Giveaway – Page 51 – Read-Love-Blog

Cover Reveal & Giveaway….Worth the Fight by Vi Keeland

I am happy to introduce the cover for Vi Keeland’s WORTH THE FIGHT!

Vi is also holding a giveaway with two $25 Amazon gift cards…enter HERE

Enjoy!

Worth the Fight releases October 3

Synopsis:

It didn’t matter that the ref called it a clean hit. Nico Hunter would never be the same.

Elle has a good life. A job she loves, a great apartment, and the guy she’s been dating for more than two years is a catch and a half. But it’s boring…and she strives to keep it that way. Too many emotions are dangerous. Her own past is living proof of what can happen when you lose control.

Then Nico walks into Elle’s office and everything changes…for both of them. But what can the tattooed, hard-bodied MMA fighter and the beautiful and always steady attorney have in common? A lot more than they bargained for.

Add Worth the Fight to your TBR list on Goodreads here

Be sure to enter to win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards here

About the author:

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn’t change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting USA Today Best Selling smut author by night!

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Website ~ Goodreads

email: vikeeland@gmail.com

Authors other published works:

Belong to You

Made for You

First Thing I See

Book Links:

Made for You

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Barnes and Noble

Belong to You

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Barnes and Noble

First Thing I See

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Barnes and Noble

Cover Reveal and Giveaway…Out of Line by Jen McLaughlin

Yahooo! I am super excited to bring you the gorgeous cover for Jen McLaughlin’s upcoming release, OUT OF LINE!

Out of Line releases September 2013

Book Summary:

Desperate to break free…

I’ve spent my entire life under my father’s thumb, but now I’m finally free to make my own choices. When my roommate dragged me to my first college party, I met Finn Coram and my life turned inside out. He knows how to break the rules and is everything I never knew I wanted. A Marine by day and surfer by night, he pushes me away even as our attraction brings us closer. Now I am finally free to do whatever I want. I know what I want. I choose Finn.

Trying to play by the rules…

I always follow orders. My job, my life, depends on it. I thought this job would be easy, all the rules were made crystal clear, but when I met Carrie Wallington, everything got muddy. She’s a rule I know I shouldn’t break, but damn if I don’t inch closer to the breaking point each time I see her. I’m ready to step out of line. And even worse? I’m living a lie. They say the truth will set you free, but in my case…

The truth will cost me everything.

And…….Jen McLaughlin (aka Diane Alberts) is also offering up a special contest. For every 100 adds she gets on goodreads for OUT OF LINE before the release (September 10th), she will reveal 5 pages of the book early!

If the book hits 600 adds before the release, she will release a bonus scene from Finn’s POV! She will also choose random people who use the tag #OUTOFLINE on twitter and facebook, or adds the book to their TBR list, to receive swag!

To add OUT OF LINE to your Goodreads, click HERE and then click on the WANT TO READ button under the book cover….it’s that easy!

Also, Jen is offering a signed/personalized copy of OUT OF LINE to one lucky reader! The rafflecopter is below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Jen McLaughlin writes steamy New Adult books for the young and young at heart. Her first release, Out of Line, is due out September 2013. She also writes Contemporary Romance under the pen name Diane Alberts. She is a multi-published, bestselling author and is represented by Louise Fury from the L. Perkins Agency. Since receiving her first contract offer under the pen name Diane Alberts, she has yet to stop writing.

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another. Her goal is too write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Website ~ Facebook Fan Page ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Book Birthday & GIVEAWAY…The Winemaker’s Dinner: Appetizers

Happy 1st Birthday to The Winemaker’s Dinner: Appetizers!

Omnific is celebrating in a BIG way for this very special first birthday!

There will be fun quotes and pictures on the blogs celebrating and an AMAZING giveaway with great prizes so be sure to enter to win (rafflecopter link is below) and if you haven’t already read The Winemaker’s Dinner Series, what are you waiting for?

Book links:

Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Facebook

(yep….that’s me, Jilly, and the dreamy Dr. Ivan….squeeee!)

**psssst….in case you missed it, I got the opportunity to interview Dr. Ivan and you can read all the fun HERE

Synopsis:

Recently named executive chef at one of Miami Beach’s hottest restaurants, Jaden Thorne is determined to make her culinary mark and fulfill her professional dreams. When Jaden is given highly coveted tickets to the ultra-exclusive Winemaker’s Dinner, she jumps at the opportunity to meet South Florida’s wealthiest and most influential food and wine enthusiasts.

