Book Spotlight….Once In A Blue Moon by Amie Stuart

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At eighteen, Ty Boudreaux married his high school sweetheart and planned to live happily ever after on the family ranch. But after twelve years in a volatile, one-sided marriage, this gentle cowboy is struggling to put his life back together.

At eighteen, Bettina Blanchard’s goal in life had been to shake the dust of Bluebonnet, Texas off her heels, and with her baby sister now safely in college, that dream is within her grasp. But underneath Bad Betti’s tough exterior beats the heart of a woman with hopes and dreams, and she’s loved Ty almost as long as he loved his ex-wife.

When fate drops Ty in her lap, one night of passion leaves them dealing with a pregnancy and a marriage both have reservations about. Can a girl from the wrong side of the tracks and Bluebonnet’s favorite son find common ground outside the bedroom? Despite the interfering in-laws, a jealous baby sister and a holiday no one wants to remember, Betti and Ty discover that even though their happily ever after doesn’t come easy, anything worth having is worth working for.

Book Links:

Amazon  |  Goodreads 

About the author:

Amie Stuart is the last of a dying breed, a native Texan, and still makes her home there, where cowboys and music (her other two loves) abound. Growing up, she wanted to be a lawyer and a psychologist. No doubt the shrinks would have a field day with her head, but she’s seen the error of her ways and considers all those other jobs ‘research’ for the writing gig.

She’s a multiple contest finalist as well as a trained contest judge and is affectionately know as The Terminator by her critique partners. She’s written as CELIA STUART for Black Lace Books, & Liquid Silver Books, and as AMIE STUART for Kensington Aphrodisia, she has a short story (PEACHES ‘N CREAM) in Zane’s CARMEL FLAVA 2, and launched Cobblestone Press’s new short erotica line, Wicked.

Looking For Potholes by Joe Wenke….Book Spotlight & Author Q&A

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Looking For Potholes Synopsis:

Finding beauty in ordinary moments

You’ve probably never gone searching for potholes, but Joe Wenke justifies the unusual practice in his new book LOOKING FOR POTHOLES. When you are driving along and hit a pothole, most of the time you and your car simply drive over it. Instead of simply moving past these bumps in the road, Wenke examines these setbacks and obstacles with the clarity of a magnifying glass. Wenke takes a closer look at the potholes people carve out in their lives each day. No detail goes unnoticed in Wenke’s poetry as he tackles questions about identity, complacency, and how to make a home in such a vast world. Wenke’s background in LGBTQI rights activism and social criticism prepared him for this collection of challenging poems. For those who love poetry that leaves you hanging on every line, Wenke’s writing style is nothing short of breathtaking.

 

Book links:

 Amazon  |  B&N

Q &A with Joe Wenke

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LOOKING FOR POTHOLES

Why did you decide to title your new collection of poems Looking For Potholes?

 I like to use as a title one of the poems in a collection that captures my attitude or communicates one of the key themes of the collection as a whole. Looking for Potholes is about pushing limits, taking risks, causing trouble, shaking things up. I believe that one of the main purposes of art is to disturb, i.e., moving the reader existentially from one place to another. Poems can do a great job of disturbing in the sense of altering perception and consciousness. I think the poems in Potholes do exactly that.

 

Which poem in this collection resonates with you the most? Why?

 Well, of course, they all do. They’re my babies. Obviously “Looking for Potholes” resonates with me for the reasons I just described, but if I had to single out one other poem in the collection, it would be “Stand Up.” It’s an activist poem about standing up for who we are as human beings, despite the risks—and there are many. I believe that the most radical thing any of us can do is to simply stand up every single day and be who we are. That’s what the poem is saying, and I believe it very deeply.

 

In five words how would you describe your new collection of poetry?

 It’s a book of revelations.

 

What was the biggest challenge while writing Looking For Potholes?

 I had written poems sporadically over the years, but last July I suddenly began writing one poem after another. In September I published my first book of poetry, entitled Free Air. It’s a combination of the poems that I had written over the years and the new ones that just began exploding out of me last summer. By the end of August I had written all of the poems that appear in Looking for Potholes, so the challenge was really just to stay open and relaxed and let the poems come. I’ve since written two more books of poetry, which I’ll be publishing in September and January. Another book is about two-thirds done.

 

In what ways has poetry touched your life? Is there a particular poem that has changed you in some way?

Poetry is an inspiration. It’s epiphanic and revelatory. It can change how we look at ourselves and how we experience the world. One poem that changed me and resonated with me is T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land.” I read it when I was young, and it’s of course one of the most powerful poems ever written in terms of the power of its imagery. So it blew my mind, as one would say back in the day, and it told me that, yes, you can use the power of the poetic imagination to capture the essence of human experience. That is a very inspiring thought, and I continue to carry that thought with me every single day.

