Release Blitz: First Verse by Emily Snow – Prequel Novella for Second Verse

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FIRST VERSE EMILY SNOW AMAZON KINDLE EBOOK COVER

 

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SECOND VERSE EMILY SNOW FULL JACKET FINAL FOR SHARING

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Title: Second Verse

Author: Emily Snow

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: LM Book Creations

Release Date: July 2015

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SECOND VERSE  EMILY SNOW IBOOKS EBOOK COVERSynopsis

Kinsey Brock knew Emmett Hudson would be a star the moment he swaggered into her life. Hell, by the time she was released for the crime his scheming sister accused her of he already had a number one single.

Now, eight years and a helluva lot of heartache later, Kinsey’s long since given up on the boy who stole her breath away and took all the love she had. She has someone in her life, and he’s all she needs. She’ll challenge anyone who tells her otherwise. But after a chance encounter sends Emmett hurtling back into her life, every emotion she’s forced herself to forget since he gave up on her is pushed to the surface.

Because this time, the country megastar’s not giving up on her.

No matter how furious he is about the discovery of the other man who’s become Kinsey’s world.

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emily_snow3Emily Snow is The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Devoured series, Tidal, Wrecked, and Uncovered. She loves books, sexy bad boys, and really loud rock music, so naturally, she writes stories about naughty rockers. Visit her on Facebook, on her blog at emilysnowbooks.blogspot.com, or chat with her on Twitter @emilysnowbks for news, teasers, and contests.

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Blog Tour + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Seal’s Code by Sharon Hamilton – Bad Boys of Team 3 – Seal Brotherhood #10

SEAL’s Code
Bad Boys of Team 3 (SEAL Brotherhood #10)
By Sharon Hamilton

Blurb:

Danny Begay has tried to drive out the voices of his ancestors, but his Navajo roots will not die. Summoned back to Arizona to visit his dying grandfather, a former Navajo Code Talker, he knows he has disappointed his hero grandfather. He buries himself one more time in the arms of a stranger before going back to Northern California.

Luci Tohe teaches at a reservation school, safeguarding the health of her ailing mother and little sister’s future, her own life on hold. She doesn’t expect the young Dine warrior she meets to be anything but a distraction from her loneliness.

Danny decides to join the Navy, as a SEAL, becoming the man he knew he was destined to be. Before deployment, he goes back to visit the girl he cannot get out of his mind. A dangerous human trafficking element threatens Luci and her family. Danny vows to protect them all.

Available for purchase at
      
Excerpt

 

The Blue Fox bar, just outside the res from Flagstaff, where Wilson lived, was perfect. Like all the Ukiah dives Danny had spent time in, it was populated with pot growers and some over-the-hill hippies. Music choices ranged from Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash to Emilou Harris, the old ones. Seeing as they were in Arizona, it was also dotted with bikers and people just passing through. The legendary Route 66.
He and Wilson parted without him saying much at all about the revelation Wilson had made. Wilson threw the keys at Danny and took off. Danny grabbed a motel room and went searching to drown the spirits that wouldn’t stop their chatter.
A few local guys he knew from his childhood sat at dark tables in the corner, playing cards. As usual, they wore black, high crown felt hats; the same he used to watch White Owl make as he sat on his grandfather’s knee. Grandfather risked the ire of Danny’s mother by bringing him here starting as a boy of six; when he was old enough to not get into trouble. That was a long time ago.
He stalked over to the bartender, his cowboy boots knocking familiarly on the old plank floor that hadn’t been washed in a month. Returning to his roots required a couple doses of courage to smother the voices in his head. The singing way of his people was lilting up to the skies, no doubt announcing the arrival of Grandfather. He also heard the collective songs of his ancestors in celebratory response. It used to terrify him as a young boy, and it still did today. Especially today.
The place smelled of old piss and even older spilled beer. He’d forgotten how familiar the smells were, from a time when the world was simple, when all he worried about was making sure his balls didn’t get pinched because his skinny butt was perched on his grandfather’s thigh. It had been nearly thirteen years since he’d set foot in the Blue Fox, and yet it was like stepping back in time. Nothing had changed. Maybe that’s what terrified him most.
Scenes from his childhood tickled and danced all around him. White Owl would tell the stories, and Grandfather would request the music be turned down and would fill in the blanks, often correcting him. Grandfather was the keeper of the legends. He didn’t like embellishments or modern details.
“The old way is still the best. Been the best for hundreds of man-years. We honor those who came before to tell it to the young ones the way it was told to them. And then they can choose for themselves.”
White Owl told him in secret one day Grandfather had it in for him because White Owl got the girl Grandfather wanted to marry. But then his grandfather met Jenny, his grandmother, and all debts were forgotten. Not forgiven, just forgotten.
Music flooded the tiny, dark bar. The same twangy country tunes that hadn’t been played on the AM channels for thirty years and never on the XM, except for quaint oldies specials. These tunes debuted on eight-track tapes or LPs. Probably hadn’t been changed out of the jukebox since before he was born.
His grandfather had a whole collection of oldies in his garage. Danny and Wilson had tossed those precious records like flying saucers one afternoon, destroying the bulk of them. The two boys couldn’t sit down for nearly three days from the whipping they both got from Danny’s aunt, Wilson’s mother. They’d have gotten another one too if Grandfather had not been at a tribal meeting in Washington D.C. Something official was in the air that summer, and he spent a lot of it gone from the res.
Tonight, Danny was grateful for the fact that the music was loud. It competed with the shrill voices in his head which roared up in a near panic again when he tilted his forehead to the corner where the card players were.  They answered him back with stoic indifference. They knew who he was. He wasn’t really coming back. They knew why, knew Grandfather and everyone else on the res, and distrusted him because of it. They probably thought he was being Native American when it suited him, when he could show it off. A fair-weather Indian, they called it.
The crying wind and whispering voices died down as he approached the bar.
“Beer.”
He knew there was not much choice. He was served two Route 66 Specials, a brewery owned by an old friend of his father’s. The signal probably hadn’t changed in over twenty years: if you ordered one drink and the house gave you two, you only had to pay for one.
An exotic scent drifted his way. Turning in that direction, he imagined some Asian or Parisian hooker on his right. But her skin was like the way he drank his chai latte, a light caramel brown. Her high cheekbones contrasted with her shiny obsidian black hair, which was held with a large clip made of polished turquoise and silver—a classic Navajo beauty. She could have been the ghost of his dead sister.
It was usually hard for him to look at Navajo women and find them attractive, because all he could see was Natomi’s lifeless face staring back up at him, her warm brown skin a chalkish purple. He told himself over and over that he preferred women with hair the colors of the fall back in California or the color of spun gold like in his dreams.
She glanced at his beer and ordered the same without looking at him, but he knew she’d taken stock of him and had probably selected the stool next to him on purpose. Something at the base of his skull buzzed and his ears started to get red. It was a sign he was too familiar with and meant one of two things. She turned him on big time or there was impending danger. Maybe both. Many times he couldn’t tell the difference. Most of the time there was no difference.
The large mirror over the bar was cracked, but he saw her cool smile, one full lip with its edge upturned, revealing an old thin scar. Her dark eyes pulled at him and he knew her instantly to be a sucker of souls.
“You’re new,” she said to the mirror.
He could feel her breathing, imagined what her flesh would feel like if he smoothed his fingers down her thigh. “Actually, I’m not here at all.”
She turned on the stool, grabbing her beer, and took a sip while she examined him. She was still smiling when she was done.
“You look pretty fuckin’ here, Dine kind. But then, maybe I’m a ghost, too, and maybe I see dead people.”
That deserved his attention, so he allowed his body to turn, facing her, knees touching hers. Through the stiff denim of his jeans, he could feel her body vibrate like the inner workings of an expensive Swiss timepiece.
“I’m Danny Begay. My mother is Miwok. My father’s side is from the Corn Pollen Clan. Chester Begay is my grandfather. I believe he will die tonight.” He watched it sink in, and wondered if his traditional side made a difference to her. She bit her lip just below the slight scar that slashed her upper lip, probably from an old injury. It made her look dangerous and sexy as hell. A slight worry line creased her right eye with just a touch of a twitch.
She turned back to the counter, staring down as if examining the head on her beer, allowing her unpolished nail on her left forefinger to dip into the sudsy froth and draw a figure eight. “Then it sucks to be you.”
He had to agree with her. It sucked he’d never made much of himself, and now his Grandfather was going to die knowing that too. He wasn’t sure of his potential for spiritual growth anytime soon either. His cousin had just scared the liver out of him. That sucked, too.
That left only one option for this evening. To get drunk. Maybe get her so drunk she’d go back with him to the motel. He glanced around the room and didn’t see any white boys, so figured he’d have a chance with her. With any luck, neither one would remember a thing in the morning. He’d get the call Grandfather was gone. He could pay his respects, stay for the ceremony, and then get his butt out of Arizona and back to Northern California. Forget this sandy hellhole for as long as the drink lasted.
“I am Luci Tohe of the Where Two Waters Meet Clan,” she whispered.
He noted she was not a clan cousin. “So why are you here?” he started. “Cheaper to drink at home, and a whole lot less dangerous, the drive, I mean.” He was surprised by his own words.
She answered the mirror again. “I know what you meant, Dine kind. I teach at the school.”
“Ah. First choice or last choice?” He knew it was a risk to ask, but he couldn’t help himself.
She almost spit her beer out. “Gawd, it must be true. That old fart gave you some of those visions.”
He turned and tilted his head, wondering what she meant. She addressed him this time by angling slightly so her knees wouldn’t touch his again. Her face in partial profile was masked. She was trying to hide something. “I’m not a do-gooder. Not one of those. I get to hide in plain sight. But I do carry a gun.”
“Running from something?”
“Nope.” She licked her lips, her tongue lingering there a little long, her eyes again focused down on the counter. “I am the sole breadwinner and protector of my little tribe. My mother and my little sister.”
“Except you drink too much.” He knew she’d not like that comment.
“As do you. I can smell an alcoholic a mile away.” Then she gave him the sultry look he was waiting for. “I seem to be drawn to them, like a string of bad pennies, little babbling storytellers. Can’t help it. My nature, I guess.”
Well, she’d already said twice as many words as he normally liked in a woman, and hadn’t given him nearly enough “looks,” but he was game.
“Humor me. What makes you drawn to me?”
Her full focus on his face almost made him blush. Her power and nature were strong, her soul deep. She did not possess the need to smile from nervousness or to hide the spirit that ran wild inside her. For him, right here and right now, she allowed him to absorb and be warmed by it. Her dark eyes peered back at him honestly.
“I like your jet black hair, Dine man, and the blackness of your eyes all the way through. The bottomless eyes of the tribal kind. But you weren’t raised here, so maybe you got away, maybe not. In any case, I gotta hurry if I’m going to meet you, because I think tomorrow you’ll be gone.”
“True.” She had him down to the color of his buttons.
“I like your stare, your full lips, and your frankness. I think you like to screw a lot, and I do, too. But that could just be a lie, but ask me if I care?”
“Why would I do that?”
She gave him a gracious smile, showing all her straight white teeth. As if sloughing off an old happy memory, she shrugged and finished her beer. “I’m ready for another, if you’re buying.”
“Oh, I’m buying, but my tab comes with strings,” he said, watching the graceful lines of her profile, all the way down her long neck to the top of her shirt with her breasts pushing up like smooth rounded stones he’d find in an ancient streambed.
Her eyes didn’t peer into his, but stayed focused on his lips. “I prefer rope.”


Book Trailer

 

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Enjoy this NOT PG excerpt from SEAL’s Code narrated by J.D. Hart

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5StarSun

Michel’s Review

Seal’s Code by Sharon Hamilton is her best book to date.  This book stepped outside the norm for the Bad Boys of Seal Team 3 and Seal Brotherhood.  This book focused more the main character’s cultural heritage and individuality rather than the Seal Team.  This was a story of acceptance as well as romance.  Sharon did a fantastic job!

Danny Begay has returned home to say goodbye to his dying grandfather.  He has more or less denied his Navajo heritage and could not accept his “gift” of hearing the voices of his ancestors.  His grandfather was a Navajo Code Talker during WWII.  With the passing of his grandfather he joins the Navy and becomes a SEAL.  As he follows his new chosen path he realizes that his heritage is more than blood, it is a part of him that he cannot forget.  He also cannot forget the one girl that touched his soul in one night of passion.

While he was home awaiting his grandfather’s passing he meets Luci Tohe and has a one night stand.  Luci fully embraces her heritage.  She is dedicated to the children she teaches in school, she is dedicated to her family, and most of all she is dedicated to her heritage.  Dealing with an alcoholic mother has made her strong.  She has never forgot her one night of passion with Danny.

When Luci discovers several young girls have gone missing on the reservation and some have been found dead, She begins to investigate and finds her younger sister is a target.

With the help of the FBI, the Las Vegas police, and Danny’s cousin Wilson they will untangle a intricate web of horrific horror that targeted young women from the reservation.

Sharon carefully connected Danny’s past and present with perfection.  She added so many layers to this story.  There was a beautiful romance that unfolded within the story that tied Danny and Luci together in so many ways.

This book starts out on the reservation. The reader gets a strong sense of Danny Begay’s former years and the tensions that are ever present in that life.  They also get a sense of his warrior spirit that will make him a stronger man.

This book is packed full of action, suspense, drama, emotional moments, heated romance, and cultural heritage.  This book is a celebration of Danny’s place in life.

I loved this book.  Seal’s Code can be read as stand alone novel or in series order.  However you chose to read it, it will be an enriching and emotional reading experience.

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About the Author

NYT and USA/Today Bestselling Author Sharon Hamilton’s SEAL Brotherhood series have earned her Amazon author rankings of #1 in Romantic Suspense, Military Romance and Contemporary Romance. Her characters follow a sometimes rocky road to redemption through passion and true love. Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany earned her a #1 Amazon author ranking in Gothic Romance.
A lifelong organic vegetable and flower gardener, Sharon and her husband live in the Wine Country of Northern California, where most of her stories take place.
You can find Sharon at
            

seal's code

Presented By

Cover Reveal: Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

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Him

By Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Release Date: July 28, 2015

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Pre Order: B & N / ITunes / Kobo

AMAZON will be live on 7/14​

Synopsis

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend…and a big one to learn about himself.

Warning: contains sexual situations, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.

Pre Order: B & N / ITunes / Kobo

AMAZON will be live on 7/14​

HIM1

Him2

About The Authors

Sarina Bowen

Sarina BowenSarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction from the wilds of Vermont.

The Year We Fell Down, Book #1 in The Ivy Years series, began breaking hearts in March 2014. Book #2, The Year We Hid Away, is brand new.

For Harlequin-E, Sarina writes the Gravity series. Coming in From the Cold features an angsty downhill ski racer and one of the most unique plot conflicts in contemporary romance today.

Sarina enjoys skiing, coffee products and a nice glass of wine. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.

She would be honored to connect with you at http://www.sarinabowen.com.

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 Elle Kennedy

Elle-KennedyA USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

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Profile portrait of businessman working on laptop in black suit at studio

Review: Player by Joanna Blake – New Adult Contemporary Sports Romance

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Player

New Adult Contemporary Sports Romance

By Joanna Blake

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Synopsis

JOCK, SPORT, MEATHEAD, PLAYER. I hate them all. Especially this one. He’s rude, he’s crude and he thinks he is God’s gift to women.

James Fitzpatrick might have started out on the wrong side of the tracks, but his skills on the football field have brought him fame and glory. Now he’s forgotten where he came from.

Hell, he’s even forgotten me, the snot nosed brat from next door. So much so that he hits on me when he comes in to eat at the barbecue place I work at to pay my way through school. But the jokes on him when I turn him down in front of all his meathead buddies. No one has ever turned down James. There’s a reason he’s got a rep as being talented on and off the forty yard line. And now he’s determined to make me pay with a pound of flesh.

Thing is, I’ve got some moves he hasn’t seen yet. It’s going to be a long, hot season.

PLAYER is a stand alone book with a guaranteed HEA and no cheating!

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2StarSun

 

 

Michel’s Review

I was looking for a fun light book to read.  There were a lot of posts in several of the reading groups I belong to on FB.  The readers were excited for this release.

Player by Joanna Blake is a New Adult Contemporary Sports Romance.  I love sports romance and I love new adult romance.  This book sounded like my kind of book.

