Happy Release + Review : Breaking Her Rules by Jennifer Snow – Beyond The Cage Series – Book 1

Posted on 07/21/2015 by shellbellereads

Breaking Her Rules

Beyond The Cage Series – Book 1

By Jennifer Snow

Synopsis

MMA fighters go the distance in this all-new series from Jennifer Snow, author of the Brookhollow novels.

Walker Adams was supposed to follow in his lawyer father’s footsteps, but instead he’s training to be an MMA fighter. And while he works for his chance to make it in the Maximum Fight League, he’s bunking on his baby sister’s best friend’s couch. Gracie Andrews is all grown up—in all the right places. But she’s engaged to the fight match-maker who holds Walker’s career in his hands…

Gracie had almost convinced herself that she’d put her silly childhood crush on Walker to rest. But the sight of him sleeping in only a pair of boxer briefs makes it clear that some things never change. And as old sparks turn to flames, Gracie is forced to decide between the future she thought she wanted or the man she’s never stopped loving…

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

Breaking Her Rules by Jennifer Snow is the debut book in her new series Beyond The Cage. This is a promising MMA Romance series that I think readers are going to embrace whole heartedly.

Walker and Gracie are from the same small town. Adam is the older brother to Gracie’s best friend. During her teen years Gracie crushed on Adam but he was out of her league. He was a super star jock, popular, and privileged. Now the tables are turned. Adam is down and out, homeless. He dropped out of law school to pursue his dreams of being a professional MMA Fighter. His family cut him off but he is still determined to make a go of it. When Gracie offers her couch he is grateful.

Adam is breaking into the fighting world at a late age. Luckily Gracie has connections that help him get a fight that could make or break his career. The fight is in three weeks. Is he ready?

Adam has too many distractions. He has to work. He has a popular female journalist sinking her claws into him. He also has Gracie. Suddenly he knows she’s alive and he wants her. The problem is her boyfriend. The man that is controlling his career.

Adam is in for the fight of his life and it may not be in the cage.

Gracie has rules. She is determined not to be like her flighty mother. Her world was going perfect until Adam showed up on her couch. He is making her want to break her own rules. Can she stay true or is her destiny to be ruled by her emotions?

Breaking Her Rules was a solid start to the Beyond The Cage series. The leading characters were well developed and the secondary characters were interesting enough for readers to want more from this series. The book was well written although very predictable. It seemed a bit like a cookie cutter romance. I would of liked to see more grit. The sex and steaminess was moderate. Again I would of liked to see more sexual tension and chemistry.

Overall Breaking Her Rules by Jennifer Snow was fun and entertaining. It’s the perfect kind of book for escaping. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

_____________________________

Beyond The Cage Series

Breaking Her Rules – Book 1

MMA fighters go the distance in this all-new series from Jennifer Snow, author of the Brookhollow novels.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Fighting The Fall – Book 2

Release Date: October 20, 2015

MMA fighters go Beyond the Cage in the new series by the author of Breaking Her Rules. This time, it’ll take some fancy footwork for a gym owner to keep from falling in love…

Hollywood actress Parker Hamilton will do anything to get back in the spotlight. Since breaking up with one of the industry’s most successful directors, she’s been in a string of box office busts. Now, she’s found the role of a lifetime in a film about a female MMA fighter and she knows exactly who to ask for help learning the ropes…

When Tyson Reed sees a blonde bombshell walk into his gym looking for training, he wants to refuse. He knows her type and he doesn’t need any unwanted distractions while preparing for his upcoming title fight. But if he can’t pay off his brother’s debts, Tyson could lose his gym… and the reputation his family has had in the MMA world for three generations.

Tyson never thought he’d be going one-on-one with a spoiled, out-of-shape Hollywood actress. But this is one bout he just may not win—or want to…

Pre Order : Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

___________________________________

Author Bio:

Jennifer Snow lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her husband and four year old son. She is a member of the Writers Guild of Alberta, the Romance Writers of America, the Canadian Author Association, and SheWrites.org. She is also a regular blogger on the Heartwarming Authors site and is a contributing author to Mslexia Magazine, WestWord Magazine and RWR. She has also taught RWA Chapters courses online. Her 2013 Holiday Romance-The Trouble With Mistletoe was a finalist in the 2014 Golden Quill Contest and the Heart of Denver Aspen Gold Contest.
Her publishing credits include two holiday novellas, previously published by The Wild Rose Press, now re-released or being re-released as self-published editions through Amazon. The Mistletoe Fever was an Amazon bestseller for two weeks in the category of Kindle Short Reads. Her six book small town, Brookhollow series is published through Harlequin Heartwarming and she has a new MMA sports romance series releasing through Berkley/NAL Intermix in 2015. RT Reviews has given each of her Brookhollow series books 4 stars.
She also hosts an annual SnowGlobe Award contest in recognition of holiday themed romance stories, with over forty entries each year. More information about the contest can be found at http://www.snowglobeawardcontest.vpweb.ca
She is active on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and various blog sites and has a monthly author newsletter.
More information can be found at www.jennifersnowauthor.com

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Release Blitz + Review: Outside by Michelle Mankin

Posted on 07/20/2015 by shellbellereads

Get ready for rock stars, surf, and second chances in Outside by Michelle Mankin

Outside

By Michelle Mankin

Release Date : July 19, 2015

Pre Order: Amazon

Synopsis

Outside

Rock Stars, Surf and Second Chances

When handsome California surf god Lincoln Savage suddenly rolls into Ocean Beach like a rogue wave, shy beauty Simone Bianchi’s foundation is shaken. No longer under the thumb of her domineering father, she’s made a simple quiet life for herself and her fluffy fourteen pound Havanese pup running a surf shop in her hometown of OB. Long ago she gave up her dreams for a future with Linc.

But now the notorious lead singer of the Dirt Dogs has returned, and Simone is reluctant to admit that she’s still vulnerable to his killer dimpled smile and easy charm. She finds that although she’s stowed away the mementos, it hasn’t been as easy to erase the memories of their epic summer love.

It seems he hasn’t forgotten, either.

Is the recording contract he’s offering merely a pretense?

Or does he have something more in mind?

Does he really believe that they can just pick up where they left off, despite all the bad luck and heartache?

And is she willing to risk everything again for one last chance at love?

Pre Order: Amazon

The walls vibrated as soon as the spotlights hit them. Feet stomped. Fans yelled. Some even stood on their chairs. Camera lights clicked on and so did Lincoln. Brightly. He strode to the center of the stage. Confident. Compelling. Controlled. A cosmic force.

He plucked the mic from the stand glared at the audience daring them to come along with him or get the hell out of the way, before he and the guys launched into a cover of ‘Satisfaction’ that kicked ass as righteously as the original.

It went uphill from there. Ramon on guitar flashing his flirt. Ash slamming sexy on his drums. Patch firm and steady on bass. And Linc my gorgeous warrior with depths of worth that he still failed to recognize eclipsing them all. The Dirt Dogs might still a bit rough around the edges but they were undeniably on the ascent. What had started out as something to occupy their time when the surf wasn’t up had transformed into a magical mélange of Pacific saltwater, California sun and hard rocking in your face attitude.

I moved quickly across the parking lot shielding my eyes from the glare when I reached the sand. The tension inside my stomach instantly ratcheted tighter. I recognized Lincoln right away. Even in his wet suit the way he moved across the surface of the ocean on his board was as unique as he was.

Under the curtain unleashing his fins.

Maxing out of the tube.

Finding steep wall and going nearly vertical.

Those were the maneuvers I knew, the others I didn’t but that didn’t make them any less awe inspiring.

