents, working in New Pittsburgh and obeying the rules – when they have to.

A collection of short stories and novellas set in the world of the Iron & Blood novels and the related Storm and Fury Adventures.

Includes: Airship Down, Ruin Creek, Resurrection Day, The Hunt, Grave Voices, and Rogue. Plus two bonus stories: Ghost Wolf and a Steampunk fairy tale: The Patented Troll

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Gail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wrote at age five was about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer. She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites.

Larry N. Martin is the author of the new sci-fi adventure novel Salvage Rat. He is the co-author (with Gail Z. Martin) of the Spells, Salt, and Steel/New Templars series; the Steampunk series Iron & Blood; and a collection of short stories and novellas: The Storm & Fury Adventures set in the Iron & Blood universe. He is also the co-author of the upcoming Wasteland Marshals series and the Joe Mack Cauldron/Secret Council series.

The Martins have three children, a Maltese, and a Golden Retriever.

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SLASHTAG a HORROR Novel by JON COHN

Horror

Date Published: 4/26/23

Publisher: Deadbolt Books

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Welcome to Slashtag, the most immersive horror reality competition series in history! Tag along as seven of America's favorite celebrities step into the infamous Propitius Hotel, home to one of the most prolific serial killers in history - Arthur Wilson.

Arthur built and operated the Propitius Hotel from 1905 until 1928 when dozens of bodies were found in his hotel, along with countless hidden torture rooms throughout the hotel. Arthur disappeared, seemingly never to be caught. He then returned - nearly 40 years later - under the guise of a priest leading a congregation of 100 people back to his hotel, where he once again committed mass murder.

Enter Tawny Howlett - a top-tier lifestyle influencer who is in the midst of the crappiest week of her life. Her brand new health drink turned out to be tainted, and now thousands of her followers want nothing more than to see her social media empire crumble. In order to rehabilitate her image, she's agreed to take part in "Slashtag: The Ultimate Horror Experience".

At first it's all fun and games, until the team of seven celebs discover that the ghost is very real, and out for blood. In order to survive the three-day live-streamed event, Tawny and her fellow contestants must band together to try and send the spirit of Arthur Wilson straight to hell.

"I suddenly wish that I were just crazy. A hallucination would mean my brain is broken, which is something I’ve spent my entire adult life attempting to accept. If we’re both seeing this, it means the world is broken in a way my brain is not prepared to confront."

While Tawny has her hands full trying to survive a weekend at the Propitius Hotel, it's up to her younger sister April to work from the outside to try and find a way to save her sister, and uncover the dark truth behind the TV network that continues to air the deaths of some of America's top talent.

Together these seven doomed souls must solve the puzzles hidden within the hotel in order to vanquish the spirit of Arthur Wilson.

About the Author

JON COHN IS A WRITER and professional board game designer based out of San Diego, California. You can follow him on Instagram and Twitter @joncohnauthor.

He would also love to give you free stuff like stories, audiobooks, and games by signing up for his mailing list at www.joncohnauthor.com.

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Wednesday, June 7, 2023

The Reign of Goddesses Series by C.D. Britt Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance

Shadows and Vines

The Reign of Goddesses Book 1

by C.D. Britt

Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance

Everything you know about the gods of Ancient Greece is a lie.

Zeus.

Hades.

Poseidon.

They do not exist as you’ve been told.

For centuries, Persephone, the true Ruler of the Underworld, has watched humanity destroy themselves and the world around them. Known for centuries as her alter ego, Hades, she has guarded the souls under her care, her only interaction outside of her realm as C.E.O. of the largest financial company in the world, Cerberus Financial. She is content with this, except a soul has called to her and her alone for thousands of years. One that she finds herself bound to in more ways than one.

Devon Aideonous was murdered, his killer unknown, his past as a mercenary haunting him in the afterlife. He is sent to the Underworld, but not as a soul meant to live out eternity there. He is something far more powerful, and the more he learns about his new power, the more secrets are uncovered from his past.

This is book one in the “Reign of Goddesses” series.

Warning: Adult Content and Triggering situations such as PTSD, Trauma, Thoughts of suicide, Filicide (not happening in present), and rape (not happening in present).

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Sirens and Leviathans

The Reign of Goddesses Book 2

Goddess of the sea

Head of the Zephyr Maritime Administration.

Spymaster.

Amphitrite has always lived in the shadows of her sisters, but the shadows are where she does her best work. Living two lives was always easy enough for the Goddess; from being a pirate ship captain chasing secrets instead of gold to an upstanding government official. She has worked alongside her spies and sirens for centuries, guarding both the sea and Halcyon.

But a war has started against the Titans, and the darkness taking over the sea is now more than she can handle alone.

West Murphy has been the golden heir all his life, making selfish choices and surrounding himself with disposable people. That was until the night an act of violence forever changed his life. Now, feeling betrayed by everyone he knows, he considers himself a hollow shell of a man with no true purpose.

Until a tsunami changes the tides of his fate forever.

This is book two in the "Reign of Goddesses" series. To truly enjoy book two, it is recommended that you read book one.

TW: adult subject matter discussed. Recommended for 18+. Scenes of violence and assault are all happening in the past.

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Storms and Embers

The Reign of Goddesses Book 3

Archon of Zephyr.

Queen of the Goddesses.

A Broken Woman.

Hera has reigned over Olympus and humanity for millennia. Seen as cold, sarcastic, and callous, she uses this to her advantage, keeping everyone, including her sisters, at a distance. It's a lonely life, but it worked, until the Titans decided that breaking her father out of Tartarus was a good idea. A move that put her and her sisters against the Titans in a battle for their thrones upon Olympus.

