December 17, 2014 by Tina Williams

COVER REVEAL ~ Second Debt (Indebted #3), by Pepper Winters (includes giveaway)

What an AMAZING series! Feast your eyes on the cover reveal for *Second Debt* book 3 in the Indebted series, an addictive dark read from Pepper Winters! You can also read the blurb for the other books in the series and check out the super giveaway. Enjoy! Tina ❤

Title: Second Debt (Indebted, #3)

Author: Pepper Winters

Genre: Dark Erotica

Release Date: Early 2015

Blurb

“I tried to play a game. I tried to wield deceit as perfectly as the Hawks. But when I thought I was winning, I wasn’t. Jethro isn’t what he seems—he’s the master of duplicity. However, I refuse to let him annihilate me further.”

Nila Weaver has grown from naïve seamstress to full-blown fighter. Every humdrum object is her arsenal, and sex…sex is her greatest weapon of all.

She’s paid the First Debt. She’ll probably pay more.

But she has no intention of letting the Hawks win.

Jethro Hawk has found more than a worthy adversary in Nila—he’s found the woman who could destroy him. There’s a fine line between hatred and love, and an even finer path between fear and respect.

The fate of his house rests on his shoulders, but no matter how much ice lives inside his heart, Nila flames too bright to be extinguished.

Indebted series

Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) Available Now: Amazon | iBooks

“I own you. I have the piece of paper to prove it. It’s undeniable and unbreakable. You belong to me until you’ve paid off your debts.”

Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Being the first born daughter, her life is forfeit to the first born son of the Hawks to pay for sins of ancestors past. The dark ages might have come and gone, but debts never leave. She has no choice in the matter.

She is no longer free.

Jethro Hawk receives Nila as an inheritance present on his twenty-ninth birthday. Her life is his until she’s paid off a debt that’s centuries old. He can do what he likes with her—nothing is out of bounds—she has to obey.

There are no rules. Only payments.

First Debt (Indebted #2) Available Now: Amazon | iBooks

“You say I’ll never own you. If I win—you willingly give me that right. You sign not only the debt agreement, but another—one that makes me your master until your last breath is taken. You do that, and I’ll give you this.”

Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Stolen, taken, and bound not by monsters but by an agreement written over six hundred years ago, she has no way out.

She belongs to Jethro as much as she denies it.

Jethro Hawk’s patience is running out. His inheritance gift tests, challenges, and surprises him—and not in good ways. He hasn’t leashed her but he thinks he might’ve found a way to bind her forever.

Debts are mounting. Payment waiting.

Pre Order on iTunes!

Second Debt (Indebted #3): http://bit.ly/1zXK8y4
Third Debt (Indebted #4): http://bit.ly/1vTF3I0
Fourth Debt (Indebted #5): http://bit.ly/1ySNH9p
Final Debt (Indebted #6): http://bit.ly/1yl7HPd

About the Author

Pepper Winters is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestseller. She wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Her Dark Erotica books include:

Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1) – http://amzn.to/1lROLYN

Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2) – http://amzn.to/1qB27Zh

Twisted Together (Monsters in the Dark #3) – http://amzn.to/1olkxsD

Debt Inheritance (Indebted Series) – http://amzn.to/1As8P4X

Her Grey Romance books include:

Destroyed – http://amzn.to/1w9f6Vr

If you would like to be the first to know of upcoming releases please fill in her newsletter (Pepper promises to never spam or chat aimlessly http://bit.ly/YrpOsO

Giveaway!

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December 17, 2014 by Caroline Barker

Spotlight with excerpt The Girl In Between by Laekan Zea Kemp

We welcome Laekan Zea Kemp to our blog with a great spotlight of The Girl In Between, a Young Adult paranormal romance novel and the first in it’s series. Released in September of this year, it is now perma-free (details below) and a book we are looking forward to reviewing in 2015!

Blurb: Bryn Reyes is a real life sleeping beauty. Afflicted with Klein-Levin Syndrome, she suffers episodes of prolonged sleep that steal weeks, and sometimes even months, from her life. But unlike most KLS patients, she doesn’t spend each episode in a catatonic state or wake up with no recollection of the time she’s missed. Instead, Bryn spends half her life in an alternate reality made up of her memories. For Bryn, the past is a place, until one day a boy she’s never met before washes up on the illusory beach of her dreams with no memory of who he is.

But the appearance of this strange boy isn’t the only thing that’s changed. Bryn’s symptoms are worsening, her body weakening as she’s plagued by hallucinations even while awake. Her only hope of finding a cure is to undergo experimental treatment created by a German specialist. But when Dr. Banz reveals that he knows more about her strange symptoms than he originally let on, Bryn learns that the boy in her head might actually be the key to understanding what’s happening to her, and worse, that if she doesn’t find out his identity before it’s too late, they both may not survive.

Author bio

Laekan is a writer and explorer extraordinaire who grew up in the flatlands of West Texas. She graduated from Texas Tech with a BA in Creative Writing and is the author of the multi-cultural New Adult novels The Things They Didn’t Bury, Orphans of Paradise, Breathing Ghosts, and the Young Adult novel The Girl In Between, which is the first in an upcoming paranormal romance series.

Website: http://laekanzeakemp.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaekanZeaKemp

Goodreads

EXCERPT

“Can I show you something?” she asked.

I wasn’t sure if I should follow her or even if I could but I didn’t want her to let go of me. I didn’t want her to disappear again and leave me there alone, still lost. So I nodded.

