Thursday, May 30, 2013

Blog Tour: The Long Way by Aaron Redfern


Young Adult
Fantasy/Adventure
Published by BookRix: 5/19/2012

In a move that defies all logic and likelihood, a young boy named Spiff is called upon to carry
out the most important quest that has ever been undertaken. His mission drags him headlong
across the face of the world, through a veritable pantheon of hardships and threats that are at once
chilling and baffling. Along the way he meets dragons and madmen, and learns that the lovable
and the monstrous are two sides of the same coin.

Conceived as a darkly whimsical loose retelling of the Tolkien saga, The Long Way poses the

question that high fantasy rarely cares to ask: Why?


A Bit behind on my review for this one, it will be up by the end of the weekend. I apologize! 


LINK TO BUY

Aaron Redfern has been reading and writing fantasy since a time when he could count his age on his fingers. He went to Williams College and studied English, a language in which he was already proficient, and although he learned almost nothing from the English professors, dead poets and novelists taught him a great deal. While at college, he fell thoroughly in love with New England. He has decided never to leave and currently resides near Northampton, Massachusetts.

Aaron has written three novels, including The Long Way and its sequel, The Forgotten Way. His short-fiction titles include Stories About the Rain and Crawl.




Tuesday, May 28, 2013

PROMO: The Domino Effect

The Domino Effect

Jill Elaine Hughes


New Adult Erotic BDSM Thriller
Date Publsihed: 3/27/13


A New Adult erotic BDSM thriller. Set in Cleveland, Ohio and the Ukraine, DOMINO is the story of a young, shy college girl's sexual awakening through art and bondage. An American version of THE STORY OF O, with elements of classic international thrillers, DOMINO can appeal to the classic erotica reader as well as New Adult fans.
  
Plot Summary:  
21-year-old college student and aspiring journalist Nancy Delaney’s nose for news smells a hot story idea when it comes to international playboy and artist Peter Rostovich. But as she works to get her story, she soon becomes intimately entangled with the mysterious Rostovich, who finds her irresistible. He becomes Nancy’s ticket to sexual awakening, and she soon discovers she has an appetite for bondage, too.

And there’s far more to Rostovich than just his art — he’s involved in a strange, violent criminal underworld that kidnaps Nancy and spirits her halfway around the world, where she’s held prisoner and made to serve as private Dominant-for-hire somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Will the sexual powers Rostovich helped awaken in her be Nancy’s only hope for escape?

Excerpt

I paused at the door before entering the gallery. The storefront had a large window hung with white curtains and posters that proclaimed “OPENING TODAY: Peter Rostovich.” The posters had old-fashioned black block letters on a white background, and gave nothing away about the art that might be inside. Typical gallery protocol, of course. The point was to get you to go inside, and preferably to spend money on the art. Between the couple of press gigs I’d already done and hearing about the openings Hannah had covered over the years I knew the ropes, at least when it came to how they handled publicity. Actually understanding the art was a different story . . . .

But this exhibit’s sensual art---if you could call it that---held my attention. As the exhibit progressed, so did the bondage levels. By the middle of the exhibit---the gallery was one long series of adjoining rooms arranged in a straight line---the thread, neckties and yarn had progressed to things like leather straps, ropes, and plastic cable ties---along with a few full-on money shots of models’ genitalia. Nothing in-your-face or super-crazy, like what you’d see on the pages of Penthouse, but plenty of exposed cocks and well-trimmed lady parts. Still, it wasn’t the money shots that troubled me as much as the plastic cable ties.

Plastic cable ties? What did something like that really have to do with sex, anyway? It seemed like an odd choice. They evoked images of Home Depot, not the bedroom. The photos featuring them were especially strange given the sharp contrast, and it seemed the artist had made a special point to use them on the darker-skinned nudes to make them all the more prominent.  There was even a pile of them set out against a black velvet cloth on a whitewashed pedestal, alongside a hand-lettered sign that said “PLEASE TAKE ONE.”

I did, fingering it absently between my fingertips while I studied a black-and-white silver nitrate print of a model’s well-manicured hands superimposed on what I supposed was her naked thighs, her wrists tightly bound together with a set of thin white cable ties. The plastic straps left deep indentations in her skin, made all the more prominent by the photographer’s use of harsh lighting and stark composition. From a distance the photograph was more abstract, and reminded me almost of a Georgia O’Keefe print, but up close the sheer sensuality was unmistakable.

“Put it on,” said a raspy male voice just behind me. “Tie it tight. I can help you if you like.” Underneath the scratchy, breathy overtone the voice was a startlingly deep, with the slightest hint of an accent, but I couldn’t quite place what kind.

I spun around. Standing just to my left was a tall, slender man with an angular jaw and broad shoulders. He had a slight stubble of beard, along with reddish-brown hair and arresting gray eyes that reminded me of dry ice. He wore dark blue slacks and a lighter blue oxford shirt with the collar open, no tie. The clothes were simple, but I could tell from their cut and the quality of the fabric that they were very expensive. His shoes were sleek, black, and European looking with square toes, and he wore a silver Movado watch with multiple dials and matching silver cufflinks. Even his scent seemed luxurious---a hint of bay rum with undertones of sandalwood and jasmine.

“Here, let me,” he said, taking the cable tie from my hand. And then, even before I knew what was happening, with a few swift movements the cable tie was fastened tight around both my wrists, its slick, cold surface digging hard into my skin.

My press kit and purse crashed to the floor. The room began to spin, and dark clouds crept into my field of vision. Everything went blank.


Jill Elaine Hughes:

JILL ELAINE HUGHES is a journalist and playwright  as well as a New Adult fiction novelist.  As a reporter,  she has contributed to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago  Reader, Washington Post, New Art Examiner, Cat  Fancy magazine, and numerous other media outlets.  Her plays have widely published and produced in  New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta,  and many other U.S. cities, as well as in the UK and  Australia. Before self-publishing New Adult fiction,  she published many erotic romance novels under the  pen names “Jamaica Layne” and “Jay E. Hughes” for  publishers like Ellora’s Cave, Virgin Books, Decadent

Author Links




Buy Links
Amazon | Nook | Smashwords | Sony | Kobo


GIVEAWAY


Sunday, May 26, 2013

Blog Tour: Laying Low in Paradise by Kristy K. James


Romance
Date Published: 5/14/2013

Laura Keane and her son have been spending summers at their chalet on Bois Blanc Island since her husband was killed in the war. She never let anyone else in after the chaplain delivered the sad news four years ago, so it’s just the two of them, and she wouldn’t change it for the world.

Cameron Rafferty and his friends were keeping secrets. Dangerous secrets, and they’d hoped the little island paradise would be a safe place to hide out. The plan to keep a low profile quickly unravels when an accident changes everything. Cameron soon finds himself becoming more involved with the Keane family than he’d intended -and wishing for things he shouldn’t.


My Review:
This is a beautiful story about past regrets, loss, and overcoming everything to start new. Laura is broken after the loss of her husband and has no intention of falling in love again, nor does she think it is possible. But when she finds someone who can relate to her own feelings and she feels drawn to him and their shared loss, she can't help but start to fall for him. Plus there is the added connection/friendship of their children, which really helps to lighten the mood. 

This love story is equal parts sweet, sad, and heartwarming. It definitely has that fairytale type of perfect romance feel, even with the fact that they both lost a spouse. 


LINKS TO BUY



Kristy K. James' first goal in life was to work in law enforcement, until the night she called the police to check out a scary noise in her yard. Realizing that she might someday have to check out scary noises in other dark yards if she continued on that path, she turned to her other favorite love… writing. Since then, her days have been filled with being a mom and reluctant zookeeper (7 pets), creating stories and looking for trouble in her kitchen.

Website: http://kristykjames.net/ 

blog: http://kristykjames.net/blog/ 

Twitter: @KristyKJames

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristykjames


Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Blog Tour: Haedyn's Choice by Jennifer L. Oliver


Paranormal
Date Published: 5/15/13

There's always a choice.

Haedyn is the last Unnamed and the demon Azazel's personal assassin - his most prized servant. It's not a title she wants, but it keeps her alive and that's all that matters. But when she is tricked into protecting Lex, the same human her master is hunting, she learns of Azazel's terrifying plan to create an army of evil souls - and that Lex isn't the only one slated for sacrifice.

Can Haedyn accept the truth of her past and face the demon who molded her in his image, or will she risk the losing the souls of those she loves?

My Review:
This is the kind of paranormal read that keeps readers engaged throughout. You will not want to put it down. The premise alone is one that has not been overdone so it is more fresh. 

I really liked Haedyn. She was well developed and we got enough of her past to be able to know her and why she is the way she is and why she makes the decision to defy all that she has known.  I also really enjoyed Lex and what he brought to the story. 

Fresh storyline, compelling characters, and enough twists to keep you on  your toes throughout. Great Paranormal Read! 


LINKS TO BUY 
Amazon Kindle/Paperback




Jennifer L. Oliver was born and raised in North Carolina and now lives on Florida's gulf coast with her husband, two cats, a Royal Bahamian Potcake dog, and multiple fish. She is the author of dark urban fantasy and paranormal thrillers. When she's not writing, you can find her giggling with her granddaughter and enjoying time with her family and friends. For more about Jennifer, visit her website at www.jenniferloliver.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.FACEBOOK:https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLOliverAuthor

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Jenn_L_Oliver

PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/jennlewisoliver/

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6561912.Jennifer_L_Oliver

WEBSITE: http://jenniferloliver.com


GIVEAWAY



Blog Tour: Tale of the Valiant Hero Kenta by Ezra Jonah Jacobs


Fantasy/Romance/Historical/Action-Adventure
Date Published: March 22, 2013


Kenta Takeyama is a 16 year old martial artist who possesses superhuman  strength and abilities and the Takeyama -ryuu fighting art. He desires to become the most  powerful shogun on the Nikkoujima (Sun Light Islands), as there are much more powerful 
men in the world. He lives with his father Tesshin, who trained him in the martial arts, and  his mother Amaya, who is the former princess of a royal family and master fighter; his little  sister Mana, who wants to become a famous play actress and open her own production studio,  as well as his pet bear Kumomori, whom he had since he was 4. Kenta finds that it’s time to  follow his dreams of becoming a great and powerful shogun (using his power to protect people  and build more homes and villages, help the poor and starving, rather than just for pomp and  circumstance. He wants the people to live in peace and prosperity with no fear, as the world is  already entering another age of war. Essentially, he wants to change the country). And so, with  his parents’ permission, he decides to travel to Senkyou to enlist in the military and become  a true samurai warrior. He feels confident that the can do so after going through many trials  and travels through his childhood, and training under the tutelage of his father in his family’s  martial arts styles. During the first part of the novel, after a little love fiasco with his childhood friend  Yumine who has a crush on him and sparring with some buddies, he travels the lush and vibrant  island and helps many different people out. As Kenta reaches Senkyou, he meets new rivals  and friends, such as Natsumi, a new love interest and Hayate, a mysterious ninja who wants  to raise up his own organization of ninja mercenaries. During basic training, he discovers that  the capital is being attacked by powerful youkai. The powerful beasts appear and disappear in  a flash, even the temple priests are having trouble. Does the Great Tengu King of the Gogonji mountain territory  know anything about these attacks? Do our heroes stand a chance against  these swift and powerful foes?  What is the reasoning behind all of this carnage?

My Review:
What a journey Ezra Jonah Jacobs takes us on in this story. Extremely imaginative and descriptive to bring the readers into the world he has created.

I was blown away by the detail used in the fight scenes.

Are you a fan of martial arts or stories that include them? You will love this! Definitely a coming of age type of story. He goes through so many different stages of life throughout this story.

BUY LINK


PROMO: Riverbend by Tess Thompson


Riverbend - PROMO Blitz
By Tess Thompson
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 5/14/13


“Tag. I found you.”

Just as Annie Bell’s reputation as one of the best chefs in the Pacific Northwest grows to new heights, she receives a threatening phone  from her abusive ex-boyfriend. Marco is out on parole and hungry for revenge, blaming her for his ten-year imprisonment. Fearing for her life and that of her young son, Annie reluctantly accepts help from Drake Webber, a cold and wealthy recluse hiding a dark history of his own. Supported by the gang of misfits from their restaurant Riversong, Annie forges ahead despite her growing terror that Marco will appear at any moment and make good on his threats.

Author Tess Thompson reunites the colorful cast of endearing small town characters from her bestselling novel Riversong and takes you on a journey that will renew your faith in love, friendship and the power of community – even in the face of seemingly insurmountable grief and fear. You’ll find yourself once again cheering for the residents of River Valley, especially the big- hearted and compassionate Annie Bell.

Escape with a blend of love, laughter, friendship, suspense and gourmet food while remembering it’s never too late for second chances.


EXCERPT

Two days later, the first Monday she was to start work for Drake Webber, Annie dreamt of a man chasing her down the streets of Los Angeles as she carried baby Alder in her arms. Was it Marco? She couldn’t be sure. At a bump in the sidewalk, she tripped and fell. Blood spilled onto the cement. Then, there was a phone ringing, an old-fashioned ring tone like phones from her childhood.

With a start, she awakened, sitting up in bed, the blankets tangled around her legs and her pajamas soaking wet from perspiration. The ringing continued; it was her cell phone. She’d recently changed the ringtone to that of the old rotary phones. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she reached for the phone on the bedside table. What time was it? Not yet six a.m. Who would be calling this early? It was probably her mother with news of another boyfriend who left her penniless and unable to pay rent. This happened every year or so and Annie always sent money. And her mother always found one more loser to move in with a short time later.

“Hello,” she said, fully prepared to be annoyed that her mother had awakened her so early.

“Tag. I found you.”

Her stomach, like it might during a sudden five-story drop in an elevator, sank below her knees. Marco. His voice was rough, hard—she would recognize it anywhere.

Was she still asleep? Please, God, let this still be my nightmare, she prayed silently.

She trembled, the sweat-soaked pajamas cold on her skin. Her hand twitched, as if in a move to hang up the phone, but he spoke again. “What? Cat got your tongue?” She continued her silence, frozen. “Listen, bitch, I know it’s you. You’re all over the Internet these days.

All you have to do is put your whore name into Google and there’s a dozen articles on you. You’re looking good, especially compared to what a cow you used to be. I’m coming to town. Shouldn’t be hard to find you. And then you’ll pay for what you did to me.”

She dropped the phone like it was hot and stared at it. Then she picked it up and punched the hang-up button before tossing it back on the bed. She folded her knees, wrapping her arms around them and rocking back and forth for several minutes. Oh no, no, no, no, a roar in her head.

Tess Thompson

Tess Thompson is a novelist and playwright with a BFA in Drama from the University of Southern California. Her first novel, Riversong, became a bestselling ebook in 2012, reaching #1 on Nook and spending over a month in Amazon’s Top 100. On May 14 she will release her third novel,
Riverbend, the second book in the River Valley Series. Tess regularly blogs about her journey as a mother, author and friend at www.tesswrites.com.
Like many of the characters in the River Valley series, Tess is from a small town in Oregon. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington with her two young daughters, Emerson and Ella, and their puppy Patches, where she is inspired daily by the view of the Cascade Mountains from her home office window. Tess is working on her fourth novel and regularly blogs about her journey as a mother, author and friend at www.tesswrites.com.
Author Links

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

 

Links to Buy

 **Special** 2 ebooks for only $2.99 (limited time only)*


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Blog Tour: Blood in the Valley by J.K. Hogan


Paranormal Romance
Date Published-  5/2/13

The daughter of a Las Vegas hustler, Raven Sabatier grew up trusting nothing and no on —she doesn't even trust herself to stay in one place for longer than a minute. When her quest to find out the secrets of her past leads her to the mountains of North Carolina, she’s set on a collision course with the one man she thought she'd never see again.

In Appalachia consulting on an archeological dig, Anthropologist Dr. Drew Deveraux comes face to face with the indomitable beauty who broke into his apartment a year ago, tilting his carefully cultivated world on its axis.

Engaged in a fight with their demons, both imagined and real, the last thing either of them expected to find was love. Together, they must unravel the mystery of Raven's past and her connection with an ancient race of witches, in order to save their future—and all of the souls hanging in the balance.



My Review

Note: This is a Book #2 in a series, you may want to pick up Fire on the Island before starting this one. 

To start with, one of the most important parts of a successful novel is creating a hero/heroine that is likable and the reader can connect with. J.K. Hogan has hit this out of the park. Raven is my kind of girl, I absolutely loved her! I really did enjoy Fire on the Island, but Raven's character in this one just made this one my fave of the series! 

I think there were enough similarities and differences in these two books to keep the reader engaged in the series. 

Dr. Drew - makes me think of LoveLine LOL- is one hot man! (You will remember him from Book #1) I really enjoyed the chemistry these two create and the romance in this story is definitely high caliber. 

Magic, Mystery, Fantasy, Romance, this has it all! Definitely a great Paranormal Romance! 



BUY LINK



J.K. Hogan has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing cast lists and storylines for her toys growing up. When she finally decided to put pen to paper, magic happened. She is greatly inspired by all kinds of music and often creates a “soundtrack” for her stories as she writes them.
J.K. resides in North Carolina, where she was born and raised. A true southern girl at heart, she lives on a farm with her husband and young son, a cat, and two champion agility dogs. If she isn’t on the agility field, J.K. can often be found chasing waterfalls in the mountains with her husband, or down in front at a blues concert. In addition to writing, she enjoys training and competing in dog sports, spending time with her large southern family, camping, boating and, of course, reading!
J.K. Hogan is a member of The Romance Writers of America.


Sunday, May 12, 2013

Blog Tour: Dreamer - Guest Post


Fantasy
Date Published: 5/7/13

Two gamers find solace from the troubles of reality in an alternate world filled with dragons. The book has a dual nature both fantasy and reality, two plots and two stories. The main character must deal with illness and alternately with the life of a great red dragon.

Review to come...



LINKS TO BUY

Amazon         



Guest Post



How I learned to fly -----
When I was just a wee lad, I believed in many rather unusual things. Among them, I considered the ability to fly a learned endeavor. Aside from the fact that I thought I had a chance to grow up to literally be a cat, flying consumed me.  Buzzing around the palatial gardens of my father’s summer house, I took wing with butterflies, bees and a myriad of birds. I left no hollow tree unexplored and would have been found lingering at a substantial height in various overgrown branches. The clouds were the only limitations to my dreams and even they presented only minor problems.

While some things were gained, others were lost. The onset of boundaries began as I started to progress toward more adult chapters in life. Although I never attended large crowded schools like normal children, my education was far from neglected. The cool grass of the fountain side pool was replaced by desk and chair and both the child and the dreams were reined in for more productive pursuits.  A well rounded appreciation for art and literature was drummed into my head alongside of mathematics and practical science. Although I became intimately acquainted with books and established a profound sense of escape through reading, I was disillusioned of the strong notions that flight was a necessary aspect of a wholesome life. I no longer believed that my middle name was “Paws” or that I could become a cat.

The ultimate consequences for my startling adventures into reality were far from subtle. I found myself adrift in many ways and literately at sea. Traveling replaced flying as a passion and I worked my way through many coastlines touring the world. Sometimes finding oneself lost provides a great deal of information. Who we are--- is not dependent on where we are and internal learning curves are often more steep. 

I might have spent my life wondering if I had a purpose while taking in glorious sunsets--- had circumstances not intervened. Some would say that I had an unfortunate turn of luck, but life is what you make of it. Forced to retire from travel, I began to write and found it was my calling.
Today I fly whenever the mood strikes me. I have grown into a fine cat with grey stripes and---when I am allowed—I chase butterflies across the open meadows. 


Patrick O'Scheen

  I don't normally answer questions about my personal history....I'm painfully shy.   Who is Patrick O’Scheen? I ask myself this often. A sailor, a chef, a writer…even I’m uncertain. Patrick O'scheen is a bit of a mystery, even to me. I know that writing is more than an enterprise for me. I’s a calling. Books and stories touch lives like nothing else. I think there is more of me buried in my writing than you will find anywhere else. So who is Patrick O’Scheen…read and find out.

I'm very fond of cats and spaghetti ...not necessarily together.
  
      If I were to rewrite Dreamer, I see all sorts of things that I would do differently. I find all of the errors that escaped the edits. However, it is still a wonderful tale close to my heart. I hope you enjoy.

Contact Links
Facebook Fan Page:     https://www.facebook.com/PatrickOScheen




Blog Tour: Broken Faith


Sci-Fi / Fantasy
Date Published: April 2, 2013

This was it. The moment Heaven and Hell would clash. But which unearthly being would
win? The Fallen Angel or the Hell Hounds?

Overtaken by fear, I close my eyes.

Kayson is a Fallen Angel who has spent decades running from the Hell Houndsn while searching for something that no one else believes can be so, not even God. Kayson is determined to find a Blood Child. But when a hound finds Kayson first, he is sure his end has come.
Falon, Alpha of the Hell Hounds, destroyer of the blood children, and devoted believer in his master’s plan, is bound and determined to drag Kayson back to Hell with him. Sabrina is a Vampire, a half-breed created from one of Lucifer’s original blood children. After years of hiding, Sabrina’s fate changes when she finds Kayson barely alive. Against her instincts, Sabrina saves him. Now she and Kayson are both marked by the Hell Hounds. Emma is an ordinary human, whose only problem is making ends meet, and getting over the hurt caused by her untrustworthy brother. Her everyday problems become supernatural ones when she finds Kayson and Sabrina hiding in her parent’s backyard shed. Kayson, Sabrina and Emma are unlikely allies, thrown together by chance to fight against the most powerful creatures of the underworld in order to follow their world-changing quest. But will the broken faith of one break the faith of all?


My Review:
Fallen Angels, Vampires, Hell Hounds, and more. Emma gets swept up into their world but Brandy Nacole has managed to give us perspectives from different characters instead of just Emma's.

This story will suck you in. It is imaginative and suspenseful and full of uncovered mysteries. Wonderful start to the series, can't wait to read more. 


BUY LINK


Brandy Nacole resides in Arkansas where her imagination runs wild. Her obsession is reading but her passion is writing. She put her dream of becoming a writer on the back burner and went to college to become a psychologist. Three years after endless classes in a field she only felt half satisfied with, Brandy picked up her pen once again and wrote the outline to Uniquely Unwelcome. She finished out her degree in psychology but traded her dream of writing for the degree and put psychology on the back burner. Whenever she’s not reading or writing, Brandy is spending time with her family and friends, throwing around crazy ideas, and laughing through the crazy moments.