Saturday, April 30, 2016

The ETERNALLY MATED Series by Valerie Twombly #99Cents deal & #Preorder



For a limited time, get the Prequel and Book 1 in

the Eternally Mated series as a 99¢ bundle


An Angel's Torment (Prequel to Fall Into Darkness)

When an angel falls in love it happens hard and fast.

Archangel Tegan is an elite soldier who has lived centuries bound by duty and honor, so when he is chosen to procreate with a human, he never thinks to question his orders. Once he realizes the depths of his emotions for the fair-haired beauty who carries his child, he attempts to claim Ana as his own. It is only then he discovers just how forbidden a relationship with her really is and the lengths his commanders will go to stop it.

Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/1qRJiEr


Fall Into Darkness (Eternally Mated #1)

Eli lives by his own rules and bows to no one, even when summoned before the Tribunal Seven. They deem the hunter has lost his humanity and sentence the angel to earth with one mission: find some compassion or be condemned to Hell.

Ashley considers herself a freak. With one glance into a person’s eyes, she foresees their death. When an attack brings a handsome stranger to her rescue, she can’t help but be drawn to his steel-blue gaze.

Fate will bring them together but desire could bond them for eternity.

Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/1qRJofm



Get the Bundle 




NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
Veiled in Darkness (Eternally Mated, #2)
Release Date: June 20

The story continues:

When Eli spots Ashley across a bloody battlefield, he can only steal a moment alone with her. Powerless is an emotion new to the hunter, but it’s one he faces daily when he realizes killing the demon king in order to free his mate is out of the question.
‘Death’ was not a nickname Ashley wished to carry. Being the only one able to stop Lucifer’s evil plan was an even worse fate. When she discovers her true ancestry, fear that she will succumb to her darker side forces her to dig deep for the strength she needs to fight.

The clock is ticking and soon Ashley will face the ultimate test.

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1XVVYoJ


Pre-order today:


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#EternallyMated

Review Tour: AFTER WE FALL by Marquita Valentine


Join us in celebrating the release of AFTER WE FALL by Marquita Valentine!


Title: After We Fall (Take the Fall #3)
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Book Description:
A tough cop with an even tougher past, Hunter Sloan has never let anyone stop him from getting what he wants—and he wants Evangeline Ambrose bad. With her gentle curves and raw vulnerability, Hunter’s beautiful, mysterious new neighbor awakens his protective side. Determined to do right by a woman who’s gone through hell and back, Hunter could be the one to take away the pain—so long as his own secrets don’t sink their relationship before it begins.

Having escaped an abusive marriage, Evangeline simply wants to start over in the small, quiet town of Forrestville. She’s also avoiding all contact with the opposite sex, because she just can’t trust her instincts when it comes to men—not even with the sinfully sexy cop next door. So why can’t she stop thinking about him? Hunter has darkness in his soul, and yet no one ever made her feel so safe. For all her best laid plans, Evangeline didn’t count on choices this hard—or temptation this hot.







Carra's Review

After We Fall is Marquita Valentine doing what she does best-giving us a wonderfully emotional story that will pull at your heart.  This was a pretty quick read for me, but it still packed a lot of feelings.

You have a woman who's been broken and a man who wants to help her-a perfect recipe that results in an excellent read.  There's just the right amount of emotion, angst, and heat to keep you hungrily turning the pages to get to the HEA you know is coming (it just couldn't NOT come!).  I loved the characters, especially Hunter.  

To be honest, it's not my favorite book of the series...but it still does a really great job telling an emotional story, and contemporary romance fans-especially fans of this series-will want to add this to their library for a satisfying romance read.








ALSO AVAILABLE!

TAKE THE FALL

WHEN WE FALL
 Kobo


 About the author:
Marquita Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Holland Springs and Boys of the South series.

Since first taking the plunge in July of 2012 to self publish, Marquita Valentine has sold over a quarter of a million books around the world. She's appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling Ebooks Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes & Noble. She's been called "one of the best new voices in romance" (Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews) and her books have been accused of being "a sexy, fun, and slightly addicting contemporary read" (The Book Queen).


When she's not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys shopping, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south with her husband, two kids, and a dog.

Release Day-Review & Giveaway: ON THE OUTSIDE by Louise Lyons


On The Outside

Author: Louise Lyons

Release Date: April 30, 2016


Blurb
When Craig Ferguson is released from prison after a year’s sentence for fighting, he returns home to his father and brother, and the family business. Throwing himself back into the life he left, with family, work, and women, Craig tries to forget his time on the inside, but there’s one thing he just can’t get out of his mind.
Cell mate, Rocky Kirk, still has six months of his sentence to go, and after a year together in a tiny cell, Craig misses him more than he cares to admit. He does his best to forget, but when Rocky is released, and arrives on Craig’s doorstep, homeless and hurt, everything that happened between them comes flooding back.
Craig’s family takes in Rocky, now known as Kirk, and gives him a home and a job, but he’s reluctant to join in with their partying, and never seems entirely comfortable in their home. A few months later Kirk announces he has to leave, and when Craig presses him for an explanation, Kirk blurts out that his unwanted feelings for his friend are hurting him too much to stay. His admission changes everything, but Craig’s uncertainty, and fears of his father discovering their secret, threatens to ruin anything that could develop between them.

Publisher: Louise Lyons
Cover Artist: Simon Searle
Pages or Words: 34,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance


Buy the book:


Excerpt
I turned away from him, barged past Dad, and took the stairs two at a time. The bathroom door shook in its frame when I kicked it shut behind me. My temper rapidly subsided, and I risked a peek at myself in the mirror above the sink. The color in my face faded, leaving me pale and wild-eyed, breathing hard. What the hell just happened?
I replayed the scene in my head, starting with the almost-kiss between Stuart and Catherine. Was there something between them? Was it really nothing? Was I pissed off because she was supposed to be dating me, or was I actually hurt? I didn't feel hurt. It didn't seem that important anymore. She probably wouldn't want to see me again after my outburst and I wasn't convinced I minded all that much. What the f*ck did that say about us? The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was only angry with myself, mostly because when I’d finally got what I wanted, I didn’t want it that much anymore.
"Craig?" A gentle tap came on the door. Kirk. 
My rapid heartrate escalated, and I scowled at my reflection. "Leave me alone."
"Come on, that hand needs looking at.
Sighing, I sat on the edge of the bath. "Come in."
Kirk slipped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just f*cking brilliant."
"I'm sorry."
"You didn't do anything."
"You know what I mean. Do you think there's anything going on with her and Stuart?"
"How the f*ck should I know? It looked like it, didn't it?" I shrugged and blew my breath out hard. "I don't f*cking care anyway.
"I thought you liked her."
"Yeah, well. Maybe I should have stuck with the one-nighters."
"You don't mean that. I thought you wanted a relationship."
"I don't wanna talk about it." I didn’t want to think about it anymore either. My hand stung like a bastard, and I noticed for the first time that blood was dripping all over the tiles under my feet. Before I could move, Kirk grabbed a folded towel, placed it on my knee and laid my hand on it, palm down.
"There's a lot of glass in there."
"You reckon you can get it out?"
"I'll try." He found tweezers and tissues in the bathroom cabinet, and dropped to his knees at my feet. Some of the droplets of blood soaked into his jeans and I grimaced.
"You're getting blood on you."
"It'll wash." He dabbed carefully at the back of my hand, and the tissues turned red. "This looks bad. You might need stitches."
"I'll be all right." I clenched my teeth as he plucked out the first glass splinter and looked around for somewhere to put it. I reached for Dad's can of shaving foam and flipped off the lid. "Put them in there."
Kirk dropped each tiny piece of glass into the lid, and I counted eighteen pieces before Dad spoke from outside the door.
"Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"No. Thanks. Kirk's fixing it."
"Right. Good." His feet thudded on the stairs as he returned to the football match. 
"I'm missing the match."
Kirk looked up at me and grinned, his brown eyes twinkling. "You'd rather bleed to death than miss the football?"
"Yeah, probably."
"I think I got it all."
"What?" 
"The glass. I think I got it all out." I dropped my gaze as he dabbed at the myriad tiny wounds with the wad of tissue. "Does it feel like there's anything still in there?"
"No."
"I think I saw some bandages in the cabinet." Kirk got up and rifled through the cupboard. I stayed where I was until he kneeled down again and placed a dressing on the back of my hand. "Hold that there a minute."
"Were you a paramedic in a previous life?"
"I did a first aid course a few years ago. I can remember most of it." He wrapped a bandage around my hand, binding the dressing in place and making a surprisingly neat job of it. When it was done he stayed where he was, and I realized he was holding my bandaged hand in both of his and stroking my palm with one thumb. A few strands of hair had escaped the knot on the back of his head, and I had a sudden urge to tuck them behind his ear. I held my breath, staring at the top of his bent head. The only sound in the room was his breathing, and the intermittent drip from the bath tap that had needed fixing for a while.
"Thanks." The word came out croaky, my mouth so dry I could barely speak at all.
"No problem." Kirk jerked away, dropping my hand as if it had burnt him. Snatching up the wad of tissues, he tossed them into the toilet, and used the bloody towel to mop the floor. I stayed where I was until he opened the door and left me alone. His bedroom door opened and closed, and I made my way downstairs. I felt less concerned about my likely imminent break-up with Catherine, than I was about the moment in the bathroom. 
What the hell happened? Maybe nothing. Maybe something. Did he still think about what happened between us and try not to? Jerk off and try not to remember me f*cking him? Did he feel anything when he held my hand and stroked my palm, then jumped away? Jesus Christ. My heart hammered, and this time when I told myself it didn’t mean anything, and that I just kept remembering the person I’d been close to on the inside, it didn’t work. 

Carra's Review

This is my second read by Louise Lyons, and I'm really enjoying the stories she writes.  On the Outside was short enough to read in less than a day, but still long enough to be a satisfying, complete story.

There were really only four characters that this story centered on, Craig and Kirk-our two main characters, and Craig's father and brother.  They are all good, well-developed characters, although I did think the father was a bit shallow and also really needed to act more his age.  Once released from prison, Craig tries to go back to living his life like he did before-but once his former cellmate Kirk is out and comes around, things don't appear to be as cut and dried anymore.

Once Kirk basically forces Craig's hand when he attempts to leave, things really heat up between them as Craig admits his true feelings.  But of course these things never run smooth-especially when Craig and Kirk don't want to go public with their relationship.  This pushes everything to a breaking point, and it was really good to see Craig finally react the way he should have from the start.  Craig's character went through a lot of growth in a relatively short period of time, and it was very gratifying to see his character evolution throughout the book.

On the Outside is a great short read, and gets 4 stars from me.  Recommended for fans of M/M romance 18+ for adult language and M/M sexual content.  Oh, and three cheers for Craig's brother Stuart--if only everyone would react they way he did!




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 eight, 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 twenties.

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 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.



Rafflecopter Prize: eBook from Louise’s backlist, plus a $5 Amazon gift card



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Thursday, April 28, 2016

Review Tour & Giveaway: RIVER OF LOVE by Melissa Foster (The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor #3)


River of Love
The Bradens at Peaceful Harbor #3
By: Melissa Foster
Releasing April 20, 2016
World Literary Press


Blurb

Fall in love with Sam Braden in the Bradens of Peaceful Harbor. Hot, sexy, & wickedly naughty second cousins to the Weston, Colorado Bradens we know and love.

River rafting and adventure company owner Sam Braden works hard and plays harder. He’s fast, focused, and determined—and never at a loss for a willing woman to share his time with. The trouble is, the only woman he wants refuses him at every turn.

Physician assistant Faith Hayes escaped her painful past and built a safe, happy life in Peaceful Harbor. She’s also put what she’s learned to good use helping others by founding Women Against Cheaters, an online support group. When her boss’s sinfully sexy brother sets his sights on sweet Faith, she knows the self-professed player is everything she shouldn’t want, and she’s determined to resist him.

Sam pulls out all the stops, proving to Faith that his past doesn’t have to define his future. As she lets down her guard and begins to trust Sam, intense conversations turn to intimate pleasures. But when real life steps in and their pasts collide, it’s Faith who’s left with something to prove.





Buy Links


River of Love is another classic Melissa Foster story, giving readers a perfect blend of everything you'd want in a romance.  The prevalent them to me was the playboy finally settling down as he realizes he's found "the one".

Now honestly, I did feel like Sam's feelings for Faith were a bit insta-lovey, like it just slammed into him out of nowhere.  But even so, once I got past that it was great to see him go totally all in.  Even though he may have a bit of a reputation as a ladies' man, he's actually very caring and protective as well as thoughtful.  Faith really makes him work for it with her, especially in the very beginning.  I get that she's been hurt before, but I wasn't a fan of how she made assumptions about him--as he says, "you might miss out on a really great story if you judge a book by its cover".

I liked the flow of the story, and I was always engaged as I was reading.  There's a great cast of supporting characters-I enjoyed seeing ones from the previous books again as it makes me feel like I'm slipping right back into a comfortable world as I'm reading.  Although we do get to see these characters from the prior books in the series, River of Love could actually be read as a standalone without any problem.

This was a good, solid 4-star read for me, and I would recommend this for any contemporary romance fan 18+ (for adult language and sexual content).  You really can't go wrong with a Melissa Foster title, as she proves yet again here in River of Love.


Author Info
Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.



Rafflecopter Giveaway (Two Digital Copies of HEALED BY LOVE)


SALE: WELCOME TO FOREVER by Annie Rains (Hero's Welcome #1)


Welcome to Forever
Hero's Welcome #1
By: Annie Rains
Released December 1, 2015
Loveswept 


Blurb

If you love Kristan Higgins, Susan Mallery, or Jill Shalvis, you won’t want to miss the Hero’s Welcome military romance series! Welcome to Forever introduces a small coastal town where America’s best and brightest risk everything for love.

In Seaside, North Carolina, there are two kinds of people: Marines, and kids of Marines. Then there’s Kat Chandler. Recently hired as the principal of Seaside Elementary, Kat makes it her mission to turn the school into a place of peace and calm. That’s not going to be easy with hard-liner parents like Micah Peterson storming in, telling her how to do her job—and then kissing her with those gorgeous lips of his and turning her brain into mush.

As a Marine Sergeant and a single dad, Micah Peterson has just two priorities: doing his job better than anyone else, and getting the absolute best for his son, Ben. But when he meets Ben’s beautiful new principal, a different yearning shifts into focus. He wants her, sure, but he’s also moved by the connection Kat forges with her students. So after learning that she refuses to date Marines, Micah sets two more objectives: convincing Kat to give him a chance . . . and then holding on to her forever




SALE  $0.99
Buy Links


FREE Companion Short Story to WELCOME TO FOREVER

Excerpt
“Have you thought about that kiss?” she asked, as he leaned in close to fasten her seatbelt. She couldn’t control what was coming out of her mouth. “Because I have. A little.” She started laughing again. Val had warned her that she was a horrible drunk, and evidently, it was true.
“What have you thought about it?” he asked, his voice low and bristly. Her buckle snapped into place with a loud click. He could step back now, but he didn’t.
And she didn’t want him to. What was the point of being drunk if you couldn’t say and do what you wanted, and then apologize for it in the morning? No one blamed a drunk, they blamed the drink. “I thought that I liked it. The kiss. It was amazing.” She held her breath as he lingered in front of her, his hand still resting on the seat’s buckle.
“I thought the same thing.”
“You did?” She swallowed thickly, as her heart rode up her throat.
His brow lifted. “You sound surprised.”
“I’m out of practice.” She nibbled on her lower lip, drawing his gaze there. Then his gaze flicked back to her ring. Just the thought squashed the flutterings in her chest, leaving a deep ache that vibrated with the alcohol. “He’s been gone for two years,” she said.
Micah’s brows pinched together softly.
Explaining about John in her state wasn’t a good idea, though. She might start crying, which she didn’t do in front of others anymore, and right now all she wanted to do was forget everything but their kiss. That she wanted to remember. “You could kiss me again,” she said softly.
His smile deepened and, damn, he smelled good.
Leaning in closer to her ear, his hot breath melted her as he whispered, “Kat, you’ve had too much to drink. I’m taking you home now.”
Before she could process what he’d said, he stepped back and shut the Jeep’s door, the sound as offensive as if someone had crashed cymbals in her ears. A moment later, he reappeared on the driver’s side and cranked the engine, another sound that made her wince.
She closed her eyes, unsure of what to do with her drunken emotions.
“If I kiss you again, I want to be one hundred percent sure it’s what you want. Not because my almost ex is walking up and you want to help me out. Not because you’ve had too much to drink and want to escape.”
She suddenly felt very tired, as the Jeep Cherokee headed out of the parking lot. “So, you are going to kiss me again?” she asked. Before she could hear his answer, though, her eyes closed and the sounds of the road and his voice, and the blood thundering in her head, blurred together. She remembered their kiss, the feel of his stubble roughly brushing against her cheek, and the way he had smelled like pine and fudge brownies.
No, wait. His eyes reminded her of fudge brownies. He didn’t smell like them.
Her eyes fluttered open. Yeah, she was definitely going to regret tonight in the morning. 


Author Info

Annie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America's largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn't writing, she's spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors. Represented by Sarah Younger at Nancy Yost Literary Agency (NYLA).