Tag Archives: Psychological

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*BOOK TOUR & REVIEW* – Am I Loved? The Most Asked Question Of All Time by John D. Bieber.

#nonfiction #philosophical #psychological

Am I Loved TWITTER GRAPHIC

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Book Blurb

We did not enter this world with a manual. This book is the next best thing. As the world’s only emotional beings is it not truly astonishing that we function through emotions that we do not remotely understand or control? How then can we possibly understand or control ourselves? Bound together by a total ignorance of the human condition, we conduct our lives unaware of how we are meant to live.

Am I Loved? is nothing if not about being human. It is a book of secrets. A book about life, how life has been lived by a parade of humanity 65 billion names long all of whom have got it wrong, failing to understand how things are meant to be. This book defines the human condition as it is and, unknown until now, how it has always been. Our emotions exist not to benefit us but to safeguard our genes, protecting the life within us. Thus is the language of our emotions translated for us to understand, their crucial interaction with the greatest human need of all, our need to be loved, duly explained. All else flows from this.

We spend our lives intent on surviving when fulfilment comes from loving and being loved. Nature’s Protections serve to liberate us yet we allow them to inhibit our lives without realising that the majority of our many emotional problems are solvable simply by a proper understanding of the human condition. Understanding what we do not understand will be a hugely fulfilling experience significantly enhancing the quality of our lives. Am I Loved? explains how this may be done enabling us to get everything right.

Publisher: Umbria Press

My Review

Insightful and thought-provoking – 5 stars

Am I Loved? Is an insightful contribution into the human condition and how we manage the myriad of emotions which we experience and which impact on our existence. It proposes a way forward in which we can understand and channel our emotions so that we gain greater happiness and fulfilment. It left me, the reader, with the tools to begin re-examining my own emotional outlook and how I relate to others so that I do not solely survive but love and be loved in a way I had not previously contemplated in quite the same way.

The author delves into the realms of history, faith, genes and psychology and it is clear he has spent many years of research before producing his own thoughts. His book encourages us to comprehend the forces at play within ourselves and our emotions, why they exist and how they relate to our innate need to be loved. Whilst the read contained a number of concepts unfamiliar to me, the book did well in introducing them step by step so that by the end the way forward made practical sense.

I feel that this is a book I will want to return to again and again as I contemplate my relationships with others and also my own psyche.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of this book was given to me by the author in return for a fair and honest review.

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Purchase Links

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Syndicated Interview with John Bieber

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In short, what is the primary message behind Am I Loved??

The very things that make us human are those that cause us to feel ill at ease in our humanity because right back to the first human being everyone has got everything wrong. For how can we function as sophisticated emotional beings when we can neither understand nor control our emotions? This book examines the human condition establishing where and why we have gone wrong and how we can now get everything right leading to a more fulfilling and meaningful existence and the chance to feel truly comfortable in ourselves and at ease in our nature for the very first time.

What initially inspired you the write the book?

My experience as a Divorce lawyer witnessing people in huge distress who were rendered incapable of taking constructive decisions due to the onslaught of their emotions. This led me to write a book on the emotional side of divorce which in turn led to a detailed study of our emotions. which were clearly not understood at all.

What is your goal for the book following publication?

None particularly although I would love my book to be accepted as the definitive analysis of the human condition.

What was the writing process like for such an epic tome? Did the book involve a lot of research and if so, where did your research take you?

I read widely around the subject. See my bibliography. Every book seemed to miss the point but by considering them all I was able to build my theories from where theirs’ had left off.

Is Am I Loved? your first book? If not, how does it differ to your previous book(s)?

No. If Divorce is the Only Way? (Penguin) was my first published book although I have written two unpublished novels and have a play I would love to write but probably never will.

In your opinion, what one thing most defines us as humans?

Our overwhelming need to be loved.

Is it truly possible to fully control and manage our emotions?

No. Emotions come to us fully formed responding to the needs of our genes for the preservation of life, rather than to our personal needs. And so, preserving the Life within us they are beyond our control. The best we can do is to try to control our reactions to them by the suppression of anger or the masking of sadness or surprise.

Why is it so necessary to understand our emotions?

Because all personal feelings and human intercourse flows through them.

Could you tell us more about the concept of ‘The Speechless Real’?

