Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: After Forever by Julie Johnstone

Posted on 11/24/2014 by Saucy Southern Readers

Synopsis

A year after her husband’s tragic death, all Lady Julianna Barrows wants is to be left alone and forget that most of her heart went with him when he passed. Instead, she finds herself the subject of many a matchmaking scheme and lurid offer to ease her widowhood, as well as save her fading fortune. Desperate to avoid having to remarry, she takes on a position as a tutor, only to discover that the man she’s helping unexpectedly stirs her heart and passion.

Nash Wolverton boxed his way out of the London slums and into immense wealth, but he couldn’t care less about Society’s approval. Except he has his by-blow daughter’s future to consider. To ensure her acceptance into Society, he’ll endure anything―including procuring a tutor to transform him into a gentleman so he can secure a suitable, boring wife.

Yet what he wants changes the moment he hires Julianna. She may be a lady, but she’s far from tedious. Bold and compassionate, she is nothing like the women of the ton. Suddenly, she’s elicited a simmering desire in him, and even a longing to love and be loved that he always thought out of his reach. Knowing what he planned to settle for can now never be enough, he vows to win her love. But as the walls she’s built begin to crumble, Julianna’s fears threaten to tear them apart and she alone must decide if protecting her heart trumps breaking Nash’s.

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Excerpt

He met Julianna’s worried gaze and smiled. Was she worried for him? That was a first. No, wait. It was a second. She had been anxious for him that night at the ball, as well. Every part of him wanted to learn more about this delicate creature standing before him. Like how she happened to be here. He’d bet his fortune she’d never willingly admit her secrets.

“I suppose you’re here to seduce me,” he said, forcing a serious, contemplative tone.

Her lovely mouth parted. “What?”

“I have to tell you, I’m not one to be easily seduced.” He dropped his voice low, teasing. “But for you I’ll make an exception.”

“How very generous of you,” she replied with a smirk, high color rising on her sculpted cheekbones.

He purposely yanked his clothes into a semblance of order before catching her gaze once again. He stilled his hands and narrowed his gaze. “Should I be concerned about your dogged pursuing of me? You’re not cracked are you?”

“I’m beginning to wonder,” she grumbled, forcing him to press his lips together to keep from smiling.

She shoved her hair over her shoulders. “Rest assured I’m not doggedly pursuing you.”

“How disappointing.” He allowed the truth of his feelings to shimmer at the surface for a moment before lightening his tone. “And here I thought I must have so intrigued you at the ball that you investigated me, learned where I had my country home, and made your way here with your daughter all in the hope of encountering me and trying to talk me into marrying you.”

The color on her cheeks deepened and spread, rather alluringly, to her chest. Her gaze darted away for a moment before settling back on him. “Actually, I did come here in search of you, though not with marriage in mind.”

He lifted his brows slowly, even as his blood raced through his veins. He really should not keep teasing her, but it was impossible to resist. “I like how you think, Lady Barrows.”

Her brows furrowed together before her eyes widened. “I’m not thinking of you like that at all. I don’t even see you in that way. More like a dog in need of training.”

“Your flattery is rather lethal,” he chided playfully, enjoying the rapid reddening of her lovely skin.

She pressed her hands to her cheeks while a smile played at her lips. “You’re muddling my thoughts.”

“Dogs can have that effect.”

“Do be serious.”

“Do you want me to be a good boy and sit?”

“No, roll over and play dead,” she said straight-faced.

He couldn’t stop the bark of laughter that escaped him.

She grinned in return. “What I meant to say before you befuddled me was, I did come here to find you, but―”

“Ah, ah, ah.” He wiggled his finger at her. “I find when women insert the word but into their sentences nothing pleasant follows for the man.”

“Do try and listen.”

“I am.” His repressed laughter vibrated his words.

“Are you always this way?” she asked with a laugh.

“What way is that?” He loved how her eyes twinkled when she smiled.

“Do you always show so much affection to your daughter and banter so lightheartedly with ladies you barely know?”

He quirked his mouth as if he were lost temporarily in deep thought. “I do always show an enormous amount of affection to my daughter. I grew up without the benefit of knowing whether my mother or father loved me, and I never want my daughter to doubt my love. And as for bantering with ladies I don’t know, I know you.” That husky sound had crept back into his tone. Something about this woman did that to him.

Her eyes grew wide so that he could see that gold flecked the green.

“What is it you think you know about me, Mr. Wolverton?”

“Call me Nash.” He wanted to hear his name from her lips. He couldn’t say precisely why―it was another gut desire―and one he’d never experienced.

She shook her head. “I couldn’t possibly.”

“You could possibly.” He leaned close as if to whisper a secret. “I’ve just given you leave to do so.”

“It’s not proper,” she said, her pink tongue darting out to lick her full lips.

He had a brief image of taking her mouth with his and slipping his tongue inside her warm, beckoning caverns. He had no doubt she’d be sweeter than honey. “Are you always proper, Julianna?”

Her hand fluttered to her neck. “Yes. I’m rather boring that way. Are you always this improper?”

“I’m afraid so. I’m rather exciting that way.” He slid one finger down her bare, silken arm from the crook of her elbow all the way to her small hand. Taking her slender, cool fingertips in his he lifted them to his lips, telling himself he shouldn’t and knowing he damn well would anyway. He pressed a kiss to the edge of her fingers, the contact of his lips to her flesh making him ache painfully.

About the Author

Julie Johnstone is a best-selling author of Regency Romance and the author of a new urban fantasy/paranormal romance book. She’s been a voracious reader of books since she was a young girl. Her mother would tell you that as a child Julie had a rich fantasy life made up of many different make believe friends. As an adult, Julie is one of the lucky few who can say she is living the dream by working with her passion of creating worlds from her imagination. When Julie is not writing she is chasing her two precocious children around, cooking, reading or exercising. Julie loves to hear from her readers. You can send her an email at juliejohnstoneauthor@gmail.com or find her at www.juliejohnstoneauthor.com, or on Facebook at authorjuliejohnstone and juliejohnstoneauthor or at twitter @juliejohnstone.

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Holiday Review Blog Tour + Giveaway: A Very Married Christmas by Erika Marks

Posted on 11/21/2014 by shellbellereads

A Very Married Christmas

A Holiday Romance

By Erika Marks

Synopsis

Cookbook author Marley Chambers can’t think of a more festive way to spend Christmas than at a friend’s holiday wedding in her hometown of Magnolia Bay. If only her soon-to-be ex-husband, all-star pitcher, Beckett “Beck” Chambers wasn’t bringing his new girlfriend—and if only he wasn’t still the sexiest man to ever walk out onto the mound…

Beck never wanted the chaotic life of a sport star—especially not at the cost of his marriage to the only woman he’s ever truly loved. But his career is a runaway train—and he’s afraid it’s too late to hit the brakes.

But when a mix-up leaves Beck and Marley stranded together for Christmas Eve on the barrier island where Beck proposed years before, old memories burn bright—and sparks fly hotter than a bonfire on the beach.

Could the magic of the season bring the gift of a second chance, just in time for Christmas?

Buy: Amazon

Tracey’s Review

Back in Magnolia Bay for her friend’s wedding, cookbook author Marley Chambers has mixed emotions. Coming home brings back all sorts of memories, and not all of them are good. Marley is not looking forward to seeing her soon-to-be ex-husband, baseball’s golden boy, Beckett ‘Beck’ Chambers. In the midst of less-than-amicable divorce proceedings, seeing Beck and his sexy twenty-something newscaster girlfriend leaves Marley feeling like three is definitely a crowd, and wishing she was anywhere but Magnolia Bay.

As a fan of second-chance love stories AND a majorly huge fan of Christmas, I really enjoyed A VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS. I’d already met and fallen in love with Magnolia Bay, so it felt a little bit like visiting an old friend. And, even though I haven’t dealt with divorce in my own life, I could totally relate to Marley, who had put her own creative energies on the back burner to support her husband’s dreams. Beck comes across as somewhat of a selfish guy going through some mid-life issues at first, but when fate, in the person of Marley’s friend Gina, forces him and Marley to spend Christmas Eve together, the two reconnect, and the man that Marley fell in love with makes a comeback.

A VERY MARRIED CHRISTMAS is part of the Southern Born Christmas series, and I very happily recommend it as an addition to any holiday romance list. Because, really, what better way to usher in this holiday season than with a second chance at love in the Beautiful South?

Author Bio:

Erika Marks is a women’s fiction writer and the author of LITTLE GALE GUMBO, THE MERMAID COLLECTOR, THE GUEST HOUSE and IT COMES IN WAVES (July, 2014). On the long and winding road to becoming published, she worked many different jobs, including carpenter, cake decorator, art director, and illustrator. But if pressed, she might say it was her brief tenure with a match-making service in Los Angeles after college that set her on the path to writing love stories (not that there isn’t romance in frosting or power tools!) A native New Englander, she now makes her home in Charlotte, NC, with her husband, a native New Orleanian who has taught her to make a wicked gumbo, and their two little mermaids. For more on Erika’s books, visit her website at http://www.erikamarksauthor.com

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: The Hazards of Mistletoe by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Posted on 11/20/2014 by shellbellereads

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We are feeling the holiday spirit with the release day launch of Alyssa Rose Ivy’s THE HAZARDS OF MISTLETOE! THE HAZARDS OF MISTLETOE is a contemporary romance novella and is a part of Alyssa Rose Ivy’s Hazards Series. It’s available everywhere now!

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The Hazard’s of Mistletoe

Hazards Series- Book 3.5

By Alyssa Rose Ivy

One snowy Christmas Eve, one mistletoe kiss, one friendship changed forever.

Don’t underestimate the power of mistletoe. It looks innocent enough, but a single branch has the potential to change your life. One mistletoe kiss led to the most embarrassing night of my life, but thankfully by the next Christmas I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be.

Excerpt:

“Ice skating and hot cocoa? What are you buttering me up for?” I sat down on the bench and unlaced my skates. The snow was falling a little bit heavier, but the flakes were still light and more pleasant than a nuisance.

“I’m just enjoying an evening with a beautiful woman. I do have a romantic side you know.”

“Romantic?” What was Glen playing at? I’d had a crush on him for years, but things had stayed completely platonic. We were good friends who saw each other once a year, and teased each other through text messages and late night phone calls. That was it.

He didn’t hear me. He was already in line to return our skates. I waited for him to return with my boots, and not for the first time I was glad I’d worn wool socks. It was cold during the day, but the nights were absolutely freezing.

“Here you go, my lady.” He bent down and proceeded to put my foot into my boot.

I pulled away from him. “Knock it off. What’s gotten into you tonight?” As charming as Glen was being something seemed off with him. I wondered if maybe I wasn’t the only one who was upset.

He proceeded to move on to my next boot. “It’s Christmas Eve. Aren’t you Miss Holiday Spirit?”

“Usually.”

“Exactly.” He put on his shoes and tugged on my hand to pull me to standing. “Let’s get those hot chocolates.”

The line at the café on the other side of the rink was nearly out the door, but I was enjoying Glen’s company so much I didn’t mind.

He insisted on buying my hot cocoa for me, and considering he’d already paid for my skate rental, I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Glen had all the money he could ever need, but I wasn’t used to guys buying me anything. My dating experience wasn’t extensive, and it involved boys who were all about going dutch. “I really don’t mind paying.”

“Yeah, but I want to pay. Stop arguing and enjoy yourself.” He lightly bumped his shoulder into mine.

“Well, thanks.”

We walked around the village sipping our hot chocolate and not saying much. After a while we took a seat on a bench. It was underneath a tree, and the pine needles blocked some of the falling snow. I closed my eyes and listened to the chatter of people walking by mixed with the low hum of holiday music.

“You guys need to kiss.”

I opened my eyes and saw a girl staring at us. “You’re sitting under mistletoe. That’s the rules. You’re under mistletoe, you kiss.”

I looked up. Sure enough there was mistletoe hanging over us from the tree. It wasn’t real, it was just the decorative stuff they used, but it had the same unmistakable appearance.

Glen put an arm around me. “I think she’s right, Savy.”

I turned to glare at him. “Don’t even start.”

“Why not? Scared to kiss me?” he teased.

Yes. I was scared. Terrified. This was Glen. Kissing him wasn’t something I was prepared to do casually while sitting on a bench in the snow with a bunch of onlookers. Of course I couldn’t tell him that though. “Why would I be scared?”

“I don’t know. Just checking.” He got a twinkle in his eye. That twinkle should have given me all the warning I needed, but it didn’t. I was wholly unprepared when his lips made contact with mine. They were warm and soft, and they moved perfectly against mine. I kissed him back, desperately wanting to know what his mouth tasted like, and if his tongue felt half as good as his lips.

Alyssa Rose Ivy Bio:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Twitter ** Author Goodreads ** Pinterest ** Website ** THE HAZARDS OF MISTLETOE Goodreads ** Facebook

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Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: Light Shadows by S. L. Jennings- Dark Light Series – Book 3

Posted on 11/20/2014 by shellbellereads

Blurb

Twenty-one years ago, Gabriella’s life was stolen from her before it even began.

Orphaned at birth and encompassed in a fortress of lies to protect her identity, she never truly understood her purpose on this earth. But now that she has ascended, embracing her destiny, the ghosts of her past have come back to haunt her.

Even with insurmountable power running through her veins, part of Gabriella is irreparably broken. And with old enemies working to destroy the tiny shred of normalcy she has left, she’ll be forced to face the ugly truth about Dorian, the man she chose to love despite his darkness.

Everything she loved is a lie, and everyone she thought she knew is a stranger. And now that Gabriella is about to be thrust into the battle of her life, she discovers that she may be fighting for the wrong side.

*This is book 3 of The Dark Light Series, the highly anticipated conclusion to Gabriella and Dorian’s beautifully tragic love story.

Buy: Amazon

Excerpt

Without warning, we’re on the bed, wisps of charcoal vapors swirling around our bodies. I’m flat on my back with Dorian hovering over me, watching, waiting for his influence to overtake my consciousness. While his body doesn’t touch mine, his mind—his beautiful-fucking-mind—begins to infiltrate every part of me. Sliding over the surface of my skin, so soft and light, like the silkiest feather. Pinching my sensitive nipples and raking down my belly. Igniting heat between my thighs until my panties are damp with desire.

I feel him all over me—teasing my pleasure points with his phantom touches. He moves in closer, so close that our lips nearly meet, yet he still won’t kiss me. He still won’t let me taste the sweet longing that is undoubtedly tempting his tongue. I lift my head to take it from him only to find that I am bound to the bed, completely under his control.

I’ve been here before. I’ve been under Dorian’s spell enough times to know how this will play out. He’s a man of dominating control, and today has been nothing short of chaos. He’s taking it back. He’s taking me back.

“Touch me,” I beg, my voice breathless with agony.

“No.” His eyes spark with white fire on that single word, showing the torment of his restraint.

“Please,” I whimper. “I need you to touch me. I need to feel you.”

“You feel me now,” he rasps.

“No. That’s not enough.”

“Oh? Not enough?” Pressure spikes in my core and I cry out as sensation snakes through my swollen sex. He doesn’t move, but I feel him there—touching, licking, even biting. Soft and hard, hot and wet, all at the same time.

“I can feel you throbbing, Gabriella. It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.” My voice is an intelligible squeak. It does hurt, yet it feels oh-so-incredibly good. Dorian’s pain is the most potent form of pleasure.

“I feel the hardness of your nipples—how they ache to be licked and sucked. You want me to do that, Gabriella? You want me cover your nipples with my mouth and run my tongue over them? You want me to squeeze them between my teeth right before I suck them, baby?”

“Yes, Dorian,” I manage through a sob.

“And when I’m done teasing your nipples, you want me to run my tongue down…” Another jolt of electricity stings my sensitive flesh. “…down…down…until it meets that soft, sweet place that hurts you so bad? You want me to kiss it and make it better?”

I try to nod through the haze of lust and agony, but I can’t move. I can only feel him owning my body in the most delicious way.

Dark Light

(Dark Light #1)

Amazon

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The Dark Prince

Dark Light #2

Amazon

B&N

Nikolai

A Dark Light Novella

Amazon

B&N

About the author:

S.L. Jennings is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance, reality TV junkie, obsessive coffee drinker and collector of crazy.

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Serial Feature + Review + Giveaway: Donut Shop Divas by Khloe Adams- Books 1-4

Posted on 11/19/2014 by shellbellereads

The Donut Shop Divas Serial

Books 1- 4

By Khloe Adams

Reviewed by Tina

Hot & Glazed

Book 1

Hard-working Miranda Hunter, donut shop diva and owner of HOT & GLAZED, is one frustrated girl. She needs to find a man to put the zip-a-dee back into her doo-dah. But not just any man will do. Long ago, she’d sworn off pro jocks with their cheating ways and groupies. She’d seen enough of it with her dad, a former pro defensive lineman, who’d played on and off the field and broken her mother’s heart.
When hot and delicious Aiden Knight walks into her donut shop, sprinkles and sparks fly. After an all-nighter of torching sex with the 6’5” hottie, Miranda discovers Aiden is a star quarterback. OMG! She’s broken her vow never to date pro athletes. Will she recover from her fumble and enforce her no jock rule, or will she continue to play the game with the sexy pro?

Miranda co-owns HOT & GLAZED, a little bakery in Denver, Colorado with her younger sister, Rachel. Rachel is the wild and care-free baking and decorating genius while Miranda is the responsible caretaker of the duo and the financial genius of the business. As luck would have it, the morning Rachel is sick and can’t help prep to open, the OPEN sign was never turned off from the day before causing a giant super-hunk to come knocking too-early at the store’s front door – but willing to pay a small fortune for a dozen donuts. Her immediate attraction to Aiden has her acting out-of character.
Aiden Knight is a professional football player coming off of an injury. He’s in between teams currently and has a weakness for sweets. He doesn’t expect the immediate attraction to the little baker that opens the door nor the jolt of awareness when they make contact. Immediately, he knows he had to spend more time with her. He asks her to dinner… and one night, to make their hottest fantasies come true.
—————————————–
Be forewarned, length-wise, this is a micro-novella. It’s focus is on the introduction of characters and their night together. Miranda is supposed to be the responsible sister, but honestly the reader does not see too much of that here. Together they seem to have great chemistry. The dialogue is believable. The plot is a bit confined given the story length, but it has life in it and flows smoothly. I’m happy there’s no predictability thus far but there are underlying conflicts that cannot be resolved this early on, so they are left open; this “book” is only the first *part* of the story therefore does NOT have a conclusion, it carries into Hot & Lei’d.

Hot & Lei’d

Book 2

After one delicious, sinful night in Denver, star quarterback Aiden Knight invites Miranda Hunter to Hawaii. Only Aiden has a reputation as a player – on and off the field – and she doesn’t want to be hurt. The smart move is to walk away. But she can’t get him out of her head. Risking her heart, this donut shop diva and owner of HOT & GLAZED packs up her bikini and a box of donuts from her shop and jets to Maui.

Aloha, Miranda! Under swaying palm trees on a moonlit beach, Aiden and Miranda feed their sexual hunger for each other. They share their deepest secrets.
And then…fumble! Miranda accidently reveals his darkest secret to the world. Will Miranda get a pass, or will she be tossed off Aiden’s team with a broken heart?

Miranda meets up with Aiden again, this time in Hawaii, ten days later. He’s there to help promote the Hawaiian Youth Football League and asked her to join him. She had received a simple text, “Give me another chance.” and that was enough to convince her to accept the first-class tickets that arrived, pack her bikini & jump on a plane bound for paradise!
————–
In the second installment, there’s a touch more game-play and plot. It should have been named Hot and Sexy. It was as fun as it was steamy. Everything: characters, dialogue, interaction, plot… everything was very well written. When underlying conflicts are still hinted at and secrets are revealed to one another, exposure can be one’s downfall. Very minor predictability present. There is no conclusion, rather a gaping hole for HOT & CUFFED to pick up and start filling in.

Hot & Cuffed

Book 3

Paradise turned out to be one big disaster!
With her passionate affair with the star quarterback Aiden Knight left dangling in the tropical wind, Miranda Hunter packs up her bikini and returns home, broken hearted. Just when she thinks her life couldn’t get more miserable, an armed thug threatens to rob HOT & GLAZED, the donut shop she and her sister own.
Saved by FBI Special Agent Connor O’Leary, she seeks comfort in his strong arms. Unable to resist this agent known for being an all around badass, she takes off with him to a secluded mountain cabin where inhibitions are forgotten.
Wow! This donut shop diva never knew playing with a dangerous man could be so addicting. Will her new addiction be enough to heal her heart, or will she still yearn for the sexy quarterback?

Miranda can’t help but notice the hot new customer that’s been coming around and staying longer than average customers would. Never did she expect him to save her life, though.
Connor O’ Leary is a Boston Irish FBI Agent. He’s divorced and recently moved to Denver to be closer to his six-year old son.
Neither expected an attempted armed robbery moments after introductions were made, but that’s exactly what happened. The life-threatening occurrence may have amplified the mild attraction, but Miranda is still hung up on Aiden. Connor’s a gentleman, but intense and protective.
—————————————–
I’m a little on the fence with Miranda in this segment. The plot flows smoothly but centers primarily around an afternoon at his house followed by two days at a cabin in the mountains. The conflicting issues are still present and there’s no solid conclusions as of yet. Thankfully, the predictability is practically non-existent. To be continued… in Hot and Hooked.

Hot & Hooked

Book 4

Miranda Hunter, donut shop diva and owner of HOT & GLAZED, thought she might never see Aiden Knight again. Surprise! The superstar quarterback signs up with Denver’s pro football team, moves to Colorado, and sends her a message: Aloha.
Miranda lives up to her last name. She “hunts” him down, determined to hook her man. But this time around, she has grown wiser. As their smoking-hot passion reignites, this mega-sexy pro will either have to play by her rules, her game, or lose her heart forever.

Things clearly have not been the same for Miranda since leaving Hawaii.
In the final segment, Miranda is still shattered over the hottest news in Denver and is still determined to find a means to make amends for the inadvertent slip-up that occurred months ago. It just may take more than some strawberry-filled glazed donuts with sprinkles on top to get through to him though.
The characters are still a fun mix of human error and sexy sweetness. The plot flies by smoothly with plenty of dynamics and smart, snappy dialogue. The conflict between Miranda and her leading guy finally find a resolve and they get the conclusion they needed, It leaves room enough for Rachel’s serial to begin without having any major cliffhangers.

Author Bio:

The truth behind Khloe Adams is—she’s not one author but three. Plus, one of the authors is a USA TODAY Bestseller and has written over 75 books. Together, they write hot and sexy contemporary romance with a touch of humor.

Their story began when they met each other on an elevator at a Romantic Times Convention. Only this was no ordinary ride. The elevator became stuck between the fiftieth and fifty-first floors at the hotel.

But don’t get worried. They write romance, not horror.

They were trapped with a male model from the cover of several steamy romances. He kept them very entertained. Afterward, they needed a drink to cool down and headed for the nearest bar.
One thing led to another and they decided to form a partnership and write about independent women and strong, sexy guys. With the help of modern technology, they’ve managed to do it. Two of them live in Florida, and the other one lives in Colorado. A recent USA TODAY review said, “Khloe Adams writes hot with a flair—great humor.”
Their debut serial Donut Shop Divas features four bite-sized erotic romances focusing on Miranda’s story: HOT & GLAZED #1, HOT & LEI’D #2, HOT & CUFFED #3 and HOT & HOOKED #4.

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Holiday Review Blog Tour + Giveaway: Holiday At Magnolia Bay by Tracy Solheim

Posted on 11/18/2014 by shellbellereads

Holiday At Magnolia Bay

A Holiday Romance

By Tracy Solheim

Synopsis

After a mission goes terribly wrong, ending in the death of a teammate, Navy Seal, Drew Lanham, is forced to take a leave from active-duty. Retreating to his godmother’s beach house in coastal Magnolia Bay, Drew plans to spend the three weeks R&R licking his wounds and catching some rays while the nightmares from his failed op fade. The last thing he wants to do is mingle with the locals. What he doesn’t count on is an early morning encounter with a goddess rising from the sea. His interest is piqued and his body put on alert when he finds out that same woman may or may not be after his godmother’s money.

Marine biologist, Jenna Huntley, has been searching her whole life for a place to call home and Magnolia Bay is that place. Unfortunately, she’s underutilizing her education giving tours at the town’s turtle rescue center. With the help of an octogenarian patroness, she maps out a proposal to develop a turtle hatchery on-site. Everything is going as planned until the older woman’s godson arrives. Suddenly, nothing is as it seems and Jenna’s future is hanging in the balance, with a sexy warrior pulling all the strings. Her natural tendency is to help the damaged hero, but she’s sworn off letting military men in her life ever again.

Will Drew and Jenna be able to put their pasts behind them and learn to trust their hearts long enough to enjoy their Holiday at Magnolia Bay?

Buy: Amazon

Holiday At Magnolia Bay was a very entertaining holiday romance. It had a fresh and original holiday theme that I think many readers are going to enjoy.

Drew Lanham has come to Magnolia Bay for some much needed down time after a mission has gone horribly wrong. Drew has been a Navy Seal for years and takes his call of duty to heart. After a mission he usually decompresses with fellow teammates by partying and sex. This time he needs something different. He needs a peaceful environment where he can get his head clear and come to terms with the fubar mission. He chose to spend his time with his eccentric godmother in Magnolia Bay.

When he meets marine biologist Jenna Huntley, he finds he is putting more than his Navy Seal career into perspective. He is changing his views on relationships, love, and sex. He is finding that he wants to get to know a woman outside of the bedroom.

Jenna Huntley was a military brat. She understands the demands and downfalls a military career can bring to those they love. She redirected her life to revolve around the one thing that brought her joy in her youth. The sea turtles at Magnolia Bay were one of the only things that stayed constant in her childhood. She has dedicated her career and life to protecting these turtles and is trying to build a sanctuary for them. With the help of Drew’s eccentric godmother, her dreams are finally going to come true.

Like the saying goes some things are too good to be true. Drew and Jenna will find that saying to come to life. But the good thing is they will find something that is better than what they hoped for. They will find the importance of love in all forms.

I really enjoyed this holiday romance. It had a fresh plot, charismatic characters, sizzling romance, and the holiday spirit. I highly recommend reading Holiday At Magnolia Bay to brighten your holiday spirits.

Author Bio:

Tracy Solheim is the international bestselling author of the Out of Bound Series for Penguin. Her books feature members of the fictitious Baltimore Blaze football team and the women who love them. In a previous life, Tracy wrote best sellers for Congress and was a freelance journalist for regional and national magazines. She’s a military brat who now makes her home in Johns Creek, Georgia, with her husband, their two children, a pesky Labrador retriever puppy and a horse named after her first novel. Her fifth book for Berkley, Back To Before, will be released in January. She also has a digital holiday novella for Tule Publishing’s Southern Born Books coming October 20. See what she’s up to at http://www.tracysolheim.com. Or on facebook at Tracy Solheim Books and Twitter at TracyKSolheim.

Website – Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Release Day Blitz + Giveaway : For The Record by K. A. Linde- Record Trilogy-Book 3

Posted on 11/18/2014 by shellbellereads

For The Record

The Record Trilogy- Book 3

By K. A. Linde

Synopsis

With Congressman Brady Maxwell up for reelection and journalist Liz Dougherty about to graduate into a promising career, the ambitious couple’s future is brighter than ever. They share a passion for their work…and for each other. But when Brady holds a press conference to officially introduce Liz as his girlfriend, reporters hungry for a scandal bombard her. Now, her every move is under a vicious magnifying glass, and her life feels like it’s falling apart.

On the road to reelection, the passionate bond between the congressman and the journalist gets tested at every stop. Threatened by shameless media sensationalism and jealous exes, Brady and Liz now have to learn to trust each other despite what they read in the papers.

In the finale to USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s sexy Record trilogy, Liz and Brady may be setting off fireworks along the campaign trail, but can their love transcend politics as usual?

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Excerpt

Brady smirked at Liz before backing away. “No interruption. We’re coming.”

Mollie quickly darted back into their private booth.

“We’d better be,” Liz peeped as she passed Brady. He smacked her on the ass as she walked by and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

“What did I say?” he growled.

“She didn’t hear.”

“Let’s try this again,” he said, swishing back the curtain to let her into the balcony. “No talking. No noise. Not a peep. Follow my directions and I’ll let you come this time.”

“Let me?” she asked as if his words didn’t make her body tremble with desire.

“Yes,” he growled, drawing her into him. He moved his mouth very close to her ear. “You know how I feel about begging, baby. I’m going to make your pussy beg for it.”

It already was.

Release Party On Facebook

November 18, 2014

From 4 – 10 p.m.

Many authors will be attending including Lauren Blakely, Geneva Lee, CD Reiss, RE Hunter, Mia Asher, Kari March, K. Bromberg, Viv Daniels, Corinne Michaels, Claire Contreras, BA Wolfe, and EK Blair. Please mention to your followers and if you can post the event on your FB page to invite people to attend, that would be great!

About The Author

USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde has written the Avoiding series and the Record series as well as the new adult novels Following Me and Take Me for Granted. She grew up as a military brat traveling the United States and Australia. While studying political science and philosophy at the University of Georgia, she founded the Georgia Dance Team, which she still coaches. Post-graduation, she served as the campus campaign director for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An avid traveler, reader, and bargain hunter, K.A. lives in Athens, Georgia, with her fiancé and two puppies, Riker and Lucy.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway

Grand Prize: Kindle Fire

Signed Set of the Record Series

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Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: Ella and Micha Infintely and Always- Book 4.6

Posted on 11/18/2014 by shellbellereads

Today we’re excited to celebrate the release of Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always by Jessica Sorensen. Enjoy a sneak peek into the book below and enter the giveaway! Good luck!

**A Secret Series Novella**

After five years of marriage, Ella couldn’t be happier. Her job is great. Her marriage is amazing. But when she receives some surprising news, her world is turned upside down.

Micha loves being a musician, but being on the road, and away from Ella, is difficult. When the industry begins to put pressure on him to change his image, he makes a choice; one he fears is going to drastically change Ella’s and his future forever. That is until he learns Ella has a secret, one that makes his career choice seem hugely insignificant.

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A slow breath eases from his lips as his gaze collides with mine. “Sorry. I’m being a downer, aren’t I?” He leans toward me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “That isn’t fair to you after you flew across the country to see me.”

“Micha, you should know by now”—I press my lips together, trying not to laugh as I prepare to quote a line from one of his songs—“that I would travel to hell and back just to be with you.”

“Ha, ha,” he says playfully, sticking out his tongue. “You wound my heart, Ella May. I wrote those lyrics for you and you mock me with them.”

“I’m not mocking, just having fun—”

He cuts me off as he nips at my bottom lip, eliciting a soul-bearing groan from me. He slowly starts unbuttoning my shirt, picking up the pace the farther down he gets until he finally becomes so impatient he rips the fabric off.

“I miss your kisses the most.” I willingly lean against the piano as he unfastens my bra and urges me back.

He quickly stands up to tug his shirt over his head and then places an arm on each side of me as his body hovers over mine. “I miss everything the most,” he says before he kisses me. “All the fucking time. I swear to God, I need to see you more.”

My legs fasten around his waist as the ivory keys dig into my flesh. My fingers trace the outlines of his muscular stomach, the inscription of his tattoos, feeling his heart slamming erratically against his chest.

Excitement bursts to the surface when he pushes back to undo the button on my jeans.

“Micha, wait.” I pant. “Are we really going to do this?”

“Do what?” He teases me with a cock of his brow as he gradually unzips my jeans.

I kick off my shoes while I gasp for air. “Have sex on a piano.”

He pulls my jeans and panties off, his passionate gaze skimming every inch of my flesh, stifling my eager body with overpowering heat.

“You sound so excited about the idea,” he says as I reach for the top of his pants and unflick the button.

“I’ll take it wherever I can get it.” I sit up and yank his jeans down. “Besides, we can add it to our growing list of strange places we’ve had sex. I think this one might earn the number three spot, right below backstage at a concert, wrapped in the curtain.”

Instead of smiling, his happiness falters. “I promise I’m going to find a way to change all this, pretty girl. You deserve so much better than this.”

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessica Sorensen, lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

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♥READ THE BOOKS♥

Book .5 – The Prelude of Ella and Micha

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Book 1 – The Secret of Ella and Micha

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Book 2 – The Forever of Ella and Micha

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Book 3 – The Temptation of Lila and Ethan

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Book 4 – The Ever After of Ella and Micha

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Book 4.5 – Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always

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Book 4.6 – Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Inferno Anthology-Kailin Gow, Vi Keeland, Kimberly Knight, Cassia Leo, Addison Moore, Liv Morris, Laurelin Paige, Aleatha Romig, Jessica Sorensen, and Lacey Weatherford

Posted on 11/18/2014 by shellbellereads

Inferno Anthology

Synopsis

A SPECIAL EDITION brought to you by New York Times, USA Today, & Bestselling Authors

INFERNO: Ten full-length smoldering and fiery romances. Passion so intense they’re almost too hot to handle.
Devour Me – Kailin Gow
The Master Chefs dominated in the kitchen as well as the bedroom… Taryn Cummings could not believe she will be studying at the prestigious International Institute of Culinary Arts in beautiful Paris – a far cry from her unglamorous life in New York running her mother’s restaurant. A chance meeting brings her face-to-face with devilishly charming Errol King, the notorious celebrity bad boy chef who can have anyone, except Taryn, the woman he wants most.
Belong to You – Vi Keeland
My honeymoon was almost everything I dreamed it would be, a tropical paradise, turquoise water, romantic walks on the beach, and loads and loads of mind shattering sex. The only thing missing was the groom.

After seven years of coasting through a relationship with Michael, my senses were numb. A week of passion with a stranger was just what I needed to clear my head and take back control of my life. But how do you move on when the man that was only supposed to be a fling somehow seeps into your soul and steals your heart?
Tattooed Dots – Kimberly Knight
Brooke Bradley and Easton Crawford meet on a singles cruise and learn that people are brought into their lives for many reasons. Over time, they find out what those reasons are. Some are to be a temporary acquaintance while others are there for life.
Chase – Cassia Leo
A struggling actress finds herself in over her head when she takes a job as an escort and finds her first client is a sexy, dominating presidential candidate.
3:AM Kisses – Addison Moore
Baya Brighton is looking forward to her first year at Whitney Briggs University, new friends, dorm life, and finally being close to her brother again. Love is the last thing on the list, but when Baya meets her brother’s roommate she begins to have thoughts and feelings that make even her blush.
Adam’s Apple – Liv Morris
Adam Kingsley reigns as the prince of Manhattan. His looks & money let him get away with all types of sins. It’s been an intoxicating ride until he meets Kathryn Delcour, an alluring socialite with unique erotic tastes.

Adam finds this complex woman too tempting to resist & will stop at nothing to have her, yet she is warned to stay away from him and his player ways.

The passionate lure of ancient sexual practices and a former business partner wanting to inflict a deadly revenge set the scene for an erotic love story.
Fixed on You – Laurelin Paige
A bartender with obsessive tendencies and a billionaire built on dominance come together in a steamy story that explores the line between head games and love-cures-all.
Consequences – Aleatha Romig
Every action has consequences:

Claire doesn’t understand how she ended up in the cruel hands of her abductor, Anthony Rawlings, but it’s been made abundantly clear–she is now his acquisition and every action has consequences.

Captivate the captor:

Will Claire follow his rules, or will Anthony become enthralled by Claire? If that happens, will either of them survive the consequences?
Seduction & Temptation – Jessica Sorensen
Daughter of a very powerful drug lord, Lola Anders life has always been dangerous and full of dark secrets. Before Lola can uncover them, she’s kidnapped and forced to go through with a murder, by none other than her childhood friend, Layton Everett.
Allure – Lacey Weatherford
Tattoo artist by day, exotic dancer by night, 22 year old Six has been fighting his attraction for the girl of his dreams. Why? She’s the high society daughter of the Mayor. Oh, & she’s only 17. But what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…right?

Not likely.

Buy: Amazon

Giveaway

$10 Gift Card

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Review + Giveaway: First Debt by Pepper Winters- The Indebted Series- Book 2

Posted on 11/17/2014 by shellbellereads

First Debt

Indebted #2

Series: Indebted

By Pepper Winters

Synopsis

“You say I’ll never own you. If I win—you willingly give me that right. You sign not only the debt agreement, but another—one that makes me your master until your last breath is taken. You do that, and I’ll give you this.”

Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Stolen, taken, and bound not by monsters but by an agreement written over six hundred years ago, she has no way out.

She belongs to Jethro as much as she denies it.

Jethro Hawk’s patience is running out. His inheritance gift tests, challenges, and surprises him—and not in good ways. He hasn’t leashed her but he thinks he might’ve found a way to bind her forever.

Debts are mounting. Payment waiting.

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Michel’s Review

First Debt by Pepper Winters was another thrilling installment into the Indebted Series. After Debt Inheritance readers were left on the edge of their seats. First Debt adds a new edginess to the Indebted Series. This installment to the series will get into the minds of the characters. The horror of the royal decree will begin…

The Indebted Series is a Dark Erotic Thriller series. It is intended for ADULT READERS.

This book may touch on some of your hardcore limits. There is mental abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, implications of gang rape, and implications of murder. All of these situations are somewhat graphic. The way Pepper Winters delivers these elements in the story are mostly through the characters POV’s and manipulations. They are integral to the story.

A Family Feud between the Hawks and The Weavers

A Royal Proclamation

A 600 Year Debt

The Debt Will Be Paid In Full

The Families

The Hawks are one of the most influential families in England. Their influence has a strong reach internationally. They are the world’s leading diamond dealers. They are also the leaders of one of the most powerful motorcycle clubs in the world. They are powerful, ruthless, violent, and unyielding. They will come out on top at all costs.

The Weavers are world renowned for their influence in the fashion industry. They have clothed royalty. They are masters at their trade. Unlike the Hawks, they are not a powerful family. They have impeccable lineage that they value. The only mark on that lineage is their debt to the Hawks.

The Characters

Jethro Hawk is the 29 year old, first born son in the Hawk family. At age thirty he will take over the reigns of the Hawk Empire. As part of that legacy, being the first born son, he gets the Indebted Inheritance. He gets the first born daughter of the Weavers. He fully intends to collect his inheritance, carry out his family’s vendetta, and claim the legacy he has been born into. He is cunning, calculating, ruthless, uncaring, controlling, manipulative, and downright terrifying. He is a villain in the darkest way. He will claim his inheritance at all costs.

Nila Weaver is a young, naïve, and innocent 24 year old woman. Like her fore fathers she has taken her place in the fashion industry. Her designs are innovative, sexy, and flawless. She has just made her mark in the Haute couture world. What should have been a celebration has turned into a nightmare. Jethro Hawk has come to collect the debt her family owes. A debt she never knew existed. A debt she will have to pay.

First Debt

Jethro gave Nila the opportunity to try to escape knowing that she would fail. He had to admire her will and strength in character. He had to break that will and break Nila in order to carry out the first debt. What Jethro didn’t count on was Nila testing his strength of will.

As the plot unfolds the readers will get a glimpse of who Jethro Hawk is. He is more than meets the eye. Readers will begin to sympathize with Jethro even though he is a horrific villain that holds Nila’s life in his hands. Her fate has been decreed for over six hundred years. Why does she have to pay for the crimes of her ancestors. Why do the Hawks insist on carrying out a six hundred year old debt?

In First Debt the readers will get more of a history lesson about the sins committed by the Weavers towards the Hawks. The readers will witness Nila carrying out her first debt payment. It is horrific for both Nila and Jethro.

The Hawks are harboring more than a six hundred year resentment towards the Weavers. They see this six hundred year old proclamation as a way of proving their power, defying the common law, and testing the future Hawk Legacy. It doesn’t matter that they are enslaving and murdering innocent young Weaver women. These innocents are nothing but a pawn in the bigger picture of the Hawk Legacy.

As I said, readers will begin to see parts of the complex and troubled Jethro Hawk. We will also get an introduction to some of the other Hawk family members. It will leave readers puzzled about who is good and who is bad.

Enough of the history is revealed to keep readers hooked. The chemistry between Jethro and Nila will fuel a fire that could possibly burn them both. Their fates have been written by royal decree. Can they make their own fate?

Who knows…only the brilliant mind of Pepper Winters. The next book will be out in early 2015. How many more debts will Nila have to pay? Will Jethro be paying the debt with her? How can they defy a six hundred year old decree?

Indebted

Indebted Series

By Pepper Winters

Synopsis

“I own you. I have the piece of paper to prove it. It’s undeniable and unbreakable. You belong to me until you’ve paid off your debts.”

Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Being the first born daughter, her life is forfeit to the first born son of the Hawks to pay for sins of ancestors past. The dark ages might have come and gone, but debts never leave. She has no choice in the matter.

She is no longer free.

Jethro Hawk receives Nila as an inheritance present on his twenty-ninth birthday. Her life is his until she’s paid off a debt that’s centuries old. He can do what he likes with her—nothing is out of bounds—she has to obey.

There are no rules. Only payments.

A modern day Dark Erotic Romance

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

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

One Signed Set of Indebted Series

(Debt Inheritance & First Debt)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MDk5NjRmMDM5ZDM4YTBjYWM0YzAyYzM0NGI2ODRhOjUxNQ==/

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We are feeling the holiday spirit with the release day launch of Alyssa Rose Ivy’s THE HAZARDS OF MISTLETOE! THE HAZARDS OF MISTLETOE is a contemporary romance novella and is a part of Alyssa Rose Ivy’s Hazards Series. It’s available everywhere now!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

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Blurb

Twenty-one years ago, Gabriella’s life was stolen from her before it even began.

Orphaned at birth and encompassed in a fortress of lies to protect her identity, she never truly understood her purpose on this earth. But now that she has ascended, embracing her destiny, the ghosts of her past have come back to haunt her.

Even with insurmountable power running through her veins, part of Gabriella is irreparably broken. And with old enemies working to destroy the tiny shred of normalcy she has left, she’ll be forced to face the ugly truth about Dorian, the man she chose to love despite his darkness.

Everything she loved is a lie, and everyone she thought she knew is a stranger. And now that Gabriella is about to be thrust into the battle of her life, she discovers that she may be fighting for the wrong side.

*This is book 3 of The Dark Light Series, the highly anticipated conclusion to Gabriella and Dorian’s beautifully tragic love story.

Excerpt

I’ve been here before. I’ve been under Dorian’s spell enough times to know how this will play out. He’s a man of dominating control, and today has been nothing short of chaos. He’s taking it back. He’s taking me back.

“Touch me,” I beg, my voice breathless with agony.

“No.” His eyes spark with white fire on that single word, showing the torment of his restraint.

“Please,” I whimper. “I need you to touch me. I need to feel you.”

“You feel me now,” he rasps.

“No. That’s not enough.”

“Oh? Not enough?” Pressure spikes in my core and I cry out as sensation snakes through my swollen sex. He doesn’t move, but I feel him there—touching, licking, even biting. Soft and hard, hot and wet, all at the same time.

“I can feel you throbbing, Gabriella. It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.” My voice is an intelligible squeak. It does hurt, yet it feels oh-so-incredibly good. Dorian’s pain is the most potent form of pleasure.

“I feel the hardness of your nipples—how they ache to be licked and sucked. You want me to do that, Gabriella? You want me cover your nipples with my mouth and run my tongue over them? You want me to squeeze them between my teeth right before I suck them, baby?”

“Yes, Dorian,” I manage through a sob.

“And when I’m done teasing your nipples, you want me to run my tongue down…” Another jolt of electricity stings my sensitive flesh. “…down…down…until it meets that soft, sweet place that hurts you so bad? You want me to kiss it and make it better?”

I try to nod through the haze of lust and agony, but I can’t move. I can only feel him owning my body in the most delicious way.

Dark Light

The Dark Prince

Dark Light #2

Nikolai

A Dark Light Novella

About the author:

S.L. Jennings is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance, reality TV junkie, obsessive coffee drinker and collector of crazy.

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