Cara Faith Donvovan's Blog, page 74

Release Blitz - Shielding Lily by Alexa Riley

                              Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU
 
It’s Lily Parker’s first day at a new high school. She’s a senior finishing her last semester, and all she wants to do is graduate and get out of town. Her home life is a secret hell, and she’s trying to find a way out. But everything changes when Ren says hello and sees right through to her truth.Ren Hendrick’s succeed's at everything he touches, including football. But he’s never been passionate about anything. He’s quiet and keeps to himself, which pisses people off. But he can’t find the desire to care. He’s lived a life without color, until Lily walks in and lights up his world. Their story is one of sweet young love and finding your forever before you can even dream of what that is. It’s one of protecting what belongs to you and having the courage to follow your heart, no matter your age. Warning: Call your dentist and schedule an appointment, because you’re going to get nothing but cavities from this sugary book. Ren and Lily start off so innocent, but by the time it’s over, you’re gonna need to hose yourself off. We’re talking two virgins who turn into maniacs. You’re welcome!
Shielding LilyChapter 1 *Lily*
  The sounds of banging cabinets startle me awake before my alarm can go off. Rolling over to my side, I see I still have thirty minutes before I need to get up. I’d set my alarm a little earlier than I should have because I’m nervous about my first day. I’m going to a new school and have no idea what this one is going to be like. You never know what you’re going to get. Most of the time I can blend in and let myself get lost in the crowd of other students. No one notices me for the most part, but it doesn’t always work. I should be used to changing schools by now. I think this is the fourth time I’ve moved in the past two years. The schools are starting to run together, but I hope this is the last. Only months separate me from graduation, and only days from my eighteenth birthday. I’ll be able to make my own choices then. A sound of something shattering in the kitchen followed by a string of curses causes me to hold my breath. I can only hope he doesn’t call out my name. Monday mornings are the worst. Dad’s always coming off a weekend bender, because alcohol seems to be my father’s reason for living. It wasn’t always like this, but it is now. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I slowly sit up and listen for his movements. Things have been getting unstable lately, and it’s only getting worse. Dad used to be able to drown his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle and pretend I didn’t exist. But recently his anger has been rising and flying my way. I’m constantly walking around on eggshells, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the look in his eyes, but I can see it. I can feel it deep inside me, like he’s waiting for me to do something wrong so he can strike out. But I always make sure there isn’t a reason. I desperately don’t want that change to come. I’m a skittish rabbit in my own home. When I finally hear the front door slam closed, all my muscles release, and an all-too-familiar tension within me relaxes. I pull myself from the bed and get ready for school. I go with a short button-up blue jean dress with wool leggings underneath. They’re soft and warm and will help with the chill on my mile-long walk to school. It’s early January, and the Minnesota winter is raging. The more layers I can put on, the better. Looking in the mirror, I part my hair a little to the side so more falls to the right, before putting in a small clip to hold it in place. I make sure the scar by my ear is hidden as much as possible, then I look myself over, double-checking everything. The scar is all I ever see when I look in the mirror. It’s the bitter reminder of the day that changed my world. My mom might have died in the car, but she dragged my father with her into the grave. Nothing has been the same since that day. Now when I look into the mirror, the scar isn’t the first thing I see. I see my mother. When I was unpacking boxes last night I pulled out a photo album of my parents when they were younger. I look just like her at my age. From my white-blonde hair, to my too-big blue eyes that take over my face, to my front teeth that are a little bigger than the rest, and my small upturned nose. We almost look like twins in pictures of us at the same age. Reaching out, I touch the mirror, wishing it was my mother. But all the wishing in the world can’t turn back the clock. I spent the first year after she died wishing for so many things. Wishing gets you nowhere. I wipe at the tear that’s somehow escaped. I miss when I looked in the mirror and I only saw the scar. It was easier to deal with. Grabbing my bag, I head downstairs knowing the mess my dad made will still be there. Since my mom died I’ve sort of taken her place when it comes to the household chores. I make sure everything is kept clean, the laundry is done, and dinner is on the table before my dad gets home from whatever job he is doing. Normally it’s some kind of security since he lost his badge after one too many DWIs. I don’t know how he can drink all night and still get up for work, but he does it. I finish cleaning up the shattered coffee mug from the floor and make sure everything else is in its place. I pull a pack of hamburger meat out of the freezer and sit it out on the stove to defrost. I’ll make something with it when I get home. Bundling up the best I can, I pray that the weather won’t be too bad when school finally lets out. I need to see about finding a job on the weekends. Maybe I can fill out most of the applications online during lunch at the school library. I’ve seen a few small places in town that are on my way to school. I can see about popping in and applying on my way home. They’d be the best bet being so close. Maybe I’d get lucky and could even work a few hours after school, making it home before Dad. Dad will never go for me working through the week if it means no dinner on the table, but the weekends he seems okay with. I’ve been pooling every penny I can and saving it away. I feel like time is running out and I need as much money as I can get to try and get a place of my own. I want to be able to afford college next year and to put a roof over my head. I have to get out of here. I can’t watch my father kill himself. I already watched my mother die.                    
Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!Author LinksTwitter Facebook Website Goodreads Amazon Page Instagram
        
