New Lesfic Goodies: May 14th Edition |

Dear lesfic fan,

Here are this week’s new ebook and audio releases and announcements.

Authors: Want to see your new releases in the newsletter? Click here for details. Or if you’re having a sale, please email me and let me know: tbmarkinson@gmail.com. Include “Sale for IHL Newsletter” in the subject line.

Anyone with lesfic news, give me a shout at tbmarkinson@gmail.com.

Happy reading and listening,

ROMANCE

EASTERN NIGHTS
The Compass Series: Book 3

by Lise Gold
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Felicia Perez, a carefree, hopeless flirt from Miami, is working a second job as a fitting model in Bangkok while saving up to expand her own clothing line. She loves women and her freedom and never shies away from going after what she wants.

Kate Simmons is a passionate interior designer who is married to her job. Her love for beauty is universal; she can’t imagine tying herself down to anything that might limit her enjoyment of it, and that includes the shackles of a relationship.

When they meet in a hotel bar in Bangkok, they are instantly drawn to each other, but with both being used to having the upper hand, the situation is confusing to say the least. When two hunters cross paths, will one end up being the prey?

Together, they embark on a journey of self-discovery in the beautiful surroundings of exotic and mystical Thailand. Is the irresistible attraction between them merely the excitement of finally meeting their match or is the universe trying to steer them in the right direction?

Eastern Nights is part of the Compass Series but can also be read as a standalone.

ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE

by Carol Wyatt
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Brooke is willing to do just about anything for her boss.

She’s got student loans to pay back, and even though being Liz Walker’s personal assistant is a demanding job, she needs it.

Brooke’s crush on Liz makes it easy to get through those long days running around New York City rescheduling appointments or putting out fires for her.

When Liz caved and got herself a personal assistant a year ago, she never imagined it would work out so well, but when they’re mistaken for a couple and presented with a business opportunity, Liz thinks about continuing the charade beyond one night.

It doesn’t take long for lines to blur.

What happens when a pretend relationship is full of real feelings?

With Liz’s reputation and a payday for Brooke on the line, figuring out how to keep this sham relationship going gets harder and harder.

BEAST
Dangerous Love: Book 2

by Jessa Stone
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Feared or respected, Beast has earned her name spilling the blood of those who get in her way. Can such a Beast know what is love? Violet is a temptation and Beast is determined to experience what it would be like corrupting her.Two things stand in her way, Violet is not Gay and a childhood accident has caused Violet to fear the one thing Beast is good at.

MAY FLOWERS
A Year in Paradise: Book 5

by Hildred Billings
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Welcome to Paradise Valley, where the locals thrive on the rural landscape, the quirky Oregonian living, and the history of the lesbian commune that founded it.

Mixing small town attitudes with lesbian dating? Sounds like another day in Paradise.

If anybody deserves a break, it’s Hesper Chess, the only registered CPA within fifteen miles of Paradise Valley. Once tax season is over, she dreams of nothing but mai tais and sandy beaches. Too bad she knows a lot about personal finance, and can’t bring herself to spend the money!

But before she can rest on her laurels, she hears a cry from one of the town’s many business owners.

Florist Meadow Hobfield is being audited. She needs help. A lot of it.

These two townspeople who have never shared many conversations are now about to spend a lot of time together. So much so that Hesper will learn the truth behind Meadow’s love for flowers and Meadow will crack the code behind Hesper’s coarse personality.

This month will take a turn in ways they never imagined.

SUNSETS AND SHADES

by Erica Lee
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Grace Harper believes her happy ending is right around the corner if she can just move on from the ex who cheated on her. When Grace’s childhood best friend, Leah, suggests that she comes to Philly to get space from her ex, it seems like the perfect opportunity to start over, especially since Leah’s roommate is none other than Laurel Lake – Grace’s favorite romance author.

Grace quickly learns that people aren’t always how they appear online and is disappointed to find that the real Laurel Lake (AKA Kinsley Scott) is actually bitter, rude, and vulgar. There is also much more to her than meets the eye, and as the two grow closer, her tough exterior is quickly stripped away, revealing much more than Grace ever bargained for.

JUST A TOUCH AWAY

by Chris Paynter

When a family tragedy strikes, successful children’s book author Lindsey Marist withdraws from her world. Barely coping with day-to-day living, she isolates herself in her cabin. Her troubled mind seems unable to write another uplifting children’s story.

