Portrait of Passion by Lynne Barron - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What’s a Viscount to do when a mysterious lady with a secret past and a reputation frayed around the edges suddenly appears in London in hot pursuit of his naive young cousin, setting the gossips’ tongues wagging, stirring his family into pandemonium, and driving him mad with her irreverent ways?

If the Viscount in question is Simon Easton, the answer is quite simple. Seduce the beguiling lady. But Miss Beatrice Morgan isn’t your average tarnished lady. She’s lived a slapdash life wandering the globe like a gypsy, painting fantastical portraits of Duchesses as Sirens and landscapes featuring a crumbling old fountain, all the while harboring a secret desire to return to Idyllwild, the only home she’s ever known.

What Simon does not know is that Beatrice just might be willing to sacrifice her honor, her virtue, her very heart to reclaim Idyllwild.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Beatrice thought that had Abby been born into a different family, she would be making her debut soon, perhaps next year.

Instead she waited upon a dishonest, lying, scheming woman.

Bea could not hold back bitter laughter at the thought. Simon turned his head to look at her in surprise. Abby froze, her gaze flying to Bea’s face.

“You are a very pretty girl,” Bea said and watched the blush deepen on the girl’s cheeks.

“Thank you, miss,” she shyly replied, bobbing another quick curtsy.

When Bea only watched her silently, Abby looked to Simon, who gave her a subtle shrug, before she asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you, miss?”

“You may undress me,” Bea said.

“Beatrice,” Simon protested quietly.

“I would like Abby to undress me and brush out my hair,” Bea insisted. She forced herself to raise her eyes to his, unsure what they would reveal to him. She was confused, an awful feeling of desperation mingled with the banked rage and shame. Would he see?

Simon captured her gaze, his eyes dark, not angry, uncertain perhaps. She knew she was behaving irrationally. She did not care.

“I’ll step outside,” Simon finally replied.

“Do not,” Bea said, waving her hands about in agitation. “Please, stay.”

Simon looked from her face to her hands, suspended in midair. She dropped them to her sides, clenched her fingers in her skirts, grabbing fistfuls of the dark silk.

Bea looked at Abby, standing as still as a statue, her eyes wide as she looked back. Bea realized that it was the first time the timid girl had ever looked her mistress in the eye. As if reading her mind, the maid tore her gaze away and bent her head down.

If you enjoyed the excerpt, Portrait of Passion is only 99¢ at Ellora's Cave, and only $1.99 from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

About the Author:Write About What You Know.

Every Creative Writing Teacher and College Professor said these words to Lynne Barron in one form or another. But what did she know?

She knew she enjoyed the guilty pleasure of reading romance novels whenever she could find time between studying, working and raising her son as a single mother.

She knew quite a bit about women's lives in the Regency and Victorian era from years spent bouncing back and forth between European History and English Literature as a major in college.

She knew precious little about romance except to know that it was more than the cliché card and a dozen red roses on Valentine's Day.

Then she met her wonderfully romantic husband and finally she knew.

Passion, Love and Romance.

And she began to write.

If you would like to learn more about Lynne Barron and the Idyllwild Series, please visit her website at LynneBarron.com or follow her at Facebook or Twitter.

Buy the book at Ellora’s Cave, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

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Curve My Song by Sarah Gai - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Curve My Song is now free everywhere, so be sure and pick up your copy today!

Follow the amazing plus size trio, The Curvies, as they find love, drama, tears, laughs and a song to match every situation. Bree Carson loves her life, friends and little town, but something is missing. Taylor Cole returns home after ten years and old flames reignite. Can he break through Bree’s walls? This book is the first in a three novella set following the lives of three curvy best friends: Bree, Elise and Skyla. The first book follows Bree and her life as she fumbles her way through letting down walls and letting love in. This novella has a lot of laughs and a little drama and introduces the readers to the rest of the characters leading into the second book, which builds up suspense for the third and final installment. These novellas will appeal to plus size or curvy women everywhere, especially those who enjoy books in the BBW (big, beautiful women), chicklit and women’s fiction genres. It’s just one of those reads that busy women of today can enjoy while they relate to the curvy ladies who aren’t super models but representative of your average everyday beauty.

Enjoy an excerpt:

“Okay, okay,” I grumble, reaching my arm out, blindly trying to locate my phone, my head still nestled beneath the covers, with no intention of surfacing any time soon.

Whoever is trying to call me better have a damn good reason for doing so. I’m enjoying my sleep in, knowing I don’t have to start work until seven o’clock tonight. The phone ringing is beginning to drive me insane.

‘Ah ha!’ I finally find it hidden amongst last night’s clothes haphazardly thrown on the floor. Pulling my hand back under the covers, I answer the phone. “What?” I grumble.

“Bree, tell me you’re not still in bed?”

“Of course I’m still in bed, it’s still morning,” I snap at Elise. I’m not a morning person, never have been. It takes at least two cups of coffee to get me going and, of all people, Elise should know that. Especially if she wants me to be a little nicer right now.

“No, honey, it’s one o’clock, and would you like me to remind you that it’s Friday?”

“Of course I know it’s Friday, I’m singing at Skyla’s tonight. Now, let me get back to sleep.” She’s still on the other end of the phone, but there’s only silence, and I know she’s waiting for something. But what?

Then it hits me.

About the Author:

Sarah Gai is the author of The Curvies series. Living in Victoria Australia. As a devoted wife and mother of three, when Sarah is not writing she will be found reading in a quiet corner somewhere or out for coffee with her own real life Curvies. Being a busy mum she was always trying to find a quick and fun read to squeeze in and that is when the idea for the three novella set sparked into her mind. Wanting to write for all the women out there who want a good short read about strong friendships, romance and body positive, love the skin you're in kind of fiction.

Website- http://www.sarahgai.com
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/sarahgaiauthor
Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/sarahgaicurvy
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/Sarahgai

Get the book at Amazon, Smashwords, iTunes, or Barnes and Noble.

Phantom Desire by Houston Havens - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Houston will be awarding a $10 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Mind traveler Chandra Lamar is on the run, not only from her post-catastrophic dystopian government but from a past she can’t remember. A psychic vision pushes her to recall her purpose for being, but it’s a ghost that awakens her desires for a life she fears she’ll never have. Both push her to remember the past because it threatens what she wants in the now; the Nodin men.

Andonis Nodin battles to accept his failures. The heavy burden nearly breaks him when he can’t save a loved one from the grim reaper’s grip and questions his desire for Chandra, the woman he blames for the death around him.

Nikias finds true love with Chandra in his arms, but is desperate to stop her from seeking revenge on a mission he knows is a one way trip.

Ortello knows for them to recapture the love they once felt for each other, he must be willing to let her go. But overcoming his obsession to make Chandra his and his alone isn’t easy.

Will Chandra go through with the vengeance in her heart or give it up for love? Who is the powerful woman in her haunting visions and will those revealing apparitions crumble her world with the Nodin clan? Does Chandra find true love in the arms of the Nodin men or does her Phantom Desire forever own her heart?

Enjoy an excerpt:

Chandra’s heart swelled with life. She teased back. “Are you blackmailing me into kissing you?”

“Never.” His clear gaze pierced hers with renewed life. “One would have to have something on you first and I don’t…yet. But if it works, I’ll work like hell to turn something up to hold against you.” He smiled suggestively. “Especially, if it means I’ll be able to get a kiss on command.”

It would be a long time before either one of them felt normal again, but this was a start to their healing. She leaned forward. An old, yet familiar feeling tingled at the center of her chest when he dropped an admiring gaze to her breasts before his stare made it back to her eyes.

“Shame on you, Nikias.” She leaned back, giving him an impish grin, forgetting for just a moment the sadness in her heart. “Taking advantage of a situation like this.”

“Me?” His playful expression was one of mocked shock. “I had the distinct feeling you were trying to seduce me.”

“I’m not the one sitting here half naked.” She glanced down at the telling sign of arousal in his workout shorts. She arched an accusing brow at him. “Looks like you’re a subscriber to the belief sex is a good way to help one find one’s way out of the black hole of grief.” She ran her tongue over her bottom lip with a suggestive sweep. With a hungry look in his eyes, his glance stalked the path her tongue took, leaving a wet trail for him to follow over her bottom lip. Nikias’ chest pumped in shallow takes, telling her she captured his interest.

“Hmmm, I hadn’t heard of the theory.” His sexy voice rumbled from his chest. His pupils dilated when she sucked her tongue back into her mouth. He met her stare with a knowing glint. “I’ll have to try it.”

About the Author: Houston Havens retired from a successful modeling career and an adventurous jet-set lifestyle to set the world on fire with her erotic romance books. A tenacious Irish lass, she strives to entertain with seductive stories created from her decadent imagination and traces of a provocative lifestyle she may or may not admit to.

Her interest in the paranormal, fascination with quantum science, passion with myths, and the lure of her mysterious Celtic Irish-Druid bloodlines are combined with generally unknown truths, strange facts, and questionable fiction. Her novels reflect a mix of the past, present, and future, with sexy blends of futuristic science fiction, paranormal fantasy, western romance, and always love everlasting. An author of six romances, a seven book erotic romance series and numerous articles in literary magazines.

Stop by for a visit and leave a comment at http://houstonhavens.wordpress.com

Links:

Website: http://houstonhavensauthor.wix.com/houstonhavens
Blog: http://houstonhavens.wordpress.com
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Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuOpU6OsngnhTac_JvTLItQ
Buy the ebook at Amazon or the print at Amazon or CreateSpace
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High Andes by Rolf Margenau - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rolf will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Wylie Cypher, suffering from a mid-life crisis, decides to challenge fading youth by taking a trekking vacation across the Cordillera Blanca (White Mountains) of the High Andes in Peru with his daughter, Mercy, just graduated from college. It is 1981.

While working with legal clients in Lima, he inadvertently acquires documents that contain explosive and damning evidence about the Peruvian government’s extreme interrogation techniques. He learns that something is amiss when police detain and torture him. He loses his little toe. A series of misunderstandings precipitate a heart-pounding chase across the high mountains as two sets of villains - government thugs and members of the communist guerrilla Sendero Luminoso – seek out the Cypher group with murderous intent. Combat in the thin air of the mountains, deceptions of numerous sorts, hairbreadth escapes, torture, action in underground caves populated with mummies, and unexpected plot twists fill the pages of this book.

It is in the United States’ national interest to observe the growing communist threat in its hemisphere, so C.I.A. agents are involved. While Wylie and his cohorts are running for their lives, the author also reports on international smuggling of historical artifacts, the fate of a 600-year-old child mummy, and the ancient spirit of the mountains, Pachamama.

Enjoy an excerpt:

The special child seemed almost weightless in his arms as he approached the niche in the rocks where he intended to place her. Ayar continued to gauge his ascent carefully, constantly scanning the path below and the horizon. Special concern was necessary, as the Chimu had not yet settled the war between their nations. They still sent out raiding parties even as far south as Huaraz.

The body of the four-year-old girl he carried was the daughter of Cuca, wife of Maita Capac. Cuca herself was now sick with the plague that lay like a dark hand on the people of the White Mountains. That disease had quickly taken the life of her firstborn, the lively and adored Cocohuay, named for the turtledoves kept in a dovecote outside her window.

The sickness spread almost faster than the noble runners could report. There was news about strange white people at Tumbes in the north. They wore silver jackets and sat on four-legged beasts three times the size of the largest llama. They had huge wooden houses that went on the sea, and sticks that carried thunder.

The plague began at Tumbes, and the wooden houses left two of the strange men there and sailed away. Huayna Capac sent to have them brought to him, but they were lost along the way. Now the ruler’s people in Chavín de Huántar were dying. The embalmer’s services were in high demand.

Cuca called Ayar when her little daughter died. As wife of the regional administrator, Cuca was highly placed and her demands took priority. Not that the embalmer would have denied her. Once he saw the frail little child carefully arranged on the low table among sweet-smelling grasses and flowers, and noted the florid flush of her face and body, his heart went out to the grieving mother. He would do all he could to prepare the little girl.

About the Author:

The author of Public Information has had a varied career. He has been a scrub nurse in an operating room, a professional photographer, a soldier during the Korean War, a correspondent for the Pacific Stars and Stripes, an attorney specializing in international corporate law, a volunteer executive running a not-for-profit dedicated to housing the homeless, a manager of large and small businesses and, lately, an author and Master Gardener.

He first published short stories as an English Major from Yale. Finding the double-digit pay for that work insufficient to support a wife and one and a half children, he went to law school in hopes of finding better paying work. Fortunately, that proved to be the case.

When the author discovered that his wife kept all the 300 plus letters he wrote her from Korea, he decided to use that material as the basis for a novel about the Korean War. It was a story he had wanted to tell for many years.

Public Information is based on his experiences as NCO in charge of a combat Infantry Division Public Information (hence the title) Office in Korea. It tells the story of Wylie Cypher, a hapless young soldier who arrives in Korea in the midst of bloody combat. Wylie manages to survive his sixteen-month tour of duty as Margenau recounts in gory, ribald, poignant and accurate detail. His adventures are recounted in military jargon and his sometimes abrasive involvement with the “Army way” describes the good, bad and incredible of life in the military. Along the way, Wylie manages to find and lose love.

Other veterans have found the story authentic and highly illustrative of the background and details of the Korean War. Publisher’s Weekly commented on the author’s ability to create a sense of time and place. During the summer of 2012, Public Information became an Amazon.com Kindle best seller.

Pistils and Poetry is the author’s second book. It is a compilation of Margenau’s favorite Elizabethan poems (Shakespeare, Marlowe, Donne, and numerous others) juxtaposed with the author’s photographs of flowers. It is a rich and engaging poetry book, enhanced and complimented by luscious photos of flowers. The book is considered as an elegant way to tease reluctant poetry readers into an appreciation of the beautiful sentiments and language of long ago masters of the English language.

Encouraged by the reception for his first novel, Margenau published Master Gardener, his second novel, in March 2013. It is a story that explores conflicts between the benefits of engineered crops and their potential for ecological disaster. Wylie Cypher, the hero of Public Information, is now seventy-five years old. He uses his life and legal experience to defend one of the women in his life, Anne Proctor, against the machinations of malevolent BIG AG. Senior citizens band together as eco-terrorists to save the monarch butterfly, and Dick Geier, the ruthless and profane CEO of BIG AG, engages in corporate shenanigans that reflect current headlines. The story is set in Middletown, New Anglia, not too far from Philadelphia, and episodes along the Amazon River in Peru bracketed by episodes along the Amazon River in Peru.

His third novel, published in August 2014, is High Andes. The central narrative follows Wylie Cypher, in his mid-forties and suffering from a serious mid-life crisis, and his daughter, Mercy, as they try to elude various villains chasing them across the White Mountains of Peru. The story deals with armed insurrection by Maoist guerillas, smuggling ancient artifacts, “disappearances” of troublemakers, a five hundred year old child mummy, and the CIA.

Rolf Margenau lives in rural New Jersey with his wife, three dogs, a 1932 Chrysler convertible, and a flower garden favored by monarch butterflies. He is now working on his fourth novel. Tentatively titled National Parks, the story recounts what happens, in the near future, when Congress decides to nationalize America’s National Parks.

Buy High Andes at Amazon

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22849599-high-andes?ac=1
http://www.frogworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rolf-Margenau/771835992839701
http://twitter.com/RolfMargenau
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http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rolf-margenau/12/674/679
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6166920.Rolf_Margenau

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Betrayal by John Wendell Adams - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter will receive a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Betrayal. It’s an ugly word, and virtually everyone has experienced it in one form or another. The question is, what do you do about it? Seek revenge? Recover and go on? Or allow rage and despair to destroy everything you’ve ever worked for?

In his riveting debut novel, author and longtime businessman John Wendell Adams details the story of a man caught in an ugly web. Jack Alexander has landed a great job as a divisional director of sales in a Chicago-based IT company. Hired to turn around a regional disaster, he is rewarded with additional responsibilities. The problem: his vitriolic new boss, a co-worker's unwanted advances, and their secret conspiracy.

Fired from his job, forced to confront both his present and his past, Jack goes through an emotional tailspin before he is able to reconcile what has happened to him. Eventually, he’s hired as a vice president with a much larger firm. When his new company decides to acquire his old one, Jack comes face to face with the two people responsible for his earlier demise. Meanwhile, he uncovers some illegal activities that could put the acquisition at risk.

Is this the time for revenge, to right the wrongs that have been done to him? What should he do? Is it possible to act effectively and also with integrity when confronted with those who compromised his marriage, his career, and his sense of self-worth?

Adams comments, “I have worked in the corporate world all my adult life and have witnessed or personally experienced the highlights and moral failings that come with it. To put it simply, if you’ve ever experienced betrayal in the workplace, in love, or in a family, this book is for you.”

“Betrayal is simply a stunning, must-read work that will transform hearts that are open to receive the life lesson within its pages.” ~ Reader Review

Enjoy an excerpt:

If Jack’s own father had provided him even a little visibility and exposure to life as he grew up, Jack would have thrived on it. Jack came to realize that his dad just didn’t have what was needed to be a “real” father.

"I found out where your father‘s working. I’m sure he’d like to see you.” Jack’s mother’s comments caught him off guard. Jack was eight years old when his mom and dad separated and divorced. The fact that his father wasn’t coming home any more affected Jack greatly. In his home, their living room windows faced the street. For several weeks after his dad left, Jack would stand in the window every evening looking out and waiting for his father to come home. So, when Jack’s mother told him and his three sisters that they could go see their dad, he was elated. Looking back, he was more affected by the divorce and not seeing his father than Jack’s sisters. Also, for some reason, Jack thought he had done something to cause the break up. No one ever told him that, but it was still something he struggled with. Jack needed the protection and security of his father. He wanted him to guide him through life and introduce him to the things his neighborhood buddies experienced. Jack hoped that his dad would teach him how to hit a baseball, ride a bike, swim, or make a snowman in the winter.

“Can we go see him today?” Jack asked his mother.

“No, I’ll set it up with your dad and then you and your sisters will be free to go see him.”

It was a cold, snowy winter day. The snow had been falling for two days. It was the kind of snow that would be great for having a snowball fight or making a snowman. None of that mattered to Jack. He just wanted to go see his dad. So off they went; Jack and his sisters.

His two older sisters, twelve and thirteen, were given instructions by Jack’s mother on where they were to go and how to get there. It must have been a fifteen- minute bus ride but it felt like hours. As they got off the bus and walked to their Dad’s office, all Jack could think of was seeing him and asking when he was coming back home.

“Hey, it’s great to see you kids. How did you get here? How are you doing? Did you have lunch?” Jack’s dad seemed so happy to see them. He introduced them to all of his co-workers. He was beaming.

“These are my three daughters and this is my son Jack,” he said. “I had to name him after me.” Jack was so proud. He felt like the son of a President. His dad made Jack feel great.

After all the introductions, he sat down with them in a conference room and talked to them for quite a while.

“So, how’s school? Are you getting enough to eat? What about your homework? Are you going to bed on time every night?” Jack’s dad was so attentive to them.

Finally, their time with him was rapidly coming to an end. He had to go back to work. Jack had been saving his question and he felt like he needed to ask it now.

“So when will we see you again? And when are you coming back home?” Jack blurted out.

Jack’s dad didn’t answer for a long time. He just looked away. Then finally he said, “Look, I have to get back to work. Why don’t you come over to the place where I’m living and we can sit and talk for a much longer time?”

Jack thought about that for a moment and then asked, “Ok, but then will you tell us when you’ll be coming back home?”

His dad looked away again before he answered, “Sure, we can talk about it then.”

He wrote down his address and phone number for them. They agreed on a time to show up at his house on the upcoming Sunday right after church. Before they left he hugged each of them. He waited to hug Jack last. Looking back, Jack sensed something in his hug that he didn’t quite understand until much later.

About the Author:

JOHN WENDELL ADAMS has a master’s degree in management development and is currently president of AMS Strategic Solutions. He is the creator of a motivational series for men called “A Man’s Story.” This is his first novel. He and his wife, Grace, have five children and live in Skokie, Illinois. Visit him online at www.johnwendelladams.com or twitter.com/JohnW_Adams. Buy the book at Amazon. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deviation by Christine Manzari - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a cover reveal for the re-release of Christine Manzari's DEVIATION. One randomly drawn winner will be awarded a $25 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Being a Sophisticate of the Program seems like it’d be a pretty sweet deal: a little genetic alteration and anyone can be smarter, faster, and stronger. It’s a dream come true. All you have to give up is your freedom.

Cleo is a Sophisticate and she has a bright future in the Program. But she has a secret. When she gets upset, bad things happen. Explosive things. Things she can’t control.

When her secret is discovered, she’s sent to the Academy to train in the military branch of the Program. She’s destined to be a human weapon in the war that’s been going on since Wormwood occurred nearly 30 years ago. She soon learns that although her ability is unique, there are others like her — other Sophisticates with lethal skills and odd code names like Archerfish and Mimic Octopus.

Immersed in a dangerous game of supernatural powers and dubious motives, Cleo doesn’t know who to trust. Ozzy, the annoyingly attractive cadet who has perfect aim in weapons class and deviant lips behind closed doors, begs her not to use her powers. He’s the golden boy of the Program, but can she trust him? Or will she find herself a target, caught in his crosshairs?

Enjoy an excerpt:

“Late on your first day?”

I turned to find the dark haired boy still leaning against the wall. The top button of his shirt was undone and his tie was slung over his shoulder. He wasn’t wearing his jacket and his shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing his tan, muscular forearms. His tousled hair hung across his forehead, nearly falling into his eyes, and it appeared he hadn’t bothered to shave this morning.

“You’re late, too,” I pointed out. I also wanted to point out that his uniform was far from uniform or acceptable according to St. Ignatius policy.

The boy shook his head and then ran his hand back through his messy curls, trying to tame them into submission. “Not late. Sick.”

“Sorry to hear that,” I said, because I couldn’t think of any better response. It was obvious the boy wasn’t sick, he was skipping class. “Look, I really have to go. It was nice meeting you.”

“But we haven’t met,” he responded.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“We haven’t actually met yet,” he explained, pushing away from the wall. “Name’s Ozzy,” he said, holding out his hand.

I looked at his hand. “Is it contagious?”

He tilted his head causing the unruly curls to tumble back across his forehead. “I don’t follow.”

“Your sickness, I don’t want to catch anything.”

“Right,” he said, a wide grin dimpling across his face as he pulled his hand back and returned it to his pocket. “Well then, I should let you get to class I suppose.” He turned and walked down the hallway, the opposite direction from my classroom. “It was nice meeting you, Clementine,” he called back over his shoulder.

“I never told you my name,” I said calmly, even though I was a little unnerved that he knew my name.

“You didn’t have to.”

“Apparently, I do,” I retorted. “I don’t answer to Clementine.”

Ozzy chuckled without turning around. “See you around, Cleo.”

About the Author:

The first thing Christine does when she's getting ready to read a book is to crack the spine in at least five places. She wholeheartedly believes there is no place as comfy as the pages of a well-worn book. She's addicted to buying books, reading books, and writing books. Books, books, books. She also has a weakness for adventure, inappropriate humor, and coke (the caffeine-laden bubbly kind). Christine is from Forest Hill, Maryland where she lives with her husband, three kids, and her library of ugly spine books.

Website: www.christinemanzari.com
Email: christine@christinemanzari.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChristineManzari
Twitter: twitter.com/Xenatine
Instagram: instagram.com/xenatine
Pinterest: pinterest.com/xenatine/
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/Christine_Manzari

Buy the book at Amazon, Smashwords, or Smashwords.

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Up the Tower by JP Lantern - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a backlist ebook copy to a randomly drawn winner at every stop during the tour and a Grand Prize of a $25 Amazon GC will be awarded to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during this tour.  Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Disaster brings everybody together. A cloned corporate assassin; a boy genius and his new robot; a tech-modified gangster with nothing to lose; a beautiful, damaged woman and her unbalanced stalker—these folks couldn't be more different, but somehow they must work together to save their own skin. Stranded in the epicenter of a monumental earthquake in the dystopian slum, Junktown, there is only one way to survive. These unlikely teammates must go...UP THE TOWER.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

“Hey, Smellson!”

Samson ignored the jeer, focusing carefully on opening the box. He was twelve years old and he did not want to screw this up; being twelve was important, and people took the things you did seriously so long as you did them well.

“Smellson, hey!” The Crowboy banged his crowbar on the dusty ruins of the factory line where they had set up the six crates from their haul that morning. “Don’t blow us up, okay? I don’t want to die with your stench clogging me up, yeah?”

Again, Samson ignored the other boy, trying to concentrate as he eased his longtool through the gap in the crate before him. He very well could blow himself up; he could blow them all up. Inside the GuaranTech crate he tinkered with was a copbot.

Copbots blew up all the time. If their main processors or power source were damaged, they blew up. If they were being captured, they blew up. If they ran out of ammo and couldn’t refill within about ten minutes, they blew up. When they blew up, they incinerated everything in about a hundred foot radius. The warehouse was not big enough for the Crowboys to keep their distance and still work in the role of protection as they had been hired. So they were in the blast zone as well as Samson.

The copbots, deactivated, were precious and valuable. Strangely, they were valuable precisely because they were so hard to deactivate. A copbot was made almost entirely out of self-healing nanotech, and with enough time, it could repair from almost any wound to its metal shell. So, to keep this sort of power out of the hands of the gangster conglomerate that ran Junktown, the Five Faces, and any other sort of competitor, the copbots had a very liberal self-destruct mechanism.

About the Author:

J.P. Lantern lives in the Midwestern US, though his heart and probably some essential parts of his liver and pancreas and whatnot live metaphorically in Texas. He writes speculative science fiction short stories, novellas, and novels which he has deemed "rugged," though he would also be fine with "roughhewn" because that is a terrific and wonderfully apt word.

Full of adventure and discovery, these stories examine complex people in situations fraught with conflict as they search for truth in increasingly violent and complicated worlds.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171112.J_P_Lantern
Blog/website: http://jplantern.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JpLanternBooks
twitter: @jplantern

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Taking the Reins by Katrina Abbott - Spotlight and Giveaway

NOTE: THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY *FREE* EVERYWHERE IT'S AVAILABLE!! LINKS ARE BELOW.

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One lucky person will receive a $25 Amazon/BN GC via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Brooklyn Prescott (if that’s even her real name) is the new girl at TheRosewood Academy for Academic Excellence, now that she’s moved back to the States after two years living in London. Rosewood, a boarding school for children of the rich and famous and known for its celebutantes, is missing just one element important to any junior’s education: boys. But luckily for Brooklyn, and the rest of theRosewood girls, there’s a boys’ boarding school, The Westwood Academy, just a few miles away.

On her very first day, Brooklyn meets Will, a gorgeous and flirty boy on campus to help with move in. But is he who she thinks he is? And what about Brady, the cute stable boy? Or Jared, the former child actor with his grown-up good looks who can always make her laugh? As Brooklyn settles in at Rosewood, she’s faced with new friends, new challenges and new opportunities to make herself into the girl she always wanted to be. Whoever that might be.

Taking The Reins is the first installment of The Rosewoods, an exciting new Young Adult series for readers who love fun, flirty love stories.

Enjoy an excerpt:

I should have felt insulated and safe in the back of the Town Car.

Instead, my heart was pounding like crazy as the driver pulled into the long circular drive that would bring me to the front of the Rosewood Academy for Academic Excellence—my new home for the next ten months. The windows of the car were tinted, so no one could see in, but as I was in one of several limos (mixed in with Range Rovers, Audis, Mercedes' and other cars of the famous and wealthy), no one really paid attention. And, gauging by the chaos on the front lawn of the school campus—registration, moving in, laughing and getting reacquainted—people were too wrapped up in their own stuff to notice a new girl, anyway.

The new girl.

I sighed and gave myself a couple moments to calm my nerves as the driver rolled to a stop at the curb. I took my long brown hair out of the ponytail holder, then second-guessed and put it back in again. Then realized it would look sloppy to have a ponytail, so I took it out one last time.

God, Brooklyn, get it together.

The driver put the car into park, turned halfway toward me and smiled. “This is it.”

“Yeah,” I said, glancing out at the crowd. There were several tables, including one with a banner that read, “Check in. Come here first.” Brilliant. At least that part was sorted. The fitting in and making friends part couldn’t possibly be quite so easy.

“It will be fine,” the driver assured me, as though he was reading my mind and standing in as my father or something, making me feel guilty that I’d forgotten his name already. “I hear it’s a good school.”

I almost snorted at his comment; Rosewood wasn’t a good school. Rosewood was the best school.

About the Author:

A survivor of adolescence, Katrina Abbott loves writing about teens: best friends, cute boys, kissing, drama. Her main vice is romance, but she’s been known to succumb to the occasional chocolate binge. She may or may not live in California with her husband, kids and several cats. Taking the Reins is not her first book. Visit Katrina online at www.katrinaabbott.com

Website: http://katrinaabbott.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbbottKatrina
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatrinaAbbottAuthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/abbottkatrina

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Kobo, or Google Play.

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Olympus Confidential by Robert B. Warren - Video and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One grand prize winner will win a $50 Amazon GC plus print or digital copy of book 1 or book 2 in the series, while 15 runners up will win an ebook of the winners' choice of book 1 or book 2. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

When a band of super-powered humans stirs up trouble in New Olympia, Zeus knows just who to call.

Wisecracking private investigator Plato Jones is used to cleaning up the gods' messes. But this might be his most dangerous case yet, placing him deep behind enemy lines, in Tartarus Maximum Security Penitentiary. After infiltrating the enemy's organization, Plato inches closer to the truth. But he learns a hard lesson along the way: to defeat a villain, he might have to become one himself.

Olympus Confidential skillfully weaves humor and Greek mythology into this fast-paced fantasy. Whether new or returning to the Plato Jones series, fans of thrillers, contemporary fantasy, and Greek mythology will have a tough time putting this one down.

Enjoy Robert talking about writing tips:



Enjoy an excerpt:

Herc and I were meeting up for drinks. Our pal Geno had planned to join us, but got sidelined by a sudden case of worms—a common health problem among satyrs. I decided to make up for his absence by drinking twice as much.

The sacrifices I make in the name of friendship.

No less than a dozen paparazzi loitered near the bar’s entrance, a sign that Herc had already arrived.

As always, Napoleon, the minotaur bouncer, kept the parasites at bay. He had been allowed to keep his job after the change in ownership. I was glad. The place wouldn’t have been the same without him.

As I neared the entrance, a paparazzo began snapping pictures of me.

“Plato, over here!” one of them exclaimed. “Think you and Aphrodite will ever get back together?”

At the mention of the Love Goddess’s name, the other photographers turned their cameras on me. They bombarded me with questions about her and me.

“Are you still in love with her?”

“Is she as kinky as they say?”

“Is it true you two have a secret love child?”

I ignored them and stepped up to the door. Napoleon nodded.

“Evening, Plato,” he said. “How’s it going?”

“Ask me in an hour.”

Napoleon returned the minotaur equivalent of a grin. It looked more like a grimace. He opened the door for me. None of the so-called journalists attempted to follow me inside. They were a lot of things—pushy, obnoxious, disrespectful—but stupid was not one of them.

The bar was filled to capacity—a fifty-fifty mix of humans and nonhumans. “I’ll See You in My Dreams” by Giant poured from unseen speakers, barely rising above the rich hum of many conversations going on at once.

All the usual suspects were present. Most greeted me with waves or hellos. One of the longtime regulars, a steelworker named Mitch, gave me a hearty slap on the back and called me an asshole.

Yep. We were one big, happy bar family.

Hercules, the half-human son of Zeus, was having a beer at the bar. One of the most powerful beings in existence, he had performed countless acts of heroism over a life that spanned several millennia. His ferocity, honor, and cunning were the stuff of legend. Most people regarded him as the world’s first superhero.

To me, he was just Herc, my best friend and a cheapskate extraordinaire.

About the Author:

A fan of thrillers, fantasy, and science fiction, Robert B. Warren has been writing stories ever since he could hold a pencil. In 2009, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and creative writing from the University of Alabama. He currently lives in the south.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Murder-on-Olympus-A-Plato-Jones-Novel/243157142416955
https://twitter.com/RobertBWarren1
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4672699.Robert_B_Warren

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Shared Redemption by Michel Prince - Book Review and Giveaway

This review is in conjunction with a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michel will be awarding three separate prizes: Swag pack-bookmarks, candy and other goodies, a T-shirt-“My book boyfriend can beat up your book boyfriend”, and a Signed paperback copy of Silly Girl. The three randomly drawn winners will be chosen via rafflecopter during the tour and is open to international winners. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Former slave Nye ended his life in 1859 after losing his love. The angel Gabriel has offered Nye a chance at redemption by hunting demons as a member of the Frozen. With less than seven years left until his salvation, Nye is staying on the straight and narrow – until a woman gets caught in the crossfire during a demon hunt.

After receiving devastating news, Kiriana Kladshon moves across the country, only to get caught up in the world of The Frozen. Nye and Kiriana are pulled into an attraction neither can control. Will it be their ultimate demise or their greatest salvation?

Damarion, is leading a group of female demons on a mission. During his punishment on Earth, Damarion learns of dangers within his coven trying to stop him from returning to his love, still trapped in Hell and A love he was so sure was true...

My Review:

This is a fascinating look at a different set of demon hunters--the Frozen. Gabriel offers a select number of suicides the chance to earn redemption by working out their salvation by hunting demons for a set number of years. SHARED REDEMPTION shares the story of one group of Frozen--and featuring mostly on Nye and his relationship with a Normal, Kiriana, who accidentally crosses his path.

The book also shows the demon camp and focuses on Damarian--there's more to his story too than you would think.

The book is told in alternating, first person POVs--Kiri, Damarian, and Nye--and a few times I would have to stop and think about whose POV we were actually in, but the voices of each main character were so distinct that it didn't take me out of the story for too long.

I really enjoyed this book and the relationships within the Frozen camp and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series!!

4 Flowers - This was a very good book! I'd recommend it to my friends.

Enjoy an excerpt:
“You’re back,” I said with too much of a lilt. God, I sounded like a groupie trying to pretend that I wasn’t.

“Yes. Do you need anything?” Nye asked.

“Besides my freedom?”

Nye just stared at me.

“Right…food, water, bathroom,” I started a list.

“The commode is through that door. What are you hungry for?”

“What do you have?”

“Pretty much everything.”

“Fine, then how about a half dozen chicken flautas with some guacamole and a cerveza, por favor.”

“Tap or bottle?”

“Bottle,” I replied sheepishly.

“Domestic or imported? Though, considering your condition I wouldn’t choose alcohol.”

“You have a pineapple Juarito?” I asked, amazed he’d have my favorite drink.

“Yes.”

“You really have flautas and Juaritos?”

“Yes, and what kind of guac do you want? Lots of peppers and onions? Tomatoes?”

“Yea. Everything.”

“Fine. You need help to the commode?”

“No, I should be fine.”

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, knowing I’d have to put most of my weight on my left leg. Warily I stood up. Knowledge of my weakness could not prepare me for the reality of it. I crumpled to the floor as if I were a knight who’d just lost his head on the battlefield.

Embarrassed I lay there hoping by some miracle Nye hadn’t seen me. His large boots were right by my eyes and I looked up as he was crouching to help. Our eyes locked and I was just a breath away from his lips. Mine puckered as his pulled in and I inhaled deeply to hold back the urge to explore his mouth with my tongue.

His hands were warm again against my body and I wondered why they weren’t warm like body heat. They were just warm. He lifted me to the bathroom, leaning me against the sink, and then brought me a cane from the bedroom.

“Here, see if this helps.”

I leaned on the cane, bracing myself, shifting my weight back and forth until I felt comfortable.

“It’s good.”

“Look, it may take me a little bit to get your food for you. If you want, take a bath. There’s a robe on the back of the door and I can try to scrounge up some clothes for you. Yours have to be feeling…”

“Nasty, yes, they are, thanks. I’m a size two, if you find anything.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Nye left and I spied the huge Jacuzzi. I looked around for something to wash with and found rose water bath bubbles and three types of soaps in a closet. I ran the water in the Jacuzzi and dripped the rose water bath bubbles under the Koehler farmer’s spigot.

I pulled off the shorts and underwear that appeared to be glued to my body. I slid my lower body into the water, which was just a few degrees below scalding, the way I liked it. My muscles started to loosen as the heat ate into them.

Pulling off my tank top, followed by my bra, I slid the rest of the way into the water and sighed. I was loving every second of the feeling. Sure, I was a hostage, but it wasn’t all that bad. Nye was gorgeous and obviously not interested in me. He can just be a fantasy. What woman doesn’t have the fantasy? Okay, so this was going too far. This was how I got where I was.

The bubbles covered my chest. The smell of roses filled my nose as I fell asleep in the warm water.

“Kiri,” Nye said softly.

My eyes fluttered as I saw the dark figure I was growing accustomed to.

“Yes, Nye.”

“Um…your food?”

“Thank you,” I smiled.

I hoped he wouldn’t turn away, but he did. How can a man be so sure of himself and yet timid? Screw this. I wanted him. I love that he called me Kiri. No one ever did that. I love that his hands changed temperature and he seemed ashamed of it. I love that his eyes were jet black, but still sparkled.

“I’m going to need your help,” I said quickly.

“What?”

“I won’t be able to stand up to dry myself. I don’t mean to make you nervous, but I need your help. Or send that woman in here, but I’d prefer you.”

About the Author:

Michel Prince is an author who graduated with a bachelor degree in History and Political Science. Michel writes new adult and adult paranormal romance as well as contemporary romance.

With characters yelling "It's my turn damn it!!!" She tries to explain to them that alas, she can only type a hundred and twenty words a minute and they will have wait their turn. She knows eventually they find their way out of her head and to her fingertips and she looks forward to sharing them with you.

When Michel can suppress the voices in her head she can be found at a scouting event or cheering for her son in a variety of sports. She would like to thank her family for always being in her corner and especially her husband for supporting her every dream and never letting her give up.

Michel has been awarded Elite Status with Rebel Ink Press in 2013, the service award for her local RWA chapter Midwest Fiction Writers and is a Pro member of RWA. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, cat and new puppy.

Website-Michel Prince Books: http://www.michelprincebooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelPrinceBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelPrince1

Buy the book at Secret Cravings Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance eBooks, or Bookstrand. a Rafflecopter giveaway

2014 Autumn Collection by Gerald Costlow, Markee Anderson, Cecilia Corona, Nan O'Berry, Vincent Nutt, Stephanie Burkhart - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Six complete sweet to sensual romances from six multi-talented authors in settings that are sure to keep you spellbound with tales about young magic, charming reunions, and new beginnings. Enjoy the darker side where witches cast spells, vampires exist, and zombies walk the earth. There's a story for everyone.

Man of Her Dreams by Gerald Costlow

Anise and Charlene are living the busy lives of young Goth women trying to juggle college and jobs and – in their case – training as apprentice Sherritt witches under the tutelage of Anise's mother, Annabel.

Then over Thanksgiving break, the girls encounter a young man named Donnie who claims to be running from a demon – a demon sent by the Devil himself. They might have dismissed the man as deluded, but Anise recognizes him from her dreams. He is the perfect lover she's been dreaming of night after night.

Now the witches are involved in a deadly game of hide-and-seek, discovering they have only days to figure out how to help Donnie. Are even the famous Sherritt witches up to the challenge? Third in the Modern Day Sherritt series.

Under the Harvest Moon by Markee Anderson

Victoria Sommerfield is the maid of honor at her neighbor's wedding, the day after the Harvest Festival. She's also very fond of Kirby, her best friend from high school, who's also in the bridal party. Victoria's forced to make a few decisions thanks to a crime in town. At least Kirby can save the day, for now. But can she take the next step with him?

Day of the Dead ~ (Dia de los Muertos) by Cecilia Corona

The Day of the Dead takes on a new meaning, when the dead don't stay dead. Dr. Valentina Bellmonte, a cancer survivor, is the new coroner at Hope Memorial. Her faith is put to the test when a body arrives at the morgue drained of blood and the man responsible for the crime is sporting fangs. Could vampires be real?

Her good friend, Dr. Xander Carlisle seems to know the truth, but he's unwilling to confide in her. He has a secret of his own and it's not just how he feels about her, but something else entirely, something he's forbidden to reveal.

Apple of His Eye by Nan O'Berry

Callie Dalton's truck runs out of gas on the road to her family's fruit stand. When a forestry agent Marshall Albright comes to her rescue, little does she know that he is the grandson of her grandfather's worst enemy, Brice Huntington. It seems the Dalton's and Huntington's have been waging a feud for the past twenty-nine years, ever since Laura Huntington left Stephen Dalton at the altar.

Falling in love was the easy part; the hard part is going to be keeping their grandparents from confronting one another. Can their love bring these two warring factions together?

Alive by Vincent Nutt

A mutated form of Cholera infects the world, creating zeeks, zombielike creatures in every respect. The group I'm with has traveled far. We've all lost those we've held dear along the way, but when life is unpredictable, anything can happen... This Thanksgiving brings new friends into our lives, and a fresh look at what tomorrow may bring.

Young Witchcraft by Stephanie Burkhart

Rachel's secret would have Cotton Mather rolling over in his grave. She's been raised from an early age to use magic for good, despite her temptation to cast a spell against Phil the bully who can't stop teasing her.

Joe thinks Rachel is cool, especially when she weaves her healing magic spells on him, but he's got his own problems. It's not easy keeping Rachel safe from Phil's constant threats.

When Phil poisons Rachel, can love and a little young witchcraft bring Rachel and Joe together or has years of Phil's bullying ruined their relationship for good?

Enjoy an excerpt from "Man of Her Dreams"

"Oh, good grief," said a woman's voice from nowhere. "The old 'naked in public' dream. You sure this is him? This is the man in my dreams? Where's the wild mare he rides across the moor, and the kilt, and the windswept hair, and the—all right, so he's got the washboard abs, and the...the rest of the package. But still..."

"The spell doesn't lie, Sis," responded another woman's voice from nowhere. "This is the man of your dreams. Anyway, a kilt? I think it's time you got rid of that Braveheart poster. The symbolism of his dream is obvious, according to your Psych 101 textbook I doubt you ever read—about as obvious as your man riding a wild mare. Does your kilted dream lover whip the mare into a lathered frenzy?"

"He d-doesn't...you've got a dirty mind. So what's this guy's problem? A fear of being locked out of motel rooms?"
,br> The second voice sighed. "He's unhappy with his life and searching for something better. Being naked means he's broke, so don't count on lavish gifts or expensive honeymoons from this guy. How many of the good catches had insomnia, for the spell to settle on this loser?"

About the Authors: Markee Anderson makes her home in northeast Wisconsin, surrounded by Packer fans, snow, and cheese. Along with her husband, they have three adult children and two Boston terrier babies. She writes under different pen names, all at: www.sweettalebooks.com

Come visit her at: http://markeeanderson.com

Stephanie Burkhart was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. After graduating from Central High, she joined the U.S. Army. She spent eleven years in the military, seven stationed in Germany. She left the Army in 1997 and settled in California. Stephanie has been married for over twenty years and has two boys, Andrew and Joseph. She now works for LAPD as a 9-1-1 Dispatcher.

Come visit her at: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

Gerald Costlow lives in Michigan and has published several novels and numerous short stories and novellas over the years. He's currently publishing a romantic-supernatural series with Publishing by Rebecca Vickery.

Cecilia Corona is a massage therapist by day and enjoys the adventures of writing by night. When she's not sitting at her computer plotting her next tale, she's enjoying the Southern California weather. She loves movies, animals of all kinds, especially her three dogs, and she's a big fan of mermaids. When she was young and saw the movie Splash for the first time, she believed sprinkling salt in the bathtub would magically allow her to grow a tail. She was sadly disappointed when the experiment didn't work. If she can't be a mermaid, then maybe she'll just have to write about them.

Please visit Cecilia's website at: http://authorceciliacorona.blogspot.com

Nan O'Berry lives on a small farm in western tidewater with her family and pets including a Black Angus cow named Esmeralda. A graduate of Old Dominion University with a degree in education, she taught elementary school for several years before turning her attention to writing romance. She loves hearing from readers.

Please feel free to contact her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-OBerry-Romance- Author/161753103856411

When Vincent Nutt isn't fighting off zeeks, he's going to school and working toward his BA in Video Game Design.

You can find Vincent online at: http://vincentnutt.blogspot.com/

Buy the book at Amazon or Smashwords.

Smashwords Publisher Page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/victorytalespress

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Coming Home to Love by Katie O'Boyle - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Katie will be awarding a signed-by-the-author print copy of Book One of the Lakeside Porches series by Katie O’Boyle, Stepping Up To Love (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

With his health deteriorating and his spirit dying, Justin Cushman has come home to the Finger Lakes to assist his injured nephew Joel. Sick of accumulating wealth for its own sake, Justin knows that his life is meaningless without a loving relationship and a purpose for his billions. On a whim, he visits Joel’s spa, looking for a massage to relieve his pain. Gianessa Dupioni is a gifted masseuse who starts the boss’s irritable uncle on a journey of health and happiness. Too bad for Justin that Gianessa is devastated by personal losses and strictly focused on rebuilding her career. Justin may be a master strategist in the financial world, but can he persuade Gianessa to let love in?

Enjoy an excerpt:

“You know,” Gianessa said, as she stroked his palm with her thumb, “I was prepared not to like you. Look how that turned out.”

He blustered. “Not like me?” He winked.

“The first time I saw you, you were badgering Grace.” She leaned forward, leading with her breasts. “That ticked me off.”

“And you wore your hair in that French braid, which ticked me off.”

She gathered her long, toffee tresses behind her shoulders. “You never said you didn’t like my braid.”

“I wanted from that first moment to get my hands in your hair. I plotted six ways to Sunday to get rid of the braid.”

“My braid is perfect for work. It feels elegant and simple, and it makes me feel put together and focused.”

He caressed her cheek and jaw and neck with eager fingers. “But you’re elegant and complex, and I prefer you undone.”

About the Author:

Born in the upstate-New York village known as the Birthplace of Women’s Rights, Katie O’Boyle loves the Finger Lakes in every season. She enjoys lunch with friends at charming inns, and she cherishes the lakeside porch as a place for intimate sharing, laughter, and inspiration. To the outside world, she is a tech-savvy college professor. In her soul, she is a passionate author of warm-hearted romance. She is hard at work on book four of the Lakeside Porches romance books and novellas.

Facebook ~ Twitter

Buy the book at Amazon

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Shimmy for Me by DeAnna Cameron - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Deanna will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on today's tour.

Juggling two jobs to keep her belly dance studio afloat keeps Abby Anderson’s mind off her shattered love life—until a reawakened pain sends her into the arms of an anonymous stranger she plucks from the audience of her tribal belly dance show. No names, no strings, no romance. She tells herself it’s a harmless hookup.

Until he turns up at her day job . . .

Derek Collier, the sexy heir to the Collier media dynasty, just landed everything he’s always wanted: the publisher’s seat at the Orange County Herald. Except his first order of business is to sell the newspaper. Reeling from his family’s betrayal, his only comfort is the memory of that mysterious belly dancer and the perfect night they spent together.

He won’t rest until he finds her again.

She’ll lose everything if he does.

Enjoy an excerpt:

By the time Abby took her place on the small stage, the lights were low, and a slow, snaky melody had filled the restaurant’s main room. She was only a silhouette to the roomful of diners, holding her pose like a living statue. She usually closed her eyes during this prelude and focused on the energy of the music and the audience.

Not tonight.

In the darkness, her gaze roamed. She wanted a good view before the stage lights came up to brighten her, and blind her.

Nearly every seat was filled. A good draw for a Thursday night. Mostly couples, some groups. But it was the single men she searched for. The ones who sat on the fringe to watch.

Would it be the college jock tipping back beer in a bottle? The shy guy in the Oxford shirt fidgeting with his soda straw? Maybe the older . . .

A Suit at the bar caught her eye. One hand wrapped around a highball glass, the other tugging at his tie. Calm. Confident. And sexy as hell. The way his gaze locked on her made her tingle in all the right places.

He was the one.

Derek Collier sipped his Macallan 18 and watched the restaurant’s belly dancer come alive to the hypnotic rhythm pulsing through the dining room. When he’d seen the words “belly dancing” glowing in blue neon beneath the Sultan’s Tent sign, he’d expected the kind of flashy beads and sequins dancer he’d seen a hundred times before.

He didn’t expect this.

The poster at the front called her Zenina, a tribal fusion belly dancer. Whatever that was. From his vantage point at the bar, she looked like nothing he’d ever seen—part bohemian waif, part harem fantasy, part . . . Damn, the way she swayed and writhed up there was making it impossible to think.

About the Author:

DeAnna Cameron writes novels featuring feisty heroines transformed by true love and belly dance—the oldest and most exciting dance form in the world. Her novels have been translated into Japanese, Polish, and Serbian, and her work has been praised for its “deft prose, energetic characters and . . . colorful images” by RT Book Reviews and called “most entertaining” by the Historical Novel Review. Before turning to fiction, DeAnna worked as a journalist, writing and editing for several Southern California newspapers and magazines. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, as well as its Orange County chapter. When she isn’t working on her next novel, she can usually be found at her jeweler’s bench, creating new wire-wrap, bead, and multimedia designs. She lives in Orange County, Calif., with her family.

http://www.DeAnnaCameron.com
http://www.facebook.com/deanna.m.cameron
http://www.twitter.com/deannamcameron

Buy the book at Amazon.

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No Light by Devi Mara - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a book blast organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter will be awarded a $20 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Dems have been held captive since before the world was made. They are the darkness only spoken of in whispers. As much as they are hated and feared, those who guard them are even more so. The pariahs of society, they live apart from the rest of the world in a settlement called Ameritat. That is where The Dems Trilogy begins. An unlikely and dangerous love between a human guard and the most feared of all the Dems. It will be the beginning or the ending of everything.

Sarah Mackenzie was never meant to be a guard, never meant to descend into the bowels of the earth, but The Corridor is where she is sent. With little information and even less training, she is thrust into her position as a Dem handler. She walks a thin line between life and death, as she tries to uphold her family honor and unlock the mystery of the Dem’s captivity. The pursuit of truth will drag her deep into a world of corruption, hatred, and greed and she will have to decide where her loyalties lie. With the humans who have mistreated her or the Dem who could destroy them all.

Enjoy an excerpt:

The staircase twisted down into what felt like the very bowels of the Earth. Wrought iron and spindly, it creaked with each movement. Every irregular step nearly pulsed with hesitation. Some held back by fear, others pressing forward toward something new and terrifying. The bodies swayed in and out of the sparse light, like spirits jumping at the stone walls.

Her gaze dropped momentarily, away from her thoughts, to look toward their destination. The diamond weave of the steps allowed a caged view of what lie beneath. Sarah's hand gripped the railing tightly, jerking her eyes to the back in front of her. Not allowing them to stray to the lonely darkness beneath her feet.

The steady creak and pound of the footsteps seemed to go on forever, as the class followed the trainer. After ten minutes, the hollow sound of the stairwell seemed to swell in volume. Shuffling coats, heavy breathing, and something else. Sarah tipped her head, peering over the railing into the darkness. There was a wailing just under the creaking of the iron and the thuds of the heavy work boots.

"What is that?" she heard one of her classmates whisper.

She narrowed her eyes at the blackness beneath her feet. So far down, the cold of the stone stairwell made her hands nearly freeze to the railing. She did not dare let go.

"Do you hear that?" Another voice whispered.

The noise increased in volume. It sounded like glass ground between two stones. It set her teeth on edge. It was only the settling of the stairs. Nothing to be afraid of, but that did not stop her hand from shaking in her pocket. She stared at the back in front of her, stepping down over and over.

About the Author:

Writer of cross genre romance, Devi Mara, grew up in rural Missouri. An avid reader and writer, she found inspiration in the people and places around her. The result, a fluid concept of the romance subgenres.

Her debut novel, No Light, was released in January of 2014 and is the first book in the Dems Trilogy. It was followed by her first stand-alone novel, Kingdom Come, in May. The second novel of the Dems Trilogy, Darkness Blooming, was released in August of 2014.

Devi is a lover of coffee and chocolate and partakes in both daily. She lives in Missouri with her family. Including two dogs too human for their own good.

She loves hearing from readers and encourages them to message her on Facebook or contact her on Twitter. She is always open to questions and comments.

Website: www.devimara.com
Blog: devimarawrites.blogspot.com
Twitter: @devimarawrites
Facebook: www.facebook.com/devimarawrites
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