#BookReview: Once upon a Wonderland by D.J. Stoneham

Synopsis: “Fee-fi-fo-fum!” boomed the ogre.
“Why do you keep quoting Shakespeare’s King Lear?” asked Alice. “And while we’re on the subject, why can you only smell the blood of Englishmen? Why not other nationalities? Or English women come to that?” 

A poltergeist in tattered leotards, a grumpy carnivore more interested in Gaston than Belle and a psychotic arsonist. These are not the Rumpelstiltskin, Beast and Cinderella that Alice knew and loved. Nevertheless, she needs to get them and other fairy tale characters out of Wonderland if she’s to mend Time and return home. And rescue Jack, the feathered boy she’s in love with.

Alice’s quest is not helped by charges of treason, the advances of a dashing mediaeval estate agent and the fact that she is growing younger by the hour. And then there is the Queen of Hearts and her cohorts to contend with. 

Alice’s journey is peppered with surreal events, gritty wordplay and the sinister backstories to popular fairy tales, making this stand-alone Wonderland story a must for younger and older adults alike.

“Captivating, iconic, and engaging. 10/10.” Anthony Avina
“Captures the whimsy and imagination of Carroll’s classic.” The Creative Muggle
“5-star. A noteworthy fantasy like no other.” Reader Reviews
“Engaging, entertaining, and wickedly smart … a classic in its own right.” Self-Publishing Review
“Stellar illustrations perfectly complement the narrative.” blueink
“One of the finest releases of 2023. A must read.” Book Nerdection

#ReleaseBlitz for The Goddess by Lindsay Murray @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: The Goddess

Series: AnchorX

Author: Lindsay Murray

Genre: BDSM Romance

Tropes: Reverse Age Gap/Fendom

Release Date: May 29, 2023

BLURB

I met a wicked older woman with seductive, amber eyes, lips that could kill a man, and a voice that brings me to my knees.

And she wants to play with me.

I know it’s nothing serious. I’m just a way to pass the time. I’m her entertainment, a fun indulgence. But she’s hot, and kinky, and experienced, and I can’t resist her. She gets off on my torture. She teases and scolds, rewards and punishes.

But as her demands become more intense, and her punishment becomes more severe, I start to love her. And hate her.

Because I don’t know if I can ever please her… but I don’t think I can live without her.

The Goddess is a standalone, reverse age-gap, femdom romance. Characters are polyamorous and have multiple partners outside of their relationship. This story takes place within the AnchorX world, and can be read as a standalone. See author’s website for detailed content warnings.

#BookBlitz: Heaven's Ghosts by @barnard_anneke @RABTBookTours

 

Heaven Maine Mysteries, Book One

 

YA Mystery; Coming of age; YA fiction

Date Published: August 21, 2021

 

 

A young boy's apparent accidental drowning, a mysterious drifter, the town recluse, a deaf boy who can hear the voices of spirits, and the mystery that connects them all.

Samson Roe comes from a family of fake psychics his mother being the most recent perpetrator of the con. However, Sam has a secret that he has not revealed to anyone, he can speak with ghosts. The only problem is that Sam is deaf, so though he can hear the voices of the dead the living are silent to him. When a boy named Kip Green drowns in the picturesque town of Heaven Maine nobody suspects anything sinister; that is until Kip makes a visit to Samson and reveals that he believes his death to be anything but an accident. Together they begin to investigate what really happened and in the process begin to unravel a thirty-seven year old mystery.

#BookBlitz: A Just Transition by @nj_ayuk @RABTBookTours

 

Making Energy Poverty History with an Energy Mix

 

Nonfiction, Energy

Date Published: 3/21/2023

Publisher: Made For Success

 

"Mr. Ayuk shows how the oil and gas industry can unleash economic development and prosperity across the continent." --The late OPEC Secretary General, Mohammad Barkindo

In just a few short decades, the many countries of our planet have become interconnected beyond our wildest imaginations. And as our view of the world has expanded, there has been a rise in the demand for cultures and political institutions around the world to "think globally." While thinking globally is often well-meaning, acting globally without consideration for local countries can unintentionally cause harmful results.

In A Just Transition, renowned Cameroonian author and entrepreneur NJ Ayuk reveals how this sobering reality is unfolding as the International Energy Agency's ambitious green energy (IEA) policies have stifled and crippled the energy economies of Africa.

When the IEA set a hard requirement for countries around the world to embrace "green" energy sources, the burgeoning energy economies of Africa watched in horror as funding and business interest in their oil and gas energy projects evaporated.

With a natural abundance of oil and gas resources, Africa has the potential to be a global energy leader. But this transformation cannot happen for African countries through green energy alone. A Just Transition is an insightful exploration into the possibility of a bright future for African countries and the factors that stand in the way of its manifestation.

NJ Ayuk takes listeners on a detailed, expert journey through the following topics:

• The reality of energy poverty
• The value of natural gas in Africa
• How foreign aid actually harms Africa
• Embracing new technology
• Creating opportunities for women

 

And much more!

With thoughtful governance, a keen eye for opportunity, and the due consideration of the countries affected by a sweeping legislation, it is possible for countries in Africa to make a transition to renewable energy that is not only just but prosperous for all involved.

#BookTour: Hammerhead by Wesley Britton @RABTBookTours #Giveaway

Sci-Fi

Date Published: 03-06-2023

Publisher: Alien Vision

 

20 years in the future, humanity has been decimated by climate change and waves of fatal plagues released by Islamic terrorists.

In this new world, Special Operative Mary Carpenter of the Commonwealth of Independent States takes on deadly opponents, including white supremacists, cells of the Everlasting Caliphate, and an international organization of smugglers called Hammerhead plotting to dominate the planet with an all-powerful fear gas.

 

Join Mary Carpenter in four fast-paced, futuristic adventures that might be in tomorrow's headlines-

#ReleaseBlitz for Meant for You by Samantha Leigh @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Meant for You

Series: Valentine Bay #2

Author: Samantha Leigh

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Small Town/Enemies to Lovers

Release Date: June 1, 2023

BLURB

He’s my ex’s best friend. The man I love to hate. A total temptation who is totally off-limits.

And he’s everywhere I turn.

My life’s a disaster. My ex-boyfriend is getting married, my house is falling apart, and I haven’t slept with anyone in… Well, long enough that I’m not sure I remember where everything is supposed to go.

The last person I’d ever ask for help is my childhood enemy, Logan Reeve. He’s smug. He’s infuriating. He’s gorgeous. And lately, he’s caught me in one too many weak moments. A cocky carpenter who knows how to work a sledgehammer, Logan promises he can renovate my house before my parents sell it out from under me.

I can’t deny it. Logan’s got the skills I need to turn things around—in life and in the bedroom.

I’m craving some old-fashioned action, and Logan is always—irritatingly—there. As the tension takes us dangerously close to a line we shouldn’t cross, we find ourselves flirting with forbidden territory. Flirting, flirting… until finally, we fall.

Why does it feel so good when it’s so, so bad?

It won’t last. Nobody can ever know. There’s nothing real between us, right? Logan Reeve was never meant for me.

But one thing I know for sure. The man I can’t have loves nothing more than proving me wrong.

Meant For You is a first-person, dual POV contemporary romance with lots of steam and a satisfying happily ever after.

#ReleaseBlitz for Kissing My Brother's Bride by @MollyMcLain and @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Kissing My Brother's Bride

A Kissing Games Series Standalone

Author: Molly McLain

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Wrong Brother/Jilted Bride/Enemies to Lovers

Release Date: June 1, 2023

BLURB

My brother’s fiancée should have been mine.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not quite as bad as it sounds. Linc was running late for their first date and he begged me to stand in until he could get there.

I only went to tell the girl to run. To warn her about my brother’s selfish ways and promise she wanted no part of it.

But then I saw her. The stunning woman with auburn hair, sky blue eyes, and freckles I wanted to memorize.

The hour I spent with Audrey was hands down the best date of my life. Until my brother showed up.

Now, I’m covering his butt again. This time at their wedding rehearsal, because Linc hasn’t learned a damn thing. Work still comes first and that says a lot, doesn’t it?

So, sure… I’ll hold Audrey’s hand at the altar. And I’ll look into her eyes and wish like hell she would realize she deserves so much more.

I should have told her to run that night two and half years ago. Because all I want to do now is what I wasn’t bold enough to do then…

Steal her away for myself.

#ReleaseBlitz for Our Little Wedding by @PowerofRomance and @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Our Little Wedding

Series: The Spencer Brooks Diaries #3

Author: S.L. Sterling

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Trope: Age Gap Romance

Release Date: May 29, 2023

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Ainsley Matthews was my everything. Not only was she twenty years younger than me, she was the woman I fell in love with and was soon going to be the mother of my child.

The second she told me about the baby, I had a ring on her finger. I didn’t want to risk losing her. We’d gotten engaged and soon started planning our wedding. Engaged, we began planning our wedding.

The night of our engagement party I heard her best friend exclaim, ‘wrinkled old balls’ and suddenly doubts crept up in my mind. Was this how Ainsley felt? Was the age difference really too much? Then we found everyone thought I had only put a ring on her finger because of the baby. Suddenly it felt as if everything were against us, friends, family, my ex, hell, even the venues and caterers we’d called couldn’t commit to the dates we wanted.

Stress piled on and soon I found myself at Ainsley’s side in the emergency room and everything came crashing down.

From USA Today Bestselling Author S.L. Sterling comes the final chapter in this steamy age gap romance.

#ReleaseBlitz for Crave the Love by @AuthorAKEvans and @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Crave the Love

Series: Road Trip Romance #14

Author: A.K. Evans

Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 30, 2023

BLURB

Johnny and Kiera Barlow are the gold standard when it comes to relationships. Together for eight years and married for half of them, it seems they’ve got it all figured out.

But Johnny and Kiera haven’t let their friends in on their secret.

The relationship that seems so perfect on the outside has been rocky at best for the last year. Now, they’re getting a divorce.

But there’s one thing they need to do before they share the news. They’ll stand up beside their closest friends as best man and matron-of-honor for a North Carolina beach wedding.

To keep up appearances, they’ll have no choice but to pretend everything is great between them.

Only, Johnny and Kiera hadn’t expected that this trip would prove they both still crave the love they once had.

#ReleaseBlitz: Dear Mom by Eva Tilman @RABTBookTours #Giveaway

 

(A letter I will never send, to a mother who would never read it anyway)

 

Non-fiction / Memoir

Date Published: 06-01-2023

 

 

None of us were raised by perfect mothers, nor can we ourselves be perfect parents. But some mothers sure do know how to ruin a life, well, almost. I say almost because, although my mother's parenting left severe damage in its path and, regrettably, and inevitably, shaped some of the decisions I made, I am grateful to have realized the issues I was facing. So, I now have the opportunity to properly address those issues, to minimize their  impact on my life.

This book holds the words I would express to my mother, if I thought she cared to acknowledge my feelings at all.

Many others have been “raised” by narcissistic mothers and have been deeply affected. But it is still possible to live happy lives, free of Mom’s burden. Writing has helped me immensely in this regard.

#ReleaseBlitz: The Imposed Path by Timothy M. David @RABTBookTours #Giveaway

The Gem Keepers Saga Book 1

 

Science Fiction

Date Published: 06-01-2023

Publisher: Gem Keeper Creations

 

I’ve been called Hero, Protector, even an Angel. But to act in this manner, there must be an act of brutal savagery. Sorrow, terror, pain is the Hero’s experience. To be a Hero means to live in a nightmare.

My name is Emma, and this is my life now. I remember tales about heroes as a kid; full of excitement and fantasy endings. But those are just stories. When I got my powers they seemed exciting and fun; but then reality hit. Cosmic war, invading alien fleets, and the Stone Keepers; these are my reality. Those, and other atrocities caused by our own species, overshadow the hero’s path. Atrocities I’m compelled to act upon, which leave everlasting scars - others can’t see. Myself, my partner, and my new friends, are the latest chosen as Gem Keepers. All of the Gem Keepers before us have fallen to a powerful evil. Now, Earth is thrust into a timeless war, against an unimaginable enemy. We must somehow unite our world, or it will all be lost. The ones I love, those who bring me a sense of happiness, will perish. I refuse to let this happen.

So call me a Hero, call me whatever you want. Just understand this was an Imposed Path, and it’s just the beginning.

The Imposed Path is the first book in the Gem Keepers Saga. It follows Emma through her eyes, as she and her new friends are forced into a cosmic war. Powerful enemies, invading alien fleets, and the dark side of human nature; is what she must face. Emma's new found love, and friendships; will be her strongest tools in overcoming these challenges. This series will dive into the dark aftermath of Emma’s many experiences - the physical and emotional impact of being a hero. Pain, sorrow, and terror fill this journey; will love and friendship be enough. How much can a hero endure? Will she be able to keep her promise to the one she loves, and Never Let Go.