Daryl Devore's Blog

Daryl Devore's Blog

Friday 27 September 2019

Image of part of the Mars 2020 Rover #Mars2020Rover #space #FridaysinSpace

  • NASA ID: PIA23320 
  • Center: JPL
  • Secondary Creator Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
  • Date Created: 2019-08-15
  • Visit JPL Website
Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory lift the Mars 2020 rover's bit carousel out of its storage container. The bit carousel is a mechanism that is at the heart of the rover's Sample Caching System. The image was taken on Aug. 5, 2019, in the Spacecraft Assembly Facility's High Bay 1 at JPL. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23320



What's happening in September on Romance -  Sweet to Heat
28 – SPOTLIGHT – Breanna Hayse – The Game Plan Series
29 -  Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
30 – NEBT - Author Spotlight – Felicity Brandon - Forbidden

Thursday 26 September 2019

Another fabulous saying from the 13th century poet and scholar Rumi #yoga #yogathoughts






What's happening in September on Romance -  Sweet to Heat
27 – Fridays in Space
28 – SPOTLIGHT – Breanna Hayse – The Game Plan Series
29 -  Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
30 – NEBT - Author Spotlight – Felicity Brandon - Forbidden

Saturday 21 September 2019

Their worlds should have never collided, but they had one common factor that brought them together, murder. Murder is a Debate by Brandy Nacole #YA #Mystery #Thriller


Murder is a Debate
by Brandy Nacole
Genre: YA Mystery Thriller 

Nora and her two best friends, Liv and Charlie, aren’t like most people. Nora is the private school kid; the rich girl, though everyone hates her. Liv and Charlie attend the run-down public school on the opposite side of town where the football team is a solid two and the art department was shut down due to funding. Their worlds should have never collided, but they had one common factor that brought them together, murder.



In an online mystery chat room, the three girls meet and decide to form The Murder Club. Each week one of the girls must come up with a murder scenario for the other two to solve. It’s fun. It’s active. It’s also deadly.


When one of Nora’s classmates ends up dead, she’s suspicious of her new friends. His death mirrors the very same scenario Nora came up with in their previous meeting. As clues emerge, pointing more definitively at the members of the Murder Club, Nora begins digging for her own clues, bringing fantasy to reality. Could Liv and Charlie be involved, and if so why?

They were all curious. Was one of them too curious?



**Only 99 cents!!**


Gemini Brandy Nacole is a writer of urban fantasy books. She is the author of the Shadow World series and the Spiritual Discord series published by Ponahakeola Press. A reader from a young age, Brandy has always loved folklore and stories of beings that go bump in the night.



Brandy lives in Arkansas with her husband, three never stopping kids, two snooty cats, two very lazy bearded dragons, and one mellow turtle. She is a member of the Ozark Romance Authors in Springfield, Missouri. Whenever she’s not reading or writing, Brandy is spending her time outdoors wheeling, hiking, playing amateur photographer, and enjoying a good laugh.





Follow the tour HERE for exclusive content and a giveaway!






What's happening in September on Romance -  Sweet to Heat
22 – Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
23 - SPOTLIGHT – A. E. Faulkner - Anguish Unfolds
24 – Critters on Tour
25 – SPOTLIGHT – Maggie Blackbird - Sanctified
26 - Thursday #Yoga
27 – Fridays in Space
28 – SPOTLIGHT – Breanna Hayse – The Game Plan Series
29 -  Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
30 – NEBT - Author Spotlight – Felicity Brandon - Forbidden

Friday 20 September 2019

Yes - it is rocket science. #NASA #FridaysinSpace


  • NASA ID: MAF_20190903_CS1 ES move to 110-56
  • Center: MAF
  • Date Created: 2019-09-03
  • Visit MAF Website
Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans moved the engine section for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to another part of the facility on Sept. 3 to prepare it for joining to the rest of the rocket’s core stage. The engine section, which comprises the lowest portion of the 212-foot-tall stage, is the last major component to be horizontally integrated to the core stage. Michoud crews completed assembly on the flight hardware that will be used for Artemis I, the first lunar mission of SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, on Aug. 29. NASA and Boeing engineers removed the scaffolding surrounding the hardware to use a special tool to properly position the engine section for its attachment to the rest of the stage. The core stage’s two liquid propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines will produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust to send the SLS rocket and Orion on the Artemis lunar missions. The engine section houses the four RS-25 engines and includes vital systems for mounting, controlling and delivering fuel form the propellant tanks to the rocket’s engines. Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space, the SLS rocket, along with NASA’s Gateway in lunar orbit and Orion, is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and the Artemis lunar program. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission.