Artist Cloe Parsons struggles to sell her work. She supplements her income by helping out at her parents’ grocery store. Trips to deliver Lindsey’s groceries spark a friendship between the two women that evolves over the course of a summer. When the longtime illustrator of Lindsey’s books retires, the door opens for Cloe to step in and be hired to illustrate Lindsey’s next release.

As they work together on each page of the new book Cloe has urged Lindsey to try, Lindsey and Cloe grow closer. Will Lindsey be able to break free from her sadness and follow her heart? Will Cloe finally take a chance on love that is just a touch away? A relationship between the two seems ideal, but will it happen? Can it happen?

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

FALLING

by Kris Bryant

Shaylie Beck just wanted to go home.

She managed to snag the last seat on a late flight from New York to Denver. No one thought anything would go wrong. Nobody expected the unimaginable to happen. When the plane crashes, Shaylie fights for her life and is one of only eleven survivors.

Piper Cole wants answers.

Why did her fiancée’s plane crash? She lost everything that night, and the investigation is taking too long. To help cope with losing the woman she loved, Piper attends a support group for survivors.

The friendship Piper and Shaylie develop helps each to heal, but as their feelings turn to love, Shaylie’s torn. She can follow her heart to the woman she loves, or she can come clean about what really happened right before the plane crashed and risk losing Piper forever.

THE ROAD TO MADISON

by Elle Spencer

As the sole heir to her family’s banking empire, a lot is expected of Madison Prescott. Falling in love with her childhood friend Ana Perez was not in the cards. As Madison’s father puts it, “A gay daughter? Married to the maid’s daughter? Running my company? Over my dead body.”

By the time George Prescott dies, it’s been 15 years since Madison and Ana were ripped apart by his lies. They haven’t spoken since, but Madison has spent every minute waiting for this day to come. Unfortunately, it turns out time doesn’t heal all wounds. Why was Madison willing to give up everything in the face of her father’s threats, and why can she never tell Ana the truth about what really separated them?

Caught between a present they can’t trust and a past they can’t forget, Madison and Ana must decide if this is their second chance, or their final heartbreak.

ACTION & ADVENTURE / ROMANCE

STORMY SEAS
The Sequel to Blue Skies

by Ali Vali

Commander Berkley Levine and Captain Aidan Sullivan might have a life together if they survive the next mission. They’re undercover hunting down a treasonous ex-vice president and the militia he’s assembled to topple the US government, and the twisting trail grows deadlier at every turn. After an assassination and numerous attacks that could only have happened with inside help, they don’t know who they can trust, and the future looks darker than ever.

Just when they think the trail has run cold, their old enemy, North Korean pilot Jin Umeko, unexpectedly offers to help. Reluctantly, Berkley and Aidan accept the uneasy alliance, even while suspecting Umeko is motivated by vengeance for the loss of her mother and family. If they want to destroy the threat to the country, they’ll have to risk their lives and their futures, but they’ve been prepared for that since the day they put on the uniform.

FANTASY ROMANCE

A BIRD OF SORROW
The Arravan Series: Book 3

by Shea Godfrey

War is coming on several fronts.

Darrius Durand and Princess Jessa, her lover, wait for their moment in the northern territories of Arravan, both determined to make a difference in the coming war. While eager to champion the truth against her brother’s treachery, Darry finds the unexpected respite from a life spent trying to prove herself, a seduction unlike anything she has yet encountered. And as Jessa’s homeland slides into the throes of a civil war, the lure of an ancient majik may be her people’s only hope for survival. Meanwhile, the call of the Great Loom weaves a powerful shadow over the land, and a mysterious spell will send one lover spinning back along the threads of time.

PARANORMAL ROMANCE

ANUBIS: DEATH’S MISTRESS
New Sentinels: Book 6

by Erik Schubach

Professor Aya Bane, self proclaimed Indiana Jones of archeology (yes, she may be that much of a geek) finds herself thrown into a world of ancient gods and unexplained murders in Egypt while on a dig.

Called in for a consult to an excavation at a suspected temple of Anubis, god of the underworld, she is embroiled in a series of fantastical events. Her dreams are filled with visions of a deadly woman with a jackal’s head, committing the murders attributed to a serial killer called the Pharaoh, leaving the victims as mummified husks.

With Lazarus involved, it is just a matter of time before the New Sentinels arrive to aid Aya and her newfound allies, as she tries to understand what is happening with her.

PARANORMAL & URBAN FANTASY ROMANCE

ROGUE HUNT
Midnight Hunters: Book 7

by L.L. Raand

Alpha Sylvan Mir‘s efforts to achieve sovereignty for the Weres, Vampires, and other non-humans is made even more difficult when a neighboring wolf Were Pack petitions Sylvan for aid. Someone, or some thing, is raiding the territory of the Snow Crest wolf Weres along the Canadian border. While newly ascended Snow Crest Alpha Zora Constantine, along with the Ash, the captain of her guard, await the decision of Sylvan’s war council, inter-Pack tensions rise. Especially when Ash and Sylvan’s centuri Jace develop an unexpected and unwanted primal attraction.

Are the raids just an attempt to secure more territory by rogue Weres? Or is it all a ruse to bring Sylvan and her mate Drake out into the open where they are vulnerable to enemy attacks? When Sylvan and Drake’s war party heads north to hunt the rogue raiders, Ash and Jace must decide between duty and the call of their deepest desires.

A Midnight Hunters Novella.

PACK MENTALITY
Fire and Ice: Book 4

by Idella Breen
Available in Kindle Unlimited

They say that one’s life is defined by moments, like scenes in a book, that stand out above all the rest of the slush that makes up a person’s existence. Gwen had come to agree with this sentiment. There was the moment when her parents abandoned her, then there was the moment Remus took her into his clan, there was the moment she pushed Sam Lander into a mud puddle and they became best-friends-for-life, and there was the moment she met Cait and Snow. What Gwen couldn’t have foreseen, what she couldn’t have prepared for, was the moment her awkward-self literally stumbled into the two women that would challenge everything she knew and believed about herself. She wouldn’t have guessed that they would break her in ways unimaginable and then they would fortify her against the world. Gwen was many things, practical was among them, but a dreamer was not. And the two women that made her drop her coffee on a hot summer day made her hope and dream like she never thought possible. They made her want, they made her need, and they made her believe in a little thing called love.

FANTASY

THE CALLING
The Collins Trilogy: Book 1

by Kate Hershberger
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Even in the supernatural world, Darcy and Ceridwen Collins are considered quite extraordinary. They’re the first females born into the Collins clan in nearly 1,000 years. They’re not only twins (an extreme rarity in the werewolf world) but twins that get along. Not to mention the whole Alpha/Omega dynamic. Darcy, as the first born and alpha, is the heir of the Collins pack. Destined to take over as pack leader when their father steps down. However, Darcy wants nothing to do with the infamous Collins pack and has been trying to convince her father to name her sister as the proper heir for years. Alistair won’t hear of such a thing as an omega becoming pack leader would surely end in anarchy.

Things start looking up when a beautiful druid doctor comes into the twins’ lives, befriending Ceridwen and enthralling Darcy instantly. Making Alistair and the rest of the pack think that Darcy has finally decided to accept her destiny.

Of course, not everyone wants Darcy to take over as pack leader and a sinister plan begins to develop in an effort to bring down the Collins reign once and for all.

MYSTERY ROMANCE

MOONLIGHT AVENUE

by Gerri Hill

Finley Knight, ex-cop turned private investigator, lives a lonely, solitary life. She uses her downtime to reflect on the past and wonders what could have been.

Detective Dee Woodard transferred to Corpus Christi nine years ago to put distance between herself and her ex…an ex she was still in love with. A murder investigation leads her to Moonlight Avenue and Finley Knight.

Rylee Moore left the windy plains of Amarillo in her rearview mirror, hoping to start over in this city by the bay, only to find employment hard to come by. Finley Knight wasn’t hiring either, but Rylee’s begging and pleading—and not taking “no” for an answer—finally lands her a job. Not as an apprentice, as she wanted, but as the lone employee at Moonlight Avenue Investigations—receptionist.

When another murder hits close to home, Finn ignores the police directive to stay out of it and goes on a search for the killer…reluctantly taking Rylee along for the ride.

After a gruesome third murder, Dee is booted from the case. She joins Finn’s team…the chase bringing them closer and closer to a vicious drug dealer.

Amongst the chaos, crime, and cover-up…love pokes its head above the water. But can they stay alive long enough to explore it?

IN THE VALLEY OF SHADOWS
Shadow Series: Book 1

by Kat Smith
Available in Kindle Unlimited

Captain Devan Conner and Intelligence Analyst Alex Sheridan meet for the first time since a mission went terribly wrong two years ago. Now, they must put the past behind them to focus on a new mission thrust upon them by their superiors. The Mission: Rescue a stranded CIA Operative, and deploy the latest counter-terrorism software into the network of a Russian Militant Group.

Trigger Warning: There is mention of a previous rape attempt, but the book does not include any graphic details of that event.

CRIME & MYSTERY

AN INTIMATE DECEPTION

by CJ Birch

Flynn County Sheriff Elle Ashley has spent her adult life atoning for her wild youth, but when she finds her ex, Jessie, murdered two weeks before the small town’s biggest social event, she comes face-to-face with her past and all her well-kept secrets.

Not only is this Elle’s first murder investigation, it’s the town’s first in over fifty years. She must find a killer before there are any more casualties and keep her troubled little brother off the suspect list, all under the watchful eyes of a Chicago reporter.

Investigative reporter Robin Oakes isn’t a small-town kind of girl, and she’s determined to get in and out of Turlough as fast as possible. One look at Sheriff Ashley has her rethinking her plans. As pressure mounts to solve Jessie’s murder, Elle gets help from the most unlikely source—Robin, who appears to be more interested in her than getting the story.

INTRIGUE & THRILLER / ROMANCE

SECRETS IN A SMALL TOWN

by Nicole Stiling

Town manager Savannah Castillo has everything under control, just the way she likes it. But when she starts to receive unsolicited gifts and messages from a stranger, her life turns to chaos. Against her better judgment, Savannah accepts Deputy Chief Mackenzie Blake’s help in the investigation and is more than a little annoyed when Mackenzie suggests herself as a part-time, live-in bodyguard.

Savannah isn’t Mackenzie’s favorite person. She’s rude and entitled, and she always has to have the last word. Always. But when she and her daughter Eliana need help, protecting them becomes more than just a job. Mackenzie’s mission is to find the person harassing them before they cause real harm. Savannah’s fleeting and incredibly sexy smiles don’t make the task any easier, and there’s no time for distractions.

Not when someone waits in the shadows, watching and preparing to strike.

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

THORA: A SPARTAN HOPLITE’S SLAVE

by Cameron North

She is the only female hoplite in Spartan history.

She is a royal guard to King Leonidas.

She is the Iron Edge.

In an age when men rule, Halcyon rises above and is the master of her own life. At home, Halcyon controls her lands and her personal slaves with a strict hand, until the day she purchases an unusual slave. Thora is a fair skinned woman who stands taller than the Greek gods, with hair the color of gold, and blue eyes that rival the skies. Halcyon must own the unusual woman, but she is hardly prepared for the thunder that follows.

Step back into the glory of Ancient Sparta when the city-state becomes a formidable military power. Learn about Sparta’s unique social system including women’s dominant roles in both the house and in public affairs, and follow one slave owner’s journey as she learns to accept her slave’s spirit.

Thora is a 45,000-word 3rd-person omniscient Historical Lesbian Romance Fiction novel. It includes a glossary for minor Greek terminology. No rape. No BDSM. No cliffhanger. Happy ending.

Second Edition of Thora, A Spartan Slave’s Hoplite.

NEW AUDIOBOOKS

HER SURRENDER
Irresistibly Bound: Book 2

by Anna Stone
narrated by Lexy Rabe

Everything is falling apart for April. Her latest relationship has self-destructed, and she’s been unexpectedly promoted to director of the library she works at, only to find that the building has been sold to a ruthless corporation that plans to tear it down and replace it with luxury apartments.

While brooding at a bar, April attracts the attention of Vicki Blake. Vicki is confident, captivating, and has looks to die for. Although April can see right through the woman’s seductive smile, she decides to go home with Vicki to forget about her problems. When Vicki gives April a glimpse of her dark desires, it leaves April wanting more.

However, April soon discovers that the woman she shared an unforgettable night with is the vice president of the company that wants to demolish her library. Vicki intends to see the project through. April is determined to stop it.

Locked in a fierce battle of wills, April and Vicki are helpless to keep the tension between them from heating up. Every time they collide, neither can resist temptation. Will their volatile love-hate relationship cause everything both of them have worked for to go up in flames?

A FAMILY WOMAN
A Woman Lost: Book 3

by TB Markinson
narrated by Stephanie Murphy

Lizzie’s about to expand her family. But can she reconcile with the one she already has?

Lizzie is terrified about becoming a parent. But when she and her pregnant wife find out that they’re having twins, her anxiety reaches a whole new level.

With two babies on the way, Lizzie attempts to patch things up with her estranged father and brother. To her surprise, Lizzie’s father has his own plans to grow the family tree.

When Lizzie’s brother reacts strongly to their father’s secrets, Lizzie wonders if they’ll ever come together as a unified family. How can she possibly survive parenthood when her own family is about to fall apart?

A Family Woman is the smart and funny third installment in A Woman Lost, a series of contemporary lesbian romances. If you like fully-formed characters, complicated family dynamics, and well-crafted prose, then you’ll love T.B. Markinson’s heartwarming series.

TAKE A CHANCE

by D. Jackson Leigh
narrated by AJ Ferraro

Veterinarian Trip Beaumont likes being a big fish in a small pond. There’s hardly an animal she can’t heal or a woman she can’t charm within fifty miles of Pine Cone, Georgia – except for the irritating and elusive new cop who keeps leaving parking tickets on her truck.

Officer Jamie Grant has never liked rule breakers, but she’s especially incensed when she discovers Trip owns the truck that is constantly parked illegally. She’s searched carefully for a quiet, eclectic community to settle down with her drug-sniffing – albeit gastric-challenged – canine partner, Petunia. Instead, she finds herself on a collision course with the woman who stole her college girlfriend and broke her heart after an ill-conceived threesome.

PODCAST NEWS

Episode 33: Harper is Not Entry-Level

This week we’re recording the podcast in Paris!

Harper is in the middle of writing a very long sex scene in her Cotswolds romance. She also took an online course for ads while Caroline was out playing golf, again.

This week marks Harper’s one-year anniversary of being off social media and she’s still happy with her decision to quit them. Except when there’s a sexy photo of Padma Lakshmi on Instagram.

Click here to listen.

Get in touch with Harper Bliss and Her Mrs with your questions, comments or suggested topics at harperblissandhermrs@gmail.com

***

LWW-12: Should You Care About Word Counts?

Clare is back from Jamaica and has a cold. So, if you think she normally has a sultry voice, you’re going to love her on this episode!

TB kicks off by telling us about her latest disaster. She’s fractured her hand but kept on writing (kinda) through the pain. Fiction doesn’t stop for fractures in her household! She’s within touching distance of finishing her Cotswolds novel, due out in June. Whoop! Clare also says that in between lounging on a Jamaican beach and drinking ALL the rum punch, she too has moved her novel forward and is now over halfway through her first draft. Kudos.

Clare & TB were overwhelmed with comments this week, a lovely problem to have, so please keep them coming. They promise a shout-out, and they love to hear from you.

The topic of the week is word counts: should you care about them? Both Clare & TB give a definitive yes and no answer. Don’t you just hate that? The thing is, though, word counts can be motivating if used correctly, but don’t use them as a stick to beat yourself with. That’s not helpful.

Clare shares her best and worst word count months so far this year, causing TB’s jaw to drop. TB says she struggles sometimes with keeping her head above water in her drive to hit her word counts. However, both agree some kind of measurement to track your progress – word count or hour count – is essential if you want to make this your career and have the ability to plan ahead. Clare has a light bulb moment and is overjoyed!

Clare mentions Neil Gaiman doesn’t use word counts, rather he counts the number of pages he fills in his notebook. (Listen to the interview on the Tim Ferriss podcast here). Clare & TB both agree writing in sprints and with no distractions will help you get your words down and achieve your word count goals.

Two good books on the subject are Chris Fox’s 5,000 Words Per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter and Rachel Aaron’s 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love.

Click here to listen.

If you’d like to leave a comment on the episode, head on over to www.lesbianswhowrite.com. Or email lesbianswhowrite@gmail.com. Also, if you have a suggested topic for an episode, please let Clare and TB know! They’d love to hear from you!

Join them next week when they’re going to be discussing lesbian fiction genres.

LESFIC NEWS

Have you heard about the website Lesbian Audiobooks?

It offers uniquely specific access to the ever-growing collection of lesbian fiction audiobooks.

This site aims to provide a space where listeners can browse available audiobooks that are lesbian in content thus providing easier access, and better visibility for current and newly released audiobooks.

Click here to visit the site.

LESFIC BOOK CLUB