 

About the author:

Dr Joseph Wenke 25 Sept 13 (2)Joe Wenke is a writer, social critic and LGBTQI rights activist. He is the founder and publisher of Trans Über, a publishing company with a focus on promoting LGBTQ rights, free thought and equality for all people. In addition to Looking for Potholes: Poems, Wenke is the author of, The Human Agenda, The Talk Show, A Novel, Free Air: Poems; Papal Bull: An Ex-Catholic Calls Out the Catholic Church; You Got To Be Kidding! A Radical Satire of the Bible; and Mailer’s America.

 

 

 

Praise for Joe Wenke

“Another collection of poems by Joe Wenke that captures the idiosyncratic, fleeting moments that make up the human experience.”
—L. Giampa on “Looking for Potholes”

“It is now a pleasure to read criticism of my work at the good high level where Mr. Wenke resides.”
—Norman Mailer on “Mailer’s America”

“Joe Wenke here offers up a chilling—albeit humorous—thriller.”
– Lavender Magazine on “The Talk Show”

“A radically funny book.”
—The Advocate on “You Got To Be Kidding!”

Dissident by Cecilia London….Book Spotlight & Excerpt

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Synopsis:

She once was important. Now she’s considered dangerous.

In a new America where almost no one can be trusted, Caroline lies unconscious in a government hospital as others decide her fate. She is a political dissident, wanted for questioning by a brutal regime that has come to power in a shockingly easy way. As she recovers from her injuries, all she has are her memories. And once she wakes up, they may not matter anymore.

Part One of a Six Part Series. Each part is a full length novel between 60,000-120,000 words and ends in a cliffhanger. For readers 18+. This saga contains adult situations, including non-gratuitous violence, explicit (consensual) sex, psychological and physical trauma, and an oftentimes dark and gritty plot (particularly in part two).

 

Excerpt:

(the prologue, if you’re curious):

They had been dragging themselves through the woods for hours, with him holding the flashlight and leading the way, and her faltering through the ice and snow trying to keep his pace. They moved slowly, their injuries hindering their flight. The forest was thick and foreboding and the biting winter wind whistled through the branches in the trees, cutting them to the core. They listened for the sound of flowing water in the hope that the Allegheny River was no longer frozen over and they could follow it up to New York.

They knew their odds were long but held out faith that despite the blustering wind and bitter cold, they could somehow find a way to Buffalo. The Canadian border. Their last, best chance at safety.

The flashlight began to flicker and the man knew that the batteries would only last them so much longer. It had been snowing earlier in the night, but the clouds had been carried away by the wind and the flashlight was supplemented by the glow of the winter moon. He turned the flashlight off and his wife tumbled into him.

“Jack, why did you do that?” It was hard for her to stay upright without her momentum to keep her going, and even harder to follow him without the artificial light.

“The flashlight’s getting low and the moon is relatively bright. We should conserve the batteries. Do you need to rest?” he asked, knowing the answer was yes.

“No,” she lied. “Let’s keep going.”

He put the flashlight in his coat pocket, feeling it bump up against the gun he had concealed there. He put his arm around her waist and hoisted her up.

“Let’s go,” he said, as he kept his arm around her to steady her as she walked.

Their pace continued to slow until they were hardly moving at all. He could see her grimacing with every step, could hear her labored breathing, and he knew that she was much more seriously injured than she was letting on. Although he himself was in pain he did his best to keep them both going. His ankle was sprained and the weight of two people upon it was almost too much for him to bear. But they couldn’t stop.

He saw a clearing up ahead and knew they were nearing a road. But that wasn’t what they wanted. Roads meant people and people meant danger. Almost no one could be trusted. The soldiers who had run their car off the road were biding their time, waiting, until the moment was right to come after them again.

The two of them weren’t about to make themselves easy prey by following a path trod by others. Their footsteps were not hard to trace because of the snow, but it was better than being out in the open. No, the river was their best bet, their least dangerous path north.

He turned sharply and started to steer them both away from the road, as close to a westerly direction as he could manage. He was a suburban Philly boy and could only depend on his poor instincts to guide him.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“We need to find the river, Caroline. There’s a road up ahead and we have to avoid it.”

The woods grew hilly and she began to struggle. He was practically carrying her as they made their way up an incline and he knew he wouldn’t be able to support her much longer. Suddenly she broke free of him and lurched into a nearby tree, sinking to the ground.

She pulled off her earmuffs and loosened her scarf with difficulty, her back to the tree. He could tell she was in tremendous pain and knelt down in the snow beside her.

“Sweetheart, we have to keep going,” he said.

Her face was windswept and her eyes were red. She was sweating in spite of the cold and he could practically hear her heart beating out of her chest.

“Jack, I can’t do this. I’m too tired. I can’t breathe.”

“Yes, you can. We can keep going. I’ll help.”

“You can’t help. You can barely walk while you’re lugging me along.” She began to cry.

He wiped away some of her tears with his gloved hand. “We’ll stop for a minute, all right? Then we’ll start again.”

