Book Spotlight and Interview: Endless by Jessica Shirvington

I am very excited to have Jessica Shirvington here today to discuss her new book, Endless, which is the fourth book in the Embrace Series. I finished this series in a week and I am happy to have her here today.

1. Tell me about your new release Endless

Endless is the 4th book in the series and it is one I really enjoyed writing. Violet has accepted her life as a Grigori warrior but now she must face not only a great evil, but the consequences for her past choices. Violet finds herself with the weight of the world on her shoulders as hell unleashes its worst.

To save the people she loves the most, Violet faces the ultimate sacrifice. And she is not the only one.

2. Where did you come up with the idea for the series?

It was an idea that evolved in its own way. First the names, Violet and Lincoln, then the idea of the supernatural, then angels, then biblical folklore and it went from there.

3. What kind of research did you have to do for this series?

The research was huge and was ultimately the driving force behind the storyline. I let the research take me in new directions and I loved that. I’m not sure I will ever write another series that will lend itself so well to mythology, folklore, and ancient history so well.

As for what kind of research – it was an all and everything kind of thing. I love research and it can be simple as following a thread on the internet, going to the library, or talking with historians, teachers, doctors, theologians, and my next door neighbor. Though I will admit, in the very beginning there was one story of Lilith by Ben Sira and an account of the Great Flood in the Book of Enoch that very much led the way.

4. Have you always wanted to write YA or have there been other genres that you have been interested in?

Definitely YA was the obvious choice for me. In fact, I never even stopped to think about it, I just started writing knowing it was YA. That said, I do have a picture book on the way and whilst I will continue to predominantly write YA, I am also toying with the idea of an adult trilogy at the moment.

5. What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on the edits for the final book of the series, EMPOWER and on the American edits for my first stand alone – ONE PAST MIDNIGHT which will be out in the US in June 2014. On top of that I have a duology on the way and I am just about to start working on the early edits for the first book.

6. Which authors have inspired you?

C.S. Lewis…And every other author out there! Every book I read whether good or average gives me something or teaches me something about the kind of author I want to be.

About the Author:

Jessica Shirvington lives in Sydney with her husband of ten years, FOXTEL presenter and former Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington, and their two daughters. She has previously founded and run a coffee distribution company, Stella Imports, in London, and been involved in managing the restaurants Fuel Bistro, Tow Bar and MG Garage in Sydney.

She is currently a full-time mum, author and co-director in the company MPS Investments Pty Ltd.

On Writing …

One day, instead of picking up a new book, I started to write. The first name that came to mind was Violet. From there the rest naturally followed. I can honestly say, once Violet was discovered – she really did write the rest of the book!

Writing this book has drawn on my life experience – in my travels around the world and the different people I have met. It draws on love and loss and the overall confusion that comes with growing up. It also looks to many of my friends and their experiences.

I have always loved ancient history – tales and stories of the best kind.

Website /Twitter/ Facebook

Love will kill us all.

Angels are real. They aren’t always kind. Violet Eden is certain of all this because she is Grigori – part angel, part human. She has felt the influence of both light and dark.

When Hell unleashes its worst, Violet must embrace every facet of her angel self to save the people she cares about and the world as she knows it. But death is not the worst thing that Violet will face. For her, the endless question ‘Can love conquer all?’ will finally be answered.

October 9, 2013October 2, 2013

Spotlight Feature of Dehumanized by Michael Loring

Dehumanized

Release Date: July 24th, 2013

Kindle | Paperback | B&N | Smashwords | Goodreads

Ryan Zachery lived his life the way all high school teenagers should – carefree. Until he was attacked by an unknown assailer and awoke in the hospital with lycanthropy. Taken by armed guards and dragged away from everything he held dear, Ryan was thrown into a US camp made for those ‘suffering’ from lycanthropy. They caged the beast, but now he will show them that he will never be dehumanized.

Genre: Paranormal/Dystopian/New Adult

Excerpt: Chapter 1

Present Day Unknown, Canada.

