Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Cover Reveal: For the First Time Anthology

 
What a terrific line up of authors in this anthology!  Can't wait! 

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Releasing January 12th


You never forget your first time…


A brand new anthology of original, never-before-read stories from today’s hottest authors, including:

Alessandre Torre, Kim Karr, Jen Frederick, Alexa Riley, Lynda Chance, Sarah Castille, Nina Lane, CJ Roberts, Anna Zaires, Nikki Sloane, Cynthia Sax, Avery Aster, Pam Godwin, Skye Warren, Julia Sykes, Cynthia Rayne, Jenika Snow, Debra Presley, Shoshanna Evers, Tamsen Parker, and Nina Levine! 

From young heartbreak to a virginity auction, from the chance meeting to the happily ever after, twenty-one exclusive stories explore first love in all its forms. This set includes almost 200,000 words of steamy encounters and sweet romance.     

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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Review:Outtakes from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost


Cat and Bones fans, sink your teeth into this new outtakes compilation from New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost!

Indulge your love of paranormal super couple Cat and Bones with this ultimate “director’s cut” collection of deleted scenes and alternate versions from the first four novels in the Night Huntress series, complete with author commentary on each selection. Includes: the original beginnings of Halfway to the Grave, One Foot in the Grave, At Grave’s End, and Destined for an Early Grave: a chapter written in Bones’s point of view; alternate versions of sections of Halfway to the Grave, One Foot in the Grave, and Destined for an Early Grave; the “white wedding” scene between Cat and Bones that never made it into the final books…and much more!

Get it now 

Special holiday price of $2.99 in ebook from December 22nd though January 5th. After that, the price will be $3.99 for ebooks.

Order 
Amazon  ||  Kobo  || Barnes & Noble   
Audio and Print editions coming soon.

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To read a sample of what you can expect in Outtakes From The Grave, go here.


What I thought about Outtakes from the Grave

The Night Huntress series from Jeaniene Frost was one of two paranormal romance series that helped reboot my fiction reading after many years of being away from it, so this series will always have a place in my heart.  Having read many of the deleted scenes from the old Frost fans website, I wondered how much additional content would be in this selection of outtakes. (Seriously, I'd take more of these characters any day of the week.)

It was great to spend some time again with Cat and Bones and I really truly enjoyed this book.  I ended up going cover to cover in one day with it, because it was a very pleasant reading experience and I just couldn't put it down.

Each outtake starts out with a few pages from Jeaniene Frost where she sets up the scene and explains why it was cut from the published version.  These pages were golden in my humble opinion.  Ms. Frost gives the reader an insider's view of the writing process with these outtakes, and that is the gift of this book.  

The outtake scenes are sometimes funny and also show a version of Cat that is slightly different from the published version. Fans of the series will be able to tell just how Cat changed from her early versions and that was a lot of fun too.  And where would Cat be without Bones?  Yes, he's in many of these outtakes, in all his alpha Cat-loving glory and I'll bet you get the urge to reread this series when you read these outtakes.  

Overall, this is a very nice engaging and enjoyable read and I highly recommend it for fans of the series. Not only do you get more lovely Cat and Bones, you get a great view into the writing process. Thanks Jeaniene Frost, for this gift to your fans.  Rated 5 stars for the enjoyment factor.

And if you haven't read this series, start at the beginning and finish with this one, you won't be sorry. It's a must-read if you like paranormal romance.

ARC provided for review.


READ the WHOLE SERIES


Amazon  ||  Barnes & Noble  ||  KOBO  ||  Google Play

About the Author


Jeaniene Frost is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author whose works include the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, and the Broken Destiny series.  To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty different countries. Jeaniene lives in North Carolina with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she rarely cooks and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling – by car. Airplanes, children, and cook books frighten her. Jeaniene is represented by Nancy Yost at Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

Find Jeaniene on:

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Teaser:The Baller by Vi Keeland


 Blurb


The first time I met Brody Easton was in the men’s locker room.
It was my first interview as a professional sportscaster.
The famed quarterback decided to bare all.
And by all, I don’t mean he told me any of his secrets.
No.  The arrogant ass decided to drop his towel, just as I asked the first question.  On camera.
The Super Bowl MVP quickly adopted a new hobby—screwing with me.
When I pushed back, he shifted from wanting to screw with me, to wanting to screw me.
But I don’t date players.
And it’s not because I’m one of the few women working in the world of professional football.
I’d date an athlete.
It’s the other kind of player I don’t date.
You know the type.  Good looking, strong, cocky, always looking to get laid.

Brody Easton was the ultimate player.
Every woman wanted to be the one to change him.
But the truth was, all he needed was a girl worth changing for.
Turned out, I was that girl.
Simple right?
Let’s face it.  It never is.
There’s a story between once upon a time and happily ever after…
And this one is ours.

Preorder at iBooks    http://apple.co/1QM9TfP
Preorder at B&N   http://bit.ly/1Yi2xmp
Preorder at Kobo   http://bit.ly/1SEiOhC
Add to your TBR list on Goodreads  



 



About the Author





Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work.  She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!






Sunday, December 20, 2015

5 Star Review & Giveaway:Moment of Silence by Karen Stivali


Moment of Silence Synopsis:

Growing up, Jason Stern led a charmed life complete with devoted sisters, a father who was one of Brooklyn’s most respected rabbis, and a mother who made the world's best babka. He headed to NYU ready for anything—except falling for the wrong guy, coming out, and getting disowned by his once-loving family. In spite of that, Jason managed to graduate with honors. He's got friends who treat him like family, and he's proudly running the largest LGBTQ teen shelter in Manhattan. Life is good, but he's still falling for the wrong men.


When charming, sexy Quinn Fitzpatrick begins work at the shelter, Jason falls hard and fast. Quinn is tall, blond, funny—damn near perfect. Only if Quinn’s gay, even he doesn't seem to know it. If he does, he's not telling anyone. And he's about one ceremony away from becoming a Catholic priest. 

Long hours of work turn to long nights of talking and laughter, and Jason dares to hope this time he's falling for the right guy. But Quinn's got a past to deal with and major decisions to make about his future. When Quinn leaves for a silent retreat, Jason knows the silence may change everything.

Buy Links


Amazon || B&N || Kobo || Apple || Dreamspinner


What I thought about Moment of Silence

With the help of friends, Jason Stern has been able to make a life for himself after being disowned by his family. It's been tough for him, but some beautiful people took him in, helped him accomplish his goals and became his "new" family after his father tells him he's no longer his son because of his sexual orientation. 

Quinn's at a crossroads himself, preparing to be a priest and taking one last job at the LBGTQ center.  He finds someone he can hangout with in Jason, and over the course of their growing friendship, their feelings for each other change to something more serious.  

When a family accident forces Jason home, it's not just his status as disowned gay son he has to deal with.  Quinn's time at the center is coming to a close and a serious illness forces him back to the seminary.  Be prepared to have your heart shredded in that good book way when Quinn has to make a decision about what he's doing with his life -- will he choose the priesthood over the deep feelings he has for Jason?  Can Jason's heart mend if he doesn't choose him? 

I love this series of young men exploring and embracing their sexuality, and  Moment of Silence hit so many perfect notes for me, especially how it explores the family dynamic of coming out and the hurt that comes with being disowned. Karen Stivali does an awesome job of showing the pain and also pays homage to those who step in and help mend hearts broken by rejection from their family.  

The developing friendship that leads to something more between Quinn and Jason is quite lovely as well. If you're looking for a terrific M/M friends-to-lovers story, I'd recommend Moment of Silence.  I just loved everything about this installment and the series and it definitely has a place on my favorite reads of 2015 list.

ARC provided for review. 

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About the Author


 
Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She's also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romances. She writes novels about love...like real life, only hotter.



Saturday, December 19, 2015

ARC Review:5 stars for My Kind of Wonderful by Jill Shalvis


UNEXPECTED AND UNDENIABLE . . .

Bailey Moore has an agenda: skiing in the Rockies, exploring castles in Europe, ballroom dancing in Argentina. Now that she has a second lease on life, she's determined not to miss a thing. What she doesn't realize is that item #1 comes with a six-foot-one ski god hot enough to melt a polar ice cap. She doesn't want to miss out on him either, but Hudson Kincaid isn't the type of guy to love and let go. And as gorgeous as Cedar Ridge is, she's not planning to stick around.


As head of ski patrol at his family's resort, Hud thinks he's seen it all. But never has he run into someone like Bailey. She might look delicate, but her attitude is all firecracker. And her infectious joy touches something deep within him that he's been missing far too long. Now he'll just have to convince Bailey to take a chance on her biggest adventure yet . . . something rare and all kinds of wonderful.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25403556-my-kind-of-wonderful


Buy it in Print:

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Buy the eBook:

Amazon Kindle Barnes and Noble Nook Books-a-million eBook Kobo iBookGoogle Play


What I thought about My Kind of Wonderful

Oh, I do love this series.  There's something about the Kincaid siblings that just draws me in and I love their stories.  Maybe it's because the Kincaids are like most families -- they don't always see eye-to-eye, they meddle in each others lives, but they love each other with everything they have.  The banter between the siblings is so entertaining, I just want to keep reading more for that.

In My Kind of Wonderful, the romance between Hudson and Bailey isn't smooth going. Hud is not an easy guy, and Bailey has her own agenda.  She doesn't count on falling for the gorgeous, dedicated Hudson.  It's pretty doggone rocky for the most part, with Hudson mostly being a jerk and Bailey's future plans being tested by her feelings for him.  But when these two are on the same page, they are so very sweet together.

I loved that the boys are still carrying on their underwear challenge, and I thought Bailey was a really smart and sensitive woman. Hudson's mom was a great supporting character in My Kind of Wonderful. The concept of the family running the resort and basically living their lives together is fabulous fun, sometimes drama and a whole lotta love.

The ending warmed my heart. I just love these characters and their stories, and with each book I get more invested in these characters. Recommended. 

ARC provided for review.
 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

http://jillshalvis.com/

Connect With Jill

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Friday, December 18, 2015

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway:The Fix Up by Tawna Fenske

 

Uncovering this sexy geek’s charm is easy. Keeping her hands off of him is impossible. 
 
While he may look like the love child of a movie starlet and an NFL linebacker, Ben Langley has the people skills of a half-drowned porcupine. Why socialize when there are chemistry labs and bad sci-fi flicks? If he has any hope of taking the helm as CEO of the family business, Ben needs an image makeover. Pronto.

Enter Holly Colvin, owner of First Impressions public relations and branding firm, and the woman who just saved Ben from the clutches of an over-attentive sales clerk. Holly’s rebranded hundreds of companies in her career, but she’s never rebranded a person. The guy clearly needs help, though, and she’s just the woman for the job.

With the clock ticking for them both, Holly and Ben face off over wardrobe malfunctions and business jargon that sounds a lot sexier than it should. But can Holly make Ben into the man he thinks he should be without losing the man she’s starting to love?
 

Buy Links

Amazon ||  iBooks  ||  KOBO  ||  Amazon UK


Excerpt

“Look, Mr. Langley—”

“Ben,” he said.

“Ben.” Slipup number one. Yet another sign she needed to back off. “I have to be honest. This is a little outside the realm of my normal corporate branding work. I typically develop high-level campaigns to influence the public’s perception of a company or a product.”

“In this case, consider me the product. I’m the face of the company, and I need help. I’ve spent the last ten years working my ass off for Langley Enterprises, but my closest colleagues were protons and polymers.”

“I take it the protons and polymers weren’t concerned about your hairstyle?”

“What’s wrong with my hairstyle?”

“Nothing, if you’re into that whole rumpled ‘just got out of bed’ look.”

Which I kinda am.

Holly bit her lip, hoping she hadn’t offended him. Hell, maybe she should offend him. Maybe then he’d hang up himself and she’d be off the hook. “I don’t know that I’d be right for this job,” she said at last. “But if you believe First Impressions is the best PR firm for your needs, I can personally select someone from our staff to work with you.”

A silence followed for several seconds, and she wondered if the line had gone dead. Maybe he really had hung up.

“Someone else?” he said at last. “I was hoping it would be you. At least with you, I know we already work well together.”

Yeah. That was kind of the problem. If that kiss was any indication, they worked a little too well together.

“Besides,” he continued before she could voice another objection. “I reviewed the bios for your whole staff on the website. There’s no one else on your team with the same mix of skills you have in corporate branding, public speaking—”

“Ben, I’m sorry, the situation would simply be too…unusual.”

She let the word hang there between them for a moment, hoping he understood what she was driving at. Then again, even Holly wasn’t sure what she was driving at. Why was is so terrifying to imagine mixing business with a guy she found so attractive?

You know damn well why.

He cleared his throat. “If it’s a matter of money, I can assure you, I’ll pay whatever fee you think is necessary. Triple it if you think the assignment is unusual enough to warrant it.”

She grimaced and tapped her pen on the desk. The money was tempting, but she wasn’t that desperate. Was she? She closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. But I’m sure you’ll find a PR firm that’s more suited for your needs. Good luck to you.”

Then she hung up before that sexy voice could talk her into something entirely more dangerous than a job.

Like his bed.

What I thought about The Fix Up


I'll admit that I had a little bit of a struggle getting into this story at first, but Ben and Holly eventually won me over and I got invested in their story.

Holly is a career woman, business owner, and an ex-wife to a husband who saw her as eye-candy.  When she meets Ben, she's extremely attracted to him, but her past history has her very shy about getting involved, not to mention he wants to be her client.  There's a lot of reasons for Holly to not get involved but the attraction between them is strong.

Ben doesn't really want to be in the limelight as CEO, but he takes his position seriously.  He's cute, slightly socially awkward, and the kind of guy who is easy to love, because he's easy to get along with.  He's attracted to Holly and does a lot to convince her to give them a go.

This was a very sweet love story between two established professionals.  I liked that about this story, it does a nice job of showing the trade-offs made for a career. But what really got me interested in this story was the relationship between Ben and Holly.  The conflict ended a little too quickly for me at the end, and that's why I didn't give this another star on the rating.

If you are looking for a sweet contemporary romance, you might want to check this out.  

ARC provided for review.    



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About the Author
Tawna Fenske is a romantic comedy author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Her offbeat brand of romance has been praised by Booklist as “A tame Carl Hiaasen on cupid juice,” and RT Book Reviews nominated her debut novel for contemporary romance of the year. Tawna is a fourth generation Oregonian who can peel a banana with her toes and who loses an average of 20 pairs of eyeglasses per year. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband, step kids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. 


Author Email: tawnafenske@yahoo.com 

Author Website: http://www.tawnafenske.com 

Author Blog: http://tawnafenske.blogspot.com 

Author Twitter: @tawnafenske 

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TawnaFenskeBooks/?fref=ts

Review: Brimstone Hollow (Annie Gore #2) by Archer Sullivan

Following her powerful debut in The Witch’s Orchard , private investigator Annie Gore returns in Brimstone Hollow , bringing readers back to...