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Posted in #BookTours

A Sunrise in Rio

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A cold playboy in need of a fiancee.

A sweet photographer in need of a job.

A proposal that would last a lifetime.


A Sunrise in Rio

by Rachel Matthews

Genre: Cozy Fake Dating Vacation Romance 



A cold playboy in need of a fiancee.

A sweet photographer in need of a job.

A proposal that would last a lifetime.


Eric Jansen was aware of his reputation. As a stoic widower with a mysterious past, work was his only solace…until his investors threaten to end the deal. With a new luxury hotel and housing development for underprivileged families on the line in scenic Rio de Janeiro, the beautiful new photographer, Jayla Mitchelson, is perfect for the job. She may also be the perfect woman to claim his heart.

 

**On Sale For Only .99 cents!**

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads




    Jayla stared at him, stunned. “Did you just say fiancée? As in…engaged?” The word echoed in her mind, making her frown as if she hadn’t heard it right. “I thought you needed a date.” 

Eric slipped a hand into his pocket. “It’s a bit more complicated than that. Our potential investor values traditional family structures. He believes an engagement would, let’s say, enhance our credibility.”

Jayla’s shock turned into something sharper. Oh, so her photography skills didn’t matter? Was she just supposed to play dress-up and pretend to be in love with Mr. Perfect? “You can’t be serious.”

Eric watched her pace. “It would help me greatly.”

“For your little charade?” Jayla’s voice grew louder. “Is that why you hired me? To be nothing more than your arm candy?”

Eric closed his eyes a moment before he shook his head. “No, Jayla, it’s not like that.”

She stopped pacing, arms crossed. “Then why bring me down here? Why go through this phony interview process, checking out my site and bringing me–” She gasped. “Is that why you took me to breakfast? The sightseeing? Was that part of softening me up?”

“Jayla—”

She glanced back at the huge building. “If I say no, are you going to, what, chop me up and hide me in the building?” She began rummaging through her camera bag. “Look, buddy. I got Mace, and I will not hesitate to use it. I don’t care how many yachts you own.”

Eric froze mid-step toward her, then covered his mouth. His shoulders started shaking, and before Jayla could react, he doubled over, laughing uncontrollably.

“What—” Jayla’s indignation mixed with confusion. “What is so funny?”

He couldn’t even answer, leaning against a nearby lamppost for support as he laughed.

Jayla watched him, arms crossed, trying to maintain her anger. 

But as Eric continued laughing with his eyes sparkling with tears, something shifted inside her. This wasn’t the composed CEO showing off his engaging smile. This was just Eric. Just a man finding genuine humor in her conspiracy theory.

“Oh, Jayla.” He finally managed to stop laughing, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “I’m sorry, but that was not the reaction I was expecting.”

She raised her hands, still stunned. “Well, what exactly were you expecting, Eric? You bring me out here, make this grand gesture, and then—”

“It sounds insane, I know,” he interrupted. “But hear me out. This deal is critical to my company. And I need someone who isn’t part of the usual circle, someone who won’t leak it to the press or get too involved. Someone I can trust to keep their distance while we manage these investors.” He watched her for a moment. “And when it’s done, we go our separate ways. But in the meantime,” his tone shifted slightly, “since we’ll be working together for the next few months, why not…”

He let the sentence linger.

“I’ll pay you twenty-five thousand dollars per workday. Seem reasonable?”

Her mouth fell open. Had she heard him right? Twenty-five thousand per day?

“Eric, I—”

“Think about it,” he said quickly, holding up a hand. “Don’t answer yet. Sleep on it. I know it’s a lot to process, but honestly, Jayla, it would mean a great deal to me… to us both. We wouldn’t have to see each other outside of a set plan, anyway. The meetings, the photo opportunities, that’s it. Your time is your own.”

Jayla nodded slowly. She didn’t even want to think of what Donna would say if she mentioned this. It sounded crazy. And the crazier fact was… she started considering it.

“I’ll think about it.”




Author of clean, cozy reads about love and romance, Rachel Matthews is a wife, daughter, crocheter, artist, and dreamer all rolled into one. She’s dreamed of writing ever since she was little and now enjoys penning them for readers all around the world. Part mermaid and part stuffed animal wrangler, she currently lives in San Diego where she is fighting an addiction to the beach while enjoying free time with her own romantic hero husband.

 

Website * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads



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Posted in #BookTours

Five Unless

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Five Unless
Angie Day
(Legends & Shadows Saga, #4)
Publication date: March 24th 2026
Genres: Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy

In this gripping finale, a clean romantasy where the last safe place falls under siege and love has to survive it all.

Welcome to the final round.

Mara and Kylan can’t be happy. Alec won’t let them. Hunting for energy is getting harder for every Legend. The Shadow mansion feels the hunger. Then Alec returns, not with threats but with force. He seizes the mansion, rips their home away, and everything Mara built with Kylan and their found family fractures instantly. He leaves her one challenge: find the safest place you can.

Driven into hiding, they reach for the one place that might be out of Alec’s reach. Secrets surface. Loyalties bend. Alec will not relent. Mara must decide who to fight and who to save when not everyone can survive.

Expect a fade to black fantasy romance in crisis, finale-level stakes, and a relentless villain in full command. This urban fantasy pushes found-family bonds to the breaking point and intensifies a slow-burn love that refuses to die. Dark, vivid, and built to leave you crying, breathless, and satisfied.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“What he does isn’t your decision,” I hissed at Fiona. “If you’re looking for a fight, you don’t have to go after him.”
Kylan pulled his arms away when he felt me tense.
“Too bad Thayer banned you from playing,” Fiona said, sizing me up and her eyes lingering on my gloves.
I smiled and cracked my knuckles. “You think I answer to Thayer?”
“Mara, don’t,” Derek said.
“Why not?” I asked, pulling off my gloves and settling into a low stance. “I’m feeling a little hungry.”
Fiona’s face paled slightly, even if she tried to hide it. She lowered her stance, ready to accept the challenge we both know she’d lose.
Kylan stepped in front of me and I didn’t budge. He caught my clothed arm, “Stand up.”
I shook off his hand and tried to step around him. He stopped me again with an arm blocking my path.
“If you really need to teach Fiona a lesson, take it outside. You have little eyes here,” Kylan whispered.
I looked around and caught Cassie holding Etta. Those little eyes watched me snarling at Fiona and ready to knock her out. I swallowed. I knew why Cassie didn’t like being here. I knew why she didn’t want her daughter turning into a Shadow.
Right now, I was everything Cassie feared for her little girl.
I stood and stepped back, slowly pulling my gloves back on.
Fiona relaxed, silently debating whether or not she wanted to taunt me more. Nikki would’ve. Most of the other Shadows would’ve if this was a year ago. But things were different now.
For better or worse.
I walked over to her and lifted my hand, now covered by my glove. She hesitated a second before she took it. I shook her hand and smiled, but pulled her closer.
“If you come after my brother like that again, I’ll cut an X on you so big you’ll need a full human to heal you,” I whispered. I tightened my grip. “Got it?”
She leaned back, already smiling. “I missed you.”
It felt a little twisted to grin back at her, but it was automatic. I dropped her hand and felt more at home here than I had in months.

Author Bio:

Angie Day found her love of writing while in college where she studied psychology and eventually went on to a master’s degree. She noticed the need for romantic and fantastic adult stories that were still wholesome and clean. So, she took matters into her own hands. LEGEND UNDONE is her debut novel. When she’s not devouring the next book, she is spending time outdoors with her husband.

To follow along with her journey, find her on Twitter or check out her website.

Website / X / Instagram


Posted in Cozy Mysteries

Motorhomes, Maps, & Murder

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

(A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 5)

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY WITH A SMIDGEN OF HOMICIDE

USA Today Bestselling author Tonya Kappes brings you southern and quirky characters in her mystery series. Her stories are charged with humor, friendship, family and life in small southern towns.

Welcome to Normal, Kentucky where NOTHING is normal.

Mae West, owner of Happy Trails Campground, never thought she would become an actress like her namesake.

Calling herself an actress might be far stretch as she plays a minor role in the local Civil War reenactment BATTLE AT CAMP WILDCAT.

When the reenactment doesn’t go as planned, not one but two of the town’s folks aren’t playing dead. . .they were MURDERED!

Come to find out there was a prison break and the serial killer is believed to be in Normal and someone has stolen a motorhome from Happy Trails Campground. Are these connected?

Mae lets boyfriend and hunky detective, Hank Sharp, follow all the leads about the murders and on the trail of the serial killer because she’s got bigger s’mores in the fire. The motorhome owners have filed a lawsuit and suing her for the deed to Happy Trails Campground.

Mae has embraced Normal and there’s nothing or no one going to take her campground. She’s determined to find the motorhome and return it to the owners before she hands over any deed to anyone.

Mae just might find out that tapping into her namesake just might come in handy when coming face to face with a serial killer.

Posted in #History

History of Nevada

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A Captivating Guide to Historical Events and Facts You Should Know About the Silver State (U.S. States)

The Unforgettable Story of the Silver State

Nevada has a story unlike any other.

Long before the bright lights of Las Vegas lit up the desert, this land held stories carved into the earth. Native American tribes lived here for centuries, surviving and thriving, in some of the harshest terrain in the West.

Then came the settlers. Some were chasing land, others chasing luck. What they found was buried treasure: copper, gold, and especially silver. So much silver that it gave Nevada its nickname and a reputation that still lingers.

But silver was only the beginning.

This book follows Nevada’s journey from wide-open frontier to one of the most talked-about places in America. Nevada’s history includes mining booms and Mormon wagon trains. It also features nuclear tests and UFO sightings. The state’s history is full of twists, secrets, and surprises.

Inside, you’ll discover:

  • The deep roots of Nevada’s Native cultures and how they shaped the land.
  • How silver and gold rushes turned this quiet territory into a state.
  • The early rise of Las Vegas and why gambling became its signature.
  • The role of Mormon settlers in shaping early communities.
  • The long shadow of Area 51 and Nevada’s military testing grounds.
  • What still sets Nevada’s people apart: tough, independent, and never boring.
  • And much, much more!
Posted in #BookTours

Abducted

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Abducted
J.S. Ash
(The Beast’s Burden Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: February 22nd 2026
Genres: New Adult, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Trapped aboard a living spacecraft hidden above her hometown, a teenage outcast must wage a one-girl war against ruthless alien mercenaries to save her best friend before the ship jumps into deep space.

A SHIP FULL OF ALIENS TOOK HER BEST FRIEND. THEY SHOULD’VE LEFT HER ON EARTH.

Abigail Ashby was raised to be a weapon by a dad convinced the world was on the brink of collapse. Then, inexplicably, he forced her into early retirement—aka high school.

These days, Abigail’s only battle is defending Harris, her outcast best friend who swears his parents were abducted by aliens. She’s secretly sure he’s delusional—right up until his bedroom explodes in amethyst light.

They wake up aboard the Beast’s Burden, an interstellar warship lurking above their town. Its leader, a sadistic warlord, seizes Harris as his prize, while Abigail slips away in the chaos—overlooked, underestimated.

Until she kills an alien to survive.

Now, hunted through the ship’s living corridors, Abigail must decide: retreat into the shadows, or unleash the lethal training she buried to wage a one-girl war and save everything she’s ever known… Because Harris isn’t just a hostage. He’s the trigger for humanity’s extinction.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Wait—I’m sorry. Abigail, I didn’t mean that. Please don’t go.”

Abigail froze in her tracks, but it had nothing to do with Harris’s plea. An unearthly shriek had erupted, ricocheting endlessly around the room, and all the warmth had instantly drained from her body.

“What is that?” she asked, ice surging through her veins.

Harris looked like he had seen a ghost. “I have no idea, but it’s coming from—”

With a deafening crack, four dark spheres shot out from underneath the bed and slammed into the corners of the room. Abigail watched, petrified, as the spheres oozed apart, spreading to cover the walls in a thick layer of disgusting sludge.

“You’re seeing this, right?” she said, voice trembling.

Harris nodded slowly, and Miss Biscuits started howling.

The ghastly sound reached a new ear-piercing level as the sludge began crackling with unstable amethyst purple energy.

“We need to get out of here!” Abigail shouted. She dashed for the window, but the light glittering across its surface flared violently in response, and she recoiled, backing away slowly.

The shriek was becoming unbearable. Abigail could hardly hear herself think, let alone process what was happening.

“This way!” shouted Harris as he lunged for the bedroom door, but the pulsing glow surrounding the handle suddenly sparked, jumping eagerly to his outstretched hand.

Amethyst purple light rippled through Harris’s entire body, shining beneath his skin. Abigail watched in horror as an unnatural smile slowly twisted across his face.

“Harris?” she said cautiously.

Harris’s head swiveled toward Abigail and his morbid grin twisted into fear. The amethyst purple light erupted out of his skin, contorting him backwards into a jagged arch. His body was suddenly blasted onto the ceiling, held there for a moment by an invisible force before dropping sharply to the ground, the impact kicking up a cloud of dust from the hardwood.

“Harris!” Abigail screamed, rushing to his motionless body. This was a nightmare. Everywhere she looked the amethyst purple light was encroaching—over the ceiling, across the walls, and covering the floor, inching right for them. Abigail scrambled to grab Harris under his arms and used every ounce of her strength to drag him onto the bed, only just avoiding the energy as it engulfed the remainder of the room’s surfaces.

“Harris, wake up!” she shouted as she checked for a pulse.

“Abby!?” came a muffled cry.

She strained to see Taylor pounding outside the window, an uncharacteristically horrified expression on his face through the amethyst-colored glare. He took a step back and then charged, but the barrier flared the moment his shoulder made contact, and he was repelled away in a shower of shattered glass.

Abigail’s eyes darted around the room, her fear mounting as the shrieking hit yet another plateau. Blood pounded in her ears. “Harris, wake up. Please wake up!” she pleaded, her voice barely audible over the howling of Miss Biscuits and everything else.

The sludgy spheres had re-formed in the corners of the ceiling and they were pulsing erratically. They seemed to be the source of whatever was happening—what was happening?!—perhaps they could be shut down somehow… But how? Abigail grabbed Harris’s hand, hopelessly begging him to wake up, and her fingers made contact with a ripple of raised skin—the scar.

Abigail’s gaze snapped to the samurai sword hanging on the wall. Scrambling to her feet, she ripped it from its mount and unsheathed it. The gleaming blade appeared as sharp as it had all those years ago.

“Abby! Abby! What are you doing?!” Taylor’s voice cut through the chaos. He was back on his feet just outside the shattered window. He was holding up a small metallic object that Abigail couldn’t quite make out through the amethyst refraction. She didn’t have time for this. The high-pitched shriek was growing more and more deafening, the amethyst-colored light burning ever more severely. Instinctively, she knew it was now or never. She had to disrupt whatever was happening.

She frantically scanned the spheres, her entire body shaking. Though she had no clue this would work, the one in the corner by the door seemed like her best shot. “You can do this,” she said to herself, but she didn’t remotely believe it. Gathering all her strength, she sprinted towards the edge of the bed, leaping into the air with the hilt held firmly in her grasp. With a loud clang, the sword sliced through the sphere, miraculously penetrating the energy barrier and lodging in the wall.

As gravity pulled Abigail toward the floor, time seemed to slow, and she watched the damaged sphere start to skitter in and out of reality, spewing sparks in all directions like it was about to explode. The blinding amethyst light and eardrum-bursting shriek reached their crescendos just before Abigail hit the ground.

She felt a surge of pure agony, and then, there was nothing.

Author Bio:

J.S. Ash has spent over a decade working in media at one of the largest tech companies in the world, though his true love remains storytelling. His creative DNA was forged in the 90s—a blend of blockbuster action cinema, console gaming, and the high-stakes melodrama of the era’s teen soaps. He lives with his wife and daughter, who serve as the primary inspiration for the resilient, protective heroines at the heart of his stories.

Website / Goodreads


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