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First Time With a Highlander by Gwyn Cready – Review, Spotlight & Giveaway

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First Time With a Highlander by Gwyn Cready – Review, Spotlight & Giveaway

 

First Time with a HighlanderAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Serabeth’s no-good fiancé is dead, and she needs a husband fast, or she’ll be ruined. Her indignant and handsome captive will do just fine, if she can keep her mind focused on the business at hand…

Gerard is a love-’em-and-leave-’em ad exec who opens the door to a wild party in 21st century New York and wakes up in 18th century Edinburgh with a hangover and a beautiful, disinterested new “wife” who says he has “served his purpose.”

What the kilt?

 

 

Review:

First Time With a Highlander by Gwyn Cready is the 2nd book in her Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands series. This is a time travel Historical Romance, which takes place mostly in the 18th century (1706 Edinburg). Though the two main characters in the 1st book are part of this story, the book reads well as a standalone.

At the start, we meet Serafina Fallon, our heroine, who is in a bind financially. Her fiancée stole her cargo, leaving her with nothing. Both Abby and Undine (a witch?), whom we met in the first book, scheme to help her steal back her cargo. How? Undine will make a potion that worked to help Abby (in the first book) and bring a dead ringer for Serfina’s fiancée from the 21st century to help her claim back her cargo. Piece of cake……

Gerard Innes is a wealthy executive, who is a known womanizer. He wakes up after a night of wild partying in current day New York, and finds himself in a bed with a beautiful naked woman in 18th century Scotland.

Gerard adapts to his situation quickly, and immediately is attracted to the fiery redhead Serafina. Though Gerard is used to winning over most woman, Serafina is different. She is independent, strong, smart and determined to use Gerard to help her get back what she lost.

What follows is an adventure that will find them both putting themselves in danger to attempt to steal back the cargo. What is thought to be simple, turns into a major behind the scenes political scheme.

Serafina is fighting for her future, but despite her misgivings, she is also falling for Gerard. She knows he will leave soon, since he was meant to help for a day or two. Now she must protect her own life, as well as her heart. Gerard is between a rock and a hard place; he has fallen in love, and wants to bring Serafina back to the future with him, and the wealth that he has. But Serafina has her own pride, and will not leave her time. Will Gerard convince Serafina to go back with him? If not, would he stay in the 18th Century and try to amass his fortune again, with all his knowledge?

This was a good storyline, a nice romance, with some humor, and very likeable characters. However, I thought some of it was a bit slow, especially early on. I also felt it was a bit confusing and jumbled at some points. I would have liked it to be more cohesive. Overall, it was a good story, with a great theme. Who doesn’t like stories with men in kilts and that take place in Scotland, during the highlander days.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

sPOTLIGHT

This October the second in Gwyn Cready’s Sirens of the Scottish series, First Time with a Highlander, comes out! To celebrate, Gwyn’s here to tell us a little bit more about the inspiration behind her time-travel romances AND play a quick game of “Would You Rather.”

“People often ask me why I like to write time travel romance, and it’s a two-part answer, because there are really two questions in there—why do I like to write romance, and why do I like to write time travel.

I began to write with the intention of getting published in June, 1997 to honor my younger sister, who was a poet and photographer and who had died suddenly the month before. The sort of book I wanted to write was a book like the one a friend had given me a few months earlier—Outlander. At that time, I’d never read a romance before, and I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN. Jamie is the best sort of hero—devoted, funny, brave, smart, and supportive of the heroine. I was so hopped up on the first three Outlander novels, it was pretty much all I could talk about in the spring of 1997—and it was one of the things I talked to my sister about since her college boyfriend had been named Jamie and like the heroine in Outlander, my sister’s name was Claire. It was the last conversations I ever had with her.

So there I am, in 1997, wanting to honor my sister with a book, and certain the book I want to write is a romance like Outlander. Time travel fit in nicely for me. Outlander is a time travel novel, of course, but I’d been a time travel fan before that. The Back to the Future movies are my holy grail of time travel. I loved Somewhere in Time, of course, as well as the Terminator movies, Time After Time, and Groundhog Day. Time travel lets you quickly throw your character into adversity and see if he/she sinks or swims. The question you want readers asking in romance novels is “How, with all these challenges, will the hero and heroine still end up together?” Time travel adds another layer to that tension, specifically, “How will they end up together when each is destined to be in his/her own time?” In my mind, one of the most heroic things a character can do is give up his own time in order to be with the person he/she loves, and that’s always a tender and gripping moment to write in my books.

Which brings us to First Time with a Highlander. Serafina and Gerard were such fun characters to chase through a novel. As with Just in Time for a Highlander, the first book in the Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands series, I wanted to shake things up a bit by having the hero be the person who travels to the past. Gerard is an ad man—and since I spent twenty years working in brand management at a big pharma company, I know what ad men are like. The women in this series hold positions of unusual power for women in the eighteenth century, and Serafina is no exception. She inherited a shipping concern from her father, but her blackguard of an ex-fiancé has run the business into the ground. He’s ruined her socially and financially, but Serafina is not one to take things lying down. She uses herbs she’s, ahem, “borrowed” from a famed spell-caster to summon a man to help her claim the cargo from the ship’s final voyage before her fiancé can get his hands on it. She only needs a man for one night and…well, you can imagine what that leads to in the hands of an inexperienced spell user. But Serafina is willing to pay the price—in fact, she’s quite willing once the smart, dashing Gerard appears.

Would You Rather Question: Would you rather have a time machine that only goes back in time or a time machine that only goes forward in time?

Tough one. Going back, I have a chance to see my mother, father, and sister again. Going forward, I’d have a chance to see my kids in their careers, with their children and grandchildren. Let’s say back since I could also insert myself into Colin Firth’s life before he met that pesky wife of his.

 

About the author

Gwyn CreadyGwyn Cready is a writer of contemporary, Scottish, and time travel romance. She’s been called “the master of time travel romance” and is the winner of the RITA Award, the most prestigious award given in romance writing. She has been profiled in Real Simple and USA Today, among others. Before becoming a novelist, she spent 25 years in brand management. She has two grown children and lives with her husband on a hill overlooking the magical kingdom of Pittsburgh.
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

 

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Wild Sky by Suzanne Brockmann & Melanie Brockmann – Review, Spotlight & Giveaway

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Wild Sky by Suzanne Brockmann & Melanie Brockmann – Review, Spotlight & Giveaway

Wild Sky
Night Sky series – book #2
by Suzanne Brockmann & Melanie Brockmann
Release Date: October 6, 2015

Wild SkyAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Descripton:
Skylar Reid is slowly adjusting to the powers that make her a Greater-Than; it’s the rest of her ”normal” life that’s too hard to handle. Her boyfriend is distant, and her mentor is obsessed with rescuing her sister from the producers of the Destiny drug. Then a secret Destiny lab pops up in Skylar’s town, and her best friend Calvin is accidentally injected. After spending years in a wheelchair, the drug gives Calvin the ability to walk– but could cause him to lose his mind. Can Skylar master her abilities to protect her friends before the danger she attracts destroys them?

 

Review:

Wild Sky by Suzanne Brockmann and Melanie Brockmann is the 2nd book in their Night Sky series. I did not read the 1st book, but this read very well as a standalone. Any major details, including all the main characters are explained very well, when needed.

Skylar Reid is our heroine, and she is still learning how to handle the powers she has as a “Greater-Than”. A quick background: In the first book, Skylar learns she has a hormone in her blood which makes her stronger, faster, smarter. A hormone that the makers of a new drug called Destiny will murder to get their hands on. She met Dana (another Greater-Than) and Milo, who would work with her to harness those powers, and she joins them to help stop the kidnapping of young girls who are budding Greater-Thans, to bleed them dry. Calvin is Skylar’s best friend, and wheel chair bound. These four are the main characters of this series.

