#Bookqw 'quick' from ARRIVAL (Planet of Last Resort Book One)... #zombies on a remote colony planet www.amazon.com/ARRIVAL-Plan...

#Bookqw 'quick' from DANCER OF THE NILE, #romantasy in ancient Egypt... #romancelandia #booksky www.amazon.com/Dancer-Nile-...

A picture of the cover of Miserere (A man kneeling between two woman all are dressed in armor) and the following passage: Grabbing Caleb’s sword, Lucian whirled. He couldn’t leave the man there. If Caleb returned to consciousness during the exorcism, they’d all be helpless against him. One strike would suffice. The death would be quick, almost painless. Lindsay grabbed his arm. “We said no more killing. We said that. You promised, Lucian.” He looked from the girl’s horrified eyes back to Caleb. “They’re the killers. Not us.” Lindsay dug her fingers into his forearm.

Today's #BookQW is QUICK and this passage is from MISERERE just before the exorcism:

Today's #bookqw word is quick.

#yafantasy #comingofage #oppositesattract #vampireromance #darkfantasy

Bondwitch is available here: chelseymortega.com/bondwitch-se...

Enchanted, Inc. book cover Quote: It wasn’t like I had to tongue-kiss him. That was fortunate. What if he’d been eating flies? Ewww.
 I screwed my eyes shut, then leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips that landed slightly off center. Before I could back away, he grabbed my head and pulled me back for a rather more thorough kiss. After thinking about flies, I very determinedly kept my lips sealed together.

It's #BookQW and our word this week is "quick." Some things are better done quickly, as in this bit from Enchanted, Inc. Want to know what's going on here? You can read the whole scene at shannaswendson.com/writing/ench...

A graphic featuring the cover of HUNTRESS, by Renee Carter Hall, with a quote from the book as follows. She couldn’t help noticing that none of their drummers were as good as Bahati. Most were older males, except for one younger, with a striking mane that started the color of honey and then darkened almost to black around his shoulders. He had darker eyes, too, she saw, almost reddish-brown in the firelight. He played without Bahati’s easy concentration, and when he made a mistake or lost the rhythm, he shrugged and grinned to himself and picked the beat back up again, as if it didn’t matter, even when the others teased him for it. Once he caught Leya looking at him and flashed her the same quick smile, knowing and sharp. She felt her ears burn and looked away, watching the dancers instead.

I haven't done Book Quote Wednesday much over here, but today I thought I'd try to get back in the habit.

This week's word is "quick." #BookQW

All ordering links (paperback and ebook) at reneecarterhall.com#huntress

It’s Book Quote Wednesday. The word of the day is QUICK.
I sat up too QUICKLY and banged my head on the edge of the metal desk opening as I tried to slide back through. Death by Cutting Table #bookqw #mustread #cozymystery #wrp
books2read.com/u/4jva15

Mrs A looked between them. “Promise me, girls, that you won’t put yourselves in danger.” her composure was starting to crack. It was too late for that. Their bond with Solomon ran too deep, neither of them would stop until he was safe. “I promise,” Mina lied. She set down her half-drunk tea and stood. “It was lovely to see you again, Mrs A. We'll keep in touch.” Heidi looked slightly puzzled but stood and drank down her own tea in a quick series of gulps, despite the temperature. Mrs A politely saw them out. Heidi pulled her duffel coat on outside before gently reproving Mina for her breech of etiquette. “You didn’t finish your tea.” Mina’s voice was quiet. “She needed us out of the way so that she could cry.” “Oh.” Heidi paused while she processed that information. “No time to rest though.” “No. Now we’ve got to find Beryl.”

Trope map Alt Text A Trope Map for Lost Talent, Shows the book cover with the two main characters on a purple background with golden stars around the edges. The tropes are: Messy Magic School Graduates Secrets, Corruption and Rebellion Asexual Protagonist What would you give up for Magic? Rebuilding a Found Family Neurodivergent Protagonist LGBTQIA+ friendly Finding your True Strength At the bottom is says Available Now!

It's Book Quote Wednesday! Today's word is Quick!

Heidi always drinks her tea too quickly, but that is the least of their problems at the moment...

