Thursday, 30 April 2015

Cover Reveal ~ Excerpt & Giveaway ~ Finding Me (His, #3) by Mariah Dietz

Title: Finding Me (His, #3)
Author: Mariah Dietz
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 1, 2015

Book Description:

I came here to escape. Leave the debris and avoid the inevitable truths.

Things are better.

Worse.

Different.                                                                                                               

I’m finding me, but in the process I fear I’m forgetting those I have left, and the ones who have left me. Maybe I’m losing who I was.

Can I forget my past and move forward?

Can I forget him?
 

Excerpt:

My eyes fly open and my mind feels alert. Normally nightmares wake me up like this, but this time, nothing is haunting me.

I look around the dark living room, feeling my heart race, and then realize what woke me up. A loud train of curses followed by a whine and a scratching at the door makes my heart squeeze. I sit up slightly, my eyes and ears desperately seeking the night for the confirmation that I’m not dreaming. A scraping against the lock sends my heart rate to unhealthy levels as my eyes widen and my muscles tense. When I hear the key turn, I drop back to the couch, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to bury my face in my pillow, behind a wall of my hair as I try to make my breathing sound normal.

I can tell when the door is opened by the click of Zeus’s nails against the hardwood floors growing closer to me. His voice is hushed as he calls out to Zeus, making my entire body pulse with familiarity and nerves. Zeus’s heavy breathing grows until he places his front paws on the couch in front of me and begins bathing me in heavy kisses. There’s no way to try and pretend I’m sleeping through this. I’ll drown first. Plus my need to see him is outweighing my fears.

I sit up and wipe a hand down my face while searching the dark living room for him as Zeus pushes closer to me, whimpering with anticipation and what can only be described as unleashed excitement.

Then he appears in front of the coffee table. It’s too dark to make out much of him, but every fiber of my being feels some sort of response, verifying that it’s him. Elation and fear, mixed with rage and jealousy, are topped with curiosity and pain. It’s a confounding and stifling overabundance of emotions that has my eyes staring wide at him, soaking up every last detail that I can manage in the dim light while Zeus works to climb higher on the couch, hovering over me.

Max stares back at me and although it’s too dark to see the blueness of his eyes, I can see the fierceness in them. He looks pissed. No relief, no happiness like Zeus, just anger.

“Zeus,” he calls again in a tone I’ve rarely heard.

“It’s alright. He can stay.” Thankfully my voice barely comes out above a whisper because my emotions are shooting through me like vinegar when it meets baking soda—unsteady.

He stares at me, and like a geyser, unspoken words flood my mind. “Hey, Max.”

He must be just as shocked as I am that I was able to speak those words because as soon as his name leaves my lips, he turns and ascends the stairs without responding. His bedroom door slams and then silence rings in my ears.
I catch a movement out of the corner of my eye and turn to see Landon in the hallway, running a hand over his jaw, wearing only a pair of gym shorts. His head turns from the stairs to me, and then he silently walks to the couch.

“He’s …”

“It’s okay,” I say when the rest of his words don’t seem to find their way out. “This is his house too.”
“He’s not mad at you.”

I turn to look at him in obvious disbelief. Anyone would have been able to see that Max was mad at me. His reaction wasn’t shocking exactly. Max lost one of his best friends, just like I had. There have been days that I have felt really angry over the whole situation too. Angry that I didn’t know how to communicate my feelings, and angry about the way he dealt with my insecurities. I still struggle with being angry over removing myself and moving to Delaware because I thought it would be the right decision for me.

Kitty and I have discussed my tendency to run from awkward situations; she’s the one who provided me with the new term “remove myself from.” It sounds a lot better than fleeing, but I had fled, and I know it. I can give a hundred reasons why for each time too, rationalizing each situation until I’m nearly positive it was the right decision—but I can never make it to one hundred percent. That small bubble of resistance and doubt always prevents me from being able to allow the memories to finally be discarded, and then it begins spreading, eating the conviction one doubt at a time.
 


About The Author:
 
Mariah Dietz lives in Eastern Washington with her husband and two sons that are the axis of her

Mariah grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon where she spent the majority of her time immersed in the pages of books that she both read and created. 

She has a love for all things that include her sons, good coffee, books, travel, and dark chocolate. She also has a deep passion for the stories she writes, and hopes readers enjoy the journeys she takes them on, as much as she loves creating them.

crazy and wonderful world.
 

His Series ~ Buy Links:

 Becoming His

Barbes And Noble: http://bit.ly/1KUIgwv

Losing Her

Barnes And Noble: http://bit.ly/1GEtQBG

 Giveaway:
 
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dda4dfec268/?
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Wednesday, 29 April 2015

Autism Awareness Month ~ LIFT4Autism Week 4 and final week Giveaway



The last week of LIFT is here! What an amazing ride the last month has been, raising awareness, acceptance and action on behalf of families living with Autism.

And if you missed the LIFT t-shirts, there’s still a chance! Reserve yours in our “round two” LIFT order today! Don’t be left out when we have LIFT selfie day!


This week’s MegaGiveaway highlights and benefits Autism Speaks, the largest Autism organization in the world, fighting for research, legislation and services for ASD families.

And our LIFT "anchor" authors, bringing it home this last week with amazing prizes:

A. Meredith Walters
Angie McKeon
Claudia Burgoa
Cora Brent
D. Kelly
Elizabeth Kelly
Freya Barker
Gypsy Rae Choszer
Thank you to all the generous authors that have been donating to these worthy causes.
 
Rafflecopter Giveaway:
 
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Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Tuesday Teaser ~ ECHO (Black Lotus 2) by EK Blair

So we have another teaser from EK Blair for the most anticipated sequel to BANG, ECHO. Donna has been lucky enough to have already read ECHO and all she could say was WOW, this is certainly one book you will not want to miss and if you have not already read BANG we cannot recommend it highly enough. This is one of Donna's favourite series.
 


If you haven't read book one, Bang,  you can pick it up here:

 
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Monday, 27 April 2015

Book Relaunch ~ Not So Easy by Sherry Gammon





 To celebrate the re-launch of Not So Easy (Souls in Peril) Sherry Gammon is giving away TWO audio books!

Not So Easy (Souls in Peril) has a new cover, exciting edits, (a new chapter has been added), and now Not So Easy is an audio book, narrated by the talented Ryan Shaughnessy.

 Not So Easy has a 4.9 out of 5 star rating on Amazon!

 Blurb ~

Not So Easy

Senior Max Sanchez has it all.
Junior JD Miller’s life is Not So Easy. He’s the star pitcher for Port Fare High’s baseball team. He’s dating the head cheerleader, Emma McKay, and he has a great group of friends. 

Unlike Max, JD struggles with making friends. He’s a social misfit, and he’s being bullied at every turn. He’s also barely surviving. 

A tragic accident changes everything, merging their lives together, that life is not so easy for everyone. Max works to the point of exhaustion trying to help JD survive the chaos that is his life, and his eyes are opened to a world he had no idea even existed.

Not so Easy is a story about hope, surviving, and never giving up.


*Kindle booklove: Dani: 10 Wonderful, Amazing, Fantastic Stars This story will stay with me forever. It spoke to my soul because I know what it's like to be bullied relentlessly by kids at school and then go home and have to deal with an abusive stepfather and feel like you have nobody to turn to, nobody to trust, and nowhere to go. I know as it said at the end of the book that not all people being bullied have the same home situations but mine almost resembled Izzy's experience with some differences of course. My heart broke while reading about JD's and Izzy's story. I cried for them and their situation. I fell in love with Emma's character because she was one of those rare people with an untarnished soul who doesn't look at people and judge them by what they look like....Read the full review here:

What other are saying about Not So Easy (from the Souls in Peril series):

*Once Upon a Twilight: As I try to compose all my emotions to write this review I feel an overwhelming responsibility to do justice to this book through my review. I laughed, I cried, I felt such bewildering sadness and in the end I laughed again. Sherry Gammon takes us on an astonishing journey through the eyes of Max Sanchez. Handsome and athletic with a wonderful and supportive family, Max lives a charmed life. Even as a seventeen year old Max knows that his girlfriend Emma will be the woman he grows old with. Em's beauty and brains are only out shone by her inner compassion and kindness. Max already recognizes that he can learn from her sweetness and tolerance. For the full review click her (Warning: SPOILER ALERT!)

* Dani of KindleBookLove.blogspot.com: Wonderful, Amazing, Fantastic Stars. This story will stay with me forever. It spoke to my soul...This book is amazingly written and so awesome. I will never forget this book. It got me deep... I recommend it to everybody with children, children, and adults alike. Everybody should read this amazing book.

*Camelia Skiba: Sherry drives the reader to real emotions masterfully creating trials, conflicts and doubts. You'll cry and laugh, ache and root for these heroes. I also liked the messages that come with this book, that life is worth living, that we should never give up and we should always try our best.

* Cindy Bennett: Souls in Peril is seriously one of the best books I've ever read. It had me in turn laughing and crying, my heart aching for all the characters involved.

Gammon's writing is full of humor, sorrow, realism, and pulls you into places you might not want to go, but will be happy you did when all is said and done. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

* Momma's Books. Brandy: If I could rate this book a 10 I would but Goodreads as well as amazon will only allow a 5. So it is 5+++++++ It was such an emotional read for me. It took me less than 24 hours to read this book once I started I could not put it down. I am honestly at a loss for words to explain how I feel about this book. But I will try so here I go… You will be taken on an emotional ride and your heart will hurt more times than not. You will wish you could just jump into the book and just rescue JD. I know I absolutely fell in love with Em she is the sweetest and kindest kid. I can only hope that my children turn out to be like her... It is absolutely AMAZING! Read full review (and check out the old cover;) here:

Donna~ The Romance Cover Heart wrenching, sobbed and sobbed through this book, so many familiar circumstances it was like reliving my school life all over again...very sad, very emotional but unfortunately oh so very true. A fabulous book, that puts you through an emotional wringer..not my usual romance but a great YA book that had some very important messages throughout the book...brilliant.


More reviews here, here and here

Purchase Links ~

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Scrib | Audio

Not So Easy ebook is specially priced for the next few weeks as I introduce the exciting audio book

More reviews here, here and here.

Here is a fun interview with narrator Ryan Shaughnessy ~

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I’m from a cornfield an hour and a half southwest of Chicago and the oldest of three children. I was high school valedictorian and passed the CPA exam after obtaining a Masters degree in accounting. Then I followed my dream and moved to Los Angeles to make a career in acting and not from a cubicle. Every day brings a new adventure!

2. What do you do when you are not acting/narrating? Every day I’m doing something that relates to my acting. Whether it be auditioning, shooting, or social networking, the acting never stops. Even when I’m watching shows on Netflix, I watch certain shows that would appeal to my age demographic.

3. What is your favorite smell? Mom’s pot roast coming from the slow cooker when I travel back to Illinois.

4. What was your first acting project? There were the spring concert shows in grade school, but my first main gig was in the summer before my 8th grade year where I was the ventriloquist’s dummy in the radio show in a production of “Annie”.

5. How/Why did you get into acting? I love entertaining people. After getting a feel of making so many people laugh with my lines, I was hooked. Looking back, I wish I would have pursued in sooner, but I didn’t realize I could make a career of it because of how and where I was raised.

6. If you had 24 hours to live, excluding spending time with your family, what would you do? Skydive, ride in a hot air balloon, bungee jump off a bridge, and take my family to the gorgeous beaches of Thailand

7. What is your favorite kind of cheese? Pepperjack

8. Is there any particular actor or book that influenced you growing up or as an adult? I grew up watching all the James Bond and Indiana Jones movies. It’s been a goal of mine to be James when I’m the right age. But Harrison Ford has always been an influence because he is also from Illinois and wasn’t given much of a shot at the beginning of his acting career. I feel I am very similar to him in that regard in that we both have had a chip on our shoulders to prove the world wrong.

9. Would I find anything growing in your refrigerator right now? Nope. I keep things pretty clean. If I let one thing go, it would probably be the dust in my bedroom.

10. How would you describe yourself in three words? Intelligent, sarcastic, loyal

11. Who is your favorite actor? It’s hard to pick just one. Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, Denzel Washington, Matt Damon, and Tom Hanks are at the top of the list.

12. What is your favorite part of acting and why? Your least favorite and why? Favorite: Things are always changing but yet they are still structured. You may be on the same set, but the storyline is changing and things don’t get stagnant. Worst: Rejection haha.

13. Chocolate or Brussels sprouts? I’m a fan of both actually, especially if the brussels sprouts are doused in butter.

14. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an actor? I was new to a class and the teacher thought I wasn’t taking the scene seriously. He said I wouldn’t amount to anything.

15. What has been the best compliment given to you as an actor? I took a three week intensive with a casting director, and after we finished the scene in the last week, he told me he could easily see me as a contract role on the show.

16. What is your least favorite smell? Rotten eggs

17. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring actors? If a kid from a small town in Illinois with no formal training can move across the country and find a place in this crazy entertainment world, there is no reason you can’t do the same. You will most likely need lots of patience and a strong backbone, and most people from back home won’t understand the extent of what you are doing. But you will. As long as you believe this is what you were made to do, you will find a way to make it happen.

Ryan's Links ~

http://www.imdb.me/ryanshaughnessy
Demo: http://youtu.be/hZ9ox8Q2HbI
Viral Clip: http://youtu.be/hbeEuYAZFL4
@RynoShaughnessy (Twitter and Instagram)
Enter to win an audio book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
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Release Day Blitz ~ Excerpt & Giveaway ~ Carter Reed 2 by Tijan



 
Blurb ~

Carter bought his way out of the mafia to protect Emma, but when an old ghost returns to the Mauricio Family, a chain of events starts that can harm everyone. While Carter must decide to return to the Mauricio Family or not, a face that is oddly familiar to Emma comes into her life. She’s given the chance to discover more about her family while tensions between the rivaling Mauricio and Bertal Family comes to a head in an explosive way. The truce is officially off, and when the two worlds collide, Carter’s decision is made.

He didn’t start this war, but he will end it.

He will do anything to protect Emma.

Find it on Goodreads ~ http://bit.ly/1djUCCT
 
 
 
Excerpt ~

As I held the gun, alone now, some of the old memories came back to me. But they were never very far away.

I had killed two men. 
“Jeremy.”

My voice had been soft when I called to him. He’d been raping my roommate, and he was going to kill her. I had no choice. When he turned around and saw the gun in my hand, I shot him. The bullet hit the center of his forehead. 

I swallowed now, remembering Mallory as she had watched me, pinned to the wall by his hands. Her eyes had been so lifeless. They were the opposite of Ben’s. He’d been pleading for his life, but minutes earlier he’d been planning to kill Amanda, then me. My stomach churned, remembering that he was going to take me to Franco. He wanted to barter, trade me in for more money, more drugs. 
 
He was the one who killed Mallory, but the Bartel family set all of it in motion.

I drew in a ragged breath, cradling the gun in my hands like a precious baby. This little piece of metal had caused so much havoc in my life, and it was Carter’s weapon of choice. He’d killed plenty with it when he worked for the Mauricio family.

Somehow, I knew this weapon would have a place in our lives again. I didn’t want it to, but I knew it would. And with that last thought, my hand closed over it, and I raised my arms, aiming with my feet apart, my shoulders rolled back. I shot, one after another, until my clip was done.

All except one hit the bullseye. The other one, the outlier, was just outside the  inner circle on the target. 

I’d have to get better.
 
Buy Links ~

Amazon US:​ http://amzn.to/1OPrrDg
Amazon UK: ​http://amzn.to/1DBVOaT
  
Series Reading Order ~

Carter Reed (Book One)  

Amazon US:​http://amzn.to/1EFOiSj
Amazon UK: ​http://amzn.to/1GoDN0K
Kobo: ​http://bit.ly/1DNi154
Nook: ​http://bit.ly/1JHyw78
iBooks: ​http://apple.co/1GwEZEF

Carter Reed 2 (Book Two)
 
Amazon US:​ http://amzn.to/1OPrrDg
Amazon UK: ​http://amzn.to/1DBVOaT
Kobo: ​http://bit.ly/1awCSC8
Nook: ​http://bit.ly/1JKL0LZ
iBooks: ​http://apple.co/1ys1cAx

 

Author Information ~


I didn't begin writing until after undergraduate college. There'd been storylines and characters in my head all my life, but it came to a boiling point one day and I HAD to get them out of me. So the computer was booted up and I FINALLY felt it click. Writing is what I needed to do. After that, I had to teach myself how to write. I can't blame my teachers for not teaching me all those years in school. It was my fault. I was one of the students that was wishing I was anywhere but at school! So after that day, it took me lots of work until I was able to put together something that resembled a novel. I'm hoping I got it right since someone must be reading this profile! And I hope you keep enjoying my future stories.

Stalk Her: ​Facebook​ | ​Twitter​ | ​Website​ | ​Goodreads


GIVEAWAY ~
$50 Amazon Gift Card
 a Rafflecopter giveaway
Share Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MDk5NjRmMDM5ZDM4YTBj
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Saturday, 25 April 2015

Review ~ Come to me Recklessly (Closer to You #3) by AL Jackson

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4.5 Stars

“Letting go of those fears was so difficult, but when I finally did, the greatest joy was unearthed”

Although this book is part of the Closer to You series this can be read as a standalone as it is not about the same characters as the previous two books. However, I would highly recommend you do as not only are they a fantastic read, but Christopher does appear in them and you will have a better understanding of the man and the other characters that make appearances.

One thing that you do know when you pick up an AL Jackson book is that it will be beautiful...in the end...but you will have undertaken a major emotional trip to get there. Amy does love a second chance romance and writes them extremely well and this one is no different. It is angsty, it is emotional but overall it was a beautiful read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

“But tonight, there was a hostility saturating it, more intense than ever before. Pure sex bidden by a brilliant, raging fury. Like he’d consume me and there’d be nothing left. Ashes. That’s what had remained after he was finished with me the first time. After he’d promised me forever.”