In Wild Sky, Dana is working hard to train Skylar, with the help of Milo and Calvin. Dana has another ulterior motive, her sister is one of those girls that were kidnapped, and she is desperate to find her. Skylar has improved her skills a lot, and Dana suspects she will become even more powerful. When Garrett , someone both Skylar and Calvin knew at school and considered him a bully, approaches them, they try to ignore him. But he pushes his way in explaining that he needs help to find a young girl who has been missing.

Garrett ends up joining the gang, offering help and money, as long as they can help try to find Jilly. After spying on Garrett place, where his step mom lives, the gang manages to go and try to rescue Jilly. Unfortunately, during the failed rescue attempt, Calvin is accidently injected with Destiny, the drug that will eventually kill him. But Calvin doesn’t care, because immediately after the injection, he can now walk.

The race is on to find a way to cure Calvin before he succumbs to the deeper effects of the drug Destiny’ to help Jilly escape, and to find Lacey, Dana’s sister.

I thought that the beginning of the story was someone slow for me, as the characters did not really reach out to me. However, I will say that it did change a bit in the second half, which was very exciting. I will also point out that since I did not read the first book, perhaps this is why I did not feel any connections early on. This was a good story, and I suggest if you read this series, to start with the first book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHORS

Mel:  Wild Sky is a paranormal story, set in Florida, approximately fifty years in the future. In this world, a small percentage of people, mostly girls and young women, are born with a chemical in their blood that gives them superpowers like telekinesis or extraordinary strength.

Suz: Nicknamed “Greater-Thans” or “G-Ts,” these girls have been targeted for kidnapping by bad guys who harvest their blood and use it to manufacture a drug called “Destiny.” Destiny is extremely expensive, highly addictive, and ultimately fatal, but before the user dies from it, the drug reverses the aging process, heals illness and injury, and gives the addict super powers, too.

Mel:  It’s pretty scary stuff!  Oh, and just an FYI: Although Wild Sky is the sequel to Night Sky, you don’t have to read Night Sky for Wild Sky to make sense!

Suz:  All you really need to know is that in Night Sky sixteen-year-old Skylar Reid discovers that she’s a Greater-Than with some serious superpowers. 

Mel: And that Sky and her best friend Calvin–a really upbeat kid who’s spent most of his life in a wheelchair–have some dangerous adventures with another tough-girl G-T named Dana, and Dana’s extremely (ahem) attractive sidekick Milo.

Suz: Sky and Milo really hit it off, so in Wild Sky, they’re a bit of an item.

Mel:  A bit! In Wild Sky, Sky and her friends get into more trouble as they search for Dana’s sister, Lacey, who disappeared years ago and has been presumed dead.

Suz: But now Sky’s got reason to believe Lacey’s being held captive in a Destiny “farm.”  And of course, high jinks ensue, and our beloved character Calvin is put into extreme danger–although throughout most of it, he holds onto his crazy sense of humor!

Mel: We both love Calvin very much!

Suz: And Sky does, too!  When we developed the Night Sky series, we wanted to center it around a main character we could easily relate to. And even though we grew up in very different circumstances –

Mel: Mom has an older sister, I have a younger brother. My dad was a lawyer, my mom a writer. My mom’s parents were both teachers.

Suz: I grew up listening to the Beatles –

Mel: Christina Aguilera.

Suz:  Watching Star Trek.

Mel: Full House.

Suz: Paul Newman!

Mel: Bradley Cooper!

Suz: But despite all of those superficial differences, Mel and I shared experiences far too common to teenage girls. Waves of self-doubt, with occasionally soul-crushing periods of insecurity.

Mel: Yet even at our lowest moments, we knew that there were things we were really good at.

Suz: And that’s where Sky came from. A young woman whose primary goal is to fit in with her peers, but whose G-T status makes that virtually impossible. Or so she believes.

Mel: Of course, her friends recognize Sky for who she really is – a funny, loyal young woman with a huge heart — whose superpowers only add to her awesomeness.  But for Skylar, nothing comes easy. Everything seems to be on shaky ground – her budding romantic relationship with Milo, her ability to help Dana find Lacey, even her friendship with Calvin.

Suz: It’s that very human mix of vulnerabilities and strengths that make Skylar so special.

Mel: We hope readers see Wild Sky as not just a really exciting, action-packed adventure, but a story about Skylar’s quest – and really every teenage girl’s quest — to own her awesome.

Suz: Because we truly believe that everyone is born with abilities that – no matter how seemingly small or insignificant — should be recognized and celebrated! It is our differences that make us Greater-Than.

excerpt

I wish I could say I’d never witnessed a windshield shatter before, but I’d been in a terrible car accident a few years back, so I knew exactly what it looked and sounded like.

There’s a weird silence that happens immediately after something like that, in which everything seemed to occur in slo-mo. I forced my mouth to move.

“Gunshot!” I shouted, because I could see both Cal and Garrett looking wildly around, trying to process exactly what that noise was and what had just happened. “Bullet to car window! Over to the right.”

The broken windshield belonged to a beat-up sedan parked two slots down from us in the Sav’A’Buck lot. Someone had fired a gun, just once, probably from somewhere near the grocery store’s front doors, judging from that broken front window. Shards of glass made tinkling sounds as they careened off the front of the car and onto the pavement.

“Gunman at the store door, get down get down get down!” Calvin shouted, and I stupidly turned to look instead of diving onto the floor of his car, and he grabbed me by the shirt and yanked me down just as the shooter must’ve flipped the switch from one shot to massacre, and the gun began going off, popping bullets through the air.

BOOM BOOM BOOM POP BOOM!

I braced for them to hit Cal’s car, covering my head as I prepared for a rain of glass, but the man with the giant gun must’ve been pointing it in a different direction, because I heard the ping of punctured metal and breaking glass, but it wasn’t from our car.

I could hear someone screaming—high-pitched and frantic—even as Garrett yelled, “Calvin, drive!”

“Don’t,” I told Cal as I closed my eyes and focused on that glimpse I’d seen before he’d pulled me to relative safety.

Single gunman. Carrying…

A big gun. And something else…?

I focused on calling up the image, and yes, he was carrying some- thing under his left arm, some kind of brightly colored sack, with his assault rifle tucked into his right elbow—this tall, broad man, maybe twenty years old, buzz cut, scar above his eyebrow.

That screaming—it had been a child’s voice. She was silent now, but I realized with a flash that I hadn’t seen a colorful bag but instead the cheerfully patterned clothing of a little girl. That man with the gun was abducting a little girl. And I bet I knew why.

“Gimme!” I said and reached back to grab one of the water guns from beside Garrett.

“Sky!” Cal exclaimed. “Don’t—”

I didn’t wait to hear what he thought I shouldn’t do. I’d yanked my hood up over my head, hiding my red hair and as much of my face as I could, and I was already out of the car and on the asphalt, heading toward the man who was still firing that gun. He was using it not to kill, thank goodness, but to keep the little girl’s family from following him. I could see with just one glance that she was unconscious, as he tossed her none too carefully into the passenger seat of his shiny black Bimmer. He had a nice car. And I was pretty sure I knew how he’d paid for it—by kidnapping little girls like this one, like Sasha, too, and selling them to the Destiny makers.

Mother. Effer.

“Hey! ” I belted out. But my voice was buried beneath the cacophony of his weapon. I had to move fast, or he was going to get into his snazzy car and that little girl would be gone.

I took a deep breath and concentrated. Water versus bullets? Not normally much of a contest there.

But I could do this. Couldn’t I?

Suddenly, I heard Dana’s voice in my head, shouting Fail! Fail! What are you doing, Bubble Gum? You have no backup, you have no plan!

What was I doing? This was insane.

Still thoughts. I closed my eyes and pictured Milo. I breathed him, I felt him, I heard him. Still thoughts, Sky. Just let it go…

And in that moment in which I was specifically not thinking about what I was about to do or what the consequences would be if I failed, I felt and then saw my enormous pile of plastic water pistols—there were sixteen of them total—shoot out from the backseat of Calvin’s car and through the passenger side window that I’d left open. They streamed toward me like metal particles toward a magnet.

Then, just as quickly, all but one—a little green one—swooped in front of me before lining up and hovering in midair.

The little green plastic water gun zoomed over to the man with the real gun and smacked him in the face.

“What the hell…?” He fumbled his weapon as he turned to see me standing there—me and that collection of water guns—and his eyes widened.

“Holy shit, Sky!” With the noise from the assault weapon silenced, I could hear Garrett shouting, and I winced inwardly because he’d used my name.

But whatever he said next was muffled, and Cal’s voice rang out instead. “Hoshitski, look out!”

It was an intentional misdirect, and I tried to stand like a Hoshitski might, no doubt surly from years of being teased. I pitched my voice lower and ordered, “Drop it! Now!”

The gunman’s wide eyes narrowed, and we both knew he wasn’t going to drop his weapon, so before he could turn and kill me, I let loose my TK and blasted him. All of those plastic guns shot water from their barrels with the intensity of sixteen narrow but powerful fire hoses, and it sent the man down onto the ground so hard that I heard his head as it smacked against the pavement.

The gun he’d been holding clattered to the ground.

All of my weapons ceased water-fire and dropped onto the pavement in front of the unconscious shooter.

The silence that followed was eerie. I felt a little dazed, standing there with a single, silly-looking pink water gun still in my hand, staring at the downed man and his big real gun, and then over at the bullet-riddled storefront of the Sav’A’Buck.

 

 

theauthor

BrockmannsSuzanne Brockman, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author, has won 2 RITA awards, numerous RT Reviewers’ Choice, and RWA’s #1 Favorite Book of the Year three years running. She has written over 50 books, and is widely recognized as a “superstar of romantic suspense” (USA Today). Suzanne and her daughter, Melanie Brockmann, have been creative partners, on and off, for many years. Their first project was an impromptu musical duet, when then-six-month-old Melanie surprised and delighted Suz by matching her pitch and singing back to her. Suzanne splits her time between Florida and Massachusetts while Mel lives in Sarasota, Florida. NIGHT SKY is Mel’s debut and Suzanne’s 55th book. Visit Suzanne at www.SuzanneBrockmann.com.

 

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Unblocked Episode 5 by Marni Mann – Spotlight & Review

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Unblocked Episode 5 by Marni Mann – Spotlight & Review

 

Unblocked
Timber Towers series – Episode #5
by Marni Mann
Release Date: August 23,2015

Unblocked 5

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Itunes

 

Unblocked collection

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

 

JxPinkLady Episode Five Release Graphic

 

 DESCRIPTION

Derek Block needs to protect those he cares about.
Frankie Jordan fears the loss of those she loves.
Darkness drives them.
But could it drive them apart?
This is Episode Five, the final Episode in the Timber Towers Series.

 

REVIEW

5 out of 5 for this reader folks!

I am in complete and utter denial that this series is over .. I know Marni Mann will do a 6 and a 7 and a ….. my balloon of fantasy popped because this really was the end. SIGH

Alright .. now that I am done with the dramatics, I have to say this was by far one of the best serial series I have ever read. Please go and read my past reviews to get a good grasp on this story as I am not going to review the entire serial here, but only Unblocked #5 the final episode on the Timber Tower Series.

Derek and Frankie have finally gotten their you know what together and seem to have bonded to face the greater evil. Derek knows in order to keep Frankie, he is going to have to spill his guts, secrets, and feelings and lay it all out. There is a fear that Frankie will reject him after she learns what he has been plotting. Frankie also has her past to face and you get to see her finally saying what needs to be said and take a stand she should of taken a while ago.

This ending came together brilliantly, and Marni really hit a grand slam in giving us readers the ending we wanting and the answers we were desperate for. Reading this ending was like seeing all the pieces to a puzzle come together. So much character growth, trust, security and self assurance was portrayed by both the leads. I have to say that those love scenes were very .. er … cough … umm, LOVING! Actually loving is being too kind .. they were BEAUTIFULLY DIRTY and absolutely TOE CURLING! Derek likes his dirty talk, and Rachel (that’d be me) likes to read it! LOL

I really am sad this has come to an end, but very pleased that all my questions were answered. I loved the business and architecture aspect of this serial but much of that has to do with the way Derek and Frankie were portrayed!

Can’t wait for your next book Marni as you have proven time and again I can always rely on you for an awesome read!

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Reviewed by Rachel

Copy provided by Author

 

About The Author

Marni Mann

Best-selling Author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Mann was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts sexy, titillating stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotion. A New Englander at heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida with her husband and their two dogs who subsequently have been characters in her books. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling to new locations, and devouring fabulous books.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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The Art of Sinning (Sinful Suitors #1) by Sabrina Jeffries-Review and Pre Order Campaign

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THE ART OF SINNING (Sinful Suitors #1) by Sabrina Jeffries-Review and  PreOrder Campaign

The Art of Sinning

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 21, 2015

American artist Jeremy Keane refuses to return home and take over his father’s business. He’d much rather sample bevvies of beauties abroad, in search of a model for the provocative masterpiece he’s driven to paint. When he meets Lady Yvette Barlow at a London wedding, he realizes she’s perfect for his work—and determines to capture the young heiress’s defiant spirit and breathtaking sensuality on canvas.

No stranger to scandal, Yvette agrees to be Keane’s subject—in exchange for his help gaining entry to the city’s brothels he knows intimately, so she can track a missing woman and solve a family mystery. But when their practical partnership leads to lessons in the art of sinning, can they find a bold and lasting love?

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE ART OF SINNING is the first installment in Sabrina Jeffries Sinful Suitors historical romance series-a spin off from her ‘The Duke’s Men series’. This is American artist Jeremy Keane, and Lady Yvette Barlow’s storyline. You do not have to have read The Duke’s Men series to understand the premise. Jeremy Keane was first introduced to the reader in Sabrina’s How The Scoundrel Seduces and any important information from the previous series is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives THE ART OF SINNING follows Jeremy Keane, in London, as he searches for his latest muse finding the perfect model in attendance at Dominick Manton (If The Viscount Falls –The Duke’s Men #4) and Lady Jane’s wedding. Yvette Barlow is a statuesque English Lady whose beauty beckons Jeremy like a moth to a flame. But convincing Yvette and her brother that his request is anything but a ruse will take some work especially when Jeremy has a reputation as a rogue and a painter of ‘women of ill repute.’ When Yvette makes Jeremy a counter offer in the hopes that he will assist in locating someone close, Jeremy considers rethinking his deal when he is forced to take Yvette on a journey to the seedy part of town.

Jeremy has a secret, one that he holds close to his heart, and in this, Jeremy refuses to let himself fall in love. As his relationship with Yvette builds, so too does his need to run, but he is determined to complete his latest work, in the hopes of securing a position at a prestigious London gallery. When the truth is finally revealed, Jeremy comes to the realization that perhaps everything was not as it had appeared to be.

The relationship between Yvette and Jeremy is one of immediate attraction but Jeremy continues to hold himself back in the hopes of keeping secret his past sins, and his shame and grief; in this he occasionally presents as cold and uncaring. As Yvette wars with her desires, her position in society is threatened if the truth about what it is she and Jeremy have planned were ever to come to light. Yvette is a strong, historical heroine who knows what she wants, and she is determined to get the answers even if it means putting her reputation in jeopardy. Like most historical romances, the $ex scenes are tempered with historical descriptions and prose. Lady Yvette is a virgin, as per her standing in life, and Jeremy must take Yvette under his wing to explore the passion of a sexual relationship.

Several characters from Sabrina’s THE DUKE’S MEN series cross over for cohesion and familiarity including Tristan Bonnaud, and Jeremy’s cousin Zoe Keane (How The Scoundrel Seduces-The Duke’s Men #3), as well as the cameo appearance of Dom and Lady Jane. We are also introduced to Yvette’s long suffering brother Earl Edwin Blakeborough, and her best friend Clarissa and brother Warren Knightford whose own desire for Yvette has gone unanswered. By way of mention, Yvette and Edwin’s brother Samuel plays an active role through previous misdeeds and dealings. Jeremy’s American mother and sister Amanda are determined to bring Jeremy back home but Amanda may have found a reason to stay in England. As with Sabrina’s The Duke’s Men series and its’ Manton Investigations, there is perhaps another Club association in the making within the Sinful Suitors series.

THE ART OF SINNING is a wonderful introduction to Sabrina Jeffries’s new Sinful Suitors historical romance series. There are moments of heartbreak and sorrow; pleasure and passion; romance and love. Jeremy believes he is damaged and broken, while Yvette struggles with a past mistake finding it difficult to accept the attention of any man. The characters are engaging, animated and sometimes amusing; the premise seductive and intriguing. There is a happily ever after with the potential for another love relationship building within the family.

Copy supplied by the publisher and Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

About the Author Black and rose

FOLLOW Sabrina at : Website / Goodreads / Twitter/ Facebook / Pinterest

Sabrina JeffriesRaised amidst the rubber plantations in Thailand by missionary parents, Sabrina Jeffries has earned numerous placements on the New York Times and USA Today lists with Regency historicals that readers savor for her trademark sexy blend of witty dialogue and enterprising characters. It’s no accident she has been dubbed “The Queen of the Sexy Regency Romance.”

About that plantation business—living in the boonies of Thailand afforded Sabrina endless hours to read Jane Austen novels and other classics voraciously. Not surprisingly, back in the States, she went on to earn a doctorate in English literature from Tulane University—and a craving for Cajun food.

While Sabrina is at ease with refined academia types, she enjoys using her literary skills to pen novels of romantic fiction. She sold her first book in 1991 and has 38 published novels to her credit. Whenever she struggles with a plot point, she shuts off the computer and tackles a jigsaw puzzle, and before long, bingo! Problem solved. Another stress-reliever for the inventive author: creating her popular Will and Jane’s Excellent Adventure comics. Displaying Sabrina’s fine-tuned sense of humor, the comics feature a William Shakespeare caricature figure and a Jane Austen action figure.

Caffeine addict, Third Culture Kid, chocoholic, and popular novelist with more than eight million books in print, Jeffries defies labels. Her biting humor and simultaneous warmth endear her to her 25,000+ Facebook fans and Twitter and Pinterest followers. At home in front of a crowd—any crowd (no really, just hand over the microphone and get ready for some fun)—Jeffries is a sought-after speaker, as evidenced by her 2010 gig as emcee for the National Romance Writers of America’s 30th Anniversary Awards Ceremony.
While Sabrina treks through remote locales in the name of research and rubs elbows in the big cities with other industry professionals, she says her favorite destination is home. She lives in Cary, North Carolina, with her two best guys—husband, Rene, and adult son, Nick, who has inspired her to actively champion the cause of autistic children.

Pre Order Promotion

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

Sabrina Jeffries’ Sinfully Fun Pre-Order Bonus!

You’ll want more sinful romance after reading THE ART OF SINNING. Fortunately, Pocket Books has tucked a bonus into the back of Sabrina’s July book-Chapter 1 of the April 2016 Sinful Suitors book, THE STUDY OF SEDUCTION.

But for even more sinning pleasure, pre-order THE ART OF SINNING by July 20 and receive Chapter 2 of Sinful Suitors Book 2, THE STUDY OF SEDUCTION.

Simply email your receipt or proof of purchase for THE ART OF SINNING to assistant2sabrinajeffries@yahoo.com by July 20, and a private link to Chapter 2 from THE STUDY OF SEDUCTION will be emailed to you by July 31.

 

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The Collar (The Submissive #5) by Tara Sue Me-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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THE COLLAR (The Submissive #5) by Tara Sue Me-Review , Book Tour and Giveaway

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The Collar
The Submissive Series #5
by Tara Sue Me
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance, BDSM,
Release Date: July 7, 2015

The Collar

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 7, 2015

Nathaniel and Abby are struggling to navigate the challenging waters of their own relationship, when they get a surprising phone call from their partners in play, Dena and Jeff, who are in need of a helping hand…

Seven years ago, blonde, beautiful lawyer Dena Jenkins was tired of her carefully controlled life. Desperate for something exhilarating to help her escape the pressures of her demanding job and her senator father, she joined a steamy, local BDSM club as a submissive. There she met brooding Dominant, Jeff. The attraction between them was undeniable, and, despite Dena’s doubts, they couldn’t stay away from each other.

Except, as the years have passed, their blazing connection has proven difficult to maintain. Dena and Jeff have a history they’d rather forget, but Dena can’t let go of the past, and Jeff is ready to move across the country to give her space. Now, to save their passion, they’ll have to rediscover what it means to trust each other—and give themselves to each other completely…

•••••••••••

REVIEW: THE COLLAR is the fifth installment in Tara Sue Me’s adult, contemporary The Submissive BDSM, erotic, romance series. This is attorney and submissive Dena Jenkins, and Dominant Jeff Parks’ storyline-a second chance at love for two people whose relationship was destroyed by a mutual loss. There is a cross over with Tara Sue Me’s PARTNERS IN PLAY spin off series but I am under the impression, in the future, the two series will be combined as most of the characters play an active role in both.

Told from third person perspective alternating between the past and present (with a couple of chapters told from Abby and Nathaniel’s POV) THE COLLAR focuses on the rekindling Dom/sub relationship between Jeff and Dena, as well as their second chance at love and a happily ever after. When Jeff is asked to participate in a demonstration at the local BDSM club, he is surprised to discover that his former submissive will be his partner for the night. What ensues is an awkward situation when Dena is late for the appointment and Jeff needs to administer a punishment, as is his right, as the Dominant in charge. When Dena’s reasons for her tardiness are revealed, Jeff goes into alpha, protective mode but he is still unwilling to give Dena what it is she wants from the man with whom she is still in love.

The history between Jeff and Dena is slowly revealed from their first meeting seven years earlier, to their D/s relationship and Dena’s subsequent collaring; to falling in love, and the events that lead up to Jeff removing the collar and sending Dena on her way. Their mutual history is emotional and heartbreaking; their individual backstories are as different as night and day. Dena is a well to do attorney with the potential for a brilliant career; Jeff ran away from home when he was sixteen years old. It is Jeff’s male ego that often comes into play when he believes he is not worthy of a woman like Dena Jenkins. When a threat against Dena forces our heroine back into Jeff’s life, our couple are unable to forget about the past heartbreaks in order to move on with their lives. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative: the BDSM scenes are erotic and intense. Jeff is a true Dominant who enjoys bondage scenes, and punishes Dena for every act of disobedience; Dena is a submissive who is willing to accept Jeff’s orders and commands.

