Paranormal, Science Fiction & Fantasy Author
Spooky Thrills & Sexy Chills—Explore the Worlds of Morgan Brice
Welcome to Morgan’s Brice’s Halloween Tour.
Check out the first books in each of Morgan’s different Spooky series.
ALSO LOOK OUT FOR SOME FREE TREATS IN THE VARIOUS BLOG POSTS ON THE TOUR – SEE BELOW
Genre: Urban fantasy MM paranormal romance
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Each book is the first in a series. They standalone and do not end on a cliffhanger.
CHECK OUT THE FIRST BOOK in EACH of MORGAN’S SPOOKY SERIES!
Title: Criminal by Proxy
Author: S.E. Smyth
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: 10/25/2022
Heat Level: 2 – Fade to Black Sex
Pairing: Female/Female
Length: 75700
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, Coming out, college, criminals, dark, doctors, enemies/rivals to lovers, established couple, friends to lovers, gender-bending, hurt/comfort, illness/disease, in the closet, law enforcement, lawyers, medical personnel, mental illness, over 40, prison, private detective, reunited, revenge, road trip, security guards, soulmates, tear-jerker, therapist, UST
Christine is on the hunt to find out more about her great aunt, Rose, hoping to decipher their severed relationship and the murder Rose committed, for which June is in prison. With a stroke leaving Rose incapacitated, it’s a rush against time to find the truth.
Things are doubly complicated when Christine’s girlfriend Terrie is accused of assaulting someone. Nervous about what she might do next, Christine and her friends avoid Terrie. With everything at stake, Christine must stick to the cold hard facts, reminding herself not to let her emotions get in the way.
Christine must evaluate everything happening in her life. The weight of the events buried by her aunt so many years before and the shame of the actions of the love of her life rest squarely on her. If the eyes of the law are always 20/20, how do love, emotion, and insecurities distort fact?
Continue reading “New Release Blitz: Criminal by Proxy by S.E. Smyth”
Some of you may have noticed today there were two posts of Shari’s Top5! This was not deliberate; I made an error when scheduling and one was supposed to be for next Saturday ^^;;
Fear not (Halloween bad pun!) I am going to schedule something else in instead and I also have a personal spooky tale or two planned for Halloween itself!
Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really!
For this month I am focusing on Halloween / Spooky themed Top 5’s. I hope you enjoy this theme and do let me know what your Top 5’s are too!
5. Rings – A young woman becomes worried about her boyfriend when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he has viewed it.
4. Dark Skies – Lucy and Daniel Barrett are suburban parents trying to get by and provide for their sons. The struggles of normal life become extraordinary as the Barretts start to experience an escalating series of disturbing phenomena occurring around their home. Soon, the Barretts begin falling victim to alarming physical and mental afflictions, leading them to believe that they are being targeted by an unimaginable deadly force which they must uncover by any means necessary.
3. Lights Out – When Rebecca left home, she thought she left her childhood fears behind. Growing up, she was never really sure of what was and wasn’t real when the lights went out…and now her little brother, Martin, is experiencing the same unexplained and terrifying events that had once tested her sanity and threatened her safety. A frightening entity with a mysterious attachment to their mother, Sophie, has reemerged.
But this time, as Rebecca gets closer to unlocking the truth, there is no denying that all their lives are in danger…once the lights go out.
2. The Unholy – The Unholy, based on James Herbert’s best-selling book Shrine, follows a young hearing-impaired girl who is visited by the Virgin Mary and can suddenly hear, speak, and heal the sick. As people from near and far flock to witness her miracles, a disgraced journalist hoping to revive his career visits a small New England town to investigate. As terrifying events begin to happen all around him, he starts questioning if these miracles are the works of the Virgin Mary or something much more sinister.
1. Paranormal Activity – A young couple becomes convinced their suburban home is being haunted by a demonic presence. In the hope of finding some evidence they set up a video camera in their bedroom to film the room as they sleep. What they record is more terrifying than they could ever have imagined.
Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really!
For this month I am focusing on Halloween / Spooky themed Top 5’s. I hope you enjoy this theme and do let me know what your Top 5’s are too!
5. Dressing up – I don’t do this much now I’m older but I used to love dressing up as my favourite spooky characters (or go traditional and be a witch or a cat!).
4. Decorating – My lounge has a gothic-y vibe normally anyway, but Halloween is the perfect excuse to go full out decorating with all things spooky!
3. Trick or treating – Again something I don’t do now I am older, but I loved doing this as a kid. I cannot wait until my nephew is old enough that me and my sister can take him!
2. Shopping – Halloween shopping is just so much fun! I love checking out all the Halloween-themed home decor, food and clothes this time of year!
1. Watching scary films – I love scary movies and this time of year there is nothing I enjoy more than curling up on the sofa with a blanket and bowl of crisps to watch a horror film – with the lights out of course!
Title: Love, Lorena
Author: Ivy L. James
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: 10/18/2022
Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: Female/Female
Length: 57950
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, contemporary, lesbian, bisexual, light romance, royalty, matchmaker, arranged/forced marriage, modern fairy tale, flirting, interracial/intercultural, pets, family drama
Lorena García Fernández has built her matchmaking company, “Love, Lorena,” from the ground up, but her parents refuse to acknowledge the business as legitimate. Hoping to impress them, she travels to Ìovoria to find Crown Prince Callum a match. However, when Callum unexpectedly abdicates, his wild sister, Rosamund, becomes the crown princess and Lorena’s new client.
Lorena knows “Rowdy Rosamund” from the news headlines, but as she helps the princess, she learns there’s more to Rose than her public persona. The two women grow closer with each date Lorena sets up for the crown princess, and Lorena finds herself falling for Rose.
With only a month to find the perfect match, each failure increases the pressure to succeed. How will Lorena choose between her duty and her heart?
Continue reading “New Release Blitz: Love, Lorena by Ivy L. James”
Welcome to Shari’s Top 5! This is a feature I have created to showcase my personal top 5 of various books, shows, toys, music, films, food, etc, whatever I fancy focusing on for each post really!
For this month I am focusing on Halloween / Spooky themed Top 5’s. I hope you enjoy this theme and do let me know what your Top 5’s are too!
5. Order of the Void by Robert Vaughn – Internet vlogger Jeffery Bailey, attends the funeral of his dead best friend. While at the funeral Jeffery is given a package from his friend’s mother. After looking through the contents of the package, Jeffery learns that it was more than just a simple home invasion that took the life of his friend.
4. Sarah by Teri Polen – Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.
A bet between friends goes horribly wrong, resulting in Sarah’s death. When she returns to seek justice against those responsible, Cain agrees to help her. But when he discovers Sarah has been hijacking his body, he realizes she wants retribution instead of justice.
Terrified of what could have happened when he wasn’t in control, Cain commands Sarah to leave his house – but exorcising her isn’t that easy. She retaliates against her murderers in bloody, horrific ways, each death making her stronger, then sets her sights on Cain. With the help of friends, Cain fights to save himself and his loved ones and searches for a way to stop Sarah before she kills again.
3. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice – In a darkened room a young man sits telling the macabre and eerie story of his life – the story of a vampire, gifted with eternal life, cursed with an exquisite craving for human blood.
2. The Vanishing by Arjay Lewis – Former NYPD detective Liliana Slavik is still recovering from a nervous breakdown, after a shooting that killed her fiancé and ended her career. Seeking refuge in her peaceful hometown, she soon discovers hundreds of people have disappeared in the Pine Barrens nearby. She becomes determined to fight through her panic attacks, team up with the man who betrayed her, and solve the sinister secret.
Liliana uncovers information about the famed Jersey Devil as well as Native American lore which tells of monsters which haunt the vast New Jersey forests. But, the anxious investigator knows there’s only one way to reveal the truth. She must enter the woods herself…
Can Liliana face and defeat the terror before she becomes the next missing person?
1. Ring by Koji Suzuki – Asakawa is a hardworking journalist who has climbed his way up from local-news beat reporter to writer for his newspaper’s weekly magazine. A chronic workaholic, he doesn’t take much notice when his seventeen-year-old niece dies suddenly – until a chance conversation reveals that another healthy teenager died at exactly the same time, in chillingly similar circumstances.
Sensing a story, Asakawa begins to investigate, and soon discovers that this strange simultaneous sudden-death syndrome also affected another two teenagers. Exactly one week before their mysterious deaths the four teenagers all spent the night at a leisure resort in the same log cabin.
When Asakawa visits the resort, the mystery only deepens. A comment made in the guest book by one of the teenagers leads him to a particular vidoetape with a portentous message at the end:
Those who have viewed these images are fated to die at this exact hour one week from now.
Asakawa finds himself in a race against time – he has only seven days to find the cause of the teenagers’ deaths before it finds him. The hunt puts him on the trail of an apocalytpic power that will force Asakawa to choose between saving his family and saving civilization.
BLOG TOUR
Book Title: Morrel & Morcerf and the Spear of Destiny
Author and Publisher: Kyle Baxter
Cover Artist: Kyle Baxter
Release Date: October 28, 2022
Genres: LGBTQ+ Action & Adventure Fiction, MM Romance
Tropes: Race Against the Clock, ex-military, king incognito
Themes: Community, Family
Heat Rating: 2 flames
Length: 98 449 words/ 373 pages
It is a standalone book. It is part of a connected series—shared universe—but you do not need to have read the previous books to follow it.
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Gay Mystery Archaeologists Chase Nazi Gold!
Blurb
Alois d’Pierrepont and Marton Prawer have been attending black market antiquities events trying to recover treasure stolen by Nazis during World War II. Marton is particularly interested in a certain missing Picasso.
Following the trail to France, the two stumble into far more than they bargained for when a shady auction they’re attending in Paris’s Latin Quarter is raided by Interpol. Alois’s uncle Frederick, from Bring Me Edelweiss, is soon hot on the case along with his lover Joel McIntyre.
After recovering the journal of a Nazi general the four men race across western Europe, chased by fascists desperate to find the treasure for themselves. Gunfights and car chases ensue as the group uses a map in the journal to track down the treasure and its contents, rumored to include the fabled Spear of Destiny.
Excerpt
Alois d’Pierrepont knelt at the door to the study and pulled a small black pouch from his breast pocket. With a grunt, he undid the button on his Versace “Black Baroque” evening jacket. It fit a little too snugly for squatting. Opening the bag, he selected two picks, inserted them in the door lock, and went to work.
“How’s it going?” Marton Prawer asked, appearing beside him and flashing his winning smile.
Alois looked up at his boyfriend. I’d go a lot quicker if you wouldn’t hang on my shoulder, he thought. “Just bloody fine, dear,” he grumbled between gritted teeth.
They’d come to the party to find evidence that the host collected Nazi memorabilia. Marton was obsessed with returning stolen loot to the Jewish people. A noble pursuit. And being a history buff and amateur archaeologist himself, Alois found him fascinating and intense.
The owner of this house had a reputation for acquiring antiques with a sketchy provenance. But reputation was not proof, so the two young men were looking for something they could leverage for information. Something that might get them an in to the black market antiquities scene. To be fair, Alois was at a loss as to how to accomplish that, but Marton was determined. Seems a bit of a stretch.
It was a good thing he was able to use his own contacts to get an invite to this party, but . . . May wind up paying for that. That particular person, a socialite named Denis, was a pill and likely to bring it up to gain his own leverage. He let out a long, deep breath. So far, it’s worth it. After all, they’d made it here. But still, the games people play. It’s all so exhausting.
He wiped beads of perspiration off his forehead and frowned. Locks never gave him this much trouble. Then again, he wasn’t used to performing under pressure. Before, it was always a lark, a trick he picked up as a kid running around his grandfather’s drafty old home, picking the locks on all the doors for fun. Though he’d long ago gone pro and bought a professional lockpick set, this was different. They were on a mission.
“Take a breath.” Marton’s voice was easy and soothing.
Alois shook out his hand and let out a long exhalation, then went back to it. After a moment, the tumblers clicked easily like they’d been waiting for him. The lock let out a satisfying chunk.
“Sorry, just a bit nervous.” Alois chuckled as he stood. “Never done this ‘in the field,’ as they say. Before, it was always a party trick or me larking about. Never actually tried housebreaking before.”
Marton looked up at Alois and gave him a kiss on the lips. “You did great.” He ran a hand along the front of Alois’s slacks, teasing him until he hardened. “I’ll give you something special when we get back to your place.”
A deep moan escaped Alois’s chest. “I’m looking forward to it already.” Grabbing the door handle, he stepped inside the office and flicked on the light.
They stepped into a nondescript modern office.
“Oh,” Marton said in surprise.
“What, were you expecting a Nazi flag on the wall?” Alois asked, nudging the shorter man in the side. “Or an autographed photo of Hitler?”
About the Author
Kyle is an artist, playwright, and writer. As a playwright, Kyle has had his plays performed in New York at the NY International Fringe Festival, and the Midtown International Theater Festival. As an artist and illustrator, he has had his art exhibited in both New Orleans and New York.
Born in Hawaii, Kyle is an Army brat and grew up in Erlangen, Germany, as well as Augusta, Georgia, and several cities in Texas. After stints in Louisiana and New York, he resides again in Honolulu with his black Labrador Retriever Brady.
Author Links
Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
When I wrote my last Shari’s Life post I mentioned that when the handymen came to build my new furniture and put up my shelves, they were also going to solve the mystery of the cupboard that has been painted shut for probably many years!
So they opened it and….nothing inside except for a very old empty bin bag! But what was really interesting is that whoever converted the building into flats had not bothered to do anything with the cupboard, so it had all the original paintwork and Victorian wallpaper! I just think that is amazing and I have decided to leave the cupboard exactly how it is rather than clean it up and put shelves in for storage which was the original plan. I know I ought to make use of the space as in a flat there is never much storage, but I also think preserving things is important too. This could well be the only piece of interior decor left so I am going to preserve it. I might still put things up there, but I certainly won’t change a thing about it.
Alois d’Pierrepont and Marton Prawer have been attending black market antiquities events trying to recover treasure stolen by Nazis during World War II. Marton is particularly interested in a certain missing Picasso.
Following the trail to France, the two stumble into far more than they bargained for when a shady auction they’re attending in Paris’s Latin Quarter is raided by Interpol. Alois’s uncle Frederick, from Bring Me Edelweiss, is soon hot on the case along with his lover Joel McIntyre.
After recovering the journal of a Nazi general the four men race across western Europe, chased by fascists desperate to find the treasure for themselves. Gunfights and car chases ensue as the group uses a map in the journal to track down the treasure and its contents, rumored to include the fabled Spear of Destiny.
Can Alois, Marton, and their crew find the treasure before the neo-Nazis do? And why is their every step dogged by mysterious men in black?
Purchase Link: Amazon.com
Goodreads: Morrel & Morcerf and the Spear of Destiny (Five Points Stories) by Kyle Baxter
Rating: 3.5 stars
*I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*
Whilst trying to recover a stolen Picasso, two university students stumble upon something much bigger. The race between groups to recover what they believe to be the authentic Spear of Destiny. Alois and his boyfriend Marton team up with Alois’ uncle and his lover. Together they must find the spear and its other treasures first.
This book was a mixed read for me. I enjoy reading Indiana Jones style races for mythical or lost treasure. This novel certainly had all the ingredients for that, but the pacing felt a bit stop start. Also, I felt there were too many characters involved. This had a detrimental effect on the main characters as half the time I was not sure who was supposed to be leading the story, and I did not feel as a reader I got to know them in any detail.
The author took a great deal of time to set scenes and create the backgrounds and villains for the treasure hunt, but again there seemed to be too many groups at play here and I think less may have been more.
I did enjoy reading Morrel & Morcerf and the Spear of Destiny. The action scenes were well-written and details and each clue to the treasure that they uncovered was carefully planned with plenty of turns in unexpected directions. For me I just felt that it could have been tightened up a bit in places and more focus on the main characters in the series.
Shari Sakurai 