Christopher is Aly’s brother and Jared’s best friend and I have to admit I have always wondered what his story was so I was super excited when AL Jackson said that she was writing his story. Chris and Sam dated a long time ago, for Chris and Sam it was both that forever kind of love, but alas as always, parents interfere as does life and it was not to be. Chris however was extremely affected, it was his first love, his one and only love and Sam had scarred him for life and to this day he remained extremely bitter. He lived his life, flitting from one woman to another, vowing to never let a woman have that power over his heart again.

“You broke up with me, Samantha. Remember? I think it’s time you admitted who broke who.”

Sam and Chris’s separation had scarred her too, even though she was in a relationship, he wasn’t Chris. Chris was the man that Sam measured every other guy up to and no-one ever fit the bill, no-one would ever fit the bill, so she just settled.

“You broke my heart once. You don’t get to do it again.”

A chance meeting at the store leads to Aly and Sam reconnecting, this reconnection means that Sam and Chris’s paths are inevitably going to cross, will the past stay in the past or will these two be able to forgive and forget. One things for sure is that you know AL Jackson will put you through the mill to find out.

“Don’t ever hide your light, Samantha. Let it shine. Let it burn bright. Because you? You’re everything in this world that’s right.”

I have to say, I could have throttled Chris at times, and as much as I understood his reasoning his actions and thoughts totally aggravated me at times. I felt sorry for him, but I just wished he would have opened up a lot sooner. There was a lot of miscommunication in the past, they were younger and naïve, gullible and unfortunately had no-one on their side. I was itching for them both to see the light so I ended up reading the entire book on tenterhooks and with my heart in my mouth.

“I’d sold my soul to Lucifer himself.”

Sam does have a boyfriend, but he wasn’t a good guy. He took advantage of a situation and made it his own. He is never there for Sam and lives his own life as long as she does not live hers. He is manipulative and just one incredibly shady character. This is by no means a love triangle as such but he needs to be dealt with and as usual for overbearing men, he is not going away easily.

“I was tired of it all. How’d I become enemies with the person I cared about most?”

I was totally wrapped up in this story; AL Jackson always manages to deeply entrench me into her stories and characters. Through the flashbacks we were treated to what actually happened way back then and they give you a great insight into the sorry situation that they now find themselves in. You always know that you are going to get a beautifully woven story and this one stayed true to form. These two are now adults and it is up to them to see the errors made in the past and to now focus on if they have a future. There is a lot of soul searching to do and they need to understand what each other has been through. This leads to some amazing scenes and ones that really tug on the heart strings. As much as Chris comes across as an ass at times it was great to finally see those walls coming down and the true man underneath come out. Their chemistry is blatantly obvious, it is hot, it is palpable and it oozes from the page, why fight it...embrace it.

“Christopher took me completely. Recklessly.”

In short I loved it, it was great to catch up with old characters and see how they have come along but it was great to finally get Chris’s story. For fans of this series, it is a must read and for those that are new, jump on the AL Jackson bandwagon and read this series from the start. It is too good not to.

“Never stop believing in magic.”

Buy Links:

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Friday, 24 April 2015

Cover Reveal ~ Excerpt & Trailer ~ Fury by Fisher Amelie

FURY, the much anticipated third standalone of The Seven Deadly Series by Fisher Amelie, releases May 4th, 2015! As we count down the days, Fisher is teasing us yet again! Here is the highly awaited cover!

Fury


Book Description: 

Revenge is an euphoric thing. Trust me on this. Nothing compares to the release you get when you ruin someone’s life. When they’ve stolen important things. Things that didn’t belong to them. Things I revel in making them pay for.

What? Have I offended you? I’m not here to appeal to your delicate senses. I have no intention of placating your wishes or living within your personal belief system nor do I care if you hate me. And you will hate me. Because I’m a brutal, savage, cold-blooded murderer and I’m here for my revenge.

I’m Ethan Moonsong...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most sacrificing man to the most feared and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Excerpt: 

We start where we left off from Fisher’s last excerpt. If you’d like to read it, you can go here!

FURY, Excerpt Two

“Ethan?” she asked. “Is that you?”

“Hello, Finley,” I answered.

“How are you?” she asked, somehow devoid of the pity I’d often heard in so many greetings since

Cricket. I was grateful to her for this.

“I’m fine,” I slurred, lifting my head a bit to meet her eyes.

A grin met her lips. “You were always a terrible liar.” Her smile fell a little. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m drinking.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You hate drinking.”

“I learned to love it,” I said, downing the remaining contents of my glass, letting it burn.

She looked me up and down, making me feel self-conscious. “But apparently it doesn’t love you.”

“Thanks,” I snorted, acting like I didn’t care. But I did.

“You look terrible,” she said, ignoring me. “Are you even eating?”

“I’m consuming the daily recommended calorie intake,” I hedged.

“Ah,” she answered, examining my empty glass.

I shook my head and signaled to Vi for another.

Finley narrowed her eyes once more. “Can I get a basket of chicken tenders too, Vi?” she added.

“Sure thing,” she said, ringing up Finley’s food before grabbing the bottle of Jack and filling me to the top.

Finley examined my glass but didn’t say a word.

“What?” I asked, feeling defensive.

“Nothing,” she answered, looking at her hands.

“Judging me?”

“Not at all,” she said sincerely and looked me dead in the eye.

This look froze me, and the glass slipped from my fingers and back onto the bar top, spilling a little from the rim.

“I’ve done that very thing,” she said, gesturing toward my glass.

“Drink ’til you’re numb?”

“No,” she said, “succumb to a vice in order to forget.”

I leaned forward, stunned by this admission, and my eyes found hers. “What, Finley?”

