Friday, May 31, 2013

An Easy Dare Cover Reveal - Rosalie Rousseaux




Cat loved Gabe from the time she was five years old. She thought it would be easy: fall in love with your childhood sweetheart, get married and live happily ever after. But as the years go on, the fairy tale soon falls apart. At twenty, Gabe – penniless, unable to find work, and drinking himself into a bad reputation – leaves New Orleans, believing that Cat is better off without him. 
She doesn’t hear from him for three years.

Not until her bachelorette party, when he sends her a $400 bottle of Champagne the night before she’s set to marry Cort Belrose, a wealthy restaurateur that Gabe despises.

It seems the past three years have treated Gabe well. He’s now mysteriously wealthy and the picture of a perfect Southern gentleman – a gentleman who is quietly seeking vengeance on the man who forced him out of the city and stole the woman he loved.

With Gabe’s return, the sweltering heat of New Orleans becomes even more stifling as Cat struggles with the truth about her malicious husband and her consuming lifelong love for the vengeful and troubled Gabe.


I’m a Louisiana girl who loves to write about strong, opinionated women who go after what they want, even if they make a few mistakes on the way. And usually those mistakes involve MEN! (Sound like your life? Yeah, me too, lol). That being said, bad-ass women and the men they love make for great stories, and that’s what I always aim to bring my readers: A great story with lots of drama. A story you wanna keep reading. And while you’re here exploring, why not check out my Facebook page? http://www.Facebook.com/AuthorRosalieRousseaux

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Fall by Cindy Paterson Book Tour

Synopsis:

“He’s destroying me—us. I need him like my next breath, yet I’m suffocating.”

An unrequited love that has ripped her to pieces.

Delara has loved Waleron for over a century. Their intense chemistry is sensual, gripping, irresistible. But tragedy struck, and after sixty-one years of believing he was dead, Waleron returns a tortured man. He claims the man she loves is dead, yet the undeniable sexual tension still pulls them together.

“I am no longer the man you love, maitagarri. I am incapable of it.”

Waleron has given his oath to protect the Senses. He will sacrifice everything for them. But there is one Senses he has vowed to protect more than any other—Delara. He will do anything to make certain she is safe, even if it means he must deny her the love they once shared.

Delara’s life is in jeopardy and Waleron will do anything to protect her. But he never suspected that Xamien, the man he brings to help protect her is way more important to her than he ever knew.

Torn between two men and hunted by another, Delara must fight her hardest battle—herself.

Guest Post: Top ten List of how I’d survive a Zombie Apocalypse

Oh nice question and since I’m thinking about this a lot, I know exactly how I’d survive.

1) Transportation could be limited or non-existent, but I’m prepared. I have two horses—Nash, my grey Andalusion and Shakespeare my chestnut AndalusionX.

2) I’m a veterinary technician, so that means I can suture wounds, bandage and administer drugs, antibiotics, whatever is needed.

3) Access to antibiotics. Of course if this happened I’d make certain to take antibiotics from my veterinary hospital. You never know what kind of infections one might get trying to evade the Zombies.

4) Okay, my little Yorkie might be a snack for a Zombie. However, I also have a 140lb Newfoundland dog. Now, she could do some damage licking a Zombie to death. Dogs have great instinct though and I’m thinking they’d be a warning beacon if Zombies were coming after me.

5) I’m in pretty good shape, so surviving on the run wouldn’t a problem.

6) Zombie blood wouldn’t gross me out. I deal with blood on a daily basis at work, so a pretty good stomach handling the disgusting side of decapitating a Zombie head.

7) Huge fan of “The Walking Dead”. Therefore, my knowledge on how to deal with Zombies is extensive.

8) I built my own horse shelter when I used to have the farm. I’m handy with tools and could make my own hideout if need be.

9) I’m calm in an emergency situation. Being in a hospital all day we get emergencies. I have to remain composed by the sudden onslaught of emotions from the panicked owners of the animal. It’s like this wave comes over me and I breathe slowly and start delegating to the staff each person’s task. Being upset and freakin’ out makes for mistakes.

10) Oh and finally, since my boyfriend is Xamien, he’d kick Zombie butt pretty quick. So, really I wouldn’t need any of the above because I have the Senses to protect me.

Thank you so much for having me on your blog. Love the unique questions. Really fun to answer.

Excerpt: “Eavesdropping?” Before he could defend, or more than likely not bother, she continued, “Why didn’t you say something? You said you’d tell him.”

He raised both hands in the air as if to ward of any further assault. “I did, Kitten. He refused.” The conversation had been simple—Xamien volunteered to stay and help protect Delara and hunt Tarek in order for her to stay here. Waleron’s answer was no and he hung up on him. Xamien seriously was beginning to not like the guy.

Her eyes narrowed. “Well you’re a Taldeburu, Trace to the Realm and tell the Wraiths.”

“A bit dramatic, don’t you think? Besides, it’s his decision,” Xamien replied. “You’re part of his Talde, not mine. I can offer suggestions, but nothing more. Ultimately, you should listen to him.”

“He doesn’t own me.” Her hair was up in a wide clip with a few tendrils wet and hanging down the back of her black V-neck shirt. Her feet were bare and there were still droplets of water clinging to her skin. Sexy. And off limits while he was here.

Waleron did own her in a way. He was her boss and he held her heart, so yeah, whether she wanted to believe it or not Waleron did own her, at least partially. But it wasn’t enough to stop her from sleeping with whoever she chose or from disappearing on occasion.

Xamien casually leaned up against the wall, ankles crossed, arms matching. “We could be spending our time better than this, Kitten. If you come to Spain, I promise to make you scream at least three times a day.”

She huffed, blowing air from her mouth and her jagged strands billowing away from her face. God, he adored the way her upper lip quivered when she was angry. He wondered if she knew she did that. Probably not. He was an observer of people and often noticed the smallest of motions. Even her baby toes failed to touch the ground when she stood, small and delicate keeping the sensitive skin off the cold ceramic tiles.

Finding her irresistible, he pushed away from the wall and approached her, his stance casual to avoid adding to the tension she already held within her muscles. She backed away until her hips hit the narrow hallway table that held a single stainless steel bowl. The jarring tipped over the bowl and it clanged loudly.

“Xamien. Don’t you dare. Not here.”

“I can’t help myself, Kitten.” Before she escaped, which was viable considering the word run pounded in her head, he grabbed her around the waist and dragged her against him. The feel of her body was delectable and it took everything in him to abstain from taking her right there in the foyer. “Damn woman, I can’t be in the same room as you without wanting to fuck you.”

She was tracking scents in the house, her head shifting in each direction while at the same time pushing at his chest. “Seriously Xamien, this isn’t funny. Let me go.”

“A kiss.” No way was he going to survive longer than one more night without taking her to his bed. Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed the back of her head and met her mouth with flurry, tasting the sweetness and spice as his lips roamed over the luscious warmth. There was no urging required, Delara sunk into him within seconds, the desire flooding them as everything around them was forgotten.


About the Author:

I am Xamien’s secret lover. Well, in my head I am and since I’m single this is completely allowed. Some of you may ask, who is Xamien, don’t worry you will meet him soon enough, but no falling in love with him. He is all mine.

Writing books is a fantastic way to have adventures that are impossible to have otherwise. I mean do you really want to fall in love with Waleron? He is so unstable and would never pick up after your dogs or clean the litter box. Not to mention the fact that he is always out killing disgusting grave robbing bug people.

Curling up with a good book and losing yourself to another time and place is the greatest reward. Being able to feel a character’s emotions, their fears, pain and love. Now that is incredible. I relish in the books that stay with me long after they have ended. This is what I strive for in my writing. To give the readers, and myself, an escape into another world, my world.

I have been writing since I was twelve. My parents, sorry mom and dad, would send me to my room for an hour every night to do homework, and instead I wrote stories. Oops, guess that is why I did so bad in math.

I have never stopped writing since then and never will. It’s like an addiction, but a good one. I adore stepping into the shoes of a character and deciding their fate. The characters are why I write. I want to fall in love with them (even the bad ones), so that I care about what happens to them in a story. If I can’t care about the characters then why bother with the story.

I live in Toronto with a menagerie of pets that keep me on my toes.

Facebook / Goodreads / Website / Twitter / Blog


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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Review - The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

Synopsis:

Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

Review: The Forgotten Ones story idea was really good but I just couldn't get into the character's especially Allison who is the main character. She was a bit drab and boring to me especially to be in her early twenties. Those should be "the time of your life" years and here she is would rather be reading than hanging out and the only real friend she has is her next door cousin? I appreciated the burden she has put upon herself to tend to her sickly mother but not at the expense of not falling in love or at least giving it a chance because Ethan is such a sweet guy, always got his hand out to help her and her family and well he just seems to be a fun and loving young man.

Once Allison's long lost father appears on the scene things pick up a bit and they have to team up to find her mother who has been whisked away to the land of the fae but there I encounter my next problem which is all those side characters with names I couldn't pronounce much less keep separate. If it's only one name or so I usually just make myself up a name or use the first letter so I know who is who but that was not possible here.

All in all the story wasn't bad at all. It was just mainly trying to keep those fae like characters straight that gave me the most problems.

Top 10 fictional characters (Books or Movies) Laura Howard would love to play as.

1. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter by JK Rowling
2. Abby Abernathy from Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
3. Clary Fray from Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
4. Sookie Stackhouse from Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris
5. Bella Swan from Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
6. Claire Randall from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
7. Stephanie Plum from series from Janet Evanovich
8. Keira Allen from Thoughtless by SC Stephens
9. Jessica Darling by Megan McCafferty
10. Anne Shirley by LM Montgomery

Monday, May 27, 2013

Attraction Performance ~ Happy Memorial Day

Attraction makes me cry everytime I watch their audition on Britain's Got Talent. I felt today was a perfect day to share this video and to thank every man and woman for their service in maintaining and fighting for our freedom. God bless them and bring them all home.

RABT Summer Giveaway PROMOTION



Summer Giveaway PROMOTION
Announcing Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours Summer
PROMOTIONS and GIVEAWAY!

Reading Addiction Blog Tours will is offering 15% Off to
All Authors who book a Tour this summer!
(Tours must start by August 31st)
Contact us HERE and mention the CODE WORD: SUMMER



Thank you to all of the Authors Participating in this Giveaway!

There are Links to Authors Websites, check out more Books from these Lovely Authors! Goodreads Links next to them go to their Goodreads page to read more about the books. (ones that have a page there that is)







Prize Pack #1 eBook Copies 
Fate War: Alliance by E.M. Havens  Goodreads
Contemporary Romance


Prize Pack #2 eBook Copies
New Adult
Young Adult/ New Adult


Prize Pack #3 eBook Copies
Young Adult/ New Adult
New Adult


Prize Pack #4 eBook Copies 
To Trust a Theif by Michelle McLean  Goodreads
Historical Romance
Women's Fiction
Romantic Suspense


Prize Pack #5 eBook Copies
Contemporary Romance
Contemporary Romance

New Adult


Prize Pack #6 Signed Paperback Copies
Mything You by Greta Buckle  Goodreads
Historical Romance


Prize Pack #7 Signed Paperback Copies
Young Adult


Prize Pack #8 Signed Paperback Copies
Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy
Young Adult Fantasy

Prize Pack #9 Signed Paperback Copies
Extreme Love by Abby Niles Goodreads
Contemporary Romance


Prize Pack #10 Signed Paperback Copies
 Sci/Fi Dystopian Romance
Paranormal Romance