What's happening in September on Romance -  Sweet to Heat
21 – SPOTLIGHT – Brandy Nacole – Murder is a Debate
22 – Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
23 - SPOTLIGHT – A. E. Faulkner - Anguish Unfolds
24 – Critters on Tour
25 – SPOTLIGHT – Maggie Blackbird - Sanctified
26 - Thursday #Yoga
27 – Fridays in Space
28 – SPOTLIGHT – Breanna Hayse – The Game Plan Series
29 -  Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
30 – NEBT - Author Spotlight – Felicity Brandon - Forbidden

Thursday 19 September 2019

The type of swords this world doesn't need. #yoga #yogathoughts


In this internet era - the tongue is a metaphor for words. Many people no longer speak to others, but they do tweet, FB post or Instagram. They speak their words through their fingers rather than their tongues. Those words are often vile.
I try - and will continue to try - to only speak words of encouragement, peace, support, kindness and humour. Because we all need to laugh.

What's happening in September on Romance -  Sweet to Heat
20 – Fridays in Space
21 – SPOTLIGHT – Brandy Nacole – Murder is a Debate
22 – Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
23 - SPOTLIGHT – A. E. Faulkner - Anguish Unfolds
24 – Critters on Tour
25 – SPOTLIGHT – Maggie Blackbird - Sanctified
26 - Thursday #Yoga
27 – Fridays in Space
28 – SPOTLIGHT – Breanna Hayse – The Game Plan Series
29 -  Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
30 – NEBT - Author Spotlight – Felicity Brandon - Forbidden

Wednesday 18 September 2019

This story pulls you in with its passion and adventure and doesn't let go. Lisa Kumar's The Fae Lord's Mistress #fae #romance


Ever since the day a fae raid stole away my parents, poverty and scavenging have been two constants in my life. Home is the human slums of Chimra, though it was once known as the great city of Chicago. The fae rule over New Earth and humanity with a neglectful and ruthless fist. But everything changes when Gabreon, the fae lord who led that raid six years ago, finds me in the forbidden dumping grounds and claims me as his own. Which leads to anger, confusion, and heartache—on my side and his.

Lina. The human Gabreon couldn’t forget. When he sees her in the dumping grounds, he no longer can ignore the pull between them. Though claiming her goes against everything he was brought up to believe, he takes her as his companion. During the day, she holds herself away from him, but at night, she sparks to life in his arms. As a human revolution ferments and his growing relationship with Lina becomes even more perilous, he discovers that he and his society have much to make amends for. Earning her forgiveness will be hard, but keeping both of them alive in the meantime might prove impossible.

~~This story pulls you in with its passion and adventure and doesn't let go. Lina and Gabreon's tale spans several books. Though this story can function as a standalone, it is better read as part of a series~~

~~The Fae Lord's Mistress is a dark fantasy romance that deals with sensitive issues (initial dark hero, violence, and slavery-like conditions for the general human population, plus more). Steamy sex scene(s) are also inside. If you dislike any of these, then this epic fantasy romance likely isn't for you~~



