Even though Gabbi Black is a firm believer in happy endings, she makes her characters work for it in every romance she writes, no matter what the genre.  From contemporary to BDSM, they are penned late at night in her home on a beautiful British Columbia mountain surrounded by magnificent trees and every conceivable woodland creature—including bears.  She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey.

Amber Eyes Synopsis

School principal Gage Clayton is still grieving the death of his wife and submissive, yet he can’t ignore his Dominant needs. As he enters Club Kink, he’s inexplicably drawn to a newly released sub with an intriguing proposition and the most captivating amber eyes. But she has disturbing baggage and her expectations prove quite a challenge, one that would necessitate a commitment he’s not ready for.

Rielle Reid needs a Dom while she waits for her former Master to return. When she invites a handsome stranger to her home dungeon for a night of play, she’s surprised at his gentle dominance—and her response to it. But in the light of day, his demand for equal footing confounds her. After living four years as a twenty-four/seven slave, she has no concept of how to be anything other than property.

Gage must find a way to master Rielle to free them both from the shackles of the past.

She needs a firm hand.

He needs a challenge.

 Excerpt

He was contrite about his language choice but not about the question. “Can we stop the role-play?”

Her head snapped up, pupils dilating. “You’re displeased?”

He was treading on dangerous ground. “I was very pleased last night. And this morning.” He eyed his toast, buying himself a moment. “But I’m not sure of the rules here. I’m trying to delineate between the play and the rest of it.”

“I’m not…I’m not used to being anything but a slave to my Master.”

“And I’m not your Master.” His patience was fraying. “At the moment, I don’t even want to be your Dom. I want us to have a normal conversation, on even ground.”

She sighed, and it wasn’t a sigh of pleasure. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she pulled in protectively upon herself. “I’m out of my depth, Gage. I don’t know how to relate to you except as a submissive.”

“Don’t know how or can’t remember?”

That brought her up short. “I’ve been a submissive for so long that…” She fluttered her hands. “I’m not comfortable as anything else.”

“Last night, though, at the club…” Had she been anything other than submissive? Would he have come home with her if she’d shown any Domme tendencies? No, she’d been clear about what she wanted, but had also probably understood nothing short of a proposition would’ve brought him here. He certainly hadn’t planned on inviting himself.

“Try, Rielle, for a few minutes.” He gathered his thoughts, choosing his next words carefully. “Why did you invite me here?”

Links:

Amazon US:  https://amzn.to/3jf4oJd

Amazon CA:  https://amzn.to/2CasIeT

Banes and Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amber-eyes-gabbi-black/1137343876

Add it to GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54920296-amber-eyes

Personal links:

Website:   http://gabbiblack.com/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbiblack/

Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/Author-Gabbi-Black-106666354460589/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.ca/authorgabbiblack/boards/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/GabbiAuthor

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/2763198834

For those of you who follow Teresa’s insightful reviews, she has a new one up: 3 1/2 Sparklers for: The Making of Home: The 500 Year Story of How Our Houses Became Our Homes by Judith Flanders

 

Teresa has written an excellent 4 Sparkler review of “The Business of Being a Writer” that you’ll find on her page.

And my 4 Sparkler review of “The Turkish Affair” is on the romance page.

Enjoy!

Hi, Vicky, thanks so much for having me here today. I want to share with you a thought on inspiration. The why could be the most poignant source of inspiration. All around us, the world is full of pain, loss, and sorrow. Over ten years ago, this hit close to home. My dear sister, to who Rainbow Sprinkles is dedicated, called me. The tragedy in her voice broke my heart as she told me her husband was dead. At forty years of age, he had a heart attack and died. There’s much more to the story, but this is not a to bring you down type of sharing. What I want to say is she never gave up. She kept looking for rainbows in her own life. Yes, there were many storms, but instead of letting them blow her around, she held fast to her kids and weathered them. Though Gloriana Jones is in no way biographical, my sweet sister is the inspiration for a story about heartache and loss, but ultimately she finds her happily ever after. My sister has found her way and is in a long-term relationship with her own Nathan James.

After the storm come the rainbows.

Rainbow Sprinkles

YouTube Video

Blurb

Retired and widowed Gloriana Jones is forging on with the plans she and her late husband dreamed of—bringing joy and happiness, one ice cream cone at a time, to Lake Unami. But bad weather is drowning her dream. A trip to Upstate NY is bittersweet for Nathan James. He is excited to see his first granddaughter but without his wife he’s lonely. When his car breaks down, he heads to the only light he can see, an ice cream shop. With aid from a heavenly source, electricity sparks, but will the two weather the summer storms and find love a second time? Or will their hopes and dreams melt away?

Excerpt

“Do you mind if I wait until the tow truck gets here?” He plucked the wet shirt away from his chest with the long fingers of one tanned hand. “It must be electrical, even the radio stopped working.”

“No, you’re welcome to hang around as long as you need.” Gloriana riffled through a cardboard box under the counter, pulled out an extra-large t-shirt, and tossed it to him. “Here you go. The restroom is through there.”

Mr. Gorgeous beamed a perfect toothy smile. “Thanks. I’ll be right back.”

When he disappeared into the hallway, and the door clicked shut, Gloriana fanned her face. What the hot fudge was wrong with her? “Coffee. Make coffee.”

Bio

Hi, my name is D. V. Stone. I am a multi-genre author of two independently published books. Felice, Shield-Mates of Dar is a fantasy romance. Agent Sam Carter and the Mystery at Branch Lake is a mid-grade paranormal. Recently, Rock House Grill was released by Wild Rose Press. I also host Welcome to the Campfire and A Peek Through the Window, both weekly blogs. Here’s a little more about me.

Born in Brooklyn, D.V. Stone has moved around a bit and even lived for a time on a dairy farm in Minnesota before moving back east. Throughout her wandering, she always considered herself a Jersey Girl. She met and married the love of her life, Pete—a lifelong Jersey Man, and moved this time to Sussex County. They live with Hali, a mixed breed from the local shelter and their cat Baby.

Amazon  Barnes & Noble   iBook’s

You can find out more about D. V. by following her on Social Media

Website 

Amazon Author Page 

Facebook 

Twitter

Instagram 

Triberr

Pinterest          Bookbub        Goodreads      Newsletter

 Blogs

 Welcome to the Campfire Blog          Peek Through the Window  

Other Books by D. V. Stone

Rock House Grill  – One man’s choices. One woman’s Impact

Felice, Shield-Mates of Dar – One foolish thought. One brutal act. Instead of a peaceful alliance––war.

Agent Sam Carter and the Mystery at Branch Lake – A Mid-grade paranormal

Contributing Author: Australia Burns

 

 

I’m still playing catch-up with my requests, but here are the latest:

Under Romance:

Blueberry Swirl Waltz – a 5 Sparkler 1950s sweet romance

Bella Cigna – Only 3 Sparklers for this interesting romance

Unconventional Beginnings – 3 Sparklers for this introduction to the Black Swan series

Prey for Love – 4 Sparklers for this LGBTQ romance.

Under Fantasy:

Curse of the Blacknoc Witch – 3 Sparklers for this YA fantasy.

Music for a Merman, a Sea of Love novel

Blurb

Rob Regor knew that humans were trouble. All the shape shifting mermen of the Morvann Islands knew it. And human women were double trouble… especially when they were lying on the road in front of a digger.

Rob has a mission. Go to the mainland. Work as a policeman. Spy on humans. Report back to his father, the head of the Regor Merman Clan. It should be easy. Until he has to arrest Charlie. Rob can’t fight his attraction to the sexy eco-warrior, and it puts him on one hell of a collision course with his family and his Clan. Will he break the rules – or break her heart, and his?

Love ‘em and leave ‘em, that was Charlie’s motto. It had served her well until now. But Rob is different… Can she open up her heart to Rob – when a secret buried in her past surfaces and changes her completely?

Excerpt

Charlie chewed on the Welsh cake and swallowed. They were her favourite treat, but her mouth refused to register the buttery taste or the crumbly, raisin-studded texture. She finished it and stuffed the empty bag in her pocket. There’d be more Welsh cakes, more swims in the sea, more gorgeous summer days. More guys like Rob.

She wouldn’t listen to the insistent voice that told her she’d never meet another man like him.

She slipped on a patch of seaweed and threw out a hand to regain her balance. It hit a boulder covered in barnacles, and the rough surface scratched her palm. She welcomed the discomfort. It proved that she wasn’t dreaming. Instead of waking her up, the walk to the cove had increased the air of unreality that permeated the twilight. The damn song was still going round in her head. At times she even thought that she could almost grasp its meaning. It sounded a little like the old language of the Morvann Islands, but without any human words.

In fact, it didn’t sound like anything a human would produce.

She looked up at the rocks towering over her head and tapped the granite surface. This was real. So was the sky above, painted peach and cherry-red by the sunset. No, she was fine. Just a little overwrought and tired. Nothing a swim couldn’t cure. She’d be fine.

She’d be fine if it killed her.

The haunting song grew louder the closer she got to the sea. Now it seemed to be outside her head, rising from the peaceful water below to weave its magic around her. The meaning shimmered, just beyond the edge of her comprehension. It was like trying to read words reflected in a mirror. If she could only break the surface of the glass, enter the other side, she’d understand it fully.

But in some obscure way, she knew that the melody spoke of love.

Buy Links

https://amzn.to/2ZkU5wR

https://books2read.com/u/mdG7Bw

Bio

Alice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she’s a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and time-travelling witches. Her first book, “A Merman’s Choice,” was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany and Wales. The second book, “Music for a Merman,” is out now and the third, “Mermaids Marry in Green” will be released later this year. Alice has also written a short story, “The Sweetest Magic of All,” included in the BVS “Mystic Desire” anthology, out now. Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who’s interested!

 Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliceRenaudAuthorRomance/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alicerauthor

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-renaud-author-4219b6166/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicerenaudauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18670218.Alice_Renaud

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alice-renaud

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Renaud/e/B07L52P17B

Find out how to make Welsh cakes, Charlie’s favorite treat!

Welsh cakes are traditional griddle cakes from Wales, my mother’s homeland and the country where my book Music for a Merman is set. My grandmother used to make them and we’d scoff them hot and buttery, straight from the oven! I still love them. They’re easy to make and perfect for baking with children.

Ingredients: 225g plain flour, 85g caster sugar, ½ tsp mixed spice, ½ tsp baking powder, 50g butter cut into small pieces, 50g lard, cut into small pieces, plus extra for frying, 50g currants (raisins), 1 egg, beaten, a splash of milk.

Tip the flour, sugar, mixed spice, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Then, with your fingers, rub in the butter and lard until crumbly. Mix in the currants. Work the egg into the mixture until you have soft dough, adding a splash of milk if it seems a little dry – it should be the same consistency as shortcrust pastry.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of your little finger. Cut out rounds using a 6cm cutter, re-rolling any trimmings. Grease a flat griddle pan or heavy frying pan with lard, and place over a medium heat. Cook the Welsh cakes in batches, for about 3 mins each side, until golden brown, crisp and cooked through. Delicious served warm with butter and jam, or simply sprinkled with caster sugar. Cakes will stay fresh in a tin for 1 week.

Recipe from Good Food magazine,  BBC website

I am in the midst of packing for a move so reviews may be few and far between–or like this, a bunch posted all at once when I have the time. If you want a review done, keep checking the “You want a Review” page to see when I’ll be open again, but figure not much before the end of August so I can get moved and settled in the new place. Thanks!

All of the following are under the “Romance” page. Great summer reads!

A Bid for Romance by Meredith Bond – 4 sparklers for this sweet historical.

A Trick of Mirrors by Meredith Bond – ditto

Cat Therapy by Kathy Bosman – Sorry, but only 2 sparklers for this sweet contemporary

The Story Between Us by Darlene Deluca – 5 Sparklers for this sweet romance

Two Truths and a Lie by Daryl Devore – 4 Sparklers for this fun takeoff on Robin Hood and Maid Marian

Always in my Mind by Andrea Downing – 4 Sparklers for this Vietnam War era romance

Rainbow Sprinkles by D.V. Stone – 5 sparklers for this sweet contemporary romance

Rock House Grill by D. V. Stone – 4 sparklers for this contemporary romance

The Wonder of You by Laurie Kellogg – 3 Sparklers for this 1970s era romance

An Affair of Hearts by Meredith Bond – 4 sparklers for this 1807 Historical romance

Love, Art, and Other Obstacles by Sadira Stone – 4 Sparklers for this contemporary romance (hot)

 

BLURB:  Come back to Gilded Age New York with Ella Shane, an opera singer who’s part Beverly Sills, part Anne of Green Gables, and part Errol Flynn – but entirely herself! In her debut, Ella, an Irish-Jewish Lower East Side orphan made good, is singing Romeo when her Juliet dies onstage after drinking real poison. She thinks it’s a tragic mistake until the girl’s cousin, a genuine British Duke, comes to New York to find out what really happened. Right away, the Duke insults Ella — so she makes him fence with her. Despite the rocky beginning, Ella, her cousin Tommy, a former boxing champ and “confirmed bachelor,” and the colorful cast of characters get drawn into the case. Soon, Ella and the Duke find they have an undeniable and quite possibly unresolvable attraction. No spoiler (just tease!) it all culminates in a catwalk duel with the killer – with Ella handling swordplay while the Duke waits in the wings.

