★★★★★
There’s a thin line between love and revenge
There are two main players in this novel. However, even the side characters are just as important.
Joe is an ex-marine who is out for revenge and then there is Hunter, who is penned as a whore and man user, when in fact, she is the total opposite. Only when men’s egos get damaged, they find a way to fight back. Thus she’s left with a reputation she doesn’t deserve.
With a wonderful backstory and the plot coming together, the author then throws in sex and submission.
Joe is a dominant. He lives the lifestyle and has two regular submissives who he plays with.
Determined to get his revenge on the innocent Hunter, he soon discovers that she is a born submissive and is perfect for him. Someone he never even knew he was looking for.
But they both hold secrets that need to be told. Who will break first? And how much more damage can it cause to two broken people?
The author does a great job of explaining the dynamics of a dominant and a submissive relationship.
This is the perfect book for those that love reading hot sizzling sex scenes.
Who would turn down Joe’s command? I know I wouldn’t.
The author will open your mind to this world, and the amazing writing will have you picturing yourself in Hunter’s place or you guys, being the dominant Joe.
Each scene is carefully mapped out. Each character in this book plays a crucial role.
Is there a happy ending for Joe and Hunter? You’ll have to read this book to find out.
I read it in two sittings and I only put it down because I was forced to.
A great read and I look forward to more hot novels by this author.
Find out why fans are loving this unique YA fantasy PNR
The Author has used her creative fantasy to introduce a unique and original plot that has been carefully thought out. The story is set in an interesting alternate reality in a world that has unique magical elements. This is a story of espionage, treachery, suspense, love, sacrifice, hope, courage and so much more.
Oh my, what a world Karina has designed here. She has created her own planet, inhabitants, speech, dress, all unique and vivid. This truly is a fantastical world with magical gifts, a reluctant princess, an angry warlord and oracles, and contains lots of espionage, treachery, suspense with a bit of romance thrown in.
This was a different type of story. The author completely made up a language and a whole new world. That’s pretty cool. Overall I liked it! It was definitely a different type of fantasy then I’m used to.
Kantas’ knack for worldbuilding continues and strengthens as she journeys outside of the kingdom of Tsinia and delves into classic fantasy settings such as deserts, swamps, forests, castles, dungeons, and more.
You travel with Thya and a couple others through trials and tribulations which are expertly created to make their Quest either successful or a failure. Her magic becomes even stronger but alas their is a dark side to it that she has trouble controlling.
I loved this book! Now, i’m going back to read the first one; even thought this one can be read as a standalone. The action is non-stop! I mean, Realms, hidden identities, Finding yourself and its power, fulfilling prophecies!! I mean wow! This author throws you into another world and runs with it! Mind…Blown! Defiantly reading more of this author!
Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent by Jennifer Gordon
Blurb:
Adam, a young alcoholic, slowly descends into madness while dealing with the psychological scars of childhood trauma which are reawakened when his son and wife die in a car accident that he feels he is responsible for. After a failed suicide attempt, and more group meetings that he can mention. Adam hears a rumor of a Haunted Island off the Coast of Maine, where “if someone wants it bad enough” they could be reunited with a lost loved one.
In his desperate attempt to connect with the ghost of his four-and-a half year old son, he decides to go there, to Dagger Island, desperate to apologize to, or be condemned by, his young son. Adam is not sure what he deserves or even which of these he wants more.
While staying in a crumbling old boarding house, he becomes involved with a beautiful and manipulative ghost who has spent 60 years tormenting the now elderly man who was her lover, and ultimately her murderer. The three of them create a “Menage-a-Guilt” as they all come to terms with what it is that ties them so emotionally to their memories and their very “existence”.
Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent is a poetic fever dream of grief, love, and the terrifying ways that obsession can change who we are.
Excerpt:
Chapter 1
She walks slowly to his bed, leaving a trail of wet footprints in her stead. She is a ghost ship, silently making its way across the sea of his room. She looks at his sleeping form, he is curled in on himself. When he was younger and stronger, he would sleep like a warrior. He was so proud. He would dominate everything, his bed, his dreams, even sleep itself would bow down under his perceived strength.
He is so much older now. These days he sleeps like a child, or a cat, both starving but petrified of the mouse.
She hears the rattling of death, climbing out from the deepest parts of his lungs each time he exhales. It was the little things like these moments, she supposed, that she grew to love. They were her favorite part of all of this. Her favorite part of this very long endless day.
This existence, it is not a life, but it is not death. She is in the in-between. She is in the empty.
She climbs into his bed and into his world. She lies next to him; her body is damp and seemingly heavy. Her wet hair and wet face, and waterlogged body creep into his dreams. She is a memory revitalized, a nightmarish creature, a visitor come back to stay.
She stares at him, intently, she is focused. You would think, after 60 years she would grow tired of his face, of this, her nightly ritual, but she hasn’t, and she expects she never will. She stares until she feels something building in her throat, it’s her anger, it’s her fear, it’s her rage. It feels like fire, it burns inside her, aching to get out.
He opens his eyes, with the confusion of age, alcohol and
too many dreams. Before thinking better of it, his arm reaches across the bed. It reaches for her memory. He finds the other side of the bed empty, but damp. She doesn’t let him touch her, not for many years. In the morning, his sheets will smell like the ocean, at least her side of the bed will. It will have the aching scent of brine, salt, and wet. It is so different from the way his side smells, which is of tears, whiskey, and the sour sweat of fear.
He gets up, ignores the wet foot prints she leaves on the floor, the ones that lead to his bed, the ones that circle him while he sleeps. He plods to the bathroom, washes his face, rinses the staleness out of his mouth, he thinks for a moment he sees her out of the corner of his eye. She will always look the same, with her soaked hair, white dress, her head down, no, she doesn’t let him look at her face, not directly. His breath catches in his throat; he makes a sound, somewhere between a cough and a scream.
He should be used to this by now, used to her. The simple fact she can still surprise him like this is what keeps all of this from becoming commonplace. He thinks he picks up on the sound of her laugh, the way it would ring like silver in his ears, but he is mistaken.
She loves him.
No, that’s not quite right.
She loved him.
She tries to remember the time before she felt those things. this task of hersis more difficult than one would expect, the simplicity of trying to remember when she existed before they met, before she wandered into his life. This a burden she has not yet managed to bear.
Was there a time before they collided and destroyed each other’s worlds?
She hates him.
She never hated him while she was alive, she should have, she knows that he deserved it. He deserved her hate.
She does hate him now. She knows is both a beginning and an ending.
Hate can be powerful, but not as powerful as fear.
She fears him now.
She feared him then.
There are ghosts and memories in this house that even she fears. This man, he only fears her. It is what keeps her here.
She opens her mouth, and she invites the rage that burns in her throat to finally have a voice and it feels like fire, waiting to be born. She feels it rushing out of her. It is a scream that has taken 60 years to finally be birthed.
She opens her mouth, and all that’s there is saltwater.
– Jennifer Anne Gordon is an award-winning ballroom dancer, performer, and choreographer, she studied acting at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, as well as English and Art History at University of New Hampshire. Past jobs have included professional actress, a magician’s assistant, a gallery director, an artist, a burlesque performer, as well as a horror novelist.
Her first novel, “Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent” was published by Breaking Rules Publishing in late winter 2019. Her second novel “From Daylight to Madness” will be published during summer of 2020.
When Jennifer is not busy writing or performing, she is an avid traveler who loves to photograph abandoned and forgotten places.
Her mixed media artwork showcases her love of the late Victorian and Edwardian Era, as well as her passionate love for showgirls, burlesque, and vaudeville. Her work is in private collections throughout the world, and has been showcased in calendars, perfume labels, and has been featured in Somerset Studio Magazine, as well as Mixed Media Art
Magazine. Victoriana is the first published collection of Jennifer’s artwork.
Publisher: Asteri Press imprint of Bolide publishing
Cover designer: Sharon Lipman from Fantasia Cover Designs
Editors: Michelle Dunbar, Anna Proofing, and Black Cat Edits
Blurb
Nobody expects to stare death in the face, only to find out their entire life is a lie.
When marketing executive Becky is saved from near-death by Salco, she is taken to Tsinia, a magical world filled with peaceful people who are trying to forget their land is on the brink of destruction.
Becky discovers that her arrival is no accident and that she is Thya, the heir to the enchanting land. As if that isn’t enough, she learns that an Oracle prophesied that she will save the gentle Tsinians from slavery and domination by Darthorn, the Warlord of Senx.
