Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 147

Release Blitz: Dare to Desire

Title: Dare to Desire (Dare to Love #2)Author: Carly PhillipsRelease Date: April 10, 2014Genre: Contemporary RomanceBook Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=275YTkBUOSg



SynopsisQuarterback Alex Dare, had it all -- an all-star football career with the Tampa Breakers and his choice of willing women -- until a severe injury forces him into early retirement. When he is offered a ground-breaking position with a rival team, he’s intrigued, but there’s a catch. He’ll be working alongside the same woman he hasn’t been able to get out of his head for too long.

Social worker Madison Evans grew up in foster homes and knows first hand what it means to have-not. She isn't impressed by Alex Dare’s wealth or charm. Not since she fell hard for him once before, only to discover she was just one of his too-easy conquests. This time around Madison refuses to succumb to Alex so easily.

But Alex wants Madison. And if there is one thing Alex does well, it’s to get what he wants. The playboy athlete must prove he’s got game in more places than on the field. He means to prove that he’s a changed man but no sooner does he begin to break through Madison’s defenses when a new opportunity comes knocking and threatens her new-found trust. Can he make Madison take a risk and dare to love?


ExcerptWithout replying, Ian opened the door. They stepped into the room, and Alex laid eyes on the one woman he hadn’t been expecting to see. The same woman who’d haunted his dreams and sidetracked him from many of his nightmares.

Madison faced him head on. Her shoulders drawn back, golden-blonde hair pulled away from her face, she didn’t back down from his stare. She wore a pair of black slacks that hugged her curves and a white silky-looking top that clung to her generous breasts. And those unusually blue eyes frosted over at the sight of him.

“Alex, I believe you know Madison Evans.”

Blindsided — and his half brother knew it — Alex strode up to her. He inhaled her familiar fruity scent, which only served as a reminder of the hot times he’d spent breathing her in as his cock moved inside her body. Her effect on him was potent, and even the most common expressions failed him.

“Alex,” she said, her cool tone bringing his head out of the desire-filled fog he’d found himself in.

“Hey, Angel,” he said, using the endearment he’d started calling her during their brief time together. Another sign he’d had it bad, whether he’d wanted to admit it or not.

Her head whipped up, her eyes narrowing and settling on Ian. “This won’t work.” She turned to go.

Alex still had excellent reflexes, and he grabbed her arm before she could stride past him.

She glared.

He didn’t look away, determined to win this battle of wills. This potential job, which had interested him on an intellectual and emotional level initially, suddenly felt even more important, and she was the reason.

“We need to talk,” he insisted.

“I have nothing to say.”

“Ian’s proposition said otherwise.”

Madison looked over his shoulder in search of Ian and frowned. “Well, the traitor is gone. No big surprise there.”

Smart man, Alex thought. “If I let you go, will you stay long enough to discuss this position Ian and Riley want me to take?”

She let out a frustrated puff of air.

He took that as a yes and released her.

“Us working together is not a good idea, and somewhere in that thick head of yours, you know that.”

“Because we slept together? More than a couple of times?”

She set her jaw. “That was a mistake.”

Ouch. That hurt, he thought, and filed away the why to deal with later. “I want to know more about this training program and what my role in it would be.”

“Why? You can’t possibly be interested.”

“It sounds more like you don’t want me to be interested.”

She rolled her shoulders back even farther, stiffening her posture. “You’re right. I don’t. This is a serious project that could help a lot of people and have far-reaching positive repercussions for years to come. I need a partner willing to go all in. And let’s face it, I’ve seen your staying power. It’s nonexistent.”


Buy the Book Dare to Desire (Dare to Love #2) Amazon | iTunes
Dare to Love (Dare to Love #1)
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About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Carly Phillips has written over 40 sexy contemporary romance novels that today's readers identify with and enjoy. After a successful 15 year career with various New York publishing houses, Carly is making the leap to Indie author, with the goal of giving her readers more books at a faster pace at a better price. Her Serendipity books will still finish up in January/February 2014 via Berkley as planned. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. She's a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and a mom. In addition, she's a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find all information about Carly at her website and other social media sites ...Follow Carly on the web:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | email | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

Release Blitz & Giveaway: Duty Bound

Duty Bound by Noelle Adams, Samantha Chase
(The Protectors #1)
Publication date: April 10th 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
I used to think I could be a hero, but one deadly night destroyed that delusion. So I’ve come home defeated. My military career, my best friend, my purpose—all of it is lost.

What I find is her.

She’s my best friend’s sister, and she’s everything I shouldn’t want. She’s on a hopeless quest for answers about her brother’s death, but those are secrets that can never come to light. She’s always been a fighter, and she desperately wants the truth.

I desperately want her.

Someone is trying to kill her now, and she won’t let me keep her safe. I have to do it anyway, even if she doesn’t trust me, even if she hates me for it. A man protects what’s precious to him, whether or not he can ever claim her for his own. So she becomes my purpose.

I’ll become a hero for her.





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Author Information:
Noelle AdamsNoelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.
She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances. For more information, please check out her website: noelle-adams.com.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoelleAdamsAuthorTwitter: https://twitter.com/NoelleAdams3Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6572847.Noelle_Adams
Samantha ChaseNew York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40's to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

When she's not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, blogging, playing way too many games of Scrabble on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.  For more information visit her website at www.chasing-romance.com.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaChaseFanClubTwitter: https://twitter.com/SamanthaChase3
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1250276.Samantha_Chase

Cover Reveal: Stolen Course

Title: Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2)Author: Aly MartinezRelease Date: May 21, 2014Genre: New Adult RomanceCover Design: Book Covers by Ashbee Designs






SynopsisI fell in love with Manda Baker eight years ago, and I loved her to the core of her soul. We were supposed to have that elusive happily ever after and spend a lifetime together. But that was all before she was STOLEN from me.

Her best friend, Sarah Erickson, killed her. It wasn’t intentional. It was far worse. Everyone claims it was just an accident, but I can see through the lies. Even if it’s with my dying breath, I will make her pay for what she did.

Fate hates me. It robbed me of my first love and left me to navigate through this world emotionless and numb. Then, one day, spiteful fate gave me a woman to fill my shattered soul and make me feel again. It gave me Emma Jane Erickson. Now I spend my days searching for the answers that will ruin Sarah and my nights falling in love with her sister—the one person who is bound and determined to save her.

But what happens when everything you know to be true explodes around you? Who will be left to pick up the pieces, and who will need to be saved from the wreckage?


Prologue“It’s not fucking them!” I punch the dashboard and scream at my partner, Brett, as he weaves through traffic. Just moments ago, we received a page that will destroy one of us forever. It said a bunch of words, but the only four I can remember are “One fatality, one injury.” I reject the very possibility that this has anything to do with my Manda, but the vise currently holding my heart still twists even tighter. I drop my head to my hands as I wage war with reality. If that message is accurate, I have a fifty-fifty chance that my life is over. Done. Finished. I’ll never survive losing Manda. Never.

It can’t be her. We haven’t even gotten married yet. We are supposed to get married and have a life together. We have a plan. A knife lands hard in my stomach as I try to reason my way out of this mess. It can’t be her. Manda is strong and healthy. No accident in the world could steal her from me. Yeah, she’s tough. She’s got to be the one who’s injured. Something simple, maybe a broken arm. We can fix that. I just need her to be alive, anything else we can deal with together.

The car barely slows before I’m out and sprinting toward the twisted metal on the side of the highway. Every hope I have of this being a big misunderstanding vanishes into the night when I recognize Sarah’s car. Reality slices me open, but the promise of only an injury keeps my legs moving forward.

“Detective Jones!” I hear shouted, but I continue to run. I slow only when I get to a group of officers.

“Where is she?” I demand, but deep down I’m terrified to hear the answer.

“Caleb, take a second and catch your breath.”

“Where the fuck is she!” My eyes scan the faces lining the road, desperately searching for Manda’s fiery red hair and green eyes. But instead, they land on a white sheet covering what I know to be a body. My heart begins to race as I once again try to fight all rational thinking that tells me it’s her.

“That’s not her,” I say, desperately trying to catch my breath, but the panic that has lodged itself in my system prevents it. “Oh God, someone please tell me that’s not her.” Tears well in my eyes as I glance up to see my good friends, Stephens and Perez, step up beside me. From the look on Stephens’s face, I know I don’t want to hear whatever he has to say.

“She didn’t make it, Jones.” With one sentence, the little breath I have left is stolen. My legs buckle, forcing me helplessly to my knees.

“No.” I refuse to accept that my Manda no longer exists.

The earth starts to tremble as my world begins to crumble around me. It only takes a minute to realize that my body is violently shaking as the physical pain of reality courses through my veins. This is not happening. “That’s not her,” I begin to repeat.

She can’t be gone. My eyes never leave the body that used to house my soul mate. This isn’t real, and any minute I’m going to wake from this horrible nightmare. I’ll roll over in bed and pull Manda hard against my chest. I close my eyes, willing myself to wake up, but it never comes.

I rise to my feet and take a step towards her. “Manda!” I yell. I need to see her. To touch her. It’s fucking cold tonight and she’s just lying there under a sheet. Oh, fuck. That’s not her.

Perez grabs my arm, effectively halting me. “Don’t do this to yourself. You don’t need to see her like that.”

“Get your fucking hands off me. If that’s Manda, I need to see her.”

“Not now you don’t. Let them get her to the hospital and clean her up a bit.”

The pain in my chest is quickly being replaced with anger.

“Get off me, Perez,” I say calmly while leveling him with a menacing glare.

“Not happening. I won’t let you do this to yourself.” He pulls me back a step, and that is all it takes for me to lose it. My rage needs somewhere to go, and it just so happens that it chooses Perez’s face. My hands fly, landing directly on his jaw.

“I need to see her!” I scream, landing punch after punch. Stephens jumps in, tackling me from behind. He uses his weight to pin me to the ground.

“Goddamn it, Jones. Stop fighting. We’re trying to help you.”

“She’s not fucking gone!”

“She is, and you don’t need to see her.”

An image of her laughing at dinner flashes behind my eyes as once again reality takes hold. This is not happening. The temporary shield of anger fades away as devastation settles in. As I’m lying facedown on the side of a highway, gut wrenching sobs spring from my chest.

“Oh, God. Please, not Manda.”


Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1)
Amazon US | B&N
About the Author Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in Chicago, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.


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Release Blitz & Giveaway: Destroyed

Destroyed by Pepper Winters
Publication date: March 7th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
She has a secret.

I’m complicated. Not broken or ruined or running from a past I can’t face. Just complicated.

I thought my life couldn’t get any more tangled in deceit and confusion. But I hadn’t met him. I hadn’t realized how far I could fall or what I’d do to get free.

He has a secret.

I’ve never pretended to be good or deserving. I chase who I want, do what I want, act how I want.

I didn’t have time to lust after a woman I had no right to lust after. I told myself to shut up and stay hidden. But then she tried to run. I’d tasted what she could offer me and damned if I would let her go.

One secret destroys them.



























Pepper Winters is a NYT and USA International Bestseller. She wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex... her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Author links:
http://pepperwinters.com/
https://twitter.com/PepperWinters
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepper-Winters/539976006062848
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7151973.Pepper_Winters

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Prizes - open INTL:
-2 x ecopies of Destroyed
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Release Blitz and Giveaway: Knockout

Book Title:Knockout - A Wayward Fighters Novel
Author: J.C. Valentine
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date:April 8, 2014
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
From the wrong side of the tracks...

Alyson Blake had learned early on that the only one she could depend on was herself. The only light in her life was a boy whom everyone agreed was destined for prison; but with his first kiss, he had set her soul on fire. Since the day the police dragged him away in handcuffs, she had managed to lead a quiet life, but when she attends an event fraught with mayhem, trouble resurfaces.

The one person she can’t forget...

Jamison Weston is the kind of guy dads load their shotguns for; endowed with a hot temper and a rap sheet as long as both tattooed arms. Known as “The Judge,” Jami’s hot temper, lethal fists, and cocky attitude have earned him respect and admiration both in and out of the ring. But just when he thinks he’s pummeled his past to death, Alyson Blake reenters his life.

Two paths collide…

After years of separation, Alyson is eager to reexplore the man who’s never left her thoughts, but for Jamison, she’s both the distraction he wants, but doesn’t need. As the two embark on a relationship that neither of them expected or bargained for, an outside threat closes in. When Alyson crosses the line of professionalism and takes her work home with her, her life is put in danger, leaving Jamison with no choice but to once again step in and become her protector.



J.C. Valentine is the alter-ego of Brandi Salazar, whose enjoyment of tales of romance spurred her to branch out and create her own.

Brandi Salazar lives in the Northwest with her husband, their wild children, and far too many pets. As a university student, she studies literature, which goes well with her dream of becoming an editor. Brandi entertains a number of hobbies including reading and photography, but her first love is writing fiction-in all its forms.



Her eyes warmed as she studied him. Touching his face, she traced the line of his jaw from ear to chin. Then her fingers found his lips. He opened his mouth and licked the tips as she skimmed his bottom lip, and he committed the sultry look that flashed in her eyes to memory. “You don’t lie to me, do you?”

Jami held her head in his hands and looked into her eyes. “No, and I never will.” Jami couldn’t tear his eyes away. She smiled up at him, her expression soft, welcoming. Completely open to him. No one had ever looked at him quite like she did. As if she trusted him, and she did. He knew that. It wasn’t even a question.

He could fall in love with this girl. With this woman. This person who was his friend, and the only one who knew everything about his past—everything—and didn’t judge him for it. Even Coach didn’t know what he had done before they crossed paths. He knew he had a history with the cops and a bad home life, and that was the extent of it. Was she what people thought about when they thought of soul mates? The type of person they dreamed of when combing the world for The One?

How was a guy to know?

“If you keep looking at me like that, you’re face is going to freeze. All the guys at the gym will laugh at you, and then I’ll be forced to fight for your honor.”

Jami smirked, peeled her shirt up to expose her abdomen, and lowered his head. He glanced up at her. “You have a sassy mouth, Ally. I aim to fix that.”

“What—Jami!” Ally wheezed and squirmed beneath him in a futile attempt to escape his teasing tongue. Again and again, he swirled his tongue across her stomach, chuckling with each clench of her muscles, each lost breath, and squeal of delighted torture. When she grabbed two fistfuls of his hair and pulled, he decided to have mercy on her before she ripped a chunk of it from his scalp.

Somehow, he just didn’t think bald or patchy would be a good look for a guy his age.

“All right, okay,” he said, pulling her hands away gently. “Truce.”

Her laughter abated. When he let go of her hands, her arms fell out to the side. “You’re such an ass,” she panted. “My abs will hurt tomorrow, thanks to you.”

“No, thanks to you,” he corrected her. “It’s that sassy mouth getting you into trouble.” He was grinning, amusement, and true joy filling him up to the brink of overflowing. “You make me happy,” he blurted out.

Ally’s smile faltered and Jami wanted to punch himself. Why did he say that? Touching his face, Ally angled her head, studying him. “I’m glad. You’re always so serious. You need to smile more.”

“I smile all the time,” he protested.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you’re right. What was I thinking? You smile every day when you get to beat on poor Mike and whatshisname. You’re a very happy man then.”

“Hey, you gotta take it where you can get it.” Jami shrugged.

Silence fell between them, and they stared into each other’s eyes. This close, there was never any room for escape. It felt like he could see into her soul, and she into his. All the layers of bullshit were stripped away, cutting right to the heart. He’d never felt this way before. As a sliver of truth sat on his tongue, he opened his mouth to say what he knew she was waiting to hear. “Ally, I—” His throat closed up and no words came out.

Placing her finger over his lips, Ally hushed him. “Shh, you don’t have to say anything. I can see it every time I look at you.” She kissed him lightly on the mouth. “I feel it whenever you touch me.”

“But you want—”

She cut him off. “It doesn’t matter. I can wait. I don’t want you to say it unless you feel it in here.” She flattened her palm over his heart. “I don’t want you to choke on the words. I want you to say them because you can’t not say them. Okay?”

He stared down at her. Who was this girl? Hundreds of women would be lined up outside his door just to hear those words, and she was telling him to wait? Unbelievable.

“I see those wheels turning,” she teased, then grew serious again. “Jami, let me ask you a question. Out of all the women you’ve had sex with, how many of them have you stuck around for?” Zero. She saw the answer in his eyes right away. “That’s what I thought, and that right there is why I am okay with waiting. Your heart already knows what it wants. Now we just have to wait for your brain to catch up.”




Tom Hardy as Jamison Weston
25 years old
6' 3"
205 lbs.
Natural born fighter
Protector
A bit of a neat freak
First stint in juvie at age 13 for ripping off a convenience store
Has only been in love with one girl: Alyson Blake

Jane Levy as Alyson Blake
23 years old
Vertically challenged
Nervous habit: lip biting
Slovenly
Women's advocate
Has been in love with Jami since...forever

Amanda Seyfried as Olivia "Liv"Alyson's best friend since high school
Hails from Tennessee
A little high strung
Fun, confident, and looking for a good time
Is dating Jami's friend Spencer

Cam Gigandet as Spencer "Spence"
Jami's closest friend
Organizer
Wing man
Dating Alyson's friend Olivia
Aloof
A tiny bit shady

Max Ryan as Don
Jami's Coach
Former Fighter
Widower
Owns a spastic terrier named Sparky
Stern but loves Jami like his own son
Isn't too fond of Alyson












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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Spike

Title: Spike (Spark #2)Author: Jennifer RyderGenre: Erotic romance / Romantic SuspenseRelease Date: May 28, 2014Cover Design: Rebecca Berto /Berto Designs
SynopsisI, Aidan Stone, got the girl.

My beautiful Eevie is sweet and sassy, and owns my heart like no other. And I promised her, I’d always protect her. And I meant it, but shit just got serious.

Blackmail. Extortion. And Eevie is the target.

Sometimes the past comes back to haunt us. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to distance yourself from it, it comes back and bites you in the arse. And in waltzes Mr Hotshot Detective, Ryan Clark, thinkin’ he can save the day, and take my girl.

Well I’ve got news for him.


Teaser

“Do you want some more to eat?” she asks, like she’s asking me an entirely different question. She might have as well said ‘are you ready for sex yet?’.

I nod my head from side to side. No more food.

The corner of her mouth curls up as she takes my hand and dips my index finger into the remaining spicy sauce left on one of the dishes. She leans closer, giving me a man’s-eye view of her tits and takes my finger into her hot wet mouth. I nearly choke on the breath I take in as she takes her lips to the base of my finger, sucking it hard and wrapping her tongue around it as she slowly releases it. She places my hand on the table and licks her lips before sitting back in her chair, her hooded eyes begging me to take her home.

I wave my hand in the air to get the attention of … anyone. Preferably someone who can help me with the bill.

~Aidan Stone, Spike~
Spark (Spark #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | B&N
About the Author New Adult and erotic romance writer. My debut novel 'Spark', part of a five part romantic suspense series was released on 28 February 2014.A sexy imagination, a life-long love of books and a sucker for romance, Jennifer Ryder couldn't stifle her creativity any longer.

Writing steamy adult romance has become her new focus. Living on a rural property in New South Wales, Australia, she enjoys the best of city and country.

Her loving husband is ever willing to provide inspiration, and her two young cherubs, and sheep that don't see fences as barriers, keep life more than interesting.

Jennifer placed third in the International Stringybark Erotic Short Fiction Award 2013.
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Release Blitz & Giveaway: How to Say Goodbye

How to Say Goodbye Synopsis:

Amy has a secret: no one’s ever held her hand. She doesn’t even know how to hug. Everyone thinks she’s smart, but straight As are way easier than making friends. Then she meets Dane, a golden-haired surfer whose easy charm and hot touch teach her what she longs to know.

Dane lives for the salty breeze and a sweet wave, because that’s all he has. He’s been on the streets since he was fourteen. A drifter. Homeless. Then he meets Amy. Smart and accomplished, she’s everything he’s not. He wants to be the sort of man who deserves her.

Except that means facing down his past—and that past might very well swallow them both.



Amber Lin Bio:

Amber Lin writes edgy romance with damaged hearts, redemptive love, and a steamy ever after. Her debut novel, Giving It Up, received The Romance Review’s Top Pick, Night Owl Top Pick, and 5 Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies. RT Book Reviews gave it 4.5 stars, calling it “truly extraordinary.” Since then, she has gone on to write erotic, contemporary, and historical romances. She has been published by Loose Id, Carina Press, and Entangled.








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Amazon Top 10 New Adult Books: April 6, 2014

Amazon Top 10 New Adult Books: April 6, 2014. These are the top 10 bestselling New Adult books as listed on Amazon.com at the time of posting! (Single titles only - No box sets.) Also: No pre-orders! Sorry.

1. Seven Years (Seven Series #1) by Dannika Dark
4.6 out of 5 stars

2. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
4.9 out of 5 stars

3. KNOX: Volume 2 by Cassia Leo
4.8 out of 5 stars

4. KNOX: Volume 1 by Cassia Leo
4.6 out of 5 stars

5. After The Ex Games (The Sequel to The Ex Games and The Private Club) by J. S. Cooper, Helen Cooper
4.8 out of 5 stars

6. Unbelonging, a New Adult Romance Novel by Sabrina Stark
4.3 out of 5 stars

7. The Proposition 3: The Ferro Family (The Proposition: The Ferro Family) by H.M. Ward
4.7 out of 5 stars

8. The Private Club by J. S. Cooper, Helen Cooper
4.3 out of 5 stars

9. The Private Club 3 by J. S. Cooper, Helen Cooper
4.3 out of 5 stars

10. The Private Club 2 by J. S. Cooper, Helen Cooper
4.5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Crow's Row

Crow's Row (Crow's Row #1) by Julie Hockley: For college student Emily Sheppard, the thought of spending a summer alone in New York is much more preferable than spending it in France with her parents.

Just completing her freshman year at Callister University, Emily faces a quiet summer in the city slums, supporting herself by working at the campus library.
During one of her jogs through the nearby cemetery while visiting her brother Bill’s grave, Emily witnesses a brutal killing—and then she blacks out. When Emily regains consciousness, she realizes she’s been kidnapped by a young crime boss and his gang.

She is hurled into a secret underworld, wondering why she is still alive and for how long.

Held captive in rural Vermont, she tries to make sense of her situation and what it means. While uncovering secrets about her brother and his untimely death, Emily falls in love with her very rich and very dangerous captor, twenty- six-year-old Cameron. She understands it’s a forbidden love and one that won’t allow her to return to her previous life.

But love may not be enough to save Emily when no one even knows she is missing.
Lori's thoughts: The chatter about this book died down, and I'd almost forgotten it was on my Kindle waiting, like countless others, to be read. The hoopla about the sequel coming out sparked my re-interest this week, so I started reading Crow's Row and was hooked. The best part about waiting until now to read Crow's Row is the fact that I only have a few short days to wait for the release of the Sequel: Scare Crow. Crow's Row was originally published in April 2011. If I had read it back then and had to wait for the sequel -- I would have likely given up hope of it ever coming out.

Julie Hockley knows how to weave a tale. If you are looking for a book that moves at the pace of a Midwestern tornado, this is probably not the book for you. It is a slow, intricately laced together tale. The chemistry, the tension, between Cameron and Emmy is perfect. This book is not about how many times the hero and heroine can have sex between page 1 and page 400 -- no...there is actually a plot! The book is well-written and it sucked me in immediately. The ending has been much discussed -- and all I can say is: Thank goodness book two comes out soon!

Crow's Row is not a warm fuzzy, happily-ever-after read. People die -- important people. There is violence. There is edge of your seat action. What a good movie this would make! It is a slow burning tale of love between two unlikely candidates. The ending may not make you happy, but it is a logical conclusion to an extremely well written tale.

Release Blitz & Giveaway: Orange Blossom

Orange Blossom, the penultimate title in Sarah Daltry's bestselling New Adult romance series, Flowering, is available now! The reading order and information about the other titles follows.


Title: Orange BlossomAuthor: Sarah DaltryCover Design: Shoutlines Design18+ New Adult Contemporary RomanceBuy Link: "I’ve never understood a year. A year was always a measurement of something bad for me. A year in my father’s prison sentence, a year since my mom’s death, a year left of school before I could get far, far away from here. Now, as I look down the end of my college career, with only a little more than a semester to go, a year seems like something magical. It has been a year since Lily chose me, since she sat with me on the old swing set and made a decision that I was worthy of her. And every minute of the entire year has been better than the last."

You already know their stories: Lily, the perfect princess, always living someone else's life. And Jack, the broken boy, who had stopped believing in hope. Somehow, though, they found each other and what was one night blossomed into a love story.

Now, a year later, Jack and Lily are dreaming of the future. Despite all of his promises to himself that he would never be indebted to anyone, Jack makes a new promise - this time to Lily - that he will be there for her forever. But when life unravels for them, he starts to pull away, and Lily worries he's out of reach for good.

When Jack does the unthinkable, Lily is left destroyed. Is it possible to have a happily ever after? Does love ever really save anyone?

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Excerpt:



He’s smiling. Not that smirk he gets when he’s bitter but also pleased about something. It’s not the smile that says that he knows happiness is temporary. When he lines up his Skee-ball shot, there is a smile on his face that is pure. Genuine. It’s like taking a step back and seeing Jack in a photograph. One from years before his life went crazy. He’s just a dorky kid playing Skee-ball and he’s so happy when he nails the shot. He does an awkward little dance and it’s the kind of thing about Jack that makes me love him. He’s gorgeous and sexy and aggressive yet sweet. He’s kind and considerate of me, both sexually and in general. But I don’t love Jack for that. I love him because there is light in the world in the space he takes up. I know he doesn’t see it, but he’s inside himself. From the outside, all I see is the absolute electricity and fire that fills the air around him.


“That’s how it’s done,” he tells me when he finishes his game, wrapping up his ridiculous stack of tickets. I’m so going to lose, but I don’t care. He’s happy. I just almost wish I was better at this, so we could stay here longer, so that Jack could be this part of himself for as long as he needs.


“I think you’re perfect,” I say.


“Because I’m good at Skee-ball? Shit, that’s all it takes?”


I shake my head. “No, but you tell me all the time. I don’t think I ever say it to you. I don’t like the idea of perfection. It’s too much of a standard to live up to, but I don’t think you even understand. It’s cheesy and probably cliché, but I just can’t imagine how I could breathe without you. How did I exist before this?”


He looks down, uncomfortable because it’s one thing to tell Jack he’s hot or sexy; he can handle that and he gets cocky and ridiculous when I tell him that. But this part of him, this vulnerability, he buries it so deep that drawing attention to it makes him want to disappear. But I don’t want that. I want him to embrace it, because it’s sweet and beautiful.


“Don’t look down,” I say and I lift his face to look at me. His eyes explode with light, the way fireworks do on New Year’s when the sky is like ink and then it’s suddenly on fire. I lean in and kiss him, feeling his hands tighten on my arms and his lips opening against mine. He’s scared. I can feel it in the way he kisses me today; he feels himself falling and he’s trying to hold on and I need to figure out how to be steady enough to hold him. “Trust me,” I plead. “Let me take some of what you’re feeling. I can handle it, Jack.”


He nods. “Another day. Today, I just want to stay here, to be here with you, where it’s safe and comfortable and my entire world is this. Where strawberries and popcorn and Skee-ball and shitty plastic toys are the entirety of what exists.” He pauses. “I promise, Lily. I will. Soon. But let me hide from it. Just for a little longer?”


“Okay, but don’t hide from me, okay?” I ask.


“I’ll try,” he offers and it’s okay that he can’t promise. He’s honest and I would rather he is than say something he knows is a lie. I’m not fragile. I won’t break if he hurts me. I just don’t want him to worry about doing it. I never signed up for it to be easy. I knew from the start that it wouldn’t be. “Now, stop distracting me. Unless you want to concede defeat?”


“Never gonna happen,” I say and I settle in to play more Skee-ball. I don’t really care about winning since whatever the prize ends up being is going to be more of him, regardless. But I try my best and actually win two games in a row. Of course, that’s as long as it lasts.


When he beats me, by eight games, he gloats in his victory, but he ends up using his tickets to get me a green plastic piggy bank. The options are pretty bad, but I love that he picked the bank, because it’s hideous and cheap and we spent far more than we could even fit in the bank. I love it because I’ll never use it, but it will always be like this day – something that doesn’t really belong but needs to exist because the world is simply better for it being there.


Series Reading Order:Forget Me Not, Lily of the Valley, and Blue Rose can be read in any order. There is some crossover in scenes between the titles, but each stands alone as one character's story. Star of Bethlehem is a direct continuation from Forget Me Not and Lily of the Valley. Orange Blossom and Ambrosia (releasing June 6, 2014) assume readers have read the other four titles and read as sequels. In essence, the first three are #1, Star of Bethlehem is #1.5, Orange Blossom is #2, and Ambrosia is #3.

Title: Forget Me Not (Lily’s Story)Author: Sarah DaltryCover: Shoutlines Design18+ New Adult contemporary romance Buy it Now! This is a coming of age story, but it isn't always sweet and innocent. If dirty talk, bedroom toys, and threesomes offend you... this is not your book.

"No one tells you when you start school just how homesick you will be, or how hard it will be to start life over with no direction and no friends or family. No one says that becoming your own person is terrifying."

I never wanted anything but Derek, my brother's best friend. When I chose a college, it didn't seem to matter that he would be an hour away. We could survive it. After all, we were in love. But almost immediately, things change between us. I blame myself. Maybe I'm just not sure how to be a girlfriend and independent.

Life seems to be getting away from me - and then there's Jack, the guy down the hall. He's rude and vulgar and my parents would be shocked by him, yet every single time I see him, I feel like I'm being pulled toward him. It's physical, sure, but there's something in Jack's eyes - and I want to know him.

I know I don't always make the right choices, and I'm the only person at fault when everything falls apart. How do I tell Derek, the guy who was supposed to be everything, that I don't feel like fighting for him anymore? And do I run to Jack, when I know his past is way too much for me to handle when I've just turned 19? Finally, where do I end up in all of this? Can I be more than just someone else's idea of what I should be?

Listen to the Playlist or watch the Trailer!

Title: Lily of the Valley (Jack’s story)Author: Sarah DaltryCover: Shoutlines Design18+ New Adult contemporary romance Buy it Now! Jack's story isn't pretty. He's suicidal, depressed, and he uses meaningless sex and alcohol to survive. However, the story is about finding light in the darkness, but sometimes the road there isn't always easy to walk.

"No one tells you about pain. They tell you that it hurts, that sometimes it's consuming. What they don't tell you is that it's not the pain that can kill you. It's the uncomfortable numbness that follows, the weakness in your body when you realize your lungs may stop taking in air and you just can't exert enough energy to care. It's the way taste and color and smell fade from the world and all you're left with is a sepia print of misery. That's when the shift starts - the movement from passive to active. I fall asleep, hoping that the morning will bring back the pain. At least the pain is a thing."

I'm a plague, a cancer. My mom is dead - and my father is in prison for it. I survived high school because college was my way out. I needed to escape, to get away from my family and the people who tortured me, but it hasn't grown any easier.

I don't pretend that I'm a good person. I drink far more than I should, and I use my best friend, Alana, because together, we thrive on destroying each other - as well as the parts of us we hate. I don't believe in love, but sex is fun and it also makes me feel something.

The morning I see Lily, the beautiful princess who smells inexplicably like strawberries every time I see her, I realize I'm in trouble. I should hate her. I want to hate her, because the alternative terrifies me. However, as she continues to crash into my life (often literally), I can't avoid feeling something that is the one thing I swore I would never feel. I can't fall in love, because people like me don't live in a world where love saves anyone.

She just won't go away, though, and I don't know if I can keep running. The voices and the darkness hover over me and they threaten to bring me back to the safety of my hate, but the stupid scent of strawberries lingers on the horizon, as something like hope.

Listen to the Playlist or watch the Trailer!
Title: Blue Rose (Alana’s story)Author: Sarah DaltryCover Design: Shoutlines Design Buy it Now! Warning: This book deals with topics of abuse and may trigger reactions in people who have experienced those things in their own lives. It remains a story about healing, but it's not always an easy journey.

"Four. My life has been shaped by four people. Four men, to be more specific. My father, my stepfather, my best friend, and my boyfriend. The first two shaped it in horrible ways, but what I am, who I am, is all because of four men."

Over the last twenty years, I've learned how to keep secrets. It doesn't really matter, since everyone already seems to think they know everything about me. So I hide. I avoid confrontation, I treat Xanax like a magic pill that will make it all go away, and I become everything they think I am. A slut. A whore. Nothing but trash.

I can only name two guys who have ever made me feel like I was more than that. Jack is my best friend and I've loved him since I met him. Now, though, he's in love... with someone else, and I guess I need to get over him. Somehow.

And then there's Dave. The guy I never gave a chance. The guy I used almost as much as people used me, because I wanted to pretend I was someone worth loving. Two years have passed since we last spoke, but I don't know how to stop thinking about him.

My new therapist is making me face my past, and she tells me that life inevitably changes without our permission. I believe it, but I know what I am. I hear what she's saying to me, and I want to try again with Dave, to help Jack find joy, to love myself, and to move on. I just wonder if anyone can do that, really.

Listen to the Playlist or watch the Trailer!
Title: Star of Bethlehem Author: Sarah DaltryCover: Shoutlines Design18+ NA contemporary romance Buy it Now! This is a holiday novella-length story that follows Forget Me Not and Lily of the Valley.

"With you, Jack, it was the first time I ever felt real. It was the first time anyone looked at me and saw substance. It was the first time I wanted to make someone see me."

Jack: New Year's Eve. I've somehow managed to get here, and now I'm wearing a hideous and unreasonably itchy sweater, because I want to impress Lily's family. I want to do anything for this girl who has made me believe in second chances.

Lily: The house is beautiful and shining with light, but it feels empty. At least until Jack gets here. I know how desperately he wants this - a family, love, a home. If I can be the person who can give it to him, it's all I need, but I hope I can keep him from seeing how hollow it all really is.

Listen to the Playlist or watch the Trailer!

About the Author:

Sarah Daltry writes about the regular people who populate our lives. She's written works in various genres - romance, erotica, fantasy, horror. Genre isn't as important as telling a story about people and how their lives unfold. Sarah tends to focus on YA/NA characters but she's been known to shake it up. Most of her stories are about relationships - romantic, familial, friendly - because love and empathy are the foundation of life. It doesn't matter if the story is set in contemporary NY, historical Britain, or a fantasy world in the future - human beings are most interesting in the ways they interact with others. This is the principle behind all of Sarah's stories.

Sarah has spent most of her life in school, from her BA and MA in English and writing to teaching both at the high school and college level. She also loves studying art history and really anything because learning is fun.

When Sarah isn't writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window.

Sarah has also written Bitter Fruits , an urban fantasy romance, and Backward Compatible , a gamer geek romantic comedy.

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