Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Cover Real: Beauty From Surrender by Georgia Cates

 photo BeautyFromSurrender_zpsc0a6a0f2.jpg  
Title: Beauty from Surrender (Beauty #2)
Author: Georgia Cates
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Cover Designer: Georgia Cates
Expected release date: May 30, 2013
 photo goodreads-badge-add-plus_zpsa971cb04.png   The story of Jack Henry and Laurelyn continues... How do you move on when he’s every song you sing? After Laurelyn Prescott walks away from the love of her life, she returns to Nashville to pursue the only dream she has left. Determined to find a distraction from the pain of losing Jack Henry, she immerses herself in her music. But with her old life comes old acquaintances and new expectations. When Laurelyn refuses her record producer’s outrageous demands, she finds herself without a career—until an unforeseen opportunity presents itself. From there it’s a rocket ride straight to the top where Laurelyn finds the success she’s always dreamed of. Will it be enough to bring her the happiness she so deserves, or will the absence of Jack Henry leave her wanting more? Jack Henry McLachlan never expected to fall in love with Laurelyn Prescott—but he did. After he foolishly let her slip through his fingers, he spends three months searching for her, but their reunion doesn’t come easy. The woman he finds isn’t the same one who drifted away without a goodbye. No longer an insecure girl on an Australian adventure, this Laurelyn is a successful musician with a promising career. Her dreams are becoming a reality, and Jack is terrified his American girl won’t have a place for him in her new life. With only a month to convince her otherwise, will it be enough time to make her visualize a life beyond the glitz and glamour, a life that includes him?   About the Author  photo GeorgiaCatesProfilePicToEmail_zps11a21cef.jpg Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent fourteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before deciding to pursue her dream of becoming an author. Despite the struggle, she has no regrets in her decision to try this crazy life. She can honestly say that she’s living the dream.
 photo AToMRTours_zpse9017e91.jpg

Monday, April 29, 2013

Cover Reveal: Until I break by Michelle Leighton

I have some major love for this lady, like major. I've also gotten the pleasure to hang with this amazingly talented chick and I get all excited when a new book of hers comes out. I'm excited about this one ya'll. Check out this cover and book description. It sounds amazing!! 








Releasing May 14th

Book Description:

Laura Drake is an author.  She writes bestselling paranormal romances that continue to top the charts.  She is sharp.  She is confident.  She is in control.  

 And she doesn’t exist.

Samantha Jansen is the woman behind the wig, the woman most of the world doesn’t know exists.  She is shy.  She is insecure.  She is nothing like her main character or her alter ego.  She is scarred—deeply scarred—by a past she can’t let go of and a present she can’t make peace with.

Samantha’s dreams are consumed by one man, the broken hero from her books.  Mason Strait is both her wildest fantasy and her most terrifying nightmare.  

When Samantha meets Alec Brand, a corporate consultant, it is as though Mason has come to life.  Alec is handsome to a fault, as elegant as he is arrogant, and more intense than any man has a right to be.

Samantha is soon sucked into a world that mirrors the fiction she writes.  Just like her main character, Daire Kirby, Samantha finds herself unable to resist the forbidden lure of Alec.  And just like Daire, she also finds that she is faced with taking a chance on a man who could either set her free or destroy her.

The scale tilts toward destruction when Samantha finds out that Alec is as much a work of fiction as Mason.  And he has scars of his own, scars that could ruin them both.



About the Author


New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you'll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren't roaming in that direction, she'll be riding wild horses, skiing the slopes of Aspen or scuba diving with a hot rock star, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

Author social media links:

Blog  http://mleightonbooks.blogspot.com

FB http://www.facebook.com/pages/M-Leighton/189192087759491#!/pages/M-Leighton/189192087759491

GR  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1152263.M_Leighton

Twitter  http://twitter.com/#!/mleightonbooks

EM  m.leighton.books@gmail.com

Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/M.-Leighton/e/B004LL0TAU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

B&N  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/m-leighton?r=1

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17667913-until-i-break


Saturday, April 27, 2013

Re-Release Event: Love at 11 by Mari Mancusi




Book Description:


When Maddy graduated from Columbia University, she was ready to change the world. She'd get a job at Newsline, meet a nice guy, and live happily ever after with a real designer handbag on her arm. Five years later, she's stuck producing puff pieces for News 9 San Diego--where "if it bleeds, it leads." She's still single, her family's falling apart, and so is her knock-off Kate Spade.
Then Jamie Hayes walks through her newsroom door. The former filmmaker is everything Maddy has ever dreamed of. Creative, smart, sweet—and with eyes that could make a girl melt. The perfect guy…but perfectly unavailable. And the more Maddy tries to stay away—the further she starts to fall.
Now a secret scoop from her favorite knock-off purse guy has Maddy chasing a lead that could make her career. Or destroy it forever. How far is she willing to go to broadcast the truth? And will this breaking news lead to a happily ever after…or a broken heart?
Stay tuned...it's the story of a lifetime.



