Jun 05

Pretty Instinct by SE Hall Review

21933947

5 Smooches!

kis kis kis kis kis

Synopsis

“If opposites attract, then I am nothing. Because you, you are everything.”

There’s no easy road traveled to such an intense sentiment, one I never dreamt I’d feel…

But I also never planned on Cannon Blackwell climbing aboard my tour bus.

Review

I have gotten to be a ridiculously huge fan of SE Hall’s books over the past couple of months.  I started with Emerge, the first in her Evolve Series, and have been hooked.  Her writing is witty, emotional, and angsty.  All the things I love!  Pretty Instinct had all of these in spades.  I didn’t know what the hell this book was about going from the very short synopsis, but HOLLA, I was blown away.

Lizzie is a young girl with a ton of responsibilities.  Caring for her brother and band mates is a full time job.  She loves it but she isn’t free.  She isn’t living for herself and following her dreams.  She is simply living for others and harbouring resentment for a past that no one can change, until she meets Cannon Blackwell, a snarky guitar playing hottie, at a rest area.

Cannon and Lizzie’s chemistry is off the charts right from the beginning.  I really did love Lizzie’s character.  She is sarcastic, hilarious, a hard ass, and a really giving person all at the same time.  She just made my heart smile.

“You are not in charge, Cannon Blackwell.  You do not eat my pussy or pay my bills, so you don’t get a say.”

Cannon does manage to tare down some of Lizzie’s walls with his pure sweetness and lyrical words.  He is a true romantic and makes his feelings known from the very beginning even if Lizzie is crazy stubborn.

“Trust me with your pain, Lizzie, please.  Trust me with your anger, confusion, resentment, fear, and all those feelings of powerlessness.  Give it all to me.  I will carry it, you, and us to the other side.”

Seriously, Cannon was my favorite character.  So swoon worthy and gentlemanly one second, and forceful and alpha-dirty the next.

10341770_10154134385280414_8943965541758419490_n

God, this book really was just perfect.  It made me laugh, cry, and cheer for my favorites.  It is a story about forgiving and moving on.  About love and family.

Amie

Buy It Now

Jun 05

Fixing Justice by Suzanne HAlliday Blog Tour and Giveaway

Sometimes the last thing you need is exactly what you get… 
He’s the sexy 007 type complete with tuxedo and an icy blue stare. 
She’s a tom-boy waif who’s more nerd than goddess. 
When Tori Bennett ends up at the Justice Brothers compound in the Arizona desert, 
she’s running away from an epic scandal with her in the starring role as whistleblower. 
She’d had enough of powerful, arrogant men, and just wanted to 
fly off the radar for a while and get her confidence back. 
Draegyn St. John was all that and then some…and he knew it. 
As if being a trust-fund kid with the blonde good looks of a Nordic god wasn’t enough, 
he was also a Special Forces Vet with a serious attitude. Women fell at his feet. 
It wasn’t even a challenge. Until Victoria Bennett comes along and rocks 
his high and mighty world in a very big way. 
Sparks fly each time they meet. When an agency crisis throws them together on an out-of-town trip, their business relationship becomes personal in a hurry. For Drae, it’s an itch he needs to scratch and for Tori, it’s a flat out case of lust. No harm, no foul, right? 
Find out what happens when her smart mouth and refusal to take anybody’s crap meets his powerful arrogance. When what happened in Vegas, didn’t stay in Vegas,everyone is in for one shock after another!
 
 
Fixing Justice is the 2nd book in the Justice Brothers series.
 
Add Broken Justice (Book 1) to your Goodreads
Add Fixing Justice (Book 2) to your Goodreads
Fixing Justice on Barnes & Noble
About the Author:
 
 
Suzanne Halliday writes what she knows and what she loves – sexy adult contemporary romance with strong men and spirited women. Her love for creating short stories for friends and family has developed into a passion for writing romantic fiction with a sensual edge. She finds the world of digital, self-publishing to be the perfect platform for sharing her stories and also for what she enjoys most of all – reading. When she’s not on a deadline you’ll find her loading up on books to devour.
Currently a wanderer, she and her family divide their time between the east and west coast, somehow always managing to get the seasons mixed up. When not digging out from snow or trying to stay cool in the desert, you can find her in the kitchen, 80’s hair band music playing in the background, kids running in and out, laptop on with way too many screens open, something awesome in the oven, and a mug of hot tea clutched in one hand.
Enter Suzanne’s Rafflecopter to win one of two $20 Amazon Cards!!
 

Jun 05

Fixing Justice by Suzanne Halliday Review

22149121

4.5 Smooches!

kis kis kis kis kis4

Synopsis

Sometimes the last thing you need is exactly what you get…
He’s the sexy 007 type complete with tuxedo and an icy blue stare.
She’s a tom-boy waif who’s more nerd than goddess.

When Tori Bennett ends up at the Justice Brothers compound in the Arizona desert,
she’s running away from an epic scandal with her in the starring role as whistleblower.
She’d had enough of powerful, arrogant men, and just wanted to
fly off the radar for a while and get her confidence back.

