Spotlight-Excerpt & Giveaway: WE CHOOSE YOU by Katy Manz (Choice Versus Fate #1)

We Choose You
By Katy Manz

Choice Versus Fate, Book 1

James and Aidan didn’t need fate. They had each other.

Alpha James and Beta Aiden love each other and don’t care what fate has to say about that. Mating doesn’t need to be based on pheromones and scents. And kids? There were many ways to build a family.

When fate comes knocking years later, James does what any wolf in his situation would—he runs away. He has a mate he loves more than anything, and they’re just about to get everything they want: a family. He can’t risk losing everything because Fate decided to be a butt.

Omega Riley scented his fated mate once months earlier, and the wolf ran away. He is coming to terms with his singledom. Everything is going as well as it can, that is, until his fated mate’s children walk into his classroom.

We Choose You is book one in the sweet with knotty heat MM shifter mpreg romance series: Choice Vs. Fate. It features an alpha wolf shifter who mated his beta best friend, the omega sent by fate, true love, twins who will steal your heart, adorable babies, and a guaranteed happy ever after.

Universal Link

Add to Goodreads

---

Excerpt

Only I could end up in the ER as an adult for getting a building block stuck in my nose. It should be one of the dozen or so kids under the age of five who I worked with here right now waiting for the on-call doctor to help free the annoying toy. But no, it was me, the grown-up charged with keeping them from doing it.

I was the grown man who got such a thing lodged in his breathing hole. I tripped over Eddie’s missing shoe while Andy was holding up a building block to show me it was his favorite color. The fates decided I had to be laughed at more in life. The kids all laughed, at least, except poor Andy who cried thinking he hurt me.

Luckily, it was a quick fix, more embarrassing than anything. Now, I needed to meet my friend Leslie in the hospital cafeteria, and we could pretend this day never happened.

“Hey, blockhead,” Leslie called out from across the cafeteria, making me vow to tell anyone who would listen about when she threw up after her first time watching a five-year-old eat his own booger. Note to self: get more embarrassing stories about my best friend, pronto.

“Seriously? Can we pretend today never happened and we came here to ogle hotties in lab coats and scrubs?” I asked as a nurse strutted past us and put a bit more swagger into his walk. Yum.

“Nope. But I will let it go for now. Was the doctor cute at least?”

“There’s my bestie. Always about trying to get some action! And to answer your question, he was all right. But definitely an omega, and so not my type.”

Her eyes widened, and a slow smirk grew. “Omega? Oh, mama likes them smart and steamy. Show me.”

I laughed at Leslie. “Sorry, hun. From the ring on the finger, the bump of his belly, and mark on the neck, that omega was spoken for and very happily so.”

“Figures. Oh well. One day I will meet the omega of my dreams. Maybe they’re too busy creating the next medical breakthrough. Or discovering life on Mars.”

All I could do was shake my head. Yes, one day it will happen but for now, I need food. “Did you want to grab something to eat?” I motioned toward the prepackaged sandwiches. “Or should we go grab something from the café, perhaps?”

“Um, yeah. Let’s go with the café. I would die for one of those delicious flatbreads they had the other day.”

Leslie and I grabbed our stuff and started toward the door. As we reached the exit, we saw two alphas standing near the doors, and my world stopped.

Growing up, we were told of the moment your soul recognized its fated. And everything I was warned about happened. The instant connection pulling me to them and the heat of recognizing only that person could satisfy me.

What wasn’t covered was what to do when the fated got a look on their face like the worse news was delivered to them and took off running in the other direction.

---

Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate their debut release, Katy is giving away a Paperback copy of We Choose You, and some Author Swag!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

---

About the Author:

Katy Manz has always dreamed of being a romance writer. She wanted to bring the stories created in her mind to a world of readers that would fall in love with her characters as much as she has. Keep a lookout for more books in this series and future series to come.

Connect with Katy:
Linktree

Website - Amazon - Goodreads - BookBub - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter - TikTok

---

---

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: WE CHOOSE YOU by Katy Manz (Choice Versus Fate #1)

We Choose You
By Katy Manz

Choice Versus Fate, Book 1

James and Aidan didn’t need fate. They had each other.

Alpha James and Beta Aiden love each other and don’t care what fate has to say about that. Mating doesn’t need to be based on pheromones and scents. And kids? There were many ways to build a family.