Teaser

https://books2read.com/u/mv21k2
I pocketed the fae statue and patted my pouch, loving the weighty feeling that the item created against my hand. Now I could go home. Gran and Grandpa would be so—
The baying of a hound tore through the quietness like a blade. My heart froze solid before exploding into a pounding rhythm. Oh, God, no.
I knew that otherworldly sound, and that was no human hound but a Sidhe one. Shit, shit, shit!
The impulse to flee nearly overpowered me, but a smidgeon of sense won out at the end. I clenched my arms to my sides and pressed my feet against the littered ground as hard as I could so I didn’t give in to the dangerous urge. Yes, I had to move, but I had to do so wisely. It wouldn’t do to go in the direction of the hound—or hounds. The realization there could be more than one caused another dose of fear to leech into my bones. There could very well be a multitude of the beasts around. And if there were hounds, their handlers had to be about as well.
Worse, I had no idea where they could be in relation to me. Why were they even here? Surely, the threat of a few human poachers was nothing to the Sidhe. Though running into a patrol had always been a possibility, the likelihood had seemed a remote one—until now. The fae punished human thieves quite severely when the mood hit—and it hit often—but guarding the trash yard had never been a top priority for them.
As I listened carefully, only the beating of my heart sounded in my ears. Beads of sweat wove trails down my back, and the cool air suddenly stifled me. I couldn’t remain here, yet going elsewhere didn’t seem any wiser. Indecision gnawed at my insides. Every choice felt wrong and potentially deadly. But if I stayed in one place, they’d catch my scent all that much faster. Maybe if I moved around, that would confuse them? Something, though, told me that they probably could differentiate between a fresh trail and an older one. Damn, what should I do?
I couldn’t search for Rachel or the others that were here, either. To do so might cause more harm than good. In a situation like this, we all understood that it was a race for our own survival.
Taking in a shuddering breath, I scrubbed a hand over my face. What a horrific mess. What could I—
The pounding of feet—no, paws—sliced into my consciousness. Growling and baying followed. This time, pure instinct propelled me from my hiding place. Though I kept as low as possible, my steps rang out like a blaring alarm. I didn’t know which way to look. The sounds came at me from every direction, disorienting and confusing my panicked mind. The once familiar dumping grounds turned into a foreign landscape of blurred color. My feet carried me blindly through mazes of garbage until I found myself hemmed in by a towering mountain of broken furniture.
I spun around, my heart threatening to implode as I looked for an escape route. The baying and growling had become deafening, which could only mean one thing. Suddenly, my frantic gaze alighted on a narrow corridor between the heaps. I raced toward the exit and turned sideways to squeeze through it.
“Halt, human!” a clear, accented voice rang out.
As I skidded to a stop before the corridor, something leaped onto my back and sent me crashing to the ground. Air whooshed out of my lungs, and pain ricocheted through my ribs. A growl came from above me, and two huge paws pushed into my back. Hot, wet air blasted next my ear before the snapping of teeth caused me to flinch.
Terror exploded through my veins like a searing shot of alcohol. Oh, God. Let me faint before I’m mauled. I closed my eyes, awaiting the slash of claws and teeth.


About the Author:


Lisa Kumar is a wife, mother, and romance writer who grew up in small-town Indiana. She now resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and two sons. When not spinning tales of romance and fantasy, she can often be found with her nose buried in a book. Her scholastic background is in psychology, which enabled her to get low-paying jobs in the human services sector. Needless to say, she's now writing full-time.

Discover other titles by Lisa Kumar at Lisa’s website and Goodreads.

Join Lisa’s Newsletter and Reading Group.


Connect with Lisa Online:



What's happening in September on Romance -  Sweet to Heat

19 - Thursday #Yoga
20 – Fridays in Space
21 – SPOTLIGHT – Brandy Nacole – Murder is a Debate
22 – Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
23 - SPOTLIGHT – A. E. Faulkner - Anguish Unfolds
24 – Critters on Tour
25 – SPOTLIGHT – Maggie Blackbird - Sanctified
26 - Thursday #Yoga
27 – Fridays in Space
28 – SPOTLIGHT – Breanna Hayse – The Game Plan Series
29 -  Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
30 – NEBT - Author Spotlight – Felicity Brandon - Forbidden

Tuesday 17 September 2019

I must dare to be different in a world where I’m unwelcome in order to save the one person left in my life, my half-sister Addie. Shadow World Trilogy Boxed Set by Brandy Nacole #UrbanFantasy



Shadow World Trilogy Boxed Set
by Brandy Nacole
Genre: Urban Fantasy

I must dare to be different in a world where I’m unwelcome in order to save the one person left in my life, my half-sister Addie.

This deluxe boxed set contains the complete Bestselling Shadow World Trilogy (Uniquely Unwelcome, Blood Burdens, and Sacrifice: A New Dawn).

Enjoy the thrill as power is pushed to its limit, hearts are broken, and some pay the ultimate price as Racquel fights an ancient evil that is determined to make the Earth bleed, and Racquel with it.


The box set includes:

Uniquely Unwelcome
The Shadow World Volume 1

Racquel is unique. The bloodlines of four of the most powerful beings in the Shadow World are intertwined within her DNA. She has never craved attention. She just wants to be able to live as normal life as she can. But she's about to find that even though she's uniquely unwelcome wherever she goes, her abilities also make her the best chance the Shadow World has to stop a threat to all the Shadow races. Once arriving home, Racquel finds that greater evils exist and that the person she cares for most in this world, her half-sister Addie, has been kidnapped along with other Shadow World beings. Racquel finds herself facing horrible odds with those who would rather see her dead than alive. As her journey continues, Racquel learns more about herself, what she is capable of, and that not every being looks at her as an abomination. Coy, a human captive that Racquel saves from the Vampires, starts showing kindness toward her. Racquel tries putting distance between her and the human boy but as they spend more time together it becomes harder and harder for Racquel to fight the affection she wants and needs. But will Coy's friendship and her new found discoveries be enough to help Racquel unravel the strangest mystery that has ever plagued the Shadow World?