She hesitated, started to open her mouth, but someone called her name and she turned around. It was an ex-classmate of ours, couldn’t remember her name, the one she’d been dancing with, and I found myself feeling anxious all of a sudden. I hadn’t felt anxious in a long time. Hadn’t felt anything, really, other than severe pain and shame, in a very long time. Huh.

“Finley, Chris is gonna give me a ride back home. You cool?” the girl asked, eyeing me. She knew. The whole town knew about my tumble down the rabbit hole.

“Yeah, Holly Raye. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she answered, her brows scrunched in confusion.

Finley was surprised by Holly Raye’s apparent worry which I found odd.

“Okay,” Holly Raye said, kissing Finley’s cheek.

Chris was waiting by the door for her, and we both watched them leave, afraid to speak, our earlier moment gone.

Vi walked up with Finley’s chicken tenders and set them in front of her. Her fingers found one but lifted up quickly with a tiny gasp.

“Hot,” she whispered, resting her fingers against the side of her water glass.

She let them cool for a few moments and we sat in awkward silence. I wasn’t sure what she was still doing there. I didn’t have any clue why she had even started to talk to me either. I mean, I knew in high school she’d had a crush on me, but I figured it was long gone. She used to stare at me a little doe eyed, and I had always done my best to be kind to her but not too kind. I’d considered her a friend but nothing more, even if I did take solace in my conversations with her. I’d never admitted that out loud to anyone then, though, not that I was ashamed or anything. It’s just, I was in love with Cricket.

The ache in my chest burned deep, a restless reminder of all I’d lost. And suddenly I felt guilty for finding Finley attractive even when I thought she was a stranger. Even after Cricket left me for Spencer.

“You should probably leave,” I told her.

She looked at me like I was crazy. “I’ll do whatever I want,” she said, sitting taller, pitching me that confident Finley attitude I remembered from high school.

“Whatever,” I said, then called out to Vi for another round, which she served up quickly.

Finley tore apart a few tenders then handed me half of one.

“Uh, no,” I said, downing my glass.

“Uh, yes,” she mocked, shoving the piece in my face.

“Stop,” I said, swiping it away.

“Eat, damn it,” she said.

I looked at her and the expression on her face told me she wouldn’t quit, so I roughly took it from her and took a large bite. She bit into her own piece, a smug look on her face. She practically hand fed me every piece in the damn basket, but I didn’t care. I knew what she was doing, but it wouldn’t work because the liquor resting in my belly was too substantial to be worked against.

“What have you done with your summer?” she asked me.

“This,” I said, gesturing to my glass.

“What the hell, Ethan?”

“What, are you my mother?” I asked, immediately regretting those choice of words. I closed my eyes.

Mom. My heart dropped into my throat. Must remedy that.

“Vi,” I said loudly to her at the other end of the bar. “One more.”

Vi walked the length of the bar and filled my glass again, much to Finley’s obvious horror.

“Vi, can I get some mozzarella sticks?” she asked.

“Of course, darlin’.”

Finley smiled at me.

“I’m not eating those,” I told her.

“Oh, you’ll eat them.”

“I won’t.”

“You will.”

“I sure as hell will not, Finley Dyer.”

She leaned closer and my head began to swim. Her signature scent of apples and wild daisies swarmed around me, making my heart race. It’d never bothered me before. It’s the liquor, I told myself.

“You will or I’m taking your ass home right now.”

“You can just kiss that ass, Fin.”

“That’s the Jack talking.”

“No, that’s me. I don’t want to play anymore. I want to be left alone now.”

“You see,” she said, settling her elbows on the bar top, “I think- No, I know you’re lying. Like I said before, you’re a terrible liar. I think you’ve lied so often about wanting to be left alone, though, that you’ve convinced your head it’s the truth, but you can’t convince the heart, Ethan. You know why?

Because the heart can’t ever be lied to, and yours beats the loneliest I’ve ever heard.”

I didn’t answer her. Couldn’t answer her.

“What have you done this summer?” I asked, ignoring her spot-on observation.

She played along. “I’ve had a temp job here in Kalispell answering phones for Smith Travel, trying to earn cash for my trip.”

My brows furrowed. “What trip?”

“I’m heading over to Vietnam for a year.”

This shocked me. “What in the world would you go to Vietnam for?”

“Charity work,” she answered, making me laugh.

“Why?” I asked.

“Don’t be an asshole,” she replied.

“No, really, why?”

“I’ve wanted to do this for close to five years now.”

“How come I don’t ever remember you talking about this at school?”

“Ethan,” she said softly, “let’s not pretend we ever really talked in high school deeper than filler conversation.”

This wounded me a little, though I’m not sure why. “What the hell, Finley? You and I were friends.”

Now it was her turn to laugh. “We were most definitely not friends. I may know everything about you and you may know everything about me because we grew up together, but we were not friends. You had a constant bodyguard in Cricket.”

I sat up at the mention of her name. “Don’t ever say her name again,” I gritted.

She raised her hands in concession. “Fine.”

There was a pregnant pause as she let me calm myself down.

“I talked to you a lot in the classes we had,” I offered.

“We talked a lot about the upcoming football games or class assignments. Once or twice, we took the seventy-year-old route and discussed the weather.”

I fought my grin. “Okay, so it was always surface observation, but we were kids.”

“No, Ethan, that’s not what it was.”

“Well, you were in love with me,” I bravely spit. “I couldn’t take it further than just below the shoal.” Thank you, Mr. Daniels.

“Full of yourself, are we?” she asked. “Listen,” she continued, “I had a crush on you in high school. So what? Lots of girls did. But I was, am, a human being. You didn’t have to treat me like some leper. Trust me, Ethan, we all know who you belonged to,” she said.

She stood to leave, but I grabbed her arm. The heated warmth of her skin shot straight to my heart. We looked at one another, wide eyed, our chests panting. I shook my head to recompose myself. “I’m sorry,” I told her, encouraging her to sit back down. “I’m- I know you deserved better.”

She hesitated but sat back in her seat. I stared at her, a little too intently thanks to the Jack. She nodded once and we sat in a comfortable silence as I had five more shots.

The whiskey made my body heavy as hell, the weight of its honeyed venom deadened the ache inside me pleasantly.

I sighed and smiled to myself.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

I looked up at her though it felt unusually burdensome and leaned toward her. “I’m going to get them back,” I admitted to her.

She narrowed her eyes. “Who, Ethan?”

“Them,” I said, bringing a tired finger to my lips. “Don’t tell anyone.”

I fell back into my chair. I brought my fingers to my empty glass and tilted it, balancing it on one finger.

She was quiet for a moment.

“Ethan,” she began, whispering, “that’s not like you.”

I smiled. “I’m not who I used to be, Finley.”

“That’s a shame,” she said, “because you used to be wonderful.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Do you know what they did to me?”

“She left you for him,” she said matter-of-factly.

I let the glass tip over onto its side at her bluntness. “Exactly. After all I did for her. After all I was to her. She left me for him.”

“She wasn’t meant for you, Ethan.”

My skin burned with hatred at that statement. “No one is meant for anyone, Finley. You choose someone and then you make a commitment.”

She shook her head at me. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.“

“She chose me, convinced me that she was all in, and I was willing to die for her because of it. She convinced me she actually loved me. I thought she loved me.”

“She did love you. I believe she, you both really, would have been somewhat happy if Spencer had never shown up.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re not hearing me. You both would have been somewhat happy. Neither of you would have been utterly happy.”

This infuriated me. “I could have made her happy!” I yelled, earning a few glances from around the bar.

“Yes, you could have made her happy, but not as happy as Spencer does.”

My blood simmered in my veins. “You are cruel,” I bit.

She leaned forward. “I’m being honest with you. Someone has to since you’re not being honest with yourself. I saw them together, Ethan, and she never looked at you like that.”

“Stop,” I said, gritting my teeth. “Stop.”

“Ethan,” she said, resting her hand on mine. I yanked it from her. “Don’t you want the same thing for  yourself? Don’t you want forever with someone who burns for you the way you burn for her? You deserve that just as much as she does.”

“Shut up,” I said, bringing my hands to my hair and fisting it at my ears. I didn’t want to hear it.

“Fine,” she said, sitting up. She looked around her and asked Vi for two cups of coffee.

I couldn’t breathe. Finley voiced everything I’d worked so hard to drown out, I’d attempted to numb. I hated her for ruining the struggle to suppress it. I just wanted to pretend. I wanted my hate, wanted it to live close to me. It was the only thing I felt could keep me alive. I couldn’t let her go. I didn’t want her to be loved by anyone but me. I didn’t want to be reminded that someone else really did love her better than I did, that someone else made her happier. Because I had watched them too. I saw what Finley saw, and my God did I hate Spencer Blackwell for it.

I wanted bitter.

I wanted sadness.

I wanted revenge.

Trailer: 

About the Author: 

Author Photo2Fisher Amelie resides in the South with her kick ace husband slash soul mate. She earned her first ‘mama’ patch in 2009. She also lives with her Weim, Jonah, and her Beta, Whale. All these living creatures keep the belly of her life full, sometimes to the point of gluttony, but she doesn’t mind all that much because life isn’t worth living if it isn’t entertaining, right?

Fisher is the author of The Seven Deadly Series, The Sleepless Series, and The Leaving Series, and was a semi-finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award.

Find Fisher on Amazon! ** Find Fisher on Barnes & Noble! ** Find Fisher on Facebook! **
Find Fisher on Twitter! ** Add FURY to your Goodreads! ** Find Fisher on YouTube! **
Find Fisher on her website!
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Friday Frights ~ PNR Reviews ~ Mystik Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance) by Brenda Trim and Tami Julka

Reviewed by Shirley ~ 5 Stars

What an amazing second book in this fabulous series. It has a really great story with lots of interesting characters and the story flows seamlessly from book one to get you right back into the action of these amazing vampires. It is a beautiful, erotic, romantic story of two people having to fight their own demons, to have the perfect life that they richly deserve.

This story is about Cailyn a human, the sister of Elsie, who is the mate of Zander the Vampire King and Jace, who is the Dark Warriors healer and sorcerer who also fights along side his fellow warriors.

Cailyn first sees Jace at Elsie and Zander’s mating ritual and was drawn to him instinctively. Strong attraction to him engulfed her whole body and had never left her even when she had gone back home and was carrying on with her life.

Jace was also harbouring a deep attraction towards Cailyn and he wondered to himself why he felt this way as he had never in all of his seven hundred and so years, ever felt anything for any woman. Although that deep seated attraction was brought firmly back to him when he heard that Azazel an archdemon and Aquiel a fae, working together for Kadir who is the second in command to Lucifer had attacked the car that Cailyn and her friend Jessie was driving home in.

The Dark Warriors, after being told of the premonition that Elsie saw of her sister being attacked, barely made it in time to rescue them but they were just that little bit too late…they were to find that something seriously was wrong with Cailyn and Jessie was never going to be the same again.

They were taken back to the warrior’s home and it was when Jace saw the condition of Cailyn that he found that he couldn't leave her side that the feelings he had for this woman were so strong it was like an overwhelming feeling that he could never let this woman go, even though he felt unworthy of her. And Cailyn seeing Jace by her side, even in her weakened state could not deny her feelings for Jace to herself even though it made her feel guilty as she still loved another man who had been in her life.

This is where the story begins for these two, from finding a cure for Cailyn’s sickness which led Jace and his fellow warriors on a dangerous path and their blossoming romance. Being together in each others company felt so right that the feeling was so strong that they finally succumbed to the feelings that neither of them could deny.

"Please. I need you inside me," she begged, making his decision for him.
"You never have to beg, baby. Anything you want," he murmured as he surged into Cailyn for the first time.

And once these first barriers were down they could not feel happy being apart and their lovemaking got to be earth shattering for both of them…

Slowly, his pace increased and he revelled in the tight slide into and out of her sheath. "Goddess,
you are heaven."
“Harder, Jace. Faster," she begged.

At that moment, his control snapped and he began a hard quick speed that no human male was capable of.

But to be truly happy they had to fight their own personal demons that were holding them back from total fulfilment. And for all the warriors the evil that was stalking the human population still had to be fought against, with the skirm getting more cunning and deadly they had their hands full and when told by a prophecy that worst was to come they all had to be at their very best to conquer over this new threat.

A really strong book. I loved every word in it. I read it from beginning to the end in one hit, I couldn't put it down. This is really showing the promise of a really awesome series.

Well done Brenda and Tami.

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Thursday, 23 April 2015

Giveaway! Signed paperback of Sunshine & Whiskey by R.L. Griffin

Following on from yesterday's Sunshine & Whiskey Blog tour post we have a great giveaway today! 


R.L Griffin is giving our followers the chance to win a signed copy! 

If you didnt catch our review yesterday you can check it out here: http://www.theromancecover.com/2015/04/blog-tour-review-sunshine-whiskey.html

Good luck!
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Autism Awareness Month ~ LIFT4Autism Week 3 Giveaway


April is Autism Awareness month, and the romance reading community is celebrating!

Week 3 of LIFT doesn't let up!  We have such incredible donations from amazing authors this week.

If you missed the LIFT t-shirts, there's still a chance! Reserve yours in our "round two" LIFT order today! http://teespring.com/Lift4Autism

Don't be left out when we have LIFT selfie day!



This week's MegaGiveaway benefits The Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation.

A.L. Jackson

Amalie Silver

Cindi Madsen

Faith Andrews

Gia Riley

Jen Frederick

K. Bromberg

Lia Riley

Mandi Beck

Molly McClain

Nicole Storey

S.R. Grey

Whitney Barbetti

Thank you to the generous authors donating!

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Wednesday, 22 April 2015

Blog Tour ~ Review ~ Sunshine & Whiskey (Drinking, Part 1) by RL Griffin


Book Description: 

Sometimes the best things in life come from the unexpected. So if you lower your expectations, then you’ll never be disappointed. Sound cheesy? It is, but it's also true. Clichés come from a grain of truth…like a man with a Porsche is compensating for something, or once a cheater always a cheater—you get the idea. Sorry, I digress. I'm supposed to be telling you what this book is about.

I'm Megan Walker, a lawyer at one of the hottest boutique law firms in Atlanta. I'm on the fast track to making partner and have my entire life planned out...or I did.

We all know how that goes, right? Best laid plans and all that.

Life just threw me a couple curveballs, so I've set out to take things into my own hands. By throwing caution to the wind and getting out of my A-type personality bubble, I'm learning more about myself than I have in my twenty-seven years.

Sound like a chick flick, doesn't it?

It’s not.

Our Review: 

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 Stars

**ARC received for honest review**
“Maybe you don’t go back, you go somewhere else, but it’s just as good. Maybe even better.”

This book is such a departure from RL Griffin’s usual writing style, so much so I couldn’t wait to read. I had watched her feed for teasers and excerpts and this only added to my own internal hype to get my grubby hands on this romantic comedy. I was also lucky enough to be a beta reader so had watched this book go from strength to strength over the months. RL Griffin has blown me away in the past with her romantic suspense type reads and this book goes to show just how versatile she is and that she can in fact turn her hand to anything she sets her mind to.

I had so many laugh out loud moments and it is rare to go from tears of laughter one minute to tears of sadness the next. There are not too many tears of sadness, but there was one scene that for a softie like me had me choked and bawling, RL Griffin never fails, she always makes me cry!

Megan is an extremely hardworking and successful lawyer, fighting her way to the top of the firm which is always difficult in a man’s world. She has the dedication, ambition, drive and determination and has the respect of her peers, shame the same couldn’t be said about her personal life. After her personal life as she knows it hits the skids she is forced to take a stock of herself and after an impulsive purchase ends up changing her life once again she throws caution to the wind. With her BFF finding herself in a similar situation...what should they do? ROAD TRIP!!

This book is a voyage of discovery for both women, a time to relax and be carefree, a time to find themselves, cherish their friendships and also make new ones. With plenty of man candy on the way as they make their way across country to Napa you cannot help but laugh at their male encounters. Some are hilarious and yet some obviously have deeper meanings and could be just what both girls need.


“...you already mourned the death of you and Peter three years ago. You need to fuck through it.”

She gyrates her hips at me. I can’t help but laugh at her antics. “Fuck through it?”


I loved the banter in this book; these two had such a fantastic relationship. They could cuss each other one minute, call each other out the next, but no matter what, they always had each other’s back...all the time!

“I love you. Meet me at the casino after you clean your vag.”

I pictured this trip in my head as they plotted and planned and eventually executed their journey. The shenanigans that these two get up to will have you crying with laughter, from scenes that are just too hilarious for words, to scenes that resonate with your inner twelve year old self. This book is beautifully balanced with not only fun and laughter but also the deep and meaningfuls and the underlying messages that you cannot help but feel in your heart.

“Yeah, my heart totally wants to take a step toward him instead of away from him, but then my head says “fuck you heart.” My brain says fuck me once, shame on you, fuck me twice, shame on me.”

Kudos to RL Griffin, she has definitely proven that she can write funny. Some scenes have left me mentally scarred for life (#bluewaffle (DO NOT GOOGLE BLUE WAFFLE SERIOUSLY!!)) and some I will remember for a long long time (#hotdog) and some I think back on, even now and they still make me chuckle (#sipandstretch). Some scenes have even changed my eating habits (#nomorehamsandwich). But even as I am typing this I am laughing away to myself and even though I feel some of the humour was a bit too much for my English brain I still haven’t laughed this much over a book for a long time. I also beg anyone who has read this book to own up and say they can never look at a male cover model in the same way again; I always knew they were too good to be true ;-).

This book would make a great summer read, sipping cocktails, by the pool, in the sun, living the life and reading a hilarious modern Thelma & Louise tale without the crappy ending. This book would also serve as the perfect pick me up after all those dark and disturbing books we are so mad about too. So jump in and join this journey of fun, fresh, frolics and fucks aplenty on this voyage of discovery of friendships, finding yourself and finding love when you least expect it. Join these girls on a road trip you will never forget and will forever relate too.

“This moment feels so big, this day feels like such a deal breaker. The butterflies in my stomach have had families and they are all flying around my gut.”

Buy Links:


About the Author: 

R.L. Griffin published her first book in 2004. After that she focused on practicing law. A few years ago she began writing the By A Thread series, which is out now. Her goal is to keep readers on their toes, whether it's the plot twist or the book itself, her books are outside any box. There is a little bit of grit in most of her books and a ton of cussing. Most books are enjoyed better with a glass of wine, or whiskey, whatever your poison may be.

She lives in Atlanta with her husband, kid and dogs. She loves to travel and meet readers.

Author Links:


Join The Chat on Sunshine & Whiskey 
⇨ ⇨ ⇨ CLICK HERE TO JOIN ⇦ ⇦ ⇦ 
Release Events:

Facebook Release Party
Come visit R. L. Griffin's FACEBOOK PARTY on Tuesday April 28th from 8:00-9:00 PM EST

The party will be on her Facebook LIKE page
https://www.facebook.com/R.L.GriffinByAThread

Twitter Release Party

Come Party with R. L. Griffin on TWITTER Thursday April 30th from 8:00-9:00 PM EST

Remember to use the #SaddleUp

(You type the Hashtag into the Discover of the Twitter & to keep up, hit refresh. All questions and communications have to use the #Saddleup.)
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Tuesday, 21 April 2015

Release Launch ~ Review & Giveaway ~ Do Not Disturb (Deanna Madden #2) by A. R. Torre


Title: Do Not Disturb (Deanna Madden, #2)
Author: A. R. Torre (Alessandra Torre)
Genre: Erotic Suspense
Releasing: April 21st

Book Description:

Equal parts Dexter and 50 Shades, this is the eagerly awaited follow-up to the daring erotic thriller, The Girl in 6E, by A.R. Torre.

My rules:

1. Don't leave the apartment.

2. Never let anyone in.

3. Don't kill anyone.

The rules were simple and I broke them.

Now I must face the consequences.

Everyone else must face me.

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4.5 Stars

“Star light. Star bright. First star I see tonight. I wish I may, wish I might. Not kill those whom my heart holds tight.”

I read The Girl 6E what seems like many moons ago and that book had always intrigued me. When I heard that we were to be getting more of Deanna Madden I was intrigued. After all, the woman we met in The Girl in 6E was like no-one I had ever read about.

Do Not Disturb continues where The Girl in 6E left off, Deanna is still living her life of forced isolation but because of her blossoming romance with Jeremy she is stepping more and more outside of her comfort zone. She is starting to venture out into the outside world a bit more and is putting her toes in the ocean so to speak, the ocean of freedom. Can she keep her demons at bay or is she trying too hard too soon?

“I am too engrossed in the arrival of ecstasy. And when it comes, it is the most perfect form of insanity I have ever experienced.”

This is one of those books that I cannot really say much about for fear of spoiling it but this is another angst, thrilling adventure for our cam girl. I will say that the beginning is a tad slow but this is due to the background being set and the layers being woven into what turns out to be a thrilling and captivating plot. My heart was in my mouth for the majority of the last 50% of this book and the palpitations were crazy towards the end, but this is what I have come to expect from an AR Torre book, a ride, a roller coaster ride of emotions, those WTF moments and the jaw dropping…oh no she didn’t moments…and there are quite a few of those in this story.

Deanna’s job puts her in view of many men hidden behind a computer screen, you never know who is on the other side but Deanna feels that between her and Mike her safety is assured. She has layers and layers of false trails that never lead to her true identity and Mike can cut off any dubious client within seconds. But what happens when the man that has had his spank bank material cut off and blocked is a psycho, a convicted felon with a less than stellar track record with the female population…a man that would willingly dispose of any woman that failed to meet his expectations…they were expendable. This man had never been cut off before…never been blocked and had never been so brazenly disregarded by any woman, who did this woman think she was? Deanna Madden was about to find out.

“He had wanted to do it. Had wanted so badly to be strong for her. To be her hero.”

We all know that Deanna is her own brand of crazy and this man just didn’t know who he was trying to find, he was expecting some naïve, weak cam girl but instead we all know Deanna is definitely not any of those. Deanna is a bad-ass, she is in control for the most part, she is super smart, she is a planner, but she is also so strong and most importantly she is always in control and she is going to need to rely on all her attributes as she goes up against her biggest foe yet.

“He thinks I am unaware. He thinks I am helpless. He has no idea who he is dealing with.”

This was an amazing ride once again, the plot was intense and captivating and I couldn’t put it down. I love Deanna with a passion despite her flaws and Jeremy was just absolutely perfect in this book, he is so incredibly patient and seems to know exactly what Deanna wants and needs and when. Despite those flickers of reservations and fears of the unknown secrets that he knows Deanna is hiding he cannot help himself as far as Deanna is concerned.

“In this moment, I give him my soul. And he takes away the death and fills me with life.”

I can’t wait to read more about Deanna, it seems that she is never going to be in for a normal life and with her past I cannot wait for her next adventure, at least you know it is going to be another wild ride, or perhaps, just perhaps her and Jeremy can leave their fucked up world behind and them and have their happy ever after…although this is an AR Torre series…anything is possible.

Buy links:


About The Author:

A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre has written nine novels, four of which became #1 Erotic Bestsellers.

Her first book, Blindfolded Innocence, became a breakout hit, rising to the top of the charts on Kindle and Amazon where it attracted the interest of major publishing houses and garnered Torre her first print deal with Harlequin HQN. Less than twelve months later, Torre signed a second print deal, this time with Redhook (Hachette) for her erotic thriller The Girl in 6E.

From her home near the warm waters of the Emerald Coast in Florida, she devotes several hours each day to various writing projects and interacting with her fans on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Happily married and with one son, she loves watching SEC football games, horseback riding, reading and watching movies.

Facebook Event:

Tuesday April 21st 9:30PM - 11:00PM EST - Facebook Party

Giveaway:

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