Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Book Sunday

 Enjoy our featured books



In online bookstores, readers often discover new books by browsing the bestselling titles in their desired genre. However, countless hidden gems may not receive as much promotion but offer incredible stories that deserve recognition and readership.

Time travel romance



Embark on a journey through time with Dylan Anderson, the lead guitarist of Ablaze, as he strives to recreate the magic of the '70s, inspired by Kenny Chesney's iconic hit, "I Go Back." In his pursuit of reliving his golden days, Dylan becomes entangled in the hidden world of a mysterious cult, eager to uncover the secrets of time travel.
The stakes are high, and the risks even higher – challenges he's prepared to confront head-on.
This adventure is far from a solo act. With his enduring love, Jennifer Kovich, by his side, Dylan is determined to bring her along on this journey whether she's ready or not. However, there's a catch – The dark spell Dylan has created will not allow him to return to the present even if he ever wanted to. Only Jennifer would have a chance at finding an escape route back home, but according to Dylan, it's almost impossible. Or is it? Brace yourself for a tale of love, danger, and the irresistible pull of a past era as Dylan leads us on an unforgettable voyage to the heart of the '70s.

Review by Readers Favorite
"Lorraine Carey uses an intoxicating brew of romance and mystery with a tinge of the paranormal to take you on a captivating time travel adventure odyssey you don't want to end. With an absorbing narrative, Carey captures the vibe and atmosphere of the 1970s flawlessly, offering readers a chance to immerse themselves in the golden era of rock and roll. The characters are not only well-developed but also very likable for the most part. While Jennifer's interactions with Dylan are entertaining, I also enjoyed her friendship with Paul. The plot has its share of surprises to keep readers hooked. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and heartily recommend it to romance lovers who don't mind dipping their toes into the paranormal genre."

Sci-fi space opera


Kathy Masters never expected to journey to the stars. When she does, she experiences the adventure of a lifetime.
That all changes when she is selected by the prestigious Galactic Geographic Society to photograph and record the flora and fauna of a newly discovered class M planet. Filled with hope and enthusiasm, she boards the S.S. America for the trip to Beta 3 Epsilon to begin her new project. On the way she is abducted and brought aboard the privateer Rapier.
Going from captive, to slave, to induction into the infamous Brotherhood, Kathy finds herself raising the adopted daughter of the crew of the Rapier. Given the responsibility to raise their princess, Cindy, they travel among the stars preying on merchant ships, dodging Chinese warships, fighting pirates, visiting strange worlds, and encountering fantastic creatures, all under the watchful eyes of Commodore James Ulysses Black. Trying to raise a young girl among gunfights, swordfights, ship-to-ship battles, slave trades, deals, and some of the most feared raiders in human space is no small challenge.
The only question is, Is Kathy up to the task?

Review by Travis B
"The face-paced, in-the-present style of writing always keeps the story moving along at light speed. But after each jump to or from hyperspace anything can happen and does. Swimming with whales living in nebulae of thick, colorful gases. Horse-sized wolves and never-before-seen natives and underwater adventures to meet the almighty, giving ones: bioengineering “gifts” with omnipotent capabilities. And sword-fights, blazingly fast strokes of the gleaming steel, bellies bursting, men keeling over."

Ghost suspense thriller


A powerful curse cast thousands of years ago by the Grand Vizier. Tanakhmet cursed Prince Akhmose to never enter the Field of Reeds, the heavenly paradise. Why did he want him to linger as a restless ghost among the living, forever?
By reading the hieroglyphs, Layla, a young Egyptologist, inadvertently breaks the curse and frees the ghosts of both Prince Akhmose and the Grand Vizier whose thirst for revenge is stronger than ever.
With Layla’s help, can Prince Akhmose finally cross into the afterlife?
Or perhaps, because of the charms of the mortal woman, he doesn’t want to…

Review by Termite Writer
"I’m always attracted to stories with archaeological subjects and this story deals with ancient Egypt and its curses, mummies, and ghosts. Through the machinations of the Pharoah’s evil Grand Vizier, Prince Akhmose is murdered and his soul is sent into the future, while his lover’s soul is also reincarnated in a modern woman who happens to be an Egyptologist. Her skeptical roommate Mara adds some enjoyable humor to the tale."