Jaden’s eyes are drawn to the VIP section even before the appetizers appear, but she soon finds herself thinking less about networking and more about the intriguingly sexy stranger eying her from across the room. After dinner, what begins as a light-hearted flirtation unexpectedly catapults into a night of explosive passion. But when morning dawns, Jaden leaves her sleeping Mr. Oh So Sexy behind, sure they’ll never see each other again.

Dr. Ivan Rusilko, a handsome, young physician, boasts an extensive resume’ and a well-established position on Miami Beach’s social scene. But despite his success and glamour, he’s routinely had to suffer uninspiring dates and doomed relationships. With a romantic heart, Ivan’s not the love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type. But when he awakens to find that the girl in the red dress has done exactly that, he resolves to find her–only if it’s just to ask why she left without even a kiss goodbye.

The Winemaker’s Dinner is a fictionalized erotic memoir inspired by the romantic triumphs and tragedies of Dr. Ivan Rusilko’s real life. Weaving fact with fantasy, authors Everly Drummond and Dr. Ivan Rusilko have gifted readers with a swoon-worthy flesh-and-blood romantic hero and the intoxicating bouquet only a heartfelt tale of passionate love can create.

About the authors:

Dr. Ivan Rusilko:

Dr. Ivan Rusilko, DO, CSN, PT, is an accomplished weight loss, wellness, physical enhancement and sexual health physician in Miami, Florida. A certified sports nutritionist, champion bodybuilder, international male fitness model, and former Mr. USA 2008 & 2010, Dr. Ivan graduated from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2010 and sits as the national media and public relations expert and spokesperson on diet, exercise and sports nutrition for the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

Dr. Ivan has been a feature health writer and lifestyle coach for numerous magazines and online publications including The Washington Times and Quarter Life Health.

In addition to health and wellness, he has a variety of interests and activities including event coordination, photography, writing, and politics.

With his debut novel, “The Winemaker’s Dinner: Appetizers,” book one of a planned three book series due out in the summer of 2012, Dr. Rusilko is excited to offer a male voice in a predominantly female authored genre. Always one with a story to tell, he hopes to continue writing, exploring new genres and projects, as well as field future entertainment opportunities.

He is proud to bring two of his passions, his medical wellness and sexual health background and writing together in this unique project. He hopes that the “The Winemaker’s Feast Trilogy” will help spark an enthusiasm and liberation among women, inspiring them to bring their sexual health into focus and achieve a better quality of life.

“The best cosmetic procedure is adding a smile.” – Dr Rusilko

Everly Drummond:

As a student of the Centennial College Social Service Worker program, and the Trent University Biology program, Everly Drummond had a previous life in administration and transportation before launching her career as a writer. Everly’s other writing projects include City of the Damned, a paranormal romance series, and Blood of the Ancients, a YA paranormal romance. All four novellas in the City of the Damned series have appeared on the Amazon.com bestseller list. Everly resides in Toronto, Ontario,where she is currently working on the full length Inked novel, which is scheduled to be released Spring 2013.

Enter to win the amazing contest with prizes that include:

$50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card (winner’s choice)

Custom Silver TWD-centric charm bracelet

Custom Silver TWD charm book mark

Mollydooker Baseball Cap like Ivan wears

Set (3) of signed print books

5 complete series ePack

5 Swag Packs

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour & Giveaway….Blood Entangled by Amber Belldene

Title: Blood Entangled (Blood Vine #2)

Author: Amber Belldene

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publication Date: July 23, 2013 by Omnific Publishing

Event organized by: Literati Author Services

Purchase links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Omnific

Synopsis:

Book Two in the Blood Vine series:

KOS MARAS’s orderly life is in shambles—he must distribute Blood Vine to a population of ailing vampires, but Hunters block him at every turn. To make matters worse, each night he watches over a temptingly beautiful woman sleeping in his bed. He is convinced love cannot last a vampire-long lifetime and an entanglement will only cause them grief, but he doesn’t have the heart to send her away.