Player is a short novel and can be read rather quickly.  Unfortunately I was disappointed with the book.  As a seasoned reviewer and blogger I look for several things in a book.  I look for good character development, a well executed plot, a good story flow – fluid pacing, good dialogue and interaction between the characters, and good editing.  If the book is entertaining and keeps me interested I can overlook some of these things.  After all when the first editions of Fifty Shades of Grey came out the editing was horrible and there were holes in the overall story.  Despite the issues, the book was good and readers embraced it whole heartedly.  I honestly don’t think that this is going to happen with Player.  There were too many problems I found within this book.

The overall plot for the story was good.  The problem was the execution.  It was rushed and seemed to follow the outline rather than creating a world where the characters come to life.  The chemistry between James and Nadine felt synthetic and forced.  Their heated moments almost felt clinical at times.  Their personalities didn’t seem to really connect in a personal and touching way.

There were other things that seemed too unrealistic.  An example is James football career as a college student.  Universities and Colleges are highly regulated concerning their athletes.  Sure they can give their players some perks but not the kind that James was receiving.  When he signed with the professional team, the Miami Dolphins, he insisted on getting Nadine into FSU as part of his signing package.  Sounds good but totally impossible in this story.  FSU is in Tallahassee, Florida.  That is about 480 miles north of Miami.  I think that it would be very hard for Nadine to commute to school and live with James in Miami.  I absolutely hate when an author does not research the story background to make a story realistic.  It insults the readers intelligence.

There were several editing problems throughout the book.  I highlighted several editing problems that should of been caught before publishing.  Readers are paying for this book with their hard earned money.  It doesn’t matter if this book is .99 or 2.99.  It reflects poorly on the author.  Many readers will refuse to read future books because of editing problems.

I really wanted to love this book but had to force myself to finish it.  I love adding new authors to my reading list.  I will not let this one book dissuade me from reading other books by this author.  She seems to have a solid fan base and reader love.

_________________________________________________

Author Bio:

joanna blakeJoanna Blake loves good old fashioned romance, men who open doors and work with their hands. Hot Blooded Heroes is a series of sizzling stories about True Blue American men and the women who love them. She’s thrilled to be collaborating with Pincushion Press on her new series! Come along for the ride!
XoX,
Joanna
*********

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Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: In Deep by Brenda Rothert



In Deep 

by Brenda Rothert  
Buy on Amazon 

 

I’ve got a secret.
 
No one knows how I blow off steam, and that’s how I
like it. Most of the time, I’m happy just being part of a big family in a small
town. And those times I need to get away are mine and mine alone.
My secret stays safe until I meet her – the woman who
simultaneously pisses me off and turns me on. She seems like a wallflower at
first, but it turns out there’s a lot more to her than I realized. Despite her
hidden strength, she has a vulnerability I can’t resist.
 
As we open up to each other, I realize she’s starting
to mean everything to me. She doesn’t feel the same way, but that won’t stop me
from doing whatever it takes to keep her safe – even if it means exposing my
secret to her. I’m in way over my head, and all I can hope is that someday,
she’ll feel the same way about me.
April
I pressed my lips together, silencing my indignation. Mousy?
Librarian? Who the hell did Mason Lockhart think he was?
If only I was the kind of woman who’d fly out from behind
the corner I was hiding around and defend myself. Poke a finger against his
chest and show him just how unmousy I was.
But I wasn’t that kind of woman. His words hurt because of
the spark of truth they held. My cheeks were flaming with embarrassment as I managed
to sneak into another room to hide from view so they wouldn’t see me. I’d die
of shame if Reed and Mason saw me, or if they knew I’d accidentally overheard
their conversation.
I’d been waiting to meet Mason and thank him for helping
move my stuff in. Ivy and I got back early and I had headed down to my room to
start unpacking. But I heard the brothers talking as they headed to my room and
I didn’t want to interrupt so I managed to make myself scarce. But I still
heard every word of their conversation. Fat lot of good that had done me. Now I
knew Reed’s brother thought I was a frumpy, mousy bore.
But, seriously, did Mason Lockhart think people got dressed
up for moving day? I’d just pulled a U-Haul truck from Seattle to Lovely,
Missouri, stopping at motels on the way. Today I’d completed the last leg of
the journey and judging by the dark skies it looked as if I arrived in the nick
of time. I’d be willing to guess that snow was in the forecast. This morning,
after I’d showered and looked through my stuff for my hair dryer and clean clothes,
I hadn’t been able to find exactly what I wanted.
And that was why my long curly hair was wound into a bun and
I was wearing a random, longish skirt. But the cardigan? That was totally on
purpose because it was soft and warm. Mason Lockhart could piss off if he
didn’t like it.
I’d seen him at Ivy and Reed’s summer wedding. The Lockhart
brothers were pretty much impossible to miss. They were the quintessential tall,
dark and handsome man – times five. Other than Reed, I didn’t know any them.
Except, possibly, Mason. I doubted I’d ever forget his name now.

 

(Book 1) Down Deep Purchase Links

 

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4StarSun
Tracey’s Review
Not only is Mason Lockhart the brilliant and successful owner of his own tech firm, he is also the epitome of the strong alpha male. Sexy and smart, he knows what he wants, and isn’t afraid to go for it. And April Byerly is NOT what Mason wants, he’s sure of it. Or is he…?Brenda Rothert is one of my go-to authors. Her books are always guaranteed to be full of heart, and to have characters and stories that touch me. After having met both Mason and April in DEEP DOWN, the first book in the Lockhart Brother series, I was excited to see that they would be getting their own story. Mason is deliciously alpha. He’s happy playing the field, dating women that he wouldn’t take home to meet his parents. He seems to have everything under control, but is harboring a secret that he hasn’t shared with anyone except a few others. April, who has come to Lovely to run the home for unwed mothers opened by Ivy and Reed Lockhart, is not the type of woman that Mason usually goes for. It isn’t long, though, before they find themselves drawn to each other, and down the path that neither one anticipated (HINT: It involves dirty-talking, late night texts, and using a library for other than its intended purpose… ;-)).

My only issue is that things proceeded so quickly, especially in the relationship between Mason and April. While I could see why Mason would fall for April, it was just so dramatically sudden that I was a bit surprised, and this is the only thing that keeps me from giving the book less than 5 stars. I am more than happy to suspend any disbelief, though, because I absolutely love all of the characters in IN DEEP, and the storyline as well (Miss Dee Dee and Kyle are two of my favorites, and I could not be happier to know that Kyle will be getting his own story very soon.). I am really enjoying this new series from Brenda. IN DEEP gets 4.5 stars from me; grab this one and enjoy.

*** ARC graciously provided for an honest review. ***

Brenda Rothert lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three sons. She was a daily print journalist for nine years, during which time she enjoyed writing a wide range of stories.
These days Brenda writes New Adult Romance in the Contemporary and Dystopian genres. She loves to hear from readers by email at bjrothert@sbcglobal.net.

 

Review + Excerpt : Evanensce by Cassia Brightmore – The Darkness Series – Book 2

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Evanesce

The Darkness Series – Book 2

By Cassia Brightmore

Synopsis:

If your soul has been plunged into the dark depths of despair, how hard would you fight to claw your way back to the surface? Can the life you lost be restored, or is it destined to be forever phased out of existence? Fated to dissolve into a distant memory.
The Black Market—a ferocious, starving beast. An endless sinkhole of precious valuables; the playground for blood-thirsty power seekers. Only one thing feeds its hunger like no other…human life.
A sinister criminal ring has descended on the small town of Norton Springs, instilling fear in the residents. A vicious wave of disappearances coupled with the gut-wrenching horror of infants being ripped from the arms of their helpless mothers has the town quaking in terror.
When Gabe Thornton strolls back into his hometown, his main goal is to claim the one woman that has always denied her feelings for him—Nora Jacobs. The last thing he expects is to be thrust into a storm of devastation and chaos. Will his strength be enough to save them from the dark souls that threaten to destroy their chance at happiness?
Broken futures. Shattered dreams. Mind-numbing loss. When your heart has been ripped away from you—how do you find the will to go on?
No one is safe. Everything you thought you knew is about to change in this second installment in The Darkness Series.
Warning: Due to adult content and graphic situations, this book is intended for readers 18 and up.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Excerpt

Gripping Red’s hand tight, the two ran up the stairs, Brooke wincing each time one of the boards squeaked under the pressure of their weight. At the top, the door was open, a fact that had Brooke’s heart jumping up her throat like it was on a damn trampoline. Peering out, she ensured there was no one in sight before tugging Red forward. A few steps into the carpeted foyer, the sound of voices drifted towards them. Panicking, she pulled Red into what she thought was an empty room and shut the door.
Panting, she leaned against the door, trying to catch her breath.
“We have to hide here, Red. I’ll check if it’s safe in a few minutes.” When there was no reply from Red, Brooke turned her head, searching. “Red?” The other woman stood frozen, unmoving in the middle of the room.
“What are you—ahh…” Brooke stepped up beside Red, concerned why she was non-verbal. The room was not empty as she had expected. It wasn’t empty at all and the scene before them was a terrifying one.
Cots. Rows and rows of cots and each one was occupied with a tiny infant. Some were sleeping, wrapped in thin blankets. Others were squirming, having come loose from their bundle. A few were wailing, a loud sound that would make any dog in the surrounding area sit up and take notice. How Brooke didn’t hear them, was beyond her. The adrenaline was a roar in her ears, blocking out everything except listening for footsteps of anyone that might be approaching. A quick count revealed twenty-four cots. Twenty-four babies either stolen are birthed by a mother that was likely a prisoner in the same house of horrors she was trying to escape from.
Covering her mouth, Brooke suppressed a scream of disgust. Children. Helpless infants all lined up and ready to be sold by the indescribable monster, Marcus. An auction straight from a mother’s worst nightmare.
“Red,” she tried to get her attention. “Red,” she said with more force. When that still didn’t work, she reached out and lightly shook her. The haunted, empty look in her eyes when Red finally acknowledged her, broke Brooke’s heart into a million tiny pieces.
“My sons. My daughters…” she moved towards the cots. “I—I have to find them. I—I—I didn’t get to—to hold them,” she stammered, peering over the cots at the tiny faces. Her heartbreak was written all over her face as she searched from cot to cot for her children.
Not being able to stand seeing her torment, Brooke rushed to her side, trying to tug her away. “Red, I don’t think they are here now. These…these are infants. As in just born, and you—” Red’s head whipped around to pin Brooke with furious eyes.
“Shut up. You know nothin’. My children are here. They are here.” Tears sprang to Brooke’s eyes at the utter despair in Red’s voice.
“I really wish they were, God, Red. But I promise you, we will make these bastards pay. We will find your children and make sure they can never do this to any other woman,” Brooke’s promise was fierce and true. She would shut this operation down, even if it killed her to do it.

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4

Tina’s Review

** Provided by author via promotion in Exchange for an Honest Review **
Judging a Book by it’s Cover:
The cover is very dark in coloration as well as content, although it is rather murky, it sort of sets the mood to the story inside. The synopsis does a fairly good job at depicting the dark and disturbing world that Ms. Brightmore plunges her readers into.
Looking Deeper:
Third-person POV, from various characters’ perspectives; not clearly defined therefore you are several sentences in before realizing that the POV has shifted to another person. It makes for some necessary backtracking. WARNING: Ms. Brightmore once again fearlessly immerses her readers into a dark abyss of chaos, depravity, and some psychotically twisted, sick content. It is guaranteed to offend and trigger those sensitive to rape, abduction, sex slavery, human trafficking, trafficking, abuse.
There are two simultaneous story lines happening here…. One of Brooke and her fight to survive her abduction and subsequent horrors, the other of Nora and Gabe. There’s really no way to rate *a* lead male or female in that respect. The characters are well-developed and the interaction is fantastic. The dialogue gets a little tiresome when one character addresses the other by name every time they open their mouth to speak, but other than that, the context was great. I have to say, I was rather put off by how “animated” Nora’s pussy is…. first referred to as a dog on a leash, then an Olympian vaulter? That’s just a little disturbing and comically absurd. While the main conflicts are resolved, Ms. Brightmore throws yet another volley of curveballs at you, leaving you gaping at the final page and wondering…. what the ever-loving f—!?! The conclusion is not quite solid, there is unfinished business and loose ends – it felt abrupt and unfinished. Overall, fans of Malevolent will most likely love this. If they thought book 1 was a brain-screw… just wait. This one is pure insanity.

_____________________________________

Cassia Brightmore is a new indie author. Her debut novel, Malevolent is the first book in the Darkness Series and can be read as a standalone.
Writing has always been a passion of hers and publishing her first novel is truly a dream come true. She enjoys writing dark stories that she hopes will thrill the reader.  When she’s not reading she can be found playing xbox one, watching re-runs of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and catching up on Revenge and Scandal.  She also has an unhealthy obsession with Jon Snow from GOT (but who doesn’t??).
She lives in Grimsby, Canada with her two furbabies, Harley and Molly.

 

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5 Star Review: Easy Charm by Kristen Proby

easy charm

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iBooks

The Boudreaux Series – Sexy. Intriguing. Easy.

Gabrielle Boudreaux, the youngest of the Boudreaux clan, is a single mother of her young son, Sam. Running a Bed and Breakfast at the family plantation house at the edge of the Mississippi River, Gabby loves her inn, her boy and her family. She meets new people every day, and takes pride in the house and land that has been in her family for more than five generations. Blessed beyond measure, she’s also lonely, although she would never admit that to anyone. Until Rhys O’Shaughnessy walks through her door, brooding and wounded and the sexiest thing she’s ever laid eyes on.

Rhys has been at the top of his game as a major league pitcher for the Chicago Cubs for more than ten years. Baseball is in his blood. But when he tears his rotator cuff and has to sit a season out, he retreats to Inn Boudreaux at the recommendation of his cousin, Kate, to heal and work toward building his shoulder back to perfect shape with only one goal in mind: to return to the game he loves. But he didn’t plan on being utterly charmed by a devastatingly beautiful woman and her baseball-loving son.

When Rhys’ shoulder has healed and he’s given the chance to return to his team, will he leave the family he’s come to love behind, or will he stay with Gabby and Sam?

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5Star

Kelley’s Review

Kristen Proby writes a feel good romance that is charming and easy to fall in love with.

I absolutely adore this series.  I am from the south and New Orleans is my next door neighbor.  I find that I get lost in this series imagining myself strolling down the streets of the French Quarter.   Kristen writes just enough detail about the setting that you are oohing and aweing. She also writes an amazing group of sexy alpha males in this series. Rhys is fiercely defensive of Gabby to her brothers and her brothers are fiercely protective of her.  Gabby doesn’t need anyone to come to her defense or to protect her though.  She is sassy, smart, and strong enough to stand up for herself.  Kristen wrote an extremely strong female lead in Gabby.  Often when a story features an alpha male we see a more submissive female.  Well not in this story.  Gabby may be petite but she can most certainly roar when she has to.  I really enjoyed seeing the dynamic of how life flows when you are a single mom.  “Sometimes you need to adjust your sails” is something I will take with me from this story.  Sometimes you have so much thrown at you at once and before you react you might want to adjust your attitude.  Anyone who is a single mom knows this and Kristen nails this in Gabby’s character.  Gabby’s son Sam is adorable.  I loved seeing the relationship between Sam and Rhys blossom as Rhys can see what a reflection Sam is of his mother.

This read also has just the right amount of drama and suspense to keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.  Kristen weaves a story sprinkled with just enough secrets and lies that readers just might yell at their eReader as I did.  It’s a good thing I read at home or people would have thought I was crazy as I was yelling at Gabby and Rhys while reading this tale.

Easy Charm is a feel good romance that you can walk away from with a smile on your face and hope in your heart. Kristen writes a story about good people who might not have been in the best situations at times in their lives but are actively trying to make it better.  The support that Rhys provides to Gabby when she needs it the most phenomenal.  Not only is he smokin hot but he has a heart of gold that you can’t help but fall in love with.  He is a tough book boyfriend to top.

 I fell in love with Eli in Easy Love.

Rhys charmed his way into my heart in Easy Charm.

I am really looking forward to reading Declan’s story Easy Melody this fall.

 

About Kristen Proby:KristenProby

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Author Goodreads **

Happy Release + 5 Star Review: Hell Or High Water by Julie Ann Walker – Deep Six Series – Book 1

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Hell Or High Water

Deep Six Series – Book 1

By Julie Ann Walker

69559-goodreads

Synopsis

A brand new romantic suspense series from the author of the New York Times bestselling Black Knights, Inc. series, THE DEEP SIX features six former SEALS on super-secret black ops, and feisty heroines who know how to handle both lethal weapons and alpha men.

Only two things could make former Navy SEAL Leo Anderson return to the world of weapons and warfare. First, a capsule of chemical weapons lost on the ocean floor, and second, a plea for assistance from the one woman he can’t seem to forget-CIA Agent Olivia Mortier.

Now, working together to race against the clock and a deadly terrorist faction, Leo and Olivia must find the missing capsule, all the while battling the intense desire burning between them. If they can survive, can their growing attraction become more than just a momentary flare?

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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5StarSun

Michel’s Review

Ready for a great new series?  Ready for six smoking hot retired Navy Seals?  Want to search for treasures in the deep deep sea?  Looking for an action packed adventure that keeps you glued to the pages?  If you said yes to all of these you are in for a treat with the new Deep Six series by Julie Ann Walker.

The book starts out with the lore of the Santa Cristina’s wreck in the 1600’s.  It was one of the wealthiest cargos lost at sea during a hurricane.  Treasure hunters have been searching for the lost treasure for centuries.

Leo “the lion” Anderson and five crazy assed Seals waved their farewells to the Navy in order to join the quest  for high seas adventure and untold riches.  After fifteen years of service and a tremendous loss they are ready to embrace their new adventurous life.  They have invested their life savings and future hopes on finding this lost treasure.  Treasure hunting is not cheap.  The ship, the equipment, and the cost of operating this equipment has depleted most of their funds.  Their investment and research has to pay off soon or they are going to lose it all.  As we all know Seals are resilient.  They can survive the worst of conditions and succeed.  Finding the Santa Cristina is another impossible mission that they plan to execute with complete success.

When CIA agent Olvia Mortier approaches them with a bag full of cash and a basically easy mission it’s a no brainer for them.  All they have to do is retrieve a “lost ” package in the deep sea for the CIA.  They have been trained for this type of retrieval and the risk seem very low.  They have worked with Olivia in the past and know that she is on the level and a good agent.

What starts out as an easy retrieval will turn into a FUBAR mission.  In one day’s time, they will lose their ship, battle terrorist, rescue an heiress,expose a mole in the CIA, and save the world.  Yup… easy mission.

Olivia and Leo flirted with an attraction when they worked on a previous mission in Syria.  That mission is the reason why Leo’s team resigned from the Navy to pursue civilian life.  He has not forgot the beautiful agent that touched his soul.  When she shows up offering a load of cash he not only sees the money but also sees the opportunity to settle some unfinished business with Olivia in the sexiest way.

Olivia has questioned her career choices since her assignment in Syria.  Some harsh truths about who she was and what she wanted out of life surfaced after that mission.  She was weighing the losses and the gains, as well as her role in it all.  She has not forgotten the sexy Seal that made her desire more from life than being a good agent.  Seeing Leo again may help her put her life in perspective.

Not only are they going on an adventure in the high seas.  They are going to find the greatest treasure of all.  They are going to find love.

Hell Or High Water was a great debut for the Deep Six series.  We were introduced to six very sexy retired Seals.  Each of these men has very unique personalities and stories.  We were introduced to a sexy heiress, a sassy CIA agent, and a nutty professor.  Together all of these unique characters are going to come together and search for the lost treasure from the Santa Cristina.  Along the way they are going to find other adventures that are going to keep the reader glued to the pages.  I can’t wait for the next adventure of the Deep Six.

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Author Bio:

julie ann walkerJulie Ann Walker is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award. Her latest release was named a Top Ten Romance of 2014 by Booklist. Her books have been described as “alpha, edgy, and downright hot.” Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Blitz + Chapter One + Review: Ruin & Rule by Pepper Winters – Pure Corruption MC

ruin & rule book tour

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ruin & ruleRuin & Rule

Pure Corruption MC – Book 1

By Pepper Winters

69559-goodreads

Synopsis

“We met in a nightmare. The in-between world where time had no power over reason. We fell in love. We fell hard. But then we woke up. And it was over . . .”

 

RUIN & RULE

 

She is a woman divided. Her past, present, and future are as twisted as the lies she’s lived for the past eight years. Desperate to get the truth, she must turn to the one man who may also be her greatest enemy . . .

 

He is the president of Pure Corruption MC. A heartless biker and retribution-deliverer. He accepts no rules, obeys no one, and lives only to reap revenge on those who wronged him. And now he has stolen her, body and soul.

 

Can a woman plagued by mystery fall in love with the man who refuses to face the truth? And can a man drenched in darkness forgo his quest for vengeance-and finally find redemption?

 

“Ruin & Rule is a full-length book at 436 pages and ends on a cliffhanger. Cleo and Kill’s story continues in SIN & SUFFER.”

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

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Prologue

We met in a nightmare.

The in-between world where time had no power over rhyme, reason, or connection. We met. We stared. We knew.

There was no distortion from the outside world. No right or wrong. No confusion or battles from hearts and minds.

Just us. In our silent dreamworld.

That nightmare became our home. Planting ghosts, raising fantasies. Entwined together in our happily skewed reality.

We fell in love. We fell hard.

In those fleeting seconds of our nightmare, we lived an eternity.

But then we woke up.

And it was over.

Chapter One

I always believed life would grant rewards to those most worthy. I was fucking naïve. Life doesn’t reward—it ruins. It ruins those most deserving and takes everything. It takes everything all while watching any remaining goodness rot to hate.

—Kill

[ORN_SB]

Darkness.

That was my world now. Literally and physically.

The back of my skull hurt from being knocked unconscious. My wrists and shoulders ached from lying on my back with my hands tied behind me.

Nothing was broken—at least it didn’t feel that way—but everything was bruised. The fuzziness receded wisp by wisp, parting the clouds of sleep, trying to shed light on what’d happened. But there was no light. My eyes blinked at the endless darkness from the mask tied around my head. Anxiety twisted my stomach at having such a fundamental gift taken away.

I didn’t move, but mentally catalogued my body from the tips of my toes to the last strand of hair on my head. My jaw and tongue ached from the foul rag stuffed in my mouth and my nose permitted a shallow stream of oxygen to enter—just enough to keep me alive.

Fear tried to claw its way through my mind, but I shoved it away. I deliberately suppressed panic in order to assess my predicament rather than lose myself to terror.

Fear never helps, only hinders.

My senses came back, creeping tentatively, as if afraid whoever had stolen me would notice their return.

Sound: the squeak of brakes, the creak of a vehicle settling from motion to stopping.

Touch: the skin on my right forearm stung, throbbing with a mixture of soreness and sharpness. A burn perhaps?

Smell: dank rotting vegetables and the astringent, pungent scent of fear—but it wasn’t mine. It was theirs.

It wasn’t just me being kidnapped.

My heart flurried, drinking in their terror. It made my breath quicken and legs itch to run. Forcing myself to ignore the outside world, I focused inward. Clutching my inner strength where calmness was a need rather than a luxury.

I refused to lose myself in a fog of tears. Desperation was a curse and I wouldn’t succumb, because I had every intention of being prepared for what might happen next.

I hated the sniffles and stifled sobs of others around me. Their bleak sadness tugged at my heartstrings, making me fight with my own preservation, replacing it with concern for theirs.

Get through this, then worry about them.

I didn’t think this was a simple opportunistic snatch. Whoever had stolen me planned it. The hunch grew stronger as I searched inside for any liquor remnants or the smell of cigarettes.

Had I been at a party? Nightclub?

Nothing.

I hadn’t been stupid or reckless. I think…

No hint or clue as to where I’d been or what I’d been doing when they’d come for me.

I wriggled, trying to move away from the stench. My bound wrists protested, stinging as the rope around them gnawed into my flesh like twine-beasts. My ribs bellowed, along with my head. There was no give in my restraints. I stopped trying to move, preserving my energy.

I tried to swallow.

No saliva.

I tried to speak.

No voice.

I tried to remember what happened.

I tried to remember…

Panic.

Nothing.

I can’t remember.

“Get up, bitch,” a man said. Something jabbed me in the ribs. “Won’t tell you again. Get.”

I froze as my mind hurtled me from present to past.

I’ll miss you so much,” she wailed, hugging me tighter.

“I’m not dying, you know.” I tried to untangle myself, looking over my shoulder at the final call flashing for my flight. I hated being late for anything. Let alone my one chance at escaping and finding out the truth once and for all.

“Call me the moment you get there.”

“Promise.” I drew a cross over my heart—

The memory shattered as my horizontal body suddenly went vertical in one swoop.

Who was that girl? Why did I have no memory of it ever happening?

