Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 68
March 2, 2015
Spotlight On: Her Immortal Viking, by Adele Downs
BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE – Her Immortal Viking
AUTHOR – Adele Downs
GENRE – Contemporary with Fantasy Elements
PUBLICATION DATE – 2/24/2015
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 28,000
PUBLISHER – Boroughs Publishing Group
BOOK SYNOPSIS
HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs
Viking Warrior. Immortal Slave. Freed by Love.
An original contemporary fairy tale inspired by Norse mythology
Penny pleads for divine intervention from overwork and mountainous debt one desperate, lonely night. She sings songs of praise, chants like a yogi, and rubs her belly like Buddha until the crystal charm on her navel shimmers, hoping to draw the attention of someone up there.
From the place between heaven and earth, in the west beyond the seas, an immortal hears Penny’s cries. Once a fearless Viking warrior, Gunnar has been cast into eternal servitude by an angry god and made a Light Elf. While Penny sleeps, he comes to earth from Alfheim for a single night to complete her tasks. When she awakens and confronts him, the handsome immortal kisses her, sparking a night of forbidden passion. By dawn, the couple has fallen in love.
Dark forces target Penny, seeking revenge for Gunnar’s earthly misdeeds. To protect his mortal lover, Gunnar takes up his sword to defend her. Though his strength and courage are unmatched, it might be the power of Gunnar and Penny’s love that saves them both.
BUY & TBR LINKS
EXCERPT
He smoothed her hair and rubbed a thick tendril between his thumb and forefinger. “I am Gunnar.” He pronounced the name Goo-nar.
An emblem of the sun, surrounded by a circle, had been branded on the back of his powerful hand. Penny touched the scar while he held a length of her hair, recognizing Freyr’s sacred insignia from her textbooks. “The pain must have been excruciating.” Without thinking, she lifted the old wound to her mouth and laid kisses along its perimeter before pressing a kiss to the icon inside.
Tremors vibrated across her lips when they touched the ancient symbol and her body tingled with the contact. The brand grew warm and then hot against her mouth, though it did not burn. She ran her tongue over the thick scars to erase the heat, and then licked the center, finishing with a tiny swirl.
Gunnar’s gasp of surprise was the last thing she expected when she lifted her head. He released her hair and drew away.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me. Have I offended you?” She’d always been popular with men, and comfortable around them, but her behavior with Gunnar was bold, even for her. She sat up. “Am I under some kind of spell?”
Gunnar shook his head. “I used my powers to heal you, but your free will remains intact.”
She searched his face for clues about what to do next, because desire shone behind the wary expression in his eyes. Something else shone there, too. Gratitude. Penny waited for Gunnar’s reply without letting go of his disfigured hand.
He said, “Kindness isn’t something I’m used to finding. Perhaps you’d be less inclined toward compassion if you knew what I’d done to deserve this brand of servitude.”
She reached out and draped an arm around his neck to bring him closer. Their gazes locked and held. Gunnar’s eyes were like pools of ice blue water that pulled her in and down.
Her breathing slowed while the sound of her heartbeat rushed blood through her ears. “I am Penelope. And if you’re from Alfheim, I know who and what you are. I just don’t understand why you’re here.” How could she deserve his rare, benevolent gifts? She was just an ordinary woman from an ordinary town, barely scraping by.
His warm breath grazed her cheek in shallow rushes, lifting goose bumps across her skin. His wide, firm mouth smelled of sweet ground parsley and fresh-picked mint. “Sometimes we get what we need, simply because we ask. That’s the beauty and power of the unexpected.”
AUTHOR BIO
Adele Downs writes best-selling contemporary romance inside the office of her rural Pennsylvania home. She is a former journalist, published in newspapers and magazines inside the USA, UK, and Caribbean.
Adele is an active member of Romance Writers of America and her local RWA chapter where she serves as a past-president. She has written several articles for RWR magazine (Romance Writers Report) and has presented workshops for writers.
When Adele isn’t working on her current project, she can be found riding in her convertible or reading a book on the nearest beach.
AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS
Books by Adele Downs on Amazon – Visit Adele Downs – Like Adele Downs on Facebook! – Follow Adele Downs on Twitter! – Find Adele Downs on Goodreads – Join Adele Downs’ Convertible Crew Street Team!
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March 1, 2015
Spotlight On: A Gorgeous Mess, by Layla Wolfe
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A Gorgeous Mess
The Bent Zealots MC, Book #2
Layla Wolfe
Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.
ANSON: I was just a mercenary back from fighting the good fight overseas. I was on a quest for my father, my roots, looking for answers. Turk Blackburn, Bent Zealots MC Prez, ordered me on a fresh operation to prove myself, my guts, my valor. Infiltrate the Navajo Rez and find out who is claiming the Zealots’ turf, using kids to cook drugs.My partner is the famous badge slut, Ormond Tangier, known far and wide for his mad oral skills, his subservience to anyone in uniform. Mercenaries don’t wear badges, but my dominant side soon has me all over that seductive Spanish servant. A man may as well have a few laughs while on a fatal mission. Because these things never end pleasantly.
ORMOND: I was flung into a life-or-death battle against the slimy Iceman, leader of a rival MC. Iceman is running all sorts of questionable ops on Bent Zealots land, and now Anson and I have to prove our street creds just to stake a claim in our own backyard.
I’m a friend of cops, firemen, and soldiers alike, but suddenly I only want one man ordering me around. Anson Dineyazzie, macho half-breed hired gun, has stolen more than just my heart. This was never supposed to happen.
ANSON: I swear I’m never falling for that service bottom Ormond. I’m accomplishing this op and going back to
Afghanistan. But I have to wrest control of this Rez land from Iceman and the lethal hit man who has been trailing us. I’d bury anyone who got between me and Ormond. Does that mean I’m in love? God, I hope not. Don’t think I can take that
again. Just need to get back onto the open road and blow the dust from my soul.
Publisher’s warning: This book is not for the faint of heart. It contains scenes of gay sex, illegal doings, violence, and forced seduction roleplay.
Goodreads link : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24929478-a-gorgeous-mess
Buy links: Coming soon
Giveaway: $10 Amazon GC & 1
ebook copy of A Gorgeous Mess
February 28, 2015
Sneak Peek Sunday Blog Hop ~ Sanguinary (plus audiobook sneak listen!)
Welcome to the Sunday Sneak Peek, where authors share excerpts from their published works and works-in-progress! This week, I’m sharing both an excerpt from the novel and a sneak peek (or “sneak listen,” I guess) of the forthcoming audiobook version of Sanguinary–the excerpt is part of that audioclip. Enjoy the reading and listening, then HOP on over to check out the rest of the authors’ entries this week!
Sanguinary: A Night Shift Novel
Spotlight On: Bitten by a Hellcat by Felicity Heaton
Bitten by a Hellcat, the sixth book in New York Times best-seller Felicity Heaton’s hot paranormal romance series, Eternal Mates, is now available in ebook and paperback. To celebrate the release, she’s holding a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY at her website and sharing sneak peeks of the book. This book works as a standalone, so it’s perfect for those new to the series too.
Find out how to enter the Bitten by a Hellcat international giveaway (ends March 1st) and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website, where you can also download a 5 chapter sample of the novel: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/bitten-by-a-hellcat-paranormal-romance-novel.php
Here’s more about Bitten by a Hellcat, including an excerpt from this paranormal romance book.
The sole remaining member of the most famous shifter hunter family in history, Owen Nightingale is a mercenary and a man with a secret held in his closely guarded heart, but when a beautiful rare shifter catches his eye and offers him a job, he has the feeling he’ll be the one paying for helping her—with his heart.
Cait is in a spot of trouble with a capital T. A male hellcat has set his sights on claiming her and she’s one kitty who doesn’t want a collar. When she meets a dark, alluring and mysterious hunter, she sees a chance to rid herself of the male, but the price Owen sets and the fierce passion that burns white-hot between them lures her dangerously under his seductive spell.
Can Owen discover the true intent of the male hellcat and stop Cait from falling into his hands? And can Cait retain control as the heat of desire burns between her and Owen, or will a reckless moment seal both of their fates forever?
Bitten by a Hellcat is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/bitten-by-a-hellcat-paranormal-romance-novel.php
Excerpt
A ripple of heat travelled through Owen and he became aware of the beautiful woman beside him.
Staring at him.
He slowly turned his head towards her as Kyter walked away. Blue eyes met his, turning the ripple of heat into an inferno that blasted through his veins, burning up his blood. A corona of brighter blue fire shone around her dilated pupils as she stared into his eyes, radiating confidence that shook his own.
She was more beautiful than he had thought.
Incredible.