She closed her eyes and tried to breathe. The tears coursed silently down her face. He let her rest, hoping that she would then tell him they could move on even though they really had no time to waste. She opened her eyes a few moments later and looked at him. His breath caught in his throat. Her brown eyes, which had once been so warm, confident, and loving, were now laced with a fear he’d never seen before.

“You have to go,” she said. “Now.”

“We have to go,” he corrected her.

“No. You.”

“No.” He looked at her incredulously. “We.”

“You have to go, Jack. It’s the only way.”

His mind started racing. He couldn’t wrap his head around what she was suggesting.

“No. I’m not leaving you here.”

She closed her eyes again. The wetness on her face was beginning to freeze in place. Her voice broke.

“Tell my girls how much I love them.” She stifled a sob. “Tell them I’m sorry.”

Her children. Their children. Who were hopefully already in Canada.

“This is absurd, Caroline. I’m not leaving you here alone. Are you insane? We’re wasting time.”

“You can move ten times faster without me. You know I’m right.”

Hot, angry tears pricked his eyes. “I’m not leaving you, sweetheart. There has to be another way.”

“This is the only way and you know it.” She took her left glove off and traced his lips with her bare fingers. “My darling. My Monty. I love you so.”

He kissed her fingers and wrapped them in his, trying to warm them. “I’m not leaving you,” he repeated.

Her voice was weak, but firm. “This is bigger than us. You have to go. Get to Canada. Share that information. Stop Santos. Don’t let all our sacrifices be for nothing.”

“I love you.” He took off his gloves and began to caress her face with his bare hands. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Listen to me. You are going to go. You are going to get to Canada. You are going to get this flash drive to people who can do something with it. Please, Jack. Please do this for me.”

He was adamant. “I am not leaving you here!”

“You are. You need to go. They will find us soon and they’ll find us even sooner if we’re moving together.” She tried to straighten up, using the tree for support. “If you don’t leave, I swear to God I will never forgive you. I mean it. There is no point in both of us getting captured or worse. Please. Do this for me.”

He kissed her forehead, still cradling her face in his hands, and the tears in his eyes spilled over. “Don’t make me do this. I can’t. I won’t leave you.”

“Go,” she whispered. “Go before they catch up with us.”

She removed the glove from her right hand and began to slip her wedding rings off her left ring finger. Her large diamond and sapphire engagement ring glistened in the moonlight. She’d thought it was gaudy when he’d first given it to her, and the media had loved speculating about how much it must have cost. But she’d grown accustomed to it. Aside from its sentimental value, it was now almost worthless in the fragile American economy.

She fumbled through the simple task, her hands numbed by the cold. She placed the rings in Jack’s hand and wiped the tears from his face. He searched her eyes for an explanation.

“They’re no good to me out here,” she said. “Take them. They belong to you. I don’t want those bastards to have them.” She closed her eyes and began to nod off.

Jack grabbed her chin, desperate to keep her awake. “Stay with me, Caroline. We can do this.”

“Go now.” Her voice was fading. “Be safe. Be strong.”

Jack brought his lips to hers and kissed her hard, wanting it to last, wanting to breathe life into her, to give her the strength to keep going. He gripped her rings tightly in his fist. The prongs from the engagement ring were prodding into his ice cold palm, but he was oblivious to the pain they caused. He didn’t want to break the connection between them. Caroline brought her hands up to his stocking cap, drew it off, and ran her fingers through his hair. He pulled back, his lips close to hers.

They heard a rustling in the distance and Jack turned his head, not sure of what he would find. He half hoped that a deer would come gliding through the trees but he knew that would be too good to be true. Their luck had run out too many times. Caroline squeezed his hand, the one with the rings in it.

“Go, Jack. They’re coming. Go.”

He pressed his lips to hers again, a long, frantic kiss. She pushed him away and reached into her coat pocket, pulling out her Glock and an extra magazine. “Take these. You might need them.”

Jack dropped the rings into one of the interior pockets of his coat, and heard them clink against the box containing the flash drive he was hiding. He put the gun and magazine in his outer coat pocket and leaned down to kiss her cheek. She very clumsily put his stocking cap back on his head and stroked his face, wiping away the wetness there.

“I will always be with you,” she whispered, so softly he could barely hear her.

He took in a sharp, painful breath and put his gloves back on. The night air was freezing. “I will come back for you, Caroline. Understand? I promise I will come back. I’m not giving up. I will find someone we can trust and I will come back.”

She smiled and closed her eyes.

He heard the rustling getting closer. There was almost no way that noise was an animal. And he knew he had only one choice.

He ran.

