D.E. Haggerty's Blog, page 72
July 17, 2016
Your Every Word by @CarrieWexford #romance #suspense #excerpt
Book title: Your Every Word
Author: Carrie Wexford
Genre: Romance/suspense thriller
Published: 2016
Synopsis
Everyone pursues a dream in the City of Angels. For LaDonna, it is finding the man of her heart’s desire. She is delighted to meet Zane, a charming screenwriter. But will his dangerous secrets doom their whirlwind love story?
Excerpt
At 7:20 on a hectic Friday night in mid-June, a young woman exited Barragia’s Pizzeria on Santa Monica Boulevard with a flat cardboard box.
LaDonna Monrovia favored classic, casual clothes; this evening she wore a white, full-sleeved peasant blouse with a chic tan leather vest. Recently she read on a fashion blog that vests were once again in style, and she thought the vintage garment upgraded her faded blue jeans. Her only jewelry was a gold locket she had inherited from her maternal grandmother.
LaDonna’s soft eyes were fatigued after a tedious week of crunching numbers and shuffling papers. She was looking forward to curling up on the couch and watching the Monterey Mystery Files marathon on Channel 1288.
She scolded herself. Look at me. Thirty-two and no social life.
She halted in the river of pedestrians on the narrow sidewalk, flicked her brunette, shoulder blade length hair behind her, and raised the box’s lid.
She was glad that she double-checked her order before heading home. Papaya wedges and Canadian bacon slices decorated one-half of the pizza; diced mushrooms and extra mozzarella cheese filled the other side.
No! They forgot the bell peppers! She turned back quickly to the restaurant.
Too quickly. She collided with a six-foot-tall obstacle.
The box flipped out of her hands.
She caught her breath.
A tall man with an athletic build stood between her and the entrance to Barragia’s Pizzeria. His right hand suspended several garments on wire hangers over his shoulder. It was fortunate that the clear plastic bags sheathed his dry cleaning, for tomato sauce and melted cheese coated the buttoned-down shirt and designer necktie he was wearing.
“I am so sorry,” LaDonna stammered.
His free hand pried the goo off his chest. “Is that papaya? Who puts tropical fruit on a pizza?”
“My roommate does.” She remembered the paper napkins in her purse. She pulled one out and offered it to him.
He gave up wiping the stains, for his shirt was ruined. “Tell your roommate that he’s not having pizza tonight.”
“He’s not a he. He’s a she. I mean, she’s a she. Her name is Sonnet.” LaDonna realized that she was babbling, but she could not help it.
The stranger was distressingly handsome. He stood several inches taller than her five feet seven. His dark hair shimmered in the glow of the streetlights. His eyes were enticing labyrinths a girl could get lost in. His angular jawline bore a suggestion of five o’clock shadow.
She waved at his shirt helplessly. “I’ll pay to have it cleaned, of course.”
“That’s all right. I just picked up my laundry, so I have plenty of shirts.” He seemed genuinely amused by the incident. His dynamic eyes traveled to her left hand, which nervously twisted her antique gold necklace.
He’s looking for a ring! LaDonna cheered silently. He’s single. And he wonders if I am, too.
“Besides, it was entirely my fault,” he said.
“No, really. It was mine.” She tilted one foot behind her like an ingénue posing on stage.
He was absolutely captivating. His broad shoulders gave him an air of destiny. It thrilled her that he lingered before her, searching for an opportunity to get to know her better.
“Your face is so familiar.” His faint frown was charming. “Where have we met? Ah, it will come back to me. I feel terrible about this. Let me buy you another pizza. Or…wait.” He glanced down the street. “I was about to go to dinner. I hate eating alone. Would you like to join me?”
She hesitated. This is not happening. No one literally runs into a gorgeous man and lands a date, in two minutes flat.
He saw that she was flustered. “I hope I’m not being too forward. It’s hard to meet people in my line of work.”
“What do you do for a living?”
He poured a disarming smile upon her. “I’m a screenwriter.”
“How exciting! You must meet many celebrities at parties.”
“I don’t go out much. I’m more of a stay-at-home type. Watch TV. Put my feet up. My name’s Zane, by the way.”
“LaDonna.”
