Sunday, January 31, 2016

Release Blast-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: FAVORITE TOY by Louise Lyons


Author Name: Louise Lyons

Book Name: Favorite Toy

Release Date: January 31, 2016



Blurb: 
Determined to stay single, Dean Simpson and his best friend Ryan have been playing a game, where each man chooses a potential hook-up for the other, usually someone nothing like their usual type. But with Ryan now off the market, Dean agrees to one final round of the game and allows his friend to choose his toy for the evening.
Casper Mancuso is about as far from Dean’s type as he can get. Casper is pretty, flamboyant, and attention-seeking, but sexy with it. Dean decides one night can’t hurt, but when Casper makes it clear his aim is the same as Dean’s – to have one bit of fun and then move on – Dean finds himself surprisingly disappointed.
With both men keen to avoid a relationship at all costs, it seems there can be no chance for anything between them. And yet the pair are drawn to each other and despite some hurtful comments and a very public argument, they just can’t stay away from each other. Eventually Dean is forced to admit that the very antithesis of what he usually likes is exactly what he’s been waiting for.

Pages or Words: 35,600 words
Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance
Publisher: Louise Lyons
Cover Artist: Simon Searle

Excerpt:
My heart sank as one of the other trainers from the gym caught up to me. "Wait up, Dean. I'll go with you."
I glanced at Mark and nodded. "Okay." 
"Where are you headed?"
"Not sure yet. I just wanted some fresh air. Maybe Subway." It was the first thing that came into my head, although I really didn't fancy a sandwich.
"I could go for that. Meatball marinara. Mmm."
"I like the tuna." 
"I always have cheese and slather it in ranch dressing, and get a cookie." Casper's words made me smile and I wondered if he'd be having Subway today. Sh*t.
"Are we eating in, or taking it back to work?" Mark pushed open the door and walked inside. 
"Um, maybe sit outside here?" I followed him to the counter, lining up behind a family ordering an early lunch. Most of the tables both inside and outside were empty and I stared up at the menu board as I waited, even though I knew I'd order tuna. Mark bought a foot-long meatball marinara with cheese and salad and I requested a six inch with cheese, salad, and ranch dressing. As we sat down at a table outside the window, I looked around and caught sight of Casper, just yards away and heading right for us. Automatically I ducked my head and unwrapped my sandwich, hoping he wouldn't see me. My heart thumped wildly and my dry mouth made me wish I'd ordered a drink. 
"Are you okay?" Mark raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah." 
Casper entered Subway, apparently not having noticed me. I'd kick myself if I didn't speak to him. I might not get another chance. The fact that he'd happened to turn up at this exact moment, when he could have gone anywhere, or not even taken a break at this time, was too much of a coincidence for me to throw away. Hesitating, I debated going into the shop to speak to him, or waiting for him to come out where Mark might hear. While I thought about it, Casper got his sandwich and came out again and then I had no choice. I jumped up quickly, scraping my chair noisily on the pavement, and his eyes immediately met mine. He halted, half in and half out of the door, then shuffled forward to get out of the way of someone trying to enter.
Mark looked up at me and frowned. "Dean?"
"I'll be back in a minute." I moved away from the table toward Casper, aware that only about six feet separated us from Mark. "Can I speak to you for a minute?"
"What about?" His eyes narrowed.
"I wanted to say sorry. I─"
"Don't bother. Like we both said, it was a hook up." His voice was much too clear and I glanced anxiously at Mark, who stared back at me with wide eyes.
"Casper…shh. Can we just…?"
"Don't shush me!" Clutching his wrapped sandwich fiercely in one hand, he planted the other hand on his hip and glared. "I don't know why you even bothered speaking to me! You slept with me for a bet, and we all know what your real type is. Don't think I didn't see you with that blond guy on Friday."
"F*ck." Grabbing his arm, I tugged him a few steps along the street until he wrenched free. "Thanks a f*cking bunch. You just outed me to one of my workmates."
"Oh!" His scowl vanished and his cheeks flushed. "Sh*t. I didn't know. I'm sorry, Dean."
"Forget it. Like you said, I shouldn't have bothered." Mortified, I turned away and went back to the table. Mark's expression said it all. I didn't need to hear anything he might have to say, but I listened anyway. Casper had already disappeared.

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My Review

Favorite Toy is the first book I've read by Louise Lyons, and after reading it I've now added her entire backlist to my TBR and wish list.  I'll admit-with the short length of the story, and the fact that I hadn't read anything of hers previously, I wasn't expecting too much when I started this book.  But it didn't take me getting too far into the story before I completely wiped that from my head and became fully engrossed in Dean and Casper's story.

