Read-Love-Blog

Book Promotion & Review

My Sister’s Grave by Robert Dugoni…ARC Review

My Sister’s Grave releases today

 

MSG cover

 

Book links:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis:

Tracy Crosswhite has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn’t believe that Edmund House—a convicted rapist and the man condemned for Sarah’s murder—is the guilty party. Motivated by the opportunity to obtain real justice, Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicated her life to tracking down killers.

When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of Washington State, Tracy is determined to get the answers she’s been seeking. As she searches for the real killer, she unearths dark, long-kept secrets that will forever change her relationship to her past—and open the door to deadly danger.

 

My review:

My Sister’s Grave is the first work of author Robert Dugoni that I have read and I will say, I have found another author to put on my go-to list. This story pulled me in from the very beginning and didn’t let go until the last page.

Seattle PD homicide detective Tracey Crosswhite has been struggling with the disappearance of her younger sister since she last saw her, almost twenty years earlier. There had been an arrest but the nagging feeling that something just wasn’t quite right never left Tracey. She has dedicated her life to solving murders and her sister’s murder, she was certain, would be one of them. When she gets news that they recovered her sister’s remains, she knows she is so close to figuring out what really happened to her sister all those years ago. Tracey never suspected that she would uncover lies and deceit from the townspeople she grew up trusting. She also never suspected who she would find ultimately responsible for the crime that took her sister from her and ruined her family.

Wow. Just wow. This book was completely engrossing and I loved every aspect of the story. Tracey Crosswhite is beyond determined to solve that mystery that has haunted her for too many years to count. She is a smart woman and wants to look at every angle of things but she’s certain that the wrong man is behind bars. She ends up getting help from a childhood friend, and lawyer, and together they set off on one hell of a ride to reach the truth. They also find an attraction between themselves that builds into a great relationship. The story was fast-paced, easy to follow, and packed with suspense. I had no idea who to believe was responsible for Tracey’s sister’s disappearance. I couldn’t decide whom to trust and I went back and forth with my choice of the guilty party. Now, I won’t give anything away but I will say that the ending totally surprised me and I was a nervous wreck for more than a few pages. I loved it!

With well-written characters and a suspenseful mystery, My Sister’s Grave was a white knuckled ride that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Thank you, Mr. Dugoni, for a fantastic read!

 

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

About the author:

A writer turned lawyer turned writer. Robert Dugoni was born in Idaho and raised in Northern California the middle child of a family of ten siblings. Dugoni jokes that he didn’t get much of a chance to talk, so he wrote. By the seventh grade he knew he wanted to be a writer.

…read more here

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

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The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini…Review

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Book links:

Amazon  |  B&N

Synopsis:

EVERY SUPERHERO NEEDS TO START SOMEWHERE…

Dale Sampson is used to being a nonperson at his small-town Midwestern high school, picking up the scraps of his charismatic lothario of a best friend, Mack. He comforts himself with the certainty that his stellar academic record and brains will bring him the adulation that has evaded him in high school. But when an unthinkable catastrophe tears away the one girl he ever had a chance with, his life takes a bizarre turn as he discovers an inexplicable power: He can regenerate his organs and limbs.

When a chance encounter brings him face to face with a girl from his past, he decides that he must use his gift to save her from a violent husband and dismal future. His quest takes him to the glitz and greed of Hollywood, and into the crosshairs of shadowy forces bent on using and abusing his gift. Can Dale use his power to redeem himself and those he loves, or will the one thing that finally makes him special be his demise? The Heart Does Not Grow Back is a darkly comic, starkly original take on the superhero tale, introducing an exceptional new literary voice in Fred Venturini.

 

My Review:

The Heart Does Not Grow Back is the first novel from author Fred Venturini and is a thought provoking debut with interesting characters and an original plot. Although outside of what I normally read, I really enjoyed it!

We follow Dale Sampson and his best friend from sixth grade, when they first really meet and become friends, all the way through adulthood. In those years they deal with the ups and downs associated with growing up. First crushes, the obnoxious bully, getting into fights, social awkwardness…but that’s where the similarities with what most of us experience, to what he experiences, ends.

There is a terrible tragedy when the obnoxious bully does something I never saw coming, and it was shocking. It was that life event that turned Dale’s life upside-down and when he finds out he can regenerate limbs. It should be a blessing, one would think….but it begs the question: what do you do if you’re pretty much immortal? How do you handle that responsibility?

It takes Dale to a very dark place and he remains there for quite some time until almost the very end, when he makes a life changing decision. It was a thing of dark beauty to watch Dale grow from his life experiences and I loved that aspect. Reading the road he travels, where his unnatural ability takes him, who he ends up helping, all added up to a fantastic story where making sacrifices went from a quest for fame to a journey of self discovery.

There were dark moments and moments of hope. Sad moments and moments of joy. The Heart Does Not Grow back was written thoughtfully and with a fresh voice. If you’re in the mood for a story out of your norm, this is definitely a book to go to!

 “To age is to embrace a slow hurt inside and out, to collect scars like rings on a tree, dark and withered and sometimes only visible if someone cuts deep enough. Scars keep the past close enough to touch, but healing is forgetting. Healing invites another cut. Healing is the tide that smoothes away our line in the sand. For life to begin, the damage must be permanent.”

4LovesRLB

Four Loves

 

About the author:

Fred Venturini grew up in Patoka, Illinois. The Heart Does Not Grow Back is his first novel. His short fiction has been published in the Booked Anthology, Noir at the Bar 2, and Surreal South ’13. In 2014, his story “Gasoline” will be featured in Chuck Palahniuk’s Burnt Tongues collection. He lives in Southern Illinois with his wife and daughter.

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Have Me by J. Kenner…Release Day Event

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Today is the day – J. Kenner’s HAVE ME is finally here and we are so excited to celebrate the release! You have got to get your hands on this steamy novella!

 

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About HAVE ME

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes an erotic, emotionally charged eBook novella from New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner. Following the novels in her blockbuster Stark Trilogy—Release Me, Claim Me, and Complete Me, as well as her tie-in novella Take Me—Have Me continues the story of fan favorites Damien Stark and his new wife, Nikki Fairchild.

Our wedding was everything I dreamed of, and now the honeymoon is a living fantasy. To be Mrs. Damien Stark is the ultimate rush—to know that our claim to each other is real, our fierce passion sealing our bond. My kiss is forever his, his touch is forever mine.

We both harbor deep scars from our pasts, and we’ve done everything we can to lay our ghosts to rest. But there are still dreams that haunt me, and people that threaten to tear us apart.

Our shared ecstasy makes me feel alive, and I’ll do anything to keep Damien close. He is my future, my hope, my every want and need. And once you’ve tasted that kind of obsession, nothing can make you give it up.

Add it to your Goodreads list here!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

About J. Kenner

Julie Kenner (aka J. Kenner and J.K. Beck) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations,” J.K. writes a range of stories including super sexy romances, paranormal romance, chick lit suspense and paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, is in development as a feature film with 1492 Pictures.

Her most recent trilogy of erotic romances, The Stark Trilogy (as J. Kenner), reached as high as #2 on the New York Times list and is published in over twenty countries.

J.K. lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and several cats.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

 

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Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren…ARC Review

DRT cover

Dirty Rowdy Thing release TOMORROW, 11\4!

 

 Book links:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks

 

Synopsis:

Despite their rowdy hookups, Harlow and Finn don’t even like each other . . . which would explain why their marriage lasted only twelve hours. He needs to be in charge and takes whatever he wants. She lives by the Want-something-done? Do-it-yourself mantra. Maybe she’s too similar to the rugged fisherman—or just what he needs. Book 2 of the Wild Seasons series.

 

My Review:

Dirty Rowdy Thing is the second book in author Christina Lauren’s Wild Seasons Series and oh, my….I freaking LOVED it. Love, loved, loved.

Harlow really can’t believe her luck. Not only is she coming off of a disappointing night of completely forgetful sex, but of all the people in the entire world she didn’t want to see standing behind her in Starbucks was Finn. The ex-husband she had sworn off months earlier. Fate really must have it out for her…because as much as she wanted to hate his guts, she couldn’t help be still be so attracted to him that it hurt. They were like oil and water and never mixed well…except for in the bedroom. But she knew how it would end up if she got back together with him, even for a night, so she’d throw up her best defenses, throw him some snark, and be on her way. Of course that didn’t work out how she planned, like it always went when it came to Finn and she finds herself spending entirely too much time with him while he was in town. She couldn’t resist him the first time they met and now that she knows exactly what he has to offer, it didn’t matter that he annoyed the hell out of her, she still wanted him. Damn the sexy fisherman. She was so screwed…

Ok, so I’m a HUGE fan of Christina Lauren and their books. I feel like with each new release, I replace my favorite in the series and I say “THIS is my fave!” and Dirty Rowdy Thing is no exception. THIS really is my fave in the series (so far lol!). Oh my all things sexy and good in the world, Finn and Harlow are insanely hot together. Like, light the pages on fire and fan yourself with an air-conditioned fan kind of hot. Finn is sex on a stick with a low-key personality and a whole lot of panty dropping attitude. I don’t blame Harlow one minute for being totally tongue-tied and hot and bothered when it came to him. Harlow is an equally awesome character. She is a total spitfire and had me laughing out loud too many times to count. I mean the first few pages alone had me barking out laughs like no other! But beyond Finn and Harlow being likable on their own, they were pure magic together. Despite butting heads on a constant basis, and having a killer sarcastic banter, they are so meant for one another and make one hell of a match. The amount of emotion that grows between them is so beautiful and I was praying for them to make it work for good this time around. Now, I won’t ruin anything for you but I will say this: the ending is totally movie worthy! It was freaking perfect and I was a bit choked up. I have a serious love for Finn and Harlow!

I mean what can I say? You just gotta go out and get this book! Whether you’re already a fan of Christina Lauren’s work or have never read them before, this is a MUST for your library. Thank you Christina and Lauren for yet another fave in the series for me! You gals keep out doing yourselves and I will continue to devour anything you put out!

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

About the authors:

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced seven New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 23 languages.

 

Website  |  Christina Twitter  |  Lauren Twitter  |  Facebook

 

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Hollywood on Tap by Avery Flynn…ARC Review

Hollywood on tap cover

Hollywood On Tap releases today!

Book links:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis:

For years, Sean O’Dell has hidden his past as a Hollywood heartthrob from everyone at the Sweet Salvation Brewery. However, the arrival of nosey efficiency expert Natalie Sweet threatens the status quo. It doesn’t help that with her glasses, buttoned-up sweaters and always pulled-back hair that she’s uncovered one secret already: His attraction for hot librarian types.

Natalie has had enough of the strong-and-silent Sean submarining her efforts to change the brewery for the better. She’s ready to do whatever it takes to make her vision a reality, even if that means taking down the pig-headed and too-hot-for-his-own-good brewmaster.

Sizzling attraction battles stubborn determination as Natalie and Sean go head to head in a battle that’s anything but business as usual.

 

My Review:

Hollywood On Tap is the second book in author Avery Flynn’s Sweet Salvation Brewery Series and after loving the first in the series, I was thrilled to get an early peek at this installment. Well, Avery has done it again. This book was packed with heat, emotion, and suspense and I was hooked from start to finish!

Since her and her triplet sister had inherited her family’s brewery, things for efficiency expert Natalie have been pretty busy. Not only is she trying to figure out the best way to get the business up and running in a more successful manner, but she’s trying to deal with the moody and broody brewmaster, Sean. Dealing with him was the far more daunting task, if you asked her. Sure, he did a great job, but his sexy and silent persona was chipping away at her patience. Before she has time to even contemplate what that could mean, things start going haywire at the brewery and people’s safety is at stake. Can she get to the bottom of the hijinks before someone got hurt all the while she ignores the growing attraction to Sean? God, she really hoped so…

Brewmaster Sean O’Dell had been hidden away from the prying eyes of his former Hollywood life for years now, and he’s never been happier. He loved this brewery. Loved the people. Loved his new life. What he didn’t love was Natalie Sweet getting all up in his business with her flowcharts and suggestions on how to do his job better. He hated the sexy buttoned up way she held herself even more…it was driving him insane with lust and that was the last complication her needs. Deep down he knows, it’s only a matter of time before he makes a move on her. First things first, though. He has to figure out who is trying to sabotage the success of the brewery he’s grown to love.

The attraction between Natalie and Sean is getting hotter and hotter with each passing shared moment and they both realize they won’t be able to deny it for much longer. Will they be able to overcome Sean’s past and whoever has it out for the Sweet family brewery and make things work between them?

What a great book! Avery has a great talent for packing in a lot of suspense and heat into her stories, and along with two fabulous main characters, this book rocked. Sean is quiet and mysterious with an undeniable sex appeal. He was quite the sexy surprise when he takes control of the attraction he feels toward Natalie and acts on it. The poor gal didn’t stand a chance. He is totally delicious. Natalie is all prim and proper on the outside but a bundle of emotion on the inside. She is a complex character and I really enjoyed reading her. Together, they are smoking hot! The chemistry is off the charts and beyond sexy. Adding to the heat was the element of suspense that was also done really well. From the very first incident in the brewery, we are kept guessing as to who could be responsible until the very end. I love that in a book.

Overall, this story is the whole package! I can’t wait to see what Avery has in store next for the Sweet Salvation Brewery family.  Thank you, Avery, for a smoking hot and suspenseful read!

 

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

Connect with Avery:

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook 

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Blamed by Edie Harris…ARC Review

Blamed COVER

Blamed releases today!

Book links:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis:

Born into a long line of spies, sanctioned killers and covert weapons developers, Beth Faraday carried out her first hit-for-hire when she was still a teenager.

That part of her life—the American spy royalty part—ended one year ago, with a job gone wrong in Afghanistan. The collateral damage she caused with a single shot was unfathomable and, for Beth, unforgivable. She’s worked hard to build a new life for herself, far away from the family business.

But someone, somewhere, hasn’t forgotten what Beth did in Kabul. And they want revenge.

As the Faraday clan bands together to defend Beth and protect their legacy, Beth is forced to flee her new home with the unlikeliest of allies—MI6 agent Raleigh Vick, the only man she’s ever loved. And the one she thought she’d killed in the desert.

 

My Review:

Blamed is the first book in author Edie Harris’ Blood Money Series, and the first of her work that I have read. It was fantastic. With action and suspense at every turn, I was kept on the edge of my seat from the very beginning to the end.

Ok, I don’t want to ruin any aspect of this story, and there are a whole lot of things revealed along the way, so bear with me…

Beth Faraday has recently retired from her life as a sniper and from her family’s business. She couldn’t get over her last mission and the lives that were lost that day. Specifically the man she had been meeting throughout the years during her cross-continent missions and the man she had fallen in love with years earlier. He was a spy and had always been around wherever she had traveled to and over the years they had many rendezvous. She lived for those moments and now because of one missed minute, he was gone. Or so she thought. She was shocked to find out that not only was he alive, but he was here, in her city. He was also there with a warning: her life was in danger. Someone had put a hit out on her and he was supposed to be the one to carry it out. Only he could never have gone through with it and now he was going to use the knowledge he had of the hit to keep her safe. Of course, in the world of spies, snipers, and duplicity at every turn, that would be easier said than done.

Along the way, Beth’s trust in the people she hold closest is put to the test and it proves to almost costs her her life.

Talk about a thrill ride! From start to finish, this story was written with twists and turns that were well thought out and made the reader question every character, right alongside Beth. I was so worried for her and was leery as to whom she should trust to keep her safe. I wanted her lover to be that person, but I kept wondering if he could really be dependable. Beth is a wonderfully strong character you couldn’t help but love from the very start. She had been born into a life of controlled violence and international covert missions, never knowing anything different, but wanting more than just death and destruction. She was a smart gal with a loyalty to her family I loved. Speaking of which, the other characters in this story, specifically her brothers, were equally as amazing. Well developed characters with multi-faceted personalities that were great to read. The whole package!

Again, I don’t want to give too much away, so I will just say that if you love suspense and action sprinkled with some heat, this is a book for you! Thank you, Edie, for a fantastic read!

 

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

About the author:

Edie Harris studied English and Creative Writing at the University of Iowa and Grinnell College. She fills her days with writing and editing contract proposals, but her nights belong to the world of romance fiction. Edie lives and works in Chicago and is represented by Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency.

Website  |  Twitter

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Cover Reveal…Forgotten Promises by Elle Brooks

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Forgotten Promises is book 2 in the Promises series and needs to be read AFTER Promises Hurt (Book 1)

Buy Links for Promises Hurt:

US  |  UK  |  AU  |  CA

FP Choose Teaser

FP Flatline

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Images Eternal by Toni Decker…Spotlight & Character Interview

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About Images Eternal:

~If Images are worth a thousand words, hers sing a thousand Eternal songs~

The blood of a Guardian, the heart of an artist, no one can hide the truth from Amanda Hayworth. Focusing her visions through her camera lens, she reveals secrets no one plans to expose, even her own. To protect herself, Mandy hides her ability in plain sight, photographing local bands and showcasing the dramatic images on her website. Most bands beg for a feature article. But the new lead singer of one particular up and coming band isn’t like anyone she’s ever met. Lucien entangles her with his mystery and makes Mandy want things she’s never wanted before—strings.

Lucien Solvak has to impress an influential music blogger whose promotion could skyrocket his new band to stardom or flush them straight into the gutters. But the moment Mandy aims her camera his direction, he fears the images will expose his ties to the immortal he’s sworn to protect and destroy his one chance to live out his musical dream. Hiding from her camera is tough enough. Denying his growing feelings becomes an impossible feat, forcing Lucien to choose between oaths as a Guardian, his rock-star dreams, and the girl he wants.

Secrets define them. Lucien’s bind him to silence; Mandy’s bring her nothing but pain and disappointment. Only when they focus on what’s behind the images can they embrace their secrets for what they are—truth.

 

Book links:

Goodreads  |  Amazon

 

 

 Character interview:

Welcome folks. I am pleased to announce that THE SCENE has managed to snag an exclusive interview with the lead singer of Eternity, L.J. Slone and the photographer credited with launching the band into the music sphere, Mandy Hayworth, of the music-photoblog, Behind the Scenes. Thank you both for being here.

LUCIEN: It’s a pleasure. *smiles*

MANDY: Isn’t that smile swoony?

SCENE: Wow. Those pictures you sent over are fantastic, but they don’t hold a candle to the real baby blues and smile. That’s a heart stopper right there.

MANDY: *chuckles* I know, right? Especially when he blushes like that. *fans herself*

LUCIEN: Okay, you two promised not to gang up on me. *squirms* How about we answer some questions? You know, about the band.

MANDY: I promised no such thing. *winks*

SCENE: Whew, it getting hot in here or what?

LUCIEN: *growl*

SCENE: Oh. The band. You got it. Eternity is the hottest local band in the music scene right now. Impressive after only a couple of months. But up until last summer, Lucien,  you were pretty much an unknown entity. How did you originally manage to score a write up on one of the hottest music blogs in the area.

LUCIEN: That’s easy. She stalked me.

MANDY: Hey!

LUCIEN: What? It’s true. *dodges half-hearted shove* You waited outside the club to get the first pictures. In the rain I might add.

SCENE: In the rain?

MANDY: I wanted the scoop on this new singer who supposedly sang like an angel, yet no one knew anything about. *shrugs* I’ve waited in worse conditions. He’s just lucky I wasn’t wearing a white t-shirt.

LUCIEN: Hmm. *uncomfortable shifting in his seat*

SCENE: But it wasn’t until right before their debut that you released any pictures. How come?

MANDY: Someone was a bit camera shy. It took me a while to get him to loosen up.

SCENE: He made you wait?

MANDY: Did he ever—

LUCIEN: *interrupts* Holding images and only releasing snippets was part of my marketing design to get people intrigued. I was playing hard to get. *grins* It worked.

SCENE: So you

were a part of the strategy, Mandy?

MANDY: *chuckles* More like the wrench in his plan, but I’d say it worked out in my favor. Once I put the images together, the results were beyond even what I envisioned. *shrugs* What can I say? He was worth waiting for.

LUCIEN: Damn, that was gonna be my line. *pulls Mandy closer, cups her face in his warm, strong hands*

MANDY: *lost in his gaze* Man do I want to kiss you right now.

LUCIEN: What’s stopping ya?

MANDY: *leans forward*

SCENE: *clears throat* Hmmm, I think the temperature just rose about ten degrees in here. Okay next question. Lucien, where do you get your inspiration for your music?