There was nothing quite like being attacked unannounced. The surprise of being hit without seeing it coming made it just a bit more painful. There would be a tiny moment of pure shock, when your heart nearly burst and your brain halted in an attempt to look back on what had just happened to determine what exactly it was. The shock, the confusion and the pain, made the experience all the more unpleasant. Ryan spat out the grime and muck that had entered his mouth as he was slammed down face-first to the ground. The man who had performed this very unpleasant act was standing over him and smirking smugly, holding up his fists in preparation of Ryan’s countermove. He had caught the boy off guard, and had slammed his fist into the back of his head, sending him tumbling forward into the mud. Ryan growled, agitated at having been attacked unannounced and for no apparent reason. He jumped to his feet and charged the larger man head-first, tackling him to the ground. A crowd began to brew around the fighting pair as he drove hisfists like hammer into the ugly man’s face. Anger was bubbling beneath the surface, and nothing could stop him now that he wasin motion.“Hey! Quit it!” The guards were trampling through the small crowd, their body armor giving them great leverage. Twomen in black armor with tasers strapped to their hips restrainedRyan, pulling him into a lock and yanking him off the bloodied man lying in an unconscious heap on the ground. Two others tended to the unconscious man as he was dragged off to await punishment. Ryan struggled against the guard’s grasp. He hated to be manhandled, and he knew that whatever punishment they dealt out would be unjust and cruel. It wasn’t his fault the fight had started. The other man had thrown the first punch. He was just staring listlessly out through the barbed-wire fence at the silent forest when he was attacked. “Let me go!” he cried out, snarling and flailing about. The men had a firm grasp under his arms, hindering his general movement. Anger was stirring inside his gut, and it only angered him more to think he was not going to win this battle. He never did. The guards stripped him down and threw him into the Dungeon, a dark murky room with no lights or windows and only a bucket to use as a bathroom. They tossed him into the cold dark room and locked the door behind him before he could turn and try to run. He shivered, his naked body reacting to the temperature. The room was made specifically to be cold in order to ‘properly’ punish the delinquents. But due to the prisoners’ increased body heat, they had to adjust the conditioners to an extremely low temp for it to truly effect the punished. Ryan slammed his fist into the metal door with a bark, not caring that he’d most likely broken a finger or two. It would heal in an hour, as would the gash on the back of his head. The wounds always heal. Be it an hour or two or three they healed to near perfection. Not a scar marred his flesh, except the mangled mark that ran between his shoulder and neck. He tenderly touched the scar on his neck as he turned and slunk down against the wall, ignoring the hot pain grating against his back as he did so. The scar was a large red gape in his flesh that ran from the end of his shoulder up to his neck and down to just a few inches above his nipple. It was all he would ever keep in this hell. He lost everything the day he gained this mark. His family, his friends, his home; they were all gone. He had been taken away from his family nearly two years ago. After being attacked by a large animalistic creature he was brought by a team of those bastard guards to this horrid place. At the time, neither he nor his family understood why he was being taken away, and were outraged to find out he was to be taken. He had fought tooth and nail to escape the men in black armor, but they had tasered him and left him unconscious until he found himself on the inside of a white van speeding across the country to this camp. Confused and terrified, he had tried to reason with them – telling them he shouldn’t be here. He’d run up to every guard or scientist he saw and pleaded that it was a mistake. He wasn’t one of those. He was just attacked by a…That had eluded him for a time. What he had seen that night was a monster, a terrible creature that was unfit to walk this earth. It had bitten him, leaving behind this glaring scar in the crook of his neck. His lips peeled back in disgust. It was confirmed the next full moon that what they believed him to be was what he really was. He had been locked away in a cage under the building alongside other cages filled with the other men and women of this place. Ryan had yelled, cried, and begged to be let free. He knew what was to come. The people around him were resigned to what lay ahead, some looking at him with interest, as if they had seen this a hundred times before. He had feared he’d be in danger with all of these monsters around him. But he shouldn’t have worried, for when the moon came around he, too, fell and began to Change. Limbs and skin ripping and tearing into something that he could never accept. Something he’d fear for the rest of his life.

A werewolf…

As he adjusted his weight against the cold, hard stone wall he scowled at the memory of waking up to find he had gone on a similar rampage as the rest of the room’s occupants. He was a werewolf. Infected by the disease that had swept the Nations in a flurry of fur and fang .Forever cursed, forever alone. Ryan sighed as he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But itwas too hard, for his skin prickled and his nose caught the scent of the bucket in the corner. He groaned and slammed his handagainst the wall again. They called this place a rehabilitation center, but the camp was more a prison than anything else. The dark room he was trapped in was a common punishment in prison systems, known as the “Hole.” The guards outside fondly referred to it as a“Dungeon” for its similarity to the prisons they kept people in under castles in medieval times. He had only been thrown in this place three times, excluding this one. The first time was upon his arrival when he punched out a guard in shock. He hadn’t known why he was here, and he had still believed strongly that he wasn’t a werewolf. They threw him in here and he puked at the strange smells that invaded his nose. The second and third times were both because of fights. Here in the camp there wasn’t much to do during recess – a designated time where the subjects, as the scientists preferred to call them, are allowed to roam a confined space outside to keep themselves in shape – other than fight. He had been, and still was, a favorite among the crowd to fight for the simple fact that he was so young. Most of the men were in their thirties or forties, as well as the women. He though was only nineteen, and as such was seen as an easier target for their brutality. Ryan ran his hand over the stubble of shaved hair atop his head and snorted, half in spite and half to try and get rid of the foul taste of dirt from his mouth. What had he done to deserve this? Of all the things he had done in life, what was it that sent him here? What made him what he is and why?

I’ll never know… and that’s my downfall.

A little about Michael Loring

Authors Bio: Michael Loring was born in Bristol, Connecticut, but has lived in a variety of places such as Florida and Tennessee. He likes to think of himself as an amateur Lycanthropologist, studying werewolves ever since he was eight years old when he first saw An American Werewolf In London. He spent most of his life switching between home school and public school, always focusing on his passion of writing no matter what. His interest in writing was sparked in the second grade when his teacher encouraged him to write short stories for the class, earning him more than one award at school assemblies for Creative Writing.

He currently resides back in his birthplace of Connecticut with a house full of women who like to drive him up the wall until he finishes his chores. Though they seem to avoid him during the night of the full moon for some unexplainable reason…

TAGLINE – We will not be caged.