Prize Pack #11 Signed Paperback Copies
Awakenings by Hally Willmott Goodreads
Young Adult Paranormal
Young Adult Paranormal

Young Adult Paranormal









Runner Up Prizes (Signed Book and Swag):

Devil May Care by Patricia Eimer  Goodreads

Paranormal Romance



DiSemblance Tour - Shanae Branham


Synopsis:

Jason Tanner’s life has always been different from the ordinary citizen’s. It started when he was an infant and his parents were only teenagers. A computer science prodigy, Lloyd attended MIT but left a pariah in the eyes of the school’s dean—but a computer physics genius in the eyes of his primary investor. Then his theories and ideas created a holographic machine and their world shrunk as contact with the outside world became less and less frequent. A computer prodigy now himself, Jason is about to learn that the world never waits for you if you have the ability to change it: it will come for you.

Amazon

Character Interview with Boston Komen:

This is a special type of interview called an association interview. The interviewer holds up a picture and Boston responds with a two-word answer that describes her feelings towards the object in the picture.

1. A picture of Boston’s tree house is held up.

Boston answers, “Safe, free.”

Jason followed her up the tree moving from branch to branch. Where the branches were sparse, wooden bricks had been nailed into the trunk of the great tree. He didn’t look down or even think about how far up they were going, but kept moving until he reached a wooden platform secured and hidden in a swath of large branches.

“Wow,” he breathed out as he looked down from the sturdy perch. They were more than fifty feet in the air. He could see over the top of the whole park into the surrounding neighborhoods. (DiSemblance, page 26)



2. A picture of Boston’s Honda Nighthawk motorcycle.

Boston answers, “Exciting, dangerous.”

They reached the spot where her motorcycle was hidden, and she stood back while he uncovered it. When he was finished, she retrieved the key from beneath a rock and handed it to him. She looked cold. He took off his jacket and helped her put it on. They mounted the motorcycle. Her arms slipped around his waist, her head nestled against his back, and they
drove off. (DiSemblance, page 49)

3. A picture of Boston’s mother.

Boston answers, “Numb, I-Can’t-measure-up.”

Jason did not want to mess with Ricky Stedman. …his gang had been in the newspaper for vandalism, petty theft, and drunk driving.

“My mom wants me to date him.” Boston said. “His family has money. His dad’s a doctor and his mom’s a lawyer.”

Jason stared at her in astonishment.

She blushed. “They’re professionals.”

Boston said the word “professionals” as if it meant they were gods. (DiSemblance, page 22)

4. A picture of Ricky Stedman.

Boston answers, “Scumbag, betrayal.”

…Ricky had Boston pinned beneath him atop a rusty old merry-go-round. His back was to Jason, and his legs stuck out between the bars. The mass of his body restrained Boston’s kicking. She screamed again. Ricky held her thigh with one hand, while his other hand was trying to stuff her mouth with a piece of cloth he had torn from the bottom of her skirt…. (DiSemblance, page 48)

5. A picture of Jason Tanner.

Boston answers, “Protection, tenderness.”

Without hesitation, Jason rushed forward and slammed the branch into Ricky’s back with a loud crack! Boston stiffened as the linebacker collapsed against her…. Lunging forward, Jason grabbed Ricky and yanked him backwards. As the bully came off the wet apparatus, his left leg caught on one of the metal bars and twisted grotesquely. Jason heard a snap as the attacker hit the ground, crying out.

….The moment Ricky was off her, Boston scooted to the center of the merry-go-round…. Jason bounded onto the merry-go-round… positioning himself between her and her assailants. “Leave her alone!” he commanded. (DiSemblance, page 48)

About this author:

I am a professional writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and a minor in grammar. I have also attended several years of classes and workshops in screenplay writing at the Los Angeles Screenplay writer’s Expo.

I love suspense thrillers and am a master at plot and character development. I enjoy stories with happy endings. I promise all my readers that when they put one of my books down or walk away from one of my movies, they will be enthused with excitement and joy. This does not mean there will not be some sad parts, because you have to feel the bitter in order to understand the sweet.

I was born and raised in a small town in Idaho. I am the second out of six children. When I was in my early 20’s my mother was killed by a drunk driver. This one incident drastically changed my life. I have always had a passion for reading and writing fiction. Owing to a life long struggle with Dyslexia, early teachers discouraged me from pursuing a career in writing.

As I have spent over twenty years wrestling with my language disabilities–turning them into professional writing skills, God has honed my insatiable passion into an incredible vision.

My Christian upbringing has instilled within me the belief that “…with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). This has sustained me through the hard times. Because of my language disability, I have had to learn the structure of the English language like other people learn math – building block upon building block.

I am grateful for this experience because it developed in me a skill and love for diagramming sentences, which unfortunately is becoming a lost art.

I want my life to be a living testament that with God’s help anyone can achieve their worthwhile dreams. What God requires is the humility to change, a childlike teach-ability to learn, and the patience and persistence to practice and work until their weaknesses are transformed into strengths.

Goodreads / Website / Facebook / Twitter

Donna Fasano Tour - Reclaim My Heart


Title: Reclaim My Heart
Author: Donna Fasano
Format: Paperback and eBook
Publisher: Hard Knocks Books
ISBN: 978-1939000200
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Purchase Now: Amazon / Amazon Paperback /BN / Apple / Kobo

About the Book:
Sixteen years ago, Tyne Whitlock cut all ties to her past and left town under the shameful shadow of a teenage pregnancy. Now her fifteen-year-old son is in trouble with the law and she is desperate for help. But reaching out to high-powered attorney Lucas Silver Hawk will tear open the heart-wrenching past in ways Tyne never imagined.
Forced to return to the Delaware Indian community where Lucas was raised, Tyne and Lucas are tempted by the heated passion that consumed them as teens. Tyne rediscovers all the reasons she found this man irresistible, but there are scandalous secrets waiting to be revealed, disgraceful choices made in the past that cannot be denied. Love is a powerful force that could heal them both—if the truth doesn't rip them apart.

Author Q&A:

What attracted you to writing in the first place?
I came to writing from my love of reading. While growing up, I lost myself in books in order to escape an unhappy childhood.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?
Romance. I wrote for Harlequin for 20 years, writing sweet romance (as Donna Clayton) and women's fiction/contemporary romance (under my own name). I have self-published some of my back-list Harlequin books. The Merry-Go-Round was never published by a traditional publisher, so I guess that would be my first indie-published book. Reclaim My Heart is the second of my front-list indie-published titles.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
I think authors who face a lot of pain and anguish seem to write stories with great depth, with honesty and compassion. It could be that dealing with trauma brings out the best (or worst) in people. I believe that losing my mother at such a young age had a huge impact on me not just as a writer but as a human being. I became, I don't know, more maternal towards my family, my friends, heck, towards everyone I meet... more giving of myself. I'm not sure. But I know that the loss could have made me bitter and angry. I'm just so grateful that the exact opposite seems to describe me.
Where do you get your inspiration and ideas from?
My mind is always on the alert. I take ideas from everything I see, hear, read, experience. I have been known to take a snippet of conversation overheard in an elevator and turn it into a book (Return of the Runaway Bride), or from a location (His Wife for a While), or from a person I met (Taking Love in Stride). So be careful! If you interact with me, you might end up in one of my novels.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?
I have visited so many beautiful places. The South of France, the rolling mountains of Italy, the Mediterranean Sea, the cobbled streets of Brussels, the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, beautiful Morro Bay, California, and I spend lots of time in Ocean City, Maryland. I obviously can't pick a favorite. Besides, there are so many places waiting to be seen!

What was your favorite part of this book to write? Which part was the hardest?
I really enjoyed writing the love scenes. In my sweet romances, all the 'spice' takes place behind closed doors. So this was very fun. And which part was hardest? The "kitchen love scene" (naughty pun intended!).

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you “grew up”?
I wanted to be a teacher. My aunt attended college and earned her teaching degree. I always idolized her.

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
Teacher. I love kids, and I often include them in my stories. I always say that children are very honest and outspoken. Kids inject a great deal of fun into a book.

If you could live inside the world of a book, which book would you choose?
Pride and Prejudice. Love that Mr. Darcy!

Give your fans three fun facts that they may not already know about you.
I love to cook! (I often post recipes on my blog.)
My reading tastes are crazy-eclectic. I read anything and everything.
I'm a little on the chubby side.

Chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry?
Depends. If we're talking ice cream, then vanilla… and I love mine topped with sliced banana and warm caramel sauce. If we're talking cake, then chocolate, and don't forget the fudge frosting. If we're talking milkshakes, then strawberry. Wow, now I'm hungry.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
I put my heart and soul into this Reclaim My Heart, and I think it shows… in the characters and in the story.

So what’s next for you as an author? Any last words?
I'm thinking of writing a book that revolves around three friends in different stages of marriage, but I'm not sure yet. I've worked very hard on Reclaim My Heart and I'm going to take a few days off. Then I'll get back to work!
I want to thank you for hosting me, and I want to thank your followers for taking the time to read about Reclaim My Heart.

About the Author:

Donna Fasano is a three time winner of the HOLT Medallion, a CataRomance Reviewers Choice Award winner for Best Single Title, a Desert Rose Golden Quill Award finalist, and a Golden Heart finalist. Her books have sold over 3.6 million copies worldwide and have been published in nearly two dozen languages. Her books have made the Kindle Top 100 Paid List numerous times, climbing as high as #17.
What others are saying about Donna's books:
"...complex, funny, and realistic..." ~Wilmington News Journal
"Excellent!" ~Bookreview.com
"Could not help myself from reading excerpts to my husband and friends. This book is well written, the characters are real, everyday folks. It is very easy to identify with them. Donna Fasano is a talented author." ~Elizabeth M. Caldwell on Amazon
"...a fast paced riotous look at family life today. Donna Fasano is right on target!" ~Donna Zapf, SingleTitles.com
Follow Donna Fasano at Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads / Pinterest


Excerpt:

"Please, Lucas."
He couldn't dismiss the tone of those two small words, nor could he ignore the magnitude of emotion clouding her expression. He had no choice but to relent.
"Sit down," he murmured. He closed the door of his office and then returned to perch himself on the corner of his desk. He steeled himself before asking, "What's on your mind?"
She seemed to shrink a little as a thousand thoughts ran though her head. Seconds passed, and still she didn't speak.
Lucas witnessed the phenomenon almost on a daily basis. The people who wound up in his office often felt as if they were carrying the world on their shoulders. He knew her anxiety would eventually discharge, and from the looks of it, he wouldn't have to wait long.
Finally, she pressed her hand to her chest. "I can't breathe."
"Relax. Do you want some water?"
She shook her head, a lock of her long, platinum hair falling over her forearm. "No. I need to get this out. I promised you I'd hurry."
He couldn't keep his brows from arching a fraction. She hadn't kept her promises in the past. Why would he expect her to now?
Tyne ran her tongue along her full bottom lip, hesitated another moment, then blurted, "I need a lawyer."
Lucas closed his eyes and stifled a sigh. He could have guessed as much, of course. He'd worked hard to get himself into the privileged position of being able to pick and choose his clients. The last person he wanted to represent was Tyne Whitlock.
"A good lawyer, Lucas."
Common sense told him Tyne wasn't attempting to flatter him. She was speaking purely out of desperation.
"Look, Tyne—" Something made him stop. He sighed, and then he stood, taking his time rounding his desk and sitting down. The leather-upholstered arms of the chair were cool and smooth under his fingertips.
"I know some of the best attorneys in the city." He plucked a pen from the cup on his desktop. "And many of them owe me a favor or two." He reached into his inside jacket pocket, pulled out one of the business cards he always kept handy, and turned it over, poised to write. "Let me give you some names and numbers—"
"I don't want just any attorney." Her chin lifted. "I want you. Why else would I have come here?"
His gaze lowered to the small white card in his hand. With much deliberation, he set down the pen and the card, and then he looked her directly in the eyes.
Every muscle in her body appeared board-stiff.
"Listen to me—" he kept his tone calm "—when people find themselves in trouble with the law, or victimized, or wrongfully sued, or unjustly accused, they tend to get lost in a strange, I don't know, franticness. A recklessness that they almost always regret. Believe me when I tell you that no situation is hopeless, and circumstances are rarely as desperate as they might be perceived. Whatever trouble you're in, don't let panic and fear haze your thinking."
"You don't understand."
"I think I do," he rushed to assure her. "I see it every day. Honest, hardworking people finding themselves in dire straits. And this unfamiliar territory throws them. They grasp at help from the first source that comes to mind."
"But—"
"Just like that old adage warning that only a fool acts as his own lawyer, it's also foolish to choose an attorney in haste. You and I have a past, Tyne, and even though all of that took place years and years ago, the fact remains that we have a history. I don't believe I would be the best person to represent you in a court of law. You need someone who'll be totally unbiased. Let me give you some names. I'll make some calls for you myself—"
"Stop!" She lifted her hands and scooted to the edge of the seat. "You don't understand. And I can't make you understand if you won't shut up for a minute."
His eyebrows arched and the frustration in her statement had him leaning back a bit.
She frowned. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. I had to stew all day yesterday." She fisted her hands in her lap. "I didn't expect to reach anyone on a Sunday, but do you know that your firm doesn't offer an emergency number on the answering machine?" She exhaled with force. "I'm a nervous wreck just being here. Seeing you. But all that aside, I shouldn't have snapped at you. Please accept my apology."
He didn't react, didn't move. He just waited for her to continue.
"The thing is… what you need to know…"
Once again, she grew terribly cautious, and Lucas found that extremely curious. What the hell was it she found so hard to tell him? What kind of trouble was she in?
She blanched, but then her spine straightened. "I'm not the one who needs a lawyer. I want to hire you, yes. But I'm not the one needing representation. It's my son who's in trouble." A nerve at the corner of her eye ticked, but her gaze never veered from his as she added, "Our son, Lucas."


Don't miss the rest of the tour. Follow along HERE

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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Moonlight Promo - Victoria Danann


Synopsis:

The fourth installment in The Order of the Black Swan serial saga. The story of B Team continues while the romance centers on Stalkson Grey, head of the Elk Mountain Reservation Tribe of werewolves. He embarks on an adventure he would never have dreamed possible, willing to take any risk to save his pack from extinction. Along the way he learns that true love can find you in the strangest places, even when you're far, far from home.

Book Excerpt :

CHAPTER 1


"What do you know about my sister and that prancin' prick of a fairy prince?"
Elora blinked, but in the space of that flutter he learned all he needed to know. He
had found out the first night Storm brought her to poker, back at Jefferson Unit, that her very
expressive face telegraphed even the tiniest nuance or feeling or thought. By now he knew her so
well that she was as transparent as air. She was caught off guard because she hadn't expected that
question while Ram was cooking a leisurely Sunday breakfast.
"Say that three times fast?"
"No' goin' to work this time. Stay on topic."
"You just don't like him because he can stand toe to toe with you and not be cowed by the
H.O.H. elfster."
"ELFSTER!? What in Paddy's Name, Elora? And what is H.O.H.?"
"Hall of Heroes."
Ram turned away from frying bacon and gave her a look. It probably didn't have the
effect he intended. He was wearing jeans, a long sleeve black tee that stretched across his chest
enticingly, and a black Jack Daniels apron tied around his waist. She thought perhaps nothing
was sexier than watching Ram's muscles ripple while cooking her breakfast.
"Do no' try to deflect. 'Tis I. And Paddy knows I can tell when you're hidin' somethin'."
Ram looked determined.
"Speaking of hiding. You're going to have to do something about all these guys
overrunning our property. Our home - the one that was intended to be our very own, very private
property. Please, Ram. Make them go away."
His expression softened a little as he decided to allow himself to be temporarily derailed.
"Sol, Simon, and every one of your friends agree that we can no' leave you and Helm
vulnerable after the threat those alien buggers left hangin' in the air. That goes especially for your
friend, Sir Storm."
"My friend, Sir Storm?"
"Aye. Your friend. The bloody wanker suggested that I'm no' responsible enough to be
entrusted with lookin' out for you. Said, 'You're no' takin' good care of my namesake's mother.
I'll be forced to give the job to someone else if you do no' shape up and begin takin' it seriously'."
Elora laughed. "He said that?"
"Aye. As if 'twas all my doin' that you ended up givin' birth alone in a freezin' wolf cave.
With. No. Phone."
"Well..."
Ram narrowed his eyes at her. "Think very carefully about what you are about to say
before you say it."
Elora smiled brightly. "I was going to say that no one in his right mind could fault you."
Ram nodded and resumed turning the bacon. "Exactly. I should have reminded him what
happened when he was in charge of the Baka interview at Unit Drac. He pouted for hours after
learnin' first hand that the Lady Laiken does as she fuck-well pleases."
Elora concurred by nodding vigorously. "It's a burden, but you bear it well, my love."
"All kiddin' aside. I do. I really do." He began setting strips of cooked bacon out to drain
the grease.
"Well, Sir Storm is going to be plenty busy with his own burdens."
"What's your meanin?"
"They're expecting."
"Expectin' a baby?"
"No. They're expecting Publishers Clearing House to pay for their villa renovation."
Ram gave her a look. "You know, I'm thinkin' there's only enough of this lovely bacon
for one and, since I cooked, I really should be keepin' it for myself."
"Yes! They're expecting a baby. Litha thinks it's a girl."
"A girl!" Ram practically whooped. "Paddy's Great Balls Afire. I can no' wait to see
Storm try to be da to a girl." He laughed enjoying that idea and then grew serious. "As for the
buggers who violated my grandda's forest, I'll no' be givin' 'em a second chance at my family."
"Rammel. I hear you and I understand you."
"I do no' suppose the next sentence will be 'and I obey you'."
Elora smirked while she snagged a piece of bacon. "Have I ever mentioned you make
great bacon?" She nuzzled his ear on the way back to her stool. "Almost as good as chocolate."
Ram pointed a spatula at her. "I swear to Paddy you have that thin'... that ADDD."
"ADHD?"
"Aye."
Elora started laughing. "Pot."
When his brows drew together she smiled because Helm looked at her with that same
expression several times a day. They made him accidentally in a snow covered cottage, but he
was made with love and now he was a little bit her and a little bit him. A miracle indeed.
"You can no' concentrate 'cause you've been smokin' dope?"
"No! 'Pot' as in 'you're the pot calling the kettle black'."
Ram stared at her for a few beats, finally shook his head and said, "No idea."
"You don't have an expression here about the pot calling the kettle black?"
"We do no' that I know of, but I think I begin to follow your point. You're tryin' to say
that I should no' be accusin' you of short attention because mine is even shorter?"
Of their own accord, his eyes drifted down to the cleavage showing between the henley
buttons she'd left undone.
She chuckled. "See?"
"See what?"
She did a little shimmy and he grinned sheepishly. "Guilty." He put an orange juice in
front of her. "And be careful of the sexy dancin'. You'll be gettin' Helm's milk all over your
clothes again."
Elora rolled her eyes. "He gets enough. Have you seen how chubby his little face is
getting?"
"Well, blood will tell."
Elora narrowed her eyes to slits. "Rammel. Paddy help you if you're saying what I think
you're saying."
"All I'm sayin' is that chubby cheeks do no' run on my side of the family." When she took
a mock threatening step toward him, he laughed. "Just teasin' darlin' girl. Just teasin'. You know I
would no' change a hair on your head. Or his."
"Okay. All I'm sayin' is that insanity doesn't run on my side of the family." A look of
horror slowly covered her face as she realized what she'd just said. She hadn't yet personally
confronted what the assassin in the woods had said about the Laiwynn clan, but if it was true, it
meant that cruelty and despotic behavior might run in her family.
Ram put his utensils down, wiped his hand on his apron, and offered himself for a hug.
She stepped into the comfort of his arms.
"What I was trying to tell you earlier is that I've never made any secret of the fact that I
won't give up my freedom to live a restricted life, no matter how luxurious or comfortable. Not
for anything."
"No' even for Helm? And me?"
"That's not fighting fair and you know it."
"When it comes to your safety - and our son's - you think I care about fightin' fair? 'Tis
the very last of my concerns."
"Let me put it this way. You need to come up with a more agreeable Plan B and you need
to do it while I'm still in a listening mood."
"Any ideas?"
She looked down at her pretty Holland china plate, part of the set they got as a wedding
present from Kay and Katrina. She had a picture of how good life was going to be there in their
new home. Had the Ralengclan assassins spoiled her vision of the future to the point of ruin?
Was it time to confront that possibility?
"No." When she looked back up, Ram thought he might have seen her look just a little
worn. Like her aura hadn't been buffed in a while. Sometimes he caught her looking off into
space and he suspected that she was thinking about what she'd been told by the Ralengclan
assassin, wondering if the massacre of her family was really a coup d'etat." Armed people
guarding the house. Hardly what I pictured."
"I know." Ram sat down next to her and took her hand in his. "We'll figure it out. Monq's
workin' on it." He pulled up like he had an idea. The change was so subtle that no one besides
Elora would have even noticed it.
"What?"
"He's workin' on detectin' interdimensional activity - identifyin' the source and location.
He says 'tis a logical first step toward the defense system we're goin' to be needin'."
"Yeah. I heard."
"Well..." She knew she was in trouble when he turned on that look that he had given her
the first night they had met, the puppy dog plea that was so irresistible she could be manipulated
out of her socks with full knowledge and complicity. She hated that. It was... manipulation by
consent.
"Stop that right now!"
"'Twas just thinkin' that, for the time bein', just while we're sortin' this out, maybe we
should move back into Jefferson Unit. You and Helm would be safe there. I know 'tis no' ideal,
but there is the courtpark, food, and babysittin' on demand. 'Tis no' this." He looked around
the room and gave a little sigh. He had put a lot of himself into renovating the property and
somewhere along the way had come to understand why she loved it and pictured their little
family living happily ever after there. "But we were happy at Jefferson too. We could even help
Monq. Maybe speedin' thin's along a bit?"
"I'm expecting puppies."
"I truly hope no one is recordin' this conversation." Ram's mouth softened at the corners
making him look so beautifully kissable that she had to lean in and remind herself if those kisses
were as good as she remembered. He didn't seem to mind complying with her wish. When she
pulled back, he said, "We could get Glen to keep an eye on that. The wolf pups I mean."
"This is not just some ruse that's going to get us sucked back into active duty?"
Ram cocked his head like he was having trouble with that question. "Why would I go to
so much trouble to keep you safe only so I could risk gettin' you killed?"
Elora stared at Ram for a few seconds. "I'm not the only knight in the room and we both
know how persuasive Sol can be when he wants something. Before I even consider this proposal,
I need some reassurance that none of us, not you, not me, not the baby - none of us - are going to
end up on any field assignment. Not in any capacity."
Ram nodded. "Deal."
"Okay."
"Okay you approve of my answer or okay we're packin' for Fort Dixon?"
"Fort Dixon, but that's all of us. Blackie too. And we need an apartment big enough for
the four of us."
"Thank Paddy. I'm goin' to get a good night's sleep for a change."
She hadn't realized just how much stress the fear of assassination had caused Ram
until she saw his facial muscles relax. Yeah. It was a good plan. A good choice, everything
considered.
"And, let's outline what would have to happen to make it possible for us to come back
here and proceed to live life the way it should be lived. By ourselves. Speaking of which, I'm
also not giving up the pleasure of a weekend at the cottage - just us - forever."
"Certainly. I'm no' unreasonable."
She smiled at him lovingly and indulgently. "Of course not. You're my hero."

***

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Review - Dancing With Deception by Andrea Heltsley


Synopsis:

How far would you go to keep your nightmares a secret?
Wendy has been struggling with vivid, chilling nightmares that leave her exhausted and horrified. What will Wendy do to protect her secret when she discovers her nightmares are real? Death is coming and he’s coming for her.

Read the chilling prequel to the paranormal romance, Dancing with Death.

Amazon

Review: This was a short story consisting of around 50ish pages and while there was a good bit of death and mystery packed into those pages it just fell a bit flat for me. I didn't have a chance to really feel anything for the characters one way or another. I couldn't understand why Wendy didn't reach out at least to her close friends for help when the nightmares began. Had it been me I would have been terrified to have my dreams become real especially with absentee parents and having to stay alone at night all the time. Everything just felt so disconnected and choppy and when it seemed things were beginning to start making sense it just ends. I felt like I had hit a brick wall and ended up with far more questions than answers.

About the Author:

I’m a biologist turned writer. I write YA/NA paranormal romance books mainly. I’m the author of Devour and have several more books scheduled to come out later in 2013. I book blog for fun. I also have a strong addiction to caffeine and fruit snacks. You can find me in Tennessee with my husband and two Italian greyhounds.

If you ask anyone, I’m a total fangirl! I love the entertainment industry. I love Revenge and the Vampire Diaries on television. My favorite movies are Elektra and P.S. I Love You. I have a definite weakness for Tim Burton movies too. I’m beyond a huge fangirl for Shakira, both her English and Spanish music; Jack’s Mannequin comes in a close second. I have too many favorite authors to list, but Kelley Armstrong and Rachel Vincent are two of them. I’ve read all their books.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Tour Dark Flight Cassi Carver

Synopsis:

In a world of shadows, a pure heart can be the most dangerous weapon of all.

Kara has been training for months to help take down Brakken—the merciless black-wing who is making life hell for the Demiáre. But when Julian discovers a scout has been tracking Kara, he wants her out of the fight—even if it means breaking her heart in the process.

Gavin isn’t much better. He’s already lost so much to Brakken and has no intention of allowing the woman he loves to be the next sacrifice. He and Julian have their hands full trying to fight Brakken’s army and keep Kara safe, especially after her recent visit to the mythical white-wings. Since her return, she’s been acting decidedly…strange.

With a terrible battle looming, Kara doesn’t have time to think about her conflicted feelings for Gavin and Julian—or the fact that she’s developed an unnatural taste for Gavin’s blood. But if she thought it was complicated evading mysterious scouts and fending off vicious black-wings, she’s learning that’s nothing compared to loving two strong-willed men.
 Amazon / BN / Samhain


Dark Flight Excerpt

Copyright © 2012 Cassi Carver
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Kara dropped into a crouch behind the leaves of a giant bird of paradise as her claws silently pushed through the tips of her fingers. Her thigh muscles burned from the continued strain, but they could catch fire for all she cared. He wasn’t going to get her. Not this time.

When the sound of furtive footsteps approached, crunching softly through the thick, tropical undergrowth, Kara grabbed onto a low-lying branch and swung herself up, then quickly scaled the side of the tree. Her heart beat full-throttle, hammering so hard she hoped he couldn’t hear it. But if his hearing was that good, even the shallow breaths she took might give her away.

The buckskin-clad shape came closer. Head to toe, he wore a suit made of animal skin with a leaf pattern hand-drawn on the material. It was a hunting suit. But Kara didn’t feel like being hunted tonight.

She waited until he was directly under the tree where she hid. His chest and back were strapped with weapons that slowed him just enough to put him at a disadvantage. With a silent, decisive breath,

Kara leapt.

Claws extended, she pounced on his back from above, flattening him to the ground under her, crushing a mass of fern fronds under his thick chest. She pulled a knife from his back strap and held it to his throat.

Smiling, she leaned down to whisper above his hooded ear, “Give up, big guy?” If it came out a little throaty and seductive, she couldn’t help it. Victory was a major turn-on. But then again, when it came to Gavin Cross, just breathing the same air was enough to get her hot and bothered.

He shifted under her, and his hulking body had no problem moving her with him. With her knees straddling his hips, she lifted up to allow him to roll onto his back.

“Lady Kara…” the man began, “you have need of me?”

Kara dropped the knife and jumped off, falling to one knee and clobbering a sprig of wild orchids in the clumsy maneuver. “Who the hell are you?”

“Patrick. You don’t remember me?” The warrior sat up and searched her eyes for a moment, but then his confusion cleared, as though he’d finally caught on to what was afoot. “Ah, you really don’t remember me, do you? You simply have need of a man. I don’t mind, my lady. I would be honored to service you.”

It still bothered Kara that his offer lit fuses all up and down her body. If she hadn’t grown up as a regular gal, she probably would have taken him up on his offer. Right here. Right now. Already, his substantial interest was growing.

She stood and brushed the debris from her black jeans. “I’m so sorry, Patrick. I really didn’t intend to…jump you. Lord Gavin and I are doing training exercises out here, and I thought you were him.

You may want to hunt somewhere else until we’re finished.” When his brows rose, she added,

“Finished training.”

Patrick stood, assessing her with a wry smile, then he retrieved his knife and returned it to its sheath.

“Lord Gavin, you say? But he was the one who ordered the hunt.”

“He did what?” But just as she said it, something slammed into her from behind, carrying her blindingly fast through the maze of trees and vines until the blurred image of a clearing appeared.

In the next instant, she crashed into the tall grass face first and rolled onto her back—or was flipped, more like it. The hulking form above her blocked out the light of the moon with his massive silver wings. Her back pushed into the soggy soil, the moisture soaking through her shirt, and a root of some sort pressed against her ribs.

She glared up at Gavin, but with only an inch separating them, his hazel eyes were huge, eclipsing everything else in her vision, and his grin seemed to stretch as wide as his wings. “Gotcha.”

“What was that?” she demanded, but it was hard to yell at him with his lips so close to hers.

He brought a hand to her neck and ran his finger slowly across her throat. “If I had a knife, you’d be dead. I win again.”

Kara’s hands found his waist of their own volition. “No you don’t. You cheated. You sent a horny hunter into our training ground. I thought he was you!”

His breath was sweet and spicy, and the corners of his eyes crinkled with soft lines as he smiled.

“Cheating is irrelevant when it comes to life and death, princess. Don’t expect integrity from those who want you dead.”

Her hands raked over the bare skin covering his ribs, until she curled her fingers into her palms to keep from touching him again. “Okay, that one doesn’t count.”

Gavin laughed and pulled her to her feet. “It counts. That’s three hundred sixteen for me and seven for you.”

“Shit,” she ground out. “Let’s try again.”

He reached out and adjusted her damp black T-shirt so that it lay smoothly against her chest. “You’re not ready, Kara.”

She batted his hand away. “So I can’t flash like a silver-wing. That doesn’t mean I’m defenseless.”

She’d killed his brother, who was incredibly strong for a silver-winged fallen angel—but she didn’t think there would ever be a right moment to throw that in Gavin’s face. Besides, he’d just tell her that his brother hadn’t been an almost invincible black-wing like the beast they were planning to bring down now.

“We’ve done enough for one night. Let me take you home. It must be almost three pm in San Diego, and you said you had to work tonight.”

Now that Kara was officially part of the Mercury Clan—a band of more than three hundred fallen angel hybrids—Gavin had finally confided that Mercury Island was located in the Seychelles chain of islands.

Albeit, with all the wards and defenses, there wasn’t a good chance of a fisherman or passing cruise ship catching on to that fact.

Being halfway around the world from San Diego, it was almost twelve hours off from where she called home. Three pm in San Diego meant she’d kept Gavin up all night here on Mercury Island.

“Yeah, I do have to work. And you need to get some rest.”

He wrapped his arms around her, preparing to flash. “Have you thought about my offer?” As he asked, they began to dissolve. He carried her through the inky tar, and a moment later, they were standing on the balcony off her living room overlooking downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.

She let the nausea and the boneless feeling pass before she answered. “I can’t.”

He growled and released her. “No lady of the Mercury Clan needs to work. I have enough resources to keep you comfortable from now until the Armageddon. Did I ever mention that Teras’s daughter working at a bar for minimum wage and paltry tips is just plain absurd?”

“Only about a dozen times. Don’t you ever get tired of this subject, Daddy Warbucks? I know I do.”

“Your father was my king, Kara. How can I hold my head high when I’m not caring for his only daughter?”

Kara reached up—way up, given Gavin’s six-foot-seven-inch frame—and patted his cheek. The dark blond stubble along his jaw was just starting to poke through and it tickled her palm. “You’re so cute when you go all protect-and-provide on me, but I gotta get ready for work now. Bye.” When she wiggled her fingers in farewell and turned to enter the apartment, Gavin slapped her on the rump. She yelped and dashed into the living room.

“Brat!” he called after her, and then he flashed.

And with the sting his hand left on her ass, he was lucky he did.

She growled and swallowed down her body’s reaction to her golden-haired protector. Since her lover, Julian, had called things off three weeks ago, bringing Kara’s sex life to a screeching halt, her starving body couldn’t handle even grappling or sparring with Gavin without her wanting to unstrap his weapons belt to unsheathe his broadsword.

She sat hard on the edge of the sofa and ran a hand over the side of her throbbing backside. What if she did quit her job? What if she took her place on the island as a lady of the clan? What would it be like to trade her boots and jeans for island wear and an ever-present supply of men eager to do her bidding?

As it was, she wondered how long could she pine for Julian, hoping he’d reconsider—and not just for the sake of her broken, humiliated heart, but also for how effective his attention was at helping her control her raging libido.

Truth was, females of Kara’s kind didn’t do well with abstinence once they’d reached her age. Hell, they didn’t even attempt it. And now more than ever Kara could see why.

She began to pull off her boots, but her face was angled toward the balcony window, pointing towards Mercury Island however many thousands of miles away. “Celibacy sucks!” she shouted.

But unfortunately, rolling around with Gavin Cross in a totally different exercise couldn’t happen until they’d accomplished their primary objective—sending that black-wing bastard Brakken to the Abyss before he got hold of Gavin’s only child.



About the Author: 
Cassi Carver lives in sunny Southern California with two dogs, four kids, five chickens, and one hubby who gives great massages. She gets to San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter for research (okay, happy hour) as often as possible. She’s never saved the world, but she keeps sexy boots on hand just in case the opportunity arises.

When Cassi isn’t busy plotting or writing, she enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, caring for pets, getting outdoors, and watching sappy movies that deliver reliably happy endings.

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