When fate comes knocking years later, James does what any wolf in his situation would—he runs away. He has a mate he loves more than anything, and they’re just about to get everything they want: a family. He can’t risk losing everything because Fate decided to be a butt.

Omega Riley scented his fated mate once months earlier, and the wolf ran away. He is coming to terms with his singledom. Everything is going as well as it can, that is, until his fated mate’s children walk into his classroom.

We Choose You is book one in the sweet with knotty heat MM shifter mpreg romance series: Choice Vs. Fate. It features an alpha wolf shifter who mated his beta best friend, the omega sent by fate, true love, twins who will steal your heart, adorable babies, and a guaranteed happy ever after.

Universal Link

Add to Goodreads

---

Excerpt

Only I could end up in the ER as an adult for getting a building block stuck in my nose. It should be one of the dozen or so kids under the age of five who I worked with here right now waiting for the on-call doctor to help free the annoying toy. But no, it was me, the grown-up charged with keeping them from doing it.

I was the grown man who got such a thing lodged in his breathing hole. I tripped over Eddie’s missing shoe while Andy was holding up a building block to show me it was his favorite color. The fates decided I had to be laughed at more in life. The kids all laughed, at least, except poor Andy who cried thinking he hurt me.

Luckily, it was a quick fix, more embarrassing than anything. Now, I needed to meet my friend Leslie in the hospital cafeteria, and we could pretend this day never happened.

“Hey, blockhead,” Leslie called out from across the cafeteria, making me vow to tell anyone who would listen about when she threw up after her first time watching a five-year-old eat his own booger. Note to self: get more embarrassing stories about my best friend, pronto.

“Seriously? Can we pretend today never happened and we came here to ogle hotties in lab coats and scrubs?” I asked as a nurse strutted past us and put a bit more swagger into his walk. Yum.

“Nope. But I will let it go for now. Was the doctor cute at least?”

“There’s my bestie. Always about trying to get some action! And to answer your question, he was all right. But definitely an omega, and so not my type.”

Her eyes widened, and a slow smirk grew. “Omega? Oh, mama likes them smart and steamy. Show me.”

I laughed at Leslie. “Sorry, hun. From the ring on the finger, the bump of his belly, and mark on the neck, that omega was spoken for and very happily so.”

“Figures. Oh well. One day I will meet the omega of my dreams. Maybe they’re too busy creating the next medical breakthrough. Or discovering life on Mars.”

All I could do was shake my head. Yes, one day it will happen but for now, I need food. “Did you want to grab something to eat?” I motioned toward the prepackaged sandwiches. “Or should we go grab something from the café, perhaps?”

“Um, yeah. Let’s go with the café. I would die for one of those delicious flatbreads they had the other day.”

Leslie and I grabbed our stuff and started toward the door. As we reached the exit, we saw two alphas standing near the doors, and my world stopped.

Growing up, we were told of the moment your soul recognized its fated. And everything I was warned about happened. The instant connection pulling me to them and the heat of recognizing only that person could satisfy me.

What wasn’t covered was what to do when the fated got a look on their face like the worse news was delivered to them and took off running in the other direction.

---

Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate their debut release, Katy is giving away a Paperback copy of We Choose You, and some Author Swag!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

---

About the Author:

Katy Manz has always dreamed of being a romance writer. She wanted to bring the stories created in her mind to a world of readers that would fall in love with her characters as much as she has. Keep a look out for more books in this series and future series to come.

Connect with Katy:

Linktree

Website - Amazon - Goodreads - BookBub - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter - TikTok

---

---

New Release-Review & Excerpt: BLACK MOON by Sam Burns & W.M. Fawkes (Wolf Moon Rising #1) - Includes Giveaway!

Black Moon
By Sam Burns & W.M. Fawkes

Wolf Moon Rising, Book 1

An apple a day won’t keep this doctor away.

Linden Grove has always known that he’s not destined to be the next pack alpha. That position belonged to his brother Aspen—but then Aspen left the pack to join the military. When the unthinkable happens and the pack is left rudderless, someone has to step up and take care of it. Can a doctor go from “do no harm” to defending his own with his teeth and claws?