Favorite Toy runs through a lot of emotions, and it totally drew me in and had me reading the entire book in one sitting (even though I started it way too late on a work night).  Dean is a player, the type of guy that personifies the one-night stand.  Well, at least he does until he meets Casper.  Oh Casper, I just loved him.  He's so full of energy, and while he's flamboyant and extroverted, he's also sensitive and sweet.  He and Dean just fit so well together, the kind of couple that you read about and just *sigh*.

I also loved the supporting characters of Ryan (Dean's roommate) and Danny (Ryan's boyfriend).  They helped add depth to the character cast and were pretty sweet on their own, and actually stole a tiny a bit of the story at a dramatic point (oh Ryan...I really hope I get to read more about you at some point!).

Favorite Toy is very well written and flows so smoothly that before you know it, the hours are gone and the book is over.  But I could have read so much more about Dean and Casper, and I'd love to revisit them in another story (hint, hint please!).  In addition to the plot device of a player finding "the one", we also touch on intolerance, trauma and grief, and of course...love.  Be prepared to dislike Dean's parents (especially his dad), but to adore his brother David as well as Casper's grandparents.

Favorite Toy was an excellent story, and I've given it 4.5 stars.  Fans of M/M romance will really enjoy it...and even though it's not a long book, you definitely get a full, robust story with likable main characters that you'll be rooting for from the start.  Recommended for 18+ due to adult language and M/M sexual content (oh yeah...that's pretty darn hot too!).


Meet the author:

Louise Lyons comes from a family of writers. Her mother has a number of poems published in poetry anthologies, her aunt wrote poems for the church, and her grandmother sparked her inspiration with tales of fantasy. Louise first ventured into writing short stories at the grand old age of 8, mostly about little girls and ponies. She branched into romance in her teens, and MM romance a few years later, but none of her work saw the light of day until she discovered FanFiction in her late 20s. 

Posting stories based on some of her favorite movies, provoked a surprisingly positive response from readers. This gave Louise the confidence to submit some of her work to publishers, and made her take her writing “hobby” more seriously. 

Louise lives in the UK, about an hour north of London, with a mad Dobermann, and a collection of tropical fish and tarantulas. She works in the insurance industry by day, and spends every spare minute writing. She is a keen horse-rider, and loves to run long-distance. Some of her best writing inspiration comes to her, when her feet are pounding the open road. She often races into the house afterward, and grabs pen and paper to make notes. 

Louise has always been a bit of a tomboy, and one of her other great loves is cars and motorcycles. Her car and bike are her pride and joy, and she loves to exhibit the car at shows, and take off for long days out on the bike, with no one for company but herself.


GIVEAWAY!
An e-book from Louise’s backlist





Tour Dates & Stops: 

Book Review: CAGE'S MISCONDUCT by Nikki Worrell


 

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Dalton ‘Cage’ Booker is the number one goalie for the San Diego Scorpions. Most people describe him as willful and stubborn—sometimes even difficult to control. More often than not, words fly out of his mouth without the benefit of passing through his brain first. And women love him.

Karen LaGrange, little sister of the former enforcer for the Scorpions, lives in Canada, where she works with special needs children. After losing her job to downsizing, she makes an extended visit to San Diego, forming a friendship with the errant goalie.

Through frequent reminders that they are friends without benefits, Karen struggles to keep their relationship platonic, but the more she shuts him down, the more he wants her.

Can Cage convince Karen to slip under the sheets with him, or is he destined to be firmly entrapped in the friend zone?


Let me admit right up front that I haven't read the other books in this series yet...but that said, Cage's Misconduct does read as a standalone and if you haven't read the other books yet either, once you're done you'll want to go back and read those as well.

Having no preconceived notions about Cage's character and only knowing about him from what I read here in this story, I really liked him (well, at least after Kyrissa).  I am always a sucker for the playboy meeting "the one", now throw in the fact that he is a hot hockey goalie who is at the top of his game--and a bit of a lonely guy on the inside...well, that combination clinched it for me.  Karen was a little harder for me to embrace.  I can't pinpoint exactly what it was about her, maybe it was just her stubbornness about staying platonic with Cage even when she's feeling something.  

For me, the story did feel like it moved a bit slower than I usually prefer, and while I could really feel the emotion that Cage was putting out for Karen, I could never really feel that coming from her even at the end...so the relationship always felt a bit lopsided to me.  But Cage kept me going the whole way through, and made me enjoy the story more than I would have otherwise if he wasn't written the way he was.

The story contains a TON of sexual tension that doesn't get really relieved until almost the very end of the book (which for me was a bit frustrating).  There's also a tiny twist/surprise at the very end that is meant to lead toward another series which felt just a tad contrived to me.  But other than that, I enjoyed the read and plan to read more by this author.

3.5 stars for Cage's Misconduct, recommended for sports romance fans (especially all you hockey fans out there!) 18+ for adult language and sexual content.





