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Melissa
Melissa
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Release Blitz: Christmas in the Shadows by J.A. Owenby
CHRISTMAS IN THE SHADOWS
J.A. Owenby
Release Date: November 11
Meet J.A. Owenby:
International bestselling author J.A. Owenby grew up in a small backwoods town in Arkansas where she learned how to swear like a sailor and spot water moccasins skimming across the lake.
She finally ditched the south and headed to Oregon. The first winter there, she was literally blown away a few times by ninety mile an hour winds and storms that rolled in off the ocean.
Eventually, she longed for quiet and headed up to snowier pastures. She now resides in Washington state with her hot nerdy husband and cat, Chloe (who frequently encourages her to drink). She spends her days coming up with ways to torture characters in a way that either makes you want to throw your book down a flight of stairs or sob hysterically into a pillow.
J.A. Owenby writes new adult and romantic thriller novels. Her books ooze with emotion, angst, and twists that will leave you breathless. Having battled her own demons, she’s not afraid to tackle the secrets women are forced to hide. After all, the road to love is paved in the dark.
Her friends describe her as delightfully twisted. She loves fan mail and wine. Please send her all the wine.
Connect with J.A. Owenby:
Blurb:
Twelve days of Christmas. Zero days of mercy.
One, two, he’s coming for you.
Christmas has always been about family.
Then he decided to make mine part of his game.
Twelve days until Christmas. Nine gifts on his list.
Three, four, blood on the floor.
Every box arrives wrapped in ribbon, addressed to
someone my little lamb loves and filled with the
one thing that can still destroy them.
Five, six, his dirtiest tricks.
A memory he stole.
A secret he kept.
A wound he knows exactly how to reopen.
Seven, eight, seal your fate.
He calls himself the Pied Piper.
He thinks he can pull every person Ella fought
to save back into the darkness they crawled out of.
Nine, ten, I’ll make him beg for the end.
He forgot who he’s playing with.
I’m Death. I’ve spent years teaching monsters what happens
when they touch what’s mine.
Eleven, twelve, I am his personal hell.
I have until Christmas morning to cut the strings before he tears
my family apart. Because if I fail, he won’t just take her from me.
He’ll make sure she watches everyone she loves fall first.
I’m not running out of patience.
I’m running out of mercy.
Christmas in the Shadows is a pitch-black Christmas dark romance featuring a possessive serial-killer vigilante, obsessive devotion, touch-her-and-die protection, a found family under siege, twisted gifts, buried secrets, psychological suspense, vengeance, and a countdown to Christmas morning.
Christmas in the Shadows is Book 5 in the Shadows series and is NOT a standalone. It is highly recommended to read Books 1–4 first due to significant spoilers.
Buy Link:
https://readerlinks.com/l/5478555
Available in Kindle+
Release Blitz & Giveaway: It's All About Love by Cynthia Hilston
Women's Fiction / Historical Fiction / Romance
Date Published: 11-10-2026
San Francisco, 1967. The Summer of Love promises radical freedom—but for
twenty-year-old Juliette, it becomes a dangerous trap.
Desperate
to escape her conventional family, Juliette shocks her parents by announcing
her engagement to David, a long-haired free spirit. When her father,
Tristan—a famous novelist harboring a tragic past—vehemently
forbids the union, Juliette acts on impulse. In the dead of night, she climbs
out her window and flees with David to the counterculture epicenter of
Haight-Ashbury.
But beneath the cloud of incense and rock 'n'
roll, independence carries a steep price. As David drifts into a haze of drugs
and broken promises, Juliette’s bohemian dream shatters. Back home, her
flight reopens old wounds. Her fiercely protective mother, Lorna, must help
Tristan confront the shadows of his past as they desperately try to pull their
daughter back from the edge before it's too late.
It’s
All About Love is a poignant coming-of-age story about the fragile line
between rebellion and destruction and the enduring, messy grace of family.
About the Author
Bestselling and award-winning author of the Lorna
& Tristan Series, Cynthia Hilston is a stay-at-home mom of three young
kids, happily married, and lives in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. Writing has
always been like another child to her. After twenty years of waltzing in the
world of fan fiction, she has stepped away to do her debut dance with original
works of fiction, although she still dabbles in fan fiction.
