Thursday, June 26, 2014

Blog Tour- Guest Post: Shattering Halos By Sunniva Dee

Shattering Halos (Halos, #1)

Shattering Halos By Sunniva Dee
Series: Halos # 1
Published: February 24, 2014



I traded my death for love. I wasn’t given a choice. His decision has caught up with us, so now I am a living, breathing catalyst to war between Heaven and Hell.

The violations he committed saved my life. Since the collision, he’s appeared everywhere. In my hospital room, my school, even my house. He shows up in my paintings, my drawings, in all of my art projects. I can’t stop thinking about him.

He says his name is Gabriel, and he doesn’t understand what’s happening to him. He doesn’t know how I can see him or why he wants me in ways that should be impossible for a Celestial.

My obsession grows. I need him to hold me, kiss me—give all of himself. For every day he protects me, the consequences loom darker and taller. Soon, they’ll crash down on us.

The war is about to begin.



Sunniva Dee

I write New Adult fiction with a paranormal twist and don’t shy away from romance and heart-wrenching passion when necessary.


I moved from Norway to the United States in 2001, and the first awesome five years I spent in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. Then I read “The Book”, aka, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It caused me to drag my husband, my youngest child, and our menagerie of animals cross country to beautiful Savannah, Georgia.

I'm currently on my sixth year in the Deep South. Here, we enjoy the heat and the humidity. Besides writing, I spend my time giggling and/or rolling my eyes at the “petting zoo,” as in an opinionated parrot, cats that are experts on keyboard shortcuts, and puppies that … uh, bark.

I hold a Master's degree in languages, with concentrations within literature and linguistics. For ten years, I taught at university level, before settling in as a graduate adviser at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Writing is my passion, my joy, and my addiction. "Shattering Halos" is my debut novel, which will be released soon by The Wild Rose Press. When I'm not writing, I read. Tons!

Links: Facebook ** Goodreads


Heroines and Anti-heroines

There are many words for protagonists in a story. For instance my publisher—a traditional romance house—calls the female lead “the heroine.” In my circle of author friends, though, we prefer the term “MC”—short for “main character.”

As a new adult writer, the noun “heroine” will probably never represent what my main girl is. The other day in an email correspondence with my editor, I called my girls “anti-heroines,” which is much closer to the truth.

Even when I write paranormal fiction, I want my MC to be realistically flawed. For me, I can’t just have the surroundings, other people, or events she didn’t influence, cause the conflicts in the storyline.

I’m not saying all new adult leads should be messed-up characters, but the anti-heroines might be more common than the perfect, sweet, relatable ladies in this genre. Two of my favorite new adult anti-heroines are “Beautiful Disaster’s” Abby Abernathy, and “Thoughtless’” Kiera Allen.

Abby and Kiera are both passionate and unpredictable. They fight their own demons and struggle with their feelings for the male MCs. I can’t personally relate to a lot of their actions, and yet they suck me into a reading vortex, making my heart race. Both as an author and a reader, this is exactly what I want out of a book, because, see, I’m not in this to learn about MCs who act like me; I read and write as an escape!

Whenever I start on a new manuscript, the options are wide open. I have ideas for my MCs, but their personalities haven’t been formed until I’ve typed them out and they’ve struggled through the obstacles on their way.

My book Shattering Halos, a new adult fantasy novel, has been compared to a mix between “Beautiful Disaster” and the TV series “Supernatural,”—if the angels were brothers and love made them lose their head, that is. In it, my female protagonist, Gaia, is stubborn, passionate, and too officious for her own good. It’s not the surroundings that cause Gaia to get in trouble. No, it’s herself. She isn’t a heroine at all. She’s a flawed, intense human being who, once she’s set her eyes on someone, won’t give up just because he turns out to be an angel.

But yes, heroines are alive and well out there in the literary world. Just, when you dive into Shattering Halos, and even more so in Stargazer (release September/October), and Pandora Wild Child (release October), be warned: you will want to slap my anti-heroines silly at times.

Thanks for “listening.” ;)

Xoxo
Sunniva

**Thanks so much for taking the time to post :) **


Cover Reveal: Dire Wolves Chronicles Series By Alyssa Rose Ivy

We have been dying to share the covers for Alyssa Rose Ivy's The Dire Wolves Chronicles: DIRE, DUSK, & DAWN!! The Dire Wolves Chronicles is a brand new New Adult paranormal romance series that you will want to add to your TBR pile ASAP! The Order of the books is: Dire, Dusk, Dawn,with DIRE publishing September 2014!!


   Dire

The covers are designed by Cover It Designs with photographs courtesy of CJC Photography.

Add it to your Goodreads now!

  About DIRE: Dire: The Dire Wolves Chronicles Gage was the first guy I ever wanted. He was my first crush and my first fantasy, but he wasn't my first in any other way because he never saw me as anything more than a friend— at least not until the night that changed everything. It was all Gage's fault. He insisted we drive through the storm and take the back roads. By the time the storm hit full force we had no chance. One night of snowbound sex changed our relationship forever. The problem was at the same time I caught another guy’s attention. This other guy happens to be the alpha of a pack of shifter wolves. Be sure to look for the next books in the series DUSK & DAWN:

  Dusk  Dawn


   Alyssa Rose Ivy- Author Photo

Alyssa Rose Ivy Bio: Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.         TDWC Collage Links: Twitter Author Goodreads Pinterest Website DIRE: The Dire Wolves Chronicles Goodreads Facebook




Monday, June 23, 2014

Release Day Launch Excerpt & Giveaway- Breathe With Me By Kristen Proby

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We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Kristen Proby's BREATHE WITH ME!! BREATHE WITH ME is a Contemporary Erotic Romance novel and is the 7th book in the With Me In Seattle Series. 

*I have read almost all the books in this series except Tied With Me, which I plan on reading. I can't wait for this one!*

 

Breathe With Me Cover

Breathe With Me By Kristen Proby
Series: With Me In Seattle #7

*** iTunes *** Barnes & Noble *** Amazon ***




Sometimes you meet the right person at the wrong time… Mark Williams has loved Meredith since he was seventeen. A successful man with a strong family, he’s worked hard to move on from Meredith breaking his heart all those years ago. When his path crosses with the only woman he’s ever loved again years later, Mark knows there is nothing he won’t do to keep her in his life. But when the going gets tough, will Meredith stick around or will he lose her again? …

But true love has a way of finding its way back.

Meredith Summers is a dancer. One of the first things she learned in following her dreams is that timing is everything. She has spent the past ten years following her dream touring with mega-stars while trying to forget the high school sweetheart she left behind. Now she’s back in Seattle, running a successful dance studio with her best friend Jax and determined to move on from her gypsy past. Until the day she sees Mark Williams and time stands still. It’s as if no time has passed at all when Meredith finds herself in Mark’s arms again. The chemistry, the bonds and the love are as strong as ever and hearing Mark whisper breathe with me in her ear is a balm to her wounded soul. But will she grab onto this second chance at love, or is the timing all wrong for them again?

Don't miss catching up with the Montgomery and Williams clans in this latest installment of the With Me In Seattle Series from New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Proby.

“There were days that I would have exchanged a year of my life just to touch you one more time.” –Mark Williams



I knock on Mer’s apartment door and shift back and forth on my feet. I haven’t been this nervous since the very first time I picked her up for a date early in our Junior year. I’ve come a long way since then. Suddenly the door is wrenched open and Jax is standing there with a wide smile.

“Hey,” he says. “Hi. I’m here to pick up Meredith.”

“Mr. Delicious is here for your date, tootsie roll!” Jax yells.

“I’m right here, dork,” Meredith says as she slips under his arm out into the hallway.
“Ignore him. He has horrible manners.”

“Have fun,” Jax continues, leaning on the doorjamb with his arms crossed and watching us walk to the elevator. I brace my hand on the small of her back and feel the electricity travel up my arm and down to my groin. After all this time, the chemistry is still here.

“You have her home at a decent time, now. I’ll leave the light on.” 

“Shut up, Jax,” Mer says with a laugh.

“Use condoms!” He calls just as the elevator arrives.

“Oh my God! Shut the hell up, Jax!”

He laughs as the doors close and I can only smile in delight down at her. Her cheeks are pink with embarrassment. Her hair is pulled up in one of her signature messy buns and she’s in jeans and a blue sweater the same color as her eyes. Jesus, she’s fucking gorgeous.

“You look amazing,” I say and rub a large circle over her slender back.

“So do you,” she murmurs and looks up and down at my plain black T-shirt and jeans. I threw a plaid button down over the T, but her eyes travel to my arms anyway. She always did have a thing for my arms.

“Thanks for coming out with me tonight.”

“Thanks for inviting me,” she replies with a grin. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

  WMISS Banner

And don’t forget the rest of the With Me in Seattle Series…
 


  Author photo

ABOUT KRISTEN PROBY: New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Kristen Probyis the author of the popular With Me in Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type—fiercely protective and a bit bossy—and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate, and sunshine. And naps. Visit her at KristenProby.com.  




Release Day Launch- Excerpt & Giveaway: Five Ways To Fall By K.A. Tucker

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We are thrilled to celebrate the Release Day Launch of K.A. Tucker's FIVE WAYS TO FALL!! FIVE WAYS TO FALL is the fourth novel in her Ten Tiny Breaths Series, published by Atria Books an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

  FWTF final cover 

Five Ways To Fall By K.A. Tucker
Series: Ten Tiny Breaths # 4
Atria Books ** IndieBound B&N ** Amazon ** iBookstore ** BAM ** Bookish ** Other


Purple-haired, sharp-tongued Reese MacKay knows all about making the wrong choice; she’s made plenty of them in her twenty-odd-years. So when her impulsive, short-lived marriage ends in heartbreak, she decides it’s time for a change. She moves to Miami with the intention of hitting reset on her irresponsible life, and she does quite well…aside from an epically humiliating one-night stand in Cancun with a hot blond bouncer named Ben. Thank God she can get on a plane and leave that mistake behind her.

Football scholarship and frat parties with hot chicks? Part of charmer Ben Morris’s plan. Blown knee that kills any hope of a professional football career? So not part of the plan. Luckily Ben has brains to go with his knockout looks and magnetism. After three long years of balancing law school with his job as a bouncer at Penny’s Palace, he’s ready to lead a more mature life—until his first day of work, when he finds himself in the office of that crazy, hot chick he met in Cancun. The one he hasn’t stopped thinking about.

If Ben truly were a smart guy, he’d stay clear of Reese. She’s the boss’s stepdaughter and it’s been made very clear that office romances are grounds for dismissal. Plus, rumor has it she’s trouble. The only problem is, he likes trouble, especially when it’s so good-looking…  


FWTF Ben 

  

Ben I love the angry ones. Of course, anyone who knows me would argue that I love any and all women, and I can’t exactly disagree. But I love the angry ones the most. They’re a challenge to be conquered, the reason for their fury usually fitting neatly into three buckets: insecure, scorned, hormonal. And this chick gazing up at me with fire in her caramel eyes? I’m betting on bucket number two. 

“My, what an awfully bright red shirt you have on,” she pushes out between gritted teeth, as if she’s trying to be polite but can’t hide her disdain. 

I didn’t know what I was walking into when the punk-rock chick with the crazy-ass muscular body waved us over, but her friend with the purple hair and her back to me had me intrigued. Now that I’m getting a good look at her face, I know who I’m spending my last night with in Cancún. She’s not what some would call traditionally “pretty.” Her eyes are slightly too big and far apart, her nose is slightly too long and slender, and her lips—though nice and wide—are on the thin side. Yet something about all of that put together makes her sexy as hell. Maybe it’s the little nose ring. Or maybe it’s the way her decent-sized tits are pressing up against me, her low V-neck tank top—a casual shirt, telling me she’s not trying to pick anyone up—giving me a fine view of her cleavage. Whatever it is, my dick is certainly pleased. 

“You like it?” I ask. An irritated glare flickers to the material. 
“No.” I can’t help but chuckle at her candor. 

“Will you at least give me a head start before you gore me?” Those thin lip curls into a condescending smirk. 

“Bulls don’t see color. That’s a myth.” 

The only thing I love more than an angry girl is a smart, angry girl. This is going to be fun. 

“Well, how about I solve the problem for you.” I take a step back from her and swiftly yank my shirt off, exposing six days of suntanned skin and an upper body that I know looks damn appealing because I work my ass off to keep it that way. The random catcalls from the tables around confirm it. And then I simply stand there and grin like the cocky ass that I am as Angry Girl can’t keep her eyes from scanning the muscles I’ve honed since my college football days, her lips parting ever so subtly. I see the shift in her, the moment where she realizes that, though she’d prefer to castrate the entire male species right now, she can’t ignore her attraction to me. At least, that’s what I want to see. 


   FWTF Reese  
Don’t forget the rest of the Ten Tiny Breaths Series…

...and you can Preorder…
In Her Wake


Author Photo


ABOUT K.A. TUCKER: 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.      

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads ** YouTube ** Pinterest ** Instagram

 


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Review: All Night Long By Madelynne Ellis

All Night Long (Black Halo, #1)

All Night Long By Madelynne Ellis
Series: Black Halo # 1
Published: April 24, 2014
Publisher: Harper Colling
Genre Erotic, Romance 18+
Source: eARC from the publisher through Netgalley
My Rating




Three hot guitarists. Two people looking for love, but too afraid to admit it. One exhilarating night…

One night of rampant passion with a rock star, that’s all it’s supposed to be. Ginny Walters isn’t looking for love, only some sexy fun with an amazingly hot guy, that is, until she hooks up with Black Halo’s lead guitarist, Ash Gore, on the night the band implodes. When vocalist Xane walks off stage bringing the gig to a premature end, Ash and the guys find themselves unable to reach their hotel due to the presence of an irate mob. Luckily, Ginny offers them the use of her room for the night.

Ginny does her best to be a good hostess. However, it’s not long before she discovers a side to womanizing, bad boy, Ash that she never imagined. Beneath his hard rock image, is a man so hung up on the possibility of being hurt by love that he’s unwilling to risk becoming emotionally involved. How can she convince him that the bond between them is worth exploring, given that she’s not sure dating a rock star is terribly bright idea?

Ash can’t seem to get Ginny out of his head. She’s totally unlike the groupies he normally beds; women who love to fan his ego, but ultimately leave him dismally unsatisfied. Ginny sees through all his bullshit and the media hype to the scarred man beneath. Given that instinctive understanding, does he really want to say goodbye forever coming daybreak?

Maybe it’s time they both gave love another chance.




I wish I would have liked this book. From the blurb it sounded really good about taking a chance because meeting each other changed their lives. But that is not what I got, that's why I had to rate it 2 stars and I didn't finish it. 

Ginny just wants a one night stand, I think she would have done anybody that walked through the dressing room first, but it was Ash. And while they were being intimate his band members come in and starts taking pictures or video and that freaked me out. Ash and Giddy didn't stop either that's the worse part. I'm just not into that. I know that being in a band and that sort of atmosphere is different than living day to day, but there are some things I just can't read about. 

I stopped reading when Giddy invited the guys to her hotel room, they stopped somewhere to get liquor and that's all I know. I don't know if she was planning on doing them all but I don't want to find out. 

When I read a book I want romance even if it starts as a one night stand. But I couldn't get over how this book started, it didn't look like it was going in the right direction for me.  



Trailer: The Dare By Rachel Van Dyken

I love this trailer, it includes two beautiful people and paradise. So what could go wrong? Oh yeah... life.

The Dare (The Bet, #3)

The Dare By Rachel Van Dyken
The Bet Series Book # 3
Expected Publication: July 8, 2014



From #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken, comes the third and final book in the New York Time's Bestselling Bet Series...


Boring Beth Lynn has always lived up to her nickname... until she wakes up in a hotel bed next to a sexy as sin state senator she re-connected with at a wedding the previous night.



The biggest problem? She can't seem to remember anything about the night before except for crying into a box of cookies, and she's pretty sure Grandma Nadine slipped something in her drink. And what should have been a one night stand turns into a six day adventure when Grandma whisks them off to Hawaii to save them from the ensuing media firestorm.



Jace isn't looking for commitment -- he believes he made that clear when he left the wedding with Beth. Then again, he can't remember much of anything other than the way her skin felt beneath his hands. Now he's stuck with her at some lame couple's retreat and trying his hardest to fight the attraction only a woman like Beth could invoke.



He doesn't think it can get any worse.



But one spider attack... A donkey ride from hell... And an unfortunate episode with Viagra tea -- and there's one thing Jace knows for sure: He should never have agreed to Grandma Nadine's suggestion in the first place.

Because if this isn't paradise, and it isn't a vacation -- that only leaves one option.



Survival.



But to make it through alive... they might lose their hearts in the process.

(Romantic Comedy, Friends to lovers, Vacation Romance, New Adult Romance, Funny Stand Alone, Bargain Books, Humorous Romance)





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Friday, June 20, 2014

Excerpt, Giveaway: Love This Life By Theresa Troutman



Love This Life (Love’s Great Adventure Series/Book 2)
Author: Theresa Troutman
Cover Design: James GoOnWrite.com
Publication: June 9, 2014
Genre: New Adult Romance 18+
Tour presented by: Literary Quill Promotions

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21902071-love-this-life






“All I want is you.”
Tess Hamilton has a ten year plan—every milestone mapped out to reach her educational, career and life goals. Happy to be moving in with her fiancé, Sebastian, she didn’t anticipate a dangerous attraction to another man, a life-changing event, and a terrifying journey of self-discovery. They were definitely not a part of her master plan, and now Tess wonders if any part of her scheme will come to fruition.

Sebastian Irons is getting everything he’s ever wanted out of life. Leaving his playboy image in the past, he’s finally become the better man he longed to be when he left England and came to America. Madly in love with his fiancé and ready to start their life together, everything is seemingly perfect—until a series of unexpected events threatens to tear them apart. Can Tess and Sebastian survive the curveballs life throws at them? Will their love crash and burn, or will they get their long-awaited happily ever after?









Sebastian walked into the condo to find Tess dressed and ready to go. She was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan, the lights of the city twinkling and bright. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Happy birthday, Tess.”
            Tess turned around to face him. “I like the new suit. You look very dapper.”
            “You take my breath away,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. The kiss was quick and sweet. Sebastian took her hand, saying, “Follow me.”
            He guided Tess to the guest bedroom and opened the door. Inside, the bistro table was  dressed with their finest linens, china, silver, and crystal.
            “It’s just like the efficiency,” Tess said, looking over at Sebastian.
            “I wanted to re-create the first time I cooked you dinner. I hope you don’t mind we’re not going out tonight.”
            Tess threw her arms around his neck. “I love it!”
            Sebastian escorted her to the table and pulled out the chair. Tess sat down and quickly unlaced the straps of her shoes, kicking them off under the table. She admired the centerpiece of roses and inhaled the fragrant scent of the blossoms.
            He left the room momentarily, and then returned with Alice in tow. She placed salad plates on table. “Sebastian cooked dinner, I’m just helping out for tonight. I hope you enjoy it,” she said to Tess.
            Tess didn’t touch her salad; she simply stared at Sebastian, a single tear of joy escaping her eye. “Thank you so much. This is perfect. You remembered every detail.”
            Sebastian reached over and took her hand. “You’re welcome, darling.”
            Alice continued to bring course after course to the couple as they enjoyed their dinner. They talked with ease. Sebastian couldn’t help but wonder if things were finally getting back to normal.
            At the end of the meal, Alice bought a birthday cake to the table. It was six-inch round chocolate cake with buttercream icing. There was one candle on top of the cake, glowing like a beacon.
            “If that’s all, I think I’ll leave you for the evening,” Alice said, handing the knife to Tess.
            “Thank you, Alice.”
            Alice winked at them and closed the door as she left the room.
            “Make a wish.”
            Tess closed her eyes, waited a moment, and then blew out the candle. “It’s too pretty to eat,” she lamented.
            “We don’t have to eat it right now,” Sebastian said, standing up from the table. He offered his hand to Tess, who willingly took it.
            Sebastian escorted her into the living room. He walked over to the CD player and hit the play button. Roxy Music’s Avalon started playing. “Dance with me.” He swept Tess up in his arms and moved to the music, swaying to the slow, melodic song. Tess pressed into him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
            When the song was over, Sebastian looked at Tess and saw the happiness in her eyes. He felt as if he had recaptured a magic time they had shared long ago. Sebastian raised her hand to his cheek and tenderly kissed her palm. “I love you, Tess.”
            He felt the time was right, so he got down on one knee, reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out a red Cartier box. “You’re my world. Marry me and I promise I will spend every day for the rest of my life making you happy,” Sebastian said, opening the box to reveal a stunning 1/2-carat Asscher cut diamond set in 18-karat gold.
                                                                              * * *
            Tess looked down at Sebastian: his eyes were full of love, his expression full of hope. She honestly hadn’t been expecting a proposal, especially in light of their current situation. Tess had gotten her wish. All she wanted was to move forward with Sebastian, and here he was presenting her with the opportunity. She certainly wasn’t about to let it slip away. “Yes. All I want is you.”
            Sebastian stood up and removed the ring from the red box. Tess held out her trembling left hand, and Sebastian slipped the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly; that didn’t surprise Tess at all.
            A tear escaped the corner of Sebastian’s eye and Tess brushed it away with her thumb. “Don’t cry,” she begged.
            “I’m so happy you said yes,” he admitted, feeling simultaneously relieved and elated.
            Tess stood on her tiptoes and crushed her lips against his. Sebastian didn’t hold back this time; he put all his pent-up emotions into the kiss. It was tender at first, and then it spread like wildfire, hot and eager, setting his heart racing.
            Tess pulled away, gasping for air. “Make love to me, Sebastian.”









AUTHOR BIO
Theresa Troutman lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and their crazy dog, Niko. She loves reading, theatre, traveling and is an active member of the SCBWI. Works by Theresa include My Secret Summer (YA romance), A Special Connection (New Adult Romance), and Life's What You Make It - Love's Great Adventure Series Book 1 ( Mature YA romance)





GIVEAWAY!
Grand prize - signed paperback of Love This Life and a swag pack! (US only)
EBook copy of Love This Life (international)


Review: Beasts Of The Frozen Sun by Jill Criswell

Title: Beasts Of The Frozen Sun Author: Jill Criswell Series: Frozen Sun Saga #1 Genre: YA Fantasy Publishing Date: August 6, 2...