Website – http://www.michaelloring.com

Author’s Links

FB: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dehumanized/273293846073390

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelLoring

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6436758.Michael_Loring

Blog: http://michaelloring.com/category/blog/

The Writers Voice: http://ourbooksourvoice.blogspot.com/

Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Loring/e/B008OACK24/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1374211565&sr=8-2

October 7, 2013October 5, 2013

Molly Harper interviews Bonnie from Rhythm & Bluegrass

Books-n-Kisses is please to let Molly Harper (One of Kelly’s all time favorite authors) take over the blog today to interview Bonnie Turkle from Molly’s Rhythm & Bluegrass. Take it away Molly.

Molly: So, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Bonnie: I’m Bonnie Turkle. I work for Sadie Hutchins, director of marketing for the highly fictionalized Kentucky Commission of Tourism. You make us say highly fictionalized every time we discuss our setting because you’re afraid that the taxpayers in Kentucky will think that state employees are as irresponsible as your characters. Good employees who make sound decisions rarely end up trapped together in supply closets with only PB&Js and vodka to sustain them.

Molly: Went off on a little bit of a tangent, didn’t you, sweetie?

Bonnie: I just think you tend to be a little mean to your human characters to make up for the lack of vampire angst in our undead-less universe. It’s the only way I can rationalize you setting my car on fire in the first chapter of the book, and the tornado, and the thing with the possum –

Molly: Hey, hey, don’t give the whole thing away. Now, let’s get back on track. What is your position with the highly fictionalized KCT?

Bonnie: I am a multimedia historian.

Molly: And what does that mean?

Bonnie: No one really knows.

Molly: But what do you do?

Bonnie: I put together traveling displays from the marketing information Sadie gives me, usually related to the Kentucky Derby or the state’s significance in the Civil War. I go to schools and do presentations on important figures and events in Kentucky history. And when I’m lucky enough to get funding I get to travel to locations that haven’t been mined by other historians, collect artifacts and put together an entire exhibit on my own. That’s what brings me to Mud Creek and the practically abandoned McBride’s Music Hall. Before it closed, McBride’s was a stop on the country western performance circuit and the rhythm and blues circuit, putting it at a crossroads in American musical culture. All the greats played there. And they left behind all sorts of historical goodies that I need to snatch up before the site is bull-dozed to make room for an underwear plant.

Molly: You say ‘underwear plant’ with an unusual amount of disdain. For you, I mean. Could it be because the subject puts you at odds with Mud Creek’s mayor? Mud Creek’s extremely handsome mayor? Mud Creek’s extremely handsome mayor who also happens to be the grandson of the original owner of McBride’s?

Bonnie: You’re evil.

Molly: (shrugs innocently.)

Bonnie: Yes, the subject puts me at odds with Will McBride. I know that building the factory will bring much-needed jobs to Mud Creek’s economy, which is top priority for him. I know the music hall brings up bad memories for Will. But I can’t help but feel that preserving that priceless musical legacy is just an important as securing a man-panty manufacturer.

Molly: Is that why you overstep your bounds a little bit, filing papers to have the hall designated a protected historical site?

Bonnie: I’d rather not answer. Will and I need to work through it, when we’re not dealing with his wacky neighbors, my cranky stripper-seamstress landlady and his loveable, but meddling, mama. And the possums.

Molly: Fair enough.

Bonnie: Can we talk about the possum thing? And why your characters keep tangling with them?

Molly: Yeah, I had no idea that possums would become a trademark thing with me. My editor, Abby, loves them. And since my books are based in Kentucky, where possums are plentiful, she has threatened to send back any marsupial-free manuscripts back to me unread… I’m not entirely sure she’s kidding.

Bonnie: You couldn’t have given me possum mace or something?

Molly: You wouldn’t have used it. You’re too nice.

Bonnie: True enough. So what’s next for our little troupe of characters? I’d like to know what to expect.

Molly: I thought I was conducting this interview.

Bonnie: Possums, Harper. Angry possums. Near my face. You endangered my face.

Molly: Fine. There will be a third as-yet-untitled book in the BLUEGRASS series, featuring your best gal pal, Kelsey, and her struggle to re-connect with the elusive Charlie Bennett as the whole staff heads to a remote lodge for a staff retreat. And then there is an ice storm… trapping you in the lodge… without power.

Bonnie: Evil.

Molly: I do what I can.

Learn more about Molly here Website | Facebook | Twitter @mollyharperauth| Goodreads

Want to take a look at Molly’s Rhythm and Bluegrass and my review? Keep reading…

TITLE: Rhythm and Bluegrass
SERIES #: Bludegrass #2
CHARACTERS: Will McBride & Bonnie Turkle
AUTHOR: Molly Harper
PUBLICATION DATE: Oct. 7, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N | Audible

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Bonnie Turkle, multimedia historian for the Kentucky Commission of Tourism, is dispatched to Mud Creek, a tiny eastern Kentucky town, with few prospects but many oddballs, to rescue important artifacts from McBride’s Music Hall. Now fallen beyond disrepair, McBride’s was once a jewel of the early American music scene, an intersection of the country-western and rhythm and blues circuits. The former owner’s grandson, Will McBride, who also happens to be Mud Creek’s esteemed mayor, would like nothing more than to see the place bull-dozed in favor of a factory that will provide much-needed jobs to his citizens. But Bonnie finds evidence of a legendary musical event at the music hall and her plans to turn it into a museum put Mud Creek’s economic future at risk – not to mention the growing flirtation between the two of them. If Will and Bonnie can’t find common ground, the town’s past and future will be lost.

REVIEW:
Any Molly Harper books is a good book. But let me tell you about my love hate relationship with Mr. Will McBride. At first I loved Mr. Roadside Cowboy, but as the book went on I started to hate Mr. McBride. He was a complete and udder asshat to Bonnie. I wanted to smack him around on her behalf. But I will say by the end Will redeemed himself.

I loved this book. As I said any Molly Harper books is a good book. I love that her characters are always witty, humorous and just like you and me. Will & Boonie and a fun couple even if they are at each others throat more often than not. But really it was all a big case of miscommunication.

If you love Molly’s first book My Bluegrass Baby, you will love Rhythm & Bluegrass. I can’t wait to see who is next in the Bluegrass series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

October 3, 2013October 1, 2013

Cover Reveal of BARED by Stacey Kennedy

BARED

Club Sin, Book Two

Stacey Kennedy

Publisher: Loveswept

(Random House Publishing Group)

ISBN: 9780804178884

Release date: February 2014

Goodreads

PRE-ORDER BUTTONS: Amazon | B&N

In a novel that’s perfect for fans of Fifty Shades of Grey, Stacey Kennedy returns to Club Sin with another wicked and wild tale of submission, seduction, and love.

At Las Vegas’s exclusive Club Sin, Aidan Knight is the Master, unleashing the erotic yearnings of his submissive lovers. But his dominant façade conceals a devastating loss—something he instantly recognizes in his personally trained submissive Cora Adams. Sworn to unearth her secrets, Aidan uses his seductive skills to ignite her wildest desires until Cora yields to the pleasure she can find only with him.

Cora came to the BDSM club to act out her sub-and-dom fantasies without ever revealing the heartbreak that haunts her. But Aidan’s masterful touch is bringing her closer to the edge . . . and deeper into a world of control and surrender. He refuses to allow her to submit to any other man—nor does she want to. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing. For as they give in to passion, they must lay bare their souls for a love that could heal—and free—them both.

Bared is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

Praise for Stacey Kennedy’s Claimed

“Claimed sucked me in! Stacey Kennedy weaves together the intense BDSM lifestyle with the soft touch of a sweeter, more traditional love story in a novel with an engaging heroine at its heart.”—J. Kenner, New York Times bestselling author of Release Me

“Deliciously sexy, Claimed will captivate you at once, leading you on an erotic journey that you won’t want to end. A fabulous talent, Kennedy shines in this fast-paced and exciting novel.”—New York Times bestselling author Cheyenne McCray

“Tender, emotional—and smoking hot!”—Savanna Fox, author of the Dirty Girls Book Club series

About the Author:

Stacey Kennedy is an urban fantasy lover at heart, but she also enjoys losing herself in dark and sensual worlds. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who gave her a happily-ever-after. Together, they have two small children who can always make her smile, and who will never be allowed to read Mommy’s books. If she’s not plugging away at a new story, you’ll find her camping, curling up with the latest flick, or obsessing over Sons of Anarchy and Game of Thrones.

Website – http://www.staceykennedy.com/

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/AuthorStaceyKennedy

Facebook Fan Page – www.facebook.com/StaceyKennedyFanPage

Twitter – https://twitter.com/#!/Stacey_Kennedy

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3473046.Stacey_Kennedy

Loveswept website – http://www.readloveswept.com

CHECK OUT THE FIRST BOOK IN THE CLUB SIN SERIES:

“Claimed sucked me in! Stacey Kennedy weaves together the intense BDSM lifestyle with the soft touch of a sweeter, more traditional love story in a novel with an engaging heroine at its heart.”—J. Kenner, New York Times bestselling author of Release Me

A novel of erotic discovery and forbidden desire that goes beyond Fifty Shades of Grey.

Presley Flynn is ripe to experience her secret fantasies . . . and Dmitri Pratt wants nothing more than to fulfill them. Once inside the elite Club Sin in Las Vegas, Presley is nervous but excited—and determined to surrender to her every desire. Dmitri is her Master, and his touch is like fire. With each careful, calculated caress, he unleashes her wildest inhibitions, giving her unimagined pleasure.

Presley is different than the other submissives Dmitri has mastered. The BDSM lifestyle is new to her, and so are the games they play at Club Sin. From the start, Presley stirs emotions in Dmitri far beyond the raw purity between a dom and the perfect sub. For the ecstasy they share goes beyond the dungeon, igniting a passion that claims the very depths of the heart.

Claimed is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

BUY LINK – http://www.randomhouse.com/book/229124/claimed-by-stacey-kennedy

October 1, 2013September 30, 2013

Entangled Teen October Release Party

Today we’re celebrating the release of Entangled Teen’s October books! Read all about them and enter to win the giveaway below!

Allure by Lea Nolan

Worst. Summer. Ever.

Emma Guthrie races to learn the hoodoo magic needed to break The Beaumont Curse before her marked boyfriend Cooper’s sixteenth birthday. But deep in the South Carolina Lowcountry, dark, mysterious forces encroach, conspiring to separate Emma and Cooper forever. When Cooper starts to change, turning cold and indifferent, Emma discovers that both his heart and body are marked for possession by competing but equally powerful adversaries.

