Monthly Archives: July 2014
Free Me By A.M. Wray
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Author – A.M. Wray
Publisher – Self Published
Genre – New Adult/Erotic Romance
This book has an author’s note at the beginning. Now, I dont normally read them, but something made me read this one, and I am glad I did. It gives you a bit of background information about the author and where they were at the point they wrote this. Parts of Rin are auto-biographical, although which parts it doesnt say. Having read this note, and the book, I can say that some parts come across clearer, more defined, and it made me think that THOSE parts are what Wray is talking about.
I liked Rin, and felt for her, I could, at some points, see myself in her, and how she was thinking about moving on after the divorce, and the Friends with Benefits thing. Braver than I was, I chickened out! I could feel her pain, and hear her brain going as she was working her way through stuff, both physical and emotional. Sam…not so much. I’ll not say why, as it might spoil the book for others.
Its not really a love story, more of a moving on story, although the emotion is bantered around. There are mild BDSM/ bondage scenes, but I didnt find them too explicit, so its NOT a BDSM romance, its just something Rin wants to try, and does.
The book does end a bit odd, and it says at the end of the book, Love In chains Vol 1, so i’m hoping there will be more of Rin and her adventures. I’d like to catch up with her again.
3.75 fangs.
Reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1006751988?book_show_action=false
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A.M. Wray is the pen name for Candy Crum for her New Adult/Erotic Romance novel “Free Me”.Candy Crum is the author of The Eternal Series (The Eternal Gift, The Eternal Echo)as well as the creator of The Dark Compendiums (The Withering Darkness), anthologies focusing on the work of “yet-to-be-known” authors as a way to give back to those who helped her. She lives with her husband and two children in Indiana and spends the majority of her time playing with her kids, writing, reading, or listening to music.
Connect with the Author Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/amandamwray Email – authorcandycrum@hotmail.com Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8415475.A_M_Wray
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#Giveaway- Review: Trust by Mia Fox
BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE – Trust
SERIES – Chasing Shadows
AUTHOR – Mia Fox
GENRE – Paranormal romance/contemporary romance
PUBLICATION DATE – July 20, 2014
PUBLISHER – Evatopia Press
PHOTOGRAPHY – Cathleen Tarawhiti
MODEL – Melanie Bevan
DIGITAL ART – Consuelo Parra
TYPOGRAPHY – Eden Crane
BOOK BLURB / SYNOPSIS
Ella’s struggle…
After losing Nate, trusting her heart to love again seems impossible for Ella. In spite of her family’s desire that she move on with her life, it’s the last thing she wants…especially since she has a connection to Nate’s ghost.
Ethan’s resolve…
Ethan knows about grief. Not only does he counsel people suffering from loss, he’s also lost a loved one. When he meets Ella, he makes it his mission to heal her broken heart. With time the boundary between patient and doctor blurs as Ethan finds himself falling in love. Yet he must suppress his feelings for fear of crossing a line that is based on trust.
Nate’s determination…
Being without Ella while in Afghanistan was hard. Having to say goodbye again is even worse. Although now a ghost, Nate can still make Ella happy when he visits. Their time together is precious, yet fleeting. Although being with Ella again is life’s sweetest gifts, Nate is desperate to heal her troubled mind and broken heart.
An unbreakable bond…
When Ella becomes increasingly reckless and sets off on a dangerous journey into the rugged wilderness, it’s up to both Nate and Ethan to find her. One man represents her past and one her future. One will use his marine training and the other his knowledge of psychology to keep Ella safe and help her…Trust.
am giving an honest review of this novella by author Mia Fox and originally for Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock This is book 2 of the Chasing Shadows book series by the author. This is my first time reading anything by author Mia Fox but reading this book makes me want to pick up book 1 of the Chasing Shadows series.
BUY & TBR LINKS
AMAZON KINDLE US – COMING SOON – GOODREADS
Book 1 – Believe (Chasing Shadows)
EXCERPT
I loved Nate with all my heart and the tragedy of losing him became somehow manageable when his ghost visited me. I never would have believed, if it hadn’t happened so many times. But it’s real. It’s possible for me to still be with Nate — even if nobody else believes me.
Lily things I’m nuts, which is why she was so in favor of my being counseled by Ethan. If my work hadn’t insisted, I would never have agreed to it. And if I had known that being near Ethan would lead to even more heart ache, well…
At least he doesn’t make me feel as if I’m going crazy for saying that I can see Nate. He’s been through something this side of horrible as well. Maybe that’s why he’s the only one who doesn’t look at me with pity. Yeah, I could fall for him.
