Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 185

Book Blitz: Secrets of a Hart

Amazon Buy Link




Barnes & Noble * Smashwords


Blurb:
Five years ago, Kendall Hart’s life changed forever. A tragedy forced her to grow up fast and become a responsible adult overnight while her friends were still enjoying high school. She lives and breathes work leaving no time for a social life and her circle of friends is small. She has no room for complications in her life…then Tristan walks in.
Tristan O’Neal is forced to return home when his father becomes terminally ill. Taking care of his parents, dealing with an irresponsible brother, and starting a new job bring challenges to his life. Starting a relationship is the last thing on his mind but when sees Kendall, he finds himself drawn to her...she is so familiar. 
Tristan is what Kendall has always wanted but life isn’t always fair. Sometimes you have to let go of the one person you’ve always loved in order to protect them. Will Tristan be able to break through the wall she’s built around her heart or will Kendall’s secrets consume her and destroy their chance at a life together?


Author LinksFacebook * Twitter * Goodreads


Bio:
Elizabeth James is the author of the Design Series. She writes contemporary romance set in her native North Carolina. A life-long reader, she began writing a novel at age fifteen, put it away with no hopes of publication, but now has realized her dream as an adult. Inspired by several bestselling authors she began working as a beta reader and her passion for writing once again surfaced. She embarked on a journey to see if she could complete a novel and Love by Design was born. With warm reception to her first novel she is now making this crazy world a part of her life. Elizabeth believes you're never too late in life to realize your dreams and this has opened up a new world of adventures and meeting new people which she loves to do. Elizabeth lives in North Carolina with her husband and their dogs. She enjoys traveling, exploring North Carolina, and spending time with her friends.

Blog Tour & Review: Taming Cross

Title: Taming CrossAuthor: Ella JamesSeries: Love IncGenre: NA Romantic SuspenseBook Description:ROMANTIC SUSPENSE FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLA JAMES...
For twenty-three years, Cross Carlson was a playboy. You know the type. Tall, dark, and wealthy. Blue-eyed. Charming. He seemed to have it all so easy. But Cross was harboring a terrible secret - one that helped ruin the life of an innocent girl and almost ended his own.

Finally out of the hospital, Cross is flailing, scarred in both body and mind and stifled by the weight of the secret he still keeps. The only way to absolution lies in a Mexican convent, and going there could cost him everything.

If there's anyone who knows what it's like to screw up big time, it's Meredith Kinsey. Just a few years ago, Merri was an ordinary girl with a job at her college newspaper and white picket fence kind of dreams. Now she's holed up in a Mexican convent, hiding from a drug lord who thinks he owns her.

What happens when the only way out of hell is with the son of the man who put you there? They say love conquers all, but does it really?

NOTE: Cross and Merri's story is a Love Inc. Book. It features some characters from Selling Scarlett, but it follows a completely different story line can be read as a stand-alone.

*Taming Cross is a new adult romance novel and is not intended for young readers due to violence, sexual situations, and mature language.
Teaser

Sister opens the door to a small reading room with green carpet and white bookshelves, and we pause before going in. All at once she pulls me to her chest and kisses my head.
“Be brave, Merri, my love. You must do what you must do. We only want what's best for you.”
And then she...leaves. She leaves me here, before I even see who's in the room.
For the longest second, I stay on the threshold, staring at the man who is facing the bookshelf. My eyes run down the length of him, expecting to find Jesus or one of his Sicarios, but that's not what I find.
I don’t know who this man is. He’s tall, with dark hair and large bones. Long legs, wide back, big shoulders. He looks lean, almost sick, because I can tell he shouldn't be. He reminds me of a starved lion I saw once in a documentary.
He turns toward me slowly, and as he moves I'm frozen, like in those nightmares where you're being chased but you can't run.
At first I'm not looking at his features—only the expression, which is somehow both solemn and surprised. And I feel like I've been struck dead, because he has an angel's face. It's not just the flawless blue of his eyes or his celebrity-perfect bones. It's not his perfect, straight-line nose or that lush, cherubic mouth. It's not his smooth skin. It's what I see inside his eyes. Something so intense, so sad, so ecstatic, so relieved, that I know he must be God's answer to my prayer.
For the longest moment, he just looks at me. I feel like I'll unravel in the brilliance of those ice blue eyes. I'm so thrown off I whisper exactly what I'm thinking.
“Are you here to take me?”
His lips curl slowly, into something that's not at all a smile. My heart stops as he steps slightly closer.
“Rescue you.”

Check out the first book in the Love Inc Series: Selling Scarlett

Book Description:
Elizabeth DeVille doesn't belong at a party like this - one where the gowns cost more than her Camry and cigars run higher than her grad school utility bills. Dragged out of seclusion by her best friend Suri, Elizabeth is merely playing dress-up, rubbing elbows with a crowd that banished her troubled family years ago.

Hunter West is tired. Tired of parties, tired of pretending, and tired of trying to right a wrong that haunts him every day. Bourbon heir and professional poker player by day, by night Hunter is gambling with his life in a high-stakes game of crime and blackmail.

When Elizabeth stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a flame in the void. And, just like everything he touches, Hunter mars her in a record time. To rectify the damage done, Elizabeth needs money she doesn't have, and she's come up with a foolproof way to get it.

Follow Elizabeth - code-named Scarlett - to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And a secret so dark that it could cost her life.

**Mature Content Warning** Not recommended for readers under the age of 17 due to mature language, sexual content, and violence.

Selling Scarlett is a full-length novel of 107,000 words. It has a complete happily-ever-after ending with no cliffhanger. It's the first Love Inc. novel, featuring a different couple in each novel.


About Ella JamesElla James is a Colorado author who writes teen and adult romance. She is happily married to a man who knows how to wield a red pen, and together they are raising a feisty two-year-old who will probably grow up believing everyone's parents go to war over the placement of a comma.

Ella's books have been listed on numerous Amazon bestseller lists, including the Movers & Shakers list and the Amazon Top 100; two were listed among Amazon's Top 100 Young Adult Ebooks of 2012.

To find out more about Ella's projects and get dates on upcoming releases, find her on Facebook at facebook.com/ellajamesauthorpage and follow her blog, www.ellajamesbooks.com. Questions or comments? Tweet her at author_ellaj or e-mail her at ella_f_james@ymail.com.

Links

Purchase Taming Cross on Amazon

Purchase Selling Scarlett on Amazon

Purchase Taming Cross on B&N

Purchase Selling Scarlett on B&N

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Lori's thoughts: I fracking loved this book! :) I wasn't sure if I would or not, as I had not read the first book in the series. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. You don't have to read the first book to get what's going on in this book. Of course, now, I want to go back and read Selling Scarlett! I love the new covers that Ella James has chosen for both books, too. This book had a great story. Not just sex. These two people, Merri and Cross, they grew close to each other over time. No insta-love here, and I liked that about the book. I felt so bad for everything that Merry had been through. I loved Cross, too. Very well written, great storyline, superb voice. Can't wait to read more from Ella James! Bravo!

Amazon Top 10 New Adult Books

1. ***THIS IS A NEW ADULT BOOK AND IS INTENDED FOR READERS WHO ARE AT LEAST 17 YEARS OLD. ADULT CONTENT/LANGUAGE/SITUATIONS ARE INSIDE.***

Desperate to break free...

I've spent my entire life under my father's thumb, but now I'm finally free to make my own choices. When my roommate dragged me to my first college party, I met Finn Coram and my life turned inside out. He knows how to break the rules and is everything I never knew I wanted. A Marine by day and surfer by night, he pushes me away even as our attraction brings us closer. Now I am finally free to do whatever I want. I know what I want. I choose Finn.

Trying to play by the rules...

I always follow orders. My job, my life, depends on it. I thought this job would be easy, all the rules were made crystal clear, but when I met Carrie Wallington, everything got muddy. She's a rule I know I shouldn't break, but damn if I don't inch closer to the breaking point each time I see her. I'm ready to step out of line. And even worse? I'm living a lie. They say the truth will set you free, but in my case...

The truth will cost me everything.


2. **Mature Content Warning** Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual content.

Olivia James has never been one to walk on the wild side, at least not until she meets Seth Marc--a cocky, sexy fighter at her father's gym.

He's infuriating, nauseatingly addictive and she just can't seem to shake him. He's only been in town a short while and his name is already on everyone's lips. He's the kind of guy moms' warn their daughters about--the kind that leaves a trail of shattered hearts behind him and he has Olivia in his sights.

Olivia has never met anyone as confusing as Seth and his hot and cold attitude constantly sends her reeling. She's never wanted anyone's touch so badly in her life, but having recently come out of a long term relationship diving into another is something she'd prefer to avoid.

Determined for his touch, but not to let him under her skin, Olivia embarks on the most thrilling ride of her life.


3. This is not the typical bad boy meets good girl story.

Logan Martelli is a bad boy. He's handsome, sexy, and knows what he wants. He steals cars. He doesn't do relationships. And he has the hottest green eyes in River Valley.

Maddie Wright is a good girl with a wild streak. She's confident, strong, and goes after whatever or whoever she wants. And Maddie wants Logan Martelli with a passion.

One fateful night brings Logan and Maddie together and electricity sparks between them. Maddie and Logan make a real connection, but when Logan finds out who she is, he wants nothing to do with her. However, he soon realizes he can get the ultimate revenge for his family if he continues to date Maddie. The problem is he's starting to fall for Maddie, and he knows that a relationship will mess up everything.

Logan has to decide if revenge is worth losing his one shot at real love. What price will he pay if he betrays the one woman who may finally see behind his bad boy image?

Crazy Beautiful Love is a new adult contemporary romance book. This book has mature content and is recommended for ages 18 and up. Crazy Beautiful Love is an 85,000 word full-length standalone book, with no cliffhanger! It is Book 1 in The Martelli Brothers series!


4. Born into a life of privilege and secrets, Nora Blakely has everything any nineteen-year-old girl could desire. She's an accomplished pianist, a Texas beauty queen, and on her way to Princeton after high school. She's perfect.

Leaving behind her million-dollar mansion and Jimmy Choos, she becomes a girl hell-bent on pushing the limits with alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex.

Then she meets her soulmate. But he doesn't want her.

When it comes to girls, twenty-five-year-old Leo Tate has one rule: never fall in love. His gym and his brother are all he cares about...until he meets Nora. He resists the pull of their attraction, hung up on their six year age difference.

As they struggle to stay away from each other, secrets will be revealed, tempers will flare, and hearts will be broken.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy...where sometimes, the best things in life are Very Bad Things.


"Very Bad Things is beautiful and heartbreaking...an epic love story." --The Lovely Books


*Recommended for mature audiences 18+ due to strong language and sexual content.*


5. I'm not your typical girl. I've been running away from the memories that haunt me for so long that depression has become my only comfort. I was content in the darkness...until Wes Michels offered to be my light.

I didn't know that time wasn't my ally -- that every second that ticked past was one step closer to the end of something that was beginning to mean the end of myself. He tried to warn me. He promised me all he was able to offer--each moment as it came--but it would never be enough.

Sometimes when you think it's the end, it's only the beginning. Wes thought he could save me, but in giving me everything, he ruined me. Because after one kiss, one touch, I couldn't--I wouldn't ever be the same.

And from that moment on, his heartbeat became my own.


6. In Fearless, life is looking up for Jesse. With expert help from Chase, his injuries are healing and he makes preparations to enter the Pro motocross circuit again. A decision that could force Niki to make a difficult choice.
Kenny starts chemotherapy treatments but his bar, Rookies, is hurting from the lack of attention and lack of customers. As Jesse and Niki work to find a way to keep the bar from going under, life throws other obstacles in their way. From Niki's manipulative dad and flirtatious step mom, to news from home about Jesse's mother, that lands them in New York state in search of answers from the past. Dark secrets that were never meant to be revealed.

I am strong, because I've been weak. I'm fearless, because I've been afraid. I'm wise, because I've been foolish.

**This book contains adult situations and explicit content. 17+**


7. Avery Hale had spent her whole childhood abused by her drunken, hopped-up parents. Broken from a lifetime of hate and pain she grew up realizing that trust and love just didn't exist. Not in her world at least.

After turning the age of eighteen, she packed up and moved far away determined to escape her hurtful past and start a new life. Once on her own she comes to the conclusion that the emptiness still exist. Doing what she had to to survive she found herself mixed up in exotic dancing and meaningless sexual relationships unable to feel anything, for anyone. She was sure that her life was worthless and there was nothing left for her. Or, she thought.

After meeting a beautiful stranger, jace, her life suddenly is turned upside down. Everything that she truly believed suddenly gets questioned and then she is left to figure out if there is really more to her than she could ever have imagined. Jace, having some secrets of his own puts the pain of his own past behind to do what he can to help Avery. Can the love of another broken person be enough to help Avery, or is she already too far gone?

Avery's life is pulled in many directions as she tries to find herself, and not everyone and thing is what they seem to be in this story of love, trust and opening up. Finding herself and learning to love herself might just be the hardest thing she's ever had to do.


8. SEQUEL TO A MOMENT

Sometimes in life....

Things were supposed to get better when Ryan met Lili. I was supposed to move on, get a life... but I'm stuck and lost. Things with my father are not good. There are demons in our closet, big ones. Ones I want to kill him for, I'm seeing a shrink, I'm trying to get better... but my life feels out of control, like I'm adrift. I don't know where to look, how to get anchored again, and then I meet Zoe Stone. Something about her draws me out of my rut, makes me laugh for real, smile, and for the first time in years I want to be more. But what will she think when she discovers who I really am?

...all we have...

When Alexander Donovan, aka The Golden Adonis, walks into my tattoo parlor, I know I'll do anything to make that man mine. There's an instant connection, a need to know more about him. Everything about him. But there's also a mystery surrounding the guy, when people look at him they only see the man that laughs, that cracks jokes and makes the world think that everything's okay, but I see the truth... I see the darkness that lurks so deep inside few would ever recognize it. I want to help him, I want to be with him, now I just have to make him trust me enough to let me in.

Is Right Now

Author's Note: This book is a continuation story of A Moment. It is a stand alone title, but is better understood if you read book 1, which is currently free everywhere!


9. New Adult Romance contains MA 17+ content.

Let You Leave
(novella included in this special edition of Keep Me Still)

Layla Flaherty had the perfect life, or close to it. Until a stranger gunned her parents down right in front of her, leaving her with seizure inducing PTSD. After years of trying to pass as normal and failing miserably, she resigns herself to being invisible. But new to town Landen O’Brien sees her, and he likes what he sees. Much to Layla’s surprise, he doesn’t freak out when she has a seizure in front of him. He does the exact opposite, calming her until the tremors subside. But Landen has secrets of his own. Secrets that will either bind them together or tear them apart.

Keep Me Still

Scarred by loss, Layla leaves her hometown of Hope Springs, Georgia, hoping to put her painful past behind her and start over in college in California. When she runs into Landen at freshmen orientation, she has a choice to make. Reinforce those steel walls she's built up around herself or give the only boy who can keep her still a second chance.

Landen’s more than ready to tear down those walls, but this time when they come crashing down, they might bury her.


10. "Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
A New Adult Romance Novel. (246 pages)

Bad boy professional Motocross rider, Jesse Morrison, knows how to leave an impression. Except lately, it has mostly been bad impressions. Frustrated and wounded, he surrounds himself with women, booze and drugs. After getting kicked out of his brother's house, he relocates to California for the summer to crash at his uncle's place.

In Santa Monica, Jesse meets the one woman who can lead him back on the right path, beautiful twenty-two year old, Niki Milani. Only one problem; she is not interested. Niki has her own demons to fight. A past that left her emotionally abandoned by her own blood, her father. She keeps her heart guarded and finds it difficult to trust a man again. Especially not a bad boy player who is more messed up than she. However, Jesse never backs down from a challenge. Armed with a sizzling attraction, he is determined to prove to Niki that there is more to him than what appears on the surface. That he is the one who can heal her heart.

"Breathless" is Book 1 of this New Adult Romance series. The next book, "Fearless" is available now.

The story of Jesse and Niki is a New Adult Romance that will leave you breathless.
*This book contains adult situations and explicit content. 17+*

Spotlight Saturday: Shari J. Ryan

10 Fun Facts About Shari J. Ryan:

1. I have two little boys, Bryce and Brayden.

2. I promised myself at age seven that I would someday write a book.

3. I have four journals that I wrote in almost everyday from ages 6-18. The journals make up most of my childhood memories.

4. I like to create characters from people who pass me by.

5. I have passion for art.

6. I love to cook and bake.

7. Daydreaming inspires my stories.

8. My family dinner conversations normally revolve around my characters lives.

9. I don't like the cold or snow, and I live in New England.

10. I have an amazing and supportive husband, Josh, who is also the talented designer of the book cover and websites, as well as the creator of Schasm's book trailer.

10 Fun Facts About Schasm:

1. Schasm was inspired from a brief thought of living within a daydream.

2. I listened to different types of classical music to inspire different sections of the book.

3. I drove up and down a street in Southborough, MA looking for Chloe's house before I described it in the book.

4. I wrote certain chapters depending on the mood I happened to be in. If was I was having a bad day, those were the times I wrote the darker chapters.

5. The two alternate locations in the book are both favorites of mine and a lot of inspiration came from past visits.

6. During the time I was writing about the dark places that Chloe found herself in, I began having nightmares about those places. Those nightmares helped develop my story more.

7. If I could create my own genre for this book, it would be - Psychological Romance

8. I'm hoping the book sends the message - When life has you at your lowest, you always have the escape of your dreams to fall back on.

9. I have pictured Kevin Durand (Martin Keamy from 'Lost') playing the part of the villain.

10. There is a lot more in store for these characters. :)

Book Title: Schasm

Author: Shari J. Ryan

Published Date: August 22, 2013

Book Website: www.schasm.com

Author Website: www.sharijryan.com







Itunes

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5LYFa2fJR8

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Unspoken

Title: Unspoken (Woodlands, #2)

Author: Jen Frederick

Release date: Sept. 12, 2013

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours; http://atomrbookblogtours.com

Unspoken links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble 





Undeclared links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

Unspoken Description:

Whore. Slut. Typhoid Mary.

I've been called all these at Central College. One drunken night, one act of irresponsible behavior, and my reputation was ruined. Guys labeled me as easy and girls shied away. To cope, I stayed away from Central social life and away from Central men, so why is it that my new biology lab partner is so irresistible to me?

He's everything I shouldn't want. A former Marine involved in illegal fighting with a quick trigger temper and an easy smile for all the women. His fists aren't the danger to me, though, it's his charm. He's sliding his way into my heart and I'm afraid that he's going to be the one to break me.

Impulsive. Unthinking. Hot tempered.

I allow instinct to rule my behavior. If it feels good, do it, has been my motto because if I spend too much time thinking, I'll begin to remember exactly where I came from. At Central College, I've got fighting and I've got women and I thought I was satisfied until I met her.

She's everything I didn't realize I wanted and the more time I spend with her, the more I want her. But she's been hurt too much in the past and I don't want to be the one to break her. I know I should walk away, but I just can't.

Lori's Thoughts: I read Undeclared and loved it, so when I was offered the chance to read Jen's second book in the Woodland Series, I was extremely excited. I loved the writing. I loved the chemistry between Bo and AnnMarie. I mean seriously? I would love my very own little stud muffin like Bo. Each one comes to the relationship with a trunk full of baggage they're dragging around behind them. Neither of them come from the greatest of backgrounds. But together they manage to work through their respective pasts and come together. There is a lot of sex, steamy, lip smacking sex! I'm not sure how many books are intended in the series, but I look forward to reading each one. You don't have to read Undeclared in order to understand the story in Unspoken. They are both completely standalone novels...novels that I highly recommend you get a copy of and read!



About the Author

Jen Frederick lives with her husband, child, and one rambunctious dog. She's been reading stories all her life but never imagined writing one of her own. Jen loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at jensfrederick@gmail.com.

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway!

(1) iPad mini for US/Canada or Apple Gift Card in the amount of an iPad Mini for International winner
(5) Print copies of Unspoken with dog tags - International

Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway


Lori's Review of Undeclared

Cover Reveal: April Fools

APRIL FOOLS by Karli Perrin: Love. Hate. Fear. Fate.

All four letter words.
All consuming.

Naked to the eye, they have the power to control the heart and destroy the soul.

April Adams is about to experience them like never before.

When everything in April's life goes up in smoke, she is faced with some life changing decisions.

Join April as she continues her journey of love and loss.




Karli Perrin is a 25 year old English Language & Linguistics graduate from Manchester, England. She has always been a big lover of books and is the author of the 'April' series.
She is a big believer of fate and is a sucker for a happy ending. She honestly believes that there is a reason why you are reading this right now (apart from the fact that you are awesome!)
Her ultimate goal in life is to live in a house made entirely out of books with her best friend, who also happens to be her fiancé.
...Hogwarts is plan B.

Facebook
Goodreads
Website
Twitter: @karli_uk

Cover Reveal: Tied Up in Heartstrings

Book: Tied Up In Heartstrings
Author: Felicia Lynn
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 20, 2013
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast PromotionsTragedy ripped the security from her life. Left a single mother, Alexis's fear of loss insulates her from the rest of the world. Her best friends from college and close family are the only people she keeps close.

A man from her past has always been in love with Alexis. He’s never met anyone that measures up to her. Garrett is a musician, who never really imagined he’d have the fame and fortune that he's found. But, even with that, what he's always wanted is out of reach... or is it?

When Garrett and Alexis meet up by chance a relationship begins. Neither expected what happens. She can’t be sure she’s ready for the complications a relationship brings. He will have to work overtime to win her heart without any assurances it will be successful.

Alexis is learning about life without Jed, and is feeling more secure with parenting on her own. Garrett appreciates his fans and is enjoying his life on the road but misses having a private life. The lives they have built separately leave little room for a budding relationship, but their hearts won’t take that into consideration.

Will the cards they've been dealt get in the way of a love that is meant to be? Is love enough to overcome loss and heartbreak? Can they accept all that the other is, without feeling like they are living in the shadow of their former lives?


Felicia Lynn is a transplanted Florida girl, born and raised, who lives just north of Atlanta, GA with her husband, daughter, dog and cat. She spends most of her days holed up in a cozy chair with a cup of tea and her laptop, writing about the characters that live in her head. When she’s not writing you’ll find her hanging out with her family and friends! She loves reading, taking long walks, chatting with her Facebook family, and listening to music, especially live music. A self-declared lover of all things baseball, she is obsessed with every aspect of the game!!

Felicia writes contemporary romance, because love stories make people happy. Even in the midst of anguish and turmoil, true love can turn life around, and the process is beautiful. Most of Felicia's stories are based on real life experiences that she embellishes to tell a story. She is currently at work on her second novel.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS AUTHOR | WEBSITE









 

Book Review: Man On

MAN ON by Liz Crowe: Bad boy of European football, Nicolas Garza is about to hit American shores with a vengeance. Signed by the Detroit Black Jack Gentlemen as lynch pin for their expansion club, Nicco only half believes he’s making the right move. But with a past full of ghosts and rotten behavior chasing him from his homeland, he has no real choice.

Parker Rollings is a college soccer superstar, but his parents’ plans for their only son do not include professional athletics. When the Black Jacks approach him to finalize their roster, Parker leaps at the chance to keep playing, leaving behind medical school, stability and his first and only college sweetheart.

Nicco and Parker face off as bitter rivals for a coveted starting spot at midfield and are forced to channel their negative energy into something positive for the sake of the group—and themselves.

All eyes are on the fledgling team in its debut season. It’s crucial that the Black Jacks prove all the doubters wrong. They must make a good showing in the league and with new fans. But player drama, club dynamics, and misplaced priorities may tear it apart before it even begins.

AL's thoughts: The first installment of the new Black Jack Gentlemen series by Liz Crowe. And what a way to start. Never one to shy away from controversial issues, Man On delves into the burgeoning love affair of two world-class professional soccer players. In a world where homosexuality occurs but is never acknowledged, Nicco and Parker find themselves trying to discover each other, while keeping their relationship under wraps. Throw in an older man with a severe sex addiction, and a younger man still not fully ready to admit he is gay, and this is page after page of turmoil. But there is also a journey of deep love, that is constantly challenged by both inside and outside forces.

Proof that love is blind to sexual orientation, this is another soon-to-be-classic Crowe story that leaves you breathless and begging for more. My only criticism…it was too short. I want more Nicco and Parker!!

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Tears of Tess

Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters: A New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to grief, slavery, and non-consensual sex. A story about finding love in the strangest of places, a will of iron that grows from necessity, and forgiveness that may not be enough.

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”

Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?
Title: Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters
Release Date: September 9th, 2013
Genre: Dark New Adult Romance
Video Link: http://youtu.be/ZI1azW2ydUo
Cover Design by Cover It Designs

AL's thoughts:  Wow! Move aside Christian Grey, you choir boy of BDSM! Q is taking over the top spot as sexy BAD boy…and is he ever bad!! This is a sexy book, no doubt, with some seriously hot, kinky sexual escapades; however, underlying it all is a simple love story. Two people, broken beyond repair (or so they think), trying to find ways to cope with the fear, anger, and hurt they have had to live with, and learning to trust themselves and one another. There are some horribly graphic scenes dealing with kidnapping and the sex slave industry (and I will no longer be allowing my daughter to go on spring break trip to Mexico!), and some of the sex scenes pushed my comfort zone, which is exactly what I believe Ms. Winters was attempting to do. Mission accomplished! If you want a dark, no apologies, “this is who I am – deal with it” erotic escape – one-click this and be prepared to stay up all night!



Whairigail's Thoughts:  "Three little words.

"If anyone asked what I was most afraid of, what terrified me, stole my breath, and made my life flicker before my eyes, I would say three little words."

This is the hardest book I've ever had to review. It is the darkest, most depraved novel I've jumped head first into and I honestly don't know how to untangle my feelings about it to do a review justice.

I was asked to review this for a BlogTour (for the Lovely Lori at SheReadsNewAdults) - I didn't think I'd have time to fit it in my reading schedule but I decided to have a sneaky read at work meaning I had to find a novel I had on PDF format. That novel happened to be Tears of Tess.

We meet Tess right at the beginning of this book. Her partner Brax has surprised her with a trip to Mexico and she is thrilled at the prospect of spending time alone with him. Their sex life is somewhat lacking oomph and she plans on telling him exavtly what she wants from him.

"I blinked, putting the impossible together. I needed Brax to be rough because I needed to be claimed. Oh, my God, am I that screwed up?"

Brax is too Goody Goody for her in the bedroom but she loves him regardless. Their trip gets off to a rocky start. On their first day, they take a scooter ride around remote Cancun and stop at an isolated bar for some water.

Que your heart to be beating out of your chest because you can see, hear, feel and just sense the impending doom that lies ahead. Brax is beaten and Tess is kidnapped.

"His eyes fell on mine; I froze. It was like looking into a predators gaze: empty, hungry, black, and evil. It sucked my soul, amping my fear to a full forest fire."

She is beaten, left to starve, forced naked and "tagged" - all through pure brutality. It is horrible to read about because somewhere in the back of my head, I know it is happening for real somewhere.

Then she is sold.

"This was it. My new beginning. My new ending."

At first, she is unaware who she has been sold to. She was taken there under the cover of darkness. But she is determined to fight.

"I tried. I failed. I tried. I failed. It repeated, over and over. Don’t give up. Next time, you could win. Next time, it might work."

I can't go into much more of the story without giving too much away so, instead, I'll tell you what words spring to mind when I try to describe the story to someone.

Dark
Disturbing
Depraved
Horrific
Hurtful
Shame
Tears
Irritation
Anger
Sorrow

I could go on and on but I'm guessing by now that you have got the picture.

This book tore me apart, and to be honest, didn't put me back together again. It was a Stunningly written novel, truly, I don't think I've read such a wonderful collection of words from the one person. If I was rating on the writing alone, it would get 5+++++ Hearts. Unfortunately as I have to rate on the story as well as the writing, I have to bring it down a bit.

It was just too dark for me. I had to take so many breaks reading this as it was just too much. Please, please take the warning seriously - this book made me feel sick on occasion. I have quite a strong stomach and can read most things but Tears of Tess made me feel like a little kid who needed comforted.

5++++++ Hearts Writing

4 Star Story

Levelling out at...

**4.5 Dark, Captivating, Erotic Hearts**







Writer, reader, sometimes wife. An avid devourer of sexy romance and angsty New Adult. Nothing beats lolling in a bubble bath with her array of book boyfriends, and plotting torturous stories to put her characters through.
Living Down Under means she writes in the Queen’s English, not Obama’s, and aims to have an entire catalogue of sexy books that keep you wanting more. Oh, and she may or may not be in love with Q from Tears of Tess.



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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Coulour Wielders

Behind the Faerying Mysts, hidden from Mortal eyes, is a land where gods and creatures of myth and legend dwell. And in the Mortal Realm, their Princess is hidden away.

Quinn Sinclair lives an ordinary life with her less-than-loving mother in Conifer, Colorado, clueless of her true nature. On the night of her birthday, a staggering betrayal sends her life spinning out-of-control. As she struggles to pick up the pieces, a vision of a man with haunting tourmaline-blue eyes begs her for help, and she is transported into a Magykal battle-forever changing her life.

Arik Morgaine-Demigod bad boy and outcast of the Magykal Realm-tried to avoid contact with Princess Quinn for eighteen years, not wanting to make good on an old threat. But the fates have other plans. Arik can no longer deny his growing desire for Quinn, or the need to protect her from those wanting to control her burgeoning powers. Can the two of them come together and save the Magykal Realm from being destroyed by the Darkest of Magyks?

New Adult. Recommended for 18 and above. Mature themes, sexual situations, and profanity.

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Dawna Raver is an author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Colour Wielders, Book One, is her debut novel. When she's not spending time in her fantasy world, Dawna loves football, reading, and pretending she's a top chef in the kitchen. Oh, and fawning over her dogs and husband, sometimes in that order.

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