          Thanks for joining us at Tears of Crimson. Home to Bestselling Author Michelle Hughes,and all the Friends of Crimson!

The 3rd Book in the Laundromat Chronicles Series is LIVE!

The 3rd Book in the Laundromat Chronicles Series is LIVE!


Hap and Lena are young, in love, and preparing for a baby. Without the help of their family, they try to do what most adults can't do, make their family work.
When they meet Miss Ruby they learn that family isn't always blood and strangers can be so much more. 



Amazon US: https://amzn.com/B01LXHGXA6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LXHGXA6
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01LXHGXA6
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01LXHGXA6





Angie Merriam resides in the beautiful Pacific NorthWest and is happily married to her best friend. She and her husband have three wonderful children and two crazy cats.

When she's not writing she loves barbeque's with family and friends, photography, movies, music, and of course reading. She was influenced by the works of Diana Gabaldon, Stephanie Meyer, Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele.
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Thanks for joining us at Tears of Crimson. Home to Bestselling Author Michelle Hughes,and all the Friends of Crimson!

We Will Never Forget - 9/11/2001

This is how the world woke up on September 11, 2001.  I remember this vividly in my mind.  I'd just gotten home from working night shift at my hospital, and was trying to wind down before going to bed.  I saw the first report break into the morning news, and thought it was a hoax.  Nothing like this could happen in this beautiful country that I loved.  When the horror set in that this was real, my first thought was my children.  I lived in Alabama but I feared that the entire world was going to war so went to immediately get my children from school.  In changed my thoughts forever about the world I lived in.  

The images below are not mine, they belong to those that hold the copyright.









Thanks for joining us at Tears of Crimson. Home to Bestselling Author Michelle Hughes,and all the Friends of Crimson!

Elaine Barris - Zane

SET YOUR NIGHTS ABLAZE WITH THE FIRST BOOK IN THE FLAMES OF VAMPIRE PASSION SERIES
London Beckley (aka Lindy Beck):
“Human life is short. A flicker of time, and then it’s over. Live it while you can... With me.”
Those were the outrageous words Zane said to me the night I attended the adult convention to try to network and sell some books.
I had left my husband to pursue my life on my own terms rather than put up with one more word of insult. Once I arrived at the event, I was startled to find someone already at my table, Zane, claiming to be my assistant for the night. As the event progressed, amidst his antics of reading excerpts to chittering ladies, and flashing what I thought were fake fangs, he made his intentions towards me crystal clear.
Little did I know how drastically my life was about to change with Zane’s entrance into it.
Zane took me from my colorless world, and immersed me into his vibrancy.Soon, he was inside me in almost every way possible.My conflicted mind.My hidden walls protecting me.My damaged heart.Thanks for joining us at Tears of Crimson. Home to Bestselling Author Michelle Hughes,and all the Friends of Crimson!

Morbid Mist - Fan Fic Comic for Kent Mudle

Fan Comic from the Talented Morbid Mist and Ro




I wanted to share my daughters fan comic today with the friend's of Tears.  Kaitlin (or as she likes to call herself Morbid Mist) with her good friend Ro shared their love of Kent Mudle and his world with their personal rendition of characters.  Kaitlin starts toward her degree in Graphic Arts in a few weeks and I can't wait to see her put her love of art into a lifelong career.Thanks for joining us at Tears of Crimson. Home to Bestselling Author Michelle Hughes,and all the Friends of Crimson!

Indulge Your Need For Romance This Labor Day with Great Books!

After the cookout and all your guests have left, there's nothing like a little down time with a great book!  Enjoy the summer's hottest romances and give yourself the relaxation you deserve. We've found all the hottest bestsellers and are sharing them here with you today. Don't forget to come back and tell us about your favorite books when you're done!  We love sharing great authors and great books! That being said, have you read a great book that hasn't gotten the love you think it deserves?  Send us a copy of your review and the link and we'll share it with our Crimson Friends.  Simply email our host Michelle (at) tearsofcrimson (dot) com.





