New Release + Excerpt, Fun Facts and Giveaway: Encore by Tantra Bensko

ENCORE

A Contemporary Love Story of Hypnotic Abduction

Tantra Bensko

Series: The Agents of the Nevermind Book 3
Genre: Psychological Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Gothic Novel
Publisher: Insubordinate Books
Publication Date: October 1, 2018

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Hypnotized to believe she's his wife.

A troupe in England performs the history of a gem which features in legends of Shambhalla and Atlantis. The troupe's hypnotist, Dune, has made them famous, especially his wife Susan, who is the star.

After the star's disappearance before the show, her standby, Miriam, takes Susan's place. Dune always hypnotizes the standbys to believe they are the actors they replace: the post-hypnotic suggestion ends when the final curtain lands, and they remember their identity. Before the curtain lands, Dune whisks Miriam to a castle.

Meanwhile, Miriam's friend, Colin, who just kissed her for the first time, seeks against all odds to rescue her, though she's told he's a crazed criminal.

For more info, visit https://flameflower.wixsite.com/encore

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Excerpt

Next morning, I splashed water from a pewter pitcher. The kitchen, on a sunken floor, with a chimney that whisked the smoke at an angle, had a modernized small window reinforced with iron bars and thick glass that opened to let out smoke in emergencies. The only window that wasn’t along the top of the castle.

I prodded around to find the keys. Leaving would be noisy, even if I were strong enough to lift the portcullis. But sometimes he left it up. I was unused to requesting permission to leave. The cupboards built into stone walls had ancient, sturdy locks on them. That must have been where rare spices lived. If I found Dune’s keys to get to the keys and figured out the secret way to use them. Oh, bother.

There, at the kitchen window, inches from my eyes, Colin’s face!

Suede jacket soaked, his sandy hair darkened, flattened against his head, his smooth skin almost translucent in the clustered lightning flashes. I gasped and knocked over a goblet.

Dune called out, “Is everything all right?”

“Just being clumsy me.”

“Did the thunder startle you?”

A storm was blowing over us, the wind hurling the dark clouds along, rain pelting everything, including the unfortunate man.

“Yes. Sorry, just bustling in here.”

Was Colin hungry? Did his wound need tending?

Has he confused me with Miriam because of delusion from hunger? I liked the hungry look in a man, making his cheekbones angular, his abdomen concave, his waist narrow. I gawked as he mouthed something. I feigned overlooking him, that the lighting created a glare on the windows. I continued moving without disrupting my stride, peripheral vision heightened. I warmed when he lay hand over heart and then opened it toward me.

Was Miriam making noises in the corridors? Was she in the room with me?

That’s what he’s seeing! Miriam’s ghost! Haunting me! I spun. I called out her name. “Miriam, give a sign.”

Meanwhile, Colin scratched on the pane.

I scurried around and put tape, gauze, and peroxide in a bag. I put in matches, too, in case he needed to start a fire for warmth, cooking, or sterilization. I threw the bag, missing some feisty shrubbery that would have obscured it from his view. Would he find it? I closed the window and moved away.

I hoped Dune wouldn’t find it or realize it was missing. I’d never get the chance to help Colin again. Colin tapped against the glass, but I didn’t look. It seemed he might have died from infection if he didn’t have some way to treat it. But, now what?

I lifted my chin going about my breakfast preparations, to present to him my most fetching profile, lengthening my neck, and upturning my lips. Two men I found enticing: one inside the fortress, one outside thick stone walls. The electricity could shatter the glass into a million pieces.

I skinned a hare. I put it over the fire to cook with older gorse leaves and a side of fresh gorse salad. Not my typical breakfast. The cooking smell was better than I’d expected. Was I tormenting Colin, cooking while he watched, starving out there?

When Dune came in to eat, Colin ducked down and ran off into the darkness. I moved in front of the window. The windows had numerical symbols I recognized from Luke’s books. I was code breaking.

I jumped, startled by bright light. A loud snap, followed by thunder. “That struck close!” A tree had cracked, falling, hitting other trees, parts of it breaking off. I ran to the window to see if it had landed on Colin. Couldn’t tell.

Fun Facts

Castle Portcullis: You might possibly have heard of the knitting Portcullis Stitch. It’s named after a cleverly deadly protection for the entryway of a castle.

