Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 77
January 6, 2015
Spotlight On: I See London, by Chanel Cleeton
Title: I See London
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Series: International School Book #1
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Maggie Carpenter is ready for a change— and to leave her ordinary life in South Carolina behind. But when she accepts a scholarship to the International School in London, a university attended by the privileged offspring of diplomats and world leaders, Maggie might get more than she bargained for.
When Maggie meets Hugh, a twentysomething British guy, she finds herself living the life she always wanted. Suddenly she’s riding around the city in a Ferrari, wearing borrowed designer clothes and going to the hottest clubs. The only problem? Another guy, the one she can’t seem to keep her hands off of.
Half French, half Lebanese, and ridiculously wealthy, Samir Khouri has made it clear he doesn’t do relationships. He’s the opposite of everything Maggie thought she wanted…and he’s everything she can’t resist. Torn between her dream guy and the boy haunting her dreams, Maggie has to fight for her own happy ending. In a city like London, you never know where you stand, and everything can change in the blink of an eye.
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iBooksRead an excerpt from I SEE LONDON
____________________________________________________________
Title: London Falling
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Series: International School Book #2
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
We weren’t a relationship, we were a ticking time bomb…
Maggie Carpenter walked away from the hottest encounter of her life when she left the seductive glitz of England for summer break in her South Carolina hometown. Now that she’s returned to the International School in London—and sexy, privileged Samir Khouri is once again close enough to touch—she can’t help but remember the attraction, the drama … the heartbreak.
She can’t help but want him even more.
Samir can’t afford to fall for someone so far removed from his world, not when his time in London is running out. It’s his senior year—his last chance at freedom before he returns home to Lebanon. There, he’ll be expected to follow in his father’s footsteps—not follow his heart to Maggie. But when a scorching secret hookup becomes a temptation neither can resist, they’ll both have to fight to survive the consequences … and find a future together.
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iBooksRead an excerpt from LONDON FALLING
____________________________________________________________
Title: French Kissed
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Series: International School Book #3
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
On the surface, Fleur Marceaux has it all. If only the facade matched reality. With one year left at the International School in London, Fleur’s struggling to graduate, her love life is a mess, and she can’t stop thinking about Max, her ex-boyfriend’s best friend. But all that pales compared to the blackmailer determined to destroy her.
There’s a social hierarchy at the International School and Max Tucker is outside the velvet ropes. After watching Fleur break his friend’s heart, Max knows to stay away from trouble, despite the crush he’s had on her since freshman year. But when they’re partnered on a project, Max learns there’s more to Fleur than meets the eye, and she just might be worth the wild ride.
The more time they spend together, the further Max falls. And when a kiss awakens a passion Fleur never imagined, she’s unable to resist Max, who she had thought was all wrong for her but might be the only thing that’s right. But will he stand by her when her secrets are revealed?
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iBooksRead an excerpt from FRENCH KISSED
____________________________________________________________
About Chanel
Originally a Florida girl, CHANEL CLEETON moved to London where she received a bachelor’s degree from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever, until fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise and a fighter pilot with smooth dance moves swept her off her feet. Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure in Asia.
Law school made Chanel realize she’d rather spend her days writing sexy stories than in a courtroom, and she hasn’t looked back since. An avid reader and hopeless romantic, she’s happiest curled up with a book. She has a weakness for handbags, her three pups, and her fighter pilot husband.
She is the author of I SEE LONDON and LONDON FALLING, published by Harlequin HQN, FRENCH KISSED, and FLIRTING WITH SCANDAL, the first book in a new three-book series to be released by Penguin/Intermix in 2015.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter ____________________________________________________________
Giveaway
Blog Barrage: Hunted by a Jaguar, by Felicity Heaton
Hunted by a Jaguar, the fourth 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.
Find out how to enter the Hunted by a Jaguar international giveaway (ends January 18th) and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website, where you can also download a 7 chapter sample of the novel: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/hunted-by-a-jaguar-paranormal-romance-novel.php
If you haven’t had a chance to step into this passionate and action-packed world of dark elves, fae, demons, vampires, shifters and hunters, then you can take the leap with the first book in the series, Kissed by a Dark Prince, which is only 99c / 99p until January 15th as part of her fantastic Winter Warmers special deals. Find all the deals and links to your favourite retailers at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/paranormal-romance-ebook-offers.php
B uy Hunted by a Jaguar here:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RNWV3Y0/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00RNWV3Y0/
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Hunted-Jaguar-Eternal-Paranormal-Romance-ebook/dp/B00RNWV3Y0/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Hunted-Jaguar-Eternal-Paranormal-Romance-ebook/dp/B00RNWV3Y0/
Apple US: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781909306639?at=1l3voM2
Apple UK: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781909306639?at=1l3voM2
Apple Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781909306639?at=1l3voM2
Apple Australia: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781909306639?at=1l3voM2
Kobo Books: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/hunted-by-a-jaguar-eternal-mates-romance-series-book-4
All links can be found at – Author’s Website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/hunted-by-a-jaguar-paranormal-romance-novel.php
Here’s more about Hunted by a Jaguar, including an excerpt from this paranormal romance novel.