Dr. Viktor Alden understands being alone. As a man who has spent his immortal life as a nomad, living with a curse that has kept him from allowing anyone to really know him, he is fascinated by the enigmatic woman who quite literally runs the world. Too bad they have a battle they may not win, or even live through, for him to learn the intricacies that make up the Queen of the Goddesses.

Now, two people who have spent their entire lives distrusting the world must learn to trust each other if they want to survive the upcoming war.

Storms and Embers is the final book in the Reign of Goddesses series. To truly enjoy this book, it is highly recommended you read the other books in the series first.
TW: violence, cursing, adult situations.

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C.D. Britt began her writing journey when her husband told her she needed to use her excessive imagination to write stories as opposed to creating a daily narrative for him. Ever since she penned her first words, life has been a lot more peaceful for him.

She currently resides in Texas where she has yet to adapt to the heat. Her husband thrives in it, so unfortunately, they will not be relocating to colder climates anytime soon.

Their two young children would honestly complain either way.

When she is not in her writing cave (hiding from the sun), she enjoys ignoring the world as much as her children will allow with a good book, music, and vast amounts of coffee (until it’s time for wine).

C.D. Britt is the author of the Reign of Goddesses series, Clan of Shadows series, and the upcoming Blood of Saviors series.

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A Plague of Mercies a Literary Fiction, Novel in Verse

Literary Fiction, Novel in Verse

Date Published: June 7th, 2023

Publisher: Jackson Heights Press

A lethal plague sweeps the globe. Millions have died. Survivors are confined to their homes.

Gabriel passes his time in a small New York apartment on the city's Upper West Side. During the plodding solitude of the lockdown, he observes several strangers in their nearby apartments. As he watches them struggle to survive a world at risk of extinction, he wonders about their lives—where they're from, what they value, how they're coping with a deadly contagion. All alone, he develops a vague yet important connection to these people, an affection for those who are struggling to survive isolation, fear and looming death.

Told in powerful, spellbinding free verse, Gabriel's observations grow deeper and more elaborate as the endless days pass. But when he and a woman from across the street begin to watch each other from afar, his imagination begins to collide with the bleak reality of the times.

Praise for A Plague of Mercies

"... a captivatingly unconventional love story ... brilliantly observant poetry that captures a dark moment in our recent history." —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

Praise for Adam Pelzman's The Boy and the Lake

"Pelzman excels at creating an intensely atmospheric setting and revealing how it shapes his characters' identities and worldviews … The narrative is full of rich, descriptive language … a well-developed vintage setting and classic but thought-provoking coming-of-age theme." —Kirkus Reviews

Runner up for 2021 Selfies Book Awards U.S.

Praise for Adam Pelzman's Troika (A Cuban Russian American Love Story)

"Riveting drama and sensuous prose make for an unforgettable love story … [a] beautifully rendered debut." —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"Pelzman's talent and vision are formidable …" —Publishers Weekly

"… transcendent, magnetic, intoxicating …" —Bookreporter

About the Author

Adam Pelzman was born in Seattle, raised in northern New Jersey, and has spent most of his life in New York City. He studied Russian literature at the University of Pennsylvania and went to law school at UCLA. His first novel, Troika, was published by Penguin (Amy Einhorn Books) and later republished by Jackson Heights Press as A Cuban Russian American Love Story. He is also the author of The Papaya King (which Kirkus Reviews described as "entrancing" and "deeply memorable") and The Boy and the Lake (which is set in New Jersey during the late 1960s). His newest novel, A Plague of Mercies, is available for pre-order now.

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Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Dark Waters African American Urban Fiction

African American Urban Fiction

Date Published: 06-06-2023

Publisher: Kcin Entertainment Group

The Waters’ are a strong, prominent black family in Philadelphia with access to the good life. Money, power, and lack of respect flow through the tight-knit family as destruction threatens to rock the foundation they are all trying to keep together.

Judge Waters and his wife, Lillian, work overtime to save their marriage, but when hatred and bitterness take over, all bets are off. Once the fighting starts, their children Keenan Jr., Naomi, and Saint go off into the world, wearing their parent’s drama as a coat of arms. They then lie, cheat, and steal, causing havoc in the lives they come across, just like their mother and father taught them to do.

Ultimately, damaging secrets and decade-old lies will all come crashing down around them. When death comes knocking, The Waters Family and their shattered fate hang in the balance, wondering what’s coming next . . .

About the Author

Nick Haskins is the author of My Husband’s Wife, Betrayed, She’s Obsessed, and his new book series, Dark Waters, dropping this summer. Nick was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, where he currently resides. After years of aspiring to become a professional screenwriter, he began to shape his creative dreams and released his first African American fiction book, On the Edge of Heat, in 2011. In addition, Nick has been actively working on his first feature film and developing a new streaming series.

Readers can visit Nick’s website at www.nickhaskinsbooks.com, email him at nickhaskinsbooks@gmail.com, or follow him on social media @iamnickhaskins

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Monday, June 5, 2023

Becoming an Artist by William Nichols an Art and Self Help book

Insights and Advice for Artists and Viewers of Art

Art, Self-Help

Date Published: March 2023

Are you an aspiring artist looking to unlock the secrets of creativity and success?

Look no further than Becoming an Artist: Insights and Advice for Artists and Viewers of Art.

In this captivating and honest book, author and artist William Nichols draws on over six decades of experience in the art world to provide readers with practical tips and honest insights on how to navigate the often-challenging path to success.

From discussing the abilities and traits that lead to success, to exploring how art creates meaning through experience, this book offers a comprehensive and accessible guide to the world of art. Whether you're an artist looking to hone your craft or a viewer hoping to gain a deeper appreciation for the art you love, Becoming an Artist is an essential read.

Discover the path to success in the art world with this captivating guide.

About the Author