Draegyn St. John was all that and then some…and he knew it.
As if being a trust-fund kid with the blonde good looks of a Nordic god wasn’t enough,
he was also a Special Forces Vet with a serious attitude. Women fell at his feet.
It wasn’t even a challenge. Until Victoria Bennett comes along and rocks
his high and mighty world in a very big way.

Sparks fly each time they meet. When an agency crisis throws them together on an out-of-town trip, their business relationship becomes personal in a hurry. For Drae, it’s an itch he needs to scratch and for Tori, it’s a flat out case of lust. No harm, no foul, right?

Find out what happens when her smart mouth and refusal to take anybody’s crap meets his powerful arrogance. When what happened in Vegas, didn’t stay in Vegas,everyone is in for one shock after another!

Review

This book starts off with us learning a little bit more about the closed off abrupt Draegyn. Drae is talking us through his past and his family life, we get to understand more as to why he is like he is. We also get to meet Tori, tori seems a little bit of a shy girl, but once she opens her mouth she is quite the little spitfire.

Drae comes in last minute to attend the wedding of Lacey and Cam, so he doesn’t know who the girl in the shadows is until he approaches her. She is the new assistant to Alex. Meaning she is going to around a lot, this seems to unsettle Drae who can’t stop thinking about the little assistant. “She’s piqued his curiosity, that was for sure. If he were being honest, he’d have to admit that the way she had run off threw him just a bit. Usually, his well practices charm earned him more than a quick dismissal.”

Tori is hiding from a recent scandal and likes to keep herself sheltered and isolated. She doesn’t want any attention from anyone and goes out of the way to ensure this happens, until Drae. One emotional night for her turns into much more when Drae comes to her side and comforts her. The tension between the two soon escalates into a full out holy smokes session against a wall. Well until one of them seems to halt the brakes, and dismisses it causing hurt feelings. “It was just a kiss, Victoria. No big deal.”

Unfortunately for Drae and Tori they are expected to spend 3 days in each other’s company sorting out an issue in Vegas. The passion and heat between these soon kicks up a few hundred notches when they are alone in their room. Meeting some new friends along the way, we soon discover that what happens in Vegas, doesn’t stay in Vegas. It follows you home. They bring back with them not one but two secrets, both of which are life changing.

I love the banter between Tori and Drae, they both don’t like to back down and they both want to stick it to the other. This leads to a few rather comical discussions between them. When things go wrong from the things that happened in Vegas, the fallout is not pretty. We have a few annoyed males, an emotional female, a letter of resignation and a shock to the system for the playboy Drae.

The book had the perfect ending to Tori and Drae’s story. They got the outcome that I felt they deserved and I was pleased that he finally got himself together and realised what he was missing. Well done Suzanne on another fantastic and gripping book. Looking forward to Alex’s story.

Stacey

Buy It Now

Jun 05

Lead Me Not by A. Meredith Walters Paperback Cover Reveal

We are so excited to reveal the paperback cover for Lead Me Not!

In this dangerously sexy novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Find You in the Dark, a straight-laced college student meets a handsome but enigmatic stranger who lures her into an underground club scene, where she finds it difficult to resist temptationAubrey Duncan understands loss. She knows what rock bottom looks like, and she is determined to crawl back up to the top after the sudden death of her younger sister. She blames herself for her part in the tragedy, convinced that she could have done something, anything, to help her.In her effort to gain redemption, Aubrey starts fresh at Longwood University and facilitates an addiction support group, hoping she can support someone else in the way she failed her sister. But what she doesn’t count on is an all-consuming fascination with group member Maxx Demelo, a gorgeous, blond, blue-eyed enigma who hides dark secrets behind a carefully constructed mask. He only reveals what he wants others to see. But Aubrey glimpses another Maxx hidden below the surface—a Maxx who is drowning in his own personal hell.

As Aubrey and Maxx develop an attraction too intense to ignore, he pulls her into the dark underbelly of the city club scene, where she is torn by her desire to save him and an inexplicable urge to join him in his downward spiral. Worst of all, she is beginning to love everything she should run away from—a man who threatens to ignite in her a fire that could burn her alive…

RELEASE DATE AUGUST 5, 2014
EXCERPT

 

