Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Blog Tour: Regina Morris United Service




I want to welcome Regina Morris to the blog today. She is not only a wonderful author but a very amazing person as well. If you are not yet familiar with her work please check out all that we have here to day and be sure to pick up book one of  The Colony series Eternal Service (The Colony)

4.5 Stars


Vampires exist among us. They can be our neighbor, best friend, our child's teacher ...
They alter their aged appearance based upon the amount of blood they consume. They move to a new area, drink a lot of blood, and appear young. Slowly they limit their intake of blood and age, right in front of our unsuspecting eyes. After decades, they fake their death, move, and do it over and over again.
Most live quiet lives in an effort to blend in.
Some however want power and control.
The Colony is an elite group of vampires sworn to protect the President of the United States from these rogue vampires.
Sterling, a half-breed vampire who works with a covert team of vampires to protect the President of the United States, is the weakest link in the chain for his team, and he knows it. Because he was born to a human mother, he no standing in either the vampire or human worlds.
He has a unique ability to glean information from inanimate objects, and his life is like CSI meets the West Wing, where key positions are held by vampires. Vampires can alter their age based on the amount of blood they consume, which should allow Sterling to blend into human society. However, his ability has painful side effects that cause him to live a lonely life down in the evidence room at FBI headquarters. He's a lonely bad-boy looking for love in all the wrong places.
His current case involves the kidnapping of vampire children by a religious cult who is trying to save them. Sterling snatches the opportunity to do some field work by teaming up with a purebred vampire, Kate, who is the nanny of one of the missing children. Sterling's world is turned upside down by Kate. She is everything Sterling could hope for in a mate and he wonders if she'd ever consider loving a half-breed.
Kate is beautiful, intelligent, charming and sophisticated.  Kate has led a sheltered life and is considered handicapped by vampire standards. Could she possibly trust Sterling enough to share her dark personal secret with him? 
Together, can they save the kidnapped children and find true love for themselves?

UNITED SERVICE (book #2 of The Colony series)
Title: United Service
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Series: The Colony
Series Num: Book #2
Author: Regina Morris
Author website: http://www.reginamorris.com
Publisher: Silkhaven Publishing, LLC
Date Available: September 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9888222-6-9
Number of words: approx 100,000
ARC formats: epub, mobi, pdf


   Selena's Thoughts: After reading book one I was so intrigued by Sterling's character that I could not wait to read more about him. He was clearly damaged on an emotional level, his Dad, Raymond, didn't understand him, everyone seemed to treat him differently because of who and what he is. I am proud to say that getting onto his head was truly awesome. There was so much going on in his thoughts at the beginning of the book and as his mystery began to unfold so did my love for him. My heart swelled to the breaking point for him. When Sterling meets Kate everything changes. Suddenly two people who have never been able to experience what it "truly" means to be touched by another human being, begin to realize that what they may have always been missing are each other. 
   These novels are so many different things all at once. A love story, an action/suspense story, a crime drama and a good laugh along the way. If you have not read this series yet, you should give it a go. 

Happy Reading!! :-)

Check out this one page teaser for United Service


Sterling closed his hotel room door and took a long, deep breath before heading towards Kate’s room where he knew Kate and Ben waited for him. They needed to save the children. Duty called. He never thought too much of being a hero. All that mattered was that the people were safe, or they had had closure. Of course, most days he had sat alone in an evidence room with a headache.
Traveling around with a lovely woman was a rarity. He sighed heavily as he leaned on the closed hotel room door. It was time to be superman to everyone and everything in this whole damn world.
He turned and hit the door soundly with his fist. Luckily, the wood did not split in two. He didn’t know what the hell was going on with Kate, between the two of them, or fuck, life in general now. He needed to put all personal issues aside and focus on those missing kids. But, all he wanted was Kate. He wanted her body. He needed her like he had never needed anything else in his life.
Their kiss still lingered on his lips. He remained at the door another moment before going back to Kate’s room. He needed to keep his thoughts on their mission, but he knew that with just one look at her, that he would be tempted to be the most selfish bastard in the world. He remembered the feel of her as she lay under him. Her soft skin. Her delicious lips.
He quickly walked down the hallway to Kate’s room and found the door open, so he let himself in. Ben stood alone in the center of the room. “Where’s Kate,” Sterling asked.
“Bathroom.” Ben glanced over to Sterling. “Like I told Kate, I found the next victim. She’s only a few hours away.”
“Why do the Hands of God suspect her as a pre–trans?”
Ben’s eyes shifted away. Slightly under his breath he said, “She’s sort of related to Stephen Miller.”
Sterling spied two coffees on the dresser, and one still sitting in the cardboard container. He walked over and claimed the cup. “Related? How?”
Ben sheepishly answered. “The two are paired off for marriage after they transition.”
Sterling raised the cup to his lips and took a sip of the hot liquid. The brew tasted more bitter than normal. Of course the two were in an arranged marriage. The two were teenagers, both probably from wealthy families … they were probably paired off while still in diapers. Super easy. Incredibly convenient.
Hot coffee spilled from the cup as Sterling realized he was crushing it. He set the cup down and gave Ben a nod. “Let’s get going.” Turning towards the bathroom he shouted, “Kate.”