We swam to the end of the dock and she untied the small rowboat. She climbed in first, reaching for the oars and holding it steady as I sat down across from her. I watched the house recede. My eyes trailed back to the road, still waiting for someone to come down it. They didn’t.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Not far.”

I searched the horizon but it was empty. No land. No boats. It felt like we were headed straight for the skyline, about to fall off into nothing. The waves grew choppy and I wanted to take the oars from her but I didn’t know where we were going and for some reason I liked listening to the slow rhythm of her breathing as she fought the waves.

The boat finally grinded to a stop and when I looked over the edge the water was so clear I could see tiny creatures bedding in the sand, their thin shadows eclipsed by the girl as she climbed onto the sandbar.

“I went to the Bahamas once when I was thirteen,” she said. “The water was so blue. I strapped on a snorkel and spent the entire week just walking from sandbar to sandbar, face underwater watching the fish swim by.”

I followed her out of the boat and a school of bright yellow fish cut between us, scales glinting.

“This?” I said.

She smiled and walked around to the other side of the boat. The water was a dark grey, my legs tangled in a mess of rust colored seaweed. I could barely see my feet, their shadows disappearing beneath swirls of mud.

“This is the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston. I tagged along on one of my mom’s work trips. It was just a few weeks after Hurricane Ike.”

I stared at the muddled outline where the two oceans converged—one light, one dark. I waited for them to mix, for that invisible seam to break free but it didn’t.

We waded farther out into the clear water, another school of fish bumping against my calf, bright red coral twisting near my ankles. It was startling.

“I used to come here,” she said. “When I first got sick I would stand here and it wouldn’t feel like purgatory anymore. They’re memories.” She faced the beach. “My memories.” Then she looked at me. “I don’t know why you’re here or if you’re—”

“Real?” I asked.

She nodded and I wasn’t so sure anymore either.

“But you don’t have to be afraid,” she said. “It doesn’t have to feel like purgatory.”

I watched the sunlight reflecting off the ocean and dancing against her skin. Her eyes were lighter in the sun; green churning to a soft sea foam like the waves crashing near our feet. And standing there in that invisible seam between two oceans, two worlds, she was just as startling.

The tide swirled in her gaze and I watched it shimmer there, glinting from a soft grey to jade and then I said, “It doesn’t.”

Buy links:

The Girl In Between is now perma-free and is available on the following sites:-

December 16, 2014 by Tina Williams

RELEASE BLITZ ~ Christmas in the Cotswolds, by Jenny Kane

Super Seasonal Read

A seasonal easy read romance, Christmas in the Cotswolds is Jenny Kane’s festive sequel to Another Cup of Christmas. (It can also be read as a stand alone story.) (@JennyKaneAuthor)

Blurb

Izzie Spencer-Harris, owner of the Cotswold Art and Crafts Centre, is due to host the prestigious Cotswold Choir’s annual Christmas carol concert in her beautiful converted church. Or at least she was, until a storm smashed a hole right through the chancel roof.

Days from Christmas, Izzie suddenly finds herself up to her neck in DIY, with her last dodgy workman having walked off the job. She does the only thing she can … calls in her best friend Megan to help.

Leaving Peggy and Scott to run Pickwicks Café in her absence, Megan heads to the Cotswolds for Christmas. Within minutes of her arrival, she finds herself hunting down anyone willing to take on extra work so close to Christmas. It seems the only person available to help is Joseph Parker – a carpenter who, while admittedly gorgeous, seems to have ulterior motives for everything he does …

With Izzie’s bossy mother, Lady Spencer-Harris, causing her problems at every turn, an accident at work causing yet more delays, and the date for the concert drawing ever nearer, it’s going to take a lot more than Mrs Vickers’ powerful mulled wine to make sure everything is all right on the night …

Extract

Izzie closed her eyes and counted to ten as the door of the Cotswold Arts Centre slammed shut.

There was no point in panicking. She simply didn’t have time for such luxuries if her converted church was going to be ready to host a Christmas carol concert by the renowned Cotswold Choir in nine days’ time.

Bored of being propositioned by men who weren’t remotely interested in her until they discovered she was a daughter of the gentry, Izzie had ejected the carpenter through her front door before he’d quite had time to work out just how insulting her rejection of his latest lurid suggestion was.

Now, her hasty tongue having deprived her of a desperately needed pair of tradesman’s hands, Izzie sat with a heavy thump onto the nearest pew. She knew she had to find fresh help, and fast. A task that wouldn’t be easy so close to Christmas.

‘Although,’ Izzie addressed the image of Noah, who smiled benevolently at her from his stained-glass window, as if grateful he hadn’t been smashed to pieces by the tree branch that had come through the top of the chancel and caused so much seasonal inconvenience, ‘I’m damn sure I’m not asking my mother to help out ever again!’

Reaching for the offending package of invitations that had arrived by courier first thing that morning, Izzie emptied it onto the table. The invitations were supposed to have been posted by now. As soon as she’d seen them, Izzie understood why her mother had left them to the last minute.

Unfussy, cost-effective, and with a medieval Christmas flavour in keeping with the spirit of the converted fourteenth-century church where the concert was to be held. That’s what she’d asked for.

What she’d got was decadent Victorian-style gold-edged invitations which weighed so much, Izzie was sure that posting them alone would break the bank. And if that wasn’t bad enough, her mother had done the one thing that she had expressively forbidden. She’d put Izzie’s full name on the invitations.

Lady Perdita Spencer-Harris had been unable to comprehend why her daughter didn’t want to use the family name to help sales. She simply didn’t understand that Izzie wanted people to come to hear the choir for its own sake, or because they wanted to see what she’d done in her art centre; not because she was a young and single female member of the landed gentry.

Miss Isadora Spencer-Harris

cordially invites you to a magical festive evening at

The Cotswold Arts Centre, Chipping Swinton

to hear the renowned Cotswold Choir’s

Christmas Carol Concert

Saturday 21st December

7 p.m. for 7.30 p.m. start

£25 per ticket

Refreshments provided

RSVP by 18th December to Harris Park

Wrapping her stripy woollen scarf more tightly around her neck, Izzie breathed warm air over her cold fingers. Deciding it wasn’t cost effective to heat the church this late at night just for her, she gathered up the invitations, and with one last check that the polythene sheeting would keep the rest of her chancel roof in place overnight, Izzie headed home.

Izzie scooped up three Christmas cards from her doormat. A smile replaced her frown as she opened the first envelope to see a cartoon robin wishing her a Merry Christmas. Inside, beneath the seasonal greeting, her friend Megan had written Must meet up SOON! I’d love to see your new art centre.

‘Should I?’ Izzie was sure her dearest friend from college would help. Megan always helped. Izzie addressed the picture of the robin, ‘But won’t she be hugely busy at Pickwicks café this close to Christmas?’

Switching on her laptop, Izzie started to hunt for a replacement tradesman to help repair her church roof. Half an hour of searching later, and her quest was looking increasingly hopeless by the minute.

It was no good, if she wasn’t going to be forced to ask her parents to bail her out – which was an ‘over her dead body’ situation as far as Izzie was concerned – she needed alternative assistance. Izzie picked up her mobile before guilt at disturbing her friend’s life at Christmas overtook her.

‘Megan, thank goodness you’re there! How can I put this … help!’

Buy links

Amazon UK Amazon US

Bio

With a background in history and archaeology, Jenny Kane should really be sat in a dusty university library translating Medieval Latin criminal records, before writing research documents that hardly anyone would want to read. Instead, tucked away in the South West of England, Jenny Kane writes stories with one hand, while working for a Distance Learning Company with the other.

Jenny spends a large part of her time in the local coffee shops, where she creates her stories, including the novels Romancing Robin Hood (Accent Press, 2014), the best selling contemporary romance Another Cup of Coffee (Accent Press, 2013), and the novella length sequels Another Cup of Christmas (Accent Press, 2013) and Christmas in the Cotswolds, (Accent Press, 2014)

Jenny’s next full length novel, Abi’s House, will be published by Accent Press in 2015.

Jenny Kane is also the author of quirky children’s picture books There’s a Cow in the Flat (Hushpuppy, 2014) and Joe’s Letter (Coming soon from Hushpuppy)

Keep your eye on Jenny’s blog at www.jennykane.co.uk for more details.

Twitter – @JennyKaneAuthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/JennyKaneRomance

Jenny Kane also writes erotica as Kay Jaybee. (www.kayjaybee.me.uk)

December 15, 2014 by Tina Williams

RELEASE BLITZ ~ Noah and Me, by Beckie Stevenson (includes excerpt and giveaway)

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE:

SYNOPSIS:

“So you fix broken hearts, do you?” I ask. “Seems a little ironic.”

Noah Carter is one of the best cardiothoracic doctors in the country. He’s incredibly intelligent, funny, kind and he’s a beast in the bedroom. He has scars that drizzle down his chest and painful memories of an unforgettable night that plague his every waking hour.

Seven years ago, Noah stumbled upon me at the side of a grave and saved me in one of the most compassionate ways another human being can save another. I will always love him for that. Always.

He loved me in a way that no man has ever loved me since, and I gave him everything. I gave him it all until my secrets and lies tore us apart, forcing me to shatter his heart into a thousand little pieces.

Seven years ago he loved me, but now he hates me. And I hate that he hates me. Leaving Noah is my biggest regret in life – and I have a lot of things that I regret. A lot.

I’m Ariel Miller and this is the story of Noah and Me.

Goodreads

Amazon US Amazon CA Amazon UK Smashwords

EXCERPT:

“I need to shower,” he says.

I nod. “Me too.”

“Let me go first,” he says. “I know that’s not very gentlemanly of me, but I’m filthy and I don’t like being dirty.”

He really shouldn’t have a job as a gravedigger then. “Okay.”

He turns and walks out of the bedroom. I sit up, watching him go into the bathroom that’s directly opposite and notice that he hasn’t shut the door properly. I hear the shower switch on, and then without really thinking about what I’m doing, I creep towards the bathroom. I peep through the opening and see a modern-looking bathroom suite that looks kind of odd compared to the rest of the house, which creaks like an old lady’s hip. All that I can see is the mirror and sink, but the mirror shows me the rest of the room. And him.

He grabs the bottom of his black t-shirt and pulls it up to reveal a grid of muscles that are splattered across his stomach and chest. My eyes want to devour each and every single one of them but are stuck to his chest for a completely different reason. From the top of his right shoulder, a stream of scars starts. As they near his nipple, the stream becomes a river. Then, as it falls down his side, it turns into a waterfall. I wonder what could have happened. They look like burns and they look painful. I shake my head, trying to ignore the fact that I care if he’s been hurt. Why do I care? He’s a complete stranger that I’ve only just met. I don’t care. I’m just being curious.

I look back over his chest, ignoring the scars, and concentrate on his muscles. I’ve seen pictures of men looking like that, but I didn’t think normal guys were capable of getting so buff. He lets the t-shirt fall to the floor with a huff and then his hands undo the button of his jeans before he slides them down his muscular legs.

He looks like a swimmer. His broad, round shoulders spread outwards before morphing down into a narrow waist, complete with inner rib muscles. He must be good, I think. You don’t get muscles in those sorts of places naturally without doing a lot of sport. And you wouldn’t do that much sport if you weren’t good at it. Or maybe it’s all the twisting he must do when he’s digging holes in the ground.

He rubs his hands down his face as if he’s stressed and then pushes his boxers down his legs.

Oh.

My.

God.

AUTHOR BIO:

Beckie’s real name is Rebecca, but she get’s called (and answers to) any of the following…Beckie, Bek, Becca, Rebecca, Pip, Pippy or Stevo. Beckie is the author of ‘Sorrow Woods,’ the ‘Existing’ series and ‘Noah and Me.’ She is due to publish more YA and NA novels in 2015/16. She lives in Staffordshire, England, with her partner and two children. Beckie likes putting music on in the house and dancing around like a mad woman. When she isn’t playing with her children, doing housework, dancing around the house like a mad woman, walking, cycling reading or writing, then she can be found working in an investment bank. Or sleeping.

You can find Beckie here…

Twitter: @BeckieStevenson

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeckieStevensonAuthor

Instagram: BeckieStevo

Blog: http://beckiestevenson.blogspot.co.uk

RAFFLECOPTER:

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December 14, 2014 by Tina Williams

REVIEW ~ The Silent Governess, by Julie Klassen

Regency Historical Romance

Inspirational/Christian Read

Book Blurb

Believing herself guilty of a crime, Olivia Keene flees her home, eventually stumbling upon a grand estate where an elaborate celebration is in progress. But all is not as joyous as it seems. Lord Bradley has just learned a terrible secret, which, if exposed, will change his life forever. When he glimpses a figure on the grounds, he fears a spy or thief has overheard his devastating news. He is stunned to discover the intruder is a scrap of a woman with her throat badly injured. Fearing she will spread his secret, he gives the girl a post and confines her to his estate. As Olivia and Lord Bradley’s secrets catch up with them, will their hidden pasts ruin their hope of finding love?

A Beautiful Romantic Read

The Silent Governess is a beautiful sweet Regency romance, with Christian undertones by Julie Klassen. It is reminiscent of the novels of Victoria Holt in that is has a Gothic flavour.

It is expertly researched and has an ingenious and page turning plot, containing plenty of mystery and suspense pertaining to the hero and heroine including family secrets and threatening characters. I rooted for the heroine, Olivia, from the off. She is a strong and thoroughly likeable young woman who is fleeing a crime scene. Her actions greatly assist the emotional journey that the hero embarks on as he comes to terms with new found secrets from his own past.

The hero, Lord Bradley, is a handsome, honourable and competent young man, however, he is very much the product of his aristocratic upbringing and his actions towards the heroine are not always kind. He did grew on me a great deal as the story progresses and he comes to learn a great deal about what really matters in life.

The characterisations are excellent and the romance, central to the plot, evolves realistically, over time. Olivia is quickly attracted to her employer but Lord Bradley, although increasingly fascinated and drawn to her beauty inside and out, shies away from admitting his attraction to himself, due to the differences in their station. Yet he comes to realise that in reality there is not much that separates them after a series of unexpected plot twists. Their evolving romance is truly beautiful to behold.

The read expertly illustrates the social mores of the time, including the perceived gulf between the upper classes and those in service. It is especially instructive in painting a realistic picture of the lonely life of a governess. It also documents the rural society around the great houses and the ties between the church, village and the role the aristocracy played in managing their estates. I particularly loved how each chapter has a contemporaneous quote from the era reflecting the times.

This is the first book that I have read by Julie Klassen and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Silent Governess transported me to the Regency era and swept me away into the emotions of the characters. I recommend it to romance lovers who like a sweet romantic read.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Buy Links

Amazon UK Amazon US

Connect with the Author

Author’s Blog Facebook

Goodreads

December 14, 2014 by Tina Williams

BOOK BLITZ ~ City Nights: One Night in Edinburgh, by Charlotte Howard

18+/Erotic Read

City Nights: One Night in Edinburgh by Charlotte Howard (@Shy_Tiger)

Blurb:

Chloe Shard has travelled to Edinburgh to meet up with a potential client, and has just twenty-four hours to convince them to sign her contract. But when she meets the delicious Ethan, he proves to be so much more than an enticing distraction. It’s not long before Chloe has some life changing decisions to make, and less than a day to make them in.

Buy Links:

Tirgearr Publishing Amazon UK Amazon US Smashwords

Excerpt:

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut as the plane’s wheels bumped along the tarmac, and her stomach lurched into her chest as the brakes were applied. Her ears flooded with the sound of her own heart beating louder than the squealing and screeching of the landing gear. Pressure built in her cheeks as she clenched her teeth together. The worst hour in her life was almost over.

“Welcome to Edinburgh,” said the captain over the speaker system. “We hope you had a pleasant journey and enjoyed the flight. Please remain seated with your seat belts fastened until the light is turned off.”

A chuckle emanated from nearby. Chloe opened one eye and peered at the man in the seat across the aisle from her. “You can breathe again,” he said in an American accent, flashing her a grin.

“I think I’ll wait until my feet are actually on the ground if it’s all the same to you,” she replied, leaning back into the headrest.

A loud ping was followed by a Mexican wave of clicking as the passengers released their seat belts and fought to get their bags and rush off the plane. Chloe undid her own belt then hurriedly squished herself into the seat as an oversized belly, violently stretching at a pale green shirt, began its invasion of her breathing space. Her shoulder was nudged as the impatient woman beside her stood up, hunching under the overhead compartment. She waited for the plane to empty. The impatient woman started huffing and tutting. Chloe looked up apologetically, but was met with a hardened glare.

“Here,” said the man from opposite. She turned her gaze towards him and was grateful to see him holding back a herd of cattle desperate to depart. She drank him in for a second. He was broad enough to act as a barrier between her and the crowd. A very attractive barrier. From the way his T-shirt stretched over his biceps, she could tell that his width was certainly not due to being overweight. Ink spiralled around his skin from beneath the short sleeve, tracing down to his elbow.

“Thank you.” She stepped into the aisle. Immediately, the woman from beside her shoved herself through the gap, knocking Chloe into the man’s chest with an oof!

“I’m so sorry!” she said, stepping back and turning to the overhead compartments, feeling her cheeks heat. Her fingers tingled with the memory of his muscular chest beneath them.

Author Bio:

British author Charlotte Howard, was born in Oman and spent much of the first part of her life flitting between Oman, Scotland, and England. Now settled in Somerset, Charlotte lives with her husband, two children, and growing menagerie of pets.

Her career as a writer began at an early age, with a poem being featured in an anthology for the East Midlands. Since then Charlotte has written many short stories and poems, and finally wrote her first full-length piece of fiction in 2010.

During what little spare time she has, Charlotte enjoys reading and writing (of course), spending time with her family, and watching action movies whilst eating curry and drinking tea.

Charlotte is an active member of Yeovil Creative Writers.

Social Media / Website links:

http://www.charlottehowardauthor.co.uk

http://choward2614.wordpress.com

http://facebook.com/charlottehowardauthor

http://twitter.com/Shy_Tiger

Instagram: Choward_author

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/choward2614

December 13, 2014 by Tina Williams

BOOK BLITZ for Shannon (Angelis Vampire Series #1), by Shane North (includes Author Interview)

Introducing an Exciting New Paranormal Romance Series!

Today we are honoured to welcome author Shane North to our blog. Shane has recently released his first novel, Shannon, book 1 in the Angelis Vampire Series, a paranormal romance. Scroll down to read the book blurb and an extract for what promises to be a magical and fast paced read with a heroine who finds romance in pursuit of her destiny.

Shane has also very kindly taken some time out from his busy schedule to tell us a little about himself and his work and share some of his experiences of being a writer. The transcript from this interview follows the book blurb and extract. I hope that you enjoy reading Shane’s thoughts as much as I did. Tina 🙂

*****************************

Amazon US Amazon UK

Book Blurb

Shannon’s life is happy except for her nightmares, but when she watches her mom and dad being murdered by the monsters in her dreams, her life falls apart. Her best friend turns out to be a werewolf, the man she thinks of as her other father is the alpha male, and her long lost uncle is a vampire lord from Angelis. Angelis is in another time dimension, a world ruled by Royals, a pureblooded line of vampires with powers never seen in this time dimension. Angelis is a medieval world of castles, and ancient magic that her mother and uncle were forced to leave to save their lives. Shannon’s journey leads her to follow her destiny and meet the love of her life. Destiny and her uncle lead her to find out what she really is, where she came from, and to become the strongest immortal to live. Shannon learns to kill quickly, and to love like there’s no tomorrow when she meets her mate from her dreams. Simon, an eight-hundred year old Viking has searched the world for his true love when he meets Shannon. What will Shannon’s uncle, Simon’s maker, have to say about this? A young woman from South beach, destined to overthrow the vampire council and rule the immortal race with the help of the ancient Shaman Neeb.

Extract

The best part of my life was when I dreamed of my Simon. Simon was a figment of my imagination. He was my sidekick, my lover, and fought beside me to help me defeat my demons. In my dream tonight, I saw his handsome face and my eyes opened wide. I loved Simon, I’m not sure how or why. He was my life in this strange world of immortals I dreamed about almost every night. I was wearing a white flowing gown. Simon, in his black leathers, looked sexy. “Simon, there you are, finally.” He pulled me close… his scent was fresh as an ocean breeze… his kiss melting my pain away. My red lips were moist from his kiss. I licked them slowly, to taste his essence “Shannon, you are so beautiful. I want you!” Simon slid his hand inside my gown; a small moan slipped from my lips.

Author Interview

1. Hi Shane. Thank you for being with us today. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks Tina.

I have always wanted to write. I waited until I was retired to start my first book. I’ve been with my life mate and my best friend for over thirty years. We met in college and became best friends. We have four children and eight grandchildren. The grandkids are amazing and they go home when we are done spoiling them. I love the night and paranormal has always been one of my passions. I love to hear that bump in the night.

2. Please tell us about Shannon, your new release and what inspired you to write it?

Shannon is about a young South Beach girl who has a very happy life, except for her nightmares. She dreams of a violent war with vampires and werewolves. In her dreams she is leading the attack! Her constant companion in these dreams is a handsome man who she falls in love with. Her happy life ends when her step parents are brutally murdered and she finds out what she truly is. Her best friend Caitlyn and her father Keegan are werewolves. Her uncle, Damon, which she had never met is the vampire lord of Europe. And as for the man in her dreams, his name is Simon, Damon’s second in command. Her saving grace in the this immortal world is that during the time she worked for Navy Intel, she became very good at killing. My inspiration for Shannon was my oldest granddaughter and our talks while she grew up. The highs and lows of becoming eighteen, her feelings of confusion, and her determination to get it right.

3. Why do you think that you chose the paranormal romance genre in which to make your writing debut?

My love of paranormal and I love a good love story made the choice easy. I love happy endings and the fight to have them. The beauty of the paranormal world was perfect and the possibilities are endless.

4. How much research did you have to carry out for this book? What sort of research did you carry out prior to and during the writing?

I did very little research for this book. My locations, addresses, and such needed to be correct. As for the writing, I closed my eyes and became my story. I hope I did it well. This first part of Shannon’s journey was important. She had to grow as her story unfolds.

5. What is your writing process like? To what extent do you plan and how much do you just let the words flow?

Interesting question Tina. My process is mass chaos. I have so many thoughts racing through my head at one time. I have two more of Shannon’s books that I’m writing at the same time. My actual writing process is listening to music, eyes closed, and I try to visualize the scene and feel those involved. I hope it comes out with feelings and not just words.

6. What about the personalities of your characters – are they always fixed in your head before you start writing or do they develop a will of their own?

I like my characters to grow and develop with the story. I try to imagine my characters before I introduce them, but for me, they like to surprise me as the story unfolds.

7. What is the best thing about being an author? What do you find the most challenging?

The best thing is being able to write from any location. Home is great, but drifting along on Lake Erie on a sunny day isn’t bad either. For me, the most challenging part of this whole process was trying to learn everything that was needed to make this happen. My friend, Ally Thomas, worked very hard to make the process as easy as possible.

8. What type of books do you like to read? Have you any favorite authors?

My favorite books are paranormal romance. No one loves the way an immortal does. That being said, I read everything. I love the imagination that happens to someone when they write. I never give bad reviews to anyone, I don’t believe in it. That’s something that is too subjective to be honest about. Why destroy someones book because you had a bad day?

9. Can you tell us about what you are working on at the moment?

I’m working on Shannon’s next two books. Shannon has some growing up to do and she needs to get her revenge. I hear that Damon thinks she’ll be queen of the immortal race?

10. Have you any advice to give to aspiring authors?

Don’t wait as long as I did. If you feel it, close your eyes and write it down. Fulfill your dream and write. There are any places to get help.

11. And finally, have you a message for readers?

My message would be to love harder, find peace in your life, and never give up on your dreams because anything is possible if you believe.

Shane, many thanks for answering these questions for us. We wish you best of luck with Shannon, which I am looking forward to reading and reviewing very soon. Tina 🙂

Connect with Shane

Goodreads Amazon Author Page

December 11, 2014 by Tina Williams

COVER REVEAL ~ Ruin and Rule (Pure Corruption MC #1), by Pepper Winters

We are delighted to be able to share the cover for Pepper Winters’ *Ruin and Rule* the first book in the Pure Corruption MC series, to be published by Grand Central next July. Feast your eyes on the cover and check out the blurb, teaser and pre-order links.

Tina and Caroline 🙂

RUIN AND RULE (Pure Corruption MC, #1)

Release Date: July 28, 2015

Publisher: Grand Central

Blurb

We met in a nightmare.

The in-between world where time had no power over rhyme, reason, or connection. We met. We stared. We knew.

There was no distortion from the outside world. No right or wrong. No confusion or battles from hearts and minds.

Just us. In our silent dream-world.

That nightmare became our home. Planting ghosts, raising fantasies. Entwined together in our happily skewed reality.

We fell in love. We fell hard.

In those fleeting seconds of our nightmare, we lived an eternity.

But then we woke up.

And it was over.

About the Author

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Her Dark Erotica books include:

Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1) – http://amzn.to/1lROLYN

Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2) – http://amzn.to/1qB27Zh

Twisted Together (Monsters in the Dark #3) – http://amzn.to/1olkxsD

Debt Inheritance (Indebted Series) – http://amzn.to/1As8P4X

Her Grey Romance books include:

Destroyed – http://amzn.to/1w9f6Vr

If you would like to be the first to know of upcoming releases please fill in her newsletter (Pepper promises to never spam or chat aimlessly http://bit.ly/YrpOsO

December 11, 2014 by Caroline Barker

Review with Extract & Author Bio A Way From Heart to Heart by Helena Fairfax

A Reader’s Review Blog is absolutely thrilled to share with you the latest release from author and blogger, Helena Fairfax, A Way From Heart to Heart. A keen reader and writer of romance, Helena has brought another deep and meaningful contemporary romance to her audience, following her previous stand alone novels, The Silk Romance and The Antique Love.

Blurb: After the death of her husband in Afghanistan, Kate Hemingway’s world collapses around her. Kate’s free time is spent with a charity for teenage girls, helping them mend their broken lives – which is ironic, since her own life is fractured beyond repair.

Reserved, ex-public school journalist Paul Farrell is everything Kate and her teenage charges aren’t. But when Paul agrees to help Kate with her charity, he makes a stunning revelation that changes everything.

But can Kate take a risk with her son’s happiness as well as her own?

REVIEW

A Way From Heart to Heart is a lovely, emotive and heart-warming contemporary romance story that draws in the audience and takes hold from the very beginning. Kate’s character is developed so well that the reader feels her sadness and loss at the death of her husband, Stuart, and later we learn of her worries and fears for her future – for her son, George. Although these feelings are negative, Kate is actually quite a strong woman as the reader will find out. I was drawn to Kate and wished I could have read this in one sitting as I certainly didn’t want to put this book down!

The story begins where Kate first discovers that her husband has died. This creates a great sense of loss with Kate, his best friend, Paul, and the reader. It is a very poignant beginning to a thoughtful and meaningful story. As Kate learns of her husband’s fate, Paul comforts her as they share their grief. Although extremely tragic, it is a beautiful and intimate scene where these two characters share the same feeling, at the same moment in time.

But, despite being briefly affectionate in this instance, Paul always appears cold and distant towards her. He picks his godson, George, up once a month to spend a day with him and yet every time he arrives at Kate’s house he stands on the doorway, never enters, and speaks as little as possible. This doesn’t warm Kate to him at all, in fact the opposite. Is he just looking out for George, or is he there for Kate too?

Paul is quite a reserved man. He begins to realise how he must seem to Kate, but how can he express his true feelings. For Paul, it was an instant attraction to Kate when Stuart had introduced them a few years ago. Paul is in a battle with himself it seems as he doesn’t quite know how to handle his situation. He, therefore, keeps to his once a month visits to pick George up for a day out. But things are about to change.

Aside from her modelling work, Kate spends most of her time working with a charity, At Home, who offer their help and support to teenage girls who have fallen on hard times. It is something that Kate feels very strongly about as she can empathise with the girls and is now in a position to help them. She realises that Paul’s journalism may come in useful in creating an awareness of the charity and it’s cause.

The teenage girls who are being supported by At Home have many problems collectively, including homelessness – which Kate herself experienced. The reader becomes well acquainted with some of these girls and their situation, and Helena Fairfax has written these scenes with much thought and respect. Although very delicately written, the girls’ circumstances are dark. Certainly in Kate’s case some people have been judgemental of her history. She was not accepted by Stuart’s parents, and the press have also found their way of belittling her. Has Paul ever felt this way about her?

The world of media has a huge impact on Kate’s life. When Paul writes about his experiences of At Home and Kate he writes from within, based on what he knows of Kate and how he feels for her. A rival journalist uses her model status and writes a very negative story, allowing her past to creep up on her.

As the story opens up more and more, Kate begins to see a different side of Paul and there are some great scenes between the two of them. Although Kate begins to feel more strongly about her attraction to him, she is not ready to go head on and have a relationship with him. After all, she experienced love with her parents and then lost, and again with Stuart. She fears love and loss again, and she certainly doesn’t want to open George up to that possibility.

There are moments when she wishes for Paul to return to his reserved self and become distant again, and other times when she wants his friendship, and sometimes more. Paul accommodates her feelings exceptionally well, although there are times for him when he just longs to be with her.

Helena Fairfax really builds these characters up and fills them out with both positives and flaws, making the characters believable with very real dilemmas. Fans of contemporary romance will love A Way From Heart to Heart, especially the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ aspect, as Helena keeps the reader guessing until the very end!

A Way From Heart to Heart was provided by the author in return for an honest and fair review.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

Excerpt

‘You know none of this was your fault, don’t you?’ he said.

Kate didn’t answer. A large, fat, stupid tear rolled slowly down her cheek and dripped onto his fingers.

‘Katerina, listen to me. You were a child. Nothing that happened was your fault.’ He shook her face, his touch warm and gentle.

Kate leaned a little into his hand. ‘I try to think like that,’ she said. ‘But it’s hard. Sometimes you just can’t help feeling if you’d only been a bit different, if you’d just been a different person, people wouldn’t have just left you.’

Her voice quivered.

Paul tightened his grip. ‘The people who left you were the ones who lost out.’

Kate said nothing, and he dropped his hand.

‘Do you know what this calls for?’ he asked solemnly.

She shook her head.

‘This calls for a massive bowl of chocolate and almond pudding, hot chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.’ He stood, removing their plates. Kate rose to help him, but he waved her away. ‘Stay where you are,’ he said. ‘Help yourself to more wine while I’m in the kitchen.’

He moved past her, and Kate cast a glance at her half full glass on the table. She’d barely drunk a drop. And the bottle was still nearly full, which meant Paul had drunk even less. His mind must be razor clear. And he certainly knew how to get people to talk. All the time he’d been pretending to concentrate on his meal, he must have been listening to her intently. Her eyes fell on Paul’s notepad, which was full of some scribble. How had she not noticed him writing? She twisted her head to make sure he was out of the room. Then she reached a hand out swiftly over the table and picked up the pad. It appeared to be full of some form of shorthand, interspersed with question marks. She replaced it on the table, disappointed.

Trust me, Paul had said. Funnily enough, this evening he’d made her acknowledge what she’d always known deep down. Whatever he might think of her, Paul was a man she could rely on totally.

When he returned, he was carrying two enormous bowls of chocolate and cream. He placed one of them in front of her, leaning over to move her glass as he did so. He had rolled up his shirt sleeves and his bare arm grazed hers briefly. He smelled deliciously of almonds and chocolate.

‘Did you make this?’ Her eyes were wide as she gazed into her bowl.

‘Yes.’ He gave her a grin. ‘I took it out of the packaging and switched the microwave on, all by myself.’

Kate grinned back. She realised Paul was now also completely relaxed. The arrival of dessert seemed to signal some sort of finish to his interview. The intensity had left him, and when he sat at the table he leaned back a little, holding his bowl in one hand and looking at her with his attractive smile. ‘I’ve never known anyone enjoy a dessert as much as you do, apart from maybe George.’

‘Oh, George loves his pudding!’ Kate laughed and licked her spoon. ‘Actually, I do have to watch what I eat a little, for my job. I can’t eat the amount of dessert I’d like every day, but when I go out I make up for it, and enjoy it as much as I can.’

‘How much dessert do you think you could eat, if you allowed yourself?’ he asked, tucking in to his own bowl.

‘I’d eat it for breakfast, dinner, and tea.’ Kate suddenly remembered something, and broke into a chuckle. ‘For Christmas dinner, George and I have a chocolate starter, followed by turkey dinner, followed by chocolate pudding. It’s heavenly.’

She gave a satisfied sigh and filled her spoon. Then greed got the better of her. As she was lifting the loaded spoon to her mouth, a small dollop of cream fell off the edge and dropped. ‘Oh.’ She slid her finger into the neckline of her dress and scooped up the cold cream from where it had fallen on the top of her breast. She lifted her creamy finger to her lips and raised her head, to find Paul had gone totally still. His gaze was fixed on her mouth.

It was many years since Kate had thought of her body as desirable. Ever since Stuart had died, she’d thought of it as merely a tool of her profession. Her torso was moved this way and that under the camera by people who had no interest in her as a real woman. Clothes were put on and removed from her with clinical dispassion; make-up and hair were styled by people who talked over her head. Her body was an object, advertising clothes for other women to admire.

The intensity in Paul’s expression caused a jolt of awareness of herself. A delicious heat spread throughout her body. Paul’s eyes were fixed on her, dark and intense, and her skin flamed and burned under their scrutiny. He lifted his gaze from her mouth, and the throbbing hum of her pulse sounded in her ears. There was complete silence in the room, apart from their breathing. Then Kate’s fingers relaxed their hold, and her spoon dropped from her hand with a clatter, bouncing from the table to the floor.

‘Oh,’ she cried again, standing quickly.

Paul stood as swiftly, pushing his chair back. ‘Leave it,’ he commanded. ‘I’ll fetch another.’

He took a step towards her, and she drew back. She remembered kicking off her boots under the table, lulled into relaxing by the dessert and Paul’s good-humoured conversation. Now she stood in her stockinged feet, feeling exposed, forced to tilt her head slightly to look at him. The heat had vanished from his expression, as though she’d imagined it. He was looking down at her gravely.

With a rising feeling of unease – the same unease she’d felt the day she first met him, that time beside Stuart’s pond – Kate finally understood that Paul wasn’t the stuffed shirt she’d always dismissed. The Paul Farrell she had just glimpsed was an unknown force.

Amazon Buy Link: http://authl.it/B00PQRJ0WQ

(Available from other distributors from February 2015)

Author Bio

Helena Fairfax writes engaging contemporary romances with sympathetic heroines and heroes she’s secretly in love with. Happy endings are her favourite, and when one of her novels won a reader competition for “The Most Romantic Love Scene Ever” it made her day.
Helena was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She’s grown used to the cold now, and these days she lives in an old Victorian mill town in Yorkshire. After many years working in factories and dark, satanic mills, Helena has turned to writing full-time. She walks the Yorkshire moors every day with her rescue dog, finding this romantic landscape the perfect place to dream up her heroes and her happy endings.

Social links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenaFairfax

Twitter: @helenafairfax

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/helenafairfax/

Blog: www.helenafairfax.com

December 10, 2014 by Tina Williams

COVER REVEAL ~ One Penny (Marked Heart #3), by M. Sembera (Includes Excerpt)

Contemporary Romance

We are delighted to feature the Cover Reveal for M. Sembera’s forthcoming release *One Penny* the third book in the Marked Heart Series. Check out the blurb for this contemporary romance and read an excerpt. ❤

Foolish is the heart that leaves itself open to falling in love. Reckless is the person who steps away from tradition to claim a life of their own. Irreplaceable is the moment one takes the risk.

One Penny (Marked Heart #3)

Contemporary Romance

M. Sembera

January 22, 2015

Penny Caffrey seems to make all the wrong choices in life. From the men she dates to her career path; most of what she does is either hidden from or frowned upon by her large Irish family.

Seth Chevalier has been labeled a disappointment by his entire family. He has a good job at a large accounting firm that he devotes the majority of his time to. His is used to and comfortable living a solitary life.

When her latest boyfriend, the drummer for a local band dumps her Penny takes a step back to do some self-evaluation and decides to lay off of dating for a while.

Even with an overbearing father, Seth is determined to be his own man and moves into an upscale apartment complex in an effort to prove he is successful.

Seth’s solitary life is thrown completely off track when he moves in next door to Penny and she decides they are going to be friends, whether he likes it or not.

Excerpt:

Penny opened the door to find a tall, handsome, brown haired man with a startled look on his face. As she looked him over there was something familiar about him. Then, she realized, she knew him.

“Seth?”

“No,” he uttered shaking his head before rambling, “I mean yes… Never mind…Sorry,” and then turned away.

Watching as he bumped into the railing on his way down the stairs, Penny waited to shut the door until she saw him sprinting across the parking lot. It seemed like he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.

“Who was at the door?”

With a confused expression, Penny replied, “A guy I went to high school with.”

Shaking her head, Charlotte laughed, “They really do start lining up at your door don’t they.”

Penny couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.

“So what did he want?”

“No idea, he just said never mind and then ran away.”