His eyes were piercing in their
directness and I knew he wasn’t fooled by my attempts at sarcasm and
nonchalance.  My uncomfortable attraction to him, that had begun only a
few days before, practically oozed from my pours.  It was mortifying
And I knew I needed to shut this
down.  For both of our sakes. It wasn’t appropriate.  And he was
making me feel…disconcerted.
   “Well, I think the
group is going to be really helpful.  I’m sure you’ll get a lot out of
it,” I said lamely, hoping he got the point.  It seemed extremely
important to remind us both of who I was and what my role was in his
life.  I needed to reinforce where I belonged.  I was a counselor in
training.  Someone to guide him on a difficult journey.
 Nothing more.
  Maxx gave me a look that
was hard to decipher.  “I hope you’re right,” he said, running a dirty
hand across his face, leaving a smudge along the bridge of his nose.
 I had to clench my hand into a
fist in order to resist the urge to wipe it away.  And I knew there was
more than my OCD at work here.
   His words unsettled
me.  Was I reading a subtext that wasn’t there?  Or was he
purposefully communicating something that I had yet to figure out?
  My guess was the latter.
  He suddenly dropped his eyes
and I was surprised by the vulnerability that danced across his face.
   “I really hope
you’re right,” he said softly and I didn’t know whether the comment was for him
or for me. 
   I tilted my head at
him, looking at him closely.  He seemed lost in thought and I wondered
what had him so consumed. 
  I couldn’t help but be
curious about him. He made it impossible not to be.  He was obviously a
complicated man with a complicated past.  I was simultaneously intrigued
and annoyed that I was intrigued.
Because there was a definite line I
shouldn’t cross.  So why after meeting this man once was that boundary so
hard for me to remember?
  Maxx frowned and opened his
mouth, then closed it again.  Then he looked at me and I watched as his
face smoothed over and any sign of openness was lost.

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including The Find You in the Dark and Bad Rep series as well as the upcoming stand alone romance, Reclaiming the Sand, and a dark new adult series for Gallery Books.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

When not writing (or being tortured with all manner of beauty products at the hand of her very imaginative and extremely girly daughter), she is eating chocolate, watching reality television that could rot your brain and reading a smutty novel or two.

A. Meredith is represented by Michelle Johnson with the Inklings Literary Agency.

 

Jun 05

InkHeart Authors Top 10 Summer Reads

summertopten

If you love a steamy new adult novel, then check out this list,
curated by InkHeart Authors…
Betcha can’t buy just one!

linebreak

ABrideForABillionaire_draft

For fans of Cruel Intentions and Dangerous Liaisons…

Matteo Benenati has spent his life wrapped in wealth and privilege. He is shallow, selfish, jaded—and he likes it that way.

When bold American art student Riley Tremaine crashes into his life, her light forces him to examine the dark places inside of his soul, the ones he thought he’d buried with his father. He knows he should let her go… but he’s never claimed to be a good man.

When Matteo is pitted against his unscrupulous stepsister Emilia Guerra in a bid for his late father’s empire, he must decide between honor and vice. In need of a wife—and desperate to possess her—Matteo makes Riley an offer she can’t refuse. She will be his bride—in every meaning of the word—so that he can protect his legacy.

But Matteo soon learns that Emilia’s soul is darker even than his own. And by marrying Riley, he has made her a pawn in a power struggle that could shatter their world.


Nook

linebreak

 

Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee JonesInfinite Possibilities by Lisa Renee Jones

Infinite possibilities….

Infinite passion…..

Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loved to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard down, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

Nook
Kobo

Infinite Possibilities Book 2

Secrets and lies. They are everywhere: haunting her, tormenting her. In the midst of it all, he’d been her escape, her passion. The only person she’d trusted in six years. And then he’d made her doubt that trust, cutting her deeply. But as she’d once told him, she was damaged, not broken. She is ready to fight and not just for survival. She is fighting for the truth and she won’t stop until she has it, not even for…him.

 Nook
Kobo

linebreak

entice

Chase Winter let the love of his life slip through his fingers and into the hands of his best friend and mafia boss of the Abandonato family. Now that he’s been given a second chance to right a wrong, he refuses to let his own selfishness stand in the way. The only problem? He’s not fully in possession of his heart, so when Mil De Lange — the girl who’s innocence he stole and heir to the worst of the worst mafia families in the US — asks him for a favor… he says yes, not realizing that one yes has the power to destroy them all.

Mil’s been in love with Chase Winter as long as she can remember, but as the years went by, love turned into hate, and now that he’s agreed to help her, she’s wondering if she made a fatal error. Because Chase isn’t a teenager anymore. He’s a hot-blooded male, bent on owning every part of her, body and soul, and he’s willing to kill anyone in his path who dares stand in the way.
Secrets will finally be revealed… but make no mistake, it’s going to take a lot of bloodshed for those truths to be discovered.

You’ve never read a New Adult Mafia story like this before. Loyalties will be tested, lovers reunited, and friendships obliterated.

Welcome to the Family. Blood in — No out.

Nook

linebreak

 

breathe into me

How did my life get so broken? It’s a question Lacey St. James asks herself every day. Stuck raising her little brother in a trailer park while she works a dead end job at a grocery store, she has a stalker ex-boyfriend, a bad reputation, and no way out.

And then she meets Everett, whose presence changes her entire existence.

Everett is an outsider to her small community, in town for the summer housesitting one of the grand mansions off the Mississippi coast. When he saves her in a bar one night, she’s grateful but wary of his intentions. Lacey doesn’t trust most men in her life, but for reasons Lacey can’t understand, Everett is completely captivated by her. He’s determined to show her that life can offer more than she’d ever hoped for, if only she believes in herself. As she works with him to free herself, Lacey desperately yearns to trust him, to move on and perhaps start fresh.

But what happens when she finds out that everything he’s told her about himself was a lie?

 Nook
Kobo

linebreak

 

hollow

Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Disaster in this thrilling and sexy debut novel, in which a college student learns her perfect life is a lie and finds new love where she least expects it—a mental institution.

Freaks, misfits, and psychopaths. Those are the kinds of people found at Newton Heights Psychiatric Hospital, and high-society girl Lucy White’s new home.

Freaks, misfits, and Jayden McCray. Jayden has his own set of rules for life at Newton Heights, and in this enigma, Lucy finds a way to live with the events that left her cheating boyfriend and best friend dead—and Lucy in the middle of the investigation into their demise.

The problem? Jayden makes her want things she’s not supposed to have, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality and making Lucy feel more at home in Newton Heights than she ever did at home. But this isn’t how her life is supposed to be…

 Nook

linebreak
stupid girl

 

Only fools fall in love…

After her senior year of high school leaves behind nothing but heartache, Olivia Beaumont is sure of this: She’s no stupid girl. She sets out for Winston College, promising herself that she will remain focused on her first and only love – astronomy. But all it takes is cocky sophomore Brax Jenkins and an accidental collision with a football, to throw her entire year off course.

A quick-tempered Southie who escaped the inner city streets of Boston to pitch for Winston, Brax is known to play way more fields than just the baseball diamond. So, when his name is drawn to take part in his fraternity’s hazing dare, Brax eagerly accepts the mission to take Olivia’s virginity. But he doesn’t plan on falling hard for the sweet and sassy Texas girl who sees right through his bad-boy persona.

As Olivia and Brax battle their feelings for each other, echoes of the past year begin to surface. A boy who once turned Olivia’s whole world upside down reappears, and “harmless” pranks wreak havoc. Pretty soon the aspiring astronomer is on the verge of revealing her most difficult, heartbreaking secret. All the while, Brax must wrestle with the irrevocable dare, and Olivia struggles against all logic as she does the one thing only a stupid girl would do: fall in love.

 Nook
Kobo

linebreak
hands on

When Alexis Cassidy, an overweight, self conscious college sophomore, takes an au pair job in Greece, sitting for the daughter of Nikko Georgiou, a gorgeous, billionaire CEO, she knows he’s just the guy to give her the sexual experiences she’s looking for. Too bad he’s her boss, which means he’s hands off. But when she glimpses his hot neighbor through her bedroom window, she can’t help but wonder if he’d be interested in teaching a full figured girl a thing or two between the sheets, at the night club…in the hot tub.

Nikko catches the way his new au pair looks at Dimitri, his business partner/neighbor, and instantly knows what she wants. Since he and Dimitri share everything, professionally and personally, they put together a seductive plan…give Alexis the authentic Greek experience she’s after, all the while showing her that four hands are better than two.

Nook
Kobo

linebreak
fast and mine

Geeky college student Claire Thomas suffers a humiliating rejection from the man of her dreams, and vows to learn the tricks of seduction. Her friends have the perfect tutor—Yardley College’s gorgeous king of one-night-stands, Sawyer Tremaine. Claire makes a wild proposal to Sawyer: she’ll tutor him in exchange for lessons in pleasuring a man. But she doesn’t know he’s more interested in giving her the hottest sensual pleasure imaginable than in teaching her skills.

Sawyer is the hottest and fastest rider on the East Coast illegal street bike racing circuit, but he’s fighting to escape the dangerous world and its high-stakes gambling. His psychotic ‘sponsor’ will go to any lengths to force him to ride. Can Sawyer break free and protect Claire—or will he lose her once she learns the dark secrets of his past?

Book 1, Yardley College Bikers. For readers 18 +. Previously published in the New York Times bestselling Riding Desire Box Set.

 Nook
Kobo

linebreak
thethrill

**The first book in the USA Today Bestselling No Regrets series**

A new adult story of Love. Sex. Addiction. Blackmail. And Power…
Some say love can be an addiction. Others say it’s the thing that makes life worth living. Let me tell you everything I know about love… Love isn’t patient, love isn’t kind. Love is a game, a chase. A thrill. Love is wild and war-like, and every man and woman must fight for themselves. At least that’s how it was for me. A high-priced virgin call girl by the time I started college, I was addicted to love and to sex. Even though I’ve never had either. I controlled love, played it, and held the world in the palm of my hands. Then I fell down from those highs, and I’m being blackmailed for all my mistakes, forced to keep secrets from everyone, except the only guy I don’t regret.
Trey.
**** With all the other women, I knew what they were. They were temporary. They were pills, they were bottles, they took away all the pain, and numbed the awful memories that wore away at my ragged, wasted heart. Until I met Harley. She’s the only girl I ever missed when she walked away. But now she’s back in my life, every day, and there are no guarantees for us, especially since I don’t know how to tell her my secrets. What happened to my family. All I know is she’s the closest I’ve ever come to something real, and I want to feel every second of it.
How can you love with no regrets when regret is all you know?

 Nook
Kobo

linebreak
RandomActsOfFantasy_1600x2400

You ever really think that you’ll win the lottery? Meet Mr. Right? How about two Mr. Rights?

Somehow the universe is handing me everything I want (except for that lottery part…), and I don’t like it. Not one little bit. Because just when you get all your dreams handed to you on a silver platter, that’s when an airplane dumps its sewage on your house. Or your mama’s diabetes takes a bad turn. Or your mobile phone gets stuck in your hoohaw.

(What? It happens…)

Boring old average me got everything I wanted already, moving from small-town Ohio to big-city Boston to follow my heart. So when the fancy invitation offering me a pile of money to come with the band, Random Acts of Crazy, to perform on an island resort and be their manager arrived, I thought it was a cosmic joke. Enough money to help my mama get what she needed, five days in sunny paradise, and a shot at greatness for the band? Unreal. One big shoe was waiting to drop. On my head.

Just like no one really ever finds a naked man wearing only a guitar standing by the side of the road hitchhiking and ends up falling in love with him and his friend and moving halfway across the country for true love, no one gets an invitation to come to what turns out to be a resort where people make what me and Joe and Trevor do together look like a chaste peck on the cheek. But…

Well.

I guess these things do happen.

To me.

Nook
Kobo

 

Jun 04

Beware by Shanora Williams Blog Tour and Giveaway

Synopsis

Ace is bad.

Very bad.

After losing my brother, I know I should stay away. So why can’t I?

He’s irresistible. He’s confident. He’s amazing… but he’s dangerous.

He was there the night my brother was murdered. He watched it all go down.

I should stay away. The things I saw weren’t acceptable.

I should want Ace as far away from me as possible—I should consider him a monster and a threat—but when my life is at stake I know I no longer have a choice of the matter. He’s the only one that can protect me.

He’s done what he can to keep me out of danger, but it’s not enough. I need answers. I need the truth. He refuses to give it to me, and because of that I don’t trust him. He refuses to tell me what really happened and to just forget about it but I refuse.

I won’t back down until I get answers.

But there’s one thing wrong with getting too many answers. It leads to lies. It leads to trouble. It leads to danger. But worst of all, it leads to me falling deeply and madly in love with him.

I’ve gotta be out of my mind.

London Stallone hasn’t always had the perfect life, but she did have the perfect older brother. He did everything for her. He took care of her when no one else would. He’s always been the shoulder she could lean on, but when he ends up murdered, things turn for the worst.

London soon demands answers, and the first person she runs to is her brother’s co-worker and good friend, Donovan “Ace” Crow. Ace isn’t the ordinary guy. He doesn’t come equipped with flowers and chocolate. He doesn’t hand out smiles and hugs to every female he meets. He’s strict and only about business, and London believes he’s a part of the reason her brother was murdered.

Soon, after finding out life-threatening news, it leads to something Ace never thought he’d have to do for anyone.

Protect her.

Although he doesn’t want her to get hurt, it doesn’t stop him from being selfish or bitter. He’s promised to protect her, but has he done enough? Has he sacrificed everything in order to keep London out of harms way?

Sometimes love can get in the way of your priorities. And sometimes love can easily become your enemy—you worst nightmare. It can destroy you.

This is a story full of dishonesty. Disloyalty. Broken hearts. Pain. Suffering. Lies. Destruction. This isn’t a fairytale love story. This is real. And it just might break you.

You’ve been warned…

BEWARE!

Buy Now

 

 

add-to-goodreads-button31

 

Excerpt

Footsteps start up the complex stairs. They’re heavy. Slow. I try to control my breathing, but it’s nearly impossible. I’m terrified. My heart is pounding in my chest. The room that was once my sanctuary – my getaway—now feels like a trap. A prison. I can hardly breathe.

Sealing my eyes, I listen as his footsteps get closer to my door until finally he stops. It’s quiet for a moment. I think he’s got his ear to the door, hoping to hear something.

Then, he bangs on it, and I gasp. I don’t get up though. He can’t get in. The door is locked, and the chain is on. I don’t think he’d be dumb enough to kick the door in, knowing I have neighbors. Good thing they’re nosey. They’ll come looking for the noise immediately just to complain.

“London, I know you’re in there! Car’s in the parking lot.” His voice is no longer calm and casual. It’s angry and demanding. “Open the door.”

I don’t say anything, but I do stand and hold the knife in front of me just in case. I slowly walk out of my bedroom and towards the living room.

“Open it or I’ll kick it down. I don’t give a fuck who sees me.”

I gulp and gasp at the same time, producing an unexpected and very loud burp. It’s certainly loud enough for Ace to hear.

Instantly, the door swings open and hits the wall with a forceful thud. I scream as I fall on my side. When I look up, Ace is standing between the frames of the door, adjusting his tie. All I can make out is his shadow, but I can feel his eyes hard on me.

Stepping inside, he coolly shuts the door behind him. I scramble away with the knife in my hand. When I get to my feet, I dash for my bedroom and grab the telephone. He chases after me, warning me not to do anything stupid.

I dial 9, but I’m not given the chance to finish. He snatches the phone out of my hand and slams it down. I spin around, bringing the butcher knife in front of me again. Ace takes a quick step back, glaring down at the sharp blade piercing the darkness. Then, a slow smirk forms on his lips, the lips I hate that I once admired.

