Bookworm News: Reviews, Promo, Excerpt, and New Releases | Smashwords Sale July 1-31

BOOKS READ

Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson

Masked Kiss by Christine Rains

BOOK REVIEWS

Pirate Hunters by Robert Kurson

John Chatterton and John Mattera stop their quest in finding a treasure ship and seek out the legendary Golden Fleece, the pirate ship of Joseph Bannister, in Robert Kurson's Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship. This nonfiction book focuses on deep sea divers John Chatterton and John Mattera. The glimpses of their pasts was interesting and helped show why they were so obsessed in discovering the Golden Fleece. I loved learning more about the pirate Joseph Bannister and the history of the Golden Age of Piracy. Kurson takes the reader on an adventure. I felt Chatterton and Mattera's frustrations as they searched for the ship and kept coming up empty. A few places the pace was a little slow and tedious, but thankfully, those parts are few and far between. I would recommend Pirate Hunters by Robert Kurson to anyone who loves learning about pirates, the Golden Age of Piracy (1600s-1700s), and the fascinating lives of deep sea treasure hunters.

Masked Kiss by Christine Rains

A weekend of video games, hanging out with his Steampunk Quest friends, and enjoying the convention are all Josh Hanson had planned for, but when a dark-haired masked vixen captures his attention, he finds it hard to focus on anything but her in Christine Rains' Masked Kiss. I enjoyed reading this erotica story from a male point of view. Josh is geeky, sweet, and knows his video games. I liked how he wanted more than a con fling with Nat. The growth between the characters combined with all the hot and steamy scenes come together to make a satisfying story. Rains does an excellent job with the pacing, and I loved all the geeky fun. This novella can be read as a standalone or along with the other books in the Dice and Debauchery series, which takes place at the same gaming convention. If you're ready to get your geek on, then read Masked Kiss by Christine Rains.

PROMO FOR MASKED KISS

Masked Kiss (Dice & Debauchery #3)

By Christine Rains

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

Release date: June 26, 2015

Genre: Modern erotic romance

Video game geek Josh Hanson never gets noticed by women until a gorgeous booth babe drags him into a dark room for a quickie.

She doesn't give him her name, and her face is covered by a silver mask. Josh is determined to find the dark-haired beauty again, but communication isn't easy in a huge hall filled with nerds. When they end up playing in a tournament later, the games extend into her hotel room. Josh wants more than just a con fling, but she's not easy to catch. Can he figure out how to beat her games and become her champion?

Buy links:

Ellora's Cave * Amazon * Nook * Kobo

Add it to read on Goodreads!

Get Loose Corset, the first book in the Dice & Debauchery series:

Ellora's Cave * Amazon * Nook * Kobo

Buy Layers of Lace, Dice & Debauchery #2:

Ellora's Cave * Amazon * Nook * Kobo

  

About the author: Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. Please visit her website and blog. You can also find Christine on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

EXCERPT FROM THE MIRACLE GIRL

Maybe it was best to make a clean break. College was over. Like she said, time to grow up.

I wiped my eyes, determined to be strong. A small object by the door caught my attention. It took me a second or two to finally figure out what it was. Claire’s matching friendship bracelet, the one we made our first summer together when we were co-counselors for a day camp. Since the day we had made them, neither one of us had taken them off. That was her parting gift: a clean break.

I snatched her bracelet from the floor and then yanked mine off. While rolling both of them in my fingers, I made a decision.

Yes, it was time for me to grow up. Leave my college love behind. Move on with my life.

The next morning I boarded a plane and never intended to see Claire again. It wasn’t until the plane took off that I realized I had made a terrible mistake, but it was too late. Or so I thought.

Running was easier.

Newspaper publisher and world traveler JJ Cavendish continually feels pressured to live up to her Miracle Girl nickname. Not many people know she’s living a carefully crafted lie. She may not hide ties to the LGBT community, but she does hide past struggles with addiction.

When the Colorado native is handpicked to take the helm at a dying Denver newspaper, she ends up reconnecting with her long lost love in this contemporary lesbian romance. Only there’s a catch. If JJ fires the most belligerent editor at the paper, she risks losing the love of her life.

Mid-afternoon office romps abound in this romantic comedy while also focusing on what it takes for a newspaper to remain relevant in this age of social media.

Must JJ lose everything in order to gain a life more fully her own?

Praise for The Miracle Girl

“The Miracle Girl is phenomenal!” Christine

“The best one yet.” Shellie

“I don't often give 5 stars to books, but I loved this book.” Heidi

“Impossible to put down.” Windowwasher

“I was hooked by the first sentence.” Cheryll

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada 

Author bio: T. B. Markinson is an American writer, living in England. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order.

Mailing List: To sign up to TB’s New Release Mailing List here. Your email will never be shared and you will only be contacted when a new book is out.

Where to find T. B. Markinson: Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

BOOKS RELEASED IN JULY

ClownFellas by Carlton Mellick

Among the Ten Thousand Things by Julia Pierpont

Bombs Away by Harry Turtledove

Agents of the Internet Apocalypse by Wayne Gladstone

Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay

Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs

Black-Eyed Susans by Julie Heaberlin

From Bruges with Love by Pieter Aspe

Double Mint by Gretchen Archer

The Vanished Knight by M. Gerrick

The Heir’s Choice by M. Gerrick

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain

Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat? By Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella

If I Could Turn Back Time by Beth Harbison

Weavers by Aric Davis

For Love or Money: Crafting an Indie Author Career by Susan Kaye Quinn

Killing Secrets by Dianne Emley

Wings in the Dark by Michael Murphy

The Widow’s Son by Thomas Shawver

Go Away Home by Carol Bodensteiner

Trollhunters by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus

Stormbringer by Alis Franklin

Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell

Gabriel by Patricia Josephine

Killing Maine by Mike Bond

The Miracle Girl by T.B. Markinson

Not So Lucky by RaShelle Workman
The Viper and the Urchin by Celine Jeanjean
Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Weren't You and I by Albert Espinosa
Scents and Sensibility by Spencer Quinn
The Rhythm of the August Rain by Gillian Royes
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
Pale Kings and Princes by Cassandra Clare
The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Spaniard's Kiss by Nina Croft
Storm in the Sky by Libbie Hawker
Even the Score by Kate Meader
Over the Top by Rebecca Zanetti
Untouchable by Cindy Skaggs
If You Dare by Jessica Lemmon
The Player Next Door by Kathy Lyons
A Haunting Desire by Julie Mulhern
A Touch of Chardonnay by Pamela Gibson
Opposing the Cowboy by Margo Bond Collins
Risk Me by Lexi Scott
Traitor by Jody Wallace
Malibu Betrayals by MK Meredith
No Kissing Allowed by Melissa West
Written on My Heart by Cole Gibsen
Crazy Over You by Wendy Sparrow