Whitney: Alpha Marked by Celia Kyle-Review and Blog Tour

Whitney: Alpha Marked by Celia Kyle-Review and Blog Tour

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Whitney
Alpha Marked #3
by Celia Kyle
Release Date:  October  26, 2013
Genre: paranormal, erotica, contemporary

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WHITNEY (Alpha Marked #3) by Celia Kyle

review

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 26, 3013

Thirty and single? Well, getcha ass to the Gathering!

Whitney Wickham is at the darned annual werewolf Gathering all right. Only there’s one problem: she doesn’t belong there. Her sisters carry the Mark indicating they’ll mate an Alpha Pair of wolves, while Whitney does not have that lovely, swirling scar. She’s been hauled half way around the world to be stared at, and not-so-covertly sniffed, for no reason. Unfortunately the gorgeous, drool worthy, magic-mojo-wielding Wardens don’t know why she’s been summoned to the Gathering any more than she does. Which sucks. But at least they’re hot.

Emmett Greene and Levy Walters are Wardens–keepers of the law and embodiment of the magic of the werewolves. They can never mate, never marry, and never form a lasting romantic relationship. It’s a hard and fast law that keeps their powers pure of outside influence.

Rules are going to be broken.

One look at Whitney, one hint of her scent, and they realize their immovable laws might have to jiggle. She’s got luscious curves, a wicked smile, and a mouth that would make a thousand men weep. No matter the rules, their inner wolves will claim her. The only things standing in their way are the Elder Wardens who will do anything… anything… to keep Emmett and Levy from discovering the truth: the laws are wrong. And being with Whitney Wickham is so very, very right.

•••••••••••••••

REVIEW: WHITNEY is the third instalment in Celia Kyle’s erotic, paranormal Alpha Marked novella series focusing on fraternal triplets-Scarlet, Gabrielle and Whitney-potential mates to alpha pairs. This is an erotic series with M/M/F sexual situations and is therefore recommended for 18+ years.

The premise of the novella length storylines is the festival of The Gathering- a speed dating (of sorts) where marked human females (who have not been claimed by their thirtieth birthday) are commanded to present themselves as potential mates for Alpha pairs. This is Whitney’s story and all three storylines take place over one weekend.

The premise follows Whitney –unmarked and therefore not a potential mate for the alpha pairs- but for some unexplained reason her presence has been commanded by the magical ruling Wardens. Hoping to get an explanation as to why she has been invited, Whitney will come face to face with the two men who would eventually become her mates.

The storyline has a bit of a twist from the previous two novellas. Throughout the history of the shifters, ruling Wardens have not been allowed to mate and are therefore exempt from the Gathering but on this particular weekend, Emmett and Levy are pulled towards the remaining and unmarked Wickham triplet and if their internal wolf is correct-this woman is their mate. But what ensues is a magical minefield where the ruling elders will take aim at Whitney to ensure the ruling Wardens never take a mate.

Celia Kyle has written another fast paced, action filled storyline where the attraction between potential mates is instant, sexual and animalistic. There is no denying that these three are meant for one another and in completing the mating ritual they will open the possibility for ruling Wardens everywhere to find their own mates without threat of death or incarceration.

If you like a paranormal storyline of action, sexual heat and a little bit on the kinky side, Celia Kyle’s Alpha Marked series is for you.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Series spotlight

ScarletAlpha Marked #1: Scarlet
by Celia Kyle
Release Date: April 2013

Click HERE for our review of SCARLET: Alpha Marked

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Thirty and single? Well, getcha ass to the Gathering!

As if hitting thirty wasn’t enough, unmated Scarlet Wickham is summoned to this year’s Gathering. As a woman Marked to be the mate of an Alpha pair, she’s not going to find happiness anywhere other than in the arms of two Alpha werewolves. So, off she goes with her sisters in tow. ‘Cause yeah, she’s one of the plump Wickham triplets, and they’re all being carted off to werewolf speed dating.

Keller and Madden, Ruling Alpha pair, can’t believe their luck. They’ve found their mate, and she’s more than they could have ever hoped for. She’s feisty with spirit to spare, and lush curves that they want to trace with their tongues. They can’t wait to solidify their bond and get to know the beautiful woman who is to rule at their side. But first, there’s the minor inconvenience of a challenge to the death…

______________________

GabriellaAlpha Marked #2: Gabriella
by Celia Kyle
Release Date: June 2013

Click HERE for our review of GABRIELLA: Alpha Marked

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Thirty and single? Getcha ass to the Gathering!

Ugh. Gabriella Wickham thought turning thirty was bad enough, but now she’s been invited (ordered) to attend this year’s Gathering (werewolf speed dating). Having a Mark on her arm means that she’s one of the few human women destined to mate with not one, but two Alpha werewolves. Thank goodness werewolves don’t come in “ugly.” After her sister Scarlet mates the Ruling Alphas, things really start to get interesting. Gabby runs into not one, but two hotter than hot werewolves who make her tingle in all the right places. Yum. Of course, “yum” comes with baggage of both the mental and female kind. Lovely. Luckily it’s nothing a few punches and a good talking to can’t cure. Maybe…-ish.

Berke Davis and Jack Wright know that lush, curvaceous Gabriella is their mate. Who cares that they’re currently not part of an Alpha pair? Details, details. Burke has been half bound to his best friend Jack since they were four, but the past keeps them from solidifying their pairing and taking up the mantle of Alpha. Berke understands his friend’s feelings, but Jack is about to get a lesson on living and loving. Berke just hopes the lessons are learned before they both lose Gabriella. Especially when she is Challenged by a rival to first blood…a Challenge that could end in very permanent, and deadly, consequences…for Gabriella.

_______________________

ck_whitney_200x300Alpha Marked #3: Whitney
by Celia Kyle
Release Date: October 2013

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

Thirty and single? Well, getcha ass to the Gathering!

Whitney Wickham is at the darned annual werewolf Gathering all right. Only there’s one problem: she doesn’t belong there. Her sisters carry the Mark indicating they’ll mate an Alpha Pair of wolves, while Whitney does not have that lovely, swirling scar. She’s been hauled half way around the world to be stared at, and not-so-covertly sniffed, for no reason. Unfortunately the gorgeous, drool worthy, magic-mojo-wielding Wardens don’t know why she’s been summoned to the Gathering any more than she does. Which sucks. But at least they’re hot.

Emmett Greene and Levy Walters are Wardens–keepers of the law and embodiment of the magic of the werewolves. They can never mate, never marry, and never form a lasting romantic relationship. It’s a hard and fast law that keeps their powers pure of outside influence.

Rules are going to be broken.

One look at Whitney, one hint of her scent, and they realize their immovable laws might have to jiggle. She’s got luscious curves, a wicked smile, and a mouth that would make a thousand men weep. No matter the rules, their inner wolves will claim her. The only things standing in their way are the Elder Wardens who will do anything… anything… to keep Emmett and Levy from discovering the truth: the laws are wrong. And being with Whitney Wickham is so very, very right

About the Author

Celia Kyle

Celia Kyle is a paranormal erotic romance author and would like to rule the world and become a ninja. As a fallback, she’s working on her writing career and giving readers stories that touch their hearts and *ahem* other places.

Connect with Celia:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway-Latymer by Tracey Devlyn

Cover Reveal and Giveaway-Latymer by Tracey Devlyn

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Latymer:
A Nexus Novella
Genre: Historical Romantic Thriller
Length: 71 pages
ISBN: 9781940677002
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Publisher: TDC Creations, Inc.

Latymer

Traitor or savior…or something far more devastating?

William Townsend, Lord Latymer, lost the woman he loved because of his greed and his ultimate deception of two powerful countries. Now, he must protect his nine-year-old son from the same fate. Latymer has only one chance to escape his enemies—board a ship that would carry them both to America and a new life. But first he must find his missing son, elude a vengeful grieving brother, and kill a beautiful French assassin. Time is slipping through his fingers and Latymer has twelve hours before his ship and his future sail away.

••••••••••••••

Excerpt

Releasing a breath, Latymer moved from room to room, floor to floor, sifting through the evening shadows with painstaking precision. White linens draped every piece of furniture, making the once-happy atmosphere feel more like that of a dreary mausoleum. He saved Lydia’s bedchamber for last.

Had he been stronger, he would have gone there first, knowing if Giles had managed to find his way home, he would’ve sought the comfort of his mother’s chamber.
An instinctual response for any child, especially one who’d suffered so much. But Latymer’s courage began to flag the moment he placed his boot on the first stair. Although he could ignore the grief, he hadn’t been able to control the longing. After the French had kidnapped Giles and forced Lydia to spy on Somerton for them, he’d come here often. This house, their possessions, her bedchamber—the only links he had left to his lover and his son. Once he’d learned of her death, he’d stopped coming.

He stared at Lydia’s bedchamber door now, praying Giles was within. If he lost his son to the French, as he’d lost the woman he loved, not even Bonaparte would be safe from his vengeance. Turning the handle, he eased the door open and slipped inside. Low, flickering light caught his eye. “Giles?”

“No, darling, not Giles.”

Collette.

His heart sank like a bag of tarnished coins into his gut. How had she known to come here? Had she followed Giles? His gaze slashed around the chamber, searching for his son. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

The lamplight grew stronger.

“Looking for someone?” Collette’s bloodred lips tipped up into a taunting smile.

“Where is he?”

Sitting at Lydia’s dressing room table, Collette reached for a silver comb that lay next to a small pistol. She slid the hairpiece into her mass of dark locks, twisting her head one way, then the other, inspecting her handiwork. He’d given the comb to Lydia on her birthday five years ago. Seeing the special piece in his enemy’s possession sent fire streaking through his veins. She met his gaze in the looking glass.

“He?”

“Don’t play games with me, Collette. What have you done with my son?”

“We will get to him later.” She rose and turned to face him. “First, let us discuss the unfinished business you have yet to attend to.”

“There is no later. If you know where my son is, tell me now.” The steel in his voice drew forth two new bodyguards—one from the corridor and one from the dressing room—both as large as the last two he’d dispatched.

“It appears you purchase your brawn in bulk.”

Her eyes twinkled. “So much more convenient that way. Now, about that unfinished business . . .”

••••••••••••

 About The author

Tracey DevlynTracey Devlyn is an award-winning author who writes historical romantic thrillers (translation: a slightly more grievous journey toward the heroine’s happy ending). She’s a co-founder of Romance University, a group blog dedicated to readers and writers of romance, and Lady Jane’s Salon-Naperville, Chicagoland’s exciting new reading salon devoted to romantic fiction.

An Illinois native, Tracey spends her evenings harassing her once-in-a-lifetime husband and her weekends torturing her characters. For more information on Tracey, including her Internet haunts, contest updates, and details on her upcoming novels, please visit her website.

Site: http://traceydevlyn.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTraceyDevlyn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TraceyDevlyn
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4099565.Tracey_Devlyn

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Kisses, She Wrote by Katharine Ashe-Promotion and Giveaway

Kisses, She Wrote by Katharine Ashe-Promotion and Giveaway

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Kisses, She Wrote: A Christmas Romance Novella
The Prince Catchers #1.5
by Katharine Ashe
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Genre: historical romance, Christmas

Kisses She Wrote

e-book .99cents or less: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / itunes

Christmas in town has never been so steamy . . .

Handsome as sin and scandalously rakish, Cam Westfall, the Earl of Bedwyr, is every young lady’s wickedest dream. Shy wallflower Princess Jacqueline of Sensaire knows this better than anyone, because her dreams are full of the breathtaking earl’s kisses. And not only her dreams—her diary, too.

But when Cam discovers the maiden’s not-so-maidenly diary, will her wildest Christmas wishes be fulfilled in its pages . . . or in his arms?

excerpt

“At least you won’t be at a significant disadvantage when you wed,” the princess said thoughtfully.

“Disadvantage?”

“There is . . .” Her voice trailed off. She looked out the window and tilted her head. Her stance was relaxed. This conversation did not, apparently, agitate her as it did him.

“Princess?”

“The thing is, I have never kissed a man,” she said and looked over her shoulder at him. “Will my husband be disappointed to discover that I have no knowledge of kissing?”

Cam’s throat had gone entirely dry. If she had no actual knowledge of kissing, she certainly had excellent intuition.

“Why do you ask me?”

“I cannot very well ask my brother. How horridly embarrassing that should be.” She scowled but her eyes twinkled.

“You might ask your ladies in waiting, or the Duchess of Lycombe.”

“How would they know the answer? They are women.”

He was nonplused. “Well . . .”

She turned to him fully. “You and I are friends, so I trust you will answer me honestly. I know you have considerable experience kissing women.”

His cravat had shrunk again. “Do you?”

She lifted a single, eloquent brow. She was far too intelligent for him, and far too forthright, and he was far too accustomed to consorting with females of much less acute minds and much baser characters. She was not now flirting with him but making a statement of fact.

He nodded in silent admission.

Both brows perked now, like the shimmering feathers of a raven. “So . . . ?”

“I should think that your husband would be delighted to teach you the finer points of kissing.” And learn a thing or two in the process.

“I suppose you may be correct about that. Men like to instruct women. I think it makes them feel more in control.”

He could not hide his amusement. “You don’t say?”

“Well, doesn’t it? You are a man.”

“Good of you to notice.”

“Do you like it when you feel in control of a woman?”

“I like it when a woman feels she is getting what she wants from me.”

Her fine, expressive eyes widened. Then, slowly, she turned to the pianoforte and began rearranging the music on the stand. Cam studied the clean sweep of her back to her gently curved hips and the straight set of her shoulders. She was not petite, not enticingly round, not anything he had ever desired in a woman. But merely looking at her back and knowing what she imagined of him — of them together — made his heartbeats hard.

“I should like to give it a try before I marry,” she said without turning around. Her voice was pitched a bit low. “Kissing, that is.” She glanced at him. Her cheeks were ever so slightly pink.

“Should you?” He suspected where this was going. He’d been the object of countless women’s flirtations. But never this woman. She confined her attentions to him safely in her diary.

This was a different woman before him now.

“Yes,” she said. “I think it would be a useful experience to take into marriage. Don’t you?” She turned her hungry gaze upon him . . .

About the Author

FOLLOW: Goodreads Website / Facebook / Twitter

Katharine AsheAward winning, best-selling author Katharine Ashe writes lushly intense historical romance with a touch of adventure. Amazon chose her HOW TO BE A PROPER LADY among the 10 Best Romances of 2012. She is the winner of the 2011 Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Historical Adventure and a 2013 Library of Virginia Literary Award nominee in Fiction.

Katharine lives in the wonderfully warm Southeast with her husband, son, dog, and a garden she likes to call romantic rather than unkempt. A professor of European history, she has made her home in California, Italy, France, and the northern US. She loves hearing from readers!

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway-Phenomenal X by Michelle A.Valentine

Cover Reveal and Giveaway-Phenomenal X by Michelle A. Valentine

Phenomenal X 3

Phenomenal X Cover Reveal
Title: Phenomenal X
AuthorMichelle A. Valentine
Release Date: TBA
Reveal Organized by: I Love Indie Books

Phenomenal X

Phenomenal X

From the mean streets of Detroit rises the newest superstar of professional wrestling, Xavier Cold, better known as Phenomenal X. His muscular physique makes men cower before him and woman lose their minds with desire.

Anna Cortez is fresh out of college and naive to the harsh realities of the real world. Tired of living under the thumb of her conservative family, she defies them when she accepts a job as the assistant to wrestling’s most notorious bad-boy. Phenomenal X has an animalistic nature that even good girl Anna finds hard to resist.

One night forced to share a bed in a sold-out hotel, lines blur between them and they quickly learn that one lustful night changes everything and neither one of them will ever be the same.

excerpt

His lips pull into a tight line, and I fully expect him to release me, but he doesn’t. Xavier’s grip stays firmly in place. “It’s fine if you don’t want to say what’s on your mind. I get that, but no more frowning for the rest of this trip, or I might be forced to find other ways to make you smile just to piss your boyfriend the f*ck off.”

My mouth drops open and I can’t stop myself from asking, “What kind of ways?”

Damn my stupid curious brain. That just set him up for all kinds of more dirty talk.

He tries to fight back a smile, but it doesn’t work. It comes at me in full, glorious force. “More ways than that sweet brain of yours could ever imagine.” He leans into me and I tense while he still holds me in place. He’s close enough that if I pushed forward a couple inches our lips will meet in what I imagine would be an earth altering kiss. “I could do things to your body that most women only dream about while reading their dirty, porn romance novels, and I promise you’d f*cking enjoy it.”

About The Author Black and Red

Michelle Valentine

 

Michelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance. Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.

 

 

 

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18756982-phenomenal-x
Michelle’s Media Links:
Blog:
http://michelleavalentine.blogspot.com/
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-A-Valentine/477823962249268?fref=ts
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/M_A_Valentine
Goodreads Author Page:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6540645.Michelle_A_Valentine

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Michelle is offering the following prizes:

•$50Amazon gift card
•a signed paperback set of the Black Falcon series
•an ebook set of the Black Falcon series
•10 e-copies of Rock The Beat
•signed copy of Rock the Heart

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Return to You by Julie Cross – Cover Reveal

Return to You by Julie Cross – Cover Reveal

 

Return to Sender
Letters to Nowhere – Book #3
by Julie Cross
Release Date: December 15, 2013
Letters3 (2)
Description:
How many dreams can you chase at once?

Even with bad boy, TJ, disrupting their morning workouts, Karen and Stevie’s daily battles with each other are sure to bring both of them closer to a national title at next month’s championships. It’s the kind of feud that creates winning results.

Until a fall from the uneven bars shakes Karen’s rock-solid confidence. Not only does she balk every time she so much as attempts a routine, she’s also facing all this without much support from Jordan. After receiving some bad news, Jordan’s reluctance to listen to reason causes Karen so much frustration she begins to avoid him, needing space to deal with her own issues. He needs someone to force him to make the right choice, he needs his dad to intervene and Karen knows this, but is torn between her loyalty to Jordan and her concern for her coach’s son. Even though both paths lead to the same person—Jordan—it feels like she’s choosing between two different people.

And then there’s the growing tension between TJ and Stevie. They’re obviously on the verge of either ripping each other’s heads off or ripping each other’s clothes off. It’s hard for either Jordan or Karen to tell where those two are headed. Tension is building from every possible outlet and there’s bound to be an explosion of some kind in the very near future.

 

Letters to Nowhere series

Covers123 (2)
Letters to Nowhere
Book #1
by Julie Cross
Released: August 1, 2013
Links to order Letters to Nowhere: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
Our Review of Letters to Nowhere

Description:
A Mature YA almost NA set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics. Grief, love and pursuing dreams are at the forefront of this emotionally powerful love story.

Seventeen year old Karen Campbell has just lost both her parents in a tragic car accident. Grief stricken and alone, her gymnastics coach opens his home to Karen, providing her a place to live while she continues to train, working toward a spot on the world championship team.

Coach Bentley’s only child, seventeen year old Jordan is good-looking and charming enough to scare away a girl like Karen—someone who has spent ten times more hours on balance beams and uneven bars than talking or even thinking about boys. But the two teens share a special connection almost immediately. It turns out Jordan has a tragic past of his own, grief buried for years.

As Karen’s gymnastics career soars, her nightmares and visions of the horrible accident grow in strength. She can only avoid facing her grief for so long before it begins to surface and ultimately spin out of control in a very dangerous way. Can discovering love and lust (simultaneously) help with the grieving process or will it only provide a temporary distraction while waiting for reality to hit full force.

 

Return to Sender
Letters to Nowhere – Book #2
by Julie Cross
Release Date: October 21, 2013
Our review of Return to Sender will post December 6, 2013

Return to SenderLinks to order Return to Sender: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Description:
If only summer could last forever…

Karen and Jordan might be out in the open with their relationship, but that doesn’t make it any easier for them to face events looming in the future. Like Jordan leaving for college halfway across the country. Or Karen’s win at a big international gymnastics competition setting the bar high for her future and adding pressure like she’s never experienced before.

But when Nina Jones (aka-USA Gymnastics Dictator), makes plans for Karen and teammate Stevie to train at a gymnastics camp for a month—the same camp where Jordan coaches—romantic summer interludes replace their fears of being apart. But both Jordan and Karen know that when fall comes, some very tough decisions will have to be made, but for now it’s stolen kisses, racing hearts, and whispered words…

About the author

julie cross

I’m the author of the YA sci-fi trilogy, the Tempest series (St. Martin’s Press). I’m also the author of the YA contemporary novel, Letters To Nowhere.

I live in central Illinois with my wonderful husband and three kids currently between the ages of 7 and 12 (the kids not the husband). My writing journey began in May, 2009 with a short story in a notebook.

Within a year, I had written seven (some good some God-awful) young adult novels. Not being a college graduate and having spent the previous fifteen years teaching gymnastics and working as a YMCA Program Director for Recreational Gymnastics, professional writing wasn’t in my plans. Not even close. But ever since the day I started that short story, I haven’t been able to stop. It was love at first sight.

After about a year of writing, I had a three book deal with St. Martin’s Press, and a film option with Summit Entertainment. Crazy, right? I know. It wasn’t until August of 2011 that I quit working full time in order to be at home with my kids more and of course, write more. My young adult time travel debut novel, Tempest, released on January 17, 2012. The rest of my personal story remains unwritten.

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Born in Chains (Men in Chains #1) by Caris Roane-Blog Tour and Giveaway

Born in Chains (Men in Chains #1) by Caris Roane-Blog Tour and Giveaway

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Born in Chains
Men in Chains #1
by Caris Roane
Release Date: October 1, 2013

Born in Chains

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

In the epic battle of vampire against vampire, one warrior’s fate is bound to a mortal woman who controls him, commands him, and craves him like no other…

Chained For Life

Two years ago, the rogue vampires invaded Lily Haven’s home and kidnapped her son. Now, if she hopes to see her child again, she must do the unthinkable—bind herself, body and soul, to a vampire warrior. She must choose one of the rogue army’s prisoners of war and force him to do her bidding. But when she sees the warrior, Adrien, naked, beaten, and straining against his chains, it is she who is held captive…

Hungry For More

Adrien has been waiting for her. A beautiful woman who appears to him in visions. Who soothes his tortured body, feeds his erotic cravings—and quenches his thirst for blood. But Lily is more than he ever hoped for. She is the master of his destiny, and he is her willing slave. Even when she asks him to find the ultimate weapon for his enemies, he must obey her. Even if the task destroys them both, he will fight for her love, forever…

About the Author black and rose

Caris RoaneCaris Roane has published nine paranormal novels and novellas and writing as Valerie King, fifty Regency works. In 2005, Romantic Times gave her a Career Achievement award in Regency Romance. As Caris Roane, she currently writes paranormal romance for St. Martin’s Press and also self-publishes the continuing stories for her Guardians of Ascension series as well as stories set in other worlds.

WebsiteFacebook / Twitter / Goodreads

 

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3 winners will EACH receive ALL of the following prizes at the end of the tour:

• signed paperback of BORN IN CHAINS
• eBook of EMBRACE THE DARK
• notepad
• versatile calendar
• sticky notes
• Romance Trading Cards (RTC’s)

OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

*If winner is international they will receive a gift card as compensation

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Ever After by Kim Harrison-Blog Tour and Giveaway

Ever After by Kim Harrison-Blog Tour and Giveaway

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EVER AFTER
The Hollows, #11
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
Formats: eBook, Mass Market paperback
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Ever After

Witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan needs to save the demonic realm of the Ever After in the eleventh entry in the New York Times bestselling Hollows series from supernatural adventure master Kim Harrison.
When Rachel sets off a chain of events that could lead to the end of the world—demonic and human—she must use her gifts to save those closest to her while preventing an apocalypse.

Satisfying and sexy, a visit to the Hollows will take readers on a wild journey that will capture their imagination. Fans of Charlaine Harris and Stephenie Meyer won’t be able to resist Kim Harrison’s alternative universe—urban fantasy Cincinnati complete with vampires, witches, and other enchanting creatures—where spine-tingling adventures and fast-paced action are the norm.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
The ever after, the demonic realm that parallels our own, is shrinking, and if it disappears, so does all magic in our own. It’s up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to fix this, before life utterly changes for the worse.

Of course, there’s also the small fact that she caused the ley line to rip in the first place, and her life is forfeit unless she can fix it. And that the most powerful demon in the ever after–one who eats souls–has vowed to destroy Rachel, and kidnapped her friend and goddaughter as leverage. If Rachel doesn’t give herself up, they will die.

Rachel must team up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack–a prospect both thrilling and dismaying–to return to the ever after and rescue the hostages, then keep both worlds from being destroyed.

About The Author Black and Red

Kim HarrisonNew York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison was born and raised in the upper Midwest. Her bestselling Hollows novels include Dead Witch WalkingThe Good, The Bad, and The UndeadEvery Which Way But DeadA Fistful of CharmsFor a Few Demons MoreThe Outlaw Demon WailsWhite Witch, Black CurseBlack Magic SanctionPale DemonA Perfect Blood, plus the short story collection Into the Woods and The Hollows Insider. She also writes the bestselling Madison Avery YA series.

Website/ Twitter/ Goodreads / Facebook

 

excerpt

Twisting, Nick shoved me off, a nasty snarl on his face. “You could have loved me, too.”

He jumped at me, and I rolled, my back crashing into one of the machines. I shook my head to get the hair from my eyes. Nick was still coming right at me, and I braced myself. We went sprawling again. Nick hauled me into a sitting position, slamming my back up against the machine. “This is for bringing that putrid witch of yours into my apartment.”

My eyes widened and I gasped in pain as his open hand met my cheek in a slap that sent stars through my vision. Trent was yelling, the babies were crying, and my eye felt like it was going to explode.

“And this is for the hell of it!” Nick whispered.

I put a hand up to stop him, and he grabbed it. His other hand was coming at me, and I struggled, trying to get him off!

But before his hand could connect, he was yanked backward and up. Knees going to my chest, I tossed the hair from my eyes at the sodden thunk of fist meeting flesh. Nick reeled into the counter, his feet slipping on the tile floor until he went down. Trent stood between us, his back hunched and shaking the pain from a bleeding hand.

“Son of a b*tch.”

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Hard As It Gets (Hard Ink #1) by Laura Kaye-Release Day Blitz

Hard As It Gets (Hard Ink #1) by Laura Kaye-Release Day Blitz

HARD AS IT GETS smaller release graphic

Hard As It Gets
Hard Ink #1
by Laura Kaye
Release Date: November 26, 2013
Genre: romance, suspense, adult

Hard As It Gets

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository
Tall, dark, and lethal…

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey’s tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome–pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He’s left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander’s daughter. Loyalty won’t let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn’t expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge…

Q and A

HARD AS IT GETS is one steamy read! How did you first get into writing?

Thanks so much! And thanks for having me here! I’ve been a writer all my life. I’m a historian by training, so writing non-fiction was a part of my job for the fifteen years I worked as a college professor. But I started writing fiction in 2008 in kind of an unusual way. I hit my head on July 4, 2008. I didn’t think much of it that day, but soon after I realized I’d really hurt myself, and it turned out I had a minor traumatic brain injury. As I recovered, I was filled with an amazing urge to be creative, so I started taking guitar lessons (still not very good at that!) and wrote my first novel in 12 weeks (fortunately, I’m better at that LOL!). The experience of writing that first book was truly transformative. It was what I was supposed to be doing, so I revised that book until it sold and kept writing new ones. And I haven’t looked back since!

Why did you choose to write romance?

I had been an avid reader of paranormal romance for years at that point, so I wrote what I loved. But I also picked romance—unconsciously, I think—because to me it’s an incredibly hopeful genre. Romance stories are inherently stories about people who can’t find love or think they don’t deserve it who overcome the odds and find it in the end. In the years leading up to starting writing, I experienced a number of very hard personal losses, so writing in this genre was one way I worked through those issues.

What does “Hard Ink” refer to? What importance do tattoos play in your story?

Hard Ink is the name of the Rixey brothers’ tattoo shop in the Hard Ink series. Nick and Jeremy Rixey are co-owners, though Nick (the hero of book one, Hard As It Gets) prefers to be more of a silent partner, despite Jeremy’s efforts to put Nick’s artistic talents to work. In this series, tattoos are a way people remember, pay penance, or highlight what’s important to them. The act of creating permanent marks on skin has deep meaning to them. And the shop creates a gritty setting where diverse kinds of people meet and interact in the series. I really love it!

Describe Becca—what do you love most about her? And Nick?

I’d love to! Because I really loved writing these characters!

Becca Merritt is smart and strong and honest and protective. I really loved the way she was willing to stand up for those she loves, even against people and forces who might be stronger and even a little scary. There’s a scene in particular when she dresses down Nick’s Special Forces teammates after a fist fight where I was particularly cheering for her! LOL

Nick Rixey is, omg, so freaking hot, you guys! He’s brooding and tortured and honorable and when he falls he falls  so hard. I especially loved Nick’s mix of hard, alpha edges with his artistic side. When Nick shows Becca what her idea for a tattoo might look like on her skin, it’s just scorching!

What significance does the military play in the book?

Military themes are central to the whole Hard Ink series. The military isn’t just sexy window dressing nor is it just there to provide an intriguing backstory. The prior SF guys are this series are entirely defined by their military experience good and bad. It informs their identity, their sense of honor and duty, their view of the world, and of course gives them the skill set required to fight the battles they face in the series. The overall series mystery the characters are working to solve revolves around a military conspiracy in Afghanistan, so even though they’re out of the Army, the military themes are central.

If you could describe your book in a 140 character tweet, what would it be?

In #HardAsItGets, an ex-soldier joins forces w/his dead commander’s daughter to regain his tarnished honor & save her brother from a gang

Is there a particular author or book that has influenced your writing?

There are a number of authors that have influenced me, but if I had to pick one it would be J.R. Ward. A lot of what I know about how to write sexy, authentic male point of view comes from reading her books. And I definitely learned the importance of a good bromance to a romance novel from her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, too. Given my ginormous fangirling, you can only imagine how flipping excited I was when this happened:

 

“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”

~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets

 You guys, I bawled like a baby in the middle of a huge workshop put on by my publisher. For real. LOL

 What advice would you give aspiring writers looking to get into the publishing industry?

Here’s my advice:

1) Write, write, write. You can’t revise what you haven’t written and you can’t sell what you haven’t written. And the psychological and emotional boost you’ll get from writing “The End” for the first time cannot be overestimated.

2) Revise, revise, revise. That first time you type “The End”? Yeah, you’re nowhere near done. Your book will need to be edited, by you, several times before you ever put it in front of an agent or editor. You get one shot with them, so don’t waste it by not showing them your very best and most polished work.

3) Find critique partners. And your mom, siblings, and best friend do not count (unless you’re really lucky, like me, and your best friend happens t also be a professional author). You need other aspiring writers in your genre who will give you honest but constructive feedback about how to improve your manuscript. Let them catch all the embarrassing goofs and plot holes you thought you caught before it gets to an agent or editor.

4) Want to be a professional, then act it. And by that I mean join the professional organization(s) of the genre in which you write. Through them you will find classes to help hone your craft, critique partner match-ups, networking opportunities, calls for submission, and other opportunities invaluable to breaking into publishing.

5) Don’t give up. You will hear way more no’s than yeses, particularly early in your writing career. Stick with it. Believe in yourself. Give yourself one day to wallow in the rejection and eat a bunch of chocolate and then get right back on the horse. If your first book doesn’t sell, chalk that up to learning and write a second.

 What can fans of HARD AS IT GETS look forward to next?

I’m currently writing four series: two contemporary (Hard Ink, Heroes) and two paranormal (Hearts of the Anemoi, Vampire Warrior Kings). I’ll have books from all four of those releasing in 2014. My next release is Hard As You Can (Hard Ink #2) coming 2/25/14!

About Hard As It Gets:

Five dishonored soldiers.

Former Special Forces.

One last mission.

These are the men of Hard Ink.

 

Tall, dark, and lethal…

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey’s tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome–pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He’s left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander’s daughter. Loyalty won’t let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn’t expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge…

Read Chapter 1 of Hard As It Gets

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

About The Author beige

Laura Kaye-

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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