May 30, 2015

Book Promo: Excerpt & Giveaway! Damnation, Dyphillum #2 by Elizabeth Montgomery


Cecily, Isaac, and Julian have worked together to defeat one evil. Can they survive another?

In order to save herself from the twisted fate Sadina, the creator of the Dyphillum, has in store for her, Cecily will be forced to find the most powerful magic she possesses – or become nothing more than the mother of an army of immortal bent to take over the world.

Sadina has to die, but would that erase all of the spells she has cast? Would history be rewritten without the Dyphillum race?

With help from an unlikely ally and opposition from the elders, the trio is forced to reach deeper than ever before to defeat this great evil.


Isaac's POV

“Who is Sadina?” Cecily asked again.

“She is no one we need to be messin’ with,” Ezrah said as he gathered the dried bullets putting them into a clip belonging to his .40 cal. 

“Sadina is a witch, one of the strongest alive as a matter of fact,” Julian said walking around the side of the house, “She put a curse on a pack of shifters all because her wee lil heart was broken, Lucas said she may have something to do with all of this. Little tidbit of info, she is also the creator of the Dyphillum clan, which kind of makes her untouchable.”

“Why would she be untouchable?” Cecily asked as she sat down next to Ezrah.

“All the power that we have from our witch side was given to us by Sadina, it was passed down by genetics and becomes stronger as more Dyphillum are born but will never be enough to take her on head to head,” I said as I walked over to the both of them. Julian hung back by the house, close enough to be part of the conversation but far enough to keep his eyes on the woods that surrounded us. 

“So she is kind of like the mother of the clan?” Cecily cocked her head to the side looking confused.

“Your parents never told you about her?” Julian asked with one eyebrow raised in surprise.

“No, haven’t heard of her till today, what does she have to do with the possession of the elders?” She was looking at the ground, I could feel she was embarrassed that she didn’t know any of this.

“She is someone you don’t want to piss off and somehow the Dyphillum have done just that, this is what we need to figure out, Jules, does Lucas have more answers?” I asked taking Cecily’s hand and gently rubbing my thumb over her knuckles, just then I heard some branches crack and by the way everyone’s heads turned, so did they.


Author Elizabeth Montgomery was born in Williamsburg, Virginia and raised a hop, skip, and a jump away in Yorktown, Virginia. Paranormal inspiration was easily obtained during her childhood in these colorful towns. This helped to spur her love of Paranormal romance stories, but she also enjoys reading YA and NA. 
She is currently raising four children and a husband while elbow-deep in the depths of the writing cave. You can often find her searching on Google for an appropriate, or sometimes inappropriate, photo to insert in any random conversation. If not on Google, or Facebook chat, she can be found drinking coffee (like any normal writer), eating Gummy Bears, baking fanciful cakes, reading (of course), or writing (duh). 
“I always wondered what authors meant when they said that their characters tell them what to write – I get it now!”




May 29, 2015

Happy Release Day! For Mac by Brynn Stein

Buy your copy HERE


Branson Farrell lost his parents when he was thirteen, and for the last ten years his brother, Mac, eight years his senior, has taken care of him. But Mac’s love came at a price. Both brothers were raised to believe being gay was completely unacceptable, and Branson has almost convinced himself he can be what Mac expects. When he looks at a man in a bar and Mac notices, Mac drags him off in horror.

Mac’s distress and disgust leads to a car accident that leaves Branson injured and Mac in a coma. Branson heals and stays at Mac’s bedside, but when Mac doesn’t recover, he is moved to a long-term care facility. There, Branson meets openly gay, confident, and attractive Liam Sullivan. Liam stirs feelings Branson thought he’d rid himself of, and to honor his brother, Branson fights tooth and nail against his attraction. When the cost of denying who he is becomes too high, Branson must battle a lifetime of hatred that’s been beaten into his body and mind to try for something of his own.


Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Liam Sullivan from Brynn Stein’s new book For Mac
Hi Liam, thank you for agreeing to this interview. I know you have places to go, so let’s get right to it..