From a long line of blood servants, LENA ISAAKSON is destined to serve a vampire, but a string of humiliating rejections thwarts her pleasure. When Kos shows her kindness, she hopes he will claim her. Instead he proves himself a coward in the face of love and sends her to serve another.

Will the dark seduction of a rakish new vampire finally bring Lena the pleasure she desires or deliver her into the hands of Hunters who want to destroy everything the Maras family has worked for?

My review:

Blood Entangled is the second book in Amber Belldene’s Blood Vine Series. After falling in love with this series while reading the first book, I was so excited to get my hands on Blood Entangled….and Amber rocked the vampire world once again with this story!

Still reeling and embarrassed from Andre’s rejection, Lena Isaakson is talking solace in the comfort given to her from Andre’s son, Kos. Staying in Kos’s home after leaving the Kastle Estate Winery, and place she’s called home, she has to decide what to do with her life. Lena knows she was born to serve a vampire household as her grandmother had done before her and she thought the estate was that household. While contemplating her next move she starts to realize that her feelings for Kos run far deeper than she expected and thinks he may be the vampire she truly wants to serve.

Kos has more than enough on his plate. Hunters trying to take down his family and their winery and trying to distribute life-saving blood vine wine to dying vampires should be plenty to keep his mind occupied but Lena is all he can think about. She has always held a place in his heart and now, after he offers to take care of her until she decides what to do next, he starts to think there’s no way he can let her leave. Unfortunately, the nagging memories of his mother and Andre’s disastrous love affair can never be erased and he believes love can never last. Looks like the only solution is to find a new household and new vampire for Lena to serve…it may prove to be that hardest thing he’s ever had to do.

Their chemistry is undeniable, but old memories and too many emotions and hurt will lead to many twists in the road for Lena and Kos. Add Ethan Bennett and his hunter’s insatiable appetite for their demise and destruction and the odds are certainly stacked against them. Will what they’ve found between them prove to be worth fighting for and taking a chance?

It was SO great to get back into the Kastle Estate Winery and see where things are headed! Predictable is NOT a word I would use to describe this book, that’s for sure. I wasn’t sure how I would like Lena when I started this book, but by the end of the first chapter I loved her. She is a passionate gal with a wit about her that was unexpected and totally enjoyable. She called Andre a “big mean jerk”…..I’m still laughing at that! She was written so well that I could feel her emotions when she felt rejected and defeated. I was really pulling for her happy ending because she truly deserved it (of course, I can’t tell you if she got it – mwahaha!). Kos is so loyal and focused. He is driven and wants nothing more than to help his father, his race and Lena. He broke my heart every time he would swear off love. Men, vampire or not, can be so stubborn!

There were more than a few surprises in this book and damn, if I didn’t love them! The hunters are still relentless and there was an addition to Ethan’s crew that I’m sure we will be learning more and more about as the series continues because she’s quite a mystery. The last half of this book was packed with *gasp* moments for me. We meet someone who helps solve some old family mysteries and gives hope to Kos and Lena when they need it most but the very last fight with the hunters in this story was the biggest *gasp* moment of them all! Not gonna spoil it for you but I will say I really, REALLY, didn’t think it would play out the way it did. I love that from a book! Again, predictable is NOT a word I’d use.

Thank you, Amber, for another amazing look into the vampire world at Kastle Estate Winery. I will be looking forward to more and more from Andre, Zoey, Kos, Lena, Bel and the whole awesome cast of characters!

Four-and-a-Half Loves

Enter the amazing tour wide giveaway for a chance to win some fabulous prizes!

Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more Blood Entangled reviews!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Amber Belldene grew up on the Florida panhandle, swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees and diving for scallops…when she could pull herself away from a book. As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church bulletin and read mysteries during sermons—an irony that is not lost on her when she preaches these days.

Amber is an Episcopal Priest and student of religion. She believes stories are the best way to explore human truths. Some people think it is strange for a minister to write romance, but it is perfectly natural to her, because the human desire for love is at the heart of every romance novel and God made people with that desire. She lives with her husband and two children in San Francisco.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Website

Follow the tour….

Blog Tour stop & Giveaway….The Marriage Merger by Jennifer Probst

How fun is this? For Read-Love-Blog’s stop on Jennifer Probst’s blog tour for her latest release, The Marriage Merger, she gives us the playlist she listened to while writing Sawyer and Julietta’s story……

I also have a paperback copy of The Marriage Merger to giveaway to one lucky winner! Enter in the rafflecopter below!