But in doing so, I would lose Nate. I just know it. I lose a bit of him every day and it just tears me apart to betray his memory, even when he tells me to go on with my life. The only way to figure out this mess of my life is to spend time away from both of them. So that’s just what I’m going to do. Looking out into the distance, I can see the high peaks of these mountains that encompass the National Parks Recreation Area. They extend for miles from inland valleys, up and over the passes, to the ocean shore. One could spend hours and days, weeks and months, and never have the chance to explore every inch of them. It was a perfect escape.
AUTHOR BIO
Mia Fox is a Los Angeles-based novelist who writes across varied genres including Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Steampunk, and Chick Lit. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from U.S.C.
Before writing full time, she worked as an entertainment publicist, a career she chronicles in her novel, “Alert the Media.” However, she is happy to leave that world behind her, preferring that any drama in her life is only that which she creates for her characters.
She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, three children, Casey, the Wonder Westie, and Bean, his brother.
AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITE / BLOG – FACEBOOK
TWITTER – GOOGLE+ – PINTEREST – TUMBLR
GOODREADS – INSTAGRAM
GIVEAWAY
One “Believe” necklace (“Believe” is book one of the Chasing Shadows series)
One “Trust” paperback
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Organized By:
#Giveaway: The Boy (The Sanctum Trilogy #2) By Madhuri Blaylock
The Boy (The Sanctum Trilogy, #2)
by Madhuri Blaylock
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BLURB:
“Every now and again an excellent novel will come forth dealing with fantasy and magic that will just grab and hold my attention from beginning to end. That is exactly what THE GIRL did.” — OOSA Online Book Club
In THE GIRL, Madhuri Blaylock introduced readers to the world of The Sanctum, one corrupted by greed and savagery and hellbent on achieving a single goal: destroying the prophesied hybrid. When one of its most celebrated warriors questioned his allegiances, age-old secrets were unveiled and violence erupted. The journey becomes more perilous and intense as the trilogy surges forward with
THE BOY
Can you cross the plains of death, collect every piece of your soul and make it back to the land of the living?
And if you complete the journey, will your loved ones welcome your return?
The Ramyan have been answering such questions since the creation of The Sanctum. A mysterious sect of Magicals, haunting the blank spaces of time and memory, they serve no one but themselves and their higher purpose. They exist on a plane removed from earthly matters, shifting easily between the living and the dead, moving in time to the beat of their own drummer.
At least they did. Dev and Wyatt change all of that when the prophesied hybrid lands on the steps of Rinshun Palace, seeking help for the wounded Class A Warrior. That decision alters lives and sets old agendas back on course. But at what cost to Dev and Wyatt? And does that really even matter?
“The characters in Madhuri Blaylock’s novel…are well written and unique, and the story is just fantastic…I just loved every page of the story!” – Readers’ Favorite
Excerpt Two:
The clearing in the park still hummed with magic. Her magic. And her scent. It was why he kept coming back to the same spot every night, just for a whiff. Then he could go about his business, whatever that might be.
Darvin Lucius Jefferson was one hundred and ten, going on seventeen. He was a wealthy, bored teenager who became a wealthy, somewhat bored vampire. There were a few things in this life that brought him joy, piqued his interest: from the very first day he saw her, Jools Clayworth, and as of nine days ago, that stunning thing her brother was running around with before he died.
Of course, Darvin had no idea whether or not Wyatt perished subsequent to his ministrations, nor did he care. He simply assumed the too-good looking, sanctimonious warrior was dead, for his wound was hideous and he seemed to be breathing on borrowed time. Darvin had told the pretty thing as much that night, then he’d returned to his perch atop the Dakota and watched her strap the warrior to her back and escape into nothingness.
What a feat that had been.
One moment she was there, in all her stunning beauty and tortured agony, the next she was gone.
Poof.
As if she’d never been there at all.
Darvin went to the spot that night, less to follow her than simply explore. It was glamoured to avoid human detection but he found it easily, having watched the warrior and his beautiful best friend, Ryker Morrison, comb the area many a time over the past year. But try as he might, Darvin could spot nothing to hint at an escape hatch or portal. Whatever the pretty thing had used to vanish into thin air, it was long gone, hidden from prying eyes. All that lingered was her scent, that hypnotizing, intoxicating essence of her that Darvin wished he could bottle and keep hidden in his pocket. Away from Darby.
Darby Winthrop.
The one and only.
The dark queen of New York.
The southern belle from hell.
His maker.