In her spare
time–what spare time?–she devours books, pets her kitties, looks
at the stars, drinks wine or coffee with good friends, and dreams of what
other stories she wishes to tell.
Contact Links
TikTok: @cynthiahilston
Youtube:
@cyndihilston
Purchase Link
Teaser: Siren's Daughter by Autumn Montague
Bacchanal Moonlight Mating Cruises 1
An Urban Fantasy Action Romance
Date Published: November 13, 2026
Publisher: Changeling Press
A wishful siren. A jaded selkie. Can Cassie and Kenta find love on the
Bacchanal Moonrise?
Cassiopeia Thalassus has a problem. Under a strict injunction not to come home until she’s pregnant, she’s been sent on an eight-day matchmaking cruise by her father, Poseidon. The Bacchanal Moonrise has a reputation as the perfect place for a fling -- casual or otherwise. Cassie’s been sent to meet a prince, and she hopes the guy is someone she can fall in love with. The siren with whom she shares a soul, however, is all too willing to settle for anyone, so this prince had better be worth the potential heartache.
Kenta Ōwatatsumi agreed to this date at the encouragement of his oldest brother. Tired of the usual women who only want him for his selkie magic, Kenta is looking for someone who wants him for more than just sex and selkie parlor tricks. His aniki promised him someone different. His first sight of Cassie Thalassus, however, has him questioning his brother’s good sense. Instead of a simple blind date, Kenta’s been tricked into a stud call for a lusty siren. His brother got one thing right, though. Cassie is certainly different from any woman he's ever known.
Excerpt
Copyright ©2026 Autumn Montague
Cassiopeia Thalassus stared at the door in front of her, nibbling at her
dry lips through the waxy taste of sour lychee lip balm and trying to decide
if she could actually go through with this. Youngest daughter of Poseidon,
Princess of the Atlantic, Siren-in-Waiting of the Lady of the Atlantic, all
hail the Princess of the Sea, but she couldn’t knock on a stateroom
door.
What a joke.
Cassie shifted her travel bag to a more comfortable position on her shoulder and considered her options.
One. She could turn around and go back to the rock she shared with her sisters.
Two. She had the wrong stateroom. She could just go back home and say she tried.
Three. She could strip and waltz naked all over the damned ship, charming everyone from the captain on down. At least one out of the hundreds of males on this floating bacchanal should be up for the task. Nothing like a never-ending orgy to get the job done, right?
Four. She could tough it out like she’d promised and put her heart out there yet again, on the off chance something might go right for a change.
Keeping option one on hold for the moment, Cassie focused on option two -- the stateroom. She still had her father’s letter in her hand, so she slipped it from the envelope. As she read it again, her gaze skimmed half-memorized lines.
Cassiopeia,
Your mother is worried about your unwillingness to utilize your abilities to their fullest potential. My darling Selene says it is past time for you to carry on your siren lineage, but all I want is for you to be happy. I’m very proud that you’ve finally made the decision to face your inner self and be the siren you’re meant to be.
I have discussed your situation with an old friend, someone you might remember -- Lord Ōwatatsumi, the Ruler of the Sea of Japan.
Cassie stopped at this passage, trying hard to remember which sea god her father was talking about. She’d met so many over the years that she’d begun to wonder if the value of the title carried any merit at all.
After a moment, she gave up with a sigh. All she could remember was a vague, dark blue shape with a serpentine tail and a Chinese-style mustache. A long mustache, one whose ends she had chased with fascination as they bobbed on the surface of the Mediterranean somewhere near Crete. She shook the memory away and continued.
We’ve set up a date for you with his son, a powerful demigod who receives regular offerings from the Emperor of Japan. Considering your circumstances, your mother and I feel you need someone strong, and he seems like a perfect fit. I booked the two of you passage on the Bacchanal Moonrise for their Yule tour of the Arctic. Prince Ōwatatsumi will be waiting in the Royal Suite. Dictys will arrange your transportation to the ship.
Your mother sends her love and says you cannot come home until you are pregnant.
With love,
Daddy
P.S. -- I’m sorry to say this, but refusal is no longer an option. You made a vow to your mother, so please don’t do anything that will make my darling Selene unhappy. And by no means should you wear that ugly blue disaster you use to hide your powers.
Eep. She had missed that last line on her first read through. After a glance at her blue sweatsuit, Cassie shrugged. There wasn’t much she could do about it now. Well, she had been the one to declare her resolution to try, if they would just leave her alone afterward.