Colt Doherty is used to a certain kind of life. Glittering, picturesque, and . . . empty. As the youngest child of the country’s only werewolf senator, Colt has grown up in the spotlight, and he’s all too used to knot-headed alphas taking credit for the work of others, especially omegas like himself. When his editor sends him to write a story on the Grove pack, though, he finds something completely unexpected: Linden Grove in his unpolished perfection, as shiny and unexpectedly sweet as the apples his pack are known for.

A Grove pack omega has been kidnapped, and someone has to step up. The pack needs Linden to fill his father’s shoes, but no wolf can stand on his own. To save the day, sheltered Colt has to drop the politics and become the action hero he never thought an omega could be.

Black Moon is an 90k word standalone novel featuring one fiery journalist, one doctor with an obsession for hand knit sweaters, and the sweetest apple pies on the whole eastern seaboard, all bundled up in a non-mpreg A/B/O universe.

Universal Link

Goodreads

---

Excerpt

“You like that it even works on humans?” I asked through my teeth as Chase led me away, a firm hand between my shoulder blades.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Colt.” He smiled at the people we passed, leading me toward a table where a server was ladling out crystal glasses of punch.

I groaned, downing the rest of my champagne and setting the flute aside on the tray of another server. If I was going to turn our direction, I needed the leverage of two free hands. “There’s an open bar. Let’s go to where the wine is.”

“You’ve had enough,” Chase practically growled.

With a roll of my eyes—of my entire head—I looked up at him. “There is no such thing as enough at a gala. Anyway, I meant you like imposing your big bad alpha will on unsuspecting humans, don’t you?”

“Doesn’t work like that.”

Maybe it didn’t. Maybe there was nothing innate about alphas that got them their way outside of a traditional pack setting. Of course, if you went around the world expecting to get everything you wanted, it often worked out that way. It’d been a process of almost three decades, but I was finally getting the hang of it.

And in that spirit, I jerked my head at another nearby waiter, catching his attention just in time to snatch another flute of champagne off his tray. Chase sent me a narrow-eyed glare.

“Don’t worry, big bro,” I said, raising the flute to him before lifting it to my lips. “I’ll take the town car home.”

We all would. There was a requisite Doherty-family post-mortem after any society event.

“I need you to keep your head on straight,” Chase warned once we got far enough away from the main crowd and the bright chandeliers overhead that he thought we were safe to talk. “Dad needs Walsh’s endorsement if he’s going to keep his Senate seat. You can’t go f*cking it up.”

That deserved another eye roll if anything ever had. “Walsh is not interested in pissing Dad off. He’s interested in getting laid.”

It was a thing with some humans since werewolves had come out of hiding decades ago. You heard about a big, hot, muscly alpha who’d dominate you in the bedroom, and that sounded like an adventure worth trying.

---

Carra's Review

I’m already a huge fan of this writing duo, and I love paranormal creatures and the Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamic, so of course I was going to pick this one up!  The story has a good setup and the majority of the world building is evident.  The two main characters, Linden and Colt, are both likable and solid leads.  The story itself for the most part is solid, and it does have a good supporting cast that easily lends itself to future stories in the series.

Linden and Colt are a good matchup, and strongly complement each other.  They absolutely have that all-important physical chemistry (my oh my, their encounter during Colt’s heat…whew!), and the mate attraction is more subtle as it develops than demandingly overwhelming, which worked well for them.

There’s some drama in the first part of the book with a kidnapped omega from the pack (Brook, my heart broke for him!), and once that is handled and Colt’s heat has passed the story did seem to lag a bit as things began to focus more on pack politics and who was going to become the next pack Alpha.  I was glad once a bit more drama cropped up to pull my attention more solidly into the story again in the last part of the book.

I did enjoy the story, and overall it was a 4-star read for me.  Since I mentioned Colt’s heat earlier and the steaminess of that portion of the story, I’m sure you’re not surprised to know I recommend this for readers 18+ for the adult language and sexual content.  I’m definitely looking forward to more in the series, and really want Brook to get his happy ending after everything he’s been through. 

Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate Sam & Waverly's new release, we are giving you 1 of 3 chances to win an e-copy of Black Moon!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

---

About the Authors:

Sam is an author of LGBTQIA+ fiction, mostly light-hearted fantasy romances. Most of her books include a little violence, a fair amount of swearing, and maybe a sex scene or two. Or four.

She is a full-time writer who lives in the Midwest with her husband and cat. Someday, she plans to be a full-time writer who lives near the ocean with her husband, cat.