The Speechless Real is not my term it originated with Jacques Barzun. It is the reason for our ignorance of how we function. It envelops us all blotting out a full understanding of the human condition to the extent that no one can even explain what it feels like to be alive although all of us experience that feeling all the time every day. In this way people will believe that despite its limitations the way we live is the only way there is despite the misery and sadness this may engender. It is a block on understanding inimical to a full knowledge of the human condition that my book seeks to dispel.

Why do we have such a strong need to be and feel loved?

These needs are our greatest needs, again designed for the better protection of life.

What is the link between our emotions and our need to be loved?

Very strong. Our Supreme Sense analyses our every emotion by reference to the effect that such emotions have on our need to be loved. Hence the question “Am I Loved? “A negative emotion will have a negative effect whilst a positive emotion will have a positive effect enabling us, though our Supreme Sense, to gauge how we are surviving at any one time.

Could you tell us more about the fundamental role our genes play in our existence?

Inhabiting a parallel universe to our own, feeling nothing, caring for nothing and intending nothing save for their own preservation, genes exist beyond our senses. We do not feel them, we are not aware of physically carrying them, but as the architects and builders of Creation they are the sine qua non of all existence. Life may be Nature’s most treasured and precious creation and the host bodies of Creation her greatest triumph, but ultimately both Life and Creation are wholly dependent upon genes for survival.

How can we learn to feel truly comfortable in ourselves?

Read my book! Understand the human condition as I have explained it which incidentally holds out the beguiling prospect of our being able to resolve the majority of our emotional problems with far greater facility. There is really too much to explain in a single answer. It has taken a book to set out.

Why do humans so often misunderstand, and/or misinterpret, emotions?

Because they arise unsummoned responding to the need of our genes for the preservation of Life, rather than to our personal needs as we would construe them.

How, as humans, does our nature and emotions differ to that of other species?

We have far larger brains, and the special gifts of a substantial range of emotions, the capacity to love and the great need to be loved. In addition, of course, we have the dexterity of our thumbs not given to the majority of species which makes a huge difference.

How can we live a truly fulfilled existence?

By understanding the human condition as I have explained it.

What are some of the most frequently misunderstood or misinterpreted human emotions?

The desire that everyone should conform leading to grief beginning in the playground, and, if unchecked, eventually causing some of the world’s worst atrocities.

Does Am I Loved? explore religion? Could you tell us more about the relationship between religion and human emotions?

Yes, in two chapters. We love God because we want him to love and bless us in return. We do so as we believe in him as a matter of faith. Paradoxically, the worse things become the more we turn to him to protect us. However, God cannot love us in return as he cannot requite our love. It follows that in giving him our love we may have given him something we should have given each other. Spinoza said if you really love God you should not expect him to love you in return. How many people would pass that test?  Two huge questions are also raised. What would happen if we could prove either that God did or did not exist? Why should God have emotions?

The book explores some fundamental questions; in addition to those about love, what other big questions do you look into in the book?

Emotions, genes, survival, folly of pursuing survival rather than love, heredity, religion, why so many people seek love from an invisible God, the Supreme Sense, Nature’s Morality, consciousness, Creation, ancestry, fear, happiness, ignorance, Life, Nature, Nature’s Protections, reproduction.

And finally, what would you like readers to take away from the book after reading it?

A feeling of relief in discovering that Nature never intended us to function as imperfect beings after all. That the human condition as explained offers a whole new take on life offering the opportunity of greater happiness and fulfilment and the chance to feel comfortable in ourselves and at ease in our nature for the very first time. That our emotions can be managed after all that life begins to make sense.

-Ends-

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*UPCOMING RELEASE* ~ Painted Sin Duet, by Lana Sky

I am so excited to be sharing Lana Sky’s release information for Painted Sin Duet, her forthcoming romantic suspense series! Over the last few months I have devoured a number of her books, including the whole of the War of Roses series (love, love, love Mischa and Ellen) and the deliciously gothic paranormal Drain Me (Dublin and Ellie totally rock the darkness)!

A Touch of Dark releases later in October followed by A Taste Like Sin in November and I for one cannot wait to read Juliana and Damien’s story. Check out the gorgeous covers, the book blurbs and a selection of teasers.

A Touch of Dark – Painted Sin Book 1

Release Date – October 22nd

Blurb:

Sheltered socialite Juliana Thorne is drawn to the mysterious billionaire Damien Villa. But is his interest in her borne from desire? Or revenge?

IS HE HER HERO?

Juliana Thorne is falling apart beneath her perfect façade. Haunted by a monster from her childhood, the sheltered socialite is slowly losing her mind—while a mysterious stranger seems to lurk around every corner, relishing in her demise.

OR THE VILLAIN?

A blind artist with a penchant for portraying darkness, Damien Villa harbors his own sinister intentions toward Juliana, but is he motivated by lust…

Or a desire for revenge?

Either way…

This is no fairytale.

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A Taste like Sin – Painted Sin Book 2

Release Date – November 11th

Blurb:

IS HE A HEARTLESS MONSTER?

The more she’s subjected to his charms, the deeper Juliana falls under Damien’s spell. But the promise of protection and security may come at a higher price than she’s willing to pay …

OR A RELUCTANT PLAYER?

The reclusive billionaire has his own secrets, and his relationship with Juliana may threaten to send his precarious house of cards crashing down…

Will their bond survive the chaos?

Or will they both be destroyed in the end?

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All Retailers
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Bookbub

 

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*REVIEW* ~ Blaire Dark Romance (Part 1), by Anita Gray

#darkromance #suspense #psychological #bdsm

Book Blurb

BLAIRE: part 1 in the Dark Romance Series

Bought. Conditioned.

My name is Blaire. I’m head of security to a man who controls the Russian underworld in Europe. His name is Maksim and he’s my master. He bought me ten years ago and conditioned me with brutality to worship and protect him. And I have protected him. I’ve slain everyone who has tried to do him harm. Everyone but a man he loans me to; a man who threatens to break me and everything I believe in.

You’re going to need a strong stomach and a strong heart to follow my story, because take my word for it, it’s no fairy tale.

My Review

Totally Amazing Dark Read! – 5 stars

What can I say? I was GLUED to this AMAZING dark, psychological read. I am a self-confessed book whore when it comes to dark  reads and I put this up there amongst the best. It has an original plot line and in Blaire and Charlie the author has created a truly awesome couple – their relationship is complex and intense and the scenes between them range from deliciously dark to sweet. I need to point out that it contains some brutal scenes of violence, physical and sexual in the book (dubious and non consent, bdsm, torture and abuse) which are not for the faint hearted. 

Blaire is one of the most kick-ass and lethal females I have come across of late yet she is so vulnerable. I wept for her as the plot unfolded and little by little we leared about her history and Maskim’s role in it. The way the author drip feeds this information adds to the suspense and I was gob smacked when I learned about her past.

I ADORED Charlie – just what is his game? What hold does he have over Maskim? Can Charlie protect Blaire or is he just exploiting her too? Will Blaire overcome Maskim’s conditioning or is it too ingrained in her psyche? Will Charlie succeed in breaking her hard exterior to reveal the woman beneath and how will this impact on her? Will his kindness save her or lead to her destruction? I was fascinated with the psychology of the relationships in his book and if you love dark romance as much as I’d encourage you do add it to your ‘to read pile.’ I’m relieved that part 2 of Blaire’s story is out at the end of this month so that I can see what happens next.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Purchase Links

Amazon UK  Amazon US

Connect with the Author

https://www.facebook.com/AnitaGrayAuthor/

http://anitagrayauthor.wixsite.com/anitagrayauthor

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**REVIEW w/excerpt** Lunchtime Eavesdropper by Joanie Chevalier

lunchtime eavesdropperTitle: Lunchtime Eavesdropper

Author: Joanie Chevalier

Genre: Contemporary, psychological self-belief fiction

Release date: July 20th, 2015

Length: 40 pages

Blurb: Meet Marlee, a woman who lives a comfortable but simple life with her loving partner, the adorable Larry. She discovers that covertly listening in on other people’s conversations during lunch hour excites her and adds to her otherwise humble life. When she overhears unpleasant gossip about herself, she becomes obsessed with changing her personality and makes the bad decision to become someone she’s not. After her total makeover, Marlee suddenly finds herself basking in the attention of her co-workers and is ecstatic when she’s finally invited to sit at the “popular” table at work. But is a personality change really worth the price? Is being popular worth losing herself, possibly the love of her life and/or redefining her own definition of happiness?

Come and take part in Marlee’s life, even though it’s only for a short time, and experience her yearning to belong and be accepted for who she is. You may be surprised by the unexpected twist in her story.

