Carly Fall's Blog, page 14
October 31, 2012
Ocean’s Kiss by J.T. Cheyanne – Promo and review
Today I’m happy to be hosting J.T. Cheyanne and her book, Ocean’s Kiss. First let’s take a look at the book, and then I have written my review. The prize up for grabs is Winners’ choice of any Decadent Publishing eBook (1 each to 5 winners), so make sure to enter below.
Ocean’s Kiss
by J.T. Cheyanne
[image error]Published by Decadent Publishing
24,000 words (eBook format)
Contemporary Fantasy Romance/Romantic Suspense
Contains Elements of Action
Heat Level: Sensual
Available at:
Decadent Publishing
http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=623&osCsid=hl7akqidj79jvk2f1rkim7q7r5
Amazon
Blurb:
At the age of seven, Devan McDaniel awakened to a new world full of color, noise, and clarity. On vacation with her mother, she waded into the warm waters of the Atlantic and her life changed. It, the debilitating affliction she’d struggled with since birth, disappeared. But, Devan wasn’t free. To control It, she maintained a strict routine of daily visits to the salty depths. Lack of vigilance sent her careening back into Its black void of sensory deprivation. Devan didn’t mind the swims. She loved the ocean and her Furies. The three dolphins had shown up almost a year after her family moved to the seaside and were her constant companions when she entered the sea. But lately, Devan yearned for more. She longed to find a man who could love her and accept It.
Dominic Cole lived and breathed the ocean. He’d entered the Navy and qualified for one of the elite SEAL teams. After a disillusioning mission, he retired. Unable to separate from his love of the sea, he settled down in Florida, where he set to work as a marine biologist. The small cove he researched offered up many interesting surprises, including three friendly dolphins. Dominic’s peace didn’t last. His highly tuned senses warned him danger lurked.
A blind date arranged by mutual friends brought Dominic and Devan together. Stunned by his immediate reaction to her, Dominic found himself agreeing to diving lessons. In a matter of weeks, Devan mastered the skills required and in the process, fell mask-over-flippers in love with the powerful, stoic instructor. Resisting Devan’s allure, Dominic struggled to keep his hands to himself. When he finally gave in, his worst fears were realized.
Would he find Devan before It and his enemy ended her life?
Excerpt #1:
“Devan? What happened?”
Her words, when she finally spoke, emerged muffled against his skin. He eased her back away from him.
“I can’t understand you, sweetheart. Is this another It attack?”
Devan took a deep breath and latched onto his warm brown eyes. She shook her head. “A man…at the office. He knew I was going diving.” She saw the confusion in his eyes. “Dom, I haven’t told anyone at the office about the lessons. I haven’t even told Terrica, my best friend. There’s no way he could know, unless he’s been spying on me.” The trembling started again despite her best efforts to control it. “He could have been…the person who shot at me. But I don’t understand why.”
Dominic’s gaze hardened, and she actually experienced the change that came over the man before her. No longer was he the marine biologist about to give her diving lessons. A pissed-off, ready-to-do-battle Navy SEAL stood before her. Dangerous did not begin to describe the vibe rolling off his large, heavily muscled frame. Devan’s body responded instantly to the dominant male holding her. She wet her lips as her core clenched. Nothing like an alpha male to chase away the boogey man. Before she could embarrass herself, he swung her clear of the breakers and strode for the shore.
About the Author:
J.T. Cheyanne resides in the beautiful state of Alabama with her two sons and [image error]daughter. An avid reader since fourth grade, she has only just started writing her own stories. She also has several works in progress with a co-author. When she’s not writing, she enjoys coaching cheerleading in her local youth organization.
Visit J.T. online at:
jtcheyanne@hotmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/jtcheyannesto...
https://twitter.com/JTCheyanne
My Review
4.5 STARS
Devan is a girl trapped within an ether that she calls It until one day she is on vacation with her mother and steps into the Atlantic Ocean, where her symptoms are miraculously cured.
Dominic is a former navy SEAL who loves the ocean and works as a marine biologist.
When they meet on a blind date, the sparks immediately begin to fly.
This is a completely unique story that is beautifully written. I could feel Devan’s discomfort and pain when she slipped into It.
As for Dominic, put SEAL behind his name, and I was sold.
The twists and turns of the book were good, but I especially loved when I found out why the ocean cures Devan.
My only complaint about the book was that I felt it could have been longer. I felt that the relationship building between the characters could have been given just a little more airtime.
I highly recommend this book, and if you are one of the winners for the giveaway, definitely make this your prize!
This book was provided to me to Coffee Beans and Love Scenes on behalf of the author for an honest review.
For other dates on the tour:
October 29, 2012
Resisting Velocity by Trinity Evans and Xoe Xanders – Promo and Review
Resisting Velocity
High Velocity #1
Trinity Evans and Xoe Xanders
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Elysium Fields, LLC
ISBN: 9781301487264
ASIN: B009DB2VOU
Number of pages: 185 pages through Kindle
Word Count: 60,000 words
Cover Artist: Xoe Xanders
BUY LINKS: Smashwords Amazon Amazon UK Barnes & Noble
Book Description:
As frontman of up-and-coming rock band, High Velocity, werewolf Zane Alexander has everything a man could want: Fame, fortune, friendship, and a pack to call home. Well, almost everything. Despite being able to take his pick of pretty much any woman, he wants the one girl he can’t have—the one girl who’s eluded his every advance.
Charlie Banks has always had a thing for Zane, but being the band’s head of security, she knows firsthand just the sort of guy he is. She’s determined not to become just another notch on his bedpost, but if doesn’t stop the want for a mate curling in her gut. It’ll happen, someday—it just won’t be Zane. She’s decided that it’s time to leave High Velocity, to find a nice little home and settle down to live the rest of her life, away from sexy smiles and ripped bodies of rock stars.
But when someone threatens Zane’s life, she’s the only one he wants to protect him. Except, Zane has a hidden agenda. One that involves claiming Charlie as his mate, once and for all.
EXCERPT:
Breathing in short, sharp breaths, Zane followed her through the winding corridors of the Richter Stadium, past the women’s bathrooms and down a flight of stairs. He held his breath for a moment as he slid through the remaining security crew. His golden eyes zeroed in on the whipcord lean beauty, a few dark curls coiling down from the sensible bun she always wore it in.
She stopped, hesitating right outside the doors. Two more steps and he’d lose her to the nightlife, his identity keeping him from following her any farther. If fans saw him, his life would become a hurricane of screams and groping hands. He wasn’t in the mood to put on his usual charming-playboy air to deal with them and he knew that going furry on their asses would damage his career.
Now or never. As she stepped out, he lurched forward, his pulse pounding furiously at his throat, and he crossed the floor in three strides. His fingers curled around her shoulders, firm and commanding, though he knew she hated it when he pulled the alpha role. She spun and her lips formed a thin line, as if she’d been expecting this. She’d known. You couldn’t really lie to pack and get away with it.
“Charlie.” The one word was all he could say before her eyes pinned him. They were pale as a sheet of blue ice, staring up at him with a gentle ferocity that she’d only ever reserved for him. He had no doubts that she wanted him—he’d smelled it on her in the past, saw the way she looked at him sometimes, as if she was seeing through to his soul—but she was wary. Guarded. The walls around her heart were made of marble and he was left pounding both fists against the cool stone.
“You can’t leave.” His words were a statement. A fact.
“I can and I am,” she replied coolly.
“What about the guys? What about High Velocity? You’re just going to throw it all away?” He was surprised at the intensity behind his words, but he was far from done. “Are we not paying you enough? There’s always ways around that. How much will it take?”
She blew out a harsh expel of air and glanced down at his hand clamped around her arm, but she didn’t bother to pull away. Her winter gaze met his molten gold once more. “I’ve made my decision, Zane. You need to respect it. There comes a time in everyone’s career where they have to make a choice and take a stand. This is it. I’ve put in my notice, I’ve followed protocol. There shouldn’t be a problem.”
A growl slid up his throat, escaping with a rumble. “I don’t give a damn about protocol. You could flash your tits to the crowd if you wanted and we still wouldn’t fire you. I don’t care. You’re part of our group. And, like it or not, you’re part of the pack. My pack.”
“You and I both know that I’ve never really been part of the pack.” Her voice carried a touch of wistfulness. She was right—she’d always been a bit of a loner, keeping herself estranged from the members of Elysium, try as his parents might to welcome her in. But she’d never been distant with Zane and the guys and he wasn’t about to let that happen. Not now.
“You’re staying.”
She lifted a brow. “Since when are you my master?”
“Since you started talking crazy shit about leaving us!” He tamped his anger back down. He never had a temper. What was up with him? He took a deep breath, letting it whistle out his nose as he tried to soften his posture, tried to be less demanding. “We need you. Okay? I respect your decision to quit, but you don’t have to skip town and leave us. Just stay.” Please…
Her smile was tight. She shook her head slowly, like he just didn’t get it, and pulled free of his grasp. “Goodbye, Zane.”
His mind spun, thoughts bouncing off the walls of his head as he tried to scrape ideas together in a last-minute rush. He needed more time. He needed a damn good reason for her to stay, but damn it, he couldn’t think! She turned around, agonizingly slow, and he could see the muscles in her back through the crispness of her suit.
“Charlie. One last night.” His voice was soft, a plea in the undercurrent that he cursed himself for exposing. She stopped and he moved forward until his chest was pressed against her back, one arm wrapping around her waist. He pulled her against him, her body cupping his perfectly, like it was made for him.
She stiffened, but he didn’t let her go. His arm snug around her, he rubbed his chin lightly across the back of her neck, letting the stubble scrape gently against her skin. He murmured in her ear, using the sexiest voice he could muster. His beautiful-girl voice. “Go for a run with me. Tonight. One run.”
He’d figure something out between then and now. He’d get her back.
About the Authors:
Trinity Evans is an upbeat, slightly off-color author with a wild imagination and a taste for the eclectic. Born and raised in a small-town Americana, she loves the [image error]lighter and fluffier side of life with some paranormal spice thrown in. She definitely enjoys the more comical side of relationships. She adores hearing from fans and you can find her at trinityevans.wordpress.com.
Xoe Xanders is a quirky small-town punk princess whose ideas range from dark and dangerous to light and fluffy. She enjoys writing in the vein of paranormal, fantasy, and soft sci-fi, all of it with a romantic edge. She believes that love is love—no matter what gender, race, or color—and writes both straight and LBGT romance. Wanna stalk her? You can find her site at xoexanders.wordpress.com
Trinity Evans Web/Blog: http://trinityevans.wordpress.com/
Xoe Xanders Web/Blog: http://xoexanders.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @xoexanders
My Review – 3.5 STARS
As head of security for the band High Velocity, Charlie Banks has seen first hand how the band members operate. She has also pushed away every advance the lead singer, Zane, has put on her. She doesn’t want to be another notch in a very long bedpost.
Zane has always had a thing for Charlie, and when she announces she is leaving her position as head of security, Zane realizes he must take things into his own hands to make her stay, and also make her realize that they belong together.
And they’re werewolves.
The camaraderie between the band mates was great, and I found myself laughing more than once. I liked Charlie and the way she could more than hold her own against a pack of alpha males. The scenes where the band was playing at the concerts reminded me of my old concert going days.
The story itself was also good, but somewhat predictable, which is not always a bad thing. I also thought that the werewolf aspect could have been left out, and it would have still been a good story.
One thing that struck me as a little odd was the fact that the men seemed more alpha in human form than they did in werewolf form. The scenes with them as werewolves were almost sweet, as I imagined a bunch of puppies running around playing with each other.
As I read the story, I was talking to a friend and I commented that it seemed as though there were two different writers (I hadn’t looked at the author). Obviously, I was right. I think the story could have been better if the writing had been blended a bit better, which is difficult to do when two people have distinct writing styles.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. It’s a fun read!
This book was provided to me by Bewitching Book Tours for my honest review
October 26, 2012
Halloween Blog Hop
[image error] TRICK OR TREAT!
Seriously, no tricks here. Just a treat 
I’m going to fill up your goodie bag with a signed copy of my newest release, REBORN, book 3 of the Six Saviors Series. (US – paperback/International – PDF)
You can get book one (The Light Within Me) all all major ebook outlets for free. These books do not have to be read in order.
So here’s a little bit about REBORN:
Warrior Hudson from the Six Saviors seems to have it all – good looks, fine clothing, expensive jewelry and women just waiting for their turn to sleep with him. But, what he safely keeps hidden from the world is the terrible pain he’s
suffered for many years. As he fights his internal demons, he joins his fellow Warriors in waging war on the evil from their planet that has been let loose on Earth.
Beverly Devlone was a highly respected doctor, until tragedy hit her and a drug addiction destroyed her career and reputation. As a lonely woman fresh out of rehab, she’s now uncertain of her place in the world, what her purpose is, and where she belongs.
When an explosive event brings Hudson and Beverly together, the instant attraction between them cannot be ignored. As the two grow closer and share secrets, they help each other heal from the shackles of their pasts.
But true happiness eludes them when they are forced to go their separate ways, until Beverly returns with an admission that will rock the very fabric of Hudson’s world.
To enter:
October 25, 2012
See Me – Natalie Nicole Bates
[image error]
I’m happy to be featuring Natalie Nicole Bates again. She is giving away 5 eBook copies of “See Me.” Please enter below.
See Me
by Natalie Nicole Bates
Published by Leap of Faith Publishing
20,000 words (eBook format)
Paranormal Romance
Heat Level: Steamy
Available at:
Leap of Faith Publishing – http://www.leapoffaithpublishing.com/Natalie-Nicole%20Bates.html
Blurb:
Carly Anders is hearing voices in her head. Another one of her kind is trying to contact her. She knows of the malevolent freaks—others who are eternal like her and seek out the weak to inflict pain upon. For years, Carly has held up huge protective walls to keep herself and her secrets safe. Now, physically and mentally exhausted, Carly needs protection and rest.
She accepts the invitation to visit an internet friend who needs help appraising a collection of antique photographs. The situation is not ideal, but Carly hopes a male presence in her life will deter the determined suitor who haunts her thoughts and dreams.
Daniel Tremont is not what Carly is expecting.
The former funeral director has a secret of his own. Not only is he eternal like Carly, he is her creation from all those years before—her abomination she thought she killed.
Daniel has been searching for Carly for years. He knows she is the piece of his life that he has been missing for so long. Now that he has found her, he has no intentions of letting her go.
Excerpt:
He waved a hand in front of her face, but she didn’t blink. The lights are on, but no one’s home.
“Carly, my angel,” he whispered and cupped her cheek into his palm. He revealed in the silkiness and warmth of her skin. Still, she didn’t react. She was almost…a zombie.
His own body jerked in reaction to the fear she was emanating. She was clearly sleepwalking and in the throes of one hell of a nightmare, yet she didn’t cry out any longer. It was all now playing out inside her mind.
“Charlotte, see me,” he implored.
Her lips twitched at the mention of her real name.
“See me,” he repeated.
Suddenly, her body gave way and she collapsed. Catching her, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. As he laid her down, her breathing became ragged. He placed a hand over her heart as it raced, and passed healing calmness through his hand, feeling the energy pulsate against her skin. Beneath his hand, he would feel her heartbeat slow to a normal rhythm.
“Daniel?” Her voice was mere caress.
“I’m here, my angel. You’re having a nightmare. You’re frightened. It’s okay now, I’m here, and I will never leave you,” he promised.
“Everyone leaves, Daniel. You can’t understand, you can’t…” Her body started to tremble.
He climbed onto the bed and straddled her body. Leaning close to her face, he said, “Carly, let go of your fear. I can take it. Let go and see me,” he commanded.
Her breath came out in a whoosh, and a wall of fear and resistance hit him like a blow from above. It wasn’t exactly painful, more startling than anything else.
His vision flip-flopped, and he could see an image from inside her mind of two souls forever entwined as the result of one act. It made perfect sense. She was reliving the day their souls became one. The day of the fire.
He then saw black, suffocating water. She was reliving her own death, as well.
As the visions left him, he was consumed with the mishmash of fear, loneliness, and resistance within her.
He had to make her understand that it was over. “I will never leave you, Carly. That is my promise to you,” he insisted.
A flicker of life ignited in her eyes. Her hands came up to his face, and to Daniel’s surprise, tears bubbled from his own eyes. He was releasing the pain and fear he had absorbed from his beloved.
“I’m so sorry, Daniel, so sorry,” she murmured.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for, my love. It’s over. It’s time to move forward now.”
“You don’t understand what I am, Daniel.”
“I do understand, Carly. I am what you are. See me for what I am.”
In his mind, he could see the moving clockwork gears of her thoughts once again as she tried to process what he was telling her to be true.
“Just accept it, and let’s move forward.”
She drew his face to hers and her lips parted beneath his. Time blurred and he drank in the essence of his Carly. Her soft, barely covered curves molded themselves against his the hard planes of his body. Her hands were under his t-shirt, her fingers stroking him.
If he pressed on, he knew she wouldn’t refuse him. But in her vulnerable state, he wouldn’t let anything progress further that night. Carly needed time to process everything that happened. There was plenty of time to pursue a physical relationship. They weren’t going any where…he hoped.
About the Author:
Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author. Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.
She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.
Visit Natalie online at:
Website/Blog – http://www.natalienicolebates.com.
Twitter – @BatesNatalie
Faccbook – http://www.facebook.com/natalienicole.bates
The Gypsy’s Dance (The Hunter’s Series book 1) – Charlie Daye
Today I’m welcoming Charlie Daye and her book, The Gypsy’s Dance
The Hunter’s Series book 1.
There will be two ebooks given away during the tour, so please enter below.
~~~~~~
The Gypsy’s Dance
The Hunter’s Series book 1
Charlie Daye
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 978-1478278634
ASIN: B008NZ1KYY
Number of pages: 334 approx
Word Count: 81,888
Book Description:
Oralia Simone just turned eighteen and discovered that she has been promised to someone by her parents for marriage. Not wanting to shame her family she agrees to participate in the matching celebration where she will dance for her betrothed.
Niko Raydon is a Hunter. He and his kind are what police the magical community and make sure that no one uses dark magic to harm another. Niko finds himself drawn to a small Gypsy village on the night of their annual matching celebration because of the use of dark magic.
Tobias McGrath is next in line to lead his clan of Gypsy’s. He’s been promised Oraila Simone – the most beautiful woman in the clan and intends to make her his no matter the cost.
When Oralia meets Niko the connection between them is instant and despite her impending marriage to Tobias she wants to be with Niko and he with her. But will their love be enough to set her free or will Tobias’s use of evil magic tear them apart for good?
Short Excerpt:
The time had finally come for the annual matching celebration. Oralia had been dreading this day for the last six months.
It was six months ago that Oralia’s parents, Patrick and Efanie, had sat her down to inform her that they finally decided it was time she married. Having only turned eighteen two weeks prior Oralia was mortified. She had no desire to marry, much less with any of the men from her clan. It’s true there were a few that were pleasant to look at but for the most part her options were limited and it’s not like she got a choice in the matter. Her parents would make the arrangements prior to the celebration then hand her over like some gift wrapped prize to be won after the celebratory dance was completed. The wedding itself would take a place sometime within the month following the celebration.
The entire process disgusted Oralia. She considered herself a free spirit and had no desire to settle down. She wanted to step out and see the world, to experience new things, meet new people and have the opportunity to choose for herself whom she wanted to love.
Life at times could be so unfair.
About the Author:
Charlie Daye began writing at the tender age of thirteen. With an obsession for romance, happy endings and the supernatural she delves into your greatest fantasies and worst nightmares. She will have you laughing, crying, falling in love and getting angry. She will always give you a HEA but getting there is the journey worth taking.
Charlie Daye was born in Lynwood, California. Her greatest passions are music and writing. Her first short story was written at the age of thirteen. At the time her entire class was asked to write a short story for Halloween as part of a homework assignment. Most of the kids in the class wrote one to two page stories… Charlie wrote eight. The short story titled The Haunted House went on to win her district wide awards and was published locally. From there she began writing poetry as means of expression. Since then Charlie has written five full length novels, three of which are currently available for sale, and one novella. She has several other books in the works and looks forward to sharing her various worlds with you.
www.Romancenovelcenter.com/charliedaye
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Charlie-Daye-Author/344922355541838
www.goodreads.com/author/show/5778139.Charlie_Daye
October 23, 2012
Not Long Ago – Susan A. Royal
I’m happy to be hosting Susan A. Royal today and her book, Not Long Ago. Susan is offering up an ebook copy of Not Long Ago to a commenter. I will be picking the winner Friday the 26th.
I also asked her if she believes in ghosts, so to get you ready for Halloween, I’m going to hand it over to Susan, and then you can read about her book.
~~~~~~~~
My topic today is the subject of ghosts and whether or not I believe in them. I’ll say up front that I’ve never had a ghostly encounter, but they have happened to members of my family.
Our family has had the privilege of living in several different houses over the years. The home we live in now was built over a hundred years ago for a farmer and his wife. They had seven or eight children who slept in one huge upstairs bedroom. Since that time many owners have come and gone. For a while the house was even a duplex.
Old houses have a habit of creaking and settling like old bones. Generally filled with nooks and crannies under the house, in the walls or the attic, an old house provides the perfect atmosphere for things that go bump in the night. When the sun goes down, and the house is dark and everything hushed and quiet, the imagination runs wild. Most of the time, the things you see or hear can be accounted for by perfectly rational explanations. Most of the time…
When my youngest son was fifteen or sixteen, he was bitten by the desire to learn to play the guitar. Before long he’d acquired both an acoustic and an electric bass. Anyone who has lived with someone learning to play a musical instrument knows that in the beginning, practice is sheer torture for those of us not directly involved. And in our old house, the sound seemed to permeate both upstairs and downstairs. So he got into the habit of practicing when he was the only one home. That way he didn’t have to listen to screams of “keep it down”.
One day when he was practicing, he heard a voice. He thought he was getting feedback from his amp. He decided he must be picking up music from the local radio station, which happened from time to time. But he discovered the same thing happened when he played his acoustic guitar. Then he thought it might be me or his sister singing along with him, only when he went downstairs to check, neither of us was there. No matter what song he played, a high, clear soprano voice harmonized perfectly with him as though it were a practiced thing. He didn’t hear the voice every time he practiced, but it always occurred during the day and always when he was alone. He didn’t tell us about it until years later, because he thought we’d laugh at him.
One night my husband was sitting up late, watching television. I’d already gone to bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw me pass by the living room door, and he assumed I was going down the hall to the bathroom. When he didn’t see me come back, he became concerned, thinking I might be sick. So he stepped to the door and peered down the hall. The door was open and the bathroom was empty. He leaned forward and turned the other way and said he could see that I was still in bed. But when he did that, he felt someone jab him from behind. And of course, no one was there.
Neither of these guys has overactive imaginations, so I know this actually happened to them and wasn’t just the product of an overactive imagination. They really experienced what they say happened. I don’t know whether ghosts really exist or not. But I do know there are many strange things in this world that cannot be explained, and as human beings, we feel the need to seek answers for things we do not understand. I think it’s a part of our makeup.
I’ve heard it said the past, present and the future all exist at the same time. Maybe what we experience is an encounter with someone from another time, someone who is asking themselves “did I just see a ghost?” at the same time we are. Who knows? Maybe someday we’ll find out. Until then, we’ll have to make do with our speculations.
Not Long Ago
By Susan A. Royal
Genre: Time travel adventure/romance
Publisher: Museitup
ISBN: 978-1-77127-076-2
ASIN: B008E5Y4M8
Number of pages: 227
Word Count: 89333
Cover Artist: Suzannah Safi
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/vOIQVdWUigU
Book Description:
Erin has met the man of her dreams, but as usual there are complications. It’s one of those long distance relationships, and Griffin is a little behind the times– somewhere around 600 years.
Erin and her employer, March, are transported to a time where chivalry and religion exist alongside brutality and superstition. Something’s not quite right at the castle, and Erin and March feel sure mysterious Lady Isobeil is involved. But Erin must cope with crop circles, ghosts, a kidnapping and death before the truth of her journey is revealed.
Forced to pose as March’s nephew, Erin finds employment as handsome Sir Griffin’s squire. She’s immediately attracted to him and grows to admire his courage, quiet nobility and devotion to duty. Yet, she must deny her feelings. Her world is centuries away, and she wants to go home. But, Erin can’t stop thinking about her knight in shining armor.
Museitup: http://tinyurl.com/85vgye3
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/7uy9yvf
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/9akty5f
EXCERPT:
I saw him the other day. It happened when I cut across Market Street and passed in front of the fancy new coffee shop. On the other side of spotless glass, waitresses in crisp black uniforms served expensive coffee in fancy cups and saucers. One man sat alone at a table by the window. No one I knew, just a handsome stranger who glanced up as I passed. Our eyes met and I froze in the middle of a busy sidewalk crowded with impatient people. Annoyed, they parted, sweeping past me like water rushing downstream.
What I saw left me reeling, as though someone had knocked the wind out of me. My glimpse deep inside the man’s essence unnerved me, but I couldn’t look away. Who was he? The waitress stopped at his table. He turned, lowering his cup into its saucer and shook his head, his mouth curving into a familiar smile that made my heart lurch.
After she left, his eyes returned to mine. A moment before, I thought they’d held a spark of recognition. Now, I saw nothing. I felt cold, as though he’d slammed a door in my face and left me standing outside in the rain.
I had no other choice but to move on.
It wasn’t just recognition—I knew things about him too. Things I had no reason to know. An image flashed in my mind: the curl of hair at the nape of his neck; a scar snaking down his arm. I’d put it there, after all.
I knew the man before me was an excellent horseman, accomplished swordsman, and an honorable man. Beyond the shadow of a doubt. How could I be so certain?
There was something else. A chilling realization crept up my spine. He didn’t belong in my world. Not in the coffee shop, not in the city. Not anywhere. None of this should have happened. We should have been no more than casual observers sharing a moment before going our separate ways. But something went wrong.
About the Author:
Born in west Texas and raised in south Texas, Susan makes her home in a 100-year-old farmhouse in a small east Texas town that comes with a ghost who has been known to harmonize with her son whenever he plays guitar. She’s married, with three children and four grandchildren.
She comes from a family rich with characters, both past and present. She spent her childhood listening to her grandmother’s stories of living on a farm in Oklahoma Territory with three sisters and three brothers and working as a 
telephone operator in the early 20th century. Her father shared stories of growing up in San Antonio during the depression, and through her mother’s eyes she experienced how it felt to be a teenager during WWII.
Yesterday, the first piece she ever submitted, won author Cody James Wolfe’s Flash Fiction Newsletter Contest and that started it all. Her entry, Lost Souls, won 2nd place in the 2009 short story contest of the Northeast Texas Writers’ Organization and My Father’s House won 3rd place in the 2010 competition. Not Long Ago is a time travel adventure/romance, available through MuseItUp/Amazon/B&N. She is currently working on a sequel, because the Erin and Griffin’s story wasn’t finished. In My Own Shadow is a Fantasy adventure/romance, due out May, 2013.
website – http://susanroyal.moonfruit.com
blog: – http://ssnroyal.blog.com/
October 19, 2012
Alpha Male Blog Hop
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Ah, the Alpha Male. There’s nothing I like more than writing – or reading – a story about an physically large alpha male who can be overbearing, dominant, and too protective who is brought to his knees and turned into a pile of goo by a woman.
I love it!
Perhaps it is because I’m so tall (I stand at 5’10), I like my alpha’s to be tall – that has to be a requirement for me. When an alpha is described as standing at six feet, I tend to think, meh, I could drop kick the guy!
That’s why all my Warriors in the Six Saviors series start at 6’4 and go up from there. I like ‘em big!
What is your one requirement for an alpha? Sure we all love some good looks, but is there one physical attribute that your alpha must have? Leave your answers in the comments!
The prizes for this blog hop are freaking AMAZING!
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack!
Reader’s Dream!
A paperback copy of my book, The Light Within Me is also included in that swag pack. Click on the picture for excerpt and reviews:
The Light Within Me ebook is also free at most major book retailers, including Amazon
To get entered for these prizes, you MUST leave a comment with your email address. The more blogs you visit, the more comments you leave, the better your chances are of winning.
So what am I giving away, you ask?
I’ve got a $5 gift certificate from Amazon or B&N up for grabs.
Thank you for stopping by! While you’re here, feel free to check out my books, located that-a-way.
And don’t forget to visit the other awesomeness on the hop!
October 18, 2012
See Me – Natalie-Nicole Bates
Today I’m happy to be hosting Natalie-Nicole Bates and her book, SEE ME.
She has written a guest blog on secondary characters, and how there aren’t any in See Me. After that, we’ll take a look at the book.
Take it away, Natalie-Nicole!
It wasn’t until I finished my paranormal novella, SEE ME, that I realized I had no real secondary characters in the story. Sure, there was an occasional passer by that my hero and/or heroine had words with, but no real friend lending advice or sympathetic ear. No one for the reader to gain added insight from.
So this caused me to ponder the question, Are secondary characters really necessary for every story?
I looked to my hero and heroine and their individual circumstances. Both characters were solitary beings. Prior to the start of SEE ME, hero Daniel Tremont had not left his flat for a decade.
SEE ME occurs over a very short period of time—two days in the hero and heroine’s lives.
But I soon came to realize that the beauty of no secondary characters is that this sole focus of the story is on Carly and Daniel. Their discovery of one another and their situations. There’s no distraction of phone calls or visitors interrupting their flow.
So the lack of secondary characters has turned into a pleasant discovery for my writing. I hope you will agree. SEE ME is now available from Leap of Faith Publishing or your favourite online book store.
~~~
Description:
Carly Anders is hearing voices in her head. Another one of her kind is trying to contact her. She knows of the malevolent freaks—others who are eternal like her and seek out the weak to inflict pain upon. For years, Carly has held up huge protective walls to keep herself and her secrets safe. Now, physically and mentally exhausted, Carly needs protection and rest.
She accepts the invitation to visit an internet friend who needs help appraising a collection of antique photographs. The situation is not ideal, but Carly hopes a male presence in her life will deter the determined suitor who haunts her thoughts and dreams.
Daniel Tremont is not what Carly is expecting.
The former funeral director has a secret of his own. Not only is he eternal like Carly, he is her creation from all those years before—her abomination she thought she killed.
Daniel has been searching for Carly for years. He knows she is the piece of his life that he has been missing for so long. Now that he has found her, he has no intentions of letting her go.
EXCERPT
He waved a hand in front of her face, but she didn’t blink. The lights are on, but no one’s home.
“Carly, my angel,” he whispered and cupped her cheek into his palm. He revealed in the silkiness and warmth of her skin. Still, she didn’t react. She was almost…a zombie.
His own body jerked in reaction to the fear she was emanating. She was clearly sleepwalking and in the throes of one hell of a nightmare, yet she didn’t cry out any longer. It was all now playing out inside her mind.
“Charlotte, see me,” he implored.
Her lips twitched at the mention of her real name.
“See me,” he repeated.
Suddenly, her body gave way and she collapsed. Catching her, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. As he laid her down, her breathing became ragged. He placed a hand over her heart as it raced, and passed healing calmness through his hand, feeling the energy pulsate against her skin. Beneath his hand, he would feel her heartbeat slow to a normal rhythm.
“Daniel?” Her voice was mere caress.
“I’m here, my angel. You’re having a nightmare. You’re frightened. It’s okay now, I’m here, and I will never leave you,” he promised.
“Everyone leaves, Daniel. You can’t understand, you can’t…” Her body started to tremble.
He climbed onto the bed and straddled her body. Leaning close to her face, he said, “Carly, let go of your fear. I can take it. Let go and see me,” he commanded.
Her breath came out in a whoosh, and a wall of fear and resistance hit him like a blow from above. It wasn’t exactly painful, more startling than anything else.
His vision flip-flopped, and he could see an image from inside her mind of two souls forever entwined as the result of one act. It made perfect sense. She was reliving the day their souls became one. The day of the fire.
He then saw black, suffocating water. She was reliving her own death, as well.
As the visions left him, he was consumed with the mishmash of fear, loneliness, and resistance within her.
He had to make her understand that it was over. “I will never leave you, Carly. That is my promise to you,” he insisted.
A flicker of life ignited in her eyes. Her hands came up to his face, and to Daniel’s surprise, tears bubbled from his own eyes. He was releasing the pain and fear he had absorbed from his beloved.
“I’m so sorry, Daniel, so sorry,” she murmured.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for, my love. It’s over. It’s time to move forward now.”
“You don’t understand what I am, Daniel.”
“I do understand, Carly. I am what you are. See me for what I am.”
In his mind, he could see the moving clockwork gears of her thoughts once again as she tried to process what he was telling her to be true.
“Just accept it, and let’s move forward.”
She drew his face to hers and her lips parted beneath his. Time blurred and he drank in the essence of his Carly. Her soft, barely covered curves molded themselves against his the hard planes of his body. Her hands were under his t-shirt, her fingers stroking him.
If he pressed on, he knew she wouldn’t refuse him. But in her vulnerable state, he wouldn’t let anything progress further that night. Carly needed time to process everything that happened. There was plenty of time to pursue a physical relationship. They weren’t going any where…he hoped.
About the Author:
Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author.
Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.
She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.
Visit Natalie online at www.natalienicolebates.com
Twitter: BatesNatalie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/natalienicole.bates
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October 17, 2012
Playing Darlene by Darlene – Review and Excerpt
Today I am happy to be reviewing and featuring Playing Darlene, by Darlene. First, I want to take a look at the book, and then I will share my thoughts on it.
Book Description:
Playing Darlene: The True Double Life of a Public School Teacher & Professional Dominatrix
By Darlene
Genre: Autobiography/Memoir/ Erotica
Publisher: Chances Press, LLC
ISBN: 978-0988230200
ASIN: B0094JN1R2
Number of pages: 114
Word Count: 23,000
Cover Artist: Geronimo Quitoriano
~~~~~~~
In this eye-opening true story, one woman recounts the double life she led working in two very different professions…one revered and the other reviled. Darlene spent over twenty years being thought of as a well-mannered teacher in a Southern California public school district, but her colleagues and students would have never imagined that for eighteen of those years she also worked as a professional dominatrix in a dungeon.
“Playing Darlene” lets the reader take a peek into the mysterious lives of professionals in the sex industry and some of the jaw-dropping encounters she had with the thousands of clients whose fantasies she helped come true. With everything from role playing a shopaholic wife being spanked by her husband to wrapping up a muscular cross-dressing client in plastic and watching him wiggle, Darlene helped men realize their most secret desires…while she wasn’t grading school papers on her breaks.
Darlene’s true stories of balancing her two different personas are frequently shocking, at times hilarious, and occasionally touching, but at the heart of the story is a woman on a personal journey not only to reconcile with her past, but also to discover the full potential of her own sexuality.
EXCERPT
Then one fateful day — someone mentioned slaves, whips, chains, and dungeons. That sounded like some kind of theater (oh, good–acting again), and I wanted to know more about it. I heard the word “Castle”, but that was it. The conversation was interrupted, and I didn’t know where it was.
I went home that night and went through the phone book. There must have been dozens of businesses starting with the word “Castle”. The Castle Liquor Store, The Castle Nursery School, and even The Castle Laundromat. I started calling. And calling. I was on a mission. “Is this the place with the whips and chains?” I’d say over and over again. “Sorry, lady, you’ve got the wrong number” was the usual response.
Finally, this place had to be in the phone book.
And it was. Finally a guy on the other end of the phone said in a slow drawl, “Yeah, we got that.”
I went right over.
When I got there, I was pissed about what I saw. The slow guy must have given me the wrong address. There was no business there. There was just an old house. I was in a business district on a well-traveled street in Hollywood, but this old house was nothing. It didn’t say anything on the building. It couldn’t be a theater.
I parked anyhow and started walking around. Maybe I could ask someone. The place I was looking for was probably nearby. There were no people around to ask. I had to try something. I went to the door of the old house and knocked. Nothing. I decided to try the door, and it was unlocked. Who leaves a door unlocked in this town? I opened it and inside there was just a stairway. Still no people.
But I heard a voice. The voice of the guy with the slow drawl. Of course, I went up the stairs. There was the guy, sitting behind a desk and talking on the phone. He looked like an extra from an old episode of Gunsmoke: unshaven, clothes that looked as if they’d been slept in, and crooked, filthy teeth — what was left of them anyhow. Behind him on the wall there was a lot of what seemed to be equipment, but I didn’t recognize anything except a pair of handcuffs. He gave me a blank stare.
“Can I help you?”
“I called a little while ago. You gave me the address, but I don’t see…I mean I thought this was a kind of theater. What do you do here? I’ve done acting. What would I have to know to work here?”
“You got to talk to my mistress.”
REVIEW – 4 STARS
I have always had a fascination for things that aren’t as they appear, especially people. People who live a “double life,” so to speak, are incredibly interesting to me. Perhaps it is because my life is so “normal” that when I get the chance to read about someone who appears “normal,” but has secrets, it is very appealing to me.
Needless to say, I was excited to get my hands on this book. A schoolteacher by day who works as a Dominatrix in a dungeon at night? Look out Wonder Woman and Superman; you got nothin’ on this chick as far as double lives go!
The story starts with a quick background of the author and what happened in her childhood that she believes brought her to want to become Darlene. Again, this is not a normal childhood, but a very destructive and dysfunctional one. The author then takes us on her journey to find her place, and how she ended up being Darlene.
From there, we hear stories about the acts she performed while working in the dungeon. I found the way the dungeon operated fascinating, as well as her clients and what she did for them. Some of the stories were surreal – some of this stuff simply couldn’t be made up; it HAD to be genuine.
At the end of the book, the author comes full circle to tell us what she got out of her role as a Dominatrix.
I did like this book, but I was left wanting more, however, I can’t place what “more” I needed. I felt the author was authentic in her voice, and in her story, but it just seemed to be incomplete to me – like there was something missing.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. It’s a first-hand peek into the world of a Dominatrix, and it is really a fascinating story that satisfied my curiosity.
About the Author:
Darlene was born in Hollywood, California, and grew up in Pasadena, a quiet suburb near Los Angeles. She received a BA in German from California State University, Los Angeles. For several years she worked in television and film. 
Credits include General Hospital, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and the female lead in the film Monstrosity in which she played a spaced-out punk rocker. She even photo-doubled for Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun and Corey Feldman in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (when they were 14 and 12 respec- tively). For the past 20 years, she has been a public school teacher in Los Angeles County. She currently lives in the San Fernando Valley, where she can be found indulging in her favorite hobby, ballroom and country-western dancing. Her next book is scheduled to be released in early 2013.
http://www.chancespress.com/darlene.html
October 15, 2012
Whisper of a Witch – Suza Kates
Today I’m happy to have Suza Kates and her book Whisper of a Witch. Suza will award signed cover flats and pens to a commenter at every stop, a total of five $15 Amazon/BN GCs to randomly drawn commenters during this tour and her Book Blast tour, and gift basket to one commentator from both this tour and her book blast tour, as well as a randomly drawn host prize TBA.
Suza has written a blog post on Prophecy as it pertains to her book, and then we get to take a peek at an excerpt from the book. Take it away, Suza!
The women of the Savannah coven have all been blessed with natural gifts, powers that range from speaking to animals to moving objects with a flinger-flick. Once they gather on the St. Germaine island, they find out they’re more than just talented. They’re witches.
When I began planning The Savannah Coven Series, I knew three things. I wanted the books to have magic, sisterhood, and mystery. What better way to raise the stakes than a prophecy left just for them to fulfill? Better yet, I thought, a three-hundred-year-old prophecy handed down by witches who’d fought the same evil centuries before.
One of the things I love about writing paranormal stories is there are no limits. The prophecy in the series is entirely from my imagination, but when it comes to the history of Savannah itself, I try to use as many facts as I can.
For example, the items the coven is tasked to find are all fictional, (I can’t say what they are, or this will be a spoiler!) but the places they’re discovered really exist somewhere in the city. So while the prophecy is imaginary, it’s fun to mix magic and destiny with the streets and buildings I can see for myself every day in the historic district.
Another good thing about the prophecy is that it reveals itself in bits and pieces to the coven. The women are given the basics early on, but each of them has their own challenge to face. Each witch will be tested and given more information to work with, but with every trial the danger increases.
The prophecy reminds the coven they’re fighting a great battle. They aren’t simply trying to survive but to protect the lives of innocents who have no idea a supernatural war is being waged around them. Despite their strengths and ever-increasing power, the women of the coven are always at the mercy of something bigger, stronger, and more fickle. Fate.
Knowing they are destined to fight this war also worries the coven for another reason. Every woman who is called to stand also finds herself falling in love. When a pattern develops, the next witch called struggles with the fact a new man has been brought into her life. Will fate decide their soul mates? Or is choosing to love the act that will seal their victory and fulfill the prophecy?
The challenges facing the women provide plenty of opportunities to face their fears and learn about themselves, and the prophecy leaves questions unanswered. I hope you decide to visit the witches in Savannah and that you experience the same three things that they do.
Mystery, sisterhood, and magic.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Biologist Shauni Miller, a beautiful as she is compassionate, harbors a secret that could alter her life forever. If she chooses to share it. Dr. Michael Black helps Shauni in her time of need, but sees more in the raven-haired temptress than she ever meant to reveal. He knows she’s hiding something, but then, so is he. Both Shauni and Michael have a role to play and decisions to make as a centuries-old prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. Only the fates know if they are meant to be together. Or if one of them has to die.
EXCERPT
Willyn opened her mouth to speak, but paused and looked down at the stone floor. All of the women stilled and listened.
They sensed.
Shauni grasped Hayden’s arm just above the elbow when she felt a low but very distinctive vibration. It was more like a hum and came from the floor, the walls, possibly the ceiling. It was all around them, and judging by the others’ faces, they felt it, too. “What is that?” she whispered.
A new voice spoke gently but with the authority of one who was well acquainted with privilege and position. “What you’re all feeling is the power of the nine.”
They turned to find another had joined them. Sable brown hair fell around her shoulders and brilliant blue eyes held warmth and welcome above a serene smile. “You’ll get used to it, so that you probably won’t even notice. And it only occurs when we’re all together.” Her lips spread into a playful grin. “Just wait until we link.”
“Cool,” Kylie said. “Hey, Anna.”
Shauni remained where she was but zeroed in on the elegant woman, still very young to be so comfortable wearing the unseen but almost palpable cloak of power. “Link?”
“You know why we’re here?” Paige asked. “Because I’m ready for some…”
“Answers,” Anna finished for her. “Yes, I know.” She stepped back and swept a hand toward a door in the back of the room. An invitation. “And I have some.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Suza Kates can’t remember a time when she didn’t love books, but two particular memories stay with her. “As a young girl I picked up Little Women, read it straight through, and promptly turned to page one to start all over again. The next book I did that with was Mind Hunter by John Douglas, tales about profiling serial killers.”
Thus a twisted romantic was born.
Throughout her teenage and young adult years, she read everything from horror to historical romance yet never imagined writing anything of her own.
It was during a long, cold winter in a tiny apartment in Germany that Suza picked up a pen and notebook to entertain herself. “The apartment was so tiny, my bed also served as my living room couch. Plus, I shared it with three cats.”
Missing the warmth, the hospitality, and the food of the South, she wrote about those things with a huge dose of family thrown in. She says she still has a sweet spot in her heart for her first book, Southern Moon, but to date, she hasn’t revisited it for submission to her publisher.
Suza followed her heart to Savannah, Georgia, and it was the gorgeous city with its moss-covered oaks and secrets of history that inspired her to consider paranormal romance. “I had an idea about sisters and magic, so I went to work on the first book of The Savannah Coven Series, Whisper of a Witch. The series is still going strong, and I am grateful every day that I took a chance on paranormal romance, a genre I wasn’t very familiar with and had never actually read before writing it.”
Suza has since joined RWA and can’t say enough about this organization. “The education and support are unparalleled. I am so grateful to all of my fellow writers who have offered advice.”
Suza still resides in Savannah and is currently working on her next book. She considers it a perfect day when she can sit at the keyboard with coffee in her cup and one of her cats purring in her lap.
http://www.facebook.com/authorsuzakates
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