Age Group:  New Adult
Re-release date: April 24, 2013
Event organized by: AToMR Tours
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12115053-love-at-11
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-At-11-ebook/dp/B007NN0GI8/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1366574623&sr=8-1
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-at-11-mari-mancusi/1109679094?ean=9781484051542





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Friday, April 26, 2013

Blog Tour Stop: This Love of Mine by Amanda Bennett







CAST






Excerpt 2

“You glad you came?” I whispered against her lips before sealing mine over hers. I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth and slid my tongue across it. She graciously accepted me as our tongues intertwined with one another, sending another shiver down my spine. Her Legs squeezed my waist and my hands slowly found their way down to her ass, cupping it in my grasp. She let out a small muffled moan and I deepened the kiss even further. As my hand started making its way up her back and to the string of her top, Cami and Glenn suddenly interrupted us. I pressed my lips to hers one last time and then pulled away a bit, to say hello.



Review:


I absolutely loved the story, but once  I got to the end I was a little miffed I wanted more. Can't wait for book two. 

This story was beautifully written, the two main characters I fell  in love with. Kayla and Madison both have their issues and pain in their lives. Madison's mother died when he was young and his dad is in prison, Madison has his grandparents who love him more than life. Kayla's dad left when she was young, her mother is the worst human being ( if you could call her that) on earth,  beats her and calls  her the worst names, and her ex boyfriend treats like crap. Kyla is broken in mind and spirit but she has her grandparents who love her more than anything as well. 

When Kyla and Madison meets sparks fly. They can't help but be drawn to each other. Although they've only known each other for a short time they know they are meant to be. Madison wants Kayla more than any other girl he's ever been with and Kayla wants him just as much. Kaya knows her life's a mess but wants what's best for Madison but she feels she's not it, he has dreams he wants to fulfill and wants Kayla with him but she knows he needs to do it on his own. Their passion for each other is explosive.  They love each other but will they have to say goodbye .....you'll have to read it to find out...liked this story a lot, I want more ...I  wish the ending didn't end as it did but look forward to next one . Felt a little rushed in parts in the middle but the writing more than makes up for it.  Madison is hot as hell, sexy tattoes and body to drool over ...check him out ladies. Really enjoyed this read. 


Nanee 


Thursday, April 25, 2013

Cover Reveal:Love Square by Jessica Ingro


The hotel room door opens and Jacob walks in carrying a couple bottles of water from a vending machine, setting them on a side table. He looks yummy as he walks to the bed with a wide smile on his face. Sitting next to me on the edge of the bed, he bends down and kisses my shoulder and down my naked spine, stopping where the sheet lies just above my ass.


“Hey, sleepyhead.” He murmurs in between those drugging kisses. My legs start to stir beneath the sheet and I’m tempted to take another ride before I have to leave.


“Hi. If you keep doing that, you’re not going to be able to stop me from having my wicked way with you again and I need to leave soon.” I sigh with frustration.


“Maybe that’s exactly what I want.” Running a finger up and down my spine, he stretches out next to me. 


“I’m sure it is, but I have stuff to get done before I’m back on the road in a few days. I warned you I didn’t have much time but I would do my best to make this work.”


“It feels like I just got you back, and now you have to go away again. I’d much rather see your beautiful face, instead of dreaming of it. Will you have time to sneak away again before you fly out?”


“I’m not sure. We’ll have to play it by ear. I don’t know how much I have to give you, Jacob. And I’m not just talking about my time either. I’ve been going down this lonely path for a while now and I’m not sure where it’s left me. Regardless of what we did today, I am still a married woman with commitments and responsibilities.” I hate bringing up this fact, but I need the reminder out there that this isn’t a fairytale. Its real life, and its messy.


He leans over and thoroughly kisses me before murmuring, “I know. And I’ll take whatever I can get with you. It’s better than having none of you.”


With that parting blow, he kisses me one last time, grabs his keys and heads out. 


“Text me later, baby. I’ll be waiting.”


I sure hope I know what I’m doing, because it feels as though things are going to get extremely complicated.


Author Bio:

Jessica grew up in Central New York. She spends her days as a Security Analyst at an IT consulting company. She spends her free time reading books and developing ideas for her own stories. Writing is her secret passion that she’s been fostering since elementary school, when she wrote her first book about a puppy. Writing has always been one of her secret dreams and she can't wait to share her stories with the world.


She currently lives in New York with her husband and three dogs.


Author contact information:

Web – http://jessicaingro.blogspot.com/ 

Email – jessicaingrobooks@gmail.com

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/JessicaIngroBooks

Twitter – http://twitter.com/uvrays1997

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8719144-jessica-ingro




Sunday, April 21, 2013

Release Launch & Giveaway: Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase


SUDDENLY ROYAL Synopsis:
Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.



Author Bio:
Nichole Chase is a daydreamer. No, really, just ask any of the math teachers that had the misfortune of seeing her name appear on their class schedule.
For years she has had story lines and characters begging for attention, but she resolutely pushed them aside to focus on more normal (read, boring) jobs.
Well, no longer! She is currently heeding the voices in her head and frantically writing their stories. Ms. Chase is the author of the Dark Betrayal Trilogy, Flukes, and Suddenly Royal (including several short stories).
Nichole resides in South Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, dog, tortoise, and two cats. When not devouring novels by the dozens, you may find her writing, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.

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Saturday, April 20, 2013

Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: Barely Breathing by Heather Allen



Synopsis:


Ever Harding used to believe in love. That is until she was left heartbroken by the only person she ever really loved, Jack, the mysterious boy from her history class. Little did she know he was born of the sea, on land to watch over her. But was he really? She made the ultimate sacrifice, to live in the sea as a mermaid, for Jack and for love. But she found that in the end, that love wasn't enough.


Now she finds herself alone, having to make a huge choice. She must decide whether to defend others against the choices she has made or fight for the freedoms of a population, she has just become a part of.


Ever's brother James, became a part of the sea not by any choice of his own, but he is willing to embrace it as long as a certain long legged, beauty is by his side. But as his sister found, things are not always as they seem.


In the end what they feared the most comes to reality, the battle, waged between staying true to life in the sea or changing a race of people to become more powerful and diverse. Will Ever and James survive the lines drawn in the sand or will they have to battle each other for what they believe?


Little do they know the battle in the end, will be something entirely different than what they were ready for.



Barely Breathing is the second book from Heather Allen and continues the story of Ever Harding.  We first met Ever in ‘Just Breathe’ where she discovered her mermaid history and made a choice that would change not only her life, but the lives of the Lior and the Erebus (the two mermaid clans).  In Just Breathe, Ever lost her heart to Jack, but having sacrificed everything for him things didn’t go quite as she would have hoped.

Barely Breathing is told from alternating points of view – Ever’s and her brother James’.  It’s an approach that I really like as it gives you two perspectives, generally providing a fuller picture to the story.  

James has come to terms with his mer-man life and is training for the impending battle.  Sara is sent as James’ guardian and James is struck by her beauty.  For the first time, he finds himself falling hard for a girl.  Sara works with James to develop his fighting skills and the more time James spends with Sara, the stronger his feelings for her become.  James is unwittingly aligned with the Erebus clan and is confident that if Sara is by his side, he can do anything.

Ever is struggling to recover from the heart break caused by Jack.  Living in the sea without him is not what she had envisaged for her future.  While his sister Amber is a supportive and caring friend, she is also a constant reminder that Jack is not there.  

We met Alex towards the end of Just Breathe and despite her sadness over Jack, Ever was a little intrigued by him.  He is gorgeous, friendly, supportive and unless Ever is mistaken he has more than a friendly interest in her.

Alex helps Ever with her training and she quickly develops an affinity for the bow and arrow.  She also further develops her ‘will’s and it is soon very clear that she is an incredibly powerful mermaid.  Her role in settling the future of the Lior clan is unavoidable, and as she comes to grips with this, she must also determine whether choices she has made in the past have been the right ones – including choices made with her heart.  As if that’s not enough of a burden to bear, Ever and James must also come to terms with the fact that despite being brother and sister, they are on opposite sides in the impending war.  

I’ll be honest, I found Ever to be a bit insipid in Barely Breathing.  Constantly avoiding issues and never really dealing with the situations she found herself in decisively was very frustrating for me.  Having said that, she was often described as ‘running away’ or not dealing with her problems – so she was consistent with her character, I just don’t really warm to characters like her.

Barely Breathing is well written and definitely wraps up a whole lot of things left hanging from Just Breathe.  I was quite frustrated with how Just Breathe concluded, so did get the closure I was looking for.  There are some twists in the story that you don’t expect: both Ever and James don’t get their happily ever after (only one of them does) – although having said that, Allen says that the story will be a trilogy when finished, so it may still be possible!  Rest assured though, the promise of the third book doesn’t mean a cliff hanger.  There is a nice finish to the story in Barely Breathing.  If you’ve read Just Breathe, you should definitely pick up Barely Breathing.




Barely Breathing- Character’s Top Five Favorite Things

Ever’s Favorite Things

1. Jack -Of course Jack is at the top of this list. You can’t just stop loving someone!
2. Swimming- This is a given especially since she is a mermaid now- no wonder…
3. Music- She is a huge fan of her brother’s band and adores most genres.
4. Romeo and Juiet is Ever’s favorite book, although the ending breaks her heart every time she reads it.
5. Her favorite food is fruit, any and all. She develops a keen fondest for apples inparticular.

James’ Favorite Things


1. Sarah – The first girl to steal his heart.
2. Music- He sings and plays guitar in Allgood with two of his friends- they are a folksy/rock sounding band.
3. Movies – James loves action movies, what’s new, he’s a guy. His favorite though is Top Gun.
4. Food – James is a growing boy, pizza is his favorite food but he’ll eat anything.
5. Video Games- When he has time, he likes playing on line against his friends.


Let's see who reads these... Write a comment below and I will choose an e-book winner for a copy of Barely Breathing through random.org!!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Branded Cover Release: Branded by Abi Kettner & Missy Kalicicki







Chapter 1
Chapter One
I’m buried six feet under, and no one hears my screams.
The rope chafes as I loop it around my neck. I pull down on it, making sure the knot is secure. It seems sturdy enough.
My legs shake. My heart beats heavy in my throat. Sweat pours down my back.
Death and I glare at each other through my tears.
I take one last look at the crystal chandelier, the foyer outlined with mirrors, and the flawless decorations. No photographs adorn the walls. No happy memories here.
I’m ready to go. On the count of three.
I inhale, preparing myself for the finality of it all. Dropping my hands, a glimmer catches my eye. It’s my ring, the last precious gift my father gave me. I twist it around to read the inscription. Picturing his face forces me to reconsider my choice. He’d be heartbroken if he could see me now.
A door slams in the hallway, almost causing me to lose my balance. My thoughts already muddled, I stand, waiting with the rope around my neck. Voices I don’t recognize creep through the walls.
Curiosity overshadows my current thoughts. It’s late at night, and this is a secure building in High Society. No one disturbs the peace here—ever. I tug on the noose and pull it back over my head.
Peering through the eyehole in our doorway, I see a large group of armed guards banging on my neighbors’ door. A heated conversation ensues, and my neighbors point toward my family’s home.
It hits me. I’ve been accused and they’re here to arrest me.
My father would want me to run, and in that split second, I decide to listen to his voice within me. Flinging myself forward in fear, I scramble up the marble staircase and into my brother’s old bedroom. The door is partially covered, but it exists. Pushing his dresser aside, my fingers claw at the opening. Breathing hard, I lodge myself against it. Nothing. I step back and kick it with all my strength. The wood splinters open, and my foot gets caught. I wrench it backward, scraping my calf, but adrenaline pushes me forward. The voices at the front door shout my name.
 On hands and knees, I squeeze through the jagged opening. My brother left through this passage, and now it’s my escape too. Cobwebs entangle my face, hands, and hair. At the end, I feel for the knob, twisting it clockwise. It swings open, creaking from disuse. I sprint into the hallway and smash through the large fire escape doors at the end. A burst of cool air strikes me in the face as I jump down the ladder.
Reaching the fifth floor, I knock on a friend’s window. The lights flicker on, and I see the curtains move, but no one answers. I bang on the window harder.
“Let me in! Please!” I say, but the lights darken. They know I’ve been accused and refuse to help me. Fear and adrenaline rush through my veins as I keep running, knocking on more windows along the way. No one has mercy. They all know what happens to sinners.
Another flight of stairs passes in a blur when I hear the guards’ heavy footfalls from above. I can’t hide, but I don’t want to go without trying.
Help me, Daddy. I need your strength now.
My previous desolation evolves into a will to survive. I have to keep running, but I tremble and gasp for air. I steel my nerves and force my body to keep moving. In a matter of minutes, my legs cramp and my chest burns. I plunge to the ground, scraping my knee and elbow. A moan escapes from my chest.
Gotta keep going.
“Stop!” Their voices bounce off the buildings. “Lexi Hamilton, surrender yourself,” they command. They’re gaining on me.
I resist the urge to glance back, running into what I assume is an alley. I’m far from our high-rise in High Society as I plunge into a poorer section of the city where the streets all look the same and the darkness prevents me from recognizing anything. I’m lost.
My first instinct is to leap into a dumpster, but I retain enough sense to stay still. I crouch and peek around it, watching them dash by. The abhorrent smell soon leaves me vomiting until nothing remains in my stomach. Desperation overtakes me, as I know my retching was anything but silent. My last few seconds tick away before they find me. Everyone knows about their special means of tracking sinners.
I push myself to my feet and look left, right, and left again. Their batons click against their black, leather belts, and their boots stomp the cement on both sides of me. I shrink into myself. Their heavy steps mock my fear, growing closer and closer until I know I’m trapped.
Never did I imagine they’d come for me. Never did I imagine all those nights I heard them dragging someone else away that I’d join them.
“You’re a sinner,” they say. “Time to leave our society.”
I stand defiant. I refuse to bend or break before them even as I shiver with fear.
“There’s no reason to make this difficult. The more you cooperate, the smoother this will be for everyone,” a guard says.
I cringe into the blackness along the wall. I’m innocent, but they won’t believe me or care.
The next instant, my face slams into the pavement as one guard plants a knee in my back and another handcuffs me. A warm liquid trails into my mouth. Blood. Their fingers grip my arms like steel traps as they peel me off the cement. The tops of my shoes scrape along the ground as I’m dragged behind them until they discard me into the back of a black vehicle. The doors slam in unison with one guard stationed on each side of me, my shoulders digging into their arms. The handcuffs dig into my wrists, so I clasp them together hard behind me and press my back into the seat, unwilling to admit how much it hurts. My dignity is all I have left.
Swallowing hard, I stare ahead to avoid their eyes.
Did they need so many guards to capture me?
 I’m not carrying any weapons, nor do I own any. I don’t even know self-defense. High Society frowns on activities like that.
The driver jerks the vehicle around and I try to keep my bearings, but it’s dark and the scenery changes too fast. Hours pass and the air grows warmer, more humid, the farther we drive. The landscape mutates from city to rolling hills. They don’t bother blindfolding me because they escort all the sinners to the same place—the Hole. Twenty-foot cement walls encase the chaos within. There’s no way out and no way in unless they transport you. They say the Hole is a prison with no rules. We learned about it last year in twelfth grade.
To the outside, I’m filth now. I’ll never be allowed to return to the life I knew. No one ever does.
“All sinners go through a transformation,” one of the guards says to me. His smirk infuriates me. “I’m sure you’ve heard all kinds of stories.” I don’t respond. I don’t want to think about the things I’ve been told.
“You won’t last too long, though. Young girls like you get eaten alive.” He pulls a strand of my hair up to his face.
 Get your hands off me, you pig. I want to lash out, but resist. The punishment for disobeying authority is severe, and I’m not positioned to defy him.
They’re the Guards of the Commander. They’re chosen from a young age and trained in combat. They keep the order of society by using violent methods of intimidation. No one befriends a guard. Relationships with them are forbidden inside the Hole.
Few have seen the commander. His identity stays under lock and key. His own paranoia and desire to stay pure drove him to live this way. He controls our depraved society and believes sinners make the human race unforgivable. His power is a crushing fist, rendering all beneath him helpless. So much so, even family members turn on each other when an accusation surfaces. Just an accusation. No trial, no evidence, nothing but an accusation.
I lose myself in thoughts of my father.
“Never show fear, Lexi,” my father said to me before he was taken. “They’ll use it against you.” His compassionate eyes filled with warning as he commanded me to be strong. That was many years ago, but I remember it clearly. My father. My rock. The one person in my life who provided unconditional love.
The vehicle stops, and I’m jerked back to reality. “Get out,” the guard orders while pulling me to my feet. The doors slide open and the two guards lift me up and out into the night. A windowless cement building looms in front of us, looking barren in the darkness.
The coolness of the air sends a shiver up my spine. This is really happening. I’ve been labeled a sinner. My lip starts to quiver, but I bite it before anyone sees. They shove me in line and I realize I’m not alone. Women and men stand with faces frozen white in fear. A guard grabs my finger, pricks it, and dabs my blood on a tiny microchip.
 I follow the man in front of me into the next room where we’re lined up facing the wall. Glancing right, I see one of the men crying.
“Spread your legs,” one of the guards says.
They remove my outer layers and their hands roam up and down my body.
What do they think I could possibly be hiding? I press my head into the wall, trying to block out what they’re doing to me.
“MOVE!” a guard commands. So I shuffle across the room, trying to cover up.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five of us sit in the holding room. One by one, they pull people into the next room, forcing the rest of us to wonder what torture we’ll endure. An agonizing amount of time passes. I lean my head back and try to imagine a place far away. The door opens.
“Lexi Hamilton.”
A guard escorts me out of the room, and I don’t have time to look back. As soon as the door closes, they pick me up and place me on a table. It’s cold and my skin sticks to it slightly, like wet fingers on an ice cube. Then, they exit in procession, and I lie on the table with a doctor standing over me. His hands are busy as he speaks.
“Don’t move. This will only take a few minutes. It’s time for you to be branded.”
A wet cloth that smells like rubbing alcohol is used to clean my skin. Then he places a metal collar around my neck.
Click. Click. Click.
The collar locks into place, and I struggle to breathe. The doctor loosens it some as I focus on the painted black words above me.
The Seven Deadly Sins:
Lust ¾ Blue
Gluttony ¾ Orange
Greed ¾ Yellow
Sloth ¾ Light Blue
Wrath ¾ Red
Envy ¾ Green
Pride ¾ Purple
 “Memorize it. Might keep you alive longer if you know who to stay away from.” He opens my mouth, placing a bit inside. “Bite this.”
Within seconds, the collar heats from hot to scorching. The smell of flesh sizzling makes my head spin. I bite down so hard a tooth cracks.
“GRRRRRRRRR,” escapes from deep within my chest. Just when I’m about to pass out, the temperature drops, and the doctor loosens the collar.
He removes it and sits me up. Excruciating pain rips through me and I’m on the verge of a mental and physical breakdown. Focus. Don’t pass out.
Stainless steel counters and boring white walls press in on me. A guard laughs at me from an observation room above and yells, “Blue. It’s a great color for a pretty young thing like yourself.” His eyes dance with suggestion. The others meander around like it’s business as usual.
I finally find my voice and turn to the doctor.
“Are you going to give me clothes?” A burning pain spreads like fire from my neck to my jaw, making me wince.
He points to a set of folded grey scrubs on a chair. I cover myself as much as I can and scurry sideways. Grabbing my new clothes, I pull the shirt over my head and try to avoid the raw meat around my throat. I quickly knot the cord of my pants around my waist and slide my feet into the hospital-issue slippers as the doctor observes. He hands me a bag labeled with my name.
“Nothing is allowed through the door but what we’ve given you,” he says.
I hide my right hand behind me, hoping no one notices. A guard scans my body and opens his hand.
“Give it to me,” he says. “Don’t make me rip off your finger.” He crouches down and I turn to stone. I don’t know what to do, so I beg.
 “My father gave this to me. Please, let me keep it.” I smash my eyes shut and think of the moment my father handed the golden ring to me.
“It was my mother’s ring,” he’d said. “She’s the strongest woman I ever knew.” With tears in his eyes, he reached for my hand. “Lexi, you’re exactly like her. She’d want you to wear this. No matter how this world changes, you can survive.” I turned the gold band over in my palm and read the engraving.
You can overcome anything… short of death.
 “You’re going to take the one thing that matters the most to me?” I say, glaring into the guard’s emotionless eyes. “Isn’t it enough taking my life, dignity, and respect?”
A hard blow falls upon my back. As I fall, my hands shoot out to stop me from smashing into the wall in front of me. The guard bends down and grabs my chin with his meaty fist.
“Look at me,” he commands. I look up and he smiles with arrogance.
“What the hell?” He staggers a step backward. “What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“Nothing,” I respond, confused.
“What color are they?”
“Turquoise.” I glower at him.
“Interesting,” he says, regaining his composure. “Now those’ll get you in trouble.”
Reality slaps me across the face. I have my father’s eyes. They can't take them from me. I twist the ring off my finger and drop it in his hand.
“Take the damn ring,” I say. I walk to the door. He swipes a card and the massive door slides open to the outside.
“You have to wear your hair back at all times, so everyone knows what you are.” He hands me a tie, so I pull my frizzy hair away from my face and secure it into a ponytail. My neck burns and itches as my hand traces the scabs that have already begun to form. Squinting ahead into the darkness, I almost run into a guard standing on the sidewalk.
 “Watch where you’re going,” he says, shoving me backward. His stiff figure stands tall and I cringe at the sharpness of his voice.
“Cole, this is your new assignment, Lexi Hamilton. See to it she feels welcome in her new home.” The guard departs with a salute.
“Let’s move,” Cole says.
I take two steps and collapse, my knees giving out. The unforgiving pavement reopens the scrapes from earlier and I struggle to stand. A powerful arm snatches me up, and I see his face for the first time.


Cover Reveal and Sneak Peak of This is Forever by S.A Price



Did it get you curious? Winter is the very sexy bassist for the band 13 Shades of Red, and his book, THIS IS FOREVER will be releasing December 2013. Wanna see the cover?


Now isn’t that just sexy? From now till December if you check out some of your favorite blogs that are rocking the mini graphic on the side column, we will be giving some teasers, excerpts and interviews about the book, on the 10th of the month.
 
Believe me; it really is going to be a Long Hard Winter. *wink*
 
And now… for a sexy sneak peek at THIS IS FOREVER…
 
Seeing Lola after eight months was a fucking kick in the teeth. She had changed her hair, it was purple with black streaks, and she was wearing one fucker of an outfit. Platform Mary Jane’s, her signature, purple torn fishnet thigh highs with garters that ended in bows with skulls on them, micro mini in black satin with a lace trim. She had tripled up on her belts, her little baby tee molding to her torso like a second skin. It was razor cut in places, showing skin and the purple of her lace bra. Her arms warmers were knitted with little skulls on them. He was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing underwear also, the girl just loved to shock. Dare he think it was for his benefit? He wasn’t sure he even saw her, thinking he was dreaming the perfection before him.
But dreams don’t blow you off… at least his didn’t. His dreams, her especially, blew him. When dreams blew you off, those were called nightmares, and those sucked. Sucked like life was sucking right now. She had walked in with the rest of her band, greeted everyone but him, her gaze lingering a little too long on Colin, Rhys’ little brother, but then moved on as she kissed cheeks and hugged people.
 He had to adjust his groin, discreetly of course, when she and Saffron hugged and snuggled. Apparently over the past several months Saffron and Lola had become quite the BFF, with Lola staying at Saffron’s place in New York when she had to go in for several shoots and meetings with her record company. Rhys had teased him about getting face timed and seeing both of them in little booty shorts and white tank tops… but he didn’t think they were that close.
And worse, he didn’t think seeing her all snuggly with Saffron would illicit the images rolling through his head. Not that Saffron wasn’t hot, but he just didn’t dig his best friend’s girl like that.  He grabbed a tootsie pop and unwrapped it, sticking the thick ball into his mouth. He watched her move from person to person, but never to him.
What. The. Fuck.
When everyone sat down, she sat at the other end, didn’t even bother to look at him. He went through dinner in a blur, his anger getting to him more and more. What the fuck was going on? He was beginning to feel like he was invisible. Maybe it was a nightmare?
When she got up and went to the bathroom, he followed, after exchanging a meaningful look with Rhys.
“So you’re just not going to say anything to me?” he said as he caught her coming out of the bathroom.
She looked at him and then sighed. “I didn’t want a public thing to happen.”
Public thing?
He cocked his head and scowled. “And what the fuck does that mean?”
She looked him up and down. “I don’t know if I’m ready to say hi like I want to.”
Winter rolled his eyes. “So you can wrap yourself around Saffron, eye Colin up like he’s a steak, which by the way he’s not even eighteen yet, eww,” he ticked off on his fingers, “Yet you can’t even just turn and wave at me?”
Lola shook her head. “It’s not what I wanted. And Colin is going to be very popular…”
“You just didn’t wanna talk to me at all?” he asked, thoroughly confused. She was the one that pushed for the tour, and by all accounts she didn’t have issue with their past. It was what gave him hope.
She moved closer and shook her head. “That’s not it.”
“Then what’s it?” he bit out, his hands clenched at his sides. Gods, only she could infuriate him like this. Fuck she smelled good. All honey and warm clover… no one smelled like Lola.
Her voice lowered. “Do you like my outfit Winter?”
He growled. Fuck yes he liked her outfit. Loved. Wanted it crumpled on the floor of his bedroom. Wanted to peel it from her slowly, kissing every inch of skin he exposed.
She reached for him, her fingers tugging him closer by the belt loops of his jeans. “Good. You’re supposed to. You don’t get anything from me Winter Tulane. No greeting, no, little wave, no explanation. Eat your heart out baby.”
She got closer, her lips just against his, a slight almost imperceptible move of the hoop through the middle of his lip and then she was gone, back towards the party, her ass shaking with a sashay that had blood rushing from every place in his body to his cock. Fuck. What the hell was going on?
“Hey Lo,” he called after her. She gave him the finger and kept walking.
Game on. Game fucking on, he thought as he followed her back into the room. Confusion didn’t even convey how he was feeling about what happened, but holy fuck the signals she was throwing off were so convoluted he didn’t know if he should fist pump for getting her so close to him or brood over her words.
 
LIKE? Add it to your TBR pile 
on
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17672271-this-is-forever
 
Books before this: Giving Up the Ghost (#1):
 
You Burn Me(Prequel/ Bridge book):
 
Wanna Win something awesome? Well easy peasy!
 
Add THIS IS FOREVER to your TBR pile on goodreads and you will be entered to win:
A Merch Package: t-shirt, Poster, Pin, Card, Door hanger, tote bag, and Keychain, a 25$ GC to Amazon.com, a Print copy of Giving Up the Ghost with a special short story from Saffron’s past and a Print copy of You Burn Me. Book MUST be ADDED between April 19 and April May 1st. Winner will Be announced on May 4th!
 

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Cover Reveal for First Born by Tricia Zoeller

"First Born" by Tricia Zoeller

Releases May 10, 2013 and will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords

















Mark "First Born" as to-read on your Goodreads profile at: 
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17670526-first-born


Mini Book Blurb:
"With the police and a killer hot on her trail, can shapeshifter Lily Moore solve the mystery of being First Born or will family secrets prove deadly?"


Check out Tricia's "First Born" playlist:






Tricia Zoeller
Author, First Born

Tricia would like to express a huge thank you to Claudia at Phatpuppy Art and Ashley at Bookish Brunette Designs for this amazing book cover. 









Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: Playing Patience byTabatha Vargo






BLURB
Playing Patience
Sometimes all you need is Patience.

Life’s been hard for Zeke. Being a punching bag for his alcoholic father has turned him into stone. Not even the dodgy trailer park he lives in can scare him. Fighting is his release and sex, drugs, and his guitar bring him peace, but deep down Zeke isn’t quite as hard as he makes himself out to be. When he meets Patience, she finds all his broken pieces and puts him back together, but she’s a ray of light in his shadowed life and the last thing he wants to do is bring her into his dark world. Playing careless is easy, playing the bad guy can be fun, but playing Patience is impossible, especially when she can see right through him.

Zeke isn’t the only one who’s broken, and for the first time, in a long time, Patience feels alive. Her black and white world gets a shot of color when she meets Zeke. He’s unlike anyone she’s ever met with his tattoos, piercings, and blunt honesty. She wants nothing more than to let go and ride the wild side with him, but some wounds never heal and the broken pieces of Patience aren’t so easy to find.

***Warning: this book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young adult readers.***




EXCERPT ONE

Her cheeks turned pink and a frown pulled on her pouty mouth.
“I shouldn’t have come here. I just wanted to say thanks.” Her eyes cut me before she turned and walked away.
She made it to the hood of the waiting car, before my conscious peeked out and slapped the shit out of me.
“Hey,” I called out to her.
She stopped and faced me again. Instantly, I felt like the biggest dick in the south when I saw her eyes brimming with tears. Someone so sensitive didn’t stand a chance around a person like me, but knowing that I’d probably never see her face again made it okay for me to kind of apologize for being myself for some reason.
“I’m rude, but you’ve seen firsthand what happens to shiny things in a chop shop,” I gestured to the world around us. “Your best bet is to stay away from these parts, princess. A pretty thing like you wouldn’t last two hours out here. How long were you at The Pit last night before you were dying on the bathroom floor? An hour, tops? Think of my rudeness as a blessing.” I adjusted my guitar case in my sweaty palm and turned toward my trailer door.
I looked back to get one final glimpse of her. The contrast between her and the trailer park around her was alarming, although, with her fair skin, white hair, and pale, blue eyes, I’m sure she stuck out just about anywhere she went. She was unique, a single snowflake with her own icy patterns, and if she stayed in my hell any longer she’d melt.
“Have a nice trip back to Wonderland, Snowflake,” I said, as I opened my the door,
“My name is Patience,” she snapped.
Patience…it was as unique as its owner. I liked it, although, I’d never admit that out loud. Instead, I shook my head and laughed like she had told me a joke, walked inside, and shut her out.





AUTHOR BIO
Tabatha's been writing since she could pick up a pencil. Her first publication was a little poem in her elementary school paper, from that point on she was hooked. When she was a teenager, she traded in her girly magazines for personalized writing notebooks.

At nineteen, she met her own personal prince charming and writing took a back burner for a while. She's now married to that prince and the mother of a beautiful seven-year-old princess/rock star. Once her daughter was born, writing came back into her life, and she finished her very first novel, Wicked Fate, in May of 2009.

She's now pursuing her English degree and she hopes to one day teach while continuing to write.
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