Tag: romance

Written Just For You by Lincoln James Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviews1 Comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A young man falls for a young woman hidden by local legends and seeks to tell her story in author Lincoln James’s “Written Just For You.”

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Some love stories are written in the stars. This one is written in blood.

Will wasn’t supposed to stay in town. Jean wasn’t supposed to meet him. And the book she gave him? It wasn’t meant to be read.

Depoe Bay is a place of whispers—where the fog clings too close and stories go unanswered. The town says Jean is a ghost, a siren, a memory that never made it out of the water. But Will knows she’s real. He’s seen her. Heard her laugh. Felt something shift.

And now that he’s read her words…He can’t let her go.

As the town turns colder, the secrets grow louder—about the past, the dead, and what love refuses to bury.

Some girls don’t make it out of their stories.

But Will’s about to make sure this one does.

The Review

This was such a compelling and captivating read. The author perfectly brought a tale of suspense and intrigue to life on the page, carefully illuminating a time of significant change and uncertainty in the world (the 60s), and hitting readers with a healthy balance of thriller action and heartbreaking emotion. The visceral imagery in the author’s writing style effectively captures the tension and shocking moments that will stay with readers as they reach the climax of this tale.

Yet even with such a powerful story filled with shocking and heart-pounding thrills, the core of this narrative was in the gut-punch of emotional character growth. The heart of the story lies in the love story, which is wrapped in powerful themes of identity, grief, and finding hope. The way both Jean and Will are drawn together, and how love can be transformative, altering a person’s path in ways they couldn’t have expected, plays out perfectly here and elevates the psychological nature of this thriller.

The Verdict

Memorable, entertaining, and heartfelt, author Lincoln James’s “Written Just For You” is a must-read mystery thriller with a romantic spin. The angst and trauma that both Will and Jean represent, as well as how the author explores how expectations and quick judgments by so many can make a person feel trapped in a life not their own, were extensively represented here, and made the more shocking and twisted moments of the climax hit home a lot harder. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author



Lincoln James, your favorite author’s favorite author, is celebrated for his haunting love stories, vintage thrillers, and slow-burn suspense. His characters feel, ache, and bleed, often trapped between the past and the people who won’t let them forget it.

In 2025, James was featured in The New York Review and named Best New Thriller Author in New York by Best of Best Review, honors recognizing his compelling storytelling and emotional depth.

When he’s not writing, James is a Communication professor in New York City and cherishes moments with friends and family, proving that the most thrilling tales lie in the love and laughter shared with those closest to us.

https://thelincolnjames.com/

PRESS RELEASE: Monday Motivation: 52 Inspirational quotes to start your week right Message from DC Gomez:

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn Creative Edge Publicity Press ReleasesLeave a comment

I’m doing a happy dance! After months of studying, analyzing and planning, I did it. I hit the launch
button and my first Kickstarter campaign was successful. Monday Motivation is going to market on
November 11 th and I cannot wait to embrace this and share this project with the world. I can’t believe it. OMG!

Version 1.0.0

Monday Motivation is a beautiful coffee-table book of 52 motivational quotes and reflections (like our
Monday Motivations) that you can enjoy anytime and I want to thank everyone helped who helped
contribute to my kickstarter and advocate for this project. There were so many individuals who
believed in this project and I thank each and every one of you for the support and contributions from
an emotional, mental, and financial aspect.


Finally, I also want to thank my fans and readers for their support of me because without each of
you, I would not be here as a successful author or a USA Today Bestseller. Monday Motivation was
written and created with all of you in mind and I hope that everyone will not only enjoy it but
advocate for it and truly live for the principles within the pages!

Mondays can be tough!

About D.C.

D. C. Gomez is an award-winning USA Today Bestselling Author, podcaster, motivational speaker,
and coach. Born in the Dominican Republic, she grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. D. C. studied
film and television at New York University. After college she joined the US Army, and proudly served
for four years.


D. C. has a Master’s Degree in Science Administration from the Central Michigan University, as well
as a Master in Adult Education from Texas A&M- Texarkana University. She is a certified John
Maxwell Team speaker and coach, and a certified meditation instructor from the Chopra Center.
One of D. C. passions is helping those around her overcome their self-limiting beliefs. She writes
both non-fiction and fiction books, ranging from Urban Fantasy to Children’s Books. To learn more
about her books and her passion, you can find her at www.dcgomez-author.com.

The Voice in the Well (Migrant Birds Book 3) by Magdalena Stanhoff Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A young man returns to the city he grew up in, hoping to reconnect with a lost flame, only to discover she is different than he even knew, and perhaps they both need each other, in author Magdalen Stanhoff’s “The Voice in the Well,” the third book in the Migrant Birds series.

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Kamila never thought she’d need saving. Nor did she peg Taeyeon as romantic hero material. Wrong—on both counts.

At eighteen, Taeyeon had to leave the city where he’d grown up, his laid-back life, his school buddies…and Kamila. He always intended to return and find her again, and now he’s finally free to give that old dream a good chase. But nothing goes as expected.

The unfriendly ghost he meets in Warsaw hardly resembles the dauntless girl from his memories. Something happened to her while he was away, but as Taeyeon digs around for clues, it also becomes clear that he never knew the real Kamila in the first place. And that he needs to make up for it—fast.

Kamila’s life is unraveling: her friends have scattered all over the world, she’s dropped out of college, and what’s left of her family is quickly falling apart. And then, that juvenile player from her teenage years, the devil-may-care boy she never expected to see again appears out of the blue and starts messing with her miserable existence.

Only, Taeyeon’s not a boy anymore, and he will do anything to wake Kamila up. Upon which, she may discover she’s not the only one who needs to be saved…

The Review

Emotionally driven and relatable, the author has crafted a novel that speaks volumes with subtle scenes and powerful character development. The reflective nature of the book’s themes and character arcs was both unique and insightful, allowing the reader to become engulfed in the drama and the heartfelt romance of the story while also reflecting on the real-world experiences the author infused into the fabric of this story, such as the border conflict between Poland and Belarus, as well as the theme of going home again and helping others in their time of need. 

The driving force behind this story, though, was the romance between the two protagonists, Kamila and Taeyeon. The hardships they both endure, together and in their respective corners of the world, and how they come together to find solace in one another’s orbit, give the reader a relationship to become hooked on and an emotional connection to the characters. The imagery and poetry of the author’s writing style brought these scenes vividly to life, giving readers a cinematic quality, much like watching an indie romantic drama for the first time.

The Verdict

Heartfelt, emotional, and thoughtful in its delivery, author Magdalena Stanhoff’s “The Voice in the Well” is a must-read novel and a grand entry in the Migrant Birds series. The romance, drama, and complex themes of identity, cultural clashes and cohesion, and the evolution of relationships will keep readers invested until the very last page. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Magdalena Stanhoff loves traveling and is vividly interested in how diverse cultures coexist, clash, and mix, and how it influences people’s life. Her contemporary novels explore romantic love, family bonds, and friendship in their various forms and shades, and since the author is an incurable dreamer, they always end with the HEA.

She Tames the Kings by E.M. Etheridge Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Imprisoned and betrayed, a woman must reclaim her destiny amidst a power struggle between warring kings of both land and sea in author E.M. Etheridge’s “She Tames the Kings.”

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Chained in the deepest bowels of Captain Keres’ ship, Estella Bohem has lost everything-her freedom, her father’s safety, and the trust she placed in Dane. With her heart shattered by his betrayal, she has only one chance to reclaim her destiny.

To break the Pirate Lords’ Bonds and free the witches of Salvus Island, Estella must steal back her family’s grimoire and shatter its seal before the ruthless Pirate King Moritie and his cunning witch, Ines Laurent, bind her-and the sea beast she commands-to their will.

But survival on the high seas demands treacherous alliances. As war brews and the Land Kings set their sights on Moritie’s stronghold, Estella must outmaneuver the most cutthroat players in a deadly game of power, deception, and magic.

With time running out, one question remains: Can she tame the Kings-before they tame her?

The Review

What a compelling and twisted yet entertaining dark fantasy read. The author did an incredible job of expanding upon the mythology and world-building in the first book of this duology. The relationships that the author explored through engaging character development, from the bond between witches and their gods or goddesses, to the way witches were bound to pirates and kings, all played critical roles in the decisions and story developments that were brought to life on the page. Even the protagonist’s relationship to the beast she is forced to command is such a unique and powerful narrative to explore in this book, and speaks to much higher themes in the novel.

The character development’s themes and emotional depth make this a steady and thrilling sequel. The book uses magic, monsters, pirates, gods, and high octane action in a beautiful fusion with themes of power, control, the fight for freedom, vengeance, and self-reliance so expertly through the protagonist herself and the witch’s struggles. Set in a period already rife with untold horrors due to slavery and violence, the juxtaposition of Estella’s journey allowed her to find a way to tackle that even bigger problem later on in the book in a surprising way.

The Verdict

Entertaining, compelling, and mesmerizing, author E.M. Etheridge’s “She Tames the Kings” is a must-read dark fantasy novel. The twists and turns in this story, the rich storytelling and world-building, and the epic final chapter will give readers a sense of fulfillment and wonder while also leaving them eager to read more by this incredible author. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

I’d always known I was going to publish books, and after years of writing my first book, I decided I wanted to publish traditionally. While still queering agents for that book, I came up with a whole new concept and decided to try my hand at publishing independently so I could gain experience in both industries. I’ve worked as a teacher, interned as an editor, and now I am ready to make books my livelihood through publishing and through freelance editing.

https://emetheridgewriter.wordpress.com

When Dani Smiled by Athina Paris Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Athina Paris explores the complicated and haunting reality of modern dating in the novel When Dani Smiled, as one young woman explores a new relationship with one man while confronting a chilling stalker.

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Stranded on the side of a highway, Dani, a young fashion designer and IT expert, calls to reschedule an important interview, only to discover that her future boss is in the hospital. Nicholas, playboy and heir to Galfrey’s, can’t help but be intrigued by the young woman’s voice on the phone and races to her rescue.

Attraction is immediate and mutual, but whereas Nicholas has never waited for anything in his life, Dani quickly dampens his enthusiasm by refusing to be rushed into a casual liaison.

Sams is handsome, ambitious, and rich, but also self-centred, with huge self-entitlement issues, manipulative, and believes Dani belongs to him. A master programmer, he is also no fool and realises that he is about to lose what he has never had; Dani, and so begins a dangerous stalking game. It is up to Dani not only to outsmart Sams, but also save Galfrey’s and herself, as Sams is the keeper of a secret, which he hopes will coerce her into submitting to his twisted desires.

The Review

This book was fast-paced and instantly engaging. The author easily introduces the core cast of characters, including protagonist Dani, in a natural way that allows the world around these characters to grow and thrive in its own right. The instant connection between Dani and Nicholas, as well as the complicated history in Dani’s life that becomes an ever present entity in their growing relationship, allowed the reader to connect with the protagonist immediately, connecting on both an emotional and psychological level that spoke to the experiences many people face in this modern world.

The heart of this story and the hook that allowed readers to invest in this character’s arc is the exploration of the theme of stalking and the inherent dangers that come with it. Sams’s haunting nature and attitude in the situation, from his sense of entitlement and mentality of what Dani owes him, showcase the scary nature of this particular crime. The exploration of the psychological impact this has on victims of stalking came to life so clearly on the page.

The Verdict

Emotional, engaging, and atmospheric, author Athina Paris’s “When Dani Smiled” is a must-read contemporary romance meets suspense novel. The twists and turns, the gripping character growth, and the powerful themes will stay with readers long after the final chapter. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Athina Paris spent her formative years in Mozambique, where she was born. Years in convents and boarding schools prompted a deep curiosity, which quickly developed into an avid interest in reading and storytelling that led to a lifelong obsession with the written word and books. By fifteen she had discovered ancient civilisations and became fascinated with various mythologies.

She became a spectator of human nature, but quiet and shy, she preferred recording conduct, and so built a treasure-trove of relationship observations from which she eventually drew backgrounds for the characters in her romantic novels.

She studied Interior Design then turned to Creative Writing, and followed that with Script-writing.

Set in faraway and exotic places, Athina’s epic romances take her characters on voyages of self-discovery while dealing with catastrophic love lives in an imperfect world.

A stint as a high school English teacher polished her skills but she now concentrates on her professional goals of writing, editing, and proofreading.

http://authorathinaparis.com/index.html

BEELITZ-HEILSTÄTTEN: Where Ghosts Never Die by Marina Osipova Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A Russian-American writer on a journey of discovery unearths dark secrets tied to WWI and WWII in author Marina Osipova’s “BEELITZ-HEILSTÄTTEN: Where Ghosts Never Die.”

Advertisements

The Synopsis

What if rediscovering your birthplace unearthed a secret so powerful it could rewrite history—and your own identity?

A Russian-American writer obsessed with her birthplace – a ghostly derelict German military hospital near Berlin

Her Austrian husband, who pines for the father he never met

A passionate young doctor destined for darkness

A demonic figure who changed the course of history

Interrogation reports stolen from the Soviet secret police

What mysterious force connects them all?

This genre-bending time-slip narrative bridges 2018 to the haunting eras of WWI and WWII, interweaving together the ghosts of history and a shocking secret that threatens the present.

The story will appeal to fans of Kate Morton’s The Forgotten Garden and Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale.

The Review

What a profound and moving read! The author did a remarkable job of finding a unique balance between the rich history set during both world wars and the thriller and romance settings with a paranormal time-bending twist. The characters feel dynamic and vivid, harkening back to eras long gone yet familiar in their motivations and emotional depth, drawing readers further into the narrative. 

The almost rhythmic nature of the author’s writing style was a significant draw into the story more and more. The imagery brought these settings to life so eloquently, highlighting the stark contrast between the desire of the protagonist to understand her birthright and the horrors of war and the growing hostility that grew for certain marginalized groups amongst the people of Germany at the time. The honesty and depth for which the author explores both teh highs and lows of humanity as a whole, from the emotional connection the protagonist and narrator forms with the figures of the past she comes into contact with, to the haunting realities of Nazi experimentation and heinous acts they committed during WWII, allowed the reader to connect with the protagonist on a more personal level.

The Verdict

Memorable, heartfelt, and engaging, author Marina Osipova’s BEELITZ-HEILSTÄTTEN: Where Ghosts Never Die is a must-read historical fiction meets thriller and paranormal mystery novel. The narrative’s twists and turns and the complex emotional journey the narrator finds themselves on speak to the questions of identity, being honest with oneself, and learning from the past that this book’s themes explore easily. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Marina Osipova was born in East Germany into a military family and grew up in Russia, where she graduated from the Moscow State Institute of History and Archives. When she was five, she decided she wanted to speak German and, years later, she earned a diploma as a German language translator from the Moscow State Institute of Foreign Languages. In Russia, she worked first in a scientific-technical institute as a translator, then in a Government Ministry in the office of international relations, later for some Austrian firms. For many years, she lived in New York, working in a law firm, and then in Austria for several years. In the spring of 2022, after spending ten months in Russia, some unfortunate world events brought her back to the United States.

A long-standing member of the Historical Novel Society, she is dedicated to writing historical fiction, especially related to WWII. Her books garnered numerous literary awards, including a 1st Place WINNER of the 2021 Hemingway Book Awards novel competition for 20th Century Wartime Fiction (a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards). At some point or another, all her books hit the Amazon Top 100 lists in Historical Russian Fiction and Historical German Fiction and How Dare the Birds Sing even #1 or #2 in War Fiction in Canada, the UK, and Australia.

Her readers praise her books for “emotional realism,” for “taking on a subject that few authors have touched,” for “writing with heart and compassion while not holding back from hard cold realities of war,” for “giving an authentic and in-depth look at a culture that tends to baffle westerners.”

To learn more about Marina Osipova and her captivating books, visit her website at marina-osipova.com.

You can find her also on

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marina.osipova.14/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4701687.Marina_Osipova

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marosikok

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-osipova-65b81418/

Iguana by Vincent Traughber Meis Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

After losing his parents and ending a long-term relationship, a man relocates to Mexico to find a new beginning. In Vincent Traughber Meis’s “Iguana,” he begins a complex relationship with a divorced young father.

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Reeling from the end of a long-term relationship and the death of his parents during the COVID years, Dawson Wozniak attempts to reinvent himself in Mexico. He is able to continue his job, working remotely as an editor for a West Coast publisher. He dives into this new world, making friends with ex-pats and Mexicans, including a best-selling author who has abandoned writing, the author’s wife who guides him along the path of his new life in a fun-loving seaside town, and a quirky repatriated Mexican with new-age ideals. 

One night during a raging thunderstorm, Dawson has an encounter with an iguana and then steals a kiss from a young man unsure of his sexuality. A minute later the two men witness the death of a young Mexican falling from the roof of Dawson’s building. These events are forever connected in his head, charting a course for a rocky relationship with Ivan, the divorced father with whom he shared the kiss. Dawson is forced to take a hard look at himself and what it means to be a foreigner in Mexico, causing him to make decisions that complicate his life and Ivan’s. They are thrown into a web of emotional, psychological, and moral dilemmas. Despite the complications, Dawson believes his new life is the antidote to the unfulfilling life he left behind in the States. The enigmatic attraction between the two men finds its own tempo and they keep coming back to each other against all odds while Dawson’s other friends alternate between warning him about and applauding his new relationship. 

The Review

What a profoundly engaging and memorable read! The author created complex, relatable, and thoughtful characters that readers could identify with and become enamored with. The delicate balance between living one’s truth and understanding the complexity of society plays into the narrative as the story evolves and grows, and readers become immersed in the characters’ lives so thoroughly.

The heart of this story is the web of themes that intertwine with one another. The heartbreak that comes with loss, from the protagonist’s parents and the young man who falls to his death, to even the encounter with the titular Iguana, made this theme stand out firmly from the beginning. Mixed with this is the theme of identity, and seeing the protagonist own his sexuality while having to learn about the cultural and societal hardships that the people he becomes close with throughout the narrative made this a powerful story to read.

The Verdict

Thoughtful, heartfelt, and engaging, author Vincent Traughber Meis’s “Iguana” is a must-read novel. The narrative’s nature, delving into the losses that so many experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the idea of personal identity in a changing world still embedded in deep cultures, makes it one of my favorite reads of 2025 thus far. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Vincent Meis grew up in Decatur, Illinois and graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans.

He has worked as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Mexico, publishing many academic articles in his field as well as articles about teaching ESL overseas. He has also traveled extensively in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Central and South American. He is fluent in Spanish. As result of his travels and time abroad he published a number of pieces, mostly travel articles, but also a few poems and book reviews, in publications such as, The Advocate, LA Weekly, In Style, and Our World in the 1980’s and 90’s. His travels have inspired four novels, all set at least partially in foreign countries: Eddie’s Desert Rose (2011), Tio Jorge (2012), and Down in Cuba (2013) and Deluge (2016). Tio Jorge received a Rainbow Award in the category of Bisexual Fiction in 2012. Down in Cuba received two Rainbow Awards in 2013. Deluge won a Rainbow Award in 2016. Recently his stories have been published in several collections, including WITH:New Gay Fiction, Best Gay Erotica Vol 1and Best Gay Erotica Vol 4. In December 2019, his fifth novel Four Calling Burds will be published. In 2021, he has published two books with NineStar Press, The Mayor of Oak Street, a novel, and Far from Home, a collection of short stories.

https://www.vincentmeis.com/

Delicious Surrender (Dominant Billionaire Series Book 1) by Luce Sutherland Review 

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A young woman writing a novel and a gruff billionaire find their worlds colliding in this steamy Erotic thriller from author Luce Sutherland, “Delicious Surrender,” the first book in the Dominant Billionaire Series. 

The Synopsis

Brynne Larimore is going back to her three-date rule. Her judgmental ex-boyfriend is history, and her steamy BDSM novel needs an injection of real-life experience. Club Dominus promises an education, if she can get past the icy Scottish billionaire who owns the place. Too bad his arrogance makes her want to rattle his cage, not follow his rules.

Gage MacLeod has been called a grumpy alpha-hole, and he wears the label proudly. Ruthless and unyielding, he protects his London club’s elite clientele and refuses to be tempted by the willful, curvy redhead pretending to be submissive. His pr*ck might be intrigued, but rules are rules.

When Brynne attracts the attention of a notorious Russian club member known for devious tactics of seduction, Gage must make a choice: protect her or walk away. But when she betrays his trust and puts his business at risk, his wrath knows no bounds.

Scorching chemistry draws them together and a very public scandal tears them apart. Will they untangle the web of secrets and lies before it’s too late?

Delicious Surrender is a grumpy-sunshine, boss billionaire, dom/brat, lovers-to-enemies to a-sex-tutoring-truce between two people with trust issues. There is plenty of spice, angst, and suspense and a hard-fought HEA. This is a standalone with no cliffhanger. Please follow me for news of the next book in the Dominant Billionaire Series.

This book contains explicit sexual content. For a full list of content and trigger warnings, please visit: lucesutherland.com.

The Review

For anyone who is a significant fan of erotica and BDSM-forward erotica in particular, with an element of thriller and action thrown in as well, this was the perfect read for you. The author found an outstanding balance in the novel between the steamier, more erotica-driven scenes between the two protagonists and the complex character developments that brought them together and drove them apart as the story progressed. 

The enemies-to-lovers and lovers-to-enemies tropes blended well in this novel. The spiciness of the main character’s encounters with one another and the twist on the relationship that comes later when a personal loss takes Brynne to Skye intensify their connection in ways neither of them could have seen coming. 

The Verdict

Heated, passionate, and engaging author Luce Sutherland’s “Delicious Surrender” is a must-read for fans of erotica and romance. The infusion of action, suspense, and character-driven narrative will instantly grab fans of the genre and keep them enthralled with this new erotic series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Luce Sutherland has been reading juicy, erotic romance since before it was mainstream… when you couldn’t hide behind a Kindle, and you had to bring the illicit book to the register – and be judged by the cashier.

When those books became harder to find, she resorted to writing her own stories with delicious, dominant alpha heroes and the bold, sassy heroines they aim to tame. Luce lives with her own alpha husband in the Sunshine state, even though she gets sunburned walking from the car to the grocery store. She is passionate about living each day to the fullest, which includes nurturing authentic friendships, savoring Maui coffee, indulging in Scottish gin and being a devoted advocate for the benefits of self-care. Her motto is LIVE LIFE JUICY!

Please follow her on Instagram (lucesutherlandwrites) or check out her website: lucesutherland.com.

BLOG TOUR: CHAOS KIN By Sheryl R. Hayes (A Jordan Abbey Novel Book 3)

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn Blog Tours, Book Events, Book PromotionLeave a comment

I always seen to get a question when people find out that I’m an author. “How did you start writing?”

You would think that is an easy question to answer.  I don’t know about other authors, but I have a few different answers. Which one I give depends on what is meant by ‘start writing.’

I’ve always told myself stories.  Some were about characters I saw on different characters on TV shows and books interacting.  Sometimes they were about characters I made up.  The earliest I vaguely remember had to do with me traveling to Narnia after I read C. S. Lewis when I would have been around ten years old. But I never actually wrote those stories down, so don’t have the details of my adventures with Aslan, Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter.

Oddly enough, I never channeled that into my English classes in school beyond the necessary creative writing assignments.  Probably because at that time I had an interest in fantasy and science fiction, and I kept hearing from teachers that no woman who wanted to write seriously would write in those genres.  So giving into a misogyny that I didn’t comprehend at the time, I kept those stories to myself as daydreams.

Then two things happened in the early nineties. I discovered the television show The X-Files, and I also got online.  My sister mentioned that she had seen an X-Files forum on America Online (yes, I was one of those people).  From there,  discovered online fandom in general, and fan fiction specifically.  I finally had a name to put to what I had been doing for years. So now my stories had a place to be shared.

Around the same time I also found an anthology titled originally enough Werewolves.  It was the first time I had come across stories about werewolves outside of the horror genre.  Mind you, the book did have short horror stories, but there was also humor and romance focused stories.  And it got me thinking.

The focus of my fanfic stories shifted from trying to stay relatively close to the canon of the series to an original creation.  A friend and I had both were complaining about being stuck on stories we were writing.  So we decided that we’d both create a character, toss them together, and see what happened.  What happened was a 200 chapter, meandering paranormal romance that pulled in aspects of some tv shows, but had mostly original characters.  I learned about world-building, creating canon for your stories universe, sticking to that canon as you go forward in the story, and how to create the structure to hang your plot on.  It still exists on our hard drives, and occasionally I go back to peek at it.  While it was an incredible effort, it was ultimately unpublishable.  

My friend and I are still writing, by the way, but we’ve shifted our focus.  We are currently working on a paranormal romance series.  The first book in it will be released later this year.

At this point, I had been going to conventions and met authors both in person and online.  It was at one of these conventions I had the seed of the idea for what would become the Jordan Abbey series. Using all I had learned over the years of writing as a hobby, and learning a lot more, I completed Chaos Wolf.  In the middle of writing what I thought would be a standalone book, I realized that there were a lot more stories in this universe that I could tell.

Chaos Kin is the most recent of these stories. I have a few more misadventures of Jordan Abbey that I hope to share, as well as a few more story seeds that I want to make bloom.

New Release: Chaos Kin - Sheryl R. Hayes

Sheryl R. Hayes has a new MMF paranormal book out (bi, poly), Jordan Abbey book 3: Chaos Kin.

In the town of Rancho Robles, can one werewolf protect the Children of the Wolf and the Bat? Chaos Wolf Jordan Abbey has made friends among the Black Oak Pack even though she refuses to join it. The same can’t be said of the vampires, but her life has taken a turn for the better.

That is until Enya Blevins, sister to the werewolf who turned Jordan, arrives in Rancho Robles. She wants to know who killed her baby brother and is less than impressed by the Chaos Wolf. Enya wants revenge, starting with Jordan and ending with the vampires infesting the area.

Jordan is prepared to flee, but a technicality makes her an Alpha Werewolf. Now she must stand her ground to protect her nascent Pack and those she loves.

The past has come back to bite her. Does she have the fangs to bite back?

About the Series:

In the Northern California town of Rancho Robles where the Children of the Wolf and the Bat share an uneasy coexistence. One werewolf woman threatens to upset that balance.

Universal Buy Link | Liminal Fiction | Goodreads

Giveaway:

Sheryl is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour:

a Rafflecopter giveawayhttps://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47323/

Excerpt:

MEME 2 - Chaos Kin

“You ready for this?”

Jordan nodded. She and Montgomery had pulled over three blocks from the entrance to the Black Oak Pack’s compound for one last quick discussion. “Got the Uber request programmed in to meet me here. If things go wrong, we run.”

Montgomery shook his head, hand tightening on the steering wheel. “No, you run.”

Jordan’s expression tightened. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Jordan, you have to run without me.” Montgomery stared at her until she looked away. “I know you’re afraid of what will happen to me. But they won’t harm me. To do so is to risk open conflict with Elder Marcus.”

Jordan bit back her response. Alpha Shane may have a vested interest in living in peace with the Elder of the Conclave of Rancho Robles. That didn’t mean that these strangers who came from far away would have the same desires. Add to the fact things were personal between Montgomery and Enya, and the odds were that they wouldn’t be thinking about insulting the vampires in the area.

She sighed and recited the plans they had come up with the night before. “If things go south, I run back to the Cataluña and wait for you or Thorn. If after twenty-four hours, neither of you show up, I ask Elder Marcus for help getting someplace safe. You and Thorn will join me once you’re able to.”

Montgomery smiled and nodded. She noticed a tear in the corner of his eye. “Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

She didn’t bother to say that he didn’t sound like he believed it any more than she did.

Jordan closed her eyes but lifted her head as she and Montgomery drove up to the gate of the Black Oak Pack’s home territory. As if by mutual consent, neither of them spoke as Sentry Rodriguez waved them through. There was no point hashing out their plans further. In the next ten minutes, they would know if she would have to run and hide with her tail between her legs.

The silence continued as they walked to the front door. Angela opened the door before she had a chance to knock on it, focusing on Jordan instead of Montgomery. The blonde blond werewolf arched her eyebrows in a question.

Jordan shook her head ever so slightly.

Angela’s lips pressed together as she narrowed her eyes. Jordan could hear her thoughts. Why am I not surprised? Instead, she gestured them inside. “This way please.”

The entire pack was gathered, clumping together in little knots around the room. Pamela met her eyes and then turned her attention back to her conversation with Tran. Alpha Shane, Envoy Blevins, and Talespeakers stood by the cold, dark fireplace. Angela took her place with the rest of the younger people in the room. The tension in the room ramped up as the four highest-ranking werewolves focused on her and Montgomery. Alpha Shane dipped his head in greeting. “Chaos Wolf Abbey, Mr. Cooper.”

Enya was far less formal, not giving Montgomery and Jordan a chance to greet them. She assessed Jordan, head lifted so she stared down her nose. “Were you able to retrieve the fangs?”

Jordan drew herself up to stand straight and as tall as she could. “No.”

Everyone around her tensed, which she expected.

“This isn’t her fault,” Montgomery said. “She didn’t know—”

“Silence, vampire!” Enya snapped. Her focus was on Jordan as she paced forward. “It’s not completely your fault. I blame you as much as I blame him.” She nodded towards Alpha Shane. “And him.” Her gaze turned towards Montgomery.

Alpha Shane’s shoulders hunched. He shifted his weight but said nothing.

She felt her ears flatten, an impressive trick as she was in her human form. Jordan opened her mouth, trying to force her words through her snarl. To her surprise, Billy, Juan, Tran, and Maria surrounded her and Montgomery with Angela taking the point in front of Jordan. Jordan couldn’t see her expression, but the young woman stood stiffly, legs apart, and fists braced on her waist.

Confused, Jordan looked at Billy on her right, eyes wide. “What’s going on?” she whispered as Montgomery put a hand on her shoulder.

“We’re saving your skin,” he said. “Now, shush.”

Angela looked at Enya. “Jordan shouldn’t be treated as a chaos wolf. She is—”

“Angela!” Alpha Shane barked, glaring at her.

His daughter didn’t stop speaking. “—An alpha wolf in her own right.”

Author Bio

Sheryl R. Hayes can be found untangling plot threads or the yarn her three cats have been playing with. She is equally likely to be shooing one of them off the keyboard as she is working on her novels and short stories. In addition to writing, she is a cosplayer focusing on knit and crochet costumes.

Author Website: https://www.sherylrhayes.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/sherylreneehayes

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/sherylrhayes

Author Mastodon: https://mastodon.online/@sherylrhayes

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherylrhayes/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16468770.Sheryl_R_Hayes

Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/sheryl-r-hayes/

Author Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/sherylrhayes

Other Worlds Ink logo