#bookqw #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #booksky

Direct Descendant cover in lower left - young woman eating a cupcake while walking in front of a bakery, tentacles in the background. Expanded cover as background, thus more tentacles. I have the vague feeling that I've used a butt crack quote before... "If Travis took the phone with him, he's going to have a shit..." Eric paused. Glanced at Aunt Jean's narrowed eyes and reconsidered. " ...have terrifying roaming charges." "If he took it with him," Amanda said thoughtfully, "where would he have been carrying it? Cassie?" I swallowed a little too quickly, coughed cracker crumbs, and said, "Knife in one hand. Nothing in the other. I didn't check his butt crack. Might've been firm enough."

Today's word is QUICK. Today's #BookQW from DIRECT DESCENDANT (DAW Books, Inc. 2025), a contemporary fantasy/cozy horror (depending on whether you're talking to me or marketing) which will be out in trade paperback next Tuesday, April 14th! Preorder from your usual retailer.

Shop indie if you can.

'I am truly sorry for your loss. And sorry, too, for blundering into your mourning like this. But...' How to phrase this without sounding entirely unbalanced? 'I... Inadvertently witnessed the oath you swore at his funeral.' He scowled at her. 'If you are some kind of trickster, you are an utter failure. You need to find another game, and quickly. You'll make no money from me.' He turned away. 'You swore you would cause no trouble.' He froze, shoulders tight. After a moment he turned back to face her. 'You swore you would cause no violence.' He paced about her, as if examining her for traps. She turned as he walked round her, so that she faced him the whole time, to keep her eyes on him. 'You swore to seek justice, by the letter of the law.' He halted and stared at her for a long time. 'Have you been speaking to my mother?' Alwenna shook her head. 'She said you were not a good man. Is that because you use blood rituals?' 'That is, frankly, none of your business. I will not play any of your games.' 'It was a blood ritual that led me to you. We might be able to help one another.' 'You are preposterous.' He glanced at Brett. 'Are you her keeper? Aren't you meant to keep lunatics like her safely indoors?'

Cover of The Waterborne Blade by Susan Murray. A woman clad in an ornate gown is moving past the viewer, a long dagger held in her blood-spattered right hand. Cover art by Paul Young.

Cover of Waterborne Exile by Susan Murray. A woman dressed in a blood-spattered white gown moves past the viewer, holding a bowl of blood before her in both hands. A bloodstained dagger is tucked in her belt. Cover art by Paul Young.

Today's #BookQW word is 'quick'.

In this extract from Waterborne 3*, Alwenna's discovered that being caught kneeling on a fresh grave by the deceased's brother is NOT a great way to win friends and influence people.

*Still work in progress, so all the usual caveats apply.

Closed white wooden door. "She would have known who it was, even if she hadn't expected him, by the #quick, businesslike knock, but she took long enough to open the door that he called, "Kristen? It's Tony Cabral."

The pre-order discount will be gone very soon.
"I enjoyed the entire collection and highly recommend." ~ Kim Janine Ligon, author of Running to Daylight
mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/reck...
#BookQW #Novellas #ShortStories

Today is Book Quote Wednesday, and today’s word is “quick.” www.brianandersonmysteries.com www.amazon.com/stores/autho... #BookQW #mystery #wrpks #BookSky

Today's #BookQW word: QUICK

LAIRD OF SIGHS
buff.ly/RbTvx7o

#Mustread #Bestselling #Highland #Historical #Adventure #Romance #Series #EnemiestoLovers #romanticreads #HistoricalHighlands #swoonworthyromance #BookSky

Sophie ran smack into someone rushing past her. “Whoa! So sorry,” a man was quick to say. Her gaze fell upon the one person she never expected to see up close and personal. “You,” she whispered in disbelief. Hunky boat guy tipped his dark-haired head. “Do I…know you?” #bookqw #booksky #romance

Sophie ran smack into someone rushing past her.
“Whoa! So sorry,” a man was quick to say.
Her gaze fell upon the one person she never expected to see up close and personal. “You,” she whispered in disbelief.
Hunky boat guy tipped his dark-haired head. “Do I…know you?”
#bookqw #booksky #romance

Quote from Cursed Under London. Quote reads: Lazare retained his strange, tense expression as he swiftly, seemingly impulsively, lashed out an arm and threw his cup of sack in Kit’s face. ‘W?’ managed Kit, before Lazare grabbed the alchemist’s drink off the bar, and threw that at Kit as well. The hubbub at the bar stopped. Everyone watched in silence as the playwright blinked in surprise, dark liquor dripping off his perfectly manicured beard. Lazare retained that same strange expression of wordless anger, his fists bunched, his wings slightly raised off his shoulders as if trying to make himself look bigger. Next to him, Bill and the bar-prop of an alchemist gazed at the scene. Bill’s expression had a faint twitch of amusement to it. The alchemist just looked bereft at the loss of his drink. Kit wiped his face, agog, then threw back his head and laughed. ‘That’s the spirit, Laz! There’s that gallic passion – want to go out back for a quick shuffle?’ ‘No thanks,’ Lazare replied. ‘Wulfric? Another round for myself and the alchemist, please, Kit’s paying.’ ‘You’re cleaning that up,’ Wulfric grumbled. ‘Fine. Another round, and a mop.’

It's Book Quote Wednesday & the word is QUICK. In Cursed Under London, there is an altercation at the pub with the lascivious zombie of Christopher Marlowe that happens before Lazare can think through what he's actually doing. #BookQW #BookSky Buying links: farragobooks.com/book-series/...

#BookQW Once the relationship was over for him, he saw no point in prolonging the inevitable. Better to end it QUICKly and cleanly and move on. I'LL BE SEEING YOU, book 1 Twice in a Lifetime #TimeTravelRomance #PNR #secondchancelove books2read.com/Ill-Be-Seeing-You-by-Jan... #Booksky

Mauve and I cruise the oval hallway stopping at the door to our cabin, Berth 101 reads the placard half a foot above a rectangular key card reader. My pulse quickens at the sight of a black feline sitting pressed against the door. Even the sleeper stirs, perturbed. “Why is that here?” I point at the black cat staring at me with startling yellow eyes. Mauve bends down and gently pets the cat. “It’s only Titus.”

Allison and Titus don't mix…
preorder The Bane of Dragons: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bane-o...

#yabooks #teenbooks #booksky #writingprompt #newrelease #bookqw

“Say what you will. We have our agreement. And if you deign to question it, you’d best know your ground and the grounds of my tribe and his feelings before interfering. It’s not polite to stick your nose in where it doesn’t belong.” Livesey narrowed her eyes in a very human expression. Lenore matched look for look, both staring like predators to size each other up from the borders of their respective territories. Finally, Lenore laughed. “Why am I bothering explaining anything to you? You’re—” “I’m an android?” Livesey pre-empted her slight. “A machine without true emotions? Surely we’ve gone beyond such trite generalizations in these days. I have as much emotion as you or Faarax or even Solet for all his posing as a heartless bastard. No offense.” She made the quick aside to him and he nodded as she continued. “You’re not explaining because you can’t explain yourself.” Without waiting for Lenore’s reply, Livesey strode out. She almost ran into Syndac, who was passing by the door. Livesey backed away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.” “So I gathered.” Solet saw Syndac flexing her arm, which had seemingly taken the full force of the blow. “I should be glad if you kept your speed under control. You may have a soft outer layer, but you’re still more solid than anyone else on Cape Cisternaea.” Solet dived into the bathroom, in urgent need of a dabbing of water to the face. The final exchange between the two was lost as he plunged his face into a sink of water, washing away the memories. Memories of beings like Livesey, people who had… taken….

Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'quick' #BookQW
On board the Benbow, tensions flare, recalling for its captain Solet some uncomfortable memories.
Now available from your book front of choice, Lost Station Circé.
#scifibooks #amwriting #spaceopera #BookSky💙📚

It's Book Quote Wednesday! Today's word: QUICK. #Excerpt is from HIPPIE MERMAID, a coming-of-age #fantasy. #bookqw #mermaidtransformation

The left side of the image is the book cover of THE RILL LORD by L.L. Stephens. Cover shows a stormy background upon which a red-robed sorcerer advances with magic toward a distant, powerful City and god-machine. Colors are gray and red. Right side is a text excerpt from THE RILL LORD: The tiny muscles of Chyralane’s follicles alerted her first, a delicate detection of static electricity in the room, the subtlest shifting of energy fields. Not for decades had she felt the imminence of translocation, not since her girlhood in Rannul, yet her body-memory was clear. Heart pounding and afraid of what had found her, Chyralane lunged for the alarm chord by the chair. Whip-quick, Dorilian’s hand closed over Chyralane’s wrist and pulled her around, facing him, keeping her to the center of the room. In Dorilian’s other hand, he clutched the shining blade of a sword. That sword. “You murderous bitch.” No more relentless voice had ever pierced her soul. He knows. An icy void seized Chyralane’s bowels. Dorilian’s face wore a savage anger. Sordan’s Coronal blazed green upon his brow. Device-wielder. “Thrice Royal,” she whispered. Her voice quavered. She realized with an oddly removed wonder that she sounded like the old woman she strove not to be.

It's Book Quote Wednesday and the word is QUICK

Dorilian is quick (in many ways) and he's been getting quicker through this series. Here he surprises an old enemy by making an unexpected appearance.
#bookqw #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #Triempery

Following the river was a mistake. It might mean you could move more quickly, but you had your back against a figurative wall. Even if you could fight off dangerous fauna, the noise and the blood would bring more animals―or worse. Following the river was a mistake, but it was a mistake Garnas guessed the missing explorers had made. His hunch was confirmed by scraps of cloth on a resinbush. The plant was one of the few without vicious thorns, which made it look less dangerous to the naïve eye. Its leaves secreted a quick-setting adhesive that hardened to a bond with greater tensile strength than leather. If the wanderers had continued into that harmless-looking patch of bluish undergrowth, they would still be there now. As it was they had only left behind one blue sleeve. At least they hadn’t tried burning the leaves away. Their resin was a natural accelerant.

This #BookQW, and Garnas is on his home turf. Dangerous turf, yes, but he's used to the dangers. The people he's trying to find are not.

wizardstowerpress.com/books-2/nove...

The illustrated cover for Enchanting the Fae Queen, by Stephanie Burgis, shows a mischievously grinning woman with long blonde curls, a moonstone crown, a pink dress and bare feet, sitting perched in a tree teasing the uniformed general who stands before her, his expression determined and one of his hands around her closest leg while she pokes his strong nose with one finger. Vines of leaves sweep magically out from the tree around her to draw him towards her. The tagline reads: All’s fae in love and war. The text beside and below it reads: Gerard shifted out of the way of a curious copper birch just before its questing leaves could brush against his shoulder and aimed a quick, wary glance around them. “I’ve never in my life seen any woods so thick with magic.” “Welcome to the fae realm, darling—and to the glorious kingdom of Efaelen, in particular.” Reaching out, Lorelei gently stroked those trailing, copper-tinged green leaves that he’d snubbed, humming over them in consolation. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the trees. As long as you don’t share your true name with anyone here, you’ll be perfectly safe. You are my guest, after all.” “Your prisoner,” he ground out. Goddess be praised, she really had gotten to him this time, hadn’t she?

This week's Book Quote Wednesday word is "quick," and here's a snippet from Enchanting the Fae Queen, in which Lorelei has just kidnapped Gerard and he is Not Happy about the situation...

stephanieburgis.com/books/enchanting-the-fae-queen

#romancelandia #bookqw

“Now if we ever meet any peng they’ll want to kill us,” said Rob. “Thanks for that, Alya, you’ve just made us the enemies of an entire race.” “It was my pleasure; they had already become my enemies.” “Seems petty of you, doesn’t it?” She blinked and then pulled down her scarf. “They stole my ship, my life’s work, and my freedom. I am repaying them.” “And you never thought to confide in any of us?” Rob stepped closer. They were the same height, so he met her knife-like gaze with one of his own. He wondered how old she was. She did not seem much older than he was, but he could not be sure. “You thought we were too stupid, was that it? Or you didn’t trust us? Gorm seems to think you do, but I don’t believe it.” “Oh?” She looked suddenly uncomfortable but quickly regained her composure. “Why would I trust you?”

It is Book Quote Wednesday and the word is 'quick'. In The Sky-Slayer by Joel Cornah, Rob Sardan realises that being hated by an entire race of giant, intelligent penguins might not be a good idea. #BookQW
wizardstowerpress.co...

Cover art by Ben Baldwin shows a black panther in woodland at night. He's looking straight at you with golden eyes. His mouth is half open, showing lethally sharp white fangs. Book extract reads: ‘No sign of the cat anywhere.’ She shook her head, apologetic. ‘Damn. Though if it’s found a sheltered spot for a lair, somewhere quiet, it’ll be well hidden. I need to get in there myself and look for traces on the ground. There’ll be a scent trail for a start. I can’t get up this cliff though. We need to find a quiet spot where I can slip through the MOD perimeter. I had a quick recce when I got here yesterday, before it got dark. It’s a serious fence, with razor wire and an overhang at the top, but there has to be a weakness somewhere.’ Hazel was talking about looking for the cat while she was transformed into a hare. As far as I was concerned, that was quite literally a hare-brained idea. ‘It’ll pick up your scent as soon as the wind blows its way. Hello, lunch.’ ‘How long should we give you?’ Fin asked. ‘You had better leave us with a number to ring, to let someone know you’ve probably been injured or eaten.’ Hazel looked as if she wanted to argue. I was relieved to see her shake her head, silently admitting that this predator was too great a threat. ‘So what are we going to do?’ She was still frustrated, and I couldn’t blame her. So was I.

Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'quick' #BookQW #BookSky
Dan's hunting a killer and he needs to move fast to prevent another death. That's very much easier said than done.
The Green Man's Quarry is contemporary fantasy blending myths and legends, ancient and modern.

Franklin knew the woods as he knew the way around his own house; it was a quick journey to find the bramble. It had nothing to say, unless a handful of saw-edged leaves flickering in the wind could be counted as a comment. ‘There you are,’ Franklin announced. ‘Quiet as you like.’ John didn’t have an iron ring like his father, so he removed one of his boots and, damp moss soaking a quiet chill into his sock, tapped one of the hobnails against a twig. The thing gave a little snarl, and John remembered something he should have thought of before: his grandfather had promised to leave it alone. ‘Good day, kind friend, by your earth my path did wend,’ he told it: some People found it easier to follow you when you spoke in rhyme, and any forge kept a few quatrains amongst its equipment. ‘Please forgive the iron knock, I meant you no insult or shock. I have one question, one alone: are you quite happy where you’re grown? Or is there more that we should do to bring a happy end to you?’ The bush didn’t bother to shape a full self; it just opened a slit on its branch and said, ‘Goway.’

#booksky #bookqw word: QUICK

Apprentice fairy-smith John isn't supposed to be communicating with the talking bramble, but he has some questions he wants to ask it in secret.

Buy book: tinyurl.com/nvvetupj

It's Book Quote Wednesday and the word is QUICK. Ted is finding that the King can command anyone and they will give him unquestioning loyalty. Even Ted's own friends and family. #bookqw #yafantasy www.benjeapes.com/index.php/th...

Hear me read a longer extract at benjeapes.substack.com.

Today's #bookqw word is old.

#wrpbks #newrelease #forbiddenlove #paranormalromance #darkfantasy #foundfamily

Preorder Bondwitch: Hybrid here - chelseymortega.com/bondwitch-2/

It's #bookqw and the word is OLD

I forced my tail to whip in excitement. “And now I getta find out if my youthful energy will help me as much as I hope. And you don’t look any OLDer than I do. So…” I pushed my fist against her shoulder. “Cheer up for me, okay?”

#WIP #ChapterOne

It's Book Quote Wednesday. This week's quote is from Death by Surfboard. Click the link for the full quote:
open.substack.com/pub/2650/p/i...
#bookqw #mustread #cozymystery #wrp books2read.com/u/mZVL5D

Elevator. "The woman who got on the elevator with him was tall and thin, about thirty, teetering on very high heels. They stood apart, as if they were not together, but they had been conversing. She said, 'You remember JFK's assassination? You must be really #old.'"

Is the man on the elevator the killer?
Pre-order discount is ending soon!
mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/reck...
#BookQW #Novellas