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Tag Archives: Adult
New Releases: October 1-15, 2019
October 1, 2019 Dahlia Adler	Leave a comment
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Now Entering Addamsville by Francesca Zappia (1st)
When Zora Novak is framed for a crime she didn't commit, she must track down the true culprit and clear her name before it's too late. But in a small town obsessed with ghosts, getting people to believe the truth might prove to be impossible. Fans of Riverdale and Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious will devour this eerie murder mystery. Features spot art and a map by the author.
Zora Novak has been framed.
When someone burns down the home of the school janitor and he dies in the blaze, everyone in Addamsville, Indiana, points a finger at Zora. Never mind that Zora has been on the straight and narrow since her father was thrown in jail. With everyone looking for evidence against her, her only choice is to uncover the identity of the real killer. There's one big problem—Zora has no leads. No one does. Addamsville has a history of tragedy, and thirty years ago a similar string of fires left several townspeople dead. The arsonist was never caught.
Now, Zora must team up with her cousin Artemis—an annoying self-proclaimed Addamsville historian—to clear her name. But with a popular ghost-hunting television show riling up the townspeople, almost no support from her family and friends, and rumors spinning out of control, things aren't looking good. Zora will have to read between the lines of Addamsville's ghost stories before she becomes one herself.
The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake (1st)
The Larkin family isn't just lucky—they persevere. At least that's what Violet and her younger brother, Sam, were always told. When the Lyric sank off the coast of Maine, their great-great-great-grandmother didn't drown like the rest of the passengers. No, Fidelia swam to shore, fell in love, and founded Lyric, Maine, the town Violet and Sam returned to every summer.
But wrecks seem to run in the family: Tall, funny, musical Violet can't stop partying with the wrong people. And, one beautiful summer day, brilliant, sensitive Sam attempts to take his own life.
Shipped back to Lyric while Sam is in treatment, Violet is haunted by her family's missing piece-the lost shipwreck she and Sam dreamed of discovering when they were children. Desperate to make amends, Violet embarks on a wildly ambitious mission: locate the Lyric, lain hidden in a watery grave for over a century.
She finds a fellow wreck hunter in Liv Stone, an amateur local historian whose sparkling intelligence and guarded gray eyes make Violet ache in an exhilarating new way. Whether or not they find the Lyric, the journey Violet takes-and the bridges she builds along the way-may be the start of something like survival.
Epic, funny, and sweepingly romantic, The Last True Poets of the Sea is an astonishing debut about the strength it takes to swim up from a wreck.
Crier's War by Nina Varela (1st)
After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, designed to be the playthings of royals, usurped their owners' estates and bent the human race to their will.
Now Ayla, a human servant rising in the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging her family's death…by killing the sovereign's daughter, Lady Crier.
Redwood and Ponytail by K.A. Holt (1st)
Kate and Tam meet, and both of their worlds tip sideways. At first, Tam figures Kate is your stereotypical cheerleader; Kate sees Tam as another tall jock. And the more they keep running into each other, the more they surprise each other. Beneath Kate's sleek ponytail and perfect façade, Tam sees a goofy, sensitive, lonely girl. And Tam's so much more than a volleyball player, Kate realizes: She's everything Kate wishes she could be. It's complicated. Except it's not. When Kate and Tam meet, they fall in like. It's as simple as that. But not everybody sees it that way. This novel in verse about two girls discovering their feelings for each other is a universal story of finding a way to be comfortable in your own skin.
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith (1st)
Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing—a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.
But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell….and Earth.
Freeing Finch by Ginny Rorby (1st)
When her father leaves and her mother passes away soon afterward, Finch can't help feeling abandoned. Now she's stuck living with her stepfather and his new wife. They're mostly nice, but they don't believe the one true thing Finch knows about herself: that she's a girl, even though she was born in a boy's body.
Thankfully, she has Maddy, a neighbor and animal rescuer who accepts her for who she is. Finch helps Maddy care for a menagerie of lost and lonely creatures, including a scared, stray dog who needs a family and home as much as she does. As she earns the dog's trust, Finch realizes she must also learn to trust the people in her life–even if they are the last people she expected to love her and help her to be true to herself.
Right After the Weather by Carol Anshaw (1st)
It's the fall of 2016. Cate, a set designer in her early forties, lives and works in Chicago's theater community. She has stayed too long at the fair and knows it's time to get past her prolonged adolescence and stop taking handouts from her parents. She has a firm plan to get solvent and settled in a serious relationship. She has tentatively started something new even as she's haunted by an old, going-nowhere affair. Her ex-husband, recently booted from his most recent marriage, is currently camped out in Cate's spare bedroom, in thrall to online conspiracy theories, and she's not sure how to help him. Her best friend Neale, a yoga instructor, lives nearby with her son and is Cate's model for what serious adulthood looks like.
Only a few blocks away, but in a parallel universe we find Nathan and Irene—casual sociopaths, drug addicts, and small-time criminals. Their world and Cate's intersect the day she comes into Neale's kitchen to find these strangers assaulting her friend. Forced to take fast, spontaneous action, Cate does something she's never even considered. She now also knows the violence she is capable of, as does everyone else in her life, and overnight, their world has changed. Anshaw's flawed, sympathetic, and uncannily familiar characters grapple with their altered relationships and identities against the backdrop of the new Trump presidency and a country waking to a different understanding of itself. Eloquent, moving, and beautifully observed, Right after the Weather is the work of a master of exquisite prose and a wry and compassionate student of the human condition writing at the height of her considerable powers.
The Trans Space Octopus Congregation by Bogi Takács (5th)
Lethe Press is excited to be releasing the debut short story collection by Bogi Takács. Takács may be known more for their recent editorial efforts, winning a Lambda Literary Award for Transcendent 2: The Year's Best Transgender Themed Speculative Fiction. But Takács is a talented storyteller and poet. An uplifted octopus finds a strange capsule in the water and wonders if one of the long-vanished humans might be found inside; a team of scientists perform some reverse-engineering on a space station and shapeshifting becomes political; and other tales of AI, hybrids, and the far future.
American Love Story by Adriana Herrera (7th)
Haitian-born professor and activist Patrice Denis is not here for anything that will veer him off the path he's worked so hard for. One particularly dangerous distraction: Easton Archer, the assistant district attorney who last summer gave Patrice some of the most intense nights of his life, and still makes him all but forget they're from two completely different worlds.
All-around golden boy Easton forged his own path to success, choosing public service over the comforts of his family's wealth. With local law enforcement unfairly targeting young men of color, and his career—and conscience—on the line, now is hardly the time to be thirsting after Patrice again. Even if their nights together have turned into so much more.
For the first time, Patrice is tempted to open up and embrace the happiness he's always denied himself. But as tensions between the community and the sheriff's office grow by the day, Easton's personal and professional lives collide. And when the issue at hand hits closer to home than either could imagine, they'll have to work to forge a path forward…together.
Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks
Master of Restless Shadows by Ginn Hale (8th)
Freshly graduated Master Physician Narsi Lif-Tahm has left his home in Anacleto and journeyed to the imposing royal capitol of Cieloalta intent upon keeping the youthful oath he made to a troubled writer. But in the decade since Narsi gave his pledge, Atreau Vediya, has grown from an anonymous delinquent to a man renowned for penning bawdy operas and engaging in scandalous affairs.</p>
What Narsi―and most of the larger world―cannot know is the secret role Atreau plays as spymaster for the Duke of Rauma.
After the Cadeleonian royal bishop launches an unprovoked attack against the witches in neighboring Labara, Atreau will require every resource he can lay his hands upon to avert a war. A physician is exactly what he needs. But with a relentless assassin hunting the city and ancient magic waking, Atreau fears that his actions could cost more than his own honor. The price of peace could be his friends' lives.
Frankissstein by Jeannette Winterson (8th)
Lake Geneva, 1816. Nineteen-year-old Mary Shelley is inspired to write a story about a scientist who creates a new life-form. In Brexit Britain, a young transgender doctor called Ry is falling in love with Victor Stein, a celebrated professor leading the public debate around AI and carrying out some experiments of his own in a vast underground network of tunnels. Meanwhile, Ron Lord, just divorced and living with his mom again, is set to make his fortune launching a new generation of sex dolls for lonely men everywhere. Across the Atlantic, in Phoenix, Arizona, a cryogenics facility houses dozens of bodies of men and women who are medically and legally dead… but waiting to return to life.
What will happen when homo sapiens is no longer the smartest being on the planet? In fiercely intelligent prose, Jeanette Winterson shows us how much closer we are to that future than we realize. Funny and furious, bold and clear-sighted, Frankissstein is a love story about life itself.
Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow (8th)
Hazel knows a lot about the world. That's because when she's not hanging with her best friend, taking care of her dog, or helping care for the goats on her family's farm, she loves reading through dusty encyclopedias.
But even Hazel doesn't have answers for the questions awaiting her as she enters eighth grade. What if no one at her new school gets her, and she doesn't make any friends? What's going to happen to one of her moms, who's pregnant again after having two miscarriages? Why does everything have to change when life was already perfectly fine?
As Hazel struggles to cope, she'll come to realize that sometimes you have to look within yourself—instead of the pages of a book—to find the answer to life's most important questions.
A Wild and Precious Life by Edie Windsor (8th)
A lively, intimate memoir from an icon of the gay rights movement, describing gay life in 1950s and 60s New York City and her longtime activism which opened the door for marriage equality.
