And then, there&#39;s a bearded fetus.

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-kicks-it-old-school-2026

⌈ Secret Post #7072 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 37 secrets from Secret Submission Post #1010.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

runpunkrun posting in

fancake

Poll #34603 round 187 theme poll

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 55

Pick the next theme of fancake:

Just Like Canon
22 (40.0%)

Power Dynamics
22 (40.0%)

Whump
11 (20.0%)

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admin: poll: theme

cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

Let's talk piping, peeps.

Because nothing shows off a baker's talent - or makes our jaws drop - quite like this business right here:

(By Finespun Cakes)

That's a style known as Lambeth, named for Joseph Lambeth, who popularized it back in the 1930s.

You'll know a Lambeth cake by its over-the-top frills and use of overpiping, which creates all that fabulous detail and depth:

(By Rosebud Cakes)

Of course Lambeth cakes are a bit old-fashioned now, but never fear, piping purists! Some bakers are doing their darndest to bring Lambeth to the next generation, with STUNNING results:

(By Aniko Vargane Orban)

No words. Only grabby hands.

Or how about this one?

(By Cakeium)

Check out those crisp clean lines! And still all hand-piped. AH-mazing.

While we're throwing back to classic cake skills, let's talk Oriental Stringwork.

(By David Cakes)

This gravity-defying sorcery is achieved with Royal icing, which hardens to a porcelain-like consistency. Believe it or not, that net is handpiped icing, y'all. HAND-PIPED ICING.

Bakers are using string work in modern designs now, too, which makes me so, so happy:

(By Pauline Bakes The Cake)

See how the filigree section stands out from the cake?

And note the hanging borders on this black and white number:

(By KupKake Tree)

I'm all about that middle tier with the flower, though. Soooo pretty.

Oh! And these colors!

(By Cake Decor India)

I never knew how much I needed this color combo in my life, you guys. SO GOOD.

(Btw, to achieve those upward loops? The baker has to turn the cake upside down. Mad skillz, my friends.)

Here's one so perfect you'll swear it can't be cake:

(By SifBeth)

See those tiny, TINY lines all around the border? HAND-PIPED.

Jumping back to a Lambeth style for this oh-so-sweet number:

(By Craftsy member FlourSugarButtr)

Another fantastic color palette, and don't be fooled by how smooth those ropes are; the base may be fondant, but all the piping is, well, PIPING.

And one final Sweet for now:

(By Beyond Buttercream)

Bakers, you are KILLING it with the color choices today. Rock on with your bad selves.

And the rest of you, look closely at those chained string borders. HAND. PIPED.

Hope you guys enjoyed our little glimpse into modern cake mastery! If you're interested, I highly recommend Googling both "Lambeth" and "Oriental Stringwork", because there's so, SO much more than I could show you here today.

Happy Sunday, and happy browsing!

*****

P.S. Speaking of piping, have you seen these new no-mess silicone piping bulbs?

8 Pc Bulb Decorating Kit

Y'all. Go read the reviews; these things are apparently total game-changers. Easy to fill, clean, no more leaking piping bags, AND they fit all the Wilton metal tips we already have! I don't do much cake decorating these days, but I do pipe caulking for crafts, so I'm excited to try these out.

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-kicks-it-old-school-2026

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/05/sbtb-bestsellers-may-2-may-15/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172995

The latest bestseller list is brought to you by good weather, brunch, and our affiliate sales data.

The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Deep Dark by Laura Griffin Amazon | B&N | Kobo | GooglePlay
Him by Elle Kennedy, Sarina Bowen Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Dark Succession by Katee Robert Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood Amazon | B&N | Kobo
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer Amazon | B&N | Kobo

I hope your weekend reading was spectacular!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/05/sbtb-bestsellers-may-2-may-15/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172995

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/05/sunday-sale-digest-82/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172968

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.

Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/05/sunday-sale-digest-82/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172968

dine

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mickeym

Megan is apparently not speaking to me. I don't know if it's for a limited time, or for the rest of time, or what. No idea. To know these things, she'd have to be asking me.

According to Donnie, who said to me, "don't tell her I said anything, because she'd be SO MAD", Megan has issues with me going back years. Also, apparently, she now feels that Matthew and I took advantage of her. I feel like that's coaching from Donnie, because until about six months ago, Megan had never said, ever, that she felt like we were taking advantage. Not to me, not to Matthew, nothing.

And now she's not speaking to me at all. The girl -- woman -- who used to say "I love you" every day when she left for work. Who would joke and laugh with me, and we'd wish each other a good night at bedtime. Now she can't get out of the room fast enough. In fact tonight, Matthew told me, Donnie called her (from the kitchen to their room), and he heard her say, "Kim's in the bathroom". And she popped out briefly, then back.

And while I know I should initiate the conversation, I don't want to. I'm a punching bag for them when they get angry at me, and I'm not willing to do that anymore. Enough's enough. We expect them to leave by the end of June (and when June gets a bit closer, we're going to tell them this. At least that's the plan.).

I'm going to miss them, sometimes. Megan lived with us for a decade, which is no small amount of time. My relationship with both of them (Donnie in particular, but both of them) is very complicated and complex. I'd love to have a relationship with them after they move out, but I'm not sure that's going to be possible.

And in the meantime, Donnie's talking about the trailer they're moving in to -- both of them, still in the same bedroom, even though they're broken up -- and how two of her male friends, upon hearing they'd broken up, said they would move in, help her with rent and so on. So Donnie talks about how they'll have four contracts on the lease, with each of them paying a quarter of the expenses. And she says that unironically. Like it's perfectly okay to plan that, while still not realizing that that's what WE tried to do with them.

End of June. I'm holding on to that, so very tightly.

x-posted at Livejournal and Dreamwidth; read/comment where you prefer

case posting in

⌈ Secret Post #7071 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

( More! )

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 43 secrets from Secret Submission Post #1010.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

case posting in

[ SECRET SUBMISSIONS POST #1011 ]

The first secret from this batch will be posted on May 23rd.

RULES:
1. One secret link per comment.
2. 750x750 px or smaller.
3. Link directly to the image.

More details on how to send a secret in!

Optional: If you would like your secret's fandom to be noted in the main post along with the secret itself, please put it in the comment along with your secret. If your secret makes the fandom obvious, there's no need to do this. If your fandom is obscure, you should probably tell me what it is.

Optional #2: If you would like WARNINGS (such as spoilers or common triggers -- list of some common ones here) to be noted in the main post before the secret itself, please put it in the comment along with your secret.

Optional #3: If you would like a transcript to be posted along with your secret, put it along with the link in the comment!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/05/bookstore-trip-report-bookish-boutique-panama-city-fl/

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172110

This trip report is from Crystal Anne! Crystal Anne with An E comes to us from a sunny clime, but prefers to remain a pale indoor cat. She enjoys reading, cross-stitching something nerdy, going to see live music, and playing video games. She works as an autism consultant by day, got a degree in information science for fun, and currently serves on her local library advisory board, which she’s written about for SBTB.

…

I’ve always had a yen to visit a real-life romance bookstore. I wanted the whole experience: the books, the merch, and the feeling of being somewhere feminine joy was being celebrated as important and vital. I always figured that I would have to travel at some point.

Then, two years ago?

One opened up, right in my backyard. Well, not RIGHT in my backyard, more like in Panama City, Florida, which is 10 minutes from my house. I read of the grand opening, and roped in my mom and sister, and we went. I remember not being sure what kind of response to expect from the community.

The community apparently was READY for the Bookish Boutique. I remember my sister Amanda looking around wonderingly as she said “The Book Girlies came OUT.”

A pink sign that says YOU DO NOT YIELD with paperback stacked in an open fanned position below atop some shelves with books, bookmarks and stickers

Photo taken from their Facebook page

Enjoy some opening day pics from my Instagram.

A crowd looking at the shelves with a chandelier visible at the top right

A woman with grey hair in a ponytail stands with her hands folded behind her back looking at shelf of contemporary romances while other people are shopping

People standing in front of a used books shelf examining the books. the shelves are black against a white wall

The store is, to start with, seems to be entirely woman-run. They have curated a very feminine aesthetic within the store itself. It is very, very pink, with feminist slogans posted throughout the store, and on much of the merchandise. Since the opening, they have added a wine bar as part of the experience as well.

A wide shot of some shirts and bookshelves against a pale pink wall with people shopping

The new book selection leans heavily on romance, romantasy, and young adult, with a heavy focus on female authors. They did open a small children’s section, to accommodate mothers that might be in there shopping with their children. There are some male authors in there, but they are the minority, and feature more in the Used Books section.

There’s also a very entertaining selection of bookish merchandise. I tend to be particularly partial to their t-shirts (I’m wearing one as I write this, it’s bright pink and says “It’s too non-fictiony outside”). I’ve also gotten some nice stickers for my iPad case.

They host author signings, and will also allow other small businesses to use space within the shop itself. The day I visited, there was a table that offered handmade bespoke Kindle cases (they were very pretty).

The Blind Date with a Book display, with books wrapped in purple, blue, and gold wrapping paper with stickers on the outside, and a pen tucked into the wrapping fold

I bought this hat:

An embroidered yellow ballcap that says in blue MILF: Man I Love Fairies

Bookish Boutique has made a point of offering many events and coordinating with other downtown businesses to give customers experiences that allow them to really experience the atmosphere of a historic downtown district.

Among other things, they have offered romance book club meetings, crafting meetings, poetry readings, and on one particularly entertaining afternoon, a cat rescue event. Just baby kitties running all over the store. My daughter had a good time sitting on their couch snuggling a little orange kitten.

I happened to be in there the day after Sarah J. Maas announced the next two books in the ACOTAR series, and had an animated discussion with the staff member on duty about the possibility of a release party while my husband looked on bemusedly (he’s always found it entertaining when I start discussing books with others, especially when he has no idea what we’re talking about).

In the event that you may be traveling to this area of Florida, I would highly encourage you to check them out. And in the event you’re not, they have an online store. Right now, I believe it to be more important than ever that we support small businesses, especially those that are woman-owned.

We’re living in a time where equality and diversity are dirty words, especially when used by a very particular kind of person. When you find a business that is so focused on fostering an inclusive environment and promoting feminine power, you make a point of giving them your money. Heaven knows they’ve gotten quite a bit of mine.

Crystal, a white woman with shoulder length brown hair, stands in a pink shirt that reads It's too nonfictiony outside, wearing a yellow ballcap that says MILF Man I Love Fairies. She is standing in front of a bright blue door with a sign that reads WELCOME-ISH Depends on who you are and how long you stay

Thank you for the trip report, Crystal Anne! You can find the Bookish Boutique at 456 Harrison Avenue in Panama City, Florida.

If you’d like to write a trip report about your visit to a romance-focused bookstore, I would LOVE to hear from you.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/05/bookstore-trip-report-bookish-boutique-panama-city-fl/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172110

mific posting in

fancake

Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Characters/Pairings: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Hayden Pike, Wyatt Hayes
Rating: Explicit
Length: 7060
Content Notes: Underage, as both Shane and Ilya are seventeen.
Creator Links: toomuchplor on AO3
Themes: Journey and travel, Forced proximity, First time, AU: Fork in the road

Summary: Regina to Edmonton was nine hours by bus if the weather was decent; it took a bit longer if — for example — your bus lost power on Highway 11 just past Dundurn, Saskatchewan.

Team buses, night drives, and one way things might have started differently.

Reccer's Notes:
This is a lovely story about Shane and Ilya as teens, just after the first World Juniors Cup, being forced into proximity on a long nighttime bus ride. The inevitable happens, and it kick-starts their relationship and their friendship at a much earlier stage, allowing them to rewrite the MLH's narrative. Told from Shane's pov, with wonderful characterisation and details.

Fanwork Links: Torture Me (With All I’ve Wanted)
Podfic read by mific

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https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/05/book-beat-gay-fantasy-villainesses-more/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172957

Book Beat aims to highlight other books that we may hear about through friends, social media, or other sources. We could see a gorgeous ad! Or find a new-to-us author on a list of underrated romances! Think of Book Beat as Teen Beat or Tiger Beat, but for books. And no staples to open to get the fold-out poster.

Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die

Author: Greer Stothers
Released: February 3, 2026 by Titan Books
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance

In this hilarious, off-the-wall queer fantasy romance, a reclusive sorcerer is forced to protect a cowardly knight after a prophecy ties their fates together.

Funny, touching and inventive, this book is perfect for fans of Mortal Follies, A Marvellous Light and Dreadful.

All his life, Sir Cameron has stayed as far away from danger as possible. He is, quite frankly, too handsome to die a violent and pointless death in battle. But when the Church hands down a prophecy to his fellow knights predicting that the only way to defeat their nemesis, the mad sorcerer Merulo, is to kill Cameron, he finds himself in a situation too sticky for even his considerable wiles. Short of ideas, Cameron throws himself on the mercy of the one person who now actually wants him to survive: the mad sorcerer.

Merulo isn’t thrilled to be babysitting a spoilt, attention-seeking knight, but fate has tied them together. And transmogrifying Cameron into a vulture is at least a great source of entertainment. Cameron, meanwhile, is on a voyage of self-discovery. It turns out he’s really, really into surly sorcerers who lock him up and tell him what to do. Who knew?

As a legion of knights surround their stronghold, the sorcerer’s poisonous ambitions draw ever closer to fruition. Cameron is quite invested in not dying, but he finds he’s also invested in Merulo. And sometimes, supporting the sorcerer you care about means taking an interest in their hobbies. Even if that hobby is trying to kill God.

Even if it might get you killed, too.

A himbo knight seeks protection from a reclusive sorcerer in this gay fantasy romance.

Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives

Author: Elizabeth Arnott
Released: March 3, 2026 by Berkley
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

A remarkable trio whose lives have been cracked wide open by their husbands’ crimes unite to catch a serial killer in this dazzlingly captivating novel.

Beverley, Elsie, and Margot are not your average housewives. They are all wives of convicted killers. During the sun-drenched summer of 1966, the three women form an unlikely friendship after the discoveries of their husbands’ brutal crimes. With their exes—some of California’s most infamous murderers—dead or behind bars, they are attempting to forge a new future for themselves.

Headstrong Beverley tries compulsively to maintain control of everything around her, all while raising two children. Bookish Elsie fights to make a name for herself in the newsroom, working among men who sneer at her career goals. Glamorous Margot prefers partying to homemaking and devotes all her energy to upholding the appearance that everything is fine—anything to quell the shame from her husband’s deceit.

They know people look at them and think only one How could they not have known what their husbands were doing? How much are they to blame? And yet when a string of local killings hits the news, the three women—underestimated, overlooked, shrewd—decide to get to work. After all, who better to catch a killer than those who have shared their lives and homes with one?

At once a riveting portrayal of shattered trust and a story of gripping suspense, The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives is a testament to the intricacies of women’s lives and how the deep bonds of female friendship can empower, uplift, and lead us to endure.

Three women who are married to convicted killers attempt to solve a string of killings in their community.

Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

Vile Lady Villains

Author: Danai Christopoulou
Released: May 12, 2026 by Union Square & Co.
Genre: LGBTQIA, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy

With the consequences of her murderous actions closing in, Lady Macbeth turns to the three witches for help, who give her a potion that transports her to an unknown realm. Desperately lost, she opens a door and comes face to face with a beautiful woman drenched in blood.

Klytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae, is exacting bloody vengeance on her husband. Yet as she revels in her triumph, an otherworldly door appears and a strange woman steps in. Thinking this stranger a spirit, she chases Lady Macbeth into the realm of stories.

Hunted by screaming wraiths into worlds that are hell bent on their demise, this murderous pair are forced to form an alliance or perish. Yet the realm’s goddess, The Mistress of the House of Books, claims to hold the key to saving them. As every threat brings our vile lady villains closer, turning ill intentions into fiery attraction that no author dare write, they have a remain within the confines of their original tales. . . Or burn down the world to pen a new story together. . .

I’m getting such What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? vibes from the cover here. Anyone else?

Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

Wonderfully Wicked

Author: Kamy Lavin
Released: November 18, 2025 by Fairytales, Facts & Fables Publishing
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Young Adult

Sixteen-year-old Annalie thought life couldn’t get worse after her father was enchanted into marrying Elzbeth, a bewitching socialite. But when Annalie’s newfound magic reveals her stepmother’s true form-green skin and sinister illusions-she uncovers a deadly pattern: a trail of wealthy husbands, all dead-including her father.

Annalie sets out to uncover the truth of her stepmother’s murders before she strikes again. As she races to unravel the truth about Elzbeth’s agenda, she discovers that good and evil aren’t always what they seem.

Wonderfully Wicked is a YA Fantasy retelling of the Cinderella fairytale chock-full of magic, deception and twists that you never saw from the princess’s POV.

Do not be fooled. This is not a f/f YA romance. Instead, it’s a mash up of The Wizard of Oz and Cinderella, where the wicked witch is the heroine’s stepmother.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/05/book-beat-gay-fantasy-villainesses-more/

Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172957

dine

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mickeym

Matthew made a GoFundMe for us. If you're interested, it's here: https://gofund.me/27478dd15
If you can't donate, please consider sharing the link. Thanks :)

x-posted to Livejournal and Dreamwidth; read/comment where you choose

case posting in

https://thebloggess.com/2026/05/15/more-ridiculous-book-tour-things-including-a-free-stop-right-in-your-bedroom/

⌈ Secret Post #7070 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

( More! )

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 00 secrets from Secret Submission Post #1009.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

thebloggess_feed

Posted by thebloggess

https://thebloggess.com/?p=44629

Sorry this post took longer than expected…coming out of a depression that’s lasted a little longer than normal, but feeling mostly human again. 🙂 First up, How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay is on the Indie Bookshop Bestsellers list for the 6th week in a row (what???) and to commemorate I’m doing aContinue reading

https://thebloggess.com/2026/05/15/more-ridiculous-book-tour-things-including-a-free-stop-right-in-your-bedroom/

https://thebloggess.com/?p=44629

epeeblade

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https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/05/witches-historical-romance-more-3/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172940

Dire Bound

Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen is $1.99! This is book one in the Wolves of Ruin fantasy romance series. Book two in the series just released this month.

Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in this spicy, page-turning romantasy where humans and direwolves forge unbreakable bonds and fight for survival at all costs.

Only the worthy survive the Bonding Trials. She’ll risk her life—and her heart—to be one of them.

Meryn Cooper has always hated the Bonded, elite warriors who form mental links with the massive, vicious direwolves they ride. While they live in luxury, Meryn struggles to keep her family out of poverty. When her little sister, Saela, is kidnapped—stolen across the border by the immortal monsters her country has spent centuries fighting—Meryn’s world falls apart.

Desperate to cross the front and save her sister, Meryn enlists in the army and is thrown into the deadly Bonding Trials, where any mistake will cost her life.

Now Meryn must survive four months of training at the castle. She is bound to a feral direwolf who refuses to communicate. The other trainees would love to spill her common blood. And her cold and beautiful instructor, Stark Therion, is eager to punish any weakness.

Everything is a competition, and everyone is out to get her—everyone except the dangerously handsome crown prince, whose attention adds another target to her back. In the castle, every smile hides a knife…and the halls hide dark secrets.

It’s bond or bleed. Duel or die. Failure is ruin.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Enchanted to Meet You

Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot is $1.99! This is book one in The Witches of West Harbor small town paranormal romance series. Have you read this one?

It’s Magic When You Meet Your Match

In her teenage years, lovelorn Jessica Gold cast a spell that went disastrously wrong, and brought her all the wrong kind of attention—as well as a lifetime ban from the World Council of Witches.

So no one is more surprised than Jess when, fifteen years later, tall, handsome WCW member Derrick Winters shows up in her quaint little village of West Harbor and claims that Jess is the Chosen One.

She’s the Chosen One

Not chosen by West Harbor’s snobby elite to style them for the town’s tricentennial ball—though Jess owns the chicest clothing boutique in town. And not chosen finally to be on the WCW, either—not that Jess would have said yes, anyway, since she’s done with any organization that tries to dictate what makes a “true” witch.

No, Jess has been chosen to help save West Harbor itself . . .

As Summer Ends, Her Power Grows

But just when Jess is beginning to think that she and Derrick might have a certain magic of their own—and not of the supernatural variety—Jess learns he may not be who she thought he was.

And suddenly Jess finds herself having to make another kind of choice: trust Derrick and work with him to combat the sinister force battling to bring down West Harbor, or use her gift as she always has: to keep herself, and her heart, safe.

Can she work her magic in time?

You can find ordering info for this book here.

How to Date Your Dragon

How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper is 99c! This is book one in the Mystic Bayou small town paranormal romance. Harper’s paranormals are often over-the-top and a little goofy. Sometimes I’m in the mood for that. Sometimes I’m not.

The first book in Molly Harper’s uproariously funny, sinfully sexy new Mystic Bayou series!

Anthropologist Jillian Ramsay’s career has taken a turn south.

Concerned that technology is about to chase mythological creatures out into the open (how long can Sasquatch stay hidden from Google maps?), the League for Interspecies Cooperation is sending Jillian to Louisiana on a fact-finding mission. While the League hopes to hold on to secrecy for a little bit longer, they’re preparing for the worst in terms of human reactions. They need a plan, so they look to Mystic Bayou, a tiny town hidden in the swamp where humans and supernatural residents have been living in harmony for generations. Mermaids and gator shifters swim in the bayou. Spirit bottles light the front porches after twilight. Dragons light the fires under crayfish pots.

Jillian’s first assignment for the League could be her last. Mystic Bayou is wary of outsiders, and she has difficulty getting locals to talk to her. And she can’t get the gruff town sheriff, Bael Boone, off of her back or out of her mind. Bael is the finest male specimen she’s seen in a long time, even though he might not be human. Soon their flirtation is hotter than a dragon’s breath, which Bael just might turn out to be…

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Quicksilver

Quicksilver by Amanda Quick is $2.99! This is part of the Arcane Society series, but is also book two in a trilogy within that series, if that makes sense. I assume this works as a standalone, but there may be an overarching trilogy plot.

In the New York Times-bestselling author’s latest Arcane Society novel, a paranormal killer pushes an unlikely duo’s powers and passions to the limit.

Virginia Dean wakes at midnight beside a dead body, with a bloody knife in her hand and no memory of the evening’s events. Dark energy, emanating from the mirrors lining the room, overpowers her senses. With no apparent way in or out, she is rescued by a man she has met only once before, but won’t soon forget.

Owen Sweetwater inherited his family’s talent for hunting the psychical monsters who prey on London’s women and children, and his investigation into the deaths of two glass-readers has led him here. The high-society types of the exclusive Arcane Society would consider Virginia an illusionist, a charlatan, even a criminal, but Owen knows better. Virginia’s powers are real-and they just might be the key to solving this challenging case.