X-Ops Exposed by Paige Tyler – Review, Spotlight & Giveaway

X-Ops Exposed by Paige Tyler – Review, Spotlight & Giveaway

 

X-Ops Exposed
X-Ops Series – Book #8
by Paige Tyler
Release Date: April 3, 2018

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Description:
HE LEFT TO KEEP HER SAFE
Believing he’s too dangerous to be among people, feline hybrid Tanner Howland retreats deep into the forests of Washington State—with no choice but to leave behind the woman who’s captured his heart. What he doesn’t know is that she followed him…

SHE WOULDN’T STAY BEHIND
Heartbroken and determined, Dr. Zarina Sokolov tracks Tanner into the wild. Her presence unleashes Tanner’s protective instinct—big time. Locals have been disappearing and he is desperate for Zarina to leave. As the kidnappings escalate, Tanner must embrace the dangerous instincts he fears so much. But with Zarina at his side, he’ll have to learn to control his animal impulses, or lose himself—and the woman he loves—to the beast within.

 

 

 

Review:

X-Ops Exposed by Paige Tyler is the 8th book in her wonderful X-Ops series.  When we last left off in the last book, things were about to change for the X-Ops team, with a new management in charge.  Tanner Howland, our hero, likes living alone in the forest in Washington State.  Tanner is a hybrid Feline shifter, who has problems controlling his beast due to the drugs he had been given that made him a shifter. 

Zarina Sokolov, our heroine, is a doctor who has treated Tanner, and other members of the team.  She has been trying to find a serum that will reverse the drugs that made the hybrids, and then mental instability.  Zarina has fallen in love with Tanner, and now with the serum, she follows him to the forest.

Tanner is not happy when he sees Zarina, though he also loves her, but he is worried that his beast will hurt her; and he is determined to send her packing.  Zarina refuses to leave, and tries to convince Tanner to allow her to give him the serum, which he refuses to take, especially since this new drug will make him forget about her.  

There is another group of humans and hybrids living in the forest that Tanner will work with, especially when some of their group begins to disappear.  Tanner will join with that group to track and find out who is behind the kidnappings.  We get to meet some hybrids we had met previously, and other members of this group of people living in the forest who now have their lives in danger.  

Despite his attempt to force Zarina to leave, Tanner knows she is needed to help doctor those injured. Slowly their romance heats up, and once they both allow their feelings show, they know there is no turning back.  But the question:  Will they survive?

There was also a second storyline that Tate (another X-Op member) was sent to determine if a series of murders in a small town were animal related (or were they hybrids gone wild?).  The Doctor behind drugging the hybrids was suspected of being part of these murders.  The deputy sheriff, Chase, was assigned to work with Tate during his investigation.  Chase is unaware of hybrids, and becomes a great partner for Tate. 

When Tanner and the other hybrids are captured, Zarina will call Landon (acting chief of X-Ops) to get help.  What follows is an intense, fast paced, exciting and dangerous attempt to rescue the men.  It was great and fun to see all our former heroes, such as Landon, Ivy, Tate, Clayne Declan, Kendra, Danica, Diaz, and some newbies that I look forward to learning more about (Cam & Chase).  It will take the entire team to band together to save and fight this violent bad group, one who is a former friend of Tanner.  At this point, Tate (with Chase to help) will be sent to help the team save Tanner and the others.

When things get wild and crazy, lives are on the line and Zarina must act quickly to give the serum to any of the hybrids that are losing control.  Will Tanner be one of them, and forget about Zarina?

The last half of the book was very suspenseful, with a few twists, and a thrilling ride to the finish.  Paige Tyler, as always, gives us another terrific story, with another wonderful couple, and great secondary characters.    X-Ops Exposed is an exciting, fun, suspenseful, fast-paced, action filled and intense story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.  X-Ops is a great series, and you need to start from the beginning, in order to enjoy all the wonderful characters and the continuing story line.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy, romantic fiction. Paige writes books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines they fall in love with. She lives with her very own military hero (a.k.a. her husband) and their adorable dog on the beautiful Florida coast.

 

Find Paige Online:
Website: https://paigetylertheauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaigeTylerAuthor/
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2300692.Paige_Tyler

 

 

 

Knowing she wasn’t going to get away, Zarina slid to a stop and spun around, ready to shout at the beast that wanted to kill her. She’d seen Tanner let out a roar that could paralyze almost anything crazy enough to attack him, so perhaps she could do the same thing.
But her cry of defiance died in her throat as she came face-to-face with a gigantic grizzly bear. The beast reared up on its hind legs, towering over her for one heart-stopping moment before dropping to all fours and roaring at her so loud, her bones felt turned to jelly.
She vaguely remembered the store clerk in town trying to sell her a can of bear repellent. If she wasn’t so terrified, she’d laugh at the idea. What the heck would a can of pepper spray do to something this big?
The bear took a step in her direction with another roar, showing off fangs large enough to bite right through her.
For a split second, Zarina considered running again, but it would be pointless. She’d never outrun a bear.
Rabbits get eaten.
So instead, she screamed as long and loud as she could.
The grizzly looked shocked for a moment, but instead of scaring the animal off like she’d hoped, all it did was seem to make him mad. Head low, the bear started toward her.
She was going to die.
But suddenly, the bear stopped, a look of what could only be confusion on its face as it focused on something behind her. A second later, a roar ripped through the night that shook the ground. She jerked her head around, almost collapsing in relief when she saw Tanner standing there in the dark, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, his eyes glowing vivid red, fangs bared as he let out a roar that sounded exactly like that of a lion. Which made sense, because those were the DNA strands blended with his own.
Zarina stood transfixed. Tanner’s fangs were longer and looked more terrifying than the bear’s.
The rage and anger on his face must have been enough to scare the grizzly, because the huge animal gave one more halfhearted chuff in Tanner’s direction, then turned and scurried back into the pitch-dark forest.
To her right, she caught movement. Crap, Tanner was going after the bear. Not because he wanted to hurt the animal, but because by running, the grizzly had become the prey, and Tanner’s lion half simply couldn’t stop itself from hunting the animal down now that the rage had taken over.
“Tanner,” she said softly. “Let the bear go.”
He stopped like he’d hit a brick wall, then stood there, unmoving, for what felt like forever, facing away from her and staring off into the darkness in the direction the bear had run. Not that it was probably all that dark for Tanner. With his animal-enhanced eyesight, he could probably see the grizzly’s big, fuzzy rump bouncing off into the woods. And if his eyes lost the creature, then his keen sense of smell would fill in the details. Which was a good thing, since she’d have probably been a bear treat if it hadn’t been for that nose of his.
After what seemed like an eternity, Tanner turned and looked at her. His fangs and glowing red eyes were gone now, replaced by a mesmerizing blue gaze and a ruggedly handsome face that had made her heart almost stop beating the first time she’d seen it. He had a bit more dark-blond scruff along his jaw and chin now. Actually, a lot more. Maybe it was because she’d grown up in a cold-weather environment where the opposite sex went all caveman in an attempt to stay warm, but she wasn’t usually a fan of facial hair. On Tanner, though, it looked incredibly scrumptious.
His T-shirt clung tightly to his chest and shoulders, showing off all the muscles he had upstairs, while his jeans fought to contain thighs that looked poised to tear their way out at any moment. Had he actually gotten more muscular since he’d been out there?
Zarina almost ran to him right then so she could throw her arms around him and hold him tight for the rest of the night. But she didn’t, because she knew he wouldn’t be ready for that. Not after she’d showed up in the forest out of the blue and almost gotten eaten by a bear.
But damn, it was hard.
Tanner looked better now than when he’d been living in the dorms at the DCO complex. He had been put up there since the agency’s covert agents had found him out here all that time ago. Even the stress lines that had been etched into his features had completely faded. It almost made her sorry she’d come out here to disturb the serenity he seemed to have found. But she couldn’t stay away, not with the way she felt about him. And especially not when she could finally help him.
“What are you doing here, Zarina?” he asked bluntly.
So much for him sweeping her into his arms and saying he was happy to see her. Clearly, he wasn’t. She tried not to let that hurt too much.
“I’m here to help you,” she said, equally blunt.
She’d learned a long time ago that dancing around a subject wasn’t the way Tanner did things. It wasn’t the way she did, either, so that was okay. She didn’t bother mentioning that his disappearance had caused her more sleepless nights than she could count and had nearly driven her insane with worry. That would have been emotional blackmail, and she wasn’t going to do that to him.
His jaw flexed. “I don’t need any help. I’m doing a good job of controlling my hybrid impulses all on my own.”
She looked pointedly in the direction the grizzly had run. “It doesn’t seem like it to me.”
Tanner flinched, and she immediately regretted her choice of words. Dammit, she was out here to help him, not push him further away.
“I haven’t lost control in the two months I’ve been out here,” he said through clenched teeth. “Not until you decided to do something stupid like wander through the middle of a grizzly’s territory by yourself.”
Zarina wanted to point out that she hadn’t planned to be out here this late and that there was no way she could have known she was in a bear’s territory. But she bit her tongue and focused on trying to defuse the situation.
“I’m sorry I made you lose control again,” she said. “But I’m here to make sure it doesn’t happen again…ever.”
She waited, expecting Tanner to ask her what she meant by that, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood there regarding her and looking way better than any man should considering he’d been camping in the woods for two months. She had met plenty of guys who couldn’t pull off his level of masculine perfection after primping in front of a mirror for an hour. That was one of the other things she’d learned about Tanner. He didn’t have to work hard at being so amazing. It came naturally to him.
After another minute of silence, Zarina accepted that if they were going to talk, she was the one who would have to get the conversation started. “I finished the hybrid drug antiserum that will return your DNA back to what it was before Stutmeir’s doctors experimented on you. You can be a normal human again.”
She waited for some reaction—relief, doubt, elation. Something. But Tanner looked as interested as if she’d told him it might rain tomorrow.
“I’ll never be normal again,” he finally said quietly.
“Yes, you will.” She stepped closer, anguish coursing through her when he immediately took a step back. “I worked on the antidote every minute since you left. It will work. It will keep the beast from ever slipping out again.”
“I don’t want it, dammit!” he shouted, making her jump. He cursed and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice softer. “For yelling at you. And for making you come all the way out here and hiking halfway across the Wenatchee Forest to find me. But I don’t want the antidote. Just go home, okay? Leave me out here where I can’t hurt anyone.”
Zarina’s heart tore in two at the pain in his eyes. She had no idea why he was turning down her offer, but she wasn’t leaving without him.
“I’m not going home,” she said, standing her ground and leveling her gaze at him.
Having this conversation would have been a lot easier without holding a flashlight. Then she could have folded her arms to emphasize her point.
“Then you’d better have a lot of books on that e-reader of yours, because you’re going to get bored damn fast waiting for me at whatever hotel you’re staying in.”
“I’m not going to a hotel,” she told him. “I’m staying out here.”
Red flared in his eyes but faded just as quickly. “Like hell you are.”
“I’m not leaving,” she said firmly. “You can run off into the woods—we both know I can’t keep up with you—but I still won’t leave. I’ll keep walking all over the forest looking for you.”
His eyes flickered red again, and he muttered something under his breath she couldn’t catch. “You irritate me like no one else on the planet, do you know that?”
“Yes,” she replied, even though it was a probably a rhetorical question. “So, which way to your camp?”

 

 

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Wanted & Wired by Vivien Jackson – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Wanted & Wired by Vivien Jackson – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

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Description:
A rip-roarin’ new snarky, sexy sci-fi paranormal romance series with the perfect balance of humor, heat, and heart. Now that Texas has seceded and the world is spiraling into chaos, good guys come in unlikely packages and love sprouts in the most inconvenient places…

Rogue scientist • technologically enhanced • deliciously attractive
Heron Farad should be dead. But technology has made him the man he is today. Now he heads a crew of uniquely skilled outsiders who fight to salvage what’s left of humanity: art, artifacts, books, ideas-sometimes even people. People like Mari Vallejo.

Gun for hire • Texan rebel • always hits her mark
Mari has been lusting after her mysterious handler for months. But when a by-the-book hit goes horribly sideways, she and Heron land on the universal most wanted list. Someone set them up. Desperate and on the run, they must trust each other to survive, while hiding devastating secrets. As their explosive chemistry heats up, it’s the perfect storm…

Review:

Wanted & Wired by Vivien Jackson is the first book in her new sci-Fi Tether series.   I enjoy reading some sci-fi with a fantasy element, but I do tend to enjoy straight fantasy more.  I had mixed feelings about Wanted & Wired.   This had a lot of possibilities, a good story line, and some really interesting and likeable characters.   I also thought Jackson’s writing was very good.

Mari is a tough heroine, who is also a crack shot who never misses.  She partners with our hero, Heron, who is human and part droid (technically advanced).  When things go wrong on an assignment, Heron uses his technical ability to be one step ahead of those trying to catch them. During this adventure, we meet many people who are technically enhanced or complete droids. The key to the story is to find out who betrayed them in the assignment, as well as to keep Mari safe from those who want her killed. 

My mixed feelings:  The story was very technical, which was either a bit redundant or confusing for me.  Though I like my fantasy and sci-fi, I do not like too much technical terms which takes me out of the story.   I also thought the constant sexual innuendos, and situations seemed to be constant. Wherever, whenever, whoever was around, it was all about their lust for each other.  I like my books to be story oriented, with the sexual chemistry and situations part of the story.

I did think that Heron and Mari were very  good heroes, if we had the time to learn about them; as well as  some of the secondary characters that were well done, such as Chloe, Kellen, Adele, just to name a few.  If you enjoy Sci-Fi with advanced humans or droids, and a heavily sexual story then Wanted & Wired would be a good read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

excerpt

 

She popped her bubble gum and leaned against a Plexiglas route map. Cool as a daiquiri was Mari.

He waited for the bus to pull away from the stop and then rolled his car to the curb, about a meter from her mud-caked wellies. Green ones, with tiny sunflowers on the pull loops. He moved one hand off the steering wheel, signed a command, and her door shished open.

She leaned in, twirling the parasol, flinging errant raindrops all over his contrast-piped leather interior. Cool sprinkles, like cupcake dusting. A dimple tucked itself next to her flirty smile. “Hey, stranger. Goin’ my way?”

Heron pressed his lips into a line. “No funning, please. Get in. Quickly.”

“No kiddin’ no fun,” she muttered under her breath, probably forgetting that her com was subvocal. Although she was sharp as a shiv when her hands were on a gun, she could forget crucial things on planning and extraction. Or she deliberately relied on him to keep all that sorted.

Either way, Heron didn’t mind. He reached through the wireless and shut down her com.

She closed the umbrella, tossed it to the floorboard, and folded herself into the passenger seat. Heron had the door down as soon as her skirt was clear of the seals.

He’d examined this sector extensively in planning and had every escape route timed down to the second. He hadn’t counted on the law enforcement response being so fast, though, almost instantaneous. Road blocks and drones were popping up like dandelions every time he polled the mirror, and he had no defenses set up to counter them.

He knew precisely the speed at which information flowed, and there was no way within normal parameters the authorities could know her identity and location this quickly. Clearly, Mari had been set up. He even had a good idea who’d done it. The cloud, with its delicious glut of information, hovered just beyond his vision, tempting. He could see her doom erupting, 33.3 milliseconds behind real time, and he couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.

No, that wasn’t true. He had a range of options, but the only one he allowed himself, the only one that made sense, was to get her away from here. Get her somewhere safe. Hide her.

Traffic became a torment, not just because his escape was slowed or capture crept closer with each passing second, but also because…she was here. Close. Too close. Within touching distance close. He could practically feel her vibrating with postjob adrenaline. Just eight blocks to the expressway entrance ramp. He endured them. Every bloody inch. Every stroke of her naked hands on the cushion. Every drip of skin-warmed rainwater from her ponytail, teasing its way down between her shoulder blades and along the seatback. Every push of her breath against damp synthetic cashmere. Every distant siren, every rolling update from his mirror… Interpol had her bios now, but he suspected the UNAN agents would find her first.

No. Over his goddamned corpse they would.
He hit the entrance ramp at 120 and blew into the cruise lane. The wireless exchange with the bus earlier had reminded him of another closed system, off-cloud. A bigger one. Private. Safe.

“Thought our exit vector was south. Cabana down in Cabo San Lucas and an endless tab of mojitos? This ringing a bell, partner?” Mari craned to see a road sign too blurry to read with naked eyes.

Heron cataloged the sign, crossed three lanes, and slung the car onto a flyover, taking them decidedly not south.
“I told you our plans had changed. No cabana this time, but don’t worry. I’m taking you someplace safe.”

“What place? Your place?” She waggled her eyebrows.
He inhaled deliberately. She doesn’t mean it the way it sounds. It is not an invitation. You know how she is. Bald come-hithers and poor timing were typical of her postjob process. Everybody had a different way of ramping up and down for jobs like this, and hers was invariable. A peek at her biometrics showed elevated hormone levels in her blood. Flight or fight or fuck, and Mari had an unnatural ability to suppress the first.

Any other job, he’d have her on a plane by now and off to the hired harem of cabana boys she needed to seduce to prove she was still alive. But this wasn’t any other job. This was a botch. On a contract held by Texas. She was in danger, and he didn’t have time to wrestle with her attempts to make him into another of her temporary playthings.

Temporary, because the only time she’d be able to stomach fucking a post-human would be right after a job. And then she’d hate herself after. He knew what she thought about people with implanted tech. Cyborgs. No better than machines.

And he sported a metric shitload of implanted tech.
So he’d kept their relationship purely professional, and there had never been a reason to alter that structure. Until today. Now, to keep her safe, he was willing to suffer a lot more than her derision. He was willing to lay bare his most deeply held secrets and hope she didn’t heckle. Or worse, send him away.

He accelerated through fourth gear, and the car lowered, uncomplaining, hugging the asphalt.

Fuck it all—he was taking her home.

 

 

 

About the author

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VIVIEN JACKSON is still waiting for her Hogwarts letter. In the meantime, she writes, mostly fantastical or futuristic or kissing-related stories. When she isn’t writing, she’s performing a sacred duty nurturing the next generation of Whovian Browncoat Sindarin Jedi gamers, and their little dogs too. With her similarly geeky partner, she lives in Austin, Texas, and watches a lot of football.

 

Social Networking Links

Website: http://www.vivienjackson.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VivienJacksonWriter/
Twitter: @Vivien_Jackson
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6517244.Vivien_Jackson

To Buy:
http://www.vivienjackson.com/p/books.html

 

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Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell – Spotlight, Excerpt & Giveaway

Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell – Spotlight, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay
by Jill Mansell
Release Date: May 2, 2017

Meet Me At Beachcomer Bay Amazon | | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

 

Beachcomber Bay graphic

  1. A brief encounter that could have become so much more…if only everything were different
  2. Step-sisters, bitter rivals in every area except one—by unbreakable pact neither will ever steal a man from the other
  3. A love triangle that starts out as a mess of secrets and mix-ups, and only gets worse from there

Plus!

Friendship, family ties, crossed wires and self-discovery, second chances and first impressions

Welcome to Jill Mansell’s blustery seaside world. Once you step inside, you’ll never want to leave!

 

excerpt

 

By two o’clock, they’d arrived in St. Carys, where the third of the shortlisted properties was situated.
“Here we are then.” Jumping out of the rental car and shielding her eyes from the sun as she peered up at the third-floor apartment, Belle said, “It’s like ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears,’ isn’t it? The first place was too boring, and the second place was too interesting. Let’s hope this one is going to be just right.”
Obviously Belle wanted it to be the one Sam chose. Then he’d be right here in her own home town. Clemency, who wasn’t so sure how she felt about it, was torn. It went against the grain to not want to sell a property, but just seeing Sam again today had been unsettling. Did she really want him to buy a place in St. Carys? Yet the apartment was stunning. Once he clapped eyes on it, was there the remotest chance he’d say no?
Five minutes later, she discovered the answer to that question. The views were fantastic. Everything about the place was about as perfect as any potential owner could want. The wraparound balcony was big enough to throw a party on…
Which was apparently what was happening right now, in the penthouse apartment directly above their heads.
In fact, it was sounding like quite an intimate party. Oh God.
“Listen to them,” Belle exclaimed, slow on the uptake. “What is going on up there?”
Sam, who wasn’t slow on the uptake, said wryly, “I think it might be some kind of exercise class.”
As a real estate agent, it wasn’t the first time Clemency had overheard something she’d have preferred not to overhear during the course of a viewing, but this was without a doubt the loudest.
And appeared to involve the largest number of…well, participants.
OK, this was officially awkward.
“Oh!” The penny finally dropped and Belle clapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh my God.”
Overhead, the gasps and shrieks appeared to be escalating. Belle said, “I don’t believe it! Clem, make it stop.”
“Seriously?” Clemency looked at her. “How do I go about doing that?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” Marching out on to the balcony, Belle bellowed, “Hey you! Up there! We can all hear you, you know…You have to stop making that noise this minute!”
They heard laughter amid the other sounds, followed by the pop of a champagne cork, which sailed over the edge of the balcony. A male voice called out, “We like it best when we know people are listening.”
“Well, you’re disgusting,” Belle yelled back, “and you should all be ashamed of yourselves.”
“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it,” a female voice shouted down to them. “Come up and join us if you want. Don’t be shy! The more the merrier!”
As they were leaving, they encountered the occupier of the flat below the one they’d just viewed. Clemency stopped the middle-aged woman. “Hi, excuse me…do you happen to know if the people in the penthouse apartment are the owners? Or is it rented out to vacationers?” Because if they were only going to be staying for a week or two, it wouldn’t be a problem after all.
“You mean the Carters?” The middle-aged woman rolled her eyes. “You’re from the real estate agency, aren’t you? And this is the first time you’ve heard them having an orgy? Well, all I can say is, lucky you. They bought the place in January and they’ve been inviting their so-called friends around most afternoons ever since.”
“Oh.” Clemency’s heart sank.
“The Jeffersons didn’t happen to mention that to you, I’m guessing? Thought they wouldn’t. Why else do you suppose they’re so desperate to move out? God only knows how you’re ever going to sell that place. Those new people are a living nightmare.”
Oh dear. The Jeffersons should have told them. Not only had Clemency failed to find Sam a suitable property to buy, they were going to have to drop the price of this one.
“Maybe you could offer any buyers a lifetime’s supply of industrial earplugs,” said Sam.


 

theauthor

Jill Mansell

 

With over 10 million copies sold, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Mansell writes irresistible and funny, poignant and romantic tales for women in the tradition of Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella and Jojo Moyes. She lives with her partner and their children in Bristol, England.

 

 

 

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

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

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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

MelWild 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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Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs – Review, Excerpt and Giveaway

 

PowerlessAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

 

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Description:
Kenna is tired of being “normal”. The only thing special about her is that she isn’t special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates.

She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers

 

 

Review:

Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs is the 1st book in their new YA Hero Agenda series. When I read the description of the book, it appealed to me and I decided to read it. WOW I am glad I did. I really enjoyed Powerless, as it was exciting and a fun read. It is a YA story, in a world of Superheroes and Villains, and a perfectly fun book for adults

We meet Kenna Swift, our heroine, as she is working late in her mother’s lab. Kenna feels inferior, as she is powerless, which is rare, as she comes from a strong family. Her mother is a renowned scientist and her deceased father was a powerful super hero. Kenna has been taught to hate and fear powerful villains. While working late night at the lab, she hears a noise and before she can do anything 3 of those feared Villains are in the lab. They tell her that they mean no harm, they are trying to find one of the villains brother, who they claim is being tortured by the super-heroes. Kenna does not believe them, and stands up to the three Villians. She turns out to be a tough, sassy, fearless heroine, even if she is powerless. The three men escape when Kenna manages to sound off the alarms.

Kenna begins to suspect something is not what she believes, and accidently finds the young man who is missing being tortured. What will follow is an exciting adventure, where Kenna will meet up again with the three young men, as well as her best friend, Rebel and an ex boyfriend, who is a tech geek. Together they try to beat the odds in fighting the unknown superheroes who may just be the villains after all. Kenna will begin to see that not all the good guys are truly good, and not all Villains are bad.

The last 1/3 of the book was a hold on to the edge of your seat exciting climax, with many surprises and twists. There was also a budding romance that was developing between Kenna and Draven, one of the Villains. This did not go too far, but I expect more from this couple in the future books. Powerless was a fun and exciting story, which I feel all ages would enjoy. This is the start of a wonderful collaboration between Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs.  I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

excerpt

 

“You never answered my question. What are you doing down here so late?”

Those bright blue eyes sear into me as he takes a step back. “I have to go.”

His sudden evasiveness makes me suspicious, so when he starts to move past me, I
sidestep into his path. “Excuse me,” I say, “but this is a secure level. Are you
even authorized to be down here?”

“My dad,” he says, scowling at me. “He’s a security guard.”

A security guard? The facility might be so big that I can’t keep track of everyone
who works in every lab, but I know all the guards by name. Especially the night
guards, since I’m usually the last one here.

Travis and Luther are on duty tonight. Travis and his wife just had their first
baby, a girl named Tia. Luther is old enough to be my great-grandfather and he never
married.

I take half a step back as my suspicions turn to concern. “Who’s your dad?” I demand.

This guy definitely has the look of a villain.

What if he really is one?

He glances nervously over his shoulder. “He’s-”

I shake my head and start to walk away before he can finish the lie.

He reaches for me, but I shrug him off. My heart is beating way too fast. This could
go way bad, way quick.

“Please, just listen.” He waits until I’m looking him in the eye before he
continues. “You know me,” he says, his voice taking on this weird, hypnotic tone.
“We’ve met before.”

His eyes start to burn brighter and brighter. Oh crap. He must be a villain, and one
with a psy power. The vilest kind. Fear and anger collide inside me as I wonder what
to do about him trying to mess with my head. How to play this? I can’t exactly tell
him I’m-

Suddenly, the floor beneath my feet shudders violently, knocking me off balance. I
lurch forward into Dark-and-Scowly’s arms. He catches me, grabs my upper arms, just
as a concussion wave of air and sound hits us.

That sounded-and felt-like a bomb went off in the lab. If we weren’t a hundred feet
underground and shielded by every protection science and superheroes can create, I’d
think the supervillain Quake had struck. But that’s impossible.

Then again, impossible doesn’t always apply in the superhero world. After all,
impossible didn’t keep Dark-and-Scowly from being where he doesn’t belong.

Suddenly, every alarm in the facility blares. I freak. The lab! All that
research-Mom’s and mine-is priceless. The superhero blood samples alone are more
valuable than anything else in the building.

Panic overrides judgment and I push away, but his grip only tightens. The jerk. A
little super strength would be really useful right now.

“You can’t go in there.”

“Who are you?” I demand, struggling to get out of his grasp. If he really is a
villain, I don’t want him near me or this lab. Not with what villains are capable
of. “What have you done?”

He doesn’t answer. More pissed than ever, I fake left and pull right. He follows my
fake-out, and as his hair swings with the momentum, I see the mark I’d been looking
for earlier. Not under his right ear like the superheroes. Under his left.

Shit.

“You’re a villain.”

 

 

About the author

TeraLynnChildsTracy WolffOne fateful summer, Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs embarked on a nine hour (each way!) road trip to Santa Fe that ended with a flaming samurai, an enduring friendship, and the kernel of an idea that would eventually become Powerless. On their own, they have written YA tales about mermaids (Forgive My Fins, Tempest Rising), mythology (Doomed, Oh. My Gods., Sweet Venom), smooching (International Kissing Club), and fae princes (When Magic Sleeps). Between them, they have three boys (all Tracy), three dogs (mostly TLC), and almost fifty published books. Find TLC and the #TeamHillain headquarters at teralynnchilds.com. Check out Tracy and the #TeamVero lair at tracydeebs.com. Hang out with all the heroes, villains, ordinaries, and none-of-the-aboves at heroagenda.com. 

Hero Agenda Social Networking Links

Website:  / Facebook / Twitter

 

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Immortal Seduction by Jennifer Lynne-Book Tour and Giveaway

Immortal Seduction by Jennifer Lynne-Book Tour and Giveaway

IMMORTAL SEDUCTION Tour Banner LRG

Immortal Seduction
Gods of Love #4
by Jennifer Lynne
Release Date: 25, 2013

excerpt

Rated Adults-only, 18+

Retreat. She must retreat before it consumed her, this darkness. She had enough darkness of her own to contend with. Reluctant tears pooled beneath her closed eyelids and her throat tightened, hurting her. The poor dear man.

Stupid, stubborn, and with a soul-deep suffering that would take more than a flash of her power to heal. Her safest option was to leave here now and seek out someone else who would benefit from her endless experience. Someone who would welcome her assistance. Someone who would be unable to resist her potent brand of desire. Someone who would ease this incessant physical ache in her womb as it squeezed tight, reminding her of its hunger.

There were…she concentrated. Yes. Several candidates within a mile of here who would welcome her with open arms. Several hundred, if she expanded her search. A billion lonely souls, calling out for her guidance and her love, if she wanted to abandon this moment and this man.

But did she? How could she leave him like this? So hurt, so…enraged. How could she justify walking away from that level of pain? Walking away would give truth to the nagging anxiety that her heart really had disappeared down a deep dark hole.

Perhaps I really have forgotten how to love. Heartless, or helpful? It is up to me to make that decision. I can choose, right now. One path. Or the other.
The night breeze crept across her skin like a sign from some of the gods, and in that moment she knew that Hephaestus was not laughing. Neither was Ares. The deformed god of blacksmiths and volcanoes, her one-time husband Heph who had been treated horribly at her hands, and her powerful lover Ares, god of war himself, both had hearts bigger than that of the goddess of love. She could feel their well-wishes in this quest to rediscover her essence.

Laughter began to bubble even as tears dribbled down her cheeks. When she flicked out her tongue to the side and caught one of them, the taste of the sea filled her mouth. Salt. A symbol of truth in some religions on this earth. There was no choice really, in the end. Immortality was a bitch if you had to live too long with self-loathing.

(copyright Jennifer Lynne 2013)

Immortal-Seduction

$1.99 ebook deal: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO

Some seek love, some seek power. For Aphrodite, the two are permanently intertwined, and when the goddess of desire hungers for love, who among mortals could possibly resist her power?

Firefighters Ashur, Kieran and Hugh are damaged men. A tragedy that took the life of their colleague has left them scarred, both physically and emotionally. Love and power are nothing to them but empty words.
The erotes hope to reignite their mother’s passion for life and love by bringing these mortal men to Aphrodite’s attention.

But with the blackness inside Ash, Kier and Hugh becoming ever deeper, will it take more than the power of a goddess to save them? And if she loses that battle, how will she rediscover the path to healing for her own emotionally damaged heart?

Warning: this 23,500 word erotic romance novella contains menage (MFM and MFMM) sex between the goddess of desire and three hot firefighters! Suitable for Adult readers only.

Click HERE for our review of IMMORTAL SEDUCTION by Jennifer Lynne

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Sex Club Secrets

Sex Club Secrets
Gods of Love #3
by Jennifer Lynne

$1.99 ebook deal: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 24, 2013

Click HERE for our review of SEX CLUB SECRETS

Sometimes love can flourish in the most unexpected places… Ella has been in love with her best friend Kade for as long as they’ve known each other. But her love has not been returned, and when the bisexual Kade ends a relationship without showing any signs of becoming romantic towards her, she decides to call a halt on her unrequited love and try something new by accepting an invitation to a celebrated Melbourne sex club.

Anteros is one of the erotes, an aspect of Eros and the ancient Greek god of requited and unrequited love. He has heard the call of these would-be lovers and intends to show them that friendship can sometimes be the best place to kick start a lasting romantic relationship.

REVIEW: Story line contains strong adult content and MMF situations.

______________________________________

Aphrodite Calling
Gods of Love #2
by Jennifer Lynne

JenniferLynne_AphroditeCalling_800px-200x300

$1.99 ebook deal: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

Click HERE for our review of APHRODITE CALLING

An erotic romance with a difference, focusing on gender identity as the key theme. It features a post-surgery, male-to-female transsexual struggling to define her identity as a woman in a world that stigmatizes anyone outside the mainstream.

A modern-day transsexual woman and an ancient Greek god of desire is an unusual pairing, but the power of Aphrodite works in the most mysterious ways.

 

___________________________________________

Platinum Passion
Gods of Love #1
by Jennifer Lynne
Release Date: December 14, 2011

Special ebook Deal .99cents: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

Click HERE for our review of PLATINUM PASSION

Platinum-Passion-Cover-800px2-200x300Jeannie longs for the return of passion in her marriage. Jake craves new excitement in the form of another man. Pothos is one of the erotes and an aspect of Eros, the ancient Greek god of love, and this couple’s distinctive yearning has called to him. By the power of the erotes he intends to rekindle the flame of Jake and Jeannie’s passion in a night of desire that will be the ultimate platinum anniversary gift.

And when the gods of love decide your marriage needs a boost, they never do it by halves.

Platinum Passion is the first in this series of novella-length stories about the erotes: Pothos — god of sexual yearning, Himeros — god of sexual desire, and Anteros – god of unrequited/requited love.

The erotes are aspects of the primal god, Eros, and the children of Aphrodite.
 
________________________________________

SPECIAL ebook DEAL: $3.99 ebook bundle books 1-3 in the Gods of Love series by Jennifer Lynne

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Gods of Love Bundle

_____________________________

about the author

Jennifer LynneJennifer Lynne lives in Melbourne, Australia, and writes short contemporary erotic romance, mostly with paranormal/fantasy elements.

When she’s not writing what her family and friends call “porn for chicks” and what she prefers to call “super-hot romance for intelligent readers”, she is working in the admin day job, running around after two teenage daughters and trying to find time for her lovely new husband of one year.

Jennifer is published with Red Sage and Breathless Press. Over the past 18 months she has also embarked on an indie journey with the publication of her GODS OF LOVE romance series featuring erotic Greek gods and modern-day mortals in need of sexual healing.

Find her on the web at:

Website & blog: http://www.jenniferlynne.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Lynne-Romance-Author/297504180262670
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JenniLynnAuthor
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Lynne/e/B004VUPGDG

Blog Tour Schedule

Click HERE for the complete IMMORTAL SEDUCTION Blog Tour schedule

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Jennifer is giving away a $15 Amazon GC and a swag pack including bookmark, Gods of Love cover flats, pen and a cute koala bear crystal charm for mobile phone to ONE lucky winner at the end of her tour:

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Spotlight – Jill Shalvis – Read Humane® 2013

Spotlight – Jill Shalvis – Read Humane® 2013

The Reading Cafe is pleased to support Penguin Group (USA)’s Read Humane® 2013 campaign to fight animal cruelty. Since Sandy and I are animal lovers, we are happy to be part of this wonderful campaign. 

This is my rescue story.  11 years ago, I was grieving the loss of my cat, Brandy. My husband &  I decided it was time to give a loving home to another animal, as we had enough love in our hearts to give out.

Zorro                                                                                     Koko

Zorrokoko

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When my friend Debbie and I went to the local shelter, they had quite a few cats.Seeing so many cats, I decided to take two home with me. There was one cat who caught my eye.  He was rambunctious, the only cat they let out of the cage.  He was blind in one eye, having lost his sight due to an infection shortly after he was born. I decided to take him, and also took his brother. After being in a cage for a year,  11 years later they are two happy & contented cats, not to mention the love they give us. I never regretted helping rescue a partially blind cat, and his petrified brother.

Barb

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We would like to welcome spokesperson and bestselling author Jill Shalvis to our site today, where she is sharing with us her family’s animal rescue story discusses her Animal Magnetism series with a piece entitled “Why Dogs Make Great Sidekicks!”    

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Read Humane® is an initiative created by Penguin Group (USA) in 2012 to support our furry friends in honor of National Pet Month (May).  As part of the Read Humane® 2013 campaign, six special edition, animal-themed mass market paperbacks have been reissued featuring the official Read Humane® seal.  Penguin supports the fight against animal cruelty with a $25,000 donation, regardless of sales, to The Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Rescue Team.

For more information, and complete lists of the six participating authors and book retailers, please visit Penguin Group (USA) or view the official Read Humane® Prezi here.

And remember to join the conversation on Twitter with @BerkleyRomance and @HSUS throughout May by using the hashtag #readHumane.  Followers are encouraged to Tweet about Penguin’s animal friendly books, share their own rescue stories, and join in other pet themed conversations.

 

Jill Shalvis
Jill Shalvis
is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over four dozen romance novels, including her fun contemporary Animal Magnetism series, which promotes animal rescue dogs. Jill is a 3-time National Readers Choice winner, and lover of animals! More information about Jill and her collection of fabulous romance titles can be found at www.JillShalvis.com.

 

 

 My Rescue Story
by Jill Shalvis

At any point, on any day in the Shalvis abode, there are animals.  All of them rescued, always.  It’s become somewhat of a family tradition, rescuing animals in need, and we’ve found that not only is it a nice thing to do, we get a really great pet out of the deal.

A couple of years ago, our house was fairly full.  Okay, so it was straining at the wall joints.  We had Ashes — our rescue Border Collie/Australian Blue Heeler.  Sadie – our cat who thinks she’s a dog.  Micky – a field mouse rescued from the high school science lab.  And four teenage girls.

Actually, it wasn’t a house.  It was a zoo.

But a year before we’d lost Izzie, our beloved brown lab.  And we missed having two dogs.  Yes, we’re crazy.  Anyway, on that fated day I’m about to tell you about, Alpha Man (my husband) had heard about a yellow lab puppy who needed rescue.

No.  No way.  I was adamant.  I had enough on my plate.  But Alpha Man just wanted to go make sure the lab was okay. 

So we left the mountain…

My Rescue Story_Photo 1

And drove… My Rescue Story_Photo 2

And drove… My Rescue Story_Photo 3

We were following the sketch directions from a guy who knew a guy who had told us about a woman who lived out in the middle of nowhere, and I mean NOWHERE, and she rescues animals.

The landscape was like something out of a Criminal Minds episode, so we were wary at first.  We had no idea what we were going to find.  A box of puppies, or a meth lab … nothing would have surprised me.  I was a little worried because the kids were with us, but it turned out the place was fifty acres of love.

Any animal in need is welcome. 

My Rescue Story_Photo 4

Even the funny looking ones… My Rescue Story_Photo 5

The woman had goats, horses, turtles, geese, snakes, angry chickens … you name it and she had it.  She was rehabbing it, doctoring it, loving it … whatever the animal needed.

We’d gone because of the rumor of the puppies, the yellow labs.  And she did have two puppies.  She’d rescued them out of a horrible situation.

My Rescue Story_Photo 6

But the yellow lab wasn’t the one who stole our hearts.  Nope, it was her little baby brother.  The runt.My Rescue Story_Photo 7

He was filthy and living in a hovel. And the minute he saw us, he came alive. Wriggling, happy, loving. All you had to do was touch him and he writhed in joy and dropped to the floor for a belly rub.My Rescue Story_Photo 8

And once he was picked up by the teenagers and loved up by them, he didn’t want to get down.  I tried.  I tried hard.  But the thing had wriggled his way right into my heart.  I remember looking at Alpha Man, laughing and crying at the same time.

“You didn’t want another dog,” he reminded me.

I told him to zip it.  We were taking this dog and that was that.  Besides, there was the little matter of him being in my arms and refusing to be put down.

So we never put him down again.  Meet Frat Boy…[My Rescue Story_Photo 9

 

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 Why Dogs Make Great Sidekicks, by Jill Shalvis…

Now that you know a little bit about my rescue story, I want to share with you some of the inspiration for my Animal Magnetism series.  One of the fun things about writing this series is developing complex and lovable characters… that just happen to be adorable dogs!  Here’s why dogs make great sidekicks…

1. Because when you’re on the mountain trail and you come across an angry mama bear and her baby cubs, your dog will run like hell.  This will warn you to run like hell as well.  Just be careful because if your dog is like my dog, he will throw you under the bus (or in this case bear) to get home before you do.

2. Because when all the cookies are gone you can totally blame your cookie loving dog.  No one has to know that you ate all the cookies yourself.  And your dog can give you dirty looks for blaming him but he can’t actually talk and dispute your story.  Solid alibi.

3. Because if you’ve eaten in a way that disagrees with your stomach, there are never any worries.  Your dog will always, ALWAYS, out stink you.  And if he doesn’t, you can still point the finger at him.  Again, he can’t talk and dispute your story.

4. Dogs are not just great sidekicks but they also make great a really great wingman.  If you’re single, you can totally put your dog to work at charming the person you’re interested in.  Just make sure that person likes dog drool and dog hair all over everything first.

5. There is never a need for a pillow or extra blanket because your dog will always be willing to get into bed with you and share body heat.  Always.  Just be forewarned.  Being a great sidekick is not the same thing as a good bed partner.  They have a habit of being a total bed hog. Why Dogs Make Great Sidekicks_Photo 1

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Thank you so much, Jill for sharing your stories with us!  If you have enjoyed Jill’s stories please feel free to show your support in our comments section below and by visiting the other participating websites/blogs…  

Read Humane® Blog Tour 2013!

For more information on Read Humane® please visit Penguin Group (USA).  To view more special features from spokesperson Jill Shalvis, please visit the following websites/blogs; each website/blog will feature a unique perspective on Read Humane, so be sure to stop by each for a new and exciting experience!

 

4/29/2013            USA Today’s Happy Ever After                   Special Feature!
4/29/2013            Fresh Fiction                                                 Spotlight
4/30/2013            RT Book Reviews Online                             Special Feature!
5/1/2013              Happily Ever After Reads                             Spotlight
5/2/2013              Teresa’s Reading Corner                             Spotlight
5/3/2013              The Book Reading Gals                               Spotlight
5/4/2013              Book Crack                                                  Spotlight
5/5/2013              Love Romances & More                              Spotlight
5/6/2013              Books-N-Kisses                                          Spotlight
5/7/2013              RT Book Reviews Online                            Spotlight
5/8/2013              Cocktails & Books                                       Spotlight
5/9/2013              The Book Pushers                                      Spotlight
5/10/2013            Kindles & Wine                                           Spotlight
5/11/2013            My Book Addiction & More                          Spotlight
5/12/2013            Eye on Romance                                       Spotlight
5/13/2013            eBook Obsessed                                       Spotlight
5/14/2013            My Friend Amy                                           Spotlight
5/14/2013            Pretty Fluffy                                                Spotlight
5/16/2013            The Romance Dish                                    Spotlight
5/16/2013            Pretty Fluffy                                                Spotlight
5/17/2013            Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind                Spotlight
5/18/2013            Romantic Book Affairs                               Spotlight
5/19/2013            Ramblings from This Chick                       Spotlight
5/20/2013            Under the Covers Book Blog                     Spotlight
5/20/2013            The Romance Studio                                Spotlight
5/21/2013            Chick Lit Reviews                                      Spotlight
5/26/2013            The Reading Café                                     Spotlight
5/27/2013            Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews           Spotlight
5/28/2013            Stuff and Nonsense                                  Spotlight
5/29/2013            Thoughts in Progress                               Spotlight

 

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