Strength to let Go - by Alina Popescu

A little excerpt from wonderful Alina Popescu's Strength to let Go. Review  to come later (spoiler alert: I loved it!)

Also, Alina will be making an appearance later on today, so  don't miss it!

My swords swished through the air, making sharp sounds as they cut down thick branches. I glided in a tight circle, keeping the first attackers at a safe distance and slicing through them, one at a time. My muscles bulged and contracted, my grip changing as the blades danced around me, and I could feel the cold trickle of sweat down my arms, chest, and back.

They quickly figured out that too many of them meant too wide of a circle and they could not approach without poking each other’s eyes out, so they switched to attacking two or three at a time. I smirked and continued moving at the same pace, attacking just when they were counting on a defensive move, trimming down their numbers. Swordplay wasn’t something anyone but the Japanese practiced much these days. Everyone focused on close combat and making do with whatever they found nearby. That was a great strategy for times when you were surprised and needed to be confident in your victory. I supposed one wolf mocking your rules qualified for that, unless said wolf was me.

The last group approached, anger and murderous thoughts making their eyes burn. They had seen their pack-mates fall and I knew they wanted to tear me to pieces. They were going to do just that eventually, but I wasn’t planning on making it any easier for them. I wasn’t looking for an easy out. What I wanted was one last stand, one more chance to be the samurai I’d always seen myself as. Fight many, die with honor. Like my parents had done before me, I wanted to find my death on the battlefield. Sure, they hadn’t gone looking for their untimely demise, but then again, they’d been together until the moment they died. They’d only thought they’d have to face the world without the other and did the craziest things they could in that short amount of time.

As the last one got wounded badly enough to cease the fight, I placed each blade on one side and sat on the ground, my legs crossed in front of me. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, clearing my mind of the battle I had just survived and focusing on the next one. The second wave was getting closer, I felt it, and that some of them had already started shifting to their human forms, trying to find the best potential weapons, just like their tribe mates before them.

Not all the wolves that had been in the first attack had died. Some were just wounded and I saw them crawling away, dragging their bodies over the unfriendly terrain and away from me. If they had any brains, they’d use whatever energy they had to shift. It would still hurt like a bitch, but the wounds would heal faster. They might even get their chance at revenge before the fight was over.

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Title: Strength to Let Go
Series: Tales of the Werewolf Tribes, Book One
Author: Alina Popescu
Genre: gay romance, paranormal, werewolves, paranormal romance, supernatural
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

After being abandoned by his mates, Shiki Kirishima, beta of the Dragons of the Fang werewolf tribe, returns to his home in Tokyo.
Crippled by grief, Shiki decides to end it all by going into the territory of the Siberian Killers tribe and challenging them to a battle to the death.
His death.

Ganzorig, beta of the Siberian Killers, however, sees the potentially disastrous consequences of having Shiki die in battle.
Instead, he saves him.
Having suffered loss himself, Ganz takes it upon himself to help Shiki deal with his pain.
Blake, Shiki’s best friend since childhood, is as determined to show him there is life after a wolf’s ultimate loss.
Could there also be something ‘more’ for them after friendship?

Book Trailer

Buy Links

Don’t miss the Tickle Me Pink sale on the Wayward Ink Publishing site – 25% off all list prices till July 21st.
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/strength-to-let-go-by-alina-popescu/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010ITT1VG/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010ITT1VG/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B010ITT1VG/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B010ITT1VG/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-strengthtoletgo-1840807-145.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/strength-to-let-go-alina-popescu/1122233801?ean=9781925222555

Giveaway

Prizes: $10 WIP Gift Card, 3 signed Bookmarks, and 1 ecopy of Strength to Let Go
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.
Social Links
Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

Guitars and Cages by Layla Dorine

Title: Guitars and Cages
Author: Layla Dorine
Genre: gay fiction, urban drama, contemporary, M/M fiction
Length: Novel
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

My honest review:

To be honest, when I picked up this book, I didn't expect much. I loved the blurb, but I've read o ton of books which didn't live up to the expectations set by their description. I'm happy to say this was different.

I started reading, and what it seemed like a minute later, I was 250 pages in.

One of the things I liked the most about this is that it's not a love story, or not a typical one at least. The MC, Asher, is flawed, unlikable at times, but all his actions are justifiable. I could relate with him throughout the book. I laughed with him, cried with him, and hoped, despite his own doubts.

The story flows nicely, the characters are rounded and well written, and everyone has a purpose, a role in the book. There was the occasional missing word or repetition, but  these were few and far between.

