Sunday, June 30, 2019

#BookSpotlight - "Sara's Kaos" by CeeRee Fields

Blurb

Their torture could not break her, but his kiss shattered her.

Sara Dover never met a stranger who didn't become a friend, until Kaos. With him, she never gets it right, no matter how hard she tries. In him, she sees her perfect partner. If she could breakdown his rigid control; Sara knows an untapped passion lurks beneath it. Just as she knows she's the perfect woman to show him how to tap into it.

MeleViolent L'Kaos likes everything, and everyone, to fall in line with his orders. Designed in the Northern Scavenger Installation to bring chaos to the human race, Kaos himself hates disorder. Until he crosses paths with Sara, an impish villager who loves pranks and thrives on bringing mayhem. If he could force her to lose her spontaneity, she would be the perfect partner for him.

At least, that was Kaos's thought until the Western Scavenger installation kidnaps Sara. The longer she's gone, the more he sees what he's lost. Will they be in time to save her? And will she give him another chance to prove he's willing to dance with her on the edge of chaos?


Excerpt 

Kaos stood at Ketewah's massive gate as Maerya and others from the Slaneowa village made their way into the village.
Maerya's dark brown hair whipped around her face, and she tucked it behind her ear. Typically, the feminine gesture warmed him; instead, he pictured Sara aggressively yanking her hair into one of her many brightly colored bands. Catching sight of him, Maerya's face broke into a grin, and she moved closer. Her long tapered fingers clasped in front of her, and her steps measured. Sedate.
No bounce nor any skipping and no bubbling words came from her as she reached his side.
Gah! She's not Sara, and you need to quit comparing the two. She fits you better than Sara.
Only he couldn't stop searching for some fire or energy. Some kind of spark.
"Hello, Kaos." Even her tone was placid, no tripping over her words as she raced to get an idea out. Or to tell him she was happy to be here. Did she even want to be in Ketewah? With him?
"Maerya." He meant to lead her to the Defenders' house, but something kept him from taking that step. It felt wrong to put her there. And the why of it, he refused to examine too closely. "We've got you all set up at the Lodge."
They hadn’t as Kaos had planned for her to be near him. However, he didn’t question his instinct; instead, he turned in the opposite direction. Dor caught his eye and raced ahead of him to alert the Lodge workers of the change of plans. At least Kaos hoped that’s what the boy was doing.
The Lodge was where Ketewah placed visitors. Five stories, with twenty-five bedrooms, three dens, two libraries, a fully staffed kitchen, and several other gathering rooms scattered throughout. It housed groups while also allowing Ketewah's Council and Defenders larger venues to meet altogether when needed.
"And how have you been doing?" Maerya asked.
"Good." The conversation felt stilted and dry.
Uncomfortable, when he'd rarely been that way with this woman. Everything about her was wrong. Shaking off his trepidation, Kaos fell into step with her.
Maybe she was nervous, and he was reading into it. He was sure they would click again after she had settled into Ketewah. They exchanged a few words, but it was mostly silent as they meandered through the village to the Lodge with Kaos pointing out various structures and their purposes. Like the Bathhouse, the Cook House and so on. Every time Maerya commented in her quiet, even tone Kaos expected Sara to interrupt with a joke, a prank, or one of her inappropriate sayings to lighten the mood.
It began to hit home to him that Sara wasn't there. But even more earth-shattering for him was … he missed her.






Author Bio:

I'm a geek, a gamer, a music lover, and a voracious reader. I love Star Trek and B-grade movies like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Sharknado. I enjoy figuring out software and learning new things and applying them to whatever book I'm currently working on.

I write romantic adventures. Mostly, I live vicariously through my characters. I can be a knife-wielding forager who saves her family from deadly kidnappers or a slinky thief who must outmaneuver her sadistic cousin. My male characters aren't cookie cutter either. There's so much diversity in the world that one size does not fit all. It's the same for love. My male characters are diverse. I have several he-men, alpha types, but I also have nerds in glasses who can kickass when needed, whether in a board room or in a parking garage. I have characters who are blind and some who have lost a limb putting their lives on the line to save others.

The one thing they all have in common is they are people who learn to move past their hurdles and find love.

I can be found at:


Saturday, June 29, 2019

#BookReview – “Shadowdance” by Kristen Callihan

Blurb

Once a heart is lost in shadow...

Life has been anything but kind to Mary Chase. But the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals has given her purpose. Now she's been tasked with catching a vicious murderer dubbed the Bishop of Charing Cross. But someone is already on the case—and the last thing he relishes is a partner.

Only someone who lives in darkness can find it.

Jack Talent has been alone with his demons for many years. He never expected to have the willful Mary Chase assist him on the Bishop case. Their age-old rivalry reaches new heights—even as their desire for one another reaches a fever pitch. Though he aches to bring her close, Jack's dark secrets are a chasm between them. With dangerous enemies closing in, Jack must find the strength to face the past...or risk losing Mary forever.

Review

In book four in the Darkest London series, Mary Chase works a regulator (an agent) for SOS, a secret society that monitors supernatural creatures and keeps the humans in the dark about them. She’s also a GIM, a ghost in the machine, meaning she has a clockwork heart and can leave her body in spirit form.
Jack Talent secretly desires Mary, but his guilt and shame over an incident in his and Mary’s past has ruined any chance he might have had with her. He constantly insults and degrades her, but she responds with equal fire. Two years earlier, Jack was kidnapped and brutally tortured by several demons, and the experience has darkened his already battered soul. Revenge is the only thing he cares about, but then he’s forced to work with Mary on a high-profile murder case.
Jack is probably one of the most tormented heroes in this series, even above or equal to Archer from book one. He’s so miraculously strong for surviving the torture and then finding his way back from the darkness in his mind. Like Jack, Mary has her own secrets and hidden pain, but she had a better hold on her emotions that he did.
I’ve been rooting for this couple since book two introduced them. Even though I knew Mary and Jack would be fighting and arguing a lot, it carried on for way more than half the book and grew tiresome after a while. Once they finally talked and shared their secrets, and realized they loved one another, this story read more as a romance, instead of an adventure/suspense story. A scene at the end left me in tears. They’ve both suffered so much heartbreak, so it was wonderful seeing them finally come together.
It was also great to see Lucien, Poppy, Winston, Daisy, and Ian again. Will Thorne is a sexy, mysterious new character, and I’m sooooo anxious to read about him and Holly Evernight in the upcoming book.
There are a few unanswered questions. What will the SOS do when or if they learn about Jack’s Nex connections and that he really was Bishop? Also, what has Winston Lane been doing job-wise since the last book?
This book is a standalone, but it’s best if readers read book three, Winterblaze, first. (There are references to that story in this one that might confuse new readers.)
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I look forward to continuing the series.
4 Stars

Friday, June 28, 2019

#ReleaseDay - "Runaway Love Story" by Sadira Stone


Runaway Love Story by Sadira Stone, Book Two in the Book Nirvana Series.
Release date: June 24, 2019
ISBN(s):

978-1-5092-2704-4 Paperback 
978-1-5092-2705-1 Digital 

ASIN B07QBHS1ZQ
Page Count: 392 

Word Count: 90094 
Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance (Explicit love scenes, M/F, no kink)
Setting: Eugene, Oregon

Back-Cover Blurb:

She hates average...he's as average as they come.

High school history teacher Doug Garvey is trying to enjoy his last few weeks of summer vacation, but receiving his final divorce decree hits him harder than expected. After a brief fling fizzles, he fears love just isn't in the cards for him. If only he could find someone who's real, someone interested in something beyond herself…maybe a new running partner who can keep up with his more carnal appetite. When sexy, straight-talking Laurel runs across his path, he dares to hope again.

He's done with social-climbing posers...she's ambitious and has big dreams.

Fired from an art gallery, Laurel Jepsen shelves her pursuit of an art career in San Francisco to help her beloved great aunt Maxie move into assisted living. While out on a morning run, she's harassed by a group of teens until a tall, broad-shouldered hottie steps in, pretending to be her boyfriend with a kiss that makes her wish it were true. But she's only passing through, not looking for a relationship.

Their fierce chemistry burns up the sheets—and the couch, the shower, the forest—but falling in love would ruin everything. Laurel can't stay in Eugene, and he can't leave. Doug's only hope is to convince her the glittery life she's after could blind her to the opportunities already in her path.

