Giveaways

Book Blitz and Giveaway! LOVE, LEX by @AveryAster

LoveLexBlitzBanner1-1 copyHi there and welcome to the BOOK BLITZ for LOVE, LEX sponsored by Xpresso Book Tours. This is a New Adult release from an up-and-coming author, Avery Aster, about a gal who’s ready to cast off the negativity of her over-privileged childhood.

LoveLexcoverLet Lex tell you ’bout the book:

This summer, I’d planned to celebrate my eighteenth birthday in Europe with my fellow Manhattanites—Taddy Brill, Blake Morgan, and Vive Farnworth—until I caught my boyfriend screwing my mother. According to the police report, this vomit-inducing incident happened around the same time I’d supposedly blown-up my mother’s penthouse. Like I’m walking around Soho with a stick of dynamite in my Louis Vuitton purse—not! Now, my besties and I are in jail.

Officer Ford Gotti, the Harley-wheelin’ biker cop who arrested us, keeps sticking his perfectly-sculpted nose into my case. His inked body is jacked like a superhero, and he says I can trust him. He wants me to fess up. I won’t. Not again. Why should I? My friends and I had a previous stint in juvie that nearly destroyed us. I gotta protect them and keep my mouth shut. Right? —Lex Easton, women’s studies major, motorcycle enthusiast, and virgin.

The Undergrad Years is a New Adult contemporary miniseries about first loves, independence, and everlasting friendships.

Reader warning: Contains mature content intended for readers 17 and up.

Think your childhood was rotten? Here’s a little taste of what Lex was dealing with….

Top Ten Fears & Worst Moments of My So-Called Life

by Lex Easton

  1. Puberty advice to pad my bra, or not wear one at all. I was nine then.
  2. A locked refrigerator. No parent should starve their child. Birdie had called it food monitoring.
  3. Paparazzi which has tormented and snapped photos of me (usually when I was at my worst) my entire life. Such as…when I’d eaten a chocolate and vanilla twist cone, dipped in a raspberry hard shell and dusted with rainbow sprinkles. Purchased from a Mister Softee truck, parked on Madison Avenue—while standing outside in one hundred degree weather with one hundred percent humidity, in a horizontal-striped-sheer-stretchy poly-blend sun dress—which had ridden itself almost entirely up my bum. How I knew it had ridden up my bum? See number 5.
  4. A Vicodin, given to me by Dad to stop my hysteria, instead of a band-aid or a hug, after I’d fallen and scratched my knee on Madison Avenue while running from the Paparazzi. I was like eleven.
  5. The photos of my backside, at the ice cream truck, appearing on the cover of The Manhattanite Times the very next day. The headline had read, “Alexandra the Great Swallows for Mr. Softee.”
  6. A mother who has and forever will have a hotter body, prettier face, and better hair than I do. Even when I’m seventy years old and she’s like dead.
  7. A father who was never around. Years have passed without him walking through our front door. I’m not sure he even knows Birdie sold the Central Park West mansion and moved to Soho last year. I should probably give him the new address.
  8. The fear I’ll never meet or exceed my parent’s financial or professional success, regardless of what industry I work in. According to the economics class Vive and I took our senior year, I have less than a five percent chance to make it as an adult without riding my folks’ coattails to maintain this lifestyle. Poor Vive, her family is the second richest in North America. She has less than half a percent.
  9. Infamy! I’ll forever be associated with the Easton’s.
  10. Birdie and her full-on, balls-to-the wall sex with my high school sweet-heart. I had loved Kelle Sterling Dolley. Or at least, I thought I had.

OMG. Soooo glad my parents were…normal. Don’t think Lex doesn’t get through ok…it’s a ROMANCE! She meets a D-Lish hunka man…Ford Gotti. Here’s what he has to say:

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Interested? You can find LOVE, LEX  (currently &.99!) on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About Avery Aster:

New York Times, USA Today bestselling author Avery Aster pens The Manhattanites, a modern romance series of juicy melodramas multilayered on love, friendship, scandal, and drama to the hilt. As a resident of New York’s Upper East Side and a graduate from New York University, Avery gives readers an inside look at the city’s glitzy nightlife, socialite sexcapades and tall tales of the über-rich and ultra-famous. “I write about what I see in my metropolis that never sleeps–beautiful people on the quest for a passionate thrill,” Avery says. By and large, Avery’s characters are ripped straight from the headlines, speak their minds and always get what they want.

Undressed #1 (Lex & Massimo) launched The Manhattanites series. Unscrupulous #2 (Taddy & Warner) is the prequel. Also, stay tuned for the sequel with Unsaid #3 (Blake & Miguel) coming summer 2014.

The Manhattanites is for fans who miss TV shows like Sex & The City or watch Girls (HBO), Revenge (ABC), and The Bold & the Beautiful (CBS) . Avery’s characters are over the top. They have cray-cray fun, speak their minds and always get what they want. Each novel may be read as a stand alone.

You can hook up with Avery via her blog, newsletter, Instagram, Facebook, twitter, Tumblr, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

***GIVEAWAY(S)***
Click the Rafflecopter link for your chance to win
a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
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ALSO!!! Avery Aster is giving ME one Paperback copy to share with a reader!

So hit this Rafflecopter for you chance to get LOVE, LEX in your hands

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Good luck and keep reading my friends!
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It’s Here! NEARLY MENDED Release and Giveaway!

 Nearly Mended (Nearly #2)

By Devon Ashley

Nearly Mended (Nearly, #2)

AVAILABLE NOW!

New Adult Romantic Suspense / Dark Realistic Fiction

God help me…Zander isn’t the worst thing out there.

