Monthly Archives: January 2016
Near the Wild by Maureen Willett
Near The Wild
Maureen Willett
Genre: paranormal romance or historical fantasy
Publisher: independent
Date of Publication: June 27, 2015
ISBN: 9781524209926
ASIN: B010JLKZZY
Number of pages: 229
Word Count: 82,500
Book Description:
Cowboys and leprechauns both occupy Maeve MacKeighry’s world in 1870, and she must decide which will win her heart. Leprechauns are feared, even in Ireland, but that doesn’t prevent Maeve from striking up a friendship with one who lives near her village. But once Maeve becomes a young woman, the local villagers start to gossip, especially since the MacKeighrys are known to practice magic in their home. It’s just for entertainment, but the town folk don’t see it that way. Rather than be outcasts, the MacKeighrys set off to America to homestead in Kansas, vowing to leave their magical ways and friends behind. Little do they know that Maeve’s friend follows and protects them on their journey.
The MacKeighrys encounter many adventures along the way to Kansas, only to find a simple sod house on their new farm at the end of the journey. The untamed land offers a fresh start for the family, as well as two very interesting men who both compete for Maeve’s attention. Pretty young women in a wild western town are a rarity. But can she forget her magical friend, and turn her attention to two of the most interesting men she has ever met? Perhaps cowboys and outlaws have a certain charm that a leprechaun doesn’t, after all.
Most of the novel takes place in Kansas in 1870 and is based on the author’s family history. The idea of the MacKeighry’s sod house came from the home of Willett’s great grandfather. She was lucky enough to visit it as a teenager before the house was destroyed. One of the characters, Nikki Fuerst, is based on an ancestor, a prince from Austria who was disinherited for marrying a commoner and sent off to America. Stories Willett has been told her entire life about her family’s history and traditions, such as levitating tables, are included in Near The Wild.
Excerpt:
Leprechauns were feared, even in Ireland. Of course, Ma and Da denied that we were related to the magical people in the forest, the sidhe, but there was no denying that the other good families in our village of Clonmel didn’t know how to do the things we did.
Ma would shake her head and tease us, calling us leprechauns whenever we asked if we could play our favorite game. But then she would close the shutters so the fun could begin. Surely none of our neighbors should see us huddled around a table that was two feet off the ground. It was just a fortune-telling game to us. We’d make the table rise into the air merely by thinking it should do so, and then we’d ask it simple questions. The hovering wooden table would tap one of its legs on the floor to answer, once for “yes” and twice for “no.” As our confidence grew, our questions became more outlandish, making my younger brothers giggle until tears poured down their faces.
I’m not sure where that game came from, but I do remember Ma playing it with her sisters, too, whenever we all got together for holidays, and such. My brothers and I would watch in fascination because my mother and aunts were so much better at it than we were. The table would rise much higher and then pound out the answer to the “yes” or “no” question posed to it. None of us children understood the implications of what we were witnessing. But the elders of the village and church did.
Then, there was the business about Finn and me. I didn’t think anyone outside our family could see him, so as we got older I got lazy about keeping our friendship secret. We began to venture out of the thick forest, where we had played since we were babes, and sit together in the meadow on the outskirts of Clonmel. We’d lie back and let the tall, green grass engulf us. Finn would make fun of some of the townsfolk to make me smile.
I soon learned my mistake. One day, the baker’s wife marched into the middle of the town square to point her finger in Ma’s face, making a holy show of herself and poor Ma. The sour-faced woman said I was inviting trouble, that I’d be stolen away to the sidhe’s world, or worse. The baker always gave Ma a free meat pie when she went into the shop, while his wife watched with a scowl. I think she had it in for us.
Ma told the woman to “hump off,” much to my delight and horror, and then she demanded an apology from the fat, old crone. I received less support when Ma got me home, though. She yanked so hard on my ear, it felt like it’d come off, and the heat of her anger made her face go scarlet.
“Maeve MacKeighry,” she shouted through clenched teeth, still pulling my earlobe, which I feared had now been deformed forever. “I’ve had enough of your sprite! You will not see him again, or so help me Lord Jesus!” When Ma took the Lord’s name in vain, it was serious business.
But we both knew Finn could not be so easily discarded. He was a wild spirit, full of good intentions but no regard for rules, or restrictions, as his kind often were. Even if I tried to avoid him, he wouldn’t let go of me.