Desperate to save him, Emma and her twin brother, Jack, risk their lives to uncover the source of the black magic that has allured Cooper and holds him in its grip. Faced with the horror of a soul-eating boohag, Emma and Jack must fight to resist its fiendish power to free Cooper long enough to join their strengths and face it together, before it destroys them all.

Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

Made of Stars by Kelley York

When eighteen-year-old Hunter Jackson and his half sister, Ashlin, return to their dad’s for the first winter in years, they expect everything to be just like the warmer months they’d spent there as kids. And it is—at first. But Chance, the charismatic and adventurous boy who made their summers epic, is harboring deep secrets. Secrets that are quickly spiraling into something else entirely.

The reason they’ve never met Chance’s parents or seen his home is becoming clearer. And what the siblings used to think of as Chance’s quirks—the outrageous stories, his clinginess, his dangerous impulsiveness—are now warning signs that something is seriously off.

Then someone turns up with a bullet to the head, and all eyes shift to Chance’s family. Hunter and Ashlin know Chance is innocent…they just have to prove it. But how can they protect the boy they both love when they can’t trust a word Chance says?

Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | Kobo

Evanescent by Andria Buchanan

Trapped in the deadly land of Nerissette, Allie has all but given up on any return to the mortal realm. Unless she can find the two elusive artifacts that have the power to get her and her friends back home.

But she’s got even bigger problems as the newly crowned queen of Nerissette: she must unite her people in the midst of a civil war and capture the Fate Maker—the evil puppet master responsible for the conflict—before he can find another army willing to return him to power.

On top of it all, Allie is just a normal teenager. Her feelings are growing for the guy she’s certain is her true love, and balancing her personal life while being the queen isn’t as easy as it sounds. Allie must learn the true meaning of bravery, love, and kinship, regardless of the world—and danger—around her.

Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | Kobo

Sidelined by Kendra Highley

After being pushed to excel her entire life, high school basketball star Genna Pierce is finally where she wants to be. University scouts are taking notice, her team is on its way to the state tourney, and Jake Butler, the hot boy she’s daydreamed about since ninth grade, is showing some definite interest. When he asks her out and their relationship takes off, Genna believes things can’t get better.

Then, it’s over.

A freak accident ends her career before it’s even begun. Her parents are fighting more than ever, her friends don’t understand what she’s going through, and she’s not sure who she is without basketball. And while he tries to be there for her, Genna doesn’t understand how Jake could ever want the broken version of the girl he fell for.

Her life in a tailspin, Genna turns to the only solace that eases her pain: Vicodin.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo
To celebrate the launch of these books, Entangled Teen is giving away three ebooks. Check out the Rafflecopter for more information!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 30, 2013September 26, 2013

Cover Reveal of Lisa Kessler’s Hunter’s Moon

Amazon| B&N

Sasha’s future was stolen from her the moment she was bitten. Now she’s on the run from the Nero Organization that transformed her from a human detective into a shape shifting jaguar assassin.

When a rogue bounty hunter threatens her younger sister, she’ll be forced to fight, and with nowhere else to turn, Sasha will need to trust the one man who has every reason to want her dead.

Aren is a werewolf with a secret. While protecting his twin brother and Alpha of the Pack, he found his one mate for life. Sadly she’s also the jaguar assassin who tried to kill them both. Now Aren is struggling between his animal nature to love and protect her, and his loyalty to the Pack.

September 30, 2013September 27, 2013

Spotlight tour of Resolution by Teri Riggs

Amazon Decadent Publishing Barnes & Noble

DEA agent Eve Taylor has had her fill of alpha males. When Resolutions’ operative and former lover, Dillon “Mac” McKenna, threatened her hard-earned independence, she ran. On a mission to gather evidence against a Colombian drug-lord, Eve discovers the drug-lord is helping terrorists plan an attack on American soil. Before she can escape with the vital information, she’s captured and comes face to face with her mortality…

As a teen, Mac watched his family fall apart after his mother died doing dangerous U.N. work. The possibility of losing Eve to a mission ignited an overwhelming need to protect her. When he forced her to choose him or her job, she walked away. Two years later, it seems all his nightmares have come true and he’s tasked with rescuing her from a Colombian prison. Mac has never stopped loving Eve, but does he dare risk his heart when he’s so terrified of losing…

On the run, Mac and Eve must learn to trust each other again in order to stay alive.

Excerpt:

Beefy hands wrenched Eve awake from a fevered sleep, pulled her from the cell, and shoved her into a musty-smelling hallway. I’m being moved? A guard pushed her with one hand, keeping a tight grip on an AK-47 rifle with his other.

Her shoulder throbbed in perfect cadence with the pains shooting through her broken wrist, and she had one badass headache from being punched in the face a few too many times. Using her good hand, she walked fingers across one cheek, then the other. The right side was totally numb. Her eye had swollen shut, and she couldn’t see a damn thing out of it. She ran her tongue across her teeth and tasted the tart, copper flavor of blood. Three teeth loose. Well, at least they’re still in place.

In spite of the relentless pain, she stayed determined to survive whatever Mendoza dished out. She wasn’t a quitter. No, sir. Duncan Falls, Iowa didn’t grow quitters. Eve ignored the constant ache in her ribs, courtesy of a guard’s overzealous kick, and took in a deep breath. She willed herself to stay alert, to keep pushing. Escape. Third times the charm.

Eve slapped the guard’s dirty hand. “Hey, Pedro, stop being so damned pushy. Where we going anyway? We got a hot date I’ve forgotten about?”

He looked puzzled then shoved her again.

“Don’t understand English, do you, Diego? Bet you understand this.” Eve drove her elbow into the guard’s face. Thick rubbery cartilage gave, and she whooped triumphantly.

Blood squirted from his nose and he screamed.

Eve stepped back. “Yep, I’m pretty sure you understand that.”

Unable to grab the guard’s assault rifle, she clutched her injured shoulder, and took off in a slow jog, no longer able to push any harder.

Her escape was short lived.

Visit Teri Riggs at www.teri-riggs.com

September 30, 2013September 30, 2013

Ever After Release Day Book Blitz

Find Your Ever After in Under An Hour

Ruby Hill by Sarah Ballance

From her earliest memories, Ashley Pearce has been drawn to Ruby Hill Lunatic Asylum, and she’s not the only one. Decades after the abandoned hospital ended its institutional reign of torture and neglect, something lurks in the shadows. Since she’s a paranormal investigator, it’s Ashley’s job to find out what.

Crime scene expert Corbin Malone doesn’t believe in ghosts. A born skeptic, he has no interest in entertaining the hype surrounding the mysterious deaths at Ruby Hill, but he won’t turn his back while more women die. He agrees to an overnight investigation, never expecting his first encounter would be with the woman he pushed away a year ago. But when he discovers Ashley is a target, he learns his greatest fear isn’t living with his own demons, but losing her for good.

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One Thousand and One Nights by Ruth Browne

Sheri spends her days fighting zombies and her nights chained to a wall, earning her every breath by telling stories to her captor Aleksy—stories that make them both forget the ruined world. Sheri could put up with the conditions—at least she knows her sister is safe in the community Aleksy leads—until she realizes she’s falling for him…even though he wants her dead.

When Aleksy allowed Sheri and her sister into his compound, he didn’t know about the zombie bite on her back. It’s only a matter of time before she turns into one of the rising dead and threatens their existence, but Aleksy has a secret need for Sheri and her stories. For everyone’s safety, he chains her to his bedroom wall, hoping for just one more day. But how long will the community allow Aleksy to ignore his own rule: always kill the infected. Always.

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Mercy by Jan Coffey

Julia Klein’s life has begun to unravel—her daughter Amy has been suspended from school, Julia is about to lose her job, and her boyfriend Garrett is being transferred thousands of miles away. Overwhelmed, she and Amy leave for a weekend at a rambling old colonial inn. Julia never suspects that Garrett, desperate to find a way to keep Julia in his life, has decided to surprise her by joining them. Nor does she expect her daughter to befriend a mischievous ghost…or that she herself would be possessed by the malevolent spirit of a long-dead mother.

As a dark secret emerges, Julia, Amy, and Garrett find themselves pitted in a fight for survival against a savage presence that intends to resurrect/repeat/relive a horrible crime committed two centuries ago. And this time, Amy and Julia will be the victims.

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Haunted Chemisty by Lindsey Loucks

When bookish college co-ed Alexis heads to the laundry room in her new apartment, she runs into Ian Reese, the chem lab partner she crushed on all last semester. And the guy who stood her up on their first date. But she’s down for an awkward reunion, and no better place than her creepy laundry room.

Ian has every intention of making amends, but just when Alexis begins to trust him again, a new threat calls more than their future together into question. A ghost from the apartment’s past is hellbent on revenge, and if he wants to get his girl, he’ll have to get the ghost first.

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Wish Upon a Star by Michelle McLean

Ceri McKinley never stopped wishing that her ex-fiancé Jason Crickett would come back into her life. But when he finally does, he comes with a request that puts them both—and all of humanity—into jeopardy.

Jason only wants two things: to bury his brother properly and to convince Ceri to trust him again after he jilted her. But when Ceri agrees to help him get his brother back, they end up fighting for their lives as a zombie uprising threatens them all.

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Northern Light by E.J. Russell

Nothing gives art fraud investigator Luke Morganstern a bigger rush than busting forgers, the low-life criminals who dare victimize true artists. But when his latest job sends him to a remote cabin in the Oregon Coast Range, he’s stunned to discover the alleged forger is his former lover, Stefan Cobbe, the most gifted painter Luke has ever known.

Stefan, left homeless and destitute after the death of his wealthy partner, doesn’t exactly deny the forgery — he claims he doesn’t remember, an excuse Luke can’t accept.

But Luke’s elderly client suggests Stefan may be telling the truth and presents another possibility – a dark presence in the woods, a supernatural fury simmering for decades. Luke must face down his fear of the uncanny – and admit his feelings for Stefan – if either of them is to survive.

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September 26, 2013September 18, 2013

Spotlight Feature Katie Reus’ Targeted & giveaway

Targeted

by Katie Reus

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Tone: Fast-paced, sexy, suspenseful

Elements/Tags: romantic suspense

Heat Level: Sensual, sexy

Publisher: NAL/Signet

Pub. Date: October 1, 2013

Format: print (mass market) and ebook

Words: 100,000

Hidden in plain sight…

Former Marine sniper and current NSA agent Jack Stone has a new face to go with his new identity. But he still has the same tortured memories—which include the woman he let get away years ago, when they were teenagers. Now his new assignment in Miami will put him so close to the woman he’s never been able to forget, he could reach out and touch her—if only she weren’t under suspicion.

