Liz Shipton is here to tell us about Dot Slash Magic, spicy New Adult urban fantasy.
There's also a great giveaway.
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Dot Slash Magic
Liz Shipton
Publication date: August 19th 2025
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy
A new, spicy urban fantasy from TikTokker Liz Shipton, perfect for fans of I am Number Four, Wreck it Ralph and ACOTAR.
What if you wrote a magic computer program? What if that magic computer program started summoning monsters?
When twenty-something coder Seven Jones goes back to school at a community college in San Diego, the last thing she wants is to join some stupid club. And the last thing she expects is to walk into an underground magic club. Like, actual wizards and shit.
Seven reluctantly joins the motley crew of magic weirdos and discovers her own power. But she struggles to control it…until she figures out how to channel her magic through an artificially intelligent computer program.
Unfortunately, there is literally nothing Seven’s new friends hate more than AI, and when a student mysteriously turns up dead, blame falls on Seven. Is her “creepy artificial magic” summoning terrifying creatures to hunt students? Or is someone trying to frame her?
With only one person – cute ex-Navy seal Logan – on her side, Seven fights monsters (Dragon? Check. Kraken? Check) while struggling to convince everyone that her AI has nothing to do with them.
But how can she convince her peers when she isn’t totally convinced herself?
Hi! I'm Liz. I'm a freelance writer, indie author, and full-time, off-grid, live-aboard sailor. I’m currently sailing around the world with my boyfriend and my dog, turning my real-life adventures into speculative fiction.
I feel extremely grateful to be able to explore the world as I do, and I love incorporating the experiences, places, and people I encounter on my travels into my work.
I also use my books as a means to explore themes of mental health, addiction, technology, climate change, and the looming collapse of society (but, like...in a fun way.)
When I'm not penning novels about the impending apocalypse, I work as a freelance content writer specializing in articles about code, music theory, and off-grid living. On the rare occasion I'm not writing, you can find me swimming, hiking, telling my dog I love her for the bazillionth time today, or watching Taskmaster.
Avery Sterling is here to tell us about her New Adult paranormal romance The Cardinal Code.
There's also a great giveaway.
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The Cardinal Code
Avery Sterling
Publication date: August 4th 2025
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Vampires are real. Powerful, organized, and nearly untouchable, they move through society under the governance of the Cardinalis Order—an ancient system built to protect their kind and punish those who defy its laws.
Michael Chamberlain is one of them. A successful entrepreneur with a carefully buried past, he returns to The Hamptons to take over his father’s elite nightclub—and to secure a contracted blood source. Cold, controlled, and emotionally detached, Michael has long accepted the rules of his world. That is, until he meets Paislee Sullivan.
A determined college student working to fund her future, Paislee doesn’t know the truth about the Order—or that her presence at the nightclub is more dangerous than she realizes. When her path collides with Michael’s, she’s pulled into the shadows of a world built on power, secrecy, and blood.
As their attraction deepens, Paislee must navigate a society where consent is contractual, love is forbidden, and ignorance offers the only safety. But some connections can’t be denied—and breaking the rules could mean losing everything.
The Cardinal Code is a seductive and high-stakes romance set in a world where the elite don’t just run society—they feed on it.
As they pulled into her uncle’s driveway, the house was shrouded in darkness.
Michael killed the engine and was out of the car in an instant. She fumbled for her keys and was surprised when he opened her door.
“Thanks,” she murmured, taking his outstretched hand as she stepped onto the driveway.
“How’s your ankle?”
She tested it. “Actually, it’s not that bad. Thanks for the ride.”
“Let me walk you in,” he offered.
Her heart thudded in her chest. “That’s…really not necessary.”
His lips quirked. “You have to let me finish redeeming myself, Paislee.”
With a dramatic sigh, she dangled her keys in front of him. “Very well, Sir Knightly. Here.”
Michael unlocked the front door, and they stepped into the house. His gaze swept over the modest furnishings as she turned on the lights.
“How long have you been working at Allusion?” he asked, pausing in the living room.
“A couple of weeks.” She slid her bag off her shoulder and set it on a nearby chair. “I came here for school. Allusion helps pay the bills.”
He stepped further into the room.
She busied herself with slipping off her sneakers, but the silence stretched long enough that she turned around.
He was inches away, his eyes dark and unreadable.
Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly changed the subject. “So, am I safe? No danger lurking in the shadows of my house?”
Michael reached for the strap on her skirt, and his fingers traced it slowly before he hooked it and tugged her forward.
“Why do you look so frightened?” he murmured, his brow furrowing.
“I’m not frightened,” she shot back, though her trembling hands betrayed her.
He arched a brow. “You’re shaking.”
Her cheeks burned. “Because I know you’re going to kiss me,” she admitted.
His lips curved into a slow, wicked smile. “Last night, you didn’t seem so afraid of me.”
Her resolve ebbed as his face inched closer. “That was impulsive,” she whispered. “Now I’m just…questioning what I’ve gotten myself into.”
He laughed softly, and the sound was rich and unguarded. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, ducizza,” he breathed.
Author Bio:
Avery Sterling's love for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards understanding the essence of what she wished to create.
Most of her youth was spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love… with all that steamy romance.
Liz Shipton is here to tell us about Dot Slash Magic, New Adult Urban Fantasy.
There's also a great giveaway.
_____________________
Dot Slash Magic
Liz Shipton
Publication date: August 19th 2025
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy
A new, spicy urban fantasy from TikTokker Liz Shipton, perfect for fans of I am Number Four, Wreck it Ralph and ACOTAR.
What if you wrote a magic computer program? What if that magic computer program started summoning monsters?
When twenty-something coder Seven Jones goes back to school at a community college in San Diego, the last thing she wants is to join some stupid club. And the last thing she expects is to walk into an underground magic club. Like, actual wizards and shit.
Seven reluctantly joins the motley crew of magic weirdos and discovers her own power. But she struggles to control it…until she figures out how to channel her magic through an artificially intelligent computer program.
Unfortunately, there is literally nothing Seven’s new friends hate more than AI, and when a student mysteriously turns up dead, blame falls on Seven. Is her “creepy artificial magic” summoning terrifying creatures to hunt students? Or is someone trying to frame her?
With only one person – cute ex-Navy seal Logan – on her side, Seven fights monsters (Dragon? Check. Kraken? Check) while struggling to convince everyone that her AI has nothing to do with them.
But how can she convince her peers when she isn’t totally convinced herself?
Hi! I'm Liz. I'm a freelance writer, indie author, and full-time, off-grid, live-aboard sailor. I’m currently sailing around the world with my boyfriend and my dog, turning my real-life adventures into speculative fiction.
I feel extremely grateful to be able to explore the world as I do, and I love incorporating the experiences, places, and people I encounter on my travels into my work.
I also use my books as a means to explore themes of mental health, addiction, technology, climate change, and the looming collapse of society (but, like...in a fun way.)
When I'm not penning novels about the impending apocalypse, I work as a freelance content writer specializing in articles about code, music theory, and off-grid living. On the rare occasion I'm not writing, you can find me swimming, hiking, telling my dog I love her for the bazillionth time today, or watching Taskmaster.
Phoenix Ward is here to tell us about Sins of the Fire, Sins of the Fire #1, fantasy, New Adult, Young Adult.
There's also a great giveaway.
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Sins of the Fire
Phoenix Ward
(Sins of the Fire, #1)
Publication date: September 13th 2024
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Young Adult
No one knows dragons coexisted with humans.
Ancient times long past, we shared magic, weapons and even our very souls with these creatures. Society’s connection between them spanned the test of time, through art, stories, and spoken word. Yet though depictions remain, they no longer exist.
Christian armies, believing these creatures to be devils, laid siege to end their species in a wild pursuit of their Promised Land. Bloodshed for nearly two centuries suddenly came to an end. Concurrently, those winged beasts, admired and feared, were extinguished without a trace.
It’s 2028, and the Crusades are talked about in my college classes. One dragon was able to escape it all by sealing itself in a blade. If such a blade existed, and anyone were to lift it today, they’d reignite the war long dormant—An affront on God himself.
I’m Kane, by the way. Kane Wynde. And this is Mysherra, the affront to God.
“You shall be tied to the blade, for as long as your mind and spirit remain. Is this acceptable?”
The earth shook, and the rumble of fire howled from outside of the cave. An ultimatum laid before me. To bind myself within
the blade would mean giving up my freedom for eternity. To fight a war that threatened to burn the earth to its core would mean
my death. The Gods have brought upon us a calamity no mortal could ever hope to quell. Humans who were once close to us
rallied for our demise. Our kind torched them, their lands, and their ilk in sport. Whichever side won, there would be no true
victor. Only ash.
Would it be acceptable to live the rest of my life as a weapon? Would it be better if I died fighting a lost cause?
Imprisonment or death; my options were narrow.
Looking down at the human, dressed in burns, I pondered what he thought. He bore no hatred. He held no contempt for my
kind after what happened. He agreed to fight alongside me with eyes ablaze with passion. I wondered why. What would make
someone turn a blind eye to the wounds inflicted by a beast of my caliber? What allowed him to grace my hand, still slick with the
residue of death, and find camaraderie in the midst of devastation?
The silence of the cave was beginning to draw on my senses, my own thoughts starting to cloud the noise of the carnage.
We agreed to fight together, but fear was a wise and stringent guide. Regardless of it, I had to make a choice.
“This is acceptable.”
“In doing this, you will relinquish your body. Your essence shall be ripped completely from within. Your magic, your
strength and your flames will be in the hands of your wielder. Is this acceptable?”
My heart shuddered. It would hurt. I would die, yet I would live. What would happen to my body? Would my heart sit in
silence, left to rot in its empty temple? Would my flesh be torn away with my spirit? Again, I looked towards the human. His gaze
held mine. Though twisted and bloated, he held me in their comfort. He smiled. He did not need to reassure me with words nor
tender touch.
“This is acceptable.”
“The process shall span the turn of the moon. With the dawn, you shall awaken in your new form. Do you accept the terms
of the pact?”
“I accept.”
The dragon’ s eyes flashed. “The terms have been set, and the pact is complete. May fortune favor you, Mysherra.”
As the sword began to gleam, I closed my eyes.
Tingling spread across my body as the sensation of my insides were pulled from within me. And thus, through a pain that
transcended anything inflicted upon my hide of scales, I accepted my fate.
Author Bio:
Phoenix Ward is an indie black writer, and educator from Philadelphia. He has worked in the field of education for over five years, teaching all grades Mathematics and English. When he’s not writing, he is composing music using Logic Pro X, or tutoring children on subjects they struggle in. Currently, he lives in Philadelphia with his dog and cat.
An avid world-builder, Phoenix has created many stories from youth to adulthood, but none have captivated him as much as his latest work Sins of the Fire, which combines his passion for storytelling with his deep understanding of human nature. He draws inspiration from the vibrant city life of Philadelphia and his own experiences as an educator, infusing his narratives with authenticity and depth.
In addition to his work as a writer and educator, Phoenix is committed to supporting young creatives in their journeys. He actively encourages students and adults alike to seek a way to create their own stories. Everyone has a message to share, and doing so in story is the best way to do so.
J. Rose Black is here to tell us about Chasing Headlines, Chasing Victory #1, a contemporary New Adult romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
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Chasing Headlines
J. Rose Black
(Chasing Victory, #1)
Publication date: January 2nd 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
They’re chasing the same dream…
Too bad they’re not on the same team.
When Breslin Cooper’s major league dreams go up in flames, he’s left with his backup plan: college baseball at Texas State Tech in Vanquer, Texas. But his public altercation with a reporter saddles him with mandated community service, therapy–and a toxic “Storm Cooper” reputation that no professional baseball scout will touch.
Liv Milline’s family name is practically synonymous with IML baseball. Yet despite her love for the game (the tight pants aren’t bad, either) and her dreams of becoming a baseball scout–her father holds one, ironclad rule: No baseball for Olivia (the corollary: no baseball players for Olivia is just downright mean).
Her one loophole? Playing baseball beat reporter for Texas State Tech.
Chasing similar dreams, Liv attempts to befriend Breslin. But the amazingly talented, pain in her aperture has only two words to say whenever she’s around: “No comment”.
Still, she can’t help but notice the troubled ballplayer’s running on overload. Emotionally wounded and reeling from his mother’s death, the only time Breslin seems close to “ok” is on the ballfield. Liv and his new teammates can’t seem to get through.
When a lapse in judgment catches Breslin in a real-world rundown, jeopardizing his probation and his baseball scholarship, his only choice may be to rely on Liv–the aggravating, attractive, and utterly relentless reporter, chasing her latest headline.
[Book one of a series, Chasing Headlines ends with a HFN, no cliffhanger, but lingering / unresolved issues waiting to bite them in the butt in Book 2.]
I threw my glove in my locker and grabbed my backpack from the hook. I imagined myself bounding out of the room, but my legs barely managed more than a shuffle.
Still, I must have gotten going a bit too fast because, the next thing I knew, Rally Girl was on the ground, phone skittering across the tile.
And I was the asshole. Shit.
She sat on her rear in the center of the hallway, rubbed her hip and winced. Fuck, is she going to claim I injured her—to get back at me for earlier? I glanced behind me at the locker room door. She can follow me. I looked at the exit door. I’d have to step over her. That would be ridiculous. I had more integrity than that.
Still . . .
She hissed through clenched teeth.
“You . . .” Dammit, what was her name? I had not been paying attention to anything other than, well, my shirt. On her body. Idiot.
“Well, what’s left of me. Geez, do you eat bricks for breakfast or what?”
Her legs, long and tan and open—they bent at the knee as she rested her elbows on them. And apparently, my body was not too tired to enjoy the view.
“I’m not hurt and I’m not upset. But maybe you could help me up?” She spoke in a soft voice. Dark eyelashes framed bright blue-green eyes.
I extended a hand and tugged her to her feet. She stood for a breath, two. So close. Connected. Something about the feel of her skin against mine . . . A small, but soothing warmth tingled through the nerves in my hand, sparking a heated rush from my palm to my neck.
A sharp breath, and then her fingers slid from my grasp. I missed the warmth of her.
“. . . maybe offer an apology?” She moved her hand up and down in a phantom handshake. “Sure, Coop. No hard feelings.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled. Can this be over? I panted for air and shifted back a step. Her being the hot chick in the water fountain had been one thing. I could have tried to find her, always wondered, haunted the student center in the hopes I’d run into her again.
Her being a reporter meant all of those things went on the “no fucking way, ever” list.
“I don’t know what you’re over there thinking, but, I wouldn’t hurt you. You mean too much to the team.” She frowned. “This was an accident. Not that it didn’t jar me to the bone. You missed your calling as a linebacker.”
I blinked. Opened my mouth. Re-ran the words through my brain. She just said a shit ton of stuff, and what the fuck was any of it about?
“I’m fine, really. You need to stop gushing over me. All the upset is really beneath you.” One eyebrow rose and she crossed her arms. How did she breathe while saying all those words?
“Um, are you OK?” She leaned closer.
I stared at her mouth. “You talk a lot.”
Her arms dropped to her sides. “That’s what you have to say? Not a ‘You OK?’ or ‘So sorry, I didn’t see you there. Can I help you with your things?’”
I didn’t catch all of it, but, maybe, if I did the last thing, she’d move out of my way? And I could get food, drink a gallon of water, take a shower? I stunk to hell and back.
Help her with her stuff. I set my backpack down and knelt at her feet. I tried not to think about those short running shorts or how good it’d feel to slide my fingers over the curve of her calf, up to her hip. I shoved her shit into her bag and tossed it to her. I retrieved her phone from the tile floor.
“That’s, um. Yeah. Thanks.” She pulled the device from my grip.
I pushed my sweat-soaked hair from my forehead. “You’re OK?”
“Yeah.” She pulled the bag over her shoulder. “Got bowled over by a human freight train, but lived to tell the tale. I pity any catcher that tries to get in your way.” She gave me a tight-lipped smile.
So many words. No wonder she had to write them all down. “But you’re fine?”
“What, do you need me to sign a waiver?”
Red hazed into my vision. “I’d say yes, but reporters are lying snakes in the grass. Wouldn’t matter.”
“I . . .” Her jaw worked, but no sound came out.
An errant thought about her mouth working flit through my brain.
“But, I–We’re on the same team, Coop.” She pointed at her jersey as if that was “proof”. It sure as hell wasn’t.
“We’re not.” I hefted my backpack onto my shoulder. “But you were right about one thing.”
“What do you mean?”
I leaned down and stared at her head on. She turned a deep dark pink.
“To pity the person who tries to get in my way.”
Author Bio:
J. Rose Black weaves stories about obsession, redemption, and the transcendental power of love. From her early days writing fanfiction for a passionate following of international readers, to crafting novels with her own characters, Rose has always been drawn to broody protectors and plucky, no-nonsense women ready to fight for what they believe in.
When Rose isn’t deeply immersed in her latest manuscript, she’s working in cyber security and thwarting the next generation of internet bad guys. Out of the office, she’s #Shipping with friends over her favorite, swoon-worthy couples, heading to the gym to battle the great evil that is Unmovable Baby Weight, or complaining about her husband’s addiction to 3D printing. Also: nagging her children to eat something other than cheese.
Hannah R. Goodman is here to tell us about her New Adult romance I Love That Girl.
There's also a great giveaway.
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I Love That Girl
Hannah R. Goodman
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: January 1st 2025
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Once called the four-headed monster in high school, only to be decapitated by the disaster of coupling up, four childhood friends have healed their wounds and found their way back to each other in college—or so they thought.
We locked eyes for a moment, the dim light and dark shadows between us. Her wavy sunset-blonde hair was in a messy bun, with tendrils falling around her face. I wanted to let her hair down, scoop it up with my fingers, inhale the flowery scent of her shampoo. I didn’t move a single part of me except my eyes, which traced the dotting of piercings up her left ear and then roamed across to her smallish nose that had just a blush of light freckles that matched her hair and down to her button-shaped mouth.
“Okay,” she said, her shoulder sliding out from the old sweatshirt that she cut the hood off of. I wanted to kiss her shoulder so badly, I had to put my hand over
my mouth and pretend to cough.
The blackout made the moment dreamy. I reached over and pulled her shirt up to cover her shoulder, and when my fingers made contact with her soft skin, her expression changed, softened, and relaxed. She smiled.
“I’ll get the wine.” She popped up, slid her feet into her fuzzy slippers, walked over to the kitchen area, and snatched the almost full bottle. Then she said, “Do you have a set of cards? We can play Bullshit. Remember how much we used to love that game?”
I laughed and said, “I think it was the only drinking game we knew in high school.”
“I’m pretty sure we were the only people who actually found a way to make it a drinking game.”
In the darkness, her hair piled up, she looked like a princess but also like an angel, and while I couldn’t find those words in the moment, that’s what I saw. A princess-angel with a pretty but foul mouth. The combination was exhilarating.
Author Bio:
Psychotherapist by day and writer by night, Hannah R. Goodman prefers tea over coffee, cats over dogs, and staying in over going out. Hannah is a graduate of the Solstice Program where she earned an MFA in Writing For Young People.In 2018, Black Rose Writing published her contemporary YA novel Till It Stops Beating, which was praised by reviewers for its realistic and hilarious depiction of first love, first loss, and first mental break down. Her publishing history goes back almost 20 years when she published My Sister’s Wedding, which won first place in the 2004 Writer’s Digest Self Published Books awards Children’s/Teen Division. The Wild Rose Press will publish her New Adult novel I Love That Girl on January 1, 2025.