Owen could only stare at her in silence as she looked at him, her long black lashes and dark make-up framing striking blue eyes.
A hellcat.
They were the rarest of the cat shifters and fetched high prices on the black market of Hell.
He had never seen one of her kind, not in all his years as a hunter or during all of the training that had come before them. He doubted that even the hunters who worked for Archangel, the world’s leading hunter organisation devoted to protecting the unwitting humans from the secret and often dangerous world of fae and demons, had seen a hellcat.
She turned her cheek to him and flagged a bartender. Owen didn’t pay any attention to who served her. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she spoke, her painted red lips moving in a mesmerising symphony, filling him with a fierce need to kiss her.
It was only when she turned back to face him and slid a glass across the black bar top in his direction that he became aware of something else in the club. His pale gaze dropped to the drink she had evidently bought for him.
A shot of Hellfire.
Heck, she was trying to kill him.
Hellfire was a vicious drink brewed by the non-humans, designed to overcome their constitutions and get them drunk.
The female hellcat slid onto the stool beside him, picked up her own shot glass filled to the brim with the black liquid and raised it.
Her wicked smile made it clear that she was testing him. She knew he was mortal and she wanted to see what he would do and whether he could survive downing the potent shot of alcohol. He was up for that challenge. He took a deep breath to steel himself, grabbed his shot glass and lifted it, saluting her.
Owen raised it to his lips.
“Wait.” Her light melodic voice stopped him dead and he stared at her, the glass close to his lips, the fumes coming off the liquid singeing his nose.
She flagged the bartender again, her smile turning even more wicked.
When the only female and human bartender working for the club stopped on the other side of the bar, his little hellcat fluttered her eyelashes and dropped a huge hammer on his male pride.
“Can we get a glass of water for when he chokes?”
Owen glared at the bartender, Sherry, warning the blonde not to do as the woman had requested.
Sherry barely managed to hold back her smile and went ahead and kicked him in the balls while he was down by serving up a tall glass of ice cold water, setting it right down in front of him, her eyes twinkling.
He narrowed his eyes on the water, shoved it away and pinned his gaze back on the female hellcat. She raised her glass, her smile mocking him now. A slow smile spread across his face as he lifted his shot of Hellfire and saluted her again. She didn’t know who she was dealing with if she thought this was going to play out the way she wanted it, ending with him coughing up a lung and downing the water.
Owen brought the shot up to his lips, holding her gaze the whole time, staring deep into her eyes. She paused with her glass near her lips, her smile fading as the air between them thickened and sparked with electricity, awareness that zinged through his body. He didn’t close his eyes. He kept them locked with hers as he tipped his head back and swallowed the entire contents of the glass.
The liquid burned like the fire it was named after as it slid down his throat and turned his stomach into a pit of churning lava. An inferno swept through him but he held it together, refusing to give the slightest indication of the discomfort he was suffering as his entire body burned and his head turned, his vision swimming slightly from the sudden rise in his blood alcohol level.
He slowly set the glass down, lowered his head, and licked his lips.
Her blue gaze narrowed and she knocked her shot back, slammed the glass down on the black bar top, and stared at him.
Tears lined her long lashes.
Her lips compressed and trembled.
Her right eye developed a vicious tic.
Owen calmly pressed two fingers against the side of the ice-cold glass of water and pushed it along the bar towards her, the condensation on it rolling down and leaving a trail behind it. She glared at the glass, straightened and managed a smile.
He wasn’t sure what the point of her entire competition had been, but he had the feeling that he had won and she didn’t like it.
She leaned back, brushed her long black hair from her face, and fixed him with her blue eyes and a smile that shook him to his core.
“I don’t often see your kind around,” she said over the pounding music and leaned closer to him.
Owen fought to stop himself from looking down at her cleavage, casually leaned his left elbow on the bar and smiled at her. “It’s not every day I get to see a genuine hellcat. One of the Devil’s own.”
Born of a land of brimstone and fire where only the strongest survived.
Her kin were the most powerful, and dangerous, shifter species out there. His father would have killed to have met one.
She leaned even closer and ran her right hand down his forearm where it rested on the bar, her light caress heating his skin even through his black shirtsleeve. Her smile turned sultry and a little bit wicked again, making his heart pound harder and his thoughts turn back to kissing her.
“Do you want to see the real me?” Her eyes held him, the fiery blue corona around her pupils burning brighter, making part of him believe she would change right here and show him her cat form if he admitted he wanted to see it, even when the rest of him knew she was teasing. “I can see you’re dying to see it.”
Flirting.
Definitely flirting with him.
He had enough life experience to know when a woman was flirting with him, but for some reason he hadn’t expected it from her. Non-human females were rarely interested in him, especially when they knew what he did for a living as she did. She could have any pick of the males in the club who had been staring at her all night, most of them shifters and fae, and some demons. Males who were still staring at her, and who were shooting him deadly looks. He could almost feel them butchering him in their heads as the female sat with him and he had a feeling he wouldn’t survive the night if she did more than just sit beside him and casually flirt.
Owen frowned as he thought back over the hour that had passed since he had first spotted her.
She hadn’t looked at any of the men who had tried to dance with her.
She had paid them zero attention.
She hadn’t moved into the throng to find a lucky partner more suited to her tastes either.
She had remained at the edge of the dance floor.
Directly in front of him.
Owen stared at her as it struck him hard.
She had been flirting with him the whole time, trying to get his attention and hold it locked on her.
“What if I said yes?” He leaned closer to her, studying her face for a reaction, a tiny flicker of hope or insecurity, something to confirm his suspicions that she had actually singled him out from the moment she had walked into the club.
He had seen her enter, a little out of breath as if she had been running and a little on edge. Her eyes had met his across the club and she had stared at him for a moment before disappearing from view, only to reappear a short time later on the dance floor.
Owen placed his right hand over hers where it rested on his left forearm and looked deep into her striking eyes. “Would you show me just how beautiful you are?”
A blush climbed her cheeks and she took her hand away. “You might not live to tell the tale.”
He reached towards her and caught her right hand, bringing it back to him, toying with her slender fingers. Black nails. A hint of what she would look like if she shifted. She was right and he was dying to see her other form. He only had rumours to go on, but if she transformed, she would without a doubt be the most incredible thing he had ever seen.
He raised his eyes back to hers.
Heck, she was already the most incredible thing he had ever seen.
“I can handle myself,” he husked and her cheeks darkened further. “I can handle you.”
He moved his fingers beneath hers, brushed his thumb over them, and lifted her hand to his lips. He stopped just short, so his mouth hovered bare millimetres from her skin, and she stared at him, her blue eyes wide and entrancing, her lips parted as she breathed harder. The intense sense of anticipation that filled her swirled through him too, cranking him tighter inside and making him itch to drop a kiss on her knuckles, fulfilling both of their desires.
He held her gaze instead and swept his thumb across the backs of her fingers as he spoke, his breath washing over her hand.
“So will you make my wildest dreams come true?”
Bitten by a Hellcat is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback.
Find all the links, a fantastic 4 chapter downloadable sample of the book, and also how to enter the giveaway and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/bitten-by-a-hellcat-paranormal-romance-novel.php
Books in the Eternal Mates paranormal romance series:
Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince
Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King
Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince
Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar
Book 5: Craved by an Alpha
Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat
Book 7: Taken by a Dragon – Coming March 10th 2015
Author Bio
Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you’re a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.
If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.
If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:
FelicityHeaton.co.uk | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | GoodReads | Amazon
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Massive E-Book Giveaway! Well-behaved women seldom make history . . .
Ready for women’s history month? We are, and we have a massive pile of books featuring amazing kick-butt female characters to share with you.
I love kick-ass female characters; I find them endlessly fascinating (as you can see from my post over on Paranormal Love Features), and they’re my favorite kinds of characters to read and to write.
So be sure to enter to win–there are over a 100 books and lots of ways to win! GOOD LUCK!
February 27, 2015
My Sexy Saturday Hop ~ Taming the Country Star ~ #MySexySaturday
Welcome to the My Sexy Saturday blog hop! This week, writers are joining in with seven words, seven sentences, or seven paragraphs from their works.
This week’s hop theme is Addicted to Love. And Taming the Country Star is all about the way that Kylie and Cole can’t let go, so I’m joining in! Take a moment to read the excerpt below, then HOP to check out the rest of the sexy snippets!
Taming the Country Star (Entangled Bliss) (Hometown Heroes)
February 26, 2015
Book Boyfriends Cafe ~ Hot for Friday Blog Hop ~ Hot Kiss ~ LEGALLY UNDEAD
Welcome to the Book Boyfriends Café Hot for Fridays Blog Hop, where every week, authors post in response to a prompt from the Book Boyfriends Café!
This week, the topic is Hot Kisses. So check out the excerpt from Legally Undead below, then HOP to the rest of the entries!
_____________________________________________
Malcolm wrapped both arms around me and I turned to him, putting my head on his chest and sobbing even harder.
Somehow we ended up lying down on the bed, and then we were kissing–not soft kisses, but hard, demanding kisses. Then Malcolm’s hands were under the blanket, roaming across my body. They felt good–hot and strong and alive.
I struggled to pull his t-shirt off as he lifted his arms and tried to help. I wanted to feel his skin against mine, feel the hair on his chest brush up against my nipples, his stomach pressed against mine. I threw the t-shirt onto the floor, not caring where it landed.
The blankets tangled around my legs, so I kicked them to the floor. Malcolm’s mouth trailed down my throat.
_____________________________________________
Legally Undead (Vampirarchy Book 1)
Cover Reveal: From Origins, by Mary Ting
Skylar, Mason, and the other descendants embark a deadly quest to the underworld to confront the evil Hades, who has been plotting to kill off the descendants of all the gods.
On this journey, they soon discover that the ancient gods are not dead as once believed but are held captive in a secret location. In order to save the world from destruction at the hands of Hephaestus, the descendants must set out on a crusade to rescue the gods.
In the process, Skylar learns more about her bloodline and her powers, but there is also a heavy price to pay. The darkest forces known to man are about to return to reclaim their stolen kingdom.
TEASER
Seeing nothing but darkness through door one heightened my awareness, and the mist that slowly crept out like thin layer of clouds, spreading and covering our feet, brought another level of fright. The ground started to shake, then a sound like thunder boomed, getting louder…louder…until it sounded more like a stampede.
My imagination got the best of me as I envision buffaloes charging for us. Roaring sounds burst in the air when a dozen of the Cerberuses tried to charge through at once. I would have preferred the buffaloes, but instead, we got Hades’s guard dogs.
Their glowing red eyes were what I saw first, then their vampire like teeth, and last three heads to a body. With serpent’s heads on the tips of their tales and lion like claws, they looked like they could rip us to shreds as they dashed for us as if we were a gourmet meal.
“Cerberus. I should have guessed.” Zara quaked, standing next to Tara. Extending both of their arms up, they were creating a shied. Blazing light engulfed us.
“You should have guessed sooner, but I don’t think it would have mattered.” Nick’s eyes glowed, ready to fight. “Here puppy, puppy. Let’s play.”
————————————————————————————–
Mary Ting resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.
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Spotlight On: Ill Fated, by Rachel Rawlings
Title: Ill Fated
Author: Rachel Rawlings
Series: Maurin Kincaide #6
Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy
Publisher: R Squared Publishing
Release Date: Feb 11 2015
Edition/Format Available In: eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
Some things are destined to end in death. After the first attempt on her life Maurin wasn’t scared. Hell, she was almost flattered. But someone put a price on her head and things are getting complicated. Trouble is brewing in the fae courts and it’s spilling over into Salem. The UnSeelie Dark Guard have answered the call for her head on a platter and people closest to her are disappearing.
Can Maurin master court politics and find her missing men before someone claims the bounty on her head?
About the Author
I was born and raised in the Baltimore Metropolitan area but my family is originally from Rhode Island. I spent summers in New England with my grandparents, which probably sparked my fascination with Salem, MA. I started writing fictional stories and poems in middle school. In fact I had notebooks and notebooks full of incomplete stories and poems. One of which I managed to hold on to and is safely stashed in a box under my bed. When I was in seventh grade I entered a poetry contest in the back of an Archie comic and won, after that I was hooked on writing after that. Amazingly it took almost two decades to find a voice for my snarky, ass kicking heroine Maurin Kincaide and complete my first length novel. Meeting the love of your life and raising three amazing children together must have caused a rift in time because I still can’t believe it’s gone by so quickly. I’m fortunate to have a loving and supportive family who don’t mind sharing me with all the other people in my head.
Places to find Rachel
Blog
Goodreads
Hollowread’s
Blog
Hallowread’s Website
tsū
Website
Places to find Ill Fated
Amazon
Barnes
and Noble
By Rachel Rawlings
The Maurin Kincaid Series
The Morrigna #1
Witch Hunt #2
Wolfsbane #3 Novella
Blood Bath #4
Mistletoe Meltdown #5 Short Story
Ill Fated #6
