Thursday, April 30, 2015

Blog Tour-Review, Excerpt and Giveaway: Running Interference by Elley Arden


Contemporary Romance
Date Published: January 19, 2015

As an offensive linewoman for the Cleveland Clash, Tanya Martin is tough inside and out. The 5'9" beauty can take a hit and keep on going. But when the man she was best friends with - and secretly in love with - in high school comes home the same day she learns her father's gym is in financial trouble, she's unexpectedly blindsided.

Super Bowl MVP Cam Simmons is only back in town to convince his mom to move out of her failing neighborhood and live in luxury with him in Boston. But running into Tanya stirs up plenty of old feelings he never resolved. He was happy to leave his old life behind him when he hit the NFL, but walking away from their friendship was a mistake he wants to rectify.

As they work together to help save her dad's gym, Cam and Tanya's easy camaraderie and undeniable chemistry resurface. But can she open up enough to trust him with her heart a second time around?



Excerpt 

“I was thinking, what about a celebrity boxing match?” Tanya asked.
“Uh, no.” Hell, he couldn’t even keep up with her in the ring.
“Back her into the corner!” some guy yelled.
What? Cam took his eyes off her for only a split second.
She popped him again and smiled. “Yeah, that’s probably a terrible idea. I mean who wants to pay to see you get your ass kicked?”
She danced around him, eyes blazing. Focus, man.
He managed a jab to her gut before she moved away.
“Thatta way!” the guy cheered.
She approached again. Cam swung. At the last minute, she spun, and his fist hung in midair. More dancing. Little hops. And a rush of laughter. He loved when she had fun. There was nothing more beautiful in the whole world.
She popped him again. Right in the flank.
The guy booed. Cam may have, too, because this didn’t seem fair.
“You know, it’s okay to hit a girl in here,” she said. “I don’t want you getting hung up on political correctness and looking like a fool in front of your … ” she glanced at the guy who was watching them, “fan. Singular.”
Smart ass. He lunged, and she dodged.
“Come on,” she said. “Show me what you’ve got, superstar.”
Oh, he’d show her all right. Just not in here. Later, they were going to finish what they started. He would find someplace where they wouldn’t be interrupted by roommates or family members, someplace where they could …
She bounced to the left and clobbered him. His brain rattled.
The guy gave a disgusted sound, and then walked away.
His one fan had bailed.
Time to stop the insanity. “Okay!” His louder than normal voice halted Tanya in her tracks, but a second later, she was bouncing again.
“What was that?” she asked.
“Just me announcing that the match can finally begin. I think you’re good and warmed up.” He grinned. “In fact,” he bobbed his brows, “you’re looking super-hot to me.”
Her feet slowed, and her eyes narrowed. “How ‘bout from now on you keep your thoughts to yourself? This is a boxing ring, not group therapy.”
Yep, he’d unnerved her, and he was just getting started.
“I’m being courteous,” he said, shuffling closer and lowering his voice. “I like to let my opponents get a feel for my size before we really get down and dirty.” He bit into his cheek to keep from laughing.
“You wish,” she said, but she was smiling too.
He advanced. She backpedaled, and then she hit the rope.
“Trapped,” he mouthed.
“Never,” she whispered.

My Review

Running Interference was a good, quick read in the friends-to-more trope set in the backdrop of football (both traditional and women's).  Having both the male and female lead characters as professional football players lends a touch of uniqueness to the story.

Cam, our lead male, is a classic male athlete who has a soft spot for family and for taking care of where he comes from.  I really liked his character the best of the cast in this story.  The leading lady, Tanya, was a little hard for me to connect with but I can't quite put my finger on why.  It did bug me a little that she was quick to think of ideas that would use Cam to her advantage (well, to her father's gym's advantage).

The first half of the story moved slower for me than the last half did, and the best scene of the book was definitely the bachelor auction at the end.  

I'd recommend this to those who like their sports romances (especially football), and who'd like a quick romance to fill their weekend.

