#TheVixen Welcomes Author Amber Lea Easton as She Reveals the Cover of Her Memoir #FreeFall

Welcome once again to Sassy Vixen Publishing. I'm Tammy Dennings Maggy aka "The Vixen" and the Mistress of Ceremonies for today's cover reveal. I'm honored to be able to celebrate with my friend and fellow author Amber Lea Easton. Her memoir Free Fall was a difficult book for her to write. You see, Amber lost her husband and father of her children to suicide years before I met her.  After she told me just a bit of her struggle, I was beyond amazed at how she's made it through. Her strength, poise and sheer determination to be both mother and father to her two children and continue her career as a writer have inspired me to keep going forward toward my own dreams.  Here is the beautiful cover of her book. It should be available the beginning of August.

As I've said on my sister blogs (as my alter egos!) my worst fear is my husband being taken from me. When you say those words "always and forever" during your wedding vows, you mean it. When your soul mate is ripped away from you and your life together...well, I just don't want to think about it.  Amber didn't have that luxury. She lived it with her kids, sometimes one hour at a time.  Here's the blurb from her book to explain a bit more.


One moment is all it takes to change a life forever.  In one instant—in my husband's final act—he stripped away my identity as wife, stay at home mom, and best friend.  In one moment our world crumbled from beneath our feet. He'd been the center of our universe, but then he was gone.  Everything I ever believed to be true unraveled before my eyes.  

Free Fall is our journey of piecing our lives back together again—overcoming children's anxiety as we traversed the brutal grief and trauma process, learning to say the word "widow" without cringing, surviving the fall out from friends and family who simply didn't understand our journey, triumphing over the stigma of "suicide", forgiving my husband, and finding peace amidst chaos.


This memoir is for other widows, widowers, survivors of suicide, children, or loved ones who need encouragement that there is another side to grief. There is. We're there now. We're looking back and holding our hands out to you saying, "hang in there, you're not alone, and you'll get here, too." 

About the Author

Amber Lea Easton is a multi-published cross genre author of romantic suspense, action adventure, mystery thrillers. Her current releases cross all boundaries and appeal to a wide audience. If you love a clever plot, action that will leave you breathless, riveting characters and sexy love scenes, her books will appeal to you. "Smart is sexy," Easton says, which is why she focuses on smart heroines who always have a lot to lose yet find the courage to face their fears to overcome adversity. She's an avid reader of all genres or "whatever turns her on in the moment".

Easton grew up in Hartford, South Dakota, where she spent her time daydreaming of big adventures over the horizon under a giant blue South Dakota sky. Now living in Colorado, she's an avid traveler who incorporates her real life travels into her novels as much as possible (minus the illegal activities her characters become immersed in--she swears). To her, setting is another character in the novel and often serves as an inspiration. Love is her motivation for all things--whether it be writing, traveling, playing with her dogs or hanging with her two teenagers--if it's not done with love, then what's the point?

Where to Find Amber

Website

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#OhMyMonday: Author Grinelda Markowitz and Her Moon-Kissed Chi Book Tour #eroticfiction #fantasy

Welcome to Sassy Vixen's Oh My! Monday. I'm The Vixen and your host for today's festivities.  Today we're welcoming author Grinelda Markowitz and her novel The Moon-Kissed Chi. It's her very first e-published book of erotic fiction and the first book of her Kalaydan Chronicles series.  So without further adieu...

Blurb 

From the quirkiness of her daughter to the equine escapades of Bezhyanya (her sworn bedmate) and Grayt (her serving woman), Arrinay, ruler of Kalaydan, is faced with many concerns throughout her day which she handles with grace, poise and dignity.  Will she be able to meet the challenges to come?

In the City of Kalaydan, Arrinay and Bezhyanya, the senior members of the ruling family, are faced with the early maturation of their daughter, Gayadnae.  She must start the training.  It’s Kalaydan law.  Their daughter has other ideas.  After concocting a plan to avoid responsibility and almost succeeding in carrying it out, Gayadnae’s life takes an unexpected turn.  Grayt, the ever-present serving woman to Arrinay, fills many roles and has her fingers in a number of pies.  There’s definitely more to her than is apparent on the surface.  Along with coordinating activities in the Main House, keeping the young mistress in line, and talking to horses, Grayt has a more secret agenda with graver responsibilities.

A hint of trouble on the horizon and other darker activities weave their way through the backdrop of this delightful tale which takes place in the city of Kalaydan.

Excerpt

Upon entering her room, Gayadnae flounced on her bed once the curtain had closed behind her.  She screamed into the mattress and kicked her legs and arms.  Finally, spent, she rolled over and looked up at the ceiling.

Me?  In a robe?  Not on this side of the coldest reaches, ever!

Slowly she sat upright and rose to her feet.

I’ll show them.  If I can get to the Warriors’ Guild and pledge my services, I’ll have immunity from anything they want me to do.

Walking over to the alcove where her clothing was stored, she searched for her battle leathers then yanked the gray leather clothing from the shelf and tossed them on the bed.  She stepped gingerly across the floor, avoiding the stuff strewn about to get to her bathroom and start the water flow in the tub.

I’m going to have to remind Grayt, again, to give my room a going over.

She sprinkled sayoodsy flakes into the stream of hot water.  The flakes bubbled and flowed with the water around the bottom of the tub.  She dropped her clothes on the floor and stepped into the still-filling tub.

Not all of the warrior women have the training.  The ones that do, don’t stopcock.  That’s part of what makes the guild function well in a community of males and females who have no attachments and who are very physical people.  Share and share alike.  I’m sure I’d have more fun anyway.

She leaned back on the tub and sighed, content with her plan.  As the sound of flowing water soothed her mind, she planned her escape.  When she was satisfied she could pull it off, she reached for the container she kept tucked behind all the other jars of scented flakes.  The tub was almost full when she sprinkled a small handful of pawpi flakes under the stream of water.

Just enough to make the evening bearable.

As with each previous time she’d sought an essence dream over the last few mooncycles, she saw him.  He was tall and sylphlike with long, silver-white dreads.  His eyes flashed blue and silver fire.  He had a koq any equine stud would envy.  It stood upright and the head rose above his belly button.  He was well-muscled on a graceful frame and sparkled like crushed glass in the silver moonlight.  He turned as if to leave and started to walk away, then turned again.  His firm, taut buttocks flexed as he turned and walked toward her instead.

“Come with me,” he said as he smiled.

His voice was like the rarely-chill wind which blew across Kalaydan to herald an oncoming storm.  His smile showed sharp, needle-like teeth.

“Do you fear me, my other half?”  He asked.

She nodded then shook her head, then nodded again.  Hesitating at first, she stepped forward gingerly.

“Who are you?”  She asked with a trembling voice.

He stepped forward then retreated quickly as he looked over his shoulder.  Suddenly, he was right before her.

“Remember me.  You must complete me.”

He took her in his arms and kissed her with lips that were neither cold nor hot yet they aroused in her a longing.  She felt his body press against hers.  His pelvis pressed its throbbing member against her belly.  When he stepped back, she was breathless.  She longed to feel more of his touch but he stepped away from her and turned.  As he walked away from her he faded into nothing, leaving a question on her lips.

“How?”

She came out of her trance when she heard Grayt’s voice in the distance.

“Mistress Gayadnae?  Can I help you prepare?”

“Uh, no Grayt.  I’m fine.”

Buy Links

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Amazon

About the Author

Grinelda Markowitz writes erotic fiction across multiple genres. She resides in a galaxy far, far away with a trusty pen, a never-ending supply of paper and a fertile imagination. The Moon-Kissed Chi, her first e-published book in the genre of erotic fiction, is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

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#TGIF @kendallmckenna is Back With Her New #Eroticromance Release The Final Line #manlove #LGBT #Marines

That's right it's FRIDAY and the start of what I hope is a fabulous weekend for everyone and the continuation of the holiday weekend for those of you who had yesterday off for The Fourth of July celebrations. 

In that vein, I'm excited to say I have one of Sassy Vixen's faves back again today. Author Kendall McKenna is a frequent guest here and on our sister blogs because basically she ROCKS. Not only does she write some of the HOTTEST male/male erotic romances I've ever read, she was one of the first authors in this genre that I chose to read. Before her books and those of our mutual friend Tyler Robbins, I had never read any where two males were the love interest pairings. Not that I had anything against it, I just didn't think it would appeal to me. 

I was wrong. So very, very wrong! LOL! Sure the sex is mind blowing, but it's the relationship between the characters that pulled me in from the get go and I haven't left since. Kendall can weave a tale with such detail, you'd think you were living it yourself. I'm not exaggerating here. Don't take my word for it. Sit back and listen to Kendall describe herself and her work and make up your own mind. I'll be right over here with the car running waiting to take you all to the Kindle Store to pick up your own copy of her new one The Final Line (The Recon Diaries 3).

Hello, readers, writers, and all around general lovers of smut! 

My name is Kendall McKenna, I write M/M Erotic Romance novels and novellas. I’m a frequent guest here, and it’s one of my favorite places to visit. 

I had a book release yesterday and guess what? 

I’m baaaaack!

If you have NOT had the pleasure of encountering me and exuberant man-love previously, I write accurate and realistic love stories about United States Marines. When I say realistic, I mean everything, from the way they talk to their combat situations. Mixed in with it all is a love story that’s never easy, but making it work is a part of the characters’ journeys.

Given that I write about U.S. Marines, both active duty and 1st Civ Div, July 4th was the perfect day for my latest title to be released. The Final Line is Book #3 of The Recon Diaries. It’s about an active duty Recon Marine who is not only embroiled in a mystery, but suffering from a fairly severe case of Post Traumatic Stress. 

Blurb

Staff Sergeant Corey Yarwood is an instructor at the Basic Reconnaissance Course. His last deployment ended in horror, but he can’t remember those events. Battling severe PTSD, Corey’s drinking is growing out of control. 

Sean Chandler walks into a dive bar, and into Corey’s life. An actor and a musician, Sean has the empathy and compassion to sooth Corey’s pain, and the strength to support him as he struggles to heal. 

Corey’s lost memories are pivotal to a civilian murder, and a military investigation. Remembering could mean salvation, or destruction. Will the truth be too much for Sean to handle?

I can see you rolling your eyes. What does any of this have to do with fantasies? It sounds like it’s all reality based! Marines, combat, PTS, blech! 


Except that it’s all fantasy! It’s my fantasy of how things could be, should be for active duty military. They don’t experience any hostility or prejudice for being gay. Their friends love, support and accept them. Their problems all work out in their favor. 
Corey, the main character in The Final Line, suffers from PTS. He easily seeks out and receives treatment. It gets in the way of a burgeoning relationship, but they’re both adults and they deal with his issues rationally. Corey experiences some erectile dysfunction, but then he just takes a little blue pill. It’s my fantasy of a nearly perfect world. 

I’m not naïve. I know how things really work. Veterans come back unable to maintain relationships. The VA is so backlogged, they have difficulty getting treatment. Some of the most effective treatments aren’t condoned by the VA, so they’re difficult to access. Here’s the deal, though; if I keep writing stories about the way things should be, and readers become comfortable with it, maybe they’ll come to expect it. If one reader comes face to face with a warrior suffering from PTS and thinks about Corey and extends some compassion to that warrior, instead of turning away, then I’ve been successful. If my story prompts you to make a donation to Battle Buddies, several people win. If a reader finds him or herself in a relationship with a struggling Vet, maybe Corey’s story will make them take a moment to stop, think, and react differently. 

There is also a physical symptom a lot of Vets experience that has a stigma attached: erectile dysfunction. We make jokes about little blue pills, and Corey even acknowledges the misuse of them, but it’s something that we all need to treat with some sensitivity. And Sean makes a mistake in that regard, because he’s human. 

Excerpt

Returning to the bedroom, Corey reached into the side pocket of his ruck. He retrieved the tall bottle of lubricant, a strip of condoms, and the hazel prescription bottle. Corey poured a Viagra into his palm and returned the bottle to his bag. 

Corey tried to be discreet when he returned to the living room and used the last of his soda to wash down the pill. 

“So I’ve got about twenty, thirty minutes to get you turned on?” Sean asked from his seat on the ottoman, running his palms up and down his thighs.

Corey’s heated blood chilled at Sean’s words. That’s what he’d been afraid of. He stepped in front of Sean again. Corey knelt on the ottoman, straddling Sean’s hips. He pressed his stomach to Sean’s warm chest. Sean looked up at him, pupils still blown wide with desire. Corey cradled his head with both hands and looked down into his beautiful eyes. 

“I’m already turned on. I’ve been turned on since I got here. I can’t get any more turned on,” he said slowly and carefully, making sure Sean understood. “My head is fucked up and sometimes it fucks up my body, too. That pill just lets my dick catch up to what my brain already knows.”

Sean frowned as Corey spoke, until understanding smoothed his features. He lifted his arms and wrapped them around Corey’s hips, pressing his face to Corey’s belly. “No, I know that. I’m sorry, I said that all wrong.” Sean placed warm kisses along 
Corey’s stomach, nipping at his hip bones. “I meant that I have some time to lick and suck you, before you get close to coming.”

Corey slid his hands down Sean’s chest until he gripped his rib cage. Sean’s hands slid down to grasp Corey’s ass. Sean turned his face upward again, he looked at Corey with a hungry expression. Corey leaned over and lowered his head. He dragged his tongue over Sean’s lower lip, teasing Sean into responding in kind. 

Corey licked at Sean, rubbed their tongue together and enjoyed 
Sean’s taste. Sean strained upward into and against Corey’s body. He breathed heavily, trying to push their mouths together and eagerly licking his tongue against Corey’s. 

Sean pulled back hastily, his hands coming around to open Corey’s jeans. Reaching into his briefs, Sean gently pulled Corey’s soft cock out into the cooler air. Corey slid off the ottoman and rose to his feet. He gasped when Sean’s warm, wet mouth slid all the way down his length. He carded his fingers through Sean’s soft hair, finally curling his hands into fists. 

He watched Sean suck hard on him, drawing back and stretching Corey’s cock as he did. Sean tongued him, flicking the tip into Corey’s slit and circling around just the head. Sean easily buried his face in the sparse, pale hairs at the base of Corey’s dick and he stayed there, breathing deeply with no effort at all. 

It felt so fucking good. It wasn’t like Corey had expected. It felt like it did when he had a hard-on, but without the same urgency. He enjoyed the feel of himself inside the tight heat of Sean’s mouth, but Corey didn’t have the same overwhelming desire to push his hips forward. 

Sean pulled off and Corey’s flaccid cock hung downward, nestling against the coarse hair. Gently, Sean eased Corey’s ball sac out of his briefs and cradled them. He glanced briefly at Corey’s face, his expression momentarily unguarded. 

Corey didn’t like the pain in Sean’s eyes, knowing he was the reason Sean believed he had failed. Corey used his hands in Sean’s hair to pull his head back. Sean groaned, his neck arching, his eyelids heavy. When Sean’s mouth fell open on his groan, Corey almost forgot what he meant to say. He wanted to press Sean into the ottoman and devour his mouth. 

“That feels so fucking good,” Corey said, keeping his voice low and suggestive. “You have the best mouth, and I love having it on me.”

Sean’s fingers curled tightly into Corey’s hips. Relief colored his expression, but only because Corey was looking for it. “Is there anything you need me to do to help?”

Corey gave in to his urge and leaned down to give Sean a deep, hard kiss. Their lips slid together wetly and Corey pushed his tongue in and licked at Sean’s. Sean moaned into Corey’s mouth, his fingers tightening on Corey’s hips. 

Breaking the kiss with a wet smack, Corey pushed Sean backward onto the ottoman, climbing on top of him and straddling his hips. Corey took one of Sean’s hands and pressed his palm flat to Corey’s chest, beneath his dog tags. “Feel that?” he asked breathlessly. “Feel how you make my heart race?”

Sean nodded silently. 

“Ignore the way my dick is being stubborn,” Corey continued. He dropped down over Sean’s body, his tags falling across Sean’s chest, and fused their mouths. He held Sean’s palm against him, both hands wrapped around Sean’s wrist. 

And that’s some insight into my perfect fantasy world! But have fun fantasies, too! Did anyone read my fetish post on one of the other blogs? Two words…DOG TAGS!




Free of his clothing, Sean planted his feet flat on the ottoman and let his thighs fall open enticingly. Corey smiled at him, fully aware of what Sean was doing. He knelt on the floor, reaching between Sean’s legs and gripping his waist firmly. Sean wrapped his hands around Corey’s wrists. 

When he leaned over to lick at each of Sean’s hip bones, Corey’s tags fell between Sean’s thighs and lay against his semi-hard cock. Corey gripped them and flicked them over his shoulder so they rested against his own back. 

“That’s okay, but don’t you fucking dare take those things off,” Sean gasped fiercely, his hips pushing upward into Corey. 

Corey looked up at Sean in surprise. He was used to being asked to remove them because they were always in the way. Sean’s adamant demand that Corey leave his tags on made his chest tighten. He’d thought he’d never find such easy acceptance from anyone except another Marine. 

Smiling at Sean, Corey lowered his head and nuzzled at the musk-scented hair at the base of Sean’s cock. He felt it twitch against his cheek, filling just a little more with blood. Corey fumbled around, searching for the bottle of lube. His fingers closed around it and he opened the lid with a soft click. He slicked a single finger of one hand. 

You can read more about The Final Line, as well as the first two books in The Recon Diaries, at my website: www.kendallmckenna.com. You’ll find buy links, as well as links to Facebook and Twitter.

Now for the FREE STUFF!

Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win an e-book copy of the title of your choice from The Recon Diaries. While The Final Line is #3, it can also stand alone. But you really don’t want to miss Jonah’s and Kellan’s stories!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Witches, #Vampires, and #Sex #OhMy! @TashaBlackstone Continues Her Interview #eroticromance #SirenAuthor

Happy Friday, my sassy ones! I'm The Vixen and one of the hosts here at the Sassy Vixen blog. Today we have a special treat. Fellow Siren author Tasha Blackstone is here to share a smokin' HAWT adult excerpt from her new release Echo in the Night. It's from the Siren Allure imprint and it's labeled as SEXTREME! (fans self). If you don't know what that means, well, let's just say you better have a lover close by when you read it because you will be on FIRE!

But before we get to that, Tasha and I have the second half of her spotlight interview to finish. The first half was on our sister blog Behind Closed Doors on June 29th. Go ahead and read that portion while we get set up for the rest.  Go on. We've got plenty of time.

Are you all caught up now? Excited to learn more about Tasha and her new fantasy paranormal erotic romance? Good. Here we go!

Who inspires you and why? (loved ones, friends, authors, public figures, historical figures, actors, teachers etc)

My family are my biggest inspiration and fans. My mom has always been my cheerleader and as time went on my husband picked up some pom-poms and my kids are always encouraging me. My daughter dreams of the day when my mainstream novel is published and she can tell her friends that her mom is an author. LOL

What inspires you and why? (Art, poetry, music, movie, book, etc. Please share something specific if you like.)

I wish I could say my inspiration comes from something beautiful like a sunset or words of a song, but I’m so all over the place. My brain goes through the what-if scenario with just about everything. I once got a text from my best friend that vaguely said “Coming over, need to talk”. I ran through about twenty different scenarios in the 5 minutes that it took for her to get to my house. My mom laughed and told me that it’s no wonder I am a writer because she would have never come up with half the shit that I did. 

Besides reading and writing, what activities do you enjoy in your leisure time?

In addition to writing, I’m also an artist. I love to draw and paint, hell I’m even known to break out a coloring book and my ‘not for kids’ box of perfectly sharpened crayons. I also love to wire wrap jewelry and on occasion, I’ll even partake in a cross-stitching pattern. 

In one or two sentences, give the core premise behind your story.

Echo has struggle to move on with life after the death of Charlie, but when Henry makes an offer on the house she has never seen that Charlie bought for her, she is forced to face her past head on. Little did she know that not only would she find the home she’d been missing within the walls of the house, but she would also find the one man who could remind her how to live again. 

When and where does your book take place?

Echo in the Night is set in the Pacific Northwest during modern day. 

How does the time and setting weave into the plot and persona of the characters?

I really wanted the setting to be a place that Echo could let her guard down, open up and show vulnerability so I chose Central Oregon because it is as close to God’s country as possible. Nature combined with modern amenities, there’s always something going on and everywhere you look, you see breathtaking scenery. 

Who is the heroine? 

Echo Abbot, a Witch coming into her powers who was born from a long line of Vampire Hunters.

What drives her?

Really, the driving factor for Echo is truth. She is so sick of lies and façade that she simply wants the truth, and she really doesn’t care what the truth is. 

