Riven has fought for a hard-won peace in her world, and has come to shaky terms with who and what she is—a human with cyborg DNA. Now that the rightful ruler of Neospes has been reinstated, Riven is on the hunt for her father in the Otherworld to bring him to justice for his crimes against her people.
But when she receives an unwelcome visit from two former allies, she knows that trouble is brewing once again in Neospes. The army has been decimated and there are precious few left to fight this mysterious new threat.
To muster a first line of defense, her people need help from the one person Riven loathes most—her father. But what he wants in return is her complete surrender.
And now Riven must choose: save Neospes or save herself.
The Fallen Prince starts off right where The Almost Girl ends. And Amalie moves this story at the perfect pace.
There’s a lot going on but not once do you feel lost or get confused. Riven is trying to locate her father who everted to the “Otherworld” (Earth) all the while she is trying to stay ahead of The Faction and Guardians. However, when she finds out that their King is in the Otherworld with her, she has no other option but to stop looking for her father and seeing what Caden needs. And it’s not what she wants to hear.
Riven and her new team find themselves on an unknown journey. There are pushed to their limits with fighting against unknown species as well as twists and turns at almost every corner. There is nothing that can prepare them for what comes straight to them.
Amalie does a wonderful job of creating these new worlds that are outside Earth’s realm. You can so easily picture what these characters are seeing and feel the exact wonderment they do. Amalie’s writing will you put you right in the heart of everything and have you never wanting to leave.
The characters Amalie creates are so unique and amazing. Some of them are not all human and it’s just fascinating to see each of them interact together. I felt like I was watching a very entertaining and captivating Sci-Fi movie. The worlds, the characters – everything just comes to life on the pages and flows perfectly.
Riven is a brave, intelligent and heartfelt character. Caden has a heart of gold and will stop at nothing to save his people. Cale is a cruel and heartless asshole but he’s very savvy and a mastermind at surviving. Danton is selfish and only looks out for himself but he’s also a very highly intelligent man who lets his power overrule his feelings.
There are so many characters in this book – I could go on and on about them. They are all unique in their own ways and help make this story extremely enthralling and enrapturing.
If you can’t tell, I absolutely loved this book and this whole series. I was bewitched from beginning to end. Amazing job Amalie!
The Fallen Prince Excerpt:
The flare of blue fire is blinding. Then again, it’s gone so quickly that even if you were staring right at me, you’d blink and it’d vanish. The emissions from the process of eversion—shifting between universes—are unavoidable. However, I try to be careful, everting in concealed areas away from people, and away from the eyes of the Faction and the Guardians. They’re always watching for those who break the law—those who don’t
remain where they belong.
Me, more so than ever.
I belong in Neospes, a domed city in a parallel dimension to the Otherworld. But I’m here in pursuit of a man who everted over a year ago. A man who nearly destroyed my world in his quest for power. A man so consumed with retaliation that to let him loose in either world would be a colossal mistake.
And so I hunt him. I’ve been hunting him—across thirty states and always a step or two behind. He’s clever, brilliant, and a master strategist.
After all, he’s my father. And he’s my creator.
I may look like an ordinary girl, but I’m far from one. It’s something I’m still coming to terms with, ever since I learned the truth. I am a product of genetic experimentation and advanced robotics. I am the girl with nanoplasm for blood—the perfect combination of human and machine, an aberration of nature—and yet, its greatest creation. I am the only one of my kind.
My name is Riven.
And I am a killer.
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AMALIE HOWARD grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure.
An aspiring writer from a young age, Amalie Howard’s poem “The Candle,” written at age thirteen, was published in a University of Warwick journal. She was also a recipient of a Royal Commonwealth Society essay award (a global youth writing competition). A Colby College graduate, she completed simultaneous Honors Theses in both French and International Studies, and graduated Summa Cum Laude/Phi Beta Kappa. At Colby, she was cited for research and criticism in Raffael Scheck’s article, “German Conservatism and Female Political Activism in the Early Weimar Republic,” and his subsequent book, “Mothers of the nation: right-wing women in Weimar Germany.” She also received a distinction in English Literature from the University of Cambridge, A-level Examinations as well as a certificate in French Literature from the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. She is a member of SCBWI.
He’s a biker. She’s a Sheriff.
She’s in his world now, even if she doesn’t want to be…
The conclusion of Zeek and Jillian’s epic biker romance is
NOW LIVE!
AVAILABLE ON ALL RETAILERS!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1R7WJWx
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BLURB
I’m an outlaw. I don’t fall in love and I sure as fuck don’t run… Until Jillian McAdams.
I fell for a law abiding Sheriff, breaking my vows to my own club, and turning her against her family of blue.An outlaw and a sheriff, it can only end in one way… Mayhem.
Now we both have to pay the ultimate price for betraying our families.
I swore to kill my brother, his allegiance sworn to another club, if I ever saw him again.
Yet here I am running to him in hopes to save Jillian’s life…
We both will have to rewrite the rules we know to stay alive.
Even if it means we lose everything we had in doing so…
REVIEW
Mercy picks up right after how Reign ended. So if you haven’t read Reign yet, you need to or you will be utterly confused as to what is going.
Jillian and Zeek are on the run after both the law and Zeek’s uncle, who most likely has taken over Zeek’s MC. They have nowhere to go and really no idea who to trust. They end up in the last place Zeek thought he would ever find himself.