Gothic romance


Fernal Thorn always suspected her family had secrets.
But she has no idea how dark and dangerous these secrets are until a mysterious man, his horde of followers, and a powerful demon invade her forest home. Badly beaten and alone, she is rescued by an aloof high-born stranger who takes her to his family’s ancient estate in Cumbria.
There she finds allies and enemies with secrets of their own. Captivated by her alluring yet reclusive rescuer, Fernal is torn between vengeance and love, and she must find a way to defeat the evil that has plagued her family for centuries—or die on the next solstice.
Deeply compelling and seductive, Eternity Awaits is a richly textured story that will dwell within you long after the last pages are read.

Review by aerowell
"Intriguing story that has something for everyone: mystery, suspense, romance and the supernatural. The characters had flaws and insecurities with which we can all relate. Eternity Awaits is an entertaining page-turner with unexpected twists. "



Sunday, October 13, 2024

Book Sunday

 Featured Books Sunday





 

 

Time travel romance


The stakes are high, and the risks even higher. SEE MORE

Embark on a journey through time with Dylan Anderson, the lead guitarist of Ablaze, as he strives to recreate the magic of the '70s, inspired by Kenny Chesney's iconic hit, "I Go Back." In his pursuit of reliving his golden days, Dylan becomes entangled in the hidden world of a mysterious cult, eager to uncover the secrets of time travel.
The stakes are high, and the risks even higher - challenges he's prepared to confront head-on.
This adventure is far from a solo act. With his enduring love, Jennifer Kovich, by his side, Dylan is determined to bring her along on this journey whether she's ready or not. However, there's a catch - The dark spell Dylan has created will not allow him to return to the present even if he ever wanted to. Only Jennifer would have a chance at finding an escape route back home, but according to Dylan, it's almost impossible. Or is it? Brace yourself for a tale of love, danger, and the irresistible pull of a past era as Dylan leads us on an unforgettable voyage to the heart of the '70s.


Historical thriller


When the descendants pay the price of the ancient family curse SEE MORE 

Jayden and his archeology group find the burial site of a Medicine Woman from the 5th century. Strangely, Jayden also finds a crude leather book in his grandmother's secret room that was written in 426 by a Shaman.
His sister, Sofia, decodes the ancient runes, and they learn that a powerful curse cast sixteen hundred years ago destroyed the lives of their ancestors for centuries. If it remains unbroken, the curse will ruin the lives of future generations as well.
Dark memories of their childhood start to surface, and they’re stunned to realize the similarities between the tragedy of the family described in the Shaman’s book and theirs, sixteen hundred years later. They’re stunned by the conclusion that Jayden is in danger due to a family curse.

Occult ghost & haunted houses


The dark side of Southern Maryland SEE MORE

Take a journey to the dark side of Southern Maryland, one of the most haunted spots in America, and visit with the ghosts and otherworldly specters of the area.

Southern Maryland is one of the most haunted spots in America. From pre-colonial settlements to modern times, the tales of every era of its history are often dark and sometimes bloody. Brave readers will meet the many otherworldly specters that loved the area too much to leave, like the spirit of the witch Moll Dyer or the nun reclaiming her ancestral home. Learn the haunted history of Sotterley Plantation and the stories of the ghosts that remained after the Civil War. Author David W. Thompson takes the reader on a spooky journey through Southern Maryland's long history.



Monday, June 17, 2019

Glorie Townson and It’s Like the Full Moon

Hi there, Toi here. Today, I’m happy to share a bit of my alter ego, Glorie Townson, with you.
But first…
Amazon
Rebecca has just turned thirty. She’s happy living a perfectly comfortable and predictable life. She’s even ready to marry her long-time boyfriend whenever he finally gets around to asking her. But all that changes when her best friend whisks her away to Italy for a much-needed vacation.

In the midst of site seeing and finally letting loose, Rebecca manages to catch the eye of a young English tourist but doesn’t let it go to her head. By the time she’s back in the States and back in the arms of her long-time beau, Rebecca has already forgotten about Peter, Paten, Paul…whatever his name was, that is until he shows up at her brother’s cabin in the woods.

A life of normalcy, routine, and stability gets turned upside down as Rebecca decides whether or not she’s truly ready to get married. And if so, who is the one she’s really meant to be with?

Add on Goodreads 
~
So, Glorie Townson is a name I came up with to represent all the aspects of my personality that lean more towards tales of romance. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with publishing multiple genres under the same name, but when you are known as a geek girl and have most writing credits in the speculative genres, finding a better way to reach a new audience isn’t a bad idea. The few people who’ve reached out to me to tell me that they’ve enjoyed my debut romcom, have all found it a bit surprising that my real name is Toi and that I am not known for writing romance.

For me, this means two things. 1) I had good instincts when I thought Glorie sounded more like someone who writes romance than does Toi. 2) I may have dug myself a little hole. My entire web presence is built on my platform of being a book-loving geek girl who likes comic books and movies. I never really put much out there to support Glorie. I honestly never thought anyone would read It’s Like the Full Moon.

Oh well, lesson learned. Someone did read the book and I’m glad they did. The planned sequel has been in the works for a while and I hope it entertains as much as the first one when it’s ready for release.

Until then, why not check out the chapter by chapter playlist I created to accompany the book. It’s quite a ride.

A-SIDE

B-SIDE

~
On a completely separate note, Happy Juneteenth (June 19th) to my US brothers and sisters!
~

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

A Valentine’s Day Crash Course by Toi Thomas

An English Victorian era Valentine card located in the Museum of London-Wikipedia
Hi there, Toi here. For this special day, I thought I’d share a quick-flash pop-culture lesson about this day as if you didn’t know anything about it. Before I dive in, I should explain that I don’t actually observe this day with my husband. I say Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone I pass and give gift cards to family and friends, but this is not an overly stressful day for me or my husband and we are never disappointed with the outcome of the day. We keep it real low-key and stay inside where it’s safe, and that’s how we like it.  

HISTORY
Here’s an idea of where this holiday came from.


CULTURE
Check out this snippet from the article, “10 VALENTINE’S DAY TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD” by Noreen, on the Today I Found Out site.

Be sure to click the link up top to read the full article and see all 10 traditions.

NEWS
Here's an article I found from CNN.com about how much money people in the U.S. spend on Valentine's Day.

Here’s a little lesson on the 1929 St Valentine’s Day Massacre


If you’re up for something more recent, check out this article I found, “ 20 Shocking Valentine's Day Crimes Committed by Lovers,” by Jacob Shelton on the Ranker site (I’d never heard of this site before and do not vouch for its accuracy, but it's really interesting).

MOVIES
Here are a few Valentine's themed movies, but I can't vouch for whether they'll put you in a romantic mood. 


BOOKS
Here are the top 4 Valentine’s Day themed books from Goodread’s Listopia (I’ve not read or heard of any of these, but then I’m still getting into romance as a genre, on the whole). See the full list here.


BTW- I too tried my little novice hand at writing romance and think I did a pretty good job. 
Amazon

MUSIC
Here’s a little Frank Sinatra for all the music lovers out there. If you know any other songs about Valentine’s Day or with Valentine’s Day in them, I’d love to know all about them.

If you didn’t fall in love with this post, I do hope you at least found it entertaining. And whether you observe or not, I wish you all Peace, Love, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:
Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

Thank you for visiting our blog!
Enjoy our past and present blog posts


 
 
 

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Would you read this? Vol.3 #OurAuthorGang


Welcome back. See volume 1 and 2 of this series, at the links provided.

I’ve written a lot of short stories in the last few years. Some have been published in a collection while others are simply awaiting their time to shine. As I considered how to organize my collections, I began to wonder if the stories themselves are worth reading on their own. As a collection, these short stories have the benefit of being part of something greater, but I want to know “would you read these stories?” if they were presented on their own. That’s also when I begin to consider that I write blurbs for the books I release, but I don’t write blurbs for individual stories in a collection, a tagline usually does the job. Well, that’s about to change. In this series, I’ll be sharing unpublished blurbs to stories that may or may not yet be released. These blurbs are not meant to be used to pitch or sell these stories. This is just a practice on the concept of writing a blurb? I just want to know if the blurbs are any good. I may also offer some ideas of what cover designs for these stories may look like. I hope you enjoy this adventure.

For the third post in this series, I thought I’d start with the blurb for the first romance story (a YA romance at that) I ever wrote. It, like the last story, is included in my collection, Legend of the Boy, In the Window, and Other Short stories. However, the version of the story that appears in that collection, is quite different from the story I wrote back in high school.

Yes, this is the first story I published that had been originally written during a time in my life before I realized just how important writing is to me. Back in high school, I wrote short stories and poems to amuse myself or sell to classmates who wanted to impress someone. They’d give me an idea and some specs, and I’d provide them with a story or poem. I had a strict “no academia” policy. If I thought someone was trying to pass off something I wrote for an English assignment, I’d come clean. Only one person ever attempted it, but they didn’t go through with it.

Encounter is another story I presented to my old writing group, which at the time gave me many pointers on how to present it better. I ended up tweaking the story a bit to suit myself. It’s supposed to be a love at first sight story, but I never felt right about it. I guess you could say, I’m just not a believer in love at first sight. I reworked the story to show that my characters had at least encountered each other one other time before “falling in love.” At just around 1700 words, I’m very proud of the way this story has evolved.

Below is the proposed blurb for the story and two book cover mock-ups for you to vote on. These are rough drafts that will never be produced, but I’d still like to know your thoughts on making them better, if you have any.

What’s a girl to do when the object of her affection looks like a golden demi-god and she’s as plain as grain? 

For Talia, she’s decided to chase down destiny and stare into his dreamy, copper eyes just once more before she likely faints from exhilaration. 

Will Talia discover love or disappointment when she seeks out her next "chance" encounter?

Forms response chart. Question title: Which do you prefer?. Number of responses: 4 responses.
Results as of 12/6. You can still vote.

Don’t be shy. Your feedback is welcomed, but please be nice. 😌

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

Click here to read more posts at our Blog Post Gallery


COMMENTS 

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Eva Pasco

1 month ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I think your blurb is on point and inviting!
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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

1 month ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Toinette Thomas​ shares another story blurb and two cover choices on #OurAuthorGang today. Which one do you like best?
 
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Ruth de Jauregui

1 month ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I don't even like romance and the blurb made me stop short and think "Wow, that sounds great!" Great job Toi!!
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Thanks, Ruth. That means a lot.

Chris Weigand

1 month ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great blurb. I would read the book.
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Thanks, Chris.

Chris Weigand via Google+

1 month ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Another excerpt from Toi
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Toi Thomas via Google+

1 month ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today, I offer another blurb and two more book covers for you vote on. #OurAuthorGang
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P. J. Mann shared this via Google+

1 month ago  -  Shared publicly
 
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P. J. Mann

1 month ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great post as usual. I don't know whether love at first sight happens or not, I guess I did fall in love with my husband almost immediately, and it was something that mostly happened in a subconscious way. I guess it differs from person to person ,as we all are different from one another. I love the first cover, for some reason it attracts my attention
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Thanks for the feedback. I definitely think attraction at first sight happens a lot, but love is different. Still, as you say, everyone is different. If someone finds love, who care if it takes years or happens instantly.

Erika M Szabo

1 month ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great post Toi, I like the new cover :) Love at first sight happens only in my magical realism trilogy when the characters are mesmerized by magic. Otherwise, first comes chemistry, and then getting to know the person and falling in love :)
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I agree with you for the most part. Thanks for the feedback, but both of these covers are mock-ups. Which one, #1 or #2 did you like more?
 
+Toi Thomas I voted for #2 :)

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