Edie Windsor became internationally famous when she sued the US government, seeking federal recognition for her marriage to Thea Spyer, her partner of more than four decades. The Supreme Court ruled in Edie's favor, a landmark victory that set the stage for full marriage equality in the US. Beloved by the LGBTQ community, Edie embraced her new role as an icon; she had already been living an extraordinary and groundbreaking life for decades.
In this memoir, which she began before passing away in 2017 and completed by her co-writer, Edie recounts her childhood in Philadelphia, her realization that she was a lesbian, and her active social life in Greenwich Village's electrifying underground gay scene during the 1950s. Edie was also one of a select group of trailblazing women in computing, working her way up the ladder at IBM and achieving their highest technical ranking while developing software. In the early 1960s Edie met Thea, an expat from a Dutch Jewish family that fled the Nazis, and a widely respected clinical psychologist. Their partnership lasted forty-four years, until Thea died in 2009. Edie found love again, marrying Judith Kasen-Windsor in 2016.
By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery (8th)
How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones (8th)
From award-winning poet Saeed Jones, How We Fight for Our Lives is a stunning coming-of-age memoir written at the crossroads of sex, race, and power.
"People don't just happen," writes Saeed Jones. "We sacrifice former versions of ourselves. We sacrifice the people who dared to raise us. The 'I' it seems doesn't exist until we are able to say, 'I am no longer yours.' "
Haunted and haunting, Jones's memoir tells the story of a young, black, gay man from the South as he fights to carve out a place for himself, within his family, within his country, within his own hopes, desires, and fears. Through a series of vignettes that chart a course across the American landscape, Jones draws readers into his boyhood and adolescence—into tumultuous relationships with his mother and grandmother, into passing flings with lovers, friends and strangers. Each piece builds into a larger examination of race and queerness, power and vulnerability, love and grief: a portrait of what we all do for one another—and to one another—as we fight to become ourselves.
Blending poetry and prose, Jones has developed a style that is equal parts sensual, beautiful, and powerful—a voice that's by turns a river, a blues, and a nightscape set ablaze. How We Fight for Our Lives is a one of a kind memoir and a book that cements Saeed Jones as an essential writer for our time.
The Best At It by Maulik Pancholy (8th)
Rahul Kapoor is heading into seventh grade in a small town in Indiana. The start of middle school is making him feel increasingly anxious, so his favorite person in the whole world, his grandfather, Bhai, gives him some well-meaning advice: Find one thing you're really good at and become the BEST at it.
Those four little words sear themselves into Rahul's brain. While he's not quite sure what that special thing is, he is convinced that once he finds it, bullies like Brent Mason will stop torturing him at school. And he won't be worried about staring too long at his classmate Justin Emery. With his best friend, Chelsea, by his side, Rahul is ready to crush this challenge…. But what if he discovers he isn't the bestat anything?
Funny, charming, and incredibly touching, this is a story about friendship, family, and the courage it takes to live your truth.
Bury the Lede by Gaby Dunn and Claire Roe (8th)
Twenty-one-year-old Madison T. Jackson is already the star of the Emerson College student newspaper when she nabs a coveted night internship at Boston's premiere newspaper, The Boston Lede. The job's simple: do whatever the senior reporters tell you to do, from fetching coffee to getting a quote from a grieving parent. It's grueling work, so when the murder of a prominent Boston businessman comes up on the police scanner, Madison races to the scene of the grisly crime. There, Madison meets the woman who will change her life forever: prominent socialite Dahlia Kennedy, who is covered in gore and being arrested for the murder of her family. The newspapers put everyone they can in front of her with no results until, with nothing to lose, Madison gets a chance—and unexpectedly barrels headfirst into danger she never anticipated.
The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif (8th)
Jessie Archer is a member of the Athena Protocol, an elite organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice around the world.
Athena operatives are never supposed to shoot to kill—so when Jessie can't stop herself from pulling the trigger, she gets kicked out of the organization, right before a huge mission to take down a human trafficker in Belgrade.
Jessie needs to right her wrong and prove herself, so she starts her own investigation into the trafficking. But going rogue means she has no one to watch her back as she delves into the horrors she uncovers. Meanwhile, her former teammates have been ordered to bring her down. Jessie must face danger from all sides if she's to complete her mission—and survive.
Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor (15th)
The Lunar Chronicles meets Rook in this queer #OwnVoices science-fantasy novel, perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Sharon Cameron.
A secret beats inside Anna Thatcher's chest: an illegal clockwork heart. Anna works cog by cog—donning the moniker Technician—to supply black market medical technology to the sick and injured, against the Commissioner's tyrannical laws.
Nathaniel Fremont, the Commissioner's son, has never had to fear the law. Determined to earn his father's respect, Nathaniel sets out to capture the Technician. But the more he learns about the outlaw, the more he questions whether his father's elusive affection is worth chasing at all.
Their game of cat and mouse takes an abrupt turn when Eliza, a skilled assassin and spy, arrives. Her mission is to learn the Commissioner's secrets at any cost—even if it means betraying her own heart.
When these uneasy allies discover the most dangerous secret of all, they must work together despite their differences and put an end to a deadly epidemic—before the Commissioner ends them first.
The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco (15th)
Frozen meets Mad Max in this epic teen fantasy duology bursting with star-crossed romance, immortal heroines, and elemental magic, perfect for fans of Furyborn.
Generations of twin goddesses have long ruled Aeon. But seventeen years ago, one sister's betrayal defied an ancient prophecy and split their world in two. The planet ceased to spin, and a Great Abyss now divides two realms: one cloaked in perpetual night, the other scorched by an unrelenting sun.
While one sister rules Aranth—a frozen city surrounded by a storm-wracked sea —her twin inhabits the sand-locked Golden City. Each goddess has raised a daughter, and each keeps her own secrets about her sister's betrayal.
But when shadowy forces begin to call their daughters, Odessa and Haidee, back to the site of the Breaking, the two young goddesses—along with a powerful healer from Aranth, and a mouthy desert scavenger—set out on separate journeys across treacherous wastelands, desperate to heal their broken world. No matter the sacrifice it demands.
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu (15th)
Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.
One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.
Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.
Buy it: Amazon | IndieBound | B&N
Homesick by Nino Cipri (15th)
Dark, irreverent, and truly innovative, the speculative stories in Homesick meditate on the theme of home and our estrangement from it, and what happens when the familiar suddenly shifts into the uncanny. In stories that foreground queer relationships and transgender or nonbinary characters, Cipri delivers the origin story for a superhero team comprised of murdered girls; a housecleaner discovering an impossible ocean in her least-favorite clients' house; a man haunted by keys that appear suddenly in his throat; and a team of scientists and activists discovering the remains of a long-extinct species of intelligent weasels.
In the spirit of Laura van den Berg, Emily Geminder, Chaya Bhuvaneswar, and other winners of the Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize, Nino Cipri's debut collection announces the arrival of a brilliant and wonderfully unpredictable writer with a gift for turning the short story on its ear.
Call Me Max by Kyle Lukoff, ill. by Luciano Lozano (15th)
When Max starts school, the teacher hesitates to call out the name on the attendance sheet. Something doesn't seem to fit. Max lets her know the name he wants to be called by–a boy's name. This begins Max's journey as he makes new friends and reveals his feelings about his identity to his parents.
30 Dates in 30 Days by Elle Spencer (15th)
Veronica Welch has made it. She's about to be named a partner at one of the most prestigious law firms in New York C ity. She's on top of the world, except for one tiny ridiculous thing: she promised herself she'd be married by thirty-five. After a drink too many, she accidentally lets her "life plan" slip to Bea, her steadfast, ever meddling assistant, and now Bea won't let the idea go.
Rachel Monaghan doesn't do serious relationships. As a busy wedding photographer, she's jaded about lasting love, has a thriving repeat business, and hasn't had much luck with love herself. While bartending at her cousin's bar, Rachel learns of Bea's plan to get her boss married off by scheduling thirty dates in thirty days.
In this sophisticated contemporary romance, Veronica Welch tries to find love in the most efficient way possible, while Rachel Monaghan avoids love at all costs. What could possibly go wrong?
30 Dates in 30 DaysA Wild and Precious LifeAdriana HerreraAdultAmerican Love StoryAro AcearoacearomanticBrexitBy Any Means NecessaryCall Me MaxCandice MontgomeryCarol AnshawCarved in BoneClaire RoeCrier's WarE.M. TimmsEdie WindsorElle SpencerFind MeFrancesca ZappiaFrankisssteinFreeing FinchGaby DunnGinn HaleGinny RorbyHolding Onto DayHomesickJeannette WintersonJulia DrakeK.A. HoltKyle Lukoffm/mMaster of Restless ShadowsMaulik PancholyMemoirMGMooncakesNina VarelaNino CipriNow Entering AddamsvilleQPoCRedwood and PonytailRight After the WeatherRin ChupecoRosiee ThorSaeed JonesShamim SarifThe Athena ProtocolThe Best At ItThe Last True Poets of the SeaThe Never Tilting WorldTrans GirlYA
Fave Five: Queer Necromancy
Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig
Runebinder by Alex Kahler
The Impossible Contract by K.A. Doore
Adultbisexualf/fFantasyGayGideon the NinthK.A. DooreLesbianNecromancyNinth House TrilogyPansexualReign of the FallenSarah Glenn MarshSFFTamsyn MuirThe Impossible ContractYA
Exclusive Cover Reveal: Rom and Yuli by Amara Lynn
July 5, 2019 Dahlia Adler	Leave a comment
True fact: I get a lot of requests for angel/demon books on the LGBTQReads Tumblr, so how utterly delightful is it to be revealing the cover for one on the site today?? Rom and Yuli by Amara Lynn is a post-apocalyptic urban fantasy novella take on Romeo & Juliet with a male/non-binary pairing, which sounds pretty freaking cool. Wanna learn more about it? Good news: here's the blurb!
A war between angels and demons has left Earth desolate and ruined.
Rom struggles to support his father and sister in the patch of wasteland they've claimed as home. Feeling restless, Rom takes to exploring when he can, and is shocked when he stumbles across another survivor.
Years of isolation have left Yuli feeling despondent. That all changes when they encounter Rom, who is unlike anyone they've met before, a brilliant light of hope in this mostly extinguished world.
As Rom and Yuli grow closer, both gain a renewed hope for something more in this desolate land.
But in this dangerous world, trust comes hard and demons are never far away.
And here's the cover, designed by the author!
Pre-order: Amazon | Gumroad | Add to Goodreads
Amara Lynn has always been a quiet daydreamer. Coming up with characters and worlds since childhood, Amara eventually found an outlet in writing. Amara loves anything to do with pirates, villains and superheroes, angels and demons.
Amara is addicted to music and gets the most inspiration from moving songs and lyrics. When not writing, Amara usually reads, listens to podcasts, watches anime, plays a video game here and there (but mostly collects them), and takes way too many cat pictures.
Amara is non-binary/enby and queer and uses they/them pronouns.
AdultAmara LynnnovellaPost-ApocalypticRom and YuliRomeo & JulietUrban Fantasy
New Release Spotlight: Temper by Layne Fargo
July 3, 2019 Dahlia Adler	1 Comment
This book is basically…all my favorite things rolled into one? I mean, how can you go wrong with a bisexual psychological thriller set in the world of theatre? Turns out, you can't! Or at least Layne Fargo doesn't, because Temper is a beautifully violent delight with unexpected edges peeking out from every page. If this sounds as much like your crack as it is mine, good news! It's already out, and you can read on and make it yours!
After years of struggling in the Chicago theater scene, ambitious actress Kira Rascher finally lands the role of a lifetime. The catch? Starring in Temper means working with Malcolm Mercer, a mercurial director who's known for pushing his performers past their limits—onstage and off.
Kira's convinced she can handle Malcolm, but the theater's cofounder Joanna Cuyler is another story. Joanna sees Kira as a threat—to her own thwarted artistic aspirations, her twisted relationship with Malcolm, and the shocking secret she's keeping about the upcoming production. But as opening night draws near, Kira and Joanna both start to realize that Malcolm's dangerous extremes are nothing compared to what they're capable of themselves.
AdultbisexualLayne Fargom/fPsychological ThrillerTheatreThriller
Exclusive Cover Reveal: Mourning Dove by R.R. Campbell
March 11, 2019 Dahlia Adler	Leave a comment
Today on the site, we're welcome the cover reveal of R.R. Campbell's Mourning Dove, the second book in the sci-fi EMPATHY series, releasing on April 29, 2019, from Ninestar Press! Come check it out:
In the aftermath of the calamitous Human/Etech research study, Chandra and Kyra struggle to reclaim the life they shared in a pre-EMPATHY world, while Ty, armed with knowledge of EMPATHY's programming language, seeks revenge on the Halmans for the harm that's befallen his friends.
As a North American Union investigation into the happenings on the compound looms, a grief-stricken Peter works to resurrect the memory of his mother from a harvested nanochip, and Heather scrambles to keep her family—and their company—together. Alistair, having abandoned the family business, plots to save his hide and that of his wife while she strives to stay one step ahead of a husband she has no reason to trust.
Far to the north amid civil unrest, a recently retired Rénald Dupont investigates the disappearance of his friend and former colleague, Meredith, despite grave threats from an increasingly skittish North American Union government.
As old and new foes emerge, spouse is further pit against spouse, brother against sister, and governments against their people. In the end, all must choose between attempts to reclaim the past or surrender to the inevitable, an intractable world of their own creation.
Mourning Dove is an evocative, sweeping symphony of love, revenge, and desperation in cacophonous times. It is the second installment in r. r. campbell's epic EMPATHY sci-fi saga.
And now the cover, designed by Natasha Snow!
Mourning Dove is out April 29, 2019 from Ninestar Press
Pre-order now! (Use code PREORDER for 30% off at checkout)
Haven't read book one in the series, Imminent Dawn? You can learn more about it below!
Art-school dropout Chandra would do anything to apologize for her role in her wife's coma—including enroll in the first round of human trials for an internet-access brain implant.
At first, the secretive research compound is paradise, the perfect place to distract Chandra from her grief. But as she soon learns, the facility is more prison than resort, with its doctors, support staff, and her fellow patients all bent on hatching plots of their own, no matter how invested they might seem in helping her communicate with her wife.
Making matters worse, a dark wave of uncertainty crashes down on the compound, forcing Chandra to become an unlikely but pivotal player in conspiracies stretching from the highest levels of the North American Union government to the lowest dredges of its shadowy hacking collectives.
To save herself and her wife, Chandra and her newfound friends from the study will have to overcome the scheming of a ruthless tech magnate, the naïveté of an advancement-hungry administrative assistant, and the relentless pursuits of an investigative journalist, all of whom are determined to outpace the others in their own quests to resurrect lost love, cover their tracks, and uncover the truth.
A twistedly delightful clockwork of intrigue and suspense, EMPATHY: Imminent Dawn is an electrifying sci-fi debut from author r. r. campbell.
Buy links for Imminent Dawn (EMPATHY #1): Amazon | Barnes & Noble | NineStar Press | Kobo | Smashwords
Add Imminent Dawn on Goodreads!
Imminent Dawn Book Trailer
Want to request an ARC or participate in the Mourning Dove blog tour? Click here!
Preorder link for Mourning Dove (Use code PREORDER at checkout for 30% off!)
Add Mourning Dove on Goodreads!
Mourning Dove Book Trailer
Official EMPATHY Series Website | Author's Site
Find the author on: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Adultr.r. campbellSci-Fi
Exclusive Cover Reveal: Temper: Deference by Lila Mina
February 11, 2019 Dahlia Adler	Leave a comment
Today on the site we have the cover reveal of Temper: Deference by Lila Mina, the first book in an adult polyam paranormal romance series with BDSM themes.
Short-tempered Lana Martin is a workaholic consultant based in Tokyo. Not one to turn down a challenge, she accepts the indecent proposal of her abrasive martial arts' instructor to become his submissive in a dynamic that tests her resilience.
Spreading like wildfire, their affair lights up another blaze, this time between Lana and Honda's wife, the sophisticated socialite Yuki. Fearless, Lana embraces what her two masters offer her.
Yet, unbeknown to her, their powerful desire rouses dark powers who waited for decades to claim their prizes. Lana must confront the enemy eating her from within, while pulling back Honda from the edge of madness. Yuki's unwavering strength keeps them sane – but for how long?
On to the cover, designed by Giulia Natsumi!
Preorder now: Amazon * Kobo * Smashwords
And now an excerpt!
Yuki stopped by the reading room on their way out. "Goshujin sama, we are leaving. We will be at Chicago's Soul, have a nice evening."
Lana was already in the genkan and didn't hear his reply. "Will there be any gig tonight?" she asked as they climbed into the taxi.
"There are always several live acts. At this hour, we might still catch a couple. Afterward, DJs take over the place." Yuki took Lana's hand and squeezed it. "Now, let's make good use of tonight to get to know each other better. I intend to make you drink enough champagne to have you spill out your life story, sweetling," she chuckled.
Lana's smile turned forced. She would have to control her intake because she wasn't ready for this. "Hm, I'll make sure you don't spike my drink, then. Who knows what would happen to me? I could wake up in your bed and not remember anything, or something just as terrible," she smirked.
Yuki's laugh sent new butterflies to Lana's stomach, but nice one this time. Honda sama, you idiot, why can't you be content with such a queen at your side…
Yuki leaned toward her ear, warm breath sending shivers along her spine. "Now I regret not having ordered a limousine with a privacy screen. It would be bad press to give this grandpa a good show; and we wouldn't hear the end of it."
Lana closed her eyes and stifled a moan. "Let's wait a bit longer," she whispered.
"Don't worry, neko chan, our VIP lounge is a separate room with full privacy." Both women shared a steamy look filled with promises before falling back into a comfortable silence while their taxi brought them to Shibuya district.
The exclusive nightclub Chicago's Soul occupied a four-stories high building. Hundreds of patrons waited in line, but Yuki brought them without hesitation to the VIP entrance. She didn't even have to show her member card for the doors to open wide. Two hostesses brought them to their lounge. Lana discovered a spacious room, all in burgundy, red, and black tones, with large sofas. A bay window offered a perfect view of the dance-floor and scene, two floors below.
"Champagne?" Yuki asked, offering Lana a flute.
After a toast, Lana pointed at the jazz band performing. "Do you mind if we go downstairs to listen? It's been ages since I had the chance to enjoy live jazz and I'd love to be closer than this."
"Of course! There's a table booked for us. This band is so good, they come back every year from Chicago, and the crowds love them. Come on, let's go." Yuki grabbed Lana's hand and led them to the flight of stairs.
