April 30, 2015

Book Blast: Excerpt & Giveaway! How It Was Supposed To Be


Reese Kennecott had everything he could ever want and life was good. He’s dating the guy of his dreams and has a great group of friends. The Kennecotts were living the carefree life as an upper middle class family until the day his father arrives home from work with the news that the company he has worked for since he was Reese’s age has gone out of business. Aside from the great depression, this is the worst economic downturn the United States has ever faced. It does not take long for the Kennecotts to fall behind in their bills and eventually to lose everything. 


Reese used to work part time for extra money now he is working all the hours he can get in order to help his family get by. But things have gone from bad to worse. Hope finally comes with a new job that will take the family across the country, which means giving up their lives as they’ve always known them. The family embarks on a road trip to their new life. Along the way, they are forced to make difficult choices and hope begins to fade. Each day things become bleaker and the Kennecotts begin to wonder if they are ever going to make it to their destination. But sometimes things that have no reason to work out do and we end up right where we should be, at the right time and in the right place.


A few days later Cruz caught Reese on his way out to the parking lot after school. He appeared so smug and at the same time seemed so debonair as he approached Reese. When he was close enough, he looked around, perhaps to make sure there was no one in ear shot. There was no greeting from Cruz before he asked, “Relationship troubles?”

He responded, “You mean Morgan?” Cruz nodded his head as if telling him duh. “We’re only friends.”

“Oh.” Cruz shrugged, “So he’s not gay then?”

“No he’s not gay.” Reese did not feel it was his place to share Morgan’s bisexuality.

Cruz stared at him, only perpetuating Reese’s discomfort. “You’re gay though?”

“Yes. You’re gay too?” He figured fair was fair.

Nodding in agreement, Cruz asked, “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.” Reese was feeling as if he was being sized up added, “I hear you don’t either.” Cruz was silent, glancing away and yawning, appearing disinterested in the conversation. Reese decided that he’d better make his move, “You want to go out sometime?”

Cruz turned toward him and seemed to be thinking over his response. Reese smiled feeling hopeful and then concerned he might be coming off as desperate. Cruz nodded, “That would be fine by me.” Then he turned to walk away without saying another word.



I have a horrible time when it comes to writing about myself. It is not that I have low self-esteem, but the fact that I am not comfortable talking about myself. 

For most of my life, I have been writing and sharing it with my friends. They have repeatedly told me I needed to publish my writing and share it with the world. Now that I have, I am amazed at how many people admire it.

My interests beyond writing include reading a variety of books, watching movies and drawing.

I truly appreciate all the support and encouragement from my friends, family, and you. I am so thankful to your support!

Keep on reading! I am always interested in hearing about what people are reading, especially if it is something I have written.

Thank you for reading and letting me know what you think of my writing!




Book Promo: Excerpt & Giveaway! That Thing You Do, Whispering Bay Romance #1 by Maria Geraci



Allie Grant doesn’t believe in second chances. She does, however, believe in the power of a permanent paycheck. So when a tipster reports that the soon-to-be demolished senior center in her hometown is haunted, Allie hightails it to Whispering Bay to get the scoop that could secure her dream job at Florida! magazine. What she finds, though, is far scarier than any ghost. Cue her ex-boyfriend, sexy construction foreman Tom Donalan.

When Tom catches Allie poking around his construction site, he quickly realizes his former high school flame is just as feisty as ever. And, heaven help him, her irresistible, mile-high legs still take his breath away. But Tom isn’t about to delay the building’s demolition because of a silly ghost story.

With neither of the stubborn exes backing down from their opposing positions, sparks fly. And, underneath the surface, the fire of their old attraction burns as hot as ever. When strange things start happening with increasing frequency around town, even a tough skeptic like Tom is tested. The question is, can Allie and Tom stop fighting long enough to get to the bottom of Whispering Bay’s ghost problem—and the more important matter of mending their broken hearts?



She was flabbergasted. Speechless in a way that she’d never been before. Tom Donalan had just exposed his jugular. He’d basically told her he loved her. Without saying it, of course. But that’s what he was leading up to. It was her Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey fantasy come to life. She should jump up and pump her fist in the air. Or do a happy dance. Or feel something. Shouldn’t she? But all she felt was sad.

“What do you want me to say to all that, Tom?”

“You know what I want.” He bent down to kiss her. 

She turned her head to avoid his touch and the sadness quickly turned to anger. It was all she could do to not punch him in the nose. How dare he do this to her twice in a lifetime? She snatched her hands away.

He reached out for her again. “Baby, I—” 

“No. It’s my turn now.” She jumped up from the bed and began to pace the room. “That day I told you I loved you? It didn’t matter that you didn’t say it back. I mean, yeah, I wanted to hear you tell me you loved me, too. I wanted to hear it so bad, but I knew you weren’t ready. And that was okay, because… my love wasn’t some conditional thing. But then when you told me you and Lauren were getting married? I wanted to puke. I wanted to hate you, but I—” She swiped a tear from her eye. How had that gotten there?

“I admit it. Okay? You broke my heart, Tom. You looked me straight in the eye and told me you thought you loved someone else. That you had this big responsibility to take care of your mistakes. Well, what about me?” she asked, her voice rising with each word. “Where was your responsibility to me?”

He looked stunned.

“So I went home and I locked myself in my room and I cried because all I could think of was myself. And how I felt. And Buela was banging on the door, trying to get inside because she could hear me crying. And she kept begging me to tell her what was wrong. But I told her to go away. And after a while, she did. And she must have gotten Zeke…because then he started banging on the door, too.” 

Allie stopped her pacing. She’d forgotten all about Zeke trying to coax her out of her room. It was like she’d buried that memory along with a bunch of other stuff from that night. Obviously, Zeke hadn’t forgotten a thing. His animosity toward Tom made perfect sense now.

“But I wouldn’t let Zeke in, either,” she continued. “So I cried myself to sleep that night. And the whole next day I acted like nothing was wrong, even though she knew that was bullshit. All she wanted was to comfort me. And I…I wouldn’t let her. And then two days later, she was gone.”

“Allie, you didn’t cause your grandmother’s heart attack.” He stood and tried to pull her in his arms but she placed a hand up, warning him to back off.

“Don’t you think I know that? But the last two days she had on this earth…all she wanted was…. After Mom died, she gave up her whole life to come take care of me and Zeke. If it wasn’t for her, who knows where we would have ended up? And the one little thing she wanted from me I couldn’t give her because I was so fucking selfish. All I could think about was myself.” 

His voice cracked. “We were kids, Allie. You couldn’t have known what was going to happen. You thought you’d have more time with her.”

“Yeah, well, life sucks. Tell me something I don’t know.”

“You blame me, don’t you?” he said quietly.

“No, Tom, I don’t blame you. I blame me. But, somehow you’re tied into it. At least…into that version of me. So, yeah, you’ve been terrific these past few days, and yeah, the sex was fantastic. I admit it. It was best sex of my life, too. But you and I are never going to be together because you’re always going to be a reminder of the biggest regret of my life.”

He flinched. But she wasn’t trying to hurt him. She was only trying to be honest. 

“So that’s it. No second chances. No nothing? Is that what you want?” He sounded bitter, and a part of her wanted to tell him…what? That they could start over? Zeke was right. Tom wasn’t the guy for her. 

“What I want is, for you to take me home.”



Maria Geraci writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction with a happy ending. The Portland Book Review called her novel, The Boyfriend of the Month Club, “immensely sexy, immensely satisfying and humorous.” Her fourth novel, A Girl Like You, was nominated for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA ® award. She lives in north Florida with her family, which includes a very needy chihuahua, an extremely needy dachshund and a not-so-needy cat (guess which one she likes best?). You can reach at her www.mariageraci.com.




Release Day Blitz: Excerpt & Giveaway! Savor, The Empire Chronicles #4 by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Savor - Cover

Jared is Vera's perfect man—until he opens his mouth. An incredible body and set of wings can only go so far when everything he says seems designed to make her mad. Still, she can't deny her intense attraction or the fact that he is the closest thing she has to a friend.

Jared doesn't go for bear shifters, especially ones that are related to his ex, but he can't resist Vera's charm or the way she understands him better than anyone else. 

As suspicions build and loyalties are tested, Vera and Jared realize that they may not be able to trust anyone but each other.


“I’m glad you don’t want me dead.” He smirked. Even his smirk was sexy.

“I’d be on my own if you were.” I put my hands behind my head.

“And you don’t like being alone?” He studied me in the darkness. Sometimes I wished neither of us had night vision. It left you so naked, never having an opportunity to hide.

“I do most of the time.”

“But not always?” His eyes raked over my body. The fact that he could make such a platonic conversation feel sexual gave me even more reason to resist him.

“Why does it matter?” Often the best way to avoid a question is to ask your own.

“It matters because I asked it.” And there went his mouth again.

My annoyance gave me back my will power. “Put a shirt on.”

“Why?” He grinned. “Am I distracting you?”

“No, but we should go. The sun will be up soon enough.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t go with you.” He sat up, swinging his legs off the side of the bed.

“No way.” I moved to standing. “You’re not backing out.”

“Why do you care?” He stood with his back to me. “You can do this alone.”

“Of course I can.”

He turned to me. “Then why does it matter if I go my own way?” He pulled on his t-shirt, and a little part of me missed the view.

“Because we agreed to help each other out. I stick to my promises.” That was one of my good traits. The not so good traits weren’t worth reflecting on.

“Maybe I don’t.”

“You do.” I put a hand on my hip. I didn’t have time for Jared’s games.

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

“You’re infuriating.”

I groaned. “And what are you?”

“Charming.”

If I’d had liquid in my mouth I would have spit it out. “Not exactly the word I’d use to describe you.”

“Says the girl begging me to stay with her.”

“I never begged.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Would you beg?” His grin was his undoing.

“Is that how you like it, Jared? With your women begging?”

“I wasn’t talking about how I like my women.”

“Are you sure about that?” I grabbed my backpack and headed into the cabin’s small bathroom.

“Where are you going?”

I paused with my hand on the door. “To shower.”

  


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Alyssa Rose Ivy- Author Photo

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.       

 


Happy Release Day! Fall For Me by J.C. Emery



Melanie Kincaid is a trust-fund baby with a knack for sassy comebacks and unnecessarily complicating her privileged life. So, of course she would have to fall in love with a man she can't have.

Jameson Hayes is a NYC firefighter for Manhattan’s oldest ladder company with big shoes to fill and a city to protect. He’s strong, sexy, and not looking for the complications Melanie brings. But he can't stay away from her either. The attraction between them is immediate and the pull between them is crazy powerful. But she's only home for the summer and long-distance relationships never work.

Unfortunately, Melanie’s beauty and smart mouth are a lethal combination and Jameson isn't the only Hayes who's interested. As if his brother isn't enough to compete with, now the city's most famous arsonist wants to claim her as his next prize. Jameson can't stand to watch Melanie get hurt and she can't seem to keep herself out of trouble.

Fall for Me is the first Ladder Company novel, a stand-alone companion series about New York's most elite firefighting family with hot alpha heroes, snarky heroines, and an arsonist hell-bent on destruction.


“Mom!” I move through the foyer and into the open great room— a large, open living/kitchen combo— where I leave my suitcase and kick off my flats before I hit the carpet. What the hell is she doing with gas? That stuff is toxic.

“Well?” Mom says, appearing at the edge of the hall on the other side of the kitchen. She has a hand towel around her neck and one of her many yoga-specific exercise outfits on. This one is a light blue and she’s barefoot. Monica Kincaid is dedicated to many things in life— her husband Christian, her daughters (the youngest, especially), and her charity projects— but yoga is the one out of all of it that I don’t understand. It puts her at peace, she says.

“Well?” I ask and drape the dress bag over the island counter top in the kitchen and move around to prop myself up on one of the bar stools. God, that gasoline smell is driving me mad.

“Are we planning a spring wedding yet or what?” Mom says with a grin. Her nose wrinkles, catching the scent of the gasoline, I’m sure. “Janet and I have been taking bets.”

“God, Mom,” I say and place my head in my hands.

“No really,” she says, “Tell me.”

“Nothing happened,” I say. Verbalizing it is even more disappointing than it probably should be. Apparently, Mom and Dad were also in on Jameson and Royal’s surprise trip. It took all of an hour after they landed for Janet Hayes to text me telling me she wishes she could have been there. It was sweet, but then she suggested she needed to leave me alone so I could spend as much time as possible with Jameson. And that we shouldn’t be disturbed. While the level of investment our mothers have in our has-yet-to-happen relationship is borderline creepy, the support is pretty awesome. It’s a rarity to find a woman as kind and loving as Janet Hayes is. Even if she doesn’t really know appropriate boundaries and likes to talk about when her sons were starting puberty… in all the gory details. I know more about Jameson’s solo activities when he was a kid more than I care to.

“You must be joking,” she says and heads to the fridge where she pulls out a single-serve cup of yogurt. “That man flew down to that god-awful place—,”




As a child, JC was fascinated by things that went bump in the night. As they say, some things never change. Now, as an adult, she divides her time between the sexy law men, mythical creatures, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and pursuing her bachelor's degree in English. JC is a San Francisco Bay Area native, but has also called both Texas and Louisiana home. These days she rocks her flip flops year round in Northern California and can't imagine a climate more beautiful.

JC writes adult, new adult, and young adult fiction. She dabbles in many different genres including science fiction, horror, chick lit, and murder mysteries, yet she is most enthralled by supernatural stories-- and everything has at least a splash of romance.


Book Promo! Believing in Brave, Brave Series #1 by M.S. Brannon

Believing In Brave ebook

For Kennedy, graduation day will most likely be the best day of her high school years. Tormented by classmates, the time spent behind those four walls has been next to impossible, and all Kennedy has wanted to do is blend into the background and disappear. The only friend she has ever felt connected to and could depend on is her horse, Brave. All of that changes the day she meets Jesse Blake.

For Jesse, simply getting by has been his life for the past few years. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, Jesse was easily expendable and forgotten by the people who were supposed to care for him, unless he was breaking the law. That is, until his latest crime spree sends him away from the concrete jungle of Washington D.C. and to the sunny, small town of Golden Springs. It’s there Jesse can’t escape the looks from everyone who treat him like the delinquent he appears to be. All of that changes the day he meets Kennedy McDowell.

In a chance meeting, Kennedy discovers her father’s newest employee on the ranch is the criminal the entire school is talking about. It’s this working relationship with Jesse that allows her to finally discover what it’s truly like to have a friend she can talk to. It’s also how Jesse discovers Kennedy is nothing like the other people in town. Together, they will learn what it takes to finally Believe in Brave.


Hundreds of eyes turn as we leave my locker and head toward the classroom. The beautiful criminal and the invisible wallflower walking side by side as the whispers float through the air like fall leaves in the wind. With every stride we take I can feel old wounds start to heal, and for the first time I really don’t want to be invisible. Today, I was noticed and it wasn’t by the other people in school. It was from the boy who’s melting my heart with every flash of his smile and sound of his raspy voice.


M.S. Brannon was born and raised in the Midwest. She still resides there today with her wonderful husband and son. When she is not writing or reading, M.S. Brannon spends time with her family, watching movies, and discovering new music. She writes romance because she believes love and heartache is the rawest emotion one can experience.


BIB 5x8 cover

Book Promo! Devious Minds by KF Germaine

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When Sydney Porter transfers to Northern University, she’s ready to put her past behind her. Landing a job on campus as an irreverent radio personality, she uses the anonymity to air all the campus dirty laundry—earning the infamous Sunday Lane more than a few enemies. But her true passion is spinning records, even if Drunk Earl is her biggest fan. Sydney’s junior year kicks off with the promise to be amazing. Or at least it does until Gray Peters, hotshot quarterback, unexpectedly reenters the scene. His presence threatens to destroy everything she has going, as well as resurrecting a night Sydney never wants to remember or repeat. She’d run away like a coward, but this time she's determined to stay and fight. A twisted battle of wit and trickery ensues, with one common goal—vengeance. Sydney and Gray set out to make each other miserable. But misery loves company, and soon, walls are destroyed and truths are revealed that could change their future forever. *** Due to mature sexual situations and language, this author recommends an 18+ reader ***



I added another track, exploding the speaker with a fast beat, and danced around until I felt a pair of hands run up the sides of my thighs, slow and easy.

“What are you doing?” I yelled up at Peters. He was standing directly behind me and the top of my head landed just below his chin. His answer was to pull my backside into his hips.

“I’m dancing, Sinister.” He groaned into the back of my neck. “This is what you wanted, right? No inhibitions. I’m your bitch tonight, right? We can start flinging knives in the morning.”

I let out a cracked laugh, not quite understanding this one-eighty in his personality. “You don’t bring a knife to a gun fight, Peters, but if you’re referencing your dick, I’d be shocked to receive a paper cut.”

He pressed even farther into me as I continued to mix.

Looking back on this now, I should have just elbowed him in the stomach and tripped him off the edge of the balcony, but I was drunk. Elated by the dancing crowd. Everything about this place screamed sex—the people, the lighting, the sweat dripping off bodies, and his husky breathing against my ear breaking down my protective dome. I tried to muster the strength to stop him, but with my mind half altered, my body took over completely.

As if he knew I was struggling, he gently lifted the back of my damp hair and planted his lips on my neck. His tongue swept across my skin, and he softly moaned over my fret board. I released a sharp breath into the microphone, and he laughed against the back of my ear.

“What… are… you—”

Before I could finish my pathetic plea to end this, his hands slid over my front, gliding down my stomach and stopping just before the waistband of my underwear.

“Peters,” I rasped.

His hand rolled over my shirt, and he pulled it deep between my legs. I let out a breathy groan into the microphone and tipped back my head until it rested against his shoulder. Peters dragged his tongue up the inside of my neck like I was a Popsicle—his favorite flavor—long and flat. He pulled my sweat into his mouth.

When the music rose to a sharp crescendo, so did my panting, right into the mic. It was hard to believe this six-foot-two behemoth could deliver such a delicate touch, but I didn’t have to turn around to know it was him. My body had a memory of its own.





KF Germaine is a Pacific Northwest native and part-time author. Besides reading too late into the night (4 AM is still considered night, right?), KF has several life pleasures which she won’t list because, well, it begins to read like an Oscar-winner acceptance speech and no one wants to hear about her hairdresser. Instead, KF believes one's secret enjoyments are more telling. So to name a few: Circus Peanuts candy, watching country music videos on mute, and awkward/borderline-inappropriate conversations with grocery clerks.


April 29, 2015

Release Day Blitz: Excerpt & Giveaway! Stolen Art by Ruth Silver

Stolen Art

Sixteen-year-old Madeline has been living on the streets, biding her time until she's eighteen. With little to no money, she takes on a heist in hopes of making ends meet. What could possibly go wrong? Everything. Getting caught is just the beginning of Madeline's adventure as she meets Weston and discovers the secret of where she came from. Fans of Orphan Black, The X-Files, and Fringe will fall head over heels for STOLEN ART. Recommended: 15+


I rush back up the dark stairwell, shoving the key into the doorknob. It takes a minute for the lock to click and I push myself inside the apartment, securing every lock and deadbolt. I can’t stay here in Hutchinson, Kansas any longer. Pulling my phone from my purse, I text Weston. Tatiana is here. It’s not safe for me. I grab the few belongings that have any value to me, sentimental or otherwise, and shove it into my shoulder bag, including the stolen silver necklace. It has value and if I’m forced on the run, I’ll need money to survive. I know. What did Weston mean he knew Tatiana is at the bar? Had he seen her? Is he there? What do you mean, you know? I type into the phone. If he saw her, why didn’t he warn me? I can’t go down out the front door and it’s only a matter of time until she finds me just a few feet away. I grow restless waiting for an answer. The phone buzzes and displays an incoming call from Weston. "Wes, tell me you’re here." The only thing to do is hop in his car and drive into the night, far from Kansas. A female’s voice bubbles with laughter. "Oh he’s coming darling, but you should know he won’t get here in time. Amazing how easy it is to clone a phone number and steal his service. The advancements Stem Tech has made is encouraging."

  teaser stolen art2      


Ruth Silver

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing multiple series under her name as well as the pen name Ravyn Rayne. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.