Excerpt:

“I’m sorry she called you the S word.”
“Huh?”
“Sensible.”
She laughed. “Yeah. That’s a curse word, as far as I’m concerned.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. 
“I’ll strike it from my vocabulary. Your S word is sparkle.” He traced her jawline with a feather-light touch. “Look at you, Laurel. You’re blinding.” His twilight-blue gaze made her heart dance—a steamy tango with swirls and dangerous dips. He kissed her, and, for a moment, she forgot all about caution, about cutting things off before they became too serious, about San Francisco. Her focus narrowed to his lips on hers, his nearness heating her whole body, opening her like a blossom, soft and willing. Ripe for the plucking.
“God, I’ve missed you.” He scooped her legs across his lap. One hand cradling her nape, the other gripping her thigh, he kissed her senseless. His velvet tongue teased her lips apart. He tasted of sugary coffee. The world around them faded—just two bodies, calling and answering, breathing in sync, their pulses beating the same rhythm.

Book tropes and themes:

Seasoned romance (hero is 39), beta hero, teacher hero, artistic heroine, opposites attract, indie bookshop, unsupportive family, dealing with dementia, caretaking for elderly relatives, social media, small-town vs. big-city, ambition vs. family obligations, feisty old lady, heroine with commitment issues, divorced hero, running, inconvenient attraction, irresistible chemistry

Goodreads Link

Buy Links:


Author Bio:

Ever since her first kiss, Sadira’s been spinning steamy tales in her head. After leaving her teaching career in Germany, she finally tried her hand at writing one. Now she’s a happy citizen of Romancelandia, penning contemporary romance and cozy mysteries from her home in Washington State. When not writing, which is seldom, she explores the Pacific Northwest with her charming husband, enjoys the local music scene, belly dances, plays guitar badly, and gobbles all the books. Visit Sadira at www.sadirastone.com.

Inspiration for the Book Nirvana Series:


I have never had so much fun with a writing project! My first steamy romance, Through the Red Door, nearly wrote itself, though it damned sure didn't edit itself. I've totally immersed myself in the world of romance, gobbling books like popcorn, filling my ears with romance podcasts, and joining the Romance Writers of America. From skeptic to romance mega-fan in two short years, I’m totally addicted to passionate, heartfelt stories with happy endings. 


Why set the series in a bookshop? Ever since I was a wee lass, I dreamed of owning one. Add to that my fascination with historical erotic art and literature, and you’ve got the Book Nirvana series, set in an indie bookshop with an extensive erotica collection behind a locked red door.

I love stories in which a couple’s powerful physical attraction leads them to consider a partner outside their usual M.O.—one who just might turn out to be their perfect match. That’s how it happened for my husband and me, and my romance fiction contains that element.

I sort of pulled the setting out of a hat. I wanted to set my series in a college town. I’d heard that Eugene, home of the University of Oregon, has a lively arts scene and a rich counterculture legacy from the hippie era. After much online research, correspondence, and hours on Google Earth, I finally made the trip. Eugene is even lovelier than I’d imagined. Kate Rock, a resident author, kindly shared her knowledge of the city’s history and the flavor of the different neighborhoods. I look forward to many return trips.


Social Media Links


Press:

Praise for Through the Red Door (Book One in the Book Nirvana Series):

"…a beautiful love story filled with wonderful characters and if you like your romance hot, hot, hot look no further. It is a story about being able to begin anew and still love the one you lost."
-- Linda Tonis, RWA Paranormal Romance Review Team

"The erotic scenes in this book were off the charts - even the ones that were only Clara's "dreams." Ms. Stone's debut novel is a rich mix of love, sex, and thoughtful introspection as she tries to move on with her life."
-- Peggy Jaeger, author of Christmas and Cannolis

“This book is in a class by itself...from the graphic descriptions of the erotica collection that's locked in a room of widow Claire's bookstore to the hot-hot-hot interactions she has with a certain hot-hot-hot widowed professor with an intellectual interest in that collection... What elevates this book is the excellent writing, the memorable characters, and the captivating story. PLUS...parts of it are verrrry funny. I mean laugh-out-loud funny. There are also some very touching parts, too. Parts that'll bring tears to your eyes.”
-- Susan Flett Swiderski, author of Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade





Thursday, June 27, 2019

#BookBlast - "The Problem with Witches" by Joey W. Hill #Giveaway

The Problem with Witches
Crossover Novel between The Arcane Shot Series & Knights of the Boardroom Series!
Genre: Paranormal

Blurb

Ben O'Callahan has had a long day. The last thing he wants is to find a couple witches and two guys who claim to be "Guardians," aka sorcerer-style cops, lying in wait for him on the parking deck of the K&A offices. But he has information they need, about a dark witch from his past who may have plans to destroy New Orleans. Well, screw that. This is his town. Much as he'd prefer to go home to his beautiful submissive and a nice steak, a knight knows when it's time to don the armor and go fight evil. Only in this case, his lady isn't the type to wait at home. Marcie is going to fight for the city, right by his side, with the Guardians and witches who know that love is the one thing that evil can't defeat. Not if the will is strong enough. 

BUY LINK




Excerpt


In The Problem with Witches, two popular characters from Joey W. Hill’s contemporary Knights of the Board Room series cross paranormal lines to join Mikhael and Raina of In the Company of Witches, in an attempt to save the city of New Orleans…

* * *
Drip, drip, drip.

Just a leaky pipe, he told himself, shrugging it off. Ben glanced at his watch. He’d told Marcie he’d run late tonight, so when he got home, he anticipated finding her on the small nook balcony of their Garden District home. She’d be nested into the wrought iron garden chair she’d repainted a cheerful blue and placed amid the forest of blooming potted bougainvillea there. She’d have a glass of wine at her elbow, her sneakered feet propped on the rail. Her lovely face would be creased in concentration, strands of her silky blond hair framing her delicate features as she studied for the police academy exams. He tried to curb his demanding appetites while she was in study mode, which was part of why he’d chosen to work late, but pinning her to the wall and taking her hard before he fixed them a late dinner qualified as restraint for him. 

He’d probably want her once more when they finally went to bed, but she wouldn’t be studying then. Or when he woke at the 3am witching hour, which he often did. His beautiful submissive would murmur in her sleep, open to him, give him all of herself, as she took all of him, and then slip back into dreams, drawing him with her. His good witch, with her own special magic to counter the darkness of the bad stuff that disturbed his sleep in the middle of the night. He—

Drip, drip, drip.

Damn it. Ben paused, his brow furrowing. He tracked every foot of the parking deck, looking for the source. It was one thing to hear dripping from the eaves in the aftermath of a rain shower. They hadn’t had rain in three days, and this drip was like the leak from a rusty pipe, something heard underground. He didn’t like it. 

Two vehicles were on the top covered level of their parking deck, the McLaren and Lucas’s Outback, since he’d biked home this afternoon, the maniac. 

Only two cars, but the parking deck wasn’t empty.

Ben didn’t carry a gun. He was glad as hell his wife carried and knew how to use the concealed Glock she favored. But he’d learned to fight and survive without one. Had killed without one. The ability to handle a situation with wits and whatever weapons were close to hand was a skillset he’d never abandon. Never wanted to get out of the habit. 

It came in handy when a couple of assholes were trying to corner him on his own parking deck at work. 

“If you don’t come out of the shadows, the security cams can’t show me kicking your asses on YouTube. I’ve had a long day, I’ve got a beautiful woman waiting on me at home, and a good sirloin. So show yourselves, let’s get this done, or fuck off.”

The shadows to the right moved. Ben set down the briefcase and put his car at his back. As soon as the cameras did show whoever was approaching him, the alert team Kensington & Associates employed would be on their way to clean up what he left in a crumpled mess on the concrete. The cameras should have already tracked what he was dealing with, but apparently the bastards had knocked out a couple lights on that side. 

The big son of a bitch who emerged wasn’t what Ben was expecting. He wore a cowboy hat, for fuck’s sake. He also carried a white ash staff, very Gandalf-like, that didn’t blend with the worn jeans and dark blue button down he wore. But it did work with his boots, which might have been snake or alligator skin but was neither, at least no species Ben had ever seen. The scales were bronze and silver, with tinges of iridescent color. The guy wasn’t wearing them as a fashion accessory. They were scuffed, well-used.

His face was lined and rugged. Maybe forty-something, until you reached the steel-blue eyes, and then Ben thought he was looking at someone—or something—way beyond room for candles on his birthday cake. Unless the expanse of buttercream frosting was the size of a football field.

The set of the guy’s mouth and jaw said cop to Ben, no matter the odd get-up. Too often in his youth, Ben had been on the opposite side of the law, so that cop-vibe was another instinct that never went away. Yeah, he got the irony. Ben’s own wife was studying to join the blue line. God help him. 

Asshole number two stepped into the light a few feet away from Cowboy Gandalf. This one had the same cop vibe, was also tall and broad-shouldered, though he presented himself quite differently. His black suit was a Brioni bespoke, Ben was certain of it, a four- or five-figure investment. No Lord of the Rings staff for this one, but there was an odd energy vibrating around him. 

His gaze was so dark Ben couldn’t detect pupil from iris, as if that wasn’t eerie as fuck. The guy’s hair was dark, thick and silky, yet there was nothing pretty boy about the eyes. That darkness ranked up there with vampire movie effects, not so easy to laugh off in the middle of the night.

But he’d faced a lot scarier things.

“Getting bored,” he said sharply. “I do have office hours. What do you want?”

“A voodoo priestess named Elagra Bluebird Jones,” said Cowboy Gandalf.

Okay, that was one of the scarier things.

It was perhaps the last thing Ben would expect someone to say to him. Yet it wasn’t a surprise to hear it, because somewhere way deep down in his gut, he’d always known he’d have to deal with her again. 

Out of all the disturbing things that woke him at 3am, one of them actually was a witch.

To read all of Chapter One, click here: http://storywitch.com/book-ass-pww

SPECIAL OFFER!

In honor of the alliance between Ben & Marcie and Mikhael & Raina in The Problem with Witches, during the whole month of June, Hostile Takeover (Ben and Marcie's story) and In the Company of Witches (Mikhael and Raina's story) will be available for $2.99 each (normally $4.99).




AUTHOR BIO

Winner of the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement award, Joey W. Hill has published almost fifty contemporary and paranormal BDSM erotic romances, including six series. Her emotionally-intense love stories offer everything from vampires, mermaids, witches and angels, to boardroom executives, cops and simple housemaids. With her books, she hopes readers won’t “look past the sex,” but instead will “look within it,” and find a story that can touch not just the body, but also the heart and soul. 

Free novellas revisiting my characters: http://storywitch.com/series-cantrips

Giveaway

$25 Amazon GC and 2 ebooks of the readers choice from my current titles


presented by:


Monday, June 24, 2019

#BookSpotlight - "Love My Fate" by Daryl Devore

Blurb

What's a woman to do when a voice follows her home and makes mad, passionate love to her?
 Daryl Devoré’s latest is a quirky paranormal urban fantasy – Love My Fate.

Corporate businesswoman, Capricious Gray, is dragged to a sex toy convention by her best friend. After a mysterious disembodied voice helps her with her purchases, it follows her home. Passion ensues, leaving Capri torn between lust for her fantasy lover and the desperate need for reality in her life.
 Thall, son of one of the Fates, harbours the irrepressible need to be with the woman he's desired from afar for years. In order to make her his, once and for all, he must help Capri get past her fears, including the fear of what he represents - a fantasy.
Can fantasy become a reality for these two lovers?

Note: This book was previously published by New Dawning Bookfair under the title Capri’s Fate. The edition has a new title, new cover and has restored previously deleted scenes.

Tagline What's a woman to do when a voice follows her home and makes mad, passionate love to her?


I love it when I get the chance to talk with awesome characters! Here's 6 Things You Need to Know about Capri Gray...

Amber (A) - So, Capri, nice to have you join us. Have seat. Coffee?
Capri (C) – Yes, please. Cream. No Sugar.

A – Tell a little about yourself.
C – I was a senior corporate executive of a global corporation whom I refuse to even speak their name.

A – Was?
C – You have to read the story, but it involves 2 very annoying FBI agents and corporate espionage.

A – Since this is a romance - tell us about the love of your life.
C – Thall isn’t really a man. He is male. And can become a man, but he’s the son of a Fate. So he isn’t human, but he can become one.  Have I totally confused you? Because I spent a lot of time trying to understand who and or what Thall is. The one thing I did figure out is I am madly in love with him.

A – How did you meet this Thall?
C – At a sex toy convention. My best friend, Kat – who is the wild child of our friendship – ordered tickets to the event. I had to pay for them. Then she dragged me inside and…uh…well, there were a lot of things that I didn’t know existed.
Anyway, I’m walking around the place and a voice whispers in my ear. I thought I had walked through someone else’s conversation. But no, he was talking to me. Then he followed me home. And what happens after that is hot and super sexy.

In case you missed the 6 things.
Coffee – cream, no sugar
No longer works for an unnamed global corporation.
Was investigated by the FBI.
Was accused of corporate espionage.
Loves a Fate named Thall
Has a best friend name Kat.

I could have extended the list to easily 6 more items – one being a Komono Dragon. But instead, I’ll leave with the opening scene.


Excerpt

My erotic adventure began the moment he whispered, "Do you happen to own a pair of red, fuzzy handcuffs?"
~ * * ~
Well okay, it didn't exactly start there. If I'm going to be perfectly honest, I think it started with Kat's text: "Meet me at - insert name of five-star restaurant here."
Kat’s always getting me to take her out for expensive dinners. I don't mind, I'm a highly-paid executive, in a large global corporation, while she's a receptionist in a small dental office. Besides, I like good food and her company.
Kat and I have been BFFs since third grade. We were in each other's wedding parties and cried on each other's shoulders at our subsequent divorces. Now, we're each other's go-to person whenever the mood strikes. Obviously, the mood struck and it involved my credit card. I texted back a reply –"Xavier's. 6 pm."
~ * * ~
Kat waited outside the restaurant when my cab pulled up to the curb. "Timing or what? I just got here."
After the requisite cheek kiss, we stepped up to the Maitre D'. He smiled his I-must-be-friendly-because-they're-guests smile and escorted us to our table. We ordered drinks and chatted. We talked about the weather, her new dress, my job—you know, just old—no, scratch old, put long-time—girlfriend stuff.
After a diet conscious meal, followed by a calorie-loaded dessert, we waited outside for a taxi.
"Do you trust me?" With a goofy grin on her face, Kat's dark chocolate mellowed-from-too-much-wine, eyes gazed at me.
Having seen that innocent demeanour before; it meant nothing but trouble. I was a bit wary. Okay, a lot wary! The last time she'd gawked at me like that and asked the same brainless question, we ended up at a frat house beer slosh during Homecoming and I wasn't in college anymore.
A cab pulled up and stopped. She grabbed my arm and dragged me into it. "Convention Centre."
I slid next to her and shut the car door. "What's at the convention centre?"
"That's the trust me bit." She raised her hands and flicked two fingers up and down at the words trust me.
You have to love air quotes.
I checked my cell for messages then glanced at her. "Is this going to get me arrested? Again?"
She shook her head.
"Is it going to get me hit on—again—by horny, beer-soaked, college drunks?"
Kat giggled.
"Is that a yes or a no?"
"Nope. Not going to tell you. You need to trust me."
Air quotes.
Again.


Buy Links




Bio and Social Media Links

Two writers in one. Daryl Devoré writes hot romances with sexy heroes and strong heroines. Victoria Adams is Daryl's alter ego when she's inspired to write sweet romances with little to no heat.

Daryl (@daryldevore) lives in an old farmhouse in Ontario, Canada, with her husband, two black cats - Licorice and Ginny-Furr Purrkins - and some house ghosts. Her daughter is grown and has flown the nest. Daryl loves to take long walks on her quiet country road or snowshoe across the back acres, and in the summer, kayak along the St. Lawrence River. She has touched a moon rock, a mammoth, and a meteorite. She’s been deep in the ocean in a submarine, flown high over Niagara Falls in a helicopter, and used the ladies room in a royal palace. Life’s an adventure and Daryl’s having fun living it.