Oh, and my review for The Marriage Merger can be found HERE

Enjoy!

Book links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

From Jennifer:

PLAYLIST FOR THE MARRIAGE MERGER!

Everyone who knows me realizes I’m a huge music lover. I adore a big variety across all genres, and music is key to creating certain characters depending on the book I’m currently working on.

The Marriage Merger was no exception.

The music I listed to over and over on my Ipod made a huge difference as I wrote and developed scenes. The kick ass metal of Guns n Roses. The gorgeous richness of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. The emotional intensity and husky drawl of Daughtry, Rob Thomas, and Bruno Mars. The seductive, sultry beat of Rhianna and Beyonce.

God, I love my job.

Writing my stories with music pounding in my ears helps me get to that magic place where the words flow and the images pop and I lose myself. Lose yourself in the music. A little Eminem there lol!

So, I’m going to share all the songs I had on loop while writing the Marriage Merger. Each means something special to me and helped create a scene or a mood. Enjoy!

1. The Start of Something Good by Daughtry

2. Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N Roses

3. Mockingbird – Rob Thomas

4. You and Me (We Wanted It All)– Frank Sinatra

5. Lose Yourself – Eminem

6. Someone Like You – Adele

7. Aint That A Kick in The Head – Dean Martin

8. I Love You – Climax Blues Band

9. My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) – Fall Out Boy

10. Master of Puppets – Metallica

11. Overjoyed – Matchbox Twenty

12. Barely Breathing – Lifehouse

13. I Want To F**k You Like An Animal – Nine Inch Nails

14. Never Gonna Leave This Bed – Maroon 5

The Marriage Merger synopsis:

Her sisters have found wedded bliss with their wealthy, wonderful dream men, but not Julietta Conte. She’s stayed on terra firma as top executive of the family’s corporation, La Dolce Famiglia bakery. Work is her passion, and her trendy Milan apartment her sanctuary . . . until Sawyer Wells, a masculine masterpiece in a suit, lures her out of hiding with an irresistible offer: an exclusive partnership with his international chain of boutique hotels.

Julietta’s been burned before—and trusting her brother-in-law’s friend, whose powerful gaze alone has her rethinking the best use of a conference room, is the riskiest proposition. But with a once-in-a-career chance to take the bakery global, will she mix stone-cold business with red-hot seduction?
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. At twelve, I took a pen in hand and wrote my first love story. I haven’t stopped since. Those heroines taught me valuable lessons that served me well. I learned to keep my head up high and surge forward when I was afraid; I learned to demand respect in a relationship; I learned about compromise and dreams and independence. Those are the stories I want to write, and I can only hope I give back some of the joy I received over the years.

I live in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. I’ve traveled to many places but always seem to be drawn back to the mountains. I graduated with a business degree, worked for Mercy College, and now spend most days dedicated to my family and my characters. I’ve pursued many career paths such as travel agent, yoga teacher and insurance salesperson. I’ve wanted to be an airline pilot, a dancer, an archaeologist, and a vineyard owner. I have been all of the above through romance novels, and intend to explore many more.

One of my turning points in my career was when I joined Romance Writers of America and met the wonderful people in my local chapter, The Hudson Valley RWA. Through supportive critique sessions, I learned how to develop my raw skills to get a publishable manuscript. I discovered my tendency for wordy prologues and passive phrases that all new writers work through, and now try to help others on their journey.

My “leisure time” is spent writing, reading, and raising two active boys. I believe animals are the other children in this world, and enjoy spending time at the local animal shelter, where I got my first “baby” Bella, a shepherd hound mix who gets into as much trouble as my son! I rescued my second dog from an abusive home, a beagle, basset hound who is the peacemaker in the household.

I met the love of my life when I had finally given up on my own romantic journey. The first time he asked me out he promised to buy my book if he could buy me dinner. We had dinner and fell in love over sushi and haven’t been apart since. We married and settled into domestic bliss. That’s when I learned it wasn’t about happy endings. It was about happy beginnings.

Visit her website

Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @jenniferprobst

Subscribe to her newsletter!

Get it on your bookshelf giveaway…Tidal by Emily Snow

Happy Monday and cheers to the first GET IT ON YOUR BOOKSHELF GIVEAWAY!