Megan Whitaker desperately wants to forget what the Malone brothers have done to her over the past two years – the haunting images and sensations still plaguing her thoughts and dreams – but she can’t. Charles may be dead, but Zander isn’t. I’ll find you and bring you back to me. She wants to believe she’s safe with Nick in their secluded new home, but it doesn’t keep her from looking over her shoulder, jumping over unexpected sounds, carrying a concealed weapon or even preparing for the worst.

Nick Ellis has seen a change in his long, lost love. Battered emotionally and physically, Megan spends her days at self-defense classes and researching things that’ll never allow her to let go of the past. And he feels guilty even asking her to, because he knows that heathen will return, it’s only a matter of time. And when he does, Nick will do anything to save her, even the unthinkable, risking everything he’s fought so hard to get back.

But there is no escaping the world of sex trafficking, nor the band of men who continually aid one another to keep it thriving. And as her nightmares begin to converge with reality, Megan realizes there are far worse people to fear than the one who haunts her dreams.

New Adult Romantic Suspense / Dark Realistic Fiction

Recommended for 17+ for mature and disturbing situations, language and sexual content.

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How’s about a little taste?
“Look, Megan, I can take a lot of things, but lying’s not one of them.”

“I’m not lying to you,” she burst, whipping around.

“Omission is lying.” Waving the empty No-Doz bottle in the air, I added, “Switching your meds out behind my back is lying.”

She crossed her arms, her eyes taking a nosedive.

“I mean, come on. Do you think I don’t know you’re afraid to sleep?” Her head still tipped downward, her brown orbs courageously looked up. “You’ve got the pantry stocked with energy drinks and we’ve had to buy coffee twice as often so I know you’re making another pot once I’m gone. You go to bed after me and get up before me. I. Know. Megan. So, please. Just come out and tell me what’s going on. I’m not going to be mad at you for it.”

It took her a minute, but finally she softly replied, “I don’t want to sleep anymore. Because I see him every time I close my eyes, alright? I can feel his breath on my skin and his damn fingers gripping my body, and it disgusts me. But most of all it terrifies me. Because for those few horrible minutes, my mind actually tricks me into believing that I never escaped. That I’m still stuck there, chained to the goddamn floor. So yes, I ditched the sleeping pills and switched to the No Doz. And now, when I actually do finally collapse, I’m so exhausted that I rarely dream. So I never have to go back to that damn nightmare.”

Damn that made me feel like shit, making her say that, the way the hurt filled her face as she did. I put the bottle back down softly, not giving a crap about it anymore. “God, Megan. Why didn’t you just tell me that? You don’t have to keep these things from me, you know?”

She shook her head, her eyes staring at the ground between us, slumping her shoulders as if she wished she could just melt right into the floor. “Seriously? And have you think I’m even more of a basket case than you realize? I’m not trying to lie to you. I just don’t want to burden you with every little thing that’s wrong with me.”

“Hey,” I said forcefully, eliminating the distance between us. I flattened my hands on each side of her face and brought my lips to hers. The kiss was way more aggressive than the soft, delicate ones she was used to getting, but for once I didn’t restrain myself. She was so shattered at times I just didn’t know what to do. So I kissed her, showing her with every caress of my mouth that she was loved, that I couldn’t live without her, no matter the fight she had going on inside her. It took my breath away, and she actually kissed me the same way back, her hands reaching up to cover mine. I slowly let them soften before pulling away, angling my head so our foreheads could rest against one another.

“There’s nothing wrong with you. And in case you need me to repeat it on a daily basis – I. Love. You.”

***This series is really dark–it involves human trafficking and sexual slavery. My review of NEARLY BROKEN (Nearly #1) can be found here. As brutal as this world is, Devon Ashley writes it with care and compassion. She makes the twisted minds and broken emotions make sense. It is a powerful story that kept me thinking long past the ending.

Interested? You can find NEARLY MENDED at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author
Devon Ashley is a mom, a wife, a lover and a fighter, a coffee addict, a wicked knitster, a Microbiologist, a baker of fine yummy treats, and someone who will fight you to the death for that last Twinkie bag of M&Ms during the zombie-apocalypse. Seriously, her addiction is that important to her. Oh, and she says seriously way too much. Seriously…

You can find her on Facebook, GoodReads and her Blog.

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win

a $25 gift card to Amazon or Book Depository (Int’l)

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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

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Can They Survive CHALLENGING DESTINY? A Review and Giveaway!

Hi there! It’s my great pleasure to welcome the new release of a great writer, fellow critique partner and friend, Cherie Colyer! I’m so excited to share my review of CHALLENGING DESTINY, a YA paranormal romance. This Wild Rose Press release features angels, demons, humans and not one, but TWO love stories! Yay!

ChallengingDestiny_w8687_300About the book:
Logan Ragsdale and his younger sister, Ariana, have been marked, chosen to be unwilling participants in a war between angels and demons.

Logan can sense something’s not quite right. Like an unexpected chill on a summer’s day, he can feel the unseen closing in. He’s had these feelings before and, each time, someone close to him died. He’s afraid this time it might just be Ariana.

Logan’s fears are soon confirmed when he discovers their new friends aren’t human, but rather representatives from Heaven and Hell sent to Earth to ensure he and Ariana accept their roles in an ancient prophecy. Demons want Logan to open the gates of Hell. Ariana has the power to stop them, but if she chooses to side with Heaven to spare the lives of thousands of innocent people, she’ll damn her brother for eternity.

Together, they must derail the biblical event if they hope to save themselves and the future of mankind…but what price are they willing to pay to keep the other safe?

