Wanting You, Part One (The Carrington Chronicles Book 1)
by A.C. Arthur
Genre: Genre Fiction/Erotic Suspense
99¢ at time of posting!
One man wants her….
…and another won’t let her go
Jason Carrington is a millionaire hotelier. He’s a man that’s never had to take no for an answer, who gets what he wants, when he wants it, no questions asked. Until he meets Celise Markam. In the midst of searching for the person responsible for sabotaging his hotel, in walks the first woman to tame Jason’s burning need.
Celise Markam may be a spoiled and pampered heiress on the surface, but beneath that media created facade lies a passion desperate to break free. Her surge to independence comes when she breaks her engagement and moves to Monterey, California to venture into the restaurant business. She has a plan for her future, one she’s not willing to let anyone—fiancé or relative—change. Her life is her own and she’s ready to do whatever is necessary to make her dreams come true. Then she spends the night with Jason Carrington and everything Celise thought she knew about love disintegrates in the flames of their desire.
Inexplicably drawn to each other, Celise and Jason ignite a fire bound to burn until someone gets hurt.
Wanting You, Part 2 (Carrington Chronicles Book 2)
by A.C. Arthur
Genre: Genre Fiction/Erotic Suspense
99¢ at time of posting!
One man wants her….
…and another won’t let her go
They’ve seen, they’ve touched, and they’re hooked…on each other! Jason and Celise have no idea what their relationship will bring or how the fact that Celise’s family and Jason’s rivals are all staying in his hotel. As things at Carrington Resorts take a turn for the worst and Celise’s ex shows up to make his final play, will their newfound connection suffer? Or will love find a way?
You won’t want to miss the enticing conclusion to WANTING YOU and the sneak peek of the next Carrington Chronicles book, NEEDING YOU.
Title: Forces of Destiny (Shackles of Royalty) Author: A. Akinosho
Genre: Fiction/ Romance/ New Adult Release Date: October 31, 2018 Cover Designer: Pick-a-Woo Woo Publishers Hosted by:Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
Tola grew up as an only child in the suburb of Chicago. Gloomy days was all Tola could see ahead of her as financial woes slowly crept into her life with the death of her stepfather and the imminent death of her cancer-stricken mother.
Unexpectedly, the father she never knew she had appears. His royal destiny becomes hers. How will it change Tola’s life? Will she find the shackles of royalty too much to bear?
In her search for comfort she chances upon a love so powerful she’s willing to gamble everything and change her destiny. The fight to secure both her love and her crown will demand more than her love and her family are willing to give.
Chapter 2
Tola/Aly
Two weeks earlier
After checking in at the lobby, I went upstairs to the apartment. A motherly looking lady, possibly in her fifties, opened the door with a bright smile.
“Hello, I’m Mrs. Romana, but everyone calls me Mrs. R.”
“Hi, I’m Aly, the nurse’s assistant.” I showed her the laminated badge Leah had made for me.
“Yes, please come in. Mr. Ellis is sleeping right now.”
She welcomed me in. I walked into the modernly decorated room definitely a bachelor space, no doubt. I looked around the wide living room with large windows and fantastic view.
“Come with me. I’ll show you your room and around the house.”
I nodded and followed her. She led me into a simple-style bedroom, and as I placed my bag on the bed, she showed me the connecting bathroom. I followed her around the house as she showed me the other bedrooms and Mr. Ellis’s office.
“Please don’t go in his office unless he calls you or sends you there. He’s very particular about that.”
I nodded my understanding.
Once back in the kitchen, she showed me his medications and instructions. He’d just come home from the hospital earlier that day from an outpatient surgery of his knee. He was going to need someone in the house with him.
I listened carefully as she explained his routine. She’d be here for a few hours during the day to clean and prepare his food. My job, as she explained, was to care for him when she wasn’t there.
“Since you are here during the day, why does he need me here full-time?” I asked.
“Well, I may need to go out during my hours here to complete errands, and I also cannot spend the night. Besides, I agree with his mother that we’ll all feel better knowing someone is here all day to help him without having to worry about hours.”
I nodded my understanding.
Mrs. R. was very pleasant, and she made me feel at home for the first time since my mom had died. I hadn’t realized how I had missed the motherly attention.
She was starting to talk about simple stuff. It was nice talking to her about school and everyday life. She made me lunch, and we laughed together at funny stuff. We had just cleaned up our plates when I heard a deep voice interrupt our conversation.
“Mrs. R, I need my meds, please.”
“Coming” she responded. She turned to me after grabbing the pain meds and bottle of juice. “He’s a big baby. Can’t take medicine with water unless it is flavored. Come with me so you can meet him.”
I followed her, heading to his room. She knocked gently; then entered. I had no expectation of him—after all, there wasn’t a picture of him in the living room, and I hadn’t stepped into his office. All I knew was he was young and fresh out of knee surgery. Nothing could have prepared me for the earth knocking me off my axis when I laid eyes on him.
I was no virgin. That part had gone out the door in my eighteenth year on Earth. Even with my dad’s overbearing love, I had kissed a few frogs in college. Not a relationship; just a few un-princess worthy moments in the sack.
But this one with his left leg resting on pillows and his knee wrapped in bandage, leaning his upper body on the headboard in a crinkled white undershirt and board shorts, his muscular, sculptured arm revealing some of the toned body and tan hidden by the shirt, his short black hair roughened from sleep… As my eyes fixated on his masculine face, the sexy gray eyes with full lashes that shouldn’t be on a man-captured my eyes. Clean-shaved face with lips that looked like they were begging me for a kiss. Time stood still as I gazed at him.
Mrs. R spoke, making us break our gaze of each other. “Kyle, here is your Motrin.”
Only then did I notice she had moved around while my eyes had been fixated on him. He accepted the meds, swallowed them, then returned his eyes to me.
“Meet Aly, your nurse’s aide. She will be helping you when I’m not around,” Mrs. R said.
My three easy weeks had just gotten downright messy. Three weeks with him was going to be very dangerous for my mind and body. I would have introduced myself, but I stood, tongue-tied, not sure what to say to him.
“Ms. Aly,” he expressed in an icy tone.
“Hi, Mr. Ellis pleased to meet you,” I responded.
His tone snapped me out any crazy fantasy of us I might have had.
“Aly, make sure I get my next set of Motrin in four hours. If I’m sleeping, wake me. I can’t stand this pain, and I hope Mrs. R has filled you in on my expectations.”
“Yes, she has.”
“Would you like to eat now, Kyle?” asked Mrs. R.
“No,” he replied.
Mrs. R began adjusting his pillows as she spoke. “You know, not eating isn’t an option for me. Unless you want me to start feeding a grown man like you,” she said in that motherly tone that gave one no option.
“Fine. Bring me what you have,” he grumbled.
“Now that is more like it.” She turned to me. “Come on, Aly.”
Ade Akinosho resides in Schaumburg IL, after living two and a half years in Dubai, with her husband and four children. A move she says gave her the opportunity to meet interesting and amazing people. By day, Ade considers herself Mom/house driver taking care of her children and by night she lets her imagination run wide writing romance novels where she feels she is literary seating in the room with her characters.
Ade is a Linguistics and English major who went on to the business operations world with an MBA. Now back to her original passion for writing, something she started doing at the age of 10, Ade describes herself as a voracious reader, lover of the art of words and a traveler. She is known to scribble on just about anything that comes away when the words fill her mind. Publishing her first novel Falsified is a dream come true for someone who has always had a passion for writing and love for reading.
When she is not busy driving or fulfilling an activity for her children, you can always find her reading a book, binging on chocolate or checking out interesting places in the world.
Title: Losing Time (Knights in Time Book 5) Author: Chris Karlsen
Genre: Historical Romance (With time travel elements) Release Date: September 16, 2018 Hosted by:Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
Can love survive the wrong time and place? Felicia Wycliff’s peaceful stroll through the woods turned to disaster when her dachshund bolted after a rabbit. One minute Felicia was running after the determined little dog, the next she was hurled to the ground. Gathering her wits after her tumble, she brushed herself off and continued her pursuit—-right into three mounted knights who blocked her path. They were so authentic looking. They might’ve stepped from the keep of the nearby castle, Elysian Fields. But the old Norman fortress was a ruin and had been for three hundred years. “Seize her,” the middle knight ordered, the knight who sat tallest in the saddle. “Let me go.” She fought, striking out when the two knights grabbed her. “Who the deuce are you?” “I’m the Captain of the Baron’s Guard, and you are trespassing.” Kidnapped, her confusion and fear consumed her. But when they rode through the gates of Elysian Fields, the castle looking as formidable as the date it was built, her terror exploded. When she fell she knew exactly where she was. But where the devil had she landed?
The force of the charge knocked them to the ground as it had Felicia and everyone else who experienced it.
Leland’s mouth watered like crazy. He spit and then rolled onto his knees but couldn’t keep his balance and fell onto his side. There was a strange salty taste to the saliva as though his mouth was sweating from the heat. He spit and then rolled onto his knees. Too dizzy to attempt standing, he closed his eyes and counted to twenty. When he opened them again, the dizziness had passed.
Tony had managed to roll onto his knees. Breathing hard and fast, he held a palm under one eye and worked to remove his contacts. “My eyes. My eyes. They’re on fire.”
He closed his hand over the contacts. As he did his shoulders dropped and his breathing evened.
Leland slowly stood. “Can you stand?” he asked Tony.
“Yes. I’m fine now.”
“Can you see all right?”
“Well enough. I’m a tad fuzzy around the edges but if you’re not asking me to read the fine print on a legal document, I’ll be able to do whatever we need to.”
“Let’s start toward the castle. No point in delaying.”
“Yeah, no point in putting off the inevitable,” Tony said.
They just crossed out of the clearing when both stopped.
“Did you hear voices?” Tony whispered.
Leland nodded. “We need to hide.” He dashed for a patch of thick shrubs with Tony right behind.
They got hunkered down as Felicia and a knight on horseback came into the clearing by the outcropping. Felicia brought her horse to a halt, looped the reins, laid them over the pommel and dismounted.
I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books. My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa. I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write three different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters. The newest is The Bloodstone Series. Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write. I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and five wild and crazy rescue dogs.
A NATO training exercise goes terribly wrong when five warships from different countries are mysteriously transported to Eledon, the Realm of the Elves. The warrior, Lady Alexin, is charged to escort the troops back home to London in the year 2031 with the aid of the Wizard Ecstasy and a magic shrinking potion. Yet, when the authorities question her story, Alex is detained and imprisoned under suspicion of terrorism. Caught in a web of politics, betrayal and bungling bureaucracy, the confusing world of the future will push her magical gifts to their limit, and her own future will hang in the balance, caught between “justice” and the place she calls home.
~~~
EXCERPT
Chapter 2:
A short while later, Captain Jonas returned, accompanied by a middle-aged woman and a group of young sailors, male and female. The woman wore a mottled blue camouflage uniform and her blond hair was tucked under a dark blue cap with a brim and the name USS Lonestar emblazoned in gold.
“Alex, this is Captain Williams. She’ll take over…this place.” He grimaced as he looked around. “Captain Williams, I’ll check in later.” He nodded to her and marched out.
“Nice to meet you, Miss.” Captain Williams held out her hand.
Alex shook her hand and noticed the eagle pins on her collar. She was the same rank as Captain Jonas, equivalent to a Colonel, the rank of her foster father, Colonel Penser. “My name’s Alex. They allow women to be in charge of ships?”
The Captain’s smile grew. “Yep, sure do. Half my crew is female.” She winked. “The Captain disapproves.”
“I get the same reaction. Are you an American?” Alex’s smile broadened.
“Yes, ma’am, from Houston, Texas. Where’re you from?”
“I was born here, but my foster father’s from Texas. He’s a colonel and in charge of the Nyla Army Garrison. I thought I recognized your accent.”
“How long has he been here?”
“A long time. He said he was in a place called ‘Nam before.”
“You mean Vietnam?” The Captain rubbed her chin. “That was about sixty years ago.”
“Oh, he hasn’t been here that long.”
The woman paused, uncertain how to react and pressed her lips together. She turned to monitor the cleaning crew. “When was the last time this hospital was used?”
“We call it a healing house. I was here about three or four years ago. I guess no one’s needed it since.”
“What kind of equipment do you have? An X-ray machine?” She took notice of the bare walls. “What about electrical outlets? Running water?”
Alex shook her head. “We don’t have outlets for anything, but you can get water from the pump outside. We don’t have any kind of X equipment.”
“Uh, where exactly are we?”
“Seaward Isle. It’s part of Eledon, the Elf world. We haven’t had a shipwreck here in years and we just fixed the Elf grid to keep this from happening.”
Chapter 3:
On Earth, over the Atlantic Ocean, four helos from the aircraft carrier swept the sea, looking for survivors or debris and found nothing. Jets flew overhead for another look from the air and a second submarine surfaced in the area where the ships were last reported. No success. Other ships were diverted for search-and-rescue operations, to no avail.
Admiral Teller had no choice but to inform NATO headquarters. His mouth went dry and his chest burned; he took two antacid pills, but they didn’t help. The ship connected to headquarters via satellite phone and the Admiral picked up the receiver. At first, his voice faltered, but he cleared his throat and reported the loss. Once he hung up, tears rolled down his cheeks and he pressed his lips together to keep from sobbing. He’d never lost a ship before.
The British Royal Navy had been honored to lead this exercise, but with over seven hundred sailors and five ships missing, the Admiral prepared himself for the inevitable. He’d be relieved of command and forced to retire. There might even be a court-martial. His return to London would mark the end of his career, especially when he would debrief Admiral Sir Neville Chestermann, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff. Teller hung his head.
An hour later, Captain Delacruz knocked on the Admiral’s cabin door. “Admiral, I hate to bother you at this time, but the press corps on the ship is asking questions. We need to tell them something.”
The Admiral sighed. “You’re right, Captain. Set up a press conference in the briefing room. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Yes, Admiral.” The Captain left.
The Admiral rubbed his temples. He’d forgotten about the pool of journalists they’d taken on board to cover the exercise. Fortunately, none of them had been deployed to the five ships now missing. He took a deep breath. “Honesty is the best policy.” He wiped his face of sweat with a towel and went to the briefing room.
Fantasy novels are Joni Parker’s writing passion. Thus far, she’s written two series—“The Seaward Isle Saga,” a trilogy, and “The Chronicles of Eledon,” the award-winning four-book series. Her latest project, “Curse of the Sea” is her eighth book and begins a new trilogy. Her work extends beyond novels into short stories with two appearing in an anthology, “Tucson and Beyond” by the Tucson Science Fiction Fantasy writers’ group. Joni’s retired from military and federal government service and devotes her time to writing. She currently resides in Tucson, Arizona.
I’ve been waiting for this sequel since the day I finished book 1, Magic O’clock.
I pre-ordered, joined the blog tour and re-read book 1… twice.
And like Archie Royle’s daughter, I still wasn’t ready. I was caught off-guard not by the depth of emotions, but the sheer weight.
Archie’s death is no mystery or plot twist. The author laid it right out there in the blurb. You know it will happen.
Just as Archie’s family knew the end was approaching. And as his youngest daughter resigned herself to that fact when she had to place him in a skilled care facility.
But it was with a broken heart she, at last, accepted it as pneumonia joined the Dementia in taking him farther away from her. However, as prepared as she was, losing him takes her to her knees… and I was right there with her.
Death sometimes brings out the worst in those left behind. When anger flares, jealousies, slights, and resentments thought long-forgotten get tossed around like a beach ball. The youngest daughter knew she’d committed no offenses against her two older sisters out of spite or otherwise, but she allowed their bad attitudes… until she didn’t, and when she digs her heels in, she goes from her father’s biggest fan to his staunchest advocate. The gloves come off and she holds nothing back. Great scene!
When family and friends gather to say their goodbyes to Archie, his baby girl is surprised at the new insight she gets into the man she thought she knew so well. It comforts her and helps to close the divide between her and her older sisters.
My first tears fell at only 20% into this short read. Where book 1 inspired memories of my own father’s last days, Magical Memories brings to mind memories shared and that had me smiling by 88%.
ANY reader would enjoy Magical Memories, regardless of preferred genre. I highly recommend downloading books 1 and 2 and reading them together. Readers shouldn’t be leery of tags like death and grief because, at its core, Magical Memories isn’t about how Archie Royle died but about how much he was loved.
Enjoy!
~~~ Magical Memories
As Archie Royle takes his final breath, three sisters race to say their goodbyes.
Two don’t make it in time.
I do.
And now, it’s all my fault they’re too late.
Despite him having dementia.
Despite them not visiting in over a month.
But I won’t let anger win.
After all, we’re all grieving, aren’t we?
Surely, as a family, we can let bygones be bygones.
It’s what Dad would want. Expect.
It’s what he deserves.
We have so much to be grateful for.
So many fond and magical memories to share.
Magical Memories is a fictional tale of loss, grief and moving on.
Author Bio – Despite being born in England, my heart now lies in Spain. Many moons ago, I was a student in Granada, Spain. I loved it so much and swore I would return one day on a more permanent basis. In 2003, I did just that.
Now, as a fur-mum to two adorable but mischievous mutts, in my free time I can usually be spotted with my nose in a book, armed with just the teeniest chunk of chocolate and a zillion pomegranates!
This blog serves the purpose of helping all of those who likes to write to get technical information as well as, having a safe harbor to discuss ideas.
Title: Curse of the Sea
Author Bio
Nesie's Place 