Connect with Sam:
www.burnswrites.com
facebook.com/sam.burns.52459
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FlickerFoxBooks
goodreads.com/author/show/16897949.Sam_Burns
amazon.com/Sam-Burns/e/B07123MZ62
instagram.com/samburnswrites
Sam@burnswrites.com

---

Connect with Waverly:
fawkeswrites.com
waverly@fawkeswrites.com
facebook.com/w.m.fawkes
https://www.goodreads.com/wmfawkes
twitter.com/FawkesWrites
instagram.com/w.m.fawkes

---

---

Review & Giveaway: BITTER HEAT by Leta Blake (Heat of Love #3)

Buy Links: 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Length: 110,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Dar Albert @ Wicked Strange Designs

Heat Of Love Series

Book #1 - Slow Heat - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Book #2 - Alpha Heat - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Blurb

A pregnant omega trapped in a desperate situation, an unattached alpha with a lot to prove, and an unexpected fall into love that could save them both.

Kerry Monkburn is contracted to a violent alpha in prison for brutal crimes. Now pregnant with the alpha’s child, he lives high in the mountains, far above the city that once lured him in with promises of a better life. Enduring bitterness and fear, Kerry flirts with putting an end to his life of darkness, but fate intervenes.

Janus Heelies has made mistakes in the past. In an effort to redeem himself, integrity has become the watchword for his future. Training as a nurse under the only doctor willing to take him on, Janus is resolute in his intentions: he will live cleanly in the mountains and avoid all inappropriate affairs. But he doesn’t anticipate the pull that Kerry exercises on his heart and mind.

As the question of Kerry’s future health and safety comes to an explosive head, only the intervention of fate will see these desperate men through to a happy ending.

This gay romance novel by Leta Blake is the third in the Heat of Love universe which began with Slow Heat. It’s 111,000 words, with a strong happy ending and a critically-acclaimed, non-shifter Omegaverse. It features alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, mpreg, heat, and knotting. Content warning for a violent and oppressive society regarding reproductive rights.

Carra's Review

After reading Alpha Heat, the second book in this series, my curiosity was already piqued regarding Janus, so I was eager to get started on Bitter Heat to see how he’d be redeemed.  To be honest, it had been a while since I’d read the second book when I started this one so it was almost like I was starting from scratch—and that’s actually a good thing on two fronts.  

First, it means if you haven’t started this series you won’t be lost if you’re reading this one first.  There’s enough background to allow Bitter Heat to stand on its own.  Second, I went into this story with a neutral attitude towards Janus thanks to the time gap between reading books two and three.  For me, that means it was easier to give Janus a chance and not allow my opinions from before color my perception of him now.

I did feel like the beginning of the story started off a bit slowly, but after about a third of the way in things started picking up.  As with the other books in the series, the writing is solid and the world building as strong as before.  And the sex scenes?  Once they get started, it’s hard to decide which of the books in the series have the steamiest ones.  I mean, damn…talk about getting tingles…

While I did correctly interpret the subtle signs the author planted throughout the story regarding Janus and Kerry’s relationship, I have to say I was slightly disappointed that she went that route as the way to resolve the issues with Kerry’s contracted alpha and his family.  Don’t get me wrong—I absolutely do NOT begrudge Janus and Kerry anything at all; I love them together, and I love how their situation allowed things between them to develop slowly on an emotional level (not a physical one though…once that starts, it’s off to the races for these guys).  I just was hoping (like one of the supporting characters was as well) that things would lead to a successful challenge on the legal as well as cultural/religious levels to start making headway for omegas in this world.  I guess I’ll be holding on to that hope for now.

Bitter Heat was a 4-star read for me overall, but I will say that the relationship development and Janus and Kerry’s physical chemistry were 5+ stars all the way.  As I mentioned previously, this story could be read as a standalone, but you’ll get a lot more satisfaction from it if you read this series in order…which will also give you better insight into the road Janus traveled to get here.  This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and erotic sexual content.

About the Author

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

Patreon | Website | Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

New Release & Giveaway: BITTER HEAT by Leta Blake (Heat of Love #3)

Buy Links: 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Length: 110,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Dar Albert @ Wicked Strange Designs

Heat Of Love Series

Book #1 - Slow Heat - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Book #2 - Alpha Heat - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Blurb

A pregnant omega trapped in a desperate situation, an unattached alpha with a lot to prove, and an unexpected fall into love that could save them both.