So. She licked her lips again, tasting the last of the lychee wax, and looked up.
The porter had looked askance at her when she asked about the Royal Suite but had directed her to this blandly beautiful teak door, numbered just like any other first-class stateroom and festooned with fragrant Yule greenery like the rest of the ship. Cassie stared hard at the curvy brass numbers, hoping she had been directed to the wrong stateroom. Said hope did nothing to change the graceful swirl of the 1201 emblazoned on the door.
Damn. She had the right stateroom, so option two was a no-go.
Option three? The ease of it had its appeal, but… no. Just… no. At least, not yet.
That left option one or option four.
Get on with it, child. The siren’s caustic mental voice urged action, and Cassie’s hand lifted at the siren’s direction. She stopped herself from knocking just before her knuckles touched the polished wood.
Cassie considered letting the siren control their shared body to take over the situation. It would be so much easier just to surrender to her siren the way she always did. After all, their incomplete merge was the whole reason Cassie was in this mess to begin with.
No, this incomplete merge is your mother’s fault, girl. The siren’s aggrieved tone suggested she wasn’t any happier than Cassie with their mutual independence. Selene’s ambition has damaged all of her children this way.
All of us? Cassie swallowed, started to ask, then shook the thought away. Right now, the only thing that mattered was whether or not she could go through with this. She had so much at stake. Getting pregnant would mean more than just a casual encounter. It would mean exposing her heart again, but it would also mean freedom from her mother’s demands. After another eternal moment, Cassie sighed, nibbled at her lips a third time, and gave a quick couple of raps. Silence reigned for a split second, and then the knob turned, the door opened, and her chance to run vanished.
Her blind date stood in the doorway, tall enough for his head to brush the lintel of the door. She’d been sent to meet a prince, and boy, did he look the part.
The siren took a good long look and began to salivate mentally.
“It’s not polite to stare.”
The basso rumble rushed over Cassie like a breaking wave, sending an odd electric tingle running along her skin. The unusual sensation vied with a hot flush of embarrassment as she called her attention back to the issue at hand. She knew better than to let her mind wander. Or to give her siren too much free rein.
Cassie’s pulse beat a little faster as her date returned the stare in good measure. Chocolate-brown eyes evaluated her, reaching no good conclusion to judge by the look on his face.
This is her? His expression practically screamed the words.
Cassie supposed she wasn’t much to look at -- she’d taken care to dress down as much as possible. The forbidden blue fleece sweats had served their purpose as she crossed the docks, covering her more obvious attractions and allowing her to move through the boarding crowd with relative peace. Crossing the docks had been hard enough without calling every drunken Yule reveler in sight.
The siren gave her a mental nudge. Time to get it over with.
“I’m Cassie,” she said with an awkward half smile. Despite her caution with dressing, she couldn’t disguise the sultry tones of her voice or dampen pheromones that were as much a part of her as breathing.
He just looked at her with a steady, unflinching gaze, face closed and unreadable except for his eyes. Those widened oh so slightly at the subsonic vibrations in her voice. Even so, he did nothing except to step back with a tiny bow, holding the door open for her to enter.
“Kenta Ōwatatsumi. Please enter.” The deep voice reflected nothing of the lusty confusion Cassie’s subsonic tones should have elicited.
By now, the man should have been a quivering mess of hormones. Cassie’s siren voice usually shot straight through men in a blaze of lusty pleasure, like a heady liqueur. This prince’s lower half should be on fire. Instead, he seemed unconcerned. Almost unaffected.
His odd lack of response made Cassie hesitate. She stood in the entrance of the stateroom, stalling just the tiniest bit. She clutched at the padded strap of her travel bag like a lifeline, wishing she’d taken option one instead. Then the siren took control, and Cassie crossed the threshold in a single flowing step, continuing through the cabin all the way to the bedroom door on the far side of the suite, as far away as possible from the gorgeous hunk of male currently blocking her escape.
“I assume you are my date for tonight?” Confusion filled the prince’s ocean-dark voice as he picked up a crystal tumbler from a decorative stand at the doorway. He idly swirled the dark amber liquid it held, something smelling of cinnamon, nutmeg, and other unidentifiable spices. Wassail, maybe. Well, it was a Yule cruise.
Cassie dumped her bag on the floor beside a black-lacquered chair before turning back to face him. “I suppose I am.” She took a deep breath, inhaling the tangy aroma of the bayberry and holly displays on the low table and matching black-lacquered stepped chest. The heady fragrance of the greenery steadied her nerves.
Time to unleash her darker side, if only for her own protection. Time to pretend to be what she wasn’t, if only for a while. Time to set the stage for her siren to take the lead. “I just didn’t expect Daddy would set me up with a selkie for the Yule revels.” Even the densest sex-crazed male of his race could not miss the sarcastic emphasis.
Awkward silence bloomed in the aftermath of Cassie’s words.
Kenta shut the stateroom door and leaned against it, his handsome face still politely neutral, though his beautiful eyes narrowed at her snide comment. An impressive reddish-gray fur coat hung neatly on the hook behind his head. Judging by the size of that sealskin, he’d mass nearly fifteen hundred pounds in his animal form, larger than any of the shifter seals Cassie had ever met. The faintest clink of rattled ice from the tumbler suggested her words had stung.
What had possessed her father? A selkie, of all things. Some demigod. If she was going to be sold to the highest bidder, Cassie would rather it be someone with real power. No selkie could fill that bill. From what she had heard, their magic was limited to conjuring pretty trinkets and a little bit of luck -- neither of which would do a damn thing to solve her problem.
Nor would it give her date any clue to Cassie’s peculiar nature.
Those dark eyes assessed her again and still found her wanting. “Look -- Cassie, was it? Do you really understand what you’re doing here?” Or who I am?
About the Author
Autumn grew up loving history, mythology, and all things Japanese, not necessarily in that order. This eclectic love affair has bled over into her writing, and her stories are always well spiced with the taste of Japan, strange mythological beasties, or the lords and ladies of the ton. Sometimes all three, leading to dark desires and forbidden loves.
And after all, dangerous passions should lead to uninhibited love.
Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Cover Reveal: Beautifully Broken by Isobel Reed
BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN
Isobel Reed
Release Date: December 1
Isobel was born and raised in London. While she’s a city girl at heart, she loves daydreaming about running away to a charming small town—though she’s not entirely sure her husband and son would share her enthusiasm for the move. When she’s not writing small-town romantic comedies or growing unhealthily attached to the characters in her books, you can find her reading, chasing after her very active toddler, or attempting to channel her inner domestic goddess in the kitchen (with varying degrees of success).
Known for her witty dialogue and swoon-worthy small-town heroes, Isobel signed with Inkspell Publishing in 2021. The following year, she released Love Tools, the first book in her four-book Bluestone Series. In early 2024, she launched Toasted, the debut novel of her seven-book Love Burns Series.
Connect with Isobel Reed:
https://www.instagram.com/isobelreedbooks/
Blurb:
She's the woman he's never been able to say no to; he's the ex-Special Forces soldier she turns to when trouble finds her.
Isla needs a place to crash, just for a little while. She’s not one hundred percent sure, but there’s a good chance her last target is plotting her death. Which isn’t great. With no family, a stubborn refusal to let anyone but her best friend in, and a healthy distrust of men, her options for places to lie low are also pretty limited. Which is how she finds herself on Logan McGuire’s doorstep. The only man who’s ever made her feel safe. Unfortunately for her, he might also be the one with the power to do what others before him couldn’t … break her.
Logan’s time in the Special Forces is long gone; nowadays, he’s nothing but a cowboy. So, when Isla shows up at his ranch looking like the trouble she is, to say he’s surprised is an understatement. He may have had a thing for her when she worked with his team as an unofficial honeytrap, but she’d always been off limits. Now, though, there is no professional code of conduct keeping them apart. And that’s more dangerous than whatever it is she’s running from.
Beautifully Broken is a spicy, small-town rom com where a former target gives two wounded souls their shot at happily ever after. Perfect for fans of forced proximity romances with quick-witted banter, and enough chemistry to burn through your e-reader.
Please note that Isobel Reed writes different heat levels. Unlike some of her books, this book is spicy and contains multiple open-door scenes.
Pre-Order Link:
Teaser & Giveaway: The Night Before Christmas: A Savior Is Born by Julie Hansen
Children's Christmas Christian/Religious
Date Published: 11-01-2026
Publisher: 100X Publishing
The greatest gift came in the smallest of ways.