“I gave into temptation, I betrayed the code of blue, I fell for a criminal.”
Jillian is a complete mess. She’s reeling from her father’s death – Zeek being the one who murdered her father right in front of her. She’s at war with herself, Zeek and figuring out the truth to everything around her.
“I went against my brotherhood. I slept with a cop.”
Zeek’s main priority is keeping Jillian safe and protective – at any costs.
These two together are explosive – both inside and outside the bedroom. They push and battle one another on every level. I love it!!
“Our attraction was a mistake from the beginning, when that desire grew into love it become punishing. Our relationship is fucked up. Forbidden even.”
These two are in for one wild ride. There is so much action in this book. It’s non-stop pulse-pounding, in-your-face excitement that you’ll find yourself flying through the pages.
As always with M.N. she never lets us down with all the nuisances and unexpected curve balls thrown in. She delivers an action-packed, steamy suspenseful romance that will have your heart pumping!
EXCERPT
“Just—Just get in the shower,” he mutters, pulling back the shower curtain.
“Why are you doing all this?”
A pensive look crosses his face. “All of what?”
“This!” I wave my hands around. “Holding that nice old couple at gunpoint, in here with me. All of it?”
His eyes rake over me, and he shrugs. “So you could shower.”
“So you kidnapped a little old couple so I could shower?”
“Yep!”
It’s wrong, so wrong. Yet, I feel my chest tighten with longing and adoration. I like it. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? I can’t help my attraction to him. His stare is cold, his calloused hands rough, but his draw is soft and alluring.
“You going to get in?” He flicks a brow at me.
M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She’s a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn’t live with the “what if” anymore and finally took a chance on her character’s story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.
THROWN DOWN BY TESSA BAILEY REVIEW, GUEST POST, AND EXCERPT TOUR
Vaughn and River were the high school sweethearts everyone expected to fail. And they did. But not because of any shortage of love. Oh no. The town bad boy and the bubbly class president had that in spades. What they didn’t have was the truth—or the ability to defeat the forces that kept them apart. Vaughn never left River completely, however, because the night he left town for good, they conceived a child. Now Vaughn has returned to earn back his family—and River’s love—any way he can.
Thrown Down Synopsis:
He has one last chance to deserve the girl of his dreams…
Overachiever River Purcell was never supposed to be a struggling single mom, working double shifts just to make ends meet. Nor was she supposed to be abandoned by her high school sweetheart, breaking her heart into a thousand jagged pieces. Now Vaughn De Matteo is back in town, his sights set on her…and River is in danger of drowning a second time.
No one believed Hook’s resident bad boy was good enough for River. Not even Vaughn himself. But he’ll fight like hell to win back the woman he never stopped loving, to keep the daughter he never expected, and convince himself he’s worth their love in the process––even if he has to rely on their fierce and undeniable sexual chemistry.
But even as River’s body arches under his hungered touch, the demons of the past lurk in the shadows. Waiting for Vaughn to repeat his mistakes one last time…
My Review:
Thrown Down is the second book in author Tessa Bailey’s Made in Jersey series and, being a huge Tessa fan, I am always excited with a new release from her. Once again, this was no exception and from start to finish I loved everything about it.
Since you can read what the story is about in the synopsis, I’m going to skip that and go into my feelings on Vaughn and River’s story. Oh, the feelings…
I know I can count on Tessa for interesting, strong heroines with a soft side for their men and a love for his alpha side. When I pick up a Tessa book I know I can count on dirty talking heroes with an all-consuming need for their women. It’s always highly emotional, raw, sexy, dirty, and oh-so-delicious. What I finally figured out while reading Thrown Down is what, beyond that, makes me love Tessa’s characters so damn much….it’s the moments.
There are may be a handful of moments that stand out in the sea of books I’ve read. When you read as much as I do, things muddle together in your brain but you can always recall certain moments you know you’ll never forget. I’ve added one more to my collection while reading this book: when Vaughn met his daughter. I’m not really sure I can adequately put into words just how touching it was. Written out in such an emotional and raw way with time almost coming to a stop. I could feel what Vaughn was feeling at that very moment and it was something so special I had to take a deep breath after reading it. But that’s what Tessa does. She gives us these incredible moments in each book, that when you pair it with her gritty men, multifaceted women, and off the charts heat, always adds up to a combination not many can match.
Not only the big moments are the special ones, though. There are little things in each story that just kill me (in a good way, of course!). In Thrown Down it was Vaughn and River each counting how long it’s been since he left, changing the symbolism of the motel room they once shared, a picture he kept of her….and so many more I can’t say because I don’t want to ruin anything.
I know I’ve said it before, but truly, this book lands in my top five of Tessa. Possibly second place right behind Exposed by Fate, which will never be able to be knocked out of first place 😉
Whether you’re already a Tess fan or this is the first of her books you pick up, I know you will love Vaughn and River’s story. Thank you, Tessa, for another amazing read and for more indelible moments.
That was how long it had been since he’d seen her.
Vaughn swayed to the right, his shoulder slamming up against the wall. Then he kind of just hung there, counting forward and backward from one to ten. Not helping. Not helping. His stomach pitched at the sight of River walking through the drunks, like a nurse walking among the wounded on a battlefield. She could still knock his lights out on sight. Not that he’d doubted it for a second. But God, if it were possible, she’d grown even more beautiful over the last forty-nine months. Her blond hair was tied up in a ponytail, a pencil stuck through the base, in a way he remembered well enough to make his throat go raw. In a short black skirt and fitted white T-shirt, River tried to look the part of indifferent barmaid, but didn’t pull it off.
