Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 43

Book Review & Giveaway: The Cave

The Cave (The Wind Cave #1)
by Michela Montgomery

When a nuclear war devastates the U.S., a four-day excursion quickly turns into a fight for survival in The Cave. Six Stanford students journey into one of the deepest and longest caves in North America. A day into their journey, a nuclear war begins from within the U.S. Unable to return to the surface, and unsure what they will find when they do, the Cave will test the strength and survival of each person differently - transforming six individuals into a team, and ultimately...a family.
Lori's thoughts: ***Book furnished free of charge in exchange for an honest review*** I finished this a while back and haven't continued the series, yet. I am interested in finding out what happens to the group now. I enjoyed The Cave, but in places, I felt like it was a bit slow and I found myself skimming through parts of the book to see what happened. I know some people enjoy long books, but I find myself growing impatient when they are much over 300 pages. I feel like this one could have been shorter without sacrificing the story. That being said, I did enjoy the unique story and found myself engrossed in the description of the cave. I feel like the author either did a lot of research on caves or has gone spelunking herself. I will probably continue the series to see where they go from here!

Book Blitz Giveaway: Becoming Blue

Becoming Blue
Angie M. Brashears
(January 15th 2016)
Publication date: January 12th 2016
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Every single thing I’ve been taught not to do…I just did.
Talk to a stranger? Check
Get in a car with a stranger? Check
Go to a second location? Check
Go into a stranger’s house? Check
Take candy from a stranger? Check
If this is a kidnapping, it’s the kindest one I’ve ever heard of.
I’m living a fat girl fantasy. Snatched from a Weight Watcher meeting by a powdered-donut eating stranger, was by far the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. Who knew I didn’t need to make appointments or attend meetings to have someone to talk to. A Friend. Two Friends. A dark, intense stranger. Secrets.
Everything I ever wanted, and something’s I didn’t. Not every tasty treat is for eating.
To each his own….right?

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EXCERPT:“Take another bite of that rice that I worked so hard on for you, now.” Husky, but there is no doubt it’s a command, so I do.

He leans his head back, eyes on me, and continues to stroke his long shaft, tip to stem, through his jeans. “More,” he says, his eyes never leaving my mouth. Two more bites go in. I can barely chew around the food. “Faster, keep going, stuff those pink lips, Blue.” I can see just the tip of his tanned man muscle peeking at me above his waistband, leaving a trail of pre-cum on his tight stomach.

I crunch into a taquito dripping with guacamole, and chew. I can’t stop watching his hand. I’ve never seen a guy I want, rub himself off so blatantly. Is that all for me? I chew, trying to swallow, and meet his eyes.

“That’s so fucking sexy, Blue. You don’t know what that does to me, to watch you eat what I’ve made with my own two hands. I want to keep that big tummy of yours full of my food, nourish and satisfy you. That’s my job, baby girl, and I take it seriously.” He stands, opening the fridge, and pulls out a large baking dish. It’s flan, dripping with caramel, and he sits it right on my half-full plate, his hand never leaving his cock.

When I feel like I can speak, I ask, “No spoon?”

He’s so close, I can feel heat radiating from him, and he smells like hot sin. “You won’t need one.”

Leaning into my hair, he takes a deep breath of me, inhaling me in, leaning into me further. I can feel his cock rubbing the outside of my arm, but I want it on my breast.

“Time for dessert, baby girl, and if you wanna make Daddy proud, you’ll eat every morsel,” he pushes his hard length right up against my breast. The contact feels like he’s branding me right through his jeans.

I look down his body, trying to look anywhere but at the slow-pulsing cock escaping out of his pants.

His long fingers reach into the dish of flan, poking a hole through the top. Using two fingers, he moves nice and slow, finger-fucking the sticky dessert. I can’t look away. It’s obscene, and it’s making me drip. I shift in my chair, snugging my full breast right up against his hardness. His fingers move leisurely, in and out, in and out. My lips are dry, all the wetness in my body pooling at my core, making my underwear as sticky as the dish. I can’t stop imagining those fingers dragging through my own hot wetness, searching for my entrance.

