Thursday, July 9, 2015

Read, win books and help Macmillan Cancer Support!



100% of the royalties earned or accrued in the purchase of this book, in all formats, will go to the Pamela Winton tribute fund, which is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.


You're not Alone
by Ian D. Moore and friends

An anthology, themed on relationships, of more than 20 authors 
from around the world . 
From urban fantasy to stories that bring tears to the eye.



Quick Details:

Release Date:  July 11th, 2015      
                           
Cover Design by Christine Southworth



What can be better than a good book and the satisfaction of helping others at the same time? 






An international group of indie authors, inspired by the personal grief of one, decided to collaborate in the spring of 2015 in a project to create this multi-genre smorgasbord of original short stories, all with the same potent theme – relationship. Some are heartfelt, some funny, some poignant, and some are just a little bit scary – much like relationships themselves. All are by authors fired by the shared enthusiasm to give something back in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. 100% of the profit made on the purchase of this book, in any format, goes to the charity. Cancer touches us all. It has in some way affected those who have contributed their time and talent here. This is our way of showing that we care.

Indie authors carry forward a revolutionary shift in publishing, which allows the author to be creative director in their own work. There are many exceptional, experienced and acclaimed writers who have decided to take this bold step in publishing. In producing this anthology we have also had the inestimable assistance on board of artists, graphic designers, and bloggers – all of whom have a place in our acknowledgments. You, the discerning reader, are the other vital part of this equation. By buying this book you are supporting the work of indie authors, as well as discovering their worth. You are also supporting the charity to which we have chosen to dedicate our work.


PURCHASE HERE:




Meet the team:



Meet the authors and the stories:

1.  A Year Afterwards - LESLEY HAYES, author of The Drowned Phoenician Sailor.
2.   Closure - BL PRIDE, author of Addiction (Book One, Beyond Life series).
3.   Colin and Sandy - ANTHONY RANDALL, author of The English Sombrero.
4.   One of Those Days -IAN D MOORE, author of Salby Damned.
5.   Dolphins Dance – MIKE BILLINGTON, author of Corpus Delectable.
6.   A Special Evening- D AVRAHAM, author of The Shepherd King, (Book I: Foundation Stone; and Off-Wire).
7.   At the Hands of the Healers-SALLYANN PHILLIPS, author of Angel’s Blood (Book one, of the Angel’s Blood series).
8.   Dad – KAYLA HOWARTH, author of The Institute.
9.   Forever Yours - CHRISTOPHE FISCHER, author of The Luck of the Weissensteiners (Book 1 of the Three Nations Trilogy).
10.  Fruits -PHYLLIS EDGERLY RING, author of the soon to be published The Munich Girl: A Novel of the Legacies That Outlast War.
11.   Lillies on the Mantel – SYLVA FAE, soon to be published children’s author, Sylvanian Ramblings sylvafae.co.uk
12.   Gabriel and the Minister Bird - ANDREW UPDEGROVE, author of The Alexandria Project.
13.   Inside Out - PENNY LUKER, author of The Truth Finder.
14.  Witch’s Mark – KATERINA SESTAKOVA NOVOTNA, author of Hawaiian Lei of Shrunken Heads.
15.   Love’s Silent Ache - LISA SHAMBROOK, author of Beneath the Rainbow.
16.   Goals - TOM BENSON, author of A Taste of Honey.
17.   If the Shoe Fits - KATHARINE E. HAMILTON, author of The Unfading Lands.
18.   The Birth – LUCINDA E. CLARKE, author of Amie.
19.   Lotta Blum - BARBARA DORAN, soon to be published new author. Can be found at www.serendipitydoit.wordpress.com.
20.   Never too Old -ANGELA LOCKWOOD, author of Language in the Blood.
21.   Ooh Air Magrit - REBECCA BRYN, author of Touching the Wire.
22.   Babes - MAX POWER, author of Darkly Wood.
23.   A Stitch in Time - SK HOLMESLEY, author of Autumn Antics.
24.   Day Late Dollar Short – ERIC LAHTI, author of Henchmen.
25.  Love in an Elevator – S.E MEYER, author of Origins (Book 1 of the Origins Series).
26.   No Longer Broken - NICO LAESER, author of Infinity: An Anonymous Biography & Skin Cage.
27.   Last Goodbyes - PAUL RUDDOCK, author of Not What You Thought.
28.   The Yoga Bowl - FELIPE ADAN LERMA, author of One Night in the Hill Country

 With invaluable help editing and polishing from Diana J Febry author of Bells On Her Toes


Giveaway:

9 Prizes:

- A paperback copy of "You're not Alone"
- One e-copy of any of the following titles by Max Power: "Darkly Wood","Larry Flynn", "Bad Blood" and "Little Big Boy".
- 2 e-copies of each of the following titles by Anthony Randall: "The English Sombrero: The Little White Ball" and "The English sombrero: Nothing to do but Run"
- An e-copy of any of Phyllis Ring's books
- 2  e-books by Angela Lockwood







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Friday, June 12, 2015

Hexed Hearts: Excerpt and super giveaway



Book & Author Details:

Hexed Hearts by Becca Vincenza 
Publication date: April 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal






Synopsis:


Colette had known all her life that she was half human and half werewolf. She had no expectations of a life filled with love and adventure.
Everything changed on her 21st birthday. A curse casted by witches centuries ago set things in motion, things she could have never imagined. A past that Colette has no clue about has come back to steal her away.
When Hunter, her destined but very unexpected mate, arrives, she is at a complete loss. She must learn to forget an old love and how to make room for a new love.
The curse is being recast and Colette must stop it in order to save the wolves, all the while finding who she really is.









EXCERPT:

“That is what you are going to wear?” I asked eyeing Griffin’s light blue t-shirt and dark washed jeans. He looked down at himself then looked at me.
“Why? What’s wrong with it?” he asked.
I narrowed my eyes. I crossed my arms and pressed my lips together. My nose scrunched a little. I looked down. I thought I was the epitome of a stealth mission we were going on. There was a lot of digging in my drawers and closet, but I finally found my black yoga pants and long sleeve shirt. Sure, the shirt was just a pinch too small. It rode up sometimes and the sleeves stopped just before my wrist. Unfortunately, it also stretched over my chest snugly. I saw Griffin take a couple peeks. Sometimes even he was a pig. I was seconds from slapping him. I grabbed the combat boots that I had owned for years and slipped them on.
“You don’t understand covert mission do you?” I muttered as I pulled on my last boot. I looked over at Griffin and he held in his laughter.
“Ass.”
“I heard that.”
“You were meant to,” I said with a smug smile.
Griffin clapped his hands together and I looked over at him. He had a huge smile on his face, the smile I had seen many times in our youth. I was glad for Griff, Liam and Nick. They knew how my childhood wasn’t a happy one so they made sure our childhood was full of adventures. Many of those adventures were not sanctioned by Keith, Isaac, or Rose. Most of the time, they were our secret, though as I got older I began to doubt Isaac hadn’t noticed our antics.
Griffin had the same look on his face as he used to when we would sneak out as children. I held in my own laugh now. It was nice to see the Griffin that I had grown up with, the one that kept me sane for years.
“Alright sir, let’s do this.”
Most of the bedrooms were on the second story of the house. Griffin could make the jump easily enough. I had more strength than a human but I didn’t trust myself not to break or at the very least strain something. I waited for him to go first and Griffin stood outside my window.
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” Griffin yell-whispered up to me. I rolled my eyes as I climbed out my window. I was going backwards and I could feel his eyes on my backside. I turned and stuck my tongue out at him.
“Why my prince I didn’t realize you were such a gracious ass.”
“Well when I see one, I see one.”


AUTHOR BIO:

Becca Vincenza lives in wonderful Michigan. She has a love for Skittles, rainbows, Star Wars, and reading about hot men. When she's not wearing her author hat, she's working to pay off her student loans for her recently acquired English degree. 

She recently released the first book in her Rebirth Series and is set to release the second book before the beginning of summer.





You can find Becca around the internet at these sites:






Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)
  • $50 Amazon Gift Card




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Thursday, June 4, 2015

Better when it hurts: Spotlight and giveaway



Better when it Hurts


Better When It Hurts by Skye Warren

(Stripped #2)
Publication date: June 4th 2015
Genres: Adult, Romance




Synopsis:



Five years ago we lived in the same house. He was the ultimate bad boy. And my foster brother. 

Now he’s back. Tougher, harder, meaner. All of it aimed at me, because I was the one who sent him away. It’s payback time. He wants his pound of flesh, and I am helpless to say no.


















AUTHOR BIO:
Skye Warren is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of dark romance. Her books are raw, sexual and perversely tender. For those new to her work, consider the bestseller Wanderlust, Prisoner or the Dark Nights series starting with Trust in Me.

Author links:



GIVEAWAY


Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

  • $50 Gift Card to Amazon
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Friday, April 17, 2015

4 stars review: The Shadow Reader


The Shadow Reader (Shadow Reader #1)
by Sandy Williams





Synopsis:

There can only be one allegiance.
It’s her time to choose.


Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.
 







My Thoughts:

4 stars.

There are books in which you have to work your way through and others that you get caught from page one. This is one of the latter.

What do we find in 'The Shadow Reader'?

  • Tons of action --->Checked
  • Heart melting love story ---> Checked
  • Awesome heroine ---> Checked

The action starts in the first chapter and it's non stop. That being said, I read this in one sitting.

The characters are lovable. McKenzie is funny, witty and extremely resourceful. Also I like the way she faces and fights her feelings. She is brave but real. She gets tired, hurt and jealous. I totally like her. What she lacks in ability she compensates with perseverance and courage.




On the other hand, Aren is amazing, funny and intriguing... sexy is another word I would choose... although he is a permanent contradiction, I love his personality and the feelings he triggers in me but at the same I want to slap him. 
One thing I must admit is that at the scene at the wedding ... dancing... 
OH MY! My heart melted.



Kelia and Naito are cool supporting characters as well. Their story was super cute.

Plot and writing:

  • The plot is interesting and the pace is fast. Such a great combo.
  • I enjoyed the writing very much
  • It's amazing how the author makes us feel what McKenzie is feeling, for example, the scene in Lyechaban. I could totally feel her fear. 


Yes!!! I am definitely reading the second installment!

Monday, April 13, 2015

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater


Shiver ( The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)
by Maggie Stiefvater

Genre: YA paranormal romance





SYNOPSIS:




For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without.


Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever. 



buy the book from The Book Depository, free delivery




 

  My review:


3.5 stars

What a good book! 

I decided to read it because almost everyone in my GR friend's list has read it and loved it. So I said: 'Why not?' I wanted to know if it was thaaaaaat good...

The story line is compelling, simple but captivating. The writing is awesome and smooth. 
Typically, when everything is so simple it puts me off, but not here. Yes. I admit the beginning was slow and it took me longer than usual to get through it but at some point, I don't know exactly how or when, I was sucked in the story. The whole book is good but the second half is outstanding.

The characters are lovable and well developed. I felt this all the time and not only because the story is told from different perspectives. No. You can feel the connection between Grace and Sam. Even when Sam is a wolf.



Honestly that may sound weird and it's a bit creepy if you think about it rationally but it works, and you do perceive what's growing inside them. And the truth is, that it is a beautiful and innocent feeling.  


Another thing I really liked is that the author achieved depth in every character and not only in the main ones: Grace, Sam, Olivia, Beck, Jack, Shelby and my personal favorite, Isabel.

Also, a positive thing to highlight is that the plot is somehow different, the take on werewolves is unique. Who doesn't like a bit of originality?
I know this is one of my first werewolves books (I mean purely about werewolves) but I have to say that it changed my mind about them.

It is by no means perfect but it is a very good book that made me want to continue the series. 




About the author:

And for those who love to know a bit about their favorite authors, here you can watch a hilarious interview that Maggie did for Goodreads.

She is super funny and now that I think of it... chuckle is an awful word indeed! Lol. I'm with you in that one Maggie!





Monday, April 6, 2015

Full contact: Excerpt and giveaway



Full Contact by Sarah Castille 
(Redemption #3) 

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication date: April 7th 2015
Genres: Adult, Erotica, Romance


Synopsis:

When you can’t resist the one person who could destroy you…
Sia O’Donnell can’t help but push the limits. She secretly attends every underground MMA fight featuring The Predator, the undisputed champion. When he stalks his prey in the ring, Sia is mesmerized. He is dominant and dangerous and every instinct tells her to run.
Every beautiful thing Ray “The Predator” touches he knows he’ll eventually destroy. Soft, sweet and innocent, Sia is the light to Ray’s darkness-and completely irresistible. From the moment he lays eyes on her, he knows he’s going to have to put his dark past behind him to win her body and soul.










Excerpt:
“I’m going to undress you. Don’t think about me. Don’t think about what scares you. Think about that canvas and what you’re going to paint. Think about the brush in your hand. The colors on your palate. Think about what inspires you. Think of something you can’t do in ink. Then do it for me.”
As he talks, his hands glide over my rib cage, his calluses sending sensual shivers across my skin. He presses his thumbs along either side of my spine, rubbing deep concentric circles, easing my tension as his fingers stroke the sides of my breasts. Such a feeling of warmth and contentment suffuses me that I lean back against him, only to have him growl a warning in my ear.
“Paint.”
“Bossy.”
“I haven’t even started.”
My body tingles. “Is that a promise?”
“You play nice, it could be a reward.” His subtle assurance warms me to my toes. He may be a predator, but he has soft fur.

With slow, gentle movements, he unzips my skirt and eases it down over my hips. Cool air brushes over my heated skin, like the wind on my face when I’m on his motorcycle. But even with that happy image in my head, a familiar tension rolls through my body. My breaths come out in pants, and I tremble.

“Use it,” Ray whispers. “Let it out. I’ve got you.”

Heart pounding, muscles coiled tight, I grab my brush, dip into the oil, and streak black across the middle of the canvas. The first stroke is always almost orgasmic, the realization of a vision, desire exposed. But this time it is my fear splashed across the canvas, a black streak marring the pristine white surface, the memory of a night I have wished a thousand times had never been. A sob rips from my throat and I drop my brush.
“Shhhh.” With a low growl, Ray runs his hands along my curves, and my breathing hitches.
Damn Luke. Damn that night. I’m going to turn my fear into some- thing beautiful. Gritting my teeth, I lift my brush and the black streak becomes a wheel, two, and then I join them with a band of red.
“Fuck.” Ray pinches my nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, his chest warm, hard against my back, his belt buckle a deliciously pleasant pain on my skin.
 “Watching you paint is fucking hot.”
 
PTSD crisis averted, I manage a smile. “Might be your hands on my breasts is what’s making you hot.”
He grinds his hips into my ass, his erection stiff between us. “Touching you makes me hard. Watching you makes me hot.”
Gray for the chrome, more red for the fairing, abstract strokes but my brain can’t fill in the detail with Ray’s fingers grazing the bare skin of my abdomen.
“I can’t paint anymore.”
“You can.” He cups my sex from behind, spreading his fingers, easing my legs apart. “You will.”







AUTHOR BIO:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Sarah Castille, writes contemporary erotic romance and romantic suspense featuring blazingly hot alpha heroes and the women who tame them. A recovering lawyer and caffeine addict, she worked and traveled abroad before trading her briefcase and stilettos for a handful of magic beans and a home near the Canadian Rockies.

Author links:
http://sarahcastille.com/


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