2023 BBNYA Book Round Up

 

These books were the 2023 Winner and Finalists that had 

BBNYA Blog Tours this year.

FFS is the Friday Featured Spotlight that has ALL the tour 

posts from that particular tour.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ Wrath of the Land by Oli Jacobs

 

When the plumbing around the centre of West Crumb starts to overflow, everyone believes the problem is a series of badly blocked drain.

What they don't expect is a fatberg the size of a double-decker bus.

Council worker Ronald Pile is tasked with clearing the horrible mass, but soon finds himself dealing with a bureaucracy that works deep behind the scenes of the local council. Meanwhile, student Laura Bennett begins to notice how the fatberg seems to be influencing those around town.

Then, the reality of what the fatberg contains is revealed, and it begins to sprout.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ Wings So Soft by Dani Finn

 

Can love bloom in war’s darkest hour?

Mara and her owl work surveillance to keep Kuppham safe, but the news on the Stream is grim. The humans are coming, and she and her owl will soon be in the line of fire. Her once-vibrant city is a ghost town, with little to distract her as she waits for the skin-covered hordes to overrun the Maer capital.

Until one day, this timid little artificer wanders into the aerie, asking to watch her owl land over and over.

Uffrin makes owls powered by clockwork and magic to guard the great automatons on the northern front. He visits the aerie to study the owls’ flight mechanics, but it’s the owl handler who captures his attention. So gentle, so in control, with quick eyes that seem to stay with his all the time.

Amid the looming clouds of war, hearts intertwine and feathers fly, but duty soon flings these two lovebirds apart. If the war goes as badly as everyone seems to fear, how will they ever find each other again?

Love might be the only thing that saves them.

Fly away from your troubles with this standalone fantasy romance, part of the Time Before trio. It’s steamy, with over 150 kisses, and includes a picnic in the park, a date in a basement speakeasy, and a secret mountain lake far from the ravages of war.

Content This book is intended for adult readers only. It includes depictions of wartime violence, drinking, drug use, and explicit, consensual sex scenes.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ Wayward Daughter by Alyssa Frace

 

Genesis Belle would do anything to leave the monster hunting world behind—even make a deal with one of the world’s most accomplished her mother. All she has to do is kill the creature lurking in the shadows of their town before her mom does. If she wins, she can follow her cross-country road trip dreams without slaying monsters on the way, but if she loses, she’ll have to keep working at a hunting outpost masquerading as a dingy diner.

Genesis is sure this bet will be what she needs to get out of her hometown so she can see the world without a knife hidden in her waistband. Thanks to the help of a new apothecary-in-training, Red, she assumes winning will be easy enough. He'll help her with the boring part (researching monsters) and she’ll do the important part (killing monsters). It should be as simple as the pie she serves at the diner. But when human bodies start piling up around town covered in oozing dark magic, what started as a simple hunt turns into a nightmare.

The further down the rabbit hole Genesis and Red go, the more obvious it becomes that her mother’s shady hunting tactics may be to blame for the town’s body count. And when her mother dissuades her from continuing their bet under the paper-thin guise of keeping her from getting her feelings hurt, she’s never more sure that something malicious is going on under the surface. Armed with a broken ancient mermaid artifact, that annoyingly nosy apothecary, and a shit ton of spite, Genesis must traverse the monster hunting world and utilize her skills to not only win the bet against her mother but save the town from the magic lurking in the shadows.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ The Sparrow and the Oak Tree by Jamie Jackson

 

Unicorns don't exist, and dragons aren't real, but the Fae are. And they are to be feared.

Or so the tales say.

As the sole sorceress within the Lion King's court and kingdom Isolde is valued for her power, provided she fulfills the king's commands.

Her task? Deal with a child who has emerged from a forest no one has returned from in over one hundred years.As Isolde works to fulfill her order, accompanied by her nameless guardian, she'll encounter a creature she's only heard of through myth and legend...

When he kidnaps her.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ The Half Killed by Quenby Olson

 

Dorothea Hawes has no wish to renew contact with what lies beyond the veil. After an attempt to take her own life, she has retired into seclusion, but as the wounds on her body heal, she is drawn back into a world she wants nothing more than to avoid.

She is sought out by Julian Chissick, a former man of God who wants her help in discovering who is behind the gruesome murder of a young woman. But the manner of death is all too familiar to Dorothea, and she begins to fear that something even more terrible is about to unleash itself on London.

And so Dorothea risks her life and her sanity in order to save people who are oblivious to the threat that hovers over them. It is a task that forces her into a confrontation with her own lurid past, and tests her ability to shape events frighteningly beyond her control.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ The Exile of Zanzibar by Daniel Maidman

 

Claire built a device to fold space and time. It had a flaw...

When the smoke clears, she finds herself halfway across the world, thousands of years in the past, and no device in sight.

In bronze-age Florence, war has lasted for generations. All Claire wants to do is get home, but she’ll need help from the locals. She wins an ally in Marcus Diophantus, a pickpocket turned soldier turned general, who hopes to turn into something more than just her champion. Together, they broker peace between Florence and its enemy.

If Marcus is going to help Claire, he’ll have to survive. Peace has upset the balance of power in the capital city. The king stands increasingly alone against: the Constantines, a commercial enterprise as much as a clan, who aim to profit from peace as they have from war – the warrior nobles, descended from the founders of Florence and quick to turn against a weak throne – and Reburrus, the high priest of Florence, convinced Claire answers to hostile foreign gods. As the city comes to a boil, Claire and Marcus – and Marcus’s formidable army – will have to decide where their allegiance lies.

Claire becomes a reluctant participant in a savage campaign. While Marcus leads the battles, she tries to gain control of the unimaginably powerful Ctesiphôn – a ghost tower in the heart of Florence, shrouded in magic and myth.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ Stone & Sky by Z.S. Diamanti

 

From across the sea, a shadow rises. A lone survivor may be the kingdom’s only hope against annihilation.

Orin is a sworn protector. As a stalwart member of the Griffin Guard, he’s proud to protect the kingdom against a dreaded nation of orcs. But when the fires of war burn bright from the north, his entire squadron falls to deadly wyvern riders, leaving the devastated Orin bloody and alone.

With his squad dead, Orin has his mind set on saving others from the same fate.

Teaming up with a local huntsman’s family, Orin and his new friends must push themselves past their limits to face mysterious dangers and ancient magics. Shocked to discover the orcs’ secret weapon, the lone guardian’s last chance to save his home could require the ultimate sacrifice.

Come fly away on griffin-back!

Fly off to the world of Finlestia in this epic fantasy story for readers looking for adventure, magic, and just plain fun; a tale where friendships must overcome insurmountable odds and remind readers to never lose hope.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ Sledge vs The Labyrinth by Nick Horvath

 

SLEDGE. “THE ULTIMATE ANTI-HERO.” – Horror Reads

When his former lover, Kiira, finds herself the target of a mysterious dark web assassin network, modern-day gladiator, Einarr “Sledge” Laukkanen, embarks on a blood-spattered mission to uncover who lurks at its heart. But as he bludgeons his way down to its lowest depths, one thing becomes terrifyingly clear:

NO ONE ESCAPES THE LABYRINTH . . .

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ Orphan Planet by Rex Burke

 

Book 1 in the 'Odyssey Earth' series – a feelgood Sci-Fi space adventure .

With Earth in crisis, humans are travelling deep into space. But humanity’s future just took a wrong turn.

A seventeen-year colony-ship voyage – a straight shot to a new planet. Handpicked, single-minded crew, and a thousand settlers in hypersleep. No children, no families, no fuss.

That was the plan, anyway.

Captain Juno Washington commands a ship of loners and oddballs. The teenagers of the Odyssey Earth didn’t ask to be born, and face an uncertain future. And Jordan Booth really didn’t want to be woken up early.

After an unexpected change of course, relationships are tested like never before. If they listen to advice, pull together and stop squabbling, they might just make it.

Yeah, right. Good luck with that.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ Ordinary World by Jack T. Canis

 

'Life often boils down to simple questions with complex answers. Olivia Buchanan's question was simple, if twofold:

'Was sixteen year old Olivia Buchanan truly the culmination of a secret 30 year genome project, by a clandestine research organisation, to create the ultimate human in order to save humanity from itself?

Or: Has she merely inherited her mother's delusional schizophrenia, spiralling her into a nightmarish hell created by a diseased and fractured mind?'

Simple.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ On Silver Winds by Ava Smiddy

 

A reluctant Heir. A vengeful King. An alliance that could ruin them both.

Adeline never wanted the crown, yet she remains bound by it. A daughter of the Snow Queen, she must uphold the sparkling reputation of her kingdom until she earns the right to campaign for the throne - or the right to concede it.

But when royal tensions split the frozen lake at the heart of the kingdom, a dark King claws his way free of its icy depths.

And history is rewritten.

Kai has spent an eternity beneath the ice, with nothing but his rage to keep him warm. Now his only path to freedom lies in a false alliance with the descendants of his enemy. Deceiving them might be simple, even satisfying - if it weren’t for the lovely, roguish Princess Adeline and the warmth in her eyes when looks at him. As though she wants him. As though she trusts him. As though he could want and trust her too.

With loyalties divided and secrets buried in ancient ice, Adeline and Kai must decide how far they’ll go to protect the futures of their people. Is a kingdom worth the price of a frozen heart?

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ Kingsrise by Anne Mattias

 

Two stabbings. The victims: a man named Arthur and a mysterious knight. Detective Inspector Niamh Khalid finds herself drawn into a world of myth, magic, and betrayal. Can she solve an impossible case and keep her brother safe?

Things aren’t looking too great for DI Niamh Khalid. Her brother Lance has been arrested, her superior officer is breathing down her neck, and she is investigating an attempted murder, with no suspects and no clues to the identity of the victim. Then, Lance and his friends discover another dead body: a young man, dressed as a knight. Soon, a series of terrifying incidents threaten to derail Niamh’s investigation. Lance is clearly hiding something, and Niamh’s journalist ex-fiancé is back in her life, asking awkward questions. When criminal barrister Merlin Rhys seeks her out with a stunning revelation, Niamh begins to appreciate just how strange and frightening a mystery she and Lance have become involved in. Can myth and magic be real? Can they help Niamh solve her case, and save both her brother and her world?

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ Grave Covenant by Tobias Youngblood

 

Already troubled by his younger brother’s untimely death, Ridley faces hell when his fiancée disappears, leaving only a cryptic note.

On a quest to get her back, Ridley’s fate becomes intertwined with an insectile shapeshifter and an enigmatic, knife-wielding young girl with an agenda of her own. If Ridley is to have a prayer at saving his fiancée, he will need the help of his strange new friends. In a world where dragons still exist, and vampires hide in the shadows, an even greater threat lurks deep beneath the Outskirts … a god-like menace waiting to add Ridley’s bones to its collection. And Ridley’s fists won’t be enough this time … he’ll have to transform into something else entirely.

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ Blackout Trail by Linda Naughton

 When the world goes dark, a doctor embarks on a perilous journey.

Doctor Anna Hastings is no stranger to disasters, having spent much of her career as an aid worker in conflict zones around the world. Yet when an electrical phenomenon known as an EMP brings down the power grid, Anna faces catastrophe on a scale she never imagined. She must learn what it means to be a doctor in a world deprived of almost all technology. As the blackout causes planes to fall from the sky, Anna crosses paths with devoted father Mark Ryan in the chaos at the airport. Mark convinces Anna to travel with him and his seven-year-old daughter Lily to their family’s cabin in remote Maine. There Mark hopes to reunite with his wife, and find a safe refuge from a society on the brink of collapse. Journeying across a thousand miles of backcountry trails, they will face a daily struggle against nature. Their biggest peril, though, may come from their fellow survivors. As Anna grows closer to Mark and Lily, she resolves to see them safely home. But can she hold onto her humanity in a world gone mad?

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ All In by Russell Isler

 What dies in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Vampire playboy Eddy Fry has spent years living it up, so to speak, in Las Vegas. In all those decades, not once has he met another of his kind. Until tonight. Eddy learns that, not only are there other vampires out there, the one after him is older and much more powerful than he is. As if that wasn't bad enough, she’s got a small army of supernatural creatures at her beck and call. In a flash, she’s muscled him out of the casino he calls home and left him with an offer he can’t refuse. Out-gunned and out of his depth, Eddy will need to find his own allies, allies who know their way around this whacked-out supernatural world he’s been ignoring for so long. Otherwise, he might just see his first sunrise in years…

BBNYA2024 Semi-Finalist Spotlight ~ A Blend of Magic by Kate Kenzie

 

A witch cannot exist on potions and tea alone.

Hiding in the shadows, staunch singleton Willow Anderson is content running her successful business, The Enchanted Emporium. With Christmas days away, she’s eager to exchange selling bespoke tea blends and spells for extended bubble baths and binge-watching festive movies snuggled next to her Maine Coon, Vincent. Nate never usually runs away from his problems, but drunk and disorientated, he finds himself in a small fisherman’s cottage in the Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby. After discovering his girlfriend’s affair, he is in no rush to return to the City. His wish for time alone in a Christmas-free zone comes true until an uninvited feline guest arrives. Neither Nate nor Willow want company, especially from each other, but they have little choice when concussion means they must spend at least twenty-four hours together. Sparks fly and not just the romantic kind. When darkness from Willow’s past returns and threatens to destroy all she has worked for, pursuing a love affair is the last thing she needs. With meddling ghosts and a teenage apprentice with her own matchmaking agenda, love and change are in the air. But can Willow face her fears, and the past, to capture the happiness she deserves?

Friday Featured Spotlight ~ BBNYA2023 Blog Tour: Winner Perception Check

 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA

Friday Featured Spotlight ~ BBNYA2023 Blog Tours: Finalists 3 & 2

 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA

BBNYA2023 Blog Tour ~ 2nd Place Finalist ~ A Rose Among Thorns

No one said anything about an attack vine.

Rose Thorn should never be left unsupervised around plants. Potted things tend to die around her as if on principle. But when her great-aunt calls and asks Rose to watch her garden nursery for a few days, Rose can hardly say no. After all, Aunt Lily is the closest thing Rose has to a grandmother—and the only family she has left—so Rose doesn’t mind driving out to her tiny mountain town to look after the place.

Aunt Lily never mentioned anything about an inspection, however.

Rose is taken aback when an agent from an organization she’s never heard of arrives and panics to find Aunt Lily missing. As it turns out, Aunt Lily hasn’t been entirely straight with Rose. She’s not visiting a sick friend—she’s in danger and on the run. She keeps a hidden greenhouse on the property in which she grows highly regulated magical plants. And she’s an elf…as was Rose’s grandfather.

Though stunned to witness magic at work and shocked that no one ever divulged the family secret, Rose refuses to abandon the nursery until her great-aunt is safely home. But as she and the agent, now awkward housemates, try to keep up their cover story and find the missing grower, they realize that whatever led to Aunt Lily’s disappearance might not be the only magical crime in progress.

And while Rose has no green thumb, another talent of hers may be budding…