A moan, low and slutty, escapes from my parched lips at the thought. I lick them, but my spit isn’t the wetness I seek.

His bulge rocks against the side of my boob, that peeking, weeping big head bulging with veins just inches from my jaw. If I moved, just a bit to the right, leaned into him a little, I could kiss the tip. My head drifts in that direction, but his hand comes up and tightens at the base of my skull, holding me in place. “Don’t move,” he says, all business.

His fingers are coated with sweetness, and he hooks them as he skims the top of the flan grabbing a big scoopful.

The hand at the back of my head moves to cup my chin firmly in place.

“Open.”

My mouth drops open at the command. Leaning down, he looks me in the eye and says, “Wider.” All low and dirty. And I do. I close my eyes as he jams the scoopful between my lips. His fingers caress my tongue on the way out. A sound of pleasure escapes me, a sound I’m sure I’ve never made before. Guess that’s why they call it the ‘spice kitchen.’

My eyes follow his fingers, which dig back into the dish. He trails two ragged grooves through the flan with those fingers, scooping more. I open my mouth, waiting, but he smears the tip of his cock with the sweetness, then pokes those same fingers in between my lips. I suck them clean, swirling my tongue around them, making sure to get every drop of Javi-laced flan.

“That’s it, eat what Daddy gives you.” I feel his other hand at the back of my head, urging me down to the mess at the top of his waistband. “Taste me,” he whispers, and I do. “Lick that dirty monkey, make him clean.” I do, not caring for this dirty talk. ‘Dirty monkey.’ That’s a new one, even to my virgin ears.

His tastes like salted caramel. My tongue swirls the head, and with each go around I try to go lower, lick the hidden depths, trying to get inside those jeans. “Greedy little piggy.” It sounds so hot from his lips, I moan for him.

He steps back to rip open the button fly, shoving his underwear down. “This monkey wants out of his cage.”

I watch, licking my lips as he leans over the dish and places his full balls right into the flan. My hands itch to touch him.

Gripping the sides of the table, he drags his thick cock through the flan, burrowing a long deep tunnel right through the middle. He’s fucking the flan, making me wish it was my long deep tunnel he was drilling.

He pulls his dick out, and it’s obscene. Full of curds, dripping with caramel.

“Lick me clean.”

I get to work, licking the tip, down his shaft, sucking each of his balls into my mouth. Only after he’s clean does he push his penis to my flushed face. “Kiss it, Blue, just the tip. Do not get greedy.” My insides turn over at the husk in his voice, the sexy glimmer in his eye. He is by far the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I do as he commands, light kisses, all lip, and no tongue, really working the head of his penis. He groans and shoves his fingers into the ruined flan.

Stroking his cock with the remaining flan, he pushes past my lips into my wet mouth. A sigh escapes. He smells like a Mexican bakery, cinnamon, sugar and spice, my favorite. I suck dessert off him, moving my mouth further and further down his shaft, wanting all that he is offering. He lets me control the tempo, I can’t even watch his face, just his fingers twirling and digging into the dessert on the table.

I let his cock plop out of my mouth, and I move to his fingers, which are hidden in the flan. I lick the trail his dick made through the top, coming to his fingers. I eat my way down to them, sucking one and then the other clean. He moans, jerks, grabs a towel, and let’s himself go, cumming into a dishtowel as I eat the dessert he’s made for me. I turn back towards his dick, hoping he’ll let me lick him clean again, but this time he turns away, zipping his pants. “I don’t understand. Did I do something wrong?”

“You did everything perfect, too perfect.” He clears his throat and continues, “I’m just embarrassed, Blue.” Before I can protest or say anything, he pushes on the spice rack door, leaving the room.

I don’t know what just happened, can I be sued for sexual harassment? Even if I wasn’t the one who brought the flan?

Getting up, I feel sticky head to toe, and unsatisfied. Fuck the dishes, let Mr. Embarrassed clean his own mess. I head to my room with the wonderful smell of caramel wafting all around me.

Author Bio:
Angie M Brashears is a lover of everything books. When not writing, she’s reading anything she can get her hands on. She grew up in Southern California, and loves the mountains, hiking with her dogs, the beach, and of course, Disneyland! She loves music, and loves singing along to the radio, loud and off-key, performing for anyone unlucky enough to be in the passenger seat.
Angie loves dark and twisted, which she refers to as Dark Ever After books, but is known to read an occasional HEA story as well. When she’s not writing, she working, saving lives. A busy Trauma ER nurse for over twenty years, she gets enough reality in her life, and is always looking for a story to take her away from the harsh reality of Emergency Nursing.
If there’s football on, she sure to have a huge party going on to cheer her team on…Go Patriots!
As a new author, she’d love to hear from you!
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Release Blitz Giveaway: Next to Me

Next to Me
Allie Everhart
Publication date: January 2nd 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

After losing her parents and brother in a car crash, Callie dropped out of college and went to live in the small town where her family used to spend the summers. A year later, and struggling to move on, she keeps to herself and wants to be left alone. So she’s not too happy when her new neighbor keeps knocking on her door.
Nash Wheeler, a 25-year-old construction worker from Chicago, inherited the house next to Callie’s and is living there while he renovates it. Outgoing, confident, and never one to back down from a challenge, Nash sets out to get to know his new neighbor, inviting her over for dinner and offering to fix things around her house.
As much as his persistence annoys her, Callie finds herself attracted to the tall, muscular guy next door. And the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes how much they have in common. Like Callie, Nash has experienced loss, but when he opens up to her about it, she’s not willing to do the same. It’s too personal.
Nash is just her neighbor. Just some guy living there for the summer. But is that really all he is? Or is he the one person who can finally help her move on?

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EXCERPT:Nash
“You’re holding my hand,” she says, her lips creeping up.
“I am,” I say, matter-of-factly.
Her eyes return to mine. “Why are you holding my hand?”
“You have nice hands.” I rub the top of it with my thumb.
“That’s why you’re holding it? Because I have nice hands?”
“You got a problem with that?”
“I guess it’s okay. Although your hands aren’t the greatest.” She tries to hide her smile.
“You’re making fun of my hands?” I hold up the other one that’s not connected with hers. “I do construction for a living. I work with my hands. I’m surprised they look as good as they do.”
She takes the hand I was holding up and inspects my nails. “You need a manicure.” She tries to be serious, but then laughs.
“I’m not getting a freaking manicure. I’m not one of those metrosexual guys or whatever the hell they call them. The guys who walk around with purses? You see them downtown Chicago.”
“There’s nothing wrong with those guys.” She sits back but keeps her hand in mine. “And by the way, it’s not a purse. It’s called a man bag. Or a murse. And a lot of guys get manicures. They’re not just for women. It even has the word ‘man’ in it. And cure.” She pauses, then smiles. “It’s a cure for manly hands. Get it?” She laughs at her own joke.
I scoot my chair over and lean in close to her face. Her smile drops, her breath quickens, and her eyes fix on mine. She thinks I’m going to kiss her, but I’m not.
Instead I say, “I don’t want a man bag. Or a murse. Or a manicure.” I look directly in her eyes. “I’m a man’s man. I like red meat. Football. A cold beer. Hard liquor. Pounding nails into walls. And women who challenge me.”
She’s looking at me with lust in her eyes, and God, I feel it too. The intense need to rip off her clothes and do her right here on this table. How the hell did this happen? How did we go from having a conversation to wanting to have sex? I’m not even trying to date this girl, and I definitely wasn’t planning to have sex with her.
I’m here to do a job. Fix the house. That’s it. Plain and simple. But suddenly it feels more complicated than that.

Author Bio:
Allie Everhart is a hopeless romantic who writes books about love. Allie has authored fourteen novels, including The Jade Series, a college romance that follows the story of Jade and Garret as they deal with numerous obstacles trying to tear them apart. Her other series, The Kensingtons, is a romantic suspense series. After writing two series, she’s now working on several standalone books, including her latest book, Next to Me, a new adult romance.
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Cover Reveal: One Day Soon

He found me in blood and tears.

I stayed with him through darkness and fire.

We loved each other in the moment between innocence and bitter truth.

We were the kids easily ignored, who grew into adults we hardly knew.

We weren’t meant to last forever. And we didn’t.

He ran away.

I tried to move on.

Yet I never stopped thinking about the boy who had fought to keep me alive in a world that would have swallowed me whole. He was the past that I buried, but never forgot.

Until the day I found him again, years after believing I had lost him forever.

And in cold, resentful eyes, I saw the heart of the man who had been everything when I had nothing at all. So I vowed to hold onto the second chance that was stolen from the children we had been.

Sometimes fate is ugly. Life can be twisted.

And who we are can be ruined by who we once were.

For two people who had survived so much, we would have to learn how to hold on before we were forced to let go.


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AMAZON **** AMAZON UK















The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including The Find You in the Dark and Bad Rep series as well as the upcoming stand alone romance, Reclaiming the Sand, and a dark new adult series for Gallery Books.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

When not writing (or being tortured with all manner of beauty products at the hand of her very imaginative and extremely girly daughter), she is eating chocolate, watching reality television that could rot your brain and reading a smutty novel or two.

A. Meredith is represented by Michelle Johnson with the Inklings Literary Agency.



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Release Blitz: One Day at a Wedding Series

Series: One Day at a Wedding
Including: Once Upon a Wedding (#1), Anything but a Wedding (#2), When Cassie Met Thad (#0.5)
Author: Kelly Rae
Release Date: Jan 12, 2016
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Cassie Anderson, bridesmaid extraordinaire, is tired of attending her friend’s weddings either solo, or with her best friend, Thad. Finding a real date is simply too much work. Especially when she sees an old acquaintance from high school, Dan, at her friend Shelley’s wedding. After the spark shared between them, Dan has become the object of her affection. Too bad he has a nasty habit of having a date on his arm at every turn. Stealing another woman's date is against the rules, but if she could just catch him at an event alone…well, that would be fair game! Unfortunately, timing is everything, and she and Dan seem to have the worst. Always the bridesmaid, walking away with nothing more than a dreadful dress,

Cassie is committed to changing her luck and getting her man.

Dan daydreamed about Cassie Anderson through most of his high school classes. She barely knew he was alive – but that didn’t stop him from wanting her for all those years. Unfortunately, her return to his life comes at the worst time possible. As he tries to put his life back together, he keeps an eye on her, hoping to find her single at the right time. A time when it all hurts a bit less. A time when he can offer her all of the love she deserves. After three weddings of happenstance meetings, Dan finds himself to be a little more ready for everything that is Cassie. Putting himself out there, he can only hope she is everything he thinks she might be — his forever girl.



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Thad never expected to find anyone who meant more to him than his best friend, Cassie. She was the one woman he loved enough not to sleep with. He was a player, but an honest one. Unfortunately, not everyone felt that balanced out his love 'em and leave 'em ways. He just didn't see a need to settle down — yet. Then, he met Brianna, who made him think about the future — a future with her — which was a new experience for Thad. Brianna is also a new kind of woman and convincing her that they have a future might just be the challenge of his life.



Brianna works through men like she works through her closet — seasonally. Any other way has always been trouble. When she meets Thad, she is thrilled. Not only does he intrigue and excite her, but he is just like her — noncommittal. He sets her on fire with his smooth talk and honest approach to dating. Even without being physical beyond a kiss, the thought of him makes her entire body hum. Except, Thad has gone and gotten attached to her in a way neither of them expected; attached in a way she simply cannot allow. Unfortunately, he won't allow their relationship to become physical until she surrenders her heart to him, which is a battle she isn’t sure she can win. The longer it lasts, the less sure she becomes of wanting it to.



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Were you curious about how Cassie and Thad met? Read all about their friendship based love story. College parties, makeups and breakups – see what makes their platonic love, one of the best around. This is the perfect introduction to the One Day at a Wedding Series and it’s FREE, so you check out the stars of the series with little to no commitment, we call that Thad Style!



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From Anything But A Wedding –

Her lips were her slightly open, lush and painted with a bright shade of pink. He immediately thought about all of the places he wished those lips would touch—from his own lips, to his neck, and just about everywhere else on his body. He wanted to know what this woman tasted like. He wanted to know everything.

“Is there something about my lips that you find fascinating?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” Brianna giggled, “honesty is a lovely trait. I expected you to deny it and make a smooth transition. You seem more, well…smooth, than honest.”

“I can be honest,” he said, once again looking into her eyes. “You just tell me to what degree you want it, my honesty that is, and I’ll follow.”

“There are degrees?” Bri’s eyebrows curved up, as did her lips.

Thad nodded.

“Give me an example and I’ll let you know which I prefer.” Thad enjoyed the smartass smirk on her face. This woman could not only keep up with him, but also possibly keep him on his toes. He could feel the potential danger pulsing through his veins at the mere thought of them together.

“Let’s see,” he placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her off to the side of the gallery, where they had a bit more privacy, “level one would be the smooth answer you expected, mysterious and flirtatious. Something similar to ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I am just absolutely taken with your smile, I got a bit lost for a moment.’ Level two, is more honest and direct. But let’s face it, I’m always smooth.”

Brianna put her hand on his cheek, smacking it lightly with a grin upon her face. “Your smoothness is not at all in question. Not for a moment.”

He grabbed her hand quickly. Her breath caught in a hitch and her eyes darted to his as he kissed the inside of her palm. Thad left behind a bit of moisture—his idea of a sweet hint.

“Now, where was I? Oh yes, level two. Level two would sound a bit more like, ‘My apologies, Brianna. For a moment there, I couldn’t help but wonder how your lips might feel against my own. Now, level three. Most people cannot handle level three. In fact, I haven’t met a single woman who could.”

“Oh, no. Mr. Carlmont, did you just dare me? That sounded akin to a dare.”

“That was no ordinary dare. It was a double-dog dare ya.” When she smiled, her eyes lit up, as perfect as Christmas trees dressed in all white. He liked it; he liked her.

“I never turn down a challenge and I certainly never back down from a dare, so by all means, hit me with your best stuff!”

Thad moved in closer, while Brianna stepped back against the wall a bit. She had nowhere else to go, exactly what Thad wanted. He placed his hands against the wall on either side of her head and leaned in to whisper against her throat, just below her ear, hoping she would feel his warm breath.

“Okay, here is level three truth, I hope you’re ready.” He breathed and she shivered, but did not say another word. “Brianna, just a moment ago, when I couldn’t take my eyes off your lips…in my mind, I already had this little dress of yours off. In my mind, your lipstick had already been kissed right off those luscious lips. I stared at them, simply wondering, if they—if you—could possibly taste as good as I suspect you must.”

“Oh, my,” Brianna whispered.




Kelly Rae is mom to an amazing young man. Everything else is just a way to keep busy between laughs with her son, or a way to pay for his sports equipment and growing feet. When she was twelve years old, she hit the big leagues by winning a Young Authors Award (okay, okay, it was only within her school district. Shh.) Although she has been unable to duplicate this success in her adult writing, she is giving it her best shot. Kelly, her son, their chocolate lab and new kitten, live in the Pacific Northwest. Here they enjoy the sun when it shines and the snow when it falls. When they aren't dancing in the rain or singing at the top of their lungs in the car, they are planning their dream vacations...which they might even get to take some day. 

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Blog Tour: Tutus and Cowboy Boots

Title: Tutus & Cowboy Boots
Author: Casey Peeler
Release Date: Dec 28, 2015
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Cadence Lewis has been dancing since she could walk. Living in New York with her parents she has the chance to go to the best dance school in the country, but when her father does the unthinkable she’s forced to leave her dreams behind and move to a small southern town with her mom.  Cadence is having a hard time adjusting to her new life when she meets Jade Carpenter.  Jade starts to show Cadence that small-town life isn’t so bad, but when Cadence has a chance to go back to New York she is on the next flight and will do anything to get her old life back.



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As the bell rings for the end of the day, I stand and take my time walking from class because let's face it, who wants to have everyone know you drive that clonker?

When I’m almost to the door frame, I’m met by Jade.

“Hey, Cadence, right?” she says.

I look her direction. “Yup. That’s me,” I say with a fake smile. Why can’t these people leave me alone?

“Just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Jade,” she says as she walks beside me.

“Yeah. I got that from what’s her face.” I toss my head back toward the classroom.

She giggles. “You’re funny.”

I crinkle my nose. I’ve never been called funny before. “Why’s that?” I question.

“’Cause you just called Ms. Luckadoo what’s her face and not to mention you look like you’re about to run the catwalk at fashion week. You do realize where you are?”

“Well, I couldn’t remember her name and I live for fashion. It's obvious people around here do not feel the same way.”

“Oh they do, but it’s a different kind.”

“What do you mean?”

Jade takes a moment to gather her thoughts. “Okay, let me give you the run down.” I can’t wait to hear this. “Most girls around here are up on the latest southern preppy trends from either Simply Southern, Southern Charm, and Southern Fried Chics. Every girl here owns boots to work in as well as boots to go out in. Jack Rogers are a must and we monogram everything.”

“Are you serious? You monogram everything?”

“Yeah. Just look around.” I do and notice every backpack as well as vehicle has initials on them. What the hell? “Oh and don’t forget the more glitter, the better.”

“That’s insane. Are people afraid they are going to forget their names or something?” I say smartly.

“Nope, it’s just a southern thang,” she says with a deep southern drawl. “See,” she says as she shows me her car. Oh gosh, she’s one, too.

“So, tell me more about Lawndale High?” I ask.

“Well, there’s not much to say. I mean, it’s school. The guys here are your typical country boys. They drive trucks and miss a lot of days the first day of the season.”

“Why would they miss school on the first day of Autumn?” I question.

“Please tell me you didn’t just say that.”

“Um, yeah. The first season to occur while in school is Autumn.”

She starts to shake her head. “Girl, you’ve got a lot to learn around here. Let me spell it out for you. Bambi, big bucks, big boy toys, trophies on the wall, and food in your belly.”







Casey Peeler grew up in North Carolina and still lives there with her husband and daughter.

Growing up Casey wasn't an avid reader or writer, but after reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston during her senior year of high school, and multiple Nicholas Sparks' novels, she found a hidden love and appreciation for reading.  That love ignited the passion for writing several years later, and her writing style combines real life scenarios with morals and values teenagers need in their daily lives.

When Casey isn't writing, you can find her near a body of water listening to country music with a cold beverage and a great book.

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Casey Peeler - Tutu's & Cowboy Boots

Book Review: Badger

Badger
by C.M. McKenna

C.M. McKenna’s compelling voice has earned a devoted audience and multiple awards for her erotic fiction (as Cara McKenna.) Her page-turning literary debut, Badger, disturbs and titillates with the story of a recovering pill addict whose compulsive fascination with a Boston antihero spirals out of control.

Nearly twelve months sober, Adrian Birch feels like a nobody. But when her wrist is broken in a hit-and-run accident, she’s avenged by the Badger, a secretive street vigilante. Instantly obsessed, Adrian takes to staging suicide and constructing chance meetings to get his attention. Their resulting affair is harsh and needy, wrought with McKenna’s signature dark eroticism—until the connection gets out of hand and ignites the violent passions of the city.

Hailed for her “evocative,” “intense,” “deftly drawn,” and “engrossing” stories by reviewers at Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and Jezebel, McKenna now establishes herself as a rising star in neo-noir. Badger challenges the reader to imagine how an impulsive young man is killed, offering only the perspective of the fascinating and unreliable Adrian Birch.
Lori's thoughts: I have been in a bit of a reading slump as of late. Everything I pick up is worn out, tired, and the same ol same ol. I can't decide if I want to read contemporary, romance, fantasy, YA or NA. I've been jumping around, back and forth, and it's been very disappointing. Nothing can hold my attention for more than about 40% and I find myself skimming to the end or ditching the book all-together. I broke that slump with the first book of the year (for me). Badger was released in August 2015, and frankly, I'm shocked that it hasn't received more "air-play" than it has. In fact, the only reason I learned about it at all was from reading blog posts from several people who chose Badger as it favorite read in 2015. When I saw it on one list, I thought, okay. When I started seeing it on blog after blog, I sat up and took notice.

Badger is so completely different from anything I've read in a long, long time. It isn't pretty at times. In fact, it's downright unimaginable and horrifying. But it sucked me in from the beginning and didn't let go. Skimming pages did not happen with this book. I didn't want to miss a thing. Adrian is a very real character. Sadly, so is Isaac. The people are real. The situations are honest. No perfect people. No perfect world. CM McKenna's writing is flawless and I didn't find myself self-editing at all. (That right there is BIG). This book was a very solid 5 star read for me and I highly recommend you read it - if you're not afraid of a little reality.

Blog Tour: Not the One

Title: Not The One
Author: Amy Daws
Release Date: Dec 8, 2015
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~Not The One is a full length standalone adult romance~
My name is Reyna Miracle.
Even though a part of my name is Miracle, there’s nothing miraculous about me.
My body portrays the tales of my life.
Every feeling, every heartbreak, every emotion.
Marked. Inked. Stained.
A walking canvas of my messed up truth.
But there’s one confession I can’t put in a tattoo.
A confession that will kill me to tell, but my best friend died before I had the chance.
Now I’m left with him.
The only one who can hold me in the night and squeeze that spot on my neck that feels like my lifeline between sanity and chaos.
But we don’t work together.
We’re absolute poison for each other.
We’re a stifling, suffocating, sickness of darkness.
But I feel safe...because I’ve made an art of pushing people away.
Now he’s pushing back…
And making me believe...
Making me wonder...
Maybe, just maybe...
I could be the one.



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“Christ, I hardly recognized you,” he seethes, the angry bulge in his jaw bone ticking violently. He grabs my arm firmly and pulls me off the concrete steps and into a covered archway away from all the other happy students. “What the fuck, Rey?”
“What are you talking about?” I ask in utter confusion.
He reaches beneath my chin, grabs the zipper and yanks it down harshly. I shove his hands away as my robe is yanked open.
“Fuck, Rey! You’re skin and bones!” Liam’s face is tortured and sickly. Dark circles reside under his eyes but he still looks gorgeous as ever.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Grabbing the edges of my robe, I cover myself back up, protectively. I’m wearing a short blue shift dress that used to hug every one of my curves but now hangs on me like a potato sack. I know I’ve lost some weight since Marisa but I’m not about to let him scold me like a child over it. “I’m a twenty-five-year-old adult, Liam. I don’t need you chastising me over this.”
“Rey,” he says my name on a sigh. “How can you expect me to ignore this?” His eyes are pleading and pained as they flash between my eyes and my mouth in utter agony.
“I’m not your concern!” I push back my dark hair and squeeze the back of my neck to try to gain some of my control back.
“You made that perfectly clear when you shoved me out of your dorm room. Fuck. How did we get this so utterly wrong?”
“Just leave it, Liam.”
“No.” He grabs my shoulders and turns me to face him. “Don’t you miss me? At all? I miss you like crazy. I feel like I’m mourning two deaths instead of one. It’s like you died on me two weeks ago. And now I see you today and it makes me sick to my stomach that I’ve left you the way I did!” His eyes are shimmering with tears and pain, only adding to the self-loathing I’ve developed the past fourteen days.
My eyes are dead and cold, my voice flat and unaffected. “I told you I wanted nothing to do with you, Liam. I meant it.”
“You’re lying to me. Again!” he roars, angrily punching the concrete wall beside my head. 





Q: Readers are calling Not The One a “painfully beautiful love story.” Why is that? What was the writing process like?

A: Writing this book was terrifying. I’ve never been so far outside my comfort zone with any other book. This storyline literally terrified me and I got pretty depressed during the process. It was crazy hard, but crazy cathartic. It feels good to sink into those dark corners sometimes. It makes finding the light that much more magical.
Q: What inspired this story?

A: Well, Reyna was a character in my London Lovers Series that I couldn’t get out of my head. I had an idea for an interesting backstory for her…a mother/daughter dynamic that I’d never read before but could relate to because of some of my own personal struggles. I needed to know more about her, so I wrote it.
Q: But this book isn’t a London Lovers Series novel, correct?

A: Correct. I’m calling it a spinoff. A cross-pollination so to speak. There are characters from my London Lovers, but it reads best as a total standalone.
Q: Who the heck is Frank? And how did you create him?

A: LOL! Ohhh, Frank and Beans. He is my London Lovers secondary standout. He’s a fantastical redheaded gay Brit that everyone needs in their life. Magically, he fit into Not The One like it was meant to be. Frank is the comedic lightness that this story needed, but he’s so much more. He’s special.
Q: Will he get a story? 

A: He is my most requested story.

That’s not an answer. 

LOL…Let me be “frank” when I tell you…it is a distinct possibility. ;)
Q: Who designed your cover? It’s stunning!

A: I’m so glad you like it because I did! LOL. My sister in law took the photos. We do all of my covers together. We both come armed with cameras and click away until our models can’t take anymore. But I always end up using my sister-in-laws pictures for the cover. I just like to see through the lens instead of my eyes. But I do all my own layout and designing in Photoshop.
Q: And the cover models? 

A: All of my covers have just normal people. I never shoot models. The cover models on Not The One are just a couple of local hairdressers that my sister-in-law knew! It’s funny…I had met the girl a couple of times and talked with her briefly about her incredible ink and through the writing process, her tattoos fit my story perfectly. It was kind of chilling.
Q: So what’s next for you?

A: I’m pretty sure I’ll be continuing on this London path for a couple more stories. Without revealing any spoilers, I’m really hoping readers will be interested in one of the characters’ HEA. I’d love to write his story next. And then…finally, Frank and Beans. :)







Amy Daws is a commercial producer and lives in South Dakota with her husband and daughter. The long-awaited birth of Lorelei is what inspired her passion for writing. Amy is a lover of all things British and her award-nominated romantic comedy series, The London Lovers Series, is centered around Americans in London. It's emotional and self-deprecating with lots of humor sprinkled in. On most nights, you can find Amy and her family dancing to Strawberry Shortcake’s theme song or stuffing themselves inside children’s-sized playhouses because there is nothing they wouldn’t do for their little miracle.

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Amy Daws - Not The One - Blog Tour

2015 Wrap Up From Lori

We at She Reads New Adult wish you and yours a happy and prosperous 2016!

I (Lori) went through a reading slump in 2015. Partly due to some significant life changes. Partly due to the fact that I couldn't seem to find a genre I felt comfortable in. I bounced all over the place in 2015 and am likely to continue bouncing all over the place into 2016. For whatever it's worth, here are some of my favorite reads for 2015. Click on the title of the book for my review.

Here they are, in no particular order:



Deep Blue Eternity by Natasha Boyd







The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar







Skeletal by Katherine Hayton







Still Life With Strings by L.H. Cosway







Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

Cover Reveal: The Lie

Their love led to a lie.

Their truth led to the end.

Scottish enigma Brigs McGregor is crawling out from the ashes. After losing his wife and son in a car accident - and, subsequently, his job - he's finally moving forward with his life, securing a prestigious teaching position at the University of London and starting a new chapter in the city. Slowly, but surely, he's pushing past the guilt and putting his tragic past behind him.

Until he sees her.

Natasha Trudeau once loved a man so much she thought she'd die without him. But their love was wrong, doomed from the start, and when their world crashed around them, Natasha was nearly buried in the rubble. It took years of moving on to forget him, and now that she's in London, she's ready to start over again.

Until she sees him.

Because some loves are too dangerous to ever rekindle.

And some loves are too powerful to ignore.

Can you ever have a second chance at a love that ruined you?

The Lie is a second-chance romance with a dark, forbidden twist.



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With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible.Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.

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