Earth Day Erotica from Patient Lee

Patient Lee, fabulous pioneer of "erotic realism," is releasing a special environmentally oriented story just in time for Earth Day. The story is called "Milkweed and Gossamer" and was inspired by the plight of monarch butterflies.  Caution: adults only.

The blurb:

Jaime just turned eighteen, and she's so passionate about saving the monarch butterflies, people call her Milkweed. Josh Gossamer is four years older than Milkweed, but they fall for each other while delivering milkweed plants and working in the butterfly house. Milkweed's family does everything possible to keep them apart, fearing that Josh will talk her into giving up her virginity and then leave her forever at the end of the summer.

But there's something her family doesn't know about her brother, Scott, and he'll do anything to protect his secret, even lie about Milkweed.

The monarch butterfly population in the United States is in trouble. People can help by planting milkweed to give the butterflies a place to lay their eggs and the caterpillars the food they need to survive. This Earth Day story will teach readers about the plight of the butterflies in a sweet, sexy erotic romance.

Will the first time be the last time, or will Milkweed and Gossamer find a way to be together when he leaves for grad school? Find out on Earth Day.

Not appropriate for readers under 18.



For each copy purchased on Earth Day, Patient Lee will plant an extra milkweed plant in her effort to help the monarchs. This article from 2014 gives a good overview of the monarch problem.  Spice up your weekend, and help a good cause. :-)  Happy reading!

November Snow Celebrates Read Self-Published Month

I've been participating in a wonderful event all month long. Read Self-Published Month celebrates the creative work being done by indie authors in all genres. Led by Zach Chopchinski, we are enjoying events galore, including this blog tour, giveaways, read-alongs, and Facebook takeovers.

And it's not too late for you to get in on the fun! Join the Facebook group for Read Self-Published month and discover a wealth of talent producing amazing work outside the traditional publishing system. Tomorrow, the blog tour continues with Lucy Felthouse, a U.K. writer of erotic and romance fiction.




Today, I'm sharing a short excerpt from the first novel in my November Snow Series, She Dies at the End. I recently completed the series with the release of my third novel, She Marches Through Fire. I want to give you a taste of my writing style. My protagonist, November Snow, is an eighteen-year-old carnival psychic who winds up in the middle of some very dangerous and supernatural shenanigans. I like to think of it as vampire fiction for the intellectual. ;-)  If you'd like to hear me read all of Chapter 1, click here.


From She Dies at the End (November Snow Book 1), Chapter 1

She watched them bury her again.

Four people stand in a garden. The short redhead, an impatient fireplug, has a dusty shovel in his large hands. His wide shoulders stretch his clothes. A tiny teenager with caramel skin stands beside him and places a hand on his arm, her tunic marred by drops of blood. A tall waif stands apart, distraught, shaking; blue tears fall from her eyes, eyes the same shade of electric blue as her hair. Closest to the grave is the bloody businessman: his dark suit stained darker still with blood, his white shirt ruined, his shoes dusty, his designer tie twisted, now turned more noose than accessory.

His face is stone. His eyes scream. His fangs catch the light. A girl is dead because she tried to help him. His girl is dead, just like the ones before.

Her corpse waits patiently, cradled in the gnarled roots of an old tree. Blood has soaked through her blue silk dress. It stains her mouth, covering the blue tinge of death. The businessman bends down and kisses her forehead. He lifts her up, leaps gracefully into the grave, and places her carefully into her resting place. Her dark blue eyes are still open, but she doesn’t look frightened. She looks relieved. He closes them gently, touches her cheek. A drop of blood wells in his eye, rolls down his cheek, falls silently onto her dark hair, evidence of his grief: her killer's grief.


She watched them bury her again.


***

November Snow awoke with the certainty that she’d overslept and promptly bashed her head against the bottom of her table. That was the one drawback to her little nest, but she’d take a sleeping bag on the ground and a knot on her head any day. It was far preferable to sleeping in her mother’s trailer and the consequent possibility of waking up to sounds she'd rather not hear. It was rather cozy, actually, along the lines of a blanket fort.

The girl crawled out into the dim light inside her tent and began to prepare for another day of work. She jumped to her feet; a quick glance at her watch confirmed that she had better hustle. Her oversleeping was no surprise, really, after the previous night’s shenanigans. She sighed inwardly and ran her hands through her long black hair, yanking out the worst of the tangles and steeling herself to face the day.

Her first task was to wash off the previous day’s dust and sweat, which she did with a quickness as the shower in her mom’s motor-coach lacked hot water. What I wouldn't give for a scalding hot bath, she thought. Pulling on her thrift store jeans and t-shirt, she caught brief glimpses of their former owners. Detergent could wash away many things, but not the imprints of those who'd previously worn the clothes. Thankfully, such visions tended to fade with time as she made her the items her own, but the first few days in someone else’s castoffs were always a real headache. She then attempted to wake her mother from her stupor, which this morning was a futile effort. Not that I'm surprised. The next job was breakfast.

She walked quickly down the midway toward the food stands. She grabbed an apple from Sally’s candy apple counter. Most everyone was busy preparing their games and rides for the influx of marks soon to ensue. Her few friends greeted her. More, however, crossed themselves, called her a freak under their breath, and kept on working.



Here's the blurb:

Bronze medalist in the Reader's Favorite Book Awards
Finalist in the IAN Book of the Year Awards
Short-listed in the Chanticleer Paranormal Awards
Finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Second Place for the Rave Reviews Book Club Book of the Year

November Snow has seen her own burial a thousand times. It is the only thing she knows about her future.

In a war amongst vampires and fairies, a small advantage can mean the difference between victory and defeat. And a psychic who can peer across the globe, unspool the past, and probe the future is more than a small advantage. Everyone wants to use her for his own ends: the ancient king, the black sheep, the dutiful son, the lost boy.

But November Snow wants things, too, before death comes for her. She wants purpose. She wants friendship. She wants love. She wants happiness. She wants respect. And she will not settle for less.

Pulled into the midst of a royal family feud centuries in the making, she must forge her own path through violence, betrayal, first loves, and mortal peril as she struggles to come to terms with her gift and her destiny, even as she knows this for certain:

She dies at the end.


I hope you'll give my books, as well as those of the other participating authors, a try.  You can read She Dies at the End for only $0.99.  Happy reading!

Harmony Kent's Book Blast

Today, I am pleased to be hosting fellow Rave Reviews Book Club member Harmony Kent.  She's releasing a new book called Moments: A Collection of Short Stories and Poems.  Harmony's work spans a number of genres, and I'm sure this new work will showcase that creativity.  Learn more about this gifted author and her new release below!

Book Blurb:


Come.

Take a moment to delve into tales from the dark side, have fun with fantasy, dabble in dystopia, and court danger in a little science fiction.

These tales touch upon death, grieving, war, fresh starts, hope, courage, change, choices, and encouragement.

And then, after all that, you’ll find the poems.

From the lonely echoes of an empty house to the soaring heights of unexpected love and joy and learning to live as free as clouds and water.

For each of us, a moment encompasses a lifetime and, yet, passes in but the blink of an eye. In but a moment, everything can change. And in this very moment, life beckons in all its potentiality.

When the shadows fall, what will you do?


* * *


Author Bio and Links:

Indie Author Harmony Kent is an award winning multi-genre author. Her publications include:

·The Battle for Brisingamen (Fantasy Fiction) AIA approved

·The Glade (Mystery/Thriller) AIA Approved/BRAG Medallion Honouree / New Apple Literary Awards Official Selection Honours 2015

·Elemental Earth (YA Fantasy Fiction)

·Polish Your Prose: Essential Editing Tips for Authors (Writing/Editing) New Apple Literary Awards Top Medallist Honours 2015

·Finding Katie (Women’s Fiction)

·Slices of Soul (Contemporary Poetry)

·Interludes (Erotic Romance short stories)

·Moments (Short Stories and Poetry)


As well as being an avid reader and writer, Harmony also offers editing, proof reading, manuscript appraisal, and beta reading services. As well as reviewing and supporting her fellow indie authors, Harmony works hard to promote and protect high standards within the indie publishing arena. She is always on the look out for talent and excellence, and will freely promote any authors or books who she feels have these attributes.


For all books available from me, check out her author pages at Amazon UK and Amazon US.


Book Trailer videos: Harmony’s trailers.

My website: http://harmonykent.co.uk

Twitter: @harmony_kent https://twitter.com/harmony_kent

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

My 4Wills Author Page: https://4willspublishing.wordpress.com/our-authors/author-harmony-kent/

RWISA Author Page: https://ravewriters.wordpress.com/meet-the-authors/author-harmony-kent/


* * *

The tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com.

Book Review: Manifesting Destiny by M. Pepper Langlinais

I was very excited to try something by talented multi-genre author M. Pepper Langlinais. As a lover of fantasy, I thought I'd start with her magical young adult tale Manifesting Destiny. I cannot tell you enough about how much I enjoyed it!

This YA fantasy is engaging, touching, and exciting.  In a world where most people undergo a startling metamorphosis upon reaching maturity, Cee and Marcus face the prospect of their close friendship being forever severed when they realize that they are transforming into members of enemy clans.  Accompanied by two friends, they venture into the wilderness seeking help only to find ever increasing danger.  They face the prospect of losing their very selves and find that their world and its inhabitants don't match what they've been taught to believe.

The writing is clean, modern, and vivid without being fussy or overwrought.  The characters are all realistically drawn, their flaws and strengths combining to render each sympathetic in her or his own way.  The world building is skillfully executed, communicating both the wonder of magical talents and the quotidian oppression of a dystopian society that the characters have grown up to accept. The plot is interestingly woven, and I impatiently await the sequel.

Check out the blurb below:

Sixteen-year-old Cee has a hopeless crush on her best friend Marcus. Unfortunately for her, he’s gay. In the wake of Marcus’s older brother leaving home to join the Aerie, Marcus has become increasingly distant. When Cee discovers she has a troublesome dragon named Livian living inside her things grow even more complicated.

Marcus urges Cee to go to the Magi to have Livian removed, but the more Cee becomes attached to Livian, the more she questions the decision. Should she change her natural self for the crush who will never love her anyway?

Free Book Friday: April 7

I'm participating in an Instafreebie book giveaway today.  Check out the wealth of reading material in every genre on offer here.  She Sees in Her Sleep is my contribution.  It is a collection of three short stories set in the November Snow universe, containing back story galore for all your favorite characters.

Here's the blurb for She Sees in Her Sleep:

The past is a long time when you are immortal. Seeds planted long ago in the lives of vampires and fairies bloom and produce unexpected fruit in the present. In the award-winning November Snow Series, our main character reaps the harvest of decisions made long ago. The three short stories in this collection provide a glimpse into the back stories of several key characters as well as insight into plot points that arise in all three novels in the series.
"She Forges a Peace" provides a glimpse into the formation of the ancient alliance between fairies and vampires, an event with a surprising connection to November. "He Worships his Queen" delves into the painful childhood of vampire Luka, the complex primary villain in She Dies at the End. "She Fears the Dark" focuses on popular fairy characters Pine and Zinnia as they take a trip to Disneyland that turns into an unexpectedly dangerous adventure and a commentary on compassion between enemies.

Let me know if you discover any gems!  Happy reading!