“I’ll cut you,” I threaten.

“You won’t,” he says boldly.

“I won’t?” I hiss, bringing the edge of the blade to his neck. “Don’t test me. I will.”

He raises his hands in the air, shaking his head. “When’s the last time you sharpened this thing, huh? Three years ago? It’s as dull as a fucking nun.”

“I don’t give a shit! I can still cut you with it! Just… sit down!” I demand, circling him, knife still clutched in my hands and at his neck. “On the bed.”

He frowns. “No.”

“I don’t wanna hurt you, but if I have to I will!” I shout, voice wavering.

“That’s the thing… you won’t.” His tone is even.

I keep my tears back and my emotions behind me for now. I don’t want him to think I’m weak. I don’t want him to get away either. But deep inside, I know I won’t hurt him. I won’t cut him. I’m too afraid to shed blood after seeing so much already.

With a bored sigh, Ace snatches the knife out of my hand and tosses it out of my bedroom. It skids across the hard, wooden floorboards, causing a clanking noise that makes my ears ring. I gasp and scramble after it, but he grabs my arm and shoves me against the nearest wall. It’s not a hard shove. Nor does it hurt. But I’m still afraid.

As I tremble, he brings one of his large hands up and locks my face between his fingers. His eyes stare deeply into mine, and his nostrils flare. From the slit of light filtering in through my window, he looks pissed. I know he’s going to kill me. I’m a witness.

“Listen to me,” he grumbles. His warm breath spills down my chest, across my cleavage. “I told you I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” I breathe, voice shaky.

“I won’t. I’m not the one that killed Jonah. They did.” Hearing Jonah’s name causes fiery tears to build in my eyes.

“It’s your fault. I know it. Why wouldn’t they kill you, too?” I ask. “What were you doing there anyway? Why was Jonah there? Why did they kill him?” All of this is spilling out of me. I’m outraged. I’m pissed that Ace is still alive and my brother isn’t. I’m terrified. I’m… I’m a mess.

“Listen to me!” he demands, releasing my face to lock his hands on my shoulders. “I don’t know why they killed Jonah, alright? I don’t know why they didn’t kill me. But you have to understand… it’s what we do. It’s what Jonah signed up for. It’s business, and we can’t help when shit gets bloody.”

I process his words, giving them some thought. “So… you’re the one that got him into that shit? What is it? What’d you promise him? I know Jonah, and I know he wouldn’t do something this bad without getting something in exchange.”

“I didn’t promise him shit.” Ace runs one hand through his slick hair. “He knew what he was getting into. He was money-hungry, just like everyone else. It was a mistake… him coming to Atlanta.”

“How was that a mistake?” I demand. “I invited him. I graduated!”

Ace tilts his chin to meet my eyes. His are dark, and if I’m not mistaken, watery. I’m not given the chance to figure it out completely because he blinks, and just like that, he’s angry again. “Don’t go to the cops. It’ll only get you killed.”

And with that, he releases me and walks out of my bedroom. I follow after him, grabbing his arm before he can get out the front door. “Killed by who? You?” I’m keeping my voice steady, but deep inside, I’m scared out of my fucking mind.

Ace stares at me briefly. He then slides his fingers into his front pockets, turns his back to me, and walks out my splintered front door.

Teaser

 

 

MeetTheAuthor

 

 

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author Shanora Williams considers herself a wondrous, down-to-earth author who’s all about romance, paranormal, and the historical fiction. Coffee and Oreos are her addiction. Reading is a necessity. Whenever she isn’t writing or reading, she’s most likely spending her time with family and loved ones, or watching hit TV series on Netflix.

 

 

HOSTED BY:

EJ Button

Jun 04

Beware by Shanora Williams Review

20436980

4.5 Smooches!

kis kis kis kis kis4

Synopsis

Ace is bad.
Very bad.
After losing my brother, I know I should stay away. So why can’t I?
He’s irresistible. He’s confident. He’s amazing… but he’s dangerous.
He was there the night my brother was murdered. He watched it all go down.
I should stay away. The things I saw weren’t acceptable.
I should want Ace as far away from me as possible—I should consider him a monster and a threat—but when my life is at stake I know I no longer have a choice of the matter. He’s the only one that can protect me.
He’s done what he can to keep me out of danger, but it’s not enough. I need answers. I need the truth. He refuses to give it to me, and because of that I don’t trust him. He refuses to tell me what really happened and to just forget about it but I refuse.
I won’t back down until I get answers.
But there’s one thing wrong with getting too many answers. It leads to lies. It leads to trouble. It leads to danger. But worst of all, it leads to me falling deeply and madly in love with him.
I’ve gotta be out of my mind.

London Stallone hasn’t always had the perfect life, but she did have the perfect older brother. He did everything for her. He took care of her when no one else would. He’s always been the shoulder she could lean on, but when he ends up murdered, things turn for the worst.
London soon demands answers, and the first person she runs to is her brother’s co-worker and good friend, Donovan “Ace” Crow. Ace isn’t the ordinary guy. He doesn’t come equipped with flowers and chocolate. He doesn’t hand out smiles and hugs to every female he meets. He’s strict and only about business, and London believes he’s a part of the reason her brother was murdered.
Soon, after finding out life-threatening news, it leads to something Ace never thought he’d have to do for anyone.
Protect her.
Although he doesn’t want her to get hurt, it doesn’t stop him from being selfish or bitter. He’s promised to protect her, but has he done enough? Has he sacrificed everything in order to keep London out of harms way?
Sometimes love can get in the way of your priorities. And sometimes love can easily become your enemy—you worst nightmare. It can destroy you.

This is a story full of dishonesty. Disloyalty. Broken hearts. Pain. Suffering. Lies. Destruction. This isn’t a fairytale love story. This is real. And it just might break you.
You’ve been warned…

BEWARE.

Review

I want to start by saying that this was my very first book by Shanora Williams.  It did not disappoint.  This was a story  of tragedy and destruction.  I loved the realism of this book.  It wasn’t fluffy.  It didn’t sugar coat the life of a man running an illegal business or the people that he loves and how it affects them.

London is blissfully unaware of a lot of things in her life.  Things like what her brother does for a living.  How he makes his money and who he works for.  He has been taking care of her for a long time, but she has no idea how.  Her life drastically changes in moments and she finds herself under the protection of her brothers friend, Ace.  Ace is mean and self serving and obviously involved in illegal activities, but London cannot squelch her attraction to him and Ace cannot seem to stay away from London, even though he is hiding something.

Ace is a really bad dude.  It was hard to love him most of this book.  He was manipulative and sneaky.  Cocky and archaic, while still being sexy as sin.

“It’ll be tough getting her to listen, but if there’s one thing I know about myself, it’s that I can convince anyone into anything.

Especially a woman.”

London is really naive most of the book and mostly I just felt incredibly sad for all the loss and heartache she has had in her short life.  She wants to trust Ace and finds him irresistibly attractive but a tiny part of her knows that he isn’t just keeping her around to protect her.

The sexual chemistry between these two is simply off the charts!  It was raw, dirty, and rough.  Oh so damn hot!

“Because I’m gonna make sure I’m the best you ever fucking had.  And by the time we’redone–after these three months–you won’t regret anything but the fact that you’re going home and that you’ll be far away from the only man that can truly satisfy you.”

Shanora really kept me guessing most of this book.  What did he do for living?  What was he keeping London around for?  The questions go on and on and I just kept turning the pages.  I did not really expect the outcome of it all.  I have seen reviews about how everyone hated the ending of this book.  I did not.  I thought it was fitting.  I needed to trust and love Ace and I just quite didn’t but that ending sealed the deal for me.  I now love him and want more.  I loved that ending.  It was perfect, but I sure wouldn’t mind another book. (crossing my fingers)

10360449_10154194069125414_771138613549775723_n

Amie

Buy It Now

Jun 04

New Title and Cover Reveal REVEALED The Missing Years by Aleatha Romig

unnamed

Book #4 of the Consequences Series:

The unexpected fourth novel of the Consequences Series, REVEALED: The Missing Years is…

“The captivating missing piece that completes one of the most intricate, enthralling, and suspenseful stories I’ve ever read.” – Vilma’s Book Blog

Readers saw what happened on that fateful afternoon at the Rawlings Estate and heard about the aftermath. This fourth novel of the series is told through the men in Claire Nichols’ life and fills in the gap of time that was only previously mentioned. Like dominoes falling in a line, REVEALED allows readers to experience the shocking repercussions one by one, and witness their effect on everyone in the game.

Share the struggle as Anthony Rawlings fights for what is his, as the crashing consequences of his past threatens to change his world forever. Join Harrison Baldwin as he discovers the truth that threatens his beliefs, and John Vandersol as he come to terms with his revelations. Witness as Phillip Roach decides with whom his loyalties lie, and Brent Simmons demonstrates the meaning of friendship—no matter the cost.

Readers of this series survived the Consequences, learned the Truth, and know who was Convicted. Is that all?

“Hell to the NO!  REVEALED: The Missing Years fills in more blanks than you could have imagined.”– Schmexy Girl Book Blog

Do not assume that Tony and Claire’s story is complete, because beyond the conclusion of Convicted there is more to be REVEALED!

(Previously titled Behind His Eyes Convicted: The Missing Years)

 

Jun 04

Fractured by Leanne Pearson Blog Tour and Giveaway

TOUR

Fractured
by Leanne Pearson
Publication Date: June 1, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Blog Tour, Blitz, Release Day: Fractured by Leanne Pearson

Synopsis: For twenty three year old Katrina Smith, the events of one day irrevocably changed her life.

Life in Christchurch, New Zealand, couldn’t have been better. She was in love with a wonderful man, had a job she enjoyed, and had her life mapped out before her…

What dawned as a typical summer’s day, changed into a day of devastation and overwhelming loss. An insidious danger lay beneath the benign land surface, seismic tension, like a ticking time-bomb, was counting down to a catastrophe. And Kate and her boyfriend, Daniel, were in its path. It took mere seconds for the world to be ripped out from under her. Suddenly, Kate was deluged by a vortex of Post Traumatic Stress, guilt and crippling anguish.

Dominic Dell’Antonio, an American marine working in New Zealand, was a man hiding from his own demons which lurked behind depth-less blue eyes that read so much, yet yielded so little. He kept himself aloof and isolated. Nightmares regularly plagued him.

As Kate slipped under a suffocating wave of heartache, she blocks out the world behind self imposed walls, drowning in the torrents of grief. Quiet, yet commanding, Dominic connects with Kate on some inexplicably deeper level. He wants to protect her. He wants to make her his.

Two damaged and guarded souls drawn together through tragic circumstances. Two lonely hearts drawn to one another to find comfort.

5 6

About the Author:

1

Leanne Pearson grew up in Durban, South Africa. She later immigrated to New Zealand, where she now lives with her husband, and two children. During her down time, if she’s not reading, she can be found relaxing outside, sipping on an apple cider, soaking up the sights and sounds of rural New Zealand. Leanne has had a few feature articles published in the newspaper over the years and has had a flair for creative writing from a very young age.

Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

Giveaway

3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2

Jun 04

Fractured by Leanne Pearson Review

21902972

5 Smooches!

kis kis kis kis kis

Synopsis

For twenty three year old Katrina Smith,  the events of one day irrevocably changed her life.

Life in Christchurch, New Zealand, couldn’t have been better. She was in love with a wonderful man, had a job she enjoyed, and had her life mapped out before her…

What dawned as a typical summer’s day, changed into a day of devastation and overwhelming loss. An insidious danger lay beneath the benign land surface, seismic tension,  like a ticking time-bomb, was counting down to a catastrophe.  And Kate and her boyfriend, Daniel, were in its path. It took mere seconds for the world to be ripped out from under her. Suddenly, Kate was deluged by a vortex of Post Traumatic Stress, guilt and crippling anguish.

Dominic Dell’Antonio, an American marine working in New Zealand, was a man hiding from his own demons which lurked behind depthless blue eyes that read so much, yet yielded so little. He kept himself aloof and isolated.  Nightmares regularly plagued him.

As Kate slipped under a suffocating wave of heartache, she blocks out the world behind self imposed walls, drowning in the torrents of grief.  Quiet, yet commanding, Dominic connects with Kate on some inexplicably deeper level. He wants to protect her. He wants to make her his.

Two damaged and guarded souls drawn together through tragic circumstances.  Two lonely hearts drawn to one another to find comfort.

Review

From the dedication and  initial preface, I knew this book was going to touch me……

For each thorn, there’s a rosebud…

For each twilight-a dawn…

For each trial-the strength to carry on,

For each storm cloud- a rainbow…

For each shadow-the sun…

For each parting…sweet memories

When sorrow is done.  (RW Emerson)

Although the story is fictitious, the events surrounding the lives of Kate, Daniel, Travis, Sarah, Matt, Melanie, and Dom are real.  Police say more than 100 people had been lost in Christchurch’s quake-ravaged Canterbury building, which they say was “unsurvivable”.  The confirmed death toll from the magnitude 6.3 quake stands at 75, with 300 reported missing.   See also:  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10708295

Kudos to Ms. Pearson, as she made me feel the anguish and pain, she made me feel the guilt and remorse, but she also led me to understand that there is good in tragedy.

“Danny!  Danny!”   I shout, heart thundering in my chest.  A hand grips my elbow, turning me away.  “No..no, no!  LET ME GO, h…he’s still in there.  I’ve got to get to him.”

Kate and Daniel are sweethearts from university and were building a future together when an earthquake shatters their promises.  Kate is forced to accept a new reality and does not know how to survive without Daniel.

“It’s over, Katy.  The worst is over,” Sarah says softly into my ear.  “No, it’s not, Sarah.  My hell is only just beginning.”

Kate/Katy/Katrina (lots of nick names in this novel) learns to cope by any method she can get her hands on (alcohol, exercise, sleeping), and then when she is at her lowest, she meets Dominic/Dom/Dell (again, lots of nick names ).

“The timbre of his voice ignites the blood in my veins as I drink him in with my eyes.  I must really be hammered because I have to urge to run my hands over the ridges and valleys of his finely honed chest and trace the indentations with my tongue.”

This book was a winner, I have never read anything by Ms. Pearson but I will read any of her books from now on.  She has so much talent for expressing emotions through words.  She made me love the characters, and I was pulling for Kate from the first page.

The chemistry between Kate and Dom was just perfect and realistic, it was not forced or rushed, but believable and heart-wrenching!

“Sometimes life can define you by small moments of time.  Twenty-four seconds.  Irrevocable changes.  Ultimately what you do with these precious moments determines what significance they hold for you….”

This novel so deserves 5+ smooches!!  Nice work Ms. Pearson!!

~Lisa

Buy It Now