 

Book Links:

Amazon  |  B&N  |  Kobo  |  iBooks  |  Smashwords

About the author:

Cecilia London is my pen name. I am a native Midwesterner who never thought I’d end up in Texas and yet here I am, determined to help Keep San Antonio Lame. I have been known to dabble in the practice of law. I can apply Simpsons quotes to everyday life, and I live for baseball season.  I’ve been writing off and on since I was a kid, but never really thought I’d have any idea that could turn into a single novel, let alone a series. There aren’t many books about how dystopias/totalitarian political regimes come into existence, and I wanted to touch upon that topic while still maintaining a primary focus on the epic romance. Dissident is my first published novel.

Email: authorcecilialondon@gmail.com

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http://www.cecilialondon.com

 

Noise by Brett Garcia Rose….Book Spotlight & Excerpt

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Noise, by Brett Garcia Rose, is a thriller/mystery centering on a deaf character’s search for his missing sister. It’s short, violent, but ultimately it’s about love. Noise was published in June 2014 and is available for sale on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Genres: Action, Adventure, Mystery

Synopsis:

The world is an ugly place, and I can tell you now, I fit in just fine.

Lily is the only person Leon ever loved. When she left a suicide note and disappeared into a murky lake ten years ago, she left him alone, drifting through a silent landscape.

Or did she?

A postcard in her handwriting pulls Leon to the winter-cold concrete heart of New York City. What he discovers unleashes a deadly rage that has no sound.

A grisly trail of clues leads to The Bear, the sadistic Russian crime lord who traffics in human flesh. The police—some corrupt, some merely compromised—are of little help. They don’t like Leon’s methods, or the mess he leaves in his wake.

Leon is deaf, but no sane person would ever call him disabled. He survived as a child on the merciless streets of Nigeria. He misses nothing. He feels no remorse. The only direction he’s ever known is forward.

He will not stop until he knows.

Where is Lily?

 

Excerpt:

Twenty-Eight

The sounds I cannot hear: The whistle of the hammer as it arcs through the air. The wailing of pain and the begging of The Bear. The dripping of blood from thawing meat onto the wet concrete floor. The beautifully crude threats.

My own hideous voice.

I drag The Bear into a walk-in freezer by the hook sunk through his shoulder and toss him into a corner on the floor. When I reenter the freezer, dragging the oak table behind me, The Bear is hard at work on the hook, trying to muscle it out, but it’s sunk deep, through the tendons. Hope is adrenaline, fear masks pain, begging helps no one.

I yank him up by the hook and then hold his hands outstretched, one at a time, as I nail his wrists to the table with railroad spikes. I put all of my 240 pounds behind the hammer, but even so, it takes several swings. His body shakes, the nails sink further into the wood, his face is pain. He screams, but I cannot hear.

The building above burns a deep blue hue with my smuggled-in accelerants.

The sound of the hammer into The Bear. The pain in his eyes. I have never seen so much hatred. It is beautiful to me, to reach this center, this uncomplicated base, to disassemble the past and honor a new history. It is another film, also homemade and rough, an overlay, an epilogue. The Bear is broken but I have spared his face, and to see those eyes, that is what I needed; to see his hatred flow into me, my own eyes sucking down the scum like bathtub drains. His life whirls into me and I taste the fear, the hope, the sharp sting of adrenaline pumping and the reeking muck of despair. His pain soothes me, a slow, thick poison. We will all die.

I know it now; I am a broken man. I always was. I imagine Lily watching me, Lily keeping score, making lists, balancing all. As a child from far away, she was the queen, even more so than her mother. But she didn’t survive. The world was not as we had imagined, not even close. The world is a cruel, bastard place, Lily cold and lost somewhere, me hot and bleeding and swinging my hammer. Life as it is, not as we wish it to be.

The sounds I cannot hear: The laughter of the watchers. The groan of my sister as The Bear cums inside of her, pulling her hair until the roots bleed. The Bear screams and shits himself inside the dark freezer. Lily’s wailing and cursing and crying. I scream at The Bear with all my mighty, damaged voice, swinging the hammer at his ruined hands, hands that will never again touch anyone. Lily at the end, beaten and pissed on and begging to die.

Lily is dead. I am dead. It will never be enough.

I remove the stack of photos from my wallet that I’d printed at the Internet café a lifetime ago and place them face down on the table in front of The Bear. I draw an X on the back of the first photo and turn it over, laying it close to the pulp of his ruined hands.

The Bear offers me anything I want. An animal can feel pain but cannot describe or transmit it adequately. The Bear both is and is not an animal. I lack hearing, so the Bear cannot transmit his experience to me unless I choose to see it. His pain is not my pain, but mine is very much his. I swing the hammer into his unhooked shoulder, and then I draw another X and flip another photo.

His lips move, and I understand what he wants to know. Five photos.

In my notepad, I write: you are a rapist fucking pig. I put the paper into the gristle of his hands and swing the hammer against the metal hook again. It’s a sound I can feel.

Anything, The Bear mouths. He is sweating in the cold air of the freezer. Crying. Bleeding.

In my pad, I write: I want my sister back. I swing the hammer claw-side first into his mouth and leave it there. His body shakes and twitches.

