Release Blitz + Giveaway: Witch, Cat, and Cobb by J.K. Pendragon

 

Join author J.K. Pendragon and IndiGo Marketing as they celebrate the release of Witch, Cat and Cobb! Check out more info from the new fantasy romance and enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway!

Title: Witch, Cat, and Cobb

Author: J.K. Pendragon

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: December 14, 2020

Heat Level: 2 - Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Female/Female

Length: 21700

Genre: Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Fae/fey/fairies/faeries, Fairy tales, Humorous, Magic/ Magic users, Mythical creatures, Witch, Arranged marriage, Royalty, Transgender, Transspecies, #ownvoices

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Destined for an arranged marriage she wants nothing to do with, Princess Breanwynne decides her only option for escape is to run away. After announcing this plan to her trusted cat, Fen, she’s shocked when he asks that she take him along. 

Following his suggestion to venture into the lair of the Swamp Witch begins a life-altering adventure and reveals shocking information that will lead to more than one happily ever after—if she and Fen survive.

Excerpt

Witch, Cat, and Cobb
J.K. Pendragon © 2020
All Rights Reserved

I was not accustomed to swamps.

I had been warned about the dangers of swamps, of course, as all children were, and knew the likelihood of traversing the swamp without grave peril befalling me was dismally low. But somehow, in the course of plotting my grand escape, I hadn’t given that fact as much thought as I should have. And to pay for it, I was knee-deep in muck with a cat’s claws digging painfully into my shoulders.

“Don’t make any sudden movements!” said Fen, digging his claws even deeper into my shoulder until I was certain he had latched onto my bone. “It’ll only make it worse.”

“Make it worse?” I screeched at him. “How could this possibly be worse?”

Fen released his front claws from my neck and placed them gently on my head, “I’ve heard about this sort of ground. If I’m right, it’ll be a few hours before it’s swallowed you whole. Whoops!” He had jumped up onto my head, his back legs scrambling over my ear and causing me to shout in pain as his claws grazed me.

“Ouch!”

“Shh, I’m balancing.” He turned delicately on my head and crouched, wiggling his backside for good measure. “Anyway, you don’t know what sort of creatures you’re likely to attract, making so much noise.” He jumped, shoving me deeper into the muck as he did so, and caught a branch, scrambling up and then perching deftly to look down at me. His normally tawny fur was black in silhouette against the full moon, his eyes a green glint in the otherwise dark swamp.

“I should never have trusted you,” I said, glaring up at him. “You’ve led me to my death!”

“I haven’t!” called Fen, sounding offended. “Anyway, you agreed the swamp was the best choice because no one would come looking for us!”

“And no one will find us even if they do!” I squeaked.

“Hush.” Fen took a step forward, and the tree shifted as he arched his back, swaths of witch’s hair dipped into the muck next to me. He took another step forward, and the branch swayed and bowed downwards. “There, see? Grab that.”

I did so, tangling my fingers in the greasy mats. My shoulders shook as I pulled hand over hand to drag the lower half of my body out of the muck. I was glad I had thought to change into my riding breeches before leaving the castle. Fen made a very un-catlike screech and raced up the tree as it buckled further under my weight.

At last I managed to pull myself up and crawl over to where I hoped the ground was more solid. I let go, falling to the forest floor with a whump and sat, collecting myself. Fen landed lightly on my shoulder, and I hissed at him, causing him to scuttle away and behind the tree.

“Don’t do that,” he said presently, his voice muffled by the leaves and bracken. “Show some gratitude.”

“Right,” I said, standing and attempting to brush myself off as best I could. I was also not accustomed to being quite so dirty. “Thank you for saving me from the peril you yourself put me in.”

“You are the one who wanted to run away, Princess, if I might remind you.” Fen emerged from behind the tree and trotted up to me, jumping deftly back onto my shoulder. “I simply agreed to help you out.”

“You think I don’t know that you’ve got some sort of ulterior motive?” I asked him as I began to walk again, keeping a wary eye out for more of the muck I’d sunken into.

“What ulterior motive could I possibly have?” said Fen. “I’m a cat.”

“A talking cat, I might add. Who waited for how many years, twenty? To decide to reveal that fact to me, and not until I had mentioned I might be thinking of running away to the swamp. Why?”

“I liked the sound of it.”

“You liked the sound of this?” I gestured to the seething wet darkness around us and stopped walking. “No, tell me immediately.”

“Hmph,” said Fen. “If you must know, I’m not really a cat.”

“Fen, I’ve been undressed in front of you!”

“Oh, don’t be so full of yourself, Princess.”

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read Universal Link

Meet the Author

J.K. Pendragon is a Canadian author with a love of all things romantic and fantastical. They first came to the queer fiction community through m/m romance, but soon began to branch off into writing all kinds of queer fiction. As a bisexual and genderqueer person, J.K. is dedicated to producing diverse, entertaining fiction that showcases characters across the rainbow spectrum, and provides queer characters with the happy endings they are so often denied. 

J.K. currently resides in British Columbia, Canada with a boyfriend, a cat, and a large collection of artisanal teas that they really need to get around to drinking. They are always happy to chat, and can be reached at jes.k.pendragon@gmail.com.