What is she running away from (literally or figuratively)?

She’s been running from heartbreak for a long time. Charlie was the love of her life and when he died, a piece of her died with him. She has spent years avoiding confronting her past and the loss.

What obstacles will she encounter in this story?

Her biggest obstacle is acceptance. She didn’t know that she was a Witch or that Vampires were real so as she stumbles along her way, she has to accept that these things are real and find a way to integrate them into her everyday life, casting disbelief and judgment aside. 

What does she need to learn to make the happy ending possible?

She needs to learn how to trust again and that even though everything she spent her life believing in has all been a lie, it’s okay to take a chance and put herself out there again. Not everyone will lie to you and not everyone will hurt you.

Wow! This sounds simply de-LISH already but I'm sure you all want to find out a bit more before heading on over to get your own copy. In the first part of this interview you were treated to a story excerpt and now here's the ADULT EXCERPT as promised. Trust me. You'll be saying a hell of a lot more than OH MY! by the time you've finished. ;)

ADULT EXCERPT

“Head down, love, and spread your legs for me—I want to see how wet you are.”

She obliged, pressing her head deep in the overstuffed comforter and spreading her legs wide. She could feel Henry hovering over her pussy as he took a deep breath and inhaled her arousal before she felt his tongue trail along the length of her pussy lips. She moaned into the bed and wiggled her ass at him, eager for him to take her fully into his mouth. His hands spread her cheeks apart and his tongue teasingly trailed along her slit again. 

“Tell me what you want, love.”

“I want you,” she moaned. 

He gripped her cheeks tighter and she heard an animallike growl rumble from his gut.

“Yes—and?”

“I want you, Henry! I want you to devour my pussy and make me come!”

“Good girl.” His mouth was suddenly pressed firmly to her, caressing his lips around her pussy lips, tongue pushing deep into her body.

She cried out into the blanket and bucked her hips, pushing against him, eager to feel him as deep as he could be. His tongue wiggled around, licking around in circles, flicking in and out. He dragged it up her slick fold, lapping at her leaking juices as he pushed her hips forward revealing her hidden clit. Her nub pulsed and tingled in wait, and when his tongue teased the tip, she cried out louder, her need controlling her vocals. He continued to flick across her clit, building up her orgasm to the point that she could barely control it. When he sucked the sensitive nub in between his lips, she was done. Her hips seized as the walls of her pussy clenched in response to the ache and pleasure that now flooded her body. As he sucked hard on her clit, draining her of every electrifying surge, her juices flowed down her slit, drenching her. Her body relaxed and Henry continued to dine on her, lapping at her nectar, licking and sucking at her lips, drinking in every last drop that her body released. When her pussy was spent, he flipped her onto her back. His lips glistened with her juices and he dragged his tongue, cleaning up the last bit that had been smeared over his mouth, as he unzipped his trousers and let them fall to the floor, revealing his dick pushing hard against the fabric of his boxer briefs. 

Nervous excitement filled her as her eyes fell to his cock. Even hidden he was huge. 

His fingers slid between the band and his waist and he slid the boxer briefs down over his hips, his dick springing to life, pre-cum glistening at the slit. 

“Oh my gawd,” she whispered. 

He looked to be a generous eight or nine inches with impressive girth, veins etched along the shaft, skin pulled tight like satin over steel, his mushroomed head purple with need. 

“I’ll be gentle,” he promised.

About the Author

New to publishing, but not new to writing, Tasha Blackstone has been spinning tales ever since she was a little girl with an overwhelming imagination. She has spent her life weaving stories, but found a love of romance back in high school when she filled her time writing fantasy love stories for friends and classmates. Though she only writes part time for now, she hopes to someday be able to write full time. When she isn’t pounding away at the keyboard, Tasha spends her time with her best friend/husband, her three teenaged kids, and her two drama queen dogs. Life is busy, overwhelming, and hectic at times, but it’s all worth it. During the late night hours, when all is quiet, you can find her working on her next work-in-progress or curled up with a good book and bottle of tequila. Yes tequila, she hates wine! 

Where to Find Tasha and Her Work

Website/blog 

Facebook 

Twitter

Goodreads 

Amazon author page 

Siren Author Page