 5 Stars Loved this book! ~Amazon Customer


Will Karen give in to Cage? Will Jody finally relent and accept Cage's interest in his sister? I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more from this author.

This is book three in the Scorpion series and I have to say, it is now my favorite! When I first met Cage, I didn't like him at all. What I love about this author is how she writes people how we see them in real life ~ Mary

I love this series and I think this is her best book of their series so far!

5 Stars  Fantastic read
Loved this book, so hard not to fall in love with Dalton "Cage" Booker and Karen together. The love between them, it's not your typical storyline. And I honestly couldn't put it down once I started. Absolutely loved it and highly recommend this read. ~ Jackie Ugal
  






I am a country girl at heart who tends to  like the simple things...and hockey. Give me a hockey game and I'm set! During intermission, I read. Reading has always been a love of mine since I was a little girl. The books have gotten a bit spicier though. I also like moonlit walks on the beach, strawberries and champagne (ok, dirty martinis actually), and a strong man to hold me...etc., etc., etc. ;)

I live in Hammonton, NJ with my husband of over 18 years. It's not always easy but it's always worth it.

I have a B.S.B.A. in Human Resources and work for a law firm in Philadelphia. The only thing left to say is....GO FLYERS!


Contact Nikki at:

 
   
The Enforcer (NHL Scorpions #1)


Captain My Captain (NHL Scorpions .5)

  
Goalie Interference (NHL Scorpions 2)






Promo: DIRTY SEXY SAINT by Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde

New York Times bestselling authors Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde are bringing you a dirty, sexy, smoking hot SERIES featuring three bad boy brothers bonded by shocking secrets and their damaged past. Sinful, addicting, and unapologetically alpha, these men are every woman's erotic daydream ... And your ultimate dirty fantasy.

Get started with Dirty Sexy Saint and let Clay Kincaid lead you straight into sin!

Dirty Sexy Saint by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

Date of Publication: January 19, 2016


Blurb


Are you ready to get Dirty Sexy with a Saint?

Clay Kincaid knows he's more a sinner than a saint. Especially when it comes to women. With a rough and damaged past that has left him jaded, he doesn't do committed relationships. But he does like sex–the hotter and harder, the better. He likes it fast and filthy, which is why he refuses to even touch someone as sweet and guileless as Samantha Jamieson. Until he discovers that she likes it just as down and dirty as he does. Let the sinning begin . . .




More Dirty Sexy Series coming in 2016!



Dirty Sexy Cuffed




Available From





About Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde


***About Carly Phillips***

Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. Carly's career spans over a decade and a half with various New York publishing houses, and she is now an Indie author who runs her own business and loves every exciting minute of her publishing journey. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at www.carlyphillips.com.





***About Erika Wilde***

Erika Wilde (aka Janelle Denison) is the USA Today bestselling author of over 50 contemporary romances for multiple print publishers.

So, why the new pen name?

As Janelle Denison I've always written sexy books, but lately my writing has taken on more erotic elements that I wanted to keep separate for readers because not everyone likes their reading material on the spicier, kinkier side of romance. However, please be assured that even as Erika Wilde, you will still get an emotionally layered story with characters you'll care about and fall in love with. That is always my goal, whether I'm writing straight contemporary romances, or more erotically charged stories.

Currently, I'm working on The Marriage Diaries and making sure that Dean and Jillian enjoy exploring the more erotic side to their marriage. The series will be on-going, with no foreseeable ending as of right now, for as long as readers want to be voyeurs to Dean and Jillian's sizzling new relationship.

I'm also planning a spin-off series in the future, featuring the hot military men that work security for Dean at Noble and Associates.

You can find out more about Janelle at www.erikawilde.com


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Friday, January 29, 2016

Review & Giveaway: ANATOMY OF A PLAYER by Cindi Madsen


We're celebrating the release of Anatomy of a Player by Cindi Madsen!


Title: Anatomy of a Player
Author: Cindi Madsen 
Age: NewAdult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled

Blurb:
This bad boy is about to get played…

After getting her heart broken by a player again, Whitney Porter is done with men. She’s focusing on her future career and her first assignment at the college newspaper: Posing as a sports writer for an exposé on the extra perks jocks receive. But Hudson Decker, the bad boy of the hockey team, is about to test her resolve. To keep herself from breaking her no-sex rule with the temptingly tattooed athlete, she decides to use him for a side project: Anatomy of a Player, to help Whitney—and women everywhere—spot a player, learn what makes him tick, and how to avoid falling for one.

With his life spiraling out of control, Hudson Decker’s looking for a distraction. When his teammates bet him that he can’t land the gorgeous but prickly new reporter, he accepts the challenge, boasting he’ll have her in bed by the end of the semester. But Whitney is so much more than Hudson expected, and soon enough, he’s in too deep. The last thing he needs is another complication, but staying away isn’t an option. One thing’s for certain: this girl totally throws him off his game.







