Serena Akeroyd's Blog: All Things Serena! , page 250
March 20, 2014
LOST BY LAYLA HAGEN
(Lost in Us #0.5) Publication date: March...
LOST BY LAYLA HAGEN
(Lost in Us #0.5)
Publication date: March 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
**Lost is a prequel novella to Lost in Us and can be read before or after. **
Whatever might help him forget his past and numb the pain, James has tried it all: booze, car races, fights, and then some. Especially women. College offers plenty of opportunities for everything… Especially when you have a trust fund to spend.
Serena spirals deeper and deeper into a hurricane of pain. But no matter how far she falls, there’s no redemption from the overwhelming guilt.
Two souls consumed by their pasts fight to learn how to survive. But all hope seems to be lost.
Until they meet each other.
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20686376-lost
FREE ON:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ebooks/download/20686376?doc=52521
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/418509
- Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IWD65I8?ie=UTF8&at=aw-iphone-pc-us-20&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links
- Barnes and nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-layla-hagen/1118888652?ean=2940149334162&itm=1&usri=2940149334162
——
AUTHOR BIO
My name is Layla Hagen and I am a New Adult Contemporary Romance author.
I fell in love with books when I was nine years old, and my love affair with stories continues even now, many years later.
I write romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world.
And I drink coffee. Lots of it, in case the photo didn’t make it obvious enough
http://laylahagen.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7520984.Layla_Hagen
https://www.facebook.com/LaylaHagenBooks
https://twitter.com/laylahagen
YOU CAN NOW FIND LOST IN US ON AMAZON
Sneak Peek: An Aria In Venice by KaSonndra Leigh
Book Title: An Aria in Venice
Author: KaSonndra Leigh
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date:April 29, 2014
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
His goal…One night with the ballerina.
Her goal…To beat the player at his game.
The outcome…Something completely unexpected.
Adriana Dostov pegged Luca Martuccio from day one: gorgeous, talented, arrogant, a man who has had difficulty committing to one woman in the past. He is known in fashion circles as the player with a scandalous history. So when the girls in her ballet troupe suggest she gives up her virginity to him, she doesn’t say no. But she’s not sure that a ‘yes’ is the right answer either. Yet, she can’t stop herself from making the offer…a one night stand in Venice.
Luca wanted fiesty little Adriana the moment they first met - and he fully intends to have her, hence why he’s agreed to accept her proposal. In the end, he’ll get what he wants. No commitment. All sex.
But, as Luca discovers, there’s more to the ballerina with the overbearing mother - and he can’t help but care about the frightened girl behind those sad eyes.
Adriana discovers Luca isn’t just walking sex on a stick - he has a wildly passionate side, a lost soul who has suffered just as much grief as her. And it could be, they’re exactly what the other one needs. 
Author of the Lost Immortals Saga and the Seraphine Trilogy, I’m also a mother, blogger, reader, gardener, home renovator, and a slayer of Egyptian mummies in Tomb Raider. I believe in karma, coffee, and seriously wish that the producers of Xena would bring my favorite show ever back. I was born in the race-car city of Charlotte, NC, and now live in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, NC, when I’m not hanging out in Bardonia (Lost Immortals). Most of my characters are based on people that I’ve met throughout my travels and adventures. People tend to stop and start conversations with me as if I’ve known them my entire life. Does this freak me out? Not really. My mom says that one day I’ll get kidnapped by one of them. I told her that if it weren’t for these lovely people then I wouldn’t be able to create the stories that I do. I have many favorite authors but there are some who truly rock my socks: Octavia Butler, Anne Rice, Kami Garcia, J.K. Rowling, Dean Koontz (on his good-book days), Stephen King (same as DK) Ann Radcliffe, Mary Shelley, Elizabeth Kostova, and so many more… Some other common tidbits…hmm. I’ve watched the movie Under the Tuscan Sun almost 200 times. Seriously, the way I see it is if I keep watching it enough, then suddenly the house that Diane Lane lives in will magically appear in my backyard. I know. I have a huge imagination! 