“I said get up, bitch.” The man breathed hard in my ear, sending a waft of reeking breath over me. The blindfold stole my sight, but it left my nose woefully unprotected.

Unfortunately.

My captor shoved me forward. The ground was steady beneath my feet. The sickness plaiting with my confusion faded, leaving me cold.

My legs stumbled in the direction he wanted me to go. I hated shuffling in the darkness, not knowing where I came from or where I was being herded. There were no sounds of comfort or smothered snickers. This wasn’t a masquerade.

This was real.

This is real.

My heart thudded harder, fear slipping through my defenses. But full-blown terror remained elusive. Slippery like a silver fish, darting on the outskirts of my mind. It was there but fleeting, keeping me clear-headed and strong.

I was grateful for that. Grateful that I maintained what dignity I had left—remaining strong even in the face of the unknown terrors lurking on the other side of my blindfold.

Moans and whimpers of other women grew in decibels as men ordered them to follow the same path I walked. Either death row or salvation, I had no choice but to inch my way forward, leaving my forgotten past behind.

I willed snippets to come back. I begged the puzzlement of my past to slot into place, so I could make sense of this horrible world I’d awoken in.

But my mind was locked to me. A fortress withholding everything I wished to know.

The pushing stopped. So did I.

Big mistake.

“Move.” A cuff to the back of my head sent me wheeling forward. I didn’t stop again. My bare feet traversed…wood?

Bare feet?

Where are my shoes?

The missing knowledge twisted my stomach.

Where did I come from?

How did I end up here?

What’s my name?

It wasn’t the terror of the unknown future that stole my false calmness. It was the fear of losing my very self. They’d stolen everything. My triumphs, my trespasses, my accomplishments and failures.

How could I deal with this new world if I didn’t know what skills I had to stay alive? How could I hope to defeat my enemy when my mind revolted and locked me out?

Who am I?

To have who I was deleted…It was unthinkable.

“Faster, bitch.” Something cold wedged against my spine, pushing me onward. With my hands behind my back, I shuffled faster, negotiating the ground as best I could for dips or trips.

“Step down.” The man grabbed my bound wrists, giving me something to lean against as my toes navigated the small steps before me.

“Again.”

I obeyed.

“Last one.”

I managed the small staircase without falling flat on my face.

My face.

What do I look like?

A loud scraping noise sounded before me. I shied back, bumping against a feminine form. The woman behind me cried out—the first verbal sound of another.

“Move.” The pressure on my lower back came again, and I obeyed. Inching forward until the stuffy air of old vegetables and must was replaced by…copper and metallic…blood?

Why…why is that so familiar?

I gasped as my mind free-fell into another memory.

“I don’t think I can do this.” I darted away, throwing up in the rubbish bin in the classroom. The unique stench of blood curdled my stomach.

“Don’t overthink it. It’s not what you’re doing to the animal to make it bleed. It’s what you’re doing to make it live.” My professor shook his head, waiting for me to swill out my mouth and return white-faced and queasy to the operation in progress.

My heart splintered like a broken piece of glass, reflecting the compassion and responsibility I felt for such an innocent creature. This little puppy that’d been dumped in a plastic bag to die after being shot with BB gun pellets. He’d survive only if I mastered the skills to stem his internal bleeding and embrace the vocation I was called to do.

Inhaling the scent of blood, I let it invade my nostrils, scald my throat, and impregnate my soul. I drank its coppery essence. I drenched myself in the smell of the creature’s life force until it no longer affected me.

Picking up a scalpel, I said, “I’m ready—”

“Holy fuck!” The man guiding me forward suddenly whacked the base of my spine. The hard pain shoved me forward and I tripped.

“Wire—get me fucking reinforcements. He’s started a motherfucking war!”

Wind and body motion swarmed me as men charged from behind. The darkness I lived in suddenly came alive with sound.

Bullets flew, impaling themselves into the metal sides of the vehicle I’d just stepped from. Pings and ricochets echoed in my ear. Curses bellowed; moans of pain threaded like a breeze.

Someone grabbed my arm, swinging me to the side. “Get down!” The inertia of his throw knocked me off balance. With my wrists bound together, I had nothing to grab with, no way to protect myself from falling.

I fell.

My stomach swooped as tumbled off a small platform and smashed against the ground.

Dirt, damp grass, and moldy leaves replaced the stench of blood, cutting through the cloying sharpness of spilled metallic. My mouth opened, gasping in pain. Blades of grass tickled my lips as my cheek stuck to wet mud.

My shoulder screamed with agony, but I ignored the new injury. My mind clung to the unlocked memory. The fleeting recollection of my profession.

I’m a vet.

The sense of homecoming and security that one little snippet brought was priceless. My soul snarled for more, suddenly ravenous for missing information.

I skipped straight from fumbling uncertainty into starvation for more.

Tell me! Show me. Who am I?

I searched inside for more clues. But it was like trying to grab on to an elusive dream, fading faster and faster the harder I chased.

I couldn’t remember anything about medicine or how to heal. All I knew was I’d been trained to embrace the scent of blood. I wasn’t afraid of it. I didn’t faint or suffer sickness at the sight of it pouring from an open wound.

That tiniest knowledge was enough to settle my prickling nerves and focus on the outside world again.

Battle cries. Men screaming. Men growling. The dense thuds of fists on flesh and the horrible deflection of gunshots.

I couldn’t understand. Had I fallen through time and entered an alternate dimension?

Another body landed on top of mine.

I cried out, winded from a sharp poke of an elbow to my ribs.

The figure rolled away, crying softly. Feminine.

Why aren’t I crying?

I once again searched for fear. It wasn’t natural not to be afraid. I’d woken up alone, stolen, and thrown into the middle of a war, yet I wasn’t hyperventilating or panicked.

My calmness was like a drug, oozing over me, muting the sharp starkness of my situation. It was bearable if I embraced courage and the knowledge that I was strong.

My hands balled, grateful for the thought. I didn’t know who I was, but it didn’t matter, because the person who I was in this moment mattered the most.

I had to remain segmented, so I could get through whatever was about to happen. All I had was gut instinct, quiet strength, and rationality. Everything else had been taken.

“Stop fighting, you fucking idiots!”

The loud growl rumbled like an earthquake, hushing the battle in one fell swoop. Whoever had spoken had power.

Immense power. Colossal power.

A shiver darted over my skin.

“What the fuck happened? Have you lost your goddamn lovin’ mind?” a man yelled.

A sound of a short scuffle, then the fresh whiff of tilled dirt graced my nose.

“It’s done. Throw down your weapons and bend a fucking knee.” The same earthquake rumbled. The weight of his command pushed me harder against the damp ground.

“I’m not bending nothing, you asshole. You aren’t my Prez!”

“I am. Have been for the past four years.”

“You’re not. You’re his bitch. Don’t think his power is yours.”

Another fight—muffled fists and kicks. It ended swiftly with a painful groan.

The earthquake voice came again. “Open your eyes and follow the red fucking river. Your chosen—the one you hand-picked to slaughter me and take over the Club—he’s dead. Did you ever stop to think Wallstreet made me Prez for a fucking reason?”

Another moan.

“I’m the chosen one. I’m the one who knows the family secrets, absorbed the legacy, and earned his way into power. You don’t know shit. Nobody does. So bend a fucking knee and respect.”

Another tremor ran down my back.

Silence for a time, apart from the squelch of boots and heavy breathing. Then a barely muttered curse. “You’ll die. One way or another, we won’t put up with a Dagger as a Prez. We’re the Corrupts, goddammit. Having a traitor rule us is a fucking joke.”

“I’m the traitor? The man who obeys your leader? Who guides in his stead? I’m the traitor when you try and rally my brothers in a war?” A heavy thud of a fist connected with flesh. “No…I’m not. You are.”

My mind raced, sucking up noises and forming wild conclusions of what happened before me. Was this World War Three? Was this the apocalypse of the life I couldn’t remember? No matter how I pieced it together, I couldn’t make sense of anything.

The air was thick with anticipation. I didn’t know how many men stood before me. I didn’t know how many corpses littered the ground, or how such violence could be permitted in the world I used to know. But I did know the cease-fire was fragile and any moment it would explode.

A single threat slithered through the grass like a snake. “I’ll kill you, motherfucker. Mark my words. The true Corrupts are just waiting to take you out.”

The gentle foot-thuds of someone large vibrated through the ground. “The Corrupts haven’t existed for four fucking years. The moment I took the seat, it’s been Pure Corruption all the way. And you’re not fucking pure enough for this Club. You’re done.”

I flinched as the sulfuric boom of a gun ripped through the stagnant air.

A crash as a body fell lifeless to the grass. A soft puff of a soul escaping.

Murder.

Murder was committed right before me.

The inherent need to nurture and heal—the part of me that was as steadfast as the beat of my heart—wept with regret.

Death was something I’d fought against on a daily basis, but now I was weaponless.

I hated that a life had been stolen right before me. That I hadn’t been able to stop it.

I’m a witness.

And yet, I’d witnessed nothing.

I’d been privy to a battle but seen nothing. Knew no one. I would never be able to tell who shot whom, or who was right and who was wrong.

My hands shook, even though I managed to stay eerily calm. Am I in shock? And if I was, how did I cure myself?

The woman beside me curled into a ball, her knees digging into my side. My first reaction was to repel away from the touch. I didn’t know who was friend or foe. But a second reaction came quickly; the urge to share my calmness—to let her know that no matter what happened, she wasn’t alone. We faced the same future—no matter how grim.

Voices cascaded over us, whispers mainly, quickly spoken orders. Every sound was heightened. Being robbed of sight made my body seek other ways in which to find clues.

“Get rid of the bodies before daybreak.”

“We’ll go back and make sure we’re still covered.”

“Send out the word. It’s over. The Prez won—no anarchy today.”

Each voice was distinct but my ears twitched only for one: the earthquake rumble that set my skin quivering like quicksand.

He hadn’t spoken since he’d condemned someone to death and pulled the trigger. Every second of not hearing him made my heart trip faster. I wasn’t afraid. I should be. I should be immobile with fear. But he invoked something in me—something primal. Just like I knew I was female and a vet, I knew his voice meant something. Every inch of me tensed, waiting for him to speak. It was wrong to crave the voice of a killer, but it was the only thing I wanted.

Needed.

I need to know who he is.

Wet mud sucked loudly against boots as they came closer.

The woman whimpered, but I angled my chin toward the sound, wishing my eyes were uncovered.

I wanted to see. I wanted to witness the carnage before me. Because it was carnage. The stench of death confirmed it. It was morbid to want to see such destruction, but without my sight all of this seemed like a terrible nightmare. Nothing was grounded—completely nonsensical and far too strange.

I needed proof that this was real.

I needed concrete evidence that I wasn’t mad. That my body was intact, even if my mind was not.

I sucked in a breath as warm fingers touched my cheek, angling my face upward and out of the mud. Strong hands caressed the back of my skull, fumbling with my blindfold.

The anticipation of finally getting my wish to see made me stay still and cooperative in his hold.

I didn’t say a word or move. I just waited. And breathed. And listened.

The man’s breath was heavy and low, interspersed with a quick catch of pain. His fingers were swift and sure, but unable to hide the small fumble of agony.

He’s hurt.

The pressure of the blindfold suddenly released, trading opaque darkness for a new kind of gloom.

Night sky. Moonshine. Stars above.

Anchors of a world I knew, but no recognition of the dark-shrouded industrial estate where blood gleamed silver-black and corpses dotted the field.

I’m alive.

I can see.

The joy at having my eyes freed came and went as blazing as a comet.

Then my life ended as our gazes connected.

Green to green.

I have green eyes.

Down and down I spiraled, deeper and deeper into his clutches.

My life—past, present, and future—lost all purpose the second I stared into his soul.

The fear I’d been missing slammed into my heart.

I quivered. I quaked.

Something howled deep inside with age-old knowledge.

Every part of me arched toward him, then shied away in terror.

Him.

A nightmare come to life.

A nightmare I wanted to live.

If life was a tapestry, already threaded and steadfast, then he was the scissors that cut me free. He tore me out, stole me away, changed the whole prophecy of who I was meant to be.

Jaw-length dark hair, tangled and sweaty, framed a square jaw, straight nose, and full lips. His five-o’clock stubble held remnants of war, streaked with dirt and blood. But it was his eyes that shot a quivering arrow into my heart, spreading his emerald anger.

He froze, his body curving toward mine. Blistering hope flickered across his features. His mouth fell open and love so achingly deep glowed in his gaze. “What—” A leg gave out, making him kneel beside me. His hands shook as he cupped my face, his fingers digging painfully into my cheekbones. “It’s not—”

My heart raced. Yes.

“You know me,” I breathed.

The moment my voice webbed around us, storm clouds rolled over the sunshine in his face, blackening the hope and replacing it with pure hatred.

He changed from watching me like I was his angel to glowering as if I were a despicable devil.

I shivered at the change—at the iciness and hardness. He breathed hard, his chest rising and falling. His lips parted, a rumbling command falling from his mouth to my ears. “Stand up. You’re mine now.”

When I didn’t move, his hand landed on my side. His touch was blocked by clothing but I felt it everywhere. He stroked my soul, tickled my heart, and caressed every cell with fingers that despised me.

I couldn’t suck in a proper breath.

With a vicious push, he rolled me over, and with a sharp blade sliced my bindings. With effortless power, so thrilling and terrifying, he hauled me to my feet.

I didn’t sway. I didn’t cry. Only pulled the disgusting gag from my mouth and stared in silence.

I stared up, up, up into his bright green eyes, understanding something I shouldn’t understand.

This was him.

My nightmare.

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4StarSun

Michel’s Review

Are you looking for a dark erotic thriller?  Ruin & Rule by Pepper Winters is one of those books.  It will keep the reader on the edge of their seat guessing at what the next page is going to deliver.  Pepper Winters is a master at creating dark intrigue.  She is the master at creating monsters that the reader whole heartedly embraces while still being appalled by their actions.  She creates a very complex plot ruled by complicated characters.  The twists and turns keep the direction of the plot from being fully revealed until the very last word is written at the end of the series.

It’s very hard to review a partial story.  The reviewer has to base their review on the basic introduction of the story, the character development , the creation of their world, the carefully planned passages that build the overall plot, and the execution that keeps the readers glued to the pages and wanting more.  With Pepper Winters books it is virtually impossible to follow this kind of review format.  She definitely creates a tangled web that leaves the readers with too many questions.  She reveals enough of the overall plot that the story begins to take a life of its own.  The characters are so complex that we only get a glimpse of their persona. She executes the pacing of the story with precise precision that does leave the reader screaming for more.  But how can one base their reactions when they don’t have all the information?

I really wanted to give this book 5 Stars because it was that good but there were things that held me back.  Once the second book comes out I may change my mind.

As stated in the synopsis this is a biker MC book.  Unlike most biker MC books, this one stands apart.  It does not revolve around club business or the club compound.  There is no sense of the brotherhood or comradery between the members.  The reader only gets an introduction to three of the club members besides the president.  The readers  meet the former president but in no way shape or form understand his motives and agendas.  Although there is a rival MC, the reader does not get an insight as to why they are sworn enemies.  The reader does get a clear understanding as to why the president, Kill , has a vendetta against them.  And then there is the Pure Corruption mantra of trying to stay within the law, being pillars of the community yet being involved in human trafficking.  Their reasoning is beyond comprehension at this point.  No matter who these women slept with or what they did with their lives does not warrant them being sold off like cattle because of their choices.  Their justifications don’t cut it.

This leads me to the president of Pure Corruption.  Arthur Killian, aka Kill, is not your typical biker dude.  He is a complex man with a genius IQ.  He has made millions for the club.  He is as comfortable in an Armani suit as he is in leathers.  For a man that is so smart why can’t he see what is right in front of him?  Why doesn’t he use his money and power to destroy his enemies rather than resorting to selling women and other underhanded actions?  Why is he blindly following the former president’s steps to destruction without questioning his motives?  And once he does realize what is in front of him he does a 360 turn in his personality.  His pure hatred turns into unconditional love.

The heroine of the story, Cleo, is just as complex.  Her amnesia has caused her to forget two very different lives.  She is so bent on recovering her memory that she has no self preservation.  I couldn’t understand her lack of fear.

The connection between Cleo and Kill is what ties this story together and drives the plot.  What happened in their childhood was horrific.  How some of it played out is questionable.

Until I get the rest of the story it is hard to give a good solid review.  In true Pepper Winters tradition, she created a complex story that left the readers with tons of questions.  I am looking forward to the resolution in the Pure Corruption MC.