About the Author
Regina Morris is the author of the humorous paranormal romances that make up The Colony series. She loves paranormal romances featuring vampires, but her personal taste is light-hearted and humorous – not horrific and gory. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two children. She enjoys meeting with her monthly critique writing groups and meeting other writers in the Austin area through the WLT events.
She has lived in many different parts of the world. She graduated high school in Germany and she attended the University of Texas at Austin where she received a degree in computer science with a minor in math.
Besides writing, she is an amateur portrait and sports photographer. After enjoying a career in the software engineering business, she discovered that writing was in her blood, and had to put pen to paper!
Please connect with Regina Morris through various social media which are listed on her personal author website http://www.reginamorris.com

http://www.amazon.com/author/reginamorris
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eternal-service-regina-morris/1114142739?ean=9780988822214
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/silkhavenpublishing
http://www.reginamorris.com/eternal-service-trailer/
http://www.reginamorris.com/united-service-trailer/
http://www.facebook.com/ReginaAnnMorris
http://www.twitter.com/ReginaMorris
http://pinterest.com/reginaannmorris/




United Service: Interview with Sterling

Q:  Sterling, can you tell me a little more about the Colony and its role for the US government?
A: There’s not much to tell. We’re a group of dedicated individuals who protect the President from rogue vampires.
Q: And, you are a vampire?
A: Duh.
Q: Okay, then. Um. How would a vampire attack on the President be different from a human one?
A: Vampires are stronger, more efficient killers. The biggest difference would be that the President probably wouldn’t see a vampire coming. Plus, he’d be drained of blood afterward.
Q: Is the President aware of the existence of vampires?
A: It’s one of the perks of being President. We try to limit our exposure to humans as much as possible so people won’t know of our existence. Our existence is on a need-to-know basis. The President, since he’s a big target, needs to know.
Q: The Colony director – can you tell us more about that person’s role?
A: He’s the human buffer between us and the presidents. Some presidents don’t like having us around, but some are more open minded. The role of this buffer changes with each administration depending upon the President’s comfort level.
Q: Has any President taken un-kindly to having vampires around?
A: Don’t even get me started. There have been several who have been scared shitless because we exist.
Q: Is the current President nervous around vampires?
A: No. He’s a great guy.
Q: I understand you work with your father.
A: Yes. 
Q: He’s the leader of the Colony. Can you tell us about him?
A: Not much to tell. He founded the Colony after Abraham Lincoln died. Most of the time he’s a pretty level-headed vamp. Sometimes though, he’s a dick.
Q: A ‘dick’?
A: You’d have to know him.
Q: So, let’s go back a minute. You said the Colony was formed after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Did he know of the existence of vampires?
A: Yes, but he was fighting a war of equality between the humans. He couldn’t take on another species, so he kept quiet about it. After his death, our team was formed.
Q: I know this will be a delicate question to ask, but with the vampires protecting the president, how was it that JFK was assassinated?
A: That day sucked ass. Damn convertible car.
Q: I’m sure your team did everything it could to protect the President.
A: Not enough.
Q: Can vampires die? What can kill you?
A: [blink] Do you really expect me to answer that?
Q: Um, not really I guess. Now, your father, he’s a purebred vampire, right?
A: Yes.
Q: Most of the team are either purebred vampires or turned humans.
A: [silence]
Q: You’re the only half-breed in the group.
A: So?
Q: Well, does that make you a liability to the team? 
A: [snarl]
Q: You do come across as very menacing. Do you want to talk about your human mother?
A: She’s dead. Same with this damn interview.

Guest post from Regina Morris

Vampires. Is there no greater (or sexier) hero out there? Shape-shifters do catch my eye, but for me, vampires are the sexiest heroes in paranormal romances. I’ve always preferred the lighthearted romances compared with the darker stories. Put a misunderstood, lonely vampire in a novel that doesn’t want romance, or doesn’t know he wants it, and introduce a love interest that steams up the page? Yep. That’s a good story!

There are so many vampire novels out there to read. For me, what makes each one unique is their individual worlds. Some authors have their vampires unable to be in sunlight, some authors have their vampires dead all day, while others, like me, prefer vampires around 24/7.  It really is up to the author what vampire lore they want to keep for their stories. Plus, some authors throw in a twist to make their vampires even more unique. The vampires in my Colony series novels can alter their age based upon the blood they drink. A lot of blood daily, they're young. Wean off of the blood, they can be old. This comes in handy when you live multiple lives as federal agents protecting the presidents of the United States over the last 150 years. 

My novel Eternal Service is the first book in the Colony Series. This story follows the coven master, Raymond, who is a lonely individual with great responsibility. He has noble beliefs, but falls short. He’s a flawed character, and who doesn’t love that? His only friend is the token human of the group who is the human liaison between the team and the President. This human is retiring, thus the story introduces the love interest, Alexandra Brennan, who is the man’s replacement.  Raymond secludes himself from interacting with humans, especially female humans, but he is drawn to Alexandra. Will his heart or is mission be compromised? Alexandra has a past that haunts her and she’s un-trusting of men. Will she follow her heart or her career? Together, can they save the President?

Book #2 of the Colony Series, United Service, will be available September of 2013. It is the story of Raymond’s half-breed son Sterling. Sterling is a modern-day vampire who clashes with his father’s antiquated ideals. Being the half-breed of the group, Sterling knows he’s the team’s weakest link and he hates it. Sterling jumps at an opportunity to do some field work rescuing kidnapped vampire children and is accompanied by a nanny of one of the kidnapped children. The nanny, Kate, is a purebred vampire. Can Sterling put behind his bad-boy ways and woo the lovely Kate? Will Kate accept the advances of a half-breed? Can they save the children from a religious cult who wants to kill them?

Book #3 of the Colony Series, Enduring Service, will be available in 2014. Sulie (Raymond’s sister) has been in love with the same human man for nearly thirty years, but refuses to allow herself the joy of true love because her love is unrequited by her human boss, Dixon. As Dixon’s retirement looms near, and his memory of Sulie and the last thirty years of his life is about to be erased, does she confront her fear of intimacy and take a leap of faith before it's too late? Dixon has decided that it’s time to retire and enjoy what time he has left. When Sulie is kidnapped during a medical emergency, Dixon realizes that retirement means giving up everything, and everyone, he’s known for the last three decades. Will he risk his life, and his heart, to save her?

Book #4 of the Colony Series, Reliant Service, will be available in 2014. After retiring his first, and only, alias with the Colony, Daniel Brighton discovers the mandatory sabbatical to be less than exciting. He chooses to do a favor and act as a security guard for a fading pop-singer, Lori Austin, whose career is winding down. He travels across Europe with her and discovers her past to be one of deception and intrigue with a past leading directly back to the Colony itself. Lori Austin is struggling to keep her career alive, and is willing to do what is necessary to save it. From bad press and scandalous stories, she travels across Europe on a relief tour to revitalize her career. Discovering a hidden family secret, she realizes that the one man who can save her is the handsome security guard she fought so hard not to hire. 

I've read many vampire romance novels and have discovered five critical elements that exist in the books that I love and read over and over again. When I began writing my novels I made sure that all of these elements made it into my books. First, I made my vampires not want for money. Who wants to read a story of a broke vampire who lives on the streets? I’d rather have them in a stately mansion that is exquisitely furnished. Secondly, the vampires are not loners. I wanted my vampires to work together in a group and have a close bond to one another. Third, I didn’t want blood to be an issue where they spend half the novel hunting humans. The Colony receives bagged blood from Uncle Sam. Fourth, I like when the vampires have a common enemy or goal. Lastly, I enjoy stories where there is some sort of ruling body governing the vampires. In my Colony series the Vampire Council arranges marriages, blood deliveries and much more for the vampires.


Author Interview

What inspired you to start writing?
To this day I'm still not sure what the determining factor was. The idea of being a writer never occurred to me as a child. I didn't write, I hated reading, and my scholarly focus was always in computers and math (far away from the literary classes). My niece kept badgering me to read one of her favorite books and eventually I gave in. The genre of the book was paranormal romance. I had no idea such exciting books existed. I went from reading zero books a year to over one per week. After a few years of this, the idea of writing a book had sprung into my head. It was a fleeting thought, but fifteen minutes later the entire world of my book series, The Colony, was in my head. That was just a few years ago and I have just finished writing my fourth book in the series.

How long have you been writing?
Two and a half years. Since I stayed away from literary classes all my life, I've joined writing groups and have taken classes on how to write, how to format books, how to market your book, etc. I've taken so many classes I feel like I'm back in college.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?
Write what you love. Be passionate about it, but don't be arrogant. There are plenty of people in this world who will love your work, and there will be plenty who will not. Write because you love to write. Publish because you want to share. I would also advise that you hire a professional editor. I have a content editor and a line editor. There is a cost, but well worth it.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?
No, I really don't. However I have noticed that I write my best in the mornings and late at night. This does free me up to focus on my full-time day job when I'm at work.

What comes first: the plot or the characters?
Characters. I meditate in the mornings and scenes will come to me. Sometimes I have to determine which character will work best for a scene, but the characters are always first.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Plotter. I outline all the time. I work on whatever scene I'm most passionate about for that day. So, sometimes I write the ending of the book before the beginning.

Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.
The main character, Raymond, has a half-breed son. These two vampires could not be more opposite of each other. We have Raymond who has high ideals and a noble quality about him, and we have Sterling, his son, who is just a notch above a man-whore. Raymond wants his son to find a wife and settle down. Sterling just doesn’t see the appeal. It’s not until the second book in the series, United Service, that you understand Sterling’s point of view. Raymond and Sterling don’t see eye-to-eye in the first novel, but there are tender father-son moments in book two where their relationship is patched up.

Are you working on something at present that you would like to tell us about?
My second book, United Service (to be released Sept 2013), features Raymond's son Sterling. Sterling is a half-breed who doesn't fit into either the human or the vampire world. He's the weakest link in The Colony group of vampires, and he knows it. He jumps at the chance to do some field work to find some kidnapped vampire children and teams up with a nanny of one of the children. He's a bad boy looking for love in all the wrong places, that is, until he meets Kate. She's a purebred vampire that is making him rethink true love. Books #3 and #4 of the Colony Series are at my editors and will be released next year.

What are you reading now?
JR Ward “Lover at Last.”

What author or authors have most influenced your writing?
Kerrelyn Sparks, Lynsay Sands, and JR Ward.

What is your work schedule like when writing?
I try to write in the mornings and late at night. Since I have a full-time day job, I spend a lot of time on the weekends writing.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A computer software engineer. I got my computer science and math degree years ago.

What is your favorite food? Least favorite? Why?
Dark Chocolate is by far my favorite. I personally feel that when we do venture out into space, and do find extraterrestrial life, that “chocolate from Earth” will be a delicacy that aliens will pay a lot for. Least favorite is liver. I really don’t think I have to give a reason for that.

What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?
I have a degree in computer science with a minor in math, I am a trekkie, and I do have a favorite math formula. People who know me find it hard to believe that I can write such humorous and passionate romance novels. My two lives seem so opposite each other.

Is there a writer you idolize? If so, who?
In my opinion, JR Ward walks on water.

What would we find under your bed?
Dust bunnies and probably all the socks I can’t find the pairs to.

If your publisher offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an
upcoming project, where would you mostly likely want to go? Why?
I have traveled extensively, but the one place I’ve never been is Washington DC. My novels are set at the capital and surrounding areas and I would love to visit, take notes, visit museums, nerd out, etc.

Do you have a favorite quote or saying?
Emerson’s “Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, would you consider straying outside your genre?
I have a four-part YA time travel mystery series just dying to be put on paper! I’m looking forward to writing it.

What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year?
I have two books of The Colony series being released this year, and two next year. I might even get that first time travel book out ... so I think what I would love to accomplish is laying the ground work so I can quit my day job, come home, and write for a living.

When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer
It was after the inspiration for The Colony series popped into my head and I had written the first draft of Eternal Service in only six weeks. It took a year and a half of writing classes, major editing on my part, and the hiring of content and line editors to bring it together, but it was that first six weeks where I had felt so alive that I knew I had to write.

Every writer dreams of getting “the call.” What were you doing when yours came? Who got to hear the good news first?
I never got “the call.” (I’m assuming you are referring to an agent/publisher calling to let you know that they want to pick up your book.) I had sent a query letter to about a half dozen agents and it took up to nine months before I collected all the rejection letters. It was a terribly slow process, so I decided to create my own publishing company. I do my own cover art, layout formatting, website design, and marketing. I hire out the editing.

Who gave you the writing advice that sticks with you to this day?
Most of what I’ve learned about writing came from reading books. However, one piece of advice about reading comes to mind. An English teacher once told me that people who don’t enjoy reading have not found the genre that will open the doors for them. I thought she was crazy at first, but just a few years ago I discovered paranormal romance and she was absolutely right.

Describe the “perfect hero.” What about the “perfect hero” for you?
A perfect hero would be someone who does their best, but is flawed. Someone who is noble and helps those in need. 

What are favorite pastimes?
Reading, photography, watching tv.

What has been your biggest adventure to date?
Having kids. Your world changes so much when you become a parent.

What is the one modern convenience you can't do without?
My toothbrush? It seems so basic, but I wouldn’t go on a trip without it. I have however left my tv, computer, microwave, and phone at home when I travel.

Describe the ideal romantic evening
To start, the kids are at slumber parties and my house is so immaculately clean that my mind won’t wander to what needs to be cleaned, scrubbed, or sanitized. I’d also toss in the idea that I’ve had time to fix myself up which would include makeup, my hair curled and a ‘to die for’ outfit being put on. My husband and I have the house to ourselves. We order our favorite gourmet pizza (the food I never allow myself to eat because of the calories) and eat by candlelight while soft music is playing. 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Blog Tour: Make Mine a Cowboy by Sandy Sullivan

Book Blurb:

Mesa Arraguso writes about hot cowboys for a living. Being a romance writer has it perks and its drawbacks. She spends a lot of time alone in front of her computer, but she gets to fantasize about incredibly hot men wearing cowboy boots and Stetsons. While visiting San Antonio, Texas for a writer’s conference, she finds herself stranded on the back roads of Bandera only to be rescued by one of the most gorgeous men she’s ever encountered, be it fantasy or for real.

Joel Young is a cowboy. From the top of his Stetson to the tip of his dirty cowboy boots, he’s cowboy through and through. Along with rescuing women when they do silly things like running out of gas miles from town on a dirt road, he spends his days herding cattle, fixing fences and breaking horses.

Can one handsome cowboy and a city-girl from LA find common ground is the Hill Country long enough to see beyond a quick fling?





About the Author

Sandy Sullivan is a romance author, who, when not writing, spends her time with her husband Shaun on their farm in middle Tennessee. She loves to ride her horses, play with their dogs and relax on the porch, enjoying the rolling hills of her home south of Nashville. County music is a passion of hers and she loves to listen to it while she writes.

She is an avid reader of romance novels and enjoys reading Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux and Susan Wiggs. Finding new authors and delving into something different helps feed the need for literature. A registered nurse by education, she loves to help people and spread the enjoyment of romance to those around her with her novels. She loves cowboys so you'll find many of her novels have sexy men in tight jeans and cowboy boots.


Excerpt

 Her reflex was to pull her hand back, but Joel grabbed it in his before she could. “You’re a beautiful woman. Other than guests, which are normally families with young kids, we don’t get a lot like you around here. Prepare to be overwhelmed.”
 He kissed her fingers before he let his grip slacken on her hand so she could pull it free. The zing that raced up her arm bothered her. Those things only happened in her novels, not in real life. “Um, okay.”
 As they rounded the doorway, the volume of noise increased tenfold. Several people either sat at the picnic tables chatting away or they were lined up at the serving area with plates in hand. One long table she hadn’t noticed before took up an entire wall. When she did a double take she noticed nine people, eight men and Joel’s mother, who sat there chatting while they waited for the others to be served. Holy shit! How many freakin’ brothers does he have again?
 “Eight. There are nine of us boys.”
 “Stop reading my mind.”
 “Sorry. I can tell by the look in your eyes what is running through your head. You have very expressive brown eyes.” Joel tugged her hand and brought her to the spot where there were two empty seats. “Hey, ya’ll. This is Mesa.” A chorus of hellos echoed through the room, shushing the rest of the conversations going on around them. Joel quickly introduced the brothers around the table and that’s when she noticed two more who looked like…ohmigod.  There are three of him? Yes, you could tell they all were brothers by the similar features, but…
 “We’re triplets,” he whispered next to her ear with a chuckle.

Ah, hell! One gorgeous hunk to tantalize my senses is enough, but nine of them? And two who look just like him? I’m so screwed!


Friday, August 9, 2013

Blog Tour: Collision Force by C.A. Szarek plus excerpt


I would like to welcome C.A. Szarek to the blog today. Her blog tour is being hosted by the girls at Twinsie Talk Book Reviews


Blurb:
Book one in the Crossing Forces series

Bad boy FBI agent and feisty widowed police detective collide pursuing a human trafficker in small town Texas on their way to true love.

Bad boy, married to his job FBI agent Cole Lucas always gets his man. So when the unthinkable happens and one gets away, Cole grits his teeth and hunts human trafficker Carlo Maldonado all the way to Antioch, Texas, where he collides with Detective Andi MacLaren.

Cole doesn’t do small towns and doesn’t get involved with women he works with, but Andi tempts him in ways he doesn’t want to acknowledge.

Two murders, her partner shot and leading the investigation on her own, the last thing Andi needs is a cocky FBI agent who sees her as no more than a tagalong.

Widow and single mother Andi is used to being on her own. When Cole gets stuck without a place to stay, crashing on her couch puts them in dangerous territory.

Attraction and passion bring Andi to a place she’d left behind when her husband died. Her three-year-old son quickly wiggles his way into Cole’s heart, and he starts contemplating things—family, love—that he’d never planned for himself.

Can being forced to work together make them stronger or will their differences jeopardize their case and their hearts?

I have not had the chance to read this one yet but I have read many teasers from the author during the writing process. I look forward to reading it in the near future. Congrats Chrissy and many many best wishes. XOXO


Excerpt:

“Goodnight, Cole.” Obviously, she didn’t want to talk to him about anything, let alone his overdue apology.
“So, that’s it? You’re not going to accept my apology?”
“Not tonight. I’m tired, and we have a long day tomorrow.” She turned to go.
“Andi, wait.” Why was he calling her back? He could respect that she was still upset with him—she had every right to be. He’d gone a bit overboard with some of the things he’d said. 
Keeping Cass’ phone call from her had been unnecessary from the start. He hadn’t needed to carry it on in the car after they’d left the warehouse. It’d only served to get her so pissed off at him she’d barely uttered a word all day. So much for getting somewhere on the case.
Andi glanced over her shoulder and Cole grabbed her wrist. He yanked her into his arms and covered her mouth with his. 
He hadn’t intended to kiss her but as her soft, warm lips caressed his, Cole couldn’t have changed his mind even if he’d wanted to. Her curves hit his chest with enough impact that should have jarred him back into his head, but he was lost and overheated immediately. He wrapped her in a tight embrace and kissed her harder.
She fought him, but his mouth was demanding over hers, and Andi opened for him, melting against him, surrendering to him. She slipped her arms around his neck and Cole bit back a groan. Her taste, sweeter than he’d imagined, was like ripe berries. He needed more.
Andi whimpered against his mouth, her tongue dancing with his. His cock stood at attention, straining against his zipper. He moaned as her body melded to his, breasts to chest, hips to hips. Cole had to have her.
As he walked them back towards the couch, she pushed hard against his chest, breaking the kiss and shoving him away from her. They both panted hard.
“Don’t…don’t ever do that…again,” she stammered, the gorgeous swell of her breasts lifting and pulling her shirt taut as her chest heaved. He could see peaked nipples. His erection throbbed and he struggled for coherent thought.
Cole dragged his gaze to her face. Blue eyes wide, cheeks rosy, freckles noticeable, her lips swollen from his. Though she’d been appealing before, how she stood before him now blew that out of the water. She was gorgeous.
He needed to say something. Anything. Apologise? He wasn’t sorry in the least. Speechless just about covered it. 
She trembled and rubbed her arm. It took all he was made of not to pull her back to him and kiss her again.
There was no chance to answer. Andi turned on her heel and fled down the hall, slipping into the room farthest away from the living room. She didn’t even pause to look at him as she slammed the door.
He winced. What the hell should he make of what had happened? He stared down the hallway for a moment, his heart pounding. Never in his life, not even when he was a teenager, had one kiss stirred him to the point that Andi’s had. Then she’d run from him. His body shook with unfulfilled need. 
Cole couldn’t blame her, really. No way should he have given in to the urge to kiss her. But he had the sinking suspicion he would have to do it again—and more. He wouldn’t be able not to. And hell, she’d kissed him back.
The voice of reason chided that he didn’t get involved with women he worked with, but his cock certainly disagreed. He ignored them both and dragged his hand over his face. The morning would bring complications.
Cole sighed and glanced at the couch. It looked comfortable, but would he be able to sleep?





Thursday, August 1, 2013

Cover Reveal: Love Resisted by Melanie Condina


   For Allie Baxter, love was never something she had to worry about. She was loved by her friends, her family, her husband … until the day it was ripped away. Losing love was the deepest pain Allie had ever endured, and it was an agony she vowed to avoid feeling ever again. Crippled with guilt over her loss, for five years Allie served her self-appointed exile from the daily comforts offered by friends and family, only to return and attempt to fit herself back into their open arms—even if she knew she didn’t deserve it. Mike Lawson was not something Allie expected; the love of a man was not something Allie was prepared to want. The spark of desire that had long ago died inside her suddenly returned, bringing the memories of her pain with it. She swore she would never allow herself to love again … but how long could love be resisted?


Teaser:

Allie stepped out her front door and immediately missed the cool air-conditioned condo she just left. It took a moment to adjust to the heat in the air as she locked her front door. Southern California may not be hot and humid like the east coast, but this was a hot for San Diego in June. It should make for long afternoon at her nephews outdoor graduation. She was making her way down the steps when she heard her neighbor’s voice, “Well don’t you clean up nice.” She wasn’t expecting to run into Mike Lawson just yet, so it caught her totally off guard and she stopped abruptly. If she were being completely honest with herself, she had hoped to avoid him entirely—forever would be good—but since they were neighbors, it wasn’t a realistic expectation. Her need to avoid him and all of his hotness was becoming a strong necessity for her self-preservation.
His ability to melt her with only a smile was beginning to wear her down. Her only defense against him was to be snarky. Pulling her I’m-the-queen-bitch persona tightly around her, she turned to him, cocked her hip, and placed her fist appropriately as she said, “That implies that you think I look like shit the rest of the time, Lawson. You really need to work on how to compliment a lady.” Raising her eyebrows at him in challenge, she continued while gesturing to her entire body, “I’ll have you know, this is just another level of fabulous I'm demonstrating here.”
The man had the nerve to throw a huge grin her way, once again showing her that he was not fazed in the slightest by her snarky attitude. Just another reason to stay the hell away from the man, she thought as she finished making her way down the steps. It was becoming harder to ignore him on a physical level. Not to mention the fact that he made her belly flutter and her heart rate pick up when she saw him. Every time she thought about his effect on her, it pissed her off. She knew it was paramount to resist him at all costs.
What she really needed to do was move the hell out of the condo near his. The problem with that was, she loved her new place. Well, it wasn’t hers yet, but she planned on making an offer when the landlord’s lease was up. Even though she only found this place because of Mike, she secretly hoped he would randomly up and move, solving her problem immediately. She really wanted to stay there. It finally felt that she had come to a point where she was okay being alone, and she wasn’t living with a ghost anymore. It was almost like she had moved on … maybe a little bit … almost. But just because she felt that way, didn’t mean that she had moved on, moved on. That wasn’t about to happen, may never happen ever again … she couldn’t let it.
Her thoughts were interrupted by McHottness himself when he fell into step next to her and said, “Maybe so, but then how else would I get that fire snapping in your eyes? Mission accomplished if you ask me.” Shocked by his blatant admittance that he was trying to rile her up, she swung her head his direction to say something when he winked at her. Once again shocking her and rendering her temporarily speechless. She was this close to kicking him in the shin when he continued, “I take it you are on your way to the graduation as well. Want a lift?”
Thankful for his question to bring her out of her shocked moment, she said. “A lift? It’s more like a hoist. I need a damn trampoline to get up into that truck of yours.” And as if the great Gods of Nastiness were smiling down on her, she snatched the opportunity to up her game from snarky to bitchy. “Just what kind of message are you trying to put out there anyway? Everyone knows a big truck like that only says the owner suffers from little dick complex.” 
They were walking and had made their way around back to where the garages were located so she didn’t see, only heard him huff a laugh before saying. “There certainly is no little dick to have a complex about. I assure you …” He mumbled something at the end, but she didn’t catch it. Not wanting to prolong the conversation she ignored the desire to ask him to repeat himself. Pointing her keys at the shiny red Mini-Cooper to unlock it when Mike popped the bottom of her outstretched hand, causing her keys to fly up in the air. 
As soon as they were airborne, he reached out and grabbed them before she could process what was happening. Shocked again, she looked over at him only to see that damn smile once more before snarling at him, “What the hell did you do that for?”
“I offered you a ride, you didn’t decline, only mocked my truck. Therefore, by not rejecting it, you inadvertently accepted it.” He shrugged, smiled bigger, and finished with, “Well, at least in my book you did, so get in the truck, Baxter.” Turning away from her, he walked toward his truck, her keys in hand. Still a little startled at his maneuver to get her keys, yet slightly impressed since it was something she would do, she stood there and watched as he made his way to the oversized truck. When he stopped at the passenger door and looked back at her, he laughed and said, “Oh come on, I’ll give you a boost. And I won’t even try to look up your skirt … scouts’ honor.”
Shaking her head, she made her way toward him as she grumbled, “Is that the box-car-building kind of scout or the cookie-peddling ones? I bet you probably looked great in that green sash.” Tossing her purse on the floorboard of the truck, she reached up and grabbed the handle to lift herself in but turned her head and looked back at him over her shoulder. “I bet the little beret looked good, too.” 
Feeling like she had been bitchy enough to make him not want to have her for company, she turned back to the open truck door. Preparing to jump in, she let out a squeal when Mike’s big hands wrapped around her waist and hefted her effortlessly into the cab. Turning quickly to glare down at him for doing such a thing, she only met his intent stare as he said, “I look good in anything I wear sweetheart. Now buckle up, wouldn’t want you to fall out or anything.” And then he closed the door.

Author Bio:

Melanie is an amazing mother of four, an awesome and tolerant wife to one, and nurse to many. If you don’t believe her, just ask anyone in her family, they know what to say. She is also a devoted chauffeur, the keeper of missing socks, a genius according to a six year old, the coolest soccer uniform coordinator according to a twelve year old, and the best damn ‘mac-n-cheese-with-cut-up-hot-dog maker in the whole world. Well that last title isn’t really official, but it’s still pretty cool to be called it.