How’s About A Little Taste?
That night I awoke to a noise in our apartment. Soundlessly, I got out of bed, grabbed the metal baseball bat I kept near my door—a habit I’d picked up from my uncle—and went to look around. I pushed Ariana’s bedroom door open a crack. Her room was dark. It smelled like the autumn-spice candles she always burned. She was fast asleep, curled up on her side under her thick cream comforter. A search of the family room and kitchen turned up empty. Relieved, I decided that I had to have been dreaming or had heard one of our neighbors out in the hall. I stumbled back to my room, cursing under my breath when I jammed my little toe on the edge of the doorframe.

My head had barely hit the pillow when a raspy, male voice barked, “Trap!”

My racing heart drowned out the rest of its words. I knew that voice, and there was never a person attached to it. My mind went numb with fear, and every muscle in my body tensed. I’d thought I was past hearing voices. I wanted to scream and would have, but I didn’t want to wake Ariana.

The disembodied voice spoke again in a hurried whisper: “Must protect.” There was a long pause. “Up to you.”

And then silence. Outside, a distant horn blared and cars swooshed past the apartment complex. I sat in the shadows created by the moonlight and listened.

It didn’t speak again.

What trap? Protect who? Why was it up to me? The words had been garbled so badly, I wasn’t even sure I’d heard them correctly. Hearing voices freaked me out—it always had. And now I had more questions that I didn’t know how to find the answers to.

A moment later, Ariana’s blood-curdling scream had me out of bed and sprinting to her room.

YIKES! that’s pretty intense. 

My Review:
In this contemporary YA paranormal romance Ariana and Logan Ragsdale are orphaned siblings who happen to have mind-control powers. Logan is 18 and Ariana is 16, both born on All Saints Day, two years apart. Their parents died in an house fire 8 years ago, and their aunt and uncle, who had been guardians, were killed in an auto wreck two years ago. After bouncing to a couple foster homes and finding those caregivers being strangely injured, Logan convinces the Illinois State Foster system to let them live alone…

When we begin the story, Logan and Ariana are staying under the radar of the authorities. Ariana has a BFF, Becca, but they mostly keep to themselves–out of fear that any people close to them are targets for the tragedy that seems to follow them.

Of course, they are teens, so it’s impossible not to notice the two new students in their small high school. Ben is in Ariana’s art class, and interested in dating her. Strangely, he is immune to Ariana’s mind-control. Likewise, Logan meets Kira in Foods class. The attraction simmers, and yes, she can resist Logan’s mind powers.

Starting fledgeling relationships is foreign, but exciting. Still, they are wary due to the lack of effect of their powers on their potential beaux. Especially so when Kira begins to reveal more of her history to Logan. She’s been 16–for a real long time…and most of that was spent in agony. Seducing Logan to her purpose will satisfy the requirements of her boss, but could mean the end of civilization.

Not as though these kids didn’t suspect foul play in the deaths of their caregivers, but who’s really ready to accept celestial explanations? Surely not Logan. He thinks Kira’s off her nut, and rightly so. A little physical demonstration promptly makes him a believer, however.

And Ben? He’s on the other side of this equation. He’s anxious to get Ariana to join his team, even if doing so condemns Logan to a fiery fate.

With new knowledge behind the sinister plot that isolated Ariana and Logan from anyone who could help them, they must choose who to trust. According to a prophesy, a war is coming between the Blessed and the Fallen, and the winner will be decided when Ariana, or Logan, chooses a side to assist.

In either case, accepting their destinies means they will lose each other. Or, not. See, Ariana and Logan are determined to beat the Blessed and Fallen at their own games–and set themselves free of this cataclysmic prophesy.

Not that they go about it right. Outsmarting beings that can read your mind is pretty tough, after all. Escape Plan A soon devolves into Survival Plan C.2 when one of their guides changes teams mid-game and the casualties are dear.

It’s a wild chase with pretty steady tension throughout as Ariana and Logan search for the answers that will divert their fate. The end is tied up, but leaves room for a sequel. It’s an innocent read and suitable for lovers of paranormal YA fiction.

Interested? You can find CHALLENGING DESTINY on Goodreads and Amazon for digital. Print copies will be available this summer!

9b8ae-cheriecolyerAbout the author:

Cherie Colyer is the author of YA paranormal thriller/romance, EMBRACE and HOLD TIGHT from Omnific Publishing. Her latest novel, CHALLENGING DESTINY is newly released from The Wild Rose Press, Black Rose Imprint. Check out her website and blog for news on her books and bonus material. Follow Cherie on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Goodreads to get the latest updates on her books.

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
a $10 Amazon Gift Card or
Challenging Destiny Swag or
one of 5 bookmarks!
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Good luck! And keep reading my friends! 😉

They Scored With THE ROMEO CLUB–Review and Giveaway

The Romeo Club banner copyHi there, and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for THE ROMEO CLUB. For other stops on the tour, click here. Today, I’m featuring a spunky YA contemporary romance by Rebekah L. Purdy that will charm. Literally.

The Romeo Club 1600x2400About the book:

What happens when you agree to help your brother “de-nerdify” so he can catch the attention of the popular Chloe Anders, and to everyone’s surprise, he actually lands her?
And what if his equally geeky friends come running with girl wish lists of their own, offering money for your services?

Well, if you’re sixteen-year-old, Delyla Denson, then you start The Romeo Club. A secret club where she’ll teach these guys how talk, act, and be cool around girls. It’s a win-win situation.

She’ll get enough money for the awesome prom dress she’s had her eye on, and the guys, well, they’ll get dates and maybe learn how to do something other than beat the next level on their video games.

There are only two problems with this plan. One, her quarterback/track star boyfriend is getting jealous of how much time she’s spending away from him and decides to try and figure out what’s going on. And two, Delyla is kind of falling for her brother’s BFF, Trey who she’s been hanging out with a lot more. And who thanks to her help, has caught the attention of the beautiful, perfect, and popular, Portia Rickard. With Portia and Trey heating up, Delyla realizes that maybe the person she’s meant to be with has been in front of her all this time.

