Book Blitz with Excerpt + Giveaway: The Case of the Red Flame by Lila Fogle @XpressoTours

The Case of the Red Flame by Lila Fogle

Series: Tristan Beaufort Humorous Mysteries #1

Publication date: August 1st, 2026

Synopsis:

Lucy is an apathetic young woman who is hired to assist eccentric private detective Tristan Beaufort, a man whose wildness, endless optimism, and occasional naivete seem at odds with his chosen career. Her job is to keep a written account of his cases, to play the Watson to his Holmes.

They are hired by a woman who suspects her wife, Professor Jennifer Darvis, is having an affair. What begins as a simple investigation of adultery soon spirals into a case of conspiracy, arson, and murder.

Professor Darvis is a delusionally self-assured academic whose writings regarding the existence of a shadowy organization known only as The Quadrette have failed to find an audience outside of her students, for whom she has made her book assigned reading. However, an FBI agent shows up on her doorstep, insisting that her theories have spawned a series of murders, and requesting her help in preventing further deaths.

Soon, Tristan and Lucy find themselves unravelling a plot surrounding Darvis which seems as though it could not exist, despite the evidence they encounter at every turn. Their adventures will bring them up against the police, the enigmatic FBI Agent, and the leader of The Quadrette herself.

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Darvis was never one to be ordered around. If she wasn't thirsty before, she sure as hell was now. It was the kind of all-consuming thirst that only room temperature grapefruit flavored vodka could satisfy, with its sharp, acidic, yet pleasing palette, made all the more accessible by its warm temperature. Darvis would be damned if she let Agent Cooking Wine tell her what she could and couldn't do.

"Agent Cooking Wine," Darvis said, as she poured herself a highball full of vodka. "That's quite a mouthful, we'll need to think of a way to shorten it."

"Agent Mirin is short enough."

"C. Dub." Darvis gulped from the glass. "I think that's what I'll call you from now on. Agent C. Dub."

"That's the same number of syllables."

"It's much shorter." Darvis looked on the fool with pity. "But then I suppose that's why I'm a tenured professor, and you're a step up from mall cop."

"Please, professor, this is very serious business," Agent Mirin pleaded. "I am begging you to treat it as such."

Darvis sighed. "Very well, what is all this ruckus about?"

Agent Mirin was visibly relieved at Darvis' attempt to take the case seriously.

"You wrote a book a few years ago--"

"Ah yes!" Darvis exclaimed, kicking back in her chair. "My award-winning expose on the mathematical webwork which holds us in the spider's clutch." She furrowed her brow, and looked at Agent Mirin with concern. "I suppose I've made the higher-ups at the FBI nervous."

"No, ma'am." Agent Mirin grew ever more frustrated. "We are here because someone has taken your book too seriously, and is on a crime spree inspired by your writing. We've had two bodies turn up already, each linked undeniably to your book. The madman shows no sign of stopping, and the direction would like your help in catching him. Otherwise, I'm afraid the carnage will continue."

LILA FOGLE lives in Connecticut where she writes humour.

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Book Blitz with Excerpt + Teasers + Giveaway: You Had Me at Meow by Gracie James @XpressoTours

You Had Me at Meow by Gracie James

Publication date: July 7th, 2026

Synopsis:

Some girls get fairy godmothers. Abby Thompson gets a talking cat with a British accent and absolutely zero chill.

After her latest blind date--arranged by her loving (but relentless) mother--ends in a concussion, a wine-soaked dress, and enough humiliation to power Manhattan, Abby decides she's done with dating. Forever.

Too bad her cat, Mr. Whiskers, has other ideas. And he's suddenly sharing them. Out loud.

"Honestly, Abby, your taste in men is almost as concerning as your taste in sweaters."

His mission? Fix her train-wreck love life and help her land her dream job. His qualifications? None. He's a cat. His methods? Questionable at best.

But somewhere between the disastrous first dates, ruthless office politics, and the unexpectedly charming veterinarian who might actually be worth shaving her legs for, Abby starts to wonder...

Is Mr. Whiskers a miracle? Or a catastrophe with whiskers?

Either way, her opinionated feline isn't backing down. And if Abby wants her dream life, she might have to trust the one life coach she never asked for. Her cat.

You Had Me at Meow is a sweet, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about finding your voice, risking your heart, and one very determined cat who refuses to let his human settle for anything less than purr-fection.

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Before I even reach the fridge, Mr. Whiskers has settled into his favorite spot on the couch while I gather the essentials of a proper pity party: a pint of mint chocolate chip, my largest spoon, and one of Dottie's cosmic brownies. Ahhh, perfect.

Curling up next to my furry little roommate, I pull our softest blanket over my legs and queue up one of our favorite movies. Maybe watching someone else's embarrassing moments will make me feel better about my own.

As the opening credits roll, I crumble Dottie's brownie over my ice cream, letting out a contented sigh. At least dessert never disappoints.

"Why can't I find love in the movies, huh, buddy?" I ask, running my fingers through his soft fur. "You know, the kind where tripping in front of your dream guy leads to true love instead of a concussion."

Mr. Whiskers blinks up at me, his eyes reflecting the TV's flickering light.

"I mean, look at tonight," I continue, digging into my brownie-ice-cream creation and regretting nothing. Well... except maybe going out in the first place. "Mom sets me up with someone who's supposedly perfect for me, and he turns out to be a complete jerk. And then when I finally meet a genuinely nice guy, he's my cat's veterinarian and he's already taken."

I scratch under Mr. Whiskers' chin, earning a faint purr.

"Maybe I should just give up on dating altogether," I muse. "I mean, who needs romance when I have you, anyway? We could be two crazy cat ladies together. Well, one crazy cat lady and one crazy cat, but you know what I mean. No more terrible blind dates, no more falling head over heels, literally, for the wrong guys. Just us, some yummy snacks, and the sweet escape of a good movie night. What do you think, huh, buddy? Sound good?"

"Darling, that sounds like the best idea I've heard all night."

GRACIE JAMES lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their sweet rescue cat, Pinky, and absolutely loves the rain. When she's not writing swoony, laugh-out-loud rom-coms sprinkled with a touch of magic, she's usually hiking up a mountain or eating chocolate like it's a personality trait. Her creative peak occurs somewhere between "I should go to bed" and "well, it's basically morning now," and she considers sunrise more of a suggestion than a deadline.

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Book Blitz with Excerpt + Giveaway: Children of Eternity by Macaulay Christian @XpressoTours

Children of Eternity by Macaulay Christian

Publication date: March 10th, 2026

Synopsis:

Thirty years ago, an impossible transmission pierced the cosmos. Hidden within it were instructions for a device no one fully understood--an extragalactic Telegraph built to answer the call. 

On a distant world in neutral space, humanity and its former enemies resolved to build the device, a rare moment of unity and a calculated gamble that shared purpose might overcome politics.

The answer is not what anyone expected.

The colony is devastated. Reality fractures. Technology fails. People vanish without a trace--among them soldiers, citizens, and voices no civilization can afford to lose. Aboard the warship Banterra, Captain Heron Agathon is dispatched into the unknown to search for survivors and the truth behind the signal.

Beyond the galaxy's edge, something older than civilization is observing humanity's first steps into the uncharted--measuring what it will become when fear, power, and principle collide. The answers lie in the dark between stars. And the truth behind the signal is older--and nearer--than anyone suspects. There is no going back.

The human adventure is about to begin.

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At the urging of the Arx and Anchorage One, President Rein has rejected a proposal made by the Drazenbor head of state to permit a Drazenbor and Sarii Olgan expeditionary force to deploy with the Republican fleet. In a statement released by opposition leader Benjamin Riskaar, Riskaar praised the president's commitment to defending Republican national security interests. President Rein is permitting a small number of Drazenbor and Sarii Olgan advisors to travel with the fleet. -- The Daily Martian

Three minutes later.

A rapidly spinning ball of plasma made full contact with the bridge and splashed against the shields the way a wave does on a rock. Lights shattered, spitting shards of glass like shrapnel. Sparks rained down, conduits sputtering. The domed light directly above Agathon and Commander Coden groaned seconds before it fell, forcing the two men to leap from their seats. Consoles overloaded. Some screens erupted in gibberish; others faded to black. A girder came loose, swinging down. I flung Lieutenant Kyo to the floor, and his face pressed hard into the grated deck plating.

When the shaking stopped and the fires extinguished, the bridge lay in shambles. Wires, cords, and bundles of cables dropped down, hanging in massive, tangled streams pooling on the floor. With the air filtration system inoperative, the smoke had nowhere to go, choking all but Vidya, burning their lungs ad scorching their eyes. Every face and hand had a scratch on it. Blood trickling from nastier wounds. Uniforms were blackened, burned, and frayed at the seams.

Pushing himself off the floor, Captain Agathon brushed his wavy hair out of his face. Swishing saliva around in his mouth, he tasted blood. Glancing down, he saw dozens of tiny burning holes on the right sleeve of his jacket.

"Medical team to the bridge," he said somberly, extending over the wrecked dome light to reach the headset.

Vidya alone looked to be untouched by the damage. "Initializing emergency lights. Dorsal shields at 20 percent."

Commander Coden got up, dusting the metal shavings out of his hair, then tried to pry open a door and vent the smoke strangling them. Lieutenant Colby was slumped over the navigation console, arms draped over the front, a substantial piece of glass jutting out of her side, likely piercing a kidney. Kyo lay on the floor motionless, his head cocked at an impossible angle.

The Morpheus and Hope had been destroyed the instant they exited the wormhole. Agathon couldn't imagine there was anything left. Captain Haakon and the Challenger were listing and without power; a number of hull breaches had ejected most of the crew into space. The frigate Buran was a tough, old ship and still in the fight despite the gaping hole that had punched clean through. Captain Hale and the Apollo were lining up with the nearest attacker, bow trained on what they assumed to be the command-and-control center.

"What is she doing?" Agathon muttered, winching as he noticed the pain shooting up his arm.

His wrist was broken.

"Hale! Hale, what are you doing?" he shouted into the receiver.

Vidya's commentary was crucial: "Captain, Apollo's reactor is critical! They're losing containment!"

Agathon looked past Vidya. An arc of fire ripped through the Apollo's hull from the inside out. Another and another lacerated the ship, the metal rippling as secondary explosions sent bubbles of fire into the vacuum.

"I'm detecting lifeboat transponders," Vidya said. "They're abandoning ship."

"Captain Hale, please respond!"

His pleas were met only with static. Then the Apollo accelerated, hurling itself into the alien ship. The ensuing supernova obliterated both vessels.

Hull panels were streaking off the Solitude like comets, cones of fire and smoke trailing behind. Silver Arrow fighters vaporized by beams shot from the attacker's central sphere, several at a time, reduced to ash. Slicing through space, the gimbaled wing spun around as the alien ship made its attack run, lobbing miniature suns at the Solitude. The keel arched high upon impact.

"Her back... it's broken," Agathon gaped.

The Buran jockeyed alongside the Banterra, firing forward missiles and gun batteries. The Albatross was long since gone. Under orders from Ekwueme, the supply ship that had followed them made for interstellar space. Whether they had been pursued, Agathon did not know.

The color in Vidya's face drained. "Oh no," she bemoaned and heaved the bulk of the ship hard to port.

One of the Buran's warp coil nacelles was hewn clean off and tumbling toward them. Striking the starboard ventral section, and the Banterra lurched forward. Spinning, about its axis, and no one saw the flames engulfing the frigate as it broke apart. Knocked off his feet, Agathon soared, slamming into the consoles at the base of the observation window. A siren blared, red lights flashing, the centrifugal forces plastering the crew against bulkheads. Stretching out her arms, Vidya looked like she was trying to brace herself, as if she too were bound to fly about the bridge. Firing the maneuvering thrusters, she slowed the ship and brought them about.

MACAULAY CHRISTIAN is a graduate of the University of Arizona where he received his bachelor's degree in political science with an emphasis in American government and international relations as well as a minor in classical (Greco-Roman) history. He is also an alumnus of the fraternity Phi Delta Theta, where he served in a variety of leadership positions, including two terms as president. Macaulay received a master's of legal studies from Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law before beginning a career in the commercial construction industry. He has worked on a variety of projects, from airports to data centers. Macaulay lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife and their two dogs. In March 2025, Macaulay released the science fiction novel "Holindrian & The Human Revolution". He is currently pursuing a doctorate in public administration where he is researching the impacts of public education and policy shifts on the industry and investigating recommendations to rectify the on-going skilled labor shortage across the country.

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Children of Eternity Blitz

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