LUCIEN: Mostly my mother. She taught me to play at a very young age. Music was always a part of my life. When she passed away, I felt a need to honor what she taught me, share my gift with the world. It took some time to find the right band. The other members of Eternity, Jay, Rusty and Adam, gave me that chance. Until… *holds Mandy’s hand tighter*

MANDY: Awe, that’s the sweetest…

LUCIEN: Now who’s blushing? *winks*

SCENE: And it’s been profitable for all of you. Dark Angel seems latched to a rocket on its way up the charts and people are already clamoring for the full album even before the next single release. How’s that make you feel.

LUCIEN: Incredible, astonished. *laughs* Terrified. Mandy’s been a huge part in getting the word out to fans and getting us noticed in more than just the local scene.

SCENE: That she has. Mandy, your photos are, to put it simply, freaking amazing. A few featuring Eternity have even won awards. How do you do it?

MANDY: It’s the band really. When you hear the right music, you feel it. The sound permeates straight into your soul and wraps you up in strings you don’t want to untangle. I just managed to capture that intensity in my photographs.

SCENE: But what’s your secret?

MANDY: *smiles coyly* Well if I told you, then it wouldn’t be a secret now would it.

LUCIEN: She’s good at keeping secrets too. *snickers quietly*

SCENE: I have the feeling I’m missing some inside joke here.

MANDY: Most definitely.

SCENE: Where does Eternity go from here? Rumors have been hinting at a national, if not international tour coming up.

LUCIEN: I can’t confirm anything yet.

SCENE: But you’re not denying it either. Come on, maybe just a hint.

LUCIEN: Plans are being made *holds a finger up to his lips* for something. I’m sure Mandy’s Musical Monday’s blog will be the first to announce any details. *smiles at Mandy*

SCENE: Watching you together, there is no way to deny there is something between you two. Spill. What’s the deal?

LUCIEN: Well, I mean…she’s the band’s photographer.

MANDY: Really? That’s your answer? *huffs* Sharon, if you had the chance to follow around the next up and coming band on its way to the top, not to mention spending your days and nights around this sexy piece sitting *chuckles* or currently squirming next to me, I ask you. What would you do?

SCENE: *laughs* I’d jump in your place in a heartbeat. And you’re right, he is hot when he blushes.

LUCIEN: Oh hell. Fine. You want an answer? Here’s your answer. *leans over and plants a slow sensual kiss on Mandy* This woman makes me want to sing every moment of every day, for all Eternity.

SCENE: Well folks, if that isn’t a show closer, I don’t what is. Tune in next time for more inside insights of your music & art scene.

 

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Want to learn more about Lucien and Mandy?
Check out their story in IMAGES ETERNAL, available at Amazon.

If Images are worth a thousand words, hers sing a thousand Eternal songs.

When forbidden from taking pictures of the newest lead singer for an up and coming band, Mandy Hayworth wants to know why. With a supernatural ability to expose truths with her camera, she’s determined to find out his secrets.

Lucien Solvak only had to make a date, give an interview to the hottest local music photographer, get her endorsement, and get out. But when her camera threatens to expose an immortal secret he’s sworn to protect, Lucien has to choose which is more important. The girl, his music, or his life.

 

 

Who is Toni Decker?

ToniDecker(small)Two authors telling one sizzling story after another about twenty-somethings getting along in their own crazy, fantastical worlds. Both women are wives and mothers, sharing brain cells and characters as if they only exist with the other.

Toni, one half of the Toni Decker brain, is an avid reader of all things Young and New Adult while Kira, the Decker half of Toni Decker brain, devours fantasy for midnight snacks.

Together, their stories are one part New Adult, one part fantasy and three parts of holy hotness.

We leave it up to the readers to decide who writes which character.

You can follow our journey on:

 Twitter: @ToniDeckerBooks and @kiradecker & @ToniPicker

 FaceBook: Toni Decker Books, Kira Decker, Toni Picker

 Tumbler: tonideckerbooks

Goodreads: Toni Decker

WordPress: Toni Decker Books

 

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The Mistress Experiment by Elizabeth Otto…ARC Review

The Mistress Experiment releases November 5

 

TME cover

 

Book links:

Amazon   |  Barnes & Noble

 

Synopsis:

“A gentleman would get to know you patiently, intimately, before demanding anything of your body. Tonight, I’m not going to be a gentleman.”

For wealthy British surgeon Isaac Kimball, being the good guy comes naturally. Caring for Chicago’s poorest fills his days and keeps his other side—the dark one that craves sensuality and control—at bay. When Isaac is prevented from saving a charity he loves, an acquaintance offers him a proposition: transform a woman from the streets into a sophisticated mistress who can pass in London high society, in exchange for the charity’s salvation. A ridiculous suggestion until he realizes he knows the perfect woman—one with an understated sexuality and sharp wit that continually tempt his control.

Mila DePardo counts the days until she can get off the streets and put her criminal past behind her. When Dr. Kimball offers her a ticket out of hell and into the glitter of London society, lying about her identity is easy. Until the chemistry between them starts to crack her no-sex rule, and the pleasure of Isaac’s touch changes everything she thought she wanted.

When the truth starts to unravel and Isaac’s own secrets come to play, Mila’s will and belief in herself is put to the test. She might win the mistress experiment, but can she survive him?

 

My Review:

The Mistress Experiment is the newest novel from author Elizabeth Otto. Being a fan of Elizabeth’s other work, I was excited to read an early copy of this story and let me say, this book is fantastic!

Mila DePardo has had what you could say has been a pretty awful life. Alcoholic mother, prostitute sister, no money, stealing to be able to live, skirting the poverty line…yes, it’s been rough. Despite all of that, she always tried to keep her chin up and knew some day things would get better. They simply had to. One of the only positive things in her life was volunteering at the local hospital. It was there she was able to get glimpses of the nephew that had been taken away and put into a stable home. He was being treated for an illness and she lived to get those stolen moments with him. It was also where she met Dr. Isaac Kimball. The sexy British surgeon that all the ladies on staff drooled over…herself included. But he was so different from her and was so beyond out of her league that it was ridiculous. Or was he? She never in a million years expected the offer he approached her with. It was an offer to change her life. An offer that would help the volunteer program she worked for. An offer to help her nephew. An offer that after much deliberation she knew she would be stupid to turn down.

Dr. Isaac Kimball was used to living the life of privilege. He was from a wealthy family and had never wanted for a thing. He was also generous and was at a complete loss when the volunteer charity that worked at his hospital was in danger of shutting down from a lack of funding. Even more frustrating was that they wouldn’t take a large donation from him personally for a “conflict of interest”. Enter the seemingly ridiculous bet from his cousin: take a woman from a lower social status and prove that money didn’t matter…a Cinderella of sorts. At first Isaac balked at the idea but then he remembered Mila. The beautiful and dedicated volunteer that would be crushed if her program were dissolved. He knew very little about her but he guessed she had a rough life and he knew she would be perfect for this bet. Was he actually considering going through with this? In the end it would be a win-win for everyone, right? Mila gets to be pampered and live a decadent life for a time, the charity gets a huge donation, and Isaac wins the bet. What’s to lose? Only his heart…

What starts out a an innocent situation turns into heated moments and unyielding lust between Mila and Isaac. Would they have what it takes to shut down the differences between them and give love a chance?

Wow. I loved this book. It was a modern take on the classic fairy tale of Cinderella and it was amazing. Isaac and Mila are two very different people on the outside but soon find out they have more in common then they ever suspected. The chemistry between them was delicious. But the almost impossible spot the bet had put them in would threaten to crush all the feelings that are developing between them and I was so worried for both of them. I love Isaac and I loved how he made Mila feel. Mila was also an amazing character with a resolve of steel and I admired her positive outlook despite her horrible station in life. Adding more to this story was the differences between American and British culture and the views on men keeping mistresses. Poor Mila had no idea what life would be like as a bona fide mistress, and to be honest, neither did I! It was quite eye-opening and very interesting. I think author Otto did a fantastic job of explaining the lifestyle to the reader and working it into the effect it had on Isaac and Mila’s relationship. There was just so much to love about his book. By the end, I was really hoping they would be able to keep their relationship past the end of the bet and while I won’t give any spoilers away, I will say the ending was just perfect.

With rich characters, fantastic chemistry, an impossible situation, and a fairy tale feel, this book is a must for all romance lovers. Thank you, Elizabeth, for a wonderful story! I can’t wait to see what you have in store for the rest this series.

 

5LovesRLBFive Loves

 

About the author:

Elizabeth writes steamy contemporary and paranormal romance by day, and works as an Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate by night. The night shift provides never-ending fodder for plots, characters and story lines! When not creating characters or saving lives, she wrangles three demonic children and tends to her heirloom garden in the beautiful Midwest.

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Last Hero Standing Box Set Book Blitz Tour…featuring Adrienne Giordano

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Authors donate to anthology to raise money for colleague stricken with breast cancer

Eleven authors have donated their work to a box set of novellas to raise money for the medical expenses of a colleague stricken with breast cancer. The LAST HERO STANDING box set, which is set to release on Oct. 28, features 11 novels and novellas for only 99 cents, including a bonus short story from New York Times bestseller Dianna Love. All the proceeds from sales of the box set will go toward the medical expenses of USA Today bestselling author Pamela Clare, who was diagnosed with breast cancer this past April and has been unable to work since then.

PAMELA’S STORY

http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/10/09/pamela-clare-breast-cancer/16920051/

LAST HERO STANDING BOX SET

Enjoy 11 emotional stories – 2000 pages filled with all types of heroes from small town to international action-adventure who earn and protect those they love. Over 360 reviews with a 4.5 star rating!!!

PLEASE NOTE: This box set will be available for ONE MONTH ONLY, and all proceeds go directly to the medical fund for box set author Pamela Clare, who is in the midst of her own battle with breast cancer. Everyone who touched this project donated their time and stories. Please help us help her by treating yourself and your friends to a box set full of great stories!

 

New York Times Bestseller Dianna Love

KISS THE ENEMY, a Slye Temp novel

“It seems with each book, this series gets better…”

New York Times Bestseller Cynthia Eden

FIRST TASTE OF DARKNESS, a novella

“Plenty of passion to fan yourself but also enough love…to make you swoon.” –So Many Reads

New York Times Bestseller Elisabeth Naughton

FIRST EXPOSURE, an Aegis Security prequel novella

“This series is off to an explosive start.”

New York Times Bestseller Joan Swan

SINFUL DECEPTION, a Renegades novel

“Another fast-paced, action-packed, sexy Covert Affairs story!”

New York Times Bestseller Bonnie Vanak

TAKEN BY THE ALPHA WOLF, a novella

“Highly recommend to anyone who likes steamy, sexy novels.”

USA Today Bestseller Pamela Clare

FIRST STRIKE, an I-Team novella

“If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, you must read Pamela Clare!”

USA Today Bestseller Mary Buckham

INVISIBLE FEARS, an Invisible Recruits novel

“The powerful descriptive ability this author displays raises the bar for Urban Fantasy!”

USA Today Bestseller Adrienne Giordano

THE EVASION, a Justifiable Cause Novella

“Adrienne Giordano delivers everything romantic suspense readers want…”

USA Today Bestseller Norah Wilson 

NIGHTFALL, A Vampire Romance Novel

“…an edge of your seat series.”

Award-Winning Author Stephanie Rowe

ICE, an Alaska Heat novel

“ICE delivers pulse-pounding chills and hot romance!”

Award-winning Author Tracey Devlyn

LATYMER, a Nexus novella

“Powerful…and gripping.”

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/nssnfpc

Barnes & Noble Nook: http://tinyurl.com/pfxb6mb

Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/mcltp67

Apple iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/muooxwm

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Excerpt:

THE EVASION – Adrienne Giordano

Gabe rolled sideways in the pitch black of Jo’s bedroom and smacked his hand along the nightstand. What the hell time could it be? Still dark out and his damned phone was ringing, which meant he was most likely getting called out rather than once again ushering in a sunrise with Jo—something they’d been doing on a fairly consistent basis and he had no complaints about.

He cleared his throat and snatched the phone before it woke her. “Townsend.”

“Hey. DeFiore here.”

When an undercover vice cop called at—he checked the blaring red numbers on the bedside clock—four-thirty; chances were, something was happening.

Behind him, Jo shifted. Well, she did more than shift. She scooted right up to his back and pressed that amazing rack against him, skin to skin, all warm and sexy. His mind fast-forwarded to the end of the conversation with DeFiore. Hoping for a false alarm, he’d ditch the call, roll Jo onto her back and put a smile on her face. If their most recent history proved right, she wouldn’t mind.

“You there?” DeFiore asked.

“I’m here.”

“Your guy is in some Podunk town near Charleston, South Carolina.”

His guy? Jo snuggled closer, wrapped her body around his, and something in his chest kicked. Every time she touched him, it brought an explosion of shock, then pleasure, then calm, in perfect order. Bam, bam, bam. He didn’t understand it and didn’t really care to.

Gabe scrubbed his hand over his face, snapped his fingers against his forehead to clear the morning cobwebs—and distract himself from his insane erection—and focused on the moonlight squeaking through the curtains. Ignore the hot blonde behind you. “Martinson?”

“What?” This from Jo. She’s awake. Good.

“Yeah,” DeFiore said. “One of my CI’s heard it. I don’t know how solid the intel is, but this guy is usually good.”

For six weeks, with the help of investigators from Jo’s law firm, Gabe had been chasing down leads on the elusive smuggler that Jo was bent on locking up. Until now, nothing had popped.

“You know where he is?”

Behind him, Jo levered up and her bare breast connected with his arm. His little brain—the one between his legs—shot to full-scale alert. Jo did this to him, sent his mind and body to overload. Every time. He could barely be in a room with her without a raging hard-on. Which made life fucking uncomfortable considering she was the pit bull intellectual property attorney on the Clean Sweep task force and he was the ESU sergeant on the same team. Together, they’d cleared the streets of New York of more than two million dollars in knockoff designer handbags. Not to mention the other bullshit items women—and some men—had to have.

Yeah, that’s it. He’d think about the case and not Jo’s hand sliding over his stomach and coming to rest by his hip.

“You found him?” she asked.

Gabe snapped his fingers at her. What the hell was she thinking? His boss already suspected something might be happening between them. Something they’d been trying to hide. They didn’t need DeFiore telling a bunch of cops Gabe had a woman in bed with him. The guys on his team weren’t stupid. Eventually, they’d figure out who the woman was.

Jo bit his arm. Not hard, but enough to make sure he knew she damned well didn’t like him snapping his fingers at her. Hell, he didn’t like snapping his fingers at her, but what was he supposed to do? Tell her to be quiet?

He sat up, dug out the pen and paper he knew she kept in the bedside table. “Whatcha got? I’ll check it out.”

“Town is called Leeville. Small. As in population two hundred twenty-five. My guy said Martinson’s wife has distant family there and they’re staying with them.”

“Name?”

“Sorry, dude.”

Ach. Well, that sucked. But in a town of two hundred twenty-five people, it wouldn’t take long to narrow down the visitors. “I’m on it. Thanks.”

He dropped the phone and rolled back to Jo, throwing his leg over her so she’d know exactly what his little brain was thinking. “You bit me.”

“You snapped your fingers at me.”

He inched closer, tightened his leg around her and nipped her shoulder. “Because I don’t want some detective spreading word that the woman I’m sleeping with knows Martinson.” He knocked on her head. “Hello. Wouldn’t be hard for my guys to figure out who I’m in bed with.”

“Oh. Right. Didn’t think of that.” She lifted her chin, giving him access to her neck. “Martinson?”

He dotted kisses along her neck and she let out the small moan he’d grown to recognize. The screw-me-now moan. “South Carolina. At least the CI says South Carolina.”

“We can go there.”

“Someone can.”

“We can.”

“Sshh. Right now we have other places to go.”

 

Author Extras :

  1. How has cancer touched you personally?

I lost my father to stomach cancer twelve years ago. I still think about him every day, and I’ve decided losing him is not something I’m meant to recover from. By the time my father’s condition was diagnosed, he’d already reached stage four and quickly underwent surgery to remove most of his stomach. Despite all this, he stayed strong and was determined to fight cancer. He’d been a boxer in his younger days and still had a warrior’s mentality, so no disease would take his life without a few punches being thrown. During that time my father taught me some of the most important lessons I’ve learned. He taught me the power of positive thinking and that never (ever!) giving up could bring amazing rewards.

  1. Why did you participate in the LAST HERO STANDING fundraiser for fellow author Pamela Clare?

Due to my personal connection with cancer, I like to help in any way I can to battle this brutal disease. Plus, being an author, I understand that authors are small businesses and like many other small businesses, it’s extremely difficult to succeed. Most non-writers don’t realize how hard it is to make a living as a writer. I saw this fundraiser as a way to ease the burden of a fellow author trying to succeed while battling cancer.

 

 

 

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and mystery.  She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her workaholic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog and Lady Jane’s Salon-Naperville, a reading series dedicated to romantic fiction. For more information on Adrienne’s books, please visit www.AdrienneGiordano.com.

 

Connect:

Author’s Website: www.AdrienneGiordano.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AdrienneGiordanoAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AdriennGiordano

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/AdrienneGiordano

 

 

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Love Me To Death by Marissa Clarke….ARC Review

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Love Me To Death releases today!

 

Book links:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Goodreads  

Synopsis:

Medical research scientist Elena Arcos has always lived her life under the radar, which is not easy to do when you live with the craziest woman in the world. But eccentric Aunt Uza is a picnic compared to the other people who enter her orderly life after she is shot in a convenience store robbery.

Elena finds herself rocketed from comfortable predictability to supernatural insanity courtesy of her own private angel of death who happens to have the sexiest accent on earth and a body to match. Her death angel is convinced she’s some kind of freaky half vampire thing and that her deceased dad was the real deal: a blood sucking monster.

Yeah, right. She’ll play along, but then she doesn’t have much choice seeing how as the guy claims to be some immortal law enforcer and has taken her prisoner.

* * *

Nikolai Itzov had expected to fight the urge to torture the progeny of his father’s murderer, but he’d never anticipated battling the urge to kiss her her.

As a Slayer, an elite law enforcer descended from Azrael himself, his charge from the Underveil General is clear: Kill her or die. He has been told she is one of them–an Undead. Nothing but a parasite to be destroyed. But he has been told wrong.

Nikolai and Elena find themselves in a life and death battle to stop a plot designed to lift the Underveil and enslave humans.

With her analytical mind and his centuries of training and experience, they might be able to foil the plot with their lives and maybe their hearts intact. But in order to succeed, he must help her become the very thing he hates the most: an Undead.

 

My review:

Love Me To Death is the first book in author Marissa Clarke’s Underveil series and kicks it off with a pulse-pounding start!

Elena Arcos only wanted to get a candy bar. That’s it. Now, she finds herself in the midst of a world she never in a million years thought existed. A world with vampires, time-benders, future-seers, and more supernatural species than she ever had heard of…even in fairy tales. But before she can wrap her head around it all, she is on a mission to save the exact world she just learned existed. As if that wasn’t enough, she had to do it with Nikolai. The ridiculously sexy and extremely infuriating slayer she was now stuck with. Even if she tried to get away from him, she couldn’t. He was her only ally in this scary world. He was also the main object of her affections…thanks to more than a few circumstances. Could Elena really be the solution to the underveil’s unrest? Could she stop the war between species before it began? She really hoped so.

Love Me to Death is a great new world and had me pulled in from the very first chapter. I loved all of the paranormal aspects to this story and author Clarke’s spin on things. The characters were unique and enjoyable to read and the reason behind the unrest in the underveil was also a nice, new, outlook in the paranormal genre. Nikolai and Elena were really great together and the push and pull between them, all while having to deal with the constant threat of harm, was done really well. Their chemistry was smoking hot as well. Nikolai sure knows how to turn on the charm when he needs to and poor Elena doesn’t stand a chance. Luckily fate wouldn’t have it any other way. Adding another great layer to this story was the mission Elena and Nikolai were on and the twists and turns it leads them on. Acts of betrayal, murder, and duplicity add that extra spice to this book. We are also introduced to a cast of characters that I hope to see more of in the series.

Overall, this is an exciting new addition to the paranormal world and one I will be looking forward to continuing with. Thank you, Marissa, for an action, and heat, packed read!

 

4LovesRLBFour Loves

 

About the author:

Marissa Clarke lives in Texas, where the everything is bigger, especially the mosquitoes.

When not writing, she wrangles her rowdy pack of three teens, husband, and a Cairn Terrier named Annabel, who rules the house (and Marissa’s heart) with an iron paw.

Also writes YA for Penguin USA as Mary Lindsey

 

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