4 out of 5 fangs…
At the end of “The Girl” the entire world of Ryker, Jools, Wyatt, and Dev is in a state of complete and utter chaos. The Sanctum is well and truly split, as houses are forced to choose sides for the coming war. “The Boy” picks up mere seconds after the closing scene sees Dev jump through a portal with Wyatt tied to her back. Wyatt is hanging on by the merest of threads, his life hanging in the balance while Dev makes a last ditch effort to save his life. Unfortunately, she didn’t quite get what she was asking for. Meanwhile, the New York Academy is mourning the loss of their golden warrior, the one they expected to lead the Sanctum one day, and the next generation must step up and take control in the aftermath of the Breslin attack.
The book that follows will keep you on the edge of your seat, and flipping pages as fast as your eyes can read them. For me, that was roughly 5 hours worth of page turning, white knuckled, text message ignoring, single minded focus. This book did not fail to meet and exceed my expectations, and once again I was transported into the world of the Sanctum and the age old battle between what is good and just, and the evil that inevitably steps in to muck with it. As with the first book, the words painted a clear picture in my minds eye of the characters, both good and bad, and the story that unfolds around each of them until they are all drawn back together in the end. The writing is again, tight and to the point with no unnecessary fluff. I think this series has the potential to appeal to a lot of readers who already enjoy this type of story when they pick up the Dresden Files, the Rachael Morgan series, and for the teenagers I would compare it to the Vampire Academy series. Don’t get me wrong, this author has definitely taken this subject and made it her own, as her world is her own. She has brought a uniqueness to the table of the modern paranormal that is refreshing, and has me excited and looking forward to the next installment of this epic tale.
Reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Authors that Rock.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1FD1ILFVBYTVA/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&
ASIN=B00KBUJVMM
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1004147656?book_show_action=false&page=1
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Madhuri is a Jersey City Heights girl via Snellville, Georgia, who writes paranormal fiction and is slightly infatuated with tattoos, four-inch heels, ice cream, Matt Damon, scotch, Doc Martens, Laini Taylor, photo booths and dancing like a fool.
She’s currently working on The Sanctum trilogy and hopes one day soon, everyone is walking around with copies of The Girl and The Boy in their pocket or on their Kindle.
She wants to get a goat and a burro, but since she lives in the city, will settle for some chickens.
To learn more about her, you can follow her blog at madhuriblaylock.wordpress.com, follow her on Twitter at @madhuriblaylock or like her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thesanctumtr…
She’s totally chatty so drop her a line any time.
1.) Is writing your only profession? I wish! I am an attorney at a large, Manhattan law firm by day and a writer at all other times. But I cannot really complain as my legal career supports my writing career, at least until The Sanctum Trilogy takes over the world.
2.) Who was your favorite character to write? Why? Darby Winthrop, vampire extraordinaire and my southern belle from hell. Why, you ask. Because she’s sexy and funny and powerful and bitchy, she’s not afraid to take what she wants and say what she means. But if I’m being totally honest, I really love her because she’s the girl I wish I had the balls to be.
3.) Who are some of your favorite authors? Gabriel Garcia Marquez, author of my favorite book, One Hundred Years of Solitude and a man of pure magic, Zora Neale Hurston, her voice is like no other, Laini Taylor, the woman who created such beautiful worlds I was inspired to create mine, George RR Martin, because nothing kicks ass like Game of Thrones, and JRR Tolkien, a man who needs no explanation but if you have not gotten lost in his Middle Earth, shame on you.
4.) What is your favorite writing snack you eat or drink while writing? Coffee! I love coffee. It’s my last vice and I have no intention of giving it up…ever. I think I mastered the art of coffee drinking during college, with my friends Sarah and Jana, as we smoked massive amounts of Marlboros, drank endless pots of coffee, and conquered The New York Times crossword puzzle. (Will Shortz is the man!!) After having my son, I managed to get my coffee consumption down to a cup a day, but now I’m back up there, drinking sometimes as many as three. I’m sure I’ll curtail that a bit soon, but give it up? As Darby would say – nevah.
5.) What makes you mad enough to want to throat punch a person? Ha! I like that – throat punch. Right now, in my current overworked, stressed out state of mind, crazy deadlines and expectations at work make me consider throat-punching folks a few times a day. On a more moralistic level, child molestors and abusers, people who hurt animals and the asshole who talks on his cell phone super loud – all worthy of a throat punch. And the little shit heads around my neighborhood who run around, tagging buildings. Throat punch! (I am having way too much fun with this question.)
6.) What is your favorite TV show? Friday Night Lights, with Breaking Bad and The Wire right there, nipping at FNL’s heels, but ultimately I’m going with Tami, Coach and Texas Forever. Here’s why: Breaking Bad is brilliant, but it really only hit its stride for me once Gus came on the scene. After that, I’m not sure there’s anything better. The Wire is superb, I’m hard-pressed to find a better written show, but the season on the docks, although excellent as a stand-alone season, seemed a bit off and just that: stand-alone. And although I love Omar, Wallace, and Michael, I could disconnect myself from the characters.
The same cannot be said for Friday Night Lights. Every character on the show, from Tami to Saracen’s grandmother captured my cold, little wannabe Yankee heart and revived my inner, well-hidden Georgia peach soul. Even Julie got to me here and there, and that’s saying a lot. Throughout the run of the show, they had one misstep – ONE! – and although it was a big one, and one all of us fans like to forget, it did not affect my love for this show one bit. I also applaud their handling of race, which was subtle and effective and I felt, in an age where it’s rare to see more than one or two people of color on a show, pretty accurate. Peter Berg and Co. didn’t make a big deal of the fact they had some non-white main characters – why can’t more shows do this? As a person of color, that attitude towards race was refreshing and appreciated.
And finally, there’s Tami and Coach. I could wax poetic on these two forever – I love them. They hold the show together with this amazing, very real mix of love, spunk, and humor. If you haven’t experienced them, I feel so sorry for you. And if you’re avoiding this show because you don’t like football, well then…keep at it, dummy.
7.) What would be your favorite vacation spot (with no money limitation)? I would spend some time in the backwaters of Kerela, then would hop over to Malaysia, and finally end my trip on Phu Quoc island. Then on my way home, I would realize I’m not quite ready to return, so would stop on the Amalfi Coast and most likely never return. You did say money is no limitation…
Madhuri will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Please use this rafflecopter code on your post:
#Giveaway: Skin Deep by D.P. Denman
I have not read Saving Liam, and this second instalment is billed as a stand alone to that. I can say I did not miss anything by NOT reading Saving Liam, excpet a few more details on how Liam and Justin were feeling at that time. What happened it Liam, and how Justin saved him, is explained in this book and so, I would agree to the stand alone status.
Some very difficult subjects dealt with in this book, child porn, gang rape, and the aftermath of those are the main stay of this book. Its painful to read, not in a written way, just dealing with it. BUT its written well, and the suffering that Liam is putting up with, and to a certain extent Justin too, comes across on every page. Its M/M, and there is sex, yes, but its not overly explicit, the scenes between Justin and Liam are beautifully written, especially dealing with Liam’s inability to fully engage in sex, near the beginning, it could all be classed as foreplay. Justin patience is outstanding, and he knows that it will take time, lots and LOTS of time for Justin to be able to take Liam as Justin wants, but Justin loves Liam and he will wait, however long it takes. What I would have liked, it that to have happened in this book. While Liam takes Justin, it doesnt happen the other way round, and i think that would have made the book for me. It could also do with a little editing. Justin’s mom was a character who I would like to have seen more of.
3.75 Fangs
Someone was watching him. The sensation crawled across Liam’s shoulders like a spider, making him twitch. He didn’t bother turning around. Every time it happened, he always found the same eyes and glaring back hadn’t done any good so far. He hung his overcoat in his narrow locker in the employee lounge and pretended not to notice.
He didn’t know what to make of the restaurant’s newest server but Eric got on his nerves. The guy was average in build, height, and looks but there was something troubling in the way he stared. The expression that came close to a leer was altogether annoying. He’d seen that look before in other equally annoying men and tried not to think about it, pushing the irritation and the memory away. He had a job to do and he wasn’t going to let Eric get to him.
Liam checked his hair in the small mirror tacked to the inside of the locker door as the other employees trickled out of the room to start their shifts. He pushed the locker closed to join them and spun the combination lock determined to pretend Eric was nothing but a piece of furniture. He didn’t intend to stick around for a conversation.
“Your name’s Liam, right?” Eric asked from the opposite side of the room as the last co-worker disappeared into the hall.
Apparently, he was too late. “Yes.”
“Should I call you that or do you prefer ‘Angel’?”
The name slapped his heart into a gallop and he jerked his gaze to Eric. No one had called him Angel for over six months. He hadn’t missed it.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He swallowed, his voice an almost breathless quiver that didn’t sound convincing even to him.
“Sure you do.” Eric smiled and opened his locker. “You’re that hot kid on the porn site. I’ve been a fan for a long time. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
His palms were slick with sweat as he tried to pretend he really didn’t have any idea what Eric was talking about, stuffing them in the pockets of his pants to hide the trembling.
“That’s not me.”
“I have to admit, you look smaller on the screen but I guess they wanted it that way.” Eric ignored the denial.
“What do you want?” He glared at him fed up with the conversation.
“Nothing at the moment, though I wouldn’t mind hooking up later if you have the time.”
“I’m seeing someone.”
“So?” Eric shrugged and hung up his coat. “I’m not talking about a date, just a hook up. Nobody has to know. Consider me a dress rehearsal for the next video. You’re still doing those, right? I’d hate to think you gave that up to work here.”
“I’m not interested.” He ignored the comment.
He wasn’t going to get into a discussion about his non-existent porn career with a guy who only liked him for his ass. He knew the type. They never listened.
“What?” Eric glanced his direction. “You don’t do it for free?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about and even if I did I’m not interested.” He said again with enough conviction to sound believable.
Eric raked him with a lustful stare that made him shiver.
“Yes, you do. I’d know those pretty eyes anywhere…and that fuckable mouth. It’s you so why don’t you drop the act, Angel.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Fine…Liam.” Eric pushed his locker closed and stepped closer to stuff a piece of paper between two of the buttons on Liam’s dress shirt before striding toward the door. “That’s my number. Call me.”
He pulled the paper right back out, crumpled it in his fist, and dropped it in the trash, anger and terror whipping through him hard enough to make him shudder. He dragged in a couple of breaths trying to calm the fearful thundering of his heart.
He wasn’t that person anymore. He’d left that nightmare behind in an empty apartment across town. It was supposed to be over and he wasn’t sure which was more terrifying: that Eric was going to keep propositioning him or that he’d tell the rest of the staff his secret. He didn’t think he could take working with people who’d seen what he’d done or what all those men had done to him.
It took him three tries to get his locker back open, his hands trembling too much to be precise with the dial. He fumbled his cell phone out of the pocket of his coat and called Justin. He wasn’t going to tell him the whole sordid story over the phone, not when he had to be out on the restaurant floor in two minutes but he could at least hear his voice.
#Giveaway: In Distress by Caethes Faron
Vampires Prefer Blondes by Cassandra Lawson
Vampires Prefer Blondes
Psy-Vamp Book 3
Cassandra Lawson
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: 07/24/2014
ISBN: 978-1499565249
Number of pages: 218
Word Count: 63,838
Where to Buy
Amazon.com Amazon UK Barnes & Noble iTunes
Synopsis
He was an obsession. Like an addict, Lydia craved Dominic’s touch . . . . until the day she died. Now, the memories of her time with him are more like nightmares. As Lydia pieces together the events of the past several months, the man who nearly destroyed her will stop at nothing to get her back under his control. After all she has gone through, can she put her trust in another vampire to keep her safe?
Distant and cold, Roman has gone through the motions of life for more than four centuries. No woman has been able to break through the ice encasing his heart . . . . until he saw her. Roman is captivated from the moment he sees Lydia fighting for her life in a hospital room. When his energy mingles with hers, the psychic vampire in him instantly recognizes her as his perfect mate and he will do anything in his power to keep her safe.
Prologue
The rhythmic sound of machines alerted Lydia that she was in a hospital. The familiar melody of death filled the air. After taking a deep breath, she let out a sigh. Most people found the antiseptic smell of hospitals upsetting, but it reminded Lydia of the last days with her father. An older child might have morphed those days into a tragic memory. Instead, she remembered her final days with a parent who loved her with all of his heart. She’d been too young to understand that her father was never coming home. For hours, they’d played Old Maid, Go Fish, Sorry, and Trouble. At the age of eight, she’d been too old for some of those games, but her father’s pain medication made it hard to concentrate. The games were ones her father had taught her to play. Seventeen years later, those original games remained on the top shelf of the closet. As sick as it might be, hospitals reminded her of happy times. It annoyed her mom, and that made the memory sweeter. Yep, she’d been a weird kid.
How had she ended up in a hospital? Confusion and fear gripped her. Someone must have run her over with a truck. When Lydia forced her eyes open, icy blue eyes stared back.
“Dominic?” she said in a weak voice.
Dominic stroked her cheek. “Don’t worry, my sweet Lydia,” he said softly. “I’m going to take you out of here soon. My family won’t keep us apart.”
She stared at him, completely baffled. It’s not that she didn’t remember him, or even remember her own obsession with him. Lydia remembered those months of believing she couldn’t live without Dominic. There had been no limit to what she would do for him. Now, that obsession was gone, and she couldn’t figure out why she’d been obsessed in the first place. Sure he was attractive and exotic. That was her usual type, but she didn’t do the simpering can’t live without a man routine. That was her mom’s thing, not hers. The whole thing with Dominic was like a strange dream.
Except this wasn’t a dream, and Dominic wasn’t human. Every detail of that first night with Dominic came back to her. Of course she’d never forgotten the fact that he’d bitten her. The experience had been like something out of a vampire romance book. What came back now in a hazy dreamlike memory was him forcing a bleeding wrist to her lips while she was on the brink of unconsciousness. She remembered fighting.
Her eyes locked on Dominic’s hand which held hers. It was on the same side of the bed as the call button. Without taking her eyes off of his face, she tried to free her hand. Guessing her intention, his grip tightened.
“I’ll scream.” The threat sounded pitiful, little more than a whisper. There was no way she could scream loud enough to get anyone’s attention.
Dominic must have thought the same thing because he laughed and continued to stroke her cheek. “Even lying helpless in a hospital bed, you are the most passionate woman I’ve ever known.” The strain in his voice was evidence of his arousal. Normally, that would have elicited the same response in her. Now, it terrified and disgusted her.
“What happened to your accent?” The thick accent she’d always found so sexy and exotic was barely noticeable.
The lopsided smile he flashed might have looked boyish under other circumstances. “I forgot how aroused the accent gets you,” he said with his thick accent back in place. “Is that better?”
“You should leave,” Lydia said, hoping her voice didn’t shake. “I’m obviously not well if I’m in a hospital.”
The smile on his face slipped for just a moment while Dominic struggled with his emotions. That struggle was clear in the way his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. Emotions back under control, his smile revealed distended fangs. “We should leave.”
When Dominic leaned in to kiss her, Lydia clawed at his face with her free hand and kicked wildly. The kicks were awkward with the blankets around her legs but still surprised him.
Rage, confusion, and hurt passed across his attractive features. “Don’t fight, Lydia,” he growled. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will.”
“Aren’t you the reason I’m here?” she asked, satisfied with his shocked expression. “You know what? None of it matters. What we had was a mistake and it’s over. Just go, and I won’t tell anyone what you are. Go away and never come near me again.”
“Someone needs more medicine,” he said with a sinister grin. The grip on her hand near the call button remained painfully tight as his fangs bit into his other wrist.
Turning her head to the side, she refused to open her lips when the wrist pressed against her mouth.
“Fine!” The word was an angry hiss. “We’ll do this the hard way.”
The energy was rushing from her body, making her limbs heavy. The room spun, and her eyes drifted closed as waves of dizziness hit her. Everything seemed surreal and she felt detached from what was happening. Beeping monitors began to lull her into unconsciousness. The wrist pressed against her lips again and a hand applied pressure to her jaw until her mouth opened.
The surrounding commotion ruined her peace and threatened to drag her back to reality.
“What the hell are you doing?” that voice sounded familiar, but her eyes refused to open.
“Go away.” The insanity in Dominic’s voice was impossible to miss. “She belongs to me. You can’t keep her from me.”
More rustling and banging was followed by the sound of someone running down the hall.
Her eyes fluttered open for just a moment and locked onto icy blue eyes. Those eyes were the same color as Dominic’s, but she knew they weren’t Dominic’s eyes. An elephant had to be sitting on her chest. That was the only explanation for the pain. Still, she managed a moment of appreciation for the man standing over her. “Damn, you make Dominic look like a troll.” God, it hurt so much to talk. Hell, it hurt to breathe.
The comforting sound of a soft chuckle washed over her body, easing her pain.
“Am I dying?” Speaking was easier this time.
“No,” he said and a warm hand covered her heart, “you’re much too stubborn to die.”
Her eyes fluttered shut as the crushing pain in her chest eased. A warm sensation spread through her body, and then there was nothing.
We met Lydia in Vampires & Vixens. She was obsessed with Dominic, one of the group of cousins these books evolve around. Dominc wanted Lydia, and Lydia he had. Until she died. Then Noah had a idea and 4 vampires saved her. One was Roman, Nathaniel’s father.
Roman knew Lydia was special, from the moment he shared his energy with her. He had alone for so long and now, he could see a light at the end of a long very dark tunnel. That is, until Dominc found Lydia. Roman would stop at nothing to keep Lydia by his side.
Book three in this series, and its moving along very nicely, thank you very much!! Lydia was left for dead in book one, and mentioned only briefly in book two, but here we find where she has been hiding and who with. i loved the flirting between Roman and Lydia, it made for some laugh out loud moments, but there are also some tender moments, when he is caring for her, waiting for her to get better. There is a bit of an overlap from book two, only a short space of time, but if you blinked in book two, you might have missed it! we get to hear from Roman, Lydia and Dominic in places, and i loved that. Lydia’s character is so very perfect for the straight laced, stuck in his ways head of this rather odd family, and he loves that she challenages him at every turn. i really thought the sexual play between them was extremely well written, and came across much better than books one and two, and not all of their play is laid out for you, either! loved it!
some deep dark family secrets are revealed here too, for Roman and Lydia. we get more of Ivy, from book two, and also Justin and Caitlin. we find out WHY Caitlin is so against what she is feeling for Justin, and just what he thinks about it too. this book leads into their story, or rather i so hope it does, becasue i wanna see them with their hapy ending!
4.5 fangs, loving this series, after the blip with the first one, so keep ’em coming, please!
reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/974692042?book_show_action=false
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/975304214?book_show_action=false
Vampires Prefer Blondies
Bake time: 25-30 minutes
Preheat: 350ºF (175ºC)
When creating this recipe, I tried to keep Lydia’s personality in mind. I used parchment paper to line the pan because Lydia is the type of woman wants a quick clean up. She is also a woman who enjoys a sinfully indulgent treat.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Ingredients:
1 cup butter softened
¼ cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Small package vanilla instant pudding
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cups flour
1 bag mini chocolate chips
Directions:
Mix butter with brown and white sugar until it has a nice creamy consistency, around 5 minutes. Add eggs, pudding, ¾ cup brown sugar and vanilla extract. Mix until well-blended. Add baking soda, salt, and flour. Mix until well-blended and stir in chocolate chips. Take about 40 1/4-1/2 inch chunks of cookie dough and put them in a container to freeze for a couple of hours. This will leave you with extra cookie dough and I highly recommend you drop some larger balls of cookie dough on a cookie sheet and bake them at 375ºF for 11-13 minutes.
Blondie Batter
Ingredients:
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 box of yellow cake mix
½ cup milk
1 egg
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. This batter has a very thick consistency. Add in the frozen cookie dough. Spread this into the bottom of an 11×7 baking pan. You can oil the pan or line it with parchment paper. Bake 25-30 minutes. The edges will just be turning brown when it’s time to remove it from the oven. Allow it to cool for 30 minutes before cutting it into squares and serving.
About Cassandra Lawson
Cassandra Lawson is an author and homeschooling mother of three from the San Francisco Bay area. She has always had a very active imagination and loves making up stories. When she is not writing she enjoys baking, spending time with her family, listening to music, or curling up with a good book.
Connect with Cassandra Lawson
Blog: http://cassandralawson.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7103612.Cassandra_Lawson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cassandralawsonauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Author_C_Lawson
Review: Twisted Illusions by Jasemine-Denise
Book Description
This book is not for everyone but for those of you who like a real life story with everyday elements then this is a book you will want to read. I am giving this book a 4 Fang out of 5 Fangs for my rating.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_your_reviews&sort_by=MostRecentReview
Review: Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter
When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school, bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.
Her older self has been through it all already–she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop.
Perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why and The List, Every Ugly Word is a gripping and emotional story about the devastating consequences of bullying.
This is a new release of the previously self-published title Breakable.
Every Ugly Word is an awesome book about a survivor of bullying. The heroine has a paranormal advantage that none of us do, however, but the author still manages to give hope to those who suffer at the hands of teenage bullies. She is the average introverted, misunderstood teen girl with a crush on her best friend and a horrible home life. The perspectives the author gives are insightful enough that I knew immediately she had lived through it herself. Perhaps not exactly as the heroine did, perhaps not exactly as I did, perhaps not exactly as many young girls are right now. That part doesn’t matter, just that she dealt with it and made it through the other side.
She weaves the paranormal side into the heroines story in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what will happen next. The mother is cold and distant, the boyfriend is a typical male, the best friend is typically dense, in other words, these are characters we all know intimately. I couldn’t stop reading it once I started. I had to find out how it ended.
I highly recommend this as required reading for all pre-teens, teens, even young adults. There is some violence and the themes are a bit complex for a younger reader, in my opinion, but then, its not written for them. There is romance, angst, action, drama, everything you could want is between the covers of this book. Buy it. Read it. Pass it on to those who need it.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1008804579
Buy:
Giveaway: Better Date than Never books 1-6 by Susan Hatler
This book bundle from USA Today Bestseller Susan Hatler includes six contemporary romance novellas from the bestselling series, Better Date than Never. Dating is so much easier when you have good friends to lean on. . . .
(Love at First Date, Book #1)
Ellen may not believe in storybook love, but it’s about to rewrite her life. . . .
Excerpt from Love at First Date (Better Date than Never, Book #1)
Holding Rachel’s bright yellow dishtowel under Chester’s saliva-dripping mouth, I panicked at the morphed sounds he was making. “Hang in there, dude.”
I shifted him in my arms then slammed on the metal bell some more. “Does anyone work here?”
“Can I help?” A male voice came from behind me.
“Yes, this dog got into my purse and—” I paused mid-sentence as my gaze met dark gray eyes that sent a bolt of adrenaline through me. My heart flipped in my chest. Not an appropriate reaction when Rach’s dog could be dying. “I-I think he ate something toxic. Maybe my lip-gloss? Are you the vet? Can you give him that charcoal stuff to make him barf it up?”
He studied Chester’s half-open mouth. “Try setting him down. I’ll take a look.”
“Thanks.” I knelt, still holding the towel under his mouth—because, ew, slobber all over the place.
The vet dropped to his knees next to Chester and pried his little jaw open.
Hech! Hech!
As he examined the dog’s throat, I couldn’t help checking him out. There was something going on behind those dark eyes that had me dying to learn everything about him. Where he was from, what made him tick, what he looked for in a girl . . .
My pulse slammed into overdrive.
Weird that the vet was wearing sweats, though. Maybe he’d finished with his last patient and was going for a run? Definitely looked like a guy who worked out regularly. Yeah, that’s what I should be thinking about while my friend’s dog was gagging for his life. What was wrong with me? Focus, Ellen. “Can you save him?”
(Truth or Date, Book #2)
Truth or Dare is all fun and games until a spontaneous dare has Gina falling for the office playboy.
(My Last Blind Date, Book #3)
Should Rachel risk another dating disaster by trying yet again for love?
(Save the Date, Book #4)
Kristen swears off men, but temptation swoops in when her sexy friend Ethan starts flirting with her.
(A Twist of Date, Book #5)
If you are in the mood for a quick read, guaranteed to give you a happily ever after, than this boxed set is for you! It was refreshing to read a set of books that were full of romance and were also clean enough that I would have no problem recommending them to a young adult. In fact, I have read young adult fiction that is racier. Often when you want to read a clean romance, you usually have to read inspirational romances, and some readers are not into that sort of read. So, hats off to Susan Hatler for delivering a great set of short novels.
I won’t make this review lengthy by reviewing each of the books in the set. There are some great reviews already posted that do that. But I will say that, I enjoyed the characters in these books. They are all flawed enough as to make them believable, but they are also instilled with all of the warm fuzzier that avid readers of romance fiction expect from their happily ever afters.
One of the things that I enjoyed most about the set is the fact that the main character from each book appears as a secondary character in the other books so that you get a fuller glimpse into their lives. Now that I have finished all of the books, I may have to go back and re-read them to see what I missed. Even so, each book *could* be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading them in order.
As I said before, these books are a clean read and I would recommend them to anyone 14+.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1020298792
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R22IWFLUXE54JL/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00IB4A7E6
Perdition House Part 2 by Bonnie Edwards
Welcome to Perdition House…a house of sin, secrets and seduction.
Not all ghost stories are frightening, some are downright erotic…
Faye Grantham has chosen to stay in her inherited mansion with the lively spirits of the hookers who once lived, worked, and fell in love in the world-famous elite bordello Perdition House.
She struggles to control her “spirited” libido, the dreams visited on her by her ghostly live-in companions, and even her own thoughts.
But Faye must also learn the secret of the screaming woman she glimpses in her nightmares.
How can Faye continue the traditions of Perdition House and maintain the spirits’ only refuge?
The time has come to choose her exclusive lover or lose them both.
Faye has the devil’s own time picking between Liam Watson and Mark McLeod, two very different men with varied and exciting talents.
In this rousing “happy ending”, Faye and the “girls” find the one thing they never expected in a bordello: everlasting love!
Warning!!! Not for anyone under 18. One hot erotica story, not your average ghost story. The book could be a stand alone but not recommended. This book is a story of love, hot hot sex and ghosts. Faye has been busy seeing two extremely hot guys, Mark and Liam. On top of that the ghosts have been telling their stories to her in the form of some very erotic dreams, and she’s trying to get her new store up and running and get the mansion liveable all at once. Where will all the money come from to fix the mansion? Will Faye’s new store get off the ground? Why is Liam having really strange dreams? When Faye realizes she has to pick either Mark or Liam who will it be? Can Faye figure out why the ghosts want to tell their stories to her? I really like the stories within the story, usually it throws me off but with this book it works. I fell in love with all the characters in this book and was sad to have it end. There are so many more ghosts that I would like to read more about, especially Belle.I hope this isn’t the end of Perdition House. I will definitely look for more from this author and give it 5 scorching fangs.
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