`My favorite inspirational surf youtube video with music that captures the tone and spirit of Outside perfectly`

“You afraid?”

I shook my head. I was never afraid of him. Never.

He studied me a beat seeming to notice my parted lips, heavy breathing, hard nipples and trembling.

“Turned on?” he guessed.

I nodded.

“Get on my board then, babe. I aim to please if you’ll let me.”

Michel’s Review

If you are a fan of second chance romance, Outside by Michelle Mankin might be the book for you.

What happens the odds of your relationship are stacked against you? What happens when your dreams are blown to pieces without warning? What happens when your life takes a new direction that is beyond your control? While all of this is happening you are not secure enough or mature enough to handle it all. When love enters the equation it makes all the more difficult.

Michelle Mankin did a wonderful job of laying out a story where two young people lose each other because they weren’t really ready to hold onto to each other. They did not have the confidence, the courage, and the maturity to handle life events. Fifteen years later neither Linc or Mona have moved on. Their hearts are still in limbo.

While one went on to be a great success , the other went home licking their wounds. Linc hid behind fame. Mona hid within the four walls of her surf shop.

Linc turns back up at Ocean Beach to offer Mona an exclusive music deal. It is merely an excuse to get back into her life once again. He wants the girl that captured his heart back in his life. Has he left too many scars on her heart?

Mona wants nothing to do with Linc’s offer. She has built a safe quiet life for herself. When he reveals his real reasons for returning her heart begin to beat once again.

Personally I had a hard time embracing the characters. Their personalities seemed a bit flat. Their back story felt like I was being told the story rather than experiencing it. The back story itself did not have the build up that would convince me that both of these characters would pine for each other for fifteen years.

Overall the writing is solid and the story is well developed. It was a decent second chance romance book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About Michelle Mankin

Reimagining classic stories with sexy rock stars and thought provoking issues.
For many years she worked in the insurance industry as an underwriter. Somehow, the boredom didn’t kill her but the hours and hours of looking at facts and figures provided ample time for her mind to wander.
Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are a Brutal Strength centered trilogy, combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock ‘n roll industry.
Things take a bit of an edgier, once upon a time turn with the Tempest series. These pierced, tatted, and troubled Seattle rockers are young and on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there.
Rock stars, myths, and legends collide with paranormal romance in a totally mesmerizing way in the Magic series.
When Michelle is not prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend as she takes the children to school and back.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

5 Star Review…2015 Favorite : Craving Trix by Nicole Jacquelyn – The Aces Sons – Book 1

Posted on 07/15/2015 by shellbellereads

Craving Trix

Ace’s Sons Series – Book 1

Spinoff of Aces MC Series

By Nicole Jacquelyn

Release Date : July 13, 2015

Synopsis

Bellatrix White had loved Cameron Harrison for as long as she could remember. He was her best friend and her closest confidant, and she knew one day he’d be her forever.

Then he broke her heart.

After five years of complete silence between them, the motorcycle club they grew up in comes under attack, giving Cam the opportunity he needs to work his way back into Trix’s life.

Because while Trix was nursing her broken heart, Cam was realizing exactly what he’d given up.

They fall into a relationship easily, but when new tragedies mix with old memories, neither of the lovers are prepared for the fallout.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

The Aces MC series by Nicole Jacquelyn is one of my all time favorite series. The moment a book releases I am devouring it. The characters in this series have captured my complete attention. I am connected to every character in the series and feel like they are a part of my own personal inner circle.

Nicole Jacquelyn is an extremely talented writer. Her characters come to life on the pages. The reader feels every emotion they experience. Her vivid descriptions and expressive words bring the Aces world to life. I always feel like I am a part of the story.

Each book in this series has gotten a 5 + Star Rating and has made the Smut Book Junkie Reviews 2015 Favorite List and 2014 Favorite List.

Her latest release is the start of a new series. The Aces Sons. This new series features the children of the Aces MC. They are now older and making a place in their fathers world. The have been loved hard, taught well, and are warriors.

The series starts off with Craving Trix. Trix is the daughter of Dragon and Brenna. She is now an independent young woman attending her final year of college. She has worshipped Cameron “Hulk” Harrison , the son of Casper and Farrah, since she was a six year old girl. Because of their six year age difference they matured at different paces. Trix ended up with a broken heart during her teenage years. Cam ended up clueless as to why he lost his closest friend. Time has caught up with them and now they are on an even playing ground.

When the Aces MC starts noticing hidden threats and unknown sources cutting into a part of their world they decide to go on high alert. This is Cam’s opportunity to win Trix’s heart once again. He moves in with her for protection. He steals her heart with his overbearing biker ways. But can he hang onto it?

Trix is a complex woman. She is fiercely independent and strong willed. She is also vulnerable in many ways. She has a truck load of issues that she was unaware of . Her childhood affected her in many ways. When a mistake happens that tears her and Cam apart, her life spirals out of control. She is striking out at the person she loves the most. She is destroying Cam’s love.

Cam has loved Trix all his life. When she does the unforgivable, he is shattered. He never thought he could hate a person more than he does Trix. He has lost his family once, learned to love again, but Trix’s betrayal is too much. There is no turning back until… the ultimate devastation happens to the Aces MC. It’s time to dig in, hang onto the ones you love, and fight for your family.

This book was shocking. It devastated me. I had to put the book down and walk away because I was so torn up. My emotions were wrecked! After a much needed break and time to reflect I went back to reading Craving Trix with HOPE that their world would be okay.

I finished the book on a happy note but was still devastated in my heart.

Trix was not an easy heroine to like. I still don’t know if I really like her but I do understand her. I understand where she was coming from and why she felt the way she did. This girl had her demons that nobody could fix for her. She had to work through them on her own. I never questioned her love for Cam, only her selfishness.

I fell in love with Cam. He was the best of Casper and Farrah. He bent over backwards for Trix. He fought for her until he was blue in the face. He could not slay her demons. He could only love her.

Cam and Trix’s relationship may drive some readers crazy but keep in mind we all know people with relationships like this. They were lucky to have a strong supportive family and good friends to have their back when times were low. Their families did not coddle them, they made them open their eyes to their flaws and weaknesses. They helped them utilize their strengths to see it through. They made them live up to their full potential.

As for the rest of the Aces and the Aces Sons. They have a long hard road to travel. Their world is in their hands and it’s up to them to conquer it.

Nicole Jacquelyn was very bold with her delivery of this story. She took calculated risks that were necessary for this story/ series to unfold. She kept the Aces world from becoming stagnant and predictable. I am anxious for the next book. Readers are going to experience life in the Aces MC through Will Hawthorne’s ( Grease and Callie’s son) eyes.

These kids are going to make their parents proud and build the same kind of legacy their parents laid out for them. They are going to give their parents gray hairs but also make them beam with pride. They are The Aces Sons.

The Complete Aces MC Series

Over 400,000 words.

Four complete novels.

Four never before seen bonus scenes.

Four protective men.

Four strong women.

Four stories that will break your heart and then piece it back together again.

Craving Constellations- Dragon and Brenna
Craving Redemption- Callie and Grease
Craving Absolution- Casper and Farrah
Craving Resurrection- Poet and Amy

Come meet the Aces MC, the loyal men who carry its banner and the women who love them.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

_________________________________________________________

About Nicole Jacquelyn

Nicole Jacquelyn is the mom of two little girls and a full time college student. She hasn’t watched television in well over a year, she still does things that drive her mother crazy, and she loves to read. At eight years old, when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she told people she wanted to be a mom. When she was twelve her answer changed- to author. By the time she was eighteen, when people asked her what she wanted to do with her life, she told them she really wanted to be a writer- but the odds of that happening were so slim that she’d get her business degree “just to be safe”. Her dreams stayed constant. First she became a mom, then she went to college, and during her senior year- with one daughter in first grade and the other in preschool, she sat down and wrote a story.

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Release Blitz + Review : Inspiring You by Jessica Sorensen – Unraveling You Series – Book 4

Posted on 07/15/2015 by shellbellereads

Happy Release Day to Jessica Sorensen and her new book INSPIRING YOU! This is the final book in the Unraveling You series about Lyric Scott and Ayden Gregory! Take a sneak peek below!

Ayden knows it’s time to remember what really happened four years ago, so he can help save his sister. With the help of Lyric, he faces his past head on.

But dealing with the truth is difficult.

Will Ayden finally be free of his past so he can move forward to his future?

Michel’s Review

Inspiring You by Jessica Sorensen is the final book in the Unraveling You series. This epic series has had readers biting their nails to see the final results of Aiden’s haunting past.

Aiden has taken the final steps to regain his memory. He is trying the experimental hypnosis therapy. Although this therapy could be very dangerous to Aiden , he feels like this is his only option.

The revelations are frightening. Aides now knows the truth. But is the truth in time to save his missing sister.

This final installment is astounding. The reader’s are finally getting the answers to Aiden’s past and present danger.

I have loved this series from beginning to end. It was great to have a satisfying resolution.

Read the Unraveling You series by Jessica Sorensen. It is outstanding.

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

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

♥ READ THE SERIES ♥

Book 1 – Unraveling You

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / ITUNES

Book 2 – Raveling You

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / ITUNES

Book 3 – Awakening You

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / ITUNES

Book 4 – Inspiring You

AMAZON / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

Release Blitz + Review + Giveaway: Sweet As Sin by J. T. Geissinger – Bad Habit Series- Book 1

Posted on 07/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Sweet as Sin by J.T. Geissinger
Bad Habit Series – Book #1
Publication date: July 14th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
Twentysomething Kat Reid is loving life as an in-demand Hollywood makeup artist. She has absolutely no interest in rock ’n’ roll, but in order to pay the mortgage, she agrees to work on the set of a rock video for the world-famous rockers known as Bad Habit…which brings her face-to-face with Nico Nyx, lead singer of Bad Habit and Adonis in the flesh.

However, the fiercely independent Kat isn’t impressed by the hard-living, womanizing rock star. But when Nico’s model girlfriend shows up to the set drunk and Kat is tapped to replace her as the video’s sexy bride, her combustible chemistry with Nico suddenly threatens to consume the set. Nico feels it, too—and becomes determined to win Kat over, body and soul. Yet behind his rock god swagger, Nico hides a dark secret. Can he rock Kat’s world forever, or will he just break her heart?

Buy: Amazon / B & N

“Here’s the thing, Nico—”

“Don’t overthink it, Kat. You wanna see me or not?”

My pulse was all over the place. I sat up, then regretted that move as the room began to wobble. “I do.”

“What’s the address?”

“I wasn’t done talking.”

He cursed. I ignored it. “I do want to see you, but I just want to lay a few ground rules before we start this whole . . . whatever this whole thing is.”

I waited for him to respond. He sounded like he was listening hard, and he didn’t answer, so I plunged ahead. “I don’t want to just . . . um . . . ”

“You got a three-date rule, sweetheart?”

I was relieved that he sounded amused. Thank God he had a sense of humor.

“Because I can respect that. But you should realize that when you see me today, it’ll be the third date. So the next time you see me, all bets are off.” His voice dropped. “And I wanna see you again tomorrow.”

“We haven’t even had one date yet!”

“The shoot, then the restaurant. That’s two.”

His idea of what comprised a date was seriously impaired.

“Those don’t count as dates! We were working on the shoot, and you were only at the restaurant for like five seconds. If I see you today, this will be our first date.”

I didn’t mention that he’d gotten the details of the three-date rule wrong. It was sex on the third date, not after. I was trying to buy myself as much time as possible, because he was moving at the speed of a rocket.

“Okay. I’ll give you the shoot. But the restaurant should count. Being with someone at a restaurant is textbook definition of a date. No matter how long it lasted.”

I could not believe we were actually having this conversation. I sighed.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Now give me the fuckin’ address, Kat, before I wear a hole in the damn rug.”

He was pacing?

“What part of town are you coming from? Because I need, like, a half hour to get cleaned up.”

Nico’s response was a growl. I gave him the address.

“You’re in luck. I’m comin’ from the Hollywood Hills. It’ll take me at least forty-five minutes to get to Venice in traffic.” He paused. “Or I could take the bike. That’ll get me there in thirty.”

Was he screwing with me right now?

“You still there, Kat?”

“I’m still here.”

“I’m gonna be there in thirty minutes. You gonna be ready for me?”

Oh, the dark promise in that tone. I felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff, looking down. I already knew I was going to fall. The only question now was, how far?

And how hard?

And would the fall break me?

“I’ll be ready,” I whispered.

Nico’s voice was almost a purr. “Darlin’, that’s exactly what I’ve been waitin’ to hear.”

Before I could say another word, Nico hung up.

Michel’s Review

If you are looking for an intense rock star romance look no further. Sweet As Sin by J.T. Geissinger is just the ticket.

This book has a brooding rock star with personal issues. A heroine that is strong but also plagued by her past. Both characters have issues that make it almost impossible to come together. Their worlds collide in so many ways but somehow they find the strength to let it go. They find the strength in one another through love.

This book is intense and seems to be on the darker side. If you have issues with violent tempers and domestic abuse this may not be the book for you. It is a truthful look into the darker side. For me it was a hard book to read because of it.

The romance was intensely sexy and had me swooning.

Sweet As Sin is well written and well plotted.

Overall the book was very good. I am looking forward to more books in this series.

________________________________

AUTHOR BIO:
J.T. Geissinger is an award-winning author of paranormal and contemporary romance featuring dark and twisted plots, kick-ass heroines, and alpha heroes whose hearts are even bigger than their muscles. An entrepreneur since she began hand-addressing envelopes for a local beauty pageant when she was 14, she has owned businesses as diverse as a temporary employment agency to a flower shop. It wasn’t until hitting a significant birthday that she became motivated to realize her life-long dream of writing a novel.

Her debut novel, Shadow’s Edge, was a #1 Amazon domestic and international bestseller, and won the Prism award for Best First Book. Her follow-up book, Edge of Oblivion, was a RITA© Award finalist for Best Paranormal Romance from the Romance Writers of America. Book 6 in the Night Prowler series, Into Darkness, won the Golden Quill award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy. Her work has also finaled in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards.

Foodie, wine enthusiast, and nap connoisseur, she lives in California with her husband, on whom all her heroes are based.

To receive notification of new releases, contests, and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter at www.jtgeissinger.com

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Giveaway

Kindle Paperwhite (US only)
3 eBook copies of Sweet as Sin (INTL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Release + Excerpt + 5 Star Review: Caged by Lorelei James – The Mastered Series – Book 4

Posted on 07/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Caged

The Mastered Series – Book 4

By Lorelei James

Synopsis

In the searing fourth novel in the Mastered Series, following Unraveled, only one woman can set a hardened fighter free from his past.…

In order to survive a life of tragedy, Deacon McConnell embraced his roughest edges and learned to fight on the streets. Then a life-changing jujitsu seminar led by Sensei Ronin Black led Deacon to become a professional fighter. With his muscular physique and his body covered in tattoos and scars, the MMA fighter defines mean, both on and off the mat.