Ma feared I’d never have a respectable suitor, even though boys in Clonmel gave me admiring glances, especially when I wore my long, thick curls loose. Ma used to say I had classic features offset by fiery hair. Although I did inherit the high cheekbones of the MacKeighry clan, I don’t quite know what she meant by “fiery” since my hair was more brown than red. In either case, boys did look my way whenever I passed by, but none approached me. Maybe because my stride wasn’t as dainty as most girls looking for husbands, or maybe because of the challenge they saw in my green eyes. Most likely, though, it was because they’d heard the whispered tales about Finn and me.
Then the whispers became more frequent. Villagers stopped knocking on our door. Rumors of witchcraft started to spread. Never mind that the baker’s wife was the culprit, it still made townsfolk turn away when we walked down the street to church. When Father Donoghue shunned our family after Sunday mass more than once, Da left to start a homestead in Kansas.
Ma said they were giving away land in America. It might as well be on the moon for all I cared. And the land must not be worth much if they were giving it away for free, I figured. Nevertheless, some months later, we followed.
“The Lord is giving us a chance at a better life in a new country,” Ma told us all one rainy afternoon. The weather made us housebound, so we begged to play with the table. “None of our games will be allowed in our new home. We’ll have a fresh beginning, and one without the ways of leprechauns,” she had said with a pointed look in my direction.
###
I can still see myself as I was in 1870 at the dawn of becoming a woman, standing on the deck of the Belle Asisse in high hopes for our adventure, feeling the ocean wind whip through my hair more forcefully than it did the patched sails overhead.
As I looked out at the green waters of the Atlantic, I hoped we would sight land soon. I wanted to feel solid ground beneath my feet and get off that moldy, old ship. Finn said I looked tired, and he was right, too. How could I sleep sharing a bunk with four of my brothers? Even though they were all younger than me, they were tall and took up too much room. I’d sleep on the floor, but the rats or roaches might get me. The bay leaves and garlic Ma put around our two bunks didn’t keep the vermin away, and things grew larger in the dank air.
The sudden laugh in my left ear startled me out of my thoughts. It seemed closer than it should be, because no one stood next to me at all. I looked around, wondering if it had been the howling of the wind, but then the sound came again. Something was playing tricks on me, but it wasn’t the wind.
“Finn!” I tried not to call his name. I didn’t want anyone to know he was onboard. It was supposed to be our secret, but he took many chances by going on deck in daylight.
I whirled around when the laugh came again, only this time it was behind me. A flash of raven black hair was all I spotted before he disappeared, but it was enough to make me go down the stairs to the sleeping quarters below. The smell of musty wood and unwashed bodies assaulted me. I wouldn’t be able to catch him, so I hoped I could trick him instead. I ran down the stairs and through the maze of wooden bunks. Some were occupied but most were empty. The deck was crowded in the afternoons with passengers getting a few hours of fresh air, so I jumped over empty bed after bed and ran to the darkest corner. I knew it well, and so did Finn. We’d met there almost every night after Ma and the boys fell asleep.
I gasped for air as I collided with a barrel and almost fell to my knees, but he put his hand out to keep me from doing myself real injury.
“You need to be more careful, darlin’ girl. Don’t run so hard. You’ll burst your laces,” Finn said with his bewitching smile that made his crystal-clear aqua eyes sparkle. “Young ladies shouldn’t play so rough.”
I pulled away and socked him in the shoulder with my fist, making him wince for just a second. Then he smiled again.
“Although, you are good at playing rough,” Finn said as he rubbed his shoulder.
“What girl with six brothers isn’t?” I flashed a smile at him, trying to be beguiling like the girl in the novel I’d just finished, but knowing it wasn’t working. Offending his shoulder hadn’t helped me much either.
He took a strand of my hair and twirled it around his finger, smoothing out the curl as he went. He had impossibly long, tapered fingers. The kind any girl would envy. Then, more fingers were in my hair in a soft yet demanding way. I watched, fascinated by the way they worked their way into my curls, entwining my heart with their rhythm. I imagined those same long fingers running down my neck, unbuttoning my bodice, making a pattern on my skin. A small, choking sound escaped from my throat, much to my shame. Finn dropped my hair and backed away.
Things were changing between us, and I wasn’t prepared for it, especially the way he made me feel. I had always been the one in control, even when we were small children, but now Finn was able to set my emotions spinning with just a glance of his eyes, or toss of his glorious black hair. I tried to get my breath under control, but his perfect face with its luminous skin and ruby lips got in the way.