When not being ordered around by any of the kids, you can find her with her nose in a book or on the sideline of a soccer game cheering on one team or another. But that’s mostly because she has a thing for the coach. When she is not doing all of the above, you can find her obsessed with a group of fictional characters all vying for a spot on the page of whatever she’s working on. It’s a fun and crazy life to lead, but wouldn't have it any other way.

Author Links:





Check out my review for book one int the Love Series- Love Realized

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Selena's Thoughts: Cuspian by DC Hall

5 Stars

Twins, Kendal and Kennedi Myles are the envy of their peers with: a second string spot on the varsity football team, smartass but loyal teammates, miniature pores, and a killer spray tan. They had big plans for sophomore year, until their mother is slaughtered during a botched robbery.

Forced to move with their estranged father, Kendal becomes fixated with finding their mother’s killer, while Kennedi tries to settle into life with their dad. After discovering a trail of unsettling clues, the pair begin to believe their mother’s death was part of a conspiracy. As the teens’ investigation digs deeper into their mom’s enigmatic past, a mysterious agency stumbles upon them, and the twosome learns they are Cuspians—individuals gifted with supernatural abilities. Kendal and Kennedi are soon faced with the challenge of staying concealed from the shadowy organization hell-bent on enslaving powerful Cuspians, while trying to solve a murder.

Family secrets, bloody breadcrumbs, and deadly obsessions guide the twins through tough decisions and awful mistakes. Desperate for their lives to return to normal, the pair found normal is not written in the stars for either one of them.

Cuspian (Cuspian Series)

Monday, July 29, 2013

Selena's Thoughts: Out of Breath by Rebecca Donovan

5+ Stars

Emma leaves Weslyn and everyone in it behind to attend Stanford University, just as she always intended. A shell of her former self, she is not the same girl. She is broken, and the only way that she’ll be whole again is through forgiveness. Emma must find a way to forgive herself and recognize her own worth before she can receive the love she deserves. This final installment will have readers holding their breath until the very last page.


*** WARNING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT YET READ THIS SERIES***


Selena's Thoughts: This series is one I started sometime ago. I actually feel as though I have waited a century for this book. The second book of this series left me holding my breath. 

Emma has been through so much in her life. The death of her father having been a pivitol point for her, everything around her seemed to come crashing down. She was left, at a young age, with her Uncle and the woman who ripped every bit of childhood away from Emma. At a time in her life when she should have been comforted she was hated, humiliated and abused. The only bright spot in her life was her best friend Sara. She was the saving grace that kept Emma sane. Until Emma meets Evan and she decides to live. She wants to be a normal girl with a normal life. And she wants to love this boy who has captured her heart. Evan soon finds out Emma's biggest secret, it is finally in the open and he and Sara are going to help Emma. Then the unthinkable happens and the first book leaves you gasping for breath. 

Book two brings you to a new chapter in Emma and Evan's releationship. Emma is finally out of the hell she has been living in and is at peace living with Sara/ She is happy, she and Evan are in love and everything is going great. She seems to be finally getting her life back. Until her mother shows up and suddenly Emma's life is turned upside down again. She is torn between the life of happiness that is write at her finger tips and the mother she longs to know. When her mother begins to spiral into binder after binder she also becomes verbally/emotionally abusive. Emma's heart is torn into pieces and Evan is her safe place. When her mother begins to date Johnathan everything changes, suddenly Emma finds someone she can relate to. She can talk to him about things she has never been able to talk to anyone about. But Johnathan is dangerous and her soon begins to show his true colors, and Emma begins to doubt everything. With her mother constantly telling her she is poison and Johnathan making her feel like no one can understand her like he can, Emma runs. She runs from her mother, Johnathan and even Evan. I was devasted and I knew that waiting for the final nook was going to be torture.

When I picked up Out of Breath I knew it was going to be emotional. I knew my heart was going to break a million times and I also knew I would love it. Since page one of this series I have been emotionally tied to these characters and to finally see Emma start to find her way back was spectacular. This book is raw and heartbreaking and absolutely perfection. It leaves you talking out loud to the pages the whole time you are reading and in the end when only a few pages remain you are once again holding your breath for what will happen next. 

Friday, July 26, 2013

Selena's Thoughts: Wait For You by J. Lynn

5 Stars

Some things are worth waiting for . . .

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at that fateful Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. What she never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she's building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing . . .

Cameron Hamilton is six feet, three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, com-plete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make Avery want things she believed had been irrevocably stolen from her. Getting involved with him is dangerous. Yet ignoring the simmering tension that sparks between them—and brings out a side of her she never knew existed—is impossible.

Some things shouldn't be kept quiet . . .

But when Avery starts receiving threatening e-mails and phone calls, she's forced to face a past she wants to keep buried and acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. If the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface with one less scar? And will Cam be there to help her?

And some things are worth fighting for . . .

   

Selena's thoughts: I have been keeping an eye out of the feedback for this book for sometime. I had been so bogged down with my TBR that I had not yet been able to purchase and read. Cue NA Crush Tourney (naalley.com) ..... I kept seeing all these book guys that I haven't met yet going up against the ones who I LOVE and I thought to myself -- "Ok, if they are even remotely on the same level, I HAVE TO READ!!" So when Cam vs Kellan came up, I immediately bought Wait for You. 

