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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #9


Expected Release: August 26, 2014

The worst was supposed to be over. We were reunited after a decade apart. We were discovering the truth of our past. We were training and getting stronger every day. We were even happy...

We never imagined the Mogodorians could turn one of our own against us. We were fools for trusting Five. And now Eight is lost forever. I would do anything to bring him back, but that's impossible. Instead, I will do whatever it takes to destroy every last one of them.

I've spent my entire life hiding from them, and they've stolen everything away from me. But that stops now. We're going to take the battle to them. We have a new ally who knows their weaknesses. And I finally have the power to fight back.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.

Number Two in England.

Number Three in Kenya.

And Number Eight in Florida.

They killed them all.

I am Number Seven.

I will make them pay.
Amazon|Goodreads

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Teaser Tuesday #6: Bewitched in Oz by Laura J Burns

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading





Synopsis: When Zerie Greenapple's friend is arrested for using her magic, she knows she must do everything she can to protect her own magic...even if it means traversing the dangerous landscapes of Oz and encountering strange creatures along the way. Zerie and two friends set out to find Glinda the Good, in the hope that she can help them defeat the evil Princess Ozma. But what they experience on their journey might just tear them apart. Will magic be enough to save these three friends?


Teaser: Just because people are in the same family doesn't mean they behave the same way, or think the same things, or even tell each other what they're doing. Ozma wouldn't assume that the whole family was guilty just because one person was using magic. 
p. 199, Bewitched in Oz by Laura J Burns
Amazon|B&N|Goodreads

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.




Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Excerpt & Giveaway: Little Read by Trista Jaszczak

Little Red - Banner

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Little Red SERIES – Believe Series #1 AUTHOR – Trista Jaszczak GENRE – Semi Erotic/Paranormal/Fairy Tale Retellings RE-RELEASE DATE – June 13, 2014 LENGTH (Pages) - 266 PUBLISHER Wolf Paw Publications COVER ARTISTBookworm Productions

Little Red - Cover

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Samantha Wentworth has one mission in life; to get as far away as she possibly can from her troubled past.

When she finds herself on the Louisiana bayou she runs straight into the arms of a very sexy Big Bad Wolf that she just can’t seem to resist.

Will Samantha continue on her journey, or does the full moon have other plans in store for her?

Little Red - Teaser 2

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US – AMAZON KINDLE CA – AMAZON KINDLE UK – BARNES & NOBLES NOOK - KOBO – GOODREADS – SHELFARI

Character Bio - Ethan Parker   Character Bio - Samantha - Red - Wentworth

EXCERPT

18+ EXCERPT:

I stand up slowly and begin to fight what I’m about to do. I beg myself to sit down, look away, anything, but instead I trail up to her. She doesn’t flinch, doesn’t shudder; strangely, her eyes stay locked onto mine. I take the extra towel from her and draw her body to mine. I hear her left out a small gasp, and I can tell her heart rate has quickened. I bring a hand to her face, letting it trail from her cheek to her neck, all the way to the back of her head. I pull her in for a kiss. A proper one. That feeling I felt before returns as something inside me nearly loses control. My legs begin to feel weak as I realize that she’s kissing me back. It’s as soon as my tongue flickers over hers that I really feel I may lose it. I pull away for a moment and close my eyes. “This is how it’s supposed to be,” I mumble to her. I work to keep myself under control, I remind myself to keep a slower pace, not to rush. I catch a sudden wave of Red’s feelings…the want and need is there, and it makes it more difficult to control myself. I try to relax, remind myself to pace myself but when Red pushes her body into mine, I fully lose any control that I had. Her arms fly around my neck and I do nothing to stop her. Her lips find mine as her hands reach for my belt buckle. She wastes no time in unbuckling and unzipping my jeans. I reach for the last towel and yank it from her body as she pulls my tee shirt off and throws it across the room. She wraps her arms around me again and lets her lips find mine as I wrap my arms around her, lifting her in one swift movement. Her legs immediately cinch around my waist and I steady myself quickly as I push her against the nearest wall. She moans loudly and I feel her nails dig into my back briefly. I begin biting tenderly down her neck in a way that leaves tiny little marks but enough to make her groan with pleasure. I feel all self-control leave my body as I steady her against the wall and begin using my strength to lift her upwards as I move my mouth down her body. I feel her hands tug at my hair as I clamp my teeth down on one of her nipples. She releases another moan and I feel her breathing become choppy as I work my way down her core; kissing, biting, licking, and unable to control myself. I finally find myself in a squat position, I quickly adjust Red’s over my shoulders and I feel her shake. Everything in me wants to have her, every single piece of her right this minute. I need her. Not to just satisfy the raw animal craving that his built up inside me, but because I need every piece of the one thing that I ever wanted and needed so badly. I slow my kisses past her belly button and move to her inner thighs. I look up at her and her eyes catch my gaze. She’s breathing heavily, her legs begin to tremble more as I steady her against the wall as I drop to my knees to maintain my own balance. When my mouth finally latches to her, letting my tongue do the work for me, she releases a noise filled with such intense pleasure that there’s no going back. I need her even more now.

Little Red - Teaser 4
Little Red - Author Photo

AUTHOR BIO

Trista Jaszczak is the Amazon.com bestselling author of Loverboy and Little Red that hit #1 in Fairy Tales on Amazon.com on release day!

She is an Air Force spouse and mother to two mischievous and rambunctious little girls. She is creative by nature and not only writes, but is a photographer who braves the cold to chase the northern lights. She also plays guitar and sings, two things that have become a favorite past time of hers when she’s not behind the glowing screen of her computer. And, though she considers it just a hobby, loves to sketch and paint.

She is originally from Hamilton, Ohio but calls home where ever the Air Force sends her. She currently resided in Anchorage, Alaska where she finds endless inspiration in the pure Alaskan wilderness. Though the rain can seem endless in the fall, and the constant daylight is a burden in the summers, she considers it a privilege to live there.

When Trista isn’t writing, she loves to spend her time with her family in the vast Alaskan outdoors, plucking away at her old guitar, working out in the gym, or baby her two over-grown Labrador puppies. She loves the great outdoors, the moon, old movies, and music. She loves being creative, practicing her photography, and wildlife. If you need to get in touch with her, since her life is 10 ways of crazy right now, you can always Email her PA. pa@author-trista.com

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITEBLOG – FACEBOOK – TWITTER – GOOGLE+ PINTEREST – TUMBLR – NETWORKED BLOGS – BLOGLOVIN – GOODREADS SHELFARI – INSTAGRAM

Little Red - Giveaway Image

GIVEAWAY PRIZES

One Kindle Paperwhite

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Organized By: myfamilyheartbutton 

Little Red - Bookworm ProductionsLittle Red - Wolf Paw Publications Logo

Monday, July 14, 2014

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Simon by V.A. Dold

Title: Simon
Author: V.A. Dold
Series: Le Beau Series #2
Publication: June 30, 2014
Publisher: VA Dold
Genre: Romance
Audience: 18+

Synopsis: 
Four years of honorably serving his country has left Simon, Cade’s younger brother, damaged and trapped in wolf form. Little did he know the only person with the ability to heal him completelywould be found at home. Literally. Now that he’s found her, he is desperate to claim her.

 Rose is a beautiful, voluptuous woman with limited experience with men. Although she's confident, she still has reservations. Never having a family of her own,her fear of abandonment has her fleeing romantic relationships, and doubting herself.
 
Travis is insane. A deadly loose cannon that a secret organization hired to destroy the Le Beau family by denying them their mates. Permanently. Simon’s dream will be lost forever unless he is able to maintain human form.

Rose needs unconditional love and a mate to create the family she’s always wanted.

Travis’s all-consuming drive is to take Rose for himself.

Will Simon ever be whole again,able to claim his mate, giving Rose the love and family she so desperately craves? Or will Travis destroy them both?

*Complete novel. No cliffhanger. Dual POV. Rated 18+ for language and strong sexual content.*


Author Bio:

V.A.Dold is the bestselling author of the Le Beau Brothers series, New Orleans wolf shifter novels. A graduate of Saint Cloud University, she majored in marketing. Prior to becoming a full time writer, she was a publicist to the authors, owning Innovative Online Book Tours and ARC Author & Reader Con's (ARC NOLA) (ARC Phoenix). Still is. The companies mesh so well together, much like PB&J.

Her idea of absolute heaven is a day in the French Quarter filled with nothing but her computer, her coffee mug and the Brothers, of course.

A Minnesota native with her heart lost to Louisiana, she has a penchant for titillating tales featuring sexy men and strong women. When she's not writing, she's probably taking in a movie, reading or traveling.

Her earliest reading memories are from grade school. She had a major fixation with horses, and the Black Stallion was a favorite. Then junior high came along and teenage hormones kicked in. It became all about the Harlequin Romances. She has been hooked on romances ever since.
Giveaway: Check out the monthly giveaway here.

Book 1
Amazon
Goodreads
My Review


Friday, July 11, 2014

Bad Boy Redemption by Candy J. Starr

Title: Bad Boy Redemption 
Author: Candy J. Starr 
Series: Rock Star Bad Boy #3
Publication: July 7th 2014
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Amazon|Goodreads 
Synopsis:
Life is sweet for Hannah and Jack. Finally, they are together and Jack’s band, Storm, have been signed to a major label after completing a successful tour.

Then tragedy hits the band, sending Jack off the rails. Hannah wants him to make peace with the demons from his past but he refuses to face up to his issues. Meanwhile, Hannah has problems of her own when her father’s crimes are exposed, and are much worse than she’d ever expected.

Are they damned beyond repair or can their love redeem them?

Excerpt: 
The cheers going up, the whooping and screaming, ear-drum blasting noise, wasn’t for the headlining band. It wasn’t even for the second support. That lung-fuelled anarchy, rocking the room to the very foundations was for my band - Storm. The guys I managed. Every single person in that huge, sold out venue cried out for one more song, one more moment, a chance to wring out the last drops of magic as though clinging to a lover in the morning light.
This was what fame felt like: rapturous, loud and hungry.
The guys had just done the last song of their set, the reverberations still ringing from the cymbals on Spud’s drum kit, when the tour promoter gestured for them to stay on stage. When you’re the opening band, the first ones up on stage, normally you get to play to a bunch of bored faces of the diehard fans there to mark their territory for the headliners. Most people are still circling around the car park. No one cares about the opening act.
But, since this tour started a few short weeks ago, Storm’s star had blasted through the skies. Through word of mouth and careful promotion, their fame had risen, not in a nice steady curve but exponentially.
As the band travelled from town to town, the number of punters waiting when the doors opened increased and the proportion of bodies in the crowd wearing Storm tee-shirts grew larger. Those people sang along with the guys, knowing all the words and even called out their favourites. Of course, there were no hit songs to scream out because Storm hadn’t even released a song as yet, just a few demo CDs they’d sold at their concerts and some songs available online for download. Angie had told me that the downloads had been going nuts. Not viral, but as close to viral as you can get without actually being viral, is what she said.
And we were about to hit the next level. Right after this gig finished, well maybe after some time for partying and unwinding, they hit the studio to record their first album, the ink still wet on the contract they’d signed.
Back when I’d found out the only asset I’d had in this world was a crappy management company with a few has-beens and a surly, disagreeable rock band on their roster, I’d never dreamed we’d get this far. I’d wanted to get rid of that company as quickly as possible and get some fast cash.
With all the buzz from this tour, the deal I’d struck for the guys had more zeroes than they’d ever thought they’d see and a lot more creative freedom. Those labels who’d not even answered my calls once had wooed me like a superstar. Taking me to dinners and cocktail parties just to put their offers forward. One of them had booked out suites at a fancy hotel for the guys for this final leg of the tour. Another had sent a crate of booze. And one had sent a massive bouquet of flowers.
“Knob jockeys,” Spud had said. “Flowers. Phhht. You can’t eat them, you can’t snort them and you can’t screw them. Who the hell would want some sissy flowers?”
That was Spud for you, though I could see his point for once.
I leaned on a crate at the side of the stage wishing I had Angie beside me. She’d been with me since the start of this adventure. I’d probably had been living in the gutter if it wasn’t for her - pushing me in the right direction and taking over all the promotion. But Angie and her mates were busy filming this gig. Her first fully professional job she’d been offered, because the Monkey Bride team had been so impressed with her efforts with filming at the beginning of the tour.
Jack Colt swaggered off stage. Jack, he never walked, he always swaggered. He’d been a god on stage. His voice had sent shivers through my body the whole night and his hips had moved in a way that made me glow with the knowledge that I’d be the one in his bed tonight. I felt sorry for every other woman in the crowd because they’d just be imagining that it was Jack Colt humping them while I had the real thing.
His sweat-soaked tee-shirt clung to his body, defining every bump of his body and, boy, did that man have some nice bumps. His hair stuck to his face where he’d thrown water over his head to cool himself down and his bottom lip pouted. He locked eye contact with me and my heart pounded louder than the screams of the crowd.
“What are you doing?” yelled the tour promoter. “Get back out there.”
“Hold on a moment,” Jack Colt snapped.
He swept me into his arms, crushing my body against his. His mouth hit mine and my body writhed as emotions swirled through me, lifting me up to my toes. I savoured his bourbon soaked lips. He kissed me hard as though searching for something that would give him the energy to go back on stage. He must have found it because he pulled away as quickly as he’d started. He ripped off his shirt and sprung back on stage. The roar of the crowd intensified.
“I’m going to have to watch these guys,” said a voice in my ear. I turned to see Bastian, the leader singer of Monkey Bride, standing beside me. “They’re going to steal the final night right out from under me.”
Behind him, the members of the second support glared at the stage with a mixture of envy and hatred. This extra stage time meant their set would be cut short. They’d had their chance on this tour but they’d not been able to step up to the plate. The adoration they thought they’d receive washed right over them and settled on Storm. Sure, they could keep working at it but every band has a moment where they can either prove they have the chops to move to the next level or settle for playing to a small group of regulars until they get too old and too tired to keep trying.
I laughed as the band began their encore song. At that moment, it did seem like Storm had the world at their feet. They were headed for the top and they were indestructible.

