The Week in Review: What I’m Reading 3-8-14

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Curse you, Daylight Savings Time!

medium_4236278556photo credit: Brandon Christopher Warren via photopin cc

Here it is. My least favorite weekend all year. Losing an hour of reading time…I mean, grading time. Yeah. That’s it.

I can’t really afford to lose an hour of sleep either.

But on the bright side–at least it’s not on my birthday this year. That’s not until Tuesday :)

small__5484844170photo credit: JD Hancock via photopin cc

So…I need to make the most of the little time I have this week, clearly.

Just this morning I finished reading Stim by Kevin Berry for a review later on this week. It was a nice accompaniment to The Rosie Project, which  I listened to last week. Both feature male narrator/main characters, which is quite a departure from the usual for me. Stay tuned for full reviews.

Next I started on Victoria James’s The Rancher’s Second Chance, which is a great read so far. I’ll follow up with the next installment in Susan Mallery’s Blackberry Island series, Evening Stars, and finish the week with Aphrodite’s War by Donna Milward. Piece of advice: don’t tick off a goddess.

I’d really, really like to squeeze in Kristan Higgins’s latest, Waiting on You, in there somewhere, but with report card grades closing it’ll probably have to wait until closer to the end of the month :(

On audio I’m finally listening to Divergent by Veronica Roth. Mini Moe #2 and the entire seventh grade class (well, the female portion, anyway) wore me down. Plus, MM#2 is going to want to see it opening weekend, and I’m practically incapable of seeing a movie based on a book without reading the book first, so…

I’m liking it, for the most part. Just this evening while doing the dinner dishes I started the half of the audiobook (which is “broken into parts to make the download faster”–can you tell I listen to a lot of Audible audiobooks?), so I’ll be definitely be done on time to buy the popcorn. So far I like Tris a whole heck of a lot better as a heroine than I liked Katniss, so maybe I’ll even read book two in this series. (And by “read” I mean listen to, of course. On my new iPod Nano. Which is due to arrive–on my birthday. Happy birthday to me!)

It probably will not brought to the house by an Imperial Stormtrooper, though.

Bummer.

What are you reading this week?

Jennifer Snyder (Author of Control You) Offers Her Take on Famous Writing Advice…and a Giveaway!

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Author Jennifer Snyder shares her two cents about some of the most famous advice from writers to writers…

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Three Pieces of Advice Authors Always Seem To Give:

There are three main things authors always seem to repeat when asked to give advice to aspiring authors. Here’s my take on each.

1) Write every day.

I believe it was Steven King who first said this, or at least I’m pretty sure that’s where I heard it first anyway. While I do believe this is helpful, I haven’t actually implemented this “rule” to the fullest. My process for writing seems to be shifting lately. I used to write Mon-Fri and then take a break on the weekends for family time and such, but with my last novel (the fourth in the Coldcreek series) I wrote for two weeks straight and knocked it out quick-like. 5,000 words each day. That meant getting up at 5:30 am on Saturday and Sunday for two weeks in order to get that 5k in before my family woke up and our day together began.

 

2) Write what you know.

I have never truly followed this rule. While I do write about some things that I know, I don’t write only what I know. They would be pretty boring books if that were the case. Research is often the best part of my writing process. I learn while I write basically. Sometimes it’s garbage stuff, like how many times a day men think about sex. Which is either every six seconds, fifteen minutes, or nineteen times a day depending on which study you read. Other times it’s more informative and important stuff, like what ingredients you need to make a perfect margarita.

 

3) Read.

This is one I will agree with one hundred percent. Reading is one way you can remain sharp in your genre. You get to see what’s been overdone lately and what hasn’t. I find myself really focusing on the emotions the author creates when I read. I dissect. I like to know what specific words or sentences made me burst into tears or laugh out loud and why. Writing is a craft and learning how to write well is never-ending. Reading will keep you on your toes.

Excellent advice, Jennifer! What do you think of these famous maxims?

AUTHOR BIO:Jennifer

Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing new adult and young adult fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.

Find out more about her latest novel by visiting her blog:
http://jennifersnydersblog.blogspot.com

Other ways to connect with Jennifer:
Email: Jennifersnyder04(at)gmail(dot)com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjennifersnyder
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jennsnyder04

Control You

Control You by Jennifer Snyder
Publication date: March 4th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult
Synopsis:

Kind hearted and naive, Paige Jacobs wants what every girl craves…to be loved. She uses this need to make excuses when her current boyfriend goes from being a tad jealous and slightly overprotective to stalker-ish. She isn’t that girl and Craig isn’t one of those guys. Things are fine. Perfectly fine. Until the moment a dark-haired, tattooed hottie with a snarky mouth walks into her life and tells her she deserves better.

Confident and boldly spoken, Cameron Green has always been the guy bad girls can’t get enough of and all the good girls want to tame. He’s lived a lavish lifestyle filled with drugs, women, and alcohol up until his destructive path finally caught up with him. Now Cameron isn’t sure what to do with himself or how to dampen the longing for something more festering inside of him since coming out of his drug-induced haze. But when he meets a doe-eyed girl who gets past his walls like no other, everything about him clicks into place.

Together the two learn there are emotions that hold within them all the power to control you…

Excerpt:

I folded the skinny jeans in my hands and chuckled. “How do you fit in these? Don’t your legs feel like they’re lacking circulation when you wear them?”

Eva shot me a go-to-hell look. “Are you calling me fat?”

Placing the jeans on top of the other pairs I’d managed to fold, I laughed. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

She grinned. “Yeah, I know, but you walked right into that one. And, no, they don’t cut off my circulation. They’re stretchy.”

“Stretchy, right, and that makes them seem to fit better? Some women need to realize that just because an article of clothing is made of stretchy material it doesn’t necessarily make them look good in it.” I picked the jeans back up and held them out to her. “Here, go try these on and let me make sure you don’t fall into that category.”

She smacked me across the chest. “Shut up. You know if anyone should be giving someone hell, it should be me giving you hell. I mean, you’re folding laundry on a Thursday night with me. Since when did you become so domesticated?” She grinned.

I pursed my lips together; she was right. It was Thursday night and I had nothing better to do besides stay at her place and help fold her freaking laundry. What the hell was the world coming to?

“Yeah, well, I could be asking you the same thing, sweetheart.”

“Don’t call me sweetheart. You know how much I hate your little pet names,” she grumbled. “And you know why I’m home. The loser I chose this time was just that, a loser. What’s your excuse?” She arched an eyebrow at me.

“I’m a recovering addict; becoming a homebody is logically my next step. If I don’t cut myself off from fun, I might relapse.” I was kidding, slightly. The last week or so had been tough, and thoughts of using to escape the mental anguish I’d found myself in had been tempting.

“Not funny.” Eva frowned.

“I wasn’t trying to be.”

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New Release with Giveaway: Tempo by Kelley Maestas

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 Out now!

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Title: Tempo
Author: Kelley Maestas
Genre: Erotic romance

Synopsis:

What happens when the tempo of your life is destroyed by circumstances out of your control? Do you give up and give in, or do you fight to get your life back?

Karlie McKenna is facing a dilemma, does she continue to follow her safe but celibate lifestyle or does she race toward a new beginning? Summoned to the boss’ office she has no option but to head to Las Vegas for the opportunity of a lifetime.

Vincent Scarpetti has been running from his own demons. Attempting to right the wrongs in his past, Scarpetti searches for his freedom in Tempo, the newest and most anticipated resort in Las Vegas.

Set on a collision course, can they survive the impact?

Tensions rise as the lines between conference room and bedroom blur. Will Vincent offer Karlie what she wants? Can Karlie give Vincent what he needs?

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Excerpt:

My head rests against his chest. I can feel his soft kisses on the side of my face. I turn in his arms and we embrace; his strong arms envelop me. Taking my hand, he leads me to the corner where our umbrella and blanket are awaiting our return. He sits with his back against the wall and pulls me to his lap. My arms go around his neck and we share a kiss. It’s a beautiful moment. Leaning my back against his chest, his arms encircle my waist. I rest my head in the crook of his neck. My bottom is nestled between his legs, and the length of his firm shaft is pressing against me.

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Author Bio:

Kelley Maestas lives in Colorado with her husband James.  She’s the proud mother of three young adults that still manage to keep her on her toes and her head spinning. They are her greatest accomplishment.

As a military wife, Kelley has toured the world like a rock star on tour. This has given her the amazing ability to unpack an entire household in three days—another crowning achievement!

Over her life, she has been a jack-of-all-trades between Dental assisting, teaching, and running her home staging business until finally, one day, she decided to do something she was meant to do. She wrote. And she hasn’t stopped since.

Armed with a glass of wine and her laptop, Kelley loves nothing more than to create an alternate world that any woman would want to live in.

Social Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authorkellycollins?fref=ts

Kelley’s Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/217712258429559/

Twitter: @kcollinsauthor

Goodreads Author: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7488895.Kelley_Collins_Maestas

Blog: http://authorkcollins.blogspot.com

 

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New Release Review: The Boyfriend List by Renee Novelle

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Looking for a light and fun New Adult read? This new release might just fit the bill…

 

The Boyfriend List
Renee Novelle

The Boyfriend List follows twenty-year-old Reagan in her quest for the perfect relationship after a somewhat tragic spring break breakup leaves her disillusioned about love… again.

Reagan had always prided herself on making levelheaded, practical, analytical decisions about everything. Everything, that is, except where guys are concerned. Which was proven to her, once again, when her “boyfriend” opts to take another girl on their oh-so-romantic trip to his lake house. In order to prevent future heartbreak, she creates a checklist of all the qualities she wants in a man, and vows not to give her heart away again until she can determine if they fit every last criteria.

After scouring campus with her two best friends in her tricky journey, her detective work returns a pile of unworthy rejects, and it seems as though her choices are narrowed down to only two options: the hot stranger who’s inspired her new project, and her best guy friend Ian, who she’s always kept at bay due to his perceived playboy reputation.

Reagan gets more than she bargained for with her new set of rules, however, and is surprised to find that love, and the perfect boyfriend, may have been within reach the entire time. But will Ian’s reputation ruin his chances to prove his worth? And can Reagan let go of her insecurities long enough to even give him a chance?

The Boyfriend List is a light New Adult romance about friendship, trust, and learning to let go in order to embrace what real love can offer.

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Review:

The Boyfriend List had a super cute start–Reagan just found out in a very public way (thank you, social media!) that her boyfriend cheated on her. Big time. She’s sick and tired of dating losers, and decides it’s time to do something about it. So she gets together with her best gal pal Petra, they make a pitcher of margaritas, and Reagan makes The List: a list of all the things she’s looking for in a guy. A guy who will be her perfect guy, and will never, ever treat her like the lying scumbags in her past did. Before she’ll even consider going out with someone, he must meet all of her list criteria.

The reader, of course, knows that this list will never in a million years work the way she hopes it will, but thinks she’s cute for trying.

Reagan also has a best guy pal, and it’s pretty clear as soon as he appears (even if you haven’t read the blurb) that he’s probably going to end up being THE ONE. He’s cute, and a genuinely nice guy, so this doesn’t seem like a bad thing.

So far, so good. It looks like it’s going to be a pleasantly sweet, albeit fluffy read. Reagan will fumble around a bit, but eventually she’ll figure out what’s what and she’ll make her bumbling but endearing way to an HEA.

The Boyfriend List maintains that persona for about half of the novel, and then things go a little wonky. For one thing, it tries very hard to keep up the quirky and fun vibe, but it doesn’t quite do it. It feels like the novel gets that close to zany shenanigans–like when Reagan’s stalking a potential list-winner-guy and accidentally poses as a school reporter–but then suffers a near miss. It could be a really funny scene, but it just misses the mark somehow.

At about the three-quarters mark, it gets even stranger. There’s an odd connection made between Reagan’s cheating ex and her wanna-be next boyfriend Ian that makes it look like someone is out to get our heroine. Why? It’s never really explained. But suddenly there’s a villain, and he/she is really quite villain-ish, for no apparent reason. It doesn’t seem like this person even knows Reagan, so why on earth would such an effort be made to make her life so miserable?

Finally, the big dramatic climax felt way too overdone. If Reagan had just stayed a millisecond longer in the scene than she did, all the drama could have been totally avoided. But she leaves, and refuses to answer her phone, her texts, and her door–so the book continues on for another twenty-four hours longer than it needed to. The ending was back to cute, but pretty abrupt given the drawn-out drama that had come before.

(TBL also contains a pet peeve I’ve recently developed about New Adult books lately–the plucky, poor heroine with the disgustingly rich best friends. Seriously, what’s up with that? Here’s another girl who gets to live in a swanky apartment thanks to her BF’s super-rich parents, and her other best friend/boyfriend wannabe buys her a six thousand dollar present on a whim. If only! But I digress.)

In a nutshell: The Boyfriend List tries, but doesn’t quite deliver. It’s not a bad read, and entertaining as long as you’re willing to just skim the surface of things.
3 stars/ C rating.

 I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excerpt:

Maybe she needed to get some fresh air, she decided. Go for a walk, clear her head. Anything to distract her focus from her thoughts and reset her mind back on her paper.

Decision made. She shut down her computer, set aside her books and wrapped her long hair into a somewhat sloppy bun on the top of her head. Reagan had contemplated a light sweatshirt to ward off the last cold brisk of winter that clung to the night air in stubborn resignation, then decided against it. But before she’d even left her bedroom, she turned back and yanked it off her bed after all. Apparently she was having a hard time making up her mind about everything that night.

Zipping it halfway up her torso, just below her breasts, she crept quietly out the front door and turned to lock it behind her. A quick breeze whipped its way around the corner and down the corridor, and as a shiver worked its way up her spine, she was thankful she’d listened to her intuition. Maybe she should do that more often.

But just as Reagan turned to go down the stairs and head out on her walk, she was met – nearly head on – by an unexpected sight. Ian stood before her, mildly drunk but mostly sober, looking as surprised to see her as she was to see him. It was clear he’d been out for a night of fun, though she’d seen him far worse on more occasions than she could count on both hands. But it was also just as clear that, once again, he’d come home alone. She couldn’t help the little smirk of satisfaction that turned up at the corners of her mouth on that discovery, though internally she chastised herself at the thought.

“And just where do you think you’re going?” His voice danced over the words with dramatic flair, an indicative side effect of his inebriated condition.

It took her a minute to find her voice. “I need a break.” She finally explained, “This essay’s killing me and I want to clear my head.”

“Nice jacket.” He flicked the toggle of her zipper, and Reagan felt it flutter in her core. “Want some company?”

The flutter was moving faster at the suggestion. His eyes had grown dark, almost as dark as the night sky, and she thought she saw something in them that begged her to say yes. Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure she needed her sweatshirt any longer, since the temperature seemed to have risen up all around her, working a pink tint into her cheeks. She was glad it was so dark out, hopefully he couldn’t tell this time. “Aren’t you just getting in though? You’re probably tired…right?”

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes… she chanted in her head. The truth was she very much would’ve loved his company, maybe a little too much, but she wasn’t certain she trusted herself around him yet…alone…in the middle of the night. There were too many possibilities, too many temptations that her imagination could come up with. If she acted on any one of them, and was wrong in her assumption, well the let down could be brutal at best.

“Tired? Me?” He shook his head and made a face at the suggestion. “The party was just getting boring. Too many of the same people, not worth the time.” Was he implying that she was worth his time then? Reagan certainly hoped so, considering how long they’d been friends. But she couldn’t help wondering if there was something more behind the words. “So what do you say? Can I walk with you?” And as he tilted his head in that subtle way that only Ian could, a dimple working it’s way into the corner of his cheek, she felt her breath rush out of her lungs.

He’d put the ball back in her court again. Damn him! There’d be no getting around it this time, she’d have to give him a definitive answer. And quickly.Reagan knew she should say no. There was something inside, warning her that it wasn’t a good idea. As though accepting his innocent invitation would somehow change things. Alter their relationship and shift their energies toward one another in a way that could never be put back again. But, when she really thought about it, hadn’t they kind of done that already?

And yet everything inside of her wanted to scream yes, and keep the momentum of what they’d started earlier in the day moving forward. It wanted to let him take her hand in his, entwine her fingers around his, as though it was the most natural thing in the world for them to be doing. All she could manage though was a simple nod, stiffened by the breath she held tightly in her chest. It was almost as though she was afraid to acknowledge what she wholeheartedly wanted, even to herself, because doing so would only leave her open and vulnerable to a future of regrets and failures.

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10 Fun Facts About Renee’ Novelle

1.     I have a complete and total obsession with lip gloss. I must have it on at all times.

2.     Originally, I was a performing arts major in college and received a scholarship from the dance department to attend. It was, without a doubt, the most amazing experience ever.

3.     But when I started college, I was only 15 so my perspective on the whole thing was very different. (And yes, there are future books being built around that experience!)

4.     That passion for the arts has stuck with me though, because I attend every play, musical, gallery opening, ballet, etc. that I can get tickets to. Next to lip gloss, it’s my second obsession.

5.     I absolutely live for dresses and will find an excuse to wear them every day if possible.

6.     I’m a huge foodie, and always seek out new restaurants and dining experiences to try. But I do most of my cooking at home. I love experimenting with new recipes; it’s kind of therapeutic!

7.     Getting to watch the sunset on the beach is my favorite thing about living in Southwest Florida. Such a relaxing experience.

8.     I love a fancy glass – I even drink water and juice out of wine glasses and goblets. There’s just something about transforming an ordinary experience into something more extraordinary that makes life beautiful. And the more unique the glass, the better the experience.

9.     I absolutely love having music on all the time – at the gym, in the shower, in the car, while I cook…except for when I’m writing. When I’m writing I need absolute dead silence.

10.  I don’t have any children – yet – but I have two cats that might as well be my kids! They’re my babies; I’m absolutely crazy about them.

About Renee

Formerly a freelance journalist, Novelle has found placement of her pieces in both online and print publications since 2008. Additionally, she has written multiple screenplays, and contributed her writing to many non-profit and for profit organizations. She has launched several blogs over the years, which garnered international attention.

In 2013, Novelle returned to her first love – fiction. Writing under the names Renee Novelle and R.S. Novelle, she has a publication schedule that includes Psychological Thrillers, Suspense, Paranormal Fiction, Contemporary Women’s fiction, Chick Lit, and New Adult.

Though she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Communication Summa cum laude, she considers herself a constant student of the written word. She’s an avid reader, an enthusiastic quote poster, and rarely takes “no” as a final answer. She has an unhealthy obsession for theater, dance, music and art, and strongly believes that wine is simultaneously the beginning of, and resolution to, all of life’s problems. She believes in following dreams and that in the end, you always end up where you’re meant to be.

You can find out more about her books and connect with her here:

Website: www.RSNovelle.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/RSNovelle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReneeNovelle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RS_Novelle

 

New Release Spotlights: Hearts Under Siege by Natalie Damschroder and Risking It All for Her Boss by Sharron McClellan

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Two new romantic suspense novels spotlighted today–and they look HOT!
Just what I need to warm me up today….

HeartsUnderSeige500

 

Hearts Under Siege
by: Natalie J. Damschroder
Release Date: 2/24/14
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Synopsis:

Will the truth bring them together?

Brady Fitzpatrick has spent a decade burying the pain of a broken heart while working for SIEGE, an information-gathering spy agency. That it kept him away from his family as well as his best friend Molly has been an unfortunate side effect. But when his brother, also an agent, is killed during a foreign op, Brady is drawn into a web of intrigue that threatens the lives of everyone he loves…

Molly Byrnes has loved Brady forever. As his best friend and a de facto member of the Fitzpatrick family, she holds them together in their crushing grief. But as a member SIEGE’s ground team, she doesn’t buy the official line about Brady’s brother’s “accidental” death and launches her own investigation—only to uncover a shocking secret that she and Brady must get to the bottom of before their target finds them.

Tangled emotions land them in bed together, opening Brady’s eyes to the incredible, fearless woman who’s been there for him all his life. But after a lifetime of disappointment, how can Molly trust the possibility of a future with him…or if they can count on any future at all?

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Author Bio:

Natalie J. Damschroder is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance, with an emphasis on romantic adventure. Her 11 novels, 7 novellas, and 15 short stories have been published by Avid Press, Echelon Press, and Amber Quill Press. She currently publishes romantic adventure with Carina Press and urban fantasy romance with Entangled Publishing. Her paranormal romance series, The Soul Series, is self-published.

Natalie grew up in Massachusetts, and loves the New England Patriots more than anything. (Except her family. And writing and reading. And popcorn.) When she’s not writing, she does freelance editing and works part time as a chiropractic assistant. She and her husband have two daughters they’ve dubbed “the anti-teenagers,” one of whom is also a novelist. (The other one prefers math. Smart kid. Practical.)

Email:  nujii@aol.com

Website: http://nataliedamschroder.com/

Blog: http://nataliedamschroder.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @NJDamschroder

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NJDamschroder

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NatalieJDamschroder

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/d1cVP

 

RiskingItAllForHerBoss500

 

Risking It All For Her Boss
by: Sharron McClellan
Release Date: 2/24/24
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Synopsis:

Big Risk. Big Reward. No Regrets.

When High Risk Securities (HRS) agent Eva Torres botches an undercover job by failing to rescue both of the kidnap victims she was sent to retrieve, Quinn Blackwood—her former lover and the man who broke her heart—pulls her and one of the victims out of harm’s way. As a penalty for her sins, she’s offered the dull job of escorting a former bio-chemical warfare scientist to Washington D.C. to reunite with his daughter. Much to her displeasure, the job of monitoring her assignment is given to Quinn.

Quinn isn’t thrilled with the situation either. He taught Eva everything he knew about secrets, sex, and lies—but the biggest lie of all was the one he’d told himself: that his missions for HRS were more important than anything, including his relationship with Eva. Because now that they’re working together again, the urge to put his hands on her, to feel her beneath him, is killing him.

Things only get worse when their current operation goes wrong, and the scientist they’re guarding is kidnapped mid-air. Now, Eva and Quinn have to work together to find him before he is forced to create a monstrous weapon that could destroy entire cities. A hard task made more difficult when they find themselves fighting both the enemy and their building desire for each other. Can they work together for the sake of the mission without reigniting the passion between them—or will passion be the salvation of them all?

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Author Bio:

I always planned to be a writer of some sort. However, when I went to college, I took journalism and creative writing and sadly, the teacher’s sucked the love of writing out of me. So I turned to my next love–science. At first, I wanted to be a marine biologist, but there was the whole shark issue. Frankly, they freak me out.

Instead, I discovered the joys of playing in the dirt-a profession more commonly known as archaeology. For years, I focused on excavating ancient sites that included projectile points, burn pits and the occasional burial.

My focus returned to writing when I took a position during the archaeological off-season and ended up answering phones for Princess cruise line AKA The Love Boat. Which, when you consider I write romance, is somewhat ironic. It was during that time that I took to reading romance. It wasn’t long before I fell in love with the genre and returned to my first love-writing.

Five years later, I sold to Silhouette.Five years after that, I landed at Entangled Publishing–Huzzah!

Today, I live in San Diego, also known as the City of Perfect Weather. I have an awesome husband who supports my passion for the written word in every way possible.   We both love to travel so don’t be surprised to find locales I’ve visited appearing in my books and pictures popping up on the website. It’s a big world—both in my head and out there!

Email: sharron@sharronmcclellan.com

Website: http://sharronmcclellan.com/

Blog: http://sharronmcclellan.com/angryromancegrrl/

Twitter: @SharronMcC

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sharron-McClellan-Romance-Novelist/298104936186

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/291018.Sharron_McClellan

Release Day! Stricken Resolve by S.K. Logsdon (Book 4)

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New release–out today!

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Synopsis

Spending weeks in the hospital recovering from surgery, Emily’s awaiting the next chapter in her life. But when a tragic loss emerges, consuming her, life changes as she knows it. Can she overcome something of this magnitude? Or will she finally hit the breaking point, losing herself in the process?

Johnathan is confused, unable to decide what he wants or who he wants. When Emily’s pain becomes his own, it’s finally time for him to reflect on his life. What will he do? How will he provide for the one woman, who’s captured his heart from the moment he laid eyes upon her?

James has found the love of his life. But will their love finally be enough? Can it withstand the test of time? Or was it, like so many other things in life, only a brief glimpse of what true happiness feels like.

In this final Stricken Rock novel you will hear from three of your favorite characters and how they survive loss, love and unexpected circumstances. In the end, resolving what they’ve been fighting to achieve—true happiness or something that resembles it.

Caution: This book contains heavy adult sexual content, profanity and BDSM. For ages 18+

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MeetTheAuthor

SK Author PicS.K. Logsdon is the author of three series; Stricken Rock, Attraction, and The Circle of Blood. She writes erotic romance novels, full of steam, unpredictability and sass. 

A stay at home mom. She enjoys her family, loves cake decorating and is an avid reader.

“I became a writer after being a stay at home mom for the past 9 years.
I’ve always had a passion for reading and the creative nature for writing. Being an only child growing up, I spent hours living in my own world of imagination. Note books were filled with my thoughts and ideas and as an adult I have been lucky enough to turn those creative juices into a product for others to enjoy.”

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Stricken Unveiled (Book 2)

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Stricken Trust (book 3)

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Cover Reveal: The Lost Kingdom by Stephanie Beerden (The Elements #1)

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Love YA fantasy? Here’s another new release to look forward to–and it comes out on Mini Moe #1′s birthday! ;)
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The Lost Kingdom by Stephanie Beerden
(The Elements Series #1)
Publication date: May 28th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:

A Prophecy made long ago, announced the arrival of the new Ladies of Elements.

And now almost a millennia later, it finally came true …

All her life Arima thought she knew who and what she was. That is until the day of her sixteenth birthday came and her world is turned upside down, when she’s told she’s not a White Witch but Lady Spirit. And that she is the one that has been foretold, will unite the Five Ladies of Elements once again and save Ilendia and the Other Lands from Ahriman, the Demon King.

At first Arima refuses to accept her new fate, but when Shanums come and destroy her village and kill her loved ones, she has no choice but to flee and fall right into the destiny she never wanted.

As she grudgingly starts her journey into the unknown, she is accompanied by her unicorn familiar Sirrim, Blythe, a Vampire with a dark past and Myrddin, a mysterious Ljosalfar.

And the longer her journey lasts, the more Arima begins to realise that she can’t escape her own destiny and she must learn to control her powers and learn to be a Lady for the sake of the Sisters she doesn’t know and the people of Ilendia and the Other Lands.

However, things get more complicated when Arima comes into the possession of a key. Her instincts compel her to go towards danger when she discovers that the key she holds, can unlock the legendary kingdom of Eléssima, the home of the Ladies of Elements.

She will have to make the choice to follow her instincts …

…or stay on the path that has been laid out for her.

—-
 
AUTHOR BIO:Stephanie
Stephanie Beerden was born on Friday the 13th (no joke, she really was) in a small city called Genk and has always been fascinated with the occult, magic and books. Her childhood and teen years were filled with reading lots and lots of books and imagining what life would be like as a Vampire. Until one day she decided that she wanted to try her hand at writing her own books and that was the beginning of her writing adventure.

Her first book is a YA Fantasy called De Elementen – Het Verloren Koninkrijk and after many, many trials and tribulations, one small Dutch Publisher, named Jaylen Books decided “Hey, let’s give this girl a shot”. Her second book De Elementen – Archandir has recently been published by same publisher and she couldn’t be happier about that.

Stephanie hopes to keep writing as long as she can and already has several writing projects in the works for the future.

Author links:

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Spotlight New Release and Giveaway: Unhinge Me by Ann Montgomery

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 Another new release and giveaway! Good luck… :)

UnhingeMe_TourBannerSynopsis

Caleb and Alex’s love affair was risky from the start, especially since Caleb is a young professor and Alex is his student. Then the night comes when the two cannot ignore their feelings any longer and the passion that erupts between them rocks both their worlds to the core. Finally finding a love worth fighting for, the two embark on a journey to get to know each other. But ghosts from both their pasts threaten to end the love affair before it even begins and one of those ghosts may threaten their very lives.

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Ann Montgomery lives in NY with her husband, two children, and small Yorkie.

She is passionate about a lot of things. She has learned to speak three languages and plays the piano. She loves traveling, photography, TV and film, and, of course, reading.

While writing her first book, she balanced being a full time wife, mom, and student. This year she will receive her associate’s degree with a concentration in psychology and will continue on for her bachelors. And she did it all with the help of two of her favorite things- coffee in the morning and wine at night!

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A Day in the Writing Life of Sarah Dalton (author of White Hart)…with a Giveaway!

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Sarah’s latest book is FREE this week with the Smashwords promo code–check the buy links for more information!

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A Day in my Writing Life:

Unfortunately I don’t spend my days with a laptop in coffee shop as so often depicted in the movies and if I try to I generally give up – the noise of screaming children, coffee machines and bad slow jazz isn’t usually conducive to productive writing!

But there is an element of freedom which means that a writer has to experiment in order to get the best out of their selves. For me that means working early in the morning. You need to find your routine and stick to it.

Most writers will tell you that they produce their best work about 20-30 minutes into their writing which is why many people advocate free-writing and brainstorming to get yourself into a flow. I don’t tend to do this because once my mind is focussed I’m ready to begin. I like to get up, eat, and then jump straight into it.

Writing is intensive. You write real emotions and that can be draining and I find that you can only fully concentrate for around two hours at a time, and this is where I really love being a writer because then I have a break and watch TV or do some housework (oh, who am I kidding – I watch TV!). Around 11am I make a cup of tea (one of many) and watch True Blood.

Sometimes you have days where you feel like you don’t do any writing at all because putting a novel together isn’t just about creating sentences. It’s also about plotting, editing, proofreading and marketing. They are sometimes the most boring but necessary of tasks – the equivalent of filing in an office job – but they have to be done. You have to check that manuscript for incorrect commas and speech-marks. You have to edit out scenes that don’t add to the plot. And then there are the days where you don’t feel like you’re doing anything at all. I call these my ‘frustrated thinker’ days where I get what’s commonly known as writer’s block. It isn’t writer’s block; it’s another necessary part of being a writer. You need time to think about your work and sometimes that can’t be rushed. When it happens to you try to chill out. Let it happen naturally. Focus on other things until you’ve worked everything out in your head and then move on. The worst thing a writer can do is get too frustrated when you aren’t writing. Have confidence that you will pick up that pen or place a finger on the keyboard again and embrace it.

Writing days can be different, they can be generic and they can feel non-existent. But whatever happens it isn’t like a job in an office. When you step out of your writing den, dungeon, office… whatever it is you call it – you don’t switch off. When you’re a writer you’re a writer 24/7. Everything you watch, hear or experience adds to that little bank in your mind called ‘ideas’.

 

AUTHOR BIO:SarahDalton
Sarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.

She is the author of the popular YA dystopia series Blemished and the gothic novella My Daylight Monsters. Her latest series is called White Hart – a YA fantasy about a girl who hides magical powers from everyone around her.

Sarah at: http://sarahdaltonbooks.com/

Follow Sarah on twitter @sarahdalton

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White Hart by Sarah Dalton
(White Hart #1)
Publication date: March 5th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Mae never asked to be craft-born. She never wanted that burden.

The realm needs magic again, and the the King of Aegunlund has been waiting for the first craft-born girl to marry his son, Prince Casimir.

In Mae’s town of Halts-Walden, the ambitious miller claims his daughter Ellen is craft-born. Mae knows this is a load of hogwash, but she’s glad Ellen will have the unfortunate pleasure of becoming queen instead of her. All she has to do is sit back and wait until Casimir and Ellen are married, then she will finally be free of the threat of her fate. But on that day an event so shocking and terrible occurs that Mae finds herself entering the neighbouring cursed forest on a quest she never thought she’d have to follow.

Join Mae as she rides her white stag through the Waerg Woods with a pampered prince at her heels. She’s out for revenge and nothing, no one, will get in her way.

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Excerpt:

Father and I live on the edge of the gloomy forest; close enough to smell the leaves, hear the rustle of animals, and sense the dangers within. Darkness hangs below the knotted canopy of branches. I stand and watch in awe, following Anta’s hoof-prints. It’s late. The sun sets. The grey of dusk descends over Halts-Walden with the threat of rain in the dark underbelly of clouds. The prince may well be greeted with mud and rain in the morning. The thought makes me feel rather gleeful. I imagine some pampered, puffy prince on the back of a regal horse, riding into the village in search of the red hair of maidens, quaint flowers, and those who bend the knee to him.

“Come in for stew, Mae,” Father says. “You should have a bath, too, if the prince is arriving.”

“I thought the whole point was to make sure the prince wouldn’t want me,” I reply, shooting him a glance.

Father sighs. “That’s true. But this is still a momentous occasion for the village, and you should look the part, or you’ll attract attention. Do you know the last time we had a royal come here?”

I shake my head.

“Well, it was before my time. Your grand-papa talked of it sometimes. King Aldrych the First came when he was still a prince. He thought we were enchanted, because of where we live. I suppose the kings always do.”

We’re under Aldrych the Second’s rule, now, a man I know little about because of how isolated we are. His reputation is one of greed. The only thing I know is that he wants his precious Red Palace to make his gems. Apparently the craft is needed for that. I don’t know how it works. Part of me would love to see the castle, to discover what makes it so special.

“Well, Ellen is craft-born, after all.” I snort. She’s got about as much craft in her as the muck in Farmer Black’s pigpen.

“Are you complaining, Mae? You’ve wanted nothing more than to avoid Ellen’s fate. Ever since…” He trails off.

Ever since I realised I have the magic in me. To finish his sentence, I lift a hand and click with my thumb and index finger. The butterflies that usually hide away between our flowers reveal themselves in the garden. There are dozens of them fluttering through the sky of all colours: red, yellow, blue, patterned with eyes that stare out like rubies. They fly to me and cluster around my hand.

Father shakes his head, but he laughs. “If only your mother could see you.”

A bold butterfly with wings the colour of sapphires lands on my nose, tapping me with its antennae.

“I just wanted to call you,” I say. “There’s no job for now.”

The butterfly leaves my nose sharply, as though in a huff. The others follow, flapping their tiny wings, disappearing back amongst the flowers.

“You shouldn’t call them whenever you feel like it,” Father warns. “Nature doesn’t exist to serve you and your every whim.”

I’ve heard this speech many a time, so I clap my hands together to prevent a long lecture. “Stew it is, then!”

Father puts an arm around my shoulders as we head back to the hut. “Rabbit stew, in fact. With carrots and mint. I need to fatten you up—I can feel your ribs!”

I pat my tunic. “Really?” I am small for my age.

He chuckles as we walk through the doorway. I help him up the stone step. “You’re still growing. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be a few inches taller by your sixteenth birthday.”

I lift his arm from my shoulders, and it drags dark curls in front of my eyes. I push them back behind my ears. “I doubt it.”

“Sit down and eat your meal.” Father points to the table, laid out with a bowl of food. It’s barely enough for the two of us. “Tomorrow will be a big day. We’ll see the prince, and when he takes Ellen away, we’ll never have to worry again about you being sent to the Red Palace.”

I like the sound of that. As I shovel down the rabbit stew, my shoulders lighten. For years we’ve worried about my powers. We know little about craft and the craft-born, except that the magic within me seems to allow me to call on nature. I don’t know why it makes me powerful or how it would benefit the realm, I just know that I don’t want to be a princess and I never have. I can’t think of anything worse than flouncing about in fancy dresses, cooped up in the Red Palace forever, forced into marrying someone I don’t even know. I certainly don’t want to use my powers to help the king become even richer.

But there is something in me that longs to find out more about the powers within me. Sometimes I fantasise about disappearing from Halts-Walden and travelling Aegunlund in search of answers. I want to be in the woods with the birds and the butterflies. I want to climb trees and ride Anta ’til my arse-cheeks are sore. I don’t know why I’m craft-born, and I don’t really care. All I know is whatever the reason, it has to be more than sitting pretty on a throne. There must be more to life. There has to be freedom and adventure in this world. I want to find it.

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Blitz! You Will Pay (For Leaving Me) by Eve Rabi

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This one looks intense…and is free for a limited time! Details below.

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Title – You Will Pay for Leaving me
Author – Eve Rabi
Genre – Woman’s Fiction
Publisher – Eve Rabi
Cover Artist – Eve Rabi

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SYNOPSIS:

“A compelling and heartbreaking story about love, lust and revenge.”

Blurb:

To the world it looked like I was the luckiest woman on earth. I had every material possession I could want or desire. Women envied me, while men strove to be like my successful and charismatic husband, Tom.

Little did everyone know that behind closed doors, Tom, the man I had chosen to have and to hold was a brutal tyrant who abused me and controlled everything aspect of my life.

In spite of his controlling ways, I found the strength to take my two children and leave.

I started a new life, met a wonderful man named Bear in record time and fell madly in love with him. Bear was everything Tom wasn’t and my children and I lived a blissful existence.

But Tom was livid at my new-found happiness. As promised when I left him, he took revenge for my leaving in the most horrific way possible, then sent me to prison.

Over time, I learned his game and when I realized he wasn’t going to stop, I knew it was time to fight back and fight dirty.

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EXCERPT:

The first time Tom hit me, I was eight months pregnant. Slapped me across the face. Unexpected and so hard, I saw tiny white stars even though I was indoors.
I was twenty-two, he was thirty-five.
I was eight months pregnant and waddling like a duck, he was eight-one kilos and took part in triathlons, ran ten kilometers almost every day, had wheat-grass and quinoa for breakfast, a green salad with no dressing for lunch, and usually ate lean chicken breast with three different colour vegetables for dinner.
Fit, disciplined and focused – that was my husband.
Throughout my two years of marriage, I’d seen bursts of his rage – towards me, towards others and his road-rage, now that was the worst – it terrified me. Especially since he liked to take it out on trucks drivers. The bigger the truck, the greater his rage.
Deep down, I guess I did fear being hit by him one day, but I didn’t expect it that day – the day of my second wedding anniversary.
I was so stunned by the slap that I didn’t move away or try to defend myself. I just stood and gaped at him, one hand on my cheek, the other on my swollen belly.
“I take care of everything!” he hissed. “All you had to do was to chill the Kristal and you forget to do that. A small thing like that. Chill …the …Kristal – how hard is that, huh?”
To celebrate our wedding anniversary, Tom had invited eight couples to a four-course, sit-down dinner at our house, located in the upscale suburbs of St Ives, Sydney.
He had hired caterers, wait-staff and a barman. Like all of Tom’s parties, it promised to be interesting, excessive and showy.
It was true, all I had to do was chill the Kristal, as he took care of everything, without consulting me once, or asking what I would like to serve our guests.
I didn’t mind though, as Tom was extremely capable, highly efficient and he had flair. I didn’t, so if I did make a suggestion of just about anything, he’d usually scoff at it and shred it to bits, making me feel like the hillbilly that I was. So over time, I stopped suggesting or contributing and left everything to Tom.
That suited him just fine.
With pregnancy hormones, my brain sometimes became a pile of mush and I tended to forget a lot of things. I would walk into a room and forget why I was there, and often at a mall, I couldn’t remember the level I had parked my car on.
It annoyed the hell out of Tom as he didn’t suffer fools gladly, and just about everything I did was foolish to him. Irritated him.
“See what you do to me!” he snarled, his nostrils flaring, his lips a thin line. “You make me like this.”
After throwing me a look of disgust, he adjusted his tie, straightened his 5’8” frame and walked towards the door of our bedroom.
“Put on a darker shade of lipstick, wear the necklace I bought you for Christmas and be downstairs in five!” he flung over his shoulder as he strode out of our bedroom.
With my hand on my cheek, I sat on the bed, shrouded in disappointment.
How could he hit me, I asked myself? How could he hit a pregnant woman? His pregnant wife – who does that?
There was no way I was going to go his party after he had just hit me. I would leave quietly through the back door before our guests arrived, I decided. I wouldn’t even tell him that I was leaving.
Fuck him and his party.
The doorbell went. Too late, our guests had just arrived.
“The place looks wonderful, Tom.”
“Thank you.”
“Yes, it’s fabulous, Tom. Marvelous. Where’s Arena?”
“She’ll be down in a sec,” I heard Tom say.
I didn’t know what to do. How could I possibly not turn up when guests had already arrived? After a lot of thought, I decided that I would go to the party, but I would leave immediately after it. I would have it out with him and call the cops if I needed to. I may have been twenty-two years old, but I wasn’t stupid enough to let him hit me and get away with it.
I scrambled up from the bed and walked over to a mirror where I eyed my cheek, red from his slap.
I picked up some concealer and dotted it over the redness. Didn’t work. His imprint on my cheek showed through the concealer.
I tried green concealer. That worked – my redness disappeared. That was the first time I learned that green concealer covers redness, better than yellow or beige concealer.
Over the years I used a lot of green concealer and I became an expert at concealing ‘flaws.’
Luckily, my hair was in a bob, deep mahogany and fell in a sharp point two centimeters below my ears and covered most of my cheek. (Hairstyle as per Tom’s orders. He instructed me to wear my hair exactly that way. He was in awe of Victoria Beckham.)
I decided that if for any reason, someone enquired about the marks on my face, say the concealer faded or something, I would simply say that I had an allergy –a new facial that didn’t quite agree with me. (Over the years, my friends were surprised at how many facials didn’t agree with me.)
Still dazed, I adjusted my clothing, darkened my lipstick, put on the chunky gold necklace and waddled downstairs. As instructed.
When I reached the last stair of the spiral staircase of our $2.6 million dollar home, which had a spa, sauna, tennis court and an Olympic-size pool, I plastered a smile on my disappointed lips and greeted our guests.

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Author PhotoAUTHOR BIO:

Eve Rabi lives in Sydney Australia, but was born in South Africa. She is the author of 22 books and is known for her kick-ass leading ladies, her alpha males and her ability to make you cry and make you laugh as you fall in love.

 

 

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