I turn over his photo and write one last note, tearing it off slowly and holding it in front of his face, the handle of the hammer protruding from his jaw like a tusk. You are number four. There are a few seconds of space as the information stirs into him and I watch as he deflates, the skin on his face sagging like a used condom. He knows what I know.

I turn over the last photo for him. I turn it slowly and carefully, sliding it toward him. Victor, his one good son, his outside accomplishment, his college boy, the one who tried to fuck him and they fucked my sister instead.

I remove another mason jar from my bag, unscrewing the metal top and letting the thick fluid flow onto his lap. I wipe my hands carefully and light a kitchen match, holding it in front of his face for a few seconds as it catches fully. He doesn’t try to blow it out. He doesn’t beg me to stop. He just stares at the match as the flame catches, and I drop it onto his lap.

The Bear shakes so hard from the pain that one of his arms rips from the table, leaving a skewer of meat and tendon on the metal spike. I lean into his ear, taking in his sweet reek and the rot of his bowels and, in my own hideous voice, I say:

“Wait for me.”

 

Praise for Noise: 

“A staggering, compelling work of fiction…mind-blowingly perfect. It has everything. Exquisite details, world-weary voice, and people worth knowing. It is truly amazing!” – MaryAnne Kolton, Author and Editor of This Literary Magazine

 “Strong, compelling, raw and human in the best sense. Beautifully written.” – Susan Tepper, Author of Deer and Other Stories

“Perfect, compact and explosive, closing with the gentlest word.” – James Lloyd Davis, Author of Knitting the Unraveled Sleeves

“Wow. Beautiful and wonderful and sad and real.” – Sally Houtman, Author of To Grandma’s House, We . . . Stay

“Frighteningly good.” – Meg Pokrass, Author of Bird Envy

 “Superbly explosive. The rage escalates and careens out of control. Amazing.” – Ajay Nair, Author of Desi Rap

 

brett headshotAbout the Author:

Brett Garcia Rose is a writer, software entrepreneur, and former animal rights soldier and stutterer. He is the author of two books, Noise and Losing Found Things, and his work has been published in Sunday Newsday MagazineThe Barcelona ReviewOpiumRose and ThornThe Battered SuitcaseFiction AtticParaphilia and other literary magazines and anthologies. His short stories have won the Fiction Attic’s Short Memoir Award (Second Place), Opium’s Bookmark Competition, The Lascaux Prize for Short Fiction, and have been nominated for the Million Writer’s AwardBest of the Net and The Pushcart Prize. Rose travels extensively, but calls New York City home. To learn more, go to BrettGarciaRose.com, or connect with Brett on TwitterFacebook, and Goodreads.

 

 

 

 

Return To You by Samantha Chase….Book Spotlight and Giveaway

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ReturnToYou

Return To You by Samantha Chase

Release Date: March 3, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Summary

She will never forget their past…

He can’t stop thinking about their future…

James Montgomery has achieved everything he’d hoped for in life…except marrying the girl of his dreams. After a terrible accident, Selena Ainsley left ten years ago. She took his heart with her and she’s never coming back. But it’s becoming harder and harder for him to forget their precious time together, and James can’t help but wonder what he would do if they could ever meet again.

Excerpt

It was near midnight and Selena’s eyes felt heavy. With her head resting on James’s shoulder, she tried to focus on the ending of The Philadelphia Story. Back when they were dating, they used to enjoy watching classic movies, and finding one on the television seemed like the perfect way for them to relax after such an emotional evening.

James looked over at Selena and smiled to himself. If he could freeze this moment in time, he would. For years he had wondered if he’d ever find a woman he could come home to, with whom he could sit like this and simply relax. The woman half-asleep beside him was the only woman he wanted to fit that bill. The credits were beginning to roll, and he gently nudged her with his shoulder. “Hey,” he said softly, “are you still awake?”

“Mmm…barely,” she whispered and then yawned. As much as Selena knew that the bed would be a far more comfortable place to sleep, she didn’t want to leave the security of James’s side. She jumped when he shifted beside her to stand up. A wave of panic hit her as she prayed that he wasn’t getting up to leave. Before she could even voice her concern, James turned off the television and then scooped her up into his arms. “Oh!”

“Don’t get me wrong. I was completely enjoying being curled up with you on the sofa, but I had a feeling your neck was going to kill you tomorrow.” He walked through to the bedroom and carefully held her close as he pulled back the comforter and gently placed Selena down. Without a word, he walked back out to the living room and locked the door and turned out the lights before returning to her.

He didn’t ask permission.

She didn’t extend an invitation.

Neither seemed necessary.

Goodreads 

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  IndieBound

 

Giveaway:

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Biography

Samantha ChaseNew York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan’s Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40’s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

Social Networking Links

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads

Make Me Up by Avery Flynn….Spotlight and Giveaway

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Avery Flynn

Make Me Up

Release Date: February 16th, 2015

 

 

Blurb:

Murder, mayhem and makeup.