And don't forget to pick up the latest Tears of Crimson Books!


Thanks for joining us at Tears of Crimson. Home to Bestselling Author Michelle Hughes,and all the Friends of Crimson!

1/2 Cocked Official Tour - Michelle Hughes

IT'S LIVE!




Twenty-One-Year-Old College Student Becca Stewart has lived her life by the rules and never stepped over any lines.  For once in her life she wants to be the bad girl and enjoy what she’s missing out on.  She’s had a crush on the star quarterback at her university and decides to tell him how she feels.  He’s all in for a night of wild sex until she confesses to being a virgin.  Telling her he’d love to give her what she wants if she wasn’t innocent, she decides to fight for him.
Hiring a gigolo isn’t something Becca ever thought she’d do, but having Bryce is worth it.  Taking the small nest egg her grandmother left her she hires Colton Dillard and flies out to Las Vegas to get the experience she needs.  Colton owns a company that pleasures women for profit, but he’s not exactly who he claims to be!  Six foot four inches of pure sensuality, he’s every woman’s dream and just the man to teach her the ways of unadulterated sex.
One trip to Sin City will change Becca’s life forever.  Being seduced by a stranger paid to give her all the pleasure she’s ever craved might do more than wake up her hidden passion.  It’s one whirlwind ride of ecstasy, temptation, and discovering that sometimes you don’t know what you really want until it sweeps you off your feet!


 Amazon US:  http://amzn.to/2bQeDTr  Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01JV69WTS     Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01JV69WTS





Michelle Hughes is an international bestselling romance author from Verbena, Alabama. Before becoming an author, she was a singer/songwriter, host of a TV talent show and respiratory therapist. Today, she’s a wife and mother of five with aspirations of owning a New Orleans vampire nightclub (the setting of her first novel). For information about Hughes’ books, visit her publisher Tears of Crimson LLC. at www.tearsofcrimson.com. 
She’s on Twitter @MichelleHughes_ and her Goodreads page is at www.goodreads.com/MichelleHughes

HOSTED BY: Thanks for joining us at Tears of Crimson. Home to Bestselling Author Michelle Hughes,and all the Friends of Crimson!

Amazon's Kindle Unlimited - Does It Work for Authors?

I'm taking a step back from promoting books once a month to share insight on promotion for authors, and this month I'll be researching the Kindle Unlimited program via Amazon.  I've pulled all of my books into this format for the next three months and I'll check in each month to let you know what sales have looked like under this platform.  Could it work?  Will it bomb?  Time will tell and I'll give you realistic numbers to back up my information.

Amazon let's you know at the 15th of each month what the royalties were for the previous month, so I'll touch base again on that date to show you where I'm at.  I'll be honest, Amazon is my top selling platform, so I've been debating on this move for a while now.  I average about $350 a month from other sales outside of Amazon, so if it tops that mark, I'll say it's a success.  If it doesn't, then I'll consider it a failure.  iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo are the ones I was making those profits through with a base from Amazon at around $1100 a month.

With all that being said, a bestselling book could easily change that number and that has to be taken into account as well while doing this research.  So what I'm basing my numbers on is pulling in greater than $1450 per month from Amazon alone while using the Kindle Unlimited program. I'm working on a new site that's strictly promotion for authors and you can find that here: http://www.tearsofcrimson.rocks/ Below  (after the startup chart) are the books I'll be watching if you'd like to keep up with me.








Thanks for joining us at Tears of Crimson. Home to Bestselling Author Michelle Hughes,and all the Friends of Crimson!

Angie Merriam's Release Blitz - Addict

The 2nd Book in the Laundromat Chronicles Series is LIVE!


Jewel is the good time girl, until she wakes up in a hospital bed barely alive. Years of drug abuse has left her broken, but Jewel is determined to have a second chance at life.
After intensive rehab she is finally clean and on her own. For the first time in her life she’s independent of men and drugs. When she meets Ruby at the local Laundromat she has no idea how much her life is about to change.
Can Jewel survive the clean life or will her past come back to drown her, proving she's nothing more than an addict?


Amazon US: http://a.co/0kSMqJBAmazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01L7LQ28YAmazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01L7LQ28YAmazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01L7LQ28Y





Angie Merriam resides in the beautiful Pacific NorthWest and is happily married to her best friend. She and her husband have three wonderful children and two crazy cats.When she's not writing she loves barbeque's with family and friends, photography, movies, music, and of course reading. She was influenced by the works of Diana Gabaldon, Stephanie Meyer, Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele.
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 Hosted by:
Thanks for joining us at Tears of Crimson. Home to Bestselling Author Michelle Hughes,and all the Friends of Crimson!

Release Day for Julia Sykes - Wedding Knight

Amazon US  Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU   













An Impossible Series short story companion to Knight.
Two years after Smith rescued Lydia from enslavement, he has finally helped her heal from the emotional scars left on her soul. She’s ready to commit to her Master forever, sealing their bond with marriage. You are cordially invited to Smith and Lydia’s wedding!




“Morning, sweetheart.”
I gasped and sat bolt upright. “I was supposed to stay with Rose last night!” I exclaimed. “It’s bad luck for you to see me before the wedding.”
His fingers tangled in my hair, and he tugged me back down beside him. He caressed my cheek with his free hand, and his silver eyes looked into my soul.
“You won’t have bad luck,” he declared. “I won’t fucking allow it. I’m going to see to it that you’re blissfully happy for the rest of your life. Our lives. I’m always going to take care of you.”
I leaned into his touch. “I know. I’m going to take care of you, too, Master.”
He grinned. “That’s my good girl.”
His lips lowered to mine, and he initiated a long, sweet kiss. He started taking my mouth with greater hunger, nipping at my lower lip before sweeping his tongue inside to claim mine. He didn’t release me until I was gasping against him, craving him more than the air I breathed.
He kissed his way down my neck and caught my wrists in his big hands, pulling my arms over my head and pinning them against the pillows.
“Stay,” he murmured against my skin.
He didn’t need a verbal response. My obedience to him was unquestioning, because I trusted him to never harm me in any way. Even when he gave me pain, it brought me pleasure.
But pain wasn’t what he had in mind this morning.
He released my wrists, and his palms skimmed down my arms, moving farther down my body until his hands gripped my hips. His tongue trailed a hot line between my breasts as he dipped his head toward my pussy. Liquid heat flooded my core, and my clit pulsed in need.
“Wait,” I panted. “We don’t have time for this. I have to get to the hotel. Rose will be there to help me get ready.”
“Rose can wait,” he half-growled.
“But I’ll be late for the ceremony,” I protested breathlessly.
“Then everyone can fucking wait.”
He settled between my legs, his long fingers curling into my upper thighs to hold me open for him. For agonizing seconds, he merely studied me, a cocky smile twisting his lips as he watched my growing wetness coat my lower lips.
Instinct urged me to rock my hips toward him, to twine my fingers in his thick black hair and pull him against me.
I knew better than that. Master wouldn’t touch my pussy until he was ready. And right now, he was enjoying watching me struggle against my lustful actions. Resolutely, I kept my arms above my head and my hips steady.
He hummed his approval and finally lowered himself. His morning stubble teased across my skin as he rubbed his cheek against my thighs. I shivered as my inner muscles contracted, my sex swelling with need.
His tongue traced the line of my pussy lips, dipping between them to taste me. His satisfied growl vibrated against my sensitive flesh, and I moaned out my pleasure. He pressed a whisper-soft kiss to my clit, and I whimpered at the light contact. I was ready to come apart at the slightest touch. My orgasm was so close…
He pulled away and settled his powerful body atop mine, denying me.
“Master!” I whined, writhing beneath him. “Please…”
His teeth flashed in a wicked grin. “I want you to be all hot and needy for our wedding night. I have something special planned for you.” He trailed his fingers over my heated cheek. “My blushing bride.”






Julia Sykes is the USA Today bestselling author of the Impossible Series. She has always kept dark stories tucked away in her mind, so she was thrilled when she discovered that other people actually want to read them. Her books blend romance, suspense, and BDSM.After spending four years living in England, Julia returned to her Southern homeland. She has recently settled down in South Carolina and spends her time petting her cat-children, reading, and binge watching TV with her husband when not writing. You can usually find Julia in Starbucks with a venti iced latte clutched in her hand.Julia loves connecting with readers! Please feel free to contact her on facebook, through twitter, or email her directly at juliasykes193@gmail.com. You can find out more about Julia's current and future projects at julia-sykes.com.Author LinksTwitter  Facebook  Web  Goodreads  Amazon page





  

Thanks for joining us at Tears of Crimson. Home to Bestselling Author Michelle Hughes,and all the Friends of Crimson!