Portcullises are long wooden spikes plated with iron as a vertically-opening gate operated by pullies. Attackers can be trapped as they walk into the entry if there are double portcullis grids. The internal spikes can descend first, and when the enemy turn to flee, the external portcullis drops.

While the people are caught between the portcullises, the “murder hole” above them can open and flaming logs, sand, boiling oil and so forth can be thrown down upon them.

Double portcullises make for dramatic scenes in Encore, as the castle where Miriam, believing she is Susan, is abducted to keeps her intensely isolated and thus vulnerable and easily manipulated, which is a trope in Gothic fiction, as is mistaken identity.

Book Tour Schedule

Follow the book tour from October 13 - November 2, 2018.

Visit each tour stop daily and discover more features, excerpts, reviews, interviews, fun facts and more! To check the latest tour schedule, visit the Encore: A Contemporary Love Story of Hypnotic Abduction Book Page at Book Unleashed.

Other Books in the Series

In these contemporary psychological suspense novels, unlikely heroes work to expose how intelligence agents fund and perform social engineering. To end coups and proxy wars, the heroes must overcome the effects of gaslighting and discover who they are. Can their lovers help put the pieces together before it's too late?

About Tantra Bensko

Tantra Bensko, MFA, teaches fiction writing with UCLA Extension Writing Program and Writers.com. She is a manuscript editor with Book Butchers and her own Online Writing Academy. She won a gold medal in Intrigue from Readers Favorites. Hundreds of her stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies. She lives in Berkeley.

Website: http://www.insubordinatebooks.com

Social Media Links: Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway

WIN FREE EBOOKS

Prizes up for grabs:

3 Sets of Books 1 and 2 in The Agents of the Nevermind series: Glossolalia and Remember to Recycle (eBooks)

Contest runs from October 13 - November 2, 2018.

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New Release + Giveaway: Theirs to Master by BJ Wane

THEIRS TO MASTER

BJ Wane

Series: Miami Masters Book 6
Genre: Erotic Romance, BDSM, MFM Ménage
Publisher: Blushing Books
Publication Date: September 14, 2018

She wanted to avenge her sister; they were determined to keep her safe. Whose will would prove to be stronger?

Paige Wilcox has been lusting after the Carlson brothers since the first time she saw the two men enter the cops’ bar where she works. Problem is, neither man shows her the slightest interest-not until her sister is attacked at a club and they discover Paige posing as a submissive to draw out the assailant.

Troy and Trevor Carlson always found the feisty redhead attractive but steered clear of personal involvement since she showed no signs of being sexually submissive. Fear for Paige’s safety and a determination to keep her out of their investigation into a serial attacker prods Troy and Trevor to insist she complete the terms of an auction contract after they win the bid on her. Neither Paige nor the Carlson brothers are prepared for the streak of submissiveness she exhibits under their dual control.

Paige doesn’t fight her growing need for the two men and the alternative sex they introduce her to, but when they give no hints the feeling is mutual, she despairs of anything coming of the short-term relationship. It takes the reappearance of the man they were after and another threat to Paige to get all three on board with giving a committed, three-way relationship a try.

Publisher’s Note: This steamy contemporary ménage romance contains elements of power exchange. While it is book six of the Miami Masters series, it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Blushing Books

Book Excerpt

“You want to pop up and get our usual’s, sugar?”

Paige jerked, banging her head under the counter. “Tiddle twat!” she muttered, rubbing her crown as she pushed slowly to her feet. The amusement in that familiar voice curled her toes, and her body reacted with the same warm flush she experienced every time she heard it. Before turning around, she tried to guess which Carlson brother this time had her fired up on all cylinders with just a few words. Her libido never failed to jump start when either man spoke to her, or assessed her with those dark brown eyes, or brushed his fingers against hers when she handed over a drink. The fact she experienced the same quick reaction to both men always left her flustered, and just a touch annoyed.

