Hi guys! We have Edale Lane stopping by with the tour for her new release Chaos In Milan, we have a brilliant guest post from Edale, a great excerpt and a fantastic $20 Amazon GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤️ ~Pixie~
Chaos In Milan
(Night Flyer 03)
by
Edale Lane
One woman stands between chaos and order – the Night Flyer!
When chaos strikes at the heart of Milan, it is up to Florentina’s alter-ego the Night Flyer to stop it. As Florentina and Madelena’s love deepens, so does the well of danger surrounding them. The race is on to discover the mysterious Shadow Guild and uncover who is behind the deadly rampage, but Florentina’s mission is threatened by a gang of assassins. Can the Night Flyer prevail, or will Maddie’s love be ripped from her arms?
Chaos in Milan is the third book in Edale Lane’s Night Flyer Trilogy, a tale of power, passion, and payback in Renaissance Italy. If you like action and suspense, rich historical background, three-dimensional characters, and a sweet romance, then you’ll want to complete the Night Flyer saga. Order your copy of Chaos in Milan today!
Cast out of her village after being accused of killing her father, Marigold Lovelock has nothing but the clothes on her back and the willpower to make it into the woods.
With the company of an Ursidae, a mythical creature known as Squeak, she seeks out The One, the Storyteller who speaks the truth.
Throw in a nasty beast called the Gromas, a pack of wolves, and a girl with lips as red as blood, Marigold knows she must learn how to embrace the person she was always been destined to be.
A person falls in love with three people in their lifetime. At least that’s what the Storytellers will show you in their legends.
Each love will come at a time in a person’s life when they need it most. Even if they don’t realise they needed it in the first place.
There’s the first love, the one who teaches what the magical thing called love is. It’s young love. It’s innocent, and it’s pure. It ends far before it can truly begin, but it will always remain the first love of one’s life.
The second love is a hard love to endure. It changes a person, teaches them that a heart can break, that a person can wound you more than a knife, that not every love is a fairy tale. It makes a person stronger; it shapes them, helps them grow, teaches them that a heart can mend in time.
Then there is the third love, a love that has no warning, that sneaks up on a person and takes them by surprise. It’s the love that they didn’t know they needed, the one they were not looking for. It’s the love that will truly last the test of time. This is the love that can withstand all the battles a person has to endure. It’s unwavering. This is the love that feels like a fairy tale.
*
Marigold Lovelock had heard these legends more times than she could count, but she never once believed in them.
Her father was a Storyteller. His job was to be the one a person seeks for the knowledge, the truth, the wisdom. His job was his life. It took precedence over everything else, including Marigold. Her father’s favourite thing about his title, his powers, was the fact that people blindly adored him. They believed her father could do no wrong, that he was the one with all the answers. He could gather as many of the townspeople as he wanted, tell them of the stories, the legends, the prophecies that had been passed down to him by Storytellers past. And the townspeople would gather; they would flock, run, rally to the town’s centre to hear a new story each day; their eyes and hearts full of belief, of wonder and whimsy.
They truly loved her father, for he could tell them all the things their hearts desired to hear, could warn them of the dangers of the beasts and demons that lay beyond the town’s edge. Her father was the light, and Marigold his shadow. The people treated her like she was nothing, like all she did was bring the darkness wherever she went. They skittered away if she got too close, made shifty, judging glances with narrowed eyes and lips pressed in tight lines. The children were ushered away and taught to keep their distance.
Though Goldie never knew why they did this, she wondered if it was out of fear, and if that were true, perhaps she was afraid of them too. She’d shy away from everyone as they would hiss and pull away from her. Because why would you even try to fit in when you’re a puzzle with one too many pieces that will never be completed?
Her life had never been easy. She lost her mother to childbirth, she lost her father to the Storytellers, and she lost herself to the darkness of being alone. The darkness enveloped the townspeople too but not as heavy as it weighed on her. They all had lost their light; her father had died this past spring, and though the doctor had said he passed from age and peacefully in his sleep, Marigold wondered if he had died of a broken heart. He was always so lost without her mother, and he blamed Marigold for that loss; it’s why she never felt close to him, to anyone.