You must not eyeball another man.
Repeat after me.
You must not eyeball another man.
Nikolai is the goal, keep that in mind as you eyeball—no, that’s too nice of a description—as you eyestrip another man’s body. Too late. The drooling has begun. Maybe he’ll let me borrow that towel he’s wearing around his muscular torso to wipe it away.
Oh my God, get your mind out of the V-line … no, I meant to say gutter. That’s what Mother always tells Alek, but somehow I think my brother’s mind has a permanent space inside the world of the wet and wild, along with Nikolai, although he tries to act like he’s the innocent one of the two. What neither of them knows is that I’ve heard all about the underground parties they throw at Nikolai’s place, and I don’t need to be experienced in sex to know all about the things they do, especially when my brother makes it a point to take Nadya along each time.
Speaking of my handsome bodyguard, he should be here at any moment, ready to pick me up and take me home. Always the faithful servant to Mother, and never a minute too late or early. My paranoid, and yes, overly protective brother wants me to be escorted everywhere these days. So when my mother’s driver, Hagar, isn’t available, Nikolai becomes the bodyguard. Checking out the designer guy, who has been acting like he’s not watching me ever since he strolled through the doorway, gives me an idea, and a grin spreads across my face. So Nikolai wants to ignore me and treat me like I’m still a little girl, huh? Then I’m going to give him a show he won’t soon forget.
“Luca, how’s it going?” I ask, reaching out my hand to him. Before answering my question, he takes my hand, shaking it, and glances up and down my body, a quick rake-over that kind of surprises me considering his reputation as a player. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but for him to quickly take my hand and then look away as though my skin is made out of fire really confuses me. And what’s with the flush in his face? I know he’s not blushing. I blink several times to make sure I’m not seeing things. I mean, I know the golden Gucci two piece I’m wearing gives J-Lo a run for her lack of a cover up, but still, this should be just the kind of thing he loves.
“The girl with an ocean inside her eyes,” he finally says, and right away, I feel like we’re back in familiar territory … one where the puppy uses his play on words to attract the kitty cat’s natural ability to be too curious. A flirtatious look crosses over the cautious one I just saw on his face, and he flashes one of those perfect smiles that highlight his dimples. Oh my! He has the hottest dimples and he knows I’m checking him out. I can tell by the way he not so innocently runs that tongue ring across his top lip as he smiles at me with his eyes. Distraction time. With a man like this one, you don’t ever let him know how much he affects you, and I’m failing at this thing.
Are you ready to take a ride on the red gondola?
1) Wherever You Will Go by Charlene Soraia
2) Die Without You by PM Dawn
3) Ritorna A Me (Return to Me) by the Rome Session Singers
4) Royals by Lorde
5) Cry Me A River by Justin Timberlake
6) Remember How I Broke Your Heart by Priscilla Ahn
7) Cascade by Hyper (Club Scene Song)
8) Falling by the Civil Wars
9) A Forest feat. Marina Celeste by Nouvelle Vague
10) My Skin by Natalie Merchant
11) Until the End by Norah Jones (The way Luca feels about Adriana)
12) Girl With the Red Balloon by the Civil Wars
13) Sour Times by the Civil Wars
14) Just A Fool by Christina Aguilera
15) You Lost Me by Christina Aguilera
16) Never Think by Rob Pattinson
Join KaSonndra Leigh’s Street Team
March 19, 2014
So, can anyone tell me what show this is? :D I want to watch it....
So, can anyone tell me what show this is? :D I want to watch it. ;)
huffposttaste:
The world of condiments is a powerful place....
The world of condiments is a powerful place. What’s your favorite?
I see this and start drooling. I’m the nutcase who overloads their spring rolls with the chili chutney :D Love it!
ellierose101:
striderkid:
dokidoki-artichokee:
hamburgurl:
1 universe, 9 planets, 7 seas, 7...
1 universe, 9 planets, 7 seas, 7 continents, 809 islands, 204 countries, and I had the unfortunate luck of meeting u
THERE ARE 8 PLANETS, YOU UNCULTURED SWINE.
VIVA LA PLUTO FUCK YOU
I’m pretty sure “Viva la Pluto fuck you” is the best sentence I’ve heard all week.
Very Casablanca. Imagine good old Humphrey with a cig in his mouth… all the planets, in all the universe…
"I was studying your butt all night. The minute it moved an...
"I was studying your butt all night. The minute it moved an inch, I did too.” #hunkyhero #FallIntoLove http://ow.ly/sPuy0 #NaughtyNookie
Simone Barranquet is in a rut. In fact, her life is one huge rut. Until she falls into Zane Matthews’ (The Zane Matthews!) arms and unwittingly finds herself.
But even then, life can’t hand Mona a candy bar. There’s always something bittersweet to spoil her happiness and in this instance, it’s Zane’s husband.
Yeah. Husband!
Can Mona wade through the fallout to find her own Happy Ever After? Or is she destined to lead a Zane-free and love-free life?
If she can grab the bull by the balls, then maybe, just maybe she can.
But does she have enough cojones of her own to do just that?
NAUGHTY NOOKIE SERIES ON:
Free Christmas Short - Mona - Deck The Halls With Handsome Hunks
CONNECT WITH ME:
Serena Akeroyd - Facebook Page
Sneak Peek: Knockout by JC Valentine
Book Title:Knockout - A Wayward Fighters Novel
Author: J.C. Valentine
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date:April 8, 2014
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
From the wrong side of the tracks… Alyson Blake had learned early on that the only one she could depend on was herself. The only light in her life was a boy whom everyone agreed was destined for prison; but with his first kiss, he had set her soul on fire. Since the day the police dragged him away in handcuffs, she had managed to lead a quiet life, but when she attends an event fraught with mayhem, trouble resurfaces.
The one person she can’t forget… Jamison Weston is the kind of guy dads load their shotguns for; endowed with a hot temper and a rap sheet as long as both tattooed arms. Known as “The Judge,” Jami’s hot temper, lethal fists, and cocky attitude have earned him respect and admiration both in and out of the ring. But just when he thinks he’s pummeled his past to death, Alyson Blake reenters his life.
Two paths collide… After years of separation, Alyson is eager to reexplore the man who’s never left her thoughts, but for Jamison, she’s both the distraction he wants, but doesn’t need. As the two embark on a relationship that neither of them expected or bargained for, an outside threat closes in. When Alyson crosses the line of professionalism and takes her work home with her, her life is put in danger, leaving Jamison with no choice but to once again step in and become her protector. J.C. Valentine is the alter-ego of Brandi Salazar, whose enjoyment of tales of romance spurred her to branch out and create her own. Brandi Salazar lives in the Northwest with her husband, their wild children, and far too many pets. As a university student, she studies literature, which goes well with her dream of becoming an editor. Brandi entertains a number of hobbies including reading and photography, but her first love is writing fiction-in all its forms.
Her eyes warmed as she studied him. Touching his face, she traced the line of his jaw from ear to chin. Then her fingers found his lips. He opened his mouth and licked the tips as she skimmed his bottom lip, and he committed the sultry look that flashed in her eyes to memory. “You don’t lie to me, do you?”
Jami held her head in his hands and looked into her eyes. “No, and I never will.” Jami couldn’t tear his eyes away. She smiled up at him, her expression soft, welcoming. Completely open to him. No one had ever looked at him quite like she did. As if she trusted him, and she did. He knew that. It wasn’t even a question.
He could fall in love with this girl. With this woman. This person who was his friend, and the only one who knew everything about his past—everything—and didn’t judge him for it. Even Coach didn’t know what he had done before they crossed paths. He knew he had a history with the cops and a bad home life, and that was the extent of it. Was she what people thought about when they thought of soul mates? The type of person they dreamed of when combing the world for The One?
How was a guy to know?
“If you keep looking at me like that, you’re face is going to freeze. All the guys at the gym will laugh at you, and then I’ll be forced to fight for your honor.”
Jami smirked, peeled her shirt up to expose her abdomen, and lowered his head. He glanced up at her. “You have a sassy mouth, Ally. I aim to fix that.”
“What—Jami!” Ally wheezed and squirmed beneath him in a futile attempt to escape his teasing tongue. Again and again, he swirled his tongue across her stomach, chuckling with each clench of her muscles, each lost breath, and squeal of delighted torture. When she grabbed two fistfuls of his hair and pulled, he decided to have mercy on her before she ripped a chunk of it from his scalp.
Somehow, he just didn’t think bald or patchy would be a good look for a guy his age.
“All right, okay,” he said, pulling her hands away gently. “Truce.”
Her laughter abated. When he let go of her hands, her arms fell out to the side. “You’re such an ass,” she panted. “My abs will hurt tomorrow, thanks to you.”
“No, thanks to you,” he corrected her. “It’s that sassy mouth getting you into trouble.” He was grinning, amusement, and true joy filling him up to the brink of overflowing. “You make me happy,” he blurted out.
Ally’s smile faltered and Jami wanted to punch himself. Why did he say that? Touching his face, Ally angled her head, studying him. “I’m glad. You’re always so serious. You need to smile more.”
“I smile all the time,” he protested.
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you’re right. What was I thinking? You smile every day when you get to beat on poor Mike and whatshisname. You’re a very happy man then.”
“Hey, you gotta take it where you can get it.” Jami shrugged.
Silence fell between them, and they stared into each other’s eyes. This close, there was never any room for escape. It felt like he could see into her soul, and she into his. All the layers of bullshit were stripped away, cutting right to the heart. He’d never felt this way before. As a sliver of truth sat on his tongue, he opened his mouth to say what he knew she was waiting to hear. “Ally, I—” His throat closed up and no words came out.
Placing her finger over his lips, Ally hushed him. “Shh, you don’t have to say anything. I can see it every time I look at you.” She kissed him lightly on the mouth. “I feel it whenever you touch me.”
“But you want—”
She cut him off. “It doesn’t matter. I can wait. I don’t want you to say it unless you feel it in here.” She flattened her palm over his heart. “I don’t want you to choke on the words. I want you to say them because you can’t not say them. Okay?”
He stared down at her. Who was this girl? Hundreds of women would be lined up outside his door just to hear those words, and she was telling him to wait? Unbelievable.
“I see those wheels turning,” she teased, then grew serious again. “Jami, let me ask you a question. Out of all the women you’ve had sex with, how many of them have you stuck around for?” Zero. She saw the answer in his eyes right away. “That’s what I thought, and that right there is why I am okay with waiting. Your heart already knows what it wants. Now we just have to wait for your brain to catch up.”
Tom Hardy as Jamison Weston 25 years old 6’ 3” 205 lbs. Natural born fighter Protector A bit of a neat freak First stint in juvie at age 13 for ripping off a convenience store Has only been in love with one girl: Alyson Blake
Jane Levy as Alyson Blake 23 years old Vertically challenged Nervous habit: lip biting Slovenly Women’s advocate Has been in love with Jami since…forever
Amanda Seyfried as Olivia “Liv” Alyson’s best friend since high school Hails from Tennessee A little high strung Fun, confident, and looking for a good time Is dating Jami’s friend Spencer
Cam Gigandet as Spencer “Spence” Jami’s closest friend Organizer Wing man Dating Alyson’s friend Olivia Aloof A tiny bit shady
Max Ryan as Don Jami’s Coach Former Fighter Widower Owns a spastic terrier named Sparky Stern but loves Jami like his own son Isn’t too fond of Alyson
March 18, 2014
The Promise Series
Five best friends scattered by time and...
The Promise Series
Five best friends scattered by time and distance will soon come together to witness the wedding vows of one. But in the meantime, each woman make pledges of her own and finds unexpected new love waiting just around the corner. Promises will be made and sometimes broken but sisterhood endures in this series about five forever-friends and the men who love them.
Book 1 - The Seduction Vow
Book 2 - The Temporary Promise
Book 3 - The Matchmaking Pact
Book 4 - The New Leaf Pledge
Book 5 - The Wedding Affirmation
The Seduction Vow
Publication Date: February 7, 2014
Blurb:
After an abruptly ended engagement, Graciela Ramirez is dying of a broken heart and she has to attend her friend’s wedding as the only member of her old group who’s still a virgin. She sets out on a quest to do some things she’s never done, including hooking up with a random stranger. Graci never expects that Neal, the hot musician she literally runs into one night at a bar, might become a man she could truly care for. But love doesn’t arrive on a schedule and that annoying virginity may not be as easy to lose as she’d hoped.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20764933-the-seduction-vow?from_search=true
Buy Links:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-virginity-vow-book-1-bonnie-dee/1118596770?ean=2940148340461
The Temporary Promise
Publication Date: February 16, 2014
Blurb:
Waitress and struggling actress Tara Rambeaugh has grown used to the idea that her career might not progress beyond an occasional commercial or role in local theater—until her best friend’s brother, Luis lights a fire under her by encouraging her to make a big move.
Soon Tara is taking more than career risks as she plunges headlong into a steamy relationship with the guy she crushed on as a teenager. But war veteran Luis has issues of his own, and Tara doesn’t know if either of them is ready to handle anything serious—even as her heart is falling deeper in love.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20825002-the-temporary-promise?from_search=true
Buy Links:
The Matchmaking Pact
Publication Date: March 5, 2014
Blurb:
Corinne Cartright has an agenda: to snap up the office hottie before someone else does. She and her buddy Seth make a pact to each try to land their current crushes and, failing that, to set each other up with the perfect match.
But learning more about her friends’ romantic choices causes Corinne to rethink what she wants from a relationship. Is it possible that the man of her dreams has been right in front of her all this time?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20825040-the-matchmaking-pact?from_search=true
Buy Links:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-matchmaking-pact-bonnie-dee/1118874536?ean=2940149594245
The New Leaf Pledge
Promise Series, Book 4
Coming Soon!
Blurb:
Adya Parish has been a drifter for too long. She vows to take back control and not rely on any man to keep her. Piecing together a new life requires time spent alone or with friends—not with the sweet man, his adorable daughter and crazy dog that careen into her life.
But with one chance meeting in the park, Adya begins to find the family she has always longed for. It will take real strength of will to refuse to fall for them and continue to stand alone for the first time in her life.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20825030-the-new-leaf-pledge?from_search=true
The Wedding Affirmation
Promise Series, Book 5
Coming Soon!
Blurb:
Bree’s wedding to Tony, the man she truly loves, has almost arrived. But first it’s time for a bachelorette weekend with the best friends from her youth, Graci, Tara, Corinne and Adya.
Considered the wild one of the group back in the day, Bree hardly seems a candidate to be first down the aisle. She feels driven to have one last crazy fling and, as the weekend progresses, she begins to panic about making her wedding vows. It takes the considerable will power and support of her friends to set Bree back on the course to love.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20825055-the-wedding-affirmation?from_search=true
Author Bio:
Bonnie Dee began telling stories as a child. Whenever there was a sleepover, she was the designated ghost tale teller, guaranteed to frighten and thrill with macabre tales. She still has a story printed on yellow legal paper in second grade about a ghost, a witch and a talking cat.
Writing childish stories for her own pleasure led to majoring in English at college. Like most English majors, she dreamed of writing a novel, but didn’t have the necessary focus and follow through at that time in her life. A husband, children and work occupied the next twenty years and it was only in 2000 that she began writing again. Bonnie enjoys reading stories about people damaged by life who find healing with a like-minded soul. When she couldn’t find enough books to suit her taste, she began to write them.
Connect with Bonnie
Giveaway Code:
GUEST POST WITH BONNIE DEE:
Thanks for inviting me to guest on your blog today!
I’m Bonnie Dee and I’m an erratic (not always erotic) romance writer. I’ve skipped from historical to paranormal to romance and more, following my muse. Recently I decided to buckle down and limit myself a little in order to build a more solid foundation, a brand that readers can identify. My new contemporary Promise series is an attempt to do that.
I wanted to write about a group of female friends who had once been close and who come back together as adults. My first thought was that they’d met in Juvie and gone their separate ways, and now one is in trouble and must call on her old friends. My oldest daughter came up with a different idea. “Make it sort of a cross between Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Sex and the City. Light and fun like that.” She said the stories should lead up to a wedding that would take place in the final book, along with all sorts of fun bachelorette shenanigans. I said “Okay” and started to write.
Originally, I thought these would be very hot, erotic stories with titles like Taste Me, Tempt Me, Tease Me, Touch Me and so on. But the stories coming out, though still sexy, were much lighter than such titles suggest. Plus, if you ever look on Amazon there’s a glut of books with titles like that.
Once I turned the first manuscript in to my editor, she noticed that in each book some sort of promise is made and we decided that was a perfect theme for the series. You can check out The Seduction Vow for free at Amazon right now. The Temporary Promise and The Matchmaking Pact are also available, with The New Leaf Pledge to follow in April. The series will culminate with The Wedding Affirmation in May.
Here’s the blurb for The Seduction Vow (formerly The Virginity Vow, but the title seemed misleading as readers thought it was about keeping rather than losing virginity).
After an abruptly ended engagement, Graciela Ramirez is dying of a broken heart AND has to attend her friend’s wedding as the only member of her old group who’s still a virgin. On a quest to reinvent herself as bolder, braver and sexier, she tries crazy new things and intends to have a one night stand. Catapulted into the dating game once more, Graci never expects that Neal, the hot musician she literally runs into at a bar, might be her second chance at love. He’s supposed to be her transition guy, but love doesn’t arrive on a schedule and that annoying virginity may not be as easy to lose as she’d hoped.
The Promise Series
Five best friends scattered by time and distance will soon come together to witness the wedding vows of one. But in the meantime, each woman make pledges of her own and finds unexpected new love waiting just around the corner. Promises will be made and sometimes broken but sisterhood endures in this series about five forever-friends and the men who love them.
Book 1 – The Seduction Vow
Book 2 – The Temporary Promise
Book 3 – The Matchmaking Pact
Book 4 – The New Leaf Pledge
Book 5 – The Wedding Affirmation
I hope readers will check out my new series and get as involved in these women’s lives as I have become.
Thanks again for spending time with me today.
Bonnie
"The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself–the invisible..."
- Jesse Owens
Wise words from an inspirational man.
“You’re not supposed to make me laugh when you’re kissing me.”...
“You’re not supposed to make me laugh when you’re kissing me.” Isn’t that the best kind of kiss? #CanBeGold http://ow.ly/sPttn #NaughtyNookie
Simone Barranquet is in a rut. In fact, her life is one huge rut. Until she falls into Zane Matthews’ (The Zane Matthews!) arms and unwittingly finds herself.
But even then, life can’t hand Mona a candy bar. There’s always something bittersweet to spoil her happiness and in this instance, it’s Zane’s husband.
Yeah. Husband!
Can Mona wade through the fallout to find her own Happy Ever After? Or is she destined to lead a Zane-free and love-free life?
If she can grab the bull by the balls, then maybe, just maybe she can.
But does she have enough cojones of her own to do just that?
NAUGHTY NOOKIE SERIES ON:
Free Christmas Short - Mona - Deck The Halls With Handsome Hunks
CONNECT WITH ME:
Serena Akeroyd - Facebook Page
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