Not by a stretch.
Eyes Vaughn knew were just a shade darker than cornflower blue flitted to each table, and her fingers tugged on the skirt’s hem self-consciously every time she approached a new one. When she fumbled with the notepad, recovering with a nervous laugh, a choked sound left Vaughn. “Riv,” he whispered.
She looked up so fast, he might as well have shouted. The sudden impact of having River’s focus on him after such an extended period of time without it released a rushing sound between his ears, blocking out the sad lounge act…and apparently someone asking if he needed a table. Because when Vaughn snapped back to reality, a man he towered over by at least a foot was in his face. Snapping his fingers.
“I wouldn’t…” Vaughn shook his head to clear it, experiencing a resurgence of anger, this time for having his attention diverted from where he needed it to be. On River.
“I wouldn’t advise snapping your fingers in my face again.”
“Why’s that, huh?”
A toss of blond hair snagged Vaughn’s gaze as his angelic ex-girlfriend zigzagged through the crowd, drawing more than just his notice. Ah no, quite the opposite. She was putting on an unwitting show for every man in the room, attracting lecherous looks by virtue of being her beautiful self, light in a dark tunnel, same way she’d always been.
Finger snapped in front of his face. Again. “This is my place and I asked you a question.”
“This is your place?” Vaughn asked. God, one hour back in Jersey and already his accent had thickened from water to oil. “You hired River Purcell to clean up tables?”
“That’s right.”
Vaughn plowed a fist into the underside of the man’s jaw, watching him fall backward onto the sticky concrete floor with detachment that slowly morphed into satisfaction. So much for calm, he thought, shaking out his right hand.
About Tessa:
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.
Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
ABOUT ALL CHAINED UP:
Some men come with a built-in warning label. Knox Callaghan is one of them. Danger radiates from every lean, muscled inch of him, and his deep blue eyes seem to see right through to Briar Davis’s most secret fantasies. But there’s one major problem: Briar is a nurse volunteering at the local prison, and Knox is an inmate who should be off-limits in every way.
Knox feels it too—a shocking animal magnetism that drives him to risk his own life to protect Briar’s. Paroled at last, he tries to resist her. She’s too innocent, too sweet, and she has no idea what Knox is capable of. But a single touch can lead to a kiss—and a taste . . . until the only crime is denying what feels so right . . .
My review:
All Chained Up is the first book in author Sophie Jordan’s Devil’s Rock series. From the cover alone I was excited to read this book and it was a great read filled with heat, emotion, and action. I loved it.
From the moment they met, Knox and Briar’s relationship was complicated. He was a prisoner in the jail she was working in and even though she knew he was completely of limits and wouldn’t dream of acting on this unexpected and taboo attraction she felt for him, she couldn’t help herself from wondering what it would be like if they had met under different circumstances. Sure he was gruff, cold, and obviously dangerous, but there was something under his hard exterior that called to her…almost a kindness. That kindness would show itself when Briar found herself in a life or death situation and Knox goes from inmate to hero. That act gets him paroled and now, all those “what-ifs” become possibilities. Would she ever see him again? The better question is, what would she do if she did…
I love when an author has the ability to make me fall in love with a character who hardly even speaks for the first few chapters. Know was one of those characters. Ms. Jordan wrote him in such an amazing light and even though he clearly had done something bad in his past, I wanted redemption for him. I wanted to know there was a heart in there somewhere. Oh, and there is. It takes him a little while to let it show but when he did, it was awesome. I loved him and Briar together. Talk about two opposites attracting! But despite their differences, they meshed so well together and the heat and attraction between them is intense and smoking hot. I will certainly never look at Cherry Garcia ice cream the same way again 😉
I am so excited to see where this series goes. Ms. Jordan sets up for one helluva story in the next installment and I’m dying to know how it all plays out.
Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.
A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as i
nteresting as literature – teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.
In less than three years, her firstbook, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller’s List.
Heartbreaker by Melody Grace Genre: Contemporary Romance Release Date: March 28th
“A must read second chance love story!”
– Claire Contreras, NYT Bestselling Author
Synopsis:
They say that time heals a broken heart, but you try moving on when your ex is the most famous man on the planet.
Every time I walk down the street, there he is on magazine covers and billboards plastered with his gorgeous face: Finn McKay. Now he’s a drop-dead sexy rock star, but when I knew him, he was just the boy from the wrong side of the tracks – and the first guy I ever loved. He broke my heart into a hundred pieces when he skipped town without saying goodbye – but now he’s back.
And he wants me.
I’m determined not to make the same mistakes twice, but the chemistry with Finn was always way too hot to ignore. He was the guy who had me sneaking out my bedroom window for just one more kiss, and breaking curfew parked by the riverbanks, steaming up his windows in the backseat of his car. The past five years have been good to him, real good, and between his dirty mind and that ‘I know how to make you scream’ smile, he’s breaking through my defenses all over again.
Maybe one last wild fling for old time’s sake is what I need to finally move on. But what happens when Finn wants more than my body? This time he wants everything.
