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.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck and keep reading my friends!
AToMRTours_mdm

Cephalopod Coffeehouse November 2013–The Grave Danger of Loving Darynda Jones’s Fiction

Hi there and welcome to my review for this month’s Cephalopod Coffeehouse–a book review forum hosted by the Armchair Squid. I had a surprisingly hard time choosing a book for this month’s feature.

As usual I read a killer ton–thirty books, I think. Most I reviewed for my blog, a few for NetGalley, the others for my own guilty pleasure…

I had considered His Name is Sir by Deena Ward. This is absolutely what Pride and Prejudice would have been if Jane Austen wrote BDSM romance. I adored it–and all four books in her Power to Please Collection.

I also considered Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning–the first of her uber-steamy Sinners on Tour series–which delivers EXACTLY what the tagline of the book promises: Love, Sex and Rock-n-Roll.

Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson #5)But I think I’ll go with Darynda Jones’s FIFTH GRAVE PAST THE LIGHT. This is the newest installment of the Charley Davidson series. I reviewed First Grave on the Right last month in my Halloween Spooktacular of paranormal romance features, and the fifth book in the series is not a let down.

If anything, I’m trying to locate the lovely Ms. Jones’s net server so I can hack in for her e-galley of the next book in the series.

Why?

Because she–somehow–made a gal raised in a christian home fall in love with the son of Satan.

That’s right. I love her super-Alpha love interest Reyes Alexander Farrow. I may have some competition from Charley, but hey…

Here’s what happens. Charley is a reaper–actually the only living one in existence. Her humor is Outer Limits–I crack up reading her deadpan observations–which takes a bit of the “grimness” out of her reaper duties: being a portal through which the dead cross into the afterlife. When they pass through her, she absorbs some of their memories. Communicating with the dead is handy for Charley’s private investigator work. Especially when she helps her uncle solve crimes in his job as a Detective for the Albuquerque PD.

In this book, Charley’s longstanding attraction to Reyes Farrow is tested to the limit. See, Reyes has moved into her building–right next door. And he keeps leaving her these sexy Post-its telling her to come over. Charley would like to–but she’s nervous. First, as the son of Satan Reyes may be able to lead Lucifer’s army straight into Heaven by breaching Charley’s portal. Also, Charley suspects Reyes is behind a string of arsons that inexplicably have destroyed every dwelling Reyes ever shared with his sexually abusive step-father. Places where photographic evidence of Reyes’ molestation had been hidden in the walls…

At her core, Charley is an honest soul. She won’t hesitate to turn Reyes in if he’s a criminal. As she isn’t sure, she continues to search for evidence. In the meantime she and Reyes share some heated (read: smoking hot) encounters. Because–did I mention he makes me swoon?–he’s delicious. Intelligent, strong, virile, compassionate and head-over-heels for Charley without losing his magnetic charisma.

In the midst of her Reyes-confusion, Charley works on solving a newly-discovered serial killer case. She follows a few dead leads, and aids nearly thirty lost souls to find their eternal rest. Her discovery of the arsonist seemed more obvious (to me) but handily removes the tension betwixt herself and Reyes. It seems Charley’s life will move to the next level with Reyes into Happily Ever Land–until she’s kidnapped by a maniac.

The book ends with an arrangement I hope Charley will not refuse–even if it means the end of civilization as we know it.

These books are housed under Mystery at my library–only because they don’t have a “Smoking-Hot-Dead-Funny-Paranormal-Romance-Mystery” section in the stacks. If you’re interested, schedule some vacation time and read this series from the start. I think you’ll lose sleep. I know I have.

You can find these books at Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, booksellers worldwide, or any library system worth its bricks.

If you check these out–let me know what you think in the comments.

And, as always, keep reading my friends!

Now, follow these links to check out the reviews of my fellow coffeehousers…
1. The Armchair Squid                       7. Trisha @ WORD STUFF

2. Scouring Monk                               8. Kate O’Sullivan Read, Write, Repeat 

3. mainewords                                     9. Bird’s Nest

4. Huntress                                          10. Hungry Enough to Eat Six

5. Denise C Covey                               11. The Random Book Review

6. A Creative Exercise                         12. Words Incorporated

13. Defending the Pen

BOUND BY WISH AND MISTLETOE? Of course!–Review and Giveaway

Hi there and welcome to my stop on the Bound by Wish and Mistletoe Blog tour organized by AToMR Book Tours. If you’d like to see the other tour stops click here. Today’s feature is a double review of Kat Bastion’s recent works:  adult paranormal romance novella, BOUND BY WISH AND MISTLETOE, and also the preceeding novel–FORGED IN DREAMS AND MAGICK, released in September.

Let’s get started, shall we?

BBWAM Cover Bound by Wish and Mistletoe:
Desperate to honor a life-long promise, Susanna MacEalan escapes her abusive clan with the fierce determination of never falling under the power of a man. Ever.

Aggravated by shallow-hearted pursuing lasses, Robert Brodie, commander of his clan’s elite guard, has foresworn scheming women. Forever.

When magick transforms Brodie Castle into a Christmas wonderland, the two despondent souls find solace in a most unexpected place . . . each other’s arms.

Amid a whirlwind of escalating events, Susanna’s traumatic past threatens Robert’s ability to protect the one woman meant for him. In a harrowing moment, as her fears and demons coalesce, will hope, faith, and love be enough to save them?

My Review:

Susanna has been promised to a man she doesn’t desire in order to forge an alliance for her abusive, violent father. Unwilling to submit, she escapes. Only to come upon Robert Brodie while on a mission to acquire the perfect Christmas tree for Lady Isobel. Robert is taken by Susanna’s strong will and vulnerability, against his wishes.

When her unwanted suitor arrives, Robert and his men fight to save Susanna, only to trap her once again. The inhabitants of Castle Brodie do not leave their enchanted castle often, and Susanna’s hard-fought freedom must be surrendered if she is to remain with Robert.

Finally finding a place where she can be happy, she accepts Robert’s offer and love, but all is not settled and her father’s power is not to be forgotten.

This novella has heart and soul. I really enjoyed the banter between Robert and Susanna, and I enjoyed reconnecting with Isobel and Iain Brodie. It’s a lighthearted romance, and will appeal to any who enjoy Highlander love tales…
Interested? You can find BOUND BY WISH AND MISTLETOE at GOODREADS, AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

But what about the book that started it all?

Forged in Dreams and Magick:Forged in Dreams and Magick_Cover
Isobel MacInnes wakes up in present-day California, lunches in medieval Scotland, and by ten days’ end, falls in love with a man and his country, only to lose them in a heart-wrenching twist of fate . . .

Found in the arms of her second soul mate . . .

Forced to balance the delicate strands of time between two millennia . . .

Shocked by revelations rewriting the very foundations of history . . . of everything.

Isobel, a rising-star archaeology student, is dropped into two ancient worlds without warning . . . or her permission. Her fiery spirit resists the dependency thrust upon her. Amid frustration at her lack of control, she helplessly falls in love. Twice.

She struggles to adjust to the unimaginable demands of two leaders of men—a laird in the thirteenth-century Highlands and a Pict chieftain in a more ancient Scotland. Isobel transforms from an academic, hell-bent on obtaining archaeological recognition, to a woman striving to care for those she loves, and ultimately . . . into a fearless warrior risking everything to protect them.

My Review:
What woman wouldn’t want two insatiable lovers in two separate epochs?

Isobel may be a modern woman, but she’s not made of stone. When her connection to an ancient artifact tosses her to 13th century Scotland, Isobel does the best thing she can: marries the leader of Clan Brodie, Iain. Super swoony Iain is the whole of her existence…until she encounters that danged artifact again. Tossed back even farther, Isobel must survive with the Picts–and does so by mating the chieftain, Velloc.

Both men are fearsome fighters, courageous leaders, and tender lovers, but Isobel had given her heart to Iain first. Being with Velloc is heavenly, but shouldn’t she return to Iain if she can? How can a girl chose between sides of her heart?

She does, however, and is able to convince both her husbands that she should split time between them–why? Because she’s unsure if her time displacement will upset history, or cement it. Isobel returns to Iain and spends time with him–then returns with Iain’s help–to Velloc for a temporary visitation, only to find he is embroiled in the Roman conquest of Scotland. Now her knowledge of history is the only thing that can save Velloc and his Pict clan. Also, an angel…

Skorpius is a delicious treat who helps the Brodie, and Isobel, survive.

It’s a super fun read if you like time travel romance or Highland stories. Plenty of magic and mystery surround the artifact that whipsaws Isobel through time and love. As for the romance steam-factor: think warm and fuzzy, not melt your Kindle.

Interested?  Forged in Dreams and Magick is available via GOODREADS, AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Kat Bastion is an award-winning paranormal romance writer, poetic warrior, and eternal optimist who loves getting lost in the beauty of nature.

On a never-ending, wondrous path of self-discovery, Kat throws her characters into incredible situations with the hope that readers join her in learning more about the meaning of life and love. Her first published work, Utterly Loved, was shared with the world to benefit others. All proceeds from Utterly Loved, and a portion of the proceeds of all her other books, support charities who help those lost in this world.

Kat lives with her husband amid the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Visit her blog, her website, or connect with her on Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter for more information on Kat and her works.

****GIVEAWAY****

(5) eBook copies of each title (5 of Bound by Wish and Mistletoe and 5 of Forged in Dreams and Magick) gifted from either Kindle, Nook, Kobo, or ARe (not Smashwords) – International

(5) Signed print copies of each title (5 of Bound by Wish and Mistletoe and 5 of Forged in Dreams and Magick) – International

(1) Pandora sterling silver and 14k gold Christmas Tree charm with Pandora sterling silver bracelet – International

Holy cow!  Click HERE to enter this STUNNING giveaway.

And, as always: Keep reading my friends!

AToMRTours_mdm