Elley Arden

Elley Arden is a born and bred Pennsylvanian who has lived as far west as Utah and as far north as Wisconsin.  She drinks wine like it's water (a slight exaggeration), prefers a night at the ballpark to a night on the town, and believes almond English toffee is the key to happiness.  

Charming characters.  Emotional stories.  Sexy romance.



GIVEAWAY!

Release Day-Excerpt: Fall for Me by JC Emery



SYNOPSIS: 
Melanie Kincaid is a trust-fund baby with a knack for sassy comebacks and unnecessarily complicating her privileged life. So, of course she would have to fall in love with a man she can't have.
Jameson Hayes is a NYC firefighter for Manhattan’s oldest ladder company with big shoes to fill and a city to protect. He’s strong, sexy, and not looking for the complications Melanie brings. But he can't stay away from her either. The attraction between them is immediate and the pull between them is crazy powerful. But she's only home for the summer and long-distance relationships never work. 
Unfortunately, Melanie’s beauty and smart mouth are a lethal combination and Jameson isn't the only Hayes who's interested. As if his brother isn't enough to compete with, now the city's most famous arsonist wants to claim her as his next prize. Jameson can't stand to watch Melanie get hurt and she can't seem to keep herself out of trouble.

Fall for Me is the first Ladder Company novel, a stand-alone companion series about New York's most elite firefighting family with hot alpha heroes, snarky heroines, and an arsonist hell-bent on destruction.



EXCERPT:
“Mom!” I move through the foyer and into the open great room— a large, open living/kitchen combo— where I leave my suitcase and kick off my flats before I hit the carpet. What the hell is she doing with gas? That stuff is toxic.

“Well?” Mom says, appearing at the edge of the hall on the other side of the kitchen. She has a hand towel around her neck and one of her many yoga-specific exercise outfits on. This one is a light blue and she’s barefoot. Monica Kincaid is dedicated to many things in life— her husband Christian, her daughters (the youngest, especially), and her charity projects— but yoga is the one out of all of it that I don’t understand. It puts her at peace, she says.

“Well?” I ask and drape the dress bag over the island counter top in the kitchen and move around to prop myself up on one of the bar stools. God, that gasoline smell is driving me mad.

“Are we planning a spring wedding yet or what?” Mom says with a grin. Her nose wrinkles, catching the scent of the gasoline, I’m sure. “Janet and I have been taking bets.”

“God, Mom,” I say and place my head in my hands.

“No really,” she says, “Tell me.”

“Nothing happened,” I say. Verbalizing it is even more disappointing than it probably should be. Apparently, Mom and Dad were also in on Jameson and Royal’s surprise trip. It took all of an hour after they landed for Janet Hayes to text me telling me she wishes she could have been there. It was sweet, but then she suggested she needed to leave me alone so I could spend as much time as possible with Jameson. And that we shouldn’t be disturbed. While the level of investment our mothers have in our has-yet-to-happen relationship is borderline creepy, the support is pretty awesome. It’s a rarity to find a woman as kind and loving as Janet Hayes is. Even if she doesn’t really know appropriate boundaries and likes to talk about when her sons were starting puberty… in all the gory details. I know more about Jameson’s solo activities when he was a kid more than I care to.

“You must be joking,” she says and heads to the fridge where she pulls out a single-serve cup of yogurt. “That man flew down to that god-awful place—,”


About the author:
As a child, JC was fascinated by things that went bump in the night. As they say, some things never change. Now, as an adult, she divides her time between the sexy law men, mythical creatures, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and pursuing her bachelor's degree in English. JC is a San Francisco Bay Area native, but has also called both Texas and Louisiana home. These days she rocks her flip flops year round in Northern California and can't imagine a climate more beautiful.

JC writes adult, new adult, and young adult fiction. She dabbles in many different genres including science fiction, horror, chick lit, and murder mysteries, yet she is most enthralled by supernatural stories-- and everything has at least a splash of romance.