“That’s a pretty name. Unusual, too.” When he took her hand, his body heat radiated through his lean fingers. “So, what do you say? Dinner? I know an excellent steak-and-seafood place on Barrington.”
“Yes, sure,” she heard herself say. This is unreal.
Zane strolled toward a silver Alfa Romeo 4C Spider parked at the curb. “Give me a second to change my shirt.”
She gaped at the two-seater convertible. “Is this your car?”
He laid the dry cleaning bags in the compact trunk. “What do you think of it?”
She imagined a road trip in this magnificent machine. “A car like this inspires you to take risks.”
His fingers paused on his shirt’s buttons. He repeated her words with deliberate care.
His enchanting grin grew wider. It was as if she had passed an important test.
Zane unfastened his stained shirt and slid it off his muscular arms. His self-confidence astonished her; he revealed his naked torso on a city street as easily as on a public beach. She marveled at his chiseled shoulders and well-developed pecs.
LaDonna forced herself to look up. Does he know how attractive he is? And does he think I’m pretty? He said my name is pretty.
She fixated on the shadow on his upper lip. She wondered if his unshaven face would feel rough on hers.
Author bio
An L.A. native, Carrie Wexford is an author of contemporary and historical fiction. Carrie’s latest novel is the story of a young actress in 1920s Los Angeles.
Author links
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest
The Reading Habits Tag #amreading #amblogging
As y’all know, I’ve being quite the cheater with blog posts this month – which translates into me finding fun (but simple) tags. I found the Reading Habits Tag over at The Magic of Books blog – which is one of my favs. Make sure to head on over there and check it out!
Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
Two places actually. I’m either in my chair or outside on the balcony. It gets super duper hot in Turkey in the summer. You can usually find me on the balcony after lunch until the sun is high in the sky when I’ll slink back into the house to sit on my chair – after I kick the dog off of it, that is.
Bookmark or random piece of paper?
I hardly read any ‘real’ books at the moment – although I’m hoping that will change once I’m in a country with bookstores with books in languages I understand! If I am reading a ‘real’ book, I usually use a boarding pass as they are the perfect size for a bookmark.
Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/ a certain amount of pages?
Ok. I admit it. I have a problem. I can hardly ever stop reading a book once a start – with the exception of non-fiction and literature (as in the classics). I plan my reading based on how long Amazon tells me it will take me to read a book. I literally can’t sleep if I’m in the middle of reading a book. I’m looking for a support group.
Do you eat or drink while reading?
I almost always have something near me to drink at all times. In the morning, it’s coffee (although I hardly ever read in the morning as I won’t get anything done all day – see point 3). In the afternoon, it’s usually soda or lemonade. And I won’t deny having a glass of wine or two while drinking – oops! reading – in the evening.
Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?
I don’t mind music while reading but definitely no TV. TV is way too distracting. Well, it would be if there were more than three channels in English which seem to repeat CSI over and over. (As a former police officer, I can only roll my eyes and change the channel when CSI comes on.)
One book at a time or several at once?
Several. I usually have one non-fiction book I’m slowly making my way through as well as a book I’m reading for review and a book for my own pleasure.
Reading at home or everywhere?
Everywhere. I always have my kindle with me. On the rare occasions, I don’t have my kindle (or when standing in line at immigration for two hours to get into Istanbul), I’ll use the kindle app on my phone.
Reading out loud or silently in your head?
Silently. I wouldn’t have a voice left if I read out loud.
Do you read ahead or even skip pages?
Mostly not. Sometimes – rarely – I’ll be too tired to finish a book in the evening but, knowing that I can’t sleep without finishing, I’ll skip ahead and read the final chapters.
Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?
I am totally not one of those persons that believes books should stay pristine. Books are living, breathing things to me and are made to be used – not stay looking new. My only exception to this rule is signed books. I put those on a separate shelf and read a different copy (or ebook).
Do you write in your books?
Not usually. I’ll highlight and make notes in travel books but not in fiction books. I don’t have any idea what I would write in a book anyway.
PROMO BLITZ- A Bodyguard of Lies by Donna Del Oro @WildRosePress
A Bodyguard of Lies
Donna Del Oro
Romantic Suspense
Date Published: 06/08/2016
FBI analyst Jake Bernstein is recruited to go undercover and investigate an American grandmother wanted for war crimes during WWII but currently on a tour of England and Ireland with her granddaughter. Jake joins them and runs into complications when his growing attraction to the woman’s granddaughter challenges his obligation to remain emotionally detached. As the investigation intensifies, a neo-Nazi group tries to prevent him from learning the truth and Jake struggles to stay alive long enough to either prove the woman’s guilt or exonerate her.
Despite Meg Larsen’s mounting passion for the stranger who has joined their tour, she suspects he’s not who he claims to be. When she realizes her grandmother, the woman who raised her, is the target of the man’s investigation, her first instinct is to protect her. Eventually, however, Meg must face the possibility of her grandmother’s lifetime of lies while forced to trust a man who has become both their nemesis and bodyguard.
Purchase Links
Website ~ Publisher
About the Author
NY Times bestselling author Brenda Novak says of A BODYGUARD OF LIES, Book One in the Jake Bernstein Mystery Thriller series, “The past and the present collide in this intriguing romantic thriller that captures the angst and pain a lifetime of lies can cause…combines politics, romance and history. This story positively captivates!”
Contact Links
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
July 16, 2016
Choose the Sky by @coleheartedgirl #bookreview #historicalromance
Betray not the heart…
Lady Domina is playing a daring game. After her father falls gravely ill, she hides the truth of his condition and continues to rule in his name. Then one of the king’s knights arrives on royal business, and she must find a way to deceive the arrogant, handsome intruder.
Sir Luc of Braecon is fiercely loyal to the king. His battle scars prove it. When he is ordered to investigate reports of an insurrection, he swears to find the traitor. The first clues lead him directly to the Lady Domina. As the relentless knight exposes one secret after another, he finds that nothing about the tantalizing lady is what it seems.
Soon Domina and Luc are locked in a dance of deception, lust, and betrayal, each turn bringing them closer to a finale where winner takes all. Considering the stakes, the real danger is falling in love…
The second book in the Swordcross Knights: A series of full-length historical romance novels set in the vivid and beguiling world of medieval Britannia.
Book Review
It is a tribute to Cole’s writing that she can take a time period , which is personally not one of my favorites, and write a story that I love. And I did love this story. It had everything a reader lives for: intrigue, mystery, and, of course, love. Like all of Cole’s heroines, Domina is a strong woman acting nothing like a woman of her time period should act. Naturally, this gets her into all kinds of trouble. She was beyond stubborn, but who could blame her? It’s not like she had anyone she could rely upon.
I liked Luc as well, although he really, really (times a hundred) angered me in the beginning. His personal growth – from power obsessed jerk to honorable knight – was believable and a delight to read. Too bad he couldn’t have given up on his stubborness as well.
Although I figured out who the ‘bad guy’ was fairly early, there was still plenty of mystery and intrigue to keep me flipping the pages. I couldn’t put the book down – even when my dog looked at me with puppy eyes and begged me to go for a walk.
Biography
Get her FREE STARTER BOOKS by joining “The Zodiac” at http://elizabethcole.co/newsletter
Elizabeth Cole is a romance author with a penchant for history, which is why she lives in an old house in an old city. She can be found hanging around libraries and archives, or curled in a corner reading, cat on lap. She believes in love at first sight. Then again, she also believes that mac ‘n’ cheese is a healthy breakfast, so don’t trust her judgment on everything.
Elizabeth is currently writing her Swordcross Knights series of medieval romances set in the beguiling word of Britannia during the period known as “The Anarchy”. The second novel, CHOOSE THE SKY, is now available!
Elizabeth also writes the Secrets of the Zodiac series of romantic spy thrillers set in the Regency period. The fifth novel, BENEATH SLEEPLESS STARS, is now available!
Elizabeth loves hearing from readers. Connect with her at elizabethcole.co or Twitter @coleheartedgirl
July 15, 2016
The Sound of Running Horses by Donna Ball #mystery #excerpt #giveaway
The Sound of Running Horses
by Donna Ball
GENRE: Mystery
BLURB
Still recovering from the traumatic events of the past year, newlyweds Aggie Malone, police chief of Dogleg Island, and Deputy Sheriff Ryan Grady are looking forward to a carefree day of picnics, pirates and buried treasure with their precocious—and uncannily perceptive– border collie, Flash. But when Flash discovers a body in a shallow grave on the deserted Wild Horse Island Nature Preserve, a tangled knot of conspiracy, murder and deception begins to unfold, revealing that the things that are buried are often the most dangerous and the only pirates you have to fear are the ones that live next door. Fifteen hundred miles away, an ex-con and a fifteen year old girl embark upon a crime spree that will earn them the nicknames “Bonnie and Clyde”. As they make their way inexorably south, Aggie, Grady and Flash are thrust into the middle of a murder investigation that leads to the arrest of one of their neighbors and the attempted suicide of another. When a search of the dead girl’s belongings reveals a priceless emerald bracelet and two of the islands most popular residents go missing, the puzzle becomes even more complicated. Grady and Aggie struggle to put all the pieces into place while Flash, ever obsessed with understanding the human condition, wrestles with a more painful dilemma: how do you tell the good guys from the bad guys when they are so often the same person?
EXCERPT
Finding things, for Flash, was not difficult. Sometimes the things he found were useful to Aggie, like car keys or missing socks or a stick with blood on it. Sometimes they were not so useful, like broken beer bottles in the sand or bad-smelling toads in the back yard. But for the most part he liked finding things—except for the things that were buried. The bad things were almost always buried. And finding them never made anyone happy.
He pawed at the wet, loose sand until he found what he knew was there, then stepped back, waiting for Aggie, feeling unhappy. When she got there she looked down, and he heard her catch her breath with a choked, wet sound. The weight of the unhappiness was so heavy then that Flash sank to the ground, his head between his paws. Aggie knelt beside him, resting a hand on his fur, her breath coming fast and shallow.
“Oh, Flash,” she whispered.
Grady demanded from the telephone, “What? Is Flash okay? What happened?”
Flash had uncovered a scrap of fabric, too dirty now to determine its original color or purpose. And attached to the fabric, also black with dirt and the beginning of deterioration, was a human hand.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Donna Ball is the author of over a hundred novels under several different pseudonyms in a variety of genres that include romance, mystery, suspense, paranormal, western adventure, historical and women’s fiction. Recent popular series include the Ladybug Farm series by Berkley Books and the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery series. Donna is an avid dog lover and her dogs have won numerous titles for agility, obedience and canine musical freestyle. She divides her time between the Blue Ridge mountains and the east coast of Florida, where she lives with a variety of four-footed companions. You can contact her at http://www.donnaball.net
The Sound of Running Horses, Book Two in the Dogleg Island Mystery series, is available July 15 2016 in paperback, and for Kindle and Nook. Buy it from Amazon.com here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GOLP4FE
GIVEAWAY
Donna will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
July 14, 2016
Book buying habits #amreading
I saw this blog post about book buying habits over at the Book Huntress and I thought it looked like fun. Err… That’s a bit of a lie. Easy. That’s the word that really came to mind. But I can do easy and fun, can’t I? Let’s see…
My Book Buying Habits
Where do you buy your books from?
Mostly Amazon. And before all you Amazon-haters get started just remember that I currently (2 more weeks!) live in a country that has hardly any English bookstores and the post takes several months to arrive, if it even bothers to arrive at all.
Do you ever pre-order books and if so do you do this in store or online?
I’ve pre-ordered books in the past for book club. At the time, I did this in stores. Now, I only pre-order books on the rare occasion that I’ve gotten sucked into a serial.
On average, how many books do you buy a month?
Um, do you want the answer I give my husband or the truth? At least 30 ebooks but probably a bit more than that. Just don’t ask me to define bit.
Do you use your local library?
I don’t even know where the library is in Istanbul. In Germany, I didn’t use the library either as it had very few English books. Most of the English books in the library (and the bookstores for that matter!) were the classics, which are required reading for high schoolers. No thanks. Been there. Done that.
What is your opinion on library books?
If I could find a library with English books (and not just the Penguin classics), I’d be ecstatic!
How do you feel about second hand books?
There used to be the awesome second hand bookstore chain in the Netherlands. It had an entire section with English books for a dollar or two. It was AWESOME! The store went out of business, which makes me very sad.
Do you keep your TBR pile on your main bookshelves or no?
Mostly on the normal bookshelf. Books that I’ve agreed to review, I put in a separate (virtual) shelf and then promptly forget about until I see the day of the review approaching on my agenda and then I freak out.