Panty dropper, knee knocker and all-around-good time Cam Hardy leaves a trail of broken hearts wherever he goes. His lady killer reputation never bothered the private investigator until he met Drea Sanford. Getting the tough as nails make up artist in his bed proved to be the easy part. It’s keeping her there that’s harder than any of the special ops missions he’s run in South America.

Falling into Harbor City’s modern day Casanova’s bed was never on Drea’s list of smart things to do—but hotness happens, especially in the form of the six-foot-five-inch motorcycle riding Cam. Then he takes their secret affair public and she swears to never let him crinkle her sheets again. But when one of Drea’s clients is murdered and the police zero in on her, the only person she can count on is the one man she never thought she could trust.

 

Excerpt

Drea got out of the seat and turned around to face him, but she was lost for words when she realized standing up had just given him a better view. Cam’s green-eyed gaze took in her entire body. Then he grinned, pissing her off and drenching her panties at the same damn time.

 

If anyone could carry off absolutely wicked and totally charismatic at the same time, it was Cam. She itched to run her fingers through his thick mass of tousled honey blond hair. His murky green eyes were full of dark promise, the kind she knew he could deliver.

 

And then there was his body. She could eat Jell-O off of his tanned washboard abs and the gelatin wouldn’t have the courage to jiggle. Being near him was like standing at the edge of the subway platform as the train whooshed by—exhilarating, dangerous, and addicting on a completely visceral level.

 

But he’d broken her rule. The one thing she’d asked him not to do—and he’d gone and done it anyway. She wasn’t sure whether knowing he’d done it without thinking made the situation worse or just sad. But she couldn’t keep seeing him if she couldn’t trust him to keep this a secret. Hell, after that kiss, there was no secret. Cover blown. Everyone knew.

 

Time to cut her losses. Breaking it off now was the smart plan.

 

“I know what it is.” He stood up and closed the distance between them. “You’re embarrassed because you think someone saw your tongue push its way into my mouth—accidentally, I’m sure. And heard that sweet, soft moan of pleasure—”

 

She pushed her hand against his chest and forced him back. “Get over yourself, pretty boy.”

 

He didn’t even blink at the insult. “You want me. I want you. The sex is amazing. Why are you fighting so damn hard against letting people know we’re together?”

 

“Because we’re not.” She had no plans to trod down the well-worn path to Cam Hardy’s bed again. “You knew the rules when this thing started.”

 

“No going public.” His gaze pinned her to the spot, and he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world. “Look, babe, give me another chance.”

 

It made her mouth go dry and other places get wet. They’d had one hell of a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am twisting of the sheets, but they’d known from the start this was temporary. She’d known it. He’d known it. They’d agreed to keep it secret.

 

“It’s over.” Drea took a single step away from him.

 

He moved lightning fast to get in front of her, his bulk blocking her view of the rest of the group. “Don’t go away mad, babe. Let me make it up to you. Tonight. My place. No one has to know.”

 

She tossed her cup and plate into the trashcan. “Charming.”

 

He threw up his hands in frustration. “Around most people, I am.”

 

“And I’m not most people.” Pushing her point home, she traced a finger across his broad, sinewy shoulders and used the softest hint of pressure to nudge him out of her way so she could march across the grass to say goodbye to her best friends. “You should remember that.”

 

“As if I could ever forget.”

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24701704-make-me-up


Buy links:

Kindle  |  Nook  |  Kobo

YouTube Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FEvAW4ZFio&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share

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Giveaway:

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Note from Avery on Prize Pack:

 

When you’re a makeup artist, you have to look good–even when you’re on the run from the cops and a crime boss. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the person standing between you and the bad guys is a sexy, motorcycle-riding former special ops hottie who just happens to be your ex-lover. Yeah, those kind of days require Sexy Mother Pucker lipstick, Most Wanted eyeliner, Making Headlines nail polish, Gun Ammo eye shadow and Sweet Verbena scents. Lucky you, you don’t have to be on the run like Drea and Cam in Make Me Up to get all of these goodies. Just enter the giveaway for your chance to win the Make Me Up Makeover Basket from author Avery Flynn & Entangled Publishing!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct Link  |  Grab Link

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AFlynnShoes-1-230x344About Author

Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip.

She fell in love with romance while reading Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory books. It wasn’t long before Avery had read through all the romance offerings at her local library. Needing a romance fix, she turned to Harlequin’s four books a month home delivery service to ease the withdrawal symptoms. That worked for a short time, but it wasn’t long before the local book stores’ staffs knew her by name.

Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.

Website: http://averyflynn.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AveryFlynnAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@averyflynn

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4894804.Avery_Flynn

 

 

A Taste of Merlot by Heather Heyford…Book Spotlight

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TOM cover

 

 

A Taste of Merlot synopsis:

Raise your glass and join Heather Heyford as she pours a second serving in her series following these headstrong wine heiresses in their quest to strike out on their own…

Merlot St. Pierre is struggling to break free from her family name. Her college classmates whisper behind her back that her passion for jewelry design is little more than a hobby, since she’ll always have her father’s fortune. But Meri is determined to prove them wrong, and with the help of a handsome jewelry buyer, she just may taste her first sip of success—as long as she can hide who she really is…

Mark Newman’s family owns a chain of high-end jewelry stores, and he’s working hard to get out from under his aunt’s thumb and prove he has a good eye and a head for business. He’s certain Meri’s designs could be the next big thing, but he’ll have to convince her that she can use her famous last name to her advantage. As their business partnership takes root, an attraction begins to flourish—but they’ll both find that love, like wine, takes time to perfect…

 

 

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Tour Schedule:

January 5

Book featured at 3 Partners in Shopping

January 6

Book featured at Review From Here

January 7

Book featured at The Dark Phantom

January 8

Book featured at What is That Book About

January 9

Book featured at Lisa Loves Books

January 12

Book reviewed at Acting Balanced

January 13

Book reviewed at I’m Shelf-ish

January 14

Book featured at Read-Love-Blog

January 15

Book featured at Authors and Readers Book Corner

January 16

Book featured at Talking Books Blog

Book featured at The Writer’s Life

 

Heather Heyford Bio:

HH picBorn in the Northeast, Heather Heyford learned to walk and talk in Texas, and then moved to England.(“Ya’ll want some scones?”) While in Europe, Heather was forced by her cruel parents to spend Saturdays in the leopard vinyl back seat of their Peugeot, motoring from one medieval pile to the next for the lame purpose of ‘learning something.’ What she soon learned was how to allay the boredom by stashing a Cosmo under the seat. Now a recovering teacher, Heather writes love stories, feeds hardboiled eggs to suburban foxes, and makes art in the Mid-Atlantic. She is represented by the Nancy Yost Literary Agency (NYLA, @nyliterary) in New York City.

 

Links

Website http://www.heatherheyford.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/heatherheyford1

Twitter https://twitter.com/heatherheyford

Naughty Little Wishes by Nina Crespo….Book Spotlight

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Title: Naughty Little
Wishes
Author: Nina Crespo
Release Date:  January 5, 2015
Genre: A sexy category
romance novella from Entangled’s Brazen imprint
 
Blurb:
There’s nothing personal stylist Tabitha Drake loves more than pissing off uptight military contractor Andrew Bode. Unfortunately, the infuriating—and incredibly sexy—stylist is Drew’s ticket to a major account. The only way to get what he wants is to agree to Tab’s terms: a style makeover. However, Drew has a few terms of his own, most of which involve her naked in his bed. But neither of them are prepared for what happens when their lust-fueled hostility turns into something altogether unexpected…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
Authors Bio:

Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions — the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing. Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a “borrowing spree” in her older sister’s bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel. Curiosity about people and places, including what’s beyond the stars, fuels her writer’s imagination. This wellspring of inspiration allows Nina to create sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales, which she hopes will feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after.

Author’s Links:

 
Purchase Link:

Charlotte’s Secrets: Demon Love by Maryam Malik…Book Spotlight & Excerpt

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CHARLOTTE’S SECRETS: DEMON’S LOVE

As the Dark Ages reign over England, Julian an ordinary village boy is condemned for Charlotte’s mysterious murder, his wife and to his surprise—a princess of royal blood. Oblivious of the presence of a centuries old demon, Julian is imprisoned in Elijah’s inescapable dungeon where he waits for the injustice of a gruesome death. But when the young man is rescued at the hands of an unexpected guardian…he learns of his role as salvatoris liberet—the single truth that will alter his destiny forever. As alliances form, secrets unfold, and enemies reveal themselves, Julian must decide who to trust and how far he is willing to go for the only woman he’s ever loved.

Excerpt

He came wildly, racing toward me with all his might. He swung his weapon above his head, aiming the sharp spikes at my jaw. Tensely, I sucked in a deep breath of air. There was not a weapon in reach and Watson was no more than a drunken man chattering away. I was alone and helpless, but the sight of the beautiful face watching me from the distance was all the strength I needed.

Quickly, I grabbed the empty glass of booze Watson sipped out of and waited for the barbaric man to pounce in my direction. The metal flail ripped through the air and to my luck—missed my face by almost an inch. The rage enriched man was still a few feet away but his weapon was now stuck in the wooden table beside me. Relived, I raced forth, said a prayer under my breath and without much control over my actions— planted the glass hard against his temple.

It must’ve taken all the strength in my body, all the force I never thought I had. Gasps filled the room and jaws dropped to their knees. The astonished man stared at me, defenseless. Blood dripped from the sides of his head as his eyes rolled back into their sockets. Suddenly, a large thump shook the ground below. Laughter and dancing again prevailed. Watson rose to hug me, “well that serves him just right,” he cheerfully patted my back and once again joined the crowd in merry. I looked down at the large man who lay unconscious next to my feet, and then at his companions who hurried away in fright.

I stood at ease as the elegant beauty took a few steps in my direction. In all fairness, her grace overlooked all the fascination the world had to offer. I was drawn to her like a slave to his master. I felt as if she was the one I had been waiting for all my life. And she felt something too. I could see it in the gentle smile that slowly broke out on her face. And in those few moments, as I gazed into her soul…the world did not matter. Nothing felt the same. Nothing could ever be the same. Warmth and affection surged through me, teasing me, for it was the very first time such emotions had ever flooded my body. They swam in my blood, tickling the tips of my fingers and causing my stomach to twist and turn in knots. I wanted to kneel before her and ask her to be mine forever. I needed to know how blissful it would feel to hold her in my arms. I was desperate to learn her name. Slowly, I walked toward her, standing so close that only a few inches of air kept our bodies from touching. She stared at me with her glowing honey colored eyes, comforted by my presence. And on that strange October night, I made her a promise I would never forget to honor— “I will protect you,” I spoke. The words sounded as beautiful as I intended them to be. “Always and forever.”

 

Charlotte’s Secrets is available in both paperback and E-book formats. You may purchase a copy by visiting www.authormaryammalik.com or Barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com. E-book may be downloaded on the Kindle, Nook, or Apple’s iBook store for only $4.99.

 

About Maryam

MMMaryam Malik lives in New Jersey with her family of seven. She is an obsessed coffee lover and a traveler by heart. She loves exploring different foods, cultures and kindly asks if anyone discovers a portal leading into a world of all things fiction, please be sure to tweet her the location.

Find Maryam:

Website: www.authormaryammalik.com

Instagram: @authormaryammalik

Twitter: @maryam_malik41

                             Facebook

 

Book Spotlight….The Light Series Boxed Set by Jennifer DeLucy

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In the world of Seers, souls are connected over generations and countless spirits haunt the earth. Lillian Hunt isn’t prepared for life as a Sentient being, but she knows her choices are few. She can either embrace her purpose and learn to protect herself in a strange new reality or live at its mercy unprotected. As present, future and past unwind, so do the fates of everyone around her, branching farther than she could ever have imagined.

The Light Series will give you chills, reignite your fear of the dark and your faith in the power of love. Just be warned…once you’ve entered the world of Seers, you’ll never be the same.

Author: Jennifer DeLucy
Title: The Light Series Boxed Set
Genre: Supernatural Romance
ISBN: 978-1-623421-76-2
Release Date: September 30th, 2014
Available in eBook
Author Website
Twitter: @Jen_DeLucy
Jennifer DeLucy on Amazon

Author Bio:
Jennifer DeLucy is an author of paranormal fiction, most notably The Light Series Trilogy, a freelance editor, and a musician who believes in combining talents to create unique and inspiring work. Born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Jennifer moved to the Midwest in her early twenties, where she honed her passions and published her first two novels before moving to Seattle, Washington in 2012. She continues to pursue new and exciting avenues in both the writing and music fields.

Beyond Hollywood Strip by Shamron Moore….Book Spotlight & Giveaway

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Synopsis:

Callie Lambert is the hottest starlet in Hollywood. With a hit TV show under her belt, the tabloid-targeted actress–christened one of “The 20 Most Tantalizing Angelenos”–leads a charmed life, hobnobbing with fashionistas in Paris and industry bigwigs in Los Angeles . She’s sexy, sassy, and unsinkable….and currently unemployed.

Beyond Hollywood Strip offers an inside look into the realities of being famous and beautiful, following Callie as she navigates the seedy underbelly of the entertainment industry. Juggling hunky ex-boyfriends, battling lawsuits from rival actresses, staying one step ahead of the press, organizing a charity event to honor her murdered friend…Callie’s got it all under control. But when she receives a mysterious letter from a young woman claiming to be her long-lost sister, Callie’s world begins to crack around the edges and all bets are off.

An ode to the literary popcorn of Jacqueline Susann, Beyond Hollywood Strip is a steamy, action-packed ride down Sunset Boulevard. Better buckle your seat belt…it’s going to be bumpy…

Book links:

 Amazon  |  B&N

Comment on this blog post to be entered to win an eCopy of BEYOND HOLLYWOOD STRIP

 

 

About the author:

Shamron, a native of Michigan, has appeared in various national commercials, international publications, television, and feature films. FHM named her one of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World. She left the industry to focus on writing, one of her longtime passions.

Jacqueline Susann is the woman Shamron credits for influencing her to write her debut novel, Hollywood Strip; she considers Ms. Susann the unofficial “Godmother of Chick Lit.” A sequel, Beyond Hollywood Strip, was released in July of 2014.

The author currently resides in Los Angeles.

Website