zaterdag 1 augustus 2015

Release Day Blitz ~ When We Were Human by Kate L. Mary

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“They came four years ago. Invaded our planet, rounded us up, decimated the human race. We fought back, and some even say we won, but they’re wrong. The invaders took everything from us. Our family. Our hope. Our humanity. We won the war, but there are no humans left. Only monsters who will do anything to survive. Some look human and some don’t, but they are all the same.”  
  When We Were Human  

╣Synopsis╠

Eighteen-year-old Eva has spent the last year punishing herself for her sister’s death and hiding from everyone she comes into contact with, human or otherwise. With the population destroyed and the Earth left in ruins, she sees little hope left for the future. But when she crosses paths with Walker and Tara something inside her awakens. Something she thought had died along with her entire family. In these new friends Eva sees a promise of what the future could be, as well as evidence that humanity might not be extinct after all. When a ghost from Eva’s past makes an unexpected appearance, the group sets out on a cross-country trek that will teach Eva how to love and hope again, and will remind her what it truly means to be human.


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╣Excerpt╠
        
When the camp comes into view I have a difficult time not throwing up. Water and carrots slosh back and forth in my stomach. The sweat on my palms has nothing to do with the humidity, and my legs are so weak they feel like pipe cleaners trying to support a rubber ball.       The fence surrounding the camp is down in most places, and the majority of the hastily set-up tents have blown away. The few left are ripped. The canvas blows in the warm breeze, flapping back and forth like the wings of an ominous bird.       The storage building is still standing, though. If it isn’t empty this trip might be worth our time, but if it’s been cleaned out all this emotional turmoil and pain I’m going through right now will be for nothing. And I don’t have a lot of optimism that things will turn out in our favor.       Atlanta is just visible in the distance. Or what’s left of it, anyway. A ruined building juts up here and there, but for the most part the city is flat. It looks as if like the earth had just opened up and sucked the city down. It’s what the creepers did in the first wave. Wiped out the all the major cities until there was nothing left but a landscape of rubble and dust. Killing millions in the blink of an eye.       Walker heads into the camp, and I follow silently, trying not to think about those terrifying days. My throat tightens when we step across the toppled chain link fence. The rusty metal clinks under our feet and my heart pounds harder with each step.       When I finally enter the prison camp where my sister lived out her final days, it feels like I’m walking into a cemetery. In many ways I am. Bones of the former inhabitants are scattered across the ground as far as the eye can see. The bodies have been picked clean by animals and bugs, and the clothes have long since blown away, but the skeletons remain as a heart-breaking reminder of everything we lost.       Which one is my sister?       “This way,” Walker says, tilting his head toward the storage building.       The three of us pick our way across the camp, stepping over debris and remains. Tara won’t stop looking at me, and every glance causes my insides to harden even more. I wish I’d never told them I lost my sister here. I hate thinking that they associate me with this place. Even worse, I hate that I associate myself with this hell.       I catch sight of a charred, mangled tree and the urge to hurl hits me so hard that I almost have to stop. The stump juts up from the ground, and to the left of it sits a small crater. It’s like a missile took out the top of the tree, then hit the ground next to it. The black circle from the fire extends for about ten feet around the hole. The fire burnt the tree to a crisp, leaving almost nothing behind.       Our tree. Mine and Lilly’s.       I force myself to turn away from the remains before I burst into tears. I shouldn’t have come here.       We get closer to the storage building but something looks off. The brightness of the sun makes it hard to see and forces me to squint. Then it hits me. The walls are covered in writing and discarded cans of spray paint by the dozens lay on the ground. At first I’m not sure what I’m looking at, but it only takes a few seconds of scanning the words to figure out what it all means. They’re notes left by survivors. People hoping to find loved ones they’ve lost.       Stupid people clinging to hope that doesn’t exist.       “What is this?” I ask, coming to a stop about ten feet from the wall.       “Survivor’s wall.” Walker glances toward Tara, then turns at the entrance of the building. “People leave messages behind just in case a family member comes through. We’ll check it out before we leave, but we should look for food first.”       Tara nods and follows him, but her eyes are glued to the wall. They never stop moving, never stop reading the names.       I keep my eyes on the back of Walker’s head as I follow him inside. Away from the wall and the words of desperation painted on them. There’s nothing on that wall for me.