But falling for Trey means she’ll have to take drastic measures including sabotage, with a capital S.

 My Review:
Delyla is a soccer jock and closet nerd. She loves playing video games and is in National Honors Society, and she’s got a hot, rich boyfriend, Rex. She’s popular and seems to have everything going for her, except cash. She needs more of it if she wants to buy the prom dress of her dreams.

So, when her geeky brother Logan’s buddies see the results of his makeover–essentially having a girlfriend for the first time–they offer to pay her for advice on landing their own girls. It’s a no-brainer. At first.

See, these boys need a bunch of help. From shopping sprees to hair salons, Delyla jumps in and saves the ‘Nerd Herd’ from themselves. And, there are some promising results. Each of the three boys breaks out of his shell, bit by bit. Delyla gets the dirt on each of the boys’ targeted honey, and gives role-plays to help them practice talking to a girl. All that time spent with other dudes? Makes ol’ Rex a mite frustrated.

Of course, she and Logan’s BFF Trey have been friends for years. But, now that Trey’s landed the pretty girl he wanted, Portia, Delyla’s missing his companionship. And, it kinda hurts seeing him with someone else. Especially when he wants bonus lessons–in kissing.

Eep! Delyla’s got big, BIG, probs. She’s hot for a Trey, and realizes her relationship with Rex is lacking in the “connection” department. He’s great arm candy, but he’s no real companion. Desperate to get Trey’s attention, without revealing her feelings she breaks things off with Rex and begins to sabotage Trey’s forward motion with Portia. As expected, Backfire Central.

Delyla does do the right thing–eventually–not before ‘outing’ the Romeo Club to Trey’s squeeze, first, however. Now, Delyla has her pretty dress, and no prom date. Rex is furious, and Trey won’t speak to her. Popularity? POOF!

But the hard lessons are learned, and it’s a fun, flirty, innocent story. Lots of accessory characters and side plots keep the pace jumping forward. A solid contemporary YA romance read with characters that are well-drawn and make real–albeit silly at times–decisions. If I had one hang-up in this breezy book, it was character names. Cannot tell you how many times the oddly spelled names yanked me from the flow of the story. But, I’m a traditionalist in that regard and teens who’ve grown up hearing celebs curse their kids with appellations like Apple and North may have no qualms…

Interested? You can pre-order THE ROMEO CLUB at Amazon. It releases April 8th.

rebecca purdyAbout the Author

Rebekah Purdy grew up in Michigan, where she spent many late nights armed with a good book and a flashlight. When not hiding at her computer and getting lost in her stories, she enjoys reading, singing, soccer, swimming, football, camping, playing video games and hanging out with her kids. She loves the unexplainable like Bigfoot, the Dogman, and the Loch Ness Monster (lots of good story material)! She admits to still having all the books she bought throughout her childhood and teen years, and she may or may not have an obsession with anything chocolate…

You can find her hanging out on her website, Goodreads, and twitter.

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
one eBook copy of THE ROMEO CLUB and a $10 Amazon gift card (Int’l)
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Good luck and keep reading my friends…

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She got FRENCHED!–Review and Giveaway!

Frenched-Tour-BannerHi there, and welcome to my stop on the FRENCHED blog tour. For other stops on the tour, click here. This smoking hot contemporary romance, newly released by Melanie Harlow, is guaranteed to satisfy…

frenchedcover3About FRENCHED:

Mia Devine plans over-the-top weddings for a living. So when it comes to her own nuptials, she spares no expense—hand engraved invitations, Vera Wang gown, luxury honeymoon in France. And since her fiancé is Tucker Branch, playboy heir and notorious flirt, local media is obsessed with every little detail.

Which is why it really sucks when he jilts her a week before the wedding.

Mortified, Mia wants nothing more than to crawl under her newly monogrammed sheets and plan a funeral for her dignity, right after blabbing to the world how fitting it is that Tucker will inherit a bolt and screw company, because that’s all he wants to do—screw, and bolt. And he doesn’t do either with much finesse.

When her friends convince her that bitter tastes better when it’s drowned in Bordeaux, she grits her teeth and packs her bags, determined to make the best of a week in Paris alone.

She never planned on meeting Lucas Fournier.

The free-spirited musician’s scruffy good looks and less-than-sympathetic ear annoy her at first, but when she takes him up on his offer to show her around the city, she discovers that the romance of Paris isn’t just a myth.

Nor is the simultaneous O.

The last thing Mia needs is another doomed love affair, but since she only has a week, she figures she might as well enjoy La Vie en O with Lucas while she can. But each day—and night—with him is better than the last, and suddenly her heart is telling her this is more than a rebound fling.

Is it just the seduction of Paris…or could this be the real thing?

My Review:
Hot! Uber-hot! Melt your eReader hot! All when I hadn’t expected it! Kinda like Mia…

Wedding planner extraordinaire Mia has been jilted, poorly, by text message no less, and she’s wallowing. Her friends convince her to take the honeymoon trip to Paris, regardless. She puts up a fight, then settles for anger–vowing to enjoy the trip in a way she never would have with her ex, Tucker.

See, Tucker is one Grade A Jackass. In truth, I almost suspected he was a closet gay, the way he was so controlling about their sex life, and all. (That notion didn’t bear fruit, but it kept me guessing…)

Alone in Paris, Mia tries to find her groove. She visits some of her checklist of sights, but she’s overwhelmed with lovers. And, furiously jealous of them. She has decided Tucker was probably right about calling off the wedding–not that she excuses his manner of doing so–but it’s still hard to take all the romance when she feels so scorned. Deciding to return home early, Mia pops into a ‘Canadian-themed sports bar’ and attempts to drown her loneliness in a deep glass of Red on her first, and final night, in Paris.

The sexy bartender, Lucas, makes more than small talk, he cuts straight to the quick. She can’t possibly leave Paris after only one day! No! She must stay at least one more day and visit the attractions with a helpful guide–himself.

A bit tipsy, she agrees.

Their day on the town proves to be a whole different kind of experience for Mia. Not likely to find lovers smooching in a graveyard, is she? And, Lucas is delicious. He’s half-American/half-French, so they converse easily. He’s also smart–his career is in teaching, in New York. He’s on summer holiday and he was working the bar to assist his brother.

Did I perhaps mention the hotness of this book? Mia and Lucas do hop in the sack. And the shower. And the kitchen counter, floor, couch, vineyard, picnic blanket, tubs. For crying out loud, a wall, or three, may have been molested in the scripting of their smexytimes! What happens in Paris, folks, changes Mia. Opens her in a way that releases her inner sex demon (Er, figuratively. This isn’t paranormal…). Mia does stay on the duration of her trip, finding that Lucas is absolutely perfect in every way, save one. He never wants to marry.

Is that a deal-breaker for our jilted wedding-planner? Perhaps. Especially when Tucker tries to reconnect, promising Mia the happy marriage she had dreamed of, from half the world away.

FRENCHED is a fantastic, fun, sexy read. Mia, angry and dejected at first, grows into the sexy confident woman she never was with Tucker. Lucas is a total dreamboat. Both have real, honest, reservations against turning this fling into something…more. Problem is, they fit so well, it’s hard to abandon this new and thrilling connection. The writing style is playful and interesting. I flew through the book.

And then I went back for seconds… 😉

Interested? You can find FRENCHED at Goodreads and Amazon.

About the Author

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. I write New Adult historical and contemporary stories.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
One signed paperback and a bookmark OR
One $25 gift card
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

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Get Caught in THE DARKNESS SERIES–Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Celebrating the new release of BRAVING THE ELEMENTS and the upcoming release of ON A RAZOR’S EDGE, K.F. Breene is sharing an excerpt from the Darkness Novella Series, has a Kindle Fire HDX up for grabs, and INTO THE DARKNESS (Book #1) is FREE!

Into the Darkness coverINTO THE DARKNESS (Darkness #1)
I’d always been different. I saw objects in the night where others saw emptiness. Large, human shaped shadows, fierce yet beautiful, melting into the darkness. I collected secrets like other women collected bells; afraid to fully trust lest my oddities be exposed.

Until I saw him. He’d been gliding down the street, unshakable confidence in every step. It wasn’t just that he was breathtakingly handsome with perfect features. Something about him drew me. Sucked my focus to him and then tugged at my body. As his eyes met mine, I was entrapped.

No one had noticed him. He’d been right there, just beyond the light, but only I had perceived.

I had to know if he was real. Or maybe I really was crazy. And even when my secret box was blasted wide open, dangers hurled at me like throwing knives, I couldn’t stop until I unraveled his true identity.

I just had to know.

New Adult (18 +) due to sexual content and not for the faint of heart.

You can get INTO THE DARKNESS free on Amazon or Barnes and Noble so go on and clickity-click. What are you waiting for?

Oh, you’d like a little taste?

He stepped closer, not hearing me, or not caring that I spoke. His eyes looked at me like I was a life-sized riddle. They delved, searching. He took another step, forcing me to retreat two steps to keep distance between our bodies. Another step back had my back to the wall. 

A small smile curved his lips. “I exude pleasure, you run. I exude fear, you come calling. You want me, I can smell it. I can feel it, almost like a palpable thing. Give in to it. Yield to me.”

Oh God I wanted to. His body was mere inches from mine, his intense eyes looking down into my soul from a face out of a Renaissance painting. The power of him, the sheer strength, had strange, primal fantasies running amok through my head. My core tingled, my chest surged, and my nipples were so hard they could cut this stone wall. 

Why had I come here, again?

My Review:

Sasha has always seen figures in the shadows. One night she and her boyfriend, Jared, have a car wreck and are accosted by two of these shadow men. All of the shadow people are sexy to the nth degree. I’m not exactly sure what they ARE exactly, but their mind controlling pheromones generally have the humans tearing their clothes off. Exhibit A: Jared…a little startling for Sasha to observe two men sex up her boyfriend in the alley.

Sasha, however, is immune.

Sasha wakes up the next morning–fully-clothed–in bed with a naked, sexually-ravenous Jared. She knows something is very wrong, but her memories of the previous night are spotty and she doesn’t remember their actual encounter until the next day. At this point Sasha is on a mission to find the shadow people and figure out why she sees them.

The leader of these shadow people, Stephan, is a temptation Sasha can barely resist. Of course, the shadow people are embroiled in a war with Mage, and Sasha seems to have some magical ability to repel the forces attacking Stephan’s people.

Now, she’s an asset–and under the protection of Stephen’s minions, like Charles, one of the Jared-Bangers. Charles is a playful, amorous, dim-witted body-guard whom Sasha seems to have no trouble eluding. He provides some real humor into the dark mystery of the Shadow people.

Of course there’s a few harrowing twists that leave Sasha nearly dead–if only someone super strong and sexy had the cure? *narrows eyes on Stephen*

It’s an interesting, sensual start to a series and super quick read. Not for the prudish. Contains copious copulation, consensual, or not.

Braving the Elements coverBRAVING THE ELEMENTS (Darkness #2)
Sasha has always known she was different, but now she also knows that the shadow men she’s seen all her life, are real. With a life goal of fitting in, Sasha hopes her strange abilities will finally make true friendship a possibility. Unfortunately, her magic doesn’t function like everyone else’s. What she thought would make her belong, sets her apart now more than ever.

Stefan, all but promised to a different woman, has tried to keep his mind on his duties instead of the irresistible and free-spirited human. But when she is threatened, he can’t keep his distance anymore. He realizes he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe, and more importantly, make her his.

Just when one thing clicks into place, another spirals out of control. Stefan’s clan isn’t the only group that would benefit from an extremely rare type of magic. And their enemies will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Braving the Elements is the second novella in K.F.Breene’s long awaited Darkness series. Sasha’s story is one of discovery, awareness, and understanding, and is jam packed with action, humor, sexual tension, and an overwhelming desire for final acceptance.

You can find this newly released sequel on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000032_00011]ON A RAZOR’S EDGE (Darkness #3) Releasing April 22, 2014

Life for Sasha isn’t getting easier. She has survived run-in’s with monstrous Dulcha, lived through an abduction, and even made it passed Charles’ constant badgering for sex. But if she thought the hurdles of this new life would simmer down, she was dead wrong.

When the Regional comes to visit Stefan’s clan, the pressure increases. Sasha finds herself on a giant scale, assessed for her magic and held in the balance. If she doesn’t have the magic Stefan hopes, she could find herself on the street while still in grave danger. Even with a favorable outcome, however, her inability to use her magic presents a road block not easily crossed.

No, life is not getting easier.

Stefan feels the heat, too. He must finally declare a mate, and admitting to desiring a human is the worst form of taboo. He could jeopardize not only his place as leader, but his and Sasha’s life. His decision is like walking on a razor’s edge.

About the Author

A wine country native, she moved to San Francisco for college just shy of a decade ago to pursue a lifelong interest in film. As she settled into the vibrant city, it quickly became apparent that, while she thought making films was great fun, she lacked cinematic genius. For that reason, her career path quickly changed direction. Her next goal was a strange childhood interest, conjured at the dining room table while filling out a form. For some reason, her young self wanted to be an accountant. Thinking on it now, she wonders how she had any friends. Regardless, it was the direction she finally took.

While she could wrangle numbers with the best of ’em, and even though she wore the crown as the most outspoken, belligerent accountant in the world, her mind got as stuffy as her daily routine. It was here that she dusted off her creative hat and began writing. Now she makes movies in her head, and then writes them down. Way easier than dealing with actors–she should know, she’s been one!

You can find find Ms. Breene in the usual places:  Website | Facebook | Twitter

***GIVEAWAY***
KF Breene is offering up a KINDLE FIRE HDX (US only) in her super raffle. Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!
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Thrilled by EASTLAND–Review and Giveaway

Eastland bannerHi there! And welcome to my stop on the EASTLAND Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. For other stops on the tour, click here. Today’s book is a Historical YA Romance, a fantastic read from my good friend, and fellow SCBWI critique partner, Marian Cheatam.

eastlandBook Summary:
WOULD YOU RISK YOUR LIFE FOR JUST ONE DAY OF FREEDOM?

For hardworking teen, Dee Pageau, the annual employee picnic will let her escape the drudgery of work and possibly find love with her best friend Mae’s older brother, Karel. But in 1915 Chicago, girls don’t go on picnics without their mother’s approval. 

Unfortunately for Dee, Mama has had a premonition of disaster and forbids Dee from going. Forced to watch as Mae and Karel leave without her, Dee defies Mama and rushes off to join her friends.

But Dee’s joy soon turns to terror when the ship ferrying them to the picnic capsizes. Rescued not once but twice-by Karel and a mysterious sailor-Dee finds herself tested in unimaginable ways. What happens next turns out to be worse … and better … than anything Dee ever expected.

My Review:
The SS Eastland capsized in the Chicago River at 7:30am on July 24, 1915 killing 844 passengers. This novel follows the horror of the event and its gruesome aftermath through the eyes of Dee Pageau, a seventeen year-old employee of the Western Electric Company who had hired the steamer to transport workers and their families to Michigan City, Indiana for the company’s annual picnic.

While many stories take the reader to new and exotic worlds, this captivating historical novel recounts the tragedy of the SS Eastland in a way that transports the reader to a world before house phones, a time when ice boxes, streetcars, and milk delivery was the norm.

Dee is aboard the Hurricane (top) Deck of the Eastland, chatting with her best friend Mae’s brother, Karel, when the ship lists, and then capsizes. Mae was trapped belowdecks, and Karel—after ensuring Dee is safely settled on the ship’s hull–dives into the putrid water to find his younger sister.

Hours later, having witnessed more dead bodies than survivors recovered, shock has set in for Dee. Desperate without her childhood friend, she nearly topples into the murky depths, but is rescued (again) by a crewman—Lars.

Dee is whisked off the boat and driven back to the grief-ravaged streets of suburban Cicero—home to Western Electric’s headquarters and many of its employees. Anxious families descend on Dee and her overwrought mother, fearing the worst. Throughout the day the bleak news pours in, household by household. When Karel returns alone, the long hunt begins to track down the missing Mae.

This meticulously researched work provides a rare glimpse into a tragedy that consumed Chicago. Dee and Karol search hospital after hospital only to be ushered ever closer to the makeshift morgue. Days of mourning and wakes, enormous funeral masses presided over by the Bishop soon follow. Through this melancholy, Dee realizes that she must remain strong. Stronger than she ever had to be, before. At times, she is bolstered by Karol and Lars—both men who survived the harrowing ordeal and recognize the need for moving on with life.

In the week following the tragedy, Dee returns to work—finding that only one other woman in her 30-person division had survived. The loss of so many workers propels Dee into a managerial position—but she struggles to get over the loss of so many of her friends.

The development of not one, but two, potential romantic entanglements allows Dee to grow further out of her meek shell. Being a survivor will do that, too.

Dee learns, like Karol and Lars, to appreciate the best things in life. Despite the gruesome event and realistic setting, the hopeful ending and clear promise of love will resonate for young and old alike. I loved this book and recommend it to all fans of romance, historical fiction and YA romance. It gave me chills, and I gasped aloud so many times I lost count. Throughout the read I was simply captivated.

Interested? You can find EASTLAND on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

b59e6About the Author:
Marian Cheatham lives in a suburb of Chicago with her family and their menagerie of pets. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Marian taught Special Education for many years before becoming a full-time writer.

You can find her on her webpage, Goodreads, and Facebook.

On a personal note I have known Marian for four years–she’s a fellow member of my SCBWI Illinois chapter, a good friend, and a writing critique partner. I just love her historical YA. EASTLAND is a fantastic novelization of Chicago’s biggest loss-of-life tragedies.

****GIVEAWAY****
Click the Raffecopter link below for your chance to win

one of 5 eBook copies of EASTLAND

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and keep reading my friends!

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Release Day for FRENCHED by Melanie Harlow–with Giveaway!

Happy Book Birthday to:

FRENCHED

frenchedcover3By Melanie Harlow

A Sexy Adult Contemporary Romance AVAILABLE NOW!

Amazon

About the book:
Mia Devine plans over-the-top weddings for a living. So when it comes to her own nuptials, she spares no expense—hand engraved invitations, Vera Wang gown, luxury honeymoon in France. And since her fiancé is Tucker Branch, playboy heir and notorious flirt, local media is obsessed with every little detail.

Which is why it really sucks when he jilts her a week before the wedding.

Mortified, Mia wants nothing more than to crawl under her newly monogrammed sheets and plan a funeral for her dignity, right after blabbing to the world how fitting it is that Tucker will inherit a bolt and screw company, because that’s all he wants to do—screw, and bolt. And he doesn’t do either with much finesse.

When her friends convince her that bitter tastes better when it’s drowned in Bordeaux, she grits her teeth and packs her bags, determined to make the best of a week in Paris alone.

She never planned on meeting Lucas Fournier.

The free-spirited musician’s scruffy good looks and less-than-sympathetic ear annoy her at first, but when she takes him up on his offer to show her around the city, she discovers that the romance of Paris isn’t just a myth.

Nor is the simultaneous O.

The last thing Mia needs is another doomed love affair, but since she only has a week, she figures she might as well enjoy La Vie en O with Lucas while she can. But each day—and night—with him is better than the last, and suddenly her heart is telling her this is more than a rebound fling.

Is it just the seduction of Paris…or could this be the real thing?

photo goodreadspurple1_zpsab2bdb71.png

Teaser1How about a little taste?

Lucas regarded me carefully. “You’ve got a problem.”

Brilliant, this asshole. “Yes. My problem is that I’m on my honeymoon, alone.”

“That’s not your problem.”

My jaw fell open. Who the hell was he to tell me what my problem was? He went on before I could protest.

“Your problem is that you thought things were going to be one way and they’re not. You’re not even telling me you miss the guy who was supposed to be here with you. You just don’t want to be here alone because that wasn’t the plan.”

“That is not what I said!”

Lucas laughed. “That’s exactly what you said.”

“Well…” I flapped my hands. “That’s not what I meant. I’m flustered. And drunk.”

“So you do miss him? Because I don’t see a heartbroken girl here in front of me. I see someone who’s angry that her relationship ended badly mostly because it ruined an idea she had about the perfect life. And she flew all the way here, but even Paris isn’t enough to distract her from the fact she didn’t get exactly what she wanted when she wanted it.”

“It was more than an idea! It was real. At least, it felt real…most of the time.” My spine curled as the fight left my body. Even my voice weakened. “But what do I know?”

 He spoke softer too. “Want to know what I think?”

“No.”

He held up his hands. “Fair enough.”

I put my credit card on the bar. “I want to pay my bill and leave.”

“The wine is on the house.”

“Because you feel sorry for me?” I snapped. God, Mia, just shut up. Why I was letting this guy get to me, I had no idea. Wasn’t I in this bar because I felt sorry for myself?

He hesitated before answering. “Yes. Originally, I felt sorry for you because some asshole treated you wrong. But now that I know a little more, I think he did you a big favor. Now I feel sorry for you because you’re going to let one bad day ruin a dream that you’ve had for such a long time. You know, if you leave tomorrow, I bet you never come back. I bet you’ll always think of Paris as a miserable, lonely place.”

I opened my mouth to argue and then closed it. Was he right? Was I letting one bad day speak louder than a lifetime of dreaming about Paris?

“But I’d also bet you’re stronger than you think.”

I met his eyes, and they were serious. Was he right? I’d known coming here wouldn’t be easy, but I’d gotten on that plane. Cocking my head, I asked, “Were you a psych major or something?”

He grinned. “Double major—music and psychology. Graduate degree in psych. Look, I know we just met, and I do tend to analyze people and open my big mouth when I should probably just keep my opinion to myself. But when you walked in here alone and looked around, I thought, There is a woman who knows what she wants. That confidence is sexy.”

“But I’m not confident.” The words came out like a whimper as I stared down at my left hand, where my ring used to be. I wondered where it was now—I’d thrown it in the toilet, but Coco had rescued it.

“Yes, you are. You’re just a little scared right now.”

Exhaling, I looked up at him through my lashes. “You argue with everything I say. It’s really annoying.”

“Sorry. Let me make it up to you.”

“How?”

He thought for a moment. “Well, let’s make a deal. You agree to give Paris one more day, and I’ll agree to spend the day being your tour guide—no psycho-analysis, I promise. If you’re still miserable even when you have a friend by your side, you can grab a flight home the next day. I’ll even call the airline for you.”

“A friend, huh?”

“You think about it.” He moved down the bar to fill drink orders, and I checked out his ass again.

It really was cute.

Stay tuned for a my review of this sexy, sassy romance next week! In the meantime here’s one more glimpse from FRENCHED:

Teaser3

About the Author
Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. I write New Adult historical and contemporary stories.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
a signed copy of FRENCHED and swag
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Cover Reveal and GIVEAWAY! SON OF SET by Kelsey Ketch

Son of Set (Descendants of Isis #2)
Release Date: 5/02/14
Summary from Goodreads:
“. . . the Sons would
never just let him go—alive.”


Seth O’Keefe has broken the laws of his god. He never thought he would
sacrifice his own future to protect a Daughter of Isis. But when the Sons of
Set discovered Natti is the Secret Keeper, he had no choice. Now, Seth and
Natti are on the run from his father, who wants nothing more than to see Seth
dead. With no allies, Seth turns to the Daughters of Isis for help, hoping they
would protect Natti. But when they meet the Daughters, he discovers a secret
that puts both their lives in more danger. Low on options, Seth sees only one
possibility for survival. He must help Natti solve an ancient puzzle and find
the secret name of Ra.


Natara “Natti” Stone is having a hard time swallowing the truth. She can’t
believe what she has learned in the past twenty-four hours: Seth is a Son of
Set blessed with charm; she is a Daughter of Isis blessed with a sliver of Ma
‘at; the locket her grandmother gave her holds an ancient Egyptian secret
linking to Osiris and Isis. That along with being tortured and brutalized by
the Sons of Set, she can hardly hold herself together. Thank God for Seth’s
touch! That warm, tingling sensation that drowns it all out. Yet her heart
struggles to stay focused. She must quickly embrace her destiny before the
secret name of Ra falls into the wrong hands.

*Note: Content for Upper YA*

Book One:
(cover linked from Goodreads)
Available from:
Available from:
photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpg  photo 111AD205-AA04-4F9E-A0F4-C1264C4E9F30-1855-000001A1E8CEB6D7_zps9b730b94.jpg  photo KoboIcon_zps515cdc1a.jpg
About the Author
During her high school years, Kelsey Ketch could always be found tucked away in a little corner of the hall or classroom, writing her fantasy worlds and creating illustrations and maps. Today is no different, except now she’s writing in the break room at her office building or at the tables of the Barnes and Noble Café in Cary, North Carolina. She is also an avid reader, a part-time book blogger at Ketch’s Book Nook, and lives with her two orange tabbies and awesome and humorous flat-mate.Daughter of Isis is her debut novel.
For more information, please visit her site at kelseyketch.com.


***Author Links***
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GIVEAWAY

Two prize packs, each
containing a silver ankh pendant with seven knot anklet, Son of Set e-reader
bling, 3 bookmarks, 2 temporary tattoos, 2 character collectable
cards, and 2 wristbands (INT).
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal Organized by:

Get To Know Bella Andre! Free Paperback Giveaway!

Hi there! For many readers it’s tough to find new authors. Anytime I talk about my blog I’m asked for recommendations. I have some stand-by’s for people who only read print–and I couldn’t recommend Best Selling Author of contemporary romance, Bella Andre, to them–because her work was all eBook–until this year.

Yes, now you can find Bella Andre’s Sullivan Series in paperback, and to start any new reader off right, I have print ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU. Read on to find out how it can be yours…(US/Canada only–I’m shipping mine to you!)

I Only Have Eyes for You (The Sullivans, #4)Sophie Sullivan is a librarian. She’s college-educated and lovely, and head-over-heels crushing on Jake McCann, BFF to one of her six older brothers. She’s loved Jake since she was a child, but he’s just as interested in the full-grown “Nice” Sullivan twin sister as he was for her childhood self. Not at all, in fact. Or, so Sophie believes…

Jake McCann has always been captivated by the quiet, studious, nice Sophie Sullivan. Not that he can do anything about it–her brothers are nothing less than formidable, and Jake knows he won’t measure up to their ideal brother-in-law. He’s just a barman–sure he owns a chain of successful pubs, but he’s still the barely literate son of a bartender he was when he met the Sullivan’s–at least in his own eyes.

Jake and Sophie work together to plan the wedding of Sophie’s brother Chase–and that’s where she springs her trap. All dressed up with love on her mind, Sophie makes no excuses for her seductive pursuit of the man she’s always desired. Sophie gets what she wants–briefly, but waking alone was never part of the plan. Nor was the morning sickness…

Determined to never be hurt by Jake again, Sophie begins a new phase of life, not expecting that Jake would do anything in his power to win Sophie’s heart–for her own sake. Of course, Jake must get over his own inferiority issues, and that’s not helped when Sophie’s angry brothers come aknockin’.

It’s a solid romance with a strong ensemble cast that forms the backbone for the now twelve books in the Sullivans series. This is book four, but it’s as good a place to start as any. You catch up quickly on the family antics, and the story is very much centered on Sophie and Jake, with their alternating points of view.

For those who prefer digital, or live outside the US/Canada, or want this book–regardless of the contest–they can find it on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

To enter the contest, be sure to “Like” my V’s Reads page–this will give you access to outside-the-blog reviews and my semi-daily FREEBIE postings you can download. Be sure to come back here to comment that you entered, and what your FB name is, to complete your entry.

I’ll choose a winner On Friday March 21st. Best of luck, and keep reading my friends!