Pivoting, she aimed a smile at Troy and Trevor seated at the bar, her heart tripping at the sight of the two hottest city employees it’d been her pleasure to serve. Man candy. Hunk on a stick. Drool worthy. Panty melting. Hunk a hunk a burning…lust. Every one of those euphemisms described the brothers who were so far out of her league they may as well be on the moon. Unlike a few other regular patrons, neither man had ever made a pass at her, never even hinted one might be interested in rolling around on her bed for a few nights of hot, sweaty sex, but that hadn’t kept the fantasies from giving her more than one sleepless night.

“Tiddle twat? I must have really startled you.” Trevor, the one with the sexy face scruff and a twinkle in his eyes cocked his head and winked.

“You did. I didn’t hear you come up.” Glancing at Troy, she nodded, stretching her smile. “Detective. You two haven’t been by in a while.” Setting two glasses on the bar, she reached underneath and grabbed the whiskey. She knew her customers.

“Too many bad guys to track down. How have you been, Paige?” Troy asked, his low, deep voice sending a delightful shiver down her spine. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he wanted an honest answer and would care about her reply instead of delivering polite platitudes. Both men possessed that way about them, talking to you as if you mattered, as if they really wanted to hear what you had to say. Maybe that accounted for her continued, uncharacteristic responses to the brothers whenever they came in.

“I’m good, thanks.” Adding sour mix to the whiskey, she dropped in a slender straw and slid the drinks over. “At least we’re not being plagued with a serial killer, or some other such cretin. And spring break is still weeks away, so you don’t have those headaches to deal with yet.” A shadow crossed both men’s faces, Troy’s jaw clenching when she joked about a serial killer. “Have I missed something in the news?”

Other Books in the Miami Masters Series

Seven men from troubled childhoods bond as teens at a summer camp for juvenile delinquents, a bond that carries through to adulthood and adds a penchant for BDSM. Each of these dominant, over-protective men meet their match in the Miami Masters series, filled with emotional trauma and heart-pounding suspense.

About BJ Wane

I live in the Midwest with my husband and our two dogs. I love dogs, enjoy spending time with my daughter, babysitting dogs and kids, reading and working puzzles. We have traveled extensively throughout the states, Canada and just once overseas, but I now much prefer being homebody. I worked for a while writing articles for a local magazine but soon found my interest in writing for myself peaking. My first book was strictly spanking erotica, but I slowly evolved to writing erotic spanking romance with a touch of suspense. My favorite genre to read is suspense.

BJ Wane's Email: bjwane@cox.net

Official website: http://bjwane.blogspot.com/

Connect with BJ Wane on social media:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Giveaway

WIN $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD

Contest runs from October 8 - 14, 2018.

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New Release + Giveaway: Suddenly Single by Julia London

SUDDENLY SINGLE

New York Times Bestselling Author

Julia London

Series: Lake Haven Book 4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: September 19, 2018

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Freespirit Jenny needs to get her life together. Pragmatic Edan has his life together. Unicorn, meet mule…

Jenny Turner needs to get her life together. She knows it, everyone knows it, and she’s going to do it. Soon. But one night when she catches her sometimes “boyfriend” cheating on her in the middle of a summer camping trip, she winds up at a quaint inn on the north shore of Lake Haven that it closed. This presents a problem. She can’t go home--her dad has a new woman in his life and doesn’t need Jenny’s help anymore. She can’t go to her friends--they are too eager to hook Jenny up with a job. With no place else to go, Jenny must convince the gruff but very hot innkeeper--who is wearing a kilt for some reason--to let her a stay a night. . .or ten.

Edan Mackenzie is closing up shop and going home to Scotland. He came to America a few years ago to help a favorite aunt with her inn and to see part of the world. But he ended up working so much he saw nothing, his aunt died, his girlfriend left him, and suddenly, the usually pragmatic Edan doesn’t know who he was or what he’s doing with his life anymore. He’s come up with a firm plan and specific goals and has no patience for those who don’t do the same. But then a woman with shining blue eyes and long legs walks right past his CLOSED sign and into his life, and clearly has no idea what she’s doing.

At first, Edan is mystified. But then he notices that chatty Jenny is starting to make sense in a weird way, and maybe her plans for getting her life together are perhaps better than his, and maybe this pretty, daffy woman is exactly what Edan needed all along. Just maybe, two people struggling to figure out where life will take them stumble into each other in the right cozy inn at the right time. . .