 
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╣About the Author╠


Kate L. Mary is a stay-at-home mother of four and an Air Force wife. She grew up in a small town just north of Dayton, Ohio where she and her husband met at the age of twelve. Since their marriage in 2002, they have lived in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and California. Kate enjoys any post-apocalyptic story - especially if zombies are involved - as long as there is a romantic twist to give the story hope. Kate prefers nerdy, non-traditional heroes who can make you laugh to hunky pieces of man-meat, and her love of wine and chocolate is legendary among her friends and family. She currently resides in Oklahoma with her husband and children. Be sure to check out her best-selling BROKEN WORLD series, a top 100 book in dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction on Amazon.  

 
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╣Other Books╠

  The Broken World series 
Available now on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback and Audiobook!  

BrokenWorldCover 

 When a deadly virus sweeps the country, Vivian Thomas sets out for California in hopes of seeing the daughter she gave up for adoption. Then her car breaks down and she’s faced with a choice. Give up, or accept a ride from redneck brothers, Angus and Axl. Vivian knows the offer has more to do with her double D’s than kindness, but she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to reach her daughter. The virus is spreading, and by the time the group makes it to California, most of the population has been wiped out. When the dead start coming back, Vivian and the others realize that no electricity or running water are the least of their concerns. Now Vivian has to figure out how to be a mother under the most frightening circumstances, cope with Angus’s aggressive mood swings, and sort out her growing attraction to his brooding younger brother, Axl. While searching for a safe place to go, they pick up a pompous billionaire who may be the answer to all their problems. Trusting him means going into the middle of the Mojave Desert and possibly risking their lives, but with the streets overrun and nowhere else to turn, it seems he might be their only chance for survival.

  New BW series books
Shattered World       Mad World       Lost World         Broken Stories


  New Adult Romantic Mystery Available now on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited 
  Some secrets are better left untold…

Revised Collsion Cover

When eighteen-year-old Kara Jones gets into a car accident on the way home from college, she’s left with more than a few bruised ribs, a busted cell phone, and a totaled car. After a slip-up at the hospital, she’s shaken to discover that her family isn’t all it seems. And now her mother’s strange behavior and willingness to do anything to protect her secrets—including pulling Kara out of school—have Kara floundering in the dark. Enter Derek Miller, a former classmate who’s dealing with family issues of his own. His nerdy charm is too much for Kara to resist, and she’s even more amazed when he agrees to help her dig into her mother’s past. Together they investigate her mother’s old friends and boyfriends, hoping to discover who Kara really is. Instead, they find disturbing connections to the dark history of Kent State University, and an ever expanding maze of mystery surrounding Kara’s birth. As Kara and Derek chase secrets, she realizes he’s the only person she can trust. But as they get closer to the truth, the disturbing answers reveal a web of evil far darker and further reaching than they’d imagined, leaving Kara to wish she’d never asked the questions in the first place.

  The List (College of Charleston, #1) 
New Adult Contemporary Romance 
Available from Lyrical Press

   The List-highres_edited  

The List. Twenty things every girl must do before she turns twenty. . . Body piercing Get drunk First kiss But thanks to her crazy, over-protective father, Annie Roth is way behind schedule. Good thing it’s her first semester of college, because Annie is more than ready to start checking off items. . . Fake ID Skinny dipping Road trip!!! Where it gets complicated? Ryan and Chris. Best friends. Both sweet, funny, totally hot, and totally into Annie. But there are some things on The List that Annie only wants to do with Ryan. . . Lose it Get Heart Broken Fall in love

No Regrets (College of Charleston, #2) 
New Adult Contemporary Romance 
Coming September 2015 from Lyrical Press

  No Regrets
College is supposed to be fun…
Go to parties
Pick up guys
Maybe get in a little trouble

