In the Spotlight: Solstice by Debbie Christiana

Today we are shining a spotlight on Solstice by Debbie Christiana.

Time is running out for Armend Zogu. The 250-year-old family curse on his head will claim his life on his 30th birthday, the winter solstice.

Sofia Palmalosi might be just the Strega who can save him. A descendant of a long line of powerful Italian witches, her family’s magic was a gift from the Goddess Diana.

Together Sofia and Armend embark on a journey from New York, to Sicily and the ancient ruins of Diana’s temple, and back to New York, all the while fighting a battle of magic and wits with a psychopath who wants them both dead and the curse intact.

If the curse doesn't kill Armend, breaking it just might.

Sofia and Armand's story is full of mystery and magic. This story is very unique and intriguing. Armand's family curse has followed him throughout his life and time seems to be running out. 

In comes Sofia a very powerful Strega witch who might be the only person to save him.

I enjoyed the two characters getting to know each other, the trust between them and the lust. I liked Sofia's family and also Armand's uncle who is up to his neck in secrets and knows more about how to solve the curse then he's letting on....the story keeps you interested and trying to figure out what's next....very intriguing story ....

- Debbie Christiana - 

Paranormal Author Curious tales of love, magic and mystery.

Christiana would sit in her room as a little girl and write stories about ghosts, unexplained events and things that go bump in the night. She combined her love of the paranormal with her fascination of unusual love stories and decided to write paranormal romance. She has two novels published by Black Opal Books, Twin Flames, a paranormal love story and SOLSTICE, a romantic suspense. In February 2012, her vampire short story, Debbie is a member of RWA and Secretary of the Romance Writers Chapter of Connecticut and Lower New York. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children.

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Cover Reveal: Capstone by Misty Provencher

We are so excited about this one!! Capstone is the fourth book in the Cornerstone Series by Misty Provencher and the cover is gorgeous!  Here it is ...

Scheduled Release Date: 30 September 2013

It's supposed to stink. That's what Cusps do.

The Ianua, Nalena and Garrett's own community, have welcomed them back by charging them as traitors and chucking them into the Hotel Celare's slammer.

And outside the fortress walls, it's no better.

The Cusp is at full-boil as the world finally surrenders to The Fury's lifestyle. Looting, riots, murders—every kind of crime has become the norm—and The Fury want to make it all permanent. They might even succeed, now that they've nabbed all thirteen of the Ianua's Cornerstones.

To preserve mankind, the only chance the Ianua have left is to beat The Fury to the Earth's Core and somehow trigger the Reset.

Like that's easy.

There's no manual on how to activate a Reset. Nobody even knows if there’s an actual Core to the Earth.

Shoot, it could be one big myth; an epic waste of effort.

But the Addo thinks there is one last hope.

Maybe.

So long as someone is willing to sacrifice everything to be mankind's long shot.

Once a high school drop out and runaway, Misty Provencher became a college grad, and is now a full-time novelist with a close knit family. She doesn't do labels well. While she can ride a motorcycle, knows how to Karate chop, and has learned enough French, Spanish, and Sign Language to get herself slapped, Misty's life is the ruse she uses to connect with people. She is totally enchanted with them and spends her days trying to translate the soul bouquet of her muses into words.

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Blog Tour: Epiphany by Christina Jean Michaels

Welcome to our stop on the blog tour for Epiphany.

Title: Epiphany

Author: Christina Jean Michaels

Release: July 19, 2012

Age Group: New Adult/Adult

Genre: Contemporary/Romantic Suspense
Tour Organiser: AToMR

“I had my first psychic dream when I was nine. Psychic implied power, and powerful wasn’t a word I’d use to describe myself. I couldn’t foretell the future or conjure visions at will, but I couldn’t think of a more fitting word to describe what I sometimes saw in my dreams.”

For 23-year-old Mackenzie Hill, tossing her life down the garbage disposal is easy after a painful incident shatters her life. Her heart is bleeding, and moving to Watcher’s Point is a chance to start anew, only she isn’t prepared for the guy who walks out of her dreams and into the flesh. Literally . . . because she’s been dreaming about this sexy stranger for years.

Mackenzie is even less prepared to face the dark nature of her dreams. They’ve turned disturbingly gruesome, full of blood and murder, and when they begin to coincide with the media’s headlines, she and Aidan realize her visions might be the key to stopping a madman from killing again.

Only Aidan has painful secrets of his own, and perhaps the biggest danger of all is falling for him.

I fell in love with the cover of Epiphany when I first saw it and could not wait for the opportunity to read the book.  I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed.

From the first few pages I was engrossed in the story and wondering exactly how things were going to pan out for Mackenzie.  The prologue set the scene for what to expect and in light of Mackenzie's rather prophetic dreams the prospects for her were rather disturbing.  

I really liked Michaels writing style.  It was engaging and easy to read and she built the suspense in the story incredibly well.  I would just start to feel like I might have a sense of the direction things were heading and there would be a twist I didn't expect. 

The relationship between Mackenzie and Aiden was also well written.  There was a strong attraction between the two early on, enhanced by the fact that Mackenzie had been dreaming about Aiden for some time, so I was a little bit worried it might be a case of 'insta-love' but I think Michaels got the pace and intensity between the two right.  I also think she got the balance of suspense/romance perfect - if you are a fan of either genre, I think you will enjoy Epiphany.

I thoroughly enjoyed Epiphany and found myself thinking about the story and characters when I wasn't reading.  I was completely satisfied with the conclusion and will definitely be looking for the next instalment in the Legacy of Payne series.

4 out of 5 stars

Christina Jean Michaels was born in Paradise, California, but she has found the true home of her heart in Eugene, Oregon where she finds plenty of inspiration for storytelling.

When she was young, her mother said she hated words. Now she can't imagine not writing. She became an avid reader when she was thirteen and discovered the world of Sweet Valley High. About a year later she realized she could play God and write about her own characters. She has been writing in some form ever since.

She lives with her husband and their four children—three rambunctious UFC/wrestling-loving boys and one girl who steals everyone’s attention.

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(4) Signed Print Copies of Epiphany – US Only

(3) Epiphany ebooks (via Amazon)

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Release Event: Recklessly by A.J. Sand

Today we are showcasing Recklessly by A.J. Sand which released yesterday.  It's on our TBR, what about yours?

Title: Recklessly

Author: A.J. Sand 

Release date: August 28th, 2013 

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Age Group: Mature New Adult/Adult 

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Wes Elliott just met his match…and she might actually burn his entire world down.

Surfing and sex. This is Wes Elliott's life. And it's just the way he likes it. 

After seeing his parents stay in a loveless marriage his entire life, and burying away a heartbreak from his past, he knows where romance is best left: crappy chick movies. He'd rather lust and eventually leave, and that's exactly what the plan was when he met Lana Langston.

Except…turns out she’s only in it for the thrills, too. She's always only in it for the thrills: life in the literal fast lane on her motorcycle, and the hot nights in forbidden places without the awkward talks in the mornings after. She's Wes Elliott in way tighter jeans.

So, this should be perfect, right?

But the more time Wes spends with her, the more he wants the nights to turn into mornings. And maybe even longer. Suddenly, it isn't so perfect for him anymore.
And the things he thought were buried are digging themselves up.

Now Wes is in a lot of trouble.

He’s falling in love with the one girl who might be a bigger risk than even a guy who gets barreled by the most dangerous waves in the world is willing to take on.
Can Wes and Lana figure out a way to make it work? Or is he headed for something far more reckless?

Due to the sexual content, language and violence, this work is not recommended for readers under 18.

She kept a tiny smile on her face as her gaze wandered over the length of his frame, but she paused in specific areas: his eyes, his chest and his mid-section. Wes loved that she was checking him out, and doing it so openly. No doubt, it excited him and he gladly let her indulge; he had nothing to be insecure about. The cordial sibling rivalry between him and Abel kept him in the gym at least four days a week, women seemed to dig his tattoo sleeve, and his looking like the stereotypical tall, blond surfer didn’t hurt, either. He let Abel have the longer hair though, opting to keep his short but enough to still let women run their fingers through.

“What are you doing tonight?” she asked.

Wes grinned. He really liked how forward she was. “My brother and I are going up to Malibu. Waves are better than usual.”

“You surf?” Lana reached down to fiddle with something on her bike, and Wes tilted his head to stare at her butt again. She had her phone in her hands once she was upright again, so he pulled his out. She recited her phone number, and he called it so that she could have his, too.

“Yeah, we both surf. Professionally.”

Lana dropped her hand to her hip. “Of course, sexy, tattooed blondie surfs.”

“You think I’m sexy?” Wes cocked a half-grin. He was but he liked hearing her say it. He leaned against the back of his SUV and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I think you think you’re sexy!”

“You’re thinking it, too, though,” he declared.

A.J. Sand grew up an only child whose parents bought her many, many books to keep her busy, so it was only natural that she would start writing her own stories. She is the author of “Documentary,” “Remake” and “Recklessly.” She lives just outside of Washington, D.C.

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(1) $20 Gift Card from Amazon or Barnes and Noble + (1) eCopy of Recklessly gifted from Amazon or Barnes and Noble - International

(3) eCopies of Recklessly gifted from Amazon or Barnes and Noble – International

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Cover Reveal: Running in Place (Mending Hearts #2) by L.B. Simmons

We are huge fans of L.B. Simmons so imagine how quickly we jumped at the opportunity to be part of the cover reveal for Running in Place book 2 in the Mending Hearts series.

And what a gorgeous cover it is.  What do you think?

Running in Place (Mending Hearts #2)

By L.B. Simmons

Expected release date: Late October 2013

Tatum O’Connell:

Some call me a party girl. People see me as happy, full of life, with absolutely no cares in the world. They see what I want them to see. But no one knows me - really knows me. Not even Noah Reese. Mr. Perfect is always watching me, most likely judging every single imperfect thing I do. But, if Noah wants to keep an eye on me, that’s just fine. I definitely don’t mind. I just hope he doesn’t have any plans to save me from my new-found life of self-destruction because in order to save me, he will have to see me…

And I’m never going to let that happen.

Noah Reese:

Perfect. That’s me. That’s the only acceptable way to be, according to my father. Perfect grades. Perfect manners. Perfect athlete. Perfect SAT scores. Perfect college. And recently, I was accepted into the perfect med school. My future has already been mapped out for me and there’s nothing that can change that. Not even Tatum O’Connell. That girl is out of control, yet for some reason, I can’t seem to keep my distance from her. I watch her closely, hoping that one day she’ll let me in, but watching her lead her life down the dangerous path she’s on right now isn’t easy…

I have a feeling I’m about to find myself swept away by the hurricane that is Tatum O’Connell.

“Two fleeting souls, Unknowingly tethered.
Too slowly drawn,
Impatient fate calls. 
The jolting collide intertwines their lives
And splinters their walls.” 

“Catalyst” – Noah Reese

Series Reading Order

· Mending Hearts #1 - Running on Empty
· Mending Hearts #1.5 - Recovery
· Mending Hearts #2 - Running in Place

Still laughing and not paying attention, I round the corner, only to run straight into a completely different kind of trouble. A brown-headed, blue-eyed, whirlwind kind of trouble. A trouble that looks unbelievably hot in a tight-ass, short black dress. A trouble wearing the highest black heels I’ve ever seen, heels that make her legs look unbelievable and should be outlawed judging by the bulge forming inside my dark Diesels. Damn. She’s also a trouble that I’ve formed a decent friendship with over the last few weeks, so any mental images I have of her doing certain things to me wearing those heels have got to go.

“Hey!” she says laughing as she flips her hair off her shoulders. My eyes immediately land on her pouty lips, the clear shine reflecting off of them as she smiles. “What are you doing here?”

I clear my throat and tear my gaze from her mouth. “Getting my check, you?”

She looks me up and down as she nods her head. “Me too,” she says clearing her own throat. “Where are you going, looking all spiffy?”

I chuckle because only she would say spiffy. “I’m taking Piper to that new club, Parallel. Where are you going looking all spiffy?”

She claps her hands together excitedly before taking my hand. “We’re going there too! Yay!”

I’m still surprised every time she touches me. It’s such a drastic change from the first day at the duplexes. As I think about the last month or so - all the times that we laughed together at something ridiculous that she said, or the fact that she insists on bumping hips with me every single time a song comes on the radio that she likes while singing at the top of her lungs, even the times she lightly brushes her hand across my arm while she’s speaking – there’s a level of comfort and ease about our friendship. Reason five hundred why I need to curb my inappropriate thoughts about this one.

I smile to myself as she tugs me harder. “Where are you taking me?”

“To the employee bathroom!”

Well, that did absolutely nothing to fend off dirty thoughts.

“Why?”

She giggles. Obviously, she’s already started drinking. Great. Well, at least we’ll be at the same place so I can make sure Dickhead the Douchebag takes care of her.

“Because, I’m gonna fix your hair. It looks too…perfect. It needs to be messy – sexy, like you.” She stops dead in her tracks. “Um…I mean, as sexy as you look now.” She exhales, frustrated. “Sexily dressed, that’s what I mean.” She bites her bottom lip nervously as she mentally tries to hook her words and reel them back in. I just laugh because she looks so damn cute.

“So, you think I’m sexy?”

Saying nothing else, she rolls her eyes and pulls me in the direction of the bathroom. Once we arrive, she flips on the light and points at the toilet for me to take a seat. Turning on the faucet, she sets her purse on the counter and pulls out a travel size hairspray. After digging around for a little while longer, she turns towards me.

“Well, I guess this will have to do.” She tilts her head to the left and then scrunches her mouth to the same side, deep in thought. Nodding to herself, she leans over and wets her fingers in the sink before stepping in between my legs.

She breathes in deeply before placing her fingers in my hair. Slowly, she distributes the water throughout, often leaning back to the faucet to get more. Her cool hands work from the sides of my head toward the top, where her fingers interlace to form a spiky section down the center. Then she bends at the waist, placing her face so close to mine, her breaths hit my mouth. I know I can’t have her, but damn if I don’t want to take some piece of her with me. So greedily, I take in her air with every breath she releases. Her eyes still focused on my hair, I watch her mouth. Still breathing with her, I lick my lips, the movement distracting her so that she brings her blue eyes to mine. In silence, we stare, only the shared breaths between us are heard.

Taking her hand out of my hair, she places it on the side of my face and gently strokes my cheek with her thumb as we hold each other’s eyes. Before long, I watch a soft saddened half-smile appear on her lips. “Much better,” she says with one last soothing run of her thumb before she backs away. Reaching for the hair spray, she tweaks the top of my hair, pulling random pieces in different directions before spraying them. I fight the urge to put my hands around her waist and pull her into me. To hold her. To have her.

Instead, I sit with my hands on my knees, wanting what I can’t have.

After a couple of more sprays, she steps back. “All done. You’re good to go. To the bar. With Piper,” she says, the pitch of her voice getting higher with each incomplete sentence spoken. There’s no mistaking the heartache radiating between the both of us. It’s so thick I could slice it with a knife.

L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science. She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.

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To celebrate the cover of her newest novel, Running in Place, L.B. is offering her readers an awesome Giveaway!

· Winner 1: $100 Amazon gift card
· Winner 2: A set of signed paperbacks of Running on Empty and Recovery.
· Winner 3: ARC of Running in Place, to be sent to the winner in mid October.

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Cover Reveal event organised by Natasha is a Book Junkie

Blog Tour: Unexpected Angel by Sloan Johnson

Title: Unexpected Angel 

Author: Sloan Johnson 

Release Date: August 5, 2013 

Genre: Erotica 

Tasha Skinner finally shed the baggage of a failed marriage. Now, she’s looking forward to a night of margaritas and man-bashing. Tasha’s friends have other plans, including Leather, Lace and liberation. Dylan Caprese didn’t want to go to Marquee, but he and his friends were on a mission. They took it upon themselves to make sure things didn’t get out of hand when wannabe Doms mixed alcohol with playtime at the monthly Leather and Lace night. From the moment he set eyes on Tasha, he knew there was something different about her. She wasn’t some bondage babe who thought she knew what it meant to be into BDSM. She was much, much worse; she was innocent and trusting. He can tell she is something precious. When Tasha’s past threatens to destroy her, Dylan begins to realize that while their paths have never crossed, their lives most definitely have. Will he be able to save her before it’s too late? 

Dylan’s condo is modern and sleek. Shades of gray and black with pops of purple and white fill the living room with color. The open floor plan allows me to see the professional-grade stainless steel appliances in the kitchen. I look to my left and the amazing view of the Capitol mesmerizes me. The beauty of downtown Madison is one of the many things I love about living in this area, but I have never seen a view like the one through Dylan’s floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s as if we’re so close that I could reach out and touch the illuminated dome. 

“Nice place,” I mutter as I try to hide the fact that I am in absolute awe. Earlier in the night, I imagined him living in an affordable, somewhat rundown apartment. I picture successful doctors and lawyers living in a place like this. Then again, for all I know he could be either of those. We haven’t exactly gotten to know one another all that well in the few hours since we met.

“Thanks. Follow me.” We walk down the hall, decorated with black and white prints of area landmarks, and he opens the door directly in front of us, revealing a magnificent bedroom. The focal point in the room is an ebony four-poster bed, king-size of course. More windows reveal yet another stunning view of the Capitol dome.

“I’m not having sex with you,” I state bluntly.

What in the world did I tell him while I was sleeping? Did I agree to have sex with him? Oh heck, this is not good.

Dylan laughs, tossing me a fresh t-shirt out of his dresser. University of Wisconsin marching band alumni. Interesting.

“Yes, we established that. Actually, I told you I wasn’t going to touch you tonight, no matter how much you begged.”

Holy crap, did I beg him to have sex with me? “What did I say?” I plead, desperate for him to tell me. I don’t want to play his silly little game where he decides what to tell me and when.

He turns down the sheets on the bed, turning his back to me while I change. The cardinal red t-shirt is soft, the way only a well-loved shirt could be. The shirt sagging off my shoulder and hanging almost to my knees once again emphasizes the size difference between us. Dylan is one of very few people I have met who has the ability to make me feel small. It’s a foreign but not unwelcome feeling.

“Don’t worry, Precious,” he chuckles, obviously amused by the horrified look on my face. “It wasn’t that bad.” He walks over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I feel vulnerable standing in front of him wearing nothing but one of his shirts and my panties. I also find myself incredibly turned on. “I told you I wouldn’t touch you without your permission and you told me you wanted me to touch you. That’s all.”

Oh. My. Gosh. I actually admitted that to him? Sure, I’ve been thinking about having his hands on my bare skin since before we got to the diner. I want to feel his plump lips clamped onto my nipple as he sucks and bites on it. His strong hands traveling down my stomach until his fingers fill me. Okay, so I officially need to get laid. Maybe being here with him is a good thing. I can have sex, get it out of my system, and quit thinking like a horny teenager. But when I told him I wanted him to touch me, then he said he wouldn’t? Okay, that’s a bit of a blow to the ego. Most men would love to have a woman throwing herself at him.

“So you’re not going to touch me even though I said I wanted you to?” There is no hiding the hurt in my voice. 

Sloan is a Midwestern mom who began writing nearly seven years ago as a way to make money while staying home with her daughter. Now, with two kids in tow and having written more articles on how to assemble various pieces of furniture than she can count, she is reaching to make her dreams come true. 

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