Plucked by the Orc by Jenna Larkin [BLITZ TOUR]

[Regency Monster Romances - Book 1]

Carnival Row meets My Fair Lady with a steamy sensibility. Welcome to the first Regency Monster Romance, in which the Lords of the Hidden Realm have a place in Society but never in the hearts of London’s fine human ladies.

Until Now.

Scratching by as a flower girl, Iris Gabbert speaks first and asks questions later. All the better to survive the rough and tumble East End streets. So if an odd-looking bloke knocks over a basket brimming with a girl’s means of making a living, what else is she to do but give him a tongue lashing he won’t soon forget? Even if it was an accident. Even if his lordship dresses like a right dandy. Even if he is more alluring than any gent who has passed her way before.

Broad of shoulder and abrupt in manner, the infamous Lord Barrington presents a proposition that promises all the honey with none of the bee’s busy work. And no one ever accused Iris Gabbert of passing on an opportunity. Especially not if it brings her one step closer to her dream of buying a shop. For the small price of improving her manners and donning gorgeous gowns, no less.

Duncan Higgins, Second Duke of Barrington, prides himself on his astute observations of human behavior. All the better to mask the pain of never truly belonging in their sphere. Rejected by the woman he’d hoped to woo, Duncan has withdrawn from Society to focus on his anthropological magnum opus: The Curious Customs of the Human Ton. But when his mischievous younger brother Albion presents him with a dare, Duncan quickly embraces the challenge.

To win the wager, Duncan must transform a humble flower girl into a lady “worthy” of acceptance in Society. His work is cut out for him. The girl he intends to slip into their ranks is uncouth. She refuses to soften her voice. Her favorite bonnet sits crooked on her head, and the rest of her wardrobe is appalling. Yet when Iris Gabbert emerges from her first bath at his elegant Mayfair townhouse, the power of Duncan’s desire ignites.

With sufficient income from his family’s mines to indulge her every whim, Duncan draws Iris into his private and luxurious world. Duncan intends to fulfill her every desire. Every last one. But as a newly refined Iris makes her debut, she catches the eye of the Season’s most eligible human bachelor, triggering Duncan’s deepest fears of rejection. Faced with jealousies, misunderstandings, and a treacherous social landscape, can true love—and lust—prevail?

🕁Click to Preview Book🕁
$0.99 at Time of Posting!
Adult | Fantasy | Historical
Published: February 5, 2024
Length: 241
Tour Provided by Xpresso Book Tours

The Excerpt

Duncan Higgins, the Second Duke of Barrington, tucked his muslin cravat tighter underneath his Parisian greatcoat. The evening performance of How You Like It had been crowded with patrons eager to see the new gas lighting at the Theatre-Royal. It was difficult to tolerate the stares his massive form and green-tinged skin attracted, but he could ensure his attire reflected the latest demands of the season. 

Better to be respected, or even feared, than to find himself an object of scorn.

His father had stepped foot in London eighteen years prior, the first orc to do so. But Duncan’s height, the horns curling back on his head, and his unusual coloring—unusual on the streets of this city, at least—still drew stares. As in all things connected to the frivolous ton, no one stated anything outright. Rather, he was subject to the averted glances of children seeing one of his kind for the first time. Or the pursed lips of a mother with a daughter of marriageable age looking to catch a gentleman’s eye. A gentleman of wealth, manners, and title.

A human gentleman. They were not eager for their daughters to marry Duncan Higgins, even if he were five and twenty and met their other requirements. He’d learned that lesson well enough. 

So be it. Duncan would remain at a distance, observing and taking notes on human society as a scientist would a colony of lemurs or some such.

His younger brother, Albion, would have deemed that too harsh. Albion and their mother came to London from the Hidden Realm two years after Duncan accompanied Father here. He didn’t understand what it had been like for Duncan in those early days. When grown women had screamed at the sight of orcs, no matter how fine their English clothes, and boys hurled rocks at their backs.

As he stepped out to the street this evening, an assortment of dandies packed the space outside the venerable theater, waiting on the carriages that would propel them to the next stop on their nightly rounds about the city. Despite the chill in the air, they left their greatcoats open, the better to showcase ruffled shirts, cravats folded crisply on the cross, and fitted trousers.  

Albion often laughed at Duncan’s propensity for tracking human fashion, whilst Duncan argued that all manner of human customs were of interest. The apparel chosen for a particular season spoke to the values and aspirations of the ton. When living as an outsider, one could never know too much about a culture.

And Duncan was an outsider who literally stood out in a crowd. He ducked under the arches outside the theater’s foyer, side-stepping a matron with two daughters prancing before her. The ladies wore stunning multi-colored sapphires—pink, orange, amber, in every shade and gradient—sparkling on pendants hanging from the short pearl necklaces that were all the rage this season.

The rare gemstones originated in his land and were the source of his family’s wealth. Nevertheless, when the mother caught him glancing at her daughters’ jewels, she called them closer to her. Their finery was for the benefit of the human dandies. Not Duncan Higgins. Even if he could have made either of them a duchess.

At one time, such a snub would have caused Duncan great shame. Now, however, these women meant no more to him than the portraits he might examine at a public exhibition in one of the city’s galleries. He tipped his bespoke hat in their direction and continued, wanting only to locate a hackney coach so he might return to his townhouse in a timely manner.

Despite the indulgence of taking in a performance this evening, he wished to abide by his customary schedule, drafting three pages over a glass of port prior to retiring for the night. Duncan aspired to publish a book in the Hidden Realm so the orcs who came to London in the future were better prepared than he had been.

Considering additional comments for his section on the shenanigans of human mothers, Duncan neglected to mind his feet. Distracted, he stumbled over one of the humans milling in front of the theater, tipping a woven basket filled with flowers over in the process. The blossoms hit the sodden ground in a colorful spray of wilting clumps—pansies, snowdrops, and clematis. He nearly tumbled down beside them.

“Bloody hell,” he muttered, reaching for his handkerchief, twice the size of those used by other gentlemen, to wipe away the mud that had spattered his new coat. And just as the French styles were once again making their way across the Channel. Thanks to that scoundrel Napoleon Bonaparte, London had been deprived of Parisian fashions for several years.

“Hey there, ‘ya big lug!” a female voice called, rising above the din of the humans still bustling out of the theater. “Watch where you’re putting them huge green feet of yours, kitten.”

Duncan had been called many names in his life, but “kitten” had never before counted among their number. It took him a moment to realize the young woman was addressing him

She clicked her tongue between her teeth as she attempted to reclaim the flowers. “A girl’s tryin’ to make a living here, you know.”

Her voice held the distinctive tinge of the East End, an accent he sometimes heard from shopkeepers. This woman’s outlandish appearance matched the Cockney drawl. Her walking dress and pelisse, both of which might have been a startling bronze hue when in fashion five years ago, clung to her slender figure in an indecent manner. A flamboyant blue-purple iris, its petals shaped like the fleur-de-lis of the old French royal family, with a jagged shot of golden color in the center, topped her bonnet.

To make matters even more ridiculous, he found himself staring at this woman, whose delicate form and features were at odds with the boldest feminine voice he’d had the pleasure of hearing since he left the Hidden Realm. In Duncan’s homeland, women were not given to the performative modesty of the ton. What was that phrase he’d heard a human gentleman use to describe a beguiling young lady who had only recently arrived in London from the country? A diamond in the rough. At the time, the expression had confused him, but now he thought he understood what it meant.


🕁About Jenna Larkin🕁


Jenna Larkin writes historical romance and fiction under different pen names. She is now ready to enter the world of monster romance with an alternate Regency era featuring the brash and powerful Lords of the Hidden Realm. Jenna lives in California with a spoiled tabby cat named Jonesy. When not reading or writing, she enjoys planning cosplay for the next San Diego Comic-Con, experimenting with vegetarian recipes (to mixed results), and obsessing over House Targaryen.

🕁The Giveaway🕁

Dowser Series: Box Set 1 ($0.99) by Meghan Ciana Doidge

Dowser Series: Box Set
by Meghan Ciana Doidge
$0.99 at the Time of Posting
Urban Fantasy
Published: June 28, 2016
Length: 837 Pages
 

Three bestselling urban fantasies from award-winning author Meghan Ciana Doidge. Dowser 1, 2, and 3 complete the first trilogy of the Dowser Series. Fortunately, the magic and mayhem continues in Dowser 4, 5, and 6.

The customer looked familiar, like maybe he’d been in the bakery a few times before. The vampire, however, was new. – Dowser 1

The Mating Seduction: $0.99 Werewolves of Montana - Book 3 by Bonnie Vanak

The Mating Seduction: Werewolves of Montana - Book 3 
by Bonnie Vanak
$0.99 at the Time of Posting
Paranormal Romance
Published: November 13, 2013
Length: 165 Pages

 

Welcome to the sensual world of the Lupine, where the burning drive to mate claims all...

Side Jobs (Dresden Files - 12.5) by Jim Butcher

Side Jobs (Dresden Files - 12.5)
$1.99 at Time of Posting
by Jim Butcher
Goodreads | Amazon 
| Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Fantasy
Publication Date: October 26, 2010
Length: 434 Pages

With tales ranging from the deadly serious to the absurdly hilarious—including an original story for this volume—Side Jobs is a must-have collection for every devoted Harry Dresden fan.

As Chicago’s only professional wizard, Harry Dresden has had cases that have pitted him against insane necromancers, power-hungry faerie queens, enigmatic dark wizards, fallen angels—pretty much a “who’s who” of hell and beyond—with the stakes in each case ranging from a lone human soul to the entire human race. But not every adventure Harry Dresden undertakes is an epic tale of life and death in a world on the edge of annihilation.

The Shadow Children (Book 1) by L.C. Hibbett

The Shadow Children
The Demon Born Trilogy - Book 1
$2.99 $0.99 At Time of Posting
by L.C. Hibbett
Goodreads | Amazon
Dark Paranormal, Fantasy
#1 Best Sellerin Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy eBooks
Publication Date: November 10, 2016
Length: 485 Pages

Who should you trust when everyone has the face of an angel?

Dark. Gripping. Spellbinding.

Angels, Demons, Guardians, brooding guys with green eyes -- Eighteen-year-old Grace is sick of the lot of them. All she wants is a normal life, but when tragedy strikes, Grace and her foster family are hurled head-first into a world of magic, intrigue, and deceit.

As the threads of her life begin to unravel, Grace finds herself at the epicenter of a battle to save those she loves.

In a world built on lies, how far will she have to go to uncover the truth?

Perfect for fans of The Mortal Instruments, Hush Hush, and Fallen.

Read an Excerpt

About L.C. Hibbett


Lucy Carmel Hibbett was born and raised just outside of Dublin, Ireland. As a child, Lucy’s home was crammed to the rafters with books, love, and laughter. She credits her parents and her aunts (the two Carmels) with nurturing her passion for reading and storytelling from an early age. She also credits them with her love of sweet things and her inevitable fall into type two diabetes, but don’t tell them that. (Close your eyes, Mammy and Daddy Hibbett!)

Lucy now lives with her husband, their two little girls, and her dogs in a village not far from her family home. She spends her time writing, reading, and protecting the world from the trail of mischief and mayhem left behind by her daughters. She has reached ninja levels of secret eating and can open and consume vast levels of chocolate without being caught by her children. If you knew her eldest daughter, you’d realize this is an impressive feat–Sherlock Holmes has nothing on that kid.

Lucy’s favorite authors include Cassandra Clare, Maeve Binchy, Trudi Canavan, Jaymin Eve, Oscar Wilde, Kazuo Ishiguru, and Elise Kova. Lucy’s debut series, The Demon-Born Trilogy was released in 2016 and is an Amazon bestseller. She ate cake to celebrate. In secret.


Novel Book Tours: From Midnight to Moonlight Sale! Books by Nancy Gideon


Follow Along!

Friday, June 16
Authors' Cafe

Saturday, June 17
M. J. Schiller, Romance Author

Sunday, June 18
Cross My Heart Writings & Reviews

Monday, June 19
The Realm of Fantasy & Fiction

Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Melissa Keir

Wednesday, June 21, 2017
What Readers Want

Thursday, June 22, 2017
Romance Me

Friday, June 23, 2017
Loren E. Price

Saturday, June 24, 2017
Paranormal Realms

Monday, June 26, 2017
HBS Author's Spotlight

Tuesday, June 27, 2017
fundinmental

Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Paranormal Dimensions

Thursday, June 29, 2017
Diane Burton - adventure & romance


Friday, June 30, 2017
My TBR Addiction

Midnight Masquerade

Can they escape the shadows of the past?

This time, he could lose his soul . . .

An invitation to join an exclusive D.C. law firm seems like a chance for Nick Flynn to leave his mistakes behind. But it’s his shadowy past and unrealized inheritance that attracted his mysterious employers. Once embroiled in their dark schemes, his struggle for success becomes a battle for his salvation.

And she could lose her life . . .


Loner detective Rae Borden goes undercover as a call girl to discover the truth about her best friend’s death. Her carefully laid plan of revenge and personal redemption becomes a crusade against an unbelievable evil . . . with Nick Flynn in the middle.
Nancy Gideon is one of the best supernatural writers on the market today! — Midwest Book Review: BookWire
Touched by Midnight Series {Book 8}
Just $0.99 for a Limited Time!
By Nancy Gideon
Genre: Contemporary Paranormal Romance
Published by: ImaJinn Books
Release Date: May 4, 2011
Length: 232 Pages

READ AN EXCERPT

Remembered by Moonlight

Because the road to . . .

Clever, cool and preternaturally lethal, Max Savoie is leader of a secretive shape-shifter clan, heir to a mobster’s legacy, and the love of New Orleans’ top cop . . . but he can’t remember any of them. The only way to recover his past, and his rightful place in the arms of the woman who risked all to save him, is to surrender to a mysterious visitor who could use him as a weapon against all he’d loved.

Happily-Ever-After . . .

After rescuing her mate from his ruthless captors in the North, hard-hitting Detective Charlotte Caissie is now painfully vulnerable—a stranger in his eyes . . . and in his bed. The key to his memories is locked in a tortuous past. To reclaim the strength of their passionate bond, Max must learn to trust her enough to face that darkness at her side before the threat it hides exposes the secret Cee Cee carries.

Is never smooth.

When an investigation into grisly deaths in an underground Shifter fight club points to more than just dangerous clan rivalries, Cee Cee enlists Max’s help to find a traitor in their midst while there’s still time to turn a deadly invading tide. But the cost of saving their treasured future may mean sacrificing his past. Especially when the enemy they pursue . . . might be Max, himself.
Every delicious word Nancy Gideon puts on the page exhilarates with a sensuous ferocity. Hopelessly addicted. — Darynda Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author
By Moonlight Series {Book 9}
Just $1.99 for a Limited Time!
By Nancy Gideon
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Genre: Contemporary Paranormal Romance
Release Date: October 13, 2014
Length: 290 Pages

READ AN EXCERPT

ABOUT NANCY GIDEON
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon


Nancy Gideon is the award-winning, bestselling author of 60 romances ranging from historical, regency and series contemporary suspense to paranormal, with a couple of horror screenplays tossed into the mix. She’s also published under the pen names Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West and Lauren Giddings. She works full time as a legal assistant in Central Michigan, and when not at the keyboard, feeds a Netflix addiction along with all things fur, fin and fowl.

A prolific writer, Nancy attributes her creative output, which once peaked at seven novels in one year, to her love of history and a gift for storytelling. She also credits the discipline learned through a background in journalism and OCD. The due date for her third book and her second son were on the same day . . . and both were early! When on deadline, she turns on the laptop between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. to get a chapter in before heading in to her day job. She’s a member of GDRWA, MMRWA, PASIC, FF&P and Novelists Inc. and dotes on her critique group.

For more information on the author, her books, or the “House of Terriot” and “By Moonlight” series, visit Nancy at the links above.

THE GIVEAWAY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Novel Book Tours

PRINCE OF HONOR {House of Terriot - Book 1} by Nancy Gideon


Prince of Honor

House of Terriot - Book 1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: October 24, 2016
Length: 310 Pages

The hunter becomes the prey, a prisoner to his own desire . . .

Turow . . .

Strong, silent man of integrity content to serve his new king as a prince in the turbulent shape-shifter House of Terriot. A tracker and relentless hunter, he’s used to running trails alone until charged with returning a traitor to their mountain top home to face the unforgiving judgment of their clan. On the run with the bad girl he’s loved forever, the choice between duty and desire has never been more difficult . . . or deadly.

Blog Tour: Exordium of Tears by Andrew P. Weston #Giveaway


Exordium of Tears 

Sequel to the International Bestseller THE IX
by Andrew P. Weston
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Release Date: February 14, 2016
Length: 306 Pages

Fight or die.

That simple yet brutal reality is the tenet by which the refugees from Earth – including the fabled lost 9th Legion of Rome; the 5th Company, 2nd Mounted Cavalry Unit; and the Special Forces Anti-Terrorist Team – were forced to live by while the Horde menace existed. Believing that the threat is over, the survivors now yearn to settle down, start families, and reclaim the lives stolen from them.

YA Spotlight: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo


A #1 New York Times bestseller

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price--and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

Truth's Blood by Tyler Roberts {Featured Book}

It hadn't seemed possible that a president whose policies had impoverished millions could be reelected. It was the waning years of the American empire and the liberties represented in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were a fading memory. The government monitored every aspect of American life, and the drones buzzing overhead served as a constant reminder, but it was the government's reckless spending that brought the nation to its knees. 

Now, the economy is in ruin, and the president's European style welfare state stands at the brink of collapse. The United States is unable to repay its debts. China has come seeking payment in real assets, and they mean business. Chaos reigns; power has been cut; select cities have been decimated by nuclear bombs; and burned out houses occupy neighborhoods like rotting teeth in the mouth of a crack addict. What was new is now old and what was old is now new again.


Cliffson Lang's son attempts to escape the fires and mobs overrunning the city of Seattle. When Cliffson is called away to help, his other son is kidnapped by occupying forces and placed in a work camp. Truth's Blood is the Lang family's story of survival at a time when government dependency must be replaced by self-reliance. As the United States experiences the disintegration of society and foreign occupation, their challenge verges on the impossible.






Tyler Roberts is trained and educated in the fields of biology and environmental sciences. His hobbies include beekeeping, organic gardening and writing.

Jason Dark Supernatural Mystery Collection 1 by Guido Henkel


Are you afraid of the dark?

Join Jason Dark, a fearless and resourceful ghost hunter in Victorian England, as faces off against creatures from other dimensions and the forces of evil that feed on our fears. This collection features the occult detective's first three supernatural thrillers Demon’s Night, Theater of Vampires and Ghosts Templar, plus the bonus short story Food for the Dead, which was originally published in Fangoria™ Magazine.



The Book Collection

Demon's Night

A series of bizarre deaths in Victorian London leaves the victims unnaturally desiccated and decaying, sending occult detective Jason Dark into the dangerous world of the London dockyards in search of a supernatural murderer. But is the paranormal investigator prepared to duel a full-fledged demon on a Hell-bent mission to create chaos and catastrophe throughout the earth, a fiend determined to wreak more death and destruction than his even more ominous Father?

Theater of Vampires

When stage magic isn’t what it seems, Jason Dark turns to an old friend for help. Explore the shadows of the Duke’s Theater with London’s most famous Geisterjäger as he confronts a horror beyond anything yet confronted. “Theater of Vampires” is a story of betrayal, discovery, and horror in the tradition of the Grand Guignol. The only admission price needed is your courage.


Ghosts Templar

A well-known police acquaintance asks Jason Dark to discreetly look into the case of a missing Chief Constable, which is out of Scotland Yard’s jurisdiction. When Dark and Siu Lin arrive in Swanage, however, they find that the quaint English seaside village hides more than its share of horrible secrets. “Ghosts Templar” is filled with ruined castles, ghostly hoof beats in the night, and a series of macabre murders, which swirl amidst rumors that undead knights have awakened to exact a bloody revenge. Investigate if you dare.



About Guido Henkel
      

Well, my work has been varied. I have been working for over 25 years in the computer games industry and have been part of the development a number of award-winning games, including the “Realms of Arkania” series, “Fallout 2” and“Planescape: Torment” to name just a few.

Then, of course, there are the mobile games I programmed and released. In fact, we are currently preparing the launch of a new mobile game to hit Verizon soon, so keep your eyes peeled. I’ll report more on this here on the blog as things develop.

I am also an accomplished musician and composer. I am a guitarist at heart and have played in heavy metal bands for many years during the 80s. Unfortunately technology wasn’t nearly as advanced in those days as it is today so sadly there is little material available to document this era or the work.
Later I branched out from the guitar and took an interest in orchestral scoring and I have recorded and released two audio CDs featuring the soundtracks for the computer games “Star Trail” and “Shadows Over Riva.” I loved working on these orchestral scores because they really forced me to expand my musical horizon and gave me the chance to work with different textures and musical themes.

In addition, my wife Thu-Lieu and I have been operating the website dvdreview.com since the first inception of DVD in 1998. So, for the past 16 years I’ve been covering the entertainment industry and have been writing reviews for DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs for hundreds of movies.

For the past years my main focus has been my writing. As you are certainly aware, I am the creator and writer of the “Jason Dark: Ghost Hunter” dime novel series that I also publish through my own publishing company, G3 Studios. The series has been a wonderful outlet for me as I have been wanting to write for many, many years. While writing non-linear fiction for computer games like the text adventures and role-playing games I’ve been doing over the years is fun, I had always wanted to write something resembling a novel. The “Jason Dark: Ghost Hunter” series is that. A fast-paced supernatural action-mystery series that allows me to explore various horror-based themes and pack them into occult detective mysteries and salt it with a good dose of Steampunk. In essence, it contains everything I love—plus I based the series in Victorian England, which to me is the epitome of all things gothic horror.

The Man Who Became Frankenstein's Monster by Robert Daicy



New York, 1926‒Anyone can make a good life for themselves if they are just willing to work hard for it. William Barker is such a man. He has a good job, a nice house, a son named James, and a marriage he is trying desperately to hold together. A tragic accident takes this life away and William finds himself alone in his house with terrible mental and physical scars that are a constant reminder of what happened.

With no one willing to employ a man with such visible and disturbing scars, William is lost and has no answers for how to live his life. That is when he meets the man who will change that life forever, Roland Skelton, the owner of Skelton’s Spectacular Traveling Carnival. Where others saw a man to be shunned, Roland sees a man he may be able to help.

Roland convinces William to join the Carnival as the headliner of the ten-in-one. With the name ‘Frankenstein’s Monster,’ William is a hit with the paying audience and finds that being onstage is a release from his pain and guilt. In time, William realizes that those he works with understand him better than he could have hoped.


While working at the carnival, William finds a new happiness, an enemy, purpose, and even love. The Man Who Became Frankenstein’s Monster is a moving novel about a man who rises above adversity set against the backdrop of the golden age of the carnival.

Print Length: 495 pages
Publication Date: December 26, 2013



The Book Excerpt
About Robert Daicy


I have been writing off and on since I was eight and it has been something I have always loved to do and wanted to do for a living.

I tend to write the stories I want to hear and sometimes those stories have a darkness to them on some level whether they are more suspenseful stories or straight up drama. I like to jump around the genres because I do not want to get bored writing the same thing and because I have eclectic taste. 

I was born and raised in Maine and have lived there most my life and am currently residing in a Victorian house in Fairfield, Maine.

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