Do you plan to read all of the books you own?
Of course!
What do you do with books you feel you will never read/did not enjoy?
It really depends on why I didn’t enjoy it. If the book was poorly written and edited (as in not edited), I may write a review on Amazon about that. In general, I try to just move on. As a writer myself, I’m a bit biased on this point and I need to watch myself before I become bitter. There’s been more than one bottle of wine drunken after reading a book which had tons of 5 star reviews and was high up on the best seller list but was inundated with grammatical and spelling mistakes.
Have you ever donated books?
Yes. I donate some of my own works for libraries and such. Whenever I happen to see a book sale for charity, I’ll donate some old books and then buy more books than I donated. Oops!
Have you ever been on a book buying ban?
No. That’s just silly.
Do you feel that you buy too many books?
Is this a real question? Of course not!
July 13, 2016
Cover Reveal for Bulldog’s Girls by @AnnMayburn #romanticsuspense
Cover Reveal for BULLDOG’S GIRLS by Ann Mayburn!
A small town, contemporary/erotic romance novel that is sure to make you want a cold shower!
Here’s your first look at the cover for Ann Mayburn’s new book BULLDOG’S GIRLS!
Visit one of the following blogs on July 14th to see the sultry cover for Ann Mayburn’s upcoming release for BULLDOG’S GIRLS:
About Bulldog’s Girls:
Amaya gave up everything to protect her daughter, Peyton, but it wasn’t enough and a sadistic enemy she thought was dead is tormenting her from beyond the grave. In a desperate attempt to keep her daughter safe, Amaya flees to the small Michigan Beach town of Green Haven where she meets Paul McKay, a retired football player and her new neighbor. Paul, known around town as Bulldog, finds himself drawn to the sassy, beautiful young woman and her adorable little girl, yet is puzzled why a woman who is as attracted to him as he is to her constantly pushes him away. When he finds out about the evil hunting Amaya and Peyton he vows that he will do anything to keep them safe, even if it means sacrificing his own life in the process.
Be sure to follow Ann Mayburn on social media and visit her website to keep up to date as more information is released about Bulldog’s Girls!
Follow Ann: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads
Author Bio:
With over forty published books, Ann is Queen of the Castle to her husband and three sons in the mountains of West Virginia. In her past lives she’s been an Import Broker, a Communications Specialist, a US Navy Civilian Contractor, a Bartender/Waitress, and an actor at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. She also spent a summer touring with the Grateful Dead-though she will deny to her children that it ever happened. From a young Ann has had a love affair with books would read everything she could get her hands on. As Ann grew older, and her hormones kicked in, she discovered bodice ripping Fabio-esque romance novels. They were great at first, but she soon grew tired of the endless stories with a big wonderful emotional buildup to really short and crappy sex. Never a big fan of purple prose, throbbing spears of fleshy pleasure and wet honey pots make her giggle, she sought out books that gave the sex scenes in the story just as much detail and plot as everything else-without using cringe worthy euphemisms. This led her to the wonderful world of Erotic Romance, and she’s never looked back. Now Ann spends her days trying to tune out cartoons playing in the background to get into her ‘sexy space’ and has accepted that her Muse has a severe case of ADD. Ann loves to talk with her fans, as long as they realize she’s weird, and that sarcasm doesn’t translate well via text.
An Unhuman Journey by Candace Blevins #review #fantasy
There’s a war brewing between good and evil, and the chess pieces are being set…
Aaron has gone missing, and Mordecai has taken over Kirsten’s training. She’s learning by leaps and bounds under the god-of-old’s not-so-gentle tutelage, but with Nathan in charge of Drake Security during The Dragon King’s unplanned absence, everything is upside down.
The evil Celrau vampires were banned from creating new offspring, but they’ve bargained for permission to do so in the Underworld, where the Concilio has no authority. As part of their army-building, the Celrau vampires kidnap Kirsten and take her to the Underworld with the intention of making her one of them. Alone in another realm, Kirsten must form unexpected alliances to survive a most Unhuman Journey.
Join bestselling author Candace Blevins on a thrilling adventure into the critically acclaimed sequel to Only Human.
EXCERPT:
“I have a proposition for you.”
I once again held my tongue and didn’t remind him there’d be no sex. “I’m listening.”
“I’d like to have full access to you from an as-yet-to-be-specified Thursday evening until Monday morning, for which I will pay you ten thousand dollars.”
I opened my mouth to turn him down, but he held a hand up. “No safeword. No limits. I’ll do whatever I want, however I want, with the understanding you’ll be rested, healed, and back to normal by seven o’clock Monday morning.”
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
* Amazon
* iTunes
* Kobo
MY REVIEW:
I love the novels by Blevins. I’ve inhaled most of them without breaks for food, drink, or other human urges. An Unhuman Journey is classic Blevins – an in-depth fantasy story that keeps readers flipping pages, a kickass heroine and a quick, witty style of writing that I do so enjoy.
First, the story. I have a major girl crush on Blevins. I only got into fantasy two years ago and her Rolling Thunder series was definitely one of the reasons (or faults depending on if you’re asking the hubby). I love how several of her series are intertwined, but still there’s still so much to learn about what’s really going on. Of course, we readers are waiting with bated breathe for the final battle between good and evil.
I have to admit that I’m not in love with Kirsten. I love reading novels written in first person, but I think in this case I would have enjoyed the story more if it wasn’t written solely form Kirsten’s perspective. She kept saying she wasn’t a badass, but she was a badass! Her denying it over and over, though, caused me to continuously look for her flaws. I didn’t enjoy the BDSM much either. To be honest, I’m not a huge BDSM fan, anyway, but if it’s coupled with love and romance, I can be down with it. Unfortunaly, Kristen’s story doesn’t involve much romance and that’s a bit disappointing. To be fair to Blevins – no one promised me romance, I just made a wrong assumption.
That’s not to say I didn’t eat the story about. Because I did. I read Only Human and An Unhuman Journey during a three-day trip. (Luckily, the flight attendants didn’t tell me to turn my kindle off at any time because those are fighting words!)
I recommend this book to fantasy lovers with enjoy their stories with a heaping side helping of BDSM scenes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Candace Blevins lives with her husband of 18 years and their two daughters. When not working or driving kids all over the place she can be found reading, writing, meditating, or swimming.
Candace writes Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary BDSM Romance, and a kick-ass Motorcycle Club series.
Her urban fantasy series, Only Human, gives us a world where weredragons, werewolves, werelions, three different species of vampires, as well as a variety of other mythological beings exist.
Candace’s two paranormal romance series, The Chattanooga Supernaturals and The Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, are both sister series to the Only Human series, and give some secondary characters their happily ever after.
Her Safeword Series gives us characters who happen to have some extreme kinks. Relationships can be difficult enough without throwing power exchange into the mix, and her books show characters who care enough about each other to fight to make the relationship work. Each book in the Safeword series highlights a couple with a different take on the lifestyle.
You can visit Candace on the web at candaceblevins.com and feel free to friend her on Facebook at facebook.com/candacesblevins and Goodreads at goodreads.com/CandaceBlevins. You can also join facebook.com/groups/CandacesKinksters to get sneak peeks into what she’s writing now, images that inspire her, and the occasional juicy blurb.
Stay up to date on Candace’s newest releases, and get exclusive excerpts by joining her mailing list!
Only Human series (Urban Fantasy)
An Unhuman Journey (June 2016)
Unhuman Acts (late 2016)
Chattanooga Supernaturals (Paranormal Romance)
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club ( link )
Nix (Novella, Summer 2016)
Ghost
Bud
Dawg
Dark erotica shorts from the world of The Chattanooga Supernaturals
Indentured Freedom: Owned by the Vampire
Safeword series (Contemporary BDSM Romance)
Safewords: Davenport and Chiffon
No Safeword: Matte – The Honeymoon
No Safeword: Matte – Happily Ever After
Safeword: Mayday (TBA)
GIVEAWAY:
July 12, 2016
Waking Eden by @rhennamorgen #bookreview #fantasy #giveaway
Contemporary fantasy author, Rhenna Morgan, is back with her latest Eden Series novel, WAKING EDEN. Join the fun and help Rhenna celebrate WAKING EDEN’s upcoming release with pre-release tour reviews, excerpts, and more! Don’t forget to participate in the tour giveaways, too! See below for details!
Title: Waking Eden, Eden #3
Author: Rhenna Morgan
Author Location: Oklahoma
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Release Date: July 26, 2016
Format: Digital eBook/Print
ISBN: 978-1-945361-00-5/978-1-945361-01-2
Synopsis:
The only hope for saving their race is to surrender their hearts.
With a long foretold and annoyingly vague prophecy warning of immense change for Eden, Ramsay Shantos is forced to hunt words and legends instead of rebels. For a man of action, it’s the worst kind of agony. Until he encounters a sexy librarian who bears the fated prophecy’s mark. A mark no human should possess.
Tortured by her mixed heritage, Trinity Blair has enjoyed little human touch in her life, let alone intimacy. Even the most innocent contact fills her mind with a person’s deepest, darkest secrets—except for Ramsay. Her immunity to his thoughts sparks a fragile hope that she might finally experience the passion of her Dark Spiritu brethren…unless he’s the dangerous crossroads her father predicted.
When knowledge of Eden goes viral in the human realm, Trinity is Ramsay’s only hope for quelling mass panic. Can he risk revealing the secrets of his race to the guileless ray of sunshine? Or is she the unknown source of Eden’s destruction?
Warning: Contains one playboy warrior well-equipped with wicked words, a panty-melting grin, and well-honed moves in and out of the bedroom.
Pre-order now for only $2.99 at: Amazon | ARe | iBooks | Kobo | International options
Also available in the Eden Series:
Coming October, 2016: EDEN’S DELIVERANCE , Book 4
Review:
I love Eden. I’m still trying to find a portal to get there myself. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for reading Morgan’s books. Waking Eden doesn’t disappoint. But this book is not a standalone. You’ll need to read the previous books in the series to understand what’s going on in this one. Fair warning – you’ll get hooked and be very impatient for the fourth and final installment of the series. (Taps foot with impatience.)
I really liked Trinity. Her story was full of twists and turns. I’m normally a huge opponent of virgins in love stories, but it worked here because there’s a whole story behind Trinity’s inability to touch others. Ramsay annoyed me at times. Luckily, he had a brother to help him pull his head out of his a$$. The love story was enjoyable to read, although I’ll admit to liking the couples in the two previous novels better.
The battle between good and evil is heating up, though, and the intrigue that involves will keep you flipping pages long after you’ve promised the hubby ‘just one more chapter’.
Start this book – or the series if you haven’t already – at your peril.
About Rhenna Morgan:
Rhenna Morgan writes for the same reason she reads—to escape reality. A native Oklahoman with two beautiful girls and a fantastic husband, her resume reflects her passion for new experiences. Since graduating with a Bachelors in Radio, Television, and Film at Oklahoma State, she’s racked up positions ranging from on-air radio talent, skip tracer, and promotions director, to real estate agent, project manager, and business analyst. Like most women, she’s got obligations stacked tight from dusk to dawn. That’s where the romance comes in. Reading, or writing, romance has been her happy place since she cracked the spine on her first Christine Feehan book years ago. Nothing thrills her more than the fantasy of new, exciting worlds, and strong, intuitive men who’ll fight to keep the women they want. Whether it’s contemporary, paranormal, or fantasy you’re after, Rhenna’s stories pack romantic escape for the women who need it. Connect with Rhenna: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumblr | Newsletter
GIVEAWAY
One (1) lucky reader will #win a $25 #giftcard from Amazon and one (1) lucky winner will win an Eden Series prize pack! (Picture attached to email)
July 11, 2016
Shadows of an Empress by @carolewaterhous #literaryfiction #giveaway #excerpt
Title: Shadows of an Empress
Author: Carole Waterhouse
Publisher: Anaphora Literary Press
Pages: 310
Genre: Literary Fiction
After the death of her mother, Sylvia is sent to live with her grandmother on an isolated piece of farmland, where she and a nymph-like companion run through the woods creating an imaginary world where her mother is still alive. When Sylvia marries Dan, everyone sees her life moving from tragic to fairy tale. But when a recurring dream about a city she can’t identify leaves Sylvia feeling especially unsettled, she goes into her living room on a sleepless night and finds the Empress Elisabeth of Austria waiting for her.
Suspecting their lives are somehow linked, the empress helps Sylvia sort through her past and question her present. She and Sissi, Elisabeth’s younger version, embark on a whirlwind tour of places related to the empress’s past where the Archduchess Sophie tries to arrange a courtship between Sylvia and Franz Joseph, a heart-broken Heinrich Heine laments the empress’s tendency to credit him as the inspiration for her awful poetry, and Sigmund Freud offers commentary on their journey. As they travel, Sylvia becomes more aware of the empress’s faults. As their paths begin to separate, Sylvia learns from Elisabeth’s mistakes and comes to realize that the answers she has been searching for need to come from within. In a mock ceremony in Vienna, Sylvia is crowned the empress of herself and returns home to start a new life with Dan. She understands then that the city she has been haunted by all this time is the life the two of them built, the one they are finally ready to enter together.
Shadows of an Empress is available at Amazon.
Excerpt
Chapter 1
2002
Sylvia turned up the radios in all three rooms—the kitchen, the bedroom, the workshop—the different locations making it sound as though there were three people talking, one an echo of the other. Still, it was his voice surrounding her completely, a sound that always gave her comfort. Dan, Dan, the music man. Her husband never realized the most intimate words he ever spoke to her had nothing to do with love.
The radios were turned up so high, she wondered how far his voice actually carried, for miles maybe, certainly as far as Zoe’s house. She came down once, laughing, turning them off, one after the other, diminishing the last to a faint whisper. “Why do you make him shout so?”
When Sylvia told her the reason, that she loved surrounding herself with the sound of his voice, wanted not to just listen but to be able to feel it in her bones, Zoe stopped and looked at her. “Don’t tell me after all these years you’re still in love.”
Sylvia could hear the envy in her voice. She suspected that Zoe, too, listened to Dan’s voice, knew what it was like to have it pulsate through her veins.
Dan, Dan the Music Man.
They had laughed at the name he was given, the repetition meant to sound lyrical, like one of the tunes circling in his head. Neither of them had ever expected that a radio show about music boxes would become nationally syndicated, even in a niche area like NPR. He was a celebrity in some circles, even if most people had no idea who he was. Zoe called him the most famous man no one had ever heard of, and, given the way Dan laughed when she said it, Sylvia wished it had been her comment instead.
“Music boxes can change lives. There’s no doubt. I’ve witnessed it many times.”
It was the voice she listened to more than the words, although she sometimes felt his comments were a secret code meant only for her. At the moment he was describing one of their own antiques, a real treasure they had acquired just a few weeks ago, the one Dan called the music box of his dreams.
It was actually a large automaton with rows of horses that would race across the front as the music played, the device designed so that the winning horse was randomly selected. She knew why he prized it, that it wasn’t just the box itself, as exquisite as it was, but the way it represented their lives together, fitting in perfectly with the Victorian farmhouse, the real horses she loved so, a true home where husband and friend were never far away.
About the Author
A professor of creative writing at California University of Pennsylvania, Carole Waterhouse has an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in 20th Century Literature from Ohio University. She’s the author of three novels, Shadows of an Empress, The Tapestry Baby, and Without Wings, as well as a short story collection, The Paradise Ranch. Her short stories have appeared in an anthology, Horse Crazy: Horses and the Women who Love Them, and numerous literary magazines, including The Massachusetts Review, The Artful Dodge, The Ball State University Forum, Crack the Spine, Blue Lake Review, Ceilidh, Eureka Literary Magazine, Crossconnect, Spout, The Styles, Turnrow, Half Tones to Jubilee, Potpourri, The Baybury Review, Arnazella, Parting Gifts, Pointed Circle, Seems, The Rockhurst Review, Oracle, and The Griffin. She has reviewed books for The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, The Pittsburgh Press and The New York Times Book Review.
For More Information
Visit Carol Waterhouse’s website.
Connect with Holly on Facebook and Twitter.
Giveaway
Carole Waterhouse is giving away an autographed copy of THE TAPESTRY BABY!
Terms & Conditions:
By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one autographed copy of The Tapestry Baby by Carole Waterhouse
This giveaway begins July 5 and ends on July 29.
Winners will be contacted via email on July 30.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!
ENTER TO WIN!
![[image error]](https://dehaggerty.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/40d91-unhuman2bjourney2bfacebook2bcover1a.png){kind=link}
![[image error]](https://dehaggerty.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/4fa00-candace_blevins.jpg){kind=link}