Wednesday, July 31, 2013




There’s something that lies within my memory. Hidden in the dark. Something that can kill me and those that I love. But I was in an accident, covered in mystery and deception. And my memory…was lost. There are those who want me to remember. I don’t trust them.  And those I do trust…are fighting for me to forget.

Elsabetha Ellery wants to get her memory back, even if it kills her.

After waking up in a hospital with no memory, Elsabetha quickly learns those who claim to be her friend are anything but. And those who are her true friends keep themselves unseen.

Stuck with piecing together her broken memories alone, Elsa struggles with having faith in those she trusts and heeding the warnings of the dangers in recovering her memory. Ignoring them, she faces heavy consequences. Ones she doesn’t see until it’s too late, and a life is lost.


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A Kansas native, Samantha LaFantasie spends her free time with her husband and three kids. Writing has always been a passion of hers, forgoing all other desires to devote to this one obsession, even though she often finds herself arguing with her characters through much of the process. She’s primarily a fantasy writer but often feels pulled to genres such as sci-fi, romance, and others.
Among her writing credentials, she’s a board member of the Kansas Writer’s Association and has founded her own critique group, lovingly named, The Fighting Hamsters.
Samantha loves to take time to enjoy other activities such as photography and playing her favorite game of all time, Guild Wars 2.


  
Want more from Samantha? Keep up with her at any of her digital hangouts.





Burn on the Western Slope by Angela Smith




Burn on the Western Slope by Angela Smith

BLURB:

On the ski slopes of Montana, deception turns deadly and seduction becomes more hypnotic than jewels.

Reagan McKinney is on a mission to discover more about a deceased uncle who mysteriously left her a sizable inheritance, a condo in the mountains, and a stash of stolen jewels.  With both her graphic design career and her love life in shambles, the opportunity to begin a new life couldn’t have come at a better time.  When she becomes involved with the sexy FBI agent next door, she finds her struggle is not only to keep her heart intact, but her life.
          
Grief stricken after an undercover investigation ends in the tragic death of his partner, FBI Agent Garret Chambers goes home to find solace in the arms of his mountain home.  That is, until his boss assigns him to investigate the spirited brunette staying in the condo next door.  He is assigned to investigate Reagan’s involvement with a large jewel fencing organization, but his investigation becomes comprised when his attraction to her heats up.  Will his discovery destroy everything he has come to love, including Reagan?


Excerpt

Garret blinked, slowly, and she watched his chest rise and fall. “Did you know something about Kyle?”

She threw her boot at him. He caught it. She cursed.

“I knew he was a dirty cheating slime ball. Just like you.” Reagan tugged on her socks and her knee-high boot, tightening the lace in record speed. Standing, she marched to him and seized the other from his grasp, refusing to look at him. Her balance teetered as she tried to slip it on, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her helplessness. She braced one hand on the wall as she loosened the lace and lugged on the boot, refusing to sit. Refusing to reveal any kind of vulnerability or regret. 

Garret remained in the doorway, watching. Unmoving. She pushed past him, his woodsy scent all the more reason to hate him, or at least hate the effect he had on her. She donned her jacket, slipped on her gloves, and tore out the front door.

“It’s too far to walk,” Garret called behind her.

“I’ll take my chances.”

Garret pulled on her arm and whipped her around. Eye level with his chest, she didn’t fail to notice the tension streaming out of every pore of his body. The cords in his neck bulged with each breath. His eyes, a deep, dark, abysmal dye, wouldn’t let her inside his head. Which was a good thing, now that she knew the psychosis of his mental state.



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

During my senior year in high school, I was dubbed most likely to write a novel because I always had my nose stuck in a book.   I would hide my romance novels under my history book until my teacher called me out on it.  Writing has been my dream ever since my mother read Brer Rabbit to my sister and me so often that we were able to recite it back to each other before actually learning to read.  I love reading about the adventure of love, and getting involved in the legal field developed my love of suspense. I believe love is a mystery that most people have trouble resolving.  While I don’t expect we’ll ever solve that mystery, I love to read and write about characters who work to solve their love’s mystery.  See more about me at my website  or tweet me @angelaswriter.

Publisher Website


Author Giveaway:

Angela will be awarding one of three prizes: a car mirror hanger or key chain (a seashell as a tie-in to her book), an mp3 album by Pretty Little Blisters, a $10 Amazon gift card, to three randomly drawn commenters during the tour.  The more you comment the better your chances.  Follow the tour here.

Blood Craving (Sons of Navarus #5) by Gabrielle Bisset




Blood Craving (Sons of Navarus #5)
by Gabrielle Bisset
Erotic Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Copper Key Media
Release Date: Winter 2013
Heat Level: Sizzling
Word Count/Length: TBA

Description:

I am everything you hunger for. I am vampire.

For Sion, reason and logic are his only solace. Since becoming vampire in the 1940s, he has shunned feelings, morphing into a being more machine than man. As a Son, he keeps his distance from the others, allowing only one soul in the world to stir his icy heart.

A vampire turned in ancient Greece, Kali is the only hope the Sons and the Order of Macaria have to decipher the prophecy now that Thane is gone. But her past hides a dark secret that has finally caught up with her. Demons she only barely controlled now threaten her very life and the safety of all dear to her.

The one vampire who can help her knows nothing of how to reach another's heart, but without him, they both may be lost.

Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains explicit sex scenes and/or situations and adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.


About the Author:

Gabrielle Bisset's first book was published in June 2011, and since then she's been busy writing the bestselling 'Sons of Navarus' series. The series includes the following books: Blood Avenged (Sons of Navarus #1), Blood Betrayed (Sons of Navarus #2), Longing (A Sons of Navarus Short Story), Blood Spirit (Sons of Navarus #3), The Deepest Cut (A Sons of Navarus Short Story) and Blood Prophecy (Sons of Navarus #4). When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, and watching movies. She lives in Pennsylvania with her teenage son and a herd of pets. Readers can contact her at gabriellebisset@gmail.com.

Connect with Gabrielle Bisset


Link to Schedule:

http://www.cblspromotions.com/2013/07/coverreveal-blood-craving-sons-of.html

Derek By Dawn Martens Cover Reveal



Derek By Dawn Martens

Book Info:
Title: Derek (Resisting Love 4)
Author: Dawn Martens
Blurb:

Rylie Sullivan hasn’t had an easy life. She is broken, so broken she doesn’t think she will ever be fixed. When she meets Derek, he barges into her life and tries to break down the walls she has so carefully construed to keep what’s left of her safe. When Rylie’s past mixes with her present, will Derek stand by her and help her survive? Or will he bail for the next pretty thing?

Derek Tremaine has had it easy. Coming from a wealthy family and blessed with good looks, Derek has breezed through life. After years of one night stands, and a few half ass attempts at relationships, Derek has almost given up on ever finding the woman for him. When he sees Rylie however, he can’t help but be drawn to her. Rylie is different, more so than any other person Derek has met. Rylie’s beauty- her tattoos, piercings and beautiful blonde dreads drew him in, but it’s her sweet, kind nature that makes him want to stay around and protect her. Winning Rylie’s heart will be his greatest challenge yet, but Derek knows the reward will be more than worth it. 
Which is why Derek has no intentions of letting her go.

Expected Publication Date: Fall 2013




Author Bio:

I'm Dawn. I co-wrote a two books(Chase and Kade) with fellow author Chantal Fernando, in the Resisting Love. We went solo on three of the books, she wrote Ryder, and she is writing James, and I'm writing Derek.
Also working on a book currently with my friend Isabella Bearden, called A Second Chance!
AND I'm currently writing a book with good friend Emily Minton called Whiskey Lullaby. 
I drink too much, Swear too much, and Read too much. Yes I read too much. I don't have a filter, and I tend to speak before I think. 
I'm a beta reader for many authors, I'm on a few authors ARC list, because apparently I'm THAT awesome. ;) And I also Edit. Not a professional, but I do help a few with that.
I have two children, 5&2, and have another on the way. They bug the shit outta me, but hey, that's what kids are supposed to do. ;) Married since 2007. He's amazing, but he's also a bigger pain in my ass than my kids are.
I love to read. and I love being able to write stories that *I* want to read!
I couldn't do this without the help of some very special friends!

Author Social Media Links:




Giveaway:


King of Bad by Kai Strand

King of BadKing of Bad

Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA. He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – the girl he’s crushing on. A girlfriend and balancing the Supers is good, right? Or is it…bad?
 


kaiAuthor Kai Stand

When the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fire and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died, the end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for younger children Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults.



      BookBlast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 8/15/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Scent of Salvation (Chronicles of Eorthe, book 1) by Annie Nicholas





Scent of Salvation
Chronicles of Eorthe Book 1
Annie Nicholas

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher:  Samhain Publishing

Date of Publication:  July 30th, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-61921-748-5
Word Count: 98,000

Cover Artist: Kanax

Amazon    B&N   Apple

Book Description:

Love blooms across species, culture, and time.

Chronicles of Eorthe, Book 1

Stranded in another dimension, on a primitive version of Earth, Dr. Susan Barlow needs to find a way to survive. There’s no electricity, no cities, and to her shock, no humans. Instead, she faces a population of werewolves, vampires and incubi. The people are vicious but she must find her place among them. And live.

An illness is killing Sorin’s pack. As alpha it’s his responsibility to save them, but it’s a battle this warrior doesn’t know how to fight. Then a blue light in the sky brings a creature he’s never seen. She calls herself human, but to him she smells like hope.

Sorin offers Susan a safe haven in return for a cure, but she’s not that kind of a doctor. She’s a doctor of physics, not a physician. Yet as they search for a cure to save a dying people, they find something special—each other.

But even with Sorin’s protection, Susan can’t help but wonder how long she can survive in a world without humans…

Excerpt:

Before Susan could explain anything about dimensions and gateways, the door to Kele’s chamber crashed open, and Susan jumped to the balls of her feet, prepared—to what, fight? Was she nuts?

A female blocked the entrance, her muscular physique hinting at enough strength to twist Susan into a pretzel without breaking a sweat. The newcomer flung her black hair over her shoulder.

Rising with grace, Kele straightened her dress before addressing the intruder. “Mother.”

“Daughter, I heard you’ve brought home a stray along with the Apisi alpha.” The female’s stare drilled into Susan, her sneer far from welcoming.

Susan’s breath caught in her throat. Black, soulless eyes ate her gaze. Her fingers clutched the lapels of her jacket as she pulled it closed. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants and offered her hand. “I’m Dr. Susan Barlow.”

The female shifter narrowed her eyes, nostrils flaring.

Susan withdrew her untouched hand, then hid it behind her back and glanced at Kele. Maybe she should have sniffed her mother instead? She wished someone would give her the Dummies Guide to Shifter Society and a little time to study it.

Kele’s mother crossed the room in two great strides and swung her arm.

Susan did her best impression of a statue. She didn’t budge as the impact of the slap swerved her head to the side and dragged her gaze from mother to daughter. Both of them were flushed with emotion yet at opposite poles of the color spectrum—one dark as an oncoming storm and the other pale as the moonlight.

The back of Susan’s heel caught the edge of the cushion and she landed hard on her back.

The bitter flavor of blood swept over her taste buds. “What the hell?” She rubbed her jaw and glared daggers at the crazy woman looming over her. Just as quickly, she schooled her expression to something less threatening before she insulted the bigger shifter further. With the tip of her tongue, Susan explored her mouth. She didn’t encounter any big gaps, so no lost tooth. A small blessing.

Kele’s crazy mother hovered over Susan’s face and bared her teeth. In beast form, her expression would have appeared fierce, but in human form it seemed terrifying. With an easy grace, she flipped Susan onto her stomach. A bony knee pressed between her shoulder blades, making her kiss the floor. Pain shot across Susan’s upper back and neck.

“How dare you come into my den and not submit to me.”

“She’s not a shifter!” Kele shouted. “You can’t expect her to know how to be polite.”

Something ran over Susan’s hair, and the sound of sniffing followed. She tried to take a deep breath but the weight on her back made it difficult.

The nutjob exhaled in disgust. “What is she?”

“A human.” Kele peered at Susan’s throbbing face as she stroked her hair. “Please, I wanted to teach her how to behave before meeting you and father.”

“Your father.” The bitch snorted. “It’s bad enough he’s entertaining a vampire and dealing with trespassing alphas. We don’t need any more vermin within the den.”

Susan was jerked from the ground by her hair and dragged across the floor. Pain shot into her scalp while she scrambled to support her weight with her legs.

“Let go. Let go.” The shifter world was more brutal than anything she’d ever experienced. Susan slapped at the crazy woman’s hands tangled in her hair.

“My daughter took too many liberties in offering you shelter. You’ll need to find another den to take you in.”

At a loss, Susan yanked and squirmed but only made the pain worse. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kele leap.

The petite blonde used her wiry strength to jump across the room and land on her mother’s back. The collision knocked them both to the ground in a knot of arms and legs.

Untangling her limbs from the struggling shifters, Susan could finally elbow the bitch in the face. The impact made a satisfying crunch. She pulled back her arm for a second shot, but Kele grabbed her and half carried, half dragged her out of the chamber.

“Hurry, we need to reach my father before she beats you into cinders.”

Not needing any further incentive, Susan ran after her new friend. “Your people are crazy.”

My Review:  July 27, 2013   ~ Review Copies ~


Scent of Salvation (Chronicles of Eorthe, #1)Scent of Salvation by Annie Nicholas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I would like to thank the author Annie Nicholas for giving me this book for review. Dr. Susan Barlow creates a machine that transports people to alternate Earth dimensions. When she is told that her machine would be used by the marines, Susan sets the Doug to overload and blow up getting herself sent to an alternate dimension. Susan is stunned and freaked out to find herself in a world filled with shifters and vampires. Susan freaks out and runs when she meets Sorin alpha wolf shifter, and discovers there are even more dangers in store in this world. Susan is very smart and figures out how to survive. Susan’s gut tells her that she can trust Sorin. Even though Susan doesn’t fit in with the shifters she uses her wit and intelligence and endears herself to Sorin. I really enjoyed them both, the secondary characters are great as well, some you love and others you love to hate. I look forward to reading more.

View all my reviews


About the Author:

Annie Nicholas writes paranormal romance with a twist. She has courted vampires, hunted with shifters, and slain a dragon’s ego all with the might of her pen. Riding the wind of her imagination, she travels beyond the restraints of reality and shares them with anyone wanting to read her stories. Mother, daughter, and wife are some of the other hats she wears while hiking through the hills and dales of her adopted state of Vermont.

Annie writes for Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, and Lyrical Press.

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The Whispers Series (Books 1-3) by Joanna Mazurkiewicz




The Whispers Series 
Books 1-3
Joanna Mazurkiewicz

Genre: Paranormal Romance

ASIN: B00BZVTSP6

Number of pages: 454
Word Count:  246, 491

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Book 1 The Whispers of the Sprite

When Ania moves from London to Swansea city in Wales she is hoping that her life will get a bit more exciting, after all she is running away from her controlling mother to taste more freedom and feel more independent. Everything seems to be going the way she wanted until she almost dies while taking a quiet walk around the beach in the late evening.

When she opens her eyes, nothing seems the same...

She starts seeing people that no one else is able to notice. An enchanting looking man keeps following her and Ania’s life seems to getting more exciting than she ever wished for.

After the attack something changes inside her, she has been blessed with the new frightening gift of seeing and hearing sprites all around her... the magical creatures that only existed in folklore, myths and legends of Britain.

Gabriel is attractive and handsome but no ... he is not a vampire. He keeps coming back and Ania feels an instant connection between them but this might get her into more trouble. Supernatural romance is not on her mind right now.

Because he is forbidden to even touch her ... the line between the death and love has never been so thin and the sprites won’t stop whispering until ... she will choose to love or abandon Gabriel

Book 2 The Dark Night Whispers

This year Ania is hoping to snap out of her depressed mood. She spends her summer locked up in her room, thinking about Gabriel who is somewhere between life and death.

So when Adam, Gabriel’s best friend, turns up on her doorstep and tells her that he can take her to him, Ania refuses because she can’t go through the same hell again. Her heart has already been ripped out of her chest.

She returns to Swansea to start another year at University, but her education is not the most important thing – she ends up getting more involved in the new and dangerous world of the Sprites. This year doesn’t seem to be any easier than the last one, and on top of everything else, she has to find the cure for the Iron curse before Gabriel’s life will end forever.

All at once, Ania is juggling her University work, investigating the kidnapping of a young girl from America for the University paper and trying to fight with the attraction to a handsome blond-haired Sprite who has appeared in her life so unexpectedly.

To confuse Ania even more, she is finding well-known fairy tales in her pocket. They don’t seem to make any sense until she makes a decision to follow her emotions and start looking for her real family.

Will she ever get to the end of this emotional rollercoaster?

Book 3 Her Secret Whisper

When Niamh McDonald opened her eyes in the dark cave, she didn’t expect to be a prisoner so far away from home. She didn’t expect to be rescued either.

Niamh was kept in the darkness, not knowing what creature has captured her. Then her life spins out of further control as she discovers her family from California have been lying to her all this time – she’s adopted.

Niamh returns to California, shocked and traumatised. She cannot forget that she is adopted. And then, out of nowhere, a stranger visits her to tell her she isn’t human.

Niamh cannot take any more surprises, so she decides to go back to her place of birth – Wales. She needs her questions answered. Her life transforms further as she finds that Sprites have existed throughout centuries and she is not the only one who can see them.

So why is she connected to Ania, the scrawny Russian girl who rescued her from the dark cave?


Excerpt:

‘I need to get going,’ I say to Gosia when I look at my watch. When I finally realise how late it really is my heart starts racing.
‘Come on, just one more,’ insists my friend, grinning. She is already tipsy, rolling her blue eyes, as she sips her pink cocktail.
‘You know my mother. She is probably already freaking out,’ I respond and look through the messages on my phone; I received five up to eleven o’clock asking me where the hell I am, but since then nothing else. It’s odd; my mother wouldn’t usually just stop texting, she would start calling until she got through to me. If she knew the name of the bar, she would probably call here just to make sure that I am still alive. Gosia’s ears are ruby red. She is gazing at me looking amused.
‘Whatever, I am staying. That bloke at the bar can’t take his eyes off me.’
‘Well, take care of yourself then. You have to visit me in Swansea when I get settled,’ I say and kiss her on the cheeks, glancing at the man that she is talking about. She’s right, he is looking at her. Around five foot seven, dressed smart with polished leather shoes. He’s her type.
‘I will,’ she nods and hugs me tightly.
When I leave the South London bar, it’s nearly one in the morning. I glance at the taxi for a long moment but then I change my mind. I don’t manage my money well and I am leaving to start my new life tomorrow, so it’s necessary for me to save the cash. I pass through the familiar roads, calculating how long it will take to get to my street. It’s a rather warm September night, although the dark clouds in the sky indicate that it might start raining soon. After half an hour of intensive walking I leave behind the traffic, taking my usual shortcut. These parts of city seem to be asleep. Complete darkness surrounds me. The roads are clear and the unnatural silence fills the air.
I stop and look at my phone again, wondering why Mum hasn't called me yet. She always calls me, even if she knows that I will be home within minutes, just to check. I feel slightly anxious walking alone at this late hour. The streets are so silent; there is no one around, not even cars passing through, which is odd. It seems as though the city has collapsed into a winter’s sleep, instantly forgetting that it's still summer, like some lost soul trying to make its way to Heaven but getting to Hell instead. I think about the enjoyable evening that I had with Gosia. She was excited for me finally gaining a new independence and a new life in another city.
I shiver when the wind starts howling and look around, hoping to spot any living soul near me, but I am alone. I take another shortcut and then feel horribly lost. The silence seems different and I cannot understand why there are no cars around. I stop for a moment to wrap myself in a light cardigan that I find in my rucksack. Only a few seconds pass, but during this short period of time I feel like I am being watched. My subconscious is laughing out loud. I look around but the streets are uninhabited and silent. No one is around but my mind is playing tricks on me. I inhale the thick air filled with my own fear and a cold shiver flows down my spine. A harsh, bitter wind starts to blow again and simultaneously a few streetlights go out, enveloping the street in an unexpected dimness.  The tar-black darkness that surrounds me obscures my senses; I can't see anything and my eyes focus, trying to get used to the gloom.
I stop abruptly and for a moment hear only my shallow breaths, then I hear someone’s movements and my heart starts racing while my mouth gets unpleasantly dry. I stop breathing, trying to pinpoint the noise, but everything is still again. The silence buzzes in my ears. My heartbeat quickens, making my mind spin. Suddenly, one of the streetlights comes back on again. I blink rapidly and continue walking while looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings. The houses and streets seem to be under a spell. There is not a human being anywhere around me.
I continue walking, but I don’t hear any more odd movements. Soon I locate a familiar path and reach my street within minutes. I begin to wonder if I actually heard anything and my rational side keeps telling me that it's only my imagination. I approach the house, wondering if my mother will be waiting at the window for me, but all the lights are off.  
I exhale, still feeling slightly apprehensive, staring at the round of semi-detached houses in the cul-de-sac. I stop and put my rucksack on the floor to find the keys, and then I hear that movement again and lift my head. The dark figure is walking towards me slowly. This time I am fully aware that it’s not my imagination.
‘Peaceful night?’ says the stranger walking by when I finally have a key in my hand. I smile weakly, dismissing her statement.
In the light from the street I glance at the stranger one more time. The strong fragrance of her perfume reaches my nose and I inhale, recognising lavender. I manage to get a look at her face. She is an older lady with short, silver hair and big, wide, dark eyes, but it's too dark to tell if I have seen her before. As she starts to disappear into the dark alley, the rain starts drizzling. For a moment I wonder what she is doing here. I toy with the idea of her visiting anyone I know. I shake my head, thinking it’s been a rather strange night.
My thoughts are still on the odd noise that I thought I heard in the alleyway. While walking upstairs to my bedroom, I look in to make sure that Mum is still asleep and I quietly close the door. Normally she would wait for me to tell me off. It’s not like her; she always makes sure that I am at home at a reasonable time. I take off my clothes and soon drift off into a dream, forgetting about the woman on the street.


About the Author:

Joanna Mazurkiewicz was born in Poland. She moved to United Kingdom when she was only nineteen and just finished high school. She had aspired to be a writer upon completion of the Harry Potter series but also enjoyed reading books like 'Gone with the Wind', 'Animal Farm' and 'The doll'. She graduated from Swansea University with a bachelor degree in American Studies. While studying in the UK she made a decision to start writing fiction in English.

The "Whispers of the Sprite" is her first debut novel and she is currently working on the second book in the series. Joanna lives in Cowbridge, a small town in South Wales near Cardiff with her boyfriend Bruce. She enjoys cycling around Welsh countryside some of which has become the settings in her first series.


Twitter:  @joannamaz



That First Kiss (Night Calls #2) by J.C. Valentine Book Barrage




That First Kiss (Night Calls #2)
by J.C. Valentine
Erotic Contemporary Romance
Publisher: J.C. Valentine
Release Date: June 18, 2013
Heat Level: Sizzling
Length: 340 pages

Available at:
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
Smashwords

Description:

Mercurial and charming, Tate Larson is a rising author and playboy who has a different woman on his arm every night of the week. Focused on his work, Tate has no plans to settle down any time soon. That is until he meets his pretty new assistant, Piper Donovan.

Desperate to escape the promise of backwater living, Piper ditched her Alabama hometown and never looked back. That was almost two years ago. Now that she is out of a job and her bank account is running on fumes, she’s desperate to find a job, fast. She finds the break she is searching for when she lands a position at Bookish Temptations. A little dancing and a lot of drinks with the girls seem the perfect way to celebrate. After a brief but explosive encounter with a man she was never supposed to see again turns out to be the same man she will be bending over backwards to please, her every instinct tells her to run. But when running means leaving the life she has struggled so hard to create, Piper decides her only option is to continue working for the devastatingly sexy Tate Larson...even if it kills her.

Unable to deny their growing attraction, they struggle to keep their distance in a relationship that requires anything but.

Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains explicit sex scenes and/or situations and adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.

Excerpt:

His finger stroked the inside of her thigh, seeking higher ground as his thoughts rolled forward. Piper’s eyes trained on his face, hanging on his every word. “I didn’t intend for things to get as heated as they did, but as soon as I touched you, I needed more. I couldn’t help myself. You possessed me.”

The glazed look in her eye told him that she was remembering that night as vividly as he was. Placing both hands on the cushions on either side of her body, he hemmed her in, bringing their faces so close that when he spoke, his lips grazed hers. “The way you danced that night, pushing that sweet little ass of yours against me. It’s haunted me, Piper,” he whispered.  “You need to understand, I tried to resist you, just like I have been trying to resist you, but you drive me crazy. When I’m with you, it takes everything in me to stay away. All I think about, all I dream about is burying myself inside you.”

Piper licked her lips and Tate zeroed in on the tiny movement. “I want to suck those plump lips into my mouth,” he murmured. Shifting, he brought his knee up so it rested on the couch alongside hers and hovered over her. Her face was flushed and her chest rose and fell heavily. She wasn’t unaffected.

“You need to leave,” she said weakly.

Tate chose that moment to drop his head into the crook of her neck, nuzzling her. She smelled faintly of roses, and his cock jumped at her soft, feminine scent. “Do you want me to leave?” he asked softly.

He could feel her softening beneath him, her breath coming out in shudders as he skimmed his lips lightly up her neck to her ear, where he licked the pulse beating rapidly beneath her sensitive skin. “Yes.”

The single word left her on a stilted breath, only solidifying his need to get inside her. “I don’t think you do,” he murmured. With sure hands, Tate grabbed the backs of her thighs and yanked her toward him, seating her firmly beneath him on her back with her legs spread wide.


About the Author:

J.C. Valentine is the alter-ego of Brandi Salazar, whose enjoyment of erotic tales of romance spurred her to branch out and create her own.

Connect with J.C. Valentine






BOOK TRAILER:




GIVEAWAY INFO:

Prize is 2 eBook copies (1 each to 2 winners) of "That First Kiss (Night Calls #2)" from J.C. Valentine. Contest is barrage-wide, open internationally and ends August 4. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.


New Release - The Swan Bonnet by Katherine L. Holmes




Book Title:  The Swan Bonnet
Author:  Katherine L. Holmes
Release Date:  July 16, 2013
Genre:  YA Historical Fiction
Publisher:  GMTA Publishing, LLC
Presented by:  As You Wish Tours

BLURB

Swans are endangered in 1920s Alaska.  Unbeknown to Dawn, her grandfather has shot an old swan out of mercy.  In their coastal Alaskan town, her father buys the swan pelt, preventing her Uncle Alex, a fur trader, from selling it for export. Dawn’s father surprises her part-Aleut mother with a hat she helped to make and also with an idea to catch poachers. Dawn and her mother become involved with the suspicious effects of the swan bonnet besides its haunting effect.  But after they encounter women from a ship and find out about a hunting party, they ride to the inlet. There are townspeople roving the shore too but who is the vigilante and who is the poacher?

Excerpt

When Dawn came to keep Glenda company, what she did every summer for a week at a time, Glenda was making Bustle a pet.
“She’s gotten her strength back,” Dawn observed.  Yet she wondered at Glenda for making Bustle a part of her barnyard where chickens, the cow, and Wallop the horse grazed.  The old swan’s wings were still grand, especially when she swiped at a chicken that interrupted her along the trail of currants that Glenda scattered.  And she was getting used to Dawn’s presence as she sat on the cabin stoop, learning the stitches for fishermen knit sweaters.
In a breeze-blown voice, Glenda related memories about Bustle as if the swan could comprehend her.  Of course, Dawn’s father wanted to make a pet of her when he was a boy.  Young Fen thought Bustle might walk along with him like the dog.  Little did he expect that he would get a feisty punch from a wing.  Bustle and Sir Swan taught him to take his punches and to know when he might get beat.
“There he was, thrown to the ground, and often it was muddy.” Glenda pointed her knitting needle at the shoreline.  “Why, he learned what whitecaps are out there on the cold sea, being around those swans when he wasn’t four feet high.”  
Glenda had collected a number of feathers from Bustle over the summer.  “Never so many from one swan,” she said one night, letting Dawn pick out a feather for a drawing pen.  Then Grandpa Fen honed its tip and required her to write to Reynolds at the General Store about the price Glenda wanted for her eggs, butter, and the berries that were ripening on the foothill.  Dawn's father practiced his letters with a swan plume when he was young.  He could only get to school when Grandpa Fen was fishing, taking the skiff there, or when Glenda drove to town.  In fact, they all practiced in the evening with the schoolbooks.
Dawn would rather draw with the plume than learn Glenda’s knitting stitches.  If she drew Bustle, her grandmother was content to tell another story about her.  
“I don’t suppose Alex Tuskoffey told you about Bustle and the grizzly.  The grizzly that gave us the rug inside.”
“Maybe he did.”  Dawn’s uncle was in the north hunting but he usually stayed with them about the time the autumn ships came.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katherine L. Holmes’ first published book was The House in Windward Leaves, an MG fantasy which  became an E-book Finalist in the 2013 New Generation Indie Book Awards and a Juvenile Fiction Finalist in the National Indie Excellence Book Awards. Also, she won Prize Americana for her short story collection, Curiosity Killed the Sphinx and Other Stories, published by Hollywood Books International.  In April 2013, The Wide Awake Loons was released by Silver Knight Publishing.  The Swan Bonnet, a historical novel, will be published in July, 2013, by GMTA Publishing.  Katherine has worked with used and rare books in the last years.  She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.

AUTHOR LINKS

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THE SWAN BONNET BOOK LINKS

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Haven (Tranquilli Bloodline Series, Book 1) by Celia Breslin




HavenTranquilli Bloodline Series, Book 1Celia Breslin

Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Champagne Books
Date of Publication: July 2, 2013

ISBN:  9781927454473

Number of pages: 372
Word Count: 124K

Cover Artist: Amanda Kelsey

Book Description:

San Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli works hard, plays hard, and never allows the death of her parents and her twelve-year memory gap to get her down. But her life takes a left turn when a witch attacks her on her twenty-fifth birthday.

Three hauntingly familiar vampires emerge to reveal she possesses a latent power. To protect her from their enemies, they admit to wiping her memories clean and abandoning her as a child, but now they need her help. As she struggles to evade her new protectors and even newer enemies, she meets Alexander, an enigmatic, undead musician. Insta-lust flares, leaving her wanting more.

With evil’s minions hounding her every move, and everything she thought she knew turned on its head, Carina must harness her burgeoning power, unravel her vampire family’s web of deceit, and fight to have a love life...without getting killed in the process.


EXCERPT:

Turn around.
I froze, my moment of weakness chased away by a jolt of adrenaline. I resisted Adrian’s pull. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
Silence.
“Nothing, I guess.” A wave of energy rolled into me, curled itself possessively around my body, and gave me one hell of a head rush. “Oh, wow.” I bit my lip, bracing against reaction.
Adrian tightened his grip on my waist. “Rina?”
Mark and Ren stalked over, faces grim.
“Did—? Do you—?” My mouth was so dry I could barely speak. “Do you guys feel that?”
Adrian squeezed, capturing my wandering attention, concern etched in the stern set of his jaw. “Feel what? What’s wrong?”
I started to tell them the Invisible Man hugged me against an electrified fence, but a second wave of energy bowled into me, making me tingle from head to toe. The sensation walked the line between pleasure and pain. A moan escaped me.
Mark took me from Adrian. “That’s it. We’re out of here.” He tried to pick me up, but I shook my head. Bad idea. Dizziness took the hall, and me, for a little spin.
Turn around. Turn. Around.
Was it a voice or instinct urging me on? Either way, the desire proved irresistible. I pulled away from Mark, pivoted, and forgot how to breathe.
The electric energy pulled back. The dizziness abated. All extraneous noise and people drained out of my perception until there was only Him.
Tall, fit, and bad-boy handsome with skin like pale honey, his thick, walnut brown hair hung tousled in a sexy, I-just-got-out-of-bed way. A hip, black, button-down shirt accentuated a sculpted upper body before it tucked into slacks painted on long, lean legs. The whole package made my mouth water.
Hot. Yummy. Totally my type.
“Who are you?” I whispered.
His mouth twitched in a hint of a smile as if he heard me—impossible given the distance between us. Heat spread, loosening my muscles, and my pulse sped up. Nerves. What’s wrong with me? Guys never made me nervous, not even gorgeous ones.
I nibbled my lower lip, mind racing to make sense of my reaction. His gaze tracked the movement and then slid back up. The heat from his stare hit me full force, driving a shaft of need through me. Energy rocked me again, a warm, electric breeze bathing my skin. My eyes widened in comprehension. The energy came from him.


My Review:  July 27, 2013   ~ Review Copies ~


HavenHaven by Celia Breslin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I would like to thank the author Celia Breslin for giving me this book for review. I loved the story line, that family relationships, the strong love connection between Carina and Alexander. He defies his elders by doing things he was told not to, taking chances with Carina's life, she is just as guilty. I found Carina to be an annoyingly spoiled brat a lot of the time, she definitely loves her family and friends and is very protective of them. Her family loves her to distraction to the point of being way over protective. But in some instances the really need to to be. I find different things in the book intriguing and look forward to finding what happens next.

View all my reviews




About the Author:

Celia lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two feisty cats. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for vampires and the Fae. When not writing, you’ll find her exercising, reading a good book or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies.










Tour Wide Giveaway


Sunday, July 28, 2013

Rhiannon Paille's Surrender Book Blast


Title: Surrender
Series: The Ferryman + The Flame #1
By: Rhiannon Paille
Published: October 2nd, 2012 by Createspace
Genre: New Adult Fantasy/Romance


How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?


Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn't listen, and because of what she is-- a Flame-- one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.




Links-



Saturday, July 27, 2013

Destiny (Destiny Series) by Laura DeLuca Promo Blast



Destiny (Destiny Series) by Laura DeLuca
YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Bumble Book Press
Release Date: January 15, 2011
Heat Level: Sweet
Word Count: 91,773

Available at:
Amazon
B&N
Kobo
Smashwords

Description:
Gabriella is a witch. The problem is, she doesn't remember. She repressed the memories of her powers years ago when her mother was murdered. Now, the warlock who was responsible for her mother's death has set his sights on Gabriella. He is determined to use her fear to turn her to the dark side of magick…even if it kills her. Her mother's spirit is reaching out to warn her, but even that she pushes away. Desperate to save her daughter, the spirit finds a male witch–one that just happens to be in love with Gabriella. Darron is more than willing to help but the two young witches will have way more to battle than just an evil warlock. There are overbearing jocks and petty rich girls who get tempers flaring and often set Gabriella and Darron at odds.

There is more to the story than Gabriella and Darron could even imagine. There are terrible secrets to be revealed, battles to be waged, and lives will be lost. Only after Gabriella and Darron both come to terms with who they really are, and open themselves up to the true meaning of magick, can they have any hope of fulfilling their destiny.

Excerpt:
Her eyes scanned the room, from the pale blue sofa to the bloody dent in the wall. But she didn’t need her eyes to know Darron was there. Her heart sensed his presence before her eyes saw him lying in a heap on the ground. His body shuttered with occasional spasms, and even though he wasn’t fully conscious, his lips were twisted in a grimace of pain.

Uttering a gasp of surprise, Gabriella flew to his side. She knelt beside him, and choked back a sob as she took his hand in her own. She saw his chest rise and fall and was glad to know was alive, but she felt helpless as she watched his face contort in pain. She noticed something wet and sticky on her fingertips. She gently titled his head and saw a large gash that looked like it needed medical attention.  The skin around the gash was so deeply bruised it looked almost black.

“Darron, what happened to you?”

He didn’t move or reply. Gabriella moved her hand from the cut on his forehead, and her fingers dripped with blood. She bit her lower lip with fear. She knew enough about head injuries to know that the wound could be serious. She grabbed a few tissues from a box on the coffee table, and tried to apply pressure to the wound, but it was useless. The tissues were soaked through in seconds.

“Darron?” She squeezed his hand, and fought back tears of fear and frustration.  “Darron, please open your eyes. Please be all right!”

He squirmed and groaned a little in response. Looking at his contorted features, Gabriella felt incompetent and useless. She didn’t know what to do to help him. The cut must need stitches. The blood was gushing through her fingertips, and she was sure his life was slipping away just as quickly.

More than anything, Gabriella wanted to help Darron, to end his suffering. Her thoughts, her desperation, caused something deep inside of her to stir. Something that had long been napping was awoken. The power she had fought so hard to deny was forcing its way to the surface. This time she didn’t struggle against that power. Her instinct to hide from it was finally overcome by the thought of losing someone else she cared about.

Gabriella was pulling strength and warmth from the earth, as though her legs were tree roots taking nourishment from the element. A tingling sensation began in the tips of her toes and spread slowly though her body as she breathed in the essence of the element of air.  Her blood flowed and grew warm, the element of water, bringing the power to the surface. She was overcome by a vigorous strength as she envisioned her spirit encircled by the element of fire. She felt so powerful that she thought she could stop the world from churning if that was what she wished. Gabriella focused the power, remembering for a moment her mother’s lessons. She looked down at her battered friend. She willed him to open his eyes and look at her. She demanded it of him.

Gabriella would have thought it was impossible, but she felt herself grow warmer. Her face dripped with perspiration. The power within her reached a climax. Then finally, when she thought she might burst, she felt the energy release. It seeped through her fingers, and shined with an illumination that only she could see. She heard herself chanting unfamiliar words, and scarcely recognized her own voice.

“By the power of earth, water, fire and air,

Heal this man who’s in my care.

Goddess, hear your daughter’s plea.

As I will it, so mote it be!”

Gabriella repeated the words three times. Three was the number of power. Then she watched as the wound on Darron’s forehead healed before her eyes, becoming smaller and smaller, until finally it was gone. The blood was still warm and sticky, but beneath the blood, the skin was smooth and unmarred. Even the horrible bruise had vanished. Gabriella stared in open astonishment, marveling at the work she had done.


About the Author:
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon. 

Connect with Laura DeLuca


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