In the Spotlight: Dazed by Nikki Palomino

When artiste extraordinaire and grunge rocker, Eric Peterson, returns home after living on the Portland streets, he finds most things unchanged, except for one thing. His best friend, Kevin, has moved on to another relationship, causing negativity and pain to resurface in Eric's short, angry, inspired life. Desperate, Eric will stop at nothing to secure a blast of smack, and fellow art student, Brian, tries to help, seeing that Eric's pain might extinguish his artistic brilliance. When Eric finds DAZED, he gives up the drugs cold turkey and climbs brutally through the nightmarish world of addiction. Eric's journey leads to self-discovery, love and passion, and a triumphant survival in a world that hates junkies and fags. 

CONTENT ADVISORY: There are mentions of a close MF relationship as well as several MM encounters with varying partners.

5 out of 5 stars

I don't know how to describe my feelings throughout this amazing story other than awe of the writing and story itself. This story was amazingly unique describing the life of Eric Peterson a talented artist, an amazing guitarist, writer and junkie with two inches. Eric left home (was kicked out) and lived on the streets of Portland for a year (the writer describes his feelings and actions as though you were there with him) what he dealt with and lost. Then he's back home and dealing with daily life; school, a loveless mother and a father that's not around but the worst for Eric is his relationship with his best friend Kevin. Eric turns to drugs for relief as he always did, he can't figure out his life so he refers to David Bowie's advice. I could not put this book down once I started it (up till 3am) The author draws you into Eric's life, I felt a part of it, I felt sad and hurt for him, I wanted to hug him, hold him, love him. The story continues with Eric meeting Brian a fellow art student, starting a grunge band (Dazed) having gigs, being on the top of the world but feeling at the bottom and his journey of self discovery and recovery. I absolutely loved this story, it was amazingly written and is totally unique. I can't wait for book 2.

As a runaway, from the streets of NYC to the Strip of L.A., Nikki spent her youth as a grunge punk rock musician, racking up the confusion, frustration and passion and leading her to write DAZED (The Story of a Grunge Rocker), the first in a series of novels about the drug and music culture of the '90s. She learned life, drugs, and alternative music touring in a van packed with the rest of the band, equipment, and groupies, playing infamous clubs like CBGB's.

In 2003, Nikki was named Writer's Digest's Best Genre Short Story Writer. She's written stories for print rags, including Nightmares and Blonde on Blonde and has written erotica for Foggy Windows as well as covering rock and country music for various rags, including Los Angeles Country Examiner, Buddy Magazine and Blast. She has studied under feature writers at both the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Post.

Nikki was co-writer and co-producer of Palomino Productions' 2004 film noir, Baby, and the award-winning dark comedy from 2007, The Rug, later a TV pilot entitled, Our Way of Life, originally for Fox. She is currently working on the second in the DAZED series and an upcoming series of novels entitled The Underground Diaries.

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Release Promotion: Finding My Way by Megan Keith

 Congratulations to Megan Keith on the release of her debut novel Finding My Way

Available now, this is definitely one to pick up!

BOOK TITLE:   Finding My Way

AUTHOR:   Megan Keith

GENRE:   New Adult Contemporary Romance

RELEASE DATE:   25 June, 2013

When twenty-three-year-old Emma discovers that her ex is moving on with his life, she decides to harden up and get on with living her own. Who knew that just opening up to the possibility of a new relationship would be all that it took? Things start looking up when her hot new co-worker Seth notices her. He had been the subject of her fantasies, but she never thought she stood a chance. Then there’s Nick, the sexy and self-assured guy she met at the train station that she cannot get out of her head. When even more prospects begin to show it seems that life is finally looking up. Top it off with a new career opportunity and Emma finally believes she can find her way to a whole new life.

** Song 20: Diamonds - Ben Howard (not available on Spotify)

** Song 21: Only Love - Ben Howard (not available on Spotify)

Megan Keith is a married, mother of three, living in a small country town in New South Wales, Australia. She has a constant thirst for a good story, whether it is in books, music, movies, on TV, or just plain old-fashioned gossip. She has always had a creative side and loves to let her imagination run wild. On a few occasions over the years, Megan has put those imaginings into a written story, but never dreamed of publishing. She has always loved to read, but it wasn’t until she got given a Kindle that it became a full-blown addiction. Her introduction to the world of Indie Authors re-ignited her passion for writing and she has spent the past ten months working on what was supposed to be one book, but has now turned into three. Finding My Way is the first of the trilogy, and is also her debut self-published novel.

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Sneak Peak: This Time Around by Ellie Grace

This Time Around by Ellie Grace is due for release July 15, 2013.  Here's a little sneak peak to hold you over until then!

Title: This Time Around 

Author: Ellie Grace 

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Age Group: New Adult

Expected release date: July 15, 2013 
Event organised by: AToMR Tours

Nora Montgomery left home and heartbreak behind in South Carolina when she moved to New York City after her high school graduation. Now, four years later, she returns home and is forced to confront the past she left behind and the reckless boy who broke her heart. It’s not long before the pieces of her past begin to blur with the present and she realizes that the feelings she had for her first love never really went away. As old dreams resurface and new truths come to light, she begins to question the future she’s always planned on.

Jake Harris has spent four years regretting the night he let her get away. When she finally reappears in his life, he is determined to win her back and prove how much he’s changed. She might never forgive him for that night, but if he tells her the truth about what really happened it will shatter the world she thought she knew. If he doesn’t, he might not get a second chance. He’s already lost her once and he won’t lose her again.

They come from two different worlds that are threatening to tear them apart…can they make it this time around?

Nora hopped into the back and started handing me the heavy boxes so I could bring it all into the house. When it was all unloaded she stood on the tailgate and held out her hand so I could help her to the ground. Instead of grabbing her hand, I wrapped my arms around her thighs to lift her, letting her body slide down mine until her feet touched the ground. I kept my hands on her hips and looked her right in the eye so she would know exactly what was coming.

“Jake – don’t,” she stammered, but didn’t pull away.

“I have to,” I told her, as I leaned forward and gently placed my lips on hers. I held them there for just a moment before pulling back to look at her, and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest.

“I – I can’t do this, Jake.”

“Then don’t kiss me back.”

I leaned in to kiss her again and tightened my arms around her. Cautiously I moved my lips against hers and brought my hand up to touch her face. I heard her moan softly against my lips and it was all the encouragement I needed. I pressed up against her and when I felt her lips part for me, I let my tongue find hers and tilted her head as I deepened the kiss. As my lips began moving more intensely, she wrapped her arms around my neck and crushed her body against mine.

The need I felt for her turned me completely inside out. I hadn’t planned on kissing her today, but when I looked up at her standing on the tailgate, illuminated from the light of the setting sun, I knew I couldn’t wait. I had to know what it was that I was feeling, and if it was something real or if it was just remnants of the past clouding the present. Still, I wasn’t expecting this. Instead of curbing my appetite for her, it only intensified it. I’d never needed anything as much as I needed Nora.

When I finally pulled away, I brushed my thumb against her cheek and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “God, I missed you, Nora.”

“This doesn’t change anything,” she said breathlessly, “I still have to go back to New York.”“We’ll see,” I said simply.

Ellie Grace is an avid reader, chocolate lover and caffeine addict. When a story popped into her head that she couldn’t seem to shake, she decided to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a writer. When she’s not writing, she’s usually curled up with a book by one of her many, many favorite authors.

Blog Tour Stop: Fading by E. K. Blair

Welcome to our stop on the Fading by E.K. Blair blog tour.  This is not a book for the faint hearted.  It is gritty, raw and deals with the issue of sexual assault head on.  E.K. Blair has done a wonderful job of shining a spot light on this issue and yet maintaining a level of sensitivity and offering support for victims of sexual assault.

 Can a guilty conscience keep wounds from healing?


Fine arts major, Candace Parker, grew up with a mother who thinks image is everything, and her daughter’s perfection will never be good enough. About to graduate college and pursue her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, Candace decides it’s time to let go and have a little fun. But fun is short-lived when a brutal attack leaves her completely shattered.

The memories that consume and torment Candace are starting to destroy her when she meets Ryan Campbell, a successful bar owner. He feels instantly connected and tries to show her that hope is worth fighting for. But is Ryan harboring his own demons? As walls slowly begin to chip away, the secrets that are held within start to become painful burdens.

