Author Archives: Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez

About Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez

My Niece and Nephew joke that I could open a used book store with all the books that I own. I love to read, that is my addiction. I can't go a week without going to a book store. I love crocheting. I love to write stories and poetry. I also love my family, even though they make me crazy at times. I am a huge Donald Duck Fan.

The Seer Blitz

The Seer banner

The Seer cover

Historical Fiction/Paranormal Fiction

Date Published: March 11th, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

 

 

In 1890s Missouri, secrets are a matter of survival.

Clairvoyant Sarah Richardson screams as her older sister Katherine is
forced into a straightjacket and thrust into a carriage bound for the St.
Louis City Lunatic Asylum. She is devastated to learn Katherine has been
blamed for her inadvertent role in an abused woman’s murder. Now, too
frightened to speak up, she hides the truth that it should have been her in
that carriage. 

Sarah’s mounting guilt becomes too much, and she heads to St. Louis,
determined to regain her sister’s confidence and prove herself worthy
of forgiveness.

While working to heal their relationship, Sarah meets a timid housewife who
tries to hide her bruises. When troubling psychic visions of the woman begin
to affect her, she sees an opportunity to atone for her past mistakes.
Desperate to do whatever it takes to make things right, Sarah embarks on a
perilous journey that may cost her everything—including her own
life.

About the Author

Award-winning author Raquel Y. Levitt holds an MFA in creative writing and
a master’s degree in English. Her short stories have been published in
various anthologies and literary journals and reflect her passion for
writing about strong women finding their voice and their power. She is a
world traveler, an amateur nature photographer, and a collector of cool
rocks. Raquel and her husband live, work, and play in the Texas Hill Country
and Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. The Seer is her debut novel.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Instagram

 

Purchase Links

Amazon

B&N

iBooks

Smashwords

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RABT Book Tours & PR

1 Comment

Filed under BOOK BLITZ

Eight Second Magic Teaser Tuesday

Eight Second Magic banner

 

Eight Second Magic cover

LGBTQ+, Wild West Romance, Vampires

Date Published: March 14, 2025

 

 

When vampire Beau Hollings falls into rodeo clown Leon Lavoie’s arms
as he comes off a bull, he’s more than grateful for the save.

 

 

Sparks fly when Beau meets the sexy vampire clown after the event for
drinks, and a night of passion makes the night complete. But what should
have been a one-night stand turns into something more when Leon reveals that
they were matched by Cowboy Magic, a dating service for paranormal rodeo
performers.

 

Wolf shifter Rhody Tallwood, one of the famous Tallwood brothers of bronc
riding fame, put in a request with Cowboy Magic, then forgot — until
he’s told to watch the bull riding.

 

Now he’s got to juggle not one, but two vampire mates, as well as his
brothers’ displeasure, because the three of them together are magic,
and each of them wants their relationship to last a lot longer than eight
seconds.

 

 

TRIGGER WARNING: Rodeo Clown, may be a trigger for those with clown phobia.
Adult language and situations.

 

 

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Each book in the Cowboy Magic series contains stories
of queer cowboy/cowgirl/cowthey love across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

Eight Second Magic tablet

 

 

EXCERPT

Beau didn’t think he had unreasonable requirements — at least six
feet tall, familiar with bull riding and the danger that came with it,
understands the life of a traveling cowboy — but as he hit send on the
preferences form at Cowboy Matchmaker, he thought he was asking for a trip
to the moon or something. Though depending on how good the cowboy was at
giving a blow job, it might feel as if he’d gone into orbit. He
grinned at his mental joke, then quickly sobered. He hadn’t had so
much as a quick hand job in the men’s room for a very long time.

He’d been focusing on his career and watching his bank account get
fatter. It was nice to skyrocket in the standings. It was even better to
know he would have a nest egg for when he was ready to hang up his bullrope.
At some point he’d have to leave because even though people knew about
vampires, the fact he aged more slowly still creeped most of them out. Guess
that would be another requirement — not icky about vampires.

He checked his ride time. The rodeo would be starting soon, and he wanted
to find a good place to watch before the bull riding closed out the event.
Grabbing his travel mug, he drained the last of its contents before heading
out.

He made it to the arena just as the first event, bareback riding, was
starting, and found a spot behind the chutes to watch. He waved at the bull
riders passing by to go scope out their rides and see what they were up
against. He already knew. He’d drawn Smoke Demon, a big, dark gray
bull that few cowboys could stay on for the required eight seconds. He
could, though. He knew it, and tonight would be his night to add to his
winnings and his legend.

The cowboy in the arena spurred in rhythm with the bronc’s big bucks,
the two of them as pretty as a postcard. His white hat tumbled off about
three jumps in, and his long, dark ponytail fanned out behind him like a
horse’s tail. Dirk was good, one of the best, and a good friend. The
crowd cheered and hollered as the buzzer sounded, and the pick-up men helped
Dirk off the big chestnut paint bronc. When his score hit the board, the
arena erupted even louder. Beau drank it in, thinking the crowd would cheer
just as loudly for him, too.

He watched the rest of the bareback and saddle bronc riding, then as the
first roping events started, he went back to the locker room to begin his
preparations for tonight’s ride. He wove through the workers behind
the chutes, giving some nods of hello to men busy moving stock to and from
the pens and those working the chute. He reached the locker room, surprised
to find it lightly populated, and went to his trunk where he kept his chaps
and bullrope.

He sat on the bench, trying to focus on the visualization exercises he did
before his ride, but he couldn’t stop thinking about that Cowboy
Matchmaker application he’d submitted. After paying and filling out
the form, all he had to do was wait and see who he’d be connected with
and just how well and how fast they’d hit things off.

Word of the service had spread through the cowboys, with most of them
calling it magic. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in magic. He
was a vampire, and he knew magic existed. It was just, well, cowboys like
him didn’t get a happily ever after, and even the mortal, completely
non-paranormal cowboys had rough relationships with the stress and danger of
the road. A vampire? Who rode bulls? After living for a few hundred years,
he loved the adrenaline. He also knew he’d have to move on in a decade
or so. He could only claim a great skincare regimen for so long.

Beau removed his hat and raked his fingers through his long sandy-brown
hair, cut just shaggy enough to give him a rakish look.

“Worried about your ride tonight?” a familiar voice asked as he
walked into the locker room.

Beau replaced his hat and put on a big grin. “I’ve ridden
worse. Who’d you draw?” he asked to deflect the conversation
from him. Brand Bennings had chased his place at the top of the standings
for the past few years, and the younger vampire was always trying to give
him a hard time.

“Spit Stain.” He rolled his eyes. “He’s so
predictable. One hop out of the chute, then spin to the left. Yawn.
I’ll have to be perfect to get a good score tonight.”

“Stay on your rope. Sometimes he’ll go to the right and dump
you in the well.” They might be competitors, but Brand had to ride
well for them to be in close contention, which was exactly what the fans
wanted.

“Right-O.” He gave a two-fingered salute at the tan brim of his
cowboy hat, then went to his trunk.

Beau returned to his visualizing the ride. He knew Smoke Demon’s
moves, had watched countless videos of him after the draw. The trick to
staying on was to expect the unexpected, because Smoke Demon didn’t
have a single way of going. He could do this. He moved to his stretches, and
by the time barrel racing started, he exchanged his cowboy hat for his
helmet and was ready to ride.

He went behind the chutes with the rest of the riders, giving a nod to
Brand as he passed him on the bleachers. Beau would be riding fifth, so when
the barrels were removed from the arena and the spotlights dimmed, he was
ready and already getting stationed behind the chutes where the first three
bulls were being guided into place.

Normally he’d ignore the announcer’s hype. He knew the sport
was rough and dangerous, that he was epitomizing the essence of the cowboy,
especially since he’d been part of the Wild West when it was truly
wild.

Smoke Demon went into the chute, and it was showtime. Upon reaching the
chute, he climbed down, straddling the gate while he adjusted the bullrope.
When he was ready and the arena cleared of the last rider, he settled on
Smoke Demon’s back. He fastened his bullrope, and though he’d
done this a thousand times, he wasn’t sure if it was like strapping
himself to a rocket or a fifteen-hundred-pound rattlesnake. One wrong move
and it’d hurt like hell at the very least. He was immune to a lot, but
a horn through the chest wasn’t one of them.

Out of habit, he reached to press down his cowboy hat, his hands
encountering his helmet instead, and gave the nod. The gate swung open and
Smoke Demon exploded. He jumped from the gate, hitting the ground with his
front feet solidly in the dirt and his hind feet up over his ass. A long
thread of snot whipped from the bull’s nose to slap across the toe of
Beau’s boot with the remainder hitting the ground. Beau ignored it,
because just as the hind feet landed, the bull bucked again — another leap
and snort and all Beau’s focus remained on his center of gravity
locking with the bull’s.

One more jump, then the bull settled down to turn to the right, into his
hand. He didn’t get cocky, didn’t think he had the ride.
Instead, he rode each spin, each jump as it came, and when Smoke Demon
whirled out of the spin, reversing like a cat pouncing on its prey, he rode
with the bull. He’d never been one to count the seconds. He
didn’t even try to view the board, but surely he’d ridden eight
seconds by now.

He dimly registered the bullfighters staying in position in case he needed
help. One, dressed all in black, a mop of curly blond hair poking from
beneath his black cowboy hat, gave him a thumbs-upas the bull twisted and
spun. More jumps, more bucks — how the hell could so much beef be so
athletic?

Then the whistle blew.

Beau yanked on the bullrope.

It didn’t budge.

Fuck.

He yanked again as the pressure on his hands tightened, his fingers
swelling from the loss of circulation.

The bullfighter in black was there. “I got you,” he yelled over
the crowd’s gasp as they realized what was happening. “Relax
your hand.”

Relax his hand? He was trying to cling to a pile of angry fucking
hamburger. He also knew the bullfighter was right.

“I got you. Look into my eyes,” the bullfighter said again, and
something about his voice, a bit of compulsion, captivated Beau, mesmerized
him, and his hand relaxed.

The bull jumped.

 

About the Author

WM Kirkland loves the smell of the forest after a thunderstorm and
listening to the pounding of hooves as the horses come to the fence for
attention. A pen name for a prolific author, WM focuses on writing stories
of steamy queer love between shifters, magical creatures, cowboys, and the
occasional time-traveling gladiator. They’re proud to have been
telling tales for the past two decades and hope for many more.

Author on Facebook

Author on Instagram

Author on Bluesky

Author’s Website

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, & TikTok:
@changelingpress

Pre-Order Today

 

 

RABT Book Tours & PR

Comments Off on Eight Second Magic Teaser Tuesday

Filed under Teasers

I Beat the Odds Blitz

I Beat the Odds banner

I Beat the Odds cover

Self-Help

Date Published: February 13, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

 

 

Living Longer, Happier, and In More Control of Your Circumstances

What does it take to achieve exceptional longevity—not just in years
but in happiness, fulfillment, and personal control over life’s
circumstances? At 85 years old, Deacon Ralph Torrelli has beaten the odds,
living a life filled with purpose, resilience, and wisdom. Now, he shares
the lessons and insights that have helped him—and can help
you—thrive in an ever-changing world.

Drawing from his experiences as a business owner, mentor, deacon, and
devoted family man, Torrelli provides a roadmap to a longer, more meaningful
life. Through real-life stories, practical advice, and deep reflections, he
explores:

 


Acceptance & Emotion – Embracing feelings while maintaining
balance


Action & Accountability – Turning intentions into tangible
results


Adaptability – Thriving in times of uncertainty


Courage & Perseverance – Facing life’s challenges with
bravery and grit


Honor & Integrity – Living a life of authenticity and
respect


PMA (Present Moment Awareness) – The power of embracing the now

 

From navigating relationships and overcoming fear to setting goals and
finding your true purpose, I Beat the Odds is a guide to living longer,
happier, and with a greater sense of control. If you’re ready to defy
expectations, take charge of your destiny, and discover the keys to a
fulfilling life, this book will show you the way.

It’s never too late—or too early—to start beating the
odds. Are you ready?

About the Author

Deacon Ralph Torrelli

Deacon Ralph Torrelli has 43 years of ministry experience. He is the author
of five books on spirituality and prayer published by Liguori Publications
and Word Among Us Press and has published articles in faith-based magazines.
From 2005 to the present; he authors the by-monthly Scripture commentary
column for the Gulf Pine Catholic, the newspaper of the Biloxi Diocese. He
has extensive experience in preaching and counseling in the normal course of
his ministry, including hosting a call-in radio ministry. He has led
pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Rome and conducted retreats and parish
missions.

 

Purchase Links

Amazon

B&N

 

RABT Book Tours & PR

Comments Off on I Beat the Odds Blitz

Filed under BOOK BLITZ

The Woke and the Dead Virtual Book Tour

The Woke and the Dead banner

 

The Woke and the Dead cover

Nostalgia City Mystery #5

Mystery

Date Published: 03-13-2025

Publisher: Archer & Clark

 

 

A public war between a governor and a theme park lights the fuse on a story
of hate groups, murder, corruption, racism, and political espionage.

Ex-cop turned theme-park cab driver Lyle Deming finds the body of a park
visitor during an LGBTQ event. The dead man catered gay weddings. Was it a
hate crime?

Arizona governor Rod Gudgel, running for reelection, calls it a random
shooting. He mocks Nostalgia City theme park for its inclusiveness, uses
homophobic and racist slurs, and later challenges the safety of its
rides.

Park CEO, “Max” Maxwell lambasts the governor’s prejudice and
insensitivity, and the fight is on—in public and undercover.  Maxwell
drafts Lyle to investigate the murder while Kate Sorensen, his 6’-2½” public
affairs VP, goes on the offensive in the media.

When an assault rifle attack kills and injures park employees demonstrating
for gay rights at a Gudgel campaign office, Nostalgia City mourns, and Kate
slams the governor’s unsympathetic response to the slaughter. While the FBI
and sheriff’s deputies investigate the crime, the governor redoubles his
efforts to regulate the park out of business.

Looking for a shooting suspect, Lyle gets a little too close to an armed
hate group—with a possible connection to the governor. His lady friend Kate
flies to Montana where she digs into the governor’s unseemly past uncovering
a trail of malfeasance dating back two decades and arousing Gudgel allies
who want to stop her at all cost.

With Lyle’s wry humor and Kate’s stick-to-itiveness the story moves quickly
as mysteries and subplots multiply and loop together threatening the park,
their relationship, and their lives.

 

The Woke and the Dead tablet

EXCERPT

The Woke and the Dead – Mark S. Bacon

 

CHAPTER 43  

Lyle listened to Jim Croce singing “Time in a Bottle” as he accelerated. He wanted to get to the barbecue early to make it easier to meet people as they arrived. Apparently, a handful of other guys had a similar idea. 

Lyle parked in front of a broad adobe Southwest territorial style home. A gravel drive led around the side of the house and continued through heavy oak gates opened wide. Brick-bordered cactus gardens connected by narrow gravel paths circled the backyard that covered a half acre or more. In the middle, conversation groups of teak tables and chairs, shaded by umbrellas, surrounded a curving, lighted swimming pool. 

At the far side of the pool, a clutch of five men in casual clothes stood talking near a fire pit. As Lyle approached, his shoes crunching on the gravel, they all looked up and the conversation ebbed. The words, “I mean it, man,” died in the air. 

“C’mere Lyle.” The guy Lyle remembered as Ed, the wild Suburban driver, motioned to him.

Lyle recognized Wylie, the supervisor—and dead shot—from the shooting range. The man extended his hand.

“Lyle, I’m Wylie,” he said with his dimpled-chin smile. “We owe you a thanks for your quick thinking to help save Bobby’s life. Saved him from his own carelessness.”

“Jake and Ed helped. Took all of us to get him treated.” 

“Glad you could make it here tonight,” Wiley said. “You can meet the guys and find out about us. And about our mission for the country.”

“That’s why I’m here.” Lyle studied Wylie’s face, wondering if his name was an appropriate adjective.

“We tol’ him some about CB,” Ed added. 

Wylie pointed to a galvanized tub loaded with ice and beer in bottles. “Help yourself, Lyle.”

Floodlights along the edge of the house and around a ramada next to a large, smoking barbecue supplemented the setting sun. Lyle looked at the three other men in the group and introduced himself. For a moment he forgot where he was. The clink of glasses, the smell of meat searing on the grill, the light shimmering on the pool surface made him imagine a barbecue with guys who might be in the same bowling league, softball team, or Kiwanis Club. But they were hate group members, possibly killers. He tried to remember the faces.

Lyle wandered to the ice tub and helped himself. He planned to circulate and collect information—casually. His back to the fire pit, he set his beer bottle on a table. He pulled out his phone and, pretending to do something innocuous, he took several pictures of the group. Enlarged, the photos might provide decent mug shots. 

“Keeping up on Instagram?” a voice behind him said.

Lyle lowered his phone and turned it off in one motion. “Hey, Jake. You just come from work?” Lyle pointed to his shirt and tie.

“Yeah, working late on specs for a new commercial development. Citizens are worried about more traffic.” 

Lyle turned halfway round, looking at the grounds. “This is a beautiful place.”

“Wylie does all right. So you took the invitation to come.”

“I’m interested in the Cadre Brave and would like to know more. What are you guys concerned about?”

“I guess concerned is a good way to describe the group.”

“So help me understand. What’s wrong with the country? What does Cadre Brave want to change?” Lyle picked up his beer and held it in front of him.

“It’s like what Ed and I said the other day. We want to maintain American values. They’re slipping away. The values that our forefathers fought and died for. You think George Washington fought so drag queens could read books to students?”

Yes, exactly. He helped guarantee freedom of self expression. “Did they have drag queens then? The guys did all wear wigs.”

“Seriously, it’s what our heritage represents,” Jake said. “But today, values and priorities are shifting. Back in Washington and here. 

“Look, I’m not a racist, but can’t you see how our cities, our culture, are being diluted by the mass of immigrants, illegals?

 

About the Author

Mark S Bacon

My first three mysteries were published by Black Opal Books with my debut
novel earning recommendation from the American Library Association.

I started writing mysteries after a writing career in journalism and
marketing. Prior to my novels, Ether Books of the UK published a collection
of my flash fiction mysteries and many of my shorts have been published in
online literary magazines. During my business career I wrote two books for
John Wiley and Sons, one of which was a Library Journal Best Business Book
of the Year. I have an MA in journalism and a golden retriever.

I write the kind of mysteries I like to read.  I appreciate stories
with twists, turns, and puzzles which appeal to the head. But I also like a
mystery that appeals to the heart with a fast pace and challenges and
threats that put the protagonists in peril.

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter: @baconauthor

Blog

Goodreads

 

Purchase Links

Amazon

B&N

Kobo

Apple Books

Smashwords

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RABT Book Tours & PR

Comments Off on The Woke and the Dead Virtual Book Tour

Filed under Book Tour

French Cruises Can Kill You Blitz

French Cruises Can Kill You banner

French Cruises Can Kill You

The Hassle High Mystery Series, Book 3

 

Cozy Mystery

Date Published: 11-14-2020

 

 

Cozy Mystery with Death Romance and twists on a French Cruise with the
Hassle High group. Complete with occult, kidnapping and French
Recipes.

 

About the Author

Constance Meccarello-Gerson

Constance Meccarello-Gerson was born in Poughkeepsie N.Y.  She is a
graduate of Florida Southern College with a BA in Acting. She also attended
the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. HB Studio, Actors Studio, in
NYC.  She is a member of SAG, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Si Omega. Her
MFA in Acting is from Brooklyn College.  She has appeared on TV, film,
and on stage in NYC. For 20 years she taught as a mentor and teacher of
English and Theatre arts for the New York City Department of Education and
for the University at Santa Cruz. She also taught for ten years as a Speech
Coordinator at Touro College. She was an executive at Bloomingdales. Her
writing as appeared in Musings, also in the Best American Poets
series.  Murder at Hassle High is her first  cozy mystery.
Summertime Murder at Hassle High is her second and  French Cruises Can
Kill You  is the third.  She wrote Armera a sci fi mystery and her
Snowball the Sherlock Rabbit series, a group of children books.
Currently she lives in NYC with her husband Alain, a parrot named Benji, and
lots of fish. She is currently writing Death In a Dorm, another cozy in the
Hassle High series.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Purchase Today

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

RABT Book Tours & PR

Comments Off on French Cruises Can Kill You Blitz

Filed under BOOK BLITZ