The Tsinian council and her kinsmen are certain that a union between Darthorn’s son, Kovon, and Thya will create peace between the two lands. However, Darthorn has plans for Tsinia, as does Kovon for Thya.
Her future has been written, and, if she is to save Tsinia, she must marry Kovon, but Thya gives her heart to another – a love that is both forbidden and dangerous.
Illusional Reality is a story about hope, courage, love, and sacrifice.
The cool air refreshed her, and she was soon wide awake. Alkazar brought a seat out from the room and asked her to sit.
“As I was trying to convey to you, the gift you possess is named Flite. You have the ability to move objects with your mind. All Ganties possess this gift, and tis my pleasured duty to tutor you in the employment of your talents. To move an object, you are required to reach the Owto, a place between conscious and unconscious.”
“Sort of like a trance?”
“Similar to a hypnotic state,” he answered. “You ought to be aware of things around you and pay attention to conversations, yet you need to be able to detach yourself from reality so you can concentrate on what you desire. It is rather like splitting your mind in two.”
“Sounds hard.”
Alkazar laughed. “It can be. It depends on how receptive you are. Let us attempt?”
“Sure, what have I got to lose?”
“Start by relaxing your body. Close your mind and relax in the chair; feel your body loosen. When you think you cannot go further, push your body deeper.” He saw Thya push herself back into the chair. “Employ only your thoughts. Do not employ your physical being.” Thya relaxed once again. “Better. Melt into the chair. Become one with the wood. Breathe deeply. Inhale through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. That’s it. Keep breathing deeper. Good. You ought to feel as though you are drifting.” Thya nodded slightly. “I require you to imagine space as you understand it to be: be darkness all around you, apart from the stars and planets surrounding your view. You are alone, moving through space, drifting. Detach your mind and focus on the darkness – on the silence. Concentrate, Thya.” He paused for a moment. “The stars and planets are fading, and there is naught but utter darkness. Still, you move through the blackness.”
Thya was coming to the crucial part. Alkazar moved closer. He lifted one of her eyelids and saw her pupil was stationary and her breathing steady. Both were good signs. Just for a moment, he felt the urge to lean in and kiss her but pushed the thought aside. He scolded himself. He was supposed to be teaching her how to concentrate yet struggled with his own.
“Continue moving through the darkness,” he continued. “Soon, you will come to a suspended door. Tis grey in colour. When you arrive, grasp the handle until I instruct you to –”
“I sight the door,” Thya called out.
“Continue to grasp the handle. When I command you to unlock it, I want you to open your eyes. Are you prepared?”
“I am,” she answered.
“Unlock.”
Thya opened her eyes, blinked twice, and then smiled at him. “So, how did I do?”
Alkazar wasn’t surprised she did not reach the Owto; they rarely did on their first arrival at the door. However, he was surprised by how far she had gone.
“Very good. Only you have to concentrate harder. Relate to me, what colour was the door?”
“Umm… a light grey with black marks.”
“You have done well. We will discontinue for the moment. You ought to rest, as you will be tired. I will request that Pertius does not announce himself.”
“Thanks, Alkazar. I do not think I can take any of his talk of doom and gloom.”
Alkazar laughed. “Pertius has much to instruct you about your legacy, the past, and of your future. It does not have to be as doomed as you remark. I am confident that once you have conversed you will find a sudden interest to learn all.”
“If you state so,” she replied casually.
“Rest if you can. However, I declare that after our session your mind will be wandering.” He turned to leave, pausing at the door. “Understand this, Thya. If you ever require me as a friend or as a tutor, you have only to summon and I will attend you. This I vow. For the present, farewell.” He bowed then left.
Prize Draw
Download Illusional Reality now for just $0.99/£0.99 and send proof of purchase to karina.kantas@yahoo.com. You will be entered in the draw for this stunning necklace – identical to the one Thya is given, an heir loom carried through the generations of Ganties, and now it could be yours.
Pre-orders are included in this contest. The prize draw is open internationally. No other prize will be given out.
The winner will be announced in Karina’s newsletter. http://eepurl.com/daKief This contest is run and organised by the author Karina Kantas.
“With most books, you have to back up a page or two. That is something I NEVER had to do with this one! It is well written and captures the imagination, guiding you into the new land and language with such easy grace that you hardly are aware of it.”
“This is a unique story filled with intrigue, deception and danger. As you read along so much unfolds.”
“The detailed descriptions let me see the magical land of Tsinia, with it’s tree-top dwellings and it’s friendly and peaceful inhabitants. Senx, the home of her ‘intended’, Kovon and his father, Darthorn, is a much darker and gloomier place.”
“Karina sets up some great and compelling characters. Thya, Alkazar, Omad, Kazer, Kovon, Siren are all intriguing for their own reasons. We love them, we hate them. I’ll let you make your own opinions. This truly is a fantastical world with magical gifts, a reluctant princess, an angry warlord and oracles, and contains lots of espionage, treachery, suspense with a bit of romance thrown in.”
“What a delightfully touching love story! Our author entwined our world with a fantasy one with action, magic and of course, love.”
Meet Thya ,rightful ruler of Tsinia and guardian to the ChanglinsMeet Alkazar, tutor of the Arts
Author’s Bio
Karina Kantas was born in the Midlands, UK, and has lived on the island of Corfu for twenty-seven years.
Karina Kantas is an award-winning, prolific author of thirteen titles, including the Outlaw books—the gritty MC thriller series—and the exciting YA fantasy duology, Illusional Reality.
She also writes short stories, and, when her imagination is working overtime, thought-provoking, dark flash fiction.
There are many layers to Karina’s writing style and voice, as you will see in her flash fiction collection, Heads & Tales. In Undressed, she opens up to her fans, giving them another glimpse into her warped mind.
Karina writes in the genres of fantasy, MC romance, young adult. sci-fi, horror, thrillers and comedy, romance, paranormal romance, dystopian, and erotica.
When she’s not working on her new books, she helps her clients by offering affordable Author Services five days week.
Titles To Date
***The OUTLAW series*** – MC thrillers In Times of Violence Huntress Lawless Justice Road Rage
***Collections*** Heads & Tales – mixed genres UNDRESSED – poetry, prose, short fiction mixed genres A Flash of Horror
In Times of Violence Young Adult Edition – MC romance Stone Cold – YA supernatural thriller Toxic – dystopian erotica
***Illusional Reality duology*** Illusional Reality – YA romantic fantasy The Quest/fantasy – YA paranormal romance
***WIP*** Broken Chains (Mafia Romance) currently on Wattpad
Join me and my guests we go live, worldwide 1pm EST – 6pm UK. Listen Live
On this show, I’ll be chatting to Karen Ford who os a master financial coach and author of Amazon’s number one bestseller, Money Matters.
In the break I will be featuring the awesome UK indie rock band Salt Water Shakedown and their new song, Sign of The Times.
Salt River Shakedown have been playing the UK gig circuit for the past 4 years providing sheer ‘RAW AND FUZZALICIOUS BLUES’ that make crowds go wild!
SRS are ready to unleash their unique brand of sleek blues rock to the world! \m/
In this episode, I chat with award-winning memoir author, Charlene Jones.
She when through a horrific experience when she was younger and thanks to her travels and studies she was able to heal herself.
It was such an enlightening chat.
I hope you watch.
For those that are following and voting on Wattpad thank you so much.
It’s scary for an author to share their work to the public before it’s been professionally edited. I hope you’re all enjoying the book so far. It’s getting dark now, isn’t it 😉
I took part in an all-day live broadcast on FaceBook by Hanging With Web Show.
They interview artist all over the world in all calibres, authors, musicians, filmmakers. ….
For all of you that are following me as I write my new novel mafia thriller, dark romance, Broken Chains, Part 20 has just been uploaded on to Wattpad, where you can read the book for free. You can find me as Explosive Writer.
Here’s a small reading from one of the flash fiction from Heads & Tales.
POW! THE ENDINGS *****
“What a wonderful collection of short and very short stories! If you don’t have time to invest in a full-length novel, this is the collection for you. Each story has its build-up and then POW…the endings…they are something else. They aren’t cliff-hangers because you know, that person got what was coming to them, or the story has ended satisfactorily. A fantastic sample of work that will have you wondering about the author’s novels.”
Magazine. Victoriana is the first published collection of Jennifer’s artwork.
Explosive Writer 