My Review

I just can't resist a romance novel featuring hot hockey players.  It's just not possible.  Now add in the fact that it's really well written and touches on topics regarding athletes that can get people riled up, along with a HUGE amount of sexual tension for the majority of the story, and this one had me hooked.

You've got your player--but honestly, when you look closer at Hudson, you'll find that he's not quite as much of one (off the ice that is) as he's portrayed to be.  And you've got your girl that's been played--and doesn't want that to ever happen again.  Now throw into the mix that both of them are keeping secrets that they really don't want the other to find out and you've got some fun, drama, tension, heat and more to keep you totally drawn in to the story from start to finish.

I really liked Hudson's character, he really has so much more to him than meets the eye and is so very easy to fall for.  Watching him fall for feisty Whitney as she tries so hard to keep herself from falling for him is a lot of fun, and pretty darn entertaining.  But when you've got both main characters keeping secrets...well, I don't want to say any more so I don't spoil things for you.

Anatomy of a Player was a 4.5-star read for me, and I'd recommend it to fans of the New Adult contemporary romance genre.  While it may be typical of this category, it does have its own unique points and really is a great read.  This ones for the 18+ crowd for adult language and sexual content.




About the Author:

USA Today Bestselling author Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she'd be even crazier. She has way too many shoes but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they're sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Visit her at www.cindimadsen.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter and learn about upcoming releases.

Cindi is the author of YA books All the Broken Pieces, Cipher, Rift, Resolution, and Demons of the Sun, and adult romances Falling for Her Fiancé, Act Like You Love Me, Resisting the Hero, Cinderella Screwed Me Over and Ready to Wed.

GIVEAWAY



Release Blast: DESTROYED BY THE BAD BOY by Madison Collins


Destroyed by the Bad Boy
By: Madison Collins
Releasing January 29, 2016
Self-Published 


Blurb
This book contains two complete erotic romance novellas with no cliffhangers.

Stranded ...
On the way to our parents wedding in the mountains, the mother of all snow storms attacks, leaving me stranded in a remote cabin with my new stepbrother.
My hot as hell, I-need-to-change-my-panties because-they’re-soaked, cocky asshole of a stepbrother, Bentley McAllister.

The kicker of it all?
The only items he's packed are liquor and condoms, and he’s looking at me like he wants to put both to good use.

My name is Sierra, and my libido can only take so much.

Send help!

Caged ...
Two brothers...
One girl...

Rising stars in the cage fighting circuit, Cage and Tripp Garrett are as close as two brothers can be. Fiercely competitive and smoldering with intensity, neither has ever lost a fight. Until they face their toughest opponent yet: Lily.

They both want her. But neither can have her. Lily is as off-limits as they come. They make a pact that the tough-as-nails daughter of their trainer will never come between them.
Until one of them begins to fall in love. Then all is fair in love and war.

Caged is a sexy, fast-paced love story with a punch.
Warning: Contains adult language and sexual content.




Buy Link


Teaser: (Stranded with my Stepbrother)
“Listen, princess.” I lift her chin toward mine, meeting this gorgeous big blue eyes.  “I’m not sure if you noticed, but we’re stranded together in the middle of f*cking nowhere, with only each other to count on.  You can fight me all you want, but there’s one thing you need to understand.  I’m going to protect you.  I’m going to take care of you.  And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m six-foot-four, and probably have a hundred pounds on you.  My body is going to produce a lot more heat than yours.  Now calm the f*ck down, and let me get you warm.  Got it, sweetheart?”  Her fighting stops immediately. 
She nods, coyly, blinking those baby blues at me, all of her anger disappearing.  “Got it.” Her voice is small, and I suddenly feel like a d*ck. 
“Good. Glad we’re on the same page.” I tug her body closer so we’re pressed tightly together, and I hold her to my chest, wrapping her in my arms. A contented little sigh escapes her lips. The top of her head doesn’t even reach my chin. She packs a lot of sass for such a small thing.  I inhale, and breathe in the scent of her shampoo. The smell of vanilla and lavender fill my nose.  Damn, who knew that combination could be so perfect?  It’s intoxicating and I can feel my body slowly start to react to the smell and the images my mind starts to produce.  The way her slight curves mold to my body serves to warm me up pretty damn quick. 
After several moments, we’re both warmer. “There.  Is that better?” I ask, releasing my hold on her before I sport an awkward boner. A few deep breaths are in order; otherwise things are going to get real weird, real fast.

Author Info
Madison Collins is the author of romantic short stories such as Caged, Stranded with My Stepbrother and the upcoming Monster Prick. She enjoys the occasional stiff cocktail, and watching romantic comedies. Most days you can find her curled up with a good book. She currently resides in New Jersey.