The secondary and supporting characters include Abby and Nathaniel West (The Submissive Series 1-4) whose story continues to build throughout the events of THE COLLAR; Dominant Daniel Covington, and his submissive Julie Masterson whom we have met through the spin off series PARTNERS IN PLAY are present and participating in the local demonstrations and Club scenes. We are introduced to a couple of new characters at the BDSM Club, as well as Dena’s father whose dislike of Jeff Parks is all too readily apparent. The requisite evil comes from an unknown source when personal threats are made against Dena in the form of harassing phone calls and cryptic letters.

Addressing the threats against the heroine, the storyline did not focus on the search or investigation but rather pushed the issue to the background or most of the story. In the end, the reveal and take down was quick, and the punishment is an unknown entity. I am not sure if this is an acceptable conclusion, but it is the route the author chose to go. The threat is still a viable possibility for a future storyline.

THE COLLAR is first and foremost a story about second chances; for love, for partnership, and for a new beginning. But it is also a story about misunderstandings and forgiveness between two people who have loved one another for many years but were unable to get past their heartbreak and grief. The characters are colorful, charismatic and strong; the premise is dramatic and emotional; the romance is sensual and passionate. If you are a fan of Tara Sue Me’s THE SUBMISSIVE series, THE COLLAR is a fantastic addition to your library collection.

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

Series Spotlight Black and White

The SubmissiveThe Submissive
The Submissive #1
by Tara Sue Me
Release Date: November 2012
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, BDSM, romance

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of THE SUBMISSIVE

Amazon/ KOBO / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release November 2012

One word and she’ll never see him again.

The city of New York knows Nathaniel West as CEO of a powerful corporation, but Abby knows he’s more. Nathaniel lives by a set of exacting rules. From the boardroom to his bedroom, he must be obeyed—and any woman wanting to be part of his life must submit to his will. When Abby finally meets Nathaniel and agrees to wear his collar, she has everything she’s ever wanted—or so she thinks.

Nathaniel drives her to new heights of pleasure and introduces her to a glamorous world of power and privilege she knows only through the social pages. Heeding Nathaniel’s commands is never hard—but before long Abby wants more. Her master’s rules don’t allow for negotiation—but the heart never plays by the rules and love is the most extreme fantasy of all

_________________________

The DominantThe Dominant
The Submissive #2
by Tara Sue Me
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, BDSM, romance

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of THE DOMINANT

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

Nathaniel West doesn’t lose control.

As the playboy CEO of West Industries, he governs the boardroom during the day; as a strict dominant with exacting rules, he commands the bedroom at night. He never takes on inexperienced submissives, but when Abigail King’s application comes across his desk, he breaks his own restrictions and decides to test her limits.

Abby’s combination of innocence and willingness is intoxicating, and Nathaniel is soon determined to collar her as his own. As long as she follows his orders and surrenders herself fully to him, no one will get hurt.

But when Nathaniel begins falling for Abby on a deeper level, he realizes that the trust must go both ways—and he has secrets which could bring the foundations of their entire relationship crashing down…

____________________

The TrainingThe Training
The Submissive #3
by Tara Sue Me
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Genre: Erotic, Adult, Romance

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of THE TRAINING

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 1, 2013

It started with a hidden desire.

Millionaire CEO Nathaniel West has always played by his own strict set of rules, ones he expects everyone to follow—especially the women he’s dominated in his bedroom. But his newest lover is breaking down all his boundaries and rewriting his rule book.

Abby King never imagined that she would capture the heart of Nathaniel West, one of New York City’s most eligible bachelors—and its most desirable dominant. What began as a weekend arrangement of pleasure has become a passionate romance with a man who knows every inch of her body and her soul – yet remains an enigmatic lover. Though he is tender and caring, his painful past remains a wall between them.

Abby knows the only way to truly earn his trust is to submit to him fully and let go of all of her lingering inhibitions. Because to lead Nathaniel on a path to greater intimacy, she must first let him deeper into her world than anyone has ever gone before…

__________________

The ChaletThe Chalet
The Submissive 3.5
by Tara Sue Me
Release Date October 21, 2014
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, BDSM, romance

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of THE CHALET

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 21, 2014

New York Times bestselling author Tara Sue Me’s Submissive series is an international sensation. Now, Abby and Nathaniel’s story continues with their romantic wedding and a honeymoon too hot to believe…

Submitting her body was only the beginning.

Abby King didn’t know true passion until she gave herself to Nathaniel West, one of New York City’s most eligible bachelors and desired Dominants. Now, on the eve of her marriage, she realizes all her dreams are coming true. And with a romantic honeymoon getaway planned at a secluded Swiss chalet, she’s sure Nathaniel will find even more fantasies to fulfill…

Nathaniel never thought he’d settle down until Abby broke down his barriers and changed his plans. With their wedding only weeks away, he can barely wait to possess her completely—heart, body, and soul—and show her the true meaning of being both a wife and a submissive.

Only Abby has one more challenge in store before she becomes his: no sex and no collar for one month before the wedding. Nathaniel is willing to give it a shot but he has one scandalous stipulation—once that month is up, anything goes…

_____________________

Seduced by FireSeduced by Fire
Partners in Play #1
by Tara Sue Me
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, BDSM, romance

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of SEDUCED BY FIRE

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

About the book: Release Date March 4, 2014

Julie Masterson craves a taste of danger.

Despite being familiar with the different games people play in the bedroom, she’s never given in to her curiosity about putting her body in someone else’s power—until a chance meeting with Daniel Covington, the seductive Senior VP of Weston Bank, draws her into a titillating new world of sexual experience, one that she never knew she desperately needed.

Daniel is highly respected within his community, but he hasn’t had an exclusive relationship for over two years. Yet Julie’s eager innocence is driving him to the brink of ecstasy, making him rethink his feelings about commitment.

As their sizzling connection heats up, Daniel is ready to take Julie fully under his command. But when the dangerous side of their play rears its ugly head, Julie will have to decide if she trusts him enough to surrender completely—or if she should escape before she gets burned…
__________________

The EnticementThe Enticement
The Submissive Series #4
by Tara Sue Me
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, BDSM, romance
Release Date: April 7, 2015

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of THE ENTICEMENT

Amazon.com / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 7, 2015

Limits were made to be pushed.

Abby West has everything she wanted: a family, a skyrocketing new career, and a sexy, Dominant husband who fulfills her every need. Only, as her life outside the bedroom becomes hectic, her Master’s sexual requirements inside become more extreme. Abby doesn’t understand Nathaniel’s increased need for control, but she can’t deny the delicious way her body reacts to his tantalizing demands…

Between Abby’s reluctance and Nathaniel’s unyielding commands, the delicate balance of power between the Dominant and his submissive threatens to shift. And as the underlying tension and desire between them heats up, so does the struggle to keep everything they value from falling apart …

About The Author Black and White

FOLLOW: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Tara-Sue-Me-

Tara Sue Me is the New York Times bestselling author of the Submissive series, including The Enticement, The Training, The Dominant, and The Submissive. She lives in the southeastern United States with her family, two dogs, and a cat.

 

Giveaway -black and white

There are TWO (2) ways to WIN

The Reading Cafe and Tara Sue Me’s publisher are offering a paper copy of THE COLLAR to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Tara Sue Me on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on TSU for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from July 4-8, 2015

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NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the publisher

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Dark and Damaged Anthology Book Barrage-Promotion and Giveaway

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Dark and Damaged Anthology Book Barrage-Promotion and Giveaway

Dark and Damaged

ebook boxset ONLY 99¢: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

 

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance Boxed Set is now available worldwide for a special introductory price of only $0.99!

 

This ebook boxed set features all-new, never-before-published hot paranormal romances by eight New York Times and USA Today best-selling romance authors. Tortured alpha-male bad boys will ignite your darkest, most secret desires in these stories about vampires, shifters, dragons, fallen angels, werewolves, demons, psychic warriors and ghosts.

 

Here’s more about this fantastic eight book boxed set, including an excerpt from one of the stories.

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romanceis available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/dark-and-damaged/

••••••••••••••••••••

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance

By Jennifer Ashley, Caris Roane, Erin Kellison, Felicity Heaton, Erin Quinn, Laurie London, Bonnie Vanak and Colleen Gleason

LION EYES by Jennifer Ashley

Bree has just decided to give up trying to be a Shifter groupie when a lion Shifter slams into her truck and tells her to drive. Seamus is on the run from hunters, other Shifters, and who knows who else. All Bree knows is that he’s compelling, needs her help, and most intriguing of all, wears no Collar…

 

BLOOD FLAME by Caris Roane

Vampire Officer Connor of the Crescent Border Patrol tries to suppress his desire for the powerful witch, Iris Meldeere. Because the woman possesses the ability to kill him with the tips of her fingers, how can he possibly fall in love with her? When a double homicide throws them together, he soon finds his deepest fantasies fulfilled as Iris succumbs to his seductions. But as they battle together to stay alive, and love begins to consume them both, will the witch be able to forgive the dark secrets of his past …

 

HER SINFUL ANGEL by Felicity Heaton

Cast out of Heaven and now the king of Hell, Lucifer is a powerful fallen angel warrior with a heart as cold as ice and soul as black as the bottomless pit. For millennia, he has ruled his realm with an iron fist as he plots the demise of his ancient enemies. When one of those enemies dumps an unconscious mortal female in the courtyard of his fortress and leaves her there, Lucifer finds himself entranced by the beguiling beauty and tempted beyond all reason. But is the enchanting Nina an innocent pawn in the eternal game or part of a plot against him?

 

TEMPTED BY FIRE by Erin Kellison

A powerful dragon shifter has waited six hundred years to avenge the loss of his family, but the beautiful mediator sent to prevent violence among the Bloodkin doesn’t want to be his key to discovering the murderer—in fact, she wants nothing to do with dragons at all…

 

REBEL’S DESIRE by Laurie London

A jaded Iron Guild warrior cares about nothing except battling a ruthless enemy, but when a beautiful woman literally runs into his arms, he realizes she holds the key to his success. As passion ignites, he must decide whether to sacrifice the woman he’s falling for or dare to trust his heart again.

 

THE RESURRECTION OF SAM SLOAN by Erin Quinn

Trapped in the body of a human, the Reaper is about to fall in love with a woman he was never meant to have… When a reaper is trapped in Maggie’s estranged husband’s body, she knows only that the man with her husband’s eyes feels like a stranger… a compelling, seductive stranger who touches her in ways her treacherous husband never could. She wants to trust him, but what about the ghost who haunts their home, implicating him in a gruesome murder…

 

REDEMPTION by Bonnie Vanak

A cursed alpha wolf promises to free an enslaved Mage if she mates with him so he can sire an heir, not realizing she can destroy the dark secret keeping his pack alive.

 

RAGING DAWN by Colleen Gleason

After the vampires Max Denton hunts brutally murder his wife, he is nearly destroyed himself and spends the next ten years living a life of violence and revenge. But when sensitive information about his young daughter falls into the hands of the vampires, Max is forced to team up with the woman whose father ultimately caused the death of his wife. Savina Eleaisa has secrets of her own, and she’s determined to do whatever it takes to clear her father’s name: even if it involves seducing the most dangerous of vampires–with or without the help of the arrogant, brooding Max Denton.

 

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romanceis available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/dark-and-damaged/

excerpt

EXCERPT FROM THE RESURRECTION OF SAM SLOAN by Erin Quinn

“It’s not a game, Maggie.”

She shook her head, but her gaze had fixed on his mouth and the Reaper took the chance before she changed her mind. Her lips were soft and silky. Against his, they felt like nothing he’d imagined and everything he’d imagined. There were no memories of this in Sam’s banks and he was glad for that. He wanted this experience for his own. Sensations shot through him in sharp, hot waves, a torrent of passion and lightning.

She made a soft sound of surrender in her throat, murmured something that sounds like, I’m a fool, and then her arms twined around his neck and she kissed him back.

The feel of her; the smell of her, the sweet intoxicating scent . . . All of it filled him, pushed out the vestiges of the man Sam had been, overwhelmed the foundation of the Reaper inside, and forced them both into the moment that was now. Here. Her. Him.

Maggie tugged at his shirt, pulling it free of his jeans, then took his hand, leading him up the stairs and into the bedroom she’d banned him from. The door closed behind them. She locked it.

“I want you so much that that I can hardly breathe,” he said, that hint of accent that only appeared at rare times adding a husky rasp to his voice. “I’ve been thinking about this since I opened my eyes. Since I came to life.”

There were more words he should say, feelings begging for a voice, but the swamp of emotion made speaking an impossible feat.

He took her face in his hands, kissing her like this life that he’d never expected to have depended on the breath he stole from her. She tugged at his shirt once more and he stepped back only long enough to strip it off.

Her eyes molten, her pulse beating away at her throat, she stared at his bare chest with a hunger that threatened to consume him. His hands were big and clumsy as he gently pulled her shirt over her head when he wanted to rip it off. He dropped it on the floor and simply stared at the perfection he’d unveiled. Her skin was as smooth as alabaster, flawlessly beautiful. A bra the same shade as her skin held her breasts in an embrace of lace and satin. He touched one gently, groaning at the weight, the softness. He bent his head and covered it with his mouth, sucking the hard nipple, letting the lace rasp against his tongue, acting on instinct he didn’t question.

“Take it off,” he asked, his voice so deep it throbbed against the quiet.

She arched back, hands meeting between her shoulder blades as she unfastened the bra and shrugged it off. The stretchy pants came next without him even asking. She stood before him in dainty pearlescent panties and his body went up in flames.

He’d never imagined that just looking at someone could make him feel so many things. He wanted to take; he wanted to give. He wanted to stroke, to bite, to kiss, to lick . . . to worship.

He lifted her up and turned her, laying her out on the bed so he could follow her down to the soft mattress. Her body yielded to his and the perfection in the feeling wrenched another groan from him. She was beautiful, inside and out. He kissed her deeply, trying to slow his racing his heart. Trying to experience each second, but everything came at him at once. The sensations, the passion, the desire to please her.

He had her in bed, where he’d wanted her from the start, and he needed her like he’d never needed anything before. She was gloriously naked and in his arms, where he felt she’d always belonged. But fear suddenly crept in. He’d never done this before and though he’d managed to toe the line between human and Reaper, he knew in a deep place that had been growing since the moment he’d opened his eyes, the time had come.

Reaper or human? He couldn’t be both.

One came without the heavy burden of emotion, of mortality, of humanity.

The other came with Maggie.

Blog-tour-schedule-white

The complete book tour schedule can be found HERE

Giveaway -black and white

Erin Quinn is offering ONE (1) commenter at The Reading Cafe an eBook of one of the titles from her backlist (winner’s choice) of books.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Erin Quinn on Facebook

4. Please FOLLOW Erin Quinn on Twitter

5. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

6. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway open to international readers.

9. Giveaway runs from June 22-26, 2015

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Cheryl Holt’s ‘Lost Lord’ Scavenger Hunt Promotion

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Cheryl Holt’s ‘Lost Lord’ Scavenger Hunt Promotion

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I’m getting ready to release my 40th novel! It’s a huge career milestone for me, and I hope all of you will help me celebrate by enjoying my new trilogy, “The Lost Lords of Radcliffe.”

The three books are a “real” trilogy, with one story leading into the next and the drama building with each novel. I’m releasing them over the summer so you’ll be able to read the 2nd and 3rd books right away without having to wait months or years to find out what happens. HEART’S DELIGHT will be here on June 1st. HEART’S DESIRE is coming on July 1st. And Book 3, HEART’S DEMAND–my 40th novel!!!–will be here onAugust 1st. It will be a great summer of sexy, yummy reading.

The 3 novels will be released as e-books and print books. The e-version will be available for all e-readers, but the print books will not appear in stores. They will have to be ordered on-line at Amazon. The covers are beautiful, the stories breathtaking, heartbreaking, dramatic, and thrilling. I think it’s my best work yet.

I hope you’ll spend the summer–with me! And my Lost Lords of Radcliffe. Coming June, July, and August of 2015.

Facebook Release Party Link: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1553831831553784/permalink/1588756538061313/

excerpt

 

 

Mr. Scott stood and went to the door, and he opened it and hollered down the hall. “Ramsey, I need you.”
He came back to the desk, and they listened as heavy boot steps pounded up the stairs. A man loomed in the doorway. He was broader and taller than Mr. Scott, handsome too, and dressed in black clothes, so he appeared menacing in a way Mr. Scott didn’t seem to be.
“What?” he inquired of Mr. Scott.
“Have we hired a new boy named Tim?”
“I believe we have.”
“What are his duties?”
“This and that.” Mr. Ramsey made a waffling motion with his hand, the phrase this and that obviously intended to hide what Tim had been hired to do.
There were rumors he was training as a pickpocket. A pickpocket! As if a boy should be trained at such a task! Her temper flared.
“This and that?” Maggie was incredulous. “What precisely would that position entail?”
Both men ignored her, and Mr. Scott said, “Fetch him.”
Ramsey left, and as she and Mr. Scott waited for Tim to arrive, she noted that her knees were quaking.
She peeked at the chair he’d offered earlier, anxious to walk over and slide down onto it, but she didn’t know how to pull it off with any aplomb. She’d been too snotty in her insistence that she’d remain standing.
The quiet interval was fraught with distress that she hadn’t realized she was harboring. For idiotic reasons she couldn’t fathom, she couldn’t bear to have Mr. Scott deem her a ninny or a fool. She craved his good opinion and yearned for him to view her as being worthy of esteem, but why would it matter? He was a brigand. Who cared what his opinion might be?
To her relief, footsteps sounded on the stairs, ending the tense, awkward moment.
Mr. Scott murmured, “You can’t save the whole world, Miss Wells.”
“I can try.”
“You can, but doesn’t it seem pointless sometimes?”
Ramsey entered, and Tim followed. He looked different, clean and tidied, and he was wearing new clothes, his previously-pale cheeks rosy with color.
“You sent for me, Mr. Scott?” He neared the desk, but blanched when he saw Maggie. “Miss Wells? What are you doing here?”
“I heard you’re working for Mr. Scott,” Maggie said.
Tim blushed. “Ah…yes, I am.”
“You can’t want to.”
“I do want to,” Tim asserted. “I’ve been hoping for years that Mr. Scott would notice me.”
“Why?”
“A boy can rise very high in his employ—if he’s loyal and learns his craft. Everyone knows it.”
Mr. Scott smirked. “See, Miss Wells? Tim is fine.”
Maggie stared at Tim. “Will you leave with me? Please?”
“Why would I?” Tim replied. “I like it here.”
“You can’t mean it.”
“I mean it, Miss Wells. Really.” He peered over at Mr. Scott. “Will that be all, sir?”
“Yes.”
Mr. Scott waved Tim out, and Ramsey led him away.
Maggie gaped at Mr. Scott, and to her horror, she was on the verge of bursting into tears.
He’d said she couldn’t save the whole world, but why couldn’t she save her little corner of it? Did every boy have to meet a bad end? Did every child have to struggle and toil and degrade himself? There was so much poverty and strife, and for just a second the weight of all those desperate souls seemed balanced on her slender shoulders, and the burden was much too heavy to carry.
He shrugged. “You were fretting over nothing.”
“You’ll train him in petty crime. He’ll become a criminal, and it will be all your fault.”
“He’ll have a few coins in his pocket and a dry, warm bed to sleep in. It beats starving out in the rain and the cold.”
“He’ll likely be hanged before you’re through with him.”
“There are worse endings for a boy.”
“Name one,” she fumed.
He didn’t reply, but scowled, his expression telling her she was an idiot. He gestured to the door, indicating her appointment was over.
“Are we finished?” he inquired. “I’ve been more than patient.”

 

About the Author pink

Cheryl HoltCheryl Holt is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon “Top 100” bestselling author of forty novels.

She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age 40, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance, where she was stunned to discover that she has an incredible knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.

She is considered to be one of the masters of the romance genre, and her emotional, dramatic, and riveting stories of passion and illicit love have captivated fans around the world. She has won or been nominated for many national awards. For many years, she was hailed as “The Queen of Erotic Romance”, and she’s also revered as “The International Queen of Villains.” She is particularly proud to have been named “Best Storyteller of the Year” by the trade magazine Romantic Times BOOK Reviews.

Cheryl lives and writes in Hollywood, California.

Series Spotlight pink

Heart's DelightHEART’S DELIGHT
Lost Lords Trilogy #1
by Cheryl Holt
Release Date: May 29, 2015

Add to your GOODREADS shelf

Evangeline Etherton grew up as an orphan and charity case at Miss Peabody’s School for Girls. But she was always haunted by memories of the loving family and siblings she’d once had. As a tiny girl, her father passed away, and her mother was wrenched from their lives and transported on a prison ship to Australia. Her three brothers were cast to the winds of fate and vanished from her life, but she was too young to understand why.

What happened to her mother and brothers? Might her mother still be alive? And what about her brothers? Evangeline vows to learn the answers to those questions and begins her quest to find them and bring them all home.

Synopsis for first book HEART’S DELIGHT:

Three little lost lords, cast to the winds of fate…

So begins CHERYL HOLT’S breathtaking new trilogy, The Lost Lords of Radcliffe…

MICHAEL SCOTT grew up an orphan on the streets of London. He has no memories of his past, but he’s haunted by terrible dreams and always feels as if he lost something vital and precious along the way. Through cunning and determination, he’s become rich, prosperous, and dangerous. As a brigand and criminal, he knows how to fight and survive any battle. But when he had such a rough beginning as a child, how has he managed to thrive so spectacularly? How can he ever learn the truth?

MAGDALENA WELLS runs a charity mission in London’s worst slums. Although she’s heard many vicious rumors about treacherous, deceitful Michael Scott, when she meets him, she can’t help but fall under his spell. He is the most extraordinary person she’s ever encountered. If ancestry makes the man, how is she to account for his remarkable traits? His drive and accomplishments have propelled him to the highest levels of London society—which is exactly where he seems to belong. How could a ruffian be so brilliant and successful? What is his true history? Can Magdalena help to reveal the secrets he’s always been dying to discover?

Join CHERYL HOLT as she once again weaves a beloved tale of family, loyalty, love, and loss. As the truth about the “lost” lords is gradually revealed, readers will be cheering…

 

Blog Tour Schedule pink

May 18 – Reader’s Entertainment – http://www.readersentertainment.com/blog/2015/youre-invited-to-cheryl-holts-scavenger-hunt/

May 19 – Novels Alive TV – http://novelsalive.tv/blog-posts/spotlight-cheryl-holts-lost-lords-of-radcliffe-series/#sthash.fhnTlkZ1.dpbs

May 20 – Night Owl Reviews – https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Lost-Lords-Scavenger-Hunt-by-Cheryl-Holt

May 21 – A Chick Who Reads – http://achickwhoreads.blogspot.com/2015/05/cheryl-holts-lost-lordss-scavenger-hunt.html

May 22 – Forever Book Lover – http://foreverbklover.blogspot.com/2015/05/cheryl-holts-lost-lordss-scavenger-hunt.html

May 25 – Shari the Delighted Reader – http://delightedreader.com/lost-lords-scavenger-hunt-by-cheryl-holt-giveaway/

May 26 – KT Book Reviews – http://ktbookreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/cheryls-scavenger-hunt.html

May 27 – Miss Ivy’s Book Nook II – http://missivysbooknooktakeii.blogspot.com/2015/05/cheryl-holts-40-published-and-lost.html

May 28 – The Reading Cafe – http://www.thereadingcafe.com/cheryl-holts-lost-lord-scavenger-hunt-promotion/

May 29 – Manic Readers – http://manicreaders.com/blog/ <http://manicreaders.com/blog/index.php/2015/05/cheryl-holts-l>

June 2 – Romancing the Book – http://romancing-the-book.com

 

 

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The Violet Trilogy by Vivian Winslow- Book Tour and Promotion

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The Violet Trilogy by Vivian Winslow-Book Tour and Promotion

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THE VIOLET TRILOGY
by Vivian Winslow
Release Date:May 20, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

The Violet Trilogy

  Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 20, 2015

Appearing in The Lily and Dahlia Trilogies of Vivian Winslow’s incredibly steamy Gilded Flower Series, Violet Rai, or Vi, is Lily and Dahlia Baron’s sharp-witted BFF, who is always up for a party and a hot guy. But, in The Dahlia Trilogy, there are hints that Vi’s world is quickly coming apart.

Wild Violet (Book 1): In this flashback story, Vi, the strikingly beautiful daughter of an Indian business magnate and English supermodel, is enjoying a privileged lifestyle in New York City while a college student at NYU. Yet, in her senior year, Vi learns that her strict and traditional father intends to force upon her an arranged marriage and a career working for his conglomerate in Dubai. When Vi is paired with sexy Spaniard, Andrés Costas, in her ballet class, not only does she find herself falling for him, but he introduces her to a shockingly different world—one that offers her the prospect of escaping her father’s plans, but at a price.

Hidden Violet (Book 2): With her hidden past about to be exposed, Vi turns to her longtime friend and confidant, Thomas Squires, for help. Yet, they may just risk exposing their feelings for each other in the process. When Lily’s engagement to Alejandro is threatened by ex-lover Gustavo, Vi is forced to come clean with her best friend and possibly destroy the lives of those she loves. Now that her secrets are no longer hidden, Vi faces the most difficult challenge yet—how to build a new life for herself outside of the shadows.

True Violet (Book 3): Things are heating up for Vi in Dubai, and it’s not just the desert climate. Vi is starting to come into her own—having the hottest sex of her life and poised to take over her father’s multinational conglomerate. Yet, her suspicions are confirmed when she uncovers a plot to destroy not just her but her best friends’ lives. With an unlikely ally, Vi seeks to ruin those behind the plot. Will Vi be able to have it all and find her lasting happiness in the arms of the man she loves?

* Each trilogy of The Gilded Flower Series may be read independently, though the background from the earlier trilogies may be helpful to the reader. The Lily Trilogy is the first in the series, followed by The Dahlia Trilogy and then The Violet Trilogy. The entire Gilded Flower Series is now available.

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Other Books in the Gilded Flowers Series:

The Lily Trilogy

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1GPSEkU
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1H1VqZQ
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1AG0Jqh
B&N: http://bit.ly/1Ppy7Is
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Re3BoM
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/1EhXSUY

 

The Dahlia Trilogy

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Qo0wRG
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KMOnmd
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1Ihzjih
B&N: http://bit.ly/1Ppy7bp
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1AG1b7P
GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/1JR4HVg

excerpt

 

 

Sweat drips down Vi’s chest as they finish the barre work. Despite every window being open, there’s no respite from the heat for the dancers who pack in the two adjoining studios. Even in the summer, the class is full of people trying to keep up their skills for possible auditions, with the exception of Vi who does it because it’s one of the only times she’s able to feel happy and free. She takes in the mix of people as she gulps down her water—men and women, mostly in their twenties, although some teenagers who look like they could be ten years-old, the majority of them beautiful, and all of them with absolutely gorgeous dancer bodies. She tosses her water back into her bag and takes her place in front of the mirror.
“Today, half of you go there,” the instructor says in a thick French accent, making a slicing motion with his arm to divide the class and pointing to the other space. The dancers move obediently. Monsieur Renard appears to be about sixty-five and has perfectly coiffed silver hair that goes well with his perfect posture. Despite being dressed in pants and a collared shirt, he doesn’t have a drop of sweat on him. “The rest of you will be paired off. Pas de deux.”
Vi searches the room for a partner. This isn’t what she signed up for today. She likes M. Renard’s class because he demands perfection and complete control from his dancers. Every position, hip movement and alignment always has to be just right. It forces her to focus, to allow her thoughts and self-doubt to melt away and for those ninety minutes to just be. But it’s too late to leave. She doesn’t back down from a challenge.
“Mademoiselle Rai,” M. Renard points to her. “Why are you not with someone? Or is your partner invisible?” He chuckles and turns to talk to the pianist.
She smiles back and with her hands on her hips says, “Seems no one finds me worthy to be his partner. Perhaps you would like to be my partner, Monsieur Renard.”
He smiles and laughs, revealing yellow teeth stained from cigarettes and coffee. “Mademoiselle Rai, if I were younger, I would have you for a partner and you would not forget that experience.” He approaches her and says, eyeing her up and down, “Malheureusement, my youth is gone and the women along with it.” Not taking his eyes off Vi, he reaches out toward the right with his arm and snaps his fingers. “Monsieur Costas. Dance with Mademoiselle Rai. You are both beautiful. You will fit well together.”
Pointing to the girl who was originally paired with him, M. Renard instructs her, “You go dance with the others.”
Vi glances over at her new partner gliding toward her, ignoring the dirty look from the female dancer.
As soon as he reaches her, he places his hands on her waist and says, “You’re the lucky one who gets to dance with me today.”
She chuckles as she moves her feet and arms into fifth position. “The same can be said of you, Monsieur Costas.”


 

 

About The Author

Vivian Winslow was born and raised in Southern California. Before becoming a writer, she made a career out of moving around the world every couple of years thanks to her husband’s job and her incurable wanderlust. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and two elementary school age children, and is grateful to finally have a place to call home for more than two years.
New York is the perfect city to indulge her love of fashion, the arts and especially food. If she’s not at home writing or running around the city with her kids, you’ll most likely find her eating at the newest restaurant in her beloved Lower East Side or having a cocktail at her favorite bar in Alphabet City. That said, she’s still a California girl at heart and would gladly trade in her heels for a pair of flip-flops to catch a sunset on the beach.

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