So, I concentrated on the dark green jewel he wore on a leather strip around his neck instead. Finn was never without it. He’d told me before that the emerald contained what was left of his ancient soul. The jewel looked tarnished and murky, as if it had seen better days. I had suggested we polish it once, but Finn had said that was impossible and refused to talk about it further. I stopped asking about it when we were children.
He stood there watching me with his light eyes. My heart wasn’t calming down at all, so I felt the need to shift my weight from one foot to another. Then, I remembered last night and was quite pleased to feel something other than desire.
“I’m so angry with you! I don’t think we should be friends anymore!” I tried to sound steadfast in my conviction, but as he stepped closer, his sweet spicy scent made my senses spin again. I leaned against the side of the ship, wanting to feel the hardness of the wood and smell the mold that was everywhere, instead of Finnegan.
“You don’t mean that,” Finn said in a husky voice as he put a hand on each side of my head and bent in toward me. “My Maeve, you’re the center of my world. You have been since the day I first saw you in the forest. Why would you say such a thing?”
My chest heaved and fell with each breath, making my skin chafe against the course cloth of my plain gown. I longed to be free of it, but just the thought of what would happen if I suddenly stripped off my restrictive clothes made me feel faint. I swallowed hard.
“I couldn’t find you. I looked all over the ship, and waited for hours last night, but you weren’t here. Where have you been?” I asked, not wanting to sound like a petulant child, or jealous, for that matter, but I wasn’t successful. I held my breath and waited. I had never clung to Finn before. It had always been the other way around.
A flash of concern crossed his face. “I was here, while you were eating supper. But then Michael walked by, so I left. Your brothers are sentries. It’s as if they know I’m on the ship.” Finn stooped, put his lips to my forehead, and then stepped back.
The air became a bit less intoxicating as he moved away, and I could almost breathe again. “Were you with someone else last night?” I didn’t want to ask, but it needed to be in the open. I had seen Finn looking at some of the other young ladies on board, and I wasn’t sure if it was curiosity or longing in his eyes.
All expression left his face. “Don’t ever ask me that again. I’ve been devoted to you your entire life, and that has never faltered.” His voice was low, so only I could hear it, but it was filled with emotion. “It never will.”
I nodded, recognizing the truth in his statement, and felt the blush fill my face, thankful the darkness covered it. I wanted to put my hand on his arm and kiss his cheek the way I used to, but I hadn’t felt comfortable doing that in quite some time. It would lead to things neither of us was strong enough to control.
“Maeve! Maeve!” Michael’s voice was close. It was too dark to tell where my eldest brother was. There’d be the devil to pay if he saw us together.
“I’ll be here tonight, waiting for you,” Finn said in earnest, and then he was gone. A flash of light remained in the air around me. It had an odd golden glow.
About the Author:
Maureen Willett is a writer of fiction that pushes the boundaries of established genres. Her stories mostly come from her own family legends that have been passed down through generations, but then she tops them off with a twist of faery dust and angel wings.
But at the core of each story are great characters in very human conflicts that anyone will find compelling. Each novel is crafted as an experience that will take readers beyond their day-to-day lives, incorporating themes of time travel, reincarnation, and magic.
She lives in Hawaii and finds its ethereal beauty a source of inspiration for her writing. She is a former journalist, public relations professional, and media marketing specialist. Writing fiction has been her passion since grade school.
website: www.mwillettnovels.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/maureenwillettbooks
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/mwillett
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7235871.Maureen_Willett
Tour giveaway
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Bite Me by C.C. Wood *Review
I had the perfect life; an awesome job in advertising, a gorgeous high rise apartment, and a flirtation with the guy down the hall. Then it all came crashing down. Two months later I was a cocktail waitress living in a tiny one bedroom apartment. I had also developed a serious ‘men suck’ attitude.
That all changed the night I met the beautiful and enigmatic Conner Savage. But there was just one little problem…he said he was a vampire. Figures a man that hot would be batshit crazy. Or so I thought. It didn’t take me long to realize that Conner wasn’t a nut job and that I was addicted to him. With every moment we spent together he drew me deeper into his world and the supernatural culture in which he lived.
Now I had a choice: the vampire I craved or a normal life. Couldn’t be easier, right?
1. Told entirely from Donna’s POV, in the first person. No Connor, at all.
2. Did not like Donna’s attitude! she flips backwards and forwards between wanting to be independent, and being dependent on Connor.
3. Donna has a potty mouth, real bad. And while sometimes its a good thing, here it was far too much.
4. it moves at speed. Like ROCKET speed in places! Too fast at points, it wasn’t needed.
All that said: I did enjoy it. Yes it moves at speed, but when it doesn’t its a great story. And of course I wanted to hear from Connor, I mean who doesn’t wanna hear whats going on in a 300 year old vampire’s mind as he falls and falls hard for the mouthy woman who struck his soul?? Cos I always want to hear from everyone, you know that!
Will I read the next ones in the series?? More than likey. Something is going on, something not made clear here, something bigger than the vampires and their society. And I wanna know. Besides that, its Donna’s friends who have their stories in the next ones, and I want to hear what happens to them.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear on Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Kobo**
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1519326861
http://www.amazon.com/review/R2N4I3NB078BYQ/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00F54K6H8
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R10AYUAHJCDQRR/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00F54K6H8
Ravaged River, Men of Mercy by Lindsay Cross
Hayden James watched Hoyt slide into a private purgatory of post-traumatic stress disorder, taking her heart with him. No longer warm and loving, he is cold. Hardened. A shell of his former self.
When an old enemy threatens Hayden’s life, Hoyt must find the strength to slay his inner demons or lose the woman he loves forever.
An avid reader since childhood, reading and writing is in her blood. After years of reading, she discovered her true passion – writing. Her alpha military men are damaged, drop-dead gorgeous and determined to win the heart of the woman of their dreams.
Enzo by Shyla Colt
She weaves her tales in spare moments and the evenings with a cup of coffee or tea at her side and the characters in her head for company. A self-professed rebel with a pen. Her goal is to diversify romance as she continues to genre hop, and offer up strong female characters.
Brains and Beauty by Jeanette Watts *Review and Giveaway
Brains and Beauty
by Jeanette Watts
GENRE: Historic Fiction
BLURB:
Regina Waring seems to have it all. A loving husband, a successful business, and the most expensive wardrobe in town. But nothing is what it appears to be. Her husband is critical and demanding, the business teeters on ruin, even the opulent wardrobe is a clever illusion.
Regina’s life is one long tiptoe through a minefield; one wrong step and her entire life is going to blow up and destroy her. Attempting to hold it all together, she appeases the husband, dresses the part, and never, never says what she is really thinking. That would get in the way of getting things done. And, if there’s one thing Regina did really well, it was getting things done.
Enter Thomas Baldwin. Young and handsome and completely off limits, Regina is smitten at first sight. Then, to her great astonishment, he slowly becomes her best friend. He’s the one person in her life who never lets her down. Torn between her fascination with him and her desire not to ruin a marvelous friendship, she tries to enjoy each moment with him as it comes.
If only that were enough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Was it really less than a year since she had witnessed the conflagration at the railroad yard? Once again, she faced smoking ruins that had once been a thriving industry. This time, it wasn’t human made. Or at least, it wasn’t deliberate.
The mill ruins were, perhaps, more intimidating. The Washburn “A” had been a seven-and-a-half story building, and the explosion had been so large it shattered glass windows in the neighboring city of St. Paul. It left a crater in the middle of the mill district, destroying about one third of all the businesses in the area. The circle of destruction was ringed with the charred skeletons of mills that existed on the edge of the blast zone.
She was amazed that there were only eighteen other people killed in the explosion. Considering the scope of the wreckage, it seemed to her it could have been so much worse. As hard as it was to be married to one of the victims, Regina felt a certain gratitude that there were so few new widows. The bereaved would all be able to fit on a single trolley car.
Her eyes scanned for places where Henry might have been found. She had no idea where he was, or even who had rescued him. There were fallen walls everywhere – and nothing looked like a place where a man could be pinned down, and survive, even briefly.
Between the wreckage of the Washburn “A” mill, and the old wreckage from the collapse of the tunnel, Regina mused on her walk back to the hotel that this part of the world was very dangerous – or unlucky.
Regina Waring is a woman ahead of her time, both beautiful and intelligent. Her life isn’t as other women of the time, she went to college and has a real gift for business. She is in a loveless marriage and her husband is her business partner. She meets Thomas Baldwin, a younger man, and develops a crush on him. Over the years this crush turns to friendship, they become business partners and spend a lot of time together, her feelings for him continue to grow to love.
This is a historical love story, very well written, very detailed look at Victorian life. Regina is not the typical woman of her time and her story sweeps you along with her.
Reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock.
5 out of 5 hearts
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jeanette Watts only lived in Pittsburgh for four years, but in her heart, she will always be a Pittsburgher. She missed the city so much after her move to Ohio, she had to write a love story about it.
She has written television commercials, marketing newspapers, stage melodramas, four screenplays, three novels, and a textbook on waltzing. When she isn’t writing, she teaches social ballroom dances, refinishes various parts of her house, and sews historical costumes and dance costumes for her Cancan troupe.
Links:
Webpage
https://www.facebook.com/jeanette.watts.94
https://www.facebook.com/WealthAndPrivilege?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/jeanetteawatts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeanette Watts will be awarding a Victorian cameo necklace to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.
Becoming by Danielle Ione
Broken Love by Evan Grace
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BROKEN LOVE by Evan Grace
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Series: Love Stings, Book #1
– SYNOPSIS –
As a young woman, Abby Carmichael had it all—until the night a stranger tore it away…A year and half after the brutal sexual assault, Abby is finally starting to feel like her old self. Teaching dance classes with enthusiastic kids is just the kind of job she needs—far away from probing eyes or vicious intentions of the opposite sex. When she connects with one of her students, Natalie, it isn’t long until she meets her father, Deputy Ben James.
Ben James is just a regular guy, working to make a life for himself and his daughter…
That’s what Abby tells herself when her sudden attraction for Ben catches her off guard. Abby has been steering clear of men for obvious reasons, and the idea of wanting that kind of relationship is more terrifying than intriguing. But with his doe-eyed daughter tugging at her dance uniform, Ben takes notice.
He’s ready for love, but does her past hold too many secrets?
After the assault, Abby coped by using heavy medication and fell into an ugly chain of one-night stands. But now that she’s out of rehab and finally on the right track, it’s only a matter of time before Ben finds out.
Will Abby be the true love Ben has always wanted? Or is she a tangled challenge, leading to yet another…
Broken Love?
– COVER DESIGNER –
TOJ Publishing Services
– RELEASE DATE –
February 23, 2016 from Limitless Publishing!
– ABOUT THE AUTHOR –
EVAN GRACE
A Midwesterner and self-proclaimed nerd, Evan has been an avid reader most of her life, but five years ago got bit by the writing bug, and it quickly became her addiction, passion and therapy. When the voices in her head give it a rest, she can always be found with her e-reader in her hand. Some of her favorites include, Shayla Black, Jaci Burton, Madeline Sheehan and Jamie Mcguire. Evan finds a lot of her inspiration in music, so if you see her wearing her headphones you know she means business and is in the zone.
During the day Evan works for a large homecare agency and at night she’s superwoman. She’s a wife to Jim and a mom to Ethan and Evan, a cook, a tutor, a friend and a writer. How does she do it? She’ll never tell.
– SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS –
LIMITLESS PUBLISHING: http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/authors/evan-grace/
WEBSITE: http://www.authorevangrace.com/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Evan76Grace
Richie by V.A. Dold *Review
BLURB:
NOTE: Complete novel. No cliffhanger. Dual POV. New Orleans Billionaire Wolf Shifters with plus sized BBW for mates. This is an adult paranormal romance with erotic content. It also includes vampires, voodoo priestess, and magic. These are stand alone books that create a series. They do not need to be read in order. Of course, the story is richer if the books are read in order.
#1 Cade
#2 Simon
#3 Stefan
#4 Thomas
#4.5 Cade & Anna
# 5 Lucas
# 6 Richie
Four years ago, Richie met a group of Tulane freshmen when he saved one of them from a mugger.
Now the first of their menagerie is getting married.
Surprise of all surprises, Richie meets his mate, Piper, at the wedding in Missouri, of all places.
He didn’t expect her to be a bounty hunter or that her murderous prey had turned the tables and she was now the hunted.
Will Piper apprehend her bounty or will her bounty get to her first?
Can Richie save her from the death he foresaw in a premonition?
Injuries are mounting and time is running out.
I have followed this series from the very beginning and have the utmost love for shifter novels. I totally understand that V.A. has a base story to keep here with the shifter portion (ie how the mating happens, the ritual, the love). This story was fast moving, but had a lot of pieces that made the overall book lacking.
Richie is this sexy, irresistible bartender who seems like he would be unattainable for a plus sized female. He met this group of people four years ago and the first of the group is getting married. As par for the course the great goddess has spoken to Emma, as a means of ensuring that Richie meet his fated mate, a human, Piper.
Piper is this resilient bounty hunter who has had to bounce back from some serious life events. She lost some very important people to her and because of the circumstances surrounding that loss she has no vowed to help others so they don’t suffer the same fate. She is leery of attending the wedding and putting her friends lives in danger but takes extra measures so she can attend.
Let the fireworks begin. From the very first moment that Piper and Richie see each other the heat is palpable. The romance was like a fast moving jet and Richie’s need to protect this fierce independent woman would constantly get her panties in a wad, kinda funny to see a little bantering.
<spoiler> My issues with this book is the missing pieces. We hear about Jeff in a couple of places, about him being a jerk, but nothing really concrete. It is like Richie has to bare his soul to her “digging” but he is just left in the dark about her relationship pain. The second piece is that there is a huge emphasis on her “backing up to age 25” and then an emphasis on his shock of her losing 50 lbs, along with the emphasis on “you can’t blink on clothes you don’t own” yet they leave the cabin and we as readers are supposed to just believe that she had clothes that fit, really? </spoiler>
We see Richie and Piper go down this path of romance, Seth is brought into the folds and is introduced as our next bachelor which seemed a bit forced to me. Almost like, I gotta shove him in here somewhere, but we really were not given a lot of time for him to grow on us. The book almost seemed to abruptly end. Even though it is not a cliff hanger, you are left going….where is the rest? I will continue to read this series because I am invested but I really hope the next book restores my faith in the story. Three fangs from Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock.
BIO:
Amazon best selling author of the Award-winning Le Beau Series and the K.I.S.S series.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she was a publicist for authors.
Her idea of absolute heaven is a day in the French Quarter with her computer, her coffee mug, and the Brothers, of course. Or a night with a sexy cowboy in the hayloft.
A Midwest native, with her heart lost to Louisiana & Texas. She has a penchant for titillating tales featuring sexy men and strong women. When she’s not writing, she’s probably taking in a movie, reading, or traveling. Oh, and there is the distinct possibility she is out cowboy hunting.
Connect
Visit The Website http://www.vadold.com/
Like Tori Austin on Faceboook https://www.facebook.com/ToriAustinAuthor
Like V.A. Dold on Faceboook https://www.facebook.com/vickieann1
Follow Tori Austin on twitter at https://twitter.com/ToriAustin15
Follow V.A. Dold on twitter at https://twitter.com/VADOLD
BUY NOW LINK:
- Amazon http://www.amazon.com/RICHIE-Orleans-Shifters-sized-mates-ebook/dp/B016RCVJ40/ref=la_B00J25KTO6_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451944082&sr=1-7
- B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/richie-va-dold/1122873284;jsessionid=4CCDFF2AA0D61502C61FB3CC05C72C3C.prodny_store01-atgap02?ean=2940151045605
- Ibooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/richie/id1071030156?ls=1&mt=11
Free Booze Tonight by Chuck Freadhoff
Title: Free Booze Tonight
Author: Chuck Freadhoff
It was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Joey, the bartender and very bad conman, agrees immediately when mob boss Vincent the Hammer, makes him an offer: turn Delilah, Vincent’s daughter, into a rock star, and do it fast, or spend eternity in a rolled up rug.
The task is simple – pluck a band out of thin air, pack a bar that no one ever comes into, and find a way to make Delilah, who Joey fears can’t even sing, into an overnight global success. Relying on his slick tongue, half-baked wits, a little blackmail, and a cast of characters who owe him favors, Joey follows an improbable and uproariously funny journey from near death to happiness.
Joey’s future is decided in an instant when Delilah’s gig is crashed by outlaw bikers, a posse of pissed off dwarves who want Joey dead, and a crowd of senior citizens, led by Joey’s grandmother, Ethel.
But when it’s all over, Joey’s learned the value of honesty and true love.
Chuck Freadhoff has spent more than forty years writing and telling stories. He started his career as a journalist and covered homicides, assassination attempts, historic events such as the return of the American hostages from Iran. Once he spent ten hours in an operating room witnessing brain surgery. Along the way, he picked up a sharp eye for detail and keen understanding of how to tell a story – write tight, stay out of your own way and don’t bury the lead. One thing he loves most about writing is the research – visiting the L.A. County Jail was almost as interesting as cruising Tijuana’s red light district at night. You can’t fake it.
Twitter:@ChuckFreadhoff1
Bound to Fate by Kiru Taye
Series: Bound #1
Author: Kiru Taye
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Published: January 28, 2016
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Lara Johnson is coping with the emotional scars of losing both parents in a tragic incident and facing the challenges of starting a new school. Getting involved in a relationship isn’t on her priority list. Certainly not this illicit desire for a man, who demands the best from her, yet leaves her breathless in his presence.
All Ike Thomas wants to do is to keep out of trouble and get through the one year internship required for his degree program. But trouble finds him, in the form of an intelligent and brave girl who turns his world upside down. Falling in love is forbidden. So why does it feel so right? A love like theirs cannot be denied. But catastrophe lies in wait and one night changes their lives forever. Bound to Fate is a story about surviving tragedy, forgiveness, and the overwhelming love that pulls through against the odds. Content warning: This book contains scenes that might be triggering for some readers. |
Bound to Fate Excerpt © Kiru Taye 2016
Lara stood in the middle undoing her shirt, her fingers working buttons through each hole in a slow, methodical manner.
Ike stilled at the
threshold, hesitant to cross the invisible line both physically and mentally. Compelled, he couldn’t look away, each of her actions mesmerising. She removed her shirt, tossing it on the bed, revealing the sexy black balconette bra. Moving her hands to her back, she undid the zip to her skirt.
The sound had his heart rate escalating, the rush of blood thundering in his ears.
He’d seen her bare skin before although he’d never seen her fully naked. He shouldn’t be looking at her. Any decent man would’ve turned his back to her or even returned to the living room. He did neither.
Her skirt slid down her hips, past a black lace thong that presented her bum cheeks to him as she leaned over to pull the skirt from her legs.
All the blood in his body rushed south and his dick hardened. Painfully.
She straightened and turned around. He’d never seen her this bare before. His breath caught. She was
beautiful. Slimmer than he remembered, but still beautiful.
“You’re still here,” she said as she walked over to the wardrobe.
Her tone had held no surprise. In fact, the corner of her mouth was curled in a teasing smile as if she’d know he was watching her all along.
His cheeks heated. A lump lodged in his throat so he coughed. “I’m sorry but I couldn’t look away.”
“I don’t mind. I like you watching me.” She pushed the left bra strap down her arm, then repeated the action with the right one. Then she reached behind and unclipped it. It hung loose down her arms and midriff, revealing full, firm breasts, areoles like discs and nipples as hard as bullets.
“You do?” He made a conscious effort to look away from temptation before him, up to her face.
“Yes.” She flung the bra over a chair and hooked her thumbs into the tiny straps of her thong. “I think you’re a very sexy man. I’ve always thought so. Always wanted you.”
She slipped the thong down her legs and flung it aside, too.
“You have…” He lost his train of thought as he stared at her naked body. As if he wasn’t painfully hard before. He swelled again.
He met her gaze again. No shyness there. She wasn’t ashamed of her nakedness. She sat on the bed and pushed back until her head lay on the pillow. Then, her thighs fell apart, showing her glistening pussy.
“Can you see how much I want you?” she said in a low voice.
Lara is starting over with her sister. After their parents death they moved to their aunts in a new city. Her first day at a new school is terrifying to her and when she meets her teacher, she can’t believe how gorgeous, and young, he is.
Ike Thomas is working on a year internship at a high school as a geography teacher. His new student has captured him, everything about her he can’t resist. They begin a forbidden romance that he ends abruptly and devastates Lara. That night changes her for the rest of her life.
What a great read! Such innocence that turn into devastation. How one decision effects the rest of life. I liked how strong minded and brave Lara is and even though Ike left her, how he was always so caring and concerned for her well being. The author wrote very well and keeps you hooked with a very steady passed story line. Looking forwarded to reading more! This gets four diamonds from a reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1526748534
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2KCEA8KF6TVDE/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
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Kiru is the award winning author of His Treasure. She writes sensual and passionate multicultural romance stories set mostly in Africa. When she’s not writing you can find her either immersed in a good book or catching up with friends and family. She currently lives in the South of England with her husband and three children. |
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