Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Wishlist Wednesday #1


Wishlist Wednesday #1


Hey everyone! Welcome to the first Wishlist Wednesday hosted by Pen to Paper. This is a weekly meme that allows me to share what is on my wishlist, either old or new, so you can see what I've been wanting to read and I can see what you guys want! I hope you enjoy!

Monday, September 15, 2014

Review: The Wild Hunt by Ron C. Nieto


The Wild Hunt (Faerie Sworn #1) by Ron C. Nieto
Publishers: Smashwords
Published: May 30th, 2014
Pages: 308
Magic still lingers in the mist-covered corners of the world, wherever the Old Ways are remembered. However, as civilization and reason scoff at the Fair Folk, the paths to power have been forgotten by all but a few.

Lily Boyd was meant to become a faerie doctor, a warden of humans and a keeper of balance, until disbelief and pragmatism led her away from the hidden world and into a mundane life. But truth has a way to be Heard and she will be forced to face it if she wants to save her family.

Armed with nothing but her childhood memories and protected by a debt of gratitude she doesn’t understand, Lily must decide who to trust while she navigates a world that is darker and more twisted than she is prepared for.

And should she make the wrong choice, should she mistake friend and foe… the eternal balance between the Faerie Courts may shatter, and then there will be more than Lily’s life on the line.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Excerpt: Coral and Bone by Tiffany Daune



Hello everyone! Today we have an excerpt for the blog tour of Coral and Bone by Tiffany Daune! Let me know what you think if you've read it - or if you think you'd like to read it! 


Monday, September 8, 2014

Release Day: No Weddings by Kat Bastion and Stone Bastion


I am so excited to bring you the release day launch for Kat and Stone Bastion's NO WEDDINGS, the first in their new contemporary romance series!!! Check out the blogs helping us with this release day launch, and be sure to check out the giveaway!!!  

Blogs Taking Part in the Release Day Launch 
 Read Your Writes Book Reviews The Lusty Literate Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance that scottish chicks book reviews My Book Filled Life Triquetra Reviews My Favorite Things Becky Moe Breathless Ink In Between The Lines The Two Brains of Book Reviewers MakeMyDayBookclub Rustys Reading Cruising Susan Book Reviews Whispered Thoughts Kris & Vik Book Therapy Cafe deal sharing aunt New Adult Addiction Little Whimsy Books Short and Sassy Book Blurbs I Dare You To Read Making it Happen Born To Read Jen's Reading Obsession 101 Ways to Make Love to a Spoon This girl loves books LuLo Fangirl Crawling Over The Pages About That Story Becky's Book Bytes Tissues and Tomes Book Blog Reading and Writing Between the Wines Blog orchard book club The Flirty Reader The Book Bellas Bookish Temptations Agents of Romance KT Book Reviews Girl Seeks Place Closet Geeks and Slow Mo A  K Book Topia Reading Bliss The Literary Gossip Romance Schmomance


No Weddings Synopsis:
   Award-winning author Kat Bastion teams with her husband, Stone Bastion, in this first book in the No Weddings Series about Cade Michaelson, a successful man with his sights set on a new venture in business, and Hannah Martin, the woman who makes it personal. I think I have my act together as a successful bar owner, my master’s degree within reach, and a list of no-strings-attached women warming my bed. Turns out, I don’t. Hannah believes she has safeguarded her wounded heart by shunning men and focusing on her new baking business. The thing is, she hasn’t. When my three sisters and I form an event-planning business with Hannah as our baker, I have no idea how my life is about to change. As Hannah and I work closely together, the attraction between us becomes irresistible. And complicated. I’ve promised my sisters I wouldn’t mix business with pleasure. But I’ve never been one to follow the rules.
Amazon | Barnes and Noble |No Weddings Goodreads
Exclusive Excerpt
Her eyes narrowed for a split second as she pulled out a large pan with two hands. “This is not even close to a date. What would you suggest instead, a notepad and pen?” I leaned a hip on the far counter, watching her light the stove and drop a large tablespoon of solidified coconut oil into the pan.
“Would you be wearing those sexy librarian glasses?”
 She raised her brows. “You think my glasses are sexy?”  Leaning up on her tiptoes, she reached for and pulled down a glass container full of popcorn kernels from a cabinet beside the stove. A few hundred kernels pinged into the pan before she replaced the lid. With both hands, she lifted the pan a few inches above the gas burner and gave it a good shake before resting it back down. The response to her question demanded her full attention, so I waited.
She turned, leaning back on her counter edge. We faced each other, her island between us. The few feet may as well have been inches with the way the air was charged between us. I gave her a heated stare. Her breath caught, her chest expanding. Which caused my cock to twitch. I began to feel like one of Pavlov’s dogs.
 “You are sexy.” I held her gaze captive. “Therefore, anything you wear becomes sexy.”
 She smirked. The power she knew she had over me emboldened her.
“Even my apron?” I inhaled, remembering that ruffled apron, her thin T-shirt and short shorts hiding underneath.
“Sexy as fuck.” A kernel popped. She swallowed. “‘As fuck?’”
 I nodded. “Doesn’t get any sexier than that.” A slight tilt of her head, and Hannah began to play. “What if I wore a potato sack?”
 I snorted. “Do you own a potato sack?” She crossed her arms, shaking her head. My eyes were drawn down to that tempting cleavage. I took my sweet time dropping my gaze down her body, imagining her in a potato sack. Pops sounded out. One after another. Faster and faster, like my pulse going out of control. Hannah began shallow breathing under the intensity of my stare.
 “I would love to see you in a potato sack. Just like I’d love to see you in lingerie. To me, they’re both the same.”

