Sunday, March 31, 2013

Cover Characteristics (#12): Winter

Cover Characteristics is hosted by Sugar & Snark!

Each week we will post a characteristic and choose 5 of our favorite cover’s with that characteristic. If you want to join in and share your 5 favorite covers with the weeks particular characteristic, then just make a post, grab the meme picture (or make your own) and leave your URL in Linky (so we can visit).

You don’t even need to participate, just stopping by and saying hi would be great!


My 5 Favorite Covers with Winter scenes:
 
 

Tour: SIlver Hollow by Jennifer Silverwood (Promo+Giveaway)




Silver Hollow
Jennifer Silverwood


Paranormal Romance/ Fantasy Romance/ Chick-lit
SilverWoodSketches
ISBN: 1481000144
ISBN13: 9781481000147
ASIN: B00A47LGRA
Number of pages: 322
Word Count: 131, 325
Cover Artist: Najla Qamber

Paperback // Kindle // Smashwords

Amie Wentworth writes paranormal romances, not because she is looking for a degree in ectoplasm, but because she’s got bills to pay. Ever since her parents’ car crash, she has been led a reclusive life and trusted books more than people. Not even a letter from her long-lost uncle, begging her to visit, gives Amie incentive for anything other than ire – until she is stabbed in an alley and brought back to life by a mysterious stranger.

After crossing the Atlantic to her father’s homeland, Amie is dragged into the very sort of tale she is used to selling. Silver Hollow is a place of ancient traditions and supernatural dangers, where everything is the opposite of what it seems and few escape sane.

To make matters worse, the man who saved her life keeps turning up and her would-be-murderer is still at large.

But when she comes face to face with the ugly truth, will she too be sucked into her father’s madness? Or will she discover that madness is just another name for honesty?


EXCERPT:

The hour before dawn found Amie pulling her car round the back alley. Through the gloom and decades-buried waste behind Pat’s Delights was a narrow strip leading to the back staircase leading up to her flat.

The stranger’s face came unbidden to her as she gathered her things and moved her weary legs. Black eyes set deeply in a shadow-drenched face haunted her, eyes which seemed to accuse and praise, sift and wonder. Now that she knew, she realized she must have seen him before today, maybe even in the past she had tried to forget.

The faded yellowing parchment marked with heavy black ink, with words too absurd to be true, flashed in her mind. Clutching the key hidden in her jeans pockets while digging through her purse for her keys, she remembered Uncle Henry’s letter. Mulling over the words, she once again recalled how angry she had been ten years ago after reading his first note. So what the cops were uncertain how the accident had happened. So what her father had known some powerful people. Amie had been primped and pushed into the upper-class social sphere through her teens and knew how to handle that sort. She could take care of herself just like she always had. She would tear up the letters and the tickets tonight. The twins and James were her family now.

As she placed her shoe upon the first rickety metal step, two thick and powerful hands grabbed her in the same moment.

It happened so quickly she forgot to scream. Dropping her purse she struggled, kicked and bucked against the crazy person lifting her and pulling her deeper into the shadows of the alley. And the harder she struggled the tighter his choking embrace became against her chest.

She thought at last to cry out, only to feel her face being smashed against a brick wall. She gasped as the figure suddenly pushed her aside, out of his embrace. Amie stumbled back and nearly tripping over a metal pipe. She righted herself only to come face-to-face with the black-masked figure. His brilliant blue eyes blazed into hers, now filled with unmistakable purpose. Too late she realized his intentions as a sickeningly cool object was plunged into her chest and pulled quickly out again.

Her vision swam, then blurred as she slumped against the trash-littered concrete. Her mind began to fade into an ever-deepening sleep though her eyes watched on. The black-garbed man was fighting someone else. Unmasked, this guy was taller, broader in the shoulders than her murderer and wrought by fury.

Pain…she had not known the meaning of the word before now and even this too was fading into the deep sleep. The further she fell the less sense the scene before her made. Her mind didn’t believe that the tall man had really tossed her attacker five feet into the air over his shoulder and into the brick, or a strange light and energy crackled in the suddenly luminous alley.

She was too afraid to hope when a pair of warm hands cradled her in a firm embrace. He pulled her from the muck and fixed his dark eyes on her. Obsidian-cut eyes, familiar eyes, pierced through her gaze and reached deeper. His face, once so indiscernible it could be called plain, was now twisted as though in agony. Even though she was slipping, falling into a calm quiet darkness, he refused to let her go. His hand moved from her neck to her cheek with the faintest touch. He pushed past and clasped hold of something tearing deep inside of her then. The black of his irises gave way to a strange mix of blue and green flecks gleaming in their depths. She saw…

Fields of brilliant emerald grass and a sun filled with more colors than she knew to name.

Darkness and a dirty cell, where heavy fists punctuated his pain.

Time beyond counting became a lifetime lost.

A green-eyed dark-haired beauty bathed in sunlight stretched out her hand to him.

Someone was screaming. Amie frowned as the woman’s cries grew louder. Pain spiked up in her chest as her lungs constricted and her heart was ripped apart then reformed. The woman’s screams died when she took a breath and realized the voice was hers.

She blinked.

And then she was lying within the narrow strip between two brick buildings, alone.


About this Author:

Jennifer Silverwood was raised deep in the heart of Texas and has been spinning yarns a mile high since childhood. In her spare time she reads and writes and tries to sustain her wanderlust, whether it's the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, the highlands of Ecuador or a road trip to the next town.

After attending three different universities without managing to square a degree, she decided to the next logical thing; become a writer. Always on the lookout for her next adventure, in print or reality, she dreams of one day proving to the masses that everything really is better in Texas.

She is the author of the Heaven's Edge series and Silver Hollow. To stay tuned, please have a gander at her website: http://jennifersilverwood.com.

Author Links:

@JennSilverwood


GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, March 30, 2013

FBF Book Spotlight: Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal

Without a Summer (Glamourist Histories #3)
by Mary Robinette Kowal
Expected publication: April 2nd 2013 by Tor Books

Up-and-coming fantasist Mary Robinette Kowal enchanted fans with award-winning short stories and beloved novels featuring Regency pair Jane and Vincent Ellsworth. In Without a Summer the master glamourists return home, but in a world where magic is real, nothing—even the domestic sphere—is quite what it seems.

Jane and Vincent go to Long Parkmeade to spend time with Jane’s family, but quickly turn restless. The year is unseasonably cold. No one wants to be outside and Mr. Ellsworth is concerned by the harvest, since a bad one may imperil Melody’s dowry. And Melody has concerns of her own, given the inadequate selection of eligible bachelors. When Jane and Vincent receive a commission from a prominent family in London, they decide to take it, and take Melody with them. They hope the change of scenery will do her good and her marriage prospects—and mood—will be brighter in London.

Once there, talk is of nothing but the crop failures caused by the cold and increased unemployment of the coldmongers, which have provoked riots in several cities to the north. With each passing day, it’s more difficult to avoid getting embroiled in the intrigue, none of which really helps Melody’s chances for romance. It’s not long before Jane and Vincent realize that in addition to getting Melody to the church on time, they must take on one small task: solving a crisis of international proportions.

Purchase Here: Hardcover // Audible Audio Edition

5 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday, April 5, 2013!

Click Here to Enter: http://fiction.freebookfriday.com/2013/03/without-summer-by-mary-robinette-kowal.html

What is FBF?

It's simple. Every Friday, Free Book Friday gives away free books!

That's right. Each week, FBF features a new author with an exclusive author interview podcast or written Q&A and host a drawing to win free signed copies of his/her book.

All you have to do to enter to win each week is sign up using the entry form on the left sidebar.

Promotional Event: Off Sides by Sawyer Bennett

Title:  Off Sides
Author:  Sawyer Bennett
Release date:  February 21, 2013
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Age Group:  New Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours
“I'm not sure what possessed me to do it. Maybe it was the impossible expectations I faced, maybe it was my own self-loathing. But I just knew I needed something different to happen. I needed someone...something...to derail me from my current path. Otherwise, I would become lost...a hollowed out shell of a man. So I did it. I approached her, then I pursued her, then I made her mine. And my life was saved...”

Ryan Burnham is the privileged son of a U.S. Congressman and captain of his university’s hockey team. While he is on the verge of fulfilling his dreams to play in the NHL, his parents want him on a different course. One he is expected to accept for the sake of his family’s public image.

Forced to abandon her music career after the heart breaking death of her parents, Danny Cross exists on the opposite side of the tracks from Ryan. She is struggling to make her own way, working two jobs, attending college part time and volunteering in a homeless shelter. She is on a mission to build her own success.

With a chance meeting, their vastly different worlds collide, causing each to evaluate whether they are truly on the correct path to self-fulfillment and happiness. Can their relationship survive? Particularly when others are against them every step of the way. A lot can happen in just ten short days...


Goodreads Link:

Purchase Link:


EXCERPT:

"You are so beautiful, Danny."

"I could say the same about you."

He gives me a hint of a smile but then his look turns molten. He leans in and kisses me gently. I follow his pace, soaking in the experience. I know I'm not losing my virginity tonight but I know I'm going to learn something new and I am tingling with anticipation.

Before long, our kisses turn more urgent. I feel like I am spinning out of control and Ryan masters my mouth. He commands it and it obeys him. My tongue and his move together and then apart. Needing to be together, then needing to roam.

Ryan's hand grabs a hold of my waist and he pulls me closer to him, his fingers digging deliciously into my tender skin. He brings my pelvis flush with his and he groans when we make contact.

Sliding his hand up the back of my shirt, he gently caresses my back while moving his lips to my neck. He's driving me crazy and every point of contact is burning where he touches and then freezing when it leaves. I'm in sensory overload and when his hand moves around to my front and gently cups my breast, I'm almost embarrassed over the guttural moan that escapes my lips.

"Sssshhhhh," he soothes me, yet his hand fondles me with more urgency and I want him to slip it beneath the barrier of my bra.

All of a sudden, Ryan pulls back and I am bereft. I reach toward him and he takes one of my hands and kisses my fingers.

"I'm not going to make love to you, Danny." I'm not sure if he says this to convince himself or me. "But, I would like to see and touch more of you. Will you let me?"


About this Author:

Sawyer Bennett is the pen name for a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Author Links:



GIVEAWAY:
(1) Winner's choice of an eBook copy of ONE of the author's titles

Forever Young – Paranormal with romantic elements (Young Adult)
Second Chance – Paranormal Romance (Adult)
Stolen Heart – Paranormal Romance (Adult)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, March 29, 2013

Follow Friday (#34): Most Emotional Scene You've Ever Read

Follow Friday is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read--a great way to discover new amazing blogs and new friends!
 
Q: Tell us about the most emotional scene you’ve ever read in a book – and how did you react?


Answer: This one is a very personal one for me, but the most emotional scene (well it may be several scenes in this book) I've ever read would have to be from New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. I felt so connected to Bella during that book, because I had gone through something similar and felt the way she did, that it nearly broke me all over again. I wasn't expecting to feel so intertwined with Bella's feelings, and New Moon was a difficult book for me to read.


Quotes that I connected to:

“The waves of pain that had only lapped at me before now reared high up and washed over my head, pulling me under. I did not resurface.”

“Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me.”  

“Forbidden to remember, terrified to forget; it was a hard line to walk.” 

“Sometimes I’m afraid that I’m losing myself.”

“The absence of him is everywhere I look.”

“And yet, I found I could survive. I was alert, I felt the pain - the aching loss that radiated out from my chest, sending wracking waves of hurt through my limbs and head - but it was manageable. I could live through it. I didn't feel like the pain had weakened over time, rather that I'd grown strong enough to bear it.” 

  
As you can see by the quotes, I was in like this black hole of sorrow, but New Moon help me get through it, just as much as it plunged me back in. And each time I read the book, the feelings became manageable to the point where it doesn't hurt so much to read it. So I can say with all certainty that New Moon will always be a very important book to me.

Cover Reveal: Made to Forget by Samantha LaFantasie

MADE TO FORGET by Samantha LaFantasie
Nepherium Part 1


There’s something that lies within my memory. Hidden in the dark. Something that can kill me and those that I love. But I was in an accident, covered in mystery and deception. And my memory…was lost. There are those who want me to remember. I don’t trust them. And those I do trust…are fighting for me to forget.

Elsabetha Ellery wants to get her memory back, even if it kills her.

After waking up in a hospital with no memory, Elsabetha quickly learns those who claim to be her friend are anything but. And those who are her true friends keep themselves unseen.

Stuck with piecing together her broken memories alone, Elsa struggles with having faith in those she trusts and heeding the warnings of the dangers in recovering her memory. Ignoring them, she faces heavy consequences. Ones she doesn’t see until it’s too late, and a life is lost.


Goodreads Link:


If you'd like to be updated on the release of MADE TO FORGET -- sign up HERE.


About this Author:

A Kansas native, Samantha spends her free time with her husband and three kids. Writing has always been a passion of hers but she only took up writing seriously a few years ago. Among her writing credentials, she’s a board member of the Kansas Writer’s Association and has founded her own critique group lovingly named The Fighting Hamsters.

You can find her presence on...
 
Facebook † Twitter † WebsiteGoodReads




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Of Silver and Beasts by Trisha Wolfe

OF SILVER AND BEASTS by Trisha Wolfe
A Goddess Wars Novel
New Adult Dark Fantasy
Release Date: June 1, 2013
Cover Designed by: Steven Novak
Cover Reveal Organized by: YA Bound


In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.

When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena. 

Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.


Goodreads Link:


***Excerpt*** 

I open my mouth to say something comforting, but I’m unsure of what. In this moment, I’m reminded that I know little about him. Other than the sarcasm and desire to understand nothing of my queendom, he hasn’t allowed me past the surface. But then, I have my own walls, hiding things I’d never want him or any other to know. And I understand that need to hide them. You can’t trust anyone.

“Caben…” I start, but still can’t find the right words. He lowers his hand from his face, never taking his eyes off the glinting water top.

“You’re right,” he finally says. “Let’s find the access to Lilly’s section.”

A hollow pang hits my chest, and I’m not sure why. Something in his voice sounds lost, broken. I imagine the gears around my heart spinning faster, trying to keep up with my racing heart. When he sidesteps me, I reach out and grab his arm.

“Caben, I didn’t mean—”

“It’s fine, Kal,” he snaps. “We have work to do.”

“No, I’ve said something to offend you.” I drop my hand, but keep close to him, not allowing him to leave my side.

Goddess, trying to understand the male brain is harder than anything in protector training. I’ve heard people say that you have to tip-toe around a woman’s emotions, but a man’s ego is every bit as fragile, if not more so.

He releases a heavy breath through his nose and walks back to the pool. He sits down along the edge and rolls up his pants, then slips off his boots.

“I honestly don’t think Bax or his goons will be returning tonight.” He sinks his bare feet into the water and sighs.

Glancing at the back of the cave, I plant my hands on my hips. We don’t have time for indulgencies, but the prince is still my charge. If it were my empress, I’d give her anything she’d ask for. Allow her as much time as she needed to collect herself. I have to watch over his mental state as well as protect him, so I try to push the pending need to find Lilly aside and sit down next to him.

“Here,” he says, turning his hand out near my crossed feet. “You have to feel this.” A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.

“I can remove my own—”

“Have you never been pampered a day in your life?” he asks, lifting an eyebrow. “I know that the Nactue are fierce and will put a hurt on any man for touching them. But try to relax.”

“Is that the rumor in Perinya?”

“What?”

I bite my lip, suddenly regretting my blurt. “Nothing. Never mind.”

From the corner of my eye, I see his lips pucker into a pinched smile, as if he’s trying not to.

“Ah,” he says, like he’s made some great universal connection. “Well, there are many whisperings about the Nactue. Some I dare not repeat for fear I’d leave here missing a limb, but that’s one, yes.” He takes my booted foot and begins to unlace it. “I’ve heard that the empress’s protectors are untouchable—forbidden to give themselves to men. And that they’ll snap a man’s neck just for making an advance.”

My mouth drops open. Appalled, I counter, “That’s not true.”

“All right,” he says, as if he hasn’t just insulted my very existence. “It’s only rumors. Things men jaw about in pubs. The unattainable woman is a fantasy, Kal. Don’t be offended.”

“Unattainable?” I grit my teeth, trying to maintain my composure. “Tell me, prince. Do men in your country just go around bedding every woman they can in order to keep them compliant?” I shake my head. “If their fantasy is a woman that would have nothing to do with them, it seems to me it’s their way of feeding their egos after being rejected.”

His eyes widen. “No! How does your brain come up with these—” He bites off his words, his lips thin as he presses them together. “Look, it was a joke.”

I nod, many times. “Another joke. I’m glad that our hard work and sacrifice is amusing to the men of Perinya.”

Caben lets out another sigh and slowly pulls off my boot. His warm fingers skim my calf as he inches up my pant leg. “Just stick your foot in,” he says, then adds lower, “while I stick mine in my mouth.”

Unexpectedly, I laugh. “At least it’s now clean,” I say. “Would you like some help getting it to your face?”



 
***GIVEAWAY***
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Release Day Blitz: A Different Blue by Amy Harmon



Blue Echohawk doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn't attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on in life, she is just a senior in high school.

With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing.

This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love.  But falling in love can be hard when you don't know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can't love you back might be impossible.



Amy Harmon knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, so she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Amy Harmon has been a motivational speaker, a grade school teacher, a junior high teacher, a home school mom, and a member of the Grammy Award winning Saints Unified Voices Choir, directed by Gladys Knight. She released a Christian Blues CD in 2007 called "What I Know" - also available on Amazon and wherever digital music is sold. She lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband and four kids, and doesn't plan to ever move somewhere, because nowhere is sublime. She has written Running Barefoot, and the Young Adult books Slow Dance in Purgatory and the sequel, Prom Night in Purgatory.  A Different Blue is her fourth novel.

Author Links:

https://www.facebook.com/authoramyharmon
www.authoramyharmon.com
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829056.Amy_Harmon


GIVEAWAY:

I love being creative with my chapter titles.  If you've read any of my other books, you already know that! This book has titles that are all related to one word.  It is not obvious, at least it wasn't to me!  When you download the book, scroll through the chapter titles to figure out what each title has in common with the others.  Once you think you've got it figured out, write your answer in a message.  No one will be able to see anyone else's response.  The winner, selected by rafflecopter, will get a beautiful necklace AND charm bracelet with charms that represent different elements in the book OR a $20 Amazon gift card, whichever the winner chooses, and a runner up will get the remaining prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour: Coffee & Cockpits by Jade Hart (Promo)




Coffee and Cockpits
Jade Hart


New Adult Contemporary Romance

A New Adult Contemporary Romance, featuring Nina Poppins, a flight attendant, who can’t decide if she wants the sexy co-pilot or the yummy engineer… and ends up having both.

***

By day, Nina Poppins is a professional flight attendant, who lives to travel, and isn’t afraid to chase her dreams. By night, she’s an award winning salsa dancer who wears sexy corsets and garter belts. She keeps her two lives separate, and none of her colleagues suspect that cool, demure Nina has a hot, spicy side.


Liam Mikin is a co-pilot who can get any air-hostess he wants with one blazing look of his blue eyes. But for some reason he can’t get Nina. He senses there’s more to her beneath the professional cool shell, and he’s determined to find out what it is.

Nikolai Rivers is an aircraft engineer who can dance as well as Nina and enjoys getting hot and heavy with her on the dance floor. But frustration chafes him at being held at arm’s length. However, his opportunity to break her exterior comes when an airplane malfunctions on a flight to Samoa, stranding all the crew on the Pacific island indefinitely.

Liam and Nikolai see each other as a challenge and start a race to be the first to break Nina’s aloofness, but what they didn’t count on was falling for her, or worse, having to share….


About this Author:

Jade Hart is a self-confessed book worm who is happiest glued to a lap-top with an eternal battery life, and

Her three favorite things are:

1. Unlimited books on an Ebook Reader
2. Cracking the sugar on a creme brulee
3. Travelling

Jade currently resides in Middle-Earth, but has lived in Australia, England, and Hong Kong.

She writes New Adult 'smexy' fiction.
typing up stories running rampant in her head.

Author Links:

www.dreamwritepublish.blogspot.com
www.falling4fiction.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/JadeHartAuthorPage
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6544592.Jade_Hart
@jadehart8

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Giveaway Winner: Frailties of the Bond eBook



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to Mimi B. for winning an eBook copy of Frailties of the Bond by Angela Brown!!

Cover Reveal: Skeleton Key Guild by M.J. Fletcher

SKELETON KEY GUILD by M.J. Fletcher
 The Doorknob Society Saga #5
Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk, Paranormal
Release: May 2013


Her parents dead, her sister missing, and those she loves branded traitors to the Old Kind... Chloe Masters is on the run.

To fulfill a parent’s dying wish she will do anything to save the sister she has never met. Can she learn the secrets of the Artifacts before it’s too late? Surrounded by her friends; Slade, Edgar, Jess, Val and the man she loves James Nightshade, Chloe has never had so much to live for... but will her enemies let her?


Goodreads Link:


Reviews about The Doorknob Society

I am SO GLAD that I said I’d review the book!! It had me interested from the first chapter, and HOOKED shortly after that!”  ~ Puretextuality.com

Let me start by saying that I'm a pretty picky reader. I have to be captured by a story almost immediately in order to continue reading. Well, I was captured by The Doorknob Society...and I am hooked!”  ~ Amazon

I couldn't put it down and read straight through and was so mad at myself for finishing it. I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. FOR. THE. NEXT. BOOK!”  ~ Goodreads


Other books in the series...



About M.J. Fletcher:

MJ Fletcher is the creator of the comic book series Adam Zero: The Last Man of Earth published by Ronin Studios. He’s also been published in Hope: The Hero Initiative and Digital Webbing Presents. The Doorknob Society series is his first book series and he’s thrilled about it. He lives near the beach with his wife, daughter, and dog.


The Doorknob Society Book Trailer






Win an ebook copy of the first in the series, The Doorknob Society! Open International! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SWOON Thursday (#41): The Archived by Victoria Schwab

 Hosted by YA Bound

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering. Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! We want to know :-)

Here's mine:

His mouth is soft but strong, and when he deepens the kiss, the quiet spreads, filling every space in my mind, washing over me. Drowning me.

And then his mouth is gone, and his hands let go of mine. Everything comes back, too loud. I pull his body against mine, feel the impossibly careful crush of his mouth as it steals the air from my lungs, steals the thoughts from my head.

Owen steps forward, urging my body against the wall, pushing me with his kisses and the quiet that comes with his touch. I am letting it wash away the questions and doubts, the Histories and the key and the ring and everything else, until I am just M against hi lips, his body. M reflected in the pale blue of his eyes until he closes them and kisses me deeper, and then I am nothing.
- The Archived SWOON #YABound

Cover Reveal: Broken Gates by D.T. Dyllin

BROKEN GATES by D.T. Dyllin
P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy #2
New Adult Paranormal Romance
Expected publication: May 24th 2013 by Dragonfairy Press


P.J. Stone is a Seer who saw too little, too late.

In the past, her biggest worries were boys and school—but war has a way of changing things. Now, the alien Riders are trying to overrun the world. As the last of their kind, P.J. and her friends must find a way to save humanity before there’s nothing left to save.

After choosing a mate, P.J. hoped she'd have time to enjoy her love life. But with everything changing so quickly and major secrets revealed, who knows what the future will bring?


Goodreads Link: 

   
HIDDEN GATES
the first book in the P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy



About this Author:

Cynical-Optimist. Chocolate-holic. Sarcasm Addict. Paranormal Believer. Romance Junkie. Self Imposed Insomniac. Animal Lover. Writer.

Author Links:

http://dtdyllin.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5763250.D_T_Dyllin
https://www.facebook.com/pages/D-T-Dyllin/258426047570107
https://twitter.com/DTDyllin

Tour: The Princess and The Prepper by Barbara Elsborg (Review+Giveaway)



Title:The Princess and the Prepper 
Series: Prepper Romance #2, Evans Point Series #2
Author: Barbara Elsborg
Genre: Erotic Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00ARKLYS0
Release Date: December 20, 2012
Source: Tour Host {FMB Book Tours}
Rating:

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Lili knows she shouldn’t accept a lift from a stranger, but as usual, she leaps from one disaster to another. The consequence is being stuck in the middle of a snowy nowhere wearing next to nothing, and this time, being unprepared looks likely to kill her.

Grant lives in an isolated cabin for a reason. He’s prepared for almost every eventuality. The last thing he wants is some needy person interfering with his ordered life. When he gets into bed with a woman he rescued from certain death—just to warm her up, of course—Grant discovers something else he’s not prepared for. His heart opening.

A match made in heaven, until secrets come knocking. Lili is not just a simple woman in need of shelter, and unless she can survive dealing with her background, it doesn’t seem possible the happiness that’s fallen out of a blizzard can heal Grant’s own past.

Review:

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED AFTER 12PM.

About this Author:

Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.

After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.

Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they are to write.

Website | Blog |


GIVEAWAY:
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Book Blast: The Guilty Innocent by D.N. Simmons

 

 

The Guilty InnocentThe Guilty Innocent

 

The Guilty Innocent is the second novel of the Darkness Chronicles Series.

In this installment, Darian, the gorgeous, charismatic and charming master vampire of Chicago is framed for a crime he didn't commit, but why? His lover, Xavier, Natasha and a few others must travel halfway across the world to find out who and why before time runs out and all hell breaks loose!

Original, sexy and gritty, the Knights of the Darkness Chronicles will suck you in and take you for a ride you won't forget!  

Purchase The Guilty Innocent on Amazon.

 

 

 

About Author D.N. Simmons

 

D. N. Simmons lives in Chicago IL., with a rambunctious German Shepherd that's too big for his own good and mischievous kitten that she affectionately calls "Itty-bitty". Her hobbies include rollerblading, billiards, bowling, reading, watching television and going to the movies. She has been nominated at Love Romances and More, winning honorable mention for best paranormal book of 2006. She has won "Author of the Month" at Warrior of Words. She was voted "New Voice of Today" at Romance Reviews and "Rising Star" at Love Romance and More.  

Follow D.N. Simmons Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads


Read Reviews by Bloggers 

2nd Book to the Right 

Sizzle and Swoon  

This is a very good length story and the author has put a lot of thought into the creation of a complex plot and well written characters. There is humor, angst, anger and tenderness between all the characters that gives the book a well rounded feel. ~ Diane @ Turning Back the Clock  

The Guilty Innocent was an excellent read. It's packed with action, passion and vivid characters. If you love the supernatural genre, you'll enjoy The Guilty Innocent. ~ Jessi @ Mamas Got Flair  

The Guilty Innocence is an addicting, sexy, mystery that's very hard to put down. D.N. Simmons crafts a fast paced world where the supernatural works and plays in one of my favorite cities, Chicago. ~ Jen @ The Crafty Cauldron  

What more can you ask for than shapeshifters and vampires. Wouldn't life be devine stuck in a love triangle with 2 hot vampires. ~ Lisa @ Mommy Read too Much


D.N. Simmons is giving away a $100 Amazon Giftcard and everyone who enters gets an ecopy of Desires Unleashed. 

Fill out the form below to enter!  

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Trailer Tour: See Me by Natalie-Nicole Bates (Giveaway)







See Me
Rise, Book 1
by Natalie-Nicole Bates

Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Leap of Faith
Ebook, 22,000 words

Purchase: Leap of Faith

Carly Anders  is hearing voices in her head. Another one of her kind is trying to contact her. She knows of the malevolent freaks—others who are eternal like her and seek out the weak to inflict pain upon. For years, Carly has held up huge protective walls to keep herself and her secrets safe. Now, physically and mentally exhausted, Carly needs protection and rest.

She accepts the invitation to visit an internet friend who needs help appraising a collection of antique photographs.  The situation is not ideal, but Carly hopes a male presence in her life will deter the determined suitor who haunts her thoughts and dreams.

Daniel Tremont is not what Carly is expecting.

The former funeral director has a secret of his own. Not only is he eternal like Carly, he is her creation from all those years before—her abomination she thought she killed.

Daniel has been searching for Carly for years. He knows she is the piece of his life that he has been missing for so long. Now that he has found her, he has no intentions of letting her go. 


GIVEAWAY:
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (#49): True by Hilary Duff


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's eagerly anticipated release is:

True (Elixir #3)
by Hilary Duff
Expected publication: April 16th 2013 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
The epic love story of Clea and Sage comes to its thrilling conclusion in the final book in the Elixir series by multitalented star Hilary Duff.

Following the harrowing events of Elixir and Devoted—and the ceremony that almost killed Sage—Clea faces a new reality: With Sage’s soul in Nico’s body, the love of her life looks an awful lot like her best friend’s boyfriend. Can Clea and Sage really be happy under these circumstances?

Clea wants to try to enjoy their new life together, but Sage is acting different—angry—and she struggles to keep her friends from finding out what has happened to him. Something is clearly haunting Sage, and Clea is losing control. Can she trust her friends with the dangerous truth, or will she have to risk losing Sage to madness?

Cover Reveal: Before You Go by Clare James

BEFORE YOU GO by Clare James
New Adult Contemporary
Expected Pub: April 1, 2013 
Cover by PhatPuppy Art


Forgiveness is the only option, but can she learn to forgive herself?

Paralyzed by the past and terrified of the future, Tabitha Kelly is broken.

After a public sex scandal at her college, Tabby moves to a new city with a new school, convinced she can start over. But she soon realizes the changes are not enough. Tabby must take action to help her heal and move on from the past.

And though it sounds crazy, she believes a one-night stand is the best way to take back what’s hers. If she can choose where, when, and most importantly, who … maybe she can regain control.

First, she needs a willing participant.

She finds more than that when she meets Noah Adler.

Unfortunately, she can’t go through with it. And when she tries to forget about the plan–and the guy—it becomes impossible.

Noah quickly weaves his way into her new life and her heart. But as he comes dangerously close to discovering her secret, Tabby’s at risk of losing it all.


Goodreads Link:


About this Author:

Clare James spent her childhood, writing, reading, and dancing. Not much has changed since then, except she can no longer get up on toe shoes like she once could. And don’t even ask her to go into the splits because she may never get back up.

A new adult and contemporary romance writer, Clare loves a happy ending. She lives in Minneapolis with her two leading men—her husband and young son. BEFORE YOU GO is her debut new adult novel.

Author Links:

http://www.twitter.com/clarejamesbooks
http://www.clarejamesbooks.com

Tour: Blackbird by Cheryl McIntyre (Review)



Title: Blackbird
Series: Sometimes Never #1.5
Author: Cheryl McIntyre
Genre: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Cheryl McIntyre
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00BHLGZJ6
Release Date: February 17, 2013
Source: Amazon.com
Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: "Sometimes never is a distorted perception. I love you, Hope. And I'm not the only one. I know you care about me. I see it in your eyes. I feel it. Everybody needs love. Everybody. And some people need it more than others. You're a liar if you say you don't. I'll do that for you. I'll love you. All you have to do is let me." –Sometimes Never

What happened in the years between the final chapter and epilogue of Sometimes Never? Blackbird is an 18,000+ word novella that continues Mason and Hope's story as they finish high school, start separate colleges, and confront their demons.

Though Blackbird can be read on its own, it is better enjoyed after reading Sometimes Never. Recommended for 17+ due to harsh language and some sexual situations.

Short Review:

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED AFTER 12PM.

About this Author:

Cheryl McIntyre is the author of Sometimes Never, Blackbird (a Sometimes Never novella), and the
paranormal romance Dark Calling.

Author Links:

https://www.facebook.com/CherylMcIntyreauthor
https://twitter.com/CherylHMcIntyre
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6431156.Cheryl_McIntyre

Tour: Sometimes Never by Cheryl McIntyre (Review)



Title: Sometimes Never
Series: Sometimes Never #1
Author: Cheryl McIntyre
Genre: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Cheryl McIntyre
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00AQHUV1A
Release Date: December 18, 2012
Source: Author {Cheryl McIntyre}
Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Hope didn't have the best role model when it came to relationships. She’s content with her current no-strings-attached extracurricular activity with the lead singer of her band. She’s never believed in love and commitment.

Mason starts his eighth school in five years anticipating nothing more than the usual—boring classes, fighting more than making friends, and girls happily willing to succumb to his easy smile. He’s never put much stock into love at first sight—until he sees her.

Regardless of their painful pasts, Hope and Mason discover that sometimes never can become forever.

Short Review:

Sometimes Never is a highly emotional book that will have your emotions all over the map. Real life and controversial topics are handled and written very well. Both Hope and Mason have their issues and you would think that because of that their relationship is doomed from the start. How can two messed up people make something work, right? But they make it work, and it's a beautiful story.

About this Author:

Cheryl McIntyre is the author of Sometimes Never, Blackbird (a Sometimes Never novella), and the
paranormal romance Dark Calling.

Author Links:

https://www.facebook.com/CherylMcIntyreauthor
https://twitter.com/CherylHMcIntyre
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6431156.Cheryl_McIntyre


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