When Sophie Moreno uncovers evidence linking the medical supply company she works for with arms smuggling—and worse—she doesn’t know who to turn to. After a shocking betrayal, she realizes the only person she can trust is a mysterious new person in the company—a man with hauntingly familiar eyes.

As Sophie questions her intense attraction to this man and Jack struggles not to blow his cover, the two of them must race against the clock to stop terrorists from killing scores of people—starting with them.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17707657-targeted?from_search=true

Excerpt:

Targeted: A Deadly Ops Novel
Releasing October 1, 2013

From the doorway of Sophie’s office, Jack watched her walk around her desk. Her slim-fitting skirt hugged her in all the right places. Even though she had on a jacket, her small breasts were outlined perfectly. Nothing about her outfit was overtly sexual, but simply watching her move around her office got him hotter than anything any other woman had ever done. She didn’t just move. The woman flowed with a grace that made staring at her an addiction. Something about the sleek tailored outfit made him wonder what she had on underneath. Plain cotton, or silk and lace? Or maybe nothing at all. When they were seventeen she’d usually worn Brazilian-style bottoms that showed the bottom half of her butt. Those things had driven him crazy, so of course she’d loved to walk around wearing only that when they’d been alone.

At that thought, his entire body tensed. When they were teenagers he’d wanted her so badly he couldn’t think straight most of the time, but this reaction was different. It was . . . more. Intense. Like thirteen years of pent-up need clawing its way to the surface and just begging to be set free. He’d known coming on this mission so soon after that last op was a mistake, but hadn’t been able to force himself to tell his boss no. Not when he’d been dying to see Sophie.

When she leaned over her desk to grab something, her dark hair cascaded over her shoulder and he couldn’t help remembering what it had been like to run his hands through that thick mass as she rode him. Or as he’d taken her from behind. Or as they’d simply held each other and watched the ocean waves. Memories of their short time together had kept him sane during some of his nastier missions. Her smart-ass attitude and sense of humor had kept him entertained back when there wasn’t much bright in his life. She’d been one of the few bright beacons in his world. He’d even categorized his life into “before Sophie” and “after Sophie.” Because after he’d met her, he’d known on a fundamental level that she was meant for him.

Watching her now felt too surreal. The outline of her jaw, the gentle curve of her neck, her dark, intoxicating eyes. Despite the sharp angles of her exotic cheekbones, everything else about her compact body was soft and inviting. Especially her hips. She had just enough curves for a man to hold on to. Well, not any man. Only him. He wanted to bury his face against her neck, between her breasts, and definitely between her legs. God, if she knew what he was thinking now, she’d run. Or maybe not. He’d seen a hint of awareness in her eyes back in Ronald’s office. It had been tempered with almost outright anger at his presence—which made him curious—but he was pretty sure she was attracted to him.

Meet Author Katie Reus:

Katie Reus is the USA Today bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, Moon Shifter series and Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it.

However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. To learn more about her please visit her website, blog, facebook or find her on twitter @katiereus.

Website/blog: http://www.katiereus.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/KatieReus

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/katiereusauthor

Giveaway Details:

One US resident commenter per the total number of stops (11) will win one print copy of TARGETED courtesy of the publisher.

One Grand Prize US resident commenter from the entire tour will win a full signed collection of the following books; Danger in Paradise, Protecting His Witness, Alpha Instinct, Primal Possession, Mating Instinct and Targeted.

Please find the Terms and Conditions on the Rafflecopter widget.

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Tour Stops:

http://events.litconnect.com/romantic-suspense-virtual-tour-targeted-by-katie-reus/

September 16, 2013September 3, 2013

Book Blast: Maple Crossing by Edwin G. Rice

Join Edwin G. Rice, author of the general fiction novel, Maple Crossing: The Three Families, as he tours the blogosphere September 9 – September 20 on his first Book Blast with Pump Up Your Book! Edwin will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form on the participating blogs below and good luck! If you would like to host Edwin, please email Tracee at tgleichner (at) gmail.com.

ABOUT MAPLE CROSSING: THE THREE FAMILIES

Over a span of several years the highly intelligent and accomplished member of three families, the McDonalds, the Gortdons and the Summerfields meet, and as their lives become interwoven they become closely bonded. The present volume, Maple Crossing, is the seventh in a series of books that portrays with flash-backs the lives, the trials and the accomplishments of the three families. Ultimately the story culminates in a grand triumphant gathering of all the bonded members of the three families.

Purchase your copy:

ABOUT EDWIN G. RICE

Edwin G. Rice is a retired physician. He seved as a doctor in the Air Force then entered private practice in a large clinic in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. His current interests are writing, painting, running and playing classic piano. He has published six books.

Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash!

Terms & Conditions:

By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate or Paypal Cash.
This giveaway begins September 9 – September 20.
Winners will be contacted via email on Saturday September 21, 2013.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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Monday, September 9

Mary’s Cup of Tea

Margay Leah Justice

Tuesday, September 10

Minding Spot

I’m Shelf-ish

Wednesday, September 11

Icefairy’s Treasure Chest

Book Marketing Buzz

Thursday, September 12

Authors and Readers Book Corner

The Dark Phantom

Friday, September 13

Bookingly Yours

Review From Here

Vic’s Media Room

Monday, September 16

Books-N-Kisses

Socrates Book Reviews

Tuesday, September 17

Queen of All She Reads

Beth’s Book Reviews

Wednesday, September 18

My Devotional Thoughts

Literal Exposure

Thursday, September 19

Maureen’s Musings

The Writer’s Life

Friday, September 20

The Phantom Paragrapher

Literarily Speaking

September 12, 2013September 6, 2013

Spotlight Feature of Free Fall by Tess Oliver

Freefall

by Tess Oliver

Amazon | B&NAfter leaving high school, with a hard won diploma and the title of most likely to break hearts, Alexander “Nix” Pierce has left his wild, out of control years mostly behind him. A small inheritance from his grandfather has given him the funds to open up his tattoo shop, Freefall, and he has started to pull his life together. Aside from trying to keep his best friend, Dray, from killing himself in the fight ring, and his slight obsession with a pin-up model he’s never met, Nix’s life is going smoothly . . . until Scotlyn James, the object of his obsession, walks into his shop.Ever since a tragic accident killed her family and left her alone in the world, Scotlyn James hasn’t spoken one word. Up until now she didn’t care that she had no way of talking to people. Her awful aunt would never have listened, and Lincoln Hammond the arrogant, selfish man who pulled her from the streets of Los Angeles wouldn’t hear her words if she could speak. But when Lincoln insists she get a tattoo to cover up a scar on her side, Scotlyn meets the artist, Nix Pierce. And now she longs for her voice. Now she has found someone who will hear her.(

A little about Tess:

Tess Oliver is a USA Today bestselling author of young adult, new adult and adult romances. She lives in southern California on a mini-suburban ranch with her husband, kids and a lot of adorable animals. She’s also a teacher with a Masters in curriculum and instruction. She loves any movie set in 19th century England, any book written by Jane Austen, any food containing chocolate and any song sung by Eddie Vedder.

Visit her at:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

Spotlight feature of Elisabeth Naughton’s Stolen Chances

Pre-order HERE

Nine years ago, Archaeologist Maren Hudson lost everything when a member of her team was killed during a routine dive. Now she’s been drawn back to Mexico and the career she walked away from in order to protect the most precious thing in the world: her daughter.

One desperate phone call brings salvage expert Thad Leighton back to Mexico. For his murdered brother, he’s ready to settle the score, but one look at Maren and everything changes. Years may have passed, but she’s still as mesmerizing as she once was, and a few days on site together have him questioning his priorities and why the hell he walked away from her so long ago.

Sparks between them reignite, but Thad knows Maren is holding something back. Thrust together in the middle of the sweltering Yucatan, Thad is more than willing to strip away her layers. But while the truth might offer the second chance he’s been searching for, forgiveness may be as elusive as the relic they’re both hunting. Because when Thad unearths Maren’s biggest secret and discovers who she’s really working for, suddenly it’s not just about a life that was stolen from both of them, it’s about staying alive and outwitting a madman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Author’s Bio
I was never one of those people who knew they wanted to be an author at the age of six. I didn’t have imaginary friends. I didn’t write stories in my journal or entertain my relatives by firelight after Thanksgiving dinner. For the most part, I was just a normal, everyday kid. I liked to read, but I wasn’t exceptional at it. And when my teachers complimented me on my writing abilities, I brushed them off. I did, however, always have a penchant for the unique and absurd. And as my mother told me all throughout my childhood, I should have been an actress—I was a drama queen before my time.

Years ago, my husband bought me Scarlett: The Sequel to Gone With The Wind. If you ever saw the book, you know it’s a long one. I sat and read that thing from cover to cover, and dreamed of one day being a writer. But I didn’t actually try my hand at writing until years later when I quit my teaching job to stay home with my kids. And my husband? After that week of reading where I neglected him and everything else until I finished Scarlett, he vowed never to buy me another book again. Little did he know I’d one day end up sitting at a keyboard all day drafting my own stories.

My writing journey has not been easy. I didn’t just sit down one day, decide I was going to write a book and voila! sell my very first attempt. As most authors will probably agree, the path to publication is filled with hours of work, pulling all-nighters I thought I’d given up in college, sacrifices, rejections, but a love I discovered along the way I just can’t live without. Instead of a big, thick book to read by lamplight (I do read much smaller ones when I get the chance), I’ve traded in my reading obsession for a laptop. And I’ve never been happier.

I’m one of the lucky ones. I have a wonderful family and fabulous husband who put up with my writing—and obsessive personality—even when life is chaotic. More than once my kids have been late to swimming or baseball because I needed just five more minutes to finish a scene. Their support and encouragement mean the world to me. I also have amazing friends and a support network I couldn’t survive without. So to all of you out there who have encouraged me along the way, sent me emails and fan letters, phone calls and congratulations, I just want to say, thank you. You make this whole writing gig that much more enjoyable. I truly wouldn’t be here without you.

Author Links:

Website/Blog: http://www.elisabethnaughton.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElisNaughton

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.naughton1

Eternal Guardians FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/EternalGuardians

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2002988.Elisabeth_Naughton