 She laughed, then turned quickly, grabbing the heavy pan with both hands and giving it another hard shake. When she turned around again, she resumed her stance in the same place, back to the counter. This was another dance—a different location, a more enticing rhythm, but a dance all the same. Two partners circled each other, deciding how long to draw out the beginning steps before pulling each other even closer. “How can they both be the same? You’d find me equally sexy in either?”

 A deep inhale was the only thing I could do to clear my mind, keep me sane. That, and the white-knuckled grip I had on the edge of her counter, holding me immobile, keeping me from launching at her and showing her just how sexy I found her. I tilted my face down, holding her gaze beneath my lowered brows. “Hannah, you have no idea. Whatever you think you do to me, magnify it. I don’t see you in anything. I just see you. And if you’re ever brave enough to wear a potato sack for me, wear nothing else underneath.”
 The popping slowed. Her attention was needed at the stove at that critical point. She didn’t move. “Why?” 
“Because I’ll shred it and have you naked in three seconds flat. Might as well save the lingerie.”


  Kat and Stone Bastion Bio: Award-winning and bestselling romance author Kat Bastion has teamed up with her husband Stone Bastion to create the new contemporary romance series No Weddings. A few factoids about the writing team... Kat enjoys her chocolate rich and dark, her music edgy and soul-filling, and her vacations exotic with toes dug into the sand. And she’s wildly, madly, deeply in love with Stone.
 Stone likes pounding the trails on a mountain bike, vibrating the sound system with rock music, and
down time spent on a stand up paddleboard. And he loves Kat wildly, madly, deeply...and then some.
Together, they’re having a blast bringing fun-filled romantic stories to life and hope you’ll join them in the exciting adventure. Kat’s first published work, Utterly Loved, was a twentieth anniversary gift of love poems to Stone that they decided to share with the world to benefit charity. Net proceeds from Utterly Loved, and a portion of net proceeds from all their books, go toward charities involved in the fight against human trafficking.

 Kat and Stone live amid the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Visit their blog at www.talktotheshoe.com, website at www.katbastion.com, and their Twitter accounts at https:// twitter.com/KatBastion and https://twitter.com/StoneBastion for more information. Keep informed about new releases by joining their Email Subscription list.


Enter Kat & Stone's Giveaway!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway



Release Day: Chasing the Sun by Nikki Mathis Thompson

We are so excited to bring you a new novella from Nikki Mathis Thompson!!! Check out the details about the book, and be sure to check out the giveaway!!
Blogs Taking Part in the Release Day Launch
Born To Read
 
 
Chasing the Sun Synopsis: When Ian Radcliffe gets the opportunity to leave town to consult on the project of his career he’s doesn’t think twice. He loads his dog and guitar into the back of the Jeep and flips Dallas the bird as it becomes a speck in his rearview. 
 A change of scenery, that’s just what he needs. His heart isn’t broken anymore, just sore. He thought he’d found the one in Katrine MacNamara, but unfortunately she thought he was number two. 

 He wasn’t a rich businessman, or a rockstar...he was just an architect. He believed in love, family, and friendship. Some might call him the ‘nice guy’. He always thought so— do the right thing, protect the bullied, return your mom’s calls. 
 When two dynamic women enter his life in this new city the lines of friendship, sex, and love are blurred, his world of black and white becomes a little more gray. Will the heartbroken become the heartbreaker? 
 Readers fell in love with Ian in Rebound and Resilient. This is his story and his chance at a love of his own. It won’t come easy, like he always thought it would. But nothing good comes easy...at least nothing worthwhile. 
 Hold onto your hammocks girls, your favorite nice guy is taking center stage. It’s Ian’s turn to get the girl...or two. Chasing the Sun is a 40,000 word novella, and although this is a spinoff of the Rebound series, it can be read as a stand alone.





Nikki Thompson Bio: Nikki Mathis Thompson spent her formative years singing, dancing and creating her own world of make-believe. From an early age she developed a love of reading that has grown exponentially to near addiction. She has a business degree from the University of Texas at Dallas. Her degree looks great in the frame, but hasn't been utilized in years. She gladly left the cubicle life behind to raise her daughter and a son was added to the mix some years later. You can find her devouring a book while drinking a glass of wine, doing her part to save the planet or lip- synching to her favorite songs while running through her suburb. She lives outside of Dallas with her family. Rebound is her first novel.



Enter Nikki's giveaway!! a Rafflecopter giveaway





Saturday, September 6, 2014

Saleana Saturdays #2: Books, Music, Movies and other fun stuff.

Morning beautiful people! How are you all today?

I'm in work, and it's slow so I thought I'd be able to make another Saleana Saturday post. I know, it's been a while. This one is going to be a little more personal. I'm going to show you what I'm reading, listening to, and what I'm up to in general.

So, what have you guys been reading? I've been reading a lot of Pagan books lately, as I'm trying to expand my spirituality. Thus far I'm making my way through these.


The Real Witches' Coven: The Definitive Guide to Forming Your Own Wiccan Group
Great book so far on how to create a coven, or keep the coven you're in running smoothly. Lot's of good advice and some sound tips. 

Enchantment of the Faerie Realm by Ted Andrews
So far, so good. Lots of tips, some exercises and questions to get you thinking about the Fae and their realm. If you like faeries and other beings of that nature then I recommend this. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
I know. I know I'm so, so, so behind the trend right now. I tried to read this when I was 12 and it didn't appeal to me, but I'm giving it another go, and I'm loving it. Very good writing from J.K. Rowling, not that you needed me to tell you that. 



As for music I've been bouncing around with different things. But, below are some of the tunes that are getting me through the days. 


Adrian von Ziegler
The Celtic Collection
Listen HERE


The Morpheus Character playlist by A.G. Howard





Movies!! I don't really have new movies that I can show you guys since I play the same move on repeat, but I figured I'd share anyway.

 
My favorite movie ever. 




So, what are you guys up to? I'd love to see what you're reading, watching, listening to! I'd love recommendations from you guys as well! Tell me in the comments! 







Also, I just created a survey for you guys to take. You don't have to leave your name or email - making it anonymous. If you have hard core complaints or some "tough love" type advice, this is the survey for you to take. I promise you won't hurt my feelings, I just want to get this up and going again.

SURVEY



Monday, September 1, 2014

Release Day: IN HER WAKE by K.A. Tucker


   

We are stoked to bring you all the Release Day Launch for K.A. Tucker's IN HER WAKE! IN HER WAKE is a new adult contemporary romance and a prequel novella in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series, published by Atria Press (an imprint of Simon & Schuster).


Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | BAM | Bookish | Other

EXCERPT: That’s how I spot her. There’s no doubt that it’s her; I’ve memorized her face. Leaning against a wall on the opposite side, her lips wrapped around a clear bottle filled with clear liquor, her fiery red hair a wild mane against the stark white wall, a tight black T-shirt showing off toned arms. She’s in no rush to part with that bottle, guzzling back a good portion before she hands it off to someone, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her eyes at half-mast. She’s wasted. My heart starts racing. What the hell is Kacey Cleary doing here? By my calculation, she’s probably finishing her last year of high school, having lost at least half a year while recovering. I tug my cap down even farther, though I doubt she can see two feet in front of her.
What if she does recognize me? How would she react? Does she know my real name? What I look like? I can’t say for sure that my face wasn’t printed in a newspaper somewhere. She could have Googled my name and found a dozen game shots with me in them. I have my helmet on in most of them, but you can find a profile picture of me easily enough if you’re looking.
I don’t know that she was, though. I wonder if Kacey Cleary gives a fuck about anything anymore. Her Facebook account is inactive. She hasn’t posted a single word and the well-wishes have dwindled, as everyone moves on. I do know that she shouldn’t be at a party in this state. I’ve heard of bad things happening when girls get that drunk. Especially when they don’t care. But what do I do? A blonde stumbles into my chest with two beers in hand.
“Hey, do you go here? What’s your name?” She’s tipping her head back way farther than necessary to look up at me, telling me she’s trying to flirt but is too drunk to do it right. I smile down at her anyway. She’s a good cover. I can stand right here and watch Kacey. “I’m Trent, and I used to go here.”
 “Really? When’d you graduate?”

 From the corner of my eye, I see Kacey shift from the wall and begin climbing the stairs, her arm hooked around the railing to help her. Two guys following her.





About IN HER WAKE: Cole Reynolds had it all. And then one night he makes a bad choice... and loses everything. When a drunken night out at a Michigan State college party results in the death of six people, Cole must come to terms with his part in the tragedy. Normally, he'd be able to lean on his best friends. The best friends that have been in his life since he could barely walk. Only, they're gone. Worse, there's the shattered body of a sixteen-year-old girl lying somewhere in a hospital bed, her entire life ripped from her because of a case of beer and a set of keys. Everyone assures him that they know it wasn't intentional and yet he can't ignore the weight of their gazes, the whispers behind his back. The all-consuming guilt he feels every time he thinks of that girl who won't so much as allow him near her hospital room to apologize. As the months go by and the shame and loneliness festers, Cole begins to lose his grip of what once was important-college, his girlfriend, his future. His life. It's not until Cole hits rock-bottom that he can begin to see another way out of his personal hell: forgiveness. And there's only one person who can give that to him...


And don’t miss the previous titles in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series!


 

ABOUT K.A. TUCKER: Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.    

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Author Goodreads ** YouTube ** Pinterest ** Instagram

 

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Release Day: IRON PENDULUM by Megan Curd


We are thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Megan Curd's IRON PENDULUM! IRON PENDULUM is Young Adult Steampunk Fantasy and the second book in Megan's The Periodic Series!!


Amazon | Barnes & Noble

IRON PENDULUM Synopsis: A month ago, Avery thought the world ended outside Dome Four. Thought she was one of the few of her kind. Thought the war that brought the human race to the brink of extinction was over. But a month can change everything. After fighting to escape a tyranny she didn't even know existed, Avery has had to come to grips with all the secrets she's uncovered. But more secrets continue to come to light, revealing how little of her world she truly knew. When evidence starts to show that Dome Four might be under siege, Avery knows what she must do. Returning to the dome she longed to escape is a challenge for Avery, but now she knows there’s corruption lurking in the shadows. A massive steam shortage leaves half the dome without power, and people are falling ill. Dying. And they’re blaming Avery. A month can change everything. One more month could kill everyone. The clock is ticking.  


 
About Megan Curd: s Megan Curd is a graduate of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. While having always enjoyed reading any books she could get her hands on, Megan didn’t begin writing until a friend encouraged her to do so while in college. When not writing, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Photography, traveling and snowboarding are hobbies she loves, and she doesn’t turn down the opportunity to play xBox with her brother and friends when it presents itself. Megan currently resides in Ohio with her husband and son, where she is trying to convert them into Buckeye fans.    


Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Author Goodreads | IRON PENDULUM Goodreads

 




Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Release Day: RELUCTANTLY ROYAL by Nichole Chase

We are beyond excited about the Release Day Launch of Nichole Chase's RELUCTANTLY ROYAL!! 

 RELUCTANTLY ROYAL is a New Adult contemporary romance novel being published by HarperCollins Avon imprint and is the third book in Nichole Chase’s Suddenly Series. We love the swoony romance in these books and this one delivers in spades!


Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** iBooks

RELUCTANTLY ROYAL Synopsis: Maxwell Jameson Trevor, prince of Lilaria, hates his royal role. Despising the limelight, he takes solace in his art studio and steers clear of any drama. But when one of the newly discovered royals passes away, Maxwell's brother Alex asks him to break the news to the old man's granddaughter. Though he hates to be the bearer of doom and gloom, he doesn't want the poor girl to find out from the tabloids. For Maxwell knows all too well how devastating that could be. Coming from a broken home and modest background, newly ordained Lady Meredith Thysmer has seized her chance to make a better life for herself and her son. She's not afraid to use her best assets to get what she wants. But when the unpretentious yet devastatingly handsome Max delivers his news, her plans for the future come crashing to a halt. In the challenging days ahead, Max's compassion, humor, and steadfast loyalty to Meredith and her son win her over. She quickly finds herself doing something she swore would never happen again: falling in love. And yet Maxwell still refuses to completely drop his guard. Somehow Meredith's got to find a way to seduce this reluctant royal.






 Excerpt: As I turned to leave the room, my eyes fell on a sketch pad and I couldn’t help myself. Sitting back down in the chair I flipped it open and smiled at the drawings inside. Marty had promise for such a young kid. 
 Turning to a blank page, I glanced around and searched for a pencil. Charcoal would be best, but pencil would do. I started with the lines of his forehead, the curve of his impish nose, the roundness of his cheeks. I was lost in the sketch, enjoying the shadows, the tenderness in his expression, working to capture that moment of utter innocence. 
 “That’s beautiful.” Her voice was soft. I looked up from what I was doing, not surprised that she had snuck up on me. When I’m lost in a project, the world disappears; the only thing I’m aware of are the layers of the project I’m working on. 
 “He’s a good subject.” I turned back to the paper and finished up the shading of the blanket. “Only because he’s asleep and not moving.” Her quiet laugh sent shivers over my body. 
 “That does help.” I smiled up at her.
 “But it’s the contrast. The contrast of him awake versus him asleep. He looks so young right now, so innocent.”
 “What do you mean?” She leaned closer to look at the picture. 
 “He’s so mature, quick-witted.” I whispered the words. 
“But here he is, looking like the child he is.” 
 “His teachers say that,” she said. 
“That he’s quick to pick things up.” 
 “I’d say so.” I turned and handed her the sketch pad. 
“I hope you don’t mind that I drew him. The light and shadows were too perfect to resist.” Sort of like her right now. The way the moonlight glinted in her eyes and shone along her hair. Her perfect features would make any artist ache to draw them. Her pixie nose, the heavy eyelashes, the curve of her body hinted at by the oversized sweater she had wrapped around herself. It made my palms itch. Partly because I just wanted to touch her, to see if she would taste as sweet as she looked in that moment. 
 “Thank you for keeping him entertained.” She stood up. 
“Can I keep this?”
 “Of course.” I stood up and stretched. Her eyes swept over my chest and then back up to my face. Maybe I wasn’t the only one tempted to touch. I hated to admit it, but I had a flare of pride. “I enjoyed hanging out with him.” I was surprised to realize I meant it. I never would have thought spending time with a six-year-old would have been enjoyable. 
 “Looks like he did too.” She moved away from the door and I followed her into the hallway.
 “Did you get everything settled?” 
 “I think so.” She frowned. 
 “What’s wrong?” Her expression worried me. 
 “Granddad would have hated a large ceremony.” She sighed and headed for the stairs. “But I guess that as a duke there are some things that have to happen.” 
 “I don’t blame your grandfather.” I followed behind her. “I would want a small ceremony, not to be made into a production.” 
 “I’m starting to think you don’t like any type of production.” She looked at me over shoulder. “Not really, no.” I wasn’t going to lie. “I don’t like being the focus, being the center of attention. It makes me uncomfortable.” I wasn’t going to lie, but I hadn’t intended to tell her so much about me. 
 “And yet you agreed to help me with my grandfather’s funeral.” She turned to me at the bottom of the stairs and set the sketch pad on a table. “Why?” I stared at her for a minute, enjoying the way her eyes looked up at me, the tilt of her chin, the way her hair cascaded around her shoulders.
 “I don’t know.” Unable to help myself, I reached out and touched her cheek with my fingers. Her pupils dilated and she inhaled softly. With one thumb I traced the dip under her plump bottom lip. Her hand reached up to trace my jaw and she took a step closer to me. 
 “You should be running from me as fast as you can.” She whispered the words. “I’m everything you don’t want.”
 “I’m not so sure.” 
 “I live for the spotlight, it’s my food.” Her eyes were half lidded as she edged closer to my mouth. “And you’ve seen my family. I’m trouble, Max.” 
 Did I care? I wasn’t sure I was capable of making a real decision as her smell wrapped around my senses. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to taste her, to touch her, to press her against my body. To hear her say my name again. Dipping my head, I grazed her lips with mine and I was lost. On a sigh, she leaned into me and wrapped her hands around my neck. Tilting her head back, I brought my mouth to hers carefully, softly, tasting. I wanted to deepen the kiss, to hear her moan, to feel the way her body could wrap around mine, but I kept it soft, sweet, and simple. She was in such a hard place, she needed to be protected, treasured by someone. And right now, I was that person. 







    
Nichole Chase Bio:     Nichole Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Suddenly Royal, Flukes, The Dark Betrayal Trilogy, and several short stories. She is also the instructor of Say What? a dialogue class at the Romance Academy. Nichole lives in Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, superhero dog, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not writing, you may find her reading, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.


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