Twitter | eMail | Instagram

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

 

Blog Tour: Incubus Honeymoon by August Li

August Li is making their clubhouse debut to promote Incubus Honeymoon! Find out more about this urban fantasy tale and more about the author below!

At some point every author will be asked, or will ask themselves, “Why do you write?”

For me, the answer tends to be different for each book.

Incubus Honeymoon stemmed, at least partially, from a sense of powerlessness. I’m not looking to spark political debate or start arguments of any kind. But I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in having watched certain events unfold with a sense of unreality and dread.

Maybe there wasn’t much I could do about the direction the country and the world were going, but dammit, my characters could do something about their world spiraling out of control. The first thing they had to do was notice and accept that something was wrong. This can be as a big of a hurdle as the physical fighting. People like to believe they’re living in a world that makes sense, where their hard work and integrity will pay off with a comfortable life, where eventually good and right will prevail. It’s comfortable and comforting to be able to trust in those things, and it’s just the opposite when denial can no longer be maintained. That moment of acceptance is so crucial to a character’s development, because once they can no longer deny what’s going on, they have a choice: ignore it or do something.

Obviously characters who don’t do anything don’t make the best protagonists, but as I explored these characters, I found that what catapults each into action is as telling as the varied ways they choose to oppose evil and the loss of their freedom. Some are idealists (or maybe anarchists) while others require a personal loss or a personal stake to join the fray. Their tipping points are as different as their approaches to the fight. Some are only conditionally invested. Some are kind of just assholes who don’t like to lose.

Part of the fun of writing this book was imaging how one might confront injustice if given the opportunity to wield power—in some cases, magical power. But the even more fun part was the discovery that they wouldn’t react how I expected, how I would. I’m not quite a pantster; I usually have a loose outline with plenty of room for characters to act—and change my plans—according to their natures. What I learned from this particular group of characters was that often, those who have the most power often have less to lose. So they’re not always the first to charge into battle, and even if they are, it’s not quite the heroic act it is when a regular person does it. Even so, it’s sometimes the regular people, the people with the least ability to fight, the most vulnerability, and the most to lose who display the most courage.

Please don’t let this lead you astray. If you’re expecting white knights, you’ll be disappointed. Nearly every character in this book is some form of criminal, or at least someone standing at the very farthest edge of accepted society. But what’s legal, what’s socially acceptable, and what’s right can be very different—and very differently judged, depending on the character.

I also discovered there’s more than one way to fight. Now anyone who knows me or my work knows I like sword fights, gun fights, and blowing things up. I like to whack a deserving party in the head with a wrench. There’s no shortage of any of that. Promise. Some of it will be, I truly hope, quite satisfying. But you can also fight with information, revealing an enemy’s secrets to make their allies lose trust in them. One of the characters is a hacker, and it was a delight to imagine how they would use their skills. Just sowing doubt can be so effective. But so can support. Some characters fight with… love is probably an exaggerated term, but care? Inspiring others, letting them know you have their backs, that you care what happens to them, can go a long way too.

But so too can just being pissed off.

I hope you’ll have as much fun discovering the nuances of Inky, Blossom, Dante, Jet, Emrys, Raphael, and the rest as I did. Oh, and Charlene. Never forget Charlene.

I can’t wait to see who readers like and relate to best!

Blurb:

As the so-called magical creatures go, I’m low on the hierarchy, and my powers aren’t much good to human mages. I’m a lover, not a fighter, through and through. I’m also selfish, lazy, and easily bored. But I’m damned good at what I do.

Too bad that won’t get my arse out of this sling.

Do one—granted, uncharacteristic—good deed, and now I’m held hostage to an arrogant faerie prince, trying to track down the one who summoned him while dodging gangbangers, gun runners, and Nazis. Add the powerful mage guilds scrambling to gather firepower for some doomsday event they’re sure is around the corner, and my cushy life of leisure might be nothing but a memory. On top of that, something’s compelling me to change on my most fundamental level. I’m not sure what I’ve got myself mixed up in, but nothing will ever be the same.

Bloody hell.
===
Featuring a new twist on urban fantasy combined with fast-paced action and intrigue, the Arcana Imperii series books are standalone adventures, each completely accessible to new readers.

Buy links:

DSP Publications
Amazon

Find the author on Social Media:

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Fox-Hat’s Den on Facebook

Review: Nudging Fate (Enchanted Occasions #1) by E.J. Russell

Not exactly a match made in Valhalla.

Half-norn event planner Anders Skuldsson is under strict orders from Asgard not to meddle with Fate. But with Enchanted Occasions’ latest booking—a competition for the hand of Faerie’s one true prince—crashing around his ears, it’s really difficult to toe that particular line. But if Andy pretends to be a contender for the prince…. It’s only temporary, so Odin can’t blame him. Right?

Conall of Odstone’s half-brother, Prince Reyner, was supposed to choose a mate before being crowned and wed. But the idiot left Con to impersonate him. Again.

When Con meets Andy, his anger turns to desire… and despair. Even if Andy forgives him for his imposture, how could someone eligible for a prince’s hand settle for the court outcast? And the double-deception isn’t their only obstacle. Unless Andy makes the right choice, their fates could be sealed by…well… Fate.

He’s a prince. He’s the client.

Anders “Andy” Skuldsson, our half-norn event planner, has a job to do and that’s to produce “The Courting, Coronation, and Handfasting of His Royal Highness Reyner of Maidencourt, the One True Prince of Faerie”… or as us humans would call it; a supernatural version of The Bachelor that parades a line of consorts in front of the prince so that he may to choose his life partner. Andy’s job basically rides on this as there has been a few mishaps with Enchanted Occasions Event Planning.

[…]Con had agreed to the idiotic, gods-be-damned spell that would make Con identical to Rey whenever the two of them chose— and Rey chose far too often for Con’s peace of mind.

Conall “Con” of Odstone has been a fool for his half-brother’s games all their lives and the one Rey likes to pull the most is the spell that allows Con to look exactly like his brother though they aren’t twins. When Con is waiting for Rey to show up so he can claim his consort, he’s begged by his brother to let him have a few moments of freedom (aka Vegas) before he is chained to a relationship he doesn’t want and frankly never will having seen what the mating vows and magically enforced fidelity for eternity had done to his father. Of course Con agrees, he’ll do anything for his brother and sends Talus, the legendary Iron Knight to fetch the first possible consort to meet the “prince.”

But when Andy is about to round up the list of eligible consorts, he finds they have all gone a bit green down to the last nasty one of them and Talus arrives, Andy is the only suitor left available and so begins our romantic deception.

Would Andy be attracted to Con once this masquerade was over and Con was no longer decked out in the trappings of royalty?

I am such a sucker for the false identity story when it comes to romance. The idea of being with someone you thought you knew based on hearsay and then getting to know the real person who literally isn’t who you thought makes me happy. I can’t explain it, it’s just this feeling of getting to be yourself and have someone fall for the real you even though you aren’t really you? You know? The internal struggle to tell the truth is so angsty that I eat it up. This book gave me so much and I am so happy that I have found Russell’s form of fantasy because I am hooked and now a fan.
When Andy and Con meet… let’s just say I squeaked because you see, we get both POV’s in this story and it was great being able to see them react immediately to the other and know they are smitten from the start. Of course, I am a fan of insta anything as long as it’s written well and this was written so well.

“We’re getting to know one another. That’s what this is all about, right? No one can fault either one of us for that.”
“You’d think.”

I have to say that Russell’s world building is my new jam. Goodness. I loved the whole idea of Faerie and its stunning beauty and the thought that Portland is its equal on Earthside makes this girl grin. Each supernatural creature was unique with a blend of old world and technology that seems like it wouldn’t fit and yet it did. While the world building was above and beyond what I didn’t even expect, the romance with Con and Andy is what sells this book. It’s fluffy but with a bit of depth that had me falling and falling hard.

Wow. I am getting to rambling status right now aren’t I and I haven’t even said much. I can’t help it I just adored the holy heck out of this story. It was so much fun watching Andy teach Con about technology and them just honestly getting to know one another though they both kept secrets. Even when it’s revealed who Andy is and Con has all sorts of hope… sigh. Then we get the whole utterly beautiful chaos at the end that had my hand on my chest and my eyes glued to the page because OMFG!! So freaking good.

“We had a good time when I was… well… pretending to be someone I’m not. I’m willing to see if we can enjoy ourselves when I’m being me too.”

Nudging Fate, that title has true meaning to the story and of course I loved it when I made the connection. Con, Andy and this incredible world have owned me with a beautiful tale of fantasy and romance and I can’t stop smiling or rambling so.

I’m done.

Le Freaking Sigh.

Review: Siren by Suki Fleet

Grey’s greatest fantasy involves a fairy, but not just any fairy—it has to be Siren.

Only problem is, Si can be too complicated for his own good sometimes.

Suki Fleet is a new-to-me author, I've recently read, loved, and pushed on everyone I know, her book This Is Not a Love Story. I also read and loved her Love's Landscapes entry this year, Metronomy,(though I'm HOPING it's part of a longer story to come). So when a request to read and review her new FREE short, I was all grabby hands for it.

Siren is a hot short about a man and the faery he wants. They are already friends but he wants more. And boy does he - and us - get more.

This book is steamy, it's yummy - it's short. I enjoyed every second I spent reading it...I'm hoping these characters are going to be part of something bigger. This short was wonderful, but the characters are too good to let go. There were too many unanswered questions - or maybe, introduced mysteries is a better way of putting it - that I wanted to know about. If this is a teaser for a longer story it's done it's job, I want to know all about Si and Grey.

Why has Siren no longer got any wings? What happened to him? How does Grey know Si...know what Si is? Does anyone else know? So many questions!

Suki Fleet really knows how to draw readers into a story.She gives you characters to care about and a beautiful way with words. I'm going to haunt this author's works because I feel that she is going to become an auto-buy author for me.

To find out more, check out Goodreads.

A copy of this story was sent in for review - it is however, free to everyone, so give it a go, you have nothing to lose!