A jaguar shifter with a dark secret, Kyter has spent his entire life running from his demons. When a tragedy takes him back to his pride’s village, he is set on a path of vengeance that will see him collide with the terrible ghosts of his past and a beautiful vision of his future.
Iolanthe deals in finding artefacts for discerning clients, but this time her client is one of the deadliest men in Hell and her mission has the highest stakes imaginable. Failure is not an option when your life is on the line, but things take a dangerous turn when she crosses paths with a handsome and mysterious male on the hunt for the same artefact—a male who declares she is his eternal mate.
Can Iolanthe resist Kyter’s wicked allure and find the artefact before he does? Can Kyter face his demons and win the heart of his fated female? Or will this deadly game of cat and mouse claim both of their lives?
Hunted by a Jaguar 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/hunted-by-a-jaguar-paranormal-romance-novel.php
Excerpt
Iolanthe despised fae towns. They were always crowded with disgusting creatures and smelled of vile things. She curled her lip at a male approaching her. He was hideous, the rolls of his stomach spilling out from beneath a brown leather vest three sizes too small for him. The repugnant bald-headed thing should have been lurking in the shadows of a damp cave rather than parading himself in public. Huge pustules dotted his meaty and hairy bare shoulders.
She grimaced as she quickly pinned her back against a wall to avoid brushing him. The last thing she needed was one of those blisters of pus bursting all over her. She would vomit and her mood would turn blacker than it already was.
The thing passed her without any contact and she moved on, using a series of side alleys to swiftly cover half of the town. She came out at the edge of the witches’ district and checked her crudely drawn map. The demon had done it in a hurry, and with only one hand.
The one she had left him.
The corner of the parchment was smeared with his black blood and it spotted the map in places. She hoped those splotches didn’t conceal anything vital. She would hate to have to go back and ask him to draw another one. She had a feeling he wouldn’t be happy to see her either.
She moved swiftly through the crowd, gracefully arching around a woman who wasn’t looking where she was going, and then diving down a shadowy alley when she spotted a dangerous male ahead of her. Her heart rushed against her chest and she edged towards the end of the wall, her back pressed against it.
She peeked around the corner and ducked back when she saw she had been right about the dark-haired male’s identity.
Lord Van der Garde of the Preux Chevaliers.
She slunk back into the shadows, hoping he wouldn’t spot her. She didn’t need a mercenary seeing her. Especially one as ruthless as this vampire. They had crossed paths, and swords, before over a mission and she had barely come away with her life. She had no doubts that he would want to know why she was in the fae town.
Just as she wanted to know what had brought him out of Hell.
Normally, he had an entourage of vampires with him. The male never travelled without companions who could do any menial work for him, such as dispatching a foe that the vampire felt was beneath him. Not today though. He was alone.
She risked another glance.
And he was as wary as she was.
He moved through the crowd, eyeing everyone, allowing none to go unscrutinised. Was he looking for someone? Or did he feel someone was looking for him? Either way, he was angry about something judging by his crimson irises and how thin the elliptical pupils were in their centres. Most vampires kept low profiles when travelling to fae towns. The witches despised them. Was he looking to stir trouble?
Iolanthe wasn’t in the mood to have him stirring trouble with her. She turned away from the main street, intending to use the alleys to reach her destination, and collided with a solid wall of muscle.
The male caught her arms before she could stumble backwards, righting her. “Sorry.”
“It is my fault for not looking where I am going.” Iolanthe lifted her gaze to his face.
His dark grey eyes held hers and spots of cerulean and gold broke through. She jerked her arms free of his grip and distanced herself. An incubus. She had hoped not to run into one of his kind.
He flashed her a winsome smile.
She tilted her chin up and swept her hand down in an arc between them. “I am not interested in whatever you are attempting to peddle my way.”
His smile faded and his eyes turned stormy, his handsome face becoming as cold and hard as ice. “I was being nice. I wasn’t trying to peddle you shit.”
He shoved his fingers through his short sandy hair, pushing the soft spikes back, and she caught sight of his fae markings that tracked up the underside of his arm to disappear beyond the rolled up sleeves of his dark striped shirt. They shimmered in hues of crimson and ash black, betraying his feelings to her. She had angered the male.
He advanced on her and she stood her ground, refusing to indulge her sudden desire to back off a step. He didn’t stop until he was so close she could feel his strength radiating from him, a dark power that warned her that he was a dangerous male and one she didn’t want as an enemy.
A hint of magic clung to his earthy scent. Had he come from the witches’ district? The smell seemed to run deeper than one he had picked up by passing through the area, almost as if it was branded on his skin, together with something that surprised her and definitely ran as deep as his blood.
The scent of a vampire.
She lifted her eyes to meet his grey ones, filled with a need to know why he smelled of both vampire and incubus.
He waved his left hand in her face and she couldn’t miss the brushed platinum band around his ring finger.
“I have a mate,” he snapped.
She hadn’t realised that incubi could mate or that they would want to devote themselves to a single female when they fed off sex. It wasn’t often she learned something new. She wanted to ask about it but she didn’t think he would give her the information she desired to assuage her curiosity. She appeared to have deeply offended him.
He pushed past her, muttering to himself. “Do all elves have bad attitudes?”
Iolanthe stared after him, unable to get her apology out before he disappeared into the crowd. She slowly raised her hands to her ears. They weren’t pointed, but he had recognised her as an elf. How? And what did he mean—did all elves have bad attitudes? How many had the male met?
There weren’t many elves in this world. Only ones who passed through. Had the incubus been to Hell?
She shook herself and pushed him and the vampire to the back of her mind. She was wasting time. A shiver went down her spine and she looked back over her shoulder, sure she had felt someone watching her. She shook that off too. People hadn’t stopped looking at her since she had entered the town. It was another of the reasons she hated these places. She preferred mountains and forests, and deserts. Places without people.
She preferred to be alone.
She checked her map and walked down the alleys, following them towards the demons’ district. When she reached the street marked on the map, she paused and studied the crowd, the medieval-looking buildings with their black oak beams intersecting white plaster panels, and all the other alleyways that branched off from the wider thoroughfare.
Her senses warned of several strong creatures in the vicinity but she ignored them. It was to be expected after all. Many of the fae towns harboured powerful demons. Unfortunately, none she had visited had been home to the one related to the artefact she needed to locate.
Apparently, he preferred to remain in the Devil’s domain in Hell, in service to his dark master.
Barafnir.
He had a nasty reputation. Most of the demons she had asked about him had refused to tell her anything and had kicked her out. They feared him. That had set Iolanthe more on edge than she had already been.
What did her client want with Barafnir?
She refused to believe the tale that Fernandez had spun when she had met him. He had sat behind an enormous obsidian desk in his opulent yet grim office of his mansion in Hell, surrounded by mirrored walls intersected with black marble columns, a marked sign of his vanity together with his expensive tailored black suit.
And the two females who had sat on a black chaise longue in the corner, scantily dressed in sheer red baby-dolls and eyeing him as an addict would eye their next fix, occasionally breaking their silence to beg for his attention.
Fernandez had slid them a smug smile whenever they had, one that had promised he would allow them to pleasure him later, and then returned his focus to Iolanthe.
When she had questioned why he wanted the key, he had pinned her with cold blue eyes that had held a flicker of red around his pupils, his hands resting on the arms of his throne-like chair, and had told her that he wanted the artefact used to summon the demon for his mantelpiece.
That black stone mantelpiece had stood off to her left, a huge fire burning in the grate beneath, throwing heat across her side and providing the only light in the room. Several rare artefacts had already been on display across it, but there had been a space in the centre that had appeared as if it had been waiting for the one he desired her to find.
Iolanthe still didn’t believe he merely wanted the key for his collection.
She was no fool.
He wanted dominion over Barafnir.
Normally, Iolanthe would have refused such a quest, but Fernandez had been very persuasive, making her an offer she couldn’t turn down.
Satisfied that the coast was clear, she slipped from the alleyway and followed the flow of people down the road to her right, towards a small white-panelled building with a haphazard crooked dark tiled roof. She exited the crowd outside the green painted door framed by black oak beams and rapped her knuckles against the wood.
It swung open.
Iolanthe ducked into the dark room, having to remain hunched over to avoid banging her head on the low ceiling. Her eyes swiftly adjusted to the muted light to reveal a cramped space with a fireplace and two small threadbare green armchairs to her left, and a rickety wooden staircase that led up into the roof on her right. Her gaze sought the demon she had come here to speak with and widened when he stepped around her.
He was nothing like she had expected.
All of the demons she had met in her lifetime had been strong males, taller than she was and broadly built, wearing an almost human appearance with the exception of their horns and the occasional pair of cloven feet.
This one was barely half her height and blue all over. Black horns flared forwards from above his pointed ears, reminding her of a bull, and eerie yellow eyes ran over her from her boots upwards. She raised an eyebrow when his gaze lingered on her breasts.
He glanced up at her face and then down at his shoes, and shuffled off towards the armchairs. His height explained why he lived in a building with such a low ceiling and why the chairs were far smaller than the ones demons normally had in their places of business. They were smaller than the ones mortals used in their homes. She wasn’t sure how anyone other than a child or the demon could fit on them.
She would say one thing about the tiny demon though. He dressed far more impeccably than the other demons she had met, wearing a fine pair of black tailored trousers with his waistcoat and shirt.
“Your reputation precedes you.” He pulled himself up onto one of the armchairs and eyed the other one.
Iolanthe was certain she wouldn’t fit in it but she did her best, unwilling to appear rude to her kind host. She mentally commanded the sword on her back to disappear, using her teleportation abilities to send it back to her bolthole. She didn’t like being without the comforting weight of it, but she would be safe now that she was off the streets.
