Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 112
June 10, 2014
Spotlight On: BREAKING AWAY by Toni Aleo
Title: Breaking Away
Author: Toni Aleo
Series: Assassins #5
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication: June 10, 2014
BREAKING AWAY is a story of loss, healing, and love… where unexpected turns and heartache lead to passion.
To Nashville Assassins’ leading scoring center Phillip Anderson, playing hockey has always been easy… as natural as breathing. His life is no different. That’s until his world is turned upside down by the death of his sister. While mourning his loss, Phillip has to find a way to make his very angry sixteen-year-old niece, Claire, happy. Now, as her guardian, he discovers the only thing that seems to heal her lonely heart is dance class. But what he didn’t count on was the attraction he’d feel towards her drop-dead sexy dance teacher.
For Reese Allen, dancing has always been part of her soul. After having her heart broken in New York, she comes home with the determination to make her dance studio one of the best in Tennessee and succeeds. When she sees Claire dance for the first time, she knows the girl is bound for greatness and takes the troubled teen under her wing. Using dance as therapy, she suddenly finds herself bound to the young woman… and her hot-as-sin uncle.
However, Phillip and Reese are happy in their single lives. It’s simple. They do what they want, who they want, and how they want, but from the moment they meet, the attraction is undeniable. Soon, they are more than willing to spend just one night tangled in the sheets. But, one night turns into two, and two turns into three, until they find themselves in a repeated dance of “One Last Time” that has the potential to be something more… if only Reese and Claire allow it.
Can Phillip find a way to thaw the hearts of both the women in his life, or will he be forever trying to break them away from their pasts?
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON & BN
——————————————————–
2 – Kindles (US ONLY)
– If international and win, you will automatically win a gift card in the amount of the kindle(s).
– The Complete series in paperback and signed. (US)
– The complete series in ebook format. (INT)
– 5 Swag Packs (US ONLY)
Toni Aleo is the author of the Nasvhille Assassins series: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, Empty Net, Falling for the Backup, and Blue Lines.
When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s probably going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel.
She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, two children, and a bulldog. Read more about Toni here.
Website † Facebook † Twitter † GoodReads
Toni Aleo will be attending Chapter by Chapter Book Rave in NY on September 20th! Over a 100+ authors signing! Check it out!
www.cbcevent.com
Cover Reveal: Finding Our Way (Werewolf Wars #3) by Bethany Shaw
Book 3 – Finding Our Way – Werewolf Wars Series
Paranormal Romance/Suspense
Release Date: June 10, 2014
Synopsis
Finding Our Way Bad things happen in threes.
For Nora Jamison, this couldn’t be truer. Her grandmother just passed away, her best friend is in trouble, and she just hit a man with her car. It cannot possibly get any worse. Wrong! Nora quickly finds herself thrust into a world she never knew existed. Werewolves are real, and they are after her and the mysterious stranger she hit. Running for her life, she ends up on a ranch in Texas. Stuck in a new, unfamiliar world, she gets to know the man that helped rescue her. Daniel McKinley is different than anyone Nora has ever met. Despite his rough exterior, Nora can tell there is more to him than meets the eye. However, Nora has a tiny secret of her own. She can only hope that when Daniel learns it he will still look at her the same way.
Daniel McKinley has always been a loner. His father trained him to be an alpha through brute force—not through people skills. Now that Daniel’s older brother is alpha instead, he has become even more of an outcast. Despite their differences, the wolf in him craves the acceptance of his brother—his alpha. While trying to prove himself, he is involved in an accident that draws a human into the line of fire. Unwilling to see an innocent hurt by the enemy wolves after him and his pack, he vows to protect her. Nora is kind, caring, and strong. His past is dark and he fears if she learns too much it will scare her away. Although, he tries to keep his distance, there is something about her that draws him in. Can he keep Nora safe and earn his brother’s trust in the process?
Author Bio
Bethany Shaw has lived in Ohio her entire life. She is happily married to her husband of nine years and together they have two wonderful children. They also share their home with three dogs and two cats. Most of the time, she has at least one of her pets by her feet while she writes. Writing has always been a passion of hers and she is thrilled to pursue her dreams. She enjoys reading romances, young adult and fantasy.
Author Links
Facebook / Tumblr / Goodreads / Amazon / Twitter
Other Books in the Series
Book 1 – Out of the Shadows
Barnes&Noble / Amazon / iTunes
Book 2 – Into the Unknown
Amazon / Barnes&Noble / iTunes
Reveal By
Author Bethany Shaw
Cover Reveal: Tortured Souls, by Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Tortured Souls (Orion Circle #1)
by Kimber
Leigh Wheaton
Release Date: July 2014
Summary from Goodreads:
Sometimes Rest in Peace isn’t an option.
Kacie Ramsey sees ghosts—and it’s ruining her life. Her mother left, her father
blames her, and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t keep the ghosts away.
Now a new power has emerged. Nightly visions of grisly murders and a relentless
predator draw her to the brink of insanity.
When the phantom appears at a party, Kacie’s longtime crush, Logan, saves her.
He invites her to join the Orion Circle, a group of supernatural hunters with
chapters in schools all over the country. Through the Circle, Kacie learns to
embrace her spiritual powers, and for the first time in her life she feels in
control rather than a victim.
But the Foxblood Demon will not give up so easily. A demented serial killer in
life who trapped the souls of the thirteen children he murdered, imprisoning
them within the walls of his mansion. Now in death, he plots his return while
drawing power from the pure souls of the children. He recognizes something in
Kacie he’s never seen before—a medium powerful enough to provide a vessel for
his tainted soul.
Kacie can’t ignore the tortured souls of the children crying out to her every
night. With Logan at her side, she will fight the Foxblood Demon. But can they
banish this powerful phantom, or will Kacie lose not only her body, but her
eternal soul to the monster.
About the Author
Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet
romance. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her
home with three dogs, four cats, and lots of dragons. No, she doesn’t live on a
farm, she just loves animals. She is addicted to romance, videogames,
superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has
to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) She currently lives
in San Antonio, TX but has been somewhat a rolling stone in life, having
resided in several different cities and states.
Author Links:
***GIVEAWAY***
June 9, 2014
Cover Reveal: Bound by Duty by Stormy Smith
Bound by Duty (Bound Series, Book One)
by Stormy Smith
Release Date: July 2014
Summary from Goodreads:
Amelia grew up in a
world of half-truths. She knows she’s an Elder but has no idea what that means.
Her father reminds her daily that she must maintain control but he refuses to
explain why. Even worse, she’s betrothed to the prince of the Immortals and she
doesn’t even know his name.
Finally breaking free to live a few normal years at a community college, the
last thing Amelia expects is to find her best friend in a cheeky Southern girl
and to fall for a self-assured human who sees her for who she is and not what
she’ll be.
As she learns more about herself, Amelia realizes the line between love and
duty is a thin one. As her power continues to increase exponentially and her
questions are slowly answered, Amelia must make the ultimate choice. The
question is, will her head or her heart win the battle?
About the Author
I was born in Southeast Iowa, in a tiny town without much to do. I came
to love reading honestly, with a Mom that had an entire room devoted to books.
We read together until I could read alone, and then we often shared books. We
talked stories and favorite characters, even shared tears over the best ones. I
made friends who also loved books and we grew up with the likes of V.C.
Andrews, L.J. Smith and Anne Rice.
I live in central Iowa now, and went into marketing because I could use my love
of words and head for branding. I married a guy who hates fiction and loves
video games, but we compromise with great movies (often my book adaptations)
and live music. We have two crazy cats that constantly walk across my key board
or curl into my lap for naps while I write.
I love chocolate peanut butter and mint chocolate chip ice cream and Sauvignon
Blanc wine, though not at the same time. I always have music of some sort on
and someday I’ll convince my husband to move to the ocean. Someday.
Author Links:
June 8, 2014
Cover Reveal: The Summer I Fell by Sonya Loveday
Riley Clifton can’t remember a time when she wasn’t a part of the Six, a group of rowdy boys who would do just about anything for her. Growing up alongside of six guys is never easy. Especially in high school. Falling in love with one of the Six? Even harder when Ace has a hold of her heart, and he doesn’t even know it.
Jake (Ace) Aceton has loved Riley for a long time, but has kept the secret oath of the Six. Riley was off limits. At least until after graduation. When he overhears Riley admitting to her best friend, Paige how she feels about him, Ace doesn’t let his chance slip by. Riley, in his mind, has always been his.
When her college plan falls through, and her future is left to the hands of fate, Riley finds herself scrambling to keep up with all the changes. But that’s not the hardest part. The hardest part is saying good-bye, especially to Ace.
Heartache, hard lessons, and a love deeper than her Alabama roots will threaten to crumble Riley’s world as she waits for Ace’s return.
Will Riley and Ace’s love be strong enough to hold them together when life tries to tear them apart?
Sonya Loveday, first and foremost is a reader, an avid one. It is of that love that brought her to the realization that this was the answer to the nagging persistent feeling that ‘there’s got to be something more’.
The dream came alive in 2009 when she purchased her laptop and began the tedious step of becoming a published author.
When she’s not reading, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. And when she’s not doing either of those things she’s sleeping, shuttling her children back and forth to school, letting the dogs and cats in and out of the house for the umpteenth time in the last hour and dreaming of a clean house.
You can find Sonya Loveday here:
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter
WordPress
Cover Reveal: Hell & High Water by Charlie Cochet
Hell and High Water
(Thirds Series, Bk #1)
By Charlie Cochet
Blurb:
When homicide detective Dexter J. Daley’s testimony helps send his partner away for murder, the consequences—and the media frenzy—aren’t far behind. He soon finds himself sans boyfriend, sans friends, and, after an unpleasant encounter in a parking garage after the trial, he’s lucky he doesn’t find himself sans teeth. Dex fears he’ll get transferred from the Human Police Force’s Sixth Precinct, or worse, get dismissed. Instead, his adoptive father—a sergeant at the Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron otherwise known as the THIRDS—pulls a few strings, and Dex gets recruited as a Defense Agent.
Dex is determined to get his life back on track and eager to get started in his new job. But his first meeting with Team Leader Sloane Brodie, who also happens to be his new jaguar Therian partner, turns disastrous. When the team is called to investigate the murders of three HumaniTherian activists, it soon becomes clear to Dex that getting his partner and the rest of the tightknit team to accept him will be a lot harder than catching the killer—and every bit as dangerous.
Available for Pre-Order at
Excerpt
Sloane observed Dex as he made his way to the center of the
mat. The guy had a nice ass too. On that note, maybe it was time for S
picked anyone up, but then, the only thing that seemed to interest him these
days was the job. Why the hell was he thinking about sex now? He followed Dex
onto the blue mat and stopped a few feet away from him, pushing any and all
sexual thoughts out of his mind. He had work to do. A lot of work
to do.
Dex readied himself, stretching his neck and back. Despite
his disastrous introduction, the guy actually had excellent poise. He balanced
perfectly on one leg while he pulled the opposite knee up to stretch then
swapped and did the same with the other. He bent over and grabbed his ankles
with ease then slowly rolled his back to stand upright again. Rotating his
shoulders, he shook himself off and hopped on his toes for a few seconds to
warm up. His movements revealed he was lithe and flexible, yet Sloane couldn’t
understand how this was the same guy who had scored top of his class during the
training run. It was true he didn’t know much about Dex, but he’d read the file
the moment he’d been informed of the decision.
Both parents had been killed during the riots when he was
five years old. He’d been adopted by his father’s friend and work partner,
Anthony Maddock. A year later, his baby Therian brother was rescued and
adopted. Went to Berkeley at eighteen for four years, earned a Bachelor of
Science degree in Justice Studies, and joined the HPF a year later. Four years
after that, was promoted to homicide detective. Dexter J. Daley, thirty-three
years old, unmarried, and recently testified against his Human partner in a
murder trial. Sloane was still figuring out what to think about that last part.
Dex took his stance, bending his knees, his left leg a little
farther up than the right, and his fists up near his face.
“Your stance is good,” Sloane murmured, ignoring Dex’s
surprised look. Taking up his own fighting stance, Sloane motioned for Dex to
advance. “Okay. Come at me.”
Dex shook his head. “No.”
Sloane paused. Was the rookie messing with him? “What do you
mean ‘no’?”
“How about you come at me.”
“That’s not how this works.”
“I’ve seen what attacking you head on does. You want to see
what I can do? You’ll have to work for it.”
Sloane arched an eyebrow. Well, if nothing else, the guy had
balls. “Okay. Remember, you asked for it.” He advanced, faked with his right to
land a left hook to Dex’s ribs. A swipe to his left foot brought Dex crashing
down to the mat.
“Fuck,” Dex moaned, rolling out of the way. He jumped to his
feet and rounded his shoulders. “Okay.” Bouncing on his toes, he circled
Sloane. “Let’s try this again.”
This match was over. Rookie just didn’t know it yet. Sloane
was good at exposing weaknesses, and he was already working on discovering his
new partner’s.
They slowly circled each other, and Sloane got closer to Dex
with each step until he was close enough to throw a punch. Dex blocked it, his
concentration focused on keeping Sloane from landing a hit. He was studying
Sloane, trying to get a handle on his technique so he could formulate a plan of
attack. Rookie was using his head—that was good—but he was taking too long to decide
on his course of action and that was bad. Hesitation was something his Human
partner couldn’t afford out in the field, not when dealing with Therians. As a
species, Therians were faster, stronger, healed quicker, and had a higher level
of tolerance when it came to pain.
Dex blocked a left hook to the ribs with his right elbow
tucked up against his body, but in anticipation of Sloane faking a right, he
tucked his left elbow in as well, leaving his head exposed. Sloane took
advantage and clipped Dex under his chin. His head came up, once again leaving
himself exposed long enough for Sloane to give his cheek a smack. Dex shuffled
back, eyes wide.
“What the fuck was that?”
“I’m sorry. Did I smear your makeup?” Sloane held back a
smile at Dex’s glare. This was too easy. Forgetting all about keeping his
distance, Dex charged him.
A fierce combination of hooks, jabs, and an attempt at an
uppercut were nicely executed, but still not enough to catch Sloane off guard.
He blocked Dex’s advances, ducked under a right hook, and grabbed Dex’s leg.
With a forceful pull, Dex was once again sprawled on his back.
“I haven’t spent this much time on my back since college.”
Sloane laughed. “It’s a good look for you, Rookie.”
“You asking me out on a date? Because I don’t date assholes,”
Dex grumbled, sitting up.
“I may be an asshole, but even I’ve got standards.”
With a smirk, Dex hung his head and held an arm out.
“Giving up already? How disappointing.” Sloane reached out
and took Dex’s hand, ready to pull him up when Dex twisted his torso and kicked
a leg out, catching Sloane on the side of his knee and sending him down onto
it. He was jerked forward and Dex’s legs wrapped around his waist. He twisted
his lower body to throw Sloane onto his back. Dex landed on him, his hands pinning
Sloane’s wrists to the mat beneath them, their faces inches away from each
other.
“So, about that date,” Dex said, laughing breathlessly. His
eyes shifted to Sloane’s lips before moving back up and his smile grew wider.
The little shit was taunting him.
Sloane didn’t know what pissed him off more, that he’d been
caught by surprise, or that he was enjoying it. His anger started bubbling up
inside him and that pissed him off even more. He didn’t get angry. Anger meant
the rookie was getting to him.
With a pleasant smile, Sloane jerked his left wrist free to
snatch Dex’s in a tight grip. He looped his arm around Dex’s neck, forcing
Dex’s arm to come up and around as well. With a swift yank, Dex spun off him
and onto the mat.
That was better. Sloane casually got to his feet with a
satisfied grin. He took a deep breath to regain his calm and turned, frowning
at the sight of Dex on his stomach, his back arching as he let out a frustrated
groan. He ignored the curve of the rookie’s spine and the way he looked when he
got onto his hands and knees. Jesus, what was wrong with him? It was time to
put a stop to this… distraction.
Come on,” Sloane snarled. “Get up. I’m not here to be your
Xbox buddy.”
“Come on, Dex!” Cael sat on the floor a few feet away, and Sloane
tilted his head, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout as he teased Dex.
“Aw, isn’t that cute? Baby brother is cheering for you.”
Dex lunged at him, throwing his arms around Sloane’s waist in
an inane attempt to knock him over. Sloane didn’t go down. He was bigger,
stronger, and heavier than Dex, but to the rookie’s credit, he managed to get
in a nice jab to the ribs. With a well-maneuvered twist of his body, Sloane was
out of Dex’s grip and holding him in a headlock. Instead of punching him, he
delivered another slap to his cheek. Dex let out a frustrated growl and tried
to push away from him.
“Stop doing that!”
“Ooh, Rookie’s got a bit of a temper.” Sloane ruffled Dex’s
hair, pissing him off further.
“Aw, isn’t he cute,” Ash teased from the end of the mat.
“Fuck you, Simba!”
Rosa burst into laughter and Ash glared at her. “Are you
fucking serious?” He turned back to Sloane with a scowl. “You better kick his
ass.”
Dex struggled in Sloane’s grip. “Come on, Rookie. Is this the
best you got?”
“This isn’t fighting,” Dex spat out. “This is you being a
prick.”
Sloane shrugged. “Either way, I’ve seen what you can do and I
gotta say, it’s pretty uninspiring.”
“Uninspiring, huh?” Dex pulled back a fist and Sloane
released him, jumping back and narrowly missing Dex’s fist, his knuckles
brushing Sloane’s crotch. Sloane gaped at Dex.
“You were going to punch me in the nuts?”
“You said it yourself. This isn’t a fight, so yeah. And I
would have enjoyed it too.”
“Hey, watch it.” Sloane stormed up to Dex who held his ground,
his chin lifted defiantly. Rookie had nerve, but he needed to learn his place.
Sloane grabbed him, hauled him off his feet and slammed him into the mat. “Stay
the fuck down, if you know what’s good for you.”
Dex ignored him, his breath coming out heavy as he got back
on his feet and threw a punch. Stupid little bastard didn’t know when to quit.
Sloane ducked, grabbed Dex around the waist and once again slammed him back
down on the mat. With a low groan, Dex rolled onto his side and pushed himself
onto his hands and knees. Sloane wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of
his hand as he circled Dex. He’d lost count of how many times he’d dropped Dex,
yet the guy kept getting back up. Granted, each time took a little longer than
the last, but he pushed himself to his feet regardless. Sloane didn’t know
whether to be impressed or aggravated.
“You’re not cut out for this, Rookie.”
Dex didn’t reply, simply glared at him. He charged Sloane
with a growl, ducking under Sloane’s right hook and landing a jab to Sloane’s
exposed ribs. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Sloane used the adrenaline
pumping through his veins to keep going and bring his fists down onto Dex’s
back. Dex hit the mat painfully, his head smacking against it.
Fuck. Sloane touched his ribs and winced.
Damn, the rookie had gotten him pretty good. “Why don’t you stay down? It’s
only going to get worse.”
With a humorless laugh, Dex rolled onto his back, his chest
rising and falling rapidly. “Let me guess. This is the part where I’m supposed
to go crying home to Daddy. “Ooh, my new partner hates me. Boo-hoo.”’ Sloane
could see the strain on the rookie’s face as he struggled to stand, sucking in
a sharp breath when he straightened. “Well fuck you. Here’s a little FYI for
you. I would rather fucking bleed to death
than give you the satisfaction, you prick.”
Sloane arched an eyebrow at him. “Charming.”
“I am fucking
charming!” Dex shouted, his entire face going beet red. “I am the most charming
motherfucker you will ever know, so kiss my perfectly perky ass!”
After some consideration, Sloane cocked his head to one side
and shrugged. “I’ve seen better.”
“Oh, now you’re insulting my ass?”
Sloane opened his mouth when a booming voice came over the
speaker system.
“Destructive Delta, please report to briefing room “A” in one
hour as per Sergeant Maddock’s orders.”
“Looks like you were saved by daddy after all.” Sloane turned
to his team and clapped his hands together. “Okay, hit the showers. See you
upstairs.” Everyone headed out, and Sloane made his way to the towel rack. He
grabbed himself one to wipe his face, and when he turned, he almost ran into
Dex, his rig hanging from one hand.
“Well, let’s see it.”
Sloane threw his towel over his shoulder. “See what?”
“You know.”
“Are you asking me to go feral or whip out my dick?”
Dex looked like he was actually considering it. “Come on. I
want to see the alpha beneath the asshole. We’ve got lions, and tigers, and….”
Dex shifted his gaze to Sloane’s neck, a strange little smile coming onto his
face as he looked back up at Sloane. “Jaguar. Oh my.”
Holy shit, the guy was serious.
Dex shrugged. “I don’t see what the big deal is. You’re my
partner, we’re in a wide open space, and there are vending machines down the
hall for post shift. We’ve got time before we need to get to the briefing room.
It’s my turn to see what I’m dealing with.”
Sloane mulled it over. “Okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Sure.” Sloane circled Dex and crowded him, making him
retreat until his back hit the wall. With his arms to the sides of Dex’s head,
he watched Dex’s Adam’s apple bob as his new partner swallowed hard. Just as
Sloane suspected, Dex was clearly having second thoughts about seeing the “big
bad alpha.” He leaned in close, his lips inches away from Dex’s jaw as he
inhaled deeply. “Do you know why jaguar Therians are the most lethal of the
Felids?”
“Um….”
“My
Therian bite has twice the strength of a lion’s. I can use a deep-throat,
bite-and-suffocation technique where my fangs pierce through the temporal bones
of your skull, right between your ears and pierce your brain.” Sloane gave a
little demonstration with his fingers on Dex’s scalp, earning him a scowl.
Sloane laughed then whispered in Dex’s ear. “I bet the only word you heard from
all that was deep-throat.”
Dex lifted his chin, his eyes
dropping once again to Sloane’s mouth before moving back up to meet his gaze.
He licked his lips, his eyes clouding over. “Your pupils are dilated. Does that
mean you want to fuck me or eat me? Because I might have a problem with one of
those.”
About the Author
Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!
Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.
You can find Charlie at
Giveaway
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Presented By
Cover Reveal: Marked by the Vampire by Cynthia Eden
Marked By The Vampire
(Purgatory Series, Bk #2)
By Cynthia Eden
Blurb:
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Cynthia Eden invites readers to a dark paranormal world…
Vampires exist. So do werewolves. The creatures that you fear in the darkness? They’re all real. And the baddest of the paranormals…those who love to hurt humans…they’re sent to Purgatory, the only paranormal prison in the U.S.
His job is to stop the monsters.
Deadly forces are at work within Purgatory. The monsters are joining together—and their plans have to be stopped. FBI Agent Shane August, a very powerful vampire with a dark past, is sent into the prison on an undercover assignment. His job is to infiltrate the vampire clan, by any means necessary.
She wants to help the prisoners.
Dr. Olivia Maddox wants to find out just why certain paranormals go bad. What pushes some vampires over the edge? Why do some werewolves turn so savage? If she can understand the monsters, then Olivia thinks she can help them. When she gets permission to enter Purgatory, Olivia believes she is being given the research opportunity of a lifetime.
Olivia doesn’t realize that she’s walking straight into hell.
To survive, they have to rely on each other.
When the prisoners break loose, there is only one person—one vampire—who can protect her, but as Olivia and Shane fight the enemies that surround them, a dark and dangerous passion stirs to life between the doctor and the vamp. Shane realizes that Olivia is a woman carrying secrets—powerful, sinful secrets. Secrets that a man would kill to possess.
And Olivia realizes that—sometimes—you can’t control the beast inside of you. No matter how hard you try. Some passions can push you to the very limits of your control…and the growing lust that she feels for her vampire…it’s sending her racing right into a deadly storm of desire.
Welcome to Purgatory…a place that’s a real hell on earth…
Available for purchase at
Excerpt
“I’ve got a plan,
love. Trust me.” He advanced into the darkness.
Her
nails sank into his skin. “No. Look,
dammit, I get that it’s too little, too late, but I wasn’t exactly high on
choices upstairs.”
He
frowned down at her. She wasn’t looking at his face in that total darkness, but
instead staring just over his shoulder.
“Give
me something here—I mean, make me
know that I’m with the good guy.”
Oh,
but he couldn’t do that. He’d never been exactly good, not even when he’d been working with the FBI. If she only knew
the things he’d done, she might just run back up to the wolves. “I work with
Pate.”
“Give
me more. Why are you at Purgatory?
What’s going on?”
He
pulled her closer. Wanted to take her
mouth again but didn’t. Control. “We
don’t have time for a fucking long discourse here, love. So here are the simple
facts. I’m working undercover—a cover that I blew for you. And right now, I’m the only thing standing
between you and death, so if you want to die, then by all means…” He let her
go. “Don’t trust me.”
In
the darkness, he saw her wrap her arms around her stomach. “You…you haven’t
killed? Your file was all lies?”
“I’ve killed plenty.” Brutal truth. “And that’s why I’m your best hope of survival.”
She
rocked back on her heels. “Have you killed innocents?”
The woman was so naive. “There
are no innocents in this world.”
Her
body trembled. He could see the small ripple that shook her.
With
his back teeth clenched, he demanded, “Now are you coming with me or do you
want to try your luck with the wolves?”
Her
hand lifted, tried to find him in the dark. He stepped toward her so that she
touched his chest.
About the Author
USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.
Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings. She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.
Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.
(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people). Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.
Presented By
June 7, 2014
Spotlight On: Earth Cell by Charles Brass
Title: Earth Cell: The Ux-Blood Trillogy (Book One)
Author: Charles Brass
Genre: Science Fiction
For centuries, the League of Cells and the Witches Guild have worked together to maintain order and stability across the overweb’s countless worlds.
Walking the pash of a warden for the League of Cells requires dedication, sacrifice, and devotion, as young Maels Raptori, the last of his kind, has learned. But he’s embraced these hardships, for serving as a warden represents the highest honor one might achieve in his lifetime. For six years under the tutelage of his adopted father and the wardens of Earth Cell, he has prepared to fulfill this dream.
When a powerful intruder nearly seizes control of Earth Cell, Maels is tested beyond anything he has experienced. He finds the strength to defeat the invader, but his trials have only begun. Chaos is spreading across the overweb, engulfing all who stand in its way. The conflict soon breaches Earth Cell. Alone on a world of violence, at the mercy of ruthless captors, Maels discovers his years of dedication and devotion may not be enough. To save Earth, he may be called upon to male the ultimate sacrifice…
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Author Bio
Charles Brass works as a CT/MRI technologist in a new stand-alone 24-hour emergency clinic in a small town south of where he lives, some thirty miles west of Minnesota’s Twin Cities. During his six years of active duty service in the United States Navy, he served five months in Bahrain during the first Gulf War. Now, with a BS in Animation under his belt, he has visions of a successful patient education video business filling his days while CT and MRI scans on sick and injured people visiting the local Emergency Center fills his nights.
For more information, visit his blog at http://seabrassproductions.com or his Author Information page at http://clear¬viewpressinc.com. Additionally, he can be reached via email at seabrass@seabrassproductions.com.
Charles plans to devote time to a few shorter works that have been brewing in his brain juices for some time, then resume writing novels. He expects to publish his next novel by the end of 2015.
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Links
This book is available in paperback and Kindle formats at amazon.com.
Paperback:
Earth Cell: The UX-Blood Trilogy Book I
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Book Excerpt
As I chewed my second leaf, enjoying the flavor, I glanced down the street. The feline had been joined by two others. They all stared in our direction. Two rested their hands on their daggers.
Then I noticed another pair walking toward the intersection, across the street from the others, along the sidewalk Larrika and I had used. Their height again made them stand out. I leaned toward the hedge for a better look. These two wore dark-green skirts and had axes hanging from the harnesses. They didn’t seem to care I was studying them.
On a whim, I turned and glanced down the street behind me. My angle prevented me from getting a good look at the crowd on my side, but I could clearly see a quartet of felines loitering across the street, about halfway down the block. As I faced Larrika again, the two at the intersection turned right and started down the street. Three more felines, two wearing white skirts, walked up the street toward them. When they met a short distance from the intersection, one of the green skirts nodded its head in our direction. The trio looked, and our gazes seemed to meet automatically.
I looked away first, washed my final bite of hrew down with a drink. Lowering my cup, I took slow, deep breaths and focused my mind as I had been trained. Nervous tension built in my muscles.
Twelve. And there was no telling how many more I didn’t see. They were clearly paying attention to us.
“Will you return to Earth Cell after you graduate?” Larrika asked.
“Larrika, I need you to listen to me,” I said in a steady voice.
She sensed my change of tone. “Maels?”
“I think we’re in trouble,” I said.
Her mouth opened and closed. “Here?”
I gave a slight nod toward the hedge. “Over my shoulder, see those four felines?”
She leaned slightly. “I don’t— wait. I see felines, but there’s five of them.”
I glanced back. She was right. Oh, boy.
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Releasing Legally Undead
[This post is re-blogged from my post at World Weaver Press]
Today, I’m supposed to write a guest post about what it’s like to release Legally Undead.
Part of me wants to just say SQUEE! and call it a day. (But I won’t.)
This release has been a long time coming.
Ten years ago, my friend Bill suggested I give National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org) a try—for anyone who doesn’t know about it, the goal of NaNoWriMo participants is to write a 50,000-word novel in a month. I did that, and more, ending up with what was then a 100,000-word novel in six weeks.
That novel—edited and revised and edited again, but still at heart the same book—was just released by World Weaver Press as Legally Undead.
There are no words for how exciting that is. This book is my first novel-baby, my first novel-love, the first world in which I immersed myself completely as I created it. I went to bed at night thinking about the next scene and sometimes woke up in the middle of the night with words to put down on paper. I’ve done the same since with other books, but as the first, this one holds a special place in my heart.
I love this book.
I love this book so much that I couldn’t stand to see it rejected. It gathered dust for a very long time (so long that I had to go back in and change all the tech references!). I was terrified to send it out. But I finally took a deep breath and submitted it.
And it couldn’t have ended up in better hands. The cover art is perfect. The interior design for the paperback is great (check out that cross between sections!). The blurb rocks.
Perhaps even more important, Eileen’s editorial direction gave me a much stronger sense of where Elle is headed next, and I’m pleased to say that I’m once again immersed in Elle’s world. We’re hunting down vampires together, and Elle’s snarky comments fill my mind.
I couldn’t be happier.
A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can.
Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.
But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire draining the blood from her fiancé Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs–not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.
As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning around to face them, Elle discovers that Greg’s body is gone—and her perfect life falls apart.
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Legally Undead Trailer:
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Buy Links
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Legally-Undead-Vampirarchy-Margo-Collins-ebook/dp/B00KKV44BK/
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legally-undead-margo-bond-collins/1119607989?ean=2940149615803
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/legally-undead
Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Legally-Undead-Vampirarchy-Volume-1/dp/0692211497/
Universal Kindle Link: http://bookShow.me/B00KKV44BK
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About the Author
Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead. She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters.
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Connect with Margo
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins
Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net
Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/
Be sure to add Legally Undead to your Goodreads bookshelves: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18366353-legally-undead
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June 6, 2014
RELEASE BLITZ: An Etiquette Guide to the End Times – by Maia Sepp
An Etiquette Guide to the End Times – Cover Reveal
By Maia Sepp
Women’s Fiction / Dystopian
Date Published: June 6, 2014
Good manners never go out of style…do they?
There aren’t any zombies (yet), but the world is still at the brink of destruction: It’s 2028 and global warming has led to rising oceans, crazy weather, and resource scarcity. On top of that, someone just turned the Internet off. Seeing as how it’s humanity’s last chance to turn things around manners are, understandably, a bit frayed.
Etiquette buff Olive O’Malley is busy microfarming her urban property and minding her own business (and her chickens) when the government comes calling. Their goal is to push the populace towards carbon-neutrality while keeping kvetching to a minimum, and they come with a proposal: transition Olive’s popular etiquette column to a radio show for the masses, and they’ll help Olive find her grandfather, who’s gone missing.
Olive doesn’t trust the hipster government officials who try to bribe her with delicious-but-probably-a-little-evil chocolate pastries, and declines their offer. (Politely, of course.) But they won’t take no for an answer, and soon Olive is knee-deep in turmoil, eco-terrorism, and missing chickens. Now she has to untangle herself from their demands and figure out how to make sure her family (and her poultry) are safe before it’s too late.
*Note* This Novel is Written in Canadian English.
Excerpt
My superhero power is definitely not sleeping. When I was looking for a house, my realtor rhapsodized about this bedroom’s perfect southern exposure, about the tastefully herbaceous wall treatment and charming old-world feel. Right now my room could be more accurately described as a floral-wallpapered sauna, full of an impossible heat, like three Julys stuffed into one. It isn’t helping.
I watch the overhead fan stop again, gyrate, and then restart before I roll over, the sheets coming with me. After a minute I shift to the other side, flinging the covers away with a sigh. The fan finally grinds to a halt, probably the victim of a wiring problem I haven’t been able to pin down, although lately I’ve been thinking it might just hate me.
I relocate to the living room and angle the pedestal fan my way. God, it’s hot. I close my eyes and lean back on the couch for a minute, hoping sleep will take me. The sofa is a faux leather hand-me-down that’s supple after years of wear, smelling faintly earthy, soft against my skin.
Eventually I switch the TV on. Our cable hasn’t worked properly in months, service so erratic it’s like the people running the company are legless, as my grandfather Fred would say–a charming Irish way of saying spectacularly drunk, even though my grandfather hasn’t seen Ireland since he was a child. My eyes land on Fred’s easy chair, a pale green monstrosity he could barely squeeze through the front door when I finally convinced him to move in with me. His pipe, his books, and his old-man slippers are still where he left them.
After flipping through a bunch of static, I shut the TV off and switch to the radio, which promptly announces it’s five-thirty in the morning. I ponder what to do next, discarding juggling, mind reading, and origami, although I spend more time thinking about mind reading than I probably should, considering I’m the only one here. Finally I pull my computer tablet onto my lap and turn it on. I write an etiquette column for a spunky arts and culture website, and my latest instalment is due on Friday; other people’s problems are always a delightful way to get my mind off my own. I start to page through the letters, which all start with Dear Olive. Dear Olive, I’m convinced my neighbour is milking my goat. Dear Olive, my neighbour’s windmill is keeping me up at night. Dear Olive, my wife is hoarding solar panels. What do I do?
Three crashing noises erupt above my head, each more ominous than the next. I wait for it to stop, but twenty minutes later I’m clinging to the side of my house, staring down a pair of raccoons who seem intent on defiling my solar array. For a long while it’s just the three of us, locked in visual combat, but it’s my roof and unless they start paying rent, they’ve got to go. Eventually they get spooked by the noise of the six a.m. domestic surveillance drone overhead, which would make this the first time I’ve ever been happy to see a drone. I watch as it starts its first pass of the morning. They’re smaller than the military version–sleek, modern, ever-watchful. Rumour is they’re even biodegradable, although that hasn’t exactly endeared them to the population.
After the raccoons finally lumber off I pull myself onto the roof and take a look at the solar panel they’ve sullied, the wires connecting the array to my house almost stripped. It’s not easy to carry out rooftop repairs quietly at six in the morning, and it definitely wouldn’t be polite to wake anyone up, but I don’t want to be back up here tomorrow, either. If I leave the panel like this, they’ll come back and finish the job, I know it. They’re organized.
I look up when a newfangled Town Car, still boxy and authoritarian but now electric-powered, turns onto my street. I watch it as it goes; there are almost no cars on the roads these days, and the sight makes a faint sense of unease pulse through me. I hope whoever’s in that car isn’t carrying bad news for one of my neighbours.
After it eases past my house I try to concentrate on how to get myself off this roof. I’ve brought my very last roll of duct tape with me and after a moment of conflict, I wrestle a piece off and start to fix the panel, but my foot slips and my right hip ends up bouncing off the shingles. I pull myself into a sitting position to gather my wits, my stomach clenched into the size of a peanut, my breath suddenly ragged and shaky. I don’t want to go splat on the driveway beside my house. It’s a bungalow, true, and not that far to fall, but it’s still a worry.
Over my left shoulder the sunrise glows on the horizon, beautiful in a terrifying sort of way. It’s hard not to be nervous about what the sun will do to us today; so far the summer of 2028 has broken four temperature records, slow-cooking our city under our feet, making everything smell like asphalt and failure.
About the Author : Maia Sepp
Maia left the tech sector to write about sock thievery, migraines, and…the tech sector.
The Sock Wars is her debut novel. The first chapter of The Sock Wars was published as a short story/novel excerpt titled Irish Drinking Socks, and became a Kobo bestselling short story. The Sock Wars has been a top-100 digital bestseller on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the iBookstore, as well as a genre and Writing Life bestseller on Kobo.
Maia’s second novel is The Migraine Mafia, a story about a nerdy thirtysomething’s quest to come to terms with a chronic illness. It is available online everywhere.
Her latest is a humorous near-future dystopian novella, titled, An Etiquette Guide to the End Times, available June 2014. To be notified about new releases, please add yourself to Maia’s mailing list: http://www.maiasepp.com/mailing_list.html.
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