Lynelle Clark's Blog, page 126

Book Barrage #cblspromos For the Love of his Life Excerpt and Give away

For the Love of His Lifeby Fiona McGierContemporary Erotic RomanceCategories: Interracial/MulticulturalPublisher: Eternal PressRelease Date: May 1, 2013Heat Level: SteamyWord Count: 81,600 words
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DescriptionCan a sexy Hispanic action movie star find himself in the BWCA of upper Minnesota? Will the local woman he grows to love believe someone who “lies for a living”?
When the famous action movie star Raul Roderick needs to “clean-up” for a major role that even he doubts he can deliver, the director sends him up to a resort owned by his grandmother in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of upper Minnesota, to learn to commune with nature.  His guide is Veronica, the director's cousin, a tall, athletic woman who has the relaxed, sensible nature of someone who knows herself well. 
Raul hasn't been this far from his reliable drug-dealers for a very long time, and dealing with real-life is something he's never been very good at. His initial clumsy attempt to seduce her makes her laugh...so he calls her fat. Is there any hope that their relationship will progress beyond its rocky start? And can Raul overcome his partying nature to discover what is really important in life?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations (including a f/f/m ménage scene/scenes in the first chapter) and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.
About the AuthorFiona has always had stories in her head. Characters intrude into her thoughts and insist on showing her scenes from their lives. She discovered that when she ignores them, they start to yell louder; if she writes their stories and they can live in readers’ heads as well, they usually leave her alone. Only to be replaced by a new group of story-tellers. Her head is usually a very crowded place, but she likes it that way. 

Visit Fiona at www.fionamcgier.com.
Excerpt #1--G rated--The set-up.
Jared Miller, the famous yet reclusive director, is on the phone asking for a favor from his
Grandmother who owns a resort in northeastern Minnesota.
"What is it this time?"
Jared cleared his throat audibly.
"I'm afraid it's bigger this time.  I need you to let me send you a guest who will be there until I can get the crew up to start filming my next movie."
"And how long with that be?" Veronica grinned at Gram-Marie while the older woman rolled her eyes and shrugged.
"I don't know...it depends on a lot of things.  Maybe a month?  Six weeks tops. I've got to get a whole lot of folks packed and up there, so it's gonna take some time."
"And who is it you are expecting us to tolerate for an unspecified amount of time?"
"Ronnie!  Would I send you someone you'd only tolerate?"
"Hell yeah!  You'd send us Satan to baby-sit, if your next movie depended on it."
"Funny you should say that, cuz.   He's only the biggest, baddest star in the business right now."
"Who is it?" 
"You've heard of Raul Roderick, right?"
Marie snorted.
"Who?"
Jared chuckled, "The Gamer King?  Avenge Tastes Sweet?  MOFO-Town?"
"No," Marie said, while Veronica smiled at her, all the while filling the pie crusts with the flavors of the day.
"Well then, how about his romantic movies?  Make Mine Latino?  Or Three's a Crowd, But I Like Crowds?"
Veronica giggled.  "Jared, you should see Gram-Marie's face!  She looks like she just sucked a lemon!"
"What on earth are you people thinking of with these titles?  Or these so-called plots?  Why doesn't anyone make the kinds of movies I like to watch anymore?"
"Because you're too old for them to consider you a target market?"  
Veronica whooped as she ducked away from the rolling pin tossed at her by her grandmother.
"Old, my ass!  I just expect plots and they're too damn busy putting big, fake titties and young men without shirts into everything!"
"So you have heard of Raul then?" Jared chuckled.
Veronica explained, "Gram-Marie, he's the kind of actor who is very good at looking good in his movies, and he's always shirtless at some point.  But he's kind of limited to playing the same kinds of men over and over again...not much range, and even less talent."
Jared burst in excitedly.
"Ah, but that's where you're so wrong, Ronnie!  I only agreed to let him read for the part as a favor to his agent.  But he blew me away!  He's so right that he's the only actor I seriously considered for starring in my big epic film about the Boundary Waters area!  You know, the one I always promised Grampa I'd make about his great grandfather, Hank Maynard?"
"If he's that good, why do you need to send him up here early?" 
Marie nodded at Veronica's question, asked as she was busy putting the pies into the oven.
Jared cleared his throat again.
"Well, you see, there's the little problem of his drinking...and his drugs...and his whoring.  He's a real party-animal and right now the only reason he's not in jail is that I went to court with him and basically told the judge I'd answer for his behavior until his probation is over."
"Probation for what?"
Marie's voice was steely.  Everyone knew that her father had been a Canadian Mounty, and she was gung-ho on supporting law enforcement officials.
"He...uh...can't be allowed to drive for six months.  They took his license away after he ran into a parked squad car because he thought he hit the brake pedal, but it was the gas pedal.  Then when they got him out of the car, he was so blasted he didn't remember his real name.  All he told them was that he was the famous actor Raul Roderick and that he'd get them supporting roles in his next picture if they would give him a ride to the meeting with me that he was already two hours late for."
"Obviously the officers weren't impressed, eh?"  Marie sounded smug.
"No.  They took him down to the station and booked him.  I was the person he called for his one call...not his lawyer.  So I got him released to my custody, but I've been having a hell of a time keeping him out from behind the wheel of a car, or out of bars and nightclubs.  I'm afraid he's going to kill himself before I can get the performance of a lifetime out of him, that I'm convinced he has in him.  So I really need your help..."
There was silence while Marie and Veronica communicated with each other non-verbally. 
"Well?"  Jared sounded anxious.
Marie nodded at Veronica, who spoke.
"We can't give you an answer now.  We have to talk this over with the rest of the family.  All of us have to agree to this, since we are all going to have to deal with this spoiled brat you want us to baby-sit for you."


Giveaway Info: Prize is 5 $5 Dunkin Donut Gift Cards from Fiona McGier (1 each to 5 winners). Contest is tour-wide and ends May 20. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Link to Schedule: 

Book Barrage #cblspromos Dream Student and Excerpt

Dream Student (Dreams #1)by J.J. DiBenedettoParanormal Romantic SuspenseCategories: Mystery/ThrillerPublisher: Self/IndieRelease Date: April 2, 2013Heat Level: SensualWord Count: 94,000
Buy LinksAmazon: 
Description What would you do if you could see other people’s dreams? If you could watch their hidden fantasies and uncover their deepest, darkest secrets…without them ever knowing?
Sara Barnes is about to find out. She thought that all she had to worry about was final exams, Christmas shopping and deciding whether she likes the cute freshman in the next dorm who’s got a crush on her.
But when she starts seeing dreams that aren’t hers, she learns more than she ever wanted to know about her friends, her classmates…and a strange, terrifying man whose dreams could get Sara killed.
Dream Student is the thrilling first installment of the Dreams series.
About the AuthorJ.J. (James) DiBenedetto was born in Yonkers, New York. He attended Case Western Reserve university, where as his classmates can attest, he was a complete nerd. Very little has changed since then.

He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia with his beautiful wife and their cat (who has thoroughly trained them both). When he's not writing, James works in the direct marketing field, enjoys the opera, photography and the New York Giants, among other interests.
The ‘Dreams’ series is James’ first published work.
Connect with J.J. DiBenedettoEmail: jamesd@elevendayempire.comWebsite: http://www.writingdreams.netFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.dibenedetto.39

Excerpt #1
Sara rarely remembers her dreams.  She has no idea that she’s had more or less this same dream two or three nights a week since the beginning of the semester.  She’s sitting there in the lecture hall, and if she were ever able to remember this dream she’d recognize it as the same seat she actually sits in every Tuesday and Thursday at nine-thirty in the morning.  She’d recognize Dr. Wallabeck, too, and in the dream he’s wearing one of those dreadful patterned ties he always wears; he’s peering over his awful wire-rimmed glasses exactly the way he does in real life.  Every detail of the lecture hall is captured by Sara’s subconscious with almost perfect accuracy, including her fellow students.  Two rows in front of her is the tall redheaded girl whose name she can never recall and who nods off in the middle of almost every class; in her row and six seats to her left is Adam Walker, who lives directly above her in the dorm, with his huge thermos full of almost-but-not-quite-undrinkable dining hall coffee.  In the dream Sara looks around and sees them and all the other faces she sees in class twice a week, and they’re all just as puzzled in the dream as they usually are in class.
Sara is the only person in the whole room who’s not.  If she could remember the dream, she’d understand why: Dr. Wallabeck isn’t lecturing about angular momentum or torque or any of the other mystifying topics that make up Physics 121.  Not now.  Instead, the good doctor is talking about amino acids and protein structures, a topic that Sara just last week aced a quiz on in her Introductory Biochemistry course.  It doesn’t seem the slightest bit odd to Sara that her physics professor is lecturing about biochemistry instead of physics…
***
Brian’s never properly met Sara, never actually spoken to her.  He’s seen her quite often, though.  In the dining hall, walking back from class, in the student union or the bookstore, in any one of a dozen other places on campus.  Even, once, at a party, where he’d just about worked up the nerve to approach her before she disappeared for the night.  But he doesn’t really know her; he doesn’t know anything about her that isn’t revealed in the student directory. 
He’s dreaming about her anyway.
Not only about her; Sara is just one character in this dream.  She’s there in a cheerleader outfit a size too tight, watching Brian, admiring him, cheering for him, shouting for him as he stands there on the basketball court about to hit the game-winning shot.  Sara’s there, admiring and watching and cheering and shouting right alongside every other woman on campus that Brian is attracted to.  All admiring and watching and cheering and shouting.
But for some reason Sara’s outfit is just a little tighter than anyone else’s; her voice is the tiniest bit louder than any of the others…


Giveaway Info: Prize is 1 signed paperback copy of Dream Student (Dreams #1) from J.J. DiBenedetto. Contest is tour-wide and ends May 19. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. 
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Link to Schedule: 

Cover Reveal for Bachelor's Special

Bachelor’s Special by Christine Warner
Entangled Publishing - May 2013
Title: Bachelor’s SpecialAuthor: Christine WarnerGenre: Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: May 2013Imprint: Indulgence

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Amazon: / Barnes & Noble: 


Blurb 
Jill Adgate wants three things from life: a successful catering business, a family, and the love of an exceptional man. What she has is no job, a mounting pile of bills, and her outspoken best friend—who sets her up on a blind date with the man who inadvertently ruined Jill’s life.Chet Castle is a businessman who has everything, except the ability to trust. Burned by a money-hungry fiancée, he refuses to get involved in any relationship that has a shelf life longer than a head of lettuce.Intrigued by her ambition—and determined to get her in bed—Chet offers Jill the chance of a lifetime: work as his live-in chef and he’ll help her get her catering business off the ground. When sparks fly in the kitchen, Jill realizes what’s cooking is a recipe for disaster…

Author bio:
Christine Warner is living her dream in Michigan along with her husband, three children, one

laptop and a much loved assortment of furry friends. Besides laughing and a good round of humor, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, writing but no arithmitic.  A confessed people watcher, she finds inspiration for her stories in everyday activities.  She loves to read and write about strong heroes and determined, sometimes sassy, heroines.A girl gone wild, at least where social media is concerned, she enjoys meeting other avid readers and writers on facebook, twitter and her website at christine-warner.com.
My blog/website:  http://christine-warner.com/Twitter under ChristinesWords: https://twitter.com/#!/ChristinesWordsMy Facebook page…stop by and give it a LIKE to stay up to date with the latest: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Warner/143430882396013Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5763713.Christine_WarnerI love to hear from readers and other authors J
Also, Christine is hosting a contest for a $10 Amazon Gift Card! a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Defiant Heart Virtual Book Tour and Review

Publisher: Penfield Press (April 15, 2013)
Category: Historical Fiction, WWII, General Fiction
Tour Dates: April-Mid May, 2013
Available in: eBook, 385Set against the backdrop of small town America on the eve of World War II, Defiant Heart features two extraordinary characters and one unforgettable love story.In the spring of 1941, young Jon Meyer’s family dies in a tragic accident, and he is sent to live in a small Indiana town.  He arrives to find himself unwanted and shunned.Mary Dahlgren is the daughter of the town’s mayor.  A pretty girl, she could have the pick of the boys in town, including Vernon King, the star of the vaunted high school basketball team.  To the chagrin of her friends, though, Mary has always been more interested in books than boys.  That is, until she meets Jon.But Jon and Mary are kept apart by an insidious campaign orchestrated by Mary’s father, who perceives their relationship a threat to his political aspirations, and Vernon, to whom Jon is a rival for Mary’s affections.  For months Jon is subjected to a painful ostracism.  Then, just when the young man’s earnestness and perseverance begin to win over many of the townsfolk and it appears that love may conquer all, tragedy strikes.As the country is caught up in war, so too are the young lovers swept up in events beyond their control, leaving both fighting for their very lives.  If, against the odds, they are to be together, each will need to find the strength, the courage and the resourcefulness that beat only in a defiant heart.Praise for Marty Steere’s Award Winning Book, Sea of Crises:“Steere’s high-octane suspense tale takes off with all the intrigue and honor of the best space-age Westerns and political thrillers.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Steere’s assured prose is compelling, and the book’s intriguing plot will keep readers turning pages until the very end.”—Publisher’s Weekly“Author Marty Steere is brilliant!… The action is non-stop and fast-paced and is mixed with just the right amount of mystery to make a perfect thriller…. [The] plot is plausible, the characters are realistic, and the writing is superb…so stunning a read that you will be unable to stop reading until the very end.”—Readers Favorite“Sea of Crises is a mystery set amongst exploration, very highly recommended.”—The Midwest Book Review  “Marty Steere’s Sea of Crises drew me in, held me at the edge, and gave my hand a comforting squeeze when I couldn’t stand to see what happened next. This is a thriller with heart that will leave its readers satisfied they followed the Cartwright boys into a dangerous adventure.” —BookIdeas.com“[P]ulse-pounding…. I highly recommend you check out Marty Steere’s novel Sea of Crises!”—BestsellersWorld.com
About Marty Steere:The son of a career air force officer, Marty Steere grew up on or near military installations across the country and overseas before settling in Southern California, where, when he’s not writing, he practices law.  His debut novel, Sea of Crises, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best of 2012.
Marty Steere’s Website / Facebook / Goodreads

Buy LinkAmazon
Defiant Heart Web Tour Schedule
So Many Precious Books April 5 Review & Giveaway                                        Books, Books & More BooksApril 8 Review                                          Books, Books & More BooksApril 9 Guest PostDr Bill's Book Bazaar April 10 Review               Raging Bibliomania April 11 Review                                            Cuzinlogic April 12 Review                                Literary Addicts April 12 InterviewJoy Story April 17 Review                                   Bookworm BrandeeApril  23 Review                    Bookworm Brandee April  24 Guest PostGreen Mountain CoupleApril 25 Review                                                             
Broken Teepee April 26  Excerpt
 Every Free Chance May  2 Review & GiveawayBook Lover's Library May 3 Review                              Book Lover's Library May 3 InterviewMy Devotional ThoughtsMay 6  Review & GiveawayBookalicious  May 7 Review                              Recent ReadsMay 8 Review                             No Wasted Ink May 8  InterviewBass Giraffe May 9 Review & GiveawayRomance & Inspriation May 10 Review                        
Book Mark Blog May 13 Review                                               The Self Taught Cook May 14 Review & GiveawayTeena in Toronto May 15 Review      
My 5 Star Review

First of I had to point out that I read this book in 27 hours, the reasons
1. I overbooked myself and did not realize it so I knew I would have to put some effort in the short amount of time I had.
2. This book was so good that I had no reason to put it down. The story totally balled me over. As a reviewer I am privilege to get books - for free *smile* - before most other readers get them. And as such I treat it with honor and absolute care, making sure I really put some effort into the review. The same way I would love others to treat my book.
With all that said let me give you my review of this great Historical Romance, Suspense and Action. You guess it *smile* my kind of book.
The detailed and precise accounts of the events in the book that made up the story line draws you in from the start. The author's careful constructed plot unfolding to capture your attention from page one and kept the pace till the very last page. The flow of the story never stopped to amaze you, keeping the energy at all times. Well written it will entertain young and old lovers of Historical books. The events and people live like and believable interweaves with the history period the book was written in.
1941, War in Europe was in full swing, Hitler was on the top making life hard for the European countries. America still stood at the side watching as the war unfolds until that fateful day when Pearl Harbor was attacked.
The story begins months before the attack as we are introduced to the young man Jon Meyer, 16 years old, just lost his whole family, Jewish and living with the only living relative he had. Marvella Wilson, his grandmother. From the start this woman was cold towards him, keeping him at a distance. We learn quickly the reasons behind this evasiveness. The prejudice of people unfolding in the story line. As a piano teacher they finally found a bridge that would restore the relationship and set them on a better path.
What a beautiful young man, his character clearly defined to bring you a strapping youngster that knew how to do things right and if he did not know he would read and explore always doing more what was expected from him until it was fixed.
Osticized because of his believes he ventures out of the small town, on a bike he had rebuild and met Ben Wheeler a pilot and ex boxer who trained him in things necessary for his survival. At that time we did not know precisely why but as the story unfolds you see the influence of this man on the youngster. And what a joy that was when Jon finally stood up for himself against the bullies of the school because of this man's patience and training. I loved it! Later on in war this man's influence could still be seen as Jon enters the war zone as a radio operator. Great character and dedicated to the two young people because of his own loss.
He fell in love with Mary Dahlgren 16, brilliant student and the daughter of the man who you would learn would be the ultimate villain in the story. I could strangle him myself. The bullies could go and learn some lessons in evilness from this man. You guessed it, I really did not like him - at all. Owner of the Hardware store you first meeting with the man was likable but as his notorious desire for power and influence grew you learn quickly to dislike him. 
Vernon King Bully Ooops bully had only one thing in mind...him... at the cost of everyone else around him and at the end it almost cost Mary her life and Jon to be send to war for a crime he did not commit. His natural abilities and willingness to take charge making him a hero, saving his friends and officers against all odds.
Friends who betrayed them, wrong loyalty bonds, lies and a self centered father tried to keep them apart. 
The war effort was in full swing and by the time Mary discovered that her beloved were in England she too went after him, joining the Woman corps to find him. 
There were so many good characters in this book that all helped to carry the story and make it real. Sam, Walt, some of the teachers, Penny a nurse that became a friend later on, Tommy, Shim...the list simply goes on. Every ones role well defined and at the end their friendship and companionship gave hope in times when there were none. 
The love story unfolds with so much care, compassion and heart ache but at the end love did conquer as every one pulled together to bring them together.
There is so much to be said about this book but I will stop here and would advice to buy the book, you will not be dissapointed. 
A highly recommended read for young and old.


Did you like this review?Please like it on Amazon

Fiji A Novel Interview and 5 Star Review

'Fiji: A Novel'Author: Lance and James MorcanGenre: Historical Adventure  Buy linkAmazonBlurb:  Fiji is a spellbinding novel of adventure, cultural misunderstandings, religious conflict and sexual tension set in one of the most exotic and isolated places on earth.  As the pharaohs of ancient Egypt build their mighty pyramids, and Chinese civilization evolves under the Shang Dynasty, adventurous seafarers from South East Asia begin to settle the far-flung islands of the South Pacific. The exotic archipelago of Fiji is one of the last island groups to be discovered and will remain hidden from the outside world for many centuries to come.  By the mid-1800's, Fiji has become a melting pot of cannibals, warring native tribes, sailors, traders, prostitutes, escaped convicts and all manner of foreign undesirables. It's in this hostile environment an innocent young Englishwoman and a worldly American adventurer find themselves.  Susannah Drake, a missionary, questions her calling to spread God's Word as she's torn between her spiritual and sexual selves. As her forbidden desires intensify, she turns to the scriptures and prayer to quash the sinful thoughts - without success.  Nathan Johnson arrives to trade muskets to the Fijians and immediately finds himself at odds with Susannah. She despises him for introducing the white man's weapons to the very people she is trying to convert and he pities her for her naivety. Despite their differences, there's an undeniable chemistry between them.  When their lives are suddenly endangered by marauding cannibals, Susannah and Nathan are forced to rely on each other for their very survival. Background:
New Zealand novelist, screenwriter and film producerLance Morcan is a prolific writer with various published books and released movies to his credit. His books include the historical adventure Fiji: A Novel and the spy thriller series The Orphan Trilogy (The Ninth Orphan, The Orphan Factory, The Orphan Uprising). All four novels were co-written with his son James Morcan and published by Sterling Gate Books. Their production company, Morcan Motion Pictures, is developing The Ninth Orphanand Fiji into feature films.
A former journalist and newspaper editor, Lance divides his time these days between novel writing, film producing and screenwriting. Numerous screenplays he has written are in active development as movies and as a producer his feature films have screened at cinemas in Australia, Italy and Cannes. Lance is currently perfecting his solo-written New Zealand - an epic adventure novel covering 500 years of South Pacific and Polynesian history. Including research, writing (and life's distractions!), this novel has been over a decade in the making.

Question & Answers follow:      1.       Where did the idea come from for Fiji: A Novel?      I have had a long-time love affair with Fiji, having visited ‘The Friendly Isles’ a number of times. I’ve long thought it would be a wonderful setting for a historical novel. Both James and I have a penchant for writing historical novels and screenplays (we are also screenwriters) and so decided to co-write Fiji: A Novel.2.       What genre does your book fall under?       It is an historical adventure which could equally be described as an adventure-romance (as it has a lusty romance) or as an action-adventure (as it has action that befits the violent era and setting). [image error]  3.       Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? I’d like to see Josh Hartnett play Nathan, Kate Beckinsale play Susannah Drake and Sam Neill play Drake Senior, Susannah’s father.            
[image error] 4.       What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?       A young American travels to Fiji to trade with the native Fijians, but gets caught up in an inter-tribal war and finds love with an English missionary's daughter.5.       Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?       Our book has already been published courtesy of Sterling Gate Books and is available via Amazon as a trade paperback and as a kindle ebook. Print-only rights will soon be offered to major publishing houses worldwide.6.       How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?         One year to do the first draft and another two years to nail the final draft.

7.       What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?       Michener's Hawaii is probably closest.

8.       Who or What inspired you to write this book? 

[image error]       See Answer #1. Plus Michener's Hawaii inspired me personally...I've always felt that Fiji (the place) deserved a Hawaii-type treatment.

      9.       What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?       The exotic South Seas setting will appeal to most readers. Female readers seem intrigued by the story's lusty romance. Our two leads are thrown together in violent circumstances, so theirs is a somewhat tumultuous relationship. Male readers seem to resonate with the action sequences and there's plenty of them given. 'The Friendly Isles' were better known as 'The Cannibal Isles' in the 19thCentury. For good reason!


Our links:

Blog: / Goodreads author page: / Twitter: @SterlingGate
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YCZM0/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SterlingGateBooks
IMDb movie site: http://www.imdb.com/company/co0239052/?ref_=fn_al_co_1

My 5 Star Review
An insightful historical romance that gives you a better overview into the life of the Fijian people and their customs. Customs that for us as Europeans were unheard off, barbaric and cruel. But then Europeans was not innocent in their dealings with people, just more secretive about it as we know from history.

The authors intriguing plot kept you focused on the pages as you venture between action filled pages and the romantic nuances in the book. 
Starting out as lust filled connections Nathan Johnson and Susannah Drake were the opposites in character from each other but yet the chemistry was undeniable.
Susannah's dreams filled with the young American and what he would do with her. But yet she kept her distance, knowing the arrogant and selfish man would never fit into her life.

Her father Reverend Drake, missionary to the Fiji islands did not condone the interaction and kept them apart as far as he could. But when fights erupted and Susannah was abducted he paid the ultimate price trying to protect his daughter. 

It was up to Nathan and the warriors to safe the day. The cunningness of the tribes as they fight against each other for power and riches learning about their own vainess with colorful hairdos trying to outshine each other. Fascinated with their ways and customs as Nathan learn about faithfulness, caring for others and a love for the redhead. This self made man stopped at nothing to enrich himself but at the end turned away from all that for the love of the young woman. Placing his own life on the line for her and the natives he got to know as friends.

Deceitfulness and evil lurking around as they tried to win a war with the Outcasts. Rambuka half brother of Joeli the Ratu of the tribe stopped at nothing to gain the upper hand. Abducting women for his pleasure and killing his own father without regret. 
Colorful and descriptive you are part of the lives of the people as this well written and fast paced book captures the attention.
Good and evil the two forces that fight against each other to gain the upper hand, running a mock in the lives of Susannah and Nathan. Interesting characters added to the story line making it a believable, entertaining and well planned plot.

I Like Em' Pretty Book Barrage Giveaway #cblspromos

I Like Em' Pretty (N’awlins Exotica #1)by Michael MandrakeErotic M/M Contemporary Romantic SuspenseCategories: Interracial/MulticulturalPublisher: Triad LiteraryHeat Level: SteamyWord Count: 70,000
Buy LinksAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Like-Pretty-Nawlins-Exotica-ebook/dp/B00C8T4JQM/ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ilike039emprettyn039awlinsexoticabookone-1152601-145.htmlSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/303665
DescriptionThe city of New Orleans is rich in tradition, diverse, and known for the inspiration it provides. In the “Big Easy” there lies the hunger for the erotic as well as the unknown. The residents here feel that sexual energy and it reveals itself through their various creative activities.
Join the characters as they take a wild ride on the edge, enjoying their town for all it has to offer. There’s a certain magic in the air, an erotic magic that cannot be ignored.
New Orleans is supposed to be the big easy. One night changes everything for Frankie Choteau.
New Orleans. A city rich in tradition, diversity, and on the comeback trail from hurricane Katrina. Francois “Frankie” Choteau, a resident of this town, a cop with a hot temper and low tolerance for bs. Kajika Fortier, a transplant from Oklahoma came here looking for a dream and unfortunately it’s turned into a nightmare. On a hot summer night, they meet and cross paths during a very difficult situation. Despite this, the attraction between them is evident and loneliness for both men is a fate worse than death. They’d both like a chance at happiness but will the circumstances and Frankie’s uneasiness prevent their happy ever after?
Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.


About the AuthorMichael Mandrake pens complex characters who are already comfortable in their sexuality. Thorough these
characters, he builds worlds not centered on erotica but rather the mainstream plots we might encounter in everyday life through personal experiences or the media. To find out more please visit http://tabooindeed.blogspot.com.

Connect with Michael MandrakeEmail: michaelmandrake71@gmail.comWebsite: http://thelitriad.comMichael’s Blog: http://tabooindeed.blogspot.comN’awlins Exotica/Paranormal on FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nawlins-Exotica-Series/126864880830524The Literary Triad on FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheLiteraryTriad?fref=ts

Excerpt #1“Ah, Frankie, can’t you do anything without dropping stuff? Ya klutz!” Kenina Porter rushed to his side. She bumped him with her large frame as she attempted to assist him in the cleanup.
“Damn, woman, you’re dressing kind of sexy these days. Who you going after?” Frankie noticed the low-cut black blouse underneath the same color blazer showed ample pale cleavage.
“Someone who works here with me and claims to play for the other team.” Kenina wrinkled her lips. Her nasally New York accent came out whenever something angered her. “You’re lucky this didn’t break into a million pieces, Frankie. Your mama might’ve came out of the grave haunting your ass!”
Frankie grinned and tilted his head to the side. “You’re right about that, Kenie. My mama always gave me grief about having butta fingers. Wasn’t really my fault, though. It’s hot as hell in this mother! My hands feel like they been drenched in water!” Frankie wiped his brow and sighed. The air conditioner was running full blast, but it didn’t seem to do a thing about the summer heat in New Orleans. Temps in the low hundreds and high humidity made living in the Big Easy practically unbearable.
“Yeah, it is, but you still drinking hot coffee.” She grimaced and shook her head. “Not even iced, Frankie!” She dropped paper towels on the floor and smeared them over the spilled beverage. While toeing the rags with her heel, she handed Frankie his most prized possession.
Frankie set it inside his desk, out of harm’s way. “I got to, baby. It’s the only thing keeping me awake. We been working on this fucking Metairie murder case nonstop for over a month with no damn leads. Nobody’s talking so we can bring these fuckers to justice.”
“Nope.” Kenina nodded and knelt to pick up the trash from the floor. “Be more careful with your drink next time, man. Leslie just scrubbed these floors, and you know she’ll curse you out in her native tongue if she finds out you spilled something.”
“Yeah, I know.” Frankie rubbed the nape of his neck, attempting to get out the kinks. Homicide cases were piling up quicker than detectives could keep count, especially since the precinct was located in the middle of a crime hotbed. Due to the amount of work and the low pay, most detectives moved on to another line of investigation or left altogether, but not Frankie and his partner Kenina, who’d started at the police academy together. They’d been through thick and thin for the past ten years. Frankie considered the redheaded vixen to be his best friend, his girlfriend, and at times the momma he didn’t have. Kenina Porter showed more loyalty than any man he’d ever had and he’d always stick by her side.
“Well, yeah, you know, but…” She stood with her hands on her hips. “You still aren’t being all that careful.”
“I was, woman!” Frankie frowned in her direction and propped his feet up on the corner of his desk. “You right, you right, I’m a klutz but I’ll have you know, I’m tired as hell, ain’t fucked anyone in over three months and, on top of that, I’m not getting a lot of sleep!”
“Shhh!” Kenina glanced from left to right and scolded him for being so loud. “What the fuck’s wrong with you, Frankie! You wanna get found out? You can’t say shit without people calling you on it in this department.”
Frankie waved his hand. “I know, Kenie, I’m just…” Frankie leaned back and blew raspberries. His head slipped down from the top of the chair and tears welled up in his eyes. “I’m so tired of hiding, babe. It’s hard being...” Frankie mouthed gay. “And not able to tell the people you work with.”
“Well, you could, but it might be more trouble than it’s worth. I don’t mind keeping up the charade for you, love. You know you my boy and I’d do anything for you!” Kenina sat on the edge of the desk and stroked his shoulder.
“I appreciate that, Kenie, I really do. Too bad you ain’t got the right equipment, woman, because I’d date you for real!”
Giveaway Info: Prize is $15 Starbucks GC, a copy of Magic Mike, a mug and other New Orleans themed items. Contest is tour-wide and ends May 14. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. 
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Through the Withering Storm My Review for this autobiography

Through the Withering StormBy Leif Gregersen
http://valhallabooks.com/
Book Overview
Through the Withering Storm: A Brief History of a Mental Illness is the autobiography of a boy who becomes a man in a cold and seemingly impossible world. This book, with foreword by prominent psychiatrist Dr. Brian Bishop, takes the reader through the true life horror of growing up mentally ill. The author shows us what it is like to juggle school, a dysfunctional family, a ‘career’ as an Air Cadet and all the emotions and troubles that come with adolescence – until genetics throws in a curve ball and the worst imaginable happens.
This book also takes the reader inside the hallways and chambers of a hospital treating the violent, criminal and institutionalized in a place built for ‘shell-shocked’ World War I veterans.          
As with many illnesses, there is denial and the struggle doesn’t end in these halls. Despite delusions, fights, arrests, reprisals and being institutionalized, years are wasted fighting treatment and refusing medications.
From the cold and frozen north country of Alberta, through the Rocky Mountains and coastal cities of Vancouver and Los Angeles, the author constantly struggles to shake off the demons that haunt him. He loses friends and possessions, becomes estranged from his family and relinquishes every shred of dignity. Each time he is beaten down, he struggles back to find a small piece of sanity, just enough to keep him going. Finally, with acceptance of his illness, comes treatment and peace.
For any parent or caregiver living with a troubled teenager, this book provides valuable insight into the behaviours of mentally ill youth. For others, such as healthcare professionals, family members or those that suspect they may have an illness themselves, this book sheds light on the symptoms of being bipolar and the all-too-common journey through madness.
Ultimately, this work demonstrates how precious and precarious our lives and relationships are. In the profound words of Dylan Thomas, this book simply says to all who open it and take part in the tragedy that is the human condition, “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”


About the Author: Leif Gregersen
I grew up somewhat isolated from the harsher forces of the world in St. Albert, a small town just outside of Edmonton, Alberta. Most of my younger years were filled with images of very happy times – trips everywhere from California to Copenhagen, constant school successes and football games in the field near my house that seemed to last forever.
But all was not okay. There were times when my father would discipline me severely or I would come home to find an ambulance in our backyard taking my mother to the hospital for yet another suicide attempt. Although I knew that depression ran in our family, I had no clue of the fearsome beast that was growing inside me.
At that time, I was more concerned about my growing collection of comic books, bought with money my sister would give me for doing her dishes or earned as a bean-picker or weed- puller on a farm not far from town. To be able to buy more comics, I even lied about my age to get a paper route and picked up more money by shoveling walks that hadn’t been done on the route.
Somewhere after the end of elementary school, there was a profound shift. It seemed the wind ran out of my sails and the transition to junior high was not a smooth one. I gave up on sports and I began to hate school and the people in it.
The remaining school years became a painful, out-of-control descent into madness. Gripped by mental illness, my thoughts, actions and behaviours became increasingly bizarre. My world became a true life horror movie of growing up mentally ill. Despite delusions, fights, arrests, reprisals and being institutionalized, years were wasted fighting any form of treatment, denying the illness and refusing medications.Fortunately, for the past 15 years, my life has stabilized. I have accepted treatment and medications. Today, I have steady work and can afford some of the things I only dreamed of before. My computers, my 1994 VW Golf, a decent apartment and, above all, my books. From the age of three, my father exposed me to literature of the highest quality. Today, he is a much kinder, gentler and alcohol-free 72 year-old. I have him to thank for my passion to read and write.


My Review
Well this is a tuff one to give stars for because it was not a fiction but the life story of Leif Gregersen about his mental illness struggles and his victory. At times the story just did not make sense to me, the confused details cause me to loose the author's point he wanted to carry across.We are taken back to his last days of Junior High school August 1985 and what he would like to do when the last bell rang, he went on to go on an air cadet camp. At the camp he did everything as required except he did not look at his own hygiene, bathing once a week cupboard with dirty clothes, it did not bothered him until later he found out that it was symptoms of his progressive illness. Opportunities that came his way was lost because of his refusal to receive the help needed. Stubbornly believing he did the right thing.The book take you on a roller coaster ride with Leif's experiences in life, sometimes you feel sorry for him and then he went and do things that was unbelievable and you just want to shake him. A lot of opportunities came his way but with his delusions and the sickness messed it all up. After a few times in mental hospitals, in and out following his own way that cost him he ended up with some one that started to help him and he realized that he needs to use his medication and be truthful so he can lead a better life. His life style cost him quite a few friendships.The message of mental illness comes over in a unique way learning that it is best to sometimes listen to advice and not follow your own way. His lifestyle choices costing him dearly. When he finally accepted the offered help with a Doctor who really listened to him his life changed and he became a productive person. The stigma around his Biopolar Affective Disorder caused many obsticales and people are not eager to befriend him.The last chapter brought everything together and the message becomes clear, it is possible to live a normal life even when the odds are against you.

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A Thistle in the Mist Excerpt and 5 Star Review

Title: A Thistle in the MistAuthor: Megan DenbyGenre: Historical Scottish Romance

Buy Link: Amazon

Blurb:
Meara isn’t thinking about Death, that morning, when she kisses her mother good-bye, but hours later she is, as her fingers slide into the back of Mother’s shattered skull. Empty eyes – the empty eyes of her mother – stare back at her and Meara thinks her world has ended. She has no idea.Ebullient and feisty, eighteen-year-old Meara MacDonald lives an idyllic life with her family, frisking about the mist-enfolded Isle of Skye atop her horse, dreaming of the day when she will wed her heart, the gallant Duncan MacLeod. But fate has other plans and when Aunt Deirdre and Uncle Sloan seep into their midst, Meara’s family is taken, one-by-one, for reasons she discovers are both personal and nefarious.  Mother is found dead, Da disappears, Duncan is taken by the Napoleonic Wars, Meara’s younger sister, Hannah – with child by Uncle Sloan – takes her own life and while Meara sleeps, her newborn son is snatched from her arms.Unable to reign in her spirit or her tongue, Meara finds herself catapulted from Scotland to a household steeped in mystery in Nova Scotia where, guided by her strength of will, she will fight her way back to the remains of her family; her heart and soul.

Excerpt: 
In this excerpt, Meara suffers more abuse at the hands of her stepmother...

My face burned as I escaped across the dew-slick moor. My lungs screamed for air. I glanced back over my shoulder. No one followed me. Yet. The soggy hem of my gown wrapped around my foot and I sprawled, the wind knocked from my chest. I glared at my muddy palms, the claws of my rage tearing to get out. Balling my fists, I pounded the damp earth over and over until finally I dropped my head onto my arms.
“Christ’s blood, I hate her!” I railed, my voice a ragged intrusion on the still morning. “I hate her!”
Rolling onto my back, I pressed my palm to the heat of my face then tiptoed my fingers along the handprint that branded my cheek. I took a deep breath and felt the gradual unclenching of my body. She could beat me as much as she wanted but I would not let her win. I would not! I laced my fingers behind my head and stared up at the swirling gray.
A white-tailed eagle emerged from the mist and soared overhead, weighing the currents with arrogant ease as it glided in and out of the roiling fog, barn door wings spread wide. I looked to the south where the far-off peaks of the Cuillin Mountains straddled the isle, jagged purple tips stabbing the sky above the haze. Swiveling my head, I picked out the distant smudge of Duntulm, the place I used to think of as home.
Silence curtained the morning. I watched a pearl of dew hang suspended for a moment, before it slid down the stem of a daisy. A flash of yellow drew my eye as a wagtail came alive in a stand of birch, the leaves disturbed by the wiggle of his long tail feathers. An aura of earth and heather drew me into its embrace and I breathed deep, the familiar bouquet a balm for my ravaged soul.
The eagle screamed and I found it again. With deadly purpose it swooped, powerful legs outstretched in a controlled dive, its razor talons cutting short a wasted plea. I watched as it somersault-landed then commenced its morning meal, its hooked beak plucking loose tufts of fur that floated away on the breeze.
Feeling a kinship with the doomed rabbit, I scrubbed at the sudden prick of tears then jerked my hands away. Earth stained my knuckles and I wiped the mess on the navy green of the heather. Hatred swelled in my throat and I swallowed, but the lump stayed where it was, intent upon choking me.
How did this happen? How has it come to this? I asked myself.
Images of Mother flooded my mind. I searched between my breasts and closed my fingers around my locket, smoothed my thumb over the curves. How sweet life had been, how innocent, until that retched being had entered our lives. Memories crept from the safe place where I kept them protected but I tamped them back down and instead closed my eyes tight, watching shadows move back and forth across the back of my eyelids. 
Cicadas hummed as the temperature started to rise. The spicy note of heather filled my senses, the calming trickle of the burn’s tumbling waters lulling me in the background. As I teetered on the precipice of sleep, the sun broke through the mist and bathed my face in warmth, chasing the last of the shadows away. Calloused hands floated into my daydream. Tender fingers brushed the dirt from my face and I sighed as firm lips touched mine.
I jolted awake. The lips that pressed mine were very real and very familiar.
“Oh!” I squeaked.
“Weel, lass, judgin’ from yer smile, it was a good dream then?”

Bio: My name is Megan Denby and I live northeast of Toronto in the cozy, lakeside community of Port Perry, Ontario. I grew up on a farm in the middle of a family of six, with two older sisters and a younger brother. My world is my family, my friends and my writing.

A baseball player for twenty years, I retired after breaking both my ankles and have since taken to the lake to become an avid dragonboater. I decided to challenge myself this year (a.k.a. midlife crisis) and am currently training for The Warrior Dash - an extreme 5K obstacle course. A true Canadian, I love watching hockey but I'm a pretty lousy player. When I'm not hanging out with my five sons and one daughter, I can be found at the arena watching my wife play hockey.

A Thistle in the Mist was an idea born over ten years ago and was inspired by the turbulent life of my feisty Scottish great-grandmother. After shelving my novel for many years, I dusted it off, edited like crazy and spent six months conversing with literary agents. Impatient to share my story, I opted to self-publish and released it on Amazon on January 18th 2013. 

Between family, blogging, Facebook, website building, tweeting and researching I am hard at work on the second book, Lost to the Mist, and hope to have it released during the summer of 2013.
Thanks again, Lynelle. I am so looking forward to hearing your thoughts on my story. 

Contact details


My website is www.megandenby.com
My facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMegan
My email is writeherewaiting@gmail.com
My blog is http://notyouraveragelassie.blogspot.ca/

My 5 Star Review

Emotions were high when I finished this book, and what a read it has been. Daring, courageous and thoughtful was only a few adjectives that comes to mind when reading this book. It would stir every emotion in you, from love to hate and all in between when you read this thought provoking book till the end. A book you will not want to put down even for a moment as you are wrapped into the lives of Meara and Duncan MacLeod. Drawn into their everyday life as jealousy, hatred and delusions took away everything they have, stripping them from all that made them human.
The fight to survive and stay in control ever present as they struggled through all the lies to be a family again. The characters believable and becoming beloved friends that still lingers long after you have closed the book.
The story starts in their frail youth where life was still beautiful, uncomplicated and theirs for the taking but when Meara's mother was murdered at the hand of her aunt Deidre and her dad isolated himself from reality Meara had to fight for some normalcy. But it never came as the plot thickens. The spiders web became more entangled with every passing page and you get to know Deidre and Sloan for the corrupt people they were. Demolishing everything sweet and innocent in their surge for power and to have a perfect bairn. Their sick and vile thoughts and deeds spilling over and rots everything they touched. Lies rolled from their tongue as a normal habit, twisting truths to give them the upper hand. 
Helplessly the servants watched as the beloved family are scattered and death claimed them one by one, powerless to help them as threats hang over their heads.
Duncan MacLeod, Laird of Dunvegan was also Captain in the infantry during the Napoleon onslaught against England and had to leave Meara behind. Not knowing how sick these two family members were. Wounded during the war he ends up in a hospital in England, a letter informed him that his beloved wife and son died. Believing this lie he had to fight to stay in control. Returning home scarred and shattered.
Robert McDonald father of Meara and Hannah could not handle the sudden death of his wife and isolated himself and in the process left his daughters to defend for themselves. Hannah took her own live after severe abuse from her "uncle" and Meara was locked away in a tower then shipped off as an indentured servant to Canada.
Her trusted friend Rabbie always at her side protecting her, this young man the very strength that held her up in a time when she too did not know what was going on around her. The loss to great to handle. Even in his young age he took care of her womanly needs gaining the trust of Captain Duff McDougall. Caring, watching and protecting her from a lustful predator.
The ever growing bluff widening as these two people are kept apart by circumstances beyond their control and the love of a son keeps them fighting for all that was worth.
So much heartache poured from the pages and you kept on reading hoping that some where love will conquer and the evil will be stopped.
Every character's persona was well developed and got under your skin as you became part of their lives and struggles the story strong and well written to give you a highly recommended Historical Scottish Romance.  Definitely one of my favorites and a book I would read again.
Well done Megan, you can be proud.

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Working It Out by Rachel Renee Anderson ... Cover Reveal, Giveaway and Blog Tour

Author Rachael Renee Anderson
Rachael Anderson is the author of four books: Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, Minor Adjustments, and The Reluctant Bachelorette. She's the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.
Blog * Facebook * Twitter







Working It OutA chance encounter . . . Grace Warren's life is safe and predictable—exactly the way she likes it. But when she gets roped into going to an auction to help out a friend, everything changes. She meets Seth Tuttle—a guy who unexpectedly kisses her then disappears, leaving her flustered and upset. If she never sees him again, it will be too soon.
A chance for love . . .  Weeks later, when Seth limps into Grace's rehab clinic post surgery, she immediately recognizes him. Unfortunately, he's every bit as frustrating and annoying as she remembered. Yet there's something about him that makes her second-guess her carefully placed boundaries even though he's everything she's sure she doesn't want in a man. But maybe Seth is exactly what Grace has needed all along—assuming she's willing to risk safe and predictable for a chance at love.


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