I will be having these giveaways from time to time featuring a book that I think sounds really great, is on my own bookshelf, but I don’t have the time to read and review just yet…..so I’m gonna give a copy to one of YOU to enjoy!

Fun, huh?!

Today I have a paperback copy of TIDAL by Emily Snow to give away. You can enter to win in the rafflecopter below…good luck!

Book links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

Genre:

New Adult Romance

Synopsis:

Now that Willow Avery is out of rehab, she’s got one chance left to prove herself before she’s officially on every producer’s shit list. At least, that’s what her parents and agent are claiming. She doesn’t really give a damn if she never makes another movie or not—she just wants to get on with her life, get back to her friends, and find her next escape. But Willow is broke. And whether she likes it or not, acting is the only job she knows how to do.

When she accepts the lead in a beach drama, Willow finds herself in Hawaii. And in Hawaii, she finds Cooper, the gorgeous surfer hired to train her for her new role. With the bluest eyes she’s ever seen and the sexiest Australian accent she’s ever heard, Cooper’s different from the men she’s used to. He doesn’t want to use her. And he refuses to let her fail. But when an old friend re-enters Willow’s life—a friend whose toxicity she’s been drawn to time and time before and whose presence brings about the painful memories she’s tried so hard to suppress—Willow will have to choose between the girl she was and the person she’s becoming. The lifestyle that helps her forget the pain and the guy she’s falling hard for

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Emily Snow is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of the DEVOURED series (2012, 2013) and TIDAL (2012).

Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Website

Guest post & Giveaway with Mia March author of Finding Colin Firth

I am so lucky to have author Mia March on the blog today with a great guest post on her favorite Colin Firth film!

Her recently released novel, Finding Colin Firth, is a heartwarming tale about three gals, a monumental summer and Colin Firth…of course!

Also, along with Mia’s guest post, I have a paperback copy of Finding Colin Firth to give away to one lucky winner.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and enjoy!

My Favorite Colin Firth film by Mia March

First, did you know that Colin Firth, British Oscar-winning actor and my personal heartthrob since 1995, has appeared in over seventy films between TV movies and film? Since I discovered him on my TV screen as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice, I’ve seen so many of his films, marveling over his talent (and swooning over him in general). From Valmont to The King’s Speech, from Mamma Mia to Then She Found Me, from Shakespeare in Love to Fever Pitch, Colin Firth has played a wide range of roles—funny, heartbreaking, moving, adorable, and everything in between.

But my favorite Colin Firth film has always been Bridget Jones Diary. Case in point: take a look at that photo, with Colin in the reindeer jumper at a Christmas party. That photo alone makes me so happy! This is when he, as Mark Darcy, first meets Bridget, and he’s none too nice to her, but he’s snooty in a way that we understand, and that’s Colin Firth’s gift. Even when he’s being snobby, he’s so trustworthy and honest and full of integrity that you enjoy him and feel stung for Bridget and can’t wait to see how their relationship will progress—or not. “I like you. Very much. Just as you are.” Colin Firth, as Mark Darcy, utters these words to bumbling, insecure, wonderful Bridget, and if I thought I couldn’t love him any more than I already did, I fell even deeper into Colin Firth fever.

If you haven’t seen Bridget Jones’ Diary, you are in for a delicious treat! The three main characters in my new novel, FINDING COLIN FIRTH, each wants to find him for a very different reason, but that wanting is something I (and many women) identify with very much. Rumor has it that the actor is coming to a small Maine town to film scenes from his new movie, and 22 year old Bea, nervously connecting with her birth mother; 38 year old Veronica, baker of healing pies and an extra on the film, and 29 year old married journalist Gemma with a big secret, each have ties to the actor that bring them together. If you have a chance to read the novel, I hope you enjoy it!

Book links:

Barnes & Noble ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

Synopsis:

After losing her job and leaving her beloved husband, journalist Gemma Hendricks is sure that scoring an interview with Colin Firth will save her career and marriage. Yet a heart-tugging local story about women, family ties, love, and loss captures her heart— and changes everything. The story concerns Bea Crane, a floundering twenty-two-year-old who learns in a deathbed confession letter that she was adopted at birth. Bea is in Boothbay Harbor to surreptitiously observe her biological mother, Veronica Russo—something of a legend in town—who Bea might not be ready to meet after all. Veronica, a thirty-eight-year-old diner waitress famous for her “healing” pies, has come home to Maine to face her past. But when she’s hired as an extra on the bustling movie set, she wonders if she is hiding from the truth . . . and perhaps the opportunity of a real-life Mr. Darcy.

