#Dee Garcia Author

[neapolitan670]

Where to start, if you enjoy a mafia romance with added intrigue, secrets and lies, revenge, violence, forced marriage, and spice…yeah, lots of spice 🥵 etc. This is the book for you.

Our FMC is part of the Belucci family our MMC the Guerra’s, they have been rivals for years. He starts off bullying her through school, it gets worse going into high school before they end up secretly together, however as you might assume the course of true love never runs smooth. Suffice to say we are thrown into their tumultuous lives, where hurt and revenge cause more heartache. A villain is cast into the mixture but has he been a fly on the wall longer than they know 🤔

I couldn’t put this book down, it’s dual POV with past interludes and sporadically another person POV. It has everything a mafia romance needs and more, well written and concise. Read the trigger warnings though. It does had an HEA eventually 😎

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

When? | Spencer Reid

Add yourself to my taglist! | Here’s my masterlist!

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Angst, mentions of drugs, not proofread

Author's note: This one's based off a song by Belgian pop-singer Pommelien Thijs called "Wanneer" ("When"). Just needed to get it out I guess?

Words: 1.327

Dating someone who lives from case to case, out of suitcases and in and out of hotels wasn’t the easiest I had ever done. Loving someone like Spencer would’ve been so easy if it wasn’t for the career he’d chosen for himself. 

For four years, Spencer and I had been doing great. We loved, we laughed, we cried. I bent myself backwards and in impossible bends to adapt to his lifestyle. He molded me until I fit into his life, made me into something I had never been. He molded me softly until I burst and broke.

Every day, I folded like paper. Everyone saw it and still, I stayed with him. I stayed with him while he rotted away slowly between my molars. It was bittersweet to lose him, but he was wrecking me, wrecking my entire life. 

The last time I saw Spencer was when he was leaving for yet another case. He knew how I felt about it, he knew it was wrecking me, and yet he didn’t say anything to reassure me that everything was going to be okay, that he was going to return to me. It seemed as though he, himself, had given up on us at that moment. 

It seemed like a silent agreement that we wouldn’t be seeing one another when he returned from Los Angeles this time. By the time he returned, the apartment was empty and void of all things that made the place a part of me. 

When he left for Los Angeles, I went to stay with a friend of mine, not wanting to be anywhere near Spencer when he returned. I felt terrible for leaving him like this, but there was nothing left to save. 

And still, six months after I had left Spencer, I was still looking back at everything we had done and everything that had happened. From the good to the bad. But especially the night we separated played in my mind over and over again. 

It made me wonder when I would stop looking back, when I would stop being the sum of him. Spencer’s fingertips molding me to fit into his life had tainted me. 

“Hey Sugar,” the familiar voice of Penelope Garcia caused me to snap out of my thoughts. I smiled up at her as she slid into the booth opposite of me. The two of us had decided to go for brunch together on her day off. 

Penelope Garcia and Emily Prentiss were the only people from Spencer’s life I dared to see. It might also be the reason why I could never truly let go of him. 

Or maybe it was just maybe holding onto the scraps of my relationship with him. 

“Hi Pen,” I greeted. “How are you?” 

Penelope gave a sympathetic smile with a tilt of her head. “I should ask you.” 

“Please, don’t,” I chuckled and Penelope opened her mouth to say something, but I beat her to it. “You know I’m gonna say ‘no’ and I don’t wanna elaborate on it because then I fear I might start crying in this diner.” 

The blonde’s lips rolled inwards. “Sorry, Sugar. Lemme tell you about how I’m doing then,” she said and I nodded my head eagerly, wanting to be distracted with anything that could possibly distract me. “All right. So, me and Kevin went on this nice, sweet date and he put all his lovin’ on me. Though we couldn’t quite make it to the bedroom as suddenly someone called. Guess who?” 

“Who?!” 

“You have to guess, otherwise it’s no fun.” 

I sipped the iced coffee I had ordered before Penelope came in. “Uhm, okay, since you are actually quite happy about it, I’m gonna say your sweet prince, Derek Morgan because his calling would mean Kevin got jealous, which would result in some sweet, steamy lovin’ after the phone call.” 

“Honestly, how are you not a profiler?” Penelope asked. 

I scoffed. “Or I lived with one for too long.” 

“Honey,” Penelope pouted. 

I shook my head, trying to fight the tears that threatened to spill. “No. No, I am not going to cry in the middle of a stupid diner.” I inhaled deeply through my nose. “Okay, what did Derek want?” 

“Honey,” Penelope started again, reaching out to grab my hand to squeeze it. “You should talk to him, you know?” I raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m not saying you should get back together with him, but maybe you should clear the air, you know?” 

I nodded my head, trying to retain the information my friend is trying to give me. She was probably right. Moving on from Spencer would only be possible if I talked to him and cleared the air. 

Later that night, I found myself knocking on the apartment door I once shared with the man I loved, still loved. It didn’t take seconds before Spencer was in front of me, worry swimming in the honey eyes I came to love. 

“Hey,” he whispered, opening the door a little more and stepping aside so I could come in. The place still somewhat looked the same, albeit missing some of my own knick-knacks. 

“I-I’m sorry to barge in like this, Spence,” I said, voice cracking ever so slightly. “I just… I think we need to talk.” 

“Sure. Do you–Do you want some tea maybe?” 

I shook my head and accepted his invitation to sit down on the couch. “Spencer, I–”

“Why did you walk out on me?” He immediately cut me off. 

My brows furrowed ever so slightly before I shifted in my seat. “Spencer, you know why. I couldn’t–I couldn’t live like this anymore. What, you expected me to just wait for you to come home everyday? It wrecked me to wait for a sign from you that you were still in one piece.” 

“Sweetheart, you know that’s my job.” 

The pet name sent shivers down my spine. It had been weeks since he’d called me that. “I know it is, but what am I?”

“Everything happens for a reason, y/n.” 

“You always say that,” I scoffed. “You’ve stolen so much more than I could ever admit…” I got up from the sofa and rubbed my face in frustration and anger. “You know the most beautiful thing about you were all my best parts? I blame you for so much more than you could ever know, Spencer.” 

“What are you even talking about, y/n? What did I ever do to you that was so bad, huh?” 

Tears finally rolled off my cheeks as I looked him straight in the eyes. “You never really cared how I was feeling about you leaving every time. I know it’s part of your job, but you getting hurt and you getting hopped up on some drug isn’t. Everything that happened to you, everything that has hurt you, hurt me, too, Spencer. Ever thought about that?” 

“That’s what this is about? Y/N,” he scoffed. “I’ve been sober for fifteen months!” 

“Yeah, but our love wasn’t.” 

Spencer shook his head, sighing deeply. “You might feel like this about it now, but I know you’ll come back to me, y/n. You always have. We’re perfect for each other and you know it.” He got up from his spot on the couch and took two long strides towards me. “I promise you, everything will get better.” 

He grabbed my hands and held them tight, forcing me to look me in the eyes. Though his eyes swam with sincerity, she couldn’t bring herself to it to forgive him and fall back in his arms. His promises were made of paper and paper could be so easily burnt. They were burning right there where we were standing. It shredded me into pieces but between the ashes, I could see myself being happy again, being myself again. 

Shaking my head at him, I yanked my hands out of his. “Let me go, Spence. I need to find myself, I need to figure out who I can be without you.” 

His promises of paper, our written story… I was finally able to fold it up because I was able to continue. 

Even as I left his apartment, I wondered… 

When? 

Everything taglist: @calamitykaty @littlemissaddict @n0wornever @wanniiieeee @unnowhatthisistbh

[chuckmorganbooks]

Crime Conspiracy, A Buck Taylor Novel by Chuck Morgan

Available online: eBook, Audiobook, Paperback, Hard Cover, Large Print

Crime Conspiracy, A Buck Taylor Novel by Chuck Morgan

Conspiracies, dermestid beetles, infrasound weapons, and a Cold War bunker.

Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Buck Taylor and his team are back in the 6th novel in the award-winning CRIME series.

As the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's top agent, Buck Taylor is used to solving tough cases. But when he is tasked with solving two mysterious and high-profile crimes, he knows he's in for his biggest challenge yet. In one small town, recent college graduate Dee Highwater is celebrating her success with her Native American family when she disappears without a trace. In another town, Professor Dale Carmichael and four of his students are embarking on a research expedition in the remote Weminuche Wilderness Area to determine if “ghost” grizzlies still live in Colorado.

Buck and his partner, CBI Agent Ashley Baxter, are thrust into a dangerous conspiracy involving dermestid beetles, infrasound weapons, and a Cold War bunker. As they race against time to unravel the truth, Buck and Ashley soon realize that one of the crimes may be the perfect crime, while the other holds a dark secret that could change the course of history. With powerful emotions and heart-pounding suspense, this fast-paced investigative adventure will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Crime Conspiracy: A Buck Taylor Novel is a mystery novel written by Chuck Morgan. Dee Hightower had finally finished her coursework for her degree in psychology. While most of her coursework had been completed online, she had to sit for her final exams in person at Fort Lewis College in Durango. When she was finished with her last exam, she called her husband to tell him she was on her way home. Her husband, who had fallen asleep waiting for her, woke up at 1:00 A.M., hours after she should have been home. A search party was quickly organized, but Dee seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. She had been missing for a week when Buck Taylor got a call from Kevin Jackson, his boss and the director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Ten women had disappeared in Colorado in the last four years, and the governor was involved in this one. When Buck got to the Sheriff’s Office in Montezuma County, Sheriff Reuben Garcia was waiting for him. If anyone could find Dee Hightower, Sheriff Garcia was sure Buck would be the one.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Chuck Morgan’s Crime Conspiracy is the sixth book in his Buck Taylor series, but the author gives enough background information throughout the story to allow it to be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel. Morgan’s plot is thought-provoking, giving readers much to consider as Buck investigates the disappearance of Dee Hightower. The secondary plot concerning the fate of Professor Carmichael’s “ghost grizzly” survey team in the Weminuche Wilderness Area is a bonus for readers, giving them an additional mystery to solve. Morgan’s characters are well-defined and authentic, and while this was my first Buck Taylor novel, I soon felt as though Buck was an old friend. Crime Conspiracy bristles with red herrings and pesky evidence rules that are true-to-life, and I had a grand time reading it. Crime Conspiracy is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Steven Robson for Readers' Favorite

Crime Conspiracy: A Buck Taylor Novel is Book 6 of the series by Chuck Morgan, where we team up with Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) Buck Taylor as he is tasked with solving two most intriguing and high-profile mysteries. Dee Highwater is a Native American woman with the world at her feet, having just completed her final graduation exam at Fort Lewis College, and now drives home to her loving family in a heady haze of excited emotion. In another part of Colorado, Professor Dale Carmichael is also embarking on a most anticipated trip into the Weminuche Wilderness Area, where he is taking four of his students on a research expedition to verify whether grizzlies still remain in the area. These two disparate journeys become triggers that lead Buck and his close associate, CBI Agent Ashley Baxter (Bax,) to inexplicable mysteries, terrifying revelations, and political machinations that will hold you spellbound in the grip of this fast paced investigative adventure until the last word is revealed.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I found Chuck Morgan’s Crime Conspiracy to be a wonderfully compelling read, containing a superbly crafted plot that finely balances the many facets of this complex and dramatic story. All of the characters were unique and engaging, and some were positioned nicely to build on the mystique within the story; Deputy Sheriff Scott Sage was one such player that carried this potential, which was established in a very subtle way. The thing that Crime Conspiracy does perhaps best of all is to reflect what true reality is, where there are no black or white answers; life more often than not comes in shades of gray, and this book is painted in all of the richness of that color. This is a book you can’t put down, which will entertain you on many levels, and at times make your skin crawl; the kind of book that remains in your thoughts long after you finish reading.

Check out the rest of the award-winning CRIME Series at:

[traciesbookspot]

COVER REVEAL - Fooling the Forward by Jacob Chance 

Title: Fooling the ForwardSeries: Charleston Coyotes #4 Author: Jacob Chance Genre: Sports Romance (Hockey)Tropes: Brother’s Best Friend/TeammateOpposites Attract/Forced ProximityCover Design: Dee Garcia, Black Widow DesignsRelease Date: November 8, 2023 BLURB Ryder Goode has been my celebrity crush since he signed on with the Charleston Coyotes. Watching him race around the ice has become a…

[joyffree]

Title: Wanting the Winger Series: Charleston Coyotes Series Book 1 Author: Jacob Chance Genre: Sports Romance/Romantic Comedy Release Date: April 21, 2023 Cover Design: Dee Garcia from Black Widow Designs

My dad has been the coach of the Charleston Coyotes for as long as I can remember. All the time I’ve spent in ice rinks has taught me two things:

1.) I will NEVER date a hockey player.

As a single mom, it’s not like I have time for romance anyway.

2.) Nothing smells worse than hockey players after a game.

And I work as a dog groomer, so I have experience with smelly animals.

It’s amazing how quickly my rules are forgotten when Darius walks into my pet salon.

Hosted by Enticing Journey Book Promotions

[richincolor]

2021 Anthologies

YA short story and non-fiction anthologies are being published more and more and as I teacher I am here for it. With the call for more diverse texts in classrooms, anthologies provide a perfect bite sized work of literature that can be digested in one class setting. Here are but a few of the anthologies that came out in 2021.

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark. A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks… A first meeting. Long-time friends. Bitter exes. And maybe the beginning of something new. When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight.

Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed by Saracia Fennell (editor)

In Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed, writers from across the Latinx diaspora interrogate the different myths and stereotypes about this rich and diverse community. From immigration to sexuality, music to language, and more, these personal essays and poems are essential additions to the cultural conversation, sure to inspire hope and spark dialogue. Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed features bestselling and award-winning authors as well as new, up-and-coming voices, including: Elizabeth Acevedo Cristina Arreola Ingrid Rojas Contreras Naima Coster Natasha Diaz Kahlil Haywood Zakiya Jamal Janel Martinez Jasminne Mendez Meg Medina Mark Oshiro Julian Randall Lilliam Rivera Ibi Zoboi

Every Body Shines: Sixteen Stories About Living Fabulously Fat by Cassandra Newbould (Editor)

An intersectional, feminist YA anthology from some of today's most exciting voices across a span of genres, all celebrating body diversity and fat acceptance through short stories.

Fat girls and boys and nonbinary teens are: friends who lift each other up, heroes who rescue themselves, big bodies in space, intellects taking up space, and bodies looking and feeling beautiful. They express themselves through fashion, sports and other physical pursuits, through food, and music, and art. They are flirting and falling in love. They are loving to themselves and one another. With stories that feature fat main characters starring in a multitude of stories and genres, and written by authors who live these lives too, this is truly a unique collection that shows fat young people the representation they deserve.

With a foreword by Aubry Gordon, creator of Your Fat Friend, and with stories by:

Nafiza Azad, Chris Baron, Sheena Boekweg, Linda Camacho, Kelly deVos, Alex Gino, Claire Kann, amanda lovelace, Hillary Monahan, Cassandra Newbould, Francina Simone, Rebecca Sky, Monique Gray Smith, Renée Watson, Catherine Adel West, Jennifer Yen 

Living Beyond Borders: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in American by Margarita Longoria (Editor)

Twenty stand-alone short stories, essays, poems, and more from celebrated and award-winning authors make up this YA anthology that explores the Mexican American experience. With works by Francisco X. Stork, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, David Bowles, Rubén Degollado, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Diana López, Xavier Garza, Trinidad Gonzales, Alex Temblador, Aida Salazar, Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Sylvia Sanchez Garza, Dominic Carrillo, Angela Cervantes, Carolyn Dee Flores, René Saldaña Jr., Laura Perez, Justine Narro, Daniel García Ordáz, and Anna Meriano.

In this mixed-media collection of short stories, personal essays, poetry, and comics, this celebrated group of authors share the borders they have crossed, the struggles they have pushed through, and the two cultures they continue to navigate as Mexican American.

Living Beyond Borders is at once an eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and hopeful love letter from the Mexican American community to today’s young readers.

[feelyourhearttakingroot]

The Reader's Guide to Avoiding Redfly (and how to have a good time doing it)

“How’re you doing, kid?” Tom murmured in your ear. Your skin hadn’t started crawling yet, but it definitely would soon.

“Redfly, leave the girl alone.” 

A third voice - the voice of God himself, if it meant that Tom would let you go. 

Summary: Your friend Dina is dating Benny Miller, and drags you along to one of his fights before a night at a bar. His friends meet you there - Tom ‘Redfly’ Davis, who is too busy trying it on with you to think about his wife; Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia, who is a god made flesh; and Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales, who agrees to help keep you out of Redfly’s clutches. But Frankie is not without his own charm...

Relationships: Frankie Morales x reader, side Santiago Garcia x Original Female Character, side Benny Miller x Original Female Character

Rating: First chapter is Mature, but it will be getting Explicit after that... 

Author’s note: I saw Triple Frontier last week for the first time and it has occupied my every waking thought since then. This is my first ‘x reader’ fic, so feedback is appreciated. Benny is my darling boy and I want to write him a loving af relationship even if it’s in the bg of this fic. I also don’t mean to step on toes but Redfly is the worst man and deserved to die a lot earlier than he did in the film. I am also obviously obsessed with Frankie Morales. Sorry if the formatting is fucked, this is the first fic I’ve posted directly to Tumblr in many’a.

Warnings: 18+ for frequent language, she/her pronouns, future smut but this chapter is just teasing.

Read on AO3.

Chapter One

The Fight

“The fight ends at 9pm, so we’ll be good to get to the bar by 9.30,” Dina said, leaning to within a hair's breadth of the bathroom mirror. Your arms twitched, hands opening and closing as you watched the safety pin come even closer to her eyeball.

“Dina, do you have to- the fight?”

“Yes, I need to separate my eyelashes, and yes, the fight.” She said, tongue peeping out between her lips. “Benny is fighting and he’s going to come with us to the bar afterwards.”

Your heart sank, just a little. Benny was a great guy, and you were happy for Dina, but it was always harder to get into bars when Benny ‘Brick Shithouse’ Miller rocked up with facial wounds and an ego after inevitably winning the fight. 

Apparently their post-fight sex was insane.

“So it’s you, me, and Benny?” you asked flatly, and she rolled her eyes in a way that made your hands clench into fists, with a vivid mental image of the pin sinking into her eyeball. She ignored you, of course, and started on the bottom lid.

“No, you prick,” she said, teasing each lash apart. She paused, and winked at you through the mirror “Ha. Prick! Get it? Sandy, Amy and Kelly are joining us - and Benny is bringing his friends.”

“William and Tom?” You were trying so hard not to be a downer, you really were, but you’d met William and Tom before and it was not a great experience. William - Benny’s brother - was aesthetically pleasing, and a lovely guy, but way too earnest about the purity of combat, while Tom was… a douche. A douche who clearly enjoyed his nights away from the wife a little too much. “Great.”

“Not just Will and Tom,” she chided, finally putting down the pin and fluttering her eyelashes at her reflection. “A few of his old squad guys are coming too.”

“OK then,” you said, and turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” Dina called.

“To get another drink.”

Based on the MMA prelude, you decided to rethink your outfit to something a bit less… showy, and had poured yourself into a skintight skirt with a shirt that helped accentuate your decolletage just right. So right, in fact, that you’d forgone a sensible coat in favour of a leather jacket that didn’t even close properly. The clothes did little to shield you from the cold, which explained why you had chugged nearly half a bottle of Smirnoff in the cab over. 

-----------------

Dina looked every inch the fighter’s girlfriend, she really did. You didn’t even know she owned a faux-fur coat. Her meticulously-separated eyelashes were currently fluttered together, shielding her eyes from her cigarette smoke. 

Not that it helped. Your buzz was fading fast with every second you stood out in the freezing cold parking lot.

Sandy hadn’t bothered to change her outfit - “Fuck it, it can’t be any dirtier than the bar.” - and was leaning against the arena wall wearing a mini dress that practically showed what she had eaten for breakfast. The woman had legs up to her neck, and more than one man had slowed his passage into the arena to get a good look. Sandy, with legs that long since she was fifteen, and a face that had been beautiful her whole life, flipped each one off with a casual laziness you could never hope to emulate. 

The three of you were standing outside the arena waiting for Tom and the others to arrive. The crowd was known to get rowdy, and Benny had been very firm with Dina about going in with his friends. William was already inside with Benny, prepping him for the fight.

It was so cold you were nearly tempted to ask Dina for a pull of her cigarette, just to feel some warm air, when -

“Dee!”

Your face locked into a grimace, and you looked down to kick a loose pebble from under your shoe, trying to regain control of your facial muscles by the time Tom got close.

“Tommy!” Dina yelled. “You’re late, what the hell?”

“Don’t blame me,” Tom said, “Blame these assholes.”

Two sets of denim-wrapped legs stepped into your view, and you huffed out a little sigh before looking up. Tom was standing in front of you, with his friend on his right. 

His friend. Who was the most gorgeous man you’d ever seen. He smiled at you, and you felt a small laugh escape you. 

What was that face? He looked like a Latino George Clooney. How did he get taken seriously in life?

“Hey, tiger,” Tom said to you, his lopsided smile showing a little too much teeth on one side.

“Hey… Tom.” you replied, raising a hand in greeting. He made a little ‘pfft’ sound and pulled you in for a hug, enveloping you in the smell of… dear god, was that Axe? 

You heard the crunch of gravel, and a movement out of the corner of your eye told you that the devilishly handsome man was currently introducing himself to Sandy. 

Probably wouldn’t have worked out with us anyway.

“How’re you doing, kid?” Tom murmured in your ear. Your skin hadn’t started crawling yet, but it definitely would soon.

“Redfly, leave the girl alone.” 

A third voice - the voice of God himself, if it meant that Tom would let you go. 

“This is my girl right here, Frankie.” Tom said, and the proprietary tone in his voice made your stomach turn. You should have just met them at the bar.

“Crazy, I thought your girl was sitting at home looking after your daughter and -” the second half of the sentence was in mumbled Spanish, and you heard a bark of laughter from the handsome man. A quick, rough pat on the back and Tom released you, already walking into the building as if nothing had happened.

The speaker was standing in front of you; a tall-ish man wearing a blue plaid shirt over a grey tank top, with a beat-up baseball cap on his head. Just as the phrase ‘hillbilly trucker’ crossed your mind, every thought in your head promptly vanished on looking up into his face. A pair of warm brown eyes were gazing down at you, creasing gently at the corners. He wasn’t built like Tom or William; they slanted more towards beefcake, where this guy was toned and slim. He was older than you - not a surprise, William and Tom were in at least their mid-40s - but it was a very manageable older. Unruly, curling brown hair peeked out from under his cap, and the man smiled, a shadow of a dimple appearing on his cheek.

The other guy was crazy good-looking in a movie-star way, the sort of hot that had made you laugh because it was almost unreal. This guy was the perfect side of handsome, mortal enough to take your breath away just a little and not make you feel stupid about it.

“Hey,” he said. “I’m Frankie.”

Maybe it was the dimples, maybe it was the fact that he had just saved you from a fate worse than death, or maybe the cold had finally gotten to your brain. Whatever it was, you barely knew what you were saying until you’d said it:

“And I am so fucking yours.”

So much for not feeling stupid. His smile widened, and your heartbeat quickened just a bit.

“Ignore Redfly,” he said. “He just doesn’t have good manners.”

Another burst of Spanish from behind you, from the dark-eyed Adonis near the door, and Frankie replied in kind, with an evocative hand gesture that you were pretty sure meant ‘fuck off’.

You finally turned to get a good look at the other man. He was standing in front of your friends, angled towards Sandy in a way that boded well for her. He was terribly good-looking.

“Hey, how’re you doing?” he leaned toward you, and took your hand in his. “Santiago Garcia.”

The man was on another level. You felt like you were meeting a politician. You told him your name as if in a dream. 

“That’s a beautiful name,” he said, looking into your soul, and you felt that laugh bubble up again. This was too much all at once.

Dina blew out one last plume of smoke, and threw her cigarette butt on the ground.

“Come on guys, it’s fucking freezing out here.”

----------------------------------------

The arena was chaos. Tom was nowhere to be seen, but he could have been standing two feet from you and you wouldn’t have seen him. He could have been behind you.

As the thought crossed your mind, a hand came to rest on your hip and you jumped sideways, ready to kick Tom in the fucki-

It was Frankie, hands suddenly up and visible, mouth framing a ‘whoa’ that you could never hear over the din of the crowd. You grimaced, mouthing sorry.

He gave you a tight-lipped smile, uncomfortable, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He craned his neck to look over the crowd, toward the ring, and you stepped quickly toward him. Your hand raised, like you had the right answer in a classroom, and you tilted your mouth up towards Frankie’s ear. He scrunched his face and bent his head towards yours.

“Sorry,” you said into his ear, trying not to deafen him at this range. He smelled warm, and clean, a welcome respite from the arena’s smell of old beer and sweat. “I thought it might be…” one of your best friends, whom I loathe. “... a creep.” you finished lamely.

When you pulled away, he was looking at you so intently that a blush started to creep up your neck. Hands still in his pockets, he rocked back and forth on his heels as he processed what you said. His tongue worked in his mouth, pushing out his cheek, before he winked ever so slightly, and nodded.

He knew. He damn well knew.

Frankie grinned and pointed towards the ring, to where your friends had disappeared, before nudging you forward.

------------------------------------

Dina and the others were sitting ringside, by Benny’s corner. Dina had shrugged her coat in the sticky closeness of the arena, and was adjusting her top for maximum cleavage. Beside her was Sandy, deep in conversation with Santiago, and Tom sat beside Santiago next to an empty chair.

The single empty chair. 

Fucks sake.

Tom saw you both coming, and had a look of fake disappointment on his face that your hands twitched to slap off. He held his hands up in defeat, before patting his thigh. A quick scan showed that this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence in the arena; the place was jammed so tightly that you counted at least seven people on laps in this section alone. A fire hazard, and a pain in the ass. 

You’re fucking kidding me.

You went to take a step, and felt a hand grip your arm. Frankie was sliding past you on your right, pivoting to sit in the empty chair. A shit-eating grin slid onto Tom’s face, and he patted his thigh again.

You’re fucking kidding me. 

Frankie still held your arm loosely in his left hand. Reaching over Tom, he nudged Santiago, who broke off from his conversation long enough to pass him a beer. Settling back into his seat, Frankie spread his legs a little too wide and steered you into the space between them. 

He looked up at you under the brim of his cap, his face out of Tom’s eyeline. The corners of his mouth curved downward and one shoulder shrugged, as if to say ‘Why not?’.

Lightheaded, floating on a mental chant of fucking hell fucking hell fucking hell fucking hell, you perched on Frankie’s knee, your knees pressing against his other leg. A quick glance at Tom’s face nearly made you yelp. The ham-coloured man was staring sullenly out over the ring, lips pursed around his mouthful of beer. The smile was nowhere to be seen.

Frankie shifted slightly, and with one hand on your waist pulled you closer until you were sitting mid-thigh. When he was satisfied, his hand moved to settle against your lower back, keeping you upright. The shape of the seat had his body angled away from you, allowing you to sit upright without being nestled against him. He leaned towards Tom and said something in his ear, something you could barely hear over the din. It was as if he’d forgotten you were there.

But not quite. Slowly, as if you were a wild animal he was trying to tame, his hand started to move in gradual, broad strokes, forward and back, forward and back.

Your stomach muscles locking tight was your only visible reaction, and you thanked baby Jesus and all the angels in heaven that Frankie couldn’t feel the way your pulse had suddenly picked up. Though that might not be far off; there was a warm throbbing between your legs that definitely hadn’t been there two minutes ago.

Forward and back. Forward and back.

This was totally normal. This happened to you every day. Every day you met hot guys and sat on their laps. Every day you got mildly turned on by hot guys stroking your back.

Looking over at Dina, the two of you locked eyes. Her grin was positively wolfish.

Fuck off, you mouthed.

You looked around, hoping that the people-watching fodder available would help take your mind off the hot man you were sitting on and what his hand was - 

As if Frankie could hear your thoughts, the rhythm of his strokes changed. Now, instead of moving forward and back, his palm started sliding up and down, with every pass downward bringing his hand closer and closer to the curve of your ass.

For a fraction of a second, your breath caught in your throat, and the pulse between your legs kicked up a notch. Trying to keep your cool, you casually - so casually! - looked over at Frankie.

Still absorbed in conversation with Tom. Fine. He clearly had no idea what he was doing, no idea of the effect he was having.

Your awareness was steadily narrowing down to where his hand touched you, to the vague sensation of warmth that each pass left on your skin. Reaching the hem of your jacket, he paused almost imperceptibly, before reaching under the leather to rest on the back of your shirt.

Dear god, were you disappointed he wasn’t touching your ass? Were you actually sad that this stranger wasn’t - 

A radiating sensation on your back, so warm and firm, and suddenly you could feel every little movement his hand made, the way his fingers were flexing against your skin so gently - 

Air you didn’t realise you had been holding escaped your lungs in a whoosh. 

“Getting bored up there, tiger?” Tom’s expression wasn’t as friendly as it normally was, and you were reminded why all of this was happening. This was purely for Tom’s benefit. 

“No, it’s fine. It’s…” you looked down at Frankie as he took a sip of his beer. His eyes met yours over the rim of his beer cup, and a smile crept across your face. When the cup left his lips, you took it deftly from his fingers and lifted it to your mouth. Your gaze didn’t leave his. Tom may as well have been part of the furniture.

The beer was not good, but you finished it, and ran your tongue over your lips. Frankie’s eyes tracked the movement, and you felt his hand pause, felt his fingers splay wide across the small of your back.

“It’s great,” you said, winking down at him. “But I think we need another drink.”

You placed a hand on his knee for leverage, and stood. Dina saluted you with her nearly-empty drink, and tapped at the low liquid level with one long fingernail. You nodded, and flashed the OK sign.

A broad chest blocked your view, and the smell of Axe surrounded you. You glanced up at Tom, who was shaking his own empty cup. 

“I’ll come too,” he said. “I could do with another-”

“It’s cool, man,” Frankie stood, easily slotting himself between the two of you, and gently but firmly took hold of your shoulders as he turned to the exit. “I got it.”

Empty cups and debris were strewn across the aisle, and you were beginning to regret wearing your heels for what was shaping up to be a fucking obstacle course. But you felt Frankie’s presence behind you, and if you put a little more sway into your walk than normal, so what?

Between a few stragglers at the bar, there was a gap just wide enough for the two of you to lean against the counter. You rested on your forearms, and flagged down the bartender.

------------------------------------

“Two beers, and a whiskey and coke.” 

“Make it four,” Frankie said. “I know it may not seem like it, but it is better to get Redfly liquored up. After about,” - his hand made a see-saw motion - “six drinks? He’s going to get real maudlin, start missing his wife, and go home.”

“Oh, yeah,” you replied, “He’s really missing his wife when he’s trying to put his hand up my skirt.”

His eyes flickered up and down your body, and he cleared his throat. One hand came up to scratch at his moustache, before smoothing it back down. 

“You know, I don’t blame him,” he said. “That skirt looks great on you.”

A low warmth pooled in your stomach, and you smiled. He smiled back, those beautiful eyes twinkling as he turned around to face the arena, elbows back on the bar.

“If I… go too far, in there,” he said, face suddenly serious. “You can just punch me in the face. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

The bartender laid your whiskey and coke down in front of you, and pulled out two cups for the beer. 

“Two more of those, please,” you told her, and took a sip of your drink. You knew you were a bit of a savage for drinking whiskey with coke, but your sweet tooth demanded nothing less. “Frankie, I’m not really OK with the idea of ‘being saved’.”

“That’s fair,” Frankie turned to the bar, and rapped a quick tattoo on the wood. “When we get back in there, you take the seat and I’ll -”

“But,” you raised a finger. “Your lap is pretty comfortable. And if you’re OK with having my ass on your knee all night, then I’m happy to stay there.”

A laugh escaped him, and you found yourself appreciating the way his moustache framed his lips so perfectly. 

“I think you’d be hard pushed to find a man who wouldn’t be OK with that deal.”

The bartender laid down four cups of beer. “$25.60.” 

Frankie laid out three $10 bills, and pulled the cups closer. 

“Do you think you could make sure Tom doesn’t put his hand up my skirt?”

He was intent on arranging the cups in a way he could carry them, to the point that you thought he hadn’t heard you. Just as you were about to repeat yourself, he flashed you a wicked look.

“Well sweetheart,” he smiled, “I’ll just have to get my hand there first.”

------------------------------------

As soon as you sat back down, it was like a switch had flipped. Your conversation at the bar had been light, to the point where you’d nearly forgotten that you’d actually been turned on a little at sitting on Frankie’s lap.

When you got back to your seats, and Frankie had handed off the beers he was carrying, he sat and pulled you down onto his lap in one fluid movement. No more tentative movements; he held your waist firmly, and pulled you even closer than before. And now, not only was his hand stroking your back again - he had put it under your jacket straight away - but his other arm was now resting on your leg. His beer cup sat on your knee, below where the hem of your skirt rode up, and he rotated it gently on your bare skin, almost teasing you with the cool feeling of the condensation on the base.

It drove you just a little short of wild. Though part of you wanted to shift against his thigh, wanted to feel some pressure right where an ache was steadily building between your legs, you kept it together fairly admirably. 

A wet patch on Frankies jeans probably wouldn't go down too well anyway.

A murmur from the crowd rolled towards the ring, and Pantera’s heavy guitar riff blasted through the speakers.

Benny was here.

------------------------------------

Ringside seats were… certainly something.

The smell of blood hummed in your nostrils, and you felt the impact of every punch. 

Benny was a monster. He had swaggered into the arena, head and shoulders above everyone, and proceeded to hammer the shit out of his opponent once the bell rang. Watching the way Dina was looking at him, you were very, very glad they were going back to Benny’s place tonight.

The six of you were standing at the ring edge, screaming and roaring with the crowd. Your blood was singing. Sitting on Frankie’s lap, his hands leaving trails of fire wherever they touched you, had rattled you something fierce, and the adrenaline from the fight was getting to you too. You didn’t think your pulse had slowed for about ten minutes, and you were breathing like you were climbing a mountain.

It was the last minute of the last round, and Benny was flagging. 

You guessed. You really had no idea who was doing better, both fighters were covered in blood and looked tired as fuck.

Santiago, Dina and Tom were rattling the cage, howling through the wire at Benny. The man was intent on his opponent, never taking his eyes off him. 

As you watched, Benny did an odd movement, stepping back, rotating his shoulders and head as his feet danced. You heard roars come from your friends, but were completely lost. 

“He’s about to kick the guy’s head off his fucking shoulders,” Frankie’s voice was low, and close. You felt his nose brush the outer shell of his ear, and you suppressed a shiver as his breath ghosted over you. He was standing behind you, so close that you felt his warmth up your body from ankle to neck. He reached over your shoulder, and pointed up at Benny’s right foot.

“You see that?” 

Benny’s foot was moving in a fan shape on the floor of the ring. He dodged as much as he needed to to evade blows, but whenever he was still his foot moved in that fan shape. 

“Why is he waiting?” Turning your head, your nose brushed against Frankie’s jawline. He smiled down at you.

“Not long now, sweetheart,” he said. “Watch.”

He stepped closer until he stood flush against your back, and crossed his arms over your chest to grip his own elbows. His beard brushed against your cheekbone, and you found yourself nestling further into his hold. He was just so warm and solid and - 

Benny moved like lightning. His opponent came too close, ever so slightly unguarded, and Benny pivoted on his left foot and -

“Fuck!” you screamed. Benny’s opponent hit the floor, and the arena erupted.

===> Chapter Two

[esbarrison-writing]

The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice Launch Party

Come join me for a 5-day Launch Event celebration the debut of my novel, The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice!

Between guest authors, giveaways, a costume contest, Q&As, and live readings...there won’t be any shortage of fun!

Join the Party!

Event Page

Facebook Event

Discord Server

Or join on social media:

Facebook Page

Instagram

Twitter

Tumblr:  @esbarrison-wips

Youtube

I hope you’ll take part to help make this launch AMAZING! 

And if you don’t know what The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice is about, you can find out RIGHT HERE.

I’d like to thank all of my guest authors for taking part in this event:

Kaitlyn Legaspi, author of Dark Irregular

Eme Savage, author of The Genesis Chronicles

Sterling Blue (@thatsmybluefondue), author of This Isn’t the Zombie Apocalypse

Rachel Shaw, author of Last Memoria 

Lane Northcutt, author of The Delivery Co. (Coming Soon)

Rachel Garcia ( @illthdar ) , author of Guardians of Las

Cody Blake Wilson, author of The Awakening

Lori Yerxa, author of Pushing Through

JC Brown, author of Asmodeus: The Gift of Lust (Coming Soon)

Andrew Kirschner, author of Ms. Infinity

Sarah Newland, author of Extant

T.R. Govender, author of 7

All of these authors have given their time for live interviews and giveaways, and without their help I wouldn’t be able to make this event possible. 

Agenda Beneath the Cut

The Agenda does not include every single giveaway, author, or Q&A...so be on the look out ;)

June 10th 

8 AM EDT: Event Launch with MAJOR Giveaway

11AM EDT : Costume Contest Launch 

12PM EDT: Interview w/ Author Eme Savage (Zoom)

6PM EDT: MKA Baking w/ Q&A (IG)

9PM EDT: Interview w/ Author Cody Wilson (Zoom)

June 11th

8 AM EDT: Interview w/ Author Racel Garcia (FB)

12 PM EDT: Interview w/ Author Rachel Shaw (Zoom)

6 PM EDT: MKA Baking w/ Q&A (FB)

8 PM EDT: MKA Live Reading - Ch. 1 & 2 (IG & YT) 

June 12th

12 PM EDT: Interview w/ Author Lane Northcutt (IG)

4 PM EDT: Interview w/ Author Lori Yerxa (Zoom)

6 PM EDT: MKA Baking w/ Q&A (YT)

8 PM EDT: MKA Live Reading - Ch. 3 & 4 (IG & YT)

June 13th

12 PM EDT: Interview w/ Author Sterling Blue (Zoom)

4 PM EDT: Interview w/ Author Kaitlyn Legaspi (IG)

6 PM EDT: Animal Crossing Get-Together (Dodo Code Coming Soon)

8 PM EDT: MKA Live Reading - Ch. 5 (IG & YT)

9 PM EDT: Jax Box Games (Facebook & Discord)

11 PM EDT: Count Down!

June 14th

12 PM EDT: MKA Social Media Contest

4 PM EDT: Live Write-In (IG & YT)

6 PM EDT: Wrap Up

Tag List:

@roselinproductions * @lordkingsmith * @writingqueensworld * @kajsaschubeler * @adie-dee * @i-rove-rock-n-roll * @ladywithalamp * @akanorskwritblr  * @kainablue * @the-jennster * @squeaken1 * @petty-realistic * @half-explored * @dzthorne * @writersloth* @urbanteeth * @drowsy-quill * @dawnoftheagez * @jade-island-lives

In addition, the following people wanted to be tagged during the announcement. I’ll only tag you again when the agenda is released in the next week.

@sybil-writes @writerinafury @ink-is-running-toward-the-page @etjwrites @sunnydwrites

[filmcrave]

THE TOP FIVE BEST FILIPINO MOVIES OF ALL TIME!

Movies provide entertainment. It also allows you to escape reality. Whether they are scary, funny, tragic, romantic, or somewhere in between, movies have the power to move us like nothing else. There are so many genres with incredible titles to choose from and so much to discover. A movie can also bring people together has always been a way for people who share a common interest in a film to communicate and discuss it. While some are passionate about other genres, there are no judgments because watching a film is like sitting in front of a blank wall. You are free to express yourself however you want as long as it makes you happy.

Filipino films have always held a special place in my heart because they make me feel happy. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy films from other countries as well, but nothing beats a local touch. Regardless of the language, I find Filipino films to be very entertaining to watch, as they can teach me valuable life lessons and provide me with a sense of calm amid the world's turmoil.

So, here are my top 5 best Filipino films that anyone can enjoy.

1. Four Sisters and a Wedding

Four Sisters and a Wedding is a 2013 Filipino dramatic comedy film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and starring some of the industry's most talented actors and actresses. Bea Alonzo, Toni Gonzaga, Shaina Magdayao, Angel Locsin, and Enchong Dee star in the film as the Salazar siblings. The plot revolves around a family of four sisters and one brother. When the youngest of the siblings declares his intention to marry, the sisters concoct a strategy to persuade him otherwise. They wanted their brother to marry another woman, but their youngest sibling was spared from all of their schemes. The deep-seated hatred they have towards each other is exposed as the film progresses. They had a major brawl that left everyone in tears. Finally, they made amends, accepted their differences, and reunited as a family. Their relationship is only strengthened as a result of the major confrontation. This film shows us that family is the most important thing in the world and that despite our flaws, a family's love never fades.

Visit these links to watch:

https://www.amazon.com/Four-Sisters-Wedding-English-Subtitled/dp/B017SZN8EY/?tag=1331-filipino-movies-20

https://www.netflix.com/watch/81010873?source=35

2. Hello, Love, Goodbye

Hello, Love, Goodbye is a film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina that was released in 2019. Kathryn Bernardo, Alden Richards, and Maymay Entrata appear in this romantic drama. The life of an OFW in Hong Kong is depicted in this film. Joy Fabregas, played by Kathryn Bernardo, wishes to move and work in Canada to improve her and her family's lives. Her working license, however, has expired, and the authorities are on the lookout for her. There's Ethan Del Rosario, played by Alden Richards, a Filipino himself. Despite Joy's plans to relocate to Canada, Ethan is set on pursuing her. Even as their burgeoning relationship develops, they manage to keep their goals in order. Meeting each other teaches them a powerful life lesson that forever changes their lives. This shows us that just because you love someone doesn't mean they have to always be there for you. It's often necessary to set them free for them to mature and become who they are on their own.

 To watch, check these links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/0RE6LVL4E108JCXT4D7XQ3NC0A/?tag=1331-filipino-movies-20

https://www.netflix.com/watch/81334897?source=35

 3. Kita Kita (I See You)

Kita Kita, a 2017 Philippine romantic comedy film written and directed by Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo, stars Alessandra de Rossi (Lea) and Empoy Marquez (Tonyo). After seeing her Japanese fianc��'s infidelity, Lea, a Filipino tour guide living in Japan, goes blind. After a while, Tonyo, a fellow Filipino and charmer, appears out of nowhere and befriends the visually impaired Lea in the most charming way possible. Even though she didn't want it, he cooked her Filipino meals every day. But she gradually warmed up to him and accepted his offer, as well as being his friend and enjoying his company. They finally fall for each other while they remain together. The most devastating part was when Lea regained her vision and was eager to see Tonyo, but he died before she could even see him. This movie shows us that love has no bounds. True love comes from the heart and is never judgmental. It teaches that no matter what life throws at us, we must keep going forward and use those happy memories as an encouragement to continue developing as people.

 Watch the film at these links:

https://youtu.be/9b2XdAdaTiA

https://www.netflix.com/watch/81036745?source=35

https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=9b2XdAdaTiA

4. Seven Sundays

Seven Sundays is a Philippine comedy-drama film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina and starring Aga Muhlach, Ronaldo Valdez, Cristine Reyes, Dingdong Dantes, and Enrique Gil, which was released in 2017. This film appeals to people of all ages because it captures the essence of family values. The film depicts the harsh reality of the prospect of losing a loved one. The father in the film was diagnosed with cancer at the start of the film and has just seven weeks to live. So his children have decided to pay him a visit for the remaining seven Sundays he has left on this world. Throughout the film, it is discovered that the father was simply misdiagnosed, resulting in a major conflict that causes the entire family to break apart. Regardless of the difficulties, they have faced, they eventually come together as a family because true love and acceptance can only come from one's family.

Visit this link to watch: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81010870?source=35

 5. The Hows of Us

The Hows of Us is a romantic drama film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina that was released in the Philippines in 2018. George is played by Kathryn Bernardo, and Primo is played by Daniel Padilla. A couple who wants to spend the rest of their lives together is depicted in the film. Following the death of George's aunt, the pair resolved to live together, spend their lives in each other's arms, and pursue their goals as a couple. But life moves in unexpected ways. When their feelings become more intense, they have to cope with the challenges of being in a long-term relationship as well as the harsh realities of life. It turns out that they are on opposing paths, leading to the couple's breakup. When George agreed to sell the house a few years later, Primo returned home and attempted to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend. He was adamant about rekindling the flame. So, in the end, they realized that their love for each other had never faded over the years. The problem that occurred years back was just a combination of life struggles and miscommunication. They finally reconciled and embarked on a new life together. This film shows us that true love triumphs in the face of adversity. It teaches us that all can be resolved if we all listen to what our hearts are trying to tell us.

 To watch, check these links:

https://www.amazon.com/Hows-Us-Kathryn-Bernardo/dp/B07RGXWPB6/?tag=1331-filipino-movies-20

https://www.netflix.com/watch/81334870?source=35

CONCLUSION

Filipino films have made a name for themselves in the film industry in all genres. The Philippines' special touch has resulted in excellent films that anyone can relate to and enjoy. My top five Filipino films of all time are Seven Sundays, Hello, Love, Goodbye, Four Sisters and a Wedding, The Hows of Us, and Kita Kita. These films will make you fall in love while also inspiring you. I hope that my list helps you experience a good quality Filipino film that the Philippines has to offer!

 What movie captured your interest?

[madamebaggio]

THE FLEET IS COMPLETE!

As I’ve said, now we have our 50 ships and there won’t be any new ships, but still many more adventures.

Our complete list is:

Robb Stark (Game of Thrones) X Arthur Pendragon (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) 

Tauriel (The Hobbit) x Valkyrie (MCU)

Napoleon Solo (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) X Miriam “Midge” Maisel (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) X Diana Prince (Wonder Woman)

Vortigern Pendragon (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) x Sansa Stark (Game of Thrones)

Erik Lehnsherr (X-Men: First Class) X Susan Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia)

James T. Kirk (Star Trek) X Rey (Star Wars)

Klaus Mikaelson (The Originals) x Kisa | Santanico Pandemonium (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series)

Daisy “Quake” Johnson (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) X Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Kingsman)

Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl) X Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf)

Beverly Marsh (It) x Eleven | Jane Hopper (Stranger Things)

Matt Murdock (Daredevil) X Selina Kyle (Catwoman)

Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf) X Bucky Barnes (MCU)

Natasha Romanoff (MCU) X John Wick (John Wick)

Darcy Lewis (MCU) x Derek Hale (Teen Wolf)

Joseph Dredd (Dredd) x Octavia Blake (The 100)

Maria Hill (MCU) x Merlin (Kingsman)

Thranduil (The Hobbit) X Loki Odinson (MCU)

Steve Rogers (MCU) x Mera (DCU)

Dean Winchester (Supernatural) x Wynonna Earp (Wynonna Earp)

Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) x Clarke Griffin (The 100)

Ravenna (Snow White and the Huntsman) X Morgana (Merlin)

Murphy and Connor MacManus (The Boondock Saints) x Anna Poliatova (Anna)

Frank Martin (The Transporter) x Lorraine Broughton (Atomic Blonde)

Baby Doll (Sucker Punch) x Priest (Priest) 

Gretel (Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters) X Prince Nuada (Hellboy: The Golden Army)

Margaery Tyrell (Game of Thrones) X Roan (The 100)

Maleficent (Maleficent) X Jareth (The Labyrinth)

Dutch (Killjoys) x Leonard McCoy (Star Trek)

Sam Winchester (Supernatural) X Felicity Smoak (Arrow)

Diana Bishop (A Discovery of Witches) x John Constantine (Constantine)

Queen Freya (The Huntsman: Winter’s Wars) x Conan (Conan The Barbarian)

Roxy Morton (Kingsman) x Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons (Agents of the S.H.I.E.L.D.)

Faramir (The Lord of the Rings) x Jon Snow (Game of Thrones)

Lucian (Underworld)  x Tamara (Conan The Barbarian)

Snake Eyes (G.I. Joe) x Katia Von Dees (Hitman Agent 47)

Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn 99) x Kate Kane (Batwoman)

Darth Maul (Star Wars) x Lady Jaye (G.I. Joe)

Hattie Shaw (Hobbs & Shaw) x Jane Kano (Charlie’s Angels)

Face (The A-Team) x Han Cho Bai (Red 2)

Jacob Hood (Eleventh Hour) X Santiago “Pope” Garcia (Triple Frontier)

Selene (Underworld) x Mina Harker (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen)

47 (Hitman) x Elena (Charlie’s Angels)

Dagonet (King Arthur) x Brienne of Tarth (Game of Thrones)

Borra (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) x Catia (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword)

Diaval (Maleficent) x Yennefer (The Witcher)

Sabina Wilson (Charlie’s Angels) x Daphne Kluger (Ocean’s Eight)

Lady Sif (MCU) x Sara (The Huntsman) 

Chris Argent (Teen Wolf) x Madison Maxwell (Dollface)

Frank Castle (The Punisher) x Grace (Ready or Not)

For the end of this month we’ll have the Alternate April, which means all these lovely ships in AU situations.

I’ll follow the list below:

Actor AU

Alien AU

Android AU

Angel/Demon AU

Apocalypse AU

Arranged Marriage AU

Artist AU

Art Student AU

Assassin AU

Athlete AU

Author AU

Babysitter AU

Bakery AU

Ballet AU

Band AU

Bartender/Bar AU

Beach AU

Bodyguard AU

Book Store AU

Bounty Hunter AU

Celebrity AU

CEO/Boss AU

Chef AU

Clothing Shop AU

Club AU

Coffee Shop AU

College AU

Coworker AU

Criminal AU

Cyborg AU

Dancer AU

Detective AU

Doctor AU

Enemies AU

Fake Dating/Engagement/Marriage AU

Fire Fighter AU

Gang AU

Haunted House AU

Hero/Villain AU

High School AU

Hogwarts AU

Hospital AU

Jedi AU

Lawyer AU

Library AU

Mafia AU

Magic AU

Mechanic AU

Medieval AU

Mermaid AU

Military AU

Model AU

Modern AU

Musician AU

Neighbor AU

Ninja AU

Office AU

Officer (Police) AU

O/B/A AU

Paranormal Investigator AU

Pirate AU

Road Trip AU

Room Mate AU

Rival AU

Royalty AU

Scientist AU

Soulmate AU

Space AU

Spy AU

Star Trek AU

Street Racing AU

Stripper AU

Student AU

Tattoo Shop AU

Teacher AU

Thief AU

Undercover Cop AU

Vacation AU

Vampire/Vampire Hunter AU

Veterinarian AU

Wedding Planner AU

Werewolf AU

Wild West AU

Witch AU

Wizard AU

Now... If you want to choose a AU for your favorite ship, let me know the name of the ship and the AU here in the comments.

Be daring, choose something completely out of the ordinary for the ships.

I’ll see you at the end of the month.

[cbcdiversity]

Author Spotlight: Aida Salazar

What are your literary influences?

My literary influences come from disparate sources. I studied a wide variety of theory in college and graduate school — everyone from Roland Barthes to Judith Butler to Gloria Anzaldua and Cherrie Moraga to Bell Hooks to Mikail Baktin to Subcomandante Marcos. I also read poetry voraciously including everyone from Waslowa Simbroska to Lorna Dee Cervantes, Audre Lorde, Rumi, Wole Soyinka, Juan Felipe Herrera. I was marveled by the fiction of Milan Kundera, Arundati Roy, Elena Poniatowska and all of the Latin American magical realists – Asturias, Garcia Marquez, Allende, Esquivel. But also, American writers such as Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Helena Maria Viramontes, Ana Castillo, Julia Alvarez and Christina Garcia. I was drawn to authors from the margin almost exclusively. In a sense, I created my own canon in this way.

It wasn’t until I became a mother that I truly started reading children’s literature. My children and I found an oasis in our weekly visits to the library. In Oakland, we are fortunate to have a comprehensive Spanish language collection at the Cesar Chavez Library and we often checked out the forty-book limit! However, many of the books were authored by non Latinx writers and were translated into Spanish. While these books served to reinforce the Spanish language in our family, I saw the huge lack of writings from Latinx creators. I wanted to be a part of filling that gap. I wanted for my children to not only see their language reflected in books but their cultures and their sensibilities. That is why I always praise the work of those Latinx authors who forged the way so that new Latinx kidlit authors could have a seat at the table. We stand on the shoulders of giants and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention their work. Authors such as Pura Belpre, Gary Soto, Sandra Cisneros, Alma Flor Ada, Pat Mora, Carmen Lomas Garza, Francisco X. Alarcon, Juan Felipe Herrera, and Victor Martinez really set the stage for us to be able to tell our stories to young audiences too.

What was the first book you read where you identified with one of the characters?

As a young child, I didn’t understand that I was missing in the narratives of books that I read. I loved Judy Blume. I loved Shell Silverstein. I loved Encyclopedia Brown and Choose Your Own Adventure books. I connected to those books by default, in a similar way that I connected to mass media that also didn’t include me in their blond-haired blue-eyed middle-class, English-only narratives. There was no other option. It wasn’t until I was eighteen and in college that I enrolled in a Latino (we called it that back then) literature course that I saw myself reflected in a book. I remember reading the short story “My Lucy Friend That Smells Like Corn,” in Sandra Cisneros’ Woman Hollering Creek and feeling a moment that I can only describe as grace. I realized that I had been missing in almost everything I had read up until that point. My experiences were alive and validated in that story. It was exhilarating.

Did that experience lead you to want to write books for readers with diverse backgrounds?

I was so inspired by reading all of the books in that Latino literature class. It was an awakening not only to the world of Latinx literature but to the possibility that I too could be a writer. I had been writing poetry and stories since I was a young teenager but those writings remained in my notebooks and journals. After reading their work, I began to take myself seriously and began to understand the writing that lived in my heart could be something I could aspire to do as a living someday. However, my awakening is one that should have not taken eighteen years and I want to be part of making sure that doesn’t happen to other children.  

Your characters in The Moon Within have interesting intersections. Could you speak to why this was important to build into your book?

I did this intentionally. My children are multi-racial and bi-cultural like two of the characters, Celi and Iván. It is not uncommon to see many different mixed children in the San Francisco Bay Area where we live. I find it beautiful how they navigate multiple cultures – sometimes with a sense of wonder and pride and sometimes with neglect or shame and every feeling in between. It’s complicated and certainly isn’t always seamless given so much discussion over racial and cultural purity that is happening today. Through those characters, I wanted to show this negotiation, how they deal with these fusions. I wanted to show readers what it might look like for someone to celebrate and embrace all of who they are. Similarly, I wanted to show with the gender fluid character, Marco, the intersectionality of his identity as a gender fluid Mexican that happens to be in love with playing bomba (a Afro-Puertorican form of music). It was important to show readers that we could be queer and Mexican, Black Puerto Rican Mexican, and Black and Mexican. The range of identities are part of the beauty of who they are, and serve to strengthen and not weaken them. 

Music infuses the whole world of The Moon Within …can you speak a little on that, a little on what role music plays in your own life?

Ironically, I am not a musician though I have a good ear and I love to dance. I am married to a musician and there has not been one day in the eighteen years since we’ve been together when we did not engage in some way with music – listening, playing, singing, dancing or just being in a house filled with instruments and an extraordinary recorded music collection. Our children were naturally born into this environment and took to music right away. I realized that this was a unique experience and that it could be a wonderful world to explore in this book. I wanted to normalize music and the arts as a way of life but also, wanted to inspire readers to seek out the arts as a way to find agency as the children in the book did through traditional music and dance. These are superpowers that unfortunately, with the cutting of the arts for decades now, we don’t have access to as much.

I made a playlist on Spotify that includes all of the styles of music that inspired The Moon Within – bomba, indigenous Mexican music, Caribbean music, and lots of moon related songs in Spanish and in English. It can be found here: https://spoti.fi/2FSnZgM . I hope that you enjoy it!

This Author Spotlight appeared in the April 2019 issue of the CBC Diversity Newsletter. To sign up for our monthly Diversity newsletter click here. 

Aida Salazar is a writer, arts advocate, and home-schooling mother who grew up in South East LA. She received an MFA in Writing from the California Institute of the Arts, and her writings have appeared in publications such as the Huffington Post, Women and Performance: Journal of Feminist Theory, and Huizache Magazine. Her short story, By the Light of the Moon, was adapted into a ballet by the Sonoma Conservatory of Dance and is the first Xicana-themed ballet in history. Aida lives with her family of artists in a teal house in Oakland, CA.

[robotarmsapts]

Book Recommendation: Been There, Done That(writing stories from real life). Authors: Multiple. Edited by Mike Wenchell.

It’s a collection of short stories that are inspired by/based on real events in the authors lives. The book shows you how the writers took those and used them in their writing with a short story. The book works so the authors recounts the event then it’s followed with the short story that event is based on/inspired by.

There is a delightful variety of stories and genres, so something for everyone. And I think it makes for a nice teaching book as well. The stories are good reads, but is also educational to see exactly how they created what they did. You can also get some decent writing advice in here as well. As a bonus, it’s also a way to sample writing from authors you may not have heard of before.

The stories and authors are divided into sections: Follow The Leader: The Push and Pull of Peer Pressure. Gary D. Schmidt - Caroline Starr Rose - Alan Lawrence Sitomer - Claire Legrand If Only... Dealing With Regret, Guilt and Sadness. Julia Alvarez - Linda Sue Park - Lisa Yee I Can’t Believe You Did That! Being Surprised at What Some People Do. Chris Rylander - Dee Garretson - Nathan Hale

Sacrifice: Putting Others First. Matthew J. Kirby - Tracy Edward Wymer -Jane Yolen - Heidi E. Y. Stemple - Then Jane and Heidi have a collaboration story at the end in this section.

Why or Why Not? Asking Questions About The World Around You. Adam Rex - Margarita Engle - Kate Messener

Things Will Never be The Same: Dealing With Change. Rita Williams-Garcia - Grace Lin - Karen Cushman.

This is one of those books where some of the stories just either hit home or stick with you for varying reasons. I got my copy at a local Dollar Tree. It’s easily worth more than a dollar(usd) though. It’s a good read and worth your time to check it out.

[katsbookcornerreads]

🥀COVER REVEAL & SERIES ANNOUNCEMENT— + $25 Amazon GC Giveaway🥀 Title: Tainted Series: Saint Cecilia Slayings #1 Author: N. Isabelle Blanco & Dee Garcia Genre: Dark Romance/Crime Thriller Cover Design: Black Widow Designs Release Date: March 26, 2019 🥀BLURB And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. - Mark 7:20-23 The streets of Boston are running red with blood. It isn’t the first time, either. Forget the history of this city; it’s what happened nearly nine-years-ago that continues to haunt us all. Especially me. They say obsessions can destroy you. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s a fact. A serial killer played games with us once, leaving our heads spinning. I chased them down, threw my whole life into chaos. From the very first kill, I was there. Watching. Analyzing. Losing myself. My career nearly ended before it ever began. Then, suddenly, the killer vanished. Gone into the shadows. Never to be heard from again. Until now. They’re back, fiercer and bolder than ever. An obsession reawakened that threatens my sanity and leads me towards a collision with a new fixation. One more dangerous. One much more vile. She’s everything my religion warns man to stay away from—the quintessential temptress sent to ruin our lives. I thought the case would be what ended me. Turns out, I’d sell my soul for just another taste of her. 🥀GOODREADS LINK: http://bit.ly/stcecilia1gr 🥀TRAILER http://bit.ly/taintedyoutube 🥀SERIES ANNOUNCEMENT Coming Soon! #2 Corrupted – Releasing April 2019 Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/stcecilia2gr #3 Depraved – Releasing May 2019 Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/stcecilia3gr #4 Coveted – Releasing June 2019 Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/stcecilia4gr #5 Possessed – Releasing July 2019 Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/stcecilia5gr #6 Exalted – Releasing August 2019 Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/stcecilia6gr 🥀TO ENTER FOR THE GIFTCARD, LIKE, COMMENT, AND SHARE THIS POST. ***Giveaway ends 1 week from today. FB not responsible—visit Author Dee Garcia for another chance to enter! 🥀EXTRA GIVEAWAY: For a chance to win one of 10 eARCs of Tainted, join N. Isabelle’s and Dee’s Facebo https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu9ABymAk3e/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=dmwz82999zuk

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

DISSENT: A Charity Romance Anthology is LIVE!

#1ClickHere

For National Read a Book day, DISSENT will be releasing in eBook and paperback!

DISSENT is a charity romance anthology with NEW, never before published content from over 150 authors of all romance genres. All proceeds from the eBook and paperbacks will be donated to organizations benefiting reproductive rights in the United States, particularly in areas where people need them more than ever.

Dissent will only be available for a very limited time, so grab your copy today!

**We are not affiliated nor endorsed by any of these charities. We are simply a community bound by a single cause: protecting the basic human right of body autonomy.**

AUTHORS INCLUDE: Brighton Walsh | Nicole French | Kennedy Fox | A.M. Roark | A.R. Hall | Aarti V Raman | Aidy Award | Alexis Anne | Amanda Richardson | Amelia Wilde | Amie Knight | Amy Quinton | Anna Michael | Aria Wyatt | Ashley Lane | Autumn Jones Lake | B. Celeste | Blair Babylon | Brenda St John Brown | Brenna Aubrey | Bri Blackwood | Cara Dee | Carmen Jenner | C.L. Matthews | Cassie Graham | Celia Kyle | Charity Ferrell | Claire Wilder | Claudia Burgoa | Dakota Willink | Dani René | Daniela Romero | Dee Garcia | Dee Lagasse | Deidre-Ann Anderson | Donna Grant | Echo Grayce | Elena Aitken | Elle Thorpe | Ellis Leigh | Emily Colin | Emily Goodwin | Erica Alexander | Erin Parisien | Eva Charles | Eva Moore | Evelyn Adams | Glenna Maynard | H.D. Carlton | Haley Jenner | Heidi McLaughlin | Holly Mortimer | Hope Jones | Ines Johnson | Iris Morland | J. Saman | J. Sterling | J.H. Croix | J.L. Beck & C. Hallman | J.M. Walker | Jane Blythe | Janet Berry | Jasmin Miller | JD Hollyfield | Jen Stevens | Jenika Snow | Jenna Hartley | Jenna Lynn | Jennifer Sucevic | Jessica Florence | Jillian Liota | Julia Kent | Kait Nolan | Kat Latham | Kat Savage | Kate Canterbary | Kate King and Jessa Wilder | Kate Meader | Kathy Coopmans | K.B. Cinder | K.D. Proctor | Kelly Maher | Kim Loraine | Kym Grosso | Lainey Davis | Laramie Briscoe | Laura Hall | Laura Lee | Lauren Stewart | Lea Coll | Len Webster | Lili Valente | Linnea May | Lisa Shelby | Lissanne Jones | Lucy Lennox | Mary Ann Marlowe | Max Henry | Megan Ryder | Melissa Andrea | Melissa Marino | Melonie Johnson | Mia Harlan | Mignon Mykel | Molly O’Hare | Monica Corwin | Morgan Jane Mitchell | N.A. Moore | Natasha Raulerson | Nicole Blanchard | Nina Levine | Pamela DuMond | Patricia D. Eddy | Persephone Autumn | R.L. Kenderson | Rachel Brookes | Raven James | Rebecca Paula | Rebecca Yarros | Regina Kyle | R. Castro | Roxie Noir | S. Cinders | Sade Rena | Saffron A. Kent | Samantha Lind | Sarah M. Cradit | Scarlett Cole | S.E. Rose | Shaw Hart | Sydney St. James | S.J. Sylvis | Skye Alder | Stephanie Anne | Suzanne Baltsar | Sylvie Stewart | T.K. Leigh | Tabatha Vargo | Tamara Lush | Taryn Quinn | Tawna Fenske | T. Gephart | Toni Aleo | Tracy Krimmer | Tricia Lynne | Trish Milburn | V.F. Mason | V.L. Souders | Vanessa Booke | Vivian Wood | Zoe Ashwood | Zoe York

#newrelease #anthology #needtoreaditnow #readyourheartout #wildfiremarketingsolutions

[richincolor]

New Releases

Happy early book birthday to the following books out this week:

Redemptor (Raybearer #2) by Jordan Ifueko [Out August 17] For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar’s throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities.

Tarisai is determined to survive. Or at least, that’s what she tells her increasingly distant circle of friends. Months into her shaky reign as empress, child spirits haunt her, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire.

With the lives of her loved ones on the line, assassination attempts from unknown quarters, and a handsome new stranger she can’t quite trust . . . Tarisai fears the pressure may consume her. But in this finale to the Raybearer duology, Tarisai must learn whether to die for justice . . . or to live for it. [Image and summary via Goodreads]

(Me) Moth by Amber McBride [Out August 17] Moth has lost her family in an accident. Though she lives with her aunt, she feels alone and uprooted. Until she meets Sani, a boy who is also searching for his roots. If he knows more about where he comes from, maybe he’ll be able to understand his ongoing depression. And if Moth can help him feel grounded, then perhaps she too will discover the history she carries in her bones.

Moth and Sani take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors. The way each moves forward is surprising, powerful, and unforgettable. Here is an exquisite and uplifting novel about identity, first love, and the ways that our memories and our roots steer us through the universe. [Image and summary via Goodreads]

Cazadora (Wolves of No World #2) by Romina Garber [Out August 17] In Cazadora, the follow-up to Lobizona, Romina Garber continues to weave Argentine folklore and real-world issues into a haunting, fantastical, and romantic story that will reunite readers with Manu and her friends as they continue to fight for a better future. [Image and summary via Goodreads]

Empress of Flames (The Girl King, #2) by Mimi Yu [Out August 19] Princess Lu knows that the throne of the Empire of the First Flame rightfully belongs to her. After all, she is the late Emperor’s firstborn and has trained for the role all her life. And she can’t forget made a promise to shapeshifter Nok, the boy she came to love, to win justice for his now powerless people. But even with an army at her side, Lu will need to face down a major obstacle: the current sitting Empress, her once beloved younger sister, Min.

Princess Min used to live in Lu’s shadow. But now she can control a powerful, ancient magic, and she’s determined to use it to forge her own path and a strong future for the Empire, even if that means making enemies in court. But Min’s magic isn’t entirely under her control, and she must learn how to tame it before it consumes her . . . and the entire realm.

Lu and Min are set for a confrontation that can’t be stopped. But the Empire faces threats greater than their rivalry, and even if they choose to stand together, it could cost them both the throne-or their lives. [Image and summary via Goodreads]

The Upper World (The Upper World #1) by Femi Fadugba [Out August 19] ‘Believing is seeing, Esso . . .' Esso is running out of time and into trouble. When he discovers he has the ability to see glimpses of the future, he becomes haunted by a vision of a bullet fired in an alleyway with devastating consequences.

A generation later, fifteen-year-old Rhia is desperately searching for answers – and a catastrophic moment from the past holds the key to understanding the parents she never got to meet. Whether on the roads of South London or in the mysterious Upper World, Esso and Rhia’s fates must collide. And when they do, a race against the clock will become a race against time itself . . . [Image and summary via Goodreads]

Living Beyond Borders: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in America by Margarita Longoria [Out August 21] Twenty stand-alone short stories, essays, poems, and more from celebrated and award-winning authors make up this YA anthology that explores the Mexican American experience. With works by Francisco X. Stork, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, David Bowles, Rubén Degollado, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Diana López, Xavier Garza, Trinidad Gonzales, Alex Temblador, Aida Salazar, Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Sylvia Sanchez Garza, Dominic Carrillo, Angela Cervantes, Carolyn Dee Flores, René Saldaña Jr., Laura Perez, Justine Narro, Daniel García Ordáz, and Anna Meriano.

In this mixed-media collection of short stories, personal essays, poetry, and comics, this celebrated group of authors share the borders they have crossed, the struggles they have pushed through, and the two cultures they continue to navigate as Mexican American. Living Beyond Borders is at once an eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and hopeful love letter from the Mexican American community to today’s young readers. [Image and summary via Goodreads]

[bisexualgoddess1031]

✨ＰＡＰＥＲＢＡＣＫ　ＵＰＤＡＴＥＳ✨ LOVE, NOT WAR paperbacks are LIVE on Amazon. All proceeds will go to Ukraine Crisis Fund. This charity is only available until June 24th, so make sure you grab your copy today! . ONE CLICK ➜ https://books2read.com/LOVENOTWARCHARITYANTHO . PARTICIPATING AUTHORS: A.R. HALL CASSIA BRIAR DEE GARCIA EMERY LEANN & ELIZABETH ST JOHN HAZEL GRACE JEN STEVENS JENSEN REED KATHERINE MOORE M. JAMESON M.R. LEAHY N.M. BLACK SARA A. MOSIER SAVANNAH SLOAN SUKI WILLIAMS SUMMER O’TOOLE YOLANDA OLSON #lgbtq #fiction #anthology #ukraine #ukrainecharity #ukrainecrisisfund #indie #indieauthors #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #romancewritersofinstagram #romancewriters #genrefiction https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd7c2q_udAf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=