What do you find attractive in a man?
I love blond hair and blue eyes, but more important for me is that the man is kind and loving.

The first thing that went through your head when you saw Branson.
I was so sorry for him with what he was going through with his brother. I was attracted to him immediately. He’s gorgeous, who wouldn’t be. But I was getting ‘leave me alone vibes’ from him, so I had a hard time figuring him out.

Do you think you’ll insist the author visits you again?
I think we bugged poor Brynn until she wrote down our entire story, so I don’t think there’s anything else to tell right yet.

Before you met Branson, what was your ideal man?
The typical, I guess. Tall, ripped, strong. Porn star material.

You’re going out for dinner. What’s your favorite food?
Anything but tuna subs. I’ve had enough of those with Branson at the hospital to last a lifetime. <G>


I've always loved to write and wrote fan fiction before I even knew what it was called. When computers came along, with online communities and places to publish fan fiction, I wrote even more. Then a friend convinced me to try to have an altered version of an AU (alternate universe, meaning all but original) published. My manuscript was accepted and now I'm a 'published author'.




Cover Reveal & Giveaway! Dare to Run, The Sons of Steel Row #1 by Jen McLaughlin

dare to run comps_final.indd


The New York times bestselling author of the Out of Line Novels takes readers to Boston where one gang of criminals knows how being bad can be so good…
She knows what he’s like on Boston’s mean streets. Now she’s going to find out if he’s got some heart.
Lucas Donahue is not ashamed of his criminal past, but after a brief stint in prison, he’s ready to go legit and live a normal life. The problem is, no one leaves the gang without permission—even if he is one of the boss’s top men. Plus someone’s placed a hit on him. And then there’s that feisty little bartender who’s going to cause him even more trouble.
Heidi Greene knows to keep her distance from a ladies’ man like Lucas—even if she can’t keep her eyes off him. When he rescues her from an attack in the alley outside her bar, she’s forced to stay by his side for safety. But the longer she spends time with him, the greater her chances are for getting hurt in more ways than one.
***
Today we are celebrating the release of the DARE TO RUN cover! DARE TO RUN is a gritty, super sexy, adult title coming out on February 2, 2016 from Jen McLaughlin and published by Penguin (NAL Signet). To celebrate, we are having a scavenger hunt! There are 8 clues scattered around groups of bloggers hosting this feature. All you have to do is find all 8 clues and figure out the scrambled word.
To make it easy for you, we will tell you where you can find Clue #1. 
In order to find the groups of bloggers posting, go to Jen McLaughlin's blog and she will have the lists so you can check out each group and find the remaining 7 clues.
For this site, the clue is listed below, along with the rafflecopter.

DTR_SHunt_Clue5  


JenM


Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy New Adult books. Under her pen name Diane Alberts, she is a multi-published, bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, released September 6 2013, and hit the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.




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Book Blitz! Weakened, Manhattan Bound #1 by Juliet Braddock


The glittering skyline of New York City provides the perfect backdrop for romance and high drama as a young woman meanders her way through the concrete maze of Manhattan in WEAKENED, the new erotic romance novel from Juliet Braddock. 

Blinded by the lights of Broadway, budding theatrical publicist Maxine Kirk stumbles into the arms of her beloved teenage crush, unleashing desires that she never imagined with one soul-obliterating kiss in the rain against the dazzling backdrop of the New York skyline.

Enter Drew McKenzie, a rising star on the Great White Way with dashing looks and talent to match. Heir to a long line of luxury department store moguls, he possesses the social prominence and charisma to land him the top slot on old Manhattan Society’s most desirable bachelor list. 

Instantly, Maxine finds herself lured into Drew’s high society world only to uncover a complicated man beneath the glitz and glamour of his public persona. As soon as the curtain falls, Drew sheds his stage costume to reveal a daring Dominant side.

When Drew challenges her to explore his unconventional sense of passion for a week—leaving her with the option to walk away after seven nights—Maxine ponders the consequences of his proposal.

Titillated by his proposition, Maxine clamors to discover a surreptitious and possibly perilous world with Drew, all the while questioning her own preconceived notions on romance.

Secrets surface, revealing haunting truths that test both Maxine and Drew of their own intentions. But in this high-stakes game of trust, only the strongest survive. 

From the neon lights of Times Square to the lush fields of Central Park, with great attention paid to the extravagances he can afford her, Drew entices Maxine with his prowess, tempting her into a brand of romance like none other. 

However, as Maxine journeys to discover her heart’s darker desires, she wonders if Drew himself will decide to pursue their affair—all the while acquiescing to his pleasures as he leaves her weakened….


“So where are you from?”
“A...s-small town—right outside Pittsburgh,” she managed. She had to gather her thoughts. She couldn't stutter her way through an entire conversation with this man all night. Already, she could sense that he was the type who would remind her of her jitters later, and Maxine certainly didn't want this silly evening to haunt her at work. 
“What brought you to the big city?” he questioned her.
Purposefully, she stopped herself before she answered him and took in a deep breath. “I’ve always been in love with New York,” she explained, thoughtfully choosing her words. “The theater…the vibrancy…the never ending sense that there’s always something to do or someone to see…”
“Quite a culture shock for a small-town girl, isn’t it?” he asked, his tone softening a bit.
“I’ve been visiting for well over a decade,” she continued and flashed him a weak smile. “I knew what I was getting into.”
“You sure about that?”  Now his eyes were teasing. “There’s always some element of surprise living here.”
“You grew up here?” she asked, knowing he had. She could recite his entire Wikipedia entry, which didn't say much about his personal life other than he was born and raised in Manhattan to an exceedingly wealthy family of Scotch-Irish immigrants.  His ancestors built their fortune as early merchants in New York and went on to create one of the longest-standing, upscale department store chains in the United States. 
“I did,” he said so very simply. “The city is under my skin an in my blood. And just like everyone else, I bitch and complain…but I couldn’t live anywhere else.”
All the while, as they carried on with an air of civility, Maxine couldn't ignore those burgeoning feelings—those sensations—that seemed to set her senses fluttering. The intake of his breath and the gentle patter of his voice soothed her. That fresh scent of him, bathed in Clive Christian cologne, tickled her nose, intoxicating her with a blend of citrus and spice—even though she didn't know Clive Christian from Christian Slater. While he stood so close, he managed to refrain from touching her—even with the slightest of movements—and she tingled…shocked by her ache for his caress. 
Maxine couldn't even recall their conversation as it was happening. Drew had managed to send her off to some surreal spot from which she really wasn't too keen to return. Although she attempted to remind herself that she wasn't the only woman he'd engaged with that evening, she enjoyed this stilted repartee between them.
As they stood alone together against the backdrop of Manhattan's brilliance, it remained questionable whether he would even remember her in the morning, and she knew the chances were slim to none. However, she decided to indulge in these unexpected seconds of undivided attention in which he indulged her fully.
Releasing his hands from the bannister, he took a step back but then dared to reach out and stroke the backs of his fingers to her cheek. Maxine was certain that he could feel the heat rising from her skin, but she chuckled softly over the tickle of his touch. Again, he seemed to be surveying her, interviewing her for the next round of she knew not what.
“You have all the basics down,” he began. “Smart, well-rounded. Pretty…”
“Pretty?” she nearly choked. No one—aside from her parents and Ben—ever complimented her in such a way.
“Are you arguing with me?” he inquired with an air of displeasure.
Hold it together here, Maxine, she coached herself. “It’s in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.”
“We can discuss that a little later…” he said, just as Maxine felt one huge drop of rain plunk down upon her, right in the middle of her forehead, as she looked up into Drew’s eyes.
Just her damn luck, the rain poured forth from the sky! 
“Um…I think it’s time to…”
Lunging forward and surreptitiously slipping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close to him. Maxine didn't have time to think—to react—to his quick and sleek move.  All the while, she reveled in the slight knock of his knees, the strength of his thighs, the feel of his chest pressed against hers…
“It’s time to kiss you, Maxine…”






Juliet Braddock’s first efforts in creative writing came long before she learned to put crayon to paper. In fact, she began spinning stories in her head nearly as soon as she could form complete sentences. As long as she can remember, she’d always created sagas about imaginary friends, family members and pop culture icons, and kept everyone around her entertained with her witty—but often very tall—tales.
For her sixth Christmas, Juliet’s mother got her a child’s typewriter to preserve all of those creative thoughts filling her head, but she quickly switched to ball point pens and notebooks when the ribbon ran dry. 
Most of Juliet’s early attempts at writing romance focused on members of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet or young leading men on Broadway. However, as she matured as a writer, she decided that it was just as much fun to create her own romantic heroes and heroines.
At an early age, she also developed a love for big cities, and the tallest of skyscrapers were never high enough for her. Juliet’s wanderlust would eventually lure her to New York, a city she often visited during her formative years, and her love affair with Manhattan began. She’d promised herself that one day she would return for good. 
Juliet’s passion for writing and for big cities converged, and after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she decided to set out on a journey to find her heart…just where she’d left it. 
A week after her college graduation, Juliet made the big move from a small town to New York City, where she has made her home ever since.
In between building a career in communications and writing on the side, she’s indulged in international travel, theater and art. A wine and food buff, she’s by no means a connoisseur, but she can give a few good restaurant recommendations if you’re in the city. 
“There’s something so inspiring about living in a city like New York that’s so rich in culture and so very vibrant. Every neighborhood has its own story to tell,” Juliet says. “I often do my best plotting on the subway, just observing the lives unfolding around me. New York truly has a billion stories nestled between the skyscrapers.”
A proud Manhattanite, Juliet couldn’t live anywhere else—except for Paris, perhaps—and is a gushing cat-mom to a Russian Blue mix who was rescued as a kitten from the streets of Brooklyn.


Release Day Blitz! Excerpt & Giveaway- Coming to Hale, Hale series #1 by Marie James


The only time she trusted someone with her heart, she was just a girl; he betrayed her and left her humiliated. Since then, Lorali Bennett has let that moment in time dictate her life.

Ian Hale, sexy as sin business mogul, has never had more than a passing interest in any particular woman, until a chance encounter with Lorali, leaves a lasting mark on him.

Their fast paced romance is one for the record books, but what will happen when Ian’s secrets come to light? Especially when those secrets will cost her everything she spent years trying to rebuild.

This is a standalone contemporary novel. The next book in the Hale series is Alexa and Garrett’s story: Begging for Hale.

Recommended for readers 18 and up due to strong language and explicit sexual content.


I can feel every soft inch of her body, a sharp contrast to my hard muscles. Her eyes are no longer hooded; they stare up at me with…anticipation? No. Fear. She’s afraid of me. Too aggressive Ian, take it down a notch.

“Don’t,” I command.

“Don’t what?” she whispers, her voice trembling

“Be so disrespectful of yourself.” I tell her.

“Just stating the obvious.” Her eyes are turning from fear to more of annoyance. Lorali my feisty girl! 

I gaze down at her, fighting a losing battle, knowing I have to taste her or I’d not make it through the night.

“I think the only thing obvious about this situation is how much I want you,” I say, bending my head down to whisper in her ear. “My body is aching for you, Lorali. I want you so bad.”

“I think you’re playing some sort of game, and frankly I don’t appreciate being the object of it,” she huffs, stiffening her spine and glaring back at me.

“I can assure you this is no game for me, Lorali, although you do seem to take pleasure in denying me.” It’s my turn to grow frustrated at her. Who does she think she is putting words in my mouth, questioning my intentions?

“It’s a game to you. Find the most common person here; seduce her, then walk away, all the while laughing about how you were able to get some commoner so hot she’d drop her panties for you. You don’t want me; you want the thrill of the power that it gives you.” The irritated look on her face is increasing my annoyance.

“I don’t want you? Tell that to my cock,” I growl as I grind my erection against her.

She doesn’t even know me, how does she have such a distorted opinion of me? It may take some time, but I’ll show her that I’m not some sort of womanizer. I bend my head down further, breathing in her scent. Mmm. Lavender. Not able to deny myself a second longer, I brush my lips down the column of her neck, pausing briefly over her pulse point. I can hear her sharp intake of breath.

I pull my head back and focus on her beautiful, pouty lips, only briefly denying myself the exquisite way I know she’ll feel and how sweet her lips will taste. Having waited as long I can, I lean in, fully ready to take her mouth, simultaneously trying to talk myself down as to avoid attacking her like a rabid animal. I brush my lips against hers, using every ounce of restraint in my body.

“Stop,” she whispers, her breath ghosting against my lips.

“I can’t,” I growl as I crush my lips against hers.






Marie James, full-time working mother of two boys and wife of 11 years. I've spent almost my entire lifetime living in central Texas, with only short stays in South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. I've always wanted to write novels and just recently had the gumption to sit down and start one. My passions include reading everything under the sun and sewing. I even listen to audio books while sewing. Coming to Hale is my debut novel and book 1 in the 4 book Hale Series. I have several other story lines worked out for other books once this series is complete. Reading and writing is my happy place. Hope you enjoy my debut novel.




Book Sale Promo! Cactus Creek Series by Violet Duke



"A new must-read series from Violet Duke. Not only will you fall in love with the characters, you'll fall in love with romance." --New York Times Bestselling Author Kathleen Brooks

Cactus Creek's most romantic eligible bachelor, new-to-town and new-to-singlehood chocolatier Luke Bradford believes in old school romance, fighting wars waged over love, and deploying his dimples whenever an impossible-to-resist woman instigates it. But for once, he's trying not to platter up his heart to get stomped on. Luckily, he has a brand new hobby to keep him from falling: 

...driving the addictively easy to incite beer-brewing beauty next door crazy. 

Cactus Creek's feisty brewmaster and town sweetheart Dani Dobson cannot believe how well that maddeningly charming man next door with all his chocolate-covered romantic idealism--the kind her heart has been shattered by before--can push all her buttons. If she's not careful, he'll sneak right past all her defenses. Luckily, she has her go-to hobby to keep her mind off him:

...playing her own version of cupid for everyone in town but herself. 

When Dani and Luke's inexplicable chemistry escalates their ensuing chocolate and beer feud into so much more, old wounds and new demons surface to bring them face-to-face with exactly what they've been protecting themselves from:

...the kind of love that can break their hearts all over again.

LOVE, CHOCOLATE, AND BEER
99¢ Amazon = http://amzn.to/1zoq6Se



"Guaranteed feel-good, swoon-worthy romance!" -- New York Times Bestselling Author Erin Nicholas 

From the author of the New York Times bestselling Can't Resist series, comes a fan-requested surprise addition to the USA Today bestselling Cactus Creek series. 

She’s the Self-Proclaimed Wicked ‘Witch’ of the West 

Fiercely independent single mom Quinn Christiansen is used to flying solo. She’s been raising her young son and figuring out how to pay his pediatric hospital bills on her own for years now. And truth is, Quinn loves the notorious reputation she’s already gained in town of having a heart too hard for any man to break. Because it is. Two carats too hard, to be exact. Courtesy of the two-carat heirloom she’d had to barter to cover her ex’s debts when he took off after she got pregnant. The day she’d promised herself never again. 

So color her pissed when the universe goes and decides to make the one man in Cactus Creek not afraid of her natural ball-busting charm another gambling musician. A ridiculously handsome, wickedly gruff and gritty, pushy one at that. 

He’s Everything She’s Sure She Can’t Possibly Want 

Rylan Grey isn’t used to getting a woman so worked up…well, not in a bad way, at least. But somehow, his mere existence seems to annoy the guarded and gorgeous Quinn to no end. Surprising, really. A dirt-and-jeans landscaper by day with a regular gig to perform for a packed house by night, Rylan considers himself a decent guy. Sure, he’s made some gambles to get to where he’s at, but they were all of the life variety, with risks as important as the rewards, fate betting as the house, and not a single dollar in play. 

While Rylan never wagers anything he’s not willing to lose—namely his heart—he’s more than ready to ante up once he sees past Quinn’s icy defenses. Quick as a firecracker, loyal to a fault, and sweet when no one’s looking, she could be his riskiest gamble yet.

LOVE, DIAMONDS, AND SPADES
99¢ Amazon = http://amzn.to/1ENxC9B



"Heart-melting and guaranteed to make you laugh and cry before you finish the last page." -- New York Times Bestselling Author Sawyer Bennett

He's a better fighter...but she has all the weapons.

After his combat injuries retire him from the military career he wasn't ready to give up, battle-scarred Hudson Reyes now spends his new life as a movie industry fight scene and weapons specialist simply doing what he knows best: surviving.

Until he meets her. The one woman who makes him want to live again.

An antique arms authenticator with a lifetime of martial arts training, Liana Lin has made a living turning the demons of her past into the passions that fuel, and fill, her life. She's a scrappy little thing. A sweet, angel-faced wrecking ball to his good intentions capable of making him laugh, and turning him inside out. Hell's bells, watching her execute that wicked roundhouse kick of hers shouldn't be a turn-on--especially not when his head is the receiving target--but hot damn, it is. She's a fiery, unpredictable paradox who wears her heart on her sleeve, despite the wounds he knows she has hidden as deeply as he hides his own.

Even though she's everything he's told himself he can't have, Hudson can't help but want her. Sure as sin, if one woman could sneak past the barbed wires he's wrapped around his heart, it'd be Lia.

Now if only they could stop sparring long enough to find out...

LOVE, TUSSLES, AND TAKEDOWNS
99¢ Amazon = http://amzn.to/1DUX8WH



He may very well be the perfect ex... 

Isaac McKnight has had enough loss in his life to know never to take anything for granted. So when the perfectly-imperfect-woman-for-him puts an end to their relationship out of the blue, it's Isaac that makes sure they remain friends. Now a year later, whether it's at his gym or her brewpub, or the dog park they visit every weekend--though neither of them own a dog--he and Xoey are steadily getting sucked deeper into buddy-zone galaxy, with its dangerous proximity to watch-me-settle-down-with-someone-else abyss. It's a reality he's resigned himself to. That is...until one drunken confession changes everything. 

But she's looking for the perfect oh... 

For Xoey Montenegro, history has taught her that sometimes, it's Prince Charming who vanishes without a trace. And fairytale love? Highly overrated. Heck, give her a real and perfect 'oh' over that fantasy any day. So as far as rock-solid tequila-fueled plans for her love life go, coming up with a match-finding formula based on the qualities of the men responsible for her three most epic ohs seems brilliant. Except for the fact that one-third of her genius little man-quation is all about her friend Isaac. Actually, more than a third if Xoey were being honest with herself--which she's not. Because full honesty would require thinking not just about how perfect Isaac really is, but also about how perfect the fourth epic oh she's kept buried deep in her past once was. 

An easy enough thing to keep ignoring...until her past isn't past tense anymore.

LOVE, EXES, AND OHS
99¢ Amazon = http://amzn.to/1GHml7z




NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling author Violet Duke is a former professor of English Education who is ecstatic to now be on the other side of the page writing wickedly fun contemporary romance novels. Her NYT and USA Today bestselling books have been Top 10 bestsellers across the major eretailers both in the US and internationally. When she's not writing or feeding her book-a-day reading addiction, Violet enjoys tackling reno projects with her power tools, trying pretty much anything without reading the directions first, and cooking 'special edition' dishes that laugh in the face of recipes. A born and raised island girl, she spends her days getting into creatively fun trouble in Hawai'i alongside her two cute kids (daughter Violet & son Duke) and similarly adorable husband.
Find the latest on her books and fan giveaways at www.facebook.com/VioletDukeBooks