Kerry Monkburn is contracted to a violent alpha in prison for brutal crimes. Now pregnant with the alpha’s child, he lives high in the mountains, far above the city that once lured him in with promises of a better life. Enduring bitterness and fear, Kerry flirts with putting an end to his life of darkness, but fate intervenes.

Janus Heelies has made mistakes in the past. In an effort to redeem himself, integrity has become the watchword for his future. Training as a nurse under the only doctor willing to take him on, Janus is resolute in his intentions: he will live cleanly in the mountains and avoid all inappropriate affairs. But he doesn’t anticipate the pull that Kerry exercises on his heart and mind.

As the question of Kerry’s future health and safety comes to an explosive head, only the intervention of fate will see these desperate men through to a happy ending.

This gay romance novel by Leta Blake is the third in the Heat of Love universe which began with Slow Heat. It’s 111,000 words, with a strong happy ending and a critically-acclaimed, non-shifter Omegaverse. It features alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, mpreg, heat, and knotting. Content warning for a violent and oppressive society regarding reproductive rights.

About the Author

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

Patreon | Website | Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

New Release-Review: BLACKWOOD by Pia Foxhall (Perth Shifters #1)

Buy Links: 

Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Length: 93,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Tiferet Design

Blurb

In a world that is still getting used to shifters, where everyone thinks omegas are second class citizens, nature photographer and omega Braden Payne lets everyone think he’s a beta. That way no one gives him a hard time and he doesn’t have to live a repeat of his failed relationship. But when his car breaks down in the remote Blackwood forest in Western Australia, without the medication that lets him hide who he is, he’s faced with what he fears most: an unmated alpha.

Government forest guardian and alpha Coll MacDubhar is tired of illegal loggers, foolish tourists and people who underestimate the wilds of Western Australia. He discovers Braden lost and in need of medical assistance in the forest he protects and knows something’s not right.

But there’s hidden depths to Braden that capture his interest, and no decent alpha would walk away when Braden’s unwelcome past comes to visit.

Carra's Review

This is the first time I’ve read anything by this author, and I’m very pleased to report I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for more in the series!  There was a strong plot, the writing flowed smoothly, and the characters had enough depth and complexity for me to care about what happened to them.  This story was set in a human and A/B/O shifter world, one where things are not necessarily equal between different groups—just one area that is a point of strife in the story.

Braden was a strong, brave character even if he at times did not believe it.  You can tell from his reactions and thoughts that he does crave the safety and affection of a pack and alpha, even given his troubled past.  Coll is exactly the alpha to show Braden how an alpha/omega relationship should really be.  He’s thoughtful, protective, and nurturing even when his dominant, aggressive alpha traits want to rise to the surface.  He puts Braden’s needs first—always, even though Braden is a stranger to him when they first encounter each other.

In most A/B/O stories I’ve read, there is a lot of focus on mating and sex.  Here, the focus is concentrated more on the relationship development and Coll’s need to show Braden he is safe and cared for.  That’s not to say there’s no physical intimacy—you’ll find that Coll and Braden are a very well-matched pair and are crazy hot together.  But the emphasis here is on Braden’s well-being and the meaning of pack.

The story sets some solid groundwork for this world and for the beginnings of the betterment of not just omegas, but shifters in general.  That along with a solid cast of supporting characters who genuinely piqued my interest has me excited to see what direction the author takes the series.  I was particularly intrigued by Braden’s friends Aodhan and Hunter, as well as Coll’s fellow alpha Dazza.  There’s definitely plenty that can be explored with these characters and world.

Blackwood was a 4.5-star read for me, and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of shifter romance with A/B/O settings.  This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language, sexual content, and mentions of past abuse.

Author Bio

Pia Foxhall is a queer, nonbinary and disabled Australian author who lives in the most isolated major city in the world – Perth, Western Australia – with two rescue cats. Much of their time writing is spent working on the Patreon-supported Fae Tales serial, a dark fantasy BDSM erotica epic that has been in production for many years. They’ve always been fascinated with all types of trauma recovery stories, and they like their character’s comfort to be earned, and the growth to feel real, and need a happy ending after that trauma recovery!

Twitter | Amazon | Patreon

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions