L. Starla's Blog, page 15

Signed Paperback Giveaway Update

This is the current game wheel:
https://wheelofnames.com/yt8-mt3

I will be spinning it and announcing the 5 winners tomorrow.

L. Starla's September

L. Starla's September
With my new bookish coffee mug in hand, I perched on the edge of my office chair and fired up the old writing machine. Like most mornings, music was my first priority and I chose my favourites playlist. I was still tired from a late night of reading Stolen Futures by Empress Chang.

After a long sip of my hot brew, I eased back into my chair while Outlook took its time loading my emails. I flicked across to my calendar and gasped. 'Well shit! It's September already. My latest book launches this month.'



The first scene:

The sound of a storm rumbling in the distance only enhanced Sophie’s excitement and anxiety as she waited in the dark for her lover. She lay on her bed, dressed in a black satin slip. What else could he teach me this time? A sudden clap of thunder and the room lit up, then the sound of rain bucketing down. She chanced a brief look at the clock: 2AM already. He was late. She worried the weather had kept him away. Should I remove the blindfold and attempt sleep? A moment later, she heard someone opening her balcony door, the chill air touching her hot skin. Her heart skipped a beat before attempting to pound its way out of her rib cage. The door lock clicked, and the heat of the room intensified within seconds. He was upon her in a flash. Her mysterious stranger was with her at last. Her restricted sight enhanced her other senses. She could hear his fast, heavy breathing. She smelt his sandalwood cologne, which attempted to mask a more familiar scent she still couldn’t place. Sophie tasted his salty lips as they pressed against hers; felt the stubble on his cheeks scratch her skin. She welcomed the touch of his calloused fingers as they explored her body, starting from her face and gradually working their way down. As they reached their destination, her senses blurred, then…

She awoke with a start, dripping with sweat, heart beating. It was always the same whenever she dreamt of sex. She never climaxed. Is this because I have never been touched down there? She looked over to the spare mattress on the floor. Where is Candice? Then she noticed the cool breeze entering her room. The balcony door was slightly ajar. Odd. She never left it open except for a summer heatwave. But it was mid-autumn in Victoria, Australia.

Sliding out of bed, she stepped into her slippers and crossed the room to the balcony. When she put her hand to the cold steel frame of the glass door, she noticed faint voices travelling on the wind, coming from her brother’s room. Was that a girl with him? She threw on her dressing gown and crept outside, quietly following the terracotta tiled path to Stefan’s door. She shivered a little in the brisk air, with its strong fragrance of pine trees from their Mediterranean style garden.

When she reached his room, she peered through the gap in the thick Tuscan curtains. What the feck? He was lying naked on the bed with her straddling him. How could she do this to me?

She remembered what Candice said at Stefan’s last gig: ‘You know your brother’s actually pretty hot.’
Sophie shrugged it off at the time. Surely, Candice wouldn’t break the code. But did she know the code? A pang of jealousy gnawed at her while she watched them together. Stefan, her twin brother, had always been her best friend. Sophie often feared another girl coming between them, but he’d never found a girlfriend during their high school years. Candice was about to take his virginity. The first ever girl Sophie became close friends with was betraying her.

She should have left her vantage point and returned to bed, but Sophie was strangely intrigued by what was unfolding. At this point, it was literally the condom. Candice applied the rubber barrier with a deftness suggesting years of experience. Sophie was surprised by the considerable size of Stefan’s erection. She’d seen him nude a few times since puberty, but it never looked like that!

My God, what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I look away? Sophie silently chided herself.

Candice was riding him, her hips thrusting with a force at odds with her fragile frame. Stefan’s large, olive hands gripped her backside. They looked dark against her soft, pale skin. Candice applied a lot of makeup to her face to achieve the gothic pallor she wanted, yet the rest of her skin tone bore a close resemblance without cosmetics. Sophie had always admired her beauty; clearly, she wasn’t alone!

They moved in a rhythmic unison; their breathing audible through the closed door. Hormones surged through Sophie’s body. Subconsciously, she moved her left-hand to the moist area between her legs, slipped it inside her pyjama pants and thrummed the delicate skin with her fingers. When she caught herself plunging a finger deeper, she quickly withdrew, feeling ashamed. Mamma had always insisted masturbation was dirty and sinful, despite whatever else she heard.

The scene before her was coming to an end by this point. Candice groaned as she arched her back. Stefan gasped before screwing up his face, then Candice collapsed on him. Sophie quickly gathered her wits and dashed back to her room. Panting, she collapsed on her bed. She contemplated the private performance she’d witnessed. Why am I aroused? Do I desire Candice? Surely it isn’t because of my brother?

Purchase Links (Pre-order now)
Kindle Store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088QM8DNJ
Kobo Store: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/from...
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from...
Universal Book Link: https://storyoriginapp.com/universalb...



From Prying Eyes Book Launch Party
To celebrate the launch of my new book, From Prying Eyes: A Phoebe Braddock Romance , I will be hosting a virtual party on Facebook. The fun and games take place in my readers group and you are all welcome.

Party link (Facebook group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/l.sta...

The official party day is Saturday 19th September, but there will be discussions and giveaways in the weeks leading up to this day, so the sooner you join us, the better.

There will be several great prizes up for grabs both in the lead up and on the day of the party. These will include:
• Amazon Gift Cards
• Copies of my eBooks
• Your name as a character in the next book I start drafting
• Signed paperbacks
• Advanced copies of my next book
• Bookish coffee mugs
• Book swag

Subscribe to my newsletter for book release updates and follow my launch campaign on social media.
https://linktr.ee/LaeliaStarla

Signed Paperback Giveaway

Goodreads Giveaway Update:
This is the current game wheel:
https://wheelofnames.com/yt8-mt3

I will be spinning it and announcing the 5 winners tomorrow.

---------------------------------------------------

Would you like to win 1 of 5 signed copies of my new release paperback, From Prying Eyes ?

To enter, add From Prying Eyes: A Phoebe Braddock Romance to your Goodreads "Want to Read" list before 5pm 16th September 2020 (GMT+9:30) for your chance to win.




Prize Draw Terms & Conditions

The promoter is Laelia Starla, Independent Author, with registered business is Australia.
Laelia Starla’s family members shall not be permitted to enter the competition.
There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter the Promoter’s competition.
Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter are provided above.
Closing date for entry will be 5pm 16th September 2020 (GMT+9:30). After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
The rules of the competition are outlined above and, in these terms, & conditions and the prize for each winner will be published content supplied directly by the promoter.
The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.
No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and I reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
Winners will be chosen at random by drawing from all entries received and verified by Promoter.
The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected.
The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by Australian law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Australia.
The winner agrees to the use of his/her online alias in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current Australian data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
The winners names will be available 7 – 14 days after closing date.
Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Goodreads or the Amazon corporate body, nor by any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Laelia Starla and not to any other party. As such, Goodreads and Amazon are released of any liability associated with this competition.

The Sainthood - Boys of Lowell High Series

Resurrection by Siobhan Davis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary (Full Series)
Harlow Westbrook is hard as steel and out for vengeance against the gang she suspects killed her father, the gang that kidnapped and tortured her all those years ago. And now the president is engaged to her mother. WTF?

In her quest for the truth, she finds allies in the most unlikely group of guys. But trust does not come easily for any of them, leading to tests of loyalty and gripping misunderstandings. All while slow burning, erotic romance builds between them. Hazard warning: this series is HOT AF!

Review (Full Series)
I am a big fan of Siobhan Davis and this easily my favourite series of hers to date. My only complaint would be the repetitive use of dirty words in her raunchy scenes. Otherwise, I absolutely loved these books. The characters came to life, the story was full of suspense, and the tension kept mounting until the end of the final installment.

Davis also did a brilliant job of connecting with my emotions. The action was nail-biting, the sexy scenes titillating, and the tragedies were heart-breaking. Gang rivalry and politics played a large role in this series and the world was so thoroughly detailed that I felt like I was there at times.

The Sainthood - Boys of Lowell High Series is a gritty, steamy, and page-tuning dark romance. I highly recommend it to all lovers of this genre and anyone looking for action-packed suspense. With the depictions of graphic violence, it is worth noting that these books are not for the faint-hearted.

View all my reviews

Duet Series Book Review

Aria by Jennifer Hartmann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Summary
Chelsie Combs is a young woman with attitude to spare and a job she hates. At least her waitressing gig allows her to be self-sufficient. She values her independence because she has fought for it. After the trauma she suffered she does not want to be reliant on men. Yet it is hard to resist the rock god, Devon Sawyer, when he sets his sights on her.

Noah Hayes, Freeze Frame’s guitarist, despises Chelsie at first sight. It could have been the star struck expression she wore when she met the band’s lead singer, Devon. Or perhaps it was the look in Devon’s eyes whenever they landed on Chelsie’s gorgeous body and stunning face. Either way, Chelsie Combs is a distraction the band does not need, and Noah is determined to sabotage all prospects of romance for Devon and Chelsie.

But neither Chelsie nor Noah are prepared for the chemistry that develops between them as their own friendship sparks to life. And matters are further complicated when Chelsie’s abusive ex shows up.

Note: this description applies to book 1, while the review relates to both books. I have not included a summary of book 2 in the interest of avoiding spoilers.

Review
Jennifer Hartmann has done an exceptional job of delving into the psyche of a broken woman and the challenges she overcomes to find love again. It took a little while for the characters to develop, but by the time s**t got real they were all believable, three-dimensional people, although not all of them were likeable, but that’s life yeah?

The story was well paced and filled with good doses of tension. I was impressed by how well Hartmann employs foreshadowing while still throwing in some great plot twists. These books are so much more than a romance. In addition to all the action and drama, they explore friendship and family as well as the relationship we have with ourselves.

I loved Hartmann’s descriptive writing style with added wit and humour. The few erotic scenes she included were beautiful and touching in all the right ways. For a romance novel to get five stars from me, it needs to connect with me emotionally. The Duet series did just that. I laughed, I swooned, and I most definitely cried.
The Duet Series is a slow-burn romance full of suspense and intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these books and would highly recommend them to all lovers of romance and suspense. That said, it is worth noting Hartmann’s trigger warnings: “Talk of past rape and on-page assault.”




View all my reviews

I Heart Mr. Collins 2nd edition

The 2nd edition to my debut novel I Heart Mr. Collins: Phoebe Braddock's Love Story is now available on Amazon.

The story is unchanged, but considerable improvements were made to the text. There is also a better cover and a change to the subtitle.

Plus I have a book trailer! You can check it out on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/SjJl8Kyn-wI

If you enjoy the trailer, plus show your support with a like and share.

From Prying Eyes ARCs Available

From Prying Eyes: A Phoebe Braddock Romance

ARCs can be found at StoryOrigin: https://storyoriginapp.com/reviewcopi...

And Booksprout: https://booksprout.co/arc/38218/from-...