These three women will discover more than they ever imagined in this coastal Maine town, buzzing with hopes of Colin Firth. Even the conjecture of his arrival inspires daydreams, amplifies complicated lives, and gives incentive to find their own romantic endings

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author: (from Mia’s website)

A little bit about me: I’m the single mother of a wonderful kiddo in elementary school. We live in a small town on the coast of Maine, about an hour and a half south of Boothbay Harbor, the setting of FINDING COLIN FIRTH and THE MERYL STREEP MOVIE CLUB (June 2012, Simon & Schuster). Walking distance from our house is a wonderful little independent bookstore, a smoothie shop, a good restaurant, our town library, the weekly farmer’s market, and a great coffee place where I like to write and read. In other words, everything I need.

Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Guest Post & Giveaway with Eleri Stone author of Witch Bound

I am so happy to have Eleri Stone, author of Witch Bound, here today with a fun and interesting guest post. She has also offered to give away an eCopy of either Witch Bound or Demon Crossing (1st book in the series)…just enter in the rafflecopter below.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

Eleri’s guest post:

I’m a little bit obsessed with the new Vikings show on the History Channel. And why not? Big strapping men. Fierce women. Political intrigue. Exploration. Discovery. Conquest. The tagline for the Twilight of the Gods series is “Modern-day Vikings in the American Midwest.” So I thought I’d tell you how my Vikings match up against the Vikings on the TV show.

1. My Vikings are contemporary. While Vikings, the TV series, is set about 800 CE in Scandinavia, my Vikings could be your neighbors. Well, they could be your neighbors if they didn’t live in an isolated and close-knit farming community that’s unwelcoming to strangers. But they could live the next town over and you’d never know it.

2. My Vikings are Norse demigods. The premise of the series is that Ragnarök, the Norse apocalypse, happened centuries ago, destroying Asgard. Some of the Æsir (Norse gods) managed to escape and settle in spots on earth where the wall between worlds is the thinnest. Because the source of their magic is their devastated home-world, their power is greatly diminished. Add to that the fact that few of them are full-blooded Æsir and you have a group of people who don’t possess the legendary powers of their ancestors but who aren’t quite human either.

3. My Vikings aren’t invading new lands. They’re trying to defend this one. When the wall between worlds thins at new moon and full, the demons who destroyed Asgard are able to break through to earth and the Æsir descendants have to hunt them down and kill them.

4. My Vikings travel by magic, not by longship. (Although longships are very cool and if I could figure out a way to work one in, I’d probably do it.) The Æsir came to earth on the bridge Asbrú which still connects earth to Asgard. They’re able to cross to Asgard and also to make short portal jumps between places on earth.

5. My Vikings could kick TV Viking ass. They carry magically spelled Skimstrok blades designed to fight demons. They’re trained warriors, witches and shapeshifters descended directly from the gods. How could they not win that fight?

But as powerful as they are, they’re really just trying to survive in a world that’s not their home. They can’t let the human population know they exist. They can’t run away from their responsibilities and their connection with the magic of their homeworld without losing their sanity.

Here’s what the new book, WITCH BOUND, is all about:

Raquel Lindgren knows what her future holds. An arranged marriage. A new home in Ragnarok, Iowa, with another clan of refugees from Asgard. She should be happy. But there’s a mental block preventing her from tapping in to her true abilities as a witch. And she’s more attracted to the best man than she is to the groom…

Fen can’t believe he’s falling for his best friend’s future wife. As a hound, a wolf shifter, his duty lies with the pack. He’s seen too many hounds destroyed by love, and he’s sworn never to take a mate, never to have children of his own. He can’t deny his desire for Raquel, but she deserves more than he can offer her.

Raquel’s been raised to trust in magic, her clan and her destiny. But when a vengeful demon threatens to break out of Asgard and destroy the clan, Raquel learns she must trust in love if she is to take the future into her own hands.

Are you a fan of Vikings or Norse mythology? Willing to give it a try?
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Eleri Stone was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated from the University of Iowa, married her college sweetheart, and settled in the Midwest where she still lives with her husband and their three children. A lifelong fan of fantasy, she started reading romance as an adult and was instantly captivated by the strong female protagonists, character-driven storylines and guarantee of a happy-ever-after. Writing fantasy and paranormal romance, she is the author of the Lost City Shifters series (shapeshifter paranormal romance), the Twilight of the Gods series (paranormal romance based on Norse mythology) and the Spellcraft series (secondary-world fantasy romance).

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Blog Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway…Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey

Happy Tuesday! As you may know, I am a huge fan of Tessa Bailey so I am super excited to be a part of the Officer Off Limits Blog Tour!

Tessa was kind enough to stop by for a guest post today and I can’t wait for you to read what she has to say about the always delicious alpha male hero.

Also, I’m giving away an eCopy of OFFICER OFF LIMITS to one lucky reader! Enter to win in the rafflecopter below.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

Book links:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iBooks ~ Kobo

Synopsis:

His need to possess her is non-negotiable.

Story Brooks’ fiancé just called off their wedding two weeks before the happy day. As if that isn’t bad enough, her semi-estranged father, an infamous NYPD hostage negotiator, has suffered a heart attack. Not wanting to examine her lack of emotion over the broken engagement, she hops on a plane to reconnect with her father before it’s too late.

Playboy hostage negotiator Daniel Chase has never, not once, been refused by a woman, so when a debate over hospital snack foods with a delectable kindergarten teacher ends in flat-out rejection, he makes it his mission to seduce her. His only obstacle? She’s the daughter of his mentor who implicitly forbade Daniel from pursuing her.

Despite her father’s warnings and Daniel’s troubled past, Daniel and Story can’t resist their intense attraction to one another. But when the reason for her fiancé’s abrupt wedding cancellation comes to light, can Story and Daniel’s already forbidden relationship survive?

Guest Post:

What Makes an Alpha Male so Alluring to a Gal?

“The simple answer is DNA. Hear me out.

Women can pretty much do anything. I realized this right around the time I gave birth to another human being. I was lying there thinking, oh my god, I could conquer France right now if I so desired. And still fit in an hour of Pilates. I’m like, a freaking warrior and I had no idea. As times have changed and women have moved into positions of power (I’m not just talking about in the corporate world, I’m talking about everywhere, even at home), we’ve been conditioned to meet men halfway. Pick the restaurants, pay half the check and find your own damn way home. All this on top of acting like you cringe in the face of commitment just so homeboy doesn’t freak out and make a break for it before your main course arrives. That’s if you’re lucky enough for him to spring for dinner.

So…this is what we wanted right? To be equal in all things, including love? Yes and no. In the workplace or when making household decisions, we obviously deserve to have a voice that counts. But when it comes to the dynamic in our relationships (this is where the DNA comes in) we, as women, have a built-in mechanism that…hmmm…wouldn’t mind a man taking care of us a little. Even just for an hour in bed. It’s not something that should make us ashamed or feel inadequate. It should increase our feeling of power because we’re ultimately being revered. Cherished. Yay, us.

My best friends, twenty-something girls trying to navigate the dating scene here in New York, have such a difficult time figuring out what a man wants from them. These guys flirt like crazy, then don’t ask them out, leaving the ball in the woman’s court. For once, wouldn’t it be nice to have a man tell you exactly what he’s thinking? Where the hell he wants the evening to go? Mystery is overrated, in my opinion.

Enter my heroes

They are alpha males that say very bad things. Things maybe the heroine didn’t realize she wanted to hear all along. She should be offended, but instead she’s turned on. A man who knows exactly what he wants and isn’t afraid to voice that desire is sexy as all get-out. That is why alpha males appeal to women. It eliminates the guesswork and throws in a whole lot of sexy excitement.”

Enter to win an eCopy of OFFICER OFF LIMITS here and for more stops, and more fun, on the Blog Tour, click HERE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Website

Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey Release Day Post & Giveaway

Happy release day to Tessa Bailey and Officer Off Limits!

In celebration, Tessa is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card! Enter in the rafflecopter below…good luck!

Synopsis:

“His need to possess her is non-negotiable.

Officer Off Limits on Goodreads

Buy Officer Off Limits on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Tessa lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and young daughter. When she isn’t writing or reading romance, Tessa enjoys a good argument and thirty-minute recipes.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Website

Cover Reveal…Malicious Mischief by Marianne Harden

I am pleased to bring you the cover reveal for Malicious Mischief by Marianne Harden! We also have a great excerpt and a great giveaway from Marianne (rafflecopter below)! Enjoy!

Book Links:

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble

Synopsis:

Career chameleon, Rylie Keyes, must keep her current job. If not, the tax assessor will evict her ailing grandfather and auction off their ancestral home. When a senior she shuttles for a Bellevue, Washington retirement home winds up dead in her minibus, sticky with a half-eaten s’more, head clad in a cellophane bag, and a pocketed complaint letter accusing her of driving by Braille, her goal to keep her job hits a road bump.

The deceased was thought to be a penniless Nazi concentration camp survivor with a silly grudge against Rylie. However, the victim has enemies who will stop at nothing to keep their part in the murder a secret.

Forced to dust off the PI training she’s kept hidden from her ex-detective grandfather, Rylie must align with a circus-bike-wheeling Samoan to solve the murder, all while juggling the attentions of two very hot police officers.

Excerpt:

~When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty~

Am I a flake? Sort of. But I’m trying to change. My grandfather has property tax issues, and what troubles Granddad, troubles me. Good thing I’ve held down a steady job for months. A major big deal. Not the getting a job part—I’ve had lots—but the held down aspect. Somehow, I always end up unemployed, but not today.

Today, I am Rylie Tabitha Keyes, chauffeur to the seniors at Fountain of Youth Retirement Home (FoY.)

It was dawn Sunday as I eased my employer’s van from one freeway onto another. After that, I concentrated on the wet asphalt up ahead. I didn’t want to think about my job history or our financial woes. Instead I focused on the summery sunrise over the Cascade Mountains due east. I stared at it a moment, charmed by its contrast to the more typical Bellevue, Washington gloom brooding overhead.

I should’ve been asleep, but I needed to toss trash from a fundraiser rolling around in the back of the van. Leland Rosenberg, my boss at Fountain of Youth Retirement Home, had asked me to dump the bags at his second business, Rosenberg Laboratory, as FoY’s Dumpsters were full from a recent bathroom remodel. His mood had been edgy, kind of insistent I dispose of them last night. I confess, before I could carry out this task, a minor traffic accident and an all-important overnight obligation had waylaid me. I didn’t bother to sigh over how blunders always seemed to pepper my work performance. Some things were fated to be. After all, I slogged at my job for money not joy. It isn’t that I don’t like working at FoY, it just isn’t my dream gig. You see, I yearned to be a private detective, a Veronica Mars 2.0. Problem is, my grandfather is against the idea. Dead set against it.

So with the stench from the trash bags mounting, I steered FoY’s van onto the off-ramp and headed toward Rosenberg Laboratory just off the freeway exit. My mind was filled with thoughts of a steamy shower, maybe a few hours of shut-eye before punching the clock at nine. I stared forward, squinted. And iced over. Up ahead. Wrong-way traveling. A panel truck advanced, peeling rubber.

Faster.

Closer.

Zeroed in to hit me.

I whipped the van off the road, the red, white, and blue panel truck whizzing past. I slammed on the brakes, fighting to control the wheel. I wrestled with it, panicked, my mind flashing on one fortunate thing: no seniors were in the van.

Tons of hazards burst before my eyes. I struggled to absorb them. A mangled guardrail zigzagged up ahead; its many gaps from other out-of-control vehicles big as life. Worse was the wall of giant Douglas-firs growing beyond, lower trunks scarred, limbs low and swaying.

I was going to careen through the railing.

I was going to hit the trees.

I was going to die.

Enter to win! Marianne is giving away a $25 gift card to the book retailer of the winner’s choice!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Marianne Harden loves a good laugh. So much so, she cannot stop humor from spilling into her books. Over the years she has backpacked through the wilds of Australia, explored the exotics of Asia, soaked up the sun in the Caribbean, and delighted in the historic riches of Europe. Her goals in life are simple: do more good than harm and someday master the do-not-mess-with-me look. She divides her time between Switzerland and Washington State where she lives with her husband and two children.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads