Babs Hightower's Blog, page 132
December 15, 2014
Copper Wear Review
Copper Wear™ from our “As Seen on TV” Store is the next generation of ankle, elbow, knee and back supports. Copperwear clothing effectively relieves joint pain while providing additional support. Copper Wear”s revolutionary construction incorporates specially formulated high-performance nylon, and is impergnated with heat-conducting copper fibers. Copperwear”s ergonomic design dramatically increases necessary blood flow and provides essential joint compression. Our compression wear reduces swelling and helps speed recovery.
Copperwear”s revolutionary fabric wicks away perspiration and moisture while providing essential support for achy muscles and joints. Copper Wear is Antimicrobial and Odor-resistant, and is 100% Machine Washable, and can also be machine dried. Copperwear support sleeves can fit either right or left.
Designed for athletic activity, or ever day support
Helps facilitate healing, recovery and soreness
State-of-the art Odor Resistant Design
Revolutionary Fabric Design Wicks Away Moisture
Comfortable, supportive fit.
My husband had chronic ankle issues so I decided I would get the ankle version and see how it worked for him. He says, “It’s light weight, smooth texture, easy on and off and comfortable around the house. He forgot he even had it one that is how well it worked. I say this was a winner.
The post Copper Wear Review appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
Around the Edges Meets Refined (Meet Your Match #2) by Rachael Anderson
Around the Edges Meets Refined (Meet Your Match #2) by Rachael Anderson
For Noah Mackie, life is finally back on track. He has a great support system, a promised promotion is on its way, and he’s finally getting the hang of this single father thing. But when the job falls through and his neighbor’s matchmaking efforts become more aggressive, Noah is in for yet another unwanted detour. With his career and two spirited daughters to worry about, he doesn’t have time for dating—especially not someone like Cassie Ellis, his girls’ beautiful and sophisticated dance instructor, who is about as open and approachable as a brick wall.
Rough around the Edges Meets Refined is about two people who think they know exactly what they want but who have no idea what they really need. It’s about learning that people aren’t always what they seem and that sometimes life’s detours take you exactly where you need to go.
Purchase Your Copy from Amazon.com
My thoughts:
A great book the best part for me was the ice cream scene. I could not get enough of it. It made the whole book and the two characters become real for me. The author did a wonderful job with the scene as the reader could picture themselves in the book and the plot is so well written the reader wants to keep turning the pages.
Excerpt:
“So . . .” Becky hedged. “Did you get a chance to meet Cassie when you picked them up?” To most people, the question would have sounded so innocent. But after all of her hints about how Cassie was single, and pretty, and talented, and a wonderful person, and single, Noah knew better.
“I did,” he said, and left it at that. He wasn’t about to tell Becky that her friend was the most standoffish person he’d ever met. Cassie’s expression had been too serene, her posture too perfect, and her sense of humor too nonexistent. She wouldn’t even shake his hand. There was no denying she was beautiful, but if Noah was actually looking—which he wasn’t—it would be for more than a pretty face. He’d want someone who knew how to have fun; someone who could be a wonderful mom to his girls. Cassie didn’t seem to fit that description.
Becky wasn’t about to let it drop. “And . . . ?” she prompted.
“And what?”
She rolled her eyes. “What did you think?”
“Uh . . . she seems nice.” Sort of.
“Nice?” Becky said. “That’s it? Really?”
“We talked for a total of five minutes. And yeah, she was nice.” Sort of.
“Did you think she was pretty?”
“Sure.”
“Intelligent?”
Noah was ready to end the conversation and eat the soup. “Like I said, five minutes.”
Becky frowned. “I can’t believe you only talked to her for five minutes. You should have given it at least fifteen.”
“And let the girls smell up my cab even more? I don’t think so.”
Becky leveled him a hard stare. “Just promise me the next time you’re able to pick them up, you’ll give her a chance.”
He sighed. Becky had done so much for him and the girls, and he would bend over backwards to return all the favors. But this? This made him incredibly uncomfortable. If he was going to meet a girl, he wanted to do it on his own terms and in his own way—not be pushed into something that wouldn’t have a chance of going anywhere but down.
“I don’t know,” he finally said. “She doesn’t really seem like my type.”
“Wow, that’s pretty amazing you could know that after only five minutes,” Becky said.
“Hey, sometimes that’s all it takes.”
“And most of the time, it takes a lot longer.”
Author Rachael Anderson
USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.
$25 Blog Tour Giveaway
Enter to win an Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/19/15
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by readinglight.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
The post Around the Edges Meets Refined (Meet Your Match #2) by Rachael Anderson appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
Compulsions Blog Tour
Calum Alexander lived his life one way. With purpose and moderation. Everything was set
in place and everything happened according to a plan.
That is, until his picture perfect engagement falls apart and his crazy brother Lucas gets him to agree to
a night out. Calum is left to fend for himself when Lucas decides to bail, and “fend for himself” he will
need to.
A vivacious and obviously young Livana Payne catches his attention and before he knows
what’s going on, they end up talking. By the end of the night, Calum is on fire for the impish girl who’s
managed to ignite an inferno within him.
Yes, she’s twelve years younger and the complete opposite of what he’d imagined in his life, but he
hungers for her in a way that’s frightening. Drunk and surprisingly out of control, he’s dead set on his
need to have her.
But the moment he accidentally lets it be known that he’s recently single, Livana is having
none of it. There is no way she’s getting involved with a man who just broke up with his fiance.
No, they were going to have to wait. Calum’s need for her somehow kept growing. As the days went by
and he got to know her more, Livana seemed to be stealing all of his sanity.
As much as she wants to wait it quickly becomes obvious to Calum that he’s losing his grip
to the monster she’d awakened within him.
He’s about to lose control and when he does, he knows there’s going to be nothing gentle about what
he’ll end up doing to her . . .
He owns her—Every. Single. Breath. She just
doesn’t want to admit it. To him, or herself. . .
You get hurt once; you assume that’s the norm. You see others suffer; you assume that’s
the norm, too.
At least, that’s what Livana once did. One rough go-around was enough for her. After that, she kept it
simple, no strings attached. It was just easier that way. Even necessary.
Until she went out one night and met Calum Alexander, a man whose intensity broke through each of
her defenses, leaving her vulnerable.
Afraid to fall in love, she tries to keep some of her walls up around herself, even though
Calum is determined not to let her.
Faced with a man that seems intent on possessing her, Liv knows it’s a mere matter of time before she
no longer has a choice.
That is…until Calum’s own insecurities come to the fore, throwing their new, fragile
relationship into a tailspin.
Will the feelings between them be strong enough to keep them together, or will their issues get in the
way of what they had just started to build?
Excerpt:
How long had I fantasized about those lips? An hour? Maybe two? It didn’t matter. To my
starved body, it felt like a lifetime.
Soft, pillow-like flesh covered my own and I lost it. An uncharacteristic sound vibrated out
of my ribcage. I heard the table complain when I moved too sharply and accidentally kicked it.
Liv gasped, her plump lips still pressed to my own and falling open.
Need. Want . . . Take. Take it all.
I was lost. My hand snapped around the back of her head, the size dwarfing it. I held her
still, slanting my mouth against hers and rubbing our lips together.
She whimpered.
And I finally recognized the sound leaving me. As my lips trembled against her mouth and
she started shaking against me, I realized that I was fucking growling.
The taste of her sat heavy on my tongue, wrenching more hunger out of me. I wrapped one
hand around the back of her head. My other hand curved around her lower back.
She fit right into my hands. Fantasies were unleashed in flashes of pain, each image
battering more need into my groin.
Liv shifted, tilting her head and letting me suck on her bottom lip. The need to bite down
into its plumpness was borderline cruel.
She let out a little exhale that slid into my mouth. I nibbled on her bottom lip as softly as I
could while feeling my teeth vibrating with a groan.
Liv moved again. I felt the slightest flick of her tongue. I slanted my mouth over hers, wet
lips sliding across each other. Thoughts abandoned me, leaving me at the mercy of my senses.
And all of them were honing in on her.
Our saliva mixed and aggravated my lust. Her tongue began dancing shamelessly with my
own. God forgive me, I was lost.
Pulling her closer and surrendering my body over to the feeling, I held her as close as I could
considering that we were in a booth.
My dick was sticky, the head rubbing against my boxers. At any other moment of my life,
this would have shocked me. But right then, all it did was heighten my need.
Liv pulled back, retaliating for what I did earlier and giving me a light bite that dragged
across my bottom lip. It took all of my strength to stop myself from thrusting up into the air.
When she pulled back to lean her cheek against mine, I groaned and turned my head to
press my lips into her skin.
“Oh, God. Calum, that’s intense,” she breathed, rubbing her cheek across my mouth.
Saying that we were in perfect agreement would have been a tragic understatement. “Give
me more.” My voice grated with my demand.
Liv whimpered under her breath, turning her head and kissing me again.
It wasn’t lost on me that I was still wearing her hat, nor was it lost on Liv. “You look really
sexy wearing that,” she whimpered between kisses.
I was tempted to tell her I’d keep the thing on all night if it meant that she wouldn’t stop
what she was doing. She flicked the tip of her tongue, teasing the tip of mine and making my toes curl in
my shoes.
It registered in the back of my mind that we had become the couple making out in the dark
corner of the bar.
I’d never done something like this, yet I basked in the knowledge that every idiot that had
been drooling over her could just pass by and see.
“Fuck. I’m dying to—” But she didn’t finish, just slid her little tongue right back into my
mouth. Hands tight around her hips, I held her still, letting our mouths all but fuck each other.
Who am I kidding? This was mouth-sex, plain and simple. My body teasing me with little
glimpses of what she’d be like in bed. If she was as good with her body as she was with that tongue . .
.
Liv pulled back suddenly, her breath panting across mine. “I’m sorry. I got out of hand. This
is getting out of hand.”
I was breathing just as hard as she was. “Agreed.”
We leaned in at the same time, lips touching again.
Liv gasped, pulling back and moving her hair away from her face. “Sorry!”
“Don’t be. I believe I’m also to blame.” Tell her. Tell her now. Tell her why this is a bad idea.
But she was turning me selfish. I liked her lips too much to give them up. It’s just a kiss. Nothing more.
Won’t take it farther than that.
Even as I thought it, I knew
it was a ridiculous lie.
GIVEAWAY
N. Isabelle Blanco was born in Queens, NY (USA). At the age of three, due to an odd fascination with
studying her mother’s handwriting, she began to read and write. By the time she’d reached
kindergarten, she had an extensive vocabulary and her obsession with words began to
bleed into every aspect of her life.
An avid reader in her teens, her fascination with Japanese anime eventually led her to the universe of
fan fiction, which became her on-again, off-again hobby for the next ten years. During that time she
amassed a following of fans that, by her own admission, she would never be able to live
without. It was those fans who encouraged her to step beyond the fan fiction realm and try her talent in
the publishing world.
N. Isabelle Blanco now has three novellas and two full-length novels under her belt, and spends her days
working as an author, web programmer, marketer, and graphic designer. That is when she isn’t handling
her “spawn”, as she calls her son, and brainstorming with him about his future career as a comic book
illustrator.
Website | MaE | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |
The post Compulsions Blog Tour appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
Feel by Karen-Anne Stewart
Giveaway at end of post
Book & Author Details:
Feel by Karen-Anne Stewart
Publication date: December 2014
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Synopsis:
The one whose emotions I can’t feel is the one who makes me feel the most.
I was a sensitive, at least that’s what I was told by the boy who saved me from the overwhelming emotions that consumed my soul, the boy who saved me from myself when my gift became stronger. Through the years, he was my redemption, my reason to take my next breath…then, he was gone.
Jensen always told me I was strong, but I didn’t believe him until I was forced to be strong on my own, and I kept breathing without him. I’ve taken 42 million breaths since the moment he sent me away. Now, four years later, he’s standing in front of me, and I can barely breathe.
This isn’t just a story about the abilities I possess; it’s a story about something much stronger…the love of the man who possesses every part of me.
***Disclaimer – Feel is intended for readers 18+ due to strong language, mature scenes, and some violence.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23352590-feel
Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoWsYWu9jik
Purchase:
–Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Feel-Karen-Anne-Stewart-ebook/dp/B00PRC0RFE/ref=
AUTHOR BIO
Karen-Anne Stewart has always adored reading and has now fallen in love with writing. Her written works are The Rain Trilogy: Saving Rain, Healing Rain, and After the Rain. Her debut novel, Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy, was a nominee for the Book Junkie’s Choice Awards and is a nominee for the 2013 RONE Awards.
When Karen-Anne isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and visiting new places. She fuels her addiction of creating new stories by her only other addiction, caffeine, and listening to a myriad of musical genres. Tucked away near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karen-Anne lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and their cat. She plans on writing new adult romance as long as her fingers maintain dexterity.
Author Links:
http://www.karen-annestewart.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6920317.Karen_Anne_Stewart
https://www.facebook.com/SKarenAnne
https://twitter.com/SKarenAnne
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December 14, 2014
Surfacing book blitz with Xpresso Book Tours
Book & Author Details:
Surfacing by Kristin Halbrook
Publication date: December 10th 2014
Genres: Mystery, New Adult
Synopsis:
Katie Sawyer has spent the past three and a half years cultivating the perfect UCLA experience. She has the perfect boyfriend: a football star. She has the perfect social life: she’s President of Delta Gamma. But her perfect best friend, Chelsea, just drowned. Worse, the body tumbled out of the closet in Professor Griffin’s chem lab.
Katie’s fairy-tale façade hides a past she would like to forget, but Chelsea’s death brings every old emotion to the surface. If she’s going to move on from her hurts, Katie has to pull her not-so-perfect self together and search out the identity of Chelsea’s killer, even if it means turning to Josh Hunter for help. It’s not easy. Josh infuriates her. Once upon a time, they were next door neighbors and best friends. They were confidants. They were even teenagers fumbling and exploring each other in the dark. He knew everything about her. He owned her heart. That was before things changed.
Now, secrets are surfacing. Chelsea was seeing someone. And she was pregnant when she died. Katie must come to terms with Chelsea’s other life…and face the fact that she has some secrets of her own. Even if it means letting the past–and Josh Hunter–back into her life.
A college Clueless meets Veronica Mars, Kristin Halbrook’s new adult mystery is full of sexy romance and twists that will keep you guessing until the end.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Purchase:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Surfacing-Krist...
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/surf...
Kristin Halbrook Author Q&A
You have a Young Adult novel out now (NOBODY BUT US) and another one coming out next year (EVERY LAST PROMISE), in addition to your New Adult debut, SURFACING. What are some of the differences between writing YA and NA?
I love writing both Young Adult and New Adult. It’s been interesting seeing some of the differences in my writing style between the two, but also noticing what is the same. My Young Adult novels are upper YA, so there’s not a lot of disparity in content. Having said that, my New Adult projects definitely feature more sexytimes as an essential part of the plot. I also feel like the plot itself takes a bit more spotlight in my New Adult projects, which is fun, while my Young Adult books feel a bit more character-driven and perhaps more crafted at the line level. Still, whether I’m writing New Adult or Young Adult, the books are definitely “me” and are getting the best of my ability.
What are your inspirations?
SURFACING, in particular, is inspired by two of my favorite things to watch: Veronica Mars and the movie, Clueless. I like writing emotionally complicated characters who have to face their own demons as they are also trying to come to terms with an event that doesn’t have easy answers. There is a mystery element to this book, but it isn’t quite at Nancy Drew levels. It’s a little more about finding oneself than about finding a villain, even though there certainly is a villain!
I have also been inspired by the setting. I love the beach as much as Katie does, which is why it plays such a role in this story. And I’m a huge fan of female friendships and of women living together and interacting on a daily basis, which is why I chose to set this, and all the companion books, in the Delta Gamma sorority. It’s a good place to explore female dynamics in a real and empowering way.
SURFACING has a mystery element. Do you think that makes it different from other New Adult books?
SURFACING does have a mystery element, and I think it’s something that’s a little different than a lot of what’s out there right now in New Adult. But it also has a lot of the elements that I think New Adult readers like to see: identifiable female characters, great men, sexual tension and personal growth in a turbulent life stage. I like to think I’ve taken the popular contemporary romance and given it a little twist with the mystery.
Do you have favorite characters in your books?
Not usually. I sometimes like my characters, I sometimes dislike them. Either way, I always love writing them. I do have to admit, though, that Josh is a really, really, really good guy (in so many ways) and also, you know, hot, and if I had to pick a book boyfriend, it would be him.
What are your future New Adult plans? Any previews you can give us?
I have lots of fun plans for my future New Adult projects! Right now, several more books featuring the ladies from Delta Gamma are in the works. Some of the characters you’ll see in SURFACING get their own turn in the spotlight, and there will even be a change of setting for a couple of them to some of my own favorite places to visit (Scotland! Snow-capped mountains!). Hopefully, I’ll be able to share previews soon, so stay tuned! A good place to keep up with what’s new is my twitter @KristinHalbrook or my Tumblr page: www.tumblr.com/KristinHalbrook
AUTHOR BIO:
When she was little, Kristin Halbrook wanted to be a writer, the President of the USA or the first female NFL quarterback. The first one stuck. Even when pursuing other dreams, she always took time to write, including stories for adults, teens, and children. She is the author of Nobody But Us (HarperTeen, 2013) and the forthcoming Every Last Promise (HarperTeen, April 2015). Surfacing is her new adult debut.
When she’s not writing or reading, she’s spending time with three pixies, her Mad Scot soulmate, and one grumpy cocker spaniel; traveling across oceans and time; cooking and baking up a storm; and watching waves crash and suns set on the beach. She currently lives, loves and explores in The Emerald City, though she occasionally makes wispy, dream-like plans to move to Paris or a Scottish castle one day (if just temporarily).
Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5070015.Kristin_Halbrook
http://www.kristinhalbrook.com/
https://twitter.com/kristinhalbrook
https://www.facebook.com/KristinHalbrook
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December 13, 2014
Dieting Madness: Facts and Fiction About Weight Loss and Nutrition
Dieting Madness: Facts and Fiction About Weight Loss and Nutrition
Rene Schellekens is a Dutch pilot based in the UK, having moved over at the age of 19. He is the author of the new diet book ‘Dieting Madness: Facts and Fiction About Diet and Nutrition’.
Rene explains why he wrote this book: “I gained a lot of weight especially going from being an active young student to a professional making his money from sitting in a cockpit pressing buttons. Since then I gained and lost weight several times and tried all kind of diets.” Rene continues, “…all these diets work, but not for long. They are almost impossible to stick to and not very honest or clear on why they actually help you to achieve weight-loss.”
Rene continues, “I became more and more interested in diets and started to put things regarding nutrition and dieting onto paper just to make it all clear to myself. Even though I don’t have a degree in Nutrition in the end it became my own book. I would say it is not a diet book but just a book that tells you how to lose weight. Even though this might seem the thing to many people, to me they are 2 complete different things.”
After Rene published ‘Dieting Madness’ his cabin crew became interested and many of them started to read the book, all losing weight. Julie says “I lost about one stone after reading and following Rene’s book, it’s fantastic!” Another cabin crew member, Adriana was enthralled: “I have given lots of diets a go in the past but after taking the advice from Rene’s book I’ve shed over two stone.”
Pilot James says “I’ve never been on a diet but got interested because Rene wrote the book. The book is very straightforward and very direct, and by following it I’ve lost 10 pounds.”
Below: Rene with some of his cabin crew who have been following the advice in his book…
Dieting Madness: Facts and Fiction About Weight Loss and Nutrition
More than 230 pages with all the information you need to lose weight.
52 Chapters with all the answers you are looking for. We all want a simple way to lose weight but there isn’t one. There is only knowledge!
You will read about everything from “How much and how fast you can lose weight” to “Green tea” and from “Fasting” to “Low Carb diets”.
If you want to lose weight fast, safely and in an effective and sustainable way then this is the book for you. Unlike many MAD diets that set you on the road to dieting disaster Dieting Madness relies on proven methods to help you shed the pounds and most importantly, to keep them off, for good.
This no nonsense, straight-talking and, at times, brutally honest approach will teach you the facts about weight loss and nutrition. It doesn’t matter if you have 10 pounds or 100 pounds to lose, the facts are the facts and armed with them, YOU WILL reach your goal. Whether this is your first attempt at dieting, or your tenth… YOU CAN DO THIS.
“Finally a diet book that is based on facts and not the fantasy of the writer… A really, really, great read!” Claire Ward (Dietician, BSc Hons Nutritional Therapy)
“Just what I needed-wonderfully inspiring and an excellent motivator” Ricardo Penaguiao (Dieter)
“Over the years I’ve read plenty of diet and nutrition books but none have drawn me in as quickly as this. Dieting Madness is bold and Rene is not afraid to tell you exactly how it is. This is a must read for everyone – not just the fitness enthusiast.” Blake Newbold (Personal trainer)
LINKS
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dieting-Madness-Fiction-Weightloss-Nutrition-ebook/dp/B00I5LSRFQ
http://www.amazon.com/Dieting-Madness-Fiction-Weightloss-Nutrition/dp/0992767709/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
If you would like a copy of ‘Dieting Madness’
to read, review or feature, please contact Kris Barnes of Authoramp.
Rene Schellekens is also available for interview.
The post Dieting Madness: Facts and Fiction About Weight Loss and Nutrition appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
December 12, 2014
Love & Decay Season 3 Release Day Blitz
Purchase on Amazon:
Purchase on B&N:
Purchase on iBooks:
Purchase on Smashwords:
Season Three, Episode One Blurb:
Zombies- as if that wasn’t enough to ruin any girl’s dream of a happily ever after.
It’s been six months since Reagan Willow fled the Colony and Matthias Allen’s tyrannical clutches. Six months since she broke Hendrix Parker’s heart. Six months since she watched Kane Allen sacrifice his life to save hers.
Whatever was left of her already-tattered life during the Zombie Apocalypse fell apart six months ago. Now, on the cusp of crossing the Mexican border, there is hope that she might lead her friends to a better existence.
Except Zombies are only the beginning of their problems. Reagan and her friends must battle the elements, armies of Feeders and bounty hunters desperate to drag them back to the Colony to face their greatest threat.
The Colony’s power stretches wide and far. Their only hope is to outrun Matthias and get to Mexico.
Love and Decay, Episode One is the first episode in Season Three of a novella series in a Dystopian Romance about Zombies, the end of the world and finding someone to share it with.
This story takes place over multiple episodes, with a release date every two weeks. Approximately 20,000 words.
Giveaway
Haven’t started the Love & Decay Series Yet? Season One Episodes 1-6 is Free!
Free on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1sgIZTH
Free on B&N: http://bit.ly/1AlLItP
Free on iBooks: http://bit.ly/1sgJjBT
Free on Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1yEoEo4
Zombies- as if that wasn’t enough to ruin any girl’s dream of a happily ever after.
A vaccination gone oh so wrong and a huge portion of the world’s population was turned into Zombies. Reagan Willow is forced out of her home when her parents become casualties of the horrid Zombie Apocalypse. With the help of her best friend Haley, they’ve become somewhat of experts on surviving the dangers of a world thrust into chaos and decay.
Reagan and Haley are on a vague mission to find somewhere safe to live out the remainders of their terrifying life when they stumble upon the Parkers, a pack of brothers that seem to have the survival thing down in a much more efficient and successful way than Reagan could ever have imagined. They are also protecting their eight year old sister, Page, and will do anything to keep her safe.
The brothers decide that Reagan and Haley need help with being kept safe as well, and as a group they set off to find the Zombie-free utopia Reagan is dreaming of.
Zombies are a daily problem, constantly threatening the lives of their group, but they’re not the only peril on the journey ahead. Militia groups of power hungry men are also a constant concern. And settlements of paranoid, suspicious people turn out to be just as hazardous.
Danger looms over every inch of the way, but Reagan, Haley and the Parkers are determined to get to their goal and remain together. Soon the Parkers become more to Reagan than just traveling companions and more than friendship starts to develop between her and Hendrix, the second oldest brother.
But at the end of the world, nothing can be as simple as life and death. Now, Reagan is going to have to schedule falling in love between hunting and surviving. Hopefully she can last long enough to find out if true love can still exist when everything else has started to fall apart.
Love and Decay, Volume One, is a compilation of the first six episodes in a twelve episode season. It is a Dystopian Romance Novella Series about Zombies, the end of the world and finding someone to share it with.
This story takes place over multiple episodes, with a release date every two weeks. Each episode is approximately 20,000 words.
About Rachel Higginson
Rachel Higginson is the creator of The Star-Crossed Series, Love & Decay Novella Series, The Starbright Series, The Siren Series, Bet on Us and the soon to be released, The Five Stages of Falling in Love! She is also the co-creator of the podcast “Zach & Rachel Take Over the World.”
She was born and raised in Nebraska, and spent her college years traveling the world. She fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian Food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka, but came back home to marry her high school sweetheart. Now she spends her days raising four amazing kids. In the few spare moments she has to herself, she is either reading for hours on end or writing her own stories.
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December 11, 2014
Alpha Fighter by Ava Ashley Cover Reveal
BOOK & AUTHOR INFO:Alpha Fighter by Ava Ashley
(The Alpha Fighter Series #1)
Publication date: December 15th 2014
Genres: New Adult, RomanceSynopsis:
The first part of Alpha Fighter, a two-part series from Amazon bestselling author, Ava Ashley.
Savannah Santos is on the run, almost out of options and cash. The daughter of a motorcycle club king, she fled everything she ever knew to get out of an arranged marriage to a rival club’s prince. Her plan is to follow her career dreams and not endanger anyone by getting too close. But she wasn’t expecting her new roommate to be her dream guy.
For Cooper Quin, being any girl’s dream man, is nothing new, but he’s determined to stay exactly that: a dream. His focus is on killing it in the brutal MMA ring. A former Navy SEAL with a dark past of pain and betrayal, falling in love is the last thing he intends to do. But his sexy new roommate is nothing like one of his usual one-night stands. With her, it feels safe to let his guard down.
Cooper knows a little about running from the past; Savannah’s is still looking for her. He can’t leave her alone, but pursuing her might be the MMA fighter’s undoing. She knows she can’t stay forever—not with two outlaw gangs searching everywhere to bring her back.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23676363-alpha-fighter
AUTHOR BIO:
Amazon bestselling author Ava Ashley may look like the girl next door, but her steamy romances reveal a very naughty side. Raised in small town Ohio and now living in Homer, Alaska it’s amazing that she hasn’t increased the average temperature in her area of the state with her steamy writing. And she loves reading new adult romance novels as much as she enjoys writing them.Ava likes spending time outdoors and does a lot of hiking and cycling with her husband and four children. When she can get away on her own, she’ll often take pen and paper along, find a secluded spot and let the environment inspire her. Of course, that inspiration frequently results in characters tearing each other’s clothes off, but you would expect nothing less from a romance writer.Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8388054.Ava_Ashley
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAvaAshley
http://avaashley.com/keep-me-posted.html
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Rook and Ronin Series by J.A. Huss
Giveaway is at the bottom of the post.
TRAGIC – FREE through DECEMBER 14th
(Rook & Ronin #1)
By JA Huss
Publication 5-15-2013
How far are you willing to go to start over?
Rook Walsh is homeless, jobless, and down to her last ten bucks when opportunity knocks her in
the head and delivers a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Internationally renowned photographer, Antoine Chaput, knows the minute he spies Rook in his
studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive
TRAGIC media contract.
Rook is paired up with top model Ronin, and he knows exactly what to do to make her blush for
Antoine’s camera. Her luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s got more attention and
exposure than she can handle—both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
FREE at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1nMbb7s
MANIC – 99¢ through DECEMBER 14th
(Rook & Ronin #2)
By JA Huss
Publication 7-30-2013
TRAGIC is over and Rook is ready for the future—Spencer Shrike and the STURGIS contract!
It’s three months of body art modeling! That means three months of Spencer Shrike’s paintbrush
all over her body, three months in front of Antoine’s camera, and three months of twenty-four-
hour filming for Spencer’s Biker Channel reality show.
Wait a minute… what reality show? Maybe she should’ve read that STURGIS contract a little
closer?
Sure, Rook’s bank account is overflowing, but Ronin is angry, Clare is trying to escape rehab,
Antoine is a worried mess, and Elise is just trying to hold everyone together. Rook’s new family
is about to fall apart before she even gets the chance to enjoy it.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
99¢ at Amazon: http://amzn.to/XTJTHG
PANIC
(Rook & Ronin #1)
By JA Huss
Publication 10-15-2013
Rook is chasing her dream—film school and a chance at a life beyond the one she ran from six
months ago. But before she can become the girl she wants to be, she must deal with the girl she
left behind.
Ronin is also chasing his dream—a family of his own and a life away from erotic modeling. And
he too, has a past he’s trying to forget. A past that makes Rook question everything about their
life together.
Lies, secrets, and shocking truths will rock the foundation Rook and Ronin have built. Can they
put the past behind them and move forward together? Or is this just another too good to be true
relationship that will crash and burn in the end?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1mAbjYr
The Rook and Ronin Series has SEVEN books TOTAL
(1) TRAGIC
(2) MANIC
(3) PANIC
Spin-offs
(4) SLACK: A Day in the Life of Ford Aston
(5) TAUT: The Ford Book
(6) BOMB: A Day in the Life of Spencer Shrike
(7) GUNS: The Spencer Book
TRAGIC EXCERPT
RONIN
The girl catches me staring and I hold my breath. But neither of us turns away. We stare,
unabashed, until Antoine’s direction pulls her back into the shoot and she’s lost again—guarded
and unhappy, frowning and resigned. She’s a blackbird sitting in a tree staring out at the world,
daring the wind to come and knock her off the swaying bough.
She is wrecked, Elise is right. But she’s not down yet. The look on her face is defiant.
When I look over at the clock it’s well past five. Antoine has been shooting her for almost
two hours. Elise left a while back but whether she’s still here in the studio or up in her apartment,
I have no idea. I lost track of her because my eyes are only on the girl.
Antoine does pretty well until the end. It’s clear he’s finished shooting and the girl is starting
to look uncomfortable when he asks her what she was thinking about during the shoot.
I cringe. No, you don’t ask them! You make them want to tell you, you idiot! I want to pull
him aside and stop the crash and burn that’s coming, but it’s too late. She snaps at him and he
pulls back when he realizes his mistake.
He turns the conversation to business and this is where it really gets interesting. She tells him
she’s not a model and has no portfolio. I’m just about to laugh when she starts yelling about
pictures as payment.
I look back towards Elise’s station and realize she forgot to explain the terms to her.
We are so off our game today. One tragic girl has disrupted all the carefully laid plans and
protocols we’ve had in place for years.
The tragic girl storms off yelling. Antoine walks over to me and we wait together as she rants
to Elise.
“You better fix this, Antoine,” I say calmly, but inside I’m screaming too. “Pay the fucking
girl, she needs the money.”
He snorts like a fucking Frenchman. “I do not pay for test shoots.”
“This,” I say, turning to face him, “was no test shoot and you know it. You’ve got hundreds
of shots in that camera. Pay her and make sure she comes back or I won’t do the contract. I want
her. I’ve put up with hundreds of stupid girls over the years for you and I’ve never asked you for
a favor like this. I want this one, or I won’t do it.”
He fishes through his pocket and pulls out the cash that Clare never earned.
The studio door slams and we are all reminded that two models have walked out on us today.
“Elise!” Antoine calls, thrusting the bills out at her. “Catch her, pay her, and invite her back
on Monday.”
Elise grabs the money and flies out the door.
“We’re in trouble, Ronin. She is trouble.” He turns a little to look me in the eye, something he
rarely does unless he’s serious and wants me to consider his advice. “You should stay away from
her, keep it professional. Or it might get messy.”
I shrug. “I’ll do what I want. And staying away from her isn’t even in the top million things I
want to do with that girl.”
“Elise will hurt you if you ruin this one, Ronin. She won’t tolerate another Mardee.”
Fuck you, is what I think. But I don’t say it, I just sigh and we wait in silence for Elise to
come back.
MANIC EXCERPT
ROOK
“You scare me, Rook.”
“Why?” I ask, puzzled.
“Because your future is making itself right now, this very moment. And you have no idea
it’s happening. I want you so completely it hurts. But you and I are in two totally different
places.”
My whole body shivers with a chill as I absorb his words. I swallow. “That sounds like
the beginning of a break-up speech. Are you breaking up with me?”
He scoots my bottom closer, thrusting himself inside me a little more. “I love you, Rook.
I’m not breaking up with you. But it’s all bad timing, you know?”
I shake my head. “No, not really.”
“My career started when I was seventeen. I’ve done everything you’re just getting a taste
of now. I’ve traveled all over the world, I’ve made a shitload of money, I have pretty much
everything I want.”
“But—”
“Except the only thing I really want.”
I wait for it, but he lets out a long sigh and holds it in. “Is it a secret?”
He lets out a soft laugh and rocks himself into me again. “No, it’s not. I already told you
that night we went to the zoo.”
“A family,” I say, a little breathless now because what he’s doing, this serious
conversation combined with the sensual lovemaking, is making my heart pound.
“Yes. I’m done, Rook. I can live off the money I’ve made for decades. I’m ready to do
something else. Start something new.”
“Well, how is that a problem for us?” I ask, lifting up and slipping down on him. It’s his
turn to become breathless. “I’m not against the idea, you know.”
He smiles as his hand reaches up to cup my breast.
I shiver again, but this time it’s a good one.
“Not against the idea is not the same as on board.” His fingers stop and his hands wrap
around my waist as he slides me back and forth across his lap. My whole body flushes with heat
and I tip my head back and close my eyes.
“I’m looking for a partner.”
I swallow. “I’d like to be that partner, but—”
He waits.
I open my eyes. He’s watching me very closely, his hands still gliding over my body,
slowly—so, so slowly. My clit throbs against his friction.
He waits.
“I’m scared too, Ronin. But of very different things.”
He wraps his arms around me completely and buries his face in my neck, tasting the
water on my skin left over from the misting shower spray. “I’ll take care of you, Rook.”
I take a deep breath and let it out. “I want you to take care of me, Ronin.”
His palms slide up underneath my wet hair and then he fists it, just a little, like a claim. It
makes me hesitate, but then he pulls me forward until my cheek touches his. “Then let me, just
let me put it all together for us. I can make you happy.”
PANIC EXCERPT
ROOK
My phone beeps an incoming text just as I settle back on my couch and turn on the TV.
My heart flutters a little as I read the text.
Dear Rook (AKA Gidget),
I’ve never had the urge to write a love letter but I’m lying in bed, looking over at your
side, wondering if I can somehow change your mind about this whole deal and talk you into
coming the fuck home. (I’m a selfish asshole, I know.) But I get that you need this so I’ll just say
this instead: I felt like I was leaving a piece of my soul behind the moment I left. And every
second that passes, I miss you like that, times a million.
Love,
Ronin (AKA Larue)
I press call under his name and he picks up on the first ring. “Ronin Flynn, you are like a
door.”
He laughs. “It was that touching, huh?”
“Not a window where you can see through to the other side and be sure of what’s
coming. But a door, still closed and leading to every opportunity imaginable and requiring a leap
of faith that the risk is worth it. You are my doorway to endless possibilities and I’m ready to
take that risk.”
I can hear him swallow on the other end and when he’s done his words rumble out in his
deep, sexy voice. “Rook, I’m not a risk, I’m a sure thing. You’re the only girl I want to build a
future with. Ever. You’re the one, Rook. The love that only comes around once in a lifetime and
I refuse to settle for anything else.”
He’s perfect. Simply perfect. “I love your love letter, Larue. It made me sigh like a
schoolgirl.”
“Well, you are a schoolgirl, right? I think I’m gonna have to go looking for a little tartan
skirt and some knee socks. Dress you all up in a sexy outfit this weekend.”
“If you do that, I might have to be bad on purpose, Mr. Flynn.”
“Don’t tease, Gidget, or I’ll spank you.”
“You promise that so much and never come through. I hardly get excited about it
anymore.”
He guffaws this time and I can practically picture his gorgeous smile lighting up his
electric blue eyes. “I can’t fucking wait until Friday.”
I giggle a little as I picture our Friday. “I might just ditch class early, Mr. Flynn.”
“And that will earn you two spankings, Miss Corvus.”
“Promises, promises.”
AUTHOR BIO
J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).
She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.
Author Links:
http://jahuss.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJAHuss
https://twitter.com/JAHuss
www.goodreads.com/author/show/6446815.J_A_Huss
The post Rook and Ronin Series by J.A. Huss appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
December 10, 2014
Best of 2014 Giveaway Hop
This is a Sticky giveaway will be until the 18th.
![best of 2014[1][1]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1418701624i/12872287.jpg)
Thank you for stopping by during this hop. I am offering an ecopy of The Duke’s Offer by Felicity Goforth.
Blurb:
Is true love too high a price to pay to be a duchess?
Practical Charlotte Barton can’t be bothered with suitors, busy as she is helping her widowed father run his successful pottery works. And yet Lord Charles Randell, having ridden all night to deliver the news that Charlotte’s father lies ill far from home, cannot seem to forget her. Before he can speak to her of his feelings, his cash-strapped brother, the Duke of Walmer, pursues Charlotte for what he supposes is her large inheritance. Now Charles must decide whether to reveal his brother’s true motives or to stand aside so the lady he loves can become the next Duchess of Walmer.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The post Best of 2014 Giveaway Hop appeared first on Babs Book Bistro.
