Category Archives: Writers on the River Attending Author

#wotr #attendingauthor #seriesstarter #audio Reckless (Room for Love 1) by Kate Hawthorne narrated by Evan Carolina

Pursuing your best friend’s dad is never a good idea, but Cameron Motel is feeling reckless. His life is about to change, and Luke is older, attractive…and he represents something Cameron has never had before.

Stability.

Luke didn’t mean to get involved with his son’s best friend, but Cameron needed a strong hand and Luke was willing to deliver on his promises.

This thing between them is supposed to be a secret, but something as big as love can’t stay hidden for long. Then a single phone call sends Cameron farther away from home than he’d ever planned to go, and Luke’s subconscious keeps him grounded in the past unable to move on.

Cameron is gone, and to get him back Luke needs to do something big, something bold, something…reckless.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56819087-reckless

Amazon https://amzn.to/3FO5oRu

Review by Twinsie Dee

i was given this audiobook by the author for an honest review

Luke was getting over dealing with a brake up with his partner, now it was just him and his son Eddie and his friend Cameron was over most of the time. Well, when Cameron had to listen to Eddie wack one out one of the nights he was staying over while Eddie was in the shower, Cameron thought he might as well jerk one out too while he was alone. Cameron didn’t time his ending very well and next thing he knew not only was Eddie back in the room, but Eddie’s dad was now looking at him and well it made him feel things he didn’t know if he wanted to feel. Luke and Cameron started hooking up behind Eddie’s back and oh did the steamy fling happen. Both were happy until Cameron’s dad died, and he was forced to move to help his brother’s run the family hotel. Will distance slip these two up, will the huge age gap be the issue, or will they make it work and be happy for the rest of their life. OMG this audio was amazing, and this story was just as great the brattiness from Cameron with Luke and the steamy chemistry between them was just woah steamy.

With over two dozen published romances to her name, Kate Hawthorne has built a recognizable brand around telling emotional stories that pack a figurative (and sometimes literal) punch.

Existing on a steady diet of wine and coffee, Kate spends her days dreaming up angsty stories full of heat, kink, and heart. Kate now lives in Louisville, where she writes romance, reads romance, and hides from the humidity.

#wotr #attendingauthor #coverreveal Too Young to Fall in Love (Burger Brews and Crews 7) by Lacey Black

Title: Too Young to Fall in Love
Series: Burgers and Brew Crüe #7
Author: Lacey Black
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Fake Relationship/Workplace Romance
Cover Design: Melissa Gill Designs
Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography
Model: Chase Roback
Release Date: May 23, 2023
BLURB
Kellen
I love my job. Bartending is more than just serving drinks to customers at the hottest bar and restaurant in Stewart Grove. It’s the people I work with and those I meet along the way. I know how to have a good time. Just one flirty little grin and the ladies are like putty in my hands. But they know the score: I’m a one and done guy, not looking to ever fall into the trap of love.
Then, a sweet, gorgeous coworker needs help, and I find myself offering up more than I should.
With Cameron Wright temporarily living with me, pretending to be my girlfriend, the lines begin to blur fast. She’s in my space and I suddenly have free rein to hold and kiss her.
Helping her might very well be my downfall.
Cameron
I keep to myself. Despite working as a server at the popular gourmet burger joint, I make sure my eyes are always ahead, focused on the prize: make enough tips to pay off my debts. When you carry around this much guilt every day, the weight slowly starts to drag you down, but I’m determined. My past will not define me.
Until one day, that past returns and is ready to rekindle our old relationship.
Cocky playboy Kellen McGregor steps up, not only offering a place to stay, but also a way to put space between me and my ex. Problem is, in no time, I find I like being with him.
I just need to remember he’s not the forever kind of guy.
PRE-ORDER LINKS
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Only available at the following
retailers for a limited time
AVAILABLE NOW
Kickstart My Heart (Book 1)
is 99c for a limited time!
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
All free in Kindle Unlimited
AUTHOR BIO
USA Today Bestselling Author Lacey Black is a Midwestern girl with a passion for reading, writing, and shopping. She carries her e-reader with her everywhere she goes so she never misses an opportunity to read a few pages. Always looking for a happily ever after, Lacey is passionate about contemporary romance novels and enjoys it further when you mix in a little suspense. She resides in a small town in Illinois with her husband, two children, and three rowdy chickens.
AUTHOR LINKS

#wotr #attendingauthor #seriesstarter The Sweetest Things (Starlight Harbor 1) by Bria Quinlan

Lyra Grigor is the easy going, sweet, smile-at-everyone owner of The Sweetest Things.  When an annoying travel site puts Starlight Harbor on their Top Ten Tacky Tiny Towns list for the fourth year running, she knows it’s time to give the writer a bit of spicy tart instead of a teaspoon of sugar.

An outsider who just wants out…

Spence Côte has no idea what hit his site. Nearly a thousand replies on some little baker’s comment and everything has blown up. Since the site is up for sale, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Now he has to drive up to the middle of nowhere coast of Maine and get this resolved. ASAP.

Two worlds collide…

Between the puppies dressed as pirates, the older women masquerading as tavern wenches, and the sweetest little baker he’s ever seen, Spence knows Starlight Harbor might not just be freakishly adorable….it might be what he’d been looking for.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61022840-the-sweetest-things

Amazon https://amzn.to/3YF0BIP

Review by Twinsie Dee

i was given this book by the author for an honest review

All it took was one comment on a blog site to set Lyra off, she didnt know what she was getting herself into but noone was going to tarnish her business or small town as long as she was around. After the comment on his site Spence thought he should drive all night to Starlight Habor and apologize to the older lady who owns the bakery there and threated to sue him if he didnt fix it. well little did he knew he was walking into the shop of a 5 foot 4 spitfire that wasnt backing down until her little town was righted. Once Spence say Lyra it was game over he was love struck and had really opened his eyes and fell in love with the small town and even more with the bakery owner. but will this riff bring them together or with Lyra listening in on a phone call Spence was having ruin them. Fall in love with this small town the spat between Lyra and Spence and even Captain Jack (you will need to read to find out) but this was such a sweet story and a fast read.

Bria Quinlan is an award-nominated bestselling author of eight Romantic Comedies and YA Issue Books (that she swears are funny…really. They are.) Her books make you snort Diet Coke out your nose or tear up and curse her name.

#WOTR23 #Review – Within the Wonder (The Villainous Wonderland Series Book 2) by A.K. Koonce

Within the Wonder: A Reverse Harem Series (The Villainous Wonderland Series Book 2) by [A.K. Koonce]

What happens when the woman you’re pretending to be stares you down face to face?

Things get awkward.

And deadly.

In Wonderland, there can only be one Alice. A series of absurd trials and dangerous games are the only way to solve who is the real Alice and who is the fake.

If I win, I’ll have the power to save two kingdoms. If I lose, it’ll be more than just the Hatter who’s lethally mad.

Fake it till you make it, right?

Let the Alice Trials begin. Welcome to Wonderland, bitches.

This is a reverse harem series recommended for readers 18 and over.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

HOLD THE PHONE! Whaaat? There’s another Alice! The real Alice? Now cue the Slim Shady music! Ok, so if you made it to the second book, you will completely, without a doubt, understand where I am coming from. At this point, we know that Madison’s vagina is not broken and will not be put up on a shelf to collect dust. Whew! That would be a horror story! But now we have possibly the real Alice. The real Wonderland is even crazier than in the first story. But I really love how the villains are so easy to hate AND fall for at the same time. Everyone has secrets and boy are they surfacing! And now that the harem is really happening, these men get frustrating as all get out! They all want to protect Madison, but by protecting her they are telling her what to do or not letting her in on what should be done.

“It’s like having an agnel and a devil being your voice of reason, except the angel thinks with his fu**ink cock, and the devil…also thinks entirely with his sinful cock.”

ACCURATE!

Oh, I am not sure why I go on with this review. I am on to find out what happens next. I suggest you stop reading this review and hurry on with reading this book!

Author Logo

A.K. Koonce is a USA Today best selling author. She’s a mom by day and a fantasy and paranormal romance author by night. She keeps the fantastical stories in her mind on an endless loop, while she tries her best to focus on her actual life and not that of the spectacular but demanding fictional characters who always fill her thoughts.

#wotr #attendingauthor #standalone Novelty (Dollhouse 3) by Albany Walker

A Standalone Novel created in the Dollhouse World.

Retribution has been my only friend. The desire to make those that hurt me pay, my only solace but one act of humanity and I’m taken with my would be rescuer.

Thoughts of him fill my head until I’m as obsessed with him as I am with getting rid of those that tried to break me. Too bad for him being in my crosshairs only brings death, proving no good deed goes unpunished.

She thinks I don’t know she’s there, waiting, watching, but I see her. I don’t know what she wants, but I’m willing to let her play her game until I decide to end it.

Novelty is a MF contemporary standalone novel created in the Dollhouse World. It is intended for mature audiences and contains adult content.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/72403212-novelty

Amazon https://amzn.to/3ZEnjlF

Review by Twinsie Dee

i was given this book by the author for an honest review

A dead lawyer in the area of the Dollhouse has Winger wondering if it was meant to be a hit or a warning to his guys, either way he was on guard. Maxine was someone he never thought was a killer and when she followed him home one night, he was all about wanting to know who sent her and was he her next target. After Maxine got stabbed Winger took her to a safe apartment and got her on the road to getting better. But neither of them had any idea just how dangerous the other is or could be. and being in the same place 24/7 will they start to catch feelings for each other, or will Winger really land his name on Maxine’s hit list when or if he ever lets her leave. ugh once again Albany hits it out of the park and the bantering between these two is just hilarious, I love the dollhouse world and can’t wait for more.

Albany lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her high school sweetheart. She spends most of her time juggling her four children’s extracurricular activities, with her nose stuck in a book. When not reading you can find her writing her very own book boyfriends. Albany’s passion is writing romance with real characters that are far from perfect, but always seem to find their own happily ever afters.

#WOTR23 #Review – Into the Madness (The Villainous Wonderland Series Book 1) by A.K. Koonce

Into the Madness: A Fantasy Romance Series (The Villainous Wonderland Series Book 1) by [A.K. Koonce]

I didn’t fall into a place of wonder and madness. I was taken.

This world is a perfect, enchanting wonderland. The people here are just as alluring.

But we all have our secrets.

Like the white rabbit who’s leading a rebellion right under the King’s nose. Or the sweet March Hare who’s actually an enemy spy. Or my one true ally in all of this, a killer who’s so feared they won’t even say his real name.

As for me, I have more secrets than all of them combined. Because Wonderland is waiting for the beloved Alice Liddell.

And I’m just the bitch pretending to be her.

This is a reverse harem series, recommended for readers 18 and over.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Being the queen of bad decisions can feel reckless but relaxing at the same time. When you are going to mess up, you may as well do it proper-like. And this is how we meet Madison, our pretend Alice. She has quite the past. Then, one evening after she was terribly disappointed with her choice of man in an attempt to sow some wild oats, she finds herself in a mysterious world where all things are a bit wonky. One thing that I love about Madison is, even though the hand she was dealt was crap, she ends up being a fighter. This Wonderland is definitely a darker version than we are used to and the characters are very, very different. Madison even chuckles to herself throughout the book as she is putting together which person is who from the Alice in Wonderland fairytale that we all know. I was very intrigued as the story continued and pieces came together. There is a lot of angst, snark and wit. However, “Alice” (who is really Madison) is promised to another and these men cannot go any further with her. It is tension filled, but the wait is totally worth it because once the collision occurs, fireworks explode…and nooooot with you think it will be!!!! What I am saying here is, this is a must read. Stay tuned because I am going in for the next book!

Author Logo

A.K. Koonce is a USA Today best selling author. She’s a mom by day and a fantasy and paranormal romance author by night. She keeps the fantastical stories in her mind on an endless loop, while she tries her best to focus on her actual life and not that of the spectacular but demanding fictional characters who always fill her thoughts.

#wotr #attendingauthor #standalone Necessary Space by Kate Hawthorne

Hendrix

What’s the only thing more annoying than my years-too-young neighbor?
The way I want him more than air.

There are plenty of things I don’t like about my new home in California, and my neighbor, Miles, is at the top of the list. He’s smug and arrogant, he speaks out of turn. And even though I should have learned my lesson about fast-talking, younger, dominant men when I broke up with my ex, I want him. For better or worse, Miles and I are on the same page and that’s why we decide there’s no harm in taking things between us someplace a little more private.

Good thing it’s only a physical connection between us because I could never be with a man like him for the long term…

Miles

Can I tease my well-dressed and thick-thighed older neighbor into bed?
I’m not sure, but there’s no harm in trying.

There’s never been a man who twists me up inside the way Hendrix does, and from the very first time he tells me yes, I know I’m going to demand a thousand more agreements out of his gorgeous mouth before I’m anywhere close to being done with him. He says he only wants me for my body, but it’s not long before things between us feel anything but casual. Hendrix thinks I can’t tell he’s being cautious with me, that I don’t know his worries about the past repeating itself are a constant threat in his head.

Joke’s on him, though. Hendrix makes me want to be a better man and I’m not going to stop until I prove that I’m worthy of a partner like him, even if I stumble more than once along the way.

What’s the only thing scarier than falling in love with the older man who’s determined not to trust me? Giving him the space to discover he can.

Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/90100758-necessary-space

Amazon https://amzn.to/41AMNS8

Review by Twinsie Dee

Hendrix is the grumpy older neighbor that was mysterious, and the littlest thing could set him off. Well Miles was the younger neighbor that when walking his date to his car from the night before, and as he was heading back to his house and spotted Hendrix and called him buddy. that was enough to set Hendrix off and be super annoyed with his younger but oh so sexy neighbor. Neither of them could keep the other out of their minds, and after one random knock on the door and a steamy kiss in Miles kitchen. This older sub and younger Dom have a hot, steamy, and all-night romp in the sheet, did these two find their other have the perfect sub to Miles ever so strong Dom side of himself. Will these two make their wants and needs to each other go and be happy together forever or they will make a few sneaks around the fence and into each other’s bedrooms. oh, this book was so good Miles snarky comebacks are just everything, and who doesn’t love a snarky strong Dom who cares if he’s gay or not it’s still very attractive.

With over two dozen published romances to her name, Kate Hawthorne has built a recognizable brand around telling emotional stories that pack a figurative (and sometimes literal) punch.

Existing on a steady diet of wine and coffee, Kate spends her days dreaming up angsty stories full of heat, kink, and heart. Kate now lives in Louisville, where she writes romance, reads romance, and hides from the humidity.

#wotr #attendingauthor #audiobook Feeling Forever (Tasting Madness 3) by Albany Walker narrated by Jacob Morgan and Vanessa Moyen

They say the truth can set you free…. That’s exactly what I’m worried about.

Secrets never last long, but mine get exposed before I’m ready, leaving me betrayed by someone I love.

Now I have to pick up the pieces and hope it doesn’t end with me losing the men I love, or my freedom.

She thought she could scare us away.

Brutal words spoken in an effort to shake our foundation only serve as proof of why we belong together.

There’s nothing we won’t do to keep her, and we’re ready to prove it.

Feeling Forever is the third book of the Tasting Madness Series. This is a why-choose novel with adult themes and situations.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62226062-feeling-forever

Amazon https://amzn.to/3YuLPV7

Review by Twinsie Dee

Waylynn just witnessed her mom telling the guys about her past before she was ever able to. and she is just so shocked and embarrassed to say the least. but once her mom leaves, she lets the guys ask questions and tries to explain the voices and her past the best she can, and the biggest bomb shell that the voices she’s always heard belonged to her guys. things finally settle down and they get back into a flow of life with, Bates introduces Waylynn to his mom and her husband, and they plan to have a big thanksgiving dinner with Bates’ mom and her husband and Waylynn’s parents of course Oz and Memphis. but Waylynn’s mom always has some shit up her sleeve because she has nothing better to do, but Thanksgiving with a surprise guest and a whole lot of crazy hits the fan and a whole new round of I’m not surprised but are you kidding me happens. Will Waylynn stand up to herself with her mom, can Bates, Memphis and Oz really protect her from her past. this is an amazing story with so much heart and love and emotions that get you wrapped up and makes you feel it to your core. I’m so sad this is the last book but what an amazing ride.

Albany lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her high school sweetheart. She spends most of her time juggling her four children’s extracurricular activities, with her nose stuck in a book. When not reading you can find her writing her very own book boyfriends. Albany’s passion is writing romance with real characters that are far from perfect, but always seem to find their own happily ever afters.

#wotr #attendingauthor #dark #suspence Depraved (Pleasure and Prey 1) by AJ Merlin

Living and working on a campground with her dogs is not where Sloane Walker saw herself at twenty-seven. But then again, not a lot has gone right for her since her step-father kidnapped her at twelve years old and scarred her both physically and mentally for life. Those actions should’ve left him rotting in prison for the rest of his life, not seeing him out on good behavior and giving him free rein to track Sloane down to make ‘amends.’

But that’s not her only problem, as if she needs more than one. Her second problem comes in the form of the masked stalker that slides into her room at night and takes what he pleases, making sure Sloane enjoys every second of it. What starts as a fantasy soon becomes something inescapable for them both, and Sloane might have to face up to a very important fact about her new friend.

He’s unhinged, psychotic, and utterly obsessed with her. And while those should be very bad things, Sloane can’t help thinking that maybe they aren’t so bad at all, no matter what that might mean for her sanity or her safety in the end.

Author’s note: This is a complete standalone set in the Pleasure & Prey universe. It contains consensual kink, unhealthy relationships, and harmful situations. For a full list of content warnings, please look inside.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61253950-depraved

Amazon https://amzn.to/3S14G8r

Review by Twinsie Dee

Sloane was just your typical girl, she worked at a campground has 2 dogs who keep her company, and her mom loves her unconditionally. Well, she also has a past with some high anxiety and ptsd after being kidnapped by her stepdad and the age of 12. now she has came a long way since that day she still is on high alert, especially with living next to a bunch of woods and not being able to see what could be lurking in then at night, and the fact that one night when she was pleasuring herself, she felt someone grab her leg, next thing Sloane knew she had a mask man on top of her, but he did something she never expected, would he kill her or will he take what he wants and leave her alone. she had no idea. this was a great story, a little slow in the beginning for my liking and a few grammar errors but other then that it was a great story that keeps you engaged till the very end.

AJ merlin is an author, crazy bird lady, and rampant horror movie enthusiast. Her debut novel, A Little Wicked, is the product of being enamored with the paranormal and the need to hunt down all things that go bump in the night. Born and raised in the midwest United States, AJ is lucky to be right in the middle of people who support her and a menagerie of animals to keep her somewhat sane

#WOTR23 – #Review – Echoes of a Dream (Echoes #1) by BT Urruela

Echoes of a Dream (Echoes Trilogy Book 1) by [BT Urruela, Kim  BookJunkie]

Dylan Correia has always had a special gift. At first he thought he was having a bad trip, hallucinations. By eighteen, he realized it was something different. Something powerful. It began as a wave of prickly heat sweeping over his body, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end and his eyes to slam shut. He’d see things—terrible things—in his head, and like the echoes of a lucid dream, the thoughts would stay with him for days, torturing him.

He continued ignoring the power, lying to himself, until the day he saw it on the news—a Chevy Malibu flipped upside down and burning. The same one he’d seen in his visions the night before.

After a few years away at college, unburdened by these visions through frequent alcohol abuse, Dylan reaches graduation having already started a successful vinyl and comic book store with his best friend. Everything runs smoothly until a mysterious run-in with a stranger from a top-secret government agency threatens to flip his world on its end.

There’s a new program and Dylan’s a perfect fit.

Will Dylan take the stranger up on his generous, but vaguely described, offer? Does he have what it takes to pass the rigorous training if he does choose to join the program? And at what cost to him?

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

The cover and the blurb drew me in immediately. I was definitely intrigued. You go on this journey with Dylan, present day, talking about his past and the trouble he had with his first run in with drugs and the “hallucinations” and further continues on to how he was approached for a top secret opportunity clear through his training. Imagine that? Top secret opportunity that will leave a lot of conspiracy theories in your brain as you continue on Dylan’s journey. That’s what! Other people in the program would, very literally, just disappear. Others were beat down to become very obedient soldiers. But what more would you expect when you accept a very vague job offer? There were times that I forgot that Dylan was basically narrating the story, but he would pop back in at the perfect times with just enough clarification of how he wished things were different before you dove right back into the story again with another twist and turn. There is an M/M romance happening however, it does not overshadow the story at all. If M/M is not your jam, you will still enjoy the story. This is definitely a conspiracy theorists’ wet dream! Full of suspense and will leave you with more questions than answers. A huge cliffhanger! I am anxiously awaiting the next in the trilogy and hoping to get to some much needed answers. Great start to what is sure to be an excellent series!

Author Logo

BT Urruela is a combat wounded amputee, purple heart recipient, contemporary author who has written both independent and traditionally published books. He is a RARE under 40 award recipient, Rockwood Summit High School and Rockwood School District Hall of Fame inductee, Co-founder and Brand Ambassador for VETSports, Ambassador for Tampa Sports Academy, People Magazine Tribute for Heroes winner, Cover Model, Motivational Speaker and Philanthropist.

At an early age he began writing short stories having been inspired by reading books authored by RL Stein. His maternal grandmother’s bookshelf was filled with literature that inspired his young mind and cultivated his vivid imagination.

Upon graduation from high school his desire to have a 20-year military career was cut drastically short by an improvised explosive device. Taking the life of his commander, and leaving the remaining four team members badly wounded.

After careful consideration and multiple surgeries, he along with the guidance of his doctors made the decision to amputate. It was the only surgery he ever left with a smile on his face, as if a weight had been lifted. He struggled for two more years through 4-5 hours of physical therapy a day, five days a week to get adapted to his new prosthetic. He medically retired from the Army with high hopes. His focus on restoring his physical shape being the most eminent battle caused him to neglect his psychological state.

Meeting people was difficult and there were very few options for veterans to utilize that would stimulate friendship, and ultimately, allow communication barriers to be breached. After moving to Tampa, Florida, he co-founded the veteran community sports nonprofit, VETSports, with two other combat wounded veterans. It was their mission to change the way veterans transitioned back to civilian life through organized team sports, community involvement, and leadership opportunities.

After being invited to attend a photoshoot with acclaimed photographer Michael Stokes, he flew to California in December of 2014, with incredible excitement. His photos were so widely publicized that he soon gained exposure to the literary world like he’d always dreamed of. That opportunity launched him into his present writing career. He co-wrote the novel ‘A Lover’s Lament with author KL Grayson. The following year he released first solo novel, ‘Into the Nothing’ and will be releasing Wicked Little Words with author Stevie J. Cole. He is now writing full-time.