Everyone believed Marigold was cursed, that she possessed something inside her so dark and wicked that it had killed her mother, and that anyone who got close to her, anyone who loved her, would fall dead to the curse too. Her father was just another reason for them to fear her. The townspeople were lost without their Storyteller. The next was still learning the stories and prophecies, and so they had no one to turn to for guidance, for what should be done about Marigold, about who they thought she was, what she was to become, and who she might hurt in the process. The elders of the town were brought up on the stories, but they could only remember so much. Only the mind of a Storyteller could remember all. Their older minds were forgetting, slowly with time, but they never failed to forget the prophecy of the Kalakuta. That is what they believed Marigold was.
The Kalakuta were ancient beings, the ones the elders and Storytellers alike would call “the potion people of death.” Their prophecy tells of the Kalakuta being a sentient being that lived long before the time of people. Beings that, once they found a host, would kill any human or being in its path, for the darkness inside told them to do so. They were the makers of death. Her father, the Storyteller, had spoken of a Kalakuta preying on their town, feasting on the sick, the weak, the lost, believing that over time they would eventually take everyone, and there would be no one left to stop it. The minute Marigold’s father had passed, it was like any suspicion they had of Marigold being a Kalakuta had all but been confirmed.
This is why she now stood at the edge of the wood, at the final edge of sand between the unknown and the town, her only belongings scattered just beyond the trees, and the entire town standing at her back, waiting to be rid of her at last. Their mourning period was over for the Storyteller. The townspeople were no longer grieving; they were rioting. The moment their mourning cloud had lifted, they went on a manhunt for her. They found Marigold hidden away, wishing to be forgotten in her small hut of a home. They were all afraid of her, just as she was afraid of them. No one was willing to get too close to her. She cowered in her corner, begging someone, anyone, to leave her alone.
Someone looped rope around her body, cinching it at her waist and all but dragging her out of her home toward the dark wood. She was scrambling to grab anything she possibly could, begging them to stop, promising them that she would willingly go if they just let her grab her things. They stopped for a moment, enough time for her to grab a satchel with two dresses to change, her pouch of every coin she had saved that her father had hesitated to give her as gifts on special days, and the only drawing she had of her mother, one that her father had tried to throw away in anger and mourning on the anniversary of her death, Marigold’s birthday. It was the one thing Marigold had treasured all her life. It was the last thing she had.
“Now. Get going,” the man holding the end of the rope had grunted, tugging on the rope so hard her chest ached with the effort to breathe.
The people gathered in her hut parted at the door. They led Marigold out of the town to the wood with a rope around her waist, something hard pressing into her back, pushing her forward while tears streamed down her face. She gripped at her satchel, her heart breaking with every step she put in behind her. Please, she had begged them. Please don’t send me away.
All that resulted in was her being shoved even harder, falling to the ground, her crying out in pain as something hard, no doubt the broom handle of a local keeper, cracked down on her back. Her things were grabbed by the children, her satchel tossed, her dresses strewn, her photo crumpled into the tiniest ball. Her pouch of money pressed against her hip, hidden in the pocket she’d sewn into her dress herself. It was the only thing they couldn’t take from her.
“Be gone, Kalakuta!” They were all shouting obscene comments at her now, where she stood straight as a pin, her bare toes touching the edges of the dark wood.
“Please, I am not a—”
“You are a killer, Marigold Lovelock. You killed your parents; you kill the elders, the children even! You have a darkness in you that will never settle. We ought to kill you, but that would be too kind of us. We shall let the beasts of the woods decide your fate. Never return to Veritas, or we will change our minds. Kalakuta.” The man spit at her. The crowds were throwing things at her, rocks and sticks and anything they could use to hurt her.
“Please—” Marigold pleaded one last time, her cheeks dripped with tears, her whole body trembling. She had never been so scared in all her life.
“She does not learn. We have no pity,” an elder breathed in hushed tones.
“Let us show her what we do to Kalakuta.”
This was the last thing Marigold heard before she felt a sharp, blunt pain at the back of her skull, and the world went black.
Danni Maxwell has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, she is a debut author who is currently studying to become a librarian, a job she defines as the best of both the reading and writing world. She has won multiple prestigious writing awards in the past few years. Her favourite genres to write are contemporary, LGBT+, and more recently she’s been dabbling in YA, sci-fi and poetry. When she’s not writing, you can find her creating book- and writing-related videos on Youtube’s Booktube community, at Danni Darling.
Hi guys! We have Lindsey Byrd stopping by today with her new release On The Subject Of Griffons, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic $25 Riptide GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
On The Subject Of Griffons
by
Lindsey Byrd
They’ll do anything to save their children’s lives, even if it means working together.
Kera Montgomery is still mourning the sudden death of her husband, Morpheus, when her youngest son falls victim to a mysterious plague. With no medicinal cure, Kera must travel to the Long Lakes, where magical griffons capable of healing any ailment reside.
As an heiress unused to grueling travel, Kera struggles with the immense emotional and physical strain of her journey—one made more complex when she crosses paths with her husband’s former mistress, Aurora. Aurora’s daughter is afflicted with the same plague as Kera’s son, so despite their incendiary history, the two women agree to set aside their differences and travel together.
The road is fraught with dangers, both living and dead. Each night, old battlegrounds reanimate with ghosts who don’t know they’ve died, and murderous wraiths hunt for stray travelers caught out after dark. If Kera, Aurora, and their children are going to survive, they’ll need to confront the past that’s been haunting them since their journey began. And perhaps in the process, discover that old friends may not be as trustworthy as they once thought—and old enemies may become so much more.
Reader discretion advised. This title contains the following sensitive themes: Emotional Abuse, Sexual Assault, Animal death, Dubious Consent (backstory)
Hi guys! We have Valentine Wheeler stopping by with her new release Surface Tension, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic NineStar GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Surface Tension
by
Valentine Wheeler
Sarai runs away from home to find a new life on the high seas. She’s heard stories all her life of the things that lurk beneath the waves and the people who return to land with fractured memories and strange new scars. When a storm brings her face to face with a creature unlike any she’s met, she discovers a whole new world under the sea.
Hi guys! We have NineStar Press popping in today with their new anthology Once Upon A Rainbow Vol Three, we have a fantastic $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Once Upon A Rainbow Vol Three
by
A.E. Ross, Elna Holst, Mark Lesney, N.J. Romaine, Sam Burns, Valentine Wheeler, W.M. Fawkes
Your favorite stories from childhood have a new twist. Seven fairy tales of old with characters across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.
Green Things Grow from Cinders
by A.E. Ross
Glass slippers aren’t for everyone.
Gretel on Her Own
by Elna Holst
This time around, Gretel Kindermann is on her own. Or is she?
Bremen Town Musicians
by Mark Lesney
Loss and love on the road to Bremen Town.
The Scent of Magic
by N.J. Romaine
Who can win a hunt against the Big Bad Wolf?
The Rescue
by Sam Burns
Saving princesses is hard work. Getting out of marrying them is harder.
Hi guys, we have NineStar Press and a collection of their authors stopping by today with their new lesbian & gay release the Teacher’s Pet anthology, there’s a brilliant giveaway to celebrate it’s release so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Hi guys, we have NineStar Press stopping by with their new anthology Once Upon A Rainbow Vol II, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~
Once Upon a Rainbow Anthology Vol. 2
by
Jennifer Cosgrove, Sara Codair, Emmalynn Spark, K.S. Trenten, Lina Langley, Rebecca Langham, Sita Bethel, Tray Ellis
Your favorite stories from childhood have a new twist. Eight fairy tales of old with characters across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.
Coming Home by Jennifer Cosgrove
No one ever expects to be Prince Charming.
Scott Prince has everything, but it doesn’t mean that he enjoys all the responsibilities that come with it. It is, at times, a lonely life. But things start looking up one evening when, at an obligatory social event, he meets a handsome man while stepping out for some air.
But then the man disappears. Scott and Molly, his best friend, find him again in a very unexpected place, and the mystery deepens. A tale of an evil stepmother and horrid stepsisters versus a man who is fiercely independent, and a Prince that will do whatever he can to help him escape his situation and come home.
Snow Fox by Sara Codair
Jealous Queen E’s attempts on Snow Fox’s life are trending.
Working at a fast food chain and photo blogging about her transition, Rosa Nieves, known to the internet as “Snow Fox,” is just trying to pay for nursing school. But when her photos go viral, Queen E can’t tolerate the idea that there is a badder bitch than herself, and sets out to murder Snow Fox. Can Rosa survive the wrath of a jealous, rich bitch with an enchanted smartphone? Or will one woman’s vanity be her doom?
Deathless by Emmalynn Spark
Means finding new ways.
Prince Ivan has never been particularly good at being a Prince, so when he comes to rescue his wife from the evil wizard, he ends up offering himself in her place. Vanya soon learns that, while Alex may be an evil wizard, he’s a hell of a whole lot more. But the Prince kills the evil wizard, right? There’s no way the Prince and the Evil Wizard could love each other instead? Sometimes, love means writing your own happy ending.
At Her Service by K.S. Trenten
Dancing to her true desire.
Cinders would much rather fondle her mistress’s bony feet than go to a ball. Magic whisks her away, in spite of herself to a night of lights, dancing, and mystery where she discovers her true heart’s desire. For nothing is what it seems where enchantment, fairy godmothers, and princes are concerned.
Shattered Glass by Lina Langley
The resistance was never ready for this.
Kai Axelsson is on the most dangerous mission of his life.
A timely twist of fate. A clever deception. And suddenly he’s found himself a place among the staff at Sandheim Palace, entrenched among the people bound to serve a despotic queen. Kai’s only job is to feed the propaganda machine while staying out of sight–yet when he catches the attention of the queen’s brother, what began as an information gathering mission becomes a battle for Kai’s very soul.
Powerful. Magnetic. Immortal. With a breath of frost and a sliver of glass, the crown prince Alexander weaves his spell around Kai, intent to claim him forever and draw him into the darkness of their world. Yet where Alexander’s heart is made of ice…it’s the fire in Johann’s that could be the key to bringing Kai home.
Johann never wanted to let Kai go on this mission. And now a fatal misstep could mean losing the only man he’s ever loved. Only Johann can break the spell entangling Kai’s heart in thorns of darkest glass.
Before the dark prince’s corruption claims him completely, and Kai is lost forever.
Finding Aurora by Rebecca Langham
Setting out to save the sleeping princess does not go as planned.
Aurora Rose slumbers in the city of Oldpass, a cursed kingdom once allied with Grimvein. She is powerless to control her own fate. At least, that’s how the story goes.
Now, as Grimvein faces attack, Prince Amir has been tasked with the life-threatening rescue of Aurora, his parents hopeful that he will marry the princess and secure safety for their kingdom. Talia, the strongest spellcaster in the known lands, protects and guides the prince in his quest to save a woman that threatens to change their lives forever. In finding Aurora, the pair will realise the truth about themselves and each other, coming to understand just what – and who – they really want in life.
Master Thief by Sita Bethel
He became the greatest thief in the world so he could steal his squire’s heart.
Tyv grew up hungry and cold in a shack boarding the property of a noble family. His father could never provide enough food, clothing, or warm shelter, but there was one important thing he gave to his sons- the choice to go find their own destinies.
The True Love Curse by Tray Ellis
True Love would be wonderful, but the curse keeps getting in the way.
Widow Clara Hammond doesn’t have time to worry about misfortune befalling the royal family when she has a house to repair and stepsons to feed, but on her way through the forest she encounters Queen Almarine. The queen is searching for a cure for her ill son, Prince Roald, and Clara can’t refuse helping her. The more time they spend together, the more Clara likes Almarine, and the more it seems that Almarine likes her back.
Henryk Hammond is struggling to finish his law degree when the whole university is shut down in a city-wide search for a solution to Prince Roald’s illness. While waiting in the long line to offer his own meager knowledge an old woman gives him a magical cloak and gains him audience with the Prince. Henryk’s watchful night takes him on a wild ride of dancing and feasting as he follows the Prince out of the palace. As morning arrives, Henryk realizes that to save the Prince they’ll have to confront the enchantress together. There’s only one way up the tower to the witch’s lair, but Henryk is determined to end the curse.