Month: October 2013

FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT? Dead funny!

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1)Still running down some fave paranormal/Urban Fantasy reads for the October SPOOKTACULAR.

FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT by Darynda Jones is a gem!

Charley Davidson is a Reaper. She doesn’t actually harvest souls–she’s merely a portal–a conduit to the otherside. A Pearly Gate, if you will.

And, she’s been this way her whole life. Even brought her own mother’s soul to eternal rest when she died at Charley’s birth.

So, it’s no surprise when dead lawyers show up unwilling to ride the express to Eternity. What is shocking? The three of them are partners–and they had a really nasty client.

Can anyone say m-o-b h-i-t?

Being the gate to the afterlife doesn’t pay bills. Charley works as a PI, and also helps her uncle, a police detective, solve crimes for the Albuquerque PD. Why not? I mean, lots of murder victims could tell her exactly where to find the body and who the perp was.

Anywho…Charley’s seen it all. Except perhaps for the dream lover who continues to sex-her-up when her eyes close. He’s the absolute sex bomb. And, for good reason:  Reyes Farrow is the son of Satan. Yeah.

Uber-hot!

Oh! I see you staring down your nose at me! Who’s to say he’s pure evil? And, and, even if he is, lots of girls go for the Bad Guy, amiright?

Besides, he’s just a dream lover…which means they do the dirty dance in her head. No need for confession, folks.

Charley endeavors to solve the mystery of the Three Dead Lawyers whilst dodging a pint-sized poltergeist and commiserating with her BFF/secretary Cookie and lamenting her shitty coffee maker. It’s a rollicking time–and Charley manages to get herself beat up (twice?) and nearly shot by a client’s abusive husband. In this she would have died but a cloaked visage appears and slices her attacker down with mystical efficiency.

Here’s the thing: this book is Laugh. Out. Loud. Charley is irreverent. She’s so dead pan (pun intended) about her interactions with the departed that it stuns the reader into hilarity. In the end she does help the lawyers to crossover and finds out a bit more about the connection between Dreamy Reyes and the cloaked assassin. Oh, and it’s hawt.

FIRST GRAVE is the first in a series–and I’ve read on. They are soooo fun.

Again, it’s a trad pub title and my library stocked a couple copies.

Check it out at YOUR library, or the usual spots:    Amazon   Barnes & Noble    Goodreads

Let me know if you’ve read and of Darynda’s Jones works–and if you liked them.

And, as always: keep reading, my friends.

 

 

 

Book Blitz and GIVEAWAY! for DRAGONFLY and UNDERTOW

Dragonfly (Dragonfly #1)
by Leigh Talbert Moore
Release Date: 06/06/13
Summary from Goodreads:
Falling in love changes everything…

Three bad things I learned this year:
-People you trust lie, even parents.
-That hot guy, the one who’s totally into you, he might not be the one.
-Things are not always how they appear.

Three good things I learned this year:
-Best friends are always there for you, even when they’re far away.
-That other hot guy, the one who remembers your birthday, he just might be the one.
-Oh, and things are not always how they appear.

Anna Sanders expected an anonymous (and uneventful) senior year until she crossed paths with rich-and-sexy Jack Kyser and his twin sister Lucy.

Pulling Anna into their extravagant lifestyle on the Gulf Coast, Lucy pushed Anna outside her comfort zone, and Jack showed her feelings she’d never experienced… Until he mysteriously withdrew.

Anna turned to her internship at the city paper and to her old attraction for Julian, a handsome local artist and rising star, for distraction. But both led to her discovery of a decades-old secret closely guarded by the twins’ distant, single father.

A secret that could permanently change all their lives.

Undertow, Book #2 is OUT NOW!!!

Excerpt:
Soon we were back in the Jeep headed southeast toward home. The top was off, but the crisp fall air didn’t wreak as much havoc with my curls as in the summertime. I was starting to relax until we turned toward the beach road instead of town. I looked over at him.

His eyes were on the road. “Want to look at the water?”

“Sure,” I said, studying his profile, the wind pushing his hair around his face.

He parked in the same lot as the first time we came here after that first dance. With the engine off, the sound of the breakers crashing and the hiss of the surf were loud and close. The salty ocean-smell was strong.

“I’m going to miss this,” he said under his breath, sliding his hands from the wheel to his lap. “Sometimes at night, I leave all the windows open so I can hear it.”

I nodded. “It always helps me relax.”

His eyes moved to me, and he held out his hand. I put mine in it, and he pulled gently. For a half-second, I hesitated. Then I crossed the space between us, letting him pull me onto his lap facing him in a straddle.

His warm hands found the skin under my sweater and his mouth was on my neck just as fast. My whole body was instantly burning, and I tried to calm my flying heart. But it was pointless. I was gone.

“Do friends make out?” I managed to say, eyes closed.

“Good friends,” he said against my skin before slipping a hand behind my neck and pulling my mouth to his.

The hand on my back traveled higher, loosening my bra, and I slid my fingers into his hair as he caressed me. I was moving, kissing him deeply, my heart pounding as the pressure built low in my stomach.

The feelings were so intense, so good, I didn’t care what was coming. I didn’t care if I cried tomorrow or all week. I broke away to gasp for air, and his hands moved to my hair, pulling my ear to his mouth.

Get it today—only 99 cents!
Amazon
| Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Undertow (Dragonfly #2)
by Leigh Talbert Moore
Release Date: 07/18/13
Summary from Goodreads:
Falling in love will pull you under…

Bill Kyser has a plan to take the sandy farms of his hometown and turn them into a world-class tourist destination–and become a billionaire in the process.
Alexandra “Lexy” LaSalle has a plan to change her life by becoming a world-famous artist.
Meg Weaver has a plan to hold onto Bill no matter what she has to do.

Three friends, three dreams.
One fatal decision will change all their lives forever.

In Dragonfly, Bill Kyser gave Anna the three journals that held the story behind the powerful developer’s seclusion and the damaged lives of his family members.

Anna hoped to find a way for Julian to know the truth, but as she digs deeper into the tragic events of the past, she realizes silence could be the only option.

Now she’s in an alliance with the man she formerly feared. And if Julian finds out what she knows, she could lose for good the boy she’s starting to love.


Leigh Talbert Moore is the author of the popular young adult romantic comedy The Truth About Faking, its companion The Truth About Letting Go, and the mature YA/new adult romantic suspense novel Rouge, a Quarter Finalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.
She is an award-winning journalist and editor, who has also worked in marketing and public relations for many years. Her writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the southeast and Midwest U.S., and she runs the popular writing-craft blog That’s Write.
A southern ex-pat and beach bum, she currently lives with her husband, two young children, and one grumpy cat in the Midwest.

Connect online:

***GIVEAWAY***
1 Signed print set of Dragonfly and Watercolor
(US only)
1 signed copy of Watercolor (US only)
2  ebooks of WC and a $5 Amazon gift card! (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Oh…Brother! as in Black Dagger Brotherhood *swoon*

Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1)Keeping up with my HALLOWEEN theme I’m discussing a Hallow’s Eve staple:  Vampires!!

See, I’ve heard a lot about J.R. Ward’s multi-volume vampire romance series. Frankly I was a little leery–because TWILIGHT.

I mean, you love it or you hate it.

For me, well, I’m not TWI-HARD. I respect what it did for opening the YA bibliosphere, but it ain’t no fave. And, yes, I read all of them–more than once. Gotta study what sells, and all.

As such, I approached DARK LOVER with extreme caution.

How silly of me!

Delight–pure and simple.

The story opens with Damian, a Brother, asking his fellow Brother–and vampire king–Wrath, to watch over his halfling daughter Beth. She doesn’t know what she is, and Damian fears her change to a vampire will be dangerous. Wrath refuses. He detests halfbreeds. Then Damian is murdered by lessors, the mortal enemy of vampirekind, and Wrath knows he must honor Damian’s final wish.

Beth isn’t exactly what Wrath was expecting however. She’s gorgeous, and opinionated, and independent. She doesn’t know why Wrath is stalking her, but he does–and not only because Damian asked him. He’s obsessed.

Meanwhile the lessors are hatching plans to capture vampires using dead hookers as bait. The cops think Wrath is involved and the lead detective on the case, Butch O’Neill, is hot for a collar–and Beth.

By the time Beth’s change comes, Wrath has claimed her as his mate–and Butch gets caught in the crossfire. Good thing the other Brothers take a shine to Butch’s chivalrous streak and foul-mouth.

So much more happens, but suffice to say there is a real-world feel to this Urban Fantasy. The supernatural elements are well described and there is no world-building-info-dump. We are thrust into the action from the start and the story flows like blood from a vein…ahem.

The sex is just this side of panty-melting, absolutely right for a strong romance.

Another great thing about this book?

It’s been a big seller. Unfortunately that means it’s kinda pricey.

However…you *might* be able to get it at that old school freebie download site: your local library. Mine had it…maybe yours does too!

One more super great thing? Lots of libraries have eBook lending now via OverDrive. If you got an eReader and a library card, you might could get DARK LOVER that way. (I did!!!)

Otherwise: Bookstores–your fave. Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes&Noble.

Let me know if you’ve read any of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I’d love to find out which were particular favorites. I’m into the series neck deep…

As always, keep reading my friends.

EMPATH! I knew I felt something…

Welcome to OCTOBER!!

At this moment I will simply state, for the record, that HALLOWEEN–the kitschy Americanized givemecandy holiday of extravagant costumes and cheesy haunted houses–is my FAVORITE holiday of the year. Yes, more fun for me than Christmas, kiddos. Because, costumes. I still usually dress even though my next birthday cake will read ANCIENT instead of a number. Luckily, my kids are patient enough to let me dress in some accessorized fashion to their selections. *embracing my inner goofball*

So! In honor of the spookiest month on the calendar, I’m featuring many a paranormal book. Fear not, I’ll still throw in some erotic/women’s fic as is my usual, but there’ll be more Urban Fantasy, and ooh! thrillers.

WARNING: Expect excessive exclamation point usage. I’ll begin Punctuation Camp on Dia de Los Muertos.

Buckle up, folks. It’s gonna be a wild month!

On that note, today’s my day on the EMPATH BLOG TOUR!!!

Empath blog tour banner

Empath (The Flawed Series, #1)Here’s the Goodreads synopsis:
Supernatural empathy isn’t a gift, it’s a curse. Anywhere she goes, Jade’s emotions are replaced by those of the people around her.

Jade grew up in a suburb of Colorado Springs, protected from other people by her parents. Now she faces college—and the world—with nothing to shield her from unwanted feelings.

When Cam, a classmate with a major crush on her, unintentionally hijacks her emotions, Jade struggles to keep from being carried away in feelings of attraction. When Ethan, a psychopath with a thirst for fear, fixates on her, the emotional impact could be lethal.

Caught in a deadly trap, Jade must untangle the emotions and find a way to use her empathic curse to overcome this killer or be overcome by him.

And, frankly, this is only the barest inkling of the plot. Jade encounters several people with gifts that draw her in a way she has never known before. Good thing this menagerie is equipped for the cause, because Becca J Campbell really offers quite a punch in this thriller.

My Review:
Jade Edwards is super-touchy-feely. Because, well, she feels other people’s emotions. Her parents hoped a quiet serene life would keep Jade from the horrors of people’s nasty inner monologues, but Jade is determined to go to college. Summer school—at least. Jade thinks small classes will be manageable.

While there she meets the vivacious Cam, a happy presence whose exuberance and affection is easy for Jade to become lost in. Cam has a delicious—if heart-rending—crush on Jade and his family is just as smitten. Poor Cam’s afflicted by a strange time-warp brain ailment. Every now and then he gets trance-lytized. His brain snags and he relives the past few moments, like, a hundred times. So everything that happened in those moments is permanently etched into his memory. Kinda cool when it happens during Chem lab. He memorized half the textbook in a heartbeat!

Jade is inexorably attracted to Professor Logan Henry—his emotional landscape is a quiet zone in the maelstrom that usually bombards her. And Logan desires Jade—except he’s not into relationships. See, Logan has a secret:  He’s not all human. And he fears anyone finding out about his hidden half.

As Jade and Cam become closer, Logan is more and more frantic to claim her. Oh, and there’s a visually-impaired serial killer who meanders into their town. And, he’s got his ‘sights’ set on Jade. This guy’s a patient one. Catch her he does.

Good thing Cam and Logan have fantastic superhuman powers. Because they need every advantage against the nocturnally-active killer.

In truth, this thriller gets resolved though there’s a serious cliffhanger upon which to hang Book Two…

You can pick up EMPATH here:

US Versions:

photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpg photo 111AD205-AA04-4F9E-A0F4-C1264C4E9F30-1855-000001A1E8CEB6D7_zps9b730b94.jpg photo KoboIcon_zps515cdc1a.jpg

UK Buyers!

photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpg

About the Author:
An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca J. Campbell looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity.

Becca’s journey into writing began as many of her other creative endeavors do – by daring herself to try something new. The question “what if I wrote a novel?” and some hastily scribbled notes on a church handout were the inspirations that jump-started her first book. Since then, she has written half a dozen additional novels and several shorter works.

As the wife of a musician and mother of three young boys, Becca’s life is never dull. Whether it is writing, painting or knitting, she enjoys making stuff that wasn’t there before. You can catch up with her in the usual ways:
Author Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Amazon

Let me know if you check out EMPATH. I’d love your take on the ending!

Got any AWESOME Halloweenish tales to recommend? Do so NOW!!!

(You were warned about the !!!’s. Sorry, I’m too excited for the CANDY!) 😉