This is a beautiful story, especially if you're looking for something different. I can say in all honesty that I can't wait for Layla's next book, not only because I fell in love with her writing, but because this book is a tough act to follow and I want to see if she can keep the bar this high. 

Synopsis

Asher Logan is a bartender and a pretty wicked guitar player, when he isn’t wrecking his hands fighting in a cage. With a past he keeps hoping to outrun, Asher’s been on a downward spiral for longer than he can remember. When his sister-in-law leaves Rory, his eight-year-old nephew, in his care, Asher is forced into two things he’s never been good at: sobriety and responsibility. As he struggles to care for Rory, his own life begins to unravel.
When Asher’s brother, Alex, turns up, presenting as a girl and announcing her new name is Alexia, it further complicates matters, as does the arrival of his new neighbor, Conner. Both, in their own way, compel Asher to look at his own closely-guarded views on sexuality.

When the siblings’ older brother, Cole, reacts violently to Alexia, Asher is placed squarely in the middle of a family conflict which compels him to confront who he pretends to be versus who he really is.
Asher must choose who to trust and who to finally walk away from.

Buy Links

Don’t miss the Wayward Ink Publishing Tickle Me Pink Sale – 25% off all list prices!
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/guitars-and-cages-by-layla-dorine/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Guitars-Cages-Layla-Dorine-ebook/dp/B00YWD9PVQ/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Guitars-Cages-Layla-Dorine-ebook/dp/B00YWD9PVQ/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guitars-Cages-Layla-Dorine-ebook/dp/B00YWD9PVQ/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Guitars-Cages-Layla-Dorine-ebook/dp/B00YWD9PVQ/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-guitarsandcages-1838198-341.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/guitars-and-cages-layla-dorine/1122098430?ean=9781925222463

Book Trailer

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prize: $20 WIP Gift Card and 1 ebook copy of Guitars and Cages

About the author

LAYLA DORINE lives among the sprawling prairies of Midwestern America, in a house with more cats than people. She loves hiking, fishing, swimming, martial arts, camping out, photography, cooking, and dabbling with several artistic mediums. In addition, she loves to travel and visit museums, historic, and haunted places.
Layla got hooked on writing as a child, starting with poetry and then branching out, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. Hard times, troubled times, the lives of her characters are never easy, but then what life is? The story is in the struggle, the journey, the triumphs and the falls. She writes about artists, musicians, loners, drifters, dreamers, hippies, bikers, truckers, hunters and all the other folks that she’s met and fallen in love with over the years. Sometimes she writes urban romance and sometimes its aliens crash landing near a roadside bar. When she isn’t writing, or wandering somewhere outdoors, she can often be found curled up with a good book and a kitty on her lap.
Layla Dorine can be found at:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005197938547&fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/layladorine
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/layladorine/

Guitars and Cages - by Layla Dorine

How about a short excerpt from Layla's wonderful Guitars and Cages story?

I scrubbed a hand down my face, tired. I wanted to go home. I drank the beer and he gave me another; didn’t take long for me to drink that, too. “So why the boobs?” I blurted out.

“Because I wanted them,” he said simply, handing me another beer to drain. “I never felt right as Alex; I never liked being a boy, looking like a boy. I wanted curves and breasts and hips. I like myself this way, Asher.Simple. I can’t help it if you don’t.”

“But I mean...” I scowled, ’cause I sucked at words and I couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted to ask or say first. “Why would you want people to point and laugh and stare?”

Alex shook his head. “They don’t; most don’t ever even notice.”

“That’s ’cause you make a wicked hot chick,” I muttered, and then blushed and glared as he had the nerve to giggle at me.

“You should know; you were checking out my ass on the steps of your apartment,” he said cheekily, and a part of me wanted to hit him.

“Yeah, but how the hell are you gonna get a job that way? I mean, don’t you gotta tell them you ain’t a girl? Don’t you gotta tell people who hit on you that you’re a guy? You’re gonna end up getting your ass kicked.”

He grinned, and I didn’t get what was so goddamned funny.

“Thanks,” he said, while I sat there confused. I finished my beer, and he shook his head and handed me another.

“I was thanking you for still giving a shit, doofus.”

“Do people even call each other doofus anymore, dork?”

His grin grew wider, and the next thing I knew he’d chucked a pillow at my head, spilling a bit of my beer on me.

“Oh, that’s it—that’s alcohol abuse,” I informed him before I guzzled the beer down, snatched up the pillow, and attacked.

“Hey!” he yelped as I thwacked him on the side of the head with it. “Ack!”

I hit him a few more times as he fumbled for the other pillow, finally bringing it up as a shield. He wrapped my arm in a blanket, trapping it so he could beat me with his pillow for a bit before I could get free. I thwacked him with the pillow again; he socked me in the face with his, and we went back and forth until the pillow I’d thrown at his head smacked the lamp on the bedside table and sent it to the floor with a crash. My eyes got wide and so did his, and we knelt there on the bed, frozen like we were little kids again, waiting for Mom to come in. 

Munich - Here I come

Getting ready for the EuroPride Con. I'm sooo excited!

Strength to Let Go - by Alina Popescu

Title: Strength to Let Go
Series: Tales of the Werewolf Tribes, Book One
Author: Alina Popescu
Genre: gay romance, paranormal, werewolves, paranormal romance, supernatural
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

After being abandoned by his mates, Shiki Kirishima, beta of the Dragons of the Fang werewolf tribe, returns to his home in Tokyo.
Crippled by grief, Shiki decides to end it all by going into the territory of the Siberian Killers tribe and challenging them to a battle to the death.
His death.

Ganzorig, beta of the Siberian Killers, however, sees the potentially disastrous consequences of having Shiki die in battle.
Instead, he saves him.
Having suffered loss himself, Ganz takes it upon himself to help Shiki deal with his pain.
Blake, Shiki’s best friend since childhood, is as determined to show him there is life after a wolf’s ultimate loss.
Could there also be something ‘more’ for them after friendship?

Book Trailer

Pre-order Links

Don’t miss the Tickle Me Pink sale on the Wayward Ink Publishing site – 25% off all list prices till July 21st.
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/strength-to-let-go-by-alina-popescu/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010ITT1VG/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010ITT1VG/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B010ITT1VG/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B010ITT1VG/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-strengthtoletgo-1840807-145.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/strength-to-let-go-alina-popescu/1122233801?ean=9781925222555

Excerpt

Growling low, the sound vibrating into my chest, I stood up as the wolves I had been searching for flared in my mind’s eye. There were a few dozen that could reach me soon if they started running toward me. They would do just that, they just needed the proper motivation. I reached into the depths of my being, tapping into all the fae power Kieran and Kayden’s blood had regaled me with, and used it to spread my scent farther across the lands I had single-handedly invaded. I used the wind to bring the trail to them. I could feel their fur bristling as their nostrils flared with the foreign scent. Snarls and growls followed, then piercing howls, calling to each other and beckoning their pack mates, spurring them on to give chase and come find me.

I chuckled, knowing I’d finally accomplished my first task, getting the Siberian Killers to come to me. The rest would be much simpler. The enemy werewolves would only have to follow their ancient rules and kill every wolf that stepped foot on their territory. Rule breakers had to pay, and I had broken their one rule for foreigners. No better way to get yourself killed than getting ferocious killers all riled up.

I took another step forward, adjusting my grip on my swords and rolling my shoulders. I then tilted my head left and right, hearing my bones crack and set in place. I could feel the cold ground and fading grass under my feet, the wind blowing my hair out of my eyes, and hear the sounds of birds and small game running away from the path of the oncoming wolves. They’d reach me within minutes and my muscles tensed, adrenalin spiking and making my blood roar with excitement at the fast approaching fight. I let my head fall back and howled, a long, deep sound that made the forest around me go quiet for about a minute.
I knew my attackers had stopped in their tracks, raising their muzzles and sniffing the air. Disbelief was a strong ally in a grossly unmatched fight. I imagined they’d have a hard time understanding why a lone wolf who had just been caught on their territory would howl in challenge like that. I assumed the distance had also puzzled them. As they’d caught my scent, they had thought I’d be closer. Surprise, surprise!

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, ALINA POPESCU has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.

Social Links
Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

My upcoming releases

For those of you wondering, yes, I am still alive and writing, though my day job has taken a lot of my time. This year has been a busy one so far, with a 55k words novel finished in less than 4 months and two short stories in June.

Chance Encounter, a sweet menage will appear in  September in the Three is Not a Crowd anthology from Wayward Ink Publishing.
Dreams do Come True is a short story written for the Goodreads's Don't Read in the Closet event, which will be released sometime this summer.

As for the novel...it is a MF fantasy story, placed in Romania. No release date for this one either, but here's hoping it will be sooner rather than later.

I love to hear from my readers, so please stop by anytime. :)

Strength to Let Go by Alina Popescu

Title: Strength to Let Go
Series: Tales of the Werewolf Tribes, Book One
Author: Alina Popescu
Genre: gay romance, paranormal, werewolves, paranormal romance, supernatural
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing
Release Date: July 7^th, 2015

Synopsis

After being abandoned by his mates, Shiki Kirishima, beta of the Dragons of the Fang werewolf tribe, returns to his home in Tokyo.
Crippled by grief, Shiki decides to end it all by going into the territory of the Siberian Killers tribe and challenging them to a battle to the death.
His death.

Ganzorig, beta of the Siberian Killers, however, sees the potentially disastrous consequences of having Shiki die in battle.
Instead, he saves him.
Having suffered loss himself, Ganz takes it upon himself to help Shiki deal with his pain.
Blake, Shiki’s best friend since childhood, is as determined to show him there is life after a wolf’s ultimate loss.
Could there also be something ‘more’ for them after friendship?

Book Trailer

Pre-order Links

Don’t miss the Tickle Me Pink sale on the Wayward Ink Publishing site – 25% off all list prices.
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/strength-to-let-go-by-alina-popescu/

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010ITT1VG/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010ITT1VG/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B010ITT1VG/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B010ITT1VG/

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-strengthtoletgo-1840807-145.html

Excerpt

When I got to my apartment, I wasn’t feeling any better. I was restless and hurting and angry as fuck and their mixed scents in my place weren’t doing me any favors. I fumbled with the backpack I had dropped on the floor of my living room, trying to find my phone. I was greeted by a dozen or more messages from Vicks, one of my twin’s mates. Since she had mated my brother she had this weird connection to me too and could feel whenever I was experiencing strong emotions for an extended period. I assumed everything that had happened since yesterday would qualify for that. I sent a quick “I’ll be fine” type of reply to stop her from harassing me and went through my contacts.
Even if I hadn’t called that particular number in a couple of months, it was still at the top of my favorites list. He was my best friend since childhood, so it made sense I’d call him more than anyone else. It just hit me then that I’d been so lost in my own life, I barely had time to catch up with him or my family unless something critical was going on. I pressed the call button and plastered the phone to my ear, pacing around the room as it rang a few times.
“Come on, Blake, fucking pick up!” I hung up and tried again. I really needed to talk to my best friend right now. It rang twice and went straight to voicemail. Hearing Blake’s voice brought tears to my eyes and something snapped inside of me.
“Blake, I wish you’d have picked up the phone.” I laughed softly, shaking my head. “It’s funny, I think this is the first time I call you and you don’t pick up. Either way… thanks for being my friend, chibi. I… I don’t….” I lowered the hand that was holding my phone and let my head fall back, taking a few deep breaths. “Blakey, tell everyone I love them and… yeah, those who know me, really know me, will understand. Sayonara, chibi-tan.”

I hung up and let the rage take over. I turned around at impossible speed and threw the phone with a loud roar. It hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces. I was crying. I knew because I could feel the heaves and tears, but the crushing pain was battling with the anger taking over my mind. I had lost my soul and my reason to live when I’d lost Kieran and Kayden. What was left of me was nothing more than the warrior inside. A true samurai would not waste away, waiting for death to claim him at the end of a miserable life. He’d die in battle, an honorable death his final legacy.
My twin, Shishou, my co-beta, Ren, my sister, even Blake… they’d get it, they’d explain it properly to my children. They probably won’t understand, just like I hadn’t when my parents had left us. I prayed that unlike their father, they would never get to a point in life where they’d understand this decision of mine. It meant they’d go through a world of pain and that was the last thing I wanted for Ryuu and Kimmie.
I took off everything but my jeans. No point in having anything else on. Werewolf rules were sometimes mind-boggling. You could shift into your wolf and back, and you always kept one item of clothing. The picks were random and you might be left in nothing but your underwear. Or keep a tight top and nothing else to cover your lower body. It was wise to choose your own clothes for the occasion. I then promptly flashed to the weapons room in the Alpha mansion, right in front of the wall display of my father’s katana. I kneeled before it, my legs spread, and then bowed deeply. Getting up, I closed the small distance between me and my objective and removed the katana. I glanced at the wakizashi he always used to wear with his katana. Double sword, traditional samurai sign. I decided I’d use them both, just as he had in his final battle. I unsheathed the two blades and adjusted my grip. With a final bow, I flashed out.
When I took form at my destination, a small shiver coursed through my body. It was pretty cold out here. Well, northern mountains in Mongolia weren’t known for their excessive heat in the middle of autumn.
I had chosen Siberian Killer territory, the fastest way to pick a fight with other werewolves. The one rule they had was any shifter that stepped foot on their territory would be killed. Here I was, standing tall, all focused, muscles bulging under the strain and excitement of an impending battle, taunting whoever was nearby.

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, ALINA POPESCU has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.

Social Links
Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu