Giveaways

MY DATE FROM HELL–Epic Review and Giveaway

Date Hell banner copyHi there, and welcome to my stop on the MY DATE FROM HELL blog tour, sponsored by YA Bound book tours. Check out other stops here. This YA paranormal romance by best-selling author Tellulah Darling is a perfect blend of snark, fantasy and swoon!

MyDateFromHellCoverBook Description:
Sophie Bloom’s junior year has been a bit of a train wreck. After the world’s greatest kiss re-awakened Sophie’s true identity as Persephone (Goddess of Spring and Savior of Humanity), she fought her dragon-lady guidance counselor to the death, navigated mean girl Bethany’s bitchy troublemaking, and dealt with the betrayal of her backstabbing ex, Kai (sexy Prince of Darkness). You’d think a girl could catch a break.

Yeah, right.

With Zeus stepping things up, it’s vital that Sophie retrieve Persephone’s memories and discover the location of the ritual to stop Zeus and Hades. So when Aphrodite strikes a deal that can unlock Sophie’s pre-mortal past, what choice does the teen goddess have but to accept?

The mission: stop media mogul Hermes from turning Bethany into a global mega-celebrity. The catch? Aphrodite partners Sophie and Kai to work together … and treat this suicide mission as a date. Which could work out for Sophie’s plan to force Kai to admit his feelings for her–if she doesn’t kill him first.

Add to that the fact that BFF Theo’s love life and other BFF Hannah’s actual life are in Sophie’s hands, and suddenly being a teenager—even a godlike one—seems a bit like … well, hell. Whatever happened to dinner and a movie?

The YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology fireworks continue to fly in My Date From Hell. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book two of this teen fantasy romance series. Breaking up is easy; dating is deadly.

My Review:
MY DATE FROM HELL begins where it should—with Sophie being tortured within an inch of her life by her dad, Zeus. Family, ain’t it grand?

Still Sophie—a reincarnation of Persephone—can’t reclaim the memories she’s being tortured to divulge. So she battles on. In the process she frees herself, and Kai—Kyrillos, son of Hades—who is likewise up for execution. Sophie returns to her Vancouver boarding school to learn her magically-enhanced-bully, Bethany, is poised to claim supreme star-status with the help of Hermes—god of tricksters.

Oh, and Sophie has less than two months to regain Persephone’s memories and fall in love with Kai, or humanity is doomed. But Sophie can’t seem to let go of her fears that Kai will only love her for Persephone’s sake, and not her own. And that’s kinda not so okay with Sophie.

Though Eros and Aphrodite toss in some magic, Sophie can’t overcome her own romantic notion that a person should be really in love, not simply faking it. Kai gets it, and he’d like to let her know his own feelings on the matter, but hey, gods have their pride.

In order to unravel Persephone’s memories, Sophie turns to master caster-Hephestus-also known by his hipster name, Festos. And, he’s game to help if Sophie can maybe sway Theo into looking his way again. Oh, and Eros volunteers to reverse the brain-drain, but it’s gonna hurt. So the merry bunch takes off after Hermes, on a date arranged by Aphrodite, to cut the cord on Bethany’s villainous popularity.

The date between Sophie and Kai soon becomes a Game of Death to rescue Hannah and gain Hermes’ cooperation. Along the way Sophie begins to see that Kai isn’t all bubbly over Persephone any longer. No, he’s realized that Sophie’s a pretty extraordinary gal—what with her snark and her magic powers and her saving the day. In fact, Sophie’s willingness to accept Kai is what returns Persephone’s memories. Now she knows who tried to kill her years ago in Hades.

And, sadly, that person is back to finish the job.

Interested? You can find MY DATE FROM HELL at Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Book Depository.…

my ex from hellgodlike proportions The first book in the trilogy, MY EX FROM HELL, is a total blast. Check out my review here. To pick it up for yourself…try AMAZON  or Barnes & Noble.

Oh! And Tellulah has written Book 2.5 in this saga, A DATE OF GODLIKE PROPORTIONS, which you can download FREE here. Go on and get that. It’ll get you all geared up for the release of the final book, My Life From Hell, releasing March 20, 2014. With the Spring Equinox comes Sophie’s final showdown with Zeus and Hades in the book. I have a feeling Sophie’s gonna kick some tail!

TD photoAbout the Author
Tellulah Darling:  noun
1. YA romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she’s compensating.
2. Alter ego of former screenwriter.
3. Sassy minx.
Geeks out over: cool tech.
Squees for: great storytelling.
Delights in: fabulous conversation.
Writes about: where love meets comedy. Awkwardness ensues.
Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?

Find the delightful Ms. Darling on her blog, Goodreads,  Twitter,  Pinterest, and Facebook 

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win an
eBook three pack of My Ex From Hell, My Date From Hell and A Date of Godlike Proportions
(mobi or epub only, open internationally)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: Contest is void where prohibited. 
Entrants must be 13 or else have parent or guardian’s 
permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email 
and will have 48 hours to respond  or another winner’s 
name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified 
for authenticity.

Good luck, and, as always, keep reading, my friends!

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THIRD DAUGHTER–Book Blast, Review and Giveaway!!

Third Daughter Tour

Hi there! And welcome to MY stop on the THIRD DAUGHTER book blast. For other stops on the tour, click here. It’s my great pleasure to recommend this YA Steampunk/Bollywood Romance by a great friend, and prolific indie author Susan Kay Quinn.

Third daughterThird Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn

Skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue… and, of course, kissing.

The Third Daughter of the Queen wants her birthday to arrive so she’ll be free to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon may force her to accept a barbarian prince’s proposal for a peace-brokering marriage. Desperate to marry the charming courtesan she loves, Aniri agrees to the prince’s proposal as a subterfuge in order to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she does not love.

Third Daughter is the first book in the The Dharian Affairs Trilogy (Third Daughter, Second Daughter, First Daughter). This steampunk-goes-to-Bollywood (Bollypunk!) romance that takes place in an east-Indian-flavored alternate world filled with skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue. And, of course, kissing.

From the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, The Dharian Affairs is a new series filled with equal doses of action-adventure and romance, meant to appeal to fans of Mindjack.

NOMINATED for the Illinois Librarian’s “Soon to be Famous Author Project” wherein librarians hope to discover local authors whose “work will jump off the page for readers.”

“Third Daughter is vividly breathtaking. Quinn delivers royal intrigue, exotic locations, and sweeping romance. Not to be missed!” – Pavarti K. Tyler, author of Shadow on the Wall

“Susan Kaye Quinn writes characters that leap off the page… Incredibly well written, the vivid setting was crisp in my mind… As the plot raced on, I was cursing real life for not letting me just sit glued to my kindle, punching the touch screen to get to the next page.” – Tiffany on Goodreads

My Review:
If you had to marry for love or marry for peace, what would you choose?

That’s the question facing Princess Aniri, Third Daughter to the Queen of Dharia.

It’s two weeks until Aniri can choose to marry her beau–Devesh–a courtesan and emissary from Samir. Her two older sisters have already married men that compliment their station, even when love is not present, and Aniri is determined to follow her heart, not her duty.

Especially when her duty involves marrying Prince Malik, heir to the throne of the barbarous northern Jungali provinces. No. No! NO!

Except, Aniri knows she can’t decline outright–and rumors of a Jungali airship weapon are serious indeed. If Aniri accepts the prince’s proposal she can get close enough to find out if the airship is real–and maybe she can help her homeland and her mother’s Queendom figure out how to avoid a war.

Prince Malik makes it easy on Aniri–he tells her their marriage would be one of business. That she could (discreetly) take a lover if she wished. Hmm… And her mother, the Queen, assures her that the choice is hers.

Aniri does what she must–becomes a spy. I loved her reactions to the ‘barbarians” she encounters on her journey north! Oh, how sweet to have her realize, “Hey, they’re pretty awesome in their own way!” Then Devesh shows up and tells her the airship is a ruse–a trick to get her to marry Malik. After which she will be killed and her beloved country Dharia overrun by Samir and Jungali. Aniri doesn’t know who to believe, and espionage is not her strong suit. The political intrigue is high and Aniri barely escapes an attempt on her life.

The tension is fierce throughout. Each new chapter brings Aniri closer to either love, or death. We got a fantastic steampunk world, with an east Indian flair, and a strong female main character who picks up the ball and runs her hardest. Even when she fumbles, Aniri is worthy of cheers because she learns from her mistakes and never quits.

What I hadn’t expected, and thoroughly adored, was Malik’s assistance. He realizes his only shot at peace is this marriage, and he’s willing to trust a confessed spy with the biggest military secret of his country. Aniri could never have learned what was necessary to save her people without Malik earning her forever trust. And Devesh? Well, perhaps an on-the-side lover isn’t the best place for him in the Jungali court. In the end, Aniri does choose her own husband. And she chooses very well indeed.

Three words to describe this Third Daughter? Indomitable. Passionate. Resourceful. She’s my kind of heroine.

Interested? You can find THIRD DAUGHTER at: Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Book Depository

Excerpt

A lone two-wheeled surrey ambled out of the shadows of the Samirian embassy and headed toward her dark corner of the Queen’s estate. Aniri held her breath and silently cursed the full two-moon night. If the carriage came much closer, the occupants would surely see her clinging to the side of the palace like a spider on her thread.

The six-hooved beast pulling the surrey slowed as it neared the giant stone statue of Devkasera. The mother goddess of ancient Dharia loomed larger-than-life, threatening the carriage with a sword and a scroll—the powers of destruction and creation—clasped in two of her six hands. The Queen loved the ancient traditions, so the goddess held a place of respect in the middle of the palace lawns. Aniri preferred the clean streets and steam-driven inventions of modern Dharia to the unwashed feet and mystic religion of her country’s past, but that didn’t stop her from sending a silent prayer to Devkasera—for invisibility for herself or perhaps a sudden loss of sight by the persons in the carriage.

susan quinnAuthor Susan Kaye Quinn

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction. The Dharian Affairs trilogy is her excuse to dress up in corsets and fight with swords. She also has a dark-and-gritty SF serial called The Debt Collector and a middle grade fantasy called Faery Swap. It’s possible she’s easily distracted. She always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can find out what she’s up to by subscribing to her newsletter (hint: new subscribers get a free short story!) or by stopping by her blog (www.susankayequinn.com).

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads

BookBlast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/14/14

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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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ALL THE PRETTY POSES–Book Blitz and Mega Giveaway!

Newly Released! 

ALL THE PRETTY POSES by M. Leighton
a Contemporary New Adult Romance

Book Description:
Reese never wanted to be a hero…until she needed him to be.

Strength…
It took Kennedy Moore years to put her life back together after Reese Spencer shattered it. But she did. Now, years later, strong and independent, she is in pursuit of a single dream—to dance with the Altman American Dance Theater. Unfortunately, Kennedy is learning that a girl from nowhere with no money and no contacts might never be able to realize her goal.

That is, until Reese reappears, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Kennedy just can’t pass up. In exchange for working on his yacht for a few short weeks, he’ll get her an audition with the famous dance troupe. All Kennedy has to do is keep her head down, work hard and resist Reese. That sounds easy enough, right?

Weakness…
Reese doesn’t want to make it easy for Kennedy. Seeing her again has started a fire in his blood—an unwelcome one—so Reese has a plan. It’s simple: Get Kennedy on his yacht, seduce her, get her out of his system, move on with his life. That sounds easy enough, right?

But the one thing Reese didn’t plan for was Kennedy herself—a girl so strong yet so broken, she makes him want to rescue her, to take care of her. To save her. Even if he has to save her from himself.

Interested? You can find ALL THE PRETTY POSES at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Super giveaway!  Click the linky-loo to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding wild horses, skiing the slopes of Aspen or scuba diving with a hot rock star, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office. About Michelle: I love coffee and chocolate, even more so when they are combined. I’m convinced that one day they could be the basis for world peace. I also love the color red and am seriously considering dying my hair.

Shorter Bio: New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton lives in the deep South with her super-hero husband and super-smart maltipoo. She has a fondness for coffee and chocolate, loves the color red, laughs at almost anything and often stares out her window, daydreaming of far-away places.

Feel like stalking the fabulous prolific Michelle M. Leighton? Try her blog, or Facebook, or Goodreads, or Twitter, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and if all else fails, you can simply email her.

Other books by M. Leighton
Beginnings: An M. Leighton Anthology,
The Blood Like Poison Series: For the Love of a Vampire, Destined for a Vampire, To Kill an Angel
Down to You, Up to Me, Everything for Us
The Wild Ones, Wild Child, Some Like It Wild (March 4, 2014), There’s Wild, Then There’s You (June 3, 2014)
All the Pretty Lies (November 12, 2013)
Madly, Madly & the Jackal, Madly & Wolfhardt
Fragile
The Reaping
The Reckoning
Gravity
Caterpillar
Wiccan

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Steampunk With Heart–Guest Post and Giveaways

Hi there! Today I’m letting my good friend and writing pal Susan Kay Quinn take over my page for:
Steampunk with Heart: Steampunk IS Romance
with Susan Kaye Quinn and Scott E. Tarbet
She’s a great gal and an awesome writer–who might could like giveaways as much as me, so:
 **see bottom of post for steampunk giveaways** AND
**see Steampunk With Heart Page for Facebook Party schedule**

Without further ado, Susan, and her fellow steampunker, Scott…

Susan Kaye Quinn: As I was writing my steampunk romance (ThirdDaughter, The Dharian Affairs #1), it struck me that the term Steampunk Romance is just a bit redundant. Yes, some steampunk stories have romance as the main driver of their plot, but to me, the entire genre is inherently romantic. These stories take place in a bygone era (or entirely fictional analogue of one), alleviating some of the oppressive ideas of the past while keeping the lush aesthetics and romantic ideas about relationships and love. How could that be termed anything other than Romantic?

I discussed this very issue with fellow Steampunk Romance author Scott Tarbet, over tea and fictional crumpets (the tea was real; tea is always real):
Susan Kaye Quinn: Scott, you suggested the title for our little chat, Steampunk IS Romance. How is it you think Steampunk is romance?

Scott E. Tarbet: Steampunk is all about goggles, right? We use them as a convenient symbol of the entire genre. Through our steampunk goggles we look at the world in a different way, a more romantic way. We get to reimagine reality (sometimes the Victorian past, sometimes alternative futures) without the fettering realities of modern technology and recent history. We get an imagined do-over.


Let’s face it: from an historical perspective the 20th Century was horrible. Sure, there were rapid technological advances, but with them came the worst wars, genocides, and horrors in all of human history. What a wonderful thing it is to put on our Steampunk goggles and imagine a simpler, more romantic world without that 20th Century baggage!
Susan Kaye Quinn: I love the idea of using our magic googles of re-imagination! Speaking of imaginative retellings, your book, Midsummer Night’s Steampunk, is a Shakespearean love story retold in a steampunk setting. It’s like a multiplication of romances! Can you tell us a bit about it, and how the romance of steampunk plays into your story?

Scott E. Tarbet: Susan, you’re 100% right! A Midsummer Night’s Steampunk (AMNS) is just what you would expect from the title: a resetting of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy/romance into the Victorian Era. Let me do a little stage-setting:

If you ask any three Steampunks for a definition of what Steampunk is, you’ll get at least five different answers involving the clothing, the weaponry, and the literature. But common to every definition I’ve seen is the gender politics. Did the genders have equal rights and influence in the real life version of the Victorian Era? Not even close. Would the 20th Century have been very different if they had been? Ooooh yeah!

 One of my favorite academic writers, who takes on Steampunk as a field of study, Dr. Mike Perschon, puts it this way: “[W]e make the past in our image, as we do whenever a nineteenth century woman isn’t slowly going crazy in a room with psychedelic wallpaper.”

 Writing AMNS I had great fun projecting how history would have been different if Vicky, the mother of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who happened to be the eldest daughter of Britain’s Queen Victoria, had been able to take that brat over her knee and straighten him out. There would have been no World War I, no Russian Revolution, no World War II, no Holocaust, no Cold War. Millions around the world would have lived out very different lives. The world we live in today would be a very different place.
Would the two young girls in Shakespeare’s romance also have been different people? Yes, in fundamental ways. As a result many of the elements of their respective romances would have been different in interesting ways. My heroine, Pauline, is a Sorbonne-educated engineer, the epitome of the strong, educated woman.

 So AMNS gave me the opportunity to play with this romantic concept, and bring these three strong women (and several others) to the center of the stage of world politics. It was a lot of fun.

 My turn to ask you, Susan: the world you create in Third Daughter also has gender politics flipped on their ear, making strong female characters possibleóeven necessary. How did that feel for you as a woman, and as a writer?

Susan Kaye Quinn: Wow, that’s quite a question! Third Daughter definitely turns gender politics upside down, imagining an analogue India where Queens rule and society is very used to the fact that all women, especially the Daughters of the Queen, carry significant influence and power. As a writer, I loved playing with the concept of male courtesans, and how a princess who carries true power might have to wrestle between marrying for love and marrying to keep her country from war. That premise takes a classic political intrigue and interweaves a very feminine perspective into it without losing either the romance or the adventure. Add in the inherent lushness and romance of an east-Indian aesthetic, and I like that reviewers are calling it vivid and crisp. It tells me that I got something right in the descriptions!

Personally, as a woman who has worked in engineering but now writes fiction, strong female characters come naturally to me. But I know that female empowerment is a huge issue in India, and I hope that I can, through a small flight of fancy, give a taste of that empowerment to young woman, no matter where they live in the world.
Speaking of India, Scott, I hear you have an east-Indian character in your story as well! Can you tell us about her and her role in the story?

Scott Tarbet: I do! Her name is Lakshmi, and she is the Steampunk analogue of the character Titania in Shakespeare’s play. In the play, Titania and Oberon are the fairy queen and king. In my adaptation they are genius inventors. Lakshmi is the daughter of the sultan of Golkondah, a physician, engineer, inventor, and philanthropist. Truth be told, not only is she my ideal woman, but she is everything I myself would like to be my idealized feminine side. To me she embodies all aspects of love: romantic, filial, and godly. She is a profoundly romantic figure, in the best possible sense.

Her efforts to stave off the disasters that will befall the 20th Century world the analogue extension of the conflict between Titania and Oberon over the little Indian boy are the heart of the political intrigues of the novel. Together with the other queens, she forms the heart (literally and figuratively) of the resistance to evil.
I think of Lakshmi as embodying all that is best and most charming in the Steampunk genre: she represents the bridge between unattainable magic and the good that can come from attainable technology. The spirit of Lakshmi is why I love Steampunk.
Now, I see that Third Daughter is part of a series, The Dharian Affairs. What can you tell us about the future of the characters we meet in Third Daughter without spoiling the surprises for us, of course.
Susan Kaye Quinn: The Dharian Affairs will be a trilogy: Third Daughter, Second Daughter, First Daughter. Aniri, the spunky Third Daughter who wrestles with love and duty, will be the main character throughout, but in Second Daughter, we’ll get to see more of Aniri’s beloved sister, the princess whose fate was sealed from the start by an arranged marriage to protect an alliance. In First Daughter, the adventure will continue closer to home, where Aniri’s oldest sister and heir-apparent, the First Daughter, plays a prominent role in bringing the trilogy to a close. In fairy tales, the number three plays an almost mystical role, and I love the idea of exploring each daughter’s role in the fate of the Queendom.
Will we see more from the characters you created in AMNS?
Scott Tarbet: Yes! There’s a short story called Ganesh that tells the backstory of one of the characters in AMNS. It is to be part of anthology of AMNS short stories at some point in the future. I’ll soon be putting it online exclusively for people who have already enjoyed AMNS.
The next book set in the AMNS universe, Lakshmi, is well underway. It’s up to Xchyler Publishing whether it will come out before or after my novel Dragon Moon.
Susan, it has been a great pleasure chatting with you. All the best to you and your readers!

Susan Kaye Quinn: The pleasure was all mine, Sir!
Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction. The Dharian Affairs trilogy is her excuse to dress up in corsets and fight with swords. She also has a dark-and-gritty SF serial called The Debt Collector and a middle grade fantasy called Faery Swap. It’s possible she’s easily distracted. Her business card says “Author and Rocket Scientist” and she always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can subscribe to her newsletter (hint: new subscribers get a free short story!) or stop by her blog to see what she’s up to.
Third Daughter (The Dharian Affairs #1)

Kindle|Nook|Print

The Third Daughter of the Queen wants to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon force her to accept a barbarian prince’s proposal of a peace-brokering marriage.

I reviewed THIRD DAUGHTER back in December. SO GOOD! Check it out here.




Scott Tarbet is the author of A Midsummer Night’s Steampunk from Xchyler Publishing, Tombstone, in the paranormal anthology Shades & Shadows, and the forthcoming Lakshmi, Dragon Moon, and Nautilus Redux. He writes enthusiastically in several genres, sings opera, was married in full Elizabethan regalia, loves steampunk waltzes, and slow-smokes thousands of pounds of Texas-style barbeque. An avid skier, hiker, golfer, and tandem kayaker, he makes his home in the mountains of Utah. Follow Scott E. Tarbet online at his website or on Twitter.

A Midsummer Night’s Steampunk
Kindle|Nook|Print

Immerse yourself in this Steampunk retelling of Shakespeare’s classic, replete with the newfound wizardry of alternative Victorian technology, mistaken identities, love triangles, and deadly peril, set against the backdrop of a world bracing itself for war, and Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

***GIVEAWAY***
Twenty prizes are up for grabs, folks!
All you gotta do is click this little linky-loo…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, and as always: keep reading my friends!

Loved COMING HOME–Review and Giveaway…

Coming-HomeTour-Banner

Hi there! And welcome to my stop on the COMING HOME blog tour organized by AtoMR Book Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. Today’s book is contemporary romance from Priscilla Glenn–and it FREAKING MADE ME CRY, so it’s a damn good read.

Coming Home CoverABOUT THE BOOK:
Leah Marino hasn’t been on a date in two years. After discovering the man she loved had manipulated and deceived her, she refuses to even entertain the idea of a relationship. Instead, she focuses her attention on taking care of her family, a role she’s assumed since the death of her mother and the one place she knows her kindness won’t be taken advantage of again.
When a nostalgic trip back to her childhood home results in a chance encounter with Danny DeLuca, a smart-mouthed mechanic who’s as attractive as he is mysterious, Leah’s carefully cultivated walls begin to crumble. She finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Danny, despite his unreliable behavior and mixed signals.
But Danny has a secret…
One that could shake Leah’s already precarious foundation and bring her world crashing down around her. Suddenly, she’s faced with an incredibly difficult decision–is she willing to risk everything for the chance at finding the love she’s always wanted? Or are some obstacles just too big for the heart to overcome?

My Review:

Wow. Just…I cried, okay. I CRIED!

Leah’s the caretaker of her family–since her mother died sixteen years ago. She’s the middle child and her last relationship crumbled under infidelity. Yet, her cheating ex stalks her (subtly) reinforcing Leah’s belief that she’s got bad taste in men. She’s shut down so many in the past two years she’s almost forgotten how it feels to find a man attractive…until she meets Danny.

Danny’s a good, hard-working man. His home life was crap, but he has strong ties to Gram, the grandmother of his childhood best friend Bryan. Now that Bryan’s gone, Danny takes care of Gram like she’s his own. In fact, part of what attracts Leah is Danny’s selflessness and devotion to family–something her ex never indulged.

But Danny’s quixotic moods keep them separate. One day he seems interested, and the next–he’s pushing Leah away. For a gal who hasn’t put herself ‘out there’ in two years, well, she’s not willing to press. Too much.

The chemistry is strong, but is it enough? Especially when Leah learns that Danny’s got legal troubles. Is she willing to stand by his side even if it means losing him later?

The author has asked that Danny’s secret not be revealed, and at first I thought: why should I hide the problem, you know? But then I recognized that all new relationships are built on uncertainty. There’s always a chance that one of the partners isn’t as ‘invested’ as the other and the loving one will get hurt, right? And, romance books all have a separation of the lovers right before the climax.

So, it’s the same with Leah and Danny–only they have a guaranteed relationship hiccup. In the meantime they make the absolute most of each moment they have–which really drew me in. They are so genuine, so open with each other, I just wanted them to make it. Wanted something to happen that would change their course for the better. Watching their separation occur tore me in two–hence, the tears.

Naturally, I felt like a sap, wiping my eyes on the bed sheet while trying not to sob and wake the hubby, but damn, it felt good, or bad, or…whatever, I LOVE when I get emotionally invested. That’s when I know the author done good. I loved this story. I loved Danny and Leah–two REALLY good people without any actual defects who, due to chance, meet, fall in love, separate and overcome in the most natural of manners. No BDSM. Minor head games–but, in the normal way of two people mis-communicating.  No insta-love, COMING HOME begins with a tiny spark that leads to a slow burning love.

Interested? You can find COMING HOME on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble.

Priscilla GlennAbout the Author

Priscilla Glenn lives in New York with her husband and three children. She has been teaching English at the middle and high school levels for the past twelve years while moonlighting as a writer, mom, coach, student, and professional laundry-doer.

If you catch her when she’s feeling sophisticated, she’ll tell you her favorite things are great books and good wine. In the moments in between, she’ll admit her love for anything Ben and Jerry’s, UFC fights, and Robert Pattinson.

Glenn is the author of the contemporary romance novels Back to You, Emancipating Andie, and Coming Home. You can catch up with her on twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

***GIVEAWAY***

Click this Rafflecopter link to win one of

three signed paperback copies of COMING HOME (international)

Good luck, and as always, keep reading my friends!

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The Gryphon Series by Stacey Rourke–Reviews and Giveaway!

The-Gryphon-Series-Tour-Banner

Hi there and welcome to my stop on the tour for the Gryphon Series by Stacey Rourke sponsored by AToMR Book Tours. For other stops on the tour, click here. Because there are four books in the series, I’ve attached links to my Goodreads reviews–and just a snippet of my overall impressions to give you a flavor of the series. (Otherwise this post would be fo-eva… long!)

The Conduit (Gryphon, #1)The Conduit (Book, #1)

All 18-year-old Celeste Garrett wants is to head off to college and make those fun, yet ill-advised, choices college kids are known for. And maybe to spend some time with the hot cameraman she just met. Instead, because of a pact her ancestors made in the 17th century with a mythical creature, she has to save the world.

While normal kids are slamming energy drinks and cramming for exams, Celeste will get her adrenaline rush fighting a fire breathing dragon. She wants to meet friends in the quad to exchange lecture notes, but first she must exchange blows with a shapeshifting demon on the rooftop. Life isn’t always fair for a superhero, but at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her brother and sister as sidekicks, they alternate between saving lives and getting on each others’ nerves. Together the trio encounters unspeakable odds, mystical forces and comes face-to-face with an image that will haunt them forever—their grandmother in a leopard print bikini.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

 Embrace (Gryphon, #2)Embrace (Book, #2) Find my review HERE.

RONE Award Winner Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012

Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a “normal life” would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn’t know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her.

Now, she’d like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won’t allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust—if anyone.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Sacrifice (Gryphon, #3)Sacrifice (Book, #3) Find my review HERE.

Celeste Garrett has finally found a happy balance in her life as the Chosen One, thanks in large part to a certain hunky Irishman. But if there’s any lesson she should heed since receiving her calling it’s that everything can change in the blink of an eye. Soon a terrible new threat, unlike anything she’s ever encountered, causes her to make a gut-wrenching choice that will strip her of someone she holds dear.

As much as she’d like to have a pity party for one, there’s no time for that now because wedding bells are ringing in Gainesboro! In between dress fittings and rehearsal dinners Celeste will have to fend off attacking demons and leering pirates. As if the Dark Army wasn’t scary enough our heroine is faced with the horrifying trauma of attending a bachelorette party with her mom and watching Grams do Jello shots. Is a walk down the aisle even possible for a member of the Garrett family when the Dark Army is out to destroy them? More importantly, will the Dark Army Glee Club sing at the reception?

Raise your glass to the happy couple, and get ready for a wedding…Conduit-style.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Ascension (Gryphon Series #4)Ascension (Book, #4) Read my review HERE.

From best selling and award winning author Stacey Rourke comes the heart-pounding continuation of the acclaimed Gryphon Series.

The turning point of the Gryphon saga is at hand …

Battle looms. Three unstoppable forces prepare to clash in a colossal explosion that could wipe Gainesboro off the map. Fate and a sacred calling have landed nineteen year old Celeste Garrett in the middle with nowhere to run.

Her trust wavers as she uncovers dark secrets of the Council, powerful enough to test her loyalty and turn her against those she swore to protect. Playing to the longing of her heart, a malevolent enemy uses her weakness against her to form an alliance.

With the trumpets of war about to sound, which side will the Conduit choose, and who will be left standing?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Having read books 2, 3, and 4–I’ll tell you I just really enjoyed the series. It’s a fast-paced imaginative adventure that pits a down-to-Earth gal against the forces of evil. Celeste didn’t choose this fate, but she embraces it, works with it, struggles through it and in the end more than survives it.

It’s a great read with epic battles and a plucky heroine whose deadpan humor often made me laugh out loud. I highly recommend it for YA readers–and though it’s technically got a romance, I’d give it 3 bars of Dial soap for being so squeaky-clean.

About the Author

RONE Award Winner for Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series Novel.

Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012.

Stacey Rourke is the author of the YA Fantasy Gryphon Series and the nonfiction autobiographical I’m Not Crazy, I’m on Lupron; a Journey Through Infertility. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant, drooly dogs. Stacey loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. She is currently hard at work on the continuations of the Gryphon Series as well as other literary projects.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
1 Set of The Gryphon Series in eBook format – International
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Now Available–WAITING ON MY REASON–Review and Giveaway

Release Event

WAITING ON MY REASON  BY DEVON ASHLEY

Waiting on my Reason Front Cover (1)

Release Date: January 21, 2014  New Adult Romantic Suspense

Barnes & Noble       Amazon       Goodreads       Kobo

Synopsis:

Things always happen for a reason. I just wish I knew the why behind mine.

Five years ago, graduation wasn’t what it was supposed to be. Publicly humiliated, Melanie was more than happy to kiss off her high school sweetheart. But in doing so, she lost more than just her boyfriend, she lost the only other guy she truly cared for – his best friend, Shane.

Shane loathed the idea of returning to his small hometown. He just wanted to get in, help his best friend manage a legal matter, and get the hell back out again. But he wasn’t expecting to run into the one girl who got away, who always held a piece of his heart despite the animosity that lingered. Melanie could’ve been the one, but after everything that happened, trust was a serious issue.

Melanie just wanted to do right by her son. Shane just wanted to do right by his best friend. And just when they think they can find the strength to forgive the sins of the past, more secrets and lies bubble to the surface, threatening to push them even farther apart.

My Review:

I received a review copy of this book from the author. And I devoured it.

Shane Matthews has returned to his small town in Texas to secure the inheritance for his childhood best friend, Brad Montgomery. Brad’s had a bad run ever since Melanie busted his heart senior year. Booze and drugs have left Brad in a bad way–emotionally and financially. What Shane can’t understand is why Brad’s grandma didn’t leave him his fortune…and who did get it!

Back on his home turf, Shane encounters Melanie–the girl who got away, and destroyed his friend. She’s as good looking as ever, and clearly the interest is mutual, but Shane can’t get past his fury over Melanie’s role in Brad’s downward spiral. He insults her–terribly.

Melanie’s been considered the town tramp since senior year. Instead of escaping to Tulane for college, she’s stuck out her life, working hard and harder to support herself, and her son. Brad’s son. Not that people believe her story of an assault while on a college visit. Brad hadn’t. Then again, Brad was a lush in high school, and Shane should have known that–if he was such a good friend. Melanie knows exactly what happened to Brad’s “inheritance” but she’s not willing to spill the beans to Shane–or Brad. Why should she have to? Brad’s been gone for years, and hasn’t looked back once. Not for Melanie, their son, or his grandmother. Now broke, he certainly doesn’t deserve anything.

What we have here is a small-town, small-minds melodrama. It’s real, and engaging and reads like 2/3 of Maury Povich episodes. Lots of accusations and false leads. Even more hurt feelings and complete misunderstandings.

The whole time I wanted shake Shane and tell him to take good hard look at Brad. See him for the miserable conniving wretch he was. The DBag didn’t deserve gas money, let alone a dime of inheritance IMHO. When Shane does finally get the straight story, he’s introduced a whole lot more problems for himself, and Melanie. But he’s a stand-up guy and one with whom Melanie is overjoyed to reconnect. It seemed as though their love story was always waiting on the fringe, just out of reach in high school because of their own decency and friendship with Brad. In any case, the lovin’ is quiet, but considerate. It’s a satisfying read, for sure.

Interested? You can find WAITING ON MY REASON at Barnes & Noble,  Amazon,  Goodreads, and Kobo

About the Author
I’m a mom, wife, a lover and a fighter, coffee addict, wicked knitster, Microbiologist, baker of fine yummy treats, and someone who will fight you to death for that last bag of M&Ms during the zombie-apocalypse. Seriously, my addiction is that important to me. Oh, and I say seriously way too much. Seriously.

You can find out more about Devon Ashley on GoodReads, Facebook, or her Blog.

***GIVEAWAY***

Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win one of

(3) Signed print copies of Waiting On My Reason – US Only
or (1) $15 USD toward the Book Depository – International (countries the Book Depository delivers)
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Good luck, and as always, keep reading my friends!

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Love is…WISH FOR YOU–Review and Giveaway!

Wish-For-You-Tour-Banner

Hi there and welcome to my stop on the WISH FOR YOU blog tour sponsored by AToMR Book Tours. Forother stops on the tour click here. Today’s book is a New Adult romance by best-selling author Marquita Valentine.

Wish for You front coverBook Summary:
There’s only one place in the world Lacey Evans feels normal- the roller derby track. When she laces up her skates and fastens her helmet, she’s powerful and in charge. She knows exactly what to do and what to say. The rules are clear and penalties are enforced for those who don’t follow them. But in the read world, she’s far from powerful and in charge. She never knows exactly what to do and say. For years, she counted on one person to be exactly who he said he was–her best friend, Wyatt Tanaka. Only she changed the rules on him, without any warning, and now she’s the one being punished.

Marine veteran, Wyatt Tanaka, came home to a heroes welcome. But he’s hiding a secret, one that could potential destroy his life. He’s doing the best he can, trying to cope with the guilt and the pain of the girl he loves pushing him away by doing all the things he’d sworn not too. Women, bars, drugs and drinking are what consume him. With Lacey’s new rules, he has nothing to hold on to. Nothing to keep in from feeling dead.

Then one night, he goes too far, gets in too deep, and when the truth comes out… will Lacey keep pushing him away or help save him?

My Review:
Well. This book took me through a few really squicky turns. I have a bit of insight into PTSD–family members who suffer(ed). And I also have known quite a few vets who wallow in intoxication, trying to bury their pain. Perhaps that’s why I had such a visceral reaction–because I know how real this experience is for countless men and women who’ve returned from the front lines.

At the time we join the story wounded veteran Wyatt is in full wallow. He feels responsible for the death of his battle buddy and has returned home where everyone wants him to be ‘normal’. He couldn’t find normal with a GPS and a set of MRE’s, yet he tries to pretend. He hungers for Lacey though they’ve only ever shared a few kisses. He’s sure he’s not good enough for her–and she confirms that by pushing him away. Booze and pot have helped mellow him out, but, without Lacey, he’s hitting the hard stuff–coke and prostitutes–looking for any release from his pain. Sure, he keeps his weekly appointments with his counselor; therapy only works if you’re honest. And he can’t be honest. Not about the drugs, not about the women, and not about the death of his buddy.

Lacey’s tortured by Wyatt’s downward slide. She loves him with every breath in her lungs, but she’s not the girl Wyatt deserves–in her opinion. Oh, and his mother’s opinion, too. See, Lacey’s not-alright. She has all-consuming panic attacks when her schedule deviates. And her schedule is about to get tossed into the recycling bin–now that her family is headed to Turkey as missionaries. Except for Lacey. She’s too old to go as a dependent and now she needs a place to live. Good thing Wyatt has a spare bedroom.

Wyatt’s almost a split personality. He can’t bear being just friends with Lacey. His counselor advises that he take whatever connection she’ll offer–and they each try to set the other up with dates. Total disaster, that. Fury drives Wyatt far past his usual binges and he nearly OD’s. Lacey is called in to support Wyatt, allowing his mother the chance to explain how sorry she was for ever questioning Lacey as a mate for Wyatt.

Still they have issues to work through. Wyatt needs more counseling, and Lacey’s diagnosis doesn’t help matters. There is a point of compromise, however, and a comfortable solution. It’s not the typical HEA–because we know there will be more bumps down the road–but there is confidence that their future will be good.

For me, I had a lot of trouble with Wyatt. He’s stubborn, abrupt and erratic with little consideration for himself, or Lacey. I wished like hell that he’d let go of his (irrational) guilt and just be the kind of guy Lacey needed. As for Lacey, I was a bit stunned how quickly she let Wyatt flop into her bed. She’s a devout Christian girl, and yes, she loves Wyatt–has for years–but it was lightspeed macking action. Their inability to communicate honestly really gave me (and them) fits. I’m not a huge fan of complications based on dishonesty–not saying that everyone must be candid all the time–I just want more of a romantic hurdle than simply “I can’t tell you the real problem.” Even in his biggest crisis, Lacey had to hear the real truth by eavesdropping before Wyatt would confess. By the end they were actually being truthful, and gained a bit more of my respect. And, Wyatt getting clean helped even more. I think readers who enjoy a good redemption tale will find their wishes fulfilled with this story.

Interested? You can find WISH FOR YOU at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble

marquita valentine author pictureAbout the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Marquita Valentine, writes sexy heroes that make you swoon and sassy heroines that make you laugh. She’s the author of the bestselling contemporary romance series, Holland Springs, and the new adult romance series, Boys of the South.

Marquita met her husband (aka Hot Builder) at Sonic when they were in high school. She suggests this location to all of her single friends in search of a good man—and if that doesn’t work, they can console themselves with cheesy tatertots. She lives in North Carolina in a very, very small town with Hot Builder and their two children. You can stalk find at her website, Facebook or Twitter.

To celebrate WISH FOR YOU’s release, you can enter one of two giveaways!!

***Giveaway 1***
Continental US residents, click this Rafflecopter link for your chance to win
(1) Engraved set of dog tags from Things Remembered – Continental US Only
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EVERYONE can click on THIS Rafflecopter link for your chance to win

(1) $100 USD Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble – International

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Good luck and, as always, keep reading my friends!

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LIAR, LIAR HEARTS ON FIRE–Review and Giveaway

zane_blog_tour_ad

Hi there and welcome to my stop on the LIAR LIAR, HEARTS ON FIRE blog tour, sponsored by AToMR Book Tours. For other stops on the tour, click here. Today’s book is a “zany” contemporary romance from Jennifer Zane. It’s a hoot!

liar_liar_hearts_on_fire_72dpi_200x300 (1)Book Summary:

Violet Miller is a teacher savoring her summer break until she’s been called in as emergency reinforcements—of the dating kind. She volunteers to help an old flame by pretending to be his girlfriend. In Alaska. At a family reunion. Since the guy is a handsome, lumberjack-sized doctor she’s never quite forgotten, faking a relationship won’t be hard work.

Mike Ostranski is a desperate man on vacation. His mother wants grandchildren and sees a crazy Alaskan woman as a candidate for daughter-in-law. Mike needs Violet by his side to deflect the lady’s advances.

A week in Alaska as boyfriend and girlfriend should be easy for them. They grew up together, even had a brief fling. What could go wrong?

Everything.

My Review:

This contemporary romance has it all: crazy stalker women, scheming mothers, polyamorous Frenchmen, erotica authors, desperate bachelors, twins, antiquities thieves, Civil War era-actors, and unrequited loves. For all of the plot complications herein:  I blame it all on the sex.

See, Vi’s life would be easier if she and that strapping ginger Mike Ostranski never lost their virginity to each other on graduation night. He ruined her. Just ruined her–they had been good friends until that (highly anticipated) fateful night. But hooking up and then leaving for summer camp, then college, then medical school really left Violet with abandonment issues. Now Mike’s returned to Bozeman, Montana–and is good friends with Violet’s twin sister Veronica–but never seeks out any contact with the gal he left behind.

Until Violet is filling in for Veronica working at Bozeman, Montana’s only adult store, Goldie’s. Mike’s call is a plea for help. Aided by his mother, a stalker-neighbor has been trying to seduce him while he vacations up in Alaska. He wanted Veronica to come to his rescue and claim she was his girlfriend, but, you know, Violet will do.

Outraged, Violet refuses, but Mike’s a charmer. And, Goldie is pressing on her to get some action–or at least some closure, for goodness sake. Soon Vi’s on the red-eye to Anchorage. She’s the newest guest at the Ostranski family reunion. As, Mike’s fiance. Yeah, he had to up the game to keep his stalker at bay. Mike’s uncle, recently retired from the military, is hosting ten guests for a week before hitting the trail as a Confederate soldier in those Civil War re-enactment tours. Oh my! He’s got some quirky lines!

Meanwhile, Violet’s accosted in the shower by stalker-gal, and she handles herself well. She and Mike drift into the comfortable friendship they had in high school, spending hours fishing for salmon and making up for lost time. In fact, Mike’s romantic hand is forced, not only by his stalker, and interfering mother, but by his French cousins who would like nothing better than to make Violet the filling in their man-sandwich. Oh, and who can forget Cherry Bottoms? Yeah, that’s Vi’s alter ego–a presumably bestselling author of erotica–something she has gone to great lengths to keep hidden.

It’s a fast-paced rollicking tale of soul mates who got separated too early in their lives. Mike’s never been serious about anyone since Vi, and the flip-side is true for Vi. Still, it’s not all easy. While they fit physically, and chemically, Mike’s devotion to his career above all things isn’t fair to Violet–especially when Mike’s career path seems to take a turn for New York. And Vi isn’t willing to move.

[Side note: Having a history in teaching medical school, and still working in close contact with physicians, well, some of this tale doesn’t hold realistic water, but few readers probably understand the career paths of podiatrists and for them this will not be troubling. For me, it was.] 

In the end we get an HEA–and a coming out for Cherry. Violet’s heart does get smashed in the middle and she’s almost killed by a lunatic antiquities thief, but Mike kinda gets his act together just in time.

Speaking of time, usually I complain about pace being too slow. Not the case here. Sometimes I actually wished for a teeny bit more info. The way some characters were introduced and glossed over left me hanging–as if they were part of another book and I should simply know their backstory–but I didn’t which left me floundering at times. In all, it’s a fun read with some delicious smexytimes. Ever since OUTLANDER I’m a sucker for a strapping ginger, so I adored Mike. Particularly when he got his head on straight. People who like contemporary romance, and quirky plots with interfering family casts, will be hooked by this book.

Interested? You can find LIAR LIAR HEARTS ON FIRE at Goodreads and Amazon.

About the Author

Jennifer Zane has lived all over the country–from Georgia to Maryland, New York to Colorado, including an exciting five years in Montana. Her time in Big Sky country was the basis for this book. When she’s not writing, she savors the insanity of raising two boys, is figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker, and teaches a pretty mean karate class. She currently lives with her family in Colorado. You can find Jennifer on her blog, Facebook or Twitter.

***GIVEAWAY***

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win

one of five eBooks of Liar, Liar Hearts on Fire
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Good luck and, as always, keep reading my friends!

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Living With HARD GLAMOUR–Review and Giveaway

Hard-Glamour-Tour-Banner copy

Hi there and welcome to my stop on the HARD GLAMOUR blog tour sponsored AToMR Book Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. Today’s book is a New Adult Romance by Maggie Marr.

hard glam-cover
A promise to keep….
Honoring her mother’s last wish, Lane Channing vows to follow her dreams. She takes the ‘big risk’ and leaves her small Kansas town behind and heads to LA, the city of dreams. She’s got a stellar job lined up, an old jeep, and 20 bucks to last her to her first paycheck. Her hopes shatter when she arrives to find her job’s been given to someone else.  Now she’s broke and will soon be living on the streets if she doesn’t do something fast. Welcome to cutthroat – Lane is most certainly not in Kansas anymore.

On the cusp of success…
Dillon MacAvoy has one goal–to become a star–whatever it takes. Even if it means honing his bad-boy can’t-be-tamed-and-forever-single image. Besides the image isn’t far from the truth. Dillon cares only about his younger brother and his career. He’s on the brink of superstardom if he can just decide on the next right script. But for that, he needs a script reader he can trust.

In a strange twist of fate…
Lane Channing is Dillon’s last chance. If Lane lasts the summer without becoming MacAvoy’s latest conquest, she’s guaranteed a job in entertainment. No problem, as long as she can ignore the heat that pulses through her every time Dillon is in the room. After all, love and commitment with a sweet, hometown girl would only ruin the Dillon MacAvoy brand.

My Review:
Lane is in a real mess. She’s broke in LA, with no job, and her car has just been towed. The brief encounter with a gay mailboy at the talent agency didn’t seem like a portent–but it should have. That mailboy, Choo, is about to become her personal savior. See, the delightful Choo is the younger brother of a (potential) rising star–Dillon MacAvoy.

Dillon had been recently plucked from obscurity while on UCLA’s campus–tapped for his All-American good looks, he posed for some underwear ads, and a year later he’s making movies. Not quite a household name, he’s got three movies poised for release and his publicist and agent are planning to capitalize on the “Unattainable Bad Boy” image they have cultivated to maximize his marketability. As with everything Hollywood–sex sells. So Dillon’s been having a lot of it. Dillon’s a fresh talent, but he’s a terrible script reader–and all his female readers, well…they don’t last long. If you want to get into a movie, you have to know the script, so chasing away all his readers after one-night stands means Dillon’s in professional trouble.

Choo picks Lane to be Dillon’s new reader–and it’s an offer she can’t refuse. Even if she struggles with attraction to her new boss. Dillon’s finally found a girl he won’t sleep with–because Lane is too pure for his jaded tastes. He knows she’s deep down good, not one of the countless starlets looking for a little fame pop with their action. See, Dillon’s driven to succeed. He needs these movies to go big time so he can bank enough money to support himself and Choo. Their parents have disowned them–well Choo anyway–for his ‘lifestyle’. Choo’s parents had previously subjected him to radical deprogramming therapy to “cure” his homosexuality–and it nearly killed him–something Dillon will never let happen again. So he’s All In on the image-building. The bigger his paydays the better he can protect Choo, after all.

Yet, he’s desperately drawn to Lane, and she to him. For her the security of their home: Dillon, Choo and their housekeeper, is something she hasn’t had for a bit. She has no siblings and her mom just died…so Choo’s friendship is a balm, even if Dillon’s attitude flexes between frostbite and thermonuclear. And, yeah, it does get hot.

But admitting that they want each other isn’t the hardest part. No, the hardest part is Dillon keeping up his Charade of Sexiness when Lane holds his heart. And, the hard truths of the glamour business are enough to send Lane packing back to Kansas…to save herself, and any shred of a career she might want when she graduates next spring.

It’s a satisfying read. Good smexytimes. Excellent tension. A insider’s look at the PR machine that is Hollywood. Some (rather) implausible scenarios that ultimately bring the naive Lane and the aloof Dillon into each other’s embrace, but it’s a romance so we’re all just as desperate to have them reach the HEA as they are… If you like Celebrity Romance (Think: Jasinda Wilder’s STRIPPED, Sasha Summers’  HOLLYWOOD EVER AFTER, or Beck Anderson’s FIX YOU) you will not be disappointed.

Interested? You can find HARD GLAMOUR on Goodreads, Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Maggie Marr
About the Author
Maggie Marr grew up in the Midwest and made the move to Los Angeles to work in the movie business.  She was a motion picture literary agent for ICM before becoming a full time writer.  She’s written for film and TV and ghostwritten for celebrities.  She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

You can find Maggie on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads or Pinterest.

***GIVEAWAY***
Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
one of 10 Print copies of Hard Glamour – US/Canada
or one of 10 eBook copies of Hard Glamour – International

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Good luck, and as always, keep reading my friends!

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