Author: sharisakurai

Shari Sakurai is a British author of paranormal, horror, science fiction and fantasy novels that almost always feature a LGBT protagonist and/or antagonist. She has always loved to write and it is her escape from the sometimes stressful modern life! Aside from writing, Shari enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to (loud!) music, going to rock concerts and learning more about other societies and cultures. Japanese culture is of particular interest to her and she often incorporates Japanese themes and influences into her work. Shari loves a challenge and has taken part and won the National Novel Writing Month challenge ten times!

99c / 99p Book Blast: Now Comes the Dark by Thom Collins

~ sharisakurai ~ Leave a comment

99c/99p Book Blast

Book Title: Now Comes the Dark

Author: Thom Collins

Publisher: Pride Publishing / Entwined Publishing

Cover Artist: Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Release Date: February 11, 2025

Pairing: Contemporary Dark MM Romance

Tense/POV: Third person

Genres: Thriller/Mystery/Suspense

Tropes: Instant lust, serial killer, community

Themes: Erotic thriller

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 63 000 words

It is the first book in a new series, but works as a complete standalone

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Currently available for 99c/99p

Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Two strangers fuelled by desire, and a killer consumed with lust.


Blurb

Roman Ballentyne is forced to make some changes. The city he loves is no longer safe. Tensions are high as a psychotic killer preys upon the LGBTQ community. Five men have been murdered in the last year. Every encounter is a risk. Anyone could be next. The Viaduct was once the shame of Blyham, an illicit club filled with private booths and dark rooms, sleazy in the extreme. Now it offers a secure space to hook up when it’s too dangerous to take a stranger home.

Mallon Garnier catches Roman’s eye. He’s moody and mature and the hottest man in the club, but as Mallon pairs up with someone else, Roman thinks he’s missed his chance. When Roman is the victim of a hate crime at the end of the night, Mallon is his saviour, taking on his attackers with savage efficiency. Their attraction is immediate and intense. Roman knows it’s wrong to go home with a stranger, but what harm can there be from the man who saved him?

The encounter is the start of an intense and passionate affair. But as the murders continue, Roman learns Mallon is keeping a deep secret, and the killer is closer than he thinks.

Continue reading “99c / 99p Book Blast: Now Comes the Dark by Thom Collins” →

New Release: Ghost by Max Vos

~ sharisakurai ~ Leave a comment

NEW RELEASE BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Ghost: A Love Story

Author and Publisher: Max Vos

Cover Artist: A. J. Corza

Release Date: September 12, 2025

Tense/POV: Alternating POV (Mostly first person.)

Genres: Contemporary/Historical MM Romance

Tropes: Forced Proximity

Themes: Forbidden love

Heat Rating: 2 flames

Length: 107 201 words/503 pages

It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads Profile

Buy Links

Author’s Website

Ghost can be purchased via Max’s website for one week

and then it will be on general release from September 12, 2025.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords

Bridging lifetimes for love

Blurb

Mason Montgomery has had enough of his own self-pity and the never-ending traffic of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

After selling up and moving to Savannah, sinking most of his money into a condemned Victorian home in a down and out part of town, an accident leaves him with a secret no doctor would ever be able to explain.

He can see ghosts. And one ghost in particular—Francis, an enigmatic presence lingering in Savannah’s sultry nights—feels more real than anyone Mason has ever known. But as their love deepens, Mason must confront a heartbreaking truth: how can he hold onto someone who no longer belongs to this world?

A sweeping romance of fate, desire, and the undeniable pull between past and present, this unforgettable tale asks: What if the greatest love of your life wasn’t alive at all?

Continue reading “New Release: Ghost by Max Vos” →

Book Review: The Enemy of Heaven by Reni Stankova

~ sharisakurai ~ Leave a comment

The Enemy of Heaven is the first instalment of The Heaven Trilogy. Angel Raphael and Demon Dante are drawn together by recollections of their first chance meeting and then Raphael’s desire to save Dante’s life. Yet Raphael also seeks an ally in his dangerous political game to upend of the order of things and create a better world for all who live in it.

This is an action-packed political thriller, with an well-developed array of characters – both good and bad. The dynamic between Raphael and Dante is interesting and changes as the story progresses, as Dante becomes more sure of himself and Raphael perhaps less so.

If you want to read a different kind of angels and demons story, I recommend The Enemy of Heaven.

New Release Blitz: Cosmo in Retrograde by A. Flowers

~ sharisakurai ~ Leave a comment

Title: Cosmo in Retrograde

Author: A. Flowers

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 09/09/2025

Heat Level: 2 – Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 98200

Genre: Fantasy, bisexual, gay, PNR-magic/magic users, investigators, mystery-police investigation, enemies/rivals to lovers, in the closet, disabilities, mental illness, politics, psychic ability, psychic medium, speech impediment/stutterer

Add to Goodreads

Description

Nothing has ever gone right for Cosmo Valencourt. After an automobile accident that left him permanently disabled, he lost most of his magical prowess and almost failed out of university. Left with only his talent for psychometry, which allows him to see the history of any object he touches, Cosmo has been working as an investigator at New Scotland Yard. A job that, in Cosmo’s opinion, is beneath him.

To make matters worse, Cosmo is tasked to investigate the threatening notes sent to his university rival, Blaise Howell. The notes, sent by a mysterious entity who calls himself the Third Eye, reveal a conspiracy to take down England’s Department for Marvels—starting with Blaise.

At first, every second with the disgustingly perfect Blaise Howell makes Cosmo’s skin crawl. But as the investigation continues, Cosmo finds himself falling for Blaise. Instead of the arrogant rich boy Cosmo remembers from university, he discovers the first person who truly understands him. There’s something sublime about Blaise that calms the chaos in Cosmo’s mind even as the investigation incites more chaos around him. From warding off magical attacks leveled against Blaise to interviewing prisoners at London’s most high-security prison, this investigation is Cosmo’s greatest challenge yet.

But Cosmo’s newfound love for Blaise is challenged when he discovers that Blaise is keeping a dark secret of his own. Between trying to save the Department for Marvels and attempting to keep Blaise’s heart beating, Cosmo is most definitely in over his head. In the end, he is left with a choice: save the Department for Marvels or keep Blaise Howell. There isn’t much chance of doing both.

But Cosmo plans to try. And if he fails, he will do so spectacularly.

Continue reading “New Release Blitz: Cosmo in Retrograde by A. Flowers” →

Blog Tour: Into the Gray Scale by Oge Mobuogwu

~ sharisakurai ~ Leave a comment

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Into the Gray Scale

Author: Oge Mobuogwu

Publisher: Reboshke Publishing

Cover Artist: Rafael Andres of CoveKitchen

Release Date: November 6, 2024

Pairing: MM, MMF

Genres: Dark Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

A sleuth crime dark fantasy based on folklore and physics

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 305 pages

Is it a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

***

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble | Audible

***

Dead men can’t catch killers. But maybe with the right help, they can bend the rules from the afterlife.

***

Blurb
Dead men can’t catch killers. But maybe with the right help, they can bend the rules from the afterlife.

Drug dealer AJ has just discovered he’s been murdered. Trapped in the surreal complexities of the afterlife, he realizes he’s still bound in service to his killer, the ruthless drug kingpin Governor Tyson. Meanwhile, homicide detective Maleek Shapiro is closing in on “skooches”, an enigmatic and dangerous drug at the heart of the case.

As Shapiro edges closer to proving the case against the governor, the investigation throws him into a maze of mystical experiences, unsettling encounters, and nightmarish realms where the boundaries between life and death—and dreams and reality—blur. Dead bodies begin to pile up as the untouchable governor storms towards his sinister goals without regard for consequences.

Can Shapiro, with AJ’s help from beyond the grave, stop the governor or will they all be sacrificed at the altar of his personal ambitions?

A poetic, spiritual and gripping exploration of the human psyche and the thin line between life and death, INTO THE GRAY SCALE blends dark fantasy with crime drama, unraveling raw emotions and surreal twists that challenge the boundaries of reality itself!

***

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Into the Gray Scale by Oge Mobuogwu” →

New Audiobook – A Furever Home by Kaje Harper and Gabbi Grey

~ sharisakurai ~ Leave a comment

NEW AUDIOBOOK

Book Title: A Furever Home

Author Publisher: Kaje Harper & Gabbi Grey

Narrator: Michael Ferraiuolo

Release Date: September 9, 2025

Tense/POV: 1st person, past tense, alternating POV

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance

Tropes: Small town romance, hurt/comfort

Themes: Fur-babies/animal rescue

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 9 hours and 5 minutes

Goodreads

Buy Links – Audiobook and eBook

Kaje Audible US | Kaje Audible UK

Gabbi Audible US | Gabbi Audible UK

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Desperately wanted found-family sometimes comes with wagging tails and a whole lot of fur.

Blurb

Arthur 

When I was squeezing seven rescue dogs and a horde of cats in my small house, all I wanted was to not turn away a pet in need. Opening the Safe Haven Pet Rescue was a dream come true. But when I get hurt, standing between a man with a gun and a stray dog, I realize I still can’t do it all.

My injured leg, a concussion, having to lean on my friends, and realizing how helpless I feel, throws me back to my childhood when nothing I did ever seemed to be enough. But there’s one silver lining. Brooklyn West. He’s the kind of guy who holds a stranger’s hand in a crisis. He’s great with my dogs, even cranky little Chili, and really seems to want to help the shelter. I like watching him be a protective big brother when his sister turns up on his doorstep, even though I think there’s pain underneath his sunny smiles. But as we move toward friendship, I keep looking for the strings, for the catch, and wondering how I’ll pay him back, because nothing in my life can be that sweet, or that simple.

Brooklyn

I went through a slice of medical hell, and came out the other side with enough money to move to the opposite side of the country and start the doggie daycare business of my dreams. The cherry on top of that good luck is meeting Arthur Bjornsson. Big, wild-bearded, soft-voiced Arthur is the kind of guy my family would’ve ridiculed. He’s warm-hearted and willing to throw himself into harm’s way right in front of my eyes to save one pathetic stray dog.

He’s the kind of guy who gives me back some faith in humanity. But when my underage sister Cheyenne shows up on my doorstep, on the run from the family I thought I’d escaped, my old life and new collide. I want to help Arthur, get to know him, and, as he heals, I want more than just friendship. But Cheyenne brings legal risks, a teen on the other side of my bedroom wall, and the threat of retribution from our family. The simple relationship I thought Arthur and I were building is suddenly messy as hell. I don’t know how we’ll get through this to reach the furever home I so desperately want.


A Furever Home is a fur-baby-filled, hurt-comfort, small town romance between two men whose only chance at a family is to build one themselves.

Continue reading “New Audiobook – A Furever Home by Kaje Harper and Gabbi Grey” →

Book Review: The Death Wish by D K Girl

~ sharisakurai ~ Leave a comment

I admit, I did put off reading the finale to this series. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I did not want it to end. However, the finale did not disappoint. The pressure was on, the entire series had been building up to this and it was executed perfectly. There were no loose ends or questions. Everything was drawn together and the supporting characters were given their moments to shine. Of course, not everyone survived and goodbyes were hard, but necessary as the series came to its conclusion.

The ending for Pitch and Silas was fitting, and even though perhaps not as expected, the two were given the happiness that they deserved. I will miss this series and characters, and look forward to the author’s future works.

New Release: Millennium Bug by Yvonne Knop

~ sharisakurai ~ Leave a comment

COMING SOON

Book Title: Millennium Bug

Author and Publisher: Yvonne Knop

Cover Artist: Ursula Roslon

Release Date: September 15, 2025

Tense/POV: third person, past tense, alternating POV

Genres: MM Romance, Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, found family, chosen one

Themes: forgiveness, fate, grief, love, friendship, hope

Heat Rating: 2 flames

Length: 297 pages, Kindle Edition

It is a standalone book

Goodreads

Pre-Order Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

The book tells his life. The truth rewrites reality. His choice might end it all.

Blurb

David Smith’s life is thrown into chaos when a mysterious book crashes through his window, telling the story of a life he doesn’t remember. A stranger, claiming to be a hidden scribe who weaves reality, demands the book back, warning that keeping it will unravel the world, but returning it will erase David from existence.

As the ancient order of storytellers is threatened to be overthrown by AI, David must reclaim his past and rewrite destiny itself to prevent the erasure of all reality. But if he succeeds, the cost may be too great—unlocking the truth of his fate gives him the power to destroy everything, including the only man he’s ever loved.

If the world was never meant to be real, does it deserve to exist?

Continue reading “New Release: Millennium Bug by Yvonne Knop” →

Book Blast: Interview with the Tarot Reader by Kathy Kaye

~ sharisakurai ~ Leave a comment

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: Interview with the Tarot Reader

Author: Kathy Kaye

Publisher: Vanguard Press, Cambridge, UK

Cover Artist: Image licensed from Adobe Publishers

Release Date: May 29, 2025

Genres: Contemporary F/F Romance, Slightly Speculative

Tropes: Intrigue, romance, spiritual insight, wisdom of the universe

Themes: Human connection and loss, coincidence and destiny, self-discovery

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 40 000 words/201 pages

It is Book 1 of 3. Books 2 and 3 are being written. Book 2, The Tarot Connection, will be published in mid 2026.

This book ends on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

A captivating tale of love, fate, and the power of the unknown.

Blurb

In the heart of San Francisco, two strangers find themselves inexplicably connected in a moment that transcends time and space. As they navigate this unexplainable bond, they are drawn into a world of mystery and self-discovery that will change their lives forever.

Interview with the Tarot Reader weaves a captivating tale of love, fate, and the power of the unknown. Join Marie Cameron, a renowned tarot card reader, as she delves into the depths of the human soul and uncovers the secrets that lie within. With a blend of intrigue, romance, and spiritual insight, this novel will leave you questioning the boundaries of reality and the true nature of connection.

Interview with the Tarot Reader is a mesmerizing journey, where the answers you seek may be found in the most unexpected of places.

Continue reading “Book Blast: Interview with the Tarot Reader by Kathy Kaye” →

Book Review: Where Demons Reside by Kara Macris

~ sharisakurai ~ Leave a comment

This young adult novel provides a refreshing and unique take on the angels vs demons struggle. When Thomas Walker carries out his first exorcism under duress from his Grandfather, he begins to have doubts about whether he is actually helping the demons. When his Grandfather dies, he and his mother inherit his property and relocate to the very town that Thomas is desperate to get away from. However, when meeting his new neighbours, Thomas realises that there is another path mapped out for him, and one that involves his love interest Elijah too. 

I really enjoyed Where Demons Reside. Not only did the plot continually evolve to keep me guessing, the characters changed and developed so much as the novel progressed. Thomas, in particular, became much more sure of himself as well as ready to open up to other characters and stand up for himself. 

Young adult novel fans and lovers of the paranormal will enjoy reading Where Demons Reside as much as I did!