Blog Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway of Fairy, Texas By Margo Bond Collins

 Fairy, Texas

By Margo Bond Collins  

Release date: 2014

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal  

Tour: Irresistible Reads Book Tours

Goodreads

Fairy, Texas. A small town like any other.

Laney Harris didn't want to live there. When her mother remarried and moved them to a town where a date meant hanging out at the Sonic, Laney figured that "boring" would have a whole new meaning. A new stepsister who despised her and a high school where she was the only topic of gossip were bad enough. But when she met the school counselor (and his terminal bad breath), she grew suspicious. Especially since he had wings that only she could see. And then there were Josh and Mason, two gorgeous glimmering-eyed classmates whose interest in her might not be for the reasons she hoped. Not to mention that dead guy she nearly tripped over in gym class.

She was right. Boring takes on an entirely new dimension in Fairy, Texas.

          “Okay, girls,” Coach Spencer yelled above the chatter around me. “We’re going to get warmed up for this year with a little run around the outer track.” She gestured toward a field off to the right of the building. I could see a dirt track wending its way along the edge, disappearing into a copse of stubby trees and scrub brush at the far end. “Four laps,” Spencer added. A general groan went up, and I was glad that the discussion at lunch had distracted me from eating too much. Late August in Texas is hot.

          

          “Well?” the coach said. “Get going!”

          

We started off at a trot toward the field, many of the girls around me still complaining. For a moment, I considered hanging back with the crowd, but Andrew had told me that Spencer coached the girls’ track team. I wanted to impress her. So I stretched my legs out as I hit the track and settled in to a long stride, my breathing still easy.

          The afternoon sun beat down on my head. I watched the small grove grow closer, anxious for some shade. By the time I hit the bend in the track that led into the thicket, I was yards ahead of the rest of the runners—so when I rounded the curve and tripped over the body, I was all alone.

          It didn’t take long for everyone else to catch up, but it seemed like an eternity as I scrambled back, crab-like. It took a moment for my brain to translate the messages my eyes were sending it—the images coalesced slowly, like one of those magic pictures with the 3D images inside.

          He had been stretched out spread-eagle across the trail, head and feet half-concealed in the brush on either side. Blood pooled around him, sticky and half-dried at the edges. His shirt had been ripped open and a slash opened him from his throat to his stomach.

          As the other girls rounded the bend, I realized that the high, keening noise in the background was the sound of my own screaming. As soon as I realized it, I stopped, but several of my classmates picked up where I left off.

          My hands and knees were coated with blood where I had landed; my skin was tacky with it. I crawled over to the nearest bush and vomited.

          Coach Spencer shoved her way through the girls and stuttered to a stop, her hand to her mouth. “Oh, God,” she said. “It’s Cody Murphy.”

Margo Bond Collins is the author of Legally Undead, first in an urban fantasy series coming in 2014 from World Weaver Press, Waking Up Dead, first in a paranormal mystery series from Solstice Publishing, and Fairy, Texas, a YA paranormal romance series (also from Solstice). She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, several spoiled cats, and a ridiculous turtle. She teaches college English online. She loves paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters. 

Author Links: Website / Facebook

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Release Day Launch: Giveaway of Four Seconds To Lose By K. A. Tucker

Four Seconds To Lose

By K.A. Tucker

Series: Ten Tiny Breaths # 3

Published: November 4, 2013

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Other Retailers

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine-year-old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that. 

Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her can't get distracted by romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, and that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Links: Blog / Website / Author Facebook / Twitter / Author Goodreads / FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE Goodreads

Charlie

The small exhale escapes my lips before I can stop it. When I came up with this plan two weeks ago, I wasn’t fully aware of the inner workings at these clubs. But you can find anything on the internet. I found out that many owners charge a high stage fee, so the girls actually earn their money working hard on the floor and in the private rooms. Rumor has it that, though illegal, many of them do “extras,” on top of the lap dances. The idea of stripping on a stage in front of people is a giant pill to swallow for me. But lap dances . . .

I’ll do it.

I have to do it, I remind myself.

When I ran out of Sin City that day, I was sure that my plan was dead in the water. I mean, how was I going to perform daily lap dances when I couldn’t even get through my interview!

But Ginger told me that Penny’s is different. That Cain is different. That no one in the private rooms will be taking their pants off, and that doing “extras” is one of the only ways that you get fired at Penny’s.

Cain sounded too good to be true.

Setting my chin with steely determination, I say, “Both, please.” Swallowing the revulsion bubbling up in my throat, I clarify with a struggle, “I want to work the private rooms as well as the stage.”

Cain blows air out of his mouth, one hand on his hip while the other pushes through perfectly styled, slightly wavy dark hair as he stares hard at me. There’s an inexplicable look in his eyes, but I know he’s trying to read me. I wonder if he’s deciding whether to ask me for a demonstration. My gaze drifts to the couch again and my stomach tightens. Somehow I think giving this guy an interview lap dance might be harder than doing one for a sleazeball.

Because if I could get past the embarrassment and nerves, I might enjoy it.

But he doesn’t ask me to demonstrate. Instead, he asks me, “Have you ever bartended before?”

 I shake my head, frowning.

“I have too many girls working the private rooms right now. But working behind the bar would bring your earnings up significantly. It’s what another stage dancer of mine used to do.” He continues, more to himself, “Maybe we see how that works out first.”

I came in here expecting the worst—that I’d be grinding on guys’ laps by the weekend because I have to. And yet, now, the relief is pouring out of me.

“Why are you in this profession?” he suddenly asks, lifting his eyes to bore into me once again.

One question I did expect. I meet his stare and hold it as I explain, “Because I’m good at it, I’ve got a decent body, and have no interest in serving French fries for minimum wage while I figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.” I deliver that as I practiced it—calmly, clearly, convincingly. It’s a good answer. One that creates no doubt. And so far from the truth. I know exactly what I want to do with my life.

End it and begin a new one.

He nods slowly, his lip pressed together in a grimace. I don’t know if that means I’m hired or not, so I bite my tongue and wait for a concrete verdict. I’m still waiting for Cain’s decision when his cell phone rings. I watch with fingers laced together in front of me while he answers with a gruff, “Yup.” He listens, his free hand absently rubbing a small tattoo behind his ear. A second later he barks, “No! I’m on my way.” Hanging up, he digs into a drawer and comes out with a handful of papers. “Fill these out, please. Bring a copy of your driver’s license tomorrow night with you.” Whatever gentleness crept into his voice before has vanished. It’s all business now, as he slides the sheets across his desk with hands that look strong and muscular but incapable to soothe. “If the crowd likes you, you’ve got a job.” Turning those eyes my way once more and pausing for a moment, he adds, “Fair?”

“Absolutely. Thank you,” I say with a nod and what I hope is a courteous smile as I collect the forms.

With that, he turns and crouches down behind his desk. I hear something metal slam that reminds me of my stepdad’s safe door. When Cain stands again, it’s to fit a holster and gun on him, startling me. It’s not the first time I’ve seen a gun. I have a gun. I’ve used a gun. But seeing Cain with one right here, right now, was unexpected. Why does he even need one?

Throwing a light jacket over himself to conceal it—he’ll die wearing that in the summer heat, but concealing your weapon is a law in Florida and I guess Cain is a law-abiding citizen—he walks over and, with one hand on the small of my back, ushers me toward the door. It’s not exactly rude, but it’s also far from polite. With me in the hall, he pulls his office door shut and marches out the back exit, not turning once.

I’m left standing alone, inhaling the faint scent of beer, my ears catching someone testing the sound system. The one that will play music that I strip to tomorrow night.

I take a deep breath as a rash of butterflies swirl through my stomach, the sudden urge to let loose my bladder overwhelming.

It’s not a big deal.

Mom did this.

I can do this. 

After everything I’ve done, that I’ve been accomplice to, taking my top off in front of a bunch of drunks is nothing. I deserve to suffer a bit.

I glance down at the paperwork in my hand. He said he wants a copy of my license. That’s fine. The only accurate thing on it is my picture.

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Blitz Excerpt & Giveaway: Calestra Forever After By Addison Moore

Celestra Forever After

By Addison Moore 

Publication Date: March 31, 2014 

New Adult Paranormal Romance 17+

Buy: Kindle Edition

 (A brand new series. You do not have to have read the Celestra Series to read this series). 18 year-old Skyla Messenger has it all. She's the overseer of all 5 angelic factions, a freshman at Host University, and she has the boy of her dreams by her side. When a horrible truth is discovered, it changes the landscape of everything she thought she knew. Skyla enters into a covenant with wickedness that has the potential to alter the destiny of both the Nephilim and humankind forever. Nothing is as it seems. Just when she thought it was over, she discovers it hasn't even begun.

Addison Moore is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who writes contemporary and paranormal romance. Her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan magazine. Previously she worked for nearly a decade as a therapist on a locked psychiatric unit. She resides with her husband, four wonderful children, and two dogs on the West Coast where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading.

Links: Blog / Facebook / Twitter 

Celestra Forever After on Goodreads

(Skyla’s POV, Skyla with Wesley)

“God you’re here!” I snatch Gage and pull him behind the Student union. “This morning’s been a real mind fuck, excuse my French.” I try to shake all thoughts of Marshall and his warped sense of humor out of my mind. “You know what I really need?” I pull him deeper into the shadows and then start in with my assault. I land my lips hard over his and ride my leg up his thigh.

“Skyla, wait.” He pushes me back with a laugh buried in his throat.

“That’s the point, I’m waiting. I’m done waiting. I want this, Gage. I’m ready.” I jam my tongue so far down his throat he gives a hard groan.

Skyla! He turns his face and I use my Celestra strength to snatch him by the chin and meet my lips again.

“God, I love it when you struggle.” I’m sure that’s all kinds of twisted but holy hell it’s hot. I don’t what kind of newly imparted moral codes Gage has against making out on campus, it’s been our MO ever since we arrived at Host, but—

“I don’t know either.” He turns his head and I pepper kisses all the way down his neck. “Why don’t you go ask, Gage?”

I giggle into him, slipping my hand down the back of his jeans.

“A little role play, huh?”

“Skyla, I’m not Gage. It’s me Wes.”

Gah! I jump back like leaping out of a fire.

I don’t know what’s worse, kissing Wes, or having to confess this to Gage later.

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Cover Reveal: Entice (Eagle Elite #3) By Rachel Van Dyken

Entice (Eagle Elite # 3)

By Rachel Van Dyken

Release Day : May 13, 2014

From #1 New York Times Bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes the third book in the bestselling Eagle Elite Series...

“As burns this saint, so burns my soul. I enter alive, and I will have to get out dead.”

Chase Winter let the love of his life slip through his fingers and into the hands of his best friend and mafia boss of the Abandanato family. Now that he's been given a second chance to right a wrong--he refuses to let his own selfishness stand in the way. The only problem? He's not fully in possession of his heart, so when Mil De Lange, the girl who's innocence he stole, and heir to the worst of the worst mafia families in the US, asks him for a favor. He actually says yes, not realizing that that one yes has the power to destroy them all.

Mil's been in love with Chase as long as she can remember, but as the years went by, the love turned to hate, and now that he's agreed to help her, she's wondering if she made a fatal error. Because Chase isn't a teenager anymore. He's a hot blooded male, bent on owning every part of her body and soul, and willing to kill anyone in his path who dares stand in the way.

It's time for secrets to finally be revealed...but make no mistake, it's going to take a lot of bloodshed for those truths to be discovered.

You've never read a New Adult Mafia story like this before...loyalties will be tested, lovers reunited, and friendships obliterated. Welcome to the Family. Blood in--No out.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! 

Links: Website  / Facebook

Nixon

I checked the time on my cell and leaned against the wall. The desert heat was not in any way helping my already-tense mood and irritated disposition. A guy walked by, flicking his cigarette into the dirt. Note to self: you know you're tense as hell when you’re halfway tempted to grab said cigarette and suck the nicotine dry from the remains.

And I didn’t even smoke.

Shhhit.

My head hurt, my muscles were sore, and Trace was pissed. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the building.

“Hey there.” A flirty voice interrupted my self-inflicted torture session. I opened one eye, then two. A blond-haired girl in six-inch heels and something I can only assume at one point use to be a shirt, hanging over her shoulder, walked into my personal space. Her shirt-dress thing barely met her thighs.

“Yes?” I kept my sunglasses on. If I took them off and glared, she’d probably run screaming down the street, and I wasn’t into scaring females… at least not in that way. I knew I looked downright pissed as hell.

“Just thought you looked lonely.” She lifted her shoulder and offered a teasing smile. Did that really work on other guys?

“You thought wrong,” I said simply. “I’m holding the wall up — like Samson.”

“Samson?” She looked around as if waiting for another man to appear.

“From the Bible,” I clarified.

“The what?”

“Gotta love Vegas,” I muttered under my breath. “Look, I don’t want any.”

“Any what?” She ran a manicured nail down my chest, biting down on her lip at the same time. I could only imagine her point was to get me to stare at her lips, but all I felt was irritation. Damn Chase and Mil. I just wanted to go to bed, but I needed to talk with him before tomorrow.

“Sex.” My voice clipped. “I. Don’t. Want. Any.”

“But—” She twirled a piece of blond- hair in her fingers.

“I’m gay.”

“Right.” She snorted.

“I’m into men.”

“Oh really?” She closed the distance between us. Just as I was ready to seriously put my hands on her and push, I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder.

“Hey there, hot stuff.” Tex said in a low voice as his hand grabbed my ass, cupping it with a little too much enthusiasm. “You ready?”

I ground my teeth together and forced a smile. “Yup.”

“Oh…” The girl stepped back. “Um, sorry, you guys, uh, enjoy your night.” She pushed past Tex so fast I was afraid she was going to teeter off her heels and get hit by a taxi.

“Tex.” I seethed.

“Hmm?” He took off his sunglasses and tilted his head as the girl hurried away.

“You can take your hand off my ass now.”

“Why? Afraid you like it too much?”

I pushed against him.

“Just embrace your feelings!” He shouted, earning the attention of a family walking by with their two little kids.

I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and threw him few feet away from me, trying my damnedest not to smile.

“Admit it. You keep me around for comic relief.” Tex nodded with a smirk.

“I admit nothing.” I lost the war against smiling and started laughing. “But I do keep your ass away from Campisi, so remember that next time you start yelling about me being your lover.”

“True.” Tex grinned. “Oh, and P.S., don’t knock it till you try it.”

“P.S.,” I repeated in the same voice. “Still pissed at you for screwing over my sister.”

“Yeah well.” Tex sobered. “It’s for the best.”

“Breaking her heart and bringing in whores is what’s best for her?”

Tex lifted his hands into the air. “Look, I didn’t say my methods were sound or that they were intelligent, just let us deal with it, okay? We’re big kids.”

“Kids.” I snorted. “That about sums it up.”

A town car pulled up next to the curb. Chase got out and then held out his hand to Mil. My eyes narrowed; she looked different. Happier.

Her mom had just died, and she'd survived a bombing.

And she was smiling like the Taliban had just declared world peace.

Chase gripped her so tight that I saw the white of his knuckles.

I tilted my head, still watching them when Tex said. “Dude, you get laid?”

“Tex,” I snapped. “Go get something for their luggage.”

“But—”

“Go.”

Tex flipped me off, but ended up jogging over to the main entrance while I inspected both Mil and Chase. “I’m not saying this to be an ass—”

“Here we go.” Mil crossed her arms.

Chase waited.

I licked my lips and tried to appear indifferent. “But if you guys start screwing each other now, I may have to shoot one or both of you. It’s not the time to play house, got it?”

“Play house,” Chase repeated in a deadpan voice as he dipped his free hand into his back pocket, most likely clenching a pair of brass knuckles.

“I know it’s your honeymoon,” I continued. “But this [P1] little scenario you’ve got going on with the whole hot and cold is going to have to wait until everyone’s safe. So Chase, keep it in your pants for once in your life, and Mil, stop trying to seduce the poor kid, alright? It’s like dangling a damn fry in front of a seagull.”

“Who’s a fry?” Tex asked, pulling the luggage cart with him.

“Mil.”

“Are we eating dinner or something? Because I have to admit,” Tex leaned against the cart, “I’m freaking starving.” He eyed Chase and Mil. “Then again, I’m sure you both are too. All those extracurricular really take it out of ya.”

Chase took off his sunglasses, his face twisting in irritation and annoyance, no smile. Nothing. He was pissed.

“Chase,” I said slowly. “You know I’m right. You’re the best I have. I need your focus to be on The Family. Your family. Then you can screw all you want, okay?”

Mil looked like she wanted to punch me in the face. Chase took a step forward, but she stopped him.

“Good talk.” I exhaled. “Chase, I’ll see you down in the bar in a half-hour, okay? We have business to discuss. Mil, you can go find the girls. They’re having dinner out by the pool.”

Nobody moved.

After a few seconds of tense silence where I was pretty sure Chase was trying to convince himself not to strangle me to death, Tex cleared his throat and pointed to the luggage. “You guys need help, then?”

“Yeah,” Chase croaked. “Thanks.”

We loaded them up and sent them on their way.

“Tell me,” Tex asked once we were walking back toward the bar. “Is your only goal to see how far you can push Chase before he kills you in your sleep?”

**Wasn't that awesome? I'm so excited to be part of this tour. Rachel is one of my favorite authors, I've read the two books in this series and I loved them. I love her writing, she is hilarious, I seriously laugh the whole time I read her books. I can't wait to read this one.**

Feature Follow #15 Share A Pic!

Feature Follow is a weekly blog hop. For more information and to join go to Parajunkee'sblog or Alison Can Read's Blog. This weekly feature is all about meeting new bloggers and meeting new friends. Post a comment on this post saying that you're a new follwoer and I will follow back.

Snap it time! A picture is worth a thousand words. Anything. Just give us a pic.

I'm going to this event this weekend called Ultra. It's a three day event filled with DJs performing dance music. I'm so excited! I'll add some pictures while I'm there. It's in a popular place in Miami by the water, I wish I could ride up in our boat that would be so cool but hubby works so I'll be riding in a boring car like everyone else and having a boring entrance. Haha.  

Review: Hush, Hush By Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush

By Becca Fitzpatrick

Published: October 13, 2009

Source: Bought 

Pages: 391

Goodreads

Buy: Kindle Edition / Hardcover 

**My Review for Crescendo**

My Rating

When Nora and Patch are forced together as lab partners, Nora would rather fall to her death than put up with his elusive answers to her questions, his teasing, and his infuriatingly handsome face and hypnotizing eyes. It seems Patch was put on earth just to drive her crazy.

But before long, Nora's defenses start to break down as her curiosity about Patch heats up. Why does he always seem to be wherever she is and know exactly what she's thinking? How does he know what to say to both attract and repulse her? And what is up with those V-shaped scars on his chiseled back?

As their connection grows stronger, Nora's own life becomes increasingly fragile. Nora needs to decide: Is Patch the one who wants to do her harm or the one who will keep her safe? Has she fallen for one of the fallen?

Becca Fitzpatrick grew up reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden with a flashlight under the covers. She graduated college with a degree in health, which she promptly abandoned for storytelling. When not writing, she's most likely prowling sale racks for reject shoes, running, or watching crime dramas on TV. She is the author of the bestselling HUSH, HUSH Saga. Her new book BLACK ICE arrives in bookstores everywhere October 7, 2014.

Links: Goodreads / Website

It was a smile that spelled trouble. With a promise

_______________

"She'll kill me if she finds you in here. Can you climb trees? Tell me you can climb a tree!"

  

Patch grinned. "I can fly."

_________________

“You possess other people's...bodies."

He accepted that statement with a nod.

"Do you want to possess my body?"

"I want to do a lot of things to your body, but that's not one of them.” 

__________________

“All this time I've hated myself for it. I thought I'd given it up for nothing. But if I hadn't fallen, I wouldn't have met you.” 

__________________

“If you can't feel, why did you kiss me?"

Patch traced a finger along my collarbone, then headed south stopping at my heart. I felt it pounding through my skin. 

"Because I feel it here, in my heart," he said quietly.

___________________

He was the worst kind of wrong. He was so wrong it felt right, and that made me feel completely out of control.

_____________________

“Let’s be honest, Nora. You’ve got it bad for me." His eyes held a lot of depth. "And I’ve got it bad for you.” 

_____________________

“I'm not good," he said, piercing me with eyes that absorbed all light but reflected none, "but I was worse.” 

_____________________

I liked this book but I can't but feel that there was something missing for me. It could be that I didn't feel very connected to the characters and that they didn't have this overwhelming love towards each other. I need romance what can I say. Also the fact that this book has so much hype and I have to say that I fell for it. I read this not so long ago so I'm late on the bandwagon, but it is similar to Twilight several ways. And there are so many mixed reviews on this it's crazy!

So in this book there are angels, fallen angels and nephilims (which is when an angel and a human have a baby together.) Also fallen angels could possess humans for 2 weeks out of the year. Also a fallen angel can become human if they find a nephilim to sacrifice themselves for you. Angels can also speak in your mind.  

I liked Patch, he was witty and mysterious, qualities that I love. I also liked the reactions Nora and Patch had with each other. I liked Patch's story but it was sad, I couldn't help but love him for it. He did do something bad so he was a fallen angel. Nora was okay & Vee was annoying like every best friend of the main character is to me. I think they're always a little too much.

I thought the ending was great and the next books look promising. Hopefully the other books in this series are better.