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Thursday, December 5, 2013

Where Words Fail by Katheryn Kiden- Cover Reveal



Abby Irons has it all together.She has a life everyone envies. She’s the front man for the band Thirty Ought Six and co-owns Ironsound Records with her twin brother Alex. A girl with the world at her feet so young must be happy.

Except everything is tainted by a past that won't stop coming up. A present that is falling apart everywhere but onstage, and a future that shes not so sure about.

Deceased parents, a sick brother, a six year old niece with no mother and a band and business to keep going when everything is falling apart.
When her lead guitarist Derek admits himself into rehab for a drug problem will his replacement cause more problems than he fixes?

Jameson Williams lost the love of his life because of an addict father. Now he won't keep a woman around for more than a night and hasn't had much of a life since he got out of the Marines. His older brother pushes him to audition for a temporary guitar position for a major band and make something out of himself. When he gets it hes more than excited...Until he reaches the tour bus and meets the band.

Will his past bite him and ruin any chance of a future? 

Money,fame,love and life are all up in the air.





Photography by K Keeten Designs
 Cover Design by Melissa @MGBookCovers & Designs



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Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Lost in France (Firebird Trilogy Book One) by Jani Kay- Book Blitz and Review




Firebird Series: Lost in France

Lost in France is an erotic contemporary romance novel set in Paris, the city of Love and Romance. Part 1 of 3 in the exciting new Firebird Series.

Title:    LOST IN FRANCE
Author:   JANI KAY
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Series:   FIREBIRD TRILOGY – BOOK ONE
Release Date: November 28th 2013 (TODAY)
Cover Design By: Cover it! Designs
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Synopsis: 

Lost in France is an erotic contemporary romance novel set in Paris, the city of Love and Romance. 

Offered a thrilling new job, Rebecca flees her tormented past, putting as much distance between herself and her ex-lover, wanting a fresh beginning in a foreign city. 

On the airplane she meets Alain, a dangerously handsome Frenchman, who seduces her with his charming European ways. But her new boss, super arrogant CEO, Maxwell Grant, doesn't like her entanglement with the Frenchman; he wants Rebecca to himself...

Rebecca hates her boss and tells him in so many words - a career limiting move if ever there was one... 

Is Rebecca jumping from one hotter-than-hell fire into another? And will she finally find what she is looking for? 

My Review: 
Lost in France (Firebird Trilogy, #1)Lost in France by Jani Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rebecca is an Australian woman who has accepted an amazing job offer with a New York-based company although she will be working in France. Despite the job being everything she wants, the real bonus is that it gives her a way to put some serious distance between herself and an ex-lover who she has been in love with since high school. Rebecca meets Alain, a sexy Frenchman, on the plane and their attraction to one another quickly leads to an intense love affair. As Rebecca begins her new job and meets her new boss Maxwell Grant, she realizes that he is also very attractive man who wants her, and has a desire to make her his. Each potential relationship has its own serious challenges, and Rebecca needs to find a way to makes sure that she stays true to herself and doesn't get into a situation that will put her in the same relationship she just traveled across the globe to escape.

The hot stuff in this book is very hot! Alain is incredibly sexy, and it is easy to see how such an intense sexual relationship could start up with him so quickly. The two of them have great chemistry and it was nice to see them giving each other the things they needed.

Maxwell Grant is a strong powerful man, who is very attractive in his own right. It was nice to find out that there were some very redeeming qualities to him, because he is a harder character to decipher. One thing I did not like about him was the way he was jealous and possessive of Rebecca when on their first meeting he found out that she was seeing someone. I could understand having a strong attraction to her, but it didn't make sense that he would be shocked and angered that she was romantically attached. I didn't like the way he initially came on to her. It felt way too aggressive and seemed almost too unprofessional for his character. I'm still not sure exactly where I stand on his character, but my feelings did move from dislike to mixed. I look forward to seeing more of him in future books.

Rebecca was a fantastic character. She seems to have gotten to a point in her life where she really knows who she is, what she wants, and what she deserves. She's a smart woman who takes pride in her education and the good work she does. Her past relationship in Australia, although painful, left her with a knowledge of exactly what she would not tolerate again. The standards and boundaries she set up for herself were fantastic, and it was nice to see her standing up for those even when it was really hard for her to do so. She definitely deserves a relationship that is hers alone and where she isn't expected to be anyone's mistress. It was easy to feel a wide range of emotions while going through these experiences through Rebecca's perspective.

The only thing I really struggled with in this book was the timing of some of the intense feelings that the characters had for one another. I get instant attraction, but some of the instant feelings of deep love were a little over-the-top for me. That said, the book ended in a way that pretty much ensures the reader will be eagerly awaiting the next installment. The story takes some unexpected turns, and even though there are a lot of tough emotions at the end of this book, there is also a wonderful feeling as we see that Rebecca is a strong woman who will make sure she gets what she needs. I am excited to see what happens next!








Buy Links: 
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Author Bio:

Jani has been married for a long time to a special man, and her two children and their partners are the sunshine in her life. She is a voracious reader and would spend her last dollar on a book - always fascinated that for the mere price of a book, she can escape her world for a while and see through someone else's eyes.

Besides reading, her favorite 'thing' is traveling - she has traveled the world, learning about the ways people live and has come to the realization that no matter where we live, we all ultimately want the same things. Her hobby - Scrapbooking - keeps her up till way after midnight and her usual subjects are her family and her travels.

Ever since she can remember, Jani wanted to write stories about people, about their lives and loves. Relationships and Happiness - arguably the most difficult things to master in life and yet exactly what everyone ultimately desires (in her humble opinion).



She would love to hear from you, please email her at janikaybooks@gmail.com



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Kayden by Chelle Bliss- Cover Reveal



Kayden Michaels has a past filled with sex, addiction, and heartache. A past that he’s avoided sharing with the love of his life, Sophia, and held close to his core not risking rejection. Needing to get his addictions in check and gain control of his life for the sake of his family, Kayden is forced to confront his past and make amends for the path he’s walked.

 Kayden must recount every carnal act and the betrayal from those he’s loved to identify the triggers that spur his addictions and overcome it all to be worthy of Sophia’s love – his sole reason to exist.

Release Date ~ January 2, 2014


Purchase Links for Untangle Me


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Monday, December 2, 2013

A Leap of Faith by T. Gephart- Review!

A Leap of Faith (The Lexi Series, #2)A Leap of Faith by T. Gephart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up immediately after reading A Twist of Fate and Twisted Views: Fate's Companion. This story picks up right where we are left at the end of A Twist of Fate. Lexi and Alex are together and "out" about their relationship. Lexi is still struggling a little with her anxieties about maintaining her independence while fully opening herself up and trusting another person with her heart.

Lexi and Alex both struggle a bit as they both figure out how to live life in a serious committed relationship, when neither expected to find themselves in that situation. Lexi struggles a bit with some of her insecurities, however, for the most part she does this head-on. She acknowledges what is causing her feelings and why, and does her best to get through them so that she can move forward in a happy and healthy way. She and Alex have not lost any of the intense chemistry that first brought them together, but now they also have a deep emotional connection which just makes everything even better.

There are some pretty serious challenges faced in this book as Lexi is forced to deal with several ghosts from her past. One in particular that impacts both Lexi and Alex in a way that will be incredibly challenging for a while still. We get a much clearer picture of exactly what the family Lexi grew up with looked like. Marcy is vapid as ever, and is still attempting to get Alex back any way she can.

Through all the ups and downs of this book, it was wonderful to see Lexi really dealing with some of her baggage once and for all. Watching her let go of some control and bring some people into her life to help her felt great. It was also very rewarding to see Lexi creating the family she needs and deserves through her friendships and relationships. I'm eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series!

*a copy of the book was provided in exchange for an honest review

View all my reviews

Bitter Fruits by Sarah Daltry- Release

Book Info:
Title: Bitter Fruits (Eden’s Fall, #1)
Author: Sarah Daltry
Release Date: 12/1/2013

Publisher: Escape Publishing


Blurb:

For fans of dark urban fantasy comes a novel that questions why forbidden fruit is always the most tempting...

A vampire-themed masquerade party isn’t really her scene, but Nora is sick of frat parties and bars. When she meets Alec, the appeal suddenly becomes clear. It’s obvious that they’ve been struck by the same intense mutual attraction, but Alec keeps his distance. Intrigued despite herself, Nora pushes a little deeper — and discovers Alec’s unimaginable secret...

Nora is not afraid of following Alec into the darkness, but the choice is soon taken from her. Someone is hunting her — someone tied to the secret and desperate to see it play out. But when Nora finally meets her aggressor, she finds herself hopelessly drawn to him. She needs to make a choice between the two men, but can she save them both, knowing one is destined to die?

Praise for Bitter Fruits:
“This book is one of the best paranormals I've read, and I've read a lot. Five stars hands down! I am proud to pass it on to all of you. Buy this book, devour it and enjoy. ”




Excerpt:

He sits in front of me and brings me to his chest. Our flesh is hot and sticky where it touches and I can’t stop the ache between my legs. His breathing is ragged and he tightens his grip on the back of my head as he tries to slow it. I am hurt or angry or frustrated, but I don’t know which. He runs his hands along my entire body and I push against him, needing him and not knowing how to accept his denial.
‘I want you, Nora. I have wanted you since I saw you. You are gorgeous. However, there are secrets that... Please understand, the steps that you want to take will reveal things. This cannot end well for either of us. I don’t want to make you suffer, but I am fated to suffer. Don’t make me bring you with me into the darkness. I can’t bear to lose you.’
I sense the pain that grips him. The darkness that he speaks of sounds frightening, but I don’t feel fear when I face him and meet his eyes. ‘I will follow you anywhere. Dark or light. Stop trying to make my choices for me.’
Our lips meet again, but it is with doubt. Neither of us knows what will happen if we are to move forward, but I want to have a chance to find out.
My body is still crying out for him but now my mind is calm. I want him, but I want him when he knows that I’m ready for whatever that means. His hands touch me and his caresses are soft. We both slow our breathing and I try to let my will match his. When he pulls away, he gathers the picnic and looks at me with longing and a hunger I do not recognize. It’s not sexual, but desperate. Almost as a dying man looks in the last moments of his life.
‘In three days,’ he says, ‘I will meet you again at the church where we first met. In the meantime, I want you to look something up — and if you do not appear at the church, I’ll know that what you found changed everything.’
‘Okay,’ I say warily. I’ll do anything he asks, but his fear scares me. What kind of secrets can he possibly hold? Little right now could stop me from going to him in three days.
‘Find the name Charles Samuels. He was an Oxford student in the 1960s. And then we shall see how much of the darkness you are willing to face.’
‘I’ll look him up, but Alec, I’m going to be at the church in three days,’ I say.
‘For your sake, Nora, I hope that you’re not.’



About The Author:

Sarah Daltry writes about the regular people who populate our lives. She's written works in various genres - romance, erotica, fantasy, horror. Genre isn't as important as telling a story about people and how their lives unfold. Sarah tends to focus on YA/NA characters but she's been known to shake it up. Most of her stories are about relationships - romantic, familial, friendly - because love and empathy are the foundation of life. It doesn't matter if the story is set in contemporary NY, historical Britain, or a fantasy world in the future - human beings are most interesting in the ways they interact with others. This is the principle behind all of Sarah's stories. 

Sarah has spent most of her life in school, from her BA and MA in English and writing to teaching both at the high school and college level. She also loves studying art history and really anything because learning is fun.

When Sarah isn't writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window.

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Sunday, December 1, 2013

A Twist of Fate by T.Gephart- Review!

A Twist of Fate (The Lexi Series, #1)A Twist of Fate by T. Gephart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lexi is a hard working woman at a successful PR firm in Australia. An interesting set of circumstances leads her into the job opportunity of a lifetime. As the new PR manage for a band she has loved for years, she quickly finds an intense and mutual attraction to the band's guitar player Alex. Due to her business relationship with the band, she and Alex keep their sexual relationship secret. This becomes challenging for both of them, as does their no-strings all-sex relationship.

I enjoyed Lexi's character a lot. While she can be a little over-the-top at times, she is an interesting and assertive woman who goes after what she wants all the time. She was in a very unhealthy relationship in the past that definitely helped to shape her future. On the positive side, it made Lexi strive to be a successful woman in a field she excels in. However, she is also determined never to let someone hurt her the way she was hurt before and the way she goes about that is by having only sexual relationships with men on her terms, and never allowing herself anything that could turn into real intimacy.

Alex is pretty much fantastic in every way. He is a very talented guitarist whose band is growing more and more in its international popularity. Alex quickly falls for Lexi, and agrees to a sex-only relationship since he wants her bad enough to take whatever she will give him.

There is a lot of emotion and angst as Lexi fights to sort through her personal demons and find a way to open herself up to real friendships and real love. I love the way that these characters came into each other's lives, and I loved to see how each relationship developed. I read straight through this book once I picked it up, and then immediately moved on to the next in the series when I was finished. This book was a very pleasant surpass, and I will be reading more by this author in the future.

* A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews

Only for You by Genna Rulon- Book Tour and Enthusiastic Review!

Title:   Only for You (For You #1)
Author:  Genna Rulon
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date:  September 24, 2013
Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.
Synopsis

 “In its purest form love is self-sacrificing, eternal, selfless, enduring, truthful, forgiving and indulgent. It also feels an awful lot like a kick to the stomach when you try to fight it!“
All Everleigh Carsen wanted to do was complete her final semester at Hensley University and begin the life she carefully planned.
When a wave of violent crime seizes campus, Everleigh is persuaded to attend a school sponsored self-defense seminar by her best friend, where she meets volunteer instructor, Hunter Charles. After Everleigh’s biting sarcasm induces Hunter to eject her from class, a tempestuous relationship is born.
Everleigh is determined to forget the striking man, but fate–that fickle shrew–continuously intervenes. Unable to escape him, she declares Hunter an enemy combatant. The only complication… Hunter is resolutely pursuing vindication…by any means necessary. Verbal warfare ensues, and despite Everleigh’s ingenious efforts, in Hunter, she has finally found her equal.
Only For You is a compelling tale of friendship, desire, and redemption--brimming with intelligent characters, witty dialogue, unexpected twists, profound sorrow, unfettered hope, and love’s unassailable perseverance.

Note:  Although this is series, each novel can be read as a stand alone.

My Review:
Only For You (For You, #1)Only For You by Genna Rulon
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Who loves a ton of sexual tension and witty banter? I do! I do! This book was a very pleasant surprise for me in several ways. In reading the description I expected to like it, but I didn't expect to love it. 

Everleigh Carson is in her final semester of college and looking forward to graduating. There have been a string of attacks, and then murders of women on campus and as a result the school is offering free self-defense classes until the attacker is identified and caught. Hunter Charles is the very sexy self-defense instructor and Ev attends the class at the insistence of her roommate. Hunter ends up kicking her out of class for making a snarky comment and being disruptive. She soon finds that Hunter is in a couple of her classes, and despite her irritation with him after he shamed her in class, he has a wit that matches her own. They quickly become close friends, and despite their obviously strong chemistry Hunter makes it clear that he is not capable of more than friendship. Underlying the growing friendship and sexual tension are more and more attacks on women at the college and a more urgent need than ever to find and stop the attacker. 

Everleigh is a wonderful character, and I enjoyed experiencing the story through her perspective. She is a strong, confident, smart, and hilarious woman. I adore her friendship with her best friend and roommate Sam. Their dynamic and loyalty to one another is fierce and shows what components are most important in a friendship. Hunter is pretty incredible, and while it is frustrating to see him holding himself back despite his feelings for Ev, it is rewarding to see him be such a strong and supportive friend. Plus he's hot. Like wicked hot. And his chemistry with Everleigh practically gave me the vapors. 

One of the things I absolutely loved about this book was the way the culture of violence was addressed by the characters. A couple of really important points were made throughout the book that I really love seeing made in this context. The idea that bystanders play an important role in violence thriving is huge- and it was nice to see that concept addressed directly. Those who witness acts of overt or covert violence, but stand by silently are part of the problem and I thought the author demonstrated that concept in a wonderful way. I also like how through different characters the author shows what the challenges, benefits, and consequences of not reporting a violent act are. She helps the reader understand how and why reporting an abusive incident can be challenging, but also why it is important. 

The author also addressed how women have a different experience in life when it comes to being afraid and needing to be mindful of one's safety than men do. Obviously in a time where women are being singled out and attacked there would be more of a hyper-vigilance necessary, but the idea that in general women experience a certain level of fear and the resulting caution on a daily basis was handled thoughtfully. 

I am so glad that I read this book! I was very invested in the characters and I'm super excited to read more by this author in the future. I was pretty close to giving this one a 5. I'd say 75% of the book was a total 5, but then the last quarter of the book was just a strong 4 (which for me means still quite awesome). Overall 4.5. 

*a copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review

Oh yeah- you are definitely going to want to go and check out the chapters from Hunter's POV- which can be found on Genna Roulon's blog here: Hunter's POV



About the Author
Genna Rulon is an up and coming contemporary romance author.
During her 15 years in the corporate world, Genna, inspired by her love of reading, fantasized about penning her own stories. Encouraged by her favorite authors, many of whom are indie writers and self-published, she committed to pursuing her aspirations of writing her own novels.
Genna was raised in Long Island, New York, where she still resides, surrounded by the most amazing family and friends. Married to a wonderful man, who patiently tolerates her ramblings about whichever book she is currently working on, even feigning interest relatively convincingly! Genna is blessed with two little boys who do their best to thwart mommy’s writing time with their hilarious antics and charming extrapolations.

Connect with the Author:  Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

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