Blood Burdens
The Shadow World Trilogy Volume 2

As someone with four Shadow bloodlines, Racquel is uniquely unwelcome even among her fellow werewolves, shape-shifters, vampires, and witches. Growing up, she was bullied and tormented for being a “hybrid,” a condition frowned upon by Shadow society. After saving her sister and a number of other kidnapped Shadows from a diabolical plot to create a Shadow army, many have found a new respect for Racquel, but she is far from accepted in Shadow society, and the evil is far from over. To complicate matters, Racquel now finds herself torn between two brothers. Coy is caring and has helped Racquel through her struggles, and Micah, who Racquel has only met once but who is somehow, having dream conversations with him. Racquel becomes torn between following her heart while breaking it at the same time. In the second installment of the Shadow World series, Racquel and her sister Addie face off with the Shadow leaders against a threat that could bring the world to its knees. Power will be pushed to its limit, hearts will be broken, and some will pay the ultimate price as Racquel and her group of Shadows fight against an ancient evil that is determined to make the earth bleed and Racquel with it.


Sacrifice: A New Dawn
The Shadow World Trilogy Book 3

Racquel was once uniquely unwelcome, an outcast in both the human and Shadow worlds. In desperation, the Shadows—the loose alliance of Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, Shape Shifters and Faeries—turned to Racquel for help against the sorceress Cerelia, who threatened all Shadows. Now that Racquel has protected the Shadows by defeating Cerelia, it seems like things are picking up. Racquel is ready to challenge the Shadows’ Ruling Council on the injustice of the laws that made her and her family outcasts among the Shadows, and which is causing suffering among her friends. Racquel has little time to enjoy her victory. Micah, an innocent subjected to experiments by Cerelia and now the only other person in the world like Racquel, is summoned to appear before the Ruling Council to be examined. The Council has already warned that if Micah is deemed to be “unclean” and a threat to the Shadows, he will be executed. And there are agendas hidden in agendas, as well. A secret faction wants to challenge Racquel, who they still see as being an unclean creature due to her mixed-Shadow heritage. Worse still, the mysterious prophecy made by Kaya, queen of the Fay, is about to become true, and Racquel is about to be faced with her deepest fear: that she is still unwelcome in the world. Betrayed trust and a new danger to the Shadow world are waiting for Racquel, and in the end, she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save the world and her friends from destruction.







Gemini Brandy Nacole is a writer of urban fantasy books. She is the author of the Shadow World series and the Spiritual Discord series published by Ponahakeola Press. A reader from a young age, Brandy has always loved folklore and stories of beings that go bump in the night.



Brandy lives in Arkansas with her husband, three never stopping kids, two snooty cats, two very lazy bearded dragons, and one mellow turtle. She is a member of the Ozark Romance Authors in Springfield, Missouri. Whenever she’s not reading or writing, Brandy is spending her time outdoors wheeling, hiking, playing amateur photographer, and enjoying a good laugh.




Follow the tour HERE for exclusive content and a giveaway!







What's happening in September on Romance -  Sweet to Heat
18 - Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor
19 - Thursday #Yoga
20 – Fridays in Space
21 – SPOTLIGHT – Brandy Nacole – Murder is a Debate
22 – Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
23 - SPOTLIGHT – A. E. Faulkner - Anguish Unfolds
24 – Critters on Tour
25 – SPOTLIGHT – Maggie Blackbird - Sanctified
26 - Thursday #Yoga
27 – Fridays in Space
28 – SPOTLIGHT – Breanna Hayse – The Game Plan Series
29 -  Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
30 – NEBT - Author Spotlight – Felicity Brandon - Forbidden

Monday 16 September 2019

Cameron’s gaze dropped to his mouth and paused for a long minute before he met Rylan’s gaze. New Adult M/M Romance - Cameron and Rylan by Valerie Ullmer #NA #M/M



Cameron & Rylan (A Chance Meeting Novel Book One)
Valerie Ullmer

Genre:  New Adult M/M Romance

BUY LINK


BLURB
Cameron Hayes believed himself to be a dedicated friend and a good son but destined to be alone.  Because in his twenty-one years, he’d never fallen for anyone.  Dating never appealed to him when he would rather spend a night at home.  Despite his friend’s best intentions for Cameron to find a hookup for the night, he stayed at the bar as he nursed a beer.  And that’s when Cameron spotted him and everything he knew evaporated with one look.
Rylan Ellis wanted one night out without complications.  To forget about his overwhelming responsibilities and stress at home.  He loved to lose himself in the music and ignore everyone around him.  But when he happened a glance at the bar and spotted the tall, broad, and sexy-as-sin man, he felt drawn to him.
Soon, Cameron and Rylan learn about each other and establish their lives together.  They also have to deal with a group of well-meaning friends, loving parents, and unexpected friendships.  But most of all, a dangerous threat that could tear their lives apart.
Will a chance meeting turn into something more?
This novel contains heavy attraction at first sight and first-time gay sex between two men.  There is no cheating or cliffhangers and ends with a happily ever after.

EXCERPT

“Are you okay?”
Rylan swallowed at Cameron’s concern and nodded.  “Are you sure you still want me to move in?”  The look of concern on Cameron’s face made his throat feel tight.
“I want you safe but more than that, I want you in my life.  I still want you very much to move in with me.”
“Yes to both.  I… I want that.”
Cameron’s gaze dropped to his mouth and paused for a long minute before he met Rylan’s gaze.  “Can I kiss you?”
Oh, yes, please.
Unable to force the words past his throat, he nodded instead.
Rylan not knowing what to expect, couldn’t prevent the shiver when Cameron cupped his face.  He moaned aloud when Cameron’s lips grazed over his lower one.  Cameron took his time exploring, searching and yet not deepening the kiss as he passed over Rylan’s lips with his own.
“Rylan,” Cameron breathed.
“Please.”
That one word was all it took.
“I’ve wanted nothing more.”  Cameron tilted his mouth as he pressed their lips together, causing Rylan’s entire world to tilt on its axis.
Rylan gripped Cameron’s hips tighter in his hold, pulling him closer, as Cameron slid his tongue over the seam of his lips, asking for permission to enter.  Rylan eagerly opened, savoring the taste of peppermint and black coffee as Cameron deepened the kiss and stole Rylan’s breath in the same moment.
When they broke off and dragged in deep breaths, Cameron moved his lips behind his ear before he explored Rylan’s neck.  Rylan tilted his head back, giving him access and drawing sensations from his untried body that left him throbbing.
Rylan never knew his neck and the area behind his ear would turn him into mush.  He bit his lip to prevent a moan from escaping his throat, but Cameron bit his earlobe and spoke.
“Let me hear you.”
“You’re driving me crazy.”
“Now you know how I felt the moment I spotted you on the dance floor.  For me, that’s saying something.”
Before Rylan could form a thought to reply, Cameron moved his mouth over Rylan’s and he lost himself to the sensations that shivered throughout his body.  Cameron’s growl absorbed his moan as he deepened the kiss, pulling him closer to his hard body.
Rylan’s eyes fluttered closed, unable to keep his eyes on the sexy-as-sin sight of Cameron’s flushed face.  The kiss turned into an inferno and Rylan could feel his cock swelling in his sweats and he knew if Cameron stepped closer, he would experience Rylan’s excitement first hand.
He opened for Cameron’s exploration and instead of the intense sensations of an aggressive kiss, Cameron’s slowed his movements as his tongue explored him until he was panting and all thoughts disappeared.  There were only the sensations Cameron drew from him.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Valerie writes paranormal and contemporary romances with strong alpha males and brilliant, beautiful heroines. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her wonderfully supportive husband and their funny and wise black lab. She's addicted to coffee, crime shows, and reading and writing character driven romances.

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What's happening in September on Romance -  Sweet to Heat
17 – SPOTLIGHT – Brandy Nacole – Shadow World Trilogy
18 - Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor
19 - Thursday #Yoga
20 – Fridays in Space
21 – SPOTLIGHT – Brandy Nacole – Murder is a Debate
22 – Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
23 - SPOTLIGHT – A. E. Faulkner - Anguish Unfolds
24 – Critters on Tour
25 – SPOTLIGHT – Maggie Blackbird - Sanctified
26 - Thursday #Yoga
27 – Fridays in Space
28 – SPOTLIGHT – Breanna Hayse – The Game Plan Series
29 -  Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday
30 – NEBT - Author Spotlight – Felicity Brandon - Forbidden