She squatted on the seat and had to tense her thighs to stop herself from sinking into it completely. They flexed hard beneath her black trousers, pulling the material tight. If the chair had possessed springs once, it didn’t have them anymore.
The demon’s yellow gaze darkened and narrowed. “I am certain that my friend would have been kind enough to tell you my location without you resorting to ambushing him and chopping his hand off.”
She wasn’t so certain.
“I do not trust demons in the Devil’s service. It was easier to convince him to talk rather than ask him nicely and wait to see whether he would help or would attempt to cut my heart out of my chest and feast on it.”
The latter had happened too many times to count. She had learned to maim first, ask questions later with demons. They had a strange thing about eating hearts.
“You do not like demons in the Devil’s service, and yet you are looking for an artefact belonging to one?”
She nodded. “It is not for me. I am just the middle-woman. There is a party interested in the artefact and I agreed to find it for them.”
“And who would your client be?” The small blue demon leaned back in his armchair and eyed her with a shrewd gaze, one that she didn’t like.
He could attempt to wheedle information out of her all he liked. He wasn’t going to get any. She didn’t talk about her business with anyone and she definitely wasn’t going to discuss it this time.
Iolanthe smiled sweetly. “I am afraid I cannot discuss such things. Now, if you would not mind. I require the location of an artefact and was told you could help me. Can you help me or not?”
“And what artefact might that be?” He smiled right back at her and she had the feeling it would fall right off his face when he discovered who the artefact belonged to and would refuse to help her, just as all the other demons had.
“I must find the key to Barafnir. My client desires it.”
His smile faded. “Barafnir?”
She nodded. He shifted on his seat and eyed the door. He was going to kick her out. At least it wouldn’t be as humiliating as all the other times it had happened. She didn’t think he was strong enough to pick her up and physically throw her out of his door.
The demon shook his head.
Her heart sank.
“I only have information about it,” he said and she blinked. He was going to help her? He shuffled to the edge of his seat and leaned towards her, and she mirrored him, getting as close to him as she could bear considering the foul odour of his breath. “I should warn you to let this particular job go. Barafnir doesn’t like people meddling in his affairs and has taken great pains to ensure the method of summoning him remains hidden.”
She had come to understand that after she had asked the first forty demons for information and had been told to get out, had been thrown out, or had been told to give up her quest.
“I cannot,” she whispered and searched his yellow eyes, seeking a sliver of compassion in them. “You must tell me what you know. I must have that artefact. I have promised delivery of it in eleven days.”
His expression turned grave and he had the audacity to touch her knee. Iolanthe barely stopped herself from curling her lip. He patted her, as one would a child, and she regretted desiring compassion from a demon. It felt more like patronisation.
“You must make haste then.” He thankfully took his hand back just as she began to consider chopping it off, sparing her bloodying her blade.
“To where?”
He stared deep into her eyes and if she had thought they were past all the riddles and games demons loved so dearly, she had been mistaken.
“Look for knowledge in the shadow of a volcano.”
Iolanthe smiled, much to the demon’s obvious irritation as he huffed.
That was an easy one for her.
She stood, narrowly avoiding banging her head on the low wooden ceiling by quickly stooping, and teleported her blade back to her. She also transported a small pouch of gold coins and held it out to the demon.
“Thank you.” Iolanthe bowed.
The demon nodded and took the coins.
She let herself out, shutting the painted wooden door behind her, and hesitated as a shiver went down her spine again and the sensation that she was being watched returned. She looked around her at the street. No one was looking her way. She frowned, sure she hadn’t been mistaken this time. Someone was stalking her and it wasn’t her usual escort.
She scanned the crowd one last time before she slipped into the flow.
Knowledge in the shadow of a volcano.
Green-purple light flashed over her body and she disappeared.
Teleporting to a familiar location in what was now known as Italy.
Hunted by a Jaguar 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 7 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/hunted-by-a-jaguar-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 – Coming January 27th 2015
Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat – Coming February 17th 2015
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
Follow the Tour:
Jan 06:
Jan 07:
Jan 08:
Reading Between the Wines Book Club
Jan 09:
Jan 10:
Jan 11:
Aly’s Miscellany
Jan 12:
Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents
Jan 13:
Jan 14:
Jan 15:
Jan 16:
Jan 17:
Jan 18:
Happy Release Day! A Sorta Fairy Tale, by Emily McKee
A Sorta Fairytaleby Emily McKee
Release Date: 01/06/15
Summary from Goodreads:
I have my own sorta fairytale.
Only thing is that it’s with two people.
Thomas Braxton and Alex McNeil. They know I’m not with them completely. They know I have another. Everything else is pointless… useless.
From the moment I met Thomas and Alex I’ve thought if only I could blend them together? Thomas’s sexual endeavors. Alex’s sensitivity and passion for life. Then I would have the perfect person.
But perfect is overrated.
It doesn’t exist.
Plus, it’s not at all interesting.
And my relationships with Thomas and Alex?
Well that’s a story for the ages…
Pre-Order Links:
Amazon
(Available at B&N, Kobo Books and iBooks soon)
Excerpt
“You think that’s funny?”
“Yeah, sort of.” You grab a clean bowl from underneath the shelf and a bag of pistachios. I laugh louder.
“What?” You pour some nuts into the bowl.
“Aren’t they supposed to be peanuts?”
You don’t skip a beat. “I don’t like peanuts. I like pistachios.”
“It’s different.”
You crack open a pistachio and toss it in your mouth. “Being different makes you stand out, Stel.”
“I don’t want to stand out. I just want to be normal,” I mutter.
Popping another one in, you say, “Normal is boring. It’s overrated.”
My mouth twitches. I never thought of it that way. “Yeah, I guess.”
You nod at an empty booth in the corner. “Shall we?”
“Sure.”
“Great.” I can tell my answer wasn’t what you were expecting.
You start to walk behind the bar when you notice I haven’t moved yet. “What?”
“You were nervous.” It’s not a question. I don’t need an answer. I already know.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
You lean across the bar top. “Like I said. You’re intimidating. Come on. Let’s go have that drink. Lord knows it’ll take you forever.”
Getting up from the bar, I grab my wine and start to walk toward the empty booth. “Already trying to get rid of me?”
Standing in front of me, you shake your head. “No.”
“Then what is it?”
“I can’t wait to know everything about you.”
Relief washes over me when you don’t wait to see my expression. Happiness. Bewilderment.
Confusion.
Happiness because you actually want to get to know me.
Bewilderment because I’m surprised you’re so straightforward. With Thomas I knew what I wanted and went after it. With you, I’m…
Confused, I don’t understand the emotions I’m experiencing. It’s new to me, and I’m not sure I like it.
About the Author
For the past 21 years, I have been a planner and an organizer. I always needed things a specific way and then everything changed for me. I’ve always had a vivid imagination and thoughts racing through my mind. I realized that life is way too short to let things pass me by, because in the blink of an eye everything could change. So I decided to just live in the moment, taking every chance and opportunity led my way. No second thoughts and just going with the flow.I decided to put the fictional characters and the conversations going on in my head to paper. I know, it makes me sound crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve embraced crazy and hectic and last minute because it’s led me to making my dreams a reality.
When I’m not writing Happily Ever After’s I’m reading about them and living one. I think this world is filled with too much sadness already we don’t need to read about it as well. I write because I love it and I’ve allowed my imagination to run wild and be crazy and free. Just like me.
Author Links:
GIVEAWAY:Book Blitz Organized by:
January 5, 2015
Spotlight On: Scorch by K. C. Stewart
Urban Fantasy
Date Published: January 5, 2015
Hailey Holloway has a serious knack with running from her problems. At the first sign of trouble she can be found lacing up her Nikes and hitting the road. Dacea has been patient with her, but a man can only handle so much. He told her before that he would not chase after her again and is he nothing, if not a man of his word. Katherine is more than happy to pick at the wound that festers between them. If she picks enough, she just might make one or both of them bleed.
War is on the horizon. Together, they need to convince the leaders of Blue and Silver to join their crusade against the Council, but can they put their differences aside and stop fighting long enough to help those in the line of fire?
EXCERPT
“Hope. That is your answer?”
He tilted his head slightly at her tone. “It is.”
“Why should I hope for something that is doomed?” she asked plainly. “What would going back solve? We’d be happy for what? Five minutes before some new drama puts us at odds. I’m tired of fighting all the time. Loving Dak is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s like loving a frickin’ mountain. He’s stubborn and unyielding to the point that I just want to beat my fists against him but that would do nothing but make me bleed. I can’t take being built up again just to have him tell me how I’m supposed to live, feel or love.”
She gave a short humorless laugh and shook her head. “Hope is one of the worst promises I could give myself. Because if I allow myself to hope for him to come around, and it doesn’t happen…I will be broken. Dak is hard headed, inflexible and has arrogance coming out his ass. He is my Mate, and God help me, but I love him for all his faults, even if he can’t love me for mine.” While Silas listened he reached over and brushed his thumbs over each of her cheeks clearing away the tears. She batted his hands away and with a clear voice she continued, “If I walk away now, I can keep what little is left of me together. I can hold on to the cracked pieces that haven’t completely shattered and go on living. It might not be the best life, but it will be under my own terms.”
He should have been happy at her declaration. Silas could have his sister without Dacea’s interference. They could leave tonight and travel, go wherever she wanted for as long as she wanted. They could connect. But he could either have the Hailey that was full of pop culture trivia and was always good for a smile with her infectious laugh. Or he could have the reserved.
Hailey who watches the clouds pass by from the window of her room, never granting more than a brief comment to the mundane. He could have one or the other, but she couldn’t be both.
Silas may not have spent much time with her yet, but he knew who his sister was.
“Hailey,” he put his hands on her shoulders and tilted his head to the side trying to catch her gaze. “There is always reason to hope.”
About the Author
K.C. Stewart lives in central Pennsylvania with her three cats. She is currently attending college online for Library Science while working full time as a photographer. In her spare time, which isn’t easy to find, she reads an obnoxious amount and writes in between everything else. K.C. has a very real addiction to gummy bears and talking to her cats when no one is around.
Contact Links
Website
Buy Links
Amazon Author Page
Giveaway
2 $5 amazon gift cards, 3 Scorch ebooks.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
January 3, 2015
Cover Reveal: The Fire Mages, by Pauline M. Ross
About The Book
Title: The Fire Mages
Author: Pauline M. Ross
Genre: Epic Fantasy Adventure / Romance
Kyra has always been drawn to the magic of spellpages. She is determined to leave her small village far behind and become a scribe, wielding the power of magic through her pen. Halfway through her training, she has a mage as patron and her ambitions are within her grasp. But a simple favour for her sister goes disastrously awry, destroying Kyra’s dreams in an instant. Devastated, she accepts an offer from a stranger to help her find out what went wrong. The young man sees growing power within Kyra, potentially stronger than spellpages or any living mage. The answers to unlocking that power may lie within the glowing walls of the Imperial City, but its magic is strong and the unwary vanish without trace on its streets. Thirsty for knowledge and desperate to avoid another accident, she feels compelled to risk it. While she focuses on controlling her abilities, a storm of greed and ambition boils up around her. Kyra is a pawn in the struggle for dominance between unscrupulous factions vying for rule of her country. Trusting the wrong side could get her killed–or worse, the potent magic she barely understands could be put to unthinkable evil.
Author Bio
Pauline lives in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland with her husband, her grown up daughter and a mad cat. She likes chocolate, whisky, her Kindle, massed pipe bands, long leisurely lunches, watching TV with her daughter, chocolate, going places in her campervan, eating pizza in Italy, summer nights that never get dark, wood fires in winter, chocolate, the view from the study window looking out over the Moray Firth and the Black Isle to the mountains beyond. And chocolate. She dislikes driving on motorways, cooking, shopping, hospitals. ‘The Fire Mages’ is her second published work. ‘The Plains of Kallanash’ was published in September 2014.
Links
January 2, 2015
Spotlight On: Shadow Fire (The Light Chronicles #1) by Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Shadow Fire (The Light Chronicles #1)
by Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Release Date: 02/24/14
Astraea Press
310 pages
Summary from Goodreads:
Ashlyn – a free-spirited teenager whose peaceful life
is shattered when the village elders honor her with a perilous quest to recover
a stolen relic.Zane – a jaded mercenary, torn by his undeniable desire for Ashlyn
and the dark secret that could make her hate him forever.
Delistaire – a malevolent sorcerer driven by an insatiable lust for
power.
All three are bound together by an ancient relic supposedly infused with the
power of a Goddess.
Shadow Fire – adventure, passion, secrets, and betrayal
As Ashlyn and Zane race to stay one step ahead of the evil lurking in the
shadows, their passions are ignited and their bond strengthens. But will they
find the relic before Delistaire? Or has their entire quest been orchestrated
from the very beginning by a madman in pursuit of ultimate power?
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes
& Noble
Excerpt
We walk in silence for what seems like several hours. The sun is at midday, yet we still haven’t stopped to rest. Zane isn’t holding my hand like he was in the forest. Of course, there’s nothing for me to trip over on this wide clear road, with the exception of the ruts from the wagon wheels. I miss feeling his strong hand gripping mine. Perhaps I should just be bold like Celeste and take his hand if I want to hold it. The thought leads to a tiny giggle escaping my mouth. I’m mortified when Zane glances back at me, his right eyebrow arched.
“Are you okay?” he asks as he stops walking. My face must be crimson. When I don’t answer, he places his hand on my forehead. “You’re quite warm. Maybe we should rest for a little bit.”
I nod my agreement and sit down in the tall grass on the side of the road. Hopefully the grass will conceal my red face from view. Zane does one last survey of our surroundings before lowering himself to the ground next to me.
“Here,” he says, handing his canteen to me, “Have some water. It’ll help you feel better. Be sure to tell me in the future when you need to rest.”
Nodding, I take a slow drink while trying to calm my racing heart. Then another unbidden thought enters my mind, and I picture his lips on the same flask. I choke on the drink I’m taking. Zane pats my back as I sputter and cough. So embarrassing. I wonder what other evils my mind has planned for me.
“I’m okay,” I say, handing the flask back, “but I think I’ll hold off on water for a while.”
Settling on my back in the thick grass, I hide my red face beneath my arm. Just a couple of minutes and the flush will fade. If I don’t stop blushing around him, he’ll start to think red is my natural skin color. I feel movement in the grass beside me. His fingertips trace a feather light caress along the arm slung over my face. Lowering my arm, I breathe out a tiny gasp. Zane’s face is within inches of mine. I watch his lips curl into a slight smile as his hand moves from my arm to caress my cheek. His garnet eyes are mesmerizing, trapping me within the twin pools of fire.
He leans closer, his lips so close yet still too far away. My heart pounds in my chest, my eyes still ensnared by his gaze. His lips meet mine, softly at first, then more demanding. A soft moan escapes my throat, and my eyes flutter closed.
“Is this okay?” he asks in a breathless whisper, his lips brushing mine when he speaks.
Instead of answering, I wind my arms around his neck, pulling his body closer. My mouth opens under the soft pressure of his tongue, granting him entrance. He explores my mouth with excruciating slowness. My body feels like it’s on fire as tiny shivers of pleasure race up and down my extremities. I bury my fingers into his auburn hair trapping him against me. He groans, pulling me against him, tightening his arms around my upper body, and I feel a delicious warmth pool deep within my body.
When his lips leave mine I’m still lost to the sensations, all so raw and new. Opening my eyes, I gaze up at him, my limbs not quite ready to function yet. His eyes are darkened with passion, which sends another wave of desire coursing through my body.
“As much as I’d like to stay like this all day,” he murmurs, nipping at my lower lip. Clearing his throat he continues, “We need to get moving.”
About the Author
Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a
bestselling 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. Kimber Leigh 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:
Book Blitz Organized by:
December 31, 2014
Spotlight On: The Winning Side, by CM Doporto
The Winning Side (University Park, #3)
by C.M. Doporto
Release Date: December 21, 2014
Genre: New Adult Sports Romance 18+ for adult
situations and language
Page numbers:
272 pages
Summary from Goodreads:
Lexi’s determined to keep her word and stand by Raven’s side because her love for him is too strong to deny. As Raven learns to deal with the issues that
are destined to destroy him and their relationship, their love is taken to a
new level. As doors are closed and new ones are opened, Lexi and Raven find themselves in a heavenly bliss, but not without the challenges from Raven’s past. With a true test of love, Lexi and Raven have to decide if they are willing to do whatever it takes to be on the winning side.
Excerpt
Delaney held up a light pink sweater to her chest. “This is hideous. You have to trash this thing.” She flung it behind her.
“Hey, I like that sweater.” I dashed after it and then gave it a once over and agreed with her. It was something my mom had bought for me and it had Betty Homemaker written all over it with pearl buttons and a jacquard trim. I shoved it in the return-home bag. “I think coming back to the dorm will be good for both of us. When Raven’s having a bad day, I can just come back here so he can have some time to himself. Time to process whatever he’s going through.”
And time to fight his demons.
“And you trust that he will be okay.” She threw one of my skirts over her head. “He won’t plunge off the edge and go back to where he was, will he?”
“I’ll check on him. It’s not like I won’t see him. And if needed, you can take me to his apartment, right?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Who’s apartment?” Raven stood in the doorway carrying my bags.
“Your apartment, silly.” I smiled at him, trying to displace any unnecessary fear or jealously. Although Raven hadn’t seemed liked the jealous type, I wanted to keep it that way. That was one less thing I didn’t have to worry about in our relationship.
“Hey, what’s this?” Delaney held up a pink and silver Victoria Secret’s gift card.
“Where did you get that?” I said taking it from her hand.
“It was buried in your clothes.” She pointed to the mound on my bed.
Raven looked over my shoulder as I opened the flap.
Have fun shopping with Raven. Love, Dad.
“Holy shit. Is he serious?” I looked at Raven and he smiled. Was my dad trying to make up for my mom going bat shit crazy and burning all the lingerie Raven had bought me?
Sweet.
“Damn!” Raven covered his mouth with his fist. “Three hundred bucks. We can buy you a lot of sexy stuff.” Raven cocked a brow. “When are we going?”
“Whenever you want.” I eyed him with a hungry stare. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to get enough of him.
Of his taste.
Of his touch.
Of his scent.
I was permanently caught in The Raven’s trap. And I wondered if he was really done with setting out his bait and happy with the catch he’d caught. Time would only tell. I shook my head, trying to calm my ranging hormones.
“Is that it?” I asked, looking at the two bags by the door.
“What do you mean, is that it?” He huffed, gripping his waist. “I brought up like five bags. And there’s still more at my apartment.”
“I’m sorry.” I walked past him and headed for the closet. “I didn’t ask my dad to bring me all of my clothes.”
“I know.” He grabbed my hand and spun me around. I slammed against his body and rested my hands against his broad chest. “If you’d just stay with me, then we wouldn’t have to be hauling all of your stuff back and forth.”
His scent laced around me, making it difficult to stand my ground. “But I am going to stay with you.”
“Yeah, but not every night.” He pressed his lips to the sensitive part of my neck and my mind quickly forgot why I had talked myself in to coming back to the dorm. “I need a little bit of this every night.” He popped me on the butt and I squealed.
“Okay, I’m outta here.” Delaney dropped the clothes in her hand.
“No. I need your advice.” I tried to wiggle out of Raven’s arms, but he only held me tighter. “I need you to help me pick out clothes that will make me look sexy.” I glanced up at Raven and he let out a low growl as he continued to nibble on my neck, not paying any attention to Delaney. I leaned to the side, trying to break free, even though I really didn’t want to. “Raven, stop.” I pleaded with a tone that said yes, more than it said no.
“Looks like you’re about to get undressed so I’ll help you later.” Delaney step aside and headed for the door.
“Thanks, Delaney.” Raven said as he kicked off his shoes and started to pull off his shirt. His stomach tensed and I caught a nice view of his elegantly chiseled abs.
“Shit, I almost forgot.” Delaney turned around before pulling the door shut. “Whoa! Can you wait until I get out? I don’t need a glimpse of the freak show.”
“Hurry.” Raven tossed his shirt on the chair. “I don’t have all day.”
Delaney’s eyes landed directly on Raven’s midsection for a full count of three before she finally tore them away and looked at me. “Do y’all want to grab a pizza with Luke and me later?”
Raven looked at me, waiting for a response. “I’m game if you are,” I said, feeling the hunger pains bubble up in my stomach.
His lips spread into a full smile. “Sure, but I’m game for something else first.” Raven encircled his arms around me and pressed his lips against my ear as his hands wondered up and down my backside.
“What time Delaney?” I grabbed his arms, trying to restrain him from feeling me up in front of my roommate. He stretched his neck, trying to kiss me. I laughed, unable to resist his tempting offer. After all, I was already in his trap and I was there to stay.
“Is an hour long enough?” Delaney appraised Raven from head to toe and then gave me a wide-eyed warning.
“No, but we’ll make it work.” He said, undressing me with his eyes.
I giggled as Raven picked me up and tossed me on the bed, landing on top of my clothes.
“I warned you, Lexi,” Delaney said, as she pulled the door shut.
“I know. But I can’t resist The Raven’s trap.”
Pre-Order Links:
Amazon│Apple iTunes│Barnes & Noble│KoboCurrently Opposing Sides, book 1 in the University Park Series is FREE for a limited time.
About the Author
CM Doporto lives in the great state of Texas with her husband and son enjoying life with their extensive family along with their Chihuahua, Mexican Redhead Parrot, and several fish.She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Arlington. She briefly worked in the area of Public Relations and Advertising and then pursued a career in the field of Human Resources. CM considers herself a life-long learner and returned to school and earned her Master of Art’s Degree in Organizational Development from Dallas Baptist University.
She writes Young Adult and New Adult Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy stories about ordinary women who do extraordinary things, become a heroine, and find love along the way.
Author Links:
GIVEAWAY:Book Blitz Organized by:
December 30, 2014
Spotlight On: The Doorknob Society, by MJ Fletcher
Young Adult / Paranormal / Steampunk
Date Published: February 2012
Chloe Masters’ world changes in a heartbeat and all she did was touch a doorknob.
When she was young Chloe’s mother vanished. Wracked by feelings of abandonment and anger she lost herself traveling with her fathers magic act, where illusions were part of her everyday life. Yet everything changes when they are pursued by a mysterious man in black out to kill her father. Touching a doorknob activates abilities she never knew she had and she finds herself thrust into a world of ancient societies and secrets.
When her father disappears it is a race against time to find answers before she loses whats left of her family. Now Chloe must choose who to trust, the man who will do anything for her or the one she can’t stop thinking about.
Book one of the Doorknob Society Saga.
About the Author
MJ Fletcher is the creator of the comic book series Adam Zero: The Last Man of Earth published by Ronin Studios. He’s also been published in Hope: The Hero Initiative and Digital Webbing Presents. The Doorknob Society was his first book series and still among his favorites. His other works include The Grimm Chronicles series and numerous novellas and short stories. He lives near the beach with his wife, daughter, and an insane dog.
Author Links
Website
Twitter: fletch125
Instagram: mjfletcherwriter
Buy Links
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iTunes
KOBO
Spotlight On: Found, Near Water by Katherine Hayton
Crime / Thriller / Mystery
Date Published: July 2014
Rena Sutherland wakes from a coma into a mother’s nightmare. Her daughter is missing – lost for four days – but no one has noticed; no one has complained; no one has been searching.
As the victim support officer assigned to her case, Christine Emmett puts aside her own problems as she tries to guide Rena through the maelstrom of her daughter’s disappearance.
A task made harder by an ex-husband desperate for control; a paedophile on early-release in the community; and a psychic who knows more than seems possible. And intertwined throughout, the stories of six women; six daughters lost.
About the Author
Katherine Hayton is a 41 year old woman who works in insurance, doesn’t have children or pets, can’t drive, has lived in Christchurch her entire life, and currently resides a two minute walk from where she was born. For some reason she’s developed a rich fantasy life.
Author Links
Website
Buy Links
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
2014 in review ~ Words, Words, Words Blog Stats!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 27,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 10 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Click here to see the complete report.