Release Day-Excerpt and Giveaway: Savor by Alyssa Rose Ivy (The Empire Chronicles)


About SAVOR:

Jared is Vera's perfect man—until he opens his mouth. An incredible body and set of wings can only go so far when everything he says seems designed to make her mad. Still, she can't deny her intense attraction or the fact that he is the closest thing she has to a friend.

Jared doesn't go for bear shifters, especially ones that are related to his ex, but he can't resist Vera's charm or the way she understands him better than anyone else.

As suspicions build and loyalties are tested, Vera and Jared realize that they may not be able to trust anyone but each other. 




Excerpt

"I'm glad you don't want me dead."  He smirked.  Even his smirk was sexy.

"I'd be on my own if you were."  I put my hands behind my head.

"And you don't like being alone?"  He studied me in the darkness.  Sometimes I wished neither of us had night vision.  It left you so naked, never having an opportunity to hide.

"I do most of the time."

"But not always?"  His eyes raked over my body.  The fact that he could make such a platonic conversation feel sexual gave me even more reason to resist him.

"Why does it matter?"  Often the best way to avoid a question is to ask your own.

"It matters because I asked it."  And there went his mouth again.

My annoyance gave me back my willpower.  "Put a shirt on."

"Why?"  He grinned.  "Am I distracting you?"

"No, but we should go.  The sun will be up soon enough."

"Maybe I shouldn't go with you."  He sat up, swinging his legs off the side of the bed.

"No Way."  I moved to standing.  "You're not backing out."

"Why do you care?"  He stood with his back to me.  "You can do this alone."

"Of course I can."

He turned to me.  "Then why does it matter if I go my own way?"  He pulled on his t-shirt, and a little part of me missed the view.

"Because we agreed to help each other out.  I stick to my promises."  That was one of my good traits.  The not so good traits weren't worth reflecting on.

"Maybe I don't."

"You do."  I put a hand on my hip.  I didn't have time for Jared's games.

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"You're infuriating."

I groaned.  "And what are you?"

"Charming."

If I'd had liquid in my mouth I would have spit it out.  "Not exactly the word I'd use to describe you."  

"Says the girl begging me to stay with her."

"I never begged."  I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Would you bed?"  His grin was his undoing.

"Is that how you like it, Jared?  With your women begging?"

"I wasn't talking about how I like my women."

"Are you sure about that?"  I grabbed my backpack and headed into the cabin's small bathroom.

"Where are you going?"

I paused with my hand on the door.  "To shower."


Alyssa Rose Ivy Bio:
Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.





GIVEAWAY

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Special Announcement from Author Cora Carmack!

HERE’S THE SCOOP!

Fans of Cora Carmack’s Rusk University, we have a SUPER exciting announcement:


ALL CLOSED OFF Coming 2016

ALL CLOSED OFF, Book 4 in the Rusk University Series, is coming!!! 

Check out this message from Cora!

*WARNING: This letter contains spoilers for All Broke Down. If you haven't yet read that book, read at your own peril. SECOND WARNING: this letter talks about fictional characters as if they are real people. Sorry I'm not sorry. THIRD WARNING: The letter below broaches a serious topic that could be a trigger for some people*


Hello beloved readers!

The first person who read one of my Rusk University books was my older sister. I gave her All Lined Up when I finished, and her first question was "Are Ryan and Stella going to be together?"

At the time, I told her no. I had plans for both of them that included their own storylines. I thought they were too much alike. They'd make great friends. They might even hook-up, but in the end... I couldn't envision anything serious for them. So I actually rewrote some of their scenes trying to make that aspect of their connection more obvious. And still, when All Lined Up released, amidst the chatter about sweet Carson and sassy Dallas, I had people asking if Stella and Ryan were next. I denied it again (and again and again).

But sometimes in writing, the stars align and a character will become bigger and more real than you could have possibly imagined. It's a wonderful experience, but in Stella's case it was also incredibly heartbreaking. While I was writing All Broke Down, the news was inundated with information about the Steubenville rape trial and other tragedies and injustices like it. Tragedies where women have been violated first by an attacker, then by judgmental and hateful people, and finally by a justice system that repeatedly fails survivors of sexual assault. Having grown up in Texas, where too often football stars are treated like gods and can get away with just about anything, it hit particularly close to home. And since All Broke Down featured a passionate activist heroine, I felt compelled to reference this chronic dark underbelly of elite sports.

I can remember vividly sitting on my couch, brainstorming how I would incorporate such an event into the book. I had thought the assault would happen to an unknown character, and maybe I would focus on the way it divided the team and the school and the town. But like I said... Sometimes a character will become bigger and more human than I anticipated. And it sounds crazy, but in my mind, I felt Stella push her way forward and say, "Mine. This is my story." I immediately began to cry. Sob, really. Because I loved her as a character. She was hilarious and strong and didn't take crap from anyone. She was everything I always hope to be. And I didn't want her to go through that. Even as I cried, my brain began to tell me that it made sense. Stella was vibrant and enjoyed a wild party. She was not afraid of her sexuality, and she had no problem with casual sex. She was the kind of girl that probably had a reputation. The kind of girl who could be heinously and violently taken advantage of, and people would STILL blame her. Because she was in the wrong place, wearing the wrong clothes, behaving in the wrong way. But just because it COULD happen to her, didn't mean I wanted it to. But once again, Stella was there in my head saying, "Someone needs to tell this story. And I'm strong enough to do it. Let me." And when Stella chose her story, she also chose the man I'd been adamant wasn't right for her. Because as it turns out... Those two characters who I thought were too alike aren't so alike anymore. And Stella needs Ryan to help her hold on to that vibrant and strong girl she was before.

So I let go of all the plans I had for her, and allowed her to tell me her story, which is about more than just sexual assault. It's about the aftermath. Depression. Shame. Guilt. Anger. Injustice. Victim-blaming. Slut-shaming. It's about the way that kind of event can change everything-- how you relate to people, how you think, how you dream, how you love. It's about the way the rest of the world moves on to the next big tragedy, and you're still left holding the broken pieces of who you used to be, with no idea how to put them together again or even if you want to. It will be the most difficult story I ever tell. And the most important. Because it’s a story that belongs not just to Stella, but to millions of people around the world. It’s a story that belongs to a new person every 107 seconds*. And that’s just in the United States. Think about that for a moment. 107 seconds. Stella’s story won’t be any easier to read than it will be to write. But I hope you’ll help me drag this story into the light.

So now I’ll step off my soapbox and just tell you about the book…



ALL CLOSED OFF

Stella Santos is fine.

Maybe something terrible happened to her that she can’t even remember. And maybe it drives her crazy when her friends treat her like she’s on the verge of breaking because of it. Maybe it feels even worse when they do what she asks and pretend that it never happened at all. And maybe she’s been getting harassing emails and messages for months from people who don’t even know her, but hate her all the same.

But none of that matters because she’s just fine.

For Ryan Blake, Stella was always that girl. Vibrant and hilarious and beautiful. He wanted her as his best friend. His more than friends. His everything and anything that she would give him. Which these days is a whole lot of nothing. She gets angry when he’s there. Angry when he’s not there. Angry when he tries to talk and when he doesn’t.

When Stella devises an unconventional art project for one of her classes all about exploring intimacy—between both friends and strangers—Ryan finds himself stepping in as guinea pig after one of her subjects bails. What was supposed to be an objective and artistic look at emotion and secrets and sex suddenly becomes much more personal. When he hits it off with another girl from the project, Stella will have to decide if she’s willing to do more than make art about intimacy. To keep him, she’ll have to open up and let herself be the one thing she swore she’d never be again.

Vulnerable.

*****

ALL CLOSED OFF will be releasing sometime in early 2016. I don't have a date yet for several reasons. The first and most important, is that I want to do this story justice. And as such, I have no intentions of rushing the process. Secondly, I'll be returning to indie publishing for the remainder of the Rusk series. As you can probably tell, this story means a great deal to me. And by having the ultimate control over everything from timing to editing to price, I'll be able to ensure that I'm able to create exactly the story I envision.  Unfortunately, that means you won't be seeing the paperback of ALL CLOSED OFF on the shelves in most stores. Nor is it currently available for pre-order. But I hope you'll add the book on goodreads, follow me on social media, and/or join my newsletter. I promise to shout it all over the place when I have a set release date or pre-order links.

Thank you for listening as I told you the evolution of Stella's story. When it's finished, I hope you will feel as passionately about it as I do.

All my best,

Cora Carmack


*Statistic from RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network)


#WhenitHappened banner

And an opportunity to add your voice to Stella’s…

Stella’s experience is only one story of many. She was with someone she trusted when it happened, and the only memories she has are pieced together from her own blurred recollections and the things people have told her.  Not everyone’s experience with sexual assault is the same. Each person reacts, copes, and overcomes differently. And while this book is about one specific character’s journey, I would like to tell as many sides of this story as possible. As Stella grapples with her thoughts and emotions she’ll be searching for advice, for comfort, for a place where people understand her and can identify with what she’s experiencing. There will be room for truth within the fiction, and if you’d like that truth to be yours, this is your chance.

If you have a story like Stella’s, and you want your voice to be heard….

If there’s something you wish more people understood about what you’ve gone through….

If there’s something you’d like to tell people struggling with a story like yours…

I’d like to give you the opportunity to add your voice to Stella’s. Use the hashtag #WhenItHappened and let your voice be heard on your own by posting on your own social media, or if you’d rather I share your words fill out this google document and tell me your story. You can fill out this form anonymously or not. I’d like to begin this discussion now because April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. But my hope is to include as many stories as possible within the book itself.

So many have stories of #WhenItHappened. Your voice and your story deserve to be heard. I’m listening.

#WhenItHappened Google Form: http://goo.gl/forms/4VRjWgZYSW



ABOUT Cora Carmack:

HeadshotCora Carmack is a twenty-something New York Times bestselling author who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She now splits her time between Austin, TX and New York City and spends her days writing, traveling, and spending way too much time on the internet. In her books, you can expect to find humor, heart, and a whole lot of awkward. Because let’s face it . . . awkward people need love, too.




Website ** Twitter ** Facebook **Newsletter **Author Goodreads



z-InkSlinger Blogger

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Release Day Blitz and Giveaway: Taking What's His by Diane Alberts



Book Summary: 

A sexy category romance from Entangled's Brazen imprint...

Some lines are meant to be crossed...

One explosive device was all it took to turn Holt Cunningham from ass-kicking Marine to IT technician. Hell, he's still not over it. So when the cute little strawberry blonde at the bar asks him to kiss her, Holt can't resist the temptation of a sexy distraction. Before he knows it, she's blown his mind...and then skipped out the next morning.

Lydia Thomas never expected things with Holt to go quite that far, but oh, it was worth it. After being far too good for way too long, she was ready to be bad. Except that there's that tiny detail that Lydia kept to herself-Holt just spent the night doing naughty things...with his best friend's little sister.
One night isn't nearly enough. But with his friendship on the line, how far will Holt go in order to claim what's his?





BUY LINKS: 



Author Bio: 

Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. She’s hit the Top 100 lists on Amazon and Barnes and Noble numerous times with numerous titles. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Diane has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author.  Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many fantastic stories that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

GIVEAWAY!
$25 Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble


Teaser Blitz #3: Fair Game by Monica Murphy


FAIR GAME (The Rules Series, Book 1) May 12, 2015

Blurb

Bad enough Jade Frost’s boyfriend drags her to a boring poker game. Even worse that he actually threw her into the betting pot during an intense round…and lost. Talk about the perfect excuse for Jade to make him her ex-boyfriend.

Now she supposedly belongs to the ultra rich, extremely gorgeous Shep Prescott. He could have anything he wants yet he seems to be in hot pursuit of her. No matter how rude, how snarky, how impossible she acts, it doesn’t stop him. More like her horrible behavior seems to make him want her more.

When she finds herself starting to fall for him, Jade’s confused. There’s more to Shep than the carefree rich charmer he portrays.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children. She's a workaholic who loves her job. When she's not busy writing, she also loves to read and travel with her family. She writes new adult and contemporary romance and is published with Bantam and Avon. She also writes romance as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Series: Days of New by Meg Collett

Days of New by Meg Collett

a paranormal mystery/romance serial series...

Below is all the pre-order information for the entire Days of New series as well as an ARC FREE FOR ALL! Want an advanced e-copy of the first book in the series? Well, keep scrolling!

SPEAKING OF THE DEVIL

Releases 4/27
SpeakingoftheDevil.v1.Amazon

Set in the same world as the bestselling End of Days series comes the darkly comedic stand-alone serial spin-off, Days of New.

Clark St. James, self-professed man-candy with pink hair and duct-taped boots, didn’t ask to be the leader of the Nephilim clans or to have ancient angel magic contained in the unwanted tattoos on his arms. And most importantly, he didn’t ask for the holy angels to get their panties in a twist and ravage the earth during an angel civil war.

Instead, Clark is making lemonade out of life’s lemons. With vodka. And a splash of whiskey just because.

It’s up to the Descendants of Enoch—an order of humans meant to protect the holy angels while on Earth—and Clark’s Nephilim to set this destroyed world back on its axis. The angels in Heaven are busy repairing their city and rebuilding a new form of democracy. In Hell, everyone is adjusting to a new form of leadership after Clark killed Lucifer, prince of the fallen.

Technically, it was an accident. But people keep forgetting that.

Just when things were beginning to get boring, someone starts murdering Descendants in very…unique ways. Ways that incriminate Clark. But there’s always a calling card beside the bodies: a single burnt black feather. And Clark only knows one fallen angel that got crispy fried.

Apparently Lucifer is back. And he’s pissed off.

Want an arc of speaking of the devil?

Just sign up for Meg Collett's Newsletter! Link here. Make sure you confirm the subscription, and you will get a free ARC! All ARCs will be emailed out in a timely manner. Files will be sent as mobis for Kindle devices.

But wait! There's more!

All Days of New pre-orders are $0.99 for a limited time! At time of release, prices will change to $2.00 each.

FULL OF THE DEVIl (book 2)

Releases 4/27

FulloftheDevil-Amazon


BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW (Book 3)

Releases 4/27

Betterthedevilyouknow-Amazon


Devil in the Details (Book 4)

Releases 5/18

Devilinthedetails-Amazon

“Clark was human, Nephil, Descendant. He was good and bad. He was the dirty magic of evil angels. He was still the pink-haired kid who had fallen into a cave and found a broken angel. He was a reaper and a savior. A lost boy who just wanted his friends to stop dying.”

Peace can be as deadly as war, and someone won’t survive.

Get your tissues ready, Devil in the Details is available for pre-order now. Releases May 18th.


GIVE THE DEVIL HIS DUE (Book 5)

Releases 6/8
GiveTheDevilHisDue-Amazon

A girl who doesn’t believe in angels. A devil who doesn’t believe in himself. She has one week to save his soul or another war will break out, and no one will survive this one.

Don’t miss the thrilling conclusion to the Days of New paranormal serial series, Give the Devil His Due. Available for pre-order now. Releases June 8th.


***

headshot-6 for new fb and twitterMeg Collett lives deep in the hills of Tennessee where the cell phone service is a blessing and the Internet is a myth of epic proportions. She is the mother of one giant horse named Elle and three dogs named Wylla, Drax the Destroyer, and Mandy. Her husband is a saint for putting up with her ragtag life.
www.facebook.com/collettmeg