On the surface Cami is your average, wild teenager out to have a good time, but inside she’s struggling. Almost a year ago her best friend was in a car accident, an accident Cami feels responsible for. Since then, she’s made it her personal mission to experience everything life has to offer, both for herself and for Julie, who will never have fun again.
Then she meets Liam, her cousin’s sexy roommate. Hooking up with a hot British dude seems like the perfect way to start off the school year, but the more time she spends with him, the more she finds herself actually liking the guy. Which totally screws up her plans to live life with no regrets…

Don’t Look Back, 
Chapter 18 Band of Dystopian Anthology 
Young Adult Apocalyptic


PFD cover_official

From the imaginations of twenty authors of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction comes PREP FOR DOOM – an integrated collection of short stories that tell the tale of a single catastrophe as experienced by many characters, few of whom will ever meet. What begins with a seemingly innocuous traffic accident soon spirals into a global pandemic. The release of Airborne Viral Hemorrhagic Fever upon New York City’s unsuspecting populace brings bloody suffering within hours, death within a day, and spreads worldwide within a month.   An online community called Prep For Doom has risen to the top of a recent doomsday preparation movement. Some have written them off as crazy while others couldn’t be more serious about the safety the preppers could provide in a global disaster. But when AVHF strikes, their preparation may not be enough to save them.

vrijdag 31 juli 2015

Release Blitz & Giveaway ~ Cowboy Redemption by Kasey Millstead



Title: Cowboy Redemption
Series: Down Under Cowboy #6
Author: Kasey Millstead
 Release Date: July 31, 2015

Blurb

'Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.' - Bruce Lee

Kennedy:

If you learn from your mistakes, you’ll be a better person.

Life is all about making mistakes. I’ve made a lot of them in life, and learned from none of them. Until now. My biggest mistake of all, was letting him go.

Kye:

I had it all. Money. Fame. Success.
Then I lost it.
I thought I finally had my life back on track when I found her.
But one slip up and I lost everything. Again.

Kennedy Crawley spends her days helping others conquer their demons at Hope and Chance Retreat, in Australia’s Northern Territory. After spending her life being someone even she didn’t like, she finally sought the courage to overhaul her life, dreams and aspirations. Now, she’s determined to stay on track and be a better person.

Kye Austin was living his dream life as a professional football player. Until the day his sins caught up with him. He was sent to Hope and Chance Retreat to get his life back on track. After winning his battle, he decides to stay in the area and try to win the affections of Kennedy. There’s just one problem: she’s not interested.






Links to Buy

For your chance to win a $200 gift card, purchase Cowboy Redemption and enter on Kasey Millstead’s Facebook page HERE

AMAZON US / UK / AU


Also Available


AMAZON US / UK / AU
B&N / KOBO



AMAZON US / UK / AU



Author Bio



Kasey Millstead lives a quiet life in country New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and their four young children. She enjoys baking, singing (ridiculously out of tune) & spending time with friends and family. Kasey has always harboured a deep love for reading and writing, and she is now lucky enough to be living her dream of being an Author.




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Release Blitz & Giveaway ~ Midnight Moonrising by K.S. Haigwood & Anne Conley




Title: Midnight Moonrising
Series: Moonrising #1
Author: K.S. Haigwood & Anne Conley
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
 Release Date: July 31, 2015

Blurb

Mena wants the Master Vampire of Montgomery, Alabama, but the wolf inside her wants the homicide detective working the case of the man she murdered.


Links to Buy

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



Excerpt

With everyone thinking I was angry, I was taking a wild guess that it would be at least thirty minutes before anyone realized I was gone. That was a good head start. From the vague vibe I was feeling from Jess and the other traitors, I was looking at covering a distance of about four miles. I ran that nearly every morning, and the time it took to get there would allow my wolf and me time to figure out what we were going to do when we got there.

Cutting the bitch was what my wolf wanted to do, and I couldn't honestly say that I wasn't on board with that plan, but I was smart enough to know that I couldn't take on eight werewolves on my own. I would have to find their hideout and come back with my pack. Bringing Phoenix and his clan to watch my back in case any of my wolves were really on Jessica's side was a smart thing to do, so I would let them come, too, not that I would really get a choice in the matter; I doubted he would stay behind even if I begged him to.

A loud clatter had my head whipping around to look behind me again. An aluminum trash can lay on its side, its contents spilling into the street. A tabby cat peeked around the edge of the torn trash bag and I exhaled in relief. I was a sad case, indeed. I laughed at myself. I was not used to being the monster.

"I aim to change that, Mena."

I rolled my eyes at my wolf. "You just be you and let me be me and we'll get along just fine."

Soft laughter filled my head and I had to smile. I had to admit that I liked her, regardless of how much trouble she was causing me with Phoenix. At least we had come to a compromise. I didn't know how well said compromise was going to work out, or even if it would at all, but I was willing to try. Everyone deserved a shot at happiness, even with as insane as our case may be.

As I turned my head back around to continue on my journey, I ran smack-dab into the hard chest of a man. He was in shadow, so I couldn't see his face. Stumbling back, I attempted to get my balance, but his arms closed tightly around my body, jerking me to him and trapping my arms down at my sides so I couldn't move.

Struggling against his solid hold on me, I opened my mouth to let out a scream, but he twisted me around and clamped a hand over my mouth so fast that I didn't know what was happening until I was being pulled backward, away from the security of the streetlights that lined the suburban road.

I raised my knee up then brought my foot down hard on the toe of his shoe. He let out a muffled grunt, but continued to drag me into the shadows.

This had to be one of the werewolves. The strength alone told me that. They had to have been watching my house, just waiting for me to leave. This bastard was going to kill me if I didn't do something.

My wolf stirred under my skin. She wanted out and it was the first time since I'd been bitten that I agreed with that plan. With only a little more than human strength and quick reflexes, it wasn't possible for me to handle a grown male werewolf on my own.

My final option, before letting my wolf free, was try to at least injure him. I hoped that would be enough to make him loosen his grip on me enough so I could run. If he gave chase, I would have to concede and let my wolf take over.

Gripping the dagger tighter in my palm, I rotated my wrist and drove the blade into his side as hard as I could. An ear-piercing ululation erupted from his throat and he let go of me. I didn't wait or look back. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, adrenaline and my wolf giving me the speed and strength to push my muscles past what a human would be able to endure.

"Mena… Mena!" I heard the cry behind me, but my mind wasn't registering anything except panic and the need to get as far away from my attacker as possible. "Mena—wait! It's me…" A strangled groan had me slowing. "…it's… it's Phoenix. I—I'm so sorry, Mena."

I froze, not wanting to look back at the man, terrified that what he'd spoken was true. If it was—if I turned and saw those ice-blue eyes staring back at me, it would destroy any trust I had ever had in him.

"Please, Mena, I never meant to hurt you. I was only trying to scare you so you would realize what a stupid stunt going off on your own to find the killers was. What were you thinking?"

The blood rushed through my veins at an impossible speed, and fury washed over me in waves as I stood there trying to decide whether to walk away or allow my wolf to rip Phoenix's head off. She was all for the second option.

I heard him cough, and then groan in agony. I imagined he was pulling the dagger out of whatever organ I had been lucky enough to hit. There was a lot of heavy, ragged breathing and two more guttural-sounding coughs. It appeared as though I had hit a lung. Too bad it wasn't his heart! I wasn't sure stabbing him in the heart with a silver blade would kill him, but I would have put money on a bet that it would have been a hell of a lot more painful.

I turned my head to glare at him, but the hatred I had expected to feel wasn't there. He had fallen to his knees, and his head was bent, his eyes focused on the bright red stain spreading across his new shirt.

Shaking my head, I looked up to the sky and asked, "Why me?" After receiving no answer, I sighed and began the one-hundred-meter walk back to Phoenix.



K.S. Haigwood


Kristie Haigwood (a.k.a. K.S. Haigwood) is currently writing her 10th novel. She lives in Arkansas, US. She is the mother of 2 awesome kids and 2 great dogs. She is happily married to her soulmate who thinks reading is a solid waste of time. Opposites attract. Kristie’s works include ‘Save My Soul’, ‘Hell’s Gift’, ‘Good Side of Sin’, ‘Eternal Island’, ‘Eternal Immortality’ 'Eternal Illusion' ‘Accepting the Moon’ and 'Midnight Moonrising'. ‘My Sweet Purgatory’ and 'Andromeda's Reign are releasing soon. 


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Anne Conley


Anne has written her entire life and has the boxes of angst-filled journals and poetry to prove it. She's been writing for public consumption for the last four years. Currently she is writing three romance series. In Stories of Serendipity, she explores real people living real lives in small town Texas in a contemporary romance setting. In The Four Winds, she chronicles God's four closest archangels, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, falling in love and becoming human. In Pierce Securities, she gives us Ryan, Evan, Miriam, Zack, Quinten, and Simon. She lives in rural East Texas with her husband and children in her own private oasis, where she prides herself in her complete lack of social skills, choosing instead to live with the people inside her head.



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Giveaway

Cover Reveal & Giveaway ~ Letting Go by Holly Renee




Title: Letting Go
Series: The Garage Series #1
Author: Holly Renee
Genre: Contemporary Romance
 Release Date: August 31, 2015


Blurb

When Kat was forced to leave the only home she had ever known due to her brother's secrets, she wasn't prepared for what was waiting for her in Tennessee or the choices it would force her to make.

Kat instantly knew she didn't like Blake Reagan. He was cocky, stubborn, and infuriating. What Kat didn't understand was why she couldn't stop thinking about him or the way he made her feel.

The last thing Blake expected was for Kat Archer to storm into his world and turn it upside down. He thought he had her pegged from the beginning, but she destroyed everything he thought he knew. Blake was willing to fight to push his way into Kat's heart, but she put up a wall at every turn as she clung to her past.

If she stayed, she'd risk the only family she had left. If she left, she'd lose Blake and every piece of her heart that he'd managed to steal.






Pre-order Links

AMAZON US / UK





Author Bio

Bookaholic, firm believer in grand gestures, and obsessed with happily ever afters.

Holly Renee is from the small town of Maryville, TN where she was born and raised. She currently lives with her husband and fur baby, Luna. (Yes. She was named after Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.)

Holly Renee is the author of her debut novel Letting Go.

During the day, Holly spends her time as a nurse, but once her shift ends, she falls deep into her passion of reading and writing.





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Release Day Blitz & Giveaway ~ Guarded by Carmen Fox



Guarded by Carmen Fox
The Silverton Chronicles Book 1

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Romance/Suspense

Publisher: Smart Heart Publishing

Date of Publication: July 31, 2015

epub: 978-0-9931992-0-2
paperback: 978-0-9931992-1-9
hardcover: 978-0-9931992-2-6

Number of pages: 276 print pages
Word Count: 104k

Cover Artist: Ana Grigoriu




Book Description:

When everyone's existence depends on the lies they tell, trust doesn't come easy

Ivy’s neighbors have a secret. They aren’t human. But Ivy has a secret, too. She knows. As long as everyone keeps quiet, she’s happy working as a P.I. by day and chillaxing with her BFF Florian, a vampire, by night. When a routine pickup drops her in the middle of a murder, her two worlds collide. While Florian knows how to throw a punch, deep down he's a softie. His idea of scary? Running out of hair product. It’s time Ivy faced facts. Even with a vampire on stand-by, one gal can only kick so many asses.

For help, she must put her faith in others. A human, who might just be the one. A demon, who will, for a price, open the doors to her heritage. And a werewolf, who wants to protect her from herself.

Torn between these men, Ivy must tread carefully, because one wants her heart, one wants her body, and one wants her dead.

Available at Amazon

Add it to Your Goodreads Shelf



Blurb Read by Voiceover Artist: http://youtu.be/6i3DmvcaMWs


Excerpt

Parker placed both elbows on the table, rested his chin on one hand and regarded me for a moment. “So, Ivy. A P.I., eh?” He smacked his lips. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t exactly look like Philip Marlowe.”

Your point being?” I squinted.

You’re tiny. I mean, I’m sure you can take care of yourself. What if you need to overpower a 200-pound man, though? Do you at least know how to shoot your gun?”

Shoot?” I scrunched my nose. “Yes. Aim and hit the target? Not so much. The last guy who made fun of my size still walks with a limp.”

See, you hit one target right.” His eyes glinted.

I lifted my gaze. “I was aiming for his groin.” I squished my cupcake and shook my head. “No, I don’t carry a gun. And believe it or not, my size is an advantage. If you were an unfaithful husband and I followed you to a bar, trust me, I’d go unnoticed among the usual throng of people.”

Parker’s grin turned mischievous. “Well, Veronica Mars, I hate to be the bearer of bad news.” His voice reverberated through my nervous system. “I’d notice you.” He sipped his coffee. “If I was an unfaithful husband, that is.”


About the Author:

Carmen lives in the south of England with her beloved tea maker and a stuffed sheep called Fergus. An avid reader since childhood, she caught the writing bug when her Nana asked her to write a story. She also has a law degree, studied physics for a few years, dabbled in marketing and human resources, and speaks native-level German and fluent Geek. Her preferred niches of geekdom are tabletop games, comics, sci-fi and fantasy.

She writes about smart women with sassitude, about pretty cool guys too, and will chase that plot twist, no matter how elusive.

Expect to be kept guessing.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER, Carmen’s first urban fantasy novel, was published in March 2015. To find out more, visit her at www.carmen-fox.com.


Twitter: @authorcarmenfox



 Tour giveaway

1 copy of the Guarded e-book (for Kindle)
1copy of the Guarded paperback
1 copy of the Guarded hardback
2 $15 Amazon giftcards
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Author Interview

Tell us about the role of women in your writing.

They’re strong. And I’m not talking about a token ‘feistiness’ to balance out an inherent need to find refuge in a man’s arms, but about an inner strength that allows them to weather any situation alone. If they choose to be with a man, it’s because they want to be, perhaps driven by passion or love, but never by a need for safety.

Who is Ivy?

Ivy, GUARDED’s main character, doesn’t let her past define her. Or so she thinks. In truth, her experiences have left her with emotional pressure points she doesn’t want anyone to poke. She deals with most situations with her special brand of humor, and although she’d do anything for her friends, she’s far from perfect. When people vie for your attention, perhaps it’s natural to take their support for granted. Worse, her curiosity often gets the better of her. It’s not that she deliberately walks into danger, but rather her idea of what is safe is a little skewed. Most of all she’s self-reliant. Not too proud to accept help, but she will act alone if she has to. In many respects she is who I want to be.

Why does Ivy have such a hard time deciding between the men in her life?

Ivy dithers between her sexual urges and her desire to be loved. Each of the three men offers her something different. One promises a normal future, the one she’s always wanted. Guy number two is incredibly hot and satisfies an itch the first man might not be able to scratch. And the third might be the most passionate, but also the most possessive of them. Sometimes, heart, body and mind simply cannot agree.

Tell us about Ivy’s relationship with Florian.

Florian is Ivy’s best friend. I imagine he’s every woman’s ideal best friend. No matter the situation, he has her back. Plus, he’s funny, and a little goofy. The two of them just click. He’s quickly become the most memorable character, and I’ve had women tell me he’s their ideal book BFF.

Do you have a Florian in your life?
I used to have a Florian in my life, the kind of person I spent every free minute with without ever being bored. We’d do the craziest things. And the total absence of sexual tension made it easy for us to laze in front of the TV in our sweat pants, greasy hair or not. Sure, our closeness wasn’t always straightforward, especially for my boyfriends or his girlfriends, but we made it work.

Would you categorize GUARDED as urban fantasy or paranormal romance?

I wish I didn’t have to categorize it. An agent informed me that GUARDED is a romance, since it has a HEA, a happily ever after, which is the payoff readers of that genre expect. But some romance readers have struggled with the fact that they can’t immediately tell who Ivy is going to end up with. She experiences different chemistries with different men. It’s part of the fun. Also, there’s a strong non-romance plot, which shifts the book closer into the urban fantasy or suspense genres. To me, it’s an urban fantasy romance.