New Release ~ The Ties That Bind ~ by ~ H.L. Packer

Title: The Ties That Bind
Series: The Fated Series
Author: H.L Packer
Genre: Mafia Romance/Romantic Suspense
Release Date: January 26, 2022
Elena

 

He was the devil without the disguise.
He never pretended to be anything other than the wolf he was and I fell for it. Hard.
Now I’m tangled in a web of deceit not only of his making, but mine too.
A favour. Something owed.
A promise that would come back and bite me on the ass.
Anton
I don’t know when it happened. When it changed.
When that initial combination of mild infatuation and burning hatred somehow morphed into my obsession.
When did it spiral out of control?
Was it when she first let me hold her hand? Or when my lips graced the reverence of her skin? Was it when she was naive enough to let the wolf into her inner sanctum?
Hard to say, but now I’m there. I’m not letting go.
Can I keep the girl I should have let go? Or does fate have other things in store for us?
NOTE: La Famiglia MUST be read prior to The Ties That Bind

 

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H.L Packer is, quite frankly, a busy bee.
An avid reader as a child, her love for all things written waned into adulthood, the excitement of real life things taking over. But when her life slowed down as she finished her office job for maternity leave, her husband purchased her an e-reader, and that obsession was rekindled.
Quickly she went from reader to reviewer, and then from reviewer to blogger; street teams and promo tours galore. When she began collating her own book boxes over at Romance Readers Book Box UK and had the opportunity to include her own words and worlds, the characters began talking.
Those cheeky characters quickly found themselves written down on the page, and her first series was in progress.
When she is not coordinating her worlds, you can find her running around after her free-spirited three children, and husband, or tending to the dogs, bearded dragons, and snakes that also reside with them.
A break can be found soaking in a bubble bath or enjoying a glass of wine, often still with a book in her hand.

 

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New Release ~ Shock & Aww ~ by ~ Lilly Atlas

Title: Shock and Aww
Series: Blue Collar Bensons #2
Author: Lilly Atlas
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 27, 2022
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JP’s childhood was the definition of dysfunctional, but he has a sweet set up as an adult. He bounces around, working at his siblings’ businesses, steers clear of relationships, and plans to stay child-free for life. Few commitments and even fewer responsibilities; just how he likes it. He cruises along with no shortage of women to warm his bed and fun times to be had until the universe drops a seven-month, fifteen-pound bomb in his lap.
Hannah doesn’t have a rebellious bone in her body, which is why she’s stunned to find herself traveling to Vermont to spy on her infant niece’s father. After the recent passing of her sister, Hannah’s parents are struggling and failing to deal with their new reality. They beg her to help them get custody of their grandchild in any way possible, no matter how unsavory.
When Hannah arrives in Vermont, she doesn’t find a neglectful, degenerate father as her parents predicted. Instead, she encounters JP, a man whose world was rocked to its core. Before long, Hannah is suffocating under a mountain of lies and falling hard for a man her family despises.
JP has so much to learn, but with Hannah’s help, he’s finding responsibility isn’t the dirty word he made it out to be. Instead, the more time he spends with her, the more he wonders what else he’s misjudged, like relationships.
Hannah is thrilled to help JP muddle his way through single parenthood and explore their developing feelings. But with so many secrets and challenges between them, how can this end in anything but heartbreak?

 

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Lilly Atlas is a contemporary romance author, proud Navy wife, and mother of two spunky girls. By day she works as a physical therapist for a hospital in Virginia. Lilly is an avid romanceΒ reader,Β and expects her Kindle to beg for mercy every time she downloads a new eBook. Thankfully, it hasn’t happened yet, and she can often be found absorbed in a good book.
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New Release ~ Perfect Plan ~ by ~ Cary Hart

PERFECT PLAN, a friends to lovers small town romance by Cary Hart is available on Kindle Unlimited!

ONE-CLICK >> https://amzn.to/3qigXZU

Cole and Joey: A friends to lovers romance

When Joey decides to stay in Mason Creek a little longer than planned, Cole Jackson comes to the rescue and volunteers a room at his placeβ€”and his unsolicited advice on how to land the perfect cowboy.

Cole quickly realizes Joey is perfect for him in every way, and he’d much rather be lovers than friends. There is only one way out of this. The perfect plan? Sabotage.

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3ndmT4s One-Click: https://amzn.to/3Fgb3g7 Mason Creek Series: https://amzn.to/3GnltMk

JOIN THE SERIES GROUP ON FACEBOOK! https://www.facebook.com/groups/262814951884578

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cary Hart hails from the Midwest. A sassy, coffee drinking, sometimes sailor swearing, Spotify addict, lover of all things books!

When not pushing women down the stairs in the fictional world, Cary has her hands full. Soccer mom in all sense of the word to two wild and crazy, spoiled kiddos, and wife to the most supportive husband. In addition to writing full time, she enjoys binge watching Netflix, laying around in her hammock and baking up cookies for her family and friends.

Cary writes real, raw romance! In her stories the characters deal with life’s everyday struggles and unwanted drama, they talk about the ugly and they become the broken. Everyone deserves a happy ending, but sometimes before you can appreciate the light, there has to be darkness.

Growing up, if someone would have told her she would become a writer, she wouldn’t have believed them. It wasn’t until she got her hands on her first romance novel, that the passion grew. Now she couldn’t imagine her life any other way – she’s living her dream.

Website: https://www.authorcaryhart.com/copy-of-home Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CarysSweetHarts/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcaryhart Amazon: https://amzn.to/3K57lte Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15934854.Cary_Hart BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cary-hart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorcaryhart/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorcaryhart

TOUR HOSTED BY #HEAPR

New Release ~ Skid ~ by ~ H.J. Marshall

Title: Skid
Series: Death Hounds MC #2
Author: H.J. Marshall
Genre: Dark MC Romance/Romantic Suspense
Release Date: January 25, 2022

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Goodreads Review – β€œWow ! I don’t know where to start .. the secrets in this book . Phew they are mind blowing !”

Goodreads Review – β€œAs always H.J. absolutely killed it.”

Goodreads Review – β€œOH MY GOODNESS! This story is absolutely gutwrenching.”

 

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From a young age, I followed the rules set for me, being the good girl and never wanting to feel the painful sting of rejection. I thought all my wishes had come true, but everything changed in an instant, and I was forced to see the harsh and ugly realities of life. I ran from everything I knew, vowing a life alone was better than living under the control of others.

My new life wasn’t perfect, but it was mine. Forged with sweat and tears, I built something I could be proud of, but I still kept people at a distance. I existed but never truly lived. The moment I saw him, I knew he was different. His haunting eyes told me he wasn’t scared of the darkness that resided within me.

He pushed through the walls I built around myself and taught me that love was real, giving me the strength to face my nightmares and step out of the darkness. The Death Hounds showed me what family was and that loyalty was valued above everything. When I decided to stop running and fight, they stood beside me, proving that family was who you chose.

But then he betrayed me and sent me back down a path of dark nightmares and into a life of silence. Now, he’s fighting for both of us, showing me that his words of devotion were true. When he discovers the secrets I’ve been carrying, will he still see me the same, or will he push me away and force me back into solitude?

Never again will I make a wish.
It may come true, but at what cost?

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H.J. MarshallΒ began her love of reading and writing at an early age and has always dreamed of being a writer full-time. A nomadic youth exposed her to different perspectives of life, community, and culture, resulting in a lifelong love of food, music, and history. When she is not writing, she enjoys the music of all generations and genres, writing full-time, and living in her quiet cabin in the woods. Currently landlocked, H.J. dreams of her beach house, salty air, and a life filled with laughter.

 

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Blog Tour & Review ~ When I Say Yes ~ by ~ Lisa Renee Jones

Title:Β When I Say Yes
Series:Β Necklace Trilogy #3
Author:Β Lisa Renee Jones
Release Date:Β January 25, 2022
ABOUT WHEN I SAY YES
I believe that there is one person in this world that can both break us and make us whole. One person who can love us more than life can hurt us. With this comes deep, intense passion, and a burning connection. But in turn, that person can destroy us, cut us, make us bleed in ways no other ever could. They have power over us.
For me, that one person is Dash Black.
He walked into my life in a rush of sunshine, in the darkness of heartache and uncertainty. We were broken apart, and whole together. He healed me. I believed I did the same for him. Until the past became the present, and every moment of suffering in his life consumed him. Instead of seeking refuge in me, he pushed me away. As the famous quote from an unknown author says, β€œIf you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it’s yours; if it doesn’t, it never was.”
I’ve set Dash Black free. Now, I wait.

 

When I Say Yes is the third and final book in the Necklace Trilogy.
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EXCERPT
Dash carries me to the bedroom and lowers me to my feet at the end of the mattress. I reach for him, and I can feel his need to feel my hands on his body, but instead of caving to that burn, he catches my wrists again. β€œNot until I say you can touch me.”
Defiance rips through my body and my chin tilts. β€œAnd if I touch you anyway?”
β€œThen you won’t feel my hand on your ass, baby. Or anywhere else.” He drags me closer, aligning our bodies. β€œYou know what I want. Tell me. What do I want, Allie?”
β€œControl,” I say without hesitation, but there’s a hint of vulnerability in my voice that I cannot tame. Just as I know I will never tame Dash. And the thing isβ€”I don’t want to. In fact, I want the opposite. I want him unleashed. I want him wild and free.
β€œAre you going to give it to me?” he presses. β€œCan you trust me that much, Allie?”
Trust.
That’s the monster that torments each of us in our own minds and yet, we want it from each other, we demand it be given blindly, irrationally perhaps, but it doesn’t seem to matter. So much about how Dash and I approach each other is irrational and yet somehow, we make sense. And so I say, β€œI already do.”
He turns me to face the bed, one hand cupping the side of my neck under my hair, the other on my waist, his hard body at my back. Dash leans in close and says, β€œI can be demanding, Allie.”
My mind flashes to the night of our fight back in Nashville, when my hands had been pressed to the front door of our apartment, his hand on my throat, him behind me, thrusting into me. β€œI know,” I whisper, my skin flushing with the memory and because it’s the truth, now I dare add, β€œI like it.”
β€œDo you?” he challenges.
β€œBeyond reason,” I whisper.
His fingers flex on my neck, seconds ticking by before he replies with, β€œI used to think I wanted to scare you off, Allie.”
β€œAnd now?”
β€œNow, I pray I can’t.” His teeth scrape my shoulder, rasping roughly.
I suck in a breath at the rough, erotic nip that borders on a bite. He cups my jaw and drags my head back to his shoulder, just enough to angle my mouth to his and lower his to mine. β€œBut that doesn’t mean I won’t try,” he adds. β€œNice guys are gentle, Allie. You need to know that I’m not a nice guy.”
β€œIf I’d wanted nice, I would have walked away before we ever started calling me cupcake which was almost the moment I met you, Dash.”
It’s a joke about the nickname I’ve earned with him, but he doesn’t laugh or smile. He brushes his lips over my lips. β€œYou taste like you don’t know what you’re asking for.”
β€œAnd you taste like you talk too much, Dash Black.”
He lingers there a moment, his breath rushing over my lips with a promise of a kiss that doesn’t come. Instead, he says, β€œNo more talking. Knees on the mattress, baby.”
BINGE READ THE SERIES
WHAT IF I NEVER (book one)
$4.99 Audio only on Chirp: https://bit.ly/3GEb5Qu
BECAUSE I CAN (book two)
WHEN I SAY YES (book three)

The conclusion to Allie and Dash’s trilogy. Yes, you need to read books 1 & 2, hence why it’s called a trilogy, in order for this book to make sense. You need to meet Allison and Dash and what they’ve gone through that has taken them this far. Don’t read further if you haven’t read books 1 & 2.

We finally get to know who the other Allison is and how she fits into this story. Her and Allie are definitely different, besides having the same name and kinda looking like each other.

This story, well really the whole trilogy, was a 3-day read for me. I think I started and finished a book before bed each night – which lead to some long nights. But this was definitely worth it. In reading this story, we learned more about Dash, the other Allison, Tyler and Dash’s big blowup and why they aren’t “friends” any longer. Although I’d probably call them frenemies, of a sort.

Long story short, all 3 books are out, there’s no reason for you NOT to start and finish this trilogy!

5 stars!!

ABOUT LISA
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones writes dark, edgy fiction including the highly acclaimed Inside Out series and the crime thriller The Poet. Suzanne Todd (producer of Alice in Wonderland and Bad Moms) on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense.
Prior to publishing Lisa owned a multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a cat that talks too much, and a Golden Retriever who is afraid of trash bags.
CONNECT WITH LISA

New Release & Review ~ The Bad Wedding Date ~ by ~ Vicki James

 

 

AVAILABLE NOW!

The Bad Wedding Date by Vicki James

 

Cover Design: Lou Stock of LJ Designs

Promotions: Bare Naked Words

BUY THE BOOK ➀ mybook.to/TheBadWeddingDate

 

A stand-alone fake-date romanceβ€”available now. Part of Kindle Unlimited.

#thebadweddingdate #vickijames #contemporaryromance #barenakedwords

 

“Vicki James has always been a must-read author for me. Her books are addictive, I’ve binge read each one, and I can’t get enough.”

– NYT Bestselling Author Natasha Preston

Add to TBR ➀ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54569679-the-bad-wedding-date

Things you need to know:

πŸ₯‚ Mysterious Man

πŸ₯‚ Fake Date Deal

πŸ₯‚ Secrets & Lies

πŸ₯‚ London High Society

πŸ₯‚ Revenge & Punishment

πŸ₯‚ Undeniable Chemistry

πŸ₯‚ Heat, Angst, & Real Romance

Blurb

Having to attend my sister’s wedding with a pretend boyfriend had been bad enough, but when that fake date left me stranded an hour before the ceremony, I thought my life was over. No one wore disappointment as poorly as my mother, and I’d already given her a thousand reasons to wish I’d never been born.

Which was why, when a random stranger sat beside me at the bus stop, wearing a crisp suit and a winning smile as though God himself had heard my woeful prayers, I wasted no time in making a rushed deal with the devil:
A night of his time in exchange for money I didn’t have.

It sounded so simple. It sounded easy… if only cash had been what Fraser Scott wanted at the end of the night. A man like him, with his intense grey eyes, hard muscles, and obvious charm didn’t need his wallet filling. He didn’t need anything I was willing to offer freely.

By the time it was all over, what Fraser demanded, in fact, was me…

And it turned out that Fraser wasn’t the kind of man who walked away from a deal without coming out on top.

 

I don’t know what I expected with this story, but it was SO much more! I thought I wasn’t going to be able to like Fraser but he definitely won me over! He was growly but still sweet.

And Charlotte – not Lottie – you just feel so bad for her. She’s obviously the “black sheep” in her family, and she knows it. She knows her mother wishes she was more “socially acceptable” and does what is expected of her, just like her sister. And hence why she has a standing wedding date who has to bail on her, but then it brought Fraser into her life. Hot or not, I’d still be so wary of how coincidental it all seemed to be, but maybe that’s too much Criminal Minds reruns.

Fraser is definitely the protection Charlotte needs against her family. Without even knowing Charlotte, he’s already annoyed with how her family treats her. But even though he stands up for her, you just don’t know if she will forgive him for his omissions.

5 stars!

Meet the Author

Vicki James is a pseudonym for Victoria L. James, taking her stories from heavy angst to heavy romance and bad boys you can’t help but fall in love with. She is, however, one and the same person so feel free to follow her on any of her platforms, be it Vicki James or Victoria L. James. Most importantly, enjoy the stories she tells, no matter what name she releases under.
Stalk Vicki
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vickijamesauthor
Insta: @Victoria_LJames
Website: www.victorialjames.com/Vicki-James

 

New Release ~ Maverick Mogul ~ by ~ Lila Monroe

Title: Maverick Mogul
Series: Billionaire Bachelors Club #1
Author: Lila Monroe
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: January 24, 2022
BLURB

 

The Billionaire Bachelors are BACK! Fall for a new trope-tactic, fake dating rom-com series from USA Today bestselling author, Lila Monroe!

 

Playboy bachelor Charlie Fox is handsome, charming β€” and looking for a date to the TWELVE weddings he’s attending this month. He’s topping the city’s β€˜Most Eligible’ lists, but he needs a woman who won’t swoon at his feet β€” or go diving to catch that bouquet. A fake girlfriend is the perfect solution, he’s just not expecting a very familiar face to show up as his plus-one…
Me.
The last time I saw Charlie, he was playing Mr Popular at our high-school… while I was stuck being Miss Invisible. Now β€” thanks to a rogue Chihuahua, my frat-bro boss, and a gallon of gluten-free frosting β€” he’s making me an offer I really should refuse. Play his fake girlfriend for a summer of wild weddings?
It’ll be worth it, as long as we can keep our hands to ourselves.
And our mouths.
And… other parts, too.
As the wedding marathon gets underway, the sparks between us are anything but fake – and breaking the rules has never been so fun. Can β€˜just for now’ turn into β€˜forever’? Find out in the sizzling, hilarious new romance from β€œthe reigning queen of romantic comedy” Lila Monroe!
Billionaire Bachelors Club:

 

1. Maverick Mogul

2. Renegade Roomie (April)

3. Baller Boss (July)

4. One-Week Wingman (Oct)

 

PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZONΒ USΒ /Β UKΒ /Β CAΒ /Β AU

 

COMING SOON
Releasing April 25
AMAZONΒ USΒ /Β UKΒ /Β CAΒ /Β AU

 

Releasing July 25
AMAZONΒ USΒ /Β UKΒ /Β CAΒ /Β AU

 

 

AUTHOR BIO

 

 

Combining her love of writing, sex and well-fitted suits, Lila Monroe wrote The Billionaire Bargain. Lila enjoys writing, as it gives her a flexible schedule to spend time with her kids and a wonderful excuse to avoid them. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, who strips out of his well-fitted suits nightly.
AUTHOR LINKS

New Release ~ Stolen by the Sinner ~ by ~ Hayley Faiman

Title: Stolen by the Sinner
Series: Russian Torpedo #1
Author: Hayley Faiman
Genre: Mafia Romance
Release Date: January 24, 2022
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Are all those that are lost meant to be found? Are all those that are stolen taken against their will?

Holland Wanger has spent her entire life beneath the scrutinization of the paparazzi. The daughter of a famous actor. Her life is predictable and routineβ€”boring. She’s afraid of change, but it seems as though her life is about to be turned upside down in a single instant.

Russian Bratva Torpedo, Danill Belsky, has a new mission that includes an offer for a payment that he can’t quite resist. A payment that comes in a knockout body with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

In a dark club, he meets her under the guise of fate. He is drawn to her. Not only does he need her, but he wants her, too. She’s alluring, seemingly untamable, but Danill knows that she wants to be his.

Can a woman really be stolen if she goes willingly?

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2OCC Reviews – β€œWooowee this was an epic ride!”

Goodreads Review – β€œWell written steamy engaging desire filled and more!”

Goodreads Review – β€œA Fantastic Bratva Story”

 

 

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As an only child, Hayley Faiman had to entertain herself somehow. She started writing stories at the age of six and never really stopped.

Born in California, she met her now husband at the age of sixteen and married him at the age of twenty in 2004. After all of these years together, he’s still the love of her life.

Hayley’s husband joined the military and they lived inΒ  Oregon,where he was stationed with the US Coast Guard. They moved back to California in 2006, where they had two little boys. Recently, the four of them moved out to the Hill Country of Texas, where they adopted a new family member, a chocolate lab named Optimus Prime.

Most of Hayley’s days are spent taking care of her two boys, going to the baseball fields for practice, or helping them with homework. Her evenings are spent with her husband and her nightsβ€”those are spent creating alpha book boyfriends.

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New Release ~ Bender ~ by ~ Savannah Rylan

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π—œ’𝗺 π—»π—Όπ˜ π˜π—²π—Ήπ—Ήπ—Άπ—»π—΄ 𝗡𝗲𝗿 π˜€π—΅*π˜β€¦

Big-time reporter sticking her nose into the club’s business. Ain’t nobody got time for that. The Steel Scorpions have bigger problems. But she won’t let it go. And those blue eyes are searching me for answers. Aria is pulling me in, quick. She’s a spitfire, but can she handle my level of heat? We’re about to find out. π˜½π™šπ™£π™™π™šπ™§ π™žπ™¨ π™©π™π™š π™›π™žπ™§π™¨π™© 𝙗𝙀𝙀𝙠 𝙀𝙛 π™©π™π™š π™Žπ™©π™šπ™šπ™‘ π™Žπ™˜π™€π™§π™₯π™žπ™€π™£π™¨ π™ˆπ˜Ύ.

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#BRD-9

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#BRD-10 SRsquarelogoLARGE Savannah Rylan is a romance writer that spends most of her time writing and reading with her cat, Gris. When not writing about sexy bikers and the women that love them, you can find her on the beach with a drink in her hand or at the gym testing out some strange new position. Yoga, obviously. She lives in Southern California with her husband and Gris, the true love of her life.

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New Release ~ Dead Cereus ~ by ~ Kira Seamon

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Holy holly berries! “Hurricane Holly” creates shenanigans on the Olympic level. This mischievous charmer has found herself in many strange messes, but this one takes the carrot cake! With her college scholarship already on frost alert, when Holly accidentally douses the college’s most distinguished donors, she sees her degree and her relationship with the hot Master Gardener quickly wilting. Her only chance of remaining in Shellesby is to win a vaunted internship with a famous chocolatier. The only problem? The other candidate is Holly’s biggest rival, a stuck-up queen bee-and she just might have her sights set on Holly’s swoon-worthy boyfriend as well! With a chance to win over the prestigious chocolatier when the rare night-blooming cereus plant is scheduled to open its petals at the Night Lights Gala, Holly is there-and so is a killer. Events unfold that not only place her scholarship on the line, but also her life…and that of her rival. Holly finds herself racing the clock to save her arch nemesis, secure her scholarship, and catch a murderer, if she can! Enjoy this lighthearted romp with its plethora of plants and wonderful characters by picking up a copy of Dead Cereus today! Can Holly stand the heat in the hothouse or is she headed for a spectacular meltdown? This is an epic romance and a fantastic, unique mystery rolled into one hilarious story. With all the feels, this novel can’t help but implant itself in your heart and grow into one of your favorite reads. Put your petal to the metal and see what all the buzz is about. Dead Cereus is to die for! π‘ͺπ’π’Žπ’† 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’Žπ’šπ’”π’•π’†π’“π’š, π’”π’•π’‚π’š 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅. π‘ͺ𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 π’‘π’π’‚π’šπ’” 𝒂 π’ƒπ’Šπ’ˆ 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 π’Šπ’ π’•π’‰π’Šπ’” π’ƒπ’π’π’Œ; π’šπ’π’– π’˜π’Šπ’π’ β€˜π’„π’‰π’π’„π’π’π’‚π’•π’†β€™ 𝒂𝒔 π’šπ’π’–’𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 β€˜π’„π’‰π’π’„π’π’π’‚π’•π’†π’…β€™ 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆! 𝑯𝒐𝒕 π’π’†π’˜ 𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 π‘²π’Šπ’“π’‚ π‘Ίπ’†π’‚π’Žπ’π’ π’Žπ’‚π’Œπ’†π’” π’ƒπ’π’•π’‚π’π’š 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍 π’‚π’ˆπ’‚π’Šπ’, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒂 π’•π’Šπ’Žπ’†.

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#DCRD-8 Release Day Release Day DeadCereus-Bond

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#DCRD-9 The group pushed through the screen door that separated this room from the next and immediately fell silent. A hush permeated the room, and the only sounds came from the fans that stayed on all the time to give proper ventilation in the greenhouse.Β  The group slowly looked skyward and marveled at the exotic large trees growing there.Β  Huge flowering trees of every description provided a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes.Β  Bougainvillea with large sprays of blossoms in red, orange, and yellow grew in shaggy bushes along the windows of this room in the greenhouse complex. A torch ginger grove was in the middle along with overflowing hibiscus bushes. The hibiscus was in such profusion that their large showy blossoms intermingled with the other jungle-like plants to create a sea of tropical flora. This display room felt as humid as a Florida afternoon in mid-July, and there were tiny swarms of gnats that could not be gotten rid of. This was the most mysterious of the rooms, as the layout of it did not give viewers an unfettered glimpse across the span of the room. Overstuffed, indeed overplanted, with the most magnificent palms and tropical plants, it was an entire tropical jungle stuffed into a terrarium-sized space. Heather laughed, breaking the spell, and said her glasses had fogged up from the intense humidity of the room.Β  β€œI feel like I’m on a set for the film Jurassic Park,” Jasmine’s husband said. Holly also recovered her composure, but being awestruck was the most common reaction to the trees in the Tropical Forest Room, even for those who saw them every day. For infrequent or new visitors, the effect was simply jaw-dropping.Β  This room alone earned the Shellesby College greenhouse complex the prestige of one of the top five greenhouses in the world. β€œWell,” Holly said after the oohs and aahs had simmered down, β€œunfortunately, I have another story to tell you. I might hate this story even more than the bat story, but it is integral to why you’re here today.” The group waited in anticipation.Β  β€œSimply put, your donations have made this room what it is, no more and no less. Without you, we would have faced a catastrophe. The college and I are forever in your debt.” β€œCan you explain the catastrophe?” Heather asked. Holly nodded painfully.Β  β€œOne of my many jobs here is to be in charge of the plant donations. Two years ago, we received a donation of a wonderful Guadalupe palm specimen. This was a mature tree, and it is, in fact, on the world’s endangered list, as it is native only to Guadalupe Island in Mexico. To have one in our collection was a true highlight for the greenhouse that year.” β€œThat sounds amazing,” V said. β€œHow was it a catastrophe?”   Holly swallowed hard.Β 

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#DCRD-10

Read the First Chapter HERE!

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curls Kira Kanani Seamon was born and raised in Hawaii. She attended the prestigious Punahou School as an award-winning honor student. A polymath, Kira is a gold medal/state winner in piano performance and a National and two-time Regional Dance Champion. She’s an award-winning photographer and has had her art accepted and sold in national and regional juried shows. She’s had over fifty newspaper cover stories about her art and is a fourteen-time grant recipient from cultural councils. She celebrated her first solo museum exhibit of her work in 2020.Β  She was recently the inaugural artist-in-residence in Natick, Massachusetts. She received a personal letter from the Massachusetts Senate President and a Certificate of Recognition from the Massachusetts State Legislation in recognition of her grant from Framingham, Massachusetts. All of this culminated in her receiving the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, for which she appeared in the Wall Street Journal in 2020. She took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Machu Picchu, Peru with the Punahou Alumni Association and her travel tale about that expedition is published in the 2021 September/October edition of the Writers and Readers’ Magazine. Additionally, her Peru photography is the editorial feature in the 2021 fall edition of DRIFT Travel magazine. DRIFT Travel is an upscale travel and lifestyle magazine with each issue being emailed to 4+ million digital magazine readers worldwide. Additionally, DRIFT is also part of the PressReader magazine/newspaper digital platform that puts DRIFT in thousands of hotels, cruise ships, resorts and airlines around the world, opening the door to an additional 300 million users annually. Kira has never met a story from Greek mythology that she didn’t love and has kept a daily journal since her teens. Dead Cereus is her first novel.

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