Let's just say that even at 4 am I was so taken in by this book that I would not put it down. I am currently medicating with caffeine whilst writing this review *yawn*. I loved this book from beginning to end. Whether she is writing as J. Lynn or Jennifer L. Armentrout this woman can write her ass off. She has such a way of creating a story that is both captivating and fun. 

When Avery runs into the brick wall known as Cameron Hamilton I knew I was going to fall hard for this guy. Cam was a hottie from word one and then he smiled .... DIMPLE .... I was done for. Cam is the cocky boy next door (literally) and Avery is the girl that shoots him down every single time. Their friendship is fun and easy, like they were born to be a part of each other's lives. The only thing standing in the way of them becoming more, is the fact that Avery is dealing with an inner turmoil. But she isn't the only one. Both believe their secrets will be their downfall. They just have to trust one another enough to see how strong their relationship really is.

I highly recommend this book

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Selena's Thoughts: Hyde by Lauren Stewart

4 Stars

To survive, they must embrace what they most despise . . . in themselves and each other.

Mitch Turner is everything women want most in a man charismatic, successful, drop-dead gorgeous. Except he’s not a man—he’s a monster.

The only way Mitch can protect others from his monstrous side is to stop them from getting too close…that and a 7x7 foot cage. Isolated by his genetic curse, he spends his life hurting people emotionally, driving them away before Hyde can harm them physically. But, after a night of the best sex Mitch has ever had, he realizes that might be impossible. Except the woman he was with claims she doesn’t remember any of it.

Eden Colfax is everything men want most, men other than Mitch, that is. She’s kind, honest to a fault and sickeningly sweet. To rid herself of the monsters that haunted her broken childhood, Eden doesn’t lie, doesn’t curse, and definitely never wakes up naked in strangers’ beds…until the day she does.

Then the flashbacks start—places she’s never been, people she’s never met, blood she’s never spilled. She discovers she’s split into two parts—the woman she thought she knew and another who is capable of anything. And the only person with any answers is the one man she never wants to see again.

What neither of them know is that someone is watching them both, manipulating them, determined to see just how evil the two of them really are. And when the truth begins to seep through the cracks, leaving them nowhere to turn but each other, they will be forced into a partnership neither had expected.

Because in life, who you trust is as important as who you are. And when you can’t even trust yourself, sometimes the only person you can rely on is the last person on Earth you should be falling for.

*** An Urban Fantasy novel intended for adults only, as it includes lots of cursing, descriptive sex, biting sarcasm, and themes similar to those in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, from which this story was inspired.

Hyde, an Urban Fantasy (Hyde Book I)

Monday, July 22, 2013

Selena's Thoughts: Who has the Heart by Tania Edddingsaas

Who Has the Heart? features three separate but intertwined romantic tales. Rob Walker, a college athlete, Bridgett LeMond, a reclusive author, and Duncan Adams, a British actor, share in their own words their personal stories of romance.

Rob Walker - 

My plan was to avoid women and lay low my senior year. I just wanted to focus on winning a basketball tournament, graduating, and getting drafted into the NBA. But as the saying goes, as soon as you stop trying to meet someone, you’ll meet someone, because out of the blue I met Beth LeMond. It’s weird, but ever since, my life is looking like the complex story-line in The Tale Trilogy novels and it’s killing me! All I need now is patience, as I wait to see how my ‘Tale of Romance’ will end.

Bridgett LeMond - 

I secretly made a fortune writing The Tale Trilogy under a pen name. But even with all my success, I find myself struggling with insecurities. I finally managed to leave my old boyfriend and get a place of my own, because I don’t mind living alone. However, now it seems my new good-looking neighbor has taken an interest in me. Yeah right! I don’t believe it for a second! Why would a hot professional quarterback be interested in me? I know for a fact relationships in real life can never live up to the romantic story found in my novel.

Duncan Adams - 

I was a completely unknown actor when I was discovered in a tiny theatre in London and offered the lead role in the Hollywood blockbuster series entitled, The Tale Trilogy. Once I moved to Los Angeles and filming began, I've become a huge star, and now my life is absolute madness! For instance, after the break-up with my beautiful co-star, my Director had the gall to arrange these ghastly public appearances for me. Why isn't it obvious to the Tale fans that this is all a publicity stunt? What a load of rubbish! Thank goodness my new personal assistant isn't a complete nutter. She has introduced me to a talented musical composer and as a result I have found my true passion in life. Now I have to find the faith to follow my heart.

When the three come together on the live television morning program, The Lucinda Michaels Show, secrets are revealed and second chances are offered in the surprising conclusion that will leave readers wondering: Who Has the Heart?

Who Has the Heart?

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Selena's Thoughts: Beneath This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas

5+ Stars

THE STUNNING CONCLUSION TO THE THIS MAN TRILOGY!

The Manor, the very place where their passionate love affair began, fills with guests on what should be the happiest day of Ava and Jesse's lives. She has accepted that she'll never tame the fierceness in Jesse-and she doesn't want to. Their love is profound, their connection powerful, but just when she thinks that she's finally gotten beneath his guarded exterior, more questions arise, leading Ava to believe that Jesse Ward may not be the man she thinks he is. He knows too well how to take her to a place beyond ecstasy . . . but will he also drive her to the brink of despair? It's time for this man to confess.






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Friday, July 12, 2013

Selena's Thoughts: Obsession by Jennifer L Armentrout

5 Stars

He's arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.
Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.
Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something...unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.
Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life...or is it Hunter?


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