Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 268

#Review: WINDS OF SALEM by Melissa de la Cruz

5 of 5 stars


This is the third volume in the Witches of East End series. The passages of time are closed with Freya Beauchamp stuck in 1692 with no way to get back. Freya must relive the horror of the Salem witch trials while her parents frantically try to reopen the passages and rescue her. If they don't succeed, Freya's life will be forfeited forever. Being immortal will not help her this time and she'll never be reborn again.



This story opens in 1692 and I was immediately pulled into the story. I loved Freya's character as we're given a glimpse of what life in Puritan Salem was like for young maids. Back in present time, Freya's parents are frantically trying to find a way to save her along with her sister Ingrid, the local librarian, who is reading every account of the period she can find. The author does a great job of flipping between present day and 1692 to keep the action moving. I was happy to see more of Ingrid as she tries to navigate loving a mortal man. Will Joanna and Norman find a way to reopen the passages and save their daughter? And what's going on with her twin Freddie? He's searching for his Trident and embarks on a perilous journey of his own. Everything is connected in this wonderful magical journey. It's my favorite book so far, but I would recommend that you read books 1 and 2 to get the full flavor of the Beauchamp family. Recommended.



I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

BLURRED LINES by Brenna Wilde

 






















Book Details:




Blurred Lines by Breena Wilde

(Blurred Lines #1)

Publication date: July 5th 2013

Genres: Adult, Erotica, Romance




Synopsis:

Volume 1 in Blurred
Lines Serials

Genre: New Adult Erotic Romance Series



*** Cadence lives her life without holding back. She's all in. Her life is
raw, real, and unapologetic. If you aren't afraid to experience all Cadence
has to offer, read this series. ***



Hooking has four important rules.



1. Cash only.

2. Use protection.

3. Carry mace.

4. Don’t fall in love.



Twenty-year-old Cadence is a prostitute and she lives by the rules. They keep
her alive and they keep her heart protected. But when she agrees to
take one last job to get out from under her pimp, she discovers some of
the rules might be worth breaking.




Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7159661.Breena_Wilde




Purchase:

--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D...

  



AUTHOR
BIO:

Breena Wilde has been writing for more than ten years. She’s
sold more than half a million books in the last year under another name. Breena’s had
a lot of jobs. She’s flipped burgers, worked in a hotel, and spent time
managing people in customer service. She’s lived everywhere, from Taiwan
and New York, to California and Virginia, but Wyoming is home. Writing is
the best job ever!!! BLURRED LINES is the first of many in her erotic
new adult series.




Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Twitter




Blurred Lines Excerpt: 


























John turns and smiles, flashing a dimple in his right cheek. I
can’t get over how hot he is. My knees weaken of their own volition and I curse
myself. Gorgeous doesn’t mean good. He could be a total asshole.

“Everything’s taken care of. My only rule is you must always
wear a condom.” The way he looks at me, like I’m a new and exotic bird, makes
me nervous. But no matter what, I can’t break that rule. “Is that acceptable?”
I hold my breath, waiting. Hoping, even.

He steps forward. “Works for me. Do you mind if I shower first,
um… what’s your name?”

When I first started this whole prostitute thing I debated going
with different names with every guy, and I usually do. Just whatever name that
comes to mind. But when John asks, the only name that comes to mind is my
own. 

“Cadence,” I blurt, and blush.

He steps forward and I realize he’s still a head taller than me,
even with my seven-inch heels. I glance up.

“You’re John, right?”

He chuckles warmly. “That’s me.”

“Awesome,” I say and breathe. John seems really nice.

“I’m going to shower now. Make yourself at home. There’s wine
and cheese on the table over there.” He points toward a wall, but it isn’t a
wall at all. It’s windows. The curtains are open and I can see the glow of the
lights from the city.

John turns away and walks through a set of double doors.

“Okay,” I respond. It’s strange that he seems nice. And I can’t
help but wonder where the catch is. Fileze wouldn’t have made this easy on me.

I check my phone. There’s another text from Fileze: You there yet?

I quickly text back: Yeah.
Gonna sign off for the night. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of him.

Once my phone is off, I set down my purse and walk to the
window. The view is kick ass beautiful. Dark sky against the bright city
lights. It’s amazing and takes my breath away. I stare at the scenery, lost in
my thoughts. Then notice the cheese platter. I take a piece and chew slowly. It’s
good. Creamy. 

It seems like John has been in the shower for a long time. I
walk to the entrance of the bedroom. There’s a king-sized bed with luxurious
bedding and pillows covering it. The water from the shower is still running and
I make a decision.

Running back into the living room, I grab my purse. Then I kick
off my shoes and unzip my dress, sliding out of it. I walk into the bathroom
feeling bold. This is my last night as the bitch to Fileze the Sleaze. I’m
going to rock this guy so hard there won’t be any excuses.

I gently open the door. It’s steamy. The mirrors and the glass
on the shower door fogged over. I place my purse on the counter and walk over
to the shower. I can see his head. His blond hair darkened by water. I pull the
door open. He turns my direction and his blue eyes slowly drink me in.

“Mind if I join you?” I wait, suddenly shy for him to agree,
wondering if he’d rather have some privacy.




































GIVEAWAYS

Grand prize giveaway

--50$ Amazon gift card (INTL)
 

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Interview with Sophie Swift

Where did you get the idea for OUT FROM UNDER YOU?

I think the idea came from two different fascinations of mine: relationships
between sisters, and the complexity of infidelity. My sister and I have always
had a complicated relationship, something I wanted to explore in this book. But
also I’ve always enjoyed books that blur the line between right and wrong when
it comes to infidelity. So I set out to write one of those.





Why did you choose to write the book from alternating
points of view (Grayson and Lia) and did you find one easier to write than the
other?

You know, the book didn’t start out that way. Early on in the first draft, it
was just Lia’s narrative. But for some reason, Grayson kept bugging me. Like he
was in the back of my mind, poking me with a stick, wanting to be heard. So I
sat down, started a new document, and wrote a scene from his point of view,
just as an experiment. I ended up loving his voice so much, I simply had to
find a way to work it into the story. After the decision was made to alternate
points of view, I could almost see him smiling smugly, going, “See, I told you!”



In terms of who was easier, Lia was definitely more straightforward. Because
she’s more like me. But Grayson was definitely the most fun. He surprised me so many times. So I think I looked forward to
his voice the most.





Which fictional character do you
have a secret crush on?

Any character played by Liam Hemsworth. God, that man is sexy. I pictured
Grayson whenever I was writing his point of view. As a daily little treat to
myself. J





What scene in the book is your
favorite?

OH! That would definitely be the schmexy restaurant kitchen scene. That scene
was not in my outline. It just kind
of popped into my head as I was writing and I had to race to get it down fast
enough. I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say there are some
fairly creative uses for tomatoes that I still need to try out myself. J





If you could have dinner with one of your characters
who would it be?

Um, Grayson! No contest! Not only is he smokin’ hot, he's also a bit of a food
connoisseur, so he would pick the best restaurants ever for our date. And since
I know everything there is to know about him (because I've been inside his
head) I would know all the best ways to seduce him. *Rubs hands together
mischievously*




What’s up next for you?

I’m super excited about tackling book 2 in the Smart Girls Finish First series.
Book 2 will be told from Alex’s point of view, Lia’s older sister. She was a
really fun character to write as the antagonist in this book so making her the
protagonist in the next book will be an entertaining challenge, I think! The
rest of the books in the series will all feature young women in the Smart
family. And since Alex and Lia’s father has four brothers, all with daughters,
there are lots more stories to tell!










BUY LINKS:



Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00EFESK7W




B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/noresults?keyword=%26quot%3Bout+from+under+you%26quot%3B+%26quot%3Bsophie+swift%26quot%3B&store=nookstore




Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/345719




Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EFESK7W




GIVEAWAY: The author is giving away a digital copy of the book. Leave your email address in the comments for a chance to win!

Book Tour Blast: KEEPER OF REIGN by Emma Right

Keeper of Reign
Books written in blood. Most are lost, their Keepers with them. A curse that befell a people. A Kingdom with no King. Life couldn’t get more harrowing for the Elfies, a blend of Elves and Fairies. Or for sixteen-year-old Jules Blaze. Or could it? 



For Jules, the heir of a Keeper, no less, suspects his family hides a forgotten secret. It was bad enough that his people, the Elfies of Reign, triggered a curse which reduced the entire inhabitants to a mere inch centuries ago. All because of one Keeper who failed his purpose. Even the King’s Ancient Books, did not help ward off that anathema.
Now, Gehzurolle, the evil lord, and his armies of Scorpents, seem bent on destroying Jules and his family. Why? Gehzurolle’s agents hunt for Jules as he journeys into enemy land to find the truth. Truth that could save him and his family, and possibly even reverse the age-long curse. Provided Jules doesn't get himself killed first. 







About Emma:

Emma Right is a happy wife and homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific West Coast of the USA. Besides running a busy home, and looking after their five pets, which includes two cats, two bunnies and a Long-haired dachshund, she also writes stories for her children. 



She loves reading, and when she doesn't have her nose in a book, she is telling her kids to get theirs in one.

Right worked as a copywriter for two major advertising agencies and won several awards, including the prestigious Clio Award for her ads, before children came along. 



Follow Emma on Twitter | Facebook Fan Page | Website | Google+ | Blog | Pinterest | FaceBook 





The author is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Fill out the form below to Enter



 a Rafflecopter giveaway





 

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WRITTEN ALL OVER HER by Mia Darien

Written All Over Her

By Mia Darien

Book Four in the Welcome to Adelheid series




Published: May 27, 2013














One word can change the story of your life forever. 



Abduction. Torture. Surrender.



Eleven months from her adolescence have framed thirty-one years of Detective Nykk

Marlowe’s life. Despite the trauma of her past, and the unique physical scars it left her

with, she’s built a career as a detective for the Adelheid Police Department.



Her personal life might only consist of caring for her sister and a pet rabbit, but she

accepts that.



She accepts that she’ll never be able to be like “normal” people, even the supernatural

ones. As long as she can keep the past where it belongs, she’s okay.



But when the body of a teenage girl shows up with the same scars that Nykk sees in the

mirror every day, her “okay” life gets turned upside down and she’s forced to confront

the past she’s been looking away from for sixteen years.



And when it turns out there’s already more than one victim, the pressure’s on to stop

the killer before any more girls are tortured, mutilated, and murdered.




“…This installment of the Adelheid series is dark, creepy, and extremely well written…”




“…Another winner from Mia Darien. It’s impossible for me to NOT fall in love with Darien’s carefully crafted protagonists…”










in eBook and paperback!




Amazon  |  Barnes&Noble  |  Smashwords  |  Createspace






















Mia Darien is an indie author of speculative fiction, and a New England

Yankee transplanted into Alabama clay. No matter her geography, she continues to

stubbornly and rebelliously live the life of her choosing along with her family and pets.

She doesn’t miss the snow.




Connect with Mia

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads

















a Rafflecopter giveaway








Click the banner to check out all of the stops!

Book Tour Blast: CROWDFUNDING FOR SOCIAL GOOD by Devin Thorpe

Crowdfunding for Social Good: Financing Your Mark on the World
Over the last year of writing my Forbes blog, I have had the opportunity to really dig deeply into the world of crowdfunding. I’ve just completed my first draft of my new book, Crowdfunding for Social Good: Financing Your Mark on the World.

The book is a guide to successful crowdfunding for people who want to change the world. 



The book is not a sequel to my book, Your Mark On The World, but it is written in the same spirit. I’ve studied a dozens of successful crowdfunding campaigns, interviewing the people behind them to learn their secrets for success.

Devin's Book, Your Mark on the World, was downloaded over 75,000 times and reached the #19 spot on Amazon's free book list--among all free books. It remains on the top 50 free nonfiction books at Amazon. 




Buy in Paperback

About Devin:
Devin D. Thorpe thinks he is the luckiest person alive. After being “let go” from the best job he’d ever had—as the Chief Financial Officer of the multinational food and beverage company MonaVie—he and his wife ended up living in China for a year where he wrote Your Mark On The World and embarked on the career he’d always wanted yet hadn’t dared dream.

Now, as an author, a popular guest speaker and Forbes contributor, Devin is devoted full time to championing social good. 



His current life isn’t much like his past.

As an entrepreneur, Devin ran—at separate times—a boutique investment banking firm and a small mortgage company. He served as the Treasurer for the multinational vitamin manufacturer USANA Health Sciences years before becoming CFO for MonaVie. Over his career he led or advised on the successful completion of $500 million in transactions.
Devin squeezed in two brief stints in government, including two years working for Jake Garn on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee Staff and another year working for an independent state agency called USTAR, where he helped foster technology entrepreneurship during Governor Jon Huntsman’s administration. 



Devin is proud to have graduated from the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business, which recognized him as a Distinguished Alum in 2006. He also earned an MBA at Cornell University where he ran the student newspaper, Cornell Business.

Today, Devin channels the idealism of his youth with the loving support of his wife, Gail. Their son Dayton is a PhD candidate in Physics at UC Berkeley (and Devin rarely misses an opportunity to mention that).




Twitter: @devindthorpe

Facebook.com/yourmarkontheworld

Google+: devinthorpe.com

Tumblr: yourmarkontheworld.com

To get all of Devin's updates please subscribe here to his newsletter





Follow the Book Tour 

 



Tour Prize: Devin is giving away a Kindle Fire HD!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to win 10 FREE Books? IT'S SO EASY!

I'm teaming up with a group of authors and we're giving away our books. There's a great variety to choose from. Just fill out the rafflecopter below for your chance to win. The raffle will be open until August 24.





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New #FANTASY Release: THE KINSHIELD'S REDEMPTION by K.C. May

Here's a special treat for the fantasy fans of the Kinshield Saga series.  



The final book, THE KINSHIELD'S REDEMPTION, is value priced at .99 at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble on the release day ONLY. The book will revert back to its regular price of $3.97 on August 9. Be sure to grab this exciting conclusion to the best-selling series while you can before the price goes up! 











Book description:

Dozens have been corrupted by tainted water
from the Well of the Damned, including King
Gavin Kinshield's beloved wife. He's desperate
to reverse the water's effects and restore
Feanna to the kind and compassionate woman he
married. 



And what of his helpless heir growing in
her toxic womb? To save his unborn son, Gavin
must find a solution before the darkness
that’s overtaken Feanna also stamps out the
tiny spark within her.

Help seems to appear in the unlikely form
of the Guardians, two ghostly figures tethered
to the crystal that lies deep within the
wellspring. Can Gavin trust them... or will
their own agenda take the lives of his wife
and son—and bring on the utter destruction of
the seven realms?



Amazon buy link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EDR2ZX6 



BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kinshields-redemption-kc-may/1116357957
 

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/342850





The first book in the series, The Kinshield Legacy, is FREE so start reading this fantastic series today!

Interivew with Bonnie R Paulson

Do you
have a favorite character?

My favorite of all my characters is Paul Ledger. He’s so
cute and I love his personality. I love that he fights the cravings to eat
Heather and kiss her. What a dichotomy for a boy ruled by his carnal desires. I
love it. He’s fun and loyal, but cranky at times, too. Sigh.




Did you
try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

I sure did. I have been traditionally published twice and
represented by a rather large agent whom I had to part ways with. On one of my
books that was trad pubbed, the title and many other things were so far out of
my consideration, it hurt to continue. I’d lost so many things – the original
name of my story, the stipulations for my cover, many, many things. So I turned
to self-publishing. The 2 series I have up actually had offers of
representation as well as requests for large houses, but I pulled them from
consideration and pursued the self-pub route. I haven’t looked back since.




If you
used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the
creative process for your cover?

In trad pubbing, I had no control. But in self-pubbing, I
used an awesome cover artist, Ashley Byland at Redbird Designs, and I couldn’t
be happier. She works with me on every single detail, no matter how demanding I
am.




Do you
belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

I do and they are amazing. Yes, they have improved my
writing in immeasurable ways. I’m getting teary-eyed just thinking about how
helpful they’ve been.




Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

I start where the muse wants to and then halfway through, I
will create an outline to make sure I don’t miss anything. The last thing you
want is holes that you have to fix after the manuscript has been completed.




Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

Always. I have a very extensive critique group/partners
which cover the development of the stories. Following that, my work goes to
betas whom I trust. Then my final line of defense is Bri Lee Editing (brileeediting@gmail.com) and he makes
sure my work is CLEAN. I would never release my work unless he had edited it.
Never! I have too much respect for my readers and fellow writers.




What have
you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?

It’s hard. Discouraging. And yet, that one reader that
emails you how much they loved your story – they make everything worthwhile and
give you fuzzy bunnies in your tummy that inspire you to write more.




What
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing
arena?

Don’t give up. Don’t give up. Keep writing. Don’t give up.




Besides
writing, do you have any other passions?

My family (6 kids and my hot hubs), dirt biking, cooking,
reading, and discovering new friends.




Thank you so much for having me! These are great questions
and I had a blast answering them. Thank you and hugs!









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Book Tour Blast: CACHE A PREDATOR by M. Weidenbenner

Cache a Predator 

by M. Weidenbenner 
Officer Brett Reed will do anything to gain custody of his five-year-old daughter, Quinn. But when the man-hating judge grants Brett’s drug-addicted ex-wife custody and slaps him with a protective order for losing his temper, he fears for Quinn’s safety. Who will protect her now?

When Quinn is found abandoned on the streets, Brett’s worse nightmares turn toward a dark path. His daughter is placed in a temporary foster home until Child Protective Services can complete an assessment. It should only take a few days.

But a lot can happen in a few days.

Especially when there’s a deranged psychopath on the loose, someone who’s attacking pedophiles, someone who wants to protect children like Quinn, and someone who’s planting body parts in geocaching sites.

Cache a Predator is a novel about a father’s love, justice, and the unhinged game of hide-the-cache.

 



Buy Link

http://www.amazon.com/Cache-a-Predator-ebook/dp/B00E1ROP7M 

 



About the Author




Michelle is a fulltime employee of God’s kingdom, writing and encouraging writers every day. She’s often a sucker for emotional stories, her sensitive side fueling the passion for her character’s plights, often giving her the ability to show readers the “other” side of the story.



She grew up in the burbs of Detroit with five brothers. No sisters. Each time her mom brought the boy bundle home from the hospital Michelle cried, certain her mom liked boys better than girls. But when her brothers pitched in with the cooking, cleaning, and babysitting—without drama, Michelle discovered having brothers wasn’t so bad. They even taught her how to take direct criticism without flinching, which might come in handy with book reviews.

Michelle is living her dream—writing every day and thanking God for the stories He puts in her path. When Michelle isn’t writing she’s winning ugly on the tennis court. She’s known as “Queen of the Rim Shots.” No joke. It’s ugly.




Follow Michelle: FaceBook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

  



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Prize : $50 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of the book 



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