Excerpt:
Finn walks me to my front porch. “Listen, Eva, I wanted to say…” He stops there on the dark road, with nothing but the moon to illuminate the shadowed planes of his face. “About what happened, when I left—’
“Don’t.” I cut him off before he can try to justify what he did. My pride is all I’ve got now, and I can’t bear for him to know how thoroughly he broke my heart. “You don’t need to explain. Ancient history,” I add, with a forced little laugh. “It’s all over now. Thanks for walking me, but I’ve got it from here.”
I turn to go, but then his hand is on my arm, pulling me back, pressing me hard against a wall of solid muscle.
“Is that what you really think?” Finn demands, searching my face, just inches between us. There’s something raw in his voice, something wounded and real.
“I…” I stop, caught in the intensity of his gaze. The feel of his body, the hot whisper of his breath on my skin, it’s overwhelming. And oh, those lips, so close… A hundred volts of electricity race through my numb, tired veins, short-circuiting my brain until I can’t think, can’t breathe. I can only feel him. All of him.
I fight for air, my blood pounding in my ears. “Finn…” I whisper, pleading, but for what, I don’t know. And then his lips claim mine in an urgent, fevered kiss, and I realize what I’ve been waiting for since the moment he walked through those doors.
This. Right here.
Finn kisses me hard, yanking me closer and circling me with those taut, chiseled arms. His mouth is hot against mine, merciless and wild. He eases my lips apart, exploring the wet, hot depths as his tongue slides deeper, demanding. I buckle against him, sensation flooding through me. It’s lightning to dry wood, the sharp spark that roars to wildfire in an instant, the heat surging through my entire body.
And God, I can’t get enough.
My hands are in his hair. My body presses close against him, like I could mold myself to his form. The years melt away, obliterated by the force of our passion, so familiar but still so new. Every touch, every taste feels like a revelation.
My Finn. Back again.
He makes a low groan, sliding his hands lower, possessive, to cup my ass and bring me hard against him. Time is lost, gone forever as his lips take possession of me completely, and I match him kiss for kiss. Desire rages to life again, so sharp and craving. It’s like I’ve been sleepwalking for the past five years, and only just come back to life. The world bursts from black and white to glorious, vivid technicolor.
“Look at me,” he whispers, in a low husky voice that sends molten honey pooling between my thighs. “Look at me, baby.” He tilts my chin up, so I have no choice but to stare into those stormy eyes, the face I’ve imagined so many nights in scenes just like this. He traces my lips with his thumb, and I shudder at the friction. Light-headed, dizzy with desire, I part my lips, ready for another kiss.
Finn’s lips curl in a victorious smile. “Ancient history, huh?” he teases, stepping back. I blink, still reeling as cold air rushes to fill the space his warm body has left behind.
Melody Grace is the New York Times bestselling author of the Beachwood Bay series. A small-town girl turned SoCal beach lover, after spending her life with her nose in a book, she decided it was time she wrote one herself. She loves steamy romance novels, happily-ever-afters, and lusting after fictional menfolk. She lives in LA with her two kittens, Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers.
From USA TODAY BESTSELLING authors of Cruel and Beautiful, A.M. Hargrove and Terri E. Laine bring a new full-length standalone New Adult Contemporary Romance. This novel includes mature content, not suitable for younger readers. (Rated R)
Womanizer, Man Whore, Player, Heartbreaker are all familiar names to Ben Rhoades. He prefers Money Man or Sex God, but he doesn’t let other people’s opinions rule him. And he’s only gotten worse without his compass, his best friend, whose devastating death at a young age has taught him a valuable lesson about not getting too close to anyone … ever. Until one smart and stubborn woman with eye-catching curves throws him for a loop and refuses to be tamed.
Samantha Calhoun has her life on track even after the shattering break-up with the guy she’d thought she’d wanted to marry. With her chin held high, she focuses on her career, building her business and making a success of it all. Only a chance meeting has her lost in a set of alluring steel gray eyes that have her steps faltering and her heart leaping out of her chest. Forewarned by not-so-flattering rumors plus his no-holds-bar rules, she tries desperately to play his game while guarding her heart.
Only they have no idea of the journey they’re about to undertake when their lives collide. Ultimately they’ll tackle the biggest test of their lives because she is his game changer. The one, who through the ensuing wreckage, can domesticate the mess of a man that he is.
So I will start off by saying I am probably in the minority when it comes to my rating on this book. And please don’t take that as a bad thing, but I had a hard time getting into this book. But let me explain why.
The plot for A Mess of a Man is a good one. I enjoyed the characters a lot. Ben and Sam are two very different people yet have many similar characteristics. They both have huge hearts, strong and deep rooted friendships, and are very head strong. However, their views on love vary.
I enjoyed the interactions between these two. The attraction between them is immediate but they also know what each other is expecting – one doesn’t do the commitment thing and the other has never been a serial dater. So what happens when neither can get the other out of their head but no that nothing will come of this??
All that right there is why I enjoyed this book. I loved the camaraderie between Sam and her friends. Those girls are absolutely amazing and are the epitome of true friends. And Ben has the same connection with Cate – friendships that are just truly one of kind and built strong.
What really hurt me with this book was the writing. I could easily tell this was written by two different authors. The flow of the book damaged the overall take on this book for me. I am not saying that it was written well, but there weren’t smooth transitions between chapters and POV’s. At times I felt confused on things and it took me a bit to figure out what exactly was going on. It really took the sails out the whole book for me. I felt let down because I was expecting so much more.
Please do not think that because this book didn’t do it for me, that it won’t do it for you. As I said earlier, I am probably going to be in the minority on this book and say that is was just ok for me. Will I read a book by these two authors again – HELL YES!
There is finality to the sound of the door closing behind her. A sort of tormenting peace knowing the end has come. It’s not like I should have expected things to go on this way for long. How could they?
I stare holes in the walls as if I can still see her, the one woman I let in.
Sweeter than peach cobbler, she hardly has a bad thing to say about anybody—until now. Her parting description of me, beginning with ass and ending with hole, reverberates through my hollow heart, as I stand here rooted to my spot. I’m not even shocked, as this isn’t the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of that sentiment. I’m only surprised because I don’t think I’ve ever heard her so much as mutter a single curse word before. And the first time I do, it’s aimed squarely at me.
My hands tighten around a tumbler filled with amber liquid before I toss back its contents hoping for oblivion or something close to it. This road is so familiar. Only this time is different. I never cared like I do now. She means more to me than a quick fuck. Hadn’t I been about to tell her just that? How could things have gone wrong so fast?
Don’t be a dumbass. You can still fix this.
Instead, I stubbornly stay embedded to my spot because nothing can change the outcome. It’s a truth she and I know will haunt me until my last breath. And it’s created a wall between us I’m unable to climb … even if you gave me a damn ladder.
I’ve never been much of a risk-taker when it comes to matters of the heart. I can fill a bank account with a number having many zeros behind it from my astute choices in the market. But I can’t be a man a woman stays with. Hadn’t I warned her about that too?
Unable to see past my own shitty existence, I long for her to come back. I want to believe it’s all been some kind of mistake and I can forget what I know to be true. As the seconds continue to tick by, the inevitability that things are really over sinks in. My window of opportunity quickly closes as fast as her car door slams and the engine fires to life.
She’s so close, yet miles away. The longer I let the minutes expand between us I know distance won’t make the heart grow fonder. But maybe it’s for the best. Love, or whatever masquerades as it, just isn’t enough for the dirty, fucked up truth. Right when things were better than I ever expected, facts messed it up.
Groaning, I launch the crystal glass worth a small fortune at the door I can’t seem to force myself towards. A beautiful show of light plays off the shards as they cascade down in an explosion of fireworks. Visually, it’s what I feel inside as desolation constricts and then obliterates my chest because the best thing I ever had is gone … leaving me with only the certainty I’m meant to be with her.
I love you, I whisper for the first time and in place of goodbye. She left me and will never hear it. I can only pray we both survive what’s to come.
A.M. Hargrove:
One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, USA Today bestselling author, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn’t do something soon, it would be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So she made a quick decision to quit her job and reinvented herself as a Naughty and Nice Romance Author.
She fancies herself all of the following: Reader, Writer, Dark Chocolate Lover, Ice Cream Worshipper, Coffee Drinker (swears the coffee, chocolate, and ice cream should be added as part of the USDA food groups), Lover of Grey Goose (and an extra dirty martini), #WalterThePuppy Lover, and if you’re ever around her for more than five minutes, you’ll find out she’s a non-stop talker.
Terri E. Laine:
Terri E. Laine, USA Today bestselling author, left a lucrative career as a CPA to pursue her love for writing. Outside of her roles as a wife and mother of three, she’s always been a dreamer and as such became an avid reader at a young age.
In her early years, she and her best friend would tell each other stories over the phone when they were bored. They called them their “soap operas” and generally revolved around whatever boy they liked at the time.
Many years later, she got a crazy idea to write a novel and set out to try to publish it. With over a dozen titles published under various pen names, the rest is history. Her journey has been a blessing, and a dream realized. She looks forward to many more memories to come.
After graduating from the University of South Alabama, Scarlett Moore discovers her boyfriend of five months is actually married with a child on the way. Feeling used and heartbroken, she decides it’s time to take her best friend Jules’ advice to move to Atlanta and live with her. There, Jules helps her get a job at Entertainment Atlanta, where she works as an entertainment insurance agent. It’s not Scarlett’s dream job, but it’s better than not having a job at all, and who would mind working with famous people, right?
Then she gets assigned to EA’s newest client, Kade Evans, rock star turned actor. Not only is he a drug addict, he’s also known for never dating the same girl twice. He’s tall, dark, and handsome, has an amazing voice, and good acting skills, but he’s also arrogant and intense.
At their first meeting, the chemistry between them is undeniable.
The love that comes later is unexpected.
But Kade’s life is full of secrets. His past has now intruded on his present and when Scarlett finds out what his secrets are, the real deception begins.
It has been eight months since Scarlett Moore last saw Kade Evans. After being left hurt and confused she tried to forget about him, but he wasn’t easy to forget. She found herself thinking about him often. Even her best friend Jules did her best to get him off her mind by pushing her toward Bryce, the one person Scarlett was not sure she wanted to be involved with. When a new job opportunity is offered to her and Jules, they jump on it. The idea of starting over again and forgetting the past is enticing to Scarlett even if it moves her to Los Angeles, the same place Kade lives.
Kade Evans’ life revolved around his band, alcohol, drugs, and women…until he met Scarlett. She is the light to his darkness, his beautiful; the one that makes him see what the future might hold. That is, until his past came barreling back into his life, ruining everything. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do, but he did what he had to do to protect her. His plan is to find a way out of his new life before he tries to win her heart back. But life has a plan of its own and unexpectedly, Scarlett walks back into his life.
When they meet again, the fire she thought burned out is reignited and the plans he made are rearranged.
Just when things start to fall into place, they all seem to fall apart and the one person they think they can trust turns out to be the one to hurt them the most.
I’ve had a passion for reading and writing for as long as I can remember. It has always been an escape for one reason or another. Now, I’m taking that passion and turning it into a book. My debut book Lifeless will be released late summer 2013. I can’t wait for you to read this story that has been brewing in my head for over a year. 🙂
From the international bestselling author of The Protege Series, The Never Knights Trilogy, PULSE, and SESSIONS Series, comes a new adult romantic suspense..
*****”Love love love The Blue Room! Can’t wait for more!” – P. Bennett, MN
*****The chemistry is so hot! I know Terrence is bad for Staci, but I want them together.” – Mary T.
*****I found my new addictive read! Can’t wait to get into the next book.” – Addicted to Books Blog
Would you sell your soul or body to find out the truth?
When Danny Blue of the Never Knights inherited his playboy billionaire father’s businesses and legacy, he didn’t realized his father’s pet project was the Blue Room, the most elite and secret club in the highest circle. He was happy to let his half-brother Terrence Blue run the club, but with Terrence’s womanizing ways and carefree attitude when it came to everything, he wasn’t sure if that was a good idea.
Terrence Blue wasn’t sure that was a good idea as well because it would cramp his style as a former patron of the club, but when he spotted virginal Staci Atussi starting at The Blue Room, he had a change of heart. Not only was Staci Atussi a knockout without knowing it, but she was the challenge he had been craving.
For Staci Atussi, working at The Blue Room was her solution to a desperate situation, but as she became integrated into the world of The Blue Room and the mysteries surrounding its patrons and the sexy Blues, she wondered if she had traded in her desperation for something far more sinister.
The Blue Room is a New Adult Contemporary Suspense Series intended for readers age 18 and Up.
Volumes 1-8 of The Blue Room Serial is Now Available!
Kailin Gow is an international award-winning author, producer, woman director, and spokesperson for charities who hopes her stories will inspire women of all ages to become their most beautiful, independent, and happy self. Goodreads calls her an “Innovative Author” and “Author Influencer” during BEA 2014 where she was a speaker. Amazon profiled her on the homepage and also in their book, Transformations. She has written and published over 250 books under “Kailin Gow” and more under pen names since 2001, selling over 4 million books in multiple genres such as Thriller, YA, Fantasy, Sci Fi, Contemporary Romance, Erotica, New Adult, and Non-fiction in multiple languages. An indie publishing pioneer, she has written for and been quoted in Fast Company and Huffington Post as a publishing authority, and have appeared in the top radio shows as an authority on Women’s image and self-esteem. USA Today recommends her steamy thrillers, while PBS Kids recommend her fantasy YA books. Internationally, she was featured on the front page of The World Journal, the largest Chinese-language newspaper outside of Asia, as an Author Phenomenon and been a speaker for Asian Week. Noted as a top bestselling author of YA and Contemporary Romance on CBS TV, she has won the Reader’s Choice Nomination in Fantasy/Sci Fi from the ALA YALSA for her Bitter Frost Series, the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for her Dystopian Thriller- The FADE Series, for Best in Class, and the Best in Erotica Award from the NIEA for The Protégé Series. Bitter Frost is in Production as a MMO Game, while her prequel book Mysterious Teacher for her paranormal thriller series, PULSE Vampire Series, is in pre-production as a film. In 2016, Kailin Gow will not only be in one but three television series. She is starring in the mockumentary comedy/drama tv series AUTHOR: A Parody, which will be streaming worldwide through Hulu, Roku, Amazon and more. She plays the dual roles of Sue Lin and S.L. Man. And she is hosting the travel and lifestyle show, Kailin Gow’s Go Girl, which highlights locations from her series as well as the fascinating people she meets. Finally, she is hosting the tv series, KAILIN GOW: THE CRAZY ONES, a series where Kailin presents and analyze past and present day innovators who have disrupted business and society with their innovations. http://sparklesoup.com/tv-and-film-coming-soon-and-in-development/
Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: William Morrow (March 15, 2016)
The New York Times bestselling author of Big Girl Panties is back with a funny, sweet, and sizzling novel about love, redemption, and second chances.
Heartthrob star quarterback Tyson Palmer has it all: a million-dollar arm, a winning season and the promise of a Superbowl ring. But more importantly, footballís biggest star is the ultimate comeback kid. After an addiction to painkillers nearly derailed his career, Tyson got sober and went from zero to hero in the eyes of the public.
But one person remains unconvinced: Dani Carr, a sports commentator with high ratings and following of her own.
Dani can’t forgive Tyson’s transgressions or forget a single passionate night with him back in college. To make things worse, Tyson doesn’t realize that the bombshell with huge ratings is the cute co-ed whose heart he once broke.
But can a sports journalist trying to claw her way to the top and a quarterback who knows all about rock bottom make it to the Super Bowl without destroying each other? And what will happen when Tyson riding high now that he’s revived his career realizes he needs to make an even more important comeback with Dani? Can he use his million-dollar moves to get past her defenses or will she sideline him for good?
Stephanie Evanovich is a full-fledged Jersey girl from Asbury Park and the New York Times bestselling author of Big Girl Panties and The Sweet Spot.
My Review:
The Total Package is the first work of author Stephanie Evanovich that I’ve read and I gotta say, I loved it! So much so that I went onto Amazon and picked up her other two titles listed above.
This was a great story with a wonderful flow and characters I truly enjoyed. Tyson is a hot mess in the beginning and works his sexy tush off to get better. Better at his job. Better at his health. Better at his entire being. It wasn’t an easy road and he took all the challenges with a sense of humility I really enjoyed. Dani has also reinvented herself since her college years and is enjoying the rewards of her hard work…until she has to see Tyson again. You see, their past was a bit of a touchy subject with them. Those darn college years. Tyson, because he always felt terrible about how things ended between them and for being a strung out jerk and Dani because, even though that last night left her with an incredible gift, Tyson had still been a donkey’s arse and she wouldn’t be forgetting it anytime soon. The problem is, once they are back into each other’s daily lives, Tyson proves he’s changed and Dani’s resistance wears down. That old spark is back with a vengeance and they both know they should take this second change as the gift it was. But would their past threaten to ruin things just as it begins?
With so much to love about this book, it’s hard to know where to start. These two characters go through hell and back. Emotions run high and feelings run deep. I loved both Dani and Tyson from the start and was cheering on from the sidelines for them to get a happy ever after. Together. The push and pull and road to redemption for Tyson was a rough one but very needed. He has no trouble rising to the challenge and, in a book world with a lot of jerks in it, he was a refreshing and positive character to read. Dani was equally amazing at seeing her feelings for what they were, and keeping Tyson at arm’s length until he really proved he had changed. Permanently. For the good. I was also a nervous wreck for them as there was a pretty big secret that needed to be revealed. Luckily, Ms. Evanovich wrote one hell of an amazing ending that had me laughing and crying happy tears!
I also have to mention the secondary characters were equally awesome and a joy to read. Oh, and living in the Philly suburbs, I loved where Dani grew up!
Stephanie Evanovich is a full-fledged Jersey girl who attended New York Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts, performed with several improvisational troupes, and acted in a few small-budget movies, all in preparation for the greatest job she ever had: raising her two sons. Now a full-time writer, sheís an avid sports fan who holds a black belt in tae kwon do.
Find out more about Stephanie at her website and connect with her†on†Facebook.
The weather isn’t the only thing heating up in South Florida. At a school where fraternities and sororities don’t exactly play by the rules, relationships are bound to be tested. Parties and sex are definitely key ingredients in the Palm South recipe, but what happens when family issues, secret lives, and unrequited love get tossed in the mix?
Follow Cassie, Bear, Jess, Skyler, Erin, Ashlei, and Adam as they tackle college at a small, private beach town university. Written in television drama form, each episode of this serial will pull you deeper and deeper into the world of PSU.
Where the sun is hot and the clothes are scarce, anything can happen.
Tweet as you read using #PalmSouth and join the Facebook Discussion Group here.
I don’t even know what to say about this episode. WOW!
Spring Break is in full swing and holy sh*t do things get crazy!!!
Everyone is having a blast and just letting loose. Well everyone but Erin is letting loose. She is still on the “no drinking” thing but is trying to enjoy herself.
Jess is actually the tamest out of the wild ones and missing Jarret like crazy.
Ashlei and Bo take things to a new level. And their relationship may no longer be a secret amongst those around them.
Cassie, Sklyer and Adam – yea, shit between Adam and these girls was finally making sense. Until one moment on the beach.
Let’s just say a whole hell of ALOT happens at spring break and I don’t think any of it is staying at spring break.
I can’t wait to see what goes down when they return back to PSU
“It’s okay,” I whisper, my forehead to hers. She nods, concern still written in her features as I kiss her again. It’s so strange seeing Bo this way, so nervous and unsure. She’s the confident one in the bedroom — commanding, strong. As Alex’s hand snakes its way into my hair and he pulls my mouth from Bo’s to his own, I wonder if he’ll be taking the captain’s chair tonight.
My heart hammers beneath my ribcage as I taste him, new and exotic. Bo’s lips trail down my neck to my cleavage as she palms the space between my thighs. Moaning into Alex’s mouth at the touch, he pops the button on his jeans without breaking our kiss. I hear his zipper next, and then his shorts are on the floor. He kicks them away, just as Bo pulls me from him, her hand tugging at my tank top. I lift my arms and she rips it up and over, tossing it to the side before making quick work of my bra.
It’s almost too much. We’re all hands and mouths — stripping, kissing, touching, stripping more. Somewhere along the way we find the stairs, which lead up to a master bedroom Alex is clearly occupying. The four post bed is built with dark wood and lined with deep red accents that match the comforter Bo and I slide onto easily, feeling the cool fabric against our skin. Alex makes his way between us, propping himself up against the headboard and taking each of us by the waist as we kiss over him.
Bo’s breaths are still shaky, her arms trembling as she holds herself steady on the bed. We’re leaning over Alex, our tongues tangled, while he slowly strokes himself and watches. I massage her tongue with mine, each kiss an attempt to bring her energy back to mine. Just when I have her there, Alex’s hand moves from my waist to behind my thigh. It hovers there for just a moment before I feel his fingers penetrate me, and from Bo’s reaction, his other hand is doing the same to her.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispers between our kisses. I pull back, panting at the feel of Alex’s fingers inside me and how turned on I am by Bo’s kisses.
“You don’t have to do anything to him. Or vice versa. Just focus on me.”
With that, I break contact from Alex and pull Bo with me, rolling over until I’m on my back and Bo’s straddling me. I love the way the skin stretches across her petite hips as she rubs against me, building a friction that will drive her to the edge. Alex takes my cue, moving between my legs and spreading my thighs open to him as I maneuver Bo up my body. When her knees are on either side of my head, I slide my hands down her neck, her arms, until I lace my hands in hers. Placing them on the headboard above us, I curl her fingers, locking them in place.
“Hold on tight,” I whisper, licking my lips.
Kandi Steiner is a Creative Writing and Advertising/Public Relations graduate from the University of Central Florida living in Tampa with her husband. Kandi works full time as a social media specialist, but also works part time as a Zumba fitness instructor and blackjack dealer.
Kandi started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic (like most girls brought up on Disney movies).
When Kandi isn’t working or writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys beach days, movie marathons, live music, craft beer and sweet wine – not necessarily in that order.
In anticipation of the latest release in The Lords of the Underworld series, THE DARKEST TORMENT (available May 2016!), the whole backlist is on tour…and Read-Love-Blog has a spotlight on all of the amazing books in this series!
His powers — Inhuman… His passion — Beyond immortal . . .
All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she’ll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member — a man trapped in a hell of his own.
Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction — and a soul-shattering test of love . . .
Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive — and unimaginably powerful . . .
Though she has lived for centuries, Anya, goddess of anarchy, has never known pleasure. Until Lucien, the incarnation of death—a warrior eternally doomed to take souls to the hereafter. He draws her like no other. And Anya will risk anything to have him.
But when the merciless Lord of the Underworld is ordered by the gods to claim Anya herself, their uncontrollable attraction becomes an anguished pursuit. Now they must defeat the unconquerable forces that control them, before their thirst for one another demands a sacrifice of love beyond imagining.…
Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods.
Danika is on the run. For months she’s eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won’t rest until she and her fami ly have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can’t forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.…
Publisher: HQN Books; English Language edition (August 25, 2009)
Bound by the demon of Doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers.
So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern… until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.
Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she’d fall for a kind human who wouldn’t rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora’s box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love.
New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with another sizzling installment of the Lords of the Underworld series, as Aeron, keeper of the Demon of Wrath, dares to taste the forbidden . . .
For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel–a demon-assassin–has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn’t bear to harm him. But trusting – and falling for – Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this ‘mortal’ with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron’s darkest passion?
Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn’t…
Publisher: HQN Books; First Edition edition (June 29, 2010)
In this riveting new installment of New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series, Gideon, keeper of the Demon of Lies, fights to uncover the truth….
Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie—until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn’t remember the beautiful female, much less wedding — or bedding — her. But he wants to . . . almost as much as he wants her.
But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free, and a future with her means risking everything. Especially as Gideon’s enemies draw closer . . . and the truth threatens to destroy all he’s come to love . . .
Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when new demons possess him, the immortal warrior must be chained and isolated to protect those he loves. Death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haidee, a fellow prisoner whose beauty and hidden vulnerability draw him into a reckless test of his loyalty…. Haidee is an infamous demon assassin, raised to despise Amun’s kind. Yet how can she hate the man whose touch sets her aflame? But to save him, she must give herself body and soul…and face the wrath of a powerful adversary sworn to destroy her.
Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (September 27, 2011)
Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain. For him, nothing stands in the way of victory. Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor’s edge of surrender.
Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die. Strider is a distraction she can’t afford because he as an agenda of his own – steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named. But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter – the love neither had thought possible…
Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (February 28, 2012)
Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive—but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he’d thought was forever beyond his reach…until now.
Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet, in Paris’s arms the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.
Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally– or tear them apart?
Having endured weeks of torture in the bowels of hell, Kane wants nothing to do with his beautiful rescuer, Josephina Aisling. The half-Fae female threatens to awaken the demon of Disaster inside him—a beast he’s determined to kill, no matter the price.
Josephina is hunted by a brutal enemy—her royal family—and Kane is her only source of protection. He’s also the only male to ever set her aflame, and even he succumbs to the heat. But as they navigate the treacherous world of the Fae, their love might just tear them apart…
Fierce immortal warrior. Host to the demon of Disease. Torin’s every touch causes sickness and death—and a worldwide plague. Carnal pleasure is utterly forbidden, and though he has always overcome temptation with an iron will, his control is about to shatter.
She is Keeleycael. The Red Queen. When the powerful beauty with shocking vulnerabilities escapes from a centuries-long imprisonment, the desire that simmers between her and Torin is scorching. His touch could mean the end for her, but resisting her is the hardest battle he’s ever fought—and the only battle he fears he can’t win.
New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with her most explosive Lords of the Underworld tale to date, about a fierce warrior on the brink of sanity who will stop at nothing to claim the exquisite human with the power to soothe the beast inside him…
Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he’s back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he’s unable to withstand the touch of another…and he’s quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.
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Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she’s taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she’s plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them…and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.
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But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she’ll have to teach him to love…or lose him forever.
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Monday, April 18th: Stuck in Books – **The Darkest Pleasure
About the author:
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld, Otherworld Assassins, and Angels of the Dark series, as well as two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a
National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine. She was interviewed on Nightline and has been mentioned in Orange is the New Black. Her books have been translated in multiple languages.
She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books atgenashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfan