28 March 2024

Lone Star on a Cowboy Heart by Marie S. Crosswell New Release Blitz! @ninestarpress

Title:  Lone Star on a Cowboy Heart

Author: Marie S. Crosswell

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 03/26/2024

Heat Level: 1 - No Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 49300

Genre: Contemporary Western, contemporary, Lit/genre fiction, Arizona, M/M, asexual, aromantic, bisexual, law enforcement, cowboy, platonic, companionship, crime/robbery, gun violence, bartenders, blue collar, friends to partners

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When Montgomery Clarke saves Deputy Sam Roswell’s life during an armed robbery, both men go home thinking they’ll never cross paths again. Instead, a friendship blossoms between them as they work together to track down a wanted man: the surviving robber who escaped the scene of the crime with a sack of cash. 

Drawn to each other despite their starkly different personalities, Montgomery and Sam quickly bond in a way neither man has with anyone else in years. Their friendship awakens Sam’s long-buried and unexplored romantic feelings for men, while reviving Montgomery’s deepest longing: for a platonic life partner. Sparked by violence, Sam and Montgomery’s connection becomes cemented in yet another dangerous confrontation when they finally catch up to Joel Troutman, the robber on the run. 

A year later, Montgomery and Sam are best friends with an exceptionally intimate relationship. What should be their first happy Christmas season together, however, suddenly turns sour when Montgomery gives Sam the cold shoulder without explanation. Brought together once again by crime—this time, one involving a teenage girl—Sam and Montgomery reckon with their feelings for each other. Will they remain friends or become partners?

Warning: Language

Lone Star on a Cowboy Heart

Marie S. Crosswell © 2024
All Rights Reserved

Prescott, Arizona

September 2014

Sam Roswell stops for dinner at the Dog Bowl Diner in his civvies, his department-issued sidearm locked in his desk drawer at the sheriff’s office. He chats up his waitress just to feel better about eating alone, then watches the other people in the diner, half cop on the lookout for mischief and half wishing he could meet a new friend. There’s a young couple with a pair of restless kids who can’t stay seated longer than a minute, an old husband and wife tucked into a two-person booth, three men and a woman side by side at the chrome-rimmed counter, and some teenagers hanging out on the other side of the place. None of them pay him any attention.

Two men wearing black knit masks over their faces dart into the diner, each of them leading with a gun. Sam freezes in his seat, watching in disbelief as they split up to cover the room.

The man in a long-sleeved navy blue T-shirt moves into the more heavily populated section of the diner and shouts, “Everybody take out your wallets. Now!”

The second man, wearing a dark red T-shirt under his jacket, goes up to the counter and points his gun at the first employee he sees. “Open the register! Open it!”

The blonde waitress with big hair hurries to the cash register positioned at the right end of the counter and tries to obey, hands twitching and eyes panicked. She fails at her first attempt.

“Hurry up!” Red Tee yells, steel revolver gleaming in the white light of the ceiling bulbs.

The register drawer clicks and slides open, and the waitress yanks stacks of bills out of their compartments and drops them on the countertop.

“Put the money in the bag! Put it in the fucking bag!”

She scrambles for the cash with one hand, then shoves it into the cloth bag Red Tee slid onto the countertop. He snatches the bag away from her and passes it to his accomplice, who holds it in front of the family with kids.

“Put your wallets in the fucking bag and pass it on,” Blue Tee says to them. “Now!”

One of the children starts to cry, pink-faced and whimpering.

A boy sitting at the table of teenagers bolts for the door, but Red Tee gets hold of the hood on his sweatshirt and yanks him back.

“Where the fuck are you going?” Red Tee yells, wrapping his free arm around the boy’s neck and pressing his gun into the boy’s head. “Huh?”

One of the teen girls yelps.

Sam stands up and makes for Red Tee, plucking his badge off his belt as he goes. His pulse races, waves of adrenaline washing through him. He’s not thinking, his body drawn to the trouble like a piece of metal to a magnet.

“Hey, hey,” he says, too soft-spoken for the circumstance. He holds the badge in his hand, so everyone can see it. “Just calm down. The kid’s not going anywhere. Send him back to his seat, and you and your pal can get out of here.”

“A cop, huh?” Red Tee says, arm still wrapped around the teenager’s neck, the gun unrelenting against his skull. “We got us a fucking cop in here.”

Blue Tee glances over at Sam, still following the bag of money around his section of the diner as it changes hands.

“Where’s your gun, asshole?” Red Tee says to Sam.

“Let the boy go,” Sam replies. “You got your money. You don’t have to hurt anyone.”

Red Tee stares at him through the eyeholes in his mask, silent for a long beat, then pushes the teenager away from him. He points his gun at Sam’s chest.

“He don’t even have a fuckin’ gun,” says Blue Tee, the bag of money in his hand. “Don’t be stupid. Let’s fuckin’ go.”

Sam’s standing with his hands up in front of him, badge in the left.

Red Tee doesn’t budge, staring him down with the revolver.

“I said, let’s go,” Blue Tee barks.

“Fuck this cop,” says Red Tee as he cocks back the hammer on his revolver.

BANG!

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NineStar Press | Books2Read


Marie S. Crosswell writes long fiction, short fiction, and poetry.
Her novellas Texas, Hold Your Queens; Alchemy; Cold, Cold Water; and The Silence of Lightning are available online wherever digital books are sold. Her short fiction has appeared in Thuglit, Betty Fedora, Plots with Guns, Tough, and other indie crime fiction publications. She’s a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College where she studied creative writing and friendship. She lives in the American West. Visit her Website for more!

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One lucky winner will receive a $50.00 NineStar Press Gift Code!
 

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War of the Mind by Dana Claire Book Tour! @IndiePenPR #WarOfTheMind #NowLive #danaclairebooks #authordanaclaire

 

Immense grief causes demigod Calli to do the unthinkable and use her powers to erase herself from the memories of her beloved Henrik. Calli rebuilds herself and her crew, only to be reunited with Henrick by order of the crown to stop Perseus and his accomplices before it’s too late. As remnants of their passion haunt their voyage, will their wounded hearts find their way back to each other, or will past choices stand in their way? Readers who love pirate adventures and Greek mythology with forced proximity and second-chance romances will want to devour Dana Claire’s new Young Adult Novel, War of the Mind.

 

 His sacrifice could save humanity. Her revenge could turn it to stone. 

When immense grief turns demigod Calli Bordeaux’s heart to vengeance, she does the unthinkable. Using her powers, she erases herself from the memories of her beloved, Henrik, so that he cannot join her hunt for the notorious pirate Captain Fredrick, Henrik’s savage father. Shattered, Calli rebuilds herself and the crew of her parent’s ship to vanquish her enemy, only to discover a piece of Henrik came with her after all. 

Unaware that he lost the greatest love of his life, former pirate turned royal guard, Henrik, sets out with Cava’s navy to find a woman the gods forsook and the humans fear. Medusa. Her latest rampage of stony destruction is not mindless slaughter but self-preservation from pirate assassins. The demi-god Perseus has put a bounty on her severed head, seeking the power it possesses to slowly slaughter mankind. United by order of the crown, Calli and Henrik must stop Perseus and his pirate accomplices before it’s too late.

 Echoes of their past passion haunt their voyage, tipping them into turmoil when humanity needs them most. Can their wounded hearts find their way back to each other in time? Or will the barriers constructed by past choices stand in the way as the world around them turns to stone?

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Excerpt

Copyright 2024 Dana Claire

My head snapped up. Hope fisted my heart. “My parents? You spoke to them? What did they—”

“I thought The Freedom was pursuing Captain Fredrick and The Black Hollow,” Henrik interrupted. He took the book from my grasp and thrust it into Savina’s beckoning fingers. 

“No. I haven’t spoken to them.” Savina addressed me before returning her gaze to Henrik. “And yes. They were following your father—or they are.” Savina gripped the sides of the ledger, her knuckles whitening. “We don’t know any more than that. Captain Fredrick’s ship and Medusa were seen in Sottom at the same time. We think there is a connection. We thought The Freedom was trailing them, but we lost contact. I don’t know where either ship or Medusa is now. That’s why I’m waiting for Conleth to return with news.”

My arms trembled. Where in the underworld had my parents gone?

Savina pointed to the wingback chairs next to a pair of end tables. “Sit.”

Henrik guided me across the room. His calluses scratched the threads of my blouse as he coaxed me down with gentle pressure on my shoulders. My knees wobbled, and I flopped into the seat. 

“Is that why Captain Niles took interest?” Henrik asked. “He has stacks of Jacarian maps marked up with circles around mountain sides and x’s laid in front of cave entrances.” He arched an eyebrow. “What is he looking for?”

Savina looked down at the leather-bound book, then back up to Henrik. “Is that where these came from?” Her voice built like a thunderclap, lifting her half out of her seat. “Did you two board The Serpent’s Snare by yourselves and steal this?” 

Before Henrik or I could confirm or deny, the king’s voice boomed behind us. “Savina, are you in there?” 

The door swung open. I twisted, and the look of raw devastation marring Conleth’s face spurred me to my feet. His black hair stood on end as if he’d been pulling it. Creases of worry marred his lips. Behind him, my great-uncle Hermes scoured the room like a man who’d wandered away from a shipwreck, brown eyes red-rimmed. I’d never seen either man cry. Not much could break them, but I knew the sort of bereavement that painted the windows to their soul’s crimson would sever my heart as well. 

“Oh, my gods. What happened?” Savina rounded the desk, stopping before her husband. “Tell me, Conleth. Who’s dead?”

The second she asked, I knew. Their missing ship, my uncles’ dried tears, the silence. I dropped to my knees, a sob wracking my chest. 

“No, no, no.” Impossible. My father was a demi-god born from Apollo and Calliope with the power to heal and bring men to their knees with his song; my mother, Lou, the fierce captain of the first all-female-crewed pirate ship, The Freedom. Together, they’d navigated the seas with the greatest warriors and battled amidst the waves like gods. Poseidon’s kingdom was their domain. No enemy could thwart them there. 

“Cal?” Henrik called out, but Conleth quickly moved in front of him, blocking his path to me.

Hermes ignored everyone else. With an ease only my great-uncle possessed, he walked over and knelt to cradle my head in his hands.

I fought his embrace as my chest threatened to collapse and crush my heart. I refused to believe they were gone.

“Let me go!” Henrik shouted at Conleth, but I didn’t dare look at him. 

“I’m so sorry,” my uncle whispered.

“My parents are dead. Are you sure?” 

Hermes’s nod tore a sob from Savina. He rubbed his thumbs under my eyes, catching the droplets on his skin. Uncontrollable tears gushed like a river that escaped its bed.

I swallowed the giant knot that had twisted in my throat. “I don’t believe you. It can’t be.” My father grew up with sirens. He swam with them. His peers called him the Emperor of the Sea for a reason. How could he possibly die on the water? And my mother. She embodied the tides, the very salt-water air she breathed. How could she just be gone?

“It’s true.” My uncle reached for me.

I shook my head. None of this made sense. “My brother?” Adelphi had been on The Freedom as well. My parents would never let someone steal his soul away to the underworld. Not if they could help it.

“Also gone.” Hermes dropped his arms.

A burning fury surged through me, scorching my grief down to hot embers. “Who killed my family?”

My uncle looked away for the first time, his almond-shaped eyes darting over my head. Without meeting my gaze, he breathed, “Captain Fredrick of The Black Hollow.”

 

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

About Dana Claire

 

Dana Claire is an award-winning author whose stories explore identity, fate, and destiny at the crossroads of romance and adventure. Her love of romantic tension, the supernatural, and non- stop action has elicited positive feedback from many readers, as their online reviews reveal her flair for spine-tingling action and unforgettable characters. 

Dana is now sharing her stories through speaking events and book signings, introducing more readers to the worlds she created. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her adoring husband living her dreams: writing books, telling stories, and changing the world, one reader at a time.

Follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok |Goodreads | BookBub | Website | Newsletter | Amazon | Gift Shop |

#warofthemind #wotm #olympianwars #secondchanceromance #amnesia #greekmythology #actionadventure #pirateadventures #forcedproximity #hea #romantasy #youngadultfantasy #yafantasy #yaromance #mustread #mustreadromance #newrelease #ebook #bookstagram #amazon 

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Kookaburras, Cuppas & Kangaroos Blog Tour!

 



Kookaburras, Cuppas & Kangaroos

Fueled by her spirit for adventure and with her £10.00 ticket in hand, Elizabeth Isle leaves 1960s England, determined to see it all, not just Australia and New Zealand, but as much as she can on the way, too. She surrenders her passport to the Australian government and must find work to support herself on the other side of the world from her family and friends. 


There can be no going back for two years. Join this intrepid young woman on the adventure of her lifetime. Share her amazing experiences, discover what exotic animals await, get travel tips and meet her new friends through her letters home and over plenty of cups of tea. 


Beware - the travel bug might prove infectious!


Purchase Link -https://mybook.to/KookaburrasCuppasRoos



Sue Bavey (writing as S. Bavey) a British mother of two teenagers, now living in Franklin, Massachusetts, having moved to the US in 2003.Writing as S. Bavey, she won a gold award from Readers’ Favorite for her grandfather’s biography: Lucky Jack (1894 – 2000), which she wrote during COVID lockdown. She also has a number of non-fiction stories published in various anthologies.

Kookaburras, Cuppas & Kangaroos is the story of her late mother’s emigration from Yorkshire to Australia in 1960 for three years, told via airmail letters and travel diary entries.

A free prequel to Kookaburras, Cuppas & Kangaroos”, called “A Yorkshire Lass: The Early Years” is available for free download from www.suebavey.com.

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Magpie Maggie Takes the Wheel (Longhorn Trucking Mysteries) by Katherine H. Brown Book Tour!


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About Magpie Maggie Takes the Wheel

Magpie Maggie Takes the Wheel (Longhorn Trucking Mysteries)

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Setting

Texas

Independently Published:

(March 27, 2024)

Print length ‏ ‎

100 pages

Digital ASIN ‏

‎ B0CVV3D972

Margaret (Maggie) Cumberland lives to shop; her father died with debts.

Before she can get her inheritance, Maggie finds out the will comes with certain stipulations. She has to get a job.
Not just any job, though. Nope. Dear old dad put in the will that she had to make three deliveries for the family business.

Sounds simple. Should be simple.
It's anything but simple.

Maggie suddenly finds her pink convertible repossessed, her condo being foreclosed on, and her every minute spent studying for a CDL to pass a test that will allow her to drive an eighteen-wheeler truck across the state. Oh wait, not to mention that someone is apparently out to get something from her father’s trucking company, even if they have to go through her first.

Can Maggie steer clear of danger long enough to make her first delivery deadline or will there be more roadblocks than she can handle?

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Katherine H. Brown is a Texas author, mom, wife, lover of Jesus, devourer or books, and writer of stories. She loves words and revels in weaving them together to create a fun adventure and characters that make you smile.

She loves the color blue, the splendor of the ocean, and the quiet of naptime with a toddler in the house. It is her hope that with each story she writes, more readers will find the joy, adventure, and escape that draws her to book after book as a reader as well.

Author Links

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18681694.Katherine_Brown

BookBub

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/katherine-h-brown

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/katherinebrownkatieauthor/

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Katherine-Brown/e/B078J72H8M

Newsletter signup

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Purchase Link  -

Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 27 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

March 28 – Boys' Mom Reads! – REVIEW

March 28 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 28 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

March 29 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST

March 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

March 31 - Sarah Can’t Stop Reading – REVIEW  

April 1 – Christy's Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 2 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

April 2 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – Teatime and Books – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – Maureen's Musings – REVIEW


One e-Book Copy of Magpie Maggie Takes the Wheel (Longhorn Trucking Mysteries) by Katherine H. Brown and bookmarks

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