©2024 V.J. Allison Art. All Rights Reserved. NO USE PERIOD!

©2024 V.J. Allison Art. All Rights Reserved. NO USE PERIOD!
©2024 V.J. Allison Art. No use without written permission from designer.

Friday, January 3, 2025

Update: The Winds of Change

 It’s official: Extasy Books will no longer be selling directly from their site. This change was implemented on January 1, 2025, and is due to rising costs of publication and more. It was decided after a long and difficult deliberation by the owner, Tina.

Please note that Extasy Books is not going out of business. They are changing their business model to something closer to what we see at Decadent Publishing, where Eternity’s Gamble is published. We’re just not going to have our books published directly on Extasy’s site, only third party sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Indigo for example. We’re still able to get the print versions of our books if they’re over a certain word count, and in pretty much every format in ebooks.

The amount of new releases will be a lot less than they have been in the past, so it may be a while before some of the authors have sequels and new releases hit the shelves. So please do not get upset if your favorite Ex author doesn’t have a new release for a bit. Edits, revisions, cover art and more take time.

All of the books I have published via Extasy Books will remain under their banner indefinitely. I don’t know when I’ll be submitting another story, due to how slow I write as a rule, and other variables hitting me between the eyes this last year. More on that later.

You can still see the new releases, and find our books via Extasy Books’ site. We’re all submitting our Books2Read or Amazon profiles to be included on the main site so it’s easy to find us and our books on the third party retailers.

Honestly, I’m not really upset about the change in format for Extasy publishing their books. Most of my sales came from third party sellers like Amazon as it is, and I’m used to not seeing a book for sale directly from the publisher, due to being with Decadent Publishing for the last three years (already?!???). I’m determined to strut along as usual, just posting my Books2Read link instead of the Extasy Books one for the six books I have out with them. It’s not a big change.

Upcoming Books… And a New Venture!

In lieu of Extasy Books’ change in publishing, I’ve decided to take a huge leap and do something really crazy…

I’m going to be publishing at least one novel as an Indie author. His Reasons to Fight, the finale of the Feathered Tartan series, will be coming out sometime in 2028 or 2029. It depends on how fast I can write it, edit it, have my friend/editor Jon edit it, and more.

I’m working on the cover now, and I will be doing a cover reveal about a month or so before the release date. This is the happy ever after to my latest book, Could Have Been, which was published in May 2024. I’ve decided to take it Indie so I can publish it when I want to, on my own schedule, and so fans can partake in it being on Kindle Unlimited for a while before it goes wide – to places like Smashwords, Indigo and more.

©2025 V.J. Allison Art. No downloading or sharing without my written permission.

I also have another book in the works, a love story called Thorns of the Rose. I’m not giving away any details other than I have the cover completed, and this has been in the works for a couple of years, but with Could Have Been taking up a lot of my time, and more, it was on the back burner. Now that I have a bit of direction with His Reasons to Fight, I’m working on this one when I hit a roadblock with the other book. It’s slow going but both are starting to come along nicely too.

Again, I’m looking at a 2028 or 2029 release for this one. I’m not sure if this one will be going Indie or not. I have to see how things go with His Reasons to Fight and a third idea I’m working on with my friend Xek. (More on that shortly!).

I did do a promo for it… Have a gander.

©2025 V.J. Allison Art. NO downloading or sharing without my written permission.

The cover reveal – if this goes Indie – will probably be in November of 2027 at the earliest. Otherwise, it may be sooner or later than that. So many variables…

I’m also in the extremely early planning stages of another paranormal-horror romance that was prompted by a chat with an extremely good friend of mine. No, not sharing yet. Let’s call it “Super Secret Project the Second”.

And I have another series in its ultra-early planning stages, one that I hope to get on the go as soon as I’m done the three I’m working on now, including the crime drama one I’m working on with Xek. Again, not sharing details because nothing is set in concrete. I don’t share details with anyone outside of a few people like my editor/friend Jon, a few of the people at Extasy Books, and a few extremely close friends. I’ve always been a bit cautious about sharing things about my WIPs, and I’m even more so now. I’ll update as needed, like on my author areas and in my Facebook group, etc.

Computer Woes

A month ago, my computer started acting strangely, and when I stood up to check something, I accidentally knocked the plug out of the socket, which turned it off. It would not start after that, creating the loud whine of death.

Thankfully I still had the computer that my former Business Tech instructor gave me in 2023, not long before the semester ended. After trying to get the old computer started for two days, I got the newer system, set it up and installed the old computer’s disk in it.

The dratted thing decided it was going to repair the disk. Two days of fighting with it. I finally gave up and decided to skip the repair… Only to have Windows do a forced update, and then I saw it…

The dreaded Blue Screen of Death

Three times.

It took a lot of thinking, quadruple checking, and more, but after forcing a system restore, I managed to get it up and running again.

If you know me at all, you probably just saw me in your mind, cursing a blue streak so long that it hit the Oort Cloud and returned something like 20 times over that weekend. There was a lot more cuss words bouncing off the Oort Cloud again, after the forced updates f**ked up the computer for a while.

Finally, things were setting up nicely. Then I tried accessing my User Folder on my old drive.

Access denied.

I cried. All of my manuscripts were in that folder, and I had forgotten to back them up in recent months, not since Could Have Been was published. Thorns of the Rose was there, as was what little I had for His Reasons to Fight.

I kept trying to get access for two whole weeks. I was ready to give up then tried right clicking on the dang thing and hitting “open” when the menu came up as a last resort.

Boom! Access granted!

I screamed in victory and almost fainted in relief. I had my graphics, my manuscripts, and everything else again.

I immediately backed everything up on the external drive as well as my Google drive to be extra safe. The incarnations of those stories and others that were there when the old system croaked will stay there, and I’ll be putting backups on that drive too. Triple backups, not double, to be extra safe.

Remind me to never be that negligent again…

*Note: If you laugh about anything you think is “bad” or “karma” for me, you are one of the worst people on this planet. It shows the world the kind of person you are, not who I am. Keep that in mind before you think it’s only fitting I’ve had a few issues, your karma may wind up biting you in ways you’re not realizing, or you’re blaming on others.*

Other News…

Son is still at his transition school but this is his last year. He’ll be graduating from there in June, and we’ll be sad to say goodbye to his friends and teachers there. He had a good two and a half year run with them, and he’s come a long way since he started there in 2023. He’s become so much more independent, from cooking his own meals in the microwave or the toaster oven, to purchasing his own groceries and more. I’m so proud of him. He’ll probably be living here for the rest of my life, and I’m okay with that. He’s great company and such a good person. The best out there.

He’s also participating in a work placement that teaches him skills like stocking shelves, shredding papers, using various things like cash registers and so much more. They also have a lot of recreation like trips to museums and more included in the program so he’s always on the go with them too. He’s there three days a week at the moment, while he’s at his transition school only twice per week until graduation. This is a year round thing, and we started doing the work placement over the summer, so I’m able to work more during July and August instead of taking those two months off like I had been during his full time tenure as a student. Bonus!

My art has picked up a bit, notably after hitting Michaels’ crafts for the first time this summer. To say I can spend hours in the art area alone is an understatement. It is so relaxing to walk the aisle of art supplies, from acrylics to watercolors and pastels, to the pretty wooden cutouts and the beautifully huge canvases they have in stock, and so much more. I always wind up going somewhat broke after hitting that store, and it’s become a running joke here. Don’t go to Bayer’s Lake Shopping Park without stopping into Michaels’, or else V.J. will lose it. Since I get my occipital nerve blocks in another part that park, there’s always time to make a short – read two hour – stop into the store… And to their location of my favorite national thrift store chain. I’m always looking for a bargain, and I’ve found a lot – from a leather fall/spring coat to art supplies, and from a full length (read down to my ankles) leather winter coat with a hood to a designer purse I didn’t realize was one until I got it home. I only picked it up because it has purple roses on it, my signature as an author, and its colors are my signatures too – black, purple, white and silver. It’s a Betsey Johnson original, and it’s so pretty! I love it.

Inside of the Betsey Johnson purse. So pretty!

Outside of the purse. Purple roses!

I do have a lot more on the go, but I’ve rambled on too much as it is. I’ll drop another update when I remember to… Hopefully before summer rolls around in six months!

Happy 2025, everyone. May this year be gentle for all of us.

I leave you with “What About Love” by one of my favorite bands, Heart. Nancy Wilson is my favorite female guitarist of all time, and she rocks circles around most of her male counterparts in my opinion… Anyway, enjoy the song! Have a great first weekend of 2025, everyone.




Tour Stop: The Poseidon Project by E. William Podojil

 

 


Molly, accompanied by her son and his boyfriend, embarks on a high-stakes mission to rescue her kidnapped husband, unraveling secrets while racing against the clock to prevent a technology from falling into destructive hands.


The Poseidon Project

The Herb Society Mysteries Book 1

by E. William Podojil

Genre: Techno Thriller, Adventure, Romantic Suspense 



Molly Halloran and her friends have a secret past.

Their bucolic retirement is suddenly upended when Molly’s husband is abducted and held for a steep ransom. Now she, her friends, her tech executive son, Lukas and his Air Force pilot boyfriend must race against the clock and travel halfway around the world to meet the kidnappers’ demands.

But when they learn why her husband has been abducted, they realize how high the stakes truly are. Molly and her friends now must face their past in order to save the future. But not only their futures; the world’s.

 

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E. William Podojil is an international business executive and novelist. He has traveled extensively and visited over sixty countries while living in Europe and the United States. Podojil works as an executive business advisor, and strategist while also pursuing his love of storytelling and writing. Podojil's first novel, The Tenth Man, was published in 2004. His second novel, The Poseidon Project, was released in August, 2024 by The Wild Rose Press, and is the first in The Herb Society Mysteries, a series of adventure thrillers. His novels and other writing are showcased on his website www.ewpodojil.com. Here he also writes a personal blog with humorous stories of his life and travels with his husband and three sons. He and his family currently reside in Northeast Ohio.

 

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Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Tour Stop: My Sweetest Temptation Nico & Gigi Duet Book 1 by I.S.A. Bella

 

 


The angel who brought peace to my chaos.


My Sweetest Temptation

Nico & Gigi Duet Book 1

by I.S.A. Bella

Genre: Dark Mafia Romance



Gigi
He was the devil I craved.

I knew I was screwed the moment I caught his eye.
He’s sexy, cunning, and cruel—a ruthless killer disguised as a prince.
Despite every warning sign and instinct telling me to stay away, I found myself drawn to him in a way I couldn't resist.
Our chemistry ignited a forbidden romance that simmered with intensity and danger.
But then Nico shattered my heart, leaving me at the mercy of his enemies.
In the end, I was just another pawn in a deadly game.

Nico
She was the angel who brought peace to my chaos.

The first moment I saw her, she was mine—a soul to possess.
Innocent and beautiful… everything opposite in my world.
She held the power to unravel my defenses.
Until, through her deceit and betrayal, she shattered it completely.
And now, she has been snatched away from me, leaving me hollow and raging.
My enemies will face my wrath for taking what's mine.
I will burn this world down and stop at nothing to bring my angel back home.


This is a dark romance that contains dark themes that may be triggering to some. TWs listed inside the book and on my website.

 

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Meet i.s.a. bella – a young adult introverted romance writer whose stories are so raw, emotional, and heart-wrenching that they’ll leave you both vulnerable and hopeful. She weaves tales of redemption and second chances with relatable, flawed characters yet so strong in their struggles.

Through her strong lead and side characters, i.s.a. bella takes you on a journey of self-discovery and growth as they navigate through the challenges of life. She aims to touch your heart and inspire you to believe that even in the darkest times, there is always hope for a happy ending.

 

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Paperback copy of My Sweetest Temptation & character art image,

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Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Tour Stop: Essentially Sweet Romance Series by Elysian Hunt

 

 

This series is like a box of chocolates, each one has delicious mystery, a sweet romantic filling, essential oils, and its own unique flavor! From the big city of Raleigh, to the big sky of Montana, and all the way to Buffalo, you'll find laughter, sweet romance, and best of all, dogs!


The Lavender Thief

Essentially Sweet Romance Book 1

by Elysian Hunt

Genre: Sweet Romantic Comedy 

 

When Stephanie Pierce got home from a long day with her millionaire boss, nothing could prepare her for finding the apartment’s caretaker dead in the hall or her extreme attraction to the hot detective assigned to protect her and solve the case.


Still, she can't help but notice that things in her overly organized life are out of place, especially her beloved essential oils.

Was she the real target?

Can she let go of perfection and embrace real life and love? Is there any chance she and her Goldendoodle catch the heart of the detective and survive the thief lurking in the shadows?

This is a laugh out loud, cozy romance, with an amateur sleuth x hot detective, and a heartwarming HEA ending! On a scale of 1 to 10 here is what you'll find inside...

Spice level: 2 (some sizzling kisses)
Thriller vibe: 4
Cute dog: 10
Clean romance: 10
Essential oil twist: 9

 

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The Peppermint Villain

Essentially Sweet Romance Book 2 


Beck Graham is a city girl at heart, but her Montana roots are calling her. But when she arrives, she finds her long lost Gran dead, with a mysterious local legend to blame. Heading back to Raleigh would be the easy thing, but the ranch catches at her heart. Determined to discover the actual killer, Beck finds the one man she can’t seem to attract is the one with the answers she seeks.

Can she survive Montana’s wilderness? Can she prove true Graham blood runs in her veins? Not without the help of a tall, dark, and handsome Navy Seal who knew Gran better than anyone else.

This is a laugh out loud, cozy romance, with an amateur sleuth x hot detective, and a heartwarming HEA ending! On a scale of 1 to 10, here is what you'll find inside...

Spice level: 2 (some sizzling kisses)
Thriller vibe: 6
Cute dog: 9
Clean romance: 10
Essential oil twist: 7

 

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The Lemon Gunman

Essentially Sweet Romance Book 3

Wanted for assassination.

I’m the top female sharp-shooter in the US, so it makes sense, I guess. Only I didn’t do it.

Running is my only option in order to figure who framed me, and exactly what happened in that Cincinnati hotel room. But I’m trapped here in the city, incapable of producing an alibi, when all I want is the wide-open fields of Montana. Oh, and Harper Wasden, the Navy Seal who stole my heart the second I laid eyes on him. But he’s off fighting a war somewhere, I’m alone, with only an abandoned Pitbull to keep me from going crazy. When help arrives out of nowhere, saving my neck from the FBI’s clutches, dare I trust it? Not when every heart beat pounds out the name Harper Wasden.

The problem is, it looks like I did it. Even. To. Me.

 

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The Spearmint Spy

Essentially Sweet Romance Book 4 

 

A dark anniversary looms over the most luxurious cruise ship on earth.

Escaping myself in order to survive the date that almost killed me last year is imperative. Daddy's ship is the perfect place to do it, with no reminders of the past or familiar faces. But finding a body in my car just before boarding is no help at all. Especially since she’s dressed just like me, designer nails and all.

To make things worse, an infuriatingly handsome passenger is determined to ruin the entire trip, and besting him might be the only enjoyment I get. Except all my usual tricks fall flat, and he seems impervious to my seething rebukes.

Finding a gun hidden in my room is the last straw; espionage surrounds me and I haven’t got a clue how to survive it, or the anniversary I’ve never been less prepared for. I’ll need all the brute force my protection dog can dish out, and, I hate to say it, the help of the one man I can’t intimidate.

 

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The Myrrh Boss

Essentially Sweet Romance Book 5 

Have you ever been deceived, hoodwinked, snookered?

Well, I have, by a man I once a looked up to and, it chokes me to say it, dated. Turns out he runs the mob in Buffalo, NY, and I was 100% wrong about him. One thing I’m not wrong about is that spurning him equals life over for me. He has eyes everywhere, and the police force is wrapped around his little finger too, which is why I’m also running from fake drug charges.

But when I discover his under-ground dog fighting ring, something deep down and red-headed flares up. One of us is going down, and it won’t be me, I’ve got dogs to save.

A street-wise kid named Cooney hatches the craziest plan. He says the mob’s second in command, Billa, will help me, but isn’t that jumping from the pan into the fire? And a fire he is too. How can I keep from repeating my mistake when Billa is stealing my heart piece by piece? Can a girl from the suburbs take down a mafia boss?

In this sweet but sizzling mafia romance, you’ll laugh out loud all the way to the feel good ending!

 

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Writing across multiple pen names, Elysian Hunt has sold more than 1.4 million books, won multiple awards, and been a best seller many times over. With over 35 novels in print, she enjoys many genres as long as they are fast-paced and engaging.

She never wanted to be a writer, but she couldn’t ever find that one book, the perfect one for her. So, she wrote it, and the rest is history. With fresh story ideas churning and a deep love for sharpening her writing skills, Elysian’s work gets better with time.

There are a few things you can count on with her rom com and cozy mystery books: sweet romance, happily ever after’s, and don’t forget the dogs! Fall in love with vivid characters, intriguing settings, and mysteries that will keep you turning the pages.

 

Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

ebook copy of The Lavender Thief,

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Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Tour Stop: A Buckeye Falls Christmas by Libby Kay

 

 

 

Will it be a Christmas to remember, or will their holiday get plowed away?


A Buckeye Falls Christmas

A Buckeye Falls Novel

by Libby Kay

Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance 

On the first day of Christmas, Buckeye Falls gave to me…

A snow storm…

Uninvited dinner guests…

A Christmas pageant…

And a friends’ reunion dinner to warm your heart.

It’s been ten years since five couples found love in this charming small Ohio town. Families and careers have grown, but the love remains the same.

Max is hosting Christmas at the diner, a final sendoff before the beloved hangout gets a facelift. But the risk of a snow storm and a few uninvited guests threaten everyone’s plans. Will it be a Christmas to remember, or will their holiday get plowed away?

Revisit your favorite couples in this holiday novella, which includes favorite recipes from the series. Warning: this story will make you hungry and may cause uncontrollable swoons.

 

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Libby Kay lives in the city in the heart of the Midwest with her husband. When she’s not writing, Libby loves reading romance novels of any kind. Stories of people falling in love nourish her soul. Contemporary or Regency, sweet or hot, as long as there is a happily ever after—she’s in love!

When not surrounded by books, Libby can be found baking in her kitchen, binging true crime shows, or on the road with her husband, traveling as far as their bank account will allow.

Libby cohosts the Romance Roundup podcast with Liz Donatelli on the Reader Seeks Romance Channel where they recommend romance books and interview authors, influencers, and publishers. Check it out for your weekly dose of romance!

 

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Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Series Blitz: Portals of Science and Magic By Liz Cain

 

 

A heart-pounding adventure, and a conflict that could shatter worlds.

When science and magic collide so do two realms that were never meant to meet. When a connection is created between the human and fae kingdoms, both races must learn to work together to restore the balance.


A Kingdom of Water and Destiny

Portals of Science and Magic Book 4

By Liz Cain

Genre: Urban Fantasy Adventure Romance 

Destinies combined. A goddess freed. The possible end of two worlds lies at their feet.

war that began thousands of years ago is brewing once more. Sacrifices made by the ancients, and millennia of planning, all comes down to a group of 'outcasts' amongst the fae. The fate of the worlds lies with a lower fae treated as less than simply for being born, twins raised by humans, and a prince. If the fae refuse to follow them, then their world will perish. A life of a seer is in the shadows, not interfering with those you love. But Silene has spent decades preparing for a war that could destroy the world she loves. Her power has taken a toll, and with the end in sight, she musters her remaining strength to help her friends and family survive.

Silene will give up everything to ensure the fae world is saved. Even if in the end it costs her everything.

 

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A Kingdom of Fire and Delight

Portals of Science and Magic Book 3 

A lost fae princess. A family united. A world on the brink of war.

Rebecca works with her colleague to fix the equipment that can send all the fae home. While Alexy searches for the lost princess, the two worlds are soon to be torn apart, and something doesn't feel right. Will Kaval have to leave behind the love he's found?

When the dark fae finally break into the lab, all chances of escape to the fae realm hangs on the brink of collapse. Rebecca and Kaval must fight to survive, there is little hope they will make it out alive.

Rebecca must dig deeper than ever before to find the strength to save herself, and the fae she loves. Even if she is only human.

 

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A Kingdom of Earth and Devotion

Portals of Science and Magic Book 2 

Forgotten on Earth . A chance to return home. A love she never expected.

Abandoned on Earth for over a century, Alexy has yearned for a chance to return home. However, her duty to safeguard the fae world's secrets kept her tethered to Earth. Everything changes when she unexpectedly befriends Rebecca, the co-worker of a brilliant physicist who is on the verge of unraveling the secrets of interdimensional portals.

An accident transports a fae from Alexy's homeland to Earth, endangering his kingdom's very existence. Alexy must help her friends return him before his kingdom falls. As unimaginable powers surge through her, Alexy grapples with the truth she has concealed from her friends. With betrayal and peril lurking in every shadow, she finds herself standing at a crossroads.

To preserve everything she holds dear and expose her true self, or doom the two realms. She must decide.

 

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A Kingdom of Air and Duty

Portals of Science and Magic Book 1


A scientist’s assistant. A portal to a new world. A strange male she never should have met.

Venture into the unknown with Rebecca, the brilliant assistant to renowned physicist Howard Bristol, as they open a portal to the fae realm. When the portal explodes and leaves behind a mystery creature, Rebecca must shelter this unusual being, known as Kaval.

In a race against time, Kaval and Rebecca desperately seek a way to send him back before he attracts dangerous attention. As a malevolent presence hunts the newcomer, threatening their every move, Rebecca finds herself entangled in a battle not only against their adversaries but also against the irresistible pull of this enigmatic stranger. Journey through a spellbinding urban fantasy where the lines between science and magic blur, and the power of friendship and love become the ultimate weapons against the encroaching darkness.

Prepare to be swept away by an epic tale of two beings who should never have met.

 

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Liz Cain is an urban fantasy writer and NHS frontline staff. She was born in East Yorkshire in the UK and grew up near the sea with her parents and two sisters. She moved to the midlands, which was much too far south for her, graduating from Leicester University with a degree in Physics and going on to complete an MSc in Medical and Radiation Physics. She has worked in the NHS since 2008 as a Nuclear Medicine Clinical Scientist, helping with cancer treatment and diagnosis.

She has traveled at every opportunity from Thailand and Australia to touring national parks in North America. Liz has done lots of crazy things for charity, including skydiving, running, swimming, and even cutting off her hair. While out on adventures she finds herself weaving intricate tales in her head which one day she had to write down. 

Liz has loved reading her whole life, growing up with Anne McCaffrey, Mary Stewart, and Terry Goodkind. Becoming an author happened by chance when she jumped at the opportunity to help a friend tell a story that deserved to be told. It inspired her to follow her lifelong dream and now she has published books with her coauthor Anne K. Whelan in the fantasy romance and paranormal romance genre, finally taking that last step and publishing by herself in 2023.

 

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