Book Reviews / Favorite Books I've Read

Thursday, 9 January 2014

A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers - Excerpt Blitz

A Little Too Much

November 12, 2013

William Morrow Impulse

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

In the follow-up to Lisa Desrochers’ explosive New Adult novel A Little too Far, Alessandro Moretti must face the life he escaped and the girl he loved and left behind.

Twenty-two year old Hilary McIntyre would like nothing more than to forget her past. As a teenager abandoned to the system, she faced some pretty dark times. But now that’s all behind her. Hilary has her life on track, and there’s no way she’ll head back down that road again.

Until Alessandro Moretti—the one person who can make her remember—shows up on her doorstep. He’s even more devastatingly gorgeous than before, and he’s much too close for comfort. Worse, he sees right through the walls she’s built over these last eight years, right into her heart and the secrets she’s guarding.

As Hilary finds herself falling back into love with the man who, as a boy both saved and destroyed her, she must decide. Past or future? Truth or lies?

"I am a HUGE Lisa Desrochers fan!" --Katy Evans, New York Times bestselling author of REAL

"Lisa Desrochers is a unique and sultry voice in the New Adult genre." --JAY CROWNOVER, New York Times bestselling author of RULE

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Except:

I drop his cockroach down the front of his button-down as we’re sitting on the train back to Manhattan, and catch a glimpse of his abs when he opens his jacket and shakes his shirt to let it drop out.

And … wow.

Brett has a great body, which he works at constantly. When he’s not at rehearsal or a performance, he’s at the gym. I wonder if Alessandro is a gym rat too.

We ride the L to Eighth Avenue and climb the stairs to the street. But we’re not halfway up the stairs when I feel something fall into my cleavage from my shoulder. I press my hand between my boobs to keep it from falling farther down my shirt and fish his cockroach out of my bra.

He stops and watches with a grin plastered to his face. “Well, that worked out better than I could have hoped.”

“Very mature.” I pinch the bug between my thumb and finger and shake it in his face. “When you least expect it …” I shove it in my pocket and run up the last few stairs. But then I don’t know where I’m going, so I have to wait.

Alessandro knows this, of course, and emerges from the pit a few seconds later with a smirk. “By all means, after you,” he says, sweeping his hand toward Eighth.

I glare and turn back for the subway. “You know what? I changed my mind.”

He has a handful of my jacket sleeve before I reach the stairs and spins me to face him, grasping both my upper arms.

My heart thumps hard as he catches me in his smoldering gaze. I can feel the heat of his body, even through all our layers of winter wear, and I shudder with the sudden mind-flash of how it would feel to be this close without all those layers. His lips part, as if he’s feeling the same rush I am, and I decide right in this heartbeat that if he kisses me, I’m going to kiss him back. I picture our lips meeting—imagine how his would feel as they moved on mine, how they would taste. His eyes flare as he dips his head, his lips pausing just inches from mine. I stop breathing again, caught between wanting to close those last few inches, and wanting to bolt.

But I can’t bolt.

About the Author:

LISA DESROCHERS is the USA Today bestselling author of the A Little Too Far series, courtesy of HarperCollins, and the young adult Personal Demons trilogy from Macmillan. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two very busy daughters, and Shini the tarantula. Find her online at www.lisadwrites.com , on Twitter at @LisaDez, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LisaDesrochersAuthor.

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Mine To Lose by T.K. Rapp - Book Tour

Mine To Lose

T.K. Rapp

Release Date: January 9, 2014

Book Description:

What happens when the fairy tale ends before it even begins?

Three years, two graduations, an engagement and a move to another state later, Emogen and Ryan are more in love than ever. He’s the one man she never expected to have and the only man she’s determined to keep. He’s her forever, and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for him.

Almost, that is.

Ryan announces that he’s accepted a job offer that requires yet another move. Angry he didn’t discuss his decision with her first, Emogen refuses to pack up and follow. She has a career, too, and she’s not ready to give it up.

Although determined to make the long distance thing work, their lives and careers begin to take a toll on the relationship, leaving them to wonder if they’re doing the right thing.

Sometimes love isn’t enough.

When you lose the one thing you are certain of, will you fight to get it back? Or will you let it go?

Excerpt:

Ryan’s eyes shift over my shoulder and his look is murderous. When I turn to see why, there is a man standing behind me.

Walk away, I think to myself.

The guy looks down at me, never making eye contact with Ryan, “You okay?”

“She’s fine,” I turn to face Ryan as he responds for me. “My wife and I were just leaving.”

I smirk at Ryan and his use of the term “wife,” before turning to see my would-be hero. He’s attractive; in fact, he looks like Joss’ type. The guy narrows his eyes assessing me and I give him a tight smile and nod that I am okay. He doesn’t look completely convinced, but I’m glad when he walks away. Part of me is grateful to see Ryan act out of sorts. But the other part of me is annoyed, because being the jealous guy isn’t his thing and now is the wrong time to start showing off his tough-guy act.

Authors Bio:

T.K. Rapp is a Texas girl born and raised. She earned a B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M and it was there that she met the love of her life. He had a contract with the U.S. Navy that would take them across both coasts, and ultimately land them back home in Texas.

Upon finally settling in Texas, T.K. worked as a graphic designer and photographer for the family business that her mom started years earlier. She was able to infuse her creativity and passion, into something she enjoyed, but something was still missing. There was a voice in the back of her head that told her to write, so write, she did. And, somewhere on an external hard drive, are several stories she started and never finished.
Now at home, raising her two daughters, T.K. has more time to do the things she loves, which includes photography and writing. When she’s not doing one of those, she can be found with her family, which keeps her busy. She enjoys watching her kids in their various sporting activities (i.e. doing the soccer mom thing), having Sunday breakfast at her parent’s house, singing out loud and out of key or dancing like a fool. She loves raunchy humor, gossip blogs and a good book.

Contact Links:

Buy Links: Available January 9, 2014

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Thursday, 2 January 2014

A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers

A Little Too Much

November 12, 2013

William Morrow Impulse

New Adult Contemporary Romance

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About the Author:

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Friday, 20 December 2013

Wolf’s Bane (Demimonde #3) by Ash Krafton - Cover Reveal

Wolf’s Bane

(Demimonde #3)

Book Description:

Sometimes, when life gives you lemons, all you can do is try to avoid paper cuts.

Since becoming oracle to the demivampire two years ago, advice columnist Sophie has battled werewolves and survived a vampire attack (or two). However, not only was she powerless to save her lover Marek when he slipped to the brink of evolution, she also witnessed his transformation into a falcon, the symbol of Horus United.

Sophie’s quest to save Marek is further complicated when rock star Dierk Adeluf – who also happens to be the king of the Werekind – invites her backstage after a concert. Just when it seems she will find respite from heartache, Sophie is bitten by a werewolf and Dierk decides she is destined to be his queen.

Sophie is caught between the demivamps she loves and the Were who commands her to love him. Throw in his jealous wanna-be girlfriend—a true bitch if ever there was one—and an ambush by witches, and there you have the big mess that Sophie calls her life. And, hello? Her soul mate is still a bird.

She’s supposed to be the girl with all the answers, but Sophie needs more than a little advice–she needs divine intervention.

Forthcoming Spring 2014 via Pink Narcissus Press

About the Author:

Ash Krafton is a writer of all things spec fic. She believes spectacular endings make the best beginnings… Why not? One billion black holes can’t be wrong. Her first novel BLEEDING HEARTS: Book One of the Demimonde is available through Pink Narcissus Press. The manuscript earned finalist distinction in several Romance Writers of America 2011 competitions and has earned several other awards. The follow-up BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2) was published in 2013 and the third installment WOLF’S BANE (Demimonde #3) is expected mid-2014.

Her urban fantasy novelette STRANGER AT THE HELL GATE is available through the Black Rose line of The Wild Rose Press. In addition to novel-length fiction, Ash enjoys writing poetry and short fiction, some of which earned awards and distinction in several national competitions. One of her poems was selected as a Pushcart prize nominee. She’s a member of Pennwriters, RWA, Pikes Peak Writers, SFPA, and the Maryland Writers Association. She also contributes to Query Tracker’s blog at http://querytracker.blogspot.com.

Ash resides with her family in a rural town in the heart of the Pennsylvania anthracite coal region. She’ll never leave, either, because coal is just another example of a spectacular ending waiting for a brilliant beginning. (It’s kinda fitting.) And because, like a black hole, once you’re in… …you can never get out.

Website – Blog – Twitter – Facebook – Goodreads

Friday, 13 December 2013

Dying For Sex by Lynn C. Albrecht - Blog Tour & Giveaway!

About Dying for Sex:

Lindy Sutton has her hands full. In between having her clown act clobbered by pint-sized critics, keeping a group of sex-crazed octogenarians from starting brawls in the raciest bar in town, and trying to keep her crazy Aunt Pip from being tossed out of Laughing Pines retirement home, she still has to contend with her son’s garish band bus parked in her driveway.

Could things get any worse?

Yup!

Margaret Quaid, the social worker at Laughing Pines is found dead of an apparent overdose and the drop dead handsome detective on the case, thinks she stole the drugs from the retirement home and was pretty active in the world of wife swapping to boot. Lindy’s temper soars, along with her long dormant hormones, as she sets out to clear Margaret’s name, find the murderer and make the sexy detective eat crow.

Aided and abetted by the aging but flamboyant Chappy Lowton, her eccentric and sarcastic sister, her best friend Patty, and that hoard of sex-crazed geriatrics, Lindy wades into the world of swingers only to find that there are plenty of people with a motive to kill the social worker.

About The Author:

Lynn C. Albrecht started her career in broadcasting. Quickly realizing she was not going to be the next Lisa Laflamme, she entered the world of corporate communications. After years of writing videos, speeches, advertising, and dressing in power suits with shoulders pads that made her look like Hunter Hearst Helmsley, she had a great epiphany. She ditched the shoulder pads and returned to school.

Five years later, she was released into the unsuspecting healthcare system as a social worker. She works at St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario.

Lynn lives in Baden, Ontario with her infinitely patient husband, John Belton.

Dying For Sex is her first book. She is currently hard at work on the second Lindy Sutton mystery.

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Friday, 6 December 2013

Covert Assignment by Missy Marciassa - Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Covert Assignment by Missy Marciassa

Publication date: December 2nd 2013

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Book Description:

Covert Assignment is a New Adult, Coming of Age Novel with a strong romantic element. Elle is ready for graduation and full-fledged adulthood: no more living like the leftover of her parent’s divorce. She’s about to graduate with her degree in Information Science (the 21st century term for Library Science) and has a ten-year plan as well-designed as any model for analyzing metadata: earn her JD/MBA, enjoy a couple of years as a single professional, then marry her college sweetheart, Adam, and start her own family.

Yet Elle feels like she returned to an alternate universe her final semester. There are pictures of Adam with a classmate who must be surgically enhanced, but he insists he wants Elle. CIA recruiters show up on campus, and they aren’t just interested in recruiting Elle for future employment: turns out she’s already working for them since they’re funding her thesis. Hot operative Preston Raddick is tasked to work with her. Preston isn’t just hot: he’s hot for Elle, but is he offering happy ever after or happy for right now? A fling with Preston could be the beginning of a new life plan, which is exciting and scary, especially with espionage thrown in. Elle needs a predictive model to tell her which decisions have the greater likelihood for happiness…

Covert Assignment is about the unexpected turns life can take when making “adult” decisions.

Authors Info:

Missy Marciassa loved getting lost in novels from the time she could read, so it’s no surprise she wanted to write. Her very first “novels” were re-writing the books she read to get the endings she wanted in second grade. Missy continued to read and write through grade school and high school.

After becoming rather disillusioned with fiction after writing literary criticism as an English major in college, however, Missy focused on her enjoyment of learning about people and studied psychology. Reading fiction fell to the wayside with all the reading and writing required for college and graduate school, but once Missy became a doctoral candidate, she rediscovered her love of fiction. Then she started getting the urge to write, an urge that wouldn’t go away (she refuses to diagnose it as a compulsion). Covert Assignment is the end result of that urge.

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Monday, 2 December 2013

Chivalry and Malevolence by Rae Z Ryans - Book Tour & Giveaway!

Book Description:

Blanked in white snow, Alfheim is off-limits to mankind. The elves and fae of the Unseelie court ruled over their lands, inciting chaos for the sake of power. The young Princess Morgana, forced to wear protective layers over her face, disagreed with the ways of her people. She craved love, but love is not the Unseelie way.

The Knight and his horse traveled toward home after two years on the battlefield. Within moments, the world transformed before his eyes as green gave way to white. He blinked as Achilles stirred. Strange creatures wielding swords and axes surrounded and captured him. They tossed him into a dank prison where he awaited his death.

With no hope of survival or escape, he prayed for the shrouded woman, who showed him kindness and healed his wounds.

My Review:

Chivalry and Malevolence (Nine Realms: Alfheim) by Rae Z. Ryans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was given of copy of Chivalry and Malevolence by Rae Z. Ryans in exchange for an honest review.

First I have to say normally I don’t read this genre but I really thought it sounded interesting.

Rae Z. Ryans is an excellent author, the detail involved in writing this story is phenomenal. The characters and plot are well written and I couldn’t stop reading wanting to see what was going to happen next.

We meet Princess Morgana who has suffered a great deal at the hands of her mother Queen of Alfheim never telling anyone what she is going through. Princess Morgana suffers thorough the physical and emotional abuse her mother inflicts and hides her scars under her veil so no one will see. Drust the dragon knows and will do what he can to keep her safe, asking her to marry him might help. In all the suffering we see a great strength inside Morgana.

Thomas who is a human Knight who happens to stumble into Princess Morgana world and in this realm humans are killed as they are inferior and of course don’t have pointed years. Princess Morgana knows she has to help Thomas and will fight for him.

This story is fantastic, you have to read this book to find out what happens to Princess Morgana and Thomas.

Besides reading about Elf’s, Fae, Witches and Dragons in this mystical world there is so many underlying messages in this book. You can love someone who is different then you, everyone is equal, and of course the main one is love is more about what is on the inside of a person then what he or she looks like.

I have rated Chivalry and Malevolence by Rae Z. Ryans 4 star rating, and I cannot wait to read more in this series. I definitely would also read anything else Rae Ryan writes.

Guest Post:

Overcoming Bi-Polar Disorder With Creative Writing Therapy

I’ve suffered from bi-polar disorder and severe social anxiety most of my adult life. Originally diagnosed when I was nineteen years old, I’d suffered from mental illness, starting in my early teens. You name the medication, and I’ve likely tried it, but pills left me in a drained zombie like state.

Years would pass before I picked up my proverbial pen. Even when the darkness of my mind threatened to hold me hostage, I refused to write those feelings down. Instead, I immersed myself in reading and studying writing. The fear created by my condition halted all progress and the future of a writing career.

Over the next twelve years, all I wrote were assignments for class. I shared those with great, body freezing reluctance. My face reddened, and my heart pounded long before anyone looked at my work. Just the idea of criticism, even constructive, was enough to keep me bed ridden for days, or I’d throw caution to the wind and drown myself, obsessing over mundane acts like cleaning, researching, or shopping.

After years of doctors, pills, and therapists, one finally asked me a simple question. He said, “Why don’t you write for you? It can be a journal, short stories, poems, or your reaction to events.”

Three years ago, I started writing again. At first, I wrote short stories while relearning the craft I’d swept under the rug. Little by little, the creativity returned, and I’d actually started ghost writing. Last year I took a leap of faith and published Chivalry and Malevolence. Like most my stories it’s a fictional account, but at its root is my personal battle of light and darkness I face every day.

Writing became my outlet, and while I still fight with obsessing over my work, I’ve found it gave my life direction. In addition to my own writing, I ghost write and have a part-time editing business for Indie authors. None of that would’ve been possible without overcoming my illness with creative writing.

About The Author:

Rae Z. Ryans currently resides in Tumbleweed, Alabama, with her four demons (cats), three lycans (dogs), three sprites (kiddos), and her “normal” mood-shifting husband. Born in Alaska and raised in New Jersey, Rae now calls the south her home.

Oh, and contrary to popular belief, Rae never lived in an igloo.

She claims to own a pink elephant that buy shoes and books. While there is plenty of proof that Rae loves both, no one can prove the existence of Punky the elephant. She would point out that we can’t disprove it either.

All kidding aside, Rae is an alternate ego who enjoys writing urban and historical fantasy/paranormal in her spare time. With a deep love for mythology and history, she blends the two together, and creates new worlds, heroic obstacles, and weaves dark tales. These works are often loosely inspired by Norse Mythology, but with plenty of unique twists.

She is currently working on a secret (shh) new steampunk series and continuing to write the Nine Realms series: Alfheim and Midgard.

You can find Rae here:

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