Purchase Links

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

Book Excerpt

Jenny leaned over the kitchen island to get a look at the trout. “Well now, that looks delicious. I don’t suppose you have any wine to go with it?”

“All civilized men have wine to go with fish. What sort of wine would you like, lass?”

She stopped chopping and gave him a pointed look. “Jenny,” she said, and smiled sweetly. “My name is Jenny. I know you know that, but I am reminding you in case it slipped your mind now that we’re hanging out.”

“Now that we’re…? We’re no’ hanging out,” Edan said instantly, quite sure he’d never uttered those words in his life, and quite sure this was not that.

“Yes we are,” she said with great assurance. “A man doesn’t offer to take a woman to town and then invite her in for dinner if they aren’t hanging out.”

He gaped at her. “How have you managed to finagle your way into a ride and invite yourself in for dinner and somehow convince yourself it was the other way around?”

“Well, whatever you want to call it, we keep ending up together--”

“We donna end up together. You keep appearing,” he said, gesturing in the direction of the terrace.

“Yes, and you keep calling me lass. Not that I’m opposed to that,” she said. “I actually like the way it sounds. Lass. I get a shivery feeling when you say it. It’s kind of a turn-on.”

Edan raised his brows. What the hell was she talking about now?

“Hey,” she said, gesturing with her knife, “don’t you think it’s interesting, all the little things that are a turn-on to people? Like your accent, or the way you call me lass. Hands are a turn-on, too,” she said, and held up her hand.

Edan looked at his.

“See?” she said, wiggling her fingers at him. “Hands.”

“Who are you?”

“I told you. Jenny. Don’t forget it.” She winked.

“I think there is verra little chance I shall ever forget it,” he said in all sincerity.

Jenny laughed, and her eyes had a mischievous little shine to them. He put the trout down. “All right, then. What sort of wine would you like, Jenny?” he asked, articulating her name.

Her lips curved into a pert grin. “White, please, Edan. Is it all right if I call you Edan? I know I have and I didn’t ask you before, but you said most people call you Mr. Mackenzie, which, let’s be honest, does not feel right, especially since, you know, we have this thing going.” She gestured between them with a knife. “We’re like, two peas in a pod.”

“We’re no’,” he countered.

“But we are! We’re both sort of drifting.”

Other Books by Julia London

Lake Haven, a picturesque lake set amid green hills, is just a short drive or train ride from New York. The people who find their way here are fleeing heartbreak, or a life that has not lived up to expectations...but what they will find on the lake's shore is love

About Julia London

Julia London is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly best-selling author of more than forty romantic fiction novels. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Highland Grooms historical series, including Wild Wicked Scot, Sinful Scottish Laird, Hard-Hearted Highlander, Devil in Tartan, Tempting the Laird and Seduced by a Scot. She is also the author of several contemporary romances, including the Homecoming Ranch Series and the Lake Haven series, including Suddenly Dating, Suddenly in Love, and Suddenly Engaged.

Julia is the recipient of the RT Bookclub Award for Best Historical Romance and a six time finalist for the prestigious RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Official website: http://www.julialondon.com

Social Media Links: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Giveaway

WIN FREE EBOOK AND MORE

Prizes up for grabs:

Suddenly Single eBook, book bag and author swag

Contest runs from October 3 - 9, 2018.

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New Release + Giveaway: The Secrets of Chateau Swansea by R.C. Matthews

THE SECRETS OF CHATEAU SWANSEA

R.C. Matthews

Genre: Gothic Romance
Publication Date: October 1, 2018

A grisly murder leaves a haunted estate without an heir, and a powerful medium scrambles to find answers from beyond the grave.

Determined to escape the nightmarish memories of her childhood, heiress and psychic Maribeth Sommerset pursues the adventurous life of a psychic investigator, beginning with a murder and the spirits who hover behind at the haunted Chateau Swansea

Meanwhile, devoted steward of the chateau Arthur Dunn plays a dangerous game of deception to shield his employer's good name, landing himself at the top of Maribeth's suspect list.

Amid scandalous secrets and destructive lies, will Maribeth uncover the secrets of Chateau Swansea before the killer strikes again?

Don't miss out on this thrilling Victorian gothic romance!

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Book Excerpt

The Meet Cute

“Is that a dead body?” Edith suddenly whispered. “God in Heaven…”

Maribeth pounded her fist on the roof of the hired hack. “Stop the coach!” She grasped the handle to the door.

“What are you doing?” her friend shrieked, tugging on Maribeth’s sleeve. “We must leave at once. You heard the gentleman. The chateau is closed to visitors.”

But not investigators. This might be the luckiest evening of her existence. She had less than a month to prove to her guardian that she could support herself in her chosen path in life. A bit of rain and a bad-tempered servant wouldn’t hold her back.

“Wait here,” Maribeth said, jumping from the moving coach. “I’ll only be a moment.”

She lifted her skirt and trudged through the knee-length grass toward the men gathered near the pond. Goodness, but her dress was a nuisance. Before she managed five steps, someone caught her arm from behind and yanked her to a halt.

“Where do you think you’re headed?” The surly man from the road glared at her, his steely blue eyes boring into hers. He was so close she could make out the silver whiskers interspersed in his black sideburns.

“I beg your pardon,” she said, yanking free of his hold. “I’m here to offer my services. Where might I find the master of the house?”

“That’s enough, Webber,” another man said from behind. “I’ll handle this matter.”

Maribeth whirled around, coming face to face with none other than Mr. Dunn. What business did he have here? Not that she cared one whit about him, except that he owed her a favor. Webber’s footsteps receded behind her, and the odious man resumed barking orders for the coaches to evacuate the premises.

“I apologize if Webber alarmed you,” Mr. Dunn said, folding his arms at the base of his lower back. “The butler is distraught at present. What can I do for you, Miss…?”

“Maribeth Sommerset,” she said with a lift of her chin. “And you are Mr. Dunn. You stole my hired hack earlier at the Inn at Oxwich. Don’t even try to deny it. The bellman confirmed the truth. That wasn’t well done of you!”

His eyebrows lifted, and a spark of amusement ignited in his lovely brown eyes. “I beg to differ, madam. Hired hacks are, by definition, ‘for hire.’ The driver accepted my generous offer to pay a premium fare.”

Cheeky fellow. Men shouldn’t steal coaches from ladies. His mama would be appalled by his behavior.

“Even so,” she said, tugging on her gloves, “I’m sure the bellman informed you that the hack was ordered by me and my dear friend. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

He coughed into his hand and glanced away, but not before she saw the undeniable curve of his lips. Running off with a lady’s carriage wasn’t amusing. After months of planning this trip, she’d almost missed her opportunity to tour Chateau Swansea on his account.

“Excuse me,” he said, meeting her gaze once again. “I do apologize for any inconvenience. I’m the steward of Chateau Swansea and had urgent business to attend here.”

Steward. Well, that changed everything. He was the right-hand man of the master of the estate. Bloody hell. Had she offended him with her quick temper? She dug inside her handbag and plucked out one of her trade cards.

“Apology accepted,” she said with a smile. There was no reason to quibble over a silly coach. She thrust the card into his hand. “As I said, I’m Miss Maribeth Sommerset. Private psychic investigator, at your service.” She gestured to the group of men near the pond. “I communicate with the dead. I’m staying at the Inn at Oxwich through Saturday should you need my assistance. My rates are reasonable and negotiable.”

Book Tour Schedule

Follow the book tour from October 1 - 14, 2018.

Visit each tour stop daily and discover more features, excerpts, reviews, interviews, fun facts and more!

To check the latest tour schedule, visit the The Secrets of Chateau Swansea Book Page at Book Unleashed.

About R.C. Matthews

R.C. Matthews is the author of contemporary and historical romances featuring bold, sassy heroines and magnetic alpha heroes. Warning! The chemistry between her characters is off the charts hot, so read at your own risk. She resides in the Midwest and is surrounded by men: her husband and three sons. During her free time you'll find her watching The Walking Dead, reading a fabulous book or hanging out with her family.

Official website: http://www.rcmatthews.com

Social Media Links: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

WIN FREE EBOOK BY R.C. MATTHEWS

Winner's Prize:

Devil's Core by R.C. Matthews (eBook) - The first book in a related series in which we first meet the heroine of The Secrets of Chateau Swansea when she is a little girl.

Contest runs from October 1 - 14, 2018.

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