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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Teaser Tuesday! Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Alright ladies and gents! This marks the last Teaser Tuesday of October! This week I am bringing to you a book from one of my fav. authors, Kresely Cole. I hope you all know and love her as much as I do. Poison Princess is part of a brand new series for her, and is creeping up my TBR as we speak (Not fast enough if you ask me!)

 

Before we get started, here's a little synop. action to get you familiar:  

 

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side….

 

TEASER #1


He stood, unfolding his tall frame. He had to be more than six feet in height, even taller than Brand. He had on scuffed boots, worn jeans, and a black T-shirt that stretched tight over his chest. 

Beside him was a couple on a bike--a kid in camo pants and a girl in a pleather miniskirt. The big boy helped her off the bike, easily swinging her up--

"Wheh-hell," Catherine said, "good to know her panties are hot pink. Shocked she's wearing them, actually. Classy with a capital K."

Mel nodded thoughtfully. "I finally understand who buys vajazzling kits."

 

TEASER #2

I gazed behind me, saw the same five kids from earlier. 

Now I was ready to meld into the upholstery. 

Each of them was dressed in dark clothes; among our student body's ever-present khaki and bright couture, they stood out like bruises. 

The biggest boy--the one who'd leered at me--ramped over the curb to the quad, pulling right up on the side of the park. The others followed. I noticed their bikes all had mismatched parts. Likely stolen. 

"Who are they?" I asked. "Have they come to start trouble?" 

Grace answered, "Haven't you heard? They're a bunch of juvies from Basin High School." 


Yep, I'm sold! Needless to say, Poison Princess had a few contenders ahead of it, but no more! It's next on the chopping block because it's just too tempting to resist. 

Add it to your Goodreads or buy it on Amazon!


Friday, October 26, 2012

Giveaway of Stitch by Samantha Durante

I don't know about you, but for me it's been a long week full of excitement and anticipation leading up to this point. I am honored to be a part of Samantha's blog tour and to have the chance to introduce to you a new author who has written really great story that proved to me that sometimes it pays to break out of the norm and try something new.Trust me, that doesn't happen often!

 

So, by now you should all be familiar with Stitch. If not, then I strongly encourage you to check out my review and my interview with the author herself

 

Before we jump into the giveaway, here is a quick recap of the book to freshen your memories:  

 

 

Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.

Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence.  In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees - and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell - Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless.  But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.

Because what Alessa hasn't figured out yet is that she's not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university's idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface...

The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.


Sounds great, right? It is! Alright, now that I know you're good and thoroughly hooked, you are free to enter this awesome giveaway =) 

 



 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Author Interview with Samantha Durante



Today I would like to welcome the author of Stitch, Samantha Durante. She has written an amazing story steeped in...well, everything. You get a little romance, a little mystery, a haunting, some conspiracy, and a big slap-you-in-the-face twist. Who can possibly say no to that? 

 




Name: Samantha Durante

Book: Stitch (Stitch Trilogy, Book 1)

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance/Dystopian Sci-Fi

1. Tell us about yourself.  Where are you from and what do you do (besides writing)?
Thanks so much for having me today, Brandi!  My name is Samantha Durante and I’m a brand new author – Stitch is my very first book!  I live in New York City with my husband and my cat, but we’re moving soon to a home we purchased in Westchester County right outside the city.  We were just married in September (right in the middle of the Stitch Blog Tour!) and are in the middle of fixing up our new home before we move in, so that’s what’s been keeping me busy most recently!

2. Tell us about your book.  What is it about?
Stitch is a young adult science fiction novel where nothing is as it seems.  The main character, Alessa, is a college freshman who’s having trouble adjusting to some recent big changes in her life, and the fact that she keeps seeing a ghost around her sorority house is not making anything easier on her.  She can’t seem to get the ghost out of her head, and on top of that, she’s having recurring nightmares about being in some kind of prison, so with all of that going on, she’s really struggling just to get her work done and have a social life.  And then as she delves more into the ghost’s history, she uncovers a secret that turns her life upside down and she realizes that nothing about her life is what she once thought…  I can’t say too much more without giving all the good stuff away :-) but I’ll tell you that Stitch starts out presenting itself as a paranormal romance, but there’s a big sci-fi twist that morphs the book into more of a dystopian, so it’s very different than a lot of stuff that’s come before!

3. Where did the inspiration come from? (e.g. fact/fiction, reading, personal interest/passion, a story someone told you, personal experience).
Stitch was inspired by a combination of books, movies, TV shows and personal interests, so there’s a little bit of a lot of things in there!  I love long, immersive sci-fi/fantasy series, so I knew off the bat that I wanted it to be a trilogy, and I decided to just take elements that I loved from other stories and see if I could combine them all into one and see if I could find a way to make it all make sense.  So there’s the paranormal romance element – with a ghost (instead of a vampire/werewolf) since I’ve always been fascinated by ghosts – plus a dystopian society (I just can’t get enough dystopian!), a little spacetime physics, a lot of suspense, a crazy twist, an intricate conspiracy, strong female leads, you name it!  Stitch is a mash-up of a lot of great stuff which I think came together nicely to create something a little different.  :-)

4. Is there a little of yourself in any of your characters? If so, who?
Absolutely.  For most of my characters, and particularly Alessa, I just tried to put myself in their shoes and think about how I would react to their situation.  (Since Stitch was my first book, I figured that’d be easier than trying to figure out how someone else would react!)  I wanted my characters to be realistic and normal and relatable, not the crazy extremes you see so often in a lot of fictional characters.

5. What do you do to relax?
Read!  What else?  Haha.

6. What do you think is the greatest challenge about being an independent author?
The greatest challenge is just going it alone.  I’m a brand new author, and I’ll be the first to admit that I have no idea what I’m doing.  Luckily, I have a supportive network of family and friends (and new blogger friends!) who have been INCREDIBLY helpful every step of the way, from helping me edit and proofread to critiquing cover designs to getting the word out about Stitch.  I’ve made abundant use of resources on the internet for independent authors (and even started compiling some of my own on my website, since I’m so grateful to the people who took the time to do this before me!) and just have tried not to be shy about asking people for their help with promoting the book.  So far it’s been quite an adventure!

7. What advice would you give to aspiring indie authors?
Don’t give up!  It’s easy to lose confidence after a couple rejections or less-than-stellar reviews when you don’t have a team of trusted professionals (agent, editor, publisher, etc.) behind you reminding you that you’ve done something great.  But just remember that if you’ve written something you love, other people are sure to love it too, so just be persistent in getting it in front of as many readers as possible.  And don’t be afraid to ask for help!  There are TONS of amazing people out there who want to see you succeed, so you just need to seek them out and ask for their assistance.  This blog tour has really reaffirmed the overall goodness of people for me – everyone has been so incredibly supportive and helpful, and I feel very lucky to have made the contacts I have.  And I just found all these great blogs from searching online and reaching out to them!  So you can do it, too.

8. What do you enjoy most/least about writing?
What I love most about writing is having the freedom to create any world I want and share that world with readers.  It’s so exciting to see other people getting into this place and these characters that I made up – it’s just so much fun!

As for what I like least, I’d have to say it’s the flipside of what I love most.  Sharing your work with the world is opening yourself up to criticism and (especially on the internet) ridicule, and it’s impossible for everyone who reads your book to like it (just look at the reviews on any of the classics!).  So those negative comments are going to come whether you like it or not, and you just have to be prepared to learn what you can from them and not let them overshadow all the positive.

9. Do other authors inspire your writing? If so, how?
Oh, yes!  I absolutely love to read, and getting so much enjoyment from the work of so many other authors is what inspired me to write in the first place.  Other authors continually impress me with their creativity and their way with words and their dedication to helping other authors succeed, so I am constantly getting inspired every time I read!

10. What is your favorite book? Why?
I don’t think I can pick one favorite!  But I’ve read Pride and Prejudice more times than any other book, and I love it more every time I pick it up, so I have to go with that one.  Jane Austen just really knows how to charm me!

11. Anything specific you want the readers to know about you and/or your book?
I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has read Stitch and recommended it to their friends and left a review online – you can’t even know how much those things mean to me, and how incredibly important they are to helping Stitch succeed!  So thank you for all your support!  And I’m absolutely reading all your feedback and incorporating it into my plans for Book 2, so keep the ideas coming!

Just for fun:
a. Plotter or pantser? Plotter.  I’m definitely not a “by the seat of my pants” kind of gal – I have a plan for everything!
b. Summer or winter? Summer!  I love to be outside in the sun and swim and hike.
c. Beach or mountains? Can’t I have both?
d. Morning person or night owl? Morning.  I feel so productive when I get things done early!
e. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla ice cream with chocolate magic shell, yummm.
f. Favorite food? Cheese.  I never met a cheese I didn’t like!
g. Favorite TV show? The Vampire Diaries.  I can’t get enough.

Please include whatever links you want:

Website & Blog: www.samanthadurante.com

Get Your Copy of Stitch:                                                                                                                                                                Amazon (print $9.99 & Kindle $2.99)
Barnes & Noble (Nook $2.99)
Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $2.99)
Also available in the iTunes store ($2.99 e-book)

What a great interview! Thank you, Samantha for joining us today :) If you missed my review of Stitch on Monday, I encourage you to take a look here. I hope everyone is adding Stitch to their library right now, if not, you should. You're totally missing out right now. Also, don't forget to stop back Friday and enter the giveaway for a copy of Stitch!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Wicked After Dark Blog Hop!

Welcome to my stop on the Wicked After Dark Blog Hop, and  big thank you to Nikki and Natasha for organizing and hosting this event! 

 

 

 

Candy, spooky decorations, and scary movies...It's no secret that one of my favorite holidays is Halloween. So in honor of the Wicked After Dark theme, I will be giving away three (3) great prizes to one (1) lucky winner: 

*Addicted to Magic is the 1st book in a witchy series. Shiver is a collection of three spooky and thrilling short stories.*

 

 

This giveaway is international!




Don't forget to stop by these other great blogs for more fantastic giveaways! 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Review of Stitch by Samantha Durante

As you all know, I love to support authors, especially indie authors, which is why I am so excited to be a host on Stitch Blog Tour. We're kicking off this week with a review of Samantha Durante's Stitch, followed by an interview with the author herself on Wednesday and a super awesome giveaway Friday, so be sure to stick around! 



Author: Samantha Durante
Date Published: July 30, 2012
ASIN: B008RC3NAM


Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.

Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees - and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell - Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.

Because what Alessa hasn't figured out yet is that she's not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university's idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface...

The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.




*Samantha was kind enough to provide me with a copy of Stitch in exchange for my fair and honest review, so here it is. Enjoy!  

I hardly ever read a synopsis, and when I do, I promptly forget it and just know that I wanted to read it and so I do. With Stitch all I knew was that it had a ghost story involved, and that was enough to hook me. Initially, when I started reading, I was captured by the vivid descriptions and laid back style of writing. That element remained constant throughout the book, but I still struggled a bit with keeping truly involved in the storyline. It was just that the plot had a tendency to drag a bit, but it delivered just enough sightings of the "ghost" to keep me intrigued. Then, at about 1/3 of the way through, everything just clicked. The only way I can describe it would be a train starting up. From a dead stop, it almost seems to take forever to get going, but then it starts to build up momentum and before you know it, you're speeding down the tracks. The thing of it is, if you have patience, you'll appreciate the beginning so much more. It's like a slow build up to something bigger and grander than you ever expected.

The author has clearly spent a lot of time doing extensive research into the paranormal and physics, because I certainly felt like I learned something reading this story. And while it was an original plot, I can also see where she might have drawn some of her influence. Stitch has a mash-up of Hunger Games meets Quantum Leap meets Somewhere in Time meets....something else (give me a minute to think of it...). Oh well, I think you know where I am going with this. The point is, it has a little of everything that we may have seen in other books, movies, tv shows, but it holds its own in an entirely unique way. Stitch has so much going on, I dare anyone to be bored or turned off by it. It gives you a bit of everything: paranormal, romance, suspense, conspiracy, and stuffs it all into a neat little package and wraps it in dystopian paper. Sounds pretty, right? It is.

I honestly didn't know if I would like this book going in--It's my first dystopian, after all--but I had high hopes for it. What I can tell you now is that it won't be my last. In fact, the next dystopian I pick up will probably be Stitch's sequel because I want to see what happens to these characters. I'm invested in their world now! I encourage anyone who hasn't tried dystopian before to give it a shot, starting with Stitch. It has the right balance of everything you probably already read to ease you into the genre, which is exactly what I need when trying something new. I don't think you could possibly be disappointed.





Can't wait to check it out? You can download the first five (5) chapters here!

Stitch sports a 4.5/5 star overall rating and is available on Amazon.





Friday, October 19, 2012

Review of Wide Awake-Academy of the Fallen Series by Daniele Lanzarotta

Author: Daniele Lanzarotta
Date Published: May 25, 2011
Publisher: Rocket Science Productions
ASIN: B0052TMTE4
 
 
Kayla is a 16-year-old girl who was adopted when she was little. She lives a normal life, with great friends, loving adoptive parents, and well... a not-so-great boyfriend. But the reason why she was given up for adoption was far from any usual reason. She was meant to be kept away from the Academy and anything else related to the supernatural beings that could hurt her.

Unfortunately for Kayla, it was only a matter of time before she encountered the creatures from the Otherworld, and there is just no running away from the beings that she can now see.

In trying to protect Kayla by keeping her away from the Academy, she may have just been put in even more danger.




This is one of those stories that I had a lot of hopes for, and it just didn't deliver to my expectations. The story started off good, and the characters were well-developed. I hated her boyfriend from the second he pulled her aside at the museum, and I loved Kayla what she jumped to cut him off at the pass. The girl has guts. Only, when she starts being followed by "ghosts," not so much.

The whole story started off with this creepy vibe, and the fact that Kayla is haunted really made me want to stick with it. Add to that the outcast hero, Hunter, who holds a considerable amount of mystery himself, and the story moved along in the same direction any teenage romance would, which is good. However, for all we do learn about what is really going on, we are left in the dark on so much more. What is the secret surrounding Hunter, exactly? That is the biggest question for me, and I feel like I was running around in circles, close but never able to figure it out. And there were other things I took issue with.

One problem for me was the considerable amount of typos and grammatical errors. No book is perfect, and I have made this clear in any review I have ever written where I run into this problem. Only if they are plentiful does it ever really bother me. Fact is, I was surprised that the author had an editor or was even traditionally published. The language the characters used was not how people really talk. There was a huge lack of contractions, which would have made it so much easier to read instead of jerky as it was. Punctuation was also a major problem, which affected readability. Finally, the so called cliffhanger was weak. Instead of, say, revealing Hunter's secret, we were left with *SPOILER ALERT* a confession that he "might" be in love with Kayla. Somehow, that is just not enough make me desperate to find out what happens next, which is disappointing, because I really wanted to love this story. I don't know if I will be reading the next in the series yet, but if I do, it will be somewhere down the line. I'm in no hurry. This is a good YA book for a rainy day.




Wide Awake has a 4.8/5 star overall rating and is available on Amazon

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Review of Lawful Escort by Tina Folsom

Lawful Escort is a sexy contemporary romance

When Daniel has to travel to San Francisco and needs an escort for a social event, the beautiful Sabrina shows up on his doorstep. Little does he know that she's not an escort. Their encounter quickly turns steamy until lies threaten to destroy their passionate affair.


This book opened like another book I have read before (Fifty Shades, anyone?)where the best friend/roommate falls ill and suckers her wholesome friend into substituting for her, only this time it isn't an interview she'll be going for.

I instantly liked Daniel. Who wouldn't? The man was completely betrayed by his girlfriend and lawyer from the opening chapter. Not that it ruined his week or anything. Daniel is clearly a workaholic and wasn't all that emotionally attached anyway, making you wonder, was it just that he was emotionally unavailable in general, or was it just that the right woman hadn't come along yet to sweep him off his feet? (Yes, I think men should be swept off their feet too sometimes!)

I also took an instant liking to Sabrina. She was, as I said, wholesome, yet vibrant and successful and well, the perfect fit for Daniel if you ask me. So when these two finally met, I was rooting for their success. Of course, Daniel doesn't know she isn't an escort and since she is a stand-in for her friend, Holly, he doesn't actually know her name either. All this confusion makes for a messy romance that is as passionate as it is nerve wracking. You never know how either one is going to react when the faced with the truth!

The affair turns to love in about two days. Yes, two days! Only, unlike in a lot of stories I read, it was totally and completely believable. I found myself stopping to count them out just to be sure. The two were so connected that I actually felt like they had been together for weeks. Color me surprised! The author did a fantastic job weaving two characters and their lives together in such a short amount of time that it's almost mind-blowing. Definitely a book that sucks you in and a worthwhile read!



Lawful Escort boasts a 4.3/5 star overall rating and is available on Amazon FREE! Can't pass up a deal like that, can you?



Monday, October 15, 2012

Indie Author Feature and Giveaway! 

This week I would like to introduce Stephen Bradlee, author of Falling in Love.

Genre: Women's fiction
Publication: August 9, 2012
Purchase you copy on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble
Add Falling in Love to your Goodreads TBR list!

Description:

Sherry Johnson is young, beautiful, bright and athletic. She has everything going for her, except for one thing. She is addicted to love. Her life is a vicious circle of nightly trysts and morning regrets. Her addiction got her kicked out of college, cost her the love of her life and has left her in complete despair. But still Sherry keeps falling in love. And falling. And falling. Finally, as Sherry struggles to pull herself up from a bottomless abyss, she realizes that she will have to learn to love the one person she has loathed for most of her life. Herself.

Based on the True Story of a Young Woman's Battle with Sexual Addiction.


What people are saying: 

"5 Stars is not sufficient to rate a book which rips at the heartstrings, breaks the reader’s heart over and over, and yet-despite witnessing the protagonist hit bottom so many times-leaves us with hope that yes, there can be good come out of wrong, that there may be joy in the morning, that just maybe there is hope in each of our lives if we will but persevere to find it."

"As compelling as the storyline was, the characters really made the story come to life."

"What a breathtaking story. It is so captivating that I read it in a day."   

“I liked the writing style. I enjoyed it.”

To learn more about Stephen and read a free sample of Falling in Love, check out his website

Before you go, enter to win one of 3 eBook copies of  Falling in Love. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as the prize will be delivered in the form of a Smashwords coupon via EMAIL.




Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Teaser Tuesday!

Is it that time of the week already?? Time has been flying lately! This week's teaser comes from a book I have been anxiously waiting to read, You Against Me, by Jenny Downham.

About the book: 

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another.



Teaser #1

"Coming in," he shouted. He sounded as if he was trying to convince himself. It made her smile. Shs recognized that male bravado from Tom, convincing yourself at the same time as you convinced everyone else Her dad did it with maps.  

He tucked his knees and jumped like she had. He yelled, all arms and legs, and a splash so big she had to turn her face away. When she looked back he'd disappeared beneath the water. She watched the bubbles and waited. 

He came up gasping for air. "God, it's cold." He looked as if he was crying as the water clung to his eyelashes and dripped down his cheeks. 

"Feels good though, eh?"

"It's freezing!"

She swam to him, smiling. "Can't you handle it?"

He splashed her. She splashed him back. He tried to dunk her but he didn't know she was fast and could get away from him easily. She let him almost catch her, then sank beneath the surface, came up behind him and dunked him first. She swam away laughing. She floated on her back and looked at the sky. She hoped she looked thin and in control. The way her lungs stretched and accommodated made her feel like an athlete. 

Teaser #2

"I like how you know things," he said, and he looked right at her. 

"You do?" 

"I like a lot about you, in fact."

It sounded like such a line, she laughed. 

"Your lips are blue," he said. 

He reached across and touched her mouth with his fingers as if he could brush the cold away. And it was astonishing the things her body did in response--her heart racing, the crazy adrenaline rush. She wanted to kiss his finger. Or lick it. She wanted him to put it in her mouth. 

"You don't exactly look warm yourself," she whispered. 

"Maybe we should get out then."

But neither of them moved. 



What do you think? Did it suck you in? 

You Against Me has an overall 4.1/5 star rating and is available on Amazon .





Saturday, October 6, 2012

Review of Down to You by M. Leighton

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance- Please be advised that this book is NOT YA friendly, not even in a New Adult category!

The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not.

Olivia Townsend is nothing special. She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business. She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple. Black and white.

But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport. They’re brothers. Twins.
Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy. He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost. He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her.

Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy. He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate. But he’s taken. Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin. That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though. With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.

Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can. But it’s too late to run. Olivia’s already involved. And in love. With both of them.

Both brothers make her heart tremble. Both brothers set her body on fire.

She wants them both.

And they want her.

How will she ever choose between them?



Yes, How will she ever choose?!


Wow, okay. The first book I read from this author was The Wild Ones and it was so good, I snatched this one up right after. Lord, even better! Is that even possible? Apparently so. Let me just say, this book is hilarious. I think I spent the first half grinning like a freaking loon, and once, I laughed outright. I couldn't help it. There is no shortage of painfully awkward yet wildly humorous moments.

The characters:

Cash is, like...words fail me he is so hot. And his brother, Nash....yeah, just wow. How is a girl to choose? Unfortunately, that's just what Olivia has to do. Gorgeous bad boy or his equally gorgeous brother who is seemingly the total package. There's just one catch, he's taken. Or is he?

This story has a wicked twist that I honestly didn't see coming until about 70% through. I think it has something to do with the blinding wall of male testosterone and raging female hormones that clouded my judgment until it was too late to turn back. Hey, at least I am being honest here. I don't envy Olivia's situation. Okay, I do. I totally do. I know I probably come off as some gushing teenager, so I will leave you with this: I have no complaints. None. The story is well-developed, the characters are delightful, delicious, and dangerous for your mental health (but in a good way!), and you really can't afford NOT to read it. I don't even know why you are still reading this. Go get the book! 




Down to You is available for purchase on Amazon!


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Brotherhood Teaser!

For those of you who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of A Warrior's Betrayal, I have a treat for you: A portion of the first chapter! Enjoy, and don't forget to leave your thoughts! I'd love to hear them :)

 


Chapter One


A roar born of true rage filled the narrow alleyway as a flash of searing heat pierced muscle and scraped past bone. The demon’s ochre eyes widened as Behr closed his fist around his own and slowly drew him closer until they were standing nose to nose. Baring his teeth in a vicious snarl, Behr wrenched the demon’s curved blade from his thigh and, curling the demon’s wrist back in on him, he returned the gesture with a sharp thrust, driving the blade into his chest. With a sizzle and pop and a brief flash of light, the demon disintegrated. 

Brushing his leathers clean of demon soot, Behr retrieved his weapons and slipped them back into the scabbard on his chest and at his waist. A deep inhale and a moment later, he materialized just outside the door to his new, 21st-century two-story Craftsman, smoothing his hair and straightening his collar, trying his best to look presentable. There wasn’t shit he could do about the blood running down his leg, but that wasn’t anything new. 

There had always been a bit of a demon problem no matter what corner of the world you were in, but since The Gate cracked open a couple months back, an untold number had managed to escape. If he had to guess, he would say thousands, maybe more. All he knew was that the streets were teaming with the little shits, and he was on a mission to wipe them all out. So far, he had spent every night combing residential neighborhoods, alleys, bars; especially the bars. Hey, you never know. Demons liked hot chicks in strappy leather just as much as the next guy. 

The kicker was that Erias was still missing, more than likely never coming back. He had made some sort of deal with the Prince of Darkness, and considering how he went out—all sorts of dramatic flare—well, he didn’t want to waste any more time dwelling on that. He had much more pressing matters to be concerned about these days, such as the fact that his brother’s woman was shacked up at his place, too afraid to leave the house, and was sleeping in his bed every night.  As though he could ward off the nightmares that plagued her, she pressed her tight little body all up on him, making sleep hopeless while leaving him with feelings that he would rather not examine too closely. To top it all off, he was perpetually tired, horny, and irritable. 

Christ on a cracker, he was turning into a woman! 

One more sweep of his leathers told him that he was as clean and put together as he was going to get—slaying demon spawn and getting stabbed in the process had a bad habit of turning out that way. With an unsteady hand, Behr pulled out his keys, slipped the right one into the lock and twisted the tumblers into position. It would have been easier to just flash inside, but he always needed that added moment to pull himself together and come down after a night of back alley fighting. The door opened with a swish and he stepped inside. 

Behr stood in the doorway leaking vital bodily fluid all over the clean white tile, and he couldn’t care less. As he stepped into the living room, he saw Cheyenne with her riot of auburn waves tumbling down her back as she sat on the couch ingesting something on the television with one of those rare, but beautiful smiles gracing her lovely face.  It was enough to make any man stare death in the face and laugh. And whoa, where had that thought come from? 

Stomping the errant thought to dust, Behr glanced at the shaggy blonde head of his old pal Dehstroy, who reclined beside her. When he and Erias had ventured into the pits of Tartarus to save Cheyenne, the last thing he’d expected to find was a withered shell of a man he once looked up to for guidance and support. 

With no home to go back to and no one left alive to care for him, Behr had opened his door freely, but nothing could have prepared him for the man he had become. Normally, a person would expect that a man who had spent centuries in a demon prison and experienced all kinds of unimaginable torture would have become hardened and cold. Not Dehstroy. In fact, he was much as Behr remembered him; cool, calm and collected—the very picture of control. If he didn’t already know that the guy hadn’t been around for the sixties love and peace movement, he would peg him for a hippie. Except, when you got to know him, you realized he was much more Encino Man than flower power.
Dehstroy had missed so much that he was completely out of touch. Everything that he took for granted, Dehstroy was only now discovering. He had to treat him with kid gloves, ease him into the world one nudie bar at a time, or risk an incident like last time, something he didn’t even want to think about. Still gave him nightmares.
He shuddered a little. 

Despite all that, there were still worse things to come out of Dehstroy’s time in hell. For instance, the fact that, now that his tongue had grown back, he simply didn’t know when to shut the hell up. In a way, he really was like a kid. He questioned everything from music to street signs. Of course, Behr understood that it must be pretty hard to be thrust into a world that had evolved by leaps and bounds, rather than being eased into its changes the way he had. The guy was just trying to get his bearings, and one day he would, but that didn’t mean that Behr didn’t entertain fantasies here and there of cutting his tongue out again just to get a little peace and quiet. He was also the reason why he sometimes chose to go solo like he had tonight. It wasn’t that he was ditching the man, but, yeah, he basically was. Every now and again a man just needed to break away and be alone with his thoughts, and Dehstroy respected that, proving that even though most days the guy grated his every nerve ending raw, he was still cool peeps. 

Despite his constant irritation, though, Cheyenne seemed to enjoy his company, and that was really all that mattered. 

“I’m gonna go change,” Behr informed them both, and got a little wave and a grunt in return. “I’m glad you’re finally home,” he grumbled in a parody of a woman’s voice as he trudged past them and climbed the stairs with care, each step sending a flare of pain shooting down his leg. “I missed you every moment you were away.” 

“Wah, wah, wah,” Dehstroy mockingly tossed over his shoulder, and didn’t that just make Behr want to turn back around and give the old fart a kick in the gut. But Cheyenne would kill him for getting blood on the carpet again, so he decided to play nice and just flip the old man off instead.
“Boys!” came Cheyenne’s warning. 

It was as if Chy had eyes in the back of her head. No way could she have seen his response. Behr smiled as he reached the top step and headed for the bathroom. Nothing like a woman to keep the men in line.  

It didn’t take him long to wash away the blood, tend his wounds and redress himself in a pair of comfortable, loose-fitting pajama pants. Behr silently praised himself for his clean efficiency. It seemed he had become quite a pro after all these millennia. 

Finding his comrades still in the living room, Behr eased back into the couch—being careful not to tear the fresh stitching in his thigh—sandwiching Cheyenne between his big body and Dehstroy’s.

“What are we watching?” he asked, but didn’t have to wait for an answer.

“Everything seems so unreal.”
“You, sir, are the most phantom-like of all.”

Behr groaned. “Another poorly made Bronte movie, ladies?” 

Cheyenne spared him a plaintive look, and Dehstroy ignored the cutting remark. “I don’t understand your aversion, Brother. As one who lived it, I find it to be a rather soothing, albeit somewhat distressing, reminder of a time long passed, where things were simpler, time moved at a steady pace, and the women were genteel while the men were well-groomed and mannered.”

Shaking his head, Behr’s eyes didn’t leave the screen as he spoke. 

“In case it has escaped you—and considering your advanced age, it certainly may have—I also recall those days, and often fondly.” 

Hell, when had he reverted back to proper English? If he had a cup of tea on hand, he wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to find his pinkie angling upward. 

“Look, the point is, there are like, what, twenty versions of Jane Eyre?” He looked to Cheyenne for confirmation, but she just shrugged, clearly unwilling to join their argument. “I have yet to find one suitable to the book. It seems to me that the Bronte sisters, reclusive and unworldly as they were, fashioned better drivel than the people who merely scooped up the material and put it to film.”

Dehstroy’s eyes darkened. “Did you just call this…masterpiece….’drivel’?” 

Behr’s body tensed, readying for a possible fight. 

“Boys!” Cheyenne finally cut in. She gave them each a hard stare, the longest of which lingered on Behr, as if he was the instigator! 

Behr’s eyes widened with feigned innocence. “What?”

“Don’t what me, mister,” she chided. “You’re always picking. Now, I want everyone to shush it so I can finish this movie. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Behr and Dehstroy said like a couple of scorned children, and turned back to the movie. Twenty minutes later, and he still couldn’t get into it. He glanced over Cheyenne’s head at Dehstroy, and felt his face twist wryly. There he sat watching his old mentor, who was capable of single-handedly taking down an entire army with only a sword, drying his misty eyes on his shirtsleeves. Oh, how the mighty had fallen! It was both appalling and painful to witness. 

Cheyenne sniffed, and Behr’s gaze fell to her face. A lone tear broke free and streaked down her cheek. His chest constricted at the sight, and he threw his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer and assuming that big brother roll once again. 


And there it is! A Warrior's Betrayal is finishing up editing as we speak. Are you all as excited as I am??

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