On a quiet night in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph searched for a place to welcome their precious baby. What they found was a humble stable, and what happened there would change the world forever.
This heartwarming, faith-based children’s book celebrates the story of Jesus’ birth for readers young and old. May it become a cherished family favorite and a beloved Christmas tradition to share around the Christmas tree year after year.
Through gentle rhyme and beautiful storytelling, The Night Before Christmas: A Savior Is Born invites children and families to experience the wonder of that very first Christmas: the star in the sky, the angels’ song, the shepherds who came to see, and the wise men who came bearing gifts.
But above all, it is the story of a tiny baby who was so much more than an ordinary child.
Jesus. Our Savior. Our King, and the reason we celebrate Christmas.
Excerpt
To the stable they rushed,
They knew it wasn’t far,
And as Mary looked up,
She saw a bright star,
Then came the baby,
And when Mary looked to see,
As always through a Mother’s eyes,
He was as perfect as could be,
But as He looked like any other,
This baby was different as you may recall,
He was born to free us,
Born to save us all,
His name was called Jesus,
Our perfect Savior and friend,
God made flesh,
To live among men,
About the Author
Julie Hansen is a Christian, wife, and mother of four who has always cherished the wonder and joy of Christmas. Her journey as an author began many years ago, while she was pregnant with her first child, a son.
As Julie prepared to become a mother for the first time, she found herself thinking about Mary in a way she never had before. Through her own anticipation, excitement, and love for the little life growing inside her, she began to imagine what Mary’s heart must have felt like as she awaited the birth of Jesus—the Son she would love as a mother and the Savior she would one day watch give His life for the world.
From those thoughts came a story written from a mother's heart, with the hope of helping children experience the wonder of that very first Christmas.
Years later, that story has become Julie's first published children's book. Her greatest hope is that as families read these pages together, they will be reminded of the beautiful truth at the heart of Christmas: Jesus is God's greatest gift to the world.
Julie is grateful for the opportunity to share this story with families and hopes it will become a cherished part of their Christmas traditions for years to come.
Contact Links
Release Blitz: Winning Season by Felice Stevens
WINNING SEASON
Felice Stevens
Release Date: November 10
Meet Felice Stevens:
Felice Stevens writes romance because what is better than people falling in love? Her favorite part of a romance novel is that first kiss…sigh. She loves creating stories of hopes and dreams and happily ever afters. Her stories are character-driven, rich with the sights, sounds and flavors of New York City and filled with men who are sometimes deeply flawed but always real.
Felice writes M/M romance because she believes that everyone deserves a happily ever after. Having traveled all over the world, she can safely say that the universal language that unites people is love.
Felice has written in a variety of sub-genres, including contemporary, paranormal and has a mystery series as well.
Felice is a two time Lambda Literary Award nominee and the Lambda Literary Award winner for Best Gay Romance for her book, The Ghost and Charlie Muir.
Connect with Felice Stevens:
https://www.instagram.com/felicestevens/
Blurb:
Xavier Lord is a bitter man. Outed by his teammates and his college football scholarship withdrawn, life has taught him not to trust or believe in anyone but himself. Xavier—or X, as he calls himself to preserve his anonymity—has built a business on athlete’s mistakes. His hit podcast, You F'ed Up, dissects and calls out their bad plays with zero mercy. Lately his favorite target is Phoenix Young, the Lancaster Legends’ gorgeous but struggling new quarterback.
Phoenix Young has it all: the stats, drive, and championship dreams. Yet since his trade to the Legends, he’s unable to deliver, stumbling to a losing record. As one of the few out, gay players, he feels like he’s let the team and fans down. He’s bearing the burden alone—along with a secret he refuses to reveal: Someone’s been leaving him ugly, anonymous notes. He tries to ignore them and takes the blame for losing solely on his shoulders, but he’s never felt so alone and defeated.
When Xavier and Phoenix hook up on a dating app, one night turns into more, and both fall hard and fast—until Xavier panics and shuts things down, certain Phoenix wouldn’t want a man who makes a living tearing him apart.
Except he does.
But a relationship runs the risk of Xavier losing credibility with his listeners and Phoenix losing his teammates’ trust and friendships. Meanwhile, the ugly notes haven’t stopped. And they have no idea who’s writing them.
Buy Link:
Available in Kindle+
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