Monthly Archives: August 2015
Spotlight Chastity Falls
New from author L.A. Cotton…
Love Bites by Valeria Kogan *Review and Giveaway
Love Bites:
A Collection of Short Stories
Valeria Kogan
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Wattle Publishing
Number of pages: 134
Book Description:
Love Bites is the debut collection of short stories by Valeria Kogan. From heartbreak to redemption, Love Bites provides a spellbinding interpretation of love and friendship, glamour and guilt, secrets and deceit. Each story provides a captivating insight into the world of love; its profound impact and effect; and how women relate to their partners.
This cleverly constructed collection of short stories will leave you tantalized and yearning for more.
Paperback Amazon.co.uk Paperback Amazon US
Love Bites is a collection of short stories, mostly told from the woman’s side. I can’t say that is romance per-say. It’s more about the feelings of love. I found it emotional, dark, and gritty at times. Showing how love can sustain you, build you up, surprise you and break you. They are all told wonderfully. I must admit I cried a few times the stories are sometimes sad, but always thought provoking.
Ms. Kogan’s writing is fluid, her characters are very well developed and will keep you involved. I am a firm believer in books that make you feel – happy, sad, angry, Love Bites hit on all these emotions. I finished this one appreciating the loves I left behind, and appreciating the life long love I have, and well reminded me that love is worth the chance.
If you are looking for something different, something to make you feel, I would highly recommend this collection.
I am an independent reviewer for Paranormal Romance and Author’s That Rock.
About the Author:
Valeria Kogan was born in Russia and moved to the UK in 1991, where she developed her love of art and literature.
Website: www.valeriakogan.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6154487.Valeria_Kogan
Publisher twitter: @wattlepub
Wattle Publishing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WattlePublishing
3 paperback copies Love Bites
Liberty by Kim Iverson Headlee *Review and Giveaway
Liberty
by Kim Iverson Headlee
They hailed her “Liberty,” but she was free only to obey—or die.
Betrayed by her father and sold as payment of a Roman tax debt to fight in Londinium’s arena, gladiatrix-slave Rhyddes feels like a wild beast in a gilded cage. Celtic warrior blood flows in her veins, but Roman masters own her body. She clings to her vow that no man shall claim her soul, though Marcus Calpurnius Aquila, son of the Roman governor, makes her yearn for a love she believes impossible.
Groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps and trapped in a politically advantageous betrothal, Aquila prefers the purity of combat on the amphitheater sands to the sinister intrigues of imperial politics, and the raw power and athletic grace of the flame-haired Libertas to the adoring deference of Rome’s noblewomen.
When a plot to overthrow Caesar ensnares them as pawns in the dark design, Aquila must choose between the Celtic slave who has won his heart and the empire to which they both owe allegiance. Knowing the opposite of obedience is death, the only liberty offered to any slave, Rhyddes must embrace her arena name—and the love of a man willing to sacrifice everything to forge a future with her.
JAMIL OF TANIS, Egyptian by birth and a Roman citizen by right of having survived two decades of compulsory military service, including a stint as a centurion of the Praetorian Guard, flicked his horsetail whisk, much as its original bearer had done, to chase off flies as he strode past Londinium’s wharves toward the slave market. Lord Ra shone strong and bright on this, the nineteenth day of July by the Romans’ reckoning, and the first day of the Egyptian new year.
Word on the street buzzed that a ship had arrived with captives from northern Britannia. As owner of Villa Britanniae, Londinium’s gladiatorial school, and the gladiators’ principal trainer, Jamil kept a constant watch for promising candidates. And on such a propitious day as this, he hoped the goddess Maat would deign to be generous.
Years ago, while fighting to quell the Picti uprising that had convinced Hadrian’s successor, Emperor Antoninus Pius, to build a second wall across northern Britannia, Jamil had observed fierce women warriors swelling the barbarians’ ranks. Perhaps some had been captured at long last. Female gladiators had become quite the rage across the empire, and not always for their fighting skills.
But even if Jamil could add a gladiatrix to his collection and she became the provincial champion, he had no wish to take her to Rome. There, death awaited him.
Rhyddes is a young woman who is sold by her abusive father as a Roman tax debt. She is sold as a slave to the arena where she is trained as a Gladiatrix. After learning to live by one rule obey or die she becomes the best. Although she learns to live by these Roman rules she holds on to her Celtic heritage.
Aquila is a Roman nobleman groomed by his father to further his career but Aquila loves the freedom of fighting in the arena. He soon becomes enamoured with Rhyddes but she rebukes his advances. However after spending time together they realise that their feelings are true but they can never be together.
When they find themselves involved in a plan to kill Caesar they must decide what they want their future to be.
I was a little hesitate when I started reading because of the setting but after reading the first chapter I was engrossed. Rhyddes is a true warrior woman; she becomes a formidable fighter but also keeps her inner strength to the end. She is a perfect blend of strength and vulnerability.
Aquila is expected to follow his father’s plan stop fighting, get married and begin a political career but sometimes the Gods have other plans. I liked the growth of Aquila’s character throughout the book.
I really enjoyed the plot with fantastic descriptions of the arena action as well as the relationships Rhyddes makes. One of my favourite relationships was between Rhyddes and Jamil it has tenderness in a harsh setting.
It is well written and draws you in from the beginning, with great description and beautiful relationship I would recommend it. 4 fangs.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins—the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-twentieth century—seem to be sticking around for a while yet.
Kim is a Seattle native and a direct descendent of twentieth-century Russian nobility. Her grandmother was a childhood friend of the doomed Grand Duchess Anastasia, and the romantic yet tragic story of how Lydia escaped Communist Russia with the aid of her American husband will most certainly one day fuel one of Kim’s novels. Another novel in the queue will involve her husband’s ancestor, the seventh-century proto-Viking king of the Swedish colony in Russia.
For the time being, however, Kim has plenty of work to do in creating her projected 8-book Arthurian series, The Dragon’s Dove Chronicles, and other novels under her imprint, Pendragon Cove Press. She has been a published novelist since 1999, beginning with the original edition of Dawnflight (Sonnet Books, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0671020412).
YouTube video interview: http://youtu.be/DV5iKrEIROk
FOLLOW KIM:
ABOUT.ME PAGE – https://about.me/kimheadlee
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NEWSLETTER
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TWEET MESSAGE FOR TWITTER BLAST
Please RT LIBERTY by @KimHeadlee ancient Rome historical romance $0.99 #Giveaway http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQCXLUE
BUY & TBR LINKS
Kindle US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQCXLUE
Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00OQCXLUE
Kindle CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00OQCXLUE
Kindle AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00OQCXLUE
AMAZON PAPERBACK – http://www.amazon.com/dp/0990505545
BARNES & NOBLE PAPERBACK – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/liberty-kim-iverson-headlee/1120850556?ean=9780990505549
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/liberty-kim-iverson-headlee/1120850556
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=_VRiCAAAQBAJ
Inktera (Page Foundry): http://www.inktera.com/store/title/51ee3025-035a-4b2a-9439-a6f470fe23a9
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id947768951
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/liberty-38
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/249011006/Liberty
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/498417
GOODREADS – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23636999-liberty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kim will be awarding an autographed print copy of LIBERTY (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a set of 5 autographed LIBERTY note cards (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn host. Additionally, Goddess Fish Productions will be awarding a $5 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host.
Nightbloom by Juliette Cross *review and giveaway
Nightbloom
The Nightwing Series
Book 3
Juliette Cross
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Date of Publication: September 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-161650576-9
ASIN: B00QP3CZR2
Word Count: 36K
Book Description:
The love between a human and a Morgon, the dragon-hybrid race, tempts fate once more…
All her life, Ella Barrow has allowed others to make her decisions. Forced to stifle her artistic talents and stay in a loveless relationship with Clayton Kerrington, the man her mother believes to be her perfect match, Ella’s life may be safe—but it’s not her own. Paxon Nightwing, on the other hand, is anything but the safe choice.
A charming and alluring Morgon, Paxon sees Ella for the woman she truly is. His bold confidence and protective nature ignites a passion she’s never felt before. But a dark family tragedy forces their secrecy—until Clayton makes it impossible to hide their clandestine affair. Will Ella be strong enough to fight for herself at last?
Or will she succumb once more and risk losing the only man she’s ever loved?
Excerpt:
I blotted my Petal Pink lips on a piece of memo paper and capped the lipstick.
“Dangit!”
Trying to retrieve the tube with the tip of my open-toe heel, I only succeeded in pushing the lipstick farther away. “Ugh.”
Unable to bend that far in my pencil skirt, I hiked the hem up to my thighs and crawled on all fours, shimmying my behind, then stretching my arm till my fingers finally gripped my favorite lipstick.
That’s when I heard a low, masculine whistle from someone standing behind me.
Scooting back, I shot off the floor and slid my hemline back to my knee, all under the steady gaze of Paxon Nightwing, silhouetted by the sunlight that filtered into the foyer of Linden and Burke.
Towering above me with jet-black hair and matching sharp-edged wings, wearing a charcoal button-down, black slacks, and a devilish smile, his voice crooned when he spoke. “Now that’s what I call a warm welcome.”
“I, um, well, I…”
He extended a bronzed hand. I reached out with my right, nearly dropping the lipstick again. I shifted it to my left hand. “I like pink.”
I like pink? I like pink! For God’s sake, Ella. How old was I? Five?
His extended hand engulfed mine, then he drew our bodies closer. Grinning wide and stroking his thumb across my knuckles, his melodious voice sounded sultry and sinful.
“So do I.”
I blinked stupidly till my brain started functioning again. He didn’t say a word, mesmerizing me with ridiculously deep brown eyes.
“I’m, uh, Ella Barrow.”
“Paxon Nightwing. Pleasure to meet you. But I think we’ve met before.”
I tugged on my hand. He didn’t let go, tightening his hold.
“Uh, well, I’m friends with Sorcha and Jessen.”
“Yes.”
I knew this guy was a player, the kind to make a girl swoon with a glance and charm the pants right off her. Literally. Jessen had even kissed him in a club once. And while his carousing behavior should make me want to run away, I couldn’t forget that Jessen had said on a scale of one to ten, his kiss was a ninety-nine.
He still held my hand, angling his body closer. “I’ve also seen you at the Vaengar games. With Kerrington.”
“Yeah. We’re, um, dating.”
“That’s a shame.”
I tugged again.
He released me. “I have an appointment with Sorcha Nightwing.”
“Yes. I know.”
Pulling myself together, I pressed the comm device on my desk and cleared my throat. “Mr. Nightwing is here.”
“Thanks, Ella. Show him to my office, please.”
Rounding behind the desk, I gestured down the hall. “This way.”
“After you.” A sly grin.
I tilted up my chin, pretending I wasn’t afraid of him, then led him toward Sorcha’s office. I was good at pretending.
As soon as I stepped in front of him, a primal shiver vibrated through my bones.
His eyes were on me. I felt his gaze, as if his gaze were a caress, brushing up my legs, curving over my behind, rounding my hips to the dip of my waist and finally settling on the blond waves that fell past my shoulders. By the time we reached the door to the office, my heartbeat hammered in my throat.
Gesturing for him to enter, I kept my eyes on the floor, trying desperately to regain control. He stopped in front of me, but I held my gaze until I realized I was fixated on his crotch. I jerked my head up. Amusement flickered across chiseled features. He was about to say something, but I didn’t give him the chance. I marched back up the hall to the receptionist area.
rtist Ella Barrow is a shy, timid, quiet girl who goes with the flow. She doesn’t speak out or stand up for her wants and desires until she meets Paxton Nightwing, owner of the Flaming Hearts Art Gallery. Paxton is a Morgon, half man half dragon, and what her mother has told her all her life to stay away from. She’s dating Clayton Kerrington, a man her parents think is suitable for her station in life. When Ella breaks up with Clayton , Paxton swoops in, offering her a job as a curator at his gallery along with much more.
Can Ella let go of all she’s been taught all her life and trust Paxton? How low will Clayton go to get her back? What will Paxton be willing to do to keep Ella?
I liked how Ella developed from a mouse to a woman who was willing to fight for what her heart wanted.
A sweet romance with a few twists and some sex, so not suitable for the under 18 crowd. The characters are well fleshed out and the story flows smoothly from page one to the end with a HEA.
Independent reviewer for Paranormal Romance & Authors That Rock. 4 fangs.
About the Author:
Juliette calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her stories. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school. Her love of mythology, legends, and art serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance–brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
Juliette is a multi-published author, including her Nightwing series with Kensington Publishing and The Vessel Trilogy with Samhain Publishing.
Website: https://www.juliettecross.com/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Juliette-Cross/e/B00MQ18Z1W/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliettecrossauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Juliette__Cross
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/crossjuliette/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7795664.Juliette_Cross
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/XeKIn
$20 GC
Ebook of WAKING THE DRAGON—Book 1 in Vale of Stars
Raber Wolf Pack by Ryan Michelle
Deep Water by Nicola Cameron
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
“The addition of new characters and old in this addition to the series if wonderful and more than ever the mythology is brought to life once again making you feel like you are right there living it!” ~Book Junky Girls
“I highly recommend this book, and the entire series. I recently reviewed Books 1 & 2, so if you missed that review, check it out (here.) If you are into a contemporary fantasy with a Greek God flair, these books would be for you.” ~
Love Bytes Reviews
“Once again, Nicola Cameron beautifully melds genres with Deep Water, making it a big, juicy read for fans of m/m romance, erotica, fantasy, adventure, and the paranormal. If you’re a fan of even one of these (hell – even if you’re not!), do yourself a favour and dive into this series. You will NOT be sorry.” ~Author L.D. Blakely
“What a great book!! I loved it, and I was very excited to read it. The first two stories in the “Olympic Cove” series were great, so I pretty much counted the days until this one was available.” ~Amazon Reviewer
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Marry Me for Money by Mia Kayla
Marry Me for Money
Perfect Imperfections by Cardeno C.
Hollywood royalty Jeremy Jameson has lived a sheltered life with music as his sole focus and only friend. Before embarking on yet another international concert tour, he wanders into a bar in what he considers the middle of nowhere and meets a man who wins him over with his friendly smile and easy-going nature. Accountant slash bartender slash adventure-seeker Reg Moore has fun talking and drinking with The Jeremy Jameson and can’t say no when the supposedly straight rock star makes him a once in a lifetime offer: keep him company on his tour by playing the part of his boyfriend.
Listening to music, traveling the world, and jumping off cliffs is fun. Falling in love is even better. But to stay with Jeremy after the stage lights dim, Reg will need to help him realize there’s nothing pretend about their relationship.
Jeremy Jameson, Rockstar and lonely man, walks into a bar in the middle of no where to get away from everything for a while. There he meets bartender Reggie Moore. When he starts talking to Reggie he realizes he’s the perfect person to be his companion during his touring. He makes Reggie a offer he can’t refuse, travel with him all over the world and keep him company, only one catch, Reggie needs to be his “pretend boyfriend”. What Reg plans to show Jeremy is there’s nothing pretend about their relationship. A wonderful M/M about self-discovery and love. Not appropriate for the under 18 crowd due to some seriously hot sex. I absolutely love Cardeno’s books and I jump at every chance I get to read one. Independent reviewer for Paranormal Romance & Authors That Rock.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3CZP6S94IXKYT
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1343589841
Amazon / iTunes / ARe / Smashwords / Kobo / B&N
After a mutual laughing fit about yet another of Reg’s college tales, Reg put an end to Jeremy’s joy by saying, “Hey, Jeremy, man, I don’t want to rush you out of here, but we usually close at midnight during the week, and it’s almost one.”
“Oh.” Suddenly feeling sober and tense again, Jeremy rubbed his hand over his nose and reached for his leather jacket, which he’d tossed over the empty barstool next to him hours earlier. “Sure. Yeah. Sorry about that.” He pulled a handful of bills out of his wallet and threw them on the bar, not bothering to count them. “Keep the change.”
Keys in hand, Jeremy climbed off his stool, planning to leave the bar. He was surprised when Reg darted his upper body forward and snagged his keys.
“Hold on, man. It’s late and you’re drunk. Is there someone who can come pick you up?”
Jeremy snorted. “No. I’m in, uh….” He tried to remember the name of the nothing little town. “Whatever Park.” He rolled his eyes. “Why would I know anybody here?”
“Wow. I’ve had people turn into violent shitheads when I cut them off, but snobby diva is new.” Reg flung his everpresent towel into the bar sink and locked up the register. “I was going to offer you my couch for the night, ’cause there aren’t any motels in walking distance, and I have better beer than we serve here, but you can go ahead and sleep it off in your car, superstar. I’ll bring you your keys in the morning.”
“Oh.” Hearing that Reg hadn’t been throwing him out but had, instead, been trying to change locations, vanquished Jeremy’s resurfacing tension. With that relief came the realization that he had acted like all the stuck-up assholes he couldn’t stand. “Crap.” Falling into a nervous childhood habit he hadn’t been fully able to shake, Jeremy tugged the collar of his salmon-colored T-shirt into his mouth and chewed on it. “I didn’t mean to, uh…” He rubbed his palm over his eyes. “I’m sorry that I…” A thought slammed into him, making him flinch and then gape at Reg. “You called me superstar.”
“I also called you a snobby diva.” Reg arched his eyebrows. “Are you ready to earn a spot on my couch and a bottle of Kilt Lifter by playing nice?”
Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever- after sunset.
Cardeno’s Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, “You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day.”
Winner’s choice of ebook from author’s backlist (excluding box sets or anthologies).
presented by:
Unrestrained by Shyla Colt and LaQuette
by Shyla Colt
After having her heart broken by Echo, Dixie Dunn makes a new life for herself, away from the Kings Of Chaos. Now, she must return in order to get her stubborn father back to fighting shape after a heart attack. She knows she’ll have to face Echo, as he has made it clear over the years that she still belongs to him. But she refuses to give him any chance to crush her heart again.
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Storm by Jo Raven
Title: Storm
Author; Jo Raven
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Raylin is on the run. Her father’s associates will stop at nothing to claim the money he owes them—including killing her. A last ditch ticket to Florida, a temporary house to hide in and no future to look forward to. That is, until she meets Storm, a tattooed bad boy who is housesitting down the beach and doing repairs for the summer.
A perfect place, a perfect pair of strong arms, a spot of calm in which to hide for a while—or is it? Drop-dead gorgeous, kind, and hot in bed, Storm may not be what he seems.
Who is the real Storm, and what is he hiding? Raylin had better find out before the bullets begin to fly.
Standalone novel. No cliffhanger.
*Warning: this book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young readers.*
This is Book 1 of the Sex and Bullets series – a spin-off of the Inked Brotherhood series.
Next is: Hawk (Sex and Bullets, #2)
Jo Raven writes New Adult steamy contemporary romance. She loves sexy bad boys and strong-willed heroines, and divides her time between writing and reading. When not cooking up plots, she putters in her cluttered kitchen and dreams of traveling to India and Japan.
✯Don’t want to miss any of Jo’s offers and promotions you can sign up for her newsletter HERE✯
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