Push by Claire Wallis….6 Star Reviews- Smut Book Junkie Reviews Favorite + Giveaway

Posted on 04/08/2015 by shellbellereads

Push

Book 1

By Claire Wallis

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Synopsis

I feel like I am wrapped in a cyclone. Everything is whirling around me, drawing the air out of my lungs and filling me with the best kind of turmoil. Every time his tongue slides against mine, a prickle in my gut tells me how right we are together. How much I need David. How much I need us.

I hope the cyclone never stops.

Emma Searfoss has spent a lifetime trying to escape her abusive stepfather. It’s why she moved far away from home. It’s why she’s kept no ties with her remaining family. And it’s why she’s got a major rage problem. When her neighbor shows up to fix the kitchen in her new apartment, his enigmatic charm calms the fire in her. David is cool and collected, and he makes Emma feel safe for the first time ever. But David has his own chilling past—his six previous girlfriends have all disappeared without a trace. Emma’s walking a dangerous line, but David’s pull is intoxicating. And impossible to resist…

Michel’s Review

*** I wrote this review in May 2014 when Push was first released. Almost one year later and several books reviewed, I have not been able to forget this book. I am still blown away by the intensity and the emotional impact this book had on me. I have recommended this book to several of my seasoned reader friends and they have had the same kind of reactions. Claire Wallis delivered a unique story with a very untraditional writing style. There were two prologues and two epilogues are written from each character’s POV. The content of the book is mostly written in third person but has chapters throughout the book written in first person POV from supporting characters. It is choreographed in a very deliberate manner that stuns the readers. The writing is absolutely brilliant! ***

Push by Claire Wallis is getting a lot of attention in the reader world. There are discussion groups dedicated to this book. All the major review sites and bloggers are blowing up over this book. It has every reader reacting! How could I not read this book? I had to know what was causing this kind of hysteria.

Now that I have finished this book, I completely understand all the reactions and sensation this book is generating.

Everything about Push is completely original. The plot is intricately woven. The reader gets a look at both the characters pasts as well as their present. The book is mostly written from Emma’s point of view. We get to know David through their conversations, Emma’s point of view, past girlfriends’ point of views, the prologue and epilogue. The author brilliantly takes the reader into the complicated worlds these characters evolved from. She develops a story that will keep the reader consumed to the very last word. When all is said and done, all the reader can think is WTF! I had to peel my jaw off the ground. I felt like I needed a shot of whiskey to calm me down. I felt like I needed a whole bottle of antacid to get my stomach out of knots. I needed the next book….. like YESTERDAY!

Push is exhilarating, chilling, horrific, distressing, anguishing, tormenting and heartbreaking. At the same time, the reader experiences an unusual but beautiful relationship. A relationship that goes beyond the kind of love most relationships are based on. Everything about this couple worked. They were exactly what each other needed. But sometimes having that perfection is not enough. This is the case with David and Emma.

When I started this book I was immediately drawn in. There are two prologues, one from Emma’s point of view and the other from David’s point of view. The prologues made it very clear what was going to happen at the end of the book. I was flabbergasted! I had to know more. I had to find out how they came to this point. I was hoping that the ending would turn out differently.

Emma was a very impressive heroine. She had a horrible childhood. She was mentally and verbally abused by her stepfather. Her stepfather ruined her family. But despite her ugly past, she didn’t let it drag her down. She is feisty, independent, self sufficient, aggressive, tough, and hard. She doesn’t believe in love. She doesn’t trust easily. She never gives anyone a piece of her heart. She’s okay with who she is. When she meets David, pieces of herself that she locked away begin to surface. He accepts her for who she is. He wants to protect her and take care of her. He is tender, caring, and supportive. He is everything she never knew she needed. He is perfect for her even though he has a slew of hidden secrets. She is okay with that. She accepts him for who he is because like her he has been to hell and back.

David is one of the most complicated characters I have ever experienced. On one hand I absolutely loved him. He is compassionate, giving, tender, and loving in his own unique way. He has a mesmerizing personality that is hard not to love. On the other hand, deep down he is a monster. He is your worst nightmare. Your heart breaks when you find out how he evolved into this horrific person. You are hoping that his relationship with Emma will somehow change him. Some people are not fixable.

Somehow these two messed up souls are beautiful together. They give each other what they need. They bring out the very best and the very worst in each other. They embrace it all. They are chaotic perfection together.

When you reach the end, there are two epilogues. One epilogue is from Emma’s point of view and the other is from David’s point of view. The ending will leave you with your heart in your feet, stomach in knots, and ugly tears running down your face. It ends on a major CLIFFHANGER!

Push by Claire Wallis blew my mind! I cannot wait for the sequel. I hope the publisher does not leave us readers hanging for long. I don’t think I can get this book out of my head.

Push by Claire Wallis is clearly the book that is going to soar to the top of 2014 Book of the Year list.

Note: This review is based on my reactions and emotions. The writing was flawless. The plot was brilliant. The overall story to this point is heart wrenching.

Robin’s Review

It has been three weeks since I finished reading Push by Claire Wallis, and I still think about this novel. Or should I say obsess? This is the exception. Generally, my head shifts focus with each novel that I begin reading. Reviewing novels is hard. Sometimes it takes all of the fun out of reading when you have to focus on what you want to say when you write the review. When I read Push, I knew our blog had already covered this story. So, I read it for sheer enjoyment. And I can’t forget it. I can’t escape this story. Have you read the synopsis? Push is dark romance at its finest. Go read this thriller now because the sequel Pull is being published soon! 6 stars to Claire Wallis for her debut novel!

Author Bio:

Enamored with the process of creating messy characters filled with imperfections and wicked inclinations, Claire believes that you don’t actually have to like a character to fall in love with them – a good story, after all, is best served with a hearty side of evil (just ask Disney). Claire’s first New Adult novel, Push, was released by MIRA Books on May 1st 2014. The story speaks to her appreciation of enigmatic male characters, perfectly capable of charming themselves straight into your unwilling heart. She enjoys writing about characters that are, at any given moment, both loathed and loved. You know, the ones that refuse to be forgotten.

Claire Wallis has penned hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles over the last ten years, with science playing the lead role in almost all of them. Though non-fiction writing will forever be her first love, fiction has unexpectedly swooped in, hooked her by the soul, and become her true love. As a result of this coup d’état, Claire’s writing career has made a complete U-turn, and instead of rocks, plants, insects, and microbes, she is now putting human characters in the lead.

Claire’s previous jobs include working at a limestone quarry, hawking vegetables at a farmer’s market, clerking at the dollar store, and convincing new mothers that they need to renew their subscription to that parenting magazine in order for their child to survive. She lives in Pennsylvania with her amazingly awesome husband and son.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
$25 Amazon Gift Card
One digital copy of PUSH via Amazon
One audiobook of PUSH via Audible Studios

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Cover Reveal + Giveaway : Meet Me In The Dark by J. A. Huss

Posted on 04/01/2015 by shellbellereads

Meet Me In The Dark

A Dark Suspense

Release Date:April 15, 2015

By J. A. Huss

Synopsis

Eight years ago, Merric Case—AKA Merc, freelance assassin—was sent to rescue a sixteen year old girl from a Wyoming-based militia group on Christmas Eve. A new life, new friends, and a whole lot of new money came out of that job. But a choice had to be made that night, and the girl he should’ve saved was left behind.

Sydney Channing was collateral damage in more ways than one when the rescue she expected turned into an eight-year nightmare filled with lies, sexual servitude, and mind manipulation. Case’s last threat gave her hope that one day he’d be back—even if it was just to kill her.

And now Merc is back. But he’s not here to save Sydney. His job is to pick through her damaged psyche and find the truth using whatever means necessary. Sex, drugs, lies, and love. Those are his weapons of choice. And when Merric Case takes aim—he never misses the target.

Meet Me In The Dark is a full-length dark suspense novel due to be published on April 15, 2015.

Author Bio

Author Bio:

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Savage…Kill Or Die by Jade C. Jamison

Posted on 03/31/2015 by shellbellereads

Savage

By Jade C. Jamison

Synopsis

Kill or Die

Nina Hardwick has had a rough life since leaving high school, but inside she is still the girl looking for a silver lining. The past several years have left their toll on her psyche, and just as she feels like she’s climbing out of a deep abyss, her life and the lives of millions of others fall into shambles as a virus overtakes the country and leaves a plague of undead armies scouring the land.

In a desperate attempt to get away from the infected, Nina and some neighbors speed out of town, nearly killing a man on a motorcycle. When they stop to rescue him, Nina realizes that he is the one man from her past she never got over, the guy who should have been her high school sweetheart until she messed it up. But this unrequited love, Kevin Savage, says he doesn’t even remember her. Or does he?

Nina, Kevin, and her neighbors head to the wilderness and fight to survive not only the plague but also hunger, cold, their inner demons…and even each other. Will they survive and, more importantly, will her heart?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Excerpt

I froze. My heart was thumping in my chest and time seemed to have slowed to a crawl, so I watched as they got closer and my friends steeled themselves for engagement. As though I was removed from the action, I saw chopping, swinging, lunging…as if I weren’t there on the battlefield. Then I saw the violent gray body lunge at me, teeth gnashing and fingers clawing, but I couldn’t make myself move. All around me, I saw my companions felling these creatures but I couldn’t seem to bring myself to do it.

It would be my demise.

I could hear Kevin beside me, yelling at me while fending off his own attacker, but then he lunged in front of me, shoving the tire iron in the neck of the creature that was ready to eat me alive, making it drop to the ground.

And then, suddenly, it was over.

They were all dead. My friends’ weapons—and their response—had saved us.

Everything became more vivid then. The blood seemed even redder on the pristine snow; the skies were a brilliant blue, the evergreens, the richest shade of olive I’d ever seen.

And then time sped up again, and Kevin gripped my shoulders, forcing me to look at him. I could sense Larry beside me ready to say something too, but he was leaving it up to the man who had my attention. “You can’t just stand there and do nothing. They’ll kill you, Nina. It’s you or them. Kill or die, Nina Davis.” His jaw rippled before he repeated each word with force. “Kill or die.”

In spite of the fear that had drained my body and despite the new appreciation I suddenly had for living, it didn’t escape my attention that he’d called me by my maiden name.

His face was so close to mine, his expression intense, his eyes like cold steel. He was a thing to be feared, and yet…I expected him to kiss me…

Jade C. Jamison was born and raised in Colorado and has decided she likes it enough to stay forever. Jade’s day job is teaching Creative Writing, but teaching doesn’t stop her from doing a little writing herself.

Unfortunately, there’s no one genre that quite fits her writing. Her work has been labeled romance, erotica, suspense, and women’s fiction, and the latter is probably the safest and closest description. But you’ll see that her writing doesn’t quite fit any of those genres.

You’ll have to discover Jade’s writing for yourself to decide if you like it.

Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Pinterest

GIVEAWAY
2 Winners – Open Internationally!
SIGNED copy of Feverish
$10 Amazon gift card

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Happy Release + Review: Captive by Brighton Walsh- Captive Series – Book 1

Posted on 03/25/2015 by shellbellereads

Captive

By Brighton Walsh

Synopsis

He’s the most dangerous man she’s ever met…and she’s falling in love with him.

Madison Frost is desperate to escape her life. Daughter of a prominent businessman, she has everything a girl could ask for. Except for a family who’s present in her life, and anyone to talk to outside the four walls of the prison she calls home. Madison dreams of one day leaving her life behind. She never thought being kidnapped is how it would happen.

Now she’s being held captive by a man who’s as frightening as he is sinfully gorgeous. Enormous, muscular, and filled with secrets, the man they call Ghost is an enigmatic mercenary, and Madison is trapped with him. She doesn’t know who hired him or why, but the more time she spends at his mercy, the more she realizes he’s not what he seems. Beneath his rough exterior lies an unexpected gentleness and a heart as broken and battered as her own.

But as Madison lets down her walls, Ghost holds tight to his, hiding secrets that could destroy everything.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

Captive by Brighton Walsh is the perfect title for this book. This book held me Captive from the very first paragraph until the very last word. It was more than your typical Stockholm Syndrome type of book. It was an intense and unusual type of kidnapping. The captor and captive learned so many things about their lives. They learned that there was more to who and what they were. They also learned they had the power to change. They also learned what real love really meant. At the same time, they were both in precarious situation that neither had complete control of. The person pulling the strings had more on his agenda than what was originally planned.

Madison Frost may seem like the typical privileged girl on the surface but beneath the facade is a very insecure unhappy girl. She may have every frivolity that money can buy. She may be exceptionally smart and well educated. She may come across as aloof and high browed. She is far form what she appears. She has been grossly neglected by her family. She has been raised in a disturbing environment. She has had to witness her mother’s substance and alcohol abuse. She has become a caretaker. She is not your typical twenty year old college student. Life is far from the carefree attitude people her age are entitled to having. She is miserable. She lacks self confidence and feels unloveable.

When Madison is abruptly kidnapped after class, her life now takes a new turn. She is frightened for herself, worried about her mother, and praying for once that her parents will put her first. She knows she is in a very dangerous situation and that she has to find her inner strength to survive.

Ghost was hired to kidnap Madison Frost. He is an expert in his line of work. He researches his victims. He leaves no room for error. All of his research could of never prepared him for Madison Frost. She is everything that is not included in his intel. Her fortitude, strength, and intelligence has him floored. Her revelations about her life have him astounded. This girl is much more valuable than the price put on her head. He will do everything in his power to make sure she comes out of this situation without one single blemish. She is the only one that matters in this game.

The job has spiraled out of control. The person that hired him has changed the game plan. The unknown is making Ghost very nervous about the outcome. He is a seasoned professional, he is going to make a new play and prays that Madison will come out of this unscathed.

After all is said and done, both Madison and Ghost will be forever changed. Their fleeting moments together will affect how they pursue their own futures. Neither one has come out of the situation without scars. It will be up to each of them how they chose to heal.

Captive was an intense story. There was an intensity to it on all levels. The suspense from the kidnapping, the mystery of who is behind the kidnapping, the undeniable chemistry between Ghost and Madison, the psychological results of the kidnapping, and finally the practical and intelligent resolutions in this story blew me away. I was held Captive.

Brighton Walsh is definitely going on my must read author list. Her writing has everything I look for in a story. Her character development, intricate plots, and delivery of the story is well executed.

I am looking forward to the next book in the Captive Series. It will feature Ghost’s brother Riley. Exposed will release on July 21, 2015. Each book can be read as a stand alone novel.

Read Captive… it will not disappoint.

——————————–

Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before deciding to take her storytelling in a different direction and reconnect with writing. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Review: The Girl In 6E by A. R. Torre- A Deanna Madden Novel – Book 1

Posted on 03/23/2015 by shellbellereads

The Girl In 6 E

A Deanna Madden Novel – Book 1

By A. R. Torre ( Alessandra Torre)

Synopsis

My life, inside this apartment is simple. It works, as long as I follow the rules.

1. Don’t leave the apartment. Not in case of fire, not to mail a letter, not to run an errand. The door stays shut, and I stay inside.
2. Don’t get attached to clients. I take off my clothes, I stand in front of the camera, and I perform. What they want, I give. Their secrets, I keep. Everything I tell them, is a lie.
3. Don’t kill anyone. I’ve obeyed that rule for over three years.

My life, inside this apartment was simple, and it worked. Then, I started breaking rules.
Enter a world of lies, thrills, fears, and all desires, in this original thriller from A. R. Torre.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

Ashley’s Review

“No one is normal. Everyone is just pretending to be normal.” –Deanna Madden

Deanna Madden has been locked in her apartment for 3 years, by choice. Confined to her small 900 square-foot apartment, she relies on her drug addicted neighbor, Simon Evans to lock her in each night from the outside world by continuing to supply him with prescription pills in exchange for this small but very important task.

Using the internet as her escape, a means of interacting with society and her means of an income, she lives by the alias Jessica Beth Reilly where she makes her living as an internet adult entertainment superstar fulfilling the fantasies of those with odd and eclectic tastes. When she is contacted by RalphMA35 who has a bizarre and quite concerning appetite for young girls, Deanna is left questioning what she should do.

When her regular UPS delivery man named Jeremy, who has been delivering packages outside her door for the past three years via verbal approval from Deanna from behind her apartment door brings a package but doesn’t get his typical response from the girl inside; Jeremy takes a chance, twisting the knob to 6E to check on the girl inside. What he discovers and what ensues within the apartment sets in motion a nail biting suspense that’ll have you hooked till the past page.

While her clientele think she’s a bubbly 19 year old college student, “Jessica” is far more sinister than anyone could imagine… she’s got hunger to kill.

“That’s the reason I stay away from people. Because I want to kill. Constantly. It’s almost all I think about.”

This is the first book I’ve read by A.R. Torre who also writes as Alessandra Torre. This book is unique as I’ve never read anything like it. The characters are so well developed, the plot is weaved so brilliantly, and the author obviously did extensive research into the adult online entertainment community to make this story as realistic as possible. I’d classify this story as romantic/suspense/psychological thriller. It’s not your typical HEA and its not cookie cutter, its raw and jaw dropping. It’d definitely got a shock factor that’ll captivate readers. This story is a solid 4 stars and I cannot wait until the next installment!

About A. R. Torre

A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre has written seven novels, four of which became #1 Erotic Bestsellers.

Her first book, Blindfolded Innocence, became a breakout hit, rising to the top of the charts on Kindle and Amazon where it attracted the interest of major publishing houses and garnered Torre her first print deal with Harlequin HQN. Less than twelve months later, Torre signed a second print deal, this time with Redhook (Hachette) for her erotic thriller The Girl in 6E.

From her home near the warm waters of the Emerald Coast in Florida, she devotes several hours each day to various writing projects and interacting with her fans on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Happily married and with one son, she loves watching SEC football games, horseback riding, reading and watching movies.

Torre has four books slated for release in 2015. To stay informed, consider subscribing to her popular monthly newsletter.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Happy Release + 5 Star Review: Hard by Cheryl McIntyre

Posted on 03/22/2015 by shellbellereads

Hard

An Erotic Romance

By Cheryl McIntyre

Synopsis

I have been staring at her for three months. Watching her. Memorizing her.

For ninety-two days, I’ve looked into those lifeless green eyes.

And for ninety-two days she has inspired me in ways I never knew possible. A muse, unbeknownst to her. Motivating me. Encouraging my darkest desires.

I’m a man who knows what he wants. And what I want is the beautiful and broken Holland Howard.

My name is Jensen Payne—photographer, autocrat, lecher, Scopophiliac. I am who I am and I will not—cannot—change.

*This is an Erotic Romance. Recommended for readers 18+ ONLY.

WARNING: This book contains possible emotional triggers.

HARD is a full-length stand-alone erotic romance novel (approximately 50,000 words).

Buy: Amazon / B & Nt / ITunes / Kobo / Smashwords

Excerpt

I have been watching her for three months.

For ninety-two days, I’ve looked into those lifeless green eyes. Let my gaze slide over her flawless, pale skin. Fantasized about her luscious lips.

For ninety-two days she has inspired me in ways I never knew possible. A muse, unbeknownst to her. Motivating me. Encouraging my darkest desires to life through my work. Just when I was so close to giving up, surrendering to my unchangeable fate, I spotted her, and haven’t been able to look away since.

I don’t think she has a clue that my eyes find her the moment I step into this establishment. She’s oblivious to the way I always sit at the same table—the one with the best view of the bar. Of her. Unaware I spend my evenings watching her.

Memorizing her. Inch by exquisite inch.

Her soft beauty and innocent naivety keeps me coming back. Over and over, since the day she first served me. My cock grows hard beneath the shelter of the table as she strides toward me, her breasts bouncing lightly with each step. My arousal has nothing to do with sexual gratification. Though she has a beautiful body, curvy in all the places a man’s hands like to grip, and hold, and conquer, I’m turned on by the way she makes me feel inside. By the strength and craving and ambition she has unknowingly restored in me.

A man’s wet fantasy. A woman’s aspiration. My divine intervention.

Michel’s Review

I was really excited when I received an ARC copy of Hard by Cheryl McIntyre. If you have not read any books by Cheryl McIntyre, Hard may be the book that makes you a die hard Cheryl McIntyre fan. Her writing is edgy, emotional, honest, and captivating. I have not picked up one book by Cheryl and not been able to put it down. When I finally got Hard downloaded on my kindle, I stayed up until the wee hours of the night because I could not walk away from this story until it was finished.

Hard is more than a dark erotic romance. It is more than an insight to the kinkier side of life. It is about dealing with the harsh realities of life and learning to cope any way possible. It is a story of acceptance and finding peace. It is a story of learning how to love after life has dealt you a very bad hand. It is a story of healing.

The first few chapters of Hard are devastating. Holland Howard has experienced the worst that life could deliver. She is beyond broken. She has lost everything she cared about in life. She has lost herself. Her only way to cope is to leave everything she knows behind. She is no longer a functioning person. She is like a robot, existing one moment to the next. She ends up across the country, in a state where she knows absolutely no one. She is managing to exist by working as a cocktail waitress in a non descript bar. That is okay with her, she only has to interact with people to do her job. She doesn’t have to personable, she doesn’t have to expose herself, and she can keep her pain to herself.

One man, Jensen Payne, takes notice of Holland in a very odd way. He has been watching her day and day out. He has become obsessed with her beauty. He wants to own her beauty. He wants to own her pain.

When Jensen propositions Holland it will lead them both on an erotic journey that is beyond the imagination. It will also lead them to accept the people they are underneath the surface. They will have to face the past, accept their lives, and find something that makes them want to look to the future. They will find the peace they didn’t know they were searching for.

I am not going to say any more about this book other than it is beyond excellent. This book evoked so many emotions. One moment I was crying my eyes out and the next moment I was totally creeped out. Then a few chapters later I was falling in love and praying these characters would find happiness.

Hard was meticulously written. It had the perfect flow and right amount of pacing. The aha moments were delivered with surprise and satisfaction. The characters were complex and their back stories were heartbreaking. The journey the characters traveled was hard but also freeing.

I cannot praise this book enough. It is a dark book that has a bright light at the end of the journey. There are no cliffhangers and definitely satisfying resolutions.

Hard by Cheryl McIntyre is a 5 Star book.

About Cheryl McIntyre

Cheryl McIntyre is the author of the bestselling Sometimes Never series, as well as the Dirty series, Infinitely, and Dark Calling.

She calls Ohio home, though she secretly dreams of living somewhere much warmer–preferably near a beach. She is a mother, author, and insomniac, as well as a reader, self-proclaimed movie critic, and incredibly bad singer. Her life revolves around four things: family, music, books, and really bad scary movies.

You can follow her author page on Facebook where she lives part time. On Goodreads—which is like crack for avid readers. On Twitter, though she has still not yet mastered the art of tweeting. On tsū. Or on her website.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Tsu ~Amazon Author Page

Stay up to date on all of Cheryl’s new releases by joining her newsletter here: http://bit.ly/1C2azm3

Happy Release + Giveaway: Monsters In The Dark Box Set by Pepper Winters – The Complete Collection

Posted on 03/16/2015 by shellbellereads

Monsters In The Dark Box Set

Includes- Tears Of Tess, Quintessentially Q, Twisted Together

By Pepper Winters

Monsters in The Dark Box Set is ONLY $0.99!

**STRICTLY LIMITED TIME SALE PRICE ON COMPLETE TRILOGY**

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

Synopsis

From New York Times Bestseller Pepper Winters comes the highly acclaimed USA Today Bestselling Series: Monsters in the Dark.

#1 Erotica, #1 Romantic Suspense, #1 Thriller. Award winner for Best Dark Romance, Best BDSM, Best Dark Hero, and Best Strong Heroine.

This is a story of eroticism, horror, tragedy and ultimately undying and unwavering love.

Included in the following edition are:

TEARS OF TESS

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.

Then it all changed.

I was sold.”

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

QUINTESSENTIALLY Q

“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… fucked up to want something so deliciously dark. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. ”

Q may be a monster, but he’s Tess’s monster.

TWISTED TOGETHER

“After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything–my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life.”

Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less.

**Not recommended if you don’t enjoy dark romance, angst-filled plots, and BDSM.**

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

Excerpts

Three little words.

If anyone asked what I was most afraid of, what terrified me, stole my breath, and made my life flicker before my eyes, I would say three little words.

How could my perfect life plummet so far into hell?

How could my love for Brax twist so far into unfixable?

The black musty hood over my head suffocated my thoughts, and I sat with hands bound behind my back. Twine rubbed my wrists with hungry stringed teeth, ready to bleed me dry in this new existence.

Noise.

The cargo door of the airplane opened and footsteps thudded toward us. My senses were dulled, muted by the black hood; my mind ran amok with terror-filled images. Would I be raped? Mutilated? Would I ever see Brax again?

Male voices argued, and someone wrenched my arm upright. I flinched, crying out, earning a fist to my belly.

Tears streamed down my face. The first tears I shed, but definitely not the last.

This was my new future. Fate threw me to the bastards of Hades.

“That one.”

My stomach twisted, threatening to evict empty contents. Oh, God.

Three little words:

I was sold.

Q’s face twisted; he captured my cheeks between hot hands. “What are you?” he clipped, face hard and unreadable.

The question anchored me and I looked into his pale ferocious eyes. I knew the answer he wanted. “I’m yours.”

He sucked in a heavy breath, body jerking. “Say it again, but not in English.”

Q intoxicated me. My lips parted, and I wanted to stay captured by him, forever. An ancient connection linked us together. I looked into his soul—it churned with agony and demons, but he wasn’t evil.

Q dropped his gaze to my lips. “Je suis à toi.” Something feral heated his features; he pressed his mouth against mine in one fast kiss. “It means, I am yours.”

My breath stuttered as power sliced, deep and fast, igniting broken parts of me with sparks. His allure, his power, all magnified to fist around my stomach. In the dark recess of my brain, I translated his words to him being mine. The power trip the little words gave was indescribable.

No wonder he wanted me to say it. I was drunk on them. He was mine. Mine.

What life did Q live, needing to hear such a strong affirmation? What ghosts haunted him?

Q tightened his fingers, biting into my jaw. “Say it.”

With his command, I fumbled into the victim I was, the rape survivor, the slave. The brief sense of ownership left me bereft.

Q twisted my nipple under the wet material of my bra. His cruelty reddened my skin and fight skittered into yielding. He sent me reeling into needful and damaged. I’d been so close to finding strength, but he took it away in an instant.

Fresh tears spilled as I whispered, “Je suis à toi.”

Q sighed heavily, resting his forehead on mine. “Will you run again? Will you leave the one man who wants you above all others? Leave his protection?” His voice wavered with regret, resignation, as if he expected me to run, and already suffered loneliness.

My eyes popped wide; I shook my head. “No, I won’t run again.”

He looked with half-hooded eyes. “How can you be so sure? Don’t I scare you? Repulse you?”

He never repulsed me, and fear where Q was concerned was an aphrodisiac. But I couldn’t tell him. “I will never escape. Je suis à toi.”

“Worse than me?” he murmured. His voice held an edge, almost as if his question meant a lot more than what he asked.

Wanting to give him something, after all he did for me last night, I nodded. “A lot worse.”

He shook his head, eyes unfocused. Memories swirled in their depths and I wanted to chase him wherever he went. I wanted to know him. Would he ever let me get close? Was a slave allowed to help her owner, while letting him use her body? I didn’t know the rules.

Q finally released me, presenting the other package. “This is for you.” His jaw clenched as I held my hands out, accepting the large sketchpad and charcoal pencils. I opened it and couldn’t breathe. Inside, architectural graph paper—the exact kind I used in my university course—glowed fresh and new.

My eyes widened. “You remembered what I told you…that first breakfast when you kissed me.”

He sat straighter, tension rippling in his body. “I remember everything, esclave. I remember how you smell, how you taste. I remember how you feel inside and how terrified you were when I found you at Lefebvre’s residence. I also know things you haven’t told me. You secretly like what I do to you. You think you hide it, but I know that darkness in your eyes. It feeds me, calls to me.”

He fisted the covers, throwing them off me, exposing my body. “Why else do you think I can’t leave you alone?”

Author Bio

Pepper 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.

GIVEAWAY
Signed copy of any of Pepper’s Books (excluding Box Set)
2 swag packs
3 ebooks (Winner’s choice)

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Cover Reveal: Echo by E.K. Blair – The Black Lotus Series – Book 2

Posted on 03/12/2015 by shellbellereads

Echo

The Black Lotus Series – Book 2

By e.k. blair

Release Date: May 12, 2015

Synopsis

It’s been said the longest echo ever measured lasted 75 seconds, but I can assure you, this will last much longer. The bang deafened the world around me, muting everything into nullity, allowing the reflection of its destruction to live far beyond its intended life.

It will follow me forever, destroying me—destroying you.

You want answers?

So do I.

The Black Lotus Series

Bang – Book 1

“BANG is one of the most talked about books of 2014, quickly earning E.K. Blair acclaim for her ability to weave a dark, twisted tale of revenge that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the last word.”

They say when you take revenge against another you lose a part of your innocence.
But I’m not innocent.
I haven’t been for a very long time.
My innocence was stolen from me. Taken was the life I was supposed to have. The soul I was born with. The ruby heart embedded in a life full of hopes and dreams.

Gone.
Vanished.

I never even had a choice.
I mourn that life. Mourn the what-ifs.
Until now.
I’m ready to take back what was always meant to be mine.

But every plan has a fatal flaw. Sometimes it’s the heart.

**Due to the dark and explicit nature of this book, it is recommended for mature audiences only.*

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

About E.K. Blair

New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling author, E.K. Blair, takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster with her books. A former first grade teacher with an imagination that runs wild. Daydreaming and zoning out is how she was often found in high school. Blair tends to drift towards everything dark and moody and has been noted as ‘The Queen of Dark and Twisted’. Give her a character and she will take pleasure in breaking them down, digging into their core to find what lies underneath.

Aside from writing, E.K. Blair finds pleasure in music, drinking her Starbucks in peace, and spending time with her friends. She’s a thinker, an artist, a wife, a mom, and everything in between.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Happy Release: Love The Way You Lie by Skye Warren – Stripped Series – Book 1

Posted on 03/12/2015 by shellbellereads

Love The Way You Lie

Stripped Series – Book 1

By Skye Warren

Synopsis

A dark romance about the lies that lead us down…

I’ll do anything to get safe, even if that means working at the scariest club in town.

I’ll do anything to stay hidden, even if it means taking off my clothes for strangers.

I’ll do anything to be free. Except give him up. When he looks at me, I forget why I can’t have him. He’s beautiful and scarred. His body fits mine, filling the places where I’m hollow, rough where I am soft.

He’s the one man who wants to help, but he has his own agenda. He has questions I can’t answer. What are you afraid of?

You.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

Excerpt

In the first moments onstage, I’m always blinded.

The bright lights, the smoke. The wall of sound that feels almost tangible, as if it’s trying to keep me out, push me back, protect me from what’s going to happen next. I’m used to the dancing and the catcalls and the reaching, grabbing hands—as much as I can be. But I’m never quite used to this moment, being blinded, feeling small.

I reach for the pole and find it, swinging my body around so the gauzy scrap of fabric flies up, giving the men near the stage a view of my ass. I still can’t quite make anything out. There are dark spots in my vision.

The smile’s not even a lie, not really. It’s a prop, like the four-inch heels and the wings that snap as I drop them to the stage.

Broken.

A few people clap from the back.

Now all that’s left is the thin satin fabric. I grip the pole and head into my routine, wrapping around, sliding off, and starting all over again. I lose myself in the physicality of it, going into the zone as if I were running a marathon. This is the best part, reveling in the burn of my muscles, the slide of the metal pole against my skin and the cold, angry rhythm of the song. It’s not like ballet, but it’s still a routine. Something solid, when very few things in my life are solid.

I finish on the pole and begin to work the stage, moving around so I can collect tips. I can see again, just barely, making out shadowy silhouettes in the chairs.

Not many.

There’s a regular on one side. I recognize him. Charlie. He tosses a five-dollar bill on the stage, and I bend down long and slow to pick it up. He gets a wink and a shimmy for his donation. As I’m straightening, I spot another man on the other side of the stage.

His posture is slouched, one leg kicked out, the other under his chair, but somehow I can tell he isn’t really relaxed. There’s tension in the long lines of his body. There’s power.

And that makes me nervous.

I spin away and shake my shit for the opposite side of the room, even though there’s barely anyone there. It’s only a matter of time before I need to face him again. But I don’t need to look at him. They don’t pay me to look them in the eye.

Still I can’t help but notice his leather boots and padded jacket. Did he ride a motorcycle? It seems like that kind of leather, the tough kind. Meant to withstand weather. Meant to protect the body from impact.

The song’s coming to a close, my routine is coming to an end and I’m glad about that. Something about this guy is throwing me off. Nothing noticeable. My feet and hands and knowing smile still land everywhere they need to. Muscle memory and all that. But I don’t like the way he watches me.

There’s patience in the way he watches me. And patience implies waiting.

It implies planning.

I reach back and unclasp my bra. I use one hand to cover my breasts while I toss the bra to the back of the stage. I pretend to be shy for a few seconds, and suddenly I feel shy too. Like I’m doing more than showing my breasts to strangers. I’m showing him. And as I stand there, hand cupping my breasts, breath coming fast, I feel his patience like a hot flame.

This time I do miss the beat. I let go on the next one, though, and my breasts are free, bared to the smoky air and the hungry eyes. There are a few whistles from around the room. Charlie holds up another five-dollar bill. I sway over to him and cock my hip, letting him shove the bill into my thong, feeling his hot, damp breath against my breast. He gets close but doesn’t touch. That’s Charlie. He tips and follows the rules, the best kind of customer.

I don’t even glance at the other side of the room. If the new guy is holding up a tip, I don’t even care. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who follows rules. I don’t know why I’m even thinking about him or letting him affect me. Maybe my run-in with Blue made me more skittish than I’d realized.

All I have left is my finale on the pole. I can get through this.

This part isn’t as physically strenuous as before. Or as long. All I really need to do is grind up against the pole, front and back, emphasizing my newly naked breasts, pretending to fuck.

That’s what I’m doing when I feel it. Feel him.

I’m a practical girl. I have to be. But there’s a feeling I get, a prickle on the back of my neck, a churning in my gut, a warning bell in my head when I’m near one of them. Near a cop. My eyes scan the back of the room, but all I can see are shadows. Is there a cop waiting to bust someone? A raid about to go down?

My gaze lands on the guy near the stage. Him? He doesn’t look like a cop. He doesn’t feel like a cop. But I don’t trust looks or feelings. All I can trust is the alarm blaring in my head: get out, get out, get out.

I can barely suck in enough air. There’s only smoke and rising panic. Blood races through me, speeding up my movements. A cop. I feel it like some kind of sixth sense.

Maybe he feels my intuition about him, because he leans forward in his seat.

In one heart-stopping moment, my eyes meet his. I can see his face then, drawn from charcoal shadows.

Beautiful, his lips say. All I can hear is the song.

I’m not even on beat anymore, and it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because there’s a cop here and I have to get out. Even if my intuition is wrong, it’s better to get out. Safer.

I’ll never be safe.

The last note calls for a curtsy—a sexy, mocking movement I choreographed into my routine. Like the one I’d do at the end of a ballet recital but made vulgar. I barely manage it this time, a rough jerk of my head and shoulders. Then I’m gone, off the stage, running down the hallway. I’m supposed to work the floor next, see who wants a lap dance or another drink, but I can’t do that. I head for the dressing room and throw on a T-shirt and sweatpants. I’ll tell them I feel sick and have to leave early. They won’t be happy and I’ll probably have to pay for it with my tips, but they won’t want me throwing up on the customers either.

I run for the door and almost slam into Blue.

He’s standing in the hallway again. Not slouching this time. There’s a new alertness to his stare. And something else—amusement.

“Going somewhere?” he asks.

“I have to… My stomach hurts. I feel sick.” I step close, praying he’ll move aside.

He reaches up to trace my cheek. “Aww, should I call the doctor?” His hand clamps down on my shoulder. “I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

I grip my bag tight to my chest, trying to ignore the threat in his words. And the threat in his grip. I really do feel sick now, but throwing up on him is definitely not going to help the situation. “Please, I need to leave. It’s serious. I’ll make it up later.”

He’ll know what I’m saying. That I’ll make it up to him personally. I’m just desperate enough to promise that. Desperate enough to promise him anything. And he’s harassed me long enough that I know it’s a decent prize. I’m sure he’ll make it extra humiliating, but I’m desperate enough for that too.

“Please let me go.” The words come out pained, my voice thin. It feels a little like my body is collapsing in on itself, steel beams bending together, something crushing me from the outside.

Regret flashes over his face, whether for refusing my offer or forcing me that low. But this time he doesn’t let me go. “There’s a customer asking for you. He wants a dance.”

Free on Amazon

Tough Love- Prequel to Love The Way You Lie

A story about the sacrifices we make for love…

I sneak out of my room every night. My father’s guards don’t see me. My sister doesn’t see me.

No one sees me, except him.

He’s the son of a mafia foot soldier. My father is the boss. I shouldn’t even know Giovanni. And I definitely shouldn’t kiss him. Our relationship is doomed to fail, but that won’t stop me from trying.

Not every girl wants to be a princess. I just want to be free.

About Skye Warren

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.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Cover Reveal : Interim by S. Walden

Posted on 03/10/2015 by shellbellereads

Publication Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Genre: New Adult Suspense/Psychological Thriller

High school seniors Jeremy Stahl and Regan Walters aren’t friends. Not even close. He’s a picked-on, picked-apart loser outcast. She’s a cool kid running with the popular crowd. It’s unlikely they’d ever speak to one another. Too bad he’s madly in love with her. But what does it matter, anyway? He’s got no time for love. Only revenge.Meticulously detailed in the pages of his battered red notebook is his master plan: April 14, 9:30 A.M., two guns, eighty rounds of ammo, backup knives, eleven victims. He’s finally ready to answer every single taunt, jeer, and flying fist—unwarranted abuse that’s spanned six years of his lonely life. He’s justified. He’s ready. But he never readied himself for her.Regan finds his journal. She reads it, and when he discovers her intrusion, he has to switch tactics. She’s a liability now.

Better fix that.

DISCLAIMER: New Adult Standalone. This book contains explicit language and disturbing images of violence, including gun violence. If school shootings are an especially sensitive subject for you, I encourage you to refrain from reading this book.

Who was he? What was his purpose? He knew it once. Once, a long time ago, he decided to be a hero. He decided to avenge himself and all the other kids who were helpless against abuse. Once, a long time ago, he learned the difference between justice and mercy. He learned when justice was required. He learned when mercy was allowed. Once, a long time ago, he faced himself in the mirror and saw a stranger—a better boy than he could ever be. A boy with a mission. A boy with convictions. And he reached out to take hold of that boy, through the looking-glass, falling into a wonderland where righteousness ruled supreme and evil was destroyed with the pop pop! of a gun. The world made sense to him. Then.

S. Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who prefers physics textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. She is the USA Today bestselling author of Going Under. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about it.

She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her twitter feed at @swaldenauthor.

Website: http://www.swaldenauthor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/swaldenauthor

Twitter: @swaldenauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/swaldenauthor

Saucy Southern Readers

professional, honest, and timely book reviews

Category Archives: Dark Thriller

Push by Claire Wallis….6 Star Reviews- Smut Book Junkie Reviews Favorite + Giveaway

Cover Reveal + Giveaway : Meet Me In The Dark by J. A. Huss

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Savage…Kill Or Die by Jade C. Jamison

Happy Release + Review: Captive by Brighton Walsh- Captive Series – Book 1

Review: The Girl In 6E by A. R. Torre- A Deanna Madden Novel – Book 1

A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre has written seven novels, four of which became #1 Erotic Bestsellers.

Torre has four books slated for release in 2015. To stay informed, consider subscribing to her popular monthly newsletter.

Happy Release + 5 Star Review: Hard by Cheryl McIntyre

Happy Release + Giveaway: Monsters In The Dark Box Set by Pepper Winters – The Complete Collection

Cover Reveal: Echo by E.K. Blair – The Black Lotus Series – Book 2

Happy Release: Love The Way You Lie by Skye Warren – Stripped Series – Book 1

Cover Reveal : Interim by S. Walden

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A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre has written seven novels, four of which became #1 Erotic Bestsellers.

Torre has four books slated for release in 2015. To stay informed, consider subscribing to her popular monthly newsletter.

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