Dos Angeles by Michael O'Hara - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Dos Angeles, the first in a franchise of mysteries featuring Paco Moran, puts the multicultural thirty-something ex-LAPD homicide detective turned reluctant private eye on the trail of a beautiful young Latina on the run with ten million dollars in cash. Half Anglo and half Mexican, Moran is a transitional character equally at home working in Beverly Hills or blue collar Boyle Heights, the tough East Los Angeles neighborhood where he was raised by a single mom. In his debut case Paco quickly learns he will be the fall guy if he doesn't track down the young immigrant who allegedly stole a small fortune from a sleazy Hollywood producer secretly laundering money for a notorious drug cartel. Paco's frantic search takes him on a roller-coaster ride through a shadowy place he calls Dos Angeles a city within the city and a virtual country unto itself.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Dante Pirelli thought the timing could not have been better to get out of town and spend a week in Maui at the oceanfront condo he owned on Kaanapali Beach. For days all the local media could talk about was the potentially record-breaking heat about to hit Southern California. Temperatures in downtown Los Angeles were expected to soar above a hundred, and out on the western edge of the San Fernando Valley where Pirelli lived it would probably be ten to fifteen degrees hotter.

An added benefit was that Vyna, his beautiful young trophy wife, was excited about getting away, too. That meant there could be lots of sex on the holiday agenda. Vyna had been suffering with a bad case of the blues lately, but when she was in a good mood she could be a real tiger in bed.

Just as the stretch limousine arrived that would take him and his family to the airport, Pirelli gave a final briefing to Maria Rojas, the young woman he was leaving behind in charge of his sprawling, Tuscan-style estate.

“Remember, always keep ice in the dog’s bowl. And make sure you’re here for the gardeners and pool man. Any problems with anything you got the numbers to call.”

“Yes, sir,” Maria nodded with a nervous smile. Although confident, she could handle everything expected of her she was anxious about being left alone in such a big, fancy house. Still, she was going to be paid double her normal salary and Mr. Pirelli had said she could use any of the home’s resort-like amenities, including an amazing circular pool with a cascading waterfall and thirty-foot water slide.

Six days into her stay Maria’s only real challenge had been coping with the boredom. Outside of taking care of Mrs. Pirelli’s needy French Pug and dealing with the regularly scheduled service people, there had been very little to do. As predicted, the scorching weather the Spanish press was calling Los Días de Infierno had arrived with a vengeance. It was so hot during the day she rarely went outside, and she soon got tired of watching non-stop telenovelas. All the idle time made her realize how much she missed her regular routine at Mr. Pirelli’s film company. She liked how busy it always was and how the hours just seemed to fly by. Work—like prayer—kept her from worrying about her recent troubles.

About the Author:

Emmy nominee Michael O’Hara-- who has written and produced some of the highest-rated television movies and miniseries in recent memory – is adding author to his resume with the August, 2015 the publication of his first novel, Dos Angeles.

The book, featuring a bilingual and bicultural private eye named Paco Moran, centers around Moran’s desperate search for a beautiful young Latina immigrant who stole ten million dollars from the mob. In a pre-publication review American Book Award winner Peter Quinn said: "Paco Moran’s debut in Michael O'Hara's Dos Angeles is fast-paced, finely crafted, and full of surprises. It's noir fiction for the 21st century, a helluva ride from the first page to last. Here's hoping O'Hara brings Paco back very soon. I can't wait!"

A former award-winning journalist and NBC Vice President of Media Relations, O’Hara made an auspicious debut as a writer/producer with “Those She Left Behind,” a critically acclaimed family drama that continues to be the highest-rated TV movie (25.1/38 share) on any network in over twenty years. It starred Gary Cole and Colleen Dewhurst (who won an Emmy Award for her performance). That success was followed by the widely praised NBC movie “She Said No” which won an American Women in Radio & Television Award for Best Television Dramatic Special.

O’Hara next wrote and executive produced “Switched at Birth,” the blockbuster NBC miniseries that earned an Emmy nomination as Best Dramatic Special and remains the highest rated (22 rating/33 share) miniseries on network television since its initial telecast over two decades ago. He was also the writer and executive producer of “Murder in the Heartland,” a celebrated ABC miniseries which garnered a Casting Society of America Award and two Emmy nominations. Right after that he created and executive produced the first of 22 “Moment of Truth” movies for NBC, establishing one of the most successful film franchises in TV history.

O’Hara also wrote “She Woke Up Pregnant,” the pilot for ABC’s ‘Crimes of Passion’ franchise. It scored an impressive 13.4 rating and 21 share, making it the highest-rated ABC movie of the year. He went on to write “One Hot Summer Night,” another ‘Crimes of Passion’ thriller that was ABC’s highest-rated Thursday night movie of the season. Other producing credits include two CBS projects: “Twilight Zone – Rod Serling’s Lost Classics” and “A Child’s Wish,” which was filmed in the Oval Office and featured a cameo appearance by then President Bill Clinton. In addition he wrote and executive produced NBC’s “In His Life: The John Lennon Story” and “1st to Die,” a two-part NBC miniseries based on the best-selling novel by James Patterson.

Overall O’Hara has produced four miniseries and 33 Movies of the Week. Besides his Emmy nomination, other honors include: a Christopher Award (“A Child’s Wish”); a Prism Award (“The Accident”); a Humanitas Award nomination (“Heart of a Child”); a National Easter Seal Society Award (“To Walk Again”); an International Health & Medical Film Award (“Heart of a Child”); and the Media Award from The National Council on Problem Gambling (“Playing to Win.”)

WEBSITE: http://www.Michael-ohara.com
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14203330.Michael_O_Hara
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dos-Angeles/1143487899001779

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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Five Things You Might Not Know About Elia Winters - Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Elia will be awarding $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 the tour.

Thanks for having me on the blog today! I was asked to share five things you’d never guess about me, so here they are, in no particular order.

1. I used to be conservative. My upbringing was loving, but straight-laced and restrictive. My parents grew up in the Leave It To Beaver generation and wanted that wholesome Americana upbringing for their children, complete with conservative family values and church on Sunday. PG-13 movies were beyond the pale and sex was for marriage.

2. I wrote Star Wars erotic fanfiction as a teenager. Okay, perhaps this is something you might guess about me. I’m geeky, I’m a writer, and those two aspects of my life coalesced into some truly horrific Star Wars fanfiction centered around the sex lives of Han and Leia. I have all of these stories, and some day when I’m famous and less prone to shame, I’ll have to host a “read your terrible fanfiction” panel at a conference. Until then, they’ll live on the bottom shelf of my bookcase in a folder of embarrassment.

3. I’m really good at math. We’re talking “mathlete in high school” type of math geek, here. When I was in college, I was a double major for a little while in English and Astronomy. Eventually, I dropped Astronomy to a minor, but this wasn’t until I’d already taken extensive math and science coursework, all the way through multivariable calculus. Now, I mostly use these advanced math skills to confuse my linear-thinking students who believe one has to choose between the humanities and the sciences.

4. I practiced Taekwondo for years. I got into Taekwondo in college, joining a group that practiced 10 hours a week. I loved it and even got into the competition circuit. Forms and breaking were my two strongest elements, and I have a collection of medals as a result. After my instructor moved away, I fell out of the habit of practicing, and I’d like to get involved again someday.

5. I love gadgets. I’m an early adopter of many technologies. My love of gadgets extends to non-tech gadgets, too: I have a hammock tent, for instance, which is super cool and generally the envy of everyone I camp with. Of course, my love of gadgets also manifests in an extensive collection of sex toys. This aspect of my personality inspired the character of Astrid in Combustion, inventor and manufacturer of sex toys. She loves gadgets even more than I do.

A war orphan, Astrid Bailey is content living her adult life alone, working as a contract machinist. Her real passion, though, is inventing felicitation devices that promote women’s sexual empowerment and help them find pleasure independent of a man.

The upcoming World’s Fair, with its substantial cash prize, is an opportunity to open the shop she’s always imagined and hopefully solve her financial woes. Except the committee has denied her entry unless she obtains a “sponsor”. Astrid suspects they mean “male”.

Eli Rutledge, noted watchmaker, knows entering the fair will solidify his reputation as an innovator —but he’s fresh out of ideas. Until Astrid approaches him with her outrageous product line. With no other options, though, he agrees to lend her his good name.

As construction heats up, so does their chemistry—and the complications. Astrid is unaccustomed to asking for help, much less sharing credit. And Eli fights an attraction that could spell professional disaster. As the Fair date approaches, Astrid and Eli must decide how far they’ll go. For the business…and for each other.

Product Warnings Contains period-appropriate graphic language, highly inappropriate amounts of M/F and F/F sex, and copious amounts of *ahem* product testing. May *ahem again* “spark” an online shopping binge for *cough* toys. Of the adult variety.

Enjoy an excerpt:

When she met his eyes again, her gaze was resolute. “Mr. Rutledge, I don’t mean to give the wrong impression. It’s very kind of you to come meet with us, when I’m sure there are other things you could be doing.” Astrid put her shoulders back slightly, straightening. “But whether you realize it or not, you’re the very reason we women need groups like this.” With a wave of her hand, she gestured to the other ladies gathered in the room. “You have nothing in common with us. You inherited a successful business from your father, who was already a prominent businessman, and your greatest achievement is to not yet have run it into the ground. Other people have given you everything you’ve ever needed. As a man, you can get a position on the Chamber of Commerce or the Fair Board or the IFCT or the London Business Council or whatever, and know that when you talk, people will listen. And I’m very happy that you have the money to own a shop and rent a booth at the World’s Fair, but to assume that everyone else is in the same position as you demonstrates how completely clueless you are about the plight of women business owners in this city. So no, you haven’t said anything to offend me. Everything about you offends me.”

The room had gone silent, and Eli stood frozen, staring down into Astrid’s face, into her dark eyes that suddenly widened as she realized the magnitude of what she had just said. She flushed, her face and neck and collarbones turning a rosy shade of pink, and she pressed one hand to her lips before turning and rushing from the room.

As she left, Eli watched her go with numb shock. Her words had been incredibly rude, and he couldn’t help but feel stung. What shocked him the most, though, was his sudden and overwhelming urge to kiss her.
About the Author:

Elia Winters has always been a New England girl, despite having spent much of her childhood in Florida. She holds a degree in English Literature and teaches at a small rural high school where she runs too many extracurricular activities. She balances her love of the outdoors with a bottomless well of geekiness.

Elia dabbles in many genres, but erotic romance has been one of her favorites since she first began sneaking her mother’s romance novels. In high school, she kept her friends entertained with a steady stream of naughty stories and somehow never got caught passing them around. Her erotic fiction and poetry have been published online at Clean Sheets and Scarlet Letters under a different name. Elia currently lives in New England with her loving husband and their odd assortment of pets.

Elia’s virtual life is as busy as her real life.
Website: http://eliawinters.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/eliawinters
Tumblr: http://eliawinters.tumblr.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eliawinters
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/eliawinters
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/eliawinters

Buy the book at Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other ebook retailers.

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Love at First Flight by Tess Woods - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Tess will be awarding an eCopy of Love at First Flight to 3 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Looking back on it now, I can see it was instant. the second we locked eyes. Boom. Just like that. the me I had spent a lifetime perfecting began its disintegration from that moment. And despite the carnage it brought to all our lives, I still don't regret it.

What would you risk to be with the love of your life? And what if your soul mate is the one who will destroy you?

Mel is living the dream. She's a successful GP, married to a charming anaesthetist and raising a beautiful family in their plush home in Perth. But when she boards a flight to Melbourne, she meets Matt and her picture perfect Stepford life unravels as she falls in love for the first time ever.

Enjoy an excerpt:

I knew within minutes of meeting him I was in deep, deep trouble. The power of my attraction to him blindsided me. For well over a decade I’d seen other men as nothing more than moving shadows, their features indistinct. But the intensity of his coffee-coloured eyes was impossible to ignore.

When he inadvertently confessed he found me beautiful, I felt the guilty pleasure of my stomach sink. His baffling desire for me made it a struggle to maintain my composure. It took all my self-control not to physically respond to him in the way my body yearned to, and that terrified me.

It was his eyes that undid me. Nobody had ever stared into me the way he did, as if he was hungry for me. And I craved him strongly in return.

I was shamefully turned on by how young he was. There was a raw masculine edge to his pale unshaven appearance. His tall, taut and lean body, with wild, curly brown hair that fell over his eyes when he looked down, was so incredibly sexy.

I’d never felt this physical about a man in my life, including Adam. And Adam was no bridge troll. Any woman with a heartbeat could see how handsome Adam was. He was built like a Greek god, thanks to his rigorous daily early morning routine of running, surfing and weight training. His perpetual tan contrasted with his sparkling light blue eyes, his smile was always wide and welcoming, and his wavy blond hair, only just beginning to be speckled with grey.

Adam was the object of much swooning from the staff at the hospital where he worked, mothers at our children’s schools, and our friends alike. His wealth and charming personality didn’t hurt him in that department either.

I was considered by many far too lucky to have landed him, I was sure. I definitely thought he looked great, especially when I compared him to my friend’s husbands of a similar age who had succumbed to middle age with balding heads and beer bellies. Occasionally, Adam would step out of the shower and it would make me mildly excited, but those moments were few and far between.

Although I was married to an Adonis, Greek gods had never been my type. On the flight, I had discovered what my type very much was.

It wasn’t just physically that Matt was the catalyst for my analysing Adam like this.. He was so intense! I loved that. And it made me wish Adam was that intense.

It never ceased to amaze me how serious Adam was when it came to work and sport. At home his constantly relaxed attitude infuriated me no end. It was something I’d initially found charming about him; his easy jokey manner, so different from my own. And he was a clown who made me laugh a lot. But somewhere on the flight I realised that I wanted a side serve of passion with the pleasant.

It was as if the blinkers were suddenly off and I realised I didn’t want my husband the way I wanted a stranger on a plane.

Adam was loud, extroverted, funny and immensely popular, typical of someone so affable. He was gregarious without being obnoxious. Adam was Mr Likeable. His unshakeable self-assurance and magnetism drew people to him. He had more friends than he had time to spend with them. And he was always in a good mood around me or anybody else. Always. If something played on his mind, he would disappear for a few hours to play golf on his own or go run it out in the soft sand, and then come home again, as smiley as ever. Always perfect.

On occasion it drove me crazy, this perennial cheerfulness of his. But whenever I complained about how unnatural it was, he told me to be grateful I wasn’t married to a grumpy old bastard. And I would laugh and realise he was right. Until now.

Matt had shown more hurt, anger and frustration in a few hours than I’d seen from Adam in years. And that turned me on more than anything. Everything about Matt that was different to Adam turned me on. Whereas Adam managed to make new friends going to the shops for milk, Matt had admitted he felt misunderstood by most people he met and that, through choice, he could count his friends on one hand. That turned me on.

Even their voices were different. Adam had a deep and booming baritone with a reassuring smoothness to it. The perfect doctor’s voice. Matt’s voice was low and husky, bordering on raspy. He sounded as though he had either been partying too hard or smoking too many cigarettes. It was the sexiest voice I’d ever heard.

That a man so dramatically different from my husband elicited such desire from me was wrong. Of course I knew that. But somewhere mid-air between Perth and Melbourne I was honest with myself about my feelings for Adam for the first time. I had experienced niggles of doubt through the years, and sometimes those niggles were annoyingly loud, but I had successfully shut them down. Adam’s perfect, I would tell myself. He’s perfect. Be grateful. And that had worked until I met Matt.

About the Author:

Tess Woods is a health professional who lives in Perth, Australia with one husband, two children, one dog and one cat who rules over all of them. Love at First Flight is her first novel.

When she isn't working or being a personal assistant to her kids, Tess enjoys reading and all kinds of grannyish pleasures like knitting, baking, drinking tea, watching Downton Abbey and tending to the veggie patch.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tesswoods.harpercollins
Website: http://www.tesswoods.com.au/
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The Color of Clouds by J.C. Whyte - Book Review and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. J.C. Whyte will be awarding a free ebook to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other reviews on the tour.

Pedro’s on a mission. But not your everyday, run-of-the-mill type mission. Because Pedro is dead.

That’s right. Dead.

Spirit guide Pedro normally busies himself with conveying messages from departed loved ones through a psychic named Gwen. But when he encounters a recently deceased teenager, the boy’s anguish just about breaks Pedro’s heart. So the spirit guide decides to try and help this boy. Yet meddling in the affairs of the living is a troublesome business, as Pedro soon discovers.

Nevertheless, he convinces Gwen to take an ocean voyage, and that’s when the trouble begins. Within days of leaving port, two passengers on the cruise ship fall into a mysterious coma. Gwen seeks Pedro’s help to restore these passengers, but natural as well as unnatural obstacles keep getting in the way. And by the time the ship docks in Honolulu, the still-living are flat out scrambling for their lives!

A playful blend of science fiction and the paranormal, The Color of Clouds offers a glimpse into the unseen world while taking the reader on an extraordinary ride. The adventure includes danger, mystery, humor, sweet romance and even a dash of thriller.

But the clouds are not what you think.

Review:

What a fun story! These characters are so much fun to hang out with. We spend most of the time with the passengers on the Iron Maiden, with a side story that eventually entwines with the Iron Maiden story (see the excerpt for part of the side story).

We have a first person narrator for part of the book, Pedro, who is a ghost/spirit guide who helps Gwen help the living through their grieving by allowing them to connect with their loved ones who have passed over. I would have loved to see more of Gwen and her sister, Jo, and would love to see them in another story with Pedro.

The book is a blend -- it's not just paranormal with the ghosts wandering around: there's a solid base of science fiction to explain the other level/plane of existence as well as a murder mystery. It's quite well done and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

My favorite characters have to be the older couple: Ernst and Sylvie. If the author wants to bring them back in the next book, that's fine with me! They are a hoot.

A wonderful effort for the author's debut adult book! 4 flowers for me.

Enjoy an excerpt:

There was an element of danger in these dives, especially because of the predatory sharks in the area. Yet it was unlikely a shark would attack the divers. Tiger and Galapagos sharks were the most aggressive, but even they preferred fish, turtles, and seals to humans. So although he felt pretty confident, Drew still kept one eye on Carly.

But as the six divers began their survey, a strange light lit up one end of the reef, diffusing illumination as if a floodlight were shining upon it. This light was also inching closer and closer to the divers. When it was near enough to touch, Drew stuck his arm into the light and instantly the arm disappeared inside it. Frightened, he quickly withdrew his limb. Yet now the arm felt dead as it dangled at his side, refusing to respond to commands.

Carly was too busy taking measurements to notice. But the light kept moving. And before Drew could act, it fully engulfed his wife. She instantly collapsed, dropped from the reef and started to drift into deeper water. He charged after her, kicking harder than he knew he could. But with dogged determination and a single full-functioning arm, he managed to bring Carly’s limp body to the water’s surface.

Drew was now in a full-blown panic. Reaching the boat, he shouted for help; the others quickly pulled Carly on board.

“What happened?” asked one of the crewmen.

“I...I don’t know. Some mysterious light...” Drew coughed and gulped some air. “It passed over her, and she...” He shook his head in disbelief.

“Still breathing,” noted another crewman as he removed her mouthpiece from around her neck and pulled off her oxygen tank.

When Drew lifted Carly’s mask with his good hand, he was stunned to see her blank-looking eyes staring wide open at him.

About the Author:

J.C. Whyte discovered her love for writing while still in elementary school, creating children’s stories. But as an adult, J.C. had to face the harsh reality that such writing seldom pays the bills. So she earned degrees in both Journalism and Communications, and then turned to Public Relations, where for ten years she focused her creative energies into feature writing.

After marriage, kids, several more degrees and occupations (including stints as a travel agent and paralegal), J. C. entered law school. While there, she became a columnist for the school newsletter and later, one of her humorous articles was even published in The National Jurist.

Graduating and passing the Bar, J.C. realized within a few short years that creative writing was still what made her heart sing. So now, as a grandma, she has returned to where her life’s calling began, beginning in 2013 with publication of her children’s book Karmack and now in 2015 with her first novel for adults, The Color of Clouds.

Buy the book at Amazon.

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Entropy by Robert Raker - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Robert will be awarding a $10 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 the tour.

When a series of child abductions and murders disrupt the life of an economically blighted community, the consequences have far-reaching implications. The brutal crimes take a different toll on a disparate group of individuals; the scuba diver who retrieves the children’s bodies; the disfigured cellist who thinks he knows who’s responsible; the undercover federal agent; and the mother of one of the victim’s. United in a situation not of their choosing, they are forced to take a deep, introspective look into their intersected, yet isolated lives.

Enjoy an excerpt:

The Diver

The bloated, distended corpses of the people whose shortened lives I had retrieved from the water were clearly visible in the immature patterns of condensation that evaporated gradually on the mirror.



You can find a longer excerpt here.

About the Author: Robert Raker graduated with a degree in Journalism from the University of Pittsburgh. He currently resides in Philadelphia where he enjoys art, music, literature and live theater. He is currently working on his next novel.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RobertRaker1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Entropy-by-Robert-Raker/521775927864242?ref=hl
Website: http://www.robertrakerbooks.com
Publisher's Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/wattlepub
Publisher's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WattlePublishing
Publisher's Website: http://www.wattlepublishing.com

Buy the ebook at Amazon US, Amazon UK, iBooks, or Kobo.

Buy the paperback at Amazon US, Amazon UK, or Wordery.

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The Hydra Offensive by Joshua K. Johnson - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Joshua will be awarding a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour an ebook containing short stories set in the same world as the novel, titled The Chesian Wars. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The nation of Ansgar is divided.

In the east, King Eadric Garrard has crushed one rebellion but gets no rest as the rebellion in the West is rapidly spiraling out of control. If he can't get things in line soon, his reign could be at an end.

Raedan Clyve has traveled across the Vast Sea to secure treaties and trade. Unchecked in his studies of magic, his powers are growing beyond his control. The dark path he has set himself on leads to destruction and chaos, but is it too late to turn back?

Kyrie Salas captains the Dragon's Breath, chartered to carry the Western emissaries across the world. She sees the potential in Raedan and seeks to harness it. But will her emotions get the best of her?

War has raged, battles have been fought, and lives lost. But the conflict for the future of Ansgar is just beginning.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Cadmus Reid was slow and methodical with his shots, carefully choosing his next mark. He was looking for officers to cause chaos or sharpshooters to limit the risk to his men. The Loyalists were hiding on the other side of the valley, behind boulders and below the crest of the hills. The eastern skirmishers were limiting their exposure, only presenting themselves long enough to find a target and fire.

Cadmus squinted as he looked up the sundrenched hills. The enemies had multiplied; where once a handful of skirmishers had been, now dozens were firing. Every hill on the eastern side of the valley was suddenly populated by a hundred Loyalist soldiers.

“They’re going to make their move soon,” Cadmus said to Gared as he reloaded again.

The increasing volume of fire was meant to frighten the western skirmishers: only a fool would expose himself to so much flying lead. Cadmus was unmoved by the tactic. He’d used the same tactic five years ago in the fight to free the Broken Plains Barony from foreign invaders and orcish mercenaries. A particularly deadly group of orcs had taken up in a temple. He’d fired volley after volley to distract them while another platoon had circled around to flush the mercenaries out. He had never expected to be on the receiving end and it bothered him that there was no effective way for him to counter the tactic. A regular infantry company would have a light gun or two to throw shells at the enemy from range. Skirmishers had no such luxury.

The first boom of cannon-fire echoed over the valley and the shot whistled as it fell. The enemy guns would have been placed on the plains beyond the far hills. Their angle would be poor and they would be relying on the scouts to direct their fire. The first rounds sailed over the western soldiers to slam into the ground far behind them. Solid shot against his skirmishers would be dangerous, but at least they weren’t explosive shells. The fragments of iron balls would be deadly.

What must have been a brigade of Loyalist troops flooded over the eastern hills, some firing at Cadmus and his men, others trying to load their rifles as they ran. Cadmus counted the flags.

“Signal a withdrawal,” he said. “Make for the swamps!”

About the Author:Joshua Johnson is the author of "Gunpowder Fantasy" The Cerberus Rebellion and the creator of the Griffins & Gunpowder universe. When he isn't working or spending time with his family, he writes novels, short stories and novellas.

He currently lives in Northern Illinois with his wife and young children.

http://www.gunpowderfantasy.com
https://twitter.com/authorjkjohnson
https://www.facebook.com/authorjkjohnson

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A Reaper of Stone by Mark Genineau and Joe King - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A Lady is dead. Her noble line ended. And the King’s Reaper has come to reclaim her land and her home. In the marches of Aedaron, only one thing is for certain. All keeps of the old world must fall.

Elinor struggles to find her place in the new world. She once dreamed of great things. Of becoming a hero in the ways of the old world. But now she is a Reaper. And her duty is clear. Destroy the old. Herald the new.

Enjoy an excerpt:

The girl put a hand on his shoulder. Her voice was low. “Whatever happens next. You mustn’t move.”

And then the ground underneath the horse exploded upward and a pale white form the size of a wagon erupted into the air. The horse let out a scream that turned into a wet gurgle as white writhing tentacles enveloped the animal. The copper tang of blood filled the air and Conbert felt his stomach lurch.

He thought to go for the sword he carried at his side but he saw the girl’s eyes.

He held himself still as another of the creatures breached the drowning grass. It was a huge mass of rippling white flesh, except at the front where the mouth opened like an exposed wound. Massive tearing fangs lined the pink maw, and white tentacles writhed from the worm's throat, seeking the remnants of the thrashing horse. The two monsters tore the horse apart in seconds, powerful tentacles flaying meat from bone with horrific efficiency.

As the rendworms began to slide across the ground in their direction, Con felt a terror urging him to run. He fought against it, trying to focus instead on the perfect stillness of the young girl. The huge worms slid past them.

And then as Con held his breath, the girl moved.

The young cadet was fast and sure as she darted forward. She struck out with the mace, swinging it with both hands, and smashing it into the rendworm’s side. There was a loud crack, and Con knew that somewhere inside the sinuous horror a bone had broken under the blow.

About the Authors: Mark and Joe have been writing and telling stories together for the last 25 years. They share a love for the classic fantasy tales of their childhood. Their Echoes of the Ascended series brings those old epic characters and worlds to new life.

Website: http://www.gelineauandking.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gelineauandking
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gelineauandking

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Amazon author page:
Mark - http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Gelineau/e/B00I6TQUCE
Joe - http://www.amazon.com/Joe-King/e/B01460OK50

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145JMBDA FREE for a limited time.

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The Cottage on the Border by Hannah Warren - Review and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Hannah will be awarding a $10 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 the tour.

Jenna's earliest memory is of her mother's feet dangling in dust motes, as a three year old left orphaned while her mother's corpse hung from a beam. Her mother committed suicide, that's how she escaped and freed herself. When her own life falls apart Jenna's earliest memory becomes her anchor, she too wants to be free.

Vincent Van Son is Jenna's adopted brother, her psychiatrist, perhaps her only friend. He takes her to the Cottage for recovery, determined to rescue his sister from herself after her failed suicide attempt. The cottage on the border is at Oud Land, and is the location of many dark secrets.

Jenna's close call with death leaves her open to the psychic world, and in this cottage in the onset of a misty winter, Jenna hears them, the voices of the past, memories of what happened on the border. It becomes a journey to herself. She has to listen, to witness, she has no choice. Their stories are her story, and it is a long heritage of murder, deceit, ethnic discourse and betrayal.

Perspective returns to the introspective prima ballerina, she has learned the truth of her family, of this cottage of psychic confessions. She alone emerges from the rubble of six decades of troubled family history, a lone phoenix.

The Cottage on The Border is a tale of murder, mystery, intrigue, familial despair, heartbreak, and spiritual resurrection.

Our Review:

This is not only the story of Jenna and her recovery from her suicide attempt; there are other stories within the story that help explain Jenna's life - a masterful undertaking and a beautiful first book in the Jenna Kroon trilogy.

Ms. Warren weaves a beautifully written psychological mystery that reaches back into Jenna's family history. It's not a book to be rushed through -- there is the surface story and then there are the stories within the stories as Jenna psychically learns what happened in that cottage long before she was born.

It's hard to go into details of the stories without giving away spoilers, but if you are a fan of psychological dramas, family sagas, or just beautifully written prose, give this book a try. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. 4 flowers.

Enjoy an excerpt:

He aimed his Micro Uzi with almost leisurely ease. It was the first time his target was a human being and a powerful, undeniable desire, took hold of Markus. He sought out a young man with a bright blue shirt and brown pants, short curly hair, the ebony skin lighting up in the late afternoon sun.

With angry fists the black man was banging on the doors of the warehouse where the white men who had raped Gabra Telahun Ketsela were hiding. The distance was too great for Markus to hear what his target was yelling, but the degree of distress he displayed made clear he must be related to the girl.

Markus kept him in sight, following his elegant moves, the slim, tall body; pure anger in a naked soul. He took in every detail of the man and his entire life sprang up before him. How he had walked barefooted through deserts in his homeland, sat cross-legged in front of the family tent, drinking coffee, laughing, discussing the world. This was an intelligent man.

Born under different circumstances, in another country he could have been a doctor or a lawyer. But now he wasn’t going to be either, ever, anywhere. This nameless Ethiopian would have to pay for all Markus had never achieved himself, because he too was born under circumstances that could never lead to a better life. As he fired, Markus became one with the man that fell. He fell with him.

About the Author:

Hannah Warren was born in Paris (Fr.) in 1956 as a second child to a Dutch father and an English mother. She has lived in The Netherlands almost all her life but maintains strong ties with her own favourite triangle: France, UK and Holland.

Hannah studied Dutch literature and Mass Communication at the University of Amsterdam and later obtained a B.A. in English Literature and Language and a B.A. in Translation from Rotterdam University. After having been a lecturer and a translator for many years, she now works as a staff member at the International Office of HZ University of Applied Sciences in Vlissingen.

Her free-time is taken up by writing fiction and doing Yoga. She also likes going on long hikes while listening to audiobooks. After having been a single mum for nearly two decades, her three children have flown the nest. The great sadness that befell Hannah in March 2014 was the loss of her eldest child, daughter Joy, who died after an intense two-year struggle against bile duct cancer. Currently her second child, son Ivor, is fighting a brain tumour. Her whole life and the future of her children (-in-law) is totally upside down. Writing fiction is Hannah’s main outlet in her grief.

From the age of 8, Ms Warren has written poetry, novels and short stories but it took her over 50 years to become a published author. In the past four years she signed with two small Indie publishing houses, who released Hannah’s first two novels, a literary romance and a suspenseful family saga. She is currently writing the sequel to the second book and also a five-book series about five generations of daughters between 1876 and 2015. Hannah found her niche in writing fictional stories about strong women who lead challenging lives.

Hannah is very happy to have been accepted by the Irish publishing house Tirgearr Publishing in March 2015. On 22 May Tirgearr published Hannah’s two earlier published books Casablanca, My Heart and The Cottage on The Border, first book in The Jenna Kroon Series.

Website and blog: http://www.hannahwarrenauthor.com
Tirgearr author site with links to books: http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Warren_Hannah/index.htm
FB author page: http://on.fb.me/1MYgP5Q
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1FqXlpN
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1CJNNUE
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The Return of the Jerk by Andrea Simonne - Spotlight and Giveaway

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

Wedding cake baker Blair Thomas loves her life. Her business is thriving, her Seattle condo has a great view of the water, and her refurbished ‘65 convertible Mustang “Isadora” is the coolest car ever. She barely even thinks about that jerk she married five years ago. The one who abandoned her after four months of marriage. The one who left a note on her pillow saying, “See you later, babe.”

Seriously, who does that?

So what if she was once obsessively in love with him. He’s her best friend’s older brother and for years he barely even knew she was alive. He never loved her, and he only married her because of a drunken mistake. At least she’s over him.

Definitely over him.

The only problem is Blair never got around to divorcing him so technically they’re still married. And after five years of traveling the world—Nathan “Road” Church—has finally decided to come home. He arrived on Blair’s doorstep this morning, and now he’s in her bathroom taking a shower. The nerve of him! Oh, and did I mention he’s still hot? Blair doesn’t know what to do.

The jerk has returned.

Warning: Contains one sexy jerk, humorous situations, a heroine with obsessive compulsive disorder, cussing and swearing, steamy love scenes, and references to a part of the male anatomy that doesn’t crow like a rooster – but certainly rises in the early morning.

Enjoy an excerpt:

“Is that Road?” Natalie and Ginger both ask when they see her headed toward the front. The bakery is worse than a sorority house sometimes, everybody knowing everybody else’s business.

Blair sighs. “Tall, blond, and straight-up hot?”

They both nod. “Very hot,” Natalie says with a grin.

“Yes, that’s him.”

Ginger gives her a look. “If that was my husband, I’m pretty sure I’d never divorce him. Maybe you guys should try and work it out.”

“Not this situation.” Blair doesn’t bother taking her white chef’s coat off. She wants Road to be reminded that she’s at work and doesn’t have time for any big discussions.

She heads out front and sees him right away, standing near their pastry case. Her insides do their usual flutter at the sight of him.

He nods. “Hey, princess.”

“I’m working, so I don’t have a lot of time.”

“Give me your hand.”

“Why?”

He reaches down and takes her hand. His are warm and dry, and his touch makes her breath catch. She feels him put something into hers.

“What’s this?” She looks down in surprise. He’s given her the Honda keys.

“Not planning to take much of your time. Just stopped by to get the keys to my car and give those back to you.”

Blair shakes her head. “I’m sorry, but I’m not giving you Isadora’s keys.”

“Excuse me?”

“I think you heard me.”

Road goes silent, stares at her with his eyes laser focused. They narrow. “No, don’t think I did hear you correctly. Sounded like you just told me you’re keeping my car.”

“I believe I have a claim to her.”

“No, you don’t. Now hand over the keys.”

“I’ve spent thousands on her so, yes, I do have a claim.”

“Said I’d write you a check, remember?”

Blair doesn’t reply, just turns her head back toward the kitchen to indicate she needs to get back to work.

“Cut the shit, Blair. Give me the keys to my car. Now.”

She hesitates at the demand in his voice, but then remembers how Road abandoned Isadora, just left her sitting in the driveway. He didn’t care. I care, though.

“No,” Blair tells him.

Road is studying her. “So, this is how you want to play it?”

“I’m not giving you Isadora. Like I said, she’s mine.”

Road lets out a frustrated breath.

“Feel free to use the Honda for as long as you need it. I think that’s generous.” She holds the Honda’s keys out for Road, dangling them between two fingers.

He glances at them and steps closer to her, speaking in low growl. “You don’t want to tangle with me, babe. Trust me, you’ll lose.”

“We’ll see.”

The two of them stay that way. Blair sees the way he’s assessing her. She doesn’t back down, though. Instead, she meets his assessment head-on and, in fact, starts doing some assessing of her own. She already knows Road won’t back down if he thinks he’s right.

But I’m the one who’s right this time.

About the Author:Andrea Simonne grew up as an army brat and discovered she had a talent for creating personas at each new school. The most memorable was a surfer chick named "Ace" who never touched a surf board in her life, but had an impressive collection of puka shell necklaces. Eventually she turned her imagination towards writing. Andrea still enjoys creating personas, though these days they occupy her books. She currently makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons.

Website: http://www.andreasimonne.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AndreaSimonne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.simonne.author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8557240.Andrea_Simonne

You can buy Return of the Jerk at Amazon.

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Under the Covers by Claire Boston - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Claire will be awarding ebook copies of What Goes on Tour and All that Sparkles, the first two books in The Texan Quartet to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What if the one time you didn't want love was when you truly needed it?

Forced to flee her abusive ex, alone with no support, Elle is determined to rebuild her life and protect her five-year-old son. Not one to take the easy road, she opens a bookshop café, but opening day almost ends in disaster. In the midst of this chaos, the last thing she needs is a man as charming as George Jones getting in her way.

George has always been a sucker for a damsel in distress, and Elle ticks all the boxes. But Elle's not interested in being rescued by anyone, especially not him. She knows her taste in men can't be trusted, but fighting George's charisma is harder than she expected. And George, who is not one to ignore an itch, has found there's something about Elle that's got under his skin.

When Elle's ex turns up to cause trouble, George must overcome his boyish flirtatiousness if he's to convince Elle to trust herself and let him into her life. But can Elle put her past behind her before it overwhelms her present?

Enjoy an excerpt:

Elle and George have agreed to be friends. George has invited her to a friend’s house for a barbeque and he’s just got out of the swimming pool.

Elle turned to find George toweling himself dry. He was standing close, too close really, and some of the water from his hair flicked on to her. It was suddenly difficult to breathe. George was a formidable presence with his clothes on, but without them he was magnetic. His chest was muscled and she itched to run her hands over it. She backed up a step.

“Sorry,” he said and grinned.

“I should help Toby with his dinner,” she said.

“Kate’s got him taken care of,” George said.

She had. Toby and Kate had found seats together at the table and Toby had some ribs on his plate. Kate handed him the potato salad and they both seemed perfectly happy.

Elle acknowledged the pinch of loss – her little boy was growing up and didn’t need her any more – but part of her was pleased. She didn’t want him to be clingy, didn’t want him to be scared of the world.

George handed her a plate. “Help yourself.”

He’d yet to put on his T-shirt and the temptation to help herself to something else was strong.

She shook her head, surprised at herself. She hadn’t been interested in sex for years; she’d hated the way Dean had made her feel so vulnerable, had her begging him for release. The last thing she should be feeling now was attraction for someone she was determined not to get involved with, as anything other than a friend.

Without benefits.

About the Author:Claire Boston is the best-selling author of The Texan Quartet. In 2014 she was nominated for an Australian Romance Readers Award as Favourite New Romance Author.

Her debut contemporary romance novel, What Goes on Tour caught the attention of Momentum’s Joel Naoum when her first scene was read aloud at the Romance Writers’ of Australia (RWA) conference in 2013. This led to a four book contract for The Texan Quartet series.

Claire is proactive in organising social gatherings and educational opportunities for local authors. She is an active volunteer for RWA, as a mentor for aspiring authors and the reader judge coordinator.

When Claire’s not writing she can be found in the garden attempting to grow vegetables, or racing around a vintage motocross track. If she can convince anyone to play with her, she also enjoys cards and board games.

Claire lives in Western Australia, just south of Perth, with her husband, who loves even her most annoying quirks, and her grubby, but adorable Australian bulldog.

Website: http://www.claireboston.com
Blog: http://www.claireboston.com/blog
Reader Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/Z4-4z
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/clairebostonauthor
Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/clairebostonauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/clairebauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/clairebostonauthor
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe9YKmz-ORDtYaNG17hM5BA


Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, GooglePlay, Kobo, or iBooks.

Published Works

2014: What Goes on Tour: The Texan Quartet #1 Momentum
2015: All that Sparkles: The Texan Quartet #2 Momentum
2015: Under the Covers: The Texan Quartet #3 Momentum
2016: Into the Fire: The Texan Quartet #4 Momentum

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The Biker and the Banker's Daughter by David Spiteri - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. David will be awarding an eCopy of The Biker and the Banker's Daughter to 3 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Mimi had never been on a motorbike before she met Peter Winifred, president of the Miners Motorcycle club. He is smitten the second they meet, but she isn't so sure she wants the life of the Prez's girl.

These are saucy selected scenes that reveal the sexy underbelly of an outlaw motorcycle club, taken from the bestselling true-to-life novel THE PREZ.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Winnie was lying in bed trying to recall what had happened the night before; all he could think of was Mimi — he could still smell her perfume — but he couldn’t work out exactly what had happened. He opened the back door and saw his mates lounging around the backyard.

‘You sheriffing cunt,’ Brian yelled. It was a good thing he smiled.

‘I know. Do you want to know what happened?’

‘Yeah,’ they all answered, anticipating a lewd story.

‘When we went for our stroll in the sand dunes we sat down and she rolled me a smoke of marijuana.’

‘The bikies in the States are into that,’ said Kev. ‘What was it like?’

‘Better than piss, mate. We both just lay there smoking while I played with her titties. Fuck, they were nice.’

‘Yeah, I noticed,’ Brian said and grabbed his crotch.

‘Go on, Winnie, what happened?’ Ocker always wanted to know every dirty detail.

‘It turns out she’s some rich cunt’s daughter from Rose Bay. You wouldn’t believe it, after you blokes left I was trying to think where I could take her when she jumped off, got in a taxi, said thank you and fucked off. I still can’t believe it.’

‘Bullshit,’ said Kev and the boys laughed until they almost cried.

‘Fucking oath, boys, I suppose she’s telling her rich girlfriends all about it by now. The only good thing about last night was the marijuana. There could be a decent earn in that for us. We’d better look into it.’

About the Author: David Spiteri was a founding member and President of one of Australia's first biker gangs. He is 'semi-retired' from the club now. He saw outlaw motorcycle clubs (OMCs) develop from loose affiliations of like-minded riders to the well structured and well connected groups we see today, with links to police, politicians and lawyers. David lives in Rosebank, Northern NSW. Find the author at Facebook. Buy the book at Amazon.

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Picture Me, a Mystery by Amy Schisler - Spotlight and Giveaway

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

Melissa Grant has escaped the clutches of death, not once, not twice, but three times. While she considers this to be divine intervention, her assailant is sure that her luck will run out, and the authorities are suspicious that Melissa isn’t as innocent as she seems. Implicated in the murders of two of her closest friends, and running from both a hit man and the law, Melissa does what is thought to be impossible in the 21st Century – she disappears. Julie Lawson has no family, no friends, and no past. She spends her days photographing the country and her nights tossing and turning as nightmares plague her sleep. While passing through the town of St. Brendan, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Julie finds some things she hasn’t had in a very long time – a home, friends, and love. For the first time in two years, Julie can see her future, but she can attain it only by surviving a predator from her past. Eric West has a past of his own that he is trying to forget. His return to his hometown keeps his demons away until he meets Julie, and she stirs up emotions in him that he hasn’t felt in a long time. As he slowly begins to let go of this past, Eric tries to break down the walls that Julie has so tightly built around herself. Gaining her trust one small act at a time, and hiring the best investigator in DC to dig for answers, Eric opens the Pandora’s Box to Julie’s past which threatens all of their futures.

Enjoy an excerpt:

With her heart beating wildly, under the cover of the loud music, she tiptoed toward the bedroom window where the fire escape was. Praying that the man would not turn toward the bedroom, she quietly raised the window while holding her breath and praying it wouldn’t make a sound. Not daring to look back, she dropped herself onto the landing, sucking in frigid air and almost choking as her feet hit the icy metal.

Melissa flew down the fire escape slipping and sliding on the smooth, glassy coating. Her bare foot slipped out from under her on the last step sending her reeling back onto the stairs and hitting her head. Looking up, she saw the masked man lean out of the window above her.

Melissa had no time to even check her head for blood as she wrenched herself from the sidewalk and ran for her life.

About the Author:

Amy MacWilliams Schisler, of Bozman, has been writing all of her life for fun and as a freelance writer. A graduate of University of Maryland College Park with a Masters of Library and Information Science, Amy has resided in Talbot County for 21 years. She was employed as a school library media specialist at White Marsh Elementary and Chapel District Elementary and a reference librarian at Chesapeake College. For the past eight years, she has operated her own computer tutoring service working primarily with senior citizens while spending as much time as possible writing. Amy was a contributing editor for the reference series Best Books For Libraries 2004 Edition and is included in Who’s Who Among American Women.

Schisler’s first children’s book, Crabbing With Granddad, is an autobiographical work about spending a day harvesting the Maryland Blue Crab and is available in local stores and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum as well as on Amazon. Sarah Book Publishing released Schisler’s novel, A Place to Call Home, in August of 2014. A revised second edition was released in March 2015.

Picture Me, A Mystery was released on August 17, 2015. The book follows the plight of a young woman as she journeys across the country assuming one identity after another in order to stay alive. When she lands in a small port town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and meets the man of her dreams, she lets her guard down and puts her heart and her life in danger.

A former librarian and teacher, Amy now lives in Bozman, Maryland with her husband, three daughters, and two dogs where she is very involved in her local community. Amy is the leader of Girl Scout Troop 453, Director of Summer Roundup Girl Scout Camp, and active in her family’s church and school.

Email: contact@amyschislerauthor.com
http://amyschislerauthor.com
http://amyschisler.wordpress.com
http://facebook.com/amyschislerauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/amyschisler
Twitter @AmySchislerAuth
Instagram: amyschisler

Amy has been featured on:
OmniMystery News
Noisetrade.com
Southern Maryland News
Tea at Trianon Blog
Amy’s newest book is available on Amazon.

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Fear for Hire by Natalie S. Ellis -

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Natalie will be awarding an eCopy of Fear for Hire to 3 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Jack Wylie is tall, dark, handsome and brave - he's everything you'd want in a kidnapper.

Ex-cop Jack Wylie is a born protector, tormented by the day he misjudged a criminal and his life took a tragic turn. Now he's on a mission to kidnap a woman to help her overcome a fear of being tied up.

He's been told by his psychologist brother to keep up the game until the woman gives him the sign. But there has been a big mistake. Jack has accidentally abducted the feisty and beautiful Molly Rhoades - a newly arrived local TV reporter who has secrets of her own. And she doesn't know the sign.

After a dangerous and unlikely meeting, Jack and Molly find themselves consumed by sexual tension, but things get even more complicated when Molly finds out that Jack is engaged to the local Councilwoman Amanda Everett, a ruthless career climber determined to succeed no matter what the cost.

But why did Jack kidnap Molly in the first place? Who is pulling the strings in this perverted puppet show? Jack vows to protect Molly until he finds out the truth, but the layers of deception and vengeance run deeper than he could have ever imagined.

Enjoy an excerpt:

She was ready for him when he came back.

After several frantic tries, she arranged the comforter on the bed, hoping it looked like she was lying beneath it. Now, she waited behind the door. The only weapons she had were her legs, but with five years of kickboxing under her belt, she knew the vulnerable areas to target on a man to overpower him. Groin. Throat. Nose. Finding those areas blindfolded would be the real kicker.

She inhaled a slow breath. The key jingled in the lock. She tensed, preparing her body to deliver swift, precise hits. Bending one knee, she kept the other resting against the side of the door to feel it open. Without her hands for balance, it’d be difficult to stay on her feet after landing. If she didn’t connect with solid flesh, she’d fall. She tried not to sweat the fact she’d never kicked a person before. He wasn’t a person — he was a monster.

By slow degrees the door brushed against her foot and she held a second, waiting for his first step into the room. Bounding to the left, she kicked up and out, hoping to catch him offguard and bean him under the nose, or at least the side of his face. Instead, her toes clattered against something hard, and warm chunks spattered her throat. Her lunch? Determined to do some damage, she leaped again and threw her entire body behind a kick in the same vicinity as the last. This time she connected with flesh.

A calloused hand wrapped around her foot and she tottered, one-legged, on the slippery floor. He released her before she toppled over, only to grab her by the tank. A rip sounded and the fabric over her breasts gave way.

He hauled her against his solid chest. “You’re becoming a real pain in the ass, Laura.” He spoke the words inches from her face, his breath hot on her lips. A hard hand clamped around her jaw, then gentled, stroking up the side of her cheek.

He was going to kiss her.

“My name isn’t Laura!”

About the Author:Natalie S. Ellis worked behind the scenes in TV news for sixteen years and will always miss the rush of a breaking story. But the seduction of writing a fiery romance with twisty suspense is even harder to resist, especially when she has a new curveball for the plot. Natalie enjoys living in her hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and attributes her cheerful attitude to empty nesting, a supportive family, and way too many lattés.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fearforhire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieSEllisNovels
Website: http://fearforhire.com

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HellKat by Robyn Roze - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Robyn will award one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter a $10 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stopst on the tour.

Kat James likes her men in suits, not cowboy boots. Is it time for a different kind of man?

Saddle up for a story filled with passion, mystery, unrequited love, and family drama. Can Tucker Williams prove he's the best man for Kat? Or will an old-flame win her back?

It won't matter, if Kat doesn't survive her family’s dangerous secret.

Enjoy an excerpt:

She hadn’t been prepared for the heavy-handed smack to her face that dropped her on all fours and blurred her vision. Leveraged on the coffee table, Kat reoriented her balance, cheek throbbing, the taste of iron on her tongue. She steadied herself to meet her brother’s furious stare. She dabbed at the warm blood pooled at the corner of her mouth while her eyes roamed the pristine white canvas of his starched business shirt, the narrow silk tie hanging perfectly straight. She swirled and centered the metal flavor in her mouth, then launched the red spray at him. He jumped back in obvious disgust, gawking at the contamination splattered on his custom-tailored shirt. His eyes, filled with loathing, flicked back to her, her sentence easy to read in them.

But he still hadn’t used the gun …

“If you haven’t already killed Kyle, you will.” The words, hard to think let alone speak, stuck in her throat. She swallowed the knot of emotion. “So I’m not negotiating with you. And you won’t use me to bring anyone else here. This is between you and me. And if these are my final hours, then they’re happening on my terms, not yours.”

Courage propelled her to take a step toward him.

The bewilderment on his face at her bold move empowered her. “I will make this messy. And I will make sure it all points back to you. This will not go according to your plan.” She paused. Her jaw ticked, and her lips turned up at one corner. “It will go according to mine.”

(HellKat by Robyn Roze, copyright 2015)

About the Author:Robyn Roze lives amongst the cornfields of the Midwest and telecommutes as an accountant. Writing was a childhood dream of Robyn’s. She won creative writing awards as a girl and teachers encouraged her to pursue a writing career. But pragmatism won out, and she boxed the dream away on the maybe-someday shelf.

Maybe-someday came for Robyn in 2013 when she published the Keeper Series, a new adult romantic suspense story. Then she shifted gears and decided to pen a novel with a much more mature cast—Chain of Title was born, her bestselling title. Readers have been loud in their demand for a sequel, and Robyn is currently working on the next chapter of Shayna and Sean's love story. And her latest book, HellKat, released in June 2015. All of Robyn’s stories contain one key element that her readers love: a strong, independent heroine.

When she’s not spending time with her fictional families, she loves to spend time with her real one: her high school sweetheart, their two moody teenagers, and a pampered rescue mutt.

HellKat Buy Link: Amazon - only $0.99

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Robyn-Roze/e/B00AZXCT5G/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Website: http://www.robynroze.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/robynrozeauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/robynroze
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobynRozeAuthor

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Thursday's Child: Far to Go by Polly Becks - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Polly is awarding one randomly chosen winner via Rafflecopter one 3-foot long stem rose in a glass vase from TheUltimateRose.com or similar florist; US only. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A percentage of the sales of this book will be donated to Children's International, a not-for-profit organization very close to the author's family's heart. Past books in the series have benefited The American Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, Tuesday's Children [a 9/11 charity], and The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

A mystery is introduced in No Ordinary Day, the first book in the Extraordinary Days series that is carried through all eight volumes and solved in the last book, Sunday's Child: Born on the Sabbath Day, due out in January of 2017.

In the late spring of 1991, a flood and fire of historic proportions tore through the pretty resort town of Obergrande, New York, in the central region of the Adirondack mountains.

The twin disasters destroyed a large part of the east side of the town that bordered the Hudson River and Lake Obergrande.

In the aftermath, a new dam was built, and that damaged part of the town “drowned,” covered by the new, larger lake.

During that terrible flood, five kindergarten girls were trapped in their drowning school, huddled together as the water rose higher, rescued just in the nick of time. The nightmare bonded them, and three others like them, to each other for life.

These are their stories.

International attorney and human rights advocate Elisa Santiago believes she has life under control—an impressive career, a solid group of friends in Obergrande, and a handsome law partner for hot “car action” when she needs release. Little does she know that her entire world is about to burn down when she discovers that nothing she believes she knows about herself and her past is true. Can the gorgeous former CIA operative, acting as her guide and guard as she returns to Colombia, the land of her birth, looking for answers, set her world on fire in a good way?

THURSDAY’S CHILD: Far to Go is the fifth book in the eight-book series The Extraordinary Days by breakthrough novelist Polly Becks. The first book, No Ordinary Day, tells the tale of an epic tragedy that changes life forever in a small town in the wild, mystic Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and the mystery surrounding that tragedy.

Read an excerpt:

They had assembled at the door of Sloane’s bedroom when Dr. Marlowe held up his hand.

“She should be sleeping,” he cautioned. “If she is, why don’t you all make yourselves comfortable in the room until she wakes up? She needs her rest, but I have to wake her up gently every few hours. She has until two-thirty or so to sleep, so she’s due to wake up shortly.”

Briony nodded, as did the other girls, and shifted her packages to her other side.

“I’ll wait out here,” said Ed, still puffing slightly. “I can see her after you’ve all had some time with her.”

Dr. Marlowe opened the door.

Sloane was sitting up in bed, awake, a dozen or more folders spread across her bed.

Marlowe rolled his eyes. “You’re not supposed to be working, Sloane. Where did you get those?”

“I’m not telling,” Sloane said, beaming as her friends came in the room. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We thought we might check on you since you just got out of the hospital, two days of which were in the ICU,” Corinne said pointedly. She strode to the bed and bent to her friend, hugging her gently, then stood up and filled her arms with an enormous, tissue-wrapped bouquet.

Sloane pulled back the papers, revealing half a dozen long, thick stems atop which were pointy, elegant blossoms with a fan of red-gold and violet-blue petals, and a larger green-and-rose-colored base.

“Birds of Paradise,” she murmured. “You remembered. Oh, Corinne, thank you.”

“Of course I remembered, after the lecture you gave me during the setup for my brother’s wedding a few years ago,” Corinne said. She sat down on the far end of Sloane’s enormous bed as Grace made her way toward the pillow end. “You said that Birds of Paradise were unique and classy and showed that someone cared enough to have them brought in, unlike roses and carnations and mums, which you can ‘get on every street corner,’ as I recall. As I watched you checking every table arrangement in the reception hall, I noticed how much they look like you, especially the red-gold colors. I also brought six singleton vases, since you told me they should always have their own ‘home.’ ”

Sloane’s eyes filled with tears as Grace bent over to hug her. When the pastor stood up, she opened the bakery box she was carrying.

“These are from MaryBeth Finley,” she said. “She sends her love—she still hasn’t gotten over watching you collapse at Charlie’s when she was waiting on you. She’s still worried it was some kind of food poisoning.”

“I’ve never heard of food—even bad food—causing a brain bleed before,” Sloane said, peering into the box, which was from Pancake Heaven, the other restaurant/bakery where MaryBeth worked. “Oooooo. What are these?”

“Vanilla-strawberry,” Grace said, tipping the box so that Sloane could better see the four puffy, exquisite cupcakes. “MaryBeth said to tell you that they’re vegan.”

Sloane dipped a finger into one and scooped up a swath of fluffy frosting. “I’m not a vegan,” she said as she stuck the tip of her finger into her mouth. “Mmmmm, these are insane.”

“Oh, I told her,” Grace said, straight-faced. “I assured her you have eaten way more meat than the rest of us put together.”

A shocked silence fell in the beautifully-decorated bedroom.

A deep throat rumble occurred in the doorway, from which Dr. Marlowe rapidly disappeared.

“Grace Fuller,” said Sloane, her eyes narrowing, “Reverend Grace Fuller—was that a deliberately dirty comment I just heard coming out of your saintly mouth?”

“Yep,” said Grace.

Sloane raised her hand slowly and Grace high-fived it.

About the Author:

Polly Becks has been making her living writing for more than twenty years, as well as working as an editor, curriculum developer, and teaching secondary-school Spanish. She has more than 350 books to her credit, mostly educational materials, as well as professionally published fiction in both the adult and YA market in a variety of genres, plus more than 30 Children’s books. She is excited about exploring the digital literature frontier and is honored to be the launch series for GMLTJoseph, LLC.

Website: http://www.pollybecks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PollyBecks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PollyBecks
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Polly-Becks/e/B00QDYJ72Y/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1433266673&sr=8-1
The Rose Contest: http://www.pollybecks.com/the-rose/
Blog Post on Release: http://www.pollybecks.com/meet-elisa-our-next-heroine

Buy Link: http://www.pollybecks.com/books/thursdays-child-far-to-go/.

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