At what point do secrets become lies?

          As I drive, reality slowly starts creeping back in, and the weight in my chest returns. The thunder continues to rumble, and I feel like the weather fits my mood perfectly. The clouds open, and the rain begins to crash down on my windshield. I turn my wipers on high, but I struggle to see the road ahead. I pull into one of the empty parking lots on campus to wait until the rain lightens up. While sitting in the car, I listen to the rain beating violently against the steel.

            For some reason, I get the urge to get out of my car. I open the door and step out into the rain. Closing the door, I lean against the car, and within seconds, I’m drenched. The beating of the raindrops against my delicate skin feels good, almost painful in a way—but good. I lean my head back and feel the pellets as they strike my face. I enjoy the biting sensation. With my eyes closed, I just stand there, wishing I could live here, in this vacant lot, alone, focusing on nothing more than the stinging pleasure of the storm as it batters me. Knowing that this will soon end, that the sun is lingering behind the clouds and I will be faced with the hell that is my life, my body slides down the side of my car, and I sit in a puddle of water on the dirty ground and cry.

            Why didn’t I fight more?

5 out of 5 stars


I'm going to do something I never do and that is start this review at the end of the book:

"Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. Approximately 2/3 of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim. And only 46% of assaults are reported to the police."

These statistics are incredibly alarming and it is heart breaking to think of the trauma and ongoing pain suffered by so many, often in silence.

Fading tells us Candace's story. A talented college student pursuing a career as a professional ballerina. Focused on her study and dance, Candace has a very small group of friends and doesn't tend to go out a lot - quite at odds with the 'usual' college life. Battling with the expectations of her parents, Candace studies hard to maintain a 4.0 grade point average. Her mother particularly, is focused on appearances and does not consider studying ballet or a career as a professional dancer a path worthy of her daughter and does not hide this view from Candace. Frustrated, lonely and feeling like perhaps she needs to relax and live a little, Candace agrees to go out with someone who has her mother's stamp of approval. Despite her reservations and the lack of any real spark, Candace persists, with consequences more dire than she ever would have imagined.

Fading is intense. It is heartbreaking, it is graphic, it does not shy away from the impact of a brutal sexual assault. Candace had her whole world ripped apart and Fading tells of her experience and her journey forward. She struggles daily, and is dependent on her best friend Jase. Candace loses a lot as she deals with her experience. Embarassed, guilty, traumatised she works hard to be 'normal' and move forward, but every day is incredibly hard.

"I'm fading." I feel the heat of my tears as they linger down my cheeks. "He took all my light, and I've been fading ever since."

With the support of Jase and his partner Matt, Candace exists. It is through her friends that she meets Ryan and as their friendship develops she begins to wonder whether she may be able to have a life after her attack.

"I've only ever truly let one person in - Jase. Guys have always made me feel awkward. I don't know how to respond to affection, and I wind up feeling embarassed and shy. For the first time, I don't want to feel that way."

Despite the bleakness of the subject matter I loved Fading. Candace was an incredible character - strong in so many ways and yet so incredibly vulnerable. Not having had a warm and loving family experience, and being an only child, meant that she was slow to connect with people generally, but with Jase she had a friendship that filled the void of her family. Jase is a wonderful friend, dealing with his families inability to accept his homosexuality and working on re-establishing a relationship with Matt. He selflessly supports Candace and helps her as she recovers from the attack.

The intensity of her trauma was palpable and this transferred to tension in my body as I read. I would periodically 'come to' as I was reading and realise that I had been gripping my kindle so hard my fingers were stiff and I had been sitting with muscles clenched in reflection of what Candace was experiencing.

Ryan is intrigued by Candace from the first time he meets her. He senses her vulnerability and is satisfied with what she offers him. He is gentle, supportive and carrying secrets of his own. He is persistent and patient and a perfect remedy for Candace if she can move beyond past events.

"I understand you and Jase, but I know how I feel about you". He takes a moment before softly saying, " I want you to need me more than him.

Feeling the need to defend myself, I say, "He's all I've ever had."

Taking my hand in his, he places it against his chest when he tells me, "You have me now too." 

Fading will affect you. It is not a light and romantic read. It is a realistic story of one woman's horrific experience. I'm going to conclude this review at the same place I started, the end of the book:

You just read about Candace who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Flashbacks, Sleep Terror Disorder, and Nightmares. These are only a few of the effects one can experience after being sexually assaulted. There is help.

US

National Sexual Assualt Hotline: 1800 656 HOPE (1800 656 4673) 

National Sexual Assault Online Hotline -ohl.rainn.org/online/   

visit www.rainn.org to find more information and resources

Australia
National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)     visit http://www.1800respect.org.au/

Fading by E.K. Blair book trailer from Novel Idea Inc. on Vimeo.

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 8 prizes consisting of signed copies of  Fading, a Declaration Bracelet (winners will choose 1 of 3) and $5 iTunes card - US/Canada Only

20 ebook copies of Fading - International

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Release Day Blitz and Giveaway: Wrong Kind of Love by Amanda Heath

                                                  

                                                                                                                     

Genre: Contemporary New Adult

The first time I ever saw Caden Harper I’m pretty sure I fell in love.  All that golden hair and pale blue eyes. He was mysterious and covered in paint. I found it endearing and wanted nothing more than to find out all his secrets. I gave that man things I would never give anyone else. He blew it though. Which I shouldn’t be surprised considering he is a womanizer.

So I moved on, well kind of. Jaden Harper wasn’t what I expected. I found myself drawn to him all most as much as his brother. Maybe it’s the fact they are twins or maybe it was the fact I wanted to live on the wrong side for once in my life.

Now I’ve found myself dug deep in this game. Theres no end in sight and I wonder when all the lies I have told will come back to haunt me. 

Neither man should know the things I’ve gone through. Neither should trust me. I’m not who I say I am. My past is full of things I won’t ever share.

But where will that lead me when Caden wants nothing more than to consume me? He won’t wake up to see he has the wrong kind of love.

My Name is Grace BreadField and this is my story.

*18 + warning for mature content. Unedited

"I don't know why I let Teagan talk me into coming to this club/bar/whatever. I hate crowds and being surrounded by a lot of sweaty people. I fight my way through them looking for her and Declan on the dance floor. Until this song came on.

You ever had that happened to you? One second you're minding your own business and a song comes on and changes your life. It says whatever you're thinking and feeling even if you didn't know that's what you were feeling. 

My hips start to sway to the beat of the music. My hands go straight up in the air. My head rocking, my hair going everywhere.

"Cause you are the piece of me, I wish I didn’t need
Chasing relentlessly, still fight and I don’t know why..." comes Clarity by Zedd over this places speaker system.

I feel him with me. His body pressed to me, his arms around my hips. His lips whispering things in my ear, naughty dirty things. Things only Caden would say to me.

"If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?
If our love’s insanity, why are you my clarity?..." Who ever wrote this song gets it. They get what I'm going through.

I'm lost in this sea of people, none of them I know. I still feel the ghost of Caden with me. Its how I know what I'm doing. What pain I'm causing him. What pain I'm causing myself.

I feel like I need him every time I'm no where near him. I wish I didn't. I'm fighting him every time I see him. I don't know why. Our entire relationship was doomed from the beginning yet it fixes me. We are insanity, the way we are together. We shouldn't work but we do. And I see the clearest when hes around.

I feel tears falling down my face as I continue to dance. I sing the lyrics at the top of my lungs. I don't care who hears or sees. I need this right now.

And just like that I feel him. I stop moving and look up. My face is damp and pulled tight. I don't care who sees, I don't care who knows. It's like I finally opened my eyes. I've wasted hours, days, months, years...

I run through the crowd to him. My Caden. I'm about a foot from touching distance, reaching for his hand when Jaden steps in front of me."-Grace, Wrong Kind of Love

Amanda lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and young child. 
She enjoys reading, writing, and drinking tons of Dr. Pepper. 
You can find her sitting on the couch with either her head in a book or typing on her laptop.
Amanda is the author of This Beautiful Thing, Fire In Her Eyes, Angel Cuffs, and Norma Jean. Wrong Kind of Love will be released this June.

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