But everything changes when innocent Molly Calloway signs up for his kickboxing class. Molly is Deacon’s opposite in every way: She’s kind, sweet, thoughtful, and educated. After a heated argument between them turns into a passionate encounter, Deacon realizes Molly is eager to experience more, and she looks to him to take her to the darker edge of lust….

The last thing either of them expects is how deeply their lives will be thrown upside down by the passion they find together.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

Molly had reached the bottom step when she glanced up and saw Deacon leaning against her car.

It took every bit of resolve not to break into a run.

When she reached him, he pulled her into his arms and softly kissed her lips. “Hey.”

“Hey. How’d you know where I was?”

“Only so many churches in this town, babe.” His gaze searched hers. “You okay?”

“Not really. This sucks. But I’m better now that you’re here.”

“You ready to hit the grocery store?”

“I’m ready to hit something,” she muttered.

Footsteps sounded behind them, and Deacon’s gaze moved over her shoulder.

“Who’s your friend, Molly?”

Molly turned, and Deacon stood beside her, keeping his left hand on the small of her back. “This is my boyfriend, Deacon McConnell. Deacon, this is my uncle, Bob Calloway.”

Deacon offered his hand and Bob shook it.

Jennifer slunk forward. “Molly didn’t tell us she had a boyfriend.” She held out her hand. “Jennifer Calloway. Molly’s cousin.”

He lifted his chin and ignored her outstretched hand.

Then Brandi horned her way between her father and sister. “Molly did mention a boyfriend, but I didn’t take her seriously.”

Deacon cocked an eyebrow at Brandi. “Why not?”

“Because she was flirting her ass off at the bar last night.” Brandi sent her a triumphant look.

“I let you outta my sight one day and other guys are already sniffing around you. Will I have to bust some heads?”

“You know you have nothing to worry about. Save your head busting for the ring.”

Her uncle had been watching the exchange. “Ring? What do you do for a living, Deacon?”

“I compete as a mixed martial artist.”

“You don’t say. Karate and such?”

From the corner of her eye, Molly saw her cousins exchange a look and then give Deacon a slow perusal.

Each your hearts out, bitches. He’s mine.

“Not karate. I’m a jujitsu instructor at Black Arts in Denver.” He pulled Molly more firmly to his side. “We met in my kickboxing class.”

“So that’s where Molly has tried to lose some of her weight,” Brandi said.

“I’d watch the insults or you might be tasting blood,” Deacon warned.

Brandi’s mouth dropped open. “Are you threatening me?”

“Not me. Molly. The woman’s got a mean right hook. And I oughta know, since she learned how to throw a punch from me.”

Molly sent Deacon a look of adoration. “Of course I’d never hit someone out of anger.” Then she looked at Brandi. “Besides, if I used my fists on you every time you insulted me, you’d be black-and-blue from head to toe.”

Without another word, Deacon opened the passenger door for her.

Then he skirted the front end and climbed in the driver’s seat. “Keys.”

She dropped them in his hand. “Thank you.”

“For?”

“Showing up.”

Michel’s Review

Fans of the Mastered Series have been waiting for this book. Deacon and Molly have been engaging in the cat and mouse chase and verbal foreplay from the very beginning of this series. Their coming together is long over due. Their relationship is explosive and quite a surprise. Unlike the former books, their relationship does not revolve around the Dojo and the club. It stands on it’s own merits, two dynamic people coming together and blending their lives together to make a strong loving relationship.

When reader’s first met Molly she was a shy, easily intimidated kind of girl. She had enrolled in self defense classes after an attack that left her afraid of her own shadow. Rather than let the fear of her own shadow take over her life she was brave enough to do something about it. Deacon was her instructor and he was very hard on her. He wouldn’t allow her to withdraw or quit. As the series grew so did Molly. Throughout the books we watched her grow and become a strong confident woman.

Throughout the series Deacon has been a bit of a mystery. He has secrets that he holds close to his chest. Although he is a champion amateur MMA fighter about to go into the pro circuit, he is still a part of the Dojo. His fighting career is taking on a new path. Embarking on a new relationship could hinder his career. He has come to the realization that he wants Molly more than he wants the career title.

These two will muddle through their relationship. Both have family histories that are ugly. Neither one has been in a committed relationship so they are both clueless. Molly has romantic notions but at the same time wants her independence and individuality. Deacon is pure alpha male and assumes Molly knows where his head is at. He has problems, like most men, communicating and expressing his feelings. Then the conflicts with his family make their relationship all the more difficult. Add a hard driven trainer that sees their relationship as a road block, the Dojo politics, meddling friends, and a championship fight and it looks as if they are doomed. Deacon has the fight of his life on his hands .He is fighting for his heart. Molly has to be confident enough to take Deacon’s hand and fight for their relationship.

I loved watching these characters grow as individuals and as a couple. They didn’t need the kink that we have experienced in the prior books of this series. Their passion for one another is so hot it will burn the house down. Together they are unbeatable.

I am looking forward to more books in this series. There are so many dynamic secondary characters that are screaming for Lorelei James attention. They want their stories told.

I highly recommend reading the entire Mastered series. It is fantastic. Caged is another outstanding addition to this series.

________________________________________

The Mastered Series

Bound

In the new Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a woman’s desire to shatter her inhibitions leaves her unprepared for where that erotic journey will take her….

Former small-town girl Amery Hardwick is living her dream as a graphic designer in Denver, Colorado. She’s focused on building her business, which leaves little time for dating—not that she needs a romantic entanglement to fulfill her. When her friend signs up for a self-defense class as part of her recovery after an attack, Amery joins her for support. That’s where she meets him.

Ronin Black, owner of the dojo, is so drawn to Amery that he takes over her training—in public and in private. The enigmatic Ronin pushes Amery’s boundaries from the start, and with each new tryst, Amery becomes addicted to the pleasure and to him. But when Amery senses Ronin is hiding something, she questions her total trust in him, despite the undeniable thrill of his possession….

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Unwound

n the continuation to the Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a man’s need for control is tested by the one woman he’ll risk everything for…

When sensei Ronin Black first encounters Amery Hardwick, the fire in her eyes ignites a sexual spark a thousand times better than the primal rush he used to get from mixed martial arts matches. She accepts his darker edges and admits to him that her desires aren’t as wholesome as he believed. And before long Ronin is grappling with emotions he’s never felt before….

Yet despite demanding Amery bare her body and soul to him, Ronin holds a part of himself back. When she learns Ronin’s secret and walks out, his life begins to unravel. To regain her trust he must let go of his pride and prove to her that it’s more than passion binding them together.

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Schooled

The Mastered Series- Novella- Book 3

From the New York Times bestselling “master of erotic romance”* and author of Unraveled, Bound and Unwound comes the all-new novella in the Mastered series.
When Amery Hardwick first met martial arts master Ronin Black, she wasn’t ready for the primal urges his sensual rope artistry released in her. As it turned out Amery and Ronin were made for each other. But when they head to Japan for a delayed honeymoon and Ronin’s annual training with his sensei, Amery struggles to adapt to the foreign customs as well as running her burgeoning business from afar. But culture shock is the least of her worries when faced with the changes in Ronin—it feels as if she’s married a stranger. Caught between his sensei’s demands and pleasing his wife, Ronin is at war with himself over choosing advancement in his jujitsu training, or staying at home with the woman who owns his heart and soul. As the limits of their relationship are tested once again, Ronin and Amery discover that they both have a lot to learn about each other….and what it takes to build a love that’ll pass all life’s little tests.
Includes a preview of the new Mastered series novel, Unraveled.

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Unraveled – Book 3

In this sizzling continuation of the Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a man will find the domination he’s always craved…

Shiori Hirano and Knox Lofgren are left to run the martial arts program at Black Arts while Ronin Black travels. On the surface, the two highest ranked belts appear to cooperate—but in private, they butt heads constantly, despite the undeniable attraction between them. Soon their power exchanges start to make for a sweltering dynamic in the bedroom…

At first Knox is shocked to be living out his submissive desires, but Shiori sets out to prove that embracing his true sexual nature doesn’t make him a weak man. But even while their sexual relationship grants him a power and fulfillment he finds surprising, there’s no training regimen for the fight that comes with loving a strong woman…

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Caged – Book 4

In the searing fourth novel in the Mastered Series, following Unraveled, only one woman can set a hardened fighter free from his past.…

The last thing either of them expects is how deeply their lives will be thrown upside down by the passion they find together.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

____________________________________

Author Bio:

Lorelei James is the NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author of erotic westerns: the Rough Riders series, the Blacktop Cowboys series, and the erotic romances in the Mastered series. Lorelei lives in western South Dakota.

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + Review + Giveaway: Bleeding Love by Harper Sloan -Hope Town Series – Book 2

Posted on 07/14/2015 by shellbellereads

Bleeding Love

Hope Town Series – Book 2

By Harper Sloan

Release Date: July 14, 2015

Buy: Amazon / B & N

Synopsis:

I’ve loved once. I gave everything that I had to that love. Blindly believing that nothing could ever take that feeling away from me. Away from us. And when my little world of happiness was ripped from my fingers, I felt a loss that still haunts me to this day.

Now I use that lingering grief as a shield to keep my heart from loving again. It’s that fear that keeps me from letting anyone, except my daughter, get close enough to make it hurt. To make my heart bleed when I inevitably lose again.

Until the day I met Liam Beckett and everything I thought I had protected myself from was shoved back in my face.

He’s on a mission to prove to me that a love worth having is a love worth fighting for.

*Bleeding Love is the second book in the Hope Town series. Each book in the series is a HEA and can be read as a standalone.*

Buy: Amazon / B & N

Excerpt

His mouth leaves mine and with his hand still on my leg, he demands, “Dig your heels in deep, baby.”

I give him what he wants, but not because he told me to. I give him what he wants because when his hand leaves my leg and pushes into the mattress, bringing his body up he goes even deeper into my body and those heels push hard.

Just as he demanded earlier, my hands go to his shoulders on my own accord and as he takes my body hard, my nails dig in with my heels still pushing hard against the small of his back. Our eyes never leave each other’s probing gaze. Never once do I take my eyes away from his, so full of lust that I know there isn’t an ounce of control left in his body.

He drops his head and I lift up to meet him in a kiss so sweet it doesn’t match the powerful way that he’s taking my body. A kiss that gives me more than words ever could at this moment. His hips slow and as his tongue rolls against mine, his hips start to take me in slow, deep rolls. He doesn’t pull back, just rocks his hips against mine.

I push up and cry out when he slips even deeper.

His lips come from mine and his hooded eyes open a sliver. “Feels like heaven,” he says softly. “Everything, darlin’. Feels like everything.”

Michel’s Review

Bleeding Love by Harper Sloan is the second book in the Hope Town series. It is a spin off of the Corps Security series and features the children of the charismatic characters readers have grown to love whole heartedly. Their children are just as charismatic and have inherited the very best from their parents. Each book in the Hope Town series can be read as a stand alone or in series order. It is not necessary to read the Corps Security series to begin the Hope Town series. I would highly recommend the Corps Security. It is a delightful series you don’t want to miss.

We met Megan in Unexpected Fate. She is the young widow of one Cohen’s teammates in his unit. She is a widow and single mother. She is struggling to get by each day and get past her sorrow and grief. For three years she has grieved the loss of her husband, her only love and best friend. The only bright spot in her life is her five year old daughter Molly.

When Cohen brought her into his family circle she not only gained new friends but also people that she knew she could depend upon. Slowly her new inner circle is drawing her out and offering her a chance to live again. Liam Beckett has not only become a good friend, he wants to become something more. Megan doesn’t know if she can let go of the grief and move on. She feels guilty that her husband lost his life and moving on seems to be betraying his memory. She is intensely attracted to Liam. But is attraction enough? Can she risk her heart again?

The moment Liam Beckett laid eyes on Megan he knew he had to make her his. She was the “one” he could see sharing his life with. He knew she was grieving and vowed to be patient. It seems that instead of processing her grief she is sinking further into it. It seems she has died right along with her husband . The only thing that brings life to her eyes is her young daughter Molly. He is determined to bring Megan back to life. He wants to show her how much she has to live for. He is going to do it one moment at a time. He is going to show her how to live and love again.

This was a beautiful story of coming to life . It is a story of acceptance. It is a story of friendship and family at it’s finest. It is a sexy red hot romance that will have the readers swooning. And precious Molly will steal the readers hearts just like she did to the families and tough alpha men at Corps Security. She is the princess of the kingdom that not one of these men can resist.

Bleeding Love was a delightful romance that not only touches the families of Corps Security but also the hearts of the readers.

The Hope Town Series

Unexpected Fate

Hope Town Series – Book 1

By Harper Sloan

Release Date: February 17, 2015

Synopsis

Have you ever felt like you were living your life for a future that was predetermined? Like there was some bigger picture you just prayed you would someday see clearly? That picture has been crystal clear to me since I was old enough to recognize it for just what it was.

Or I should say recognize him for who he was.

I’ve loved Cohen Cage since I was a small child. He’s been my everything for the last twenty-two years. I’ve loved him through every girlfriend he’s ever brought home. Through his college years and then mine. I’ve loved him through two deployments. And ever since the day I told him how I felt, he’s acted like I’m a stranger.

My name is Danielle Reid, and it’s time for me to get my man.

Our future is an unexpected fate, and no matter what our parents, siblings, and friends say…it’s going to be worth every second of the fight to make it happen.

**This book is a standalone, HEA, with mature themes and sexual situations**

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About Harper Sloan

Harper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed ‘Estrogen Ocean’, much to her husbands chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero–the super alpha kind!

Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn’t take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.

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Release Blitz + 5 Star Review : Revived by Samantha Towle – Revved Series – Book 2

Posted on 07/14/2015 by shellbellereads

India Harris didn’t have the best start in life. Abandoned as a baby, she and her twin brother, Kit, spent their lives in foster care, only having each other to rely on. Then, at a young age, a relationship with the wrong man left India pregnant. Wanting to give her son the life she never had, she put herself through school and graduated with honors.

Now, at the age of thirty, she’s a highly respected therapist.

At the top of his game as a Formula One driver, Leandro Silva had everything—until an accident on the track left him staring death in the face. After enduring twelve months of physical therapy, Leandro is now physically able to race, but his mind is keeping him from the track. Frustrated and angry, Leandro’s days and nights are filled with limitless alcohol and faceless women.

Entering the last year of his contract, he knows he has to race again, or he’ll lose everything he spent his life working for. Forced into therapy to get his life back, Leandro finds himself in the office of Dr. India Harris.

Falling for his uptight therapist is not part of Leandro’s plan.

Having unethical feelings for her patient, the angry Brazilian race car driver, is not part of India’s plan.

But what if the wrong person is the only person who is right?

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Leandro

My eyes move to the magazines on the table. There’s a sports mag peeking out from under the fashion mags.

Leaning forward, I pull it out, instantly wishing I hadn’t.

Top of the magazine is a picture of me, with the caption ‘What the bad side of Formula 1 looks like’.

Nice.

So, now I’m the bad side of F1. Good to know.

I already know what the media say about me. How I’ve turned from a great racer into a drunk, and a whore.

They’re not wrong on the whore part – well, whore is a bit harsh, I don’t charge for my services. And I wouldn’t say I’m a drunk. I just like to drink, a lot.

I shouldn’t read the article, I know this, but the sadistic part of me has me turning those pages.

Finding the article, eyes scanning the text, I pick out the usual shit.

Why is Silva no longer racing? Physically he’s healthy. Is it mental problems? Fear over racing because of his accident. Is that why he drinks – drowning his misery in alcohol? Such a shame to see, a once great driver, fall from grace so dramatically.

Frustration and rage grip my chest like a vice.

Fuck this. I don’t need this shit.

Even though I can’t race, it’s not like I actually need to.

I don’t need to race. I just need to drink and fuck. That’s all I need now. All I’ll ever need.

Liar.

I am a liar, and a chicken shit. And that’s why I’m sitting in the waiting room of a therapist.

Maybe I’m beyond help.

Tossing the magazine back on the table, I get to my feet ready to leave this place, just as the door opens, revealing the epitome of what I could really do with screwing right now.

My eyes trail up the toned, tanned legs, to the fitted pencil skirt that I would happily hitch up to see the magnificent pussy that I bet lies beneath. A pale pink blouse is tucked into that skirt, covering what look like a fantastically sized pair of tits. Silky blonde hair sits on her shoulders. Hair that I would enjoy getting my hands all tangled in, while I fuck those bright red lips of hers, enjoying seeing that lipstick smeared all over my cock.

My dick pulses in my jeans, more than ready to proposition her with the offer.

“Mr. Silva.” She steps forward. “I’m Dr. Harris. But please call me India.”

She’s Dr. Harris?

This, hitch-your-skirt-up-and-let-me-fuck-you-right-now, woman is my new therapist.

Well that’s just fucking great. It’s not like I can bang my therapist.

I put my cock on hold, and giving her my best smile, the one that always has panties dropping to the floor, I say, “And you can call me Leandro.”

Michel’s Review

Revived by Samantha Towle is the second book in the Revved Series. I absolutely loved this book! I could not put it down.

We met Leandro Silva in Revved. At the end of Revved Leandro was in a near fatal accident in one of the most important races of the Formula One circuit. He died and was brought back to life. His life was saved but not without a price. One year later he has recovered from his injuries but is still unable to race. He can’t get behind the wheel of any car. He can barely ride in car let alone drive one. Not good for a man that has a career that depends on his ability to drive. Rather than facing his problem he hides behind booze and women. He needs to overcome this inability before he loses his sponsors and his position on the racing team.

He decides to go to therapy to overcome his inabilities. There he meets Dr. India Harris. The beautiful doctor not only has a solution to help him overcome his inabilities but she has also sparked his interest. Her genuine compassion and honest insights make Leandro not only want to get back to being a Formula One Driver, he truly wants to become a better man. She ignites his heart and soul. But Dr. India Harris is a woman he cannot have. It is unethical to pursue a relationship with his doctor. She could lose her career.

Dr. India Harris is attracted to her patient, Leandro Silva. She cannot succumb to this attraction. She could lose her practicing license and ruin her reputation as a doctor. She has a pre teen son that she needs to take care of. She has been on the other end of being taken advantage of by a licensed professional. She could never do this to another person. It would be wrong.

The heart wants what the heart wants. India and Leandro will have to choose between their love or their careers. It is going to break their hearts, devastate their lives, and change their worlds. Just as they have figured it all out the past will come back to haunt them both and tear their world apart.

This story was so touching. I love how strong India was as a woman and as a professional. She truly cared about her patients. She loved her son beyond measure. She rose above the ruin and became a beautiful strong woman. When she gave her heart , she gave it completely.

Aleandro Silva stole my heart. This man was vulnerable and not afraid to show his vulnerabilities. He proved he was more than a champion in the Formula One world. He was a champion of the heart.

The chemistry between India and Leandro was sizzling hot but it was their communications with one another that really captures the story. Both were beautiful souls.

Revived can be read as a stand alone romance or in series order.

New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and international bestselling author Samantha Towle began her first novel in 2008 while on maternity leave. She completed the manuscript five months later and hasn’t stopped writing since.

She has written contemporary romances, THE MIGHTY STORM, WETHERING THE STORM, TAMING THE STORM and TROUBLE.

She has also written paranormal romances, THE BRINGER and the ALEXANDRA JONES SERIES, all penned to tunes of The Killers, Kings of Leon, Adele, The Doors, Oasis, Fleetwood Mac, and more of her favourite musicians.

A native of Hull and a graduate of Salford University, she lives with her husband, Craig, in East Yorkshire with their son and daughter.

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♥ READ THE SERIES ♥

Book 1 – Revved

Race car mechanic Andressa “Andi” Amaro has one rule—no dating drivers. With a good reason behind the rule, she has no plans on breaking it.

Carrick Ryan is the bad boy of Formula One. With a face and body that melts panties on sight, and an Irish lilt that leaves women on their knees, begging for more. He races hard and parties harder. The youngest driver to ever sign with F1, he’s still at the top of his game five years later, breaking hearts on and off the tracks.

When Andi is offered her dream job working in the glamorous world of F1, she leaves her home in Brazil, positive she can handle working for Carrick. But she’s not prepared for the off-the-chart sparks that fly the moment they meet.

Now, Andi has a crush on the one man she can’t have, and her resolve is about to be put to the test, because Carrick has decided he wants Andi, and he plans on testing her to the very limit…

Available NOW

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6 Star Review + 2015 Favorite : Nine Minutes by Beth Flynn

Posted on 07/13/2015 by shellbellereads

Nine Minutes

By Beth Flynn

Synopsis

On May 15, 1975, fifteen-year-old Ginny Lemon is abducted from a convenience store in Fort Lauderdale by a member of one of the most notorious and brutal motorcycle gangs in South Florida.

From that moment on, her life is forever changed. She gets a new name, a new identity and a new life in the midst of the gang’s base on the edge of the Florida Everglades—a frightening, rough and violent world much like the swamps themselves, where everyone has an alias and loyalty is tantamount to survival.

And at the center of it all is the gang’s leader, Grizz: massive, ruggedly handsome, terrifying and somehow, when it comes to Ginny, tender. She becomes his obsession and the one true love of his life.

So begins a tale of emotional obsession and manipulation, of a young woman ripped from everything she knows and forced to lean on the one person who provides attention, affection and care: her captor. Precocious and intelligent, but still very much a teenager, Ginny struggles to adapt to her existence, initially fighting and then coming to terms with her captivity.

Will she be rescued? Will she escape? Will she get out alive—or get out at all? Part psychological thriller, part coming-of-age novel, filled with mystery, romance and unexpected turns, Nine Minutes takes readers into the world of one motorcycle gang and inside the heart of a young girl, whose abduction brought about its fall.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Michel’s Review

Nine Minutes is one of the books that stunned my senses and left me with a major book hangover. I read this book over a month and half ago. After I finished the book I had to gift this book to several of my friends because it is the kind of book you “have” to read. Each and every friend that has read this book had the same kind of reactions that I had to it.

This more than a typical biker romance. It is a story that renders a very real look into a lawless lifestyle. Although many of the characters are hardened criminals with ethics that are horrendous, they are also very human. Their emotions and feelings are just as valid as anyone else emotions. Their methods of dealing with their emotions are just as valid as how anyone else deals with their own. We all have insecurities, we all have hopes and dreams, we all want the ones we love to have the best we can give, and we all have our own ways of protecting our deepest emotions.

The background for this story is so true to it’s portrayal. I grew up in that area of south Florida in that exact timeframe. I am very close to the same age as the heroine in this story. The existence of this kind of MC club was in fact present in that area at that time. As I was reading this book I had chills from the in depth descriptions. I felt like I was walking back in time to my younger years and looking at it through different eyes. It is was mind blowing. When my mother, who has lived in south Florida for over fifty years, and raised her family there, read this book she was just as stunned as I was.

The story itself was captivating. It is a story of a lawless life, a story of a stolen life, and a story of unconditional love. Although Grizz lived in a very violent world and delivered his own kind brand of justice, he also had a sense of honor and heart of gold. For those he loved, he gave his all. For those that betrayed his love and trust, he dealt with in a very gruesome violent manner. In the end he paid for his love. In the end he paid for his sins. He did it with honor for those he loved. He accepted the punishments for the crimes he committed. He protected his family from suffering the repercussions of his crimes. He gave those he loved the ultimate gift. He gave them the gift of love and happiness.

Ginny was a young teenage girl when she was abducted. She was just beginning her journey into womanhood. Although she was taken, manipulated, and molded into a different kind of person, she was also given the gift of unconditional love. Her life may have turned out very differently had she not been abducted. Would she have had a better life? Most likely not. Her childhood was not sunshine and roses. Her life was not full of love. She was forced to grow up at an early age. She was forced to become responsible and self reliant. She was a survivor. She used her intelligence to guide her. I think that is one of the reasons she was abducted. One person saw the uniqueness and inner strength she possessed. One person saw her value as a human being. One person loved her for everything she was. One person valued her enough to steal her away. In the end that one person almost destroyed her life. Through it all that one person also gave her more than his love, he gave her a love that would last a lifetime and always be there for her. He gave her a new love story to live.

Nine Minutes is not a forever love story. Nine Minutes is breathtaking story of unconditional love and strength of the human spirit. Nine Minutes is two beautiful love stories that intwine one woman into a person of strength, compassion, and beauty. Two love stories that show her how by just being herself is more valuable than anything else in this world.

Nine Minutes is a powerful story. Although Nine Minutes ends with a cliffhanger, it is not one that will have readers in an emotional uproar. Nine Minutes has a resolution to that part of Ginny’s story. It ended the only way it could. The cliffhanger is more about the secrets that will be revealed. It is about the other love story in the book. It is the path to Ginny’s forever love story.

Read Nine Minutes! It is exceptional!

___________________________________________________

OUT OF TIME is the HIGHLY ANTICIPATED sequel to NINE MINUTES where Grizz, Kit and Grunt’s gritty tale continues on July 23rd!

Out of Time

Sequel To Nine Minutes

By Beth Flynn

Release Date: July 23, 2015

Synopsis

RECOMMENDED FOR READERS 18 AND OLDER DUE TO

STRONG LANGUAGE, SEXUAL SITUATIONS AND VIOLENCE

Out of Time is book two in a series. It is not a standalone novel. I highly recommend that you read my first novel, Nine Minutes, to be able to understand the background stories of the main characters. There are many twists and turns in both stories that can best be connected if read consecutively.

Although I do answer all of the outstanding questions from Nine Minutes, there is more to this story, and some readers may consider it a cliffhanger. If you do not like cliffhangers, you may want to wait until the third novel is released in 2016.

They thought with his execution it would all be over.

They were wrong.

The leader of one of South Florida’s most notorious and brutal motorcycle gangs has been put to death by lethal injection. Days later, his family and friends should have been picking up the pieces, moving on. Instead, they’ve been catapulted into a world so twisted and dangerous even the most ruthless among them would be stunned to discover the tangled web of deception, not only on the dangerous streets of South Florida but all the way to the top.

In this gripping follow-up novel to Nine Minutes, Out of Time takes readers from the sun-drenched flatlands of 1950s Central Florida to the vivid tropical heat of Fort Lauderdale to the halls of Florida’s Death Row as we finally learn the gritty backstory of Jason “Grizz” Talbot and the secret he spent his life trying to conceal.

Not even Grizz’s inner circle knows his full story—the tragedy that enveloped his early life, the surprise discovery that made him the government’s most wanted and most feared, and the depths of his love for Ginny, the tenderhearted innocent he’d once abducted and later made his wife.

Once Grizz’s obsession and now the mother of his child, Ginny has spent years grieving the man she’d first resisted and then came to love. Now remarried to Tommy, a former member of the gang, the pair have spent more than a decade trying desperately to live a normal existence far from the violent, crime-ridden world they’d once carved out on the edge of the Florida Everglades. For Tommy, especially, the stakes are high. Desperately in love with Ginny for years, he’s finally living his dream: married to the woman he never thought he could have. But even with the façade of normalcy—thriving careers, two beautiful children, and a genuinely happy and loving marriage—they can’t seem to put the past behind them. Every time they turn around, another secret is revealed, unraveling the very bonds that hold them together.

And with Grizz finally put to death, now Ginny has learned secrets so dark, so evil she’s not even sure she can go on.

Will these secrets tear their love to pieces? And how far will Grizz go to protect what he still considers his, even from beyond the grave?

________________________________________________

Beth Flynn is a fiction writer who lives and works in Sapphire, North Carolina, deep within the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Beth and her husband, Jim, have spent the last 16 years in Sapphire, where they own a construction company. They have been married 30 years and have two daughters (the youngest in high school) and two dogs. In her spare time, Beth enjoys writing, reading, gardening, church and motorcycles, especially taking rides on the back of her husband’s Harley. She is a four-year breast cancer survivor.

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

Posted on 07/09/2015 by shellbellereads

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

Blurb:

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

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

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

Available for purchase at

Excerpt

The Blue Fox bar, just outside the res from Flagstaff, where Wilson lived, was perfect. Like all the Ukiah dives Danny had spent time in, it was populated with pot growers and some over-the-hill hippies. Music choices ranged from Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash to Emilou Harris, the old ones. Seeing as they were in Arizona, it was also dotted with bikers and people just passing through. The legendary Route 66.

He and Wilson parted without him saying much at all about the revelation Wilson had made. Wilson threw the keys at Danny and took off. Danny grabbed a motel room and went searching to drown the spirits that wouldn’t stop their chatter.

A few local guys he knew from his childhood sat at dark tables in the corner, playing cards. As usual, they wore black, high crown felt hats; the same he used to watch White Owl make as he sat on his grandfather’s knee. Grandfather risked the ire of Danny’s mother by bringing him here starting as a boy of six; when he was old enough to not get into trouble. That was a long time ago.

He stalked over to the bartender, his cowboy boots knocking familiarly on the old plank floor that hadn’t been washed in a month. Returning to his roots required a couple doses of courage to smother the voices in his head. The singing way of his people was lilting up to the skies, no doubt announcing the arrival of Grandfather. He also heard the collective songs of his ancestors in celebratory response. It used to terrify him as a young boy, and it still did today. Especially today.

The place smelled of old piss and even older spilled beer. He’d forgotten how familiar the smells were, from a time when the world was simple, when all he worried about was making sure his balls didn’t get pinched because his skinny butt was perched on his grandfather’s thigh. It had been nearly thirteen years since he’d set foot in the Blue Fox, and yet it was like stepping back in time. Nothing had changed. Maybe that’s what terrified him most.

Scenes from his childhood tickled and danced all around him. White Owl would tell the stories, and Grandfather would request the music be turned down and would fill in the blanks, often correcting him. Grandfather was the keeper of the legends. He didn’t like embellishments or modern details.

“The old way is still the best. Been the best for hundreds of man-years. We honor those who came before to tell it to the young ones the way it was told to them. And then they can choose for themselves.”

White Owl told him in secret one day Grandfather had it in for him because White Owl got the girl Grandfather wanted to marry. But then his grandfather met Jenny, his grandmother, and all debts were forgotten. Not forgiven, just forgotten.

Music flooded the tiny, dark bar. The same twangy country tunes that hadn’t been played on the AM channels for thirty years and never on the XM, except for quaint oldies specials. These tunes debuted on eight-track tapes or LPs. Probably hadn’t been changed out of the jukebox since before he was born.

His grandfather had a whole collection of oldies in his garage. Danny and Wilson had tossed those precious records like flying saucers one afternoon, destroying the bulk of them. The two boys couldn’t sit down for nearly three days from the whipping they both got from Danny’s aunt, Wilson’s mother. They’d have gotten another one too if Grandfather had not been at a tribal meeting in Washington D.C. Something official was in the air that summer, and he spent a lot of it gone from the res.

Tonight, Danny was grateful for the fact that the music was loud. It competed with the shrill voices in his head which roared up in a near panic again when he tilted his forehead to the corner where the card players were. They answered him back with stoic indifference. They knew who he was. He wasn’t really coming back. They knew why, knew Grandfather and everyone else on the res, and distrusted him because of it. They probably thought he was being Native American when it suited him, when he could show it off. A fair-weather Indian, they called it.

The crying wind and whispering voices died down as he approached the bar.

“Beer.”

He knew there was not much choice. He was served two Route 66 Specials, a brewery owned by an old friend of his father’s. The signal probably hadn’t changed in over twenty years: if you ordered one drink and the house gave you two, you only had to pay for one.

An exotic scent drifted his way. Turning in that direction, he imagined some Asian or Parisian hooker on his right. But her skin was like the way he drank his chai latte, a light caramel brown. Her high cheekbones contrasted with her shiny obsidian black hair, which was held with a large clip made of polished turquoise and silver—a classic Navajo beauty. She could have been the ghost of his dead sister.

It was usually hard for him to look at Navajo women and find them attractive, because all he could see was Natomi’s lifeless face staring back up at him, her warm brown skin a chalkish purple. He told himself over and over that he preferred women with hair the colors of the fall back in California or the color of spun gold like in his dreams.

She glanced at his beer and ordered the same without looking at him, but he knew she’d taken stock of him and had probably selected the stool next to him on purpose. Something at the base of his skull buzzed and his ears started to get red. It was a sign he was too familiar with and meant one of two things. She turned him on big time or there was impending danger. Maybe both. Many times he couldn’t tell the difference. Most of the time there was no difference.

The large mirror over the bar was cracked, but he saw her cool smile, one full lip with its edge upturned, revealing an old thin scar. Her dark eyes pulled at him and he knew her instantly to be a sucker of souls.

“You’re new,” she said to the mirror.

He could feel her breathing, imagined what her flesh would feel like if he smoothed his fingers down her thigh. “Actually, I’m not here at all.”

She turned on the stool, grabbing her beer, and took a sip while she examined him. She was still smiling when she was done.

“You look pretty fuckin’ here, Dine kind. But then, maybe I’m a ghost, too, and maybe I see dead people.”

That deserved his attention, so he allowed his body to turn, facing her, knees touching hers. Through the stiff denim of his jeans, he could feel her body vibrate like the inner workings of an expensive Swiss timepiece.

“I’m Danny Begay. My mother is Miwok. My father’s side is from the Corn Pollen Clan. Chester Begay is my grandfather. I believe he will die tonight.” He watched it sink in, and wondered if his traditional side made a difference to her. She bit her lip just below the slight scar that slashed her upper lip, probably from an old injury. It made her look dangerous and sexy as hell. A slight worry line creased her right eye with just a touch of a twitch.

She turned back to the counter, staring down as if examining the head on her beer, allowing her unpolished nail on her left forefinger to dip into the sudsy froth and draw a figure eight. “Then it sucks to be you.”

He had to agree with her. It sucked he’d never made much of himself, and now his Grandfather was going to die knowing that too. He wasn’t sure of his potential for spiritual growth anytime soon either. His cousin had just scared the liver out of him. That sucked, too.

That left only one option for this evening. To get drunk. Maybe get her so drunk she’d go back with him to the motel. He glanced around the room and didn’t see any white boys, so figured he’d have a chance with her. With any luck, neither one would remember a thing in the morning. He’d get the call Grandfather was gone. He could pay his respects, stay for the ceremony, and then get his butt out of Arizona and back to Northern California. Forget this sandy hellhole for as long as the drink lasted.

“I am Luci Tohe of the Where Two Waters Meet Clan,” she whispered.

He noted she was not a clan cousin. “So why are you here?” he started. “Cheaper to drink at home, and a whole lot less dangerous, the drive, I mean.” He was surprised by his own words.

She answered the mirror again. “I know what you meant, Dine kind. I teach at the school.”

“Ah. First choice or last choice?” He knew it was a risk to ask, but he couldn’t help himself.

She almost spit her beer out. “Gawd, it must be true. That old fart gave you some of those visions.”

He turned and tilted his head, wondering what she meant. She addressed him this time by angling slightly so her knees wouldn’t touch his again. Her face in partial profile was masked. She was trying to hide something. “I’m not a do-gooder. Not one of those. I get to hide in plain sight. But I do carry a gun.”

“Running from something?”

“Nope.” She licked her lips, her tongue lingering there a little long, her eyes again focused down on the counter. “I am the sole breadwinner and protector of my little tribe. My mother and my little sister.”

“Except you drink too much.” He knew she’d not like that comment.

“As do you. I can smell an alcoholic a mile away.” Then she gave him the sultry look he was waiting for. “I seem to be drawn to them, like a string of bad pennies, little babbling storytellers. Can’t help it. My nature, I guess.”

Well, she’d already said twice as many words as he normally liked in a woman, and hadn’t given him nearly enough “looks,” but he was game.

“Humor me. What makes you drawn to me?”

Her full focus on his face almost made him blush. Her power and nature were strong, her soul deep. She did not possess the need to smile from nervousness or to hide the spirit that ran wild inside her. For him, right here and right now, she allowed him to absorb and be warmed by it. Her dark eyes peered back at him honestly.

“I like your jet black hair, Dine man, and the blackness of your eyes all the way through. The bottomless eyes of the tribal kind. But you weren’t raised here, so maybe you got away, maybe not. In any case, I gotta hurry if I’m going to meet you, because I think tomorrow you’ll be gone.”

“True.” She had him down to the color of his buttons.

“I like your stare, your full lips, and your frankness. I think you like to screw a lot, and I do, too. But that could just be a lie, but ask me if I care?”

“Why would I do that?”

She gave him a gracious smile, showing all her straight white teeth. As if sloughing off an old happy memory, she shrugged and finished her beer. “I’m ready for another, if you’re buying.”

“Oh, I’m buying, but my tab comes with strings,” he said, watching the graceful lines of her profile, all the way down her long neck to the top of her shirt with her breasts pushing up like smooth rounded stones he’d find in an ancient streambed.

Her eyes didn’t peer into his, but stayed focused on his lips. “I prefer rope.”

Book Trailer

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

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Michel’s Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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About the Author

NYT and USA/Today Bestselling Author Sharon Hamilton’s SEAL Brotherhood series have earned her Amazon author rankings of #1 in Romantic Suspense, Military Romance and Contemporary Romance. Her characters follow a sometimes rocky road to redemption through passion and true love. Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany earned her a #1 Amazon author ranking in Gothic Romance.

A lifelong organic vegetable and flower gardener, Sharon and her husband live in the Wine Country of Northern California, where most of her stories take place.