Author Bio:
Candy J. Starr used to be a band manager until she realised that the band she managed was so lacking in charisma that they actually sucked the charisma out of any room they played. “Screw you,” she said, leaving them to wallow in obscurity – totally forgetting that they owed her big bucks for video equipment hire.

Candy has filmed and interviewed some big names in the rock business, and a lot of small ones. She’s seen the dirty little secrets that go on in the back rooms of band venues. She’s seen the ugly side of rock and the very pretty one.

But, of course, everything she writes is fiction.
 

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #8

Expected Release: July 22, 2014
Delancy Sullivan has always known there’s more to reality than what people see. Every time someone makes a choice, a new, parallel world branches off from the existing one. Eating breakfast or skipping it, turning left instead of right, sneaking out instead of staying in bed ~ all of these choices create an alternate universe in which an echo self takes the road not travelled and makes the opposite decision. As a Walker, someone who can navigate between these worlds, Del’s job is to keep all of the dimensions in harmony.

Normally, Del can hear the dissonant frequency that each world emits as clear as a bell. But when a training session in an off-key world goes horribly wrong, she is forbidden from Walking by the Council. But Del’s not big on following the rules and she secretly starts to investigate these other worlds. Something strange is connecting them and it’s not just her random encounters with echo versions of the guy she likes, Simon Lane.

But Del’s decisions have unimaginable consequences and, as she begins to fall for the Echo Simons in each world, she draws closer to a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide ~ a secret that threatens the fate of the entire multiverse.





"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Audio Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Narrator: Elizabeth Knowelden
Publisher: Harper Audio
Format: Unabridged Audio
Length: 10 hrs 17 mins
Publication: January 28, 2014
Source: Gift- Audio Book Sync
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy


Synopsis: 
Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.


My Thoughts: I love the retelling of classic fairy tales. Rosamund Hodge goes one step further by adding mythology to the mix. All of her live Nyx has been preparing to marry and destroy the enemy. She knows it will not be easy an easy task and the fate of her kingdom is determined my her success or failure. 

I was drawn in to the story from the very beginning. I realized very quickly that a simple bargain was at the center of everything. I just couldn't figure out what the bargain was and how it ended with a kingdom held hostage. Nyx's passion surprised me. As they say Love and hate the are two sides of the same coin. Ignifex and shadow were a puzzle to me. In hind sight they shouldn't have been. I tend to overlook what is staring me right in the face. Even though I found the ending confusing I was happy with how things ended. 

This is a singe voiced unabridged audio performed by Elizabeth Knowelden. She does an excellent job with variations in gender and with differentiating each character. Knowelden gives life to Nyx and her emotions. Pace is well maintained throughout the production. 


Teaser Tuesday #5: Blind Spot by Laura Ellen

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading




Synopsis: There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.

Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer.

This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else.

Teaser:
Missy and Fritz started telling Tricia's bizarre story at school on Monday. Like a lit cigarette dropped into dry grass, the rumor quickly spread and took on a life of its own. 
p299, Blind Spot by Laura Ellen
Amazon|B&N|Goodreads

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.




Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday #7

Expected Release: July 8, 2014

You take it for granted. Waking up. Going to school, talking to your friends. Watching a show on television or reading a book or going out to lunch.

You take for granted going to sleep at night, getting up the next day, and remembering everything that happened to you before you closed your eyes.

You live and you remember.

Me, I live and I forget.

But now—now I am remembering. 


For all of her seventeen years, Molly feels like she’s missed bits and pieces of her life. Now, she’s figuring out why. Now, she’s remembering her own secrets. And in doing so, Molly uncovers the separate life she seems to have led…and the love that she can’t let go.

The Half Life of Molly Pierce is a suspenseful, evocative psychological mystery about uncovering the secrets of our pasts, facing the unknowns of our futures, and accepting our whole selves.



Expected Release: July 1, 2014
Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Teaser Tuesday #4: Star wolf Kathryn Lasky

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading


A great cold has seized the Beyond. The warmth of summer, the smell of sweet grass and the great caribou migrations are distant memories. Now the wolves know only ice, dark, snow and endless cold. The order that kept the wolf clans strong for thousands of years has broken down completely.

The wolves have only one chance for survival. They must find their way to a new land, a land of warmth and summer. But the journey will take them over a frozen sea and through thousands of miles of perilous territory. Will the wolves trust young Faolan to lead them? 


Teaser: 

Rags had seen many awful thing sin his life in the Outermost, but for the first time, he was truly frightened. As he watched the mad wolf bellow at the moon, it was as if a trickle of light had seeped into his head and illuminated his brain. He will lead us to our death because of his vengeance. He is as blind as an old wolf with the milk-eye sickness, this one. As dumb a brute as a musk ox. 
p95, Star Wolf by Kathryn Lasky
Amazon|B&N|Goodreads

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.