Excerpt

In their first meeting, the Duke comes to Ella’s rehearsal studio to ask about his late cousin…saying he wants to know what she was doing with “theatre people.”

I offered a cool response as my sympathy for the Duke of Something died an early death. “Theatre people?”

“She was a gently-brought-up young lady who did not belong in that world.”

Well, aren’t you the precious one. I took a breath, and tried to tamp down my Irish temper.  I explain – if not excuse – my next action as an effort to do something other than slap the judgmental scowl off his face. I grabbed Tommy’s foil. “How’s your fencing?”

“What?”

“My practice time is limited, and we theatre people have to stay sharp to earn our keep. I’ll talk to you while we spar.”

Gilbert Saint Aubyn’s stern face softened a bit. “All right.”

He took off his immaculately tailored coat and suit jacket, with a black armband still on the sleeve, no doubt for poor Violette or whatever her name really was. I had no compunction about taking a good look at him, and was not disappointed with what I saw. I may be a proper maiden lady, but I do appreciate the well-assembled male form, especially in a nicely fitted gray waistcoat, neat white shirt and dark trousers. I tossed him the foil, and he dropped it.

“Good thing we’re fencing and not playing baseball,” I observed, carefully not snickering, in case it were a feint.

Saint Aubyn, who would have now been the late lamented himself if this were an actual duel, gave me a wry, and rather appealing, shrug. “I have not been on the field of honor in a while.”

BIO:  Kathleen Marple Kalb grew up in front of a microphone, and a keyboard. She’s currently a weekend morning anchor at 1010 WINS New York, capping a career she began as a teenage DJ in Brookville, Pennsylvania. She worked her way up through newsrooms in Pittsburgh, Vermont and Connecticut, developing her skills and a deep and abiding distaste for snowstorms. While she wrote her first historical novel at age sixteen, fiction was firmly in the past until her son went to kindergarten and she decided to try again. She, her husband, the Professor, and their son the Imp live in a Connecticut house owned by their cat. 
LINKS:
Website: https://kathleenmarplekalb.com/
SOCIAL:

Facebook:

Twitter:  

Instagram: @kathleenmarplekalb
BUY THE BOOK:

From Kensington:

/Amazon:

B&N:

What if Cleopatra faked her death and escaped on a pirate ship? While her sister sailed for Wales with the most valuable ancient books from her Library of Alexandria? And they both landed in an imagined new world filled with crypto-creatures and historical humans?
Trekking the desert of 1st century New Mexico, Cleo from the Yucatan and Alex from Nova Scotia, they’d need bravery and help from friends and lovers to evade inner demons and determined villains across an uncharted wilderness.

Amazon

About the author:

I have been really busy with reviews the past few days. So here’s what’s new:

Under “Mysteries”

VARNISHED WITHOUT A TRACE by Misty Simon. This won’t be out until Sept. 29, but be sure to put this fun cozy on your “to be read” pile. 5 Sparklers.

Under Nonfiction:

THE EASY BAKED DONUT COOKBOOK by Sara Mellas – 4 sparklers for this delicious cookbook

FAMILY TREE WORKBOOK by Brian Sheffey – 5 sparklers for this excellent way to organize your search for your family

THE ESSENTIAL SELF-COMPASSION WORKBOOK FOR TEENS by Katie Krimer – 5 sparklers for this how-to book on getting yourself together – and not just for teens

DAIRY-FREE MEAL PREP by Silvana Nardone – 3 sparklers for this cookbook. Some really good stuff in here, but still too dairy-centric even with substitutes

ACTUALLY, THE COMMA GOES HERE by Lucy Cripps – 4 sparklers for this good reference book on basic grammar

INNER PEACE: A Guided Meditation Journal for Beginners by Jordana Reim – 5 sparklers on this book to help you find peace and calm