As soon as they sat at the table, only a few meters away from the scene, Lana found herself lost in the amazing performance of the band. The saxophonist was gifted, and his music stirred a whirlpool of emotions flushing her cheeks and making her hands shake. Warm fingers squeezed her wrist.
"I wish you could see the look on your face and those sparkles in your eyes, sweetling. I am so happy we came here tonight. It was high time you enjoyed something pleasurable and easy," Yuki said in her ear.
Tears blurred Lana's sight, and she pressed her companion's hand back. "I didn't think I needed it, but it seems like I truly did. Thank you, Yuki sama."
They remained at their table for about one hour, savoring a fresh bottle of champagne until the concert came to an end. Like everyone else, they jumped on their feet for a standing ovation.
"Dancing time!" Yuki exclaimed. "Do you want to go back to our lounge, or shall we stay here and join the crowd when there is some movement going on?"
"Why don't we remain here for a while? I'm dying to hear how, you, the eldest daughter of a fearsome industry tycoon, get to open the doors of the most exclusive nightclubs in stride?"
Yuki laughed; she massaged Lana's thigh under the table, and let her fingers crawl up, sending electric shocks to her companion's core. "Well, you see, while my father has given me the same education as my brothers, to his eternal frustration, he's never been able to curb my endless search for personal freedom. My desire to explore my drives and be truthful to myself. My mother understood it and helped me, enabling many of my wildest choices–including my love for partying. My father was mad at us, but he never knew how to hold a grudge against her for long." She caressed Lana's cheek and took a shaky breath. "You would have loved her, and she would have definitely loved you." Emotions thickened her voice.
Not caring about the crowd surrounding them, Lana leaned forward to kiss Yuki's neck. Her lover cupped her cheek, pressed her lips and swept her tongue against hers, demanding entrance. Their deep kiss left them panting.
"Come on, let's dance," Yuki said huskily. "Show me what all this extra harsh training is about, sweetling."
Lana gave her a dazzling smile and led her by the hand to the center of the dance floor. Soon, they were lost to the outside world, letting the fast beat and loud music take over their bodies, sweat drenching their backs. Lana's desire for her companion built up fast, and she had to remind herself they weren't alone. The fire in Yuki's eyes told her a similar story when she grabbed Lana's waist for a highly charged sensual dance.
"So neko chan, do you see anyone here who catches your eyes, whom you find… interesting?" Yuki purred in Lana's ear.
Lana squeezed Yuki's arm around her waist. "Yes, indeed. Lucky me, I'm in her arms," she replied, beaming.
"So smooth and sweet." Yuki replied with a large smile. "Now, don't forget, you're allowed to look… and more."
Lana chuckled and shook her head. "As if I could have the energy or even the need to search for someone else with the two of you in my life. Right now, I am quite complete and content, oku sama."
Yuki remained silent for a while, continuing her complex dance moves, and leading Lana through them. "Intimacy is such a serious thing for you. Why not try the fun side of it? How about finding out if any of those beautiful young ladies wants to come upstairs with us?"
Lana smiled against the smooth and damp skin of her lover, cupping her cheek. "I envy you so much for knowing who you are and for this freedom you've found. Please oku sama. Go ahead, ask one of them out, don't mind me, you don't need my blessing. Maybe one day I'll get there, but right now, this is impossible."
Yuki's eyes flashed. They stopped dancing and found themselves in a bubble, surrounded by hundreds of dancers. Lana didn't blink under the searching gaze of her companion.
"Of course not, I'm not ditching you! Hm… don't take me wrong, but the two of you are so similar. All these years, goshujin sama gave me complete leeway, but when he met you, only then did he grant himself some self-indulgence. He chose you."
Lana winced. "Ah, this must be hard for you–" A slender finger on her lips cut her off.
"No, it's not. I've already told you why. And it's such a blessing it's you, and that I find myself drowning in your personality, care and your other delicious skills. He couldn't have chosen better," Yuki added with a warm smile before resuming dancing.
Lana followed suit but had to look away to hide her trouble. Chosen… always this word.
She exhaled to let go of her tension; her eyes found the VIP area on the second floor and fell on the last man she'd expected to see. Honda.
"Oh!" She came again to a stop, shocked. "I can't believe it. He's here, just outside the VIP room, by the stairs!"
Yuki didn't even glance up or lose a beat. "Yes, he's been there for fifteen minutes or so, watching us."
"Did you expect him?"
"No, it's the second or third time in the past ten years he's come here. He dislikes the noise and such crowds. Maybe the picture of you in this amazing dress I sent him earlier did the trick," Yuki teased.
Lana burst out laughing, her unease evaporating, replaced by the wicked pleasure to make jokes at his expense with the only other person who would get it.
"Oh my, this and the video of your incredible hip move I sent him!" Both women whooped in laughter. "All right, it's nasty of us to give him such a nosebleed."
Yuki snorted. "A nosebleed and something else, which must be bothering him a lot right now. We can always blame it on the alcohol, and if he complains, the door of my bedroom will be locked next week."
Lana chuckled. "This is your prerogative."
Something serious flickered again in Yuki's eyes, and the older woman grabbed both hands of her companion. "Lana san, it's yours as well. Let me be clear here. If you don't want to join him when he asks you to, you don't have to. You're in his service, yes, but not at his service. Whatever role we play, whatever pledge of obedience you made. Your limits aren't only there for when you're already in action. They also apply before starting anything. If you want to give him the cold shoulder for one week or one month, it's fine, as long as you are clear and forthcoming."
Lana inhaled deeply. "My problem is not having to go to him when I don't want to. Rather, the issue is, I always want to. Even now, even though we're together, and I want you and would like to do so many naughty things to you on the spot…" They shared a knowing smile. "Knowing he's here, I…" She blushed and looked away.
"You want to climb the stairs and join him," Yuki purred in her ear, once again against Lana's hip and chest.
"Yes!" Lana exclaimed, exasperated. "I'm mad at myself for being so weak when it comes to him, in particular when this is supposed to be our night."
Yuki grabbed her neck and pulled her in for another deep kiss. "It is, sweetling. But this is also supposed to be a fun and relaxing time. The choice is yours: you can go up to him, stay with me, take me up with you, or leave us here and get back home."
Lana groaned, tugged by many contradictions, and threw another look at the VIP space. What she saw made her frown and burst her self-pity bubble. "Yuki sama, there are several women around goshujin sama, vying for his attention."
Yuki gave her a voracious smile but still, didn't glance upstairs. "Oh, I'm sure there are, glittering moths drawn to a dark, brooding flame leaving them panting and all kinds of bothered. Don't fret. He's not going to spare them one glance."
"Really? They're so beautiful. It would be hard not to react, at least a little bit."
Yuki went behind Lana and molded herself against her back. "Oh yes, they're so lovely they make my eyes hurt and my mouth water, but he doesn't work like this. They could be Miss Japan and jump him straight naked, he wouldn't touch them. None of them would last even one minute with him, and he can't even be bothered. Even I can't always follow. Only you seem able to manage him at his highest degree. But perhaps it's because this is not about fun but fight for the two of you, isn't it?"
Once again, Lana turned silent and squeezed Yuki's hand. Her words hit their marks with frightening accuracy, but it was also a relief to hear this truth expressed so plainly. Yuki nibbled her lover's sweaty neck. "Come on now, let's go upstairs, and rescue him from such unbearable harassment."
An avid reader of thrillers, science-fiction, horror and romance, I have been writing for nearly 25 years. Lila Mina is one of my pen names.
I live in Japan. The rich and beautiful traditions, the amazing nature and the long history of this country are a constant source of creative inspiration.
I am a firm believer in cross-genre literature. Life is too complex, too rich and surprising to limit stories to one genre. I love blending them to create powerful characters, emotional plots and exciting stories that hopefully will stay a long time with my readers. My stories feature multiracial couples and sometimes menage who come together, bound by love and passion, to fight against forces bent on taking them apart.
AdultBDSMbisexualGiulia NatsumiLila MinaPansexualPNRpolyamTemperTokyo


Standardization was necessary, but also wildly successful precisely because of the anarchy of the early web. All of that energy, competition and confusion born from chaos generated hundreds of solutions for the myriad quirks found in that awkward new medium.
Standardization goes too far when it becomes prescription. We have all seen this in our processes when prototyping sites or applications: prescriptions are often obliterated in testing. We know that thinking-then-doing is not a complete cycle. The addition of testing brings more informed and more practical results from a wider array contributors.
I applaud the efforts of the web's standardizing bodies (W3C and WHATWG) thus far, but I fear they have begun prescribing solutions, rather than waiting for them to climb their way up from the community. This is backwards. srcset is one example, but a picture element would be prescriptive at this point, too. Most of the pro/con breakdowns I have seen have been argued by front-end developers, when such decisions will likely have an impact on design and most certainly on back-end products like CMSs. We cannot know which is best for all of these interests until we all use them, so how can one be codified into a spec over another at this time?
How would srcset or picture respond to a bandwidth problem? Given the time and impetus, a spec might be crafted, but the net cast to capture potential solutions will have been limited, and possibly riddled with needlessly political holes.
For standardization to truly continue making the web a more stable place, we do not need more anticipatory specifications, we need solutions. Lots of them. Dumb ones, fat ones, smart ones, skinny ones. Let us embrace them all then watch them fight it out in the field. When the strongest emerge, we can adopt them into our specs and wait for the next batch of victors. Until those battle-hardened scripts and hacks climb from the anarchic pits of everyday web work, though, we should simply wait.