REVIEW

Lunchtime Eavesdropper is a real ‘stay true to yourself’ kinda read. The psychological effects of overhearing people talk about yourself can take over even rational thoughts. And, this is how is affects Marlee. Although the comments are hurtful, she takes heed and begins to question herself, doubting who she really is.

It all became a bit of fun, changing her appearance, wanting to share some time with girlfriends and being able to talk with them. But, after a night out clubbing, she begins to think that she has taken things too far. She never really enjoyed these girls’ company anyway, so why start to now?

This novella explores the psychological effects that others can have on a person when expressing their personal opinion, or even the opinion that they believe others want to hear when they are trying to be popular and fit in.

Marlee loves Larry. He is the love of her life. He has always loved her for who she is and how she treats him, But, with changes that Marlee is making, it does begin to affect him too.

It isn’t all too serious as Marlee tells the reader in first person her most innermost thoughts. Some are quite flippant or amusing comments. And when she begins making some changes, during a shopping trip she gets a little excited when she finds a beautiful photo frame, but with the perfect, handsome guy she’s ever seen. She decides to buy it and later places it on her office desk, making out that the guy is in fact Larry!

With some surprises there are a few times when you will question what is really happening. There is a slight realisation towards the end of this short story that did make me smile, even though there is a more serious message. Is it really worth changing for other people? For the trouble and upset it can cause you and those around you? The story hints in places at having some criminal element, but the most powerful subject is Marlee’s psychological state and how she deals with her life – fantasy or otherwise!

A copy of Lunchtime Eavesdropper was provided by the author in return for a fair and honest review.

Lunchtime Eavesdropper is available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

EXCERPT

Reluctantly, I returned the frame to the dusty shelf, swearing, almost sure that my bizarre behavior was probably because I’ve been depressed ever since The Tragic Event.  I felt ashamed and I walked away slowly and dejectedly from the shelf with the beautiful frame.  But when I reached the end of the aisle, I couldn’t help myself and made a quick u-turn causing my heel to squeak as it left a black skid mark on the linoleum.  When I returned to the framed photo, I snatched it up, like a metal claw inside a machine full of stuffed animals.  My hand was the claw and I had won the top prize: a beautiful sea shelled frame with a photo of a gorgeous male model, his deep brown eyes gazing at me with desire.

Author bio:

I was born in the L.A. area and our family moved up and down the West Coast for most of my childhood, finally settling in Washington State when I was about 12. After living many years in Washington State, where it is gray for 350 days of the year (might be an exaggeration but it’s close!), I finally decided I needed more vitamin D and made the decision to move to the San Francisco Bay area. I pay more taxes in California but I call it the “Sun/Fun Tax,” so it’s okay! Since I didn’t know anyone when I moved, I decided that I could write in (all) my spare time (besides working full-time). In addition to writing, I love being out in my yard creating color and camping in my teardrop trailer. I’m lucky that I have one fantastic boyfriend who loves traveling with me and I live with my son, an awkward teenage boy/man who does laundry when he can’t find anything clean to wear from his floor.

Author Links:

Twitter: @JoanieChevalier

Website: Joanie Chevalier, Author and Book Reviewer

Goodreads

Independent Author Network

Facebook: Author Joanie Chevalier

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*Cover Reveal* Sandcastle and Other Stories – The Complete Edition by Justin Bog

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You may remember our promotional post on Justin Bog’s festive short stories read in ‘Hark: A Christmas Collection’. Now, Justin is back with a new dark short stories read in SANDCASTLE and Other Stories!

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Title: Sandcastle and Other Stories – The Complete Edition

Author: Justin Bog

Genre: Short Fiction, Psychological Literary Suspense

Date released: May 29th, 2015

Published by: Booktrope

Length: 226 pages

Blurb: The Complete Edition of Justin Bog’s First Collection of Dark Psychological Suspense Tales.

An award-winning collection, Sandcastle and Other Stories reveals twisted secrets that are mined like plutonium. These twelve literary tales are nothing short of an adventure through a roiling sea of emotion. With authenticity and eloquence, author Justin Bog holds a provocative and compelling mirror on the human condition.

Sandcastle and Other Stories: The Complete Edition  on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1T2gnHX

My creative writing blog is here.
Follow me on Twitter @JustinBog

 

On Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1FCBVk3
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**COVER REVEAL** ~ Transcending Nirvana: The Dark Evoke Series #3, by V.L.Brock

Release Date: 16th June 2015

***DUE TO THE DARK CONTENT OF THIS STORY, IT IS ONLY RECOMMENDED TO READERS OVER THE AGE OF 18***

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Pre-order for 99cents/99p

 US: http://amzn.to/1IelelA
UK: http://amzn.to/1E5J3FX

Con·trol:
tr.v. con·trolled, con·trol·ling, con·trols
Noun
1. The power to influence or direct people’s behaviour or the course of events.
2. To hold in restraint.
Survivor:
sur·vive
v. sur·vived, sur·viv·ing, sur·vives
v.intr.
1. To remain alive or in existence.
2. To carry on despite hardships or trauma.

Kady Jenson was a fighter.
For four days, she fought through the darkness of her unconscious, and for weeks she fought for answers as to why her long-term boyfriend was more of a stranger, while she felt so connected to the Irish stranger at her hospital bedside.

The apprehension, fear, anxiety, scars she had no memories of gaining and an unfamiliar passion which spawned each time she was in close proximity to the stranger, provided a wake-up call.

Receiving something she secretly craved helped regain the memories of the 3 years she had lost…and nothing could prepare her for the gut-wrenching truth. Kady discovered she had gone from fighter to victim at the hands and manipulation of the one person she truly loved – The one person who was supposed to love and cherish her. Beatings, emotional cruelty and mental torture were an everyday occurrence.
This was her life…
Now, she’s back and so are her memories. With Irish at her side to protect her and maintain any residual fight she has left, can she finally break free of Liam’s hold? What remained left of the fighter, fought to discover that she, at the lowest point of her life, was a victim.  Now she must continue to battle against the darkness before she can call herself A SURVIVOR.

 ***THIS IS THE THIRD AND FINAL INSTALMENT OF THE DARK EVOKE SERIES AND IS THEREFORE NOT INTENDED AS A STANDALONE NOVEL***

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EXCERPT:

When my fingertips grazed over the stripe along his ribs, he shuddered and inhaled loudly. By the time I moved to the ones on his torso he was barely reacting to my touch.
It was when I lifted my inspecting gaze from my roaming hand and looked him in the eye that I sensed his dread. He knew where I was going to next. My heart was constricting at not only seeing the look of unadulterated disgust, pain and shame in his eyes, but sensing how great that perception of himself was.
This six foot, tattooed, muscular Irishman was physically shaking, his muscles and jaw clenching to painful proportions. The mere fact that he remained standing in front of me was enough to stun me. He looked ready to cave and drop to his knees.
Still, when I softly traced around the leather-like scalded, discolored flesh, his breathing was frantic, his eyes screwing tightly as though willing me away. This I was used to. This wasn’t the first time he allowed me to touch it, but I wanted him to show me, to prove to me that his body was mine also. I’d lived treading on eggshells for far too long. I wasn’t going to continue walking on them because of his inability to allow me in, and placing barriers between us, regardless of how painful.
Eyes closed tightly, his face contorted while I held my breath. I silently inched closer to the area. My lips narrowly managed to make a featherlike contact against it, when his eyes sprang open as he gasped, pushing me away.

Purchase links for ebook, Seeking Nirvana: The Dark Evoke Series #1:

U.S: http://amzn.to/1nhZQmd UK: http://amzn.to/1lI3VNr

Seeking Nirvana Paperback:

US: http://amzn.to/1sOYA6d UK: http://amzn.to/108Kaab

Seeking Nirvana Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/dj9Thmc_e4M

Purchase Links for Eluding Nirvana: The Dark Evoke Series #2:

US: http://amzn.to/1tRfEJO UK: http://amzn.to/1n6BVpS

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Author Bio:

Raised in a creative family, witnessing one another expressing themselves through creativity, albeit musically or through a form of literature, it was only a matter of time before my passion for devising characters and their unique stories in their own world, began to form and grow. From there the seed was sown and flourished into a young girls dream.

Throughout the years I have often toyed with the idea of pursuing this path, yet unknowing where to begin. There are so many routes in this day and age to help get from A to B, that the dream was both tangible and terrifying. So with that, and after a few months of kicking myself into gear thanks to a certain someone, I decided to self-publish, and that decision was most probably one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I am a mother of a 6 year old son who knows how to keep me on my toes. If I’m not writing I’m constantly thinking about writing and can be found either chasing my son around, with my nose in book or being creative in the kitchen.

Amazon Author Link:

http://www.amazon.com/V.L.-Brock/e/B00IJIB16C/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1408268470&sr=8-1

Facebook author page: https://m.facebook.com/author.V.L.Brock

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Review Round-Up – February ’15

Hi readers, we hope that you are all well and looking forward to the arrival of Spring, as Tina and I are. We want to say goodbye to the cold and gloominess, the bugs and viruses, and welcome some clear, blue, sunny skies to wake up to and motivate us to get out and about. I’m sure if it wasn’t for certain responsibilities I would just hibernate with my books and laptop throughout the winter months!

With Valentine’s Day just a few days away I hope that you are all in the mood for love! We have been reading many great romance novels, whether they are contemporary, historical, paranormal, comedy or erotic, and so there are more than enough reads to bury your head into to prepare you for the weekend of love!!

Amongst our latest, thirteen reviews we have two thrillers and a non/fiction travel and food book – if you are planning to go away, or want to try something new to eat, this is a fab read of first-hand accounts with recipes at the end of each chapter!

We hope you enjoy our selection. And whatever your plans, have a lovely Valentine’s weekend! (As always, please click on the titles for our full review!)

Caroline & Tina ❤

Torment (Dark Alpha 1)Torment (Dark Alpha #1) and Pleasure (Dark Alpha #2) by Alisa Woods, paranormal romance (reviewed by Caroline)

Torment (Dark Alpha #1) – short story

New Adult Paranormal Romance serial

Shifters live in the shadows of Seattle, just under the skin of the alpha male, dot-com entrepreneurs who are building a new Silicon Valley in the Emerald City.

Jak enjoys the female human population of Seattle as much as any wolf, but his heart belongs to a female shifter who’s already mated. Worse, she’s the mate of his alpha’s brother.

Arianna was captured from her pack when she was only twenty and mated to a wolf whose dark side takes full advantage of her unbreakable bond to him. Her nights belong to him, but her days are free to explore other things… including feelings for a wolf she can never have.

Is love stronger than magic? Or will breaking an unbreakable bond destroy them both?
Torment (Dark Alpha 1) is 60 pages or 15,000 words. It’s the first of six episodes in the Dark Alpha serial.
Adult content. Ages 18+.

Pleasure (Dark Alpha 2)Pleasure (Dark Alpha #2) – short story

Blurb: New Adult Paranormal Romance serial

Shifters live in the shadows of Seattle, just under the skin of the alpha male, dot-com entrepreneurs who are building a new Silicon Valley in the Emerald City.

Jak and Arianna have found something special in each other’s arms… but is it something they can keep?

Is love stronger than magic? Or will breaking an unbreakable bond destroy them both?

Pleasure (Dark Alpha 2) is 60 pages or 15,000 words. It’s the second of six episodes in the Dark Alpha serial.

Adult content. Ages 18+.

Guildhall Guardian: Thamesian #1 (Thamesians)Guildhall Guradian: Thamesian (Thamesians #1) by Aidan Ladsow, paranormal romance, mystery (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: SHE HAS JUST FOUND THE ADVENTURE SHE CRAVED FOR

Italian Art Graduate Gioia Di Terzi has left Rome for England, upsetting all her plans of a future as a Museum administrator. Now working as a civil servant, she settles into a British working-class routine which comes nowhere close to her dreams of English Gothic tales.
That’s before she discovers the Medieval Quarter of the city and steps into its Guildhall, a building which instantaneously fascinates her.
Little does she know she just crossed the supernatural underworld’s threshold…

AFTER CENTURIES AS A GUARDIAN HE MUST COME OUT AND FIGHT

In 1430, Roydon Thamesian made a pact with Vampires who saved his life and became the powerful Guildhall’s guardian.
Ruling the Medieval Quarter, he doesn’t know humanity anymore.
Until Gioia Di Terzi stumbles into his life and he becomes the target of unmistakable attacks from a Hunter…

511kNDVGIzL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU02_Plea From a Stranger by Derek A Barrass, thriller, slight paranormal (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: A young woman’s casual visit to a garage accompanied by her young daughter; becomes her worst imaginable nightmare when the owner tricks her and locks them in his basement. June, who was once a nude model for lad’s magazines, is the dream-girl he believes has been sent by fate to be his. He is a psychopath who has killed his wife and the man she left him for. He also hides other crimes from his past which he believes he was entitled to do if anyone crossed him.

Songs_of_the_ManiacsSongs of the Maniacs (novella) by Mickey J. Corrigan, new adult, psychological thriller, dark drama, urban crime, romantic suspense (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Who are we when we lose everything, including our personalities? From her office at a mental health institute in the tropics, a troubled young woman counsels deeply disturbed clients while coping with her own heightening concerns. These include frightening consciousness lapses, violent memories of a high school sexual relationship, a menacing stalker, and an annoyingly arousing visitor who may or may not be insane. All this on a single stormy day at a time when a new mental health disorder has become epidemic and is threatening to distort memory and identity, unmooring the validity of reality itself.

A seductive and chilling novella, Songs of the Maniacs takes readers on a fascinating descent into the abyss beneath the lush surfaces of contemporary American paradise.

jack5.500x8.500.inddBroken Dolls by Kitty Thomas, literary erotica 18+ (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: Mina Calloway always finds herself in the hands of the wrong master: Gentle at first, then brutally sadistic and abusive. She no longer believes it’s possible to find a man who will be gentle with her. After seeing a kink-friendly therapist for months, the doctor makes her an illicit offer she isn’t yet smart enough to refuse: “Let me find you a good master.”

Brian Sloan is a borderline sociopath with a dark and brutal past. Only taking his sadistic urges out on the women at a submissive training house allows him to sleep through the night. When Brian sees Mina, she should be ripe for the picking, but her damage is too similar to his own. Can he fight past his demons to protect the one person he considers worth saving?

Note: This book happens in the same world as Guilty Pleasures with reoccurring settings and characters. However, it is not a direct sequel and it isn’t necessary to have read Guilty Pleasures first. If you enjoy this book, however, you may also enjoy Guilty Pleasures by Kitty Thomas.

Travel BitesTravel Bites by The Hungry Traveller, non-fiction, travel, food (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Travel Bites is a collection of short stories that criss-cross the globe. It is the first work by The Hungry Traveller who has combined his two great life passions: travelling and eating!

The Hungry Traveller has been travelling for the last fifteen years and, along the way, has experienced many different sights, tastes, smells and cultures. Central to his travel experiences has been the role of food. Through his unique and very personal style of storytelling, you too can share in the highs and the lows of his stories from around the world. At the end of each story is a recipe for a dish inspired by his adventure.

Travel Bites will capture your imagination and curiosity; and will leave you yearning to plan your next holiday, adventure or escape!

The Hungry Traveller is a travelling enthusiast who loves to eat! When travelling, he enjoys meeting new people and engaging with locals to learn about their culture, history and the food that they eat. He is ‘currently between trips’, saving money, but always has his passport on hand, ready for his next adventure! He always likes to hear about other peoples’ travel experiences and your thoughts on his book!

Lady Smut Dark DesiresThe Lady Smut Book of Dark Desires, erotic, paranormal, humour (reviewed by Tina)

 The Immortal Longing of Brenna Bang by Liz Everly

When a vampire materializes through her computer, successful vampire-romance romance author Brenna Bang finds herself marked for inescapable passion with a tech savvy bloodsucker.

The Lying, the Witch & the Wardrobe by Margery Kempe

Jeanie tries to figure out how to unlock her grandmother’s wardrobe and uncover what happened all those years ago when the goblins came to offer their sensuous erotic fruits.

Sexsomnia by Madeline Iva

Jenny needs to unravel the mystery of what she does at night and who she does it with in order to subdue the sexual demon inside her.

Divine by Elizabeth Shore

Locked in an abandoned mental asylum, an ambitious filmmaker soon discovers she’s trapped with a Dionysian god.  He offers her a glimpse of astounding future artistic success—but it will only come true if she’ll perform an erotic ritual to free him.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00057]Concealment (The Cassano Series) by Scarlet Wolfe, contemporary, erotic, romantic suspense (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: Victoria Hart is supposed to be the enemy. She is an undercover detective who infiltrated my hotel and casino as an employee to take down my illegal enterprise. What she doesn’t know is I am fully aware of it. The operation I’m orchestrating is monumental compared to anything her mind could envision.It’s the burning desire I feel when she’s near that I didn’t see coming. An unwavering draw to touch her, and the need to break down her walls is testing my restraint; however, nothing can stand in the way of my ultimate goal. She could destroy everything my brothers and I have worked toward to avenge our father’s death.To keep the upper hand, it is vital to know your enemy. How deeply can I go, peeling back her intriguing layers while still concealing the truth? How much of Victoria can I claim before she’s too close … too close for me to let her go? This novel ends in a cliffhanger and is for a mature audience due to harsh language and descriptive sexual scenes.

23006645A Desperate Wager by Em Taylor, regency historical romance (reviewed by Tina)

Blurb: Nathaniel Spencer, the Fourteenth Duke of Kirkbourne wakes up with an almighty hangover and a wager note in his pocket stating he has agreed to marry the Earl of Brackingham’s daughter. And he can’t even remember ever meeting the chit. Clearly his drinking has got out of hand.

Lady Sarah Steele is horrified when her father announces that the Duke of Kirkbourne has agreed to marry her and even more horrified that her father wagered her hand in a game of cards. Not only that, but the earl has not told the duke of the riding accident that left Sarah paralysed when she was sixteen. But he’s dying and she knows he wants to see her settled before the inevitable happens.

Despite Nate’s drinking and Sarah’s possible complicity in the earl’s plan, they agree to marry. But when accidents start to happen, the newly-weds must deal not only with the fact they are practically strangers, but they must find out who is trying to kill one or both of them. Nate’s drink problem and Sarah’s disability are only a couple of the hurdles they must face to find lasting love.

Werewolves of Shade (Book One)Werewolves of Shade (Beautiful Immortals #1) by Tim O’Rourke, paranormal romance (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: When the entire population of Shade go missing, investigative reporter Mila Watson knows this could be the big break she has been waiting for. Setting off into the mountains to the village of Shade, Mila soon learns that the village isn’t as deserted as she first believed it to be and that creatures lurk in the shades…

Note: This ends in a cliff-hanger. Part Two will be released 13th February 2015 and is now available for pre-order.

For readers 16+

strands-of-sollus-3Strands of Sollus by Cheryl Suchacek, fantasy, erotic (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: A contract from the Order of Aurora sends Myst in pursuit of a stolen magic sword. The job soon finds her partnering with Lotus, the rightful owner of the sword, as well as two beings bound to each other, Tol and Grayoch.

In the course of their mission, the group uncovers that behind the theft are sinister forces bent on resurrecting the dark lord, Maridon, in order to overwhelm the forces of light and take over the world of Sollus.

Facing their enemies, Myst finds that not only does she have to contend with Maridon and his minions, she also has to deal with the growing complications of her relationship with Tol and Lotus.


Tequila & Tea Bags by Laura Barnard, contemporary, romantic comedy, chick-lit (reviewed by Caroline)

Blurb: Sent to live with her cousin Elsie in the Yorkshire countryside, Rose has only one thing on her mind; joining her friends as a club rep in Mexico.

When she hears about a council incentive offering the promise of free flights to the person who clocks the most volunteering hours at the local care home, she’s got her plan set.

But she doesn’t plan on bonding with the old ladies, going after the village bad boy and trying to persuade Elsie not to become a Nun.

Soon she’s questioning who her real friends are and whether her old life is one she wants to return to.

Can the village win her over and will she win the chance to leave it behind? Will she even want to?

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*SPOTLIGHT with Giveaway* Shrink Rapt by Freda Hansburg

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Shrink RaptShrink Rapt

By Freda Hansburg

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb: A little hypnosis can be a dangerous thing.

Psychologist April Simon reaches that conclusion when four of her most unstable patients begin to violently unravel following the murder of their psychiatrist, Lowell Morgenstern, April’s arrogant department chairman. She suspects it’s no coincidence that all four were subjects in his research project.

As April tries to undo Morgenstern’s mayhem, she finds her colleagues turning resentful, her career on the line, and the chairman’s killer closing in. Who can she trust? Maybe Sam Perone, the attractive, cynical detective who seeks her help in solving Morgenstern’s murder – that is, when he’s not treating her as a suspect.

Author Bio

shrink rapt author FredaFreda Hansburg is a psychologist who lives with her husband in New Jersey. She is the co-author of the self-help books PeopleSmart and Working PeopleSmart. Shrink Rapt is her first novel.

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