Sin & Suffer, the second book in the Pure Corruption MC series will release on January 26, 2016.

Sin & Suffer

Sin & Suffer – Book 2

Release Date: January 26, 2015

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pepperPepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

STALK Pepper: Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

ruin & rule

Release Blitz + 6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite + Giveaway: Chasing River by K. A. Tucker – Burying Water Series – Book 3

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We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Review Tour for K.A. Tucker’s CHASING RAIN! CHASING RIVER is a Suspenseful Romance novel, and the third novel in K.A. Tucker’s Burying Water Series, published by Atria books, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster. CHASING RIVER is set to be released July 7, 2015! If you haven’t already, be sure to grab BURYING WATER and BECOMING RAIN, the first two books in this thrilling series!!

 

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CHASING RIVER US Links:

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CHASING RIVER UK Links:

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About CHASING RIVER:

Armed with two years’ worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn’t let her die, but he also couldn’t risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.

Maybe it’s because he saved her life, or maybe it’s because he’s completely different from everything she’s left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn’t the kind of guy she’d want to catch.

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6StarSun

Robin’s Review

Author K.A. Tucker’s writing portfolio includes series written in the young adult paranormal fantasy, new adult contemporary romance, and new adult romantic suspense genres.  Although I have never read her Causal Enchantment series, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading each of the novels of the Ten Tiny Breathes and the Burying Water series. Much of the Burying Water series is based in a small town named Sisters, Oregon.  Chasing River is different because the majority of the story takes place in Dublin, Ireland.  If you have read any of the Burying Water series, you may remember Amber Welles is the daughter of retired sheriff Gabe Welles and the twin sister of Jesse Welles. Chasing River is Amber’s story.

On a normal day, twenty-four-year-old River Delaney would be getting up to open his family pub. But today, River is following his brother Aengus into St. Stephen’s Green. It’s only 7:30 in the morning, and Aengus is acting sketchy, carrying a black leather satchel close to his body. When he reaches a field, Aengus kneels down, unzips the satchel and lays a pipe bomb in the grass. When River sees what his brother is doing, he attempts to talk him out it, but Aengus warns him to immediately get out of there. That’s when River notices a woman jogging straight for the bomb.

Amber is on a leave of absence from her work as a nurse. She plans to visit fifteen different countries over a four-month period. After spending three and half weeks in Canada, Amber is now in Dublin, Ireland. She’s running late for a day tour, so she decides to take a shortcut through a field in St. Stephen’s Green. She doesn’t realize it, but she’s jogging towards a pipe bomb that is just about to detonate. Before she has time to process what is happening, a man plows into Amber, sending her flying through the air. He lands on top of her just before an explosion rips through the field. When the dust settles, the man checks to see if she was injured. After he sees that she is okay, he runs off. Amber realizes two things: he was protecting her from the explosion, and she didn’t get to thank him.

Besides the sweet romance between the main characters, what I love most about Chasing River is the history I was able to learn about Ireland. Tucker begins her novel with a three-page author’s note. She addresses the political and religious divisions between Ireland and England, which eventually led to Ireland’s attempt to break away from England. More important to this story is what we learn about the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and the role it has played throughout Irish history. The Delaney family has a long history of being involved with the Irish Republican Army, so pay close attention to the author’s note because what you learn will be very relevant to this story. This Irish history lesson lends to the suspense element in this story, making Chasing River one of the best romantic suspense novels that I have read in recent months.

We also learn more Irish history through River and his family. I really liked how the author shows us how much each member of the Delaney family values his or her Irish heritage. At one point in the novel, Amber sits in a pub and listens to a real Irish storyteller. We are able to enjoy the story as Amber listens to what is being said. I thought this was very creative feature of Chasing River. K.A. Tucker quickly captured my attention with this story. The unique setting of Dublin, Ireland feels very authentic when you combine it with the dialect, expressions and history Tucker includes in her writing.

I was able to discern real character growth in both protagonists, but especially in Amber. Before she leaves on her trip, Amber is encouraged by a friend to step outside of her comfort zone, and I feel there are several times in this story where she does just that. Amber takes a good look at her life, and she realizes that she wants to make the best decisions for her, not based on what others expect of her. I truly enjoyed River and Amber as a couple. Long distance relationships are never easy, and I would love to read more about their relationship in a future novel of the Burying Water series. So far, they are my favorite couple written by Tucker. I also consider 6-star Chasing River to be my favorite novel written by K.A. Tucker, and I am adding it to my list of 2015 favorites!

 

6StarSun

Michel’s Review

Chasing River is the third book in the Burying Water series by K.A. Tucker.  It is my favorite book in the series so far.

K.A. Tucker created an interesting plot and unique set of characters that is original, informative, emotional, and entertaining.  This book is not a fast paced high octane story like the other books in this series.  It is more of a look into the reality of life in modern day Ireland.  She painted a vivid picture of daily life, family dynamics, and the political arena in which most Irish families experience.  Living in North America has kept readers removed from the plights of the Irish people.  Most of us don’t have an understanding of their politics, their laws, and their convictions.  We assume they have the same kind of liberties and values that we have.  It is an arrogant assumption and ignorant way of thinking.  This book opens the readers eyes and gives them a clear insight while at the same time delivering a beautiful romance.

Amber Welles has lived an enchanted sheltered life in a small town environment.  She was the queen of her high school , made good grades, stayed out of trouble, excelled in college, and began making a successful career as a nurse.  Her parents gave her an easy life.  Her mother was a successful surgeon that taught her to love medicine.  Her father was the town sheriff that taught her to live an honest and trouble free life.  Unlike her twin brother, she has never been in trouble, never been exposed to people outside her social circle, and most certainly never skirted the law.  She has always dreamed of traveling abroad and exploring the world.  She has been saving for this dream and plans to take a year off to follow her dreams.  After a harsh break up she decides to pursue her dream sooner.  She may not have enough money to spend a year abroad but she does have enough to have several months of travel and adventure.  Just before she embarks on her trip she makes a bucket list for her adventures.

Her first day in Ireland is beyond the adventure she was dreaming of.  She is nearly blown up in an explosion in the park.  If the sexy stranger with green eyes hadn’t saved her she would of been seriously injured or dead.  Now she wants to find this Irish stranger and thank him for saving her life.  When she does find him she gets more than she bargained for.  She will find that her world was much smaller than she thought it was.  She will find that not every thing is black and white.  She will find there are many gray areas that are neither right or wrong.  She will open herself up to new people and accept their beliefs.  She will discover that old casual acquaintances can become the dearest of friends.  Most of all she will find that once in a lifetime love with a man that doesn’t fit into her neat and orderly life.  Amber Welles is falling into River.  It is up to her whether she wants to sink or swim in the murky waters we call life.

River Delaney is the middle son in your typical Irish family.  His family has owned a pub for over 200 years.  Their family history is rich with stories of love, passion, heartbreak, struggle, and strife.  Their convictions run deep.  Their connections to the IRA and RIRA are part of their heritage.  It is a dangerous life.  His choices have molded him into the man he is today.  His family history has made him target for the law as well as RIRA.  Falling for an American girl that stirs his soul is not a good idea.  The heart dictates what it wants.  Their relationship may sink or swim.  He may drown from the heartache or sail into a beautiful relationship.  Either way, both he and Amber are treading in dangerous waters.

I could not put this book down.  Amber and River’s story was beautiful.  Both had convictions from their upbringings that should of kept them apart.  Both found a love that was pure and beautiful.  Both had to make choices that their families had a hard time grasping.  In the end they found the once in a lifetime love that was worth sacrificing for.

K. A. Tucker did a thorough job with her research in Irish history.  The reader will walk away with a better understanding of Irish heritage that is not leprechauns, rainbows, pots of gold, and blarney stones.

I loved how she incorporated some of the characters from the previous books and gave them a stronger role in the series.  Gabe Welles in the kind of father that every girl should have.  Ivy Lee is the kind of friend that Amber didn’t know she needed.  She proved that beneath the hostility and icy veneer lies a true and loyal soul.

Chasing River can be read as a stand alone or in series order.

I highly recommend Chasing River by K. A. Tucker.  It is fantastic.

 

And don’t forget BURYING WATER and BECOMING RAIN, the first two books in this thrilling series…

Burying Water

BURYING WATER

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Becoming Rain

BECOMING RAIN

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Author PhotoAbout K.A. Tucker:

Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

 

 

 

 

 

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