Monday, March 28, 2016

Arc Review: Fire Bound by Christine Feehan

Description

Now Available: Rushing the Goal by Toni Aleo

 
INTRODUCING
RUSHING THE GOALnow-available-01Introduced in Toni Aleo’s Bellevue Bullies Series, it’s the Sinclair brothers’ big sister’s turn to find love in the next installment of the New York Times and USA Today best-selling series, the Assassins.
  lucy-01
Lucy Sinclair was no stranger to pain.
She grew up with three younger brothers, met a bad boy, got pregnant by him, married him, and then suffered through a nasty divorce from him. Pain. That was pain. To top it off, she even had to go through the heartbreaking divorce of her parents. Through it all, she survived. All she cared about was making sure her daughter was happy and taken care of. Despite an ex-husband hell-bent on ruining her life, she fought to overcome. She’s gotten to the point that she’s okay with being just okay. She never cared about herself because she never had the time. It was Angie and only Angie she focused on, but that all changed when Benji Paxton offered to help her daughter on the ice.
  benji-01
Benji knew the moment he saw Lucy, he’d never be the same. Especially when she came with the bundle of crazy that was her daughter. His heart wasn’t ready for them. After years spent sobering up and finding who he was without the alcohol, he never forgot he was being punished for not appreciating the love he had when he was younger. Because of his past, he had gotten used to being alone, a recluse, but even he had to admit it was getting old. He was lonely. Hockey wasn’t enough anymore. He wanted a family; he wanted his true love, and Lucy and Angie were just that.
  lost souls 2-01  
Benji and Lucy were just two lost souls. Floating through life with no purpose. But finding each other gave them direction, a chance at a future.
rushing 1-01
 
Purchase Rushing The Goal
Just CLICK below!
 
AMAZON-01
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ITUNES-01
KOBO-01
SIGNED-01
 
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COVER PHOTOGRAPHY || SARA EIREW 
 
COVER DESIGN || REGINA WAMBA
 
EDITING || LISA A. HOLLETT
 
MARKETING ||  KELLIE GUNDERMAN
 
This book is for any single mom who wants to give up.
Just keep being a great mom. And take care of yourself.
Your prince is coming.
 

Six Degrees of Scandal Excerpt & Giveaway with Caroline Linden


Six Degrees of Scandal

Scandalous #4

By: Caroline Linden
Releasing March 29, 2016

Avon


Blurb

Olivia Townsend is in trouble and out of options. Pursued by a desperate man in search of a lost treasure, which she doesn’t have, she’s got only two things in her favor: her late husband’s diary, which she was never meant to see… and the man who was her first-and only-love. Losing him broke her heart, though she’s been careful to hide it for the last ten years. But when he comes to her aid and vows to stand by her this time, no matter what, she can’t help but hope things will be different this time.

James Weston has blamed himself for letting Olivia down when she needed him years ago, and he will not do it again. Fortunately, his unusual life has equipped him well to outsmart the villain chasing Olivia. Unfortunately, being so near her again threatens to expose every secret in his heart…even those that should stay hidden forever.



Buy Links Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo


Author Info

Caroline Linden was born a reader, not a writer. She earned a math degree from Harvard University and wrote computer software before turning to writing fiction. Ten years, twelve books, three Red Sox championships, and one dog later, she has never been happier with her decision. Her books have won the NEC Reader’s Choice Beanpot Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, and RWA’s RITA Award. Since she never won any prizes in math, she takes this as a sign that her decision was also a smart one. Visit her online at www.carolinelinden.com.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

  
Rafflecopter Giveaway (a Print Set of the Scandalous Series, books 1 – 3 (LOVE AND OTHER SCANDALS, IT TAKES A SCANDAL and LOVE IN THE TIME OF SCANDAL (US Only))


Excerpt 
James pulled off his boots, and then his stockings, and then—to Olivia’s shock—he climbed up and stood on the highest rock, letting the water foam over his feet and wet his breeches. “Don’t you want to climb up?”
She looked longingly at the rocks. The thought of water running over her feet and ankles was tempting, but not worth it. “I’d get wet, and my mother would be displeased.”
“Pity that. It’s great fun.”
Slowly she looked down at her shoes and stockings. Maybe if she held up her skirts, very high . . . But that would also be improper. “I’d better not.”
“Oh,” he said in disappointment. “You’re a coward.”
Olivia’s eyes widened. “How rude!”
He shrugged, kicking at the water and sending a spray over the grass. “I can tell you want to get up here but you won’t.”
“I’d get all wet . . .”
“So walk around until your feet and skirt dry. That’s what my sisters do.”
Olivia stole another look at the frothing stream. “Your sisters climb up there?”
“And they’re even younger than you. But if you’re too scared . . .” He started to climb down.
Her mouth firmed. She was not scared. “Those rocks are slippery. I don’t want to fall.”
He grinned as if he knew he’d won. “I’ll hold your hand.”
And he did. Olivia peeled off her stockings and slippers, folded up her skirts as high as she dared—all the way above her knees—and carefully stepped into the water. She gasped at the cold initially, but it was a hot day and soon the water felt blissful. James held her hand as promised and coaxed her to stand on the topmost rock at the edge of the waterfall. She balanced on the wide flat stone and a grin spread across her face. The water rushed over her toes and ankles and she thought she’d never done anything this daring in her whole life. “How did I never discover this?”
Still holding her hand, James laughed. “Good girls stay at home.”
“So I’m a bad girl for coming out here?”
“No,” he said. “A curious girl. I like that kind.”
That allayed Olivia’s moment of worry. Curious didn’t sound so terrible. She exchanged a tentative smile with James.
When their feet had gone numb, he helped her climb down and back onto the grass.
“Do you play dolls still?” he asked as he put his boots back on.
Olivia shook out her skirts, relieved to see that she had kept dry except for a small spot on one side. “Sometimes.”
“Good. Follow me.” He started off.
“Mr. Weston!”
He turned at her indignant cry. “Call me Jamie. James if you must. You might as well come meet my sisters, who drove me from the house today with begging me to play dolls. My mother said I had to entertain them but they don’t like the way I play dolls.” He made an aggrieved expression. “Why can’t a doll put on a fine dress and then have a sword fight with another doll? What else have dolls got to do all day?” He shrugged. “You probably know better how to do it the way they want.”
“But—I can’t—”
“Why not?”
“I can’t go into town without permission,” Olivia finally said. Privately she was curious to meet the Westons. Her parents didn’t view most of the local families as their equal, and Olivia and Daphne weren’t allowed much contact with other children. And even though she didn’t spend as much time with dolls as Daphne did, she wasn’t immune to wanting to see the Weston girls’ dolls, which were sure to be much finer than anything at Kellan Hall. But if Mother saw her, she’d be in such trouble.
He grinned as if sensing another victory. “We don’t live in town anymore. We took possession of Haverstock House this week, right over the hill.”
Her eyes popped open. Haverstock House was the finest house in the county, and lay between Kellan Hall and town. It belonged to the elderly Earl of Malke, who rarely visited since his wife’s death. Now the Westons owned it?
“I expect my mother will call on your mother soon, now we’re neighbors,” he went on. “Will she let you come visit then?”
Olivia doubted it. “Perhaps.”
Jamie Weston flashed his confident grin once more. “I’ll wager a copper penny she will.”

The Forbidden Duke Excerpt & Giveaway with Darcy Burke



The Forbidden Duke


By: Darcy Burke
Released March 15, 2016.

Self-Published


Blurb


Spinster Miss Eleanor Lockhart is suddenly homeless and employment is her only option. Ruined after succumbing to a scoundrel’s excessive charm nearly a decade ago, she’s lucky to obtain a position as a paid companion and committed to behaving with the utmost propriety. She definitely shouldn’t be in the arms of a man capable of utterly destroying what little remains of her reputation...
Titus St. John, Duke of Kendal, is known as the Forbidden Duke, a mysterious, intimidating figure who enters Society just once each year at his stepmother’s ball. A decade ago, he was a devil-may-care rake until his idle roguery brought about the ruin of Eleanor Lockhart—and his resulting self-imposed isolation. Now she’s back, and she needs his help. But by “saving” her, he may just ruin her life all over again.


Buy Links:   Amazon B & N | iTunes Kobo  


Author Info

Darcy Burke is the USA Today bestselling author of hot, action-packed historical and sexy, emotional contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily-ever-after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations.
A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids-who each seem to have inherited the writing gene in some form-and two Bengal cats. In her "spare" time Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say "no," but she keeps having to start over. Her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge.

Author LinksWebsite | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
 Rafflecopter Giveaway (Secrets and Scandals series six book bundle.  (U.S. Residents can choose print or ebook/INTL ebook only))



Excerpt 
“We need to take our place,” he said, guiding her to the dance floor, where Lord and Lady Satterfield were already in place at the top of the line that was forming. Kendal positioned Nora to stand beside Lady Satterfield so that they were second in the line. The musicians, set in the far corner of the makeshift ballroom, began to play, and panic seized Nora’s chest. Would she remember the steps? Would she make a fool of herself, or worse, of him? 
She felt like an imposter in a scenario she’d mistakenly stumbled into. Surely someone would point her out and tell her she needed to leave. She was a pariah, an outcast. She had no place being here, let alone dancing with a duke.
But it was far too late to run away. The dance had started, and the line traveled the length of the drawing room. This dance would last quite some time, during which Nora would be the center of everyone’s attention and the source of everyone’s gossip. She could hear the exchanges now, imagined them starting up and spreading like a freshly-ignited fire.
“Look at who he chose. Who is that Nobody?” 
“Don’t you remember? She ruined herself nine years ago.”
“How dreadful.”
Lord and Lady Satterfield started, dancing their way between the lines. They were rather spry, given their age.
Nora nervously looked over at the duke. “Lady Satterfield is an excellent dancer.”
“Indeed.” The rich tone of his voice soothed her rioting nerves. “She always insists on calling the first, though it’s the only set she’ll dance.”
Nora nodded. Dancing was typically reserved for the young.
She tried not to stare at her partner, but it was difficult as he was situated directly across from her and she should look at him. Look, yes, but not gape. And he was gape-worthy. His reputation suited him for he seemed forbidden, otherworldly almost. Not in an ethereal way, but in a rustic, rough sort of manner, as if Society couldn’t possibly contain him.
Despite that or perhaps because of it, he wore his costume with ease. However, she suspected he was more comfortable in riding breeches and boots as he galloped his horse across the Lake District—she’d ascertained that was where his seat was located—his powerful thighs hugging the animal’s flanks as they moved as one.
Goodness, where had that astonishing image come from?
And then it was their turn to traverse the line. She prayed she would remember the steps and focused on the music as they moved toward each other.
“You look as if you’re headed to the guillotine,” he said just loud enough for her alone to hear.
“Do I?” She tried to laugh but was afraid she sounded like a wounded bird. She longed to ask why he’d chosen her and immediately wondered if Lady Satterfield had put him up to it. She decided she didn’t want to know.
“It’s just a dance.”
The superbly absurd comment coaxed a genuine smile to her lips and alleviated some of her discomfort. “With the ‘Forbidden Duke’ who only dances once each Season. Yes, you’re quite right to characterize it that way. Thank you for putting me at ease.”
He chuckled, and like his speaking voice, it sparked a tremor that seemed to start in her bones and move outward making her flesh tingle and her chest warm. “Don’t be nervous. And certainly don’t be nervous on my account.” He said the last with a tone so dry, she feared it might curl up and blow away in the breeze.
“That is easy for you, a duke, to say. I am just a simple girl who’s been away from London a long time.”
“I daresay you aren’t ‘just’ anything.”

Arc Review: Rushing the Goal by Toni Aleo

Description

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Happy Easter!


Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter Sunday! May it be filled with love, laughs, happiness and lots of chocolate! 

Arc Review: Test Drive by Marie Harte


Description


Review:
A new series by Marie Harte? Yes please! This is a spin off series from the McCauley brothers and while we meet some new characters the previous ones make appearances throughout the story. In this series you don't have to read the other series to know what's going on. 

We meet Johnny who works at the garage with three other hot guys who you also meet in this story. They are all fun loving and give each other some shit when it's needed. Johnny is known for his reputation with women but there is one woman who he really wants to date and after 4 years of asking he is hoping someday soon she will say yes. 

Lara isn't just beautiful but she is working towards her future. She bartends while she is in nursing school so she really doesn't date but if she did it would definitely be with Johnny. Finally Johnny gets Lara to go on a date with him and sure enough the Sparks start flying. 

What I loved about this book was that Harte had the two main characters grow and not only with their relationship. Johnny and Lara both learn more about one another over time. At first I thought the story was a little slow but as I continued reading I realized that Harte was adding little details here and there about their romance. I liked it didn't happen overnight and Harte took her time focusing on the romance that was blooming. 

I thought this book was a great start to this brand new series. I loved the characters, the steamy scenes, and the story development. 

It's filled with excellent humor from the very first page and not a lot of drama. The main focus of the story was about their relationship which I really liked. Already I am in love with this series and I can't wait for more! 


Saturday, March 26, 2016

Spotlight: A Most Unusual Princess By Kelli A. Wilkins



Spotlight on… A Most Unusual Princess
By Kelli A. Wilkins

Hi everyone,

Today I’m sharing an inside look and spotlighting the making of my historical/fantasy romance, A Most Unusual Princess. This fun and sexy story is the first book in my “Royal Desires” trilogy. (The other two books are A Most Intriguing Temptation and A Most Unfortunate Prince.) 

Together, they make up an exciting series, but each story stands alone as a separate read. Why? Because when I wrote A Most Unusual Princess, I never knew I was writing a trilogy.

A Most Unusual Princess is a sensual novella about unruly and willful Princess Elara, and Dalton, the handsome (and incredibly patient) guard tasked with protecting her while she searches for a suitable husband. The book is a unique blend of comedy, human drama, and romance. It’s also the first romance I ever wrote – and it was a lot of fun. 

Although the fantasy genre wasn’t something I had written in before, I liked the idea of following a very headstrong and spoiled Princess Elara as she looked for a husband. From the outset, we learn that Elara is an opinionated young woman who is used to getting her own way. When Dalton innocently catches Elara doing something very unladylike, the Dalton-Elara love/hate/love relationship is born. 

I enjoyed writing Dalton and Elara’s story and fell in love with them. I never expected I’d visit these characters again, but not long after completing A Most Unusual Princess, I knew Dalton needed his own book, so I wrote a sequel. And later, Elara’s brother, Prince Allan showed up and I decided to tell his story, as well.

I’ve been asked how I plotted the series. Did I use note cards to keep track of each character description? Did I make an overall outline of the whole trilogy, and then write each book? 

Nope. The truth is… I just wrote the story that was in my head. I didn’t intend to write a trilogy – it kinda happened on its own. (With a lot of typing on my part, of course!) I wrote each book by itself, with its own setting, characters, plot, and theme, apart from the book that came before. So, although they make up a series, each book can stand alone as an individual read. 


Here’s the summary and an excerpt from A Most Unusual Princess:
A Most Unusual Princess
Princess Elara needs to find a royal husband, but claims that no man can satisfy her. Her father hires Dalton, a special guard, to watch over her while she’s courting suitors. Dalton finds her unusual behaviors charming—and enthralling. 
Dalton’s aloof manner intrigues Elara, and despite their differences, they share tender moments and intimate nighttime encounters. Elara is heartbroken when her father chooses a “proper” husband for her—until she meets the mystery man.
Bonus! This e-book includes a sneak peek at the second book in the “Royal Desires” series: A MOST INTRIGUING TEMPTATION.

The Excerpt:
Dalton walked past her and entered her bedchamber. She stood in the doorway while he searched the wardrobes and looked under the bed. After last night’s fright, she was taking no chances.
“There’s nothing… a-ha! What’s this?” He pulled a white silk stocking out from under the bed and waved it in the air.
“Put that down.” She raced into the room and lunged for the stocking. Dalton held it over his head. 
“Is this what a princess wears beneath her dress?”
“Give that to me.” She knocked him backward onto the bed and pounced on him.
“This would make a nice remembrance,” he said, keeping the stocking out of her reach.
“Beast!” She squirmed as they playfully struggled for the stocking. A moment later, Dalton turned his head and his lips brushed against hers.
She gasped. Dalton had stopped laughing and was staring up at her. She closed her eyes and felt his finger caress her cheek.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
The next thing she knew, Dalton’s mouth covered hers. The feel of his warm, moist lips sent a searing heat through her. After a few seconds of heaven, he pulled away.
“I should not have done that.”
She licked her lips. “I’m glad you did. It was nice.” Her heart hammered out of control, and her lower body throbbed. This was the feeling she was supposed to have when she met with her suitors. “Kiss me again.”
“With pleasure.”
Dalton curled his arms around her and pulled her down onto him. His mouth moved against hers, and fire flashed between her legs. She kissed him, tentatively at first, then with more passion as she was swept away by desire.
He slid his hands across her back and down to her buttocks. She moaned as he squeezed her through her dress. Was this what it felt like to have a man make love to her? Every night should be like this.
She ignored a faint rapping on the sitting room door. It was probably a lady-in-waiting coming to undress her for bed. She needed no help with her clothes tonight. Dalton was here, he could remove her dress and then…
“Elara?”
Dalton broke the kiss and bolted upright. “It’s your father!”

Order your copy of A Most Unusual Princess here:
A Most Intriguing Temptation, Book 2 in the Royal Desires series, is now available for pre-orderhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D8P8604?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660
Look for A Most Unfortunate Prince (Book 3 of the Royal Desires series) coming in April!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 95 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction books. Her romances span many genres and heat levels. 
In 2016 Kelli is re-releasing her romances previously published by Amber Quill Press. Visit her website and blog for a full title list, book summaries, and other information as it becomes available.
Her writing book, You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction is a fun and informative non-fiction guide based on her 15 years of experience as a writer. It’s filled with writing exercises and helpful tips all authors can use.
If you like to be scared, check out Kelli’s horror ebooksDead Til Dawn and Kropsy’s Curse.
Kelli posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthorShe also writes a weekly blog: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/.
Visit her website, www.KelliWilkins.com to learn more about all of her writings, read book excerpts, reviews, and more. Readers can sign up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb.

CATCH UP WITH KELLI
Here are a few links to find Kelli & her writings on the web
Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb